RAAGOAT 07

Chapter 7

The article depicted me as if I had sacrificed myself.

‘It does look like that, I guess.’

I was tussling with goblins while torn up in various places.

It described the desperate struggle of an E-rank hunter against overwhelming odds in a very harrowing way.

‘As you said, a well-written article.’

He should be proud.

However, from my perspective, it felt a bit unsettling.

I was the one who gained immense benefits yesterday.

Yet, in the reporter’s article, I was portrayed as an Awakened with a strong sense of justice.

Of course, since I had a hard time with the goblins, flowery phrases like ‘a knight on a white horse’ or ‘a rising star’ weren’t attached.

“Are you acquainted with that reporter?”

At my brother’s question, I shook my head.

“I saw her for the first time at the bridge yesterday.”
“Really? Among all those articles, the fact that she focused only on you, and during the cleanup process yesterday… If you don’t know her, that’s fine.”
“…Did something happen while I was unconscious?”
“Not exactly, but when you were getting into the ambulance, she kept alternating her gaze between you and me with eyes as if she’d seen a ghost, so I wondered if you knew each other.”

That makes sense.

Same surname. Brief conversation. Close relationship as brothers. One could imagine what fantasies the reporter wove in her head.

‘This was a flattering article too.’

An attempt to build a connection with me, who is close to Seo Bo-Seok, for business purposes.

It’s so blatant that anyone watching would feel embarrassed.
Can a real reporter even do this?

‘…Maybe that’s why it can be more of a win-win.’

I tossed the phone away.

I feel nauseous.
The letters fly around like flies.

“What’s wrong? Want to go to the hospital again?”
“No.”

I feigned composure.

“Guess it’s a side effect of the second awakening, like you said.”

Not entirely wrong either.

“What kind of awakening side effect is anemia? Hmm, still, is it on the cheaper side?”
“They say there are hunters who cough up blood every time they use their ability.”
“Compared to that, feeling anemic… Still, if anything feels off, go to the hospital right away.”
“Ah, fine, I know. Stop worrying. And you know. I don’t really like going to the hospital.”
“Ah.”

A look of ‘oops’.

“…That’s right. Sorry about the emergency room.”
“What are you sorry for? I’m the one who said something odd.”

I unintentionally whined.

‘What hurts, hurts.’

As mentioned, with my brother’s full support, I got into the medical school at Korea University. Coming from an orphanage, it was like a dragon rising from a ditch.

That’s what I thought.

Who could have known that a healer-type Awakened would emerge just a year before the national medical exam?

‘It’s because my luck is minus 44, after all.’

At first, the doctors strongly opposed.
But as they say, you can’t fight the tide of the times.

Professors ultimately lost their footing to the fast, simple, and nearly side-effect-free healing methods of healers. Medical students were a given.

I am a prime example. Despite my brother literally working his bones off to send me to college. Around the fifth year, my classmates and I lost our place.

“…Well, that’s…”
My brother awkwardly scratched near his eyebrow with his thumb.

“But if it’s anemia, healer abilities can’t fix that. Won’t you need to stop by the hospital occasionally for blood transfusions?”
“Probably, if I’m going to start an Awakened life. Thankfully, I donated blood quite a bit during college, so my donor card…”

……

Donor card? Blood transfusion?

“Wonseok, huh?”
“Brother.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“…To receive a hunter’s blood transfusion, you have to become a hunter, right?”
“Right.”
“Ha.”

My energy drains.

<The condition for establishing the Blessing of the True Bloodline is exchanging blood.>

Blood donation and transfusion.
The only blood exchange procedure permitted in this era.

‘…Who would have thought the mandatory blood donations I did in college would serve as a prerequisite for the Blessing of the True Bloodline.’

To complete the condition.

‘I need to receive a blood transfusion.’

Preferably a hunter’s blood.

-Exchanging Blood.

Easier said than done.
Unless you’re a beast that lives by tearing people apart. Between fellow humans, how many chances to exchange blood do you get in a lifetime, maybe once or twice?

The <Blessing of the True Bloodline> is an ability that performs at its best when formed with a hunter rather than a monster.

‘In theory, I can level up just from the experience points offered by Subordinates.’

However, on the other hand, the <Blessing of the True Bloodline> doesn’t seem to want its owner to just sit idly by.

When Han Bi-yeol moved away, the red thread connecting me to him disappeared.

‘They probably need to be within range.’

Supporting this spontaneous hypothesis is the evidence right before my eyes.
The red thread connecting my brother and me.

Ultimately, the conclusion is that to gain experience points, I need to either jump into the front lines or be nearby. I can’t just auto-hunt from my room.

‘Having many Subordinates nearby isn’t all good.’

The more blood-woven red threads there are, the more I’ll suffer from blood deficiency. I risk fainting like yesterday.

‘For my current self, anemia has become a chronic condition.’

There’s only one way to overcome it.

Leveling up is the top priority.

Paradoxically, to level up quickly and get closer to my long-cherished goal of revenge.

I need to find Subordinates.
Be near them to receive a portion of their experience points.
Only then will my goals and growth align.

Seeing my serious face, my brother urged me on.

“What is it, what? Let me know too.”

Let’s save the shock for later.

“I think I need to go to the Hunter Association today.”
“Suddenly?”
“Yeah. To get my hunter license issued.”
“Hmm. Legally, you’re supposed to report within 24 hours of awakening.”

My brother twitched one eyebrow.

“Is there a reason it has to be today?”
“Just following the law.”

There’s another reason.

‘In my past life, today is the day my brother gets targeted.’

The forces trying to harm my brother likely had their plans disrupted in various ways due to yesterday’s Hanjgu Bridge incident.

Even if that’s the case, knowing the inside story, I can’t just leave him be.

“Okay, then.”

My brother respected my intention with an absurdly compliant attitude.

“Actually, I just got a call saying the B-rank Abyss Gate scheduled for tonight was canceled. My schedule’s free, so it works out perfectly.”
“Let’s go right away?”
“Let’s eat first. We drank soju yesterday, so we need a hangover cure. Let’s eat with Naeun at the bean sprout soup place on the first floor.”
“……”

The trajectory of life has shifted.

“Yeah.”

I believe this is the right direction.

Bean Sprout Soup Place.
The exterior is shabby, but that means it’s an old establishment.

My brother and I, heads almost touching, inhaled kimchi bean sprout soup.

‘Being with my brother increases the red threads, making me dizzy even when still…’

Whew.

Eating makes me feel a bit more alive.

Unlike at first when I barely had strength to lift a spoon, my hands are getting busy.

“This place is still delicious.”
“At this taste, it’s still 3,000 won. I told the owner to raise the price, but she just scolded me, saying all the regulars would leave.”

On one side, Naeun was picking at her children’s pork cutlet set. Quite focused, she was working on filtering out the broccoli.

“Naeun-ah, you can’t be picky.”
My brother scolded her.

Naeun stuck out her lips.

“Broccoli is yucky!”
“The yuckier it is, the better for your body!”
“If it’s yucky, it makes me feel bad!”
“……”

My brother was at a loss for words.

I laughed involuntarily.

“Another victory against Hunter Seo.”
“Hey, you… No, you tell me. An uncle she sees maybe once a year, but she melts at your words.”
“Your words have thorns, man.”

I chuckled and picked up a piece of broccoli with my chopsticks.

“If Naeun won’t eat it, Uncle will eat it all.”
“…Huh?”
“Hmm. It’s okay.”
“…Hmm.”

Naeun alternated her gaze between me and her plate. Clearly hesitating, she then tightly closed her eyes and stabbed the broccoli with her fork.

“Gulp!”

Munch munch.

Naeun held her nose and puffed her cheeks. My brother let out a hollow laugh, looking dumbfounded.

“I feel deprived, really. Did they teach parenting at medical school too?”
“What kind of parenting is this?”
“Then what?”
“It’s sense, sense.”
“Honestly.”

Trivial conversation.
My chest feels warm. I’ll attribute it to the bean sprout soup. It’s still too early to feel at ease.

I put down my spoon. My reflection in the ripples of the earthenware bowl distorts.

‘I haven’t pinpointed all the masterminds.’

In my past life, Han Bi-Yeol was directly involved in my brother’s death.
Naturally, the R&Y Guild’s involvement is strongly suspected.

I stared at the hunter wiping sweat with a handkerchief.

At first glance, he seems unassuming.

‘But now that I’ve awakened the Blessing, I think I roughly understand.’

My brother Seo Bo-Seok is an Awakened on a different level from any hunter I’ve met in my past and present lives. As they say, you see what you know.

Moreover, even now, how must a monster like my brother appear in the eyes of Han Bi-Yeol, who is quite famous himself?

Just yesterday, it was like that.
He trembled as if he’d met a tiger in the dead of night.

‘He doesn’t seem to have the guts to kill my brother on his own authority.’

The involvement of the organization Han Bi-Yeol belongs to can almost be considered a foregone conclusion.

With my mouth feeling dry, I suddenly asked my brother.

“What do you think of the R&Y Guild, Brother?”
“What do you mean? It’s Korea’s number one guild.”

An answer more plain and simple than bean sprout soup… I heard you loud and clear…

“…Is that it?”
“The number of affiliated hunters is slightly below average. But the skills of their hunters are good. The highest concentration of Korea’s top-tier hunters is there.”
“What about collusion with the political world?”
“From what I know, it’s moderate. They don’t really need to lobby. They maintain appropriate harmony?”
“Hmm.”

Is the political world entirely involved with the R&Y Guild?
That’s likely a groundless assumption.
That side has too many factions.
About five years later, they would form alliances with various guilds and engage in physical conflicts.

‘For now, let’s just think about the R&Y Guild.’

I pretended to organize my thoughts.

My brother stared at me intently.

“Do you want to join the R&Y Guild?”
“Is that a place you can join just because you want to?”
“Who knows? If it’s a second awakening, they might recruit you specially.”

I smiled and shook my head.

“I have no interest in a guild that couldn’t have Seo Bo-Seok.”
“Pfft!”
“Ugh, Dad! Gross! I’m even holding back and eating all my broccoli!”
Cough, cough.
“No, hey…”

This hunter, wiping his mouth with a handkerchief while saying he’ll reduce waste, is currently unaffiliated.
Korea’s strongest is a freelance hunter.

‘The public thinks he’ll get the first S-rank in Korea and then go to the US after raising his price.’

No.

He explained the reason to me before.

“If you join a guild, most contracts require you to only take upper-tier contracts. The difference in magic stones between upper and lower tiers is huge. But the gates civilians are most often caught in are the lower-tier ones.”

A model answer as a hunter.
And Hunter Seo Bo-Seok has proven through his actions so far that he’s not a hypocrite.

“…Anyway, if it really is a second awakening, wanting to join the R&Y Guild isn’t just wishful thinking.”
“If it were kimchi bean sprout soup, maybe, but wishful thinking? I’ll pass.”
“You, really.”
“I’m joking, joking.”

This is fun.
I thought this life would be a series of days filled with revenge.
But every moment feels precious.
That’s why my goal becomes even firmer.

‘I want to protect this daily life.’
I want this harmony to be the lighthouse for my life, which was once stained with misfortune.
To do that, I need to precisely and thoroughly identify who my enemies are.

I opened my mouth.

“Brother, I’m going to keep the fact that I’m a second awakened a secret.”
“…? If you’re going to join a guild, that’s an overwhelmingly big merit? You’d give that up?”
“That’s why. I’m not thinking of joining a guild.”
“Why? Are you trying to be a hunter with no roots like me?!”

I only answered with a silent smile.

‘Because I have a plan.’

I intend to prove it through actions, just like my brother.

“Auntie, more kimchi here, please!”
“You’re eating 3,000 won kimchi bean sprout soup and asking for more kimchi! Some people have to dig the ground to do business!”
“We’re the nation that eats kimchi with kimchi stew!”
“Don’t use the mouth you have at our house for anything but putting food in!”
“Okay~”

The owner scolded but also brought a heaping plate of kimchi. I picked up my spoon again.

Munch munch.

Along with the bean sprouts, I chewed over my future plans one by one.

Next.