I Am a Legend (1)
“Last time we met, you helped us tremendously with the crack near the Association. I still had a lot to say to you, so I came to see you in person.”
The president of the Association, Kim Min-jae, was smiling at me with a distant expression. The cadets walking past in the hallway looked at us curiously.
Even the most famous hunters never spoke with the president of the Association.
The Association held great power in our awakened society. The president was very impressive in person. He was certainly very aware of his power.
“Wow…”
Kim Hyun-Tae’s voice was a mix of admiration and amazement. He was one of the top-ranking members of the Academy.
“I see. Still, the president of the Association coming to see me, a cadet…”
“Haha, shouldn’t I express my gratitude to my most faithful servants?” he replied with a big smile. “But let’s talk somewhere else, somewhere where no one can listen in on our conversation.”
* * *
“He’s an ordinary Academy cadet.”
“A pupil?”
In response to the question, the man handed over the materials prepared in advance.
“Yes. They were two cadets from the Hwayeon Choin Academy, a hunter from the Chinese Association, and a child.”
“I’ll need more details than that. You say they entered an extremely dangerous rift on their own and succeeded in hunting down ten monsters, and on top of that they were unharmed?” that story sounded ridiculous. Such a hostile environment could have easily wiped out many teams of experienced hunters. Now, this guy comes in and tells me that a couple of students had walked in and out like it was nothing?
“What else can I say…?”
The man looked completely dumbfounded.
“The two academy cadets are the most talked-about prospects among the guilds and scouts.”
“Well.”
“The girl is so talented that the scouts say she already has the abilities of a third-class hunter.”
He looked at the documents. The name ‘Yoo Ji-Yeon’ was written on it.
“The boy is a cadet named Jeong Si-woo, but his abilities are astonishing. He has great analytic skill, coveted by the Oracles.”
“… Oracle?”
“Yes. But that’s not all. According to the scouts’ evaluation, he could easily join their ranks as a second-class hunter. He is estimated to be A-class.”
“This name. Han Yeon-soo. Is that the Han Yeon-soo that I know?”
She was the most unpredictable woman he had ever met.
“Yes.”
“How did they even endure the heat? Do you mean to tell me that academy cadets know how to use the ‘Mana Skin’?”
“There was a Chinese man with them.”
“…?”
“He was originally an ordinary hunter, but then he went missing. You must have heard of him, the hunter who disappeared after finding the Red Marble?”
“Ah. I have heard that story.”
“That’s him, his name is Zhang Wei. He used to have basic regenerative skill, but since his reappearance, his skills have increased tenfold.”
He turned the page over. There was a skinny man’s face on the next page.
“That’s the guy. He has become a big name after his contribution to the Association’s Great Crack incident. The cadet named Jeong Si-woo brought him somewhere, and suddenly he reawakened.”
“Hahaha.”
“I’m not joking. It’s real. Analysts believe that he has taken over Zhang Wei’s body, granting him new abilities.”
“So, what…? Thanks to the ability of this healer they were able to stroll around in a place where you will destroy your lungs by simply breathing in? Does this guy have infinite mana?”
“… According to the data received, yes.”
Surprisingly, he was right. The data seemed to support that claim.
“What about him? Surely this child that still seems to go to elementary school can’t be of any help?”
“… He’s turned out to be a normal third-class awakener.”
“A third-class awakener? A child? Jesus. Ha ha ha ha!”
The man laughed at the absurdity.
He remembered the four kids casually walking out of the Rift while waiting with his soldiers for the Flame Empress’ return. He remembered them casually strolling by.
What a presence. He truly was a great prospect. The fact that they all survived in there proved that they were not ordinary cadets. However, he couldn’t believe that they were that extraordinary. They probably were lucky.
“Where are the analysts? I want to talk to them.”
* * *
The association president and I went to a counseling room. I’ve been here for a while, but I’m still a teenager on the outside. Kim Min-jae sat down opposite me, looking at me with a serious expression. On the surface, it looked like he wanted to have an honest conversation.
“You were a great help. All the hunters of the Association praised your efforts.”
“Of course. I had to help. Those who have a hunter license are obligated to comply with the Association’s call, unless otherwise engaged.”
“Hahaha. There are so many people who can’t even comply with that simple rule. Besides, what you did for us went beyond the normal call of duty. I sincerely wanted to thank you.”
“Ah… Yes.”
He continued praising and thanking me for my help. He almost had me believing that he was only here to thank me. However, I knew him better than to believe that.
“I wanted to ask you one more thing…” his eyes flashed for a brief moment. It looked like he was finally getting to the point.
“The Awakened person you brought with you to the Great Rift…How did you get to know Zhang Wei?”
“Why are you asking me that?”
“I was just curious where you found such an amazing healer.”
I knew it. This was the real reason why he had come here. In his previous life, Kim Min-jae never even got the opportunity to talk to Zhang Wei. At the time, he was one of the most famous people in the world. Not only did the Chinese support him enthusiastically, but the western world also called him the ‘Messiah’.
But now? He still had his outstanding abilities, but no one knew who he was. He was easy prey.
“We met by accident. We don’t have a special relationship, he just offered to help.”
“No special relationship. Hahaha”
Kim Min-jae then tried to spin the conversation in his favor. Of course, he couldn’t trick me.
He was used to leading the conversation, so that flustered him a bit.
The conversation went on for quite a while.
“Zhang Wei works with you, but he’s not tied to you in any way, he is a freelancer? So, if he gets another job offer, he can work elsewhere?”
“Yes.”
“Great. Next time, I should go directly to him.”
Kim Min-jae stood up. I raised my eyebrows.
‘Where do you think you’re going, you bastard?’
When I was about to say something, a bell sounded in his pocket.
“Yes, this is Kim Min-jae?”
He immediately answered his phone without excusing himself.
“Oh, a new mine? Yes. There was a Great Rift on the island. Where the Flame Empress fought? We bought it, so you can use it.”
“…?”
“The resources are abundant, but the environment is bad? Okay, begin harvesting resources, using the hunters who can endure the heat inside. If I manage to recruit Zhang Wei, then he’ll help you survive in there. es… Please give my best regards to the Flame Empress.”
‘What is this bullshit?’
Listening to him made me angry. I didn’t need to hear anything else.
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