001 - A-Rank Hunter Lee Chang
In the depths of a laboratory at the Korea Hunter Technology Institute, inside a quiet waiting room with stark white interiors.
A man sat in a chair, utterly absorbed in the screen of his smartphone.
Hello, subscribers. This is Sugarland.
His build was that of a true giant, packed with bulging muscles and towering height.
The horizontal chair, wide enough for three or four people, had no empty space left once he sat down.
What he held wasn't actually a smartphone but a tablet—though it looked like a regular phone in his grip.
His hands were proportionally massive.
Even seated, he could look down on most people. The man's name was Lee Chang.
He was one of the rare semi-awakeners who had climbed to A-rank.
There was some big news in the hunter world recently, right? Those in the know already get it, but for everyone else, let's watch the video first.
The tablet screen switched, and a video began to play.
The footage was shot from quite a distance, so the quality wasn't great, but one fact was crystal clear.
One of the figures in the video was none other than the A-rank hunter watching it—Lee Chang himself.
Not many hunters reached 2 meters tall with bodies completely covered in muscle.
Hey… …again… …!!
…… …you…
The distance made the dialogue in the video hard to make out.
There were two main figures: the hulking man, Lee Chang, and a woman who looked much smaller beside him.
Her height wasn't short for an adult woman—around 160cm, just a bit below average—but next to him, she seemed tiny, like his tablet masquerading as a phone.
Their outfits couldn't have been more different.
Lee Chang wore tactical combat gear: sturdy boots at a glance, a combat suit designed to protect vital points with minimal coverage, and form-fitting top and bottoms woven seamlessly along his muscle lines to handle intense movement.
The epitome of hunter attire.
The woman, on the other hand, was the polar opposite.
Her dress was laden with frills—clearly unsuitable for battle, even to an outsider's eyes.
Long pink hair cascaded down, rippling with the slightest motion, and she carried a staff-like ornament over her shoulder, perfectly matched in pink.
Anyone seeing her would think of one word first.
Magical girl.
She looked straight out of a cartoon. Her name was Yoo Hayeon.
Korea's youngest A-rank hunter, one of the rare magical girls, and a candidate for the next S-rank. She was facing off against Lee Chang.
And then, in an instant, light flashed.
The screen cut back to the magical girl extending her hand, followed by shaky footage of Lee Chang smashing through a building.
Yoo Hayeon's preemptive strike.
But he didn't budge. Brushing off the debris with a kick, Lee Chang stood and launched his counterattack.
The real fight had begun.
Boom! Boom!
The man fought just as he appeared.
Every swing of the massive blunt weapon in Lee Chang's hands unleashed a menacing roar, shattering walls or the ground into pieces whenever it connected.
Far from sluggish despite his size, he exploded forward at speeds the camera struggled to track with each ground-shaking step.
His movements evoked a charging rhinoceros.
Yoo Hayeon's response contrasted sharply, much like their outfits.
Unlike Lee Chang's focus on physical reinforcement, she wielded a rainbow of spells true to her magical girl title.
When Lee Chang swung his weapon at point-blank range—where she should've taken a direct hit—Yoo Hayeon had vanished in a burst of light, reappearing elsewhere.
Before he could recover, countless beams of mana rained down on him.
The pattern continued. The fight didn't last over three minutes.
Lee Chang's accumulated damage slowed him just enough that he couldn't catch her, and Yoo Hayeon's restraining magic crushed him.
"Graaaah!!"
Lee Chang, face-down and sealed by binding magic.
Even the cameraman realized it was over, zooming in closer.
Huff. Huff. Hoo…
Lee Chang panted heavily.
Proof of the short but ferocious battle.
Hey, say it again. What was that?
Yoo Hayeon, not a hint of fatigue, loomed over him.
Defiant even in defeat, Lee Chang ground his teeth and spat it out.
"Shut your… fucking… mouth, you pink bitch…!"
Thud!
Instant retaliation.
Yoo Hayeon stomped his head into the ground.
"All that pride from a weak-ass nobody. Fucking retard."
Looking down with contempt, she gathered mana in one hand.
Was she going to finish him? A "minor squabble" between hunters was one thing, but murder crossed the line.
As bystanders moved to intervene, it arrived from the sky.
"A-rank Hunter Yoo Hayeon. I advise you to cease unauthorized combat in the city."
The mechanical voice belonged to a Sentinel, a magical automaton developed by Korea's sole S-rank hunter for public safety.
Its black exoskeleton and glowing red eyes exuded menace on sight alone.
With the Sentinel's arrival, Yoo Hayeon reluctantly dispersed her mana.
"Cease filming."
Not just this cameraman—others were recording too. The Sentinel warned the crowd.
The video owner hurriedly stashed his camera, and that was the end.
You all saw that, right? This is what went down a few days ago between the hunters who closed the blue gate in Seongbuk-gu. No official word on the fight's cause yet, but from their exchange, netizens are guessing…
Lee Chang shut off the tablet there.
And recalled the incident.
It was an emergency gate, so they called in the nearest hunters—including Yoo Hayeon.
Two A-ranks and ten B-ranks: a luxurious lineup.
After clearing it, things got annoying during cleanup with the officials. He had his reasons.
But the pint-sized bitch kept picking fights, demanding apologies.
Even after closing the gate, she wouldn't drop it, so he'd muttered that word in anger.
Why? She looked exactly like one. Pinky.
True awakeners all had weird looks or fashion, but Yoo Hayeon was on another level.
He'd grumbled under his breath, not to her face, but somehow she heard and attacked out of nowhere.
The rest was the video.
"Hah. Fucking bitch."
Lee Chang leaned his head against the wall, thumping the back of his skull to vent.
Still pissed.
Diagnosed as a semi-awakener before middle school, he'd clawed his way to A-rank after twists and turns—three years now.
People revered A-rank as amazing, but to a climber midway up the mountain, only the peak mattered. Praise like that didn't move him.
True awakeners!
Starting at B-rank minimum, hogging all A-ranks and above—the real deal.
He'd pushed limits relentlessly to reach high A-rank, but the gap remained.
Simple reason: semi-awakeners and true awakeners were born different.
Trait
Regular hunters just sensed, handled, and embodied mana.
True awakeners manifested a trait—a freakish power flipping common sense on its head.
Lee Chang had felt it firsthand against a top A-rank true awakener.
That's why he yearned.
To awaken a trait himself and one day claim the world's pinnacle: S-rank.
But no signs.
Latest hunter research only confirmed his growth limit was here.
"Hunter Lee Chang. We're ready."
"Mm."
The researcher snapped him from his thoughts.
Standing, he towered over him completely.
Even after seeing it repeatedly, he shrank back instinctively.
Average Korean male height, but before him, it was adult vs. child.
Lee Chang didn't show it, but he enjoyed the reaction.
Always had.
Watching civilians or weak hunters cower naturally before his size and strength—it never got old, even after his growth plateaued.
Following her through security gates, he entered a room facing complex machinery.
Beyond a middle school dropout like him: machines, chemical tanks linked by wires and pipes.
Three or four researchers finalized checks.
In the center: a capsule big enough for his frame.
"Hunter Lee Chang. You've signed the consents multiple times, but you can still back out. Really…"
"I said we're doing it. Don't make me repeat myself."
"…Understood. Let's prepare, then."
Guided by the researcher, Lee Chang settled into the capsule naturally.
Restraints extended from the seams, locking him securely.
"Once we start, you absolutely cannot exit the capsule. There may be pain—endure it no matter what."
"How many times have I heard that? Just start already."
Even with his assurance, the researcher repeated warnings.
Makes sense. Unlike regular hunters, he could shatter the restraints if he wanted—had to trust him.
"…Beginning now. Good luck."
The researcher withdrew; the lid sealed.
So close to the moment, even Lee Chang's steady heart quickened slightly.
Joining the Korea Hunter Technology Institute's artificial trait awakening experiment was his choice alone.
He knew there were no successes yet, but without risks like this, no path forward.
Plenty of hopeful signs.
Past failures: subjects' mana durability couldn't handle overload.
But his was elite, even for a semi-awakener, earning A-rank.
Researchers lit up when he volunteered—like finding the key.
Vrrrrm.
The device hummed to life.
Lee Chang sensed mana flow—delicate, intricate, unlike battle.
Unable to comprehend, he emptied his mind and surrendered to it.
Crackle.
The flow accelerated, intensified, then brought pain.
Like plunging naked into Niagara Falls. He'd survive, but to a normal person…
"Nngh."
Escalating to typhoon force, pain peaking.
Body on the verge of bursting, but he endured.
Grinding teeth, tensing every muscle to stay still.
At the climax, he sensed his death.
Kaboom…
Something exploded inside. Heart?
Ah, guess it wasn't possible.
Death was a calculated risk.
No family to mourn. Just regret.
Truth be told, no deep reason for craving a trait or S-rank.
S-rank existed at the top. Risking life to claim it—wasn't weird, right?
As those thoughts swirled—
…… …! …!!
Le… …Chang…!
Senses returning faintly, he realized someone was calling him.
Forcing his eyes open: a familiar face. The researcher.
"L-Lee Chang Hunter! Are you conscious?"
"…Ah……."
Not dead?
No restraints felt.
Body ached like a beating, but movable.
He stood and stepped out.
Something was off.
"…?"
What the hell.
Why was he looking up at these guys?