Chapter 1
At a Awakening Center in South Korea, a crowd of people could be seen gathering. Many walked in with bright, excited faces, but only a few walked out with the same energy. Most likely, they hadn't achieved a high enough awakening rank.
But none of that had anything to do with the young man who had just arrived in front of the center with a resigned expression. One could only imagine what was going through his mind.
——
"Why did I even come here?" the young man murmured, his expression growing even sadder as he saw a few people being interviewed by reporters, all with radiant smiles.
'Everyone says awakening is the best thing in the world, and honestly, I agree. I mean, who wouldn't want superpowers??!'
'That's always been my dream—having ultra-powerful abilities, clearing gates alone, discovering the wonders of magic. And I did awaken… so why did I end up with such a meaningless skill?' The still-nameless young man thought back to the "useless" power he had awakened.
"No, no, no! I already decided— even the most meaningless power becomes exceptional in the hands of the right person."
"Enough of this. Let's just get this over with."
And so he walked off, leaving behind a few people giving him strange looks.
——
"Hello, my name is Jun-ho, and I'll be in charge of your evaluation, Mr… Merlin Hermes?" the examiner said, raising an eyebrow when he read my name on the form I had filled out.
"Haha, my father is European, and he really likes legends and myths, so that's how I got my name." I answered with clear pride in my voice. My father always said names are important—if he said it, it must be true!
"Well, it's definitely a unique name, Mr. Hermes."
"Let's not drag this out. There are more people waiting outside. Please place your hands on this crystal. It will measure the amount of mana your body emits and tell us what rank you fall into. After that, we'll check your abilities to classify what type of hunter you'll be."
He gestured toward the crystal.
Without hesitation, I stepped forward and placed my hands on it. My father had already told me how the process worked, so I wasn't worried.
As soon as I touched the crystal, it lit up and began absorbing the excess mana my body naturally emitted. I could feel everything clearly thanks to my abilities.
After a few seconds, the crystal's glow stabilized, and data appeared on the doctor's computer.
"Congratulations, Mr. Hermes. You achieved mid Rank C. Well done." He spoke in a slightly monotone voice, though a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Rank C, huh…"
Well, it wasn't much of a surprise. With the abilities I awakened, I figured I'd end up around this level. Still… a man can dream.
"Don't worry, you're above average. Most people don't reach Rank C at all. If you work hard, you can join a decent guild and build a great future!" the doctor said, trying to encourage me.
"Haha, sure, doctor. Thank you." I replied with a bittersweet smile.
"Now, if you could follow me to the testing room, we'll evaluate your awakened ability."
"That won't be necessary, sir. If you want to test my physical strength, that's fine, but my ability isn't external. It's not something visible."
The doctor paused for a moment, thinking.
"We'll go anyway. I need to evaluate everything properly—procedures, procedures…"
I shrugged and followed him to the testing area.
——
"Strange, Mr. Hermes. Your physical abilities fall somewhere between mid Rank D and low Rank C. That means you're either a healer or a mage."
"What abilities did you awaken?"
sigh
Hearing that, all I could do was sigh before opening my lips to answer.
"My abilities are: Mana Control and Enhanced Mana Perception. Nothing else."
"This… would make you a mage, but you really don't have any elemental skills?" the doctor asked, genuine confusion on his face.
"No, sir. I can only perceive mana very well and control the mana inside my own body, but that's it." I said, resigned.
"So it's an incomplete awakening…" the doctor murmured.
Incomplete awakenings are those in which a hunter cannot manifest any active skill—like invisibility, fire manipulation, healing, and so on.
"That will be all, Mr. Hermes. Please wait in the lobby until your hunter ID is ready."
"Okay, doctor. Thanks for your time."
"The country thanks you for registering. Have a great day, Mr. Hermes."
And with that, I left the room, deep in thought about my future. I knew I would do the impossible to become the best I could be. After all, my father always said that no matter what you choose to do, push yourself beyond the impossible—because limits are something your own mind creates.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it! Comments and feedback are always welcome.
I apologize for the chapter being a bit short. I promise the next ones will be slightly longer, with more action and story to enjoy. Thank you for reading!