Chapter Six


    After thepany dinner, I adapted to the team smoothly, without any particr issues.


    Jung Da-Hyun, who volunteered to be my mentor, meticulously taught me the parts that a government hunter should know.


    As with all tasks, being a hunter who dealt with viins exclusively didnt mean I only dealt with viins. There were various discussions about ways to suppress the urrence of viins, strengthen security measures, and prevent the approach of demons both inside and outside the city.


    I also needed to know how to read various documents and confirm that cooperation between different departments was seamless.


    Equipped with various reconnaissance assets, a system was established where incidents in Seoul could be reached by nearby departments within five minutes and responded to within 30 minutes.


    There were a few inefficiencies, but it was a system designed to maintain urban security. If the goal had been to eliminate viins instead of arrest them, efficiency would have been significantly higher.


    Thats why establishing a cooperative system with other departments is crucial.


    Jung Da-Hyun emphasized cooperation several times.


    But doesnt cooperation mean dys in speed?


    Yes. Thats why judgment on the scene is also important.


    The one who could make that judgment was the government hunter. Thats why they were given power.


    The presence or absence of this power made a difference between the hunter and the viin.


    I didnt n on seeking cooperation from other departments like Jung Da-Hyun suggested. Viins were beings that should disappear, and as a government hunter who needed to minimize damage, speed was crucial.


    This was probably the ordinary mindset of a government hunter who protected citizens.


    I liked the fact that my eligibility was determined by one exam.


    Well, shall we go eat lunch?


    When I checked the time, it was lunchtime.


    Jung Da-Hyun and I went out and went to a Korean restaurant located a little away from the National Security Agency. The mushroom soybean paste stew was excellent, so I ate here all week.


    Its good to have an established system, but isnt it better to just catch viins directly?


    Thats not as easy as it sounds.


    Why do you say its not easy?


    Because if there are viins hiding in the city, it means they are more cunning than you can imagine.


    ...


    To be honest, I couldnt understand what she meant.


    Jung Da-Hyun smiled faintly as she looked at my expression.


    Youll understand soon.


    ***


    After I adapted to my life as a government hunter, I would help Yoon-hee with her training after work.


    Not because she was my younger sister, but because she had a talent for it.


    She had top-notch agility, physical strength, adaptability, and utilization skills.


    My coaching was quite rigorous, and she grumbled that it was difficult, but she endured it and persevered when she saw her skills improving.


    As I trained and tumbled, I got a taste for it too. Because she was my younger sister, I was filled with enthusiasm as I trained with her.


    Watching her, I remembered that I was the person who had blocked Yoon-hees path in the past.


    My younger sister, who was loved by our parents and her friends because of her fiery and unapologetic personality.


    Because of me, her dreams were shattered, and she ended up having to be watched over for the rest of her life. All I could do was watch her from afar.


    What if I had the courage back then to face her myself instead of being too afraid to do so?


    <em>I felt like youre just nagging me. You said that you didnt think you could properly guide me and that you might end up causing trouble. But I dont agree with you. The best decision I ever made was encouraging you to take the civil service hunter exam.</em>


    It was her response when I once asked her of what she would have said to me if I had be a viin.


    <em>Try not to do anything viinous. Stick to Sister Da-hyun! You can do that, right?</em>


    It seemed like she trusted Jung Da-Hyun more than me. When did she start calling Jung Da-Hyun sister? It was just a passing thought, and I didnt ask any further.


    Thank you for looking out for me, little sister.


    Wait, why are youughing so disgustingly? Donte near me!


    Whos harassing you? I just want to train you. Itll be fun.


    Whats so fun about training? Mom! This brother is trying to catch me!


    She struggled as she searched for her parents, who were in the countryside, but soon fell silent.


    Theres no room for such struggles when things get too tough.


    ***


    Level measurement.


    Its an essential process that hunters must go through.


    The level was the measure of ones strength, and high-level awakened beings were evaluated as the nations main power and treated ordingly.


    The levels of awakened people who were active on the front lines are 4 to 5, and levels 6 to 7 are high-level awakened beings, while level 8 was called a transcendent awakened being.


    Especially, level 8 awakened beings were the most powerful force in the world, possessed by no more than ten people in any country except the United States.


    Currently, South Korea officially possessed four level 8 awakened beings.


    With a systematic nurturing system and the emergence of excellent prospects, South Korea was considered one of the strongest nations of awakened beings in the world.


    Thats why those who nurture promising prospects didnt believe in the existence of geniuses who appear likeets. True geniuses were made by thoroughly demonstrating their talents since childhood and polishing them.


    But today, thatmon sense was shattered. Jung Ju-ho, with a very stern expression, looked at Jung Da-Hyun.


    Did you know?


    I didnt know it would be this much either.


    Level 7, can you believe it?


    We have to believe it.


    Right, we have to believe it. The measurement device wont lie.


    Level measurement didnt represent allbat abilities. However, its the most widely known method and boasted high uracy.


    In todays level measurement, Choi Jun-ho proved to be Level 7.


    Thinking it might be an error, he checked with other measuring devices several times, but the results were the same.


    From Level 1 to 7, a growth process with no probability. And support for a government hunter.


    There wasnt anything he understood from beginning to end.


    If youre in your mid-20s and youre Level 7, guilds would be fighting to take you in, even if they had to pull up their roots.


    What kind of person is the Choi Jun-ho you saw?


    Hes like a nk canvas.


    A nk canvas?


    Yes, a pure white canvas that doesnt match his age.


    She felt a sense that he was broken somewhere, but chose not to mention it.


    Choi Jun-ho was a person who needed to be handled with care. The more he was restrained, the more he would react in a more extreme way.


    If he was mishandled, there was a high possibility that humanity would face a giant disaster that it had never faced before.


    Thats why Jung Da-hyun chose to be near Choi Jun-ho.


    But the canvas is white, isnt it?


    I guess it can be stained.


    Yes, its dangerous.


    He could be a loyal government hunter, but he could also be a more dangerous viin than anyone else if a mistake was made along the way.


    The Choi Jun-ho that Jung Da-hyun saw was like that.


    I need to be next to him.


    I trust you, but Im concerned about the fact that there was no important information about his past.


    Ill learn gradually. If he had an ulterior motive, I wouldnt approach him like this.


    I guess so. Okay, keep an eye on him for a while.


    Jung Ju-Ho tried to end the conversation there, but Jung Da-Hyun pointed out something that could be easily overlooked.


    Also, theres one more thing you should know.


    What is it?


    The level measurement device... it can only measure up to level 7.


    No way, it cant be.


    Jung Ju-Ho shook his head vigorously. But he felt a chill running down his arm.


    To measure level 8, a measuring device located in the central government was required. Even awakened individuals at level 8 showed up as level 7 on a normal measuring device.


    Jung Da-Hyuns conjecture was absurd. But it was also something to keep in mind.


    It cant be, right?


    Im just telling you what I think.


    Well, we need time for this. Well report it to the upper management and keep the guys level disclosure hidden for a while.


    Okay.


    ***


    Two weeks after bing a government hunter.


    I received the internal affairs andpleted the level measurement.


    My level was 7. After internal discussions, we decided to publicly disclose my level as 5.


    I was not particrly attached to levels, but I was somewhat curious since it was different from the level I was evaluated in my past life.


    In my previous life, I saw many high-level viins who were showing off their skills at a nationwide level, only to have their heads exploded by a low-level viin. Thats why I didnt believe in levels. Its better to see it as the level of power I could exert.


    Today, I went out with Jung Da-Hyun for field work. Finally, we had some on-site work.


    She said we should not let our guard down, so instead of having soybean paste stew for lunch, we had spicy pork stir-fry. I was not sure what the difference was, but the intense atmosphere was well conveyed.


    Last time, you suggested that we should catch more viins directly. Correct?


    Yes.


    The truth is, its not that we dont want to do that. We just cant do it. More precisely, we cant catch the viins.


    Couldnt catch the viins? It was a hard thing to understand.


    Compared to the size of the city, the number of awakened people dedicated to catching viins is small. Most of them are too preupied with hunting demons and calcting the value of loot. This seemingly peaceful city is actually full of holes like a Swiss cheese.


    I nodded my head. Even though I was persistent in chasing viins when I was one, there wouldnt have been enough personnel to cover all the viins in the pyramid.


    I was crazy and killed openly, but I never saw a viin walking around, smelling of life, and with both eyes open like normal, awakened people.


    But the biggest problem is this.


    Jung Da-Hyun grabbed her cheeks.


    Fake face?


    Thats right.


    The fake face, also known as the fake face mask, was simr to an invisibility cloak and was a disguise tool made by processing the skin of humanoid monsters. It is also a favorite item among viins. Although it could not be used for a long time due to its toxicity, it was useful within the city.


    The number of awakened individuals is insufficient, and viins hide their identities and move around. Thats why we have no choice but to focus on containment rather than prevention, even when working with multiple teams.


    Is there no way to recognize a fake face?


    You have to recognize it up close with facial recognition, but thats...


    It would cause a bacsh, wouldnt it?


    Because there is already resentment towards awakened individuals.


    Awakened individuals were objects of admiration, but they were also like a newly emerged ss. Citizens envied their strong power, wealth, and fame. However, the underlying sense of inferiority was a problem.


    Ordinary citizens wanted awakened individuals to be under control, and they were wary of the privileged ss that consisted only of them.


    Thats why we aim to subdue viins as quickly as possible through a systematicwork in the event of an incident. Thats the best we can do.


    I have a question. Which is more important to you, eliminating viins or ensuring the safety of citizens?


    The safety of citizens.


    Even if the surviving viin bes a disaster in the future?


    ...What I realized while working as a government hunter is that you cant have everything. If you cant have both, citizen safetyes first.


    Her straight gaze turned to me. It was the same look I had seen in my past life. The look she had before she died in my hands.


    I didnt dislike people who try to adapt to reality without giving up their beliefs.


    I still believe that arresting one viin is the way to ensure the safety of a hundred citizens. That hasnt changed.


    Mr. Jun-hos thoughts can potentially create an innocent victim.


    Well, you can just apologize then. Lets think of it this way, isnt it better to be vinated than not do it because of fear of side effects? For instance, look at that person walking over there.


    Yes?


    I approached the target caught by my senses.


    What, what is it?


    The ordinary-looking man, who was standing still, looked surprised when he saw me, but instead of answering, I reached out my hand and grabbed his face.


    <em>Sscrrratch!</em>


    His ordinary face transformed into a menacing one, covered in scars.


    This is how you can find viins.