Chapter 144 – SSS-Rank Hunter (19)
He’s insanely fast!
Because of that, we failed to catch the “Acceleration-type petty thief” on the spot—but it didn’t matter. I was tracking his route through my heightened perception.
A leisurely pace.
After slipping out of the chaotic scene, the petty thief quickly blended back in as an ordinary citizen.
However—
“This place is way too rundown for an S-rank ability user to live in,” Natalia said incredulously as she followed me.
“Even doing delivery work with a custom-made bike would let him live somewhere better than this…”
“True.”
“I can’t believe it. Someone who once lived in luxury at the very top being satisfied with a slum like this.”
“…So you’re saying there’s a fifty-fifty chance this thief isn’t Park Hyo-man?”
“Exactly fifty-fifty.”
The petty thief entered a dangerous neighborhood where shady people gathered.
Dangerous meaning—
An area monsters visited frequently.
A place with no intact buildings or proper facilities—so even hunters who wanted to freely use their abilities avoided it. It didn’t really suit Park Hyo-man.
Guess we’ll know once we go inside.
Slum dwellers who had given up on life and were just waiting to become monster snacks lined both sides of the alley.
Just like the alley I’d entered while chasing Witch Ranuvela.
The scenery and situation were too similar to be a coincidence.
The only difference—
“…Huh? Gah!”
“Y-you’re…!”
“Amolang…?”
In the real world, no one recognized me as an Olympic national athlete—
But here, they instantly recognized GGG-rank Hunter Amolang.
It would’ve been strange if they didn’t.
My presence in this hunter world couldn’t even be compared to that of a mere athlete.
“Just pass through.”
“Y-yes!”
“Please, go ahead!”
People sprawled on the ground pressed themselves flat against the walls like performance art.
Tap. Tap.
They even woke up comrades and friends who had been so deeply asleep they hadn’t noticed my arrival.
“Yaaawn! What the hell? Wanna die?”
“You wanna die instead?”
“What’s this bastard—”
“Amolang is here!”
“Hey. There’s no way someone that big would come to a dump like—gah!”
Scurry!
A path instantly opened.
Some even hurried to clear trash and filth out of the way so I wouldn’t step on it.
Feels like I’ve become the king of beggars.
Blink. Blink—
The eyeball tentacle wrapped around my right arm looked around curiously.
“Eek?!”
“SSS-rank…”
“Ugh…!”
Maybe the Super Grand Galaxy General Infinity Blade recognized it too—anyone who locked eyes with an SSS-rank monster froze in terror, barely able to breathe.
Blink. Blink!
“Gasp!”
“Mmph!”
Finding the humans’ frozen reactions amusing—like frogs before a snake—the eyeball tentacle busily glanced around the entire time we walked.
“This might be unnecessary interference,” Natalia said,
“But shouldn’t we ask them for directions?”
“No need. I already grasp everything about this city.”
“…Everything?”
“For example, if I decide you’re trying to run, I can kill you anytime. Unless you think you can escape the city before I even notice.”
“……”
Natalia rubbed her goose-bumped arms and fell silent.
Step.
I stopped in front of a strangely neat three-story building.
“…Interesting.”
At the entrance, a burly man—clearly a gatekeeper—was leaning against the wall, dozing off.
And inside?
“…Amolang-nim?”
“Looks like this is the right answer. Unless there’s another man using Acceleration on a bed in broad daylight.”
Step.
Sensing my footsteps and presence, the gatekeeper opened his eyes.
“Go back. This isn’t a place for just anyone—huh?”
“Just anyone?”
“Ah—! I meant it’s nothing! I didn’t mean anything by it!”
Scurry—
Like everyone else, the man recognized me instantly and hurriedly stepped aside, his face pale with fear.
“Is the door locked?”
“You just need to ring the doorbell!”
“Is that so?”
Looking around this dangerous neighborhood, a crowbar for breaking doors would’ve felt more appropriate than a doorbell—but this place alone was well-maintained, like a lotus blooming in the mud.
Ding-dong♪
I wasn’t here to fight, so I decided to be polite.
“……”
“……”
“…They seem to be busy,” the gatekeeper said carefully, watching my expression.
“Yeah. Must be busy—handling three women at the same time.”
“R-right! H-ha ha…”
The worse my expression became, the darker the gatekeeper’s complexion grew.
“Are you the gatekeeper?”
“Yes!”
“Then why are you guarding a front door you can’t even open?”
“Ah! I escort the ladies when they go out! This area’s too dangerous for young, pretty women to walk around alone, so—”
“And what else?”
“…I also make sure the ladies don’t secretly run away.”
He confessed honestly, glancing nervously at me.
“Thought so.”
The soundproofing was good enough that ordinary people couldn’t hear it—but I wasn’t ordinary anymore.
‘It hurts!’
‘S-stop…!’
‘Kyaaaah?!’
The screams and sobs of women—sounds you’d expect from a torture chamber—never ceased.
The doorbell was completely ignored.
I wanted a calm, civil meeting, but the agitated homeowner clearly had no intention of welcoming guests.
“Should I break it down?” Natalia asked.
“I’ll do it.”
I grabbed the handle and pushed lightly with brute force.
Creeeak—
The steel-plated door bent and ceased to function as a door.
“…Are you a multi-ability user too, Amolang-nim?” Natalia asked.
“No. That was pure strength.”
“……”
Natalia—and even the green fairies following behind to assist—looked at me with disbelief, but I didn’t feel the need to explain further.
Whoosh—
I flung the front door wide open and called out,
“Mr. Park Hyo-man! I’ll be waiting in the living room!”
***
Maybe it was because he’d worked in construction before, but Park Hyo-man’s house was well put together.
Kitchen.
Bathroom.
Living room.
Closet.
Not luxurious, but cozy—everything necessary was there.
Nice place.
If the “home of my dreams” I’d always imagined were ever completed, it would probably look just like this. Though lately, with some money to spare, I’d started wanting something more extravagant.
“Natalia?”
“So you really were alive.”
The man rushed out into the living room while hurriedly getting dressed. The moment he saw Natalia, his face twisted.
“Why did you betray me?!”
“That conversation can wait. This takes priority right now.”
At a disadvantage, Natalia used me as a shield.
“…What business does the strongest hunter—who soloed an SSS-rank monster—have with me? If you’re here to propose working together, I must politely decline.”
Though less extreme, his tone was just as cautious.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Park Hyo-man.”
“How did you find this place?”
“The Super Grand Galaxy General Infinity Blade.”
Blink—
When I introduced it, the eyeball tentacle greeted him cheerfully.
“If you’ve read the novel Only I Am an SSS-Rank Hunter, you should know this well. To handle this thing properly, perception—”
“W-wait a second!”
“……”
“How do you know that novel?! Just who are you—”
“Mr. Park Hyo-man. I’m speaking.”
“…My apologies.”
I could more than understand why Park Hyo-man reacted so violently. Most of the Ranuvel patients I’d dealt with until now were the same. They reacted sharply to taboo words.
Their real names.
Novel titles.
Dreams.
Family members’ names—
And me.
The shaman, Kang Moon-soo.
Patients who failed to adapt to reality hated any evidence that denied the dream world that fit them like tailor-made clothing.
For now—
“There should be women in poor condition lying on the second and third floors. Take care of them and wait there until our conversation is over.”
“Yes.”
“…Yes.”
At my instruction, everyone left the living room and headed upstairs—faces clearly showing they didn’t want to go.
Finally, just the two of us.
Patient and shaman.
The environment I desired most had finally been created.
“Mr. Park Hyo-man. Let’s make an agreement first.”
“What kind of agreement?”
“We’ll take turns asking one question at a time. Answers must be honest, with no lies. Neither side may end the conversation unilaterally. Any disadvantage caused by breaking the rules must be accepted.”
“And the disadvantage would be…?”
“Your life.”
I had already cast aside many things in this hunter world.
Conscience.
Humanity.
Even my role as a human.
And because I’d grown that detached, I had no desire to stay here any longer than necessary.
“……”
“Do you agree?”
“…Yes. I agree.”
Despite his only life being at stake, Park Hyo-man—burning with curiosity—accepted without hesitation.
“Since I made the proposal, you may ask the first question.”
“Hmm…”
The Ranuvel patient pondered carefully, choosing his words.
If only the Sword Demon wouldn’t interfere, this approach might actually work.
“……”
It took time—but surely this was better than losing even more time when patients fled from cruel reality in denial.
“Who are you?”
“A shaman.”
“A shaman?”
“Ah. That answer was too insincere. I am a shaman from reality.”
“Reality…?”
He was about to immediately ask another question, but I was faster.
“Now it’s my turn.”
“…Alright. Go ahead.”
“You must have met a girl dressed like an anachronistic witch. What did she say to you?”
The decisive reason I gave up financial gain and chose to enter this patient’s dream.
Witch Ranuvela the 13th.
I needed to know why she had flown across the other side of the world just to meet this patient.
“I was devoured by the Ancient Black Elephant after being betrayed by the SSS-rank hunters. While my body was being melted by its digestive fluids, I endured unbearable pain, waiting for someone to save me.”
“Hm.”
I had considered the possibility that the SSS-rank hunters had simply misunderstood—but that didn’t seem to be the case.
“At that moment, the witch-dressed woman you mentioned appeared before me. And she said she would help.”
“…That’s it?”
“It’s my turn now.”
“……”
“You didn’t explain anything either beyond your occupation. I think this is fair.”
“Ask your question.”
Although I was the one who proposed it, I decided then and there—
I would never use this method again.
***
At first, Park Hyo-man—the Ranuvel patient—answered only what I asked, without any gaps.
But the time he spent suffering from his comrades’ betrayal had been so unfair that he soon began mixing in unnecessary rambling.
“I devoted myself to protecting humanity—and my reward was betrayal? From that moment on, I swore I’d live selfishly!”
“That’s—”
I didn’t ask.
“A beautiful, capable wife? At first, it felt great—everyone envied me. But that happiness was short-lived. Those prideful women did nothing but nag me whenever they saw me and forced me into separate bedrooms!”
“……”
That sounded like something that should be examined in court by comparing both sides’ claims.
“Uh… what was the question again?”
“I asked what kind of ability the witch gave you.”
“Oh! Right. That’s it. My fourth ability. With that power, I split the Ancient Black Elephant’s body and escaped.”
“Split it?”
“Yes. Easily—like cutting through air.”
“……”
The moment I heard that description, the Sword Demon came to mind.
“Now it’s my turn—”
“Mr. Park Hyo-man. You need to explain how you cut it. Saying you split its body is just the result. I asked what the fourth ability you received from the witch actually was.”
“This.”
Shrrrk—
Park Hyo-man’s right hand—sitting across from me—transformed into a blade.
“……”
It was the Sword Demon’s arm.
“With a warning that each use would shorten my lifespan.”
“…And you’re showing this to me just like that?”
“It’s my turn.”
“……”
I swore to myself again that I would never use this method again.
“The witch advised me to hide if I wanted to live long. She said someone was hunting us.”
“Hah!”
That witch…?
Even after the traitorous SSS-rank hunters were wiped out, there had been a reason Park Hyo-man continued hiding.
“Are you that person?”
“Most likely.”
“I see. Then it’s your turn to ask again.”
“What did the witch say after giving you that advice?”
“She taught me how to extend my lifespan.”
“That’s a lie. It only binds you longer to this false world.”
“I knew from the beginning that this world was fake.”
“…What?”
What was he talking about?
“If I return to reality, I’ll be crushed by gambling debts. But here, every day is enjoyable.”
“It’s fake.”
“Listen a bit more.”
“……”
“In reality, I can barely make eye contact with beautiful women. But here, I can keep them. Do you know how many are upstairs?”
“Nine. And four more are bound downstairs to something like crosses.”
“Wow. Impressive. Even more than the protagonist of Only I Am an SSS-Rank Hunter.”
“……”
I didn’t feel like taking that as a compliment.
“At first, when I hid myself as the witch advised, it was boring. But I realized this is far more enjoyable than fighting monsters.”
“That’s a crime.”
“It’s fake anyway, isn’t it? There’s no need to feel guilty. Isn’t that why you could so casually throw people to an SSS-rank monster as bait?”
“…Hmph.”
He wasn’t wrong.
“As promised, I’ll answer your question. The way to extend my lifespan is—”
“……”
I really hate it when people trail off for no good reason.
“By killing the pursuer.”
Whoosh—
Park Hyo-man’s right arm—transformed into a blade—came down on me in a vertical slash.
_____________________________________________
TL Note:
The novel is fully completed (231 chapters)
Supporters can read 55 chapters ahead with Plus Tier and 87 chapters ahead with Premium Tier, which also includes access to 5 additional novels.
_____________________________________________