People say that as human civilization advances, the forms of happiness diversify. But in reality, what most people want can be divided into about three main categories. First, winning the lottery. Second, winning the pension lottery. And third…
“What’s that? It smells awful.”
To that question, a student sipping through a straw stuck into a packet of herbal medicine casually replied from across the classroom, “I dunno, my mom made some herbal tonics for me.”
“Why the herbal medicine? The CSAT is over.”
“It’s for the supernatural ability test. I heard someone took this and got a C-rank.”
“What? That’s a scam, right? If it’s real, give me a sip.”
“Get lost.”
Right. Koreans have gained a new hope to add to the lottery: the supernatural ability ranking test, taken immediately after turning twenty, commonly called the Supernatural Test. If you receive C-rank or higher, you’re officially recognized as fit to work as a Hunter.
“But are you really gonna be a Hunter if you get a qualifying rank? Isn’t it too dangerous?”
“What are you talking about? If I qualify, of course I’ll do it. Look at how much money S-rank Hunters make. Even winning first-place lottery twice couldn’t compare.”
“Yeah, but that’s only if you get S-rank. If you get something vague like C-rank, you’ll just be a meat shield. What if something happens during the 39-month mandatory service?”
“Still, they earn more than normal people. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance.”
As expected from the day after the CSAT, the classroom was overflowing with pointless chatter. Letting the noise slide past my ears, I stared out the window alone. I had worked a night shift at the convenience store right after finishing the CSAT yesterday, so honestly, I was unbelievably sleepy. But with the Supernatural Test coming up right after, it was hard to even doze off.
I just want this to end quickly so I can sleep.
To be honest, I’m pretty skeptical about this whole test. Everyone treats the Supernatural Test like some kind of lottery ticket, but if you’re capable enough to score C-rank or higher, chances are your talent would’ve shown itself long before this.
In Korea, because of the Minor Protection Act, you can’t use an ability scanner or access the system to work as a Hunter until you’re an adult. But still, talented kids stand out from the sapling stage. Even without trying, they sense the flow of mana and end up accidentally setting things on fire and burning down their house, or during a fight with peers, their strength alone exceeds normal limits and it turns into excessive violence. Things like that barely make the news anymore.
In other words, if you’ve never experienced anything like that, you’re basically a normal person—an F-rank. F-rank means you can’t sense mana at all, the fundamental ability needed to access the system. It’s unlikely that anything new will suddenly be discovered in a single day through the test. Everyone’s just taking it like buying a lottery ticket the day after the CSAT, and honestly, I don’t get it. Why would anyone want to be a Hunter in modern Korea?
Sure, twenty years ago it would’ve been hard to survive as a normal person…
Back when the system first appeared and Gates started erupting worldwide without proper risk management, things were different. But now, most Gates are well-managed, and it’s not that inconvenient to live as a regular person. If anything, becoming a half-baked Hunter means you’ll have to throw yourself into Gate suppression for a long 39-month mandatory service. Sure, you’d make some money, but the risk to your life is way too high. What else do you get? Honor? Pride because you’re protecting the people? Who risks their life for something like that these days?
Well, not me. I just want a normal life. Score well on the CSAT, go to college, get a decent job at a decent company, and earn a steady paycheck like a hamster on a wheel.
“Hey, hey. Jeong Daon,” someone called out to me as I was lost in thought. He plopped into the empty seat in front of me and gave a flimsy grin, the kind people wear when they’re about to pick a fight. “You did well on the CSAT, right? You look like someone who did.”
We’d been in the same class all year but weren’t exactly close. I just nodded vaguely. “It came out just like my self-grading.”
“Wow, nice. Then you probably met the early admission minimums, so you’re basically already accepted into college, right?”
“…”
When I didn’t answer his obvious remark, his expression twisted instantly. He must’ve thought I was ignoring him. “That social-care admission track sure is nice, huh? You and I had similar grades, but damn. Looks like I’ll have to retake the exam.”
That “social-care track” he mentioned refers to the program for disadvantaged students. In my case, it’s the category for youth heads of household. If you know that, you’ll understand just how ridiculous his complaint is.
Why is he taking out his anger on me just because he messed up his exam?
It annoyed me, but honestly, I knew exactly why he chose to pick a fight with me. In a capitalist society like this, a girl who struggles to afford even a single workbook during exam season naturally looks pitiful, and that means she’s an easy target to vent frustrations on.
Come to think of it, I think we were aiming for the same college… he probably bombed the CSAT. That bastard.
“Man, I’m so jealous. You basically get a free pass into college.”
Annoyed, I pressed a finger firmly between my eyebrows. Should I help you get in through the same admission track? You lowly little worm…
…is what I really wanted to say, but I swallowed the words boiling up inside me.
Calm down. I can’t let some shrimp like him ruin my whole day.
After the Supernatural Test, I had plans with my older brother. He even took a half day off from his new job just to have dinner with me. If I lost my temper here and ended up messing up the schedule, that would be terrible. I’d probably get nagged to death too.
“What, are you crying or something?”
“Who the hell are you saying is crying, you little—”
“What was that?”
"..."
I almost let my temper explode, so instead I just stood up. My insides were boiling, and I knew if I stayed there any longer, something bad would happen.
“Hey, I wasn’t finished talking—”
I heard him calling behind me, but I ignored it. As soon as I left the classroom, I kicked the wall.
Bang!
Thud!
Damn this stupid forced group-living system in Korea.
My temper still hadn’t settled, so I kicked the wall again, but unsurprisingly, only my foot hurt. An untrained normal person’s body is really useless. A fragile body that doesn’t have a single thing I like about it, from head to toe.
Still, today is the last day I have to put up with this. In Korea, the mandatory pre-adult Supernatural Test is taken only once. If no real talent is detected today, a normal person will never access the system in their lifetime, and that would be completely normal. Once today passes, I’ll live a life utterly unrelated to Hunters. I’ve worked hard for all 19 years of my life to remain a normal person.
So just endure today. Just today.
Dragging my aching foot, I headed toward the auditorium. The classes that had already arrived were lined up, taking the Supernatural Test in order.
This very human-rights-questionable system that measures the abilities of all minors at once in a single auditorium is, unfortunately, quite efficient.
If the entire school has 150 students, only about ten of them will even reach the minimum Hunter-eligible level of C-rank. At most, maybe twenty.
The inspector in charge, probably a C-rank Hunter, looked exhausted as he flipped through a thick stack of papers and glanced over the line of students. I didn’t see any enthusiasm on his face. Well, of course. Forget S-rank, even A- or B-rank seedlings would’ve already shown enough talent to be under special management long before now. As far as I knew, our school didn’t have anyone particularly gifted anyway.
The test for the others ended quickly, and soon it was my turn. The inspector briefly skimmed my file and spoke indifferently. “Alright, place your finger on the scanner.”
The ID system that horrifies most foreigners as a human rights violation is now paired with the Supernatural Test fingerprint identification system. This country really is obsessed with efficiency. Though, admittedly, it is convenient.
I carefully placed my hand on the device.
Recognizing subject.
Subject Name: Jeong Daon
Age: 19
Searching for mana circuits.
So far, nothing unexpected.
As words appeared on the screen, I felt a faintly unpleasant sensation flow from my hand through my veins. Since mana travels through the bloodstream, it’s unavoidable to feel something when the device searches for mana circuits. Still, I couldn’t help but grimace for a moment.
It would be over quickly, so I could tolerate this much.
Examination in progress.
Detecting mana circuits.
Please wait a little longer.
The inspector yawned, unable to bear the boredom any longer. It must have been tedious to examine over a hundred students who were obviously unlikely to have any real talent. And honestly, I was tired too. Once the Supernatural Test ended, I planned to walk straight out the school gate without even stopping by the classroom. This would be the end of my exhausting exam life, more precisely, the end of this forced group living. Just thinking it’s finally over made the remaining boredom a bit more tolerable.
“…”
“…”
Of course, even though the entrance exam phase was over, I’d still need living expenses, so I’d have to keep working part-time. With no classes until the semester began, I could keep working and save up some money. I couldn’t rely on my brother forever. He kept telling me not to worry, but still.
Examination in progress.
…But why is this taking so long?
“Huh? Did the machine malfunction? Student, try lifting your hand and—”
When the inspector stood up—
Beep!
Measurement error detected.
Mana circuit not found.
“Oh dear,” I heard the inspector snort quietly.
I stared calmly at the screen, already knowing this could happen. If a person’s body had no developed mana circuit whatsoever, the machine would display an error like this. It wasn’t common. Even normal people usually had at least a faint trace of talent. An error like this meant being branded as someone with absolutely no talent. In a society where becoming a high-ranked Hunter was treated like winning the lottery, it was something that could really disappoint people.
I feigned mild disappointment and started to pull my hand away. “Is that all, then?”
“Ah, wait. Could you hold still for just a little longer?”
…But that’s when the anomaly happened.
Attempting to reconnect to system for a secondary ability scan.
“…What?”
Connecting to system. Please wait.
“Oh, this is a new feature from the latest update. Just in case the machine misses someone talented, it syncs with the system to run a more detailed—”
What kind of nonsense was that?!
At the same moment the inspector babbled absentmindedly, the vague, blocked sensation hovering around my hand suddenly burst through my entire body like a bubble popping. It happened so fast I had no time to react.
Accessing system.
User: Jeong Daon (Temporary)
“Wai—!”
Ability scan complete.
BEEEEEP! A shrill alarm blared from the machine as text appeared.
Congratulations!
Potential Ability Rank: S-rank
Inspector, please proceed with user registration.
A stupid sound escaped the inspector’s mouth, “…Huh?”
If I’d had even a second of clarity, I would’ve clapped a hand over his mouth. But before that, he toppled backward.
CRASH!
“Wh-wha…? S… S-rank…?! An S-rank reading!!” his voice echoed through the vast auditorium.
An S-rank reading… S-rank… S-rank…
Apart from his voice, a deathly silence filled the room. I didn’t know teenagers were capable of such prolonged silence.
But only for a moment.
“S-rank?!”
“No way.”
The auditorium erupted instantly.
“S-rank? Did they just say Jeong Daon got S-rank?”
“Isn’t she our school’s top student?”
“Is this real? This is insane. It’s like winning the lottery.”
“But she was always just normal. How’d she get S-rank?”
“Seriously. She’s so weak she skips PE all the time. How is that possible?”
“Did she cheat or something?”
“How the hell do you cheat the system?”
“Dude, record it. This is totally going to hit the news.”
"..."
Hearing the camera shutters and the excited chatter, I grabbed my head. Right now, I had no time to care about those clueless brats. Because ever since I was forcibly connected to the system—
Floating in my vision, visible only to me, was text in bright, blood-red letters.
The system has detected the “Destroyer of Worlds”.
This server has not met the conditions required for the appearance of the “Destroyer of Worlds”.
“Destroyer of Worlds” will be rejected.
…Shit.
I’m actually, seriously screwed.