I Possess Too Many Characteristics

Chapter 17

“……So, I luckily ended up killing Na Jucheol. After that, Team Leader Seokung-nim? They came.”

“Yes, I think this is enough. I’m sorry to ask for your cooperation right after you went through that. You’ve been through a lot.”

“No, it’s thanks to the doctor-nim who made me perfectly fine.”

Jeonghyeon swung his injured right arm around, winced at the remaining pain, and put it back in its original position.

Of course, he was very tired and still had some residual pain, but it was a C-Rank healing after all.

Compared to the injuries he sustained inside the Gate, it was natural to say he was perfectly fine.

However, Yerin’s eyes sparkled.

“Judging from what you said, it seems like you were severely injured, but your wounds seem to heal quickly.”

“……Yes?”

“You said you were able to respond because you were an agility-type, but your body is strong too…… Hmm.”

How did it turn out like this?

In contrast to Jeonghyeon’s dumbfounded expression, Yerin smiled faintly.

“I looked into the publicly available records, within the legal limits of course. Awakening two years after the procedure…… You’re unique. Perhaps……”

Does this person know what my trait is?

Gulp.

Jeonghyeon swallowed hard, unable to predict what would come out of Yerin’s mouth.

If it were this person, it wouldn’t be surprising if she said, ‘You’re EX-Rank, but you’re hiding it, right?’

Well, it would be surprising, but.

However, Yerin’s guess was much more trivial than Jeonghyeon’s worries.

“Have you Re-awakened?”

“Ahem. No.”

In reality, there was no way Yerin could have guessed Jeonghyeon’s trait.

EX-Rank? She had never even heard of such a thing, not even as a conspiracy theory.

Awakening shortly after the procedure, but registering after Re-awakening, this would be the most she could infer from publicly available information.

Jeonghyeon relaxed the tension in his body and shook his head.

Although he hadn’t been caught, he thought he had hidden it well so far, but it seemed it was difficult to escape the eyes of an investigator.

Judging from the way she subtly eased his tension and led him with suggestive questions, she was definitely a scary person.

“Then would you mind telling me what your trait is, just to me? Of course, I won’t record it in any documents.”

Yerin asked bluntly, as if there was nothing more to hide after her trump card missed.

But Jeonghyeon was also a little offended.

Not only did she lead him with suggestive questions even though he wasn’t a suspect, but she even did a background check, even if it was legal?

It was a situation where he could file a formal complaint and have a valid point.

“Do I have to answer that?”

“Ah, of course not.”

Even though Jeonghyeon clearly showed his displeasure, Yerin waved her hand good-naturedly and backed away.

However, it seemed like she wasn’t going to give up easily.

“It’s not that I suspect you at all, Jeonghyeon-ssi. I was just wondering if you’d like to work at the Association.”

“Yes?”

“I may be young, but I’m quite good at judging people. I think you’d do well. The annual salary is about this much.”

Then, Yerin tapped on her laptop and turned the screen to show him.

Jeonghyeon’s eyes widened.

“No way, this much for me?”

“It’s not excessive for an unregistered Hunter who caught two D-Ranks, is it?”

Yerin’s eyes were filled with conviction.

The conviction that Jeonghyeon was hiding a huge secret that she didn’t know.

The amount was also incomparable to the notoriously low salaries of civil servants.

Of course, the Hunter world was different from that of civil servants, but it was the same in that it was an amount Jeonghyeon would never receive even if he joined a guild right away.

Let alone Jeonghyeon, not many D-Rank Hunters of a certain level would be making that much.

However, Jeonghyeon shook his head.

“I’ll decline.”

“Wow, does that mean you’re confident you can get more than this?”

“What are you……”

Yerin asked with a smile in her eyes.

Jeonghyeon wanted to refute her immediately, but the more he did, the more he would be digging himself into a hole.

If only he had a little more time, actually, Yerin’s words were accurate.

“Let’s end it here for today.”

“Will there be another time?”

“I think there will be. But not here, of course.”

Jeonghyeon’s eyes gleamed with a strange light.

What did that mean again?

Was it a warning that the scouting would continue?

Yerin returned to her innocent face from when they first met and said,

“I gave you my business card, so feel free to contact me if you need anything. I’d especially welcome it if it’s about a job.”

“I don’t think that will happen.”

“We’ll have to see about that…… but I guess having an Association Section Chief in your network wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

Jeonghyeon couldn’t help but look at Yerin with suspicion as she changed so quickly, but this time, he had to admit it.

Although it wouldn’t be as profitable as a guild, a Section Chief of the Association had unparalleled power.

Especially if it was the Investigation Department that investigated Hunters.

Especially since she was promoted to Section Chief at such a young age, as she said, her future seemed promising.

Jeonghyeon felt uneasy about Yerin grinning at him, but he nodded for now.

“So, can I go now?”

“Of course.”

She opened the door as if it was obvious and went ahead.

Then, she left the Section Chief’s office as well and walked down the hallway side by side with him.

“Hey, aren’t you busy?”

“I am busy.”

“Then why……?”

Jeonghyeon’s suspicious gaze.

Even her subordinates were busy with their work, so how could their leader have the time to leisurely escort him outside?

But Yerin widened her eyes and asked back,

“Well, the Association basement is full of confidential facilities. What if I let you go alone and you suddenly steal something?”

“Why would I steal something like that?”

“You never know. Just like how an unregistered Hunter caught two D-Rank Villains.”

Yerin replied playfully.

Jeonghyeon sighed deeply but didn’t add anything.

Indeed, the doors lining the hallway were all plastered with the chilling phrase ‘Absolutely No Entry Except for Authorized Personnel’.

“So, if you don’t want to bother me, you should join the Association, right?”

“Oh, come on. I said I’m not joining!”

Was this blatant scouting still not over?

When Jeonghyeon shouted, Yerin grinned again and avoided his gaze, replying,

“You never know.”

In the end, Jeonghyeon had to accompany Yerin all the way to the main gate of the Association.

◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈

“Oh, I’m so tired.”

He hadn’t thought much of it before, but how welcoming and cozy his one-room apartment felt when he returned.

Jeonghyeon threw himself onto the bed as naturally as water flows.

If he was physically exhausted from being harassed by Jucheol and Heesu in the Gate, he was mentally exhausted from being harassed by Yerin at the Association.

That sticky, lingering gaze that seemed to regret something even after chasing him to the main gate.

“Who the hell is that person?”

Jeonghyeon took out his phone with a sense of foreboding and searched for ‘Cha Yerin’.

In an era where Hunters saved the world.

If a Hunter was somewhat famous, you could find basic information about them on portal sites.

It was only natural, considering that some Hunters even had fan clubs following them around.

There should even be a profile registered by the Association for someone like a Section Chief.

Although there wouldn’t be detailed information like their exact position for security reasons.

“There it is.”

As expected, Cha Yerin’s profile popped up right away, along with a picture that wasn’t much different from the face he had seen in person.

“Twenty-five…… Two years older than me?”

The first thing that surprised him was her age.

He thought she might look like his age because she had a youthful appearance, but the actual difference wasn’t that big.

Even though it was an era where traits and individual abilities were the most important, the fact that she was promoted so quickly meant that she must be quite outstanding.

At least she was in a much better position than Jeonghyeon, who was lying in his small one-room apartment, looking at his smartphone like a slacker.

“Tsk……!”

Jeonghyeon clicked his tongue and scanned the profile, his eyes widening.

━A-Rank

It was because of the two letters written next to the Hunter Rank section at the bottom of the profile.

A-Rank was practically the upper limit for an ordinary Hunter to encounter.

There was an S-Rank above that, but there were only a few hundred of them in the whole world.

Each individual was classified as top-secret information and rarely showed their faces unless it was a major incident.

“So, that kind of person was clinging to me like that……”

Jeonghyeon recalled Yerin, who had tried to scout him to the Association.

Even if he had caught D-Ranks, it wouldn’t be noticeable to an A-Rank.

Why did she do that?

“Ah, what’s the point of thinking about this?”

But Jeonghyeon soon shook his head and scrolled down.

How could he possibly know the intentions of someone who was A-Rank?

Even if he did, realistically, there was no way to stop her.

News articles followed below the profile.

It wasn’t that surprising, considering she was an A-Rank trait holder.

Solving some incident, getting promoted quickly, and so on.

Her trait was presumed to be a martial arts type……

In the end, Jeonghyeon lost interest and put down his smartphone, then called up the shop window.

He wanted to check the new items that he hadn’t been able to see because of Yerin’s interruption.

It was a moment that made him hum to himself.

“As expected, gacha is the best. It’s always thrilling.”

But just looking at it plainly would reduce the fun.

Jeonghyeon closed his eyes tightly, called up the shop window, and slowly opened his eyes a little.

『Shop List（Refresh Cost: 2 Coins）

「Mediocre Movement Speed」（F, Lv.1）, 1C

「Decent Durability」（E, Lv.1）, 2C

「Passable Swordsmanship」（F, Lv.1）, 1C

「Fairly Good Durability」（F, Lv.1）, 1C

「Equippable Slot Expansion Ticket」（E）, 2C

Current Coins: 7』

Even though he had high expectations because the probability had increased, it didn’t mean that only traits beneficial to Jeonghyeon would appear.

For him, it was just a feast of incompetence.

“I should have just gone full tank if I knew it would be like this.”

Durability traits appeared more often than he thought.

Especially this time, an E-Rank even appeared right away.

Furthermore, Movement Speed was one of the most unpopular traits among Hunters.

It was an agility-type trait like the Movement he already had, but it simply increased ‘Movement Speed’ itself.

It was useless in combat, and Hunters who awakened with that trait usually worked as supply runners in guilds or even as delivery workers in society.

It seemed like they could make quite a bit of money if the rank was high, but at F-Rank, it was close to useless.

“It’s a trait, but I can’t even participate in the Olympics…… Huh?”

But Jeonghyeon, who was looking at the list with disappointed eyes, tilted his head.

「Equippable Slot Expansion Ticket」（E）, 2C

“Slot Expansion Ticket? Could this be……?”

And as Jeonghyeon recognized this suspicious item, a new notification window popped up.

『You have checked the Slot Expansion Ticket.

Unlocking related information.』

『Slot Expansion Ticket: You can expand the Equippable/Storable Trait Slots.

For Equippable Slot Expansion Tickets, E-Rank can expand up to 4 slots, D-Rank up to 5 slots, C-Rank up to 6 slots, B-Rank up to 7 slots, A-Rank up to 8 slots, and S-Rank can expand unlimitedly.

For Storable Slot Expansion Tickets, F-Rank can expand up to 9 slots, E-Rank up to 10 slots,…… S-Rank can expand unlimitedly.』

“Crazy……”