Chapter 6

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Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 6

Chapter Title: The Savior's Weapon

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Whirrr.

The lab door slid open the moment Mi-rae finished speaking.

"Good morning."

"Hello, Chairman."

Kim Kang-hee Chairman, dressed sharply in a suit, flashed a gentle smile as he examined the scan results on the screen. While he studied it, Mi-rae scanned him up and down.

"Heading out somewhere? That outfit's no joke."

"I've got a meeting at the Blue House later. Anyway, right now..."

The Chairman turned his head toward me. His blue eyes gleamed like those of a predator.

"I'd like to see our Ji-ui's rank."

Mi-rae tapped her tablet, bringing the screen back up. My test results were still displayed there. The Chairman stared at it for a long moment, his shock plain on his face.

"...It's really SS-rank."

"The rank's one thing, but check out that DF. Initial scan at S5."

"Not sent to WHDB yet?"

"Of course not. The whole world would lose its mind."

The Chairman's brow furrowed deeply.

'This doesn't feel real.'

I'd never imagined gaining power so immense that even revealing my existence would give me pause.

"What do you want to do, Ji-ui-ssi?"

"Pardon?"

That was when the Chairman addressed me directly.

"In this era, the number of high-rank hunters is national power itself. As Chairman of the Hunter Association, I hope you'll become a hunter."

"Chairman."

"But."

Se-bin tried to cut in, but the Chairman brushed her off lightly.

"As an Awakener, I want to ask you."

"......"

"Do you want to embrace your power and live a life of sacrifice for the world? Or do you want to keep living ordinarily, like now?"

The Chairman gazed at me with an impassive expression.

This question was probably the greatest courtesy he could offer me.

If I'd abruptly awakened as SS-rank, I probably would've chosen a normal life—dragging myself to that clothing store every day, scraping by to pay off the debts piling up at home.

'But things are different now.'

If I save the world, I can bring Ji-yu back. I can revive my one and only little sister.

Thump, thump.

Clutching my chest, which felt ready to burst, I carefully opened my mouth.

"I'll become a hunter."

"Ji-ui!"

"You might regret it."

The Chairman's warning overlaid Se-bin's cry. I drew a deep breath and met his eyes.

"I absolutely won't."

The only regret in my life was failing to protect Ji-yu until the end.

"...Understood. Director An?"

"Y-yes."

At the Chairman's glance toward Mi-rae, she tapped her tablet a few times.

'Savior...'

There was no way that database could've read my mission, yet the title was uncannily perfect.

Mi-rae shifted her gaze to me.

"Go ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ahead."

I answered before she could ask, and she let out a hollow chuckle before tapping Yes.

'Knocked 'em dead.'

It didn't sink in until I saw the tablet screen flashing busily.

My life was about to flip completely.

Beep.

At that moment, a short alarm rang from the smartwatch on the Chairman's wrist.

"Oh dear, time to head out. Ji-ui-ssi, I'll send you the press conference schedule later."

"Chairman...!"

"Kang Se-bin Hunter, contact Ha Mi-jun Hunter right now and set up Ji-ui's weapon creation schedule. That's all."

Whirrr.

The Chairman exited the lab again.

The room fell into heavy silence, as if a storm had just passed.

"Whoa, you're screwed now. Think you can handle it?"

Mi-rae broke the quiet. I was used to people gossiping about me, given my nosy tendencies, but the attention I'd get now would be billions of times worse.

I forced a smile toward her.

"I'm good. I've got endurance for days."

"Hah, if you say so, who am I to argue."

Mi-rae approached me and tilted her head up. A weird mix of coffee and cigarette scent wafted over.

"Keep your wits about you. The hunter world's way rougher than you think."

"You're... worried about me?"

"Worried? Please."

Her tone was prickly, but her intent was pure kindness.

"Hey, quit spacing out and call Ha Mi-jun."

"Oh, right."

Se-bin, who had been staring blankly at where the Chairman left, clenched her fist in the air—and suddenly her phone appeared in her hand.

'That face is intense.'

Se-bin had been worried about me becoming a hunter from the start.

She was probably more anxious about what lay ahead for me than I was.

"Yes, Ha Mi-jun Hunter. Are you at the office right now?"

Se-bin started her call with this 'Ha Mi-jun' person.

Speaking of which, Ha Mi-jun... the name rang a bell from somewhere.

"Haha! Heard from the Chairman, checked WHDB too. Shin Ji-ui, right?"

"Yes. Nice to m—"

"I'm Ha Mi-jun. Mi-jun unnie, Mi-jun-i, Mi-jun-ssi—call me whatever."

"Ah, okay..."

In the all-black office, the woman from TV stood right before my eyes.

Korea's third S-rank hunter, Ha Mi-jun. A rare S-rank creation hunter whose crafting skills were world-class—hyperbole to say all high-rank hunters' weapons came from her, but not by much.

Her custom weapons fetched tens to hundreds of billions, yet hunters lined up endlessly.

'If there's one fatal flaw hiding all that talent...'

"Nice hair, by the way. What shampoo?"

"Ha Mi-jun Hunter."

"Ahaha, got it, Kang Se-bin Hunter. Got momentarily dazzled by Ji-ui-yang's beauty."

That insane casanova vibe. I'd seen her on TV often not just because she loved the spotlight, but because she was a regular in scandal news.

'And yet her lovers never run dry—looks and money, I guess?'

Ha Mi-jun Hunter had divisive good looks: monolids slanted sharply upward for a snakelike impression, pomaded hair. Not exactly approachable.

"Greetings done—shall we craft Ji-ui-yang's weapon now?"

She sprang up from her massive executive chair.

'Easily over 180cm.'

She hadn't seemed short sitting, but standing? Towering. She beamed and extended her hand; I cautiously placed mine atop her palm.

"What’s your skill, Ji-ui-yang?"

"Voice-based attack skill."

"Haven't used it properly yet, right?"

"Yes."

"Hmm~ This'll be tricky."

Psshh.

Green smoke billowed from her hand, coalescing into a large bat covered in talismans.

"This is my skill, 'Goblin Bat.' It'll reflect Ji-ui-yang's inner self to craft your weapon."

"My inner self..."

Ha Mi-jun Hunter swung the bat through the air, green smoke tracing a slow arc. Tearing my eyes from it, I met her gaze—she watched me with warm, affectionate eyes.

"Ji-ui-yang, think of light?"

"Light?"

"Yeah. Bright light, fond memory—anything that lights you up."

The brightest light, fondest memory. Eyes closed, I slowly recalled.

My mind drifted from my first track meet victory to our shabby home. Past moldy wallpaper to the back room, where Ji-yu—briefly discharged after a health uptick—drew on her bed.

Ji-yu sketched a goofy face and labeled it 'Unnie.' She giggled uncontrollably. Her gaunt face turned to me, eyes crinkling shut in joy.

Keeeen.

I cracked my eyes open to find my right hand—held by Ha Mi-jun Hunter—engulfed in pure white light.

"Here we go~"

"Huh? W-wait?!"

The massive bat hurtled toward my hand at blinding speed.

Boom!

I braced for my hand to fly off, but the bat dissolved into smoke on contact. The white light sluggishly morphed into something new.

Plop.

The glowing orb spun around my hand before settling into my palm.

Thump, thump, thump.

My pounding heart now shook my entire chest.

Instinct and the status window told me everything.

'The weapon I used before regression.'

A pristine megaphone adorned with silver flowers. My weapon, Ego.

"Whoa, never seen a weapon like this before."

A trigger on the handle made it look like a gun.

"What's the weapon's name?"

"Uh... Ego."

"Wow, the reflection is Ego, and the name's Ego too. So cool, just like Ji-ui-yang."

Ignoring her cheesy wink, I opened my status window. New text had appeared above the skill info.

A sudden directive popped up over the status window.

Reunion—clear a dungeon with history's strongest weapon?

Beep beep.

In the chaos, every phone in Ha Mi-jun Hunter's office chimed at once.

A signal like that all at once could only mean...

"Well then. D-rank gate detected near Bukhansan."

"Looks like it'll open in an hour."

A gate opening alert. New gates stay sealed until cleared, so hunters had to enter and conquer them fast.

"Hmm..."

Ha Mi-jun Hunter looked up from her phone and turned to me. One eyebrow arched, her sharp, snakelike eyes regarding me with interest.

"Since we're at it, how about testing Ji-ui-yang's weapon right there?"

"Pardon?"

The out-of-nowhere suggestion nearly made me drop Ego.

"...Are you sane?"

"Ahaha~ Didn't know Kang Se-bin Hunter used words like that."

Ha Mi-jun Hunter reached to pat Se-bin's shoulder, but Se-bin shot her a fierce glare without budging.

'Never seen that look on her.'

Se-bin's eyes looked ready to spark, so I wedged myself between them.

"I'm not officially registered as a hunter yet—is that okay? No issues?"

"You're in WHDB already. Should be fine."

Ha Mi-jun Hunter placed a hand on my shoulder and leaned in slightly.

"D-rank? A B-rank could solo it easy. And with shining DF Rank 1 'Savior' Ji-ui-yang here, what's to worry?"

"Even so, she's only awakened days ago...!"

"Sounds good. Let's go."

"Ji-ui!"

Se-bin scolded me like a scolding mom. I turned; she stared at me in stunned dismay.

'I'd give my friend the same look for reckless talk.'

But I had to play oblivious—for the sudden directive and to adapt to my weapon fast. I approached Se-bin with a deliberate bright smile.

"Got my weapon now, heading out with vets like you—should be fine. I'll be a hunter soon anyway, right?"

"Well? What's it gonna be, Kang Se-bin Hunter? I already volunteered for dispatch."

Ha Mi-jun Hunter piled on. Se-bin bit her lower lip hard, tapped her phone a few times, then showed us the screen.

Pfft.

A low chuckle came from behind me—Ha Mi-jun Hunter. Se-bin ignored it, pocketed her phone in her inventory, draped an arm around my shoulders, and spoke.

"Let's get going."