Chapter 134
Chapter 134
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: Hyena Stalking Its Prey
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Yoo Euisul was an Awakener.
Yoo Euisul wielding a sword was a fairly strong Awakener.
Yoo Euisul wielding Iron Sword No. 3 was the strongest Awakener.
The sword that could sever the target's very nature, Iron Sword No. 3, was an item that fit her like a glove.
It felt like Reflecting Myriad Stars had personally bestowed this grace upon her—it suited Yoo Euisul that perfectly.
Acquiring an item that matched you so well was no easy feat.
No, it wasn't even something you could rate on a scale of easy or hard.
It was just...
You had to have insanely good luck.
Unfortunately, Kim Mincheol wasn't blessed with luck like Yoo Euisul's.
*
⚙ Omnia Wiki ⚙ Perfect Accuracy Pistol 1. Overview 2. Features (Effects) 1. Overview A tool capable of firing projectile bullets. 2. Features (Effects) 1. Press the button on the left side of the barrel to generate bullets. The bullet's caliber can be adjusted by the user. 2. Can fire bullets of all calibers. 3. When aimed and fired at a target within a 200m radius, it always hits. 3-1. If the target is beyond 200m, the bullet dissipates. "Hmm..."
After checking the item's info, I glanced at Kim Mincheol for no particular reason.
He seemed to have some expectations, but sorry to disappoint.
It was a dud.
Objectively, it looked like a great item, but for Kim Mincheol specifically, it wasn't useful at all.
The item's effect overlapped perfectly with his ability.
What happens if Kim Mincheol, who can hit anything, uses a pistol that can hit anything?
...What happens? Nothing special.
He just hits anything, that's it.
Having two of the same effect doesn't boost the firepower or anything.
After hearing my explanation, Kim Mincheol let out a sigh.
Then he reached out and started fiddling with the pistol.
It was so sudden that I involuntarily sucked in a breath and shouted.
"Ack! No!"
"...?"
"...?"
"...?"
"Ah."
Right.
He wasn't seven years old; he was twenty-five.
The shocking sight of what looked like a seven-year-old kid messing with a real pistol had me screaming before I knew it.
It felt like I was neglecting a crime or something.
As an adult, I felt compelled to snatch the gun away from the little rascal right then.
Face burning with embarrassment, I mumbled.
"P-please, carry on..."
Who wouldn't scream seeing what looked like a seven-year-old handling a real pistol—not some toy airsoft gun?
My reaction was perfectly normal, but the situation itself was absurd, leaving me feeling like a fool.
The kid... no, Kim Mincheol's hands moved with dazzling skill.
Click-clack.
Snap.
Chak.
He inspected the pistol from every angle, and even I, a total gun noob, could sense the aura of an expert.
...It was just the cognitive dissonance from his seven-year-old appearance.
I still couldn't get over it.
How was this jammin older than me?
After thoroughly checking the pistol for a while, Kim Mincheol turned to Kim Junghwan.
"It's a fine gun, but it'd be a shame for me to use it."
"I agree. It matches your ability too perfectly..."
"Worst synergy ever."
In the end, the pistol-type item was destined for the Awakener Association's item vault.
Kim Mincheol smacked his lips in disappointment.
It looked so cute that I nearly reached out to pat his head without thinking.
Then Kim Mincheol bowed politely to Yoo Euisul.
"Euisul, I'll be heading out now."
"Sure."
Maybe because of his young and cute looks, even Yoo Euisul didn't treat Kim Mincheol with her usual rudeness.
After greeting her, he turned to me.
"Thank you too, Jia. And I apologize again for my behavior earlier."
"No, I started it."
Ugh...
So itchy...
Couldn't I just close my eyes and pat his head once?
Truth be told, Kim Mincheol had that captivating cuteness that drew everyone's eyes.
Smooth skin, chubby cheeks.
Part of me wanted to scoop him up and ruffle his hair like crazy.
...Someone might mistake me for a creepy kid-obsessed pervert.
But who in the world doesn't like adorable kids?
Sure, Kim Mincheol was a strapping twenty-five-year-old man in a kid's body, but his appearance was pure toddler.
Kim Mincheol, who looked like a kid on the outside.
Me, a pink chunky VTuber on the outside.
...I felt this weird sense of kinship.
But my affinity for Kim Mincheol wasn't just about appearances.
Fervent Devotee.
I'd glossed over it earlier, but checking his wiki entry again revealed some shocking info.
3. Features
His appearance, like a six- or seven-year-old boy, is Kim Mincheol's most defining trait.
There's a story behind it: he suffered permanent physical damage from an Anomalous Phenomenon's attack.
During the resolution of the 4th Gwangju Anomalous Phenomenon, Kim Mincheol bravely charged in ahead of everyone—only to black out from the attack.
When he came to, he was a child.
As for what he needs to do to regain his original appearance...
Only [CENSORED], a Fervent Devotee of [CENSORED], would know.
Hmm.
Those damn Fervent Devotees again.
Well,
From the part where he got hit by an 'Anomalous Phenomenon' and turned young, a Fervent Devotee had to be involved somehow.
Probably that censored Fervent Devotee who created the '4th Gwangju Anomalous Phenomenon.'
"..."
"Hey, what're you doing? Let's go eat."
"Is there something you want to say to me?"
I'd been staring blankly at Kim Mincheol.
After a deep breath,
I mustered my courage and said.
"Would you like to grab a meal together?"
"..."
"..."
My words left both Kim Mincheol and Yoo Euisul stunned.
Yoo Euisul broke the silence first.
She looked at me like I was some disgusting bug and opened her mouth.
"Fuck, you into that kinda thing...?"
"It's not like that!"
It really wasn't.
I just wanted to help him out, simply.
...For real.
* * *
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Lee Jia was obsessed with VTubers.
He had zero interest in anything besides VTubers—not even knowing who the top Awakener Yoo Euisul was.
Of course, Yoo Euisul had shockingly low name recognition for the strongest Awakener, but most people at least knew her name.
Not Lee Jia, though.
Five years ago.
The 4th Gwangju Anomalous Phenomenon resolution was a massive nationwide scandal.
There weren't massive casualties or dead Awakeners.
Just...
The Awakener Kim Mincheol—famous for his handsome looks and brave personality—turning into a seven-year-old kid.
That day, his countless female fans across the country bawled their eyes out.
But Kim Mincheol himself gave a remarkably calm interview that became the talk of the town.
"Getting younger is actually a good thing."
His ability 'Marksmanship' only required the strength to hold a gun, so age didn't matter much—thank goodness.
Though his stamina had weakened, his shooting skills remained intact, letting him continue as an Awakener without retiring.
He figured time would eventually make him age normally.
...But.
One year passed.
Two years.
Even after five years, his appearance stayed the same.
Now even Kim Mincheol started getting anxious.
What if he had to live like this forever? The ominous thought kept nagging at him.
In the end, his only hopes were items and Anomalous Phenomena.
For some unknown reason, he seemed biologically ageless now.
So he'd have to rely on items or Anomalous Phenomena.
From then on, he hunted Anomalous Phenomena like a madman.
His standing in the Association rose to the top ranks.
But even the toughest person breaks without results.
No age-related items or phenomena showed up.
Kim Mincheol's resolve began to waver.
Living day by day in a daze,
One day,
He got a call from the Awakener Association about acquiring a gun-related item.
Guns were his second-most desired item type, so he headed there with some expectations.
But it got off to a bad start.
In the elevator, some pink-haired big-boobed girl called him a kid.
No matter how calmly he acted, his childlike looks were now his trauma.
He snapped back, calling her a chicken-coop auntie.
Of course, he already knew who she was.
Lee Jia.
The Awakener who could check target info.
Her ability was crucial for finding age-related Anomalous Phenomena or items in the future.
But 'kid' made him lose it, leading to the 'chicken-coop auntie' slip-up.
He'd botched building rapport from the jump.
While she checked the item info, Kim Mincheol berated himself.
But spilled words can't be unsaid.
He politely bid farewell to Yoo Euisul and Lee Jia without regrets and turned to leave.
Or tried to.
"Would you like to grab a meal together?"
She said it with an expression like a predator eyeing its prey—though it might've been his imagination.
Kim Mincheol started thinking this woman might be more dangerous than she looked.