I returned home. I feel a bit disappointed that I couldn't explore the United States fully, but I'm satisfied with having taken the plane. After all, I had the chance to experience the unique culture of this planet.

But do you know what I realized during this overseas trip? That home is the best. I mistakenly stepped outside my house and ended up tasting a wine glass fastball from an S-rank who looked like a grizzly bear, so how could I not get homesick?

"Damn it."

So, I decided to enter a brief period of seclusion after this incident. Of course, I already had plans for what I would do at home. The vessel I'm in is full of shortcomings, so adding small functions makes time pass quickly.

[1.3.43 Changes]

• Digestive Mechanism Added

It's been a while since I've done any modifications. During my time in seclusion, I made a few tweaks to the reincarnati on body.

But wait, why do I have digestive abilities here?

'I feel safe now.'

This is a more important function than it seems. Most poisons produced by living things are protein modifications.

The ability to instantly break down foreign substances within the body! This leads to a single, significant outcome.

"Biological toxin resistance."

Yeah. As of today, I have acquired a more perfect 'toxin resistance'. When exposed to toxins, I have implanted a technique in my body that detoxifies them into a safe structure before they harm the body. While it's not a common concept on Earth, back on my home planet, where the risk of poison was relatively high, this was a necessary safety measure.

Of course, this mechanism consumes a tremendous amount of calories every time it is activated as it pushes the metabolic function to its limit... but still, it's far better to have it than not.

Having finished the modifications, I picked up my phone to clear my head a bit.

[Search results: 0]

But once again, the news I had been hoping for didn't come.

"So that's why it felt strange. Not only is there no sign of a dragon's internal organ, but it seems like no dragon nests have appeared recently either."

If things keep getting this tangled, I suppose it's time to start considering some alternative plans.

Up until now, I'd been planning to buy a dragon's lung with money, but with the situation this tangled, it might be time to start considering alternative options.

"Well, even if a dragon's lung happens to appear, there's no guarantee that the finder will sell it..."

I was silent for a moment. But as I was thinking about it for a while, something random suddenly came to mind.

"Ah."

Come to think of it, I need to reissue my Hunter ID, though?

'I forgot.'

The ID I've been using before is marked as F-class. Therefore, I decided to stop by the association to get a new Hunter ID with the corrected information.

"I'm pretty sure there were two ways to apply... online and by visiting the association in person."

I don't want to go out, but there's no other choice. Signing up on the website was too difficult of a task for an alien.

I gathered my things and prepared to go out. Since the weather was warm, I decided to skip the suit jacket and just put on a shirt and vest.

.

.

~ Cling clang cling clang.

~ Dung...Dudung...

This is strange. The city is usually a noisy place, but it wasn't this noisy outside last week.

"Is that the sound of instruments...?"

I tilted my head. Stepping outside, I listened closely to the sound coming from a distance. It was a melody I'd never heard before on Alphaut, but as the notes reached my ears, Kim Giryeo's brain began to draw conclusions.

Gongs and drums.

It seemed like the Earthlings were having a festival nearby.

"Oh."

I wondered what kind of event it was that was so noisy, so I paid attention to the sound.

##########

Is the association

an accomplice too?

Condemn the Hunter Industry!

Regulate the Awakened!

##########

As I arrived at the entrance of the Hunter association, I saw people holding signs like this.

~ Dung, dung dung. Dung dung.

I looked at the drumsticks in their hands and thought.

"Oh my."

This wasn't a festival, it was a protest...

***

These days, they live in an era where super-powered heroes, once only seen in movies, actually exist. After the Dungeon Shock, hunters—people with extraordinary abilities—began to emerge all over the world.

However, in reality, these super-powered individuals were not always on the side of the citizens.

[Shocking Misconduct by a 20-Something Hunter... Verbal Abuse and Assault on an Elderly Person]

[Serious Level of Moral Hazard]

[Mr. Kim, a 50-Year-Old Family Head, Becomes Paralyzed After Getting Caught Up in a Dungeon Break Cleanup... (Read More)]

The randomly wielded swords, regardless of good or evil, have indeed caused numerous problems. Nowadays, conflicts arising from Awakened individuals have become endless.

And here.

"The government must strengthen regulations on Hunters! Strengthen them!"

The man holding the sign in front of the association building had been assaulted by a Hunter not long ago. And that too because he didn't give him a discount on his drinks.

But do you know what happened as a result of this incident? On one side, his facial bones were crushed, and one of his eyes was almost blinded due to the severe assault he suffered. Yet, the woman who did this was still working without any repercussions. The association didn't revoke the Hunter's license because they lacked the manpower to catch monsters.

"Bus drivers get fired for hitting people, and doctors face license suspensions for mistakes. So why are Hunters treated like gods in this country? Why do we keep allowing them a earn living?"

"Right, that's right!"

"Strengthen the punishment!"

These people gathered at the main gate of the association took to the streets with loudspeakers to protest the absurdity.

But the problem... was that these individuals had a somewhat more aggressive demeanor than the typical protesters.

"Those hunter bastards should wear collars to make them easily identifiable!"

"The awakened ones can also be controlled if they use [Knight's Oath] or something. Shouldn't it be mandatory for at least the dangerous high-level ones to have that in place so that they listen to the government?"

Let me explain again. These people are an 'anti-hunter organization'. To be more precise, they are an extremist group that believes that Awakened individuals are not like regular people but rather like wild beasts in a zoo, and that society must monitor them closely.

"Hunters are spoiled because they handle money at such a young age!"

Who would like to hear people hurling insults at them? The hunters passing by frowned and avoided the area.

But this time.

With the emergence of a new figure, the protesters raised their voices even louder.

"Huh?"

"Chairman, over there, over there!"

In the distance, a man with dyed hair was walking over with a steady pace. He seemed to be drawn to the shouts of the protesters, his gaze fixed in this direction. That sharp gaze was the kind of impression that was hard to forget after just one glance.

'It's Kim Giryeo!'

An Awakened person at the top of the hunter industry. They shouted questions at Giryeo when they saw him on the street.

"What are you doing here instead of going into the gate?"

"Yesterday, a dungeon broke out nearby. Are you even doing your job properly?"

"You, you brat. I heard you used to beat up your friends in school. Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

However, the other person didn't respond and quickly passed them by.

"Eww... Earthlings are scary..."

From Giryeo's perspective, he was scared because a group of humans were getting angry. As an F-rank, he could easily be overpowered by regular civilians, so he chose to take a passive approach. However, this attempt to avoid confrontation only served to provoke the protesters further.

"That, that ignorant...!"

"Oh my. He's not even answering."

"Yeah. So, you think people like us, who haven't awakened, aren't worth your time?"

Trembling.

As Kim Giryeo disappeared from view, the protesters lowered their voices, murmuring among themselves about their intentions. They speculated that a hunter with such an arrogant demeanor could certainly be a target for 'that operation'. So let's do it targeting that Hunter.

***

Hmm... I was thinking of secluding myself in a house with a barrier for a while, but life doesn't always go according to plan. This room is small, so if I let my guard down even a little, it'll all be a mess.

"Ack!"

On a Thursday, I decided to tidy up the trash after stepping on a bottle cap that had been lying on the floor. I was going to take out the plastics.

'It's annoying.'

And after putting down the trash, I crossed the alley and headed home...but to my surprise, there was a person I had never even seen before standing in the shortcut I often used.

'It's the first time I've seen someone here.'

However, I didn't think much of it upon seeing them. This shortcut was a bit narrow, but it wasn't narrow enough to prevent two people from passing through together.

"What should I eat when I get home?"

I slightly turned my body to the left to exit the alley. Well, to be precise, I was trying to exit.

"Kyaah!"

But before I could fully exit the alley, a sudden roar erupted from the side. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"No, what..."

"Oh my, my arm! My arm!"

I looked down at the other person with a blank expression. I had been trying to squeeze through because they wouldn't let me out of the way, but the man I met in the alley fell down as soon as our collars brushed against each other and started rolling on the ground. It was as if he had been hit by a car.

"What the heck?"

And that wasn't the only embarrassing thing.

"What is this?"

"Teacher, are you okay?"

"Ah, kids! That person over there...!"

A few seconds later, two people suddenly rushed over from the opposite side of the alley. As they arrived, the fallen man spoke through his tears, complaining about how someone could push him just because he was in the way, even if he was big. He added, just how hard did I shove him for it to hurt this much, as if his arm was broken...

"What did you say?"

"Oh isn't this person a Hunter? I think I've seen him on TV."

"That's right. The Awakener hit someone!"

Ugh. Now it's hard to pretend I don't know. I finally understand what just happened to me.

'Self-harm blackmail!'

And as soon as I thought of that term, the fallen man uttered a textbook-like threat.

"Ugh, w, whoa. Seriously, you are S-rank, and you still can't tell how strong you are?"

"Huh."

"What am I going to do? I make my living driving, and if my arm is injured, I can't work!"

So, are you saying I should compensate you for the fact that you can't work right now?

"Are you kidding me?"

I asked back in disbelief, but the gang in front of me just acted shamelessly.

"You hit someone and you're asking that? Are you kidding me? You're the one who's joking, aren't you?"

"We saw you hitting people. We're going to report you!"

"...Where is the evidence that I pushed you?"

But I didn't know that I would hear such a remark. ||

"Evidence? Hunter, take a look around!"

"_ _"

"There are no parked cars or CCTV's here."

"_ _"

"But the man here definitely hurt his arm, and we have two witnesses on our side right now, you know?"

They had a certain level of professionalism. At least they looked for a place to lie down before stretching their legs.

"Argh."

The man who had fallen got up on his knees and started to provoke me unsteadily.

"Hey, are you feeling wronged? Are you?"

The man came closer and glared at me as if he was going to stab me in the eye.

"But what are you going to do if you're feeling wronged? If you're awakened and are making money easily, then you have to put up with this kind of thing."

As I lowered my gaze, I could clearly see the other person's sullen expression.

"Anyway, where did all the money that S-rank earned get spent that they're living in such a shabby place?"

"_ _"

"Phew, anyway you're just stupid-"

.

.

An S-rank hunter is a representative of the awakened ones. Even if it's a hunter who has only appeared for a few months, the title of S-rank brings instant recognition. The anti-hunter group intended to provoke an assault by the S-rank hunter to shape public opinion against them.

'Since I've let him know that there are no CCTV cameras, he should start getting worked up soon, right?'

To intentionally provoke an S-rank hunter to get hit, it was a reckless act that could easily lead to death, but they calculated that if they could sacrifice their own body to change the world, it would be worthwhile.

"Is that all you are as an Awakener? But don't you know? If you mess with regular folks like us, society won't treat you like a person, you punk."

Snap!

The leader of the protest group suddenly grabbed Giryeo by the collar and started a fierce argument. But as time passed, something felt off.

"What's with this bastard? Are you ignoring us? A, are you ignoring us, huh?"

For now, Kim Giryeo's expression remained unchanged. He could let this go for the moment, but the problem lay in what happened next.

He didn't flinch at all, even when faced with all kinds of personal attacks or when a button from his fancy shirt popped off with a loud snap...

"Please let this go."

Eventually, Kim Giryeo spoke to the one grabbing his collar, telling him to let go now if he'd said all he needed to say.

Suddenly, he felt a chill. If he was an S-Class, he could easily escape with his strength if he just pulled back.