The all-knowing Player (Solo Leveling)

Encounters

The doors to the evaluation swing close with a light creaking as the Association's employee leads me back to the waiting room, regularly throwing cautious glances in my direction. The shock with which he discovered my mana count has dulled to incredulity, miles away from the contempt with which he first greeted Jin-Woo and me at the reception.

He kneads his hands upon facing me, fumbling over his words as he says, "Uh... Our detector is currently unable to measure Hunter Soo Hee-Jin's magic power. I need to get permission from the higher-ups to get a more precise detector. Could you visit us again in 3 days?"

All eyes instantly turn to us. Whispers ripple through the hall, laced with disbelief and greed. All guild employees here are familiar with the Association's ways. The evaluation process, the hunters passing through that door, and the treatment reserved for S-ranks—they know it very well. With just three sentences, the man standing in front of me casually threw the spotlight on my frame.

Such attention is something I never wished for. But, as I stare back at the guild employees weighting their chances to recruit me, I come to realize it was inevitable. Being an S-rank garners the curiosity of admirative as well as malicious people—and both are a hassle to deal with. So I put on my best scowl and make sure to glower at each headhunter before wordlessly returning to my seat.

Jin-Woo stands up, whispering, "I'll be right back," then disappears between the swing doors.

The recruiters don't budge. Their eyes remained strained on me, wondering if they should step up to introduce themselves and their guild. But the few who truly dare to stride forward stop right in their tracks as the doors to the building open, revealing an all-too familiar figure.

"Huh? Isn't that–" A man stammers, lifting his finger to point at the hunter.

Squared glasses, a charismatic smile, rings on all fingers, a cleanly cut pink suit with white stripes, and, above all, flaming red hair—there isn't a single person in this country who doesn't know this man. His mana waves curl around his body like flames, an unhidden proof of his power and a warning to any lower-ranked hunter who would be foolish enough to block his path as he strides forward.

"Oh, my God!" a voice calls out, soon followed by others.

"He's the master of South Korea's finest guild, the Hunters! It's... Choi Jong-In!"

"Why is the man called 'the ultimate soldier' here?"

A satisfied sparkle gleams in his eyes at the shouts, yet they don't leave my side to acknowledge the headhunters' presence. He crosses the hall with a hand loosely tucked in his pocket, followed by a much more discreet Woo Jin-Chul, and halts in front of me. I don't bother standing up to greet him. No need to pay such respects: a simple nod is enough.

This man doesn't know about it, but he is the reason Jin-Woo and I got our nickname of 'the world's weakest duo'. After all, if there's a strongest, there has to be a weakest, too. And that just happened to be the two of us. The hunters who regularly raided with one of us used to debate on whether the player or I would be the actual opposite of Choi Jong-In. But those titles have become meaningless—because the renowned hunter's dangerousness now amounts to that of a child holding a lighter to me.

"Is that woman set to join the Hunters Guild?" someone wonders, all hope to recruit me having vanished into thin air.

"Hunters already knew about her? I guess that's why they're the top guild in Korea," another voice adds, followed by other whispers.

"The guild master is here to personally meet her..."

Behind Choi Jong-In, Woo Jin-Chul sends me a bewildered stare. I offer him a sorry smile. I can already see the gears in his mind work to try to put all the pieces together.