Infinite Evolution Hunter - Chapter 66

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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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66
“I’ll put on cold-weather gear!”
The B and C-rank Hunters who came as support pulled out thermal suits from their bags and distributed them to the A-rank Hunters under their care. I retrieved my own cold-weather gear and put it on.
A-rank Gates were a different beast entirely from B-rank ones. Not only did we have to fight stronger monsters, but we also had to contend with the environment itself. Some Gates were scorching hot enough to blister skin, while others saw toxic rain pouring down. This Gate’s temperature hovered around negative thirty degrees Celsius.
In such conditions, hunting—already difficult—became exponentially harder.
“Hunter, over here.”
A C-rank Hunter helped Jung Ji-eun into her thermal suit.
“Hey, it’s dragging on the ground!”
“Pardon?”
“Can’t you see?! It’s dragging on the ground! You should have brought the right size!”
Because Jung Ji-eun was so short, the thermal pants pooled around her feet. She looked like a child drowning in adult clothes.
“I’m sorry. This is the smallest size of specialized cold-weather gear we have in the Guild.”
Hunters were all tall. Awakening typically brought growth spurts, so it was rare to find anyone under 160 centimeters. But Jung Ji-eun barely broke 150.
“Then you should have had one custom-made and brought it!”
Jung Ji-eun tore off the suit and threw it to the ground.
“I apologize. I’ll try folding my limbs.”
A familiar voice from behind made me turn my head. When I spotted Choi Ye-seul engaged in conversation with Jung Ji-eun—or rather, being berated by her—a hollow laugh escaped me.
There was Bae Na-young, the villain from my past life; Seo Kyung-hyun, the serial killer; and Jung Min-gi, an S-rank Hunter with whom I’d had no significant connection in my previous life. But Choi Ye-seul was different—I’d actually had a real connection with her, and it was one of gratitude, not enmity. I’d thought that when we met again, I would repay that debt. I never expected it would happen so soon.
* * *
It was about a year before I died in my past life. I was traveling with colleagues in a large mountain-capable transport truck laden with food supplies.
After monsters had devastated most of humanity’s farmland, food was perpetually scarce. Because of this, escorting food transport trucks—colloquially called “rice trucks”—was paramount.
Though we called each other colleagues, we were merely people who worked missions together, with no deeper bonds. Perhaps it was because we never knew when we’d die. Or maybe constant combat and witnessing death so frequently had dulled my basic human senses.
“…I’m starving.”
I muttered from where I sat in the back of the truck.
“Me too.”
Across from me sat Choi Ye-seul, my age. Having recently leveled up to become an A-rank Hunter, Choi Ye-seul and I had good compatibility, so we were often deployed together for combat and missions. As a result, she was one of the few colleagues I actually talked to.
“With all that food back there, wouldn’t it go unnoticed if we ate some?”
“If you ate until you were full, you’d finish it all. There are people hungrier than us, so hold back.”
“Who knew you were such a saint? That’s impressive.”
“…What are you talking about?”
Ye-seul’s expression didn’t change, but I could see her embarrassment. While others couldn’t read her expressions or intentions, I could. My keen senses had been honed through much practice reading her blank face, allowing me to discern lies.
Unlike me, most people couldn’t read Ye-seul’s expressions and mistook her for being cold, but she was actually incredibly tender-hearted. She would even give away her own meager rations to find someone hungrier. She seemed embarrassed by the title of “saint,” but I’d never met anyone who suited that name better than Ye-seul.
She’d always been thin, but from constantly giving away her meals, she’d become gaunt recently—her cheekbones jutting out visibly. Already sharp-featured due to her blank expression, she looked even more angular now.
“Should we hunt something like a Mad Bull and eat it?”
“It’s poisonous.”
Monster poison was more lethal to ordinary people, but Hunters weren’t safe from it either. Not all mana was the same. You could tell just by looking at the different aura colors. It was like trying to transfuse the wrong blood type when you’re low on blood—it would kill you.
“I won’t die.”
“Don’t put too much faith in your skill.”
Perhaps Ye-seul foresaw my future then. Though, come to think of it, everyone died a year later anyway, so prophecy or not, it was meaningless.
Crash!
“Ambush!!”
Something flew from the side and struck the truck, sending the entire vehicle lurching violently. Inside, Ye-seul and I were thrown against the truck’s walls. The impact and deafening crash made my head ring.
I grabbed Ye-seul and leaped from the back of the truck. Turning to look behind us, the reinforced side armor—layered multiple times over—was engulfed in flames, struck by fire-attribute magic.
From the Forest, a B-rank Ogre Lord and Ogre Mage were approaching, leading hundreds of Ogres toward us.
“Stay behind me!”
I set Ye-seul down and charged forward. I had only recently reached B-rank, but with the Healer Ye-seul’s support, I could unleash power beyond my own limits.
With my regeneration and her healing, evasion was unnecessary. Instead of wasting time dodging, I attacked relentlessly, cutting down Ogres with every moment.
I held the line while slaughtering Ogres, but we were only about ten people against an overwhelming horde. Yet I couldn’t abandon this food supply. Though the compressed rations tasted terrible, if rationed carefully, they could feed hundreds or thousands for an entire month.
“Ah… No… Run!”
The number of Ogres alone was more than we could handle, but when the Hunters saw the A-rank monster Dullahan approaching on horseback from the hilltop, they began to flee.
“Don’t run! Where will you go?! If we can’t stop them here, we’re all dead anyway!”
Some continued fighting to the end. But I had a strong premonition that this would be my last day. We were outnumbered, outmatched in quality, and our morale was shattered.
“Ji-seok, take the people and run.”

“What?!”
“I’ll hold them off. Go.”
“Don’t use that! You still don’t know what it does!”
I cursed under my breath as I fought.
Ye-seul closed her eyes and gripped her pure white staff with both hands with all her strength. From the jewel embedded in the staff, brilliant white light spread in all directions, enveloping both the monsters and us.
The monsters within the dome-shaped light were immobilized as if bound by chains. They shrieked and thrashed, trying to break free, but it was futile. Meanwhile, our movement remained free, and our wounds were healed.
A new skill Ye-seul had acquired upon leveling up—Sacrifice. By sacrificing her own life, she created an indestructible sanctuary. Creating a barrier of this magnitude surely came at an immense cost.
“Why did you use it?!”
I turned back to Ye-seul and shouted.
“I’ll give you my ration. It won’t fill your stomach much, but…”
Ye-seul, who rarely smiled, was smiling. It was the first time I’d seen her smile since we’d been together. She could smile even as she was dying. No—why did I have to see her smile for the first time as she was dying?
“Go. Hurry.”
Ye-seul’s body had turned pale white, and her skin looked as though it would crumble at any moment.
While Ye-seul held the monsters at bay, the truck had already departed.
I looked back and forth between Ye-seul and the truck, then squeezed my eyes shut and ran toward it.
The memory of that day became a nightmare that haunted me for the remaining year. Of course, there was no guarantee that if I had stayed, I could have saved Ye-seul. If I had stayed, we would have died together. But perhaps if I had evolved, I could have saved her. The world was approaching its end, yet I still chose to preserve myself.
If only I had stayed by Ye-seul’s side as she was dying that day—perhaps my death would have meant something. Could I ever sacrifice myself for others like she did? She made me think deeply, and her actions profoundly influenced how I would live in this second life.
* * *
Seeing her now, she overlaps with the image of her from that final moment. Back then, she had suffered so much that her face was a mess, but now she looks youthful and healthy. Her expression is still expressionless, though.
“Hey, you know you’re entering an A-rank Gate because of me, right? Do you think you could find someone willing to train and develop a C-rank Hunter? Do your job properly. Really.”
“Yes.”
The shorter Hunter Jung Ji-eun tapped the forehead of the tall Hunter Choi Ye-seul repeatedly while scolding her. It seemed to be a frequent occurrence—Choi Ye-seul lowered her head to make it easier for her to tap. Perhaps she had been criticized for her height before.
Even now, Ye-seul’s face showed no expression, but in truth, she felt apologetic.
Normally, items like winter clothing should be prepared by the Hunters themselves. Supporters carry luggage and hand over items when needed—this is done implicitly—but they are fundamentally meant only to provide combat support. In other words, they are not personal managers for A-rank Hunters.
So there was no reason to tolerate such behavior. Moreover, it wasn’t even her mistake, so she didn’t understand why she felt apologetic. But since she answered with a blank expression and brief replies, her apology didn’t reach Jung Ji-eun.
“Ugh, I’m not even joking. Go.”
When Choi Ye-seul folded the sleeves and legs, Jung Ji-eun reluctantly put it on.
I wanted to help Choi Ye-seul, but if I, a stranger, stepped in and took her side, I’d obviously be labeled as some weirdo. Giving her money or items out of nowhere would look suspicious too. I pondered how I could actually be of assistance.
“Alright everyone, gather around for the briefing. This Gate spawns not just Minotaurs and Owl Bears, but also an A-rank monster—Wyverns—so we’ll proceed with constant vigilance of the skies. And please, manage your cold-weather gear carefully and use your thermal items sparingly.”
After the brief overview, the fully-armored Hunters lined up before the Gate following Shim Hee-ho’s instructions. Meanwhile, since I hadn’t brought anything in particular, I stood casually at the very back alongside Yang Sang-heon.
“Excuse me. Where’s your cold-weather gear?”
Jung Ji-eun shot the question at me with a sharp look. I was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt and shorts. It was an item I’d asked Jae-in to make. It had zero defensive properties—it simply stored itself when I put on armor and wrapped around my body again when I removed it. It had no other functions whatsoever.
“I don’t need it.”
“…The Guild Master didn’t order you not to come, but stay in the back so you don’t interfere with the raid. I don’t want to waste mana unnecessarily.”
“I see.”
“What?”
“I came to hunt, so I can’t stay in the back.”
“You show up with nothing—no protective gear, no armor, no weapon, just your bare hands—and you want to hunt?!”
She let out a sharp cry. Despite her small stature, her voice carried remarkably well. In truth, an unknown Hunter had joined the team, and if I showed up with nothing like this, it was understandable to be irritated.
But seeing how she was blocking Choi Ye-seul, I didn’t want to just laugh it off pleasantly. Besides, no one else was saying anything—why was she the only one making a fuss?
“Come on, Ji-eun, calm down. I’ve already confirmed his abilities.”
Shim Hee-ho calmed Jung Ji-eun down.
Still, since she seemed to respect Shim Hee-ho as the team leader, Jung Ji-eun glared at me and let out a loud snort before turning sharply to return to her position.
“Um… would you like to wear my cold-weather gear? It might be a bit small, but it’s better than nothing.”
Choi Ye-seul took off her own cold-weather gear and offered it to me. She still loved sharing what she had with others.
“What about you then?”
“I have healing, so if I get cold, I can just use it.”
Healing doesn’t eliminate pain. She was saying she’d use healing once her body started suffering frostbite in the bitter cold. Whether she was a saint or just a pushover, she was certainly the latter.
“Thank you, but don’t worry. I have a skill, so I don’t feel the cold.”
I politely declined Choi Ye-seul’s offer and entered the Gate. It was indeed cold weather, but having endured the environment of the Deep Sea, it had no effect on me whatsoever.
I pushed forward, cutting through the cold and fierce winds.
“Minotaurs spotted ahead!”

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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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