'' Level up ''
[Lv. 26 - 30]
"That should be enough," Ji Woo swiped off the sweat from his forehead, having just cleared another F-rank dungeon.
Since his return from the underworld society, Ji Woo had been incessantly honing his fighting style and skills to the point where he leveled up and killed several times. It was a moment of frustration as he felt like the F-rank dungeons no longer presented a challenge for him. It was as if the environment grew weary of repeating the same map and challenges again and again. Ji Woo wanted to step up his game a bit.
"Let's visit the Hunter's Association."
Determined to move forward, Ji Woo sets off for the Seoul Hunter's Association to reevaluate his rank from F to D or C.
As he reached the association building after taking the public transport, Ji Woo had a hard time standing straight as his back ached from the excess rush inside the transport.
"After this, I should get a car."
Walking towards the association, Ji Woo entered the massive building. The presence of hunters surrounded him, ranging from E to even those he couldn't quite understand. Since he wasn't as strong as A, S, SS, or SSS rank hunters, detecting their auras wasn't as smooth as with the weaker ones.
"Could you tell me where I could reevaluate my rank?" Ji Woo requested towards the receptionist in front of him. The young man, sitting in his chair with both feet on the desk, paid no attention to Ji Woo's inquiry. Without getting angry, Ji Woo asked him the same thing again. This time, annoyed, the man pointed his finger towards a place where many were lined up in two queues, with the first one having tons of people and the second having around ten or twelve.
Without knowing, Ji Woo went straight towards the line with the smallest number of people, unaware that it was for B-rank and above hunters only. Since most of them didn't show up at the association often, the number of people in the line was particularly low.
As the line moved, Ji Woo could see how the hunters in his line were stronger; they emitted a powerful aura that even excited Ji Woo to fight them, though he kept the thrill to himself.
"Why is it taking so much time?" The people in the opposite line were cursing at their fates as their line moved like a turtle.
"How dare you speak to me in such a manner!"
To everyone's astonishment, swiveling around, they beheld a colossal figure, muscles rippling, clutching the insolent receptionist by his collar. He demanded an apology for the affront.
"He got what he deserved."
From the previous display of arrogance, Ji Woo had foreseen the retribution awaiting the young man. Content, he shifted his attention to the line, awaiting his own turn.
"Out of the way."
Ji Woo turned at the familiar voice, recognizing the muscular figure from before. His tone was commanding, resonating with authority.
Ji Woo paid him no mind, shooting a single disdainful glare before returning his gaze to the line. Those who had been startled by the booming voice of the burly man couldn't contain their laughter when Ji Woo blatantly dismissed him.
"You... you... bastard."
Hearing the laughter around, his anger flared, and he unleashed a punch towards Ji Woo's head, as if harboring a murderous intent. Yet, Ji Woo, unfazed, stood his ground. As the attack closed in, it suddenly stopped in a split second.
\[Bloodlust\]
Unconsciously, he was so well-deprived from danger like this that his body automatically activated Bloodlust, completely overwhelming the big guy, making him quiver in fear. His eyes shunned, everyone was already surprised by the audacity of the hunter to raise his hand against another within the organization. Now, for him to appear so dead and terrified was unheard of.
"Kneel down."
Ji Woo's low-frequency command entered his ears, making him cough up blood due to the intensity of his Bloodlust. The hunter, who had faced many strong monsters, had never in his life encountered a person like Ji Woo.
Still, hope was getting lost for him. His eyes squinted as more blood gushed from his mouth, terror filling his eyes due to Ji Woo's pressure. As the pressure quickly spread towards all the hunters who looked at them, they too felt Ji Woo's overwhelming force, unable to meet his gaze. The only one who was not affected by it was the guy in the furthest part of Ji Woo's line.
"An A-rank, or maybe even S-rank."
{Warning ....Warning }
(Host is in near a opponent who is above his caliber )
"Damn!", even the system ...."
Ji Woo, already cognizant that the powerful figure ahead was beyond his capabilities, was further astonished that his system had issued a warning.
"From the looks of it, he's not someone I can take on, not at my level."
Ji Woo, who had grown immensely strong, was keenly aware of his limits. The aura of the mysterious person ahead was too intense for him to peer into, but his instinct to fight, honed through daily life-or-death situations, nearly prompted him to make a move.
"Should I make the first move?"
Cold sweat trickled down Ji Woo's neck as he was about to unleash everything he had been holding back. However, he was unexpectedly interrupted by someone from the organization at that exact moment.
"OI, what's going on here?"
Ji Woo looked back at the man who shouted. He wore a badge, signifying he was a member of the organization and an A-rank hunter.
"What is it here..."
His eyes rolled down, and his forehead turned as red as the sun. He seemed as if someone had just rejected him, like a rejected childhood crush or something.
"Hey, are you the one who started it!"
He grabbed the collar of the man just behind the kneeling giant as if he were considered the culprit.
"No... no... no, I didn't do anything."
He cowered, a B-rank hunter. Next in line for questioning was Ji Woo. The A-rank hunter grabbed him by the collar while Ji Woo stared him down, both locking eyes like hawks.
"Are you the one who did it?"
It was pathetic to witness a mid-ranking hunter kneeling down, bleeding and unable to speak. Yet, he remained unaware of whether Ji Woo or someone else was responsible.
"He's just a low rank.You should let him be."
"Who the hell..."
As he was about to curse, the man who spoke up regained his voice, stopping abruptly upon realizing it was the guy at the front of the line – the same one Ji Woo had been skeptical about.
"How the hell did he know about my rank, and what the hell does he mean, wrong line'?"
The A-rank association member, his grip firm on Ji Woo's collar, agian scowled at him. "Explain yourself! Are you the one responsible for this chaos?"
Ji Woo remained calm, his gaze unwavering. "I had nothing to do with it," he replied stoically.
The A-rank association member, still gripping Ji Woo's collar, took a closer look at his low E-rank hunter license. His expression shifted from anger to bewilderment as he examined the seemingly incongruous details.
"This... How did you end up in this line?" he muttered, a perplexed frown etched on his face.
Ji Woo, sensing the confusion, remained silent, his gaze fixed on the man in the higher line. The A-rank hunter hesitated, glancing between Ji Woo and the terrifying figure further down the line.
Without making a scene, the association member released Ji Woo's collar, a tinge of fear lingering in his eyes. "You, go to the other line," he commanded, gesturing towards the queue meant for C-rank and below.
A wave of misunderstanding washed over Ji Woo as he complied. He couldn't fathom how he ended up in the wrong line meant for Higher-ranked hunters. However, the A-rank association member offered no explanation, preoccupied by the gravity of the situation with the other trembling hunters.
"Hey just move "
"Sure... sure ..."
"Hey, come here and take this piece of trash out of here." The association member called his staff to remove the unconscious hunter. Without inquiring more about the incidnr the left the scene .
As Ji Woo moved to the correct line, he couldn't help but feel a sense of intrigue and respect for the mysterious hunter who had caused such fear. It dawned on him that the man was not just anyone; he held a stature beyond Ji Woo's initial calculations.
"He is really something , isn't he "