Blessing.

Yeah, that's a great word. For an Awakener as fragile as a person made of sugar, nothing is more desperate than the blessing of a god.

I'm glad it has the same effect on Earth...

I drew the Hydra's Blade and approached the monsters. I spent billions of dollars trying to obtain the [Sacred Tree Seedling]. So, there's no way this item wouldn't have a good effect, right?

That's right. Come at me.

Slash!

As I approached, one of the monsters nearby charged at me fiercely. Its eyes gleamed with the characteristic confidence of a predator that had found a weaker creature. Then, the monster moved its six legs quickly, rushing towards me. But it was fine. After all, the effects of bathing in the Sacred Tree's branches were just like this.

Kyaaaaak!

Boom!

By the time the nameless monster's front leg hit me, the hunters across the crosswalk were horrified by the explosion of dust rising into the air. However, as the wind that had swept through began to settle, a result that differed from their expectations gradually began to emerge.

Heuk...!

Not a scratch, nor a single hair out of place.

Kliek!

The monster, unable to comprehend its attack being blocked, yet even more force into its hooves, but I calmly withstood the blow. It was a defense that perfectly countered the attack of an intermediate-level monster. Yes, this was the true nature of the [Sacred Tree Seedling], the hidden power it possessed.

That's it!

It has the ability to transform those who are covered in its fluids into a state close to indestructibility.

If we delve into the magical theory, the explanation becomes complicated, but for now, let's just say that the blood from the tree branch serves as a protective shield.

In fact, it's more about seeking revenge on the creature that threatened me.

I quickly focused on reality. As expected, the performance was incredible considering how much money I had invested. After being enhanced by the Sacred Tree, I was now able to easily ignore even A-rank level attacks.

Shiik...!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

I swung the longsword I was holding, leaving shallow cuts on the monster's body. With this, the Hydra's special effect, [Poison That Kills the Immortal], stacked three times.

Grm...

Swish.

Shiik!

Then, should I relieve my stress by attacking those guinea pigs? 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Kaaak! Keugh, ugh...

When the monster, wounded by the Hydra, began twisting its body and showing abnormal reactions, I grabbed a long sword and leaped into the midst of the beastly crowd.

Kliek!

Among them, there were those who were wary of me and raised their voices, and there were many who simply turned away, thinking I was just an F-class creature. However, no matter the case, the destination was the same.

Whoosh—!

I manipulated the arm of the seized corpse to draw a line.

Swoosh!

Another long stroke from each muscle. This one swung the blade fiercely like a thunderbolt.

The [Sacred Tree Seedling] was particularly great in this aspect. Regular armor only boasted mindless toughness. It didn't actually eliminate the kinetic energy applied, so you'd just end up tumbling around while still wearing the gear.

Clank!

That Epic-grade item was clearly different. The 'protection' effect it provided wielded an almost absolute authority when it came to shock absorption. My body didn't get pushed back.

There is a slightly uncomfortable disadvantage, but...

After successfully inflicting wounds on all the monsters, I stopped in the middle of the road and took a breath. Even at that moment, countless creatures bared their claws at me—but it was pointless.

Do you think I spent billions for nothing?

A few seconds later.

A few seconds later, the beasts with six legs that had gathered in the distance suddenly collapsed to the ground, spitting blood. They died, unable to withstand the Hydra's venom.

The time it took to get to this point was roughly 1 minute and 40 seconds. As expected, since these monsters were small, their fast heart rates led them to die quickly. That's actually some pretty interesting data.

Hmm.

Now, to sum up today's achievements in one sentence, I've finally got 'S-rank level defense!

From now on, I won't be called soft, and I won't be getting hurt like tofu just from the wind pressure of a drawn weapon. But, I don't expect I can keep up with my tricks based solely on this.

Strength, dynamic vision, presence, and so on. I've only just begun to mimic one of the many traits that a top-tier awakened should possess.

Oh, right. Since my body's durability has suddenly increased, I should make sure to inform Jung Haseong about this.

I'll just say that my skills have improved, so we're moving on to the next stage of training.

I stood there blankly, organizing my schedule for the rest of the day. At that moment, one side of the street suddenly became noisy.

Huh? What? The dungeon break...?

Wow, it's Hunter Kim Geyeol!

What is it? It's already over?

It was the sound of reinforcements arriving a step too late.

***

At 4 PM that day. A single line of eyewitness testimony is uploaded to a certain hunter's SNS account.

#############

#Hunters

He's a God...

#############

Although the content was short, many could understand who the 'he' in the sentence referred to just from that. The post included a photo of the scene, with monsters sprawled out on the ground.

[Is this skill for real? Look at the state of those corpses. Our party has to set traps and do all sorts of things just to take those down, and the hides always end up in tatters.:-]

[Wow, I was wondering how close the elementary school was, and it's really right next door.]

[I'm on the news!♡♡]

The dungeon break that occurred in front of an elementary school in Seoul made it onto national news broadcasts.

[Hunter Kim Kiyeol's eyewitness testimony:

(Preview) Wow, S-rank really has a different aura just by walking. And the reason I thought that was...]

The protagonist of this incident thought that Earthlings would praise his impressive defensive abilities, but in reality, it was a bit different. To ordinary people, the toughness of an S-rank hunter was just a given. Witnesses showed no interest in the parts of Giyeol that were completely unharmed.

But that was actually a good thing. In other words, it meant that at that moment, Kim Giryeo naturally looked like an S-rank.

[As a father raising a child, I find myself deeply grateful to the hunters once again. I am truly grateful to those who delayed the entrance of the monsters at the scene, and to Hunter Kim Giryeo.]

The archmage simply chose a suitable weapon because he wanted to test his new power. However, people didn't even know that and praised the blond Awakened man. The man, who maintained his composure despite the fierce assault of the monsters, effortlessly wiped out the threat with barely noticeable, subtle movements. The image of beasts collapsing like magnolia leaves in the summer heat—who could resist being drawn into such a satisfying hunt?

Admiration. Gratitude. Awe.

People continued to shower praise on Korea's fourth S-rank hunter. With this event, Giryeo had firmly established his position.

***

[Sacred Tree Sapling]. [Hydra]. [Surprise Box].

And the title of an S-rank hunter. By now, many elements have gathered for me. But I know. This is still not enough. For now, I've only superficially mimicked the power of a strong person. I can't handle a real S-class yet.

I wish I had more magic tools.

The best way to quickly build strength was gather epic-level magical tools.

However, honestly, buying equipment with money had its clear limits. The Sacred Tree Seedling was an unusual case where its true potential hadn't been fully realized. On the other hand, most epic-level items are priced in a range comparable to new fighter jets, making it clear that relying solely on labor wasn't the best solution anymore.

Hmm.

So, here's the conclusion I came to. I suddenly had this thought—maybe it's not such a bad idea to try my hand at an EX-rank gate this time.

The extra designation refers to special maze-type dungeons. These tend to require more problem-solving skills than sheer strength from the explorers, and the rewards are generally more generous compared to regular dungeons.

Big rewards like the [Twin Guardian Angels] sometimes pop up too.

EX-rank gates are a chance for even bottom-tier hunters to strike it rich if they use their wits! Because of this, there were hunter teams that specialized in EX-rank gates. Of course, EX-rank gates are "almost" free of monsters, not "completely" free, so sometimes, if you encounter something like the Labyrinth of the 13th Month, all the treasure hunters end up dead...

Heh.

If you think about it, I can handle even that variable. With the combination of a few items, I've reached a level that's hard to classify as a low-tier hunter.

I especially liked this guy.

Sssk.

I gently caressed the scabbard of the Hydra sword I held. With this alone, I could send even a C-rank monster to its grave in no time. So, what was there to fear? With that, I marked a maze-type dungeon as my next source of magical items. Since I had some time left, I was actually thinking of taking on an EX-level gate as well. Fortunately, there was already a gate nearby.

[[Breaking News] Mysterious Gate Appears in Southern Seoul. Despite 7 Days Passing, It Has Yet to Disappear, Causing a Stir...]

***

A few minutes later, I found myself standing in front of a bus terminal. More specifically, I had come to check out the strange gate that had appeared here.

Oh.

When I arrived at the scene, I was able to face the portal that had been mentioned in the news. It was a circular entrance, drilled into the asphalt ground.

It's brighter than usual. Is this the EX-class characteristic?

The light spilling out from there reminded me of a cheap incandescent bulb, and as I squinted from the glare, voices soon erupted from within.

Huh? Hunter Kim Giryeo?"

Hunter-nim!

The staff members were flustered by the appearance of the S-rank. Ignoring their flustered reactions, I casually stepped past the control line. Now, it was time to assess the situation.

So...

Summarizing the information I obtained from the Association using my status as an Appraiser.

The advance team that went in hasn't been heard from for seven days already? And this passage is one-way, unlike usual, so they can't even come back out, meaning the internal structure is still completely unknown?

Since this small passage hasn't collapsed for 7 days, there's a high possibility that there are survivors.

Hmm.

I skimmed the documents handed over by the Association. On the A4 sheets, the names of the hunters who had entered the passage were handwritten.

[25 years old | Class B | Seonwoo Yeon]

There were some familiar names in it.

...

Including her, there were a total of 11 people. A whole 11 hunters.

Why are there so many missing people?

According to their explanation, after the first expedition team failed to return, the association organized a second investigation team to attempt a raid. Even considering that, the number of people caught in the gate seemed unusually high. Especially given that, in Korea, hunter teams usually consisted of only four members.

It's almost the size of three teams.

Tuk.

Just as I placed my hand at the edge of the light to analyze the passage in detail, an association staff member, who had been tidying up the disrupted perimeter, turned their head and responded.

Oh, well. Unlike other gates, this one pulls people in even if they barely make contact with it. From what I understand, the casualty count increased because even the analysis team that came to investigate ended up getting dragged inside...

At that moment, my eyes met with the staff member's.

Huh.

Uh.

Cold sweat ran down my back.

Haha. No, I mean, you should've mentioned that earlier...

I was so flustered that I tried to blame the other person, but I couldn't finish my sentence. Immediately after, the white light surging from the ground swallowed me whole.

.

.

.

When I opened my eyes again, I was greeted by a bizarre landscape that looked something out of another world.

.

Yeah.

Up, down, left, right. I felt like pressing my nose when I saw a space where I could only see white.

There's no room for excuses. It's 100% my fault. Things have been going so well lately, so I was complacent.

A bait box that kidnaps you just by touching it. Honestly, those damn Gismche sure know how to piss people off in all kinds of ways...

Hmm.

It was then.

Tak, tat.

From somewhere in the seemingly empty space, the faint sound of a campfire crackling echoed.

Since it's like this, let's check out what kind of dungeon it is.

Amber, sky blue, and pale pink. Soon, a field full of flowers in full bloom unfolded before my eyes. In the center of this field, a blue campfire flickered, and around it, strange creatures danced. They had translucent wings and cute faces, resembling what one might call fairies on Earth.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

At the same time, what caught my eye were the people gathered around the campfire, clapping their hands. But upon closer inspection, something seemed off. They all wore beautiful flower crowns on their heads, and there were even fresh fruits with dew drops beside them. It seemed like the scene of a joyous festival, yet...

For some reason, the humans all seemed to be in poor condition. They all trembled, their faces on the verge of tears, as if they were about to break down at any moment.

Heup!

Well, anyway, enough with the situation analysis. It was when I took about three steps closer to them that the human sitting at the 12 o'clock position of the campfire finally noticed me and reacted.

H, Hunter Kim Giryeo...?!

The identity of this entity shouting in a tearful voice was Seonwoo Yeon, an employee of the association who had disappeared.

You came to save us!