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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: The Partner Hunter
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I swung my fist into his wide-open gut, unleashing a barrage of punches. Thud thud thud—the bastard crumpled to the floor.
But it wasn't over yet. If I stopped here, this guy would no doubt grab his sword again and come charging back at me.
I strode over to where he'd fallen and hammered five more punches into him before finally calling off the attack.
"Urgh... ugh..."
The woman writhed with a groan, then slowly raised her left hand. No way—I'd told her to lift it if she was hurting, but she actually did it? What a riot.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Finals victory goes to Hunter Yoo Chan-seok. Please take sufficient rest.
I narrowed my eyes at the announcement. Not "it's over," but "take sufficient rest"?
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ In 3 hours, at this same spot, Hunter Yoo Chan-seok will have an additional spar. Opponent: Partner Hunter Lee Se-eun from Zanabi LLC, currently defending the Erosion Zone along the DMZ.
What the hell was this?
A face appeared on the floating screen—the face of my next opponent. I turned to scan the crowd in the stands. Everyone looked stunned, murmuring in shock.
"Holy shit. Never seen a situation this absurd."
And there she was: the woman with the exact same face as on the screen. In an instant, I gauged the level she'd reached. It was light-years beyond me right now.
The woman, puffing on a pipe, met my eyes and grinned, mouthing words at me.
'Pick up the spear.'
My face fell. Should've just fought with the spear from the start. Looked like my switching from spear to fists had piqued her curiosity.
I spent the allotted three hours resting quietly, then returned to the arena.
"Yoo Chan-seok, right?"
Lee Se-eun flicked the pipe from her hand and slammed the massive greatsword she had slung over her shoulder into the ground with a boom.
"I'm impressed. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much."
"Your juniors were a bit underwhelming."
She nodded at my words.
"Yeah, you've earned the right to say that."
"I'll do my best to win."
Lee Se-eun hoisted her enormous greatsword one-handed, aiming it at me.
"Good attitude. If you're gonna fight, go in to win."
I'd never once gone into a fight thinking about "learning a move or two." That half-assed mindset gets you nothing.
Even if you know how it'll end, you charge in to win—that's how you salvage something from it.
I gripped my spear, took a deep breath, and assumed my stance.
"Huh."
Lee Se-eun stared at me, greatsword at the ready.
"That's not a proper spear stance."
She was right. Spears were my main weapon, but I didn't use them like one.
"Does it matter?"
I charged at Lee Se-eun and swung my spear.
Bang! Our weapons clashed. I twisted my body to deflect the shock as best I could and retreated a step.
But her sweeping greatsword—over two meters long—gave no quarter, dancing like a raging beast.
"Kid. Just turtling won't win this."
Kid? This blue-blooded brat just called me kid?
Did she have any idea how many bowls of rice I'd eaten in my life? Still, right now, all I could do was endure.
There were openings, but I didn't have the physicality to slip through them. Seeing them but not reaching? It drives you insane.
"Hah... kuh..."
If I'd known it'd be like this, I should've asked to hold onto something before coming back to Earth! This was bullshit.
No, if I'd known my homeworld would end up like this, I never would've agreed to those terms!
"Thirty minutes."
Lee Se-eun said it, then gave me a thumbs-up.
"You held out well. I figured five minutes, tops."
Rummaging in her pocket as she spoke.
"Not over yet."
Who decided that? Sure, I was pathetic right now, but I had no intention of ending it like this.
Lee Se-eun snorted as she dug through her pocket.
"I don't make a habit of crushing sprouts."
"I said it's not over."
Everything I'd lost? I'd take it back myself anyway. And after a month's hard work, I'd reclaimed a fragment of my power.
I took a deep breath, gathering mana flowing through my body and igniting a tiny flame at my fingertip.
A flickering black fire, like a candle about to gutter out.
"What, you awakened your Unique Trait? But with a puny spark like that..."
Lee Se-eun trailed off, staring at the flame on my hand. Her face hardened.
"What is that?"
"This."
I murmured and pressed the black ember to my body. It clung there, feeding on something to slowly build into a blaze.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Paradox Flame
Burns abstract concepts as fuel. Cycle: Mana → Flame → Exhaustion Burn → Mana Release → Repeat.
Paradox Flame. My ace skill, relentlessly honed until I returned to Earth—the power I trusted most. A Unique Trait awakened through mana, etched into the soul.
Since my soul had fully crossed into this world, of course I could use it right away.
This black flame doesn't burn matter. Instead, each flicker consumes abstract concepts I designate as fuel.
Like the fatigue built up in my body right now. I clicked my tongue at the black flames licking over me.
Still too weak.
Self-assessment. Paradox Flame was powerful, but not invincible. Strip away the fact that it burned the unburnable, and it had a lot in common with regular fire.
'Output's too low.'
Everything has its own ignition point.
At this level, high-ignition concepts like ego, reason, or memory were out of reach.
Like trying to light a bonfire and the kindling just fizzles out.
"Ambient mana density?"
Lee Se-eun muttered, scanning around me with a cautious expression.
Just as flames release heat while burning matter, my black fire released mana while consuming abstracts.
Mana to ignite Paradox Flame. Paradox Flame burns abstracts to release mana. I absorb that mana to fight.
A self-sustaining cycle.
In other words, I specialized in protracted wars of attrition.
"You into clingy types, by any chance?"
"Hell no. Hate 'em."
"Then get used to it—this is your chance."
Life throws guys like me at you sometimes.
The fight dragged on... and on... until, after 4 hours and 17 minutes, it ended in my defeat.
"Hah... huff..."
Couldn't be helped. Light a tree on fire, and ash remains. Ash can't be burned.
Likewise, burning fatigue with Paradox Flame left residue like ash—and that couldn't be burned further, so it piled up until I hit my limit.
Lee Se-eun lifted my chin with the tip of her greatsword, her face a mix of emotions.
Of course, she'd gone easy, letting me last this long. If she'd fought for real, I wouldn't have held out 15 minutes.
"Tough little sprout. More?"
"No. Mercy, please."
I wasn't in any shape to keep going, and this was a spar, not a deathmatch.
She offered me something.
"Here, candy."
A massive lollipop landed in my hand. After handing it over, Lee Se-eun tossed her greatsword aside and gave me her business card.
Zanabi LLC. 3rd Team Partner Hunter Lee Se-eun
"Once you get licensed, someone'll approach you."
"Probably more than one."
A fresh license who held out four hours straight? Even with her mercy, not just anyone could pull that off.
"Can't tuna-fish with a bloated belly."
I got it. Big fish stick, small fry scatter.
Only heavy-hitters with the means would come knocking.
"Anyway, don't decide on the spot—call me first."
"Looks like Zanabi rates me highly too."
She laughed.
"Details later. Just call."
She mimed a phone to her ear, waggled it, then descended from the arena.
Next up: the hunter licensing ceremony.
I watched the Association President up front. Guy didn't look like a fighter. Made sense—admins handled paperwork, not brawls.
"Hunter Yoo Chan-seok. You've shown promising talent—we have high expectations."
He handed me my "license"—really, a special smartphone with a unique SIM.
"Think deeply. Act prudently. Instill fear in your foes, peace in those behind you."
"Thank you."
I took the license-phone and checked its functions.
Hunter community apps, selling gear and byproducts from Erosion Zones, emergency alerts from the Association, messaging and calls via military satellites...
"No private trades, huh."
Obviously. Plenty of gear that gave effects without mana—like pistols firing mana bullets on trigger pull.
Let that hit the streets, and the shaky public safety would tank even harder.
"From my experience..."
Banning private trades officially? Paradoxically meant hunters did them on the sly.
No cases, no rule needed. A quick search pulled up articles: robbers using hunter gear, that sort of thing.
"Not my problem yet."
Worry after pushing back Erosion Zones some. I turned to leave, but someone blocked my path.
Looking up: a hulking muscle mass, veins bulging with barely contained power. Forearms thick as my thighs, tattooed with a big dragon. Taller than me by 30cm—over 2m, easy.
"Cool tattoo."
"Thanks."
The tattooed musclehead replied and offered me a card. Taebaek LLC.
I pocketed it and spoke.
"Hunter Yoon Sung-hyun of Taebaek, I presume."
He nodded.
"Join Taebaek. My team, specifically. Gain experience, and you'll shine."
Partner Hunter. Lee Se-eun's card said the same. Curiosity piqued.
"So, what's a Partner Hunter?"