Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: First Awakening
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Lee Sa-byeok leaned against a rock, swapped her gun for one with heavy bullets, loaded it, and fired.
Since she was fighting alone, it was better to throw bombshell shots at the charging piglets to keep them at a distance until the others gathered, rather than trying to kill them all at once.
It would be even better if the kids stopped trembling and crying.
Click, boom!
A heavy sound rang out, pushing the pigs back again.
Lee Sa-byeok's presence alone was so reassuring that all the kids huddled behind her, shaking.
The kids tried to help by firing from the side, but some were still trembling from the drug's effects, and others were out of it mentally, so it didn't help much.
“Kill, kill, kill!!! Haha!!”
Except for Moon Se-rim, who was firing wildly with crazy eyes.
She was a bit unhinged, but still the most useful here.
Not trembling was good, but her aim was off due to shaky hands.
Moon Se-rim's short curly hair bobbed with each recoil.
Earlier, she had been frozen stiff from the thorn pigs' intimidation, but now she seemed to have overcome it somewhat.
“Pig bastard! Pig bastard!”
She must have been really scared—snot dripped from her nose, tears from her eyes.
“Moon Se-rim.”
“Aaang?! Sniff, wh-what! See, I'm helping too!!!”
“Yeah. But a pig bastard's coming from the left.”
“Uwaaaah!!”
Lee Kyung-seop, who had been watching while trembling, finally gripped his gun. Lee Sa-byeok looked a bit overwhelmed trying to handle them alone.
He was annoyed by Moon Se-rim's crazed state.
“Sa-byeok, protect me a little! Look at me! Hnggg!”
Lee Kyung-seop nailed the eye of a charging thorn pig while crying out.
“I'm doing great, right?? Huh? Sa-byeok? Sniff. Protect me if things get bad! Got it?”
“Got it, so shut up.”
Rat-tat-tat! As Lee Sa-byeok fired, she racked her brain for ways to buy more time.
“Hey, someone grab a knife and kill those front ten stunned pigs! Press the dented spot on their crowns!”
“I'll go!!!”
Moon Se-rim drew her knife and stabbed the crowns of the stunned thorn pigs.
“Ugh, urk!! Die already!!!”
She couldn't hit the exact spot on the first try and had to stab several times.
Her tear- and snot-streaked face as she plunged the knife was desperately fierce.
“Kids, you okay?!”
The hunters had come out of the boss room, so Seol Do-yoon must have gotten impatient and taken charge herself.
With the awakened hunters pushing back, things became much easier.
Suddenly, the thorn pigs surged like a wave in a desperate frenzy. The hunters' movements grew busier.
Rumble rumble rumble!
[Oink!!]
An earthquake hit, and a thunderous pig squeal echoed through the gate.
“What? What's that sound!”
“Gasp!! That Seol Do-yoon kid!! She's okay, right??”
Kwak Ji-min, having killed the last of the thorn pig herd, hurriedly headed toward the boss room.
“Monster core here.”
Seol Do-yoon emerged from the boss room, covered in blue blood.
Her jet-black hair, soaked in the thorn pig's blue blood, gleamed even darker.
Her eyes, visible between her bangs, curved in a smile.
In her hand was a shiny black stone. She reached out her small hand and placed it in Kwak Ji-min's palm. Sticky boss thorn pig blood smeared onto Kwak Ji-min's hand.
The boss pig's blood smelled like ten-year-old food waste.
“Ugh, the smell. Don't come closer.”
“Sa-byeok, come here. I missed you so much.”
“Eek! G-get away!”
Seol Do-yoon grinned widely and cupped Lee Sa-byeok's face, smearing monster blood on it.
Lee Sa-byeok dry-heaved at the foul-smelling blood on her face. She pinched her nose and shoved the blood-soaked Seol Do-yoon away.
Seol Do-yoon crashed into the wall and plopped onto the floor, looking tired as she swept back her black hair.
The sticky blood made the swept-back hair stay in place, revealing her neat forehead.
“I awakened.”
“Ugh, the smell, that bastard really……. Huh, really?!”
Lee Sa-byeok's darkened face brightened at the news, despite the stench.
“Hey, congrats! So now you get your own room and dissections too?”
“Yeah, the primary awakener dissection model should be preserved as a specimen already. Awaken quick too.”
Lee Sa-byeok was helping up the apparently leg-weak Seol Do-yoon when Kwak Ji-min came rushing over worriedly, so she immediately dropped her.
Kwak Ji-min carried the exhausted Seol Do-yoon out of the gate.
Since they'd left everything but the boss monster core alive, the gate didn't close, and no more minions spawned.
She stepped out, drove a huge nail-like 'gate shell' near the rift to seal it.
The gate shell began emitting blue light, enveloping the rift in glow.
Tomorrow, researchers would enter the gate to extract samples.
“Kwak Ji-min Hunter.”
“Yeah? What?”
“Please don't mention the kids at all to the supervisor.”
Seol Do-yoon said leisurely from Kwak Ji-min's back.
Kwak Ji-min would surely question why unawakened kids were shoved into a gate. A sloppy probe would only complicate things.
At the request not to meddle, Kwak Ji-min roughly grasped the situation. It must relate to the association's hidden internal affairs.
“We completed the mission smoothly without any fuss. That good enough?”
“Yes, nice and clean. Thanks.”
“Can I get you McXnalds?”
“Yeah. Gotta buy some or the kids'll go nuts.”
Lee Sa-byeok popped up beside them with a comment.
Kwak Ji-min looked troubled.
* * *
“First awakening success, Do-yoon. Congrats.”
Seon A-rim measured Seol Do-yoon's mana with a mana gauge.
Mana was detectable, confirming primary awakening success, but it was pathetically weak.
“But the mana amount is lower than expected? Barely D-rank. Just escaped F-rank.”
“Really?”
“Awaken a good ability in secondary, Do-yoon. This level's dangerous. Might not get trained as a hunter.”
Seon A-rim handed Seol Do-yoon a cookie and sighed.
Seol Do-yoon bit into the cookie.
“You'll all be thrown into the Nina Pinta awakening simulator soon, so do well then.”
“Rooms change?”
“On hold, so keep using the same.”
Bang!
The infirmary door burst open as a girl rushed in.
“Seol Do-yoon can't be D-rank.”
“Sa-byeok?”
“Bullshit. She's playing weak. I know.”
Lee Sa-byeok strode over and glared at Seol Do-yoon holding the cookie.
“D-rank? Measure again and switch rooms quick.”
“Put my stuff back like before. Can't sleep in the hall.”
Nom nom nom.
As if taunting, Seol Do-yoon chewed the cookie leisurely in an arrogant pose.
“Really? Hiding mana?”
“Sa-byeok, I'm miserable enough with D-rank, don't make it worse.”
Seol Do-yoon looked down, slumping her shoulders dramatically for effect.
“Just to be sure, wanna measure again?”
“Yes……. Haaah!”
Seol Do-yoon placed her hand on the mana gauge and strained.
F-rank mana showed up. Seon A-rim sighed.
“F-rank, but I'll call it D-rank.”
“Ah……. Thanks so much for confirming my limits.”
Seol Do-yoon lamented and glared at Lee Sa-byeok.
“Check me too. Feels like power's surging from anger.”
Lee Sa-byeok extended her hand for measurement.
“Nope, Sa-byeok. Still nothing.”
Seon A-rim showed Lee Sa-byeok the zero mana reading.
* * *
Ting!
A crisp golf ball strike.
The mana-infused ball arced high and far.
“Hahaha, look at it fly.”
Association Chairman Kim Woo-sung laughed heartily at the ball's flight.
Korean distribution, media, and semiconductor execs gathered to discuss the hunter market applauded his fine swing.
“Chairman Kim, nice shot!”
“Awakener stamina's no joke. Looking young again.”
“So, progress on fast awakening drugs? Seeing only you flying around bugs us.”
One exec massaged Kim Woo-sung's shoulders with flattery.
“Don't worry. Support me, and I'll make Korean Avengers. Trust this Ivy League bro.”
“Thank you, Ivy League bro!!!!”
“Love you, bro!!!!”
Top conglomerate heads calling him 'bro' and kneading his shoulders—a scene unimaginable pre-awakening, when he groveled for their favor.
Inferiority melted into superiority swelling in his chest. Kim Woo-sung shrugged and snorted proudly.
“You know? Kim Woo-sung Pharma monopolizes hunter support items the world doesn't have.”
With gates multiplying, hunters needed diverse aids. Active hunters relied entirely on his products.
He, Kim Woo-sung, would open a new hunter era! New power, new hierarchy, him at the top.
Waaah! Kim Woo-sung! Kim Woo-sung!
The cheers from crushing that promising heavyweight wrestler echoed again.
But now, the world would cheer him. Miracle man from a small nation, Kim Woo-sung!
“Monopoly? Not really?”
Crash.
Someone shattered Kim Woo-sung's delusion.
“......What're you saying.”
“Hunter support items. Exclusive to Kim Woo-sung Pharma, right?”
CSK CEO Yoo stood cockily, gripping a golf club and ball.
“Saw a few branches open in Korea exporting overseas. New hunter corps popping up here too. New labs too.”
The mood chilled at CEO Yoo's words.
“Sorry for the sour note, but tighten internal control before bragging monopoly? We're all-in on you.”
With silence, CEO Yoo added more.
“Not time for gambling all-ins. Careful with human experiments dragging us in. Don't wanna go to jail.”
“CEO Yoo, enough.”
“Ahem.”
Kim Woo-sung's college buddy and ally, CEO Yoo Min-sik, frowned.
Sudden call for investment—old ties made him jump in. Hot hunter biz abroad with bursting gates piqued interest.
But human experiments? Wanted to leak to press and bury him, but that'd drag him down too.
Plus, many conglomerates backed him, even overseas firms involved.
CEO Yoo's tongue-click ruined the vibe; others' fake coughs to liven it failed.
Other execs pondered the leaked info too.
No more monopoly sales from Kim Woo-sung Pharma, sloppy management—shook his value hard.
The botched group golf meeting dragged on aimlessly.
After, Kim Woo-sung's secretary stowed the flung club, hopped in the driver's seat quick.
“Traitor inside.”
Kim Woo-sung rubbed his forehead, speaking heavily.
His products leaked.
Hunter aids were impossible for outsiders, so definite internal leak.
Another oddity.
He'd been mingling a lot lately, yet no one told him of leaks. Suspicious.
“Those new hunter market corps are linked. Check 'em. Survey association insiders, list the shady ones on my desk by tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Lee Yoo-hyun suspicious? Timing with the maker's fishy.”
“CCTV of Lee Yoo-hyun and summary on your desk too.”
Secretary Min Ji-cheol drove, eyeing Kim Woo-sung in the mirror.
“Association Chairman Kim Woo-sung, first primary awakener from A-Class open gate raid.”
“Yeah? About time. Mana rank?”
“......Sadly, D-rank.”
“Tch, process as fodder then.”
Fodder process. Association slang for use freely in awakener research.
“But...... it's A-2's Seol Do-yoon. Okay to burn her quick?”
“Seol Do-yoon?”
Top scorer in problem-solving, memory, spatial IQ, etc.
Lagged Lee Sa-byeok but physicals leagues above peers. Improving post-hanging with Sa-byeok—promising.
Expected awakening, but mana sucks. Pity.
“Keep for now. See secondary.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
He eyed his secretary briefly.
‘Min's trustworthy.’
Eight years together. Recently preempted rights groups sniffing around with bribes, nipped small threats early. Solid ally.
Kim Woo-sung leaned back, eyes closed, soon snoring loudly.
Min Ji-cheol fidgeted uneasily, butt shifting. Pocket check—phone hot from long use.
「Inoa」
「Call in progress… 2:23:02」
Heat from extended call.
* * *
Seol Do-yoon slurped her lunch apple juice.
Bluetooth earbud in one ear, towel over it, she pulled out a notebook and tapped the earbud.
「Call ended」
The phone hidden near the training ground ended its call.
The phone had an 'Inoa' name sticker.