The Blade of Misunderstanding (1)
"...Why is that monster in my domain?"
Arin shed fat, heavy tears. Her reaction left me utterly bewildered.
"Arin?"
I leaned in close. The vacant look in Arin's eyes slowly began to clear, focus returning to her pupils.
"...Yoo-cheon?"
She looked at me, her expression a mix of confusion and fear. Judging by the atmosphere, she seemed absolutely terrified of Yugi.
"He's the friend I told you about. He's nice, so you don't need to be scared."
Arin lifted her head and glared at Yugi.
"...That thing is not a friend."
I would never forget the look of utter shock on Yugi's face that day.
A few days had passed since then.
Ping!
I was jolted out of my deep thoughts about Yugi and Arin's relationship by the sound of a text notification.
The text was from Shin Won-chul, an employee working directly under Kim Na-hyun at the Hunter Association.
In truth, operating as an independent Awakened without any institutional backing or affiliation was an incredibly tedious affair. From applying for subjugation permits to handling the final settlements, you had to do every single thing yourself.
Hunters already had their hands full honing their skills and mastering strategies to defeat monsters. They simply didn't have the luxury of worrying about which gates were opening in which regions, or what the market value of the byproducts they obtained might be.
But I was a bit of an exception.
Though I still lacked any official affiliation or backing, I didn't have to lift a finger for any of those tedious processes. I was the one and only hunter who had the luxury to do it, yet had absolutely no need to.
And that was all thanks to Kim Na-hyun's direct subordinate, who handled all these conveniences for me.
Of course, I had been wary at first. What if they're just playing nice now only to show their true colors later? But Kim Na-hyun had signed a contract promising not to use these favors as leverage later (though I doubted it had much legal teeth), and in the end, I accepted the arrangement.
Aside from the sheer annoyance of doing it myself, it was always best to leave specialized tasks to the professionals. And the results were, without a doubt, spectacular.
The most tangible benefit, naturally, was the money.
With the help of Kim Na-hyun's direct subordinate, I was able to sell the fragments of the Magic Core at a price twenty percent higher than the standard market rate. This was only possible because they accurately assessed the purity and utility of each fragment and matched them with the perfect buyers.
The amount deposited into my bank account was a clean 3.6 million won.
For comparison, the other party members' actual take-home pay was less than 3 million won. Unlike me, who sold directly to buyers, they had to pay hefty commission fees to the Association. It was a massive difference. A few hundred thousand won was more than enough to cover my utility bills and then some.
For the first time, I felt a sense of financial security, looking back with pity at my past self who had lived so hand-to-mouth. To comfort that pitiful past self, maybe I could treat myself to a whole fried chicken tonight...
Ping! Ping! Ping!
Just as my heart was leaning heavily toward ordering chicken, my phone began to chime incessantly. An inexplicable wave of anxiety washed over me. These days, text messages rarely brought good news. They were usually alerts about a monster appearing nearby, news of someone's death, or just spam. Even then, getting three texts a day was a lot. Hearing it chime repeatedly like this was bound to make anyone anxious.
Taking a deep breath, I reached for my phone. But as I tried to unlock it, my face went blank. The sheer volume of incoming messages had completely frozen the device.
It's not completely broken, is it? Phones are getting so expensive lately...
Sighing at this very realistic concern, I stared at the frozen screen. It wasn't hard to figure out why messages were suddenly flooding in. Fortunately, the phone had frozen on the home screen, allowing me to read a single preview notification.
That was where the preview cut off, but it wasn't hard to guess the rest. Was it a scouting offer? I hadn't done anything crazy, so if a guild was contacting me, that had to be it. But one question remained: why now, all of a sudden?
It had already been reported in the news that I was an irregular who had received a B-rank on my very first measurement. A few minor guilds had reached out to me back then, but to be frank, they were all insignificant. I hadn't felt the need to join one yet, so I hadn't been disappointed by the lack of major offers. By the same token, I didn't feel particularly thrilled by this sudden deluge of texts either. I was just curious about the reason.
So, I turned on my computer. If it was an event big enough to cause this kind of reaction, there was bound to be a fuss in the news or on the online communities.
"Sigh..."
My hunch was correct. The moment I opened the browser, my name was plastered right on the front page.
Ah, so this had gotten out. While the articles showered me with praise and astonishment—which felt a bit overwhelming—it would be a lie to say I didn't feel good about it. Nodding with satisfaction, I scrolled down.
But nestled among the countless articles of praise, one headline stood out like a sore thumb.
What is this bastard's problem? Why does he keep doing this? It didn't seem like avoiding him was going to solve the issue anymore.
My opponent was South Korea's very first S-class Awakened. If Kim Hosung, one of the 10 Great Powers, decided to launch a surprise attack on me, I would probably die before I could even react.
Remembering what Kim Na-hyun had told me, I realized I couldn't just sit still and do nothing. As I pondered my options, a sudden spark of inspiration hit me, and I grabbed my coat. I needed to go to the Association and meet Kim Na-hyun's direct subordinate in person, since my frozen phone made it impossible to send a text.
Just in case, I put on a mask before heading out toward the Association.
The next day.
I set foot in Jeollanam-do, at the southern tip of South Korea. My goal was to clear a C-Class Gate.
In truth, clearing gates was something I needed to do consistently for money and for Yugi's growth... but the reason I had gone out of my way to choose a C-class gate was entirely because of Kim Hosung.
"A-Are you sure you'll be alright?" asked Shin Won-chul, Kim Na-hyun's direct subordinate, who had accompanied me.
"Yes. Didn't Kim Hosung also become famous back when he was a B-class by soloing a C-class gate?"
"Well, yes... but he was already a veteran hunter in his third year at the time."
I chuckled softly, letting my answer slide. Kim Hosung had indeed been the first to solo a C-class gate, and the entire nation had gone wild over it. Back then, even I had clenched my fists in excitement, pouring out my enthusiasm on online communities. That feat had catapulted him to fame and sparked discussions about his potential to become an S-class hunter.
My plan was to trigger an even greater shockwave to build my own influence. If I possessed enough influence—like the leader of a major guild—even Kim Hosung wouldn't be able to move against me so easily. I just needed to buy enough time. Just enough time to get a clear picture of how much damage Arin's water droplets could withstand, and what kind of abilities my next contracted beast would possess...
"...Are you really going in alone?"
"Yes."
I gave a brief reply to Shin Won-chul's anxiety-filled question. A C-class gate was a place where Rank 6 monsters lurked on average. Relying on cheap tricks in a fight here was closer to sheer recklessness. I intended to summon both Yugi and Arin at the same time and go all out.
"Even if the subjugation fails, I won't die. Don't worry."
Despite my reassurance, Shin Won-chul let out a heavy, anxious sigh. I could understand his reaction. Honestly, even a couple of Rank 6 monsters working together were more than an ordinary B-class hunter could handle. To defeat them, one needed either an incredibly unique ability or an exhaustive knowledge of their attack patterns. As far as I knew, Kim Hosung possessed both. He wasn't called the first S-class hunter for nothing.
"Well then, I'm heading in."
Having finished my preparations, I spoke to Shin Won-chul. He stopped stretching and nodded. While he wouldn't be participating in the battle, he had come along to act as my porter. Once I destroyed the magic core and emerged, he would receive the report and go in to collect the spoils. He was a highly competent man in many ways. At any rate, thanks to him, I could focus entirely on the battle. Casting my worries aside, I stepped through the gate.
The interior of the gate was a mountain dense with lush, towering trees. Of course, the environment didn't change my plans. I simply summoned Yugi first.
"Gyu."
Yugi emerged from the dark purple gate, looking thoroughly pleased. He seemed to quite like the dense mana of the C-class gate. Next, I summoned Arin.
"Yoo-cheon."
Arin stepped out of the golden gate, calling my name. She approached me with a bright smile, only to freeze solid the moment she spotted the massive form of Yugi. Fortunately, she didn't make a scene like last time. Instead, she walked over and stood with her back to Yugi, using me as a shield.
"...Arin, you should say hello."
Persuasion's Power
The compelling force of my skill took effect. Arin's head turned with stiff, mechanical movements, and she forced her mouth open with great effort.
"...H-Hello."
Yugi wagged his tail toward Arin. I figured that was Yugi's own way of showing friendliness.
"Eek!"
But Arin, completely ignorant of his intentions, shrieked in surprise and recoiled. Yugi stood there with a dejected expression, moving to my other side, away from Arin. It looked like they still had a long way to go before becoming friends...
"...That thing is totally acting."
"Huh?"
"...Someone told me. The Ruler of the North is incredibly ferocious and cruel."
"The Ruler of the North?"
Arin glared at Yugi. It seemed she was referring to Yugi as the Ruler of the North. But Yugi was far from ferocious, wasn't he? Well, he could be a bit cruel at times, but still...
"No, guys, that's not what's important right now."
This was a C-class gate. It was a place where even A-class hunters could lose their lives if they let their guard down. We couldn't just stand around casually chatting.
"Even for you guys, this place is..."
Just as I was about to instill some sense of tension into Arin and Yugi, a massive beast revealed itself from behind the trees. It was a wildcat the size of a tiger. One, two, three... Just how many of them were surrounding us? This was getting seriously dangerous.
Yet, the monsters' behavior was rather strange. Even as their bodies trembled violently, they approached us as if drawn by an irresistible, overriding force. They bowed their heads low, showing absolute submission.
"They were running around so hard, so I just called them over here."
"...All of them?"
"Yep."