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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The Start of Proper Education (2)
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99%. A number that could never appear in a matching test. Usually, it hovered around 70%, and even with good compatibility, it barely reached the 80s.
But 99%?
"Chief Examiner, please run the test again..."
Amid the dedicated doctors and examiners wearing incredulous expressions, only Trevor remained calm as he spoke.
"Helper Cha Su-ho."
"Y-yes!"
"Begin the Clean on Hunter Tao."
Su-ho pulled his hand away from Kim Hak-jun's back and moved his feet.
This has to be wrong. It must be. Did the machine malfunction? There has to be some problem...
But moments later, the examiner's voice rang out, forcing Su-ho into despair once more.
"Compatibility between Hunter Tao and Helper Cha Su-ho... 99%."
Trevor drove the final nail in toward the dazed Su-ho.
"Matching test results: Both Hunter Kim Hak-jun and Hunter Tao achieved a 99% match with Helper Cha Su-ho. Therefore,"
Therefore?
"As of today, Helper Cha Su-ho is appointed as the temporary exclusive helper for Hunter Kim Hak-jun and Hunter Tao."
Fuck!
Su-ho grabbed Trevor, who was turning away as if there was no more need to stay.
"Wait a second. A 99% match doesn't make any sense. The machine must have glitched. Please, run it again!"
"The machine is precise."
"Please, retest it."
Trevor silently stared at Su-ho before nodding.
As the retest ran, Su-ho prayed to the heavens. Please, don't let me end up as those two hunters' helper and go through an initiation ritual.
But they say gods are fair.
"99% match. Same result."
He'd been thrilled to jump from F-grade to A-grade helper, but to get paired with trash hunters like these...
As Su-ho watched Trevor walk away, Kim Hak-jun and Tao approached.
"We're heading out to the field tomorrow. You know what an Evil Zone is, right?"
"Be at the Teleport Zone by 9 a.m. If you're late, I'll chop off an arm and toss it to a monster."
Their mocking tones grated on Su-ho's nerves.
"Didn't you say you wouldn't run? Let's see if you keep your word."
The two hunters patted Su-ho's shoulder and left.
"Ha..."
It was the worst.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
'Get up.'
Despite Jin Seong-hyeok's urging, Su-ho didn't budge. He lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, letting out a deep sigh.
'Bragging about not running away.'
"I said I wouldn't run. It's just...!"
He couldn't finish the sentence. In ten minutes, he'd have to head to the Evil Zone with those trash hunters.
Today was Cha Su-ho's initiation day, after all.
'Don't worry. You have regeneration, and if worst comes to worst, I'll step in.'
"Yeah, that sounds great. Even if my arm or leg gets torn off, it'll grow back."
'Pessimistic.'
"How could I not be? I'm heading into an Evil Zone about to be chased by monsters."
Su-ho let out another long sigh.
'You forgot. I'm SSS-grade.'
"Who said otherwise? Everyone knows Jin Seong-hyeok is SSS-grade—even stray dogs."
'Which means an Evil Zone is nothing.'
In fact, Jin Seong-hyeok had wiped out the monsters in an Evil Zone at age 14.
When he emerged unscathed from a place drenched in blood, governments worldwide and the World Hunter & Helper Association were shocked.
'I know their habits well, so nothing major will happen.'
"Fine, got it."
Grateful at least for Jin Seong-hyeok's presence, Su-ho forced himself up. Five minutes left—it was time to head to the Teleport Zone.
Unlike his F-grade days, Su-ho headed to the Teleport Zone for A-grade helpers and S-grade-or-higher hunters.
The only difference was it was on the rooftop, not underground. Otherwise, identical.
Whirr, whirr.
Three blue rings spun, intersecting with a hum, and in front of them stood the two hunters, swaggering arrogantly.
Kim Hak-jun and Tao. They scowled the moment they spotted Su-ho.
"A mere helper dares keep us waiting? Cocky bastard..."
Tao blocked Kim Hak-jun, who approached as if ready to strike.
"We're still at the Center. We'll work him over plenty in the field—save your energy."
Kim Hak-jun muttered curses under his breath and stepped into the Teleport Zone. He scanned his hunter ID on the machine inside the spinning rings.
-Hunter Kim Hak-jun, teleporting to Evil Zone sector.
The intersecting blue rings spun faster, then slowed to normal. Kim Hak-jun was already gone.
Tao walked toward the still-standing Su-ho.
"Let's go."
Tao grabbed Su-ho's collar and dragged him toward the zone. Su-ho slapped away Tao's hand gripping his collar and spoke firmly.
"I can go myself."
He stepped into the ring as if saying there was nothing more to discuss and scanned his helper ID.
"Aren't you coming?"
Tao sneered at Su-ho's bold demeanor, unlike other helpers.
"Yeah, yeah."
Tao entered and scanned his hunter ID.
-Helper Cha Su-ho, Hunter Tao, teleporting to Evil Zone sector.
Last time, it felt like riding a tiny boat through massive waves—stomach churning, ending in dry heaves on the floor.
This time was different. No nausea, no dizziness. Just a faint floating sensation.
It looked the same on the outside, but it was worlds apart from the ones for regular helpers and hunters.
'Discrimination even in the Teleport Zone.'
As Su-ho grumbled inwardly, Jin Seong-hyeok replied.
'If I were F-grade, it would've been hell.'
Sometimes Jin Seong-hyeok annoyed him. Su-ho decided to ignore it.
Perfectly timed, the machine chimed.
-Helper Cha Su-ho, Hunter Tao, arrived at Evil Zone sector.
As the teleport vibration ended, Tao spat out chilling words.
"Let's see if you run."
Thud.
It happened in an instant. Su-ho's back took Tao's kick, tumbling him out of the Teleport Zone.
His knees and elbows slammed into the ground. Some sticky, unknown liquid stained his helper suit. Frowning at the wet fabric, Su-ho's vision caught black dress shoes. Looking up slowly, he met Kim Hak-jun's gaze staring down.
Kim Hak-jun grabbed Su-ho's hair and yanked his head up.
"Keep acting cocky."
A dull thud echoed as Kim Hak-jun's knee smashed precisely into Su-ho's face.
"Guh."
With a short groan, Su-ho's forehead hit the ground. Intense pain suggested a broken nose, something warm trickling down his face.
He could tell it was blood from inside his nose. Drops stained the dirt red.
But soon, the pain stopped. Su-ho's body began regenerating rapidly. Unaware of the regeneration, Kim Hak-jun gripped his hair again.
"Let's get started."
The initiation had begun.
Dragged by his hair, Su-ho stayed silent. Because of Jin Seong-hyeok.
'Endure it. Stepping in now will only make it harder for you. Hold out until monsters show up.'
Jin had a point. They were hunters—S-grade ones. Even as an A-grade helper, the gap was huge.
Hunters were living weapons. Fighting would only get Su-ho killed.
After a long walk, Kim Hak-jun stopped.
"Perfect spot, right?"
He released Su-ho's hair and stared somewhere. A sneer curled his lips.
"Nice. They're already swarming at the smell of blood."
An indescribable stench wafted in, and soon bizarre shapes emerged one by one.
"Try to survive. If you're scared, cry and beg. I'll save you when you've only got an arm or leg left."
Their snickering grated. Did they always treat helpers like this? Facing the arrogant, vulgar Kim Hak-jun, Su-ho slowly lifted his head and spoke.
"That won't happen."
Kim Hak-jun and Tao's mocking faces twisted instantly.
"Cocky fuck...!"
"Stop. He'll learn on his own. No need to dirty our hands yet."
Blocking Kim Hak-jun, Tao addressed Su-ho.
"We'll clear nearby monsters. Wait here and try not to die."
Clear nearby monsters? Su-ho's lip curled in disbelief. He already knew from Jin—they planned to hide and watch him flee from monsters.
"Big one's already here."
Tao casually placed a hand on Kim Hak-jun's shoulder. Kim Hak-jun, still glaring at Su-ho, turned slowly. Tao glanced back with a sneer before turning too.
As the two walked away, backs turned, Su-ho stared sharply and muttered.
"So, Jin Seong-hyeok, what now?"
Jin Seong-hyeok's voice came, laced with equal fury.
'Open your palm.'
"My palm?"
Sudden demand to open his palm. Puzzled, but Su-ho obeyed.
'Focus your mind on your palm.'
Su-ho's gaze shifted to his palm. Just staring made it tingle, like faint electric currents.
He'd felt it before—when he woke in the hospital after nearly dying.
Watching the odd prickling, Jin spoke to Su-ho.
'You absorbed my ability.'
"Yes."
'Which means you can use my power too.'
A helper using hunter power? Impossible. They were born different. Helpers purified hunters' power to support them. Some A-grades had self-regeneration, but innate abilities were separate.
'Not the full extent, of course. You said machines malfunctioned at the hospital?'
The doctor had. Machines near Su-ho stopped working, even functioning ones.
'Know what my ability is?'
Jin Seong-hyeok's hunter power. Su-ho figured telekinesis or elements like fire and water. Jin continued.
'No way that's all for SSS-grade.'
"All?" S-grades had at most two or three. Fire and water clashed—no hunter had both.
"How many abilities do you have...?"
'Plenty. You'll learn over time. Reason for the malfunctions?'
Jin chuckled.
'Electricity flowing through your body.'