Chapter 19
Chapter 19
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Exam (8)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"This seems to be the place."
Cha Su-ho checked the coordinates on the watch strapped to his wrist and glanced around.
Contrary to the reports of them struggling, the surroundings were eerily quiet. Just as he scanned the area again with a puzzled expression, a familiar silhouette caught his eye.
"You made it?"
Hearing polite speech instead of curses from Team Leader Kang was still unfamiliar to Cha Su-ho.
He gave a wry smile at the stark change in treatment simply because he'd gone from F-grade to A-grade.
"Are you smiling right now? On site?"
Team Leader Kang's tone was laced with clear provocation, his face twisted in disapproval. The old Cha Su-ho might have let it slide, but not anymore.
"Can't I smile?"
Team Leader Kang's eyes twitched faintly. He seemed shocked and furious at Cha Su-ho talking back.
Cha Su-ho lightly curled the corner of his mouth. He needed to make it crystal clear—he wasn't the sniveling F-grade Cha Su-ho anymore.
"Team Leader Kang. Is there a rule against smiling on site?"
Team Leader Kang shot a quick glance at the examiner standing behind Cha Su-ho. If he said something wrong to an A-grade helper and word got out to the examiners, spreading to hunters and helpers, and eventually reaching the Center Director's ears, it'd be a headache.
"Maybe it's because you lack field experience, but I was telling you to stay sharp."
His vague response carried a subtle undercurrent of contempt.
"I've been here over thirty times. You probably wouldn't know, Helper Cha Su-ho, so just follow my lead."
Follow his lead. Rage bubbled up at Team Leader Kang still seeing him as beneath him, but Cha Su-ho decided to let it go. After all, the man did have plenty of field experience.
"Got it. But,"
He had to draw a firm line.
"Since you have so much field experience, just tell me about the site. I'll handle the rest myself."
Team Leader Kang's jaw clenched tight, muscles rigid as if grinding his teeth, but Cha Su-ho ignored it.
"That's why I heard you're struggling. Where do I go?"
"Follow me."
Team Leader Kang spun on his heel and strode ahead, with Cha Su-ho following. That's when Jin Seong-hyeok, who had been silent, finally spoke up in his mind.
'It's been a while. Someone openly showing hostility.'
'Has anyone ever shown hostility toward you, Mr. Jin Seong-hyeok?'
'Yeah. One. A guy trapped in his inferiority complex, writing his own novel.'
Jin Seong-hyeok, an SSS-grade, was an absolute existence. Inferiority complex? Not even worth considering.
'Who on earth...'
"Aren't you spacing out too much on site? Scared, maybe?"
Cha Su-ho's gaze shifted to Team Leader Kang ahead at the mocking words. A sneer played on the team leader's lips.
"Team Leader Kang."
"If you want, I can Clean you up nice from behind..."
"Guess you still haven't learned."
"What... did you say?"
Cha Su-ho stepped closer and whispered.
"Do I still look like that worthless F-grade Cha Su-ho groveling at your feet?"
Team Leader Kang's face twisted menacingly. It wasn't a bad look on him.
"Get your head straight."
Cha Su-ho continued with a light smile.
"What if you space out on site? Lead the way."
His own words thrown back made Team Leader Kang's eyes twitch again. Suppressing the urge to kick Cha Su-ho in the gut, he turned away, vowing to repay this humiliation soon.
Team Leader Kang said nothing more, just stomped ahead aggressively.
Soon, tall trees piercing the sky came into view, entwined with thorny vines. The sharp thorns looked ready to impale at any moment. Amid the strangely quiet, chilling air, Cha Su-ho scanned the surroundings.
A breeze blew in just then. From beyond the vine wall, it carried a foul stench.
"This smell..."
It was the monsters' odor.
"Uwaaaah! Hurry, hurry...!!"
A desperate cry rang out. Cha Su-ho pushed past Team Leader Kang and tore into the massive blocking vines. The thorns scratched his hands raw, but they came apart easily.
Ignoring his injured hands, he squeezed through, and the hidden site came into view.
A spider-like monster bigger than three or four adults combined. Not quite a spider—far more grotesque and hideous—making even Cha Su-ho hesitate and step back.
And it wasn't just one. Dozens gaped their massive maws, advancing on the hunters.
"Fuck! Where'd these bastards come from all of a sudden? These things...! There were only one or two before!"
The hunters unleashed their abilities frantically, killing monsters, but they seemed outnumbered.
Behind them, three B-grade helpers bustled about Cleansing inefficiently. The hunters kept hounding them.
"Helpers! Where are the helpers?!"
"Is that even Cleansing? Nothing's getting purified!"
"Clean, cle... Huh?"
One hunter shouting desperately spotted Cha Su-ho and widened his eyes in surprise.
"A-grade?!"
At the word "A-grade," hunters and helpers alike turned to stare.
They all instantly recognized him as an A-grade helper—the mark on his jacket gave it away.
"Keurk...!"
Distracted for a moment, a monster bit into a hunter's arm.
Crunch-.
Seeing his torn arm, the panicking hunter spewed curses and hurled small fireballs at the monster.
Boom-! Kwaboom-!
Kieeek. Kieeek.
"...Fuck, die. Die already...!"
As the hunters resumed fighting, Cha Su-ho knew he couldn't delay. He rolled up his sleeves and charged toward them.
Rushing to the arm-injured hunter, he extended his hand.
"I'll Clean you."
The moment his hand touched the hunter's back, a dank energy and clotted power surged through. Focusing, Cha Su-ho burst the clot in an instant. Cleansing hunters on the brink of rampage must have honed his skill—this was a breeze.
It felt like it'd be over quick. And his intuition was spot on. Just 10 minutes in, he pulled his hand away.
"Clean complete."
The B-grade helpers and Team Leader Kang couldn't hide their shock at Cha Su-ho's declaration.
"D-Did you really do it?! Cleansing like that..."
Before the helper finished, the cleansed hunter spoke.
"Whoa... A-grades really are different. The clots are gone, and my arm hurts way less."
Another hunter shouted at Cha Su-ho.
"A-grade helper! Clean me too!"
"Me too!!!"
The examiners' hands moved busily as Cha Su-ho casually approached the desperate hunters. Beside them, Team Leader Kang ground his teeth, fists clenched tight.
It was Team Leader Kang's miscalculation. He'd ordered the helpers to Cleans inefficiently and even lured monsters himself. All to make Cha Su-ho panic and botch the Cleans so he could step in and undermine him.
His plan crumbled in an instant.
Glancing at Team Leader Kang's murderous glare amid his Cleansing, Cha Su-ho stayed unfazed, focused.
Nothing scared him now. Not the grotesque monsters, not Team Leader Kang.
As if reading his thoughts, Jin Seong-hyeok chimed in.
'Nothing to fear. I've got your back.'
Cha Su-ho burst into laughter in agreement.
'Right. You're the strongest here by far, Mr. Jin Seong-hyeok.'
'But you're just gonna let that guy slide?'
'Who? Team Leader Kang?'
'Yeah.'
No intention to bother. Whether Team Leader Kang harbored resentment, Cha Su-ho had no time for it.
'Waste of time.'
'...No, Mr. Jin Seong-hyeok, I want some alone time in my own head.'
'I hear everything. What am I supposed to do about it?'
Unable to argue, Cha Su-ho shut up.
Finally, feeling no more clots in his palm, he lifted his hand from the hunter's back.
"All done."
"Whoa... A-grades are on another level! I feel perfect."
"Glad to hear it."
The hunter bowed slightly to Cha Su-ho and dove back into battle.
Surveying the dead monsters' corpses amid the metallic, foul blood stench, Cha Su-ho clicked his tongue.
Lucky. The swarm of dozens was nearly wiped out, only one hunter with a torn arm—the other six unscathed.
After Cha Su-ho arrived, the hunters refused the other helpers' Cleans. Why bother with constant inefficient Cleans when his 10-minute miracle restored them fully?
The three helpers were forced to step back. Cha Su-ho ended up handling all seven hunters.
"Where'd Team Leader Kang go?"
"Huh? Where is he? He was just here..."
The helpers' murmurs reached Cha Su-ho mid-Clean.
Vanishing wordlessly from such a critical site.
'Must've had a stomachache he couldn't handle.'
Cha Su-ho agreed with Jin Seong-hyeok.
'He wants the spotlight all to himself.'
As Cha Su-ho closed his eyes to focus, a terrified voice from the front-line hunter pierced the air.
"W-What the hell is that... What is it...?!"
Opening his eyes, Cha Su-ho's pupils reflected a grotesque form.
A red mass covered in mouths. Jagged-toothed maws protruded as if ready to lunge from the blob anytime.
Up to then, Cha Su-ho thought it was just a lump riddled with mouths.
Until it stretched skyward, elongating.
Like a grim reaper of death. The extended mass resembled a skull—minus the mouths dotting the red body.
Unlike the body, the face had one mouth. It slowly parted... then gaped unnaturally wide.
In a flash.
A red tentacle-like inner maw shot from the opened mouth, attacking the hunters.