One day earlier.
Space rippled in front of an apartment door.
It was Yoon Seohyeon’s Skill, Teleportation.
Thud.
Yoon Seohyeon stepped through space and set the shopping bags filling both hands down by the entrance.
“I’m back.”
“You scared me. I told you not to use Teleportation so casually. What are you going to do if you end up unable to use it when you’re actually in danger?”
“There you go again. Nagging……”
Yoon Seohyeon let the lecture go in one ear and out the other as she carried the shopping bags over to the refrigerator.
Her older sister, Yoon Jieun, who had been sitting on the sofa focused on the news, turned her head.
“Why is your face so red?”
“Mine? No way. Hehe.”
Even after finishing with the refrigerator, Yoon Seohyeon was still grinning to herself. She started toward her room, then paused and asked,
“Oh, by the way. Do you know someone named Lee Jihan?”
“Hm?”
Yoon Jieun thought for a moment, then shook her head.
“Never heard of him. Wait, is he connected to our guild?”
There were so many people associated with Yoon Jieun’s guild, the Silver Wings Guild, that she felt as though there might have been someone by that name.
“Really? I see.”
After hearing the answer, Yoon Seohyeon nodded and headed toward the closet. Even while hanging up her jacket, she couldn’t suppress the smile that kept creeping onto her face.
‘Did he just use my sister as an excuse because he wanted my number?’
Just in case, Yoon Seohyeon picked up her smartphone and fiddled with it.
It was the first time a man had directly asked for her number like that.
Lee Jihan.
That was definitely his name.
He was a little strange, but he was fairly good-looking—
“You’re grinning from ear to ear. Something good happen?”
“Ah! N-No, not really?”
Her sister had suddenly appeared beside her.
Startled, Yoon Seohyeon nearly dropped her phone. After fumbling with it several times, she managed to catch it before it hit the floor.
“Phew……”
Yoon Jieun looked at her younger sister with concern.
She was the only family Yoon Jieun had left.
In her eyes, Yoon Seohyeon still seemed immature, and she was always worried that something might happen to her.
“Be careful. I heard you almost got into serious trouble in a gate a few days ago.”
“Technically, I almost did. I was fine, okay? Nothing happened.”
“Who did you say saved you back then? I feel like I should at least thank him.”
“Thank him for what? How does that count as saving me? Well, sure, maybe I would’ve been in danger if he hadn’t been there. But why does that matter? You’re being weird……”
Everything she said contradicted itself.
And the way she fidgeted with her fingers made her look extremely suspicious.
Yoon Jieun narrowed her eyes and pressed her.
“Something happened between you and that guy, didn’t it?”
“N-Nothing happened. You could say he asked for my number, I guess.”
Yoon Jieun stared at her in utter disbelief.
“You’re not just imagining things, are you?”
“I’m not! What do you think I am, a kid?”
Yoon Jieun walked over to the bed and took Yoon Seohyeon’s hand.
“I worry about you. Mom and Dad are gone, and it’s just the two of us. I’m always afraid something might happen to my only little sister.”
That concern was also why she had recommended the Hunter Association to her younger sister in the first place. Association work was generally safer than joining a guild that regularly fought on the front lines.
“I keep telling you, you worry too much. I can take care of myself. Stop nagging me.”
“Fine, fine. You remember I’m going on a gate-clearing operation starting tomorrow, right? I’ll be away for about a week, so take care of the place. And don’t get yourself mixed up in anything stupid.”
It was one of the regular gate-clearing operations carried out by the A-rank Silver Wings Guild.
Yoon Jieun warned her sister again.
“And even at the Association, if something looks dangerous, do not get involved. There have been a lot of bad rumors going around among the guilds lately. People say gates aren’t behaving like they used to. Especially after that last incident. Be careful.”
“You treat me like a child way too much.”
Yoon Jieun gave a light shrug and stood up.
“And if things work out with that guy, make sure you introduce him to your sister too~.”
She teased her and disappeared from the room.
‘Seriously, my sister…….’
Yoon Seohyeon pouted.
But only for a moment.
Her eyes soon returned to her smartphone.
So when was he going to call?
***
Back to the present.
『 Active Skill ‘Straight Slash’ (Rare) will be transferred. 』
『 You have acquired the Skill [Straight Slash Lv.10]. 』
『 The Skill ‘Straight Slash’ has reached its maximum Level. 』
I did it.
I stared at the messages floating before me and wiped the sweat from my forehead.
Just as I expected, having the Skill transferred to me had been the right answer.
‘If I’d tried to do this on my own, I wouldn’t have managed it even if I died and came back to life.’
Shin Taeyang’s advice had been the decisive factor.
Once I found that single foothold, raising the Level happened in an instant.
Once I acquired the Skill, reaching its maximum Level was easy.
‘If I can just find the starting point, mastering it isn’t difficult. I have 100,000x Experience.’
Finding that starting point was the hard part.
“……Thank you. Thanks to you—”
I turned to thank him and saw Shin Taeyang sitting on the ground.
He was bent over, muttering something.
What was he saying?
For a moment, I thought he was spouting nonsense.
He wasn’t.
“Just once. Please show me just one more time……”
Shin Taeyang pleaded with a complicated expression.
Gripping his knees, he struggled back to his feet.
“Please show me Straight Slash one more time. I just don’t understand how you did it. How did you reach a realm even I couldn’t attain in only a few minutes…… No, in only a few attempts? How did you surpass me that quickly? I still can’t use it perfectly myself, which is why I didn’t really want to teach it……”
The words poured out of him like a waterfall.
I stared at him blankly for a moment, wondering what he was talking about.
Then I finally understood.
‘Ah, don’t tell me…….’
So the reason he hadn’t wanted to teach me was because he hadn’t mastered Straight Slash himself.
I hadn’t known that part.
‘So I surpassed Shin Taeyang’s Straight Slash.’
What a pain.
I moved a finger and called up the information window.
『 Skill Description 』
Lv.10: Can cut nonmaterial objects.
‘That really is incredible.’
My mouth opened slightly as I checked the Lv.10 Additional Effect.
Normally, affecting nonmaterial objects was impossible unless you had a Skill that coated your sword in magical energy.
This Skill made it possible on its own.
Its performance was practically absurd.
It was effectively producing two effects with a single Skill.
Beyond the translucent Status window, I could see Shin Taeyang with his head lowered.
“Please. Could you show me again?”
He looked genuinely miserable as he begged.
I firmly shook my head.
“I’m leaving.”
“Please. I’m begging you.”
He clung to the hem of my clothes.
Where had the dignity of the future Sword Saint gone?
What happened to that pride that had once seemed tall enough to pierce the sky?
Shin Taeyang had not yet succeeded as a hunter in the real world.
Maybe he didn’t have enough accomplishments to support that confidence yet.
‘What should I do?’
I stopped and thought for a moment.
I had acquired the Skill much faster than expected.
That gave me some extra time.
There was still about one day left before the gate where the demon would appear emerged.
‘If I can acquire some of Shin Taeyang’s other techniques too, they’ll be a huge help.’
After finishing that calculation, I spoke.
“Then teach me a few more Skills. We’ll make it an exchange.”
“R-Really?”
Shin Taeyang’s face immediately brightened as he looked at me.
“Come to think of it, I still haven’t asked your name. What is it?”
I was about to answer immediately, but stopped.
A question had occurred to me.
Could the Sword Saint be trusted?
‘There probably isn’t anyone better, actually.’
As far as I knew, this man had never colluded with the demons.
If anything, he had spent his time cutting their heads off.
Even searching through all my memories, I could find no reason to suspect him.
‘And at this point in time, he’s even more trustworthy.’
Shin Taeyang had not even begun working as a hunter yet.
No matter how negatively I looked at it, there was no chance he had joined hands with the demons.
Even the various guilds had failed to recruit him.
I held out my hand.
“I’m Lee Jihan.”
Besides, what I wanted to hide wasn’t myself.
It was my Trait, Talent Adjustment.
Its overwhelming ability.
100,000x Experience.
That was what no one could be allowed to discover.
The odds of anyone seeing through it were low.
It was a Trait that had never existed before, and EX-grade abilities could not be detected.
And even after seeing me—
People thought this way.
“I’m jealous. That incredible talent of yours! So you weren’t merely a fan, Lee Jihan. No, of course. As expected of someone who appreciates me……”
See?
He called it talent.
It was deeply ironic to hear that from the future Sword Saint.
As long as I kept this bastard’s mouth under reasonable control, it should be fine.
And even if stories about me spread, nobody was going to pay much attention over something as minor as Straight Slash.
Shin Taeyang was acting as though the sky had collapsed, but—
This world was overflowing with talent and Skills.
“Call up your Skills. I’ll pick out a few worth learning.”
“As many as you want.”
Then maybe I should try to acquire a few more.
***
I stayed at Shin Taeyang’s kendo school until the next day, training Skills.
The training was intense enough that nearly every tree around the training ground ended up cut down.
“Haa…… Haa……”
I lay sprawled on the ground.
‘Damn it.’
I hadn’t learned a single Skill.
Every Skill other than Straight Slash was simply too difficult.
Each one was so flashy it went beyond impressive and straight into absurd.
Mirror Flower, Water Moon?
Thousand Blooming Slashes?
Bursting Flash?
Full Moon Flash?
Just following them with my eyes was difficult enough.
‘Considering Shin Taeyang’s personality, Straight Slash was the unusual one.’
True to his love of showing off, every one of his techniques was incredibly flashy and complicated.
They were elaborate enough to be called works of art.
Despite the idiotic side he had shown me, his talent was unquestionably genius-level.
‘Trying any longer would just waste time.’
I completely gave up on learning new techniques.
Meanwhile, Shin Taeyang kept testing different sword movements, nodding to himself.
“Thanks to you, I think I’m starting to understand it. I’m not completely certain yet, but…… Thank you. Seriously. When I hold a fan signing, I’ll invite you before anyone else. Naturally, we’ll have a meal together too.”
“…….”
I didn’t even have the energy to answer.
Still, after resting for a short while, my Stamina quickly returned.
『 Natural Recovery Lv.10 has taken effect. 』
The Natural Recovery Skill I had acquired previously was proving extremely useful.
Its recovery ability was truly superhuman.
It healed injuries and even restored Stamina.
That made it incredibly reassuring.
‘Once I grasp the concept, acquiring a new Skill happens in an instant…….’
The problem was grasping it.
Because I lacked talent, it seemed difficult for me to cross into higher-tier Skills unless I had enough lower-tier Skills firmly supporting them.
‘I should collect more fundamental Skills.’
The first ones that came to mind were mental Skills such as Mental Fortitude and Awareness.
If I could acquire higher-tier Skills like Hyper-Senses or Mimicry outright, learning other Skills would probably become much easier.
Unfortunately, both were extremely difficult to obtain.
“Hup.”
I pushed myself upright in a single motion.
I had done enough.
I was certain of it now.
There was nothing more I could squeeze out of Shin Taeyang.
Even if I wanted to, my ability simply wasn’t enough.
“I’m stopping here.”
“Oh, you’re leaving?”
Shin Taeyang came to see me off and bowed deeply.
“I learned a great deal thanks to you.”
He scratched his head and spoke with an embarrassed smile.
“I thought there was no one in the world better with a sword than me, but apparently someone like you existed as a teacher. The world really is vast, and there are many geniuses out there.”
Teacher?
I deliberately ignored that word.
He had to be joking.
Calling me his teacher just because I mastered one Straight Slash was far too much.
“So I’m going to leave this place too. Instead of sitting in the kendo school fantasizing, I’m going to start working for real tomorrow. I’ll definitely become a world-famous celebrity hunter.”
Somehow, I had brought forward the day the Sword Saint entered the outside world.
‘Not that he wasn’t exceptional from the beginning.’
The flood of recruitment offers from different guilds after his awakening had probably died down while Shin Taeyang stayed shut inside his kendo school.
Once he began working as a hunter, the hunter world would feel the impact.
Ultimately, that would probably be good for humanity.
“……Sure. Do whatever you want.”
I waved casually and walked away.
***
The next place I headed was Yongsan.
Its electronics market had once been infamous, but now it was considered holy ground for hunter-related goods.
It was easy to buy things there and just as easy to sell them.
『 Perfectly Preserved Wolf Monster Hide (F++) 』
『 Exceptional-Quality Wolf Fang (F++) 』
Thud.
I took both items from my inventory and handed them over at a purchasing counter.
The older merchant raised his eyebrows when he saw them.
“Oh? You don’t often see materials in this condition. Did you learn Dissection or something? Hunters these days only know how to kill monsters. None of them care about material items.”
The man continued making impressed noises.
Then again, unless someone was completely insane, no hunter would train Dissection all the way to Lv.10.
The merchant stroked his beard, eyes gleaming.
“Now this is impressive. Materials this good can give crafted items Additional Effects. If you ever have more materials to sell, make sure you bring them to me. I’ll pay you well.”
I gave him a vague nod.
I’d decide later whether I wanted to come back.
I received 650,000 won.
Not bad.
He had paid generously too.
No matter how good their condition was, the materials themselves were still only F-rank.
‘Then I should go rent some equipment.’
My weapon and Skills were ready.
What I lacked was armor.
I could do without expensive accessories, but having at least some basic armor would be wise.
The demon of growth I was going to face was still weak at this stage, but I couldn’t afford to underestimate it.
A fight against a demon demanded full preparation.
I entered an armor rental shop.
Jingle~
I picked the shabbiest-looking equipment in the store.
If I’d had more money, I would have chosen the metal armor sitting beside it.
“I need this for one day. How much?”
“Ah, that armor is……”
Unlike the smiling employee, my expression stiffened.
Damn it.
700,000 won.
Still, what choice did I have?
I paid almost everything I owned.
‘I’m broke again.’
Apparently, renting it would have been cheaper with a security deposit.
That would have required actually having money.
I trudged outside and inspected the armor.
『 Low-Quality Leather Armor Set 』
‘Having even this much makes a big difference.’
Still, I was reasonably satisfied.
The total increase in Defense was 6.
Hunter items were mysterious.
Even if armor did not physically cover a particular part of the body, its Defense still applied there.
With this, I wouldn’t have to worry about minor attacks anymore.
My preparations for killing the demon were complete.
‘Should I call Hunter Yoon Seohyeon?’
If she refused to cooperate, I would have no choice but to sneak in.
I could just handle everything quietly and leave, but getting caught and interrogated would be a pain.
Especially since I already had a history of illegally entering a gate the last time.
I called Yoon Seohyeon.
Gate management was handled by the Hunter Association anyway.
Responding to an anomalous gate would count toward her performance record.
Hunter Yoon Seohyeon would probably be happy about it.
The call connected before the ringing tone even began.
A slightly high-pitched voice came through.
“H-Hello?”
“Is this Hunter Yoon Seohyeon? I have something to tell you.”
“Yes. Go ahead.”
“It’s about an anomalous gate.”
“……”
Silence came from the other end.
Had she not heard me?
A moment later, her voice returned, carrying a hint of anger.
“So it’s a gate, not dinner.”
Dinner?
“If you’re offering dinner, I wouldn’t refuse, but I called to talk about a gate. An anomalous gate.”
“……?”
At this point in time, the Association had almost no way to identify anomalous gates.
The only option was for me to tell them directly.
I explained the anomalous gate I needed to visit tomorrow.
“I happened to see it while passing by, and I think it may be an anomalous gate. You should probably check it.”
A gate with characteristics and rules different from ordinary gates.
Anomalous gates were probably already becoming more common around this time.
Since anomalous gates often led to major accidents, the Association would naturally be paying close attention.
“But how did you know it was anomalous?”
“It’s nothing special. Gates have eight basic forms: Type A, Type B, Type C, and five others. Among them, Types A and D periodically release irregular magical energy, so—”
Yoon Seohyeon recoiled from my barrage of explanation.
I wasn’t making anything up.
I might not look like it, but I knew plenty of useless trivia.
“Wait. Stop. I understand.”
A faint sigh came through the smartphone.
“……That’s incredibly useful information. Really. Really useful. Fine. It just so happens we’re in the same area, so that works out perfectly. Really perfect. Come to the agreed location by two tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
Despite the words of gratitude, her voice sounded strangely sharp.
Click.
Whatever.
This was mutually beneficial.
I opened the quest window.
『 F-rank Limit Break Quest 』
‘Defeat a demon…….’
It would be the first step toward stopping the demons’ ambitions.
And at the same time, the first step toward growing even stronger.
Then I took Soul Devourer from my inventory and examined it.
A cold sensation flowed through my hand.
‘I’ve prepared everything I possibly can.’
Now all that remained was to kill the demon.