Hunters despised the weak.

People with terrible personalities could at least be tolerated, but those who lost fights against monsters were deemed completely useless.

An open gate was proof of failure.

In the end, someone else would have to clean up the mess.

No one in the industry liked seeing their colleagues make mistakes. In such an environment, no one welcomed deadweight.

"Hey, let's move it along."

"If you fall behind in a gate, it's just natural selection. We take no responsibility."

To make matters worse, the terrain was rugged mountains. As expected of hunters, they paid no mind to those lagging behind.

Achilles clicked his tongue.

[Unlike heroes, hunters really are hopeless.]

"I don’t think a World Boss who trashed Seoul has much room to talk."

[Isn’t the ultimate reason for climbing the Tower to protect the world? From what I see, you hunters have completely reversed your priorities. The moment conquering the Tower became the goal, the things you were supposed to protect were left behind.]

I wasn’t sure about that.

I wasn’t one to blindly hate someone’s actions. I had very few biases.

People were just trying to survive their own lives.

"Hmm."

My hesitation was brief.

I just remembered my past self. There had always been a lack of warmth in my life.

Why was it so hard for people to show a little kindness?

I moved my short legs quickly toward the person.

Her face was flushed from drinking. The stench of alcohol hit me immediately.

"Urgh."

"Are you okay?"

"Uuugh. El? No... Did I overdo it yesterday? Ugh, my head’s spinning."

She had clearly drunk too much. Jung Chaemin swayed and leaned toward me.

It looked like he was about to collapse onto me.

In that moment, I had to make a choice.

Should I offer my chest or my shoulder?

'Yeah, no. That's not happening.'

I offered my shoulder.

It was terrifying how helpless drunk people could be.

What was there to lean on in my tiny elementary school-sized body?

Even so, Jung Chaemin slowly pressed more of his weight onto me.

"……I think I’ll live. This height is just right."

Her body heat touched me. Her cheeks, warmed by alcohol, felt surprisingly heavy.

"You should’ve refused some drinks. You can’t just accept everything they hand you."

"Khh. Are you worried about me? Well, kids don’t understand, but adults have their own circumstances. It’s part of social life."

I was a little curious.

This woman was dressing as a man.

She wasn’t meeting any romantic interests, so why was she drinking?

The life of a social butterfly was still a mystery to me.

"You knew the gate schedule, but you still drank? You even posted the announcement yourself in the group chat."

"I’m aiming for the pre-med track as my second-year major, right? Somehow, I ended up at a drinking party, and this industry is so small that backing out wasn’t an option. El, you shouldn’t grow up to drink like me."

"……I don’t think I’m that weak to alcohol."

"You tiny thing! Just say ‘Yes~’ and answer cutely in times like this."

"Yes."

"Hahaha! Our El is so adorable. So obedient."

I let her ruffle my hair half-heartedly.

From the laughter I heard, I could tell my hair was now completely disheveled in all directions.

Ding.

At that moment, my smartwatch buzzed.

Since we were still near the gate’s entrance, it worked for now, but as we ventured deeper, all electronic devices would stop functioning.

The message had no sender.

There were five in total.

–-------------------------------------------------------------

• Stop acting up^^

• A brat acting all innocent—seriously, what a pain.

• Do you think you’ll stay first place forever? Just focus on your own bowl of rice.

• Look at this full-health chick already flirting with guys. Tsk tsk.

• (ツ)凸

–-------------------------------------------------------------

"Again?"

"El? What’s wrong?"

"Nothing. It’s nothing."

Maybe because midterms were getting closer, the bullying had intensified lately.

The fact that grown students were going this far against an elementary school-sized kid was just ridiculous.

How intense was their competitive spirit?

A single exam, a single ranking.

Could such a trivial number change people this much?

My head throbbed.

'Should I open my eyes?'

My eyes could obtain all information so even their anonymity wouldn’t matter.

But I quickly shook my head.

Opening my eyes always had to be done carefully.

If I burned through all my energy processing visual data, I could faint again.

This was trivial to me.

'Collapsing inside a gate would be the worst.'

I was already behind schedule, and now I was stuck babysitting a hungover mess.

Regret? I won’t lie, there was some.

This was a chance to see how theoretical knowledge played out in real combat.

An opportunity to observe movement techniques and mana usage firsthand.

And I was missing all of it.

Still, a part of me felt satisfied.

What was the most valuable thing in this world?

People.

"Hehe. It’s reassuring having you around, El."

"Stop leaning on me and get on Hayangi’s back."

"Huh? I can?"

"We have to keep up."

Even Achilles didn’t object.

[……Just this once.]

Swallowing a Achilles’ essence, the Labrador Retriever had transformed into a spirit beast.

It had grown larger.

Already, it was several times my size, easily big enough to carry a full-grown woman.

And it would only get bigger.

Jung Chaemin was just excited.

She stretched her arms wide, embracing the wind.

"Wow, it’s huge! So soft! Hayangi is the best!"

If only she realized…

That the creature she was riding on wasn’t just a pet, but a World Boss that once threatened an entire era.

According to Awakening Studies…

The [System] assigned higher ranks to abilities that corrected the impossible.

The prestigious guild, Taesan Bukdu. Its guild master, Kwon Seong. His skill?

Too famous for anyone not to know.

An SSS-rank skill.

[Yi Jin Jing].

Even an S-rank ability was considered impossible to replicate with modern techniques. Freezing skills fell under this category.

But Kwon Seong?

He analyzed the SSS-rank Yi Jin Jing with his own methods, interpreted its mnemonic phrases, converted it into data, and established an optimized training regimen.

And he didn’t keep it to himself. As a founding member, he generously shared it with his guild members according to internal regulations.

Through collective intelligence, they refined Yi Jin Jing.

From it, seventy-two techniques were born, the foundation of their prestige.

Naturally, their goal was to gather exceptional talent.

To expand the seventy-two techniques even further.

That was why, despite being an F-rank with severe personality issues, Kang Sihoon was accepted into Taesan Bukdu.

'Where did that girl go?'

He had taken his eyes off her for a moment.

The girl he had been eyeing had suddenly disappeared.

A curse flew out immediately.

"Fuck! Sihoon Hyung!!!"

Such was the hunter industry.

If someone failed to pull their weight, others demanded accountability.

Blaming others was second nature.

The guy yelling had barely spoken to him before. He must have been waiting for a chance to criticize him.

Kang Sihoon just chuckled.

In an instant, his hand shot out.

Lightning-fast.

Thud!

His strike carried precise weight.

The monster caught in his fist was sent flying with a dull impact.

The scene beyond his shoulder was breathtaking.

Even when mastering the same techniques, talent made all the difference.

The hunter who had been swearing shut his mouth.

"Just do your own job properly."

"Yes, sir!"

Kang Sihoon was enjoying himself.

Hunting was fun.

'This is why I hate sharp little brats. They always catch on too quickly.'

He had done his share of work.

With that as justification, he spoke up boldly.

"Team leader. I’ll go find the ones who disappeared."

"You?"

The concern was written all over his face.

The guy’s reputation was atrocious, after all.

His expression wasn’t one you gave a person. It was how you looked at a problem.

Kang Sihoon smirked.

Seeing that, the team leader hesitated for a moment before nodding.

He knew, too.

How bizarre it was for an elementary school-sized kid to be in a prestigious academy.

How many could see this as a normal situation?

The most brutal exam season in history.

Team leaders who had failed to get their own children into the academy would find this situation even more incomprehensible.

It was easier to assume something unfair had been involved.

Perhaps, nepotism.

They took her falling behind as proof of it.

"Fine. Bring them back. Even if they die, it would only damage the academy’s reputation. But if you rescue them, it’s a chance to show the dignity of a prestigious guild."

"Heh. Then I’ll be on my way."

After Kang Sihoon left, a new recruit spoke up.

"So, is that rumor actually true?"

"What rumor?"

"That he used to be completely useless."

The way he spoke. Was this the so-called MZ generation?

Tick, tick.

One by one, modern devices stopped functioning.

Such was the mystery of gates.

The team leader, who had been flicking his lighter, cursed under his breath and traced a circle in the air.

A small flame flickered and quietly ignited.

He brought his cigarette to his lips indifferently.

A slow plume of smoke curled into the air.

"Yeah. There was a time when a demon attacked the gate. After that, the useless bastard got stronger. Or rather, his talent changed. He started rising through the ranks fast."

"Why do you think that is?"

"How should I know? Even low-ranked hunters usually have some hidden lifeline for emergencies. He must have something he doesn’t want others to know about."

Even after joining a guild, competition continued.

Just as students silently compared grades with their classmates.

Just as office workers kept tabs on their colleagues' salaries and connections.

Which academy someone came from, what department they graduated from.

Which skills they used, what their combat style was.

Who was close to the top rankers, what kind of connections they had.

For a new recruit, it was natural to be curious.

Whoosh!

The wind lashed against her cheeks.

Hayangi was truly majestic.

Fast and powerful.

It didn’t feel right to keep it all to herself.

Jung Chaemin glanced back.

A tiny elementary school-sized kid was desperately moving her short legs.

Each stride of the four-legged beast equaled three or four of her steps, yet she somehow managed to keep up.

Jung Chaemin’s chest tightened slightly.

She barely resisted the urge to run over and hug her.

'Every time I look, it feels like she’s grown. Is this what it means to be a genius?'

An absurd level of talent.

She hadn't been this skilled when they first met.

She didn’t know the details, but Ernian’s movement technique had depth.

It had to.

She hadn’t learned much formally.

She was merely chaining together footwork techniques meant for gauging distance in short exchanges.

A movement technique that should only last for a step or two required absolute balance, strength, and precise energy control.

It wasn’t just difficult… it should have been impossible.

Ernian’s mind buzzed.

With every motion, she was certain there was a more efficient way.

Was her current posture optimal?

Was the energy she directed to her Yongcheon Acupoint sufficient?

This imperfection gnawed at her.

She needed to broaden her knowledge.

The Stormflow Light Step she had seen from the Twins of Ruin.

It still wasn’t enough.

The Heavenly Demon’s Body.

She had yet to fully grasp the sensation of drawing out the limits of this body.

Then.

"Where do you think you're going, sweetheart?"

A man approached with a tone dripping with arrogance.

Startled, her eyes instinctively opened.

The ideation that constantly spread around her.

He had bypassed her awareness and appeared suddenly.

'When did he get this close?'

Even as she thought this, his hand reached out without permission.

Its trajectory was impure.

She read his movement like she was reading a book and dodged instantly.

Their brief scuffle ended in a natural standoff.

Complex emotions flickered across the man’s face.

He had struck without revealing any presence, from an extremely close distance.

He hadn’t even put in real effort, simplifying the trajectory on purpose.

And yet.

A mere student had evaded it.

"Oh. You dodged that?"

A reaction of surprise.

For once, Ernian felt the same.

Her eyes were fully open now.

She could see everything about him.

'72 techniques, huh. So this is how he moves. '

As if he had sensed she was waiting for this moment.

An opportunity to expand her knowledge had presented itself.