Si-woo reviewed the information about his temporary partner, Saria, as memories from his time as a host surfaced.
“Well, there’s no need to overthink this.”
The primary clientele at the host bar—especially the VIP customers—were mostly Hunters or individuals deeply tied to the Hunter industry.
Only a select few among these VIPs specifically requested Si-woo.
These were high-ranking Hunters or senior executives from prestigious guilds, and they proved to be invaluable sources of information.
A little flattery went a long way, and they would readily share insider details about the Hunter world.
“And a lot of that info was about Saria.”
Saria belonged to the Arkineth Guild, one of Korea’s “Big Three” Hunter guilds.
Due to its focus on magic-users, the Arkineth Guild was so renowned that it was almost expected for any famous Korean magician Hunter to be part of it.
The stir came when the Guild Master’s daughter awakened an engraving—and not just any engraving, but an SS-rank engraving in the magic category!
The unprecedented event caused a nationwide sensation in Korea.
If it had ended there, Si-woo might have remembered Saria as just another lucky individual.
At the time of her awakening, Si-woo had just been scouted by Seo-ha at the HunterAssociation parking lot and was far too busy to even watch the news.
“Didn’t she participate in a D-rank gate raid within six months of awakening?”
But as Si-woo became more accustomed to life as a host, he frequently heard laments and praises from guild executives and top-ranking Hunters.
Through these conversations, Saria’s reputation kept evolving.
She didn’t merely participate in a D-rank gate raid as a porter; she defeated the boss monster.
She went on to solo clear E-rank gates, an almost unbelievable feat for someone who had just awakened a magic engraving.
Her accomplishments were extraordinary, surpassing all reasonable expectations.
“I thought it was all hype.”
In truth, it had been the opposite—she was underestimated.
Si-woo, sensitive to mana, could detect the pure and refined energy flowing through Saria.
Such refined mana wasn’t something one could achieve overnight.
Having experienced the harsh realities of mana refinement himself, Si-woo could now empathize with the VIP clients who had lamented Saria’s overwhelming talent.
Her ability to reach such heights in just a year was a stark reminder of life’s inherent unfairness.
“Shall we start with a brief introduction?”
Inside the tent provided by the Academy, Saria sat on a prepared chair, her curious eyes fixed on Si-woo as she awaited his self-introduction.
Although it felt like she was the one testing him, Si-woo didn’t mind and began his introduction.
“As you may already know, my name is Kang Si-woo. My specialty is close combat using a sword.”
It was such a plain and brief introduction that Saria momentarily blanked out, unsure if he was finished.
“…That’s it?”
“I’ve picked up a few miscellaneous skills here and there, but I doubt they’ll be useful for the entrance exam,” Si-woo replied casually.
“There’s something more important, isn’t there?” Saria pressed, clearly fishing for more details.
She was referring to his engraving.
In response, Si-woo waved his wrist lazily and smirked.
“Do you seriously think I can use this engraving in the entrance exam?”
“There are always ways to make it work. For instance, if the opponent is a female-type monster, you could easily charm it and turn the situation in your favor,” Saria suggested, her tone playful.
“Unless, of course, we’re dealing with golems that specialize in illusion magic as a base,” she added, a teasing lilt to her voice.
Si-woo chuckled lightly. He had expected this—she already knew the details of his engraving.
“She’s testing me.”
While he wasn’t surprised, being openly tested like this wasn’t exactly pleasant.
Even so, Si-woo kept his emotions in check and continued the exchange with her.
The interaction felt less like a conversation and more like an interrogation, but he played along.
Eventually, he managed to ask her a question.
“So, when do you plan to introduce yourself, Saria?”
“Hmm… I think this should suffice,” she replied casually.
With those words, Saria reached into the air and pulled out a massive staff from nowhere.
It was spatial magic, a highly advanced and intricate form of magic that only seasoned experts could wield with ease.
As Si-woo watched Saria effortlessly perform the spell, he quietly nodded in understanding.
“I see now…”
“She’s someone who has earned the right to evaluate others.”
Si-woo felt a hint of understanding toward her behavior.
With skills like hers, it made sense that she would be the one assessing others rather than being judged herself.
“My name is Saria. My specialties are healing magic, illusion magic, and curse magic. My mother also taught me spatial magic, but I mainly use subspace magic, so it’s a bit difficult to use it for offensive purposes,” she explained.
“You can use subspace magic?” Si-woo asked, surprised.
“I can use other spatial magic too, but if we’re talking pure efficiency, using magic from other elements is usually better. Besides, even if I inherited my talent, I didn’t inherit my mother’s engraving,” she added casually.
Her words seemed harmless, but the underlying message intrigued Si-woo.
Saria had just revealed that she could wield other elemental magic as well.
Si-woo immediately started running simulations in his mind.
“In that case, I’ll draw the monsters’ attention up front, and you can handle them with your attack magic—”
“No, there’s no need to bother with such a tedious method,” Saria interrupted confidently.
“…Excuse me?”
Does she already have a strategy in mind?
Considering Saria’s experience participating in actual dungeon raids, it wasn’t out of the question.
Si-woo, who had never had the opportunity to enter a proper gate due to an overprotective mentor, looked at her with hopeful anticipation.
But then…
“I’ll handle all the golems myself,” Saria declared nonchalantly.
The response was so unexpected that even Si-woo, who had honed his expression management skills as a host, nearly let his displeasure show.
“No way… she’s not serious, right?”
He tried to convince himself that she had simply skipped over an explanation for a perfectly sound strategy.
For a brief moment, Si-woo tried to convince himself that Saria had skipped over explaining a standard strategy.
Si-woo would take the vanguard, using his sword to buy time, while Saria prepared high-powered magic to take down the golems.
It was such a straightforward plan that perhaps she didn’t feel the need to elaborate.
But his hopeful assumptions were shattered when Saria added a comment she had seemingly forgotten.
“Just put on a good enough performance to fool the examiners, Si-woo.”
Damn it.
His optimism crumbled instantly.
“We don’t need a strategy. With my skills, passing the Academy entrance exam isn’t a problem. The only issue is having to cooperate with you,”
Saria continued, blatantly dismissing him as a hindrance.
Her words left no room for interpretation.
“I’ll carry us. All you need to do is wag your tail for the examiners.”
While it might have been a slight exaggeration, Si-woo knew she wasn’t entirely wrong.
He had encountered people like her many times before.
“Hunters drunk on their own power, overflowing with arrogance.”
But compared to the troublemakers he dealt with during his host days, Saria was relatively tolerable.
At least she wasn’t pretending to be something she wasn’t.
Her skill, as far as Si-woo could objectively assess, was outstanding.
Even without him, Saria would likely excel in the entrance exam.
That’s why Si-woo didn’t bother trying to argue with her.
Her declaration was built on an unshakable foundation of pride and self-confidence.
No matter how much he reasoned or cajoled, Saria wouldn’t back down.
Having mastered the art of dealing with difficult personalities as a host, Si-woo knew that arguing with someone like her would be a waste of time and energy.
Instead, he took a different approach.
“Then, Saria,” Si-woo said calmly, “could you avoid killing the monsters I target? As you said, I need time to show off my skills if I’m going to get into the Academy, too.”
Saria, seemingly satisfied with Si-woo’s response, smiled and nodded without hesitation.
“Of course. How about you handle the monsters while I prepare my incantation?”
“That works. But I can’t let the fight drag on too long. How about pretending to chant for just one or two minutes?”
“…One or two minutes?”
Her gaze questioned whether such a short time would be sufficient.
Without having seen Si-woo’s abilities, Saria assumed that he wouldn’t be able to take down even one monster in that timeframe.
Her underestimation of him was as blatant as it could be.
Matching her energy, Si-woo offered a smile just as wide, responding confidently:
“That’s all I’ll need.”
He wasn’t entirely sure himself.
As he’d mentioned before, his mentor during his host days had been extremely overprotective.
Unlike Saria, who had already participated in multiple gate raids, Si-woo had never set foot in one.
But even so, his body had been honed to that of a full-fledged Hunter.
“Hmm, not just appealing but solidly built,” Si-woo recalled his mentor commenting, though their words carried an air of amusement.
He believed in what his mentor had told him—that his skills could take down even an active Hunter in a single moment.
“Well then, shall we get started?”
It was time to prove himself.