The next day, Park Jeong-min arrived in the classroom a full fifteen minutes early for the first time. He was so excited that he simply couldn’t wait until class started.
“So I looked into it, and it turns out that teacher is B-rank. There’s a reason he clams up whenever someone asks about his rank, you know?”
“That’s seriously unexpected. Just looking at his physique, you’d think he was S-rank or something… Honestly, I thought he was A-rank.”
“A-rank, my ass. He’s just a gym rat with a big body. Most B-rank Hunters work out in the field, but he’s wearing a government employee ID and lecturing in a classroom. Doesn’t that tell you everything? No wonder his lessons are so damn basic. I looked him up on YouTube, and apparently, his methods are dangerous if you actually use them. You’ll waste time making decisions in the field because you’ll be busy considering this and that. And seriously, what’s a B-rank guy doing teaching A-ranks?”
They were in the middle of snickering and chatting away when it happened. In an instant, the sound of the door clicking open was followed by heavy footsteps.
Praising his hearing, which had improved to a level ordinary people couldn’t hope to match after his Awakening, Park Jeong-min excitedly whipped his head around. He was ready to put the arrogant B-rank teacher in his place.
“Good morn—…!”
But the moment he came face-to-face with the teacher, all that excitement vanished. The B-rank teacher, who usually wore nothing but neat suits, was wearing a tight black suit that clung to his upper body.
“Whoa, holy crap…”
“Damn, that’s insane.”
“…”
Park Jeong-min couldn’t bring himself to argue, even as he heard his friends gasping in admiration beside him.
The teacher was wearing a chest rig, a harness for carrying equipment on the chest. It was supposed to be a piece of gear that lay flat against the body, but the thick muscles underneath still showed their clear contours.
“Eek! Teacher, you were already handsome, but you look even cooler today!”
“You look like a special forces soldier straight out of a movie!”
“…”
To his annoyance, even the girls who usually avoided him whenever he tried to talk to them were now approaching the teacher.
“Fuck, what’s so cool about having to lug around a whole bunch of stuff just because he’s B-rank…?”
Park Jeong-min grumbled loudly, hoping they’d hear him. But contrary to his expectations, the girls took things out of their bags and held them out to the B-rank teacher, one after another.
“Teacher, did you know tomorrow is Valentine’s Day? Today’s our last class, so I brought you something.”
“Me too! Oh, do you eat chocolate? Maybe you don’t since you work out?”
“I prepared dark chocolate just in case.”
“Ah… Thank you. I don’t particularly restrict what I eat just because I work out. In fact, when I enter a Gate, I sometimes deliberately bring high-calorie food. I’ll enjoy these.”
Park Jeong-min scowled as he watched the teacher readily accept the chocolates. They’d only had a few days of class, and he was already getting gifts like that?
“Isn’t that, like, against some law or something?”
“…”
“…”
Silence fell over the room.
As the atmosphere suddenly turned icy, Park Jeong-min thought to himself that he’d screwed up. But then the teacher opened one of the magazine pouches attached to his chest rig and rustled around inside. He took something out and handed it to the girls.
“Please take one each.”
“Oh, what is it? Gummies?”
“Chubijubi. …They’re tasty.”
“Are you giving these to us?”
“It’s a token of thanks for the chocolate.”
…Wait, why the hell is he carrying gummies in a magazine pouch?
The girls seemed ridiculously happy to receive something as simple as gummies, squealing excitedly over and over.
“Thank you, Teacher!”
“I’ll enjoy these!”
“Teacher, why did you bring gummies with you?”
“They’re my emergency rations. When you start working as Hunters and enter Gates, make sure to bring compact, high-calorie foods with long shelf lives.”
That was what he said, but in truth, he’d brought plenty of gummies specifically to win over the trainees. He’d thought sharing a snack might help leave them with a good impression of him.
“Gummies, seriously? This isn’t kindergarten…”
“…”
It seemed like there was no hope of improving his relationship with Park Jeong-min.
“Teacher, what’s in your other pouches?”
“…I’ll explain once all the trainees have gathered.”
Tae Tae-geon answered with a troubled expression. He glanced down at his Hunter-issued wristwatch, then stepped into the hallway. The classroom next door seemed noisy, so Officer Cha was probably getting the trainees ready to move.
Tae-geon spoke toward the back of a head with long, straight hair neatly tied up.
“Officer Cha.”
“Oh, Officer Tae.”
“Are you leaving now?”
“Yes. I’ll head out first.”
“Please be careful.”
At those words, Officer Cha Yu-jin smiled warmly and turned her whole upper body to face him properly.
“You always see us off with such concern, even though we go every week.”
“…”
Tae-geon didn’t answer. He just gave an awkward smile. He couldn’t help it. He’d seen far too many colleagues enter Gates with smiles on their faces, only to never come back out.
“I’ll see you in a little while.”
“…Yes.”
Tae-geon gave a brief reply and returned to the classroom. By then, the trainees’ eyes were filled with excitement at the thought of entering a Gate.
“As I mentioned earlier, today we’ll be moving to a Gate for practical training. However, there are only a limited number of training Gates that can be kept under safe management, so we’ll wait here for an hour before heading out.”
“Then why did you make us come early? You could’ve just told us to show up an hour later! What a waste of time.”
Park Jeong-min replied irritably. He was already in a bad mood because he’d arrived early and had to witness something he wished he hadn’t.
“Before entering a Gate, I’ll explain the items you should bring with you.”
Tae-geon simply brushed aside his irritation and began the lesson. The required basic lectures were technically finished, but Tae-geon’s classes always went beyond the allotted time.
The trainees probably wouldn’t remember the details anyway, but if they at least remembered that these things existed, they could look them up when they needed them.
“When you first start working as a Hunter, it may be difficult to get your hands on equipment specifically made for Hunters. For ropes, I recommend using military parachute cord or professional climbing ropes…”
Starting with supplies, he covered how to hold a knife, tie knots, and perform first aid. These were the kinds of little things that were so simple that no one bothered to teach them.
Maybe these dull lessons are why he’s unpopular.
But Tae-geon knew that even the smallest details could save someone’s life.
“Gate ecosystems vary widely, and there are even more types of monsters. Even the same species can display different traits depending on the ecosystem, so you must never let your guard down. In particular, unopened Gates contain no available information, so you must enter them with extreme caution…”
Man, if there’s a rank difference, they won’t even be able to scratch you anyway.
Park Jeong-min let the information go in one ear and out the other, scoffing to himself. When it came to Hunters and monsters, rank was everything. No matter how skilled the B-rank teacher was, he couldn’t beat an A-rank like him.
Besides, unopened Gates? Someone like him, an A-rank, might get a chance to enter one, but C- and D-rank Hunters would rarely get that opportunity. At best, they’d be gathering or mining resources somewhere. If they were lucky, they might get to work as porters.
By the time he finished thinking, the explanation seemed to be over, and the trainees were getting up from their seats. Park Jeong-min also stood up slowly, putting on an air of confidence as he followed the others.
“The Gate we’re using for training today is located in Paju, so it’ll take about an hour to drive there. I’ll continue the explanation in the car.”
“Teacher, what rank is the Gate we’re entering?”
“E-rank.”
“What? What are we supposed to learn from an E-rank Gate?”
Park Jeong-min started complaining again when he heard that the Gate he’d been looking forward to was only E-rank. But Tae-geon firmly told him that even things you were normally good at could go wrong in an unfamiliar environment. He then put the trainees in a van and got into the driver’s seat.
They’d been driving for about thirty minutes when a call came in from Officer Cha. Since the fact that she was calling meant she’d already made it out of the Gate, Tae-geon answered with a relaxed mind.
“Yes, this is Tae Tae-geon.”
“Ah, Officer Tae. Where are you right now?”
“We just passed Yongdu Intersection… Is something wrong?”
“Well… I think you’ll have to turn back.”
“…Turn back?”
“Yes. One of our trainees accidentally closed the Gate. We’re urgently checking the nearby Gates, but there are very few managed Gates to begin with… The closest one seems to be in use by the Goyang branch right now. The only one available is a C-rank Gate…”
“…I see.”
Tae-geon gave a cliché response, unable to find any words of comfort. Officer Cha Yu-jin was trying hard to sound casual, but she must have been deeply troubled. Not only the Seodaemun branch, but also the Mapo branch, Goyang branch, and Paju branch all used that Gate as a training ground.
Gates that could be kept open safely were rare, making them practically national assets. Officer Cha Yu-jin would probably face disciplinary action for failing to supervise the trainees properly.
“Was anyone hurt?”
“Haha, of course not.”
“Understood. Please return safely.”
After ending the call, Tae-geon turned the car around and explained the situation to the trainees.
“—So, we’ll have to postpone the practical training.”
“What? How does that make any sense?”
“It shouldn’t be delayed by more than a few days. I’ll contact another branch and arrange a time—”
“Damn it! How much longer are we supposed to wait?!”
BANG! Park Jeong-min kicked the driver’s seat. Since it was a vehicle designed for Hunters, the seat didn’t break, but the impact was strong enough to shake the entire vehicle.
“I can’t join a Guild until I get my Hunter registration card!”
“I’m driving, Trainee Park Jeong-min.”
“I heard the phone call earlier. Didn’t they say there was a C-rank Gate available?”
“That is a training ground for professional Hunters, not newly Awakened trainees.”
“What’s the problem when there’s an A-rank here?”
“Trainee Park Jeong-min, don’t put blind faith in ranks. It’s only been seven years since the first Awakened appeared, and the rank measuring device has only existed for five.”
The measuring device didn’t evaluate each person’s overall abilities or the ecosystem inside a Gate. It simply measured the amount of active mana, so there wasn’t enough evidence to trust its results completely.
“And while you’re unlikely to get hurt, the other trainees aren’t in the same position.”
“I can protect them!”
“Right now, you’re less useful than an experienced C-rank Hunter.”
“What? We won’t know until we try, will we?!”
“No.”
At that firm reply, Park Jeong-min glared at the driver’s seat before taking out his smartphone.
Brrring… After a short ringing tone, a familiar voice answered.
“Yeah, son.”
“Dad, have you heard the news?”
Realizing whom Park Jeong-min was calling, Tae-geon immediately furrowed his brow. But there was no way he could stop him from making the call.
As expected, not long after Park Jeong-min finished his conversation, Tae-geon’s smartphone rang. It was the head of the Awakened Registration Management Division, the same man who had just been speaking with Park Jeong-min.
Tae-geon answered on speakerphone so everyone could hear. He also remembered to discreetly press the record button.
“This is Tae Tae-geon.”
“Hey, Officer Tae. It’s Chief Park.”
“No. I can’t take newly Awakened trainees into a C-rank Gate.”
“Don’t be so strict about it. You can clear a C-rank Gate by yourself, can’t you? My son is A-rank too, so there’s no need to worry so much…”
“The Gates used as training grounds are national resources and must not be cleared. If something happens and we have to clear one, will you take responsibility, Chief Park?”
“Officer Tae! What kind of thing is that to say? That’s not what I meant!”
“To begin with, you don’t have the authority to make that decision. Please speak directly to the head of the Hunter Education and Training Division and have them issue an official order.”
“Honestly, you have no flexibility at all! Is it really that difficult to do this one little thing?!”
Chief Park Jin-cheol shouted angrily, then soon lowered his voice and spoke more gently, as if trying to coax Tae-geon.
“Let’s just try it first. If there’s a problem, we can talk about it afterward.”
“Hah.”
Unable to tolerate such an irresponsible statement, Tae-geon pulled over to the side of the road and let loose.
“Chief Park Jin-cheol, your son isn’t the only trainee here. What kind of unexpected situation do you think could happen inside a Gate? Why are you trying to push inexperienced C- and D-rank trainees into a C-rank Gate? Killing monsters isn’t the problem. But if poison spreads through the air, there’s nothing I can do about it. Your son is A-rank, so he’ll probably be fine, but the other trainees won’t be!”
“Ha! I’m not telling you to enter an unopened Gate! It’s a safe Gate where the clearing method is already known. Why are you being so sensitive about it—”
“Speak directly to my immediate supervisor. I’ll act once I receive an official order.”
With that, Tae-geon ended the call. He uploaded the recording to the cloud right away, then asked the trainees to wait a little longer.
Honestly, if anything went wrong, the incident would be all over the news. He’d hoped his supervisor would refuse the request, at least in part. Instead, all he got in return was a barrage of insults.
“Officer Tae, I never thought you’d be like this. I’m very disappointed in you. No matter how different our departments are, is that any way to speak to your superior? Hm?”
“…But taking the trainees to a C-rank Gate is too dangerous—”
“Now, anyone listening would think I’m forcing you to take them somewhere even I wouldn’t go! Besides, you train professional Hunters too, don’t you? That means you have the authority to supervise them! And listen, people need to be flexible. You can’t get anywhere in the workplace if you act like that! Do you think there’s a reason the trainees avoid you?”
“…”
For a moment, Tae-geon was speechless. The man’s voice was so loud that the trainees could obviously hear the entire conversation, which made it even worse.
“Officer Tae, you said you wanted to stay in the Education and Training Division, didn’t you? If you want something in return for your performance, you need to learn when to bend!”
“…”
After thinking it over, Tae-geon finally decided to give in a little. Fine. If he got kicked out of the division now, all his efforts would go to waste.
“Please issue an official document.”
“Hah, seriously. Fine, just go already.”
“Make sure it’s officially documented.”
“I said fine!”
Click. The call ended.
Tae-geon did his best to act as if everything was fine, uploaded the recording to the cloud, and took the trainees to the C-rank Gate designated as the training ground.
The dungeon was guarded by auxiliary police officers. Ironically, the auxiliary police system, which had once been abolished as useless, had been revived in the form of special appointments for Awakened individuals to support non-Awakened police officers.
Tae-geon approached the officers and showed them his government employee ID and Hunter registration card.
“I’m Tae Tae-geon from the Awakened Management Bureau. I’ve brought trainees here for practical training.”
“Officer Tae Tae-geon, your credentials are confirmed.”
Since Tae-geon had visited the training ground so often to train Hunters, the officers let him in without much suspicion. Still, he asked just to be sure.
“Did you receive proper orders from your superiors?”
“Ah, yes. There was an issue, so we were told to let you in when you arrived because the training ground needed to be used.”
“Was there an official document?”
“I’m not sure about that. We just do as we’re told…”
“…I see.”
Tae-geon still felt uneasy, but since they’d said they’d received orders, he decided to enter the Gate. He’d already been there several times to train Hunters, so under normal circumstances, there shouldn’t have been any major surprises.
But the moment he entered the Gate, someone charged at him as if they’d been waiting for him.
“YOU SON OF A BITCH!! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, DISRESPECTING MY FATHER?!”
Whoosh! THUD!
“Guh!”
Tae-geon easily dodged Park Jeong-min’s kick, drove his fist into the man’s solar plexus, and said,
“Let’s start by giving you a good beating.”
if u find the novel or chapter error you can contact or tag me in our discord
Comments (0)