NOVEL NEXT 6. Awakened Inspection (2)
[So when are you going for the inspection? Today? Tomorrow?]
“Jaljal… let’s be quiet.”
[My name is not Jaljal, it’s Ahezar! Why do you keep calling me Jaljal!]
‘…Is there no mute function for this?’
Habin searched through the system window, but unfortunately, there was no function like ‘Block Constellation Notifications’.
Habin, who had been ignoring Ahezar’s nagging all day, propped her chin.
“Alright, Kim Jaljal. If you don’t like Jaljal, how about Jjaljjal?”
[…Just call me Jaljal.]
“Jaljal does sound better, right?”
[No! It doesn’t! How dare you change my elegant name like this!]
Leaving Ahezar whining again, Habin looked down at the official document once more.
Awakened Inspection Guide…
…Failure to comply may result in imprisonment for more than 3 years…
The so-called Awakened Safety Management Act.
It was something that didn’t make sense logically. If this was South Korea right after the Gate incident, they wouldn’t have dared to pass such a law.
The power wielded by Awakened far surpasses that of any nation. How could they possibly enforce it with mere laws?
She had heard that right after the Gate incident, there were many lawless Awakened who ran wild without regard for public authority.
Rather, nations were wary of the Awakened, legal systems were broken, and lawless Hunter factions ran rampant in the past.
But in an instant, a figure appeared who would overturn all of that.
It was the emergence of ‘Fides’, currently ranked 1st in the world.
A magician with truly overwhelming abilities. The suddenly appearing world’s strongest, ‘Fides’, went around purging awakened criminals and outlaws. He publicly supported the laws and social systems of democratic countries and protected the human rights of non-awakened individuals.
‘Even if the world has changed, the values that humanity should protect have not changed. This is the democratic result that numerous philosophers, sociologists, and activists have protected with their blood over a long time.’
‘If there are outlaws who try to overturn this history with the law of the jungle, I will not forgive them.’
Habin read that part on HunterWiki and rubbed her arms, feeling somewhat cringey.
“…Why does it suddenly feel so cheesy? If someone I knew said this, I’d probably be too creeped out to listen.”
This statement, known as ‘Fides’ December Speech’, was very famous.
After the December speech, ‘Fides’ came to be revered as a hero of all humanity.
He was also incredibly popular. HunterNet posts were often flooded with Fides content.
Title: Yo, I bet Fides is super handsome under that mask
└ His voice is handsome too
└ Isn’t the voice modulated?
└ His pronunciation is super high-class
└ He’s probably using a translation item.
└ Look at the jealousy in the comment aboveㅋㅋㅋㅋ Anyway, he’s super handsome. My friend saw Fides up close and said his aura and atmosphere were seriously superhuman level. Just straight-up handsome.
└ I’m so jealous that your friend saw Fides in person… Where did they see him? Can you see him if you become an SSS-rank ranker?ㅠ
└ Wow, I want to see him too! Where did they see him? Should I enter a dungeon on purpose?
└ The comment above is crazy; It’s because of people like you that other decent Hunters suffer
└ A righteous magician who deliberately acts as stateless and unaffiliated… There’s always talk about his face, but regardless of his looks, he’s just so coolㅠㅜㅠㅜㅜㅠ
└ ‘Even if the world has changed, humanity’s values have not changed.’ Phew…
└ The comment above got it wrong. How dare you not memorize Fides’ speech correctly. Go check it again.
Without him, Korea would have had a hard time regaining its form as a nation. The Hunter Association wouldn’t have been able to reorganize its rules so systematically and transparently either.
A once-in-a-lifetime hero of humanity.
“…But now he’s just my enemy!”
Habin shouted, glaring at the photo of Fides on the screen.
“It’s because of you that South Korea can make laws to freely imprison power-hiding crazies without being wary of Awakened! What about innocent power-hiding crazies like me! You should have been righteous in moderation, in moderation!”
Just enough to give a little breathing room, just enough freedom to hide one’s power. That would have been enough!
Ugh. Habin, fallen into despair, slumped over her desk.
“…Why on earth is this Fides guy taking it upon himself to be an apostle of justice and working so hard?”
Habin’s eyes narrowed.
“…Could he actually be the hidden villain? That’s how it usually is in novels. The cleanest one turns out to be corrupt in a twist. When you find out, he’s actually the final boss.”
[Oh, is that so?]
Ahezar chimed in, sounding interested. Habin nodded heavily.
“Yeah. It’s a common cliché… No matter how he acts, he can’t fool my eyes. There’s something trivial and familiar about him. He pretends to be an apostle of justice on the outside, but I bet at home he’s the type to steal his sibling’s pizza…”
A statement that would have caused Fides fans worldwide to rise up if they heard it. But Habin didn’t bat an eye.
“Hey, you. What’s your true identity?”
Habin poked at the masked photo of Fides with personal bias.
“Sigh…”
Of course, no matter what she did, this pathetic reality wouldn’t change. Habin calmly put her hand to her head. She needed to go back to the beginning and think. The fundamental problem.
“…Anyway, this means I can’t just hide at home anymore. I need to find a more perfect way to hide my power.”
Habin tapped on her phone. Now she really needed to hide her power in earnest. She needed a perfect ‘power-hiding method’ that could pass even the Awakened inspection.
Coincidentally, Hyun Siwoo, who had left the house a few days ago, had unusually sent her a KakaoTalk message with tips.
Hyun Siwoo New Number
Hey, these are tips that an acquaintance of mine who used to hide their power used. Take note.
First, decide what to do about your job title. Keep it private or find another way.
The better your control ability, the easier it is to hide power leakage…
The long message had quite detailed methods organized point by point. After reading it for a while, Habin suddenly raised her head.
“…He’s talking like it’s just an acquaintance. With this level of detail, he must be a power-hiding crazy himself. This is too specific. It’s not the work of someone who’s only done it once or twice.”
Habin frowned and tapped out a KakaoTalk message.
◆◇◆◇◆
“Ah, why does my ear keep itching? Is it otitis media?”
[Go wash yourself.]
“I wash every day, Neaiba.”
Instantly turning someone into an unwashed human.
Hyun Siwoo grumbled, sounding wronged.
“Could this be that? Airplane otitis media. It’s been a while since I took a plane… Teleportation is really better.”
Hmm. Hyun Siwoo swallowed a sigh at the inexplicable ear itching. Well, he’d probably forget about it soon enough once he got busy with work.
‘I wonder if Hyun Habin is having fun. It should be about time for things to start happening.’
◆◇◆◇◆
1. First, decide what to do about your job title. Keep it private or find another way.
Habin, reading the KakaoTalk message, checked her job.
[Status]
Job: Guardian of Deception.
Description: You, who deceive the entire system and walk a forbidden path, are the unparalleled hypocrite in this world.
[Related Unique Skills]
A technique to evade the system’s eyes. You can disguise your job title, skills, and appearance as desired. (Only usable within the scope of yourself and what belongs to you. No time limit.)
An act of deceiving the system’s judgment. Ignore one of the target’s stats of your choice. (Usable once per day)
‘There’s a skill that can disguise the job title?’
It was a skill that seemed perfectly tailored to her situation, as if predicting it.
‘I wonder if Hyun Siwoo knew about these skills when he told me. Nah, that can’t be.’
Habin first used the
‘A common job title is easiest for disguise.’
Although Warrior and Mage were more common jobs, Habin calculated that Magic Swordsman would be appropriate since she was carrying a sword as an item, and being a special job, she wouldn’t likely use only swordsmanship.
‘Next is…’
Habin read the description window once more.
Appearance change possible.
It can even be used within the scope of what belongs to you.
‘Then can I change the constellation too?’
Habin turned to look at Ahezar. Ahezar was too eye-catching.
A pristine white sword glowing blue. Although Habin had been calling it Jaljal and mistreating it, it was undeniably a beautiful and cool item to anyone who saw it.
“What appearance do you want to disguise as?”
[Me? You mean me?]
“A baseball bat? A hammer?”
[W-What on earth are you saying! Isn’t that too much!]
Ahezar cried out in shock.
[To begin with, a swordsman swinging around a hammer would be even stranger and scarier!]
Ahezar desperately argued. It was bad enough to lose his cool appearance, but to not even be a sword anymore…! It was truly horrifying just to imagine.
Seeing this reaction, Habin grinned as if she had been waiting for it.
“…That’s what you think, right? Then choose from these.”
Habin displayed some photos on the screen. They were quite ordinary-looking sword items. The kind many average swordsmen would choose.
Seeing this, Ahezar swallowed hard.
[…You were planning this from the start and deliberately teased me!]
“Our Jaljal seems to be getting smarter, I’m proud.”
[Ugh… I’ll go with the one on the far right.]
Swoosh. Ahezar changed into an ordinary-looking iron sword. A form that no one would think was a legendary or holy relic-grade item.
“And when we’re outside, you absolutely must not speak to other people. Can you make it so only I can hear you?”
[I-I can do that.]
“If you can’t, I’ll have to drop you into the Mariana Trench.”
[I can do it! …But where is this Mariana place?]
“The deepest part of the ocean on Earth.”
[D-Don’t worry! I’ll do well!]
Ahezar shouted with strong determination. Habin nodded with satisfaction. This should do for now.
Then what’s left is.
‘Stats.’
“What should I do about this…”
Habin finally sighed. This was the biggest problem. Even the ‘Deceiver’s Wish’ skill didn’t have an effect to disguise stats.
But the Awakened inspection would surely measure stats.
“It’s okay. Don’t give up. If you know your enemy and know yourself… you can surely win!”
Habin muttered solemnly. It was the spirit of a warrior heading towards their final battle.
[No, is this really something to be so solemn about?]
“Of course.”
[Just reveal your power!]
“Nope!”
Habin’s hands flew quickly over the keyboard.
To figure out the principles of the Awakened inspection.
Habin scoured through academic papers and patent office documents that very day. It was truly a passion filled with sincerity.
As a result, Habin was able to discover important information.
‘I see… The simple inspection devices in public institutions mainly use mana-sensitive stones.’
Mana-sensitive stones.
Basically, Awakened have more mana than ordinary people to use skills. No matter how much they try to hide it, the amount of mana flowing outside their body is different.
The simple measurement method is to measure the mana concentration flowing in a calm state without skills, potions, or buffs.
However, this method can underestimate Hunters specialized in physical techniques, so those who wish can request additional precise examinations.
‘Of course, I absolutely won’t do a precise examination! I must win at the simple inspection!’
Habin made a firm resolution and opened KakaoTalk. The second tip from Hyun Siwoo.
2. The better your control ability, the easier it is to hide power leakage, and by adjusting the aura you emit, you can control the pressure others feel from you.
Control ability?
Habin opened her stats window. Sure enough, there was a ‘Control’ among the stats.
“The value is 2,140? Shouldn’t I be good at controlling with this level?”
Since it’s the same level, it’s not enough to hide other stats.
It wasn’t easy to adjust one’s mana by mere intuition without skills.
Hiding one’s presence, blocking power from leaking out.
“Don’t you know anything about this?”
[Me? I, I… I don’t know!]
“You do know something. It’s obvious you do.”
[I-I don’t know!]
Habin smiled crookedly.
“Kim Jaljal, no matter how you act, I have something I’m counting on.”
Habin opened the status window again. She had definitely seen it on the first day, in the constellation information.
[Traits]
You can bring back all skills Ahezar possessed in the past.
“That’s what it says, right? Now, shall we view all the skills Jaljal had?”
[N-No! This is cheating!]
Swish swish swish-
An endless list of skills appearing. Among the dizzying list that would be tiring to check one by one, Habin finally found it.
A technique to hide one’s presence and aura, not revealing oneself. It is the most basic capability of a warrior.
“Wow, it was even a basic technique. You hid this from me?”
[……]
“I’m going to master this before the inspection! Look forward to it, Jaljal.”
[Ugh……]
Habin looked at the skill window with an excited expression.
Ahezar became as silent as a clam that had eaten honey. This contractor was, in many ways, out of the ordinary.
◆◇◆◇◆
Finally, the day of the inspection.
There were quite a few places where you could receive a simple inspection. Some neighborhood health centers even occasionally had measuring devices.
Habin deliberately sought out the most ordinary and quiet-looking nearby health center.
Mapo-gu Health Center, Seogang Branch.
Habin sighed as she stood in front of the simple inspection booth.
‘I’ve mastered the skill, but…’
Swoosh.
Following Habin’s touch, the faint mana swirling around her disappeared.
In fact, the ‘Hidden Tranquility Technique’ skill was an extremely advanced skill, contrary to its label as a ‘basic capability’. Very few Hunters in the world could properly hide their power. Related skills were quite rare to begin with.
This was something Habin had easily obtained thanks to scraping all of Ahezar’s skills.
But Habin, not knowing this, was actually worrying about a different problem.
‘…But how much should I hide here?’
That’s right.
Blindly erasing one’s presence is good, but if overdone, the machine might not recognize you as a person at all.
They say the hardest thing in the world is doing something ‘moderately’.
It would be equally troublesome if the machine judged her as an inanimate object because she hid her presence too much!
‘Sigh. It’s really hard to be an ordinary person.’
Habin sighed and placed her hand on the inspection booth. Just a little bit, really just a tiny bit should be fine to reveal, right? Would this look ordinary enough?
Whirr- It was the moment the inspection began. Habin let out just a tiny bit of power, ‘by her own standards’…
And at that very instant.
Bang!
…The mana-sensitive stone in the inspection booth exploded.
Crash. The mana-sensitive stone shattered into pieces.
‘Uh…?’
Habin stared blankly at the inspection booth, dumbfounded.
[Oh! What happened?]
Ahezar exclaimed cheerfully. Habin blurted out in confusion:
“W-What?”
‘…Why is this so weak?’
That’s right.
Even that small amount of power (at least by Habin’s standards) was too much for the tiny mana-sensitive stone in the neighborhood health center to handle. Habin had overestimated the inspection device.
“Huh? What was that sound? What happened?”
A public official came running, startled by the explosion. Habin froze on the spot.
‘D-Damn it!’
What should I do, what should I do? In that brief moment, she cursed internally and regretted. But nothing changed.
‘I-I have no choice.’
Habin made her final decision. She closed her eyes tightly, then opened them and turned her head stiffly.
“…This is defective.”
She pointed at the shattered mana-sensitive stone and smiled brightly. Despite her stiff movements, her tone was extremely brazen and assertive.
“It’s defective.”
“Pardon?”
“Defective.”
“P-Pardon?”
When in trouble, play dumb!
Hyun Siwoo and Hyun Habin’s solutions had quite similar aspects. Habin lowered her eyebrows pitifully and put on a regretful expression.
“D-Defective, you say?”
“…Yes. It seems to be defective… No, how could they use such a device bought with taxpayers’ money? My goodness, in this day and age, how could such a thing…”
“W-What?! That can’t be possible!”
“Should I report this to the public petition board…”
“W-Wait a moment!”
Hearing Habin’s muttering, the official panicked and hurriedly examined the device.
Eventually, the official’s face turned to shock.