Chapter 04
Can You See This Too? (3)
Being a hunter in a world without a system was far from easy.
Especially for Earth hunters who had to compete with various otherworldly species entering the Black Gate.
Nothing came easily.
Other species, with their history and traditions, already knew basic skills without needing to buy manuals with points. Earth hunters, on the other hand, had to spend points to purchase each one.
And even then, buying a manual didn’t automatically mean mastery. One had to read, interpret, and work to acquire the skills—effort was required. It was the law of hard work.
At least, that was true… until Hwang Hana saw Do-hyeon in front of her.
Fwoosh—
“…What are you doing?”
“…….”
Hwang Hana stood still, staring blankly at the fire blazing in Do-hyeon’s hands.
She wasn’t merely stunned. She was carefully observing the flames in his hands.
And the result?
‘Th-This is real.’
The fire he controlled was the basic fire magic, Fire. True to its name, it was a basic spell that summoned flames to attack.
Magic was generally more difficult than basic skills. That’s why hunters and mages were often separated in training and abilities.
Even with a natural aptitude for magic, mastering a basic spell took days. And yet, Do-hyeon had succeeded on his very first day—just by looking at a book?
‘That’s impossible…’
Hwang Hana dismissed it in her mind, but looking at his registration paperwork showing minimal abilities, she had no choice but to accept the truth: he had learned it by reading the book.
How should she put it? Even Hwang Hana, who had always been considered a genius wherever she went, couldn’t match the level of what Do-hyeon was showing.
She blinked in disbelief as he scratched his head.
“Ah. Shouldn’t I just use it freely? I thought I could use it since everything is allowed…”
Seeing him speak like that to avoid possible scolding, Hwang Hana shook her head and regained her composure.
“No, it’s fine to use it. …But really, you learned that just from a book?”
Learning from a book was possible—that was the purpose of the manual. The problem was the time.
It had barely been ten minutes since she left, and he had already read a basic magic manual and controlled the spell? If true…
‘I need to contact Taebaek.’
Instructing her guild to secure a promising recruit in advance was usually criticized and could lead to disciplinary action. But if this was true, Do-hyeon was worth whatever risk. That’s why instructors were often motivated to find promising students.
At that moment, Do-hyeon spoke again.
“Oh, then can I try the others too?”
“The others?”
“Yes. I read about three of them.”
“……?”
Hwang Hana didn’t understand, but thinking she had given permission, Do-hyeon extinguished the flame hovering over his hand and picked up a dagger from a nearby weapon rack.
Even that alone was confusing.
Why would someone who just used magic grab a dagger? Among Korean hunters, it was rare for someone to excel in both magic and weapon skills. That had been her assumption—and Do-hyeon shattered it completely.
The moment he held the dagger, the atmosphere changed.
Swish—
A faint layer of mana surrounded the dagger in his hand.
Hwang Hana’s eyes widened in astonishment.
This was basic dagger skill. Moreover, the mana flowing through his body indicated he was also using basic mana control.
She watched in disbelief as Do-hyeon swiftly dashed toward a training dummy, extending the dagger backward in a fluid motion, striking and sweeping past it in a silent, rapid attack. His movements were well above normal human ability.
Hwang Hana couldn’t help but shout.
“R-Really dagger skill?! And mana control too?!”
She had thought he was just magic-oriented, but he had learned two basic skills and a basic spell. The sight left her trembling as if struck by lightning.
How could this be possible?
Hwang Hana had been considered a genius for mastering a basic manual in just two days. What should one call Do-hyeon, who in under ten minutes had read a manual and acquired two basic skills plus a basic spell?
“An… abomination.”
It wasn’t a fluke or accident that he had endured her mana pressure and reproduced the technique—he had done it himself.
From the perspective of Hwang Hana, without a system or analysis ability, that was the undeniable truth.
For Do-hyeon, even if a skill appeared in the status window, it usually took a long time for newly awakened students to internalize it. But as soon as he analyzed something, the information entered his mind instantly—no delay, no frustration.
He couldn’t feel the sense of deprivation others experienced.
And yet, he felt a little disappointed.
He had acquired three F-rank skills today: basic dagger skill, basic mana control, and basic fire magic, gaining +2 permanent mana. But still, he was limited.
[You have acquired more than three F-rank skills today.]
[You have reached the limit of skills based on your current stats.]
[You cannot acquire any more F-rank skills today.]
‘So there is a limit. Too bad, too bad.’
If Hwang Hana had heard that, she would have probably collapsed in disbelief. But thinking it silently was a relief.
She swallowed and said to him with a composed, if bewildered, expression.
“R-Rest for now. Other trainees will be arriving soon.”
“Got it.”
Do-hyeon replied casually. He had already completed his little trial and didn’t need to do more. Hwang Hana, seeing him like that, hurried back to the instructor building. She needed to inform the Taebaek Guild immediately. In her mind, memories of Ji Yoo-chan, who had caused a stir in the Hunter Association, had already faded.
Do-hyeon returned to the dorm quietly. He didn’t fully understand her reaction but could guess why.
‘Analysis really is fast.’
He smirked, enjoying the feeling of being treated like a promising recruit, completely unaware that mastering even one manual normally took several days.
How long had he rested?
Knock knock—
“Do-hyeon, new trainees have arrived.”
New APs… no, new trainees. He couldn’t miss this.
“I’ll go out right now!”
Do-hyeon dashed out, eager to see what kind of new arrivals awaited him.
Only a very small number of people awakened.
In Seoul, the most populous city, fewer than five people would awaken in a month. That was a very low rate.
Fewer than fifty a year. Across the entire country, less than 100 a year.
The Seoul Hunter Training Center didn’t usually see many recruits, but this month was different.
A total of ten people had awakened: five registering today, including Do-hyeon, and five who had awakened earlier that month.
The five who arrived later in the evening were more relaxed. They had already been informed that they would be entering the training center, so they were prepared mentally. Their chatter on the shuttle bus was lively, with little complaint or tension.
“Phew. A month is long, but let’s all do our best.”
“Agreed.”
“Seems like some of us might form a party together. Let’s do well.”
“Oh? Dong-wook, you seem eager to form a party with us?”
A warm, cheerful atmosphere prevailed.
Among them, one quietly tall, handsome young man drew attention.
The young man, catching the eyes of two women, stared out the window in apparent boredom.
A woman asked pointedly,
“Yoo-chan, aren’t you nervous?”
“Eh, not really.”
He was none other than Ji Yoo-chan, the very same person who had caused a stir in the Hunter Association.
Another male trainee, called Dong-wook, nodded knowingly.
“Right, Yoo-chan caused a fuss in the Association when he registered.”
“Really?”
“Yes. They were talking about a new prodigy appearing.”
“Oh my! Really?”
“Haha! They said five people awakened today. Usually hunters form teams of five, but with Yoo-chan on our side, we’d definitely win!”
“Oh my, that’s true.”
“This month has a lot of recruits too. Competition should be fun.”
Dong-wook laughed heartily, and everyone followed, except Ji Yoo-chan, who remained indifferent.
When they arrived at the training center entrance, they saw the five existing trainees and instructor Hwang Hana, and had the expected reactions.
Hwang Hana greeted them just like the previous trainees.
“Welcome, trainees. I’ll push you hard for the next month.”
At the same time, her mana pressure pressed down on them like an initiation rite. Most of the trainees reacted the same way:
A suffocating feeling as if someone were choking them.
“Guhk!”
“Ugh!”
“Argh!”
“Kyaah!”
“…Hmph.”
Even Ji Yoo-chan couldn’t fully resist the pressure, though his condition was better than the others.
Yet, at that moment, he noticed something.
In Hwang Hana’s eyes, a flicker of indifference passed—something unusual.
‘What is that?’
Having heard of her talent causing a stir in the Association, Ji Yoo-chan was naturally perplexed. But then, he realized someone was watching him intently.
And the only instructor here was Hwang Hana.
In other words…
‘A trainee?’
That trainee was definitely staring at him, silently saying:
‘S… What?’
Ji Yoo-chan couldn’t understand it fully, but one of them had their eyes shining at him.
Do-hyeon, meanwhile, thought excitedly:
‘S-rank!’
