The Regressed SSS-Rank Supporter Who Turned Dark - Chapter 29
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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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#Episode 29
Ra Si-hyun.
South Korea’s most exceptional mage.
One of only three mages to reach the tenth star alongside Necromancer Gain and Battle Mage Bellatrix.
In the future, Gain, Bellatrix, and Ra Si-hyun would be called the [Archmages].
The problem was her character.
Of course, top-ranked hunters generally had abysmal personalities, but mages were particularly notorious for having shattered moral compasses.
Ra Si-hyun was hypersensitive, arrogant, suffered from anger management issues that led her to casually unleash magic at the slightest provocation, and her temperament was as unpredictable as boiling broth—pleasing her was nearly impossible.
On top of that, she had an infamous reputation for her romantic entanglements, keeping several handsome men around like concubines.
Of course, that was a story from several years in the future; for now, she was merely a green recruit in a school uniform.
“I’m the same cohort as Ra Si-hyun?”
“Ah? Have you already met with Si-hyun?”
“No, that’s not it. I just remembered hearing her name that day.”
“I see. Yes, that’s correct. You are the same cohort as Si-hyun.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s nothing.”
Now that I thought about it, Ra Si-hyun’s cohort at the Special Operations Bureau was two classes ahead of mine.
We both awakened around the same time, but my registration was delayed because I was occupied with my father’s funeral arrangements.
“As I mentioned earlier, Si-hyun is a mage. I’m sure you understand how rare and valuable such a role is, so I won’t elaborate further.”
“It is rare.”
“Ah, of course, not quite as rare as you, sir. Haha.”
Lim Captain seemed to catch himself and added the clarification.
Right—no matter how rare mages were, they couldn’t compare to me.
“In any case, I wanted to mention that this would be a good opportunity. If you could build a connection with Si-hyun during this time, it would surely prove beneficial for your future activities, wouldn’t it?”
“I suppose.”
It would certainly be beneficial.
The question was whether I could tolerate her insufferable personality.
Knowing what kind of person Ra Si-hyun would become in the future, it was only natural that I’d want nothing to do with her.
I wondered if I’d killed her with my own hands back then.
“Well, I understand. When is it?”
“Next Monday.”
“Today’s Friday, so… three days left.”
“If your schedule is too tight, we could push it back by a cohort or so.”
“It’s fine. Let’s go with Monday.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Lim Captain smiled.
He seemed to have been worried that I might stubbornly refuse to go to the Special Operations Bureau.
“Well, no. I’m the one who should apologize for bringing you all this way. Why don’t we grab a meal before you head back? The food here is quite good.”
“Would that be alright?”
“Of course.”
“Then, if you’ll excuse me. Haha.”
Lim Captain rose to fetch his meal tray.
He seemed to be pulling all-nighters, barely managing to eat properly while performing duties around the clock, and I felt genuinely sorry for having kept him late without meaning to.
‘Entering the same cohort as Ra Si-hyun. Heh.’
I found myself thinking that life at the Special Operations Bureau might actually be entertaining.
After all, I’d get to witness the past of the villainess I’d killed with my own hands.
* * *
After Lim Captain left, I sat at the desk and focused my mind.
Whoosh!
The HunterLink bulletin board UI unfolded before my eyes.
When I only wanted to use the bulletin board, there was no need to log in—I could simply summon it like this.
Though hardly anyone would know this trick at this point in time.
[HIT!] Events That Will Unfold in the Near Future 1 (75,731)
“Already 75,000 comments?”
By my estimate, the hunter population was roughly 100,000.
It might seem like a lot at first glance, but it really wasn’t.
With Earth’s population at roughly 8 billion, 100,000 hunters amounted to approximately 0.00125%.
In other words, roughly one hunter per 80,000 people.
Yet 75,000 comments meant that conservatively speaking, half of all hunters worldwide had left a comment.
[Necrolord] I’ll give 10 million dollars if you report that bastard’s identity (4,882)
[DeadEye] It’s probably a scam (6,631)
[Paragon] Anyone who believes that is a complete idiot (4,331)
Meanwhile, renowned hunters were opening their call signs and posting about me.
Some had even put bounties on my head.
‘I’ve certainly grabbed their attention. I should write one more post.’
Everyone seemed to be waiting with bated breath for when I’d appear, so I decided to throw them a bone—a useful tip as a gesture of goodwill.
It was a tip that HunterLink users could actually put to good use, so they’d all appreciate it.
[Post registered!]
The tip I’d shared was as follows:
[INFO] How to Use the Bulletin Board and Messenger Without Logging Into HunterLink
The response was immediate.
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding… ding!
[Comment posted!]
[Comment posted!]
…
[Comment posted!]
With each refresh, dozens and hundreds of new comments flooded in.
Since it was morning in South Korea, comments from Korean hunters were sparse, and the feed was dominated by foreign hunters.
‘This should be enough.’
It felt like I’d tossed a stone into a calm lake, sending ripples across its surface.
Of course, the stone I’d thrown earlier had already stirred up a tempest.
Besides, HunterLink was hardly a quiet neighborhood that could be described as a calm lakeside.
‘I should stay off for a while and focus on what I need to do.’
The faster my capital depleted, the less influence the mysterious 10-star hunter would wield, so I planned to train the hunters at a leisurely pace.
‘Let me start by writing it down.’
I pulled out a notebook and pen, beginning to jot down memories from the past decade.
As a human, I couldn’t remember everything, and it was impossible to recall things on the spot, so organizing them this way seemed worthwhile.
That way, when I posted information on HunterLink’s anonymous bulletin board, I could upload credible posts.
* * *
Three days later.
“I’m heading out.”
I boarded the helicopter bound for the Special Operations Bureau from the rooftop, waving goodbye to my family.
In the past, I’d traveled to a gathering point and taken a bus, but seeing them send a helicopter now made the difference in treatment tangible.
At this point, my status had risen vertically from commoner to nobility.
“Then, I’ll be departing.”
Whump-whump-whump-whump-whump!
The helicopter carrying me shot westward.
The destination was Jebu Island.
Once a popular travel destination, it had become a place where civilians no longer ventured after the gate incident, as the Defense Strategy Department’s Special Armed Forces Training Institute was now located there.
About twenty minutes in.
– We’ll make a brief landing.
The helicopter descended somewhere in Incheon Jemulpo.
‘Is there someone else to pick up?’
Wondering who warranted such special treatment as I was receiving, a female student in school uniform boarded the helicopter.
‘Of course.’
There was no way they’d send a helicopter unless it was for a top-tier prospect like Ra Si-hyun.
Since there couldn’t be more than one top-tier prospect like Ra Si-hyun and me in the same cohort, my initial curiosity about who would board was a mistake in judgment.
“Huh? You?”
Ra Si-hyun recognized me and greeted me familiarly.
She looked quite surprised.
She seemed doubly shocked—both that another trainee besides herself was on the helicopter, and that it was me.
Right, it must be surprising that someone other than the mage receives special treatment.
“Are you a mage too, oppa?”
Ra Si-hyun asked me directly.
“No.”
“Then a ranged dealer?”
Since the Guardian role, which serves as a tank, typically has larger builds, she was probably asking if I was a ranged dealer, the rarest class among the Warrior role group.
“That’s not it either.”
“Ugh, what is it then?”
Ra Si-hyun frowned as if tasting something bitter and stale.
“They’re burning anyone and everyone. How utterly pedestrian.”
Well, well.
So her temperament hadn’t changed after all—she’d been twisted from birth, it seemed.
Seeing her flaunt privilege and superiority so openly mere weeks after awakening, it was clear her roots had never been healthy to begin with—they were rotten through and through.
‘Perhaps I’ll end up killing her again.’
Of course, unlike before, I wouldn’t suffer exploitation, verbal abuse, or curses from Ra Si-hyun, so the likelihood of a direct vendetta was low.
But since both she and I were destined to become top-tier hunters, we’d cross paths frequently even if we didn’t travel together.
Given her temperament, conflict was inevitable, and honestly, I had no confidence I wouldn’t kill her.
But not now.
With anyone else, I’d have snuffed them out quietly, nipping the bud before it could grow, but Ra Si-hyun was still a second-year high school student.
I couldn’t kill a minor, no matter what.
‘As long as I don’t cross the line.’
‘I’ll just watch for now, and if things get too out of hand, I can kill her in two years.’
Ra Si-hyun sat with her headset on and arms crossed, eyes closed, as if expressing her displeasure at being treated the same as someone unremarkable.
Unaware that the grim reaper was sitting right across from her.
‘There’ll be plenty of chances to teach her a lesson during training.’
I had no desire to engage with Ra Si-hyun either, so I kept my eyes closed until we reached our destination.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
After carrying Ra Si-hyun for another ten minutes, the helicopter descended onto the landing pad of the Special Armed Forces Training Institute located on Jebu Island.
“Welcome, you two.”
Lim Captain greeted us as we disembarked.
“Was your journey comfortable?”
“Thanks to your consideration, we arrived safely and quickly.”
Unlike me, who responded to Lim Captain’s courtesy with a smile, Ra Si-hyun seemed to have much to say.
“Excuse me, soldier.”
“Yes, Miss Si-hyun.”
“Why did I have to take the same helicopter as that per——”
Just as Ra Si-hyun pointed at me with her chin and began to protest to Lim Captain.
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
From somewhere near the main gate, pterodactyl shrieks mixed with all manner of screams erupted.
“Oppa! You’ve got this!”
“Just look this way once!”
“We love youuuuu!”
Ra Si-hyun’s words were drowned out.
Though I heard every word clearly.
“Haha.”
Lim Captain offered an awkward smile and explained the situation.
“It appears one of today’s new recruits is an active idol, so things are a bit noisy.”
“An active idol? Who are you referring to?”
“Ho-bin, I believe he’s the lead vocalist of a group called Eclipse, but I don’t have detailed information myself.”
“That male idol?”
“Yes…?”
“No, it’s nothing….”
I had a hunch, and my suspicions were confirmed.
Among the incidents and accidents I’d recorded in my notes three days ago, there was indeed an incident that occurred at the Special Armed Forces Training Institute.
Jung Ho-bin.
The male idol Eun-ha was infatuated with.
Whenever she got the chance, Eun-ha would sing about our Ho-bin oppa, so I knew all about him.
That didn’t mean I disliked him.
The problem was that he’d become part of the same training cohort as me.
Because Jung Ho-bin had died after being caught in a dimensional rift phenomenon while training at the Special Armed Forces Training Institute to become a hunter.
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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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