Chapter 6: Awakening and Secrets Unveiled
by AfuhfuihgsThe HunterNet was in chaos once again.
[Supporter] – [Zz]
Coins: 301,874,560
The donation rankings showed an overwhelming gap between Zz and the second-place ranker, making any competition meaningless.
Public reactions were equally intense.
[Upvote if you’re proud to be born in South Korea!]
(A gif of the Korean flag waving proudly)
(A meme of Min Hayul supporting Cheonma beneath the radiant glow of divine light)
Count me in!
Who even shot this angle?
Wow, Cheon Yeoul and Min Hayul are both absolutely stunning.
Look at that determined expression while bleeding—cinematic!
Someone bring me some national pride juice!
How can an angle like this even exist?
Forbes’ Pulitzer Prize contender, right here.
So, you’re saying that glow was Zz all along?
LZz-sama, were you always this divine?
[Who the hell is Zz, anyway?]
(A gif of Lucifer vanishing helplessly into the radiant light)
What kind of skill creates light this overwhelming?
Can’t even make out the shape!
Tried analyzing with pixels, shading, and even 3D scans—still can’t decipher anything.
Actually, Zz might just be the light.
Maybe Zz is secretly bald and radiant?
Or Zz mastered Sunfist.
Perhaps Zz knows where my TV remote is hidden.
Curiosity about Zz’s true identity grew daily, almost leading to deification.
After all, South Korea had finally produced a hunter rivaling national-level forces.
South Korea was now a country that had successfully handled two world bosses on its own a feat no one could dispute.
It had earned its place as an undeniable hunter powerhouse.
International reactions poured in, with translated foreign reports trending on social media.
Video platforms were flooded with clips of Cheonma and Zz’s achievements, amassing tens of millions of views and claiming top spots in global rankings.
Watching foreigners desperately try to decipher “Mol?lu” is hilarious. They’re treating it like a secret code.
King God Mol?lu strikes again.
Never thought I’d see Korean emerge in an MVP speech, but it turned out to be Mol?lu. 😂
When I told them “Mol?lu” means “Mol?lu,” one foreigner almost punched me.
At the Hunter Association headquarters, the director sighed heavily.
“Well, at least they didn’t curse in their MVP speech.”
“Judging by the hastily chosen nickname and that odd comment, they seem like a peculiar awakened individual.”
“A weirdo. But at least not a villain, thank God. Still, how do we even manage someone like this?”
The association existed to regulate awakened individuals. Hunters were essential for managing the anomalies that appeared nationwide.
Assigning them to the right roles was the association’s responsibility, which gave the director frequent headaches.
His frustration spilled over into yelling at his subordinates.
“At this rate, a foreign guild will poach them, and what are you all doing about it?”
“…We’re sorry.”
“Will sorry fix anything? Use that time to track them down!”
‘Why don’t you do it, then?’
‘That blinding light made it impossible to even look at them. How am I supposed to find someone like that?’
‘Can’t even locate them yourself, but you’re yelling at us… Ridiculous.’
‘Ugh, I want to go home. This job sucks.’
Working under a rigid, bureaucratic system with steep hierarchies wasn’t easy.
Sure, the salary and benefits were great, but the government workers couldn’t help but feel resentful.
“Hmm, yaaawn.”
I slowly opened my eyes, still lying in bed.
What time was it?
No idea.
Rolling over, I buried my face into the teddy bear.
I wanted to drift back to dreamland, but my eyes were wide open.
“This… This can’t be!”
I wasn’t sleepy at all!
Suddenly, a wave of worry struck me.
I was supposed to feel drowsy, yet here I was, wide awake.
Why? How?!
I sat up in bed, the blanket clutched in my small hands as I muttered to myself, “Could something be wrong?”
This was a first for me.
The perpetual fatigue and lethargy that usually haunted me were gone.
And not feeling sleepy? That was unheard of.
With an almost silly gesture, I tapped my feet lightly on the bed and began to think.
Then, as if struck by a profound realization, I gasped.
“Oh! If you sleep well, you’re not sleepy anymore!”
What a groundbreaking discovery. Not that I’d have known—good sleep was a luxury I’d never had before.
The sensation of being completely rested wasn’t bad at all.
“Haah.” I stretched both arms above my head, letting out a satisfied yawn.
My muscles, tight from sleep, relaxed as my arms and shoulders extended, releasing a slight groan from the strain.
‘Ah… feels nice.’
However, a certain movement—or lack thereof—caught my attention.
“My chest… is flat?”
I gave my torso a quick once-over, patting lightly. Nothing filled my hands. The absence of any sensation was oddly disappointing.
“So… I’m flat-chested,” I mumbled.
Shrugging it off, I got out of bed, only to wince as my bare feet hit the cold floor.
“Ah! It’s freezing!”
A shiver ran through me, but it couldn’t be helped. Sleeping with the air conditioner on and a blanket wrapped around me was the perfect balance.
Just then, the door creaked open.
“So, you’re finally awake—Kyaaa!”
“Good morning.”
“Good morning? It’s already evening! And put some clothes on!”
“Ah.”
For a moment, I thought she was rubbing her eyes because of irritation, but no.
‘Right, I’d already healed everyone who worked hard after the incident. She shouldn’t be feeling any pain.’
I smiled faintly, proud of my angelic abilities that could heal with a mere snap of my fingers.
Seeing her healthy and well only brightened my mood further.
“You’ve been asleep for two days straight! I was worried!”
“Only two days? That’s not so bad.”
“Only two days? How long were you planning to sleep?”
“For as long as I wanted.”
“That’s called dying!”
Her reaction was… amusing, to say the least.
‘She gets so serious over the oddest things.
She can’t even meet my eyes directly, but that’s because she’s being respectful and considerate. Such a kind-hearted person.’
Perhaps it was because I’d become an angel, but seeing good people made me happy.
As for being naked? I wasn’t particularly bothered. Still, I started to gather the scattered clothes and put them on.
Unfortunately, the clothes I had weren’t my size, leaving them uncomfortable and awkward.
She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Fine, I’ll lend you something of mine for now.”
“Thank you.”
I heard the sound of her rummaging through a closet, likely pulling out something from her childhood.
After a while, she handed me a simple white T-shirt and dolphin shorts.
“Oh, these fit perfectly!”
The loose yet comfy clothes made movement easy. I nodded in approval.
“Now that’s better,” she said. “So, what’s your name? I’m Cheon Yeoul. Who exactly are you?”
“Me?” I hesitated briefly before answering. “I’m Baek Seol.”
“Baek Seol, huh. Do you know any guardian contacts? Parents, maybe?”
“Nope.”
“…Figured as much. You’re sure there’s no one?”
“Nope.”
“Are you lying? Because if you’re a runaway—”
“No, really. There’s no one.”
“…”
Her silence stretched for a moment before she muttered something under her breath.
FFI.
It was inherited. And when symptoms began, they were always fatal.
Without sleep, humans die. That’s just how it is.
Difficulty speaking coherently, hallucinations, emotional instability they were just the beginning.
Eventually, the inability to control muscles and the onset of amnesia would follow.
Historically, depriving someone of sleep was even used as a form of torture.
That’s how unbearable the pain of sleeplessness was—beyond anything the human mind could fathom.
‘That’s why I lived such a lethargic existence. My parents are likely dead somewhere, too.’
Without the restorative power of sleep, my energy had always been conserved to the bare minimum.
A survival mode, if you will. But existing in such a state was like being half-dead anyway.
She seemed at a loss for words.
“F… Could it be because of that giant thing—?”
“No, it wasn’t that man. The goblin was much more threatening.”
“Wait, you ran into a goblin?!”
“Yes, I barely survived.”
Though, thanks to that encounter, I became an angel. At last, I could escape the fatigue that had defined my life.
Had I not awakened, I would have likely been chewed up and swallowed alive.
Not that it would’ve made much difference, considering the terminal illness would have killed me soon after.
“And healing my eyes… was that because of your awakening?”
“I awakened because I almost died.”
“Awakening often happens when someone’s life is on the line… So, that’s why you were passed out on the street?”
‘Nope, I just fell asleep because I was tired,’ I thought, but kept quiet. Let her draw her own conclusions it seemed easier that way.
If this flow of events continued, things might go smoothly.
‘Yes, raise me. Nurture me.’
She clapped her hands together suddenly, as though a decision had been made.
“Alright, I’ve decided!”
“Decided… what?”
“I’ll support you. I may not look like it, but I’m a pretty successful Hunter.”
Her words sounded sweet, but then she added, “So, let’s head to the Association together.”
And just like that, the situation grew bothersome.
The next day.
“So, what’s your skill rank again?”
“…s*x rank.”
“…Let’s be serious. Registering your Awakener information with the Association is an important process.”
“It’s true, though.”
“I didn’t take you for the joking type, but… fine. I’ll just put you down as F-rank. Next.”
‘What is this?’
I opened my skill window.
[Skill List]
「Unity of Body and Soul」
- Rank: S (Ex-traditional)
- Description: Achieve perfect unity with the entity most deeply connected to you.
- Cooldown: Single-use only.
「Sleeping Deity Technique」
- Rank: S
- Description: You are the ultimate master of sleep, unlocking unparalleled power through slumber. The deeper your sleep, the greater your abilities. Sleep becomes both your weapon and shield.
「Bond Summon」
- Rank: S
- Description: Summon the entity most deeply connected to you.
- Cooldown: Single-use only.
“Oh?”
I hadn’t realized it before, but two additional skills had been added to my arsenal.
Without meaning to, I’d inadvertently lied about my skill rank.
“Well, I don’t feel like correcting it now. Too much effort,” I muttered, brushing it off.
Living as an F-rank probably wouldn’t matter much, would it?
After all, I’d just be sleeping anyway.
It’s not like someone as insignificant as me could accomplish anything meaningful.
“But two skills I can’t even use… that’s a problem.”
Becoming an angel, I could dismiss Unity of Body and Soul as irrelevant, but the fact that I could only use the other skill when I was asleep? That was just trash.
“Maybe I should try using it just for fun?”
Bond Summon.
The system message popped up.
「Skill, Bond Summon(S) is in use.」
But… nothing happened.
“Did it fail?”
…XIX?
The system’s kinda disappointing.
I wasn’t really bothered, though. I just shrugged it off.
I stood there absent-mindedly, gazing out the window when, suddenly, rain began to pour from the sky.
Boom! Boom!
It was a torrential downpour.
“Why does this weather forecast always get it wrong? They said it wouldn’t rain today…”
I muttered, noticing that there was no sign of it stopping.
“Wait a second… this feels suspicious.”
Could it be…? Did I cause this?
“Impossible,” I yawned, brushing it off.
Meanwhile, S-rank #3, the psychic, Min Hayul, hovered in the sky, lost in thought.
Her recent battle with the fallen angel, Lucifer, played in her mind.
She had been powerless.
If she hadn’t been a celestial being, she would have been killed on the spot.
In fact, had Zz not intervened, everyone there would have died.
“Why am I so weak…?”
She longed to grow stronger.
But she didn’t know how.
To kill him, she needed to become far stronger than she was now…
Clenching her teeth, she glared at the sky, her gaze sharp, when something caught her eye.
A person was falling from the sky.
It looked dangerous.
“Is that a villain?”
Min Hayul’s psychic energy surged, rippling through the air, as she extended her hand.
A powerful telekinetic force twisted the atmosphere as the falling figure was snatched out of the air and yanked toward her.
“Who are you? Reveal your identity.”
The woman, drenched in rain, stared at Min Hayul with fierce golden eyes and golden hair.
Her aura was one of pure malice.
“A filthy lower being dares…”
“State your affiliation and name. This is your final warning. Are you a villain from overseas?”
The conversation ended there.
The golden-haired woman drew a sword.
The sky itself split in two.
0 Comments