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IHVIGO 09

IHVIGO

Chapter 9

You don’t quite understand what’s going on right now? That’s totally understandable.

“Wait a sec—ah… Got it!”

For the record, neither Kwon Seowoo nor I have gone crazy from stress. We just had a very specific goal in this patch of grass.

“That’s the fourth one already! Wow, how did you even know about this, noona? Did Mr. Woo teach you this too?”

“Something like that.”

Taking advantage of the chaos caused by internal conflicts, we successfully caught four F-rank beasts.

“I thought you’d lost your mind when you said you were going to catch monsters without even using your skills….”

“What?”

“Ah, nothing.”

We didn’t use any skills in the process. Seowoo’s nullification ability doesn’t work on beasts anyway, and I had no intention of using my skill until the final stretch of the exam.

[Objective: Earn 50 points within the time limit (Current: 10/50)]

And yet, we managed to earn points because we specifically targeted the lowest of the low among F-rank monsters—Candlelight Dragonflies.

Candlelight Dragonflies are dungeon-dwelling creatures that act as emergency lights for hunters. They’re basically magical fireflies with zero combat ability.

I did feel like we were exploiting a cheap loophole, but—

Wasn’t it the organizers’ fault for throwing these in as “monsters” to begin with?

What’s wrong with catching what they left for us to catch?

I was just playing by the rules to the best of my ability!

That’s how we each earned a very easy 10 points.

“But this place is amazing. I didn’t expect they’d recreate the Han River too! And it even looks pretty similar.”

“If you’ve got money, there’s nothing you can’t do.”

The test area recreated the area around Gangnam-daero, specifically from Nonhyeon Station to Hannam Bridge, and it even included Jamwon Han River Park. The Candlelight Dragonflies released by the association were living in this park.

If you know the original story, you can milk opportunities like this.

This was actually the place where a minor villain character from the original had farmed points. I remembered that and got a head start.

“Noona, people are starting to show up over here too. What should we do? Stay?”

“No, let’s move.”

We were done with what we came for.

Without hesitation, I left the park and headed north.

Now there are 270 monsters left.

While the total number had gone down a bit, the ones hunted so far were only E- or F-rank. The number of D-rank and higher monsters remained unchanged.

But once other teams start moving, that’ll change quickly.

“So where to now? Since neither of us can use our skills, should we keep targeting F-rank monsters?”

“No need. Actually, I need your help with something else now, Seowoo.”

“Huh? Now? What is it?”

Just then, Seowoo and I reached under Hannam Bridge.

A calm river, thick wild grass, and a shadowy area under the bridge that clearly wouldn’t be captured by the broadcasting drones. There, three figures—two men and a youth about our age—stood.

“You said if we worked together, I’d get one of them. Now you’re backing out? That’s pathetic.”

The youth frowned, standing up to the two men.

“That was if you actually fought properly, moron. You didn’t even use your skill, just let your gear do the work.”

“Yeah, we can’t give you your share if you didn’t pull your weight. You must be some no-name. Are you even C-rank?”

At those words, the youth’s eyes flared.

But the two men, unaware of the change, just snickered.

Perfect timing.

Hiding in the grass, I watched the scene quietly. The atmosphere was turning nasty.

“What did you just say?”

“We’re not giving you any share. Got a problem? Hit me then, punk. No manners.”

“…”

The youth slowly stood. His face was pale with fatigue, dark circles under his eyes. Now standing tall, he looked down on the two men.

It was tense—but what had my full attention wasn’t the trio. It was the pillar behind them, where a woman in a purple hoodie leaned, resting.

“…So I really can hit him, right?”

The youth muttered as he wiped blood from his lips.

At that moment, the figure in the purple hoodie stirred.

Now.

I turned to Seowoo and shouted.

“Okay, Seowoo! Now go—!”

But his voice came from behind me—not beside.

“Excuse me.”

In the blink of an eye, Seowoo had approached the two men and tapped their shoulders.

When the heck did he move?

“You shouldn’t gang up on one person like that.”

He was smiling, but his overwhelming presence reminded me—he’s the protagonist, after all.

Yeah, I probably didn’t even need to help.

That’s when I realized something important:

The protagonist will act like a protagonist, as long as I set the stage.


* * *

Just like the original, everything was resolved quickly after that. I did provide some cover fire before things got out of hand, though.

“Seowoo! How many times have I told you not to run off alone like that? I said stay next to me!”

“T-The department store!”

“Exactly! You just awakened and you’re already S-rank! I told you over and over, you could accidentally splatter civilians like tofu if you’re not careful! Do I need to show you a corpse before you understand?! I’m gonna die young at this rate!”

As I shouted fabricated facts at full volume, the two guys stopped talking—then ran off like disposable extras. A laughably pathetic exit.

After confirming they were gone, Seowoo looked back at the youth—and gasped.

“Are you okay? Oh no, your mouth’s bleeding! Did they hit you? Is that even allowed? Should we report this?”

“…No. I got hurt fighting a beast. They never hit me. I’m fine.”

“Really? But there’s a footprint on your clothes…”

“So glad you’re okay! But what were you doing with guys like that? Sounded like you were on the same team.”

Before the mood got any more awkward, I clamped a hand over Seowoo’s mouth.

The youth murmured with a sigh.

“This was my first exam, and I’m not combat-type, so I joined them. But they were useless—they couldn’t even kill an E-rank beast, wasted my gear, and stole the credit. Pathetic excuses for hunters.”

So basically, he helped beat the monster, but they snatched the last hit.

The exam awarded points to whoever landed the final blow. But for most rookie applicants, understanding the system and executing it were two different things—making them easy prey for retakers looking to exploit them.

No wonder they’re still retaking the exam.

“Anyway, thanks. You saved me a lot of trouble.”

Despite the big, obvious footprint on his clothes, I let it slide for his pride.

“So you’re not with a team now?”

“Nope.”

“Then want to join us? It’s better than going solo, right?”

“Noona?”

Seowoo looked shocked, but I ignored him and focused on the youth. He raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t even know what my ability is.”

“Doesn’t matter. We’re not exactly combat-specialists either. We just figured having one more person would help.”

“What? Noona, since when—mmph!”

“But you said earlier he could explode people like tofu…”

“That was obviously a lie.”

I smiled brightly, still covering Seowoo’s mouth. He muttered “tofu…” under his breath.

“I’m Kwon Asol. That’s Kwon Seowoo.”

Just like in the original, he had a stoic face that made it hard to read his thoughts. But that didn’t matter now.

“Alright. I wasn’t planning to stick with anyone anyway.”

He suddenly held out his hand.

I took it and looked up. Under those dark circles and tired expression was a sharp, cold-featured handsome face.

“My ability is equipment crafting. It’s A-rank. Name’s Piwooly. Nice to meet you.”

[New party member acquired! (Party size: 3)]

Just as the notification popped up—

“Wait a sec!”

That voice. I’d been waiting for it.

“You guys just said… you’re the department store Awakeners, right?”

She was here.

The moment I heard that voice, I felt like swearing from nervousness—but I kept my cool and turned around calmly.

Somehow, the girl in the purple hoodie had gotten behind us.

After a brief hesitation, she boldly took off her hoodie.

“Can I join your team too?!”

Holy crap.

Her purple hair and bright orange eyes shone as they were revealed.

I was so stunned I forgot to respond.

“I’ve been watching since you drove those guys off. I was going to step in, but someone beat me to it. I wanted to make sure you weren’t faking kindness to exploit him.”

Unreal.

“And I was curious about you guys being late Awakeners… plus, all the others here are trash.”

The hairstyle—long braid draped to one side—was the classic “anime mom who dies early” look.

She was none other than my favorite character in this whole <Underworld> universe—the one I’d most wanted to meet after being reincarnated here.

“I’m combat-type. I absolutely have to pass this test. I won’t be a burden, promise!”

She stepped close, grabbed my hand with desperate eyes.

“And we look about the same age, so let’s drop the formalities, okay? I’ll work super hard!”

I’d planned to play it cool, but that plan vanished instantly. I nodded like I was under a spell.

“Sure. Let’s be a team.”

“Really?!”

“Noona?!”

“Let’s pass this test together. No—let’s aim for rank #1. I think we can do it.”

“What? That’s embarrassing… but you’re such a good person!”

She grinned shyly and held out her hand.

Forget everything else—this was what life was about.

“I’m Shin Yeomyung. Let’s definitely pass!”

“I’m Kwon Asol. Let’s do our best!”

Piwooly and Shin Yeomyung.

In the original story, they were the protagonist’s companions—trusted friends who faced countless missions and challenges with him.

They were the classic “main character and their two best friends” trio.

Strong, righteous, and loyal—they never abandoned their allies.

And in this insane world, that loyalty was the most vital trait of all.

Trust and strength—that’s what I needed to survive.

I ignored Seowoo’s betrayed expression and shook Yeomyung’s hand tightly.

And as the familiar notification sound chimed, a new message appeared:

[New party member acquired! (Party size: 4)]

[Achievement unlocked!]

[Achievement: “Exchange names with four or more Awakeners.”]

[Achievement reward: New feature unlocked!]

[Update: You can now view detailed information of anyone you’ve exchanged names with.

※ Viewing higher-level details requires authorization.]

…Huh?

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I’m not a Hidden Villainous, I am a Gate’s Owner

I’m not a Hidden Villainous, I am a Gate’s Owner

I’m not a Hidden Villain, I am a Gate’s Owner, I’m not the Hidden Villain, I am a Gate’s Owner, I’m not the Hidden Villain, I am the Gate’s Owner, 흑막은 아니고요, 게이트 주인입니다
Score 9.9
Status: Ongoing Type: Author: Artist: , Native Language: Korean
I was reincarnated into a shounen hunter comic—infamous for killing off both main and supporting characters without mercy. The problem? I’m a civilian with zero combat power. Living a normal life and bouncing from one part-time job to another, I was just trying to get by—until I got caught up in a Gate incident. By the time I came to my senses… [Welcome, Awakener !] [Your Unique Ability has been successfully identified!] “…What?” All I got after nearly dying was the same ability as the original villain of the story— And the shocking truth was that my younger brother is the actual protagonist of this world. With that in mind, I have only one goal: “In this completely chaotic shounen comic, I need to keep my airheaded brother alive!” But then… [Your Personal Gate has been created!] [Your exclusive beast has been summoned!] From the fully opened Gate, hundreds of teddy bears came pouring out. …So my power is to summon stuff like this and fight with it? – Wait, am I the only one who thinks the teddy bears are cute? – What is that pudding-looking thing??? ↳ Shockingly, it’s the new beast Kwon Asol summoned. – Why do all the beasts Kwon Asol summons have those faces LOL And now, my journey begins—accompanied by people whose sense of aesthetics has been completely shattered.

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