Chapter 11 - The Fissure's Flood (1)

* * *

Late at night, Han Taemin stealthily climbed over a wall, heading toward a nearby C-rank dungeon. He had no interest in wasting time on trivial matters. As long as he didn't get caught, not having a hunter's license wasn't a problem.

He was already disposing of Material Cubes through brokers, and there was no time for needless worries. Even contemplating was a luxury he couldn't afford.

He entered the dungeon, crossing the dimensional passage.

Suddenly, a wave of humid heat brushed against his skin. Before him lay a jungle.

Standing alone amidst the dense foliage, Han Taemin listened to the rough breathing sounds surrounding him. He raised his sword, a mass-produced item crafted by machines rather than a master, but it sufficed.

After all, he was here to test his newly acquired power.

Without looking, he instinctively slashed at a small approaching monster. The creature, split between the eyes, dropped dead within a few steps.

The scent of blood filled the air, drawing more monsters out from the underbrush. With no hope for reinforcements and facing overwhelming numbers, Han Taemin grinned grimly.

A knight's only faith was in his accumulated strength. It was fundamental not to rely on reinforcements. Memories of roaming the battlefield, risking his life, came flooding back. Compared to those times, the current situation was mere child's play.

He had invested only 1 bonus point thus far. It was a negligible investment, bringing no dramatic change, but Han Taemin could distinctly sense the flow of mana circulating around his heart.

A faint exhilaration coursed through his body. It felt like returning home, making his heart race.

That was when the monsters leaped at him all at once.

Han Taemin advanced, slicing through the monsters so densely packed that they blotted out the sky. His controlled sword strikes were effective from any stance.

With each swing, the speed of his strikes increased. The swift and precise movements left the monsters unable to even swipe their claws, collapsing powerlessly.

Every time his blade, reflecting the moonlight, flashed, a monster fell, dropping like a puppet with its strings cut.

As he ventured deeper, the number of monsters increased. His movements became more intense in response to the approaching enemies.

He bet everything on his single point of mana, squeezing out every drop. This was an extension of his training to awaken his former life's prowess. Lost in the moment, he forgot he was even breathing heavily as he reaped countless lives. Then, an anomaly occurred.

Responding to his arduous effort—

[ Level Up ]

The awaited message appeared.

Retrieving his sword from the large monster, Han Taemin turned without hesitation. Kicking away the small monsters strewn across the horizon, he walked over to a conveniently risen boulder and sat down.

"Phew."

He wiped the sweat off his forehead, cooled by the night breeze. Checking his status window, he saw that his level had increased.

'Level 7.'

It was good to have grown, but considering that his level only increased after killing over two hundred monsters, it was hardly a relief. This was despite playing solo, not in a party. He couldn't even begin to fathom how much experience he had gained.

"The efficiency is terrible."

He didn't need to check HunterNet.

It must be a characteristic of the Executioner ability. The idea that he could easily siphon power by killing heretics implied that monsters didn't provide much power in comparison.

Killing Shin Gillim caused him to level up five times in a row. Considering the level of the target, the rapid leveling wasn't surprising, but the fact that he gained experience from killing another hunter was significant.

The unique ability, the Executioner, allowed for this bizarre growth curve. It was a grotesque ability.

As a newly minted hunter, his path was clear. Remembering his past life allowed him to keep killing monsters until he leveled up, but others might have wandered the dungeon anxiously and fallen into despair.

Of course, Han Taemin had no desire to end up like that, so he was biding his time.

He had a rough idea of who the heretics targeted by the Executioner might be, based on Shin Gillim, but he needed confirmation.

Just one more target.

"Where can I find a serial killer?"

It would be perfect if the news reported a large-scale event. Killing an evildoer and securing a sample would be killing two birds with one stone.

But such national events don't happen just because one wishes for them. What hunter would stoop to such acts?

As he cleaned the blood off his sword, Han Taemin collected his thoughts.

He saw the current situation positively. He could still level up by killing monsters. Thinking of it as a unique ability made it easier to accept.

It was time to focus on something else. Specifically, his growth direction. Now that he was a hunter, allocating his stats efficiently was crucial. It was a matter of destiny.

The accepted wisdom was that different roles required investment in different stats. Numerous cases on HunterNet supported this.

Tankers invested in health and durability, while melee and ranged dealers focused on strength and agility. Mages and healers prioritized mana and resistance.

Everyone was more or less the same. It was dumbfounding how standardized everything was.

While the examples and insights on HunterNet were helpful and could be used as a reference, that wasn't what Han Taemin was struggling with. His concern was more fundamental.

Were strength and mana truly equivalent at 1 point each? To be more precise, did investing 1 point in any stat yield the same efficiency? This had been a topic of constant contemplation for him.

When he faced Raymara, he used only 1 point for this reason. During his time as a scavenger, he had noticed that the power of melee and ranged dealers varied subtly. Although the abilities added a variable to consider, there was undoubtedly a difference between the stats.

"Maybe I need to think a bit more about becoming a hunter."

With the Executioner ability and his growth direction still undecided, there was much to consider.

After retrieving the Material Cube, Han Taemin packed up his belongings. Today's hunt was over. He had another place to visit tomorrow.

* * *

[ Korea University Hospital ]

If the information from Yuhan was correct, this was where Cha Seokdae's younger sibling was hospitalized. Han Taemin, after checking his appearance one last time, stood in front of the towering building and stared blankly.

'Cha Seokdae'. He could never forget that name. He couldn't forget the grace Cha Seokdae had shown him. His final moments, worrying about his younger sister, were still vivid in Han Taemin's memory.

As he stepped into the second ward, Han Taemin looked around. The atmosphere here was notably more subdued than in the first ward. It was understandable since the patients here were all critically ill.

Following the map displayed on one wall, he walked through the corridors. Before long, he found a secluded room.

Knock, knock.

"Come in."

A faint, fragile voice responded to his knock. Han Taemin carefully opened the door and stepped inside to see a woman. Her hair was lifeless, resembling withered roots, and her lips were dry. The marks of a long battle with illness were evident, yet her inherent beauty was unmistakable.

Her timid demeanor was so pitiful that it was hard to believe she was Cha Seokdae's sister.

'Did he say she was twenty years old?'

If she hadn't fallen ill, she would probably be enjoying her youth at university like any other young person.

"Hello. I don't know if you've heard, but I worked with Seokdae hyung in the same assault team. Is it okay if I speak casually with you?"

"Of course. If you knew my brother, then you're like a brother to me too. Oh, by the way, my name is Cha Yeri."

Her speech was slow, but it was clear that she wanted to speak firmly, with strength in her voice.

"Thank you for bringing my brother back."

"You knew?"

"The Countermeasure Division? I heard from someone there."

She must be talking about Yuhan. He mentioned that it was rare to hear such a good deed, but it seemed he had been spreading the story everywhere.

Han Taemin responded with a cough, not feeling it was something to be proud of. It was just the right thing to do. He shifted his gaze to dispel the awkward atmosphere.

The hospital room was bare. There was a vase, but the artificial flowers inside were faded and neglected. A dust-covered gift basket indicated her dire situation.

Just the absence of Cha Seokdae made such a difference. It was clear how critical her situation was. She was at an age when she should have been receiving care and attention.

"Is there no one else with you?"

"My brother was my last family member."

"What about your parents…?"

"I lost them because of the Fissure's Flood. It's been five years already."

She answered matter-of-factly, but he could still sense the underlying sadness. No matter how much you discard, some grief always remains.

Now, Han Taemin understood why Cha Seokdae was so obsessed with money. His parents were gone, and his only remaining sister was ill, living each day in hardship. It was a heavy burden for someone only twenty-six years old. Becoming a scavenger made sense.

Perhaps, more than aspiring to be a Hunter, Cha Seokdae simply wanted to be a reliable support for his sister. Though it was impossible to confirm now, that was what Han Taemin thought.

"Is it alright if I ask where it hurts? Of course, if you don't want to talk about it, that's perfectly fine."

Han Taemin approached carefully, not wanting to cause any more pain. Sensing his concern, Cha Yeri smiled gently as she responded.

"They call it Mana Allergy. They say it's because of the mana dispersed in the air, but even the doctors don't really know much about it."

"That must be tough."

Just as there are irregularities like Hunters, there are also unexpected misfits like Cha Yeri.

"They say there are others like me, people who can't adapt to the new world and end up being left behind."

Her words were harsh. Perhaps she was chastising herself for being helpless. Han Taemin couldn't be sure and could only offer a bitter smile.