I Became a National ‘Disaster’ Level Monster

Chapter 11: Despite All the Preparation…

“Hehe! Shin-woo! Look at me! I’m a Hunter now!”

The year I turned twelve.

I became the youngest Hunter in history, hailed as an unprecedented talent in South Korea.

Even though it was an event that appeared on the news as soon as you turned it on, I still wanted to brag about it, so I immediately told my only friend.

“Yeah. Congratulations, Sophia.”

“…!”

Of course, he was happy for me.

That night, my house was unusually harmonious.

I had achieved my dream, received praise from my dad, and most importantly, I had taken the first step to becoming stronger, like the mother I admired.

I felt like I could fly.

But the dreams of that young child were soon shattered.

“S-Sophia! Where are you going?”

“Don’t come! Go away!”

Fear of monsters?

Injuries sustained in the field?

Those were things that anyone born with the qualities of a Hunter should naturally endure.

But there was something I couldn’t bear.

I thought it would be better to have my limbs torn apart by a monster.

It was the reality of having to interact with others to hunt monsters.

Every time I had to move among humans, it was pure torture.

It felt like walking endlessly in a filthy, stinking pit, naked.

“Uweeeek-!”

So.

I thought I would get used to it eventually.

The year I turned fourteen.

Unable to endure my instincts, I ended up vomiting during a monster hunt and collapsed on the spot.

Even though I was a Beast Hunter who didn’t work with monsters, I had grown to a D-rank Hunter in just two years, a genius among geniuses.

It was the moment when the star of such a genius fell.

If the danger level of the monster that appeared that day had been even slightly higher, there would have been casualties.

“Ugh… sob…!”

That night, I didn’t come out of my room.

I cried and cried and cried some more.

My dad, who had the same Beast Hunter instincts as me, could act normally in front of ordinary people. He could live in that filthy pit without changing his expression.

“Why can’t I do that…?”

There was one thing I realized when I witnessed the in Busan four years ago.

If I didn’t become stronger, I couldn’t protect what was precious to me.

In a truly critical situation, I could only protect my things with my own strength.

Seeing my dad almost lose my mom that day, I feared that I might become like him, about to lose Shin-woo.

To shake off that fear, I worked so hard to become strong, like the mother I admired.

“Someone, please… help me…”

In the end, it was a problem I had to solve on my own.

Thinking about having to live in that filthy reality again, repeating these fears, was overwhelming.

“Ugh?!”

Just as I felt the nausea rising again.

“Is it really hard for you?”

Unlike me, an ordinary human.

Even now, he was living a normal life, attending middle school like any other kid. As soon as I saw him entering my room, I felt so relieved and missed him so much that I immediately hugged him.

And amazingly, next to him, I could pour out all the pent-up feelings I couldn’t even tell my parents.

“…It’s hard being around people.”

“I see.”

“What should I do? I want to keep working as a Hunter. I want to become as strong as Mom and Dad! Someday, I want to be a national power-level Hunter like Mom…”

Feeling wronged, frustrated, and exhausted, I leaned on his shoulder and cried again.

Instead of pushing my heavy head away, Shin-woo patted it and comforted me.

Strangely, I felt my face heating up.

For Shin-woo, I had to become at least a national power-level Hunter.

But could I really do it?

“Then let’s do this.”

Just as I was starting to lose heart.

“I was thinking of becoming a Hunter in the future too.”

Had my prayers reached the heavens?

“If we both become Hunters, we can team up and Sophia, you can just stick with me. Isn’t that right?”

“Would… would that be okay?”

“Yeah. That would be okay.”

When I first heard those words, I thought my heart would stop.

My breath quickened, and my body, which had always felt dirty, felt instantly cleansed.

The saying, ‘Better to be alive and rolling in filth than dead,’ must be meant for moments like this.

So, I didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

“Then, promise me…”

Wanting reassurance, I carefully extended my pinky towards Shin-woo.

“Yeah. I promise.”

Without hesitation, Shin-woo wrapped his pinky around mine and firmly promised.

“I’m not as great as you, Sophia. I’ll take the Hunter exam in the last year of high school, through the regular process, and I’ll definitely become a Hunter.”

“Yes! Then I’ll get super strong by then! I’ll be the best partner for you, Shin-woo!”

And to achieve that, a lot of preparation was necessary.

“Hasn’t Sophia changed recently?”

“Yes, she has. Now she even smiles and responds well when spoken to.”

“She even had lunch with us before.”

To not be an inadequate partner for Shin-woo.

“Everyone, please take care of me today as well.”

In front of people, I always showed a pleasant face, smiling until my muscles cramped.

“Uweeeek-!”

On such days, I would secretly throw up in the bathroom at night, away from my family, but even then, I felt happy.

“J-just a little more… I can do it!”

This hellish daily life would end in a few years.

Until then, what I needed was overwhelming skills to handle everything on my own as a duo.

Shin-woo just had to be by my side.

Even just standing still at the scene would be enough.

Three years later.

“Then, I’m off!”

### To Gain Greater Power

I hoped to advance to the Hunter Association headquarters in the United States to gain greater strength.

“Uweeeek!!”

On that distant land, where even my family couldn’t reach me, my hatred for humans reached its peak. I developed depression and a habit of self-harm as I lost my safe haven.

“Our Hunter Association’s U.S. headquarters highly values the skills of Hunter Sophia from Korea and awards her a B-rank Hunter license.”

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

A B-rank Hunter license meant I could choose my own partner instead of being forcibly assigned by a senior Hunter.

Of course, being on the stage in front of so many people, I threw up everything in my stomach that day too.

But.

“Finally… I got it!”

At last, all the preparations were complete.

The two years of endurance in the U.S. bore sweet fruit.

Ignoring all the recommendations from the high-ranking officials, I threw everything into the trash can.

That night, I took the first flight back to Korea.

I couldn’t sleep out of excitement, and my lower body felt warm thinking about the happy future ahead.

“Finally… I can see you again.”

Han Shin-woo.

Having been apart for two years, I felt it even more clearly.

I realized that I couldn’t do anything without Shin-woo.

Shin-woo was the light that would guide me to the end of my life.

“As long as you’re by my side, that’s enough. You don’t have to fight or do anything dangerous. Just look at me, and that’s all I need…”

I was sure he would make me stronger than any commander Hunter’s buff could.

After running through the thorny path of hell, I finally reached my destination.

In front of the entrance to Incheon International Airport.

Sophia, who had been overflowing with smiles, realized that the higher you are, the more it hurts when you fall, tasting the emotions that turned hope into despair.

“You… failed the Hunter exam…?”

“…Yes.”

I felt dazed.

My parents were saying something around me, but their voices didn’t reach me.

The tendons inside my wrist itched.

No.

It was a bad habit.

I wanted to scratch it until it bled, even though it was wrong.

It was natural in a way.

I knew becoming a Hunter wasn’t easy.

The promise from that day might have been something Shin-woo forced to make to comfort me.

Here, I should be the one encouraging Shin-woo, who even took the exam because of me and failed.

That was the right thing to do.

But I seemed to be too selfish.

Thinking that all the years I had lived managing my image, unlike a Beast Hunter, were in vain because of that promise.

“…Liar.”

My mouth moved before my head could think.

I felt so angry, wronged, frustrated, and sad that my emotions were in disarray.

“You said you’d always be by my side. So why are you so weak?”

With a tearful, angry face, harsh words spilled out.

“I hate someone like you.”

In truth, I liked him so much it hurt.

“Get lost. You liar.”

For Shin-woo’s sake, I could act friendly with people even if I threw up in secret.

I could play the role of a loving partner wherever I went.

But overwhelmed by emotions, I shouted loudly, and only realized it late.

Facing Shin-woo…

“I’m sorry, Sophia.”

Despite my harsh words, he was blaming himself, looking embarrassed.

No matter how I saw it, I was the one at fault.

“…! I-I’m sorry!”

“Sophia!”

I ran past my family and out of the airport.

And that night, unable to face my family, I ended up sleeping roughly at the Shilla Hotel.