Infinite Evolution Hunter [NOVEL] - Chapter 6
“Don’t you guys have anything better to do?”
Chu Kang-min’s gang, waiting around just to hassle me, looked pathetic.
There’s always at least one of these people anywhere you go—drunk on privilege, bullying the weaker to get their kicks.
“Fixing your attitude is my job. For society.”
“You’re insane.”
“Get in here.”
Sigh… I’d have to work out before my food even settled. I could run, but taking a beating benefits me, so without testing the waters I charged straight at Chu Kang-min.
I slipped past the fist he slammed down like he meant to nail me to the floor and smashed his nose with my elbow.
“Grahk!”
His nose broke and he staggered back.
If Enhancement blocked every attack, that’d be invincibility—not enhancement. Even if you reinforced your nose tenfold, you’re not stopping an elbow thrown with full body weight.
I moved to follow up while he faltered, but his lackeys crashed in from both sides and restrained me.
They threw me to the floor and started beating me like yesterday.
Only this time, whether from getting emotional or from realizing I didn’t get hurt easily, they hit harder.
I protected my head, but after taking it for a while there wasn’t a single spot left unbruised.
If I set my mind to it, I had ways to kill them, but thanks to Iron Will I endured the pain and suppressed the murderous urge.
“Kang-min! Stop, he’ll die!”
One lackey grabbed him.
“Ptooey! Heal up and try again!”
As they backed off, the chime of a notification sounded.
[Skill acquired: Hardened Body (F).]
Apparently my body decided any more would be dangerous and gifted me a skill.
As Hardened Body rebuilt my physique in real time, flakes of skin shed like a molting shell.
The energy drain was massive—despite having just eaten, I was so hungry it hurt.
While the body mainly uses Vitality during reconstruction, until Vitality passes a certain threshold it burns a ridiculous amount of calories—so I’ll be hungry all the time.
If I eat beyond immediate needs, the excess gets compressed and stored in my body.
I can stockpile huge energy without changing my shape.
The added body weight is both advantage and drawback.
I tore off my shredded top, tossed it aside, and washed again.
Then I hurried back to the cafeteria that stayed open late.
“Any food left?”
“Oh my, didn’t you already eat?”
I must’ve been memorable for piling on so much that one of the cafeteria ladies recognized me.
“I’m hungry again.”
“I know Awakened eat a lot, but you, young man, eat even more. I’ll put things back out—eat while we clean.”
“Thank you.”
They brought out the buffet pans again and I carried them to a table, shoveling food down.
As I ate, I could feel my body restructuring in real time.
I should repay my dear ‘friends’ for all the skills they’ve gifted me—before I graduate from the Academy.
—
“Run faster! If a Hellhound’s on your tail, are you still going to jog?!”
The instructor lashed the students with his voice.
[Agility has increased by 1.]
[Stamina has increased by 1.]
“First ten back from the summit—move!”
[Strength has increased by 1.]
[Strength has increased by 1.]
“Spar like it’s real! The sparring you do now will save your life later!”
[Stamina has increased by 1.]
[Agility has increased by 1.]
By taking every day’s training as a life-or-death matter, my regeneration skill evolved me accordingly.
“Jiseok, how about a round tonight too?”
And every evening, without fail, Chu Kang-min’s gang beat me up.
But their blows stopped affecting me; there was nothing left to gain.
In other words, there was no reason to keep taking it.
“Let’s end this.”
When my Strength hit 9, I was about twice as strong as a fit ordinary adult.
From the ground, I grabbed one lackey by the ankle, stood while holding him, and swung him like a weapon.
Before he could resist, he crashed into another lackey, and I hurled him at the backpedaling Chu Kang-min.
“You… how….”
Catching his flying friend, Chu’s eyes widened at my strength.
“Man, that took restraint. Time to pay you back.”
Cracking my neck, I advanced on him.
Compared to my past life’s hardships, these punks’ beatings were nothing—and I’d even gained skills from them.
Didn’t mean it felt any less filthy.
In recent sparring classes, Chu and I hadn’t managed to hurt each other—just dodge and block.
That only goaded him into the nightly ambushes.
But Chu had never seen me go all out, so he still underestimated me.
Until a moment ago.
“Try this one, then.”
Sensing something different as I approached, he lowered his stance and glared, about to trigger a skill.
“You there—what are you doing?!”
An instructor shouted from afar.
Using a skill on a person—outside class, not even in sparring—can get you expelled and your Awakener registration revoked.
He’d almost attacked me in a flash of anger, but the instructor’s appearance snapped him back and he froze.
“I asked what you’re doing.”
“Nothing. Just messing around with friends.”
I answered the instructor.
“You know it’s expulsion if you use a skill outside class, right? Get back to the dorm.”
The instructor read the situation instantly but didn’t crack down further.
“Yes, sir.”
Chu’s gang and I bowed and withdrew.
“Watch your back in a Gate.”
Chu snarled through his teeth.
“You watch your front. With your skill level, look away and you’re dead.”
“Son of a—your mouth…”
After they headed for the dorm, I started conditioning on the field.
—
For a while after that, Chu’s gang left me alone.
Without skills, they couldn’t touch me anymore.
Last time he’d nearly used a skill in a hotheaded rage, but with his temper cooled, he feared the blowback.
Apparently some third-rate guild had already courted him.
They might cover up a beating, but if someone died or was seriously injured, the offer would be withdrawn.
Thanks to that, Chu stopped picking fights for a time—until a change came near the end of the Academy: the sparring exam lifted the skill-ban.
“Let’s go again.”
He hadn’t called me out in a while, but now he did.
It was common knowledge I had no notable skills besides regeneration.
With his skills allowed, he must’ve decided he could win.
“Gladly.”
I’d been itching to return the favor anyway.
He grinned and approached, throwing a glance at Instructor Heo O-seong—the one who’d blasted me on day one.
Probably an understanding not to intervene if I got hurt.
Birds of a feather.
“Begin!”
At the signal, I rushed him.
In technique I surpassed him, and my stats were higher now, so I easily slipped his attacks and hammered at his face, relentlessly.
“Grah! You cursed—!”
He raised his guard to cover his head and charged like he meant to run me over, but there was no reason to take it head-on.
I sidestepped and kicked the side of his knee, toppling him.
I took a step back and watched him flop to the floor ungracefully.
Rage flooded to the top of his head; his face twisted like a demon.
“You asked for this. Charge!”
He glared at me and cast his skill.
Charge—
a burst that propels you at multiple times your normal speed and strength straight at an enemy.
Combined with his Enhancement, it synergizes: greater damage to the target, reduced damage to the user.
He lowered his shoulder and blitzed at several times his previous speed.
Bad news for him: I know most common skills inside out.
Skills let you do what base stats can’t—move many times faster, breathe fire, whatever.
But they aren’t invincible.
Charge might work great on low-IQ monsters, but when you dash in a straight line like that, it’s easy to dodge.
And once activated, the unfamiliar speed makes changing direction hard.
As he barreled straight at me, I twisted aside and planted a punch on his exposed face.
At the collision point, his face and my fist halted—his body alone swung forward like a pendulum.
Then I slammed him straight into the ground.
Stopping a Charge with one arm dislocated my shoulder, but regeneration triggered immediately.
“H-Healer!”
Smirking until a moment before impact, Instructor Heo O-seong now shouted urgently for a healer.
Chu’s face was a wreck—teeth scattered, nose crushed.
Tooth loss can’t be fixed with potions.
He’d need implants or at least a low-grade elixir.
And Heo O-seong, who had just watched, was definitely getting disciplined.
A perfect vent—
I mean, spar—
to wrap up the Academy.
—
For the rest of the term, Chu’s gang avoided me.
On their own, they were no match anymore.
I continued throwing myself into the Academy regimen, and at last only the final graduation exam remained.
Half the students couldn’t endure even a month and left.
Those who survived training that pushed them to the edge were brimming with grim intensity.
The clean, fresh faces from the first day were gone—now they looked like grizzled vets.
Not that it mattered; once outside, they’d still be rookie Hunters.
The graduation exam was a real hunt in a Goblin Gate with a party.
Of course, accompanied by instructors and healers.
At the designated point with my party, a blue, circular Gate about five meters across rippled before us.
Instructor Jung Yo-han—who’d always treated me fairly—was assigned to our team, along with five trainees including me.
Armed according to our roles, we lined up in front of him.
Protective suits mixing modern tech with Gate materials were simple and practical.
Not identical—freedom of movement and weight varied by class.
“A Gate is not the Academy. Inside, if you act on your own and die, no one can protect you. But if you follow instructions to the letter, when this exam ends you’ll earn the title you want so badly—Hunter. Understood?!”
“Yes, sir!”
With that mix of pep talk and threat, we drew temporary Hunter IDs and entered the Gate.
We’d gone through at mid-mountain, but emerging inside, we found a cavern.
Dark and gloomy, but not pitch black.
“Follow me.”
Our B-rank instructor strode ahead through the Gate interior with no formation fuss.
After a good walk, he raised a clenched fist to signal a halt.
There was nothing ahead, so the students looked puzzled.
He told us to wait and walked forward alone.
Then three goblins burst from behind a rock and attacked him.