Chapter 18: Whether It's Bad Luck or Good Luck (1)

“Are you the hunter who single-handedly exterminated the Venom Spore Mother on Yanghwa Bridge?”

“That’s right.”

I pulled out a badge made of pure gold from my pocket and presented it.

It was the extermination badge awarded to me by the Hunters Federation for conquering the Yanghwa Bridge gate. This alone should suffice as proof.

The attendant immediately picked up the phone and contacted someone.

“I’ll guide you there right away.”

He quickly rounded the desk and led me to the elevator.

A few moments later.

“This is the B-rank assessment registration area.”

After exiting the elevator, I began to look around the B-rank assessment registration area.

The space was clean and comfortable. The floor, made of high-end marble, gleamed with a lustrous shine. One side featured a large window overlooking the city. There were also designated areas with food and beverages.

It’s incomparable to that marketplace-like lower-rank registration area.

It feels more like a reception room for VIPs than a registration desk.

Well, this place caters specifically to young talents receiving special management from the guild, as well as veterans who’ve seen it all and amassed ample combat experience and abilities.

I walked straight across the lobby to the sole registration desk.

The receptionist, who had been typing on the keyboard, looked up.

“Lee Taejun-ssi?”

“Yes.”

“Welcome. I’m Kim Jaehyun, and I’ll be assisting you with your registration. First, I’ll need your ID and Hunter License.”

After verifying my identity, he immediately began processing the registration.

About thirty minutes later:

“Registration complete. The B-rank promotion assessment will be held next Monday at 9 AM. Please wait in the lobby of the Alliance Headquarters. Further details will be sent to you via text message later.”

This was a special promotion.

However, the application process was almost identical to the standard one I already knew.

The only addition was a simple assessment of my average abilities.

“Is that all? I thought special promotions had much more complicated procedures.”

“They do. Normally, Mr. Taejun, you’d have to spend about a day providing proof of your accomplishments, undergoing combat ability assessments, and navigating rigorous paperwork.”

After studying me briefly, Kim Jaehyun continued.

“But the chief director overseeing this promotion review ordered us to skip all those cumbersome steps.”

The chief director overseeing the promotion review?

That meant the highest-ranking official in charge of this promotion process.

But why would someone who’d never met me grant such a convenience?

Did he read my expression?

Kim Jaehyun smiled warmly and began, “You know about the Yanghwa Bridge Gate that Taejun sealed, right?”

“Yes.”

“The Overall Supervisor’s child was commuting nearby at the time, by bus.”

Ah.

“It seems they consider Taejun deeply indebted to them, which is certainly true.”

“It was just good fortune, but I’m grateful they see it that way.”

“Haha, you’re being too modest.”

As Kim Jaehyun’s banter trailed off, he added as if struck by a sudden thought, “Oh, and starting with the B-rank promotion exams, participants’ information will be made public to the media. We’ll also post separate announcements on our website, so please be aware of that.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Should we also disclose the fact that Mr. Taejun is a special review candidate? We have the option of keeping the special review information confidential from the media.”

I paused briefly, considering the question.

“Of course, the review candidates will be informed that Mr. Taejun is currently a D-rank special review candidate.”

I nodded.

There was no point in revealing his D-rank hunter status to the public before the review.

It would likely only draw unnecessary attention and create complications.

“Please keep that confidential.”

“Understood. Then we’ll exclude Mr. Lee Taejun’s special review information from the announcement on the Association Headquarters website.”

“Thank you.”

Just as I finished all the registration procedures and was about to turn away—

“Lee Taejun?”

A familiar voice drifted from behind me.

“Choi Jinho, what are you doing here?”

My seven-year-old friend, or rather, former friend, glared at me, his brow furrowed in a playful imitation of anger as I called him by name.

”…I’m here to register as a mentor,” Choi Jinho replied readily.

Though technically a live exercise, the B-rank promotion assessment rarely resulted in fatalities.

Still, accidents could happen.

One of the safety measures was the mentor, a seasoned hunter deployed alongside the candidate—essentially a field safety supervisor.

Ah-ha. So this guy might become my mentor.

“Lee Taejun, why are you here?”

I didn’t answer but instead glanced around, my gaze sweeping past him.

Accompanying him was a hunter with a buzz cut and a stocky build.

Kim Junhyun.

He was the only one at the guild who had ever treated me like a senior colleague, despite me being considered a nobody.

“Junhyun’s undergoing B-rank assessment now, huh?”

“Ah, hello, Lee Taejun-sunbae…”

“Don’t call me ‘sunbae.’ He’s no longer any relation to you.”

Choi Jinho raised his arm to stop Kim Junhyun, then repeated, “Why are you here?”

“Well…”

“What?”

“As you said, we’re nothing to each other now. So, why should I bother answering your question?”

Choi Jinho’s face flushed crimson.

Ignoring him, Choi Jinho turned to Kim Jaehyun at the reception desk and asked, “It seems this guy is the mentor for the upcoming promotion assessment. Is that acceptable?”

“What do you mean, ‘Are you okay’?”

“A mentor might favor guild members during the promotion assessment, don’t you think?”

“What are you talking about…!” Choi Jinho shouted from behind, but I completely ignored him.

To be honest, I didn’t know about the guy in front of me, but the Bicheon Guild Leader, Kim Kyungtae? He was more than capable of thinking up such a dirty trick.

But it was Kim Junhyun who answered me.

“Seon… Taejun hyung. I’m no longer with Bicheon Guild.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. Not long after you left, I quit too. The Guild Leader tried to stop me, but I wanted to try something new.”

Kim Junhyun glanced at Choi Jinho before continuing.

“Uh, I ran into Jinhyuk-seonbae on the way here.”

Ah-ha. So you told me not to treat you like a senior, but you’ve been playing the senior role all along, hanging around with a kid who’s no longer even part of Bicheon.

Ahem.

Under my pitiful gaze, Choi Jinho cleared his throat awkwardly.

Then, to change the subject, he asked an obvious question:

“Lee Taejun. Did you seriously apply for the B-rank promotion assessment?”

“Why? Thinking of helping an old friend out of the kindness of your heart?”

“Are you joking?” Choi Jinho growled. “Do you honestly think you can pass the B-rank promotion assessment at your current level? You’d be lucky to just get crushed and thoroughly humiliated. If things go wrong, you could even lose your life.”

“That’s why mentors accompany us—to prevent situations like this.”

“Well…”

“Or what? Did you volunteer to be a mentor without even being confident you could protect the lives of the candidates?”

He narrowed his eyes and continued.

“Though I doubt you volunteered for this. Kim Kyungtae probably forced you. He must think adding another line to your resume will help you pass the S-rank promotion review.”

”…”

Choi Jinho fell silent, like a mute with a mouthful of honey.

“Then stop wasting your energy on pointless things and just do your job.”

I patted his shoulder and walked away.

As I passed Kim Junhyun, who was lurking behind, keeping an eye on us, I threw a parting remark:

“Let’s work hard and get promoted in one go, Junhyun.”

“Ah, yes! Taejun-sun… hyung, you too! Hwaiting!”

Kim Junhyun replied with a bright smile, but his rotund body quickly shrank back as he sensed Choi Jinho’s murderous aura.

A low voice rumbled beside him:

“Kim Junhyun, after you register, you’ll be doing 24 hours of special training in our guild’s training room. I’ll personally oversee it.”

“Y-yes?! But I’m not affiliated with Bicheon anymore…?”

“You questioning your senior? Shut up and register first.”

Choi Jinho pressed the elevator button, shaking his head.

That petty bastard. Even to the end.

Notification of the B-rank promotion evaluation hadn’t arrived for some time.

In the meantime, I spent my days training at the Shinwa Guild’s training grounds,

or reviewing information about the artificial dungeons used in previous B-rank promotion evaluations.

Exploring other dungeons was impossible,

due to the regulation prohibiting promotion applicants from raiding dungeons or gates until their evaluation was complete.

Either way, I needed practice to proficiently use Fireball,

and thanks to Che Soohyun’s consideration, I was able to spend my time productively without wasting it.

Then, exactly four days after submitting my promotion application,

a message finally came from the Alliance Headquarters:

The B-rank promotion evaluation will proceed by having four evaluators form a team to clear an “Artificial Dungeon” created by Headquarters.

“The promotion assessment method hasn’t changed at all.”

It was still the same format: a group of candidates attacking an artificial dungeon.

An AI system called the Automatic Gauge Measurement System (AGMS) would judge their performance through devices attached to their suits, calculating their progress and effectiveness.

If their score surpassed the cutoff, they would obtain a B-rank license.

The message then listed each group’s assigned dungeon type:

“I’m assigned to the Division type dungeon.”

“What exactly is a Division dungeon, Taejun?” Manager Mi asked, reading the announcement with interest.

“It’s a dungeon where the attack routes split up.”

Typically, this means the dungeon branches into two distinct paths right from the starting point.

As the two teams split and advanced along their designated routes, one of them would find the key—a device that unlocked the seal on the boss room.

After activating the key,

the two teams would reunite to hunt down the boss monster. This was the core strategy for clearing split-path dungeons.

“Oh? So humans on Earth possess the technology to create such diverse types of dungeons?” Manager Mi asked, genuinely impressed.

“Hmm, it’s not creation, but restoration.”

Some dungeons, like the Training Tower, exist in entirely separate dimensions.

However, there are also dungeons that erode the Earth’s land, transforming areas into two-dimensional spaces.

Once these areas are completely conquered, only ruins remain before they vanish completely.

Artificial dungeons serve as test chambers built on these ruins, filled with monsters and environments that perfectly mimic the real world.

“Dividing us into types is a bit unexpected.”

Originally, B-rank promotion assessments were always conducted in ordinary artificial dungeons.

Anyway, let’s check my assigned mentor and group members.

I turned on my computer and accessed the Alliance Headquarters website. Messages like this usually arrive shortly after the assessment details are posted on the site.

“Let’s see.”

There were a total of sixteen assessment candidates, meaning we were divided into four groups, each with a mentor.

Soon, I found my name listed under Group 4. Just as the receptionist had said, only basic personal information was publicly available, same as for the other participants.

Now, about my mentor…