Haaa.
I sit cross-legged on the floor next to my bed and close my eyes. After slowly breathing in, I focus all my senses on my heart. To be precise, on the device from Dr. Jin embedded in my heart.
Towards the Circulator. Dr. Jin had gifted me three devices. The cornea-installed information-providing device, the V1.
The combat-type device, Exa. And the last one was the Circulator. I recall the memory of when Dr. Jin was installing(?) the Circulator.
『I think eating only canned food has damaged my hearing. Where did you say you were going to stick this?』
『I'm going to stick it in your heart.』
Dammit.
Thinking back, Dr. Jin’s expression was so nonchalant.
『I should have known when you doused me with poison gas... Are you really planning to kill me?』
『Hahaha. It's not unreasonable for you to think that. Kiril was quite suspicious at first, too.』
『What did Kiril say?』
『She said she needed to confirm it was stuck in my heart first. Then she actually picked up the Circulator and aimed it at my heart.』
What a fiery woman.
『Don’t worry. It would be one thing if I had no experience, but isn't Kiril walking around in one piece? The same thing is embedded in her heart.』
『No... Still, to embed this large needle into a living heart...』
It wasn't just a needle. At a glance, it looked like a thin piece of metal, but a closer look revealed that tiny metal parts were precisely assembled.
But still.
Precise or not. You're going to stick this in my heart without anesthesia?
『Think back to when you put on the V1.』
Instead of a lengthy explanation, Dr. Jin reminded me of the device installed in my cornea. When I put on the V1. I certainly didn't feel any pain when I switched to the new version.
Like a sponge soaking up water, it was natural and gentle. It came in as if it had always been a part of my body.
『You brat. I may look like this, but I used to be the chief researcher at the Association. Trust me.』
Mister.
There's no point in the person who sprayed poison gas putting on a benevolent smile now. Regardless of my skeptical expression, Dr. Jin gently placed the Circulator on my chest. Then, the Circulator on his palm began to slowly dig(!) into my chest.
『Ugh... Uwaaaaaaah!』
『I know it doesn't hurt, so be quiet.』
『Gak.』
How could this be. It was clearly piercing my flesh and digging into my heart, yet I felt no pain at all. If all surgeries(?) were like this, there would be no need for anesthesiology in the world.
Rather than digging in, it felt more like it was being slowly absorbed. Slowly but naturally, the Circulator completed its installation in my heart.
『This fellow will straighten out the rampaging venom that goes wild every day. From now on, how much Black Ether you can produce in a day is up to you.』
Haaa.
With the Circulator in my heart as the starting point, I rotate the venom boiling within my body once. And during that rotation, I use the healing energy in my body to sublimate it into Black Ether. It's definitely different from when I used to just let the toxicity flow aimlessly.
With a clear ‘milestone’ like the Circulator in my body, the flow of venom, healing, and Black Ether gradually became visible.
'Indeed...'
The more I do it, the more I seem to get the hang of it. The process that took half a day when I first received the Circulator now takes only an hour or two. Although the amount of Black Ether is still meager compared to the poison I have, “Tell me my current status.”
Behold.
Even with such meager abilities, results are already showing.
“Huh? D, not E?”
When did it go up. Without my knowledge, my Body Enhancement Ability had changed to ‘D’. I had been using the Black Ether to enhance my entire body whenever it was created.
Well, I didn't really know what else to use it for. Was it the aftereffect of visiting the Poison-type dungeon just before? My physical ability had somehow reached the level of a ‘D-rank Knight’.
“This growth rate is insane...”
I had looked through a lot of data at Dr. Jin's residence, but I couldn't find a single case of a rank increasing in just a few days. As Kiril said, it seems a Poison-type Hunter truly has endless potential. I unfolded my legs and accessed the Hunter Association website on my phone.
To take this quarter's Hunter Qualification Test, I have to go to the headquarters by tomorrow to register.
“Sister. I'm going to Jongno tomorrow.”
“Jongno?”
“Yeah.
The application for the Hunter Qualification Test is due tomorrow. “ Since the factory closed, my sister has been home more often. My sister, who was looking at job sites on her computer, turned her head towards me.
As always, her beautiful face was full of worry.
“Are you sure you'll be okay without me? I heard there are a lot of strong people there. What if you get into a fight...”
“Hey. You don't have to worry about that anymore.”
My sister is someone who doesn't know about the changes in my body, let alone how much the qualification test costs. If she knew the amount was fifty million won, she'd probably faint on the spot.
Right now, my body is at a level where if I got into a fight with an ordinary person, I'd have to worry about them. I need to pass the qualification test quickly to ease my sister's worries.
“Among Hunters, healers are treated well and are a friendly type. Who would dislike someone who heals their wounds?”
“Hmm... I guess that's true, but.”
It's like watching a child let loose by the water. I guess I was in that state before my Awakening. I patted my chest, telling her not to worry, and my sister pouted her lips before forcing a smile.
No matter how far I tilted my head back, I couldn't see the top. The greatest power structure in the Republic of Korea. The proud headquarters building of the Hunter Association.
The glass walls reflected the sunlight, shining dazzlingly. They say buildings like that are hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Heating bills must be high, too.
Maybe it's because my pauper mentality remains, but useless thoughts come to mind first. The first-floor lobby is bustling with people, likely because it's the deadline for the Hunter Qualification Test. -Grr...
“Shh. Be quiet.”
Ppori, who had turned invisible, let out a low growl. It seems he's nervous because of the Hunters passing by. I told Ppori to be quiet, but my own five senses were on high alert as well.
It was because I could feel a suffocating energy from some of the Hunters. Before my Awakening, I wouldn't have felt anything, but now I can faintly tell. There were experts everywhere who looked like they could take me down in a single exchange.
“Welcome.”
After getting a number and going to the reception desk, a female employee with curly hair greeted me kindly. And like most people, she flinched upon seeing my face.
“Oh my, ahem.”
The employee tried hard to act nonchalant, but it was too late. It wasn't the first or second time people were surprised by the spots on my face. I pretended not to notice and spoke quietly.
“I'm here for the Hunter Qualification Test.”
“Ah, I see. First, please fill in your personal information here.”
I write down my basic personal information, such as name, resident registration number, and address, on the ‘Hunter Qualification Test Application Form’. And most importantly, I check the ‘Hunter Type’. Hunter types are broadly divided into ‘Knight/Esper/healer/Other’.
Unsurprisingly, there was no spot for a Poison-type Hunter. In principle, I should check ‘Other’, but doing so would make it impossible to realize my future plans.
“You're applying as a healer, correct?”
“Yes. That's right.”
“Did you check the part marked with a red line at the very bottom?”
“Yes.”
[If the application fee is not paid before the Hunter Qualification Test, you will be automatically disqualified.]
That was the content of the sentence marked with a red line. It felt subtly unpleasant. Why was she asking about this again?
Was it because of my shabby appearance? Or was it just my own insecurity? 'Probably the former.'
The applicant who had applied before me at the next counter was different. He was wearing clothes that looked expensive, and the counselor took his application and completed the registration without saying much else. In short, they were double-checking with people who didn't look like they had a way to get fifty million won.
Damn it.
Don't judge me by what you see.
“The payment deadline is two days before the exam. We'll see you at the examination site.”
The curly-haired female employee emphasized the ‘payment deadline’ once more, indicating that the process was complete.
Good grief.
I said I'd pay. -Grrrr... Ppori let out a low growl at the female employee. Hey, this person isn't even a Hunter, why are you doing that.
Could it be. You don't like the employee's attitude either?
'No way.'
I chuckled and stood up from my seat. A frail-looking physique and spots all over my body. And shabby clothes.
There was no need to get angry for being invisibly slighted for these reasons. I just have to show them later, on site. That I am qualified to be a Hunter.
“Aigoo! I need to see the Chairman!”
“I'm telling you, you can't do this!”
As I was about to leave the headquarters after finishing my registration, loud voices erupted from the entrance. A middle-aged woman, who looked to be in her fifties, was holding a plywood sign in one hand. What was going on?
My gaze shifted for a moment, but I soon went on my way. Whatever was happening, there was nothing I, a mere Hunter exam applicant, could do.
“You people! You could have come to Gaebang District! You could have saved my son!”
But at the words ‘Gaebang District’, I couldn't help but stop in my tracks.
That woman.
Was she from my neighborhood? The woman was crying like she was half-mad, bickering with the Association employee. Having lost a son, how great must her sorrow be.
Besides, most residents of Gaebang District thought the Glory Guild's response had not been right. That's why she must have come with a sign like that.
“What's going on?”
As the commotion arose, a tall man approached the two. The security guard bit his lip and reported.
“This woman here is making a scene, insisting on seeing the Chairman... I was restraining her.”
The tall man then looked the woman up and down. He confirmed the sign that read ‘Truth Investigation of the Glory Guild’ and gave a sly smile.
“Restraining? That's not how you restrain someone.”
That guy is a Hunter. His energy is weak, but I can feel the Ether enveloping his body. To confirm if my feeling was correct, I quietly called on the V1.
“Wh-what?”
A flood of information suddenly poured in. I was just curious about his rank, but I could see not only his name but also his affiliation. And what's with all these hashtags?
Wow.
This is sick. Public information is one thing, but hashtags? They share their own characteristics?
Why on earth?
Aha.
So it's like, 'I'm good at ambushing and you're good at defending, so let's set up our positions like this'? But it's a bit much for that. For a mere ‘E’-rank Hunter, aren't ‘Ambush’ and ‘Master of Brawls’ too grandiose?
It seems this ‘hashtag’ thing reflects the inherent boastfulness of humans, beyond just Hunters. While I was deciphering the V1's information, the tall man came right up to the woman's face.
“Watch closely. This is how you restrain someone.” '...
That crazy bastard!' I could tell even without the V1. That guy was about to use ‘Ether’ on the woman.
Grab.
“Keh, keck!!”
The man, who was two heads taller, grabbed the woman by the scruff of her neck. The woman's arms and legs flailed in the air. But the man, as if she wasn't even there, strode out the main entrance.
Fuck.
I was going to stay out of it, but I can't take this.
“Stop it!”
I wanted to use Poison Step, but it wasn't a skill an ‘applicant’ should be able to use. Even now, the CCTVs all around were staring at me with their blue eyes.
“What are you.”
“Before you wonder what I am, you should be aware of what you're doing.”
“Me? I'm restraining, of course.”
The man mockingly raised the arm he was holding. The woman's expression twisted further in pain. This son of a bitch.
I couldn't hold back any longer and used ‘Poison Step’.
Tak!
“Huh?”
In an instant, I moved behind him, released his grip on her neck, and hid the woman behind my back.
“What are you. Are you a Hunter?”
“An applicant.”
At the word applicant, a vein popped on the man's temple.
“This piece of shit. A young punk talking back to me, and now you're interfering with an Association employee's work?”
The guy's face contorted menacingly, but I could only scoff. He couldn't even dream of what kind of dungeon I had been in a few days ago.
“You're the one. You look like a Hunter, so how could you let your guard down so easily? To an applicant?”
The man's face turned beet red. He wasn't a tomato. I wondered if it was okay for him to get that red.
“Hand over the woman if you don't want to be beaten to death.”
“Is the woman an object? An Association employee treating a civilian like an object... Are you even human?”
I'd been cooped up at home so I didn't know, but it seems I'm quite skilled at pissing people off. Look at that guy. Even though I said I was an applicant, he's gathering all the Ether he can.
“You brought this upon yourself.”
It said ‘Ambush’ in his hashtags, and indeed, his outstretched hand was sharp. But at best, he was ‘E’-rank. I was angry earlier, but there's no need to use Poison Step.
The moment his hand tried to grab my neck, I raised my right hand and snatched his wrist.
Pak- “?????”
His expression was a perfect mix of anger and astonishment. And soon, that expression contorted in pain. Because I had twisted his wrist with considerable force.
“Aaargh!!”
“You're an Association employee. A Hunter at that. Aren't you ashamed?”
A Knight getting his wrist twisted by an applicant and stomping his feet. I wish someone would add a hashtag like #HumiliationPlay to this guy's profile.
“I'll kill you!”
I was genuinely surprised. Not because of his unyielding foolishness. An employee of the Hunter Association has the same status as a public official.
Is it okay for such a person to shout about killing someone inside the headquarters? You see one thing, you know ten. What on earth does the Association think of civilians?
“Shout one more time and I'll kill you.”
“...!!”
I twisted his wrist to the point of breaking, and the man couldn't even scream anymore. In the midst of it all, a tear trickled from the man's eye. A guy like this is a Battlefield Poker Face.
It was so absurd I laughed. Just then, “What do you all think you're doing!” A tremendous Lion’s Roar erupted from behind me.
I threw the man's wrist away and reflexively turned around. 'That scared me...' It wasn't because of the volume of the voice.
The immense energy of the Ether contained within it made me stop my actions. A drop of cold sweat trickled down my temple. A pressure I hadn't even felt when facing the Giant Tarantula was pressing down on me.
There were four people in the group, and I knew three of their faces. One was Yoo In-won, the Vice Chairman of the Hunter Association. Another was the healer praised as the saint of the Republic of Korea, Maria.
“What is all this commotion?”
And the last one was the one who had unleashed the Lion’s Roar at me. The Representative of the Glory Guild, Gu Geon-yi.