Chapter 302. Holiday (3)
At the sa ti, she also felt a twinge of regret that Kim Giryeo hadn't been recruited into the Korean Magic Tower Guild.
'If an equal relationship is difficult, I'd still like to be at least an ally in so way.'
The most effective way for hunters to build rapport with one another is by forming an official team.
'Perhaps even Jung Haseong, our team's standby, might just keep chasing after nothing until he dies of old age, simply because he couldn't properly master the secret...'
Haha.
But would that cold-faced hunter ever need a teammate in this lifeti?
"Hunter Esther, w, why are you sighing? Was I too slow marking the magic stones?"
"No way."
Esther once again felt a deep sense of regret that this hunter had never joined her guild, and her thoughts grew heavier with worry. anwhile, the alien—still quietly gauging the mood of the curse-wielding hunter—only let himself relax once he was sure she wasn't actually angry. And only then did he dare to think.
"Fortunately, it works well."
Swish, swish, swish.
He quietly brushed his glove in the blind spot where Esther couldn't see him.
"Experint complete."
Not only A-rank beasts—but even the invisible power of curses, as long as there was a clear direction to it, could be absorbed by this arcane artifact.
"As a mage, I always felt uneasy showing my bare hands so openly, since they play such a crucial role in casting spells. Now that I have this excellent outer glove, I'm really glad!"
And with that, the [Gloves of Midnight] were now complete. As of today, he had secured yet another viable ans of survival.
So, suppressing the hum that threatened to slip out, Giryeo finished marking the magic stones. It was the end of a long outing.
***
So ti later.
A municipal awakener training facility in Seoul.
"Your right shoulder's drooping a bit too much—Jung Haseong, is your body slightly asymtrical or sothing?"
I had finally returned to a completely normal life. To be honest, it had already been quite so ti since I regained this peaceful state. I'd dealt with that insane skill theft, crafted new gear that I was genuinely satisfied with. Even after wrapping everything up, I'd made enough money to still have plenty left over—Honestly, what hardship could life possibly throw at now?
'I got enough sleep and food that I couldn't get in my previous life.'
There's really nothing much to say about the past two weeks. Pretty much all of South Korea was peaceful. And by peace, I an that the plans I've been working on since the beginning of the year have been wrapping up smoothly.
A whopping 3 billion won per month worth of teaching activities. Sure, things kept getting postponed because of all sorts of accidents. Well, to be honest, I still have a lot on my plate even now. But still—when this much money is involved, wouldn't it feel right to see the curriculum through to the end, properly?
"Asymtrical? Really?"
"No. It was just the worst posture. I saw it wrong."
But the truth is, the reason I returned to the role of an instructor wasn't just out of a sense of responsibility. Sure, I ended up blowing through all the compensation money I got from Imabari in Japan, and now I can't afford a top-tier residence—but whatever, that's not the real issue.
"Hmm."
Recently, the atmosphere of the world I was reincarnated into felt strange.
[Is This Yet Another Result of 'Ecosystem Disruption'? U.S. Governnt Officially Acknowledges Rising Global Gate Difficulty]
[Should I start looking for another job? — The unexpected struggles of an F-rank Hunter...]
[Column] The Rarefaction of the Lowest-Tier Monster, the Horned Rabbit - is it Justified to Classify Dungeon Creatures as Endangered Species?]
It was sothing anyone could figure out just by glancing at an online news site. With nearly every major headline from all sorts of news outlets pointing in the sa direction, how could anyone who wasn't completely cut off from the news possibly be unaware of it?
'It doesn't seem like sothing to laugh about.'
To summarize the contents of the articles I've read so far, this is the problem.
For so reason, the world's dungeon difficulty had started to trend upward.
'This isn't sothing I can just laugh off...'
Even though the Great Cataclysm hasn't happened yet, new magical beasts are starting to appear frequently in various dungeons. Most shocking of all is the research by certain mammalian scholars suggesting that in just ten years, the concept of an F-rank gate could completely disappear from the world.
[Should I start looking for another job? — The unexpected struggles of an F-rank Hunter...]
This headline clearly stems from that very phenonon.
Originally, Earthlings had believed that dungeon difficulty simply cycled through phases of ease and hardship, much like the four seasons. But eight years after the Dungeon Shock, enough data had finally accumulated for them to realize—albeit belatedly—that the strength of these dungeons had been steadily trending upward all along.
'The more accustod a host becos to stimulation, the more intense the pain it demands—it's only natural, in a way.'
I stood with my arms crossed, montarily lost in thought.
'But the real problem is always the speed. Why does everything on Earth move so damn fast?'
F-rank monsters like the [Poison Moth], which are generally harmless to humans, have already disappeared from Earth by about 28%. No matter the underlying cause, the extinction of species is sothing that should always raise concern.
'Even if the creature was artificially created through unnatural ans, extinction is still sothing to be wary of.'
If F-grade gates completely disappear in ten years, it might actually lead to an expansion of jobs for superpowered individuals in various countries.
'Strictly speaking, this isn't even a real F-rank.'
Who cares about the job market for Awakened? Earthlings, I just simply hate working!
'Ugh, lately, my sense of defeat has deepened so much that I've even stopped calling myself an Archmage, but either way, I absolutely refuse to have a proper job ever again.'
Work...
Anyway, I stopped myself from even thinking that dreadful word I could barely bring myself to say. And then I thought to myself.
'Ha.'
This rise in dungeon difficulty was, in the end, nothing more than the Gisinche entities throwing a tantrum because they wanted more to feed on. But I, on the other hand, had been reduced to a half grey being who had lost all of my standing as a mage.
"Damn it."
I am worried about the statistical results that the Earthlings have released.
'I can still handle possession entities sohow, but the monster waves generated by the Gisinche... that's a whole different story.'
How is an F-rank hunter, who's treated like dust by all kinds of barriers, supposed to fight and win against enhanced monsters?
'If the Gisinche make even a slight mistake in their setup, won't I get swept away along with everything else?'
Flutter.
The more I think about the future, the more it feels like I'm trapped in a dead end. So I resolved to keep researching ways to awaken the growth potential of this body—Kim Giryeo. Of course, I'll also look for side paths, just in case that research doesn't yield quick results. It wouldn't be a bad idea to raise a powerful weapon of my own to protect , after all.
"Whoo..."
"_."
I turned my head and spotted a familiar mammal figure at the center of the gym. I briefly scanned the man sitting cross-legged. As you could tell from the sight, the new hoowner was currently engaged in sothing resembling ditation.
The crown of the head. The shoulders. The thighs and ankles, and so on.
This state, with low-grade ignition magic stones placed all over the body, allowed the user to more sharply refine the sensation of heat, which fire mages primarily deal with.
'In this capitalist society, it's rare to find such a kind landlord... I really just wanted to butter him up as much as possible.'
However, during this correction process, the sa problem was discovered again.
"He's dull."
Jung Haseong is a serious theorist...
Since I was exempted from rent, I tried to package it as an advantage, but in other words, it just ant that he was soone who had no sense of magic.
The growth thods I've taught in class up to this point were fine—they were structured in a way where, as long as the principles were understood, results could be achieved with enough practice. But the final skill I'm teaching now? It's 90% intuition. No—more like 99.9% raw talent. An unfair kind of power.
"The lessons I prepared are almost over."
To be honest, I don't think Jung Haseong will be able to fully master that skill.
A fla sorcerer's ultimate technique—encircling their body with fire to unify offense and defense. Well, even for a race that draws power from fire, there's no way an ordinary mammal could pull that off easily.
'Still, if he keeps up that kind of training, he'll eventually be able to control his overflowing mana more precisely. So in the end, it's not a loss for Jung Haseong anyway.'
I slipped my hand into the pocket of my newly bought suit trousers.
'But from the perspective of an instructor, I often feel like this is a waste of ti. Maybe I really should just wrap this class up quickly instead of dragging it out just to get paid...'
And after waiting a mont, the alarm I had set on my phone started ringing.
5 p.m. Today's lesson ended without a hitch once again.
"Phew."
We left the awakeners-only training gym right on ti, just as our rental period ended.
But around this ti, the student—who hadn't asked a single question during the lesson—suddenly struck up a casual conversation.
"Hunter-nim."
"Huh?"
"By the way, I haven't seen those gloves before. Did you get yourself a new item?"
Earth-style leather gloves. These are my secret weapon, procured at the staggering cost of a trillion won. And since Esther doesn't have any real magic worthy of being called [mories], there's really no need for to reveal everything.
"I just got sothing suitable because my hands were cold. They say it's made from the hide of a unicorn beast."
"It's not even September yet?"
"Chronic cold hands and feet."
Ah.
As he proudly showed off the back of the leather glove, the naive Jung Haseong nodded in understanding. And after that, as the question was resolved, only aningless conversation flowed.
"Hey, Haseong. How about we make so doenjang-jjigae when we get ho today?"
"Yes?"
"I'm just a freeloader, so it's been hard to say anything until now... but honestly, the stew from that side dish place you always order from really doesn't taste that good."
"Stew?"
"From what I've seen, you didn't seem to like it either—you were always just picking at the broth. You know, people need to eat properly to... I an, just like you said, that's how skills co out better."
I wanted to eat a specific nu, but since I didn't own the kitchen, I pretended to be the kind landlord and drove the dinner nu selection.
A mont later, the plan succeeded. Jung Haseong, fooled by the claim that a balanced al was essential for magic achievents, started the car.
Originally, the plan was to head to a nearby discount grocery store, pick up the ingredients, and return ho.
"I've saved on rent, so I might as well spend a bit and buy so good-quality ingredients."
Co to think of it, there must be so kind of peculiar culture surrounding Earth's passenger cars—but I just can't figure out what it is.
"Hmm."
By the ti the car Jung Haseong was driving arrived, I simply thought this side would offer a much wider view, so, just as to awaken the growth potential of this body—Kim Giryeo. Of course, I'll also look for side paths, just in case that research doesn't yield quick results. It wouldn't be a bad idea to raise a powerful weapon of my own to protect , after all.
Why was the driver surprised when I tried to sit in the back when it was an empty seat anyway?
"What on earth does that an?"
If I hesitate here, it'll only make things seem even more suspicious.
So I deliberately ignored his reaction and stubbornly stuck with my choice.
'Let's see. First, the essentials I need to buy: seasoning, zucchini, tofu...'
I was just waiting to get to my destination after getting on a seat I liked.
Tiring. Tiring.
The noise once overheard in a drama by the original owner of this body had now beco a reality. In plain terms, the default ringtone song filled the car interior. As for , when I got a new phone, I'd changed the incoming call sound to a droplet tone just for the mood—so it definitely wasn't mine.
"Damn it."
The phone of South Korea's number one ranked hunter is ringing. Is there a more ominous sign in this entire world?
"The phone's ringing..."
Soon after, the traffic light for the driver turned red. As the car ca to a stop due to traffic regulations, Jung Haseong pressed a button on the steering wheel to answer the call remotely.
"Hello...!"
"I'm driving."
Jung Haseong, calmly explaining his situation, appeared composed overall. It seed he was used to situations like this. However, the person on the other end of the line was shouting frantically, as if a fire had broken out right beneath their feet.
Tuk.
I leaned my elbow against the door fra beside my seat and sank into thought.
'Oh my.'
As expected of a planet where they say "no flower blooms for ten days straight," the peace of hunters barely lasted even a month.
.
.
.
What exactly was the ssage Jung Haseong received?
To put it bluntly, the Korean Hunter Association was in a state of total ergency.
"Anyway, Hunter-nim... sorry for contacting you while you were driving. But if you have the ti, we would really appreciate it if you could co to the Association."
They weren't just talking about soybean paste stew—what they ant was, even if you have to skip a al, make ti no matter what.
Is it really that urgent?
A man with a voice like a news anchor voiced his doubt. But the next words from the Association's representative left the four seasons. But it was because even outsiders who weren't familiar with Hunters would rember the words that were ntioned.
"I'm sorry, but there are just too many things we need to ask you, Hunter."
The association staff mber, who had been nervously shaking his leg while holding the receiver, finally revealed the cause of the situation to the S-rank Hunter on the line.
"It's... it's a disaster. In Sejong City, the [Tower of a Hundred People] has appeared..."
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