"Ah, that was seriously delicious."
Chatting idly with Jung Hoon, I hadn't noticed the time—already six o'clock. Since my practical exam was tomorrow, I was on my way back home.
But really, how the hell does he make kimchi stew that well? I swear, he could open a restaurant right now. It would blow up for sure.
Maybe I should've just stayed and eaten dinner too.
I smacked my lips and rubbed my about-to-burst stomach. Even leaning back against the subway seat felt comfortable. Getting home would take a solid hour anyway. The good thing about Gwangwoon University Station is that the Line 1 train starts from there—meaning I could definitely get a seat all the way.
At that moment, Jung Hoon's cheerful smile came to mind.
That was worth seeing.
At first, he didn't believe my rank. But once he checked his own, reality hit him, and he immediately whipped out a notebook of wrong answers. Of course, Jung Hoon also passed Polygon. For someone who said he messed up a lot, his score wasn't bad at all.
Ranked 7,287th—that's solid.
If memory serves, more than 100,000 people applied for the 7th Polygon Entrance Exam this year. Ranking like that isn't bad at all. The problems themselves weren't that difficult anyway—I already knew most of the material.
And above all, I knew Jung Hoon's personality better than anyone.
The type who practices until what he doesn't know becomes his own.
That's the mark of a born hard-worker. I know for sure—because I was exactly the same. In high school, in college, even as a journalist. If I didn't know something, I studied until I did. Again and again. Only then could I truly understand.
It never felt hard, because I thought of it as preparing to use every possible talent to its fullest, if my awakening ever came. And now…
"Whew."
Letting out a short breath, I lowered my gaze to the smartphone screen.
Examinee No. POLGTT206713404, Baek Kang-hyun.
Congratulations on passing Polygon's first written exam!
Your rank in the Polygon 7th Class Written Exam is [1st].
Finally, I had proof.
A once-in-a-lifetime chance to show that all my years of effort hadn't been wasted. And I had no intention of letting it slip.
I dragged my finger down, revealing a link. Tapping it took me straight to Polygon's homepage.
Alright. Now it's pure luck.
I entered my ID, my password, and for good measure, my exam number again.
Please, please, please!
Knowing what the second exam would be, I prayed nonstop during the loading screen. And then—
[Yoon Si-ae]
A girl's face and name appeared on the screen.
And the instant I saw those three letters, I knew meeting up with Jung Hoon had been the right choice.
But also…
Of all people, why her?
This practical test was going to be nothing but pain.
I checked again—still "Yoon Si-ae." I sighed without meaning to. But only because I knew exactly who she was.
So much for getting carried through this one.
Honestly, my ideal scenario was being carried through the second practical. The reason being…
Name: Baek Kang-hyun
Level: 1
Hunter Rank: Undecided (Estimated: Pending)
Skills
1.Opportunity (Pending)
2. Observation (Pending)
3. Frost Shaping (S)
4. Iron Will (A)
5. Empty Slot
Stats: Health (D), Strength (C), Agility (C), Mana (D), Willpower (C).
Right now, my status window was far too lacking.
Wow, those stats are tragic.
I exercised regularly, sure—but still no real progress. Frost Shaping and Iron Will were solid skills, but the rest of my stats didn't keep up. Carrying solo was impossible.
And it's not like I can just take other skills either.
From Jung Hoon's list, the only skill I could realistically take was Iron Will. Sure, Hawk's Eye and Dragon-Slaying Sword were scouting and offensive skills, but with my stats, they'd be useless.
And taking them would drop Iron Will anyway.
Without it, I'd be lucky not to go down in one hit. Really, if not for Jung Hoon… ugh, I don't even want to think about it.
I glanced at Iron Will.
Iron Will (A).
Your toughness naturally increases.
When realizing your will—especially in actions for the sake of others—various additional effects are generated.
So that's what this skill really was. I thought it just made me tougher, but apparently there were extra effects too. The explanation was vague, but thinking of it as a tank skill helped.
So basically, if I act to protect someone, defensive bonuses kick in?
Makes sense—and it also explains why Jung Hoon's cooking tasted so good. "Cooking for others" counted as willpower for others, generating flavor as an effect.
…Wait, so doesn't that make him an insane chef in the making?
No, no, focus.
Jung Hoon was Jung Hoon. Right now, what mattered was Yoon Si-ae's information. I pulled a notebook from my inventory, set it to always-on mode, and checked without worrying about people watching.
Time to dig in on the ride back.
The next morning, I headed straight to Polygon.
The second practical was a two-person team exam.
Since running all the candidates at once would blow Polygon apart, the school adopted this method.
Luckily, Si-ae and I were scheduled third. Before long, a staff member would arrive to escort us.
But she's still not here yet.
If she had come early, I might've gotten to talk things through. But she'd show up in time for the exam, surely.
No way she'd be late… right?
I only knew her name—no way to contact her. With nothing else to do, I flipped open my notebook and skimmed through the exam details again.
The second practical proceeded step by step.
First, those who passed the written were randomly paired up. Then, at their scheduled time, the pair would enter a holographic training room for a simulated dungeon. Once they cleared it, their score was calculated and combined with their written exam result.
Pairing was totally random—pure luck. In the hunter world, "Luck" was an actual stat, and Polygon considered it part of skill. And since I got Yoon Si-ae… luck was not on my side.
"Haaa…"
Another sigh.
Why her of all people? Anyone else might've been fine. But she and I were the worst possible combination.
Because Yoon Si-ae was a buffer.
That would've been great—if this were the future Si-ae. But not the present one.
When I went to the Talent Assessment Center, my brother Yoon-sung told me about a certain Miss Yoon. That was her.
Meaning she awakened around the same time as me.
Her skill proficiency couldn't possibly be high.
Just then—
"Um…"
Speak of the devil. A young, slightly timid voice called from behind.
"Are you… Baek Kang-hyun?"
"Oh, yeah. And you're Yoon Si-ae?"
She nodded. But why was she using formal speech? Instinctively, I replied in kind.
She looks even better in person than in pictures.
I'd seen plenty of the future Si-ae, but never her as a teen. Honestly, I was surprised. Long light-brown hair down to her waist, large amber-colored eyes, soft lips. Her overall impression was "youthful," with milk-white skin completing the look. She really was beautiful.
The media coverage hadn't lied—but I had assumed makeup helped. Turns out, her natural looks were the real cheat.
But that's not the issue here.
Unaware of it herself, this girl was now the biggest threat to my Polygon admission.
Name: Yoon Si-ae
Level: 1
Hunter Rank: Undecided (Estimated Rank: A)
Skills
1. Silver Wings (S)
2. Veil of Light (A)
3. Feather Sword (A)
4. Temporary Gate (A)
Stats: Health (D), Strength (D), Intelligence (C), Agility (F), Mana (B).
"…What the hell."
"E-excuse me?"
"Ah, sorry. I'm just… a little nervous."
I accidentally cursed out loud. But seriously—what kind of insane skill set was that? Totally unexpected.
She's practically useless.
At a glance, it looked balanced between support and attack—but that was even worse.
Silver Wings—mobility. Veil of Light—defense. Feather Sword—offense. Temporary Gate—mobility again.
My brother said she registered as a blessing type. But where in that is the blessing skill set? And since she awakened around the same time as me, her skill proficiency couldn't be trusted either.
…What the hell do I do now?
The only consolation was that I'd read about her past exam in my notes. It wasn't the usual way, but she had her own unique method of passing.
Meaning—I had to bet everything on my last shred of luck.
"Whew."
The faculty's exam dungeons came in three types:
1. Extermination.
2. Defense.
3. Occupation.
My only hope was Extermination. The other two required holding out until the time limit, which was impossible with Si-ae's lack of skill mastery. And my own kit leaned more toward offense than defense anyway.
Most importantly, my notes confirmed—Yoon Si-ae passed with Extermination.
That meant if it was Extermination, there was at least a way through. Not that it'd be easy—but it was hope, and I needed that desperately.
I glanced at her—she stood awkwardly by. Yeah, time to break the ice.
"…Well, let's do our best. We'll work together."
"Ah, yes. I'll do my best too."
We shook hands. At that moment—
["Opportunity" has been activated!]
As expected, Opportunity triggered again. I was starting to get the hang of its activation conditions. I'd need to整理 it later—but for now, I had fires to put out.
The mission for Yoon Si-ae appeared—
Character Mission: [Yoon Si-ae]
Stage 1 – Protect "Yoon Si-ae" while defeating monsters (0/50). (Incomplete).
Stage 2 – Locked.
…Hmm.
Was this good luck, or bad? Unlike with Yong Sang-jae or Jung Hoon, Si-ae's first stage had a high hurdle.
Just then—
"Examinees Baek Kang-hyun and Yoon Si-ae? That's you two?"
A deep male voice came from behind. A suited man checked his watch and walked toward us.
"Yes."
"That's right."
We answered, and he nodded, speaking into his smartwatch.
"Examiner Kang Byung-hyun, reporting arrival at Hologram Room 103. Commencing Polygon 2nd Practical Exam for examinees Baek Kang-hyun and Yoon Si-ae."
I tried to check his status window out of habit, but nothing appeared. Meaning—he hadn't awakened.
Tsk.
I'd assumed Polygon staff would be awakened. Too bad—was hoping to find some useful skill.
"Please wear these bracelets."
We took the bracelets, which clicked into place. He nodded.
"Now, please input your exam numbers. When the door opens, step inside immediately."
I did as instructed. A beep, and my name "Baek Kang-hyun" floated above the bracelet.
Neat system.
The man pulled a remote, pressed a button, and the door to Hologram Room 103 opened.
"…Whew."
One deep breath. Then I stepped in.
Please, please, please!
If it's Extermination, I'll be fine. Just Extermination, please!
If I've got any luck in this life—let it be now!
As soon as I entered, the blank white room shifted. A holographic window appeared.
Polygon 2nd Practical Exam
Examinees: Baek Kang-hyun, Yoon Si-ae.
Type A Extermination Dungeon: Drake's Graveyard.
Recommended Dungeon Rank: A.
Wait—hold on. It was Extermination, but…
Why the hell is the rank A?
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