Chapter 18
Chapter 18
4. A Winter That Will Someday Pass -0
[Last Words | (Hunter1) | yo lmao just saw some weird fucker]
: finished a random-match dungeon run and opened a box, got a magic power generator, totally useless, so I was gonna toss it. but this pale scrawny dude I got matched with wanted to trade
but he said he couldn't pay in credits so he wanted to barter
I read him instantly lmao if a guy can't use credits he's obviously some debt-ridden washout, so I just talked like we were trading, took the item, and bolted. he just stood there with this dumbass look on his face
if he comes after me I'm gonna beat the shit out of him lmao
so just checking, as long as I don't kill another hunter here, there's no real penalty, right?
└ (Hunter 2) : yeah honestly you could just kill him, credits don't even drop that much
└└ (Hunter 3) : Wasting things on such pointless matters is why your life is in that state. Haha, do try to be more frugal.
└└ (Hunter 2) : I'm doing better than you so shut up
└ (Hunter 4) : You shouldn't torment people so carelessly. What do you think is going to happen to you later?
└└ (Hunter 1) : only weaklings die, I won't
└└ (Hunter 4) : Huh;
└ (Hunter 2) : anyway there's always some idiots going on about karma and ethics lmao
└ (Hunter 2) : wait why is this post on the last words board
[General | (Hunter1) | ★☆Must-Read for the Credit-Delinquent☆★ I'm trying to start a small group. (You'll regret it if you don't look)]
: For those whose Credits have gone negative and who can’t use the Shop, I’m in the same situation. It’s inconvenient, right? It’s inconvenient for me too, since I have to rely on random boxes.
I figure some people don't need a magic power generator, and some people don't need food. Or maybe you have other surplus goods.
So I'm thinking of starting a secondhand barter group. Let's gather at an agreed-upon Stage and trade and exchange items as agreed. How does that sound.
First, if you have food, please contact me. I'll trade you weapons for it.
└ (Hunter 2) : bullshit
└└ (Hunter 1) : If you don't believe me, it's your loss.
└ (Hunter 3) : If you're really trading, I'm interested
└└ (Hunter 1) : What kind of weapon do you need? I have almost every type.
└└ (Hunter 3) : I need a spear
└└ (Hunter 1) : I don’t handle spears. Don’t want the bad luck rubbing off. Have a nice day.
└└ (Hunter 3) : ?????
└ (Hunter 4) : If you've got an axe, let me see it
└└ (Hunter 1) : I've sent the Stage address via private message.
└(Hunter 5) : but if your credits are negative, is the only penalty not being able to use the Shop? If that's all, should I just pull a full loan too;
└└ (Hunter 6) : Haven't heard much about it at D-rank, go for it gogo
[General | (Hunter1) | Sincerely, thank you!]
: I won't reveal the name, but I received tremendous help from a handsome person.
I thought all hunters were on the same side, but I nearly died in a Stage I entered through random matching. After exchanging a few words, when I said I hadn't been here long, they suddenly threatened me, saying if I didn't want to die I should hand over all my credits.
I should have recognized it when they were sweet-talking me with talk of the [Hunter Alliance] or whatever. When I said I couldn't give them, they seemed genuinely intent on killing me.
But then, someone who had entered for a different mission saved me. So Stages can overlap like that. Anyway, thanks to them, I made it home safely that day and got to see my little girl's face.
I'm leaving this message of thanks here in case you might see it. Thank you for saving my life.
└ (Hunter2) : I think there may be some misunderstanding. Haha. Our [Hunter Alliance] does not engage in such acts. It seems you were accosted by someone impersonating the Alliance. If you contact me personally, I will compensate you.
└└ (Hunter3) : Cut the bullshit and get lost, and stay out of my sight.
[General | Silver-Traced Spear (銀跡戈) | Looking for someone]
: White hair, looks like a male escort. I'll reward you if you tell me.
└ (Hunter 1) : and what's this fucker up to now?
└└ (Hunter 2) : look, seriously; don’t mess with this guy. I’m warning you with my mana heart on the line
└└ (Hunter 1) : who is he
└└ (Hunter 3) : lmaoooo don't go digging into his identity unless you want to die
└└ (Hunter 5) : always advertising that you're a newbie lmaooo
└ (Hunter 4) : Why are you looking for him?
└└ Silver-Traced Spear (銀跡戈) : To teach him some manners
[General | (Hunter1) | help meee]
: [Dungeon | 2 days | Designated target hunt | 100 Credits + D-rank random box | 103EB7924CGT]
suddenyl someone’s trying to kill me please help i’m begging you
└ (Hunter2) : On my way.
[General | Silver146 | HunterAllianceLettuceRustyKnifeRedSujebi]
: Alliance regular report)
Reporting a dangerous individual. Male, appears to be mid-twenties. Short white hair. Distinct, striking features. Carries a small shield and a single dagger.
└ Diamond3 : Is he that dangerous?
└ Silver146 : Yes, our entire Business Team 4 retreated with injuries. Rumors are circulating in the Community as well.
└ Gold21 : I saw what happened. That bastard has fought people plenty of times. Nothing else explains it. He’s beyond what Silver members can handle.
└ Gold21 : In my opinion, the spear guy is worse than him. That one you can avoid by not provoking him, but this one sticks his nose in everywhere.
└ Diamond3 : I’ll look into countermeasures.
[General | (Hunter 1) | Sometimes weird stuff gets posted on the board]
: Like someone just lists random words like a schizophrenic, what's that? Does the System attach to mentally ill people too?
└ (Hunter 2) : It attached to you, so why couldn't it attach to a mentally ill person?
└ (Hunter 3) : The System has a 1-on-1 messenger function but no group chat, right? So people pre-designate secret keywords and use the board like a group chat room. Because if you search the board, the posts all come up in a row.
└└ (Hunter 1) : wow shit that's so inconvenient for real lmaooo
[General | (Hunter 1) | Isn't there another tutorial in a month? They should be taking applications soon]
: What exactly are the qualification requirements? Can just anyone apply and become a mentor? Or do you need a certain number of years under your belt or something?
└ (Hunter 2) : The exact requirements aren't publicly known, but there are guesses. There's a veteran hunter called Silver-Traced Spear, and I believe he participates as a tutorial mentor every time. So it's not random, at least.
└└ (Hunter 1) : Then what’s the criterion?
└└ (Hunter 3) : Isn't it skill count? It doesn't seem like you get picked just for having seniority. It looks like they prioritize based on how many skills you have.
└└ (Hunter 6) : If you train diligently, won't everything work out?
└ (Hunter 4) : Why would anyone be a mentor? The rewards are trash and it's just annoying; just run Stages
└ (Hunter 5) : fr the tutorial is just Hunter Alliance guys trying to recruit members, most people don't even glance at it. Unless you're at a point where you're too injured to work.
[Last Words | (Hunter 1) | yo shit something weird appeared]
: Saw on the news that a huge monster appeared in the neighboring country, but the size is weird. One of its roots or tentacles is the size of a whole building, what do we do? If I put in a Support Request, will they handle it?
└ (Hunter 2) : My condolences. Leave your last words in advance.
└└ (Hunter 1) : no I'm asking what it is, fuck
└ (Hunter 3) : May the deceased rest in peace. May you be eternal in Valhalla.
└└ (Hunter 1) : stop with the bullshit and tell me what that thing is
└ (Hunter 4) : It's a 『Root』. We don't know what it is either, but no one who's seen one has ever survived. We only know they exist from posts that show up on the Last Words board.
└└ (Hunter 1) : cut the crap, you're lying
└ Moon Rabbit : Before your System connection cuts out, try to describe it in as much detail as possible. How much magic power, how much physical force. Even the smallest detail is fine. You're going to die now, but your final devotion will surely save someone else.
└└ (Hunter 1) : this piece of shit acting like it's not his problem
└└ (Hunter 1) : shit
└└ (Hunter 1) : the measuring device broke, the strongest hunter on our planet has been dispatched
└└ (Hunter 1) : he just died
└└ (Hunter 1) : that thing drove its roots into the ground
└└ (Hunter 1) : the ground turned pitch black, no, it turned to ash. the sky is turning pitch black too. it's been hard to breathe for a while now. and
└└ (Hunter 1) : something more
└ Moon Rabbit : ⋯⋯I offer my deepest condolences for the deceased.
"Haaah⋯⋯ hoooooo⋯⋯."
I let out a deep breath from the rooftop of a building. Quite a bit of time had passed since I'd gotten various things out of Sergios. And I hadn't let that time slip by idly.
└ Azure Wind Wanderer (D / B)
Progress: 20% (2-star / Growth restricted)
'The System's purpose lies in wandering the wide world, so roam through diverse worlds and feed it diverse rains and clouds. Then you shall be able to command wind and rain.'
(Additionally, you can raise progress by consuming Credits)
First, I'd maxed out the Azure Wind Wanderer's progress as far as it could go.
[Notice: To raise this skill's progress further, rain and clouds of a higher concept are required. Raise your hunter rank.]
To advance further, I'd apparently need to gather them from C-rank Stages. As a hunter who was still D-rank, I had no way to obtain them. So this was where it ended.
Then how powerful was the 『Azure Wind Wanderer』 now that it had reached 2-star?
The wind coiled at full power was comparable to one of Sergios’s Skills—『Whirlwind Thrust (旋風扎)』. But this martial art was a little more versatile than his.
Summoning a cloud to use as a natural parasol, for instance. Or.
"Rain, fall."
Pitter-patter-!
I sent a small dark cloud, just the size of a person, flying over to drop a very localized shower of rain. Right above Minsik's head, where he was sunbathing in front of a collapsed convenience store.
Soon his screaming reached me.
"—God damn it, I just dried my hair, you bastard Noah Won!"
Little pranks like this were possible too.
Additionally, I'd been steadily training the dagger-art manual I'd received from Sergios. The manual was called 『Quick Flash(快閃)』, and stripping away all the pedantic metaphors, it was simply 'a technique of thrusting and recovering quickly.'
It uses magic power like a spring to contract, and a fast recovery means minimal openings. It was a martial art well suited to me, since I mainly fought defensively.
Apparently my proficiency wasn't yet at the level to fool the System, so it hadn't been registered as a 『Skill』. But I could feel it coming. This too would reach mastery soon.
So⋯⋯ it effectively meant I had two D-rank skills. I was one short of the minimum requirement for C-rank promotion. Judging by the mood on the boards and other people's complaints, this was an astonishing rate of growth.
Normally, a talented hunter had to grind for three years before they could even gauge their promotion prospects, so reaching this point in three months was an irrational growth rate.
It was thanks to one lucky break after another. I had found the Hidden Piece in the tutorial, obtained 『Azure Wind Wanderer』, and, thanks to that spear bastard, discovered a new path of growth called 『Tower Ascension』.
And every random box I'd opened so far had been lucky, one after another.
Generators and food boxes came out in heaps. Occasionally I got unlucky and something like a shop-made spear came out, but that was only a fraction. On really lucky days, even construction materials came out.
The building I was sitting on top of now had also been repaired with System-made construction materials. That had created quite a few comfortable living spaces, allowing the hunters under my command and their families to live a bit more comfortably.
Of course, some citizens grumbled about whether I was only looking after hunters again, but that got patched over thanks to the improved food supply. Public sentiment was good. There probably wouldn't be any major unrest for a while.
No, actually, if unrest did break out, that would be fine too.
The high school girl hunter Hyejin under my command had once vented her frustration to me. She said she was sick to death of civilians screaming about discrimination and whatnot when hunters were the ones doing all the hard and dangerous work.
I'd answered her like this. People can't fully understand others until they've experienced it themselves.
They don't know how we fight and scrape past death. Instead, they only see us living relatively comfortably. So misunderstandings arise among some citizens.
Before now, this had just been a social phenomenon to endure. After all, we couldn't exactly toss civilians with no abilities into the forest. But now things were a bit different.
Hadn't I learned about martial arts from Sergios?
It wasn't just the knowledge he'd given me. Among the people I'd met while running Stages, there had been mages and knights. They knew well how to take civilians and turn them into soldiers.
Which meant they were no longer just people to protect, but potential combat power.
"So, if some idiot kicks up a fuss about stopping the discrimination⋯⋯ we use that against them. We 'reluctantly' open up 'enlistment opportunities' for ordinary people too. Along with the 'training manuals that let ordinary people become quasi-hunters' we've been keeping tightly hidden."
Then they'd jump in eagerly, not knowing it was a poisoned chalice.
Heh heh heh⋯⋯.
They'd come to regret it, thinking life was better when they just lined up for rations. You little shit-stirring bastards.
Once things stabilized like that and Seoul's combat power grew a bit, it wouldn't be a bad idea to try expanding our living territory. An expedition, that is. Though of course we'd have to prepare thoroughly.
There were plenty of targets worth aiming for, but if I had to pick one⋯⋯ the stage-2 contaminated forest near the National Assembly Building.
I'd heard there was a government underground bunker in the hills over there. Inside, a ton of modern equipment and considerable food supplies were supposedly sleeping, and if we broke into that, it would be no joke. It might be so sweet it rots your teeth.
All in all.
Things were going incredibly well. Seoul was.
I looked up at the clear sky and smiled. The tension that had been packed into my shoulders eased, just a little. I finally felt like I could see the outline of this thing called hope.
[General | (Hunter 1) | Isn't there another tutorial in a month? They should be taking applications soon]
The tutorial Stage would open soon.
I was absolutely planning to participate in this tutorial Stage as a mentor. Because, just maybe, I had a strong suspicion that the System's 『Hidden Piece』 might 'respawn.'
That Telescope that let me make contact with higher-ranked hunters.
If I could use it just one more time, I'd be as good as having met the C-rank promotion requirements. At that point, I might not even need to keep avoiding Sergios.
And⋯⋯ this time, if at all possible, I wanted to obtain a skill together with Sohye.
Last time she'd yielded it to me, so shouldn't I repay her somehow this time? I had a plan of my own, too.
I intended to teach her martial arts to raise her specs, and somehow make her able to withstand a B-rank hunter's gaze.
I'd tested it on Earth by first teaching 『martial arts』 to a complete rookie hunter and running live combat tests, and it had been effective. As long as they endured just a little hardship, they got stronger fast.
For the first time in a while, I reached out first.
[Noah Won : Sohye, hello. Have you been well?]
[Noah Won : The weather is nice today, and seeing the clear sky made me think of you, so I reached out. Are you free?]
[Kim Sohye : Well⋯⋯ yes.]
"⋯⋯⋯⋯?"
My instincts said something was off.
[Noah Won : Is something wrong?]
[Kim Sohye : It's fine.]
Which meant something was wrong.
Why was she backpedaling like this? I didn't know the reason, but at times like this, it was much better to just go straight for it. I cut to the chase and stated my business.
[Noah Won : You remember the tutorial, right. Thanks to you yielding it to me back then, I gained a lot. I'd like to start returning what I received.]
[Noah Won : If something's going on, please tell me. Whatever it is, I can resolve anything within D-rank. I'm confident I can.]
I meant it.
If it really came down to it, I could just call Sergios. The guy went around shouting about being a hero and all, so he'd probably help after beating me up a few times.
Sohye was silent for a long time. And at the end of that silence.
[Kim Sohye : A Gate opened near us. The shelter is completely surrounded by forest, and there's no way to escape.]
[Kim Sohye : Please help.]
She sent me an SOS.