Profiting from Skill Copying

Arriving on the first floor, Choi Junhyuk immediately headed to the Tanker Registration counter.

“I’ve completed my test. I was told to come here to receive my equipment.”

In response to Choi Junhyuk’s query, a staff member emerged from behind the desk and spoke.

“Ah, yes. Please follow me.”

A moment later, the female staff member and Choi Junhyuk arrived at the equipment storage located on the second floor of the Association.

Click!

As the female staff member opened the door and entered first, a middle-aged man, seemingly the person in charge, approached them with a smile.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Ms. Juhee, it’s been a while. Oh! I just received a call from Jihun, and this must be the one who awakened as a Tanker. Not only is it rare to see a Tanker Awakener these days, but you’re also a max-level Awakener, aren’t you?”

Less than ten minutes had passed since the test concluded, yet the news had already spread throughout the Association.

“Ah, yes. That’s how it turned out.”

“Haha, if it weren’t for the New Awakener Protection Act, various guilds would be coming with bundles of cash within a day or two. Hahaha.”

The New Awakener Protection Act.

This law was established to prevent newly awakened individuals, who were still unfamiliar with this world, from being exploited through unfair contracts.

Under this law, guilds were prohibited from taking any action to recruit a newly registered Awakener for a maximum of one month.

This was to allow new Awakeners sufficient time to gather essential information.

Meanwhile, the female staff member, addressed as Juhee, frowned at the middle-aged man’s words.

“Stop with the unnecessary chatter and just hand over the equipment.”

“Hmm? Hahaha. Alright, alright. My, you’re quite impatient. It’s all prepared already. Here, Choi Junhyuk. These are the pieces of equipment being provided to you. A full defensive suit made from the hide of a Grade F monster, Zerus, and a round shield crafted with bones from a Grade E monster, Kalven. Please check them.”

After inspecting the suit and shield, Choi Junhyuk nodded.

“They’re correct.”

“Lastly, what weapon do you prefer? Swords are generally the most favored weapon among Tankers, but occasionally, some prefer blunt weapons.”

“A sword would be good.”

Given that swords were the preferred choice for most Tankers, Choi Junhyuk naturally opted for one.

“Haha, a sword it is. Understood. I’ll prepare a longsword for you right away.”

With that, the middle-aged man went to the sword storage area and returned with a longsword.

“This sword, like the suit, is made from Zerus byproducts. While it’s basic equipment, you can’t expect high efficiency from it, but it should be serviceable for now.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

“The suit, shield, and sword. These are the basic items provided to newly awakened Tankers. Would you like to… try on the equipment? Many Hunters often go home wearing their newly issued gear.”

In a way, Awakeners in the current world could be considered a privileged class.

Perhaps for this reason, most newly awakened individuals often revealed their status as Awakeners, and wearing their newly issued equipment home was one common way to do so.

When asked if he wanted to try on the equipment, Choi Junhyuk nodded.

“Shall I, then?”

“The changing room is over there. You can change and come out.”

Choi Junhyuk took the given equipment and headed in the direction the middle-aged man indicated.

And a moment later.

Having donned all the equipment, he emerged once more.

Before his regression, when he was active as a villain, Choi Junhyuk had worn quite expensive gear, so he felt no particular thrill from wearing the basic equipment.

However, since it was his first time with Association-issued basic equipment, it felt somewhat novel.

‘Huh! To think the day would come when I’d receive basic Association equipment…’

Choi Junhyuk had begun his villainous activities immediately upon awakening.

Naturally, he had never been registered with the Association, so this situation of registering and receiving equipment felt quite new to him.

“It’s good. It fits snugly and isn’t uncomfortable at all.”

“Haha, of course. Even if it’s basic equipment, it comes with all essential functions, such as elasticity and temperature regulation. You can find detailed features in the manual.”

“Yes. Understood.”

After replying, Choi Junhyuk briefly observed his reflection in the mirror, then picked up the shield and slung it over his back, before drawing the sword and attaching it to his waist.

“Ah! By the way, since you’re a Tanker, Junhyuk, you’ll need to purchase and wear external armor later on. I also recommend replacing the suit with a superior one if possible. It’s simply a fact that basic equipment falls significantly short compared to expensive, high-quality gear.”

Basic equipment was, after all, just basic equipment.

To hunt more safely and to confront higher-grade monsters, it was crucial not only to enhance one’s own abilities but also to wear better equipment.

“I see. I’ll keep that in mind. By the way, is that all?”

“Yes. Just sign here and you can head home. This is a confirmation that you’ve received all the equipment.”

As the middle-aged man handed him the confirmation form and a pen, Choi Junhyuk promptly signed it and returned it to him.

****

Upon returning to the first floor, still wearing his equipment, Juhee had moved back to the desk and spoke to Choi Junhyuk.

“For now, everything is complete. The third-stage evaluation is scheduled for two days from now, so please visit us again then. The exact time will be sent via text message tomorrow, but it usually falls between 1 PM and 2 PM, so you can keep that in mind.”

“Ah! Is that so? Understood.”

“Yes, then we’ll see you in two days.”

“You too.”

After a brief farewell to the counter staff, Choi Junhyuk left the Association with a noticeably more relaxed expression.

****

Just as Choi Junhyuk exited the Association, he noticed four or five individuals, seemingly Awakeners, chatting amongst themselves.

‘Hmm? Aren’t those the people who were waiting to register as support-type Awakeners earlier… I wonder if there’s anyone with a useful ability?’

For Choi Junhyuk, a copy ability user, the more abilities he had, the better.

Thinking that there might be individuals possessing abilities he hadn’t yet copied, he approached them.

“Haha, hello. I apologize for the intrusion, but are you the ones who just registered as Awakeners?”

At Choi Junhyuk’s sudden appearance, the people who had been conversing looked at him with puzzled expressions.

“Pardon? Ah, yes. We are, but…”

“Ah! I just finished registering as an Awakener myself. It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Choi Junhyuk. I awakened as a Tanker.”

At Choi Junhyuk’s words about awakening as a Tanker, the eyes of the assembled individuals subtly changed.

“Ta-Tanker? Ah! Now that you mention it, someone came to register as a Tanker earlier—was that you, Junhyuk?”

“Haha, yes. And your name is…?”

“Ah! My apologies. Where are my manners? My name is Jisuhan, and I awakened with the Teleportation ability this time. Haha, a Tanker is practically nobility among Awakeners… I truly envy you.”

At the mention of the Teleportation ability, Choi Junhyuk’s eyes gleamed.

‘Oh, Teleportation? This was a good visit after all. A Teleportation ability would be convenient in many ways.’

Having finished his thought, Choi Junhyuk immediately put his plan into action.

“Nobility, indeed. From what I hear, the Teleportation ability is also highly sought after. By various guilds, companies, and even the government. Anyway, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Saying this, he naturally extended his hand for a handshake.

“Haha, yes.”

The situation was so natural that Jisuhan, without any suspicion, took Choi Junhyuk’s hand.

And at that very moment, Choi Junhyuk immediately activated his skill.

‘Copy!’

Having copied Jisuhan’s Teleportation skill, Choi Junhyuk released the handshake with a smiling face, as if nothing had happened.

As Choi Junhyuk exchanged handshakes with Jisuhan, displaying a friendly demeanor, the other Awakeners nearby also introduced themselves and greeted Choi Junhyuk.

“My name is Hwang Mansu, and I awakened with the Spatial Pocket ability.”

“I’m Kang Seongmin, I awakened as a Mapper this time. Since we’ve met, if you ever need a Mapper when forming a party… Hahaha.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Seunghui, and I awakened with the Invisibility ability.”

Choi Junhyuk smiled at them and extended his hand for a handshake.

“Ah, yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I’m Choi Junhyuk, a Tanker.”

‘Oh, Spatial Pocket, you say… That’s exactly the ability I needed, perfect. And I’ve already copied Mapping, but what’s Invisibility? Is it a skill that makes one invisible? I’ve never heard of that ability before… Well, I’ll know once I copy it.’

Thus, Choi Junhyuk shook hands with each person, copying all the skills except for Mapping.

‘Copy!’ ‘Copy!’

As he copied the Teleportation, Spatial Pocket, and Invisibility skills, Choi Junhyuk’s lips curled into a smile, having achieved his initial objective.

Finishing the copying, Choi Junhyuk asked with a bright smile.

“By the way, what were you all discussing so interestingly?”

In response to Choi Junhyuk’s question, Jisuhan, the Teleportation ability user he first greeted, replied with a casual expression.

“Nothing much, we were just discussing job-related matters. A kind of information exchange, you could say.”

“Information exchange?”

“Haha, as you know, most support Awakeners’ abilities are unsuitable for combat. My Teleportation ability, Mansu’s Spatial Pocket ability, and Seunghui’s Invisibility ability—none of them are particularly helpful in combat, are they? However, while unsuitable for combat, our abilities can still be very valuable depending on how they’re utilized.”

Choi Junhyuk nodded at Jisuhan’s words.

“That’s true.”

“But the problem is that as more people awaken as support ability users, it’s becoming harder to find jobs. And we can’t just blindly go anywhere. So, we were sharing the information we each researched before registering as Awakeners.”

Recently, with the increased drop rate of green Awakening Stones, which allow awakening into support-type classes, the number of people awakening as support types has surged.

Employment was already more challenging for support classes compared to combat classes, and with the growing number of competitors, the job market had become even more severe.

However, no matter how difficult it was to find a job, one couldn’t just haphazardly join any place.

Therefore, Awakeners in similar circumstances gathered to share their research and discuss their future plans.

“Ah, I see. You must have a lot to worry about.”

“Well, yes. By the way, we were just about to move to the cafe up ahead to continue our conversation. What about you, Junhyuk? Would you like to join us?”

When they mentioned they were about to head to the cafe, Choi Junhyuk, with a smile, politely declined.

“Haha. I’d love to, but my siblings are waiting for me at home. Well then, I hope you have a productive information exchange, and perhaps we’ll meet again if the opportunity arises.”

Since he had already copied everything he needed, there was no longer any reason to continue the unnecessary conversation with them.