Chapter 3

Taaaat!

At the moment, Yoo-seong could not grasp what had happened to his body. He was convinced that he had flown back after getting hit by the Shark ape’s fist.

However, this did not turn out to be the case.

His two legs had instantly slammed the ground, moving him backward.

‘What!’

He tried to yell, but no sound came out.

He couldn’t move his body, but his senses were still activated. He could clearly feel the chilly night air and smell the stinging dirt and dust.

The same went for his arms and legs. It was entirely different than being controlled like a puppet, moving here and there from the dangling strings.

He could distinctly feel the focus and tension that went into his muscles and joints. It was as if there was a separate controller in Yoo-seong’s brain that was moving his body.

Grip.

He made a fist, lifting it up to his face.

It was a clear stance, as if asking for a fight.

‘You dumbass!’

Yoo-seong tried to yell, but he found that he still could not do this.

You’re going to fight him with your fists? This monster?

There was no way he was going to win. He had to escape.

He desperately tried to turn his body, but it was no use. Not even his head turned, and his eyes were fixated solely onto the Shark ape.

-……

Was it because he was influenced by the sudden change in the prey’s attitude? The Shark ape that once was slowly approaching Yoo-seong’s had stopped and was staring at him.

This was the unreadable eyes of a Shark.

Then all of a sudden…

-Ziiiiiiii!!

With its jaw opened to its full capacity, the Shark ran full speed. It was like the restoring force of a pressed down spring.

‘Uhhh!?’

Because his head turned so quickly, Yoo-seong had no idea what his body stance looked like. He only knew vaguely from the feeling in his arms and legs.

As he quickly moved his body to the right, his upper left body stood still. As the Shark passed his right arm, he swiftly landed 3 punches to his body!

The fist that delivered the punches was unaffected. The Shark ape’s skin was not as hard as he thought.

Before he was even able to unclench his fist, Yoo-seong’s body was already preparing for the next stance. It was as if he’d had prepared beforehand.

Turn. His field of vision turned around a half. His bodyweight shifted from his fist to his legs.

Kick!

He managed to deliver a kick with his full weight.

He delivered an accurate kick to the Shark ape’s lower back, feeling it being pushed out from his foot. The Shark ape’s mouth had fallen over.

‘I can’t believe it…’

It truly was shocking, be it his impossible movements performed whilst intoxicated, or the fact that he had knocked over a Level 2 Star monster.

He had never felt this feeling in his entire life.

His joints and muscle were in perfect sync!

Though he was moving because of an anonymous power, strength and speed that had once been absent from Yoo-seong’s body had not been magically given.

The fact was that Yoo-seong had not been able to effectively utilize his body till now. A human, a grown male’s body was an entity that could be utilized effectively.

Taat!

This was a pace that he could’ve never moved at before.

Finally free! It was an ironic thrill that he felt, as he was not in control of his own body.

His body, flying high, recollected something.

Like the kick from before, his bodyweight had perfectly shifted to his two legs. Landing perfectly onto the Shark ape’s head, it delivered the most accurate blow.

The shock punctured its occipital area.

That was the end. The Shark ape did not move.

…

When his eyes opened the next morning, he found himself in the hospital.

“Ughh…!”

There was pain that reverberated through his entire body.

All of a sudden, Yoo-seong was worried that he was seriously injured. But after a moment, he came upon a realization.

The pain that he felt from his entire body was severe like never before, but it was also familiar.

Muscle strain. The flamboyant action scene from yesterday wasn’t a dream.

After the Shark ape had fallen, Yoo-seong was able to move his own body again. Shortly after, the Police, Hunters, and first responders were immediately dispatched. Yoo-seong was then brought to the hospital.

‘But in here?’

Yoo-seong was placed in a single room.

The last thing he remembered was feeling drowsy, and then falling asleep while being transported in the ambulance.

‘Am I the one paying for the hospital fe… fees?’

Thinking about the money, he looked around the room when it caught his eye.

“……”

It was at a thirty centimeter level to Yoo-seong’s chest.

It was a familiar shape. One button that looked like it would’ve existed in an outdated arcade game.

It was the switch that turned Yoo-seong into the main character of an action film yesterday night.

Yoo-seong reached out. He had no intention of pushing it, but just felt like touching it once.

Slip.

However, his hand could not reach the button and passed through it. Yoo-seong was taken aback, but then he realized the difference.

‘The button is gray right now.’

Yesterday, when the Shark ape was right in front of him, the button was green and had litten up.

Furthermore, there was no message that said [Press this button to Auto Hunt.] right now.

‘….. Because there’s nothing to hunt?’

That was true, but intuitively, he thought that there might also be another reason.

Clank.

The door opened right then. A man came walking in, suited with no tie.

“Hello.”

“Yes. Hello….”

“How are you feeling?”

Should I say it’s a man’s instinct?

There may be some discrepancies; however, when a man meets another man with better physical conditions than himself, there is some anxiety.

It was such a natural reaction.

‘Wow, so big.’

In this case, the only problem was that she was a woman.

Her height and curves were reminiscent of a Western model. If her body wasn’t so built, she would’ve just been a beautiful, curvy woman.

She had broad shoulders, and her hair was slicked back into a ponytail. From her firmly built body, there exuded a sense of conviction and professionalism.

“It is a shame, Mr. Oh Yoo-seong, what you and your friend had to go through.”

The woman displayed a simple nod.

“There will be compensation from the nation for those of you who’ve experienced such mishap. To add, the entire hospital fees will, of course, be covered as well.”

To the person listening, the neutral voice had a sense of honesty.

However, Yoo-seong could not fully pay attention to the woman.

“……”

Right in front of his eyes.

The button, once gray, was brightly lit green.

However, it was only for a second. The button was not lit anymore.

“Mr. Oh Yoo-seong?”

“Ah, yes.”

Yoo-seong immediately came right back to his senses.

There was a definite connection between the button lighting up with the woman that was in front of him.

So did that mean the woman and the Shark ape had something in common? Also, why did the button light up and turn off so quickly?

‘… Was it because I was nervous?’

Trying to find what was in common, he could only think of this reason.

Yoo-seong looked at the woman. She was taking something out of the bag she had brought.

In all honesty, it was not like Yoo-seong’s body was inferior by any means. However, she looked like she’d win any fight she’d get herself into.

Calming himself, Yoo-seong imagined this.

The sight of her suddenly taking out her fist from the bag, punching him square in the jaw. Not to brag, but Yoo-seong’s imagination was something else.

‘Woww…’

The button was brightly lit green again.

Yoo-seong slightly reached out his hand again. To his surprise, he distinctly felt the presence of the button.

This proved his theory.

The button lit up, and he was able to press it whenever he felt nervous or in danger.

Furthermore, Yoo-seong could light the button by mere imagination.

‘Then if I press this….’

While he was thinking this, the woman handed him a tablet.

“Mr. Oh Yoo-seong, this is the video recording of you yesterday night.”

If she hadn’t told him that, he would have thought it was some fascinating video from abroad.

In reality, the time it took for Yoo-seong to beat the shit out of the monster was way less than he had felt.

‘Is he some actor from an action movie?’

Yoo-seong was at a loss for words and asked the woman.

“If it’s not a bother, can I ask you if you know of any training camps?”

As there were many who aspired to be Hunters, there were several private and public facilities where people trained and learned information regarding hunting.

After thinking about it for a second, Yoo-seong stated the truth.

“I haven’t really learned anything from anywhere.”

“I’m sorry? So you studied alone or took private lessons….”

“No, no. I’m not trying to be a Hunter. I’ve never learned anything about the subject at all.”

“….Really?”

What was it?

Her stone-cold face was so easily broken. However, it did return immediately after.

“Is there something that’s wrong?”

“….”

The woman stared at Yoo-seong intently.

Yoo-seong did not look away, instead, he received it calmly.

‘I didn’t do anything illegal, did I?’

There was nothing illegal about a citizen, trained or not, fighting a monster out of self-protection.

“….It is nothing.”

Though she said that, there was suspicion in her eyes that showed her confusion.

“I thought it was an outstanding performance for a ‘pure’… You definitely have an impressive skill.”

She added onto it as Yoo-seong’s forehead creased from the strange terms.

“It’s Hunter jargon. I’m referring to the state when you fight alone without help from any special weapons or strengthening skills.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Anyways, thank you for the response. Mr. Oh Yoo-seong, the reason as to why I’m here today is in regards to the compensation you’ll be receiving.”

“Compensation?…Oh!”

Yoo-seong’s jaw dropped.

The thought hadn’t crossed his mind.

“It is because of your contribution to the safety of citizens.”

Compensation for disposing of monsters.

This was the source of a Hunter’s salary. There was no chance that regular citizens could ever receive it, as they evacuated from the cracks early. Despite that, compensation was given if you had solid evidence that you defeated a monster.

The video recording that the woman showed him was solid proof.

‘Was it according to the number of stars?”

He had seen it before in the pamphlet from the Ward.

In the case of killing monsters, the amount changes according to its Level or the number of its stars.

Positive that two stars mean….

“You’ll be receiving 550,000 KRW for a Level 2 monster. We will be able to transfer the compensation for you at the nearest Ward office. All you will need is a valid form of identification and banking routing number.”

“Wow.”

It wasn’t a mindblowing sum, but it was still 550,000 KRW.

Anyways, it was a substantial amount considering the fact that there was no effort and his body was taken care of.

‘There’s a reason why Hunters earn a lot.’

Even though something strange had just happened, it was impressive for a citizen to catch a monster of this caliber with just luck.

He wasn’t sure, but the Hunters from yesterday probably had received an even more substantial amount than this.

However, Yoo-seong was slightly mistaken.

“To add, Mr. Oh Yoo-seong, you have full selling rights to the Shark ape you have hunted.”

“……”

Her face changed once more.

-Really? You really don’t know anything?

Her expression showed her disbelief at him not knowing anything.

“…. What I am referring to the rights to sell in the marketplace. All of the by-products obtained from hunting monsters are the possession of the Hunter.”

Regarding the marketplace, Yoo-seong had vaguely heard about it before.

It was filled with the newest research materials, various weapons, and raw materials used to strengthen bodies—all of which one could buy from selling the monsters.

However, in this case, there was no relevance between the level of stars and the demand for the monster’s body.

For instance, even a weak Level 1 monster could yield more money than its weight depending on its utility. Conversely, a bad Level 5 would be trash if there was no use for it in the market.

“I thought that the country just took it and sold it somewhere. Wow, then how much do Hunters really earn?”

“This is my contact information.”

The woman took out a single business card.

“Please feel free to contact me at any time if you happen to experience any side effects from your injuries or if there is any problem in with the compensation transfer.”

Chae Shin-Young.

– 2nd Department Manager for Special Defense Welfare Services

That was what had been written.

‘Welfare?…. Services?’

From what she did, Yoo-seong was convinced that it was indeed her job. However, it seemed very far from her image.

“What is this?”

Beneath the card, there was a plastic card attached to it.

“That is an entry pass for the marketplace. You are unable to enter unless you possess a Hunter license, or are affiliated with a business inside.”

“Whew.”

As he was whistling, Yoo-seong was fiddling around with the cards.

“…. Never in my life have I experienced anything like this. Wow.”

“You were able to calmly execute during a situation of crisis. Just think of it as a compensation for doing so.”

Yoo-seong nodded his head with sincerity.

“Yes, I know. This is my first time getting a woman’s number first.”

All of a sudden, Chae Shin-Young’s eyes widened. This was the third time her expression changed.

A slight grin.

It was a smile she showed for the first time. Her looks were boyish, but her smile was not.

Yoo-seong felt like there was the reason he’d gathered up the courage to make the joke.

“Well then, hope for a quick recovery.”

“Yes. Keep up the good work.”

As Chae Shin-Young went to turn around,

“Excuse me.”

She stopped at Yoo-seong’s question.

“Yes.”

“Asking this could be a bother… but how much do you think it is? The Shark ape that I caught….”

“I know that it is not that high in value.”

However, Yoo-seong saw it. He saw her mouth, prepared to say the words ‘But’ in the next sentence.

“Yes?”

“It is nothing. It would be best to go to the market and see for yourself, instead of listening to someone with no idea. It will serve you a beneficial experience for the future too, Mr. Oh Yoo-seong.”

“……What?”

Something felt off.

It was as if Yoo-seong would be frequenting the marketplace more in the future, even though he wasn’t a Hunter, nor would ever be one.

Chae Shin-Young then left the hospital room.

“If you knew a little bit, you should just tell me. It’s making me more curious.”

It was probably nothing too serious. Besides, she had said, ‘I know that it is not too high in value.’

He lay on the bed whilst thinking this.

However, this all felt serious.

The Shark ape that Yoo-seong had caught was definitely ‘something.’