"An official Awakened ID, huh?" Nami asked while tilting her head up to look at him properly.
Even while standing, she had to lift her gaze… he was tall, striking and unfairly eye-catching for someone with only a singular Black Crest.
'He is quite handsome for only a One-Line crest… but he doesn't really look all that strong.'
Anyone at One-Line usually started training immediately. Their bodies showed it… from toned arms to tightened posture but him?
He looked… untouched and naturally well-built. It was a body sculpted by awakened genetics instead of effort.
It was vexing in a way only a working adult could understand.
"Please come over to my table," she said, stepping back toward her counter.
The moment she moved, the crowd parted like it was the most natural thing… those who had been waiting simply drifted to other counters.
'At least he's better than all these people wanting to take the Crest test again…'
She didn't hate crest testers, but she pitied them. They came again and again, chasing a dream they weren't destined for. Most people awakened only during high mana-impact events… accidents, disasters, moments of life-or-death.
Trying to artificially force it with manufactured mana current rarely worked.
She herself had taken the test twice. The second time had convinced her to stop. Her heart had almost stopped.
'There's nothing wrong with giving up and letting the blessed take over.'
She settled at her desk. Kōya stepped up in front of her with that unruffled, mildly bored expression that somehow made him look more mature than half the adults in the room.
"Alright," she began, opening her drawer and pulling out a crisp form and pen. "Since you already have a mark, getting an Awakened ID is easy. You need to fill out this form and register your biometrics."
She placed both items neatly in front of him. "Once you register, I will be assigned as your Helper. I receive a 3% cut from the monsters you hunt, while the KCAC takes a 5% cut of your rewards as tax. Would you like a more detailed explanation of the tax system?"
"No, I'm good." He took the sheet without hesitation and began writing. "I already know how this stuff works."
Awakeners always paid tax. It was no different from Adventurer Guilds in fantasy novels, except these taxes were regulated, strict, and extremely consistent.
Helpers like Nami offered a variety of support services: therapy, mission scheduling, equipment recommendations, supply management, emergency transmission codes, safe-zone maps, Overwatch assistance during high-risk hunts, even end-of-life insurance if things went wrong.
Meanwhile, the Supercities relied heavily on that 5% cut… when thousands of Awakeners took missions daily, the revenue was powerful enough to maintain barrier upkeep and fund public services.
'If I remember right, ALI's tax is a bit lower than 5%, but they force you to take at least five missions every week… so they still make all their money back.'
The form required basic information… name, age, address, phone number, and crest stage. It was nothing difficult.
Kōya finished quickly and slid it back across the table.
"Thank you for filling it out without fuss," Nami sighed, visibly relieved. "New Awakeners usually complain about taxes, and I have to pull out a whole document explaining everything."
She skimmed the paper. Her brows rose.
"Oh… your name is Kōya? And you're just eighteen? Then that makes you my junior. Do you mind if I call you Kōya-kun?"
"Go ahead," he replied without a hint of emotion.
Her heart thumped once stupidly.
'With how unbothered he is, I thought he was older…'
She was twenty-four, still young, but in this society adulthood hit you early. Eighteen-year-olds were usually energetic, bright-eyed, and overly enthusiastic.
He was the opposite and it made him hot.
She brought out the biometric scanner and placed it on the desk.
"First press both of your hands onto it."
He complied without question. His fingers spread across the glowing surface, and she leaned forward, gently guiding his hands to align perfectly.
His fingers dwarfed hers.
They were warm and strong.
'He hasn't trained… but he still has a nice body…'
Her hands lingered a second too long. The machine pinged.
She quickly retracted her hands, her cheeks warming slightly… right as her coworker across the room shot her a knowingly smug smile.
'Ugh… seriously? It's not my fault I like younger strong types… but the last newbie died right away. Why can't I get a respectable, obedient one who doesn't run outside the walls? Kōya-kun looks too mature to be reckless… I hope.'
"Press your thumbs too," she instructed.
He did. The scanner lit green.
She plugged it into her computer, fingers moving quickly across the keyboard. Within two minutes, a metallic card slid out from the printer… a sleek card, embossed with the Keropolis emblem, and uniquely coded to his Crest signature.
She handed it to him with a warm, professional smile.
"Congratulations, Kōya-kun. You are now an Official Awakened of Keropolis City." She folded her hands politely. "I can now show you some of the feat—"
"Will this let me leave the city and head outside the barrier without issues?" he interrupted.
Her smile froze.
Every cell in her body screamed no and her heartbeat dropped into her stomach.
'Ah. No. Absolutely not. I am not losing another one. No way. If he wants to die, he should go die elsewhere. Don't drag me into this.'
Her professional façade cracked for half a second and she tried to smile again but it twitched unnaturally.
"K-Kōya-kun… outside… the barrier?" she whispered.
He looked at the ID card with mild interest.
"Yes."
She felt her soul leave her body.
The last teenager she registered who went outside immediately had lasted… what, thirty minutes? And she had to deal with paperwork, interviews, counseling sessions with the family… no thank you.
Her internal screaming intensified.
'Nope! Nope! Nope! I don't want to be involved in any shenanigans! If they want to die, they can head over and die quietly! Not like I care!'
But he was looking at her… and she was his Helper now.
She forced her lips into a weak smile and a trembling voice.
"E-eh… Kōya-kun… before that, perhaps I should… um… explain the—"
He raised the ID.
"I just need to know if it works."
She deflated completely.
"…Yes," she whispered, defeated. "It allows you unrestricted travel through the barrier gates…"
Her heart screamed.
'PLEASE DON'T GO. PLEASE DON'T GO. PLEASE DON'T GO.'
But externally:
"…Congratulations again on your registration…"
Her smile was dead inside.