"Coolook---"
Pieces of uneaten radish were flying everywhere.
Choi Joo-hyuk held out a tissue.
"Oh, thank you..."
I wiped my mouth with a tissue and wondered what was going on.
It's nothing special.
He said it was something we could talk about while eating chicken.
It seems that the rumor that I am no longer a healer but a killer has reached here.
"...Hunter Choi?"
"yes."
"Today isn't April Fool's Day."
"I know, I know it's embarrassing, but I'm serious."
Choi Joo-hyuk thrust the dagger handle forward.
My head was spinning rapidly.
It spins so fast that it's almost steaming.
But in these situations, there is something more helpful than brainwashing.
If you don't know, just ask.
"Hunter Choi, there must be a reason why you're doing this, right?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't explain why."
Oh, this guy.
I'm telling you, he's actually quite a fool.
Choi Joo-hyuk continued speaking while biting into the neck bone.
Now that I think about it, it seems like it was a warning that if I rejected his offer, that vertebra could become my own. What a vicious guy.
"To get to the point, I need to get stronger."
It's natural that you have to become stronger once you become a hunter.
The monsters inside the gate are developing even at this moment.
Because the monsters were different yesterday and are different today.
Naturally, the difficulty of the monsters you encounter today has increased compared to yesterday.
I didn't know why though.
So, the hunters did not hesitate to use any means necessary to become stronger.
"My goal is to kill Shadow Lord, the boss of the S-class gate. He's the monster that killed my brother."
Oh, I've heard of it.
Didn't Choi Joo-hyuk's younger brother become a stronger hunter than Choi Joo-hyuk?
He was the first hunter to discover an S-class gate.
He died inside an S-class gate.
.
"Every morning, I watch the footage from my brother's body camera the day he died. It keeps me from getting weaker for even a moment."
I can't breathe.
I never thought I would hear such a sad story from the handsome and cheerful Choi Joo-hyuk.
"Ah... I see."
"Yes, but lately my skills have been stuck in a wall and I haven't been able to improve. Naturally, gates that were easy to break before started becoming too much. I actually almost died."
I know that too.
I saved Choi Joo-hyuk's life and started my path as a Hunter Life designer.
"I survived by chance thanks to the help of a nobleman. Then, a new privilege came to mind. As you may know, S-class hunters are given special privileges."
Oh, I know.
I'm also an S-class hunter.
"The name of the new perk was simple: 'Knight Resurrection.""
"A knight's revival?"
"Yes, it was a simple story about becoming stronger if you survive a near-death experience."
Oh, isn't this exactly a Saiyan from Dragon Ball?
"So I tried to get the monster to attack me on purpose and get hurt. But it didn't recognize that. I had to get hurt against my will. But I have to find a good balance. If I'm not careful, I might die before I get stronger."
I nodded without realizing it.
It's more like, 'Too rare is a bit much, and medium rare smells like it's been cooked too much, so please cook it to a moderate rare.'
"Originally, I came here with a purpose, but it was you, my brother, who really caught my interest."
"Me---?"
"yes."
"why---?"
Choi Joo-hyuk pointed to the chicken.
"Didn't you steal the bag of chicken from me at the front door? Even a Grade A Hunter wouldn't do that."
I shook my head urgently.
Hey, it shouldn't be known yet that I'm an S-class hunter.
Originally, it was said that the secret power was better than the king.
The king is always at risk of being assassinated, but the secret power is safe from that.
"Uh... no, that's... if a person is too hungry, an unknown potential... will pop out? Maybe..."
"There are things I knew about but didn't avoid on purpose. But even putting that aside, you, oppa, no, Hunter Han Ji-woo, definitely have potential. I've seen you do some extraordinary things while hanging out together."
"...I'm a healer?"
Choi Joo-hyuk shook his head firmly.
"There is someone in my guild who lives the life of a hunter, separate from his original awakening ability. He was originally a buffer, but now he swings an axe."
Huh, there's such a horrible hybrid?
Why not just give me a buffer from behind and use an axe?
This is a character who walks around with a sledgehammer and smashes monsters' heads, like a priest.
Ahh... First of all, I don't know.
I need to hear why you asked me to kill you.
"Oh, but what does what you said have to do with this dagger?"
Yeah, I know I have potential.
Because he's an S-class hunter.
It was originally called Kiri Kiri.
Choi Joo-hyuk must have also recognized the greatness that lies dormant within me.
Oh, no? No, not that.
..
Swish.
Choi Joo-hyuk suddenly extended his hand.
When we accidentally held hands, Choi Joo-hyuk smiled.
"The first person I've ever felt comfortable shaking hands with is Hunter Han Ji-woo."
"yes?"
"Even though I've been nagging you all this time, even when I just asked about the weather, you've never gotten angry and treated me wholeheartedly, right?"
"That's true."
"I also know that you did something to the Guraon Hunter."
It seemed like he was talking about giving coffee to Guraon, the S-class hunter he met at the Hunter Association.
I thought I'd just let it go, but it turns out I already knew.
"Ah, that's..."
"I'm not trying to find fault. I'm well aware of Guraon's notoriety. However, the only person who has overcome the fear of the powerlessness before his eyes is Hunter Han Ji-woo."
.. .. ..