4
* * *
It had been only 3 years since the group of ability users called hunters established themselves in the world. The tall and massive towers that spontaneously appeared simultaneously all over the world and the irregularly appearing dungeons opened a new era for humanity.
Dungeons that appeared irregularly without warning caused damage, large or small, to human property. If the core maintaining the alternate dimension wasn’t destroyed, magical beasts would pour out and turn the entire area into ruins.
While dungeons were treated as natural disasters in almost every country, the treatment of towers varied. Some countries claimed they were humanity’s new cultural heritage, while others called them omens of humanity’s destruction.
Towers, except for when they first naturally appeared, didn’t have magical beasts pouring out even if floors weren’t conquered, and with hunters flocking to them seeking fortune and fame, Korea even coined the term “tower district.”
It took 6 months for commercial districts to develop near tower areas, and only 2 years to build small hotels for hunters and civilians.
People accepted the mysterious phenomenon that happened overnight and carved out a way to live. Especially Korean hunters, who adapted faster than anyone in the rapidly changing world, began to display their racial characteristics. Namely, ranking obsession.
Koreans had to beat island nation Japan to feel satisfied, and when they got ahead of other countries, their national pride would surge. After awakening as hunters, they first analyzed the hunter system ‘Veritas’ explained by the strange voice that rang in their heads.
[Welcome to Veritas System access.]
This system, with a name presumably from Latin meaning ‘truth,’ had a complex interface that seemed to combine a communication system modeled after modern internet communities with a game system.
‘Hey. There’s something like rankings here?’
The appearance of a leaderboard ranking hunters by country was enough to make Koreans, who were obsessed with rankings, rush in with fire in their eyes. Many people devoted themselves to analyzing the leaderboard’s scoring algorithm, but nothing had been clearly revealed yet.
There were only speculations that things like contribution to magical beast subjugation, proficiency of acquired skills, and number of skills were applied in combination.
Based on that mysterious algorithm, he was always at the top of the leaderboard where rankings changed in real time.
Magnetic.
Even now, a year after he disappeared.
* * *
[Chat┃Magnetic’s 5th floor solo clear is still legendary (29)]
(Video)
Holy shit I’m changing my underwear
(29 comments)
-What legend bullshit when it’s just low-floor trash that any dog or cow can do ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└But he was the first to unlock it solo? First in the country
└(Author): ?
└This guy seems like a newbie
└Is it default for newbies these days to completely ignore senior achievements?
-It’s fucking hilarious that all his team members got food poisoning and he got the notification that the party was breaking up 30 minutes before entry, so he got pissed and tried solo play ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-(7:09) Does anyone know what skill this is..?
└Stigma. You designate a target, mark them, and instantly kill them ㅇㅇ
└└Holy shit..
-That bastard is a legend..
-Praying for Light Magnet’s return, throwing punches day 113
-I’m really fucking curious what he’s doing these days
Kyung Samin, who had been checking the Veritas bulletin board to calm his excited heart, grinned at the last comment.
‘Magnetic hyung is on his way to our guild to meet me right now, you bastards! Hehe.’
An idol he’d only seen in videos. Kyung Samin’s wannabe. That Magnetic was coming here to see him. Just thinking that the living legend, who had been mysteriously missing for a year without a single proper sighting, was coming here to the Yeoun Building where his guild was located made his breath quicken.
“Hey… Kyung Samin…”
“What, why.”
“Is he really coming?”
“Yeah.”
“Is that really Magnetic’s number?”
“Yeah.”
“…Magnetic is really coming to destroy our guild?”
“Ah! How many times do I have to say it!”
“Fuck! You crazy bastard! Don’t you know how much I paid for this building? Why did you do weird shit nobody asked you to do! Call him right now and beg on your knees. Okay?”
“Beg for what! What did I do?”
Choi Jiyoon became anxious at Samin’s shameless attitude. Who was Magnetic? He was the hunter who maintained 1st place steadfastly even while the current Yeoun Guild Master, Kyung Samin, accumulated points at an unimaginably tremendous speed, rising from 78th to 2nd place in less than a year.
The fierce hunter industry was no different from a blood-drying battlefield. If you fell behind even slightly in tower and dungeon conquest, your ranking would immediately drop. In a world where ranking directly connected to wealth and honor, the fact that he remained unchanged at 1st place for a year without conquering towers even once clearly proved the value of the hunter called Magnetic.
It meant he was so overwhelming that Samin’s fierce year of living, surpassing renowned hunters, couldn’t defeat him. Yet here was a guild master laughing happily even though such a hunter was coming to destroy their guild.
As Choi Jiyoon was contemplating whether to apologize on his behalf, she heard a ringtone. The phone in that damned guild master’s hand was sparkling obliviously.
[Magnetic]
The name of catastrophe appeared on the screen.
* * *
Doun avoided the gaze of the hunter who was wary of him in the Yeoun Guild lobby where he had arrived in anger.
“What brings you here today?”
He remembered the message telling him to give his name at the lobby, but when he actually faced another hunter, his mouth wouldn’t open easily. What if this person was also one of those who hid behind anonymity to condemn him as a murderer? Doun was afraid of that.
‘Fuck. Did I come here for nothing?’
Even if they contacted him with a different number, he could just block that too. Why did he need to come all the way to someone else’s guild in this hot weather to settle things?
“Excuse me, sir.”
As the hunter, who seemed to lack a proper form of address and called him “sir,” kept staring at him more intensely, Doun finally sighed and opened his mouth.
“I’m going to make a phone call.”
Doun huddled in a corner of the lobby and raised his phone. Though it was an unsaved number, it had become familiar to his eyes through countless text messages over the past month. When he dialed it, the ringtone began.
-Gasp. Hello?
“I’m in the lobby, so come down. While I’m asking nicely.”
-I’m coming down right now! Don’t go anywhere!
A voice different from what he’d imagined flowed through the phone. He’d thought the voice would be rough since the guy looked so much like a delinquent, but it was actually low with a warm feeling.
Looking at the screen where the call had ended, Doun was putting his phone in his back pocket when the hunter guarding the lobby approached him.
“Are you looking for a particular hunter?”
“I just called and told them to come down.”
“Ah, you contacted them.”
Even while saying that, the hunter didn’t lower his guard.
The guilds that hunters belonged to were no different from well-packaged organized crime groups. People who wielded force gathered to feel belonging to one group and used force for territorial expansion and wealth and honor.
You could often see guilds that endured betrayal by guild members, underhanded operations to hinder other guilds’ growth, and sometimes even terrorism. So they had no choice but to be wary of a guy who appeared in the guild lobby dressed entirely in black, loitering around.
Doun tried to ignore the gaze watching him and waited for this place’s guild master to appear.
Shortly after, as the elevator doors opened, a tall man in flashy clothes shot out like an arrow. He scanned the lobby thoroughly, then opened his eyes wide and strode toward Doun.
The closer the distance became, the more Doun’s face contorted.
‘He really is a delinquent…’
Setting aside the t-shirt with flashy printing and heavily ripped jeans, just looking at his hands full of rings and bracelets as if he had a grudge against accessories was blinding. Enough to think it would hurt a bit if you got hit by those.
The guy who looked like he might ask for cigarettes or money at any moment stopped in front of Doun. Then he suddenly hugged Doun.
‘What the hell?’
Doun was startled and pushed Samin away. Unlike his build, he fell back obediently, and Doun glared at the delinquent as he muttered.
“I said I’d kill you if you kept sending messages like that.”
“Gasp. To think I could die by the hands of my respected hyung. What an honor.”
Even though it was a murderous voice, this lunatic didn’t even blink and spouted nonsense. The funny thing was that those words sounded sincere. The hunter in charge of guild lobby security, who was watching the strange standoff between Doun and Samin, broke out in cold sweat.
The guild master, who was usually holed up in his office and rarely came out, had suddenly rushed down to the lobby and hugged a suspicious man. The suspicious man was startled and threatened him, while the guild master actually welcomed those harsh words.
‘A gay lovers’ quarrel…?’
It wasn’t that he particularly hated homosexuals, but it was certainly a rare situation.
While Doun hesitated, unable to figure out how to act, Samin wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans.
“…But.”
“…”
“Are you really Magnetic-nim?”
What’s this? This timid voice. Doun unconsciously raised his head.
‘Why is this bastard who was spouting nonsense until just now suddenly acting like this?’
The month-long stalker he’d finally met face-to-face looked strangely shy. Despite having the build and appearance of someone you’d never want to encounter on the street.
“…It’s me, so stop sending messages from now on.”
He’d come thinking of throwing a few magic skills at the building and paying some fines, but strangely, the words that came out of his mouth were a gentle request.
Doun let out a snicker at his own absurdity. He knew his head was messed up, but to think he’d taken a taxi all the way here just to say such foolish things. He should have just stayed home, taken his medicine, and slept. Feeling the futility of the entire situation, he immediately turned toward the entrance.
“Well, I’ve said everything I came to say, so I’m leaving now.”
Today’s events would probably remain a dark history forever. As Doun pulled his cap down and quickened his pace, Samin quickly followed.
“Hyung! Where are you going? Weren’t you here to destroy our guild?”
“When did we ever meet for you to call me hyung?”
Weren’t they not close enough to use such familiar address? Even when Doun glared at him in disgust, Samin smiled brightly and said without concern.
“Anyone older than me is hyung, right?”
At this groundless logic, Doun was rendered speechless.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
Sunshine(?) gong, fox-like gong, crazy gong, younger gong, sweet gong, immature gong, romantic gong, baby gong, separation anxiety gong, beautiful shou, depressed shou, low self-esteem shou, pretends-to-be-prickly-but-failed shou, soft mochi shou, pushover shou, sweet shou, older shou
