Episode 12
Shin Ji-yool quietly observed Morae as she spoke carefully, even while watching his reaction.
Was it precisely because there was no force involved that she had been able to tame Kyeonsuho?
“Maybe she’s using her ability like a healing type…”
It seemed like she was on the verge of a breakthrough, but in truth, nothing had been resolved. It was impossible to use an offensive ability like a healing one.
All she confirmed again was that only Kang Morae could do it.
And that meant Kang Morae could be Kyeon Soo-ho’s weakness. If she could somehow secure Morae, even manipulating Kyeonsuho might become possible.
“Though first, we have to recruit her.”
Would she run away if they asked her to tame that Kyeonsuho? Shin Ji-yool sighed and removed her glasses.
“Senior Min, could you leave us alone for a moment?”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
As Min left the room, Morae’s eyes widened in surprise.
Seeing her so tense, Shin Ji-yool softened her stiff expression.
“You’ve probably heard the rumors that Hunter Kyeon Soo-ho’s berserk levels have been unstable recently.”
“I have heard that… but I thought it was fake news?”
Given the risk of leaks, she couldn’t outright confirm it before recruitment.
“It is fake news. However, it’s true that Hunter Kyeon Soo-ho has a constitution that doesn’t respond well to stabilizers.”
“Oh, I heard that higher-ranked hunters are more like that. But why are you telling me this…?”
“Because we’ve discovered another method to reduce an awakened person’s berserk level.”
“Really? That’s great news!”
“That method is through your taming, Hunter Kang Morae.”
“My taming… Pardon?”
“I’ll be direct. We’d like you to tame Hunter Kyeon Soo-ho.”
“….”
Am I dreaming?
Her mind went blank. She couldn’t understand what Shin Ji-yool had just said.
Whether she realized Morae was stunned or not, Shin Ji-yool continued calmly.
“To tame him, you’ll likely need to move with Hunter Kyeon Soo-ho. The media will be watching closely, too. While I hesitate to call it compensation, we promise you the highest level of salary and benefits.”
All color drained from Morae’s face. Seeing her clearly terrified, Shin Ji-yool clicked her tongue internally.
“Well, there’s a lot of public interest in Hunter Kyeon Soo-ho, so only the negative things have spread. But Hunter Kang Morae, Kyeon Soo-ho isn’t that bad of a person.”
In truth, Kyeonsuho was even worse than the world believed.
It felt like she was throwing an innocent child into a monster’s mouth—but there was no choice.
As Shin Ji-yool swallowed her guilt, Morae suddenly stood up.
“I-I’m sorry! I have to decline.”
“I understand how you feel. You can take time to consider—”
“No, I’ll feel the same even after thinking it over. I just… I can’t do that. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“Hunter Kang Morae…”
“I… I think the test is done, so may I leave?”
She began peeling off the test pads from her forehead. Her eyes were already teary, and it seemed like she’d cry if denied.
Does she hate Kyeonsuho that much? Well, of course.
Who would want to tame someone with a temper like Kyeonsuho’s? It was basically a death sentence.
“Wait, Hunter Kang Morae. I’ll remove it for you.”
Shin Ji-yool gently took Morae’s trembling hands and removed the device herself.
Then, with her hat pulled low, Morae gave a deep bow and ran out of the lab.
Left alone, Shin Ji-yool wiped her face with both hands. Kyeonsuho’s voice echoed in her mind:
“If it fails again, I’ll do it myself.”
“Damn it. This is bad.”
As soon as she returned to the rooftop room, Morae slumped onto the wooden bench. Song-i joined her with a cool barley tea from the fridge.
“Morae, just asking… Did your rank drop?”
“There’s no rank left to drop. I’m already E-rank.”
“Then what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Song-i handed Morae a glass of barley tea. Morae drank it all in one gulp and wiped her lips.
“They knew everything.”
“What?”
“That I can tame people. That taming can lower berserk levels, too.”
“What!? How?”
“I don’t know…”
This time Song-i drank deeply from her glass. She slammed it down and glared at her device.
“Did those bastards hack into my device and steal info?”
“Song-i, are you becoming a conspiracy theorist?”
Since dungeons appeared, many conspiracy theories had emerged—like how the government distributed devices to monitor awakened people.
Morae stared at Song-i in disbelief. Her cheeks flushed a bit.
“I didn’t used to believe that stuff. But this makes no sense.”
“That’s true…”
How did the Ability Bureau find out about her changed power? Even the retest request now seemed suspicious.
“Were you scared because they seemed to know everything about you?”
“No…”
Morae fiddled with the empty glass before finally speaking.
“They asked me to tame Hunter Kyeon Soo-ho. Said stabilizers don’t work well on him.”
“…Ah.”
Song-i immediately understood the situation.
She had expected this ever since realizing Morae’s taming could replace stabilizers.
The higher the rank, the less effective stabilizers are. Of course, the Bureau would want to exploit her taming ability.
That’s why I told her to keep it a secret…
Morae had trauma from childhood and struggled with group life.
If she joined an institution, they’d only exploit her. And she was too kind to look out for herself.
So Song-i had planned to use her connections to pair Morae with a high-rank hunter one-on-one—so she could work comfortably and still earn well.
But that plan’s ruined.
If stabilizers didn’t work on Kyeonsuho, the Bureau must be desperate.
They wouldn’t give up just because Morae refused. They’d do whatever it took.
Why did it have to be Kyeonsuho?
Song-i clicked her tongue.
If it were anyone else, even someone slightly less famous, they might’ve considered it…
“You refused, right?”
“Yeah, how could I possibly do it…”
Morae smiled faintly.
Of course, if her power could help Kyeonsuho, she wanted to help.
More than anyone, she wanted him to be happy. It wasn’t even a question.
But being near him would mean facing constant attention from the world.
Eventually, people would dig up her identity and past. Just thinking about it was terrifying.
“It’s you, isn’t it? That psycho’s daughter?”
“Murderer’s child! My dad’s dead—why are you still alive?!”
“Die! You should die too!”
Her vision blurred, and a choking sensation wrapped around her throat. The early signs of a panic attack.
That’s why she had to run from the lab. She didn’t want anyone to see her like that.
She clenched her clothes tightly. Her joints turned white from the grip, and Song-i covered her fist gently.
“Morae, you know this, right? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“…I know.”
“Anyone who messes with you—send them my way. I’ll take them down. I’ll win.”
Song-i’s calm voice gently comforted her.
The color returned to Morae’s pale face. Once she calmed down, Song-i cupped her cheek.
“Feeling better?”
“…Yeah.”
“If the Bureau contacts you again, refuse.”
“…Do you think something’s happened to Hunter Kyeon Soo-ho?”
“Worry about yourself. If his penalty level were that dangerous, something would’ve already happened. They just want to use you instead of stabilizers.”
Morae still looked troubled.
She must’ve been seriously worried about Kyeonsuho. Song-i comforted her softly.
“You’re not the only tamer in the country. The others will handle it.”
“…Yeah. They’re probably way higher-ranked than me anyway.”
Thinking that capable people would take care of Kyeonsuho helped ease her mind.
Morae smiled brightly again.
“What should we eat for dinner?”
“I’ve been craving bulgogi since earlier.”
“Then we’ll have to go to the store?”
“Let’s go. Get some meat and lettuce. Ah—do we still have beer?”
“Two cans, I think?”
“Better grab more. Let’s go.”
Soon, the sound of their footsteps echoed cheerfully down the rooftop stairs.
Above their heads as they stepped out the front gate, the sun was slowly setting.
