The Hero Returns Chapter 63

Chapter 63: Chapter 63

When Su-hyeun entered the building and began to move separately for reexamination, everyone who waiting for Su-hyeun lost their purpose. Kim Seok-jin just smoked a cigar since there was nothing he could do.

“Working as an independent...”

“It’s surprising,” his attendant said.

In response to the attendant, Kim Seok-jin shook his head. “No. This makes more sense for him.”

“Yes?”

“He is the guy who hasn’t shown his face in two years. It would be a funny thing if he wanted to join the guild now. Many S-Rank awakeners are actually working as rcenaries or focusing on climbing the tower.”

It was the sa for their guild master, Park Ji-yeon. She only had a title but devoted most of her ti to climbing the tower, except when completing dungeon attacks. Not only her but also other S-rank awakeners were similar. People could not reach S-Rank without climbing the tower with such hard work.

“I am sure he is the sa.”

“Then why is he taking the rank reexamination?” the attendant asked.

“Well. There are many benefits... Money can be one of the reasons...”

“So, it ans you don’t know exactly?”

“In fact, yes.” Kim Seok-jin nodded and took the phone out of his pocket. But it was that ti.

The phone started to ring, and a familiar na popped on the screen. Kim Seok-jin thought the situation was funny. He smirked a little. Soon, he picked up the phone.

“Yes, Guild Master.”

***

Su-hyeun ca to the basent of the Authority building for the reexamination. The basent was made of special materials that prevented magic from leaking outward. More exactly, it would prevent the impact of the underground from spreading upward.

There were a total of five examiners who followed Su-hyeun and his party. As they set up various devices throughout the void of the basent, the examiner who looked the highest among them opened his mouth.

“First of all, let explain the agreent you will make after you pass the S-Rank examination. First, S-rank awakeners receive a certain amount of money on the 1st of every month. Additionally, they regularly take turns with other S-rank awakeners and engage in a special dungeon attack...”

Su-hyeun was familiar with that agreent. He did not pay attention to the explanation and just watched the devices.

There was more than one test. S-Rank awakeners were tested for not only the factor and level of the magic but also overall stats as well as other qualities related to other battles. Only the ones who passed all of that could be S-Rank awakeners.

“...about the rights are in this docunt, so please read it later.”

The examiner said so and handed a docunt to Suhyun. The cover of the docunt was colorfully embroidered in gold. There were several rights that S-rank awakeners received. Su-hyeun glanced over the contents and signed below.

“Well. Let’s take the test quickly,” Su-hyeun said.

“We are preparing now. Please wait for a mont.”

After a mont, all the devices were ready. There were so small platforms, a magic tester, and so devices to verify physical performances.

“First, we will check your magic level and factor. Second, we will check your magic control ability. Third, we will check your overall physical ability. What do you usually use for a weapon?”

“I use a sword and spear.” Su-hyeun showed his sword at his waist area and the spear on his back.

“The sword and spear...All right. Close combat tactics and long-distance throwing statics. What about your unique skill?”

“For the skill...”

Several questions followed, and when all questions were answered, the examiner nodded. In fact, just listening to those questions could not give them anything special. Most skills were to be evaluated during the exam.

“Please walk in front of the platform. The first test will be taken under an illusion.”

“What are the detailed rules?” Su-hyeun asked.

“You have to figure it out yourself. Just keep in your mind that the ti limit is key.”

They didn’t explain the rules but expected him to realize the rules on his own.

In the case of advanced rank screening, most countries had a system like the Tower of Trials. This thod was quite discriminatory, so the people who were more than A-Rank got their grade after such an examination.

“Please step on the platform.”

Su-hyeun stepped on the round-shaped platform as the examiner said. The devices were made of several interdiate Ether stones and one higher Ether stone. The stones also had a role.

There was a man nad Johnny Brad. He was one of the highest-ranked awakeners and he was known for his hallucination skills. His work was high-quality and used in world-wide awakeners’ agencies. This device was also one of his works. Of course, it was not as powerful as what he could use in person. It might have worked better for regular people, but it was impossible to show hallucinations that were threatening enough to S-Rank awakeners.

“Don’t reject the magic from the device. If you accept the magic, the test will start soon.”

Su-hyeun nodded at the examiner’s advice. If he wanted to resist, he was able to do that. To him, it was possible not to hallucinate in the first place.

Whirl, whirl—

Soon, the device was activated, and a lot of magic power was released from the Ether stone. That magic was sucked into Su-hyeun’s head in a mont. He did not resist it and closed his eyes. Then, he could feel a cool breeze with his skin. When he opened his eyes, there was a completely different landscape.

Caw, caw, caw—!

He could hear sothing sounding like loud crows. There were black spears on the ground, hundreds of and thousands of them. Above, he could see a black sky. No, it rely looked like a black sky. Birds that looked like crows filled the sky.

“They don’t look like crows... Are they Blackbirds?”

A Blackbird was a monster that looked like a giant crow. There was nothing, in particular, that said it was a monster. Blackbirds had a strong desire for survival rather than fighting. So, it usually was not threatening. Those were the Blackbirds that Su-hyeun knew.

It was not difficult to figure out what the subject of the test was.

He recalled the hint that the examiner said. He said the ti limit was key. So, that ant they were testing how fast he could handle the birds above the sky. There were many spears on the ground and many birds in the sky.

As he looked roughly, it looked like space was blocked within a certain distance to prevent Blackbirds from running away. The space was large, but it was not infinite.

“It’s perfect for hunting.”

He grabbed the spear. He could easily finish if he used the Leap and Fla skills, but he didn’t use those because this test was not for checking his magic ability. The weapons he used were swords and spears. And this test was a gateway to examine his spear-throwing ability. It was a pretty difficult test.

The Blackbirds were fast, and they would not let him drop them down easily, of course.

“30 minutes.”

He grabbed the spear he picked up from the ground tightly. He threw it as hard as he could.

Swish—

Bam—

The spear that Su-hyeun had thrown penetrated three blackbirds. At the sa ti, he grabbed two spears in each hand imdiately after that.

“One, two—”

Swish—

“Three.”

The four spears flew towards the blackbirds that roaming the sky.

“I guess it will take 30 minutes at most.”

***

“How much ti has passed?” Kim Hyun-soo, the general examiner asked.

The deputy examiner checked the ti and answered, “It’s been about 15 minutes.”

“About 45 minutes left.”

“I will tell you every five minutes.”

“Tell every ten minutes. When an hour is over, it ans he failed. Then clean all the things here.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh, and tell the last of the examiners to set up the next devices when 20 minutes have passed. If he passes the exam, we can proceed imdiately that way.”

“Yes.”

Kim Hyun-soo crossed his arms and watched Su-hyeun on the device. He was the one who was responsible for the examination of five S-rank awakeners of Korea. He also conducted the S-rank examination more than ten tis. About one in four people who applied reexamination passed and beca S-Rank. Three of the four had been eliminated were eliminated from this first test.

he thought but he could not rember exactly.

He took so long, and he was not capable of escaping from the hallucinations by himself. In the end, he had to pass the test to escape from hallucinations.

“And the fastest one was... Park Ji-yeon. She only took 40 minutes.”

Park Ji-yeon was the youngest S-Rank awakener in Korea. She had passed the reexamination faster than anyone else since she had shown an outstanding talent for a long ti.

Since this hallucination test gave each examinee a different mission, it was difficult to say that sobody would be better than the other exactly. However, the content of the test itself was recorded. Kim Hyun-soo flipped the papers and looked through the records of the S-Rank awakeners.

“After Park Ji-yeon, Gwon Jae-hoon took 43 minutes. Next was Jung Yoon-ho. He took 48 minutes. And next...”

Zap—

While he was checking the records, the device suddenly started responding. Kim Hyun-soo, who was startled, covered the file and raised his head.

“What is going on?”

“I think... the built-in skill of the device is being unraveled.”

“A built-in skill. You an hallucinations?”

“Yes, sir.”

In response to the deputy examiner, Kim Hyun-soo opened his eyes wide. Was ti passing by while he was thinking about sothing else?

“What about ti? How much ti passed?”

“19 minutes, sir.”

“19 minutes?”

It was less than 20 minutes. He had a lot on his mind. Kim Hyun-soo had been seeing the sa phenonon several tis. And imdiately after the device’s built-in skills began to break, the test would end.

he thought.

Other S-rank awakeners did not differ so much in the Clear Ti. It was only about five minutes apart. But suddenly, this man passed it in 20 minutes. It was a really overwhelming record.

The ether stone in the device flashed for a mont. That phenonon ant that the device stopped working.

“Phew—”

Su-hyeun, who was staring at one spot vacantly, all of a sudden took a big breath. Su-hyeun turned his body and looked at the examiners, including Kim Hyun-soo.

“How long has it been?”

“Uh...Well...” The deputy examiner checked the ti again. “You took 19 minutes 58 seconds...”

“So about 20 minutes,” Su-hyeun said as if it was insignificant.

Su-hyeun did not know about the shock of examiner Kim Hyun-soo.

“Let’s do the next one quickly. You guys are ready, right?”

He had finished so quickly that the preparations for the next test were not even done yet.