The Stalker's Henchmen
I eyed the three men standing there in obvious threatening poses and asked, “Me?”
“Who else is here besides you?”
The one who seemed like the leader among the trio answered. His smirking grin was utterly obnoxious.
Yeah, hunters like this are a dime a dozen.
I recalled the general impression I'd gotten from hunters back when I worked at the Dungeon Management Office. Arrogant, treating non-hunters like bugs. It wasn't an exaggeration—their words and actions made it impossible to see them any other way.
I'd quickly realized that working at the Dungeon Management Office was no picnic, and that even the director and his staff were far from normal. I'd despaired. And it was a job I couldn't just quit. I'd spent so long drifting through part-time gigs, wasting my life away, that escape was impossible. Not just for economic reasons, but because too many people—my parents, relatives, everyone who knew I'd landed a stable job—would think I was insane if I walked away.
A thirty-year-old living in a cramped studio, kicking away a cushy government gig? They'd just see me as some spoiled ingrate. And the moment I left the Dungeon Management Office, my miserable, dead-end life would've dragged on unchanged.
I shuddered at the thought of that turning point in my life where Kim Seol-bi never came looking for me.
“Do I know you guys?”
“Not personally. And no need to in the future.”
What the hell? I couldn't figure out why I'd become their target. Sure, hunters often had personality issues across the board, but they didn't just pick random people off the street for no reason. Especially not someone like me, who had nothing worth taking.
And... I glanced up at the sun still hanging in the sky. It was edging toward evening, but hardly late. Not the kind of hour for street confrontations.
“Cut the chit-chat and come with us. The boss wants a word with you.”
“The boss?”
I racked my brain furiously.
“You don't need to know. You'll see when you get there.”
I didn't have the ability to peer into their stats, but at a glance, they were at least C-rank or higher—probably B-rank. Overkill for grabbing a single D-rank like me. Whoever sent them had resources to burn.
Who could casually command three hunters of C-rank or above just to snatch a nobody like me?
It wasn't some naive government plot to study my abilities—they'd approach it far more legitimately. Kidnapping for research? What were they, aliens?
An unknown hunter group might want me for experiments, but even then, what benefit would they get? They'd have better ways to make money than bothering with me.
Is that it?
Did they see me hanging around Kim Seol-bi and think they could kidnap me for ransom? It was the most plausible guess, but even that fell apart quick.
No way they'd mess with an S-rank hunter over pocket change.
Pissing off an S-rank just for ransom was suicide. Only another S-rank could touch one.
“Huh?”
S-rank hunter...
That thought jogged my memory of the other S-rank I'd met today besides Kim Seol-bi. Park Hyun-jun.
I might not care much about other hunters, but every living person in the country knew the names and faces of our S-ranks. The media plastered them everywhere—no celeb came close to their fame.
Park Hyun-jun had been young and strikingly handsome in person, but in one word: insufferable. Just like these three clowns. As an S-rank, his obnoxiousness was on another level.
“This bastard's onto us, huh?”
“Hahaha. If you know, come quietly. It'll only hurt you if things get noisy.”
Their reactions turned my hunch into certainty.
Park Hyun-jun was into Kim Seol-bi. He'd stalked her before, confessing repeatedly like some creep. He'd probably assumed time would make her his—then saw her glued to some random guy. Time to blow a fuse. I got it. Kim Seol-bi was stunning. Beyond beautiful—a rare gem. S-rank, untouchable aura, never flirting with men. For S-rank males, only S-rank females made viable partners, so she might've been his one shot.
So this is your grand plan?
Crude and ridiculous, but effective. Make me vanish, and she'd be single again, giving him another chance. If S-ranks pairing off was natural law, his odds weren't bad.
“Come on, nice and easy~”
One of them reached for my arm. If he grabbed me, no escaping. Physically, I was outmatched by any of them. Rank gaps were absolute. And there were three.
I activated my ability. Full Body Transparency. The power I'd copied from Kim Eun-bi in the dungeon today.
His hand passed right through my arm.
“Huh?”
Even I found it creepy. Like turning into a ghost. Kang A-jin could hide her presence and shadow anyone, but her sorcery was different from this. She said her real body stayed in her recliner at home—mine was right here.
“What? That's his ability?”
The men were stunned. The one who'd lunged flailed wildly, but couldn't touch me.
Gross. His grubby hand phasing through my body over and over...
“Heh, told you not to resist~”
The strongest-looking one stepped forward. “It's broad daylight in a neighborhood—keep it quiet~~”
Then don't try to kidnap me in the middle of the damn street!
Two flanked me from the sides, the third darted behind. Once they unleashed their skills, I was done.
A beefy hand shot from behind. Two more from the front. Mana surged in them—my transparency couldn't shrug it all off. It was a mana skill too; bigger mana overwhelmed it. A-rank Kim Eun-bi's version outclassed my D-rank copy.
I focused mana to phase the rear hand, then struck the front ones.
Hand Blade Cut!
Thwack! Thwack!
“Ow!”
“What the—!”
They yanked back, blood spraying from gashes like knife wounds.
“You little shit!”
“You're dead!”
As they lunged again, I bolted for the wall. My agility was copied from Kim Seol-bi. I couldn't win a slugfest, but dodging? Easy.
I scaled the wall like a ninja, slipping free.
Thud-thud-thud!
Then I sprinted full tilt. Should've grabbed Kim Seol-bi's car keys. Even with my license gathering dust, it'd be a thrill—and two birds with one stone.
Too late now.
“Huh?”
They weren't chasing. But bigger problem: two fired ranged attacks. Searing heat—a fireball incoming. Daggers too.
Couldn't dodge everything. I rolled, evading the fireball, but daggers slashed me. One embedded in my back.
“Ugh!”
Hunter skills, not normal weapons. Agonizing pain locked my body. Not poison, but paralyzing.
Damn it.
Maybe I should've gone quietly. No point pissing them off.
“Fuck, I'm pissed—now what?”
“Boss said don't kill him, not don't beat him.”
“A few hours of fun should be fine.”
They approached, muttering, “Hunters don't scar easy—perfect for punching bags,” and “Been ages since I had a human one.”
Chills ran down my spine. Hunter awakening felt like a curse right then.
Screech!
A car braked hard. The driver's door flew open, and a dark silhouette leaped out.
Flutter, flutter.
Familiar talismans unfurled in the air.