Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Initiation Rite (3)
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Geum Jinung had thought about it hundreds, thousands of times.
What if he'd been born into an ordinary family? Would he have suffered like this?
The worthless illegitimate son.
The scorn and humiliation he'd endured from the Geumsan Group heir because of that label were beyond counting.
— Tsk, useless thing.
Even from his own father.
That was why.
The day he awakened, he'd resolved to become a hunter.
He wanted to stand tall on his own.
He wanted recognition.
Proof of his own worth.
He'd trained relentlessly, day and night.
He'd thrown himself into the hunter exam with a resolve to die.
And yet!
— Top score on the first exam. Interested?
When the guy he'd dismissed snatched the attention of Cha Gangju, the woman who'd looked down on him, it felt like something precarious inside him crumbled away.
— Of course it's my way.
Even the hunting techniques he'd desperately learned were brushed off.
And from some no-name D-rank place, no less!
Luck.
All of his hunting success was pure luck.
Cha Gangju's unique trait being stronger than imagined.
Finding terrain that let him pull out a hidden ace.
Safety agents jumping in at just the right moment.
'Why... why doesn't luck like that follow me?! Why!'
It was infuriating.
But the D-rank guy he'd met again today, Kim Gunja, was different once more.
In just a few days, he'd become B-rank.
Thanks to reawakening and an elite gate stroke of fortune!
Geum Jinung resented the heavens.
For denying him alone any chances.
That was why he'd grumbled like that.
Everything you've achieved is luck!
But now, he couldn't say it.
Kim Gunja effortlessly dodged and deflected the spears thrusting from the mountain monkeys without a hint of faltering.
And then,
S slash—!
He sliced off the boss, the One-Horned Monkey's horn.
Sizzle—!
In that instant, the electricity dwelling in the horn coursed through his sword into Kim Gunja's right arm.
Smoke rose faintly, but he didn't even grimace.
Still, temporary paralysis was unavoidable.
Kim Gunja used Shadow Walker repeatedly to evade the monkeys swarming like a pack of dogs, retreating backward.
Like moonwalking, he slipped through the encirclement in a flash, drawing the monkeys after him.
Kim Gunja shouted.
"Now!"
Geum Jinung and Park Juhwan, hidden in wait, dropped from the trees.
Their target: the boss One-Horned Monkey, left alone in stunned rigidity.
Geum Jinung's sword grew heavy as a mountain, Park Juhwan's axe edge sharpened impossibly keen.
Splatter!
The defenseless One-Horned Monkey split into three chunks, spilling blood and guts.
"Keeek! Keeek!"
With their leader down, the monkeys chasing Kim Gunja scattered in panic.
"Well done."
Kim Gunja brushed off the lingering current from his right arm and praised them.
Thanks to Solar Gold's influence on Ma Ilcheon's right arm granting fire resistance, it was numb but didn't burn.
Kim Gunja approached the boss's corpse and absorbed the dark mana.
It was pathetically little compared to a necromancer's yield, but better than nothing.
Every mote adds up to a mountain, after all.
"……."
Geum Jinung's lips twisted.
No matter that he'd apologized.
Kim Gunja's casual praise, as if nothing had happened, defied Geum Jinung's common sense.
The hunting method was the same.
'Completely different from back then.'
He hated to admit it, but he had to.
Unlike the reckless exam days, Kim Gunja's lead was perfect.
Monkeys in the forest were cunning.
They never approached groups of two or more.
Just hurled spears and stones from afar.
But if one strayed even slightly, they pounced to kill.
— Lie in ambush. I'll lure them.
Kim Gunja had volunteered as bait.
And the plan worked flawlessly.
Not only luring them perfectly to the ambush spot, but stunning the boss too.
He'd taken down the sly, troublesome beast with ridiculous ease.
Geum Jinung, pride bruised, couldn't hold back and asked.
"How... how did you change so much in such a short time?"
It wasn't just reawakening.
Reawakening only adds unique traits and boosts base specs.
It couldn't transform a person overnight.
Kim Gunja stared steadily at Geum Jinung's question.
He looked desperate.
And precarious, like walking on thin ice.
'Nineteen, was it?'
Geum Jinung wasn't the type to warm to people easily.
Frankly, he bordered on dislike.
Not someone he'd want to get close to.
Still, Kim Gunja didn't want to brush him off.
One reason.
He remembered.
Being trampled by Kang Inhyeok, holed up in his room for a month.
His days of despair in darkness, lost without a proper path.
Just as finding Chun-duk hyung had changed him, maybe a casual word could spark change here.
He was still young enough.
So he didn't dodge.
He answered honestly, from the heart.
"I have a burning goal. So I charged straight ahead."
Geum Jinung's face twisted at Kim Gunja's words.
As if there was anyone in the world without desperation!
He'd been desperate too.
That's why he'd worked hard, but luck evaded him—he'd meant to argue that.
Then his expression shifted, like a hammer to the head.
The desperation was the same, but the difference hit him.
Kim Gunja had charged forward only.
'I...'
Geum Jinung hadn't.
Desperate, yet fixated sideways.
On someone else, endlessly...
Geum Jinung's lips trembled, then clamped shut.
Shame burned unbearably.
Park Juhwan gazed at him sadly.
Kim Gunja said nothing, watching them.
'If it's fate, we'll meet again.'
He wasn't leisurely enough to meddle deeply in lives.
That day, Geum Jinung left the gate without a single mana stone.
#
The next day.
Kim Gunja headed to the Hero Guild's underground group training hall.
For the pre-briefing on the B-rank plains gate.
There was a reason it was held in the group training area.
From B-rank up, mid-to-large gates started appearing.
Larger gates meant more hunters entering, and efficient hunts required prior teamwork drills.
As Kim Gunja entered, all eyes in the room turned to him.
'...?'
The mood was chilly, but he pressed on.
"I'm Kim Gunja, the new B-rank hunter joining Hero Guild. Looking forward to working with you."
A lean man approached and slapped his shoulder enthusiastically.
"Choi Do-hyuk, A-rank from Hero Guild Team 8. Welcome aboard."
Clap clap. As he started applauding, the gathered hunters followed.
The thunderous claps from callused hunter hands filled the room.
"Thank you for the welcome."
"Your spot's over there. First mid-size gate, right? Pre-briefings are crucial for 10-man hunts, so pay attention."
"Got it."
As Kim Gunja sat, the briefing began.
Team 8 leader Gil Ji-ho, with an X-shaped scar on his face, eyed the focused newcomer meaningfully.
The briefing was brief.
Plains monsters and counters, plus how the ten hunters would form teams.
As it wrapped, Choi Do-hyuk stepped forward.
"Alright, let's sync up our teamwork lightly now. Oh, newbie, any urgent appointments? Might take a while."
"No, none."
"Good. Was worried you'd bail, busy as newbies get."
Laughter rippled around.
'Hazing, huh.'
No offense taken, no point responding.
Choi Do-hyuk tsked boredly at the lack of reaction.
"Tch. Anyway, like the briefing said, split into three teams and drill. Gear up and gather at the arena center!"
At his words, the nine excluding leader Gil Ji-ho paired into threes, facing off in a triangular formation.
"Good. Mock battle to sync breaths? Go all out like it's real."
"Yes!"
As the mock battle started, Kim Gunja sensed discord immediately.
'This...'
Like pre-planned, the other two teams sandwiched his from front and back.
'...Childish.'
Combat erupted, assaults pouring at Kim Gunja.
As he slipped a forward thrust,
Clang!
The rod clashed with his teammate defender's shield, ricocheting unpredictably at his face.
A perfect blind spot; any average hunter would've eaten it.
But Kim Gunja's senses were razor-sharp.
Sensing danger, he parried the front sword and whipped his head aside.
Whoosh—!
Not perfectly.
His cheek grazed and swelled red.
"……."
Blunt tip or not, alloy weapon swung by a veteran elite hunter packs punch.
Surprised he'd dodged, the rod wielder whistled.
"Dodged that? Not bad."
"Pfft! Can't even land that?!"
Laughter boomed amid the chaos as Choi Do-hyuk bellowed.
"Newbie! Get your head in the game! One slip is death!"
Kim Gunja steadied his breath, thumbing the swelling cheek.
'8 vs 1... huh.'
No matter his strength, beating B-ranks+ with years of team sync and experience? Impossible.
'Sniping a few by surprise? Not in training.'
Eventually, wheel tactics would drain stamina and mana, turning it to a group beatdown.
But Kim Gunja didn't mind.
Objectively, it was gain.
'Where else to multi-1v against pros like this?'
Training money couldn't buy.
Safe from death.
Prep for future Slayer matches? Solid.
His lips curved slowly; watching Gil Ji-ho's brow twitched.
'Smiling?'
Unbelievable.
'Thinks it'll end quick? Mistake, newbie.'
This initiation rite would drag till he couldn't rise.
Crushing any comeback for good.
#
The underground training hall steamed with heat.
Staggering to his feet, Kim Gunja drew curses from Team 8 as they caught breaths.
'Damn monster!'
'No clue this guy's got zero shame?'
'Stay down already! Fuck!'
His shirt was long shredded.
Torso bruised solid, face swollen everywhere.
Mana and stamina bottomed out ages ago.
Yet Kim Gunja shakily gripped his sword, assuming stance.
That indescribable aura cowed them; eyes flicked to Choi Do-hyuk.
Keep going?
Choi hadn't expected this.
Planned to quit once spirit broke.
Tomorrow's hunt loomed.
'But this bastard...!'
Battered wreck, yet eyes unyielding.
They were the exhausted ones from the lynching!
As Choi opened to speak, arms-crossed leader Gil Ji-ho finally intervened.
"Dense or dumb? Don't get it? Rite goes till you stay down. No sense?"
Approaching, Gil Ji-ho snapped irritably.
Kim Gunja's split lips parted.
"I... know."
"Know and keep rising? Protesting? Think seniors' hazing's childish?"
Faint smile touched Kim Gunja's lips.
"No... such thing."
"Then stay down. Call it after next."
"Hoo... No... thanks."
"...What?"
Once.
Sure, compromise once.
Unavoidable.
But next time?
Guarantee against more compromises?
First steps hardest, Kim Gunja knew.
So he feared.
One easy path might chain into endless stalls.
Forgetting to advance.
Thus,
Kim Gunja steadied his wobble.
"Hoo... ."
Shaking blood from torn brow, he breathed deep, staring Gil Ji-ho down.
If strength remained, move.
To the very end.
"Quitting midway... not my style."
"......Persistent bastard."
Gil Ji-ho looked fed up; faint smile bloomed on Kim Gunja.
"This time... I go first. Please go easy. Leader."
Kim Gunja lunged at Gil Ji-ho.
To never forget advancing.
#
Next day.
B-rank plains gate.
Team 8 griped, clustered.
"Ugh, body aches everywhere."
"You too? Same. Damn, how long we at it yesterday?"
"That freak show up today after that?"
"...Dunno. Can he walk? Dumped him in clinic, but. Tch."
"Won't come, we'll grab standby guildie. Plenty itching for it."
"...This blow up later?"
"Fuck off. We powerless? Leader or vice handles."
As they grumbled,
A sedan passed checkpoint, pulled up.
Team 8's eyes bulged at descending Kim Gunja.
'Wha—?! Why's he walking fine?!'
'Yesterday's newbie? Twins?!'
'Must hurt bad... not normal grit.'
Bruises and wounds lingered, but movement seemed fine.
Approaching stunned hunters, Kim Gunja smiled and bowed.
"Please take care of me on today's hunt too, seniors."
Seeing him polite post-beating, Team 8 gawked, awed.
Unknowingly, they revised inner views.
Maybe not arrogant newbie.
Maybe... decent guy.