Under Creature Chapter 1.7

The mantis’s sharpened blades swung towards Doa, and she extended her arm to block the attack. Rather than blocking it, her arm was pierced, and the blade, fixed in place by her own solidified blood flowing through her veins, refused to budge.

Swish.

In that instant, she moved the axe protruding from her other arm, severing the mantis in one swift motion.

Swish. Swish.

Having dealt with the blade-arm first, she proceeded to chop the mantis into smaller pieces, dividing it into three sections: head, chest, and abdomen. The fight was over before Yigeom, who had offered to join in, even had a chance to step forward. He had ended up merely cheering her on.

Doa stumbled towards Yigeom. He rushed to support her.

“Are you okay? Should we go to the hospital?”

“I’m fine. I used a lot of blood, so I’m a little dizzy, but it’s not serious enough for treatment.”

Blood manipulation. She could control only her own blood, not that of others.

Her power was formidable.

Able to manipulate her blood into any form, be it a spear, a shield, or anything else she desired, she could execute sharp attacks that exploited her opponent’s weaknesses. As demonstrated just now, she could also solidify her blood for defense, preventing the mantis’s blade from penetrating deeper into her arm or flushing out any injected poison.

However, there was one weakness: her power relied solely on her own blood, making her vulnerable in prolonged battles. Even using a small amount of blood could lead to dizziness from anemia or, in severe cases, excessive blood loss. Therefore, she preferred to end battles quickly, even if it meant pushing herself a bit.

“What’s your blood type?”

“Why? Are you going to give me some of yours?”

“Depending on the situation, maybe.”

Yigeom held no ill feelings towards Doa. Although she was the sister of the despicable Seo Dohyun, Doa herself had done nothing wrong. He couldn’t hold her accountable for her brother’s mistakes. At least, Yigeom wouldn’t.

“Wow—, I’m kind of happy about that. I’m type A.”

“Same here.”

“It’s common, so that’s a relief, right? In manga and novels, the person who needs blood always seems to have a rare type like Rh-negative.”

“Sure, brag about it.”

Yigeom lightly flicked Doa’s forehead.

“If you’re tired, take a taxi and go ahead.”

“I told you I’m fine. And besides, you don’t know how to handle things with the Association.”

“I’ve seen Seo Dohyun do it often enough. It’s just getting things checked and receiving a receipt, right?”

“What if they try to cheat you since they don’t know you well?”

“They wouldn’t.”

There was only one reason why they hadn’t left the CA Area after finishing the creature hunt: they were waiting for the Association’s collection truck.

They needed to collect the byproducts from the creature’s carcass, but transporting large creature remains was difficult. There were a few ways to handle this:

• The guild collects the byproducts and entrusts the Association with carcass disposal.

• The Association handles both byproduct collection and carcass disposal.

• The guild handles both byproduct collection and carcass disposal.

Latter followed the second method.

While entrusting tasks to the Association incurred higher fees, Latter, with its many other responsibilities, had no other choice. It was a drawback of being a small, high-ranking guild. With so much to do internally, they tended to outsource whatever they could.

Even when Doa and Jewoo suggested recruiting more members like other guilds, Dohyun refused to hire anyone who didn’t meet his exacting standards. Furthermore, he wasn’t well-connected with other guilds, leaving them with no one to rely on except the Association.

So, Yigeom’s arrival was a welcome development.

Simply put, they had another pair of hands. They had to treat him well, giving him tasks to do, to ensure he wouldn’t leave.

That was also why Doa had handled today’s creature hunt alone, even though she had suggested they hunt together. Of course, Yigeom, who had been working alongside Seo Dohyun since joining Latter, was blissfully unaware of this.

After resting for a few minutes, the Association’s truck arrived. A person wearing a cap stepped out of the driver’s seat. A Hunter specializing in carcass transport. There were various types of Hunter professions.

“Hello. Is the processing complete?”

“Yes, the carcass has been cleanly processed without any damage, so don’t try to find fault with it.”

Doa firmly warned him against nitpicking and undervaluing the carcass.

“…It looks fine on the surface, but there could be hidden damage. Let me take a look.”

He held a precision detection device against the creature’s remains. As Doa had said, the creature was cleanly severed only at its joints, with no other damage. Furthermore, dividing it at the joints was a necessary step for byproduct collection.

The carcass was in perfect condition.

The man, who had been trying to find fault and reduce the price, frowned. He’d noticed it before, but Latter’s creature carcass damage rate was close to 0%. Even for high-ranking guilds, achieving a damage rate near zero was difficult. Most had damage rates of 20-30%, sometimes even 50%.

Whatever their abilities were, they were undeniably skilled. From the guild master Seo Dohyun, to his sister Seo Doa, whose abilities weren’t solely focused on offense or defense but balanced between the two.

And then there was Namgoong Sanha, who created rare weapons rivaling those of the weapons manufacturer “Ireon.” Before he joined the military, collecting creature byproducts had been his responsibility.

A self-sufficient guild that collected byproducts and crafted its own items.

Back then, they hadn’t needed anyone else’s help, so there was no wasted money. This was one of the main reasons Latter, a newly formed guild, had quickly risen to the top ranks.

Then came Cha Jewoo.

He, unfortunately, had become Latter’s sole weakness, disrupting their otherwise smooth upward trajectory.

Jewoo didn’t participate in creature hunts as frequently as Seo Dohyun or Doa, and he had far fewer opportunities to showcase his abilities to other guilds. This led to rumors that his power was merely ornamental, causing people to underestimate Latter.

He felt depressed that this had happened after he joined, but Dohyun and Doa didn’t mind. Namgoong Sanha, who hadn’t heard the news while in the military, and Yigeom, who was still new to the world of creatures, were unaware of it.

However, there had been a time when Jewoo felt deeply responsible. Seo Dohyun, who constantly talked about Latter being like family, couldn’t stand idly by and watch him suffer. After a considerable outburst, the issue had finally been swept under the rug.

It was probably around that time that Cha Jewoo started declaring his unwavering loyalty to Latter.

And now, with a new recruit. The man assessing the creature’s value glanced at Yigeom.

‘What kind of ability does this one have?’

“Hey, you saw what I was doing, right? These people are the type who’ll try to pay us less by exaggerating even the tiniest, invisible scratches.”

“He can hear you.”

“That’s why you have to glare at them and assert dominance! Asserting dominance is crucial. You have a sharp face, so you just need to stare them down.”

…The Association employee, speechless, ran his hand over the creature’s hide.

“See! He’s doing it! He’s subtly making scratches himself! Hey! Look with your eyes only! Only your eyes!”

“I’ve already assessed the value.”

Frustrated, the employee pulled his cap lower and handed over the completed receipt. They could take this to the Association and receive the payment, minus the commission. Doa carefully folded the receipt and tucked it away in her pocket, nodding to signal that the carcass could be collected.

The creature’s remains were loaded onto the truck. Yigeom quietly approached the employee and extended his hand.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“…Thank you.”

The employee, initially wary of Yigeom’s approach, reassessed his opinion upon seeing his polite demeanor and shook his hand. Yigeom hesitated, then asked,

“You assessed the value correctly, right?”

It was a ‘Medium’ grade creature, after all.

The price varied based on the creature’s grade, as well as its condition. A Medium grade should be worth at least a few hundred. Yigeom wasn’t about to let valuable money slip away. Considering Doa’s warning, it wouldn’t hurt to double-check.

The employee abruptly pulled his hand away from Yigeom’s grasp and exclaimed in exasperation,

“What do you all take me for?! I’m not that kind of person! What would I even gain from undervaluing it!?”

“…A bonus from the Association?”

Doa muttered from behind Yigeom, a smug look on her face. The employee was about to explode. Sure, there was a bonus, but…!

Yigeom gently soothed the exasperated employee.

“Yes, I know, I know. Of course, I know you wouldn’t do that, but we just wanted to double-check, just in case…”

“Know what?! We’ve just met!”

“…That’s why we’re making sure.”

Finally, Yigeom coughed awkwardly and looked away from the employee.

🦅࿐

“Bwahahaha! Ahahaha!”

Laughter echoed from the Latter office. Hearing laughter from within was a rare occurrence. That’s how funny Doa’s story was, and Jewoo couldn’t contain himself.

“Stop laughing.”

Yigeom’s curt warning had no effect. Even Seo Dohyun had an unusual smile on his face.

“So? So what happened? What did the Association employee say?”

“What do you mean, what happened? He just got angry and left.”

“Ahahaha!”

Jewoo’s breathless laughter, clutching his stomach, filled the room. Yigeom’s face grew increasingly gloomy.

“Did I push it too far? But it’s a matter of money.”

Money matters should be clear even between friends. So, with strangers, it should be even more clear, more cautious.

“You won’t get scammed anywhere.”

Dohyun scoffed, turning the page of the book he was reading.

“I got scammed by you and ended up here.”

“There you go again. I made you vice president as promised, so why complain?”

“As promised? Vice president?”

Yigeom mimicked his words sarcastically and then sighed. It was an empty title. Useless, utterly useless.

“By the way, when will Gyeom hyung awaken?”

“Awaken?”

“Yes, the second awakening.”

Yigeom’s face crumpled. What was that? How did it work? No matter how hard he tried, there was no sign of a second awakening. How did everyone else awaken? Were there any premonitory symptoms?

“Usually, about three months after the first awakening, the second awakening begins. Some people are faster, though.”

At Jewoo’s explanation, Yigeom recalled the day of his first awakening. When Seo Dohyun killed him… Three months had almost passed since then.

“It’s almost been three months. Does it just happen naturally?”

“There are various ways. It can happen naturally, or sometimes people have already had their second awakening without realizing it, and they discover their ability by chance in everyday life.”

“…….”

Yigeom reflected on his recent daily life. Hunting creatures, attending lectures at school, occasionally hanging out with friends; it was an ordinary life. Somehow, hunting creatures had unknowingly become a part of his routine.

Discovering the second awakening by chance in everyday life? He couldn’t know yet.

“What kind of ability do you want, oppa?”

“Is that something you can choose?”

“It’s random. I’m just curious.”

Yigeom pondered for a moment. Having only interacted with Latter so far, his knowledge of the Hunter world was limited. He hadn’t seen many different abilities. Still, if he had to imagine…

Teleportation? It wouldn’t be helpful in combat, but it would be convenient for going to school. Simulation? He felt nauseous just thinking about it. Flower blooming? Well, the fragrance would be pleasant, a feast for the nose and eyes.

What about Seo Doa’s ability that he saw yesterday? It was flashy and cool. She was proficient in both offense and defense. If he had to fight, wouldn’t that kind of ability be the best?

“Hyung, I hope you get a water-related ability. To water my flowers!”

Jewoo said cheerfully, pointing at the plants he meticulously cared for every day. He loved plants and flowers, but watering them was a different matter. Consistency wasn’t as easy as it sounded. He could make flowers bloom, but reviving dead ones was a separate issue, and impossible.

“That’s an ability that’s good for you.”

“An ability that’s good for me is good for Latter! And of course, for Gyeom hyung too!”

“I’d like a powerful ability.”

So he wouldn’t die easily.

“Are you still worried about dying?”

Dohyun asked. Since that day, the trauma had deeply ingrained itself, making him almost obsessively preoccupied with life and death. He had a good memory, so he couldn’t forget it. Sometimes, it even came back to him in nightmares.

“You never know. You might snap and try to kill me again.”

Dohyun silently composed his expression. He, who would normally have retorted sharply, remained silent. Doa, her eyes wide, asked,

“Kill? What are you talking about?”

“……?”

It was natural for Yigeom to be puzzled by Doa’s question.

“Well, of course, this asshole Seo Dohyun…”

“H-hyung! Gyeom hyung! Um, how about… how about we go for a walk?”

Jewoo suddenly stood up and exclaimed urgently. It was incredibly awkward timing. Yigeom realized then that Seo Dohyun had never once mentioned that day in front of Doa.

And neither had Yigeom. Just recalling that day annoyed him.

So then….

Yigeom’s eyes shifted to Dohyun. He was narrowing his eyes, displeased with the situation.

Yigeom let out a short, bitter laugh.

He’s hiding it for the sake of his family, huh?