Chapter 106
Chapter 106
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: The Red Bird's Legacy
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Jinwoo was out of breath, but he whipped his heavy body toward an old abandoned building in the neighborhood. Long-distance running was something he'd always hated, but this wasn't about likes or dislikes. A photo had come to Jinwoo's old flip phone from the red bird he'd befriended on the back mountain—the bird tied up tight with string.
"Ooh, you're fast? The birds all look the same, so I wondered if we got the right one, but looks like we did."
Jinuk smirked with his friends as sweat-drenched Jinwoo came running in.
"The bird... what happened?"
"Hey, it followed the trail perfectly? We set up the bird trap and slingshot, sprinkled some bread crumbs, and it stuck to us without knowing to fear humans."
"Where is it?"
"Jinwoo, if you've eaten that much, you gotta earn your keep, right?"
"...I fought more than I ate. I've paid my dues."
"Hey, first time I've seen you talk that much. But what can we do? You're still ~way short."
"I got no money."
Jinwoo had tried part-time jobs since studying wasn't his thing. But everywhere he went looking for work, they'd see his face and suddenly say they were fully staffed. Even when he barely landed odd jobs at construction sites, they'd curse him for being slow and fire him quick.
"Steal it or rob it, figure it out."
"Give me... the bird."
Jinwoo took a step forward.
"Stay put!"
As Jinwoo approached, Jinuk grabbed the bird and held it out. It was tied so messily that leaving it like that would ruin its wings. No, it might even die.
"Ah... okay. I'll get the money. Untie it first."
"How're you gonna get it?"
"..."
There was no way to get money. He didn't want to take it from anyone else.
"Just beat on me a bit. For now."
Jinuk swung a wooden plank at Jinwoo's legs first, and the others rushed in to join, pummeling him together.
Jinuk and his crew just wanted to vent their anger. Jinwoo hurt like hell, but he endured, thinking if he took it, they'd calm down and release the bird.
After a few minutes of beatings, the attackers got tired first.
"Huff... huff... fuck, this punk doesn't scream once. If you don't wanna keep getting hit, get the money ready."
Jinuk and his friends tossed the bird to the ground and walked past the fallen Jinwoo.
"......"
Jinwoo cradled the bird in both hands.
He carefully untied the messy strings.
Was it because it'd been tied too long? Or hurt from the toss? The bird wasn't moving.
"Wake up. I'll give you food."
He pulled bread crumbs from his pocket with bloodied hands, but it didn't stir.
Jinwoo didn't remember much after that. When he came to, police had tased him, and beneath him was a man whose face was unrecognizable, smashed beyond repair. It was Jinuk.
Jinwoo got arrested for this incident and sent to a special juvenile detention center for assault.
Even though Jinwoo had taken more of a beating, Jinuk's condition was so dire that Jinwoo ended up in detention.
It was a special facility because Jinwoo had awakened that day. Jinwoo was badly hurt too, and luckily his post-awakening abilities were low-level; otherwise, Jinuk's skull would've been shattered.
The day Jinwoo was hauled in, Jinuk's breathing stopped once, only revived by paramedics. He lost all his teeth and ruptured his eardrums, making normal life impossible from then on.
Jinwoo thought it was fitting. He'd given back what the bird suffered.
Jinwoo had no real fear of prison, so even hearing it was a special juvenile center didn't faze him.
Word had already spread inside, so no one messed with Jinwoo.
He spent his days quietly in the yard feeding birds, studying as instructed. He'd always been at the bottom of his class due to his slow mind, but with so many worse off in detention, his grades were good. Studying even got a bit fun.
During breaks, he exercised and scattered bread crumbs in the yard to attract birds, but none got as close as the dead one had.
Ironically, prison life was easier than the outside. But a year flew by, and like it or not, it was time to leave.
"Auntie, where's my mom?"
"How the hell would I know your mom, kid?"
He got home to find a stranger, a middle-aged woman. While Jinwoo was locked up, his mother had moved without a word. She never visited once, so Jinwoo figured moving was natural. He wasn't even mad. You need a bond to get angry, and to his mom, he was just baggage.
With nowhere to go, he wandered aimlessly. He got some discarded triangle rice balls from homeless uncles while sleeping rough, but they didn't fill his big frame.
Jinwoo tried for part-time jobs everywhere. But if he couldn't get hired before, no one would take him now in ragged clothes, unwashed.
On the way back to the park with the homeless crew, he spotted a flyer at a detective agency recruiting.
"Well... probably won't work out again."
The "no experience or education required" part seemed to jump out extra big.
"Hello."
"Come... in. How'd you hear about us?"
Jinwoo thought there were people with worse faces and bigger builds than his. That was Hyungbin.
"Saw the ad out front."
"Ah... I see."
"Any work? I'm strong."
"Can you use a computer?"
"Yes. Word and Excel."
He'd learned in prison. He liked computers. Couldn't do them great with his slow brain, but easier than talking to people.
Hyungbin brooded over it.
"Ugh. Thought this time we'd finally hire a pretty girl accountant..."
Minwoo sniffled from the back, knowing what decision Hyungbin would make.
"You eaten?"
Hyungbin placed a hand on Jinwoo's shoulder. His pot-lid-sized hand enveloped it. To Jinwoo, it felt like this firm grip was steadying his unsteady life.
Maybe this is what a real dad feels like.
* * *
Jinwoo hated fighting and hated running, but thanks to Hyungbin, he was here now—he couldn't give up. He didn't want to disappoint him.
Unlike times he'd been pushed into hated jobs unknowingly, this was by his own will. Jinwoo moved his feet.
"Sorry!"
Tatata-tatang!!!
Jinwoo vowed never to call Sanghun "hyung" again.
Sanghun used to slyly miss before, getting chewed out by Jiseok a few times, but now he straight-up shot at Hyungbin's group while saying sorry.
Jinwoo, now a D-Rank Hunter past level 20, could shrug off rifle rounds from afar—his armor and muscles stopped them—but the pain dwarfed getting hit with that plank before.
Too sluggish to dodge bullets, he summoned mana birds as shields. But they were fragile, vanishing after a shot or two.
Jinwoo needed something stronger to protect him. He wished another Hyungbin-like figure would enter his life.
[Summon Skill leveled up from E to C.]
The F-Rank Summon Skill had risen to E tagging along with Jiseok, now jumping two ranks at once.
"Summon!"
Imagining Hyungbin, Jinwoo called a bear.
The massive bear wasn't fast, but bullets sank into it like in slime, dropping out the bottom. The holes sealed, making it Jinwoo's personal tank.
He'd tried on a whim, and the falcon summoned too. Huge progress from one falcon normally.
He figured he could summon up to five falcons alone.
Jinwoo thought: With this... I don't have to fight directly, right? Tank and dealers covered?
"Jinwoo! What's that?! Awesome!"
Minwoo clapped his shoulder as he passed.
"Ooh, cool? But looks a bit dumb. Hahaha."
Sihwan said.
"Hey, man, even if it looks like that, you say it like that?"
Jinwoo decided to take the Hyungbin-model fact to the grave.
* * *
"You modeled it after Hyungbin, huh. I was most worried about Jinwoo, but he's good now."
Tatata-tatang!!
"What?!"
Sanghun missed my words over the gunfire but didn't stop shooting. Not out of grudge—just venting built-up stress on Hyungbin's group.
It wasn't just Jinwoo who'd grown. The relentless brutal obstacle course had leveled up everyone training.
Magic shield users strengthened theirs to block bullets.
Warriors gained stats and skill ranks, becoming faster and tougher overall.
Hyungbin's stats rose, boosted further by Guardian Skill, making his body so solid bullets couldn't pierce.
Minwoo's skill rank-up hardened his transformed body more. Before, even reinforced, pain lingered as body parts; now it felt like separate nails or hair—painless. Broken bits regrew like shark teeth. Effectively, no limb loss. Though not regenerating as fast as me, severing meant combat downtime till healed.
Sihwan grew next most. Pissed at Sanghun shooting, he yelled and leveled his skill—concentrated soundwaves disabling foes. Still low mastery and Sanghun higher level meant just discomfort for him, but mastered, it could burst eardrums and shake brains for immobility.
Sihwan evolved it defensively too. Spreading soundwaves forward created a sound barrier shielding like a shield against most attacks. Downside: out of breath, no sustain. Training boosted stamina, holding tens of seconds to minutes.
Yesul skipped self-sacrifice skills like past life, but reinforced her shield. Paired with O brothers? Gained Chain Healing and defense buffs. Now simultaneous heals and defense buffs for multiples—fitting her protective nature.
Villains all powered up skills. Others just strengthened, but Sin Muyeol hit higher stealth—no footprints even. Problem: I detect beyond sight with other senses, so bullets hit fine. Gave extra special treatment to the child rapist.
All ten grew noticeably. Training proved World Tree life force + mana-mud + intense drills trigger evolution.
Refine process humanely, train more hunters—mass-produce high-rankers. Beats solo effort; bigger win than my gains.
* * *
Mud Academy yielded results; I had none noticeable.
"You're really dumb, huh."
Eres, who'd floored me, poked my forehead.
Days of sparring—bones shattering, guts shredding—no new skills unlocked.
What was wrong? Deep down, I figured Eres wouldn't kill me, so no crisis sense, no skill-ups.
"Well, if it doesn't work this way, that's your fate."
Eres shrugged clean, dusted off, went back to manga. No more spars or provocations.
Separate from my training, villain team vs. Hyungbin team spar time arrived.