79

Yoo Ee-Na, Kim So-Eun, and Jeong Gi-Hoon were in a C-rated gate.

Kim So-Eun was curious about something, so she turned to the older woman and asked, Ee-Na, may I ask you something?

Go ahead.

What happens if an F-rated Hunter kills an SS-rated monster? I noticed that Im growing rapidly by killing C and B-rated monsters.

Thats true.

Then how much can a person like me grow by killing an SS-rated monster?

Yoo Ee-Na thought for a bit before answering.

First of all, F-rated Hunters cannot hunt SS-rated monsters. As you know, they wont even be able to cause damage to it.

But what if they manage to hunt them down?

Yoo Ee-Na thought of the possibility.

Then that person will rapidly grow. That F-rated Hunter will immediately become B-rated, at least. However, thats just my theory.

When Lee Hwan had given them Merlins gold coins, he said that they would become one of the strongest people in the world. He told them to be ready.

With this in mind, Kim So-Eun summoned Excalibur. She would be the strongest. She would exceed Lee Hwans expectations and become the strongest.

Yoo Ee-Na was also prepared to be stronger.

The two women charged towards the C-rated monsters.

***

With a loud bang, the bullet was shot from the guns barrel. Lee Hwans words were echoing inside Yoo-Jeongs head.

Synchronize your mind and aura.

That was easy to understand; she didnt have to be a genius to know what he meant.

She was ready to step forward and grow stronger. Since she never had anyone that taught her properly, she was just repeating the same unhelpful process over and over. But because of Hwans advice, she knew the next steps she had to take, and that made her progress rapidly.

Rahab was falling into the water. She could feel that her bullet had struck the monster and exploded inside it.

Yoo-Jeong realized that she had killed it. A D-rated Hunter had killed an SS-rated monster. Despite Hwans support, it was her who caught the opportunity and didnt let her chance go.

As soon as she stood up, the system announcements started appearing.

[ The skills you have just learned are now combined. ]

[ You got unique skill Magical Bullet. ]

[ Your title is now Der Freischtz. ]

[ Your physical ability and aura are not balanced. ]

[ Skill Sense of the Elegance is tuning your unbalance. ]

[ Every stat has exceeded A-rated. ]

[ First Transcendence is occurring now. ]

So many messages appeared simultaneously from the system. With this, Yoo-Jeong closed her eyes and fell unconscious.

Soon, her body began changing its form. Her bones were breaking to reform the body so that she could become stronger. She didnt even notice that Lee Hwan was nearby.

Hwan approached her and smiled fondly.

***

I knew she could do it.

She was willing to grow and she had a desperation to become stronger, and that was why she has been working so hard. She just needed a person who could teach her properly. I did just that, and she proved herself.

I observed her growth for a while. I was proud of her, but I had to do something to support her. I fixed her position so that she can undergo the process more efficiently. I also pressed her blood vessels down so her skin can be hardened.

Now, every piece of aura inside her is connected.

I didnt expect her to undergo this process today. I would just explain it to her later; it definitely looked like she needed more time.

I turned my head and looked at Rahabs dead body, using my hand to cut its carcass in half. Inside the gaping body, I could see the blue heart of Rahab. It was not beating anymore, but it was an amazing sight nonetheless.

As a divine animal, this one lived for a long time. Unlike the others, it was still alive when we entered this gate. The heart was like the life orb of the monster; that was how powerful it was. I had also cut Musmahhus dead body to check whether it still had one, but it had been revived from the dead, so it was already gone.

However, Rahab still had its heart, one of the best life orbs that I had ever seen.

Seeing it made me curious. The other boss monsters did not have a heart like this, which meant that someone else had taken them already. At least, it was clear that the system could revive a monster thats already dead. There was a possibility that Arthur took Musmahhus heart, but that didnt seem right.

Whatever it was, it would eventually be solved.

What I had to do was focus on the present. We had just one more SS-rated gate to clear before Tiamat, the mother of all the other SS-rated gate boss monsters, appeared.

I was anticipating her arrival. I enjoyed fighting with stronger opponents and feeling the thrill of fighting with someone stronger.

I wonder what kind of monster she was.

What type of power did she have?

Could she use a black aura like me?

However strong that opponent was, I was still confident I could beat them.

I looked at the blue gem from Rahab again. Who should I give this to? The answer was fairly easy to conclude.

My brother.

I hadnt really done much for him, so this would be an appropriate gift.

As Kim Yoo-Jeong rested, I took everything from Rahab. I packed the loot neatly and headed back to her, just in time to see her wake up. She was clenching her fists repeatedly, but when she caught sight of me, she smiled.

What you said was correct.

I wondered what she meant.

I did say a lot of things, so specify it for me.

She came closer. You told me that I have the talent to become a wizard.

I did.

Now, Ive become like a wizard. I received a unique skill and title And like you said, I can collect more aura. Most importantly

She paused for a bit and smiled, her eyes misty. Im A-rated now.

I smiled and patted her shoulder.

Congratulations. I know that you worked hard for that.

She shook her head and looked into my eyes. Thank you Thank you again.

No worries. I always do my best for my people.

As she was drying her tears, she spotted the object I was holding.

Whats that?

Its some sort of elixir from Rahab.

Isnt that valuable?

Do you know anything about it?

Of course. After ingesting that, Hunters can grow rapidly.

Is that so?

Yes, thats why some people buy a lot of those and eat them.

Usually, people were greedy. That greediness made them act in heinous ways that changed the world. Even before I returned to Earth, I had gotten objects that were similar in value to the blue gem of Rahab. Someone close to me had wanted that as well. Despite already receiving a lot from me, they still had no hesitations in going behind my back. I didnt trust those types of people, so I wanted to test Yoo-Jeongs response.

Would she show her greediness?

She then asked me, Is that for your brother?

Thats correct.

She whispered the words to summon her inventory.

Put it in here. I will keep it safe.

Youll keep it for me?

Yes. You cant use your inventory now.

She was not greedy at all. All I could see from her was her gratitude. That emotion was true and clear. Yoo-Jeong would not become greedy.

I smiled and passed the object to her. Without hesitation, she put it safely in her inventory.

I dont have the intention of taking this from you, she added.

Is that so?

Ive already gotten a lot from you. How can I ever betray you?

She was truly not like the others who had betrayed me before.

You dont have to worry about me betraying you. Im not that kind of person.

I suddenly realized how rude it was to project my past onto others. I was even about to think of her as someone who would betray me. That was rude of me.

I tested you. Im sorry.

Yoo-Jeong shook her head. No worries. If that earned me some credibility, Im fine with it.

She then hugged me tight and whispered.

I have something to confess.

What is it?

My weight is not as light as I mentioned.

I smiled. I knew that the number she had given me was unrealistic.

So, how much do you weigh, exactly?

She whispered her honest answer.

Wow.

How much have you deceived me? Thats quite

Before I could finish my sentence, Yoo-Jeong covered my mouth and whispered something.

I heard that I would lose a relationship with someone if I do as my mind says.

She looked up at me and asked, Would that apply to you as well?

I laughed. She certainly was a great woman.

Not to me.

We then hugged each other. I kissed her as well.

The portal was ready for us, but I was not interested in going out just yet.

We were doing our best for now, and that made us beautiful.

Besides, I now had a person to trust.