New Skills and Gear

With the new skill and equipment in hand, Yoo Taejeong decided to check out the gear first.

"The damage is solid... but what's this spray range?"

Muttering to himself, he pulled the equipment from his inventory. A heavy weight unlike any of his previous weapons pressed into his hands.

"Whoa. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠This thing's... seriously heavy. Is this how you hold it?"

After a few tries, he found the most comfortable grip, secured the safety bar, and pulled the trigger with his right index finger.

At the same moment, a ferocious blaze roared forward, sweeping everything in front of him.

Fwooooosh!

"Holy shit!"

The sudden inferno startled him, and he quickly released the trigger. He'd expected fire, but the spread was insanely wide.

"That's nuts."

His heart still racing, he pulled the trigger again. Crimson flames engulfed half his field of view, stretching endlessly onward. The sheer spectacle made his chest swell with awe.

"This is insane. Straight-up game-changer."

Too excited, he kept babbling to himself before finally calming down and checking the skill next.

"What the hell kind of damage is this..."

The power dwarfed his existing weapons, so he immediately activated the skill. A translucent message window popped up.

"Gotta keep the right arm for the Vulcan, so left arm it is."

With a thought, he tapped the left side. A holographic form materialized, gaining color and solidity as it wrapped around his arm. The finished weapon looked nothing like what he'd seen before.

"Looks like a pipe or something... How do you even use this?"

Taejeong activated the grenade launcher the same way as the Vulcan. An alert chimed.

"45 degrees, huh. Like this?"

He raised his arm to roughly match the angle. With a thunk!, something shot from the pipe in a graceful arc, sailing far before vanishing from sight with a massive explosion.

BOOM!

"Oh."

He couldn't see exactly what happened, but smoke rising in the distance confirmed the blast. Up close, a charred crater and ashen grass marked the spot—a good 10-meter radius of devastation.

"If I can aim this right, it'll be killer. Solid range, perfect for mob clearing."

He wanted to test it more, but decided today wasn't the day. Mana ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was too precious to waste here.

Testing done, he resumed hunting. Not long after, another troll lumbered into view. Without hesitation, Taejeong whipped out the flamethrower.

A torrent of hellfire erupted from the nozzle.

Fwooooosh!

Kuoooek!

The troll, engulfed in flames, screeched and thrashed wildly. Pain blinded it completely to Taejeong right in front of it. It rampaged a bit longer before collapsing, its blackened head slamming into the dirt.

"Hell yeah. Roasts 'em good."

Turning a troll—the monster that had taken two full mana tanks to barely kill before—into barbecue in seconds felt amazing.

Hunting went smoothly after that. Trash mobs with guns, trolls with the flamethrower. Even packs fell to its overwhelming power.

Lost in the rhythm, Taejeong realized he'd reached the mountain range's midpoint.

"Time for a break."

He scarfed down the kimbap and water he'd bought that morning, then reviewed his haul.

This haul dwarfed yesterday's. Sell it all, and it'd easily top 4 million won. Plus, he still had plenty of potions left.

"No horns today, and I've already got this much?"

It still felt like a dream. Just a month ago, he was a porter. A week back, he'd been thrilled peeling wolf hides for 10 million won a day. Now? Multiples of that in days.

"Keep this up, and I'm set for life."

Money had always choked him—from childhood, alone with his sister, scraping by. No dreams, no future. Just survival. He had a little sister to raise in his parents' place.

But now? No more money worries. He could care for her and build his own future. Awakening as a hunter had opened a whole new path.

'Gotta swing by So-young's after this.'

He hunted until his potions ran dry, emerging near evening. Back at the trailhead, he hopped in his car and dialed.

He hung up and headed to the market.

"Damn, that's a haul."

Flush with cash, he strode into the market and hit the potion shop.

"50 Intermediate Potions. Cash."

"Here you go, sir."

The clerk barely blinked at the tens of millions spent. In hunter circles, that was pocket change—elsewhere, it'd make him VIP.

Stocked up, he drove to Uijeongbu, where his sister Yoo So-young lived.

His one and only ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠family. He'd forced her independence a year ago for college, despite her wanting to work. He'd wondered if it was selfish, but her beaming smile at orientation convinced him.

It never felt burdensome. He just wanted better for her.

'Parking spot...'

At her studio, he parked and hit the intercom.

"Yes? Who is it?"

"Me."

"Ah! Hold on."

Soon, the door opened. A girl in shorts and slippers shuffled out.

"Oppa."

"Why come down? I'm heading up anyway."

"Missed you."

"Saw you last month."

"First time since spring?"

"Whatever."

"You haven't eaten, right? Expect big things today—I went all out 'cause you're coming."

"What, ramen?"

"Tch. You think I'm still that girl? C'mon in."

Inside, he washed up and sat. Side dishes appeared one by one, topped by stew. She sat across, watching expectantly.

"Try it, oppa. All me."

"Yo... what's the occasion? So much food? You not eating?"

"Ate earlier. Eat. Please?"

Prodded, he dug in. Surprisingly good—above average. A faint echo of their hazy mom's cooking.

"Damn, it's good. No cap—better than a restaurant."

"Knew you'd like it. Same taste buds."

"Blood's thicker than water."

Meal over in warmth, he skipped her coffee offer and scanned the living room. Spotting something, he reached into a drawer corner.

"Yo, So-young. What's this? Shopping bags?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Nothing."

"Hundreds of 'em. You working retail or something?"

She set down the coffee.

"Just when studying stalls."

He dropped the stack.

"Running low on living expenses?"

"No, still got some."

"Then why work? Focus on school. Told you to ask if short."

His seriousness cracked her.

"Feels bad. I'm an adult now—can't keep taking pocket money forever. We're not rich, and you're turning 30 soon. Gotta find someone nice, marry. Can't even do that without cash these days."

Speechless. Not kid talk. When did she grow up?

Awkward silence. Scold her playfulness? Praise her maturity?

He broke it.

"So-young."

"Yeah?"

"What'd Dad say when he passed?"

"...Parents?"

"Yeah. He told me—'You're head of the house now. Look after your little sister, be her shade.' Might've been short on details, but that's it."

"You were young too."

"Older than you."

"Oppa, you gave up everything for me. Skipped new clothes for three years, wore hand-me-down uniforms. And studying? Part-time wrecked that."

"Everyone did that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠back then. It was trendy—you wouldn't get it, dummy. And school smarts? Wouldn't change much now."

"I'm not dumb, oppa."

"I know. But So-young."

"Yeah?"

"Never once thought you made my life hard. You kept me straight, got me this far. Lean on me more. That's what big bros are for. Won't be this spry forever—use me while you can. And now, no worries anyway. I awok—"

He caught himself, trailing off. Hiding porter work was one thing; actual hunting? She'd freak.

"Why stop?"

"Nah. Got scouted by a big corp. Salary's huge now. No money stress."

"For real? Where?"

"Hunter-related."

"That place you wanted? Congrats, oppa!"

"Yeah. Getting late. Gotta bounce. Pocket money. Don't see me out."

He tossed the prepped million-won envelope and bolted.

"Oppa, too much cash!"