"If I hadn't seen you catch that Hyena, I would have been had."
Unexpectedly, Oh Ji-ho praised my technique. In truth, getting behind him was good. The problem was I couldn't touch his body.
"So that's how you were able to bring back the rare herb, with that kind of mobility."
I gave a slight shrug of my shoulders. In reality, the merciless toxicity of Black Ether also played a significant part, but there was no need to give additional explanations to the people of the black market. The more I reveal that I'm a Poison-type, the more people will come after me.
That was the most important principle Kiril had told me.
"It's driving me mad that I can't land a hit on you no matter what I try. Are you a ghost, perhaps?"
"I'm human."
So he’s not one for jokes. Did he think the test was more or less over? Oh Ji-ho turned on the video playback device that was beside him.
Click!
A bright light shot out onto the gloomy underground wall, and a reasonably watchable screen appeared.
"This is not the time to discuss techniques. Learning how to use your body comes first. Even elementary school girls fight better than you move."
I'm so overwhelmed by the repeated compliments, I don't know what to do with myself.
Shit.
"Whenever you have time, I want you to repeat these movements. From what I can see, it seems you not only have a Healing Ability but also a reinforced body like a Knight-type... If possible, I recommend repeating the movements with your Ether fully activated."
Do you get better eyes when you become a master? He seemed to already know that my body was at the level of a D-rank Knight.
"Oh..."
Usually, when you think of repetitive training, you imagine a boring process. However, in the video, none of Oh Ji-ho's movements were the same from beginning to end. From the fingertips to the elbow, down from the shoulder, to the waist and feet.
Each and every movement connected, naturally making you use your entire body.
"Huff... Huff..."
As I followed the movements with my Black Ether activated, my stamina was depleted in less than ten minutes. They seem like simple movements, so why is it so exhausting?
"It's because you lack the knack for using your body. It's the same principle as when a well-built man is suddenly made to do manual labor and his efficiency is low."
"Phew. I don't know about anything else, but I can imagine how my movements must have looked to you, Teacher."
"Teacher...?"
A small ripple formed on Oh Ji-ho's thick eyebrows.
"Yes. What's so special about being a teacher? Anyone who teaches you something is a teacher. Or what, should I call you Master or something like that?"
"No. That's fine."
After saying that, Oh Ji-ho turned off the device and handed it to me.
"From now on, keep this device with you and practice at all times. There will be no teaching of techniques until the movements are completely ingrained in your body."
"Don't be so harsh, just teach me next time."
"No." "Damn it. You said you learned your techniques from a Yaksha, right? How long did it take you, Teacher?"
"It took me ten years to learn the basic movements."
"This is driving me crazy."
How am I supposed to sit here and do this for ten years? For the first time, the thought of just quitting crosses my mind. Oh Ji-ho looked at me, my face scrunched up, and asked.
"You call your father so casually, yet you keep calling me Teacher."
"What about it? I can speak casually to both of you if you want."
"... That's fine."
With those words, the first martial arts lesson came to an end.
"My goodness! Look who it is! An S-ranker Hunter!"
At the cheerful voice, I turned around to see a familiar face.
"It's been a while."
The pickpocket from the black market with the Stealth skill. It was Bi-soo. Her red hair and features were still beautiful, and the scar by her lips was still a pity.
"The news is filled with stories about you. Is it okay for you to be entering the black market like this?"
"I don't care about that stuff. I come if I want to come. I told the reporters at the test site too."
"What did you say?"
"That I won't be doing any interviews for a while."
"Wow. Starting off on the wrong foot right from the get-go, aren't you?"
Bi-soo said with a provocative smile, tapping my shoulder. I looked at her carefully and asked.
"You loafing around these days?"
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"Your cheeks look a bit chubby."
"You bastard, there are things you should and shouldn't say to a woman..."
Bi-soo swung her fist, and I lightly dodged it.
"I haven't had much work lately. I think I was busiest when I was following you around the Poison Dungeons. And right now is a time to be especially careful."
"Careful?"
"Yeah. A lot of dungeons have been popping up like mushrooms lately. It’s times like these you have to be more careful. The probability of a dungeon where the 'wall' collapses is high."
"Hmm."
The 'wall' collapses. It means another world unfolds within the dungeon. What is commonly known as a secondary dungeon.
Secondary dungeons are difficult to detect even with the Hunter Association's state-of-the-art equipment and are recognized as an emergency situation the moment they occur. This is because the level of the Monsters is significantly higher, causing the dungeon's difficulty to skyrocket. Furthermore, if a certain amount of time passes in a secondary dungeon, a Gate opens above the dungeon.
For that reason, when a secondary dungeon occurs, not only the managing Guild but also all available Hunters in the vicinity are mobilized.
"No matter how important making money is, I can't be going in and out of unlicensed zones in times like these. So..."
"Your cheeks got chubby."
"Chubby cheeks... you really want to die?"
Seeing Bi-soo jumping up and down and making a fuss somehow reassures me. The image of her sobbing when she parted with my sister had remained in my mind for quite a while. Seeing her lively self, I guess she's living well.
"How was your lesson with Phantom Strike?"
"Hmm... to put it in one sentence, it felt like I got scammed?"
"Hehe. I think I know what you mean."
Grinning, Bi-soo suddenly raised her index finger.
"Should I give you a tip?"
"A tip?"
"Yeah. A tip about the techniques Phantom Strike uses."
"... How do you know about that?"
"I don't know for sure either. Hmm... should I call it a kind of intuition?"
"Ah, intuition. Right, I'm coming back next week, so take care of yourself."
"Hey! You're ignoring me, aren't you? I'm telling you, it's a solid tip!"
It's not ignoring her, it's a tactic. I have to gently prod her like this to milk her for all she's worth. Otherwise, this sly woman might demand something in return for giving me a tip.
"I'm not expecting much, but let's hear it."
"You annoying bastard. I should just keep my mouth shut."
Even as she said that, Bi-soo brought her face close to mine.
"In my opinion, there's something about Phantom Strike's techniques." ...
Should I kill her? Of course, there's something to them if an E-ranker can beat down a B-ranker. But then, an intriguing statement followed.
"Every time Phantom Strike uses a technique, I smell the scent of poison chips."
"Poison chips...!!"
A psychoactive substance created by processing plants that grow in Poison Dungeons. To put it simply, drugs. Why would that scent be present when Oh Ji-ho uses his techniques?
"To be precise, it's not really a scent... it's more like, you know, there's this unique feeling? Anyway, it's not just hitting and getting hit, I think there's something invisible involved."
Something other than physical force. Hearing Bi-soo's words, something clicked. The source of the abilities used by Espers.
Psychic power.
When psychic power is added to physical strength, that ability increases exponentially. You can tell just by seeing how rare and praised Hunters with two types of abilities are.
Indeed.
You'd have to be at that level to surpass your original rank.
"Not bad. I thought you couldn't do anything but Stealth."
"Ugh. I knew it. Not even a thank you, just look at the way you talk... I'm such an idiot."
"Hehe. Take this."
I took out a paper bag from my pocket and gave it to Bi-soo.
"Oh! Is it money?"
"No. A letter. My sister asked me to give it to you since I was going to the black market."
"Oh my..."
Bi-soo's sparkling eyes instantly turned hazy. It's easy to see that this change didn't come from 'disappointment'. Bi-soo clutched her sister's letter tightly in one hand and waved to me.
A challenging friend. See you next time.
Psychic power.
It is the fundamental power of an Esper. The ability to emit the Ether within the body to the outside and transform it into a special substance. If a top-tier Knight can slaughter everything in sight, a top-tier Esper can burn hundreds of Monsters to death with a single gesture.
If Oh Ji-ho's martial arts are infused with psychic power as Bi-soo said, then it means I too must learn the technique through psychic power...
"Where am I supposed to summon psychic power I don't have?" -Kieeeek.
As a Monster died before my eyes, I let out a short sigh. To awaken psychic power is not as simple as buying something you don't have from a convenience store. To learn a different type of skill is like having to go through an Awakening twice.
Since Oh Ji-ho came to the black market and learned his skills, it seems there is some kind of method.
"Hyaap!"
With a dashing flourish of his cape, the brown-haired young man generated electricity.
Crackle!
Several of the small wyverns floating in a group in the air crashed to the ground.
Hmm.
Espers are such a convenient bunch. They just stand there making sounds like 'Hyaap' and the Monsters die on their own.
"Haha! Hunter Cheon Hae-seon! Just wait a little longer! I'll clean them all up soon!"
Lee Ye-chan, a new Hunter like me, clenched his fist, showing his enthusiasm. He's a promising Esper who received a C-rank from the start. Is it a bit weird to use the expression 'promising' for someone older than me?
Well, anyway.
He signed a contract with a relatively small guild, 'Orenotern', a man who would rather be the head of a snake than the tail of a dragon. The fact that the 'Orenotern' Guild has many young rookies is also one of the reasons he chose the guild.
As his Awakened Value was quite high, he harbors the ambition to gain experience and take the B-rank exam the year after next. How do I know all this so well? Because from the moment we entered, he has been chattering nonstop next to me.
Whether I pretended to listen at first, ignored him, or told him to shut his mouth, he consistently ran his mouth. Hearing him say for two hours that it is an infinite honor for him and the 'Orenotern' Guild to be with me is making me feel like I'm going crazy.
"Hyaap!"
Crackle.
Although it's a 3-star difficulty dungeon, there isn't much trouble in taking down the boss Monster. From the beginning, today's members were largely composed of existing Hunters from 'Orenotern'. Two newly contracted new Hunters and seven existing members.
And one S-ranker new Hunter who has no choice but to complete his probationary period. As it was a party with four B-rankers, clearing the dungeon was an uneventful affair.
"Ouch, that hurts! Could you please heal this?"
"... Just put a band-aid on it."
There's even a guy who intentionally gets scratched by a Monster to find me. Something about the honor of being healed by an S-rank Hunter. Well, whatever the case, it's a leisurely schedule.
The composition of the members was excessively flashy for the dungeon's difficulty, and I just had to heal the occasional injured person. Since we're moving as a guild, there's no one demanding 'protection fees' like last time.
"Dieeeeeee!!"
There's the inconvenience of having to constantly listen to that idiot Esper's shouts, but other than that, it was a peaceful dungeon. After confirming the boss Monster's demise, we turned our feet towards the dungeon entrance.
"Hunter Cheon Hae-seon. Since this is fate, how about joining us for a company dinner today?!"
"That's right. You were with our guild, it would be a shame if you just left!"
"Hunter-nim. If it's not too much trouble, could I get just one picture with you for my account...!!"
With a smiling face, I rejected all of their requests. We've all achieved our goals, so let's go our separate ways. I have to go home and repeat those damn movements again...!
"Huh?"
But then, the 'Orenotern' people heading for the dungeon entrance all stopped in their tracks. By the time I, who was walking slowly at the rear, got close to them, all the Hunters' faces had already hardened.
"What's wrong?"
"Hunter Cheon Hae-seon..."
Their anxious eyes pointed to one place. The dungeon entrance, completely covered by something dark. This entrance, which had been accessible even without killing the boss Monster, was now completely blocked.
"I think... we're in big trouble."
Rumble...
As if on cue with the party leader's words, the ground began to collapse.