Phew, I finally resolved another matter. Now all I needed to do was finalize the contract and Awaken her.

“Saying things I don't usually say is embarrassing as hell. Hurry up and sign, I'll Awaken you.”

“Got it. Ah, this is really funny.”

“Don’t laugh.”

“Even ahjussi’s neck is all red, too!”

“You're not much better, you know?”

Bak Yerim giggled as she signed the contract. As soon as the two signature lines were filled, the contract glowed faintly. Then, its surface became smooth, almost as if it had been laminated. Bak Yerim touched the contract as if she was fascinated.

“It looks like it can’t be modified anymore.”

“If it could be modified, that would be a problem.”

I put the contract back into my inventory. With that, all the preparations were done.

“Shall I use the awakening skill now?”

“Ah, wait a moment.”

She gestured for me to pause, then sat up straight as if she were about to meditate. She took a deep breath.

“Will I Awaken right away?”

“If you're lucky. It can take up to a week at most.”

Even though the Promising Sprout skill applies immediately, I deliberately mentioned a week. I wasn't sure if the Keyword application would work instantly for others in the future as it did this time.

“Okay, go ahead!”

There was no need to be that nervous. I used the Promising Sprout Awakening skill on Park Ye-rim. And soon enough…

“A m-message window really appeared! Mister! How do I check my rank?”

“Think about opening the status window. You can also say it out loud too.”

“Status Window! Oh? Wow!”

Park Ye-rim's mouth opened wide in astonishment, her entire face reflecting shock.

Yes, it was certainly shocking enough. With S-grade stats and even an SS-grade skill, she has every reason to be amazed. Overwhelmed with excitement, Yerim shouted and leaned on the table—

“Ahjussi! I'm an S—!!”

*Crack!*

Huh? The table broke? No, her hand sank into it? The thick tabletop surface collapsed, leaving an imprint of her hand. Unbelievable.

“Oh…”

“D-don’t move!”

Damn it. Yoohyun had indeed mentioned that anyone above C-grade wouldn’t immediately adapt to their suddenly enhanced physical abilities. And Yerim was S-grade… I messed up.

“Right now, your strength is a lot greater than before. So don’t touch anything. Got it?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Good. Let's get out of here carefully. Move very slowly. Think of walking silently and gently, like a feather.”

Yerim stood up slowly and cautiously, her movements as precarious as if she were walking on a tightrope. Watching her, I felt as anxious as if I were standing before a little child who could fall at any moment.

It was a relief that we were on the ground floor with no basement. Even if the floor collapsed, no one would get hurt.

“Slowly, one step at a time. Yes, that's it.”

“I think I'm getting a little used to it.”

“Even so, don't rush. Apparently it takes at least a day to adapt.”

Not taking my eyes off her, I opened the sliding door. I put on my shoes first and then picked up Ye-rim's sneakers. They were quite worn out and looked too big for her feet. Couldn’t they at least get her new shoes instead of hand-me-downs?

“I’ll put them on for you so give me your feet.”

“Okay. Uh… it's a bit hard to balance on one foot.”

“Then sit down carefully. Slowly-.”

Ack, she left a slight handprint on the floor. But unlike the table, it was just a small dent. As I put the sneaker on her outstretched foot, she giggled, finding something amusing.

“Isn't this kind of exciting?”

“Exciting? More like nerve-wracking.”

Why would anyone find this exciting? After warning her again not to touch anything, I headed to the cashier. I had to pay for the table.

“Excuse me, I'd like to pay. And the table… well, it got a bit damaged—”

“Ah, a fly!”

“No, don’t!”

*Crash!*

The edge of the dining table crumbled like a biscuit. Ye-rim chuckled sheepishly.

“I used to catch all the bugs in the restaurant. I guess it's a habit now, haha.”

Don't laugh. The employee behind the counter stared wide-eyed at the table and Yerim interchangeably. I’m so sorry for my kid. I handed over both an apology and a card.

“Please charge me for the seat and that table over there as well.”

Charge as much as you need to.

The way back to the Haeyeon Guild was relatively uneventful. The headrest of the car's front seat got smashed, and the pavement cracked under Yerim's foot when she stepped out, but as long as no one got hurt, it was fine.

That said, don’t come any closer, Yerim. She kept on trying to cling to me. It was understandable to feel anxious after such a sudden change, but if she grabbed my arm even once, it would shatter. My stats were F-grade.

I informed only Yoohyun, the Haeyeon Guildmaster, about BakYerim's situation to avoid any leaks that could cause us trouble. I planned on letting word about the new S-rank spread after the rank evaluation at the Hunter Association.

We headed towards the elevator, careful to avoid causing any accidental damage. Luckily, the lobby was almost empty, being a weekend evening. Although security checks were required to access areas beyond the 1st to 3rd floors, Yoohyun had already informed them ahead of time, so we were allowed to pass without issues, skipping it.

“My heart is starting to race.”

As soon as the elevator doors closed, Yerim came closer to me again.

“Don’t stick to me. There’s no place for me to escape.”

“I'm not touching you. Do you think I can't control my strength that much?”

“You’re saying that after crushing the headrest? If someone had been sitting in front of you, you'd have become a murderer.”

Yerim's lips pouted at the word 'murderer.' I wondered if I had been too harsh, but considering the future, it was better to give a stern warning. The difference between an Unawakened person and someone with S-rank stats was significant enough to say they were different species.

To prevent accidents, she had to bear in mind that she wasn't ordinary.

In the guildmaster's office, no one else was there except for Yoohyun, who was waiting for us. As soon as we entered, this guy put on a business-like smile.

“Please come in, Bak Yerim-yang.”

“…Hello.”

Yerim awkwardly bowed. She didn't seem to be the shy type, so it was surprising.

“First of all, I'll guide you to a place where you can stay while you adjust to the changes in your abilities. For someone with S-rank stats, the adjustment usually takes a day. After that, you'll be able to return to your normal daily life, so there's no need to worry."

Yoohyun explained courteously. It was definitely an unfamiliar image.Though it made sense given the value of an S-rank Awakened. Did I treat Yerim too casually?

“This way, please.”

Yoohyun led the way out of the room. What should I do now? It was almost time to feed Peace. Could I go?

“Ahjussi, what are you doing standing there!”

While I was standing there blankly, Yerim waved at me impatiently, glaring as if to say, 'Hurry up!' I remembered I had agreed to be her guardian. I guess I had to follow.

We took a different elevator this time, one that didn't stop on the 1st to 3rd floors, but went down to the basement. The basement housed training facilities for the Awakened.

As we walked down the long corridor, Yoohyun continued his explanation.

“The second and third basement floors contain spaces for practice. However, for serious combat training for A-ranks and above, you will need to go to our facility in Gyeonggi Province for safety reasons. Using skills with lethal potential is strictly prohibited in urban areas, so please be cautious.”

“…Seems like I have a lot to learn.”

“You will receive formal education after registering as an Awakened. Until then, please be careful with your skill usage.”

“Okay.”

Now that I thought of it, I wondered what Yerim’s skills’ effects were. I was quite curious.

“This training room is where Miss Bak Yerim will stay for the day.”

We arrived at a spacious room filled with various exercise equipment. The high ceiling and walls that seemed to be made from an unusual material caught my eye.

“Even if the equipment here is broken, it does not matter. Please use them to familiarize yourself with your senses. The walls and floor can handle an S-rank level 1’s physical strength. By any chance, is your Strength stat above 100?”

“No. It is 61.”

“Then that should be fine.”

61, huh. That's three times my total stat sum, and fifteen times in just strength. Even though stats alone didn't directly translate to real strength, it was definitely a difference that made me not dare to approach her.

“Over there, a shower room and sleeping quarters have been provided. Again, if the two facilities are broken, there is no need to worry, but if possible, please use them after adjusting to your strength to a certain extent.”

“What if I need something?”

“You can request it through the phone in the sleeping quarters. If you happen to break the phone, press the emergency bell next to the sleeping quarters' door.”

Yoohyun asked if she had any other questions besides that. Bak Yerim shook her head to reply.

“Then, the remaining information will be given tomorrow after you adjust to your abilities.”

With that, Yoohyun turned away. Now, I should head back and feed. Can't keep the kid waiting.

“Ahjussi, where are you going!”

As I was about to turn around, Yerim yelled shrilly. What do you mean, where?

“I’m going home.”

“And leave me here alone? How could you? You said you’d take responsibility!”

It wasn’t not wrong, but the nuance felt strange. Yoohyun paused as he was about to leave and turned to look at me.

“Responsibility? Hyung?”

“I said I would be her guardian.”

“Guardian?”

“Her parents aren't around, and she doesn't get along with her uncle she's staying with. She doesn't want to be involved with that family.”

There wasn’t anything bad. But Yoohyun’s expression soured.

“If the guardians for an Awakened minor aren’t their parents, they’re usually Awakened whose ranks are higher or around the same. That’s the only way to have control. If she needs a guardian, then it would be better if I—”

“But ahjussi already agreed to do it, right?”

Bak Yerim cut Yoohyun off. Her expression was unexpectedly chilly, reminding me of the Ice Witch Bak Yerim I'd seen in the past which was also the future. Why is she overreacting?

“Bak Yerim-yang, for the sake of the guardian’s safety, that cannot be done. There have already been several cases of guardians with lower ranks and not even a safety net of being blood-related assaulted by their guardees while giving advice.”

Ah… there was that kind of a problem too. Dealing with a rebellious teenager much stronger than oneself is certainly not an easy task. Thinking about it that way made me a bit scared. The contract says Yerim is supposed to protect me, so maybe it’ll be okay?

“I’ve contracted to protect ahjussi. So, there won’t be any safety issues. Not that I’d ever think of hurting him in the first place.”

“Even so, there is also the issue of whether hyung will be able to properly fulfill the role of a guardian well. Especially considering the huge gap in your ranks, various other problems will inevitably arise.”

“…I don’t know about that. But.”

Bak Yerim glanced at me before continuing.

“If you won’t let ahjussi be my guardian, I won’t join Haeyeon Guild.”

…What? Wait, hold on?