Chapter 134
Chapter 134: Secret Weapon
“Wow… I didn’t expect you to show such an outstanding performance.”
Yang Ji-cheol clicked his tongue as he watched Yoo Ji-han exit the sparring arena.
The Hero Department selects heroes for promotion interviews by considering those who possess skills above the basic level.
In the midst of this, the sparring against the selected Rank 2 Hero.
Yoo Ji-han not only lasted five minutes but even counterattacked.
If they were fighting without any restrictions like fully equipped and using skills, that might be different.
At least this time, it was a complete victory for Yoo Ji-han.
“Who exactly is Ji-han?”
“Just an ordinary hero.”
“An ordinary Rank 4 Hero can hold his own against a notable Rank 2 Hero?”
“……”
“A passing dog would laugh at that.”
With nothing much to say, Yoo Ji-han scratched his head.
Yang Ji-cheol eyed him suspiciously before speaking.
“Anyway, the promotion announcement will likely be made within two days. Please prepare accordingly.”
“Prepare for what, exactly?”
“When you reach Rank 3, you’ll receive a lot of attention from various places. Ah, those of you who appeared in the movie may have already experienced this.”
After the hero film had somewhat succeeded, numerous contacts poured in for the Sweet Fun guild.
Beyond various interviews and work-related calls, annoying calls had also been coming in constantly.
However, if the promotion to Rank 3 coincided with this movie buzz, troublesome matters would surely arise.
“I guess I’ll need to change my mobile phone number.”
To avoid the bothersome contacts, Yoo Ji-han planned to change his mobile number entirely.
He thought about suggesting that Guild Master Kim Si-hu get a separate work phone.
“I’ll be helping with the profile photo shoot soon.”
From Rank 3 onwards, heroes no longer register under Korea but will instead have their names listed with the International Hero Association.
From now on, they could prove their identity in any country, independent of identity cards or passports.
They would become known beyond their own nation.
“……Ah!”
“Yeah?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Yoo Ji-han turned his head, letting out a strange exclamation, and looked at the door through which Ji Gang-seok had just left.
“I just remembered.”
How odd that a familiar face seems so familiar from the start.
He had encountered Ji Gang-seok at the same site while he was a part of Kim Hyun-tae’s Party.
——I saw from a distance, and your movements seem pretty decent. What’s your name?
He had even received compliments directly from Ji Gang-seok himself.
Since he had been hiding his identity, they didn’t have any special conversation, though.
*
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
Clunk!
Yoo Ji-han clinked his can drink with Kazimir, who was dressed in a white robe.
Since they clinked a bit hard, some of the drink spilled from the can, but he just laughed it off.
Kazimir wiped the drink from his hands with a white tissue and said,
“I heard the promotion exam was quite difficult. You passed it well.”
“Hmm, it wasn’t that hard, actually.”
Other than the rock-rolling incidents in the dungeon or the conflicts with Ji Gang-seok.
For Yoo Ji-han, there wasn’t much difficulty in the promotion.
In fact, it felt a bit too easy.
“I wasn’t too surprised by your promotion either.”
“Really?”
“A hero who was actively participating in a Rank 2 Party wouldn’t suddenly lose ability just by changing affiliations.”
“Is that so?”
“Your party members are also exceptional, so you should be confident.”
Those were the words of a sharp-eyed vampire.
He wasn’t exaggerating just to make the other party feel better.
‘What should I say… It feels refreshing.’
After being expelled from Kim Hyun-tae’s Party and joining the Sweet Fun guild.
Through several incidents, the party’s rank had shot up to Rank 3.
In a situation where he wasn’t hiding his identity anymore and was proudly making a name for himself.
At this point, the past of being expelled felt almost irrelevant.
If he had known it would turn out like this, he would have left Kim Hyun-tae’s Party much sooner.
“I’ll change my mobile phone number tomorrow, and I’ll text you once it’s done.”
“Got it.”
“By the way, you seem pretty busy working at this hour.”
After finishing the sparring, Yoo Ji-han sent a simple text to Kazimir, who worked here.
It was a text sent with the thought that he might still be at the company despite the late hour.
Indeed, Kazimir was indeed working overtime at the Research Institute.
“I’m busy enough that I’ll at least have to work four nights a week.”
“Four nights is a bit much, don’t you think?”
“The night shift pay is quite decent, so it’s not a problem.”
“……”
Hearing the vampire mention night shift pay left Yoo Ji-han with a strange feeling.
“So… how’s the Magic Discoloration Syndrome? Any progress in your research?”
“None.”
“None?”
“None.”
It was a firm answer from Kazimir, who didn’t leave even a hint of leeway.
After taking a sip of mint chocolate soda, he continued.
“I’m personally paying more attention due to your party member’s situation… but I don’t think any change will occur immediately.”
“Thanks for at least being concerned.”
“We are sharing information with various overseas research institutes regarding that issue. It seems the situation at other institutes isn’t vastly different from ours.”
Among the overseas patients with Magic Discoloration Syndrome was the family of a chaebol.
Even though they were pouring loads of funding into research related to the disease, there hadn’t been significant progress.
Simply throwing good personnel and money at it wouldn’t resolve the problem in the short term.
“If there’s anything that might help, I’ll assist too.”
“Just be aware. And I still oppose giving the patient a ghastly herb.”
Yoo Ji-han had previously asked Kazimir for his opinion due to Min Yu-ri’s request to feed their younger sister with the ghastly herb.
To which Kazimir had shown a negative attitude.
He thought it was not a good idea to give a potion that could burden even current heroes to a frail patient.
“What if it’s mixed and diluted with other things?”
“It’d still be burdensome. I understand the intention, but I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Such a shame.”
It was unfortunate that he had obtained a rare elixir but couldn’t use it because the effects were burdensome.
Yoo Ji-han felt a sense of regret.
“You mentioned you’ve been busy lately?”
“Very busy.”
“What’s kept you so busy…?”
Just as Yoo Ji-han and Kazimir were continuing their conversation.
“Kazimir!”
“Yeah?”
Patadadad—!
A little girl dashed out from somewhere, calling Kazimir’s name and clinging to his leg.
With her cute voice and small stature,
She seemed far too young to be in the Hero Department at such a late hour.
“……?”
However, there was a long, red gem embedded vertically in the center of her forehead, stuck there.
Did that child really have a piercing at such a young age?
Yet, it was too deeply embedded to be considered just a simple piercing.
“Hyung! Why did you take so long to come back?”
“I told you I’d be gone for a moment to see someone.”
“Ten minutes is just a moment? The word ‘moment’ only allows for up to three minutes!”
“Who decided that?”
“I did.”
With her hands on her hips and a very cheeky expression, she looked up at Kazimir.
Yoo Ji-han looked down at her and said,
“Kazimir, who is she?”
“Her name is Nirochi. Korea’s secret weapon.”
“……Secret weapon?”
Every time he heard “Korea’s secret weapon,” it sounded somewhat absurd, and Yoo Ji-han tilted his head.
“By the way, Nirochi is 57 years old.”
“What?”
“No, Hyung! You can’t just spill a girl’s age like that!”
“I always say, I’m too young to be called Hyung by you.”
“Anyone taller than me is an older brother.”
Kazimir and Nirochi were playfully bickering back and forth.
Unable to withstand his curiosity, Yoo Ji-han asked,
“What do you mean by secret weapon?”
“Curious?”
“Hyung! Isn’t that something you shouldn’t talk about randomly?”
“This guy can be trusted, so it’s fine.”
“Hmm? Really?”
With a little snort, Nirochi narrowed her eyes and looked up at Yoo Ji-han.
Since there were few people highly evaluated by Kazimir in the Research Institute, which supposedly had numerous talents.
“Nirochi is a recently arrived heterogeneous being in Korea.”
“Not human, huh.”
“And she possesses one special ability.”
“What ability?”
Kazimir glanced down at Nirochi’s face and replied.
“The ability to sense other people’s unique skills.”
“……?!”
Yoo Ji-han’s eyes widened in surprise.
It truly was an unexpected ability.
“It seems she can sense details even unknown to the owner of the unique skill.”
“……Is that really true?”
“Yeah! Every race living in our dimension had a Yook.”
“Yook?”
“That’s what we call unique skills in Korea.”
The shocking statement that every being in a dimension possessed a unique skill was mind-blowing.
Considering how rare it was to find a unique skill holder on Earth, it was enough to leave him astounded.
“I specifically possess the Yook that can sense other Yook! Ahem!”
To be a unique skill holder who could sense others’ unique skills,
That was a power that had never appeared on Earth.
Yoo Ji-han looked down at her, frozen.
‘…What to do?’
Right now, his instincts were telling him.
He wanted to know about a unique skill that had always remained a question mark.
If he did so, he would have to reveal the existence of his long-hidden sampling.
It was only natural to hesitate.
But…
“Nirochi, was it?”
“Yeah. Please don’t use honorifics. It makes me look too old.”
“I also… no, I want to experience sensing a unique skill.”
He could no longer suppress his curiosity.
*
Yoo Ji-han followed Nirochi and Kazimir into a narrow room without windows.
A space that was usually used like a small storeroom.
“I didn’t expect you to have a unique skill.”
Kazimir looked at Yoo Ji-han with a very interesting expression.
Yoo Ji-han had lived his whole life keeping his unique skill hidden.
There had been some like him previously, who avoided the spotlight and didn’t want to get tangled in trouble or incidents.
“I didn’t think you’d agree so quickly.”
Sensing a unique skill was a somewhat impulsive request.
If she was valuable enough to be called a secret weapon, she could have easily refused or acted stingy.
But Nirochi had a short conversation with Kazimir and accepted Yoo Ji-han’s request on the condition that Kazimir participated in the sensing process.
“It’s not for free! Kazimir Hyung promised to treat me to meals for a month.”
“Yeah… my night shift pay might just be saved up for this.”
Yoo Ji-han found himself inadvertently dipping into the night shift allowance of an overworked public servant.
Even when he offered to pay directly, Nirochi refused.
Yoo Ji-han thought he would have to give Kazimir a separate thank you later.
“If it’s about checking probabilities, have you ever tried buying a lottery ticket?”
“No matter how hard I try, the lottery never comes out right.”
Sampling never reacted to the lottery at all.
In fact, Yoo Ji-han had never won even a small amount in the lottery.
“How does sensing work?”
“Physical contact. Just give me your hand for a moment.”
Sitting on a small chair, Yoo Ji-han reached out his hand toward Nirochi.
Turning his palm up, Nirochi grasped his wrist with both hands.
“It’ll be done in 30 seconds.”
After saying this, Nirochi closed her eyes.
A moment later, the red gem on her forehead began to emit a faint light.
So indeed, that wasn’t just a simple piercing.
‘Here we go.’
Now that he had publicly revealed the existence of sampling to someone for the first time.
Could he possibly uncover the information about his unique skill that had only remained a question mark?
Yoo Ji-han watched Nirochi, who was focused on his wrist, feeling a bit nervous.
“Hmm?”
However, about 30 seconds passed.
With her eyes still closed, Nirochi furrowed her brow as if something wasn’t proceeding well.
It felt like something was off.
Crunch!
She tightened her grip on Yoo Ji-han’s wrist even more.
The intensity of the light from the gem on her forehead grew a bit stronger.
Though 30 seconds had already passed, Yoo Ji-han remained silent, waiting for her.
“Ugh! Seriously!”
After about five minutes had passed,
Suddenly, Nirochi, who had become irritated, gripped Yoo Ji-han’s wrist with extraordinary strength.
It felt as if a dry cloth were being wrung out.
For an ordinary person, it would have made their wrist tingle.
“……Is there something wrong?”
Kazimir, who was watching from the side, also sensed something off.
Boom—!
From the gem embedded in Nirochi’s forehead, a blinding light burst forth.
The light outshone the overhead lights, causing Yoo Ji-han to squint and slightly turn his head away.
Swoosh…
After the promised time had far surpassed, the light emanating from Nirochi’s gem began to gradually subside.
Finally releasing Yoo Ji-han’s wrist, Nirochi slowly opened her eyes and spoke.
“You… what are you exactly?”
“What?”
“How can an ordinary person like you possess such power?”
Her eyes reflected a strong sense of vigilance, or perhaps fear.
