Chapter 59
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 059
Chapter Title: Special Task Force Captain Han Hee-seok [3]
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A few days later, I got a call from Seok Jang-sil.
It was one of those calls where he said since we'd already crossed paths, why not grab a drink.
"Kim Geuk hyung, you said you're wrapping up your suspension soon and heading back out to hunt, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, it'll be hard to find time later then. Some of us Awakeners and Hunters are getting together for drinks tonight. Wanna join, hyung?"
I decided to go to the gathering.
I flew across Incheon's vast wasteland— so immense that even a supersonic jet couldn't cross it in a millennium—and arrived back in Seoul.
Stepping into the second-floor bar, I saw Seok Jang-sil waiting with three men I'd never met before.
Judging by their tall, imposing builds, they were all clearly Awakener Hunters.
"Ah, Kim Geuk? I could tell it was you just from your physique from way over there!"
As they recognized me and greeted me warmly, even the bar's regular patrons noticed me.
"Whoa, it's really Kim Geuk!"
A woman shouted that as she approached, her voice full of excitement.
"I'm a huge fan of you, Kim Geuk oppa. Could you give me an autograph?"
While someone nearby muttered, "Kim Geuk really is famous now..." I pondered this audacious situation where a non-Awakener from Seoul dared to ask me for a signature.
She couldn't be a bad person if she was my fan, and no bad person would be from Seoul anyway.
So she had to be from Incheon. I happily agreed to the autograph and asked,
"You're from Incheon, right?"
"Nope! I live in Seoul."
"Then even if you live in Seoul now, you must've been born in Incheon."
"No? I was born in Seoul! Total Seoul native here."
"So you're Seoul-born, Seoul-raised, but still an Incheon person at heart. Here, your autograph!"
As I enlightened this unaware Incheon native about her true identity, another Awakener arrived.
"No way, Kim Geuk? You're really like this in real life too, not just on HuntWeb..."
Turning around, I saw a middle-aged man—rare among Hunters—standing there.
He looked well-educated and polite at first glance.
He extended his hand first, bowed politely, and said,
"I'm Elmaya Cafe from HuntWeb. Real name's Kim Hyeong-man. Kim Geuk? Let's hang out as fellow Dungeon & Fighter players."
"Nice to meet you, Kim Hyeong-man! Do you raise an Elm in-game like your nickname?"
"First-reincarnation gear set, heh. I run a herbal clinic, so I level it up in my spare time here and there. These days, with Hunter work piling on, I don't have much gaming time—abandoned four characters—but I still manage somehow..."
I knew this guy well too.
He was pretty famous on HuntWeb, almost as much as me—an elder player.
Kim Hyeong-man, Heatwave Awakener. Age 53.
Running a herbal clinic meant he was already high-income, so he had no need for the dangerous Hunter life.
But he hated letting his abilities go to waste, so he was known for stepping up as an A-rank Hunter every time an alert sounded.
With the last person arrived, the gathered Awakener Hunters started drinking and chatting.
"So, last time, Kim Geuk hyung and I got summoned by Kang Jun-chi hyung, right?"
Seok Jang-sil spoke up first.
He brought up the Kang Jun-chi eavesdropping incident from before, chattering excitedly, then shared some aftermath I hadn't heard.
"...And now, whenever Kang Jun-chi hyung sees me, he whines about opening a gate for him. Doesn't seem like he'd actually go in if I did—just complaining out loud—but it still makes me nervous as hell."
One Awakener asked,
"Speaking of which, Seok Jang-sil, can you open gates? You're Spirit-grade too, so you can, right?"
"Nah, not all Spirits can open gates... From what I know, you have to take down multiple Spirits and absorb their memories to learn how. I've never caught any, so no."
"Wait, Spirit Awakeners need to hunt multiple other Spirits to open gates?"
"Yeah."
"That's a ridiculously tough condition. Is there even anyone in Korea who meets it?"
As one Awakener muttered that, Seok Jang-sil glanced at me.
"Wouldn't Baek Dam-bi from Kim Geuk hyung's team be able to? I heard you and your sister took down a Flame Spirit and a Rock Spirit together."
And I replied,
"But Baek Dam-bi can't open gates, far as I know."
"Really? Well... Anyway, Kim Geuk hyung, how many Spirits have you taken down so far?"
"Three. Two Rock Spirits and one Flame Spirit."
That seemed like an impressive feat even among Awakener Hunters.
"Whoa..."
Exclamations leaked from the mouths of everyone gathered as Seok Jang-sil said,
"Kim Geuk hyung? Next time we take down another Spirit together, tell Baek Dam-bi not to mess around—check the absorbed memories for gate-opening knowledge."
"Why?"
"You know Spirits absorb the memories of those they defeat, right? But those memories fade fast, like dreams. To keep them long-term, you have to mull them over repeatedly or write them down. If she can somehow remember the gate-opening method..."
Opening gates like that would skyrocket a Spirit Awakener's value.
There were only a handful of Spirit Awakeners worldwide who could do it, and given the current situation, national-level treatment would change dramatically, Seok Jang-sil explained.
He added,
"It's rainy season now, right? High chance of running into one or two Water Spirits during the downpours, so don't forget to pass it on..."
The other Awakener Hunters reacted.
"Oh yeah, rainy season's coming. This sucks."
"Yeah, tons more people will die. Hunter life's no joke..."
Not knowing what they meant, I chimed in.
"What's so special about rainy season?"
And I was taken aback.
The moment I asked, all eyes in the room turned to me.
Kim Hyeong-man looked at me with keen interest and said,
"Come to think of it, this is your first year as a Hunter, right, Kim Geuk? And you're already at this level—impressive... Anyway, you've never done A-rank Hunter duty during rainy season?"
"Yeah, that's right..."
"Then listen up. We'll tell you all about what happens and what we have to do. Your seniors got you."
A nearby Awakener Hunter chimed in.
"The Association should be explaining this, but those guys are useless as always."
Soon, Kim Hyeong-man began seriously explaining what A-rank Hunters do during rainy season, with the others adding bits here and there.
Listening intently—not feeling bored, but a profound sense of pride—I thought,
Look at this.
Awakener Hunters even discuss protecting people and the region when they meet for drinks.
That's worlds apart from non-Awakener Hunters who just yap about some rich neighborhood's nice vibes or what car they're buying with their earnings.
Maybe awakening requires a high level of character or noble personality.
We kept chatting about this and that.
Kim Hyeong-man said in a low voice,
"Hold up. Everyone, check out that guy."
We all looked where he pointed.
A young man—handsome like a gigolo, tall as a lamppost, super eye-catching—sat across from us.
The moment our eyes met, he quickly looked away.
Kim Hyeong-man whispered,
"He's been glancing at us since earlier. Suspicious, right?"
"Maybe a Baby Mushroom fan?"
"No, Kim Geuk, don't do that in real life, please... Jang-sil, you're a Spirit user, so you can detect Awakeners, right? Check if that guy's Awakened."
Seok Jang-sil closed his eyes, then opened them, frowning.
"He's an Awakener."
"What abilities?"
"Hang on... Force Field Exoskeleton, Force Field Blades... Last one's what? I've seen it before, but not common—pretty rare..."
As Seok Jang-sil spoke, I blinked.
Three abilities? Really?
A+++ rank Awakener, and one was the highly valued Force Field Exoskeleton in the Awakener market. No need to check further.
No Awakener like that would eavesdrop without reason.
"That's a Special Task Force guy!"
Kim Hyeong-man jumped up and shouted.
We all stood and surrounded the young man.
The panicked young man waved his hands frantically.
"No, it's a misunderstanding..."
"Misunderstanding my ass!"
"Gonna keep denying it? Should I call Jun-chi hyung?"
Seok Jang-sil yelled that, and sure enough, Kang Jun-chi's name was hard to ignore.
The young man flinched and finally admitted it.
"Yeah... I'm Special Task Force."
"You were surveilling us, right? Why?"
"We got a report that six famous Awakeners were gathering here..."
Of course, we couldn't just let that slide.
"The country surveils every time a few Awakeners meet up? Insane."
"No, think about it. You six might be few in number, but your combined power could wipe out a battalion. Can't ignore that in the capital..."
"What, worried we'll coup the government?"
Kim Hyeong-man clenched his fist and kept yelling.
"Let's give 'em what they fear! Storm the National Assembly right now, kill all the badge-wearing bastards, the president too—slaughter 'em all!"
As we all vented our anger, the young man started looking embarrassed.
Seok Jang-sil waved his hands wildly.
"You got caught—get out! Scram!"
"But hyung, this is my mission..."
As Seok Jang-sil glared murderously, I finally spoke up, unable to take it.
"So you're staying here? Surveilling us the whole time, ruining our drinks?"
"Sorry, but yeah..."
His stubborn attitude boiled everyone's blood.
As Seok Jang-sil opened his mouth wide to yell, I said,
"Then surveil us... while drinking with us."
The young man's eyes widened.
"Pardon?"
"An Awakener crashes an Awakener gathering? Drink with us. Sit. Hurry up."
An Awakener's an Awakener, no matter the job. Not enemies, so why not get friendly?
I forced the young man into a chair and poured him a drink.
Kim Hyeong-man seemed to think I was trying to get this spy drunk.
"Oh? Good idea. Drink up."
Kim Hyeong-man's face brightened as he poured the young man a ton and urged him to chug.
The young man hemmed and hawed but finally downed the drink we gave him.
Just his flustered look screamed fresh grad.
Once we got him tipsy, we turned the tables and interrogated him.
"Name?"
"Han Hee..."
Similar to that Special Task Force Captain Han Hee-seok.
I thought that as I asked,
"Abilities?"
"Force Field Exoskeleton, Force Field Blades... and Acceleration."
Han Hee stammered, but everyone looked shocked.
Kim Hyeong-man's eyes bulged as he asked,
"Is that Acceleration including neural acceleration?"
"Yeah, kinda..."
Even I had to be surprised now.
Rare for one Awakener to have three abilities, let alone that combo.
They synergized perfectly—especially Acceleration with Force Field Blades. Chilling.
He could blitz beyond human reaction speeds and slice anyone in one hit.
Good thing Kang Jun-chi wasn't here.
If he knew about this guy—Special Task Force no less—he'd be shaking and diving into a Sowol Gate.
I felt tension ripple through the gathered Awakeners.
We'd pegged him as a naive newbie, but here was the government's anti-Awakener ace.
Seok Jang-sil seemed the calmest—maybe Rock Spirits shrug off Force Field Blade rushes.
And thanks to my uniquely developed nervous system, I could handle Accelerator speeds, so I stayed composed and asked,
"With abilities like that, why not Hunter work? Special Task Force pays peanuts."
I expected a Nazi-like "for my country" answer.
But I was wrong.
Maybe the booze loosened him up? Han Hee stammered,
"I wanted to be a Hunter. But my dad made me..."
"Your dad?"
"My dad's the Special Task Force Captain. Han Hee-seok... Know him?"
No wonder the name rang a bell—his son.
Han Hee continued,
"He's the captain, but recruitment's barely half full, so he told me to join and fill a spot..."
"Just say no?"
"I did! Said I wanna Hunter it up, make bank, live free. Guess what he said? 'I manage Awakeners—think I can't screw over my own son if he's a Hunter?' Threatened to abuse his power..."
Hmm, applause.
This guy—who could solo half of us (everyone except me and Seok Jang-sil)—wasn't some soul-sold Nazi, thankfully.
"What's 12 million won a month? With prices and housing like this? Even saving till I die, I couldn't buy a Seoul apartment on that salary...!"
We eased our tension, listening to the young guy's rant.
Then screams rang out.
Multiple people, one after another.
Chaos outside the window.
We rushed to look down and quickly assessed.
"People dropping like flies?"
Kim Hyeong-man said, and he was right.
On the street below, packed with people, they were collapsing one by one.
Three down at once, then another. No, two more.
Tension heated my body as I raced through thoughts.
What the hell was this?
Not hard to figure out.
During Korean Awakener Alliance activities, I'd studied not just oppressed Awakeners but those whose actions justified the crackdowns.
Now I knew exactly what this was.
Street ability spree.
The Awakener version of a street shooting rampage.
And an Awakener with enough lethality to harm crowds on the street—but wasting it instead of high-paying Hunter work?
Only one type like that, far as I knew.
Ice Awakener...