Saturday. Same as last year. In this room, where Minho placed all his hopes. Even though he knew exactly what would happen. It was obvious from the proctor's flat, unenthusiastic expression.
"Mr. Minho, please proceed with examination number 127."
A templated voice from the speaker in the corner of the room. The only thing that changed was the number.
Minho was ready. His hands gripped the testing sword with both hands. His ten years of experience showed in his stance and grip.
[Perfect Slash]
[Damage 0]
Minho's face showed no surprise. A testing dummy that would register damage even from a touch had given his attack a score of zero.
He swung the sword again.
[Damage 0]
He had three more chances. If Minho could get an average above 5,000, he would be promoted to E-rank.
But he chose to give up this time.
"Have you had enough?"
The proctor who worried about Minho the most, Mr. Han. He was probably the only reason Minho kept testing his rank.
After Minho's parents died in the first gate break, Mr. Han had become a second father to him. Besides living nearby, Mr. Han was also a distant relative of Minho's mother.
"Forgive me, Mr. Han. I think I need to stop now. It seems I'm not cut out to be a ranker."
Minho then opened the back door. A door prepared by the Association for rankers who showed no improvement. Its purpose was to protect rankers' reputations from the media crews always stationed at the front entrance of the Ranker Association building.
"Please sign here," said the staff member waiting behind the door, verifying and entering into the database everyone who had taken the test.
"Looks like we won't be meeting again."
"What do you mean?"
The staff member looked confused and concerned, since Minho was probably the person he'd met most often at this back door.
"I mean, I'm sorry if my presence always bothered you."
The staff member just watched silently as Minho left the building. Who would have thought someone who had tried 126 times would give up on attempt 127.
Minho walked through a narrow alley filled with the stench of garbage bins and spoiled food scattered by stray dogs digging through trash. He continued walking on the sidewalk with emptiness in his heart, the only liveliness coming from the city bustling with activity.
Ding!
A message arrived on Minho's phone. "Transaction successful, balance 500,000 from 6391xxxx." Minho stared at his phone—apparently this time the Association had refunded his testing fee.
Minho was too focused on his phone. Until a kid ran into him.
Thud!
A high school student who seemed to be rushing to catch up with his friends fell and sat down hard. Fortunately, the kid wasn't injured.
"Forgive me, sir..." The young man paused before finishing his sentence. "It's okay, be careful next time," Minho said while helping him up. The kid immediately hurried off to catch his friends. "Hey, do you realize who you just bumped into..." showing his phone, the friend of the kid who fell displayed a currently trending meme. "It looks like... Oh, you're right." They continued walking while chuckling.
Minho knew what those kids were talking about. The currently popular meme: Firstborn: the broken ranker.
Minho kept walking, ignoring the mockery he'd received for ten years, while looking at the large posters on buildings and at every corner of the city.
Hyunwoo, we awakened together, did our first mission together. But our worlds are different. Minho thought to himself as he recalled the bitter memories that had befallen him.
Ten years ago, this city was still busy with reporters' cameras and black cars from the capital. All of them came for one person. A nineteen-year-old who had just awakened.
"UR Skill."
"Perfect Slash."
Minho still remembered it all.
News spread within hours. Foreign guilds started contacting headquarters. Even agents from other countries came bearing contracts as thick as phone books.
On demonstration day, the stadium was packed. Cheers echoed all the way outside.
The stage was prepared. A special dummy was brought in from the International Hunter Association. They said it could withstand an S-rank attack without cracking.
"Minho, show the world," someone said backstage at the time.
He stepped up, taking a stance with his hand on the hilt of his undrawn sword. With one precise swing, he activated the skill that was impossible to block or evade.
Slash!
Minho's slash was so precise and smooth. No sound, just one motion, then stillness.
Everyone froze for a moment before laughter erupted after the number appeared.
[Damage 0]
"Look at that, this isn't a UR skill, it's UR comedy. Hahaha," someone in the audience seats said. The stadium roared with laughter and mocking jeers. A memory he wanted to forget but couldn't, because the pain had embedded itself so deep.
Minho walked again through the crowd, head down, lost in his own thoughts.
He passed a large equipment store. One of the biggest in the city. But he remembered that ten years ago it was just a small clothing shop. Suddenly someone called out to him.
"Hey you, what are you looking at? This shop is exclusive to B-rank and above," said Mr. Park, a short, fat man with a mole above his lip and nearly bald hair. Minho didn't answer, just turned toward the man.
"Wait, aren't you..." The man was about to say something, but a siren cut him off.
Wiiiiing.
The loud sound Minho hated most. As if bad luck and sorrow wouldn't give him any space, appearing one after another today.
People immediately dropped to the ground. Cars screeched to a halt. Merchants closed their stalls in panic. The sound of a small child crying came from the direction of the bus stop. Above it all, the Association's loudspeaker echoed.
[All rankers in the subway station area are requested to proceed to the location.]
[Class B+. Status: gate break.]
Damn. The source was right beneath where he stood.
He knew he should run. But his humanity stopped him. B+ wasn't a class for someone like him.
One hit could break his ribs or kill him. But the first scream made his legs move without permission.
His body was already running before his mind could decide.
He unzipped his hoodie, pulling the hood down. Hiding his identity to avoid the Association's eyes. So he wouldn't be punished for raiding with too large a rank difference.
The corridor to the station was filled with people pushing in the opposite direction. Minho broke through the crowd, moving with precision through the gaps.
As soon as he got down, the smell of blood immediately hit his nose.
Three bodies lay sprawled. One E-rank ranker slumped with his head against the wall.
Guilt rose, but there was no time for that.
Minho raised his sword. Attacking the ogre in front of him.
[Perfect Slash]
[Damage 6539]
The ogre split in two. Its blood spread across the tiled floor.
But there were still dozens of ogres roaming around.
"Hurry... someone come..." he muttered inwardly, hoping a high-rank ranker would arrive.
A second ogre appeared from behind a food stall.
First slash.
[Damage 12]
Second slash.
[Damage 108]
Third slash.
[Damage 2056]
The ogre fell, but Minho staggered as a counterattack nearly hit his chest.
He held his breath. Readjusting his footing and stance. Slash after slash fell, with inconsistent damage. Sometimes an enemy died in one hit, sometimes it took more than five. Behind the ticket booth, several people were hiding.
An ogre was trying to grab a woman crouched there. Minho, alert and with adrenaline still pumping, charged at the monster.
[Perfect Slash]
[Damage 4423]
The ogre collapsed.
Minho stood with his chest heaving and his heart pounding irregularly. His hands began to tremble. His eyes fixed on the portal gate at the end of the corridor.
The gate's color slowly changed from yellow to orange to red.
"Shit..." he whispered. "I'm running out of time."
"Everyone run!"
Minho shouted until his voice cracked. People crowded toward the exit. Meanwhile, Minho walked behind them, holding the path while making sure no one was left behind.
"Quick! Come on!"
One by one people got out. The crowd began to thin.
"Thank god... that's the last one," he muttered.
At least, that's what he thought.
"Help!!!"
A small child's voice broke through everything.
Minho turned. A child was trapped under a waiting chair that was about to collapse. His body was trembling.
"Damn," Minho hissed.
He ran. With what strength remained, he lifted the debris pressing on the table.
"Just a little more..."
Finally a narrow space opened. Enough for one small body.
Minho reached out to grab the child, then immediately hugged and carried him, face covered in dust and tears.
Crack.
The first crack appeared. Red light flared brighter. Minho quickened his pace toward the exit with the child.
"Don't... not again. Please..." he said while looking toward the gate.
Too late.
Something pushed out from inside the Gate. Jet black skin with two heads.
Twin Head Ogre.
Half its body had already passed through the portal.
Minho was already at the exit threshold. Just a few more steps. But still there wasn't enough time.
With his last bit of strength, he threw the child into the arms of a citizen standing at the front.
"Catch!"
The citizen managed to catch the small child.
At the same moment...
Step!
The Twin Head Ogre's left foot touched the station floor.
Whoooosh!
The monster shot forward. Two heads screaming in unison, targeting the crowd of humans at the exit.
Minho's body moved with survival reflexes forged over ten years in battles filled with uncertainty.
[Perfect Slash]
Clank!
He used his attack skill to slightly dampen the monster's strike.
Minho's body flew back, slamming into a concrete pillar. Until it cracked.
Minho staggered. The world felt tilted as he forced his body to rise. His breath burned. His ribs stabbed from within. But he still stood. His life might be worthless, but dying here would only make all his efforts from the beginning meaningless.
Now all the monster's rage was directed at him.
Those heavy steps drew closer.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Minho raised his sword, which was nearly slipping from his grip.
Whooosh!
In an instant, the ogre was in front of him. Two pairs of red eyes glowing...
A giant mace raised high...
The finishing blow...
Minho knew there was no room to dodge.
"Maybe I really am dying this time..."
The words came out faintly. From someone already at death's door.
But he still reflexively swung Perfect Slash. A final swing before everything went dark.
[Perfect Slash]
[Damage 0]