Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: The First Male Semi-Awakened
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They didn't pry too deeply into what had happened in the Blue Gate.
"We've already obtained details on the internal terrain, field mobs, and boss. We couldn't figure out why the boss suddenly vanished, though. The gate disappeared."
Once a gate is cleared and a certain amount of time passes, it turns into a magic stone hunting ground that even low-rank hunters can challenge.
Such hunting grounds are white in color, so they're called White Gates.
As I mentioned at the start, I made the gate disappear. For anything without evidence, just deny it.
I'd already glossed over the boss raid story anyway.
Since I'd warned Nayeong before getting bounced from the gate, she wouldn't have spilled anything.
"It looks like the Yin Energy suddenly got sucked away, and I got flung out. No idea what sucked it up."
"Yes."
She pondered for a moment before shaking it off.
With the gate gone, even the Hunter Agency couldn't take any further action.
"What happens to Nayeong?"
"If you cooperate, we'll release her. Truth be told, she was with the strike team, so she doesn't have much info to share."
They were willing to let her unauthorized gate entry slide.
It was my idea to go in, so I had to make sure Nayeong didn't take any heat for it.
"What kind of cooperation are we talking about? You can at least tell me that much."
"The research institute is putting together scenarios where they'll send you into gates. You just go in and come back out according to the plan. You'll be going in with high-rank hunters, so it'll be safe."
I doubted a high-rank hunter could guarantee my safety 100 percent, but with "that thing" inside me, I wouldn't go down without a fight at least.
"Once the semester starts, please avoid days when I have classes. I want to graduate."
"We can manage that. We've got a lot of prep work on our end too, so we won't call you in often."
I agreed to cooperate with the Hunter Agency's experiments.
To keep my full awakening as a hunter under wraps, I had no choice but to rely on the Hunter Agency.
I'd cooperate just enough to properly test out my abilities.
"Once the tests are done, we'll issue your hunter ID. There'll be an official announcement, but it'll just be a flash in the pan at first, so don't worry too much."
Semi-Awakened weren't the kind of thing people got excited about.
Who would care about a "backup battery" with no skills that couldn't even hunt solo?
The fact that a man had awakened would spark some brief buzz, but without any standout feats, it'd fade fast.
Even after awakening, the discrimination remains.
I knew human nature all too well.
It wasn't like this was my first time in the human world.
'Dividing people into classes is an ancient tradition. Even with gates appearing and Awakeners emerging, nothing changes. If anything, they try to create even more hierarchies.'
Awakening rates varied by country, but in Korea, it hovered around 10 percent.
There wasn't a single case of anyone over 40 awakening, and cases in the 30s were exceedingly rare.
Awakenings were concentrated in teens and twenties.
Minors were legally barred from entering gates, so mostly women in their twenties worked as hunters.
The ratio of full Awakeners to Semi-Awakened was 3:7.
In short, only about 3 percent of women in their late teens and twenties were tackling gates.
That was why female-only awakenings hadn't turned society into a matriarchy.
It just gave women a shot at becoming hunters (Awakeners) or managers (Semi-Awakened).
Awakeners chased wealth and fame as high-rank hunters, while Semi-Awakened stuck by their sides, carving out their own gains.
To those who saw themselves as the chosen ones, there was no reason to look out for unawakened women or protect their rights.
Sure, there were feminist-leaning hunters and guilds, but radical factions stoking gender conflicts had existed even before gates appeared.
In this era, where selfishness was amplified by the promise of prosperity through gates, those groups didn't wield as much power as before.
If anything, the real problem was the cultist zealots who deified gates and demonized hunters and guilds.
We'll meet someday too.
'Yeah, probably. Once I start flying around inside gates, I'll be a thorn in their side.'
Two days later, I got my hunter ID, signed a few documents, and was free to leave the Hunter Agency.
Exclusive! World's First Male Semi-Awakened Born... Officially Announced by Hunter Agency
Who Is Na Woojin, the World's First Male Semi-Awakened?
Why Did an Ordinary Male Student from Korea University's Hunter Administration Department Awaken?
Gate Advanced Nations US, Japan, China Officially Request Test Results
As soon as the Hunter Agency made the official announcement, the internet was flooded with articles about me.
Not just articles—posts and videos poured into communities, SNS, and Mutube.
Not a futa?
What the hell is that, you weeaboo?
Dude's got both male and female parts lol
Anyone seen the guy naked?
But isn't a Semi-Awakened just a one-use battery?
No perks besides going into gates
Lots of Semi-Awakened train stamina and solo White Gates
Can at least farm some magic stones
That's already better than a total normie
As Cha Yona had predicted, interest exploded at first.
Interview requests flooded in from everywhere, and Mutube creators lined up with cameras in hand.
"How does it feel to be the first man to awaken?"
"It's surreal. I still can't believe it."
"What does it feel like to have Yin Energy flowing through your body?"
"Nothing special. A bit queasy when I enter a gate?"
Of course, I pocketed the appearance fees nicely.
*
About two weeks later, interest in me vanished like a lie.
People weren't interested in Semi-Awakened to begin with.
They'd only cared that a man could enter gates.
It was novel at first, but once it came out that his abilities were no different from any other Semi-Awakened aside from gender, the hype died instantly.
Han Chaewon, who cleared the Blue Gate first, and the unusual artifact found in a White Gate drew way more attention.
Now, the only ones showing interest in me were the perverted researchers at the Hunter Agency.
'No hunters like getting Yin Energy injected. What were Han Chaewon's and Nayeong's reactions?'
I wasn't disappointed that public interest had faded.
No women had climaxed from my Yin Energy since then.
Didn't that make the "King of Yin Energy" title pointless?
Infinite Yin Energy didn't activate either. Right now, Master is no different from a regular Semi-Awakened.
'So why is that? The gate's supposed to bring joy to women.'
To be precise, it's to give joy to women who qualify.
'Qualify?'
Yes. Women qualified to emit Yin Energy satisfying enough for the gate.
'So Han Chaewon and Nayeong qualify, but the hunters I've met since don't?'
Those women were blocks of wood with zero sensitivity.
'Damn, the gate's picky. Feels like it's selecting women who are good in bed.'
Pretty much. They need to get super aroused by Master's hormone-packed Yin Energy and relay that to the gate. Requires exceptional sensitivity.
'So my powers only work on women like that.'
Exactly. And they're all high-rank hunters anyway, so it's a win for Master. Those types will come crawling to you—what's there to worry about? Losers aren't needed.
'What about Nayeong? She's only C-Rank.'
She's got the body to become a top-tier hunter. Master will level her up, right?
Her gate compatibility was good, after all.
She could climb to higher ranks through me.
I hadn't seen Nayeong since that day.
I'd been busy bouncing between school and the Hunter Agency, and she'd cleared out of her studio apartment due to family matters back home.
'Once she gets back from her family's place, I should move her back in.'
So far, the only women reacting to my Yin Energy were Han Chaewon and Nayeong.
To test the extent of my powers, I needed those two, but honestly, Han Chaewon was way out of my league and hard to meet.
So I picked the more accessible Nayeong as my test subject.
I'd already confirmed Yin Energy recharge and weapon upgrades; now I wanted to see how it affected levels or ranks.
Hunter Agency's Gate Research Institute—
In the director's office, Intelligence Bureau Chief Cha Yona was reviewing gate raid records.
Seated beside her was Research Director Park Gi-ju.
"Based on this, Na Woojin's abilities aren't much different from other Semi-Awakened."
"Yes. His Yin Energy injection is a bit faster and about 5% more volume, but it's not significant. Plenty of Semi-Awakened hit that level."
"What about combat ability?"
"He's got an athlete's build, so he's decent for lacking skills. Check out this White Gate raid record."
Cha Yona scrutinized the updated screen.
"Not hunter-level, right?"
"Exactly. Top-tier for a Semi-Awakened, but not comparable to hunters with skills."
Cha Yona fell deep into thought.
If the research director was right, Na Woojin's value plummeted.
She'd hoped a male awakening meant something special, but so far, there was nothing.
Back in her bureau chief's office, her secretary entered.
"Cooperation request from Black Tortoise Guild."
"What kind?"
"They want to deploy Na Woojin as a partner for next week's Blue Gate raid."
Official notices had gone out to all guilds.
Na Woojin was under special Hunter Agency management, so gate deployments required agency approval.
"Partnering with who? Han Chaewon?"
"No. Oh Yeonseo."
Oh Yeonseo was an S-Rank hunter and summoner.
'Well, well, what do we have here?'
Cha Yona gave a faint smile at her secretary's words.