Chapter 136. If Hypocrisy Has a Line
I returned home.
I’m a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to explore America enough, but hey, at least I got on an airplane.
Finally experiencing some unique customs of this planet.
But do you know what I realized during this overseas trip?
Home is the best.
I went outside and got a taste of an S-Class that looked like a grizzly bear; it’s no wonder I won’t forget that wine glass pfff.
“Damn.”
So, I decided to go into hiding for a while because of this incident.
Of course, I already have plans for what to do while I’m at home.
The vessel I’ve been inhabiting is overflowing with shortcomings, and just adding little features makes my time fly by.
[1.3.43 Changes]
● Added digestion mechanism
It’s been a while since my upgrades.
While cooped up, I slightly modified my reincarnation body.
But wait a minute, why is digestion coming up here?
‘Well, that’s a relief.’
This is actually a pretty crucial function.
The toxins produced by organisms are mostly transformations of proteins.
The ability to quickly break down foreign substances that infiltrate the body!
This leads to one specific outcome.
“Biological toxin resistance.”
Yeah. Starting today, I’ve acquired a more perfected ‘toxin resistance.’
If exposed to poison, I’ve inserted a procedure into my body to neutralize it into a safe structure before it can harm me.
It’s not a common concept on Earth, but where I come from, which has a relatively higher risk of toxins, this was pretty much a necessary safety measure.
Of course, this mechanism consumes an enormous amount of calories with each activation as it’s pushed to the limit…
But, hey, better than having nothing.
After completing the modifications, I pulled out my phone to cool my head.
[Search results: 0 items]
But once again, I didn’t hear the news I wanted.
“Now that I think about it, it seems strange. There’s not even a dragon’s lung around, much less a dragon’s nest recently.”
I was considering buying a lung with money until the situation got so messed up that I needed to think of alternatives.
‘Well, even if the dragon’s lung miraculously appears, there’s no assurance that the finder will sell it…’
I fell silent for a moment.
But as I was deep in thought, something completely random popped into mind.
‘Ah.’
Speaking of which, I need to reissue my Hunter Certificate?
‘Totally forgot about that.’
The ID I used previously had an F-Class label on it.
Thus, I decided to stop by the Association to get a new Hunter Certificate correcting the info.
‘There were two application methods: online and in-person at the association.’
I didn’t want to go out, but it couldn’t be helped.
Joining the website felt like a daunting task for an alien.
I gathered myself for the outing.
Since it was warm outside, I skipped the blazer and just wore a shirt and vest.
Cling cling clang.
Doon… doo doo doo…
That’s strange.
Usually, a city is a loud place, but it wasn’t this noisy last week.
“You hear that…?”
I tilted my head.
Once I stepped outside, I focused my ears on the distant sound.
It was a melody I had never heard before in Alphauri, but at the sound, Kim Gi-ryeo’s brain processed the outcome.
Gong and drum.
Seems like Earthlings were having a festival nearby.
‘Oh.’
I was curious about what event could be causing such a ruckus.
————
Do the Association…
Is this a public assault?
Condemn the Hunter industry!
Regulate the Awakened!
————
However, when I arrived at the Hunter Association’s building, I saw people holding signs like that at the Main Gate.
Doon, doo doo doo. Dong dong.
I thought to myself as I looked at the sticks held by them.
‘Wait a minute.’
This isn’t a festival—it’s a protest…
*
These days, it’s an era where the super-powered heroes we only saw in movies actually exist.
After Dungeon Shock, supernatural beings called Hunters have emerged around the world.
However, in reality, these beings aren’t always on the side of the citizens.
[Shocking deviation of a 20-something Hunter…. Abusive rant against an elderly person]
[Serious moral hazard]
[Mr. Kim, a 50-year-old family man, caught up in a Dungeon Break recovery scene and made completely paralyzed… (Read more)]
The random sword earned without regard to right and wrong has indeed caused many problems.
Today, tensions caused by the Awakened truly never cease.
And here.
“The state must strengthen Hunter regulation! Strengthen it!”
Standing in front of the Association building, this man holding a sign was assaulted by a Hunter not long ago.
And it was all because he didn’t adjust the bill for drinks.
But do you know the outcome of this incident?
His facial bones were crushed, one eye nearly blinded from severe assault.
And the woman who caused this hasn’t been punished and continues to work.
The Association didn’t revoke her Hunter license due to the lack of manpower to catch Monsters.
“Bus drivers are fired for hitting people; doctors lose their licenses for making mistakes—why do Hunters in this country get treated like gods? Why do they keep getting fed?”
“Absolutely right!”
“Strengthen the punishments!”
Gathered in front of the Association’s Main Gate, these people were rallying with loudspeakers to solve the injustice.
But the issue was…
These folks had a somewhat rough temperament compared to regular protesters.
“Hunters ought to wear collars to be easily identifiable!”
“They say that Awakened can be controlled with that [Knight’s Pact] or whatever. At the very least, dangerous upper-class ones should have that mandated by the government!”
Let me clarify.
These people are the ‘Hunter Hate Group.’
To be more precise, they are an extremist group claiming that Awakened beings are not human like them but wild beasts in a zoo that society must closely monitor.
“Young Hunters touch money, so they lack manners!”
Who would enjoy hearing such insults directed at them?
Hunters passing by frowned and stepped around them.
But then, at that moment.
The arrival of a new figure made the protesters raise their voices even higher.
“Eh?”
“Chairman, over there, over there!”
A dyed-haired man was walking over with a thud thud sound.
That man seemed drawn to the crowd’s noise, directing his gaze toward this side, and those sharp eyes were an unforgettable impression once seen.
‘It’s Kim Gi-ryeo!’
The peak Awakened in the Hunter industry.
Upon seeing Gi-ryeo appear on the street, the protesters bombarded him with loud questions.
“Why aren’t you entering the Gate, what are you doing here?”
“There was a Dungeon explosion nearby yesterday; are you doing your job properly?”
“You, didn’t you bully your friends back in school? Aren’t you ashamed?”
But the man didn’t reply and quickly walked past them.
‘Hiiii…. Earthlings are scary….’
From Gi-ryeo’s perspective, it was frightening to see a group of humans expressing collective anger so he hurriedly ran away.
That F-Class could barely hold his own against regular people, so he took a passive approach.
However, this act of avoiding conflict only served to provoke the protesters further.
“Hey, you disrespectful punk…!”
“With that attitude, you don’t even bother to reply?”
“Yeah. You think people like us who haven’t awakened are worthless?”
Shivering.
Once Gi-ryeo disappeared, the protesters lowered their voices and muttered obscure words among themselves.
If a Hunter with such an arrogant personality existed, they could certainly apply that ‘operation’ against him.
So let’s target that Hunter.
*
Hmm…
I thought about staying holed up in my house with the barrier for a while, but life isn’t going according to plan.
This room is small, and it can become a mess if I let my guard down for even a bit.
“Ugh!”
One Thursday.
I decided to pick up trash because I stepped on a bottle cap lying on the floor.
I took the plastic out to throw it away.
‘Ugh, so annoying.’
After tossing the trash, I headed back home, crossing the alley…
But lo and behold, there was someone I had never seen before standing in the shortcut I often use.
‘Who’s that standing there for the first time?’
However, I dismissed it.
Even though this shortcut was a bit narrow, it was still spacious enough for two people to pass.
‘What should I eat when I get home?’
I angled my body slightly to the left to exit the alley.
No, I was precisely supposed to.
“Gaaah!”
Suddenly, before I could make it out of the alley, a great scream erupted from the side.
“Wait, what…?”
“Oh no, my arm! My arm!”
I looked down, shocked.
The man in the middle hadn’t budged, so I squeezed past him, but then he crumpled and started rolling on the ground.
As if he had been hit by a car.
“What is going on?”
Moreover, the absurdity didn’t end there.
“What’s the commotion?”
“Sir, are you okay?”
“Oh no, kids! That person…!”
A few seconds later, two people suddenly rushed from the opposite side of the alley.
As they arrived, the man on the ground whimpered.
No matter how big he was, how could he shove someone aside just because it was inconvenient to walk?
And how hard did he push for it to hurt this much, as if his arm was broken…?
“What did you say?”
“Oh! Is this person a Hunter? Looks like the one on TV.”
“Right! This is definitely an Awakened hurting a person!”
Geez.
Now it’s hard to pretend I don’t know. Finally, I realized what I was involved in.
‘Injury scam!’
And as soon as that word crossed my mind, the man on the ground began spouting textbook-like threats.
“Ugh, ah! No way, an S-Class, and you still can’t tell how strong you are?”
“Ha.”
“What are you going to do about it? I earn my living driving, and if my arm is injured, I can’t work!”
So you’re asking for some compensation because you can’t work?
“Are you kidding me?”
I asked back, dumbfounded, but the thugs before my eyes were only being brazen.
“After hitting a person, you say? Kidding? Are you serious?”
“We all saw you hit him. We’re going to report this!”
“…Where’s the proof that I pushed you?”
But I never expected such a comeback.
“Proof? Hunter, take a look around!”
“…?”
“There are no parked cars or CCTV here.”
“…….”
“But that guy definitely hurt his arm, and we have two witnesses right here!”
They had a certain level of professionalism. At least they knew where to lie down and stick their legs out.
“Goddamn.”
The man on the ground pushed himself up with his knees and started causing trouble.
“Hey, you feeling unfair? Feeling unfair?”
He stepped closer, pointing a finger at me like a spear, almost pricking my eyes.
“But if you think it’s unfair, what are you going to do about it? If you’re Awakened and making easy money, you should handle this much!”
Looking down, the mocking expression of the man was all too clear.
“Anyway, what did you spend all your S-Class money on to be wandering around in such a back alley?”
“…….”
“Ugh, your head must be empty~”
.
.
.
An S-Class Hunter represents the Awakened.
Even if it’s been only a few months since their appearance, bearing the name S-Class instantly grants notoriety.
The Hunter Hate Group aimed to provoke an assault from that S-Class to shape public opinion.
‘Now that they know there’s no CCTV, it’ll soon explode from there, right?’
To intentionally provoke an S-Class is reckless beyond reason.
If things go south, it could cost them their lives, but they calculated that if it could change the world by sacrificing their own bodies, it would be very much worth it.
“Is being an Awakened all you have? But do you not know? If you touch people like us normal folks, society won’t even treat you like a human, punk.”
Suddenly!
The protest leader seized Gi-ryeo by the collar and began fierce harassment.
But as time passed, something felt off.
“What’s up, are you ignoring us? Treating people with disdain, huh?”
Gi-ryeo maintained a blank expression.
This can be let go of for now, but the issue lies within the following actions.
No matter how many personal attacks were made, even as a button popped off his high-quality shirt with a pop, he didn’t flinch an inch…
“Let go of this already.”
Finally, Gi-ryeo turned to the one holding his collar.
He asked to be released now that he had said what he needed to say.
An unexpected silence fell. If he were S-Class, he could easily slip away with strength alone.
‘It’s one thing to not react, but why isn’t he backing down now…?’
Why is he not moving an inch from the grip he is in?
And why is he staring at us so intently?
