Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: So, What Can You Do? (3)
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Are all those who awaken as hunters purely physical powerhouses?
No, they're not.
A hunter's growth is akin to a sort of game.
It's not like certain stats unlock specific classes, but rather, based on the mana they possess, a single 'trait' gradually intensifies.
For example, take one S-rank esper from Korea. At first, he could only emit about 220 volts of electricity.
Back in his rookie days, he'd basically sting his opponent momentarily and then exploit the opening—that was his fighting style. But as his mana grew, the voltage he could unleash in a single burst increased accordingly.
And the result?
— Crowd Chant "Go, Blue Lightning! One million volts!" "Ramju Thunder!" — Viewer Reply "...Fuck, who photoshopped this?" "W-We’ll take it down right away." "Ramju Thunder? It's not even a ram anymore, and the cry's all wrong! It's 100,000 volts, not a million. In games, it's..." "......" People even joke about it in passing— as mana grows, the abilities you can wield deepen proportionally.
Call it the manifestation of individuality.
Or perhaps the refinement of a special power.
One thing's clear: even if a hunter with vast mana tries to research and develop various abilities, they won't progress as well as in the power they 'first awakened' to.
As if the god overseeing awakenings grants the greatest potential and most suitable ability right from the initial awakening.
That's why people who excelled in their original fields often shine even brighter as hunters, applying their hunter powers to their expertise.
"Medusa. Mission briefing."
"......."
In a remote cabin nestled in a snowy wilderness.
A woman with light purple hair sits cross-legged in a chair, gazing at a photo, while men in suits stand before her.
"The target is [Master]. Suspected to be the owner of that maid cosplaying as Elaine from a Korean game."
"Hmm."
The woman called Medusa stared at the man in the photo for a long while.
"Something wrong?"
"No. Just wondering how you got this photo."
"Do you know him? Were you in Korea at some point...?"
"No. First time seeing him, and nothing like what you're imagining."
Medusa quickly shook the photo.
"I just wonder if blindly attempting 'assassination' like this even makes sense."
"It's a KGB directive. In this era of hunters..."
"Dragging out relics from the old days is fine, but shouldn't there be some oversight?"
"Poison impossible?"
"Not impossible, but don't you think they already know we're having this conversation?"
Medusa tapped her ear with her index finger.
"They seem to have not just America's intel network, but their own too. If there's any electronic gear or even a single internet line, they'd know we're meeting here right now."
"Exactly..."
"Poison a target with mana-brewed toxin in black tea. Sure, that's the classic. But it'll get sniffed out from the start. Koreans don't even mainly drink black tea."
"Don't they know our black tea disregards personal tastes?"
"And they'd know the other side feels the same."
Medusa pointed at the agents' sunglasses.
"Watch the electronics. They could explode anytime. Their hackers are just ignoring you for now, but if one of you tries slipping in a poisoned tea bag the old-fashioned way, your pocket smartphone blows up on the spot."
"......How?"
"Somehow. I don't know the details, but they don't seem to have just S-rank hunters."
Medusa stood up.
"Code names changing out of nowhere, this cosplay nonsense... and the target's the guy who soloed three S-rank towers? Listen, uncles. Forget assassination—think recruitment."
"Are you betraying the motherland?"
"The country's shoving me into the fire pit to die, and you think I'll follow? Do I look like some Russian government agent from an American comic?"
"You..."
"Look at this."
Medusa pulled out her smartphone from her pocket.
A single photo had been sent to it. The men jolted to their feet in shock upon seeing it.
"H-How...!"
"Even China's ironclad info lockdown got breached like this—what makes us different? Oh, if you're listening, know I have zero intention of being enemies."
Medusa pocketed her phone.
>Crash!
She shattered the cabin's glass window and leaped out, fleeing into the distance.
"...Captain. What now?"
"......Proceed for now."
"Yes? But..."
"If it fails, adapt then. Understood?"
"...Yes!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "So this is that 'Cesium Black Tea,' huh?"
I picked up the black tea bag boldly labeled in English.
"Be careful, Master. Even sealed with mana..."
"I'm just amazed. To think I'd get to see the infamous stuff myself."
"It's not just seeing it—it's been delivered to your partner, nyang."
"That's why it's amazing."
The tea bag sealed with mana.
It looks like a normal bag at a glance, but it's subtly infused with mana, like wrapped in a vinyl pouch made of it.
"Shocking they actually went through with it, and that A-rank hunter caught on and bailed while giving advice... but to actually lace a refill black tea bag with real poison."
"What'll you do? Grill them?"
Dray, who joined us at the hotel, fiddled with his pistol and grinned.
Having experienced firsthand what pistol threats feel like, it was obvious things would get ugly if Dray stepped in.
"For now... let it slide. Patrick's tearing into them downstairs."
Down below.
Presidential aide Patrick and the intel director who flew in from Washington were ripping through the underlings.
"The ones Russia ordered..."
"Probably sipping this through a straw right now with the guys who swapped it out."
They failed to filter poison coming through food channels, and info leaks persist beyond that too.
'No wonder celebrities and hunters cluster in Hannam-dong.'
I used to think, no matter how much money they made, why live somewhere so pricey.
Now I got it, in a way.
"Dray."
"Yeah?"
"No need to Wi-Fi and waste effort scrubbing my info proliferation. Just let it be."
"Huh... you sure?"
"Yeah. No point burning your processing... mana on that."
Dray blinked blankly—the internet was flooding with info.
"Still okay? People are half-jokingly gossiping, but it's getting close to the truth."
"What can they do about it? I've already summoned."
It leaked.
My personal info.
The moment others raided my officetel, my details hit the net.
America scrubs and controls ruthlessly.
Japan, China, and others worldwide dig relentlessly.
Korea pretends to suppress leaks publicly while slyly letting personal flyers spread online.
Even that I'm crashing in a U.S.-chartered hotel suite spread, and with sniper-grade cameras aimed here, I couldn't even draw the curtains.
'Didn't expect it to blow up this bad.'
I had no plans to reveal it, but collective intelligence was converging on the truth. Power plays—some scheming to exploit my strength, others to kill me off—were unfolding covertly. Absurd.
I expected it eventually.
Just not this fast.
At least our side's response and prep were quicker.
"Dray. Server backups?"
"Here."
Dray patted the computer and gear from the officetel.
"Internet cable? Gotta use satellite signals coming down there. This line's Korean telecom."
"Hack attempt the second it connects?"
"Yep. Hotel's U.S.-provided, but all the internals? Korean installs. CCTV, everything."
"Right. ...Just secure this suite floor for now. No need for the lower levels."
"Got it."
I tossed the cesium black tea bag in the trash.
Can't even dump trash freely—they collect it all, with U.S. aides and Marines incinerating or surveilling strictly below.
— Netizen "Found the maker of the chicken Master's S-rank hunter ordered!" — Reply "Nah, that's what the U.S. military ate~ Master had hotel-fried chicken~" — Another Reply "How do you know? You a GI?" Right now.
The hotel's trash is even trending online—attention's hyper-focused here.
Like that Russian assassin who clocked the hack and played aloof to disengage, it'd be nice if the world followed suit. But maybe one in ten, no, one in a hundred do.
Most are glued.
My name, background, past, hunter powers.
— Concerned Netizen "Summoning S-rank hunters? Isn't that insanely dangerous...?" Facing power too overwhelming for one person, Russia's assassination bid stems from fear.
Of course, America—who stands to claim it—is welcoming with open arms nationwide.
"Oh, Commander. If any chicken delivery comes up from below, no salt with it. It's laced."
"They really try everything. Told the guys downstairs?"
"Yeah. They figure clearing the lower floors gets them to the top."
What a troublesome bunch.
"Can't do this. Radio in—secure a spot."
"Where to, sir?"
"The sea."
Need a proper venue.
"After Jeju S-rank tower, time to summon the maknae."
"Master, that means..."
Elaine rose, hand on her sword at her waist.
"Right now?"
"Yeah."
Someone might say hold off.
'Rest has to actually be rest.'
Hotel suite or not, can't properly eat or drink on this land—how to relax?
"This hellhole's unlivable, for real."
Planned to chill a bit then bounce, but they're urging me out anyway.
"Prep's done anyway."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Preparation complete.] In the smartphone game, a popup appeared.