Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Exam (3)
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“Huff... huff...”
Gasping for breath, Su-ho collapsed flat on the floor.
They had said breaks every four hours for thirty minutes. But apparently, that didn't include the time spent on Cleansing. Exactly eleven hours after entering the isolation room, Su-ho finally got a chance to rest. Perhaps feeling guilty about it, Trevor unusually granted him a full hour.
It was the first time Trevor had extended a break. The examiners looked puzzled but didn't question it.
Su-ho's unparalleled Cleansing left everyone stunned.
Even for an A-grade Helper, purifying a Hunter on the verge of rampage was incredibly taxing. And yet, Su-ho had Cleansed five Hunters over those eleven hours.
Normally, it took three to four hours per Hunter, which was why they scheduled thirty-minute breaks every four hours. But that rule didn't apply to Su-ho. Trevor had deliberately let him continue without interruption.
His body was drenched in sweat, his face etched with exhaustion, but Su-ho kept pushing through the Cleansings.
Only after the fifth Hunter stabilized did Trevor finally utter the word "break."
“...This is truly astonishing, Helper Cha Su-ho.”
One examiner's awestruck words drew nods from the others nearby.
"Exactly. Purifying five Hunters on the brink of rampage... Even an A-grade Helper would have burned out and passed out by now."
“Shouldn't we report this to the Association? He seems different from other A-grade Helpers... At this rate, Korea might produce the world's first S-grade Helper.”
They all looked to Trevor with agreeing faces, but he stared calmly at Su-ho on the monitor.
Trevor was quite shocked himself. A Helper who had risen from F-grade to A-grade. One with regeneration abilities, no less. He'd vaguely sensed Su-ho was no ordinary person, but he hadn't expected this level of excellence.
Why was he F-grade all this time? What's his limit? Does he have more hidden abilities? Lost in thought, Trevor spoke in a meaningful tone.
“Bring me the confined Hunter An Ji-young.”
The name An Ji-young caused a stir among the examiners.
“W-Wait a moment, Chief Examiner. Hunter An Ji-young is right now...”
“I know.”
Trevor cut him off firmly.
Hunter An Ji-young. She was one of only two SS-grade Hunters in the country—and not just on the verge of rampage, but a full-blown rampaging Hunter.
A few days ago, she'd taken on a Boss-grade Monster alone without a Helper. When more Boss-grade Monsters appeared, she'd overexerted herself and rampaged.
Her mind was already consumed by power, and she'd begun indiscriminate killing. They'd confined her as is.
The government was desperate to restore her, their only two remaining SS-grades. With the former S-grades Tao and Kim Hak-jun turned Civilian, and Jin Seong-hyeok dead, it was no wonder.
The World Hunter & Helper Association felt the same. With SSS-grade Jin Seong-hyeok gone, SS-grade was the top rank. They'd immediately sent skilled Helpers to Korea, but to no avail.
There was no way to revert a rampaging Hunter.
Everyone had given up. All they could do was keep her confined until she died, to prevent further casualties.
“Then... Hunter An Ji-young...”
Trevor addressed the examiner who trailed off.
“Yes. Take her to Helper Cha Su-ho's room.”
It was all or nothing. Trevor decided to bet on it. On Cha Su-ho, who was nothing like any A-grade Helper he'd known.
Su-ho showed no sign of getting up from the floor. And now that the tension had eased, hunger hit him hard.
Grrrrowl— The rumble from Su-ho's stomach echoed through the room, drawing a hollow chuckle from Jin Seong-hyeok.
'Impressive, even now.'
'You wouldn't get it, Mr. Jin Seong-hyeok, but Cleansing takes an enormous amount of stamina.'
'Sure, sure.'
'I'm serious!'
Right on cue, the food slot opened, and a small tray slid in. Su-ho's body shot up from the floor.
“What the...”
Su-ho's face twisted at the sight of the tray. On the tiny plate was a single energy bar and a protein shake.
They'd pushed him to exhaustion and this was all they offered?
“Even criminals get a bowl of seolleongtang during interrogation... Or at least some fried mandu.”
The letdown hit hard; Su-ho stared blankly at the tray.
'Be grateful for that much. Back in my day, they gave us nothing.'
'Yeah, sure, Mr. Boomer Jin Seong-hyeok.'
'I'm not a boomer.'
'Boomers never realize they are boomers.'
Su-ho ignored Jin Seong-hyeok's protests and grabbed the energy bar. He had to eat something, or he'd die.
His parched lips tore into the bar. At least it was edible.
'More pre-rampage Hunters coming, right?'
'Probably. But why are there so many on the verge of rampage lately?'
Su-ho answered Jin Seong-hyeok's puzzled tone.
'Because of you, Mr. Jin Seong-hyeok.'
'Me?'
'Yes. You could kill Boss Monsters with a flick of your finger, but other Hunters can't.'
It was the truth. Jin Seong-hyeok's power was incomparable to even S- or SS-grades.
Only S-grade and above could handle Boss-grade Mutated Monsters. Korea had just two SS-grades and fewer than thirty S-grades. Manpower was critically short.
What Jin Seong-hyeok used to handle in one go now took days of dedicated effort, one by one.
Only after his death did people realize how extraordinary he'd been—and start missing him. The days when Jin Seong-hyeok was alive.
'That's how amazing you were, Mr. Jin Seong-hyeok.'
Su-ho's gaze, fixed on empty air, slowly dropped. Jin Seong-hyeok's existence was even more vital than Su-ho had thought. For humanity's sake, he had to keep living.
Is there no way to bring him back? As that thought crossed his mind, Jin Seong-hyeok filled Su-ho's head with white noise.
'From birth to death, I never did a single thing on my own terms.'
Jin Seong-hyeok let out a small scoff.
'Well, dying was my choice. First and last time.'
The world's sole SSS-grade Hunter. Born with immense power, he'd been separated from his parents and raised as a weapon by state institutions.
He had no choices. His days were packed with schedules, down to his meals, all dictated.
Solely because he was SSS-grade.
As he grew older, he could demand things, but monsters always came first.
If Su-ho knew all this, he wouldn't entertain foolish ideas of revival. But even that bored Jin Seong-hyeok.
It was over for him anyway.
'Just sacrifice until you die, right?'
Su-ho winced. He didn't know Jin Seong-hyeok's life in detail, but from his words, it was clear he'd chosen death from sheer hardship.
To think of reviving him for "humanity," ignoring his own will?
Arrogant. Reckless.
'...Sorry, Mr. Jin Seong-hyeok. I wasn't thinking...'
Before Su-ho could finish, the heavy iron door clanked open. Instinctively, his eyes snapped toward it.
He expected another staggering pre-rampage Hunter. Instead, an examiner entered, followed by security personnel escorting someone.
Who needs security escort? An SS-grade maybe?
Su-ho's gaze locked on the Hunter they brought. Unlike the others, this one was bound head to toe in white cloth, with massive electrified restraints on their wrists.
“Helper Cha Su-ho. Here's the next one for Cleansing. We're counting on you.”
The examiner bowed politely and fled with the security team.
Su-ho, puzzled, watched the door shut, then turned to the Hunter wrapped in white.
The cloth spared only the face and hands. The face was obscured by long black hair, and the hands by the huge restraints.
As Su-ho blankly scanned the figure, he suddenly jumped to his feet.
“Cleanse!”
He hadn't even imagined a full rampage Hunter. He'd assumed the bindings were just for unruliness—Hunters did get rough pre-rampage.
Good that they bound them. He could knock them out quick and Cleanse without a fight.
Without hesitation, Su-ho stepped toward the figure. Then, the still black hair slowly stirred.
Finally, the hidden face emerged. Su-ho sharply inhaled.
It was a woman. Stunningly beautiful, even with eyes closed.
Startled, Su-ho froze. For the first time, Jin Seong-hyeok's voice wavered, naming her.
'...An Ji-young?'
As Su-ho started to ask if he knew her, her lowered eyelids slowly rose. Long lashes framed eyes the color of blood—pupils dilated, unfocused.
BOOM—!!!
Su-ho, dazedly staring, was slammed into the wall. As he grasped his foggy mind, Jin Seong-hyeok shouted.
'Rampage! She's a rampaging Hunter.'
Not pre-rampage—a full rampage. The examiners were insane. No test cases in Helper manuals even mentioned Cleansing rampagers.
Rampaging Hunters were as good as dead. They usually died on rampage or were put down to stop the killing.
And now, one stood before him.
“Crazy!”
This wasn't testing limits—they wanted him dead. Why else assign a rampager?
Then Jin Seong-hyeok's voice snapped him alert.
'Pull yourself together, Cha Su-ho. She's coming again.'
No sooner said than a deafening roar shook the room.
KABOOM—!
In the wrecked room, one person stood.
Ji-young, red eyes glaring at her feet—where Su-ho lay crushed beneath.