Chapter 16

Hunter Academy’s Battle God

Chapter 16

[The Sevens]

A title of honor given to the top 7 students with the highest grades, but the title was especially more meaningful in Gaon Academy.

This was because Korea was the top hunter nation in the world, and Gaon was called the finest academy in Korea.

“So, it should be a given for elites like the Sevens to have all of these benefits!”

Headmaster Jin ByungCheol was explaining the privileges that the Sevens had access to with a boastful laugh.

Because of the unbelievable exploits that Shin YuSung had done, Jin ByungCheol was overflowing with goodwill and approval for the boy. What he was most thankful of regarding Shin YuSung were his [broadcasting rights].

‘Just how many news channels visited us today…’

After the Jewel Island exam was broadcast, Shin Yusung immediately fell under the spotlight with his high level of skill unbefitting of his F-rank Trait and his attention-grabbing looks from the nine blocked yin pathways.

[Fist King’s disciple! Achieved third place!]

[Shin YuSung! Destruction of the Crystal Golem!]

[The unusual exploits of someone with an F-rank Trait!]

Various headlines dominated the search engine—because of that, news broadcasting stations visited Gaon Academy to meet with the headmaster in an effort to monopolize Shin YuSung.

“If you have anything you’re curious about, or have any complaints, go ahead and tell me all of them!”

Due to the boy, Jin ByungCheol had the position of power for the first time in a long while. Because of that, he was trying to make Shin YuSung as comfortable as he could with a pleasant smile on his face.

“Thank you very much.”

As Shin YuSung replied with an innocent smile on his face, Jin ByungCheol grinned and handed him a piece of paper.

“Huh huh! It’s a bit too early to thank me. Go ahead and read this first!”

Shin YuSung had no idea why the headmaster was treating him so well, but it was clear to him from Jin ByungCheol’s attitude that the man was favoring him.

Crinkle.

Shin YuSung lifted the paper that the headmaster had given him.

[1. Maintenance fees provided]

[2. Sevens-exclusive dorms]

[3. Permission to leave during weekdays (extracurricular activities)]

[4. Permission to freely attend classes]

[5. Portal use fees provided]

[6. Personal VIP Card for Academy City]

[…]

The benefits granted to the Sevens were plainly written on the piece of paper. First of all, under the pretext of maintenance fees, the Sevens received money rivaling a salaryman’s pay once a month from the government. The seven dorm rooms for the Sevens boasted the latest facilities that were second to none, even compared to hotels.

On top of that, they were allowed to leave the academy for extracurricular activities and had the choice to attend only the classes that they wanted to go to. The benefits of being a Seven also included receiving a VIP card that would let them use various facilities of Academy City for free—there was no end to them.

This staggering amount of support was possible for South Korea, one of the top hunter countries in the world.

‘…This is incredible.’

Shin YuSung read the paper, genuinely impressed. Jin ByungCheol gave a proud smile and laughed.

“It doesn’t look like it, but I did put a lot of thought into some of these provisions. Huh huh!”

Jin ByungCheol tried to gauge Shin YuSung’s reactions.

“And, since you’re a Seven now, how about participating in extracurricular activities? It’ll be a good experience for you,” he added carefully.

Extracurricular activities.

While there were a lot of places that were looking for hunters in society, the number of them on active duty were too few. Because of this, corporations substituted them with skilled students to perform jobs.

Of course, the students who completed the missions received money and SP and the school received fame and contracting fees. Extracurricular activities, therefore, were not much different from the jobs that hunters took.

“If there is a request, I am always open to take it.”

Thankfully, Shin YuSung had a good idea of what the extracurriculars entailed, due to Lee SiWoo explaining them beforehand.

“Haha! There’s never a shortage of requests! However, the extracurricular activity this time is of a somewhat large scale. Of course, the rewards are large, as well!”

Jin ByungCheol smirked and took out a registration form as if he had been expecting this.

[Request: Academy Dungeon Raid Competition]

[Organizer: Kang YuChan]

[Reward: Artifact]

At the familiar name, Shin YuSung, who had been reading the registration form, lifted his head and looked at Jin ByungCheol. Kang YuChan was a name that the Fist King had repeated to him until his ears had fallen off.

“…So this person really is him?”

“Huh huh, yes! It’s a name any hunter should know!”

The president of the South Korean Hunter Association. Kang YuChan.

He was a legendary hunter who had raised Korea to the status of the greatest hunter nation alongside the Fist King, Yu WonHak.

But the competition being hosted was an event that was personally being supervised by the association president. With a serious expression, Jin ByungCheol stared at the boy.

“Only two students from the Academy can participate in this competition! I want you and Adela to go together!”

As a matter of fact, Jin ByungCheol wanted Shin YuSung, a current hot topic, to go to the competition more than Kim EunAh, who was second in the student rankings. 

On top of that, the reward was an artifact called a hunter’s treasure. For Shin YuSung, who wanted to become the Korean representative of the International Competition by raising his prominence, there was no better opportunity than this. 

“Sounds good. I will participate.”

Jin ByungCheol laughed boisterously again at the boy’s enthusiastic reply.

“Huh huh huh! Good, good! There’s still plenty of time left until the day of the competition, so make sure to properly prepare yourself!”

Jin ByungCheol maintained his friendliness towards Shin YuSung until the end. He poured affection towards the student who could vouch for his own strength.

‘I’ll have to tell Yu WonHak that YuSung is going to participate in the event. He’ll put in a good word for the boy since he has connections to the Association, right?’

Through the headmaster’s excessive care, Shin YuSung was enjoying the man’s preferential treatment.

* * *

* * *

A weekend. Shin YuSung rubbed his eyes as he woke up on top of a fluffy bed.

‘…I really am not used to the feel of this mattress.‘

Before he had started attending the academy, Shin YuSung’s bed was the natural environment of the Martial Spirits’ Mountain itself.

His master, the Fist King, had made seven-year-old Shin YuSung take short naps in the middle of the night on treetops in an effort to raise awareness of his surroundings. He had also taught the boy how to light a fire inside a cave, as well as survival techniques. 

Shin YuSung had washed himself with freezing river water even in the bone-chilling cold of winter. But now it was different.

Pshhh!

The water from the showerhead was pleasantly hot, and the bathroom was awash in the scent of bath products.

‘So this is the dorm of a Sevens student…’

After finishing his shower, Shin YuSung dried his long hair with a white towel and walked towards the dorm’s refrigerator.

[Please choose your desired item.]

It was a special fridge with a screen on it.

As if he had gotten used to how the dorms worked in just a day, Shin YuSung easily completed his order.

[Order complete!]

[Dairy Product: Banana-flavored milk*]

Vmm!

At the same time, the sound of a machine starting up began emitting from inside the fridge.

Click.

After it had finished, Shin YuSung opened the door. In the previously empty interior was a carton of banana-flavored milk.

Shin YuSung stabbed the straw in the top and started to ponder while sipping the drink.

‘I don’t know how this all functions, but it’s definitely convenient.’

##TL/N: he looks cold kekw

The fridge could be called a subspace object transfer system, or a dimension gate, which were somewhat complicated names. Most called it something shorter—a ‘portal’. 

This mysterious technology was from the Tower. Unlike dungeons or gates where the monsters came out of, the Tower had no detrimental effects on humanity.

In fact, one could find in it mysterious technologies or artifacts that had never existed before.

‘Things like this are the reason why hunters have to conquer the Tower?”

Actually, while this was technology new to Shin YuSung, who had lived his life stuck on Martial Spirits’ Mountain, it was something that the rest of humanity had already gotten used to.

As expected, only a fraction of hunters ever reached the higher floors.

‘Of course, Master had conquered 60 floors.’

Due to this, the Fist King, Yu WonHak, had bestowed many gifts to the rest of the world. One had to have achievements like that under their belt if they wanted to become the strongest hunter. But it’s too early to talk about that.

‘Let’s do the things that I can do.’

Shin YuSung checked the time using his cellphone and left the dormitory.

* * * *

Like a naturally protected fortress, Gaon Academy claimed a man-made island on the ocean as its plot. While the school could look isolated, that was not the case during the weekends. One could ride an academy-operated school bus and travel through the underwater tunnel to visit [Academy City], the pride and joy of Gaon Academy.

The reason that a name like Academy City had stuck to an otherwise normal downtown area of a city was simple. 

‘Because there were over ten academies that were constructed around it.’

Because of that, various students from various academies enjoyed their weekends in Academy City, and there were some who recognized Shin YuSung among them.

“Huh!? Isn’t that Shin YuSung?”

“Whoa, the one from Gaon Academy?”

“You’re right! Shin YuSung! How can you forget a face like that?”

He was much more famous than he had thought he was due to the broadcast of his spar against Ju HaJin and the Jewel Island exam.

Murmur murmur.

Right when the murmurs of the students were reaching a fever pitch, a familiar face began to approach him in a passive manner.

“Ah, u-um…”

Hanajima Sumire.

She was the main character of an incredible reversal of fortune. From one exam, she had gone from 209th place in the student rankings to 6th place—one of the Sevens. 

As he watched Sumire mumble and try to speak up, Shin YuSung decided to take the initiative.

“Should we go register first?”

“Ah! Y-yes!”

* * * *

After just ten minutes.

At the Hunter Association branch established in Academy City, Shin YuSung and Sumire had shown them their student IDs and had been granted permission to participate in extracurricular activities.

Since Sumire’s grades had been low until now, she had never done any extracurriculars. This was the first time that Shin YuSung had gotten any grades; this was why they had visited the Hunter Association together.

After leaving the building, Sumire gazed at her student ID as if amazed and started to mutter in a small voice.

“T-to think… that I’d get permission.”

It had always been Sumire’s dream to participate and earn money doing extracurriculars so that she could send her earnings back to Japan, to her family.

“U-uuu… I’ve always been rejected because I was in 209th place. But I passed so easily this time… I still can’t believe it.”

“Good for you. Your efforts paid off,” Shin YuSung replied to her nonchalantly and started to walk off.

Sumire quickly caught up to him and started waving her arms in denial.

“E-efforts? What efforts! It’s not like I did anything…I couldn’t even catch one carbuncle with my own hands. If I didn’t have Shin YuSung-ssi’s hairs…”

While walking, Suimre began waxing poetic about Shin YuSung’s own achievements. She even made a pledge out loud with an energetic voice and twinkling eyes—much unlike her usual demeanor.

“Even so! I promise to not be a burden to Shin YuSung-ssi during the intramurals… I’ll work many times harder so that this isn’t the case!”

The intramural competitions were one of the most imbalanced tests in Gaon Academy. Even though one was held at least once a year, there had never been a case where a lower-rank class had managed to beat an upper-level class.

It was near impossible for F Class, made up of F-rank Trait students, to win against A Class, which was made up of A-rank Trait students.

Even if there were students who were more skilled than their Traits would imply, it was meaningless if the average strength of the other students were low—as teamwork was important for the intramurals.

But Sumire held the belief that they could defeat any class as long as Shin YuSung was there.

“If you… are ever in a crisis during the intramural competition, I’ll try to save you even if my life depends on it…”

Sumire began fuelling her motivation with an excessive degree of loyalty. 

“Yeah, let’s do our best,” replied Shin YuSung with a bemused expression.

“Hehe, got it! If you need me, call for me anytime! … Ah, Shin YuSung-ssi wouldn’t need the help of someone… like me, right? Since you’re so strong…”

Sumire finished talking and, as if too embarrassed to look at Shin YuSung directly, bowed her head again. Even though her skills were lacking, her loyalty towards Shin YuSung, who she treated as a benefactor, was higher than anyone.

____

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*There is a popular brand of banana-flavored milk in Korea, which is what Shin YuSung is drinking.