Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: 5th Branch (4)
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I figured they'd hit it off, but not this well.
Who knew what was so fun about it, but Leri and Roni kept yelling "Ooh!" and "Yeah!" nonstop even during their workout, with Kwon Oh right there in the middle enjoying himself just as much. The three of them laughed and chatted like they'd been friends for years.
The silver lining was that Leri and Roni weren't paying much attention to Su-ho, too caught up talking with Kwon Oh.
He still had training to do and couldn't spend all his time exercising. Su-ho scanned the area. When he'd entered the fitness club, there had been a person greeting them at the entrance. Must be the staff managing the place.
Su-ho approached the staff member. Seeing the earpiece in their ear, he figured they'd understand Korean.
"I'm feeling tired and want to head out first, so could you please look after Helper Yoo Kwon-oh, who's here with Leri and Roni right now? It's his first time here, so he might get confused about where the lounge is. Could you help him out when they're done?"
"Understood."
With that, Su-ho hurried out of the lounge and headed to his room.
Too bad about skipping that shake.
'If Jin Seong-hyeok isn't going to drink it, then don't say anything.'
Su-ho made his way to the lounge with his room, listening to Jin Seong-hyeok's laughter. The moment he arrived, he locked the door and checked the time.
An Ji-young was due to arrive at midnight, and it would be a while before Kwon Oh got back from the fitness club. Su-ho had planned to slip into the Dead Zone beforehand to test the Flame Chain he'd been training, but Derek's words came back to him, forcing him to scrap the idea.
'You mentioned dinner, right?'
'Yeah.'
'I was thinking of heading to the Dead Zone and taking down at least one Sterion.'
Jin Seong-hyeok responded to Su-ho's disappointed tone.
'In that case, why don't we learn one more technique.'
Su-ho's head snapped up at Jin Seong-hyeok's suggestion of picking up another skill, his disappointment vanishing.
'A skill?!'
'Not sure if we can master it in a short time, but it wouldn't hurt to try.'
Time didn't matter. If he could learn a new skill, Su-ho was ready to cut back on sleep to practice.
'Cha Su-ho.'
'Yes.'
'Remember Kai Qing's main ability?'
Su-ho immediately pictured Kai Qing in the Evil Zone, tearing monsters apart in midair with a mere gesture.
'Telekinesis?'
'Right. Mental-type Hunters can all use telekinesis at a basic level. Of course, their control and power determine their rank, but for Hunters, it's foundational.'
Jin Seong-hyeok continued slowly, as if recalling Kai Qing himself.
'Telekinesis is a support ability, but Kai Qing wields it as his primary weapon. And yet he doesn't fall behind Liu Xian or Takahiro. If anything, he seems stronger. That means telekinesis is solid enough to use as a main weapon.'
'Then I should learn it.'
'If you want to match even my fingertips, settling for just learning it won't cut it.'
Jin Seong-hyeok chuckled lowly.
'Use it like Kai Qing does.'
Like Kai Qing, who made telekinesis his primary power. Classic Jin Seong-hyeok.
'Got it. Let's give it a shot.'
But Su-ho was no slouch either. Ever since he'd resolved to change completely, Jin Seong-hyeok's mindset had rubbed off on him—they even thought alike now.
'So, how do you do telekinesis?'
'It requires intense focus. Since you can already handle chains and electrical energy, it should be easier for you.'
'Understood.'
Su-ho slowly closed his eyes. He focused his mind on the tip of his nose and steadied his breathing. The steady thump of his heartbeat echoed in his ears. The more he concentrated, the slower the pulse seemed to beat—an illusion, but a good sign.
It meant his consciousness and spirit were starting to separate.
'Focus. Concentrate on the energy inside you.'
A hot sensation rose in his chest and head. He was getting the hang of it now. Drawing out mental energy from within the body—the foundation of mental-type Hunters.
From there, blending it with one's physical energy—water, electricity, fire, absorption, and so on—created abilities.
For electrical energy, it flowed through his entire body, so focusing and gathering mental energy was enough to manifest it.
The Flame Chain worked the same way. Gather mental energy, pull out the chain from his chest, and done.
But pure telekinesis meant using only mental energy. The simplest, yet the hardest. That was why Hunters varied so much.
Su-ho slowly opened his eyes and breathed shallowly. Very faint breaths.
'Perfect, something handy right here.'
A tablet sat on the table in front of him.
'Bring the tablet over. With telekinesis.'
'Got it.'
He answered confidently, but it wasn't easy. Unlike electricity or the Flame Chain, it was invisible, making it hard to gauge.
Sweat beaded on Su-ho's temples. No matter how hard he focused on lifting the tablet, it wouldn't budge.
'Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it lacks substance. Create a mental image.'
Jin Seong-hyeok spoke calmly.
'Imagine your mental energy extending from your body like a blue whip, lifting the tablet.'
Mental image. Su-ho exhaled, repeating Jin Seong-hyeok's words. If the energy had form, even if invisible... He began visualizing in his mind. Energy bubbling inside him, spilling out. Gleaming white, flowing toward the tablet, lifting it up.
"Ah."
A short exclamation escaped Su-ho's lips. The tablet on the table floated in midair.
'What are you waiting for? Bring it here.'
Su-ho refocused at Jin Seong-hyeok's words. This time, he pictured the energy carrying the tablet back to him. Slowly, the floating tablet drifted toward him.
Su-ho reached out and grabbed it as it came within reach. He fiddled with it in wonder, then burst into a silly laugh.
A rush of accomplishment surged through him, along with surging confidence. I can do this. His grip tightened on the tablet.
Could he one day fight like Kai Qing, dispatching monsters with a flick of his wrist?
'Um, with enough effort, could I eventually wield telekinesis as a weapon like Hunter Kai Qing?'
'So Kai Qing's your endgame goal for telekinesis now?'
Su-ho winced inwardly. He'd just lifted a tablet, and here he was invoking Kai Qing, who used it as his main power. How presumptuous.
'Ah, I mean...!'
'Say it like me instead.'
'...Pardon?'
'Even if they say no one in SS-grade handles telekinesis like Kai Qing, can they match me?'
Jin Seong-hyeok snorted.
'If my power's in you, aim at least for my toenails. Not Kai Qing.'
'Didn't you just tell me to use it like Kai Qing?'
There was a brief silence before Jin Seong-hyeok replied casually.
'That's just the baseline. With my power, make me your goal.'
Telling him to match Kai Qing but aim for himself? It didn't quite add up, but Su-ho played along.
'Yes, yes. I'll strive to reach the level of your toes, Brother Jin Seong-hyeok.'
'That tone sounds sarcastic.'
'No way. Must be your imagination.'
Knock knock. Right on cue, a knock came from the door.
["Helper Cha Su-ho, it's time to head to the dinner venue."]
Dinner already? Su-ho checked the tablet in surprise and turned to Jin Seong-hyeok.
'Three hours already?!'
'Making a fuss over a mere three hours.'
He'd thought maybe an hour had passed. Training always made him lose track of time.
'I'll be more careful next time.'
Su-ho jumped up and called out to the door.
"Could you wait a moment? Ten minutes!"
["Understood."]
The moment he heard the reply, Su-ho sprang into action. He couldn't go out drenched in sweat, so a shower was in order.
Had he ever showered and dressed this fast in his life? In exactly ten minutes, Su-ho caught his breath and opened the door.
"Sorry to keep you. Let's go."
The staff led him to a hall like a banquet room. The 5th Branch folks, Kwon Oh, and An Ji-young were already there. An Ji-young was chatting with a woman flaunting her voluptuous figure, while Kwon Oh was, predictably, with Leri and Roni.
["Ooh! Man! Cha's here!"]
Everyone's eyes turned at Leri's shout upon spotting Su-ho. He gave an awkward wave amid the sudden attention.
"Hello."
An Ji-young waved back with a smile.
"You're late."
"Ah... yeah. I overslept because I was so tired... Ack!"
A rock-hard arm wrapped around Su-ho's neck.
["Cha, you vanished so suddenly, scared us!"]
Su-ho looked at Roni, who had snuck up and hooked his arm around his neck. Probably asking why he'd bailed from the fitness club.
"Sorry. I was exhausted... so I headed out first. I tried to let you know, but you all were having so much fun, so I just told the staff."
Kwon Oh and Leri approached Su-ho.
"Haha, sorry, Su-ho. We were too into the workout talk."
["Yeah! We were excited to hang with someone like us after so long!"]
"Oh, Su-ho. Leri said to bring this for you, but I sat on it."
What could it be? No way. Bad premonitions were never wrong. Kwon Oh grinned wide.
"She said we should share it. Shake, 1L—it's on the table. Eat up later."
The bolt-from-the-blue news came with Jin Seong-hyeok's laughter booming in his head.
'Stop... laughing.'
'Heh heh, too bad you missed it, but now it's perfect. It's good stuff—make sure to drink it.'
Forcing a smile, Su-ho replied.
"Thanks... haha."
Awkwardly laughing, Su-ho glanced around. Seemed like all the 5th Branch Hunters and Helpers were there. Even Eric, whom Su-ho had personally restored from overload.
Eric scanned the room, noticed Su-ho, blinked in surprise, then approached.
["Are you Helper Cha Su-ho?"]
"Yes, that's me. You must be Hunter Eric."
Eric beamed.
["Yes! Thanks to you saving me, I'm alive. Truly grateful."]
"No need. How's your condition?"
["Much better. Really, thank you. But, Helper Cha Su-ho, I have a question, if it's not rude..."]
What was he beating around the bush for? Even the others in the hall were pretending not to listen but holding their breath. Eric finally spoke up after the pause.
["How did you restore me from overload?"]