Chapter 8
As soon as I left the academy, I pulled up the Hunter’s App.
“Been a while since I used this.”
In my past life, the continuous Gate Breaks led to the collapse of government infrastructure. The app—along with most official systems—became useless.
I searched for an immediate Gate entry.
[F-Rank Goblin Gate – Available Now]
“Perfect.”
F-Rank Gates were the lowest-tier, meaning there were plenty available.
I stopped by a convenience store and bought energy bars and soda. Then, I hailed a taxi.
“Take me here, please.”
I showed the driver the Gate’s location.
As we drove, I checked my bank account.
Not great.
After paying for the taxi, I’d have almost nothing left.
But I wasn’t worried.
Once I cleared the Gate, money would start flowing in.
“We’re here.”
The driver’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I got out and walked toward the Gate.
A 5-meter-wide, swirling blue portal.
Just like in the academy exam.
A government agent stood guard.
I handed over my Hunter ID and Gate reservation details.
He glanced at the screen—then at me.
“You’re going in alone?”
A reasonable question.
Even in an F-Rank Gate, solo hunting was rare.
“Yeah.”
His brows furrowed.
“Where’s your weapon?”
“I don’t need one.”
I was only wearing the light protective suit given at the academy. No weapons.
The agent sighed.
“Listen, why don’t you rethink this? Maybe find a team?”
“It’s allowed, isn’t it?”
“Technically, yes.”
A beat of hesitation.
Then, he shook his head and registered my entry.
“Your funeral. Good luck.”
Inside the Gate—darkness.
A rocky cave.
I moved forward without hesitation.
Suddenly—
A goblin leapt from the shadows, aiming for my back.
Without turning, I whipped around and kicked it square in the chest.
The creature flew backward, slamming into the cave wall.
I cracked my knuckles.
“Let’s get started.”
At the academy, they taught us to block, then strike.
That was useless for me.
I had to get hit.
The more damage I took, the stronger I became.
I charged forward, crushing skulls, breaking bones.
A goblin latched onto my back, gnawing at my shoulder.
Another sliced my leg, its rusted blade barely cutting through my skin.
It didn’t matter.
They couldn’t kill me.
My reinforced body was stronger than their feeble attacks.
I simply kept moving—
Faster. Harder. More relentless.
The pain fueled me.
Then, a notification.
[LEVEL UP]
“Good.”
I clenched my fists and kept hunting.
At some point, I stopped counting.
I had killed dozens of goblins.
When the last one fell, a soft blue glow filled the cave.
Gate cleared.
But now, the real work began.
Harvesting mana stones.
I retraced my steps, carving into each goblin corpse.
A tedious job.
I had no specialized tool, so I used a goblin’s own dagger.
It took longer than the fight itself.
By the time I exited the Gate, my hands were covered in blood.
The government agent’s eyes widened.
“Uh… are you okay?”
I glanced at my tattered suit, stained with dried blood.
Yeah. I looked like hell.
“I’m fine. Just mark the Gate as cleared.”
I walked past him without another word.
I found a mana stone exchange nearby.
The clerk blinked at me.
Probably wondering why an F-Rank Hunter looked like he just survived a massacre.
I ignored him and dumped my mana stones onto the table.
50 stones.
The entire Gate belonged to me, so I took everything.
“You buying?”
The clerk hesitated.
Then, quickly started weighing the stones.
“Do you take goblin weapons?”
“Only for scrap value.”
“I’ll take it.”
I handed over my bag of loot.
The clerk finished calculating.
“Total comes to… 9,058,000 won.”
(Approx. $7,000 USD)
Not bad for a day’s work.
I checked the receipt.
30% tax deduction.
Damn leeches.
Next time, I’d find a better buyer.
Back at the apartment, Jaewon nearly had a heart attack.
“DUDE! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!”
I waved him off.
“Relax. I’m fine. Let’s eat.”
I took a long shower, scrubbing off dried blood.
When I stepped out, Jaewon whistled.
“Damn, bro. You got jacked.”
“It’s called exercise.”
“It’s called steroids.”
I laughed.
Jaewon, on the other hand, wasn’t laughing.
“I knew hunting was dangerous, but seeing you like that…”
He hesitated.
“Are you really okay?”
“Better than ever.”
“If you say so….”
We went to a Korean BBQ place.
I ordered 50 servings.
Jaewon watched, horrified.
Even the restaurant staff stared.
By the end, the owner personally came out to watch.
As we left, Jaewon shook his head.
“Dude. Do all Hunters eat like that?”
I smirked.
“No. Just me.”
The next morning, I dragged Jaewon to a hangover soup shop.
I ordered five bowls.
Jaewon sighed.
“Okay. What’s your plan today?”
“Another Gate.”
His brows furrowed.
“Already?! I thought Hunters only go like once a week!”
I shrugged.
“That’s normal. But I don’t have time to waste.”
“You’re not doing this just for money, are you?”
I met his gaze.
“No. This is just the beginning.”
He didn’t ask further.
For several days, I slaughtered Goblins.
But my stats stopped rising.
F-Rank Gates were too weak.
I needed stronger prey.
To hunt stronger monsters, I needed a promotion.
Hunter ranks were based on:
Number of cleared Gates
Combat performance
Evaluation by higher-ups
I had met every requirement—except one.
I needed more clears.
So, for now—
I kept hunting.
Until the real challenge began.