“Out of the five, I’ll only evolve four.”
He had already decided what to exclude from evolution.
It was the Bioweapon.
If he evolved the Bioweapon, the Mana Cannon’s power would increase, and from stage 4 onward, he could use Bio Torpedoes.
But the Mana Cannon’s power was already sufficient, and the Bio Torpedoes were more useful in battles between Dimensions or on larger-scale battlefields.
For now, using the Mana Cannon to bombard the enemy was more efficient.
Choi Kangjoong evolved the four aspects.
All the Apocalids’ attack power increased.
The Chitin Gauntlet became even tougher, and their combat abilities improved.
Lutal’s and Kai’s Psionic techniques, along with Kuongi’s Mana Shield, were all enhanced.
[Chitin Blade Stage 4]
- Evolution points required: 1,000,000 points.
[Chitin Gauntlet Stage 4]
- Evolution points required: 1,000,000 points.
[Combat Nerve Stage 4]
- Evolution points required: 1,000,000 points.
[Psionic Stage 4]
- Evolution points required: 1,000,000 points.
[Bioweapon Stage 3]
- Evolution points required: 100,000 points.
“From now on, it’ll take a million points each. I have to level up carefully.”
It was time to build an air force.
Choi Kangjoong entered the evolution room.
[Walker Class]
- Evolution Codes: –
[Scout Class]
- Evolution Codes: Trace Concealment, Acid Pouch.
- Types: Scout, Runner Scout.
[Warrior Class]
- Evolution Codes: Combat Muscle, Acid Pouch.
[Giant Class]
- Evolution Codes: Combat Muscle, Acid Pouch, Telescope Vision.
- Types: Cannon Giant, Skyeye Giant.
[Titan Class]
- Evolution Codes: Combat Muscle, Acid Pouch.
[Supertitan Class]
- Evolution points required to unlock class: 10,000,000 points.
[Hive Class]
- Evolution points required to unlock class: 100,000,000 points.
[Colony Class]
- Evolution points required to unlock class: 1,000,000,000 points.
[Outer Class]
- Evolution points required to unlock class: 10,000,000,000 points.
[Evolution Codes]
- Trace Concealment: 100%
- Combat Muscle: 100%
- Telescope Vision: 100%
- Acid Pouch: 100%
- Wind Flight: 100%
“That’s a big increase.”
Compared to when there was only a Walker and one Scout, it was a complete transformation.
He wanted to unlock the Supertitan Class soon, but ten million evolution points still seemed far away.
“I’ll gather them eventually.”
Imagining the grandeur of the Supertitan Class he would see someday, Choi Kangjoong applied the evolution codes to each class.
“First, attach it to the Walker. They’ll be the ones to fetch things from high places.”
[New Walker Class has been created.]
[Would you like to name it?]
“Air.”
[Apocalid Air Walker has been saved.]
The Air Walker gained flying ability but lost strength, so replacing all Walker Classes with it would be a mistake.
“For the Scout, attach it for reconnaissance.”
Flying also reduced the Scout’s combat capability.
To fly fast, they had to reduce the density of the Chitin Gauntlet to cut weight and use 30% of their body composition for flying.
They could increase production nutrients and grow larger to improve close combat power, but in that case, it was better to just use the Warrior Class.
“Scout is for reconnaissance and assassination. Still, attach the Bioweapon.”
He equipped the Chitin Rifle.
It was a Bioweapon that fired Chitin spikes powered by mana and muscles.
Their muscles were far stronger and more numerous than humans’, making the weapon devastatingly powerful.
If he unlocked Evolution Code upgrades and synthesis later, he could combine it with the Acid Pouch and upgrade it into an Acid Chitin Rifle.
[New Scout Class has been created.]
[Would you like to name it?]
“Air.”
[Apocalid Air Scout has been saved.]
He did a similar process with the Warrior Class.
The Chitin Rifle he installed was bigger and stronger than the Scout’s.
It would be effective against flying enemies like Harpies, Griffins, and Spirits.
[New Warrior Class has been created.]
[Would you like to name it?]
“Fighter.”
[Apocalid Fighter Warrior has been saved.]
For the Giant Class, he installed the Chitin Cannon, larger than the Chitin Rifle.
Its power was weaker than the Mana Cannon but had a higher rate of fire.
Any lack of firepower could be compensated by equipping Bio Torpedoes.
[New Giant Class has been created.]
[Would you like to name it?]
“Fighter.”
[Apocalid Fighter Giant has been saved.]
He produced one of each new class.
The Air Walker flew lightly to bring resources from the top of the Harpy nest.
The Air Scout flew rapidly through Dimensions, pinpointing the locations of the surviving Harpies.
The Fighter Warrior was bigger than large drones, and the Fighter Giant, with just combat power, was reliable.
Flying at high speed, they caught Harpies and brought them to the digestion pit.
“If I make a few more, they’ll be good at taking down mages in the sky.”
There weren’t many nutrients left, so he only produced 10 more Air Scouts and 4 Fighter Warriors.
Still, it was a decent force.
With Air Scouts for reconnaissance and Fighter Giants and Fighter Warriors flying in formation, even B-rank Mages could be caught.
“Good.”
The improvement and proliferation of the Apocalids was Choi Kangjoong’s own progress.
He felt far more joy than when leveling up a game character.
“All, return.”
He summoned the Apocalids.
They all returned to their original positions.
Kuongi and the Apocalid Dimension continued their voyage, while the other Apocalids entered hibernation.
They did not prey on other Dimensions.
At the Apocalid Dimension’s speed, it could take months to reach the Kraken Sea.
Along the way, if they were caught by another force and studied, information about the Apocalids might leak.
“I’ll fly to the Association first.”
Using his newly gained ability, Choi Kangjoong entered Seoul and passed through the city center.
Passing between buildings, he felt like a famous Hunter.
He was in high spirits.
Thud!
He landed with a hero landing in front of the Hunter Association plaza.
Because so many Hunters did this, the plaza floor was made of steel, not stone.
People turned their heads.
Dytubers especially reacted like lightning.
If you had a Dytuber channel covering all Dimensions, with good timing, making money was easy.
The flashy appearance of a Hunter they had never seen before, plus high-speed flight, was a privilege of high-ranking Hunters.
The Dytubers rushed forward with questions but no one could move.
The strange aura around Choi Kangjoong stirred an uncanny sense of fear of the unknown.
Laws and ethics only worked among humans.
Provoking a non-human existence was a death sentence.
“Who is that?”
“Is that a hetero-species Hunter?”
Choi Kangjoong, who might have been flustered by the barrage of questions, felt relief and walked forward.
The Dytubers parted on their own.
He went to the mana stone store he had visited before.
The Dytubers followed him in a swarm until then.
“Are you here to sell mana stones?”
The store owner greeted him familiarly.
Having done business at the Hunter Association many times, he was no stranger to this.
- Choi Kangjoong handed over the Harpie Queen’s mana stone.
The owner placed the mana stone on the mana meter.
“This should be worth about 2 billion.”
“A B-rank monster? That high?”
“It’s on the higher end even for B-rank. Did you catch a Harpie Queen?”
“That’s right. It’s from the Harpie Queen.”
“That adds a premium. The Harpie Queen is easy to spot but hard to catch.”
“Then how much?”
“About 2.5 billion. It could fetch even more at auction.”
The owner placed the mana stone in front of Choi Kangjoong.
He was encouraging him to get more profit through auction.
Choi Kangjoong hesitated.
‘Selling it for a high price is good, but the process might get complicated.’
He was already nervous, and the thought of an auction made his head spin.
‘Still, let’s try. I came to try various things.’
When Choi Kangjoong agreed, the owner called the Auction Manager.
A man in his forties wearing a suit rushed over.
“Hello, Hunter! I’m Jo Taeseong, the Hunter Association Mana Stone Auction Manager.”
After greeting Choi Kangjoong, Jo Taeseong led him to the conference room.
“Harpie Queen’s mana stone?”
“Harpie Queens live in groups with Harpies, right?”
“There must be thousands, so catching one alone would be impossible…”
- The Dytubers checked information through their sources about the Dimension where the Harpies lived.
“All the Harpies in that Dimension disappeared? There are three nests with 5,000 Harpies each.”
“Is there no guild that passed through that Gate? Then did he catch the Harpies alone?”
“There must be a party, right? No party either?”
“Incredible.”
The Dytubers rushed to the Gate where Choi Kangjoong had been moments before.
They were speechless in the middle of the ruined Dimension.
“Hurry and film!”
“We have to post it first!”
The Dytubers scrambled to upload videos.
After washing up and getting dressed, it was time to greet his parents.
Choi Kangjoong waited at the entrance once again.
Even though he had greeted them earlier, his parents still looked pleased.
“Kangjoong, you’ve lost a lot of weight. Have you been working out?”
Yoo Haein touched Choi Kangjoong’s forearm.
She was surprised because there was less to feel than before.
- Choi Kangjoong had lost 5 kilograms in just a few days.
He ran with tremendous stamina and used his muscles enhanced by species evolution, so the fat slowly melted away.
“I’m working out a bit during the day.”
“Good job! Just lose it down to 80 kg. Then I’ll ask Yoon Seohan to set up a blind date for you.”
“Ah, no way. What kind of blind date?”
Choi Kangjoong hesitated.
He wasn’t confident enough yet.
“But Kangjoong, what’s going on with your hair?”
Choi Jooyoung asked.
“Since I became a Hunter, it’s been growing back little by little.”
“Even Hunters can’t fix hair loss.”
“That may be, but I guess I’m an exception.”
“That’s amazing.”
Choi Jooyoung ran his hand through Choi Kangjoong’s hair.
It had been painful seeing his thin, sparse hair, but the rough texture now felt good.
“Don’t get complacent just because it’s fuller now. Look at Dad’s head. Even with good care, the crown is still thinning.”
Choi Jooyoung bowed his head to show the top of his head.
It was bald about the size of a 500-won coin.
Choi Kangjoong thought that with the Chitin Gauntlet, he wouldn’t lose hair, and he promised to keep it that way.
They enjoyed dinner in a warm, friendly atmosphere.
After clearing the table, they sat on the living room sofa eating fruit.
There was nothing interesting on variety shows today, so they watched the news.
‘That’s me?’
The armored man appearing at the Hunter Association and the Dimension devastated at the same time were on the screen.
- A Hunter single-handedly killed fifteen thousand Harpies, causing a sensation. Among them was a Harpie Queen comparable to an A-rank. Thanks to this Hunter’s selfless actions, nearby residents have regained stability.
After the announcer finished, interviews with people living near the Gate were shown.
Everyone was glad the Gate was gone.
“That Hunter is amazing. How did he think of killing fifteen thousand Harpies alone? And he didn’t even ask for money.”
“He’ll probably make a lot by selling the mana stones.”
“He did what should have been done by many. And that was risking his life. How many monsters is a Harpie Queen, anyway?”
Since her daughter was a Hunter, Yoo Haein was knowledgeable about monsters.
“That’s true.”
“The people here must be happy. But having a Gate nearby is kind of scary. Even if monsters don’t come out, you never know what might happen.”
Although more stable than during the Great Cataclysm, the world was still a dangerous place for ordinary people.
Anyone could suddenly fall into a Gate like Choi Kangjoong did, or end up like the woman attacked by dogs.
Even Hunters could die if they weren’t careful.
Hearing his parents’ worries, Choi Kangjoong suddenly wanted to remove such fears.
He wished no one would experience what he had.
“I want to make a safe world.”
He didn’t have a grand dream to eliminate all Gates, monsters, and demons.
He just wanted as many people as possible to live peaceful lives like before.
“I’m not sure of the exact path…but if I reduce monsters and demons, that should be good.”
Choi Kangjoong held his parents’ hands with both of his own, thinking that.
“First, let’s destroy the nearby Black Market.”