Level Up Monster

Chapter 7

It was an ordinary afternoon.

And just like the other days, Sae-Jin comes to the Monster Shop to take down Monster materials when, suddenly, a government female official demands to see her Hunter License.

"Here, please take this newly issued Hunter License."

After the attendant did this and that with a new card, he noticed that there were new and different words from before that were added in front of him.

The Heavenly Gifted Hunter… ? What is this?" " Heavenly Gift Hunter … ? What'sthis?"

Sae-Jin asks, her head tilted slightly.

"Ah, that's what you call a Title …. It's just a nice, simplified way to describe your current abilities."

"Eh?"

The Seasoned Pro or The Distinguished Individual . " (The latter one was something called " ⁇ " I've no idea what this is, and Google was no help either, so, I made stuff up . Oh well...) "Didn't you carry the carcass of a monster worth 23 creatures in your first month as a Hunter, Mr Kim Sae-Jin? Since you meet the requirements, a prefix is added to your job description. Overflowing with great talent, that was the title that meant the Heavenly Gift. It's really a rare and incredible Title, you know. You can't accept it if you've been a Hunter for over 6 months, and also, Order Knights actually prefer this Title over the likes of The Seasoned Pro or The Distinguished Individual. " (The last one is something called" ⁇ "I don't know what this is, and Google isn't helping either, so, I made it up. Oh well ..)

Government officials explain with gusto and zeal, but Sae-Jin shows little interest as she lightly nods her head. After all, this was not a very helpful story for a person like him who could only maintain the Human Form for 80 minutes a day.

"… Thank you, I guess."

"Ah ... wait !!"

As Sae-Jin turns to leave, the government official surges from his seat and lightly holds onto his sleeve. When he frowned and looked at the official with questioning eyes, he quickly pushed forward the paper at him while his cheeks flushed bashfully.

"This ... Please look at this !!"

"…. Huh uh?"

A government official trying to sell me something? Although Sae-Jin is a little speechless, she eventually finds the shy female attendant twisting her body shyly, speaking objectively, rather adorable in her eyes.

There is still .. 66 minutes left.

"What am I reading here?"

He asked in a loud voice as he checked the writings on the paper. The big words "Public Recruitment for Hunters by the Pabaek Knights Order" were written above, and underneath were some fine print detailing what.

"Pabaek is a government-owned Knight Order with its headquarters located around our necks in the forest, and currently, they are looking to hire capable Hunters. Of course, it is true that only Mid Tier ranks or higher can apply, but …. I am sure that the title of Mr. Sae-Jin will receive favorable consideration in this case! Moreover, the plan was to raise your rank to a Mid Tier low or higher as soon as Master Sae-Jin met the required amount of you know, hunting experience. "

definition for a low Mid Tier Hunter was "Can hunt a Low Tier Monster if three people with similar skill sets gathering" . To clarify, the widely accepted definition for a low Mid Tier Hunter was "Can hunt a Low Level Monster if three people with the same skill set gather". And for a low Mid Tier Knight, it was the opposite of – "Can handle more than three Low Level Monsters at the same time, alone."

very special to the eyes of this lady official . That's why Sae-Jin's existence is a little, no, very special in the eyes of this female official. In most cases, Hunters form groups of three or more when moving, but here is a man who always comes alone, and is always left alone as well.

Heavenly Gifted all got scouted by the famous Knights Orders even before they've been active for less than a year . Heck, some even went and converted their benefits and became Knights in the end, you know!" "Well, are you .. interested in taking this opportunity? If you want, it is possible to sign up now and here. Mr. Sae-Jin will be accepted as soon as you submit your application, I'm sure! In the past, Hunters with Heavenly Gift Titles had all been scouted by the famous Knight Order even before they had been active for less than a year. Heck, some even go and change their profession and become Knights in the end, you know! "

He becomes a little desperate and his grip on Sae-Jin's arm becomes a little stronger.

He would refuse immediately, but then, he felt somewhat regretful as well, looking at the round eyes of the woman, clear and sparkling. It was the sight of a woman actively pursuing him, something she had never experienced before in her life.

A man's worth is indeed judged by his ability, Sae-Jin thought. To see a funny woman, a well-paid government employee to boot, acting very aggressively like this …. It was indeed a mystical new world but it was rather difficult for him to step up. If not for his nature of being a "Monster", he wouldn't even have the chance to do so, but at the same time, he couldn't really brag about his achievements either, precisely because of his condition as a monster"…

"… . . Did she?"

As Sae-Jin's lips swayed and formed an incomprehensible smile, she mistakenly thought the conversation was going on with a swim, so she smiled happily and added a little more to the sales field.

"Yes, of course !! Hehe .. By the way, there is ... help that I really want to ask you regarding this …"

That's right at the moment. Sae-Jin swallows the mysterious smile back. His intuition, which was forcibly nurtured by experiencing many painful things at a young age, exploded like an alarm bell in his head. It says, don't listen to the rest, just leave it as soon as possible.

"So .. when you were recruited, please, please state my name, Kim Hye-Jin, as the person who recommended you …. What, wait a minute !! Please, wait a minute !! Mr Mister Sae-Jin !! " (The other team ?! I'm telling you now, there are other surnames in Korea as well ...).

Before he could finish his sentence, Sae-Jin had already left the Monster Store at walking speed bordering on a full sprint.

***

Hunting becomes much easier, after his Goblin Form changes from what was previously considered a useless burden to one of the most valuable assets in a single day. It was all thanks, of course, to the Body Strengthening Potion and its effects.

After "doping", the Orc Form now showed strength equivalent to an Orc Warrior. But when Sae-Jin goes around with an iron rod purchased from the local Monster Store, when it comes to the matter of overall destructive power, the, he could easily defeat an Orc Warrior who only knew how to use raw weapons.

doped Grey Wolf Form might have displayed a similar level of increased destructive prowess, but unfortunately, the Wolf's limbs strengthened so much that he could't fully control the resolving speed boost so, for now, until he got more familiar with the changes, he had to hunt in a form that most resembled a humanoid shape – an Orc . His doping Gray Wolf form may have shown a similar level of destructive destruction, but unfortunately, the Wolf limbs strengthened so strongly that he could not completely control the resulting increase in speed so, unfortunately, the Wolf's limbs strengthened so strongly that he could not fully control the resulting increase in speed, for now, until he was more accustomed to the changes, he had to hunt in a form that most resembled the humanoid form – Orc.

"Geuahahahah – !!!!" (WTF?!)

And the war he had made before the battle, was completely instinctive. When in the middle of a battle, the seething fighting spirit made him feel like he was an invincible warrior from some distant past legend, a, and it became even more difficult to withstand the mutated madness quickly without shouting out loud. (Jesus on the pogo stick, this sentence was so suffocating - full of Hanja characters that it was hard, my brain really exploded trying this TL ride. WTF, indeed.)

"—-"

But his opponent did not respond at all. Par for the course, really. His entire body was made up of bleached bones, this was not much different from a corpse revived by a Lich using Mana.

Hmmm !!

The blunt-bladed sword collided with the iron stick. There was no need to confirm the final result. The forest shook violently from the explosion of sound and shock waves from the collision, while the skulls and swords of the Skeleton Soldier were completely shattered into pieces. Standing proudly amidst the broken white bones strewn across the air, an Orc was busy enjoying the exquisite taste of his victory.

[Complete Condition: Experience Points Required]

► All Statistics up 1, and all Statistics related to Form will be customized.

And his happiness could only multiply while quietly observing the message window that appeared in his view.

His joy could not last long.

The tall grasses trembled, and there was the sound of feet leaving footprints on the ground. He felt the presence of people nearby.

They are not close, but they also cannot be described so far, so Sae-Jin quickly takes on the Human Form. His survival depends on him.

In fact, the most dangerous element for Sae-Jin in the Monster field was not Monsters, but fellow humans. With the exception of the Trolls, he could more or less compete with the rest of the Monsters found in this Low Level hunting ground, but then, there was an existence called "Knight" whose strength was too ridiculous outside of the monster world.Sense One mistake, and if he was discovered by one of them, then it would be a curtain to him, just like that.

That was why he always maintained his five senses at the highest possible level of consciousness. The clothes she wore during her Monster Shape were different from when she was in Human Form, and thankfully, when she changed, her clothes changed along with her like magic, she said, allowing to pull the trick is rather good.

"…. Huh, it's just someone?"

Just in time, when Sae-Jin casually grabs down to retrieve the Mana Stone from the falling ruins of the Skeleton, a group of Hunters emerge from the bushes. This 4-man party carefully studied Sae-Jin's clothes for a bit before giving her a greeting when they saw the mace in her hand.

"Ah, hello there!"

Hunters were not "friendly" with Mana, and as a result, their bodies were not that strong, so they could not use close combat weapons. The only weapon of choice left to them was the type of weapon that fired Mana bullets. That's why these Hunters mistook Sae-Jin for a Knight. Plus, there was a deafening sound before, so they assumed his Knight rank was, at least, a Low Tier.

"Haha, what a coincidence. It's rare to meet another human in a monster field, see …."

A man who seems to be the party leader approaches Sae-Jin while carrying a disarming smile. But when Sae-Jin shows no reaction and just looks at him, this Hunter immediately produces a business card from his inner pocket and hands it over.

"We're Hunting Team 1, of the Taereung Knight Order. My name is Kim Ji-Han, upper-middle class Hunter, and these guys .. well, it doesn't matter. They're still hatchlings, after all. "(OMF. Another kim ?! I swear, this writer hates any other surname. Surely so.)

On the face of this rather expensive looking business card, the letter "Upper Mid Tier" was embroidered with gold ink. It seems like the veteran hunters employed by the Knight Order brought with them many promising eggs in the demonstration for the real purpose of educating young people who are not.

"Is that true . "

"Yes, hahaha. These people here somehow managed to reach the lower Mid Tier rankings in 2 years, but the fact that they are still**** - a whimper who knows nothing, is, that hasn't changed at all ... Oh, if it's not much of a problem, may I ask which Order Knights are affiliated with you …? "

Kim Ji-Han asked in a friendly voice. He thought that making a friendly relationship with a Knight would never be a bad thing and only proved to be beneficial for him in the long run.

Of course, it was only if Sae-Jin was a Knight in the first place.

"… Ah, I think you're wrong about something here .. I'm not a Knight."

Sae-Jin replies while pocketing a business card.

At the unexpected answer, Kim Ji-Han's head tilted slightly while carrying a puzzled expression on her face. Then his gaze floated towards the remains of the Skeleton Soldier on the ground. To actually exterminate a Skeleton like this alone, and to claim he was not a Knight?

"… . . So that means…"

"Ah, I'm also a Hunter. It's good to meet you. My rank is low."

Ignoring the flabbergasted expression of Kim Ji-Han, Sae-Jin offers her hand to shake while smiling kindly. Somehow grabbing the offered hand, Kim Ji-Han continued her disbelieving expression.

"Ah .. well, that's a joke .. right? Haha, well, your sense of humor is pretty good, I must say. But, you know that's not allowed, right? Low Level Hunters were not allowed to hunt in Low Tier hunting grounds alone. I mean, if a Low Tier ranker could chase monsters alone, then why stay as a Hunter instead of becoming a Knight, right? Ahahaha !! "

"Haha ... Is that so? But that's the truth."

Sae-Jin can now maintain her Human Form for 90 minutes thanks to her level rising now, but that's still not enough. He quickly issued his Hunter license and showed it to Kim Ji-Han.

"Eh? This is the original Hunter license ... eh?"

Ji-Han's eyes and mouth widen when she finds something disbelieving on the card after she checks it back to the front.

"The Heavenly Talented …? Could this be …"

Ji-Han momentarily stops talking and only observes the man in front of her. This Heavenly Gifted – is one of the greatest Titles available among Hunters, only awarded to those who can, within half a year of one's early career as a Hunter, be given to those who can, kill more than 20 monsters in a month.

Those who had this Title were all always investigated by the greatest Knight Order and it was a common occurrence to see many of them switch their professions to a Knight instead.

Behind the license, there was a record of Sae-Jin's hunting, and as expected, it was a very remarkable thing. Maybe it was all because of the difference in talent. 23 Monsters in a month, and to top it off, all self dismantled and dumped. This record was so overbearing that, even though Kim Ji-Han knew this person's ranking was two levels lower than him, he found it impossible to say anything about it.

"… This … !!"

When Kim Ji Han studied the license again, his eyes suddenly shone brightly. He finally realized that the space for "Affiliation" was empty.

Regular hunters hunt in one of two ways. One was to form a temporary party with the other Hunters, and the other, like Kim Ji-Han here, to become a Hunter employed by the Knight Order and hunt in a designated team.

But it is not given that the former is a worse choice than the latter, and that the latter choice is not always better than the latter. There are quite a number of Hunters there who choose the first option simply because they do not enjoy being in a strict group environment and all the rules and regulations that come with it, he said, although they had sufficient skills and abilities to enter the Knight Order.

"You're not affiliated with anyone yet ?!"

"…. Ah, ja. Somehow, it's like that, but I like to move on my own. I'm not thinking of joining anyone."

Sae-Jin is adamant, but Kim Ji-Han thinks that he is definitely the last. So, with a smile on her face, she gives Sae-Jin another business card.

This time, it was for the Knight Order "Taereung".