Day 1 of Vacation (2) – B-Rank Lee Han-gyeol

“Oh my, congratulations!”

What’s with this reaction?

“How did it awaken?”

“I was hit by a bit of Sung Yu-han’s lightning in the Spider Cave, and it awakened then.”

“Oh, ah, um. You were hit by that?”

She suddenly calmed down. What’s with her?

“Oh, that must have been rough. Still, congratulations.”

I almost died… though not just because of the lightning…

“So, about the training for the lightning element…”

“Ah, right. I’ll pass that along. But you’ll probably have to go through training again instead of being assigned to a team after your vacation. The lightning element is really dangerous if you don’t get trained.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes. But its destructive power is more than enough… I think you’ll receive training and then be assigned to a team based on your elements. If you only used fire, you wouldn’t be a good match with water, but lightning gets stronger when water is present. They’ll consider various factors like that when assigning you. Congratulations again.”

She’s congratulated me so many times. Is this really that big of a deal?

“Is it a big deal?”

“Of course! Increasing the number of elements you can wield is—”

*

After listening to a passionate lecture on ‘the benefits of being able to wield many elements,’ she finally changed the subject.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I got carried away. I have other news to share, too.”

“It’s fine. What is it?”

“While we were running tests, we measured your magic sensitivity, and it came out high enough to qualify for B-rank. You should go to the Awakened Center and get your rank updated.”

Already?

I’d heard I wasn’t far from B-rank, but I didn’t think it would be this fast.

“Your growth rate is incredibly fast.”

“Uh… I guess so.”

I think I know why…

Shin-woo, Yi-jun, Han-yul… thanks, guys.

“The official government ranks are simple, but the gap between each rank is huge, so you should go register as soon as you can.”

“In that case, I’ll head over right after I’m discharged today.”

“Sounds good. Well, all that’s left is the unofficial news. First, the team leader passed this on earlier, but there’s a team dinner tomorrow evening to celebrate everyone’s safe return. He asked if you would come.”

Oh, my first guild dinner?

I should at least check if everyone else is okay.

“And the evening after that, there’s a small gathering for Flame Elementalist. Now that your probationary period is over, you should be able to attend.”

“Where is it held?”

“There’s probably a group chat for it… but since it’s your first time, just come to the guild headquarters. I’ll let you know from there.”

“Okay, I understand.”

“It’s all good news.”

“Haha… well…”

“As a guild employee, I apologize for what happened. As a guild member, thank you for saving your colleague. You went through a lot. And congratulations on finishing your probationary period, and congratulations on awakening the lightning element!”

*

Back at the Awakened Center.

It feels like it wasn’t that long ago that I was last here.

Hmm, when was it?

I retraced my steps since my Awakening…

Day of Awakening.
My transformation wouldn’t reverse, so I did it with Choi Shin-woo.

Second day.
I registered as an Awakener, confirmed that mana potions didn’t work on me, and did it with Choi Shin-woo.

Third day.
I joined the guild.

Fourth day.
First day of training. I went out as a succubus for the first time, met Yoo Yi-jun, and did it with him.

Fifth day.
Second day of training. I did it with Choi Shin-woo. That was when he fell completely under the hypnosis…

Sixth day.
I rested after training ended. Did I go shopping?

Seventh day.
First day of probation. I was assigned to Team ‘Nari’ and went to the ‘Jungle’. I went out again, met Yoo Yi-jun, and went to a place similar to the ‘Jungle’, where I did it with him.

Eighth day.
Second day of probation. I was assigned to Team ‘Orchestra’ and went to the ‘Spider Cave’. I ran into a multi-gate incident and did it with Nam Han-yul while we were escaping.

Ninth day.
That’s today, huh?

So I’m back here a little over a week later.

Damn, I’ve been living hard…

I registered right after Awakening, joined a guild right away, finished training in two days, and finished my probation in two days.

What a ridiculous schedule…

And I’ve been having a lot of sex, too…

Wait, I had sex on six out of eight days? With three different guys?

Choi Shin-woo three times, Yoo Yi-jun twice, Nam Han-yul once.

Looking at it like this, I’m a total pervert.

But looking at how much Essense I have left, I’ll probably have to do it again today… ah, no…

Sigh… How did I end up like this…

But then again, it’s been a little less than a week and I feel like I’ve settled in pretty well, right?

Yeah, I’m satisfied with this.

*

When I went to the Awakened Center, I saw a familiar face.

The tanned Yang Geun-tae, and that guy from Elemental… uh… we’re in the same guild and I don’t even know his name. Anyway, he was still at the center.

He saw me, smiled, and walked over. He extended his hand, and I reached out to shake it.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. They say you risked your life to carry your unconscious colleague out of an unexpected multi-gate incident?”

Is… is that how it looked?

“Ah, thank you.”

“The whole guild is talking about it. Wow, that’s really amazing. How did you even think to do that…”

I’d already sucked out his Essense, it would’ve been wrong to just leave him there, right? Besides, if you think about it, he got hurt trying to save me…

If I abandoned someone who got hurt trying to save me, who would save their colleagues in the future?

Ah, is that it? Dead men tell no tales?

Scenario 1: I save him and we both survive > Haha, hoho, full of camaraderie.
Scenario 2: I don’t save him and only one survives > Dead men tell no tales.
Scenario 3: I try to save him and we both die > Dead men tell no tales, part 2.

Hmm… People don’t know the details, but I really didn’t want this level of fame, the kind that gets gossiped about throughout the guild…

“My apologies. This isn’t the time for this, is it? You’re here for a re-evaluation today?”

“Yes. I was originally C-rank, but they said I’d likely test as B-rank today.”

“Huh? If I remember correctly, you only Awakened a short while ago, didn’t you?”

“It’s been about eight or nine days since I Awakened. But I was told I was on the verge of B-rank from the start.”

“Oh, well, congratulations regardless. Your element was fire, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s right. And I just awakened lightning, too.”

His reaction was identical to the staff member’s.

“A huge congratulations! You’re a rising star in our guild, aren’t you? Awakening another element in just a week is—”

“Ah, ah, thank you. I’m going to head in now.”

I barely managed to cut him off and entered the measurement room.

*

「Awakener Registration Card (Level 7)

Lee Han-gyeol

Awakener Registration No.: 21009-88024

Magic Type B-Rank」

Me, B-rank? That’s insane.

The term ‘B-movie’ might make B-rank sound bad, but in the world of Awakeners, it’s the upper tier.

That’s because in the official government ranking system, there’s only one rank above B—A-rank—and being B-rank means you’re treated as a dependable Awakener even in a guild.

My level had changed from 9 to 7, but that changes so often depending on your activities… you don’t get a new card just for that. It all shows up when they scan the card anyway.

For reference, my level went up once for finishing training and once for finishing probation. ‘Elemental’ is a certified guild, after all.

When I came out with my new registration, the guy from Elemental and Yang Geun-tae were waiting for me.

What the hell? What are they talking about so intently?

Seeing me, they both approached, and Yang Geun-tae spoke.

“I heard the news! You’re pretty impressive, kid. We need guild members like you. It’s a shame.”

“It’s a bit awkward to say this next to him, but the ‘Expedition’ guild would be tough for a promising rookie right from the start,” the Elemental staffer said.

“That… I’ll admit, is true.”

What’s with this conversation right in front of me…

“So, what’s this about…?”

“This is Mr. Yang Geun-tae from the ‘Expedition’ guild. I told him a bit about you, Mr. Han-gyeol, and he took an interest.”

What is this? I’m in the same guild as you, aren’t I? Shouldn’t you be stopping another guild from poaching me?

“Haha, don’t worry, I’m not trying to steal you away. In our guild, you can participate in missions even if you’re not a full member. We call them ‘associate members’.”

“Yes, that’s right,” the Elemental staffer added. “It seems the key to Mr. Han-gyeol’s rapid growth has been a lot of practical experience. So I thought it might be good for you to participate in an ‘Expedition’ mission when you have the time. Ah, but you don’t have to, of course.”

“That’s right. We’re all about autonomy,” Yang Geun-tae said. “And it’s even more flexible for associate members. Once you’re registered, you can see the mission dates and locations, and you get paid more than a freelancer when you participate. What do you think?”

It was true that I grew faster the more I fought in real situations.

Since all I had to do was put my name down, should I just register for now?

“Yes, that sounds good. What the hell, let’s do it.”

“Excellent!”

*

An employee from Expedition, contacted by Yang Geun-tae, arrived in a car.

On the way to the Expedition headquarters, I asked the employee a few questions.

Q. Do I just need to register to work as an ‘associate member’?
A. You just need to put your name down. It’s a simple identity verification process. We’ll register an ID for you, and you can use it to log into our website to get information about missions or apply to join them.

Q. What if I just put my name down but can’t participate because I’m busy or for personal reasons?
A. That’s fine. In fact, most people are like that. We’re just hoping you’ll come help us out when you have some free time.

Q. Aren’t the missions dangerous, given their nature?
A. They can be. That’s why we assign a predicted danger level and screen applicants. But there are many missions that aren’t dangerous.

Q. How is the compensation handled?
A. It varies. It depends on what we acquire from the gate raid. However, associate members are paid more than freelancers, and the more you participate, the more you get.

Q. I heard you receive a lot of contribution points.
A. That’s right. It’s dangerous, but because it helps the country, you receive a good amount of contribution points. Freelancers get relatively few points, but associate members get an amount similar to full guild members.

Q. But why is Mr. Yang Geun-tae at the Awakened Center? He seems strong, so does he really need to earn contribution points there?
A. He accidentally destroyed a lot of state property, so his contribution points dropped quite a bit. He’s just working at the center for a bit to build them back up before returning.

…

Anyway, we arrived at the headquarters.

I went in, got my stats measured again, registered my information, and was told to write down my desired ID.

Hmm…

Always.Lee

And with that, registration was complete.

The password is 12345678. Please change it yourself later.

“It would be great if you could stop by whenever you have free time. Also, there’s a lot of information sharing and small gatherings on the website, so please be active. Ah, but please be aware that unverified freelancers are also active on the site, not just associate members.”

*

Ah, home.

Even this cramped place is still home. After tossing and turning in that dark cave, I really missed it.

But now that I’ve Awakened, should I move somewhere bigger?

To move, I’d need to—

I’ll think about it later. I’m too tired right now…

Today is day one of my five-day vacation.

Tomorrow I have the team dinner, and the day after is the small gathering.

What should I do on the other days?

What should I do at least for tonight and tomorrow morning?

For one thing, I was completely out of Essense.

[Essense: 200/1515]

I don’t desperately need it right now, but you never know. And considering the horns, the more the better.

Should I contact Choi Shin-woo first?

Choi Shin-woo: What’s up?

Of course, I was about to contact him for that, but getting a text from him first… it feels a little weird.

It’s just… something about it feels off.

For the crime of being annoying, you’re getting a pass for now.

Next up, Yoo Yi-jun.

I pull out the burner phone to contact him.

Yoo Yi-jun: What are you doing?

…