The Unregistered Hunter, or How I Just Awakened?

The sudden noise shattered Kang Taesan’s daydream. He turned toward the sound to see a man and woman in matching couple outfits, canoodling on a nearby bench.

"Aww, you're so mean, honey~"

The couple didn't care about the eyes of those around them, busy groping and fawning over each other. Damn it. His mood ruined, Kang Taesan stood up from his seat.

"Ugh!"

Suddenly, Kang Taesan clutched his chest and collapsed to the ground. Ugh, what is this? He began to feel a pain as if his heart were being torn apart. And right then, his body began to glow.

"Honey, look at that! That person is glowing!"

"Huh? You're right."

The couple, who had been busy with their PDA, spotted Kang Taesan and shouted.

"Honey, isn't that an awakening?"

"Looks like it, right?"

"Honey, what are you doing? Turn on the live stream! This is going to blow up in views."

"Ah... okay!"

The man in the couple hurriedly pulled out his phone and began filming Kang Taesan. The woman approached Kang Taesan and naturally began her spiel.

"Hello, subscribers. We are the Disgusting Couple. We started this live stream in a hurry to broadcast an awakening scene to you all live!"

Kang Taesan was still writhing in pain, but the Disgusting Couple was busy filming.

"You can see him, right? This is the scene of an awakening."

The image of Kang Taesan reflected on the camera showed him unable to even hold himself up due to the excruciating pain. It feels like every cell in my body is screaming in unison.

Then, his vision brightened, and a message suddenly appeared.

Along with the message announcing his successful awakening, a hologram activated in Kang Taesan's field of vision. It appeared as if he were wearing smart glasses. At the same time, the sensations in his body that had been fading began to return. It felt as if every cell had died and was now being reborn. Even so, the Disgusting Couple was busy with their live broadcast. In fact, their live chat window was on fire.

Donations (sponsorships) were pouring in as well.

Unlike the couple who were excited to continue filming thanks to the exploding comments and donations, Kang Taesan's mind was in chaos.

Designer's Error? The class name itself felt wrong. Even stranger was the status window. The screen that should have displayed his stats was filled with nothing but question marks.

Physical Atk: ??? | Magic Atk: ??? | Physical Def: ??? | Magic Def: ??? | Resistance: ??? | Accuracy: ??? | Evasion: ??? | Agility: ??? | Atk Speed: ??? | Magic Speed: ??? | Recovery: ??? | Cooldown: ???

The only thing he could recognize was the skill name, Nullification. What is all this? Kang Taesan was deeply confused, but he immediately pulled out his smartphone. He needed to ask the AI. Kang Taesan typed a question into the generative AI.

"Explain the class 'Designer's Error'."

The AI replied:

Kang Taesan was flustered that even the AI said the class didn't exist. He changed his question.

"Explain the passive skill 'Nullification'."

The AI's answer was the same this time.

Even while failing to get the answers he wanted, the Disgusting Couple continued to film him. Angry, Kang Taesan glared at them.

"H, honey..."

When the Awakened glared with terrifying eyes, the couple immediately cowered.

"S, subscribers! We'll end today's live stream here. Have a great day~♬"

The couple hurriedly ended the broadcast and disappeared from Kang Taesan's sight. Once they were gone, Kang Taesan looked at the running track. The 'Witch of the River' he had been looking for had also left the track.

Server's down. Let's just go home.

Even while walking, the status window remained in his vision. It felt like he was permanently wearing smart glasses. Should I go to the Hunter Bureau right now? Awakened individuals in South Korea were obligated to report immediately upon awakening. If they didn't report within the set period, they could be classified as 'Unregistered Awakened' and become wanted.

However, as he was heading home, the back of a familiar woman caught his eye. It was none other than the Witch of the River. Her back, still clad in leggings, was truly a work of art. The line from her smooth shoulder blades down to her apple-shaped hips was breathtaking. She seemed to be heading home after her run. At that moment, an intense impulse, on a level he had never felt before, washed over Kang Taesan. Seeing her beautiful back, a desire to ravish her surged like a tidal wave.

I'm going crazy.

In reality, Kang Taesan's crotch began to bulge as he became erect. In the past, no matter how aroused he was, he never had such an immediate reaction. Just then, a breeze blew from the direction of the Witch of the River. Riding the headwind, the scent of her perfume mixed with the 'skin scent' of her sweat brushed against the tip of Kang Taesan's nose. Smelling that, Kang Taesan could no longer hold back. His body reacted first. Without even realizing it, Kang Taesan began to follow her.

[Click-clack]

[Thump-thump]

The distance between the two closed, but the Witch of the River was focused only on her smartphone. After following her for about ten minutes, she suddenly stopped. It was a dead-end alley. The Witch of the River turned her back to Kang Taesan and spoke.

"Since this should be enough to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be captured on CCTV, I've secured clear evidence of stalking."

The Witch of the River turned around and said, "You've been looking at me with unpleasant eyes every single day, and now you're finally doing it?"

Kang Taesan was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shocked. It was because the Witch of the River recognized him.

"I've secured the evidence of stalking, so from now on, it's self-defense."

"W, what are you talking about?"

"Are you asking because you don't know? Hunters cannot attack ordinary people first."

At the word 'Hunter,' Kang Taesan froze. The band on the Witch of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the River's wrist wasn't a common sports band. It was a 'Hunter Band.' It was a wearable device that registered hunters wore like an ID card.

"To think you'd try to stalk me even after seeing my wrist? You really are the biggest pervert among perverts, aren't you?"

The Witch of the River's smart band glowed with a purple light. It was the light indicating that she was a B-Rank hunter. Being B-Rank meant she was a high-level hunter who received hundreds of millions in contract fees.

"You're finished now."

"Dark Web!"

Simultaneously with her incantation, black spiderwebs erupted from her palms. The webs instantly wrapped around Kang Taesan's body. Kang Taesan struggled to break free, but the webs didn't budge.

"It's no use struggling. The spiderwebs of an 'Arachne' class never break."

[Snap!]

However, contrary to her confident boast, the spiderwebs binding Kang Taesan snapped helplessly.

"What? What is this?"

The Witch of the River was greatly surprised. Kang Taesan was the same. It was because the webs had dismantled themselves even though he hadn't used any particular strength. However, she was actually pleased.

"So you were an Awakened? Seeing as you don't have a band, you're unregistered."

Unregistered?

"You're really unlucky, too. Of all people, you had to get caught by me..."

"Caught?"

When Kang Taesan asked, she smiled and replied, "I'm Kim Suhyang, a 2nd-class investigator for the Hunter Bureau."

At those words, Kang Taesan was stunned. The Witch of the River is a Hunter Bureau investigator?

"Take this! Poison Web!"

As Kim Suhyang extended her palms again, this time, spiderwebs imbued with purple poison were emitted. The webs bound Kang Taesan once more. This time, he felt pain as soon as they touched him.

"Ugh!"

"Try breaking this one too, will you? Poison Web is a skill level 2 technique."

Just as the Witch of the River boasted, the poison seeping from the spiderwebs began to spread through Kang Taesan's body.

But simultaneously with the messages, the spiderwebs snapped again. The poison energy that had been spreading through his body also vanished in an instant as if washed away.

"This can't be..."

Kim Suhyang was inwardly flustered. However, she managed her expression and said, "You're not an ordinary Awakened, are you?"

Then, a portal glowing with blue light activated above Kim Suhyang's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠chest. Kim Suhyang pulled a wooden sword hilt without a blade from the portal. As Kim Suhyang gripped the hilt, a blade of light surged from it. It looked just like a lightsaber from a movie.

"To think you'd make me use the Dead Spirit Sword... I'll give you credit for that."

Kim Suhyang lunged, swinging the sword. "Prepare yourself, pervert!"

"W, wait a minute!"

Kim Suhyang's onslaught continued, but Kang Taesan instinctively dodged the attacks. Kang Taesan was surprised by how light his body felt. Kim Suhyang swung her sword repeatedly, but Kang Taesan dodged them with ease, as if they were playing tag.

[Whoosh! Whoosh!]

[Swish! Swish!]

When her attacks didn't land, Kim Suhyang was the first to tire. The Dead Spirit Sword was an armament maintained by absorbing the caster's mana, so the physical toll was extreme.

"Huff, huff..."

Exhausted, Kim Suhyang stopped her attack, pointed her sword at him, and asked, "Huff, huff... what is your identity? Why are you so fast?"

But Kang Taesan didn't know the reason either. "You're the one who's attacking me out of the blue! Why?"

"Huff, huff... are you asking because you don't know? If you had this level of skill, you'd definitely be on the wanted list, so why haven't I seen you?"

Kang Taesan replied in surprise. "Wanted? I am not an unregistered Awakened."