LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 10. S-Class Hunter
Looks like he’s just throwing out spells in front of a magic scholar. Seriously, the loss of power is nonsense! Sorcerers on Earth can wield magic until they croak.
“I’m not using a spell right now, I’m in practice trying to take down monsters without using skills!”
But I just nonchalantly wagged my tongue.
I can use magic, but I’m holding back! Still, isn’t this excuse pretty convincing?
“Hmm, does that explain everything?”
The silence made me uneasy.
I was awkwardly looking into the void while squeezing out lies when I cautiously turned my gaze.
“Yoon Seung-ah?”
And there was Ahn Yoon-seung with moist eyes. Hey, wait a sec.
“So, that was your intention!”
Ahn Yoon-seung reacted strongly to what I said, as if he had a big revelation.
His eyes were blazing with enlightenment.
“I never imagined… Right. That’s true. Things that come easily tend to disappear just as easily, so why was I so sure this power would last a lifetime? I should’ve thought about it when I returned to being a normal person.”
“Yoon Seung-ah?”
“And looking at the recent trends with gates, mutations are becoming more unpredictable, which means someday there could be dungeons where we can’t use skills.”
“Uh, uh-huh.”
“I was busy looking for an easy path, while you had this foresight by yourself. Wow, you’re truly…”
So this is what top-tier thinking looks like!
Ahn Yoon-seung looked excited as if he realized something, his eyes sparkling wide.
“Ah! So that’s why?”
I’m feeling a bit anxious.
“People with high awakening levels can almost sense things instinctively, right? Like feeling goosebumps around S-Class hunters.”
“Uh-huh.”
“But how should I put it about Gi-ryeo-hyung? I felt nothing at all, like a mere fly, and thought maybe it was just my mood.”
Did you just call the former Mage Commander of Alphauri a fly?
“Do you gain the ability to hide magic by practicing restraint? I’ve never seen such precise control in my life…!”
I realized that what they kept talking about—awakening level—was essentially a synonym for mana capacity, but it didn’t bring me joy.
I quietly placed my hand on my chest as I listened to him.
After subtly checking my breathing, I replied.
“Well, pretty much.”
I had a gut feeling I’d be saying this a lot in the future.
*
I achieved a great success today.
‘Ha, haha.’
I can’t stop counting the money since earlier. How much did I make from this hunt?
‘One million won!’
The crisp feel of the bills flowed through my hands.
To think this was just money from taking down seven fire bats. Incredible!
‘Damn, there should’ve been a horde of monsters in the gate.’
If the situation had backed me up, my wallet would have been fatter.
‘Who would’ve thought that’d be the last fire bat? And if we take out all the monsters, the gate disappears?’
I took on C-Class monsters without being able to use magic, and a reward beyond my imagination landed in my hands.
But since the huntable prey inside the gate are living beings, their number isn’t infinite.
In the end, I had to wrap up this schedule with a modest windfall of one million won.
Though a hint of regret flickered in my mind, I shook it off. At least catching the last train wasn’t bad.
“Hunter Ahn Yoon-seung, thank you for today.”
Alright, it’s time to gradually let go of owing him a debt.
I lightly greeted him.
“Hey, do you secretly check out gates with no people around on normal days?”
But Yoon-seung didn’t acknowledge my greeting and started asking something.
“Do you only go to gates that are deserted?”
Should I answer that?
“Why’s that?”
His suspicious reaction made him awkwardly laugh.
“You need the help of another hunter to officially enter gates of E-Class or higher.”
“That’s true.”
“So maybe…”
“…?”
“If something like today happens again, could you call me back?”
Ahn Yoon-seung’s cautious suggestion caught me off guard. It was surprisingly beneficial for both sides.
The idea that nothing comes free rings true universally.
“I already paid off my debt. Why do you ask?”
Could it be that this Earthling is plotting something for the mana absorption potion?
‘If that was the case, he wouldn’t have the sense to value sand at all.’
Of course, the reason for his suggestion quickly became clear.
“Being next to you, I can learn so much.”
He explained at length about his background.
He had recently become a solo hunter after an incident shattered his team.
In fact, Ahn Yoon-seung is a hunter who awakened less than six months ago.
Because of this, he had limited experience, making it risky to act alone, but forming a new team felt daunting…
‘He must be bothered by being backstabbed by comrades. I’d feel the same way.’
A combination of various factors led him to essentially take a break right now.
Regardless, this A-Class hunter currently had plenty of free time.
So if I allowed it, he wanted to join me in the gates from time to time, for practice and a mental reset.
Hmm.
“I won’t refuse if you’re offering to help, but…”
I sorted out his words in my head before laying down some ground rules.
“Yoon Seung-ah, if we end up fighting, you know…”
“Yeah?”
“I’ll lose.”
“…!”
“That means I’m weak. The golem incident was just that your handling was… a bit clumsy.”
I needed to keep Ahn Yoon-seung from getting too cocky.
“Got it? If something dangerous pops up, don’t think I’ll save you just because I’m here.”
“Ah, I see.”
“You have to protect yourself. Always.”
With this, I could establish some safety measures without revealing I couldn’t use magic.
After explaining the entire situation, I asked if he would still follow me into the gates.
Ahn Yoon-seung readily agreed.
‘Ah, Gi-ryeo-hyung is even humble… He’s worried I might let my guard down and get hurt!’
Seeing him casually smile, it seemed like he understood my intent well.
“Great, that’s all I needed to hear.”
I felt my excitement grow as I gained an Earthling ally.
Now that the discussion wrapped up, all that was left was to exchange contact information for the future.
“By the way, how old are you, Gi-ryeo-hyung?”
He paused his writing and turned to me.
Now that I think about it… We didn’t even know each other’s ages.
‘His panicking in front of the golem must’ve left that impression. Without realizing it, I’ve been treating Ahn Yoon-seung like a younger kid.’
Kim Gi-ryeo’s age?
I thought for a moment and pulled out my wallet from my back pocket. Then I showed him my ID.
This way, the Earth resident calculated my age automatically.
“Huh? 24 years old? There’s only a two-year difference…”
“…”
“Ah, ahaha! I’m 22! But I started college late, so my student number is…”
From this contact exchange, I gleaned a lot of information.
Kim Gi-ryeo is 24 years old.
He mentioned college, but with no memories surfacing, it seems he’s not highly educated.
“Hmph.”
There wasn’t a single contact saved on my mobile phone.
*
A refreshing morning.
I started the day with some swearing.
I checked the lack of magic as soon as I opened my eyes.
But as I splashed my face with cold water, I tried hard to shake off the negativity.
I had a fun appointment with Hunter Ahn Yoon-seung today.
‘We decided to go to a gate.’
I wasn’t going to sprinkle salt on monsters like last time.
Any creatures that die from mana absorption are exceedingly rare, so I couldn’t go hunting every day. Originally, after making some money, I was planning to take a day off…
But then Ahn Yoon-seung suddenly asked me yesterday.
“Hyung, if you’re okay with it, would you like to check out a new gate tomorrow? Something cool appeared inside, and by chance, I got priority entry.”
And my response to that suggestion was this.
“Ahn Yoon-seung!”
“Oh, you came!”
How could I resist when an alien promised to show me something cool?
Whew, I lightly wiped the sweat off from walking. Ahn Yoon-seung looked at me thoughtfully and then spoke.
“Did you walk all the way here?”
“Uh, why?”
“I was just wondering if your place was too far away. You could’ve taken a taxi.”
Taxi…
“…You’re right.”
Kim Gi-ryeo’s brain is pretty quick to come up with information like that, huh?
‘Damn.’
I swallowed my curses and took a breather.
After calming down, I finally noticed the scenery around me.
“There are quite a few people. Are all these folks entering?”
“Most are just onlookers. Reporters and such.”
Come to think of it, in Korea, when a new gate appears, a survey team enters to control the area so no other hunters can intrude until the association’s investigation wraps up… only after it’s completed do they open the gate.
Today was precisely the day that new gate opened.
Moreover, a plant never seen by humanity was discovered inside.
That unknown material that was said to cover the ground could perhaps be the key to reversing magic.
‘Is it still closed for entry? Anyway, I probably won’t stay long—just checking out the plants at the entrance and heading back.’
I gazed at the gate with a mix of anticipation and worry.
But just then…
‘Hmm? What’s that?’
In the distance, beyond the blue fields, a black sedan came to a stop.
Until now, everyone had ignored cars, but when a figure opened the back door and stepped out, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.
“Whoa!”
“Hey…”
“What are they doing here?”
Hunters began murmuring.
There was a strange tension in their eyes.
“Whoa, Kang Chang-ho…”
Ahn Yoon-seung wasn’t reacting much differently.
I’m curious why everyone’s acting like this, but I wouldn’t know a celebrity on Earth, now would I?
“Who’s that?”
In my frustration, I finally asked.
Then Ahn Yoon-seung glanced at the person as if looking at an enemy spy.
“That’s Hunter Kang Chang-ho. S-Class.”
But at this point, it was somewhat understandable why they were making such a fuss.
“S-Class? There are three of them in Korea, right?”
Hearing that made me take a closer look, and I quickly recognized why this person was classified as S-Class.
The aura surrounding him was fundamentally different from the sorcerers scattered around. Plus, he was managing that vast internal mana with ease.
‘Whoa.’
He’s definitely a rare talent in the world. Naturally, my gaze was drawn to him.
And in that moment, our eyes briefly met.
‘Everyone’s looking, so it should be fine, right?’
But I didn’t shy away from his gaze. Soon after, that awakened person turned his attention elsewhere.
It was a natural occurrence. A brief glance meant nothing, right…?
“Wait a second?”
Hold on, I need to take back my previous thought.
The S-Class hunter, who had just a moment ago turned his attention away, swiftly pivoted back and focused on me.
His wide eyes seemed to be saying, ‘Did I just see something wrong?’ as he began confirming with a clear gaze.
Not blinking, he started staring right at me.
‘Uh, what is this?’
At this point, it’s honestly terrifying.
I casually suddenly pretended not to notice. Then I could hear the rustling of grass as the S-Class hunter began to approach.