1 – Return

– Beep, beep, beep.

A sharp, piercing sound echoes in the ears.

The surroundings change in the blink of an eye.

But this situation feels strangely familiar.

“Are you just standing there? You crazy guy, wake up!”

“Kang Jihoon!! Attack him!!”

“Whether you attack or run, move quickly, you crazy guy!”

Familiar voices can be heard. It doesn’t take long to assess the situation.

I lift my head slightly.

A massive, green, jawed creature. Sharp protruding teeth. A muscular body.

King Goblin.

The E-rank Gate Boss Monster was right in front of me.

It was Jihoon who used high-speed movement skills to get here to deliver a single strike.

“It was ten years ago…”

King Goblin gazes down at Jihoon, who suddenly rushed in front of him.

The intense, glowing eyes of King Goblin meet Jihoon’s helpless gaze.

“Goblin? No, it’s King Goblin, right? Yes, it seems that’s what it was.”

Jihoon looks at the sword in his right hand, with eyes that once gazed upon goblins.

“I’m sure I’ve come back to that moment from ten years ago.”

“Why is that crazy guy just standing there without attacking?”

“Is he trying to have a staring contest with King Goblin or something?”

“Yeah, but doesn’t the clothes he’s wearing look strange? Were those his original clothes?”

“I don’t know, but does anyone really care what that loser used to wear?”

The voices of comrades from behind can be distinctly heard.

Comrades? No, they were just fellow 11th graders. I don’t recall anyone considering me a comrade among them.

King Goblin suddenly rushes right in front of himself and then gazes at Jihoon, who just stands there.

In no time, King Goblin raises a massive wooden club high in the air.

“Scream! Take cover!”

“Take cover! You moron!”

“Oh no! It’s mine!”

It was when Professor Jin Sukhyun, who had joined forces to lead and protect the members of the Class 11 who were participating in the Rank E Gate Extermination Mission, was urgently trying to move his feet.

Swish-

With a soft and sharp sound, the King Goblin, who swung his club, freezes on the spot.

And a moment later,

A clean line is drawn on the thick neck of the King Goblin, and soon his head falls askew.

Quack quack quack quack

Was it cut so cleanly?

The severed head of the goblin falls belatedly from where it originally was, and a waterfall of blood pours down.

“Did he swing his sword? When? Did I really miss the movements of a mere Class 11 E-rank Hunter?”

Professor Jin Sukhyun, who was about to run away, could not believe that he, who had just failed to follow Kang Jihun’s swordsmanship with his eyes.

Ignoring the goblin’s body that was still standing despite the blood gushing from its throat, Kang Jihun walks steadily towards the gate exit.

“Yeonhwa… I brought Yeonhwa… Yeonhwa…”

Murmuring words that no one understands like a dazed person, he walks alone outside the gate.

“What… what’s with that guy?”

“Did he really defeat that thing?”

“Hey? Why is he going out alone?”

The other Class 11 students, who had been late to look at Kang Jihun, now collectively throw questioning glances at Professor Jin Sukhyun.

“…Since we took down the boss monster, we should leave too. The guys at the back, make sure to collect the Mana Stones. Class 11 Team B is withdrawing.”

***

[Reconnecting to the system]

[Detecting changes in the player’s status]

Messages that ring in his head. Those words that hadn’t been heard for a while were unexpectedly refreshing.

“Reconnecting, huh? Looks like it was disconnected in that world too.”

Jihun opens his status window after a long time.

Name: Kang Jihun

Level: 4

Basic stats

Strength: (Currently measuring due to a drastic change)

Agility: (Currently measuring due to a drastic change)

Intelligence: (due to rapid changes)

Mana: 30

Unknown Energy: Measurement unavailable

Skills

Grade C <High-Speed Movement> Level 1

Although I couldn’t confirm the basic stats yet, judging by the level and skill, it seemed like there was a significant change in the abilities as a hunter.

“Unknown energy? Is this talking about the inner energy in the Dahnjeon? Yes, it must be. The power in this world is different, so the system may not recognize it. But it doesn’t seem to have disappeared.”

Jihoon, who was walking out of the gate toward a nearby park, immediately sat down and began to circulate the inner energy of the Dahnjeon.

“As expected. Just as I thought…”

High school, 3rd year, summer vacation.

Jihoon suddenly awakened while working a part-time job delivering water to earn money for his living expenses.

Like all awakeners, Jihoon naturally opened the status window and was able to check his abilities even without anyone telling him.

“Sir!! Can you see this? This? It’s the status window! I’ve awakened!”

“What? Where? Where? Oh, do you not know that only the hunter can see the status window? Are you really awakened?”

“Yes! It’s here right now; the status window is displayed. It’s so amazing!”

Jihoon, excitedly, caught the water delivery driver, who was working with him, and started jumping up and down.

Name: Kang Jihoon

Level: 1

Basic Stats

Strength: 8

Agility: 11

Intelligence: 10

Mana: 16

Skills

Grade C <High-Speed Movement> Level 1

Even though Jihoon initially obtained a seemingly insignificant C-grade skill upon awakening, he was thrilled.

He was also happy to receive an E-grade hunter certification after visiting the Hunter Management Office.

After his parents passed away during middle school, Jihoon had been living alone and attending high school.

I could not afford the full price, so from the third year of middle school, I paid part of the deposit as monthly rent and used the remaining money to cover the rent and living expenses while attending high school.

College was not even a dream, and I planned to start manual labor as soon as I graduated from high school.

However, awakened Jihoon entered Hunter Academy as soon as he graduated from high school.

Hunter Academy was an institution that spared no financial support to train powerful hunters at a national level.

All academy students could receive monthly support according to their class, which was similar to a salary.

The highest-ranked Class 1 students received monthly support of 10 million won, while the lowest-ranked Class 11 students received 2 million won.

Furthermore, through the advanced education at the academy, raising player levels and learning combat skills, occasionally going on gate clearing part-time jobs could also be a big help in earning money.

Of course, the ultimate goal for all academy students was to be scouted by a good guild.

Just like the biggest goal for college students is to find a job.

Being in a good guild meant having access to a different level of money compared to ordinary people.

Of course, it goes without saying that honor, too, naturally followed.

As an E-rank Hunter, Jihoon had poor basic stats and C-rank skills. His combat sense was also weak.

It was only natural for Jihoon to be placed in Class 11, Team B.

Or should we say he was lucky?

In fact, Jihoon was no different from someone who barely made it into the academy with just enough strength to chin up.

He had a speed skill that could instantly deal a critical hit to monsters and was also useful for escaping life-or-death situations.

It was an incredibly useful skill in combat.

Jihoon had barely made it into the academy by constantly using his skill.

“Hey, isn’t he the one who sneaked in when the doors were closing?”

“I heard his combat sense is absolutely terrible, he even ranked last in the mid-term evaluation.”

“It’s the fault of the admission officers who accepted someone like him in the first place.”

“But I heard he’s following 4-class Seol Yoojeong since high school?”

“Yeah, he chased after her from high school to the academy, it’s hilarious.”

“Ugh, he doesn’t even know his place, why is he like that?”

From the first day of academy, the gaze towards Jihoon was not kind. Not only was his skill lacking, but his poverty was also palpable without saying a word.

His classmates from the same Class 11 would gossip and look down on him, even though they were in the same class.

But since the passing of his parents, Jihoon was not in a position to care about his personal relationships.

It was not that he was unaware of the intangible and tangible harassment from his classmates.

From Noble mtl dot com

He simply focused on adapting to the academy quietly.

Other than smiling kindly and letting go of those who openly insulted him, there was nothing else he could do.

“Now it has been over a year since you all trained at the academy. It’s your first real battle! Are you nervous?”

“No, sir!”

“If you’re careful with the boss monster, the King Goblin, that we’re planning to subjugate this time, there shouldn’t be anything too dangerous. And since I’m with you, there’s no need to worry even if unexpected situations arise.”

After raising his level to 4 through a year of training at the academy, Jihoon embarked on his first real gate subjugation with his classmates.

The class 11 students, who had undergone a year of training, effortlessly defeated regular goblins.

And finally, they faced the boss monster, King Goblin.

Among the class 11 students who had perfectly surrounded King Goblin, it was Jihoon’s turn to step forward.

His mission was to swiftly attack and sever King Goblin’s legs using his high-speed movement skill.

A skill that he had practiced for a long time. The skill that had allowed him to enter the academy!

Jihoon used his high-speed movement skill to rush towards King Goblin. No, he was in the middle of rushing.

The high-speed movement skill involved creating a wormhole that connected spaces and quickly moving through it.

But the side effect had been activated, creating a wormhole that connected the space here with a different dimension.

In the blink of an eye, during a split second, Jihoon disappeared and returned after spending 10 years in a parallel world.

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like