Chapter 17
"Are you sure you achieved all of these results by yourself?"
At the Association's administrative counter, the staff member wearing glasses kept looking back and forth between the monitor and Chaeho through the transparent acrylic partition.
"Yes. You can register it that way."
Even after Chaeho's calm answer, the employee still looked like he could hardly believe it.
The hand scrolling the mouse wheel trembled slightly.
And it was understandable.
The newly updated record of Chaeho's recent dungeon-clearing achievements displayed on the system was far beyond what anyone would normally expect from an ordinary D-rank Hunter.
Clearing a standard D-rank dungeon alone was already impressive enough to draw attention.
But it did not end there.
There was also an officially verified record showing that he had single-handedly wiped out the notoriously troublesome Mutant Troll and the remaining Giant Ratmen.
The employee once again opened Chaeho's previous history on one side of the monitor.
Until recently, he had been part of a C-rank party, working as a porter while barely maintaining a stable survival record.
There was nothing particularly bad about his history.
But there was nothing outstanding about it either.
It was simply a quiet, unremarkable record.
However, when his recent achievements as a temporary mercenary were compared with this explosive solo-clear record, the difference was so enormous that it almost looked as though someone else's data had been overwritten onto his profile.
"Hunter Lee Chaeho. To be completely honest, there's absolutely no reason for someone with this level of combat data to remain at D-rank."
The employee removed his hands from the keyboard and straightened his posture.
There was something more than routine professionalism in his voice now.
He was genuinely recommending it.
"Why don't you use this opportunity to apply for a C-rank promotion reevaluation so that your improved abilities can be properly reflected?"
"With your current level, you should have no problem aiming for the next rank. No—in fact, the sooner you get promoted, the easier it will be for the Association to assign you dungeons with the appropriate difficulty and manage your activities properly."
A promotion reevaluation.
At those words, Chaeho's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
A bitter memory from the past flashed through his mind.
After receiving his D-rank classification, there had been a time when he had confidently challenged the C-rank promotion test, determined to climb higher somehow.
The result had been disastrous.
Back then, both his strength and reaction speed had fallen far below the required standard.
Forget properly blocking the evaluator's simulated attacks.
His stamina had been so poor that even a grazing impact had sent him rolling pathetically across the floor.
He could still remember the cold air of the testing room where he had been mercilessly informed of his failure and forced to acknowledge just how weak he was.
After that day, Chaeho had clearly drawn a line around his own limits and accepted his place as a low-ranking Hunter.
The reason he had stopped pushing himself toward impossible goals and focused on porter work was because that failure had made him painfully aware of those limits.
But things were completely different now.
Ever since obtaining the extremely rare skill that slowed his perception of time, Chaeho had not chosen the easy path of simply relying on his ability to become stronger.
He had repeatedly divided the skill into smaller and smaller bursts during real battles where his life was constantly at risk, while mercilessly training his fundamentals.
As a result, the visible size of his muscles had not changed much.
However, the density of his muscle fibers and the explosive responsiveness of his body were now on a completely different level compared to the past.
As Chaeho quietly listened to the employee's suggestion, he suddenly realized that there was value in objectively measuring how much he had changed according to the standards of Hunter society.
He needed a place where he could confirm exactly how far he had climbed.
A place where he could test just how much power he now possessed.
"Do I need to fill out new paperwork to apply?"
The employee's face immediately brightened.
"Ah, yes! I'll prepare it right away. Just a moment."
The employee hurriedly opened a drawer, pulled out an application form for the C-rank promotion evaluation, and slid it through the gap beneath the partition.
Chaeho picked up the ballpoint pen on the table.
Even as he wrote down his name and Hunter registration number, his mind was already calmly analyzing what would happen on the day of the evaluation.
An official Association promotion testing ground was different from an ordinary hunting area.
Highly sensitive mana-measuring devices and high-speed cameras were installed throughout the facility.
And veteran evaluators with countless real combat experiences would be watching every movement with sharp eyes.
If he freely used Time Slow there the same way he did in ordinary dungeons, he would inevitably attract suspicion.
Dodging before there were even visible signs of an incoming attack.
Repeatedly responding in advance with accuracy too perfect to be dismissed as coincidence.
His body itself did not actually become faster.
But if enough moments like those appeared in the detailed recordings, people might suspect that he possessed some hidden ability.
I'll limit my skill usage as much as possible.
Chaeho placed a heavy restriction on himself.
No.
This wasn't something that would hold him back or put him at a disadvantage.
It was actually perfect.
Hadn't he already greatly reduced his dependence on the skill while fighting the Mutant Troll and the Ratmen?
This evaluation would give him a chance to see whether he could overcome the wall of C-rank using nothing but the observation skills he had sharpened over time, his physical ability, and his combat techniques—all while being monitored by precise equipment.
Only when facing an unavoidable fatal attack, or when he absolutely needed to force his way through an opening that lasted only an instant, would he use the skill in tiny bursts of 0.1 seconds—small enough that no one could notice.
Everything else would be handled purely through the natural instincts and abilities of the Hunter known as Lee Chaeho.
Once his decision was firmly made, a little strength entered the hand holding the pen.
Without hesitation, Chaeho filled in every blank and slid the application back through the partition.
The employee respectfully accepted it with both hands and quickly looked through the contents.
"Thank you for filling it out. I'll enter it into the system immediately."
"Your newly updated record is excellent, so you'll probably be classified as a priority candidate. We should be able to schedule your test very soon."
Tap, tap-tap.
The sound of fingers moving across the keyboard echoed lightly.
A moment later, the employee printed out a small registration slip and handed it to Chaeho.
"This Thursday at two in the afternoon. Please come to Evaluation Hall One."
"Thursday. Understood."
