Chapter 3: The Subordinate Dedicates a Share of Their EXP

A message of unknown origin flickered briefly before vanishing.

Subordinate Han Biyeol. Was that really the maniac dancing with his sword over there, the one I knew?

I glanced sideways.

Holy shit.

The guy was glaring right back at me.

Our eyes locked, scorching across the full length of Hangju Bridge.

"...What the hell are you up to...!!"

His axe-like eyes stabbed into me.

"Kyaaack!"

"Another one—another gate!"

At that moment, the space near the existing gate warped. A second gate had spawned.

Ah.

A filtered snippet from the latter half flashed through my mind.

"...Haha."

A hollow laugh escaped me.

Now I get it.

This must be the perk of a review session.

This multi-gate break was the spark. A detail I'd overlooked in my past life now hooked right into place.

'Strike team leader selection.'

The public was in chaos. Perfect setup for someone to take the fall. Hostile forces would exploit the gap to target my brother...

Crunch.

How could they?

To a hero devoted to society!

I ground my teeth and scanned the scene. Green arms were prying through the gate's edges.

"Goddammit, hobgoblins mixed in too!"

The uncle swung his emergency hammer, desperately blocking the monsters' advance.

The bus passengers, realizing he was exceptional, huddled behind him.

"Don't clump up like that! Makes you easier targets for goblins!"

"B-but—!"

Clang—!

"Scatter, quick! Get the kids behind me first, and anyone with working limbs, grab something and throw it!"

A goblin's temple shattered under the uncle's hammer.

Gurk.

The convulsing body was trampled by reinforcements.

This D-rank uncle hammered, kicked, and held back the goblin horde.

"S-save... us...!"

People cowered behind cars, begging for help. I instinctively pulled out my phone, then realized a beat too late it was useless.

"No signal... no damn signal..."

Abyss gates somehow jammed communications. That was why civilians caught in them could only wait helplessly for hunters.

"Kiyaaah!"

A scream.

"P-please! At least the kid!"

Another scream.

I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them.

...Can't just stand here.

I had to twist fate.

I didn't care about whatever force regressed me.

I'll live my way!

"Son of a bitch!"

Han Biyeol, spitting venom, finally pulled his glare off me.

"Already out of breath! If it weren't for that thing, I wouldn't do this unpaid bullshit—fuck!"

He spat like phlegm, then resumed monster-slaying.

A clear chime rang out.

A red thread linked my fingertip to Han Biyeol's back, stretching and contracting elastically.

Sturdy, huh?

While I was dazed.

"Hunters really are on another level."

"No wonder they're separated from regular awakeners."

"I was jealous of their salaries yesterday, but screw that— they earn every credit."

A few onlookers teared up, moved by Han Biyeol's apparent professionalism.

I seemed to be the only one here thinking differently.

No surprise. If I hadn't been stabbed by that bastard, I'd have fallen for it too...

'There's definitely a reason for it.'

I'll dig it up later.

Right now, my life and this bizarre phenomenon took priority.

I barely pulled my upper body up.

Cough, cough!

Ugh.

It stung like hell. Felt like chestnuts rolling in my lungs. At least this was an improvement.

No doubt thanks to that message.

Leveling up usually restores bottomed-out stamina to full. At least in games.

"Hey! Hey! You okay?!"

The uncle, mid-goblin bashing, looked at me with worry-filled eyes.

I'd pegged him as prickly from working with knights, but he had a soft side.

"Never judge by first impressions..."

"Kid! Snap out of it! You're mumbling to yourself!"

"...Ah."

Everything was hazy.

"Uncle, please don't shake me."

"I'm trying to keep you awake!"

"Gonna puke."

Watch him back off slow.

A sigh ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠leaked from my pale lips.

Anyway, I was calming down now.

Finally, I focused on the air in front of me.

I blinked rapidly. It wouldn't go away.

'Status window.'

It had been 20 years since gates first appeared.

Initial panic and standoffs had eased into full research. Still ongoing even now, into the future.

'Aggressive investments everywhere.'

Yet gate origins and awakening causes remained mysteries.

Some griped about no status windows or stats.

Reality had none.

Until now...

It appeared.

Status window. Stats.

Self-objectification without my consent.

Mind-blowing.

But not entirely pleasant.

'Look at these stats.'

Despairingly bad.

Health and Magic positive, but single digits. Tempted to hope, but the benchmark below crushed it.

Minus 44 Luck.

Two digits...

Rage bubbled from my core.

"Ugh!"

"What? What?!"

Everything pissed me off!

"If you're worried, come closer!"

"If my wife smells puke on me, she'll chew me out... 'Drank again?'"

The uncle flashed a gentle, toothy grin and thumbs-up.

"Voice sounds strong, so you're good! Anyway, what's your ability? Wait, before that—you're not D-rank, right?"

His face lit up.

"Not D-rank."

"Knew it!"

Hope gleamed in his eyes.

"At least B-minus then."

"E-rank."

"...What?"

"Bottom of the barrel."

Hope snuffed out.

I ignored it, surveying the area.

Monster blood pooled in concentric circles around the center.

Suspicious signs for sure.

What ability?

I needed to check mine too.

Perfectly timed, the status window imprinted on my cornea.

A sharp roar pierced the air.

Kieeeek!

The monster horde threw heads back, bellowing fury, then fixed red ghost-fire eyes on the road.

Fuck, I awakened—why're you freaks acting up?

My question resolved quickly. Via status window.

'Even gives advance notice?'

Absurd, but I snapped back to calm fast.

Meanwhile.

"You damn monkeys!"

Snap!

"Die and die—!"

Snap!

"Endless, you fucks!"

Han Biyeol was holding his own, sort of.

But not fully focused. Swinging his blade while relentlessly glaring at me.

'Doesn't know the details.'

If he did, he'd ditch everything and charge me.

I felt his selfishness in my bones; his vileness proven by name.

"Hey... what do we do?"

Storm clouds gathered on the uncle's face.

Come to think, we hadn't exchanged names—I kept calling him uncle.

'Doesn't matter.'

Anxiety gnawed his tongue.

"Staying put... we'll get wiped waiting..."

As he said, the tide was turning. Monsters grew fiercer, gates spewing green waves like busted faucets. Even a B-rank couldn't plug them forever.

Sure enough, cold sweat replaced blood on me.

"Just wait."

"Got a plan?"

"..."

Couldn't confirm. I dropped my gaze, impatience tightening my jaw.

"P-plan, huh?"

No, not you.

'Status window.'

Respond, quick!

Scam.

Mouth wouldn't shut reading the description.

'Auto-farming, basically.'

Obstructing text finally clicked.

I strained my eyes.

The sleazy bastard sweated buckets, slashing away.

'He's my subordinate...?'

Condition: share blood.

His blade gutted me, filling my mouth with blood. In my final spasm, I bit his nape.

'Tore flesh, accidentally mixing blood.'

Condition met.

"Ha, haha."

One caveat: my shining ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠minus-44 Luck.

My gaze locked on the final paragraph.

Extra conditions galore.

Tedious in multiple ways.

Max efficiency needs blood bonds or "Synergy."

Blood bond? No clue yet. No time or bandwidth anyway.

'Then.'

Aim for intuitive Synergy. Too much info clouds judgment. Focus on two.

One: Open event EXP perks.

Two: Join personally to double down.

"Hoo..."

Hot breath escaped my teeth. Movable now. I gripped the dagger at my thigh.

'Condition's decent.'

Most goblin weapons scavenged from hunters' guts. Fine for killing.

Eyed the bloody blade, then the Abyss gate.

Spotted a hobgoblin amid goblins. Red eyes flickered dangerously in robe shadows.

'Killing the host usually closes the gate.'

Less regression knowledge, more hunter common sense.

Han Biyeol surely knew.

'Deliberately leaving the host alive.'

Obvious host at a glance.

Must kill hobgoblin.

Otherwise, infinite goblins.

Goblins win by numbers, not individual threat.

Four gates at once?

Whew, stay cool.

'Seen worse.'

Head wouldn't blank.

For average adult male in shape, goblins doable.

Luckily, site was Hangju Bridge.

Omnidirectional assault? No escape. But bridge limited paths: front, back.

Maybe above?

"You green monkey shits!"

Han Biyeol.

'Hiding something for sure.'

Normal to rage.

But I didn't tremble in fury.

"Your schemes benefit me."

Told him I'd use him like a slave.

Short breather. I yelled from Hangju Bridge's hellish center.

"Uncle!"

"M-me?"

"Protect the weak over there!"

"What about you?!"

You F(E)-rank scrub! His face screamed it.

I lowered into stance, back to uncle.

"Hunters in 20 minutes."

Seemed like rescue arrived around then in news.

"Hold till then."

"...Hey!"

Goblins scaling support tower and cables leaped. Purple tongues lolling. I thrust the dagger.

Crunch!

Burst rippled elbow to shoulder. No goosebumps. I'd done worse plumbing hunter society's depths.

Twisted blade to split neck, kept momentum. Crescent arc smashed temples.

Brain-jostled, it flailed dagger spasmodically. Goblin vitality tenacious. Scratched my shoulder before collapsing.

Splatter!

Yanked dagger free.

Goblin blood seeped into unhealed scratch.

'Ugh.'

Solar plexus stung.

Paralysis poison spreading fast.

Thump!

I clenched, unclenched dagger-grip hand. Pallid fingertips pinked up.

"...Like this, huh."

Felt paralysis drain from my body.

Bubble bubble.

No sooner muttered, foam boiled from arm wound.

Healed clean soon after.

Odd. Blessing specified 'additional harm.'

Prior slash wasn't additional?

"..."

I glanced past the status window.

Eyes met again.

Han Biyeol scowled.

Realized this scrub awakened? Looked displeased.

"Tch."

Fleeting impatience in his eyes.

Then his half-assed fighting changed.

Han Biyeol went all-in on hunting.

His scheme foiled, tidy up quick and deal with me.

"Keep at it."

I encouraged Han ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Biyeol.

Bigger ones he'd clear. Goblin trash were mine.

"Let's see Synergy output."

I toed up another dagger. Snagged midair with free hand, stomped forward.