Hydra's Awakening
Checked achievements for evolution.
I dreamed.
A vision of Yu Jun-young from his porter days appeared.
Selecting entity for evolution.
He burst out of the house and plunged into the labyrinth with nothing but the clothes on his back.
He took on any odd job without complaint, endured filthy tasks, and gritted his teeth through it all without giving up.
Confirmed skill Limit Break SS.
Looking back now, it was truly impressive.
What had driven him to such desperate efforts?
Reflecting into evolution process.
The biggest reason was rebellion against his father.
There was also the fact that no place was better for rising from nothing than the labyrinth.
Selection complete.
Beginning evolution.
Of course, there was admiration for hunters too.
He had grown up idolizing Seong Jae-myeong, once called the world's strongest, and that sparked his longing for hunters.
Checked energy stored in Gluttony.
Reflecting into evolution process.
Reselecting entity suitable for evolution.
Even covered in grime and rags, the hunters strode out of the labyrinth with shoulders squared in pride. Nothing could have looked cooler.
Selection complete.
Restarting evolution.
But reflecting now, what I'd truly admired wasn't the hunters themselves.
It was the power they wielded.
With power like theirs, not even my father could treat me like dirt.
Due to evolution, some skills and stats have grown.
My eyes fluttered open.
The first thing I saw was a fluffy white bundle of fur.
As I shifted slightly, pointy ears perked up from atop the furball.
[You're awake!]
Con─
A familiar cry rang out as the furball lunged straight at me.
I caught it effortlessly, finally recognizing the bundle for what it was.
'Suli.'
'Con-con─' Suli wriggled in my arms, rubbing against me happily. To Soon-i and Rue were right beside her.
The kids tumbled around in a fluffy pile, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
[You're awake.]
A clear voice echoed in my mind.
I turned to see Snow in her fox form.
She'd been cradling the children in her embrace just moments ago.
The sight of her brought back memories from before I opened my eyes.
[How much time has passed?]
[Hmm. Waking up and the first words to your wife are about work? My husband is quite frugal, isn't he?]
Snow let out a sigh-like murmur and continued.
[Not long. Exactly two days since you fell asleep.]
[Two days? What's the situation?]
[No one knows our news yet except Jeong Soo-ah.]
[...You prepared ahead. Thank you.]
[Hmph. This lady merely did what was natural. But if you'd woken a day later, things might have been different.]
I tilted my head at Snow's added remark.
[Song Jae-ha came by. He said he won't report to the higher-ups for a while. If he keeps his word, we have until tomorrow.]
[...Do you think he will?]
[He definitely will. He's sharp and quick on the uptake.]
[...Sounds like you like him quite a bit?]
[Hehe. Doesn't this lady deserve a capable subordinate of her own? He's top quality.]
Snow smiled meaningfully, and I could only nod awkwardly.
[Daddy! Your head grew!]
As I chatted briefly with Snow, Suli suddenly cried out con!
I couldn't help but smirk at her reaction.
So you just noticed.
I turned my head slowly.
To the left and right of my familiar heads sat new ones, as if it were the most natural thing.
Nine in total, including the originals.
Having evolved to SS-rank, I had become a hydra.
Shhh───
Each head reacted differently to the glances exchanged.
Just like Left and Right before them, every head had its own distinct personality.
My mind, already noisy, was now utter chaos with these new partners.
If only there were a mute function.
The moment the thought crossed my mind, the marketplace bustle in my head fell silent as if by magic.
A new feature from the evolution?
SS-rank is impressive.
The changes from reaching SS-rank went far beyond just more heads.
Existing skills merged, new ones appeared out of nowhere.
Magics I'd never used before, more varieties of Magic Eye.
Power surged through my entire body.
I didn't need to check my status window to know—I felt stronger than ever.
One slip in control, and this whole building might crumble with a mere nudge.
No, not just the building.
Omnipotence washed over me—the sense that I could do anything if I willed it.
This was SS-rank.
The pinnacle stage, where "strongest" felt understated.
A delayed wave of satisfaction and euphoria made my body shudder.
That worthless porter had come this far.
No more groveling, no more watching others' moods.
From now on, I could do as I pleased, follow my heart.
Suddenly, I understood why SS-rank hunters all seemed a bit unhinged.
Not quite like me, divided between hunter and monster, but they'd surely felt this omnipotence too.
With such power, what was there to fear?
I could feel the roots of their arrogance and recklessness.
'...Gotta be careful with this.'
One wrong step, and I'd be the one wielded by power, not wielding it.
I didn't need to suck up to anyone, but keeping some basic boundaries was wise.
Anything but turning into a maniac like Wang Feng.
[So, my lord. You've grown tremendously strong.]
As I cradled Suli and the kids, inspecting my evolved form, Snow spoke softly.
[You weren't weak before, but now you're brutally strong.]
[I feel it too. Incredibly so.]
[Sparring's out now—I couldn't lay a hand on you. No, you might even surpass this lady. Now I should beg you for a handicap.]
I gauged the gap between us at her playful tone.
[No, not that much. I haven't even adapted to this body yet.]
[Hehe. So once you do, you'll be stronger than this lady?]
[...That's not what I meant.]
[I know. Just teasing. But it's fact—you're stronger. We'd have to fight to know for sure, but your aura alone surpasses Arde's from before.]
Snow's words brought Arde to mind.
Among those I knew, Snow and Arde were the strongest.
Arde especially seemed bottomless, yet now I'd reached his level.
A real fight? I'd still lag in experience, but closing the gap felt monumental.
A profound thrill surged again.
"Then let's get moving. We need to inform Jeong Soo-ah you've awakened and start the next phase."
I shifted to human form, following Snow as she did the same.
Suli squirmed in my arms.
"So, what's the next plan? You've thought it through, right?"
"Hmm. We'll talk on the way. Where's Jeong Soo-ah?"
"Upstairs, busting her ass on cleanup. Complaining about too much at once."
We headed upstairs to meet Jeong Soo-ah.
Snow said she'd worked hard tidying the underground chaos—everything but my chamber.
Extra effort to keep it from leaking out.
Without Snow, Toda, and Zhang Wei's newly hinted subordinates, she might've collapsed.
An S-rank hunter felled by workload...
The thought alone was daunting.
Once this was over, gifts for her efforts.
Na Yeon-seong, Toda, Ichijo too.
Zhang Wei's men—no favoritism.
My sister's gift while at it.
Park Min-seong, Yoon Ji-su's group.
Yoon Ha-yang, feeding association intel sporadically.
Quite a list.
Right—Suli and Rue's too.
To Soon-i?
Protection from Righty was gift enough.
Some new heads eyed her too...
Yeah, no extra needed for her.
Jeong Soo-ah looked awful up close.
Worse than after fleeing the Black Market.
Generous gift required.
Tonic? No, an elixir?
"...You look radiant. Some of us are on the verge of collapse... and you pop up after days..."
Grind. Teeth gnashing.
Suli, intrigued by the sound, patted my arm: con-con─
"...Cute puppy... wait, three tails? Monster...? Tamed one in a labyrinth? Lucky you... Is that why you vanished for two days...?"
"No clue where to start correcting, but it's a misunderstanding. And Suli's not a tamed monster—she's my daughter."
"No, our daughter."
"Right. Sorry, Snow."
"...Am I hallucinating from exhaustion? Yeon-seong, brew me some tonic."
"...Your ears are fine, ma'am."
"I'm not 'ma'am'."
"...Does that matter?"
"Yes, more than anything."
"...I'll brew you some tonic, then."
I chuckled at Na Yeon-seong and Jeong Soo-ah's banter.
"So, Jeong Soo-ah, situation report?"
"...Sigh. No one knows internals yet. Some are sniffing around, but three more days secret if no issues."
"Hmm. Song Jae-ha reports tomorrow."
Jeong Soo-ah frowned at Snow's interjection.
"News'll spread fast then. Straight to Wang Feng's ears too..."
She groaned.
"Just to confirm—Zhang Wei's really dead?"
I nodded casually; she sighed deeply.
"Agh—why kill him? He'd make things smoother alive! Buy time at least! Always fretting over unsubdued targets, but this time...!"
"Strong will. SA-rank resistances. Hint wouldn't stick then."
Possible now, but devouring him fueled this evolution—pointless what-if.
She rubbed her furrowed brow at my calm tone.
"...So what now? Wang Feng's coming—obvious. You don't think it'll resolve easy like Charlotte, right?"
She eyed me, elaborating.
"Charlotte and Wang Feng aren't the same. That maniac won't care about eyes—he'll bring hordes. Swallow the underworld, hunters too."
I nodded matter-of-factly.
I knew without asking.
Nothing new.
She frowned at my nonchalance.
"Always so relaxed. Got a plan?"
"Nothing grand, but I have something."
"What?"
Arms crossed, she pressed. I replied lightly.
"We're going to China."
"...Pardon?"
"No point waiting for them to prepare. Get the fastest tickets... no, two. Snow's coming."
"...And do what?"
"What else."
—Kill him.
Jeong Soo-ah gaped blankly as I stroked Suli and spoke.