How to Live as a Fencing Genius Hunter - Chapter 15

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

How a Fencing Genius Lives as a Hunter
Chapter 15
Recruit Hunter Jeong Jae-ha (1)
Jang Young-jun couldn’t believe the situation he was in.
‘How did my life come to this?’
Jang Young-jun was never supposed to live this way.
The Jeon-gal Faction ran the Korean branch of Winner Sports, a massive international gambling site.
Hundreds of billions in funds cycled through, generating profits in the trillions.
At that level, it wasn’t about earning money anymore—it was about spending it.
‘How do you even launder this much?’
Converting it into usable cash required a labyrinthine process.
Normally they’d use cryptocurrency exchanges, but one day someone connected to an MCN boss came up with a different method.
The scheme was simple: they’d send sponsorship donations through the MCN, who would either cash it out or buy gold bullion and return it.
The fees stung, but as cryptocurrency exchanges came increasingly under regulatory scrutiny, it was a decent workaround.
Hundreds of billions in sponsorship money flowed into the MCN, and the MCN boss prepared hundreds of kilograms of gold bullion.
All they had ahead was a future of easy living.
‘Why is my payment settlement like this? What?’
If just one sharp-eyed streamer hadn’t stormed into the MCN headquarters, it would have been the perfect crime.
Jang Young-jun and Kim Kang-oh, seasoned thugs that they were, easily “persuaded” the streamer.
‘You think we didn’t know? Are you serious?’
‘That profit went into your account too. Turn yourself in and you’re an accomplice!’
But Lee Hae-il gathered evidence anyway and exposed them.
‘I can only ruin my broadcast with my own two hands!’
He apparently pressured the MCN boss into handing over all the evidence, including the location of the gold bullion.
Before they could be arrested, they beat him half to death—so he went to the hospital first, not the police station.
An assault charge was added, but it didn’t matter.
There was still room for the other members to retaliate or negotiate.
[Breaking News! “The Sky Tears Open!”]
[A rift of light appears above Northern Seoul. Bizarre creatures emerge.]
Then the world ended.
The police, the investigators—all of it vanished.
The MCN boss died.
Lee Hae-il was the only one left who knew exactly where the gold was.
She volunteered for the Rehabilitative Hunter System to gain an Awakening.
He hadn’t expected his Jeon-gal brothers to volunteer too.
The moment he saw Lee Hae-il again, he thought it must be fate.
He’d believed the chance had come to live an easy life after all.
But now Jang Young-jun was covered head to toe in burns, writhing in agonizing pain.
‘Why did everything go so wrong?’
The reason was obvious.
Jeong Jae-ha.
That damned swordsman had ruined everything.
“Die! I said die! Die!”
Bang-bang! Bang!
Jang Young-jun screamed with a voice like grinding metal as he pulled the trigger again and again.
“You know what? I saw the news too. The punk who took one bullet and became a cripple!”
He swapped magazines and kept firing, kept unloading round after round.
“What era is this?! You think swinging a sword around is going to help?!”
Splat! Splurt!
Blood sprayed from Jeong Jae-ha’s body.
His tactical combat suit turned into a mesh of tears.
Yet Jeong Jae-ha did not fall.
His face didn’t go pale, and he didn’t lose strength.
“……What?”
If anything, he seemed even stronger than moments before.
More than that—Jeong Jae-ha actually pushed himself up off the ground.
“What—what—what—what—what—?! Drop dead! I said drop dead! Damn it!”
Crack!
Jang Young-jun swapped out the empty magazine and pulled the trigger again.
Unlike the bullets that had sprayed everywhere before, this one was aimed straight at Jeong Jae-ha’s head.
A scream tore through the air!
Then Jeong Jae-ha drew his blade.
Ting!
Jang Young-jun’s bullet shattered against the tip of Jeong Jae-ha’s sword.
“What the hell?”
Jang Young-jun’s mouth fell open.
* * *
At first, I’d wondered if this was truly the end.
I was the finest swordsman in the world, yet even with all my skill, I couldn’t stop a single bullet.
Without a gun, I’d never have been able to reach Jang Young-jun in the first place.
The Amber Wyvern had left my right leg completely shattered.
The nerves inside my muscle burned as though someone had driven white-hot iron through them.

But the life of a Hunter was different from the life of an athlete.
A cry of joy surged through me!
It was incomparably greater than when I’d defeated the Orc.
Crushing an opponent in competition brought glory, but slaying a Monster brought glory and something more—the Monster’s mana itself.
Formless energy poured from the corpse of the Amber Wyvern, Everer.
It was mana from a C+ rank Beast.
More than all the Orcs, Goblins, and Jack O’Lanterns I’d taken down throughout the entire day combined.
‘If we get lucky and bag even a Drake, we could bounce back from this in a single shot.’
Hong Si-yu’s words from weeks ago flickered at the edge of my memory.
Thump-thump, thump-thump!
My body transformed from the inside out.
My entire frame tingled, just as it had during the Awakening.
It felt like receiving an intensely forceful therapeutic massage.
My right leg grew scorching hot, then cooled in an instant.
Thud!
A bullet struck my shoulder.
Though my tactical combat suit was already torn in that spot, the round ricocheted at an angle, leaving only a puncture wound like something sharp had grazed it.
It felt strange.
A 9mm bullet had once pierced through my thigh.
Now it merely grazed my skin and muscle.
Fencer Jeong Jae-ha had fallen to a single gunshot, but Hunter Jeong Jae-ha could now weather bullets without breaking stride.
“Ha.”
The realization filled me with quiet pride.
I rose to my feet, Estoc in hand.
My right leg moved smoothly.
No imbalance, no trembling, no burning heat from within.
I felt as though a single step could carry me anywhere.
Just as it had when I swung a blade and the whole world roared with applause.
“Die! Please just die!”
Fear was now plain on Jang Young-jun’s face.
His gun barrel pointed directly at my head.
My body’s enhancement had sharpened my vision equally, yet I still couldn’t see the bullet itself.
But I could read where the muzzle was aimed.
I raised my blade.
Ting!
The lead bullet struck the diamond-shaped edge of the Estoc and shattered into dozens of fragments, scattering like rain.
“What the hell! You can cut bullets?! You playing with me!?”
Jang Young-jun shrieked.
[Lunge]
I kicked off the ground toward him.
I closed dozens of meters in a single stride, charging up the slope.
He rushed toward me in an instant.
“Drop dead! Just drop dead!”
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!
Jang Young-jun loaded his final magazine.
[Ballestra]
I wove through his barrage in a zigzag pattern, evading the storm of lead.
A few shots grazed me, but nothing that could deal a fatal blow.

[Temporary User Jeong Jae-ha Unique Skill]
[Fleche]
I leveled my Estoc like a cavalry lance and surged forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.
“How much we made off Winner Sports!”
Jang Young-jun’s face contorted as he roared the words.
“……!”
That was when a word I recognized emerged.
Winner Sports.
The international gambling site my coaches had taken bribes from.
I wanted to demand immediately what connection these bastards had to it.
“No, no, noooo!”
Thwack!
A man with an Estoc driven through his skull cannot speak.
This was only the second time I’d run someone through.
Neither time had I felt anything crack inside me.
If anything, I’d felt more unease stepping on an ant or a snail by accident on the street.

“Are you, are you all right?!”
Lee Hae-il rushed toward me.
He was visibly shaken, trembling halfway into panic.
“Check me over. Am I okay?”
I smiled faintly and spread my arms for inspection.
“Huh?”
“No, really. I don’t think I’m about to drop dead, but I could’ve been hit somewhere that’s going to cause problems, right?”
“How, how did you even survi—”
“We all learned it already. Kill a Monster, absorb its Mana, get stronger. I killed an Amber Wyvern and seem to have gotten considerably stronger.”
Hae-il and I examined my wounds from every angle.
“Yeah, it really does look like you’re fine? I mean, I’m not sure this is even possible, but…….”
The shot that caught my ribs initially had punched cleanly through; after I’d absorbed the Amber Wyvern’s Mana, the wounds were only about a finger’s depth deep.
“It’s even pushing itself out.”
As the wounds healed, bullets that had lodged inside were slowly being expelled.
“Looks okay, right?”
I focused carefully on the initial puncture wound at my ribs.
From getting shot before, I could tell the surrounding muscle didn’t seem damaged by the shockwave.
“Yeah. If you don’t feel anything wrong, I think we can just finish here and head to the infirmary.”
After scrutinizing my body thoroughly for a long moment, Hae-il nodded.
As if concentration had grounded him, his mind seemed to be settling back into place.
“Hae-il, do you know anything about Winner Sports?”
It was time to get to the real question.
“Yeah, I know about it.”
Hae-il nodded.
“I heard about it from those bastards before. Apparently the Jeon-gal Faction managed the Korean branch of that site.”
“Do you know what happened to it now?”
“Following this asshole around just now, it looks like they all died together caught in the ‘massive explosion.'”
He kicked Jang Young-jun’s corpse hard, sending it tumbling down the slope.
Where the fire still burned, Jang Young-jun’s body was instantly engulfed in flames.
Whether he’d been killed by a blade, a bullet, or a Monster, there would be no way to tell.
“Seeing how that bastard was separated from the rest, he must’ve died trying to run away alone.”
I understood then that his action wasn’t indifference—it was consideration.
“What about the site itself?”
“Oh, that went under ages ago. With the world like this, what could possibly remain?”
I closed my eyes quietly, then opened them.
“I see.”
The men who’d ended my athletic career had themselves met their end as my Hunter life began.
I’d never anticipated things would unfold this way.
It felt strange and surreal, yet strangely relieving.
“Yeah.”
I planted my right foot firmly on the ground and laughed.
Then I moved to retrieve the seedling I’d left lying on the ground earlier.
Once I met Chae-ha, I could reclaim everything I’d lost four years ago.
“Player Jeong!”
A voice calling my name drifted down from the sky above.
* * *
“Top graduate, Jeong Jae-ha.”
My name echoed through the spacious main hall of the training center.
“This awakened person has completed the training program for the Rehabilitative Hunter System, jointly hosted by the Awakened Association and the Ministry of Justice, with outstanding results…….”
Around eight hundred awakened persons who’d survived the Tutorial watched me and applauded.
“We will now present the certificate of completion and a commemorative gift.”
Hunter Hong Si-yu gave me a knowing glance.
As I stepped forward to the platform, she opened a small velvet box.
Then she placed a Status Window Ring directly on my left middle finger.

A deep hum resonated through me.
My vision wavered for a moment before settling back to normal.
+
[Name: Jeong Jae-ha]
[Awakening Ability: Body Enhancement (D-)]
[Unique Skills: Lunge, Retreat, Advance, Ballestra, Fleche, Attaque Composée…….]
+
A semi-transparent hologram overlaid my vision—a sight I’d grown somewhat familiar with by now.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
When I looked at Hong Si-yu, a series of holograms appeared above her head as well.
[Name: Hong Si-yu]
[Awakening Ability: Body Enhancement (C), Flame Magic (B+)]
She lowered the microphone in her hand and whispered softly.
“You can see my name and abilities, right?”
“Yes.”
“Among registered awakened persons, everyone can see each other’s names. You can change your name setting in the app so it doesn’t show, but the Status Window Ring detects abilities and displays them, so you can’t hide them from your opponent.”
“Why would you want to hide anything?”
“You seem rather proud.”
“There’s no shame in the work you’re doing. If there were, there’d be no point in doing it at all.”
I answered in the same hushed tone.
“That’s very much like you, Player Jeong.”
Hong Si-yu smiled as if my answer pleased her greatly.
“I’ll contact you later—there are some people who’d like to meet you. It should be something worth being proud of.”
I could guess what this was about.
“Understood.”
I gave a light bow and returned to my seat.
“Now, for the next week, we enter the employment placement period. Your scores should all be finalized by now, so everyone please check the app to see your results.”
Hong Si-yu switched the microphone back on.
“After you confirm your scores and submit your applications, you’re free to leave the grounds.”
Awakened persons scattered throughout the hall began checking their scores, some letting out shrieks of dismay while others gasped with delight.
“Ugh! I didn’t make the cut for civil service!”
“I can get into GL! Hell yeah!”
“I got the fire department!”
I returned to sit beside Lee Hae-il.
“Senior! I scored 90 points!”
“Congratulations.”
He beamed and held out his smartphone to show me his score.
Five categories—written test, practical training, performance, character, and miscellaneous—all displayed scores, with a one-line evaluation in the remarks section.
[Shows a certain amount of unfounded confidence, but demonstrates loyalty by not abandoning his comrades.]
It was quite favorable feedback.
[Name: ???]
[Ability: Body Enhancement (E)]
His ability rank was also higher than those around him.
Unlike other awakened persons who remained at F-Rank or F+-Rank, he held a solid E-Rank.
“What score did you get, Senior?”
I checked immediately.
[Jeong Jae-ha: 100]
[Only regrettable that the maximum score was 100 points]
“A perfect hundred.”
“I’m satisfied with that.”
The score was naturally perfect, and the comment section contained a phrase I’d heard once or twice even during my fencing club days.
“No need to agonize over where to go.”
“Think about what matters most—money, honor, or safety.”
“Which guild will you join?”
“The Saetbyeol Guild. I was planning to go there from the start.”
“I’m not great at making decisions like this, so I’ll just follow your lead.”
“Are you joking? Give it more serious thought.”
Lee Hae-il said he’d come with me.
“You could end up getting chomped to bits by a monster and thinking, ‘I wish I’d never followed that blade-wielding bastard.'”
I tried to dissuade him.
“Still, money is money, and since I’ve already come into this world anyway, I want to aim for the top. Shouldn’t it be either the worst or the best?”
But Lee Hae-il was also the sort of person whose wavelength matched mine in certain ways.
“If that’s how you feel.”
I nodded, watching those eyes gleaming with brilliant yellow ambition.
You couldn’t stop someone with eyes like that.
“I’m not sure if we’ll work in the same department, but let’s do our best.”
“When we go out, let’s grab a meal. I’ll treat.”
“Sounds good.”
Ding.
“Hold on a second.”
A message came through the app.
[Hong Si-yu, Hunter: Athlete Jeong]
[Hong Si-yu, Hunter: Please come to the Director’s Office.]
“I need to step out for a moment.”
“W-wait, brother! Who sent that?!”
“Shh.”
I placed a finger to my lips in front of Lee Hae-il’s widened eyes, then left the noisy Main Hall.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————