A Public Servant Hunter Who Exploits Skill Combinations – Chapter 6
Translated by: Hanzo
Chapter 6: Measurement (2)
‘Gasp.’
Silence.
Had I ever experienced such stillness in my life?
‘Wait, what on earth just happened?’
When I stepped into the machine and spread my arms, I had expected a score of around 700.
Mana levels represent the amount of mana one has.
It’s like how having a high IQ doesn’t automatically mean you’re good at studying. Similarly, a high mana score doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be great at hunting.
In the end, the mana level signifies potential—the potential to grow into a high-ranking hunter.
I had already spent countless hours handling mana.
For the past two weeks, I had been sensing, controlling, condensing, and accumulating mana within my body.
So, even if I recorded a score of 1,004, it didn’t mean I was inherently superior to others.
It just meant I was slightly ahead of the curve.
‘Still, this is way too high, no matter how you look at it.’
Some of the people here today will surpass my score within two years.
Even so, I couldn’t exactly say, “Oh, it’s because I’m from the future.”
Was it the hangover soup I ate?
Could it have caused this bizarre phenomenon?
How am I supposed to deal with this situation?
Though I knew it was impossible, my head was filled with nonsensical thoughts.
In that brief moment, countless ideas crossed my mind.
Everyone was floundering in a pot of shock and disbelief.
Their expressions only added to my unease.
‘This is… quite awkward.’
In the past, no new hunter academy student had ever scored over 1,000 during a mana test.
Even the famous S-rank hunters had never crossed the 1,000 mark.
It won’t be until 20 years from now that new students will routinely start with scores in the 1,000 range.
But this wasn’t 20 years from now.
This is just too much—way too much.
I decided to break the silence.
“Ah… Haha, maybe the machine is broken?”
Ahh—
Finally, everyone nodded in agreement, as if they understood.
“So, I think we should re—”
Suddenly, the doors to the auditorium burst open, and President Hong Pal-gwang rushed in, throwing his arms around me.
“Is it true!? Is it real!?”
What the—why is this old man acting like this?
As soon as he saw the display board, he turned to me and shouted.
“Our academy has been waiting for a genius like you!”
His hug was so tight it nearly suffocated me.
Do you even realize how strong you are?
“Ugh, could you let go for a moment…?”
“Oh, right, my bad.”
His long white beard tickled my face.
But is it really okay for me to be treated like a genius?
While I was deliberating, Hong Pal-gwang muttered to himself.
“Chun-seop was boasting about having a student with a score of 600 earlier.”
“…600?”
“Seoul Hunter Academy.”
Korea had hunter academies divided by region.
‘That must be Jin Guk-hee, Ma Tae-ho’s rival, scoring 600.’
Regardless, the president, brimming with excitement, continued.
“You’re a genius who appears once in a thousand years. How did you activate your mana? Have you already accumulated this much? How old are you? Who are your parents?”
What are these clichéd questions?
“One question at a time, please…”
“Oh, my bad. I got carried away again.”
A teacher approached the president cautiously and whispered,
“Sir, many students are watching… And the tests are still ongoing…”
It was a polite reminder to exercise some restraint since the entire school was observing.
“Ah, right, my bad. Hahaha.”
Embarrassed, he let out a hearty laugh and left.
Why does his gaze seem a bit… predatory?
“Please return to your seat for now.”
“Yes.”
Even on my way back to my seat, I could feel everyone’s whispers and stares.
As soon as I sat down, Jun-hyuk leaned in eagerly.
“Tae-sung, what the heck just happened? How did you score that high?”
“Beats me. Maybe it’s the hangover soup?”
“Dude, I ate the same soup! How does one person get gas, and the other break records?”
“….”
This was the first time I found these awestruck gazes oddly enjoyable.
I had never been on the receiving end of such admiration.
‘Well, it’s not bad.’
***
A newly awakened freshman with a score of 1,004?
It was an unbelievable result.
Teacher Choi Jung-gang felt a thrill at the thought that he might be witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime genius.
‘To think I get to teach a student like this… I’ll dedicate my life to ensuring he becomes an S-rank hunter!’
And then, the student had the nerve to suggest the machine might be broken.
‘Even humility! He’s got it all.’
Choi Jung-gang reasoned,
‘Of course, he probably didn’t know how much mana he had. But when he tested, the number was so high that even he was shocked.’
After awakening himself and joining a guild, he had felt fear when facing monsters.
That’s why, when a local academy was established in his area, he applied to be an instructor.
It was a peaceful life.
Although the income was less than when he worked as a hunter, he had discovered the joy of imparting knowledge to others.
Now, he had a new goal.
One day, he wanted to see a famous hunter say at a press conference, “I am here today thanks to Teacher Choi Jung-gang’s guidance.”
Before he died, he wanted to witness that moment.
Most students with high scores usually came from established hunter families.
Others had contracts with guilds or received private training beforehand.
As a result, there hadn’t been any standout talents he could proudly claim as his own.
But with this year’s incoming freshmen, it seemed his opportunity had arrived sooner than expected.
‘Jung Tae-sung… I’m looking forward to your growth.’
Watching with his arms crossed, a smile spread across Choi Jung-gang’s face.
***
Upon reflection, I thought 1,004 was far too extreme.
I wanted to measure it properly one more time.
Surely, by my standards, the normal range should be in the 700s. So why...?
I decided to head toward where the teachers were.
“Excuse me, teachers. I have something to say.”
“What is it?”
"I’d like to retake the measurement."
Far from being flustered by my words, Teacher Choi Jung-gang instead smiled even brighter and replied,
"Oh! Of course! Such ambition from a freshman! I like it. Does this mean you think you can score even higher?"
"H-higher?"
"But what should we do? It's already been registered on the server, so we might have to discuss it with the administrator."
"Oh, I see..."
Is it irreversible...?
"Go back to your seat for now. I'll check and let you know."
"Alright."
As I was returning to my seat, I noticed one of the teachers instructing a teaching assistant.
"Go ahead and retrieve the unused skill cards from the students."
"Understood."
Oh? If this works out...
I subtly moved closer to the assistant.
"Uh, excuse me, ma’am?"
"Huh?"
"Would you like me to help you gather the skill cards?"
"Oh, really? Would you? You're surprisingly nice for someone with such a high mana score."
"Yeah, I’m kind of a nice guy."
"..."
Following the assistant’s instructions, students who already possessed the distributed skill cards returned their skill bundles.
"Over here, please. Hand them to me."
"What? Aren’t we supposed to give them to the assistant?"
"I volunteered to help her. It’s hard to manage this alone, after all."
"Oh, okay. Let me help—"
"No, please, sit down right away."
‘These are my skill cards now.’
I made a round, collecting the skill card bundles from everyone.
"Here you go, ma’am. I guess there aren’t many students who pre-learned skills this year."
"Really? I expected there’d be more."
Before she could grow suspicious, I handed over a part of the collection quickly and left.
"Here are the skill bundles."
"Thanks. That made things go much faster."
"Don’t mention it. I’m the one who’s grateful."
"Huh?"
"Ah, nothing! Please, carry on!"
‘Since I kept half the skill bundles, I’m the one who should be grateful. Heh heh heh.’
Surely no one would notice the disappearance of some basic skill cards. And even if they did, no one would punish a "genius" like me... surely... hopefully.
Shrugging, I sat back down. At that moment, an announcement blared through the speakers.
[Freshman student Jung Tae-sung, please report to the president’s office.]
***
"I'm here to see the president."
The secretary at the entrance greeted me warmly.
"What's your name?"
"Jung Tae-sung."
"Ah~ So you’re the Angel Jung Tae-sung, right?"
"Angel?"
"The president has been calling you that on the phone all day..."
"Ha ha ha..."
This old man... I had a feeling something like this would happen.
The secretary picked up the phone and informed the president of my arrival.
"President, Jung Tae-sung is here... Yes, I’ll send him in now."
The secretary straightened their attire and said to me, "Please, go on in."
When I entered the president’s office, the president stood up enthusiastically.
"Oh! The pride of our academy, Jung Tae-sung! Come in, come in."
Why is he being so extreme?
"Secretary Kim, bring a cup of coffee. Tae-sung, what would you like?"
"Just a glass of water for me."
After a while.
Sipping his coffee, the president spoke cautiously.
"So, Tae-sung, I heard you wanted to talk about your measurement results?"
"Yes, I... After thinking about it, I feel that a score of 1,004 is too..."
Before I could finish, he interrupted me with a radiant smile and his usual TMI.
"Of course! It’s incredibly high! Outstanding! You know, I made a bet with the presidents of the Gyeongsang, Chungcheong, and Seoul academies. Oh, but pretend you didn’t hear that. Anyway, thanks to you, I won! Do you know how much I made—oh, never mind that. The point is, I want to give you a special gift."
What kind of situation is this?
"A gift?"
"The Academy Federation gives a special, secret prize each year to the nationwide top scorer."
‘In the past, Ma Tae-ho was the top scorer at our school, and Jin Guk-hee was the national top scorer...’
Even Ma Tae-ho never received anything, because this gift is only for the national top scorer.
‘Wait, this isn’t right.’
The mention of a gift almost made me lose my senses.
I came here to get my score of 1,004 corrected, didn’t I?
As a human being, I, Jung Tae-sung, cannot let myself be swayed by mere gifts.
"Still..."
"One is a prize from the Federation, and the other is a personal gift from me."
The president started rummaging through his things.
‘What? There are two gifts?’
I came here intending to insist on a retest. But now... I need to think...
No. I am not that shallow.
"President."
Still, I should say what I need to say.
"I’ll gladly accept them."
I bowed at a 90-degree angle to show my gratitude.
It’s an old saying: When elders give you something, don’t refuse it. Just say "Thank you" and accept it.
Yes, that’s the proper etiquette.
After all, I’m someone who knows good manners.
Before I realized it, two items were already in my hands.
"...."
Is this okay?
Whatever.
What’s wrong with being a little greedy sometimes?
If you want to enjoy the sweet rewards, you have to grab them while you can.
......
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