Chapter 7

What kind of reward would he receive?

Taewoon pushed aside the memory of his recent hardships, his anticipation swelling for the fruits of his labor laid out before him.

Taewoon’s Theater of All Things was vastly different from the Unique Traits of other Hunters he had seen.

It was a Trait that tested its owner, presenting trials and imposing hardships.

However, because of that, he hoped that the rewards would be commensurately great.

【You have acquired the Cinema Skill, ‘The Red Man’!】

‘A Cinema Skill?’

It was a slightly unexpected method, but the name alone drove his expectations sky-high.

And upon checking the details, Taewoon could not help but let out a gasp of pure, joyful astonishment.

【Condition 1: Must be wearing the Red Wax Mask】

【Condition 2: There must be at least a small amount of darkness within a space of approximately 32 square meters】

【Condition 3: An appropriate amount of sacrifice must be offered to the Red Wax Mask】

【When all conditions are met, the Cinema Skill ‘The Red Man’ can be activated.】

▶【Cinema Skill: The Red Man】

• Upon activation: Level 2 Equivalent Presence Concealment Effect

• Upon wearing: Level 1 Equivalent Pressure Effect

• Upon activation: Level 1 Equivalent Mental Destruction Effect

‘T-this is incredible.’

Although the activation conditions were demanding, the effects were at a level that could absolutely not be ignored.

No, perhaps they had already surpassed such a realm.

‘Is the level standard for ability effects the same as the actual Hunter Classification Rank?’

The Hunter Classification Rank consisted of 11 stages in total. If they were identical, it meant Taewoon had essentially acquired a new ability equivalent to the Unique Trait of a Level 2 Hunter.

“Is… is this even possible?”

Of course, there were a few concerns.

Whether this Cinema Skill could be activated indefinitely, and the matter of the sacrifice mentioned in Condition 3.

But that wasn’t what mattered right now.

Taewoon was focusing on the potential of the Theater of All Things itself, and based on his experience so far, it had reached a realm beyond imagination.

He might continue to obtain new abilities like this depending on the challenges the Theater presented.

‘At first, I thought it was absurd, but…’

The Theater of All Things was truly a marvelous Trait.

And to make matters even better, the rewards Taewoon received were not over yet.

【You have acquired the Artifact, ‘Red Wax Mask’!】

▶【Red Wax Mask】

• Upon wearing: Level 1 Equivalent Agility Enhancement Effect

• Upon activation: Level 1 Equivalent Physical Regeneration Effect

• Upon meeting specific conditions: Activates Level 3 Equivalent ‘Miracle’

‘This one is impressive too!’

The effects were stunning at a glance, and it paired perfectly with The Red Man Cinema Skill.

At the same time, Taewoon was able to deduce one fact.

‘Considering the circumstances, either the skill or the mask was likely the first clear special privilege reward. If so…’

Originally, when clearing a Theater, perhaps one could only obtain either a Cinema Skill or an Artifact as a reward?

The abilities of both rewards were immense individually, and from a balance perspective, that seemed closer to the truth.

‘The Red Man skill requires the Red Wax Mask to be equipped, but I can just look at it from a different perspective.’

While it wouldn’t have the same effect as the Artifact, crafting a Red Wax Mask in reality wouldn’t be that difficult.

Thinking this way, he could roughly grasp the mechanism of the Theater of All Things’ clear rewards.

“Does it mean that the higher the difficulty of the Theater I clear, the more powerful the Cinema Skills and Artifacts I can obtain?”

The Theater of All Things—just what kind of Trait was this?

Taewoon had truly never imagined he would obtain such an ability.

And for Taewoon, the goal of succeeding as a Hunter was no longer a vain dream or a delusion.

‘I can do it. I really can…’

How much sorrow had he endured?

Everyone told him to give up, but for Taewoon, who had lived his life just drifting along, being a Hunter was the first goal he had ever truly poured his heart into.

Thus, when he faced the fact that achieving it was impossible, Taewoon’s world felt as if it had been struck by a natural disaster.

‘The feeling when you’ve already given up every other path and run forward with everything you have, only to find the end is a dead end…’

But now, he felt as though all the past wounds and grueling days were being repaid.

As Taewoon entered a complex state of mind, the final reward of the first Theater finally appeared accompanied by the loud sound of fireworks.

【You have completed the viewing process of the Theater for the first time!】

【As a reward, a ‘Viewing Privilege’ is granted!】

“…This is?”

Reading the series of messages that appeared before his eyes, Taewoon couldn’t hold it back and let out a refreshing smile.

Though they had parted ways while trying to act cool, he thought the day of their reunion might not be that far off.

He only found out after everything was over, but Taewoon’s Trait, the Theater of All Things, had a sort of entry cooldown.

‘A General-grade Ticket that is automatically generated once a week.’

Only after obtaining that could he enter the Theater, clear it, and receive rewards.

In short, it meant that even if he wanted to enter the Theater, he couldn’t until the following week.

‘But actually, this is just right.’

Taewoon had things to do. And he had finally reached the starting line.

The day after clearing the Red Man Theater, Taewoon dressed in a light mood and headed toward the Hunter Association building, a place he had always avoided.

It was to report the Bloom of his Unique Trait and apply for official Hunter status to obtain the authority to act as a Hunter.

The Association building was still crowded with all sorts of Hunters.

Whenever he had come to submit documents in the past, he would unconsciously feel intimidated by their presence.

Now, however, not a trace of intimidation could be found in Taewoon. It meant he had gained that much confidence in himself.

“Hmm? The apprentice registration date is… No, what on earth have you been doing to only come now?”

“I hadn’t bloomed my Unique Trait. Not until a week ago.”

Because it was a record so far removed from common sense, the middle-aged official, who had been tilting his head in confusion, finally wore a stunned expression upon hearing Taewoon’s words.

“Oh, dear. Are you perhaps from that Hongsim Hall…?”

“That’s correct.”

“Hoh. No, I can’t believe it. This is a celebration. A real celebration.”

It was a somewhat frivolous reaction, but Taewoon didn’t mind at all, as the man’s honest attitude showed he was surprised as if it were his own business.

The official patted his shoulder and quickly helped Taewoon with the paperwork with a benevolent smile.

“Everyone told you that you should give up… This is the very fruit of effort. I look forward to your future activities.”

“…Thank you.”

“Since the application is in, you should be able to undergo the test this morning.”

While he didn’t feel entirely comfortable with it, modern Awakeners had to have their Unique Trait types classified and undergo tests to verify their characteristics.

There had been a time when the world was heated over privacy controversies, but eventually, the majority accepted the procedure.

This was because transcendent criminal acts by unidentified Awakeners were one of the greatest headaches in human history at this point.

“Hunter Seo Taewoon! Please move to Special Purpose Room 3.”

“Yes. Understood.”

This was his first time visiting this area since his basic ability measurement five years ago.

For Taewoon, it was a truly overwhelming moment.

As he composed himself and waited for a moment, three Association officials of varying ages began to enter the test room.

“Nice to meet you, Hunter Seo Taewoon. I’ve checked the details in the documents, but could you briefly explain your Trait once more?”

“Of course.”

As mentioned before, disclosing one’s Trait was a sensitive issue for Awakeners.

However, in a world where it had become mandatory and hiding one’s Trait was no longer possible, most Hunters began using a slightly different method.

They would disclose the broad category of the Trait without hesitation but hide only the most critical parts.

And Taewoon also had no intention of disclosing all the information about the Theater of All Things.

He felt that he did not yet have sufficient means to protect himself in this greedy world.

“It’s quite exotic. To be able to create an object containing a special origin and story, and then exert abilities based on that…”

“It would be easier to understand if you think of things like the Monkey’s Paw or a magic lamp.”

“I see what you mean. Could you demonstrate it here for us?”

At the words of the female Supervisor standing on the far left, Taewoon brought his hand toward his face and summoned the ‘Red Wax Mask’ to wear it.

The Supervisors marveled with surprised faces, and soon, Taewoon lightly bit his finger to draw blood and smeared it on a corner of the mask.

【Condition 1: Must be wearing the Red Wax Mask】

【Condition 2: There must be at least a small amount of darkness within a space of approximately 32 square meters】

【Condition 3: An appropriate amount of sacrifice must be offered to the Red Wax Mask】

【Condition Fulfilled】

‘…Activate.’

【Cinema Skill: The Red Man】

In an instant, an unprecedented chill filled the room, and Taewoon’s body was enveloped in a hazy mist.

It was exactly the appearance of The Red Man he had seen inside the Theater.

The moment the conditions were completed in this manner, Taewoon could perceive it and activate the skill of his own will.

“Hu, huh…”

“T-this is amazing. I feel the chill reaching all the way here.”

“By any chance, can other people use the ability of that object?”

He hadn’t tested it, but it was likely impossible. To this, Taewoon shook his head, canceled the summon of the Wax Mask, and returned to his original appearance.

“Is this sufficient?”

“Yes. Now that we have secured all the data, you will likely be recognized as an Official Hunter starting tomorrow and will be able to engage in all activities, including Dungeon Conquest. Do you have a specific Guild you belong to?”

“For the time being, I intend to act by forming temporary parties.”

“I see. I look forward to your future activities.”

After Taewoon left the testing site, the three Supervisors, who remained to organize the recorded data, glanced at each other and brought up the thoughts they had been holding back.

“I held back my excitement, but that was incredibly fascinating, wasn’t it?”

“It’s not a Trait one sees often. And that power…”

“It wasn’t the level of someone who just bloomed their Trait. It might even be equivalent to Level 2.”

If a Level 1 Hunter was at a stage of just blooming their Trait and beginning to adapt to life as a Hunter, from Level 2 onwards, they were more than enough to be called veteran Hunters.

In Taewoon’s case, he couldn’t raise his Rank due to a lack of achievements, but his power itself had to be seen as equivalent to that of a Level 2 Hunter.

“Quite a few Guilds might covet him.”

“Taewoon, Seo Taewoon. Right. This fellow was quite a topic of conversation in the past.”

“Is that so?”

“He faded away because he couldn’t bloom his Trait, but there were rumors that even the Three Major Guilds were keeping a close eye on him. That’s a great honor for a rookie.”

The Three Major Guilds were essentially the ideal for every Hunter in South Korea.

Their scale was on a different dimension from other Guilds, and they were competitive even on a global scale.

For the three Supervisors present, it was a world beyond the heavens that they had never experienced.

“…Well, I hope he becomes a great Hunter as the rumors suggested. To be honest, South Korea’s current position is unstable.”

“In a world where the existence of a Top Level Hunter directly correlates to national power.”

Currently, the only Hunters with the highest rank in South Korea were the Level 7s, Choi Seoin and Hwang Heojae.

Among them, there were rumors that Choi Seoin had entered Closed-Door Cultivation ahead of a breakthrough in her realm, but that wasn’t certain either.

Ultimately, it meant they needed a powerful deterrent with strength that surpassed even those two.

“…….”

Amidst the suddenly heavy atmosphere, the female Supervisor, who had been reading the room, sighed and continued.

“According to an Association agent I know personally… it seems that ‘Saint Kyurihi,’ a Level 8 Hunter from France, intends to carry out full-scale missionary activity in this land.”

“Ha, this is absurd! What a shameless person.”

“…There are no particular movements for now, but a commotion might break out soon.”

For a single Hunter to interfere in another country’s land at will was an act that, normally, should be met with anger beyond mere absurdity.

However, Kyurihi commanded countless followers and was a transcendent powerhouse boasting immense strength even among the extremely rare Level 8-rank Hunters.

In reality, even if the entire national power of the country were mobilized, it was uncertain whether they could even punish a single such person.

“…This and that, both seem like distant hopes for now.”

Although the level of Hunters had risen compared to the past, over 90% of all Awakeners still wandered below Level 4, unable to reach it even with a lifetime of effort.

Furthermore, Level 5 and 6 were realms of the transcendent who had bloomed extreme talent, and those above that were at a level where it was ambiguous whether they should even be evaluated as human.

“A Level 8 Hunter.”

If even one person reached that realm, South Korea could escape most of its current situation, which was shaking like reeds in a field.

Therefore, they could only pray incessantly.

That one day, a possessor of talent would appear who could break that wall and reach the supreme realm.

Or, beyond that, an unprecedented monster would appear with an Authority capable of redefining all laws of existence.