Don't Burn Without My Permission

Behind the Hunter Association main building.

Don't burn without my permission.

Clunk.

A can rolled out from the vending machine.

I turned to see Han I-seo toss a cold black coffee my way. Meanwhile, the thing in her mouth was a pink carton.

"……Strawberry milk?"

"My blood sugar's crashing."

She'd said the same thing earlier. Our pancreas isn't American.

The fact that 'Ms. Han I-seo is in the high-risk group for diabetes. No more sweets.' nearly slipped off my tongue with a doctor's solemn expression, but I figured I'd better filter it.

"Watch out for diabetes."

Before I finished, she primly stabbed in a straw.

"Tch…… Worry about your own condition instead of mine. Your mana waves have been a mess since earlier."

Slurp.

The sound of her sucking strawberry milk cut off abruptly. Had she sensed something?

"…!"

Thud—!

My heart suddenly went berserk.

"Ugh!"

"Mr. Baek Sa-eon!"

A slender hand snatched my collar.

In the space close enough for our noses to brush, Han I-seo shoved something unceremoniously through my lips.

Mmph.

This is……

Round. Hard. A pill?

"It's a prototype mana stabilizer, and it's pricey, so don't spit it out."

A warm energy spread through my mouth, and the pain subsided like a lie. As my ragged breathing steadied, Han I-seo, who had been supporting me, finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"Haa…… You're really a pro at shortening people's lifespans."

Still, the hand propping me up didn't let go. "No time today, so let's meet again later. Pushing more now would just mess with your head too. Here's my number—call if anything comes up."

"Thank you. You've helped me out a lot today. I'll ask then—"

The second meltdown hit without warning.

Beep.

Fuck, really…… One minute temporary? That's too short.

"Blegh—!"

I vomited a strawberry-colored blood clot. On a whole different level from before.

"Hold on, what's really wrong with you?!"

Dizzy like a raging fever. Han I-seo's pale face blurred.

"Hey! What happened?!"

Two security guards from the annex blew whistles and came running.

Without hesitation, Han I-seo scooped me up princess-style. Wind gathered around her, turning into an uncontrollable whirlwind.

Whoosh—!

Holding me, she leaped through the open window in an instant.

Fwoosh—!

The rushing Association staff froze, rubbing their eyes in bewilderment. Incredible speed.

My wind-borne body sliced through the sky. It had only been seconds, but we'd arrived in a nearby residential area, not far from the Association.

Splat!

"Kuhuk!"

The moment my back hit the wet wall, my status window went haywire.

"Kaaaaah—!!!"

A scream I couldn't hold back burst out from the unbearable agony.

The backlash from absorbing the core was brutal. "Get a grip!"

Han I-seo grabbed my shoulders.

Refined mana flowed from her palms, trying to suppress my rampaging mana. "Ugh, hnnngh……!"

Screams kept erupting from the pain, but I steeled my mind. I can't lose it here. Full reconstruction, it said. Grit through it with sheer willpower.

Don't push it away.

Use the wind mana she's channeling. How did I get this power? Don't you dare break on me now, you arrogant thing?

I focused on grasping the ignition point of the flames. Stabilize this, and there's hope.

It's my body. Don't burn without my permission. If I die, you explode too.

Han I-seo's fingertips trembled.

I saw her lips move, but her voice was muffled like it was underwater. "Damn…… you……."

Consciousness snapped with a blinding flash.

Han I-seo poured mana into the unconscious man's face.

Under her palm, the Crimson Flame coursing through Sa-eon's veins radiated heat.

This man had used the wind mana she channeled as a guide to pinpoint the rampaging flames' ignition.

And amid bone-crushing pain, he'd succeeded in controlling it.

A fresh awakener, no less.

Han I-seo looked down at her fingertips.

Mana synchronization.

The first time she'd done it, both wrists shattered.

Second: three ribs.

Third: hole in her left lung.

It took dozens of repetitions to finally ingrain it in her body……

And he'd nailed it on the first try.

Sweat beaded on the unconscious Sa-eon's forehead, trickling down his jawline.

"… Sa-eon … you are ……"

"……."

I opened my eyes to the cramped corner of my goshiwon room. Hey, mold. Good to see you too.

Three full days of fainting and awakening, grinding my bones to dust.

I slowly raised my upper body.

The dried blood on my torso—every minor scar gone.

Replaced by redesigned fine muscles.

I clenched and unclenched my fist.

The feel was definitely different.

A light flex of my fingers. Fwoosh. A small but far purer red flame flickered up. Much more refined, for real.

"Hm?"

A scrap of paper by my bedside caught my eye.

Spouting the door code half-asleep. What a life.

I folded the memo and pocketed it.

"How many debts does this make……."

My gaze shifted to the ceiling, where old memories mapped out around the mold like a diagram.

When was the last time I saw pure goodwill from someone?

The director was a rare kind soul.

Under his care, my older siblings grew up straight, landing proper jobs despite the orphan label.

The cheerful laughter during heavy-handed Chuseok visits to the orphanage.

That sight gave kid-me a sliver of hope.

That I could end up like that someday—a utterly ordinary, vague optimism.

……Sa-eon-ah.

Damn it. Unwanted memories resurfaced.

Goodwill without strings doesn't last.

I shoved the memo deeper into my pocket.

What? I heard that right…… "Say it again."

Am I actually dead? The system's trying to talk.

Expanded access? Not even a quest reward. "I'm pretty confused ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠right now. Explain in terms I can understand?"

I scanned the list.

Combat assistance, absorption efficiency optimization. Third one's still ???.

Then my eyes hit the last line. 'Backlash from mana is entirely borne by user's body.'

I knew nothing's free, but seeing it in print hits hard.

"One question."

"Besides Absolute Confiscation and Absolute Assimilation, any other traits?"

So there are more.

Cracking my knuckles, I sorted it out.

Absolute Confiscation — Steals others' skills and cores. Trigger: Detect killing intent.

Absolute Assimilation — Forcibly assimilates stolen mana into body. Trigger: Body critical overload.

Both activate only on condition met. Pattern emerging.

This system opens more the closer I am to the edge.

So to unlock the next, I gotta flirt with death again?

"What a sweet system."

"Not something the guy who ground his bones for three days should say?"

"Whatever."

I closed the window.

This is enough for now.

Take it apart one by one. Surviving core overload doesn't mean it's done.

To master Crimson Flame's proper use, I need real combat.

And gear, consumables, naturally.

I kicked the cleaner uniform away with my toe. "Sigh. Clothes first."

After a shower, back in the room, I plopped into the creaky chair and booted the laptop.

The spot I'd scraped info from since my non-awakener days. Awakening Gallery.

The biggest anonymous community, no discrimination between non-awakeners, hunters, or officials.

Long time no post. I put myself at C-rank. Unobtrusive, fitting. Flame-type skill. Natural info would follow.

Summary:

1. Grind D~E gates to raise adaptation rate.

2. Cash in byproducts for gear.

3. Stay freelance, no guild. Avoid B+ until ready.

Scrolling down, my eyes stopped.

Mass byproduct buyout. No quantity limit. Same-day payout.

A solo handling this volume? Backed by org or big broker.

Searched reviews. No scam reports.

Mostly "fast payout." Some "generous over market."

Straight deals like this can bite, but with these reviews, getting played is the meta.

Commented, and notification pinged.

'Contact via HunterGram below.'

'@siuuuuuu.'

Weird ID. Feels like sudden worship vibes.

Riiiing—

Expected caller, but whose? Dong-hyuk hyung? Yun-ha noona? Picked up—Seoul landline number.

"Hello, Hunter Association Central Lab here. Baek, Mr. Baek Sa-eon, right?"

A bit clumsy voice.

Clatter over the line, chair tipping.

"Registration measurement analysis is out. Adaptation rate changed. This—twenty papers at least—"

Fast talk mixed with heaving breaths. Otaku. 10000% otaku.

"Anyway! Can we meet in person? Better to explain face-to-face!"

"Give me time and place, I'll adjust."

"Yes! Thanks for making time... Huh? Wha—!! Prototype!"

Click.

Screech and call dropped. "What the?"

Feels like a storm passed. Central Lab. Big fish walked in on its own.

Suck up all the info on my status.

Sunny-side intel and shady cash line. Both cards dropping same day.

Not a bad start.