Moments of Small Growth
Lee Yeon-ju found Hunter Survival far tougher than she'd imagined.
"Ugh... I thought... I could do it..."
A sigh escaped her lips after a full day of grinding away at Hunter Survival. Some teammates were holding their own just fine... but what about her? The sense of powerlessness hit hard—others could do it, but she couldn't. And the despair of feeling like she couldn't improve any further.
Her only skills were position detection and long-range binding. If I hadn't joined this team, I'd have faded into obscurity in the 3rd Division. Maybe I'm the one holding everyone back...'
It had been the same this time around. Chang-hyun had said getting comfortable with Hunter Survival alone would give them a solid shot in promotion matches. But right now, even mid-tier rankings felt out of reach.
'Sigh...'
Staring at the ranking floating before her eyes only fueled her negative thoughts. Truth be told, the team's string of victories had all been thanks to Chang-hyun...
She was moping in the waiting room, head hung low, when—
"Tired?"
Chang-hyun's sudden voice startled her.
"Ah... no... but why..."
"Why? 'Cause they're done. Your turn, Yeon-ju."
Where Chang-hyun gestured, the rest of PER's team sat—already finished with their one-on-one sessions. They chattered away innocently, just like always. Of course... their powers were useful enough, and their combat skills weren't bad. Not like mine...
"What's wrong? You really sleepy?"
"Ah... no. Let's go."
Could she be useful to the team? That nagging anxiety. And the guilt over her ambiguously practical power. Pushing those burdens aside, she followed Chang-hyun.
They arrived at a custom room where she could tweak the training facilities freely. But practice didn't start right away. Chang-hyun just stared at her intently, like he had something to say.
Then, out of nowhere, he spoke—switching to formal speech, his tone suddenly serious.
"In a match, what's the one thing you absolutely shouldn't do?"
"Um... make mistakes?"
Today's Hunter Survival had been full of them. She'd failed to secure the relic first, tripped in fights with opponents, and died embarrassingly while fleeing. And Chang-hyun had watched it all silently. So... that's what he thinks. Her head drooped in shame at her own pathetic performance.
But Chang-hyun shook his head.
"Not mistakes. It's fearing mistakes. Fear stops you from trying. What you should really fear is not trying at all. Even if you think it's truly over."
"..."
"If you fail to claim a relic, at least destroy it or disrupt its use. If you trip and fall in a fight, grab their ankle and snap it."
Chang-hyun's eyes were straight and unwavering—different from usual. As if saying it didn't matter what she could or couldn't do. Just fight. That's enough.
But the serious mood didn't last. He grinned wickedly.
"Oh, and yeah, don't actually mess up. So keep trying until you don't."
"...?"
Huff... huff...
The one-on-one with Chang-hyun had barely begun, and she was already gasping for air. It was relentless training—no time to think, pushed to her absolute limits.
The format was simple: In a map with various relics, reach the designated rendezvous point safely. Chang-hyun blocked her path.
One round, she spotted him far off and sprinted to the point. But a bullet pierced her from nowhere—game over.
"One: When detecting distant enemies or facing teams with ranged dealers, always move minding sniper spots, or take unsnipable routes."
He advised her downed form and left. Next game started immediately.
This time, she remembered: 'Right... Chang-hyun uses guns, so mind the ranged dealer...'
But her spawn sucked. She sensed him patrolling the rendezvous perimeter. At least position detection helped. The point was large; slip in from afar.
As she ran, minding snipers, he closed in way faster—air anchors and air beats letting him fly. Slashed her.
"Two: Close dealers in higher leagues have elite mobility. Don't drop guard at range. If a stronger foe guards openly, don't rush—find counters like other relics first."
...Practice dragged on. Each death brought one tip; she tried to memorize them. Sniper, close dealer, assassin... Varied assaults meant endless factors. No familiarity yet.
And indeed, she never reached the point—not once by session's end.
Yet Chang-hyun tilted his head.
"That'll do. One more Hunter Survival round."
She dreaded it—same results loomed. But she recalled his pre-training words: Even tripped, snap an ankle.
I don't get it... but... one more time.
Another Hunter Survival. Unknown map: Snowy cliffs, bridges, eerie shrine area.
Spawned in empty spot. Feet hit ground—
Position Detection: B-
Mana-based tracking worked on relic mana too, per Chang-hyun. She hunted relics first.
Found one quick—nearby mana pulse.
But... people were around there minutes ago...
Flashback to one-on-one: He'd taught countering stealth. Shrines had ambushers; always check surroundings pre-relic grab.
She shook her head. Safer relic needed.
Sure enough, one vanished near it; new one appeared.
Ambush...
Empty area elsewhere: Secured a relic.
◈ Targets pierced by the spear die instantly.
Attack relic—lucky.
With this...
Maybe a higher rank this time. Still, she never approached first. Hid in snow, tracking as the safe zone shrank, waiting.
"Close dealers are agile and fast. Head-on's suicide. No relic? Evade detection. With one..."
Chang-hyun's words replayed.
With one, wait for perfect timing—Binding: A+, then instant kill.
Counting in hiding. One. Two. Factoring speed, direction—activate.
Binding: A+
"Ugh...? W-what?!"
Opponent's panic echoed from the snow. She lunged to strike—but hesitated exiting cover. In one-on-ones, he'd faked binding often for feints. Trap?
But no—this wasn't Chang-hyun. Perfectly bound as predicted.
Much easier than with Chang-hyun...
Training's fruit? Self-loathing at needing this setup, but growth dawned. A small smile crept on.
No hesitation. Spear thrust. Exhaled held breath, inhaled. Haa... haa... Blood raced. Heart pounded wildly. Flushed cheeks. Crisp, cold air. This moment—unforgettable forever.
Her first kill. Team's undefeated streak, yet she'd never scored one.
Time flew relentlessly. Over a week, PER members died endlessly under Chang-hyun's grill, gained insights, then grinded Hunter Survival.
Even whispers arose: Was skimping league practice okay? But those faded against their skyrocketing Hunter Survival ranks.
I knew Chang-hyun was amazing... but this much?
Yoon Han-gyeol had thought Yeon-ju couldn't crack top 10 dead or alive. Now she did often. Not top ranks yet, but worlds from counting from behind a week ago—explosive growth.
And not just her. Chang-hyun's one-on-ones used Magic Engineering Weapon Conversion for varied weapons, positions, scenarios, maps. Soon, no situation felt wholly new or unpredictable. Details varied, but big-picture responses always clicked.
Like Chang-hyun had implanted manuals in their heads.
Yoon Han-gyeol eyed the team's average Hunter Survival rank chart—crystal clear.
Yeah, this is our team. This is our captain.
A grin bloomed on his face. But curiosity nagged.
How does Chang-hyun know countermeasures so well? 3rd Division matches are way different—strategy, game itself... Man, our captain's brain is on another level.
His coaches and directors at Seoul Hunter Municipal Academy paled in know-how and insight. Yoon Han-gyeol felt he'd hit the jackpot joining PER.