The Prelude to Misunderstanding

"It's still a bit ambiguous... but if we funnel all the best gear to him, could he become the strongest in the world?"

"What? You're joking, right?"

"Ahaha, of course it's a joke. How could someone like me, who's never even been close to that level, make such a judgment? Still, it's not entirely a joke, so make the necessary preparations."

After hanging up the phone, she looked at Park Yuchen. The skin that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had been melted by the acid was almost completely healed. There were minor scratches here and there, but nothing that required a potion.

His body is in remarkably good shape for someone who broke through a colony of bear ants and destroyed the magic core all by himself.

Indeed, it was not entirely a joke. Bear ants were on the weaker side even among Rank 10 kaijus. Nevertheless, the ant tunnel was an F-class gate that hunters actively avoided. Individually, they were weak, but they boasted overwhelming numbers, and a Rank 9 kaiju—the Queen Bear Ant—would undoubtedly be lurking deep within the nest. Not to mention, the pitch-black environment of the ant tunnel was a nightmare in itself. It was absolutely not a feat a newly awakened novice could achieve. Especially not a hunter who had received an F-rank in their mana measurement.

Suddenly, she recalled the sheer terror that had gripped her back in the mana measurement room. Driven by a lingering doubt, she reached her hand toward Park Yuchen's neck. She wanted to feel his mana once more.

To sense mana with absolute precision, one had to place a hand over the heart. However, since that was a bit too embarrassing, she opted for his neck, the closest alternative. She closed her eyes and attempted to channel her senses to feel his mana.

"...What are you doing?"

When she looked down, Park Yuchen was staring up at her with half-open eyes, having woken up at some point.

"...Hic! It's-It's nothing, I was just curious about something so I was trying to feel your ma—"

"Feel what?"

"No, not feel! I mean, I was just checking to see if you were still alive...!"

"What a terrifying thing to say..."

"What a terrifying thing to say..." I muttered nonchalantly to Kim Na-hyun, whose face had flushed as red as a carrot.

Truth be told, despite my calm exterior, I was dying of embarrassment inside. "It'll sting a little," she said... If I had known it would hurt this much, I would have braced myself and clenched my teeth. Because I was completely relaxed and off guard, I ended up letting out a bizarre shriek and passing out. Damn it...

I quickly changed the subject before the atmosphere could grow any more awkward. Since the gate was gradually closing anyway, discussing my evaluation seemed like the perfect pivot.

"More importantly, what is my rank going to be?"

"Ah, I'm incredibly sorry, but a problem has come up."

"A problem?"

"...Yes. Unless I personally witness the subjugation process, I cannot award you a rank higher than C-class. I'm so sorry for not telling you this beforehand. To be honest, I didn't expect you to actually succeed in clearing it at all..."

Well, to be fair, even I hadn't expected to clear the gate in a mere fifteen minutes. Just how terrified must those ants have been to destroy their own magic core—their connection to Earth—and commit mass suicide? It was probably due to the Status Effect: Fear that I had been shielded from.

It made me look at my little Yugi in a whole new light.

"You're telling me this because my performance actually warranted a C-class rank or higher, right?"

"...Yes, that's correct."

At first, I thought I'd be happy with anything as long as it wasn't F-class... but now, I felt a pang of disappointment, as if something rightfully mine had been snatched away. Sensing my mood, Kim Na-hyun spoke up first.

"It's because of the reports. From C-class onward, hunters are considered high-level personnel, so the higher-ups review the documentation very thoroughly."

"Well, if that's the case, I understand."

I nodded in agreement. It was a shame, but I had no reason to be angry. It wasn't like I had physically fought to clear the gate myself, and my only injury was the result of my own foolish curiosity. However, unaware of the truth, Kim Na-hyun looked utterly distraught.

"...I'm so, so sorry. I'll treat you to a meal next time. Somewhere really expensive."

Since I couldn't tell her the actual details of what had happened, I simply nodded.

"In that case... should I proceed with registering you as a D-class hunter?" Kim Na-hyun asked cautiously.

"About that... let's hold off on it for a bit."

My identity was still closer to that of an ordinary civilian. After all, even though I had awakened, my physical body hadn't become incredibly strong; it just felt like I had gained a cute little companion. I still had no idea how far this ability would take me or what exactly I should do with it. That was why I had visited the Association with the vague goal of securing any rank other than F-class.

But at this moment, I asked myself a question.

If Yugi was this powerful, and if my ability was truly extraordinary... could I really live a life satisfied with just enjoying a few minor luxuries?

It was a question that drew a scoff from my own lips. Born a man, that was simply impossible.

Men are simple creatures. When there is no sword in their hand, it is one thing, but the moment they grasp a blade, the instinct to swing it surges within them. And, embarrassing as it was to admit, I was one of those men.

"I need some time to think about whether I want to make my abilities public."

Of course, I still had absolutely no intention of showing Yugi to the world. However, watching Yugi fight today had given me a clever little idea.

Kim Na-hyun smiled, though she still couldn't hide her apologetic expression.

"Yes, of course. I can certainly arrange that much for you."

Inside the gate, shrouded in pitch-black darkness. In the territory of the Xuanwu—that is, Yugi's domain—I was currently practicing a certain technique.

"Go, Park Yugi!"

"Gyu!"

A dark red gate materialized in front of Yugi and me. Without a moment's hesitation, Yugi whipped his tail straight toward the portal.

Thwack!

Immediately, a training dummy standing right in front of me collapsed. It was a dummy positioned quite far from Yugi, completely out of his direct line of sight.

"Finally, success!"

This was the method I had devised to show off my abilities to others in a moderate, controlled fashion. After contemplating for quite some time, I had managed to discover my specialty.

Naturally, my specialty was summoning gates. It just so happened that these gates connected to the domain of a myth-grade kaiju.

Anyway, why did I call this my specialty? The reason was simple. As long as it was within Yugi's domain, I could summon a gate connecting to any location I imagined. I could also freely adjust the number and size of the gates.

By utilizing this specialty, I had a way to attack without fully summoning Yugi. I would create a tiny gate, and Yugi, with his incredible reaction speed, would strike ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his tail through it. While its practical utility was somewhat lacking, it was perfect for show.

Moreover, Yugi seemed to thoroughly enjoy this exercise. While practicing this, our Bond had increased by 6. He probably thought of it as a game of Whack-A-Mole.

I'll be able to meet another kaiju soon. I hope that one is as gentle as Yugi.

Indulging in such happy thoughts, I stroked Yugi's neck.

"Wow, you're bigger than me now. I can't even reach your head anymore."

Monopolizing the ant tunnel and defeating the Rank 9 Queen Bear Ant had clearly had a massive impact. He was growing so fast. It filled me with a strange sense of pride.

He's so cute, though. Why were those ants so terrified the moment they saw him? Seeing how the system messages popped up for me too, is it one of Yugi's abilities?

A sudden wave of pity washed over me. Yugi was so gentle, yet so many people would shun him simply because he was a kaiju. To be honest, if I didn't possess damage immunity myself, I probably wouldn't have even dreamed of meeting him like this. And keeping Yugi hidden right now was, in the end, for my own sake...

As if sensing my gaze, Yugi tilted his head in confusion.

"...Yugi, do you think there are other good kaijus like you out there? If there are more of them, do you think people's perceptions will change?"

Perhaps because I had been cooped up in this pitch-black darkness for too long, idle thoughts kept slipping out of my mouth.

"Gyu?"

Tilting his head, Yugi seemed to grasp my sentiment and offered a warm, eye-curving smile.

A few days later, I met with Kim Na-hyun again.

"...Wasn't this an ability you absolutely had to keep hidden? Are you sure you'll be alright?"

Her face was written all over with guilt. She seemed to believe that she had made me go through unnecessary trouble last time by failing to mention the crucial regulations beforehand.

...Making a face like that with a face like hers is just cheating.

Fearing I might end up giving her my liver and gallbladder if I wasn't careful, I spoke firmly.

"It's my decision."

"...I understand."

Kim Na-hyun didn't press any further. I stared at her for a moment before speaking again.

"However, I don't plan on destroying the magic core today. I don't want to get hurt."

"Of course! While the results are important, you only need to show a convincing battle."

I nodded, then voiced a thought that had just crossed my mind.

"There's no need to intentionally give me a high score, nor is there any need to give me a low one."

At my changed attitude compared to last time, Kim Na-hyun stared at me intently. After blinking a few times, she gave a bright smile.

"Understood."

In truth, I was curious about my own standing as well. I had sufficiently mastered the method of summoning a gate and attacking with Yugi's tail. However, I was curious about how such a style would look to others.

"I'm all ready," Kim Na-hyun said, packing a weapon that looked like a wand.

Is her ability magic-based?

"Let's go, then."

I took the lead and stepped inside. Technically, Kim Na-hyun was accompanying me as an evaluator, but she didn't feel like one at all. Perhaps because she felt so guilty toward me, she followed behind me with an expression of pure, childlike anticipation.

At any rate, the interior of the gate was a dense, lush forest. Kim Na-hyun scanned the surroundings and spoke up.

"...An F-class forest gate is typically inhabited by Purple Water Deer. Their numbers are small, but each individual is exceptionally powerful for a Rank 10."

For the first time, she actually sounded like an evaluator.

"Purple Water Deer..."

I was familiar with what they looked like. They were actually quite famous on online communities. True to the "water deer" in their name, they had cute faces, but below the neck, they were absolute thugs. They were heavily muscled and massive, looking more like kangaroos. Because of this bizarre contrast, they were a popular meme on the internet.

But while they were funny to look at on a screen, the thought of actually fighting one was terrifying. Especially since I couldn't fully summon Yugi today.

Thus, I took a step back and said, "...Evaluator, please lead the way."

"...?"

Kim Na-hyun blinked in surprise, but soon began to cautiously step forward.

This particular gate was filled with highly toxic vegetation. Just a slight brush against them as we ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠walked caused the skin to swell up red.

"We'll get you treated afterward. Normally, we should have brought a healer along, but I was worried you might find it uncomfortable, Yuchen..."

Listening to Kim Na-hyun's worried chatter, we walked for a few more minutes. Finally, two Purple Water Deer came into view. They were peacefully grazing together.

The moment they spotted us, they stood up on their hind legs.

How on earth is that a deer...

Gulping down my saliva, I wasted no time and summoned a gate. I made it incredibly small, just barely large enough for Yugi's tail to pass through, positioning it at an angle where a straight thrust would strike the Purple Water Deer.

Whirrr—

A dark red ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gate materialized in the empty air just above my shoulder. Instantly, Yugi's tail shot out from the portal, hurtling toward the Purple Water Deer.

Crack!

The Purple Water Deer struck by the tail collapsed limply. It literally crumbled to the ground.

To avoid suspicion, I quickly closed the gate. I didn't mind looking powerful. However, I absolutely did not want her to realize that this ability wasn't an Awakened's skill, but rather the physical body of a kaiju.

The dark red gate vanished along with the tail. However, in the wake of the tail's path, a pitch-black darkness lingered, flickering like dark flames.

I'm doomed.

It was an entirely unexpected variable. Because Yugi had always fought in pitch-black environments, I had no idea his tail would leave behind such a trace.

There was still one Purple Water Deer left. But I didn't have the luxury to worry about some kaiju. Panic driving my movements, my gaze drifted toward Kim Na-hyun.

I stole a glance at her, only to let out a silent groan of despair.

The expression on her face was one of sheer horror and trembling shock.

"...My god. How... how can such mana exist... It's more evil and ferocious than any kaiju..."

To put it bluntly, I was utterly fucked.