Chapter 2

By the time you turn 29, you tend to gain an understanding of why a woman starts a certain conversation.

“You have no drive.”

This meant we were breaking up.

“Drive?”

“Yeah, till when are you going to work part-time at a BBQ place?”

“……”

For starters, Oh Yoo-seong was not working part-time.

He was only working part-time in high school. Even before the first semester of his first year was over, Yoo-seong immediately took a gap year. He then took a full-time job at the restaurant he worked at in high school, learning the bits and ends of the job in a serious fashion.

He was interested in the restaurant business, and all previous owners could’ve vouched for his attention to detail.

“I’ve told you already, I’m going to open up a store. I’m saving up money.”

In reality, Yoo-seong’s bank account was significantly stacked from saving for the last 8 years.

“When? Way past 30? Without ever having been on a vacation to Europe? Even if you were to open then, what would happen would be pretty obvious. What significance does it have?”

“…So what about you?”

“What?”

Ji-young, his girlfriend, was a beautiful woman. She had graduated from a prestigious university, and of course, the company she worked for was even more well known.

But was difference did it have with Yoo-seong?

“I think there’s significance in understanding your strengths and what role you can fulfill with those strengths. It’s important to place meaning in that and live life diligently.”

“Who said otherwise? What I’m talking about is the future….”

“Of course, I fall short if we’re referring to the societal norm of getting a respectable job and gaining achievements. But isn’t talking about my ‘drive’ and ‘future’ pushing it?”

“……!”

Ji-Young’s face turned bright red.

Well, it had ended. Yoo-seong’s girlfriend didn’t enjoy listening to someone talking back.

“The reason I told you my future plans was because you’re an important person to me. But, using that as a point to break up with me makes me feel lousy.”

He had already predicted this farewell for a long time.

Yoo-seong had already noticed Ji-Young’s dissatisfaction with him. However, he had no intention of holding her back. If she wanted to leave, she could.

All he asked was that they didn’t speak about unreasonable things, especially now that they were at the end. They were not dating anymore, and there was no reason to listen to this.

“If it’s because we fell out of love, that things work out better with your parent’s acquaintance’s son, or you’re embarrassed to tell your friends what I’m doing….”

“You sick jerk!”

Ji-Young stood up from her seat.

“Yeah, fine, I’m embarrassed! You stopped going to your sub-par school to wait on tables and change grills! Talking big about saving your wage that isn’t even enough in the first place!”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been stingy in front of you. I worked hard enough.”

“To your standard, you did.”

Ji-Young tried to provoke, but Yoo-seong was unaffected. She was the only one that was worked up.

It was always this way.

She was a woman who thrived off of feeling superior, whether it was schooling, appearances, or family. She would console herself by looking down on others, up until the point where it disturbed her consciousness.

However, Yoo-seong was different.

He was the type that understood his flaws and was honest in walking the path that was right for him. He had no regard for things he couldn’t have.

She was attracted to this, but it didn’t seem to be enough.

“You know something? Whenever I’m with you, I feel like an impatient, good for nothing bitch. A materialistic and greedy bitch!”

“Yeah, you’re proving that to me in real-time.”

“……!”

“Sit, even if you’re going to leave me, we should at least talk about what was wrong. At least we’ll feel better.”

“I’m fine.”

Ji-Young turned around.

“Spend your entire life just changing grills. Exactly like that.”

That was her strongest insult, but Yoo-seong was still indifferent. It only embarrassed herself.

Ji-Young then left the cafe.

It was then that Yoo-seong’s face changed.

“…God-damn bitch.”

Even so, his self-control was only a bit better than hers.

“Fucking bitch! I’d kill her!”

The only person angrier than Yoo-seong was the manager at his work. There was a 6-year difference between the two, but he was a close, older brother. As soon as Yoo-seong told him, he immediately came to pour him a glass.

“So what, like she’s going to marry an heir? Or some professional? What does it matter if she studied abroad? You told me that her family isn’t that well off anyways.”

“She is well off. Both of her parents are professors, and she has a degree from a foreign university.”

“Well…. Um….”

Taking the shot he quietly prepared, Yoo-seong glanced slightly at the bar’s TV.

“And…”

The Hunter’s interview happened to be on.

“As of recent, I’ve been hearing things. Blind date requests to meet a Hunter.”

“Ah…. You said they were trying to do some research.”

Yoo-seong nodded.

In times like these, the profession of a Hunter was enough to eat the other professionals alive. That had been more than a decade ago.

Back when Yoo-seong was a child, the world was thought to be doomed. The sky was full of cracks that had poured out monsters.

However, the world managed to survive.

Even now, the dimension cracked regularly, monsters poured out.

However, humans were able to form an indefectible response method. Not one month had passed since, and scientists were able to predict future cracks.

Now no one was taken aback or afraid when the sirens went off. People were able to evacuate with leisure after reading the mandate from the Police.

And from there, the Hunters appeared.

Only those who had superior and developed bodies could take this job. They hunted these monsters, and created armor from the matter obtained in order to strengthen themselves.

This was every man’s dream.

Despite the high mortality rate, countless people pursued to be a Hunter when the occupation was first institutionalized.

There probably wasn’t a guy right now in his 20-30’s that still didn’t dream of becoming one.

The societal recognition and income….

“Anyways, didn’t you say your girlfriend…. Oh, I mean, that bitch was also a Hunter mania?”

“Yes, even her phone wallpaper is a picture of Lee Jae-Hak.”

Lee Jae-Hak was fighting for the nation’s top male Hunter position.

Even though he was far from her world, to a woman like Ji-Young, Lee Jae-Hak was a perfect match to her ideal. He was good looking, earned a lot of money, and had an upstanding position in society. Even more, her so-called friends couldn’t criticize and would only look with jealousy.

“……”

“Uh, uh yeah. There’s no point in talking about her. Let’s just drink.”

They stopped drinking way past midnight.

Afterward, they both headed towards Yoo-seong’s place, as it was in the neighborhood. They both could hold their liquor, but began to feel a bit drunk.

“…Me too.”

“Huh?”

“I know very well what she’s talking about. She’s saying that as a guy, even if it’s a fake ambition, it’d be nice if I’d try and act like I had some.”

“Hey, that’s what people with brains full of shit do. In reality, what is it that you don’t have? You’ve been saving consistently and work hard. She’s just basking in her own glory and is so full of it to see someone as valuable as you. Don’t dwell on her.”

Yoo-seong was over her.

Really.

What made Yoo-seong’s heartbeat rapidly, was the childhood dream he had so quickly abandoned.

Yoo-seong, like the rest, had wanted to become a Hunter.

But he couldn’t be. It was the same reason why he couldn’t become a professional boxer or a soccer player. His physical body was just average.

The same went for his studies.

Thus, Yoo-seong had figured out his path from a very early age. Right now, he was living a responsible life by working diligently. He didn’t have a shred of embarrassment in regards to his place in society.

However, there was a tiny, very tiny regret.

If only he had been more built…

Ziiing-

“Huh?”

“What is it?”

At first, the sound was similar to that of a computer turning on.

And then, Bam!!

A roar that would remind one of thunder resonated from within the area.

At the same time, both of them experienced intense pressure. It felt like a hammer had slammed their sides with incredible force.

“Ccckkk!”

The sound of something falling. A rise of thick dust and fog.

Yoo-seong lifted himself up.

“Cr… Crack?”

Was it about twenty, no, fifteen meters?

Not far from the crack was a lavender aurora. Around the aurora was a blue spark – a crack.

“But the sirens didn’t go off?!”

Even during the pre-dawn hours, the mandates would go off. If there was a mandate, there was no way that Yoo-seong and the manager would’ve missed it.

Perhaps there had been a mishap.

This was a rarity where the radar failed to detect future cracks, something they’d heard about only from foreign sources!

“Hyung! Wake up, hyung!”

The manager seemed to have passed out on the floor and didn’t respond. There was no blood, and he was still breathing. He seemed okay.

Yoo-seong took out his phone immediately.

As soon as he finished dialing 911, he saw a glimpse of a person from the thick foggy dust.

Yoo-seong headed towards this figure, with his instincts giving him unfavorable vibes and such uneasiness.

Unfortunately, his instincts hit the spot.

The closer Yoo-seong was to the person, the clearer its figure became.

“Hu… Huukkk…..”

It was about two meters tall.

From a glimpse, its body was similar to that of a better than average human male. However, its skin was a pale gray. And its face, to be specific, its two eyes and ripped smile, was scarily similar to that of a shark rather than a primate.

Yoo-seong knew what this monster was.

He recognized it from the pamphlet for Citizen Safety, which covered monsters from Levels 1 – 3.

Shark ape – ⭐⭐

Two stars.

In its unarmed state, it was similar to a grown male adult. For citizens, it was too strong of an opponent and was considered dangerous.

Sure enough, there was the first sacrifice. In the Shark ape’s left hand, there was a lifeless, stretched out male.

The man’s face was missing.

Distasteful noise came out of the shark’s mouth as it chewed a skinlike gummy.

Splat.

The Shark ape threw away the man’s body and had begun to head towards Yoo-seong.

I’m going to die.

His manager was passed out cold on the floor. No, even without him, Yoo-seong was drunk. There was no way he could fend off the Shark ape.

-Ziiiinnnggg!

Yoo-seong was near losing his mind when that disgusting wail came out of its mouth.

That was when a button appeared right in front of his eyes.

[Press the button to Auto Hunt.]

Something he had seen, along with a message he didn’t understand.

“Ha, bloody hell.”

Yoo-seong didn’t know. Perhaps he had gone mad.

A wide-open Shark ape’s mouth was waiting right in front of him. He had no other option.

He pressed the button.