A thought suddenly occurs to me.
I am truly grateful for this very moment.
Ever since my parents died, it had been my dream to become an Awakened.
A strong Awakened.
Until only a short while ago, I had thought that a dream was only a dream.
As an Unawakened Hunter, I helped Awakened and found a little satisfaction in contributing to monster extermination. That was all.
That was why I did not dislike the training I was doing to become stronger, not even a little.
“You are excellent, member. There are not many people who work this hard.”
Even the trainers were surprised. Uncle Choi Cheolgi was the same. The Red Dragon's Egg would hatch before long.
Uncle Choi Cheolgi kept up training so intense that his personal trainer tried to dissuade him.
“Ugh!”
The trainer I had been sparring barehanded with clutched his side. My kick had landed there.
“W-What was that just now?”
The trainer asked in shock. He was a Martial Artist who had been preparing to become an MMA fighter before Awakening.
I knew he was Level 3.
“I obtained a Body Art secret manual inside a Gate this time.”
It was a plausible excuse. Survival Gates were difficult, but their rewards tended to be good.
I planned to explain things that came from inside Subspace this way in the future as well.
“You learned it yesterday?”
“Yes.”
Five days had passed since I cleared Dead End of the Labyrinth. During that time, I had focused only on training.
I judged that adapting to the abilities I had newly acquired came before entering Gates.
Learning ‘Fighting Rooster’ yesterday followed the same line of thought. My spatial sense, which allowed me to feel twenty meters around me, came first.
To be honest, this was what I liked most.
Rather than simply seeing an opponent's attack path with my eyes, I could feel it with precise senses.
“Even before this, your fighting skills improved every day faster than those of most Martial Artists.......”
The trainer spoke in admiration.
But although he said that, I had spent the past four days almost entirely practicing evasion. It had been my request. I was training my spatial sense.
Even with the difference in our stats, his attacks were quite sharp because he was a professional. I got hit a few times as well.
The pain followed, but the more I was hit, the more I could picture the trajectories and predict them. My evasions became more skillful, so I was satisfied.
“I think I am going to lose to you now. Before I was hit, I did not even know how you were attacking.”
“Haha, no way.”
I said it was not true, but it probably was. Had I not just landed a strike in his side?
[Body Art ‘Fighting Rooster’(C-Grade)]
A body art created by drawing inspiration from fighting roosters.
It can be learned when Strength and Stamina are at least 15 and Agility is at least 20.
When a UFC world champion Awakened as a Martial Artist, the Grade of their ‘Combat’ skill was C-Grade.
That meant it was the same Grade as the Body Art, Fighting Rooster, that I had learned.
The Grade of the Fighting Rooster I had learned would be higher than that of the Martial Artist trainer who had been preparing to become a fighter.
It was even at Level 1, having been learned yesterday. Once I became familiar with the Body Art, I would win.
[Lv9 Princess (Void Lord), Han Hye]
Strength : 18
Agility : 20(+2)
Stamina : 21
Mentality : 9
Mana : 21
Spare Points : 8
Skills : Subspace(S-Grade) lv2, Fire Resistance(A-Grade)lv1, Fighting Rooster(C-Grade)lv1, Basic Swordsmanship of the Svinhood Empire (E-Grade)lv4, *Wind Cleave(lv1)
Those were my current stats. I had put two points into Agility for Fighting Rooster, and I left my spare points unused.
My stats were absurd for Level 9, so I planned to leave them alone for a while.
As I trained repeatedly, my body itself was becoming stronger even when my stats stayed the same.
The training center was certainly satisfying.
‘I even gained one level while sparring with a sword.’
I did not neglect training in other areas, either. I meant the technique I had gained when Subspace leveled up.
It had been proven that Subspace Portalization itself was possible.
If I opened a Subspace entrance and exit in advance, a flying baseball would head behind the target.
However, speed was the problem. The trainer and I thought the same thing.
This really is an incredible ability. The problem is that it is not yet suitable for use in actual combat.......
I had to open the two Subspace doors at the two places I designated at exactly the right time.
Until then, I had only opened and closed them; I had never thought about opening and closing them quickly.
I was practicing this whenever I had time, too. It felt like I was getting faster little by little.
While practicing, I realized that Portalization would have been impossible if I had not gained spatial sense.
‘I cannot use it right away, but it could become a trump card.’
I was not at the level where intelligent monsters would appear yet. With my stats being so overwhelming now, I was going to enter a Gate soon and try practicing it in real combat.
.
.
.
HUM—
I was resting briefly in the middle of training when I received a call from an unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Hunter Han Hye? This is Jo Seokpil from Dae-eop Guild. Do you have time now?”
Dae-eop Guild.
It was a famous Guild ranked third in Korea. Even so, I frowned.
It was partly because of the voice, which felt overbearing, and partly because I had a personal grudge against them.
Dae-eop Guild had always had a somewhat bad reputation.
Among both Awakened and Unawakened Hunters. Awakened faced unfair distributions and settlements, while Unawakened Hunters were treated with contempt.
Porters were always looked down on, but it was more severe with them.
‘They even made headlines after skimming Unawakened Hunter employment fees.’
I had gone through something similar. They said I was unskilled at harvesting magic stones and that I moved too slowly, then paid me thirty percent less.
I had been extremely angry, but there had been nothing I could do then. If I ended up on a blacklist, my work would dry up.
“How did you get my number?”
“More than that, I would like to meet and talk with you once.”
Jo Seokpil ignored what I said and continued speaking. I was already in a bad mood, and it only got worse.
It was the same thing. They met young Awakened, lured them into the Guild with sweet talk, and made them lose out in settlements and distributions.
Even so, they ranked high because they were fundamentally skilled. There were even rumors that they were connected to political circles.
It was something only people in the industry knew among themselves.
‘Dae-eop is a little.......’
Even setting aside my personal grudge, the rumors I heard were far too bad.
“I am sorry, but I do not intend to join a Guild yet.”
“Come on. I am not telling you to join a Guild. I am only asking that we meet and talk once. It will be good for Hunter Han Hye too. We are Dae-eop.”
“What? You want me to join a Guild? What? Why does this call keep cutting out? I have to enter a Gate soon, so.......”
“No, Hunter Han Hye? Do not hang.......”
I did not want to hear any more, so I ended the call. Another call immediately came in. Of course, I declined it, but the phone rang again.
It was ridiculous. Even the Association respected me, so who did they think they were to act this way?
Of course, there were many Awakened like that. The kind of people who thought that being strong meant they could act however they pleased.
Society had become one that lacked common sense after the Gate Crisis.
‘I should block them.’
It might cause a falling-out with the third-ranked Guild, but I was not someone who forgot old grudges.
Had they not skimmed thirty percent of my hard-earned money?
They could raise hell if they wanted.
I was not the person I had been back then. More importantly, this was not even my fault.
HUM—
Then another call came in. Were they calling from a different number? I looked at the phone in irritation, but that was not it.
[Park Seo-ung]
It was the secretary directly under the Association President. Was it about the Elixirs? I happily answered the call.
“Mr. Han Hye, we have found the Elixirs.”
From what I heard, they were going to exchange Elixirs of the same Grade with France and the United States to acquire Fire Elixirs.
It would take around five more days.
“Thank you.”
“No. Of course, we need to find them for you. I will contact you again as soon as they arrive.”
Before the Elixirs arrived, I cleared two Gates and reached Level 11.
I did not insist on entering only Survival Gates.
Even if I was a specialist in Survival Gates, I could not keep entering only Survival Gates.
They had the advantage of allowing rapid growth, but they were not very good for improving my skills.
A Hunter's skill was not merely combat or physical ability. Gate experience itself was part of it.
Thinking about the future, I needed to gain experience in various Gates.
‘Having good stats and good skills does not make someone a good Hunter.’
Even if I had Gate experience as an Unawakened Hunter, it was different from being an Awakened. I needed experience not only in combat but also in responding to the various situations inside Gates.
Thanks to that, I had results in many ways. I restrained my use of the Windflow Sword and fought with Body Arts and swordsmanship.
Considering my stats, it was easy, of course, but I was gradually growing accustomed to combat that used my spatial sense and portals.
During that process, I learned something: I could adjust the space in Subspace.
‘I could divide it into sections.’
In other words, there was the first space and the second space that had been created when Subspace leveled up. I could divide the middle between them with a wall.
Time did not pass in the enclosed side. It would be useful for things like storing food.
Uncle Choi Cheolgi had started entering Gates too. He said he was adapting to Gates before properly returning to work.
Although he was Level 14, he had been running safe Level 5~10 Gates to regain his senses.
And then.
At last, the Elixirs arrived.
.
.
.
What I received from the Association was one B-Grade Fire Elixir and two C-Grade Fire Elixirs. I thought this would be enough.
The Red Dragon's Egg description said it needed ‘a little more’ heat.
When I received the Elixirs, the remaining balance of my guaranteed payment arrived as well. After Awakened-specific taxes, it was 12 billion won.
I decided to look at houses and cars later....... First, Uncle Choi Cheolgi and I headed to an unpopulated mountain near my home.
“Hoo.”
Uncle Choi Cheolgi repeatedly drew in breaths with a tense expression. We had naturally decided to hatch the egg outside.
If it hatched inside Subspace, it might not be able to come out.
As I opened Subspace to take out the egg, a question suddenly occurred to me. Living things could not enter Subspace.
How had I been able to bring in the egg?
‘Because it is an egg? Or because it is treated as an item?’
I don't know. If I bring in a fertilized egg and try to hatch it, I could probably find out.......
That sounds bothersome. I'll think about it later.
“All right, shall we?”
I held a C-Grade Fire Elixir against the Red Dragon's Egg. And just like before, the egg reacted.
CRUMBLE—
The Elixir faded like a flame and seeped into the egg.
“Did it work?”
Uncle Choi Cheolgi shouted, but it had not yet. I immediately held another C-Grade Fire Elixir against it.
CRUMBLE—
The same thing happened again. The egg wobbled from side to side once. Uncle Choi Cheolgi shouted.
“Did it work?!”
Apparently not. Hah, it said I only needed a little more? Did I have to use all three, including the B-Grade Elixir?
That was when I placed the B-Grade Elixir on it. CRUMBLE— The Elixir was absorbed, and there was a change.
CRACK—!
The egg wobbled dramatically, then a crack formed at its top. Just like the top of an egg breaking.
“It worked!”
“It worked!”
Uncle Choi Cheolgi and I shouted at the same time. Then, CRACK—! The top of the egg shattered, and the head of a red-tinged baby Red Dragon popped out.
“Krr!”
The very cute-looking baby Red Dragon let out a small cry. The sound itself was somewhat like a chick chirping.
Our eyes met. Then it broke the egg and toddled over to me.
“Holy shit, it's fucking adorable.”
“B-Be careful!”
Uncle Choi Cheolgi was wary of the Red Dragon, but it showed no hostility toward me. I carefully held it.
Including its wings, it was about the size of a human head. Its body was about the size of a cat.
“T-This is a Red Dragon.......”
Once he confirmed it was all right, Uncle Choi Cheolgi reached out to the hatchling. The Red Dragon smacked his hand with its tail.
“I guess it does not like you?”
“Does it recognize you as its mother because it saw you first?”
“Hmm.......”
Strictly speaking, I was the kidnapper who had thrust a sword into its mother's eye.
Of course, its mother had turned Uncle Deoksu, whom I was close to, into frozen meat and tried to eat me.
“Maybe because I gave it the Elixirs? We were together for a long time inside Subspace too.”
“Krrr.......”
The baby Red Dragon's small cry was incredibly adorable.
“What should we call it?”
“How about Yongyong? Your pork belly place is called Yongyong Samgyeopsal too.”
“Hmm. Is that not a little childish? You brought it here, and it sees you as its parent, so you name it.”
“I am not very good at naming things.”
I thought for a moment.
“Elletros?”
“Does that not sound too much like the name of a Dragon in a game?”
“But we cannot name it Choco, Fluffy, or Chunsik. It is a Red Dragon, after all.”
“That is true.”
Uncle Choi Cheolgi nodded, agreeing that I was right. Then something suddenly came to me.
“Hwamu-gi. How about Hwamu-gi?”
“What is Hwamu-gi? That sounds like a name out of a martial arts novel.”
“An imugi becomes a Dragon, right? It is still a hatchling, so I thought we could call it an imugi, and since it is a Red Dragon.......”
Uncle Choi Cheolgi's face turned serious.
“For now, let us just call it Yongyong.”
“All right.”
I looked at the Red Dragon and spoke.
“All right, your name is Yongyong from now on.”
“Krr?”
“Yongyong.”
“Krrr!”
As though it had reacted to its name, Yongyong growled.
“It is cute.”
“Small things are always cute. You said the Red Dragon you saw was terrifyingly huge.”
“I know, right? It is so small.”
Suddenly, a thought occurred to me.
“Wait a moment.”
“Why?”
“Uncle Choi Cheolgi, does your skill require only that a Dragon exists, or do you need to ride it to use it? It cannot be ridden yet, can it?”
“Huh?”