The Way of Life for a Terminal S-Class Hunter - C17
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I might not be our dad.”
How disgusted must Seo-heon have been, seeing me hide from him, the real victim, while I was lost in my own sorrow? Wouldn’t Seo-heon have been utterly fed up?
Even though I knew Seo-heon wasn’t that kind of person, once the floodgates of negative thoughts opened, they wouldn’t stop.
“Woo-hyun. I’ve awakened too.”
Instead of responding to my apology, Seo-heon suddenly brought up a new topic. As I looked up at him with dumb eyes, Seo-heon stroked my cheek.
“Let’s go to the association together and get tested. Hunters don’t have to worry about what others think.”
Seo-heon’s hand was excessively gentle.
“Seo-heon.”
“I’m okay. As long as you’re okay, everything’s okay.”
That couldn’t be true, and it shouldn’t be. But for this moment, I wanted it to be okay.
“Okay.”
My head started to hurt again from the sound of laughter coming from somewhere. Someone was loudly protesting.
[What’s the point of showing this?]
[It’s just preparation. Wait a little longer.]
A sharp voice was trying to soothe someone.
I decided to stay by Seo-heon’s side for just a little longer, in that moment when Seo-heon was genuinely kind to me.
***
“You’re both S-class.”
This was the answer we heard after going through several machines and completing strength and sensory tests. The researcher’s expression showed perplexity as they looked at me.
“In Woo-hyun’s case, considering the heat you felt during your awakening and the name of the skill you used, it seems your main ability will be fire-based attacks.”
For the son of an arsonist to be an S-class hunter specializing in fire attacks – it was too cruel to be a joke of fate, and too much to be karma.
“Seo-heon’s [Wings of the Void] skill, given that it manipulates air flow, seems open to both attack and support. The [Ice Path] skill has a stronger attack tendency.”
“I see.”
Unlike me, who was awkward in every situation, Seo-heon was proficient. It was the reaction of someone hearing information they already knew.
“When was your awakening?”
“Last fall.”
Despite being completely intimidated, I couldn’t hide my surprise and stared at Seo-heon with wide eyes.
“If it had been just three months later, you would have been fined. Good thing you came now. Please wait here for a moment.”
The researcher hurriedly ran off somewhere. Left alone, I brought up the question that had been on the tip of my tongue.
“Why didn’t you tell me you had awakened?”
“I didn’t plan on becoming a hunter. And you hadn’t awakened yet.”
Seo-heon whispered to me softly. It seemed he had vaguely anticipated receiving a high rank. High-ranking hunters were scarce worldwide, and even A-class hunters faced intense pressure to become hunters. For S-class, it was even more so. Many ended up becoming hunters despite refusing, pushed by circumstances.
When I had complained about not being able to control my strength and Seo-heon said it was because he exercised, it was just an excuse. I only now realized that his strength had increased due to his awakening, and even after gaining some experience, fine control was still difficult.
Even I had broken several cup handles in the week after my awakening.
Later, Seo-heon filled the cupboard with hard-to-break materials, saying it was dangerous.
“Then why did you suggest coming here?”
“There’s something I want to protect, and I think I’ll need power for that.”
I couldn’t bring myself to ask if it was because of me.
“Thank you for your hard work with the tests! Now, after a brief explanation, you can register as hunters if you want and then leave.”
The explanation continued that those who wanted to become hunters could register with the state, and those with no interest in that line of work could just complete the awakening report and go home. Of course, hunter registration was possible at any time, so there was no need to worry, the researcher added hastily.
“Thank you.”
Less than a day after the test ended, the news was constantly broadcasting about me. Even in trivial internet news, articles were continuously posted saying that the son of an arsonist had fire abilities and should be under special management. Some even started petitions in support of these articles.
“I can understand why.”
Seo-heon, who would have told me not to look at my phone, was out. I took this opportunity to search freely for content attacking our family. Far from being forgotten, that incident was exposed in the media daily in varied ways. Videos about children who suddenly became orphans after losing their families, articles about the collapsed local economy, documentaries about where my father’s hidden demonic nature came from… The materials were endless. So people’s anger showed no signs of diminishing.
Being in this house made me forget my circumstances, so caution was necessary. However, the reality I experienced directly and the world I saw through electronic devices were different.
“Maybe I’ll go to the mart.”
Seo-heon hadn’t been able to come home for two days. Although he didn’t want to go out, a newly adult S-class hunter was in the spotlight, and there were truckloads of people who wanted to know even a little about him. Minimal interviews and talks with major guilds were necessary. For this reason, the refrigerator was empty.
Of course, food or ingredients could be delivered, but I increasingly wanted to face reality. I needed to internalize that I was the son of a murderer. Wanting to go to the mart was an excuse; I wanted to silently endure the hateful gazes directed at me. Such a sudden impulse raised my body that had been lying listlessly. I put on some clothes roughly and opened the front door.
“Oh, he’s coming out!”
Numerous shutter sounds filled the alley. There were far more people gathered in front of the house than when I went to school a few days ago.
“Is it true that you awakened as S-class?”
“Is there any connection between your father’s arson and your skill?”
I pushed through the crowd. As I kept my head down and only said sorry, some people lost interest, while others persistently followed.
“Why are you staying in this house? Isn’t this where the family of the CEO who built Sewoon lives?”
I was curious too. Why were Seo-heon and his mother protecting me?
I passed through the group of reporters with my head down silently. The next thing that hit me was the gaze of the neighborhood people. Seeing the once-kind gazes now turned cold was more painful than dealing with the reporters.
“Damn bastard! Why didn’t you die!”
The man who was shouting threw a stone at me. The gathered people and reporters were all looking at me with cameras raised. They seemed to want me to get angry. As I kept my head down and apologized, the man who threw the stone instead hesitated and backed away. The stone was quite large, but thanks to my awakening, it didn’t even itch.
Would it have hurt if it was a knife?
I walked forward, accepting all the criticisms directed at me. It felt like the natural course of events.
“Why, why did he do it? You must know, right?”
However, I couldn’t ignore the voice of a woman that sounded like it was about to fade away.
“Why did he kill them!”
The hoarse voice that sounded like a scream choked my throat. The strength of the person with a thin, frail body was strong, as if squeezing out their last bit of energy.
“I’m sorry. I really don’t know.”
It wasn’t my fault, but I was the only one left. I couldn’t hate my father who committed the crime, so I wanted to at least receive punishment.
My breath was cut off. Even as my vision blurred, I could sense a commotion beyond the people surrounding me. Someone was pushing through the crowd towards me.
“Please step back a bit.”
Men in military uniforms separated the person choking me and myself. Those uniforms, different from regular soldiers, were from the notorious Hunter Military that had appeared on a current affairs broadcast a few months ago.
“Are you Baek Woo-hyun?”
Although the Hunter Military Training Institution was a voluntary system, it was reported to engage in many intimidating, violent acts and exploitation, taking advantage of its closed nature, mainly targeting young hunters.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Nevertheless, those with nowhere else to go often entered the training institution. Just like me.
The face of the man in uniform suddenly distorted and changed into an androgynous face.
[It’s starting to ripen nicely.]
I stared with dead eyes at the unknown face.
[I find it so entertaining when a happy child falls to the ground and cries. The energy that bursts out then is the most delicious.]
With a kiss, something unpleasant and hot entered my body. My stomach felt strangely heavy and hot.
[Wasn’t it fun for you too? You looked more lively than now.]
Are you asking if these horrible days were fun?
[Woo-hyun, everything’s okay.]
Seo-heon’s voice faintly echoed.
[I’ll… take… revenge…]
Thanks to Seo-heon’s voice heard from the edge of consciousness, I remembered that the being in front of me was a succubus. My consciousness, which had been stuck in the past, found its rightful place. Running through time, my younger self became who I am now.
“Is it fun playing with people’s consciousness?”
I pushed away the succubus who was greedily exploring my mouth and spoke.
His eyes were filled with shock, as if he had seen something that shouldn’t exist. The succubus, who had grown more than twice as large from eating memories and energy, never imagined I would regain consciousness. As I forced myself to stand up, my whole body felt as if it was burned.
[S-class skill, Flame of Life, has been forcibly activated. All skills are temporarily recovered. While the flame burns, you can exert your skills at 200%. As a skill penalty, your lifespan is reduced by 1 day.]