Chapter 1062

〈 Chapter 1062 〉 1062. Spirit’s Rank

The Guangwon Sect has been utterly annihilated.

This heretical cult, which had calmly carried out the shocking act of human sacrifice, could not possibly continue its operations as before.

The fanatics who were captured have returned to normal life after their brainwashing was undone, but not all of them reverted completely. Among the deeply indoctrinated members, even after the brainwashing wore off, they continued to cling to their fanatic beliefs. Most of their ends resulted in either suicide or execution.

Suwol Guild suffered a disgraceful failure in their dungeon raid.

Before the regression, they had sent a second raid team, but now, with the active intervention of the Japanese government and the association, no second team could be dispatched.

Japan aggressively promoted their own achievements.

News spread across the internet that Japan’s proud S-Rank Hunter, Amatsuka Koyori, dismantled the evil Guangwon Sect temple, rescuing both the abducted civilians and Suwol Guild’s raid team.

Suwol Guild’s reputation took a hit.

However, people didn’t harshly criticize Suwol Guild for their failure. Only a small number of individuals condemned them.

Since they’ve done well until now, it was seen as acceptable to let this one slide. “They’ll do better next time. Failure happens to everyone,” were some of the opinions floating around online.

“Regardless of public opinion, it’s clear Suwol Guild’s evaluation has dropped due to this failure.”

I decided to expose one of Suwol Guild’s scandals in an attempt to sway public opinion—a scandal involving their collusion with one of the association’s officers to monopolize several dungeons. However, it didn’t cause much of a stir. Every time I posted something, comments defending Suwol Guild would immediately appear.

“This doesn’t even need hacking—it’s 100% comment farming.”

Not a single internet article appeared, as if the journalists had also been bought off. To truly shift public opinion, I’d need to expose a bigger scandal.

“Not yet. Even if this creates a minor controversy, it’s impossible to bring down Suwol Guild with just this.”

Now wasn’t the right time.

“Still, I should keep revealing these scandals bit by bit. These little things will pile up, and when the explosion comes, it’ll be massive.”

In any case, matters related to the Guangwon Sect have concluded.

What I gained from this incident is influence over Japan. Amatsuka Koyori, who absolutely trusts and follows me, has risen in prominence, and Japanese politicians have begun to believe in Fungsin. In particular, the Japanese Prime Minister has become a fervent follower of Fungsin.

“The Prime Minister benefited from my prophecies, right? His approval ratings went up too?”

There will surely come a day when I need Japan’s strength again, and when that day arrives, this will definitely prove useful.

•••

June 15th. Tuesday.

From the early hours of dawn, I drove my car toward Gangwon-do. Normally, this would be the time I’d be sleeping alongside Han Harin, but… today, there was something I had to do. Something quite important.

“I must capture that guy—Thorn Mask. That bastard who caused me so much trouble before the regression.”

Until the regression, the Korean Hunter Association couldn’t even uncover Thorn Mask’s identity, let alone capture him.

“That guy caused way too many problems.”

Today, Thorn Mask will appear in a remote mountain village in Gangwon-do and carry out a massacre, killing all the villagers except for one young girl—all right before her eyes.

While heading toward Gangwon-do, I contacted Baek Ji-eun.

“…Hello? Yujin? What’s up at this crack of dawn? Did you miss me that much? Last time when you asked for help, you said you were busy and refused.”

Her voice was groggy, clearly still sleepy.

“I was really busy back then. Still, the info I gave you was helpful, right?”

During the pre-regression timeline, I passed on some information to Baek Ji-eun under various pretexts. Since I usually receive information from her, this time I returned the favor.

“It was a huge help. How did you manage to identify criminals before they committed crimes? Do you have the ability to see the future or something? You even predicted the studio accident where the lighting fell—it’s like 100% accurate…”

“It’s not that. There are methods. The studio accident? That was foreseen by a shaman.”

“Wow, that’s one talented shaman! Where is this shaman? I want to visit too.”

“It’s a trade secret… Actually, I regressed.”


“Ah, I see. Can you teach me the lottery numbers?”

“Lottery? The prize money isn’t even that much anyway. You don’t believe me, do you?”

At A Rank Hunter level, lottery winnings don’t even register in your field of vision.

“I believe you. How could I not believe after you gave such detailed information?”

“Don’t tell anyone else.”

“I won’t.”

I casually confessed to Baek Ji-eun that I had regressed 30 days into the past.

Baek Ji-eun was trustworthy.

More precisely, I trusted the absolute hypnotism cast on Baek Ji-eun. As long as the absolute hypnotism held, Baek Ji-eun wouldn’t betray me.

“So… Why did you call in the middle of the night?”

“Thorn Mask.”

“……!!”

Through the phone call, I could feel Baek Ji-eun’s shock. Baak Ji-eun was still chasing Thorn Mask, the awakened criminal.

“…Do you know who Thorn Mask really is? Tell me quickly!”

“I don’t know their true identity. They weren’t caught even before my regression. That’s why I’m going to confirm it now. And while I’m at it, I’ll try to capture them.”

“Where are you?! I’ll come right away!”

“Therefore… the location is…”

Without hesitation, I told her my location. It didn’t matter if she came. She wouldn’t interfere with me anyway.

“Ji-eun, are you using the information I gave you well?”

“Of course! Do you know how much my status has risen recently thanks to that information? Even the officers are wary of me now. If I catch Thorn Mask too… I’ll be promoted faster. I’m grateful to you.”

It’s good for me that Baek Ji-eun’s power increases. That’s why I also provide her with pre-regression information for her sake.

“I’m going to destroy Suwol Guild. Ji-eun, I need your help.”

“You’re planning to do something crazy. Is Suwol Guild some stray dog’s name?”

“One day, I will destroy it. Will you help me?”

“…You’re serious. Well, I know Suwol Guild has some shady dealings. I don’t like them much either… If there’s a chance later, I’ll help you.”

“Thank you.”

•••

I sat on a tree overlooking the mountain village.

A peaceful village. The sky was blue, and people worked just as they did yesterday.

It was hard to believe that tragedy would strike in just a few hours. It was so peaceful.

I quietly observed the little girl from afar, without entering the village directly, because if Thorn Mask saw me, he might not appear.

‘Thorn Mask appears first in front of the little girl. He subdues her and shows her the scene of him massacring the villagers.’

The scene includes the girl’s parents and grandparents. And for the little girl, the other villagers must all feel like family, given the nature of these rural villages.

I looked at the little girl. She wandered around the village since morning. Everyone she met smiled and greeted her. By enhancing my hearing, I learned her name: Yu Chae-a.

Time approached noon.

Baek Ji-eun hadn’t shown up yet. She got lost along the way. Although she had a license, she rarely drove herself, so this was entirely possible.

‘…He’s appeared.’

A man wearing a black coat inappropriate for the season revealed himself at the entrance of the village. And on his face, a white mask.

It was Thorn Mask.

As soon as I spotted him, I moved, and he approached Yu Chae-a, who was observing insects near the village entrance.

“Hey, kid.”

Thorn Mask called out to Yu Chae-a.

“Yes? Who are you, mister? Why are you wearing a mask?”

“I’m just passing by. Isn’t this mask cool? This mister will show you something fun, okay?”

“Something fun? Yes! Please show me!”

Yu Chae-a grinned, and Thorn Mask let out a low chuckle as he reached out to her.

Snap.

I caught Thorn Mask’s hand with my left hand. His head turned toward me, suddenly appearing. His pupils, visible through the mask, widened.

“Yoojin Sung…?!”

“Do you know me? Well, I am somewhat famous among hunters.”

Pook.

I stabbed a knife into Thorn Mask’s side. He reflexively bent forward. I grabbed his mask and pulled. It didn’t come off easily. It seemed to be a special-effect mask. Applying force with my fingers, I shattered it.

A distorted male face was revealed. For a moment, I froze.

‘…I’ve seen this face somewhere?’

I couldn’t quite remember. I wasn’t the type to go out of my way to remember the faces of men like him.

‘No idea. Just beat him. I’ll figure it out later.’

The moment I was about to swing my right fist at his head, thorny vines shot up from the ground, climbing up my left arm. I had no choice but to let go of him. Otherwise, I might lose my left arm to the thorny vines wrapping around me. Even with perfect recovery, I didn’t want to easily give up my left arm.

Once free from my grip, he distanced himself from me.

“Damn it! Yoojin Sung! What are you doing here?!”


“Why are you here?”

“I have no intention of telling you… Is this it? If the Association had known, you wouldn’t have come alone. I’ll kill you here and eliminate all witnesses.”

“…Hey. Have we met somewhere before?”

“Are you trying to uncover my identity? Haha. Unfortunately, we’re meeting for the first time. You’ll die here without knowing who I am.”

The guy gripped a thorny vine like a whip.

I narrowed my eyes.

If what he’s saying is true, I haven’t met him in this timeline. But I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere.

‘I saw him before the regression. It’s not someone Japanese or from the Guangyuan Sect… Prior to that, I was wandering with Baek Ji-eun…’

I remembered something Baek Ji-eun said. Perhaps Thorn Mask is an associate of the Association.

“Ah.”

I sighed. It clicked.

“You’re Cho Jin-seong?”

“……”

Cho Jin-seong’s face hardened in fear. That must be correct.

“Special Investigation Division of the Association. B Rank Hunter Cho Jin-seong. We’ve clashed a few times while following Baek Ji-eun. It’s coming back to me now. You were Thorn Mask all along? Incredible. I didn’t realize the culprit was so close. Does the Association know about your abilities? Did you undergo a second awakening?”

As expected, regression is the best.

No matter how fucked-up things get, one regression solves everything.

“Impossible… I never thought you’d know about me. You must die here.”

Cho Jin-seong swung his thorny vines. The thorny vines, over 10 meters long, were wielded skillfully. But to my eyes, they moved slowly. He’s an A Rank awakened criminal, but his actual skill level is closer to B Rank.

I kicked the whip away with my toes. Cho Jin-seong gritted his teeth.

“Try blocking this!!”

Seven thorny vines shot at me from the front. Three each from the right and left sides.

“They look like tentacles; disgusting.”

If I dodge, Yoo Chae-a behind me will get hit and die. Summoning a sword to block would be slightly too late. So I decided to just take the hit. I reinforced my body with mana and braced for the thorny vines.

The thorny vines didn’t just strike my body. Like snakes, they coiled around me. My skin prickled. Even though I reinforced myself with mana, the thorns pierced my skin. The thorny vines were infused with mana.

“Hah, hahaha! What an idiot! You don’t even try to block or dodge? Your arrogance will be your downfall! Hahahahaha! Who would’ve thought Sung Yoojin would die by my hand! Today’s my lucky day!! Hahahahaha!”

Cho Jin-seong laughed as he approached me. Thorn Mask was infamous for cruelly killing people. He probably plans to torture me to death too.

“Did you reinforce your skin with mana? Let’s see how long you can hold out. If you last ten minutes, I’ll let you live. I promise on my name, so you can trust me.”

“Who would trust that? Idiot.”

“You’ll trust it because you have no choice. Come on, kid. Watch carefully. Watch how this fool who tried to save you slowly dies. Hahahahaha!”

“Guh, guh…”

Yoo Chae-a fell backward, trembling all over. Her eyes were full of tears. I looked forward again. Cho Jin-seong approached me confidently. 5 meters. 4 meters. 3 meters. Close enough.

‘Heaven’s Heart.’

[Activating Heaven’s Heart. Will last for 1 minute.]

The thorny vines restraining my body unraveled under an unknown force. I charged forward and punched the guy’s face. Blood and corn flew from his mouth. Then I uppercut his abdomen with my left fist. Cho Jin-seong’s body flew about 5 meters and crashed to the ground.

“Kuaaaaaaah!”

Even while screaming, he counterattacked. A single thorny vine aimed for my neck. Too slow. I grabbed the thorny vine easily.

Zzzziiip.

Lightning crackled as I burned the thorny vine.

I stomped on his body with my foot. I started with his legs. Kicking his calf and stomping on his knee until it broke.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaah! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

I broke both his arms. Crushing each finger one by one and collapsing his shoulders. I didn’t stomp on his torso. He might die too easily. Instead, I used lightning. Time for electric torture.

Zzzziiiiip.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! S, stop! I’m sorry! Please stop! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

“How dare you! Because of you! I couldn’t sleep properly at night! I was summoned at random times! Do you know how much I suffered?!”

Baek Ji-eun made me work like crazy chasing after this guy’s trail. Without him, I could have had sex with Baek Ji-eun seven more times.

Zzzziiiiip! Zzzziiip!

“Stop! Stop it! Sung Yoojin!! Stop it!! You bastard!!”

From far away, Baek Ji-eun shouted as she ran breathlessly toward us.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!”

Yoo Chae-a burst into tears.

I calculated the distance to Baek Ji-eun. I can probably give two more rounds of electric shocks. Hurrying, I generated another current.

“Kueeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!”

The guy’s screams echoed loudly through the mountain village.