Several kilometers away, far from the battlefield, in a narrow street in Seoul.
Outside a TV shop, a boy wearing a thin high school uniform stood watching the displayed television in silence.
"Those are S-Rank Hunters."
The boy, who was looking at them, didn't yet know that he was going to be the greatest Hunter of all time.
His name is
Kang Tae Jun.
Among the crowds, a high school boy wearing a uniform stood still.
Kang Tae Jun
Holding a small plastic bag filled with discounted bread from the convenience store.
His blue eyes were fixed on the television.
Hunters were fighting desperately against the monsters, magic exploding across the battlefield.
The people watching the broadcast clapped whenever a hunter killed one of the powerful monsters.
To them, hunters looked almost like gods.
But Tae Jun simply watched quietly.
He imagined himself standing on the battlefield one day.
Holding a weapon, facing monsters, saving thousands of lives just like the hunters on the screen.
"Look at the S-Rank Hunter, fighting monsters like in RPG games."
"What a crazy world we live in. Thank God we've got the hunters."
Tae Jun heard all of the crowd praising and cheering for the hunters.
He lowered his gaze to his hands.
They were tough and slightly rough too.
Not from combat, but from work.
Two years ago, during the national awakening exam held in his high school, Tae Jun had also been tested for mana ability, but...
His result had been recorded clearly at the Hunter Association.
E-Rank Hunter.
The lowest possible classification.
When he visited the Hunter Association office, the clerk had spoken with politeness but firmness.
"Your mana output is extremely low. Being a hunter is too risky."
In other words, he was the weakest and most useless.
Outside the television store, the crowd was still watching.
But Tae Jun quietly turned away. He still had work to do.
At the corner of the street, outside the convenience store, a young girl waited.
The moment she saw him, her face brightened.
"Bro!"
His sister, Seiha, ran toward him.
"Did you bring bread?"
Tae Jun smiled a little and handed her the plastic bag.
"Of course."
Then she immediately took out one of the sweet bread rolls and started eating it.
"Slow down, girl," Tae Jun said with a laugh.
An explosion.
Boom.
On the screen behind them was the large television broadcasting the same war.
Seiha was eagerly looking at the screen.
Then she said, "Bro, are you going to become a hunter?"
Tae Jun didn't answer. He gently stroked her hair and said, "I'm not strong enough for that."
"But you're strong to me."
Her words were innocent and yet so powerful.
He took his hand and ruffled her hair.
"Let's go home."