Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Skill Up (3)
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"Fingers?"
'You'd better drop those useless thoughts.'
At Jin Seong-hyeok's firm words, Su-ho shut his mouth. What was certain was that Jin Seong-hyeok had personally raised a baby monster.
The idea of raising a monster. It was a thought only someone like Jin Seong-hyeok could have, so Su-ho quickly dismissed his earlier notion that maybe raising a monster wouldn't be so bad.
'It was just a passing thought.'
'Good thing it was.'
'Now that I have a new ability, shall we go put it to use?'
'Getting cocky, are we?'
'Of course.'
It was just as he turned with excitement in his step. An alert sounded from the watch on Su-ho's wrist.
[Kwon Oh-hyung.]
Su-ho glanced around at the call from Kwon Oh. The shattered Pubkills showed no sign of reviving, and the surroundings were quiet.
Su-ho tapped the screen, and Kwon Oh's voice came through the watch.
- Su-ho, where are you?
"In my room. What's up?"
- Your room? I knocked, but no answer.
"I'm in the bathroom right now."
- Got it. Hurry up and come out. Branch 1 is about to arrive at the teleport zone. Let's go together.
"Right now?"
- Yeah.
Already here?
Su-ho checked the time, and his expression hardened. He'd thought only two or three hours had passed, but half a day had gone by.
"Ah...! I'll be right out. Please wait!"
Ending the call with Kwon Oh, Su-ho bolted for the gate.
'Isn't time flying by too fast?'
Jin Seong-hyeok snorted at Su-ho's frantic cry.
'Time flies when you're in the field. You lose all sense of it.'
'Still... half a day...'
'Isn't half a day to learn a new ability a huge accomplishment?'
'True, but...'
Arriving at the gate, Su-ho threw himself in without hesitation. Whoosh—the sensation of falling hit, followed by something touching his back. Su-ho snapped his head up.
Splash—water overflowed from the bathtub.
"Hoo..."
Exhaling, Su-ho slowly climbed out of the tub and began stripping off his wet clothes. He roughly toweled off, then changed into the hunter suit he'd modeled after Jin Seong-hyeok's.
He flung the door open. Kwon Oh was waiting outside.
"Sorry. Did I keep you waiting long?"
Kwon Oh shook his head with a kind smile.
"No, my bad. I came too suddenly. Everyone's arriving, so I only thought to go greet them."
"Not at all. It's nice to greet them. By the way, wh— I mean, Hunter An Ji-young?"
"Seems she's with Scarlett from Branch 5."
Come to think of it, Ji-young and Scarlett seemed close. They were always together.
"They must get along well."
"Maybe similar personalities?"
Su-ho nodded, recalling Scarlett snapping back at Clark.
"Yeah, they'd match up."
"Haha, right? Ah, they should be arriving soon. Shall we?"
"Sure."
Su-ho headed to the teleport zone with Kwon Oh.
Branch 1. It felt like ages since he'd seen them. It wasn't that long since his declaration to become a hunter too, but it felt like months to Su-ho.
"Kwon Oh-hyung."
"Yeah?"
He was curious. Takahiro had seen Su-ho rampage firsthand, and the other hunters and helpers would have heard about it.
"What do they think of me?"
What if they avoided him? Su-ho worried. No one in human history had both hunter and helper powers. What if they shunned him? The anxiety hit first.
"They want to fight alongside you."
Fight alongside him?
"...I see."
"Wait, Su-ho, don't misunderstand. Not fight you—they want to fight monsters with you."
"Not against me?"
"Yeah. They're all curious about your power."
His worries of distance were unfounded. Su-ho sighed in relief.
"Good. I was afraid I'd be left out again."
"Haha, what are you talking about? They're worried. Wondering if you'll stay with Branch 5."
Hunters and helpers knew well. Branch 5 poured massive funds into their own.
If Su-ho went to Branch 5, he'd get anything easier than in Branch 1.
Still, they hoped he wouldn't. After Jin Seong-hyeok's death, Branch 1's strength plummeted. More power meant better survival odds. They needed to hold onto Su-ho.
"I hate hassle."
"Hahaha, Jin Seong-hyeok said something like that too."
"He did?"
"Yeah. The Association President tried convincing him to join HQ with full support, but he refused."
It was obvious what he'd said.
"Too much hassle?"
"Yep. We didn't get it at first, but were glad. Better treatment at HQ for him, but safer with him in our branch..."
Kwon Oh's lips curved nostalgically.
"Jin Seong-hyeok probably feels the same as me."
"Same?"
"Yeah. More comfortable with Branch 1 comrades than HQ."
"Comrades... Haha. Me a comrade to Jin Seong-hyeok? Feels weird."
Kwon Oh scratched his head sheepishly, but seemed pleased deep down.
'Calling him a comrade.'
Jin Seong-hyeok sounded exasperated.
'Who said that?'
'Just putting it nicely.'
'Why speak for me?'
'Isn't it true? Branch 1's comfier than HQ.'
Jin Seong-hyeok stayed silent— if false, he'd deny. Su-ho chuckled softly.
'Stuck in this body of all things.'
'You said it'd be good to raise.'
'When did I?'
'Something like that. Think back.'
As soon as he finished, Jin Seong-hyeok retorted, but Su-ho pretended not to hear.
Their steps halted. Ji-young, Scarlett, and examiners already waited at the teleport.
"Kwon Oh, Su-ho. You're late."
Ji-young smiled brightly. Beside her, Scarlett waved.
"Hey."
"Kwon Oh was exercising, right? Rest well, Su-ho?"
Unaware he'd just hunted Pubkills in the Dead Zone, Su-ho smiled awkwardly at Ji-young.
"Ah... yeah, slept a bit, showered."
"Really? You look tired."
"Slept some, but still fatigued."
Scarlett chimed in from the side.
[ "Body not recovered? Hit the recovery room again later." ]
Recovery room. Su-ho gasped, having forgotten.
"Will do. Thanks."
Kwon Oh was impressive too—exercising right away.
"Hyung, you trained with Larry and Ronnie?"
"Yeah, proper workout today. Ronnie wanted you, but forgot during legs. Sorry."
"No need. I'd collapse if you trained me today. Too tough."
Glad Kwon Oh forgot.
"Ronnie okay? Arm wound looked bad."
"Treated and fine, but Lerry held back arm work, so legs."
"...Impressive."
Pubkill wound was deep. Not instant regen meant average ability, yet training post-treatment amazed Su-ho.
"Training with them motivates me harder."
"That's good. Aspire to someone, keep improving. Want to be like them."
Kwon Oh eyed Su-ho curiously.
"Su-ho, you have someone?"
Watching the circles spin fast in the teleport, Su-ho answered.
"Yeah."
"Who? Hunter An Ji-young?"
He knew Su-ho admired her.
"She's great, but I want to be..."
The circles slowed, then stopped. A door opened.
"...a hunter as strong as Jin Seong-hyeok."
Passing stunned Kwon Oh, Su-ho entered. Seeing Branch 1 through the door, Ji-young and Su-ho smiled.
Not all bonded tight or friendly.
[ "My love, Ji-young! Missed you!" ]
Kai Qing rushed at Ji-young upon descent. Shao Li and Liu Xian ignored indifferently. Axiang scanned excitedly, Mei adjusted glasses book in hand.
Some reluctant.
[ "Branch 5 wastes money pointlessly. Tsk." ]
Masa grimaced. Takahiro urged restraint beside. Buta munched chips as always. Shintaro eyed surroundings like bugs in white gloves. Mino trailed Takahiro shyly.
Yet, oddly reassuring. Unlike feeling outcast in Branch 5, they felt like a team despite differences.
Though Masa and Shintaro still unnerved Su-ho.
[Kwon Oh, Su-ho, Ji-young unnie!]
Airin waved beaming. Eun-woo stood stoic beside. Su-ho bitterly eyed where Tae-il should've been—someone tapped his back.
"Shall we greet them?"
Ji-young nodded smiling.
"Sure."
Su-ho approached Branch 1. Their eyes naturally fixed on him.
All remembered his dual-path declaration. And his hunter skill was Jin Seong-hyeok's.
Maybe he'd become like him—they just stared silently.
Then Kai Qing strode up, slapping Su-ho's shoulder.
[ "Didn't say last time—let's get along." ]
Grinning roguishly,
[ "Bonus: root for me and Ji-young." ]
He flew back instantly. Ji-young dusted her fist beside.
"Not tired of it?"
Branch 1 burst laughing at her weary tone. Except Shintaro and Masa.
Takahiro stepped beside awkwardly smiling Su-ho.
"Su-ho-kun."
In halting Korean,
"Please take care of me from now on."
Su-ho, who'd feared Takahiro's fear, relaxed.
"Likewise."
Warm greetings exchanged.
[ "Branch 1 all here?" ]
Clark sauntered up, Branch 5 behind.
[ "All gathered." ]
As if waiting,
[ "Time to go lop off that Pubkill leader's head." ]