Chapter 35: CH 34

[K-HUNTER’S STATUS SYSTEM ver.3.2.2]

[User information]

Name 白哲然 (Baek Cheol-yeon)

Age 17

Mana class E-class

Awakened abilities

Mana detection/C-class

Empowering/D-class

Poison resistance/C-class

Status Normal

[▷Main screen]

A few days had passed since the Dongsomun Spirit Gate incident.

Maybe it was because I had hunted monsters inside the Spirit Gate for a few days and slashed Aoki several times, but my empowering had gone up one level from E to D and my mana detection, which I had been using frequently, had also gone up by one level to C.

D-class empowering.

If my empowering, which was an ability that infused a weapon with mana to make it stronger and sharper, was D-class, it meant that a sword that I empowered would now be able to withstand a normal pistol bullet without breaking.

Of course, it would be difficult for me to stop a rifle shot or a mana bullet, but just being able to stop a regular bullet was already a great advantage.

On top of that, there were a few more things I gained. First of all, Aoki-shosa’s sword. Or rather…… should I be calling it a pistol-sword. Anyway, it was a strange object that was a pistol with a detachable blade.

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‘This is what I call a “buy one, get one free” deal.’

I separated the blade from the pistol and examined them separately. At the very least, the blade was made of solid steel. And examining even closer, I could feel some magic coming from the blade, so it was some kind of artifact with an effect.

‘Judging by Aoki-shosa’s movement, it probably has some kind of hastening effect.’

Despite being a non-Awakened, Aoki-shosa was able to slaughter active Yeopsas, and although this may have been thanks to his swordsmanship, this blade probably played a big part as well.

I held the stem of the blade (the bit at the end that went into the hilt) lightly and lifted it. But I couldn’t feel any change in my body.

‘Hmm? Why is nothing happening?’

Was there some kind of condition I had to fulfill to activate it? To try to figure out how the haste effect was activated, I grabbed the stem and swung the blade around, screamed out, and even touched the edge,

“Ow! Shit!”

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I was able to feel the effect right after I accidentally cut my finger. The blade had the effect of increasing its wielder’s speed after absorbing blood.

‘So, this is it.’

Thinking about it, by the time Aoki-shosa had killed the Joseon Yeopsas, the sword was already soaked with blood. First, he slayed someone through a surprise attack, and then showed movements so quick that non-Awakeneds wouldn’t be easily capable of.

‘This thing, it’s scary.’

I looked at the blade, which seemed to be flowing with some scary aura. I can’t believe he attached this two a military pistol……. I swung the blade a couple more times and thought.

‘Still, if I attach a proper hilt here, it will come useful.’

It didn’t feel right to use something that a dead person owned, but the object itself had no sin. Even in the 21st century, it was common for the equipment of Hunters that died in the battlefield to be sold in markets, so there was nothing to feel ashamed of.

On top of that, although I had carried the stainless steel practice sword given to me by the school for the last few days, they were not supposed to be taken off campus. So, having my own sword was quite reassuring.

‘And the pistol……’

It was a Japanese Army-style pistol with the words 南部十四年式(14th year of Nambu) engraved on the surface. Hmm……. Should I give this to Son Byung-oh, who is a shooting major? No. This wasn’t a civilian pistol, but a military one, so if he got caught it could be dangerous.

It would be better for me to just keep it for self-defense. But, although I’m not a military expert myself, weren’t Japanese military pistols infamous for being dangerous?

And I didn’t even have bullets, anyway……

‘Let’s just put it somewhere, for now.’

So, I just hid it in a corner of my boarding room.

And Aoki-shosa’s glove. Although it looked like an ordinary military leather glove, when I looked at it closer with my mana detection, it seemed to be an artifact, with some kind of mana pattern definitely engraved on to it giving it some effect. Considering how Renka passed out, it was probably a stun effect that momentarily knocked out whoever was hit by it.

‘I want to test this out later.’

I put the glove in my uniform pocket. It was a pity that I only had one side because I had cut off Aoki-shosa’s left hand way before I finally defeated him, but I would be slapping with my right hand anyway, so…….

‘Anyway, about that guy, Aoki-shosa.’

I started to think about what Aoki had said at the end and the circumstances related to this incident.

‘That guy, he talked about some big plan or something.’

Could there have been something or someone behind him? I was worried about that. If him killing the Joseon Yeopsas wasn’t something that he had done out of his own will, but someone had ordered it…….

‘First of all, as far as I know, Aoki received orders from the ODC.’

I opened my notebook, wrote down “Aoki” on a blank page, drew a line down from it, and wrote “Oriental Development Company” on the other end. Aoki come to Gyeongseong to kill Joseon Yeopsas at the request of a man name Kimitsu.

‘And he was also engaged to Renka.’

I drew another line coming down from “Aoki” and wrote down “Shimazu family”. If he was engaged to Renka, he was also linked to the Shimazu family.

Aoki

(Cooperation?)／　　＼(Engaged)

／　　　　　＼

The ODC　　　　Shimazu family

‘Hmm……’

Looking at the relationship map, I drew a line between “The ODC” and “Shimazu family” and drew a question mark on it.

The ODC──?──Shimazu family

Could those two be connected? However, I shook my head.

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‘That’s taking it too far.’

There would be some kind of connection. It would be even weirder for the Shimazu Gumi, one of the most influential Yeopsa unions in Joseon, and the state-run company that controls the Spirit Gates in Joseon, were not related to each other.

But, the two conspiring to kill off all the Joseon Yeopsas……? That was too delusional.

It was probably just something Aoki-shosa and Manager Kimitsu had planned between themselves. Just look at Renka, she didn’t seem to know that her fiancé was doing that kind of things until recently.

What was really suspicious right now was the Oriental Development Company. The main reason why I thought this was,

‘This Redstone.’

I took the scarlet stone out of my pocket. The Redstone’s engraved mana circuit had been wiped clean by what happened the other day. When comparing to a computer, it was like it had been formatted.

However, this was a very dangerous object. If the technology to artificially open Gates using Redstones had already been developed, it meant that Gates were artificially being created somewhere.

‘People in this age don’t know, but……’

If Gates were opened indiscriminately, it could cause “The Catastrophe” that had come about in the 21st century.

‘No matter what, anything for that!’

Even in the 21st century, mankind had been able to overcome The Catastrophe only after many sacrifices. So, considering the level humanity was at right now, we would never be able to handle The Catastrophe and we’d be eradicated. The extinction of mankind could actually come.

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So the question was, is this technology universal or just something the Oriental Development Company owns…….

‘Manager Kimitsu.’

He would know.

However, that guy Kimitsu was said to have driven to Incheon Port on that very same day, got on a warship, and fled to the Mainland. So there was nothing I could do right now.

‘Sigh.’

I let out a deep sigh and pushed all these tangled up thoughts to one side. It felt like something serious was happening, but I couldn’t do anything about it right now, and I thought it might just be a baseless worry.

Besides, right now, the biggest problem I had to face was something else.

『Now then, next…… Since today is the 13th, attendance number 13, Cadet Shirabayashi Tetsu Zen! What is the name of this monster?』

『Uh……』

Common period, the otherworld biology class. Professor Nakamori Taro, in charge of the otherworld biology class, asked the question while pointing at an educational poster. What was on the poster was a monster that looked like a centipede.

‘I don’t fucking know.’

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I didn’t know. Rather, I knew their characteristics, attack patterns, and how to defeat them. I only didn’t know their names. Their names in this era. And I couldn’t just easily guess because the standards in this time were different than those I used to live in.

Professor Nakamori clicked her tongue and looked back at the students, and said.

『Any cadet who knows the answer?』

『Hai!』

Yang Bok-ja raised her hand and shouted. Professor Nakamori lifted her glasses, looked at Yang Bok-ja and said.

『Eh…… Cadet Ryoo Fukushi?』

『Tomiko de yon kudasai!(Please call me Tomiko!)』

This was Yang Bok-ja, asking even professors to call her 「Tomiko」. Unbelievable.

『Alright, alright. Cadet Tomiko, what is the name of this song?』

『They are called Nissokumukade, !』

『Yoshi(good)! You did well, Cadet Ryoo!』

Professor Nakamori continued, with great satisfaction at Yang Bok-ja’s earnest answer.

『Then then, this is it for today’s class. As previously announced, tomorrow’s class will be a test on otherworld plants, so please come to the school’s botanical garden instead of this class.』

『Yes, ma’am!』

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The students answered. Professor Nakamori, who was leaving the classroom, looked back at me,

『And you, Cadet Shirabayashi, study harder! It’s because you often miss class that you don’t even know these basics!』

She scolded me.

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‘Damn it…….’

How was this theory class even important, you ask?

It was.

Only by steadily completing these theory classes and earning credits would I be able to advance each year on time, and get a diploma within the scheduled 3 years. Only then would I get my diploma by February 1942.

It was cutting it close since war was breaking out in December 1941, but what would happen if I failed to complete my grades in a timely manner and my graduation was delayed even more? What if I had to go all the way to the 4th or 5th grade?

At the very beginning of the war it may be possible to get out somehow, but it was only natural that doing so would become harder as the war progressed. No, if the war intensified, I wouldn’t even be able to get my school diploma, let alone stow away.

So to get my diploma and go off to the US, graduating on time was the most important, but the problem was that my knowledge of theory was so bad. Moreover, since I had entered school, I had missed some classes due to several situations.

And the most problematic of all these theory classes were ones like this ‘otherworld biology’ class.

‘I haven’t a clue.’

They were hundreds and thousands of monsters I already knew, and I would now had to memorize their names and classes in Japanese. Some people might not think this is much, but I want to ask those people.

For example do you know what these are? “Fushigidane”, “Hitokage”, “Zenigame”, “Koiking”, “Kabigon”.

These are the Japanese names for Pokémon everybody knows the names of: Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Magikarp, Snorlax.

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Imagine if you had to learn the names and types of hundreds of Pokémon – Pokémon you are already familiar with in English – in Japanese. That was how I felt right now.

‘Damn it, trying to memorize things at this age……’

***

“It is hard to keep up with the class.”

The next morning, on the way to otherworld biology class again. Lee Yu-ha, who was walking next to me, sighed lightly as she said this.

Lee Yu-ha had a decent enough grasp of listening and speaking Japanese, but since a lot of difficult terms were used in class, she had trouble understanding the contents of the class.

“And, what in the world are 「Nissokumukade」 and 「Yoromimizu」 even supposed to be? They are monsters my grandfather has called “two-footed centipede” and “helmeted dragon” for the longest time!……”

‘So she knew the monsters by different names as well.’

I knew the monsters’ names in English as, in the 21st century, English was the world’s official language, and it seemed Lee Yu-ha knew them in Joseon language. So Lee Yu-ha was having a similar problem with me.

But, grandfather? Her grandfather knew the monsters’ names? I asked Lee Yu-ha.

“Was your grandfather a Yeopsa?”

“Ah……”

Just as Lee Yu-ha was about to answer a black-haired girl appeared in front of us. Renka. Renka also recognized me and greeted me, but she looked a little shaky for some reason.

『Ah…… Shirabayashi-san?』

『Oh, Renka.』

Renka asked me.

『Are you going to class?』

『Yeah. You?』

『I am as well.…… Then, I shall see you later.』

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Renka said goodbye by slightly nodding her head towards me and Lee Yu-ha, then turned her body and went off.

Lee Yu-ha and I started walking to the otherworld botanical garden, but instead of talking to Lee Yu-ha, I thought about Renka in silence.

‘Something is different from before.’

Before all of this, I felt like Renka was persistently following me, but after the Dongsomun Spirit Gate incident a few days ago, I felt like she was avoiding me.

Was the fact that I killed her fiancé the problem? I didn’t feel like that was it. She had actually smiled and fell asleep content at seeing her fiancé get mutilated and burn to death.

That fact was scary, but I, myself, thought we would have shared some sense of unity like accomplices, but she had avoided me since then, and I had no idea why.

Thinking about all of this, we had arrived at the remote location within school grounds that today’s class would be held in.

It had been a week since I had started school, but it was my first time here since, even though within school grounds, this place was quite remote.

‘That side is the otherworld botanical garden…… And this is the “practice monster stable”?

I walked toward the otherworld botanical garden, passing by the stable cage on the path.

Practice monster stable. It was on the school notice and the campus map, but I had never been here so I had always been curious about it.

‘But, is it okay for something this dangerous to be on campus?’

Most of the monsters inside the cage were small to medium-sized monsters, but if they got out it could be dangerous…….

Anyway, past the practice monster stable, next to that place was the otherworld botanical garden where the otherworld biology class was held today.

The otherworld botanical garden was a glass walled greenhouse located at one edge of the campus, and although it looked like a regular botanical garden from the outside, and even looked like any botanical garden on the inside, this was a place where not ordinary plants, but otherworld plants were raised.

To target Spirit Gates, it was important to understand the vegetation on the inside, and since the research value of otherworld plants was high, it was natural for such a facility to be on school grounds.

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『Eeto, Inside the greenhouse, there is a toxic environment created for the growth of the plants, so…… Cadets, put on your gasmasks before coming in. Class rep! Give a gasmask to each cadet.』

『Yes!』

Upon arriving at the outside lecture room in front of the otherworld botanical garden, Professor Nakamori handed out gasmasks to the cadets. The inside of the botanical garden was full of toxic gases, so you had to wear a gasmask to get inside.

‘But well, I have poison resistance anyway.’

I didn’t put my gasmask on and looked at the other students put theirs on. Lee Yu-ha put her gasmask on, but it was funny to see her long daenggi hair stick out of the hood.

As I was standing without putting my mask on, Professor Nakamori approached me and asked.

『Hmm? Cadet Shirabayashi, are you not putting yours on?』

『Ah, yes. I have poison resistance……』

『Ah! So you are the cadet Kurobe-sensei mentioned. Then you can just go in.』

We entered the otherworld botanical garden.

At first glance it looked like a regular botanical garden, but if you looked closely, this place was full of strange-looking plants that you couldn’t find on Earth.

Why did we have to learn about plants when we wanted to become Yeopsas, or Hunters?

Even in the 21st century, when Gates opened, an advance team investigated the basic vegetation inside the Gate, studied the ecosystem inside the Gate to determine the type of monsters that would live in there, and then determined the course of action.

So, since I’d been rolling around in Gates for a long time, it wasn’t like I was unaware of the importance and species of plants, but,

The problem was that I didn’t know their names.

『*Huff, puff……* Shirabayashi-kun! Not done yet?』

『Yeah.』

『Then we’ll go out first!』

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My squad members got out of the botanical garden first. Looking around, there were only a few people left in the botanical garden, but even so, I wandered around for a while longer.

‘I think is the Kagebana. No, wait, was it the Kagekusa? Shit, I mean, their names…… Was kusa the one over there?’

I turned around and hurried along to double-check the confusing bits. But, as I was turning around a corner,

『Eek!』

I bumped into a girl. My eyes turned to the girl who fell.

‘White……!’

The girl feel down to the ground, so I quickly approached her, apologized and reached out my hand.

『Ah, I’m sorry…….』

『……!』

However, this unknown girl stared up at me (I couldn’t figure out who she was due to the gasmask), stood up without holding my hand and hurried out of the botanical garden.

‘Fuck…… I should have worn a mask myself.’

I couldn’t see the girl’s face, so didn’t know who she was, but she had seen my face. What would I do if strange rumors started going around among the girls?

But, as I looked on the floor, something was on the spot the girl had fallen.

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‘A handkerchief?’

It was a neatly folded white handkerchief. It seemed she dropped it when she fell down. Picking up the handkerchief, I saw a black pattern embedded close to where it was folded.

‘Maybe her name is written on it.’

I thought and opened it up,

‘Fuck, what’s this?’

I freaked out. What was painted on the handkerchief was something that Joseon, no, Korean people couldn’t not know, something all Koreans should obviously know—

But a pattern that was banned in this era.

In the middle of a white background, a circle of red and blue intertwined, and at each of the four corners, neatly arranged long and short black bars.

‘What the hell?’

When I saw this pattern, my hands trembled, and a stream of cold sweat began to dribble down my forehead.

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‘Why would anyone carry something this dangerous to school?’

Who the hell are you?

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