The unfortunate soul Tae-oh selected was Gong Ji-woo, a low-ranking E-Rank Hunter in the Black Blade Guild. Ji-woo was known in the novel only for his consistently failing attempt to pass the Basic Mana Circulation Test.
Tae-oh found him late that morning in the secluded training yard, hunched over, his shoulders slumped in defeat, a discarded mana orb blinking red beside him.
Perfect. Low-risk, high-reward target.
Tae-oh approached with the casual arrogance of his new character, but his internal monologue was pure corporate cynicism. Objective: Deliver a single, low-effort statement that can be technically classified as 'encouragement.' Deliverable: One (1) successful quest completion.
"Hey. You," Tae-oh said, his voice flat.
Gong Ji-woo flinched, snapping to attention and bowing frantically. "Y-Young Master Han! My apologies! I was just—"
"Don't care," Tae-oh cut him off. "You're the one failing the Mana test, right?"
Ji-woo's face fell. "Yes, sir. I just… can't seem to get the flow right. I've tried over a hundred times."
Tae-oh sighed dramatically. This was going to be painful. He stared at the E-Rank Hunter, then at the mana orb, and finally delivered his piece of required dialogue.
"Your technique is trash. The way you're forcing the flow is fundamentally inefficient. But," Tae-oh paused, forcing a tiny, mocking upward curve to his lip, "you haven't stopped yet. Unnecessary effort is still effort. Keep wasting time, I guess."
He turned and walked away, already counting the seconds. Ten Virtue Points, get in my pocket.
[Quest Target: Verbally Encouraged!]
[Analysis: Intent - Malicious/Cynical. Perception - Deeply Insightful/Wise.]
[Quest Complete! Reward: Virtue Points +10.]