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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: F-Grade Helper (3)
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Thud thud-, plop.
Frozen in place, Cha Su-ho could only blink.
It felt utterly unreal. He couldn't believe the things falling from the sky like rain were actually the monsters' severed heads.
As he stared at the heads tumbling to the ground, a monster head the size of his own torso came rolling right up to his feet. Even though it was dead, its sheer size sent chills down Su-ho's spine, and he instinctively staggered back.
But he didn't get far. Something hard pressed against his back, forcing him to stop dead.
He didn't dare turn around to see what it was.
There was just one reason. Fear. The eerie, rhythmic breathing told him the boss-grade mutated monster was still alive. Su-ho was convinced that whatever was touching his back was that boss-grade monster.
The thought that he was going to die right there unleashed a torrent of regrets. He should've just stayed put at the center. Should've hopped right back on the teleport the moment he arrived. Shouldn't have grabbed that stupid branch and played hero.
Su-ho let out a dazed sigh.
His earlier vow to at least take one of those monsters down with him before dying crumbled the instant death became a certainty.
He felt so frail. So utterly worthless, powerless to do anything.
Was he really going to die like this? If it was going to end this way, he should've at least clocked Team Leader Kang upside the head on his way out.
It was then, as Su-ho closed his eyes in hollow despair—
"Get a grip?"
A human voice? Su-ho whipped his head around at the sound coming from right behind him.
Su-ho wasn't short himself—178 cm. But the man standing before him looked at least 190 cm tall. Sharp features, piercing eyes, tanned skin stretched over a chiseled frame.
A tight black t-shirt clung to him, paired with black combat pants and boots. Wrapped head to toe in black, he arrogantly tilted his chin up.
The moment Su-ho recognized his face, his pupils dilated.
"J-Jin Seong-hyeok?!"
There was no way he wouldn't know the man. Flip on the TV, and news outlets were singing his praises nonstop. Civilians worshipped him like a god. Hunters plastered his face proudly all over the center.
He was practically a deity around here.
Gazing down at the stunned Su-ho with a impassive stare, he spoke.
"You're a Helper, huh. Lost your mind? Or just trying to off yourself?"
Jin Seong-hyeok.
The world's one and only SSS-grade Hunter—the first, and still the sole one. Governments, organizations, centers—they all bent over backward to stay in his good graces.
It was only natural. He was the single being on Earth who stood above the monsters.
The first of his kind, utterly unique... yet one was labeled waste-grade, the other a hero. A bitter lump rose in Su-ho's throat.
"This isn't the time for that dumbass look. Get lost,"
A frigid gaze stabbed into Su-ho.
"Or die. Up to you."
Su-ho had seen a few S-grade and A-grade Hunters before. Higher ranks came with better treatment, and most carried themselves with arrogance. Plenty were drunk on their privileges.
But Jin Seong-hyeok, the so-called absolute SSS-grade, was different. His face was listless, bored. His eyes seemed not just empty, but void.
Su-ho couldn't fathom why someone everyone exalted wore that expression, but that wasn't what mattered right now.
Jin Seong-hyeok was a Hunter, no matter what. Which meant he needed a Helper.
Su-ho had no idea if his F-grade Clean would work even 1% on an SSS-grade like him, but if it did, he'd stick by his side.
"I'm Helper Cha Su-ho. I'll handle your Cleans."
He quickly rolled up his sleeve and pressed his palm to the man's back. Jin Seong-hyeok didn't stop him. He just watched silently.
The highest rank Su-ho had ever Cleansed was C-grade. The moment he touched him, the Hunter had brushed him off, saying he felt nothing, and walked away.
Even D-grades—the lowest tier—complained it wasn't efficient enough, a waste of time. Once even D-grades started refusing his Cleans, the harassment from the other Helpers only got worse.
Su-ho drew in a deep breath.
Even 1% would do. In this godforsaken mess, he silently prayed his Clean would take on Jin Seong-hyeok.
"You actually doing anything?"
At Jin's question, Su-ho looked up, face ashen.
Hunters built up negative energy the more they used their power. Cross the limit, and they rampaged.
But Jin's body... Su-ho felt nothing. Like an invisible wall blocking him, repelling his Clean as if he wasn't even worthy to peek inside.
Su-ho's hand slipped limply from Jin's back.
"...No."
"Then what?"
"...Because I'm F-grade..."
Su-ho forced his reluctant lips to move.
"It feels like your body is rejecting my Clean. Sorry..."
"Waste of time."
Waste of time. He'd heard it a million times, but hearing it here crushed him all the same. It felt like a denial of his very existence.
The worst. Why had he even offered? An F-grade daring to Clean an SSS-grade. Idiotic.
As Su-ho stood there, frozen in self-loathing, Jin Seong-hyeok raised a hand.
"Hngh!"
Jin grabbed Su-ho by the nape with one hand and hurled him into the midst of the rolling monster heads.
Humiliation burned as his body slammed into the sticky blood-soaked ground. Su-ho shot to his feet, shame fueling him. He opened his mouth to protest—but Jin beat him to it.
"You're in the way. Scram."
With that, Jin turned and reached into empty air.
The red chains that had sliced off the monsters' heads moments ago rippled into being.
Only now did Su-ho recall the section on Hunter abilities from the Helper manual. There was a photo of Jin alongside illustrations of his skills.
Chains were one of them. He manifested chains with his power to attack monsters. An area-of-effect technique he used often.
To think he'd witness Jin Seong-hyeok's skills in person. Su-ho stared at him, entranced.
"Already multiplied."
The single boss-grade mutated monster had become three. Each oozed bloody clumps and foul fluids, their red eyes glaring at Jin like they wanted to devour him whole.
One rolled its eyeball, then launched itself at Jin like a coiled spring.
Jin regarded the incoming monster with calm indifference, then lightly snapped his thumb and middle finger together.
Snap.
A tiny spark flared in the sky, exploding into a blaze of energy that crashed down onto the monster's head.
Boom!
Red eyeballs burst one by one amid the spraying flesh. Yet the monster shuddered and tried to press the attack.
Jin crouched and plucked out one eyeball. It was bigger than his face.
He tossed it into the air, spun it around, and a flame blossomed in his palm. In an instant, it reduced the eye to ash.
Shaking off the cinders, Jin flicked his fingers at the quivering monster on the ground.
The red chains in the air constricted around it in a flash.
Plop, splat.
This time, chunks of red flesh rained down—not eyeballs. Up close, they writhed like they were alive.
Like maggots.
Revolting and nauseating to Su-ho, but Jin crushed the squirming bits underfoot without a second thought.
He snapped his fingers again. Flames erupted along the chains binding the monster, devouring it whole.
Screeeeech!
The monster shrieked grotesquely as it shrank, eventually charring to a pile of ash.
Unlike Su-ho, who couldn't hide his awe, Jin eyed the two remaining monsters with a chilling gaze and muttered,
"Now just two left."
It was overwhelming power. He'd turned a boss-grade mutated monster to dust with mere finger snaps.
Like a god. Su-ho could only stare at him in reverent silence.
Jin, for his part, casually turned toward the monsters awaiting him.
Drip, crack.
With eerie sounds, ivory protrusions began piercing through the flesh of the two monsters—one by one. Bones.
They jutted out sharply, aimed straight at Jin as if ready to impale him.
Jin wiggled his fingers. Red chains floated into the air. His gaze on the monsters held no emotion.
Roaaar!
The pair charged with bizarre roars. One unleashed a barrage of protruding bones; the other leaped atop him in a flash.
The reason for climbing on top was simple: perfect position to shred him to bits.
But Jin had no intention of letting that happen. He twisted his body effortlessly, reached out as if grasping something invisible in the air—
His lips curled faintly. Then he slammed his hand down toward the ground.
Boom!
Dozens of bones from the monster's body stabbed precisely into Jin—all at once. Seeing him skewered without a chance to dodge, Su-ho leaped to his feet.
The world's only SSS-grade. He couldn't let him die like this.
The world needed Jin Seong-hyeok far more than it needed an F-grade like him.
With the singular thought of trading his life to save Jin's, Su-ho moved on instinct.
He bolted toward Jin—then froze moments later.
"Such a pain."
Jin wore a bored expression as he casually yanked the bones from his body.