As people were bustling around Busan Station to board the Hunter Train, their movement suddenly came to a halt.
Well, it made sense, as the usually indifferent Wooden Blackhand was unexpectedly asking a woman for a handshake.
Wooden Blackhand.
Of course, this wasn’t his real name but his hunter name, though in the East, he was also known as [Black Wood].
It wasn’t meant to be racially derogatory, but in reality, he had a massive frame and skin that looked like that of a Black man. Just as the word “Wooden” suggests, Blackhand’s abilities were related to trees as the Awakened One.
He wasn’t a hunter with moral issues, but his appearance was quite intimidating. His guild, perhaps adhering to a mystique, avoided public exposure and media at all costs.
Moreover, as the second-ranked hunter in America, Blackhand’s unexpected handshake request to Shia would be quite a surprise for those who knew him.
Of course, Shia, who was unaware of this, tilted her head and stared curiously at the hand he extended.
Wow, I feel like a hamster right now.
As she passed through the transparent barrier at Busan Station, she noticed the sunlight shining directly on her being blocked by Blackhand’s colossal figure.
The guy who had kidnapped Yoonjeong and harassed her earlier had significantly bulked up through the fragments of the Demon Lord and his awakening ability, but Blackhand was just naturally that big and dominant.
The word “male” seemed more fitting than “human” or “man.”
This giant… Black man… He looks like the nemesis of every woman…?
Though Shia wasn’t one to harbor prejudices or be a f*ing racist, she had tragically seen enough ‘media’ where a giant Black man would take and harass women.
And Wooden Blackhand looked even stronger than those characters she had seen in the ‘media.’
However, Blackhand, oblivious to Shia’s thoughts, wore a quite friendly smile and spoke to her.
Of course, that friendly smile coming from a giant like him would likely feel quite threatening to an ordinary woman.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Wooden Blackhand.”
Contrary to his appearance, Shia felt no threat or malice in his voice.
Huh, what’s this…? I thought he would say something like ‘Wow, fing big! Look at that size!’ right off the bat… Why is he being so polite?*
Even considering the translation feature of her smartwatch was activated, Blackhand’s tone itself was warm and courteous.
“……….”
“Um, what’s wrong? Aren’t you going to shake my hand?”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
After looking up at him for a moment, Shia hesitated, but Blackhand didn’t seem to show the expected reaction.
With no real reason to decline the handshake and knowing it would be rude to keep him waiting, she took his extended hand.
The size difference was enormous, making it feel like a small child’s hand resting in that of an adult man.
Though the size variation was immense, Shia and Blackhand shook hands like two ordinary people.
“Right, a giant like me asking for a handshake might surprise you. I’ve been misunderstood plenty, so I get it.”
“It wasn’t that, it just… the situation I imagined didn’t unfold.”
“You’re being honest. It’s not easy to be bold in front of someone like me.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Most women run away as soon as they see me. I’m used to this imposing appearance.”
Laughing self-deprecatingly like an American jokester, Blackhand released Shia’s hand easily.
Well, even though he was the number two hunter in his country, the intimidation factor of his appearance would be hard for a civilian to endure.
Um, to be honest, I had a bit of a bias too.
A saint shouldn’t hold biases.
I need to reflect on this…
For a moment, judging only by Wooden Blackhand’s intimidating appearance, Shia thought he might be rude and lacking consideration for others.
What set Shia apart from ordinary women was that she was confident she could counterattack if it came down to it, hence she hadn’t run away.
“By the way, it’s the first time I’m seeing a face on the Hunter Train. Are you a new hunter?”
“Yes, I’m a Returnee.”
“A Returnee…! Oh, when did you come back?”
At the mention of the Returnee, Blackhand’s lips curled up.
He looked like he was full of expectations for something.
Now that I think about it, this guy was one of the hunters who considered Yeonseo Unnie his rival, right?
Before Yeonseo retired, she hadn’t dropped from the top rank in the world, so it was no surprise there were many hunters burning with competitive spirit against her.
Despite his seemingly gentle and polite nature, it seemed the pride of being the second-ranked hunter stirred his competitive nature.
“It’s been half a year now.”
“Half a year, huh? What’s your rank?”
“I still have a temporary hunter license.”
“Temporary? Ha, don’t lie. Usually, if we collide with my body regardless of strength, the mana backlash would push you away, but this is the first time I’ve experienced this.”
“Eh? It wasn’t that impressive?”
At her words, Blackhand’s smile deepened.
It was a smile akin to a child who had just discovered a fun toy.
“You’re saying you’re not eager to share your secrets.”
Well, fine.
Saying that, Wooden Blackhand neatly removed his hand from Shia’s.
“If you’re strong enough, you’ll stand out on this train soon. I’m looking forward to that.”
“I’m not into sparring, so I won’t be fighting even if you join me.”
“We don’t have to fight, indeed. The Hunter Train will present you with so many monsters and gates, you’ll feel sick. After observing how you fight and how many monsters you hunt, wouldn’t it be beneficial for us to compete?”
“Hm… is that so?”
Now that she mentioned it, there was indeed a ranking and differential reward system based on the number of monsters hunted on the Hunter Train.
She had heard that details would be explained right after the train departed…
If the second-ranked hunter in America said that, it was certainly likely the number of monsters they would encounter on the Hunter Train would be something else entirely.
Originally, the Hunter Train wasn’t just a couple of gates; a significant part of the Northlands had been overrun by monsters, so it was possible that waves beyond what Shia could imagine could crash in.
Hehe, I hope there are Dragon Kingdoms too. I could really feast on some Dragon egg stew…
Shia smiled with gleaming eyes filled with anticipation.
“By the way, this is quite surprising?”
“What is?”
“That you don’t even know your own name. I thought you’d show some hostility or try to crush my bones while shaking hands with a newcomer.”
Had that happened, I would’ve just flipped him over and stomped on his head. Shia didn’t voice that.
Felt different from his outward appearance, he came off quite genial.
“Hahaha, how embarrassing! Hunters from Texas where I lived were definitely rough.”
On the surface, Wooden Blackhand seemed to be a massive, intimidating figure with skin like dark chocolate, over three meters tall.
And with the strength of the second-ranked hunter in the U.S., he had an impression like he would look down upon weaker individuals.
“American hunters usually have quite a macho personality.”
It made sense; even before the Great Rift, American society was deeply rooted in a macho culture.
There might be some questions about whether the atmosphere of society had changed post-Great Rift, but unfortunately, it further strengthened the preference for machismo in America.
While society is at peace now, during the early days of the first Great Rift, many experienced family and friends being devoured by monsters right in front of them. Amidst fighting for food, humans tore each other apart, plunging them into a post-apocalyptic chaos.
At least in Korea, the first-generation hunters like Yeonseo rescued people with nearly one-man shows, but in America, due to its vast territory and scattered population density, people had to go through self-sufficiency and a survival process. Thus, it’s no surprise that the macho culture prioritized strength and masculinity thrived in America.
However, despite being the second-ranked hunter from Texas, known for its macho reputation, Blackhand was someone polite beneath his massive exterior.
“I pursue strength too, but still, basic etiquette between people should be upheld.”
Wow, I’m actually learning something from him…
Saying that, Wooden Blackhand stepped back from Shia.
“I’ll see you on the train. Don’t get yourself killed, Returnee.”
“Thank you.”
His farewell felt genuine and close to encouragement.
“What a guy who’s so disconnected from his appearance.”
Although he looked like someone who could forcefully sit a married woman in front of a camera and make her introduce herself…
Later, she would hear that Wooden Blackhand was one of the rare cases who had leveled up from F-rank to S-rank.
Leaving behind the brief encounter with Blackhand, Shia walked past the hunters preparing to depart and looked at the train.
The Hunter Train was on a whole different level than a regular train, with a single carriage comparable to or even bigger than a significant commercial building.
Designed at regular intervals, the massive alloy train seemed to be constructed with the strength capable of withstanding missile strikes.
In reality, the Hunter Train would even plunge directly into gates, attacking in a shape close to ‘invasion.’
In many ways, saying it resembled a land-dwelling aircraft carrier wouldn’t be strange.
Instead of aircraft or fighter jets on an aircraft carrier, ‘hunters’ would take on those roles.
While she was lost in thought, Shia arrived in front of a vehicle acting as a ‘Bar’ for hunters.
It was a building-sized vehicle, so the interior was quite spacious and vast.
“Oh, what’s going on here?”
And Shia witnessed a large crowd buzzing within that vehicle.
Hunters, who had been busily preparing to board the train, were murmuring while holding their luggage and staring at something.
“Wow, again?”
“Look at that…”
“But that girl’s face is insane.”
“Wow, what a voice.”
“Oh dear, does that Zeus guy never get tired?”
“Truly living up to his name.”
“Let it be. At least he’s carefree, looking good.”
“I wonder if he reacts like this when proposing. I heard that Zeus doesn’t care for gender.”
“Ridiculous…”
It was like fans gathered to watch a superstar making a grand entrance.
Zeus?
As in the Zeus from Greek mythology?
No, he couldn’t be the God Zeus.
He must be a hunter with the Hunter name of Zeus!
With the new arrival, Shia pushed through the crowd and boarded the middle vehicle of the Hunter Train to witness what was happening.
Raising her heels, she saw someone she definitely recognized amid the bustling crowd—Menelapie—accompanied by a rather flamboyant looking guy.
The first thing she noticed was the blonde hair.
Blonde.
Blonde.
In fact, Menelapie had blonde hair too, so there were now two blondes.
One blonde was familiar, but the other was quite new to Shia.
This new blonde had a color more akin to dyed bright yellow rather than the radiant blonde of Menelapie, and his skin was a deep tan, as if he had spent too much time at the beach.
“Hehehe. So, pretty sister. What’s your name?”
A rather charming voice tickled Shia’s ears.
It almost sounded like he was trying to entice someone into a trap, speaking in a way meant to ensnare another.
Though Shia wasn’t sure, just listening to that voice was enough to instinctively recognize the speaker as a ‘beautiful man.’
Just like the first time I met Menelapie…
“I’m Menelapie Hailum.”
“Quite an unusual name and way of speaking.”
“……….”
Eh, Menelapie?
Was Menelapie here just to look around the train?
“Hmmm, are you from the UK? No, with such beautiful and soft skin, you look almost like someone not of this world?”
“Is that a compliment? Well, I appreciate it even if it’s a joke.”
“It’s not a joke. Among the various women I’ve seen recently, you’re truly one of the most beautiful.”
Menelapie glanced at the unfamiliar man with disdain and sighed deeply.
She had come out for a stroll to familiarize herself with the train’s facilities and structure, as she’d be staying on the Hunter Train for a while with Shia, but now this blonde, tanned punk was pestering her.
Appearing like a bar that sells alcohol, she had thought it looked interesting enough to sit down, but now this…
“Is this your first time on the Hunter Train? If you’re okay with it, would you like to join me? I’m someone who’s asked for help from around the world.”
“No, thanks. I have my own party.”
“Your party can change with the cyclical nature of meeting and parting. Being together isn’t something that can’t happen just because I say so.”
“Uh…”
What the heck is this?
In her previous world, as a hero and an emperor, no brainless fool would dare approach Menelapie. And after arriving in this world, no one had dared to throw themselves at her, thanks to the terrifying aura and pressure that came with being a hero.
But the people boarding the Hunter Train were not ordinary folk; they were among the strongest on Earth.
Most were hunters from foreign lands who didn’t know who Menelapie was. Even if things went south, they were confident in their power and abilities, allowing them to remain unfazed by Menelapie’s rejection.
Normally, I would’ve just ended it right there…
But for the sake of the peace she would savor on Earth, she needed to avoid excessive violence.
So Menelapie resolved to quell her frustration and respond amicably.
“Look, don’t glare at me so. Since we are still here before the train departs, how about a drink? I have some pretty decent nectar.”
“No, thanks. I don’t drink before the sun goes down.”
“Oh, you don’t know what nectar is? Haha! Look at this sister. Someone’s begging for a sip… Come on, beautiful sister. Let me explain…”
“No need, I said.”
“Pfft, you’re a tough nut, huh?”
Shia watched the whole scene play out, briefly getting lost in thought.
Earlier, when she’d seen Wooden Blackhand, she had thought it unwise to fall into prejudice based solely on one’s appearance.
Although she wasn’t born a saint, she was someone striving to become one, and she believed one shouldn’t hold bias towards people. It was important to see their true nature and character and embrace them as they were.
Hadn’t she applied this mindset when she confronted the stalker who had kidnapped her or those peeping on her?
But really, I’m surprised. You look like a person who drinks a lot.
“It’s not the drinking, it’s the company that matters.”
“Sharp-minded, huh? I’d take a bite out of you.”
While observing the scene, Shia suddenly found herself struck with a thought.
Menelapie and Teresa had appearances that went beyond mere beauty, almost giving off a vibe of being otherworldly, yet witnessing this blatant hunting approach happening was something she hadn’t seen before on Earth.
Feeling displeased, Shia decided not to express her irritation outwardly.
After all, I do not fully know what this Zeus person is like. It’s possible that his life as a social butterfly truly follows a different sense of manners and is about normal casual interaction.
Didn’t Shia also plan to intervene so Menelapie could gracefully decline as she made her exit?
“In that case, I have a single favor to ask.”
“A favor?”
“Yeah, just one. If you could consider it, I won’t bug you anymore.”
“Let’s hear it first.”
“Alright.”
Then the gold-haired, tanned man knelt on one knee before Menelapie.
“Will you become my family? Menelapie Hailum?”
What?
At that moment, Shia’s mind went blank.
At first sight, I thought you looked like someone who could birth strong and beautiful children.
“…………”
“I can see you don’t know me, but I have plenty of money. I’m quite capable…”
Pah-ting!
…What?
What the hell did that guy just say…?
Family?
Children?
Who, me?
To Menelapie?
That can’t be right…
Oh, prejudice.
Prejudices…
Let’s not be judgmental.
I should treat him with a wide and gentle heart, like a saint…
Okay… wait a minute, hell no!
BAM!!!
Taking that stance, Shia decisively slammed her fist into the guy standing next to Menelapie.
“This f*ing Golden Sun!!!”
