Chapter 4: The great monster is not easy to face the hunter

Han So-Yeon.

Was there anyone in Korea who didn’t know her?

She was the powerful long-range specialist who protected her comrades fighting on the front lines.

Unlike other high-ranking Hunters who prioritized public recognition, she didn’t boast about her contributions in supporting her comrades from afar.

It wasn’t that she shouldn’t, but she simply wasn’t interested in such things.

However, her achievements became widely known due to a particular incident.

During a raid on a large monster, where an S-rank and several A-ranks were deployed, they were pushed back and nearly killed.

At that moment, Han So-Yeon saved their lives by landing a series of near-rapid-fire shots, targeting the monster’s vital points.

The incident was recorded by a Guild official nearby and handed over to the media, naturally gaining explosive public attention.

‘I felt the same way.’

Jo Sung-Il admired Han So-Yeon.

To him, who aspired to be a hero, she was a true hero, dedicated to her duty, silently supporting her comrades without boasting about her accomplishments.

“Huh?”

Seeing Jo Sung-Il frozen in surprise, Han So-Yeon tilted her head again.

“Do you know me?”

『……No.』

Seeing her expectant gaze, Jo Sung-Il instinctively feigned ignorance.

‘I can’t reveal my identity.’

He couldn’t be sure how he, in his current form, would be perceived in Korea.

If he were rejected by the Hunter Association, his original self, Jo Sung-Il, could be deemed a threat as well.

That might prevent him from joining any Hunter groups.

Therefore, hiding his identity was the best course of action for now.

“But just now, it seemed like you did….”

『I was mistaken.』

Jo Sung-Il answered firmly.

『I was reminded of a human I knew in the past. That’s all.』

“Hmm. Is that so?”

Han So-Yeon shrugged, accepting his excuse without much thought.

“But if you knew a human, that means you’re not our enemy, right?”

『I’ve said it several times already. I am not an enemy.』

“Alright. I believe you.”

Han So-Yeon readily accepted his claim.

“I saw you saving people. You could have wiped them out along with those lizard monsters, but you didn’t. Even though you had no reason to.”

『Then….』

“I still have questions, though.”

There were rare monsters that appeared at the sites of monster waves.

These monsters often possessed extraordinary power.

Just like now.

“You suddenly appeared out of nowhere. All the hostile and destructive monsters we’ve encountered so far have appeared that way.”

Han So-Yeon drew a conclusion based on what she had witnessed and the information she possessed.

“So, if you’re truly not our enemy, I want you to make a promise.”

『What is it?』

“Let me monitor you.”

Han So-Yeon said in a serious tone.

“I’ve never seen anything like you before. The Hunter Association will need proof to decide how to treat you. Concrete proof that you’re not an enemy.”

『So I….』

“You can only convince me, or maybe a few others who were there. You say you know humans, but we don’t trust monsters easily.”

Jo Sung-Il fell silent at her words.

‘That’s understandable.’

Monsters were enemies of humanity.

Enemies who had killed friends, family, and countless humans.

‘I definitely need to keep my identity hidden.’

In this form, the risk of incurring public hostility was too high.

Besides, he could only transform into a human once a day.

If his monstrous form was his default state, it would only raise more suspicion.

“So, what do you say? Will you agree?”

Han So-Yeon asked again.

Jo Sung-Il pondered for a moment before answering.

『I refuse.』

“Huh? Why?”

Seeing her bewildered expression, Jo Sung-Il spoke again.

『Does anyone enjoy being monitored?』

Being monitored would make it impossible to use his limited human transformation.

His identity would be revealed.

『I’ve conveyed my thoughts and will act accordingly. You do the same.』

Having said his piece, Jo Sung-Il nodded.

『Now, get off my shoulder.』

It was difficult to converse with her through sidelong glances, especially since she was so small.

She nodded slightly at his words.

“I refuse.”

However, her words contradicted her actions.

“This is like an agreement. A gesture of mutual respect, you could say.”

『Why are you suddenly spouting such nonsense?』

“I like you. I can’t tell you why right now.”

Seeing her slight smile, Jo Sung-Il swallowed nervously.

‘She’s cute.’

He almost fell for it.

Jo Sung-Il gritted his teeth and responded firmly, hoping for a proper encounter in the future.

『Get off my shoulder now. I will not allow you to monitor me.』

“I’m not getting off~!”

『You….』

Her attitude was quite different from what he had seen in the media.

He didn’t dislike it, but it was disconcerting right now.

『If you don’t get off, I’ll have to use force.』

He tried to sound tough, but Han So-Yeon didn’t budge.

Finally, Jo Sung-Il sighed and made a decision.

‘There’s no other way.’

He had to resolve this without hurting her. Jo Sung-Il shook his body vigorously.

THUD!

With surprising ease, she fell off his shoulder.

It was a considerable height. It looked like she would get hurt if she fell straight to the ground.

『!』

WHOOSH!

Jo Sung-Il instinctively lunged.

PAAAAAANG!

He caught Han So-Yeon with his hand as he fell sideways, crashing into the Han River with his back.

『D*mn it.』

Jo Sung-Il, having landed in the water with a splash, opened the hand he had placed protectively over his chest.

Han So-Yeon was safely nestled there.

“As expected.”

Han So-Yeon stood up on his hand, completely unfazed.

“You’re really not an ‘enemy’.”

She had been testing him.

As Jo Sung-Il stared blankly, Han So-Yeon suddenly suggested,

“If you don’t like being monitored, how about we start by being friends?”

『Friends?』

“Yes.”

She nodded slightly.

“You said you’re not an enemy. Well, you didn’t say you’re an ally, so I guess you’re not sure yet. I’m trying to win you over.”

『What are you planning…?』

“I…”

Her eyes suddenly changed.

“I want to make this world peaceful again.”

『Peaceful?』

She put her hands on her hips and asked,

“Is that childish?”

A fleeting look of bitterness crossed her face.

He remembered the media reports saying she had lost her family to monsters.

Yet, even while looking at him, in the form of a monster, she longed for the peaceful past rather than expressing anger.

Jo Sung-Il felt a lump in his throat.

『…It’s not childish.』

“Really?”

Han So-Yeon smiled.

“So, will you be my friend?”

『Hmm.』

“Alright. Then let’s have a cooperative relationship.”

『Cooperative relationship?』

“Give me a way to contact you. If you do that, I’ll meet you when you need me.”

Jo Sung-Il held his breath.

‘A way to contact me?’

Only one thing came to mind.

『Alright. Then give me your phone number.』

“Wait, are you really a monster?”

『I learned about it in the past.』

“Hmm. Well, I have a lot of questions, but I can’t stay here any longer or I’ll be seen. Okay, my number is….”

After giving him her number, Han So-Yeon offered him a piece of advice before leaving.

“If you have nowhere to go, try heading that way. You’ll find a place called Olympic Stadium. There’s a colony of plant monsters there that release harmless spores, so it’s a good place to hide. Don’t worry, the spores are harmless.”

『Why are you doing this for me?』

“You haven’t told me everything about yourself yet, so I’ll save my questions for later. I’m really going now.”

With those words, she jumped and disappeared.

『…Well, I guess I didn’t need to save her.』

Watching her agile movements, Jo Sung-Il sighed and chuckled.

He had somehow gotten an S-rank’s phone number, in a way he never expected.

As he pondered this absurd situation, Han So-Yeon ran through the ruined cityscape, muttering to herself,

“But how is he going to call me?”

A crucial question had just occurred to her.