Clack.
The sound of the slate echoed through the air. Over a dozen cameras, positioned for the battle scene, began rolling.
Na A-yeon walked down the park path in broad daylight, her eyes fixed on her smartphone.
Oh Junhyuk and I moved along our pre-planned routes, advancing toward Na A-yeon. We were dressed in pitch-black suits, like gangsters. Our roles were Gangster A and Gangster B, Black Guild members targeting the protagonist's sister.
Na A-yeon flinched when she saw us. Oh Junhyuk wore a steel gauntlet, while I gripped a long sword in my hand. Any ordinary person would naturally be startled by our appearance.
Her body tensed, and her pupils trembled with anxiety.
Wow. If it weren't for the cameras, I'd think this was real.
I inwardly marveled. She truly was an actress with over a decade of experience. If the camera hadn't been there, I would have mistaken her performance for reality.
Na A-yeon glanced around. There was no one to turn to for help. She spun around and began to flee.
"Jap-ah!"
Pfft!
Oh Junhyuk's mispronunciation reflexively burst a laugh from my lips. I couldn't help it. A slight slip of the tongue might have been forgivable, but "Jap-ah" was so egregious it shattered the serious atmosphere.
"Cut! Take it again! We'll do it again," the director called out.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Oh Junhyuk bowed repeatedly, his face flushed crimson. The staff exchanged wry smiles; they knew we weren't professional actors.
"Hey, hey. Just do it again."
I patted Oh Junhyuk on the shoulder.
Oh Junhyuk had only two lines of dialogue. One was the "Catch him!" he'd just delivered, and the other was a rather lengthy sentence. In contrast, I had no lines at all; my role was simply to fight Son Ando.
I was starting to worry about Oh Junhyuk.
This guy... He said he'd become a star Hunter, but he's even worse than I expected.
His nervousness was palpable. I had a sinking feeling we might have to film this scene over ten times today.
And my premonition proved correct.
"...Let's try again."
"NG!"
"...This isn't working."
The director sighed.
After seven NGs, Oh Junhyuk looked like he was about to burst into tears.
The director pondered for a moment, then turned to us and said,
"Mr. Oh Junhyuk and Mr. Sung Yujin, let's switch roles. Mr. Sung Yujin, you know Gangster A's lines, right?"
In the end, Oh Junhyuk was cut from the role. I glanced at him, expecting disappointment, but he seemed more relieved than anything.
"Yes, I know them."
It was only two lines of dialogue. Having practiced with Oh Junhyuk several times, there was no way I wouldn't know them.
"Then let's try it. Do you need any practice time?"
"No, I'm fine."
As I spoke, I glanced at the man standing beside the director. He was said to be a representative from the Hunter Association, dispatched to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
Those unforeseen circumstances probably refer to the battle scenes between Hunters getting too heated.
This man's job would be to intervene if the combat scenes became too rough.
"Alright, let's begin. Ready, action!"
The director's signal dropped.
Na A-yeon immediately resumed her performance, flawlessly repeating the same scene multiple times without a hint of frustration. Her professionalism was truly impressive.
I felt a surge of nervousness. I wasn't particularly confident in my acting abilities either.
Na A-yeon turned and fled.
"Grab her!" I shouted. Oh Junhyuk and I sprinted after her. As E-Class Hunters, catching up to a fleeing civilian like Na A-yeon, even at full speed, was child's play.
We quickly overtook her and began restraining her. I seized her left arm while Oh Junhyuk secured the other.
"Aaaah! Let go! Let go of me!"
Na A-yeon struggled convincingly, but she couldn't break free from our grip.
Just then, Son Ando charged toward us with incredible speed, sending us flying backward. We rolled across the ground several times before managing to get back on our feet. Oh Junhyuk and I grimaced, our faces contorted in frustration. It had been a feint.
"Sister! Are you okay?!"
"Ha, Hauna!"
Son Ando checked Na A-yeon for injuries. Finding her unharmed, he turned to glare at us, the tip of his sword pointing menacingly in our direction.
"Could it be... Did Kim Seon-ah send you?!"
"The young lady knows nothing. This is the Boss's order. What a convenient encounter. You'll die here, you washed-up has-been."
I spoke, my voice surprisingly steady despite the tension. Even if we messed up the scene now, it wouldn't be strange. Yet my voice remained calm, without a trace of tremor.
And since the Director hadn't called for a cut, it seemed we were still on track.
"Sis, back off. We need to take these guys down here."
"Ha, Hauna... Wouldn't it be better to run and call the police?!"
"They'll just chase us if we run. You get out of here and call the police. Now!"
Na A-yeon began to retreat.
Oh Junhyuk and I drew our weapons and charged at Son Ando. He had told us to give it our all earlier, and we intended to do just that. As an A-Rank Hunter, Son Ando could easily subdue ten of us.
"Aaaaaah!"
Oh Junhyuk roared, his arms and shoulders transforming into steel. He threw his full weight into a charge at Son Ando.
Whoosh!
Crimson flames erupted from Son Ando's sword, fueled by his Flame Manipulation ability.
The sword clashed against Oh Junhyuk's fist.
Boom!
A fiery explosion erupted, looking far more dangerous than it actually was. We weren't particularly surprised, having anticipated this. Before filming, we'd been issued special protective gear that rendered us nearly impervious to most attacks.
As the flames subsided, Oh Junhyuk's body was flung backward. I turned my back on him and charged toward Son Ando.
Clang! Clang!
His flame-infused sword clashed against my Hwaryeon Flying Dagger. Son Ando deliberately left openings, goading me into attacking.
This was, after all, a staged fight. If we merely probed for weaknesses without committing, the audience would quickly lose interest.
As we exchanged blows, I thought to myself:
I rarely get the chance to fight an A-Rank Hunter at full power in such a safe environment. He told me to go all out, right? Well, I'll give him exactly what he wants.
Crack!
Lightning crackled around my blade, mimicking Astrape, a skill from the world of God's Atlantis. Though its power wasn't fully realized, the sheer electrical force could still shock my opponent, making it undeniably potent.
Son Ando showed little surprise. I had already informed him that I was a Second Awakening Hunter who had awakened Thunder.
Second Awakening refers to a Hunter who has awakened their initial ability and then undergoes a second awakening to gain a new power, effectively becoming a Hunter with two abilities. While Second Awakening Hunters are exceedingly rare, they do exist.
The electricity isn't working at all.
Whenever the Thunder tried to leap from my blade to his sword, it vanished instantly. I realized that Son Ando's Mana prevented the Thunder from penetrating his defenses.
"Then how about this?"
Yeongcheon Ryu Thunder Snake.
I created distance between Son Ando and thrust my sword at him.
My blade transformed into a bolt of lightning, coiling like a snake as it pierced forward. Son Ando simply tilted his sword sideways, creating a spark that easily blocked the Thunder Snake.
Yeongcheon Ryu Thunder Flash.
I unleashed an extreme quicksword technique powered by lightning, but Son Ando effortlessly parried it with his sword.
I gritted my teeth. My full power was completely ineffective against an A-Rank Hunter.
Yeongcheon Ryu Thunderclap Step.
This footwork abandoned the Yeongcheon Ryu's usual stealth, focusing solely on speed. Each time I took a step with Thunderclap Step, a faint thunderclap echoed.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
I was no match for him. Son Ando was merely playing along with my attacks for the sake of the show.
I know I can't win anyway. But let's try everything I can.
I distanced myself from Son Ando, glancing sideways at Oh Junhyuk. He was sitting far away, mouth agape, blankly watching our fight. He showed no intention of joining the battle.
I have the Demonic Heavenly Art besides Yeongcheon Ryu.
The problem was that I couldn't properly unleash its power. Even if I managed to mimic the forms convincingly, the true destructive force remained elusive.
Let's just try it once. It might actually work.
Demonic Heavenly Art: Demonic Heavenly Monarch's Descent Step.
This was one of the techniques I planned to use from the Demonic Heavenly Art.
Among them, the Demonic Heavenly Monarch's Descent Step was considered a supreme movement technique, almost an esoteric art.
The movement technique known as Monarch's Reign was named for its ability to dominate the surrounding space.
Naturally, I couldn't use it properly yet.
I merely intended to imitate the technique in my own way, likely achieving less than 5% of the original Demonic Heavenly Monarch's Descent Step's power.
Hiss, ha. Hiss... ha!
Full concentration. Heavenly Demon's Breath.
69th Form.
Heavenly Demon Step!
My legs moved in a dazzling display of footwork as I closed in on Son Ando. Just as I was about to swing my lightning-infused blade, a fiery explosion erupted.
Kuaaaah!
My body was hurled several meters through the air before crashing to the ground.
Son Ando gripped his sword with both hands, crimson flames swirling around the blade like a tornado. Sensing my end, I remained seated and extended my left hand forward.
Son Ando swung his sword, and a dragon made of flames soared toward me.
I can't just lose like this. This is my last move!
Manroe appeared before my left hand. I squeezed every last drop of mana I had into it.
KWAARRR!
Lightning erupted from Manroe, tearing through the fiery dragon before vanishing.
"It's over."
Son Ando had closed the distance and now aimed his sword at me. The scorching heat radiating from the blade, still wreathed in flickering flames, was palpable.
"...Damn it."
I spat out a line not in the script and dropped the Hwaryeon Flying Dagger from my hand.
"Cut! Okay! Perfect!"
The director's signal cut through the tension, and the staff erupted in applause.
"Wow! That was incredible!"
"This is even more impressive than most CG effects!"
"Fire and lightning... that's seriously amazing."
It was indeed a rare sight. While Flame Ability Users were relatively common, Hunters with Lightning Ability were so few they were almost impossible to find.
"He was incredible, wasn't he? He didn't look like an E-Class Hunter at all."
Son Ando extended his hand to me. I smiled wryly, took his hand, and stood up.
"You're incredibly strong, Mr. Son Ando. I don't think I could ever beat you."
"Even though I look like this, I'm an A-Rank Hunter. Since you can use Mana too, Yujin, you'll get stronger quickly. Our Guild wants to scout you."
"No, I have my reasons for not joining a Guild right now..."
"I know. It's about Yeongcheon Ryu, isn't it?"
"...Oh, you know Yeongcheon Ryu?"
"I've worked with Jin Woosung a few times."
It was a bit surprising, but not shocking. Son Ando was older than he looked and, like Jin Woosung, an A-Class Hunter. It was perfectly plausible.
"The footwork you used at the end wasn't Yeongcheon Ryu... Did you develop it independently?"
"Yes, that's correct."
I nodded shamelessly. After all, the King of the Demonic Heavens wasn't here.
"It's not fully refined yet, though..."
"I thought so. If you perfect it, it could become a truly formidable technique. What's the name of the footwork? I'd like to know in advance, since it's bound to become famous."
"It's called the Heavenly Demon Step."
"Huh?"
"The Heavenly Demon Step."
"Ha, ha ha. You're quite the character. Yes, the Heavenly Demon Step. I remember now."
Son Ando smiled brightly.
I forced an awkward smile.
You can't call this pathetic footwork the Demonic Heavenly Monarch's Descent Step.
I hadn't even managed to unleash 5% of the true power of the Demonic Heavenly Monarch's Descent Step.
Calling this pathetic footwork the Demonic Heavenly Monarch's Descent Step would be an insult to the Demonic Heavenly Art.
That's why I decided to call it the Heavenly Demon Step until I could perfect the Demonic Heavenly Monarch's Descent Step. Though, I might never actually complete it...
After that, we filmed another scene.
It was nothing special just a scene where we were being arrested by the police and Hunter Association members. There wasn't a single line of dialogue.
Oh Junhyuk and I simply had to keep our heads bowed and let ourselves be dragged away.
The filming we were doing had wrapped up.
We received our daily wage of 300,000 won on the spot. No matter how I thought about it, 300,000 won seemed too little... but oh well. I'll just consider it a good experience.
"Mr. Sung Yujin, could I have a word with you for a moment?"
It was the director, Roh Hansu. A man in his late thirties with a gentle, approachable demeanor.
"Yes, what is it?"