I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 20

Episode 20.

“Brain? Is that the name of a skill?”

“Yes, it’s supposed to make you smarter. They say it helps you learn things faster.”

“That’s a good skill.”

“Right? That’s what I think too.”

Seo-ah wiped her hands on a napkin and then tasted the japchae [Korean glass noodles stir-fried with vegetables and meat]. The savory and chewy flavor was excellent.

She thought the food at the Sun Guild cafeteria wasn’t bad, but it was on a different level from this. It was the difference between mass-produced meals and cooking for specific people.

“Actually, I have a mission.”

“A mission?”

“Yes, and it seems to be related to my life. I have 88 days left, and I need to go on at least three raids within that time.”

“Do you just have to go on raids?”

“No, I have to achieve certain conditions there. I don’t think I should tell you what they are, though.”

She thought about telling Yoo Ji-an that she needed to be praised on the raids, but then she might waste one of her chances. Since it wasn’t an easy mission, she had to be careful.

Yoo Ji-an nodded lightly, as if he understood just from that.

“You’ll be able to go soon. There’s an A-class gate that appears in Seoul around this time. I’ve already put down a deposit.”

“How do you know? Shouldn’t you only know when the Association announces it?”

Instead of answering, Yoo Ji-an put down his spoon and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

Seo-ah didn’t press him. She just figured that as a high-ranking hunter, he must have a way of knowing.

In reality, it was thanks to Yoo Ji-an’s regression.

“Anyway, there are separate skills that unlock with the mission. I thought that was the only one, but I was a bit surprised when a passive skill suddenly unlocked.”

“The skill that unlocks with the mission is probably related to your hidden position.”

“Um, that’s right.”

Seo-ah gave a reluctant affirmation. She had mentioned that she had hidden abilities, but she hadn’t specifically said it was a position. Yoo Ji-an pointed it out so casually.

In any case, she had a luxurious meal for the first time in a while.

When she couldn’t eat any more, Seo-ah put down her spoon. Then Yoo Ji-an’s expression hardened.

“Don’t you like the food?”

“No, it was really delicious.”

“Then why did you only eat that much?”

“I ate a lot more than usual, though?”

Yoo Ji-an looked like he couldn’t understand at all, and Seo-ah felt the same way.

Come to think of it, there were about three empty rice bowls in front of Yoo Ji-an.

Do hunters use a lot of energy, so they eat a lot?

As Seo-ah got up, two guards in black suits came in.

“Hunter Park Seo-ah, have you finished your meal?”

Seo-ah was a little surprised, but Yoo Ji-an seemed used to it.

“Yes, I’m done.”

“Then we will guide you to your accommodation.”

“I know where my accommodation is, though?”

“From today, Hunter Park Seo-ah will be treated as an A-class hunter in our Sun Guild. We will escort you to the 75th floor. Please follow us.”

Park Seo-ah blinked and looked at Yoo Ji-an, who waved his hand while sitting down.

“Go ahead. And just bear with it until tomorrow, because after that, you’ll be training directly with me.”

“You’re really going to do it… directly?”

“Since you’ll be with me all the time anyway. It’s better to get it right from the start.”

Then Seo-ah playfully shrugged her shoulders.

“Well, I’ll go once because of the contract, but I don’t know if it will be continuous.”

“Park Seo-ah. What’s lacking?”

Yoo Ji-an frowned and stood up abruptly at Seo-ah’s joking words.

“Nothing at all. Nothing’s lacking. Anyway, thank you for the meal.”

Seo-ah politely bowed with her hands together, as always, and followed the guards out. Before getting on the elevator, she turned around and saw Yoo Ji-an leaning against the wall, watching her. He didn’t try to stop her.

After taking the elevator, Park Seo-ah arrived at the 75th floor of the Sun Guild building. The (A) in front probably meant it was accommodation for A-class hunters.

Then (S)88 from before must be for S-class hunters.

‘The world of hunters is a thorough class-based society. Accommodation, treatment, and even food are different depending on the rank.’

It seemed natural, somehow.

In any case, according to that class system, Seo-ah herself didn’t have the ability to receive this kind of treatment yet. She had potential abilities, but they were still minimal.

So this kind of treatment was actually a bit burdensome.

‘Well, what can I do? I have no choice but to work hard.’

The guards who arrived on the 75th floor moved all of Seo-ah’s meager luggage and then politely bowed and left.

“The 5th floor wasn’t bad, though.”

It was neat and cozy, like a dormitory. But now it felt like she was in a hotel suite.

Seo-ah immediately stuck to the glass window and looked outside.

“Amazing……”

It wasn’t as good as the 88th floor, but the view from the 75th floor was quite impressive.

Seo-ah quickly returned to reality.

She didn’t forget that she was staying here for training.

“Status window.”

[Stats: Strength 16, Magic Power 8, Agility 11, Defense 12, Stamina 15, Mental Strength 20]

This was the final result from the sparring with Yoon Doo-hee. Her mental strength had already reached the E-class maximum of 20 in the afternoon.

‘I should thank him later.’

Although he tried to attack Seo-ah sincerely at the end, it was true that she achieved results thanks to him.

The physical training, which she had never done in her life, was exhausting and difficult, but as she did it, she became quite ambitious.

‘I wish I could reach the E-class maximum before I leave.’

It was still a shame that she couldn’t use ‘Breakthrough’ on herself.

Seo-ah thought that she should ask Instructor Kim Cheol-doo for training on the remaining stats and skills tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning.

Kim Cheol-doo, who came to the training ground, smiled contentedly as he saw Seo-ah, who was already there.

‘If only the other guys followed half of what Seo-ah does.’

Hunters become stronger through stats and skills, so they tend to neglect basic physical training.

However, Instructor Kim Cheol-doo believed that basic skills were the most important thing in order to properly utilize those skills and stats.

‘There was another guy like that in the past.’

That was exactly the case with Yoo Ji-an, the S-class hunter who is now called a monster. He was already S-class when he first came here around the age of 14, but he trained harder than anyone else.

“Seo-ah.”

Seo-ah, who was running and panting, smiled brightly and approached Kim Cheol-doo.

“Instructor, you’re here.”

“Yes, you’re working hard from the morning. I apologize again for yesterday. I’m sorry.”

“No, I… is he okay?”

“Um, it seems that Hunter Yoo Ji-an adjusted his strength, so he wasn’t seriously injured.”

“That’s a relief.”

Seo-ah sighed in relief, as if she was sincerely relieved.

“Heo [Exclamation of surprise or admiration].”

Kim Cheol-doo was sincerely impressed by Seo-ah’s thoughtfulness.

Just because they are low-level hunters doesn’t mean they don’t have pride. Rather, there were countless people who were edgy because they were low-level hunters. Yoon Doo-hee clearly ignored Park Seo-ah’s rank and skill, and that was why he got excited at the end. Seo-ah certainly knew that.

She could have been offended, but Seo-ah rather asked about his well-being and worried about him.

From Seo-ah’s point of view, it was because she had received something from Yoon Doo-hee in her own way, but in any case, Kim Cheol-doo was grateful and sorry.

“But Instructor, I have something to discuss with you.”

“What is it? Feel free to tell me anything.”

Because of that, he listened more attentively to Seo-ah’s words. She was an external trainee who he was originally told to pay attention to, but Kim Cheol-doo now sincerely regarded Seo-ah as his disciple.

“My stats are now……”

Seo-ah told Kim Cheol-doo about her concerns from last night. Kim Cheol-doo nodded after listening to Seo-ah’s story.

“Um, yes. I understand what you mean.”

“What should I do?”

In fact, strength increased with training up to the maximum for each grade. Agility and defense also achieved some results with training, although not as much.

The most difficult thing for hunters was magic power. Magic power was the slowest to respond to training.

“Magic power increases through actual combat. It increases as you encounter more monsters in the gate and use more skills.”

“Ah, I see.”

“If you want to learn how to apply skills, hmm.”

Kim Cheol-doo looked at Seo-ah with a worried expression for a moment.

“Okay, I think there’s a more suitable teacher than me for that.”

“Is there?”

“For now, continue with your morning training, and I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Oh, Instructor.”

Kim Cheol-doo disappeared like the wind as soon as he said that. Seo-ah was a little surprised and grateful that he would actively solve it like this.

“It’s good to start early.”

Who is the suitable teacher?

Seo-ah moved her body without stopping while thinking. As her stats increased, the same amount of training was no longer difficult. Because of that, she had to move more in the same amount of time.

She could now lift the 30kg barbell that she had struggled to lift when she first came here relatively easily.

Even so, it was still a long way off. She was still just an E-class hunter, at the level of a strong ordinary person.

“98, 99, 100……. Ah!”

Seo-ah, who had completed a hundred squats with a 40kg barbell on her back, collapsed to the floor.

‘Wow, I can’t move anymore.’

She even used the [Fighting] skill, intending to see how far her limit was, and the aftereffects were quite severe. Seo-ah really didn’t have the strength to move even a finger.

Tap, tap-

She heard footsteps, but Seo-ah remained lying face down with her eyes closed, thinking it was another trainee. But then she felt a hand gently touching her shoulder.

At that moment, a refreshing energy suddenly rushed in, and her whole body felt refreshed. Surprised, Seo-ah opened her eyes and jumped up.