"Ugh..."
Gravity pressed down on my body.
It felt as if invisible hands reaching up from the ground were gripping my entire body and pulling me downward.
I gritted my teeth and took a step forward. My foot moved slower than I expected.
Definitely... enduring Han Harin's Gravity Field without using Mana is quite difficult.
Han Harin, standing about 7 meters away, pointed her index finger at me. A small black sphere materialized in front of her fingertip.
Gravity Ball.
In English, it's called a Gravity Ball.
This famous technique is a staple for Hunters with gravity manipulation abilities. That small Gravity Ball possesses a mass of at least 30 kilograms. When launched at high speed, a direct hit would be catastrophic.
My current physical abilities are around the upper E-Class. If I take a direct hit, it's game over.
I channeled Mana to evade the Gravity Ball and sprinted toward Han Harin.
By using Mana, I could resist the effects of her ability, allowing me to move freely within the Gravity Field.
Float.
Han Harin's body began to rise into the air, using gravity manipulation to fly. Her movements were remarkably stable.
I've heard that flying with gravity manipulation requires incredibly precise control and is extremely difficult... I can see how much Han Harin has practiced.
Having ascended nearly 10 meters into the air, Han Harin began firing Gravity Balls at me.
I evaded every one with ease, relying on my footwork. The Gravity Balls themselves weren't particularly fast, so dodging them was simple as long as my body moved properly.
That's why Han Harin uses the Gravity Field to restrict her opponent's movements before launching the Gravity Balls.
Being caught in the Gravity Field makes dodging the Gravity Balls several times more difficult. Conversely, without the field, they're nothing to worry about.
Crackling.
I summoned a blue Thunderbolt in my hand and hurled it at Han Harin. While this method lacked the power and speed of Myriad Thunder, that was precisely my intention.
If Han Harin were struck by Myriad Thunder, she could die. It's too dangerous.
Han Harin conjured a Gravity Shield to block my Thunderbolts. I continued to hurl Thunderbolts at her relentlessly. She seemed overwhelmed by merely defending against the attacks, her body swaying precariously.
Flying requires such precise control. If her focus wavers, she'll plummet to the ground.
After about ten Thunderbolts, Han Harin finally fell from the sky. I charged toward her.
The Gravity Ball forming in her palm elongated into the shape of a sword. She swung the Gravity Sword at me.
My blade clashed against the Gravity Sword. It was like swinging a mere stick completely lacking in technique or finesse.
It's heavy, but with Mana, it's nothing special.
I parried the Gravity Sword aside and pressed the tip of my blade against Han Harin's throat.
Han Harin clenched her fists, glared at me, then relaxed her grip and said, "I've lost."
"Don't be too disappointed. To be honest, if it weren't for Mana, I wouldn't have won so easily."
"..."
I brought up Mana at every opportunity.
This was the very reason I had challenged her to a sparring match in the first place to further stoke her desire for Mana awakening.
If I keep fueling her desire for Mana awakening like this, she'll be even more proactive about the massages.
Han Harin needed to become more desperate. Once she felt like she was grasping at straws, she would cling to the massages with renewed fervor.
"Should we stop here? Or continue tomorrow?"
"Let's spar again tomorrow."
I nodded. As expected, Han Harin was driven by an intense desire to become stronger.
"You look exhausted. Should we skip the massage today and just rest?"
"I'm fine. You said the massage only works if we do it consistently, right?"
"That's true."
Today was the gathering day for Dungeon Survival Reforged. Han Harin, Eun Sangmin, and I headed to a restaurant. It seemed the broadcasting station had rented a decent place for the day.
The schedule was simple: lunch at the restaurant followed by an explanation session about Dungeon Survival.
"Hmm..."
As soon as we entered the restaurant, we felt an oppressive aura emanating from all directions a palpable pressure infused with Mana.
Eun Sangmin and I could handle the pressure without issue, but Han Harin couldn't. Her face instantly paled.
The atmosphere is completely fucked. Did something happen before we got here?
I deliberately stepped in front of Han Harin to shield her from the oppressive energy. She looked slightly better, but soon clenched her teeth, clearly frustrated by her inability to act in this situation.
"...What are you glaring at?" Eun Sangmin snarled, unleashing a wide-area provocation. Some snickered, while others glared at him as if they wanted to kill him.
I understood Eun Sangmin's frustration. We'd just opened the door and been hit with Mana-infused pressure. I was annoyed too. This was a clear act of hostility.
It seems they tried to gauge the participants' skills and ended up in this mess...
There's no choice. We can't afford to make enemies of these Hunters here.
Still, I learned something useful. Roughly fifty or more of them are Mana-wielding Hunters.
Just because they can use Mana doesn't automatically make them C-Rank Hunters. There could be Hunters like me, who are E-Rank but have awakened their Mana.
The ones we need to watch out for here... about eight of them, I'd say.
They seem stronger than Eun Sangmin.
I walked over to the table marked "National Cheon University Hunter Team." That's our team name. We didn't choose it ourselves; the school requested we use it.
"Senior Harin, Senior Sangmin, our table's over here. Come on over. Especially you, Senior Sangmin let's not waste any energy."
Harin simply walked to the table, while Eun Sangmin glared around the room before reluctantly taking his seat.
At least Eun Sangmin is under control. That's a relief.
It seems he acknowledges me as the leader after all.
After the course meal, we listened to a presentation by an assistant director and writer from the broadcasting station. Beside them, a Hunter Association staff member stood with arms crossed, monitoring us.
"The Dungeon Survival will begin in a dungeon provided by the Association, located near Gangneung..."
They didn't specify the dungeon's environment or the types of monsters we'd encounter.
All we knew about the dungeon was that dozens of cameras would be installed, Hunter Association staff with cameras would be moving around, and they would intervene in case of emergencies.
"For your safety, Energy Protects will be provided in Dungeon Survival Reforged. These shields absorb damage and consume Energy. Once an Energy Protect's Energy is completely depleted, you will be eliminated and escorted out by Association staff. If you continue to move or attack after your Energy is fully depleted, you will face severe penalties. Please remember this..."
It was clear they were taking safety precautions very seriously.
It's for the broadcast, so I guess they have to be this thorough.
I quickly grew bored. The explanations they were giving were mostly just reiterating what was already written in the documents.
When is Baek Ji-eun coming? All the other celebrities are here, but why isn't she? She's not skipping because it's her draft day, is she?
Baek Ji-eun finally arrived two hours later, just as the briefing was nearing its end.
"I'm so sorry I'm late! My schedule was packed. Please forgive me I even brought rice cakes as a gift!"
With her wavy brown hair and a perfectly tailored suit, Baek Ji-eun exuded the aura of a sophisticated city woman. Her blouse strained to contain her F-cup bust, looking ready to burst at any moment.
"You've finally arrived."
Baek Ji-eun smiled and began greeting the celebrities she recognized. Even the Association staff bowed deeply before her.
Baek Ji-eun was an A-Class Hunter, affiliated with the Association. Rumor had it she was being groomed as a future executive within the Korean Hunter Association, with some even speculating she could eventually reach S-Class status.
Even if she doesn't become S-Class, her influence within the Association is extraordinary. It's said she's destined for a leadership position.
The information came from the internet.
While online rumors often mix truth with falsehood, cross-referencing data from multiple sites can filter out the misinformation, leaving behind reasonably reliable information.
"It's true she's a candidate for executive. According to my investigation, the Hunter Association has been granting her considerable favors."
And my target is precisely her.
"I need to get at least one executive from the Hunter Association on my side."
Given the Hunter Association's immense influence, making Baek Ji-eun mine would undoubtedly be a significant advantage.
I fidgeted with the Absolute Hypnosis Sticker in my pocket.
"I need to stick this to Baek Ji-eun's skin... How should I approach her? Hmm. It'd be best to strike when no one's around."
I can't just suddenly slap the sticker onto Baek Ji-eun's skin. If the hypnosis activates successfully, her sudden change in behavior would inevitably arouse suspicion.
I'll just approach her naturally as a fan. But there's always the risk that the Absolute Hypnosis Sticker might fail.
The success of the Absolute Hypnosis Sticker depends on the target's mental fortitude. Those with high mental resilience are less likely to be affected.
The problem is, I don't know the criteria for determining that.
Every person's mental strength varies.
What's certain is that Hunters have higher mental fortitude than ordinary people. And as their rank increases, so does their mental resilience.
This is supported by research. Studies on mental magic show that higher-ranked Hunters possess more robust mental defenses, making them resistant to mind-altering spells.
S-Class Hunters are definitely out of the question.
Even if torture could weaken their mental defenses, simply approaching an S-Class Hunter is too dangerous.
"Baek Ji-eun hasn't been an A-Class Hunter for even half a year. She's considered one of the lower-tier A-Class Hunters, but she has potential."
I chewed on the rice cakes Baek Ji-eun had given out, waiting for an opportunity.
If no chance arose, I planned to pretend to trip while passing her and stick the Absolute Hypnosis Sticker to her body.
"We'll take a ten-minute break. Don't worry, we're almost done."
The Hunters sighed and began to file out. The briefing was essentially just a list of precautions, making it inevitably tedious.
Where's Baek Ji-eun?
Baek Ji-eun also left her seat, but she wasn't heading toward the restroom.
Is this my chance?!
I stood up from the table.
"Oh, going to the restroom?" Eun Sangmin, who had been fiddling with his smartphone, asked. I shook my head.
"I have an important call to take. I'll step outside for a moment."
With that, I headed in the direction Baek Ji-eun had gone.
I wouldn't waste my time trying to sneak around like some fool. Baek Ji-eun is an A-Class Hunter. Any clumsy attempt to hide my presence would be immediately detected, only making her suspicious.
I watched Baek Ji-eun climb into a black van. She must be resting in the car for a moment or retrieving something she'd forgotten.
Should I approach by car? No. I'll wait for her to come out and pretend to bump into her.
I pulled the Absolute Hypnosis Sticker from my pocket. It was slightly larger than my thumb, its surface densely covered in tiny writing.
I even practiced writing small just to fit everything on this tiny sticker.
The words on the sticker read:
- She thinks of me as her childhood friend, whom she's been
Baek Ji-eun was approaching. I took a deep breath and casually stepped away from the wall, then feigned surprise as if we'd bumped into each other by chance.
"B-Baek Ji-eun-ssi?!"
"Ah, yes."
"I'm a huge fan, Baek Ji-eun-ssi! Could I get your autograph? No, just a handshake! Please!"
"A handshake is no problem at all."
Baek Ji-eun extended her right hand. I extended mine as well, my palm concealing the Absolute Hypnosis Sticker with its backing peeled off. A handshake would naturally transfer the sticker to her palm.
If this goes south, I'll rip off the sticker and bolt.
Clench.
Our hands met. The sticker adhered to her palm. I watched her anxiously.
Baek Ji-eun frowned at me.
"What's your deal?"