“From this moment on, Kim Daram is the Class Rep of Hunter Class 1.”
Gu Baeksan made the declaration.
Forty-eight of the fifty students had voted in favor. The atmosphere made it impossible for me to refuse.
Damn it.
I was the Class Rep.
I had never even served as a row leader back in school. Yet the moment I began my second life, I became a Class Rep.
And not just any Class Rep, but the Class Rep of Hunter Class 1!
But who was I?
Kim Daram, the regressor Hunter who had returned from death, Captain Positivity, and a master of rationalization!
I soon accepted my destiny of becoming Class Rep.
“It will be lunchtime shortly. Eat and return here in one hour. Class Rep, finish taking attendance no later than five minutes before the assembly time. Here is the roster for Class 1.”
Gu Baeksan held out a thin file.
I approached the stage and accepted it.
“Dismissed.”
Gu Baeksan started stepping down from the stage as though his work here was finished.
This time, I shot my hand into the air.
“I have a proposal!”
“What is it?”
Gu Baeksan adjusted his sunglasses as he looked at me.
“I would like to appoint a Vice Class Rep.”
“A Vice Class Rep?”
“Yes. Just as you said, Director, I also believe the role of Class Rep here is extremely important. We Hunters must always carry out our missions with our lives hanging in the balance. As Class Rep, I intend to serve as the center of Hunter Class 1 and lead all fifty members while minimizing casualties as much as possible. To do that, I need a Vice Class Rep who can assist me with managing the class.”
I made it sound grand, but what I really meant was that I refused to do all the grunt work alone.
No matter how impressive the title sounded, the Class Rep was ultimately the person forced to take responsibility for all the unpleasant jobs on behalf of everyone else.
That said, part of me also wanted to do this properly now that I had been chosen.
I knew better than anyone that Awakened who entered Stages had chosen a fate that forced them to risk their lives.
Even so, I did not want to watch my classmates die if I could prevent it.
Either way, two people would be better than one.
And three would be better than two.
Perhaps he had guessed my intentions, because a faint smile appeared on Gu Baeksan’s lips.
“Very well. I accept your proposal. How will the Vice Class Rep be selected?”
“Obviously, I should appoint one myself. As a Class Rep elected with ninety-six percent of the vote, I believe I possess at least that much authority.”
I swept my gaze across the students blankly watching Gu Baeksan and me.
Anyone have a problem with that?
Of course not.
You bastards brought this upon yourselves.
After confirming that no one objected, Gu Baeksan nodded.
“Very well. Do you already have someone in mind?”
Of course I do.
I beamed and climbed onto the stage.
Leaning forward, I examined the students’ faces one by one.
Every last one of them lowered their heads and avoided my gaze.
Everyone except Lee Hasol, who stared straight at me as though begging to be chosen.
Hmm…
Hasol, I know better than anyone in the world that you will become an outstanding Hunter.
But you are not Vice Class Rep material.
My hand passed over Lee Hasol and pointed toward another part of the room.
“You!”
“Me?”
“Yes. What’s your name?”
It was the tall girl with long, straight hair who had nominated me as Class Rep.
“Me? I’m Kwon Sua.”
Oh.
I had wondered, and she really was that Kwon Sua.
Now that I thought about it, my generation contained quite a few remarkable figures.
Then again, with fifty separate classes, it would not have been easy for me to encounter them even if we had entered the field at the same time.
“Right, Kwon Sua. I’d like you to serve as Vice Class Rep.”
Kwon Sua gave a small nod.
Unexpectedly, she accepted my appointment without any particular resistance.
What the hell?
If you were going to accept this so easily, why did you nominate me instead of volunteering to be Class Rep yourself?
I grumbled internally, but there was no undoing what had already happened.
Once the Vice Class Rep had been selected, sighs of relief erupted throughout the room.
Gu Baeksan lightly patted my shoulder.
“It appears everything worked out as you wanted. Then—”
I interrupted him.
“Just a moment. I never said there would only be one Vice Class Rep.”
“…?”
Gu Baeksan lowered his sunglasses slightly and looked at me.
His narrow yellow pupils, slit vertically like those of a feline predator, gleamed ominously.
I already knew they were the result of his [Mutation] Beastification Trait, so I was not particularly surprised.
Without waiting for an answer, I looked over the students below the stage once more.
They had buried their heads even deeper.
Then I pointed toward one corner.
“You!”
My eyes met those of the student I had chosen.
He immediately turned his head and pretended not to see me.
You bastard.
Do you really think that will save you?
I called his name.
“Sa Jeil! Starting today, you’re also a Vice Class Rep.”
He immediately protested.
“Why should I be?”
“Because I’m the Class Rep. The Class Rep bears enormous responsibility, which means the position also comes with enormous authority.”
“That makes no sense…”
I knew I was forcing it.
But something like this could be pushed through with sheer momentum.
“I don’t intend to become a Class Rep who abuses his authority, either. So I’ll give you a chance to refuse. You may challenge me whenever you like. If you defeat me, you can resign as Vice Class Rep immediately.”
Cheers erupted from the students.
“I saw them earlier. He wasn’t even a match for him.”
Similar whispers came from all around the room.
“…”
Sa Jeil’s face flushed bright red.
At the same time, killing intent began bubbling around him.
That bastard had really made a habit of it.
He was spewing killing intent whenever he felt like it.
Tsk.
“Fine.”
“Tell me when you’re ready. I’ll accept your challenge anytime. But until you defeat me, you must faithfully perform your duties as Vice Class Rep.”
I raised my index finger and mimed stabbing him in the neck.
The others might not understand what the gesture meant, but Sa Jeil certainly did.
And with that, I had secured two highly capable Vice Class Reps.
Sa Jeil and Kwon Sua.
They were top Hunters whose shadows my previous self would never have dared to step on.
But now, they were merely Vice Class Reps whom I could order around like my own hands and feet.
Hehehe…
Maybe I was born to hold office after all.
To be honest, the next year of my life under the Hunter Association was essentially an obligation attached to the rewards I had acquired from the Assessment Stage.
After Clearing the Assessment with the highest score, I could not simply ignore the curriculum the Association had prepared and go my own way.
No matter how much experience I possessed as a regressor, I was still a fledgling who had Awakened only one week ago in the vast and unfathomable Hunter industry.
There was no reason to refuse the foundational training established by the government.
One of the core values shared by every organization with influence throughout the Hunter industry was the development of talented people.
The Hunter Association prioritized that value more highly than any other organization and poured a tremendous budget into its one-year training program for rookie Hunters.
For me, participating in that education was by no means a bad choice.
Furthermore, this year would be an extraordinarily eventful one throughout the Hunter industry.
The major incidents that would occur remained vivid in my memory.
I was not sure how much a brand-new Hunter trainee could accomplish, but I intended to find opportunities for growth within those events.
That was the general roadmap I had devised after regressing.
And then…
There was Lee Hasol.
Kwon Sua and Sa Jeil had now been added as well.
Even I had never expected to form connections like these with future A-grade Hunters who would dominate Korea.
I did not know what kind of relationships I would maintain with them from now on.
But one thing was certain.
My second life was becoming more interesting by the day.
*****
“What did you think after seeing him in person?”
Hunter Association Chairman Yoo Ilhan asked as he served tea he had brewed himself.
Gu Baeksan lifted his cup and slowly drank.
Without his sunglasses, his golden pupils, vertically slit like those of a feline predator, gleamed ominously.
“He was remarkably adept for a kid. Setting aside his abilities, I believe he will perform the role of Class Rep properly.”
“Setting aside his abilities? This is the first Level 20 Clear in all five thousand years of Korean history.”
“The Hunter Selection Assessment has existed for less than thirty years. I do not think it is appropriate to attach five thousand years to it.”
“Good grief. You’re far too rigid. That’s why you can’t get a date.”
“…”
Gu Baeksan’s expression stiffened.
Yoo Ilhan noticed and cleared his throat before immediately changing the subject.
“I heard Sa Heedo’s son was knocked flat with a single hit. How entertaining. I wonder what expression Sa Heedo will make when he hears about it.”
“What impressed me more was his nerve in deciding to make Sa Heedo’s son work under him as a Vice Class Rep. His other Vice Class Rep is Kwon Sua.”
“Kwon Sua? Chairman Kwon of Oseong Electronics’ granddaughter?”
“Yes.”
“That is an exceptionally extravagant pair to place beneath him and order around. I am very interested to see what happens next. Have you investigated Kim Daram?”
“Yes. Kim Daram’s father is Kim Horang, a Hunter who remained active until six years ago. He is currently missing.”
“Kim Horang?”
Yoo Ilhan fell into thought for a moment.
Apparently unable to recall anything, he looked back at Gu Baeksan.
“Yes. He was a Hunter who remained near the lower end of A-grade. Records confirm that he disappeared after entering a Stage. There was nothing else particularly noteworthy about him. His remarriage to a top star actually attracted more attention than his Hunter career.”
“A top star? Ah. So Kim Horang was the Hunter who married Joo Miyeon.”
Only then did Yoo Ilhan slap his knee as though he remembered.
“Yes. Judging solely by the records we have confirmed so far, Kim Daram is not exactly ordinary, but neither is he particularly exceptional. It is enough to make me wonder how he managed to Clear Level 20.”
“That is something we can gradually discover from now on. In any case, keep a close eye on him. And one year from now, we must recruit him as an Association-exclusive Hunter. If that proves impossible, then at the very least, ensure that he continues working domestically. Foreign guilds will come running with sacks of money to recruit talent like that. We cannot allow anyone to take him from us.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Gu Baeksan tilted his cup and drank the remaining tea.