Chapter 2
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Last Chance (2)
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22 years ago.
Now that I had become a cadet at the Hunter Academy.
I couldn't believe my eyes, but there I was, without a doubt.
'...Is this a dream?'
I wondered for a moment if it might be, but it didn't take long to accept this as reality.
Two golden cards.
These awakening cards, visible only to me, were shining right before my eyes.
A sight I'd watched hundreds of times on YouTube and social media.
There was no way this could be fake.
With trembling hands, I picked up the cards.
[Hero's Return]
[The One Who Will Become ???]
Two awakening cards.
I steadied my shocked heart and accepted them.
Soon, the cards were absorbed into my body.
"We will now commence the entrance ceremony!"
The instructor's booming voice echoed.
The most memorable moment of my life.
It was the entrance ceremony at the Hunter Academy.
I must have strode in proudly, vowing to become humanity's hero.
Yet the cruel result was "No Aptitude."
Despite top grades and physical scores, I barely graduated without any promotions.
In that sense, it was undeniably the most impactful time for me.
The grand auditorium of the First Hunter Academy was filled with 550 eighteen-year-olds drafted from nations around the world.
These 550 cadet candidates each gripped weapons suited to them.
Some held common ones like swords, spears, or bows.
Others wielded forks, chopsticks, or even coins.
For the next two years.
We had gathered for the commissioning ceremony at age twenty.
"Fall in!"
At the instructor's thunderous command, the cadets tensed and straightened their backs.
A woman ascended the podium.
Possessing beauty and absolute strength, the current top S-Rank Hunter.
Clisey Aphren.
"......"
She stood silently on the stage.
The legendary hunter who claimed the S-Rank title at the youngest age in history and had never once been defeated.
Seeing her in person left my jaw hanging open.
It was my dream to become an S-Rank like her.
And someday, to fight on the same battlefield.
Shing!
Aphren drew her sword.
A golden blade.
Her weapon, Aris.
The strongest weapon in existence.
The entrance ceremony commenced.
The S-Rank Hunter with the most impressive performance that year greeted the cadets.
Countless camera lenses focused on one spot.
A massive Primordial Mana Stone sat on the podium.
Soon, the blade of Aris would cleave it.
The highest honor for any hunter.
For nearly three years, no hunter besides Aphren had stood on that stage.
The moment the sword mark was left, the 32nd Academy term truly began.
Aphren raised her sword high and slashed the mana stone in one stroke.
Slash!
An immense aura enveloped the auditorium.
Some cadets' legs shook uncontrollably.
Her true strike held enough power to fell a mountain.
The Primordial Mana Stone was tougher than diamond, impervious to normal physical damage.
Yet Aphren's blade left a mark on it.
"We will now begin this year's welcoming address."
One instructor grabbed the mic and approached Aphren.
As always, she ended it by flicking the mic with her finger.
"Whoa... She's so badass."
"When will I ever be like that..."
The guys next to me whispered.
"This concludes the entrance ceremony."
She descended the podium as if nothing had happened.
I swallowed hard.
Thus ended my second entrance ceremony in life.
After the ceremony, I was assigned to the dorms.
The same room as before.
A room full of memories.
I chuckled at its youthful look.
'...I really regressed.'
I hadn't believed it at first, but I was adjusting.
Accepting reality calmed my mind, sharpening my reason.
I sat on the bed and clasped my hands.
As my heart settled, memories from Siberia flooded back vividly.
...The black mask.
An aura unlike any I'd felt before.
Just sensing it froze my limbs in terror.
'...Lee Jung-tae was sliced in one blow.'
An S-Rank Hunter died without reacting.
A being stronger than an S-Rank.
To stop it, I had to become that strong myself.
'...Even Aphren couldn't stop it.'
Her overwhelming power on stage didn't seem enough against the black mask.
"Hoo..."
I swept back my bangs.
Maybe this was an opportunity.
If I couldn't stop that black-clad man 22 years from now...
'...Humanity perishes.'
I clenched my fist until the tendons bulged.
Something boiled deep in my chest.
'But... mana is the issue.'
My mana was a measly '1'.
Opening status window.
"?!!!"
My eyes widened.
Every stat had exactly doubled.
"Wait, no... hold on."
And that wasn't all.
I discovered something even more shocking.
"...Ah... Ah..."
They say you lose your voice when you're too happy, and it was true.
Mana at a whopping 2.
Enough to cast Fire once a day.
I desperately held back the tears welling up.
'...God hasn't abandoned me.'
Even after 22 years of effort, my mana never increased.
No matter how much I trained my body, I couldn't overcome the innate limit.
No Aptitude due to zero mana growth.
It was still below hunter standards, but I was thrilled.
Just knowing I could grow made me happy.
I suppressed my trembling hands and slowly gathered mana.
"...Fire."
The simplest 1-circle spell, Fire.
It consumed 2 mana, something I'd never been able to use in my life.
So this was my first time ever casting magic since birth.
Sizzle.
"?!"
A small flame flickered in my palm.
Weak and tiny, but I had definitely used the Fire skill.
Sizzle...
The flame died out soon after, and dizziness hit me hard. I collapsed onto the bed.
Thud.
Still, laughter bubbled up uncontrollably.
"Haha... hahaha... hahahaha!!!!"
I had really used magic.
Finally wielded the mana I'd never touched in 22 years.
"...Hahaha..."
My mind grew hazy.
Mana depletion dizziness.
I passed out soon after.
The next day, at Class C's training ground.
Before formal classes, instructors gave cadets time to loosen up.
Thwack! Thwack!
Cadets struck scarecrows with their weapons.
Some sparred with each other.
Weapons were the basics of combat.
Most focused on martial arts over easier-to-learn magic.
In this training ground, only I practiced magic.
And one other unusual kid.
Brown bob haircut, slender build.
A cute girl.
She struggled with push-ups beside me.
'Who is she?'
I glanced at her.
I didn't remember any kid like her in Class C.
"Twenty... push...!"
She barely got up, then flopped down.
"Woo! ...84! New record. New record. Amazing, right?"
She smiled at me.
She seemed friendly, grinning even at strangers.
I gave an awkward smile back and stared at my palm.
...Gathered mana there.
Sizzle...
I put in just enough power for no flame.
This way, I built proficiency without depleting mana.
Since last night, I'd repeated it every 30 minutes.
Full depletion meant collapse again, so I controlled the amount.
'Hoo...'
How much time passed?
Probably until afternoon training ended.
Sizzle... Whoosh!!!
The flame erupted like an explosion.
-Mana +1
-Magic Power +1
"Whoa... Finally."
After a grueling 9 hours and 38 minutes, proficiency rose.
By two, no less.
I knew mana theory inside out, so training was straightforward.
The peeking girl beside me grinned and asked,
"Whoa. Congrats. What's it at now?"
"...3."
"Huh."
She panicked briefly, mumbling vaguely.
It was understandable.
"How much do you have?"
"Me? Um... 8...3...?"
She hesitated before answering.
Probably softening it so I wouldn't feel bad.
"I-it's fine! Train hard, and it'll shoot up someday."
"...Yeah. Thanks."
She patted my arm.
She was right.
I'd maxed my physical stats through pure effort.
Maybe that's why I hadn't been kicked out as a hunter.
Now, I aimed higher.
To kill that thing...
'...Gotta train like hell.'
No time to waste thinking—I gathered mana again.
"Mitsuda. Check that guy out."
"...Huh?"
Mitsuda, smashing a scarecrow, looked where Yone pointed.
There, Yoon Ah-young trained with Tae-hyun.
"...Is that kid crazy?"
Mitsuda's brow furrowed.
Mitsuda, a Japanese cadet, would later become an A-Rank Hunter with his massive muscles and physical prowess.
And Yoon Ah-young was the girl he'd marked.
Any normal guy at the academy would steer clear of her if they knew.
Come to think of it, this Kang Tae-hyun joined at 18 straight from the institute.
Mitsuda told Yone,
"Yone, distract the instructor."
"Got it."
Yone drew the instructor's gaze from Mitsuda like a pro.
Not his first or second time.
'Perfect timing. Time to make an example. Don't mess around.'
Show what happens if you touch his girl.
He'd make sure no repeats.
Mitsuda approached Tae-hyun.
Absorbed in mana training, Tae-hyun didn't notice.
Ah-young spotted him first, drink in hand.
"What's up?"
"...Got business."
Tae-hyun ignored him entirely.
Fuming, Mitsuda grabbed for his collar.
"Hey, you..."
Whoosh! Slam!
Mitsuda spun and hit the ground.
Tae-hyun had instinctively hooked his leg on contact.
'This bastard...! My leg!'
Clutching his leg on the ground, Mitsuda seethed.
With his perfect balance, he'd never hit the dirt before.
Now he lay sprawled humiliatingly.
"What?? You scared me. Sorry, habit."
Tae-hyun canceled his mana and offered a hand.
'...What the hell?'
Habit?
He moved like a battle-hardened warrior on reflex.
Not something from an 18-year-old body.
'Damn mutt! Underestimating me!'
Grab!
Mitsuda seized Tae-hyun's hand.
He slammed him into the ground.
Boom!!!
The impact echoed across the training ground.
"Hey...!!! What the hell?!"
Yoon Ah-young yelled in shock.
Mitsuda panted, panicked.
'Shit... Did I kill him?'
He'd unintentionally used full force.
His throw could snap a neck.
But it was his mistake.
Tae-hyun brushed dirt off his training suit and stood casually.
Murderous intent filled his eyes.
Mitsuda flinched.
"What're you doing."
"...What?"
Whoosh!
Mitsuda spun again.
Tae-hyun had yanked and thrown him down headfirst.
Slam!
"Gahk...!"
An even louder crash rang out.
Mitsuda clutched his neck.
"What the!"
The instructor finally noticed and ran over.
Tae-hyun pinned his solar plexus with his foot.
Groooan...!
'This bastard... What strength...!'
Mitsuda strained but couldn't escape the foot.
Their size difference was clear.
Mitsuda: 195cm, 140kg monster.
Tae-hyun: 178cm, 72kg average.
Groooan...!
"Agh... Aaack!!!"
Tae-hyun pressed too hard; Mitsuda choked.
Foam at his mouth, Tae-hyun released and withdrew.
"...Hahk...! Hahk!!!"
Mitsuda scrambled back.
He stared at Tae-hyun.
With terrified eyes.
'F-fuck... Mon... Monster...!'
(To be continued in the next part)