I Became a Hunter with the Heavenly Slaughter Star Trait. - Chapter 2

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 2

Episode 2

“Huaaaam…”

A fluffy pillow, soft blanket, streaming sunlight…

I can’t remember the last time I slept so peacefully.

It’s strange.

The fact that after deciding to commit suicide, my mind has actually become more at ease.

After washing up lightly, I headed to the Dining Hall.

Once you become an official Hunter, you can receive various considerations, but for now as an aspiring candidate, I have to live this communal life.

Since it was still early, the Dining Hall wasn’t crowded.

Just a few people besides me?

Everyone’s expressions don’t look good.

I suppose that’s inevitable.

Maybe in the early days, but nowadays there’s really no one who becomes an Aspiring Climber because they want to.

News stories frequently report that heads of households burdened with their entire family’s debt make up most of the Aspiring Climbers.

There are cases where people become Hunters that way and write rags-to-riches stories, but they’re definitely the minority.

‘Rags-to-riches my ass.’

I’ll just live comfortably until I die.

I generously filled my tray with rice, soup, and side dishes.

Mmm, real rice is completely different from instant rice!

Ooh, this braised potato is incredibly delicious!!

Wow, bulgogi for breakfast!!!

Among the people sitting around picking at their food like they were at a funeral, only I was cheerfully emptying my tray.

“Student, it’s nice to see you eating so well~.”

“Thank you. It’s so delicious!”

I got seconds for breakfast. What luxury is this!

They say even ghosts who died well-fed look better, so I’ll eat well until I die.

After properly finishing with a cup of sikhye and a cup of sujeonggwa for dessert.

Finally, it was time to go receive training.

I was slightly nervous wondering if hellish training involving running with tires tied to my waist was waiting.

Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.

What took place in the morning was theoretical education.

Time was given to study the types and mechanics of tutorials.

“Ah, damn. Education my ass, what fucking education.”

“We’re going to die anyway, so why make us memorize this crap.”

Someone grumbled, but I had no particular complaints.

Maybe because I’d been exposed to this kind of thing a lot since I was young?

I wasn’t particularly bad at academics either.

The reason I didn’t study wasn’t because I couldn’t, but because I couldn’t afford to go to college anyway due to money.

Unlike the other aspiring candidates, I listened attentively to the training instructor’s words.

While diligently reading the textbook and taking notes.

Since I was the only one actually participating in the education, it was practically a one-on-one lesson between the training instructor and me.

I wonder if private tutoring, which I’d only heard about, feels like this.

“There are currently 24 confirmed types of tutorials.”

When the training instructor pressed the remote, the screen changed to show a list of the 24 types of tower tutorials.

“Among these, the one with the highest entry probability is Total Annihilation.”

Total Annihilation.

A tutorial where you must annihilate all monsters that appear within the time limit.

It’s not just a high entry probability – almost 70% enter Total Annihilation.

Since many people enter, many people survive as well.

Most Hunters are from Total Annihilation.

Because combat traits are the most common among the traits granted when entering the tower.

If you enter Total Annihilation and gain a combat trait, your survival probability in the tutorial skyrockets.

For that reason, what the training instructor spent the most time carefully explaining was also information about Total Annihilation.

Besides Total Annihilation, there are also Siege Defense, Adaptation, and Pursuit.

Siege Defense is literally a tutorial about defending a stronghold.

Adaptation is a tutorial where you must survive in a changing environment.

Pursuit is a tutorial where high-level monsters appear, but you just need to survive until the time limit without needing to kill them.

Total Annihilation has 10 different types.

Siege Defense, Adaptation, and Pursuit each have 4 types.

And Survival has 2 types.

“Since you don’t know which tutorial you’ll enter, memorizing all of them will be helpful.”

At the training instructor’s serious voice, I nodded earnestly.

If you get a combat trait in Total Annihilation, or a defense trait in Siege Defense, or a stealth trait in Pursuit, your survival chances would improve somewhat.

Which tutorial you enter and which trait you get…

‘…it’s all up to luck.’

So all I can do is study hard.

Perhaps because I asked various questions until the end, the training instructor looked after me a bit more.

Like how you should aim for goblins’ heads first.

Or how you should take refuge at the Waterfront when harpies appear.

After obtaining such small useful tips.

It was lunchtime.

The lunch menu was galbitang.

‘I should eat at least two bowls of this too.’

Perhaps recognizing the guy who had emptied his tray twice since morning.

The cook generously filled it with ribs.

Greasy and savory meat with rich broth. Plus rice glistening with a glossy sheen.

Filling my stomach with something hot feels reassuring.

Even though I ate so much for breakfast, just studying a bit seems to have emptied my stomach completely.

As soon as I finished one bowl, I got up from my seat to get another galbitang.

“Look at him chowing down.”

Someone mutters nearby as if for me to hear.

“How does food go down when you’re about to go die soon.”

When I turned to look, it was the man who had sat next to me during the education.

Come to think of it, he seemed displeased during the education time too.

Did it look like a guy in a similar situation was showing off?

“I should at least eat.”

“…”

“They say even ghosts who died well-fed look better.”

“Ah damn, you’re ruining my appetite.”

The man slammed down his spoon and disappeared, leaving behind his galbitang that was less than half eaten.

Tsk tsk, leaving food behind.

He’s someone who doesn’t know the preciousness of meals.

I clicked my tongue and went to get galbitang again.

“It’s so nice to see you eat well! Eat more, more!”

“Thank you for the meal~!”

This time too, she packed the ribs in tightly.

I returned to my seat and diligently devoured the hot galbitang.

To leave behind something this delicious.

You’ll surely regret it.

* * *

“Huff, huff, huff…”

“Damn it! I can’t run anymore!”

“Let me out!”

As soon as basic physical training started, people began giving up left and right.

“Urgh, urrgh!!”

“Uwaaahhh!!!”

What a mess.

The sound of retching could be heard from all around.

Most people were collapsed on the floor, practically melting.

I was in pretty decent shape.

Of course I was.

I didn’t smoke, and rarely drank alcohol.

Besides, my hobby was walking and running.

Ever since I was young, whenever my mind got complicated, I would run without fail.

Until I couldn’t think of anything.

After running until I could barely breathe, my mind would feel refreshed.

It was a hobby that didn’t cost money, so there was nothing to worry about.

Who would have thought that a habit I’d maintained into adulthood would be so helpful.

-Target training amount achieved.

The machine stopped at the same time a notification appeared on the monitor.

“Phew!”

I caught my breath and got off the machine.

Wiping away sweat and looking around, it seemed I was the only one who had achieved the target training amount.

‘Well then, I should eat a hearty lunch.’

Tsk tsk tsk. I clicked my tongue inwardly and gulped down the ion drink that had been prepared in advance.

Much better than when I only drank tap water.

It’s strange.

Now that I’ve resolved to die, everything feels good.

Without realizing it, I chuckled, threw away the empty bottle, and left the Training Room.

Just doing basic physical training wasn’t the end.

After a brief rest period, combat training was waiting.

What we had to learn were hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship.

Hand-to-hand combat could be done without weapons, so that made sense to learn.

And since swords were the most common weapons that appeared in Babel Tower, we learned swordsmanship too.

Besides that, if you wanted, you could also learn archery, staff techniques, or spear techniques.

But no one bothered to apply for additional training.

Same for me.

Even though swords were said to be the most common weapons in Babel Tower.

Whether you could actually get a sword in the tutorial was entirely up to luck.

So I planned to focus more on hand-to-hand combat.

That way, even if I couldn’t get a weapon, my survival chances would increase at least a little.

“This kind of thing is just a kid’s toy.”

Someone giggled while touching a training sword that had no blade.

I’ve handled knives before, you know.”

“Ooooh, as expected of you, boss!!”

“Living things just need their vital points hit. Stab. Stab. Stab. That’s all.”

The Muscular Man with a large scar on his face swung the training sword.

Then a group calling him boss and boss applauded him in admiration.

He was acting arrogant and trying to appeal that he was a scary person, but…

Despite his subtle implications, he probably wasn’t a murderer.

The Babel Tower Climber Management Bureau didn’t accept serious criminals, only minor offenders.

Just imagine if some crazy death row inmate entered Babel Tower and became a tremendously skilled Hunter.

That couldn’t be considered lucky.

No one could predict what kind of chaos they might cause.

From the nation’s perspective, it would be like embracing a time bomb that could explode at any moment.

That’s why they only overlooked debts and minor crimes.

In other words, that Muscular Man was just bluffing.

“The vital point is right here.”

Swoosh. The Muscular Man swung his sword wide and pointed the tip at me.

Below the chin.

The blunt sword tip seemed like it might stab my throat.

Since it wasn’t sharpened, getting stabbed would at most leave a bruise.

“This is exactly where the vital point is!”

When the Muscular Man shouted, the ragtag group went “Wooooh!” in admiration.

What is this, a pack of gorillas?

“Scared?”

“Yes. I’m completely scared.”

I nodded with a slight smile.

I couldn’t help but laugh because…

This guy was the very person who couldn’t run much during basic physical training and just retched.

“Watch yourself, buddy. The tower isn’t something to take lightly.”

“Yes sir!”

When I answered obediently, the Muscular Man actually frowned.

Did he think I was mocking him?

“This bastard…”

Just as the Muscular Man made a tsk sound and raised his sword high again.

“What are you doing right now?”

A low, cold voice was heard.

It was the Combat Instructor.

“Did you come here to fool around?”

There had been an unpleasant atmosphere among the instructors since basic training, and it seemed like they were trying to establish discipline now.

“N-no sir!”

The Muscular Man hurriedly put down his sword.

“Say it again. What’s a vital point?”

“Ah, no, I was…”

The Combat Instructor picked up the sword the Muscular Man had put down at a speed incomparable to the Muscular Man’s, and pointed the tip right below his chin.

The combat instructors weren’t Hunters.

However, they were extremely trained experts.

Not someone ordinary people could match.

“Talking about vital points when you can’t even run properly.”

“Huk…”

“Someone like you would die before even swinging this thing properly.”

It was a quiet voice, but since I was so close, I heard every word.

The Muscular Man’s face turned pale in real time.

“The only applicant who completed the basic physical training is Lee Tae-pyeong.”

“….”

“Everyone except Lee Tae-pyeong, return to the Basic Fitness Training Ground.”

Complaints erupted from here and there, but the Combat Instructor’s intention was clear.

In the end, I was the only one left in the Vast Training Ground.

Unintentionally, I ended up receiving intensive tutoring.

Hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship.

Monster weak points and how to strike those weak points.

The training was incomparably harsher than basic training, so by the time it ended, I was on the verge of collapse.

‘Still, this is better….’

Because I don’t think about anything.

No worries, no sadness, no anger.

So maybe this is actually good.

I threw myself into training like a madman.

Eating, studying, training, sleeping.

As if that was everything.

Three months passed like that.

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