Hero Candidate.
They are selected based on their Gift.
While skills and techniques can be learned, Gifts cannot.
A Gift is purely granted by the heavens, a talent permitted only to those chosen by fate.
However, a Gift does not always align with a person’s nature.
It is granted according to one’s potential, but personality is a different matter.
In any case, to qualify as a Hero Candidate, one must possess at least two A-rank Gifts.
If one has an S-rank Gift, they are immediately eligible.
“For reference, someone with a single S-rank Gift is considered more valuable than someone with two A-rank Gifts.”
Erme dusted off the ground before laying down a small cloth.
Then, she sat gracefully with her knees folded neatly together.
“S-rank Gifts are usually the evolved forms of A-rank Gifts.”
“Can Gifts evolve too?”
“There are typically growth-type Gifts, but their value is considered lower than standard-ranked ones. Ah, but if they’re nurtured through experience, they can surpass most others. The rank gets a plus added to it.”
“I have a question.”
“Yes?”
“What does it mean when a Gift has a plus or minus next to its rank?”
“……”
Erme pondered for a moment before picking up a nearby wild berry and showing it to me.
“This is an ordinary wild berry. But since it’s newly ripened, it’s sour, astringent, and not very tasty. Something like this is usually considered a minus rank, but it’s still a wild berry, right?”
“That’s true.”
“But if the berry ripens properly, it becomes sweet and delicious. That’s what we usually call a plus rank.”
“So, a minus means there’s some kind of drawback compared to other Gifts of the same rank?”
“Exactly.”
But then, why was Whisper of the Wind ranked lower than the Blood-Soaked Dagger?
‘I was told it was good when I first got it.’
I didn’t understand.
On the other hand, Champion’s Sword had a clear reason for its minus rank—it drained mana at an absurd rate.
I leaned against a tree, lost in thought.
Right now, we were in the same clearing where I had previously practiced my swordsmanship.
The atmosphere here had become unsettling, and I had started sensing the presence of people who seemed to have noticed something unusual.
‘That’s why the topic of Rozanté, the Saint Candidate, came up.’
Along with her, Erme had also brought someone she was trying to rescue—a young Magic Hero Candidate named Celly.
However, perhaps because she was still just a child…
She was softly murmuring in her sleep beside me.
“Anyway, those who possess an S-rank Gift are closely watched by nations, empires, and even other races.”
“And those people are usually Hero Candidates?”
“A long time ago, they used to compete against each other, and in the end, four heroes would be chosen to defeat the Demon King. But times have changed, so now most of them are being nurtured instead.”
“If you qualify as a Hero Candidate, the level of support you receive is completely different. Even orphanages that produce Hero Candidates get massive funding.”
“But then why…?”
“My ability isn’t that great.”
“Huh?”
At Rozanté’s words, Erme responded with disbelief.
Could an S-rank or even an A-rank Gift really be considered bad?
“No matter what, that sounds strange. If you have at least two A-rank Gifts, you should be welcomed everywhere, no matter what kind they are.”
“That’s true… but my ability comes with a lot of issues.”
“What kind of issues?”
Erme still couldn’t understand.
“It’s not widely known, but healing magic used by priests comes with pain.”
“Right? That’s why most priests end up half-mad.”
“But that pain is different from what others experience. You remember what Glasses mentioned, right? That even a priest who doesn’t rely on drugs is considered valuable. That’s because the pain is so unbearable that most priests can’t even function without them.”
“That’s why if a priest has the Pain Negation Gift, it’s like hitting the jackpot.”
“Even that has its downsides if you really think about it… Anyway, my Gift is related to that.”
“If it’s related to Pain Negation, then why—?”
“…It’s called Ecstasy of Pain…”
“…Ah… Ahhh…”
Rozanté trailed off in embarrassment, and Erme’s eyes widened as if she suddenly understood.
Ecstasy of Pain?
I could more or less guess the implications just from the way it sounded.
There’s no way it actually means she feels pleasure whenever she experiences pain… right?
As I glanced at Rozanté with that thought in mind, she lowered her head, looking embarrassed.
“Y-Yes… Unlike other priests, I don’t feel pain. Instead, I feel… pleasure.
And not only that, but my Gifts are also related to that…”
“…What kind of Gifts are we talking about?”
Rozanté let out a deep sigh before answering.
“W-Well, normally, I wouldn’t tell anyone this, but since you saved Celly, I’ll share it with you. My Gifts are Dancer and Combat Genius… and I also have a skill called Holy Water Creation.”
“Dancer and Combat Genius… those are related to close combat. But Holy Water Creation? That sounds pretty useful just from the name.”
“…Uh, well… my saliva turns into holy water.”
Erme’s pupils trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
Then, a moment later, she smiled.
“…T-That’s… kind of strange, huh?”
“I-It is a bit unusual, but isn’t it still a good ability?”
“I think it’s great.”
“…Huh?”
Erme said something absurd.
“I mean, at the very least, you’ve completely bypassed the biggest issue for priests, which is dealing with pain.”
“Uh? Y-Yes… I suppose so.”
“And despite not using drugs, you can produce holy water—sure, it’s saliva, but that’s still incredibly valuable. Honestly, I’d say you did well to keep it hidden.”
“That’s true.”
“If you focus purely on its usefulness, it’s actually a huge advantage. You’ve got the abilities of a priest, plus you’re essentially a frontline fighter.”
“Now that I think about it, we can both function as vanguards or rear guards depending on the situation. That kind of flexibility is valuable.”
“If anything, that makes you even more capable. A priest who can also defend themselves—what’s not to like?”
“Uh, huh?”
Rozanté seemed to be seriously considering my words, as if she had been convinced.
Now that I think about it, it’s really obvious.
Maybe she never realized it herself because of the stigma surrounding priests and the fact that her Gift turned pain into pleasure.
But there was still something suspicious.
Regardless of anything else, she’s a Saint Candidate.
Would someone like that really be able to stay this hidden?
No matter how I looked at it, something felt off.
There was definitely something strange about this.
“Well then…”
“…Would you like to join our party?”
“That’s right! Our party is pretty open, you know? We have a blunt Berserker, a talented mage with glasses, plus Yuseong and me.”
“T-Then… please take care of me…”
Rozanté responded shyly, clearly a bit embarrassed.
“Khh…”
“…Hic.”
“So, from now on, let’s work well together.”
“…I suppose the inevitable has happened.”
Marcel adjusted his glasses and let out a quiet sigh.
“Well, since she’s already in the party, there’s no changing that now. Looking forward to working with you.”
“Yeah, Glasses.”
Hic.
Rozanté, who had been all shy and reserved last night, was now downing drinks like a seasoned drinker.
Right now, we were at the Adventurer’s Guild.
For a simple reason.
We had accumulated a lot of loot, and sorting it all out had taken longer than expected.
From the very first day… I had a good feeling about this.
I knew I couldn’t expect things to stay like this forever.
So, for now, I decided to enjoy this happiness.
‘I should be getting quite a lot this time.’
No matter how I looked at it, I was the biggest winner in this labyrinth run.
Not only did I take the largest share of gold thanks to the loot distribution, but I also gained a Gift and skills related to archery.
And the favor of a priest, too.
I gazed at the floating window before me.
[You have completed a Sub Quest.]
It was the sub-quest I had received yesterday.
[You have completed an Encounter Quest.]
There was also the encounter quest I had triggered by meeting Rozanté, still lingering in my quest log.
It was an overwhelming bounty.
My current status window looked like this:
Name: Han Yuseong (Lv.1)
Strength: 8
Agility: 13 (10+3)
Stamina: 8
Magic Power: 8
Mental Power: 8
Perception: 8
Gifts
[Thief’s Pinnacle (S)]
[Absolute Theft (S)]
[Master of the Sword (A+)]
[Fatal Allure (A)]
[Sharpshooter (B)]
Skills
[Hidden Space (B)]
[Charging Shot (B)]
Techniques
[Swordsmanship (Lv. 15, 10+5)]
[Archery (Lv. 6, 3+3)]
[Martial Arts (Lv. 2)]
Compared to when I first arrived, my stats had increased dramatically.
The difference was like night and day—an overwhelming transformation.
Feeling satisfied as I looked at my status window, my gaze shifted to the Gift card.
A blank, white piece of paper.
‘I just have to use this to identify the Gifts I possess, right?’
Others in this world used these cards to “evaluate” their Gifts.
But I had never gone through that process.
After all, I had been thrown into this world out of nowhere.
In this world, everyone was forced to have their Gifts assessed upon turning twelve.
Refusing the evaluation led to immediate punishment.
I narrowed my eyes as I stared at the Gift card.
‘I should try it at least once.’
But even I could tell that my Gifts weren’t exactly normal.
Rozanté had only three Gifts, yet Erme had made such a huge fuss over it.
Well, to be fair, Erme seems even more extraordinary than that.
Still, before anything else, I needed to check my rewards.
I glanced toward the guild’s reception desk.
The line Erme was waiting in was pretty long, so it would take a while.
Quest complete.
[You have completed the Sub Quest: Chapter 2!]
[You have completed the Encounter Quest: Rozanté.]
[As a reward, you have acquired the Gifts Aura Control (B) and Mana Control (B)!]
I stared blankly at the glowing blue window.
Two quests completed… and all I got were two B-rank Gifts?
A sense of disappointment washed over me.
Did I go through all that just for this?
But then.
A surge of knowledge rushed through my mind, and at the same time, I understood why I had only received two.
This…
It felt like something inside me was completely full.
As if I had a container, and that container was already filled to the brim.
That’s not good.
I had the distinct feeling that if anything else was added, it would overflow.
The thought that it might be dangerous to take on anything more came to me instinctively.
In fact, I started feeling relieved that I had only received two new Gifts.
What do I do about this?
A single thought surfaced in my mind.
More like a primal instinct.
Level up.
I felt certain that leveling up would solve this problem.
But that probably won’t happen today.
Theresa looked dazed, and Glasses had an exhausted expression.
After observing Theresa a few times, I could tell she was just as worn out.
Considering how much we had been pushing ourselves, it was only natural.
I should check my new abilities first.
The first thing I examined was Aura Control (B).
I recalled what Rishiel had explained about it.
Aura.
It was a force that exerted pressure on opponents.
Apparently, weaker enemies would instinctively tremble in fear when faced with someone who possessed it.
When we fought the Hobgoblin Champion, Glasses had been completely paralyzed, unable to move properly.
This would be useful against mages.
That was my immediate thought when I saw what happened.
As long as I remained in this labyrinth, I would eventually have to fight archers and spellcasters.
If I had to confront them head-on, Aura Control would definitely be an advantage.
Next was Mana Control.
…I don’t really get this one yet.
I closed my eyes.
I could sense the mana inside me, but I had never been able to use it properly.
I’ve been treating it like a game mechanic.
Like how using a skill would simply consume mana.
But now, things felt different.
I could tell that mana wasn’t just for casting spells—it could be used to strengthen my body, and I could move it freely inside me, just by my will.
What?
What is it?
Your mana control… it’s changed.
The reaction came instantly.
Rishiel was staring at me, as if she had noticed something different.
How exactly has it changed?
If before, you were like a monkey that couldn’t use tools, now at least you resemble a person using them properly.
A monkey?
I felt a sudden surge of irritation.
Without thinking, I reached into Hidden Space and pulled out Rishiel’s Soulstone, gripping it tightly.
I had intended to use it as a threat.
H-Heeeek…!
But Rishiel’s reaction was strange.
Her face flushed red in a way that made me uncomfortable, so I quickly put the Soulstone away.
W-What was that just now…?
W-What did you just do to me?!
I didn’t do anything.
What a damn perverted elf.
I stared at Rishiel coldly and started considering my options.
All of my party members were exhausted.
That meant…
I either need to find a new party or go solo.
That could be fun too.