Chapter 7
“Gwon Seowoo?”
Why is he here?
Wasn’t he supposed to be training with Baekgyeon? Half surprised, half glad, I walked up to him. But once I got close enough, I realized Seowoo wasn’t in any condition for a normal greeting.
“I’m sorry… Please forgive me… Ah, stop…”
Seowoo was muttering with a face that looked like his soul had been sucked out. Then, before I could say anything, he collapsed to the ground with a thud and began clawing at the floor.
“Aaaaah! Hyung, Baekgyeon-nim… Please, anything but hitting me with skills full of sincerity!”
“What’s wrong with you? Get a grip, Seowoo!”
Smack smack.
A couple firm slaps brought the focus back to his eyes.
“H-Huh? N-Noona?”
As his swollen cheeks throbbed, Seowoo looked around in confusion.
“W-Why am I here? I was definitely with Baekgyeon-nim just now.”
“‘Nim’??”
His words were so bizarre, it was hard to even imagine what he had gone through.
How badly was he brainwashed?
“Oh, right. I remember now. Baekgyeon—no, Baekgyeon-hyung said he had something urgent and told me to finish the rest of the training here.”
“What? He brought you here himself?”
“No? I think I walked here? My legs hurt, so I guess that’s what happened.”
“Well, how very impressive.”
The fact that he was already laughing so easily made me feel uneasy. Can he really survive in this insane world?
But that thought passed quickly.
“Ah, sorry for interrupting, Team Leader. It must be a hassle to take care of two people at once.”
“What are you saying! I’m happy, actually. The more the merrier when it comes to training! You must’ve had a rough time getting here—take a short rest until the start time.”
“Yes! I’ll work hard!”
‘Or maybe… it’s this kind of personality that boosts his survival odds.’
Even though he’s my little brother, he’s a curious one. Maybe that’s the trait of a shounen manga protagonist: overcoming adversity with a bright and positive mindset…
That very “flower-field-for-a-brain” kind of thinking.
“But noona, what kind of person is the team leader?”
“What kind of person?”
Seowoo sat down next to me and asked in a quiet voice. I’ve only known him for a day, what does he expect me to say?
Still, I decided to be generous and shared what little I knew.
“Woo Seokwoo might actually be more skilled than what the public knows.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s still alive…”
If I had Baekgyeon’s level of skill and personality, could I have survived this hellish training without once trying to escape? Probably not.
From personal experience, I can tell: Team Leader Woo is really strong.
‘That title of “Teacher of the World’s Strongest” isn’t just for show.’
He trained four major characters from the original story—including Najin, Baekgyeon, and Sindorim—collectively known as the “senior squad” since they were kids.
‘It’s not just his strength. The way he beats people up with a smile… it’s terrifying.’
In other words, he’s been putting S-rank Awakened through the wringer for over a decade and still hasn’t been killed in revenge.
Maybe Woo Seokwoo is actually the strongest one in this world.
“Then I’ll tell you too. Baekgyeon-hyung…”
As I finished, Seowoo started to speak up, as if he wasn’t going to lose. But after a short pause, the light vanished from his eyes as he continued.
“He’s not… sane…”
His mouth smiled, but his eyes welled up with tears. I silently patted his shoulder.
“I know. He looked like that.”
“What? You met him too?”
“He’s the one who saved me at the department store.”
He was absolutely insane.
‘Thank god Baekgyeon didn’t show up at the meeting.’
Just thinking about yesterday sent a chill down my spine again. While the meeting supposedly included all relevant parties, the most important one wasn’t there.
The S-rank, current number one, and Najin’s best friend—Baekgyeon.
Technically, he should’ve been at the meeting. But he never showed up.
And I was sure it wasn’t because he was busy.
‘They probably didn’t call him, afraid he’d flip the entire meeting room.’
At this point, Baekgyeon harbored deep betrayal and hatred toward Najin. So it was obvious he’d be wary of me, someone who had the same ability as Najin.
After seeing his friend cause a terrorist incident, Baekgyeon came to detest the ability called “Gate.”
Anyway, my power would become publicly known on the day of the Hunter Exam. Baekgyeon would be there too, so first, I had to focus on passing the test.
If something happens, other hunters or Team Leader Woo will handle it.
…Probably?
“But noona, I’m kind of worried.”
“About what?”
“Do you think I can pass the exam? I mean, your ability is cool and all, but mine’s kind of… meh.”
He scratched his head awkwardly.
Is he serious? From my perspective, knowing the original, this was completely pointless anxiety.
“My skill’s not that useful against beasts. I don’t even know how to use it properly. Ah, but I’m glad I can help you when you’re in danger!”
“Hey, being B-rank is amazing. And in this world, being able to nullify someone else’s skill is ridiculously useful.”
“Really?”
Technically, his worry made sense. His ability didn’t seem suited for fighting monsters. But still…
“These days, it’s not just monsters—there are tons of psycho weirdos. Like Najin.”
Watching my brother worry about the most pointless things in the world, I couldn’t help but smile wryly.
‘Don’t worry.’
That skill of yours is going to make you a monstrous powerhouse soon.
“Najin, huh…”
Seowoo suddenly looked serious and muttered something under his breath.
‘Thinking about what to do next, huh?’
As I stood up, I casually asked,
“Hey, Seowoo. What do you see when you open your status window?”
“My status? Just my stats and skills and stuff. Why?”
“Is anything blurred or hidden?”
“Nope. Oh, you mean the post-awakening skills? I think it’s normal for those to not show up yet.”
He looked excited as he spoke, but I kept quiet and let him keep misunderstanding.
So he doesn’t have the question mark in his status window, huh?
‘Then I won’t say anything about it for now.’
I didn’t even know what it was, and if I mentioned it carelessly, I might draw unnecessary suspicion.
It seemed like one of my basic skills, but I had no idea why it was hidden like that.
“All right, everyone! If you’re rested, get up! Just three more hours today—give it your all!”
“Yes, sir!”
Training resumed immediately, and I didn’t get the chance to think more about it.
Following Team Leader Woo’s guidance, we ran laps—about a hundred around the training field—and spent hellish hours fending off attacks aimed at our vital points.
“You did it! I’m so proud of you!”
“Th-thank you. So now…?”
“Now, let’s repeat that another hundred times!”
“…What?”
To be honest, after a while, the hardest part wasn’t the training—it was suppressing the urge to punch Team Leader Woo just once.
Still, Seowoo and I endured, grinding our teeth for one reason.
The 204th Hunter Exam, broadcast nationwide in two weeks.
‘No matter what, I have to pass!’
I was prepared to do anything for that.
Two weeks later…
Seowoo disappeared again for Baekgyeon’s training, and we didn’t even have time to go home. We only saw each other again on the day of the exam.
“Noona, over here!”
‘What the…?’
Our reunion after two weeks was… very different than I expected.
I stared at Seowoo waving at me, and then at Baekgyeon standing next to him with the most annoyed face in the world.
When did they get so close? Is this what plot armor looks like?
“I got here early too, but why’d you arrive so early? What did you ride?”
“Team Leader Woo opened a portal for me.”
“Ah-ha!”
Then Baekgyeon, who’d been staring at me oddly, suddenly furrowed his brows. He seemed to remember me.
“The department store, right.”
“Yes! That was me. Thank you for saving me.”
“You’re still alive?”
…Is that a challenge?
For a second, my fist almost flew, but I stopped once I realized what he meant.
He probably meant it was surprising I survived Team Leader Woo’s training.
“Ah, yeah… Somehow.”
I went quiet thinking about training, but Baekgyeon had already turned away.
“Don’t embarrass me. Got it?”
“Y-Yes, sir! I-I’ll do my best, hyung!”
I’ve never seen Seowoo so serious.
It was easy to imagine how awful his training was. But at the same time, I had another thought.
‘He talks like that, but I think Baekgyeon actually likes him.’
Even Baekgyeon personally seeing him off before the exam? That’s definitely plot armor.
‘Well, after two weeks of nonstop training together, I guess even grudges fade.’
“Asol, do your best on the test. I’ll be upstairs! Take care!”
“Yes, Team Leader. I’ll see you after!”
If worst comes to worst, I’d just use Seowoo as a human shield.
After parting with Woo Seokwoo, Seowoo and I entered the test site.
Located on the outskirts of Seoul, the enormous compound owned by the Hunter Association was surrounded by walls. Inside was the vast 1st Exam Site.
“Whoa. Noona, this place is like Gangnam!”
Seowoo’s eyes widened as he looked around.
He wasn’t wrong—the interior was an exact replica of Gangnam street.
‘Wow. It really is.’
Even I, knowing the original, found it impressive.
Unfortunately, the awe didn’t last.
Not long after, we heard whispering from nearby…