Snap!!
Using his divine eyesight to locate the wooden sword, he fell into a brief dilemma. Should he catch it? No, if he catches it, it's all over.
Cha Eui-jae hoped his brain would work a little faster as he pondered. Or should he just pretend to be in pain? Yeah, that's better! After making a quick decision, Cha Eui-jae slightly leaned his body and grabbed his left shoulder. He didn't forget to let out a soft groan.
"Ugh, ouch."
"…"
"Oh, it hurts so much."
Of course, it didn't help much. His voice sounded very normal even to himself, and perhaps because he was flustered, he pretended to be in pain a bit too quickly. Cha Eui-jae closed his eyes tightly. What kind of durability does a wooden sword have to break like that? Even a soup ladle from a hangover soup restaurant would be sturdier!
The wooden sword, drawing a perfect parabola, landed with a thud among the stacked boxes.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"It… really hurts…"
Though Cha Eui-jae continued to feign pain soullessly, he couldn't stop the dreadful silence from filling the container.
Choi Seok-yoon looked back and forth between the broken wooden sword, the motionless wooden doll, and Cha Eui-jae holding his shoulder with a blank expression. Just as Choi Seok-yoon was about to say something, the right arm of the doll fell to the floor with a thud.
The dreadful silence now grew to a deafening level. Cha Eui-jae glanced at the doll's arm sprawled on the floor and gritted his teeth.
"Don't they check the equipment properly? Damn government employees, really slacking off…"
Cha Eui-jae snapped back to reality, realizing it was not the time to blame the worn-out doll and fragile wooden sword! He needed to fix this hopeless situation quickly. Choi Seok-yoon was beginning to come to his senses.
"Um, Cha Eui-jae?"
"…Yes."
"That skill you used just now, is it really a D-grade?"
A hint of doubt appeared on Choi Seok-yoon's face. After calming himself, Cha Eui-jae answered.
"Yes, it's definitely a D-grade skill."
"Then why did the doll and the wooden sword break…"
"That, I don't know…"
He lowered his head. Scraping the floor with his worn-out sneakers, he muttered.
"It does say it strengthens the body, but I don't really know how…"
Cha Eui-jae, who had been mumbling and scratching his neck, gloomily asked.
"Um… sir. Do I have to compensate for this doll?"
"What? Well, first…"
"Is it… very expensive?"
[Trait: Poker Face (B) activated.]
When Cha Eui-jae, with a distressed face, rubbed his shoulder that was hit by the wooden sword, Choi Seok-yoon started to panic.
'How could I say such things to someone who has just awakened!'
There's a joke in the hunter industry. New awakeners are extremely, very, exceptionally sensitive, and they should be handled delicately like dealing with a bomb!
Of course, it's something well known by the staff at the Awakened Registration Center. It's not entirely unfounded. The trainers for new public servants shout it until their throats burst.
"Newly awakened individuals are extremely sensitive as they adapt to their suddenly changed environment. A small stimulus can lead to a big problem, so careful consideration is required when dealing with them."
In short, new awakeners are as sensitive and emotionally volatile as someone who hasn't slept for 72 hours, so don't provoke them and register them smoothly.
Luckily for Cha Eui-jae, Choi Seok-yoon was a rookie. A rookie with fresh memories of the Awakened Special Law training, which emphasized and re-emphasized the need to handle new awakeners with care!
Had he been a bit more perceptive, he might have noticed Cha Eui-jae's expression, which seemed ready to thrash someone, but unfortunately, the brainwashing-like training from the Awakened Management Bureau clouded his eyes. Besides, the fleeting glimpse of Cha Eui-jae's handsome face, despite being partially hidden by the hood, added to the trust.
'Well, what would a newly awakened person who just awakened three days ago know?'
Choi Seok-yoon's thoughts leaned towards soothing the new awakener before he could cause a bigger accident, thinking he'd soon return to the management bureau anyway and didn't want any trouble. He cleared his throat, picked up the broken arm, and spoke.
"It's fine. This doll is quite old. We were planning to replace it when moving to the main building anyway."
"Oh… really?"
"Yes, don't worry too much. Let's wrap up the skill demonstration here and proceed with the ability measurement?"
Choi Seok-yoon pointed to the measuring machine with a gentle smile. Cha Eui-jae also smiled back, but inside, he thought that the real challenge was about to begin.
'Damn it, it's one thing after another.'
This damn measurement wouldn't end.
Choi Seok-yoon pointed to the platform.
"Please take off your shoes and step on here. The machine will verify the grade and abilities registered in the system and display them on the monitor. You just need to stand still. Easy, right?"
"Yeah."
It was so easy that it was a problem. Even if he assumed his actual grade would be one step lower, Cha Eui-jae's current grade was A. There was a vast difference between the A-grade he wanted and the D-grade.
Cha Eui-jae quickly scanned his surroundings. There was only one monitor connected to the machine, placed on the desk. If the results were unsatisfactory, he could just destroy that.
To do so, he needed to divert Choi Seok-yoon's attention or send him out of the room altogether. Cha Eui-jae raised his hand as he was about to take off his shoes.
"Um, sir."
"Yes, what is it?"
"My shoulder really hurts from the hit… could I maybe drink a potion?"
[Trait: Poker Face (B) activated.]
Cha Eui-jae made the saddest face he could. The potion given to awakeners registering was a cheap consumable, so it wouldn't be in the personal inventory. Personal potions were too expensive to give away… which meant he'd have to go to the storage.
As expected, Choi Seok-yoon glanced around and scratched the back of his head.
"Ah, the potion is in the storage… I'll have to go get it. Will you be okay?"
"Yes. I'll measure in the meantime. Since the machine does it anyway."
"Would you? Then I'll be quick! Just stand in the footprint marks. Try not to move too much. Once the bell rings, step down and check the results. I'll be right back!"
As Choi Seok-yoon quickly left the room, Cha Eui-jae agilely took off his shoes and stepped onto the platform. A blue light started scanning from his feet up to his entire body. Soon, the bell rang, and a red letter appeared on the monitor.
[Number 93, Cha Eui-jae's grade is A.]
'I knew it, damn it.'
Cha Eui-jae sighed, thinking of Seo Min-gi, who had cheered him on with a "Fighting!" He wanted to shake him by the collar, asking if today's measurement was really the best decision, but it wasn't something Seo Min-gi could have predicted. He couldn't have known the potion he tested on himself wouldn't work.
Since it's come to this, he'd have to mess with the computer a little. As Cha Eui-jae stepped off the platform and crumpled his shoes, the moment he was about to tamper with the machine…
Bang!
Suddenly, the world shook violently. After a moment, the ground and container trembled, and a strong wind blew like a typhoon. Despite being in a windowless container!
The fierce wind blew off Cha Eui-jae's hood, which he had pulled down tightly. Cha Eui-jae stepped back, barely keeping his balance, while covering his face with his arm.
"Awakener! Are you okay…"
Choi Seok-yoon appeared at the door, holding a bundle of potions. His hair was a mess, probably due to struggling against the wind to get here. While checking his condition, Cha Eui-jae widened his eyes at the scene behind him. A blue glowing vortex was unfolding behind Choi Seok-yoon.
A rift!
Cha Eui-jae urgently reached out to Choi Seok-yoon, shouting loudly.
"Grab my hand!"
"Huh? Uh, uh? Aah!"
Choi Seok-yoon, looking bewildered, screamed as he was sucked into the rift. Cha Eui-jae gritted his teeth. A cold sweat trickled down his temples. His stomach churned. He felt something rising in his throat.
What would happen if he was sucked into the rift as well? Cha Eui-jae began to breathe heavily as terrible scenes filled his mind.
Hands clinging, begging for life, corpses trampled by monsters beyond recognition, bloodstains left so heavily that it was impossible to tell whose blood it was. And left inside the rift…
'Oh, shit.'
A blue light surged over his head like a wave. Cha Eui-jae closed his eyes tightly.