Chapter 228. Low Self-Esteem
Except for the early stages of awakening where evolved organs experience high instability due to adapting to new substances, the innate mana of a Hunter never fluctuates.
[15.97]
But what’s going on with this F-Class Hunter’s body? The maximum mana is slowly creeping up.
12. 14. And now 15.
Such a minuscule amount that even the Mage, who occupies this body, couldn’t notice the increase.
But anyway…
I’ve managed to gather all the evidence I wanted…
“There are no issues at all. Thank you for your hard work.”
The tester finished the measurements, thanked the Association Employee, and left.
*
A few hours later.
I’m holed up in Kim Gi-ryeo’s studio as usual.
But today, the atmosphere in the house feels quite different from normal.
Recently, I had been engrossed in research, spreading out papers at every opportunity to perfectly execute body-swapping magic.
Now, I’m lying on a blanket with lint, doing absolutely nothing.
“Hmmm…”
The body explosion incident. The contractor’s testimony. Combining the information obtained from the Hunter Association leads to this conclusion.
“This body’s magic level is still immature.”
That’s why Kang Chang-ho showed such insane interest the moment he saw me.
Translated, this means an Awakened being appeared, one with an unclear limit that continually grows, unprecedented on Earth.
In Korea, passive magic, which activates automatically without separate initiation, is called a passive skill.
Moreover, such passive skills could easily be stolen with [Enhancement Heart].
Whether Kim Gi-ryeo’s traits stem from primitive sorcery or a decent physical talent based on genetic information is still unknown.
But if there’s even a 1% chance of acquiring such an immense ability, it should be worth a gamble.
‘I guess [Enhancement Heart] is a technique for copying rather than stealing magic…’
Finally, I understood Kang Chang-ho’s behavior.
A rare skill holder who breaks the innate limits of a drinker suddenly appeared. How could I, as a Mage, stand by idly?
‘It wasn’t my failure.’
The corpse I had despised as trash turned out to be a high-grade product, incomparable even to a C-Class Hunter.
Even so, it’s hard to believe there would be no limits at all. Eventually, being a primitive species, this reincarnated body too would hit some wall eventually.
Nonetheless, the fact that Kim Gi-ryeo possesses special potential is indisputable.
Assuming there’s no problem with the premise of that reincarnation magic to “possess the body with the highest magic on Earth,” it wouldn’t be strange to reveal that this blond young man’s final growth point is around S-Class Hunter.
‘That’s great news.’
But there’s one problem.
It’s good to realize there’s a singularity, but how the heck am I supposed to awaken this body’s potential?
‘Hmmm.’
I’ve managed to overcome many trials by utilizing the knowledge of magic studies I built in my previous life.
But this time, I genuinely can’t think of any solutions.
I don’t even know what modifications I should carry out on this body.
Due to the immense weight difference of the soul, from this point on, I can’t even dream of body-swapping unless I accidentally obtain a top-level Awakened’s corpse.
I’ve already restored my lung capacity to normal levels, but it means nothing when this body’s mana is still crawling around the F-Class threshold.
Data-wise, there were signs of improvement as time passed.
‘About 2.025Aw increase per time period.’
The growth speed is just too slow.
Even rough calculations show that it might be faster for Kim Gi-ryeo to reach C-Class than for me to change my strength at this rate, and I’m just expected to wait for this to happen?
‘Huh.’
And this is with a contract stating I’ll become a sacrificial offering nine years down the line?
‘Huh, huh.’
How can I draw out the full potential of this reincarnated body?
Whatever I ponder, nothing seems to stick in my mind.
Moreover, from now on, effort would be futile.
To reiterate, the souls of Earthlings and Alphauri, who have developed magic studies-wise, intrinsically carry a fundamental gap, making it impossible to utilize this ambiguous vessel at all.
Or, I can’t even believe it, but will the physical body of an S-Class Hunter be able to withstand my pressure?
Dragon’s Lung.
A suitable Awakened’s corpse.
Until now, I was optimistic that I could regain strength by just finding those, but now…
‘Wait, does that mean I have to live trapped in this body without any hope of improvement?’
Suddenly, feelings of powerlessness surged in.
The conclusion that the reincarnation magic might not have failed was a terrifying double-edged sword.
I might have to live in this vessel where mana only increases by 2 each year for the rest of my life.
Thinking this way, a strange feeling began to poke its head up in my chest.
‘Huh? Is the new me, having reincarnated in another world, truly an F-Class?’
Summer.
Usually, it’s a season that brings more sunlight and beneficial effects like increased vitality.
Ever since I reincarnated, I’m overwhelmed with a sense of unbearable gloom.
Acute depression has begun.
*
Me, an F-Class?
No matter how much I can use basic magic, living my life with this pathetic firepower is unacceptable.
Tears glisten.
An alien creature barely swallowed the sorrowful evidence trying to spill out and focused on the meal.
By the way, today’s menu is pot rice.
‘And I’m X rice…’
Tremble.
I thought that making my body healthy might help my mind, so I purposefully chose an upscale restaurant.
Even while enjoying the meal, I never expected to feel this powerless and frustrated.
After having run with hopes for improvement, all ended in smoke, so how could I not sink?
‘Damn it. Now that I think about it, this is no laughing matter. More so, I have several things lined up to switch bodies…’
Ugh.
If I hadn’t pretended to be strong and had found a small part-time job to earn money diligently, I wouldn’t have ended up in this situation.
‘This is a big deal.’
Marked boldly as an S-Class Hunter, now escaping hastily is impossible.
Being a globally recognized face, hiding somewhere has become challenging too.
Modifying my appearance permanently by adding flesh…
Of course, there are still such tricks left, but the problem is this body’s rare characteristic.
Mana fluctuations.
In fact, there’s no way to hide this 24 hours a day.
‘Controlling mana leakage is akin to holding one’s breath, and an F-Class Hunter would just die if they tried it for long.’
Even with numerous layers, once this characteristic is picked up by the [Dragon’s Eye], it’s all over.
It’s a total dead end.
‘With this amount of mana, even if I gather a bunch of auxiliary devices, I’d still get trampled helplessly against an S-Class.’
Oh my heavens. No matter how many times I think about it, the future looks bleak. Maybe I should just settle for playing with firecrackers instead…
Gi-ryeo unconsciously looked down at the [Pyromancer Necklace] around his neck.
But just then…
Suddenly, a voice came from across the table—the young man spoke.
“Hyung-nim.”
Perhaps because he hasn’t smoked for long, his vocal cords are clearer than Kim Gi-ryeo’s.
The speaker is Ahn Yoon-seung.
“Yeah.”
This restaurant has few tables, so Ahn Yoon-seung, bringing along an Earthling for ordering food, was avoiding solo diners.
“Um, the pot rice here is genuinely delicious. It feels doubly good since you’re treating me…”
“Yeah. Eat a lot.”
“But I’m sorry to bother you, but have you had any unpleasant experiences recently?”
While eating, Ahn Yoon-seung suddenly set down his spoon and asked.
I tried to maintain a neutral expression to mask my feelings, but his unchanging poker face made him feel uncomfortable instead.
“Unpleasant experiences?”
But how could I reveal the truth here?
“Not particularly.”
The S-Class Hunter sitting in front of him is an illegally registered individual manipulating his awakening level, a mere dust of a being whose only known aptitude is relying on tools.
…But I can’t just blurt that out.
I picked at a side dish nearby, spinning a rough lie.
‘Something’s off. Still, something… something is definitely different from usual…’
However, my physical capabilities, already lagging from the massive shock, have deteriorated even further due to this questioning.
My feeble chopsticks actions only heightened the suspicion.
‘Hmmm.’
Witnessing Kim Gi-ryeo’s sudden drop in condition, Yoon-seung quietly pondered.
The Hunter in front of him is, first and foremost, a strong-minded person.
At least he could be rated with an “overhuman” descriptor.
This is because he is a witness who experienced the aquarium incident from start to finish.
Thus, he had received various information from the police as a party involved.
‘Those foreigners were supposed to be Awakened with incredibly strong mental skills…’
Amongst hitmen abroad, they not only suffered from status abnormalities but, in fact, were beasts that turned the tables on their opponents.
Ahn Alai’s trembling during the incident was a sight he could never forget.
So, despite being somewhat blunt, it’s only natural to realize that after witnessing such overwhelming battles.
A certain blond Hunter stands almost perfectly in the mental aspect.
Moreover, being an S-Class Hunter, the physical prowess he exerts is impeccable, or so Yoon-seung thought.
However…
Even this iron man, born for hunting, is fundamentally still a person with blood and emotions. Sometimes, wouldn’t they also be affected by fatigue or stress?
‘Ugh, could it be that the footage got into Hyung-nim’s eyes too…!’
On top of that, is there some misfortune in Gi-ryeo’s fate? His life has been a tumult of troubles.
Suddenly meeting a foreign hitman at the aquarium.
While Y-Tube can be a convenient platform for sharing fun and information when used correctly, some people obsessing over views can create new strife.
‘An orphaned child from the care facility’ → Transformation into an S-Class Hunter*
Just remembering that thumbnail makes my stomach churn.
An article on the scandal of Hunter’s private life, viciously penned by a reporter from the Seongjeong Daily.
Luckily, the piece was taken down after a while, but…
‘Abuses by the Hunter Department Journalist (Kim Gi-ryeo’s Family Issues) ‘Is this humane?’
The quick news junkies eagerly captured that briefly exposed article, crafting new videos lately.
This had caused Kim Gi-ryeo’s background to again become a hot topic on the internet.
Pity, ridicule, scorn, rejection, curiosity—just for the fact that he’s an orphan.
If it’s this unpleasant for a third party, how must the person whose personal information has been leaked feel?
‘Outrageous bunch obsessed with attention.’
Disgraceful.
“As I mentioned during the call, I’ve never been to a place like this in my life.”
When he eventually learned why the S-Class Hunter said something like that at the aquarium, his heart began to ache even more.
Why must someone so strong, full of compassion, and genuine experience such humiliation?
‘The heavens are so uncaring.’
Tap.
Ahn Yoon-seung paused his meal momentarily, lost in thought.
“Is there anything I can do for him?”
First and foremost, it was evident that something was troubling Korea’s fourth S-Class Hunter.
The blond Hunter continued to nibble at his pot rice, showing a defeated demeanor.
But since he had previously asserted he was fine, prodding too deeply could just lead to more issues.
‘If I keep asking subtly about feelings, will it reveal that I know about that article video on the internet…?’
What then, should I do?
Yoon-seung earnestly began pondering how he could be of assistance to Kim Gi-ryeo.
“You’ve cleaned out every mushroom. Should I order another bowl?”
“Ah, no! I’m full with this! Seriously!”
“Really? Then should we get going?”
“Yes!”
And this was precisely what happened 37 hours later.
What happened that made Ahn Yoon-seung exclaim upon seeing it was unfolding in Seoul.
