Chapter 12
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: The Fire Extinguishing Game
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When Nam Giseok stood still, Cheon Doun took it as a yes and stood up.
“I’ll go catch one, so you can make it.”
“Oh, no! Wait a minute!”
As Cheon Doun got into a pouncing stance, Nam Giseok desperately blocked his path.
“Ch-chicken tastes best when it’s made from an actual chicken! That thing would be too gamy to eat!”
“You can’t eat it?”
“No! This is a dish with a rich tradition. Many have tried to make chicken with other meats, but they all failed because it just didn’t have that authentic flavor. Heck, the dish itself is named ‘chicken’ for a reason—!”
“Keep it short. What’s the bottom line?”
“I can’t make it with that thing!”
Nam Giseok shouted with all his might.
“Besides, I don’t have the right tools to fry anything right now, no oil, no ingredients for the sauce… Ah, contact me when you return. I’ll fry some up for you with the best recipe!”
It was a secret that he planned to use his parents’ help to get a crash course on frying chicken by then.
“Forget it. If I can’t have it now, I don’t need it.”
Cheon Doun lost interest at the news that he couldn’t eat it right away. Having averted the immediate crisis, Nam Giseok felt a wave of relief. At the same time, he was getting anxious.
It was a relief that they wouldn’t be frying a monster for chicken, but a surge of regret washed over him as his offers were rejected one after another.
He couldn’t just let this chance to build a good relationship with an A-rank Hunter slip away.
“Th-then I’ll bring the ingredients and chicken-frying equipment with me next time I come.”
“Suddenly?”
“You said you’ve never tried it. If you want to eat it, Big Bro, then of course I should be the one to make it happen.”
“Why am I your ‘Big Bro’?”
“Aw, come on, that’s just how our industry works, isn’t it? Age doesn’t matter. If you’re strong, you’re everyone’s big bro or big sis.”
Nam Giseok said, exuding his unique brand of friendliness.
“I’ll bring everything with me next time!”
“And in return?”
The sharp question left Nam Giseok speechless. This man was no pushover. He swallowed dryly, but he couldn’t back down now.
“Please train me, sir!”
“That’s even more random than your offer to bring chicken.”
“Don’t be like that. I’m a great judge of character, you know. You’re the strongest Hunter I’ve ever seen, Big Bro. Am I right?”
This wasn’t flattery; it was sincere.
“I may be a B+ Hunter… but I’ve been a B+ forever.”
The ‘+’ mark was only given to those with a high potential of ranking up. It had been six years since he’d received it.
Most who got the plus sign passed their rank evaluation within three years at the latest, so for Nam Giseok to have failed for six years meant his growth had effectively ended.
“I feel like I could break through this wall if I just found a good mentor. It’s been bothering me that I can’t.”
He said with a look of desperation. He wanted to build a good relationship with Cheon Doun, seeing their meeting as fate.
“Please, I’m begging you. Please teach me, Big Bro!”
“You’re a weird one. Why are you asking me? We’re not close enough for you to be asking for something like that.”
Far from close, their relationship was closer to a feud. When Cheon Doun gave him a lukewarm look, Nam Giseok promptly dropped to his knees.
“What are you doing? This is uncomfortable.”
“I’m truly sorry for attacking you! I was just so desperate. The hair growth formula… no. That’s not what’s important right now.”
Nam Giseok spoke with heartfelt emotion.
“We may have started on the wrong foot, but we can become good comrades. It happens all the time in this line of work, Master.”
“First ‘Big Bro,’ now ‘Master’?”
“Please, I’m begging you! I’ll offer you chicken, I’ll offer you beer! And of course, I’ll pay whatever tuition you ask for. Please be my mentor!”
He was willing to pay any amount of money if he could just learn how to utilize his abilities from someone as skilled as Cheon Doun.
“You seem pretty desperate. Is the Hunter rank that important? A B+ rank should get you good treatment. It’s not a rank to be looked down on.”
“Come on, it’s on a completely different level from A-rank. And I have my reasons for needing to become A-rank. You see, it’s…”
“Enough. I’m not interested in your sob story, so keep it to yourself.”
“Yes, sir.”
Nam Giseok immediately shut his mouth.
‘Hunter ranks. Come to think of it, I got one too.’
Cheon Doun recalled a distant memory.
When first awakened, most people were judged to be F-rank.
They would increase their proficiency with their power to develop their abilities, and after doing so, they would go through the process of raising their rank in the annual evaluations.
‘I think I remember them saying most Hunters stop growing around C-rank.’
At best, their limit was C+, which signified the potential for advancement.
Considering that reality, even a B-rank was recognized as a considerably skilled individual.
Cheon Doun, too, had received a Hunter rank when he was active as a Chimera Hunter.
The rank he received was Unmeasurable. The verdict was that his abilities couldn’t be gauged with the measurement tools of the time.
Thanks to that, the Hunter Association was in an uproar over Cheon Doun.
[I’ve never seen this much mana. His physical movements are exceptional, too. This is a record that will go down in history.]
[Have you contacted the research institute that created that Chimera? We must buy it, no matter the cost!]
[I’ve submitted a report to the government, so we should get a response soon.]
Amidst the uproar, the institute scrambled to hide Cheon Doun.
According to the laws on Chimera creation, conducting biological experiments was punishable by death, regardless of the reason.
The researchers, knowing they wouldn’t be safe if caught, were busy spiriting Cheon Doun away.
[I told you we shouldn’t have done the rank measurement!]
[How was I supposed to know this would happen? I thought it would be fine since I applied through a research institute I know.]
[If we stay here, they’ll track us down. We need to move the lab first.]
The researchers hastily packed their things and moved their base of operations.
They poured oil in each lab and set them on fire. It was the moment a portion of the experimental records on Cheon Doun was lost.
‘Was that when I was in my mid-twenties?’
After that incident, opinions on Cheon Doun were divided among the researchers.
Some argued that he was in his prime and should be used as a Chimera Hunter, while others insisted on conducting more experiments while they still had him, not knowing when the government might take him away.
In the end, the researchers’ excessive greed led to reckless experiments. As a result, both Cheon Doun’s body and mind were broken.
Now that his body had returned to its peak condition, he smiled at the forgotten memory.
‘Even back then, Hunters tended to be obsessed with their ranks. It seems that atmosphere hasn’t changed.’
He looked at Nam Giseok. The man had high base stats. His skills were decent, too.
The overall assessment was B+, just as the Hunter Association had determined.
“Looks like what you’re lacking is practical experience.”
“Huh?”
“A thorough rationalist. You must have avoided dangerous requests and carefully selected only those where your safety was guaranteed. Am I right?”
Nam Giseok looked like he’d been hit right where it hurts. As he unconsciously averted his gaze, Cheon Doun spoke.
“I’m not blaming you. In fact, it’s the wise thing to do. How many Hunters die from reckless bravado? In that sense, you’re smart for choosing to be safe.”
“Th-thank you. But… how did you know I lacked experience?”
“You were knocked out by a single kick.”
Nam Giseok’s face went slack. He wanted to argue that no Hunter, not even among the A-ranks, would have been fine after taking a kick from Big Bro, but he held his tongue.
“A-anyway. So please, just a little guidance. Isn’t it fate that we met like this? It looks like you’re here for a long-term subjugation. It must be a hassle going back and forth to the Gate for supplies, right?”
Nam Giseok’s eyes glinted as if he’d found an opening to exploit.
“I’ll be your shuttle! As for the tuition, you name the price! I’ll pay whatever you ask!”
“Money? It’s not bad to have… but right now, it would just be extra baggage.”
Whether it was subjugating monsters or mining ore, resources from the Demon World were traded at high prices in the human world.
Besides, he had already received 20 million won from the D-rank Hunters he met on the snowy mountain.
He didn’t need to pile up pieces of paper at home when he had no immediate need for them.
“I know that for someone of your caliber, Big Bro, money is no object. But please think of it as a token of my sincerity! Just say the word. Please guide me so I can pass this Hunter exam!”
Nam Giseok was desperate. Cheon Doun thought for a moment, then pointed at Kim Nari.
“Then fight her.”
“What?”
“Don’t even dream of winning. She’s not someone you can handle. If you can land even one effective hit, I’ll start training you for real.”
“Uh… you want me to fight that little kid?”
Nam Giseok wore a dubious expression.
He knew she wasn’t an ordinary child. But hadn’t they already faced off?
“Big Bro, that kid is no match for me. All she did was run away.”
Nam Giseok, who hadn’t seen Kim Nari’s power, said with a forced smile.
“That’s because Kim Nari… No. It’ll be faster to show you.”
Cheon Doun pointed to a nearby rock.
“Break that.”
Nam Giseok was flustered by the sudden request.
The rock Cheon Doun pointed to was a dark blue. It was an ore famous in the Demon World for its hardness.
“Big Bro, that’s a Black Azure Stone. Even a decent monster can’t break it, so how can I…”
“You can’t?”
“I can’t. You’d need an A-rank Hunter to break that.”
“I see. So you can’t do it.”
This time, he looked at Kim Nari.
“Break that.”
“Do I just have to break it?”
“Yes.”
Kim Nari extended her hand toward the rock. *Clank, whirrrr.* Her right arm underwent a molecular transformation, changing its shape.
Two long rails, one above the other. Energy charged and gathered between them.
Kim Nari aimed the railgun at the rock. A blue projectile was fired, and with a deafening roar, the rock shattered into pieces.
‘My, my… I wonder if she has any intention of hiding the fact that she’s a Machine Lifeform.’
Cheon Doun smiled quietly. Was it because she was relaxed in front of him? Or was it because she didn’t know the limits of the human body?
In front of Cheon Doun, Kim Nari would nonchalantly do things that were impossible for a human.
Cheon Doun looked at Nam Giseok. He was frozen in place, his jaw hanging open.
“So? She seems more than adequate as an opponent to test your skills.”
More than adequate, she was overwhelming. Nam Giseok looked at the two with a stunned expression.
“W-with that kind of power, why did she just run away?”
“There were circumstances. Anyway, start sparring with Kim Nari from today. Like I said, if you can land even one effective hit, I’ll train you.”
Nam Giseok’s expression brightened. The moment he saw Kim Nari’s ability, he knew instinctively that he couldn’t win.
Still, a single effective hit? He could probably manage that somehow. The positive thought brought a smile to his face.
In contrast, Kim Nari seemed to shrink back, hiding behind Cheon Doun.
“Mister, do I really have to fight? I’m scared.”
“I’m not telling you to fight. This is… hmm, you’re playing with that uncle.”
“Uncle? Playing?”
“That’s right. You said you’re not scared of fire anymore, right?”
Kim Nari nodded.
If you’re scared of fire, you just have to put it out. She understood it intellectually, but she had yet to experience it.
Knowledge without experience could never truly be one’s own.
“Go play with the uncle. Let’s play the fire extinguishing game.”
At the word “play,” Kim Nari’s expression brightened a little. She hesitated but nodded her head.
“Okay. I’ll play the fire extinguishing game with that uncle.”
Kim Nari looked at Nam Giseok. To him, her bright smile looked terrifying.
‘It… it is about putting out fire, right? You’re not talking about putting out my life, are you?’
A cold sweat once again trickled down Nam Giseok’s back.