An Ominous Premonition

Kim Gwanhyo’s personality was remarkably straightforward.

He was overflowing with self-love, utterly oblivious to the opinions of others, and possessed a terrifying obsession with his goals.

That was precisely why I had asked him so directly.

Given his disregard for others’ perceptions and his tendency to view me as nothing more than an afterthought beside Lee Heejin, I surmised he would simply accept a massage without much thought.

My prediction proved accurate.

“A massage? Yes, well. If you’re offering…”

Kim Gwanhyo merely uttered those words before abruptly turning his back to me again.

It was a clear dismissal, but for now, my feelings remained unbothered.

After all, he was offering his abilities for free; this minor slight was negligible.

“Anyway, Heejin, we have our final practical exam tomorrow, right? We’ll be assigned to the same group initially.”

“With you, Oppa? Why?”

Listening to Lee Heejin and Kim Gwanhyo’s conversation, I naturally began the massage.

‘Just let me touch it once!’ indicated a spot just above Kim Gwanhyo’s tailbone.

I couldn’t just reach for it directly, so I intended to start with a shoulder massage and gradually work my way down.

Accepting my massage as if it were his due, Kim Gwanhyo continued speaking.

“Because I put in a good word. As you know, I’m slated to join Cognac, so the final practical isn’t all that crucial for me. I’ll make sure you get a good push. What do you say?”

Today marked the end of a week of theoretical training.

All that remained was tomorrow’s final practical exam.

On this day, aspiring Awakeners would enter a dungeon in groups of three.

Starting from different entrances and concluding upon reaching the final boss room, the exam was designed to provide a preliminary experience with actual dungeons and monsters.

While the dungeon they would enter had already been cleared, the Association had arbitrarily released low-grade monsters and set up traps throughout.

Each group would be accompanied by an Awakened member of the Association, not only for safety but also for recording purposes.

Cameras would capture how the aspiring Awakeners in each group utilized their abilities, and how calmly and effectively they reacted.

These videos would then be uploaded to the Association’s website, allowing guilds to scout potential members by contacting them directly.

Of course, this method was typically employed by mid-tier guilds. Major guilds like Baekje and even larger ones would have already secured promising talents through prior groundwork.

Thus, it was exceedingly rare for someone to be scouted by a large guild immediately through this final practical, unless they displayed truly exceptional prowess.

Even so, it remained an incredibly important day, with most aspiring Awakeners striving to perform at their very best.

It was this spotlight that Kim Gwanhyo was offering to Lee Heejin.

“No.”

Lee Heejin rejected him outright.

“Huh?”

I felt Kim Gwanhyo’s shoulder stiffen perceptibly.

It seemed to be an utterly unexpected response.

“You might not fully grasp the importance of the final practical yet, but starting tomorrow, you’ll effectively be entering the real Awakened market. The more you distinguish yourself, the more people will talk about you, expanding the range of guilds you can join and increasing your worth.”

Indeed. Despite his insufferable personality, every word he spoke rang true.

It was the first step as an Awakened, a moment all guilds observed with keen interest.

It was an opportunity to showcase one’s abilities and demonstrate their value.

Missing this chance might doom one to drift between mediocre guilds and remain an unremarkable Awakened, whereas an outstanding performance could lead to a prestigious guild.

Despite the clear appeal of the offer for Lee Heejin, she refused without a moment’s hesitation.

Pretending to listen intently to their conversation, I subtly lowered my massaging hands.

‘I need to touch it quickly and then withdraw.’

“I’m not interested in that. I’m going with Minhyuk Oppa.”

“…With Minhyuk? …Why?”

“Hmm… just because?”

“Heejin, this isn’t something you decide so simply. If Minhyuk joins, we’ll have three direct combat types, which would be inefficient…”

As my hands crept towards his tailbone, I gave a small nod.

It was somewhat annoying to be included or excluded by someone who had joined late, but his words were realistically sound.

Kim Gwanhyo’s clear preference and desire to help lay with Lee Heejin, and the remaining slot was indeed best filled by someone with support or detection skills.

Of course, I had no intention of standing out during the final practical, so it truly didn’t matter who I teamed up with.

There was a time I thought that becoming famous and joining a large guild might help prepare for the impending hellish invasion, but I ultimately concluded that it was not the answer.

To wield any significant influence, I’d need to earn the guild leader’s trust and reach a position where I could speak with them privately. Not only did I not know how long that would take, but my embarrassing unique trait made becoming famous an utterly unwise choice.

“Oh, I don’t know. Anyway, that’s what I’m doing, so if you don’t like it, Oppa, you can go somewhere else.”

“But I’m the one who asked the supervisor…”

“I don’t know, I don’t know. Either that or I won’t do it.”

“Sigh…”

My concern wasn’t about who I’d be with for tomorrow’s practical.

It was solely focused on the shimmering handprint on Kim Gwanhyo’s lower back.

An urgent pressure to touch it quickly.

As their conversation suddenly threatened to shift attention to me, I swiftly placed my hand on Kim Gwanhyo’s back before the massage could be called off.

It felt a little unnatural, but I was massaging him, and five seconds, well, somehow it would work out.

“Alright. Anyway, since I’ll be there, honestly, this kind of dungeon won’t matter much.”

Just as I placed my hand, Kim Gwanhyo half-turned his head and spoke to me.

One second.

“Minhyuk, you’re quite lucky, aren’t you? Just by participating in the exam with me, the video’s views will jump several times over, and other guilds will take an interest.”

Two seconds, three seconds.

“Even so, you probably won’t get into a major guild like Cognac, but you’ll easily get into most small or mid-sized guilds. Simply for the reason that you were with me.”

And then five seconds passed, and for the first time, I successfully copied an ability from a being that wasn’t a Transcendent.

[Condition for Unique Trait ‘Stronger with Each Touch’ has been met.]

I was immediately engulfed by shock.

[Stat ‘Strength’ +2 acquired.]

[Stat ‘Stamina’ +3 acquired.]

‘…That’s it?’

No matter how long I waited, no new message appeared.

This really was the end.

“Minhyuk?”

I thought I heard something from in front of me, but I was so deeply disappointed that nothing registered.

Just the thought that I had wasted an entire week.

“What is this husk…?”

I ended up muttering those words.

****

“After tomorrow, you will officially become Awakened and engage in various activities. The weapons provided to you now are for use in tomorrow’s practical and must be returned…”

The instructor explained the dangers of the weapons once more as they distributed the pre-requested basic armaments.

Lee Heejin yawned languidly, fiddling with the gauntlet she had received.

Finally, the tiresome theoretical training concluded today.

She planned to just get through tomorrow’s practical or whatever it was and then return to the guild to sleep for a few days.

“Hmmph.”

Turning her head at the peculiar snorting sound, she saw Park Minhyuk examining an iron sword, a pleasant smile playing on his lips.

No matter how closely he examined it, it was just a basic iron sword, likely roughly made by an Awakened with a crafting skill.

‘But it’s strange, I tell you.’

She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something about this man was odd.

Just moments ago, for instance. Others might not have noticed, but Lee Heejin, who had been observing Park Minhyuk carefully, had seen it.

The moment Park Minhyuk picked up that seemingly unremarkable iron sword, it vibrated rapidly, humming faintly.

‘Did the Association give him a different weapon?’

It was fairly common for the Association to subtly grant benefits to Awakened who had pledged to join them after completing their training.

She wondered if this was a similar situation, but no matter how she looked, it didn’t seem to be the case.

There appeared to be no connection between Park Minhyuk and the Association, and by all appearances, it was indeed just a plain iron sword.

What felt even stranger was Park Minhyuk’s reaction when the sword vibrated.

He had slapped the side of the blade with his palm, as if he had expected it.

It was as if he was telling it to quiet down.

‘He really is a strange person.’

Come to think of it, he had been strange from their very first meeting.

He had reacted bizarrely upon seeing her phone, as if he had witnessed something he shouldn’t have.

He had declared he would diligently attend classes, only to be absent the very next day.

He had called Kim Gwanhyo, who was currently gaining considerable fame, ‘bulgogi’ at their first encounter, and just now, after abruptly offering a massage, he had suddenly called him a ‘husk,’ which had been utterly hilarious.

The comment had come at such an unexpected moment, and seeing the bewildered expressions of both Kim Gwanhyo and Park Minhyuk, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

He had tried to pretend he hadn’t been talking about Kim Gwanhyo, but she was convinced he absolutely had.

Initially, observing such antics, she had simply thought he was unique and amusing, someone who would make things less boring if they hung out. She hadn’t paid him this much attention.

It was a few days ago, after her skill accidentally activated, that she ‘sensed’ he was hiding something.

[Skill]

• Warrior’s Intuition – Lv3

Warrior’s Intuition had reached Level 3.

True to its name, ‘Intuition,’ the skill was remarkably versatile, yet equally unpredictable and difficult to master.

However, the problem was that for several days now, she had been plagued by an incredibly ominous premonition.

A sticky, persistent, unsettling sensation.

Even when the entire world was abuzz with messages of Transcendents descending, she hadn’t felt such an ominous dread.

Thus, she had warned her guild members to hide and be cautious, and knowing the effects of ‘Warrior’s Intuition’ better than anyone, her guild members had halted all outdoor activities, even abandoning a dungeon on the verge of being cleared.

This was also why Lee Heejin had planned to return to her guild immediately after completing her training.

Amidst this surge of ominous premonitions, her eyes had once met Park Minhyuk’s.

It was a truly accidental, fleeting glance, and she had quickly looked away.

‘…!’

And immediately, she realized something had changed.

The ominous premonition that had been subtly, unpleasantly clinging to her entire body had vanished as if washed away.

In that very moment, when her eyes met Park Minhyuk’s.

It was as if no such ill-fated events could occur as long as she was with this person.

‘What on earth was that?’

It was the same now.

Just having Park Minhyuk nearby made the ominous feeling dissipate.

‘If only my intuition’s proficiency were higher…’

‘Warrior’s Intuition’ sometimes revealed an opponent’s strength, but this time, she felt no such intuition.

As proficiency increased, intuition manifested more frequently and accurately, so with higher proficiency, she might have discerned something.

Level 3 proficiency was certainly high enough, but she couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret.

‘What is going to happen, and what is that man hiding?’

Park Minhyuk, examining the iron sword with a curious air, looked exactly like a novice Awakened.

Was that an act, or was it genuine?

She couldn’t even tell that anymore.

Amidst these thoughts, a voice reached her from her right side.

“What am I supposed to do with this trashy sword…?”

It was Kim Gwanhyo.