Solo Leveling: Banishment of the Anomaly

When they finally arrived at the Association, Joo-Hee was taken aback to see a swarm of reporters waiting for them outside.

She frowned slightly, realizing how quickly the news of her reawakening had spread.

Woo Jin-Chul sighed at the sight, muttering apologetically, "Ms. Lee, it seems word about your reawakening got out sooner than expected. My apologies for the inconvenience."

Joo-Hee gave a small smile.

"It's all right. I suppose it was inevitable."

The driver, who was also the female agent overseeing their dungeon raid, quickly interjected, her voice laced with concern.

"Mr. Woo, I swear I didn't leak it!"

Woo Jin-Chul waved a hand dismissively, more focused on handling the situation outside.

As their car parked, the reporters rushed forward, their cameras flashing in rapid succession.

A parade of voices erupted.

"There they are!"

"She's the one who reawakened!"

"Lee Joo-Hee, isn't it?"

"She used to be a healer, right? Does this mean she's an S-Rank now?"

"South Korea's future looks bright with her around!"

"She might even be the second coming of Min Byung-Gyu!"

"Ms. Lee, over here! Please look this way!"

"..."

Joo-Hee stepped out, momentarily overwhelmed by the attention.

But as the barrage of praise continued, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride.

'Ehem~ I guess a little recognition isn't so bad after all,' she thought smugly.

Beside her, Song Chi-Yul chuckled, nudging her lightly.

"Kid, looks like a lot of people already know about your reawakening already. Don't forget us when you become famous!"

Joo-Hee grinned humbly.

"Please don't joke like that, Mr. Song. How could I even forget any of you."

As they entered the Association building, whispers and murmurs followed their every step.

"Isn't that the girl who was just changing her class recently?"

"Yeah, to think she'd reawaken so soon… She's really lucky."

"She's even being escorted by the Chief himself, with a full hunter detail. Must be something big."

"Wonder what rank she is now?"

"..."

Joo-Hee caught snippets of their conversation but paid them no mind.

As they approached the elevator, Woo Jin-Chul turned to Song Chi-Yul.

"Mr. Song, please go with Ms. Kim to the 4th floor to file your report. I'll take Ms. Lee to the 10th floor for her reassessment."

Song Chi-Yul nodded and gave Joo-Hee an encouraging smile before departing.

Inside the elevator, Woo Jin-Chul briefed Joo-Hee on the tests she would undergo: [Mana Measurement Assessment], [Ability Test Evaluation], and [Strength Measurement Assessment].

When the elevator doors opened on the tenth floor, Joo-Hee immediately felt the powerful presence of several S-Rank hunters.

The sheer intensity of their auras made her heart race.

'So there are a couple of S-Rank hunters who have already arrived...' she thought, excitement bubbling within her.

'I wonder if they look the same as they do in the manhwa. Most characters turned out to look a lot different in real life.'

Before they stepped into the testing room, Joo-Hee turned to Woo Jin-Chul with a serious expression.

"Mr. Woo, I know this is sudden, but can I ask you for a favor?"

Woo Jin-Chul raised a curious brow but smiled.

"Of course, Ms. Lee. If it's within my power, I'll do my best."

Joo-Hee hesitated for a moment, then said, "Regarding Mr. Song and Jeongho… please allow them to undergo reassessment for their ranks today."

Her words left Woo Jin-Chul visibly stunned.

A hunter's rank was generally considered permanent unless they underwent a second awakening—an extremely rare phenomenon, like what happened with Jin-Woo.

"May I ask why you're requesting this?" Woo Jin-Chul asked, his tone cautious but intrigued.

Joo-Hee offered a mysterious smile.

"Who knows? Maybe something happened when they were exposed to my energy. Their abilities or magical capabilities might have improved."

She paused, then added lightly, "I'll be heading inside now, Mr. Woo. I hope you'll consider my favor."

Without waiting for a response, Joo-Hee walked into the testing room, leaving Woo Jin-Chul deep in thought.

'Could that even be possible?' he wondered, recalling how Song Chi-Yul's aura seemed strangely unstable earlier. He had dismissed it as fatigue from the battle, but now…

Woo Jin-Chul stroked his chin thoughtfully. 'There's so little information about second awakenings, let alone the possibility of others benefiting from someone else's reawakening.'

'But if Joo-Hee's theory is correct… this could change everything.'

...

The moment Joo-Hee stepped into the Hunter Assessment Room, she was greeted by the gazes of five S-Rank Hunters.

Their faces were instantly recognizable—legends in their own right: Baek Yoonho, Choi Jong-In, Min Byung-Gyu, Kang Eunsuk, and the Association Chairman himself, Go Gunhee.

Joo-Hee gulped nervously as Go Gunhee smiled warmly and greeted her.

"Ms. Lee Joo-Hee, welcome to the Association. Before we begin, allow me to congratulate you on your successful reawakening. It's remarkable that South Korea has gained another reawakened hunter!"

Baek Yoonho, with his towering frame and commanding presence, crossed his arms and remarked, "So, it's true—a girl really managed to reawaken. I thought she'd look... tougher, but she's actually quite soft."

Choi Jong-In adjusted his glasses and chuckled, "Well, not everyone is a brute like you, Yoonho."

Yoonho's bestial aura flared as he turned to Jong-In with a challenging glare.

"What did you just say, you sissy?!"

The tension between them escalated as both began releasing their oppressive auras.

Joo-Hee flinched at the clash of power but quickly recovered, stealing a glance at the two hunters.

Baek Yoonho's rugged, manly and knightly appearance matched the image of a warrior from medieval tales, while Choi Jong-In's sharp, handsome features and striking red hair gave him an air of refined elegance.

Before the situation could spiral further, Min Byung-Gyu stepped forward with a gentle smile.

"Ms. Lee, I've heard quite a bit about you on the forums. It's an honor to meet you—"

But his introduction was cut short as Kang Eunsuk, the mage in a gray jacket, interjected with a teasing smirk.

"The gutsy healer who picked up the sword—that's what they're calling you on the forums."

He turned to Byung-Gyu and added with a chuckle, "So, Byung, how does it feel to meet the girl you've been dying to see?"

Byung-Gyu's face flushed red as he stammered, "W-What are you even saying? I just wanted to meet her as a fellow healer, okay?!"

Eunsuk burst into laughter, covering his mouth to stifle the sound, while Byung-Gyu, clearly embarrassed, lunged at him in an attempt to stop his teasing.

Joo-Hee couldn't help but blink in surprise at the scene before her.

'So, these are S-Rank Hunters?' she thought, bemused.

'They're so... normal and rather mischievous. Nothing like the intimidating figures I read about online.'

Chairman Go Gunhee sighed and shook his head.

"Ms. Lee, I must apologize for their behavior. I didn't expect them to act so childish."

He then turned to the four hunters, his aura surging with unmistakable authority.

"Hey! The four of you—stop bickering already. Is this how you behave in front of a lady?"

The oppressive weight of his aura immediately silenced the room as the four S-Ranks froze in place, subdued like scolded children.

Joo-Hee couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the sight.

Go Gunhee exhaled deeply and gestured toward a large, spherical measuring device.

"Ms. Lee, please come this way. Let's begin with your mana assessment."

As Joo-Hee followed a female agent to the device, the woman explained, "Ms. Lee, please place your hand on the measuring orb and infuse it with your mana, just as you did during your first awakening."

Joo-Hee nodded, placing her hand on the orb.

'This is it—the moment of truth,' she thought.

A few meters behind her, the five S-Ranks had regrouped and were already arguing once again.

"I was the first to arrive," Choi Jong-In declared, pushing his glasses up with a determined gleam in his eyes.

"So don't even think about fighting me for her. I've already called dibs. As a mage, it's only natural that I mentor her."

"Not so fast, Four-Eyes," Baek Yoonho growled.

"You've already taken Chae Hae-In from us. Let us have this one!"

Internally, Yoonho added, 'There's no way I'm letting this slip. She could be the key to understanding how to achieve a second awakening.'

Byung-Gyu frowned, his tone unusually serious.

"That's unfair. Before she awakened as a mage, she was a healer. It would make more sense for her to join me, a fellow healer, and Eunsuk, a close-combat mage."

Eunsuk nodded in agreement.

"Byung's right. She belongs with the Blue Dragon Guild. It's the perfect fit."

Gunhee shook his head as he listened to their bickering.

'These people... Already at the pinnacle of power, and yet they squabble like recruiters at a low-tier guild. Why must they stoop so low?'

Even he couldn't deny the temptation, though.

'If I could learn something about reawakening through her, it would be invaluable for the future of South Korea...'

But before any of them could press the matter further, Joo-Hee infused the measuring device with her mana.

The room fell silent as the orb lit up, displaying her results.

The five S-Ranks stared, their eyes widening in unison as their jaws dropped.