Ch. 35 - Chapter 35

"Your growth is unbelievable. I'm almost jealous."

Oh Jiho readily acknowledged my progress.

Given his usual remarks, the expression ‘I'm jealous’ was the highest praise possible.

"Haha..."

I was so exhausted I couldn't even laugh out loud.

But it was truly a moving moment.

Once I actually started training, I realized that landing a blow on Oh Jiho was as difficult as picking a star from the sky.

It took Oh Jiho two years to learn 'Hwan Gyeok'.

I wondered if it might take even longer than that for me.

But in just a little over a month, I was able to cut through Oh Jiho’s true form.

It was more of a graze than a proper strike, but it definitely made contact.

“Your movements have become cleaner and more refined. It’s hard to believe you’re the same person from a month ago.”

Oh Jiho’s praise continued.

The video he had sent me wasn’t just about combat, it was deeply connected to full-body control.

The goal wasn’t the brute force of the technique itself, but rather the elimination of unnecessary movements.

Unlike other martial arts, there was no set formal structure to follow.

There were only movements that simplified the path of the attack, from the fingertips to the elbows and knees.

Perhaps that's why.

The process of launching the attack flowed smoothly, like water.

Because every single movement was not a ‘form,’ but an ‘application.’

“I noticed something while watching the video.”

"?"

“Rather than training a human, it felt more like training a beast.”

Even the usually expressionless Oh Jiho smiled faintly at the blunt remark.

“It can't be helped. When Father devised the movements, he said it was based on the combat style of monsters.”

“No wonder… I did feel a sense of unfamiliarity during training.”

"You realized in a month what I only realized after two years of training."

Oh Jiho said he felt a bit jealous, but pride was clearly written all over his face.

Hmph.

Gone was the man who had refused to teach me until Yaksha had ordered him. Each step I take toward being better the more pride he had.

"What's the secret to your rapid improvement?"

Any fighter, or rather, a hunter, would inevitably be curious.

Compared to a month ago, both my movements and psychokinesis had improved dramatically.

I summed everything up in a single word.

“Core.”

The dramatic improvement in my psychokinesis, and the efficiency of my training, all of it was thanks to the cores I absorbed.

After defeating the 6-star (★★★★★★) monster ‘Singing Harpy’, I awakened to psychokinesis. And whenever I felt exhausted during training, I absorbed cores like a packed lunch to restore my stamina.

After absorbing the cores, I could go even without sleep.

Whenever my stamina depleted out and my eyelids grew heavy, I absorbed one of the cores I had collected during my probation period. On some days, I trained nonstop for a full 24 hours.

The reason it was possible to grow several times faster than others.

It wouldn't be wrong to say it was entirely thanks to the cores.

“Cores..... Indeed, there’s no way to explain your current growth through normal means.”

There was no need to go into further detail.

Teacher Oh Jiho probably hadn’t asked expecting a detailed answer.

It was likely just pure curiosity about that ‘something’ that couldn’t be explained by talent alone.

“We’ll move on to the next stage of training.”

“Already? I barely grazed you.”

“Considering how fast you’re progressing, you’ll adapt in no time. Get ready.”

Get ready.

For what?

At that moment, I saw the pale, shadowy figure standing near him suddenly leap forward.

It was the one that would never move before I attacked.

Smack.

“Guh...!!”

A sharp impact pierced through my abdomen.

Oh Jiho’s Hunter rank was ‘E,’ but this ‘Phantom Strike’ defied ordinary laws of physics.

Even if the attack was of the same strength, there was a world of difference between anticipating an attack and being caught off guard by a surprise attack.

Fortunately, my body was at the level of a 'D'-rank knight, so I suffered no significant aftereffects.

"...So this is what you meant by getting ready."

Oh Jiho, who had always countered my attacks until now, had begun to strike first.

What he meant by ‘get ready’ was, simply put, ‘get ready to be beaten up’. 

“Don’t take it too harshly. In terms of pure martial arts, it means you’ve already surpassed that guy we saw in the black market.”

The Knight who threw a tantrum and had all his limbs broken by Oh Jiho.

‘B’-rank Hunter, Kim Gwantae.

Setting aside my Poisoner trait, Oh Jiho saw my level as already beyond his.

"That's an honor."

With a short reply, I charged straight into Oh Jiho's domain.

***

The probation period had ended, and at last, my first dungeon was right in front of me.

A 2-star (★★) Poison Dungeon located in Ingye Neighborhood.

I had already secured a dungeon entry permit under the name of ‘Cleanup Clan’, so there was no need for extra procedures to deal with.

Yuk Cheolwan, the clan leader, and Chun Haesun.

Today, all the members (?) of the ‘Cleanup Clan’ were mobilized for the dungeon.

Before long, this dungeon would be closed under the name of the Cleanup Clan.

“Y-You’re really going in like that?”

“Yes. Why?”

"That's not right. The Poison Dungeon is a place where even the air you breathe is contaminated with dangerous substances. Even if Hunter Chun Haesun is an 'S' ranker, you can't just enter like this."

Indeed, Yuk Cheolwan stood before me in full heavy gear.

His entire face was covered by a massive gas mask, and he was fully suited up with thick gloves and reinforced boots on all four limbs.

For ordinary Hunters without self-detoxification abilities, a Poison Dungeon is a terrifying place.

Since we were on the topic, why not take a look at Yuk Cheolwan’s profile?

[Yuk Cheolwan 

Hunter Type: Knight (Tanker) 

Physical Rank: ‘B-rank’ 

Unique Trait: ‘Indomitable’ – His mana restrains his body, pushing it to its limits

#CleanupClan Leader

#Gatherer

#Hazard Area Specialist

#Undefeatable Warrior]

"Huh?"

What’s this?

I thought his rank would be pretty low, but it’s actually a solid ‘B’?

While there are many high-ranking Knights among the Knight-type hunters, a 'B' ranker is capable of being a mid-level member in any guild.

With that kind of talent, why was he working as a ‘cleaner’?

"Hunter Chun Haesun?"

“Oh. Nothing. I just had a brief hallucination.”

“This is serious. The harmful energy seeping out from the dungeon entrance is already affecting Hunter Chun Haesun’s mind...!!”

“Don’t make a perfectly sane person sound like a lunatic. Let’s just go in.”

“Are you really okay with going in like this?”

“Yes. No matter how weak I look, I’m an S-ranker. If anything goes wrong, I take full responsibility.”

“Still...”

Yuk Cheolwan’s pupils shook like a pendulum.

I understood what he was worried about.

Having run into the Poison Dungeons countless times, he must have felt the mortal danger firsthand.

No matter how exceptional a healer's self-healing ability may be, they cannot endure if poison stacks and accumulates.

In a Poison Dungeon, you’d need to activate healing power with every single breath you take.

But for me, someone who’s a ‘Poisoner’ before being a ‘Healer’, none of that has any effect.

‘I can't tell if he's just very caring or overly worried.’

If I say I’m fine, he could just take my word for it.

In the end, I managed to pull Yuk Cheolwan back in a reasonable manner.

“I already took a special antidote. Would you like to try it too, Clan Leader?”

“Eh? Ah... no, I-I’m fine, really.”

“That’s too bad. You could’ve moved around without that heavy gas mask.”

I hadn’t taken the antidote, but I did have some on me.

The last time I met Bisu, I took a few of the antidotes she had with her.

I’d brought them just in case Yuk Cheolwan had neglected to prepare, but seeing him fully geared up like that, maybe I was worried for nothing.

“How long can that gear hold up?”

“About five hours should be fine. What about your antidote, Hunter Chun Haesun?”

Originally, it could last a full 24 hours, but he probably wouldn’t believe that.

“About the same for me.”

“Great. Then let’s head in!”

Yuk Cheolwan clapped his thick gloves together a couple of times, then opened the gate to the dungeon.

The first expedition of S-rank Healer Chun Haesun had finally begun.

***

"Ugh...!!"

As soon as Yuk Cheolwan stepped through the entrance, he let out a groan.

No matter how many times he came, this damn Poison Dungeon was something he just couldn’t get used to.

The gas mask blocked out the toxins, but the dungeon’s signature humidity and foul aura pressed down on his entire body.

Entering a place like this without any gear?

That’s impossible.

He needed to convince Hunter Chun Haesun to reconsider quickly.

Yuk Cheolwan turned his head to look toward Chun Haesun.

“Uhmm…”

Chun Haesun let out a low groan too.

But it wasn’t because of the Poison Dungeon’s air.

He was simply stretching.

“?????????”

‘I couldn't believe my eyes’ was the most appropriate for this situation.

Chun Haesun acted like a fish in water in this stifling space.

Not only was he casually stretching here and there, he even took a deep breath,(!).

Unbelievable.

That’s not something a human should be able to do.

“It’s been a while.”

Chun Haesun, who had been scanning the surroundings, seemed to have spotted something.

He turned his head toward Yuk Cheolwan.

“The things you collect, Clan Leader. Where do you usually collect them from?”

"Hmm... Considering the terrain, there probably are a lot of them in that bushy area over there."

"Hmm. It seems like there are quite a few monsters there."

"Is that so...?”

He couldn't see anything.

But Chun Haesun's gaze seemed to be focused on something.

"It won't be an easy journey."

Yuk Cheolwan pursed his lips tightly and then slowly moved forward.

What he mainly gathered in the Poison Dungeon were minerals.

The minerals found in the damp dungeon floors are composed of special elements, ones that can’t be found in the real world.

They are used as research materials by scientific organizations, and as raw materials for weapons like bullets.

Because the toxins mixed within these minerals can aid in hunting monsters, they’re in high demand among non-combat-type Hunters.

Poison Dungeons are places where luck plays a very clear role.

If there are no monsters in the area where you're collecting minerals, it's considered ‘great fortune’, while if there are a swarm of monsters, it's considered ‘great misfortune’.

‘Looks like today’s a great misfortune…’

Yuk Cheolwan gritted his teeth as he watched the reddish-brown horses scurrying through the strange purple grass.

Evil Horse.

When you hear a horse with horns, most people think of a unicorn, but here, it meant the exact opposite.

Its physical level was only around ‘E,’ but its speed and mobility made it notoriously hard to catch.

It’s the type that wears Hunters down, with various toxic substances dripping from its horn and mane.

For a slow-moving tanker like Yuk Cheolwan, they were practically his natural enemy.

‘Eleven... twelve...’

Once the number passed twelve, Yuk Cheolwan gave up counting the Evil Horses.

At this point, it would be too difficult for just two people to handle the operation.

And one of them was a Healer, no less.

After all the trouble it took to secure this permit, to retreat like this felt like such a waste.

With a heavy expression, Yuk Cheolwan finally spoke.

“…It seems we’ll have to wait for another opportunity, Hunter Chun Haesun.”

"......"

Had he given up too?

No answer came.

No, he couldn’t even sense his presence anymore.

“Hunter Chun Haesun?”

Sensing something was off, Yuk Cheolwan turned his head, but there was no one beside him.

Like a wild horse racing across the plains, Chun Haesun was sprinting straight toward the Evil Horses.

"Oh my goodness... Hunter Chun Haesun!! Come back!!"

Why in the world would a Healer throw themselves into a swarm of enemies?

Yuk Cheolwan hurriedly moved after him, panicking in his steps.

The airborne toxins must have driven Hunter Chun Haesun mad, there could be no other explanation.

With that conviction, Yuk Cheolwan cried out his name at the top of his lungs.

“It’s dangerous!! Hunter Chun Haesun!!”

Was he not hearing him?

Was he ignoring him?

Chun Haesun’s sprint showed no signs of stopping.

Before long, Chun Haesun had reached the very edge of the Evil Horses’ territory.

With a black blade gleaming in his hand.

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