Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Mochibol's Endurance Challenge
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[Chapter 37]
After receiving his Awakener evaluation, Lee Yoo-hyun was snatched up by the Association the moment he was discharged and thrown straight into training.
Lee Yoo-hyun played a top-charting new song and jogged lightly along the track. His body definitely felt different after collapsing like that.
The hellish lump of flesh he'd never once thought of as athletic in his life felt incredibly light, overflowing with power.
According to the Association, it was because mana was circulating through his body. The criterion for classification as an Awakener was the presence of this mana, and once it started manifesting inside you, you'd succeeded in your First Awakening.
Lee Yoo-hyun was one such successful case.
Once you grew accustomed to the mana in your body, you'd naturally undergo a Second Awakening, at which point the mana would manifest as a unique power tailored to the individual.
He was still in the pre-ability manifestation stage.
His condition manager said that completing his job change in Ninapinta would give him a high chance of awakening his ability.
「Gangnam Station Exit 5 'Mysterious Sinkhole'... 5 Missing」
「Ongoing 'Monster' Appearances, Bullets Ineffective」
Lee Yoo-hyun unlocked his phone and tapped the headline article.
According to his instructor, dungeon outbreaks had been happening more frequently lately. The government had been turning a blind eye to Hunters for so long, but their existence would soon be revealed.
Comments [10]
-How long are they gonna keep hiding it!!! The Korean government needs to acknowledge Hunters now and let them protect the citizens!!!
-I was at the scene, it was insane. The air just ripped open and people got obliterated.
-So scary, the Earth's doomed
-America and Europe already have Hunters operating, why are we being so stubborn? lololol Always a beat behind, guess we gotta all die off for them to feel satisfied.
People seemed pretty pissed that there hadn't been any official summons for Hunters yet.
While the government hushed things up to avoid exposing their unethical experiments on Awakening, other countries had already formalized Hunter activities, fueling public backlash against not recognizing the Hunter Association.
Thanks to that, Lee Yoo-hyun barely had a moment to himself. He was getting dragged around everywhere while trying to learn more about this Hunter job that was slowly coming to light, when a voice spoke up beside him.
"Training for today should've wrapped up, but you're still going at it hard."
"Whoa, you scared me."
Startled by the sudden presence, Lee Yoo-hyun yanked out his earbuds. It was Seol Do-yoon, someone he'd grown closer to after moving his dorm into the Association building.
She must've just happened to pass by, given her rare appearance.
"It's you, Do-yoon. Good to see you."
Do-yoon's jet-black hair was a tangled mess, and her white T-shirt was stretched out at the neck. Her strikingly pale forehead drew the eye, dominated by a big red bump right in the center.
"What're you staring at?"
"Oh, nothing. Just checking the news. About that sinkhole in the air at Gangnam Station this time."
"Ah, that article? Gates usually don't pop up in crowded places, but now it feels like big and small ones are appearing even in the city center."
Seol Do-yoon sat down next to Lee Yoo-hyun and started tying her loose shoelaces.
"The missing people... think they'll be okay?"
"Hunter Association folks went to investigate the gate, so if they're lucky, they'll get rescued."
"......"
"Why're you looking at me like that? We're no different, jumping into pits crawling with monsters. If we're lucky, we survive. If not, oh well."
Lee Yoo-hyun gave a wry smile at Seol Do-yoon's cold words. This kid was way too mature and detached for her age.
"But your condition looks off again. Did you fight Sae-byeok at dawn?"
"Yeah."
"Tie today?"
"She won this time. Damn thing. Hurts like hell."
"What happened to your forehead?"
"Tried a headbutt to win, didn't expect her skull to be that thick."
Seol Do-yoon pulled some ointment and bandages from her pocket and spread it over the scratches on her leg. The bandages were all different designs, probably collected from everywhere. As she stuck an Elsa and a gift dinosaur Dino Band-Aid on her knee, she suddenly looked up.
"What does it feel like to become an A-rank Awakener?"
"Hm. Nothing special?"
"Come on. You're guaranteed tens of billions in annual revenue, really?"
"For real?"
"Yeah. Didn't know?"
Seol Do-yoon grinned.
"Overseas articles say even in a market this small, A-rank Hunters average billions in income. Can't guarantee our Hunters make that much, but you'll earn enough to live off forever. Jealous, hyung."
Hunters made bank, sure, but their lives were on the line. At Do-yoon's words about envying the money, Lee Yoo-hyun laughed awkwardly. Was that how it was?
"Can I ask how things are going with Ra-hee?"
"Lately, they've backed off moving her room near the Association after noticing you watching. I've gathered docs for a lawsuit if they experiment on your sister without consent and stuck 'em on a USB."
"Whoa... Thank you."
"Yeah. But seems like that little sister wants to become a Hunter."
Seol Do-yoon had met Lee Yoo-hyun's sister once.
It was when he'd gotten into a big fight with Lee Sae-byeok, broken his arm, and been admitted to the Association hospital. Following Lee Sae-byeok—who'd limped out of the room on her broken leg because she couldn't stand sharing the space—he'd run into Ra-hee in the hallway, where Sae-byeok was badmouthing him.
Ra-hee, who was super into Hunters, took an interest in Lee Sae-byeok and Seol Do-yoon, kids taken in by the Association. She got close to them fast and started grilling them relentlessly about the Association and what went on inside.
"Absolutely not. Ra-hee can't get involved in Hunter stuff, no way..."
"Got it. I'll do my best. You know I've been pulling all-nighters for your sister's thing, right?"
"Ah... I just keep saying thanks. Really, thank you."
As Lee Yoo-hyun kept thanking her, Seol Do-yoon narrowed her eyes in a smile.
"No need. But in return, contact me right away when you job-change."
"Will do."
She could feel scary sometimes, but gratitude was gratitude. He had no idea her real intentions, but after all the help, he wanted to pay it back.
"Seol Do-yoon, knew I'd find you here."
He was just thinking it was time to get up after resting when someone flung the door open. The moment the kid stepped into the gym, cracks spiderwebbed across Seol Do-yoon's relaxed expression.
Lee Sae-byeok had taken the field.
"You wanna die? Why'd you lend my wooden sword to Lee Kyung-seop?"
"Oh, Kyung-seop? Ah... He looked like he needed one bad, and mine happened to go missing right then."
"What the fuck. You knew that kid uses shit like a pig and gave him mine? This some petty revenge for losing to me?"
Lee Sae-byeok thought of the snot stains and boogers on her wooden sword's hilt and grabbed Seol Do-yoon by the collar in rage.
"Petty revenge? Who was it that doodled on my face after scoring lower on the puzzle test?"
"Huh? Who did that? Wasn't it Moon Se-rim?"
"It came out you put her up to it. Inferiority complex incarnate."
"Pfft, you talking inferiority? The kid who grinds her teeth every time she loses training?"
Seol Do-yoon's brow furrowed at Lee Sae-byeok's words.
"You always bring up those few training losses when you run out of shit to say. That's all you've got?"
"What're you on about, don't intro yourself. All you've got is that self-study no one cares about and your short height."
"Bragging over 0.5 cm taller than me? That tiny diff's your pride, huh. Kinda sad. Almost pitiful."
Lee Sae-byeok scrunched her nose and spat curses while gripping Seol Do-yoon's collar tight. Caught in the middle, Lee Yoo-hyun panicked.
"Kids...? No swearing."
"I didn't swear."
"What a lame-ass. Slinging fucks behind my back."
A girl with a half-ponytail and sharp, defined features.
Lee Sae-byeok gave off an oddly similar vibe to Seol Do-yoon.
The type that wouldn't yield to anyone easily. Both had massive presences, in a word.
Even as kids, they had this aura that made you think twice before dismissing them.
He suddenly recalled that kids training at the Hunter Association had unusually high intelligence.
"And adults don't butt into kids' fights, mister."
"But don't you know this guy's the A-rank Awakener you said you wanted to meet last time?"
Seol Do-yoon, dangling limply in Lee Sae-byeok's grip, suddenly smirked.
Lee Sae-byeok's eyes went wide like a startled rabbit as she stared blankly at Seol Do-yoon's face, then turned to Lee Yoo-hyun.
"Got it, no more swearing. I wanna make up with her—can I take her with me?"
Udyr-level pivot.
Seol Do-yoon looked exasperated. If you wanna make up, let go of the collar first.
"Too late for image control, you."
"Actually, I learned it all from Seol Do-yoon. Been playing Minecraft with the noonas and hyungs lately, picked up bad words."
"That's you."
"Proof? Plus, Minecraft makes me motion sick."
He'd thought it was intense, but watching made it funny. Kinda cute, even.
He was getting into it when fists started flying. Plastic chairs toppled, dust kicked up, and Lee Yoo-hyun jumped in hastily.
"Kids! Stop fighting...!"
* * *
It had been a while since he'd logged in.
Lee Yoo-hyun climbed into the new game capsule installed in his reassigned dorm.
The room was packed with machines quantifying his physical stats, sending his real-time biometrics to the Association.
[Welcome, Lee Yoo-hyun. Would you like to log into 'Ninapinta'?]
"Please."
[Logging into game. Resuming from logout point.]
He'd probably respawn at the hunting ground where he'd left the dungeon last time.
Still, he'd been away a while, so the dungeon nagged at him. Nothing to worry about, but wouldn't they at least wonder?
Moments later, his dark vision brightened.
Logging in, Lee Yoo-hyun's eyes went wide at the scene before him.
"Wha... what the hell is this..."
[MochibolTV Streaming ON: N-Hour Sitting Challenge in 50-Lvl Monster Hunting Ground]
-Is he still at it?
-Dumbass lololololol
-Holy site reached. God of Endurance GodJibol-nim
-Wakanda forever mochhi endurance forever
-Mochin-nim, you see the article? lolololol
-Just no-life grinding Jibol or copycat users
-Ugh, pointless af;
-What's the matter with him?
-Jibol's patience is otherworldly
-DDD How many copycats? Creepy
-But seriously why?
-Dunno, Mochibol says waiting for someone's reconnection. Guessing it's the girl who stole his gear
Lee Yoo-hyun stared blankly at the spectacle. Crowds packed tight around the meaningless little ball Mochibol had tossed, moved by it.
"You're here!!!!!!"
Mochibol, on the verge of rotting away, shot up at Lee Yoo-hyun's arrival, tears streaming.
"He's here!!!!"
"He's here!!!!!"
"Finally!!!!!"
The people surrounding him jumped up too as Mochibol stood, all crying.
-D
-Woah!!! Finally
-Lmao expression so confused lololol
Mochibol and the challenge participants surged toward Lee Yoo-hyun.
"Wh-who are you all!!!"