Hunter Preparation ②
After a big fight, it's the annual event.
The mischievous one pacifies the sulky one.
That's the secret of our long friendship.
Even small arguments are quickly reconciled.
“I’m not mad. If I was really angry, I wouldn’t have answered you.”
“Yeah, right. If I was about to burst, I’d run away. You’re a challenger for blocking communication.”
“Who keeps making people feel bad?”
Rough emotional exchange between male best friends.
“It’s because you’re easy. You know that too. ······You’re the only one for me.”
“Yeah, I know. Tsk. Too well, that’s the problem.”
But sometimes the delicate side shows.
Usually, the penguin who pokes the other’s cheek mischievously.
But when the cold comes, it’s like the penguins relying on each other’s body heat.
If I can’t rely on you, I’ll freeze.
“After all, you have no one to match with except me. You’re a social activist for the friend-saving campaign.”
“By waiving friend fees lately, the discipline has loosened. If it continues, it might become a double.”
“You too, I’ll report you to the tax office for friend fee arrears. You’re a habitual high-arrears defaulter, flaunting it.”
The conversation pattern of male friends: start, peak, then fight.
The emotional tension disappears quickly.
I don’t even know why Sehyeon got angry in the first place.
“He just said he’d do hand stuff. Is it service dissatisfaction?”
Is our friendship ending with just handplay?
Cheap value. Maybe feeling loss.
“Idiot. I’m weak at pushing, so if you’re mad, lead it yourself.”
I know you usually listen to my requests.
But no need to reveal weaknesses.
Male sexual desire is a task to solve alone.
“My interest in that guy’s lust is excessive.”
Pity, really.
I’m worried he might die a virgin.
The older brother’s worry about his younger brother’s descendants.
“Since I’m wrong, at least for you!”
Is that the sublime feeling?
Sehyeon probably doesn’t know this sublime heart.
“Anyway, I’ll do as you say. I’ll think about Nine Tails with room.”
“What? Why are you listening to me?”
“I am a great person who humbly accepts friends’ advice. Ahem.”
Actually, there’s a behind-the-scenes story.
It’s already discussed with Miho. The Nine Tails matter will be decided after more consideration.
I received a text today. Sehyeon doesn’t know.
“When the time comes, I’ll erase the debt and use it usefully later. Hehehe.”
I hid my dark intentions and bragged to Sehyeon.
“Ah, my stomach is bad from hangover. Sehyeon, rub my back.”
“You do it.”
“Stop! You can’t reach my back! Is that anatomically possible?!”
An unreasonable kid. Trying to escape the language trap I set.
I selected the back knowing he’d argue like that.
“......Bastard. Do you want to boss me around that much.”
“Woof-! Woof! Grumble, Master, do that for me.”
If you want, I’ll even do dog talk.
I pushed my back to Sehyeon.
Like asking to rub back in the bath.
“A corner-sitting strategist type. Always scheming.”
Sehyeon muttered but rubbed my back.
“Ah······. There, good. Not like massage. Put strength into acupressure.”
“Besides, you have too many complaints.”
“Yeah, upper and lower, ugh······, like piston exercise, rhythmically······. Ouch!? It hurts!”
When I gave the request, violence came flying.
“Don’t talk like a blockhead.”
“If you understood like a blockhead, it would be fine.”
Male eye-level analogy. It clicks.
If communication means only, everything is fine.
“Now it’s done?”
“Ah, this side too······.”
I subtly pulled Sehyeon’s hand to my abdomen.
Unlike me, his palms are warm, I like it.
“This is a part you can reach too. You said you’d do it.”
“Your hands are big, I like it. If it’s a target, do some service.”
“What kind of nonsense······!”
“Want to rub the belly? Rub the crotch?”
“Is this a crazy person!?”
I had no choice but to touch the belly.
I defeated Sehyeon with my eloquent words.
“Ah, good, the hangover feeling is disappearing.”
“A lucky guy.”
“Eh. Stone. Your hands are moving. Can’t you move them~”
The reason the goddess gives rice and meat only to the stone is because there’s no weak hand. It’s paradise.
“Hey, Lee Sehyeon.”
“Again why?”
“Even like this, I can manage my own affairs? You don’t have to think about taking care of me.”
I have pride and self-respect.
In childhood, I raised Sehyeon like a younger brother.
My goal is the opposite.
“I’ll make you succeed.”
I have a special ability.
That’s why I can complete you.
I recalled 【Affection's Touch】.
The ability I awakened is growth assistance proportional to affection.
The more you like the target, the stronger the target becomes.
“It’s done. Do you know how to follow my butt like when I was little? Making you succeed. What’s that?”
“Secret······. There is such a thing. Hehe.”
Sehyeon will become much stronger in the future.
Because I’m by your side.
And because I like you.
But it can’t end there.
I have to become strong too. I want to succeed brilliantly.
“Better not to say I want to be a hunter. He’ll scold me for being dangerous.”
The reason I postponed Nine Tails membership.
It’s because I want to become a hunter with my own power.
“Do you not think about becoming a hunter?”
Yesterday’s event. Miho asked that.
At the time, due to alcohol, I couldn’t answer immediately.
[Why does Guild Master want me to become a hunter?]
But today I asked Miho in text.
Why she wants me to become a hunter.
And Miho’s answer moved me.
[Because I want Siha to get back at that woman.]
Revenge. Extremely emotional, private motive.
Even if it’s cowardly payback, I want to achieve it.
I want to succeed. I want that woman to succeed brilliantly.
Yes, hunter.
In the form most desired from me.
/ / /
Ability awakening is the basic condition for dungeon hunter, hunter.
That is, I have the qualifications to become a hunter.
For now, I am an awakened with 【Affection's Touch】.
“Becoming a hunter isn’t just by awakening ability.”
Ability is the means to hunt monsters in dungeons.
So I have to prove it.
The feasibility of killing monsters with ability.
It’s not just killing monsters.
If it was just that, modern weapons could do it.
Inefficient and uneconomical, but in countries with hunter resources shortage, it’s still valid strategy.
But hunters are given only to those who have awakened abilities.
Because only hunters can solo overwhelming monster slaying as superhumans.
“With this ability, it doesn’t apply.”
In that sense, 【Affection's Touch】 is shabby.
It can’t expect self-destructive power.
If likened to a game, it’s like a buff totem. Unfair.
The only thing to boast is the non-standard rank, EX level.
“But non-standard ranks are still unknown content. Hah.”
It’s been about ten years since the awakening phenomenon first occurred.
Like dungeons, mysteries are abundant.
The rank of ability is also in a field far from human understanding.
Moreover, only the awakened can recognize the effect and rank of ability.
Therefore, the Hunter Association requires the ability reporting procedure.
To give credibility to hunters’ capabilities.
“Actually, the hunter rank has the real influence.”
The ranking of hunters’ strength is the hunter rank.
The being that reigns at the top is S-rank hunter.
“Ugh. The more I think, the sicker I feel······.”
Even if I grumble like a drunk, the conclusion is that.
Even if 【Affection's Touch】 is EX rank, it doesn’t give me an advantage.
It doesn’t help, rather disadvantages.
The rank of ability is an indicator that only the awakened can recognize. Not objective.
Originally, 【Affection's Touch】 is not an effect that can be shown on the spot.
“Even if I report the ability, will I get recognition?”
In the worst case, I might be treated as a scammer.
Forget S-rank, can I become a hunter?
“Fine. A thousand miles begins with a single step. I can do it. ······Probably.”
I encouraged myself.
If I work hard step by step, fruit will come.
The price of awakening is not only the ability.
Physical condition also rises to superhuman level.
Near the walking path.
I was stretching my body lightly in gym clothes.
The first day I stepped into the hunter’s path. A commemorative moment.
“First, let’s test the basic physical strength.”
I am also an awakened with 【Affection's Touch】.
My physical skill has also risen to superhuman level.
Then, how strong have I become?
“If I run seriously, I can easily run a marathon distance.”
I am an awakened.
I paid for masculinity and acquired transcendent power as compensation.
“Good. Let’s try.”
After finishing stretching, I finally ran at full speed.
And I-
“······Uh, hek.”
Before I could run 300 meters, I collapsed in exhaustion. Huh?