Chapter 37
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Selection and Focus (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Let's prepare the Spirit Memorial Rite."
"Huh?"
Kang Ji-ye, who had just woken up with messy hair and was munching on toast for breakfast, turned to him with a baffled expression at Kang Sa-hu's sudden declaration.
"Spirit Memorial Rite? Out of nowhere? For what?"
It had only been two weeks since they cleared the world's highest-grade B-rank Gate. She was flustered by his proposal to prepare such a time-consuming and elaborate rite.
But Kang Sa-hu's eyes, having already made up his mind, showed no hint of hesitation despite her questions.
"For the spirits of the hunters we recovered."
"...Ah."
The hunters who had died to enemies in the B-rank Gate—trolls that far exceeded expectations.
Though he hadn't recovered every hunter's spirit, Kang Ji-ye knew he had turned seventeen of them into soul cores. She immediately understood what he meant.
But instead of answering right away, she mumbled with her mouth half-open. Seeing this, Kang Sa-hu looked at her curiously.
"Why?"
"O-Oppa. You said the spirits of those hunters who became soul cores don't have souls, right?"
"Yeah. No souls, no pneuma."
At his confirmation, Kang Ji-ye glanced at him cautiously before continuing hesitantly.
"Then... wouldn't it be better if you just kept their spirits with you and used them...?"
"...What?"
Kang Sa-hu's eyes widened at her suggestion to use the spirits rather than lay them to rest.
Though it didn't show on his face, Kang Ji-ye flinched at the fierce glint in his wide eyes and hurriedly explained.
"I-I mean! If they lack a soul, that means no will, right? So they wouldn't feel pain, regret, or suffering. And if another B-rank Gate—or something even higher—shows up... "
She desperately tried to justify her opinion, but as Kang Sa-hu stared at her silently with that piercing gaze, her words trailed off.
Even after she stopped, his cold stare lingered, and she apologized in a tiny voice.
"S-Sorry..."
"......"
She wilted and apologized, but Kang Sa-hu didn't respond.
He stood silently staring at her before slowly closing his eyes.
"...Never again."
The fierce glint faded as if he'd reined in his emotions.
Returning to his usual self, Kang Sa-hu spoke in a voice stiffer than normal.
"Never say that again."
"...Okay."
Kang Ji-ye nodded.
An awkward silence settled between them.
The heavy quiet weighed on them.
Just then, as if to rescue them, Kang Sa-hu's phone rang with an incoming call.
Uncomfortable with the awkward atmosphere himself, he answered without checking the caller ID—unlike usual.
"Hello."
[Party Leader! Get some good rest?]
Bae Deok-ho's cheerful voice came through the phone.
Kang Sa-hu glanced at the dejected Kang Ji-ye and naturally moved to his room.
"Yes. Did you rest well?"
[I rested great! How's Ji-ye? Man, I didn't realize it before, but she's really good at healing. Even an A-rank healer couldn't compare to her.]
Bae Deok-ho bantered before suddenly lowering his voice, turning serious.
[You should still be resting, but just in case—I wanted to check. About what I said in the Gate. Want to talk now?]
Recognizing this as his real reason for calling, Kang Sa-hu's expression hardened.
It was the issue he'd overlooked despite sensing something off, out of respect for privacy and their shared life-or-death bond.
Bae Deok-ho's true identity as a National Intelligence Service agent.
"...Yes, it would be best to meet as soon as possible."
Kang Sa-hu replied in a subdued tone.
"Sorry for dragging you out here. With the organization being what it is, you never know who's watching or listening."
"No, this works better."
The meeting spot was inside an F-rank Gate.
In the past, it would have been swarming with hunters seeking safe, easy money, making reservations tough. Now, with no one hunting, it was easy to enter.
Bae Deok-ho shook his head bitterly, feeling the change.
"What a mess. Everything flipped in just a week."
The shock of a Gate judged C-rank suddenly turning B-rank due to unknown causes was no small thing.
Hunters entered mysterious Gates to hunt unseen monsters—a job where a tiny mistake could cost your life.
But if the grade jumped not from their error, but from a prophet's—or the government's—mistake?
That was a risk hunters couldn't stomach.
As a result, even money-hungry hunters were avoiding Gates in droves.
"I get it, but still."
Bae Deok-ho smacked his lips and looked puzzled at Kang Sa-hu, who had been listening quietly.
"Party Leader, you look rough. Still tired?"
"No, it's not that."
"Alright. Hmm. Where to start..."
As Bae Deok-ho scratched his head, pondering, Kang Sa-hu helped.
"I know you're with the National Intelligence Service, so start there."
"...Damn, you knew that much."
He'd thought Kang Sa-hu only knew about the hidden rank, but pinpointing the organization shocked Bae Deok-ho.
"Guess there's not much to say then."
Thud.
Sitting on a nearby rock, Bae Deok-ho watched Kang Sa-hu's summons hunt the Gate's monsters—'Ferocious Horned Rhinos'—and began.
The NIS was monitoring the unprecedented EX-rank Kang Sa-hu, wanting to recruit him as their asset.
To that end, they'd manipulated Gate reservations to slip him into the party naturally.
All secrets not easily shared, but Kang Sa-hu saw no lies in Bae Deok-ho's spirit with his piercing gaze.
"...Yeah, that's the gist. Haha. Feels embarrassing saying it out loud."
Bae Deok-ho wiped his nose, stood, and bowed 90 degrees to Kang Sa-hu.
"Really sorry for the deception, Party Leader. Yell, curse—I'll take it."
Enough to warrant betrayal rage, he braced humbly.
Protecting vitals with mana, eyes squeezed shut to avoid death—but Kang Sa-hu did nothing.
Instead, his voice came down from above.
"I understand the situation. Lift your head."
"...Party Leader."
Bae Deok-ho looked up dejectedly to meet Kang Sa-hu's steady gaze.
"So, what are your plans going forward?"
"About that."
Bae Deok-ho scratched his head awkwardly.
"Sounds weird coming from me, but I disagree with Director Lee Jae-man. If you forgive and accept me, I'd quit NIS and live as a hunter."
Kang Sa-hu eyed him intently.
Bae Deok-ho's spirit showed no tremor of deceit—not even the tiniest.
Seeing the deep trust in his eyes too, Kang Sa-hu softened.
"What do you think, Party Leader?"
That was enough.
Convinced Bae Deok-ho was truly his man, Kang Sa-hu shook his head.
"No. In my view, you should stay with NIS and keep hunting."
"Really? Why?"
"It's easier to monitor a secret org like NIS from inside. Plus, your life stays stable."
Practical, trust-filled words made Bae Deok-ho close his eyes.
"...Thanks for believing me, Party Leader."
"No problem. But you'll be busy ahead. Lots to worry about, and you'll want advice."
"You need advice too? You seem decisive, like you've already thought everything through."
Bae Deok-ho teased lightly, probing.
"So, what's troubling you enough to need advice?"
Now fully trusting him, Kang Sa-hu nodded.
"Lots on my mind, but let's start with this."
He met Bae Deok-ho's eyes.
"What do you think about us forming a guild?"
After parting with Bae Deok-ho, night fell.
Kang Sa-hu headed alone to another pre-reserved F-rank Gate.
"Good evening..."
The soldier hunter waiting after confirming the reservation greeted warmly, then froze.
From Han Si-yeon's military group, he'd seen Kang Sa-hu shine in the B-rank Gate and volunteered here hoping to see him again.
But this Kang Sa-hu was utterly different.
Wearing a black robe from NIS Meister Park Ju-hee, who operated in the shadows.
[Duke of Hell Demadhr's Blood-Drinking Scythe] from the Monolith core slung on his back.
Riding a Giant Hound that instinctively made one shrink—the aura alone chilled the spine.
"Hello."
Kang Sa-hu greeted from atop the hound, but the soldier staring up barely registered it.
His transformation was shocking, his presence heavy and fearsome.
"Do you need a hunter license check?"
"Uh, n-no, uh, just go in..."
The dazed soldier stammered. Kang Sa-hu, puzzled but bowing politely, entered the Gate.
"...Hah, gasp!"
Only after he vanished did the soldier exhale, staring wide-eyed.
"What... did I just see...?"
Inside the Gate, Kang Sa-hu closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply.
'I've already made my choice.'
Three choices.
First: Lay the hunters' spirits to rest via the Spirit Memorial Rite.
Second: Trust and fully accept Bae Deok-ho as a comrade, sharing future plans.
Third: For himself.
'The more, the better. If there's growth potential, pursue it in parallel.'
The item felt right, but he pondered why the system prioritized the scythe for a magic/curse/summoner like him.
'Necromancer aesthetic'? No, the system wasn't that shallow.
'From now on, actively use Awakener power.'
Until now, his combat substituted Necromancer magic—meant for spirit energy—with mana, poorly.
Inefficient, as shown when using hunter spirits for Territory Declaration yielded vastly superior efficiency, crushing Katakura.
But he wouldn't bind the unjustly slain hunters' spirits as energy sources for convenience, denying them rest.
Then.
"I'll just get stronger."
Grr?
As he organized his thoughts aloud, the Giant Hound tilted its head and nuzzled him affectionately.
Accepting the gesture, Kang Sa-hu's eyes gleamed.
"Let's go."
Mounting the Giant Hound, he drew the scythe from his back.