Chapter 136 – SSS-Rank Hunter (11)
[Chapter 7 – Section 5] Become an Adult
SSS-rank hunter.
No—life changes just because you possess an SSS-rank supernatural ability. No need for the effort everyone else makes; awaken to a talent more vague than genetics, and that’s it!
What an unfair world.
“Amolang-nim. Please take a look at these.”
“…What are these?”
Photos of women’s faces, names, ages, weights, blood types, education, family histories—everything recorded in extreme detail.
“Interviews.”
“For me…?”
“The current housekeepers are just a temporary measure hastily gathered. Please choose the women you like from these. They’re housekeepers handpicked from around the world.”
“……”
Thud!
Even compressed into one-page resumes, there were enough to stack into a tower.
“Honestly, it’s a lot, right?”
“…I’m satisfied with things as they are now.”
“I know Amolang-nim is frugal. But in this world, there are many mentally ill patients who suffer emotional instability if they can’t somehow connect with an SSS-rank hunter.”
“I see.”
Thanks to my experience as a powerful figure in the world of the romance fantasy novel I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count’s Family, I understood.
Bribes, flattery, marriage proposals…
High nobles and royalty who wanted to curry favor with the empire’s second-in-command, “Count Amolang,” were everywhere.
Their goal: the safety of their houses.
To prepare a safeguard in case they were falsely accused of treason or rebellion.
“But the top priority is Amolang-nim’s feelings. Do you have any preferred conditions?”
“Hmm…”
I couldn’t say I already have a girlfriend and need to behave!
It was an extremely frustrating situation.
“By any chance, do you prefer the same sex?”
“No. I like women.”
That I could say firmly.
“You have clear preferences?”
“Ahem!”
I’m a man too.
“Let’s do it this way. I’ll ask questions one by one like before. Amolang-nim, just answer briefly.”
“Good.”
“Do you care about the housekeeper’s virginity?”
“……”
The very first question was extremely rough.
***
(I’ll keep this secret from Song Sun-young as a fellow man. If she finds out, she’ll probably pluck every hair from your head.)
Thank you!
(But be careful. Even if a housekeeper ends up carrying your seed, could you leave the dream without regret?)
“……”
I couldn’t bring myself to say it doesn’t matter because it’s just a dream.
My child?
To a rookie in society who graduated high school last year, it sounded impossibly distant. But it wasn’t unrealistic. At least in this world.
Was it coincidence that so many housekeeper applicants wrote “Confident in childcare!” on their self-introductions?
Absolutely not.
(Snap out of it. This world is too strange.)
The senior’s voice was more serious than ever.
(Recall the conditions for a patient to wake from a dream. How is this dream still being maintained?)
“That’s… uh…?”
Come to think of it, it really was strange.
(Even Mao Zhai suffered after being abandoned by the Heavenly Demon. But he never gave up, no matter how hard it was, because he’d always longed for the martial world.)
…Isn’t it similar?
Park Hyo-man-ssi also had an extreme obsession with “SSS-rank hunter.”
(Would he like being an SSS-rank hunter trapped in a monster’s stomach, unable to do anything? Compare it to your life right now.)
“……”
I could confidently say it’s 500 times better than being in a monster’s stomach.
(I don’t expect much from a 21-year-old novice, but if you want to live long, it’s better to become an adult quickly.)
Adult.
Not just someone who’s aged through the anus.
“I’ll try.”
(Everyone tries. From the Heavenly Demon who cleaves the earth barehanded to the farmer who tills it barehanded. It’s just a difference in how much they’re recognized.)
Then what should I do?
(Think. The part you’re worst at.)
“……”
(The habit of relying on me and asking without thinking first. So Un-hyeon is so outstanding it can’t be helped, but it’s not good for your future.)
It’s annoying too?
(Oh! You read my mind for the first time.)
“Amolang-nim. Thank you for answering the sensitive questions.”
“It was nothing…”
As someone with similar experience, I only felt sorry for the ladies rejected based solely on resumes without even an interview.
Is this how a boss feels?
I used to criticize those judged only by their P aptitude test results, but now in the same position, I finally understood.
“……”
“……”
The housekeepers stood politely in a line against one wall, hands clasped, waiting.
Their posture and expressions were so motionless I could mistake them for mannequins—professionalism and pride radiating from them.
And without exception, they were beautiful. Change their clothes and they’d look like princesses from a fairy tale.
(Finally sinking in?)
“Ahem!”
“Amolang-nim. Are you thirsty?”
“Amolang-nim. Do you need anything?”
“Amolang-nim?”
I only cleared my throat at the senior’s pointed remark, yet all their attention and gazes focused on me.
(You had a dirty thought, didn’t you?)
“……”
(These are ladies who’d do dirty things with you the moment you want. Ah! No need to stick to one-on-one either.)
“Gulp.”
My head spun from the senior egging on my imagination.
However,
“…You ladies might be fine with it, but I’m uncomfortable. Please sit comfortably on the living room sofa and wait.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
Rustle.
The housekeepers left my bedroom without a word of protest.
(Oh! Pretty good for a first try.)
Don’t test me.
(This is all training.)
“Training, my foot…”
Park Hyo-man, recognized as an SSS-rank hunter, must have lived like this too. Different from Mao Zhai’s situation.
Because it was given and then taken away!
Unlike Mao Zhai, whose situation was bad from the start after being abandoned by the Heavenly Demon, Park Hyo-man-ssi’s went from good to bad.
Similar to Kim Eun-jung, who lived as the protagonist “Angelina Chimac” in the world of the romance fantasy novel I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count’s Family?
In reality, she had no boyfriend, but in the dream, she was surrounded by handsome men. And when they all left, she couldn’t bear it. Why? She was just returning to her real self.
Sense of loss.
That’s what I think.
(…I often feel this, but you’re truly strong in practice, not theory. Your ability to adapt to problems or situations is better than a cockroach’s.)
“Thank you.”
I lost my parents early and had no relatives to rely on, so to survive, I had to keep my wits sharp.
Food, clothing, shelter…
To handle all that myself, “money” was essential, but earning and spending it involved countless trials and errors.
Blink?
The eyeball tentacle stared at me muttering to myself as if I were strange.
“Let’s do well from now on.”
Blink~
I stroked the eyeball like petting an animal’s head and thought.
‘This is a dream.’
The senior was controlling my real body in my place, so the sensation was dulled, but the longer I stayed in the dream, the more reality would fall apart.
Would only I fall apart?
Song Sun-young.
What kind of boyfriend am I when I can’t even properly text or call, let alone date? If she didn’t have strong attachment, she’d have broken up long ago.
“…Hup!”
I got up from the plush bed.
Blink?
“Want to rest more?”
Blink, blink~
The eyeball tentacle that had been enjoying the soft pillow shook side to side in denial.
“We’re going.”
My stamina was too precious to waste enjoying luxury living and attention from beauties.
Whoosh~
I opened the closet, changed into the hunter combat suit I bought during the day, and headed to the living room bustling with beauties.
“Are you going out?”
“Natalia. Please get monster info for this area and call a rickshaw.”
“That’s easy, but isn’t night hunting dangerous?”
“It’s fine. I have good night vision. Feel free to test it.”
“Then…”
Tap!
The surroundings instantly darkened.
Natalia must have used her acceleration to turn off the living room lights.
“How many fingers on my right hand?”
“Three.”
She had moved from in front of the fridge to the front door.
“…And my left?”
“Hmm. Hidden behind your back, so I can’t see.”
Tap!
The living room lights came back on.
“Impressive. It was dark enough that I relied on my smartphone light to move.”
“Is the test over?”
“Yes. If I didn’t slack off, the rickshaw should arrive soon.”
Tap, tap!
A knocking sound came from the window overlooking the terrace.
“Amolang-nim. Shall I open it?”
One of the housekeepers asked calmly.
“Yes. Please open it.”
Swish~
As soon as the curtains covering the terrace were drawn, an astonishing sight appeared.
‘A sled…?’
I wasn’t seeing things.
There was a very sturdy-looking steel sled, and eight ability users assembled to pull it.
But their outfits…
“This rickshaw’s name is Rudolph.”
“It does look that way.”
They were dressed in Rudolph reindeer costumes, somewhat sacrificing practicality.
“Hehe! For something prepared in a hurry, isn’t it cool?”
“Am I Santa?”
“Yes. It carries the meaning of becoming humanity’s hope. SSS-rank hunters each had a unique code name, and for Amolang-nim, Santa is the leading candidate.”
“Me as Santa…”
Santa Amolang!
I’d be too embarrassed to show my face.
“Rudolph was specially designed for Amolang-nim, who can’t use spatial leap.”
“Aha!”
I wanted to applaud the intellectuals who racked their brains to efficiently squeeze my labor.
“It hasn’t completed full safety checks yet since you requested it urgently, but it can dash at 1820 km/h in the stratosphere.”
“Wow?”
Planning to break the sound barrier (1224 km/h) with human power?
Impressive.
“And when pushed to the limit, it can maintain 5403 km/h for up to 68 minutes and 15 seconds. The downside is it needs a full day’s rest afterward and can’t be used during that time.”
“Can a human body withstand that speed unprotected?”
“That’s why a B-rank barrier ability user in the back seat protects Rudolph, and an A-rank amplification ability user strengthens it.”
“Ah…”
I thought they were passengers, but the two women in the four-seater sled’s back seat were also part of “Rudolph.”
“Hello.”
“Please take good care of us.”
The women greeting me were dressed as elves helping Santa.
Green boots, miniskirts, garter belts holding up pure white stockings…
I forcibly averted my gaze and greeted them.
“Likewise.”
Blink!
The eyeball tentacle busily looked around as if finding everything novel.
“Let’s go.”
Swipe—
Natalia, who had quickly changed using acceleration, boarded the sled and said,
“Natalia? That extremely skimpy outfit is…?”
“…As you can see, it’s a Santa outfit. Amolang-nim, just put on the hat.”
Natalia transformed into an adult-only 19+ Santa!
Is this okay for a hunter?
I genuinely wondered.
“Well…”
I put on the red Santa hat she handed me and sat in the front seat of the sled.
“It’s not dangerous yet, but an SS-rank monster that summons typhoons is moving north from the Australian continent.”
“Australia…”
“It’ll take about two hours.”
“Haha!”
Only two hours to Australia?
I’ve never flown supersonic, but isn’t this exactly how it would feel?
Incredibly fast.
“Amolang-nim. Please fasten your seatbelt so you don’t fall off the sled.”
“Yes.”
Do we need seatbelts? A traffic accident at sonic speed would mean instant death anyway.
Click.
The sled—illegally parked on the terrace—began moving.
“While we’re on the trip, the terrace will be remodeled for easier Rudolph landings.”
“I see.”
“Rudolph, depart…!”
Right after the human reindeer navigator with the red nose at the front shouted—
Vwoooom—!
We tore through the wind, racing toward the Australian continent.
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TL Note:
The novel is fully completed (231 chapters)
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