7

Chapter 7: The Awakener Association

The morning after clearing Goblin’s Hollow, Subin woke earlier than usual. For a few seconds, he simply stared at the ceiling, listening to the unfamiliar silence outside his room. Before the invasion, mornings had been predictable. Wake up, check his phone, look through job applications, eat breakfast, and spend the rest of the day wondering what he was supposed to do with his life. Now, even a quiet morning felt different. The world outside had changed, and so had he.

Subin sat up and immediately opened his status window.

[Name: Subin Vans]

[Level: 5]

[Class: Sword God]

[Strength: 18]

[Agility: 17]

[Vitality: 15]

[Intelligence: 14]

[Mana: 15]

[Unassigned Attribute Points: 5]

[Skills]

Sword Comprehension — Passive

Swordsmanship Growth — Passive

Sword Intent — Locked

Basic Sword Flow — Active Technique

Subin stared at the last skill for several seconds.

Basic Sword Flow.

He had only acquired it because his Sword Comprehension had analyzed the Goblin Captain's swordsmanship and automatically optimized it. What interested him wasn't the skill itself but the principle behind it.

The Goblin Captain had possessed a crude but practical sword style. Subin had watched it, understood its movements, identified its weaknesses, and then unconsciously reorganized the technique into something more efficient.

That was the terrifying part.

He wasn't simply learning techniques.

He was improving them.

Subin stood beside his bed and grabbed the Goblin Captain's Sword from where he had placed it the previous night.

The sword was nothing impressive by normal standards. Its blade had several scratches, the handle was rough, and its balance wasn't perfect. Yet when Subin held it, his mind naturally began examining it.

Weight distribution.

Balance point.

Blade thickness.

Grip.

Reach.

The information came naturally.

He moved toward the empty space beside his desk and performed a slow horizontal slash.

The movement felt smoother than yesterday.

He performed another.

Then another.

Each movement became more natural.

His feet shifted slightly.

His shoulders relaxed.

His wrist rotated at precisely the right moment.

Subin stopped.

He hadn't consciously decided to change his stance.

His body had simply adjusted.

"Interesting."

He performed Basic Sword Flow again.

The technique wasn't flashy. There was no enormous burst of energy or supernatural sword wave. It was simply an efficient method of connecting movements together without unnecessary motion.

One attack could naturally become another.

A defensive movement could become an offensive one.

A step could become a strike.

The more he practiced, the more he understood.

After nearly an hour, Subin lowered his sword.

He was sweating, but he didn't feel tired.

His eyes moved toward the system.

[Basic Sword Flow proficiency has increased.]

[12% → 19%]

Subin smiled faintly.

"So it really works."

His phone suddenly vibrated.

He glanced at the screen.

There were dozens of notifications.

Most were messages from his friends and relatives checking whether he was safe. Others were government announcements.

One particular message caught his attention.

[National Emergency Management Authority]

All awakened individuals are requested to report to their nearest designated Awakener Registration Center.

Below that was a second message.

The government has officially begun establishing the Awakener Association.

Subin read the announcement carefully.

The first few days after the invasion had been chaotic. Governments had been focused on keeping cities from collapsing completely. But now things were beginning to stabilize.

Temporary shelters had been established.

Military units were securing major roads.

Hospitals had begun treating injured Awakeners.

Researchers were studying mana stones and monster materials.

And most importantly, the government had realized something.

The old world wasn't coming back.

Humanity needed a new system.

Subin changed clothes and went downstairs.

His mother was already preparing breakfast.

"You woke up early."

"I had something to do."

She glanced toward the sword hanging from his waist.

Her expression immediately changed.

"You're going outside again?"

Subin nodded. "I'm going to register with the Awakener Association."

His father, sitting at the table with his phone in hand, looked up.

"That's probably necessary. The government announcement said registered Awakeners will receive identification and access to dungeon information."

"That's what I heard."

His father studied him for a moment.

"Are you planning to enter another dungeon?"

"Eventually."

His mother immediately frowned.

"Eventually?"

Subin smiled.

"I'm not going today."

She relaxed slightly.

His father nodded.

"Good. You should understand what is happening before rushing into another dungeon."

Subin didn't argue.

He knew his father was right about one thing.

The first dungeon had taught him how dangerous the new world could be.

It had also taught him how quickly he could grow.

He needed information.

More importantly, he needed access.

The Awakener Association was probably the best place to start.

---

The registration center had been established inside a large government building near the city center.

When Subin arrived, he immediately realized how quickly things were changing.

The street outside was filled with people.

Some carried swords.

Others wore armor.

One man had a large metal shield strapped to his back.

A young woman walked past while holding a staff.

Another person was surrounded by faint flames.

A few days ago, such people would have looked like characters from a fantasy movie.

Now nobody paid much attention.

The world was adapting.

Subin entered the building.

The lobby was packed.

Hundreds of people were waiting.

Some looked nervous.

Some looked excited.

Others were already behaving as though they had become celebrities.

Subin noticed several large screens mounted along the walls.

They displayed information about the new ranking system.

Awakener Ranks

F Rank

Newly awakened individuals.

E Rank

Individuals capable of reliably defeating low-level monsters.

D Rank

Experienced combat-capable Awakeners.

C Rank

High-level Awakeners capable of handling dangerous dungeon environments.

B Rank

Elite Awakeners.

A Rank

National-level combat assets.

Subin noticed something immediately.

There was no S rank.

Apparently, humanity hadn't encountered anyone strong enough to establish such a category yet.

He continued reading.

Monster Classification

F → E → D → C → B → A

The same basic structure was being used.

Subin wondered how long it would take before those categories became outdated.

A voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Next!"

Subin walked toward the registration counter.

A woman behind the desk looked up.

"Name?"

"Subin Vans."

"Age?"

"Twenty-two."

"Awakened?"

"Yes."

"Class?"

Subin paused briefly.

There was no reason to hide it.

"Sword God."

The woman's fingers stopped moving.

She looked at him.

"What?"

"Sword God."

She slowly looked back at her screen.

Then at him again.

"I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?"

"Sword God."

The woman stared at him for another moment before typing.

"Is that the exact name shown on your awakening interface?"

"Yes."

Her expression became slightly awkward.

"I've never seen that class before."

"Neither have I."

She entered the information.

"Please place your hand on the mana measurement crystal."

Subin placed his palm against the crystal.

The device lit up.

Numbers appeared.

The woman frowned.

"Level five?"

"Yes."

"Have you already entered a dungeon?"

"One."

"Which one?"

"Goblin's Hollow."

The woman's fingers stopped again.

"Goblin's Hollow?"

"Yes."

"You cleared it?"

Subin nodded.

The woman looked at him differently.

She pressed something beneath the desk.

A man in a dark uniform approached from behind the registration area.

He looked to be in his early thirties.

"What's the problem?"

The woman pointed toward Subin's information.

"He claims to have cleared Goblin's Hollow alone."

The man looked at Subin.

"Alone?"

Subin shook his head.

"There were other people."

The man's expression relaxed slightly.

"How many?"

"Six."

"What was your contribution?"

"I killed the dungeon guardian."

Silence.

The man stared at him.

"You're saying you killed the Goblin Captain?"

"Yes."

The man looked at the woman.

She gave him a small nod.

He turned back toward Subin.

"Can you come with me for a moment?"

Subin followed him.

They entered a small examination room.

The man introduced himself.

"I'm Kang Min-jae. Temporary field assessment officer."

He placed a tablet on the table.

"We're still developing the official evaluation process. Level isn't the only factor we consider. Equipment, combat ability, class, experience, and dungeon records all matter."

Subin nodded.

"Understood."

Min-jae looked at the sword on Subin's waist.

"Can you demonstrate your combat ability?"

"Here?"

"We have a training room."

Subin considered it.

"Sure."

---

The training room was larger than he expected.

Several other newly awakened people were already there.

When Subin entered, some looked toward him.

Most ignored him.

One man, however, immediately noticed the sword.

"You're a swordsman?"

Subin nodded.

"What rank?"

"I haven't been ranked yet."

The man smiled.

"I'm E rank."

He pointed toward himself.

"My class is Warrior."

Subin didn't say anything.

The man seemed interested in showing off.

"I'm Park Joon-ho."

"Subin."

"Want to spar?"

Subin looked at Min-jae.

The officer didn't interfere.

"If both parties agree, that's fine. Use training weapons."

Subin picked up a wooden sword.

Joon-ho grabbed a wooden greatsword.

Several people gathered around.

"He's using a greatsword."

"That guy is an E-rank Warrior."

"Who is the other guy?"

"No idea."

Joon-ho smiled.

"Don't worry. I'll keep it light."

Subin simply nodded.

They took their positions.

The moment the signal was given, Joon-ho charged.

His greatsword came down with considerable force.

Subin stepped sideways.

The blade struck the floor.

Before Joon-ho could recover, Subin tapped his shoulder with the wooden sword.

The room became silent.

Joon-ho stared at him.

"What?"

"You left your right side open."

Joon-ho's expression hardened.

He attacked again.

A horizontal swing.

Subin ducked.

A thrust.

Subin stepped back.

Another overhead strike.

Subin shifted forward instead of backward and struck Joon-ho's wrist.

The greatsword dropped.

Subin's wooden blade stopped against his opponent's throat.

The entire exchange had lasted less than ten seconds.

Joon-ho stared at the wooden sword.

Min-jae stared at Subin.

Subin lowered his weapon.

"Sorry."

Joon-ho looked embarrassed.

"No. It's fine."

He picked up his weapon.

"You've trained before?"

"Not seriously."

"Then how did you..."

Subin didn't know how to answer.

He simply said, "I understand swords quickly."

Joon-ho laughed awkwardly.

"That's an understatement."

Min-jae stepped forward.

"That's enough."

He looked at the tablet.

"Subin Vans."

"Yes?"

"I've seen dozens of Awakeners over the past few days. Warriors, swordsmen, martial artists, assassins. Your movements are different."

Subin waited.

"You don't move like someone with more strength than your opponent."

Min-jae's eyes narrowed.

"You move like someone who already knows where the attack is going."

Subin said nothing.

That was exactly what Sword Comprehension had been doing.

Min-jae continued.

"I'll recommend you for D rank."

The people around them immediately reacted.

"D rank?"

"Already?"

"He's only level five!"

"How can a level-five Awakener be D rank?"

Min-jae turned toward them.

"Rank isn't determined by level alone."

Then he looked back at Subin.

"Your class is also unusual. We don't have enough data to classify it properly yet."

Subin nodded.

"Can I get dungeon information after registration?"

"Yes."

"Equipment trading?"

"Yes."

"Can registered Awakeners sell monster materials?"

"Of course."

Subin's eyes brightened slightly.

That was exactly what he wanted.

Information.

Access.

And a way to earn money.

Min-jae noticed his expression.

"You're thinking about making money."

Subin didn't deny it.

"I need to."

Min-jae laughed.

"At least you're honest."

---

By the time Subin left the building, he had an Awakener identification card.

Name: Subin Vans

Awakener Rank: D

Class: Sword God

Level: 5

He stared at the card.

A week ago, he had been unemployed.

Now he was officially classified as a D-rank Awakener.

But the title itself didn't interest him much.

Subin looked toward the city.

More monsters were appearing.

More dungeons would form.

More powerful Awakeners would emerge.

The ranking system would change.

Humanity would change.

And eventually, someone stronger than him would appear.

That thought didn't frighten him.

It excited him.

Subin's grip tightened around the sword at his waist.

"I wonder how far this sword can go."

For the first time since graduating college, he had something he genuinely wanted to pursue.

Not a job.

Not money.

Not status.

A path.

The path of the sword.

And he intended to walk it as far as possible.