How To Survive as a Class a Hunter

33. The Scoundrels – [7]

This incident also attracted a lot of attention in many ways because the faces of the ones who came out of the gate were so flashy.

First, the So-Wol person with force field exoskeleton abilities slaughtered all twenty-four soldiers guarding the Awakener containment facility in just two minutes. The machine guns and anti-tank rockets deployed at the facility to prepare for the force field entity’s attack only extended the soldiers’ survival time by about thirty seconds.

According to the captured So-Wol person’s words, he was the most powerful lord in that area?

And the large So-Wol person I defeated in a fight was said to be the second most powerful lord in that area, but he was eventually captured unconscious and became a prisoner.

The non-Awakener So-Wol people who were captured along with him were in the same situation. They were all being interrogated as prisoners. It was reported in the news that these were the first So-Wol prisoners Korea had captured in a long time.

I saw my interview related to those facts on HuntWeb.

As expected, the view count exceeded ten thousand. I looked through the hundreds of comments there.

Anonymous: The Baby Mushroom is terrifying in reality no matter how many times I see it. If I ever meet him, I won’t even be able to make eye contact, seriously ㅎㄷㄷ

Ⓐ Stonehead Youth: I’m also scared to death seeing that guy. His neck was half cut, bleeding profusely, and he immediately teleported to fight another body enhancer. What the heck is that? I’m really scared someone might tell me to emulate that.

There were compliments that made me happy just to see, but not all internet comments can be satisfying. There were also several comments that made me frown.

Anonymous: Kim Geuk-ham hasn’t even debuted for a year, so why are his opponents like that? A force field entity that doesn’t die even after emptying a 30mm magazine, a fire spirit that had never been dealt with domestically, and two insane Awakener So-Wol people…

Ⓐ Elmaya Kayo: Well, even for an A-rank Hunter, fighting such tough monsters is rare in a Hunter’s career. I think he got his contract fee too cheaply.

Anonymous: But why does the Baby Mushroom always have articles about defeating such monsters? Is his real job a berserker?

Anonymous: Kim Geuk is a crazy anger management disorder guy who charges at any enemy regardless of how strong they look, but it’s also because of Incheon’s characteristics.

Anonymous: Why Incheon?

I bit my lip when I found Naito-san among the comments.

Ⓑ GoodHunter: Since the largest Awakener containment facility in Korea is in Incheon. The monsters heading towards Seoul from within the gate all end up in Incheon, don’t they?

Even though I tried to calm myself, I couldn’t help but curse. This b*stard?

That guy probably doesn’t even realize that what he’s saying is discrimination against Awakeners. Knowing his personality, he just wants to show off as a senior hunter, but understanding that only made my anger rise.

I kept scrolling.

Anonymous: Come to think of it, didn’t the Sowol people who were caught this time come targeting the freezer?

Anonymous: Right. They said the Awakener lords came to capture ice ability users to bring into their palaces. They said they were targeting young and pretty women if possible.

Anonymous: Why do they capture ice ability users?

Ⓑ GoodHunter: I heard that ice ability users are considered valuable in Sword World. In Sword World, the status of ice ability users is like court magicians or high-class slaves under the Awakener lords.

Anonymous: ? Why

Ⓑ GoodHunter: Sword World doesn’t have refrigerators or air conditioners. In such a place, ice ability users can keep drinks cold, cool things down when it’s hot, and preserve meat for a long time, so they are very useful.

Moreover, to a powerful Awakener lord, an ice ability user isn’t a threat, right? So it’s even better because they don’t have to worry about being attacked and killed while living together.

Ⓑ GoodHunter: Furthermore, if ice ability users grow spiritually and become spirits, they can open gates. By then, their status rises, and they are treated like court magicians in fantasy novels.

Anonymous: So, you’re saying that from now on, a lot of them will invade Incheon to target ice ability users?

Anonymous: Incheon’s guardian, Kim Geuk-ham, will really have a hard time from now on.

Ⓐ syberMagneto: Because of those b*stards, the five-billion-won Awakener will have to suffer, lol.

I widened my eyes when I saw CyberMagneto.

That woman…

I gritted my teeth and recalled what happened yesterday.

After the fight with the giant, I remembered what happened after entering the gate.

*

After entering the gate, what I saw was a world entirely in purple.

There were no objects around. Only infinitely sparkling silhouettes against a purple background.

Seeing a landscape that didn’t even resemble Earth, let alone reality, made me realize anew. I really entered the gate.

I saw Baek Dambi, who had entered the gate before me. I asked her.

“How is it, can you grasp anything? My eyes are killing me.”

It was hard to tell whether she was facing forward or backward. She appeared as a single shining silhouette.

Inside the gate, in this space named the Astral Realm, we exist not as matter but as spiritual bodies.

“I feel the same. I think we need to adapt more.”

My words and Baek Dambi’s words were directly conveyed to each other’s minds.

As mentioned earlier, our bodies do not exist as matter inside this gate. We don’t have vocal cords, so we can’t make a voice. Here, our thoughts and emotions are transmitted around us like waves.

I slowly looked around. The inside of the gate was famous for being a place where monsters waited before going out to hunt, wasn’t it?

Looking around, indeed, all kinds of monsters were resting in the form of silhouettes.

It must be a rest before going out to hunt. While existing as spirits here, they can wait indefinitely for prey without worrying about starving to death.

Not only the monsters inside the gate but also the outside of the gate, that is, our world, could be observed from here.

I saw the blue lights shining beyond.

Just by looking at those blue lights, all sorts of cold images like cold and winter were directly transmitted to my mind. It was clear that they were the ice ability users of the Awakener Reception Facility. They said you could figure out which awakeners were outside from inside the gate, and it was true.

I kept looking around.

There was an awakener whose ability I couldn’t tell at a glance nearby… and looking further away, I was mentally shocked.

Like the rising sun, something blazing was shining brilliantly beyond.

Just looking at that blazing sun gave me a terrible feeling. The pressure and stress were directly transmitted to my mind. And also, a certain closed will to protect oneself from the pressure and stress.

As I kept watching, Baek Dambi spoke to me.

“Isn’t pressure and stress the awakening trigger for force field exoskeleton ability users?”

“Probably.”

“Then that must be… Kang Junchi. The world’s best force field ability user.”

“Indeed. They said he looks like the sun from inside the gate, and it wasn’t just a metaphor? Even though he’s in Busan, he looks huge here in Incheon, so…”

“They say he would theoretically be safe even in a nuclear explosion. Anyway, I’m really jealous. How easy must his life be?”

Seeing Baek Dambi mumbling like that made me feel proud without realizing it.

I could once again realize how great an achievement I had accomplished.

Look, the woman I saw in the hallucination was dragged into the gate, but now, having changed that future, she is here beside me.

She used to not say a word for non-work purposes, but now she is talking to me first and even chatting?

What a wonderful thing. It’s truly heartwarming. Now I don’t have to worry about my round girl leaving my side.

I was deep in thought. Baek Dambi turned around, and I realized I had been looking at her back all this time.

Even in the form of a silhouette, I met her eyes.

“Uh, that…”

Baek Dambi seemed surprised. She seemed to have discovered something behind me and was trying to tell me, but I couldn’t pay attention to that.

Suddenly, dizziness overwhelmed me. And as I felt like I was being sucked in somewhere, I thought.

It’s that familiar thing again.

I knew that hallucination would engulf me once again…

As I continued to scroll through the comments, I muttered to myself.

Disgusting remnants of the unawakened. Trash that should be sent to the gas chamber to be turned into soap before it can even be of any use…

Just like in reality, the hatred for ice users on HuntWeb is quite significant. It felt as if a rally against ice users had suddenly erupted in response to my interview post.

Anonymous: If I were Kim Geuk-haem, I’d want to shoot all those idiots dead ㅠ

Anonymous: Seriously, I decided to work in Incheon, taking less money out of love for my hometown, and what the hell is this suffering?

It wasn’t just those guys being fervent; there were plenty of similar comments below. Comments claiming that I was suffering because of ice users and that I should rightfully hate them.

If you just type “Kim Geuk” into the internet, my history with the Korean Awakening Alliance pops up, but it seems no one knows that. After all, who would know what the Korean Awakening Alliance even does? There aren’t many related articles online either.

Among them, there were a few comments that particularly caught my eye.

Anonymous: Isn’t there an idiot on Kim Geuk-haem’s team too?

Ⓐ syberMagneto: Baek Dam-bi?

Anonymous: You’re talking about that crazy girl, right? ㅇㅇ A year ago, there were a lot of insults about her on HuntWeb, but these days, it’s like she’s vanished.

Ⓐ syberMagneto: That girl is secretly leeching off the successful Kim Geuk team now, lol.

Unable to hold back, I replied.

Ⓐ BabyBerserker: Don’t say nonsense!

As soon as I made my appearance as a HuntWeb star, a flood of comments came pouring in, but I didn’t care. Even in my anger, I tried to maintain a cute tone and wrote a lengthy comment.

Ⓐ BabyBerserker: Baek Dam-bi unnie is secretly leeching off the team? That’s crazy talk! Ice Princess Baek Dam-bi unnie has such a huge presence in the team!

If it weren’t for Ice Princess unnie, Baby Mushroom would have burned to death trying to catch the fire spirit! If Ice Princess unnie hadn’t been at the front taking the hits, many of the older brothers hunting with Baby Mushroom would have died, and Baby Mushroom would have cried her eyes out!

After that, I continued to list Baek Dam-bi’s contributions and achievements within the team, and various comments followed. From sudden flattery praising my recent performance to sarcastic remarks questioning if Baby Mushroom was enchanted by my former idol looks, the reactions were diverse.

Among them, one nickname and the comment she wrote stood out to me.

Ⓐ syberMagneto: It’s nice to see you taking care of your team members, but I’m sincerely asking you to please stop with that tone and the Ice Princess talk. I really can’t stand watching it…

*

I prepared myself mentally for the horrific situation I was about to face.

Wasn’t I about to experience a hallucination? And hallucinations always showed me nothing but unpleasant situations.

However, as I surveyed the place within this hallucination, I felt a sense of confusion.

Am I really in a hallucination? It doesn’t seem like anything has changed…

Looking around, I could tell this place was also inside the gate. The surrounding purple background made that clear.

And there was Baek Dam-bi, right in front of me. Since nothing had changed from reality, I was unsure if I was truly hallucinating or if I was just dizzy from losing too much blood.

The fact that this was a hallucination became evident in the next moment.

My mouth opened involuntarily. In the hallucination, I shouted at Baek Dam-bi.

“Baek Dam-bi, stop messing around and stay still…!”

Is it because even in hallucinations, I am ultimately myself? I naturally come to understand the situation.

I came here to stop Baek Dambi. To persuade her not to leave our world and go to another.

Meanwhile, Baek Dambi seems surprised that I followed her to such a place. She has a look that says, ‘How did you get here?’ Though I can’t see her expression, I can feel her startled emotions clearly.

Likewise, my anger sweeps over her like a wave.

I shout out loud.

“Why are you leaving Earth? If anyone should leave, it should be the unawakened scum, not you!”

“If you don’t like the temple, the monk should leave.”

“If you don’t like the temple, you should burn it down! Burn those damn monks to death so they can’t breathe!”

“Even if you burn the temple, you still have to leave in the end, right? Let’s just skip the middle process.”

“So, I even rescued you from being kidnapped! And now you want to go back there on your own? Are you out of your mind?”

“Sorry…”

Even while talking to me, Baek Dambi doesn’t stop what she’s doing.

She is opening a gate right now. Creating a passage to another world, not Earth.

In other words, she is trying to leave for the Sword World.

I try to stop her, but it’s impossible. Even if I push her hard, I can’t move her at all. Because in this world, we are reconstituted as spirits and cannot harm or physically affect each other.

Finally, the gate opens.

We see the world beyond the gate. The desert-like landscape of the Sword World makes my eyes dizzy.

I’m so angry that I feel like crying. My best friend is going to live in a place like that? This can’t be happening. This can’t…

I grab her wrist tightly, but it’s no use. My hand slips off her wrist as if sliding away, unable to restrain her.

Behind her, the gate continues to grow. The landscape of the Sword World also grows larger.

She laughs mentally. It’s another forced smile.

I feel a slight excitement and anticipation spreading from her spirit, along with much greater tension and fear.

Meanwhile, other ice ability users are lined up behind Baek Dambi.

They are the ice ability users from the Incheon Awakener Containment Facility. They have also decided to follow Baek Dambi to the Sword World.

I grab one of them and ask.

“Are you really going to live in the Sword World?”

“Yes.”

“Why on earth?”

“Well, in the Sword World, ice ability users are treated as somewhat useful, right? The awakened lords even come personally to take us.”

“But you’ll still be slaves!”

‘Whether a slave or not, I should be grateful just to be needed…’

Are all the ice ability users gathered here thinking the same thing and planning to leave? Is Baek Dambi feeling the same way?

Soon, the gate swallows them one by one. I try to hold onto them as well, but it’s no use.

In the end, only Baek Dambi and I are left inside.

Staring blankly at my futile attempts, Baek Dambi awkwardly speaks.

‘Can I ask you one last favor?’

‘What favor…’

‘There’s a computer at my house. Could you destroy the hard drive? It’s not like I have a bunch of porn saved, but my Huntweb auto-login is set up. I can’t have anyone seeing the nonsense I posted there.’

At her words, I retort.

‘Are you embarrassed about Cyber Magneto?’

And Baek Dambi mutters.

‘Of course, I am…’

Baek Dambi laughs mentally. That awkwardness also resonates with me as she approaches.

And in the next moment, we overlap. We merge.

Without physical contact, I feel nothing from our touching lips, but I suddenly come to my senses.

Meanwhile, she mutters, ‘Yeah, it’s still embarrassing…’ and steps back. Then she turns around.

Without looking back, she takes two steps and enters the gate. The gate that swallowed her quickly shrinks and disappears.

For a moment, I stand frozen in the shock of our first kiss, then I regret it. I should have followed her in.

After standing alone in that spot for a while, I decide to fulfill her last request.

Destroy the hard drive, she said. It’s such a trivial request for the only companion I’ve had for over four years.

When I teleport, the inside of her house is revealed. It’s hard to believe she received 16 billion won as an advance payment, considering how shabby her house is.

The dark and narrow interior, the lights don’t turn on even when I press the switch. Come to think of it, she complained a while ago that the electricity and water were cut off.

For over four years, she was rejected from buying an apartment and lived alone in this neighborhood where all the residents had left. And recently, the water and electricity were completely cut off.

The local government recommended that she live in an ice ability user facility, but she couldn’t accept that recommendation.

Rather than living in the facility, she decided to leave Korea, to leave Earth altogether and move to another world. To a place where she would be valued, even as a slave.

I look at Baek Dambi, Huntweb nickname Cyber Magneto’s computer.

I raise the hammer and strike it with all my might.

With the sound of the impact ringing in my ears, I am expelled from the hallucination.