Chapter 124
Chapter 124. Rank 3 (4)
—Congratulations on the movie’s success, Yoo Ji-han!
“Thank you, Jang Sa-im.”
When Yoo Ji-han called Jang Sa-im to ask about the monster disposal process, Jang Sa-im was quick to offer his congratulations first.
He too had seen the hero movie featuring Yoo Ji-han’s party.
—It feels like just yesterday you were catching the Giant Monster, and now you’re already famous…!
Jang Sa-im’s voice had a hint of emotion.
Mongdang, which started a proper business alongside the first hunt of the Sweet Fun guild, was quickly becoming well-known, and Jang Sa-im was as happy as if it were his own business.
Yoo Ji-han scratched his cheek and replied.
“Famous? I just briefly showed my face on screen.”
—You’re not abandoning me now that you’ve become famous, right?
“Far from it; I’ll be busier from now on.”
—That’s nice to hear.
Yoo Ji-han and Jang Sa-im laughed together over the phone.
Yoo Ji-han’s party had already entrusted Mongdang with the disposal of the Giant Monsters they had hunted earlier.
There was no thought of trading with other companies now.
‘It’s true that offers came in.’
As the view counts began to rise, several proposals started pouring in via guild mail.
Among them were companies offering to handle monster disposal for him.
Not just ordinary proposals, but ones promising much cheaper commission rates than others.
Some companies even suggested disposing of monsters without any commission for a certain period.
The reason these firms were making such outrageous offers was simple.
They were trying to take advantage of the fame Yoo Ji-han’s party was gaining.
The title of a monster disposal company used by rising heroes was quite enticing.
‘I can’t afford to trade a few extra coins for this.’
After reviewing several proposals with his party members, Yoo Ji-han decided to reject them all.
The bait of lower commissions wasn’t all that attractive.
Above all, they wanted to maintain the trust established with Jang Sa-im.
Trust between people cannot be bought with small change.
“How did the taurus monster go?”
—A university representative came to look at it yesterday and said they wanted to buy it. They plan to use it for dissection.
“I hope it goes well.”
After finishing the call with Jang Sa-im, just as Yoo Ji-han was about to put his mobile down—
Vroom!
Immediately, another call came in.
Yoo Ji-han frowned.
‘Is this another annoying call?’
The ripple effects from the movie’s release hadn’t completely faded yet.
There were still acquaintances trying to approach him by any means necessary.
But when Yoo Ji-han saw the name on the mobile screen, his expression relaxed.
It was a call from Yang Ji-cheol of the Hero Department.
—Ji-han! Did you see the results of the document submission?
“Yes, I did.”
Yoo Ji-han’s party’s promotion document review results showed they had passed.
It was to be expected, given that it was a direct order from the Vice Minister of the Hero Department.
—I called to inform you about the next schedule.
“Please go ahead.”
—However, I must apologize in advance.
“Excuse me?”
Yang Ji-cheol began with an apology.
—Due to an overwhelming number of parties requesting promotion this month, we conducted a review of documents alongside a meeting among officials. As a result of that meeting, significant changes have occurred in the promotion process for Rank 3.
“What do you mean?”
—The parties attempting to be promoted to Rank 3 will have to take a new exam.
“A test?”
Yang Ji-cheol explained the new exam to Yoo Ji-han.
It was a procedure to verify the party’s firepower and judgment in crisis situations, confirming whether they were suitably qualified for Rank 3. Apparently, there had been ongoing discussions about the necessity of it for some time.
Many believed that a simple review process wasn’t sufficient for promotions to higher ranks, leading to the introduction of this new test they had been preparing for.
“What kind of test is it?”
—We can’t disclose it yet, but the location has been secured and preparations are practically complete.
Qualified heroes of Rank 2 and above, and various field experts!
There were plenty of people gathered for this exam.
—Since this is our first attempt, the passing criteria are set quite high. Many may fail in their promotion.
Regardless of how promising a hero from Rank 4 might be, Yang Ji-cheol thought this would be a challenging exam.
*
The day of the Rank 3 promotion exam, shrouded in secrecy by the Hero Department, had finally arrived.
In the meantime, Yoo Ji-han’s party focused solely on individual training and activities related to the Hero Academy.
Now that the guild had some financial leeway, they were doing everything they could to avoid injuries before facing the rigorous promotion exam.
“We’ve arrived.”
The address received via message was an empty stretch of flat land.
There were many other vehicles parked there.
From the looks of the people getting out of other cars, they were not ordinary civilians but heroes equipped with gear.
[Parties challenging for promotion should follow the arrows on the ground.]
Yoo Ji-han’s party followed the arrow on the ground for about five minutes.
Soon, they arrived at a location where a substantial number of people had gathered.
It seemed everyone was a party attempting to promote.
“What are we doing here?”
“They’ll let us know soon enough.”
“Is it not time yet?”
“About five minutes left.”
“Hey? Min Yu-ri! You’re here too!”
…….
…….
The atmosphere was quite lively, as noisy as the number of people present.
Yoo Ji-han’s party joined a complex line marked by a white line on the floor that seemed to beckon them inside.
“Wow.”
“Those are the people from the movie.”
“Wow, really!”
“Aren’t they cute?”
The crowd whispered as they noticed Yoo Ji-han’s party approaching.
Although the party members had their faces recognized to some extent thanks to the movie, it was primarily due to Chilla’s presence that stood out.
“Chirp?”
With a giant chinchilla in tow, a Rank 4 party had gained notoriety through the film.
That was how outsiders viewed Yoo Ji-han’s party now.
Their status had dramatically changed in just a few weeks!
However, perhaps seeing them as competitors in this promotion exam, no one directly approached them.
“These are all people competing with us, right?”
“Right.”
Min Yu-ri remarked, glancing at the people around them in awe.
It was understandable enough given the sheer number of heroes present why the Hero Department would want to implement a new test for rank segregation.
[2:00 PM]
And precisely at 2 PM, a woman’s voice reached Yoo Ji-han’s ears.
—We will now begin the promotion exam.
“Huh?”
“What did she say?”
“Who just spoke?”
The heroes couldn’t hear the announcement clearly, tilting their heads in confusion.
But then—
Shara-shara!
A transparent, bluish barrier appeared right next to where the people were gathered.
It was a barrier that a modern individual would find quite familiar.
—All heroes present must enter the barrier.
The man closest to the barrier promptly walked forward.
He reached out his hand to the barrier…
Sizzle!
“Ow, that stings!”
“……!”
The man who touched the barrier with his finger yanked his arm back, flustered.
Seeing his reaction, the heroes around him stopped in surprise.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Hey, this is… not an ordinary barrier.”
After a moment, the woman’s voice rang out again.
—The barrier that lies before you is an improved version of the Rank 3 barrier used in the field.
—You must pass through this barrier and remain inside for more than 20 minutes to qualify for the 1st exam.
—Only when all party members pass the barrier will time be measured, and if even one falls short of the passing criteria, that party will be disqualified from the exam.
Withstanding the improved barrier for 20 minutes.
That was the qualifying criterion for the first exam.
—Parties that fail the exam will automatically receive a message on their mobile phones.
—Parties that receive the failure message should depart accordingly.
Those who were disqualified were to leave right away.
For those who traveled from afar, it came off as a bit harsh.
Yet, it was an efficient method to weed out heroes who didn’t meet minimum standards.
“It’s just a barrier, after all.”
“Hey, everyone! Let’s go in!”
The heroes gathered here were experienced individuals who had passed in and out of Rank 5 and Rank 4 barriers numerous times.
They approached the barrier without hesitation.
But it seemed starting off posed challenges.
“Whoa, seriously, that stings!”
“Ugh! This hurts too much.”
“It feels like there’s a bug crawling on my palm…!”
The heroes were quite taken aback by the thick barrier that exceeded the length of their fingers.
It was an entirely different type of barrier than they were used to!
It was not an easy task to push through an improved barrier that intentionally increased resistance and amplified discomfort.
“Argh!”
A male hero, in a moment of mindlessness, charged into the barrier and recoiled from the shock as if he had suffered a serious injury, trembling all over.
“Does it really hurt that much?”
“Seriously, it hurts a lot!”
So far, the ones who went through the barrier first were the mages of each party.
Their familiarity with magic made them less affected by the rebound from the barrier.
“Ugh…”
“I feel like I’m going to vomit.”
“I’m so dizzy.”
Even so, the discomfort felt inside the barrier affected the mages as well.
Those who couldn’t withstand that sensation even resorted to dry heaving.
—A medical team and healing heroes are waiting outside.
—Heroes deemed unable to continue the exam may be disqualified at will, so please understand.
Once the news was made that they could be disqualified at the Hero Department’s discretion, the expressions of the heroes who had entered the barrier first changed.
Even those who had just stepped inside couldn’t relax.
‘What a mess.’
Yoo Ji-han watched the situation from outside the barrier.
Somehow, people were forcing their way through the improved barrier!
The sounds of groans and shouts of exertion flowed back toward him.
“I’ll go in first.”
Kim Si-hu glanced at Yoo Ji-han and Min Yu-ri before approaching the barrier.
Sizzle!
Kim Si-hu’s arms and legs pierced through the thick barrier.
As soon as his head made contact with it, his previously calm hair stood on end as if charged with static electricity.
However, he entered without showing any sign of concern and turned back to wave at his party members.
“Come this way!”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine as long as I coat myself with a bit of magic!”
Kim Si-hu was jumping on the spot, all bright and cheerful, a stark contrast to the heroes slumped over in the distance.
Yoo Ji-han turned to Min Yu-ri and said.
“Do you think Chilla will be okay?”
“Hmm… So far, it’s never been a problem with the barriers.”
“Then it should be fine.”
“I’ll go first. Chilla! Let’s go.”
“Chirp!”
Min Yu-ri entered the barrier with Chilla.
Sizzle!
As Chilla touched the bluish veil, its fur stood on end like a porcupine.
Once inside the barrier, all its fur settled down again.
Min Yu-ri, next to it, only had to smooth her static hair down with her hand.
Both of them experienced no significant issues.
‘Maybe it’s time for me to go.’
Next was Yoo Ji-han’s turn.
He touched the barrier lightly with his index finger before stepping inside.
Although his talented party members appeared to be fine, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t face any issues.
It would be too embarrassing if he turned out to be the only obstacle to his party’s promotion.
Zzap.
“Huh?”
But Yoo Ji-han was able to enter the barrier with almost no resistance.
Unlike others, his hair didn’t stand on end as if charged with static electricity.
Thanks to how normal his body felt, which was almost no different from outside the barrier, he found himself a bit flustered after having braced himself for more.
‘Why is this so easy?’
