The Age of Hunters, The First Hunter
An Awakened from Samira is having a heated argument with a middle-aged woman.
I approach them alongside Jang Hoseop.
"Are those the people who agreed to join Samira?"
"Yes."
Jang Hoseop answers, glancing around nervously.
Tents are lined up on both sides of the road. The people on my right, by my standards, are those who passed the initial screening.
'There are more people who were rejected than I thought.'
Though fewer than on the right, there are quite a few people on the left as well. About a quarter of the total group failed the first screening.
But in truth, the term "failed" is ambiguous. They were the ones who heard the explanation regarding the "job applicants" and refused to join.
"I don't get it."
"Pardon?"
"Those people are all just civilians."
The few Awakened from the Namsan Government are being classified separately. Everyone here is a civilian.
"Yes."
"Then why refuse? How do they plan to survive on their own?"
I don't know where they get the nerve. Jang Hoseop just shakes his head, saying he doesn't know either.
"No, why do you keep saying everything is a no?"
"Ma'am. Please don't use informal language."
"Ha! Seriously. How old are you? Stop beating around the bush and let me meet the person in charge."
While I was walking slowly, talking with Jang Hoseop, the voice of the middle-aged woman causing the commotion grew increasingly agitated.
"If you continue like this, I will consider it a refusal to comply with control."
The Samira Awakened drew her sword. It was a more decisive response than I had expected. My irritation subsided slightly at the sight.
"Cr, crazy. What is this? Wh, what are you going to do! Are you actually going to stab me with that?"
The problem was that the middle-aged woman’s momentum hadn't died down. At that moment, Jang Hoseop and I arrived at the scene. The Samira Awakened spotted me belatedly and bowed her head.
"Lee Hyun, I apologize."
This woman is also from Myungshin Women's University. I patted her shoulder to let her know it was fine, then examined the middle-aged woman who had caused the scene.
'So, she does feel fear.'
She flinches upon seeing me. She’s wearing a scarf around her neck, and though she’s aged, it looks like she’s worked hard to maintain her figure. Her attire is also cleaner than the others.
After scanning the scarf-wearing woman, I turned my head toward the Samira Awakened.
"You've finished guiding everyone, right?"
"Yes. I have."
"These people are not yet members of Samira."
"Yes. I will handle it immediately."
She understands exactly what I want to say. On the other hand, the scarf-wearing woman clearly didn't get it. She interjects into the conversation, affecting a refined tone.
"Excuse me. You're the one in charge, aren't you, mister?"
"No, ma'am."
The Awakened on my side is startled and tries to dissuade her.
"It's fine. Do you have something you want to say?"
I gave the scarf-wearing woman, who had overcome her fear, the floor. I told her to speak if she had something to say.
"This woman is being too rigid. I have something urgent to tell you..."
"Go ahead."
As I nod, the scarf-wearing woman’s demeanor eases. Conversely, the emotions of the Samira Awakened and Jang Hoseop begin to churn with anxiety and anger.
"My son passed that qualification exam, you see."
"And?"
"He's incredibly smart. But because he's only ever studied, he's not very good at physical labor."
The scarf-wearing woman spoke in a calm, measured tone, unlike before. A thought suddenly occurs to me: perhaps she had looked down on the Samira Awakened who was handling her because she was a young woman.
"You were informed that your specific duties would be decided once you reached Samira, weren't you?"
"Oh, come on. You're a reasonable person, aren't you? I didn't want to bring this up, but... do you know what my husband does?"
I remained silent, at a loss for words. The scarf-wearing woman quickly poured out the rest.
"He is the chairman of the Citizens' Assembly here."
"What is the Citizens' Assembly?"
"The Assembly... it's the organization that gathers people's opinions."
A long-winded explanation follows. In short, the Citizens' Assembly is a group that represents the interests of the civilians. It seems her husband is on the other side of the road. The Namsan Government really had all sorts of things.
'Did they discuss this among themselves?'
Regardless, what this scarf-wearing woman wants is clear.
"So, you're asking for special treatment for yourself and your son."
"No, not special treatment, just a little consideration. Since we have aspects that are different from others."
"You mean you want to be assigned to an easy job, don't you?"
I understood her correctly. The scarf-wearing woman is currently soliciting a favor.
"You shouldn't put it that way. Words can be interpreted in many ways."
"Do you think the others are just fools for staying quiet..."
"If you grant my request, good things will happen. You know what a win-win is, right? And my son is so brilliant."
I look at the son standing quietly behind her. He looks to be about Jang Hoseop's age. He does look like he'd be good at studying.
"Ma'am."
"Yes."
"This is your final warning. Follow the control. We are the victors, and you are the defeated. You must understand that this is a situation where Samira is showing mercy."
I meant that she shouldn't attempt to negotiate. It seems to have been delivered properly. The scarf-wearing woman’s face turns red. However, when she looks at the tent across the road, several men stand up and swarm toward us.
"Huh? No, hey. Where are you going!"
The Samira Awakened on that side shouts in confusion. The men ignore her and approach me with quick strides.
"Ahem. I am Geum Deok-bae."
One of them steps forward and extends a hand toward me. This time, I was so dumbfounded that I actually laughed.
There are two main reasons I came here. The first objective has already been achieved. I’ve neutralized any potential threats. The second objective is to secure labor. I intended to take the civilians of the Namsan Government to Samira and re-educate them.
The general framework here is no different from Samira. The Awakened fight, and the civilians take care of the necessary tasks for daily life. So, I thought things would proceed smoothly.
"Honestly, the concept of 'job applicants' you mentioned makes no sense. The labor intensity is too high."
"There is no freedom. Why are basic rights called basic rights? Because they are the foundation."
"If we go through a few negotiations, we could secure more manpower."
I was wrong. What kind of battle was Yeom A-hyeon even fighting? Several men, including Geum Deok-bae, are chattering away excitedly. The scarf-wearing woman is looking at me with a triumphant expression.
'Was the corpse parade not enough?'
They hadn't experienced combat. I thought showing them the results would be enough, though.
"Doesn't Samira need labor, too? That's why you're trying to take us, isn't it?"
Geum Deok-bae says, puffing out his chest in front of me. This man is the scarf-wearing woman’s husband and the chairman of the Citizens' Assembly.
"Let's talk separately. If we finish the conversation well, all these people will work for Samira."
Geum Deok-bae gestures toward the people across the road. These things are a tumor. Cancer cells that would eat away at Samira. They are completely unable to accept the fact that they are the defeated.
"I told you to follow the control..."
"What?"
That was Geum Deok-bae's final testament.
-6 HEADS
Whoosh! Thud!!!
I swung my club. Geum Deok-bae’s head exploded. I spun the club in the air and smashed the heads of the other men as well.
"H, honey!"
I killed six men in an instant. The people fell into chaos.
"Everyone get down! If you're standing, you'll be considered an enemy!"
Gi Eun-chae shouts quickly. Jang Hoseop blocks the scarf-wearing woman who is running toward this side. The couple’s son collapses to the ground in a pathetic heap.
"Boss."
"Just break their ankles. That human, too."
"Understood."
The humans who refused to join attempt to flee. The Samira Awakened spread out in all directions and attack their legs. I smashed the heads of everyone except those who were already prone. It didn't take long.
'That wasn't what I intended to do.'
The plan went awry. Too many people died. It’s a waste, but there’s no turning back.
"In Samira, you follow Samira’s rules. Abandon your own standards."
A voice soothing my heart reaches me.
"We all do our best in our respective positions. Don't try anything funny."
Led by Jang Hoseop, the Samira Awakened speak to the people lying prone.
"You will serve Samira from now on. Do not wish for more than what is given."
My companions. The residents of Muhwadong village. And the survivors of Myungshin Women's University. They know what I want.
"Don't be arrogant. Abandon the thought that you are special."
Auntie Sujeong begins her speech.
"If you want to survive, keep this in mind. In Samira, only one person is special."
I laughed, covered in blood. I no longer felt that the dead were a waste.
"If you have any complaints, stand up and say so now."
Not a single person stood up.
I examined the emotions of those who had belonged to the Namsan Government, including the few remaining Awakened. I killed those who harbored resentment and began preparations to move.
The Awakened of Samira are masters of farming. They packed the supplies meticulously.
"The people are listening very well."
"Oh, that's a relief."
"What should we do about personal belongings?"
"Inspect them when we get back."
I organized a few thoughts in my head. By evening, the preparations for the move were complete.
"Auntie."
"Lee Hyun, you must be hungry, right?"
Auntie Sujeong brought some simple food. Blood was dried onto her clothes as well.
"No, Mom. What about me?"
"Do you not have hands or feet?"
"Then, Boss... never mind."
The food Auntie brought was enough for several people to eat. That was just a figure of speech. The rest of the party entered the room.
I quickly filled my stomach and spoke my thoughts.
"Auntie."
"Yes."
"Please prepare a large-scale personnel order."
"Yes. In what direction?"
I’m going to promote all the existing Awakened of Samira to regular employees. I’ll raise a few, including Gi Eun-chae, to even higher ranks.
"Discuss the specific ranks among yourselves. And for people like Bae Bong-sik or the Sangha couple..."
It’s about taking care of the people who need taking care of. I felt it was okay to do so.
"What should we do about the civilians?"
"Only promote those who stand out. There shouldn't be many. Just enough to show that while they are differentiated from the Awakened, there is still hope for them."
That’s because the number of people has increased significantly. Yongsan Station, the Hope Bunker at Seoul Station, and today, the Namsan Government here. I will make those who have newly joined struggle while looking toward higher places.
"Oh, and try to prepare rewards for the Awakened who participated in today’s battle."
"Yes. By when should I have it ready?"
"Within three days. Will that be difficult?"
"No. I will prepare it even if I have to stay up all night."
There is one more thing. I waited for the party to finish taking notes and continued.
"We will hold the funeral as soon as we return."
"Ah... our casualties?"
"Yes. I will preside over it myself. I will dress the bodies so they appear intact..."
It’s something I’ve done before. The method might be a little different, though.
"I will show the people. How we take care of those who worked hard for Samira."
"So that’s the intention."
Auntie Sujeong falls into deep thought. It’s because the time is too tight for such a problem.
"Let’s think about it on the way. The preparations for departure are finished, right?"
Now, it’s time to return to Samira.
On the way back to the land of Samira, Auntie Sujeong, who had been deep in thought, approaches my side.
"Lee Hyun."
"Yes."
"I’ve thought about it, and I think cremation would be best."
She must have been thinking a lot because of what I said before we left.
"Let’s do that."
"And... I’d like to put on a little show before the cremation."
Auntie Sujeong mentions my Soul Extraction skill. She asks in detail how much I can control it.
"Why, last time... you talked about the afterlife while mentioning souls, Lee Hyun. That sinners would suffer even after death. I got the inspiration from there..."
I don't have a religion. I’ve thought about the afterlife, but I’ve never reached any conclusion. That’s because rational judgment and what I want to believe are different.
"I hope that those who died fighting for Samira... can find eternal rest through your hands."
"I don't have such an ability."
Auntie Sujeong turns her head to look into my eyes. Her gaze is unwavering.
"No. You do."
She tells me. That this isn't a lie. That I have already become such an existence to everyone.
"Because that is faith."
Those words felt like an irresistible current.