Chapter 452. Artificial Awakening Syndrome (3)

The Hunter of the Other World Who Is Being Misunderstood

Chapter 452. Artificial Awakening Syndrome (3)

'Oh! No wonder I couldn't really feel the S-rank aura even though I was in Seoul.'

Before long, an unimaginable report popped up.

That hunter, even for an S-rank, used to travel abroad frequently. But this time, it seems he went overseas and hasn't returned for quite a while, so there was an article about it not long ago.

It was only later that I regretted not keeping up with the world more often. Of course, on a planet like Earth, a day is relatively short. And with the internet being so developed, I have nothing to say about how quickly the media's focus changes.

'If every day is like this, I have no idea how an old wizard is supposed to keep up with trends.'

What followed was an archmage touching the area near their brow with a hand, and a few slight questions uttered by moving their vocal cords.

"So, exactly which country is Kang Changho in?"

But the Earthling on the other side of the speaker couldn't give a proper answer to this question either.

Ah, I'm sure I saw the country he left for in an article, but now that you mention it, I can't remember. If I try to recall quickly, I think it was a country with cold weather.

Even if I let it slide that they couldn't specify the exact location, if the temperature is low in the middle of summer, it means they must have gone somewhere with a latitude quite different from Korea.

Hunter Kim, I'll go find out properly right away....

The dry Sambagean eyes rolled.

"No. Forget it."

I quickly continued speaking so that the person on the other end wouldn't waste their effort.

"Anyway, the important thing is that we can't make use of that manpower right away."

Ah, as expected.

But why did such a remark suddenly come out at a moment like this?

"Wait a minute, what do you mean by 'as expected' all of a sudden?"

It's just like you, easily overpowering someone of the same S-rank. While everyone else is terrified of such an awakened being, you, Hunter, casually say you'd put them to work as manpower.

"Ah."

Of course, the ex-convict still seemed eager to crawl back despite having lost, but since the opponent is none other than Hunter Kim, what reason do we have to worry about?

A remark that I didn't even know where to start criticizing popped out for a moment.

'So it was just an interjection I didn't need to worry about.'

But my contemplation continued without difficulty. When I thought it over carefully, even if someone knowledgeable about the underworld were to help, it would still be difficult to find the one nicknamed Youth.

'The plan to use Kang Changho has fallen through, and even if it had succeeded safely, it probably wouldn't have yielded much.'

Anyway, that was the situation for the time being.

There was once an Asian guild that immediately shut down and fled as soon as Chairman Spectrum was arrested. In fact, at this point, even the name 'Youth' isn't much of a clue.

However, if you put in the effort, even a dead-end can open up again.

Tuk.

I switched the call to speaker mode (*a feature I found long ago by pressing random buttons) to check the internet more closely. Then I set the electronic device at a distance and watched the screen like this.

[Current Affairs Report] Citizens Struggling with a Sense of Deprivation]

[Across various internet sites, movements are emerging demanding an investigation into S-rank Kim...]

[Comment 1: At the very least, why don't you explain why you suddenly retired? Or did you really take a potion and awaken somewhere, just like the Cyber Wrecker channel said?!]

The artificial awakener scandal I ended up getting caught up in by accident.

'Now that I think about it, that's true.'

But if I quietly watched the suspicions raised by the citizens of Earth, a pretty decent idea formed in my mind before long.

'Then maybe I should take this opportunity to actually get an awakening procedure done?'

There just happened to be another S-rank in a neighboring country who was suspected of having awakened artificially. And that particular awakener had denied every rumor as baseless, so unlike illegal practitioners from other countries, they had never been investigated for any of the surrounding circumstances—

'The important thing is that they haven't caught the police's attention, so I can approach them comfortably.'

Thanks to that unique status of being an S-rank, I could naturally set my sights on a certain Japanese individual. If the person who used the nickname [Youth] had learned how to single out high-grade awakened ones, then rather than going after medicine practitioners, it was only natural that interrogating that one person would be the better option.

'If that Japanese person really is an artificial awakener, I should ask who performed the procedure on them and then go visit that establishment myself.'

Good. This is clear enough, and it's a search even an alien could reasonably attempt. But before heading straight into the tiger's den, there's one thing that I want to confirm.

Hunter Kim Gryeo?

As I fell into thought for a few seconds, the Earthling, puzzled by the sudden silence, suddenly called out someone's name. I responded right away.

"Hunter Jeong Haseong."

Yes.

"Well then, first of all, you have understood for sure that I'm not an artificial awakener, right?"

Yes, yes.

"And as for the current uproar, I'll take care of it soon enough—either by releasing an official statement or something along those lines..."

What followed was an explanation of the plan going forward.

"Let's end the call here. But before we wrap things up, let me ask just one thing."

Please speak comfortably.

"On the internet, there were often rumors saying I retired because I lost my power due to a dungeon curse."

Was that really true?

"No, that has nothing to do with my situation at all. But I was thinking... what if I take advantage of that rumor and pretend I've really become powerless—and then try directly contacting a company that claims they can grant awakening skills?"

Hunter Kim?

But what came in response to that was a rather dry answer.

So, in other words, you're saying you'll volunteer to undergo the procedure and personally wipe out the illegal drug suppliers in one sweep?

The identity of South Korea's fourth S-rank hadn't fought properly even once since the retirement announcement. And fifth S-rank hunter rumors quietly circulating that he was a patient, I'd intended to make positive use of that whole 'washed-up' narrative.

But I'm really sorry to say this, honestly, if someone with an image like yours approached that way, it would 100% feel like a sting operation...

It seems that won't work. The Earthling stated their opinion more firmly than I expected.

'I see.'

Well, I understand this isn't an easy path.

"Alright. Then hang up the call for now."

Y, yes!

I hurriedly wrapped up the call with Jeong Haseong. As expected, with all the various circumstances involved, it seemed I'd need to think things through a bit more to handle this matter.

The identity of Kim Gi-ryeo stands out too much, so I'd probably need to take some measures regarding my appearance beforehand. And even if the fifth S-rank who appeared in Japan is indeed a forged awakener... getting information out of him would take ages as well.

'There are a lot of things I need to worry about.'

It wasn't as if I could receive information about something as serious as artificial awakening through SNS direct messages. So after some thought, I decided to go meet the suspect in person. Since my soul has lived not just a day or two but a lifetime as a true magician, I'd be able to tell, ten times out of ten, whether someone was artificially awakened by seeing them in person.

***

A weekday morning.

Japan.

"Special discount on our products--"

The streets are bustling today as well. Although, during the time when high-difficulty dungeons were simultaneously generated near Mount Fuji, the government even issued a 'safety alert'.

"Hey, they're selling some unusual souvenirs over there. Since we're traveling, should we buy one?"

Thanks to the awakeners' efforts, the series of incidents was resolved, and tourists began flocking here again.

"Can't you hear me? I said let's go check out the souvenir shop."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go, let's go."

"What are you looking at on your phone that you're answering so half-heartedly?"

"There was a big report online, so I was just checking it quickly..."

"That article again? I just don't get this trend of saying all gossip about another country's S-rank."

Meanwhile, tourists took in the foreign scenery with their eyes, but often shared a common topic in conversation. The fifth S-rank hunter newly appearing in an East Asian country might not have awakened naturally. Since this topic had been covered by news outlets around the world, there were now few citizens who didn't know about it.

"Honestly, isn't this just people from other countries being petty and throwing cold water on things?"

At the same time, the reactions of the citizens who received the news were varied.

"Anyway, what matters is that the number of S-ranks who hunt monsters has increased. What's the point of calling someone who's already awakened a fake?"

Starting from the opinion that S-rank awakeners are extremely valuable human resources and shouldn't be blamed lightly...

"Wow-- this guy's talking nonsense. There's a reason why doping was always banned in sports competitions."

If someone who became an S-rank through abnormal means is allowed to go unpunished, then anyone and everyone would start considering illegal procedures. Moreover, such a social atmosphere could affect public health, so naturally, there should be restrictions at the national level—these opinions clashed.

"Still, no matter how I think about it, that bothers me. The person clearly stated they didn't undergo the procedure. So why do foreign media keep insisting on investigating that hunter...?"

Of course, even if powerless citizens debated, nothing would change immediately.

"Besides, I'm an S-rank awakener anyway—what could the investigative authorities do?"

Tring.

The sound was ringing from the unfamiliar shop.

'Moreover, from the perspective of the Japanese government, which gained significant power, it's obviously they'd remain silent to avoid hastening things unnecessarily.'

The figure who had been eavesdropping on the tourists' conversation so far calmly walked out of the self-service store. For reference, this person with an East Asian face was none other than the rumored fifth-top-tier S-rank.

"Anyway, life as an S-rank is really convenient."

The media was noisy day after day, but in reality, the arrest investigation hadn't been swept under the rug.

Moreover, even if the police changed their minds later, from the standpoint of an S-rank with incredible physical resilience, it was a situation they could handle easily.

Now, even if I encounter a fierce, wolf-like gaze beat on the street, there's no need to be afraid.

The fifth S-rank hunter comfortably headed home, eating the ice cream purchased from the self-service store. As the thought that had just crossed their mind suggested, once you become a top-tier superhuman, the world becomes fairly livable. Guns seem easy to handle. Dungeon monsters seem easy to handle. And on top of that, that tiresome money can be earned as if it were pouring out of a faucet—how could there be any complaints?

'I once regretted it, but it was still worth becoming a mutant.'

Having finished the ice cream, the fifth S-rank smiled and walked into a nearby luxury mansion.

[Hello, Hunter!]

Ah. By the way, hearing this just now reminded me—there's still one advantage of an S-rank hunter he hasn't explained yet.

Chaebols. Celebrities. Or sports stars, and so on. In this world, people sometimes liked those with plenty of wealth or status, almost as if they were animals without jealousy.

[Hunter, I'm a huge fan!]

So achieving an S-rank awakening made it relatively easy to gain popularity. It meant you could meet 'fans'—something you'd never even dreamed of in your lifetime—right in front of you.

But there was a slight problem—

"Huh?"

This is the part where the fifth S-rank had just returned home. He unlocked the door of the rented apartment with a metal key and had just taken off his expensive shoes to put them away... Yet, in the living room of the apartment that should have been empty, someone was speaking like this.

At the sight of this, Japan's fifth S-rank was, of course, shocked.

"What the?"

He had, of course, heard of the concept of a stalker, but wasn't it a bit too creepy for someone to open a locked door without leaving a trace and hide inside the room?

'How on earth did he get in here?'

Startled!

As soon as Japan's S-rank hunter realized there was an unknown foreigner—at least, a white person—in the house, he reacted quickly. Unconsciously, he grabbed the doorknob by the front door again.

Grab!

But he couldn't escape.

Kkiekeek.

Most importantly, the door wouldn't open.

'Damn it! Why is this happening all of a sudden?'

It wasn't just that the doorknob wouldn't turn—some unknown force was pushing back against his strength in a strange way. Realizing this, the fifth S-rank couldn't hide his expression and was visibly flustered.

'Damn it, damn it all!'

Ordinary top-tier awakeners might have considered smashing the door down with their bodies as a backup plan. But the one here was also a S-rank.

[Don't do that—let's just talk for a moment.]

Having moved to Japan immediately after awakening, he couldn't come up with an unrealistic solution.

[I said I'm a fan, so why are you overreacting with fear?]

"F**k! Off! Don't spew nonsense through a translator—just get away from me, you damn petty thief!"

So it didn't take long for him to settle on another solution. The S-rank Hunter living in Japan, now utterly desperate, launched an attack on the intruder who had broken into his home.

Snap!

He first grabbed the car keys he had left near the entrance and flung them forward.

Tak!

Around the moment when the white man in front of him naturally caught the car keys, the fifth S-rank took advantage of the intruder's brief distraction and quickly leapt forward. He immediately threw a punch with the intent to inflict a serious blow. Being cornered in the narrow entrance also put psychological pressure on him. Originally, his plan was to land a strike this way and then retreat toward the living room.

"Huh?"

But the situation quickly took an absurd turn. The attack unleashed mercilessly by the S-rank superhuman froze unnaturally in midair, as if his movements were trapped in a viscous substance. Between them, it was as if there were a thin, colorless wall. However, this wasn't the effect of a skill like a barrier or ward—

'Some invisible force is holding my arm.'

The person whose attack had been stopped finally became aware of the force blocking him.

'That superpower user is of the ability type that handles with the phenomenon of spatial displacement.'

But does the current situation make any sense? The fifth S-rank felt the sweat glands at the back of his neck suddenly flare up. He had acquired body-enhancement skills from the moment of his awakening. The magic on this planet was still limited in variety, so that common ability had reemerged—but superpowers that simply strengthened oneself naturally gave an advantage in certain types of combat.

'But why am I being pushed back?'

Close combat. All the energy is concentrated in a localized area. The more he fought up close with his opponent, the more advantage he naturally had.

'Why am I being pushed back by force?'

Moreover, psychokinesis—the skill in question—had these characteristics. It required intense mental focus, taking a lot of time to activate. It was difficult to concentrate force in a single point, so its power was reduced. That's why, under normal circumstances, a psychokinetic user would risk their life at an appropriate distance.

[...]

In every way, it was illogical. The two of them exchanged glances, letting a fleeting moment pass.

Hair the color of rotten oats. Unkempt freckles, and so on. The bizarre scene continued: the human who had taken a direct hit from an S-rank's punch to the left eye didn't budge an inch.

[As expected, you can't just overlook it just by me saying 'fan']