---
Rin Park hated mornings. But not as much as he hated today's morning, which involved him standing in line at the Hero Registration Building, stuck between two guys arguing over whose power was stronger.
He sighed. Why am I even here? Rin looked down at the registration form in his hand, a little embarrassed at what he'd written.
Name: Rin Park
Special Ability: …luck? (bad)
Next to him, a towering guy with muscles like boulders laughed as he boasted to anyone who'd listen about his "titan strength," punching the air for emphasis. On his other side, a girl was glowing faintly with what looked like energy manipulation. Both were already Rank E or higher, he was sure. He sighed, glancing around the crowded registration hall.
In the corner, he could still see his best friend, Taemin, grinning and giving him a thumbs-up. Taemin was the reason he was here in the first place, practically dragging Rin out of his apartment that morning, saying, "Come on, man! Just sign up. Worst-case scenario, they send you to guard some quiet village. Low pay, low stress. Perfect for a guy like you!"
Now, standing in this crowded room surrounded by people who clearly wanted to be heroes, Rin felt a pit of regret growing in his stomach.
The proctor finally called his name. "Next! Rin Park?"
Rin shuffled forward, dragging his feet as he approached the exam area. Rows of high-tech machines stood before him, each one looking like it would determine just how low on the hero hierarchy he'd end up. There was no hiding it. He was here to be ranked.
He braced himself as they brought him to the first station.
---
The Strength Test
"Alright," said the examiner, a no-nonsense woman holding a clipboard. "Hit that punching bag with all you've got. Let's see what you're made of, Rank F candidate."
Rin clenched his fist, took a breath, and swung with what he hoped was something resembling force.
Thump.
The machine blinked and displayed a number: 5% Strength.
A few people in the room stifled laughs, while others whispered in pity. Rin could feel his face burning as he stepped away from the machine.
"Next test," the examiner said, barely looking up.
---
The Agility Test
Rin was led to a small arena, where a series of foam darts would be shot at him from multiple angles. The goal was simple: dodge as many as possible.
"Three… two… one—go!"
The darts flew at him, and Rin tried to dodge, but he wasn't even sure what he was doing. In under ten seconds, every dart hit him. The few spectators winced, and Rin could hear someone whisper, "Is he… okay?"
The examiner sighed. "Next."
---
The Endurance Test
Rin found himself on a treadmill. They'd set it to an average speed, expecting him to last at least a few minutes. But barely a minute in, he tripped, stumbled, and hit the "stop" button with his face, ending the test prematurely.
By now, he was used to the pitying looks. It was no surprise, really. He'd failed every test so far. He was sure he'd be dismissed, and honestly, that was fine by him. He could go home, tell Taemin he tried, and get back to his quiet life.
But as he was about to leave, an official walked over with a clipboard and smiled. "Congratulations, Rin Park. You're officially a licensed Rank F Hero."
Rin blinked. "Rank F? I thought I failed?"
The official shrugged. "Technically, you did. But we're short on heroes, and you're… well, available."
Great, Rin thought with a sigh. Just my luck.
---
The next morning, Rin found himself in a small village on the outskirts, patrolling a dirt road with a dusty old map in hand. His uniform—a plain black-and-gray jacket with a flimsy badge—hung loosely on him. A simple route, he was told. "Guard the village, look intimidating, and make sure no monsters or villains cause trouble."
Perfect. Exactly the quiet life he'd wanted. Rin stuffed his hands in his pockets and began his patrol, hoping the day would pass by quickly.
The first few hours were peaceful. The village was quiet, and the villagers barely paid him any mind, used to seeing Rank F heroes. He strolled along, enjoying the sun and the gentle breeze, finally feeling like he could relax.
Then, the ground started to tremble.
Rin stopped, looking around as villagers glanced up, confused. A rumbling sound grew louder, and his heart sank as he realized something was charging down the hillside toward the village.
It was a low-level mana beast—a giant, snarling creature with fur matted in mud and claws that looked like they could tear through metal. Villagers screamed, scattering in every direction, while Rin just stood there, frozen.
The beast barreled down the hill, heading straight for him.
"Oh no. No, no, no," he muttered, backing up until he tripped over a rock and fell flat on his back.
The beast lunged, claws extended, and Rin barely rolled out of the way in time. It missed him by inches and crashed into a vendor's cart, splintering wood and sending vegetables flying. Rin scrambled to his feet, his mind racing as he looked around for an escape route.
His foot caught on a rope, and he stumbled backward, yanking the rope free and sending a heavy wooden sign swinging down. The sign smacked the beast right on its head, dazing it. The villagers cheered, thinking it was all part of his plan.
Rin's heart pounded as he looked at the fallen sign. "Oh… uh, yeah, that's right," he stammered. "Take that!"
The beast shook its head, growling louder as it turned back toward him. In a panic, Rin grabbed a rock and threw it without even aiming. Somehow, it hit the beast square in the eye, and it roared, thrashing around blindly.
The villagers clapped and cheered. "Our hero! He's incredible!"
Rin tried to move out of the way, but every time he took a step, something else seemed to trip him or knock into the beast—a stray piece of wood, a fallen barrel, even a pile of hay that got tangled in its claws.
After several chaotic minutes, the beast finally collapsed, exhausted and tangled in a mess of rope and debris.
The village elder rushed over, beaming. "That was amazing! To think we're protected by a hero like you."
Rin forced a smile. "Uh… thanks?"
The elder clapped him on the shoulder. "What do you call that technique?"
Rin's mind blanked. "Um… I just call it… 'The Technique.'"
"Brilliant name!" the elder said, completely serious. "You must come to the hero guild. They need to hear about this!"
Before Rin could protest, he was practically dragged back to headquarters, where word quickly spread about his "heroic actions." By the end of the day, rumors were already circulating about the "Legendary Rank F Hero" who'd taken down a mana beast single-handedly.
As he finally stumbled back to his quarters, exhausted and overwhelmed, he muttered to himself, "This can't be happening… I just wanted to guard sheep…"
Little did he know, this was only the beginning of his life as the unluckiest hero in the world.