The South Korea Hunter Association, aside from the crowd of people, had quite a simple interior.
Everything was entirely white without special decoration, and numerous Hunters filled the space.
The only notable feature was a large Defense Ministry emblem on the wall next to the symbol representing the Hunter Association, suggesting a connection with the armed forces.
The Hunters inside emanated a slight air of intimidation.
They all looked fierce and experienced.
I was worried that I might accidentally provoke someone.
“Are you feeling a bit scared?”
“Don’t worry. Even if everyone here attacks, I’ll win.”
Maybe Hyeji’s infamous reputation has spread this far; as Hyeji and I walked past, a throng of people parted for us.
No one dared to meet our eyes and merely glanced sideways.
However, with each passerby, whispers could be heard here and there.
“Ah, the monster… who’s three times faster than a demon.”
“Don’t make eye contact! You’ll die!”
“It’s the God of War! We’re all going to die today!”
“Help me. Help me. Help me.”
Occasionally, a Hunter bumped into my shoulder without recognizing us and scowled.
“Look down. I’ll unleash Hyeji.”
“I’m sorry!!!”
It was straightforward.
In fact, when we reached the reception desk, even the person who was next in line took one look at Hyeji and hurriedly yielded their turn.
Thanks to that, we got to go to the reception desk with a free pass.
The receptionist was a drowsy-looking officer who, upon seeing Hyeji, quickly changed his expression to a more serious one in greeting her.
“Chung, loyalty!”
“At ease.”
“Thank you!”
Hyeji responded as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Then she stated our purpose for visiting.
“I want to do a promotion test.”
“Yes! Please select one here!”
The officer handed us a tablet as if he had been waiting for this moment.
After accepting a subjugation request like we did every weekend, the officer, sweating profusely, asked Hyeji.
“Uh, have you arranged for the personnel from the Defense Ministry regarding the on-site examination for the promotion test?”
“Yes, they’ll be coming down soon.”
“I understand… Wait, soon?”
Before Hyeji’s words finished, someone began to come down the stairs leading to the second floor.
And that person was someone I knew well.
“Hey, just let me see the promotion test.”
“Sure.”
Kim Baekhong.
Hyeji’s father and a three-star general.
He had descended upon the Hunter Association to oversee Hyeji’s promotion test.
Accompanying him was another three-star general who looked as if he was just out for a stroll.
Hunters hearing Hyeji’s words were thrown into confusion, and some suddenly began to exit the building.
The receptionist, witnessing the descent of six shining stars, obviously looked like he was about to burst into tears.
Meanwhile, Kim Baekhong’s relaxed smile towards Hyeji faded as soon as he noticed me.
“Shinwoo… are you also taking the promotion test?”
“Yes, I’ll be doing it alongside Hyeji.”
“With Hyeji, huh…”
Kim Baekhong’s eyes ignited, staring me down.
Then, the general beside Kim Baekhong joked with him.
“Ah-ha! That brat over there is your son-in-law, huh?”
“What?! As long as I’m alive, that’ll never happen!”
“What did you just say?”
As Hyeji’s ominous voice resonated, the once-chattering Hunter Association fell into sudden silence.
Everyone bowed their heads, trembling like death row inmates before the executioner.
Kim Baekhong began to sweat profusely and hastily changed the subject.
“First, let’s get the promotion test underway!”
“Let’s talk later.”
“R-Right…”
The trembling receptionist seemed to have some instinct as he instantly prepared for the promotion test.
So, Hyeji and I began entering the gate set up within the association.
Following us were two three-star generals and two Hunters to provide protection.
Thus began the promotion test.
*
As we passed through the gate, the first thing that caught our eyes was a ruined building.
The content of the promotion test was to eliminate the monster residing in the abandoned structure.
The remaining personnel said they would stand back and watch from a distance, distancing themselves from us.
Once they disappeared, Hyeji began to smile widely.
“It’s been a long time since it was just the two of us!”
“Yeah, but are those folks really allowed to be that far away just to oversee? What if something dangerous happens?”
“The people we came with will protect us!”
With that, Hyeji smiled and grabbed my hand, dashing towards the dilapidated building.
As I felt her warm, small hand, I followed Hyeji into the abandoned building.
Somewhere, a feeling of unpleasant gazes was sensed, but I figured I must have been mistaken.
[Don’t you feel uneasy?]
‘Duh. It’s probably just my imagination.’
*
“That bastard!!”
Kim Baekhong was watching Hyeji from a distance.
He ground his teeth upon seeing Kim Shinwoo holding Hyeji’s hand.
Soon, his fists began to tremble, and his face turned bright red.
Just a little nudge, and he would explode.
“I haven’t held hands in ages, and yet he dares!!!”
Of course, thanks to Kim Shinwoo, the relationship with his daughter had improved significantly.
They no longer treated each other as strangers, and she even spoke to him somewhat affectionately.
However, gratitude was one thing, and allowing such things was another.
It was a scene that could drive a father insane.
Then the general accompanying him began teasing Kim Baekhong again.
“What’s it like to feel your daughter being stolen away?”
“Stolen away?! What are you talking about?!”
“I can clearly see it. Your daughter has reached the age to leave her father’s embrace.”
“Ugh…”
“Looks like it’s already gone too far, huh?”
At that moment, Kim Baekhong’s mind went into overdrive.
Gone too far?
Had they done everything?
Had they shown each other their vulnerabilities while drunk?
Of course, there was some truth to it.
They had indeed shown each other their vulnerabilities.
However, Kim Baekhong had no way of knowing that, and his thoughts began taking a turn for the worse.
“Are they planning to quickly eliminate the monster in the ruined building so they can play outdoors?”
“…Kim Baekhong, are you alright?”
“Absolutely not.”
Suddenly, Kim Baekhong requested a sniper rifle and tranquilizer darts from the accompanying Hunters.
One of the weapons he had set aside just in case.
He was suddenly eager to use it.
Seeing this, the general looked startled and began to stop him.
“What are you doing?!”
“I won’t allow my daughter to be stolen!”
“Stop it! Isn’t this during a promotion test?!”
“Give me back my daughter!!!”
Kim Baekhong had lost all rationality.
Naturally, he could hear no voices trying to dissuade him.
“General Kim Baekhong! Get a grip!”
“No, right now, I’m not a general, just a father!”
With a click, he loaded the tranquilizer round.
And from within his coat, he pulled out a pair of shades that looked worn.
“From now on, I’m just a soldier stopping a criminal.”
“Still, it shouldn’t be a problem for young people to meet. Just make sure they’re safe.”
“You dare violate chastity before marriage!!!”
Kim Baekhong suddenly began running.
The one general and two Hunters following him were taken aback.
“Yes. From now on, I am John Wick, no, Hong Wick!”
“Hold on!”
Moving faster than his age should allow.
Keeping up with him was exhausting.
“Simultaneously, I am a soldier.”
“Huff, huff… then what are you right now?!”
With an ominous voice, the glasses glimmered.
Kim Baekhong quietly replied.
“Call me Hongwick.”
The exhausted general could only stop and watch as Kim Baekhong ran off into the distance.
Of the two Hunters, one followed after Kim Baekhong, and the other stayed behind next to the halted general.
Catching his breath, the three-star general muttered to himself.
“…If he’s Hongwick, he should be going to China. Why’s he causing a fuss in South Korea?”
*
As soon as we entered the abandoned building, I spotted something in the center, pulsating like a heart with tentacles reaching out.
And surrounding that heart were numerous monsters stationed as if guarding it.
Although it was blatantly clear who the boss was, I found it quite good.
“I’m busy, so I’ll deal with it quickly.”
“Yeah, go wild.”
The monsters seemed to reply as if saying, ‘Hey, I’m off to get cut,’ and promptly disappeared.
However, the heart, showing its bossy nature, appeared somewhat resilient as bullets ricocheted off its surface.
As Hyeji reached for a different weapon, I tried to intervene and jumped out.
“Hyeji! I’ll handle that!”
– Thud!
“Ouch, what was that.”
Something had grazed my head.
I wondered if there was a monster lurking behind me, but nothing was particularly visible.
With the noise of gunfire, it was too loud to assess the situation.
“Shinwoo, why are you spaced out?!”
“Something just hit my head.”
“Probably just a rock! If you’re going to break through, do it quickly. I’m getting anxious.”
“If you do it, then I won’t get any credit, so no.”
I shelved my questions and began to move forward again.
*
“…What the hell, f*ck.”
Kim Baekhong, as a general, usually paid attention to his words.
He seldom used profanity and often spoke carefully.
Yet in this situation, nothing made sense to him.
It was the very definition of absurdity.
“…Why aren’t the tranquilizer darts sticking?”
Initially meant for emergencies against monsters, his target wasn’t a beast but rather the punk who had taken away his beloved daughter.
In any case, he aimed to hit Kim Shinwoo so he wouldn’t perform well during the promotion test.
Hyeji’s auto head aim must’ve been inherited; she naturally shot the darts towards Shinwoo’s head.
But…
“Is that even a human?!”
Instead, the darts not only failed to penetrate but bounced off his head.
Kim Shinwoo merely scratched his head a couple of times.
Yet, he could not afford to back down.
His beloved daughter.
And that bastard defiling her pure white snowfield.
Though he wouldn’t kill him, he was determined that Kim Shinwoo would be the only one to fail the promotion test.
A rather petty revenge.
Of course, the moment his daughter found out, he would get beaten to a pulp.
However, not using a shotgun counted as being quite considerate.
Move aside.
It was Hongwick, aiming for another opportunity from the window of the dilapidated building.
*
I began climbing over the mountain of monsters’ remains.
As I did, a monster resembling a jaguar attempted to swipe at me with its front paw.
As I contemplated whether to deflect the attack, the number above the monster’s head increased by one, and a mirror fragment appeared.
Through the mirror fragment, I confirmed the future where ‘I’ would deflect the jaguar’s strike.
Returning to reality, I quickly materialized a shield at the 9 o’clock position on my left arm.
The monster feigned a swipe with its right front paw while swiftly striking with its left.
I matched its movement, swinging the shield diagonally upward.
I wielded the shield, which was formerly in my left hand, by switching it to my right.
– Clang!
“Where the hell do you think you’re swinging your brain, you f*cking kitten?”
I deflected the jaguar’s strike and stomped on its head, leaping high to land on the boss.
As soon as I landed, I compressed magical power in my palms and made contact with the boss.
Heavenly Demon Repulsor – Double Piece
[What the hell! Isn’t that name ridiculous!!!]
As Heavenly Demon Repulsors erupted simultaneously from my hands, the exterior of the monster shattered, exposing its red insides.
Just then, Hyeji threw a bundle of grenades towards me.
“Shinwoo, blow it up!!!”
“Roger that.”
I hastily removed the safety pins and stuffed the grenade bundle inside.
The squishy feeling I encountered made my skin crawl as if I’d encountered some innards, and I quickly withdrew my hand and dashed away.
– Boom!!!!
A moment later, an explosion erupted from within the boss’s heart.
Meat splattered everywhere, and judging by the lack of motion, it must have been an instant kill.
Regardless of whether the boss existed or not, the monsters would have been easily dispatched, but it felt like their onslaught had weakened compared to before the boss’s demise.
Once I had thoroughly dealt with the last monster, Hyeji approached me, drenched in blood.
“Shinwoo, we’re in the same rank now!”
“Ah… it was a time filled with humiliation and oppression.”
At that moment, Hyeji glanced around and cleared her throat before firmly grabbing both my hands.
“Shinwoo, even in a place like this, there’s something I really need to say.”
“Can you at least wipe off the blood first? You look terrifying.”
“Just listen.”
“Okay…”
Hyeji’s gaze upon me, covered in blood, was terrifying.
Perhaps because of that.
My hands began to tremble, and sweat began to bead as Hyeji noticed and smiled softly.
“You’re nervous too.”
“Yeah… I’m f*cking nervous on many levels.”
In a bad way.
I’m scared.
I want to live.
Meanwhile, Hyeji took a moment to catch her breath before beginning to speak.
“Shinwoo… I…”
“Why?”
“Jo…”
“Jo?”
[Finally, this story is turning romantic!]
‘Huh?’
[Just shut up and listen quickly!]
As Hyeji prepared to gather her thoughts to speak,
“Jo-”
“Stop!!!!!!!”
Suddenly, someone shouted and jumped down from the window of the abandoned building.
None other than Kim Baekhong.
His eyes were bloodshot, and he was aiming a sniper rifle he had somehow obtained at me.
“I absolutely cannot allow this!!!”
“You motherf*cker!!!!!!”
“Ah, f*ck.”
Hyeji grabbed both my hands tightly and tossed me at Kim Baekhong like a projectile weapon.
However, anticipating it, Kim Baekhong rolled aside comically to dodge the attack, and I slammed into the wall with a loud crash.
“Haha! Daughter! Even this old man has grown!”
“I’m really dead now.”
“…… I feel like I’m already dead. It hurts like hell.”
With blood all over, Hyeji’s rage was like that of a bloodsucker itself.
Yet their confrontation didn’t last long.
As soon as I crashed into the wall and fell, a creaking sound echoed throughout the building.
And the sound began to repeat all over the structure.
‘……Isn’t this supposed to be a romantic development? All I see is a bloody scene now?’
[…Why does it seem like nothing ends smoothly?]
Due to the preceding battle, the building, now extremely weakened, trembled under the impact as the entire structure shook.
I quickly grabbed Kim Baekhong and Hyeji and dashed out of the building.
Just then, the three-star general who was with Kim Baekhong earlier was leisurely approaching us.
“Oh! It seems the promotion test is over. Congratulations.”
“That’s not important! Run! The building is collapsing!!!”
Instead of responding to me, he picked up on the situation through intuition and quickly changed direction to start running.
Truly, he didn’t earn his three-star rank for nothing.
After a while of fleeing, we barely made it back to the gate we first entered.
“Quickly go back.”
“…… What about those two behind us?”
I pointed to the scene behind us.
Specifically, to the sight of Kim Baekhong and Hyeji, who appeared to be sparring.
“I’m asking!! When will I say what I need to say?! It’s already chapter 90!!!”
“Hyeji! It’s still chapter 89!”
“That’s not the point!!!!”
Kim Baekhong managed to evade Hyeji’s fierce assaults a couple of times.
But Hyeji was sweeping in with impeccable footwork and switching, overwhelming him with her strikes.
At least, she wasn’t using her full strength since they were fighting bare-handed.
“……I suppose there’s a lot for a father and daughter to discuss.”
“…… I guess so.”
The three-star general, I, and the two Hunters who had joined us hopped into the gate to head back to the association.
It was about 15 minutes later that Hyeji and Kim Baekhong returned.
*
“Your promotions have been completed. The qualification certificates will be sent to the Academy afterward.”
In the end, Hyeji’s and my promotions were successfully completed.
Though the building had collapsed, there was no need to divulge the truth, so I kept quiet.
Meanwhile, Kim Baekhong initially argued that I had no contribution.
However, after Hyeji pulled Kim Baekhong aside for a brief conversation on the second floor of the building,
Kim Baekhong suddenly changed his stance and acknowledged my contribution.
And currently.
He was applauding us in celebration.
With his left jaw severely swollen.
In the midst of that, the oblivious receptionist spoke up to Kim Baekhong.
“General, your left jaw…”
“I was stung by a bee.”
“But why is there blood coming from your mouth?”
“It’s ketchup.”
“…Yes, understood.”
Even so, under the weight of Kim Baekhong’s rank, the receptionist couldn’t say any more and looked defeated.
It truly was a hierarchical society.
On the other hand, Hyeji didn’t bother responding any further and immediately turned to head towards the gate to the Academy.
She seemed pretty angry.
Watching his daughter’s departure, Kim Baekhong became gloomy at a rapid pace.
It was a father’s woeful sorrow.
[Seriously, the author needs to be punished for constantly interfering at crucial moments in the narrative…]
‘Dude, please quit with the sob stuff about being a father.’
[Again, this body has no father.]
‘Ah, f*ck! I forgot you have no immunity.’
Thus, we returned to the Academy with Hyeji.
The promotion to Berserker was complete.
In just one day, no less.
