Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Walking Tree Subjugation
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“This… Someone from up top must be putting pressure on this. Reports against hunters come in all the time, but they don’t suspend you before even investigating. Plus, with Hunter Lee Jiseok having cleared so many gates and growing so fast, it probably made suspending him the easier option.”
“Does clearing a lot make you guilty?”
President Yang asked, looking utterly baffled.
“Of course not. But clearing dozens of times more than other Awakeners—mostly solo— isn’t exactly normal. And starting from an F-Rank skill and climbing to C-Rank in just a few months? There’s no precedent in Korean hunter history. It wouldn’t have been hard to slap a suspension on him.”
“So what do we do?”
I asked Section Chief Baek Youngshin.
“For now, hire a lawyer. I’ll look into things on my end internally. There’s just suspicion and zero evidence, so it’ll clear up quick.”
“How quick is quick?”
“Hmm… Hard to say. It’s my first time dealing with something like this.”
“I know a lawyer. Looks like I’ll have to take some time off work, though.”
President Yang spoke awkwardly, but I could see the smile of a salaryman thrilled at scoring a vacation. It wasn’t a bad chance to tidy up the house while he was at it.
“If you don’t want to wait, I’m heading out for the subjugation tomorrow. Come with.”
Section Chief Baek Youngshin suggested.
“But my license is suspended. Can I even go?”
President Yang asked in surprise.
“Claims and reports fall under a different department, so I don’t have much pull there. But subjugation’s my responsibility, so I can flex some muscle. What do you say?”
“I’ll go. You come too, President.”
Since I was going, President Yang, who’d been looking forward to some rare time off, drooped his head.
“Then I’ll leave the details in an email.”
Na Young and Sanghun were coming along too. I’d told Na Young, whose mom had only recently recovered, to rest up since I’d be back soon, but she insisted on joining to pay off her debt faster.
Sanghun? I just told him to come.
* * *
“We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the Awakeners participating in today’s subjugation mission. I’m Section Chief Baek Youngshin, in charge of this operation.”
Section Chief Baek Youngshin stepped up to the podium and began.
“This Walking Tree hunt will run for seven days starting today. The mountains at night are dangerous, so unless you have a special skill, please rest tonight and start hunting in the morning. I’ve uploaded the frequent appearance zones and characteristics to the situation board and the Hunter app—check those.”
Section Chief Baek Youngshin pointed to the large scoreboard and the map beside it.
His speech was the same as the Hellhound one. Guess he had a standard script after running so many subjugations.
“Na Young, you stick with me to practice your new skill. Sanghun, move with the guild members and provide cover.”
Sanghun couldn’t tag along anyway because of Na Young’s skill. Plus, the guild guys I’d brought for recovery needed protection from the Walking Trees, and Sanghun was more than enough for that.
“Bro, what’s with that outfit? It’s too thin for armor—looks like regular clothes.”
Sanghun asked, eyeing my new gear.
“Kept ripping, so I got a new set. Something tear-resistant.”
“Cool.”
Na Young gave her take on the new armor. Now she wouldn’t blush at the sight of my bare skin anymore.
“Thanks. Shall we head out?”
I held out my hand, and Na Young nestled right in naturally.
“Huh? Since when are you two like that?”
Sanghun’s eyes bulged like a rabbit’s when I scooped her up.
“Huh? What? Oh, carrying her? I’m fast when I run.”
Na Young’s face flushed red now that she got it—must’ve finally felt embarrassed.
“No… Even so, you don’t just carry a girl like that and run?”
“Shut it. Hunt and send your location when you’re done—focus on recovery.”
Ignoring Sanghun, I dashed into the forest.
I sped through the woods, but Na Young had gotten used to it—her eyes wide open, staring ahead.
I ran carefree, extending my senses in all directions.
“There.”
Found one.
Walking Trees could mimic surrounding trees, making them hard to spot normally.
In a Gate without a hunter who could sense hostility, distinguishing tree from Walking Tree was tough. You could rip leaves one by one or slash trunks with a blade, but getting too close defenseless was risky and way too slow.
Outside Gates, thermal cameras helped, but progress was still sluggish.
I didn’t need any of that—my senses pinpointed them. Passing by, I’d feel the sticky malice and check around. The scent and subtle texture differences gave them away.
Trees don’t have killing intent, but Walking Trees weren’t trees—just tree-shaped monsters.
“Na Young, Corruption skill. Is that an AoE skill too?”
“Yeah…”
She nodded, head down.
“Focus and try. You should be able to use it on a single target.”
“Does focusing really make it happen?”
“Not easy. But there are rare cases of deliberate skill evolutions. Worth a shot, right?”
“Really? I’ll try.”
Na Young gripped her wand tight and glared at the tree I pointed out. No one wanted her skill to evolve more than her.
“Corruption.”
She murmured the incantation softly. Grass around her withered, leaves fell.
It started affecting me too. Decay? Corrosion? My skin crumbled like it was breaking apart—damage hitting while regeneration kicked in simultaneously.
If Blind drained mental energy, Corruption ravaged the body.
“Imagery matters. Picture the curse not spreading in a circle, but shooting straight at the enemy.”
She nodded at my advice, fixing her gaze forward.
The plants, lacking legs, just withered under her curse. Small animals and bugs fled from her.
Crunch.
The tree we’d been staring at yanked its roots from the ground and started walking. Its hidden face emerged.
A Walking Tree.
“Grrrraaah!”
Her curse hit it—it writhed in agony.
Despite its tree-like form, the Walking Tree closed in fast.
“Focus. You can do it.”
I stood right beside her.
“Yeah…”
Sweat beaded on Na Young’s forehead. The thing towered over three meters, barreling toward her like it’d devour her.
Corruption was fearsome but needed prolonged exposure.
Concentrating that wide range on one target would amp the damage, though.
Thwack!
Its branch-like arm sharpened to a point, stabbing at Na Young.
I snatched it mid-thrust. The spike halted one centimeter from her eyes.
“Good job. Step back now. Keep the Corruption going.”
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Sanghun took over a week of beatings from me for just a little progress.
Na Young retreated as I kicked its trunk, ripping the branch free.
Translucent, sap-like blood splattered the ground.
“Kraaaah!”
A roar erupted from its maw, every branch spearing toward me.
Walking Trees weren’t top-tier E-Rank in attack or defense, but unlike two-handed monsters, those branches were all hands—weapons galore.
They couldn’t pierce me, so I took the stabs head-on, smashing its trunk.
Thud—part of the torso flew off.
“Kue…”
I followed with a punch to the staggering thing, snapping its waist.
“You okay?”
I checked it was dead and turned to Na Young.
“Yeah.”
Shocked by the spike stopping inches away, but she’d grown accustomed to combat and trusted me enough that her battle spirit held.
“Shall we keep going?”
We repeated it for two hours: find Walking Tree, Na Young casts Corruption, save her just before it strikes. Taking constant Corruption hits built my regen—newly healed parts shrugged off the damage now.
Training her leveled me up too.
We found another. Na Young cast.
“Na Young…”
“Yeah?”
“Look around.”
Her circle-shaped Corruption now stretched like a path straight to the Walking Tree. The range was way longer than the circle, and the damage visibly worse.
No circle meant no splash on me.
“Whoa… Oh my god…”
Her focus broke; the skill fizzled.
“Fall back and rest a bit.”
I stepped up, easily handled the approaching Walking Tree, then returned to her.
“Sorry… I wasn’t sure it’d even work.”
Doubt was natural. Sanghun hadn’t exactly brimmed with faith during our sessions either.
“It’s fine. I didn’t expect results this fast either.”
Not for nothing had I terrorized hunters in my past life. Even I hadn’t anticipated progress in just two hours.
Only a tiny fraction Awakened, and among them, a scant few leveled skills after grueling training. Visible gains in a day? Her talent was no joke.
“Yeah. Not perfect yet, but I’ve got the feel. A bit… just a little more.”
Na Young, stressed that her self-curse harmed people, now buzzed with hope and elation—fatigue forgotten.
“Let’s go. I wanna try more. And this time, don’t block till the absolute last second!”
Overflowing with motivation, Na Young stood first and started walking.
“There’s another one.”
I pointed out the Walking Tree.
She cast. The Corruption path to it narrowed further than before.
Was she seriously about to nail this in a day?
“Kraaaah~!”
The struck Walking Tree lumbered toward us, but agony slowed it way down compared to others.
Camouflage twigs and leaves rained off.
Sensing death, it roared defiance and charged Na Young.
Just as a branch neared her eyes, I swatted it aside and shattered its trunk with a kick.
“Impressive. I didn’t think it’d click this quick.”
“More… More!”
“Calm down. Rest first. Your mana’s almost gone—face is pale.”
“But I’ve got the feel now. Wanna keep going.”
Her face was ghostly white, but her will was iron.
“Fine, drink this at least. Mana recovery potion and a healing one.”
“This… Isn’t this expensive?”
“Your health and time are pricier. Just drink. It’s a gift for your skill’s progress.”
“Thanks. I’ll repay you someday.”
“You living happily is repayment enough.”
Turning villain would make Na Young and others miserable.
Her face turned beet red. She’d misunderstood a bit, but it wasn’t a bad meaning, so whatever.