“Customer twenty-one.”
“Yes.”
The Awakener Switches Jobs to Hunter
A plain-looking man took the iced americano he had ordered and sat down at a table.
“Kay. All our comrades who went to the meeting room have been captured.”
At the man’s words, the plain young man called Kay took a sip of his cold coffee. The smooth yet bitter taste rolling around in his mouth was interesting. Of course, the situation unfolding right now was even more interesting.
“There’s nothing to be done about it.”
It was all as expected from the start. No matter how much the Moderate Faction might be a people who avoid conflict, it didn’t mean they didn’t know how to fight. They, too, had come over to this world as warriors.
The Overseer and the Hero have joined hands. Naturally, the Hero would be lying in wait with a trap. He was someone desperate to catch criminals, after all.
Slurp.
Kay savored another sip of his coffee.
“What’s happening on that side?”
“They’ve just entered combat.”
“Is that so?”
Kay slowly rose from his seat.
“Let’s get going.”
“Where are we heading?”
The people in the cafe were preoccupied, staring out the window at the chaos. Rows of Police and Guarder vehicles had already gathered. A perimeter was beginning to form around a certain building.
“I should go save them, at least.”
Kay muttered as he drank the bitter americano again.
—
“This is it.”
Kim Yeo-jin stepped out of the car and looked at the townhouse. It was a fine house with its own yard. It looked like it would cost a decent amount.
‘I’m so jealous. I should be living in a house like this. Instead, I always have to live in gloomy places.’
Since the Government declared the Villain War and their period of living in hiding grew longer, living in a nice house like this had become nothing more than a dream.
“It’ll be just as Kay said soon, so hang in there.”
“Sob. I suppose so.”
The seven elite agents, including Kim Yeo-jin, decided to make their move for their mission. What they wanted was the owner of this house—Lee Seoyeon, the family member of the Hunter Lee Hyunbin.
She possessed the power to cross dimensions. They had confirmed it last time. It was the power they had been so desperately seeking.
‘Lord’s Power.’
Kim Yeo-jin licked her lips, whispering the word that would fulfill their dreams. They knocked on the door that the owner had not permitted them to enter several times.
“My, is no one home?”
“No, she hasn’t left since she came home from school.”
“Oh my. So she’s being naughty and staying inside? Is she trying to recreate that Home Alone feeling?”
Kim Yeo-jin laughed as she spoke. A mere gate couldn’t stop them. Ignoring the gazes of others, they smashed the gate and entered.
“This is it!”
Kim Yeo-jin shouted excitedly. Usually quiet, Kim Yeo-jin was the type to become extremely hyperactive before a battle. Just as her colleagues, who knew this, were laughing loosely—
Fwoosh!
A sphere of flames flew at them unexpectedly. Kim Yeo-jin flinched, unable to dodge. In that moment, a man holding a square shield quickly moved to defend.
For a second, the iron shield glowed bright red before fading.
“What’s with these guys?”
“It looks like this might get a bit troublesome.”
People emerged from the other side as if they had been waiting. There was the girl the Villains intended to kidnap, along with five men and one woman.
“It’s Seohyeonji.”
Kim Yeo-jin licked her lips as she looked at Seohyeonji. Having met her before, Seohyeonji only let out a low sigh. She had wondered if it would really happen, and just as the Team Leader said, the Villains had raided the house.
“I’ve seen these guys on the list. They’re members of Team Three.”
“I think there are some new faces too.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter. It wouldn’t be fun if it were too easy anyway.”
The Villains immediately drew their weapons. Kim Yeo-jin also looked delighted as her right hand swelled significantly.
“Everyone, don’t let your guard down. They’ll be stronger than you think.”
“Sister Hyeonji.”
“What?”
“By the way, who’s going to be our leader?”
“…”
Seohyeonji was momentarily speechless at Kim Taeyang’s question.
“Obviously me?”
“Hey, it should be me. You’re going to be a Supporter in the back, Sister.”
“No. In this case, it should be the person with the best brain.”
“That’s me.”
The Three Foreign Brothers also started eyeing the leader position. Watching Team Three chat idly, the Villains were somewhat dumbfounded.
“What an amusing bunch.”
“Kill everyone except the girl Kay mentioned.”
“Can I kill Seohyeonji?”
“Do whatever you want.”
The Villains lunged forward simultaneously.
“Seoyeon, buff!”
“I already did it!”
“Oh!”
Though she looked like a teenage girl, Lee Seoyeon was someone whose body was seasoned by battle alongside the Hero.
Kim Taeyang was the first to spring forward. He was a person who was agile, aggressive, and loved flashy things. And his counterpart was on the other side as well.
“First, the blonde one!”
Kim Yeo-jin’s giant hand, with its teeth and claws swelling significantly, lunged at Kim Taeyang.
Swish!
“!”
Kim Yeo-jin missed him. Accelerating his body, Kim Taeyang stuck to her side and swung his kukri.
Clang!
The moment Kim Taeyang’s kukri tried to slash Kim Yeo-jin’s waist, the square shield intervened.
“Tch!”
“Don’t just charge in blindly!”
The shield-wielding Villain shouted and countered with a shield Skill. However, Kim Taeyang easily evaded again and struck from the side.
“This brat, hopping around!”
Kim Yeo-jin swung her blade-like claws. Kim Taeyang’s neck was exposed and vulnerable. She intended to tear his throat out, but a sharp spearhead pierced through her hand.
It was Kim Inho, who had followed behind Kim Taeyang. Meanwhile, Kim Taeyang slashed the thigh of the Villain with the square shield as he passed by.
Kim Taeyang and Kim Inho. As the first members of this team, they had experienced interpersonal combat every single day. Their opponent had been Lee Hyunbin.
Team Leader Lee Hyunbin had sparred with them using a sword one day, martial arts the next, and a spear the day after—changing his attack style daily. The two of them had always wondered why a Porter like Team Leader Lee Hyunbin was so proficient in various attack styles.
But one thing was certain.
“Inho!”
The two had grown strong. Because they had sparred with the strongest every day.
Kim Inho poured plenty of Magic Power into his Sahbok Spear. According to his will, the spear extended and transformed like a whip.
Whish, whish!
Kim Inho swung his spear freely around himself.
The square shield blocked the threatening attacks. In that gap, Kim Taeyang charged in a straight line. His target was the opponent with the lowest defense.
“What, this bastard is aiming for me!”
The Villain who was casting a magic Skill cried out in surprise. In that moment, his Concentration wavered. Kim Taeyang recalled the words of the Team Leader.
— Regeneration users heal small scratches quickly. In other words, they don’t die easily. Of course, getting stabbed hurts like hell. Avoid fatal wounds, but strike the enemy’s bones.
If he took just a bit of damage himself, the battle dynamic would become easier. Especially after taking out the enemy Mage.
“You brat!”
The Villain with the sword attacked, trying to block Kim Taeyang’s sudden movement. Kim Taeyang ducked and accelerated like a fired arrow.
“Uh!”
The Mage’s eyes widened for a split second.
Slash!
A line of blood was drawn across the Mage’s neck. Kim Taeyang ignored the searing pain he felt on his back. Compared to being hit by the Team Leader, this was merely a tickle.
“This is it!”
“Sumin! You crazy bastard!”
Seeing their allied Mage instantly spraying blood from his neck, a Villain spat out his rage. Even though Kim Taeyang had killed a person, he didn’t suffer from guilt. Perhaps because of the System’s interference, he viewed it like a hunt.
One thing was clear: Kim Taeyang had shown talent even during his first Monster hunt. That talent was hesitating for nothing.
“AF!”
At Seohyeonji’s signal, Kim Taeyang rolled on the ground and escaped from the enemy’s grasp. Kim Inho did the same.
The summoned Egnir poured out arrows of flame toward the enemies. Following Kim Taeyang’s sudden ambush and the subsequent spirit magic attack, the Villains couldn’t organize themselves properly, and their formation broke.
The Villains had come to take, and these people had come to protect. The Villains were the ones who attacked first, but the other side was actually fighting more aggressively.
“Aim for the Mage!”
Kim Yeo-jin’s shrill cry rang out. Before her shout even finished, a dagger flew toward Seohyeonji. At that moment, a hexagonal shield barrier formed in front of Seohyeonji and deflected the dagger.
‘Mana Shield?’
The pupils of the Villains, including Kim Yeo-jin, widened significantly. The Mana Shield just now had been used by the young girl in the very back.
She had placed attack buffs on her allies before the battle even started and was now using defensive Skills. Moreover, she had the power to move through dimensions.
‘She’s a total monster, isn’t she?’
Kim Yeo-jin curled her lips into a smirk, finding it absurd. They were losing the battle. However, she had something she believed in.
“Brother Hero raised these kids well, didn’t he?”
Kim Yeo-jin smiled brightly. She charged toward Lee Seoyeon alone, just as Kim Taeyang had done. Three of the knights swung their swords at Kim Yeo-jin.
Crack!
The swords caught in her giant hand were shattered with a loud noise. Seeing this, Lee Ja-rang swung down his mace. However, Kim Yeo-jin kicked Lee Ja-rang in the stomach and quickly reached out her hand.
“…!”
Lee Ja-rang couldn’t dodge. Kim Yeo-jin’s arm had extended like a rubber band. Caught by the shoulder, Lee Ja-rang screamed in pain.
Crunch.
Kim Yeo-jin’s Hand of Gluttony tore off a chunk of Lee Ja-rang’s shoulder. Meanwhile, the second brother with the halberd attacked Kim Yeo-jin to save his comrade.
However, she dodged nimbly and charged, retracting the hand that had mangled Lee Ja-rang.
“Gah!”
The three knights were taken down by Kim Yeo-jin in an instant. Even if they hadn’t fully regained their proper strength since coming to the modern world, Kim Yeo-jin’s power was beyond common sense.
“Get down!”
Seohyeonji re-summoned Egnir to cover Kim Yeo-jin.
“This is fun, so fun.”
Kim Yeo-jin grinned. She swung her Hand of Gluttony.
“…”
Seohyeonji doubted her eyes for a moment. Kim Yeo-jin’s giant hand had swallowed Egnir whole. To swallow a spirit summoned through Magic Power as a medium—this was beyond common sense.
Whish!
With a sharp sound of piercing air, the Hand of Gluttony aimed for Seohyeonji. She canceled the spirit summoning she was preparing and dodged.
Though she was a Spirit Summoner, she had also undergone basic combat training through Lee Hyunbin. Because of that, she could dodge most attacks.
In that moment, Kim Yeo-jin’s arm bent unnaturally and flew at her.
“…!”
Seohyeonji’s leg was caught by Kim Yeo-jin.
“Aaaagh!”
Blood began to pour from her seized foot.
“Sister Hyeonji!”
Kim Taeyang shouted as he saw his ally being taken down behind him. But he no longer had the luxury to worry.
“You brat, where are you looking!”
The Villain who had lost a comrade to Kim Taeyang’s surprise attack began to pour out his own. Kim Taeyang dodged and kept him in check, but the attacks from the venomous opponent were not easy to handle. No, he was being pushed back.
If not for Kim Inho supporting him with well-timed thrusts from the Sahbok Spear, Kim Taeyang might have been taken down long ago.
“These two bastards are so annoying!”
Kim Inho was also under attack.
“I’ve hated you since the first time I saw you, you know?”
Kim Yeo-jin held Seohyeonji upside down and smiled as their faces met.
“Because your ‘pretty girl’ act was so damn irritating.”
Kim Yeo-jin caught the blood flowing from Seohyeonji’s foot with her left hand. Then, she smiled faintly as she smeared it on her lips like rouge.
“Mage types are always a problem. They can’t focus on using Skills because of the pain.”
“That might be… your mistake…?”
Seohyeonji formed a hand seal even as her face contorted in pain.
Thump!
A spear made of earth shot up from the ground and sent Kim Yeo-jin flying. Seohyeonji, having forcibly summoned an Earth Spirit, stood up again.
Pain rushed over her like a tide from her torn and broken ankle. Even so, if she stayed down, she would be finished by Kim Yeo-jin.
Kim Yeo-jin. Among the Hardline Faction, there were three strongest members. The Office Worker who was a shadow specialist, the Holy Knight Seol Jihoon, and finally, the glutton Kim Yeo-jin before her eyes.
“That hurt.”
Kim Yeo-jin stood up immediately and giggled.
“Sister!”
She charged again as if she had taken no damage at all. Seohyeonji couldn’t even dodge and formed another hand seal. Kim Yeo-jin’s hand enlarged and aimed for Seohyeonji once more.
Sizzle!
The Mana Shield created by Lee Seoyeon blocked Kim Yeo-jin’s attack. Kim Yeo-jin blinked. A Mana Shield with a hardness strong enough to block her attack. And at the same time, there was a girl healing Seohyeonji’s wounds.
“What’s with that kid? She really is a monster. Something like that is possible?”
Kim Yeo-jin laughed as if it were delightful. She had failed her first attack, but the battle was not over. Cold sweat also beaded on Lee Seoyeon’s forehead. The impact felt through the Mana Shield was no joke. If not for the Stamina training she had received from Lee Hyunbin, she might have collapsed herself.
The battle was unfavorable. All because of this monster estimated to be an S-rank, Kim Yeo-jin. Seohyeonji was also an S-rank, but it was too much for her to handle a murderer who had built up combat experience for so long.
“Let’s see how long you can block. Hmm?”
Kim Yeo-jin’s eyes glistened with madness. Her hand grew even larger. With the attack coming so suddenly, Seohyeonji couldn’t even re-summon her spirit and stood there awkwardly.
“Die!”
Kim Yeo-jin’s enlarged hand slammed down toward Seohyeonji.
Bang!
In that moment, Kim Yeo-jin’s gluttony was repelled by something.
Bang, bang!
Like her, her comrades began to fall one by one. Something invisible was flying through the air, creating the sound of tearing wind. It was a scene that felt like déjà vu to Kim Yeo-jin.
“Yeah. I told you the surgery went well. Don’t worry, Mom.”
A white-haired foreigner walked into the battlefield.
“I have no problem moving, so don’t worry. Right now, I’m here to get revenge on the person who smashed my arm.”
The man sneered coldly, exhaling cigarette smoke. He was a mixed-blood man whose father was German and mother was Korean. An S-rank Hunter known as Cutting Board had suddenly appeared.
“What’s this? You look energetic, Brother.”
Kim Yeo-jin recognized Cutting Board and gave a charming smile.
“I am energetic. Though I ended up with something quite intense because of you.”
Cutting Board’s right fist aimed at Kim Yeo-jin. Then, he slowly extended his middle finger.
“It hasn’t been long since it was newly attached, so this guy is a bit rude. It doesn’t listen to me very well.”
Cutting Board spoke as he folded the impolite finger with his left hand.
“You don’t have to worry about the friend who came with me. This guy just followed me as a babysitter to see if I was okay.”
“Babysitter? To begin with, the Great Myth Guild is simply paying back a debt.”
The person standing silently next to Cutting Board was the individual known as the ranked number one Hunter.
“Emperor of Flames?”
The man called the Emperor of Flames stood with his arms crossed and a dissatisfied look on his face.
He had a debt to Hunter Lee Hyunbin of the Hanul Guild for saving Cutting Board and the people of Team Six.
Therefore, he had granted Team Leader Lee Hyunbin’s sudden request.
“Wow, this has turned into a shitty situation.”
The other Villains felt the same way as Kim Yeo-jin.
“Now then, let’s begin the revenge, young lady.”
Several energies writhed around Cutting Board and began to pierce through the air.