Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: End of the Special Training
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“Same conditions as last time’s spar. The winning team gets a day off. The losing team trains without rest.”
“Miran, I’ll come over tonight, so leave the door open.”
Jeon Donggun was already convinced they’d have tomorrow off and pestered Choi Miran.
“You crazy bastard. You stink, so get lost.”
“This bitch, just because I’ve been nice?!”
“Shut up. You idiots, if you fuck up and lose, I’ll kick you out of the squad. Do it right.”
Yang Deoksu growled, and Jeon Donggun and Choi Miran lowered their eyes. A hierarchy had already formed among the sinners. Yang Deoksu was first, Heo Oseong second, Jeon Donggun and Choi Miran around the same, and last was Shin Muyeol.
“Especially you, Shin Muyeol. If you collapse helplessly like last time, you die by my hand today.”
Shin Muyeol, who had been effortlessly taken down by Jinwoo’s falcon summons last time, hung his head low.
Hyungbin’s team took the same positions as last week, but their faces showed a different resolve this time.
“Begin!”
The first attack was the same as before—Jeon Donggun firing a fireball at Yesl. But no one went to defend her.
Boom! The fireball was blocked by Yesl’s shield, bolstered by the special training’s boost to her defense. But the attack on Yesl triggered Hyungbin’s guardian skill, raising his stats.
Jinwoo’s falcon summons took to the air, several at once. Shin Muyeol activated his invisibility skill upon spotting the falcons and vanished, but they roughly predicted his path and had the falcons sweep the area in flight.
“Urk!”
The mana-formed falcon’s beak smashed into Shin Muyeol’s head as it flew by. The impact broke his stealth, and multiple falcons ruthlessly scratched and pecked at him. The sharp beaks and talons of the mana falcons matched the power of a hunter’s dagger.
In that moment, as Choi Miran tried to launch a poison attack.
“Aaaah!!”
Sihwan’s Shadow Sting engulfed Choi Miran.
“Kyaaak!!”
The eardrum-shattering impact sent her sprawling backward.
Hyungbin and Jinwoo’s bear summons stood before Yang Deoksu and Heo Oseong, with Minwoo and Sihwan providing support. It was 2-on-1, and Hyungbin’s team had Yesl’s defense buff, so they took minimal damage. Even minor injuries were healed instantly by Chain Heal.
“Fuck! Jeon Donggun! What the hell?!”
Yang Deoksu yelled as Minwoo’s bone knife stabbed his thigh, but no matter how many fireballs Jeon Donggun fired, he couldn’t pierce Yesl’s shield. Whenever it looked like the shield might break, she recast it, and in the meantime, Jinwoo blocked with his large shield. Attacks clearly aimed at Yesl were easy for even the slower Jinwoo to intercept.
Yang Deoksu, Heo Oseong, and Shin Muyeol were subdued, and the spar ended with swords at Jeon Donggun and Choi Miran’s throats.
Last time had been a total mess, but a bit of motivation and training had made them somewhat usable.
* * *
“It’s over!!”
Heo Oseong shouted. The four weeks of training were finally done.
“Now… we can go back to prison, right?!”
“Fuck, if I ever have to come back to this hellhole.”
The other sinners cheered at the end of training too.
“You all did well. Now head back to prison and get along nicely.”
Prison these days offered no human rights protections like before the gates. In a world where lives were cheap from the start, they’d rot in chicken-coop cells and risk death fighting in gates. They’d live like that until they died, yet they all eagerly wanted to return to prison. They were thrilled now, but give it a month in there, and they’d change their minds.
They were vicious criminals, so part of me wanted to kill and bury them all, but lifelong imprisonment would be worse than death.
“Be good in prison. I hope we never meet again.”
The sinners looked at me with chills running down their spines.
“Especially Shin Muyeol and Heo Oseong.”
The two, not serving life sentences, flinched.
“Live righteously even after prison. This is your last chance.”
“Understood.”
They bowed their heads, sweating profusely.
No matter how harshly I’d treated them for weeks, I couldn’t just let the non-lifers go without insurance. When they entered the special training room, I’d subtly tampered with their minds so they could never commit violence against humans again, even if they wanted to.
* * *
“This should be plenty of data to prepare for the academy.”
After sending off the sinners, I compiled the data from the past few weeks of training and handed it to Bureau Chief Baek Youngshin.
“This is… incredibly encouraging data! Korean hunters will grow stronger, and survival rates will rise even more.”
“We’ll need more hunters. Stronger monsters will keep emerging in greater numbers, even without breaks.”
“Not welcome news.”
“I think dividing the academy into courses would be good. And make the duration flexible, as long as there are results.”
“You mean by difficulty? But if the training’s too grueling, who’d sign up?”
The bureau chief, aware of the sinners’ training, voiced his concerns.
“They will. Our people overcome any hardship for success.”
“That’s true. I’ll prepare multiple courses then.”
“And open the academy to foreigners too.”
“New awakeners overseas?”
“New awakeners and hunters alike. Proper training for a fair fee would benefit every nation. But only after thorough background checks and aptitude tests.”
“Good idea. It’ll boost Korea’s prestige and rake in cash. I can already hear the bosses loving it. Hahaha.”
We couldn’t just defend Korea alone; we had to train foreign hunters too if possible.
* * *
[You’re here? New game?]
The world tree’s spirit, now a bit taller, circled me happily. Previously around 3-4 years old, it was now Eres’s height.
“You already cleared the one I gave last time?”
[Yeah. It was fun. Hurry and give me the new one.]
I’d brought a game console and TV, and it played games all day. No one to talk to, so it must get bored.
Electricity came from a hand-crank generator, with a tree branch turning the handle.
“Here. And I brought this today too.”
I handed over a tablet packed with novels and comics.
[What’s this?]
“Play games till you’re sick of them, then read this. Need snacks?”
[I like polluted stuff. I’ve eaten almost everything on this land.]
The poisonous fog looked much thinner now.
There was nuclear waste underground, but Baekdu Mountain area had little human traffic anyway, so other pollution was minimal.
“Want more?”
[Yeah! Awesome!]
Felt guilty giving waste like snacks, but if it liked it, fine.
While there, I sat in a wooden chair and gamed with the world tree spirit.
* * *
They’d said the next legion commander was coming soon, but autumn passed into winter with no sign. Were they lying low after consecutive S-Rank monster captures? Gates still spewed monsters, so they hadn’t abandoned Earth.
The world tree made an underground passage wide enough for cars. Dump waste at the end, and it dragged it deeper to process.
The government profited nicely from waste disposal fees and academy tuition.
Global hunters competed to raise stats and skills, so the academy kept expanding.
In exchange for communicating and negotiating with the world tree, I got hefty land and cash. But compared to Regen’s earnings, it was a drop in the bucket.
Korea’s item market was nearly ours. The Mexico factory started up, exporting to the US. Sales rose steeply each month.
President Yang had gained a lot of weight—must be the cushy CEO life. I advised moderate exercise for health and infused life force into his back. He needed to stay Regen’s president long-term; no adult-onset diseases.
“But Chairman, I hear your mother hasn’t been well lately?”
President Yang mentioned my mom.
His expression seemed less worried about her illness and more like he was confessing a sin to me.
“I’ll go right now.”
No reason he’d sabotage me, so I headed straight to Mother.
I sensed her rushing to bed as I arrived.
In the room, she lay on her side like an invalid. But her life force far exceeded others her age; she didn’t seem sick. Not after all I’d poured into her.
“Mom, what’s wrong?”
“My heart hurts…”
“Why?”
“Because my stomach’s in knots!”
Mother shot up, fuming. She looked ready for a marathon, not ill. Her skin was taut; at sixty, she appeared in her forties.
“W-what…?”
“You’ve been dating over a year, practically living together! No marriage? No kids?”
“Not even holidays, why bring this up now? You faked being sick for this?”
“You never come home otherwise…”
Mom was usually mild, but extreme on marriage talk.
“With the world this dangerous, how can I marry?”
I spoke sincerely.
“I’ve only got one kid—does that mean no grandkids? I don’t care. Give me grandkids now.”
Sincerity and logic fell flat.
After a long nagging session, I escaped.
“Whew…”
I locked eyes with Nayoung emerging from her mother’s room.
“You too?”
“Oppa's here too?”
“Hahaha…”
“I’m fine with marrying later…”
She said that, but Nayoung subtly wanted marriage. I could marry, but kids? Hesitant. What if the world ended before they grew up?
I had power now, but not enough to wipe out the destruction gods in one go. And I couldn’t flee with family anywhere. If even Tellus fell and Earth too, no matter my strength, where to live?
Felt sorry for Nayoung.
“Wanna go out for Christmas?”
Next week was Christmas.
“Really?! Where?”
“Not far—eat delicious food, then hotel time just us two…”
“Let’s go!”
“Uh… sure.”
“You seemed busy, so I didn’t ask, but you did. Love you.”
Nayoung hugged my arm tight.
Forgot all about it—good thing I asked. Thanks, Mom.
I didn’t know good restaurants, so I asked Regen’s secretary office chief, Jeon Gyuhee.
“Don’t worry. I’ll book the perfect spot.”
“Oh, reserve for Hyungbin and Yesl too. They haven’t even dated properly.”
“Got it.”
As a bonus, I gave generous Christmas bonuses to all staff.