I thought my Level had been locked.
But that wasn’t it.
『 A Special Effect has been added to Trait ‘Talent Adjustment (EX).’ 』
A new effect had been added to the Trait that was practically my livelihood.
『 Talent Adjustment: Limit Break 』
I get a special quest whenever my Level reaches the limit?
Ironically, the reason my Level had stopped at 20 was because of this newly added Trait effect.
I quickly read through the text that appeared below.
『 < F-rank > Limit Break Quest 』
The Clear Reward was astonishing.
I found myself doubting my own eyes.
Ha… Is this for real?
100,000x Experience.
That alone had felt like an absurd blessing, but apparently that wasn’t the end of it.
The rewards from Limit Break went beyond anything I had expected.
First, Level attribute growth increased by 1.2x.
By simple calculation, if I gained 100 Levels, I would be 20 percent stronger across the board than another hunter who had gained the same number of Levels.
That was assuming items and Skills weren’t factored in.
In reality, attributes were affected by all kinds of factors—items, Skills, Traits, and more—so it was difficult to even estimate the true impact.
Next came an increase of 1 to the maximum Level of every Skill.
Increasing a Skill’s maximum Level was something normally possible only through high-grade items.
Even then, such items could only raise the limits of certain Skills.
This applied to all of them.
My mouth wouldn’t close.
Wow. The maximum Level of every Skill goes up by one?
This was far more broken than the increased attribute growth.
What made it truly incredible was that it would apply to every Skill I acquired from now on.
Rare.
Unique.
Even Legendary Skills.
Every single one of them.
It would become the foundation for exponential growth in both my development and combat power.
And finally, there was the Causality Reversal Shop…
I’ll have to unlock it before I can tell what that does.
I vaguely remembered hearing about something similar before the return.
Was it one of those shop-type abilities a few hunters supposedly possessed?
Judging by the name, it probably wasn’t an ordinary shop.
This probably won’t be the only Limit Break Quest either. I can afford to expect even more.
The Trait would remain in effect for as long as I lived.
Every time my Rank increased, it would probably give me another quest and another reward.
And I doubted the rewards would become worse than this.
Though I guess it’s too early to celebrate when I haven’t actually received them yet.
Naturally, all of those rewards would only be granted after I completed the quest to defeat a demon.
I checked the other message.
This one should be something I get immediately.
I dragged the blue window floating off to one side into the center of my vision.
『 You will be supplied with an item through the effect of ‘Talent Adjustment: Limit Break.’ 』
『 You have obtained Rare-grade Weapon Box (Special). The item has been stored in your inventory. 』
『 Use it to obtain a new weapon. 』
Oh…
Now this was satisfying.
I couldn’t imagine a reward I would be happier with.
I didn’t even own a basic weapon and had been borrowing one.
And now I had a Rare-grade weapon.
Common, Uncommon, Rare, Unique…
Weapon grades rose in that order.
The iron sword I was currently borrowing from the kid was Common-grade, which meant a Rare-grade weapon was two full grades higher.
Wait. How much did Rare-grade weapons cost again?
At least ten million won.
The actual value varied depending on the options attached to the weapon, but one weapon could easily cost as much as a compact car.
It was a grade my pre-return self had never even dreamed of owning because of the price.
Better open this once I get home.
I closed the System window with a satisfied smile.
It was difficult to keep the corners of my mouth from rising.
It almost felt like a shame that there was no one I could share this happiness with.
I checked the quest one last time.
I could dissect monsters while practically zoning out, so my hands never stopped working.
I was already planning to kill a demon in a few days.
Three days, to be exact.
That was when the demon of growth would cross over to this side.
A demon that would one day become powerful enough to rise to the level of a demon commander.
But right now, its power was still insignificant.
I intended to strike precisely during that window and cut it down.
Of course, I could abandon the quest and keep leveling instead.
The Trait description said I could abandon the quest and immediately remove the Level lock.
If I did that, I could probably gain a ridiculous number of Levels all at once.
But I’m not stupid enough to make that choice.
I would be selling my future.
I could Level up whenever I wanted.
But merely raising my Level wasn’t the end of the problem.
The enemies I would face in the future existed on an entirely different scale.
There had been plenty of hunters who reached SSS-rank, including the Last Five.
Even they had failed to save humanity.
If I had the chance to become vastly stronger than others even at the same Rank, there was no reason not to take it.
Very good.
Now I’m motivated.
Slice. Slice.
Thinking that, I finished dissecting the last goblin in front of me.
Were those Seungwoo Guild bastards still fighting the boss?
“We cleared the boss~! You can come in now!”
The kid and I had only been resting for a short while when the guild members who had killed the boss called us over.
A goblin shaman and a number of lesser goblins were sprawled across a wide clearing.
Once we dissected all of them and extracted their magic stones, this gate-clearing operation would be over.
The guild members, exhausted after the fierce battle, sat on rocks and wiped away their sweat.
I continued dissecting monsters the same way I had been.
I split open the hide and found the location of the magic stone.
Maybe because I had become accustomed to the Skill, I felt like I was getting even faster.
The resting guild members’ eyes widened.
“…What the hell? That’s impressive.”
“I thought he seemed like a different person today. Guess there was a reason.”
“No wonder we moved faster than usual.”
Were they impressed, or were they mocking me?
It sounded more like they were saying even a slug could occasionally roll downhill.
Once everything had been cleaned up, I left the gate together with Jin Se-woong’s guild.
After the last person exited, the gate slowly disappeared.
The edge of the sun was already sinking beyond the mountains.
Jin Se-woong lightly clapped his hands together.
“Good work today, everyone. We got plenty of Experience, and we finished much earlier than usual. Let’s go have a company dinner together.”
“Ohhh, sounds good! Let’s go!”
That had nothing to do with me.
Still, finishing early was nice.
I was pulling out the magic stones I had collected when the kid approached me.
Oh.
Right.
I had to give the weapon back.
After checking the iron sword, the kid bowed his head.
“Ah, thank you. Hunter Lee Jihan, I learned a lot from you today.”
“For what? I didn’t teach you anything.”
“No. I kept trying to copy you, and I actually acquired Dissection.”
He grabbed my hand and shook it insistently while thanking me.
Well, good for him.
I hadn’t taught him anything.
That was all his own talent.
“Hey, fill-in.”
While I was still feeling awkward about it, the guild leader of the Seungwoo Guild called me over.
He cleared his throat a few times before speaking.
“I’m sorry about giving you a hard time earlier. I sent some money to your account separately, so check it.”
Had crawling through a gate somehow cleared his head?
I pulled out my smartphone and checked my balance.
Trying to act generous over a mere 350,000 won…
Was what I would have liked to say.
But right now, that money was extremely welcome.
I could buy beef with this.
“I’ll send the agency its payment separately, so consider that compensation for today.”
“…”
Jin Se-woong said what he wanted to say and walked away.
Well.
Either way, I came out ahead.
Once the agency deducted this fee and that fee for commission and brokerage, what I would normally receive didn’t even reach 100,000 won.
Bastards.
So getting this separately was nothing but good news for me.
And I had also pocketed that wolf hide.
Selling it should bring in a decent amount too.
“See you next time!”
The kid bowed to me.
The sight reminded me of Younghoon.
His face drifted through my mind.
Though Younghoon might have spoken politely, but he never had any actual manners.
Still, at this point in time, he should be living happily with his family.
Six years old, maybe?
He was probably spending peaceful days with his parents.
That was enough.
I was about to hail a taxi with a light heart when my smartphone chimed.
The message from the agency director was an added bonus.
My face twisted instantly.
What kind of garbage bastard did that?
Talk about squeezing blood from a stone.
I had no idea how my past self had endured working under someone like him.
***
Pork or beef.
Those two choices had tormented mankind since time immemorial.
I stood in front of the refrigerated display at my neighborhood supermarket and agonized over the decision for a long time.
Both went perfectly with spicy mixed noodles.
It wasn’t an easy choice.
That was when someone walked up beside me.
I sensed something familiar and turned my head.
Standing there was Hunter Yoon Seohyeon from the Hunter Association—the same woman I had met that morning.
She looked different from earlier.
She wore comfortable clothes, a tracksuit, with her hair roughly tied up.
She was also wearing round glasses, enough that I had almost mistaken her for someone else.
“…”
Our eyes happened to meet.
“What is it? Did the Association tell you to investigate me?”
Yoon Seohyeon stared at me in disbelief before firing back.
“What are you talking about? I came here to shop. If anything, are you interested in me?”
But looking at her face with those glasses reminded me of someone.
The name Yoon Seohyeon didn’t feel unfamiliar either.
Was it because I had already organized my memories once using Memory Search?
I dredged up the hazy recollection.
Right.
I remember now.
The Last Five had originally numbered around eleven.
Back then, nobody called them the Last anything.
People like Choi Seongho and Chae Yunah had already been exceptional, but there had been another person among the group who achieved particularly remarkable feats.
An archer who wielded an infinite bow.
SSS-rank hunter Yoon Jieun, the Infinite Archer.
Her accomplishments had been extraordinary, and she was famously known for hating goblins.
According to rumor, her younger sister had been killed by goblins.
I vaguely remembered hearing that her sister had been caught up in the Vanguard Guild Incident.
I combined the fragmented bits of information I had picked up over the years.
Without Memory Search, I probably never would have remembered any of it.
Yeah. I think I’m probably right.
A reasonable suspicion.
The Yoon Seohyeon standing in front of me might be the younger sister of the Infinite Archer, Yoon Jieun.
There was no harm in checking.
“Yoon Seohyeon, you have an older sister, right? Her name is Yoon Jieun.”
“Well, yes, but… Did you know my sister?”
Now that I had actually brought it up, I had nothing to say.
It was true that I knew of her.
But that was all.
She didn’t know me.
Hmm.
What excuse should I give?
I just said the first thing that came to mind.
“She’s beautiful.”
“And?”
“You look like her.”
“…”
Yoon Seohyeon’s face turned slightly red.
It felt like she had misunderstood something.
I really was terrible with words.
“W-What? So what exactly are you trying to say?”
Her older sister, Hunter Yoon Jieun, was no ordinary person.
Even before the demons’ true objective became known, she had been one of the fastest people to respond whenever an incident involving demons occurred.
And since she ultimately died at the hands of demons as well, she might be one of the few people I could truly trust.
That’s that, though…
Come to think of it, Yoon Seohyeon’s help might make things easier when I dealt with the demon of growth in a few days.
I held out my hand toward her.
“You still owe me. Give me your number.”
“What?”
Yoon Seohyeon’s eyes widened.
It involved an anomalous gate, so it would probably help her record at the Hunter Association too.
Of course, we had essentially met for the first time today.
I wasn’t expecting much.
If she helped, great.
If not, whatever.
“Give me your phone number.”
“My number? Why would I?”
At my words, Yoon Seohyeon waved her hand in disbelief, cooling her flushed face.
“If you don’t want to, forget it.”
“I-It’s not that I don’t want to…”
She avoided my gaze and fidgeted with her lips.
Why was she taking so long to answer a question that could be settled with a simple yes or no?
Yoon Seohyeon’s help wasn’t essential to me.
It would just be useful.
I turned my attention back to the meat.
I had something more important to deal with right now.
Choosing between beef and pork.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t rich enough to eat both.
I had no choice but to pick one.
But…
A sudden thought flashed through my mind.
What about frozen pork belly?
If I took those thinly sliced pieces of pork belly and threw them onto a scorching pan until they sizzled…
There was no need to even explain how well they would pair with spicy mixed noodles.
Clunk.
Decision made, I turned the cart toward the refrigerated section.
I immediately picked up a pack of thinly sliced pork belly.
Was there anything else I needed?
Of course.
Soda.
Damn it.
I almost forgot.
I was pushing the cart toward the beverage aisle when Yoon Seohyeon came stomping toward me.
She looked seriously irritated.
She walked straight up and grabbed my hand.
“What is wrong with you?! You can’t just ignore someone like that!”
She forcibly shoved a piece of paper into my hand, then stormed off in a huff.
There was a phone number written on it.
“…”
Did I do something wrong?
***
It had been a long road.
How much had happened before I finally managed to put spicy mixed noodles into my mouth?
“Finally.”
Sitting in front of me were perfectly prepared spicy mixed noodles and thinly sliced grilled pork belly.
While cooking, I had secretly hoped I might acquire some kind of Cooking Skill.
Unfortunately, nothing like that happened.
I had put a fair amount of effort into it too.
Still.
Finished was finished.
With gratitude in my heart, I lifted the chopsticks and picked up some spicy mixed noodles.
Then I placed a piece of perfectly grilled pork belly on top.
Straight into my mouth.
For a while, I couldn’t say anything.
…
The rich savoriness of artificial seasoning blended perfectly with the clean richness of the meat.
It was a heavenly taste that could never have existed in the ruined world.
Yeah.
This is it…
It tasted so good that my eyes grew moist.
Considering how long I had dreamed of this, it wasn’t strange at all.
Once, all I had been able to do was hope.
Hope that everything would return to normal.
That the world would regain its old form.
That humanity would drive out the demons and rebuild civilization.
If that happened, then surely I would at least be able to eat spicy mixed noodles again.
I had hoped.
But humanity was never saved.
This is really good.
That was why this single mouthful meant so much to me.
Once my chopsticks started moving, they didn’t stop.
Munch. Munch.
I devoured the meat and spicy mixed noodles without thinking.
No regrets.
The thought that I could eat food this delicious every day from now on made me even happier.
I wished I could have let Younghoon try this once too.
Too bad.
Now that I was full, I grabbed the apple I had brought home that morning and sprawled out on the floor.
Crunch.
Come to think of it, I got that weapon box today.
I remembered the message I had seen inside the gate.
It said it was stored in my inventory, right?
I manipulated the information window with my finger and opened my inventory.
This was another blessing granted to hunters.
I selected the weapon box from my inventory and took it out.
It was a wooden box.
Small enough to hold in one hand.
“How do I use this…?”
I had no idea what kind of weapon would come out.
I sat up.
Tap.
I lightly tapped the box.
A faint ripple spread across it, and a message window appeared.
When I selected Use, blue light poured from the box.
『 Using Rare-grade Weapon Box (Special). 』
The blue light flowed from the box like liquid and gradually began taking shape.
The grade was already fixed, but it was still a surprisingly tense moment.
Whatever comes out, it’ll probably be the weapon I use for a while.
I could use just about anything.
Thanks to Talent Adjustment, no matter what weapon I picked up, I could at least acquire the fundamentals for it.
Ssssss…
The liquid slowly took the shape of a blade.
Unlike a sword, it had only one sharpened edge.
『 You have obtained Special Blade ‘Soul Devourer’ (Rare). 』
Above a blue hilt extended a pure white blade of breathtaking beauty.
A faint energy lingered around it, giving the weapon an even more elegant appearance.
And this was only Rare-grade?
This was the finest weapon I had ever held in my life.
I gave it a light swing.
It settled into my hand perfectly.
Soul Devourer?
It had an unusual name.
Maybe its effect was unusual too.
I opened the information window.
After all, its actual grade was Special Rare, one step above ordinary Rare.
『 Item Information 』
An Attack Power of 30 was three times that of the iron sword I had been using.
The difference in what I could penetrate would be enormous.
Just pressing this blade against an orc’s hide would probably slice through it like paper.
That settles what I’m doing tomorrow.
I carefully slid the blade into its scabbard.
There was one step I was still missing.
A primary combat Skill.
A versatile Skill with enough power to rely on and use freely in battle.
Now that my weapon had been decided, I could finally choose one.
I learned something for certain today.
Teaching myself from scratch is impossible.
My talent is absolute garbage.
But that was fine.
If I couldn’t figure things out on my own, I could learn from a competent teacher.
The next day.
I took a bus early in the morning.
Fortunately, the place wasn’t far from where I lived.
Knock, knock.
“Anyone here?”
I knocked on the door of a failing kendo school.
Dust had accumulated inside, as though nobody had visited in a long time.
But I entered without hesitation.
Naturally.
Because the man who would one day be called the Sword Saint should be here.