Chapter 5
There was still quite a bit of time before dinner, so I decided to go to the Korean Hunter a.s.sociation.
‘I guess receiving F as my rank would be best.’
I thought I should just tell them the basic skills and hide my t.i.tle and t.i.tle Supplementary Skills. Don’t even mention having one L-Grade, not even S-Grade, defense skill; an F-Rank with L~S-Grade support skills is too excessive[1]. Especially if it comes out that the owner of skills that can be used outside of dungeons like ‘My Brat’ and ‘Seed-Leaf’ doesn’t have the ability to defend himself, it’d be the same as setting up a billboard saying ‘please come and eat me’.
Since you could use my skills by kidnapping me and using threat and torture.
If your support skills are ones that are used in the middle of battle, it’s possible for things to become like ‘I’m taking you down with me’, so it’s better form a party as normal. But if your support skills are ones that could be used outside of dungeons, that aren’t related to battle, you could be caught and made to work like a slave instead of paid work, and that’s that.
Actually, there were a lot of victims.
‘That’s why I had hidden the ‘Caregiver’ t.i.tle.’
If I had revealed it to the a.s.sociation, I could’ve raised my Hunter Rank, but I was too afraid and didn’t. Back then, I thought my dongsaeng and I had a bad relations.h.i.+p, and didn’t think I could get protection.
What should I do this time.
‘I guess telling Yoohyun everything and getting protection while helping out with guild matters would be best?’
It would be too hard to explain ‘Dragon Slayer’ so I should leave that out, and only tell him about ‘Perfect Caregiver’. Even with just ‘Auspicious Seed-Leaf’, I’d be able to play the role of ‘hyung’ well. If I recruit a lot of super talented rookies, far from chasing me out of the guild, they’d probably set aside a seat for me.
Cheerfully imagining this, I opened the door. And then met his eyes.
"Uh……"
A fellow with a tall stature easily over 190[2] and intimidating build was looking at me with a cold look on his face, while leaning against the corridor wall next to the door.
Rank Awakened Person Kim Sunghan.
He was one of Haeyeon Guild Leader Han Yoohyun’s loyal right-hand men, a combat Hunter specialized in defense. His loyalty to Yoohyun was high so he had considered me an eyesore.
…Apparently that was still the case, looking at his face.
But why was he here. Pa.s.sing by… rather than that, he was standing still, leaning back.
"Um… h.e.l.lo?"
Kim Sunghan cleanly ignored my greeting. What was this. Originally, there wasn’t a situation like this. After listening to Yoohyun’s nagging, I had been furious and had run out, yelling that I could take care of myself and to stop bothering me.
"I have something to take care of. Have a good day[3]."
Having said this, I went to go past him.
"You can’t."
A low, heavy voice stopped me. Not just with his voice, he grabbed my arm.
"Guild Leader ordered me to watch over you and stop you from leaving."
"……Excuse me[4]?"
But why? Did he think I was going to go find an Awakening Broker again? Can’t trust your hyung? …If it were me, I wouldn’t trust either.
"I’m not thinking of getting into trouble. I’m just going to go out for a bit and come right back. Just one hour is enough."
From here to the Hunter a.s.sociation was 10 minutes by taxi, and since it was a weekday, there would be less people, so I’d finish in about one hour. But the hand that was holding my arm didn’t move one bit.
"Obediently go back into your room, please[5]."
"No really it’s just… a moment……"
Meeting the gradually fiercening gaze, my voice petered out on its own. Just then.
[Pressure is nullified!]
The ‘Fear Resistance’ skill effect was demonstrated. But so what if I had the skill. If I dared to say I wasn’t afraid, I’d probably get hit. Seriously useless.
"I understand. I’ll go back in, I’ll go in."
I shook off Kim Sunghan’s hand and turned back. In front of an Rank, I’m nothing[6], and he’s not flexible enough that my words will go through to him. That’s right, should I try a skill?
When I turned around again, the corners of Kim Sunghan’s eyes wrinkled. What, a.s.shole. Even if you glare at me, it’s not going to get through. When I used ‘Auspicious Seed-Leaf’, a Status Window came up.
[Awakened Person – Kim Sunghan
Current stat rank A
Possible Awakening stat rank A~S
Optimized Initial Skills
Indomitable Body(S) Acquisition failure
Regeneration(S) Acquisition failure
The Earth’s s.h.i.+eld(A) Acquired]
What a waste! I almost shouted thoughtlessly. Possible Awakening stats were at most S-Rank and he had two S-Rank stats that were possible to acquire! In my memory, Kim Sunghan’s initial skills were ‘The Earth’s s.h.i.+eld’ and ‘Stamping Feet’. ‘Stamping Feet’ was also Rank but apparently it wasn’t an optimal skill.
‘Wow, it’s really a waste. Can an already Awakened person Reawaken? Kim Sunghan Optimized Awakening!’
[Target’s keyword influence is incomplete.]
Ah right, keyword.
[Optimized Awakening for a target with completed Awakening is impossible.]
A Message Window popped up successively. As expected, it doesn’t work. Well there was nothing I could do about…
[My Brat is the Best(L) Applying focus on just one skill’s growth, it is possible to acquire new skills, including acquisition-failed optimized skills.]
Ah! It’s possible to focus on one skill’s growth? At any rate, this freaking system’s explanation was really lacking. It wasn’t just one or two hidden
Anyways, that S-Rank skills that weren’t acquired could be gained, was awesome… it’s awesome…… but……
‘f.u.c.k, the keyword.’
Raising my head, I looked at Kim Sunghan. The crude man who is gazing at me, wondering what I’m doing not going in. The fellow who is 20cm taller than me and someone whose appearance would make thugs automatically call him hyung-nim[7].
Yeah, I can’t do it. I absolutely won’t do it.
I went back into the room, smiling as if saying that it’s nothing.
Then I yelled inside my head.
‘Change the keyword!!’
Couldn’t it be reset, reset. I wanted to regress one more time. Just one day. No, just one hour.
I turned around saying that I wouldn’t do it but it was such a waste, a waste, a total waste!
‘It’d be a huge help if the guild gets another S-Rank. That’s right, I’ll explain to Yoohyun first and get help……’
Mumbling to myself, I felt like I was missing something. …When I explain about the keyword? After I confide about the skill?
An ominous prediction suddenly hit me.
Let’s calmly go over the situation. Right now, I am.
‘……in confinement.’
I was locked up. Not just anyone, but an Rank Awakened Person was standing guard in front of my door. It was too excessive for simply keeping me from going out and getting into trouble. C-Rank, no D-Rank, was enough to block me.
‘Yoohyun, you……’
What was he thinking? Before my regression, he’d never done something to this extent.
After pacing around in circles inside the room, I perched on the bed.
‘If, by any chance, this situation is to protect me.’
I suddenly remembered Yoohyun making me erase the broker’s contact information immediately and saying he’d make it so that they couldn’t contact me. It was a little weird starting from then.
Even if I was absurdly weak compared to him, I was still the hyung. I was already an adult and though I obsessed over Hunters, if I don’t, I could live alone well enough. And unlike before the regression, we could talk things out so there was no need to lock me up.
In the first place, Yoohyun didn’t have the right or cause to lock me up?
After thinking it over, I took out my cell phone. I’ll just ask him directly.
After ringing for a short time, Yoohyun picked up the phone.
"So.[8] I was going to go out for a bit but Kim Sunghan-ssi[9] was blocking the door. He said it was your orders?"
[Where were you going to go?]
Hunter a.s.sociation…… it was probably better not to say that yet.
"Just home."
[Why home?]
"Do I need a reason to go back to my home? I’ll come back in the evening."
Over the phone, his voice cut off for a moment, before coming back even lower.
[That’s different from what Sunghan said.]
"Uh, um?"
[He said that you said you’d come back in an hour.]
"No, that was because he blocked me. I meant I wasn’t going anywhere else in particular."
Why was this guy so sensitive. Uneasiness that had taken root in my heart became a little bigger.
[If you don’t have particular business to attend to, just say there. Home is… In the morning, you[10] should also come to the guild.]
"What?"
[It’s not really necessary for us to live apart. And the world isn’t that safe lately. There aren’t any dungeons near your home but who knows where and when they appear, and if one breaks out, what will you do?]
I mean, I’ll be safe for 5 years.
[I’ll get things ready for your move right away.]
"‘My move’, hey!"
[I have to go out so contacting me will be hard until dinner. If you need something, ask Sunghan.]
"No, wait! Yoohyun!"
The call disconnected. Feeling both dejected and dumbfounded, I looked at my cell phone.
‘Is this possibly another side effect of returning to the past?’
It felt like my dongsaeng’s personality had changed a little. Why was this brat acting like this?
‘Is it that I can’t reveal the ‘Perfect Caregiver’ t.i.tle?’
He was like this already, thinking that I’m Unawakened. If I reveal that I have incredibly useful support skills, he might not let me set even one foot out the room. …Though even now he wasn’t letting me go out.
s.h.i.+t, for now I should hide it and observe for a while.
"If Yoohyun keeps on acting strange, I’ll just make my own group.’
It was possible with just the ‘Perfect Caregiver’ t.i.tle.
First, find future A~S-Ranks and help them Awaken. If I was going to do that, younger ages would be better. Persuade young kids and say that I can make them Awaken……
‘…This is totally being a swindler or human trafficker.’
S-Still, I wouldn’t take money and I’d really help them Awaken!
To make sure the Awakened kids don’t betray me, I’d have to prepare contracts. Something like ‘don’t reveal the Awakening secret and protect me as my affiliated Hunters for 1 year’ should work. What I really mean is, protect me forever! I wanted to say something like that but I didn’t have a contract item that will tie S-Rank Awakened People to me for a long time. The longest would be 10 years, I guess.
Like this, if I sweep up A~S-Ranks and use growth skills as bait so that those kids will stay, soon I’d be able to make a huge guild.
‘Or combining with the Haeyeon Guild at some time would also be okay.’
If I bring over a lot of A~S-Ranks, Yoohyun would probably acknowledge me. No way would he try to lock me up again. I’d have those kids for protection so I wouldn’t be meekly caught anyways.
Good, then the very first Awakened Person I’ll catch is.
Bak[11] Yerim, an ice witch who became an Rank Awakened Person in 3 years. This kid would be good. Even among Ranks, she had stood out, so she might be able to be Awakened as an S-Rank.
‘I’m pretty sure she was living in Seoul. I saw an interview where she said she lost her parents in the[12] first dungeon shock and lived off a relative who runs a steakhouse near Myeongdong Station. Her age right now would be… 15?’
…She was a middle schooler. Saying the keyword to a middle schooler……
I’m not a lolicon[13]! I like adult women! This is merely preparation work for Awakening!
[1] lit. "so excessive it’s poison"
[2] the cm is implied
[3] it actually means ‘do your best/you worked hard’ but it’s often used as a parting phrase in business situations
[4] he actually says "yes?" but it means as "what?" or "excuse me?"
[5] he doesn’t really say "please" but he’s still using honorific speech so I had to make do somehow
[6] lit. ‘even if jump, I’m just a flea’
[7] -nim is a respectful honorific so it’s a respectful way for men to call other (older) men
[8] he actually says ‘yeah, it’s not something else’ but it’s basically something you say to mean ‘I have something to tell you’, ‘by the way’. It’s just a way of starting off the call, but it doesn’t translate well in Eng
[9] an honorific added to names to denote politeness. Not as respectful as -nim. Equiv to Jpn -san, but only adults really use it.
[10] using 3rd person wrt relations.h.i.+p signifiers (hyung, mom, dad, etc.) or name+honorific is normal in krn so he actually says ‘hyung should…’ but I’ll be tl-ing that as ‘you’
[11] this is often romanized as "Park" but it’s p.r.o.nounced "bahk" so I’m tl-ing it this way. My city now.
[12] once again, since Krn rarely uses p.r.o.nouns, idk if this means ‘the’ or ‘her’
[13] yes, he says this transliterated into Krn. When will ppl call out ped*philia for what it is, and don’t try to skirt around it by softening the blow… it’s bottom line to not be one, bruh