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“More than that, the orientation process has become complicated, hasn’t it? Back in our day, we were just thrown straight into the field.”
“There’s been a lot of noise, I suppose. Regardless of whether it becomes a public sector or flourishes as a private market, the Director’s philosophy is that we must be at the forefront. In preparation for that, we’re making adjustments here and there: hunter qualification training, exam manuals, organizational deployment, and so on. Systematically.”
“Respected seniors, let me pour you a drink.”
While the HR Section Chief and the Grade 4 hunters were having a serious conversation, the bulky new hunter from Team 4 respectfully approached with glasses and liquor. His attitude was as meticulous as if he were addressing the chairman of a large corporation.
“Oh, thank you. You know how to navigate the professional world, don’t you?”
“Haha. It’s basic.”
“How was the test today? Not as big a deal as you thought, right?”
“Oh... Um, yes. It was manageable.”
“That’s impressive. I think it took me about an hour and fifty minutes back then. A team breaking through that cave in about an hour is the first in three years. Two to two and a half hours is the average, you know. Wow, when I first entered the cave, I seriously considered quitting. But then I thought about my bank balance and couldn’t give up. There are few places with better pay than this field, so I grit my teeth and passed, really.”
The female hunter chuckled, lost in reminiscence. At the mention of good pay, the new hunters’ faces brightened. Even the hesitant hunters at the back joined in, actively asking various questions.
“By the way, does a record of less than one hour exist for this cave test?”
“Oh... there was one team, actually. A team that broke through in 44 minutes.”
“Whoa... Who was it? Are they still active?”
Everyone was very curious, focusing their attention on the senior hunter. Bibi, who had been devouring cake, perked up her ears.
“Yes, there is. Kwon the Demon, as in, the first human to receive a Special Grade 1 without any objections when the grading system was introduced this time.”
At the mention of “Kwon the Demon,” a strange tension settled on the faces of the HR Section Chief and the Grade 4 hunters, who had been jovial throughout. The new hunters, witnessing this change, wore bewildered expressions. Someone in the back raised a hand.
“Uh... I think I’ve heard that name before! Kwon the Demon, are you talking about Hunter Kwon Doyoon? The one who broke almost every shortest record...”
At the familiar name, Bibi, who had been devouring fruit cake, raised her head. She diligently wiped the cream off her hands with a wet wipe and subtly squeezed into the conversation among the hunters.
“...Y-yes, Hunter Kwon Doyoon...”
The HR Section Chief nodded with a slightly awkward expression.
“But I heard that mine path is quite long. Assuming there are no obstacles, if you sprint non-stop, it would take at least 30 minutes, so how is that possible? Oh, were his teammates quite skilled too, perhaps?”
“W-well, he did have a teammate. But the teammate failed.”
“Why?”
Everyone was very puzzled. Bibi also became extremely curious. While it wasn’t surprising for a vampire to clear it in one go, there must have been a human with him. How was it possible without being detected?
“At that time, teams were formed with two people. Hunter Kwon knocked out his teammate and carried him over his shoulder.”
“...What?”
Everyone doubted their ears and retorted in unison. The HR Section Chief let out a hollow laugh.
“He apparently broke through quickly while carrying one person on his shoulder. Saying he hated wasting time...”
“...And he crossed that precipice bridge too?”
“He crossed it. But... he apparently just threw the unconscious teammate to the other side. They were a mess afterwards.”
The hunters’ mouths fell open at the unexpected method. Silence reigned for a moment. Somewhere, a murmur of “He must be crazy” could be heard. Bibi swallowed her cake and was impressed. To think there was such a genius method... She inwardly applauded, while also feeling regret that she hadn’t tried it herself today.
“That teammate didn’t even remember taking the test. We had no choice but to mark him as failed. Anyway, that incident led to us increasing the team size to three for the test.”
“That, Hunter Kwon, is indeed a genius in a way. I really want to meet him. We’ll have a chance to, right? Can we greet him if we run into him?”
“Try it. He’ll either mercilessly chew you out or respond perfunctorily, one of the two. He’s quite moody.”
“Pictures, aren’t there any pictures?”
The Grade 4 hunter scoffed.
“Information from Grade 3 upwards is all classified. Besides, that guy’s work is different from ours, so running into him is like trying to catch a star in the sky. I’ve worked in this field for eight years, and I’ve only seen him once, briefly, when I met the Director.”
It meant the chances of meeting him were extremely low. Nevertheless, far from being disappointed, everyone became even more curious.
“Then how will we recognize him? Does he have any distinguishing features?”
“Features, you ask... It’s clear. If you meet a freakishly handsome human at the association, assume it’s Hunter Kwon Doyoon. You’ll just get a feeling when you see him. Not ambiguously handsome, but just, wow, he’s amazing. That kind of feeling.”
The Grade 4 female hunter clearly described Doyoon’s features. Bibi agreed with the accurate description. Honestly, truly handsome humans were rare in human society. There were many beautiful women, but handsome men were incredibly scarce. Even among celebrities, they were few and far between. So, to describe Doyoon’s physical features, one word — handsome — was enough. Like distinguishing a smooth pebble from jagged rocks.
“Handsome?”
“Section Chief, is that true? It’s not just the senior’s personal preference, is it? You’d know, Section Chief.”
The female hunters, who had been standing with their hands behind their backs, their eyes sparkling exceptionally. They tried to confirm with the section chief whether he was handsome to personal taste or universally handsome.
“Ahem, ahem. I don’t know why he’s a hunter and not an entertainer. Let’s stop talking about Kwon the Demon and grades. The hunters are already quite angry about the introduction of the grading system. Something about boxing people in with their abilities...”
The HR section chief tried to change the subject, pushing the new hunters towards the food. The Grade 4 male hunter nodded in agreement.
“But I heard the Director was very firm about it. Saying that the movements of the pureblood vampires are unusual these days, so they need to prepare...”
“Whoa, pureblood vampires... Is there a chance we’ll encounter them while on hunter duty?”
A Team 4 member who hadn’t backed down re-entered the conversation.
“Encounter pureblood vampires? Haha, don’t worry. Absolutely not. You’re more likely to work with Hunter Kwon Doyoon, even. They’re noble and high-ranking, so they’re not interested in the affairs of this humble world.”
“But nowadays, citizens are starting to notice vampires... And I heard politicians are making various preparations too. Couldn’t we eventually make contact?”
“That’s right, I suppose. From what I’ve heard through the grapevine from the Director, there’s quite a bit of movement on the pureblood side as well. Saying the balance of power seems to have shifted...”
“Balance of power?”
The HR section chief, who was about to close his mouth, carefully avoided revealing sensitive information, yet he kept rambling, driven by the unique thrill he felt when teaching someone.
“Hmm... Well, you’ll learn about it in the orientation anyway, so I’ll give you a brief preview. There’s a pyramid even in the world of our noble pureblood vampires. At its peak, there’s a force with absolute wealth, power, and strength. Primarily, the Elder Council and the Executioner. It’s the Elder Council that communicates with the human world. We speculate that ancient vampires are part of the Elder Council.”
“What’s the Executioner?”
“The vampires’ grim reaper. Everything about them is shrouded in mystery, but one thing is certain: they are the biggest of big shots. Beings we can never meet, and shouldn’t meet.”
“......”
“If you get entangled with them, your life will vanish like a fly. I hear that even silver bullets don’t work on them. The places they’ve passed through have all been scorched earth, and they were once called a calamity. Like the Black Death.”
Instead of feeling tense, everyone became even more intrigued, pouring out questions. However, the HR section chief said that the world of pureblood vampires was so shrouded in secrecy that he only knew this much.
“Anyway, it’s a bit scary. A calamity, you say... And I can’t believe there are beings superior to humans. Honestly, when I see hybrids or regular vampires, they just seem like zombies...”
“Does it feel real now? The world you’re entering? Learn properly and do your best from now on.”
“If possible, I’d like to learn from Hunter Kwon Doyoon!”
A female new hunter shouted with a cheerful giggle.
“Still saying that. Didn’t you hear me? Hunter Kwon Doyoon doesn’t take on new recruits. He took on one junior ten years ago and hasn’t taken any since. Even then, he was very picky, choosing someone to his taste.”
“...Whoa... Is that so?”
The new hunters showed overt disappointment.
“There are many amazing people besides Hunter Kwon. You all know that the Korean Hunter Association’s scale and performance rank among the top 6 worldwide, right? There are tons of formidable and skilled hunters here from various backgrounds, including UDT, intelligence agencies, and the NIS. Kwon the Demon is just uniquely exceptional. What about Kim Bibi? Ms. Kim Bibi, who do you want to work with? You set the shortest record in the cave today, so we should respect your choice.”
Suddenly, all eyes turned to Bibi, who was standing behind the table.
“I also... Hunter Kwon...” Bibi mumbled shyly.
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