Chapter 35

Chapter 35

‘What the hell!’

I was momentarily flustered by the sudden extreme choice.

I thought a hole would be blown through her head and white brain matter would spill out, but contrary to my expectations, Kim Seunghye was perfectly fine.

SHHH!

Kim Seunghye was wrapped in translucent sky-blue Ether.

“With this power…… I can do various things.”

“Like…… what?”

“For example……”

Kim Seunghye’s palm pointed at a target a hundred meters away.

WHOOOSH!

The sphere made of Ether shot forward, and the moment it fell onto the target.

BOOOOM!

An explosion even larger than a grenade’s erupted, leaving a large crater where the target had been.

“…….”

For a moment, I lost my words.

I had thought she was a Supporter, but she was a tank who could convert the damage she received into Ether and use it…….

“A-And attacking is not the only thing I can do! I can also heal with this power!”

Kim Seunghye spoke hurriedly.

“You can even…… heal?”

“Yes!”

“You are definitely worthy of being assigned to Bravo Team.”

Kim Seunghye’s ability was one I had never seen before, so I began to look forward to her future.

As a tank, she could take responsibility for her allies’ Defense while also possessing considerable attack power, and on top of that, she could even heal.

This kind of all-rounder type was extremely rare, so if she was raised well, she had more than enough potential to become a Hunter who operated at the very top.

If I did not know about her, then she must have died after being swept up in the Transference, just like Jeong Hobin.

“I can do that much too, you know?”

Perhaps feeling jealous, Ra Sihyeon spoke in a venomous voice.

“What can you do?”

“This.”

Ra Sihyeon created a fireball and threw it at a target right beside the place Kim Seunghye had devastated.

BOOOOM!

FWOOSH!

Not only did a huge explosion erupt, but the surrounding area turned into a sea of flames.

“See? I can do it too.”

“Then can you be fine even after being shot in the head?”

“That is……”

“Can you or can you not?”

“Is that important? Why would I ever be shot in the head?”

“So you cannot.”

“Eeeek!”

As if thoroughly annoyed, Ra Sihyeon trembled.

“Stop interfering with others and do your own work.”

“Interfering? Did you just say I am interfering?”

“I believe I said it. Do not interfere.”

“I-I am sorry.”

When I spoke coldly, Ra Sihyeon lowered her head deeply and apologized.

“Do you want me to tell you something?”

“Pardon?”

“If you do not want to live your whole life being hated by people, look back on yourself first. If you keep living like that, everyone who stays by your side will be nothing but trash.”

“…….”

As if my words had become a dagger, Ra Sihyeon slowly raised her head.

“What if there was never anyone but trash in the first place?”

“What is that supposed to mean all of a sudden?”

“No, nothing.”

“……?”

“Do what you were doing. I will not interfere.”

Ra Sihyeon turned around abruptly, went to her own firing lane, picked up a rifle, and pulled the trigger toward the target.

Bang! Bang!

Holes were punched through the exact center of the target paper.

***

After firearms training ended, we returned to the theory classroom and learned how to access Hunter Link, as well as how to use the board without accessing it.

‘The update is fast.’

I had no choice but to acknowledge the Special Force Training Center’s flexible and swift response.

To think they were already planning to teach the trainees the tip I had released only a few days ago!

Thanks to that, I was able to use the Hunter Link board during the evening without being disturbed by anyone.

After dinner, unless there was some special training, free time was guaranteed……

‘Everyone is busy.’

I swept my gaze across the inside of the Cage.

The team members were all absorbed in doing their own things in their own spaces.

“Has everyone been well? Has it been about eight hours? I finished training, had dinner, and now I am resting.”

As expected of an active idol, Jeong Hobin had turned on his smartphone and was communicating with his fans.

“Oh?”

“This is fascinating.”

“Would you like to add each other as friends?”

Oh Taegwon, Park Seokho, and Kim Seunghye seemed fascinated by accessing Hunter Link and were happily chatting among themselves.

Ra Sihyeon was lying on a Field Cot with her eyes closed as if dead, but she did not seem to be sleeping. She looked as though she was lost in thought.

‘This reminds me of the old days.’

As I watched the common scenery of the Special Force Training Center, I remembered my chick days and let out a quiet snort.

But that lasted only a moment.

‘This is not the time for me to be doing this.’

In a situation where I did not know when the large-scale Transference Phenomenon would occur, I could not afford to leisurely reminisce about the past.

I opened the Hunter Link board and checked the Hunters’ reactions to my post.

[Free Board] If you cannot trust a 10-Star’s words, then whose words can you trust?? (4,431)

[Free Board] Honest opinion) I live near Jebudo, and what Supernova said is bullshit, yes (5,531)

[Free Board] How can a human predict a large-scale Transference Crisis? What, is he some kind of precognitive? (1,127)

[Free Board] The reason Supernova’s words are true (23,312)

A heated debate was in full swing on the board.

Yes, of course it would be.

Even in my judgment, except for the fact that Supernova was a 10-Star Hunter, he still lacked enough to gain absolute trust.

Trust was always a continuous process of proof, after all.

But ignoring it was also difficult because it was a post written by a 10-Star Hunter.

‘There is nothing more I can say on the board. The important ones are not the Hunters.’

Whether or not the people at the Special Force Training Center were evacuated would ultimately be up to the Defense Strategy Department, and beyond that, the government of the Republic of Korea.

The moment that thought crossed my mind, I was about to turn off the Hunter Link board when DMs suddenly poured in.

[BloodyMary] Hey.

[BloodyMary] Answer me.

[BloodyMary] I said answer me -_-

[BloodyMary] Are you ignoring me?

[BloodyMary] Are you leaving me unread?

[BloodyMary] Hey!!!

……

[BloodyMary] Answer me!!!

A mountain of DMs from Choi Yura had piled up.

[BestSupportEver] ?

As soon as I sent a reply, Choi Yura immediately answered.

[BloodyMary] Why are you only replying now?

[BestSupportEver] I told you I was going to the SFTC.

[BloodyMary] It is not as though the SFTC gives you no time to check DMs, right?

[BestSupportEver] ?

[BestSupportEver] I checked and replied as soon as I finished dinner -_-

[BloodyMary] Fine;;

[BestSupportEver] So why?

[BloodyMary] You saw the post Supernova uploaded, right?

[BestSupportEver] I saw it.

[BloodyMary] What are you going to do?

[BestSupportEver] What do you mean, what am I going to do?

[BloodyMary] He says a large-scale Transference Crisis is going to happen around there. Are you going to keep staying there?

[BestSupportEver] You believe that?

[BloodyMary] How can I not believe a post uploaded by a 10-Star Hunter? -_-;;

[BestSupportEver] Haha.....

When I actually talked to someone who firmly believed the post I had uploaded, I found it so absurd that a hollow laugh slipped out.

[BloodyMary] Just Withdraw from Training.

[BestSupportEver] ?

[BloodyMary] Say you are going home -_-

[BestSupportEver] I will see how it goes first;

[BloodyMary] What is there to see? -_- I am telling you, if you stay there, you will die???

[BestSupportEver] I get it, so wait a bit.

[BestSupportEver] I will handle it myself;

[BloodyMary] What do you mean, you will handle it yourself? -_- Hurry up and get out if you do not want to die;

[BestSupportEver] I said I will handle it;;

After that, I bickered with Choi Yura for nearly thirty minutes.

[BestSupportEver] I will handle it, so wait nearby for now.

[BloodyMary] ?

[BestSupportEver] If something happens, come rescue me, okay;;

[BloodyMary] Am I your subordinate???

[BestSupportEver] Once I complete the SFTC, I will give you the information you want, okay. I am going now, bye.

Choi Yura kept sending DMs, but I turned off the notifications entirely and did not even open them.

Hoo.

My head already hurt enough, and now even she was doing this.

‘Public opinion……’

I turned off Hunter Link, turned on my smartphone, and checked domestic public opinion.

As expected, a heated debate was in full swing there as well.

The so-called people in power were excitedly tearing into one another over Supernova’s rank and his prediction of a large-scale Transference Crisis.

In the midst of that, the Presidential Office and the Defense Strategy Department remained silent, making no statement whatsoever.

‘They must be thinking it over. Their heads must hurt.’

I could fully understand the government’s position.

Moving the military and Hunters was not a simple matter.

All the more so if the source of the information was unclear.

‘From Minister Ahn’s standpoint, the burden must be severe too. I feel a little bad about this……’

Many people had a misconception, but the Minister of Defense Strategy was not a position that wielded omnipotent power.

Rather than overseeing national defense in its entirety, it was closer to a position that coordinated interlocking interests among those in power, the public, and Hunters.

My father’s words that Hunters were more political than one might imagine had not been empty talk at all.

‘Every minute and every second is urgent, but too much time is being wasted. I need to do something.’

Sensing that now was the time to make a decision, I closed my smartphone.

***

Late at night.

“Hoo.”

Minister Ahn had not even left work yet and was sitting at his desk, smoking a cigarette.

The ashtray was piled high with cigarette butts, and his office was thick with hazy cigarette smoke.

One could tell how many cigarettes he had smoked in a row without even needing to ask.

“I cannot do this, and I cannot do that either…… Hoo.”

Deep frustration seeped into Minister Ahn’s mutter.

Those in power were arguing back and forth, engaging in political strife, and the Presidential Office was being extremely cautious, conscious of its approval ratings.

The Hunters, too, were arguing on the Hunter Link board and merely watching one another without showing any real movement.

If he carelessly moved the military and Hunters in this situation, his position, already walking on thin ice, would obviously become even more precarious.

What if things went wrong?

All responsibility would fall on the Minister personally, and the aftermath might shake the entire Republic of Korea.

Even at this very moment, forces aiming to overthrow the state were lurking at every turn.

“What should I do…… What?”

Minister Ahn covered his face as fatigue surged over him.

He felt as though he was aging rapidly in real time.

In fact, his gray hairs had increased sharply lately.

‘Evidence. I need evidence. Evidence that will allow me to make a decision.’

It was when Minister Ahn thought that.

DING!

The Hunter Link board UI opened before his eyes, and a DM arrived.