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Chapter : 17
Seohyun-woo finally took his eyes off the monitor displaying the official document window and stood up from his seat.
Battle suits were different from the combat uniforms commonly used by Awakened individuals.
They were equipment designed for non-Awakened individuals—in other words, civilians—and many companies were aggressively investing in their development.
“Although many companies are developing battle suits, only a handful are actually worth anything. And one of those companies has asked me to test their performance.”
Feeling a dry throat, Seohyun-woo immediately turned on the kettle and started boiling water for coffee.
In fact, companies developing battle suits often requested performance tests using active Hunters or students from Hunter training institutions.
But up until now, not a single company had ever asked him—Seohyun-woo, the student council president of Mitherich—to test a battle suit.
“Ah, right now he’s not a company CEO, but the head of the development team. Since his father is the CEO of a mana stone processing company, he must be receiving generous financial backing. Maybe I should buy some of their stocks in advance.”
Seohyun-woo fell into thought as he considered the money in his bank account.
The head of the development team who had requested this performance test was someone who would later leave a major mark on the history of battle suits.
With his father’s support, he would go on to establish a separate company, and the development of battle suits would accelerate even further.
“I need to maintain balance. If development slows down, that’s a problem—but if it accelerates too much, that’s also a problem. I can’t know what kind of impact it will have on future events.”
Seohyun-woo confirmed that the water had boiled and poured it into a teacup.
Maintaining the flow of events and the occurrence of incidents was extremely important.
Only then could he predict the future and steadily build his foundation.
But because of him, things were gradually changing—and there was no way to reverse it.
“Since I’ve already gone this far, maybe it’s better to go even further. In the end, as long as Kang Jin-ha becomes stronger, it doesn’t matter what process it takes. I just need to adjust according to the situation.”
Seohyun-woo quickly gave up on further complicated thoughts and returned to his desk.
Even if variables arose, the main events would still happen.
In other words, no matter how distorted the flow became, the information he possessed would not become meaningless.
If he acted just a little more intelligently here, he might gain significant benefits.
“Let’s think positively. After that incident, Baek Seo-yeon will also look at me a little differently. Baek Seo-yeon is not only a heroine—she’s also the vice student council president of Mitherich. Her abilities are rare and powerful. If I can make her an ally…”
Knock, knock.
Seohyun-woo sensed that Baek Seo-yeon had arrived and took something out from his drawer.
Baek Seo-yeon entered immediately, holding a paper bag.
“I’m curious about what you brought, but something else stands out more.”
“Because it’s a gift from the student council president, it naturally stands out more, doesn’t it?”
As Baek Seo-yeon placed the paper bag on the desk, she noticed something else.
It was a small box wrapped in gift paper and a ribbon.
If her memory was correct, hadn’t she recently received something of a similar size?
“I should’ve just listened to you. I shouldn’t have gone out and bought it.”
“…I was a bit worried, but I didn’t expect you to actually buy it.”
“Even so, I can’t exactly return it now. Just take it.”
Seohyun-woo handed over the gift box and sipped his tea.
It was a replacement he had bought for the hairpin that had broken in the previous incident.
But Baek Seo-yeon had already repaired it and was now wearing it on both sides of her head.
“Alright then. I didn’t come empty-handed either.”
“You’re giving me a gift as well?”
“You could say it’s something similar. I figured you might do something like this.”
Baek Seo-yeon quickly took the gift box and walked toward the kettle.
Seohyun-woo peeked inside the paper bag to check its contents.
There were various colorful boxes neatly arranged inside.
“What is this?”
“Supplements. You need to take them separately in the morning, afternoon, and evening. They’ll help with nutritional deficiency and lack of sleep.”
“…You really are thoughtful. I’ll accept them gratefully.”
Seohyun-woo placed the paper bag inside his desk and moved to the sofa.
Just how much did she like the hairpin that she repaired it and continued wearing it?
Not only did she improve the design, but a faint black glow now emanated from it.
“I didn’t expect you to reuse something that was split in half like that.”
“It would be a waste to throw it away.”
“And you even processed it with mana stone.”
“One break is enough.”
Baek Seo-yeon answered calmly and sat on the sofa with a teacup.
A light purple flower-shaped hairpin, split into two, was neatly pinned on both sides of her head.
Since it had been processed with mana stone, it would no longer break easily.
“That mana stone processing must have cost quite a lot…”
“The official document arrived. Are you planning to accept the battle suit performance test request?”
Baek Seo-yeon pretended not to know and brought up the document first.
Seohyun-woo fell silent for a moment, then spoke.
“Yes, I intend to do it. I don’t want to fall out of favor with the principal and the administration.”
“I understand it’s not mandatory. If it’s uncomfortable, you can refuse.”
“There’s nothing bad for me. I get paid while also expanding my network.”
“…If you see it that way, then it’s not necessarily a bad thing. The company leading this performance test is known as the best in the country when it comes to mana stone processing.”
Mana stone processing.
It was an industry that refined mana stones obtained from dungeons or monsters beyond gates, making them usable in various fields.
Pure mana stones were almost impossible to use directly, so they were transformed through special processes into usable forms.
With enough money, it was even possible to dramatically improve processing efficiency by using high-quality mana stones.
“You might think I’m being materialistic.”
“I would never think that.”
“You can’t stay student council president at Mitherich forever.”
“That’s true.”
“I have no background or connections. I need to prepare in advance. Otherwise, there’s no point in holding this position.”
“So you do have plans.”
“Not exactly. I’m just preparing. I can’t know what might happen.”
Seohyun-woo answered honestly, revealing a bit of his true thoughts.
Because there was a condition attached: he had to maintain his position as student council president while graduating from Mitherich.
He was simply preparing in advance because he didn’t know what additional conditions might come after graduation.
“So even you worry, President. I thought you always looked so composed that you had everything under control.”
“I’m not a god. If I could even become a Cetinus Hunter, then I wouldn’t have anything to worry about.”
“…I think you could become one, President. Your abilities and mana reserves are truly extraordinary.”
Cetinus Hunter.
Among all Hunters, it is a rank given to those who have achieved the greatest feats and possess the highest level of skill.
There are only seven Cetinus Hunters in existence, each given a title corresponding to a color.
Their influence and recognition are so overwhelming that even the Hunter Association and the government cannot easily interfere with them.
“There’s no need to praise me that much. I should know my place. I’d be satisfied if I could at least become a Black Hunter.”
In this world, Hunter ranks are divided into seven stages:
Cetinus, Black, Purple, Green, Yellow, Blue, Red.
Reaching Green alone is difficult for most people, but with Seohyun-woo’s abilities, he could likely reach at least Purple.
“A Black Hunter is already a very high rank. Even becoming a Green Hunter is not easy.”
“Ah, I see. Your uncle was also a Black Hunter, if I remember correctly.”
“That’s right. He now focuses on mission planning and city security rather than dungeon raids.”
Black Hunters are veterans recognized for their skill and experience, though not quite on the level of Cetinus Hunters.
Unless in special cases, they are not directly involved in dungeon raids and instead handle field command or rear support.
Baek Seo-yeon’s uncle was one of those cases, and most other Black Hunters also avoided direct combat unless they were particularly aggressive.
“Your uncle has a reinforcement-type ability, unlike you, doesn’t he?”
“His ability is fairly ordinary. However, his strength, mana control, and technical execution are excellent—that’s how he became a Black Hunter.”
“So you must have sparred with him a few times.”
“I lost every single time. Even when he was holding back, I couldn’t win at all.”
“That makes sense. He is a Black Hunter.”
However, Baek Seo-yeon’s uncle was not someone who could simply be called a Black Hunter based on skill alone.
He had once had the opportunity to become a Cetinus Hunter—but gave it up.
The reason was simple and clear.
He needed enough time to properly raise Baek Seo-yeon after her parents passed away.
“I’d like to meet him someday. It would be even better if I could learn from him.”
“Do you still need training, President? It doesn’t seem necessary.”
“My ability copying isn’t all-powerful. Real experience and combat sense cannot be obtained through copying. Sparring with a Black Hunter would still improve that somewhat.”
“…That’s true. If the opportunity arises, I’ll arrange it.”
Hearing that, Seohyun-woo felt quietly satisfied, though he did not show it on his face.
The more allies he had, the higher his survival rate.
And if it was a Black Hunter—almost equivalent to a Cetinus Hunter—then their value was more than sufficient.
“The more connections, the better. They can help me and open up various opportunities. From that perspective, it might also be good to build a relationship with Mitherich’s chairman…”
Of course, meeting a Cetinus Hunter personally was not easy.
Their status and reputation meant extremely busy schedules, and some disliked dealing with outsiders.
But as the student council president of Mitherich, he could likely arrange at least a short conversation with the chairman.
“It’s about time to head home. Have you finished all your work?”
“Yes. I was just about to leave as well.”
“You’re going to train again?”
“Don’t I need to work harder if I want to beat you, President?”
“You’re as consistent as ever. At that rate, you might actually surpass me.”
“Trying alone isn’t enough. Talent and luck also exist.”
Baek Seo-yeon left the student council room after leaving those meaningful words.
Perhaps she had already concluded in her mind that she could never defeat Seohyun-woo.
But there was still time left, so she intended to try as much as she could.
Baek Seo-yeon unconsciously looked down at the gift in her hand and let out a small sigh.
“…Hah. I guess I should have this hairpin processed with mana stone too. It’ll cost some money, but it can’t be helped. It would be troublesome if it broke again like last time.”
