Chapter 12: Preparation (4)

Kim Ki-Rok glanced in the direction the siren was coming from, then returned to the park bench with a canned drink he had purchased from a vending machine.

"Here you go."

"Th-thank you."

Lee Ji-Yeon, startled, awkwardly accepted the canned drink, but Kim Ki-Rok didn't say anything. He understood that the situation was confusing. Although she hadn't seen it firsthand, Lee Ji-Yeon had just witnessed a murder. Not only that, but it had been by someone she knew. It would have been rather strange if she had not been fazed at all.

Handing over the drink, Kim Ki-Rok stepped back to put some distance between them. He began to say, "You know, originally..."

"Yes?"

"I thought of showing you this after you had grown as a Hunter. Hunters have to fight not just monsters but also Awakened criminals after all."

Lee Ji-Yeon had heard this during basic training at the Hunters Association. Monsters were not the only enemies of Hunters. Those who used their abilities to satisfy their greed were also considered enemies.

"Let's see..." Kim Ki-Rok, confirming that no one was around, equipped the artifact containing shield magic from his subspace pocket.

"Shield."

With a flash, a sphere-shaped shield was created around Kim Ki-Rok.

"Let's get back to the point. I had planned to show you how to fight criminals after you have grown as a seasoned Hunter. Then, I was going to support you in gaining experience."

"Experience..."

"Yes. Experience. But there was a slight problem."

"A problem?"

"Yes. On June 18th, we will be eradicating Awakened criminals." Kim Ki-Rok explained.

Kim Ki-Rok told Lee Ji-Yeon about the incidents caused by Awakened criminals residing in Gongju, and about the plan to confront them with the help of Shine Guild and Golden Lion Guild.

Krrk!

Lee Ji-Yeon's soda can was crumpled before Kim Ki-Rok could finish his explanation.

Hiss.

Unable to control her emotions, a massive flame erupted around Lee Ji-Yeon. The bench was charred black, but Kim Ki-Rok paid it no mind and sipped his soda.

"How could they do such things?" she said.

"Exactly. How can people do such things?

Tsk!

"

Kim Ki-Rok lightly clicked his tongue and crushed the empty soda can, tossing it into the trash next to the vending machine. Despite the distance, the can made it in with ease.

"Anyway, that's why I fought an Awakened criminal in front of you. Of course, I have no intention of forcing you to come to the operation."

Lee Ji-Yeon nodded slightly, seeming relieved.

"I'll give you time until tomorrow."

"Time? What for?"

"If you're determined, then after you finish with your Gate activities, I'll show you how I fight Awakened criminals for about two hours so you can get used to it."

Lee Ji-Yeon stared blankly. "Uh, so..."

"Yes. If you feel like you can do it after watching me fight, you'll be facing Awakened criminals yourself. How does that sound?"

"Do you think I can do it?"

He offered her an alternative. "If killing them sounds hard, you can just subdue them."

"Subdue them?"

"That's right. You are a Greater Elementalist contracted with a Greater Elemental. You are the only Greater Elementalist in South Korea and one of only ten worldwide."

Finding anyone capable of beating Lee Ji-Yeon in South Korea would be tough.

The next day came around, and just like any other day, Lee Ji-Yeon finished her Gate activities.

She immediately told Kim Ki-Rok who had come to pick her up, "I'm ready, Guildmaster."

"I see. Then let's get going right away." Kim Ki-Rok chuckled and steered the wheel, heading off in a new direction.

Cheerful trot music[1] played throughout the car, but Lee Ji-Yeon unable to shake off the tension and carefully asked, "Who..."

"The target would be an Awakened criminal. So, rather than who..."

"What crimes have they committed?" Lee Ji-Yeon asked instead.

"The criminal we are hunting this time is someone who has committed crimes against other Awakened. He is quite skilled."

The car finally came to a stop.

Lee Ji-Yeon checked the Gate located inside the park and swallowed nervously. "So, the person has committed crimes within a Gate."

"That's correct. Specifically, they've targeted Hunters operating solo without forming a party. They aim for the moment right after a battle has ended, when the Hunters drop their guard and concentration."

They both got out of the car.

"Although not many incidents have been confirmed through reports of crimes committed at this Gate, from what I have gathered, the criminal has committed twelve crimes."

"Twelve crimes?"

"Yes, twelve. Despite that, they had not been caught yet because they were just released two days ago."

"Released? They were in prison?"

"Yes."

"A criminal who committed robbery and murder was released from prison?"

"No." Kim Ki-Rok shook his head lightly as he filled out the Gate entry form in front of the Gate. "The person was caught for a different crime, specifically drug trafficking," he explained.

"Drug trafficking?"

"Yes. And he was sentenced to three years in prison."

"Ha... haha." she laughed awkwardly.

"Anyway, for that reason, he had no choice but to stop committing robbery and murder." Kim Ki-Rok continued.

"But Guildmaster."

"Yes, Miss Ji-Yeon."

"How did you know the criminal who was released two days ago would visit this place?"

"I purchased information from a trader operating in the illegal market, commonly known as the Black Market."

"So the Black Market is real?"

"It is." Kim Ki-Rok said, completing the entry form and passing through the Gate entrance with Lee Ji-Yeon.

A vast plain unfolded in front of their eyes. Despite it being well into the evening, Hunters could still be seen diligently hunting monsters for levels or money.

Kim Ki-Rok and Lee Ji-Yeon continued walking. They headed toward the forest in the distance beyond the plain. It was hard to gauge how long they had been walking for.

Kim Ki-Rok stopped explaining and looked straight ahead. "There they are."

Walking behind Kim Ki-Rok, Lee Ji-Yeon raised her head and looked at the open field ahead. "Those two?"

A man in his early forties was holding a shield, and a young man in his late twenties was behind him pulling on a bowstring. Lee Ji-Yeon first confirmed that the middle-aged man with the shield did not have a weapon, then turned her attention to the archer behind him.

The archer seemed great at dishing out damage. After attacking the monster, he immediately moved to take cover. The tank in the front used their skill to draw aggro[2] if it seemed like it would shift to the young man. Their coordination was quite good.

"Is the archer the criminal?"

"No."

"Then, the man with the shield?"

"No."

Was the criminal neither of them?

Lee Ji-Yeon tilted her head. Looking back at her, Kim Ki-Rok grinned and pulled a dagger from the subspace pocket.

The archer had just shot his fifth arrow, impaling the last monster in its forehead. The middle-aged man wiped his sweat off with relief while the young man took a deep breath and lowered his bow.

At that moment, when all the tension in their battle had dissipated, Kim Ki-Rok threw the dagger he had been holding. It flew rapidly past the two men who had just finished the hunt, prompting a reaction from both of them.

"

Gasp!

"

"

Ugh!

"

It bounced off the ground with a sharp metallic sound. The middle-aged man quickly raised his shield in the direction that the dagger bounced while the young man aimed his bow toward where it had been thrown.

Despite seeing the bow aimed at him, Kim Ki-Rok nonchalantly walked forward, a dagger in each hand.

"There is a C-Class Awakened criminal here, and they have an illusion ability," Kim Ki-Rok announced.

The two men who had been hunting raised their mana to strengthen their bodies and heighten their senses.

An Awakened criminal.

Upon hearing those words, the two men began to move quickly. As they did not trust Kim Ki-Rok, the two retreated backward, guarding their position and keeping a wary eye on him.

Suddenly, the space around them distorted and a black-robed person who Kim Ki-Rok identified as the criminal appeared where the middle-aged man had been standing.

"

Ah!

" one of the two men exclaimed.

"He was right," said the other.

The person's hood was pulled deep, hiding their face. The criminal held a longsword stained with blood.

"Miss Ji-Yeon, please protect those two."

"Right..."

Confirming that Lee Ji-Yeon had stopped where she was, Kim Ki-Rok shouted at the black-robed criminal trying to retreat stealthily. "Kang Sung-Hyun, the Awakened criminal who used to live in Jung, Seoul."

The black-robed criminal, looking for an opportunity to escape, stopped and glanced at Kim Ki-Rok.

The latter continued, "You're twenty-eight years old. After serving a three-year sentence for drug trafficking and being released just two days ago, you committed twelve armed robberies and murders. You live in room 203 of Gangsan Officetel[3] in Jung District, Seoul. You use the nickname 'AWX' in the Black Market..."

"You little shit!!"

Thud!

Kang Sung-Hyun rushed forward furiously, but Kim Ki-Rok threw a dagger to restrain him and drew his longsword. Until now, he had only used daggers to hunt Awaken criminals discreetly. But with many watching eyes this time, he had decided to change his approach.

"Mirror."

[

Kim Ki-Rok

] (Kang Sung-Hyun)

Level: 1

Strength: 48

Vitality: 47

Magic: 45

Willpower: 46

Skills: Record (E), Time Rabbit's Luggage (S), Mirror (D)

Kim Ki-Rok smiled as he quickly checked the status window that appeared and disappeared.

Kling!

The disparity in experience was apparent. The same could be said of their Mana Proficiency.

Plunge!

Had it been ten minutes? No, it had just taken one minute to take the life of a level 45 Awakened criminal.

"H-how...?" the black-robed man was perplexed.

"Why would I tell you that?"

Kim Ki-Rok ignored the impeccable illusion that was conjured, accurately deflected the real enemy's attack, and swiftly found the opportunity to counter.

Thud!

Kim Ki-Rok looked down at the fallen Kang Sung-Hyun, whose body was already stiffening from post-mortem rigidity, then slowly turned around. Although Lee Ji-Yeon had been determined, she was trembling so much that she looked almost pitiful. However, she did not avert her gaze.

After checking Lee Ji-Yeon's condition, Kim Ki-Rok turned back around. There were still two men nearby who were keeping their guard up. The two men were nervously trying to avoid eye contact but caught Kim Ki-Rok's gaze.

Kim Ki-Rok smiled broadly as he looked at the two men. "Oh, you are in luck. I'm the Guildmaster of the Hunter Guild, DG Guild. We do Gate activities by day and hunt criminals at night," he said.

"DG Guild?" one of them asked.

"Yes, DG Guild. Since we're a recently established guild, we haven't made business cards or a guild website yet, but you can check it out at the Hunters Association."

"I see. Oh, I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I'm D-Class Hunter Choi Dae-Hyun."

"I'm D-Class Hunter Cha Soo-Hyun."

Although Choi Dae-Hyun and Cha Soo-Hyun kept up their guard, they responded politely. It was hard not to loosen up in front of a smiling face.

"Well, I'm sorry, but could you wait until someone from the Hunters Association arrives? For that guy." Kim Ki-Rok gestured to the attacker's body.

Although Choi Dae-Hyun and Cha Soo-Hyun wanted to leave this place immediately, they understood what must be done.

"Would that be okay with you?" Kim Ki-Rok confirmed with them.

They both relaxed and awkwardly smiled while glancing at the dead body. "Huh? Oh, yes. That's fine."

After thanking them, Kim Ki-Rok turned to Lee Ji-Yeon. "By the way, do you know about the Baek Du Mountain Guild?"

"Yes, I know about them. They're famous, aren't they?" Lee Ji-Yeon replied with a stiff expression, her eyes also fixed on the body.

"Then, have you heard of the rookie Hunter, Lee Mi-So, who has joined the Baek Du Mountain Guild?"

"Of course. She was featured in the news as a promising Hunter in South Korea."

The rookie Hunter Lee Mi-So, who had awakened her B-Class ability, was famous for her exceptional talent, powerful ability, and...

Lee Ji-Yeon widened her eyes and looked at Kim Ki-Rok. "Huh!?"

The two men cautiously eavesdropping on Kim Ki-Rok's words jerked their heads to look at the black-robed figure.

The rookie Hunter Lee Mi-So, who had joined the Baek Du Mountain Guild and awakened her B-Class ability, had revealed her past in an interview. Her family had tragically died at the hands of an Awakened criminal, and she was now in search of the perpetrator.

"No way," she said in disbelief.

"Yes, way. That man is the criminal who killed Hunter Lee Mi-So's parents."

1. Trot music is a traditional genre of Korean pop music often associated with older generations and characterized by repetitive melodies and upbeat tempos. ☜

2. A gaming term short for "aggression," meaning to attract the attention of monsters so they focus on you instead of others. ☜

3. A word combining "office" and "hotel" and is used to refer to buildings that have combined residential and commercial space, which is common in Korea. ☜