3 chapter - F-Class Hunter Park Jihoon (3)

[Are you Hunter Choi Changshik?]

"…Yes, that's me."

[This is about the Gate with serial number AG-0765-F, which you raided today around 3 PM. I'm calling regarding an incident that occurred there.]

For a brief moment, countless thoughts tangled in my head.

What exactly is this about?

Did they find out about my Trait?

But how? The Gate is already gone.

Ah, right—there are Hunters with Traits that allow them to read minds. Could it be that woman from the Management Bureau?

No, that doesn't make sense. Why would someone with that level of ability be working there…?

Just as my thoughts began spiraling, the detective continued.

[Did the deceased leave any final words for you?]

“…What?”

[Anything about how they wanted their assets handled, for example.]

“Oh…”

Final words…

Realizing the reason for the call, I felt the tension in my body dissolve.

"I didn't hear anything like that. We were too focused on fighting to talk."

[Hmm… That makes things complicated.]

"I'm sorry about that."

[Wait! Please hold on.]

"Yes?"

[Actually, the late Park Jihoon was listed as having no known relatives. It might sound strange, but you’re the only recorded special contact.]

“…What? Special what?”

[Special contact. Normally, this would be a close friend or romantic partner, but according to our records, the deceased had neither.]

I knew that better than anyone.

But hearing it from someone else… made it feel even more miserable.

It's not like I wanted to live alone.

My response came out sharper than intended.

"So what?"

[You're the only person Park Jihoon had been in contact with for the past three months. So…]

In short, they wanted me to handle Park Jihoon's funeral.

"Alright. I'll take care of it."

[W-Wait, really? In that case, there's a Public Funeral Assistance Center that helps with cases like this. If you call them, it'll make things much easier for you.]

"Thanks. Take care."

[You too. Thank you for your time.]

Handling my own funeral with my own hands…

How ironic.

Afterward, I contacted the funeral assistance center and arranged the procedures.

[There's no need to worry about funeral costs. The deceased had an insurance policy that covers everything.]

“…There was insurance?”

It was a policy even I didn’t know about.

So money was being deducted from my account for this all along…

[Yes, yes. You can opt for a simple service.]

Since there was no body to bury, everything would be handled on paper. A formal funeral wasn’t necessary.

But I didn’t want that.

"I'll cover the remaining costs. Give him a proper three-day funeral."

Even in death, I refused to be treated like trash.

"Haah…"

Of course, no visitors came to my wake.

I had arranged food and drinks, but I was the only one standing vigil over my own funeral.

How lonely.

Not that I had expected otherwise.

This was just how my life had been.

For someone like me, who had been too busy trying to survive, maintaining relationships was nothing more than a luxury.

Maybe I should’ve just gone with a simple ceremony.

But as I looked at my framed portrait, decorated with flowers on the altar, I knew I had made the right decision.

This is the last thing marking the end of my life. A little indulgence is fine, isn’t ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) it?

I poured a drink and raised the glass toward my own photograph.

"At least I’m here for you, right?"

A funeral attended by no one but myself…

The situation was so ridiculous that I let out a hollow laugh.

After emptying my glass, I whispered:

"Rest in peace, Jihoon."

Because from now on, I would be living as Choi Changshik.

"Ahem."

A sudden cough from behind startled me.

When I turned around, I saw a stunning woman with long, purple-dyed hair standing there.

It took me a moment to realize—

A visitor?

Without thinking, I asked,

"Who…?"

I didn’t recognize her.

I had never been acquainted with someone this beautiful in my life.

If we had even exchanged a single word before, I would have remembered her.

"Hunter Association, Jeong Jieun."

"Hunter Association? Why would the Association be here…?"

"Are you the surviving relative of Hunter Park Jihoon, who passed away during a Gate raid?"

"Uh, well… sort of."

"First, my condolences."

She gave a small bow before facing my portrait and offering a deep bow of respect.

After completing the ritual, I spoke.

"I’ll prepare a meal for you."

"That won’t be necessary. I just need to deliver a message."

She handed me a business card.

"The Hunter Association will fully cover the costs of Park Jihoon’s funeral."

"Support? I didn’t know such a thing existed."

"He gave his life in service to the country. It's only right. Please contact us if you need assistance. My condolences."

And with that, she left.

I had heard that the government provided financial aid for deceased Hunters.

But I never imagined it would extend to F-Class Hunters.

Interesting.

Even though she only stayed for a short while, her visit warmed my heart.

It was as if someone was acknowledging that my death wasn’t in vain.

Even though I had merely struggled to survive, the Association had framed it as a noble sacrifice.

I had to admit—it felt good.

Like someone was telling me, You lived a decent life.

Not bad at all.

For the next three days, not a single mourner came.

And yet…

I felt oddly satisfied with my own farewell.

A few days after my funeral, I received confirmation.

The F-Class Goblin Cave that Choi Changshik and I had raided had been reclassified as D-Class.

Additionally, I now qualified for the C-Class promotion exam.

Just as I expected.

A, B, C, D, and F.

The ranks assigned to Hunters weren’t just titles—they were access passes.

To enter an A-Class Gate, one needed to be at least an A-Class Hunter.

Each rank also came with benefits, one of which was solo raids.

A Hunter could solo-clear a Gate two ranks below their own.

That meant I could now officially raid F-Class and D-Class Gates alone.

On the flip side, one needed to be two ranks higher than a Gate to clear it solo.

But Choi Changshik had essentially soloed a D-Class Gate.

Sure, I had been there too…

But I hadn't really contributed to the fight.

The Management Bureau would be well aware of this.

In terms of raw combat ability, I was now comparable to a B-Class Hunter.

Especially after taking down the monster goblin, my power had skyrocketed.

Yet officially, I was still only D-Class.

I was finally on the verge of taking the C-Class promotion exam.

I need to grow as much as possible before taking the test.

As a D-Class Hunter, I was required to team up with at least one other Hunter to raid an F-Class Gate.

That was why I was scrolling through the Hunter-exclusive app, searching for a party.

Ding!

A notification popped up.

[Sorry, but I’ve already found a party.]

"Damn it."

This was one of the rare cases where I actually got a reply.

Most F-Class Hunters simply ignored my messages.

I never realized Choi Changshik’s reputation was this bad.

I knew I had a bad rep, but I hadn’t expected even F-Class Hunters to avoid me like the plague.

Shit. If this keeps up, I’m screwed.

Just then—

BEEEEEP— BEEEEEP—

My phone blared with an emergency alert.

A Rapid Corrosion Gate had appeared just 1 km away, and citizens were urged to evacuate immediately.

For a public alert to go out, this had to be no ordinary Gate.

I quickly checked the Hunter-exclusive app.

[Emergency Support Request!]

A D-Class Gate?

The Rapid Corrosion Gate was classified as D-Class.

This is my chance!

I rushed out of the officetel, jumped into the car, and slammed the accelerator.

Emergency support requests were obligations for all Hunters.

Refusing to respond without a valid reason could result in a permanent revocation of Hunter status.

Other Hunters will definitely show up, too.

No matter how notorious Choi Changshik was, it was just a name on forums and the app.

In real life, no one knew what I looked like.

Korea was a country where even criminals had their faces protected.

I just need to blend into another team.

Then, I’d make a strong impression by performing well in battle.

Slay some monsters, impress my party members, and—

Join their team permanently.

That way, I wouldn’t have to form my own party.

I could officially raid D-Class Gates with them.

Hunting stronger monsters would allow me to level up faster.

If I keep this up, I might reach B-Class before the end of the year.

I was going to rise.

No matter what.

No way.

The road ahead had completely turned into a parking lot.

I couldn’t afford to lose this golden opportunity just because of traffic.

I pulled over onto the sidewalk without caring and took off running.

In the distance, I could see the Gate in the middle of the road.

A few trees had already sprouted around it.

That’s way too fast.

The Gate had appeared right in the middle of the road.

It must’ve been discovered immediately, but the Corrosion had already spread this much?

To make matters worse, there were wrecked cars everywhere.

Judging by the scene, the sudden appearance of the Gate had caused traffic accidents.

Wrecked vehicles had completely blocked the road, turning it into a massive traffic jam.

I glanced behind me.

The police had finally arrived and were frantically setting up roadblocks.

A Management Bureau official was yelling into his phone near the Gate.

"Do something already! If this keeps up, we’re gonna have a disaster on our hands!"

He was completely flustered.

It seemed like he hadn’t noticed me, so I spoke up.

"I’m responding to the emergency support request. What’s the situation?"

"Can’t you see?! We’re on the verge of a catastrophe!"

The official snapped back, clearly on edge.

"You said you’re responding? Are you alone?"

"Yes. D-Class Hunter, Choi Changshik."

Hearing that, the official muttered in panic.

"We’re screwed…"

"Am I the first to arrive?"

"…Yes. We’ve requested military support, but it’ll take some time."

It seemed like he had finally regained his composure, given how quickly he corrected his tone.

"My apologies. I was too anxious and spoke rudely, Hunter."

"It’s fine. Given the situation, I understand."

His eyes darted toward the Gate.

Even as we spoke, the Corrosion was spreading in real time.

The asphalt was turning into dirt, and grass and trees were growing out of nowhere.

Shit. There’s no time.

At this rate, waiting for other Hunters wasn’t an option.

There was no chance to form connections or blend into a party.

Looks like I’ll just have to settle for leveling up.

The real problem was that at this rate, monsters would emerge before the military arrived.

If that happened, we’d have a full-blown disaster on our hands.

There were still dozens of civilians who hadn’t managed to evacuate.

If things went south, there would be casualties.

"I’m going in."

"What? But a D-Class Hunter alone—"

"We need to buy time."

The official’s expression twisted with worry.

"It’s too dangerous alone!"

"You know that entering a Gate temporarily halts Corrosion, right?"

"That’ll only delay it by ten minutes at most! You’re seriously risking your life for just ten minutes? Are you insane?"

Going into a D-Class Gate alone was practically suicide.

I knew I could handle it, but I didn’t have the time to convince him.

"When I was a kid, I lost my parents to monsters."

"…What?"

It wasn’t a lie.

It had happened when I was still Park Jihoon.

"Ten minutes isn’t just ten minutes. It could save someone’s life."

He hesitated for a moment—then nodded with resolve.

"Please… I’m counting on you."

With his approval, I stepped into the Gate.