I Became the Rankers’ Number One Pick

“‘Brain’? Is that the name of the skill?”

“Yes. It said it would improve my ability to use my brain, starting with learning things faster.”

“That’s a good skill.”

“Isn’t it? I think so too.” Seo-ah wiped her hands with a napkin and went for the glass noodles.

Which were the perfect combination of salty and chewy.

She thought the Sun Guild’s cafeteria food was okay already, but this was on a different level. Perhaps it was the difference between cooking for a large number of people as opposed to for a specific person.

“Actually, I have a mission right now.”

“A mission?”

“It seems to have something to do with my survival. I have 88 days left, so I must join raids at least three times within that time period.

“Is it just a matter of joining raids?”

“No, I have to fulfill certain conditions there. Ah, but I don’t think I should tell you about them.”

She’d thought about letting Yoo Ji-an know that she needed to be complimented thrice for her mission, but she didn’t want to risk losing one of her chances.

He nodded lightly. “We’ll be able to go soon. An A-class gate will appear in Seoul around this time of the year, and I’ve already put in a request to enter it.”

“How did you know about it? Aren’t gate appearances announced by the Hunters’ Guild?”

Instead of answering, Yoo Ji-an put down his spoon and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

Seo-ah didn’t bother prying, surmising that he had his ways as a high-ranking hunter.

Although in fact, it was all thanks to his being a returner.

“Anyway, I thought that skills could only be unlocked through accomplishing missions, so I was surprised when ‘Brain’ was activated.”

“The skills you get from missions are probably related to your locked position.”

“That seems to be the case,” she affirmed reluctantly.

She never specifically mentioned that she had a different position, but he pointed it out so casually.

‘Well, I got to enjoy a luxurious meal from him, at least.’

Feeling full, she set down her spoon.

Yoo Ji-an’s expression hardened. “Doesn’t it suit your taste?”

“No, it was really good.”

“Then why aren’t you eating more?”

“I’ve already eaten a lot more than usual.”

His expression was incredulous, and honestly, so was hers.

‘Oh… There are three empty rice bowls in front of him.’

Did hunters normally eat a lot because of a heightened metabolism?

As Seo-ah stood to go, two guards in black suits entered.

“Ms. Park Seo-ah, are you done eating?”

“Yes, I am.”

“We’ll guide you to your accommodations, then.”

“I know how to go back…”

“Starting from today, you will be treated like an A-class hunter of the Sun Guild. Please come with us to the 75th floor.”

She blinked awkwardly.

Yoo Ji-an, still seated, waved. “Go on and rest. After tomorrow, I will train you myself.”

“You’re going to personally train me?”

“You’ll be with me most of the time anyway. It would be better to let me handle your training from the beginning.”

Seo-ah shrugged playfully. “The contract stipulates that I’ll work with the Sun Guild, yes, but it’s not yet certain that I’ll stay permanently.”

He stiffened. “Park Seo-ah, has anything been lacking so far?”

“Not at all.” She bowed politely. “I enjoyed the meal.”

As she followed the guards out to the elevator, she looked back at Yoo Ji-an.

He, too, was looking back at her as he leaned against a wall.

A brief interlude passed and the elevator stopped at the 75th floor, its button designated with an ‘(A)’.

‘So if this is where A-class hunters stay, that would mean that the 88th floor is for S-class hunters.’

The world of hunters was a thoroughly hierarchical society. The accommodations, treatment, and even the food were all different.

According to the class system, Seo-ah herself should not be receiving these luxuries yet. Although she had a lot of potential, most of her abilities were hidden.

Therefore, this kind of treatment was actually a bit burdensome.

‘I’ll have to work hard.’

The guards retrieved her luggage and put it into her new room before courteously leaving.

“The fifth floor wasn’t bad either.”

It had been neat and compact, just like an office dormitory.

This one, however, was like a hotel suite.

Seo-ah immediately pressed close to the window.

“This is amazing…”

The view wasn’t as excellent of the 88th floor, but Yoo Ji-an’s place had no sense of reality at all, so she was still very moved by the sight in front of her.

She quickly reminded herself that she was staying there for training.

[ Stats: Muscle Strength: 15. Mana Recovery: 8. Agility: 11 (1↑). Defense: 12 (1↑). Physical Strength: 15. Mental Strength: 20. ]

These were the results obtained from her sparring session with Yoon Doo-hee. Her mental strangth had already reached the maximum level for E-class hunters.

“I’ll have to thank him later.”

Although he’d tried to attack her at the end, she still achieved those results with his help.

The physical training was arduous and difficult, but…

She wanted to reach all her limits before she went on a raid.

Once again, she felt regretful that she could not use ‘Breakthrough’ on herself.

Seo-ah decided to ask the instructor to train the rest of her stats and skills tomorrow.

***

The next morning, Kim Cheol-doo smiled happily at Seo-ah.

‘If only those other guys had half of her diligence.’

Many hunters neglected basic physical training because they had high-level stats and skills.

On the other hand, he believed that basic skills were more important than anything else when it came to utilizing those stats and skills.

‘Yoo Ji-an was exactly like that too.’

Now monstrously powerful, he also used to train harder than everyone despite awakening as an S-class hunter at the age of fourteen.

“Sir,’ Seo-ah panted, approaching him straight from a running lap. “You’ve arrived.”

“You’ve been working hard this morning. I apologize again for what happened yesterday.”

“No, it’s… Is he alright?”

“Hmm, it is likely that Yoo Ji-an had adjusted his strength so that he wouldn’t be seriously injured.

“That’s a relief,” she sighed.

Kim Cheol-doo was truly impressed by her thoughtfulness. Low-ranking hunters were not without their pride. Rather, there were plenty of those who were more aggressive due to that.

Yoon Doo-hee had clearly ignored Park Seo-ah’s skill and grade level, but she was still worried about him.

From her point of view, though, it was because she was able to activate a passive skill through their sparring.

“By the way, sir, I need advice on something.”

“What is it? Feel free to ask.”

He now sincerely considered her his student instead of an external trainee.

“My stats right now are…” Seo-ah confessed her concerns to her instructor, who nodded in understanding.

“What should I do?”

Her strength was at the maximum level, and her agility and defense were only slightly behind. Mana recovery was the stat that responded the least to her training.

“Mana increases through actual combat. The stats related to it improve as you encounter monsters and use skills.”

“I see.”

“If you want to learn how to apply your skills… Hmm…” Kim Cheol-doo hesitated. “Well, I suppose there’s a more suitable teacher for that than me.”

“Is that so?”

“Continue your morning training. I’ll be back in a while.” He vanished like the wind.

Surprised and more than a little grateful for the active response to her concerns, she resolved to get back to her training.

‘More suitable teacher?’

Seo-ah let her thoughts wander as her body moved, almost on its own, to challenge herself with heavier activities.

It was no longer difficult for her to lift the dumbbell that she had struggled with when she first arrived.

In short, she had the strength of a regular E-class hunter, roughly that of a sturdy normal person.

“98, 99, 100… Ah!”

She collapsed after the last squat, the 40-kilogram barbell finally off her shoulders.

‘I can’t move anymore.’

She’d even used ‘Inspiration’ to test her limits.

There were footsteps approaching, but she remained facedown with her eyes closed, thinking that it was just another trainee.

A touch on her shoulder and a sudden rush of energy filled and refreshed her aching body.

Seo-ah sprang to her feet, wide-eyed.