Information

Table of Contents URL:

https://ranobes.top/novels/929163-auto-hunting-
v812312.html
 Chapter 1

It’s been like this since middle school.

“Seriously, I don’t understand.”

[Click the button to Auto Hunt.]

“This is fun for you?”

I frequently asked people who enjoyed playing phone games

this question.

I mean, weren’t people supposed to feel content playing a

game when controlling it themselves?

One-click of a button and the character automatically grabs

the monsters. This isn’t a game, it’s watching one.

“Hey, watching this is pretty fun. It’s so relaxing.”

“……Really?”

However, I never ended up experiencing the content of Auto

Hunting nor possessed games with those systems in my
hands.

I was completely unaware.

Completely unaware that my future had such an intimate

relationship with the monotonous ‘Auto Hunting’.
I’m not talking about a game.

I had actually begun Auto Hunting.

 Chapter 2

By the time you turn 29, you tend to gain an understanding

of why a woman starts a certain conversation.

“You have no drive.”

This meant we were breaking up.

“Drive?”

“Yeah, till when are you going to work part-time at a BBQ

place?”

“……”

For starters, Oh Yoo-seong was not working part-time.

He was only working part-time in high school. Even before

the first semester of his first year was over, Yoo-seong
immediately took a gap year. He then took a full-time job at
the restaurant he worked at in high school, learning the bits
and ends of the job in a serious fashion.

He was interested in the restaurant business, and all

previous owners could’ve vouched for his attention to detail.

“I’ve told you already, I’m going to open up a store. I’m

saving up money.”

In reality, Yoo-seong’s bank account was significantly

stacked from saving for the last 8 years.
“When? Way past 30? Without ever having been on a
vacation to Europe? Even if you were to open then, what
would happen would be pretty obvious. What significance
does it have?”

“…So what about you?”

“What?”

Ji-young, his girlfriend, was a beautiful woman. She had

graduated from a prestigious university, and of course, the
company she worked for was even more well known.

But was difference did it have with Yoo-seong?

“I think there’s significance in understanding your strengths

and what role you can fulfill with those strengths. It’s
important to place meaning in that and live life diligently.”

“Who said otherwise? What I’m talking about is the

future….”

“Of course, I fall short if we’re referring to the societal norm

of getting a respectable job and gaining achievements. But
isn’t talking about my ‘drive’ and ‘future’ pushing it?”

“……!”

Ji-Young’s face turned bright red.

Well, it had ended. Yoo-seong’s girlfriend didn’t enjoy

listening to someone talking back.

“The reason I told you my future plans was because you’re

an important person to me. But, using that as a point to
break up with me makes me feel lousy.”

He had already predicted this farewell for a long time.

Yoo-seong had already noticed Ji-Young’s dissatisfaction with
him. However, he had no intention of holding her back. If
she wanted to leave, she could.

All he asked was that they didn’t speak about unreasonable

things, especially now that they were at the end. They were
not dating anymore, and there was no reason to listen to
this.

“If it’s because we fell out of love, that things work out
better with your parent’s acquaintance’s son, or you’re
embarrassed to tell your friends what I’m doing….”

“You sick jerk!”

Ji-Young stood up from her seat.

“Yeah, fine, I’m embarrassed! You stopped going to your

sub-par school to wait on tables and change grills! Talking
big about saving your wage that isn’t even enough in the
first place!”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been stingy in front of you. I worked

hard enough.”

“To your standard, you did.”

Ji-Young tried to provoke, but Yoo-seong was unaffected. She

was the only one that was worked up.

It was always this way.

She was a woman who thrived off of feeling superior,

whether it was schooling, appearances, or family. She would
console herself by looking down on others, up until the point
where it disturbed her consciousness.
However, Yoo-seong was different.

He was the type that understood his flaws and was honest
in walking the path that was right for him. He had no regard
for things he couldn’t have.

She was attracted to this, but it didn’t seem to be enough.

“You know something? Whenever I’m with you, I feel like an

impatient, good for nothing bitch. A materialistic and greedy
bitch!”

“Yeah, you’re proving that to me in real-time.”

“……!”

“Sit, even if you’re going to leave me, we should at least

talk about what was wrong. At least we’ll feel better.”

“I’m fine.”

Ji-Young turned around.

“Spend your entire life just changing grills. Exactly like

that.”

That was her strongest insult, but Yoo-seong was still

indifferent. It only embarrassed herself.

Ji-Young then left the cafe.

It was then that Yoo-seong’s face changed.

“…God-damn bitch.”

Even so, his self-control was only a bit better than hers.

“Fucking bitch! I’d kill her!”

The only person angrier than Yoo-seong was the manager at
his work. There was a 6-year difference between the two,
but he was a close, older brother. As soon as Yoo-seong told
him, he immediately came to pour him a glass.

“So what, like she’s going to marry an heir? Or some

professional? What does it matter if she studied abroad? You
told me that her family isn’t that well off anyways.”

“She is well off. Both of her parents are professors, and she
has a degree from a foreign university.”

“Well…. Um….”

Taking the shot he quietly prepared, Yoo-seong glanced

slightly at the bar’s TV.

“And…”

The Hunter’s interview happened to be on.

“As of recent, I’ve been hearing things. Blind date requests

to meet a Hunter.”

“Ah…. You said they were trying to do some research.”

Yoo-seong nodded.

In times like these, the profession of a Hunter was enough

to eat the other professionals alive. That had been more
than a decade ago.

Back when Yoo-seong was a child, the world was thought to

be doomed. The sky was full of cracks that had poured out
monsters.

However, the world managed to survive.

Even now, the dimension cracked regularly, monsters
poured out.

However, humans were able to form an indefectible

response method. Not one month had passed since, and
scientists were able to predict future cracks.

Now no one was taken aback or afraid when the sirens went
off. People were able to evacuate with leisure after reading
the mandate from the Police.

And from there, the Hunters appeared.

Only those who had superior and developed bodies could

take this job. They hunted these monsters, and created
armor from the matter obtained in order to strengthen
themselves.

This was every man’s dream.

Despite the high mortality rate, countless people pursued to

be a Hunter when the occupation was first institutionalized.

There probably wasn’t a guy right now in his 20-30’s that

still didn’t dream of becoming one.

The societal recognition and income….

“Anyways, didn’t you say your girlfriend…. Oh, I mean, that

bitch was also a Hunter mania?”

“Yes, even her phone wallpaper is a picture of Lee Jae-Hak.”

Lee Jae-Hak was fighting for the nation’s top male Hunter
position.

Even though he was far from her world, to a woman like Ji-
Young, Lee Jae-Hak was a perfect match to her ideal. He was
good looking, earned a lot of money, and had an upstanding
position in society. Even more, her so-called friends couldn’t
criticize and would only look with jealousy.

“……”

“Uh, uh yeah. There’s no point in talking about her. Let’s

just drink.”

They stopped drinking way past midnight.

Afterward, they both headed towards Yoo-seong’s place, as

it was in the neighborhood. They both could hold their
liquor, but began to feel a bit drunk.

“…Me too.”

“Huh?”

“I know very well what she’s talking about. She’s saying that
as a guy, even if it’s a fake ambition, it’d be nice if I’d try
and act like I had some.”

“Hey, that’s what people with brains full of shit do. In reality,
what is it that you don’t have? You’ve been saving
consistently and work hard. She’s just basking in her own
glory and is so full of it to see someone as valuable as you.
Don’t dwell on her.”

Yoo-seong was over her.

Really.

What made Yoo-seong’s heartbeat rapidly, was the

childhood dream he had so quickly abandoned.

Yoo-seong, like the rest, had wanted to become a Hunter.

But he couldn’t be. It was the same reason why he couldn’t
become a professional boxer or a soccer player. His physical
body was just average.

The same went for his studies.

Thus, Yoo-seong had figured out his path from a very early
age. Right now, he was living a responsible life by working
diligently. He didn’t have a shred of embarrassment in
regards to his place in society.

However, there was a tiny, very tiny regret.

If only he had been more built…

Ziiing-

“Huh?”

“What is it?”

At first, the sound was similar to that of a computer turning

on.

And then, Bam!!

A roar that would remind one of thunder resonated from

within the area.

At the same time, both of them experienced intense

pressure. It felt like a hammer had slammed their sides with
incredible force.

“Ccckkk!”

The sound of something falling. A rise of thick dust and fog.

Yoo-seong lifted himself up.

“Cr… Crack?”

Was it about twenty, no, fifteen meters?

Not far from the crack was a lavender aurora. Around the
aurora was a blue spark – a crack.

“But the sirens didn’t go off?!”

Even during the pre-dawn hours, the mandates would go off.

If there was a mandate, there was no way that Yoo-seong
and the manager would’ve missed it.

Perhaps there had been a mishap.

This was a rarity where the radar failed to detect future

cracks, something they’d heard about only from foreign
sources!

“Hyung! Wake up, hyung!”

The manager seemed to have passed out on the floor and

didn’t respond. There was no blood, and he was still
breathing. He seemed okay.

Yoo-seong took out his phone immediately.

As soon as he finished dialing 911, he saw a glimpse of a

person from the thick foggy dust.

Yoo-seong headed towards this figure, with his instincts

giving him unfavorable vibes and such uneasiness.

Unfortunately, his instincts hit the spot.

The closer Yoo-seong was to the person, the clearer its

figure became.
“Hu… Huukkk…..”

It was about two meters tall.

From a glimpse, its body was similar to that of a better than

average human male. However, its skin was a pale gray.
And its face, to be specific, its two eyes and ripped smile,
was scarily similar to that of a shark rather than a primate.

Yoo-seong knew what this monster was.

He recognized it from the pamphlet for Citizen Safety, which

covered monsters from Levels 1 – 3.

Shark ape –

Two stars.

In its unarmed state, it was similar to a grown male adult.

For citizens, it was too strong of an opponent and was
considered dangerous.

Sure enough, there was the first sacrifice. In the Shark ape’s
left hand, there was a lifeless, stretched out male.

The man’s face was missing.

Distasteful noise came out of the shark’s mouth as it

chewed a skinlike gummy.

Splat.

The Shark ape threw away the man’s body and had begun
to head towards Yoo-seong.

I’m going to die.

His manager was passed out cold on the floor. No, even
without him, Yoo-seong was drunk. There was no way he
could fend off the Shark ape.

-Ziiiinnnggg!

Yoo-seong was near losing his mind when that disgusting

wail came out of its mouth.

That was when a button appeared right in front of his eyes.

[Press the button to Auto Hunt.]

Something he had seen, along with a message he didn’t

understand.

“Ha, bloody hell.”

Yoo-seong didn’t know. Perhaps he had gone mad.

A wide-open Shark ape’s mouth was waiting right in front of

him. He had no other option.

He pressed the button.

 Chapter 3

Taaaat!

At the moment, Yoo-seong could not grasp what had

happened to his body. He was convinced that he had flown
back after getting hit by the Shark ape’s fist.

However, this did not turn out to be the case.

His two legs had instantly slammed the ground, moving him
backward.

‘What!’

He tried to yell, but no sound came out.

He couldn’t move his body, but his senses were still

activated. He could clearly feel the chilly night air and smell
the stinging dirt and dust.

The same went for his arms and legs. It was entirely
different than being controlled like a puppet, moving here
and there from the dangling strings.

He could distinctly feel the focus and tension that went into
his muscles and joints. It was as if there was a separate
controller in Yoo-seong’s brain that was moving his body.

Grip.

He made a fist, lifting it up to his face.

It was a clear stance, as if asking for a fight.

‘You dumbass!’

Yoo-seong tried to yell, but he found that he still could not

do this.

You’re going to fight him with your fists? This monster?

There was no way he was going to win. He had to escape.

He desperately tried to turn his body, but it was no use. Not

even his head turned, and his eyes were fixated solely onto
the Shark ape.

-……

Was it because he was influenced by the sudden change in

the prey’s attitude? The Shark ape that once was slowly
approaching Yoo-seong’s had stopped and was staring at
him.

This was the unreadable eyes of a Shark.

Then all of a sudden…

-Ziiiiiiii!!

With its jaw opened to its full capacity, the Shark ran full
speed. It was like the restoring force of a pressed down
spring.

‘Uhhh!?’

Because his head turned so quickly, Yoo-seong had no idea

what his body stance looked like. He only knew vaguely
from the feeling in his arms and legs.
As he quickly moved his body to the right, his upper left
body stood still. As the Shark passed his right arm, he
swiftly landed 3 punches to his body!

The fist that delivered the punches was unaffected. The

Shark ape’s skin was not as hard as he thought.

Before he was even able to unclench his fist, Yoo-seong’s

body was already preparing for the next stance. It was as if
he’d had prepared beforehand.

Turn. His field of vision turned around a half. His bodyweight

shifted from his fist to his legs.

Kick!

He managed to deliver a kick with his full weight.

He delivered an accurate kick to the Shark ape’s lower back,

feeling it being pushed out from his foot. The Shark ape’s
mouth had fallen over.

‘I can’t believe it…’

It truly was shocking, be it his impossible movements

performed whilst intoxicated, or the fact that he had
knocked over a Level 2 Star monster.

He had never felt this feeling in his entire life.

His joints and muscle were in perfect sync!

Though he was moving because of an anonymous power,

strength and speed that had once been absent from Yoo-
seong’s body had not been magically given.

The fact was that Yoo-seong had not been able to effectively
utilize his body till now. A human, a grown male’s body was
an entity that could be utilized effectively.

Taat!

This was a pace that he could’ve never moved at before.

Finally free! It was an ironic thrill that he felt, as he was not

in control of his own body.

His body, flying high, recollected something.

Like the kick from before, his bodyweight had perfectly

shifted to his two legs. Landing perfectly onto the Shark
ape’s head, it delivered the most accurate blow.

The shock punctured its occipital area.

That was the end. The Shark ape did not move.

When his eyes opened the next morning, he found himself

in the hospital.

“Ughh…!”

There was pain that reverberated through his entire body.

All of a sudden, Yoo-seong was worried that he was seriously

injured. But after a moment, he came upon a realization.

The pain that he felt from his entire body was severe like
never before, but it was also familiar.

Muscle strain. The flamboyant action scene from yesterday

wasn’t a dream.
After the Shark ape had fallen, Yoo-seong was able to move
his own body again. Shortly after, the Police, Hunters, and
first responders were immediately dispatched. Yoo-seong
was then brought to the hospital.

‘But in here?’

Yoo-seong was placed in a single room.

The last thing he remembered was feeling drowsy, and then

falling asleep while being transported in the ambulance.

‘Am I the one paying for the hospital fe… fees?’

Thinking about the money, he looked around the room when

it caught his eye.

“……”

It was at a thirty centimeter level to Yoo-seong’s chest.

It was a familiar shape. One button that looked like it

would’ve existed in an outdated arcade game.

It was the switch that turned Yoo-seong into the main

character of an action film yesterday night.

Yoo-seong reached out. He had no intention of pushing it,

but just felt like touching it once.

Slip.

However, his hand could not reach the button and passed
through it. Yoo-seong was taken aback, but then he realized
the difference.

‘The button is gray right now.’

Yesterday, when the Shark ape was right in front of him, the
button was green and had litten up.

Furthermore, there was no message that said [Press this

button to Auto Hunt.] right now.

‘….. Because there’s nothing to hunt?’

That was true, but intuitively, he thought that there might

also be another reason.

Clank.

The door opened right then. A man came walking in, suited
with no tie.

“Hello.”

“Yes. Hello….”

“How are you feeling?”

Should I say it’s a man’s instinct?

There may be some discrepancies; however, when a man

meets another man with better physical conditions than
himself, there is some anxiety.

It was such a natural reaction.

‘Wow, so big.’

In this case, the only problem was that she was a woman.

Her height and curves were reminiscent of a Western model.

If her body wasn’t so built, she would’ve just been a
beautiful, curvy woman.
She had broad shoulders, and her hair was slicked back into
a ponytail. From her firmly built body, there exuded a sense
of conviction and professionalism.

“It is a shame, Mr. Oh Yoo-seong, what you and your friend

had to go through.”

The woman displayed a simple nod.

“There will be compensation from the nation for those of

you who’ve experienced such mishap. To add, the entire
hospital fees will, of course, be covered as well.”

To the person listening, the neutral voice had a sense of

honesty.

However, Yoo-seong could not fully pay attention to the

woman.

“……”

Right in front of his eyes.

The button, once gray, was brightly lit green.

However, it was only for a second. The button was not lit
anymore.

“Mr. Oh Yoo-seong?”

“Ah, yes.”

Yoo-seong immediately came right back to his senses.

There was a definite connection between the button lighting

up with the woman that was in front of him.
So did that mean the woman and the Shark ape had
something in common? Also, why did the button light up
and turn off so quickly?

‘… Was it because I was nervous?’

Trying to find what was in common, he could only think of

this reason.

Yoo-seong looked at the woman. She was taking something

out of the bag she had brought.

In all honesty, it was not like Yoo-seong’s body was inferior

by any means. However, she looked like she’d win any fight
she’d get herself into.

Calming himself, Yoo-seong imagined this.

The sight of her suddenly taking out her fist from the bag,
punching him square in the jaw. Not to brag, but Yoo-
seong’s imagination was something else.

‘Woww…’

The button was brightly lit green again.

Yoo-seong slightly reached out his hand again. To his

surprise, he distinctly felt the presence of the button.

This proved his theory.

The button lit up, and he was able to press it whenever he

felt nervous or in danger.

Furthermore, Yoo-seong could light the button by mere

imagination.

‘Then if I press this….’

While he was thinking this, the woman handed him a tablet.

“Mr. Oh Yoo-seong, this is the video recording of you

yesterday night.”

If she hadn’t told him that, he would have thought it was

some fascinating video from abroad.

In reality, the time it took for Yoo-seong to beat the shit out
of the monster was way less than he had felt.

‘Is he some actor from an action movie?’

Yoo-seong was at a loss for words and asked the woman.

“If it’s not a bother, can I ask you if you know of any training
camps?”

As there were many who aspired to be Hunters, there were

several private and public facilities where people trained
and learned information regarding hunting.

After thinking about it for a second, Yoo-seong stated the

truth.

“I haven’t really learned anything from anywhere.”

“I’m sorry? So you studied alone or took private lessons….”

“No, no. I’m not trying to be a Hunter. I’ve never learned

anything about the subject at all.”

“….Really?”

What was it?

Her stone-cold face was so easily broken. However, it did

return immediately after.
“Is there something that’s wrong?”

“….”

The woman stared at Yoo-seong intently.

Yoo-seong did not look away, instead, he received it calmly.

‘I didn’t do anything illegal, did I?’

There was nothing illegal about a citizen, trained or not,

fighting a monster out of self-protection.

“….It is nothing.”

Though she said that, there was suspicion in her eyes that
showed her confusion.

“I thought it was an outstanding performance for a ‘pure’…

You definitely have an impressive skill.”

She added onto it as Yoo-seong’s forehead creased from the

strange terms.

“It’s Hunter jargon. I’m referring to the state when you fight
alone without help from any special weapons or
strengthening skills.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Anyways, thank you for the response. Mr. Oh Yoo-seong,

the reason as to why I’m here today is in regards to the
compensation you’ll be receiving.”

“Compensation?…Oh!”

Yoo-seong’s jaw dropped.

The thought hadn’t crossed his mind.

“It is because of your contribution to the safety of citizens.”

Compensation for disposing of monsters.

This was the source of a Hunter’s salary. There was no

chance that regular citizens could ever receive it, as they
evacuated from the cracks early. Despite that,
compensation was given if you had solid evidence that you
defeated a monster.

The video recording that the woman showed him was solid
proof.

‘Was it according to the number of stars?”

He had seen it before in the pamphlet from the Ward.

In the case of killing monsters, the amount changes

according to its Level or the number of its stars.

Positive that two stars mean….

“You’ll be receiving 550,000 KRW for a Level 2 monster. We

will be able to transfer the compensation for you at the
nearest Ward office. All you will need is a valid form of
identification and banking routing number.”

“Wow.”

It wasn’t a mindblowing sum, but it was still 550,000 KRW.

Anyways, it was a substantial amount considering the fact

that there was no effort and his body was taken care of.

‘There’s a reason why Hunters earn a lot.’

Even though something strange had just happened, it was
impressive for a citizen to catch a monster of this caliber
with just luck.

He wasn’t sure, but the Hunters from yesterday probably

had received an even more substantial amount than this.

However, Yoo-seong was slightly mistaken.

“To add, Mr. Oh Yoo-seong, you have full selling rights to the
Shark ape you have hunted.”

“……”

Her face changed once more.

-Really? You really don’t know anything?

Her expression showed her disbelief at him not knowing

anything.

“…. What I am referring to the rights to sell in the

marketplace. All of the by-products obtained from hunting
monsters are the possession of the Hunter.”

Regarding the marketplace, Yoo-seong had vaguely heard

about it before.

It was filled with the newest research materials, various

weapons, and raw materials used to strengthen bodies—all
of which one could buy from selling the monsters.

However, in this case, there was no relevance between the

level of stars and the demand for the monster’s body.

For instance, even a weak Level 1 monster could yield more

money than its weight depending on its utility. Conversely, a
bad Level 5 would be trash if there was no use for it in the
market.

“I thought that the country just took it and sold it

somewhere. Wow, then how much do Hunters really earn?”

“This is my contact information.”

The woman took out a single business card.

“Please feel free to contact me at any time if you happen to

experience any side effects from your injuries or if there is
any problem in with the compensation transfer.”

Chae Shin-Young.

– 2nd Department Manager for Special Defense Welfare

Services

That was what had been written.

‘Welfare?…. Services?’

From what she did, Yoo-seong was convinced that it was

indeed her job. However, it seemed very far from her image.

“What is this?”

Beneath the card, there was a plastic card attached to it.

“That is an entry pass for the marketplace. You are unable

to enter unless you possess a Hunter license, or are
affiliated with a business inside.”

“Whew.”

As he was whistling, Yoo-seong was fiddling around with the

cards.
“…. Never in my life have I experienced anything like this.
Wow.”

“You were able to calmly execute during a situation of crisis.

Just think of it as a compensation for doing so.”

Yoo-seong nodded his head with sincerity.

“Yes, I know. This is my first time getting a woman’s number

first.”

All of a sudden, Chae Shin-Young’s eyes widened. This was

the third time her expression changed.

A slight grin.

It was a smile she showed for the first time. Her looks were
boyish, but her smile was not.

Yoo-seong felt like there was the reason he’d gathered up

the courage to make the joke.

“Well then, hope for a quick recovery.”

“Yes. Keep up the good work.”

As Chae Shin-Young went to turn around,

“Excuse me.”

She stopped at Yoo-seong’s question.

“Yes.”

“Asking this could be a bother… but how much do you think

it is? The Shark ape that I caught….”

“I know that it is not that high in value.”

However, Yoo-seong saw it. He saw her mouth, prepared to
say the words ‘But’ in the next sentence.

“Yes?”

“It is nothing. It would be best to go to the market and see

for yourself, instead of listening to someone with no idea. It
will serve you a beneficial experience for the future too, Mr.
Oh Yoo-seong.”

“……What?”

Something felt off.

It was as if Yoo-seong would be frequenting the marketplace

more in the future, even though he wasn’t a Hunter, nor
would ever be one.

Chae Shin-Young then left the hospital room.

“If you knew a little bit, you should just tell me. It’s making
me more curious.”

It was probably nothing too serious. Besides, she had said, ‘I

know that it is not too high in value.’

He lay on the bed whilst thinking this.

However, this all felt serious.

The Shark ape that Yoo-seong had caught was definitely

‘something.’
 Chapter 4

It was exquisite timing.

“I…”

Just before Yoo-seong went crazy…

-Certifying…

The public certificate had begun to work correctly.

On the evening of that day, as soon as he got home from

the hospital, Yoo-seong sat right in front of the computer.

It was the market’s website. While searching for the market

location, Yoo-seong found that online transactions could be
made only after undergoing identity verification.

Direct dealing would be useful, but it was a bit hard to lose

the whole day because Yoo-seong had another job.

‘I don’t think it’ll be too expensive.’

An ID code was written on the back of the pass given by

Chae Shin-young. After the self-certification, Yoo-seong’s ID
was created.

-Welcome to the entrance, Oh Yoo-seong.-

A private page, which was not visible to ordinary visitors,

opened.
“Well.”

This all felt strange.

Although temporary, Yoo-seong was recognized as a

member of the hunters. The market was no different from
any other website. After moving the mouse around for about
an hour, Yoo-seong was able to roughly figure out its
structure.

‘I’ll go into ‘My Page,’ and I’ll click on ‘My Owned.”’

-Shark ape/date of capture 20XX. 05. 13

The history of the monster caught by Yoo-seong last night

came to his mind.

“……Um.”

It took him quite some time to think about this.

Yoo-seong opened another Internet window and entered the

word “exchange.”

After checking yesterday’s commotion on the Internet news,

he heard that 32 Shark Apes had appeared.

Then naturally, the other 31 hunters with ownership would

have put it on the exchange. He could set the price by
referring to the amount they put up.

“I don’t need to go there myself.”

Yoo-seong smiled and drank a cup of coffee.

There had been many trading methods, but the most

commonly used way to exchange was through ‘auction.’
If the lowest auction price and immediate purchase price
were set, several companies or organizations that would
want the body of a monster would bid.

The price of the Shark Apes on the exchange…

“…my God.”

The lowest price was 4.5 million won.

And now, none of the bodies of the Shark Apes under

auction were priced below 500. Although there were
differences, most prices steadily rose from 700 to 800.

Yoo-seong clicked the “Trade” button once.

He posted his own Shark Ape on the market and set the
lowest price at 450 as others did. The only question was
how to set the immediate purchase price.

Short-purchase was the upper limit of the auction price. If

he had a buyer who didn’t want to compete, he could take
the item without an auction by paying the immediate cost.

The highest purchase price set by others was between 10

and 15 million won. Some were already on sale for the
highest rate of 1,000.

“…….”

Yoo-seong drank some more coffee.

Generally speaking, it was just a matter of staying and

watch after setting the price.

“But I have to see this for sure.”

Even short money was his property, after all.

He had to be meticulous. Even if there was an unexpected
change later, wasn’t it his responsibility?

Yoo-seong clicked on each of the posted Shark Apes and

compared the details to his own Shark Ape.

After observation, Yoo-seong seemed to have a clue. The

criteria for the price range of Shark Apes were its size and
gender.

Unfortunately, his Shark Ape was on the short side. The

gender was also male, who was cheaper than females.

But…

-Survival status: O

“……?”

There was a distinct difference.

He had clicked on all 31 Sharp Apes, but it was the only Yoo-
seong that had an “O” sign on that “survival status.”

“No, was it alive?”

Come to think of it; he didn’t feel like he was going to die

because a monster like that kicked his head a little… He
didn’t have any movement back then.

Anyway, he had to set the highest price.

After a while, Yoo-seong typed on the keyboard.

– Immediate purchase price: 500,000,000,000 won

“Is it honestly too much?”

With a grin, Yoo-seong drank the remaining coffee.

Well, who cared? This was the only time at best. Perhaps he
should listen to the hunters talking about the wild crazy.

-Trading history has been updated.

Finishing with a click, Yoo-seong lay right in bed after the

shower.

“How much would it be?”

Ten million won.

No, if only 9 million won came out, it would be close to three

months’ worth of revenue for Yoo-seong.

I’ve won 5th place in the lottery—what an incredible fortune.

Yoo-seong closed its eyes in a perfectly good mood.

However, he could not stop giggling at the immediate price
that he set.

500 million won, that was utterly ridiculous.

So Yoo-seong fell asleep, and the auction began. Obviously,

Yoo-seong’s cold judgment was not wrong.

Yoo-seong’s Shark Ape was far short of receiving 500

million.

To be exact, it was about 80 million won short.

-Current bid price: 420 million won

In terms of the actual profit after-tax deduction, the total

amount was 340 million won.
It was Yoo-seong’s first hunting income.

Even a monster of the same species may factors.

It may be endless to explain them one by one, but in a

nutshell, scarcity was essential.

The harder the sample to get, the more expensive it was.

From that point of view, the ‘living’ Shark Ape was a
sufficiently expensive item.

It was tough to capture this creature, which resembled a

great white shark as much as it looked alive. Even if a
talented hunter captured it without wounds, blood vessels
all over his body would burst under his temper.

There was one of the best-known methods at the moment. It

caused a substantial shock to the veins of this creature’s
larynx during a battle and fell into a domestic condition.

Even so, different individuals have different forces that must

be given.

If he left his consciousness by hitting it awkwardly, his blood

vessels would burst as soon as he glowed. On the contrary,
too much shock meant that even if he fell into suspended
animation, he wouldn’t live long.

“Really, you did a great job.”

The man who came out for the contract, who held the team
leader’s position, repeatedly praised Yoo-seong.

“We were so nervous until you put up the sale. It doesn’t

make sense that we can’t save a single living shark ape.”
It wouldn’t have been so if it were normal.

However, the crack in which Shark Ape appeared was an

emergency that the Defense Department failed to capture
by radar.

In the presence of civilians who couldn’t evacuate, hunters

went on to shoot all the police without any time to plan a
capture operation, saying that “private safety is the top
priority.”

But then a miracle appeared.

Shark Ape, who fainted in a lyric state without any trauma,

simply hit the occipital veins.

Needless to say, Yoo-seong had caught him.

“…….”

“You can take it slow.”

Perhaps because he thought Yoo-seong was silent because

he focused on the contract, the man even arranged the
agreement on the table in a friendly manner.

It was an attitude toward the hunter.

It was also a courtesy to the master who caught the Shark

Ape without even belonging to a group.

What else would you think?

Even the casual attire of Yoo-seong, which was not like a

hunter, seemed to give off a favorable impression.

‘Real experts in any field are unique.’

It was interpreted as the uniqueness of a truly talented
person.

However, Yoo-seong was not silent because of the contract.

Soon his hand wrote his name and stamped his seal.

With it, Shark Ape was transferred to the possession of a

research facility where men worked, with 420 million won
before taxes and 340 million won after taxes, becoming the
money of Yoo-seong.

Before leaving him, Yoo-seong bowed to the man.

“Thank you.”

“What? No! What?”

With his hands waving as if he were in a daze, the man took

out a business card from his pocket.

“If you get a good one next time, please contact me

anytime. If you contact me separately like this, I can give
you a better offer at my discretion.”

It was the man, not Yoo-seong, who bowed his head once
more time just before parting.

“See you again, sir!”

The man left with a foreign car that would have surprised
the usual Yoo-seong.

The man’s resume on his business card listed prestigious

universities and graduate schools abroad, which Yoo-seong
would know.

“No matter how much I think…”

“I think I’m the one who should say thanks.”

Thinking so, Yoo-seong laughed bitterly.

Inside the public transportation back home, Yoo-seong

looked into his account on his cell phone.

456,023,367.

About 456 million won.

Of the total, 340 million won came from the sale of Shark
Ape.

The remaining 110 million were the results of Yoo-seong’s

steady savings over the past nine years. Nine years spent
youth with sincerity rather than pleasure.

It was a one-night profit.

With that one night alone, the last nine years of Yoo-seong
had been reduced to just a third.

No one disliked public money. Naturally, Yoo-seong didn’t

hate the money that came to him.

However, he felt a little stuffy in his chest.

Eventually, with several stops to get home, Yoo-seong got

off the bus. He bought three cans of beer and headed to the
Han River.

Then he sat on the hill and drank them.

Without saying anything or doing anything, he is just sat

there, looking at the river.

“…….”
Even after he finished all his beer, he was not tipsy at all.
His face didn’t turn red.

When he stood up, Yoo-seong was different.

‘I… will become a hunter.’

Yoo-seong looked down.

The grey button was still floating in front of him.

He was a man who did whatever he said he would do.

 Chapter 5

October came.

The public park in the morning, where the scorching late

heat completely disappeared, and only the chilling wind
blew.

“Hoo, hoo!”

Yoo-seong was doing repetitive movements with his body.

Push-ups, iron bars, and dips using parallel bars were

repeated regularly. It wasn’t an incredible number of
repetitions, but Yoo-seong’s posture was excellent.

By the time the muscles of the whole body were shaking,

Yoo-seong had stopped exercising and began to run.

“Hook, whoop!”

Go around the Citizens Park a few times, and go out and run
the streets. After dozens of minutes of running to the house,
his body was almost at the limit.

He could have used an elevator, but Yoo-seong ran up the

stairs to the homemade building.

For the past four months, he had been training without rest.
It was the result of his research on automatic hunting.
A button led you to the maximum performance that your
body could perform with a simple touch.

Then, if you trained your body’s physical abilities, wouldn’t

it increase your ability to press the button naturally?

He ran until he reached the door to the roof of the building.

He opened it slowly.

Now, the training was just beginning.

The Striker was waiting for him.

The Striker was a professional, striking practice machine

that could be anchored on the floor. It was divided into
several parts, and Yoo-seong had spares to replace any
damaged parts.

Standing before the sandbag, Yoo-seong took a breath.

Then he stared at the strike.

OK.

-Auto hunting by pressing a button.-

The button in front of him was activated. The ability to

control the activation/deactivation of the button was one of
Yoo-seong’s achievements over the past few months.

Click!

Yoo-seong pressed the button without hesitation.

Perpuck!

A clicking sound was heard immediately.

As if they were not exhausted, Yoo-seong’s limbs began to
hit the Striker with terrifying momentum.

Most people may laugh, seeing this sight. He would, too.

Yoo-seong looked ridiculous.

He was not positioned correctly in a martial arts stance. He

just seemed to be swinging his limbs wildly. However, if a
skilled person was observing, they would see that each
attack had an extremely efficient direction and power
control.

How many minutes can I go this time?

The Striker began to creak gradually.

Yoo-seong’s face was getting red, and he wasn’t feeling too

well.

‘Slightly, a little more…’

It wasn’t Yoo-seong that moved his body.

However, he could feel the results created by the automatic

movements: muscle fatigue, reaction when hitting, and
above all, exhaustion and breathlessness.

Yoo-seong endured the pain of hitting the Striker with a

body that has just finished multiple exercises and long-
distance running.

There were three ways to deactivate a button once pressed.

1. There was no longer an object to ‘hunt.’

2. Yoo-seong calmed the immersion with mind control.
3. Finally, when the body reached its limit and could no
longer move, automatic hunting stopped.
Puck! Perpuck!

I want to quit.

Yoo-seong’s body was sore, and he was panting hard.

However, he had to be patient.

Yoo-seong knew well that automatic hunting did not lie. The
fact that automatic hunting was still in progress was proof
that his body could still withstand the power.

Yoo-seong clenched his jaw and remained focused.

Pajik!

Finally, it was the Striker that gave up.

The parts, which were tightened tightly, threw back with a

loud sound.

At the same time, automatic hunting was turned off.

“Ugh….”

Yoo-seong, who suddenly gained back control of his body,

shook with fatigue. His necks and lungs felt like being
stabbed by a knife.

In the early days of training, Yoo-seong used an ordinary

sandbag hanging from the chain on the support beam.

However, the sandbag was brutally smashed under the

performance of automatic hunting. There was no practice
mode in automatic hunting. The body would smash the
target as efficiently as possible.
At first, the sandbag was smashed once every four days,
and when the body was trained, and Yoo-seong was able to
withstand auto hunting for a long time, he had to change
the sandbag once every three days, once every two days,
and finally once a day.

That was why he started to use this special Striker. This was
the first time he was able to smash it.

I finally smashed a special product that I wanted to break.

After clearing up the mess, Yoo-seong went down to his

room.

‘It’s so hot…’

As he pulls off the sweaty top, his rising muscles began to

show.

Four months.

For an average human body, it was an incredibly short time

to transform with exercise. An average person needed to
exercise steadily for three months before starting to see a
little change in his/her build.

However, in the meantime, Yoo-seong’s body had already

made great strides.

‘Am I getting a little taller…?’

His shoulders got definitely wider.

‘Well, if you exercise, your bent spine may stretch out.’

He thought little about it. He was more satisfied that his six-
pack was becoming more defined to dwell about the height
he was not even sure he grew.
The human body was a very clever mechanism.

If you were constantly exposed to a certain environment

and got used to it, your body adapted accordingly.

In this case, the environment where Yoo-seong’s body was

exposed was automatic hunting.

Naturally, his body was also turned into a perfect frame for
perfect movement.

Soon, Yoo-seong would be reborn as a big player.

Before one became a hunter, they had to take an

evaluation.

You had to pass tests on knowledge of monsters, as well as

related laws and regulations.

In addition to having the basic physical skills, a candidate

was measured on whether he/she could take the correct
action against a monster.

There were two successful teaching institutes. Yoo-seong

attended one after his morning exercise.

Because of the bank account’s balance, there was little

pressure on attending a large academy in the metropolitan
area.

“I got it!”

“Right!”

The written examinations were scheduled twice a year,

every March and September.
Successful candidates were posted on the school board.
There were cheers and frustrated cries around him, but Yoo-
seong was feeling neither cheerfulness nor frustration.

‘I’m stuck.’

He was expecting to take half a year preparing to be a

hunter, but he already passed on his first attempt at the
examination.

In a way, it was a natural result. Besides self-training every

morning, Yoo-seong was obsessed with writing notes.

It was a new way to replace the goal of life that has been
going on for the past nine years.

Moreover, he was twenty-nine years old. It was ridiculously

late to start studying hunters. He couldn’t always depend on
the button to beat monsters.

-If you pass the handwriting, please come to the

measurement room.-

Passers, including Yoo-seong, moved to follow the school

broadcast.

Every season, after passing the written test, the successful

candidates were gathered to enter the ‘practical class’ – a
preparation for the actual test.

The practical class includes basic physical strength training,

and it seems to be a combination of a college entrance
exam and military training.

“I will update you on your status. Please line up in turn.”

A doctor dispatched for measurement was on one side of
the room, operating a deep body.

A ‘deep body’ was a machine used to gather the candidate’s

status, or more commonly known as ‘the stat’.

The technology to measure the stat appeared with the

advent of monsters.

The stat measures a person’s physical ability, the degree of

strength of the body, special abilities, equipment, objective’
combat power’ value.

Deep bodies measure stats from a pure base state. On

average, a healthy adult male’s stat is at 80, a female at 62.

However, the basic idea was that it was worth trying to take
the practical class when men reached a minimum of 100,
and women, 80.

“135.”

“Good!”

As the doctor provided his status, a young man in the deep

body raised his arms.

“Yeah, 135? Three more than last time?”

“It’s difficult.”

The young man’s friends lined up and slapped his back.

As with any academy, there are also groups of friends that

have become close to each other for months.

Of course, Yoo-seong was not in any group. There is no

reason to play with young children in the academy because
he was busy catching up on his studies. He started late.

The measurements continued.

“114.”

“109.”

Indeed, stats higher than the average appeared.

“81.”

Not everyone was qualified.

“Boo.”

“It’s because I don’t exercise. I kept studying in the

academy.”

Small, but booing sounds were clearly heard.

The man who got 81 turned red. He was helpless about it.
Unlike in studying, where anyone who puts on effort can
pass, physical strength was not something you could easily
control.

The instructor approached the student.

‘Perhaps I can offer advice that the practical class would be

difficult for you. If your stat number is low, the likelihood of
passing the class is low.”

“79.”

“Boo.”

“89.”
“That’s a waste.”

The students with passing stats gathered in one corner of a

dressing room, watching the others in a relaxed manner.

“Next, Mr. Oh Yoo-seong?”

“What do you think will come out, 79?”

“I’ll still give you a good 88,” the instructor said.

“What is an 88? I hope to get an 89.”

Before long, the doctor had finished measuring Yoo-seong,

and a sheet of paper with the results came into his hands.

“Huh?”
 Chapter 6

This…

Unbelievable…

The instructor stared at the paper. He announced Yoo-

seong’s bare stat:

“98.”

“You must have been exercising for a few years, brother,”

another student told him.

Even the group of students in the corner who were booing

others did not make any negative comments.

It wasn’t a high figure, but 98 wasn’t a shame.

As a lecturer, 98 was not a surprising number. The fitness

management program offered by the academy maintained
its excellent level and maintained stats that averaged 100.

However, the bare stat was not all that mattered.

Not at all.

‘What is this?’ The instructor wiped his eyes to make sure he

saw properly before he looked back on the paper.

The deep body was used to capture the entire balance,

strengths, and weaknesses of the body, including the
muscle mass of the object to be measured. Under the
number 98, the details were lined up in charts.

‘Balanced.’

Yoo-seong was technically perfect.

From the right and left balance, to the interaction between

the lower body and the upper body and the placement of
the skeleton. The reason you should start most workouts
early was simple. The body got harder as you got older.

Inconvenient places were created one by one, and

imbalances caused by lifestyle habits harmed the potential
of the body.

However, it was not the case for the body of a man named
Oh Yoo-seong.

Obviously, it was not a body that had trained to the

extreme. However, a flawless body was rarer than those
hardened to the extreme.

Yoo-seong had no physical imbalance or weakness.

“What exercise… did you do?”

It was a stupid question even as the instructor thought

about it himself.

“Not much.”

Yoo-seong replied briefly and added:

“Can I take the practical class?”

“Uh….” The instructor was speechless.

“I really want to,” Yoo-seong added.

When students failed the examination, they were prepared

to swallow their pride. There was nothing wrong with that.

But this time, it was different. That attitude, that mental

strength he saw in that eyes – even those with over 100
stats didn’t look like that.

Besides, what could he do about someone who had a

flawless physical balance?

“You can go,” the instructor decided. He then made his

announcement.

“A total of 45 students, including Mr. Oh Yoo-seong – you are

practical trainees in the second half of this year. Please
move to the second floor.”

Several students shook upon hearing that a person with a

stat of 98 was included.

However, the instructor didn’t care. He just looked at the

back of Yoo-seong, who was walking quietly.

His intuition kept telling him:

That man is not just ’98’. That man has something.

The test result was not the only strange sight he would see
from Yoo-seong.

Woowoong-

When the instructor switched the specimen on, the whole

class moved.
“Oh-oh-oh!”

It was the first time for a lot of students to see monsters out
of their illustrated books. Several mouths hung open.

The specimen was moving in front of them.

Uncanny Mannequin-★★

It was a very strange fungus that, as its name suggested,

took the form of a person. It drew protein from the fibers of
trees or animal remains, and created a nervous system to
control its makeshift limbs.

Of course, the Uncanny Mannequins in the academy were

‘improved.’

Devices had been planted in each one. Control signals were

sent to these devices so the monsters could be
manipulated.

The speed, force, and movement could be adjusted

according to the electrical signal, and even if damaged, they
can be repaired immediately by simply pouring a cheap
solution on them.

“There is nothing. It’s nothing special.”

A confident voice.

It turned out to be Kang Jae-kyun. He was a young man who

set the highest record of 135 in the previous stat
measurement.

The instructor started handing out equipment to each

member of the class.

“I’ll share the three-part rod.”

It was the basic equipment used by novice hunters against
monsters with less than two stars. It was a strong weapon
and could break bones even with just a moderate attack.

“We will have practical tests conducted with a controlled

monster. This is to test how you deal with different monsters
in different environments,” the instructor explained.

When the instructor operated the remote control, a dozen

mannequins lined up in a row. The women in the class let
out a small scream.

“What you will practice this time is….”

“It’s capture,” Kang Jae-kyun told the student next to him,

who nodded. His voice was loud enough for the class to
hear.

“Hmm, hmm.”

After a brief cough, the instructor continued to explain.

“The original grade of the Uncanny Mannequins here is 2-

star, but since this is just a training exercise, I have set their
rank to 1-star. Regardless of gender, anyone here can
capture the Mannequin with their three-part rod.”

Kang Jae-kyun started to talk again in a loud voice, “But the

really important thing -”

“Mr. Kang Jae-kyun!” The instructor had enough and called

him. “Would you like to come in front and explain further?”

“Yes? No. Sorry.”

Kang Jae-kyun raised his hands and smiled, embarrassed.

The class laughed.
The instructor held his breath unintentionally.

Sometimes, this happened. Students with outstanding

power often interrupted the class to show off.

He calmed himself down and continued, “…but knocking

down the prey in the test scoring is just the basic. The really
important thing is how much the prey is overpowered.”

“I’ll call you out one-by-one, and you will each face the
mannequins.”

There were red markings on the body of the mannequins.

They were the size of a young child’s fist.

“This is a weak spot,” the instructor continued. “If you hit it

correctly, the mannequin will fall more easily. Of course, you
can win by hitting other parts, but then the prey will be
damaged.”

The goal of the class is to overcome the mannequin by

striking the weak points. The prey must not be damaged if
they are aiming to capture it.

“All clear? Then, come out one by one in turn.”

Even before the instructor’s words were over, Kang Jae-kyun

stood up.

Boo Boo-. Whoosh-

Jae-kyun immediately showed off some moves using the

three-part rod, looking very confident.

“Shouldn’t we face two mannequins at the beginning?”

The instructor shook his head.

“Well, then, I’ll finish quickly.”

One Uncanny Mannequin and Kang Jae-kyun stood on the

training ring.

As soon as the instructor raised the remote control, the

mannequin rushed forward.

It was only a 1-star rating, but even so, the movement was
similar to that of a strong adult male.

Kang Jae-kyun turned to avoid the mannequin.

“Where!”

Stiff!

A powerfully swinging three-part rod hit the mannequin’s

head!

The mannequin’s head was damaged, and it staggered.

However, Jae-kyun was not able to hit a weak spot, so the

mannequin gathered itself, changed its stance, and rushed
again to attack.

“Kyaaap!”

Pug! Pug!

The second and third blows caused the mannequin to

collapse.

Breathing lightly, Kang Jae-kyun looked out of the ring.

He was met with cheers from the class.

“Cool!”
“Awesome! Did you finish in just three attacks?”

Cheers were pouring out from all directions. Kang Jae-kyun

looked at the instructor with pride.

“Please give me two of them, hurry.”

“…….”

The instructor was looking at the condition of the beaten

mannequin. The back of the head and neck were broken…

He sent up two new mannequins.

This time, it was not that easy.

Both mannequins attacked at the same time, in different

directions.

While Kang Jae-kyun hit one on its head, the second one
grabbed his waist.

Then, the first one immediately recovered from the hit and
jumped back on Jae-kyun. It was like an ugly dog fight in the
neighborhood.

Pug!

A mannequin hit Jae-kyun with a fist.

“These… bastards!”

Kang Jae-kyun’s face turned red.

“Oh ah ah ah ah!”

He wildly swung the three-part rod to shake off the

mannequins. Kang Jae-kyun just swung and swung
powerfully with no aim. After about a minute, the two
mannequins, severely battered and broken, fell down the
ring.

The instructor drew ‘X’ on Jae-kyun’s paper. It was a

complete failure.

However, it didn’t look like that to everyone else.

“Well fought!”

“Awesome! You still won!”

The other students cheered, amazed by the physical

prowess shown by Jae-kyun. Kang Jae-kyun himself also
seemed satisfied, and he came down the ring with an elated
attitude.

The instructor noticed it as another problem. In the real

world, some monsters have special abilities like toxicity, and
it was easy to die if you walked away from their corpses
carelessly.

‘You need more practice, you crazy bastard…’ The instructor

was angry.

“Next!” he shouted.

The students looked at each other with hesitation. As Kang

Jae-kyun just showed a great performance, they were
hesitant to come out after him.

Of course, some people didn’t care about that.

“I will do it.”

Yoo-seong raised his hand.

An expression of surprise passed on the faces of everyone,
including the instructor.

“Yes, go up,” the instructor said.

Yoo-seong went up the ring. Truth be told, he was a little

nervous. It was the first time he’s going to face a monster
since the Shark Ape.

However, didn’t you work hard in the past months? Believe

in yourself, he thought as motivation.

Whatever the results may be, he thought, you can use it to

accurately diagnose your abilities and use it as a reference
to work harder.

The students watching him were talking to each other.

“Look at his expression.”

“He must be nervous; it’s cute.”

“Fighting!”

The instructor sent the mannequin up and talked to Yoo-

seong for a bit before the test started.

“Oh Yoo-seong.”

“Yeah?”

“Do not worry. You won’t get hurt too much.”

The instructor liked the serious attitude of Yoo-seong. They

exchanged nods, and then the instructor pressed a button.
The mannequin then started to move.

At the same time, Yoo-seong also pushed a button.

Woosh!

His three-part rod unfolded quickly.

The mannequin rushed at a terrifying pace. And then…

Tck!

Everyone in the room was stunned.

“…”

“…?”

“Uh….”

“What?”

Only a few people, including the instructor, noticed what

happened.

It was a strange sight.

The mannequin was running, the three-part rod swung over

it and only brushed the monster slightly, and then the
mannequin suddenly collapsed helplessly.

“Was that mannequin faulty?”

Someone in the room said, but the instructor knew better.

It was a sight of accuracy, not fault.

The tip of Yoo-seong’s rod hit a weak spot accurately, at the

exact, crucial moment.

It was the same with a top-notch boxer knocking out an

opponent by touching only the chin.
Concise and accurate single attack.

Oh my God, the instructor thought, feeling goosebumps at

the back of his neck.

“Well… you did it. Very good.” It was perfect, he nearly said.

“Then, Mr. Oh Yoo-seong. Would you like to try 2 vs. 1 too?”

“…”

Yoo-seong hesitated for a few moments, then answered him

with that firm, polite expression.

“Yes. I’ll do it.”

As the two mannequins were sent up, the instructor stared

at Yoo-seong.

Could it be that he is used to wielding a three-part rod?

The instructor secretly operated the remote control and

pressed a couple more buttons.

He controlled the mannequin’s power and speed to remain

the same but changed the setting to the advanced program
for those who were experienced with the rod.

It was a program mainly used by novice hunters, not by

students.

I know I shouldn’t do this, but…

It was purely because of his terrible curiosity.

I just wanted to see the previous movement more

accurately.
Indeed, what kind of movement will the strange student
show against more advanced opponents?

The mannequins were in place.

Now, the whole class was holding their breaths as they

waited.

The instructor activated the mannequins and saw the third

strange sight of the day.

Yoo-seong stood, holding his three-part rod casually, with

two mannequins in front of him.

Then he rushed in, low, towards the mannequins.

The mannequins threw out fists –

Whoosh!

Shhh!

-and missed. After dodging the attacks gracefully, Yoo-seong

fired his counterattacks.

Pug!

Pug!

The man with the stat 98 threw out two attacks – one for
each of his enemies.

Without a single error, and exactly at the weak points.

With the exact timing. With the exact power needed.

The mannequins fell silently.

Beyond the ring, the class was filled with silence.

“…….”

“Excuse me.” Yoo-seong raised his rod slightly and spoke to

the instructor, whose mouth was hanging open.

Shyly, yet confidently:

“3 vs. 1. Could we try it?”

 Chapter 7

“Ugh····”

The whole class held their breath.

Eventually, Yoo-seong was defeated.

There was a mannequin holding his neck from behind, while

all his limbs were held down by other mannequins.

The instructor intervened. “Thank you, that’s enough.”

There were three mannequins holding Yoo-seong. In front of

him were four collapsed ones.

Seven to one.

Three alone were not enough.

Three. Four. Even five or six could not touch him.

Seven was the number needed to defeat Yoo-seong.

The mannequins immediately rushed to him, creating a

dense wall, crushing him by force.

Even so, he was able to bring down four of them, before

succumbing to the others’ strength.

“That looked like it hurt…” a student muttered as she

watched the scene.
The instructor extended his hand to the kneeling Yoo-seong.
“Are you okay?”

“Yes, thank you.” Yoo-seong took his hand and stood up.

Unbelievable, the instructor thought as he helped Yoo-

seong’s up.

The stat measurement is correct.

Oh Yoo-seong was not physically strong.

The virtuosity that was displayed in defeating the

mannequins could not have been because of his physical
strength.

Like an idiot, Kang Jae-gyun made remarks to the crowd.

“If he had more muscles… he could have won.”

He’s then said that he could have shaken the mannequins

off with force.

This doesn’t make sense. The instructor did not pay

attention to Kang Jae-gyun, and was instead deep in
thought.

Hunters who were at the front lines could cut down 1-2 star
monsters by ten in one attack.

But they are expert hunters who have experience facing

hundreds of ridiculous monsters – not students doing
practical training for the first time.

Moreover, even if someone is capable of killing ten

mannequins, can they defeat six mannequins with bare
hands, just like Yoo-seong did?
Unlike the instructor who was thinking complicated
thoughts, Yoo-seong’s thought was simple.

What a waste. He felt a sense of accomplishment of what he

has done, but there was more regret than accomplishment.

Yoo-seong felt that he had insufficient power.

When the mannequins held him down, he could not escape

even with the automatic hunting feature.

He needs to get stronger to fight his way out of that

situation.

As he went down the ring, he was thinking about how to

increase the sets on his strength exercise.

Suddenly, unexpected applause and cheers greeted him

when he came down.

“Great!”

“Really – that was awesome!”

The class who held their breath released the tension by

collectively cheering him.

“Seriously, you’d think I was watching martial arts!”

“I thought it was a movie with special effects!”

“That’s honestly ridiculous, just ridiculous…”

Everyone was impressed. Students immediately flocked to

him, surrounding him.

“Did you learn martial arts separately? Boxing? Muay Thai?”

“Uh…” Yoo-seong found it hard to answer the deluge of
appreciation and questions.

Kang Jae-gyun watched the scene, very displeased. He

marched towards the instructor.

“Excuse me.”

“…….”

The instructor was still deep in thought, barely noticing him.

The instructor could hear Kang Jae-gyun’s voice in the

background. He heard “even if it’s about 110…” and “if I
have some equipment…” but he wasn’t really focused on
the words.

Suddenly, Kang Jae-gyun raised his voice.

“Excuse me! Let me go one more time!”

“…….”

The instructor’s eyebrows furrowed. He was displeased

because he was distracted, but Kang Jae-gyun didn’t seem
to mind it.

“I’m going to do it without a triple rod. I’m going to use my

fists. I’m not used to…”

“Once everyone has completed their turn, you can do it

once more. Please wait.”

“Ah!”

The atmosphere was tense.

Kang Jae-gyun lost his temper and grabbed the instructor’s
shoulder.

After a moment of silence, the instructor spoke quietly.

“Mr. Kang Jae-gyun…”

“……Mr. Jae-Gang Kang.”

Kang Jae-gyun stiffened upon hearing his voice. Fear shot

through him.

“This is the last warning.”

“Uhh….”

It’s easy for students to forget, but the instructors were also
hunters. They retired due to personal reasons, such as
injuries, and opted to teach instead.

“If you interrupt the class or speak loudly one more time, we
will refund the tuition immediately. Please try another
school.”

“…….”

Of course, the instructor will never hit Kang Jae-gyun.

But his tone and voice was enough to make the rowdy
student feel fear.

“Do you understand?”

“Uh… yes.”

Kang Jae-gyun nodded.

The instructor nodded back with a stern expression; then,
he turned to the class as if nothing happened.

“The next person?”

“Cheers!”

The glasses hit each other with a cheerful sound.

It was late in the evening, and the downtown pub was

crowded with students.

They were celebrating the beginning of their practical

training.

It was their excuse for tonight – they were usually here two
or three times a week.

The difference was that there was a new face that joined
them.

“Uh, why is brother Yoo-seong not drinking?”

“Huh.” Yoo-seong shook his hand gently to the student who

gave him a beer mug. “I decided not to drink until I passed
the exam.”

Yoo-seong had a liking for alcohol. He liked it very much, in

fact. But four months ago, after the incident with the Shark
Ape, he vowed never to touch alcohol again.

Every night, he longed for beer more than his ex-girlfriend,

but he endured it with strong determination.

“Oh, oh!”
“What…”

The students were not confused by Yoo-seong’s words. In

fact, most of them were impressed at what he said.

They know his words are proven by action.

After today’s training, the majority of the students

approached Yoo-seong to make friends with him and learn
from him.

I’m too old for this, Yoo-seong thought and laughed bitterly.

The students around him are mostly twenty years old. Yoo-
seong will turn thirty years old tomorrow. The age difference
was obvious.

Suddenly-

An ice-filled cup was placed in front of Yoo-seong.

“Then, would you like a Coke?” a girl sitting next to him

said.

Yoo-seong nodded shyly and took the can. “Thank you.”

“Hey, please be comfortable. We are all younger than you.”

She wasn’t a typical beauty, but she had a clear and bright
face that looked nice to him.

“Oppa, do you know my name?”

“Yeah. Hee-ji, right?

Of course, he knew. He watched her deep body

measurements.
119. This is the highest record for a woman in this class.

She had shown enough strength to face two mannequins

during practice.

“Do you know my last name?”

“Ms. Yang Hee-ji.”

“Wow! You knew.” She clapped her hands.

“So, have you decided on a firm to join after you get your
license?” she continued.

“Firm? Ah…”

Most hunters work in groups.

As the military works in squads or platoons, firms are also

composed of several teams.

Naturally, hunting is also a profession in the capitalist

society, so teams and firms are battling for reputation, and
competition to enter them is difficult.

“No, I haven’t thought about that yet.”

“Really? Miraculous. I think there are a lot of places where

you can get a contract in advance…”

Yang Hee-ji looked hesitant for a moment, then she

continued.

“In fact, my father and my older brother are running a small

farm.”

“Yes?”
“Yeah! It’s okay if you come for a field trip once you have
time.”

“I don’t want to cause trouble.”

“No! I often visit people who have just gotten licenses. If

you come, I will tell them good things about you.”

Yoo-seong laughed and nodded.

Yang Hee-ji is cute, he thought.

“But tell me, what did you do for training? Do you have any
practical training programs?”

“I’m doing my basic fitness training on my own. Not yet.”

Suddenly, a cynical laugh came from across the table.

“That’s ridiculous.”

It was Kang Jae-gyun. He hadn’t spoken a word after the

class and was drinking in a dark mood.

He continued, “You shouldn’t overdo it. I think you have a

private tutoring at home.”

Yang Hee-ji gave attention to his words. “Hey… Why is your

tone like that?”

However, Kang Jae-gyun didn’t seem to hear her. Or more

probably, he heard but ignored her.

“Are you saying you’re a genius who does well without

anyone teaching you? Why? Do you want to get more
appealing, is that it? Is it fun?” he continued his sarcastic
comments.
“….”

The students fell silent. The atmosphere was already getting

intense.

Yoo-seong looked at Kang Jae-gyun. As usual, he is calm,

without any sign of agitation. “I’m sorry if it sounded like
that.”

However, Kang Jae-gyun took his apology as a strong

provocation.

“No, I asked you a question. I don’t need you to say sorry,”

he snapped back.

No one could say a word. Everyone was either looking at

Kang Jae-hyun, at Yoo-seong, or down at their mugs.

“Huh? Answer me! What?”

“……I will leave now.” Yoo-seong stood up, and the students
cleared a path for him.

Their eyes looked angry as they looked at Kang Jae-gyun.

-Why, that bastard?

-Suddenly, he’s ruining the mood.

-But Yoo-seong is really calm. His expression hasn’t even

changed.

-He just wanted to come and have a social life…

Kang Jae-gyun burst completely.

“Hey!”
He couldn’t take it anymore. It was enough that his self-
esteem was hurt by their instructor; he will not allow Yoo-
seong to do it once more.

Kang Jae-gyun got up from his seat and forcefully

approached Yoo-seong.

“Don’t you ignore me!” he yelled.

With a bang, he grabbed Yoo-seong’s shoulders firmly.

Kang Jae-gyun was calculating in his mind. When he fought

the mannequin, Yoo-seong wasn’t able to overcome them
when he was held down.

If he does the same, there is no chance he would lose.

Oh Yoo-seong wasn’t a hunter like their instructor.

However-

It wasn’t what Kang Jae-gyun expected.

Déjà vu.

Yoo-seong didn’t resist. He didn’t tremble, nor show a

frightened expression. Instead, he looked down at the hand,
grabbing his right shoulder.

“…honestly,” Yoo-seong said in a quiet voice. “I can’t

understand why you’re doing this, and I don’t want to
understand it.”

Then, he raised his head and met Kang Jae-gyun’s eyes.

There was controlled but definite anger.

Controlled…
Goosebumps went down Kang Jae-gyun’s back. He felt it.

135 stats. He was stronger than others; than anyone in this

room.

But he felt that there was a barrier between him and this
man.

It was as if he’ll die if he crosses that barrier.

It was a wild imagination, but he really felt that way.

I will suffer thoroughly, he thought.

“So…” Yoo-seong’s hand slowly rose above Kang Jae-gyun’s

wrist.

“……!”

Kang Jae-gyun felt his grip. It was weak. He had weak

muscle strength. His hand simply wrapped his wrist.

But Kang Jae-gyun trembled as if it was the hand of a ghost

that grabbed him.

“Before you face unrestrained results, think again and

again.”

“Oh…. Ah…”

“Let me go.”

Then, Kang Jae-gyun, who was holding Yoo-seong’s

shoulders, released him.

Then, Yoo-seong approached him and tapped his shoulders

lightly, as if comforting him.
The room was silent.

Yoo-seong smiled his distinctive shy smile and did a little

bow as he spoke to the group.

“Sorry. I had fun. Thanks for having me.”

It was like the bar had turned into a funeral, he thought as

he walked out.

Suddenly. Yang Hee-ji called him. “Oppa, where are you

going?” She shot a look of annoyance at Kang Jae-gyun,
then ran to follow Yoo-seong.

“Wait a minute! Don’t go home yet, let’s just go somewhere

else and eat!”

Then, other students, who were close to Yang Hee-ji, and

those who disliked Kang Jae-gyun, got up one after another
and followed them out.

The pub went silent. The only people left were those who
were close to Kang Jae-gyun.

Then –

“…….”

They too, got up and left.

Only Kang Jae-gyun, whose lips were shaking, remained.

What a night.

Yoo-seong entered his room and sighed.

I almost took a sip of beer. Yang Hee-ji… and I almost fought
someone. Anyway, at least it’s quiet now.

Yoo-seong looked down on the button before him.

He recalled what happened at the first bar he went to.

He’s a little kid.

He didn’t think much about the brainless young man who

grabbed him. He didn’t worry about it too much.

There was something more important than that.

When he was caught by Kang Jae-gyun, something new and

different popped up before his eyes.
 Chapter 8

There was a square beside the button.

Its size was similar to that of the button, slightly smaller

than the palm, and it floated in his view.

He tried to reach for it several times, but he can’t touch it.

It had a shiny silver border, and it looked completely empty.

“…”

Yoo-seong decided to use his common sense and think

about it.

Auto-hunting is a feature that only appeared in mobile

games. No, this feature did not exist anywhere except in
games.

Then, maybe this square thing is also a feature found in

mobile games.

Hmm..

Could it be that the square next to the button is…

“A slot?”

Slots in games are usually had icons of skills or items inside,

and acted as a shortcut key.
But Yoo-seong had no skill icon in the slot.

If this is a real slot, though…

Thirsty.

Right now, he craved for the beer that he hadn’t taken for a
while. Instead, he went to the refrigerator and took out a
bottle of corn tea.

He almost automatically started to turn the lid, but he

stopped.

An idea came to him.

Yoo-seong lifted the bottle to his chest, aiming to place it

within the silver border.

The bottle disappeared from his hand.

“Oh my God.”

A notification window appeared.

-Make eye contact and blink to activate Utility Slot-1. –

The slot was no longer empty.

It contained a plastic bottle that was 2-dimensional, and

small enough to fit the slot.

Blink?

Yoo-seong stared at the slot, then blinked slowly.

Gulp.
His thirst was gone. He felt the cold going down through his
throat. His mouth was wet. The sweetness of corn tea was
on his tongue.

Changes have also occurred inside the slots.

The picture of the corn tea was the same, but there was a
small number on the bottom right.

-2/3-

“haha. This crazy.”

Yoo-seong opened the refrigerator again.

He took another bottle of corn tea and placed it on the slot.

The numbers changed immediately.

-3/3, 2/3-

“It should be easy to understand.”

Yoo-seong muttered to himself. Within a few minutes, he

discovered the rules of the slot.

First: He can take out what was in the slot.

If he reached out to the slot and touched the items within –

Tutuk!

Bottles of corn tea reappeared on his hands.

A full bottle, and one that’s exactly a third less.

Second: He can only put multiple items of the same thing on

the slot.
He couldn’t put bottled water in the slot where the corn tea
bottles were.

Third: He could put anything in his hands into the slot.

He was able to put his cellphone on the slot. He tried it too

with a book.

However, the activation through blinking only seemed to

work for consumables. Nothing happened when he tried to
use it on other items.

“I wish I had more slots, but…”

Lastly, the fourth discovery:

Yoo-seong went up to the rooftop.

He hit the auto-hunting button in front of the practice

machine.

Papat!

His body started to move in maximum efficiency, beyond

Yoo-seong’s control.

At the same time, he realized that the slot is still available

even as he is on auto-hunting mode.

“What if…”

Yoo-seong blinked.

He didn’t have control over his body, so he did not

physically blink, but he thought about it.

But –
Gulp.

The corn tea has been reduced. At the same time, the
feeling of being refreshed washed over him.

He repeated it two to three more times, and he was able to

use it without any problems.

“So…”

Slots can be used while auto-hunting.

It was definitely a big change. It means that Yoo-seong could

be active even in auto-hunting mode.

“Can I eat ramen with it?”

It sounded crazy that Yoo-seong laughed at himself for

thinking it.

But it wasn’t completely crazy.

It is normal to feel discomfort when you take in food and

drink while moving violently or doing strenuous physical
activity.

But if he ate through the slot, there will be no such

discomfort.

I remember something I learned about in the academy.

A potion ampoule was among the special equipment that

hunters use.

These potions are made of raw materials extracted from

monsters and have the ability to greatly increase human
recovery and muscle strength without any side effects.
Yoo-seong has never seen one of these. It is said that mass
production of its ingredients is difficult, so supply was only
for hunters and for civilians who can afford its high price.

It is said to cure incurable diseases in doses prescribed and

arranged for by doctors.

Large corporate presidents and big politicians were known

to use this special potion.

“Well, it’s a long way to go, right?”

In games, hundreds of potions such as those are stacked,

only to be dismissed eventually when a character reaches a
high level where he is practically invincible.

That future is nearer than Yoo-seong thought possible.

Right now, he is focused on what he could use the slot for

immediately, rather than focus on what he thought was a
distant fantasy.

Maybe I can eat real ramen…

“… I’ll do it in the morning.”

He really wanted to try it out right now, but it’s late at night.

Yoo-seong was a man who took care of his body.

Running in the winter is not a common thing.

The ground is slippery; the muscles are stiff – there is a lot

of risks to be injured.
However, the wind was the worst. Even if you stand still, the
wind blowing against you already feels like a sharp knife.

Yoo-seong didn’t make exceptions, though when it comes to

exercise.

Passersby commented as they saw him.

-Wow… I wish I had that body.

-How many years did it take to build that up?

Yoo-seong was wearing a dry suit that reveals the shape of

his body and limbs.

Functionality is the best, but it is not very suitable for

preventing cold.

However, Yoo-seong, who runs with it on, does not feel any
pain in the cold.

“Just a little… more….”

Stable breathing from start to finish. Yoo-seong finished the

morning exercise effortlessly.

“Huh!”

He stood in front of his building and stretched a little.

Even though it was too cold to sweat, Yoo-seong felt

satisfied.

He went inside his house and took off his suit, pure white
steam rising from his body.

“To be honest…”
Looking at himself in the mirror, Yoo-seong thought he
looked bad.

“Now, I’m starting to look a little gross.”

In 8 months, Yoo-seong’s body has grown 6 cm in height.

Whenever he met acquaintances, they were surprised at
this development. Yoo-seong was more surprised at himself.

He remembered when he was in the public bathroom about

a week ago. A man in his forties spoke to him.

-Student, do you do gymnastics?

Yoo-seong didn’t know what to say. He stammered and said

he was a hunter.

Yoo-seong ate incredibly.

Physical exercise and jogging are no longer a burden. It only

takes a few hours of auto-hunting to get completely
exhausted.

He knew that if he exercised to that extent, he had to eat a

lot to prevent his muscles from falling out.

In that regard, his slot had a lot of use.

-433.-

Slot-filled protein bar.

Yoo-seong didn’t have to chew as he continued to exercise.

He simply blinked every time he felt he was empty and
immediately got satisfied.

He ran hundreds of miles and turned on auto-hunting

whenever he can.
Eight months.

At that time, Yoo-seong’s body changed completely.

The change felt like he was now riding a sports car rather
than the regular SUV he was before.

Today, as the snow fell at four o’clock in the morning, he

started to run for three hours.

Obviously, his stat would change with the improvement in

his physical ability.

Jiing!

His cellphone rang. It was a text sent from the academy,

reminding him not to be late.

Why would I be late?

Yoo-seong took a slow shower, feeling relaxed.

Today, he felt good.

He will take the hunter test in two hours.

 Chapter 9

The test site was a large shopping center.

Ten years ago, when cracks began to appear, a crack with

three- and four-star monsters suddenly opened in the
shopping center.

Buildings in the area collapsed from the damage, and

countless people who were just there to buy clothes died.

The government bought the land. Cracks are likely to re-

occur where they previously appeared.

The center was converted to a place for people who are not
afraid to face monsters.

A massive test site.

Huge.

Yoo-seong got off the Academy shuttle bus and admired the

scene.

There were domes several times the size of the Academy

sports ground spread out in front of him.

The government spent trillions of dollars to develop the

area.

Hundreds of people get hired in this place annually after the

tests are done.
But his wonder was not just for the size of the place.

People getting off the bus noticed it too.

“Look over there….”

“Awesome!”

There was a large parking lot in front of the test site.

Parked in it were not only vehicles owned by private

institutes, academies, or test takers.

There were lots of foreign cars that were usually seen in the
Seoul metropolis. Sleek SUVs, sports cars, luxury vehicles…

There were also several security personnel were standing in

attention.

They wore functional tops and sunglasses, as well as

military pants.

“They are hunters, I think,” said Lee Sang-hyang, one of the

thousands of candidates who arrived in the area.

“I think they are scouts,” Yang Hee-ji said, standing next to

Yoo-seong.

“Scouts?”

“The results of the practical exams are released

immediately, right?”

Yoo-seong nodded.

Unlike the written exams, the hunter skill test is published

immediately right after the end of the exams, along with the
rankings.
A passing candidate will get his/her license issued on the
same day.

“This is an important place, especially for those small teams

or firms. They could get a promising talent on the spot,
before other larger firms could recruit them,” Yang Hee-ji
explained.

She knew a great deal, coming from a family of hunters.

“But why are there so many people in the parking lot-“

Suddenly, Yang Hee-ji screamed!

Yoo-seong was shocked and embarrassed at his companion,

who was making a scene in the parking lot.

However, it seemed like nobody noticed her. It’s because

most of the people in the area were no different from Yang
Hee-ji.

A lot of people were screaming in chorus.

“Lee, Lee, Lee, Lee, Lee Jae….”

Lee Jae-hak.

Only then did Yoo-seong saw the cause of the commotion.

The excitement was obvious not only from the candidates

and from the instructors but also from the other hunters.

“Whoah, it’s really Jae-hak!” Yoo-seong heard a candidate

say in awe.

The hunter who was called the best solo in Korea.

Alone, he is capable of performance comparable to that of a
team, or even a mid-sized firm. He had a huge fan base at
home and abroad with his skill and appearance.

Yoo-seong was also staring at the man’s face.

It was the face in his ex-girlfriend’s cellphone wallpaper.

Well, he didn’t feel anything about him, except for curiosity.

“Wow, it’s not a joke. The Force! But why did Jae-hak come
here? Yeah, I heard he’s building a team these days…” Hee-
ji said.

Why else would a high-ranking hunter be here?

Because of Lee Jae-hak’s strong presence, however, no one

dared to crowd him for autographs, but he was still
surrounded by admirers.

Yoo-seong soon turned away and told Hee-ji.

“Let’s go in and get a seat.”

The instructor told them that there were waiting rooms

inside, so it was possible to warm up and do some
stretching exercises.

Other candidates may know that information too, but no one

was getting inside the dome. It was too early, and Jae-hak is
here. Who would want to do stretching?

Yoo-seong slipped into the crowd to get toward the dome’s

entrance.

It was a coincidence.
Lee Jae-hak’s eyes were restless as people crowded around
him.

Suddenly, his eyes landed on Yoo-seong, who was passing

through.

His eyes narrowed a little.

Suddenly –

The crowd was surprised.

“Oh wow!”

“How did he do that?”

“Is that a new ability? Or equipment?”

Lee Jae-hak flew over people’s heads in an instant and

landed in front of Yoo-seong, amidst the buzzing of the
amazed crowd.

“Uh, you over there,” Lee Jae-hak looked at him awkwardly,

as if he was a little shy. “I know this can sound weird…”

Yoo-seong looked surprised at the sudden landing, but he

stayed calm. “Yes?”

What did Lee Jae-hak come to him? What is he going to say

in front of this crowd?

“That…” Lee Jae-hak timidly raised his hand and pointed at

Yoo-seong’s forearm. “Can I touch it?”

“……….”

“……….”
Yoo-seong and those who were watching went speechless at
the odd request.

Lee Jae-hak seemed serious; however, then realized how

awkward it sounded.

“Ah! Don’t get me wrong! It doesn’t mean anything else, but

I saw it from a distance, and it looked very strange… I was
very curious.”

The faces in the crowd looked doubtful.

A strange body? Of course, everyone who looked at Yoo-

seong can see that the young man had an excellent body.

But what makes it interesting?

What did Lee Jae-Hak’s eyes see?

“…….”

Yoo-seong looked at Jae-hak, and considered.

Then, he nodded, “You can.”

“Thank you!”

It started.

Lee Jae-hak began to touch Yoo-seong’s forearm without

hesitation.

“Good…” he murmured, then looked up to Yoo-seong.

“Excuse me, but you’re “pure” right?”

“Yes.”
“But how did you… can touch I you in other places? I mean,
like shoulders and other muscles?”

It was a very strange sight.

A first-hunter who appeared on the test site is touching the

forearm of an unknown candidate.

But what makes it more bizarre were their expressions.

Jae-hak’s expression looked like a craftsman appreciating a

work of art. He looked so serious and technical as he did it,
there’s nothing funny about it.

Yoo-seong’s expression also looked serious. A top hunter is

feeling his body in front of countless people, but he did not
have a trace of embarrassment or shame in his face.

Rather, he seemed to be deep in thought.

“Oh, thank you.” Lee Jae-hak lifted his hand from Yoo-
seong’s body, looking deeply impressed.

“I have been around the world and have seen a lot,” he

continued, “but it’s the first time I have ever seen a body
with this build without a gap. It’s beautiful. Beautiful.
Sincerely.”

Yoo-seong simply nodded. “Thank you.”

“I do not know about your abilities, but even without it, just
continue to get stronger, you can go a long way,” Jae-hak
said as he took a business card out of his wallet.

“Please contact me if you have time,” he said, giving the

card to Yoo-seong. “If it’s okay, I’d like to share with you
some training tips.”
“Yes.”

“I hope you have good results in the exam.”

Both men turned away, Yoo-seong heading towards the

dome.

Both of them were deep in thought.

Lee Jae-hak hopes that this young man passes the

examination.

Yoo-seong did, too.

Practical exams are taken in different fields within the dome.

The candidates had to face randomly selected monsters in

different fields, and show appropriate responses to pass the
examination.

Naturally, the examination was risky, so candidates had to

sign an agreement that the organizers will not be held
accountable for any accident or injury.

Candidates stayed at waiting rooms before they are called

in to enter the field.

The random conditions for their examination will be released

five minutes before the actual test, so the waiting room was
always a place of confusion and mental stress.

Today, however, it was much worse.

“No, what?!”

“It does not make any sense!”

The organizer discussed something that was not in the
database so far.

It was something that hasn’t been done over the past

decade.

It had been suggested that the difficulty of the practical test

should be increased, as there was an increase in cracks, and
there have been a lot of hunter casualties.

Usually, the monsters in the fields were rated 2-stars.

It was hard to use 3-star monsters for practical exams.

Capturing them alive and using them for testing fresh
candidates may have disastrous results.

Therefore, the organizers had a practical solution for

increasing the difficulty.

They got the strongest, smartest, yet safest monster that

they can for this year’s tests.

In fact, these monsters were measured to be at least 2-

stars.

[In this test, you must capture each other.]

[Human adults who have undergone military/hunting

training- ★★]
 Chapter 10

Each of the candidates has been provided a supply box

before they were ushered into different domes.

Each dome had a different environment, depending on what

has been selected for the candidate. There were numerous
entrances to the domes, and candidates walked in
separately.

Click.

As soon as the entrance closed, Yoo-seong opened the

supply box.

There was only one thing in it.

An anonymous suit.

The supervisor’s voice echoed through the broadcast. [You

have five minutes to equip the suit.]

If a candidate is not prepared by the end of the five-minute

limit, they will be dropped out of the test automatically.
Supervisors will drag them out of the domes.

The anonymous suit was similar to the functional sportswear

worn by Yoo-seong. It fit the body tightly but allowed free
movement.

But,
Jiing!

As soon as Yoo-seong wore it, a shield feature installed on

the suit was activated.

Anonymous suit (special modification for testing)-★★

Like monsters, equipment used by hunters is rated with

stars.

The purpose of the anonymous suit is to completely hide the

identity of the wearer.

People in this suit can only be seen as black silhouettes.

It was also impossible to communicate inside the suit, as

conversations sound distorted unless the wearer is tuned in
to a dedicated frequency.

Naturally, there was no frequency activated for the

candidates in the test.

Each of them had no identity.

They will only see each other as black silhouettes, like killers
in a mystery cartoon.

Yoo-seong recalled the rules of the examination that was

discussed to them.

“If the wearer receives a fatal blow, the suit will release an
electric shock…”

The shielding function will be released, the candidate will be

exposed and will be considered as a drop-out.

Supervisors will quickly evacuate the dropped-out candidate

from the zone. Meanwhile, the person who took out a
candidate will be awarded 1 point.

If you take out another candidate, you will get the points
he/she had accumulated.

At the end of the time limit, only the top 10 candidates in

the dome will be considered as passed.

Yoo-seong looked around inside the dome and admired it

silently.

The environment selected for him was a jungle.

It was perfect. There were countless species of plants, some

he had only seen in television and books.

There was also tropical moisture within the dome. Above

Yoo-seong is a blue sky.

The dome is capable of showing night and day scenes,

complete with the appropriate heat of the sun at a particular
time.

The time limit is 72 hours.

A thorough test of survival, where the candidates had to find

their supply of water, food, and rest.

I have to perfectly apply all the survival techniques I learned

while preparing for the exam, Yoo-seong thought.

Suddenly, there was a rustling sound from the shrubs

behind him.

Yoo-seong immediately turned around.

“…….!”
There was a black silhouette who froze upon seeing him,
seemingly as surprised as Yoo-seong was.

Yoo-seong was a bit embarrassed. He knew that inside of

the black silhouette was another ordinary student like him.

The silhouette recovered from his shock and immediately

picked up a big tree branch, grasping it tightly in his hands.

However, Yoo-seong was much faster.

-Press button to auto-hunt.-

Yoo-seong pressed the button.

“Wow, that guy is really not a joke.”

The test dome has a field where the examinations take

place, as well as waiting rooms where candidates prepare
themselves.

It also has a control room where test operations and

supervision are conducted.

But there is a fact that is not known to the public, but an

open secret between hunters.

There was also an observation room in test domes.

The price of admission is not very high. Anyone with a

hunter’s license can use it for a small fee. The whole
process of the practical test can be observed from this
room.

There was even an option for remote viewing, where

hunters can watch the examinations without going to the
dome. In this case, the fee charged was much more
expensive.

Watching from the observation room is a tradition with a

great practical purpose. The aim was to accurately evaluate
the beginners who will enter the market.

Since a hunter’s job is of high value, the rise and fall of an

organization can depend on topnotch scouting and
recruitment.

Hunters were standing around in the observation room,

discussing the examination.

“I didn’t know the test already takes this long?”

“Yeah, it’s not a joke.”

[17 hours have elapsed since the start of the practical test.]

This year’s performance test was an unprecedented hit

among on-site and remote viewers.

Shortly after the guidelines have been discussed to the

candidates, the official hunter website posted about the new
rules of this year’s test.

It has caught the attention of everyone in the industry.

It will be hell for this year’s candidates.

However, this also guarantees the quality of the passing

candidates.

As such, small and medium-sized teams and firms sent

team leaders to the field to observe firsthand.
There were nearly a thousand monitors in the observation
room. Ordinary people will find it hard to follow the action.

However, hunters are superhumans who can hunt all night

long inside dangerous cracks.

In their case, it was possible to accurately distinguish the

silhouettes just by their body movement.

The walking speed or stride of length; how a candidate

wields their fist or foot or a blunt weapon…

Each one of the hunters was watching their favorite

candidates across multiple monitors, but the majority was
gathered together in front of one screen.

It was only a rumor that had spread several months ago, but
it was confirmed today by Lee Jae-hak.

A sister.

A natural with the physical prowess and aptitude.

It was said that Lee Jae-hak had been hunting for the past
few months just to teach his younger sister, a super-genius
comparable to him.

The sister doesn’t have a license yet, and nobody knew how
she looked like.

The Association however reached an agreement with Lee

Jae-hak to allow her to join him.

It is said that even at her pure state, she could catch a

three-star monster.

It was clear that she was the favorite to top the

examination. In fact, her score is indeed at the top of the
leaderboards.

However, Lee Jae-hak’s eyes were not focused on her

screen.

He was looking at someone else…

[68 hours have elapsed since the start of the practical test.]

Yoo-seong was making dumplings.

He learned it in the Academy. In the jungle, several plants

had an effect like a temporary analgesic, and provide good
calories.

Such plants could be pounded and mixed with water, to be

eaten in bite-sized pieces, like dumplings.

The instructor advised them not to make more than three at

a time if there was no way to carry it, but the advice is now
meaningless to Yoo-seong.

He looked at his slot.

-17 dumplings-

He didn’t need to eat all of them right now. He’s already

feeling full after eating several. But he had to be vigilant
until the end and prepare as much as he can.

Such small preparations can make a difference between

winning and losing.

His problem right now is that he was too sleepy.

He thought he had trained long enough to be able to hold
off sleeping, but it was a different story in this wild and
natural environment.

He was in a constant state of anxiety, and have been

fighting and avoiding other candidates. He had already
captured five of them.

How much longer…

His eyes were drooping with fatigue.

I want to go home. I want to wash and lie down…

Suddenly, he remembered where he was.

“Wake up, Oh Yoo-seong,” he muttered to himself and bit his

lips hard.

It was too much. His lips were bloody.

But thanks to the pain, his senses were heightened once

more, and his sleepiness was gone.

He heard a rustling sound again.

The approach was completely different from the others. It

was almost imperceptible.

Yoo-seong immediately stood up and stared at the new

opponent.

“Grat grit.” Unlike the others, this one talked to him. The
anonymous suit however, is distorting what he’s saying.

“Grigriigriiii.”

What is he saying? Yoo-seong thought.

The words were definitely not meant to offer him a
compromise. The opponent was holding a roughly crafted
wooden sword.

Yoo-seong bit his tongue again, feeling the fatigue and pain
he felt over the past 68 hours.

The button was right in front of his eyes.

If I catch him, I can go home. I think…

-Press button to auto-hunt.-

With all his might, Yoo-seong hit the button.

I hope he is the last one…

“That’s crazy!”

“Are they really pure?!”

“What the hell is that?”

Everyone’s eyes were focused on Dome 2.

Yoo-seong is facing the best candidate in the examination.

 Chapter 11

of raw materials that can be collected.

Yoo-seong was glad he studied really hard.

Even during their class, where the topic was “materials that
can be used in an emergency,” which other students
disregarded as simply a theoretical subject, Yoo-seong
listened carefully.

These raw materials could be used for consumption and

energy restoration, as well as for making equipment.

He couldn’t rely only on auto-hunting.

‘I should do as best as I can, with my own efforts, he

thought.’

So, even if the other students relaxed and had drinks after
classes, Yoo-seong would remain at school to review various
teaching materials.

Read, review, analyze.

His efforts were now bearing fruit.

Pug!

A wooden sword swung in a frightening curve, colliding with

his arms.
It had enough power to break his bones, but instead,
although it was painful, he was able to endure it. This was
because he had a woven armband made of vines.

Eucalyptus stalks are tough and elastic. It is used as a raw

material for making hunter equipment.

Yoo-seong’s arms, neck, shoulders, and chest were covered

in vines, greatly reducing the sword’s impact.

‘He’s strong.’

Yoo-seong could think through the pain. It was the first time
an opponent challenged him.

So far, the opponents Yoo-seong encountered had been

knocked down by his offensive auto-hunting.

However, this person was different.

Flexible, graceful, yet powerful attacks.

The attacks had trajectories that Yoo-seong could not

predict.

Whoosh-

‘How could he have avoided that?’

His opponent had excellent evasion and defensive skills.

They had been fighting for hours. However, his offensive

auto-hunting did not seem to make a dent against his
opponent.

However, it was the best thing he could do right now… it

was the only thing he could do.
‘Whatever…’

His whole body screamed in pain. His heart, lungs, muscles,

joints, bones…

‘If I keep attacking him like this, could I defeat him?’

‘Can I beat this unidentified opponent just by holding on

more?’

He couldn’t even land a fist.

‘I need to focus.’

This opponent was also human—a human who had also

been awake for more than 60 hours.

‘He is probably just as exhausted as I am.’

Yoo-seong wasn’t sure he could defeat him, but if he could

stay standing…

‘I could win. ‘

Yoo-seong looked at his slot.

-16-

He still had a supply of energy.

He had to win, no matter what. If he gave up now, his effort

for the past eight months would go to waste.

More importantly, he had auto-hunting.

‘Failing even if I had a miraculous skill? What a shameful

outcome. I have to win!’
Both his mind and body are exhausted, but he continued to
attack, avoid and defend, moving without any hitch.

Yoo-seong was standing beyond his auto-hunting skill. He

was fighting with the stamina he had built up, and a
determined will.

His simple armor was so tightly crafted that it retained its

function even after receiving countless heavy attacks.

-15-

The dumplings he made would help him survive.

-14-

Steadily, it was replenishing the tremendous amounts of

calories his body was consuming.

‘How long has it been?’

Finally, his opponent reached his limit.

‘Pug!’

The sound of a wooden sword hitting flesh.

“…”

The wooden word was trembling. The hand that held it was
shaking.

Yoo-seong caught the wooden sword and held onto it tightly.

His opponent was still fighting and trying to pull the sword
out of his hands, but Yoo-seong’s grip was stronger.

Then, Yoo-seong’s other hand swung down.

Pagak!

The wooden sword broke in half.

“Ahhh!”

His opponent screamed in shock and embarrassment,

stumbling backward.

However, Yoo-seong was immediately onto him, catching his

already worn-out body.

Papapat!

Three punches landed in an instant.

Kuung!

His opponent was thrown backward and crashed to the

ground.

Surprisingly though, the suit’s shielding had not been

released. Normally, the shielding broke after receiving
heavy damage, and an electric shock ran through the suit.

However, his opponent remained down, not moving.

‘I won… ‘

What spread through Yoo-seong’s head was more relief than

joy.

Now, it was finally over. He moved towards the opponent to

finish him off.

He raised his fist. However –

-72 hours elapsed. The test has ended.-

He felt a small shock through his body as his suit’s shielding
was released.

The test was over.

“Wow!”

“Did you guys just see that?”

All hunters in the observation room crowded over the

monitor showing the two candidates at Dome 2.

A duel had lasted four hours.

Although there were differences in opinion on who

performed better, everyone had overwhelming admiration
for the candidates on screen.

Of course, the battle was not that great on an ‘absolute’

basis.

All spectators gathered here were professional hunters. Any

of them could overpower either of the two candidates.

However, considering that the two were ‘pure’ – natural,

bare body without reinforcements or equipment…

An adult who was good at driving was not a big deal.

But elementary school children, between the ages 7-8 years

old – if they could handle the vehicle skillfully, wouldn’t it be
surprising?

Their growth potential was immense.

Even a person with a weak physique could be superhuman-
like when armed with the best equipment.

However, if a beginner who couldn’t drive was placed on a

supercar’s steering wheel, it would result in a tragedy.

To reduce such waste of talents, superhumans were required

to train and study until they were qualified for a hunter’s
license.

Imagine if these two had the right experience, training, and

equipment in the future…

“At first, I thought the woman would win.”

“The man’s attacks weren’t really a joke. Even the last time
he raised his fist, his focus was still too intense.”

The hunters continued their frenzied discussions as the

evaluation ended, and the candidates were revealed.

The man was Oh Yoo-seong.

The opponent who had a wooden sword was a woman.

Her name was Lee Un-seol.

She was Lee Jae-hak’s younger sister.

“But when the test ended, and the shields were lifted, the
man also collapsed.”

“Yeah, he was just standing from sheer willpower.”

There were also disagreements about who really won.

“Anyway, it’s clearly Yoo-seong who won.”

“I don’t think so. Un-seol’s shield wasn’t taken off even after
taking his punches. She could still have fought until the last
minute.”

The bell rang at the decisive moment.

“I must say that it’s the best result I’ve seen. Even if they
took the original examination type with real monsters, those
two would still have passed.”

“Right.”

“I’m glad neither of them failed.”

The hunters nodded.

There was one question that was still unresolved. Since the
bell rang at the decisive moment, the result of the duel was
a draw.

However,

“Who scored more points?”

After their exhausting 72-hour exam, the candidates

gathered in a spacious resting area as they waited for the
results to be presented.

There would only be two outcomes.

Pass, or fail.

Candidates who were considered as passed are expected to

cry tears of joy, while the other will cry tears of sadness.

It was a given.
However, there was also an exception. It was Lee Un-seol,
who was pouting.

That she would surely pass the test was a fact. There was
no way she can’t be in the Top 10.

However, she wanted to be the Top 1.

She had taken it for granted. However, the last opponent

she faced…

She remembered a conversation she had with her brother,

Lee Jae-hak.

“Well, you’ll realize one day…”

“What?”

“The world is wide.”

Her brother sounded so serious that she had to laugh. Lee

Jae-hak continued calmly.

“You haven’t felt it yet… but you should be ready.”

“Ready?”

“The feeling you’ve made other people feel so many times.

The feeling that you’re not enough. Losing.”

Lee Un-seol couldn’t take it anymore and stood up.

She walked out of the waiting room and went straight to a

man sitting next to a coffee machine. The man was sitting in
a chair with a cup of iced coffee. A towel covered his head.

Lee Un-seol spoke.

“Hey.”

“…”

She saw the man raise his head.

‘He looked so exhausted, Lee Un-seol thought as she

clenched her fists. He looked like he was in a worse
condition than her; how could he win?’

She asked him.

“How many did you catch?”

“…?”

“I’m just asking. I don’t know if I was counting… but how

many people have you hunted during the exam?”

She paused, then told him how many she caught before he
could answer.

“I caught 52 people.”

The candidates around the coffee machine turned to look.

What was this woman saying?

They were also happy because they passed, but they only
hunted around 5-6 candidates on average.

Yoo-seong looked up at Lee Un-seol without expression.

Then, he said briefly.

“46.”
The candidates around the coffee machine had their mouths
wide open.

Lee Un-seol’s expression became a little brighter.

“Huh… Then I won.”

She was a young genius.

Her brother advised her to be prepared to learn humility one

day in this wide world, but it seemed that it was not going to
be this day.

I got six more. That’s what’s important in determining the

result.

The 20-year-old young woman smiled with pride and spoke

once more.

“Well, you’re not that bad.”

Yoo-seong still had no expression.

“…Thank you.”

As he said those words, a huge screen that filled one side of

the waiting room turned on.

The middle-aged man on the screen was Lee Ki-woo, the

president of the Association.

-I would like to say a few words before we present the

results.-

-It was an unprecedented, therefore difficult examination.

Nevertheless, I would like to express my admiration to those
who have completed the 72-hour exam, regardless if they
failed or passed.-
Everyone held their breath and focused on the screen.

-As we had discussed before the exam started, you will earn
one point for each candidate you catch.-

-I think there may be protests for not notifying you in

advance, but the preservation of prey and minimization of
damage is one of a hunter’s top priorities. It goes without
saying.-

-As such, we included the preservation of prey in

considering the scores.-

There were numerous reactions around the room.

“What?!”

“Surely…”

-Therefore, a score of +5 for every perfect capture applies,

as well as a -3 deduction for unnecessarily violent capture.-

The waiting room was chaotic.

Depending on how safely you overwhelmed one opponent,

you can get a score equivalent to capturing five people!

‘Good. ‘ Lee Un-seol was confident. There could be no more

sophisticated workmanship than hers.

With such scoring, the gap between the top and the bottom
candidates can become even more overwhelming.

‘But…’

Lee Un-seol turned her gaze to Yoo-seong.

‘I’m a little worried. ‘

-Then, we will announce the results.-

Finally, Lee Ki-woo’s face disappeared.

In his place were diagrams that filled the monitors.

Both Lee Un-seol and Yoo-seong saw their results at a

glance.

The gap between No. 1 and No. 2 was overwhelming.

What a difference!

Three times!
 Chapter 12

The waiting room was filled with various emotions.

“…Uh… uh…”

“Whew, I got it!”

The heightened tension stemming from the Association

President’s announcement erupted at once.

“Huh?”

“…Uh…”

One by one, the candidates began to notice the incredible

figures at the top of the chart.

1. Candidate No. 0942 – Oh Yoo-seong: 781 points.

2. Candidate No. 0211 – Lee Un-seol: 247 points.

“Is that even real?!”

A candidate’s score was composed of two parts. First was a

capture score, which added 1 point per person captured,
and included a +5 / -3

The second part was a loot score, where you obtained the
score of a person you captured.

Other successful candidates’ scores average between 20 to

30.
Their captures were usually the weakest people.

In fact, a lot of them avoided battle and just tried to survive.

If they encountered someone whom they thought was equal

to them in terms of strength and skill, they decide to escape
or call a truce, even without speaking.

It was because of this that Yoo-seong’s score was a difficult

thing to understand.

First, he captured 46 people. Even if he received 5 points

out of each capture, the total would only be 230 points.

Getting 5 points on all captures is already a monstrous feat.

If his total is 781, then it meant…

Lee Un-seol was speechless.

‘Score difference… 534…’

She understood what it meant.

Just getting perfect captures wouldn’t bring him to 781.

It meant that the 46 people caught by Yoo-seong were

powerful, high-scoring candidates.

She was defeated by the quality of Yoo-seong’s prey.

She turned around. Oh Yoo-seong had disappeared from his

seat.

Without thinking about it, she walked to his seat and sat
down, burying her face in her hands.
The genius who was believed to be the best of her
generation had just faced her first defeat.

The 29th Korea Hunter Licensure Test was over.

The record was set.

Oh Yoo-seong, No. 0942, was the top-notcher.

***

Yoo-seong was in the bathroom.

He was in really bad shape. As soon as he checked the

results, he left the waiting room to return home.

However, as he walked down the hallway, he felt that he

wouldn’t make it.

Instead, he went inside the bathroom, entered a cubicle,

and sat on the toilet.

He leaned back and quickly fell asleep.

“…”

His soft snores rang inside the bathroom.

The hunters who watched him were right.

The reason Yoo-seong endured was from pure willpower.

Lee Un-seol, who thought that he looked worse than her,

was also right.

The 72-hour march was harder than anything else. Even at

the end of their duel, Lee Un-seol was the one who had
more stamina left.
She was a genius.

A genius didn’t have to push herself to the limit of his

physical strength.

However, Yoo-seong was different.

Of course, auto-hunting controlled his body, but it was his

concentration that sustained it.

For eight months, he had endured hard training and tried to

break his limit. In time, not only his body, but his mind
became well-trained.

“…”

Sleeping proved to be a sweet endeavor.

Even if he was sleeping in the bathroom, in a ridiculous

posture, it was a deep and refreshing reprieve.

His body was recovering at a fast rate.

The human body was indeed amazing. If it was not

destroyed, it would keep on recovering and growing.

If the effort had gone beyond the body’s limits, then the
recovery and growth would also be equally incredible.

It would go stronger, longer, and farther next time.

Perhaps Yoo-seong gained a lot more than a hunter’s license

today.

***

It was 3 am when he woke up. It was cold and dark outside

the test site.
“It’s crazy,” Yoo-seong murmured as he looked at the empty
parking lot.

He had slept for hours in the bathroom.

“If I knew that would happen, I should have stayed in the

waiting room and slept there instead.”

No matter how tired he was, how could he have slept on the

toilet?

Still, he was glad. His body felt refreshed.

He had not yet fully recovered from the 72-hour

examination, but he felt better. Of course, his body was still
in pain. It was the same feeling he had after completing a
workout. Muscle pain was inevitable.

‘But how will I get home?’ He thought.

Yoo-seong took out his phone to try looking for a taxi.

But suddenly, he saw lights from a distance, approaching

him.

Soon, a white sports car was in front of him.

The car’s door opened. Out came the man he saw before
the test started.

Lee Jae-hak.

“…?”

Above all emotions, Yoo-seong felt creeped out.

The test was long over. Did he wait for him?

‘What? What is he doing here?!’

He remembered Jae-hak touching his arm and his body.

‘Is he a pervert?’

Lee Jae-hak continued approaching Yoo-seong, then turned

and said something in a harsh voice.

“Lee Un-seol!”

After a few moments, the passenger-side door opened.

Lee Un-seol stepped out.

Her eyes were red. There were still marks of tears on her
cheeks. Lee Jae-hak turned to him and smiled shyly.

“My younger sister took it badly…”

“Yes? What…”

Yoo-seong was surprised that Lee Un-seol was Lee Jae-hak’s

younger sister.

He was speechless.

Lee Un-seol approached her brother, standing before Yoo-

seong.

“…”

She hesitated for a while,

Then, she finally opened her mouth, her voice trembling.

“I… really…”
She seemed on the verge of tears once more.

“Really… it was good learning… thank you…”

Then, she bowed her head deeply. Yoo-seong was

speechless.

After she raised her head once more, she turned

immediately and made her way back into the car.

Bang!

She went in and slammed the car door close.

“Well…” Lee Jae-hak smiled bitterly. “She’s not a bad kid.”

Yoo-seong simply nodded.

“If my sister did something rude or unpleasant in the

waiting room, I apologize.”

“No, she didn’t,” Yoo-seong shook his head. “But… I didn’t

do anything to her.”

“No, you did a lot.” Jae-hak’s voice was firm. “Thanks to Mr.
Oh Yoo-seong, she learned much earlier than I thought. If
she overcomes the feeling of losing, she will grow even
more.”

This felt a bit awkward for Yoo-seong.

Lee Jae-hak offered a handshake. “Thank you again.”

Yoo-seong took his firm grasp.

Jae-hak continued. “I believe that you have unlimited

potential.”
For a moment, Lee Jae-hak’s eyes shone. Rather than
hostility, his gaze was of enormous admiration.

Yoo-seong took a deep breath. “Thank you.”

It all felt unbelievable. Before the exam, Lee Jae-hak had

admired his body, and now, he gave him sincere
appreciation and offered a handshake.

Lee Jae-hak shook his hand.

“But… I don’t think you can get a ride home, what are you
planning to do? My car’s back is narrow, but it has space for
one person. Of course, my sister is in the passenger seat…”

“No, no. I’ll be fine.”

Riding in Jae-hak’s car may be an amazing experience, but it

would be awkward to be in a car with Lee Un-seol.

“I’ll take a taxi. I’ll be fine.”

“Um… yes, okay.”

Lee Jae-hak nodded apologetically. “Then, I will see you next

time I have a chance.”

“Yes.”

“Congratulations on your license acquisition.”

Lee Jae-hak went back into his car.

As the sports car passed by him, Yoo-seong felt two gazes

from within its tinted windows.

One was full of goodwill.

The other looked at him angrily.

“…Um.”

Yoo-seong checked his cell phone once more.

This time, he tried to call for a taxi. However, he didn’t get a

chance to do so.

It was totally unexpected, but tonight, Yoo-seong would

have to use his button once more…
 Chapter 13

13

His name was Kim Sung-wook.

He was 32 years old, tall, and good-looking.

For the past eight months, he had spent at least 6 hours a

day with Yoo-seong. He was a lecturer at Yoo-seong’s
academy.

“Uh? Teacher.”

“If it’s okay, I’ll drive you home.”

Behind him, there was a black SUV that suited his size. It
looked as reliable as its owner.

Yoo-seong nodded.

“Let’s ride.”

***

“Ah, there was a separate viewing room?”

Yoo-seong’s eyes opened wide upon hearing about it for the

first time.

“It’s not particularly confidential, but I don’t have to tell the

students. It can be bothersome for them to know they’re
being watched.”

“I think you’re right,” Yoo-seong nodded.

The fact that there were hunters watching him would give
him more motivation and energy. However, many people
wouldn’t feel the same and would instead become more
nervous.

“Then, did you watch us, too, Teacher?”

“Yes. Even with a retired license, there is no problem getting

access to the viewing room if you pay the membership fee.”

“You have had a lot of trouble.”

“It’s nothing much.”

Yoo-seong looked at Kim Sung-wook.

It had not only been 72 hours. He had stayed in the parking

lot to wait for him as soon as the exam was over. For ten
hours, he had been staying there like Lee Jae-hak, not
knowing if Yoo-seong had already left the test site.

‘Why?’ Yoo-seong thought.

Instead of asking the question, he thanked his teacher

instead.

“It’s a bit awkward, but I want to commend you for waiting

for me until I came out, even if it’s a bit late.”

Kim Sung-wook tilted his head.

“Yes? What do you mean by that? You came out late on

purpose, right?”
It was embarrassing, yet Yoo-seong tried to explain what
happened.

Kim Sung-wook was silent for a moment.

However, Yoo-seong could see through his teacher’s cheeks

and mouth that he was holding back laughter.

“It was alright. You were exhausted, so it was the right

choice to rest right away.”

“Yes, but…”

As Yoo-seong was scratching his head, Kim Sung-wook

changed the subject.

“Would you like to visit the hunter’s homepage with your

phone? Your license code has already come out, so just
download the app and authenticate it.”

Yoo-seong nodded. He downloaded the app and went

through the authentication.

As soon as Yoo-seong’s license code had been granted

permission, a notification sound rang.

Beep-

Beep-

Beep-

“Huh?”

Countless notifications followed.

“If you look at the top right, you will be able to check your
mail.”
Kim Sung-wook’s eyes were fixed on the road, but he knew
what was happening. There was a faint smile on his mouth.

“A bunch of kids are probably running after you.”

“…”

Yoo-seong clicked on the mailbox.

-Hello. Oh Yoo-seong, we…

-Hello. YZ Hunting…

-Congratulations on your success, Oh Yoo-seong…

-Hello…

-Congratulations…

There were several pages filled with mail. Among them were
messages from scouts.

Yoo-seong clicked on one of them.

Sender: [email protected]

Title: Congratulations on your passing, Oh Yoo-seong!

Content:

Hello, Oh Yoo-seong. My name is Joon Park, Vice Team

Leader of Team DI.

First of all, congratulations on your success. It was a 72-hour

hard march more difficult than ever, and it was an
unexpected new model that would not have been easy for
anyone. Nevertheless, your judgment, calmness, and
excellent combat sense were comparable to that of a
senior…

While reading, Yoo-seong suddenly realized an important

fact.

“…Team DI?”

“Oh, did they send you a message, too?”

Kim Sung-wook said it lightly, but it was, in fact, a big deal.

In Korea, there was a well-known acronym called ‘2F4T’.

Two (2) firms (F) and four (4) teams (T).

Amongst all companies, these conglomerates represented

the country. They were aces whose corporate images were
imprinted even to civilians who did not know their
achievements in detail.

Yoo-seong, in the eight months he spent in the academy,

had heard about how great they were from the perspective
of the industry.

They didn’t recruit rookies.

They preferred top-notch hunters who had gone through

years of proven careers.

Even then, they still needed to pass the fierce competition

and in-depth examinations. A graduate from the academy
was able to enter one of the 2F4T after several years. It was
enough to be placed on the academy’s promotional
materials.

However, now, one of the 2F4T, Team DI, had just sent a
love call to Yoo-seong.
Yoo-seong gulped before continuing to read the note.

…As you know, we do not accept novice personnel who

have just obtained a license.

But, Oh Yoo-seong!

I was able to check your potential in those 72 hours.

Although we are not a team with a rookie training system, I

think that, with the advice and support of our senior
hunters, we will be able to bring out your potential in the
near future.

We promise to provide generous support for the first

strengthening enhancements that many novice hunters find
difficult.

We hope that this e-mail will serve as an opportunity for

both our team and Yoo-seong Oh’s future.

For inquiries about the detailed terms and conditions of the

contract and other matters…

Yoo-seong checked the contact details listed on the bottom

of the message before going back to the list.

Only then could he understand Kim Sungwook’s words.

His teacher thought that he came out late on purpose. It

was because if he had come out right after the test was
over, he would have been surrounded by scouts.

‘Nonsense.’

However, the messages on his screen were real. He also

received a message from Team Maruchan, one of the 4T.
Another message from QR Corporation, one of the two firms.

For a while, Yoo-seong was immersed in reading the

messages.

Finally, when he finished, he realized something. Everyone

in 2F4T had sent him a message. The contents were all
similar to those of Team DI.

Tuk!

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. As he turned his

head, he found Kim Sung-wook’s smiling face. The car had
been parked at a rest area.

“Would you like some udon?”

***

The udon was delicious.

Yoo-seong bought coffee and approached the bench of the

rest area.

The udon was bought by Kim Sung-wook, so he decided to

buy coffee for them instead.

“I’ve been thinking about it.”

As he handed over the coffee, Yoo-seong spoke to his

teacher.

“Is the reason why you’ve waited for me has anything to do

with my future plans?”

Yoo-seong had been organizing his thoughts. He had

regained composure and calmly accepted the fact that there
were scouts coming to him.
He also thought about Kim Sung-wook’s reason. Waiting for
hours in a parking lot was not something that someone
would do in mere favor.

Even organizations that sent Yoo-seong love calls with so

much devotion did not wait for him.

Kim Sung-wook must have had his own reasons.

For example, there may be a team or a firm connected with

him, and he may try to introduce him to that company.

“I’m sorry to ask you this question, but I thought I had to

ask for sure,” Yoo-seong clarified.

“Well…”

Kim Sung-wook didn’t appear to be offended by his

question.

“Not like that. But there is something I wanted to ask you…”

Yoo-seong closed his mouth and waited to give Kim Sung-

wook time to explain.

“I haven’t seen those messages, but there will be something

in common with them. It’s about strengthening
enhancements. They probably offered you to take
responsibility for the cost.”

“Yes.”

“But, as you know, teams and firms don’t do that for

beginners.”

When someone became a hunter, he could undergo

strengthening. There were two ways to do it.
First, injecting energy into the core of the human body by
obtaining the raw materials needed for it and paying the
cost.

Second, a hunter who had gone through strengthening and

has energy on his core could pass it on to another hunter.

It was much like in martial arts, where a master passed on

his strength to his disciples.

The conclusion of any of the two methods was the same. A

hunter needed money or a network. A novice hunter would
not be able to afford the cost unless they were born with a
silver spoon.

Therefore, the firm or the team usually wrote up a contract.

Novice hunters could pay the cost of strengthening after

going through training and working with the company for a
certain period.

That was why the messages that Yoo-seong received were

exceptional.

He had been offered to undergo strengthening immediately

without going through training.

“But you would have to sign a contract with them anyway,

so you can’t help but be tied down for years,” Kim Sung-
wook explained.

“Well… it can’t be helped.” Yoo-seong shrugged.

“Indeed. But what if there was a way…”

“What?”

Kim Sung-wook suddenly changed the subject.

“It’s been 13 years.”

“…”

“13 years ago, like you, I passed the licensure examinations.

Of course, I didn’t receive that many messages, but there
were quite a few.”

Yoo-seong was surprised by the unexpected conversation.

Hunters generally kept their history private. For famous

hunters such as Lee Jae-hak, they become targets of fraud
and blackmail because of their wealth.

Because of this, many hunters did not share their history

and focused only on their work.

“So, I’ve been running for about nine years while getting
quite recognized. I worked hard and earned hard, and
then…”

Kim Sung-wook had a bitter smile on his lips.

“I got destroyed.”

“What happened?”

“I was stupid and arrogant. I thought it was an easy-to-catch

monster. I acted too late.”

Kim Sung-wook’s core and energy were fine, but the veins
that supply energy to his body were injured. His fuel was
still overflowing, but the engine is broken.

“I’ve spent a whole year on rehabilitation, but… it was

hopeless. Fortunately, I wasn’t in a totally miserable state.”
The money accumulated in his bankbook was enough for
him to be considered a rich young man. He was still young
and could do whatever he wanted to do.

However, instead of enjoying life, Kim Sung-wook started to

work again.

Compared to his active days, his new career had a

ridiculously lower salary and shabbier treatment.

“I think I still have some regrets left.”

Kim Sung-wook touched his belly.

His core. The driving force that was the basis of superhuman
abilities.

His core was still full.

“I still couldn’t pass it on to someone.”

It wasn’t just him.

Countless retired hunters hated giving away their gear and

their core. Doing so would bring them down from being a
superhuman to being a normal person.

It caused great deprivation and emptiness.

Thus, the second method of strengthening was rare, even if

it was much more efficient and more stable than the first
method. It was because it was easier to find raw materials
than to find donors.

“Excuse me…”

Yoo-seong’s voice trembled.

He couldn’t help it. He knew what Kim Sung-wook was
leading to.

“Sir, no. Mr. Kim Sung-wook. You can’t…”

Kim Sung-wook raised his eyes to stare into Yoo-seong’s.

He had been a lecturer at a famous academy for several

years. He had taught a number of prospects.

It was because he wanted to find someone. Someone who

could help him get rid of his regrets.

He wanted to work more, to run wilder.

Since he couldn’t… he could at least hand it over to

someone who could.

The energy was still raging inside his core.

There were a lot of talented people, but… none of them

stood out. Sung-wook was the best among his generation
when he was younger.

Maybe his standards were too high.

He was close to giving up, but at last, Kim Sung-wook found

someone.

“Mr. Oh Yoo-seong.”

He not only had great skills and talents. He was also more
sincere than any student he has ever seen.

He saw him repeatedly master the basics that some

students regard as insignificant.
It was a virtue that even Kim Sung-wook himself didn’t
have.

With unprecedented politeness, Kim Sung-wook spoke to the

man in front of him.

“Although I wasn’t the best…”

To his successor, Oh Yoo-seong.

“Would you like to accept my core and my remaining

dreams?”

Yoo-seong opened his mouth.

 Chapter 14

14

“No, wait a minute. Wait a minute.”

Yoo-seong held his hands out towards Kim Sung-wook.

“I don’t understand. I didn’t expect to hear a story like this.”

Yoo-seong did not know exactly how much value was being
handed over to him. However, one thing was certain.

Nothing in this world, not even the cheapest copper coin,

was given for free.

It was an unchanging truth that Yoo-seong was very well

aware of through his 29 years of experience.

The only exception was the button floating in front of his

eyes. This was why Yoo-seong thought of it as a miracle.

Miracles didn’t happen to everyone. Why would it happen to

one person twice?

“It may sound unpleasant, but please understand. I know

my grades are great. But… I don’t think I deserve this.”

He didn’t know if he would have accepted it if he was in his

teens or early twenties.
However, by now, Yoo-seong had already experienced too
much to simply accept this favor.

“Hmm.”

Kim Sung-wook looked calm. Then, he raised a clenched fist.

“…!”

Yoo-seong felt tense at the moment.

However, Kim Sung-wook did not swing his fist.

Instead, he pointed at his own knuckles. There was nothing

on them.

However, Yoo-seong knew what Kim Sung-wook meant.

He looked at his own knuckles.

More than ten hours had passed since the test.

However, there were still red marks on each of his knuckles.

Noticeable red marks.

They were traces of the simple armor that Yoo-seong had

carefully made and worn for 72 hours.

“Those marks won’t just be there.”

Next, Kim Sung-wook pointed to his neck. His collarbone, his

shoulders. Chest, thighs, and knees.

Yoo-seong knew that there would be red marks on them.

All of them were vital places where the armor knots were
located.
During those long 72 hours, these places were protected by
tightly woven armor.

“The number of examinees was 2497.”

“…”

“Out of all of them, how many do you think would have

marks like yours, Yoo-seong? No, how many of them are
even familiar with making armors that match the standard?”

Yoo-seong mumbled that he just fought well during the

examination.

“Do you really think so? That you topped the examination
just because you subdued people?”

Yoo-seong was able to hunt and defeat 46 people in total.

How many opponents were the others able to hunt? Even

some of the top-ranked ones averaged at 5-6 people.

In addition, in each of the 46 encounters, he was careful and

avoided being ambushed or attacked by accident. Yoo-
seong always had enough time to press the button before a
fight occurred.

This was not just a matter of who fought better.

“Is it as simple as you fought better than them? No.”

“…”

“Do you really think that high-profile firms and teams will
break the precedent they’ve been keeping for someone who
just fights well?”
It was his behavior and attitude. Yoo-seong was able to hunt
46 people because he studied and learned even the most
trivial things, engraving them to memory.

In the field, there was only one other person who was
superior to Yoo-seong.

A natural genius.

Lee Un-seol, who had a brother who supported and provided

her with guidance.

Even with that, she was still defeated by Yoo-seong.

“While teaching you in the past eight months, I have seen

enough. Your physical strength is excellent, but that alone
would not have made me pass the core to you.”

“But… what would you get out of it?”

“To shake off my regrets.”

Kim Sung-wook’s tone was calm.

“To be clearer, I would be satisfied to watch you do the

things I could not achieve. If you think about it that way, it
will make you more comfortable.”

His eyes were also calm.

“We do not have that much relationship to become a master

and a disciple. It’s not just that the age difference is short…
I don’t think I am enough to be considered your master.”

“…”

“But at least, I can be a mentor and an advisor. I will help

you until you can stand alone as a hunter.”
Then, Kim Sung-wook sighed. He spoke casually, but in a
voice that was filled with emotions.

“Then… once again, I’ll tell you my proposal properly.”

He told Yoo-seong his previous proposal, but in a much

calmer tone.

“I want to become a mentor for Oh Yoo-seong. Now, we

have an opportunity to move into a more trusting
relationship.”

“…”

Yoo-seong was silent for about a minute.

“Okay.”

Then, he opened his mouth once more.

“But I would like one thing to be clear…”

***

The following day arrived. It was currently 7 in the morning.

-Jin Chang-hoon Hunter Medical Center.-

Yoo-seong came out an hour earlier than the appointment

time.

Surprisingly, Kim Sung-wook also arrived at the same time

as him. They met at a cafe on the first floor of a six-story
hospital building.

“You came early.”

“You came early.”

They spoke at the same time. He still had a slightly awkward
smile.

“Shall we go up, then?”

Sung-wook was referring to the hospital upstairs.

“Are they open at seven in the morning? Even if they cater

to hunters…”

“They usually don’t.”

Kim Sung-wook spoke with a light smile.

As they were about to leave the cafe, the saleswoman

behind the counter leaned towards them.

“Come again!”

“…?”

It was unusual for franchise cafes to greet customers that

way.

Yoo-seong speculated that Sung-wook had spoken with the

clerk before he arrived. However, the mystery was quickly
resolved as they went to the front door of the building.

“Huh?”

Letters stood out in front of him.

The name of the building in four letters above the lobby:

-Sung-wook Building-

“…”
Yoo-seong thought about the location of the building.

It was near Subway Line 2, in a popular area.

Sung-wook followed his gaze.

“It won’t be long for you, Yoo-seong.”

“How could a lecturer at an academy…”

“Well, I don’t have to do it anymore. I already found you.”

“…”

Yoo-seong shook his head.

‘Sung-wook is a building owner?’

It was mind-boggling.

“The doctor is my friend.”

Hunting was a physical occupation.

There were special doctors needed to manage special

injuries that ordinary people couldn’t sustain. Most of all,
they needed a trusted primary care physician to handle the
process of strengthening.

Sung-wook’s doctor, Jin Chang-hoon, was a man in his mid-

30s.

“It’s too early…”

His tone was annoyed. However, his expression was bright.

“It’s been a long time!”

He shook hands with Sung-wook, then with Yoo-seong.

“Ah, he’s the one you were talking about?”

“Yes.”

Everyone had a core. Even without strengthening, each core

was filled with energy. Strengthening meant expanding the
capacity of this core.

When the procedure begins, a qualified specialist injects

energy into the hunter’s body. The amount of energy that
can be injected once is legally established.

It must be 500CE (Core Energy). Nothing more, nothing less.

However, this injected energy does not go directly to the

core.

It is the hunter’s responsibility to drive the energy floating in

the body to the core.

With good control, one could push the energy into your core.
Then, albeit with terrible pain, it would expand.

An expanded core does not shrink again, and the injected

energy stays for life until the core is destroyed.

“Then, you come in first.”

Sung-wook entered the infusion chamber first to relieve

energy.

This would then be injected into Yooseong.

When the extraction was over, and Sung-wook came out,

Yoo-seong entered the infusion chamber.
Jin Chang-hoon spoke to him as the machine is being
prepared.

“…Sung-wook is my benefactor.”

“Yes?”

“I had a poor family. He paid my medical school tuition and

living expenses just because I was an old friend. This
hospital’s start-up fund was also provided by him.”

Although he looked somewhat embarrassed, he could see

how proud Jin Chang-hoon was of his friend.

“So, I am worried about this. Do you really have the

qualities to take his energy? My friend’s blood and sweat?”

“…”

It is much easier for someone to absorb energy from a core

than energy made from monster by-products.

However, it had its own risk.

If the energy was not pumped into the core in time, they
could get discharged.

If Yoo-seong could not handle the energy properly, Kim

Sung-wook’s energy would go to waste.

“Of course, because of my friend’s personality, he would be

responsible for you. I have no right to make a decision. So, if
you wish to proceed, then I wish… that you are talented
enough to handle it.”

“Okay.”
Yoo-seong understood and agreed. Then, the procedure
began.

***

About ten minutes had passed.

Sung-wook was waiting outside the infusion room.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Jin Chang-hoon came out.

Sung-wook stood and asked him immediately.

“No rejection reaction? Any side effects?”

Of course, he asked about any abnormalities first, not the

absorption rate.

Jin Chang-hoon nodded. Sung-wook noticed a strange

reaction on Chang-hoon’s face.

“What is it? What happened? Hey!”

Jin Chang-hoon slowly opened his mouth.

“You, man…”

His voice was weak.

“What the hell did you bring to me?”

“…???”

However, Jin Chang-hoon was smiling.

“That person, the absorption rate…”

 Chapter 15

15

Jin Chang-hoon raised his head as if he was trying to say

something.

He didn’t know how to say it. Instead, he motioned for Sung-

wook to follow him.

“Come in and see,” he replied instead.

Kim Sung-Wook went into the infusion chamber. Yoo-Seong

was sitting cross-legged on the treatment table.

It was the best posture to harness the energy immediately

after the injection. Yoo-Seong’s eyes were closed, and his
breathing was light.

“What? Is the injection finished already?” Kim Sung-wook

asked as he looked back at Chang-hoon.

“This is the second round,” Chang-hoon said.

“What?”

“We have already completed infusion and absorption once. I

have just injected 500CE again.”

Kim Sung-wook was stunned.

Barely a dozen minutes had passed since Yoo-seong entered
the infusion chamber. One absorption round had already
ended in that short time?

That was exceptionally fast.

“What is the absorption rate?” Sung-wook asked.

Jin Chang-hoon’s voice trembled as he answered.

“64.3%.”

“Interesting,” Kim Sung-wook said, raising his eyebrows.

It was indeed surprising.

An average person absorbed energy at a rate of 60%.

“That’s higher than average. However, considering how

experienced you are and how impressive he is, I expected
he would be absorbing over 80% of my energy,” Sung-wook
joked.

“The energy… it’s not yours,” Chang-hoon said.

Sung-wook frowned in confusion.

“What?”

Jin Chang-hoon shut his eyes tight as he spoke.

“I’m sorry. Sung-wook,” he confessed.

“From the moment you told me what you wanted, I knew I

couldn’t inject your energy into another person. I couldn’t
imagine your life without the energy you had gone through
so much for.”
To Jin Chang-hoon, Sung-wook was not only a benefactor but
a great friend.

Sung-Wook had gone through so much hardship to gain that

CE during his period of active duty.

The moment he learned that Sung-Wook was planning to

transfer his CE to a successor, Chang-hoon prepared a
separate 500CE extracted from a monster.

It had depleted a lot of his resources, but he didn’t mind. He

was doing it for a friend.

He had resolved to try the energy on Yoo-seong once and

test if the younger man could handle it, and he had been
surprised by the outcome.

Yoo-Seong had surpassed the average absorption rate by

three times.

“I’m sorry. Sung-wook.”

“Apologize to Yoo-seong, not me. You could have killed him.”

Jin Chang-hoon nodded. Even though he was still in a risky

situation, he was a little relieved that things had turned out
well.

Kim Sung-wook sighed.

He was very embarrassed by the unexpected misbehavior of

his friend. Still, he was glad that no one was hurt.

Yoo-seong had received a separate CE injection for free

without his knowledge. He could not move well enough yet.

According to Jin Chang-hoon, it hadn’t been long since he

received the second injection, so it would take a few
minutes to settle in.

Kim Sung-wook thought about what he had seen.

Yoo-seong had absorbed raw CE at 64%. At what rate would

he absorb Sung-wook’s CE?

Even if he didn’t know the exact answers, he could guess

from his years of experience as a hunter.

He had instructed Chang-hoon to pour his energy into Yoo-

seong. There were a few minutes of silence.

Suddenly, Yoo-seong began to scream.

“What’s going on?” Sung-wook asked.

Jin Chang-hoon hurriedly picked up the scanner to measure

the absorption rate; however, Kim already knew what it was.

“100%!” the doctor screamed.

Eventually, they completed the injections three times for the

day.

One serving was prepared separately by Jin Chang-hoon,

and the other two were from Kim Sung-wook.

In total, Yoo-Seong had already absorbed approximately

1300CE of the total 1500CE.

It was more than what other hunters could have absorbed in

a day.

“What about the pain?” Chang-hoon asked Yoo-seong.

“It’s not that much. I just feel a little bloated.” Yoo-seong
said.

“Once the pain is completely gone, I’ll begin the next

strengthening injections.” Chang-hoon explained.

500CE at a time.

There were several reasons why the quantity was legally

determined, but the biggest was the core’s burden.

Expanding the core also meant stretching the body organs

forcefully. The process of storing the core was essential.

“While the CE is settling in, and the core is still in shock, you
can still claim to be in good condition for another injection
right away. But then, you wouldn’t be able to handle the
high CE. That’s why 3-4 treatments were taken as the
medically recommended amount.”

Jin Chang-hoon continued to explain.

“Even though your absorption rate is very good, three times

is enough in this case. It is still necessary to rest. You have a
lot of potential, so there is no need to be impatient.”

“I see. Thank you,” Yoo-seong replied calmly.

It was early in the morning, and the nurses had not come to
work yet, so Jin Chang-hoon, the hospital director, received
the payment himself at the desk.

“You don’t have to bother, Yoo-seong. Let me handle it,”

Sung-wook said.

“No, teacher. I’ll take care of this one,” Yoo-seong insisted.

Originally, Kim Sung-wook wanted to cover all the expenses.
However, Yoo-seong refused. His teacher had done so much
for him already; he couldn’t allow him to pay the expenses,
too.

He made up his mind to pay for the costs and the market
price for Kim Sung-wook’s CE.

“You’ve been too kind to me, sir, by introducing me to such

a competent doctor and giving me the privilege of owning
your core energy. I’m in your debt already,” Yoo-Seong said.
He had begun to enjoy the relationship he had with Kim.

He paid the examination and medical expenses at once.

“I’m sorry, I can’t pay for your core energy yet, but I will
definitely pay for it once I earn more as a hunter.”

While preparing a receipt at the desk, Jin Chang-hoon

listened to the conversation.

He felt his face turn red as he did so.

Two hours ago, he had almost laughed at Yoo-seong. He

didn’t like the man.

He thought that the guy was just a lucky nerd. Did the
young man know the cost of the Core Energy from a veteran
hunter?

However, now, his thoughts about Yoo-seong had changed.

Perhaps it was because he had seen, firsthand, Yoo-Seong’s

outstanding qualities.

Perhaps it was because Kim Sung-wook confirmed it himself

with his mouth.
Perhaps it was because he had seen Yoo-seong’s sincerity.

Chang-hoon was unable to look at Yoo-seong directly as he

handed him his receipt. Yoo-seong read the receipt carefully,
then tilted his head.

The number of injections recorded in the cost breakdown

was only two.

“Teacher Kim, I thought you gave me three doses of

infusion?”

Jin Chang-hoon’s face turned even redder. Yoo-seong didn’t

know yet that the first injection he had received was
prepared from a monster by Jin Chang-hoon.

“Uh… I think I made an error in my calculations,” Jin said,

thinking of a good excuse to give. His head was still bowed,
and his face had become chili pepper red.

“Yoo-seong … Mr… I… really…” he stuttered as he tried to

explain.

“Yes?”

Kim Sung-wook smiled at him, gave him some support.

“It’s a welcome gift. Think of it as a discount.”

“A gift? But the infusion cost is quite expe-”

“Of course, it’s a welcome offer! You will be a frequent

customer here, won’t you? This is just a welcome gift. My
friend here, Sung-wook, knows about it. Please receive my
humble offer,” Chang-hoon babbled.

“Sure,” Sung-wook said, looking amused.

“Oh, thank you, Doctor. This is most kind of you,” Yoo-seong
said.

“Oh, it’s all good,” Jin Chang-hoon bowed once more as he

replied.

As he walked out with Yoo-seong, Kim Sung-wook glanced

back and frowned at his friend. He then mouthed some
words.

“Apologize next time. Properly.”

Jin Chang-hoon nodded.

As they went down in the elevator, Yoo-Seong still felt weird

about the free injection.

“The doctor must have given me one too many shots,” he

said.

“Ah, sometimes, even in plastic surgery, you can get double

eyelids for free. How do you feel?”

Yoo-Seong patted his lower abdomen.

“It’s itching in a very annoying way,” he said.

“As you use up the energy, the pain will naturally

disappear.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Train hard, and it would disappear faster. If you get

into a real battle, it goes all at once.”

They stepped out of the building.

Suddenly, a siren pierced through the air—disaster
notification alert.

The sky was clear. There were no clouds. However, a few

hours from then, a crack would form nearby.

To put it a little differently, there would be a party to

announce Yoo-seong’s debut.
 Chapter 16

Episode 16

Crack formation.

Before, every time the siren rang, there had been panic in
the surrounding area.

Traffic tightened, and people rushed and hoarded groceries.

Looters and other criminals took advantage of the moment.

But now, no one was in a panic.

Once the siren rang, people used their cell phones to

determine the time of the crack’s appearance.

‘Nine hours left. I guess I should take my time then: pack up

for a few days and find a shelter or lodging nearby.’

People naturally gathered at the security hall closest to

them.

This kind of orderliness came from familiarity.

The decades of appearing cracks had made the experience

a rather normal one for them.

Traffic accidents now killed more civilians than the monsters

did.
Even if monsters appeared, no one felt afraid for his or her
life.

Everyone just hoped that their homes wouldn’t collapse

during the hunting operation.

Even then, insurance covered most of those costs. One

might be tempted to think of it as insensitivity.

Instead, it was civilians having developed a deep trust in

hunters – the ones who risked their lives every time for the
safety of mankind.

A bus full of such hunters passed by soon, and people

gawked.

“Uh? The hunters!” someone said as he pointed.

The vehicle was headed to where the crack had begun to

form. Soon, hunters stepped down from it, carrying their
gadgets. They looked like superheroes from movies.

“Cool!” a little kid called out.

“Rain mayhem on those monsters!” a goth teenager said.

“Don’t destroy my house!” an elderly woman shouted.

This was a familiar scene for hunters.

Only novice hunters who just received their licenses waved

their hands, feeling like celebrities.

Yoo-seong was one of them, and of course, he couldn’t help

but wave his hand.

This time though, it wasn’t just the civilians who were

staring at him.
The hunters around the bus began to point fingers.

“Hey, check it out!” a lady said.

“Is that Oh Yoo-Seong?” another lady whispered.

It has been less than a week since the test was over, and
more than a few people recognized him as the best rookie.

Virtually every hunter in the bus was checking him out.

“But he doesn’t have an armband?” a guy said as he peered

closely.

“Yeah,” another one noticed it, too.

There were different outfits for hunters; however, each wore

an engraved armband on both of their forearms.

The armband on the left showed the hunter’s achievement

level, while the one on the right displays the mark of the
firm they belong to.

Since Yoo-seong had just been a hunter, he didn’t have an

achievement level.

The other hunters understood this. However, there was still

a mystery left:

‘Why didn’t he belong to a firm or team yet?’

“Is he riding solo?” the first guy asked.

“It can’t be. Unless he’s crazy,” the other one replied.

Everyone gossiped, but no one talked to Yoo-seong directly.

They were on a rented public bus.

For hunters in small teams who couldn’t afford private
vehicles, the country rented a dedicated vehicle.

The first guy stared at Yoo-seong. If it had been an unnamed

rookie, he wouldn’t have even given a second glance.
However, this was Oh Yoo-Seong.

He had to talk to him before the other teams put their

scouting eyes on him.

“Hey,” he said as he sat beside Yoo-seong.

Yoo-seong glanced at him and returned the greeting.

“Hey.”

He guessed it was another desperate scout.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Oh Yoo-Seong. I’m Choi Jae-sung.”

The hunter held out his hand for a handshake before he

continued speaking.

“I’m an expert in harnessing core energy from monsters,

and I’m in my late thirties. I’m also the leader of the
BlackBull team.”

The hunter looked around the bus, searching for his team
members.

“Let’s see… He is the vice-team leader. He and his friend

over there, oh, and least I forget our youngest. They are all
members of the team,” he said as he pointed to other
people around.

“I see,” Yoo-seong replied.

“Look, I don’t think you belong to a team yet. What are you
doing here? Did you come on a tour?” Choi asked. He was
known for being straightforward.

“No. I came to hunt,” Yoo-seong said.

“Oh. You’re not hunting solo, are you?” Jae-sung laughed.

‘This newbie doesn’t know a thing.’

When Yoo- seong didn’t reply, he asked, “Have you been

reinforced yet?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, already? With what money? Personal money?”

Yoo-seong nodded.

Choi Jae-sung rolled his eyes.

He felt that Yoo-seong was one of those silver-spooned kids

who thought they could do anything just because they had
money.

“Interesting. How many injections have you had?”

“Three.”

“Then, the CE number is probably about 300, or 400 at most

since you’re quite talented. When did you get it?”

“It’s been less than a few hours.”

The hunters who were eavesdropping on the conversation

stifled a laugh.
He had just received three injections in less than a day and
felt he was ready?

Choi Jae-Sung had to struggle the most to hold back his

laughter.

“Then, have you seen anything like this before?”

He asked as he raised his right hand.

A faint blue radiance covered his palm.

Yoo-seong raised a brow as he saw it.

It was a basic CE manipulation technique called Aura.

It raised the energy to the body’s surface to improve the

durability and abilities of the body.

“In the first place, you should not try to do this in a vehicle.
Do you know why?” Choi asked.

“No.”

“You are bringing the energy out of your body. Anyone can
do it with one week of practice.”

“…”

“However, if you are a beginner, you won’t be able to

control the release. You’ll cause an accident.”

It was something called a Corona.

If the energy released could not be controlled, it could cause

an explosion. With beginners dealing with CE for the first
time, even if they just wanted to push out a little aura, all
their energy could be exhausted in an instant.
“And what about this?”

Choi Jae-sung’s fists glowed with a white aura. The Aura

took the shape of a dandelion, releasing fluffy white smoke.

It took all of Choi’s efforts to restrict the Aura to that size.

“I can bring out auras at will. This is really important.”

Jae-sung opened his fist as he continued to explain.

“By restraining unnecessary emissions, you can fight longer

and do less damage to your surroundings.”

The Aura disappeared as suddenly as it had come.

His face was sweaty. Restricting the release of Aura was

quite a difficult task.

Choi Jae-sung wasn’t an expert at it yet.

First of all, his Aura’s shape was uneven, and dissolved into
the air too easily.

However, compared to Yoo-seong, he was confident that his

level was quite good.

“Anyway, the point is that you don’t gain experience and

technique injecting yourself with CE. The more you practice
behind the scenes, the better you can handle these
missions!”

At this, Yoo-seong nodded. Jae-sung then continued talking.

“No matter how much money you have, if you inject CE and
do not know how to do this, you’re nothing more than a
simple third class. Third class!”
“That’s amazing,” Yoo-seong nodded, engrossed in all of
Jae-sung’s words.

Jae-sung’s expression was as if he had won a fortune.

‘Yoo-seong was impressed by my performance, he thought.’

He began to imagine what things would look like after Yoo-

seong was recruited.

Getting the best rookie would be a huge plus to a small

team like theirs.

Black Bull would soon be seen as a team with great vision.

Just then, the crack opened a gap wider, and all the hunters
looked up.

As the crack opened further, the briefing results were

transferred to the hunters’ mobile phone apps.

Based on that, each team organized its operation and

started their hunt.

-The briefing has been delivered from the control center. –

When the transmission notification popped up, everyone

took out their phones.

-Gray Ant- ★★~★★★, observed to be in colonies. –

Some hunters stuck their tongues out as they read the

briefings.

“Hive type…”

“This is going to be tricky.”

Even if they were low-star monsters, they were in a group,
and the risk increased several times over.

Choi Jae-sung, who confidently gave his teammates the

briefing, turned his head toward Yoo-seong.

“Don’t worry. I know you may not understand the briefings

yet. You can look glance through it, though. We’re pretty
quick; we can take on Hive-type monsters easily. It’ll just be
a walk-over for us…”

“Sorry, I am still reading the briefing,” Yoo-seong said,

smiling as he raised his phone.

Of course, it was polite not to disturb someone during the

briefing, but Choi Jae-sung couldn’t help himself. He was
stunned at the rookie’s response.

Do you even know how to read the briefing? He thought.

Even if Yoo-seong he finished reading the briefing, Jae-sung

wondered what a novice could do with it. He couldn’t bear
his anger and spoke to Yoo-seong as if he was talking to a
child.

“Yoo-seong, you don’t need to see the briefings, do you?

Just follow those who know more. It’ll make things simpler
for you.”

The moment was tense.

Yoo-seong put his phone down to his thigh for a while. Then,
he looked at Choi Jae-sung.

He retained the respectful expression he had while listening

to Choi’s words before. However, this time, there was a
firmness when he spoke.
“To be clear. I have no intention of joining any organization
for the time being; I’ll hunt alone.”

“What-” Jae-sung began, but Yoo-seong cut him off.

“As a junior, I will just humbly listen to the advice you give,
but if your intention is for me to join your team, I have
nothing to say but sorry.”

“Uh,” Jae-sung’s smirk was now gone.

“Do you have any other important thing to say? If not, can I
now focus entirely on my briefing?”

When no answer came, Yoo-seong shifted his focus back to

his phone and began memorizing the rules.

The moment he hunted with the Choi Jae-sung team, he’d

have no choice but to keep getting involved with them from
the reward stage after the hunt was over.

He had only listened to Choi because of his respect for

elders, partners, and senior colleagues. He couldn’t go
beyond that, however.

Choi Jae-sung, whose mouth had hung open before, closed

his mouth and led his team towards the crack.

The other teams that had been listening did the same. Yoo-
seong was left alone.

He read the briefing thoroughly; then he went to the crack.

Usually, teams went hunting by themselves without help

from other teams.
However, the monsters this time were in a colony.

Therefore, the teams that took the bus together were

gathered around the bus.

They stood back-to-back, waiting for the monsters to arrive.

Each team leader discussed the formation and gave their

team members different roles.

Each team had a standard line of defense and attack.

The only loner was Yoo-seong.

Most of the hunters didn’t feel that Yoo-seong was wrong in

turning Jae-sung down.

They all knew Jae-sung tended to be excessive, and Yoo-

seong had been quite polite to the end.

But among the groups that came on the bus, Black Bull was
the best in skill and career.

From formation and barricade construction, Choi Jae-sung’s

team had no rival.

Choi didn’t care about some sarcastic ill-mannered rookie

like Yoo-seong.

The silver-spoon kid would have to learn the hard way to

take care of himself.

He shot Yoo-seong a glance.

Yoo-seong appeared quite relaxed. The sight of him annoyed

him.

“They are coming!” The hunter on the lookout shouted.

The others looked to see ants approaching from far away.

Insectoid creatures with upper human bodies came towards

them. Instead of looking like common ants, they looked like
centaurs from Greek mythology. The only difference was
that they had the lower body of an ant, not a horse.

The hunters braced themselves for the battle. Yoo-seong

also took a three-stage stick out.

“Newbie,” someone ridiculed him from the side.

It was Choi Jae-sung.

“What are you going to do with that basic equipment? You

should have brought something more suited for this.
Perhaps some ranged weapons. But you don’t have any,
right?”

Yoo-seong didn’t reply.

“Don’t hurt your nose while stepping out. Strike them

quietly from behind, or at least keep them before your-”

Before Jae-sung could finish speaking, the three-stage stick

snapped into its full form.

Yoo-seong stood with a hand on his waist and the weapon

on the other.

“What? You had been so respectful earlier,” Choi continued,

puzzled by the newbie’s reaction.

Was Yoo-seong going to fight me?

Yoo-seong, however, wasn’t even looking at him.

He hadn’t unleashed his weapon because of Jae-sung.

He had pressed his button.

-Automatic hunting activated.-

It was just like eight months ago when Yoo-seong practiced

against a mannequin with a three-stage stick.

This time, however, there was something else.

Blue energy surrounded his body.

“Dumb ass, don’t do that around people. You could hurt

them!” Jae-sung shouted, fearing that Yoo-seong would
cause a Corona.

Instead, Jae-sung gasped as he watched.

Even the hunters who had been watching the ants approach
shifted their attention to the rookie.

“Wow, what?!” someone yelled in surprise.

The surface of Yoo-seong’s Aura was very smooth.

It was a fully controlled emission. There was a 0% loss rate,

no energy wasted.

No Corona was bound to explode. No one there could

replicate that control.

Everyone watched as Yoo-seong bent down as if he was

about to run in a race. His Aura became concentrated
around his legs.

Then, he began to run.

It took just five steps and a leap for him to land gracefully
amid the dense colony of ants.
The other hunters watched in silence.

The ants were very tall, and Yoo-seong disappeared among

them.

After a few moments, they spotted him fighting against the

giant ants, turning them over one after another.

As Yoo-seong battled the ants, he realized something that

was going to cost him a lot.

He had underestimated the Automatic Hunt function.

 Chapter 17

Episode 17

With an Aura-engulfed fist, Yoo-seong crushed the head of

the soldier-ant leading the stampede.

The recoil from the singular punch stunned him.

He had been training with all his strength so far. As his body
grew stronger, the Auto-Hunt function also performed
better.

The ants behind the soldier-ant reacted immediately. Using

its human arms, an ant tried to grab Yoo-seong’s body.

The force pushed Yoo-seong to the ground, and the ant tried
to step on him to crush him.

The instant the forefoot was above his torso, Yoo-seong

suddenly bounced upon the ant, as though his fall had only
been a joke.

He was like a skillful martial artist. Before the ant knew it,
he was on its back.

One moment, the ant was about to crush an enemy; the

next moment, the enemy was gone.

All it felt was heaviness on its back.

The other ants that saw what happened were bewildered.

The last thing the ant felt was Yoo-seong’s hand smashing
into its neck, disabling its central nervous system.

The ant then remained standing even after death.

Yoo-seong used its body as a platform to leap, and he

landed amid a row of ants.

The ants were excited. It was like playing with a toy.

Their opponent was a tiny primate. He wouldn’t be able to

do any damage to them.

However, whenever they tried to destroy him, it was as if

they were unable to touch him.

He dodged their attacks with ease.

Yoo-seong decided it was payback time.

He began to jump on their backs, destroying their spines

one after the other.

He executed a perfect kill every time, without even a single

error.

Seeing the pattern of the destruction befalling its

subordinates, the Centurion Ant shot an instruction
pheromone.

‘Scatter.’

The effect of the pheromones was instantaneous.

In less than a few seconds, the ants began to scatter into

the streets and alleys to prevent Yoo-seong from jumping on
their backs.
Their strategy was effective. Yoo-seong was unable to target
any one of them.

But he didn’t need to. He fixed his eyes on a higher prize.

He got down from a dead ant’s back and ran in a straight

line- headed for the centurion ant.

Because the soldiers were scattered, the Centurion Ant was

left isolated.

‘Time to die!’

Yoo-seong suddenly understood that the brains of insects

were more designed for combat than strategy.

The Centurion Ant didn’t understand that it had exposed

itself- until it saw Yoo-seong coming towards it.

It was too late for it to summon the ants back with its
pheromones.

It raised its fore and limbs so that it could fight with four
arms. It then stretched to its full height of 5.5 meters.

Its Combat power was a whopping three stars, higher than

the other castes of Gray Ant, whose risk rating

The Centurion’s jaw was wide open; It fired a lump of acidic

green saliva, capable of melting even steel.

It flew towards Yoo-seong like a bullet; however, even that

wasn’t fast enough.

From the time the jaw opened, Yoo-seong predicted that it

would release the acid.
Yoo-seong didn’t know how he had been so accurate. This
could only mean that the Auto-Hunt function had improved.

He dodged, and the acid poured on the ground.

However, dodging the Centurion’s attack would not be

enough to defeat it. The Centurion’s height was three times
that of the normal ants. Its vital spot, which Yoo-seong had
been targeting, was at least four meters above the ground –
higher than a basketball’s ring.

On top of that, Yoo-seong would have to go against the

Centurion’s intimidating arms to get there.

Suddenly, as if in answer to his dilemma, Yoo-seong’s Aura

released a great burst of energy from his legs – even greater
than when he had just been running.

When he leaped, this time, the ground beneath him cracked.

The Centurion shot its saliva again, but it was too late.

Yoo-seong’s body hovered in the air.

For hunters with a limited amount of CE, a leap like that

would be problematic. Concentrating Aura in a specific part
left the other parts relatively unequipped, limiting the
actions they could take.

However, for Yoo-seong, it was a different story,

While in the air, the Aura on his leg transferred smoothly

and quickly towards his arms.

It was a kind of control that was hard to believe.

Floating above the Centurion Ant’s head, beyond the reach

of its forelimbs, Yoo-seong stretched his hands forward.
With Aura concentrated on his arms, he caught the
Centurion’s head in the next second.

Then, he twisted his body, the Centurion’s head twisting

180-degrees twisting with him.

‘CRUNCH!’

The head of the Centurion snapped.

Yoo-seong let the head go, allowing his body to fly freely

through the air.

The Aura moved to his waist to limit the impact of his

landing.

When his feet touched the ground, slipping a couple of steps

backward before regaining balance.

It wasn’t much different from killing the other ants.

One leap- though much higher than others- was all it took.

“What… the…”

The youngest of a team muttered.

Surprisingly, no one reacted to him using a swear word.

It was the same word in everyone’s thoughts.

“What in the world… Isn’t that a Centurion? Was that

monster supposed to be killed so easily?”

“He made it look so easy…” another person muttered.

Those who lacked skills but had rich experience knew.

Yoo-seong’s moves weren’t impossible, theoretically. But

then, real life was different from theory. The moves were
very difficult to replicate.

“Boss, what do we do?” The youngest member of the Black

Bull team asked Choi Jae-sung.

The Black Bull team leader was greatly embarrassed by a

novice.

However, embarrassment wasn’t a big deal.

“I… move out,” Jae-sung said.

“Yes?” the rookie said.

“Move out! Get even one of those ants!” Jae-sung shouted

to his teammates as he ran off.

The youngest did not understand yet.

However, even before Choi Jae-sung said that command,

some of the hunters inside the barricade started to run out.

The Centurion was dead.

Without a control tower, these ants were just ordinary two-

star beasts.

In other words, they had become an easy catch.

“Go out, dumbass! Catch an ant!” Jae-sung shouted over his

shoulder with clenched teeth.

“Ah, yes! Yeah!” the youngest said before running off too.

Funny enough, the hunter’s most-valued equipment wasn’t
their high-impact armor or expensive potions.

It was the 360-degree rotation camera that they wore,

called action cameras, that enabled them to record their
kills and gave them evidence to claim the rights to sale.

Everyone’s action camera proved that Yoo-seong had single-

handedly killed the Centurion.

On top of that, there were also a number of ants which

rights already belong to him.

The hunters would not be able to compete with him.

However, to meet up with the cost of operating the team, it

was necessary to catch at least one more ant than the other
teams.

The conquest began.

The hunters who ran into the scene began to find and catch
the ants that invaded the buildings and alleys.

Fortunately, the price difference between living and dead

ants wasn’t much as long as their shells were preserved.

Every hunter was in a hurry to grab just one more ant

before it was all over.

Most of the hunters, even those who weren’t so confident in

Aura control, were fighting with their Auras raised.

The ants were easy opponents, so there was no need for

that technique.

However, Yoo-seong’s tremendous performance had raised

their morale. They wanted to look good just like he had.
It was the same with Choi Jae-sung.

“Die!” he cried while avoiding the ant’s attack.

He slapped its face with Aura-engulfed palms, and the ant

died instantly.

However, with that single attack, the Aura that surrounded

Choi Jae-Sung’s fist spread out sharply.

Suppressing his Aura on the bus was enough to make him

sweat.

In the field, he barely managed to control his Aura as he

tried to get one more ant.

However, he soon ran out of luck after fighting his third ant.

His Aura exploded and threw his body backward. Like a

novice, he fell to the ground, too exhausted to move.

If he had stuck to skill alone, he would have been able to

catch ten. The same was true of other hunters.

One by one, they suffered Coronas and fell in exhaustion.

Of course, no one had ever died from releasing a Corona,

and a lot of the ants had been killed anyway.

It was simply a rather unsightly happening caused by

watching Yoo-seong.

The hunters were eager to clean up the ugly ants.

Meanwhile, leaning on the Centurion’s body, Yoo-seong was

breathing heavily.
Cold sweat poured down his body. It wasn’t a physical
fitness problem; it was more of a mental one.

In terms of pure physical strength, Yoo-seong would still be

able to run a marathon.

It wasn’t hard to deal with the Aura. However, his chest

throbbed.

The extreme aura control shown by the auto-hunt kept his

nerves up and required extreme concentration throughout.

The exhaustion from just five minutes of fighting was so

terrible that his tongue hung out as he panted.

However, he had won a three-star monster.

Yoo-seong smiled while sweating like rain. Then, a strange

feeling filled him.

After exhaling a few more times loudly to calm himself, Yoo-

seong realized the cause.

At the top-right of the button, one more square had

appeared.

It was similar to the slot, but it already had something

inside.

‘An arrow without a tail?’

It was shaped like an umbrella without a handle…

It could have been in the shape of an awl or… a blade.

-Make eye contact and change your posture by blinking your

eyes. –
‘Posture?’

He understood what the word meant, but a question was

raised in his mind.

Automatic hunting usually took total control of his body.

If so, wasn’t it strange to give him a choice about his

posture?

Yoo-seong straightened his trembling body.

He wanted to try it out to practice. However, the ants were

almost all cleaned up. He sighed in regret.

Suddenly, his mobile phone beeped, announcing the arrival

of a new briefing.

-Urgent. Operation Division-04. Requesting support. Four-

star monsters appeared.-

-Requires participation of hunters of silversmith level or

higher.-

Operation Division-04.

It was the area situated right next to them.

 Chapter 18

Episode 18

-04 OPERATION DIVISION-

The Queen snatched yet another screaming man. The

terrified hunter desperately shot at the Queen as he hung
upside down.

The Geller-Gun he used was a two-star weapon that fired

energy using the user’s CE output.

This hunter was an excellent Aura shooter. Even while

hanging in the air, he managed to hit the Queen countless
times.

However, the clanging of metal filled the air with every

impact. The balls of energy bounced against the Queen’s
tough shell without any effect.

The Queen, unbothered, continued her flight trajectory.

Then, her wings stopped flapping.

It settled on a building rooftop with its prey.

She then started eating.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Soon, the screams stopped.

Kang Yuna bit her lips.

‘Another one…’ she thought.

She was the leader of another team.

More than that, Kang Yuna was the hunter with the highest
achievement rating among those gathered.

She wore a silver seal on her left arm.

It was only a matter of time before she would wear a gold

one. The only reason she was still with a team was that she
needed a means of earning temporarily.

She had quit the firm she had been working with a while ago
to get better opportunities.

She was skilled in treatment and had vast experience in the

field. She had received countless e-mails from headhunters
even before she issued her resignation letter.

Usually, hunters took vacations while their transfers were

pending, but Yuna didn’t like that.

She wasn’t interested in going to Europe. There was no time

for vacations.

She needed more money to achieve her dream of owning a

building in the middle of Gangnam. She met a team that
offered a short-term contract where she would earn 30% of
the team’s total profits.

She responded immediately. The team was a level lower

than her level, anyway.

Because it was a low-level team, she would be positioned

far from the crack, and the monsters she would face would
be three stars at most.

It should have been a casual, part-time job.

It should have been…

But she just had to meet the young Queen.

There were several Gray Ants castes, but 99.9% of the ones
that appeared across the crack were soldier ants or workers.

The rest of the ants were stuck inside the gray ant’s nest
inside the crack.

However, during special seasons, such as the breeding

season, a princess ant that had just finished mating became
a queen and explored outside the nest.

The young Queen took a completely different section from

other ants in the monster encyclopedia because it was very
rare. The appearance and features were also different from
the other Gray Ants – it was 1.5m tall, humanoid body with
quadrupedal walking.

It was equipped with wings that could fly at a speed of 290

km/h.

Still, even with that, it wouldn’t have been that tricky to deal
with it. The biggest feature it had was durability.

A Queen’s armor was the hardest amongst all Gray Ant

species.

Its durability could negate a considerable amount of

firepower. It was the reason why a Queen Ant was rated at
four stars (★★★★).

Yuna bit her lips and glanced behind her nervously.

‘When is support coming?!’

She was crouching inside a bus with her teammates and

other anxious hunters.

They were those whose lives had been saved by her healing
techniques.

Treatment was not a problem. What was lacking was

firepower.

No matter how great a healer she was, what good would it

do if she couldn’t defeat the most dangerous enemy?

Besides, being a silver hunter, shouldn’t she have known

that there was a queen?

Around the vicinity of the bus, there were many soldier ants
that were under the direct control of the Queen.

An injured person crouching near her vomited blood,

catching her attention.

“Are you okay?” she worriedly asked.

Her CE had been exhausted from too much healing.

‘He’s going to die.’

Kang Yuna’s expression darkened with the realization.

Of course, they were safe for the time being.

It was just a matter of time before reinforcements arrived.

However, no matter how accustomed she was to seeing

death, it still hurt her to watch others die.
Her toes curled involuntarily.

‘Help, please come quickly…’ she pleaded desperately in

her heart.

Kang Yuna rose slightly on her bent knees and brought her
eyes to the window.

Immediately, their eyes met.

With the Queen was by the bus. The eyes of the insect
gleamed at the sight of the prey inside.

Impulsively, Kang Yuna acted, jumping through the window

at the other side of the bus.

She rolled over upon landing, then stood up firmly.

“This way, bitch!” She shouted as she ran off.

Her eyes began to dilate with fear. However, it was too late
to change her actions.

‘You had to earn the others a little time. ’

Until more hunters arrived, she had to outrun the Queen’s

wings with her legs somehow.

That was the only way to disengage the Queen’s gaze from
the bus.

The Queen’s wings began to flap as she stared at Kang

Yuna.

She was soaring high into the air in an instant; then, she
began descending toward Yuna.

‘Get ready to die.’ Yuna told herself.

She didn’t look back, but she knew the Queen was coming
for her. She was too exhausted to use her Aura. With one
swoop, the Queen would snatch her away.

‘But it was worth the try,’ she thought the moment she felt
her legs leave the ground.

Something hit her and snatched her into the air.

However, it wasn’t the Queen.

Kang Yuna raised her head to see a man’s blackened face.

Because the man caught Kang Yuna right on time, the

Queen crashed on the ground, skidding on asphalt. Yoo-
seong did not delay.

He held Kang Yuna to his side and focused his Aura on his
legs.

He leaped quickly and jumped from a car to the top of a

streetlight and into the open second-floor window of a
nearby building.

Even though she was stuck on her side, she could hardly
feel anything as the movements continued rapidly.

‘A talented hunter had come!’

But when Yoo-seong put her down, she looked up at him and
became surprised.

“Excuse me?” she said as she felt her expectations fall.

Both arms were without armbands.

Well, it was not right to rate people on that alone.

However, the complexion of Yoo-seong was not very good.

Shortly after he put Kang Yuna down, he put her hands on

the floor and gasped.

His face was almost white, and he was sweating profusely.

She got up, suspecting he had been injured somewhere.

“Hey, wait a minute. Even if I don’t have any energy left, I

guess I can help you with a simple recovery…”

Kang Yuna placed her hand on Yoo-seong’s shoulder and

scanned his body.

Then, she realized something weird.

This man was not exhausted because of injuries or lack of

physical stamina.

It was CE depletion.

CE did not disappear after use, but it got deactivated for a

while until the body recovered.

And it was what caused great fatigue.

If Kang Yuna’s scan was correct, the CE of Yoo-seong was

1300 at most, the amount of CE of a beginner who had just
passed a year of experience.

At least 1000CE had been disabled already.

There was no way such a person could be a capable hunter.

‘But the movement just before…’

Kang Yuna first supported Yoo-seong and applied a very
basic tonic technique.

It was only a little help given her state, but she heard the
man gasp in relief once she was done.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine. Fine.” He said as he nodded.

His condition was several times worse than when he had

just defeated the Centurion.

“Are you here alone?” She asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

The hunters who were in the same area as Yoo-seong were

not in a condition to help. More than half of each team were
injured.

In the end, it was only Yoo-seong who had gone to assist the
4th division.

“Didn’t you encounter any soldier ants on the way? You

should have fought them off instead of coming to challenge
the Queen.”

“I ran across some. A group… there were about 15 of them,”

he said between heavy breaths.

“And you ran away?”

“I hunted them.”

His reply stunned her. He only had a total amount of

1300CE.
Did he use 1000CE out of it to catch 15 ants?

She wondered how much CE he used to save her from the

Queen. 400?

Yuna hadn’t read Yoo-seong’s Aura correctly.

The Auto-Hunt’s Corona Suppression made use of the CE

economically without allowing any wastage.

However, things wouldn’t have been so bad if he hadn’t

tested ‘posture’ while on the way to that place.

They heard the sound of flapping wings out the window. The
violent fall had done little damage to the Queen. The Queen
shook her head and started to approach the bus once more.

“Well, there are people over there,” Yuna informed him.

“You mean on the bus?”

Kang Yuna nodded.

‘Everyone would die if I did nothing,’ she thought as she

stared at the bus.

She was afraid.

Her body and mind were already too stiff to attempt another
heroic act.

‘What could I do?’

She prepared to go out again; this time, she was panting

heavily.

And the man next to her?

She didn’t know how he got them there. However, it was
clear that his CE was exhausted, and he would not be able
to repeat those fluid movements.

Yoo-seong looked out the window.

Then, he leaned beneath the window just before the Queen

had spotted him.

The Auto-Hunt button had made him do that. Yoo-seong

finally disabled the button.

“I can’t win, so I want you to hide,” Kang Yuna said as she

went to the window.

“What?”

“After a few seconds, I will go out. I’m guessing they

remained in the bus hiding beneath the window. When I go
outside, stay here,” she said.

Then, turning to face the bus, she jumped out of the

window, swinging on a street light and thrusting herself
towards the bus.

‘I can’t win now,’ she thought. ’But I have to try.’

Yoo-seong pressed the button again.

Again, this time, automatic hunting made his body bend

under the window.

Yoo-seong raised his gaze to the upper right where Yuna

landed.

She was running towards the bus.

He focused on the new icon and blinked his eyes.

-Posture setting.-

-Assault Form applied.-

Then, Yoo-seong’s body jumped out of the window.

“Hey!” Kang Yuna screamed before she could stop herself.

The Queen, who had just ripped off the side of the bus,
turned her head and saw the lady.

“Come get me,” Yuna said as she ran again.

The Queen came after her again.

However, before the chase could continue, Yoo-seong

landed between the Queen and Yuna.

“Huh?” Yuna uttered in surprise as she looked at Yoo-seong.

Her concern for him grew immediately.

Despite having little energy left to mitigate the landing

shock, she thought he landed quite perfectly.

The Queen seemed somewhat annoyed. Unlike before, she

flapped her wings more violently, rising higher towards the
sky. Yoo-seong did not move.

The Aura that had once covered his body slowly

disappeared.

‘He is exhausted. He’s going to die,’ she thought.

Yoo-seong raised his right arm with a clenched fist.

Then, out of the clenched fist, he raised his index and

middle fingers.
Kang Yuna gasped as the Queen started to dive from almost
30 stories high.

Yoo-seong’s Aura started to emerge – this time, in the form

of a sword from between his index and middle fingers.

It was an Aura of ‘only’ 300CE; however, it was

concentrated.

It was thin, but that was why it was sharper than anything
else.

“A… B… Blade?” Yuna gasped.

It was a sword of blue light.

Yoo-seong watched carefully as the Queen descended at a

fierce speed.

This chance was everything. He didn’t care even if he used

up all his remaining CE.

He had to get this strike right before he lost all his mental
energy.

Just before the clash with the Queen, Auto-hunting made his
body move.

Since the Aura was only focused on the sword, his

movement was limited.

However, he didn’t need much energy, just as the batter

who hit the fastball didn’t have to be faster than the ball.

What was important was the timing. And the firepower.

The conditions were already sufficient. The moment the two

enemies met, Kang Yuna saw a blue flash- the trajectory of
the sword drawn as Yoo-seong slipped away from the
Queen,

The sword cut through the Queen’s body as if it was paper.

There was no sound.

Once again, the Queen’s body crashed to the ground.

This time, however, the Queen never got up again.

And at the same time, Yoo-seong also collapsed.

 Chapter 19

Episode 19

Kang Yuna started to run towards Yoo-seong, but stopped

when she glanced at the fallen queen.

‘What if the queen wasn’t dead?’

‘Or what if there were soldier ants nearby?’

Kang Yuna bit her lip after a pause.

‘Coward!’

The man who had collapsed just did a miracle that she
hadn’t expected. He had just saved her life.

How did he jump out the window?

How did he use an ultra-advanced technique called ‘Blade’?

She did not understand. However, she felt ashamed.

Yoo-seong just had to try the Assault Form after hearing that
there were people on the bus.

No matter how much automatic hunting helped, he was still

human. That was why he had to ensure his will and
concentration did not shake to the end despite reaching his
mental limit.
Kang Yuna hesitated, but she knew he needed her help
immediately.

She had to do something to help him. He was a fellow

hunter and human.

Kang Yuna ran to him. The queen still didn’t move.

Upon reaching Yoo-seong, Kang Yuna released all her

remaining CEs, running a detailed scan to find the cause of
the problem.

As she expected, Yoo-seong fainted because of CE’s

complete depletion, not the burden on his body.

She noticed something else.

The veins leading the CE from the core to the body parts
seemed like they hadn’t gone through strain before. It was
as if he had never been reinforced, or he had just recently
been reinforced but had never used Aura.

Usually, with use, the veins collapsed, recovered, and

became stronger and wider like muscles.

It was a continuous process.

Yuna didn’t understand how Yoo-seong’s veins could still be

so fine.

More than that, though, she realized that his clash against
the queen had also cost him.

His right hand was bruised. His nervous system was also
completely drained.

Kang Yuna knew what she had to do.

She took out some tape and gauze from her first aid kit.

The condition of Yoo-seong’s was unexplainable, but it

wasn’t any cause for alarm.

Fine veins were inherently tough. Besides, if there were no

impurity, the veins would only become stronger by rest and
stability after a few days.

However, the veins on the right hand that had pulled out the
blade required immediate attention.

They had sustained the thin condensed Aura that had

passed through the queen’s armor. In short, they were
damaged.

She spat into Yoo-seong’s hand as she drew on her core

energy. Her face had turned pale.

She had been in charge of healing wounded hunters and

taking them back to the bus. She was close to the limits of
her abilities, and Yoo-seong’s veins required a lot of energy.

‘Just a little bit more,’ she thought as she drew from the
bottom of her core.

The CE started to flow through the tip of the saliva in the

right hand of Yoo-seong.

It was not as remarkable as the Blade synthesis, but it was

also an advanced technique. She sent energy over a
medium rather than her own body.

Moreover, it was a technique that restored another person’s

nervous system and elicited resilience.
It was one of the reasons why she received calls from
countless groups. It was her pride.

“Done!” she gasped as she made a face.

The veins on Yoo-seong’s right hand had almost completely

recovered. It would soon become stronger than all the other
parts.

She sighed in relief as the tension from work eased. Like a

pro, Kang Yuna did not lose concentration until the end. She
wrapped a tape that could relieve pain and calm the nerves
around his arm.

Once done, she made sure that there are no problems in

Yoo-seong’s body. Then, she fell to her knees, leaning on her
arms for balance.

She hoped the queen wouldn’t resurrect, and no soldier ant

would come after them.

She and Yoo-seong had drained so much energy. Neither of

them could fight anymore.

Finally, other hunters arrived to help – much too late.

“Hey, are you injured?” asked a hunter in a specially

modified jeep.

The vehicle and the silver seal on his left arm indicated that
he was part of a larger team.

“Yes. There are injured people on the bus too,” she said.

One after another, more vehicles arrived.

She looked at the sky. The crack was closed. The conflict
was over.
The team dispatched to the inside of the crack had
successfully blocked it. It had been large enough to cover
the city’s center.

Therapists from another team moved the injured to a

nearby building for first-aid treatment.

Kang Yuna and Yoo-seong were among the people that were
moved.

Kang Yuna, who was drinking coffee from a thermos bottle,

watched Yoo-seong wake up.

‘Thank God,’ she thought out loud.

Realizing herself, she turned away.

‘Don’t you want to talk to him about what you saw?’ A voice
in her head asked.

She had been confused about how he had managed to kill

the queen, but she was too embarrassed to ask.

She had been the only one to see it.

Although she didn’t know all about Aura Control, she was
sure of one thing: Blade was, by no means, a skill that could
be used at his level. He had to have a secret.

‘Maybe I don’t want to discover it,’ she replied to the voice

in her head.

The evidence remained on the action cam.

Hunters used the footage from their action cams to improve

their portfolios, but some were reluctant to disclose them.
Unless the hunter revealed it, only the department in charge
of judging the prey’s possession could see the action cam.

Sometimes, they were even punished for revealing facts

other than ownership of prey due to a confidentiality treaty.
Evidently, the queen belonged to Yoo-seong.

She went out of the treatment facility and watched the

corpse of the queen.

Two other hunters had spotted it.

“Uh! There is also a queen here!” one said.

“True,” the other said as both of them went closer.

“Who caught it?” the first one asked.

Hunters were sensitive to the unspoken rules of hunting.

Even if the corpse of a prized prey was found, no other

hunter was to touch it, considering the hunter who had
caught it.

Of course, not everyone adhered to rules.

“No, but look at this,” the first hunter said as he boldly

turned over the queen’s body and looked at it.

He had a gold seal on his left arm.

His eyes gleamed with joy as he looked at the prize.

“There is no trace of trauma,” he said.

“I know, right.” The other one said.

“Doesn’t this look like a natural death? She must have
missed her mating season and died as a result. Sometimes
that’s the case,” the gold seal hunter said.

Everyone around seemed to agree with him. If a beast died

naturally at the end of its lifespan, the person who spotted it
first became the owner.

The gold seal hunter spotted Kang Yuna.

“Hey, you were with the queen’s corpse. Who killed it?” he
asked her.

She shrugged.

“I don’t know,” she said.

“Since no one knows who caught it, we all could just share it
among ourselves…” the gold sealed hunter began.

Suddenly, he was interrupted by a deep voice.

“Sure, if you want to get into big trouble.”

Everyone turned to the source of the voice.

“This is my prey. If you make as much as a scratch on it, I

will immediately file a claim for damages.”

Of course, the owner of the voice was Yoo-seong.

“You?”

The gold hunter looked Yoo-seong over.

There was no seal on either the left or the right.

Above all, the face was familiar.

‘That’s him, this year’s top test-taker,’ he thought.

‘I knew he was great, but then, could a novice who just

passed the exam a week ago hunt a queen?’

“The lady who was with you said she knew nothing,” the
gold hunter said as he pointed at Kang Yuna.

She became nervous.

‘What should I do?’ she thought.

Of course, if she released her action cam, things would be

very simple.

Yoo-seong was a newbie. He may not know about the full

footage available from their action cams.

The atmosphere was tense.

A gold-ranked hunter was a person who led several teams.

Everyone seemed to be thinking that Yoo-seong was going

to be forced to deny ownership of the queen.

Even among veteran hunters, ownership usually caused

misunderstandings and complicated situations.

Suddenly, Yoo-seong opened his mouth.

“D23-BB24114GE4.”

“Huh?” People asked.

Yoo-seong, repeated the 13-digit code once again and again

so that everyone could hear it well.
“D23-BB24114GE4. This is the cloud entry where my action
cam video is saved. Check it out on your phone.”

The hunters around Kang Yuna picked up their cell phones

and entered the code given by Yoo-seong.

“Wow! Check it!” Someone said.

As if they couldn’t believe it, the hunters watched the

scenes together.

Yoo-seong remained calm.

“This is fantastic!” another one remarked.

“Isn’t he just a beginner who had just been licensed for a

week?”

“Is the blade not synthetic?”

Everything was resolved in an instant. Already, all the

hunters were gathered around the queen.

The gold hunter who first touched the queen went to Yoo-
seong.

“Uh… there… Oh Yoo-seong… right?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“I’m really… sorry.”

The gold hunter was scratching the back of his neck as if he

was embarrassed.

He had thought the queen had died naturally. It turned out

that there was an owner.
As a senior wearing gold, he was greatly embarrassed by
the outstanding junior.

“Really, I apologize,” he said.

“It’s fine,” Yoo-seong replied calmly.

“This is my business card.” The goldsmith said as he pulled

out the card.

The atmosphere became cool after the gold hunter

apologized. From the beginning, Yoo-seong had no intention
of hiding the action cam.

The action cams couldn’t reveal the automatic-hunt

function. There was nothing for him to hide.

“Then, you also saved the injured people on the bus?”

Yoo-seong nodded. At this, the gold hunter slapped Yoo-

seong’s shoulder in admiration.

“You did a great job. The rescue achievement will be a no-

joke addition to your portfolio. Maybe it would put a bronze
seal or more at once.”

“Thank you.”

Kang Yuna couldn’t raise her head. When she did, she
accidentally made eye contact with Yoo-seong.

Yoo-seong looked at her the way he would look at a

stranger.

Why did she deny his ownership of the queen? Well, at least
things had been settled at the end.

Yoo-seong tilted his head and entered the gold hunter’s car.
Kang Yuna stood in place, her mouth hanging open.

Normally, hunters would relax after working hard.

However, all of the hunters returning from Operation

Division 04 were excited.

They were thinking about the action cam footage released

by the novice hunter named Oh Yoo-seong.

Everyone scorned themselves in their minds.

‘How many monsters have you caught alone, without your

team?’

‘What is the highest-ranked monster you have caught?’

In the midst of it all, Yoo-seong was sleeping quietly.

 Chapter 20

Episode 20

You only needed to check two things to determine whether a

hunter was working with a good company.

The first was their attending physician.

From the time of the first CE injection, hunters needed

medical services different from that of the general public.
Hunters needed a capable doctor with whom they could
entrust the reinforcement procedure and their body’s overall
management.

The second was their agent, AKA manager.

This position required not just managing schedules or doing

chores. The amount of paperwork that a professional hunter
had to handle was not a joke.

It included applying for support over a crack that appeared,

claiming prey, and processing it after the hunt was over.

The manager took care of those tasks and negotiated tax,

legal matters, and operations that required cooperation
from other hunters or teams/firms. An agent was a high-end
staff who had to understand the industry better than most
hunters.

Therefore, the better the quality of these two services, the

better the hunter is said to be.
The better the organization, the better the doctors and
agents were hired.

Big groups, including ‘2F4T’, attached one doctor and one

agent to each hunter.

For groups without much money, an agent handled over a

dozen team members, and the youngest members of the
team did all the paperwork.

There were no dedicated attending physicians.

It was an awkward situation for novice hunters on small

teams from their first hunt.

-Jin Chang-Hoon Medical Center-

Holding a small leather bag, Kim Sung-Wook stepped inside

the elevator, wearing a slight smile on his face.

He went to the hospital director’s office and asked Jin

Chang-hoon right away.

“What is his state?”

“It’s all good. It should all be over within a few days.”

Jin Chang-hoon responded without taking his eyes off the

monitor he was watching.

“Watching this is just a bit overwhelming,” Chang-hoon

added.

Sung-wook then raised his right hand.

“I know, right. I also watched the action cam video,” he

said.
Only then did Jin Chang-hoon look up to stare at Kim Sung-
wook directly.

‘How can this be?’ Jin Chang-hoon asked with his eyes. In all
his years of treating Hunters, he had never seen such talent.

Yoo-seong’s skill was an abnormality. However, Kim Sung-

wook just shrugged a little.

“Well?” he asked.

“Well?” Chang-hoon asked back, frowning in confusion.

“You’ve not told me what I need to know. Is his right-hand

vein in a critical condition or not?”

“It looks like he’d been treated in the field. I don’t know who
did it, but the person did a very good job.”

Chang-hoon paused before he continued. “If he doesn’t put

a lot of pressure on those veins while resting, he will recover
neatly.”

“I’m glad. Nice work.”

Only then did Kim Sung-wook’s smile widen.

“Is he resting now? What room is he in?” Sung-wook asked.

“He is not in any hospital room here.”

“Where then? Did he go out of the hospital? I told him to

wait…”

Jin Chang-hoon shook his head.

“As soon as the test was over, he asked to leave. His body is
fine. He wanted to train.”
Of course, except for the veins, Yoo-seong’s body was in the
best condition.

He could do anything as long as he didn’t use his Aura.

In the hospital’s basement was a membership gym for

hunters.

The room was equipped with bench presses and weights

tailored to their superior physical qualities.

However, despite the good facilities, there were not many

hunters who visit this place.

Once a hunter received a license, the hunter didn’t have to

depend on his body alone.

Most hunters enhanced and trained various Aura

manipulation techniques.

Almost everyone thought the same way.

They would not prefer to spend their time with slow-yielding

training. Yoo-seong breathed in rhythm as he squatted. The
exercise he was doing was called the ‘flower and foundation
of weight.’

The risks attached to it were so great that even skilled

people incur serious injuries if they are weren’t careful.

However, even though he had only been at it for a short

time, Yoo-seong was doing it perfectly. The joints, muscles,
and bones required for exercise interacted perfectly and
didn’t allow any imbalance.

He lifted the last rounds, using the last of his strength.

Then, he yelled with a sense of accomplishment as he
allowed the weights to fall to the ground with a loud clang.
Kim Sung-wook came around to check the cause of the
noise.

“Here you are. I thought I heard your voice. You don’t like
the facilities here?” he asked.

Yoo-seong tilted his head to check who the visitor was.

“Oh! You’re here,” he said in surprise upon seeing Sung-

wook.

“The membership fee was cheap, and the equipment seems

to be more suited for a junior to learn. For a few years, this
gym couldn’t avoid getting deficits,” Kim Sung-wook
explained.

“Why don’t you take a break?. It was your first hunt, and
you’ll have to be counting money for a few days anyway.”
He joked.

“That’s why I’m still here,” Yoo-seong said as he clasped and

opened his right hand.

The veins hadn’t healed, but there was no pain.

Jin Chang-hoon had told him that the Blade synthesis had
been too harsh on his veins.

‘It had been a hunch.’

He seemed to know why the ‘assault’ form turned on only

after he blinked.

Automatic hunting always restricted his body from crossing

the line.
However, the ‘assault’ form was a kind of overclock. It was a
high-level technology that went far beyond his level.

However, for some reason, it had been made available to

him. Yoo-seong’s conclusion was simple upon experiencing
this.

It only meant that he had to train more.

Everyone had to constantly train their fine veins before

dealing with Aura to be able to withstand and overuse to
some extent. Physical training would help him achieve that
to some point.

Eight months.

His body had undergone numerous changes and had

improved in that amount of time.

If he trained his body, he could become more efficient at

automatic hunting even if he didn’t use his Aura.

The possibilities of automatic hunting were endless, and it

was his job to make those possibilities a reality.

There was still a long way to go.

“Teacher,” Yoo-seong spoke in a serious tone.

His performance during the last battle had been beyond

explanation. It had been unusual for a beginner hunter to do
those things.

Besides, there had been many witnesses, and he hadn’t

hidden his talent. Rumors had spread far about the source
of his abilities, but he didn’t care about what people said. He
had nothing to prove to them in the first place.
However, he had to tell Kim Sung-wook.

The man had given Yoo-seong his own CE and had offered to
act as a temporary agent for him. If Sung-wook wanted to
know about how he pulled out the Blade…

“Teacher, I have something to tell you. I…”

“The secret why you fight so well?” Sung-wook asked,

cutting him short.

Yoo-seong’s eyes widened.

“I don’t know. Do you have to tell me that?” Sung-wook

asked.

“What do you mean?”

“There are many possible reasons. There could be

something from your past or a secret you learned, or maybe
it is a secret ability that had just manifested, or you’re a
genius the world has never seen before. But, then, so
what?”

Sung-wook smiled at his student before continuing. “There

is no reason to say it now. Keep it as your secret.”

Right.

The auto-hunt button wasn’t something that could be easily

be spoken of to any other person.

“But…” Yoo-seong began, but Sung-wook cut him short once

more.

“Of course, I am curious too. Saying otherwise would be a

lie. I’m the one who decided to hand over my core. I
wondered what secret powers you were hiding.” Kim Sung-
wook said.

“But… it wasn’t important in my choosing you as a

successor.”

Kim Sung-wook’s eyes glanced over Yoo-seong’s body. Yoo-

seong was sweating like rain.

He suspected the Yoo-seong had put himself through

intense training before he had arrived.

“Let’s say that you are lucky to have a special ability. But
what’s special about that? What if you were born with the
talent of a super genius? You’re just lucky. We are all lucky in
some way, whether acquired or inherent.”

Kim Sung-wook pointed his index finger at Yoo-seong’s eyes

– the two eyes that never lost their focus.

“What is important is this…”

The index finger went down and pointed to his chest.

“If there is nothing in this, no matter how much luck you are
born with, you will eventually become a monster. At least
from what I’ve seen.”

Sung-wook’s words burned deep in Yoo-seong’s heart, but

he pretended to be calm.

“It may not be what you think,” Yoo-seong said finally.

“Is that so? Well, maybe it is.”

Sung-wook kept smiling. He leaned over and opened the

bag he brought. There were a lot of documents that Yoo-
seong had to deal with from the hunt.
Sung-wook then spoke as he pulled some of the papers out.

“I don’t know if I’ll continue to be an agent for you, but while

I am, let’s just say what is necessary. The reasons are
different, but most people hide their abilities. Those people
have the advantage. Besides, I’ve seen a few cases where
people become guilty of saying the wrong thing in the
wrong place.”

“I will keep that in mind,”

Yoo-seong kept Sung-wook’s words in his heart.

“Someday, when I’m convinced that I have built up enough

trust with you. I’ll ask you myself then. Of course, you’ll be
free to refuse to tell me.”

Yoo-seong hoped that such a day would come. He nodded at

his mentor.

“Great! Then, let’s count the money.” Sung-wook heartily

said as he handed him some documents.

“67 total subjugated monsters. No destruction. 65 are 2-

stars, a 3-star, and a 4-star. Compensation is worth 550,000
won each for 2-stars, 4.1 million won for 3-stars, and 13.7
million won for 4-stars. A total of 53.55 million won will be
awarded as compensation.”

Yoo-seong had just read the first line, but Sung-wook was
already reading the second document as if he had a motor
in his mouth.

“…The 1375kg armor and secretory glands extracted from

the 65 soldier ants are already on the market’s bid awaiting
list…”
Sung-wook handed Yoo-seong hold the third document and
read it.

It was about how to treat the by-products of the Centurion’

and Queen Ant caught by Yoo-seong.

“This?”

“I haven’t placed an order yet. If Yoo-seong wants, I’ll just

sell it, and if you prefer, we can treat it as a souvenir. Shall I
do this instead of selling it on the market?”

Yoo-seong could not speak, so he simply nodded. He felt

dumbfounded.

“Is that all?” He managed to ask.

“I thought you would say that,” Sung-wook said as he pulled

out the fourth document.

“This is the achievement score you received this time…”

It was then that Sung-wook’s cell phone rang.

While Sung-wook answered the phone, Yoo-seong read the

contents of the third document several times.

“Yoo-seong. You said that QR Corporation also called you

last time?” Sung-wook asked suddenly as he ended the call.

He and Sung-wook hadn’t signed a formal agent contract

yet.

“Yes.”

“Interesting. Did you give them your number already?”

Yoo-seong’s number wasn’t supposed to be a public one.

“No. Was that them?” Yoo-seong asked.

“No. This call came from Chang-hoon. We have to go there

now.” Sung-wook replied.

“To the hospital?” Yoo-seong asked.

Sung-wook nodded.

Jin Chang-hoon’s hospital was considered a first-class

facility. That must have been how they had tracked him so
fast.

“Huh. Rumors travel fast. What you did has already spread.
Chang-hoon said they would like to meet you at once.”

Then, Sung-wook added with excitement: “The CEO himself

is there.”
 Chapter 21

Episode 21

Yoon Kang-cheol was the CEO and the Operation Control

Chief of QR Corporation.

His achievements were as popular as his name. He had

been one of the first heroes.

Twelve years ago, Kargadon, a 6-star (★★★★★★) monster,

appeared in the country’s southernmost part. It was Yoon
Kang-cheol who persuaded the government to prepare for a
large-scale firepower concentration.

From there, he created the Raiders, a team of hunters, and

miraculously succeeded in just one attempt.

At the time, the equipment and the efficiency of the CE

injection procedure were far inferior to the ones now.
Usually, military support was essential to catch monsters
with more than five stars. Because of the limitations for
hunters, astronomical damage to facilities and infrastructure
happened almost every month.

However, Yoon Kang-cheol succeeded with his team of

hunters alone – the fifth record in the world and the second
in Asia.

As a result, he was awarded a Platinum Seal and granted

operation to a gigantic firm in Korea. The tycoon himself was
waiting in the hospital’s director’s office.
The door opened, and the man he had been waiting for
appeared. Oh Yoo-seong.

For a few moments second, the man’s gaze swept over Yoo-
seong’s body. Yoo-seong was still in his training outfit, which
revealed the curvature of his form.

Yoo-seong felt a familiar sensation run through him. It was

the same as when he had shaken hands with Lee Jae-Hak –
the feeling of being probed.

“Indeed,” Yoon Kang-cheol said in satisfaction after

completing his evaluation,

“You’re more than I expected. Nice to meet you. I am Yoon

Kang-Cheol.”

“Nice to meet you, too. I am Oh Yoo-seong .”

Yoon Kang-cheol motioned for Yoo-seong to sit in the chair

next to him; however, Yoo-seong didn’t move.

“Why don’t you have a seat?” Yoon asked.

“Well?” Yoo-seong said, hoping to get the conversation over

with. His eyes turned to Jin Chang-hoon, who sat on the
other side of the table.

“Wouldn’t it be rude to talk with someone else here,

especially if I don’t have any medically related business?”

“Uh, Yoo-seong,” Jin Chang-Hoon said, blushing. “This is

Yoon Kang-cheol of QR.”

Even if Yoo-seong didn’t mean to be hostile, he wasn’t

supposed to talk that way to such a distinguished individual.
If Kang-cheol wanted to have a conversation in the ICU
ward, he could as well do so.

But then again, this was Jin Chang-Hoon’s hospital, and Yoo-
seong had a point.

Of course, if Yoo-seong didn’t want to talk with Kang-cheol,

Jin would have to find a way to keep the CEO from leaving in
anger.

“Well. That’s right,” Yoon Kang-cheol said as he suddenly

stood up.

He was a head taller than Yoo-seong, and his shoulders were

twice as large in comparison. The muscles of his neck flexed
whenever he spoke.

He looked down at the bold newcomer. Yoo-seong refused to

feel intimidated.

“I wasn’t thinking,” the older man said. Yoon Kang-cheol

looked at Jin Chang-Hoon and nodded.

“I didn’t intend to be rude, please. I thought you were his

guardian.”

“No. He’s just my doctor.”

Yoon Kang-cheol looked at Yoo-seong again. “Well, then,

where can we talk?”

“There is a cafe on the first floor of the building,” Yoo-seong

replied.

Before leaving the room, Yoo-seong looked at Jin Chang-

hoon and bowed his head. Jin remained silent, in awe of Yoo-
seong as the two hunters left the room.
Yoon Kang-cheol spoke again as he pressed the button to go
up in the elevator. “Can I get to the point? I don’t want to
seem like I’m in a hurry, but I hate unnecessary formalities.”

“Okay.”

“I want you to join QR.”

The elevator hadn’t even arrived on the first floor yet.

“I haven’t seen the action cam video myself; however, I

have a trusted friend who has – Yang Jae-ho,” Kang-cheol
continued.

After returning from hunting, Yoo-seong had set the action

cam cloud storage to private. He’d show it to anyone if
necessary, but it wasn’t wise to leave the cloud open to
everyone.

“You know him?” Kang-cheol asked.

“Yes,” Yoo-seong calmly replied.

Yang Jae-ho was the gold-seal hunter who had wanted to

claim ownership of the Queen.

“I am only ten years older than you,” Yoon Kang-cheol

continued.

He had just entered his twenties when his first crack

appeared. However, when he was at the same age as Yoo-
seong, he was already a famous hunter.

“If you compare both of us at the same age, I would still be

a better hunter. I had accumulated the necessary
experience and skills over the years.”
“I think that it’s too much of a compliment to be compared
with you,” Yoo-seong said, more in honesty than in modesty.

Yoon Kang-Cheol, at 39, was a platinum-seal holder and

someone who had captured a six-star monster. He was an
incomparable opponent by all standards.

Yoon Kang-cheol nodded at this and continued.

“However, you can become far greater than me in both

fame and skill.”

Ding-

The elevator door opened, and the hunters stepped out.

They passed by a team of hunters who had gone to the

hospital for treatment.

One of the hunters, who had been confessing his passion,

paused as they walked past.

There was no one in the industry who didn’t know Yoon

Kang-cheol. All the other hunters began to stutter.

Yoon Kang-cheol walked away without talking to them.

There was a small smile on his face in contrast to Yoo-
seong’s face.

As they walked into the café, Yoon Kang-cheol finished his

statement.

“Of course, that’s on the premise of accumulating the

appropriate experiences in a good training environment.”

“I have no intention of joining the QR Corporation,” Yoo-

seong told him. “Do you have anything else to say to me?”
He had stopped walking and had almost turned to leave.

Yoon Kang-cheol was too stunned to speak. Yoo-seong’s

decision not to join a group was based on his use of
Automatic Hunting.

The ability wasn’t suited for hunting in a way that required

constant team communication.

If he would eventually join a team in the future, it would

have been because he had fully grasped the potential of the
Auto-Hunt functions.

“Fortunately, I have a couple of people who will help me

with my solo activities. I think it will be best if I worked alone
in the meanwhile and learn what I need to.”

“Don’t you want to be like Lee Jae-hak?” Kang-cheol asked.

“Yes,” Yoo-seong said, wondering where the conversation

was going.

Yoon Kang-cheol’s voice was full of urgency as he spoke

once more.

“That’s my goal. I want to build more Lee Jae-haks. It isn’t

enough that ‘2F4T’ is a household name in Korea.”

Yoo-seong knew this.

Around the world, hunting was carried out by firms, teams,

and individuals. However, when it came to gauging the best,
it wasn’t the name of the teams or firms that came to mind.

It was always the best hunter in the group who was

recognized.
For example, the Chinese Federation’s Ship Zone, the UK’s
Glorious Seven, and the United States’ teams and firms
were smaller than Korean teams.

However, the reputation of their heroes surpassed the

corporate reputation of Korea, and that reputation came
from their skill. Every country needed a star who could
achieve a global record single-handedly or with a few
teammates.

There was only one of such stature in Korea.

Lee Jae-hak.

The genius hunter miraculously appeared, as if he fell from

the sky. He had been successful in a solo charge against a
storm-class rift.

It was an unprecedented achievement. Every other hunter

envied his fame and wealth. They all wanted to be like him
in skill.

Some even hoped that he would fail soon. However, no one

had been able to meet up with his reputation.

“Our industry is a young one, and, with time, more talented

people will come out. I plan to gather talented hunters and
train them using the necessary experiences.”

Kang-cheol paused before pleading in an urgent tone.

“We need you to be part of this, Yoo-seong.”

As he spoke, he watched Yoo-seong. The younger man

appeared to be listening carefully; however, he didn’t seem
all that convinced.
“Oh, come on!” Kang-cheol exclaimed. He was frustrated
because Yoo-seong wasn’t taking his offer.

“I’m sorry,” Yoo-seong said.

“No, it’s okay.”

Yoon Kang-cheol searched the inside of his jacket and pulled

out a note with his private number.

“In a month or two, if a moderately-sized rift occurs, we’ll

put the teams of prospects I spoke to you about in the
center.”

Yoo-seong knew that the closer one got to the rift, the
greater the difficulty of hunting became.

Therefore, only elite gold-seal hunters were always placed

inside or right under the crack.

If one’s achievement score was low, he or she would not

even be eligible to apply. Solo hunters had an even smaller
chance of going because they didn’t work with a group.

“If you want, we can include you in the dispatch team. You
don’t need to sign a contract with us. The profit distribution
will still apply to you. When that hunt is over, you’re not
obligated to join us.”

Upon hearing this, Yoo-seong accepted the note.

It was a great offer. From it, he could get hunting experience

in the center. On top of that, he could experience the know-
how of a QR Corporation hunt.

“In case you change your mind, you can contact us within
this month. I’m not the only one who wants to hire you. As a
senior in the industry, I believe that working with me is
something worth experiencing at least once.”

Yoon Kang-cheol then stepped inside the elevator.

Suddenly, he realized that it was going up instead of going

to the ground floor. Both of them laughed as he stepped out
and entered the right one.

“Goodbye, then,” he said as the door closed.

Soon, the elevator reached the ground floor.

When the door opened, Yoon Kang-cheol encountered a

familiar-looking man. The man was about to enter the
elevator with coffee and doughnuts.

Kang-cheol seemed to remember his face from somewhere.

They had met a couple of times in the past from the
industry.

He touched the man on the shoulder, preventing him from

entering the elevator. The confused man looked at him as if
he did not recognize Kang-cheol.

After a short greeting, the man entered the elevator.

Yoon Kang-cheol was still deep in thought as he walked out

of the building. Suddenly, he raised his head.

A thought flashed through his mind as he saw the building’s

name.

-Sung-wook Building-

He had seen it when he came in, but he didn’t think

anything of it.
It was common for people to put their names on buildings,
and the name wasn’t uncommon.

He gasped. There was no way it was the same Sung-wook.

The man who just passed him in the elevator…

He remembered what Yoo-seong had said.

Fortunately, I have a couple of people who will help me with

my solo activities…

“Indeed.”

He had wondered how a novice like Yoo-seong could have

completed the complicated document procedures that came
after a hunt.

After entering his vehicle and hitting the accelerator, he

kept laughing to himself.

It had been four years ago when he last saw that man. His
story wasn’t well-known because he wasn’t the type to
reveal himself to the media like Lee Jae-hak.

Unfortunately, the promising young man was injured and

thus had left the industry forever. His career eventually
came to an end.

A man who had achieved feats quite equal to Lee Jae-

Hak’s…

Kim Sung-wook.

“I think it’s worth trying,” Sung-wook said while eating a

crispy cream doughnut.
“Yes?”

“Yes. You have nothing to lose there, right? You’ll just be

going once, going through the motions, and then washing
your hands off. By the way, I’m sorry to learn about your
decision to forfeit the QR’s offer. At the same time, this
doesn’t mean you have to write a contract with them.”

That was right. Even if the conditions seemed good at first

sight, many contracts had terrible setbacks that come up
along the way.

If the counterpart of an agreement was a large company,

there was no way to win against them then.

“That’s all I know. Without knowing that, I would have said

that you’re not interested in having an agent.”

“Indeed?”

“More than anything else, I can already see it in your eyes.”

Yoo-seong wasn’t in a hurry to achieve anything.

He was building himself slowly and consistently, trying to

figure out what worked best for him. He was becoming a
perfect hunter, even if he didn’t know it yet.

“I think you’re correct,” Yoo-seong confessed. “Since you

say it’s okay, I guess I’ll go there.”

“Okay. Then, you’ll have to prepare throughout the month –

steadily and consistently.”

“I know. I heard that there are a lot of good guys at QR.”

“You’ll start training as soon as the veins heal. I’ll teach you
something pretty fun,” Sung-wook said.
After four years, his skill would see the light of the world
again.
 Chapter 22

Episode 22

Yoo-seong’s veins fully recovered ten days later.

He trained hard on the roof of the building, building

strength, speed, posture, and accuracy. He was no longer
hitting the team of three bags.

His new victim was a synthetic rubber column with a 55 cm

diameter and a height of 2 m.

Yoo-seong had bought it under Sung-wook’s

recommendation. Sung-wook told him that he wouldn’t be
able to bring it down, and things turned out that way.

He kept punching and kicking, yet the bag remained

hanging.

Yoo-seong’s body hadn’t changed much from before since it

had already been well-built.

Unlike when he had only begun, when signs of progress

appeared every day, it now took time and perseverance in
order to see any changes. There was a significant difference
in the power from Yoo-seong compared to before the test.

As he punched, blue flashes appeared around his body.

His Aura was coming back. He hit the bag harder, but it still
didn’t fall.
It was made of rubber and as huge as a log. However,
whenever Yoo-seong hit it, it flew backward, as if it was filled
with air.

If he was still using his old equipment, it would have

probably been smashed before two rounds were over.

Suddenly, Yoo-seong pressed the button, turning off the

auto-hunt function. The rubber pillar was still standing
intact, although its smooth surface was all gone.

He had been overworking it for four days. The bag had

begun to tilt slightly.

It was time for a change.

He clenched and opened his fists; then, he pressed the

button.

Once again, the Aura surrounded him.

Then, he pressed the next button.

-Posture setting.-

-Assault form applied.-

A blade rose from his fingers.

Suddenly, the rubber bag in front of him looked powerless,

just like the Ant Queen had looked two weeks ago.

It was over in an instant.

He turned the button off again, gaining control of his body

once more.
Half of the rubber pillar had crashed to the floor. His arm
was tingling with pain, but it was bearable.

The pain was less than the first time he had used the Blade.
However, that wasn’t the only encouraging thing. The blade
he had pulled out this time was the size of the three fingers
put together instead of two.

Things were now getting clearer to him.

Assault Form pulled the Blade out beyond Yoo-seong’s

limits, and those limits only increased as he improved with
use.

He could make this stronger.

With more training, he could even reduce the impact it takes

on his arm.

His heart thudded with excitement at the realization. He

wanted to do more.

He was restless, feeling that the improvement would be lost

if he took a break.

However, he had to rest. He went down from the rooftop. It

had already been an exhausting morning, yet the day was
just beginning.

His mind drifted to four days ago when he had received a

full-fledged lesson from Sung-wook.

Yoo-seong stood with his feet apart, and his fist held in front
of his abdomen.

It looked like a Taekwondo stance.

As he focused, he could feel the heat from the CE in his
belly. Feeling it and drawing it out of the body was the first
step in the practice of dealing with Aura.

“You’re doing well,” Sung-wook remarked.

However, Yoo-seong could barely manage to hold himself

up.

Soon a weird moaning filled the air as Aura was pulled out of
his body. However, it was quite different from before.

Rather than looking like a smooth pudding, it looked like

cotton candy flying around in a mess and vanishing. It was a
normal experience for beginners.

Yoo-seong was not using automatic Hunting. He was holding

onto Aura with his natural ability. He realized how hard it
was.

He gnashed his teeth as he persevered in upholding the

Aura. However, he reached his limits soon.

There was a pop, and a sudden strong wind blew around

Yoo-seong.

A Corona.

He fell to the floor with a thud, gasping for breath.

“42 minutes and 30 seconds. That’s a new record,” Sung-

wook said as though Yoo-seong had done something
enormous.

“That’s because I held on until almost all of CE

disappeared,” Yoo-seong said, rolling on the floor.
Three days ago, Yoo-seong had received two new injections,
increasing his amount of CE to 2300.

He had spent about 500 CE during the morning training and

had gradually lost about 1600 CE as he tried to maintain his
Aura.

The Corona had taken up the remaining 200 CE.

“Well, it’s a tremendous progress compared to the first day.”

That was right.

On the first day, it popped much faster than this, and the
energy of 1500CE was released.

Even Sung-wook had been thrown back by the explosion.

Fortunately, both of them didn’t get hurt.

“This is way harder than I thought,” he said.

Automatic Hunting allowed him to skip through the difficulty

of it. He remembered Choi Jae-sung on the bus. Jae-sung
was really more advanced than him in terms of Aura control.

“Hmm,” Sung-wook murmured as he looked down at Yoo-

seong. His student’s CE had been exhausted, along with his
body.

Yoo-seong’s prowess would have amazed him. It had only

been four days of training, and he had already been able to
sustain his Aura for 42 minutes.

Even Sung-wook himself had probably taken two weeks to

sustain the energy for forty minutes.

However, a question had begun bugging him.

Why did Yoo-seong, who had pulled out a Blade, seem like a
beginner while we are training?

The body’s functions weren’t supposed to change within

such a short time.

He wondered, and yet he didn’t ask.

He had promised Yoo-seong he would ask only when he was

sure he had gained Yoo-seong’s complete trust. He wanted
to train Yoo-seong with sincerity. He decided to continue
beginner training with Yoo-seong till he knew the secret.

But this is not enough, Sung-wook thought. I have to show it

to him at least once, anyway.

Sung-wook groped his pocket to see if there was any

medicine.

“You learned at the academy that there are three main ways
to use the CE, right?”

“Yes,” Yoo-seong replied.

“There are three methods: Ki (技), Psy (念), and Tech (術). Ki,
or what we call Aura, is a combat method that uses the CE
directly. It isn’t special. You even used it during the last
hunt. You manipulate your Aura through your body like a
weapon to enhance your power. You can shape it into things
or shoot it like a bullet. Martial Arts are very useful in
handling this skill.

“Psy is also called Arousal Ability. It’s a special ability

awakened from birth or by injecting CE into the core. It is
expressed according to the ability factor that a person is
born with. Psy’s ability consumes CE but is different from
Aura. Starting with the famous telekinetic abilities, you can
have various special abilities, ranging from ignition to
freezing. Due to it being largely genetic, very few hunters
have mastered this technique.” He paused for a moment
before continuing.

“Tech, at first glance, is similar to Psy in that it can’t be

learned but is rather a special ability that consumes CE;
however, it is not a genetically controlled factor.

According to one theory, Tech (術) is a technique that has

been passed down through the generations of human
history even before the cracks appeared.

Each culture and very few secret groups have used this skill
through the generations to unleash their abilities. It’s very
rare to see people who can use this.”

“Yeah. I remember,” Yoo-seong remarked.

“What I’m going to show you from now on is a technique

that I developed.”

Yoo-seong then watched Sung-wook with interest. However,

he wondered what Sung-wook would be able to teach him.
Sung-wook’s veins were already damaged.

Suddenly, his mentor lightly kicked the ground and leaped

into the air.

At the same time, Yoo-seong stopped thinking.

Sung-wook ran around the room – literally.

He ran up the walls, across the ceiling, off the exercise

equipment; all the while, his feet didn’t slip. It was as
though he was a lizard.
Yoo-seong saw him and tried to do it, running with speed up
the walls, but he fell to the ground like a child.

Meanwhile, Kim Sung-wook was jogging off the walls

effortlessly. Finally, he stepped down and walked towards
Yoo-seong.

“At first, it was called a three-dimensional Motor Walk, but

there is a more widely-used name for it internationally,” he
smiled as he began,

Suddenly, he bent forward.

“Teacher!” Yoo-seong said.

Sung-wook bled slightly from the nose. Apart from that, the
veins all over his body had turned blue and swollen.

“About… in my pocket…”

Yoo-seong quickly understood what he was trying to say.

He reached into Sung-wook’s pocket and pulled out a

wrapped capsule.

He unwrapped it quickly and took a bottle of water. He

handed them over to Sung-Wook, who took the drug quickly.

He began to breathe heavily as the blue veins began to

disappear.

“Why did you do that?” Yoo-seong asked.

“How can I teach it without showing it?” Sung-wook asked in

response.

“Now, tell me. What was the secret behind what I did?”
Yoo-seong gaped. He wasn’t sure.

“It was a little strange. I guess it had to do with your leg,”

he guessed.

“What part of my leg?”

“Starting with the ankle, maybe…”

The angle of the knee, the movement of the pelvis – he

wasn’t sure.

Perhaps it wasn’t a human ability at all.

“Psy, I guess?” he said, finally giving up.

“I already said this is not Psy or Tech. It doesn’t make the

soles stick together or play with gravity,” Sung-wook told
him.

“Then, what was it?”

Sung-wook sighed.

“The way humans walk is fixed because that’s all the force
the human body can exert.”

Sung-wook wiped his mouth and continued.

“With strengthening from CE injection, you can move on any

surface. It’s a skill you can use anywhere: city, jungle, or
forest. You can go against inertia and gravity.”

He stood up.

“I’ll send you an email of the diagrams I have organized,

and I’ll show you how to move your body from tomorrow.
Now is…”
Sung-wook’s body stumbled for a while. Yoo-seong tried to
support him, but Sung-wook shook his hand.

“I have strained my body. I will go up to bed now.”

Waving his hand, Sung-wook went out of the training room.

As he walked through the lobby, his mind wandered. His
veins were damaged beyond repair…

Even though he had taken medicine, he had accumulated

enough shock that would make him suffer over the next few
days.

He’d put himself through that to show Yoo-seong a step in

just a few seconds.

Yoo-seong quietly watched his mentor leave.

There were many reasons why he wanted to learn to control

Aura without using Automatic Hunting. He intended to lay
the groundwork for self-sufficiency in case of emergency.

It wasn’t to his taste to hang everything down on a puppet

string.

Also, he wanted to be sincere to Sung-wook, who wanted to

teach him everything he knew. Yoo-seong had to learn Sung-
Wook’s gait, and, to do that, he had to bring his Aura control
to the required level shortly.

Could Automatic Hunting imitate Sung-Wook’s steps?

It wasn’t that much of a big deal.

Even if it couldn’t, it didn’t mean anything.

He shut the door Sung-wook had gone through and looked

at his button. Getting back into position, he closed his eyes
and focused.

Late winter snow fell on the street.

Yoo-seong left the building by midnight.

It was way past the time for the training room, but Yoo-
seong had been allowed to continue on the condition that
he would clean up the whole place once he was done.

His body was quite bloody as he returned home,

Then, he caught sight of a familiar face. The lady also

noticed him and came towards him.

“Mr. Oh Yoo-seong,” she said.

She didn’t seem like what he remembered- a spoiled, angry

brat.

She seemed more pleasant this time.

She reminded him of his brother at first glance.

Lee Un-seol.

“I wanted to see you before I went to China,” she said.

There was a moment of silence before she continued.

“Once more, shall we…”

 Chapter 23

Episode 23

Lee Un-seol patted her ponytail for a moment.

Neither of them was sure of what to say.

In the meantime, he brought his palms to his mouth and

blew on them. He wasn’t just doing it because he felt
confused. The night was extremely cold.

“What do you mean by ‘once more, shall we?” he urged.

She took a deep breath before boldly saying,

“Fight with me again!”

Yoo-seong became both confused and embarrassed.

Obviously, the calmness he had seen from her earlier was
just a front.

“What do you mean by that?” He asked, hoping he had

heard her wrong.

However, her intention was quite visible on her face.

“You know what I mean. Spar with me,” she repeated.

“This is ridiculous. See you around some other time,” he

said as he bowed his head and walked past her.
“Oh no! Wait a minute!” she called as she ran to stand in his
way.

He frowned, not expecting that reaction.

He tried to walk around her, but she kept blocking his path.
He was losing his patience, and the snow was falling
heavier.

“Wait a minute, what’s wrong with you?” he sighed in

exasperation.

“I’ve told you that already. I want you to fight me!”

“I know, but why do you want that?”

One look at her face made him understand why. The twenty-
year-old lady was still a child. She hadn’t become mentally
mature yet.

She was still angry that she had been beaten by Yoo-seong.

He couldn’t imagine an adult like him playing such games

with a child.

“You and I are now licensed hunters. That was just a test.
There is no need to attach any meaning to it,” he said,
trying to be patient.

“I’m asking you because I need it!”

“Well, the use of force by hunters is illegal except against

the monsters from the cracks or against each other in
government-approved training facilities.”

“Who cares about that? Are you afraid that I’ll get hurt or
die? Oh, don’t be afraid of that. Fear for yourself. I dare you
to face me just this once.”
“I’m not interested.”

“Please, just once,” she pleaded.

“No.”

Lee Un-seol stopped and shouted as though in tears.

“What’s the worst that can happen if you fight me once?”

Only then did Yoo-seong stop. He looked back and made

trails in the snow with his feet.

“I’ve conversed with you only twice. In that time, I’ve only
seen that you find it hard to let go of grudges, but I think
Lee Jae-Hak is actually a respectable person. I will not
disrespect him by fighting you.”

“And now, you bring in my brother-”

“By the way, for someone with an older brother who has big
plans for her, you’re putting yourself in too much danger.
You could end your life or career,” Yoo-seong said, cutting
her off.

Lee Un-seol trembled, speechless. Yoo-seong looked at her

as if he was looking at a little child. He just hoped she
wouldn’t turn out to be an adversary.

The words that followed were even worse.

“I’m getting this fight now, whether you like it or not!”

“Could we do this some other time?” he asked.

He was exhausted.
He wasn’t sure if it was because of their conversation or
because of the excess training.

He decided to give her a fight. Of course, it wouldn’t be

right away; neither would it be there.

He planned to set a date with her in a training room. There

was nothing to gain from defeating such an opponent.

Lee Un-seol watched his actions. He was treating her with

scorn.

She had always been told that she had a hot temper. It was
a bad trait; however, she couldn’t always control it.

Before she could stop herself, she reached for her bag and
pulled out a wooden sword.

Yoo-seong pressed the button once he noticed the move.

Immediately, a tragedy followed. They hit each other with a

force that was enough to throw them both backward,
though they weren’t harmed.

She was also reinforced; however, she noticed that his

speed was more than it had been back at the test. She
suspected that it was because of the close range of attack.

Her blow was supposed to enough to knock him out.

However, he slid backward in the snow, taking a strange
expression when he came to a stop.

She was embarrassed by how he had easily parried her

blow.

She swung her sword at him again. Fortunately, all street

lights were off.
There were no cars and pedestrians on the road as it was
late into the night on Sunday. With no one watching, the two
of them chased each other through the streets.

Lee Un-seol swung her sword as she chased after him.

Yoo-seong easily maneuvered and dodged her blows. Unlike

her, whose every step was audible and left traces, Yoo-
seong’s footsteps were as silent as light.

There weren’t any traces of his feet in the snow.

Lee Un-seol bit her lips in anger.

Within the first two minutes of her attack, she realized she
had made a terrible mistake.

If she had managed to hit Yoo-seong, she would have gotten

back to her senses and would have apologized on her
knees, blushing and pretending as though she didn’t know
what had come over her. Unfortunately, that hadn’t been
the case.

Unlike when they took the test, where he had barely

managed to block her attacks, she could barely touch him
now. Her rashness embarrassed her. But beyond that, she
was embarrassed by the widened gap between her and Yoo-
seong.

She had to find a way to end the fight without losing her
dignity once more.

She drew on her CE. This time, though, it wasn’t Aura.

A week ago, a Psy ability had awakened in her. It was a

blessing imprinted in her genes.
She swung her sword with more force. This time, with each
swing, a vortex hit Yoo-seong, sending him doubling back.

It couldn’t throw him to the floor, but it could weaken his

stance. Soon, his back was against the wall of the dead-end
of an alley.

Glad that she had cornered him, she swung her sword one
last time to end the fight.

Lee Un-Seol’s wooden sword hit the wall, not Yoo-seong.

“What?!” she gasped in shock.

He was neither at her left or right.

Yoo-seong stood horizontally on the wall itself.

Was it Psy or Tech?

She wasn’t about to stop, though. She swung her sword,

hitting him with the vortex.

But he remained unshaken.

Instead, he stood on the vortex her attacks sent. Sung-wook

had sent him the document on the skill called ‘Spiderwalk’-
Spinnenschritt.

“Which language is this?” he had asked when he had seen

the name.

“Is it German? Perhaps? Can’t I just say it in English? Like

‘Spider walk’?”

“No, call it what as you wish,” Sung-wook had told him.

The name had looked funny, then. However, one could
hardly laugh when in a battle.

He took another step, this time upon Lee Un-Seol’s sword.

She tried to shake him off, but it was too late. Yoo-seong
kicked her hand away.

“Ouch!” she shouted as she closed her eyes and staggered

back.

She had never felt that kind of pain before.

Yoo-seong landed on the floor. Before she could open her

eyes again, she felt another hit. This time, it was so hard
that she fell to the ground.

In an instant, Yoo-seong was upon her torso. She tried to

move, but he held her down.

“This is solely self-defense,” Yoo-seong said as he pressed

his button again.

“If anyone looks at the footage on the street CCTVs, it will

be clear that you attacked first. Your license might be
revoked. I would be glad if you don’t land in jail. It will be
major damage to your honor.”

Lee Un-seol furiously stared up at him.

Despite being attacked first, Yoo-seong had completely

defeated her without receiving a single injury.

She was like a rat in the hands of Yoo-seong.

“Now, what?” he asked.

“Now, what? What do you mean?” she asked, close to tears.

She had been humiliated, beaten up by someone who was
still recuperating.

“Come on, don’t act this way. It was just a test. Your worth
doesn’t depend on it,” he said, tired of her attitude.

She couldn’t stop herself from crying. Even though he had

to use a special ability, there was no excuse for her to get
beaten that way.

The convenience store clerk fixed his eyes on his phone

screen.

He was oblivious to the man and woman drinking coffee at

the corner of his store.

If the woman knew that she was the reason his eyes were
fixed on his phone, she would have been shocked.

-Lee Jae-hak’s younger sister is going to China!

ran through his mind as he read the article.

Perhaps she didn’t want to start hunting under her brother’s

team.

Perhaps she had found another group that would pay her in
billions in China.

There were even rumors that three of the ten zones were
competing to get her to join their groups.

However, no one could have guessed that her trip to China

was about to end even before it started.
“I am neither your parent nor your brother. If you do
something like this again, you will be arrested by the police
immediately. And if you are caught using violence against
someone else, I will stand as a witness against you,” Yoo-
seong said as they sat together at a table.

Her head was bowed, and she couldn’t even respond.

“You must first think about civic safety before settling your
differences with people. This time, no one was injured, but
what if it had been in the daytime? Then again, you should
think of your brother. You could ruin his reputation with one
stupid act.”

She still said nothing as her head hung low.

“Do you understand?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said in a small voice,

After being defeated by Yoo-seong, she had been unable to

raise her head. She wasn’t sure which was worse: the
shame from defeated by him, or from acting so rashly.

She just fiddled with the mug of coffee.

“So, you knew that I frequented this hospital?”

“Yes.”

“Then, you should have just come in to get what you

wanted. Why did you stand waiting outside late at night?”

“Well, the idea to meet you just came to me after dinner. It’s
not as though I go there for treatment or training.”

Her answer surprised him.

“Ha,” He said as he put his hand on his forehead.

Something was quite wrong with her common sense.

He was going to say more, but he suddenly saw Lee Un-

seol’s hand.

It held the mug of coffee as if it was desperate for warmth.

It was the same hand he had kicked.

He sighed. He had to hurt her. He was grateful he hadn’t

had to do more.

He swallowed what he was about to say and rose from his

seat,

“I’ll be leaving now.”

“Uh,” she said as she looked up.

“The next time we meet, I hope you’re more mature. Then,

I’ll forget about today’s drama.”

Just before he turned away, she spoke.

“Can I ask you one more thing?”

“What is it?”

“My brother likes you. You are a great person. You don’t
seem like one who was privileged to learn the basics from a
professional. You seem like more of the type who learns
everything with his natural senses.”

Yoo-seong listened quietly as Lee Un-seol spoke, wondering

where she was going.
“Well, a person like you who excels so well without any
special privileges must feel quite good about himself,” she
told him.

“What?”

“I guess that’s where we’re different. I have someone who

teaches me everything and always tells me to be better
than I was even when I’m at the end of myself… Without
that, I really feel…”

“I don’t understand what you are trying to ask,” Yoo-seong

said, cutting her off.

Firstly, her presumptions were wrong.

Lee Un-seol looked at his face.

He had the same expression that had caused her to act in

anger.

She felt he was looking down on her. However, he wasn’t.

“I am not a special man. I do not excel without any help,” he

finally said.

Without automatic hunting, without a benefactor who

believed in him, he’d be nowhere.

Yoo-seong’s expression was sad.

Without Lee Un-seol challenge, he wouldn’t have ever tried

the Spider Walk.

He had wanted to learn it by himself, but it hadn’t worked

without Automatic Hunting.
However, when Lee Un-seol cornered him, it had been the
only way to escape.

That was when he realized how easy it was.

“Ultimately, it boils down to luck.”

Lee Un-seol thought that what Yoo-seong was talking about

was talent. There was no significant difference, according to
Sung-wook’s words.

It was luck in the end, just as Lee Un-seol had entered the
bloodline and tutelage of Lee Jae-hak.

“So, I am struggling in my own way. In order not to

somehow be ashamed of the luck that came to me… at
least to be proud of myself and to prove that I deserve it.”

Lee Un-seol felt sympathy towards him.

The environment in which they grew up and the privileges

they enjoyed were different, Yoo-seong felt the same way
towards her.

“So, don’t come up those silly theories,” he said,

emotionless. He needed to be hard on her.

“I am not…”

“I don’t know what kind of psychological pressure is

mounted on you by your brother, but that gives you no
excuse to wield a sword at an unarmed person,” he said.

She remained silent.

Yoo-seong turned and opened the door of the convenience

store. She wasn’t afraid to go after him. She held the door of
the convenience store before it closed and shouted after
him.

“The reason I’m going to China is that I don’t want to lose to

anyone!”

Yoo-seong kept walking as though he hadn’t heard her.

“If you step on everyone you meet there to get to the top,
you will become a greater hunter than your brother, but you
will have no friends,” he said over his shoulder.

She thought about his words before responding.

“I won’t! I know I was stupid before, but this time, I’ll win
without trampling on others!”

Yoo-seong disappeared around a corner before she could

finish talking, but she didn’t stop. She didn’t care if he
couldn’t hear her anymore.

“So, please… let’s talk again, then.”

The bell rang as she released the door. Lee Un-seol entered
the convenience store again and sat for a while with her
mug of coffee.

The clerk froze in shock as he noticed who his customer was

for the first time.

Two weeks later, the summer of April began.

Seven hours were left until the crack appeared.

The crack was a ‘storm’ level one and had only appeared
once that year.
The space around the crack had been evacuated and had
been bounded by barrier lines.

Several hunters waited for the crack to open, ready to rush

in.

All of them were hunters under the QR Corporation, and Yoo-

seong was among them.

“How do you feel?” asked Yoon Kang-Cheol as he put his

hand on Yoo-seong’s shoulder.

“Really, this is huge,” Yoo-seong said, meaning every word.

Unlike small organizations that rented state-owned buses

because they didn’t have the funds to own a dedicated
vehicle, QR even had a dedicated medical team outside the
barrier line.

For QR, this would be the first actual battle for the Alpha
Team.

The team was composed of first to third-year hunters, all

with Silver seals.

Yoo-seong was among them. QR needed to scout him.

“Everyone, this is Oh Yoo-seong,” Kang-Cheol Yoon

introduced him to all Alpha team members.

Everyone welcomed him, but it was obvious it wasn’t from

their hearts.

He was the elite who had broken through the tight

competition to get a place with the Alpha team without even
a formal process.
Yoon Kang-Cheol understood how they felt, but he couldn’t
help it. Besides, all Yoo-seong could do in this hunt was to
watch.

The 10 Alpha Team members were already in perfect

harmony from months of teamwork training.

No matter how talented Yoo-seong was, it was an organized

hunt. He’d be protected, but he’d have to stand back and
watch the Alpha Dogs play.

Yoon Kang-Cheol’s strategy was simple. After seeing the

sophisticated teamwork of Alpha Team and the know-how of
the prestigious QR, Yoo-seong would want to be a part of
them.

Yoon Kang-Cheol had already positioned the second team of

rookies called ‘Beta Team’ as the successors to the Alpha
team. He told Yoo-seong that he had a place on the Alpha
team, but in fact, he was going to entrust him to be the Beta
team leader.

If there is ever any tension between him and the Alpha team
members, he might become a beta team leader. His
competitive spirit will grow that way.

For that to happen, Yoo-seong had to be impressed by the

Alpha Team’s character and skill. That was why he first
introduced Yoo-seong to the Alpha Team only a few hours
before they began.

“He won’t be doing much but observe you, guys. There is

not much time left, but let’s try to interact with each other,
okay?” Yoon said before walking away.

And as he expected, no one interacted with Yoo-seong.

“Oh Yoo-seong,” someone said as he walked over.

It was Jang Yoong-cheol, the Alpha Team leader.

“Yes?” Yoo-seong said, turning around.

“No equipment? Protective gear?”

Of course, Yoo-seong was wearing basic protective gear, but

it was a one-star rated suit – a modest outfit used by novice
hunters.

“Well, you weren’t told in advance about the essential

consumables, so it’s no problem.”

“Isn’t it possible to wear this outfit?” Yoo-seong asked.

“There is nothing that can be done at this point, and it’s not
as if it’s compulsory to wear these. But the bright colors
distinguish us while in the center of the crack,” Jang Yoong-
cheol explained.

He pointed at his protective gear and the protective gear of

his team members.

In reality, in terms of their careers, they were supposed to

wear one-star gears like Yoo-seong. However, because QR
supported them, most of them wore 3-star equipment- the
highest-end equipment for their class.

“I don’t know your skill, but if you run on defense alone and
get injured, it could become a burden to find you. It’s a
matter of mindset, though. If you come on a tour, you
should be prepared.”

“I see,” Yoo-seong said, nodding his head.

“I think you could try borrowing from someone, though.”

The other Alpha team members smiled as they watched.

“Fortunately, there are other seniors on the team who aren’t

going out on the operation. Most of their suits have a rating
of at least 3-stars.”

The Alpha team members were on the verge of laughter.

Obviously, among the waiting personnel, there were many

people with equipment of 3 stars or higher. However, most
of them used custom-made products made from the corpses
of beasts they hunted, rather than purchasing ready-made
suits with money.

They didn’t part easily with their equipment.

It was just like telling a soldier to borrow a gun from his

captain.

“I think I’ll pass,” Yoo-seong said.

“Why? Come on, go get geared up,” Jang Yoong-cheol

encouraged. He intended to embarrass Yoo-seong.

“Thanks, but no.”

“What? No, then you really mean to go in there like this? You
can’t be serious.”

“I will wait a little bit. When I called earlier, my manager

said some extra gear would arrive within an hour.”

“Huh? You have about ten minutes left,” Jang Yoong-cheol

said to scare Yoo-seong.

Suddenly, a truck stopped in front of a temporary camp at

the QR Corporation.
“This is the QR area!” one employee shouted.

But it wasn’t a hunter group’s truck. It bore the mark of a

famous monster corpse equipment manufacturer.

-Haechi and Anvil Co., Ltd.-

“Oh, we just need to make a delivery,” the driver said as he

looked through the window.

“Delivery?” the employee asked.

“Yes. Is Oh Yoo-seong here?”

As Yoo-seong waved; the truck driver stepped down from

the car with a paper clipped to the board and a ballpoint
pen.

“You can sign it here.”

“Oh, thank you,” Yoo-seong said as he signed the document.

“We’re not late, right? Sorry. It took a little longer than

expected. Our boss delayed for a while. He said good-quality
ingredients came late.”

Yoo-seong finished signing. He smiled as he looked at Jang

Yoong-cheol, who watched him.

“Fortunately, I don’t need to borrow equipment.”

“This…”

“It’s custom-made equipment, but it came a little late.”

The driver pulled out a black box the size of a large

refrigerator from the truck.
Yoo-seong’s equipment was in it.

Two months ago, Sung-wook had used the Queen and

Centurion to make the equipment which, had it been bought
instead, would have cost a fortune.

Sung-wook could have bought it anyway. He had was

wealthy enough.

As the box was opened and the new suit was unveiled, all
the Alpha team members gawked.

Not one person’s suit was up to its standard.

Due to the Blade thinness, the armor had been perfectly

preserved without any scratches and had been remade into
a suit for Yoo-seong.

The Queen was a 4–star beast.

The 3-star Centurion was used as replenishment.

Besides, the artisan’s commitment to the ingredients was

added.

It had reached a whopping 5-star (★★★★★) level at the

official certification stage.

Yoo-seong knew about it beforehand. He had signed the

receipt for it days ago.

“I wanted to wear my 1-star equipment first while waiting

for this to arrive,” he said as he walked away to gear up.
 Chapter 24

Episode 24

The surface of the suit was matte.

The gray was quite close to black, and the sharp color made
it seem as though it was shiny.

Yoo-seong began to wear it.

The outer part of the suit was a solid armor consisting of

hundreds of nodes.

However, the inside has a softer surface, like high-

performance sportswear.

Eventually, after being zipping the suit to his nape, Yoo-

seong paused in fascination and enjoyed the sensation he
felt throughout his body.

“Isn’t it quite comfortable?”

The delivery man smiled at Yoo-seong’s reaction.

He was not only a delivery man but an apprentice who had

been part of the crafting process.

“Except for the joints, which have several segments for

easier movement, the whole outer surface is made of tough
materials. Then, we put the utmost effort into the
processing and bonding of the inner lining.”
“You used a lining?”

It didn’t feel like it. It felt so smooth; Yoo-seong felt he could

wear it forever.

“Well? Didn’t you notice the feathers of Slush Terror that you
provided as a material?”

“Yes?” Yoo-seong asked in surprise.

Slush terror-★★★★

At first glance, it looked like a mixture of a poodle and an

ostrich, a ridiculous-looking giant bird. However, unlike its
appearance, it was an aggressive predator, exceptionally
greedy for flesh.

It was covered in fluffy feathers that could absorb

considerable amounts of physical shock. Essentially, it was
flesh-eating cotton candy.

Yoo-seong was deep in thought.

A Slush Terror was a rare monster that was quite difficult to

capture. The three hundred million won in Yoo-seong’s
bankbook would have been wiped out to purchase enough
feathers for this suit. He couldn’t have afforded it.

So then, where did the resources come from?

The driver noticed that Yoo-seong seemed worried.

Yoo-seong smiled a little to ease the man’s tension.

Inside, he wasn’t smiling. It was clear where the feathers of

the Slush Terror came from.
Sung-wook would have gotten them from his private
warehouse.

He had hidden the detail about the feathers in the sample

order he had shown Yoo-seong.

“Would you like to try it out for a while? It’s impossible, but
if there’s a problem with your movements, I can make
adjustments to it.”

“Okay,” Yoo-seong said.

He flipped his head, and the helmet was folded flat on the
back of his neck.

When he flipped his head again, the helmet completely

covered his head. Yoo-seong moved his arms and legs,
carrying out simple movements like bending, twisting, or
stretching.

He threw a punch and the suit perfectly caught up with his

move without resistance or noise. He was impressed.

Yoo-seong felt his heart beating with excitement.

Dark. Tough. High quality. High performance. Cutting edge.

His custom-made suit had arrived.

Yoo-seong clenched his fists. As he did, he noticed there

were nice cursive engravings on his suit’s arms, from wrist
to forearm.

– Oh Yoo-seong.-

-Freelance Hunter-

At the same part on the left arm were the words: -Reginae
Amet-
“What does this mean?” Yoo-seong asked.

“Uh… This is the phrase you asked for when you ordered,
right? It looks as though you have no idea of your order.
Usually, the name of the equipment is engraved on the left
forearm. What was the meaning again…”?

After thinking for a moment, the driver snapped his fingers

and said,

“I think it means ‘The Queen’s Hug.’”

Yoo-seong raised an eyebrow.

“Is it German?” He asked.

“The internet says it’s Latin,” the driver replied.

Yoo-seong smiled.

“It’s perfect,” he said. He liked Sung-wook’s naming sense.

The suit itself was as though the Queen Ant wrapped its
tough armor around him.

The feather lining only made it feel much better. He stepped

out of the luggage compartment where he had gone to
change.

The older QR Hunters looked at him with admiration as they

whispered among themselves.

The seniors didn’t envy him. They had better armors.

However, some of the hunters were jealous.

They were those who purchased armor rather than having it

custom-made from their prey.
“Ah, what…”

Jang Yoong-cheol couldn’t hold back his goosebumps.

He glanced at Yoo-seong, then at the other team members.

He was going to complain about the armor’s gray color, but
he knew it would be futile. It would be obvious that he was
just jealous.

***

The crack opened.

-Alpha Team, 02 Operation Division assigned.-

-Giant Whipper-★★★~★★★★★-

-Currently, there are three monsters observed. Two are 4-

stars, the other is a 5-star.-

-Further reports will be sent later in case of more monsters

observed.-

“Briefing is out!” Jang said as he stormed out of the camp.

The other hunters followed closely behind him.

The Alpha Team and three other QR hunter teams were in

charge of the rift area. They were separated into four
divisions.

“Get your equipment!” he shouted to the hunters around

him.

In general, monsters with four or more stars have a certain

level of strength and special abilities, just as the Queen Ant
had a higher durability level.
“Box mounted!” one hunter said.

“B4, B9, C2 boxes have been confirmed!” another one

replied.

They stacked the necessary supplies in a trunk and headed

out to the rift locations.

“According to the briefing, there are three Giant Whippers in

total,” Yoong-cheol said on the way to the operation section.

“We will move in twos, and we’ll be using capture ropes to

subdue them. Got it?” he asked his team.

“Okay!”

“Okay!”

The team members shared a subtle glance among

themselves.

They were all familiar with using the equipment through the
training they received from QR.

Yoong-cheol intended to make Yoo-seong a bystander during

the operation.

He had ensured that would happen. The capture ropes were

designed to be used by two people at once.

The Alpha Team had ten hunters and five capture ropes.

The task was perfect for their workforce, without Yoo-seong

being included.

“It’s a four-star monster, so, everyone, stay vigilant. We’re

going to grab the monsters, two hunters with a rope.”
As the vehicle got closer to the center, everyone in the car
moaned.

“Wow…”

“This is crazy…”

The crack was right before them.

It was the first time for all of them to see a storm-class

crack that covers at least a small town. Its length was over a
hundred meters. The purple aurora tore through the blue
sky.

Their bus stopped, along with the buses carrying the other
team of hunters.

The only buses that went further ahead were those carrying
hunters assigned to go inside the crack to close it.

“Guys, look!” a hunter said, pointing out to a row of

buildings.

Everyone almost stepped down from the bus to see what

the man had pointed at.

Suddenly, there was a thud against the bus, causing it to

turn over.

It was a giant monster, over 13m in height. It had the shape

of a human body without a neck and face. The eyes and
mouth were on the chest side.

At the ends of each arm, instead of a fingered hand, were

several long wriggling whips.

“Okay… everyone has the right frequency?” Jang Yoong-

cheol whispered.
The team members nodded nervously.

For them, this was more than just practice. They set their
GPS so that they could request support from nearby seniors
if the problem became more than they could handle.

They sneaked down from the bus as the Whipper’s attention

shifted from them.

It started to walk past the bus.

Jang Yoong-cheol looked at the monster’s back in relief.

Yoo-seong was the last one to step out of the bus.

“Hey, go hide in a building or something. We need to get to

work,” Yoong-cheol said to him.

The operation had begun, and an outsider was a nuisance.

Jang Yoong-Cheol stared ahead. Around him, the Alpha team
moved quickly.

A hunter blew a whistle, and the piercing sound filled the

streets.

The Giant Whipper turned.

One of the Alpha Team members stood on the street right

behind the monster.

The member blew another whistle, diverting the monster’s

attention.

Meanwhile, the other Alpha team members ran to their

positions. The monster wasn’t in a hurry to chase them.

It was bigger than any of them, and its single step could
cover more ground than theirs.
Just as the Whipper got between two high rising buildings,
Yoong-cheol yelled into his communicator.

“Everyone, go now!”

At the same time, three pairs of Alpha Team Hunters

appeared on the buildings.

At least ten stories high, the buildings were a little taller

than the Whipper’s head.

“Throw!” Yoong-cheol commanded.

Three of the pairs standing on the same row of buildings

each held on to a rope. Focusing Aura on their arms, they
threw one end of the rope at their partners on the other
rows of buildings.

Their aims were accurate. Their training was paying off.

As soon as their partners at the other end caught the rope,

they all pulled down hard. Then, they slid down the walls of
the building.

The Whipper screamed as the three ropes tore through its

flesh. The rope was designed to vibrate and dig into the
flesh of monsters.

Meanwhile, work was also taking place below.

“Go, go, go!”

With the first hunter who had been blowing the whistle,
three hunters hiding on the ground appeared. Together with
the six hunters holding ropes, they trapped the legs of the
captured Whipper.
The Whipper tried to swing its tentacles as it screamed, but
it was too late. The Alpha Team members were elites that
had been carefully nurtured by QR.

Soon, they were done with subduing the Whipper.

Then, Yoong-cheol climbed to the Giant Whipper’s vital spot

and sunk his sword in.

“Okay, that’s it!” he yelled and raised his hand in

excitement.

“We’ve got the first one, guys. Let’s go for more. We can do
this!” he said as he turned to his teammates.

That was when he noticed the weird expression on

everyone’s face. Someone motioned for him to turn around,
and he slowly did so.

That was when he noticed the shadow looming over him. He

jumped off the first Whipper just as a tentacle landed where
he had been.

Another Whipper, quite larger than the first, was behind

them.

Jang landed hard on the ground and groaned in pain. He

wondered how he had missed the massive Whipper.

The briefing had revealed the locations of the three

Whippers.

They had gotten so immersed in the first Whipper that they

hadn’t heard the arrival of another.

He groaned again as he watched the Whipper swing its

tentacles.
“Jang Yoong-cheol!” a female hunter cried out.

He rolled out of the way before the tentacle reached the

ground where he was.

“Run, guys,” he said as he stood up.

“Aren’t we supposed to go to get it?” the lady asked.

“Just run!”

If they had been calm enough to think things through, they

would have been able to capture it.

There were still enough ropes. But their minds didn’t work
that way. They began to panic.

The Whipper had appeared unexpectedly, and their team

leader had worsened things by acting in a frenzy.

They ran towards the bus. The Whipper got to them in no

time, using its tentacles to flip the car over before they
could even get in.

The hunters changed directions towards an empty building.

As they ran, Yoong-cheol tripped and fell.

A hunter turned back to help his leader, but when he saw

the Whipper get close, he realized it was too late and ran
back to the building, screaming.

Sure enough, the Whipper’s tentacles were already wrapped

around Jang Yoong-cheol’s ankle. Anxiety filled Yoong-cheol.
Only one thought filled his head.

A Whipper’s mouth was smaller than the size of a human

adult.
Therefore, if Whipper wanted to eat him, it wouldn’t end
with one bite.

The Whipper slowly lifted him.

Upside-down, he watched the distance between him and the

ground increase. He felt his life leaving him already.

Suddenly, he caught the silhouette of a person from the

corner of his eye.

In-yung, a hunter, soared through the air and landed on the

Whipper’s body.

He gave the Whipper a heavy punch.

The next second, Yoong-cheol’s ankle was released, and he

felt himself falling through the air. At the same time, he
spotted Yoo-seong, too, soaring through the air and landing
on the Whipper.

In-Yung and Yoo-seong each cut off a tentacle of the

Whipper.

The Whipper let out a scream as Yoo-seong leaped off it to

catch Yoong-cheol.

He came in contact with Yoong-cheol’s body just as his feet

touched the ground.

Yoong-cheol, who couldn’t believe that he would live

through the ordeal, almost threw up the moment he realized
he was safe.

Before he could, though, he saw something that made his

eyes widen.
The places where Yoo-seong and In-Yung had cut grew again
in two-folds, releasing four new tentacles.

He wanted to warn Yoo-seong about what he saw, but he

couldn’t get his lips to move coherently.

Thankfully, Yoo-seong noticed his motions and turned to see

what he was pointing at.

He saw the tentacles coming at them, grabbed Yoong-cheol,

and leaped towards the tentacles.

Yoong-cheol barely felt the impact of Yoo-seong’s landing on

the tentacles. Before he could wonder what Yoo-seong was
doing, something more surprising occurred,

Yoo-seong was running on the tentacles like a spider

running on a wall.

After running for a while, he leaped off the Whipper’s body

and landed on a power pole.

Then, he continued running up the pole.

The moment they reached the top of the pole, Yoo-seong

leaped off it again, just as the Whipper’s tail crashed against
them.

Yoo-seong landed on another tentacle and kept running.

His next leap took them towards a window on the seventh

floor of a building. There almost made it, but a tentacle hit
them, sending them flying through a window on the 6th
floor instead.

Yoong-cheol was wounded in a couple of areas, but that was

all.
Yoo-seong was still okay.

As they were trying to catch a breath, a tentacle came

through the window, groping around the room. The Whipper
was trying to find them.

Yoo-seong grabbed Yoong-cheol and led him out of the

room.

They stopped at the corridor of the fifth floor, away from the
Whipper’s tentacles.

“Stay calm. Inhale, exhale. Are you okay?” Yoo-seong said.

Only then was Jang Yoong-cheol able to speak.

“Thank… you…”

“Do you have any major injury? Sorry. I couldn’t completely

avoid the Whipper.”

Yoo-seong took off his helmet. His face was full of sweat.

“I just… how the hell did you…”

“I learned it somewhere,” Yoo-seong said concisely.

Yoong-cheol wasn’t satisfied with the answer, but he let it

go. There were bigger things to deal with.

“Team leader, are you okay?” The voice came from the
communicator.

“Yes, I am. What about you, guys?”

“We’re safe too. We’re in a building. The Whipper can’t find

us. But what are we going to do? The mission has gone
awry. We didn’t even secure the first one properly. I fear the
hunt is now over.”

“And I fear you’re correct. Now that there are two of them,
we have no hope of defeating them.”

The sound of tentacles groping inside the building echoed in

the hallway.

The first Whipper had broken free.

Now, the two of them were demolishing buildings, searching

for their prey. The Alpha Team’s time was running out.
Unless support came, they were going to die soon.

Jang Yoong-cheol groaned in frustration.

He knew how much their CEO, Yoon Kang-Cheol, had looked

forward to them hunting in the central region.

His attention was drawn back by the sound from Yoo-

seong’s helmet.

Yoo-seong had put it back on. He stood up and went towards

the window.

“Hold on, rookie. Where are you going?”

“Outside.”

“Are you crazy?!”

“Yes. But I’m not about to give up like your team. I am an

outsider. So, it’s different for me.”

Jang Yoong-cheol stared at him, confused. He hadn’t seen

Yoo-seong’s video.
He had just heard that some impressive rookie had
emerged. The rumors were everywhere in the industry.

He had thought the reason everyone was so impressed by

Yoo-seong were the skills he had just shown.

Yoo-seong had saved his life, and that was great, indeed.
However, there was no way a beginner would be able to
catch the monsters outside.

He hadn’t been able to avoid the tentacle completely during

their escape.

‘How could he face two of them?’

Yoong-cheol gripped the rookie’s shoulder.

“No, you can’t just-” he began, but Yoo-seong shrugged his

hands off and continued walking towards a window.

“Hey, hey!” Jang Yoong-cheol shouted as he went after Yoo-

seong.

The operation was already ruined – that was clear.

However, if the rookie got killed on his watch, he’d be on a

whole new level of trouble.

Yoo-seong faced the window. He could see Whipper’s

tentacles outside.

“Come back here! What are you doing? You were hit the last
time. You’ll just get yourself killed!” Jang said from the door.
He couldn’t get himself to move any further.

“You’re hiding well,” Yoo-seong said as he smiled at Jang

Yoong-cheol.
The reason he had been hit by the Whipper the last time
was simple: he hadn’t turned on Auto-Hunt.

He had wanted to fight with his abilities. He had saved

Yoong-cheol and escaped the Whippers by himself.

He had been training in sweat and blood for the past two
months for this moment.

He wanted to know how far he could go without the button.

He had gotten a great armor for the job.

Of course, he could always press the button when he

needed to.

With a slight smile on his lips, Yoo-seong cracked his neck.

“When you do, you have to be sure,” Jang Yoong-cheol

warned him.

For Yoo-seong, the tour was now over.

It was time for full-scale hunting.

-Press the button to auto-hunt.-

 Chapter 25

Episode 25

The people were watching the operation closely.

With companies that move in multiple team units, a

situation control center was usually located outside the
hunting area. The control center sent briefings, monitored
action cam videos in real-time, and even directed operations
in some cases.

QR was one of those companies.

Experienced hunters such as Yoon Kang-cheol were in

control of the field without necessarily going to the front line
themselves.

Today, as usual, the command was conducted without any

problems. Each leader gave commands from the center with
urgency in their voices.

“Send support right away to Section 02…!”

“All available waiting personnel are…!”

Yoon Kang-cheol put his hand on his forehead as he watched

the Alpha Team members through the five large monitors in
front of him.

The Alpha Team was not aware that he could watch them
through their action cams.
However, the purpose of monitoring was for them to get
support whenever they needed it.

They would handle the operation themselves, and the

monitoring was just a fallback option. That way, their
confidence could be built.

He observed the action cams and judged each Alpha Team

members’ ability.

If the hunt were successful anyway, there would be no

problem.

But right now, the Alpha Team was in the midst of a huge
problem.

“Why the hell are you running away?!” He groaned as he

watched the footage.

The Alpha Team members started running away when the

second Whipper appeared.

Instead of saving Jang Yoong-cheol, they hurried to hide

inside a building.

“These cowardly humans!” he yelled in frustration.

Were they really running from a 4-star Whipper?

He wasn’t expecting them to jeopardize their lives. Life was

paramount.

However, the least they could do was to be courageous.

For example, when the second Whipper appeared.

If they had maintained formation, it would have been

possible to save Yoong-cheol and take him into a building
with the rest of them. Then, using the room’s advantage,
they would have been able to disengage the Whippers’
tentacles.

Even if the facility was destroyed, the Alpha Team could

have captured the two Whippers that had lost their
tentacles.

He became tired of watching. He had worked so hard

training that squad of Alpha Hunters over the months,
spending money with devotion.

It had been a difficult and harsh training, but these

members had completed it with minimal injuries.

Their problemwasn’t that of skill but mentality.

Yoon Kang-cheol recalled what happened ten years ago. He

succeeded in hunting a 6-star Kargadon with like-minded
colleagues.

There were only a few people on that team.

The equipment, the amount of CE, and the accumulated

know-how were also considerably less in the past. The
conditions for hunting were incomparable then and now.

However, the major difference between the old teams and

this one was the members’ resolution. Those days, the
hunters weren’t ‘honey’ jobbers that bragged about their
strengths.

The death rate per operation was close to 40%. Everyone

had felt afraid.

But that gave them more reason to be thorough and bold.

Yoon Kang-cheol shook his head. The change in mentality
down the years had always been vivid.

He had to focus on what was happening at the moment.

“Captain Jang, are you applying for support?” He asked

urgently, though he already knew the answer.

Regardless of whether or not he applied, the end was

already certain.

When the Whipper’s tentacles caught Jang Yoong-cheol, a

silence filled the control room.

Even by today’s standards, the deaths of hunters weren’t

uncommon.

It could even have been said that it was fortunate that nine
people were still alive in the building. However, this was the
Alpha team that he’d been training personally.

Watching them die could never be pleasant.

“Boss!” Someone shouted, and at the same time, Yoon

Kang-cheol saw what was happening.

Yoo-seong appeared on Jang Yoong-cheol’s action cam.

He jumped and grabbed Yoong-cheol; then, he jumped

alternately between power poles and the tentacles using the
Spider Walk.

“Huh?!”

“Wow!”

When he was hit by the tentacles and crashed into the 6th-
floor window, everyone in the room shouted in horror.
Then, after a few moments, they saw him approach the
window.

Everyone gasped in relief. He was alive.

Even Yoon Kang-cheol found himself wiping his brow in

relief.

Yoon Kang-cheol’s desire to recruit Yoo-seong grew even

more intense. That special walk was definitely from Kim
Sung-wook. He had seen it before.

Of course, what Yoo-seong displayed was nothing compared

to Kim Sung-wook’s heydays.

However, it had only been two months. Even though the

Aura level he had shown was small, it was remarkable
considering the meager amount of time spent training.

He had to have Yoo-seong. A couple of plans had already

formed in his mind.

Since he had saved Jang Yoong-cheol’s life, he could be

given compensation and the right to participate in future
hunts in return.

Or, he could form a new beta team and make him the
leader.

“What?” an OB spoke suddenly.

“Why is he doing that?”

The murmur around him brought Yoon Kang-cheol out of his

reverie.

The people in the control room stared at the action cam

feed from Jang Yoong-cheol.
Yoo-seong went back to the window.

Suddenly, the signals from the action cams began to break.

They could hardly see him; neither could they hear him.

“What happened?” Yoon asked. “Reset the Alpha Team’s

communication frequency.”

The moment they were back online, they all watched Yoo-
seong jump out of the window.

Everyone was horrified. Yoon Kang-cheol spoke into the

communicator.

“Jang Yoong-cheol. Go up to the rooftop, right now!”

-But, sir, it isn’t safe out there.

“I said, go up to the roof. Don’t try to second-guess me.”

This time, he raised his voice – something he seldom did.

When he yelled, Jang Yoong-cheol and all the personnel in

the control room held their breaths.

“Get to the roof with your action cam. Though I doubt you
will be able to observe anything without fear of injury,” he
said.

-Ahhh!

With the yell, Jang Yoong-cheol ran up to the rooftop.

He moved so quickly that he reached the rooftop of the 16-

story building in less than ten seconds.

Jang Yoong-cheol stood on the ledge and watched the

unfolding scene beneath him as had been directed. Yoon
Kang-cheol reached out without looking at the control panel.

He pressed a button, and the monitors that had shown

footage of the ten Alpha Teams now only reflected Jang
Yoong-cheol’s cam.

Soon, they spotted Yoo-seong under the roof between two

buildings.

“Oh my gosh,” someone whispered as they stared at the

screen.

It was as if they were looking through a scene from hell.

A Whipper spotted Yoo-seong as soon as he jumped.

Just then, Yoo-seong pressed the button.

The Whipper swung its tentacles at him with murderous

intent. Yoo-seong knew that the energy with which the
tentacle came was quite equivalent to a moving car.

He turned lightly and dodged the first tentacle.

However, more tentacles were flying towards him.

The second and third tentacles are coming in at the same

time.

Instead of dodging, Yoo-seong held out his left arm. This

time, he didn’t take the Assault Form.

The automatic hunt bent the ring finger and pinky as though
he were holding an imaginary gun. It was the same posture
he had used to kill the queen ant.
As silent as light, a murky aura sword came from the back of
his hand.

Just before the two tentacles touched him, he swung his

blade.

The two tentacles were split in half.

Whippers had a regenerative ability, which made them an

excellent raw material for CE injection.

However, that ability wasn’t infinite. With each laceration

upon it, the raw material obtainable from its body was
reduced in quality.

Continuous cutting wasn’t the way to fight it. He had to hit it

clean in a spot where it wouldn’t survive.

With its regenerative ability, its split tentacles could join

together to become one again. Yoo-seong landed on the
ground as the Whipper took a second to get its bearings.
Then, it rushed at Yoo-seong, throwing more tentacles in his
direction.

The second Whipper spotted Yoo-seong two and headed in

his direction. They were like two Greek Hydras coming for
Yoo-seong.

Yoo-seong stood still as he waited for them.

Finally, they came close enough, and their tentacles were

right above him. However, as they landed, he spider-walked
on them, using each tentacle as a stairwell to go higher. He
then cut the ends of the tentacles in two.

Back in the control room, a hunter who was watching

through the screen muttered.
“Why… if he could easily avoid them, why not stab vital
spots instead…”

However, he became quiet before he could even finish

talking.

He noticed it.

Even the Whippers noticed what had happened and

screeched in horror. As they had continuously tried to hit
Yoo-seong, their tentacles had become entangled with each
other.

They pulled together, and the force sent them both to the
floor. Before they fell, Yoo-seong alighted gracefully on the
ground.

Their wounds would heal, but there was nothing they could
do anymore.

They had been captured alive.

The control center was quiet once again until Yoon Kang-
cheol spoke.

“Jang Yoong-cheol, go down to Oh Yoo-seong immediately,”

he said.

Although the line broke a bit, Yoong-cheol understood what

the CEO wanted and slid along the building’s exterior walls
with aura in his hand.

The rookie had just dealt with two Whippers – a 4-star and a
5-star – singlehandedly.
He tried to keep a cool expression as he approached Yoo-
seong, who was sitting on the sidewalk.

“Oh Yoo-seong, Oh… Mr…” he spoke with trembling.

“Yes?” Yoo-seong asked.

“The CEO… says he wants to speak with you…”

Yoo-seong received Jang Yoong-cheol’s device. It was a

video call.

“This is Oh Yoo-seong.”

“Yoo-seong! You did a great job. I watched everything from

the control center.”

“Yes.”

“Are you injured? You don’t sound well.”

“No, I’m not.”

Yoon Kang-cheol read a subtle dissatisfaction in Yoo-seong’s

face. He became worried.

“Of course, you will own the two Whippers you captured, if
that’s the problem,” he said.

It was too generous an offer.

Usually, as long a person hunted with a team, he was

obliged to share the bounty received with his teammates.

However, Yoon Kang-cheol wanted him happy by all means.

“Thank you,” Yoo-seong said. His face was still drab.

Yoon Kang-cheol thought it was because of his
disappointment in the Alpha Team skills.

He didn’t know what excuse to give on their behalf.

He had to take a new route on training the hunters, and it

was all the more reason why he needed Yoo-seong on the
team.

He spoke once more.

“You saved Jang Yoong-cheol. It is a debt that cannot be

repaid even by QR. It’s too heavy a price to be paid by
money.”

Jang Yoong-cheol, who was listening to the call, trembled.

“You saved our future,” Yoon Kang-cheol added.

However, in his head, it was clear that the future was Yoo-
seong himself.

“If there is anything I can personally do for you, I’ll gladly do

it. Even…”

“Then, I’d like to ask you one thing.”

Yoo-seong spoke, cutting Kang-cheol off.

“Yes. Just say anything.”

The CEO expected something massive.

Regardless, he would find a way to provide it to Yoo-seong,

then use it to hold on to the novice hunter.

Yoo-seong spoke.
Contrary to Yoon’s thoughts, it was a pretty simple request.

However, it was also a request that Yoon Kang-cheol never

thought of.

“I need…”
 Chapter 26

Episode 26

02 Operation Division.

That was the name of the area the Alpha team was in
charge of.

However, it was too small to even be called an operational

division. It had a radius of merely 100m, and there were
only about three 4-5 star monsters within it.

Yoon Kang-cheol planned to expand the scope of Operation

Division 02 once they have successfully defeated the three
Whippers.

They would have taken over the remaining areas covered by

the support team. The area at the center of the rift was
large. Hunting there was no joke.

It was going to be foolish to hand it all over to the new team

just to help them grow.

It was too risky for public safety. Of course, Yoon Kang-cheol

understood it well.

That was why he placed other areas under the control of the
OB-1 Team- the real ‘elites’ of QR.

The OB-1 Team laughed hysterically when they heard of the

Alpha Team’s failure. Each of them could successfully head
the other teams in the QR.

In fact, many of them were already household names in the

industry.

Kang-cheol quickly dispersed about a half of them to take

charge of the post-processing of the Alpha Team’s
operation. However, not every one of them was happy
about it.

“Well, then, why did they send the Alpha Team out here if
they couldn’t handle the job?” one asked her colleague.

“Weren’t there just three Whippers? I’d say they were easy
opponents. It’s just that those Alpha Team members are too
chicken.”

“And think of all the money the CEO invested in them. He

should have used it to equip other teams instead.”

Unlike the OB-2 and OB-3 teams who were in charge of

covering the Alpha Team, the OB-1 Team had just one goal.

It was to clean up any mess that would be caused by the

Alpha Team. Staying in the center of the rift alone was hard
work enough.

Now, on top of their task, they have to solve another team’s

problem, too.

A hunter in Team 1 kicked the corpse of a monster in front of

him.

“What’s wrong with this Alpha Team? Now, we get to do

more work because of them,” he said.
The carcass of a reptile a dozen pairs of legs and, at least,
ten meters long fell over.

Scale Centipede-★★★~★★★★★

“Ah! You made the venom splash on me!” a junior hunter

shouted.

“It didn’t bounce, man,” the first one said.

The junior hunter grumbled and picked up the scale

centipede’s body. The center was crawling with dozens of
centipedes.

Scale Centipedes were the hunters’ most hated prey.

It wasn’t difficult to catch them; however, they had no value

whatsoever.

The poison they secreted damaged not only the soil, but
also the hunters’ equipment. Their bodies couldn’t even be
used as fertilizer.

“I’d rather be facing cheap Gray Ants than these…by the

way, did you guys see Oh Yoo-Seong? He looked good in his
gear,” a lady said.

“Of course, he does. He caught the first Queen Ant I’ve seen
in three years,” a man said.

“It’s not as though I’m insulting the CEO but, even if a

rookie is so good, isn’t he supposed to put a rookie through
training for at least a few months, instead of allowing him to
participate in the hunts?”

“Well, the CEO is an experienced hunter who knows how to

manage the field. He knows what he’s doing,”
“Just because he’s a good player doesn’t necessarily mean
he’s a good manager.”

The complaints didn’t stop there.

Like other organizations in the 2F4T, QR was run based on

hierarchy rather than skill.

In other words, whatever the leaders said was what

happened.

The CEO had placed an untrained rookie in the frontlines

while assigning seniors on side operations.

“Stop, turn off all local broadcasts. Wait quietly. All officers

remain alert and stop gossiping.”

Shin Yoo-hee, the Team 1 leader, silenced everyone as she

pulled out an electronic cigarette.

She was a platinum-seal hunter. She also disagreed with the

CEO’s recent decisions, but, as a manager, she had to act
smarter.

The business of hunting was a dangerous one.

Even in ‘simple’ operations, hunters had to remain vigilant

regardless of the monster’s rating.

The possibility of death was high.

It was always at the forefront of her mind, even though she

had already been in the industry for fourteen years.
However, these days, she hardly had any motivation.

All that was left of her was the sense of responsibility for
other people’s safety.
“Team Leader Shin.” The voice came from her
communication device.

It was Yoon Kang-cheol.

“Yes?” she said as he removed the cigarette from her

mouth.

“How are you?” Kang-cheol asked.

“Oh, I’m fine. There have no casualties so far. How are the
kids holding up? Anyone dead yet?”

There was sarcasm in her voice. She had been interested in

watching the Alpha Team’s performance, and she hadn’t
been disappointed.

Their performance had been utterly shameful.

Two 4-star, one 5-star.

Handling three Whippers was supposed to be easy – if they

used their thinking faculties well enough.

“Everything is fine. Although, someone incurred some

broken ribs,” Kang-cheol replied.

“How?” Shin Yoo-hee asked in amazement.

She had heard a rumor that something big had happened

earlier.

For hunters, ‘something big’ was equivalent to death.

“Oh Yoo-seong handled two Whippers. He even saved Kang

Yoong-cheol.”

“That’s great,” Yoo-hee said dryly.

She had never seen Yoo-seong – the rookie who had
somehow managed to use the Blade. It was enough to be
considered an impressive act, but she wasn’t impressed.

Just like the sports industry, sometimes, people with out-of-

the-ordinary capabilities appeared.

In the future, though, many of them would fail to meet the

expectation from their younger days.

The future belonged to only those who were focused and

persistent. She couldn’t judge Yoo-seong, though. She had
only heard of him a few times before the operation.

However, it was her opinion that Yoo-seong shouldn’t be a

part of QR yet.

The QR wasn’t a good environment for rookies.

It would be better for him to grow through more difficult

situations than following the flowery path QR offered him-
just like other hunters had to do.

“I’m sending someone over,” Yoon Kang-cheol finally said.

“I don’t think you need us to support the Alpha Team

anymore, then,” Yoo-hee thought out loud.

“No. Oh Yoo-seong has sorted it out. I need you to do

something else for me.”

“Really? What is it?”

As she looked ahead, Shin Yoo-hee hoped she was wrong.

She didn’t need Kang-cheol’s answer anymore.

A car was approaching them.

Yoo-seong was in it.

***

“Thank you for the ride,” Yoo-seong said as he bowed

slightly to the Alpha Team member that drove him.

“Oh, it’s no biggie,” the driver said, laughing slightly.

The driver tried to remain calm as he stepped down from

the car; however, he felt miserable. He drove the car away,

Yoo-seong turned and saw Shin Yoo-hee standing behind

him.

“You told the CEO that you wanted to come here?”

“That’s right,” Yoo-seong nodded.

He waited for the Team 1 leader’s response.

Finally, Yoo-hee spoke.

“Don’t be a hindrance, will you? Stay away. By the way,

why?”

“Why what?”

“Why did you want to come here, rookie?”

Yoo-seong refused to react with hostility to Yoo-hee’s words.

As the team leader waited for his response, she took a puff
from her cigarette. She looked down so that the smoke
wouldn’t spread over Yoo-seong’s face; then, she blew out.

Yoo-seong glanced at Yoo-hee’s left hand, which was holding

the cigarette.
The hand was scarred as though it had gone through a lot of
injuries.

The thumb and the ring fingers have been cut off.

“I felt… it was not enough,” Yoo-seong said.

His words were a concise summary of what he felt after

defeating the Whippers.

Unfortunately, the Whippers were too insignificant for

automatic hunting to use all of his resources.

“I want to experience the center,” Yoo-seong explained.

It was the same thing he had told the CEO when he was
asked what he wanted.

“If you interfere with the people there, we will lose our
direction. Isn’t there something else you want?” The CEO
pleaded.

Even though he was satisfied with Sung-wook, Yoo-seong

knew that coming here gave Yoon Kang-cheol the hope of
recruiting him.

Of course, he would refuse his offer, but he decided to

explore QR more in the meantime.

“Not enough?”

“That’s right,” Yoo-seong said, expecting another harsh

response.

Surprisingly, Shin Yoo-hee just nodded her head.

“Do you know how to read positions? We’re currently

secured. I don’t think there is any more incoming wave, but
if there is, we will do whatever we can to maintain control.
Watch our operations but don’t interrupt my team position.”

“Okay. Is there anything else I have to do?”

“Not at all. You don’t seem like a person who doesn’t know
his limits. If you were, you would be seriously injured or
killed. But what do I care? That’s your responsibility, isn’t
it?”

“That’s right.”

“Good. Let’s remember that,” Yoo-hee said.

Before she turned away, she added:

“I know you are a talented person. Still, the people gathered

here are better hunters than you.”

“I understand,” Yoo-seong said politely.

“You can be offended, but…”

Shin Yoo-hee licked her lips while choosing the right words.

“Don’t hurt my team members,” she said and walked away.

“Yes, I understand,” he said.

She had been the prettiest lady he had seen in a while.

“Good,” she said over her shoulders. Soon, she was back
with her team.

Yoo-seong found a nearby building and settled in. Shortly

after that, the cracks began to vibrate.
“Oh, it’s dripping hard,” someone from Team 1 said, and
everyone agreed.

When rifts open, a team enters it to shut it down, while the

other teams dealt with the monsters that came out.

The Maruchan Team 2, one of the 4T, was already inside the
rift.

From the level of the monsters that were coming out of the
rift, everyone knew that their job inside wasn’t an easy one.

For some reason, monsters continued to keep coming from

the inside. The crack continued to vibrate – a sign that
something was about to come out.

Yoo-hee wished that it would be the Maruchan Team that

would appear this time and not another monster wave.
Everyone watched in anticipation.

Soon, something like a small black dot came out of the

crack, falling freely.

The OB-1 Team remained vigilant.

It could be a plant-like spore or a poisonous mass.

As the black dot kept coming closer, some of the hunters

recognized what it was.

“Oh, crazy!”

With a dull thud, the black dot fell just in front of the OB-1
team’s formation.

Shock slowly filled the faces of the hunters.

The black dot was not a threatening object. However, it
implied a threat.

“Prepare for raid formation!” Shin Yoo-hee shouted.

The black dot was the head of the Maruchan team leader.

It was half crushed and bloody. The expression on it was a

pain-filled one.

Once again, the crack vibrated.

After that, the silhouette of a creature was revealed.

Shin Yoo-hee’s resolve strengthened as she stared at the

silhouette.

Then, she turned her gaze to where Oh Yoo-seong went.

He wasn’t there.

‘Thank God’, she thought.

She could hunt without thinking of his welfare.

However…

He was already in action when she next spotted him.

And the action he employed wasn’t running away.

 Chapter 27

Episode 27

Before the control center’s briefing arrived, the Team 1

hunters could already visually confirm the monsters’ type.

Several black dots were falling from the crack again.

However, this time, they were larger than the head of the
Maruchan team leader.

They were about the size of human beings. The creatures

that fell from the crack raised their arms as though they
were enjoying the new world.

The first one to reach the ground looked towards the

building. It had the face of a lizard, with rotting folds around
its head.

More came pouring down the cracks.

“Shantiga?” one of the hunters gasped.

Shantiga-★★★★

There was a small fuss among the hunters.

“Why are they coming out here?” another one asked.

The Shantiga was not the beast they were expecting. It was
the first time they had ever faced one.
The world beyond the rift usually mirrors the real world.

If a rift appeared 100 meters from the North Pole on Earth, it

would open up at the world beyond the rift’s North Pole as
well. Because of this, hunters could predict which type of
monsters would appear through the cracks.

It was just like on Earth: there were no tigers in Africa, and

there were no elephants within the Korean Peninsula.

The same was true of the Shantiga. They usually appeared

in the mountainous regions of North America. The hunters
only knew the creature’s name through the internet.

Suddenly, Shin Yoo-hee’s voice rang out through the

communication network.

“All personnel approach the crack while maintaining the

charge formation. Do it now!”

Many team members opened their eyes wide in shock. They

couldn’t understand the order.

Even with their long years of experience, it was everyone’s

first time to face a Shantiga.

How was it possible for someone as cautious as Shin Yoo-

hee to give this order?

However, despite their reservations, their feet began to

move.

They were professionals. It was compulsory to follow the

commands of the field director.

Before long, they began to understand the reason behind

the instructions – and their expressions grew darker with the
realization.

“CEO,” Shin Yoo-hee said to Yoon Kang-cheol through her

device.

“I’m watching,” he responded.

Yoon Kang-cheol’s voice revealed his nervousness as he

watched Team 1’s action cam.

“I will direct the field. If possible… I’ll go inside the crack

and finish the closure.”

“I’ll leave it to you,” Kang-cheol said.

At first glance, it was a reckless decision.

The Maruchan was one of the four leading teams in Korea.

Though they were small in number, they were skillful

enough to finish off 6- to 7-star monsters.

However, even they had been annihilated.

It was not because of incompetence. They had simply been

overwhelmed.

They must have been surprised by the Shantiga, too.

Despite that, they bravely remained within the cracks to

close it.

The Shantiga had three outstanding characteristics, a

combination of which no other monsters on the Korean
Peninsula had:

1. A risk rating of 4 stars or higher.

2. The habit of living in large groups.
 3. Flight ability.

The Shantigas lay prone after landing. Then, the wings on

their backs gently unfolded.

They started taking off.

The hunters began to fire at the monsters immediately.

“Don’t think about capturing them! Kill as much as

possible!” Shin Yoo-hee ordered as she raised her Geller
Gun to the sky and started shooting.

“…Yes. Yes, that’s right. …Yes,” Yoon Kang-cheol said into

the telephone.

He sighed as he ended the call with the military general,

He prided himself as a very skillful coordinator. Regardless

of his many years away from active duty, his strategizing
skills were still exceptional.

Through his tutelage, every QR hunter could catch a

monster that had, at most, a star above their ranking.

However, he knew his recent decision had been foolish.

He agreed with Shin Yoo-hee’s quick decision.

The problem right now wasn’t Team 1’s ability. They were
strong enough to fight the monsters in a one-on-one battle.
The problem was that the crack remained open, and thus,
monsters kept pouring in.

Yoon Kang-cheol stared at Team 1’s action cam on the

monitor as he pondered.
The number of Shantigas falling from the rift was increasing.
Now, their wings were already spread out as they fell, as
though they realized the danger waiting for them below.

Still, the number of Shantigas is not infinite, and Team 1

wouldn’t have so many casualties.

The greatest danger was what would happen if the

monsters went beyond the crack area.

The number of beasts that the hunters could stop is limited.

That was why Team 1 tried to get as close to the rift as

possible, allowing hunters on the outer areas to handle the
monsters that escaped.

But this time, things were different.

The Shantiga was a surprise. Their strength was rated at 4-

stars.

Apart from the Queen Ant, they were the first flying
monsters that the hunters had faced.

If the outlying hunters couldn’t stop the Shantigas, they

would go beyond the hunting line and find the civilians.

It was a disaster in the making.

“Um, CEO,” one of the hunters started.

“What is it?”

The other teams had received information on what was

happening and headed towards the QR main control center.

“Well, several teams have sent requests to withdraw.”

“What?”

Yoon Kang-cheol’s face gradually turned red.

“They are saying it’s too dangerous… and well… technically,

they have the right to withdraw…”

His newfound anger made Kang-cheol forget about the

Alpha Team’s failure.

He thought that would be the biggest tragedy that day, but

this…

“What do those good-for-nothing-hunters think their job is?

What are their names?”

He felt as though his blood was flowing the wrong way. He

couldn’t get the right words.

Yoon Kang-cheol pressed a hand on his forehead.

Of course, not all hunters are the same, even if they were
on the same team.

It was indeed daunting for hunters assigned to outer areas

to be facing a 4-star flying monster.

But…

“We need to finish this job…”

He wasn’t going to chicken out with them, even if he had to

go out himself.

Yoon Kang-cheol looked around the control camp.

Then, he pointed to the personnel around him – employees

and hunters who had just retired from active duty.
“Get the equipment.”

“Why?” one asked.

“We are going in. We have to shoot down those lizards. If

there is a problem, I will take responsibility. It’s your choice,
though. Come out if you want.”

The employees who were not hunters wore surprised

expressions.

“It is illegal to enter a blocked area without reporting it,” a

lady said.

However, the retired hunters nodded their heads silently

and equipped themselves according to the CEO’s
instructions.

“CEO, the media contacted me. They are asking for

information about the emergency.” the lady said suddenly.

“Hang up the phone,” Kang-cheol said as he put on his gear.

He remembered the call from the Military General earlier. In

the event of an unavoidable situation, the army will move to
blow up the crack and force it to close.

However, the crack was at the heart of a new city.

There would be astronomical property damage, one that

only happened during the earlier days of the rifts.

The damage wouldn’t end there. It would cause the public

to believe that hunters are unable to handle the cracks.
Getting help from the military would cause anxiety to the
people. No one would understand that the Shantiga
appearance was an unprecedented situation.
“Please,” Yoon Kang-cheol prayed earnestly for Team 1 to
finish the job.

Despite her dire mental state, each of Shin Yoo-hee’s five

Geller Gun bullets hit a Shantiga.

The gun was a two-star weapon that channeled Aura and

shot them in the form of bullets.

At first glance, it was an unsuitable weapon for her. In fact,

the Shantigas, who had been hit by the bullets, simply
shook it off for a while before flapping their wings again.

Shin Yoo-hee clenched her left fist, activating her Psy.

Suddenly, five light spheres flashed in the air.

Fist-sized holes appeared where the Shantigas were hit with

the bullets.

Yoo-hee sighed with relief as their bodies crashed to the

ground with her explosion sparks.

However, she couldn’t rest.

More Shantigas were pouring out of the crack.

She planned to gradually approach the crack while

suppressing Shantigas with firepower along the way.

Thanks to her excellent skills, she was successfully

suppressing the Shantigas to some extent…

However, she couldn’t reach the crack by herself.

She was right under it, but she couldn’t reach it.
‘If there was only one person, only one person more…’

She needed an expert who had mastered some Tech-type

mobility that could get her up the rift, or someone who
could control a Shantiga telepathically and allow her to ride
it up the crack.

“Commander! 9 o’clock!” A team member cried out.

Shin Yoo-hee turned her head.

Three Shantigas were flying towards the building with their

wings spread out.

Shin Yoo-hee immediately fired.

Unfortunately, as soon as she fired the second shot, another

Shantiga appeared in front of her, blocking her sight.

“Damn!”

Along with the swear words, Shin Yoo-hee extended her left
hand.

She aimed three fingers to the side of the lizard’s neck and
activated her Psy.

There was an explosion as her Aura was released. It was

another method she seldom used because of its inefficiency.
It used a tremendous amount of CE and only worked in close
range.

However, no one considered inefficiency while face-to-face

with death.

She quickly tried to recover her aim, but the remaining

Shantiga was already flying too high, out of her range.
It was about to fly over the rooftop of a tall, high-rise
building.

Suddenly, a line extended vertically on the rooftop. Like a

rope thrown by a cowboy, it accurately wrapped itself
around the Shantiga’s neck.

“A rope?” Shin Yoo-hee muttered. It was a capture rope used

for catching large monsters.

Team 1 had several of these ropes prepared for capturing

Whippers.

But who threw the rope on the roof?

Shin Yoo-hee’s confusion did not last long as Yoo-seong,

holding the other end of the rope, appeared at the building’s
roof.

Then, he jumped off.

Yoo-hee gasped, expecting a free fall. However, he was not

falling.

From the roof of a building with more than 30 floors, he ran

down the wall vertically, dragging the Shantiga along. The
lizard tried to flap his wings, but there was no use to resist.

When they finally reached the second floor, Yoo-seong

grabbed the rope with both hands and swung it with force
as his Aura focused on his arms.

The Shantiga body was smashed to the concrete ground.

Then, with Aura on his legs, Yoo-seong leaped and landed

beside Yoo-hee.

Wasn’t he running away?

Shin Yoo-hee glanced at him sideways as she continued to
pull the trigger and ignite the bullets.

There were ropes wrapped around his suit.

He must have run to the supply truck to get supplies and

equipment.

There was a moment of silence between the two.

Yoo-seong remained standing.

“If you have anything to say, please do it right away,” she

said breathlessly.

Yoo-seong answered. However, he didn’t use words. He

turned his back to the team leader and went on one knee.

Then, he lifted his arms backward slightly.

“What?” she asked. The next second, she understood the

posture.

He wanted her to ride on his back.

They stared at each other in silence.

Then, Yoo-hee began to speak.

However, she spoke to the vice team leader, not Yoo-seong.

“Lee Jin-wook. From now on, you will be in charge of the field
command.”

“What?”

“I’ll try to enter the crack.”

Shin Yoo-hee made the decision based on fourteen years of
intuition.

She had decided that she was going to trust the rookie.

She hopped on Yoo-seong’s back and wrapped her left arm

around his shoulders.

She kept her right hand free to shoot the gun if necessary. It
was the mobility that she had wanted so much.

The temporary duo was formed.

With Aura around his legs, Yoo-seong began to run up a

high-rise building.
 Chapter 28

[Hey guys, there’s actually a good amount of you guys

reading this. However, the NU page is dead without any
reviews or ‘readers’. I uploaded extra today, I hope you guys
can help out. The better a novel performs, the higher the
budget, and in turn, I can increase the upload rate and
quality of future chapters.]

Episode 28

Lee Jin-wook, the vice team leader, was a platinum seal

Hunter with nine years of experience. He ranked 16th
among the Top 20 hunters in domestic rankings.

“From now on, I’m assuming control!” he announced

through the communicator.

He planned to have hunters with long-range ammunition to

cover the duo headed for the rift; however, his eyes had
caught onto Yoo-seong’s trajectory.

In two seconds, the rookie had gone further than Jin-wook

had expected.

He then changed his mind.

“Keep the existing formation! Stop the Shantigas in this area

as much as possible!”

The most important thing at that point was keeping the

beasts in their zone.
With the pace at which Yoo-seong was going, covering them
was not necessary. The Shantigas in the air had noticed Yoo-
seong climbing up the building, and they became curious.

They began to rush towards him.

Although Yoo-seong had defeated 4-star monsters before,

this time, there were more than one. Even with Auto-
Hunting, it would be difficult to climb up the wall while
fighting the Shantiga.

However, he had the necessary equipment. He didn’t feel

perturbed. He and Yoo-hee knew what they had to do.

Yoo-seong began to weave around on the building wall.

Yoo-hee’s eyes didn’t waver. She raised her Geller-gun

towards the monsters. The moment they went around the
corner of the building, she shot at the Shantiga.

With her mind, she caused the aura bullets to explode,

killing some Shantigas. The explosions also confused the
other monsters.

Yoo-seong came around the corner of the building, whirling

one of the ropes in his hands.

‘He means to throw that into the crack, Shin Yoo-hee

speculated.’

The edges of the crack had tremendous suction power so

that anything that came close enough was sucked in.

If Yoo-seong threw the rope at the crack, they would be

sucked in with the rope.
There was just one problem: if they went into the world
beyond in such a haphazard manner, they would be unable
to defend themselves against anything they come upon.

Besides, they also had to defend themselves against the

Shantigas around them.

She would be unable to aim properly with such a haphazard

movement.

However, Yoo-seong knew what he had to do.

He threw one end of the rope at a pole on top of the

building, and then he threw the other end towards the
crack. One end of the rope curled around the pole while the
other got sucked into it.

The rope became taut enough for Yoo-seong to run upon.

As Shin Yoo-hee expected, the Shantiga rushed at them.

The next second, Yoo-seong took out a switchblade then

used his Aura to surround the blade. It was a simpler
technique than creating a blade of pure Aura, though it was
of relatively less power.

It was enough to deal with Shantigas coming ahead, though.

Shin Yoo-hee was surprised by how calm she felt, hanging

by an arm around a man running on a rope. Hanging on
tightly, she turned backward, aiming her gun at the
Shantigas coming from behind while doing her best to
maintain balance.

As both of them annihilated the Shantigas from in front and

behind, Yoo-hee wondered whether Yoo-seong was indeed a
beginner.
The thoughts didn’t last long in her head.

Suddenly, her communicator began to screech with the

interference from the magnetic field around the crack. There
was a blinding flash as they went through the portal, and,
soon, their eyes adjusted to the new world.

Shin Yoo-hee was familiar with being inside the crack.

She had been a part of numerous operations with the rift

collapse team. The world beyond had a humid tropical
climate that seemed dangerous to the skin.

However, there was one more thing she didn’t expect to see
in the landscape.

“Oops, damn,” she said, almost barfing in disgust as she

and Yoo-seong fell from the sky.

The ground beneath the rift was littered with corpses of the
Maruchan team.

She knew they were never careless. To close the rift, they
had to get a pulse breaker close to it.

In other words, the pulse breaker had to be around there.

After a quick scan, she found it by a tree close to the pile of

corpses. The pulse breaker was something that had to be
started with a recharger using Aura.

One hunter with Aura recharged it with a manual turbine

while the rest of the personnel covered the first hunter and
handled the beasts around the rift.

Shantigas were still swarming around the crack’s opening.

However, rather than heading towards the two who
suddenly appeared, the monsters continued to rush into the
rift.

“There, Yoo-seong. That’s the breaker. We need it to stop

the rift,” she said.

Yoo-seong nodded and approached the breaker.

Soon, they landed on the ground, and he ended up dropping

Shin Yoo-hee off.

Shin Yoo-hee looked at the gauge of the breaker.

Fortunately, the Maruchan team had almost charged it fully.
If she were able to charge it for just a minute more…

Suddenly, she heard murmuring sounds, and she turned

towards its source. Her eyes widened, and she wondered
how she hadn’t seen it before.

Shantiga Prime-★★★★★★

It was the leader of the pack. It had to be at least three

meters tall. Unlike the common Shantigas, it had white skin.

Suddenly, everything made sense.

The Maruchan team must have been charging the pulse

breaker before the hordes of Shantigas assaulted them. The
Shantiga Prime had been feasting on their bodies.

She stood and faced the monster.

It was the first 6-star monster she had ever faced alone. She
didn’t know if she could win this. Even if she did, would she
have enough Aura left to charge the Pulse Breaker?

However, she had no choice. She had to fight.

She raised her Geller-Gun as the monster made a low growl.

Yoo-seong stood in her way.

“What are you doing?” she asked him.

“Please deal with the pulse breaker. I’ll handle this,” he said.

Shin Yu-hee stared at him.

‘Had his helmet interfered with his reasoning?’

“You know how to operate the recharger, don’t you?” he

asked.

“Yes. But I can’t spend my energy there and still be able to

take out the monster. Now, this monster isn’t going to wait
for us to keep talking,” she rapidly charged her gun.

“It’s probably confused as to why we are still alive, but it

isn’t going to keep wondering,” she continued.

Yoo-seong was still in her way.

“The opponent is six stars,” Yoo-seong said.

“I know.”

The Shantiga Prime crouched slowly.

It had almost finished assessing its new enemies. They

didn’t seem to be of much threat.

“Let me hold it off while you deal with the pulse breaker. The
only way we’re going to win is if we work as a team,” he
said.
Shin Yoo-hee sighed. “But I don’t want to put you at risk.
This is my job, not yours.”

“Well, it has become mine now. Trust me. I’ll do the best I
can.”

They stared at each other. Then, she nodded slowly.

The next second, the Shantiga leaped at them. Yoo-seong

turned and leaped at it just in time. With a punch, he sent
the creature falling back then, he turned and returned Yoo-
hee’s nod.

She noticed he had started acting like a robot again, but she
wasn’t bothered by that.

She just hoped he’d live through it. She didn’t understand
him, but she held on to his words.

‘I’ll do my best…’

Turning away, she bent over the pulse breaker and placed
her hand on the recharger, focusing her Aura on it.

Behind her, Yoo-seong escaped the slash of the Prime

Shantiga’s claws.

He was using Automatic Hunting to divert the attention of

the Prime Shantiga from Yoo-hee. For some reason, it
seemed to want to go to her.

The Prime Shantiga charged at him and butted him with its
head, sending him sprawling on the ground. When he stood
up, his body ached all over so that he could hardly bring
himself to move.
The Prime Shantiga cried in triumph, focusing its gaze on
the other prey as its wings flapped aggressively and its feet
stomped the wet soil.

Automatic Hunting moved Yoo-seong’s body, this time, not

in the Prime Shantiga’s direction. He went towards the
corpses the Shantiga had been eating and picked one.

He hurled the body at the beast, catching it in surprise.

The Prime Shantiga turned its gaze from Yoo-hee to see Yoo-
seong standing again.

It bellowed in wrath and charged towards Yoo-seong.

Yoo-seong didn’t flinch as the Shantiga came at him with

speed.

-Posture setting.-

-Assault form applied.-

With speed, he pulled out his switchblade and surrounded it

with Aura.

This time, though, its strength couldn’t be compared with

the previous one. He focused his entire Aura on the blade.

Yoo-seong and the Prime Shantiga clashed. From the corner

of her eye, Yoo-hee saw the collision.

She couldn’t be distracted from what she was doing. She

focused. The monster butted Yoo-seong and sent him
soaring through the air.

This time, there was no aura to protect his body. He only

had the suit to protect himself.
He could feel the cracks in his suit already. His skin had also
been bruised.

However, it was a worthy cause. The monster had lost one

of its arms and cried in pain.

Yoo-seong stood up. Once again, he ran towards the terrible

lizard and swung the blade. It was a 6-star monster, and so
its brain was advanced. It flapped its wings and rose into the
air.

‘Do not miss…’

Auto-Hunting held the rope around Yoo-seong’s body. It fixed

Yoo-seong’s eyes on the slot.

-Make eye contact, blink to activate utility slot-1.-

Yoo-seong pulled out what he had put in the slot.

A rope appeared in the hands of Yoo-seong. He formed a

knot with the end of one rope and threw it at the monster.

The Shantiga was unable to balance itself in the air since it

had lost an arm. The rope did its job right, vibrating and
digging into the beast’s neck.

The tug of war then began.

The Shantiga Prime tried to escape by flapping its wings,

while Yoo-seong tried to pull him down.

Yoo-seong’s feet were dragged along the wet soil. The

monster was stronger than him. Suddenly, he heard
something that sounded like a car engine from behind him.

The next second, he watched as the bullets from a Geller

Gun hit the Shantiga.
Shin Yoo-hee finished charging and was ready to fight.

“Down, boy,” she said as she clenched her left fist.

The bullets exploded, and a hole the size of a basketball was

left at the Prime Shantiga’s chest. She hoped it would be
enough to kill it.

Unfortunately, its wings didn’t stop flapping, and it didn’t

stop howling.

Shin Yoo-hee raised her gun again to shoot, but Yoo-seong

raised his fist, signaling for her to stop. At first, she didn’t
understand why.

“Forget about killing it! We need to get out of here first!” he

yelled.

“Why?” she asked.

She wanted to kill the monster that had killed all her fellow
hunters.

“Come quickly! The crack will close soon!” Yoo-seong said.

That was when she remembered that the breaker had

already been activated.

The crack was vibrating louder.

Shin Yoo-hee ran towards the crack, took one glance to

make sure that Yoo-seong was right behind him, before
jumping out.

It was a relief to see the real world again. However, she

realized they had a problem.
The rope they used as a bridge had been completely sucked
into the crack.

It would be a free fall to the ground. Suddenly, she felt a

hand grasp her from behind, and the free fall quickly turned
into a gentle descent feeling.

It was Yoo-seong.

It was as if they had a parachute. As she lifted her eyes, she

understood.

The crack was gone. In its place was the clear blue sky.
Above them was the weakened Shantiga Prime, flapping its
wings desperately.

The Shantiga Prime was too weak to escape, but its flapping
wings was just enough to provide resistance and allow them
to land safely.

Yoo-seong was still gripping the rope tightly. They had

managed to catch a 6-star monster.

She smiled as she looked at Yoo-seong’s face, which was

covered by a helmet.

Strangely, Yoo-seong remained silent throughout. Every

hunter rushed to them as they landed, surrounding them
with bewildered gazes.

The secret that Yoo-seong’s helmet had hidden was

revealed.

Yoo-seong had fallen unconscious at some point during the

descent. Facing a six-star monster with Automatic Hunting
had drained him.
The hunters carefully carried him to where he could rest,
and Yoo-seong slept peacefully.

If he knew what was happening as he slept, he would have

awakened.
 Chapter 29

29

Yoo-seong sat up the moment he became conscious.

He looked around. The wallpapers appeared to be those

found in Jin Chang-hoon’s hospital.

He was surprised to see a cast was wrapped around his right

arm. Since he exchanged blows against the Shantiga Prime,
he thought his torso would be injured more than it was.

Somehow, his arm sustained more damage.

There was not much pain in his body, save the subtle one in
his cast-wrapped arm.

He closed his eyes. He must have used all of the 2,800 CEs
that he possessed.

There were no regrets about it, though.

Everything that he had trained for was for that clash against
the six-star monster. With a light sigh, Yoo-seong opened his
eyes. Sung-wook was standing before him.

“When did you come in?!” Yoo-seong asked in shock.

“About three minutes ago,” Sung-wook said as he took a

strawberry from the pack at Yoo-seong’s bedside.
“If you want to do something weird in bed, you should lock
the door,” he quipped as he popped the fruit into his mouth.

“I wasn’t doing anything,” Yoo-seong laughed little.

“I have something for you,” Sung-wook told him.

“What?”

Sung-wook chewed on the strawberry as he opened his bag.

“I dropped the equipment for repairs, and it seems that the

relief compensation and the handling of the prey will be
neatly taken care of. However…”

“Is there a problem?”

Instead of talking, Sung-wook took a small case out of his

bag. It looked like a jewelry case. He opened it to reveal a
bright silver seal.

“…this arrived,” Sung-wook finished.

Yoo-seong stared at the seal, speechless.

In Korea, like in most countries, the achievements of hunters

were divided into five seal classes.

The lowest one was white, followed by copper, silver, gold,

and platinum.

The seals weren’t permanent. They are gauged by summing

up a hunter’s achievements for the last two seasons.

Hunters who didn’t do much within that period could fall

from Platinum to White.

“It was issued to you,” Sung-wook continued.

Yoo-seong wondered how he had managed to earn a silver
seal before earning a white or copper seal. Was it possible
for Hunters to get such a quick promotion?

His hand slightly trembled as he reached for the seal.

Kim Sung-wook suddenly drew it back.

“After your performance in the hunt… I would like to attach

it to you myself if you do not mind.”

The both of them stared at each other with emotion. After a

moment, Yoo-seong held out his right arm.

Sung-wook threw the seal lightly. Yoo-seong wondered what

he was doing. However, Sung-wook’s aim was accurate. It
landed right on Yoo-seong’s arm and stuck.

“Don’t worry about getting it destroyed. It’s not real silver

anyway, and it costs just about 3,000 won at a stationery
store.”

Yoo-seong raised a brow in confusion. It didn’t sound right.

“I don’t get it. I thought the seals were made of real metal?”

“I told you,” Sung-wook said as he put the seal’s case in the

trash can. “After the hunt, I went to get you this.”

“That means…”

“You could think of it as a thoughtful prank. However, you

do deserve this. You saved all those hunters from the Queen
Ant. You caught a 6-star monster. However, since you just
acquired your license, your score summing process would
be delayed.” Sung-wook explained.
Then, a mischievous grin appeared on his mouth as he
continued.

“You know what? The silver one is just plating, but the gold
and platinum seals are made of real metals.”

“Could I have a gold seal, then?” Yoo-seong asked.

“Sure.”

“Platinum?”

“Of course.”

“Is there anything higher?”

“No, but there are different grades of platinum.”

“When did you become a ranker, anyway?” Yoo-seong

asked, and they both laughed.

“Now, you need to get in shape,” Sung-wook said as he

stood up.

“That doesn’t make sense. I’m just recovering,” Yoo-seong

said.

Sung-wook was already by the door.

“And if you’re planning to do something weird in bed, lock

the door, okay?” Sung-wook said before leaving.

Yoo-seong scanned the news websites as he munched on

strawberries.

The pages were filled with updates about cracks.

-The fear of North America appears at the center of the
Korean Peninsula.-

-The rule of ‘one-to-one correspondence’ is broken… Is there

a countermeasure?-

-Military is silent; Emergency button almost pressed after

ten years?-

When he first saw the Shantigas appearing through the rift,

he had also been worried.

Why did they appear on the Korean peninsula, more than

7,000 km from their usual location?

No one knew the reason.

Moreover, it seems that it didn’t end with the strange

Shantiga appearance.

-African Jumping Crabs emerged on Chilean beaches…-

– Congo’s behemoth in a New Zealand lake…-

It was clear that something strange was taking place.

Monsters were appearing where they weren’t supposed to.

Then again, those nations were lucky.

Unlike what happened in Korea, the monsters that had

appeared on their terrains were low-ranking monsters.
Because of that, their hunters were able to salvage the
situations more easily.

However, it doesn’t seem that the nations were taking it

seriously.

“Aren’t they underreacting?”

Yoo-seong nodded at Sung-wook’s words.

None of the articles revealed the extent of the dangers to

come. Instead, it was filled with praise and
recommendations.

-Philippines faces its first ‘four-star,’ but no civilian gets

hurt.-

Hunters in… have proved-Excellent ability to cope with the

crisis-

All the media did was to praise their hunters.

No one could deny was that the situation experienced in

Korea was the most dangerous.

Because of that, the joy of having overcome it was

overwhelming.

-There were some casualties among the hunters; however,

the civilians were safe.-

There were articles about the loss of lives of the popular

Maruchan Team.

-Shin Yoo-hee, who is said to have contributed directly to the

blocking of the rift, quickly soared in rank.-

However, there was another name mentioned more than

any others.

-The most relevant hunter, who is said to hide his face

behind a helmet… he is said to go by the name of ‘Park
Kang-han’…-

-Everyone is trying to find ‘Park Kang-han’- the greatest

contributor, according to the hunters.-
“Who is this person?” Yoo-seong asked while chewing a
strawberry.

“What do you mean? It’s you, of course.”

Yoo-seong paused as he was about to put a strawberry in his

mouth. He raised a brow in confusion.

“Why am I called Park Kang-han?”

“You have become a ranked hunter, but we haven’t

disclosed your information to the public for now.”

Many hunters not only refrained from revealing their action

cams, but also kept their personal information private.

Some famous hunters released theirs, exposing their faces

and real names to the media to enjoy additional profits and
a celebrity status.

This wasn’t unusual. For many hunters, this was actually

what motivated them to get into the profession.

“I made the name up because ‘Park Kang-han’ had a great

sound to it. When civilians look at the hunter rankings, they
will see Park Kang-han and not Oh Yoo-seong.”

“Wow…” Yoo-seong’s eyes were wide.

“Of course, if you want to make yourself public, you can

always do so. All it takes is a simple online filing process.
With that, everyone will know your name and face.”

Sung-wook stared at Yoo-seong as he continued his

explanation.

“The press will always be on you, especially when they learn

that you earned a Silver seal on your first hunt and possibly
a Platinum seal on the last one. You’ll be called for
interviews, entertainment, and professional programs. You’ll
be like a deity in the industry-”

“I don’t think it’s time yet,” Yoo-seong said, cutting him

short.

Sung-wook’s voice softened at his reply.

“Really? The money that will come in then might be more

than what you’ll reap from merely hunting,” he said, probing
further.

“And then, I would have no time to do real hunting.”

Sung-wook nodded in satisfaction.

Yoo-seong had accurately analyzed the situation.

He wasn’t surprised. He and Yoo-seong were alike in a lot of

ways. The young man has already achieved a lot.

He had already earned the Silver seal and was already

ranked 19th in the domestic ranking. If he got lost in the
glitz and glamor, he would drop in reputation.

The seals and rankings were not permanent.

Sung-wook knew many ranked hunters who had lost their

focus and surrendered themselves to the press, revealing all
their information.

With very few exceptions, the end was always the same.

By neglecting hunting, their skill and achievements became

rusty, and they became irrelevant.
“I’m not saying I don’t want to be famous. I feel that I
should focus on the job and be planted firmly in the industry.
After that, I’ll start sucking the honey,” Yoo-seong calmly
shared his thoughts.

“Besides, solo hunters aren’t eligible to apply to go around

the center or inside the rift, but now that I’ve become a
ranker… the water is just coming in-”

“And you have to row,” Sung-wook finished the sentence.

The advantage of being a ranker was not simply to become

famous and make money.

They can get access to more dangerous places.

Against the conventional response to popularity and

recognition, Yoo-seong chose to climb further.

Sung-wook had a faint smile as he stood up from his seat.

He chose the right successor.

The time will come to suck honey someday, and Yoo-seong

had the patience to wait for it.

When the time comes to reveal that Park Kang Han and Oh
Yoo-seong is the same…

Perhaps, it would be the end of Sung-wook’s usefulness to

his student.

He hoped that Yoo-seong would not disclose the information

too early. He turned to leave quietly.

However, Jin Chang-hoon suddenly entered the room.

“Guys, turn on the TV now!” he said.

A lady in a newsroom was on screen. Beside her was Yoon
Kang-cheol.

Sung-wook laughed.

Other than ‘Park Kang-han’, QR received the most praise for

the operation.

Sung-wook glanced at Yoo-seong. While it was true that the

situation had been salvaged because of QR’s strategic
operations, they were doing their best to take as much
credit as they could.

“Hey. Why don’t you turn it off? It’s obvious they would do
this,” Sung-wook said.

“No, just… listen carefully,” Jin Chang-wook argued. “Listen

to what they’re talking about.”

Yoo-seong focused on the broadcast. Sung-wook also

watched carefully.

The voice of the lady came forth.

“We heard that QR is already in talks with Park Kang-Han.

How true is that?”

“That’s right, though I can’t tell you much about it yet. We’ll
give you the full details soon,” Yoon Kang-cheol replied.
 Chapter 30

30

JUNE

Yoo-seong’s breathing was labored as he jogged around the

park.

It had been several weeks after the hunting. His arms and
ribs had naturally healed.

When he finished running, he did a final stretch and went to

the drinking fountain. He then poured water on his neck.

“There you are,” someone said from behind him.

He turned to see two women in sportswear. They seemed to

be students living in the residences nearby.

They looked so young; he felt awkward to be around them.

He was sure they were freshmen.

“You’re a hunter, right?” one of the girls asked.

“Yes,” he said.

“Wow!” the girls gushed.

It had been easy for them to guess. He had run around the
park at tremendous speed for over an hour.
“Would you like this?” One of the girls offered a can of
ionized beverage that seemed to have just been pulled from
a vending machine.

The girls smiled at each other as Yoo-seong received it from

them.

“Thank you,” he told them.

“Can I ask you something?” the first girl said.

“Of course,” Yoo-seong said with a smile, doing his best to

keep a distance.

“Have you ever caught a monster yourself?”

“Yeah, what’s your ranking?” the other girl asked.

“Hey! Excuse me, I asked first,” the first girl said, becoming
angry.

Yoo-seong waved his hand in the air.

“It’s only been three months since I received my license. I

haven’t had that much experience yet.

Technically, it was true.

“Really?” the girls asked, frowning a bit. They were

evidently disappointed.

It was a general perception that Hunters, who had just

begun, were low rankers.

“Then… have you ever actually seen Park Kang-han?” the

first girl asked.

“Yeah, I have,” he said.

“Wow!” the girls said together, covering their mouths.

“How does he look? Is he handsome? Tall?”

“He’s just normal,” Yoo-seong said.

“What do you mean ‘just normal’?” one of the girls said,

frowning.

“He’s just plain. He looks like every other person,” Yoo-

seong said.

It sounded harsh, but the girls were too caught up in the

name of Park Kang-Han to notice.

Even the people who were around who had heard the name
began to pay attention. Yoo-seong crumpled the can of
beverage he had finished.

“Thank you for the drink,” he said. With his head down, he
left.

A month has passed since the hunt.

It was still too early for the things that had transpired to be
forgotten, but it was enough time for things to calm down.

However, the name of Park Kang-Han refused to go down

the drain.

Rather, it was even getting more popular. The reason for it

was simple.

Yoon Kang-Cheol’s words in the newsroom months ago were

still being re-broadcasted.

…
“Then, let’s watch the video again. This is the actual hunting
footage from QR Corporation.”

The screen changed with the lady anchor’s prompt. It was a

video of Team 1 on the site as they skillfully captured
Shantigas pouring out of the rift.

However, that wasn’t the focus of the replay.

“Can you see him? That is Park Kang-han, the hunter who is
running up the building wall with Shin Yoo-hee,” Yoon Kang-
cheol said, pointing to the image.

The camera zoomed on the figure. In the subtitle, the man

was marked as Park Kang-Han.

“Then, can it be said that this hunter, together with Shin

Yoo-Hee, contributed greatly to blocking the rift?” The
anchor asked.

“Of course,” Yoon Kang-cheol said.

“It is important to remember the Maruchan teams who gave

their lives to stop the rift. But if it weren’t for Park Kang-han,
closing the rift would have been much delayed. At the time,
there were no hunters on the scene with the equipment and
skills to access the rift.”

Although the Yoo-seong’s appearance was revealed without

consent, his identity was concealed by his helmet, and so, it
couldn’t be classified as defamation.

“Then the damage is…” The anchor began, but she was
interrupted.

“The damage could have been much bigger. Although it

does not appear in this video, according to Shin Yoo-hee,
Park Kang-han’s contribution was even greater even inside
the crack. He protected Shin Yoo-hee, who was charging the
pulse breaker, till she finished,” Yoon said.

The figure of Yoo-seong and Shin Yoon-hee appeared on the

screen at that point.

It was the scene where he threw a rope at a pole and used it

as a bridge.

It was the footage that had trended for a long time on the
internet.

“This is true,” the anchor said in admiration.

It looked like a scene from a movie.

“On the other hand, there are suspicions about Park Kang-
han’s ranking.”

“What do you mean by suspicion?” Kang-cheol asked.

“While his personal history is not available, official records

show that Park Kang-han moved from a silver seal to a
platinum seal. Isn’t that a huge upgrade for a ranker?”

“How is that weird?” Kang-cheol asked the anchor to clarify.

“Do you know that he now places 19th on domestic

rankings? It means that someone who had been among the
Top 20 had dropped and that he surpassed other platinum
hunters who were waiting to fill that position.”

She stopped there. She was careful of the fans of the hunter
who had dropped. There was no precedent for what had
happened.
“Well, everyone knows that the ranking is sometimes
carried out with relativity,” Kang-cheol said in defense.

“The level of danger one faces during hunting, the number

of people saved, and so on. Come on, everyone. Let’s think
about it together. I want to ask those who file an objection.
If it wasn’t for Park Kang-han, what would have happened to
our friends and families?”

Yoon Kang-Cheol asked calmly.

The anchor seemed rattled for a second, but she regained

her bearings.

“The death of a civilian is more severe than the death of a

hundred hunters. If the closing of the rift has been delayed
further…”

“Well… In that case-“

Kang-cheol cut the anchor off again.

“Originally, I had refused Mr. Park from hunting in the area

under division one.”

The anchor’s brows rose at that. Kang-cheol knew he had

gotten her attention.

“Huh? Are you saying that Mr. Park Kang-han wasn’t

assigned to the area under the crack?”

“Yes. According to the short-term contract he signed with us,

Mr. Park Kang-han was supposed to assist the Number Two
Operation Division hunters. However, he volunteered to go
closer to the rift. Quite selfless if you ask me. It’s quite a
shame, but there were even groups that requested to
withdraw from the site. I won’t be disclosing their names,
though.”

“Really?” The anchor asked, wide-eyed.

“It’s true! It’s shameful, but it’s true.”

“Even if you don’t reveal their names, this remark tells us

we have a problem,” she said.

“Errr, no, we don’t. Even if we indeed have a problem, who

can we blame the system that creates these kinds of
hunters?”

Yoon Kang-cheol paused for a while before eagerly

continuing.

“Hunters these days are groomed to be more conscious of

wealth and fame above their responsibilities. They seem to
forget that the job all boils down to saving others. It’s more
of a societal problem than a hunter problem.”

“But, on the other hand,” he continued. “There are people

like this! Even though he had already done his duty, he was
willing to risk his life. Why wouldn’t he earn such a high
rank? If this is what the public is going to say to such a
person, then I’d say we have a real problem.”

“That I now see,” the anchor said, nodding her head in

agreement.

“As with all things, if you don’t have the talent and the
training, you won’t last even a day in this industry.”

Realizing he was overreacting, he lowered his voice and

arms in embarrassment.
“However, I believe there is something more than just ability
when it comes to our work.”

The anchor realized where he was going and helped him

finish his statement.

“The courage to do your duty as a hunter…”

“That’s right.” Yoon Kang-cheol said, nodding his head.

Though his words had been planned, he said his last words
with sincerity.

“And Mr. Park Kang-han ticked off every box on that list.”

Yoon Kang-cheol was the best marketer ever since he had a

lot to gain from it.

The QR and Kang-cheol was now the talk on everyone’s lips.

The broadcast had led the teams and companies to weed

out incompetent hunters before the public began to criticize
the industry as a whole. However, Yoo-seong benefited the
most from everything.

As he rode the subway, everyone seemed to be talking

about Park Kang-han.

It was like an old popular program where someone in a

mask sang, and the audience guessed who was behind the
mask.

Yoo-seong smiled bitterly. He had been feeling some

pressure in him.
He was a man like any other… He liked a little recognition
too… If he just said one word…

I am Park Kang-Han…

He’d have everyone’s attention, envying eyes, pouring

praise.

Yoon Kang-cheol was not malicious to him, either.

If anything, he seemed to be feeding Yoo-seong with honey

over the past one month.

Yoon Kang-cheol already wanted Yoo-seong to start sucking

honey.

If he succumbed and revealed his identity as Park Kang-han,

he’d lose all the peace he’d had. He’d have to face so many
interviews.

In the event of injury, his rehabilitation process would be

delayed.

He wouldn’t have time to run, train, and practice because

he would always be with the public.

He restrained himself at that point. The cons weighed more

than the pros.

Soon, the train stopped, and he descended.

His gaze fell on the convention center in Seoul. Events were

held there quite often. The event he was about to attend
was a private one.

When significant events occur, like the rift that had last
opened, the state invited key industry leaders: executives,
scholars who had studied monsters and rifts, and, most
importantly, the Top 20 rankers.

The guard at the door held out his hand once Yoo-seong
came close.

“ID, please?”

Yoo-seong showed him his ID. The man frowned as he

looked from the ID to Yoo-seong’s arm.

“Oh Yoo-seong, eh? Where’s your seal?”

“Ah, yes,” Yoo-seong said as he pulled out his seal from his
pocket.

The seal had stylish platinum wings on it, a design that was
currently used by ranking hunters.

The guard’s eyes widened as he saw the figure on the seal.

-19

“Whoa, Park Kang-han…”

He began to stammer, not sure if to ask for an autograph.

He didn’t want to jeopardize his job, so he stood out of the
way.

Yoo-seong bowed his head and went inside.

The meeting hadn’t begun; however, there were quite a few

people in the hall already.

Not everyone recognized him.

The hunters who noticed his number, though, stared at him

with admiration. The other classes of people, such as
researchers, looked at him in wonder.

Yoo-seong retreated to a corner before any of them could

accost him.

All he wanted was the information he’d get at the event. He

wasn’t in a hurry to speak.

However, as the meeting was about to commence, people

began to fill up the seats, crowding near him.

He forced himself to be patient as he gave short answers to

the people who tried to make conversation.

“Wait a minute. My God! It can’t be,” a voice said from

behind him.

The voice sounded too familiar that he had to turn.

He was stunned once he saw her face. It had only been nine
months.

They watched each other in silence.

Seo Ji-young had gone with her friends to see ‘Park Kang-
Han’.

She hadn’t expected him to be Yoo-seong.

How could her ex-boyfriend be in such a place, with a

platinum seal?

“What? You? How?” she asked in shock.

Unlike her, Yoo-seong had a small smile on his face.

He then opened his mouth.

 Chapter 31

Episode 31

“Hey, Ji-young. It’s been a while,” he said.

She was unable to reply. Her heart was beating fast.

The only thing she could see was Yoo-seong. Her eyes
roamed over his body.

It was completely different from nine months ago.

She had been slightly taller than him before. As he stood up

to greet her, she realized he was now taller than her.

“Yeah,” she managed to say.

“It’s a bit surprising to see you here,” Yoo-seong said.

Seo Ji-young moved closer to the man who accompanied

her.

His name was Bae Ji-hyun, currently the vice team-leader of

the new Team BY, which was beginning to trend.

They had been together for three months after they met
through a network of research institutes.

Seo Ji-young was nervous. Her relationship with Bae Ji-Hyun

was going well so far. She just hoped that it wasn’t too
obvious that she had been dating Oh Yoo-seong; however,
she was sure her face had given her out.

She remembered Yoo-seong to be the calm type. She just

hoped he wouldn’t say or do anything funny.

She feared he would hurt her pride. She had hurt his. It was
only logical for him to take revenge.

“Ji-hyun,” she began in a bid to introduce him. “This is-“

Before she could finish, Ji-hyun stepped forward with an arm

outstretched.

She became dizzy as her ex-boyfriend, Yoo-seong, shook her

boyfriend’s hand.

Had they met before? Had Yoo-seong told Ji-hyun anything

about her?

That was when she noticed the number on Yoo-seong’s seal.

“Hello, I am Bae Ji-Hyun, the vice team-leader at Team BY.”

“I am Park Kang-han.”

“Ah!” Bae Ji-hyun’s eyes lit up with admiration.

Ji-young’s eyes lit up in shock.

Were Yoo-seong and Kang-han the same person?

Ji-hyun turned around to face her and her friends.

He was the only hunter among them. They were all lab
associates who were invited to this event.
Her friends were also interested in Yoo-seong, but they
restrained themselves from going forward to meet him.

“You just said hello to Ji-young. You know her?” Ji-hyun said,
facing Yoo-seong again.

“Yes, I do,” Yoo-seong said before Ji-young could respond.

“We were friends, though I haven’t seen her in a while.”

Ji-young could hardly believe Yoo-seong was so calm,

considering they had just broken up not even a year ago.

“Wow, really?” Ji-hyun asked, before looking at Ji-young.

“You didn’t tell me you knew Park Kang-han.”

The rest of her friends had the same question written on

their faces.

She was flustered. She didn’t know what to say.

If only any of them knew the whole story.

Unfortunately, none of them did.

She wasn’t sure of whether to give them the full details

about him.

“We moved far away from each other. That is all. I didn’t see
the need to tell you all about him,” she managed to say
finally.

“You’re so lucky!” One of her friends said, gushing.

“Would you like to sit with us for the presentation?” Ji-hyun

asked Yoo-seong, much to Ji-Young’s horror.

She was on the brink of mental instability already. She

began to pray earnestly.
The moment Yoo-seong began to decline, she heaved a sigh
of relief.

Suddenly, they heard a voice from across the hall.

“Oh Yoo-seong!”

Everyone knew his voice, though only a few of them had

heard it in-person.

They all turned to see Lee Jae-Hak.

“Sorry, I think my voice was too loud,” he said as he walked

over.

Everyone made way for him to pass without his having to

ask.

“Oh, thank you. Thank you,” Jae-hak smiled as he passed by

his adoring audience.

Seo Ji-young forgot all about her surroundings the moment

she saw him approach.

She had been in love with Lee Jae-hak for as long as she
could remember.

She could hardly believe she was now before him.

“It’s been half a year, right?” Lee Jae-hak said the moment
he was right in front of Yoo-seong.

He held out his hand for a shake. Yoo-seong shook it.

“Yeah. We met in January. Nice to meet you,” he said.

“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve come to events such as

this. I hardly recognize anyone. Are you sitting with anyone?
Maybe we could sit together,” Jae-hak said.

“I’m not sure-” Yoo-seong began.

“Oh, come on. You can’t possibly intend to sit alone in such
a place, can you?” Lee Jae-hak Lee said with enthusiasm.

Yoo-seong sighed as he nodded.

Then, he looked at Ji-young and her party.

“Hey, see you all later,” he said.

Bae Ji-hyun nodded, without realizing he was staring.

He was the only one who was able to respond.

Something didn’t quite add up for him.

Lee Jae-hak had called the man’ Yoo-seong’.

Lee Jae-hak smiled at them without saying a word as he led

Yoo-seong away.

Ji-hyun turned to Ji-young.

“Did you know Kang-han and Jae-hak knew each other?” he

asked.

“I’d be damned if I knew,” she managed to say as she

watched the duo walk away.

“Are you alright? You seem to be shivering,” Ji-hyun said

with concern on his face.

That was when she realized her arms were shaking.

Was it anger, jealousy, or regret? She wasn’t sure.

“I’m fine. Leave me alone,” she said as she walked away.

Yoo-seong and Lee Jae-hak sat down at a round table, close

to the stage.

“Thank you,” Yoo-seong said.

“What for?” Jae-hak asked.

“You saved me from those guys back there.”

Jae-Hak Lee laughed.

“Well, I’m your hero, aren’t I?”

Yoo-seong laughed with him. The truth was, it wasn’t just

about Bae Ji-hyun and his crew. Many other people were
waiting for their turns to speak with him.

If not for Jae-hak, he’d have had to keep speaking with them
until he became exhausted.

He looked around him.

The people who would have wanted to interrogate him could

only look at him now. They could hardly summon the
courage to walk up to both him and Lee Jae-hak.

“Imagine wild dogs chasing an animal. That’s just how they

kept coming, right?” Jae-hak said, and Yoo-seong nodded.

“Literally. It was just as though the wild dogs were chasing

some animal and a lion suddenly stepped up. The wild dogs
would just run away naturally,” Jae-hak finished.
“Right…” Yoo-seong agreed, though not too comfortable
with being referred to as an animal chased by ‘wild dogs’.

Yoo-seong couldn’t ignore the arrogance in the statement.

“But, here’s what I think,” Jae-hak continued again. “What

kind of animal would stand still while a lion is by it?”

When Yoo-seong didn’t seem to understand the question,

Jae-hak tried again.

“You know, only birds of the same flock together, right?”

Suddenly, Yoo-seong’s face turned red as he understood Jae-

hak’s words.

Jae-hak was calling him a lion, too.

“That’s too much. If I were a lion in the first place, I wouldn’t

need anyone’s help,” Yoo-seong said.

“Even a lion’s whelp is a lion. The only difference is age,”

Jae-hak said, shrugging.

Before Yoo-seong could respond, the lights on the stage

came on.

The lights in the rest of the hall were dimmed as the host
stepped forward to the microphone.

Everyone began to take their seats.

“I heard that Un-seol caused a nuisance just recently,” Jae-

hak whispered.

Yoo-seong sighed before speaking in lowered tones.

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful or anything, but if your
sister repeats such action, I will not hesitate to report her to
the relevant authorities. I think she has self-esteem issues.”

“Do what you must. By the way, Yoo-seong, I’m quite

surprised that you are the same person as Park Kang-Han. I
must say, I didn’t expect you to rise that fast.” Jae-hak
nodded towards the seal on Yoo-seong’s arm.

Jae-hak kept his voice lowered as he continued with a light

expression on his face.

“But, don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.”

At that, Yoo-seong faced the stage again and focused on

what was going on there.

Yang Chang-guk, the director of the Special Defense Agency,

began to read from a script.

When he was done, everyone was in shock. He had

mentioned five names.

Among the names mentioned were Lee Jae-hak and Oh Yoo-

seong.
 Chapter 32

Episode 32

Everyone knew what the meeting’s agenda would be: the

cross-rifting around the world.

No one knew its cause or if it would reoccur.

And unlike the civilians who remained comfortable about the

situation, the hunters felt things were about to get worse.
The civilians had been safe from the Shantigas because QRs
force had been concentrated in that area.

Despite some problems with the personnel they sent, they

had dealt with the 4- and 5-star Whippers.

And, despite their lack of the necessary tools for the job,
they had been able to restrain the flying Shantigas.

“Therefore, we will increase the number of participants for

each rift until the cause of the current problem is identified
and countermeasures are put in place,” Yang Chang-guk
said.

That was the first bombshell.

The number of with the rift’s size. The advantages of having

more hunters were clear: the odds of monsters going
beyond the barrier lines were less, and the hunters’ casualty
rate decreased.
However, the disadvantages were more glaring.

The profits would be reduced, and companies that were

already struggling to make ends meet would go under.
Everyone began to murmur.

Not only would the profits have to be shared among more

people, but there would also be more conflict over the
distribution of profits.

Even with action cams, there had always been clashes

about profit distribution.

Just then, the second declaration was dropped.

“Also, to determine the cause of the situation and to prepare

for any reoccurrence, there would be changes to the Special
Defense Agency’s Exploration policy.”

There were fewer reactions this time; however, the hunters

with longer experience responded with vigor.

“Yeah, right!” Lee Jae-hak said beside him.

Yoo-seong turned to see Jae-hak’s face turn red.

“Therefore, diving is legalized on a limited basis,” Chang-

guk continued.

“That’s it!” Jae-hak said, louder this time.

Some hunters turned to look at him.

He was usually quiet; they were surprised he had acted that

way. However, he wasn’t the only one to react that way.

Some hunters even jumped up and shouted questions in a

disorderly manner.
“From when?”

“What is the minimum achievement grade qualification…?”

It was only after the Director coughed several times that the
turmoil diminished.

Dive.

In the industry, it meant leaving a hunter in the world

beyond after the crack was closed.

There was a return route, so it wasn’t necessarily suicidal.

Usually, the hunter was left behind if there was a

confirmation that another crack was opened nearby.

The hunter followed the trail to find the new opening point
while learning all he could about the world beyond.

Once, dives used to be popular.

With it, hunters improved their abilities quickly, and

mankind began to gain more outstanding victories against
monsters. When fear was dealt with, curiosity raised its
head.

What was in the world beyond?

There was a lot to learn from the new world, and there was
a possibility for mankind to pioneer civilizations in an alien
world.

It wasn’t just the dream of the private sector- each country

had expectations, too.

It was an adventure to go into such worlds.

However, the consequences of such arrogance were
disastrous – annihilation.

“Of course, there would be a limit to the diving time

allowed.”

In Korea, the highest dive record was 41 hours.

Hunters and various volunteers had gone in.

There had only been one survivor from that unfortunate

expedition. His words hadn’t been too encouraging.

“We had only been fighting on the home ground all this
time. In their world… death took us out, one after the
other.”

No one had been interested in spending that much time in

the rift any longer.

It wasn’t just the beasts that roamed there. From the soil to
the plants to the air, the world beyond was full of
supernatural phenomena.

“As all of you know, diving is a dangerous act. That cannot

be disputed. It is frowned upon internationally. So, we have
selected qualified hunters to be a part of a test dive at the
Defense Agency’s discretion. If the selected hunters come
out successfully, we will consider increasing the number of
permits.”

The murmuring began again.

“Of course, this does not mean that the selected hunters are
obligated to be a part of this. It is a request given to them
for the sake of humanity. They would obtain useful
information from a dangerous environment,” Yang Chang-
guk said.

There was hardly any hunter who would refuse.

It was a dangerous quest, but all the hunters gathered had

been chosen for their skill and bravery. Every hunter wished
to dive.

“Also, there are no restrictions on your actions while you’re

in the world beyond as long as you give us the information
we need. Any other thing you bring back belongs to you,”

It was the turn of the research and industry workers to

swallow in desire.

Biomaterials found in the alien world had more potential

than monster corpses.

Executives began to wonder who would be selected for the

mission. They needed to offer contracts to these hunters
first.

“Now, I will announce the selected hunters. The selected

hunters are all within the current top-twenty ranking.”

Everyone held their breath.

“From the first place in the rankings. Lee Jae-hak.”

There was no reaction. Everyone had expected that.

“From the fourth place. Kim Yo-han.”

The announcement continued.

People began to become surprised as the Director skipped

some ranks.
He called out the names of the seventh and ninth place.

Finally, he called out the name of the nineteenth place.

“Ranking 19th, Park Kang-han.”

All eyes in the venue turned to Yoo-seong. Murmurs filled

the hall.

“They skipped from the 10th to the 19th?”

“It’s too far…”

“The screening criteria is being neglected.”

The Director coughed again and spoke.

“The choosing of hunters for this task has nothing to do with

the ranks. The reason diving was prohibited in the past was
the death of so many talented hunters. The industry
suffered losses, and national security was jeopardized. This
time, we shall conduct the dive as a solo activity instead.
Rather than trying to subjugate monsters, we expect you all
to engage in passive exploration focused on survival and
investigation.

“Again, we inform you that this selection was based on

flexibility and survival skills rather than hunting ability. You
might be wondering why we included Kang-han. For as long
as we have known, he has hunted solo instead of in a
group.”

“I have objections!” A voice full of rage came from a table in

front, and everyone’s eyes went in his direction.

Cha Jae-gil. He was one of the directors of Gung-On, a firm

belonging to the 2F.
He was also ranked 8th in the Top 20.

“It is not time to ask questions. Please sit down,” Yang

Chang-guk said.

“Oh Yoo-seong over there is a beginner with less than half a

year on his record,” Jae-gil shouted, ignoring the Director’s
remark.

No one took notice of his rudeness. Instead, his statement

raised more questions around the hall.

“It’s been less than half a year?”

“No. 19? He called that person Yoo-seong. Doesn’t he mean

Park Kang-han?”

“Is that possible?”

Just as Cha Jae-gil hoped, murmurs filled the hall.

“No matter how fast he rose through the ranks, I doubt that
man’s skill. I admit it’s very impressive, but isn’t it foolish to
entrust an important mission such as this to a rookie?”

The Director sighed.

“This decision was made by the government as a result of

reviewing all of Park Kang-han’s personal action cams.”

With his authority, Yang Chang-guk could put Cha Jae-gil in

his place, but the problem was that Jae-gil’s words had put
suspicion in everyone’s minds.

Everyone in attendance was important people in the

industry.
“Can those recordings serve as sufficient evidence that a
newcomer can dive? He has no experience in these things.
This decision is ludicrous when you think about it
reasonably,” Jae-gil said.

“Again, with a solid basis for our decision, we-” Chang-guk

began before Jae-gil interrupted him once more.

“I think you must at least reveal the action cam footage to

everyone. For fairness sake.”

Murmurs of assent filled the hall.

Before joining Gung-On, Cha Jae-gil had been a solo hunter,

so he had some experience.

After he joined the organization, his influence had increased

due to the influence of Gung-On. That, coupled with the fact
that his reasoning had been somewhat plausible, gave him
the crowd’s support.

Of the five hunters selected, Yoo-seong’s selection had been

the easiest to counter.

“So, I am suspicious of the Defense Agency’s selection.

Perhaps they selected based on popularity,” he finished.

“Well, I can provide the footage,” a calm feminine voice said

from the crowd.

“You-” Cha Jae-gil said in surprise.

“I saw Oh Yoo-seong’s performance from inside the crack.”

Shin Yoo-hee said while on her seat.

She was poised gracefully with her both palms on her knees.
Cha Jae-gil gritted his teeth as both of them stared at each
other.

“I give Oh Yoo-seong the credit he deserves. He is in no way

deficient to go on that dive,” she said with finality.

Yoon Kang-cheol and the QR directors sitting next to her did

not try to stop her.

They were in support of her, and they had a lot of influence

in the industry. Even if they tried to stop her, Yoo-hee’s
position in the industry was quite significant.

She was currently second place, rising from ninth place after
the last operation in the rift.

She had the skill, track record, and network. The

relationship between Gung-On and QR wasn’t good.

“Well, then, do you have anything more to say, Cha Jae-Gil?”

Director Yang asked.

The hall turned quiet. Cha Jae-gil closed his eyes and sighed
in defeat.

“Good,” Yang Chang-guk said with a small triumphant smile.

Cha Jae-gil then threw his gaze at Yoo-seong.

“I just wanted to ensure the process was fair. I had no

intention to deny Oh Yoo-seong from joining the dive. I also
watched him through the broadcast. He has potential. But,
any hunter who’s been in the industry for a while industry
knows that soloing means not only survival but also coping
with whatever situation you’re presented with in battle,” he
said.

He wanted to stretch his argument. He couldn’t lose.

“One look at the video, and one would spot it – Oh Yoo-
seong’s main attack is with a close-range weapon, right?”
he said.

He was sure of it. Anyone who watched the broadcast

closely would have seen it.

Yoo-seong did not possess expertise in long-range weapons

such as the Gellar Gun.

“Of course, not all hunters can do both long-range and

short-range. With diving, it’s better to focus on the most
rewarding possibilities than experimenting. Remember, this
would be a solo task,” he finished.

“Oh, that’s really annoying,” Lee Jae-hak Lee muttered.

By the time Shin Yoo-hee had intervened, Cha Jae-gil had

already been pushing him to his limit.

The only thing that had kept him back from reacting was the
reputation of Gung-On.

Now, his patience had run out.

He wondered why some hunters looked down on other

hunters and didn’t want to see their development.

Jae-Hak believed he owed it to Yoo-seong to stand up for

him.

He saw Yoo-seong as his younger brother. He moved to

stand up.

However, Yoo-seong stood up first, moving his seat loudly

on purpose.
He looked apologetically at Jae-hak. He knew what the
senior had wanted to do for him and was grateful, but he
didn’t want to owe him any favors.

He looked pointedly at Cha Jae-gil and Shin Yoo-hee as he

spoke.

“I am Oh Yoo-seong. I know many of you are confused over

my identity as I have been going by an alias all this time. I
apologize for that. I also understand the need for your
objection, Mr. Cha. At the same time, I am grateful to those
who have supported me,” he said as his gaze swept over
the hall.

“I was going to say that-” Jae-gil began, trying to interrupt

Yoo-seong, but the younger man raised his voice a little,
silencing him.

“But I do not intend to deny the high evaluation and

expectations given to me by the Defense Agency and throw
away the opportunity that has come to me.”

The murmurs grew louder than ever.

“As a hunter, I am happy to have the opportunity to dive,

and I will do my best to do all that I should. I am ready to
prove it.”

His words were polite yet unconventional.

He had been in the industry for less than a year, yet he

spoke confidently to his superiors.

Yoo-seong stared at Cha Jae-gil.

“As Mr. Cha Jae-gil said, I haven’t been equipped with long-
range skills for hunting.”
“Great. You admit it-” Jae-gil tried to interject again, but Yoo-
seong’s voice went up a notch.

“I’m not finished, sir,” he said sternly.

“What?” Cha Jae-gil’s eyes widened.

“I have learned enough. I know what I need to do in every

hunting situation.”

Yoo-seong turned to meet the Director’s gaze.

“I would like to have the opportunity to prove myself in light

of the complaint against me. If possible, I’ll like to do it in
front of everyone gathered here.”

Everyone was stunned.

The Director of the Defense Bureau thought about it for a

moment.

If Yoo-seong proved himself worthy, Yang Chang-guk’s

prestige and that of the Defense Bureau would increase.
Above all, the cheeky Cha Jae-Gil would be put in his rightful
place.

“Alright, then.”

It would be pretty fun, the Director thought.

 Chapter 33

Episode 33

The tables in the venue were quickly pushed aside in order

to accommodate Yoo-seong’s request.

Every hunter was in anticipation as the place was being

rearranged.

Regardless of their current position in the industry, they

were still hunters and appreciated bravery. Who was this Oh
Yoo-seong to say the words he did in the presence of so
many senior hunters?

He was barely half a year old in the business, and he was

already causing agitations.

“With your permission, I would like to face the challenge

now,” Yoo-seong had said.

Everyone wanted to see what the young man was capable

of.

“Well, I have announced all the necessary information. The

rest will be sent to your emails. We have come to the end of
the briefing. If anyone needs to go home now, you are free
to do so,” Director Yang told them.

No one went out of the venue.

Meanwhile, Yoo-seong stood at the entrance, away from the
stage.

Like the Red Sea that Moses parted, the chairs had been
stacked high on both sides of the hall, making a clear path
to the stage.

“Mr. Oh Yoo-seong.”

“Ah. Director Yang Chang-guk,” Yoo-seong greeted as he

turned to the sound of the voice. The Director came to stand
beside him while all the preparations were going on.

“Thank you for allowing my unreasonable request,” Yoo-

seong said.

It was uncommon for such performances to be carried out at

a venue like the Civic Center.

“Come on, relax,” Yang Chang-guk shook his head. “There

are many experienced hunters here. While we need to
ensure the other personnels’ safety, the hunters can take
care of themselves. Don’t worry about safety issues.”

Yang Chang-guk was concerned about something else.

The audience stood at the sides of the hall.

At the stage, there were five human-shaped metal plates

placed as targets.

While the Director wasn’t bothered about the people’s

safety, he wasn’t sure if Yoo-seong would be able to leave
the place in one piece.

It was indeed a very daring act.

Soon, a table was placed in front of Yoo-seong. Above it was
a familiar firearm.

Geller Gun-★★

There were also other pistols and assault rifles on the table.

However, they didn’t shoot bullets; they all utilized Aura

instead.

“Does Oh Yoo-seong have the Psy for shooting?” A hunter

whispered to his friend.

“It’s just the beginning of his hunting year. That’s highly

unlikely,” the friend replied.

“Yeah. If he did have, it would have been written in his

profile.”

“Manipulating Psy is different from the manipulating of shiny

Aura.”

Though they were far from Director Yang Chang-guk, their

opinions weren’t different from his. The murmurs in the hall
grew louder as it became obvious that Yoo-seong was about
to move.

Instead of reacting to it, Yoo-seong focused on each of the

guns on the table.

The stage had been set just the way he had requested.

Five human-shaped firing plates stood in a V-shaped array

facing him.

Behind them stood a column of synthetic rubber, similar to

the one used by Yoo-seong for striking exercise.
Yoo-seong took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. Then,
he picked up a sub-machine type Geller Gun.

The audience was disappointed.

They had been expecting him to do just that – stand in a

comfortable position and aim at the targets.

It was the most basic posture and allowed a stable form to

shoot over a distance.

Yoo-seong pulled the trigger and began to fire.

This time, everyone, hunters and other personnel, were

confused.

Yoo-seong’s wielding of the sub-machine gun was far from

stable.

The Aura bullets appear to be shabby and weak. They barely

hit the targets, and none of them hit a vital spot.

Yoo-seong dropped the sub-machine Geller Gun and picked

a Gellar pistol. He began to shoot.

This time it was worse.

His aim was awful, and he kept shooting randomly.

It looked like he was just playing. The booing began.

Director Yang Chang-Guk bit his lips.

The hunters of Gung-On, including Cha Jae-Gil, smiled in

relief.

They could hardly believe that the prodigy, Yoo-seong, was

embarrassing himself so much.
Of course, he wasn’t that bad.

Very few hunters with half a year of experience made use of

Gellar Guns.

There was a reason why Gellar guns of any kind were given
the same rating.

They were all the same. The only difference in the weapons’
performance was the skill of the hunter that wielded them.

Even with the same pistol-type Gellar gun, the bullets’

power greatly depending on how carefully the hunter
compressed their Aura.

In the hands of someone like Shin Yoo-hee, who used Tech

and Psy specialized for shooting, the Geller Gun became as
formidable as a 5-star or higher-level weapon.

On the other hand, when in possession of beginners who

can’t control their Aura, the results would be terrible.

Sometimes, the gun barrel even ended up exploding as

beginners tried to force their shabby Aura into bullets.

Therefore, no one was really surprised that Yoo-seong was

so awful at using the gun.

Suddenly, Cha Jae-gil realized what was happening.

“Huh?”

Here and there, the bullets hit the outer edges of the plates.

Instead of having holes in them, the spaces behind and

around the point of impact remained untouched.
It was just like cutting paper with a sharp knife on a table
without leaving any mark on the table’s surface.

Cha Jae-gil groaned in exasperation.

“How in the world is he doing that?” the people who weren’t

hunters asked their hunter acquaintances.

Normally, the Aura force was supposed to be strong enough

to destroy the targets.

With the plates being only slightly thicker than cardboard,

one would expect that the rubber pad behind it would also
be damaged.

Somehow, he had managed to suppress his Aura and limit it

only to the targets.

Even the hunters couldn’t understand it.

“The bastard!” Cha Jae-gil swore without realizing it.

He also had some shooting knowledge and expertise. If Yoo-

seong had done the obvious, simply putting holes in the
targets, he would have laughed immediately.

Anyone could do that.

However, hardly anyone could do what Yoo-seong was

doing.

All five firing plates have been sliced and reduced to almost
one-tenth of their previous area. Now, they were narrow
enough that it would be difficult to hit them even if one
aimed carefully.

However, Yoo-seong didn’t miss as he kept shooting until

the plates’ remaining parts were cleanly removed.
Everyone was gaped, including those who didn’t know Aura.

Time passed, but nobody seemed to have noticed. The

performance enchanted them.

There was one last spot on the fifth plate. Yoo-seong took a
breath before blowing it off.

Then, he put the gun on safety and looked at his audience.

The eyes of his audience remained fixed on the stage.

There was almost no difference between the stage before

and after shooting, apart from the rubber pillars that
remained. The metal pieces were all cleaned up.

One of the researchers from an institute began to clap in

ecstasy.

The applause gradually spread around. Before long, even

ordinary people who did not understand Aura were
applauding Yoo-seong.

It was obvious even to them that what they had just seen
was extraordinary.

Yoo-seong suddenly raised his hand.

“Not yet,” he said, and the applause died down.

“What I just showed you is the basic application of

controlling the Aura’s intensity, which you are all familiar
with.”

The ordinary people shared in confusion, not understanding

his words.

The hunters, on the other hand, were flustered, though they

tried not to show it.
There was nothing wrong with his statement. It was just that
what he called ‘basic’ was a very difficult thing to practice.

“Senior Cha Jae-gil,” Yoo-seong said as he looked at the

senior.

Cha Jae-gil’s face was now as sweaty as Yoo-seong’s.

“What is it?”

“You also know that, no matter how good your shooting

skills are, ordinary shooting is useless against a monster
with high durability. That’s the foundation of your case
against me.”

Cha was silent. He couldn’t deny it.

The younger man was doing everything to prove him wrong.

Yoo-seong was right.

No matter how good the control was, hurting major

monsters was impossible, especially for beginners.

It didn’t matter if a beginner had a high-absorption rate.

The amount of CE they have would still be significantly

lower than those of veterans who had accumulated skill and
experience over the years.

Therefore, the Geller Gun couldn’t create bullets powerful

enough to injure high-grade beasts.

“What I’m going to show you this time,” Yoo-seong said as

he looked at the stage again, “is the solution to that
problem.”

Behind where the five firing plates stood, the rubber pillars
remained standing.
Yoo-seong picked up a pistol-type Geller Gun.

Two Months Ago…

“I want to teach you something else,” Sung-wook began.

“In this industry, one can become easily recognized for their
natural skills. It’s perfect for those who were born with
extraordinary talent.”

Yoo-seong listened carefully.

“However, for those like us who were not born as fortunate

as they are, it was very unfair. I wasn’t born with any Psy,
and there was no one to pass his Tech to me. I had no
wealthy background. All I had was my Aura, that’s it.”

He stood from his seat and came to lean on the table beside
Yoo-seong.

“In fact, when we say Aura, anyone could use it, right? But
actually, kids with Tech or Psy don’t think much about it.
Their usage of it is unrefined because they have some other
advantages.”

“We could kill ourselves to learn a new skill with our Aura,
but they don’t bother. They simply replicate the same thing
with what they inherited or were born with.”

Sung-wook worked hard to achieve the spider-walk with his

Aura, but hunters with similar Psy or Tech could easily
replicate it.

“Psy and Tech can only be handed over to disciples using a

very tricky process. And there was no one to teach me. So, I
asked myself, why not make my own? I was determined to
refine them and pass them on to someone I chose. That
way, even when I can’t hunt anymore, I will be remembered
for something.

“Now, this is the second lesson- another skill that I

developed,” Sung-wook smiled with pride.”

Then, he stated the name of the technique.

Yoo-seong’s pistol fired.

This time, unlike with the bullets he used for the plates, the
gun released a considerable amount of energy.

It smashed against a rubber pillar, carving a deep hole in it.

This time, even Shin Yoo-hee, Lee Jae-hak, and Yang Chang-
guk gasped.

“Huh?”

It was a common belief that without Psy or Tech, humans

couldn’t manipulate the Aura that had left their bodies.

But Sung-wook learned that, with time and effort, humans

could find their own way.

And now, that knowledge has been passed on to Yoo-seong.

Despite the extreme strain he felt on his veins, Yoo-seong

remained smiling.

Thank God, he thought.

Even Sung-wook couldn’t master it while he was on active
duty, so he had been unable to demonstrate it to Yoo-seong.

However, now, everyone could see the fruits of Sung-wook’s

efforts.

Parasitic Bees.

The rubber pillar shook violently as if something was

happening from inside.

Then, it burst into pieces.

 Chapter 34

Episode 34

The non-hunters in the venue flinched from the explosion

onstage.

The hunters had been through enough battles and had

heard worse sounds to be shaken by such. Their eyes
remained on Yoo-seong as they calmly analyzed what they
had just seen.

Yoo-seong had fired an ordinary Aura bullet; however, the

rubber pillars turned inside out.

Rather than simply destroying the pillar, the bullet tore

through the column as though it was a rotating blade.

Moreover, one rubber pillar was torn apart. The effect was
so controlled that the fragments didn’t even bounce off the
stage.

No Tech or Psy skill known to them could do that.

It must be from pure Aura. Yoo-seong put the pistol down on

the table.

“That is all.”

Small beads of sweat covered his forehead; however, his

face didn’t show any signs of exhaustion.
“I hope the technique I showed you was something you
could understand.”

No one, including Cha Jae-gil, could say anything.

Cha Jae-gil could neither do what Yoo-seong showed nor

grasp its principle and point out the shortcomings. That
rendered him speechless. The Gung-On members beside
him were silent as well.

Even Lee Jae-hak couldn’t speak.

What Yoo-seong had just shown was a technique that no one

but Sung-Wook and Yoo-seong had seen yet. No matter how
skillful a hunter was, the technique wasn’t something that
could be grasped after seeing it once.

“Mr. Cha Jae-gil?” Director Yang Chang-Guk said, urging the

silenced senior to speak.

There was a small smile on his lips.

“Mr. Oh Yoo-seong is waiting for a response.”

“Me…” Jae-gil stuttered.

“Yes?” the Director asked.

There was no other way. He had to admit it.

“I admit that the suspicions I had raised concerning the

qualifications of Mr. Oh Yoo-seong and the screening process
of the Defense Bureau were unfounded and wrong.”

It was a simple answer, but Cha Jae-gil’s expression looked

pained after saying that.

He knew what would come next.

The stories of his embarrassment and Oh Yoo-seong’s skill
would spread quickly. The hall was filled with people with
great influence in the hunting industry.

“Thank you,” Yoo-seong said, giving Cha Jae-gil and the

Director a bow.

Then, he walked towards the exit. The people who had been
watching him started to move to approach him, but he
suddenly turned again.

“Director?”

“Yes, Yoo-seong. Please speak.”

“I’d like to ask if it’s okay for