Chapter 67

Two days later, Seonwoo Yeon and Kim Kiryeo arrived in Hadong.

‘Did I make a mistake asking him?’

The moment she set foot in her hometown, the B-Class hunter found herself sinking into quiet regret.

“Should we deal with the gate first?”

“Yes...”

They needed to enter a dungeon before beginning the training. If she practised outside, there was always the risk of an accident.

To be honest, Seonwoo Yeon was not pleased with the idea.

She was about to enter an isolated, mysterious world where even phone calls were impossible, alone with a registered hunter who concealed his awakening abilities and pretended to be weaker than he truly was.

Was this really the right thing to do?

‘Ugh...’

Still, there was no alternative.

‘He’s right. It would be disastrous if a passerby were caught in the skill.’

Before long, they arrived at a nearby F-Class gate.

Beyond it stretched an enormous plain, an ideal place for training, but Seonwoo Yeon still could not put her mind at ease.

‘Will I really be able to use my skill again in only three days?’

She remained sceptical about the entire arrangement...

“Wait.”

Kim Kiryeo glanced at the visibly nervous Seonwoo Yeon and pulled something from inside his jacket.

It was the last thing she had expected to see.

“An alcohol swab and a lancing device?”

Why was he carrying things that could be bought at any pharmacy?

Tilting her head, she accepted the bloodletting needle from him.

The words that followed, however, were rather unsettling.

“Disinfect your wrist.”

“Yes?”

“Clean this area thoroughly, then pierce it yourself. Now.”

The moment the training began, he told her to draw blood.

“Wh-why?”

Seonwoo Yeon’s eyes widened.

Kim Kiryeo remained entirely unfazed.

“Do you know what your greatest problem is?”

“My problem?”

“Your control over mana. It isn’t merely at a beginner’s level. You have no understanding of it whatsoever.”

“Uh...”

“So I’m going to use the fastest method.”

Even after hearing that explanation, Seonwoo Yeon had no idea what he intended to do.

“What are you waiting for? Hurry up. Don’t just stand there.”

“Will this do?”

Click!

She pressed the lancing device against her skin.

The needle pierced her wrist, and a bead of blood began to well up.

“Yes, well done. Now, we need to begin by teaching you what it feels like to control mana...”

But if Kim Kiryeo was there, why had he made her disinfect the area herself?

A moment later, he firmly grasped the injured part of Seonwoo Yeon’s wrist.

“Pay close attention. I’m only going to demonstrate this once.”

Startled by the sudden grip, Seonwoo Yeon opened her mouth to protest.

Then the sensation that followed stole the words from her lips.

“Ugh!”

Whoosh.

The mana inside her body churned violently, as though someone had seized it and dragged it by force.

It was a foreign substance, unmistakably different from blood.

And the sharp sensation of mana lingering near her heart before passing through her lungs was something she had felt once before.

‘At the B-Class gate, when I activated my skill for the first time...’

Seonwoo Yeon bit her lip, at a loss for what to do as the flow of magical power became vivid within her body.

A few seconds later, every sensation vanished as abruptly as it had begun.

Kim Kiryeo had released her wrist.

“Are you all right?”

“H-heuk!”

The moment she heard his voice, cold sweat broke out across her skin.

She had no idea how he had done it, but it felt as though this hunter had taken hold of her mana and shaken it however he pleased.

“Anyway, try using your skill again.”

“Yes?”

“Follow the sensation you just felt. Go on. Quickly.”

His tone was so casual that it was difficult to believe he was serious.

Even so, Seonwoo Yeon decided to follow his advice, though part of her still suspected she was being deceived.

‘If I reproduce the sensation from before...’

And then it happened.

Beneath a clear, windless sky, a sudden gust swept across the plain.

Whoooosh.

Her hair whipped across her face.

The B-Class hunter’s eyes widened.

What was this...?

“My skill!”

It was an awakening skill.

She felt foolish for ever doubting him.

Who could have imagined that a problem even a leading specialist had failed to solve would be corrected so quickly?

“Did you see that? The skill activated!”

Seonwoo Yeon cried out in delight.

The man standing beside her, however, did not seem particularly impressed.

“Of course it activated. To be honest, what was strange was that a talented awakened person like you had failed to use it until now.”

“Was it?”

Kim Kiryeo spoke so calmly that Seonwoo Yeon’s excitement quickly subsided, leaving her slightly dispirited.

“Anyway, come over here. From now on, I’ll teach you how to use the skill properly.”

At those words, she immediately lifted her head again.

“You’re going to help me even more?”

“It isn’t so much about helping you. You need to activate the skill repeatedly in order to solidify that sensation...”

Since she was already going to expend mana, they might as well accomplish two things at once.

Kiryeo mentioned it in passing, as though it were nothing of consequence.

The training that followed, however, was anything but trivial.

“Hunter Seonwoo Yeon, breathe. Breathe. Holding your breath whenever you use the skill is a bad habit.”

Kiryeo understood Seonwoo Yeon’s problems at a glance and offered precise advice.

Even abstract concepts became clear once he explained them.

Through his guidance, she could sense just how deep Kim Kiryeo’s knowledge truly ran.

Was there not a saying that one could not teach what one did not understand?

‘Amazing.’

At last, she understood why Ahn Yoonseung trusted Kim Kiryeo so completely.

He was unquestionably on an entirely different level from ordinary awakened people.

“Are you out of breath?”

“Yes. I think I’ve used up all my mana.”

“Then we’ll stop for today. We can’t afford to waste potions worth millions of won on training.”

And that brought another question to mind.

“Wait. Just a moment...”

She stopped Kim Kiryeo as he prepared to leave.

Since the two of them were alone inside the gate, it was the perfect opportunity.

“Hunter Kim Kiryeo, I have a question.”

“Ah, yes.”

Seonwoo Yeon hesitated briefly before speaking with a serious expression.

“No matter how much I think about it, I still don’t understand. Why does someone like you pretend to be F-Class?”

Kiryeo said nothing.

“If you chose to reveal yourself, you could receive far better treatment than this.”

“......”

“Why are you going to such lengths to conceal your abilities?”

Manipulating one’s awakening rank meant deceiving the Association.

That fact was the main reason Seonwoo Yeon could not bring herself to trust Kim Kiryeo completely.

She wanted a clear explanation.

Why was he hiding his skills?

Did he have a legitimate reason?

Could she trust him?

“Can you tell me?”

Seonwoo Yeon asked with complicated emotions.

And what was the person receiving the question thinking at that moment?

In the hunter industry, dyed hair was treated with a certain degree of suspicion.

The cold-looking man before her slowly closed his eyes.

‘What is she even talking about...?’

From his perspective, he was merely wondering why Seonwoo Yeon had suddenly started behaving this way.

‘I really can’t understand the way Earthlings think. Why bring up ranks out of nowhere?’

Still, considering the seriousness of her attitude, he decided that he should give her some kind of answer.

But did that answer necessarily have to be truthful?

‘Hmm.’

Since his reincarnation, Kim Kiryeo had gone through many different experiences among humans.

Some Earthlings, like Ahn Yoonseung, had been good people.

Yet what remained most vividly in his memory were violent crimes such as kidnapping and terrorism.

When he considered the matter carefully, the reason he had been abducted and nearly robbed was precisely because others believed him to be a powerless F-Class.

‘It isn’t good to be looked down upon by Earthlings.’

Perhaps he should begin putting on an appropriate amount of airs if he wanted to survive.

Fortunately, lying was not particularly difficult for him.

He already had a convenient excuse prepared.

‘All right. I’ll use the same story I gave that A-Class hunter.’

Utterly shameless.

He recycled the exact same explanation he had given Ahn Yoonseung.

“What do you think about awakening, Seonwoo Yeon-ssi?”

Awakening was not the product of effort.

It was simply something that had appeared one day without warning.

That was why he felt uneasy relying on such power.

If it had arrived for no reason, then it might disappear just as suddenly.

He did not usually depend on awakened abilities.

He believed that matters which could be resolved naturally ought to be handled in a natural manner...

And so on.

As Kiryeo delivered the speech with effortless sincerity, Seonwoo Yeon looked visibly surprised.

‘So that’s why he doesn’t use his awakening ability.’

Was this not an exceedingly rare way of thinking in an age where skills were valued above everything else?

“So is that why you concealed your abilities when we fell into the B-Class gate together?”

Seonwoo Yeon considered his words for a moment before asking another question.

At once, Kiryeo’s thoughts began racing.

“Ah, even if I had stepped forward, I wouldn’t have been much help...”

“Why not?”

“My ability is... somewhat difficult to use in places where other people are present.”

If he boasted too recklessly about being powerful, he might later find himself burdened with troublesome responsibilities.

Sensing the danger, Kiryeo brushed the matter aside as casually as possible.

Seonwoo Yeon, however, interpreted the statement in an entirely different way.

‘He can’t use it in front of other people?’

Did that mean he possessed a skill so powerful that even a hunter of his calibre could not fully control it?

She grew tense.

Was Kim Kiryeo the kind of awakened person whose abilities affected a wide area, like the guild master of the Magic Tower?

If that was the case, then voluntarily restraining himself was undoubtedly the responsible choice.

For the moment, she understood his reasoning...

“But deceiving the Hunter Association is still a separate matter.”

As an employee of the Association, Seonwoo Yeon felt obligated to persuade him.

Why not reveal his true rank now?

Kim Kiryeo appeared to think for a moment.

Then he lowered his gaze and spoke quietly.

“I’m sorry, but that may be difficult.”

“Yes?”

“Once I’m officially recognised as a high-ranking awakened person, there will be more occasions when I’m forced to use my abilities, even when I don’t want to.”

Whew.

“I don’t want that. Please. I only wish to live quietly, if possible.”

The premise was that he concealed his strength because he feared the world would hound him once he became famous.

It was clichéd, but nothing worked better when one wanted to boast without sounding as though one was boasting.

“I see.”

The effect was remarkable.

At the very least, Seonwoo Yeon accepted the lie without the slightest hesitation.

‘Ahn Yoonseung was right. He really was hiding his abilities because he feared interference from the Association.’

Then again, if someone as talented as Kim Kiryeo were exposed to the world, not only the Association but every guild in the country would be thrown into an uproar.

‘Considering the kind of force he possesses, I should be grateful that he chooses to remain quiet rather than cause an incident.’

Seonwoo Yeon visibly relaxed.

‘And judging by some of the things he has done recently, he doesn’t seem entirely indifferent to what happens in the world...’

Yes.

Perhaps this hunter truly could be trusted.

“Thank you for telling me.”

Wearing a satisfied expression, Seonwoo Yeon left the gate and made a suggestion.

“Oh, right. You must be hungry by now. Why don’t we eat first?”

“Do you know somewhere good?”

“There’s a restaurant I used to visit when I was younger...”

Did she know?

In truth, Kim Kiryeo had controlled the entire conversation from beginning to end.

But there was no need for concern.

Ultimately, the person who would suffer most because of this conversation was the hunter himself.

“So long as you’re paying, anything is fine. I’ll enjoy the meal.”

Kim Kiryeo looked pleased when Seonwoo Yeon offered to treat him.

His future execution ceremony.

He had no idea that the press conference in question was already taking place in real time.

***

—Driiing! Driiing!

“Argh, that’s loud!”

The second morning dawned in Hadong.

I woke to the shrill alarm and immediately began preparing to go out.

There was another appointment scheduled for today.

“Heh.”

The air in Hadong was clean.

Now that I had travelled this far, I could no longer sense the stalker’s {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} gaze.

Everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly.

‘It’s all going perfectly.’

Once I finished getting ready, I headed directly to the meeting place.

Upon arriving, I noticed a familiar sign nearby.

[15 m ahead → Killer Bee’s Nest (C)]

That was right.

Today was the day I would gather the ingredients for the magic booster.

And the person who would help me dispose of those troublesome monsters was none other than the hunter standing before me.

“Hunter Seonwoo Yeon, are you ready?”

“Uh, um. For the moment.”

I spoke confidently to the hesitant B-Class hunter.

“Then go inside.”

That was her assignment for the day.

Under the pretence of helping her practise the skill she had relearned yesterday, I had entrusted Seonwoo Yeon with clearing the gate entirely on her own.

“Do I really have to do this alone? Will it be all right?”

For a high-ranking magician, Seonwoo Yeon had an extraordinary lack of confidence.

With her abilities, she could easily overwhelm even hunters of a higher rank.

So why was she making such a fuss?

“After you clear the gate, make sure you collect every killer bee stinger. We’ll use them to confirm how many monsters you killed.”

“Yes...”

“Don’t worry so much.”

I gestured toward the entrance with my chin.

“It’s only a C-Class gate. What could possibly go wrong?”