Chapter 2
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Hunters Are Human After All!
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In this Earth overrun by dungeons, Hunters were more than just a profession.
Studies even claimed that if Hunters vanished, civilization would collapse in a mere three days.
Modern society—not to mention humanity's very survival—depended entirely on them. People always called Hunters "heroes."
Historical records showed that some of the greatest figures in history had been Hunters too.
That's what they taught in schools.
Hunters possessed superhuman physical abilities and unyielding mental fortitude. They were the unbreakable torchbearers of humanity.
But while I was finishing medical school and exploring psychiatry as a career path...
I stumbled upon a secret that both the Hunter Association and the government had buried deep.
"Hunters... get PTSD too?"
"Yes. The media only reports on their physical injuries and hospitalizations, but in reality, about 20% of Hunters end up isolated due to mental breakdowns, not bodily harm."
"I... see."
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD.
It was a trauma deeper than any visible wound, invisible to the eye.
A condition where extreme experiences—like war, terrorism, or massive disasters—shattered the mind, altering brain function itself.
In the past, people dismissed it as "weakness," but now it was recognized as a clear-cut illness.
And in my previous life, it was what drove me to my death.
I already knew PTSD was rampant in countries with conscription like Korea.
It was my field of expertise, after all.
What shocked me was that Hunters—beings I thought had superhuman minds as well as bodies—suffered from it too.
Which meant, ultimately, they were just people.
Even more baffling: why hadn't I known about this until now?
The reason was painfully simple.
"As you know, Mr. Kim Seungbin, Hunters have always been portrayed as heroes."
"...Yeah."
"Exactly. And we're living in the most prosperous and stable era in human history—the 21st century. The colonial wars and dungeon resource conflicts of the past are over."
The government agent seemed to anticipate my reaction and continued.
"The world craves 'peace' right now. With dungeons as a common enemy, civil wars and international conflicts are pointless. Hunters must always be in peak condition."
A realistic reason, yet somehow bitter.
This was still Earth, after all.
A place where people lived—and suffered.
Suddenly, I recalled a story from elementary school.
This world's Earth had endured at least five more wars than the one from my previous life.
A history soaked in even more blood, spiraling into deeper chaos.
At one point, Korea had even colonized Japan, citing male shortages and resource crises.
The gender ratio was 10:1.
Men became rare resources, and nations went mad fighting over them.
War. More war.
And war again.
Humanity finally woke up.
At this rate, we'd all be screwed.
That's when the World Federation formed, and for the first time in thousands of years of warfare, the word "reconciliation" began to emerge.
But before peace could take root...
The ancient dungeons untouched by past wars erupted all at once.
Monsters poured out like a tidal wave across the shattered lands.
In that chaos, humanity joined hands again, with Hunters at the forefront—deflecting shells as they fought.
Yet those mighty Hunters were human after all.
Their bodies forged like weapons, but their minds... just a bit tougher than average.
Hunters felt stress too. In the worst cases, they could crumble completely.
And now, I was truly realizing that.
"You've been hiding this all this time?"
"Yes. It's an era of peace on the surface, but behind it lies a balance where nations don't provoke each other because their Hunters are mentally unbreakable superhumans."
I knew what that meant.
I'd heard it endlessly in the military in my past life.
If you want peace, prepare for war.
True peace doesn't come from kindness.
It stems from overwhelming power no one dares touch. I knew that well.
And this agent's words were no different.
"The belief that 'Hunters are mentally perfect' is... actually a lie the state has brainwashed the public with."
"Brainwashed?"
"Yes. The moment a Hunter shows even a hint of weakness, foreign powers send 'support forces.' It's not real aid—it's planting foreign capital and personnel in that country's Hunter system. Infiltration."
"Has that actually happened?"
"Some African nations already fell. They failed at mental care, Chinese Hunters swooped in offering 'help,' and within years, their major dungeons and guilds were all under Chinese capital. Local Hunters were left as figureheads."
"......"
"Hunter powerhouses like France, Germany, the UK, and the US do the same. Under the banner of 'peacekeeping,' they embed themselves deep in other nations' systems, eventually controlling their entire Hunter societies. Conquest without war, diplomacy and aid instead of force. That's how the world works now."
An era of peace where Hunters don't fight each other.
But nations with Hunters had turned that "non-fighting" into a tool for conquest.
A chill ran down my spine.
I'd studied humans more than most in psychiatry, but their intricate predatory strategies made cold sweat trickle anyway.
...Wait a second.
"What about Korea, then?!"
"Korea, you mean?"
"Yes! You're approaching a guy like me—who barely graduated med school after retaking exams—just to make this offer. Does that mean foreign Hunter capital has already infiltrated us?!"
For reference, I was 27.
On this female-dominated Earth, where men didn't even need to serve in the military, I'd barely scraped through med school after retakes.
Graduating med school guaranteed a future, but this field was overflowing with more talented, better-suited people than me.
Yet they'd come to me specifically? Didn't that mean they had no room to be picky?
As anxiety gripped me and I swallowed hard...
"Regarding that, Mr. Kim Seungbin."
The agent pulled out my application and continued.
"Everything written here... is it all true?"
"Pardon? Ah, yes. It is."
The agent stared intently at my resume—nothing special beyond med school.
Then, as if more nervous than me, she swallowed and asked again.
"Your first preference: 'No breathing difficulties or aversion when surrounded by women.' You checked 'yes' as an example. Is that really true?"
"Yes. It is."
Communication is basic for psychiatry.
A doctor whose mentality shook around women wasn't fit to practice.
I hadn't realized it, but in this female-heavy world, men often suffered vomiting, panic, or hyperventilation from prolonged exposure to women.
But I came from a normal Earth. With most patients being women, could I call myself a psychiatrist if I crumbled from that?
I nodded confidently.
"Then, this item too, Mr. Kim Seungbin."
She carefully lifted a corner of the application with her fingertip.
Come to think of it, it was odd.
True to the female-dominated society, the application had some bizarre questions mixed in.
And now, the agent zeroed in on the most standout one, swallowing hard before asking cautiously.
"We approached you because we saw a 'potential' in you that sets you apart from ordinary men."
"Potential?"
"Yes. Women tend to open up more to men than other women. And if that man is... reliable, even better."
Couldn't argue with that.
Even by this world's standards, I had a sturdy build—rare for a man here.
180 cm tall, and I'd kept in shape. Perhaps that's why she pointed to the next item.
"Here... this part. You checked the box for 'Male center measures 15 cm even when not aroused.' Is... is this true?"
...Was she really from a government agency?
The atmosphere had escalated weirdly fast.
I was dumbfounded inside, but she was dead serious, like verifying state secrets.
"Mr. Kim Seungbin, this is extremely important. Please, be precise!"
...It really was important to her.
Why did the size of my junk matter for a counseling gig?
After pondering with a baffled look, I finally said:
"That... might not be accurate."
"I see. Ah, yeah... figures it wouldn't be."
"Because... I just ballparked it back then. In reality, it's a bit bigger."
"?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!"
The moment the words left my mouth, the agent's eyes went wide.
The other agents behind her jolted—shoulders twitching, jaws dropping.
They looked like they'd just heard a missile launch code.
Ridiculous as it was, it was a satisfying reaction for me.
A man's pride and all that.
Anyway, they needed a male counselor fresh out of psych med school.
One who felt zero discomfort around women, no matter what.
"So, where are my patients?"
"......Pardon?"
"My patients. Where are they right now?"
"!!"
The reason I'd been reborn into this world.
To fix the mistakes of my past life. It was time to lend a hand.
But then.
"Th-thank you! Mr. Kim Seungbin! We'll contact the Hunter Association right now to book S-Rank Hunter Cheok Yunhwa!"
"...Who?"
Hold on.
Did I hear that wrong?
S-Rank Hunter?
One of the mere 100 legends in the entire world?
She was already on the phone, and a calm, chilling voice from the Association responded.
"She's Korea's S-Rank Hunter, known as the 'Sword Princess.' Also the 32nd-generation descendant of Goryeo's legendary general, Cheok Jun-kyeong."
"...."
"And she's the guild master of Moonlight Sword House, one of Korea's top four Hunter guilds!"
Usually, a counselor's first case starts with some low-rank E- or D-grade scrub, right? But here... was the tutorial boss a demigod or something?