Chapter 2

There were times when, after dreaming, the experiences of my past lives would naturally become a part of me.

Thanks to the experience of a past life as a chef, I was at the level of making my own side dishes in my studio apartment. Just that sort of thing.

It wasn’t entirely incomprehensible if I considered this part of that experience.

It’s just. A bit surprising, that’s all.

I relaxed my fingertips.

The flame stopped.

I focused on my fingertips again.

A flame appeared.

No, to be precise, it wasn’t about focusing on my fingers.

It felt like something wriggling inside my blood vessels was manifesting out into the world from my fingertips.

This time, I opened my palm completely.

The energy naturally gathered there.

A palm-sized flame flickered.

Then, it fizzled out.

It was after all the energy in my blood vessels had been depleted.

At the same time, my body flopped onto the bed.

This more or less confirmed the identity of the energy.

“Ki, Mana, Mana. Something like that.”

The energy used by real Awakeners, not a third-rate Awakener with a strange ability like me.

It seemed to have naturally entered my body while I was dreaming.

“But what do I use this for?”

I didn’t think I could make the flame any bigger.

My body had too little Mana to begin with, and I had no clue how to increase the amount of Mana.

To be honest, I did have some expectations.

Wondering if I could perhaps become a proper Hunter.

But no matter how I thought about it, there was no chance.

If I could enter Ian’s body again and learn magic or sorcery from My Lord, then maybe, but…

There had never been a single instance of a Past Life Experience repeating.

Name: Choi Gi-woong.

Current Rank: F

Potential Rank: F

Skill: Past Life Lucid Dream

Past Life Lucid Dream: When you sleep, memories of a past life will randomly surface. The higher the Rank, the clearer the memories become.

If there had been even a slight change in my Status Window Rank, I might have held on to a little hope.

“I’ve just grown a useless organ.”

The Association lobby was bustling with people.

It was always crowded, but for some reason, it was especially bad today.

Sure enough, people lined up from the stairs, setting off camera flashes.

They were reporters.

I quickly covered my face.

In times like these, the best thing to do is to pass by as quickly as possible….

“Excuse me, you’re Choi Gi-woong, right?”

“No. I’m not. I think you have the wrong person.”

“I think you are, though. Hey! Found him over here! It’s Choi Gi-woong!”

Damn it.

One of the reporters recognized my face.

“Choi Gi-woong! Do you feel any responsibility for Hunter Im Seong-joon’s death!”

“Choi Gi-woong! Is it true that you aggressively pushed for the Goseong S-Rank Dungeon Raid…!”

“Is it true that Daehyeon was originally supposed to conduct the Raid!”

“Please just give us one word!”

I ignored the reporters’ desperate voices and succeeded in breaking through the door.

But it seemed my ordeal wasn’t over yet.

“Hey, hey, hey, here he comes. Keep your voice down.”

“That guy’s pitiful too. He probably just did what Head of department Han Seung-hoon told him to.”

“Pitiful? He got that job by grabbing onto the Association President’s coattails. It’s karma.”

“You think he got something from Ilseong?”

I could hear the murmurs of the Association employees from all the way over here.

Very clearly.

I wonder if this is what it feels like to become a star overnight.

Thinking it was a good thing I didn’t become a celebrity, I was about to pass by when someone blocked my path.

“People are so nosy, aren’t they?”

I lifted my head and saw her face.

Im Han-na.

One of the employees of Business Support Division 1.

Her nickname was the Grim Reaper.

A nickname she earned for chasing Hunters who committed crimes to the ends of the earth to catch them.

“You heard the news, right? That you’ll be working with our team from now on.”

“Yes. I heard. I look forward to working with you, Seonbae-nim.”

For such a big shot to come and meet me.

I wasn’t sure if I should call this a promotion.

“What’s with the ‘Seonbae’? Just get in. I held the elevator.”

As I got on the elevator in a daze, she quickly closed the door.

When I pressed the button for the 17th floor, Im Han-na let out an impressed “Oh.”

“You know where we’re going now?”

“Aren’t we going to see the Head of department of Division 1?”

“You’re quick-witted. Was there a quick-witted person in your past life?”

I clicked my tongue.

Just how far had the rumors about my ability spread?

In the meantime, the elevator stopped.

I guess it’s time for my hazing.

“I look forward to working with you, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong.”

Still looking out the window, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong replied.

“We’ve met before, haven’t we?”

“Yes. I’ve seen you a few times when I was following Head of department Han Seung-hoon.”

“Then you must know what kind of relationship Han Seung-hoon and I have.”

I had seen Head of department Han Seung-hoon and Head of department Kim Yoon-joong fight a few times.

Of course, I also knew that was just for show.

“I know you are close friends.”

“Close friends, my ass. To think he’d dump you on me and run. Tsk.”

What did that mean?

One thing was for sure, it didn’t sound good.

“Your ability… You see past lives? Ah, I’ve heard. Right, how are your combat abilities.”

“Nonexistent.”

I said it confidently.

As if to say, you don’t need me here, just send me somewhere else or have me make copies.

That’s the sentiment with which I spoke.

As expected, it didn’t work at all.

“Then you’ll have to learn. Do you know what we do?”

“I know that you catch Hunters who do bad things.”

“That’s one of our duties, but that’s not what’s urgent right now.”

As if the mere thought of it was annoying, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong clicked his tongue.

“Ilseong is angry with us. Very angry. You know why, right?”

“It’s because of Hunter Im Seong-joon.”

“Right. Because our precious S-Rank Hunter went and died. The atmosphere over there is like a funeral home.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong laughed with a deflating sound and added.

“Those Ilseong bastards are funny too. They rushed in because the Association pushed them, and now they’re saying their precious Hunter is dead. Crazy bastards. If they were going to be like that, they should have said they couldn’t do it.”

At a glance, it seemed like he was blaming Ilseong, but the nuance was a bit strange.

“But from what I hear, it’s not entirely wrong. That Im Seong-joon guy didn’t volunteer for the Raid from the start, did he? He just did it because he was told to. Just who the hell grabbed the Association President’s coattails to give him Im Seong-joon?”

Sure enough, he was subtly blaming me.

“Thanks to that, Ilseong is really gunning for you and Han Seung-hoon. Well, the Seonbae who was supposed to protect you already ran off. What are you going to do now?”

My head was spinning.

What was the situation right now?

Ilseong was using me as an excuse to extort something from the Association.

Judging by Head of department Kim Yoon-joong’s reaction, the Association seemed reluctant to give anything up.

In that case, the action the Association would take is.

After a moment of thought, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong said, as if shouting.

“Go to Ilseong as soon as you leave here. Go and calm them down. Can you do it?”

So they’re offering me up as a Sacrifice after all.

There were two actions I could take here.

Either resign, or go to my death.

“I understand.”

“……?”

The Head of department, who had been gazing at the scenery outside the window, turned his head.

He finally looks at me.

“You understand?”

“Yes.”

“Did you hear me correctly just now?”

“You told me to go to Ilseong and calm them down.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong’s face twisted in disbelief.

“How long have you been with the Association?”

“It’s been three years now.”

“A guy who should know the temperament of Hunters is saying he’ll just walk in there? Are you confident, or do you have a plan?”

“I have neither yet. But you wouldn’t have ordered me to do it if it wasn’t something I could do, right?”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong frowned at my pointed remark.

“However, there is something I need.”

As if he expected it, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong’s lips curled up.

“What, you want me to assign you a bodyguard?”

“No. Could I possibly get the files on Ilseong? It seems I’ll have to commute to Ilseong for the time being.”

“…And?”

“That’s all.”

The corners of Head of department Kim Yoon-joong’s mouth, which had been raised, came down.

Then he stared intently into my eyes.

He seemed to be trying to grasp the true meaning of my words.

But hey, what can I do?

As long as I decided to stay at the Association, I was prepared for this much.

It seems they’re trying to make the guy they hate so much resign first, no matter what.

Not a chance.

I’m in a position where I have to stick it out here, dead or alive, until that Han Seung-hoon guy comes back.

After staring at me for a long time, the Head of department picked up the receiver.

“…Give him the files on Ilseong.”

After hanging up, the Head of department looked at me and said.

“If you come back alive, I’ll take responsibility for you.”

This is a bit unexpected.

To hear that one of the most powerful people in the Association would take responsibility for me.

Though the condition at the beginning is a bit bothersome.

“You may go.”

I gave a slight bow and turned on my heel.

It was only a single step, but as soon as I was out the door, I felt like I could breathe again.

Hooah.

No sooner had I let out a ragged breath than I started moving.

I had only just taken the first step.

“He had a fierce look in his eyes. Like he’s been through all sorts of hardships.”

Ignoring Im Han-na’s words, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong opened his mouth.

“That guy. Did he have any other abilities?”

“No. His current Rank and Potential Rank are both F-Rank. He has no traits, and only one Skill, which has nothing to do with combat.”

“It was something about a past life, right?”

“Yes. Past Life Lucid Dream. There’s no separate Rank display, so we kept an eye on it, but seeing as there’s been nothing so far, well. It’s a total bust.”

“……”

“Are you concerned?”

“That Han Seung-hoon guy may be frivolous, but he’s not one to make things up.”

“What did Head of department Han Seung-hoon say?”

“He said he’d be back. Within a year.”

“…I don’t know. Looking at the atmosphere at Ilseong right now, he’d be lucky to be alive.”

“The reason is even funnier. He said that Choi Gi-woong guy would save him.”

“…That’s even harder to believe. What’s his basis?”

“A hunch.”

“A, a hunch?”

“Mm. But the fact that his hunches have never been wrong is what’s bothering me.”

Anyway, the area around the Association is still a madhouse of reporters.

If I moved in my car, a reporter would surely follow.

In a hurry, I shoved the documents into my bag and got into a taxi.

“To the Ilseong headquarters, please.”

After saying that, I buried my head.

Into the documents I received from Head of department Kim Yoon-joong.

And I was impressed.

“He put quite a bit of effort into this.”

As befitting a department that catches Hunters, the detail of the documents I received was extraordinary.

It contained everything from A to Z about Ilseong, one of the top five Hunter conglomerates in the country.

By the way, why do my eyes keep closing?

I guess it’s because I stayed up all night and was extremely tense.

“Driver. How much longer?”

“The traffic over there is completely backed up, so it’ll probably take about 30 minutes, customer.”

Perfect.

I’d rather get some sleep now.

Fortunately, it seems I’ll be able to sleep soundly.

Thanks to the past life dream I had yesterday, I’m safe today.

It was similar to the same person appearing twice.

I had never had past life dreams two nights in a row.

As I closed my eyes with that reassurance, a message suddenly flashed.

-Skill, Past Life Lucid Dream, is Cast!

What?

My surprise at this first-time occurrence was brief, as my consciousness was sucked in as if pulled by gravity.

Whoosh!

The first sense to activate was hearing.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

No sooner had I heard the sound of horse hooves than a voice spoke from beside me.

“I haven’t introduced myself yet. Do you know who I am?”

“Uh, as for My Lord’s name, I haven’t heard it yet.”

“My name is important, but there is something more important than that.”

The Mage, My Lord, in front of me said with a kind smile.

“I am a War Mage.”

A War what?

By the way, wait a minute.

The Middle Ages, a Mage, Ian.

Why this dream again?