Chapter 12

I had no intention of wasting time before next week’s culling mission.

Instead, I grinded F-rank gates non-stop—

Raising my level to 8.

At this point, goblins weren’t even a threat anymore.

Which was both good and bad.

Good? I was getting stronger.

Bad? My skills and stats had stopped increasing.

Status Window

Name: Lee Ji-seok
Job: Unemployed
Level: 8

Stats:
– Strength: 28
– Endurance: 27
– Agility: 23
– Intelligence: 13
– Vitality: 270
– Mana: 100

Skills:
– Regeneration (E)
– Tough Body (F)
– Iron Will (E)
– Poison Resistance (E)

It felt good to reach this point in just a month and a half.

But my journey was far from over.

I arrived at the resort, where hunters would stay during the culling.

Hundreds of people were already gathered outside—

Not just hunters, but government officials and support staff.

This place used to be a tourist attraction.

But after the Gate Break, tourism collapsed.

Now, it was government property—used as a hunting base.

“Hey! Over here!”

I turned to see Yang Sang-heon waving.

“Yo, Sang-heon. You joining the hunt?”

“Yeah. Need cash and a rank-up.”

He scratched his head.

“Same here.”

“By the way, just drop the honorifics.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, man. Makes it easier.”

Before we could continue chatting, a man stepped onto the stage.

“Welcome, Hunters.”

The government official spoke into a microphone.

“My name is Baek Young-shin, from the Awakened Affairs Department.

This Hellhound culling will last for seven days.”

Behind him, a large screen displayed a map—

Marking Hellhound-infested areas.

Important Announcements:

DO NOT hunt at night.
Check the Hunter app for Hellhound info.
Leaderboard: The top hunter gets a prize.

After the briefing, hunters lined up to get their room keys.

“Hyung, wanna team up?”

Sang-heon asked.

“Nah, I’m going alone.”

The culling wasn’t just about ranking up.

I wanted to push my limits.

And my training method?

Was too brutal for anyone else to watch.

“Alright. Let’s grab food later, then.”

Sang-heon didn’t push the issue.

Instead, he went off to find a party.

I liked that about him.

Some guys would’ve insisted.

While others rested,

I dropped off my bags—

And ran straight into the mountains.

With my high endurance and agility,

I scaled the steep forest at high speed.

Twenty minutes in—

My breath quickened.

—

The night air was crisp and fresh.

But it was also pitch dark.

Only faint moonlight pierced through the dense foliage.

Hellhound spawn points were marked on my GPS.

But I needed to find them myself.

I sharpened my senses.

Tried to listen—tried to feel.

But compared to my past life,

My current senses were dull.

Suddenly—

CRACK.

Something rushed from behind.

I spun around—

And came face-to-face with a massive jaw.

Hellhound.

Its fangs sunk into my forearm—

Hard.

“Shit!”

I instinctively punched its skull.

THUD!

The beast yelped and got knocked away.

But more shadows emerged.

More Hellhounds.

Blood dripped from my arm.

The bite wasn’t deep,

But the fact that it broke my Tough Body skill—

Meant their bite force was insane.

Hellhounds weren’t smart.

But their speed and bite strength were deadly.

And they thrived in forests.

Normally, people didn’t fight them at night.

But I was here for a reason.

In pitch darkness, I needed to sharpen my perception.
With enough stress, I could unlock a new skill.

This was my plan all along.

I let out a roar, drawing more Hellhounds.

They attacked in waves.

– One bit my leg.
– Another scratched my ribs.
– I punched one off my back—

But they kept coming.

I killed one, but ten more replaced it.

I was outnumbered.

Surrounded.

For hours, I fought.

Bite.

Scratch.

Regenerate.

Repeat.

My stamina felt endless,

But my mind was exhausted.

Then—

Right before dawn—

[LEVEL UP!]

[New Skill Acquired – Heightened Senses (C)]

My eyes widened.

I did it.

This was what I wanted.

Heightened Senses enhanced:
– Hearing
– Sight
– Smell
– Touch
– Even Sixth Sense

I could now detect hostility.

In my past life, this skill saved my ass countless times.

And now?

I had it way earlier.

The Hellhounds sensed the shift.

They backed away.

And with dawn breaking—

They dispersed.

I had killed three in total.

Dragging their corpses,

I returned to the resort.

The government staff looked at me—

Covered in blood.

Clothes shredded.

“Do you need a healer?!”

One ran toward me.

I shook my head.

“This isn’t my blood.”

I handed over the Hellhound corpses and left.

I showered, changed, and headed to breakfast.

The buffet was luxurious.

I piled my plates high.

Then—

Hunters began whispering.

“Did that guy even go out?”

“He didn’t hunt.”

“Just leeching off the government’s support.”

They saw me eating alone and assumed I was slacking off.

Typical.

Yang Sang-heon sat across from me.

“Hyung, all that for yourself?”

“Yeah. I’m starving.”

“Did you even go out?”

I grinned.

“I hunted all night.”

His jaw dropped.

“Alone?”

“Yeah. And I got a new skill for it.”

After eating, I returned to my room.

Pulled my sleep mask over my eyes.

Rested.

Because tonight—

The real hunt would begin.