Chapter 5

"Haesun...!!"

The sister who had been treated by Kirill regained consciousness.

After a while, she clung to me, shedding tears, and eventually fell into a deep sleep.

Until the moment she fell asleep, she kept repeating, "Thank goodness."

The thought of almost telling her that she had received a death sentence made me feel dizzy.

The sister had no memory of what happened after encountering the giant toad.

So, I could easily cover it up.

I told her that I "luckily received help from a hunter nearby," and as always, she believed me without a doubt.

Well, now is not the time to nitpick.

While the sister was in a deep sleep, I skimmed through internet articles and turned on the TV.

On the old TV screen, the latest news about today's gate was being broadcast.

Once the immediate crisis was averted, the doubts I had about the gate resurfaced.

Why didn't the hunters wait in advance?

They didn't even set up a safe line to restrict civilian access, let alone defeat the monsters.

If that line had been properly established, the sister wouldn't have entered the gate.

As the reporter's coverage continued, my anger grew.

Today, in the Republic of Korea, a 'Double Gate' opened.

A unique situation where gates opened in two regions simultaneously.

It was a rare case, but not unprecedented.

However, the reporter's emphasis on it being an "unprecedented special case" had its reasons.

The appearance of poison-type monsters, which only appear once a year, and both monsters in the 'Double Gate' being poison-type, was a rare occurrence.

The regions where the double gate occurred were Gupadong and Kaebangdong.

Both are within the same district but are often mentioned due to the extreme wealth gap.

Gupadong is known as one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the Republic of Korea.

And Kaebangdong, where people like us struggle to make ends meet.

Someone said,

"The longer the tongue, the more it wags."

Though the reporter is not from the Glory Guild, their detailed explanation made my face contort.

Soon, I came to the following conclusion:

"Kaebangdong has been abandoned."

The comments on the internet articles I checked were similar to my thoughts.

- Damn, what bad luck. How could poison-type monsters appear in a double gate?

- Over 500 people died. It's the highest number of casualties in recent years.

- Glory bastards, they have money for ads but not for equipment to deal with poison-type monsters?

- No, no. Glory is a top guild. The poison-specialized team was already dispatched. They just didn't go to Kaebangdong.

- Either split the team or abandon one place. They chose to abandon the poor in Kaebangdong.

- Honestly, it's a reasonable decision. When the guild's jurisdiction expanded, they had to take on poor areas. They had to protect the rich neighborhoods first.

- I'm glad it wasn't our neighborhood. They say they'll recruit more people and get more equipment, but it's a familiar scene.

- Meanwhile, the Glory Guild swept up all the A-class hunters this quarter. They're acting like they're going to conquer the world.

Although the Glory Guild is officially a public welfare organization, they are ultimately a group that pursues profit.

They might have made a rational choice for themselves.

But, will the residents of the abandoned area think the same?

"Damn... talking shit..."

The more I think about it, the more nauseous I feel.

Whether it's a double gate or poison-type monsters, the idea of weighing lives is repulsive.

Especially for money.

Even if they had dealt with the other side first and then come to our side, I could have understood.

According to the eyewitness in Gupadong, after the situation was resolved, the Glory Guild immediately withdrew.

Even though people were dying right next to them.

No matter what reasonable reason they had, the fact that the abandoned people died a miserable death is clear.

If I hadn't met Kirill, I would have ended up like them, a corpse.

Ultimately, their choice to save the wealthy and powerful area was correct.

Interviews expressing gratitude to the Glory Guild flooded in from high-ranking officials in various fields, while the news of the deaths in Kaebangdong was covered up as an "unavoidable unfortunate incident."

* * *

Tap tap.

Sitting on the floor with my knees drawn up, I lightly toss a black sphere with one hand.

At first glance, it looks like I'm playing with a baseball, but anyone familiar with monsters would be shocked.

"Information."

Muttering softly, the device Kirill gave me displayed information about the sphere.

Identification: Core of Giant Toad

Acquisition Difficulty: A Class

Type: Black Core

Warning: Highest-level caution item by the Hunter Association. Contains strong toxins, requiring special management.

Monsters typically have a 'core' called a heart.

The color of the core varies by type of monster, and the core of poison-type monsters is always black.

Hence, it's called a 'Black Core.'

Among hunters, the Black Core is known as a 'pie in the sky.'

It contains several times more energy than regular cores, but its toxicity makes it difficult to use as a weapon or absorb into the body.

Just holding it would cause most people's hands to melt due to its powerful toxins.

Tap.

I tossed and caught the Black Core as if it were a toy.

This was the second gift Kirill left me, after the lens-shaped device.

"This thing's toxicity is strong, but compared to you, it's child's play. Try to recall the feeling when you used the poison step. Something interesting will happen."

"Is this... how it's done?"

Recalling Kirill's words, I gripped the Black Core.

Sss...

The color of the Black Core resembled the gate that opened during the day.

A deep black that seemed to absorb everything around it.

I closed my eyes and recalled the feeling of the Black Ether Kirill gave me.

The energy Kirill infused into my feet.

At first, there was no noticeable change, but as I focused, changes began to appear.

Hum.

"Uh...?"

The hand gripping the Black Core trembled.

Not from the cold, but because the core began to resonate with my body.

I concentrated harder and tightened my grip on the Black Core.

Shrrr.

I opened my eyes, startled by the strange sensation.

Oh, my God.

The solid Black Core was melting like ice cream.

The state of the Black Core is changing.

Black Ether conversion in progress, current status 31%... 52%... 74%.

The Black Core, which was previously dark, began to develop a unique luster.

The energy Kirill gave me.

Black Ether.

I didn't have any doubts about how to absorb it.

The moment I turned it into Black Ether, it felt like it was part of me.

Srrr.

The Black Core had completely turned into a liquid state.

And the liquid slowly seeped into my body through my palm.

Perhaps because of the awakening.

The Black Ether being absorbed felt like blood.

No, more fundamental than blood.

It felt like 'life force' was being infused into my body.

In a short time, the Black Ether was fully absorbed, and I felt more refreshed than ever.

The user's Black Ether index has sharply increased.

Black Ether capacity: 1,000BA → 1,500BA

The newly injected Black Ether can be used for physical enhancement.

The Black Ether I received from Kirill was 1,000BA.

After checking the information provided by the device, I couldn't help but be surprised by two facts.

The first was Kirill's ability.

The Black Ether she gave me was only a small part of what she had.

Yet, that small amount was twice the quantity of an A-class Black Core.

I couldn't even imagine how skilled a hunter Kirill was.

And the second.

"Physical enhancement...?"

This was something I hadn't heard from Kirill.

A poison user enhancing their body.

I thought it was natural for a poison user to use Black Ether to fight, like when Kirill showed me the 'poison step.'

"But... maybe..."

There was a part that made sense.

The reason I could easily learn the poison step from Kirill.

It was because of the Black Ether she implanted in my feet.

The ability to move quickly, surpassing human limits, was possible because the Black Ether 'enhanced' my feet.

"..."

Then.

Think about it the other way around.

If the result of enhancing my 'feet' with Black Ether was the poison step, what would happen if I applied it to my 'entire body'?

I asked the device urgently.

"If I keep making Black Ether and enhance my entire body, how far can I go?"

If the user's Black Ether exceeds 10,000BA, they will gain physical abilities comparable to an S-class Knight.

"Wow!!"

An exclamation of amazement escaped my lips.

An S-class Knight.

It means that without using poison, they can easily outperform most physical-type hunters.

A hunter who can engage in close combat with the best Knights while using skills like the 'poison step.'

The words Kirill spoke about being "the strongest being in the world" might not be a lie.

Just thinking about it made my heart beat faster.

The dreams I had to bury deep in my heart due to my illness.

Those dreams were slowly rising from the depths of my heart.

I want to beat all the damn monsters.

I want to get rid of the poverty that made my family suffer.

Most of all, I want to be strong enough not to have my life weighed by others.

* * *

The next early morning.

Swoosh.

I ran my hand through the sleeping sister's hair.

Despite her appearance, she's a strong person. I hope she can hold on.

I changed into comfortable training clothes and left a note by her pillow.

According to Kirill, the deadline to obtain the antidote is one week.

There's not a single day to waste.

Tada!

I ran at full speed to the place where Kirill taught me the poison step.

I was a little out of breath, but it didn't feel difficult at all.

Unlike before, when I had to take a bus even for short distances.

Now, after the awakening, my body was no longer frail.

"Alright, then..."

In the early morning, before the sun even rose.

I closed my eyes to control the Black Ether I had stored overnight.

Srrr.

Like a fish swimming in the sea, the Black Ether slowly circulated in my body.

As if waiting for a command.

The part of my leg where Kirill had already infused the Black Ether didn't need further enhancement for now.

I took a deep breath and began to slowly spread the Black Ether throughout my body.

Zing.

Like when I converted the Black Core to Ether, the Black Ether resonated with my body.

After a short while.

It had taken root in every corner of my body.

"How effective will it be?"

Although it was only about half the amount Kirill gave me, I had obtained an A-class core.

An A-class monster is not something a single A-class hunter can defeat.

It requires a team of more than five A-class hunters.

Considering that even a medium-sized guild in the country has fewer than 10 A-class hunters, this core is a treasure to me.

I wanted to test how much it would help with physical enhancement.

"Completely crazy, but..."

I faced the wall of the empty lot and raised my right hand.

Seeing the concrete wall reminded me of the hard skin of the giant toad.

If I had tried this before, my hand would have broken, but now the situation had changed.

No, it had to change.

I clenched my teeth and swung my fist at the wall.

Bang!!

"Ouch...!!"

Damn.

It hurt so much that tears almost came to my eyes.

Was this amount of Black Ether not enough to achieve physical enhancement?

Crack.

"?"

The sound of a crack stimulated my ears.

Blowing on my hand, I turned my gaze in the direction of the sound and was stunned.

A large crack had formed in the concrete wall.

A feat impossible for a normal person.

Since I had applied Black Ether to my entire body, it wasn't just my fist that was enhanced.

"What is my current physical level?"

It is comparable to the lowest level of a Knight.

"...Good."

Before embarking on a short journey, I felt a very satisfying change.

Even though it's the lowest level, a 'Knight' can handle several ordinary men.

After shaking my hand once.

I gave an order to the device.

"Tell me Dr. Jin's location."