The look in Lee Chil-Sung's eyes was so vacant it seed his very soul might slip away at any mont.
Gazing at him intently, Kim Ki-Rok continued, "After you returned to the hospital with your sibling to get more dicine, the hospital director must have told you..."
Unable to deny Kim Ki-Rok's account any longer, Lee Chil-Sung nodded. "He said the ingredients for the dicine are extrely difficult to source..."
"Yes, he would have said it's difficult. Naturally, wanting to help your sibling, you probably asked where the ingredients could be found to procure them yourself."
Lee Chil-Sung nodded. Indeed, he had been determined to obtain the ingredients for the dicine by any ans necessary.
"Mr. Lee Chil-Sung, what did the hospital director say?"
"He said they could only be found in a Gate that was controlled and managed by the Awakened criminal group. He had a long-ti friend who had fallen into a life of cri, and because of his connection, he could purchase those ingredients at a low price, conduct research, and was able to develop the dicine." Lee Chil-Sung answered.
"And after hearing that, what did you do?"
"I sought out the Awakened criminal group that controlled that Gate."
"The group controlling the Gate was...?"
"Black Money..." Lee Chil-Sung took a deep breath and asked, "Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok, do you happen to know...?"
"Do I know how to eliminate the parasite?"
"Yes."
"I do know about it."
"Is it difficult?"
He simply answered, "No, the dicine is not difficult to make at all."
"Th-that's a lie!" Yoo Tae-San hastily objected, sensing that the situation was going downhill for them. "It doesn't make sense! How could soone lose consciousness because of so tiny insect? And to claim that we were the ones who planted it?"
As though he had been waiting for this, Kim Ki-Rok imdiately replied, "It's very easy to check whether I'm lying or not."
He reached into his subspace pocket and pulled out a pair of glasses, which he held out toward Lee Chil-Sung.
"It's an artifact bestowed with clairvoyance magic that allows you to see inside the human body. When you imbue it with mana, say 'Enlarge' to magnify and 'Reduce' to shrink. Your younger sibling is at ho, right? I assu your friends over here probably fed him another parasite before the planned attack today."
Lee Chil-Sung gnashed his teeth. "That timing sounds about right..."
"Then perhaps you should go see for yourself." Once Kim Ki-Rok handed over the glasses, he stepped aside.
"Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok!" Team Leader Min Gwang-Cheol exclaid abruptly.
"Lee Chil-Sung, age thirty-three, Level 83. He mainly uses two abilities, Transparent Wings of Wind and Unseen Wind Blades, which are both A-Class Skills he acquired through his Awakening," Kim Ki-Rok abruptly dropped all the pertinent information on him.
By level alone, he was an A-Class Hunter. But factoring in the grade of his skills, one could argue that he was, for all practical purposes, at S-Class.
"By the way, although Mr. Lee Chil-Sung is considered a high-risk individual just because of his exceptional strength, he has never actually killed anyone."
The team leader fell silent.
Just as Kim Ki-Rok had said, even though Lee Chil-Sung was affiliated with Black Money, he had never taken a civilian's life. Even when confronted by Hunters, his opposition had only ever resulted in severe injuries, not a single fatality.
Min Gwang-Cheol understood the ssage, but he hesitated nevertheless. Regardless of whether he killed anyone or not, it did not change the fact that Lee Chil-Sung was an Awakened criminal.
As he was contemplating, Min Gwang-Cheol received a call through his earpiece.
"Yes, yes... but... yes, understood," Min Gwang-Cheol answered. "Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok."
"Yes, Team Leader."
"Let him go."
As soon as Kim Ki-Rok stepped aside, Lee Chil-Sung bowed once to Min Gwang-Cheol and once more to Kim Ki-Rok, then kicked off the ground. Unleashing his full power, he sprinted away at top speed and vanished from sight in re monts.
Having seen him off, Kim Ki-Rok turned back to address the assembled hunting party and the Awakened criminals, "Mr. Lee Chil-Sung had to leave due to family issues. Now, the only remaining A-Class criminal is Caporegi Cha In-Joon from the Old Wolves."
The Awakened criminals tensed. Could it be that even the caporegi would also defect?
Kim Ki-Rok continued, "Awakened criminal Cha In-Joon is unsalvageable trash addicted to murder. Team Leader?"
"Yes, Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok?"
"Make sure to kill him."
Min Gwang-Cheol nodded and leaped forward.
***
Hunters and those in the Hunter community were subjects of great interest to the general public. They were practically living, breathing real-life heroes who used their abilities to defend their planet against Gates, or more accurately, the monsters that appeared.
As a result, Hunters attracted so much public attention. Sotis, they were even more popular than celebrities, and other tis, they faced harsher criticism than entertainers or politicians.
"That fucking blows." A subscriber expressed his annoyance as he turned on his computer after getting ho from work.
The easiest way for the layman to encounter Hunters was through channels operated by guilds or individual Hunters. It had basically beco a habit to check the DG Channel once he got off for the day. Whenever a new video went up, he never missed it. If there happened to be a livestream, he felt incredibly lucky.
Today was no different. After returning from work and showering, he got a notification from the channel. Panicking, he grabbed the fried chicken he had bought on the way ho, plopped down in front of his computer, and tuned in.
However, to their disappointnt, it ended extrely quickly after a simple greeting.
"What is this?"
The person went into the DG channel community to check the comnts on the recent post.
⤷ Fuck
⤷ Fuck
⤷ Ugh, this is annoying. Fuck.
⤷ But KKR is right. I do have a chicken leg in my hand. Fuck
⤷ Are you alone?
⤷ Yes, I am.
⤷ Couldn't be LOOOL
⤷ You with your family?
⤷ Fuck.
Seeing the comnt section flooded with fucks, the man nodded decisively. "I can't help it. I got to write sothing as well."
What was wrong with being alone?
Grinding his teeth, he was about to place both hands on the keyboard—only to notice the grease on his fingertips. He pulled a tissue from its box on the desk.
He swallowed and sensed the lingering taste of the sweet and spicy chicken. Leaning back in his chair, he glanced over at the chicken bones piled on the living room table. Since his computer was out in the main room, the only sign of life was the remnants of that al. With the TV turned off for the livestream, the place was silent.
After quickly wiping the grease from his fingertips, he clicked on the comnt box again and set his left hand on the keyboard.
Tap, tap.
***
"Hmm. My ears are burning," Kim Ki-Rok said, stepping forward and leaning low.
Swiiish!
Dodging the Awakened criminal's sword, Kim Ki-Rok plunged his dagger into their chest.
"Must be soone badmouthing ..."
Kim Ki-Rok's skills were not widely known. Still, in under half a year, he had built his guild into a sizable force, proving himself far from an opponent to be underestimated.
The Awakened criminal hurriedly channeled a mass of mana to form armor, blocking the dagger's strike.Sparks flew between the dagger surrounded by mana and the mana armor. Though the criminal had blocked a critical blow, Kim Ki-Rok remained utterly unruffled, making the criminal feel uneasy.
"Materialized mana can repel physical attacks and absorb mana-based attacks. That's why we say..."
Kim Ki-Rok retrieved a potion from his subspace pocket and sprayed it at his enemy.
"There's no such thing as an HP bar, but there is an MP bar."
Sizzle!
The criminal's body was drenched by the potion.
"The MP bar replaces the HP bar."
Materialized mana repelled physical attacks and absorbed mana-based ones. That was why any Hunter capable of it would train tirelessly in using mana armor, forming it to block incoming attacks.
"And so, why am I telling you all this?"
Kim Ki-Rok swung his sword again. The Awakened criminal reacted by extending the mana armor around his entire body, but that didn't prevent his neck from being slashed clean.
Holding back the gushing blood with both hands, he staggered and sputtered. "H-how..."
"Although the technique that you're using literally uses mana to block attacks, if you seal the mana itself, it can be easily bypassed."
"P-po... tion..."
"That's right. A potion that outright destroys mana is extrely rare, requiring precious ingredients and a Potion Brewer with outstanding skill. But potions that seal mana is another story."
Thump!
Typically, Hunters conjured mana armor to shield wherever they were about to be struck. In ergencies, they might form full-body armor, burning through a massive amount of mana but ensuring absolute defense. In a crisis, that was worth the trade-off.
However, to employ such a skill, one must have enough mana.
"Well, once you know about it, you can handle it without too much trouble," Kim Ki-Rok said matter-of-factly.
Of course, he had a reason for explaining all this to a man already on the brink of death.
Turning around, Kim Ki-Rok saw so Awakened criminals locked in combat with Hunters. It was the criminals who had first learned how to brew the Mana Block Potion to nullify mana armor. That tactic had helped them kill or capture many unwary Hunters in the past.
Now, those very Hunters, with their senses heightened even further from the heat of battle, heard every word from Kim Ki-Rok's purposefully loud explanation and stared heavily at the criminals. The sa was true for Min Gwang-Cheol, who was currently facing off against Caporegi Cha In-Joon.
Among the Awakened criminals, there were indeed a few holding potion bottles in one hand.
"Damn it," Cha In-Joon growled.
A potion specialist of Old Wolves had brewed this mana-sealing concoction, and they had hoped to spring it as a trump card at a decisive mont, but their plan was already spoiled before they could even try.
Oblivious or uncaring of the criminals' despair, Kim Ki-Rok cheerfully revealed the counterasures, "There are two ways to deal with a Mana Block Potion. The first is to generate a mana shield in the air before it touches you, or boost your physical abilities and evade before it lands. The second is to create mana armor to protect your whole body in advance."
Min Gwang-Cheol nodded understandingly. "Even though your armor would get nullified by the potion, there should be no problem continuing to use mana since the potion hasn't actually touched you..."
Kim Ki-Rok confird, "Pretty much."
Against monsters, mana armor was best.
Against humans, a mana shield was best.
"Now that it's out in the open, I don't think there's anyone foolish enough to fall for this trick anymore."
Clang!
With a brisk motion, Kim Ki-Rok ducked low.
"All right, let's wrap this up."
After all, getting off work on ti was a serious matter.
***
At the Hunters Association, a wave of relief swept through the fourth-floor task force room. The sudden surge in Gates had left them severely understaffed, but despite that, the operation was a success.
"It's finished. We've rooted out every Awakened criminal infiltrating Incheon Port, and managed to capture so alive," said one of the Hunters.
"Phew!"
As the task force room was occupied, the president was receiving a briefing in the conference room on the floor below.
"Any casualties?" Kang Man-Ki asked.
"No fatalities. However, so Hunters have sustained serious injuries," replied a Hunter.
"Where are they from?"
"One of the guilds."
Kang Man-Ki ordered, "Contact that guild to ensure that the injured Hunters receive treatnt without any inconvenience."
"Understood." The employee nodded and got up with his smartphone to make the necessary calls.
Left alone, President Kang Man-Ki glanced at the smartphone he had placed next to his tablet. "I already knew he was a strange one, but this..."
Kim Ki-Rok had started a livestream in the middle of the cleanup operation.
Right in the middle of the takedown operation, he had gone live on cara. Both President Kang Man-Ki and his staff had nearly collapsed in panic. Fortunately, the Guildmaster had ended the livestream after a quick greeting.
"How terrifying." Just thinking about that notification alone gave Kang Man-Ki the chills.
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