Chapter 201
Chapter 201
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 201
Chapter Title: Ignito's Backstory
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Hunters always awakened suddenly, just like always.
Unless it was Demon Cry, there was no trigger or anything of the sort for awakening.
Awakening struck like a bolt of lightning.
It was the same for Ignito.
Awakening arrived alongside a stinging pain from his toes all the way to the top of his head.
The moment Ignito awakened, he conjured ten tiny flames at his fingertips.
The hunter examiner facing that power turned to him and said,
"You're special."
Every hunter possessed different skills.
Of course, some hunters shared overlapping skills, but even then, it was only the core essence that matched—their applications, power output, quality, and the amount of mana they drew were all distinct.
And from all that combined came a hunter's rank.
The examiner saw Ignito's uniqueness right away and laid the groundwork for him to climb to S-rank through a recommendation.
Why?
Because Ignito was truly special.
Few skills involved fire.
The rarest were electricity-based ones, notoriously difficult to control.
Fire skills like Ignito's ranked next in rarity.
Both electricity and fire packed devastating destructive power, but they were infamous for their unpredictability—even to the user—and for being so volatile they could devour the caster themselves.
Yet Ignito stood apart from other fire-wielding hunters.
He had maxed-out fire resistance.
The examiner's eye was spot-on.
His endorsement got Ignito in front of a special-grade examiner right away.
That special examiner issued him a national S-rank hunter license and opened the door to becoming a world-class S-rank hunter.
Ignito strode down that wide-open highway to success.
But life's trials spare no one—they come equally to all.
Even to Ignito, cruising along his smooth path.
The instant he hit world S-rank, Ignito rode the momentum to challenge the ranking hunters.
And...
"You won't crack the top ten."
He suffered a crushing defeat.
Ignito might have wielded fire skills and genius talent, but those ranking hunters were world-class geniuses just like him.
That day marked Ignito's first taste of true defeat.
A massive roadblock slamming shut every path on what had been a clear highway.
It drove away everyone who'd cheered him on and fueled his fire from the sidelines.
"What a shame. Thought he'd make rankings."
"Shame? It was scripted. He figured he was the best. Kid's green."
"Saw the world as a playground. Serves him right."
One loss snowballed into two.
Two losses dragged him into a third.
After squandering twelve years like that, Ignito lost even his "genius" label.
Who could've guessed?
That his straight-shot highway dead-ended off a sheer cliff—the worst road imaginable.
"That's when that guy showed up for me."
Ignito paused, locking eyes intently with Yong-un.
"That guy?"
"You don't know? No one like that hit you up? That shady bastard."
Yong-un's gaze showed total cluelessness.
Ignito faltered just a bit before pressing on.
"Weird. Royal Cl... Nah. How could you miss it? The dude gunning for Royal Class?"
"No clue what you're on about."
Those eyes screamed genuine ignorance, so Ignito wiped his expression clean.
"Ah, yeah, maybe not. Anyway! That's when my road to glory kicked back into gear."
The roadblock that wrecked his highway? It didn't just shatter—it obliterated the obstacle and rebuilt the whole damn thing into an airstrip.
Thus, in his fourth ranking bout—the sixteenth year—he reclaimed his "genius" crown.
By storming straight to world S-rank number four.
Ignito smashed through the "monsters" from tenth to fourth place.
Then he threw down the gauntlet to the guy at number one.
"You know him, right? Light of Earth. Mercenary King. That was top dog back then."
He was Royal Class now, but in those days, Mercenary King was just S-rank numero uno.
Ignito prepped every trick in the book to leapfrog him when chance knocked.
"Heard of the twin demons? Earl-class demons dropping in tandem. Sudden Gate, no less."
The twin Earl-class demons hit Ignito's hometown, Delas.
They razed it flat and butchered hundreds of hunters who charged in to stop them.
That's when Ignito dove in solo.
His flames—fierce enough for rankings—shifted past blue into searing green high-heat inferno.
Those green flames reduced the twins, untouchable by anyone else, to ash.
The payoff?
"Skipped the S-rank rankings grind entirely. Straight to Royal Class."
Ignito beamed, thumbs-up proud.
"Kill?"
Yong-un had listened stone-silent, piecing it together before speaking.
"So Royal Class means killing demons?"
"Duh. Needs the whole world's buy-in."
"Then I should've been Royal Class ages ago."
Questions piled up.
Yong-un already had feats topping Marquis-class demons—even the Duke-class that possessed Young-il, Heavenly Day's sister.
"Pfft, you mean that Marquis kill?"
"Marquis outranks Earl, no?"
"Know the diff between us?"
Yong-un leaned in.
"How many people know about it."
Yong-un's jaw went slack at Ignito's words.
"Who knows you bagged a Marquis demon? Your style? You'd have cleaned it quiet before word hit your tiny Korea patch."
"Hmm..."
Yong-un scowled.
Ignito nailed it.
He'd dropped plenty high demons.
Yet public buzz? Zilch.
"That's key for Royal Class. World gotta know the deed. Victim count from it. And GHO ties."
Ignito splayed three fingers.
"Nail those three, you're in."
Yong-un eyed pulling San Marino Demonus as counter.
Fit the first two perfect.
But...
"GHO connections, huh."
Yong-un rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
"San Marino clear? Buddy up with GHO brass then, you'd have Royal Class stairs ready. Still hot news."
Yong-un scowled hard, absorbing it deep.
"What a shitty world."
Not sore over missing Royal Class on that play.
Hearing the Royal Class blueprint, bile just rose.
To wield world-moving power, an untouchable name...
Not raw strength or character fit.
"Need connections. And clout to blast it worldwide."
Shitty world, no denying.
Royal Class—what was it?
King saving the world from gates, humanity's top foe.
Yet kinghood hinged more on world-wrangling checkboxes than power. Peak shit for Yong-un.
"World's shitty from jump. You're in it. Wanna lord over it? Gotta get shitty too. Like me, the 'king.'"
Ignito smirked thin, jabbing his chest.
Reality echoed Murim in spots, huh?
"Nah. Hell no."
Surface vibes only.
This dump out-rotted Murim's sewers.
Murim was nightmare fuel—but reality? Maggot-riddled shithole.
"No choice. Grit teeth, dive in. You know—to guard what's yours, gotta sacrifice sometimes."
Yong-un shot Ignito a killing glare amid the chatter.
"Whew. Scary."
"Shut it. Never said no."
Yong-un's eyes flickered faint purple—extremity gleam.
Ignito's face twitched, dead-on witness.
"Sorry. I'm your cheer squad."
Purple faded; Yong-un normalized.
He spun on heel, no regrets.
"Ah, skipping Spell-o gramps?"
"Got mine. No urge to stir more shit."
Royal Class roadmap locked.
No point hitting Spell-o for extra grime.
Head to Daisy, plot the ascension.
"Ditch Spell-o—Mercenary King instead?"
Familiar name yanked Yong-un's glance back.
Ignito shrugged loose.
"You caught it. Royal Class paths ain't fixed. My way's shit bucket? Merc King's different flavor."
"Meaning?"
"Visit. Different road to crown."
Daisy's echo hit: Paths vary per Royal Class.
"Reality's my shit bucket, sure. Merc King might flip your script."
Ignito had a gift for pissing folks off.
Same line, total irritant from him.
But prime intel source now—Yong-un tamped killing urge, wheeled about.
"Taking the tip."
Swish.
Mu-hee dropped Empty Fusion Killing Art veil.
Demonic qi flared; she shadow-slipped Yong-un away slow.
"Bye, cutie."
Mu-hee scorched Ignito's wave with a glare, blanked him, poofed out.
"Bet we cross soon."
Grin.
His pad steamed like post-tempest.
Solo Ignito smirked fun-watcher style, snagged table beer.
"All cold? Eh, close enough."
Snickered, flopped sofa-ward, ceiling-gawked with toothy glee.
"Plays dumb, but he's us. Heh." ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Mu-hee and Yong-un shadow-shifted into War God's chamber.
No one knew Mercenary King like War God.
Inside: War God snoozed oblivious.
Yong-un watched quiet, fist balled brief.
"Royal Class... gotta?"
Shield his own? Snag untouchable clout.
Reality life forced Murim-par dirty clicks from Yong-un.
Prior grime matched Murim's—doable.
Post-Ignito peek?
Deeper rot than Murim hollowed him out.
"Supreme..."
Mu-hee clutched Yong-un's hand double-firm at his blank War God stare.
Yong-un gazed down, nodded firm.
"No way out. Mine needs... gotta."
World won't let cherry-pick life.
Murim nothing-lost days gone—reality stacked protects on Yong-un.
Want-only living? Shoulders crushed.
Fist loosened slow; foot lifted light.
Then.
Thwack.
Straight boot to War God.
"Gurk!"
Blissful sleeper jolted ambush-rise, fist-whipped wild.
Thud!
Two-meter tank's lid-paw halted shy of Yong-un's mug.
Hand-snagged arm shoved punch aside.
Yong-un's face loomed.
"Yong-un!"
War God beamed welcome then.
"Questions. Here for answers."
"Nngh... Shoot?"
Belly-rub to kicked gut; Yong-un's grave tone boomed.
"Mercenary King. Gotta meet him."
"...?! "