A Public Servant Hunter Who Exploits Skill Combinations – Chapter 3
Translated by: Hanzo
Chapter 3: Admission (1)
A man with a white beard stood on the podium.
The president of the Hunter Academy.
"Hello, new students of the 4th generation of the Hunter Academy. My name is Hong Pal-gwang."
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Hong Pal-gwang saved the world. He was one of the key figures who led South Korea from the brink of destruction to its current state. Ranked among the top ten hunters in the country, his reputation was legendary.
That happened ten years ago. In other words, when I was ten years old.
But even legends had their flaws.
And his?
"Becoming a hunter in this era we live in might be..."
It began.
He talked way too much.
The most dreadful time was always when Hong Pal-gwang delivered his speeches.
"Lastly... the hardships and trials you will face are merely a small part of life..."
This was already his third "lastly."
"And... lastly... from now on, you will..."
The fourth time.
Even listening again felt exhausting.
‘I don’t know why I was so eager to listen back then.’
A yawn crept up. Looking around, it was clear that many new students shared my sentiment—some were already nodding off.
Then, a familiar face caught my eye.
‘Mun Jung-ho…’
He would later become an S-rank hunter, widely recognized in the field. His father, Mun Man-choon, was a renowned hunter, and with his father’s full support, Mun Jung-ho achieved rapid growth.
Thirty years ago, I had no connection to him and wasn’t particularly interested. But seeing him now, he looked surprisingly... approachable.
‘Is this the psychological difference that comes from knowing the future?’
Connections were crucial in any field, and this one was no exception.
‘Who else was there...?’
As the president droned on, I searched my past memories. It had been so long that the details felt blurry.
‘In the end, what matters most are the major events and skill combinations...’
While I mulled over these thoughts, the president finally began his closing remarks.
"...Thus, I sincerely congratulate you on your admission, which will contribute to making South Korea safer and bringing glory to our nation."
Whether he realized it or not, half of these people won’t bring glory—just debt.
Wow—
Relieved that it was finally over, the new students clapped and cheered.
As the president stepped down, Teacher Choi Jung-gang ascended the podium and grabbed the microphone.
"All students, please remain in your seats."
A smirk tugged at my lips as I crossed my arms.
‘Here it comes. Establishing authority.’
Teacher Choi Jung-gang was akin to a head disciplinarian.
This place gathered 500 newly awakened individuals from across the nation. Fresh out of high school, most of them were still just kids. The teachers here had to guide them carefully—they couldn’t afford to falter.
"Attention!"
Despite the teacher's call, the atmosphere remained noisy.
"Pay attention."
The students were still disoriented by their sudden awakening.
The Hunter Academy wasn’t just about training; it was also about preventing accidents during this volatile period.
When dealing with new awakeners, the choice of words was critical.
"Hey, you little punks! Can’t you keep quiet!?"
Choi Jung-gang, who had started calmly, finally let his temper flare—or pretended to.
In truth, he only started yelling because the parents and the president had left the auditorium.
"Did you come here to play around?"
The chaotic noise immediately quieted. The teacher infused mana into his voice, creating a sharp, prickly sensation in the air.
His ability to control the atmosphere stemmed from his sensory trait. Naturally, his skills were honed in that area for maximum efficiency.
‘Who got caught back then...?’
I vaguely recalled someone being used as an example, but the details eluded me.
As I glanced around, trying to jog my memory, the disciplinarian’s sharp voice pierced my ears.
"You! The one looking around with your head turning left and right! Come out!"
‘Got caught.’
Looking at the disciplinarian, I realized he was staring in my direction.
‘Was it the guy behind me who caught his attention?’
Curious, I turned my head to look.
"You, the one turning your head! Yes, you!"
"Me? Are you talking to me?"
I pointed to myself.
"Yeah, you! Get out here now!"
‘Oh, great… Was I the one caught?’
Screech!
As I stood up, my chair scraped loudly against the floor, drawing everyone's attention.
‘Wait—he told us to focus on him. Why am I the one being stared at? I wasn’t the one caught back then.’
The teacher didn’t miss my slightly annoyed expression.
"Well, well. Look at that face. Got a problem?"
The disciplinarian grabbed my ear.
"Ah, sir..."
"Sir? When did I say you could call me sir?"
‘Thirty years ago. I saw you for two years straight.’
I wanted to say it, but it wasn’t worth the attention.
"What makes you so special that you can’t focus when I’m talking? Didn’t you hear me say to pay attention?"
There was no need to escalate things.
"I’m sorry."
In situations like this, a quick apology worked best. Dragging it out only makes things worse.
"Hand."
"...What?"
The teacher grabbed my hand and directed one of his skills into my body.
Thirty years ago, I’d seen someone endure this skill, writhing and screaming in pain. It felt like being stabbed with needles in every joint.
The skill was called Thorn Vine.
I’d experienced it myself once during a class, so I knew it well. As the memory of that excruciating pain surfaced, a chill ran down my spine.
Was it because of that?
Reflexively, I used my mana to block the energy the dean was channeling into me.
"...!?"
For a moment, his expression darkened before reverting to normal.
It was rare for someone who recently awakened to manipulate mana. If this had been my past self, I’d have been completely overwhelmed.
But now? It was a different story.
This body had fought countless battles.
'Oops. Should I have just endured it?'
The dean suddenly withdrew his mana. His expression turned more serious as he asked,
"Who are you?"
"...What?"
His gaze sharpened.
"Are you really a new student?"
"...Yes, I am."
He scanned me up and down.
"Lately, a lot of people seem to be sizing me up."
"...What’s your name?"
"Jung Tae-sung."
"Jung Tae-sung... Are your parents Hunters?"
"My parents are ordinary people."
Sometimes, new students had Hunter parents. Those students might inherit skill cards or learn to control mana early on—like kids mastering basic techniques before even starting school.
"When I say pay attention, you’d better pay attention. Got it?"
"Yes."
"Go back."
I bowed politely and returned to my seat.
‘What’s going on? That guy never lets things slide...’
As I sat down, I could feel the eyes of all the freshmen boring into me.
***
After some discussions among the instructors, a teaching assistant stepped forward and addressed the group.
"We will now begin dormitory assignments. Please take out your Hunter ID cards."
The process involved matching each photo to the student and measuring their mana to confirm Hunter status.
I remembered standing in line with Jun-hyuk after meeting him on the bus.
‘Let’s see... Should I mess with Jun-hyuk a bit?’
Thanks to his tall frame, I spotted him right away. Sneaking up behind him, I glanced at his Hunter ID card.
It was still a disaster.
The instant-photo booths at the registration center had a reputation for producing horrendous pictures. He looked like someone straight out of the Joseon dynasty.
"Pfft..."
It was funny back then, and was still funny now.
The teaching assistant holding Jun-hyuk’s ID suppressed a laugh but eventually lost it.
"Pffft! What’s up with this photo?"
Fortunately, I was no longer part of the embarrassing-photo crowd.
"Yeah, it looks like a complete mess," I added.
At my comment, Jun-hyuk’s face flushed red.
After laughing for a while, the assistant checked the roster and said,
"Choi Jun-hyuk, age 20."
"Yes, that’s correct."
"Assigned to Building A, Room 302. Here’s your key."
"Thank you."
"Next, Jung Tae-sung, age 20."
"Yes."
"Also assigned to Building A, Room 302."
Hearing this, Joon-hyuk frowned and muttered under his breath,
"Ugh... Stuck in the same room as this rude, sharp-tongued guy..."
I heard every word, you know. Still sulking over the photo comment, huh?
Knowing his future, I couldn’t help but find it amusing.
***
Everyone lugged their belongings to their assigned dorms. While others struggled with heavy trunks, I carried mine with ease, thanks to my mana-enhanced strength.
Back in the day, I’d struggled too.
But this time, I was the first to arrive. Of course, I already knew the way.
‘Hmm... Did I arrive too early?’
I waited at the entrance, planning to go in with the others.
Suddenly, someone leaned out of a second-floor window and shouted,
"Hey, you! Since you’re here early, bring my stuff up!"
I looked up to see who it was.
‘That bastard...’
Another memory resurfaced.
***
"Hello! My name is Jung Tae-sung, a new recruit. I’m D-rank and specialize in physical enhancement."
That was the start. The beginning of my bad history with this guy.
Of all places, he ended up in the same guild I joined.
His older brother was a higher-ranking member, so he’d gotten in through nepotism.
"Deok-gu, make sure you watch over your assistant."
"Your name’s Tae-sung? I’m Eom Deok-gu. You’re an academy graduate too, huh? Nice to meet a junior here."
"...."
Every chance he got, he called me.
"Tae-sung."
"Yes."
"Get me a coffee."
"Ok."
I came to hunt monsters, not run coffee errands.
"Tae-sung."
"Yes."
"Go grab me some cigarettes."
For crying out loud...
"Tae-sung."
"Yes."
"I left my jacket at home. Go fetch it. You know my house code, right?"
"....."
I could have quit out of frustration...
But I had to survive. I couldn’t face my parents after boldly declaring I’d become a Hunter. And the Hunter taxes were crushingly high.
To cover them, I had no choice but to stay in the guild.
Freelance work as a Hunter? Nearly impossible.
And getting into another guild? Not an option with my skills.
An assistant’s job was supposed to involve support during monster hunts.
But this guy treated me like his personal errand boy.
In short, he was a total... jerk.
***
And now, that jerk was standing in front of me.
What a pleasant surprise.
......
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