I Awakened as a Dark History - Chapter 35

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 35
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d run hard enough that my breath came all the way up to my throat.
Not since I’d Awakened to B-rank.
I’d only ever explored low-grade Dungeons, and I fought people far more than Magical Beasts.
‘But why am I…!’
Black thorns clung to my legs and arms.
The more I struggled, the deeper they bit, tearing skin.
Yet I couldn’t stop.
If I stopped, there would be no future for him.
“Stop your flight and cease moving!”
The Hunters holding up their Association IDs shouted from behind me.
I was sick of it by now.
Somehow, these bastards were running lightly across the thorns as though they weighed nothing.
“Damn it all!”
He cursed through gritted teeth and swung his Shield.
If he weren’t a Tank-type Hunter with high resistance and stamina, he’d have collapsed long ago.
Like the three already caught.
‘Relentless things!’
He shoved through the thorn mass and darted into an alleyway.
A choice made to shake his pursuers.
As he tore through the narrow alley, the thorns couldn’t follow.
“Ha!”
He burst out laughing and ran harder.
His plan was simple: slip out of this alley and vanish into the crowds.
In places with heavy foot traffic, they wouldn’t dare use their Skills openly.
Hope kindled in him. He pushed himself faster.
“From above it looked like we were almost there… ah, yes, we are.”
Just before the main street came into view, a figure with thin Dragonfly Wings caught his eye.
“The Association!”
He raised his Shield high.
Hunters from the Association were usually Debuff-type, using Curse Ability.
And their ranks weren’t particularly high either.
No way they could match him in raw physical ability.
He smiled with confidence.
“Please step back.”
But a low voice reached his ears.
And before his eyes, a Red Rope unfurled like a spider’s web.
He tried to stop short and spin around, but an arrow lodged in his back.
Only then did he spot the bow in the hands of the winged Hunter.
With his escape blocked, his body was caught fast by the Rope.
“The Association… the Chairman… you bas—”
Through the Rope, consciousness drained away as if his very life was being pulled out.
He cursed one last time, incoherent, and closed his eyes.
* * *
We’d secured four on our end, and word came that the other team had caught one more.
“That’s three C-rank and two B-rank total. We’ve got them all now?”
All five remaining Fugitives had been apprehended.
I glanced toward Seo Il-hak, seeking confirmation.
Seo Il-hak tucked his phone into his inner pocket.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Finally done.
Part of me wanted to smile at the satisfaction, but I kept my expression steady to maintain my Synchronization Rate.
Seo Il-hak bowed slightly toward me.
“We managed it far more smoothly because of you. Thank you.”
“It was for a friend’s sake, so don’t worry about it.”
The story that I was close friends with Ha Cho-eun was something I’d decided to maintain consistently.
Seo Il-hak didn’t seem bothered by my blunt response.
If anything, he asked with a pleased expression.
“You two seem quite close. Have you been friends since childhood?”
Since age zero. Because she’s me.
“……My identity might be exposed, so I’d prefer not to answer that part.”
“Ah, my apologies.”
Seo Il-hak hurried to apologize, and for some reason his urgency made me uncomfortable.
I rubbed the back of my neck and opened my mouth.
“I can’t say exactly how long we’ve known each other, but he’s the friend I trust most. He makes time to help me quite a bit.”
It sounded like a belated excuse, and I felt a little embarrassed.
Fortunately, Seo Il-hak smiled softly without a word.
He seemed to be kindly suppressing his amusement for my sake.
I deliberately raised my voice a pitch and changed the subject.
“But it seems like all of you have such strong abilities that you would’ve caught him easily even without me. Is there a reason you said I was absolutely necessary?”
“No. With just our abilities, it would have taken much longer.”
Why?
Seo Il-hak’s skill alone could be set up like a trap, and Lee Ju-gyeong’s Weight Manipulation had been effective too.
They seemed far more useful for apprehending a criminal than I was.
As if reading my doubt, Seo Il-hak added an explanation.
“Most Debuff-type skills are either Range-type or Target-designation type. Once you deploy them, you can’t pick and choose your targets afterward.”
Hearing it explained in those terms, it began to make sense.
“For example…… my skill is closer to Range-type.”
Seo Il-hak unfurled the Red Rope again to show me.
The rope stretched long, seemingly able to extend as far as his mana could reach.
“My skill can spread wide, and whenever it touches someone, it inevitably cuts down their life with a Curse Ability.”
I recalled Yu Ho-yeon being caught in his rope and losing consciousness.
“I can control the power, but at maximum output, I can kill a B-rank or lower Magical Beast in three seconds.”
It was a terrifying ability.
Especially against multiple enemies in a confined space, it would be extraordinarily efficient.
I barely swallowed my admiration.
But contrary to my amazement, Seo Il-hak wore a very troubled expression.
“Because of that power, it’s useful when all the Unawakened have evacuated, but otherwise it’s difficult to use. That’s why I describe it as Range-type.”
You’re right — a B-rank Magical Beast dies in three seconds, so an Unawakened person might die in just one.
From the position of an Association head prioritizing civilian safety, it had to be inconvenient.
“On the other hand, Target-designation type would be someone like Hunter Lee Ju-gyeong. You’ve probably seen it, so you understand.”
I recalled Lee Ju-gyeong’s skill from before.
He supported his allies by increasing or decreasing the weight of specific targets.
The gravity of the space itself wasn’t affected — only the target’s weight was manipulated.
I nodded as if I understood now.
“So that’s why you came looking for me.”
But my skill doesn’t apply to allies — it only harms those I recognize as enemies.
I was struck anew by how useful my skill truly was.
I could spread it wide like a Range-type ability while still distinguishing between targets.
Hearing the explanation made me realize just how good that was — like a sudden thunderbolt.
‘As if that matters. It’s all a dark history anyway.’
Unaware of my inner thoughts, Seo Il-hak spoke.
“If we hadn’t received your help, the arrest would’ve been far more difficult. We couldn’t use our skills recklessly, so we would’ve relied on lures or encirclement. Combat would’ve likely broken out in that process.”
Even then, we could’ve avoided casualties, but property damage would’ve been inevitable.
I felt anew the massive benefit my decision had brought.
‘Now I see why twenty million won seemed small. If a single building gets destroyed, how much is that? It’s better to spend twenty million won than have Hunters fight each other and cause property damage.’
While I was thinking and convincing myself, Association staff carrying the Fugitive Hunters came running up.
“Association Head! Hunter! We’ve finished preparing for transport! The car’s here!”
“Understood.”
Seo Il-hak gave them a brief reply and snapped Handcuffs onto the criminals as well.
I had no desire to go all the way to the Association building, so I moved my wings.
At the rustling sound, they all looked at me.
“My work here is done, so I’ll head back now.”
I bowed politely, and the others looked at me regretfully.
“You’re leaving right away?”
“Why not grab a meal first? There’s a good restaurant near the Association.”
Their kind offer tempted me, but I couldn’t accept.
I needed distance to maintain my Synchronization Rate.
I shook my head firmly.
“My sister and a friend are waiting for me.”
They stepped back with distinctly disappointed expressions on their faces.
“Then we have no choice. Thank you for your cooperation.”
“Thank you, Hunter. We’re grateful for your assistance!”
They busied themselves gathering up the handcuffed hunter.
At last, my eyes met Seo Il-hak’s.
Seo Il-hak bowed lightly to me, just as the others had done.
“I appreciate your help today.”
“Of course.”
“The cooperation fee should be deposited sometime this week.”
Now that was the best news I’d heard.
Seo Il-hak withdrew with a look of reluctance written across his face.
“Would it be acceptable to ask for your cooperation again in the future?”
I wanted to agree readily, but my Synchronization Rate nagged at my mind.
I hesitated for a moment before answering, and my response came out fussy.
“……I won’t make any promises.”
Seo Il-hak’s eyes widened as he looked up at me.
My Synchronization Rate climbed a little.
“But I’ll entertain business proposals. Have Ha Cho-eun bring them to me.”
His enlarged eyes traced a slow arc.
“……I’ll need to prepare more cooperation funds, it seems.”
I gave a single nod and moved my wings.
My body lifted into the air as the Association people receded into the distance.
My flight home felt surprisingly light.
* * *
[Korea’s official fourth S-rank has been born.]
A familiar face.
It felt strange seeing a familiar face on television.
I’d never lived a life where I met people this famous, so it was rather novel.
[Yes. This is the Hunters Association. Currently, Korea’s official fourth S-rank Hunter, Yu Ho-yeon, is exiting the building with the Association chairman.]
On the screen, Yu Ho-yeon and Seo Il-hak appeared together, the Hunters Association building behind them.
Seo Il-hak stepped up to the podium, checked the microphone, and faced the camera.
[Following rank evaluation and skill analysis, the Association has issued an S-rank Hunter certificate to Hunter Yu Ho-yeon.]
I wrung out my towel and listened attentively to Seo Il-hak’s dignified voice.
[Furthermore, Hunter Yu Ho-yeon has pledged to remain at the Association for skill adaptation and training, and has committed to continued management and cooperation.]
He’d mentioned skill instability, but it seemed they’d decided to keep that classified as personal information.
When you think about it, it amounts to a weakness.
It wasn’t something you could easily broadcast to the world.
But understanding his situation didn’t make me feel any goodwill toward Yu Ho-yeon.
He’d suddenly grabbed hold of me and shown inexplicable hostility.
Honestly, I wanted to avoid him more than anything.
On screen, Seo Il-hak stepped aside, and Yu Ho-yeon moved forward. Unlike before, his eyes were now a calm black.
[I have not long awakened, and there is still much that is unrefined and lacking. However, I will take responsibility as Korea’s official S-rank Hunter and move forward with that mindset.]
His voice was measured but carried something darkly shadowed beneath the surface.
For some reason, I felt he’d placed emphasis on the word “official” when he spoke it.
From our first meeting, he’d always spoken as if he knew something.
And I sensed that demeanor had been directed at me.
‘It’s probably just my imagination.’
As if to avoid him, I finished wringing out the last remaining towel and hung it by the window.
Meanwhile, Yu Ho-yeon bowed to the camera and disappeared from view.
The news scene shifted back to the anchor.
[Hunter Yu Ho-yeon has been deployed to numerous duties including the apprehension of fugitive hunters, and has demonstrated considerable capability. The Association anticipates that Yu Ho-yeon will contribute to dungeon raids and public safety as an S-rank Hunter.]
“I hope we don’t end up crossing paths again.”
But the moment I said it, it sounded like something out of a cliché.
The words themselves made me anxious that we’d end up uncomfortably entangled anyway.
‘No, even if we do get tangled up, I’ll just have to cut through it somehow.’
I changed the television channel.
Now a variety show filled with cheerful laughter flooded the screen.

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