Chapter 40: Voyeur Addiction

The next day.

The weather was hot and humid.

It was early summer, but the midday temperature reached 38 degrees Celsius, and the humidity was so high that you would be drenched in sweat after walking for five minutes.

For hunters who have to spend a lot of time in the scorching sun?

They looked like wet cats. Conversely, it meant that skin exposure increased to avoid the heat.

“I-it’s fine.”

“Hmm.”

As soon as they entered the association building, they were met with stares.

People inside looked at them like they were aliens, but when Lee Sunghan looked back, they acted like nothing happened and returned to what they were doing.

Lee Sunghan let out a sigh and put his jacket over his shoulder.

“…Sigh, I don’t know why everyone is like this. Oh, it’s cool here, at least. Thank you. Are you him again?”

Willis Carrier.

You are truly a god!

Thud.

There was a spark from the ceiling, followed by a sound of something breaking. Embers soaked the tiles below and made a loud noise.

It sounded like an old, wheezing copy machine printing out paper. The problem is, there’s a 99.9% chance it will break down.

-Air conditioner malfunction. Air conditioner malfunction. Maintenance personnel, please proceed.

“Ah.”

F*ck.

Willis.

I’m withdrawing my support.

Lee Sunghan wiped his forehead. He was sweating profusely, unusually so.

“Wow… his physique is insane, is he a model?”

“He’s pretty good-looking, should I ask for his number?”

A group of high school girls gathered in the distance of the lobby. Lee Sunghan could sense it. They were Awakeners. They had a strong delinquent aura.

Delinquents, huh. He felt like the delinquents were particularly fierce today.

“I-isn’t he an Awakener?”

“All the better.”

“U-uhhh, he’s running away!”

“Oppa!! Your number!”

Lee Sunghan quickly ran away from the group of high school girls. They’re Awakeners. He heard that even students are Awakening these days, ugh, what a life.

Drafted high school girls? What kind of messed up combination is that? To break through that kind of group, forget about a tank company.

Even if the entire Hunter Management Bureau mobilized, it would be impossible.

****

‘It’s hot.’

Lee Sunghan touched his forehead.

On the way here, there were robots on the sidewalk providing shade with parasols and spraying water. He heard that in Incheon, ice ability users were even selling ice packs.

But the Hunter Association has no such service. Just nothing. Nothing at all.

“Ugh, it’s hot. Did they even turn on the air conditioner?”

Lee Sunghan started.

It’s hot, hot.

It’s so hot it’s killing him.

The air conditioner is broken, so it’s true that summer is not for being outside.

Lee Sunghan sat down in an armchair and fanned himself with a ‘I’m a proud ROK soldier!’ fan. The sweat might have stopped, but the heat was coming straight at him.

His discomfort index skyrocketed. As if some operational force was involved. The result is not satisfactory.

“Haha, are you alright?”

From afar, Cheong Jinho approached with his hands behind his back. He had brought several aides and Hunter Association staff with him.

That guy. He’s definitely going to make another strange suggestion.

Just the day before, he had asked, “Do you want power?” and was scolded by Kang Miyoung. He repeated that three or four times.

“No. Do I look alright to you?”

Lee Sunghan replied sarcastically.

“By the way, aren’t you supposed to be working? You must be busy these days.”

“The dispatched special appointees are taking care of everything. Anyway, you seem to be doing well.”

Doing well.

He’s not just resting. He just used up some energy dealing with a low-level gate.

“I was just urgently deployed as a reserve.”

“Hah, you must be really busy then. I wish there were special appointees for that.”

Special appointees. In other words, government officials.

This guy is notorious for working government officials hard. He’s a true patriot.

“They’re capable people. Hahaha. Anyway, have you given my proposal any more thought?”

“You mean about changing jobs?”

“That’s right.”

“Isn’t it still serving in the military? I won’t do it.”

Changing jobs.

Lee Sunghan felt a chill down his spine.

If he really did that, he was afraid that Hong Seomin, Kang Miyoung, and Kang Jinyoung would escape and cause a riot. Should he call it an unholy trinity?

Ugh, he decided not to think about it for no reason.

“By the way, when will the air conditioner be fixed?”

Cheong Jinho scratched his cheek. He seemed to be troubled too.

“It seems that the lightning spirit in the underground training area is causing trouble. Spirits are violent and curious, but they are essentially vicious creatures that kill people for fun.”

“Spirits?”

“This exam is… Ah, my mouth is too loose. Anyway, it would be good to make some preparations. The Association’s workshop is always open to you.”

Cheong Jinho whispered something to his aides and then left.

Lee Sunghan was left alone again.

He was supposed to meet with the Kang sisters, but strangely, they weren’t answering their phones.

He thought about fanning himself, but the Hunter Association was sweating profusely. It’s strange. It definitely wasn’t like this before.

The women’s gazes, for example.

Then, it suddenly became cool. As if coolant was flowing through his veins.

[‘Regeneration’ is squeezing out mana.]

Ah, right.

This is life.

Lee Sunghan decided to take a nap for a while.

He worked all night, and he might not get such a sweet break again.

“……Zzzz.”

Lee Sunghan slumped over.

****

The Kang sisters bickered as they looked at each other.

They arrived at the Hunter Association lobby a step later than Lee Sunghan. The sisters had their own issues.

“My sister is truly hopeless. How can you overwork someone and then just smile and walk away? You must have some serious thick skin.”

“It’s training. It’s a test to see if they can properly perform such excessive tasks. Rather, you, who only try to take advantage of such talent for your own selfish gain, are also not normal.”

“Hah. Bullshit.”

Kang Jinyoung’s voice stopped.

“What is it?”

“Don’t follow me.”

She looked around and approached the lounge area.

The lounge was a facility within the association building that provided various free services for hunters. The interior was visible through the glass, and Lee Sunghan was taking a nap in an armchair inside.

“Is he sleeping? There’s still plenty of time, and I don’t want to disturb him.”

“I know.”

The faces that had been so stern were now relaxed. Both of the Kang sisters.

“By the way, he’s quite cute.”

“It’s not cute. He’s handsome.”

Kang Jinyoung reacted as if it were absurd.

“Isn’t it the same thing?”

“My sister has no attention to detail, and that’s the problem.”

Kang Jinyoung tapped the glass and muttered to herself, “It would be nice.”

She took out a camera from her bag. A state-of-the-art camera. It was large enough to capture almost any subject.

It was equipment that a professional would use. And Kang Jinyoung was at the top of her game in this field.

“What are you doing?”

“Taking pictures. I have to upload it to the report. Should I leave some out? Heh.”

“Report?”

“It’s a report related to male hunters.”

Click!

Click!

Click!

Kang Jinyoung leaned forward and took pictures of Lee Sunghan with her camera.

She changed angles, twisted her body, and changed poses. The expression “going to great lengths” would be appropriate.

Is she trying to seduce him?! A half-moon smile appeared on Kang Jinyoung’s lips. She said there were no records of him taking naps.

‘Sh-should I take a few more?’

Click!

She took more pictures.

She’s already an expert at taking candid photos. She could make dozens of scenes like this.

After finishing her third-rate paparazzi shoot, Kang Jinyoung was about to put the camera in her handbag when she was suddenly stopped.

It was Kang Miyoung.

“Let’s make a deal.”

Hah, a deal? Knowing how much this is worth. It’s a priceless item.

“I’ll think about it if you take out the car and the house.”

“There’s no car or house.”

Kang Miyoung said confidently.

“First, what will you give me?”

“A barter, huh? Fine. I’ll make an offer too. I got it after a lot of trouble… a sweat-soaked dress shirt. I got it from the last Gongbang-ro incident.”

Did she go that far?

“How did you get it?”

“Hmm.”

Kang Miyoung avoids her gaze.

What kind of trick did this crazy person use to sweet-talk Lee Sunghan?

No, she probably wouldn’t have even talked to him in the first place.

Knowing her sister’s personality, the picture was already clear. There really isn’t a single trustworthy person.

“I’ll pass.”

“Tch.”

Moreover, that was in January.

It was still a time when the cold wind was blowing, so how much would he have sweated?

‘Let’s calm down.’

Kang Jinyoung regained her composure. Her sister is her enemy. She can be 100% sure of it.

But she’s the only one who can understand her.

“By the way, Sunghan. Will he be able to pass this time?”

“You worry too much. He’s going to be in the Special Forces. Watch your words.”

“He’s already been marked by the 10th Bureau. Don’t touch him.”

“Bullshit.”

Especially Lee Sunghan.

Looking at that man’s actions makes people have delusions.

‘Is it possible for a male Awakener to be strong?!’

No.

At least not now.

The traces of a superhuman that were shown in the fight against Mirginos.

It’s not unexpected. Superhumans have innate qualities that set them apart from birth.

But this man is still just a fragment.

His physical abilities?

He can’t even beat her.

That’s why he needs to be handled with even more care.

Because he could break at any moment.

Then she suddenly looked at her sister.

Her dying appearance was gone, and her whole body was full of life.

It seemed like she had been revived after meeting Lee Sunghan. Like a resurrection of the dead.

“The document screening. Did you do it? That.”

Reading her strange confidence, Kang Jinyoung narrowed her eyes.

She was dumbfounded that the screening, which she thought would be quite competitive, was passed on the first try.

“Yes.”

Is that even allowed? The words almost escaped Kang Jinyoung’s lips, but she swallowed them. She’s no different.

“It’s a complete irregularity.”

“It’s fine as long as the results are good.”

“Hah.”

The sisters engaged in a battle of nerves.

But it didn’t last long.

The practical exam is soon.