Chapter 5

Many people don’t just call someone a genius on a whim—there’s usually a complex set of reasons behind it. But among those reasons, the most influential one was always “proof.”

Proof of ability.

Proof of performance.

And proof of worth.

Amidst countless demands for proof and endless doubts, Han Arin never faltered and always had answers to every question. Proof that she was right—and would continue to be.

As this process and its results grew harder to keep up with, what she gained was something only true monsters could attain: the 7th-ranked position in the world.

“It wasn’t something I asked for, you know.”

She simply loved magic. And for the sake of that magic, she paid some “costs.” Of course, since these costs involved money, monster hunting, and political battles, things got complicated—but the important thing was that ever since her awakening as a hunter after her younger sister’s death, all she’d focused on was magic.

Magic—the only way to forget the death of her sole remaining family member—was something she’d immerse herself in endlessly, with no plans to change.

But then everything flipped when she met a girl who looked exactly like her late sister, Yu Ha-eun.

“…She looks so much like her.”

Not just in appearance but in aura too.

At first, when she saw this girl named Ha-eun, she thought it was a hallucination caused by mana poisoning. Of course, once she noticed the tail and small horns, she realized this wasn’t her sister. Still, curiosity lingered.

“White hair? Oh! You must mean Ha-eun. She… well, Ha-eun was rescued from a bio-experiment facility, so she’s still quite unstable. That’s why there isn’t much information about her yet.”

At first, out of fear, she dared not approach directly and instead asked others about Ha-eun. Normally, they might’ve ignored her, but the reputation and credibility of the 7th-ranked hunter ensured they answered.

After gathering all the information, two conclusions emerged: this child wasn’t her sister, yet Han Arin still wanted to protect her from further misfortune.

“…It’s probably just vicarious satisfaction.”

Since she couldn’t do anything more for her deceased sister, she wanted to give something to this girl instead—a desire both dark and selfish.

Though she knew comparing one person to another was wrong, years of pent-up sorrow drove her to it.

There was just one problem: she was terrible at interacting with people. Years spent buried in magical research had left her lacking social skills.

So, after hesitating for a moment, she approached Ha-eun anyway, thinking, *What could go wrong?*

“You shouldn’t randomly touch strangers’ heads! That’s something you do only when trust has been built between two people. So please stop!”

A sharp rejection hit her immediately. Even after showering the girl with gifts meant to win her over, Ha-eun refused to lower her guard. Just as Han Arin pondered how to proceed, someone called out to her.

“Hunter Han Arin! You’re not allowed to go in there!”

Only then did she realize she’d completely botched their first meeting, leaving her dejected and deflated.

* * *

I stood there dumbfounded as Han Arin turned into a slime creature before my eyes.

Han Arin, who was often described as someone solely devoted to magical research without any interest in other people…

Why she suddenly decided to shower me with gifts made absolutely no sense.

As I wrestled with how to respond…

I absentmindedly ate a cookie she handed me.

*Oops.*

My brain screamed, *Don’t eat it!* But my body kept reaching for more.

*Crisp crunch.*

*It’s actually pretty good.*

While I blinked in surprise at how tasty it was, Han Arin returned to human form and began smiling cheerfully.

“How is it? Feeling better?”

Her smile seemed friendly enough, but I still didn’t understand her intentions, so caution was necessary. Clutching the candy stick she gave me, I responded coldly.

“It’s okay… but are you sure?”

“But you’ve already started eating it, haven’t you? Finish it, will you?”

“Well, if you insist…”

To signal my guarded stance, I narrowed my eyes while munching awkwardly. Then Han Arin stared straight at me and spoke softly.

“If you ever have trouble, come talk to me. I can’t solve every problem, but I can handle most of them.”

I appreciated kindness, but excessive kindness needed to be handled carefully. Relationships were a balance of give-and-take; eventually, I’d owe her something in return. Better to avoid unnecessary debts altogether.

“It’s fine. I can handle things myself.”

Thus, I declined. It was right to solve my own problems rather than relying on others. I understood better than anyone else that leaning on someone else led to dependency. Cutting ties early prevented complications.

“Then… Would you mind meeting me occasionally? No need to do anything special—we could just eat cookies together.”

Watching Han Arin switch back and forth between slime and human forms, I reluctantly nodded. Something about her desperate persistence tugged at my heartstrings. Besides, I had nothing better to do during recovery, so why not pass the time?

“Thank you.”

*Shouldn’t I be the one thanking her?*

Still unsure, I grabbed another cookie. Seeing her bright smile brought me peace.

*

After snack time ended, Han Arin gifted me a phone.

At first, I refused—it was far too expensive. But when she mentioned modern hunters couldn’t function without one, coupled with her threat to cry if I didn’t accept, I eventually caved under pressure.

“…Whatever.”

Deciding to repay the phone expenses later, I idly played with the device. A peculiar feature caught my attention:

[Link Mana]

What on earth was this?

Curiosity piqued, I tapped the icon after some deliberation.

*Ding!*

A notification popped up: “Linking in progress…” Attempting to cancel, I pressed the back button repeatedly, but it wouldn’t budge.

“It’s probably fine… It came pre-installed, after all.”

Assuming nothing harmful would happen, I waited anxiously. Soon, a prompt appeared asking for fingerprint verification.

“Should I or shouldn’t I?”

Ultimately, reassured by a nearby counselor who said it was safe, I decided to try.

“One attempt won’t hurt.”

Experiencing new things now would help me become independent later. With that mindset, I placed my finger on the scanner. A new window appeared.

[Congratulations! Your mana has been successfully linked. You can now post and comment on the Hunter Community.]

Hunter Community? Intrigued, I explored further. Various posts filled the screen.

[The Secret to Ranking Up? Front Roll Without Breathing!]

[Just One Day Until Promotion Trials Begin!]

Confused by their meaning, I skimmed past them. While understanding such content might help, I preferred exploring the app itself.

“There’s so much here.”

An anonymous chat room existed, along with options to broadcast live streams and upload videos.

“So hunters stream too?”

Checking popular videos revealed millions of views. Staring blankly at the numbers, I glanced at the counselor approaching with a playful grin.

“Thinking about streaming, Ha-eun? If you did, it’d definitely blow up.”

“No way,” I shook my head vigorously.

Looking puzzled, the counselor pressed on.

“Why not? You haven’t even tried yet.”

“Well… I’m bad at everything. Not entertaining, not articulate, not good at games…”

Before I could elaborate, the counselor playfully pressed the ‘Start Broadcast’ button.

“If we try and fail, no harm done. But if it works, you might discover a hidden talent!”

Streaming wasn’t instantaneous—you had to set titles and adjust settings. Though slightly awkward, the counselor’s calm encouragement eased my nerves.

“No need to worry too much. I’ll watch over everything and prevent any issues.”

Judging by their confident tone, the counselor clearly had ulterior motives. Trusting them, I resolved to give it a shot. Handing me the phone, the counselor announced,

“Let’s start!”

Seeing the glaring red word “Live,” I froze in embarrassment. Suddenly, someone entered the broadcast and sent a message calling me cute. Glancing back, I spotted the counselor furiously typing away.

Touched by their efforts, I managed an awkward smile. As I considered ending the stream…

[Seorin joined the broadcast.]

[UniversityGraduateRecruiting joined the broadcast.]

[LastNameFirstName joined the broadcast.]

…

…

Dozens of users flooded in unexpectedly.

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