TOP 53

Chapter 53

The Cry of the Bureaucrat in a Steel Rice Bowl

A virtual enemy raised a sword.

It was the image of Joo Eun-seol.

Whoosh—!

Just as I had seen all day, she attacked me along the path of the Mujin Sword.

And I—

Zzshkaang─!

Responded in kind, using the Mujin Sword to block her strike.

Our blades curved toward each other’s vital points.

Fast, then slow.

Heavy, then light.

Like a dance, the two swords clashed.

To an outside observer, it might have looked like a synchronized sword dance.

But hidden within was a sharpness that could take a life with even the slightest lapse in concentration.

And so, another round of sparring came to an end.

“Phew…”

The result: a draw.

“It seems I’ve completely absorbed everything Joo Eun-seol showed me.”

• Correct.

• The movements of the master and target show a 92% match.

“100% is impossible, right?”

• Due to differences in body structure, that is impossible.

• If body structure is adjusted for, the match is nearly 100%.

Four weeks had already passed in the special training hall.

My time here was drawing to a close, and I had succeeded in making the Mujin Sword my own.

It was the result of comparing Joo Eun-seol’s movements and my own down to the nanometer, training over and over again.

“Then now…”

The results so far were satisfying, but there had been one thing that nagged me throughout the training.

“Shall I try it the way I realized?”

• Preparing the enemy.

For now, I postponed this in order to fully absorb what Joo Eun-seol had shown me.

Once again, a virtual enemy appeared before me.

This model, too, was Joo Eun-seol.

Step.

I stepped forward toward her.

The Mujin Sword unfolded once more.

Fwaaah─

It was different this time.

I added a forward momentum to what had been a dance-like movement.

I could feel its power had increased.

Ku-gung!

Jjeong!

Ka-ga-ga-ga-gak─

I pressed Joo Eun-seol back.

The one who had fought me evenly just moments ago.

“This is right.”

And I was certain.

“Why use this swordsmanship defensively?”

The fact was clear: Joo Eun-seol’s Mujin Sword was wrong.

No—perhaps “wrong” is not accurate; it might simply be incomplete.

Either way, she was not fully utilizing the power of the Mujin Sword.

Crack!

It would not have been difficult for me to kill Joo Eun-seol.

More precisely, the virtual enemy modeled after her.

“How long did it take?”

• Exactly 5 minutes 18 seconds.

It wasn’t an overwhelming difference, but the important part was that I had won.

There was no sense of danger.

By now, it was clear.

One month of training in the special hall.

“My proficiency with the Mujin Sword is now higher.”

I had surpassed my teacher.

“Hmm.”

I opened my eyes to my room.

My officetel in Seoul.

Luckily, there was no problem.

No sign of a break-in, and my body was safe.

And…

“Morning already.”

Seven hours had passed.

Precisely, seven hours and twelve minutes.

The special training hall—a room of time and space—could be used once a month.

Maximum usage time was one month in internal time.

With a 100:1 time ratio, in real time it was 7 hours and 12 minutes.

What others would spend a single night sleeping, I used as a month of training—an incredible advantage.

“Then, shall we start the day?”

[Anyone listening would think I just woke up from a deep sleep!]

“You did sleep, didn’t you?”

Sleeping in the special hall was far more efficient.

Anyway.

There wasn’t much to prepare, so I got ready and left the room.

Then…

“Hyung!”

“Huh?”

Why was Yoon Ji-ho suddenly in front of me?

“Yoon Ji-ho? What are you doing here?”

A laborer who had joined me on the last “Seolsan Cave” raid.

A hunter with the trait “Hero of Justice.”

And somehow, a guy who always seemed to be friendly toward me.

“I moved in!”

“…Moved in?”

I noticed he was carrying boxes.

So he was moving.

“You’re quick. It hasn’t even been a few days.”

“Because I’m scared. Who knows when we might get attacked?”

After being ambushed by a Gaia Order paladin, I had shown him this place.

The price was a bit high, but it was better than where he had lived.

‘Even if the Order tries, it probably won’t be breached…’

Better than a semi-basement relying on just a security window, right?

“Anyway, hyung! We’re neighbors now!”

Yoon Ji-ho smiled up at me.

“That’s right.”

“We can commute to the guild together!”

“Hmm. That might be difficult.”

“Why!?”

His smiling face fell.

“I won’t have fixed work hours.”

“Ah…!”

“That’s the advantage of being a freelancer.”

I had temporarily joined New Cherry Guild, but strictly speaking, I’m a freelance hunter.

Not under the guild, but on equal footing—or rather, I lead the contract.

So there’s no fixed work and no commute.

I’d occasionally help with dungeon raids and receive loot.

More of a management-style contract than employment.

‘This contract is extremely advantageous for me.’

I don’t do bad deals.

Especially if the contract has legal binding.

“Hmm.”

I glanced at Frill.

[Why?]

‘No.’

Contracts must be done carefully.

When I first met him, the contract he proposed was just one arm’s worth of work, wasn’t it?

I shook my head to clear the thought.

Yoon Ji-ho pushed the boxes into the house and asked me:

“Hyung. To celebrate being neighbors, if you’re free, should we have a housewarming…”

“Busy.”

No time for housewarmings.

Unless it’s a combination of housewarming and dungeon raid.

“What are you doing?”

“Going for a rank evaluation.”

An important task today.

Visiting the Hunter Administration Bureau for an official rank evaluation.

I had been a 4-star, 5-star hunter unofficially, but it was all self-assessed.

‘It worked until now.’

Fortunately, I had frequent opportunities to prove my strength.

But in Seoul, I needed an official rank and certificate.

Couldn’t always prove my strength by smashing things.

‘Also necessary for my plan to take down Namgung Myung.’

“Oh? Then I’ll go with you!”

“Why… ah.”

“I need a 4-star evaluation.”

Thinking back, Yoon Ji-ho had become 4-star now that he properly used the “Hero of Justice” trait.

He needed to renew his certificate, which had been only 2-star.

“Alright, let’s go together.”

“Yes!”

“But come out immediately.”

“Ah…!”

Yoon Ji-ho hurriedly shoved the boxes into the room.

Hunter Administration Bureau

A government agency overseeing hunters, gates, and monsters after the Great Cataclysm.

Underestimated due to the Gaia Order, but still a core power in the modern era.

…Of course, not everyone held power.

Low-level employees had none.

They were just bureaucrats.

Dong Bak-cheol, the hunter rank examiner, was unusually exhausted today.

“Ha. I want to go home.”

Normally, the night shift was sweet work, but today applications had flooded in.

“Damn, I don’t understand.”

They even created a night shift so work could be done overnight.

Then hunters actually showed up in the dead of night for evaluations.

“Can’t they just come after sunrise?”

What were they thinking?

Maybe it’s just a hidden camera prank by the world to torment me.

“Ah, I want to go home─!”

The only relief was that only 30 minutes remained in the shift.

Just 30 minutes! That was all keeping him going.

Then—

“…4-star?”

“And that one here will take 5-star.”

Suddenly, two people claiming 4-star and 5-star appeared.

Applying for evaluation.

Dong Bak-cheol wanted to tear his hair out.

‘Why now! Two of them! And just 30 minutes before leaving!’

From 4-star up, preparation for evaluation skyrocketed.

Many contacts and lots of paperwork.

Takes a long time.

He mentally said goodbye.

‘Goodbye… on-time leaving…’

Still, he was a professional.

Keeping a smile, he greeted the hunters.

“Please have a seat. You’ll have to wait a bit. Would you like something to drink?”

“Water is fine.”

“Americano for me!”

If he showed annoyance, they might get angry.

He had seen such disasters before.

A senior had retired after being beaten by a hunter in a dispute.

Not retired from work—retired from life.

‘Did that hunter only get a fine?’

Shivering.

“Are you okay?”

“Ah, fine! Haha!”

He pushed stray thoughts aside.

Now was not the time.

Dong Bak-cheol carefully catered to them during the evaluation.

Starting with basic physical ability.

Bang!

“Gah!”

“Any problem?”

“No! Confirmed 5-star.”

He couldn’t admit he had doubted them.

After all, who starts as an unregistered hunter directly taking a 5-star evaluation?

Usually only 3-star at first.

Higher stars get renewed later.

‘A monster rookie, maybe…’

“Next?”

“You can both use aura, right?”

“Yes.”

“We’ll measure sustain time.”

Aura evaluation.

If they couldn’t use aura, more complex equipment would be needed.

Luckily, both could.

‘Phew. First evaluation will end quickly.’

Dong Bak-cheol breathed a sigh of relief.

Finish quickly, pass them to Gate Management for the second evaluation.

He thought so.

Huff. Huff.

Yoon Ji-ho gasped and withdrew his aura.

This was his limit.

“6 minutes 12 seconds, Hunter Yoon Ji-ho.”

“Phew. Is that average?”

“Most 4-star hunters record between 5–8 minutes.”

“Pretty normal… got it.”

Yoon Ji-ho fell silent after hearing this.

Sometimes hunters refuse to accept results, but fortunately not him.

‘How long can he last?’

I looked at Kim Yoo-jin.

A hunter maintaining aura thread—a symbol of 5-star.

His expression remained calm.

Dong Bak-cheol knew:

‘Maximum 10 minutes, probably.’

Average 5-star hunter’s maximum is around that.

He’s no extraordinary irregular.

‘A little overtime, but still can leave without being late!’

He thought positively.

After this measurement, he’d pass the data to Gate Management for the second evaluation.

Lots of work ahead, but at least they weren’t troublemakers and would finish efficiently.

Dong Bak-cheol observed Kim Yoo-jin with a smile.

And yet…

‘Why, why isn’t it ending…!’

An hour had passed.

The hunter’s expression remained calm.