Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Nothing is Perfect (3)
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Hunters are heroes.
Fame. Honor. Power.
Even if someone became a Hunter chasing those things, the fact remained that they hunted monsters and saved people.
That was why Hunters were heroes—or at least, that was what Han Juyeong believed.
'Heroes must always be perfect.'
A single unprepared mistake from one person could lead to a team's annihilation, a failed gate raid, and mass casualties.
That was the reason.
The reason Han Juyeong had shot Kim Gunja a look of contempt.
'Selfish piece of trash.'
When the hunt ended and they returned to the waiting room,
Han Juyeong saw a replay of the scene that had become a hot topic on the broadcast.
At first, even he was surprised.
But only for a moment.
Contempt filled Han Juyeong's eyes.
Reckless.
A gambler who dove in without any preparation.
If that had been inside a gate without safety personnel, casualties would surely have occurred, Han Juyeong judged.
'Leading a hunt like that just to make himself look good. The worst kind.'
People like that shouldn't be Hunters.
They dragged their teams into hell and posed a greater danger than even Slayers in some ways.
And that man had uttered his name.
"I nominate Han Juyeong."
Han Juyeong's brow furrowed, and the waiting room stirred.
A D-rank nominating an A-rank?
No matter that PvP outcomes didn't affect pass/fail, it was something that just didn't happen in normal circumstances.
Any Awakener knew that level gaps weren't easily bridged.
"What the hell? Is he crazy?"
"Look at how he hunted. He risked his life. Definitely not normal."
Han Juyeong stared at Kim Gunja, who had nominated him.
Despite the commotion, his expression was remarkably calm.
As if he'd just stepped out for a stroll in front of his house.
'...Minimal emotional fluctuation. Not an impulsive decision, then?'
Han Juyeong's lips twitched.
He had a rough idea of why Kim Gunja had nominated him.
Trait types that unleashed overwhelming power in a single blow were generally weak in prolonged fights.
The best way to compensate for that weakness was,
'Maximizing your strengths.'
In other words, put on the strongest performance you could in a short time.
For example, shattering a shield that seemed unbreakable.
But that only worked against stationary targets or untrained beasts.
'Treating me like one of those monsters? What an insult.'
Han Juyeong ground his teeth.
It was as good as mocking all the blood, sweat, and tears he'd poured into living up to the name of hero.
Arrogant. Overconfident. Careless.
...Or maybe this was actually a good thing.
"Examinee Han Juyeong. Will you accept the PvP challenge?"
An official approached to confirm his intent.
When an examinee was nominated, they could accept or decline based on trait compatibility or level differences.
"If you'd prefer to face an instructor instead of an examinee..."
"No. It's fine. I accept."
An unprepared loose cannon.
Eliminate him here.
With his decision made, Han Juyeong accepted the PvP.
As Han Juyeong accepted without a hint of hesitation, the waiting room grew even noisier.
Whatever the reason, it was a matchup that naturally drew eyes—like spear versus shield.
"Whoa, looks reckless, but I'm curious."
"Yeah. Those two acted total opposites in the first exam."
"But the rank gap is huge. Can he even compete?"
"That's obvious. The real point is how well he holds up. If a D-rank lands even one solid hit on an A-rank, that's a win. The scouts will mention him over and over."
"True..."
Amid the divided opinions among the examinees, another bombshell dropped.
"I nominate Jin Garyul."
It was Sin Yeji.
The waiting room turned into a marketplace of noise.
Top in average physical and mana levels.
Top prospect for major guilds.
First place in the first exam.
The candidate overwhelmingly favored to top this Hunter license exam.
Joker Jin Garyul.
Sin Yeji had thrown down her challenge to him.
Why?
Most wondered that.
They could write off Kim Gunja's antics as a desperate D-rank's thrashing, but did Sin Yeji need to take such a risk?
It was a doubt born from ignorance of what had happened between Kim Gunja and Jin Garyul.
"...You shouldn't do that."
"Then run away if you're scared."
Sin Yeji crossed her arms and stared provocatively at Jin Garyul.
"Come on. I'm saying this for your sake, sis. Don't get into pointless emotional fights—focus on the exam quietly..."
"Stop flicking your tongue like a lizard and decide if you're doing this or not."
At Sin Yeji's words, the smile on Jin Garyul's face cracked wide open.
Lizard.
He'd barely escaped that damn word, only to hear it again.
"...Actually, this works out. You've been annoying me since you interrupted earlier. I'll teach you to pick your opponents carefully."
"Don't cut and run with your tail between your legs."
"...Let's see who runs first."
Lee Junyoung, the host watching the storm-brewing waiting room, quietly sighed.
Hoping these hot-blooded examinees wouldn't cause a major incident.
#
In a restaurant in Bucheon,
four men gathered, grumbling as they watched the Hunter license exam on a beam projector.
"Is that guy actually insane? D-rank, right? Why's he picking a fight with an A-rank?"
Kim Gunja's friend Giyun chewed on square rice cakes, frowning.
"Exactly. I thought I misheard earlier. If you're taking the exam, just take the damn exam. What's with this bullshit? Sigh."
Hangil responded while bringing out fried chicken.
The family restaurant, set to be their legacy, had become their friends' hideout for the day.
Worried that contacting him would add pressure, they'd even taken leave to secretly cheer on Kim Gunja like this.
"Hey, remember earlier? When he fired that signal flare, it seemed crazy, but he pulled it off in the end."
"That was a hunt. You equating that to this? The opponent's a trained A-rank. Look at the size difference."
"Tell me about it. Is that guy standing in front of Gunja even human? Easily over two meters tall. Built like a gorilla, that gorilla."
Byunghoon picked up a chicken leg, looking fed up with Han Juyeong.
"I saw earlier—he's specialized in defense. A-rank is impressive. Dodging, deflecting, blocking attacks with that bulk... Felt like watching a movie."
"But why pick a fight with that guy?"
"You know how he is with his fourth-dimensional crap. Not his first time."
"Ugh, lunatic..."
Frustrated, Byunghoon chugged his beer.
"Still, Gunja never acts purely on emotion without reason, right?"
Jintae countered Giyun's point.
"That's the problem—we can't predict his reasons. Remember why he's stuck on Customizing Room so long? Started with something simple like 'I hate the same old thing.'"
True enough, they nodded, and Giyun shot back.
"He must have something up his sleeve. Remember that face he made when he said he was all-in on becoming a Hunter?"
How could they forget?
The guy who was fine with anything always gave his all when he got that serious look.
"Yeah, when Gunja commits, he commits. He'll handle it fine."
As Byunghoon said that, his gaze turned to Hangil.
Who'd been tapping away at his phone intently with an awkward finger.
"But what've you been doing since earlier?"
"Oh, just handling some comments."
The friends' eyes gathered.
"Comments? Suddenly why?"
"These trash bastards are making shit up. Check the main article right now."
"Huh?"
At Hangil's words, they all pulled out their phones,
"What the— these reporter scum!"
"What? 'Old fogey showboating'? If 20-somethings are old fogeys, everyone over 30 is a corpse!"
"Wow... 'Disposable Hunter'? Do they think words have no weight?!"
After checking the article and comments, the friends' fingers flew more aggressively than ever.
Oblivious to their tasty chicken and beer cooling.
#
One of the artificial island's themes: ruins.
Kim Gunja and Han Juyeong faced off, keeping their distance on a cracked asphalt road.
PvP didn't have a separate arena.
Battles with Slayers mostly happened inside gates anyway, so the island's themes doubled as battlegrounds.
If a monster popped out mid-fight, improvising in such emergencies was a key scoring factor.
Still, safety personnel stood ready nearby for maximum caution.
The safety officer checked the time and spoke.
"One minute until start. Get ready."
Han Juyeong looked at Kim Gunja warming up and opened his mouth.
"Impressive hunt lead."
"Ah, thank you."
He expressed thanks for the sudden praise,
but
"And I'm convinced. You don't deserve to be a Hunter."
Should've known.
Never trust Korean compliments till the end.
"...What do you mean?"
"Just what I said. You're not ready yet. So don't blame me if you fail. It probably... won't take long."
Sheesh.
Why so hostile from the waiting room?
Curious at first, but now it didn't matter.
Quest and exam were what counted.
"Well, my choice, so no grudges. But the phrasing's off. Sounds like you've finished all prep to become a Hunter."
"Naturally. Perfectly."
Perfect.
Even Ma Ilcheon, who'd devoted his life to the sword through countless brushes with death, never called himself perfect. Yet this young man barely past twenty claimed it.
At the disconnect, Kim Gunja let out a scoff, and Han Juyeong's lips twisted.
"What's so funny?"
"No, just... Well, you can think that. But it's just your standard. I have mine. That's why I'm chasing Hunter— no reason for me to comment on yours."
"Let me say it again. You won't become a Hunter, Kim Gunja. I'll make you realize reckless ways have limits."
Kim Gunja calmly met Han Juyeong's confident face.
"My limits are mine to set. Not yours."
As their gazes clashed in the air, the safety officer signaled start.
Boom—.
Without wasting time, Han Juyeong kicked off the ground, charging at Kim Gunja.
Raising his large shield in one hand, his rush carried the weight of a tank at first glance.
Even against that heavy charge,
Kim Gunja calmly held his ground, focusing his mind on his sword.
And recalled.
The hunt scene Han Juyeong had shown.
Han Juyeong.
Unlike his moniker Diamond, his defense had standout qualities.
No matter the attack's angle, he didn't just block—he deflected or repelled entirely.
A technique that didn't rely on mana-hardened objects or body for high rigidity, but honed combat skills with it into a higher realm.
A natural counter to Kim Gunja's current all-in-one-strike style.
Yet Kim Gunja had nominated him knowing that.
Trusting his own skill as much as Han Juyeong trusted his.
Trusting the sweat he'd shed, Ma Ilcheon's sword.
Kim Gunja's hunting sword extended slowly, unhurried, deliberate.
Compared to his prior fast, ferocious strikes, it was yawn-inducingly slow.
'Hm...!'
Yet Han Juyeong didn't underestimate it.
Through the gap at the top of his large shield, he watched the sword's power and trajectory.
Kim Gunja's sword seemed ordinary at a glance, but Han Juyeong saw clearly.
Tiny vibrations from the right shoulder amplified toward the tip.
Like layered blades, hard to predict.
But to Han Juyeong, it was laughable.
'Tricks...!'
Han Juyeong's focus peaked.
And as always,
he angled his shield perfectly to deflect the attack.
Activating his unique trait.
Han Juyeong was certain.
His defense, forged from unique trait and grueling training, was impenetrable.
The moment he deflected that strike,
his shield would smash Kim Gunja flat—failure.
In that do-or-die instant,
the sword tip, producing dozens of tremors, converged to one point.
And the blade, which should have slid off, merely tapped Han Juyeong's shield.
Lightly, like a petal falling on a still lake.
And then,
Crack—crackle-crack!
A small ripple from that point spread like a spiderweb across the mana-reinforced large shield.
Diamond, the hardest naturally occurring substance.
Han Juyeong's pride—unique trait embodying its molecular structure with mana, plus deflection skill—should never crack.
Yet it was happening.
"......!"
It was the moment Heaven-Shattering Sword, Third Form: Heaven Shaker, was recreated in Kim Gunja's hand.