Chapter 11
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 011
Chapter Title: Rock Spirit [4]
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There were already several internet articles covering this incident. It was only natural, given that nearly twenty people—including association staff—had died.
But from my perspective, the content of those articles was anything but natural.
'What the hell is this? One examinee Awakener survived by teleporting out of the scene... Why do all the articles end like that?'
When I confronted her about it, Councilor Park Mi-hyeong looked flustered.
"Kim Geuk, calm down."
"Do I look like I can calm down right now? Every article makes it sound like everyone died because I teleported out alone!"
Every time I read those online articles, my whole body trembled with rage.
None of them mentioned that I'd teleported out with two people in tow to save them. There was no word of me fetching a weapon to fight that monster, let alone returning to the scene.
In those articles, I wasn't even portrayed as a survivor—I was a deserter. A cowardly deserter who abandoned his comrades. They all carried this undertone that a powerful Awakener who could've stood and fought with superhuman strength instead fled alone, dooming everyone else to annihilation.
It felt like malice beyond mere misinformation. Malice aimed squarely at me.
And the fact that they specifically mentioned "Teleportation" made it especially vicious. After all, I was the only one in the country with that ability. The articles didn't name me outright, but they pointed so specifically at the cowardly Awakener that it was obvious who they meant.
"How many people heard me yelling about Hunter Rifles in the association building, and they still print crap like this? I saved two people, and there's not even a peep from their testimonies!"
As I bellowed, Councilor Park scrambled to calm me down.
Only after I'd worn myself out did she finally soothe me. She promised to leverage her councilor status to demand corrections and lodge formal complaints.
Of course, that wasn't enough to put my mind at ease. The moment I got home, I fired up HuntWeb.
With a heavy heart, as if losing something precious inside me, I abandoned the character profile I'd maintained for over four months and hammered out a post.
Ⓐ BabyBerserker: This is unfair. Please, everyone, help me out.
The post, titled something like that, quickly became a hot topic on the site.
Users learned what had happened that day, what I'd gone through, and how unfairly I was being treated now. They started flooding the comments.
Fortunately, while there were plenty of mocking replies, there were even more showing sympathy or offering support.
Even that lunatic I'd pegged as insane was stepping up to help me.
Isn't this just them trying to lowball your worth?
What do you mean...?
A Physical Enhancement Awakener with a rare special ability like yours? They should be treating you twice as well as regular Awakeners. Whether it's international rates or domestic, contracting you would cost an astronomical sum. So they're pulling strings because they don't want to pay up.
SyberMagneto—this madman—was arguing the following:
My abilities as an Awakener were obviously powerful and versatile, so even government agencies would balk at hiring me at fair market value. It'd be hard to undervalue me compared to international rates, or else brokers from China or Japan might swoop in.
So, they were disguising a premium product like me as defective goods to haggle down the price.
Come on, even if it's true, would a government agency—not some private corp—really stoop to something so petty?
You non-Awakeners wouldn't get it, but local governments pull every trick to skimp on paying Awakeners. Don't you know finances are bone-dry outside Seoul?
Petty, childish—they do it all.
Like, specifically?
Back when Gates first opened, everyone thought all Awakeners were strong. Incheon City signed a 4-year contract with an Ice Awakener, then later tried to bail by fabricating a bully-victim scandal.
And in this case, foreign brokers won't know the details. Copy-paste some internet trash articles, spread 'em around, and it smokes them out. Make overseas brokers hesitate, then snag you domestically for cheap.
The speculation was so outlandish it was hard to buy wholesale.
But below that, more users chimed in with agreement, their Awakener badges lending credibility. They'd all been nitpicked for weird reasons before contracting with local governments.
Meanwhile, my head had been spinning for a while now. My heart kept pounding.
Was the country really smearing me on purpose? Just to pay me less? Crashing my reputation like this over a bit of money?
Unconsciously, I scrolled back through the comments on my post.
Abandoned all his comrades and survived alone, now whining for excuses. Fuckin' traitor deserves a firing squad. Die already.
The mockers were mostly "Anonymous." Probably non-Awakener Hunters. Lifelong losers stuck taking suicidal gigs because no one would hire them.
They were jealous of me raking in hundreds of times their income as an Awakener. That was their problem...
What a shitty debut. Hang in there. As a senior, I'd love to buy you a drink—check your DMs.
Even if he really ran, can you blame him? Everyone knows a Rock Spirit is too much for a solo Physical Enhancer, even with a Hunter Rifle. Whether he returned or not, articles like this scream shady motives, right?
Halberd-level trash from Gganggu bugs lol. Want me to go flip the place?
On the flip side, all the special badge holders—Awakeners, that is—posted in full understanding of my plight.
The contrast was stark. The world splitting into black and white.
I was furious, but also deeply touched. It felt like, abandoned alone in the world, I suddenly had allies...
My head was still spinning, but I had things to do.
I shut down the computer, scarfed instant ramen, and headed to the academy. I needed to explain exactly what happened to the people there.
It was a day off, so the place was mostly empty, but a few were hitting the gym. Their eyes turned to me, and despite coming to explain, I flinched. Fear that they'd seen the articles too.
I hurried past them to the lobby, where a familiar face appeared.
The director. That ever-smiling guy, even in tough times.
A chill ran down my spine.
The director didn't smile when he saw me. His gaze was icy—too icy.
My heart skipped. Had he read the articles? Did he blame me for the trainees' deaths because I ran?
His blank expression felt like it dragged on for over a minute—nearly five, even.
But in reality, it was just a second or so. The face that seemed locked in eternal frown softened back into a regretful smile.
"Aigoo, Kim Geuk... I don't even know how to console you..."
Those words sounded like an accusation: How dare you live so shamelessly?
"Anyway, you really went through hell. Must've been rough, huh?"
The director kept comforting me, saying all the right things, but it didn't help. That fleeting blank stare from earlier was burned into my mind.
I'd probably never forget it.
"Look, there are tons of articles now. 'Hammer that Shatters Rock Delivers a Thunderous Message in Incheon,' 'Rock Spirit Soloed by One Examinee'..."
Seong Mun-yeong waved his smartphone excitedly. The internet was flooded with coverage of the incident.
"Even an interview with a working Hunter Awakener. Rock Spirit? Oh, right, that's the Stone Spirit. So, a Rock Spirit... A Physical Enhancer can't handle one solo, so bailing without a weapon was normal. But grabbing a hammer and smashing it? Super brave and impressive, they said. Whoa, interviewed by Kim Seok-man? Must be an industry senior. Buy him drinks later."
Lee Jong-ho chimed in.
"Get Jeong Jin-yeong something tasty for dinner."
They said Jeong Jin-yeong's video had hit insane views on YouTube in just a day after upload.
There were plenty of vids of Physical Enhancers flexing or massacring monsters with heavy Hunter Rifles, but this was the first of someone wielding a barely-weapon-like tool to beat a bigger-class monster.
And it even made broadcast news footage. Jeong Jin-yeong's contribution was truly praiseworthy.
"Yeah, those YouTube views must be raking in sweet ad revenue."
At my words, Seong Mun-yeong raised his voice in frustration.
"It's not about the revenue now—it's your market value shooting up!"
"Market value?"
"You're famous now, so it'll skyrocket!"
"Does fame affect a Hunter's pay? Soldiers or cops don't get raises for being famous."
"Hunters aren't soldiers or cops! Regions recover land values by signing big-name Awakeners, right?"
Seong Mun-yeong argued that HuntWeb was packed because real estate speculators obsessed with property values and fans idolizing famous superhumans flocked there.
Way more people cared about which local government signed which Awakener than you'd think—and that made fame crucial for Awakeners.