###
The Rumored S-Rank Word Mage.
The protagonist of Perfect Clear.
Kang Hyun spoke.
“Student, bring me some water.”
“Yes, Master!”
Water appeared before his eyes.
A display of over-eager enthusiasm.
He sipped humbly.
“Student, the water is too cold.”
“Yes, Master!”
The cup in his hand vanished, replaced by another.
“Student, this is much better.”
“Thank you, Master!”
Water that’s too hot or cold can shock a precious throat.
Lukewarm water is the best for vocal health.
He sipped again.
“Remember this temperature from now on.”
“Yes, Master!”
Sip.
Having a student isn’t bad.
He had trained students in his previous life, and they’d turned out well.
‘One of them stuttered at first, and who would’ve thought that choice would lead to greatness.’
Kyle’s student.
She had many titles.
One of the Seven Heroes.
The Disciple of the Great Hero.
The Great Mage.
And the Creator of Magic.
The Architect of the System.
‘If that brat hadn’t invented magic and the system, where would we be?’
A well-trained student systemized their master’s teachings.
She even created a simplified version of Words of Power for the less talented—magic.
‘Though it wiped out Words of Power because magic was so much easier.’
Words of Power were complex, while magic was overwhelmingly accessible.
Its potential wasn’t as high, but in the end, her vision was correct.
Would Earth and Thea have survived a hundred years without Kyle if not for magic?
‘Thanks to that, I benefit from the system, too.’
Besides, traveling alone gets boring.
Having another student wouldn’t hurt.
‘Aden’s talent is more than promising.’
Why not?
Might as well try raising her.
He sipped his water.
“Student.”
“Yes, Master!”
“Relax. Your stiff posture is exhausting to watch.”
“Yes, Master!”
“…”
She’d figure it out.
More importantly—
“Student, this Perfect Clear thing. I’m not the first, right?”
Surely not. How hard could it be?
“Oh, no, you’re not the first. There have been… just two others.”
“That’s enough.”
So he wasn’t alone.
No need to worry.
“Tomorrow, we’ll go to a dungeon together. Watch and learn.”
Aden choked on air.
“Cough, Cough! Together? Does that mean you’ll use your magic, Master?”
He didn’t use magic, but she’d see for herself.
“Yes, just watch.”
“Wow! Thank you!”
Aden bowed deeply.
‘I can’t entirely hide my Words of Power. Some things need to be shown to those I trust.’
Who could he trust if not his student?
Aden was trustworthy.
A lifetime as a hero sharpened his instincts for loyal allies.
“Now, report yourself as an Awakened. You’ll need that to enter the dungeon.”
“Ah…”
“What?”
“Well…”
Aden hesitated.
“Actually… I’m undocumented.”
“Undocumented? An illegal resident?”
“Yes…”
That was unexpected.
She must’ve worked up her courage to admit it.
“Why? Just report now and say you came through a Gate from Thea.”
“I don’t meet the immigration conditions. I have no skills and no money…”
“What happens if you report it?”
“I’d be deported back to Thea…”
Her voice shrank with embarrassment.
She must’ve felt deeply ashamed.
“Chin up, kid. I was a street rat, too. As long as you work hard, no one cares about the past.”
It wasn’t a lie, though it was a story from another life.
‘Kang Hyun’ grew up comfortably in South Korea.
But telling the truth would inspire her.
She idolized Kyle, after all.
“Master!”
Aden’s eyes filled with tears.
‘She reacts just like Mila did.’
The way she hung on his words mirrored his former student, Mila Roden.
“Right, always stay spirited. Who’s your Master, after all?”
“You are, Master!”
“So, the issue is being undocumented, right? We’ll handle that along with your Awakened registration.”
“What?”
Aden didn’t immediately grasp his meaning.
“What do you mean? Handle my undocumented status?”
He was used to dealing with such things.
Negotiating with governments was second nature.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got a way.”
The hero’s way.
“Get dressed.”
“Where are we going? What are we doing?”
“To the Awakened Management Bureau.”
Let’s get this over with.
###
The two headed to the Bureau.
“Don’t mention me or Perfect Clear.”
“Why not, Master?”
Aden seemed disappointed, eager for her Master to be recognized.
“Fame can become a dagger pointed at your back.”
“Oh…!”
“Even flaunting privilege requires knowing how to protect yourself.”
“Understood!”
Aden clenched her fist, inspired by the profound wisdom in Kang Hyun’s words.
It wasn’t particularly deep, but she seemed moved.
Even flaunting strength is a privilege.
It was a lesson that had saved Kyle’s life multiple times—a precious piece of advice from a trusted companion.
‘Thinking about it makes me miss him.’
Le Morys.
A hero born of royalty.
A survivor of the royal family’s vicious succession battles.
He’d shared plenty of advice on handling oneself in delicate situations.
“Student. You’re worried about being undocumented, right?”
“Yes, Master!”
“People must learn to leverage their value.”
“What do you mean?”
“Earn goodwill from others and make them take care of trivial issues like this. That’s how you focus on the bigger goals.”
Aden’s eyes widened again.
“This foolish student lacks the insight to comprehend the deep wisdom of my Master.”
“Start learning to assert yourself.”
“Huh?”
“You’re A-rank.”
“Y-Yes…”
She still didn’t seem to understand.
He could see the confusion in her eyes, saying ‘So what?’
“Does being A-rank even mean anything…? I can’t even register because I don’t have an identity.”
Tsk.
“You don’t even know your own worth or how to use it.”
Kang Hyun was accustomed to being treated in line with his abilities—and to demanding it when necessary.
The world desperately craved talented individuals.
Desperately.
When they reached the Bureau, they passed through the reception desk and were guided into a private room with a staff member.
“Hello~! You’re here to register as Awakened?”
“Yes.”
Aden hesitated, so Kang Hyun stepped in to answer.
“Please fill out these forms, and we’ll proceed with ability measurement afterward.”
The forms were placed in front of them, but Aden couldn’t fill them out.
Her name and personal information didn’t exist in the country’s database.
If checked, it would immediately cause problems.
‘What do I do? Why did he bring me straight here?’
Her anxiety churned in her stomach.
“Are both of you here to register?”
“Not me. Instead…”
“Yes, feel free to let me know!”
“I’d like to speak with someone in a position of authority here.”
“Pardon?”
The registration officer in charge of the case was a trainee.
‘W-what do I do? This isn’t in the manual!’
Following her training as best as she could.
“I’m sorry, but our administrators are currently very busy.”
She tried to maintain her composure, but Kang Hyun’s next words left her completely stunned.
“This person here is an unregistered A-rank Awakened.”
“…Huh?”
“And there’s an issue with the verification process. I’d like to speak to someone in charge.”
A-rank?
Did he just say A-rank?
‘That can’t be right.’
An unregistered A-rank?
An A-rank was an elite asset.
Globally, they were VIPs, treated as strategic resources.
Such individuals couldn’t possibly be unaffiliated.
Top guilds and powerful nations would fight tooth and nail to recruit them.
‘What do I do?’
Was this in the manual somewhere?
Should I turn them away?
But what if it’s true?
‘Would I be held responsible?’
The appearance of an unregistered A-rank was far beyond what a trainee could handle.
Fortunately, Kang Hyun was quick to read the situation.
He immediately recognized the officer’s internal panic.
‘Tsk.’
She won’t be of any use.
“Don’t overthink it.”
“Excuse me?”
“This isn’t something you can handle at your level. Just call your supervisor.”
“R-right. Please wait a moment…”
With a face that looked ready to burst, the officer scurried off.
Such a fragile mentality—what a pity.
Meanwhile, Kang Hyun calmly sipped from a juice box through a straw.
Aden, watching her Master, was taken aback.
‘Is he always this bold?’
Oddly enough, his assertiveness eased her nerves.
Seeing him act so nonchalantly, she felt reassured.
‘Yeah, no need to be scared. My Master is the one who cleared Perfect Clear!’
Aden repeated her Master’s lesson in her mind: know your value and learn to use it.
###
Awakened Registration Office.
Section Chief Choi arrived.
“I’ll take over this matter!”
“Yes, sir!”
Choi Young-ho.
He wasn’t just any chief.
He led the Awakened Strategy Planning Division, a position with the influence of a director in a smaller department.
No one dared to refuse his commands.
Papers flew as Choi processed them at lightning speed.
The office staff marveled at his efficiency.
Whirllll.
“Wow, he’s so fast!”
“Chief, if you keep this up, we’ll get off early today!”
A workaholic.
No, more accurately, a patriot-holic Chief Choi Young-ho.
He hadn’t risen to such a prestigious position in his early 30s for nothing.
Why did he come running today?
To find just one person.
‘You never know when an S-class Word Mage will be discovered. Let’s put that aside for now.’
The Perfect Clear Awakened comes first!
‘Recent Gate clear records. Newly registered Awakened candidates.’
All the data was right here.
Finding the Perfect Clear Awakened was only a matter of time.
I’ll find them.
No matter what.
For the sake of this country!
But as Choi focused intently, a commotion broke out behind him.
“Senior! Something big happened!”
“Shh! Chief Choi is working! Keep it down!”
“Huh?”
Who?
The sound of papers flipping continued—
Shff-shff!
“Why are you here, rookie? Who’s manning the front desk?”
“I-I don’t know! Someone asked to speak to a higher-up….”
The flustered rookie stammered, while her senior massaged her temple in exasperation.
“Are you kidding me? Tossed the manual out the window just because of a troublesome customer?”
“I-I don’t think it’s a troublesome customer… They said they’re an A-rank here to register….”
“A-rank? What, is that someone’s dog’s name or—”
Suddenly, a head poked between the two.
It was Chief Choi Young-ho.
“Wait. What did you just say?”
“Ah! Chief! You scared me!”
Choi froze for a moment, processing the information.
A newly registered A-rank falling from the sky?
It could very well be a hoax, but his instincts told him otherwise.
There was something serious about this.
“I’ll head down myself.”
“W-what? No need for that! I’ll make sure the rookie gets proper training—”
“Show me the way.”
Chief Choi advanced like a bulldozer.
Towards Kang Hyun.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Choi Young-ho, Chief of the Awakened Strategy Planning Division.”
“Kang Hyun.”
The two shook hands naturally.
Having dealt with countless Awakened individuals and weathered every kind of scenario, Chief Choi didn’t need long to assess the situation.
‘Kang Hyun. This man is the real deal—an A-rank.’
The light glinted off Choi’s horn-rimmed glasses as he sharpened his focus.
