Chapter 91
Chapter 91: Potential
Bzzzzzzzt—!
The surrounding environment distorted violently, and the beasts’ silhouettes twisted second by second, dissolving into nightmarish shapes.
Surrounded by pure pandemonium, Min-jun’s gaze wavered with rising alarm.
‘What could possibly be happening?’
Team Leader Jeong had repeatedly praised the setup for being exceptionally secure and reliable.
Because of that assurance, he could not fathom what was triggering such an abnormal malfunction.
‘Could this escalate into an actual disaster?’
A sudden chill of dread crept down Min-jun’s back.
Regardless of evaluating his limits, personal well-being had to come first.
Min-jun prepared to trigger the manual emergency shutdown, yet before his intent registered, an alert announced the termination of the simulation. At that exact second, the entrance hatch of the pod unlatched.
“Haaaah.”
The second the chamber opened, Min-jun exhaled an uneven breath and quickly assessed his surroundings.
Glancing downward, he noticed his clothes were completely drenched in perspiration.
Looking back up, he caught sight of a deeply unnerved Team Leader Jeong alongside intern Kim Mi-ru, who appeared far more than rattled—her face was entirely overtaken by sheer astonishment.
“Hunter, are you unhurt?”
Having dashed over the second the hatch swung outward, Team Leader Jeong inspected Min-jun’s state. Observing how thoroughly soaked the young man was, Mi-ru fetched a cloth and passed it to him.
“What went wrong in there?”
Dabbing away the icy beads of sweat with the cloth, Min-jun looked to Team Leader Jeong for answers.
“The core software… encountered a sudden, severe crash.”
Team Leader Jeong cast a pained glance at the screen flashing error warnings.
“A thorough investigation will have to be conducted afterwards, but judging by preliminary signs, the issue seems linked to that final technique you unleashed, Hunter.”
The exact moment Min-jun had tapped into Dragon Fear, a system notice flagged an unidentifiable energy signature.
Furthermore, once Min-jun gave voice to a Dragon Word, severe distortions had cascaded across the virtual realm.
All indicators pointed to the mysterious ability Min-jun had invoked as the root catalyst.
“I cannot say for certain what sort of power that was, but it appears to have thoroughly broken the engine’s processing capacity.”
“….”
Hearing Team Leader Jeong’s assessment, Min-jun felt an uncomfortable twinge of guilt.
The entire apparatus had essentially collapsed under the weight of his own power.
Simultaneously, a wave of hollow dissatisfaction washed over him.
He had entered this trial harboring hopes of uncovering a clearer grasp of his newly acquired capabilities, yearning to gauge his true tier of martial competence.
Instead, the entire effort had dissolved into nothing.
He nearly vented an exasperated breath, but upon noticing Team Leader Jeong’s bloodless complexion, Min-jun felt thoroughly apologetic despite himself.
Catching the regret on Min-jun’s countenance, Team Leader Jeong swiftly held up his hands to dispel the blame.
“None of this falls on your shoulders, Hunter. The fault lies entirely within our system’s technical shortfalls.”
Despite the supervisor’s attempts to comfort him, Min-jun’s somber expression barely shifted.
“Where does that leave us today?”
To that, Team Leader Jeong let his head sink, briefly pressing his palms over his tired eyes before replying.
“Conducting any further trials today seems out of the question. Aside from the hazards involved, we must identify the precise root of this systemic failure… We have no alternative.”
Given that this attempt had unveiled an unforeseen flaw, the development staff had no option other than aborting the session entirely.
“Understood.”
Min-jun gave a begrudging nod.
“I regret that things unfolded this way.”
“Please, don’t mention it.”
Though he bore no fault, a sense of culpability remained, leaving Min-jun’s features burdened with disappointment.
“We will still process your travel compensation and agreed fee without issue. In addition, though I doubt its usefulness… I will still supply a printout of the metrics gathered prior to the shutdown.”
“Yes, that would be appreciated.”
Since his core objective was observing how a dragon’s might functioned under genuine combat pressure, he doubted partial figures would offer any true insight.
Even so, walking away completely empty-handed felt unsatisfying, so Min-jun agreed to collect the assessment sheet Team Leader Jeong proposed.
He held a faint glimmer of hope that some useful takeaway might remain, but the outcome was painfully predictable.
Just as anticipated, because the test was cut short, there was virtually no substantive takeaway.
Synthesizing the gathered pages, the summary merely stated that he slightly eclipsed the benchmark of standard A-rank Hunters, appeared undervalued when contrasted with his base parameters, possessed notable deviations from average combatants, and would benefit from choosing a definitive combat discipline—merely restating baseline facts Min-jun had long known.
Having scanned through the report.
Min-jun made ready to depart, unable to mask his hollow mood.
“I shall be on my way now.”
“Of course. Though if I may, could I ask you something before you leave?”
Team Leader Jeong retrieved a compact notepad from his inner pocket and turned his eyes toward Min-jun.
“Regarding that last power you invoked. Could you explain… what kind of ability that was?”
Gaining clarity on the technique that had crippled the platform would vastly streamline troubleshooting the computational breakdown.
However, Min-jun was in no position to reveal the truth behind it.
Searching his mind for a plausible evasion, Min-jun opted for an evasive remark.
“…I cannot say with certainty myself. It wasn’t a designated skill of any kind; I simply acted on reflex as I usually do.”
Min-jun was well aware Team Leader Jeong would find the reply unconvincing, yet under the circumstances, it was the safest stance he could adopt.
True to expectation.
Team Leader Jeong clearly noted the discrepancy within Min-jun’s explanation, yet pressing the matter aggressively felt inappropriate.
Such inexplicable occurrences weren’t entirely unprecedented in their field, and badgering the man here wouldn’t necessarily coax a candid admission out of him anyway.
“…Very well. Nothing more can be said, then.”
If the hunter chose to shroud the power in secrecy rather than explain it openly, there had to be weighty reasons behind the silence.
Though both Min-jun and Team Leader Jeong remained surrounded by unanswered questions, both understood that parting ways was the most sensible course for the day.
“Travel safely on your way back.”
Min-jun stepping out the door and Team Leader Jeong lingering over corrupted diagnostics bid farewell with matching solemn expressions.
Yet among the room’s occupants, one individual differed.
Intern Kim Mi-ru, who had observed every beat of the confrontation without uttering a word, bore an expression markedly distinct from their weary disappointment.
Kim Mi-ru.
On the surface, she appeared to be nothing more than an average woman in her mid-twenties stepping into her first professional role—someone blending seamlessly into an ordinary crowd. In truth, she was a genuine dragon hailing from an alternate realm.
Fascinated by how humanity melded arcane arts with technological machinery, she had slipped effortlessly into mortal society, adopting the humble guise of a corporate newcomer.
While quietly passing her days in this harmless diversion.
Her duties as a junior trainee eventually brought her into contact with Min-jun.
‘So this is the mortal daring to bind himself in the Eternal Pact with a dragon.’
The instant Min-jun crossed the threshold into the evaluation bay, her senses identified him without delay.
Within draconic circles, after all, Min-jun’s reputation was widely known.
Once the virtual engagement commenced in full.
She perused the file detailing Min-jun’s personal history and performance metrics, tracking his every motion with heightened focus.
‘Quite commendable.’
Measured against her own draconic lineage, his power remained trivial, yet she could not deny that he ranked among the more formidable specimens humanity had to offer.
Even so, such standard prowess would never suffice to bridge the racial divide required to stand beside his beloved.
At an absolute baseline, achieving utter mastery over Dragon Words was a prerequisite before he could ever entertain transmuting his very essence.
Setting such harsh realities aside, however, she stood among the rare minority of dragons who favored Sia’s romantic endeavor.
To witness an affection rejected by its kin—one daring to defy mortal lifespans, dimensional barriers, and the limits of biology itself.
It was an endeavor both tragic and wondrously romantic.
Driven by her silent encouragement of Sia and Min-jun’s union, she had harbored a quiet hope that the man might display something transcending conventional expectations during this trial.
That subtle anticipation was promptly rewarded.
The alert warning of an unprecedented power signature had blared through the control console.
To the mundane engineers, such an anomaly came like a sudden thunderclap, but it held no mystery for her.
While artificial combat spaces hindered precise sensory evaluation, the surrounding evidence left no room for doubt.
The enigmatic force Min-jun had manifested was beyond question Dragon Fear.
‘A mere human, projecting Dragon Fear?’
The aura Min-jun produced might have fallen short of an infant hatchling fresh from its shell, yet the sheer fact of its manifestation carried monumental weight.
Across the historical tapestry of her native dimension, mortal men capable of channeling Dragon Fear could be tallied on one hand across centuries.
Furthermore.
Scarcely a moment after unleashing Dragon Fear, Min-jun had successfully articulated a Dragon Word, as though demonstrating his capacity directly to her.
Even if it arose solely after numerous aborted attempts, and even if it registered as an unrefined, primitive utterance to her discerning ears.
That accomplishment alone stood as definitive proof of the boundless potential slumbering within Min-jun.
Yet that was not the sole surprise.
‘There is something… subtly distinct about his technique compared to standard Dragon Words.’
Because the recording apparatus failed to capture the nature of Dragon Words, she lacked concrete records, yet her ancestral instincts immediately detected a slight dissonance.
The resonance Min-jun commanded diverged faintly from the cadence typical of her kind.
To be sure, pinpointing the precise nuance that set it apart from traditional Dragon Words eluded even her expertise for the time being.
Nevertheless, the primal intuition of a dragon was never an element to be brushed aside.
Min-jun had already occupied a prominent spot within draconic intrigue, but moving forward from this day, she resolved to observe his trajectory with far sharper curiosity.
Moreover.
‘His vow to ascend beyond mortality into dragonkind was hardly an empty boast after all.’
She had truly glimpsed his latent potential.
That evening, following the critical system crash within the evaluation chamber.
Inside an expansive boardroom situated in the Association’s headquarters, the principal minds behind the rank-assessment platform assembled.
Among the attendees sat Team Leader Jeong U-hyeon, having personally monitored Min-jun’s simulated trial from start to finish earlier that day.
“…To outline the main finding immediately, my recommendation is to pause the platform’s trial deployment and thoroughly analyze the source of this disruption.”
Holding the microphone, Team Leader Jeong U-hyeon relayed the day’s developments to the chief researchers arrayed around the expansive conference table.
The moment U-hyeon finished his account.
Weary exclamations and heavy sighs rippled throughout the hall.
“We foresaw occasional hiccups, but for a systemic failure of this scale to manifest….”
“We meticulously validated the database logic and script structures multiple times over.”
Foremost specialists across the globe had assembled to review the architecture with extreme scrutiny.
“That we did. We verified everything, and yet… unanticipated flaws are part of our trade. Perhaps we should consider it a stroke of fortune that this surfaced before our broad deployment.”
Though deeply regrettable, what was done could not be undone; lamenting it changed nothing.
Without delay, the committee shifted into technical debate aimed at resolving the platform’s failures.
As the discussion progressed deep into the night.
Following endless deliberation that left their minds visibly drained, one of the researchers diverted the subject to give the assembly a brief mental respite.
“Shifting topics slightly, was the combatant tied to this malfunction none other than Hunter Yun Min-jun?”
“Indeed. The very hunter known to everyone here.”
Min-jun’s renown extended far beyond the domestic borders of the peninsula.
International combatants and global administrative staff alike were well acquainted with his name.
“Word has it the recent occurrence on Jeju Island traces back to him as well, does it not? The encounter involving sentient dimensional beings rather than feral beasts.”
“Jake. Where did you obtain that detail? That matter remains under strict non-disclosure; not a single news outlet should have printed word of it.”
Hearing the Jeju Gate incident referenced so casually, Team Leader Jeong could not conceal his astonishment.
Aside from a privileged cadre within the domestic Association and the hunters directly present, the event should have remained entirely confidential.
In response, the researcher named Jake offered a faint grin.
“It reached my ears by pure coincidence. I have no desire to fuel public gossip, so you can set your mind at ease.”
“Speaking of which, there is another tale making the rounds recently.”
Cutting through their exchange, Vladimir, a specialist from Russia, interjected without warning.
Wondering what fresh controversy was about to emerge, U-hyeon’s focus narrowed with gravity.
“What sort of tale?”
“I have caught whisperings that American authorities are actively maneuvering to grant Hunter Yun naturalized citizenship.”
Wearing a thin smile, Vladimir shifted his attention toward Jake seated beside him, a sharp edge lingering behind his playful expression.
The recent defection of a Russian SS-rank Hunter to American borders had severely strained diplomatic ties between the two powers, which were already on fragile ground.
In an era where every elite operative directly swayed a nation’s military standing, the national allegiance of high-tier Hunters represented a flashpoint tracked with extreme tension worldwide.
To think he would casually broach such an explosive topic in this setting.
Far from losing his composure, Jake delivered a measured retort.
“I have caught no such rumors. If anything, the word on the street claims Russia has extended an offer that would grant citizenship not just to Hunter Yun, but to his partner as well.”
Jake spoke with deliberate volume and clarity, making certain the words carried directly toward Team Leader Jeong.
Unwilling to concede ground, Vladimir initiated an insidious counter.
“Was it not reported recently that America’s Aura Guild sought out Hunter Min-jun? Could that encounter not have served as preliminary maneuvering toward his eventual naturalization?”
“Kindly keep your wild assumptions to yourself, Vladimir. While I am aware the Aura Guild reached out, drawing such a conclusion is a baseless leap.”
Tense glares traded between the two men as latent hostility crackled in the air.
What had begun as a passing comment intended to ease mental fatigue had somehow transformed the gathering into a battlefield of cold rivalry.
Letting out a silent sigh, U-hyeon found himself caught in an idle daydream.
He could not help but wonder what expression Min-jun himself would wear if he were watching this spectacle unfold.
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