Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Payback
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“Don't you guys have anything better to do?”
The gang led by Chu Gangmin, who were waiting around just to mess with me, looked pathetic. There’s always one like this everywhere. The type who gets off on bullying those weaker than them, drunk on their sense of privilege.
“Fixing your bad habits is my job. For the good of society.”
“Are you insane?”
“Come on in.”
Sigh... I was going to have to work out before my stomach even had a chance to settle. I could’ve run, but taking a beating still benefited me, so without a second thought, I charged straight at Chu Gangmin.
I dodged his fist, which came down like he wanted to nail me to the floor, and smashed my elbow into his nose.
“Argh!”
His nose cracked as he staggered back. Reinforcement doesn’t make you invincible—it just strengthens you. No amount of reinforcing your nose tenfold would block an elbow strike backed by my body weight.
I tried to follow up while he hesitated, but his lackeys rushed in from both sides and pinned me down.
Once they had me on the ground, they started beating me just like yesterday.
But today, their blows carried more emotion—maybe rage—and they seemed to realize I wasn’t getting hurt much, so the intensity ramped up. Protecting my head, I endured a solid beating until there wasn’t a single spot on my body left unscathed.
I could’ve killed them if I really wanted to, but thanks to my Resilient Mind skill, I endured the pain better and suppressed my murderous urge.
“Gangmin! Stop, you’ll kill him!”
One of his lackeys held Chu Gangmin back.
“Ptoo! Heal up and come at me again!”
As they backed off, the alert window chimed.
[Skill: Sturdy Body (F) acquired.]
It seemed my body had decided more beatings were dangerous and gifted me a skill.
Sturdy Body began reconstructing my flesh in real time, with my skin peeling off like a snake shedding its skin. It consumed so much energy that even though I’d just eaten, my stomach growled painfully.
Reconstruction primarily used vitality, but until my vitality rose to a certain level, it would burn through calories like crazy. I’d be starving constantly from now on.
And if I ate more than needed, it would compress and store the excess energy in my body. My physique wouldn’t change, but I could stockpile massive amounts of energy. The downside—and upside—was the weight gain.
I tore off my shredded shirt and tossed it, then showered again.
After that, I hurried back to the late-night diner.
“Got any leftovers?”
“Oh, didn’t you just eat?”
The cafeteria lady must’ve remembered me from piling my plate so high before.
“Stomach’s growling again.”
“I know Awakeners eat a ton, but you’re something else, young man. Here, I’ll bring out the buffet trays. Eat while we clean up.”
“Thank you.”
The ladies pulled out the buffet serving trays and I grabbed one whole, sat down, and devoured it.
As I shoved food in, I could feel my body reconstructing in real time.
I’d have to repay these friends who’d gifted me so many skills before I graduated the Academy.
* * *
“Run faster! You gonna dawdle like that with a Hellhound chasing you?!”
The instructor whipped the students on.
[Agility has increased by 1.]
[Stamina has increased by 1.]
“First ten to the top and back! Go!”
[Strength has increased by 1.]
[Strength has increased by 1.]
“Treat sparring like the real deal! This is what’ll save your lives later!”
[Stamina has increased by 1.]
[Agility has increased by 1.]
With grim determination in every daily training session, my Regeneration skill evolved me in kind.
“Jiseok’s due for another beating today, right?”
And as always in the evenings, Chu Gangmin’s gang beat on me. But now their hits barely fazed me, so there was no point anymore. No need to take it lying down.
“Enough already.”
With my Strength at 9, my power was about double that of a regular person who worked out.
From my prone position, I grabbed one of Chu Gangmin’s underlings by the ankle, stood, and swung him like a weapon.
Before he could resist, he crashed into another guy, and I hurled him at Chu Gangmin, who’d dodged back.
“You... how...”
Chu Gangmin’s eyes widened in shock as he caught his flying friend, stunned by my strength.
“Took it patiently long enough. Time to pay you back.”
Cracking my neck, I advanced on Chu Gangmin. Compared to the hardships of my past life, these punks’ beatings were nothing—and I’d even gotten skills out of it—but it still pissed me off.
In recent sparring classes, Chu Gangmin and I had just dodged and blocked without landing hits. That frustrated him more, leading to these evening beatings.
But he’d never seen me go all out.
Until now.
“Try blocking this.”
Sensing something different as I approached, Chu Gangmin lowered his stance, glared, and prepared to activate a skill.
“What the hell are you doing?!”
The instructor yelled from afar.
Using skills against humans—outside of sparring class, no less—could get your Awakener registration revoked, let alone become a Hunter. He’d lost his temper and nearly attacked me, but the instructor’s shout snapped him out of it, freezing him in place.
“I asked what you’re doing here.”
“Nothing, sir. Just messing around with friends.”
I told the instructor.
“You know using skills outside class means expulsion? Back to the dorms.”
The sharp instructor guessed what was up but didn’t punish us further.
“Yes, sir.”
Chu Gangmin’s gang and I bowed to the instructor and scattered.
“Watch your back in the Gates.”
Chu Gangmin spat through gritted teeth.
“You watch front in the Gates. With your skills, looking away means death.”
“Fuck... that mouth.”
After watching them head to the dorms, I started stamina training on the field.
* * *
After that, Chu Gangmin’s gang left me alone for a while.
Without skills, they couldn’t touch me now, and last time they’d been too heated, nearly using one. Now, cooled off, they feared the backlash.
Plus, he’d gotten a recruitment offer from some third-rate guild. They could cover up beatings, but serious injury or death would kill the offer.
No more provocations for a while—until the change near the end of the Academy. Sparring exams lifted the no-skill rule.
“Let’s go again.”
Chu Gangmin, who’d avoided picking me in sparring, finally called me out.
Everyone knew I only had Regeneration. With his skills, he figured he could win now.
“Fine by me.”
I still owed him some payback anyway.
Chu Gangmin smirked and approached, flicking a glance at Instructor Heo Oseong—the one who’d blasted me on day one.
Probably told him not to interfere even if I got hurt.
Birds of a feather.
“Begin!”
At the instructor’s signal, I charged Chu Gangmin. My combat skills outclassed his, and my stats were higher now, so I easily dodged and relentlessly targeted his face.
“Argh! You damn bastard!”
He raised his guard to his face and charged to push me back, but no reason to tank it. I sidestepped, kicked the side of his knee, and dropped him.
I stepped back and watched him crash down ugly.
His face twisted demonic with rage.
“You brought this on yourself. Charge!”
He glared and activated his skill.
Charge temporarily boosted forward speed and power to several times normal, synergizing with his Reinforcement for extra damage to foes and damage reduction for him.
Chu Gangmin shouldered forward and rushed me at several times his usual speed. Bad news for him: I knew most skills inside out.
Skills let Awakeners do things beyond base stats—super speed, fire breath, etc. But not invincible.
Charge worked great on dumb monsters, but a straight-line rush was easy to dodge. And at unfamiliar speeds, turning was hard.
I twisted aside from his linear charge and punched his exposed face.
His face and my fist met at the collision point; his body swung forward like a pendulum.
Then I slammed him down.
My arm took the Charge, dislocating my shoulder, but Regeneration kicked in instantly.
“Healer!”
Instructor Heo Oseong, smirking until the last second, frantically called for a healer.
Chu Gangmin’s face was a mess—teeth scattered, nose smashed. Dental damage like that needed implants or a low-grade Elixir; potions wouldn’t cut it.
And Instructor Heo Oseong, who’d just watched, was in for discipline.
Perfect catharsis... er, sparring to cap off the Academy.
* * *
In the remaining time, Chu Gangmin’s gang avoided me. I’d grown too strong for their raw power.
I pushed full throttle through the Academy courses, and finally, only the graduation exam remained.
Half the students dropped out within the month, unable to endure. The survivors, forged to their limits, brimmed with venom. Gone were the clean-cut newbies; now they looked like vengeful heroes. Newbie Hunters, sure, once they left.
The graduation exam: form teams, hunt in a Goblin Gate. Instructors and healers included, of course.
Arriving at the assigned spot with my team, a 5-meter blue circular Gate shimmered before us.
Instructor Jeong Yohan, who’d always thought well of me, was assigned to our party of five trainees including myself. Armed for our roles, we lined up before the instructor.
Our protective suits—modern tech fused with Gate materials—were simple yet practical. Not identical; tailored for job mobility and weight.
“The Academy’s not a Gate. Inside, no one saves you if you act reckless and die. But follow orders to the letter, and you’ll earn the Hunter title you crave. Understood?!”
“Yes, sir!”
With his mix of pep talk and threat, we grabbed temporary Hunter IDs and entered the Gate. Passing through the mid-mountain Gate led to a cave. Dim, but not pitch black.
“Follow me.”
The B-Rank Hunter instructor strode ahead, ignoring formations.
After a long walk, he raised a fist for halt.
Nothing ahead, so the trainees looked confused.
He signaled us to wait and walked ahead alone. Then, three Goblins hidden behind rocks lunged at him.