The Self-Proclaimed Disciple Appears! (1)
Awakened individuals—Hunters, in other words—have a duty to exterminate monsters. All those privileges come from that obligation. Even now, with rates somewhat lowered, it's still a job with a mortality rate that's anything but low.
But there was one case where you could temporarily relinquish both the duty and the privileges: vacation. Specifically, medical leave, the dream of every office worker.
Given the nature of the job, Hunters don't just have high mortality—they have high injury rates too. Amputations are actually the lucky outcome. If you have a valid reason, you can pause Hunter activities for a while. Sure, your privileges get halved, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.
"I faked an injury to take long-term medical leave for two years of pure training... but damn, Seoul's changed more than I thought."
They say ten years changes the mountains and rivers. That's outdated now. Just one year—one measly year—and the world transforms.
Seoul, which had been little more than rubble two years ago, had at least shaken off the shadows of the past in appearance. If anything, it was bigger now, scale-wise. I flew past a forest of buildings brimming with dazzling neon signs.
"Whoa, these things are huge."
Towering skyscrapers that mocked the heavens themselves. They almost looked like spires guarding humanity.
The Hunter Association headquarters was a building smack in the middle of Gangnam. Word was, it was now the tallest in Korea. Sure enough, as soon as I stepped inside, a staff member greeted me with a polite, gentle voice.
"Welcome to the Hunter Association. How may I assist you?"
"Yeah, I had to suspend my Hunter license due to an injury."
"If I may ask, could you tell me your name?"
"Han Sojin."
Inside the Association, staff and even Hunters were gathered in groups, chatting away. A perfectly peaceful scene without a hint of trouble.
At least, until I said my name out loud.
The staff member's face froze solid, and the noisy lobby went dead silent, like someone had doused it with ice water.
"...Han Sojin?"
"That S-rank Hunter Han Sojin???"
"Not some namesake, right? The war hero from the Great War?"
...This I hadn't expected.
For some reason, every eye in the place was locked on me—staff, Hunters, the works. What the hell?
In the original story, Han Sojin got ignored even when she shouted her name from the rooftops.
"Ahem! S-sorry about that. So... wh-what brings you to the Association...?"
"I want to lift my Hunter license suspension."
"Ah! R-right, you applied for long-term medical leave due to injury..."
"Yeah. I wasn't in good shape."
Her mouth was smiling, but her face was stiff. Cold sweat dripped from her whole body—I almost felt bad for her. But I couldn't help; the stares were getting overwhelming.
Thanks to the staffer's quick processing, I finally escaped the lobby. One procedure left.
"Um... sorry. This isn't us disregarding your contributions, but it's a required step to lift the suspension..."
"It's fine. If it's necessary, it is."
"Thank you! Truly, thank you!"
They called it a "required procedure," but it boiled down to proving you still had rank-appropriate skills. Makes sense after long-term leave—you've been out of the field, so they check.
They don't throw you straight into real combat after sick leave, or you'd just pile up bodies. Instead, it's a mock battle.
Mock battles are virtual reality fights. No pain, no real death. Not 100% like the real thing, but plenty good for training and skill checks.
To prove S-rank Hunter status, you had to solo a high A-rank monster or above.
> Safety protocols are fully operational. If any issues arise, notify immediately!
"Got it. Let's see, my opponent is..."
"An Ogre, huh. Not a bad first opponent."
Ogre. A monster with monstrous strength matching its massive bulk and toughness that chews through tank shells. Low intelligence is its flaw, but it makes up for it with sheer overwhelming size—a total freak.
Slash.
Of course, it wasn't my match. I lightly drew my sword and severed its neck, then checked the time.
"...One second to take down an Ogre."
Most A-rank monsters need multiple A-rank Hunters or an S-rank to fell. An Ogre's mid-tier among them, solid mid-range.
This should be plenty.
That's what I thought.
"...You've definitely weakened, Teacher!!"
"???"
"But don't worry—now it's my turn to protect you!!"
Until some crazy bitch picked a fight.
It was like a nuke had dropped on the peaceful Association.
One Hunter returning from long-term medical leave had caused it.
It's not like no Hunters take extended leave. But this was a special case.
Han Sojin. One of Korea's seven S-rank Hunters, a Great War hero.
Maybe she'd pushed too hard. Right after the war, she'd vanished for treatment. No one doubted it—everyone who'd fought knew her near-suicidal feats.
Two years later, her return naturally threw the Association into chaos.
"No one knew Han Sojin was coming back?! Does that even make sense?!"
"S-sorry!"
"At least we should've sent a welcome party... whatever! Treat her right from now on! Got it?!"
An S-rank Hunter's influence rivals or exceeds politicians or conglomerate chairs. And Han Sojin? Undeniable war hero. They even called her the reincarnation of Admiral Yi Sun-sin—more heroic than strategic, but still.
Staff felt wronged, though. Psychic powers aren't standard issue; she showed up unannounced—what were they supposed to do?
Of course, when the section chief went out to greet her personally, the behind-the-scenes griping was inevitable.
This time, though, an unusual crowd gathered. Her comeback mock battle drew them.
"Not just staff—even Hunters who never show their faces."
"It's a mock battle, but it's Han Sojin's return. Gotta see the legend live."
"No filming, by the way. Some sell sneaky recordings later."
Expectations and doubts swirled as Han Sojin's comeback began. And shockingly, it ended in one second.
An A-rank Ogre needs at least five A-rank Hunters teaming up for a clean kill. She did it in one second.
The overwhelming display left everyone speechless.
"Taking a whole second to kill a mere Ogre... Teacher's definitely weakened from the war's aftermath."
Who calls an Ogre "mere"? Even A-rank and S-rank Hunters treat them warily.
A few irked Hunters turned toward the voice, ready to school the brat. Then they all looked away.
Staff too—except one clueless newbie.
"No way! She killed an Ogre in one second, and that's weakened?!"
"It's true. In Teacher's prime, an Ogre would've taken 0.1 seconds tops."
"Th-that strong...?"
"Of course— she's my one-and-only Teacher. No time to waste. I need to go greet her now."
Snow-white hair like fresh powder, ice-blue eyes chilling to the bone—yet laced with uncharacteristic urgency.
No one here didn't know her name, save that one newbie.
Yoo Seolhwa. Korea's youngest A-rank Hunter, founder of Shin Geom Ryu.
If she said it, it wasn't a lie.
It's already jaw-dropping now, and that's weakened?
Just how strong was she at her peak?
Her words carried weight, leaving everyone stunned by Han Sojin's power.