"Um... sorry to bother you again, but could you repeat that?"
"I will awaken you."
At Si-Hyun's request, Evan repeated himself.
Si-Hyun tilted her head, sinking into thought.
So I didn’t mishear him.
He said he would awaken her.
It was a brief statent, but it carried countless implications.
Si-Hyun leaned back against her chair and crossed her legs.
He said he’d explain everything anyway.
There was no need to rush.
He’d lay it all out clearly on his own.
As if reading her thoughts, Evan began speaking in a calm voice.
"If I explained everything in detail, it would take a long ti. Let summarize."
"Please do."
"The entity that created the systems of awakening and status windows—that would be ."
"...That’s very succinct. Are you saying you’re a god-like being?"
"Not exactly, but you can understand it that way."
Evan nodded.
"The appearance of gates and the Great Cataclysm could be compared to a 'natural disaster.' But the real problem is the beings who have artificially interfered to escalate its scale. They are invaders from another world."
"What’s their goal?"
"Since they’re beings from another world, I can’t say for sure."
"Sigh..."
Si-Hyun’s expression crumpled.
No matter how she thought about it...
Isn’t it that damned Hero again?
Her past experiences pointed to one obvious answer.
Just how far would he go to be a nuisance?
He truly was an imasurable, garbage-tier annoyance.
"The speed at which Earth is adapting to mana has accelerated unnaturally. The invader will likely arrive soon."
"And you’re saying you want to deal with them."
"Correct."
When Si-Hyun deduced the answer so clearly, Evan nodded in satisfaction.
"Bound by limitations, I had to find a way to protect Earth. That’s why I decided to place my bet on you."
"...Ugh, I really hate this."
"Pardon?"
"Oh, sorry. I ant the invader, not you."
"Do you have any idea who it might be?"
"There was this obsessive stalker type. Looks like he’s throwing a fit trying to follow to Earth."
Si-Hyun uncrossed her legs.
There was no need to dwell on this for long.
She made her decision imdiately.
"I don’t have any reason to refuse. I’m involved in this, after all."
She didn’t know the specifics of how it would work, but since she had managed to return, it couldn’t be impossible.
Even if the invader wasn’t the Hero,
this was still about protecting her precious holand.
Ultimately, her goal and Evan’s aligned.
"Anyway, I’m counting on you."
"Yes, likewise."
The two exchanged a light handshake.
Evan glanced back and forth between her bracelet and the mark on her hand.
"It seems a god from another world treasures you greatly."
"...Really? You can tell?"
"The bracelet and the mark are proof of that."
"Hmm, I see."
Si-Hyun let out a hum and gave a small nod. Then suddenly,
she glanced at Evan’s face and quickly hid her hands behind her back.
"When you awaken , are you going to doodle on my hand too?"
"Does that bother you?"
"...No, go ahead."
Her resistance was weak.
With a slightly pouty motion, she extended her hand toward him.
There’s no way I’d give up on a superpower just because I don’t want another mark!
She vividly rembered how much she had longed for new abilities when she first discovered the concept of a status window.
At last, she would beco an awakened being, sothing she had only imagined.
Si-Hyun couldn’t hide her inner excitent.
Evan gazed at her for a mont before closing his eyes.
At that mont,
the atmosphere in the room shifted as if the air had grown heavier.
A faint glow appeared on the back of Si-Hyun’s hand.
The light, which gradually beca brighter, danced across her hand before forming an intricate design.
It was a new divine mark.
"......"
The light emanating from the mark slowly faded.
Si-Hyun stretched out her fingers, lifting both hands in front of her face.
There was now a mark on each hand.
...My hands have officially beco doodle pads for gods.
Still, it didn’t feel bad.
After all, Evan had said it.
A god from another world cherished her greatly.
That couldn’t an sothing negative.
Now, all that remained was to live up to those expectations.
What will my awakened ability be...?
Surely, it wasn’t going to be sothing like swordsmanship, right?
While it would still be better than being unawakened, she couldn’t help but hope for sothing impressive.
Sothing rare, like Jae-Woo’s Regeneration.
"Hmm..."
Si-Hyun stared at Evan with expectant eyes.
Evan nodded quietly, signaling her to check.
"Status window!"
Si-Hyun called out in an energetic voice.
Then—
"Oh, this is fascinating..."
A semi-transparent display appeared in her field of vision.
Si-Hyun thought it looked like sothing straight out of a ga UI as she began to read the contents.
And then, she saw it.
[Awakening Trait: Amplification]
"…Amplification?"
Si-Hyun looked at Evan with a baffled expression.
He nodded slightly and explained.
"The system has chosen a trait that best suits your talent."
"...So I was born to be a supporter, huh?"
Si-Hyun muttered quietly.
Amplification—a power that enhanced support effects and magnified others' abilities.
In simple terms, it ant her buffs were now significantly stronger.
Not bad, I suppose.
Though she would need to test it to be sure, she could likely use the amplified buffs on herself as well.
Compared to being unawakened, it was undoubtedly a substantial upgrade.
"By the way, this status window feels... a bit bare. Is it supposed to be like this?"
"You are already a complete individual. All that’s left is for you to adapt to your new power."
"...That was a pretty sly complint."
"I only stated the truth."
Evan replied with his usual stoic expression.
"Si-Hyun, I’m confident you’ll adapt quickly. I’m counting on you."
"I’ll do my best. Oh, do you have any hints for ?"
"Trust in your goals and move forward."
"My goals..."
Si-Hyun gazed quietly at the new mark on her hand.
Evan observed her and added an explanation.
"So sought power to show off. Others pursued it for pure strength, or to protect people, driven by heroic qualities. There were even those who pursued it for academic achievent."
"......"
"What about you? What do you seek?"
Hearing this, Si-Hyun let out a small laugh.
Her answer ca without hesitation.
"My goal is to live however I want."
Never to be oppressed by anyone.
Never to be bound again.
That was her unshakable first principle.
"…I see."
For the first ti, Evan’s expression shifted.
"That’s an interesting answer."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
A touch of warmth seeped into his previously cold deanor.
***
The day of the SS-rank dungeon raid led by the Cheonglim Guild Alliance was drawing near.
Cheonglim summoned both its first and second-tier guild mbers.
Additionally, high-level hunters from regional areas gathered to join the effort.
Thus, a raid team was ford, compensating for the lack of S-rank hunters with a significant number of A-rank hunters.
This raid drew the attention of many, as it was a completely different approach compared to the elite-focused raids conducted in Japan and China.
And then—
[Cheonglim Guild Alliance’s SS-Rank Raid Ends in Devastating Defeat.]
[The Wall of the SS-Rank Dungeon: Cheonglim Guild Alliance Fails to Overco It.]
[Cheonglim-Led Raid: High Survival Rate but Nurous Injuries Reported.]
They had failed.
Once again, the reputation of the Cheonglim Guild was tarnished.
Reports from the injured hunters transported to hospitals revealed the the of the dungeon.
All of them spoke with one voice.
The monsters ca in overwhelming waves, endlessly surging forward.
Even as they killed them, more and more monsters continued to appear.
Although there were few overwhelmingly strong monsters, the sheer volu of enemies was insurmountable.
The alliance couldn’t even advance deeply into the dungeon.
Ironically, this lack of progress resulted in fewer fatalities, though injuries were abundant.
This ironic news naturally redirected public attention toward the Dawn Guild.
In particular, expectations began to mount for Korea’s greatest magic hunter, Yeo Dohyung, and his potential involvent.
* * *
A few days later, in an office at the Korean Hunter Bureau.
Si-Hyun was discussing her potential new ho with Section Chief Jang Han-Soo.
"Oh, this one looks nice too."
"Then I’ll add it to the list of candidates."
Si-Hyun nodded, taking a sip of her coffee.
"There’s no rush at all. Let’s shortlist several options and pick one gradually."
"Understood."
The atmosphere in the office was peaceful.
Si-Hyun was leisurely reviewing the materials provided by the Hunter Bureau when—
Knock, knock.
A light tapping on the door was followed by Ko Jae-Yoon, the team leader, entering the room.
He greeted Si-Hyun respectfully and spoke.
"Saintess, Hunter Yeo Dohyung of the Dawn Guild has requested your cooperation. He’d like to discuss it with you. What would you like to do?"
"...He requested this through the Bureau?"
"Yes, that’s correct."
As Team Leader Ko nodded, Si-Hyun scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"I’ll handle this myself."
She scrolled through the contact list on her smartphone.
With so few numbers saved, it didn’t take long to find the one she was looking for.
‘This timing works out perfectly.’
She needed a chance to test the new powers she had been learning,
and strengthening her connection with Yeo Dohyung wasn’t a bad idea for the future.
Si-Hyun began planning the conversation she would have with him.
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