The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 140: Chapter 140: An E-Rank Awakener

"Thank you for healing me. I promise I’ll pay you back next time."

Ji-won looked at me with an embarrassed smile.

"There’s no need to go that far."

I glanced at the bandages that were now completely unnecessary.

"By the way, can you come with me to the Awakener Assessment Center?"

"Of course."

Ji-won answered almost immediately.

"Compared to what you just did for me, that’s hardly anything."

"Then it’s settled."

We returned to the main street and stopped beside the road.

A few minutes later, a taxi pulled over.

We got inside and gave the driver the address of the Awakener Assessment Center.

The ride didn’t take particularly long.

As we approached our destination, the buildings around us gradually became larger and more modern. The streets were also noticeably busier than the area we’d just left, with people moving between shops and offices while several large vehicles passed through the intersection.

Then the taxi turned onto a wide avenue.

I looked through the window.

A massive building stood at the end of the street.

It was far larger than I had expected.

The structure occupied an entire section of the avenue, with several tall floors extending upward and a broad entrance surrounded by enormous glass panels. The emblem of the Republic of Korea’s Awakener Association was displayed prominently above the main entrance, while large screens mounted along the exterior displayed information about active Gates, dungeon warnings, and recent monster incidents.

Several security checkpoints had been established around the entrance, and uniformed guards stood nearby.

People were constantly entering and leaving.

Some wore ordinary clothing.

Others were clearly Awakeners.

A few carried swords or bows, while others wore protective equipment that looked far more advanced than Ji-won’s worn leather armor.

There were also several people standing near the entrance wearing formal suits.

They weren’t employees of the assessment center.

At least, not all of them.

Some were representatives from the major guilds.

They watched the people coming and going, occasionally approaching newly awakened individuals who appeared to have received particularly high assessment results.

So this was the Awakener Assessment Center.

The one and only facility responsible for officially assessing Awakeners in the country.

I stared at the building for a moment.

I’ve never seen this place before.

It might have been constructed after the Gates appeared.

The taxi stopped.

Ji-won paid the driver before getting out.

"Come on, Tae-ho."

I followed him toward the entrance.

The moment we entered, I realized the interior was even larger than the outside looks.

The main hall resembled a combination of a government office, a hospital, and a massive public facility. Several information desks were positioned around the entrance, while large digital displays showed Gate locations, dungeon classifications, emergency notices, and assessment schedules.

Employees moved throughout the hall wearing formal black suits with identification badges attached to their chests.

Several security personnel stood near the entrances to restricted areas.

Further inside, there were separate counters for registration, assessment, dungeon permits, guild information, and Awakener-related administration.

The place was crowded.

Some people were clearly ordinary civilians who had come to inquire about awakening tests or Gate-related services, while others were young men and women who looked like they had only recently awakened and were waiting for their assessments.

Ji-won pointed toward one of the signs.

"The assessment section is over there."

We walked through the hall.

The closer we got, the more people I saw waiting.

There were several lines arranged outside the assessment rooms, with chairs placed along the walls for people who had been waiting for their turn.

Ji-won looked at the line.

"There seem to be quite a few people today."

He glanced at me.

"I’ll wait outside once you go in."

"Okay."

"I’ll be right here."

Ji-won pointed toward a row of seats near the wall.

"You shouldn’t have to wait too long. They’re pretty efficient."

I nodded and took a seat.

Ji-won walked over to another section of the waiting area.

I remained there quietly.

There were perhaps a dozen people waiting around me.

Most looked to be in their late twenties or thirties, and judging from their conversations, several had already awakened but had yet to receive their official classifications.

A man sitting a few seats away leaned toward another person.

"Have you decided what class you’re hoping for?"

The other man laughed.

"Anything but a support class."

"Why?"

"I want to become a Warrior. Something straightforward."

A woman sitting nearby joined the conversation.

"Everyone says that until they get a class."

The man looked at her.

"What about you?"

"I’m hoping for Ranger."

"Why Ranger?"

"I’ve always been good with a bow."

Another man crossed his arms.

"I heard the class depends on your ability anyway. You don’t really get to choose."

"That’s true."

The woman nodded.

"My brother awakened last year. He wanted to become a Warrior, but his assessment classified him as a Mage."

"Was his rank good?"

"B-rank."

The people around them immediately became interested.

"B-rank?"

"That’s pretty good."

"He joined a guild, didn’t he?"

"Yeah. The Horizon Guild"

The conversation gradually shifted toward guild recruitment.

Another man nearby spoke proudly.

"I’m aiming for at least C-rank. If I get that, I’ll probably have several guild representatives approaching me."

"Several?"

"Of course. The major guilds are always looking for promising newcomers."

Someone laughed.

"You’re getting ahead of yourself. What if you get E-rank?"

The man’s expression immediately became awkward.

"Don’t say something like that."

Everyone laughed.

I listened quietly.

So E-rank is the lowest.

And the guilds are already waiting here to recruit people with better results.

That explained why so many formally dressed people were standing around the assessment area.

They weren’t simply employees.

They were recruiters.

A woman eventually opened one of the assessment room doors.

"The next group, please."

Several people stood up.

Ji-won looked toward me.

"Looks like they’re starting."

I nodded.

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

He smiled before joining the line.

I remained seated.

One by one, the people entered the assessment rooms.

Several minutes passed.

Then the first group came out.

A young man looked at his card and smiled.

"Warrior."

His friend looked over his shoulder.

"What rank?"

"D-rank."

"Not bad."

Another person came out shortly afterward.

"Ranger."

Then another.

"Warrior."

And another.

"Warrior."

The conversations continued around the waiting area as people compared their results.

I watched them without saying anything.

Eventually, the line became shorter.

Then shorter again.

Finally, there were only a few people left.

I glanced at the clock.

Well, it’s better than doing nothing.

After this, I’ll clear a dungeon and sell the monster cores.

I need money, after all.

A woman opened the door to the assessment room.

She looked at the remaining people on the list.

Then her eyes stopped on me.

"Yoon Tae-ho?"

I stood.

"Yes."

"You’re next. Please come inside."

I walked toward the room.

Behind me, Ji-won gave me a small wave.

"Good luck, Tae-ho."

I nodded before entering.

The assessment room was separated from the waiting area by a thick door.

Once I stepped inside, it immediately became quieter.

The room was considerably larger than an ordinary office.

A large crystal sphere stood in the center of the room, mounted on a reinforced circular platform. The crystal was completely transparent, with faint lines of magical energy already flowing through its interior.

Several pieces of equipment surrounded it.

There was also a large monitor displaying the assessment system, along with another machine designed to measure physical enhancement.

The woman who had called me inside sat behind a desk.

"Please take a seat."

I sat across from her.

She opened a digital form.

"We’ll begin with some basic questions before conducting the actual assessment."

"Alright."

"What is your name?"

"Yoon Tae-ho."

She entered the information.

"Where do you currently live?"

I answered.

She continued with several more questions regarding my identity, residence, and previous registration history.

I answered everything calmly.

Eventually, she finished.

"That’s all for the preliminary information."

She stood and walked toward the crystal.

"Now we’ll begin the actual assessment."

I followed her.

She stopped beside the crystal sphere.

"This crystal will measure several aspects of your awakening. Your mana capacity, physical enhancement, and other characteristics will be analyzed simultaneously."

She pointed toward the crystal.

"Please place your hand against the surface and keep it there until the assessment is complete."

I nodded.

Then I placed my hand against the crystal.

It’s a good thing I can suppress my own power.

I allowed only a tiny fraction of my actual mana to remain detectable.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—

FWOOM.

A faint light appeared inside the crystal.

The woman looked toward the monitor.

The light gradually spread outward from beneath my palm.

Thin streams of energy traveled through the crystal, forming several patterns before changing color and intensity.

The monitor began displaying readings.

The crystal pulsed once.

Then twice.

The woman watched the results carefully.

Another pulse passed through the crystal.

The light stabilized.

Finally, the machine produced a clear confirmation tone.

The woman looked at the results.

Her expression changed slightly.

Then she picked up the newly printed identification card.

She looked at it once more before handing it to me.

"Your assessment is complete."

I took the card.

The information displayed on it was simple.

REPUBLIC OF KOREA — AWAKENER ASSOCIATION

Name: Yoon Tae-ho

Rank: E

Class: Healer

Ability: Healing Magic

Mana Capacity: D

Physical Enhancement: E

I looked at the card.

E-rank.

I smiled slightly.

The woman noticed my expression and gave me an apologetic look.

"Don’t be too discouraged. E-rank is the lowest recognized rank, so most major guilds generally don’t recruit Awakeners at this level."

She paused.

"I’m sorry even though your mana capacity is D-rank and your class is Healer, your overall assessment is still E-rank."

"I understand."

She seemed to be trying to soften the disappointment.

"If you continue training and your abilities improve, you may be able to request another assessment later. But for now, you probably shouldn’t expect any of the major guilds to approach you."

I nodded.

"That’s fine."

I looked down at the card once more.

"Thank you."

I took the card and stepped away from the assessment machine.

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