F-Class Destiny Hunter

Chapter 87

Part 10 - Relationships and Boundaries

Seo Gangrim was walking while holding someone's hand. When he looked up, he saw a face Seo Gangrim had seen a long time ago. It seemed like they were a relative from his mother's side. That person had a stern expression, and their grip on his hand was uncomfortably tight.

In the place where Seo Gangrim was being led by his relative's hand, another relative was waiting. He forcefully handed him over to someone else and shouted, "We can't take care of this child anymore! Ever since this child came into the house, all sorts of bad things have been happening!"

"So, do you want us to take care of him? We had our own children get into accidents and end up in the hospital because of this kid!"

Seo Gangrim remembered this conversation. After his parents passed away, he was entrusted to various relatives. However, as all sorts of accidents began to happen wherever Seo Gangrim went, they started passing him off to each other.

"We can't just abandon the child, can we? What should we do?"

"Isn't this because the kid refused to receive divine spirits?"

"Seo Gangrim heard that the shaman told us to bring the child to her and request a ritual!"

"Alright, let's take the child to that shaman and ask for a ritual!"

Seo Gangrim stood in front of the shaman's house, looking up at the waving flags. It was a peaceful and tranquil feeling that Seo Gangrim hadn't experienced in a long time. Outside, the chatter was deafening and suffocating, but being inside made him feel comfotable.

At that moment, someone put their hand on his shoulder. "Are you Gangrim?"

When Seo Gangrim looked up, he saw an unfamiliar face. She appeared to be around the same age as his late mother but had a rather stoic expression. She stared down at him and said, "I'm Seo Wageong."

"......"

"The elders asked me to perform a ritual?"

She glanced around the shrine. Seo Gangrim's relatives were looking at her, somewhat intimidated.

"Do you actually dislike receiving the divine possession?"

Seo Gangrim didn't respond.

With a slightly annoyed tone, Seo Wageong continued, "No?"

"...I don't want to. But if I don't, the people around him will get hurt..."

She looked at him quietly. Her intimidating aura had softened a bit. She looked a little embarrassed, and a little sorry for him.

"Why is your expression like that?"

She grunted and then sat down, bringing herself to his eye level. "Come and be my disciple. Until you learn how to protect yourself."

Seo Wageong held his hand firmly. Seo Gangrim was taken aback and tried to pull away, but she wouldn't let go.

"Ahjumma will get hurt too."

"Are you making fun of me? Don't worry, I have a god who protects me." She confidently chuckled.

Then, with one hand holding his, Seo Wageong raised her other hand to his forehead and said, "Now, open your eyes. It's time to go back."

***

The air in the room had settled peacefully. Seo Gangrim slowly opened his eyes and looked around. The interior was neatly organized, almost like a hotel room. The only difference was the medical equipment scattered around his bed. It seemed like a hospital.

His memories returned a moment later. Seo Gangrim had achieved Level 30, albeit barely, so he was able to successfully activate the Twelve Zodiac Signs. He had defeated his Shadow, but he had also fallen.

'I had thought I was dead, but... What about Shin Sooah?'

As Seo Gangrim tried to sit up, the various devices attached to his body were ripped away with a clatter. The needle stuck in his arm was forcefully pulled out, causing blood to spill, but he couldn't worry about it now. Seo Gangrim tried to force his body upright, but he immediately tumbled to the floor.

"Ugh...!"

His entire body was wracked with pain, and it felt like his bones had been shattered, stabbing into his organs.

Is this the penalty of 'The Roar of the Rat?' Even breathing was difficult, but Seo Gangrim wasn't dead. Seo Gangrim tried to crawl out, but the door suddenly swung open.

"Patient Seo Gang-rim! Don't move!"

The people who entered were nurses. They forcibly helped him up and tried to make him lie back in bed. Even though they were ordinary people at best, he couldn't resist their efforts.

"Shin Sooah, what about Shin Sooah...?"

"Are you referring to Patient Shin Sooah? She's also fine. So please stay calm for now!"

Had she also been admitted? No, it was only natural for her to be admitted. Her appearance when Seo Gangrim last saw her was so terrible that she should be admitted after getting out. As Seo Gangrim was forced to lie down on the bed, the nurses tidied up the room and said, "Please wait for a moment, we will bring the specialist. You've been asleep for a month, so it's fortunate that you've awakened."

A month? A whole month. Thanks to his teacher appearing in his dreams, it felt like Seo Gangrim had woken up relatively early. But more than that, something else worried him. If a whole month had passed, and Shin Sooah was still in the hospital, it meant she had suffered significant injuries.

At that moment, a notification window appeared before his eyes.

"Linnie has been summoned from the spirit world!"

"Yorn has been summoned from the spirit world!"

A whirlwind of magical energy appeared and two beings suddenly materialized in the air and landed on top of him with a thud.

"Oof!"

Even this level of damage hurt him. It seemed that the penalty was quite severe. As soon as they saw me, both Linnie and Yorn rushed over and licked his face.

"Woong!"

"Kyaaaang!"

Linnie had teary eyes. Meanwhile, Yorongi, who always had a prickly attitude, wagged his tail wildly, indicating that he had been very worried about Seo Gangrim.

"I'm awake now. It's okay..."

As Seo Gangrim comforted the two of them by patting them, something peculiar entered his field of vision. Someone was standing in the hospital room.

Seo Gangrim thought a nurse was still there, but this person's attire was different, and one of their arms and legs were missing. It was only then that Seo Gangrim realized that this wasn't a living person.

Seo Gangrim had seen such beings occasionally in his childhood, they were called ghosts or spirits. Regardless, they were not entities from the mortal realm.

After receiving the Shamanistic ritual from the shaman and no longer seeing such things, Seo Gangrim had forgotten about them. But why were they suddenly appearing again?

[You are approaching the boundary due to your karma.]

Seo Gangrim let out a bitter smile when he saw the notification window that appeared before me. It must be a penalty of karma. He had been expecting it since he began stealing hundreds of people's Destinies. When karma accumulated, it came with some issues. One of them was getting close to the "boundary," but no one knew exactly what that boundary entailed. Some said it was the boundary between the living and the dead, others said it was the boundary between humans and spirits. When a person accumulated karma and approached the boundary, that person would begin to see things he shouldn't see and hear things he shouldn't hear. And if he crossed the boundary...

"Woong?"

Linnie suddenly pushed her face closer to Seo Gangrim's, as if asking what he was looking at. Seo Gangrim patted Linnie while thinking that although closing towards the boundary was a bad omen, there was also some good news. When he checked his Destiny Window, his destiny grade had increased significantly.

[Name] Seo Gangrim

[Rank] Spirit Third-class

He had climbed to Human Second-class after conquering the Chamber of Poisonous Snakes and recruiting Jang Taehun. But now, Seo Gangrim had risen two grades at once, becoming Spirit Third-class. It was clear that Seo Gangrim had been in a life-threatening situation there. Not only him, but Shin Sooah must have also almost died.

By the way, Seo Gangrim wanted to go out soon and check on Shin Sooah's condition, but the nurses showed no signs of allowing him to leave. However, he had become accustomed to the pain, and his arms and legs could now move, so it should be fine to step out for a moment. Just as he was about to leave the hospital room, the door opened, and someone walked in.

"Seo Gangrim-ssi, you're finally awake."

The person who entered was Team Leader Gong Joo and an unfamiliar man. When Seo Gangrim checked the other man's Destiny Window, the man's name was Ju Seongtae. Judging by his attire, he seemed like officials from the bureau as well. Team Leader Gong Joo approached him with a casual expression.

"It's been a while, Seo Gangrim-ssi."

Team Leader Gong Joo pulled up a chair and sat down in front of him. There was no mention of congratulations for his recovery, as if he already knew Seo Gangrim would wake up. He just crossed his arms, glared at Seo Gangrim for a moment, and asked him a direct question.

"Why didn't you tell me you had the ability to steal abilities?"

It seemed that he was to the bureau as well. Seo Gangrim felt no particular surprise or regret about it. He had always expected that the ability to steal Destinies would eventually be exposed. Seo Gangrim had been well aware of the possibility of being caught in the last stage. The reason he had tried to hide it was to gain the trust of Shin Sooah and the others. Now that everyone had come out safely, there was no harm in revealing it.

When Seo Gangrim didn't answer, Gong Joo asked the question again. "Answer me. Why did you hide the ability?"

"I was worried about this kind of reaction."

Seo Gangrim's answer didn't seem particularly strange. If he claimed to have the ability to steal abilities, he would naturally be persecuted. It was such an obvious fact, and who would honestly reveal it from the beginning?

Gong Joo stared at him in silence for a moment before continuing. "To steal abilities, have you ever intentionally killed someone?"

"No, I haven't."

"What about unintentionally?"

"There have been instances where I have acted in self-defence."

When they entered this place, they had to sign a contract. The contract included a section on injuries and deaths. A warning about the possibility of injuries or deaths due to conflicts between demons or trainees. Self-defense was somewhat considered in such cases. But murder was still murder. It seemed that Ju Seongtae also thought that way, as Seo Gangrim could feel animosity in his gaze as he looked at him.

Seo Gangrim glanced at them and asked, "So, what happens to me now? Will I be punished?"

Gong Joo didn't answer his question. He just stared at him silently. But after finishing her observation, Gong Joo finally spoke, "Congratulations, Seo Gangrim-ssi"

He continued with a cold expression, "You have completed your training with the highest score among all trainees in the entire zone."

Next to him, Ju Seongtae was shocked. He couldn't hold back and said, "Team Leader, are you really proposing to bring this dangerous person...!"

"Shut up, Ju Seongtae."

When Team Leader Gong Joo threatened him in a low voice, Ju Seongtae fell silent.

Gong Joo then continued slowly, "And I have a proposal for you, Seo Gangrim-ssi, the top trainee."

"A proposal?"

Gong Joo reached out his hand to Seo Gangrim as if asking for a handshake. His voice was clear when he said, "We offer you a regular position in the Destiny Protection Bureau's Team 2."

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