Evolution Theory of the Hunter

“To speak of our System Research Laboratory…….”

An Gyu-bum’s mouth didn’t stop moving the entire time we were walking through the ruin tunnel. It wasn’t entirely bad since since they were all stories that I heard for the first time.

It was turning into company boasting as time passed.

“So how do you analyze the data you received from here?”

“With overtime and salary.”

That means he just pours in researchers.

So it’s difficult for me to do it in other words.

Our group that included An Gyu-bum and Jeon Min-jeong quickly passed through the tunnel and I was able to confirm a new road at the blocked path.

“Go check.”

“Got it.”

Edward carefully inspected around the opening.

Edward who could instantly etherize was quite a good choice for checking for traps. The person himself didn’t really fear for such things as well. He was almost useless in battle but he was pretty useful for other things.

He nodded towards us after hitting the ground and walls a few times.

It seems there weren’t any traps.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

After following that newly created road for a long time a large door appeared.

Like the ruin in the Yellow Sea, there was a hole to put in a hand. As Edward put his hand in and fiddled around a bit the door started opening slowly with a clanking sound.

Edward opened his mouth.

“Put your guard up.”

“Hm? What do you……?”

However, I was soon able to understand what he meant.

A chilly feeling was bursting out of the inside.

Inside the wide space through the door.

There was a high altar like before as well as he hundreds of stone statues.

But there was something different from before.

An existence that didn’t feel like a human.

There was a guy I didn’t want to see twice if possible standing alone in front of the altar.

“Baek Gyeong……?”

There was no mistake. White hair and leather armor that half covered his body. A black greatsword.

“Why is that guy here?”

“Damn it. Quickly block him!”

An Gyu-bum pulled out his sword and rushed forward.

Because the guy that doesn’t move first most of the time rushed forward I took out the Dancing Sword and dashed forward on reflex. Baek Gyeong swung his sword and struck down at the altar.

An Gyu-bum tried to block it somehow but.

Boom!

The altar got destroyed after getting split in half with a tremendous explosion.

An Gyu-bum’s body got sent flying at the same time.

“Young master!”

“Urg!”

Jeon Min-jeong hurriedly helped him up but An Gyu-bum vomited blood on the ground and fell unconscious.

At least it seemed like he didn’t die. It was only to that degree because Baek Gyeong’s attacked wasn’t directed at him.

Metal fragments could be seen within the destroyed altar. It seemed to be machines for saving data.

Baek Gyeong destroying it was probably to prevent other people from obtaining data.

I held the Dancing Sword below the stairs to the altar and pointed it at him.

Baek Gyeong’s line of sight turned to me.

His lips slowly opened.

“Data comparison completed. Target. Jeon Sang-min.”

“My name how……?”

“Battle information confirmed. Command. Annhilate.”

The instant his words stopped a terrifying amount of energy gathered around him. I was able to instantly tell what the identity of the energy was.

It was the Hadron Cannon.

Even I didn’t have the confidence to be safe after getting hit directly by that with level 10 armor equipped. But what if I dodged?

It was obvious that An Gyu-bum and Jeon Min-jeong would be caught up in the attack.

There was no need to throw my life away for those guys.

“Die.”

My body was rushing towards the guy the moment the guy’s Hadron Cannon was about to fire.

Don’t misunderstand me.

I’m not doing this because I’m a saint or something.

I unequipped the armor and took on the Hadron Cannon with my bare body.

The moment the Hadron Cannon hit me I could feel my body get deconstructed at an atomic level as my consciousness faded.

***

Not everybody could experience the feeling of dying.

There probably weren’t many people that would experience this twice.

My sight went white and I lost all my senses. I felt like my body became endlessly light as a large strength seemed to come to me like a wave.

Then, the moment my existence was about to disappear.

My eyes shot open with a shock like getting struck by lightning.

What I could see in front of my eyes was Baek Gyeong’s flustered figure.

I swung the Aura Blade covered Dancing Sword just like that and sliced his bare upper half.

“Kuuk!”

Baek Gyeong, whose scream alone was like that of a human’s, collapsed while spraying black blood.

I summoned the armor once more and went towards Baek Gyeong who was on the ground.

“Mission unsuccessful…… Data…… Transfer…….”

“Do things moderately. You clone bastard.”

I chopped off his neck. Seeing how he was still alive after half his chest was cut I thought that it wouldn’t end unless I cut off his head.

But a voice continuously came out of Baek Gyeong’s head that rolled on the ground.

“Data…… Transfer…… Impossible…… Mission is…… A failure…….”

“Tough bastard.”

The guy this time didn’t break down immediately like before. It seems the state is different individually.

I held up his head just in case.

At that moment a message popped up on the manual.

– Will you obtain Baek Gyeong’s Database.

As I selected Accept messages popped up one after another.

– Downloading Alpha’s Database. A total of 2,000 EP will be given as a reward. The location of the next ruin will be tracked. Tracking has been completed.

There was quite a lot this time. The amount of data in each ruin is different I see. I thought that it was good that I could get the data that I couldn’t get after the altar got destroyed.

I threw away Baek Gyeong’s head that became useless and inspected the altar.

The inside was crammed full of machinery.

To be honest, I couldn’t tell what was what but I was able to tell that it was destroyed to the point that it could be repaired.

As I concluded that I couldn’t get anything more from the altar I went towards An Gyu-bum.

Jeon Min-jeong’s expression turned sharp but she didn’t take any further actions. It probably means that she doesn’t think of me as an enemy anymore.

“May I inspect him a bit?”

“…… Please.”

To think such words would come out from this girl’s mouth. I could at least tell that she wasn’t following An Gyu-bum because she was blackmailed or some negative reason.

An Gyu-bum had received severe injuries but it was on the good side compared to Jeon Min-jeong’s frivolousness.

I knew quite a bit of medical logic because I frequently went to the hospital so I was able to tell that he would heal even if he was left like this.

It seemed to be the effect of the Eternal Immortality Suit’s effect. Most people would be half dead if they vomited enough blood for the ground to become wet.

But I poured in a Wound Cure Potion into his mouth.

An Gyu-bum slowly opened his eyes within a few minutes. No matter how good the effect of the potion was, it was not enough to heal someone this quickly.

“Hmm…….”

“Did you come to?”

“Wh, what happened?”

“Unfortunately, the altar was destroyed. It seems you were also interested in the ruin’s data. It seems like it will be difficult for you to properly obtain it.”

“…… What happened to Baek Gyeong?”

“Up there.”

Baek Gyeong’s head was rolling around at the place I pointed at. (Kyle: So I was trying not to add notes as much as possible but how long is this head going to roll around for, damn.)

Because he wasn’t monster or human, he didn’t even return to the void.

“Amazing. Did you kill him with a single strike?”

He looked around and opened his mouth. The surrounding was clean despite battling Baek Gyeong.

“Well yeah.”

“He endured a direct hit of the Hadron Cannon. Even though he could have avoided it.”

Jeon Min-jeong said. Was that why her attitude changed.

An Gyu-bum opened his mouth with wide eyes.

“You endured that? It would have been difficult to block that even with level 10 armor though?”

“Well, somehow.”

In reality, I didn’t endure it but die.

I had just revived through the Immortality skill. However, there was no need to explain each and every thing.

“Now then. Shall we pay up?”

I said so with a light clap.

Puzzlement was written all over An Gyu-bum’s face.

“Pay what up?”

“The price of your life. And that.”

I called the Dancing Sword. Baek Gyeong’s head was stabbed on the end of the blade.

I opened my mouth with a smile.

“This. Don’t you want it?”

“Baek Gyeong’s head huh…… definitely won’t be cheap.”

An Gyu-bum sighed.

“The database from the ruin is all saved in here. You would be able to extract the data from this head right?”

“There’s nothing too difficult about it.”

It was true that Baek Gyeong was made through overtechnology. However, An Gyu-bum’s System Research Laboratory was the same so I thought that it would be possible as long as their technology didn’t fall behind too much.

He pondered for a moment and opened his mouth.

“How is 100b?”

“It’s not like the guy that bet 1t for the van.”

“It’s that. I just tried. I wasn’t planning on actually giving you that much.”

An Gyu-bum said with a shameless expression.

It was definitely going overboard even from my perspective. Even if raid companies piled up dozens of trillions a trillion wasn’t a joke to them after all.

“Okay. I’ll be satisfied with that much.”

Either way, I had obtained money to use for the meantime.

It was funny even though I was the one that said it. Money to use for the meantime. It was money that 3 generations might not be able to use up.

I opened my mouth as I passed over Baek Gyeong’s head.

“Ah. Also, I want to know some details about item creation. Can you tell me?”

“I don’t even know such things though.”

“Didn’t you say that you were in charge of the System Research Laboratory?”

“Our company produces smartphones but it’s the same thing as asking me how they’re made.”

An Gyu-bum shrugged his shoulders. He wasn’t wrong.

“How about where they’re distributed and who buys them?”

“Well, if it’s just that.”

He nodded and continued.

“To put it simply, there’s a secret site where items not handled by the Hunter Market are being sold. Normal civilians don’t even know of its existence. Many hunters all over the world bid there and the person that bets the highest price takes it.”

“So you’re creating items to be sold there. While the price is higher the more unusual it is.”

“Indeed.”

“So on that topic…….”

I thought about the Delta Store.

The store was unlocked up to level 6. I had to purchase more to unlock more anyway and I needed a place to dispose of the purchased items.

The Hunter Market doesn’t buy items that aren’t part of the records.

“I have quite a few rare items, are you interested?”

“What kind of things are they?”

“I’m not sure? What about things like this?”

I purchased one of the cheapest 10 EP items among the Utility items.

Socks of Tall Stature (1) : Looks about 5 cm taller when worn. Able to stack.

It was a striped sock. He looked at me like I was ridiculous as I held up the sock.