Seasoned Fried Chicken
Late at night, under the dim moonlight, the hunters training under Cheon Yooshin were sleeping at a distance from one another. Even in their slumber, their hands were tightly gripped around their flags. The inability to trust even their own teammates, combined with the constant anxiety of having their flags stolen at any moment, forced them to sleep apart.
Joo Jowoon was hiding beneath a large tree overgrown with bushes that concealed his form. Having not eaten for the past two days, his cheeks had become gaunt. "Ugh... I want some seasoned fried chicken."
It shouldn't be possible, but he could smell the scent of seasoned fried chicken from somewhere. In his current state, if someone offered him seasoned fried chicken in exchange for becoming their subordinate, he would have accepted in a heartbeat. Just as he was trying to force himself to sleep, listening to the growling of his stomach—
Crunch. Crunch.
The sound of footsteps suddenly echoed. 'Who is it?'
Joo Jowoon’s eyes instantly sharpened with wariness. His gaze turned toward the darkness. And the person who emerged from the shadows was none other than—
"Gasp!"
It was Cheon Yooshin, not seasoned fried chicken. "Shh!" Cheon Yooshin said, bringing a finger to his lips.
"A-ah, no. H-Hunter, why are you..." Joo Jowoon was flustered. He admired the man's strength, but Cheon Yooshin was also the very person he feared most. At that moment, Cheon Yooshin handed him the black plastic bag he had brought.
"Eat this."
"...Pardon?"
It was too late to say he had misheard; the scent of food wafting from the bag in his hands was undeniable. But why give this to him?
"You know I've been secretly watching you guys train, right?"
Joo Jowoon nodded. A benevolent smile, one Cheon Yooshin had never shown before, spread across his lips. He then glanced around the empty surroundings for no reason. Cheon Yooshin began to whisper secretly, as if sharing a confidential matter.
"Looking at you, I could see you’ve got real potential. That’s why I’m taking care of you on the down-low, so..."
Joo Jowoon’s eyes widened.
"Just eat it. But, keep it an absolute secret from the others. Got it?" Cheon Yooshin winked. A moment of hesitation flickered in Joo Jowoon’s eyes. It was difficult to judge whether this was a trap or genuine goodwill. However, the hunger from not having eaten properly for days crushed his reason.
"Th-thank you! Big brother! Ah, I’m sorry."
At that, Cheon Yooshin patted his shoulder as if he understood everything. "You rascal! I know, I know how you feel. From now on, call me big brother."
"Th-thank you!"
"Shh! Don't be so loud. I'm going now, so eat that well and see you tomorrow."
With a wink, Cheon Yooshin vanished. Joo Jowoon stood there for a while, staring at the bag in his hands. A moment of hesitation arose, wondering if he should really eat it, but the smell wafting from the bag was truly impossible to resist. The moment he finally opened the bag, the scent of food stimulated his nose. It was, indeed, seasoned fried chicken.
Gulp.
Joo Jowoon swallowed his saliva without realizing it and looked in the direction where Cheon Yooshin had disappeared. 'Th-thank you! Big brother!'
And watching that scene from a hidden spot, a satisfied smile began to spread across Cheon Yooshin’s lips. They didn't know it, but Cheon Yooshin already considered them his potential subordinates. Not as disposable tools to be used once and thrown away. To achieve that, the whip was important, but the carrot was equally vital. Fear alone would never be enough to capture their hearts completely.
The moon set rapidly, and the sun rose once again. The same day began, as inevitable as ever. Today, too, the game of stealing each other's flags would continue. However, their eyes were quite different from yesterday. Unlike yesterday, there was a sense of ease flowing in their gazes. An inexplicable confidence spread across their lips. But they were wary of others' eyes.
In fact, they had all received a black bag from Cheon Yooshin last night. And as he had requested, they didn't mention the existence of the black bags to each other at all. They were afraid that if they spoke of it for no reason, they would incur Cheon Yooshin’s disappointment.
Without realizing it, they were walking on eggshells around Cheon Yooshin, who wasn't even in sight. That was when a voice that shook the space rang out.
"Everyone, assemble!"
A voice that boomed through the air like an echo. It was Cheon Yooshin. They completed the assembly quickly, following Cheon Yooshin's command—or rather, his order. Baek Woohyun, standing at the very front, stared at Cheon Yooshin. His eyes held a bit more trust than before.
"Has the training finally ended?"
Cheon Yooshin shook his head. "Ended? What are you talking about?"
The gentle gaze and tone from when they were alone last night were nowhere to be found. But Baek Woohyun could feel it. Even that grumpy behavior was likely all an act.
"Alright! You've worked hard so far, and starting today, we are entering the second phase of training."
At his words, tension filled the faces of the hunters who had been listening intently.
"Th-the second phase?"
"What kind of training is it this time..."
Cheon Yooshin grinned as he watched them tense up. "Well, there's no need to be nervous. This is training, too, after all. Don't resist my power, just accept it."
He then waved his hand through the air. They tensed up at the sight. They knew now. They knew what that action signified. At that moment, darkness began to rise slowly from the ground they were standing on.
"Wh-what is this?"
"Gasp!"
Cheon Yooshin said to them, "I’ll let you have a special experience. I’m sure this is your first time going through something like this, right?"
With a playful smile, the hunters felt their bodies floating. 'Huh? Wait, no, how am I seeing my own body?' Joo Jowoon was flustered. He felt the sensation of floating, and at the same time, he could see his own body. It was as if a third party was watching him.
"Wh-what is this!"
"Wh-why am I like this?"
It wasn't just Joo Jowoon. Baek Woohyun, Yoon Heewon, and even the other hunters were all floating in the air.
"Isn't it fascinating? How does it feel to have your soul and body separated?"
Cheon Yooshin’s voice reached their ears as they panicked.
"Pardon? What does that mean?!"
"Th-this is nonsense!"
"What on earth have you done to us?"
Even Baek Woohyun couldn't help but widen his eyes at this point. Soul and body separated? Then how was that any different from being dead?
"Why the fuss? It’s just your soul coming out, that’s all."
No, man! That’s being dead!
Just as resentment filled everyone's eyes, Cheon Yooshin said, "There are many limitations in a physical state. Image training? Why do something so inefficient? It lacks any sense of reality. But the soul is different. In a soul state, no limitations exist. So, if you can, shouldn't you train in a soul state?"
A playful glint appeared in his eyes. Please, stop doing that with your eyes! They had already forgotten the gratitude of yesterday. What kind of training is this! I want to go back!
Some hunters actually tried to align their souls with their bodies, just like they had seen in movies. But it was useless.
"Aha! That guy must watch a lot of movies. If it worked like that, wouldn't it just be magic?"
At that moment, someone among the flustered hunters opened their mouth. "Then, are we going to fight among ourselves this time, too?"
"Nah, what we've done so far is enough for that kind of training. Now you need to face something different."
Cheon Yooshin, who suddenly checked his wristwatch, furrowed his brow. "But why isn't this bastard coming? Is he taking a nap somewhere or what?"
His tone sounded like he was waiting for someone. And then—
"Great Master! Imp is here!"
At the voice echoing from the air, everyone’s gaze turned to one spot. There, a terrifying-looking Imp was flying toward them, flapping its wings. The hunters were horrified at the sight.
"Gasp! It's a monster!"
"Wh-what is that? I’ve never seen a monster like that before."
"Th-this is nonsense. Is it a monster, or a devil!"
As the hunters screamed in horror at the sight of the Imp, which they were seeing for the first time, Yooshin said coldly, "I told you. Not to make a fuss."
Except for Team Leader Park Haesu, this was the first time he had revealed the existence of the Imp. With wings, horns sprouting from its forehead, red eyes, and pointed ears, the Imp's appearance was enough to make anyone mistake it for a monster. Of course, in reality, it was a demon.
In fact, revealing the Imp's existence was intentional. A calculated light shone in Yooshin's eyes. Whether they accepted the Imp's existence or not was entirely their choice. But if they couldn't accept it and tried to attack or resist? It was simple. He would just erase their memories.
'Still, I can't kill them, can I?'
"That guy is my familiar. So, don't be surprised."
Their expressions turned sour. Although anxiety and doubt filled their eyes, no one denied the Imp's existence. They had already realized that the hunter named Cheon Yooshin was on a completely different level from other hunters.
Cheon Yooshin’s mouth opened again. "This guy's name is Imp. From now on, you will spar with this Imp. In other words, it's a multi-on-one combat practice. I don't expect you guys to beat this guy. You just have to endure. Pretty easy, right?"
Although the Imp was the lowest-ranking among demons, to the hunters before him, it would become a more terrifying existence than any monster.
"Hehehe, Great Master! If I accidentally kill them during the spar..."
Cheon Yooshin’s gaze turned toward the Imp. "It doesn't matter. If they’re the type to die from that much, it’s better if they die early."
If they were guys who would lose their lives to a mere Imp, it was better they didn't exist. If they were guys like that, there was a high possibility they would become obstacles later on.
"Ah, I understand!"
The Imp’s eyes, which had been bowed, changed from servility to the cruelty characteristic of demons. As Cheon Yooshin nodded, the Imp stepped forward. Baek Woohyun, who had accepted the situation first, looked at his colleagues.
"Alright! Everyone, get ready. If we combine our strength, we can definitely..."
Before his words could even finish, the Imp lunged with lightning speed. They barely dodged the Imp's attack, but the wind that brushed past their cheeks sent chills down their spines.
"To think you’d be this stupid. You should have prepared before the battle started; who’s going to wait for you!"
Baek Woohyun’s face turned pale. Yoon Heewon quickly pulled out her throwing knives, and Joo Jowoon gripped his twin swords in both hands. The other hunters also clutched their weapons and glared at the Imp.
"Kekekeke, let’s have some fun. You pathetic humans!"
The Imp’s attack began. Their weapons sliced through the air. The Imp's attacks were genuine, to the point where their necks would fly off if they let their guard down even for a second. Cheon Yooshin watched the scene silently and muttered.
"There is no royal road to becoming stronger. There are just many paths. And there is only one path I know. Real combat. If you go through training that feels like real combat, you guys will eventually become stronger too."
"This fucking shit!!"
Kang Minho spat out a curse after checking the mail that had arrived for him. "Are they really going to do this?!"
It was an enlistment notice. He checked it again, but his name was written too clearly. Kang Minho. Looking at it from the side or the back, his three-character name was written there.
Kang Minho slumped onto the sofa. "I... I'm an A-class hunter, Kang Minho! You're sending someone like me to the army?"
Of course, the military also handled gates on its own. For example, like gates that appeared in military zones. Naturally, they also cleared gates if there was a request for support from the Hunter Management Department or a request for dispatch from overseas. But this was something wrong. Sending top-tier personnel like himself to mere military service? How many gates had he cleared in the meantime!
This was truly nonsense. Picking up his phone, he rummaged through his address book. Finally, one name caught his eye. It was 'Tanaka - Japan Hunter Management Department'.