Chapter 405 – Part 2 – Insight

When you turn 20, only a select few chosen ones awaken and gain traits.

Woo Seong-jae was no different.

‘I… became a hunter?’

However, awakening wasn’t necessarily something to be happy about.

Your future would vary dramatically depending on the grade of your trait.

‘My trait is… S-rank?’

The moment he confirmed the trait called Insight, Woo Seong-jae knew.

That he would soon rise to rank 1.

That he would become an unprecedented hunter, the likes of which had never appeared in history.

Indeed he was right.

The trait called Insight was ridiculously overpowered.

‘I can see it. How to hunt and how to grow.’

As soon as he saw a monster, he realized it.

Its weaknesses, patterns, movements, and more.

It was his first time seeing such a monster, but he just knew.

Insight made it possible.

‘It’s easy. Hunting is so easy.’

Woo Seong-jae soared from the beginning.

While others ganged up on a single horned rabbit, Woo Seong-jae went around massacring them alone with just a basic club.

While others worried about which stats to focus on developing, Woo Seong-jae instinctively knew how he should grow.

‘There are limits to obtaining magic runes, so I have to give up being a mage. I need to develop as a one-handed swordsman style focused on agility.’

The advantages of the Insight trait weren’t limited to that.

‘I can see all information about my opponents.’

Traits, stats, combat styles, and more.

Not only monsters but also fellow hunters could be completely seen through.

This made it clearly visible who he should party with.

‘That guy has an S-rank trait but his combat style doesn’t match mine. On the other hand, this guy has a buff-type A-rank trait, so partying with him would be helpful.’

He could instantly see who he should befriend and who he should avoid, and he continued growing by using them as stepping stones.

As a result, Woo Seong-jae was able to rise to rank 1 in just 5 years.

‘5 million combat power gained in 5 years…’

The rank 2 at that time was 3 million.

Already no one could oppose him, but Woo Seong-jae wasn’t satisfied with this.

‘I can still grow more.’

There were no restrictions on obtaining runes and he still hadn’t equipped the highest grade items.

‘I need to enhance legendary items with Magic Cores.’

He had already obtained a complete set of legendary equipment.

If he could just obtain Magic Cores, he could become even stronger than now.

After 4 years of dedicating himself to hunting like this.

Woo Seong-jae achieved the unprecedented feat of 10.02 million combat power at the age of 29.

It was the result of enhancing all legendary items with Magic Cores.

‘The difference from rank 2 is roughly 6 million. There’s no longer anyone who can oppose me.’

Having become the immutable rank 1, Woo Seong-jae even gained the reputation of Great Hero by defeating Karmygas.

After that, he began creating a class system in earnest and managed the continents by putting forward the 8 Heroes.

‘Let’s leave Eastland and Westland to other heroes and establish my own kingdom.’

So he established a neutral country on a remote island and reigned as its ruler, when one day.

All dungeon entrances were sealed.

Even Woo Seong-jae with his Insight didn’t know why.

‘Since dungeons are closed, I can no longer increase combat power.’

Since he had already reached the peak anyway, it didn’t matter if he didn’t hunt.

‘This worked out well actually. I’ve hunted enough to be sick of it, so now I should focus on state affairs.’

Turning his attention to politics, he spent his time as a Great Hero by getting involved in worldly matters.

For 10 years like this.

Suddenly the dungeon seals were released and the hunter industry became active again.

‘Even so, no hunter surpassing me will emerge.’

Woo Seong-jae was relaxed.

New hunters rose from the bottom, but they were just ants anyway.

‘Even if ants climb to the mountain peak, they’re still under my feet.’

There was no hunter anywhere who could catch up to Woo Seong-jae who had already reached the summit.

That’s what he thought.

Until an anomaly occurred.

‘What is this hunter?’

When combat power update day came, there was suddenly a hunter who claimed rank 2.

‘Choi Seong-min? I haven’t heard that name before?’

There was no name called Choi Seong-min among last month’s top rankers.

He was certain since he memorized most of the names in the upper ranks.

‘That means he raised several million combat power all at once…?’

It was frightening growth, but more frightening than that was Choi Seong-min’s combat power.

’10 million combat power? Only a 20,000 difference from me?’

Never in history had there been a hunter with combat power exceeding 5 million.

‘No, there was uniquely one person. Myself.’

But a hunter reaching 10 million, surpassing even 5 million, had appeared.

And out of nowhere within a month.

‘How is this possible?’

Woo Seong-jae was curious.

How strong was he, what kind of amazing trait did he have to achieve such explosive growth?

‘Could it be something even more amazing than my trait…?’

The Insight trait sees through all things and phenomena.

That’s why Woo Seong-jae had never once felt interest in another hunter in his life.

He’d never been curious either.

Just by looking, he could completely grasp the target’s stats and traits.

But for the first time, a hunter he was curious about had appeared.

‘A new hunter with 10 million combat power who suddenly appeared… I’m curious what kind of trait he has.’

He wanted to rush to Eastland immediately to meet him, but he held back.

He still had pride as rank 1.

‘I can’t show interest first in some young upstart as a Great Hero.’

Woo Seong-jae never brought up stories about Choi Seong-min even in front of other heroes.

He was interested but pretended not to know.

But that didn’t mean he was just sitting idle.

‘Peter Fields will probably covet Hunter Choi Seong-min. He wants to escape my shadow.’

Woo Seong-jae already knew.

That Peter Fields was expanding his forces to become independent someday.

‘Soon that guy will attempt to contact Hunter Choi Seong-min.’

Indeed, his prediction was right.

By secretly contacting Megan, Peter’s secretary, he found out.

That Peter and Choi Seong-min were scheduled to meet in Westland.

Woo Seong-jae contacted Peter.

“Peter. I have something important to discuss, so I’d like to meet in person. I’ll come there.”

“You’re coming directly?”

Peter in the call was flustered.

And rightly so.

Tomorrow was the day Peter and Choi Seong-min were scheduled to meet.

Of course, Woo Seong-jae had no intention of interfering with their meeting.

It would be troublesome if Peter canceled his appointment with Choi Seong-min.

“Yes. I have business tomorrow, so let’s meet at the White House the day after.”

“Ah, understood.”

When Peter accepted, Woo Seong-jae smiled.

He never intended to go the day after from the beginning.

‘Going a day early shouldn’t be a problem.’

The next day, Woo Seong-jae arrived at the White House.

He could have gone to meet Choi Seong-min immediately, but his pride wouldn’t allow it.

‘I’ll pretend it’s a coincidence when we meet.’

Of course, he didn’t know when they’d meet.

There was no guarantee Choi Seong-min would visit the White House either.

‘Anyway, Choi Seong-min won’t stay in Westland for just one day, so there will be opportunities.’

He waited with anticipation that he’d visit the White House at least once while here, but what do you know.

He encountered Hunter Choi Seong-min from the very first day.

It was inevitability disguised as coincidence.

“Oh? W-Woo Seong-jae?”

Peter, who was walking through the interior with Choi Seong-min, was noticeably flustered.

Like someone caught cheating.

“You said you’d come tomorrow, but you’re already here?”

“Yes. My business finished early by chance. Rather than wait, I arrived a day early. Who is the person next to you?”

Woo Seong-jae asked pretending not to know, but he had already memorized his face.

Regardless, it was an awkward situation for Peter.

‘Damn it. I’m screwed. How should I introduce him?’

Peter momentarily considered lying but changed his mind.

Making up lies might make things worse.

“Th-this person is Hunter Choi Seong-min who came from Eastland.”

“Ah, so this is the person who rose to rank 2 this time?”

“Th-that’s right. Hunter Choi Seong-min. Please greet him. This person is the Great Hero of the neutral country and rank 1, Mr. Woo Seong-jae.”

At Peter’s introduction, Choi Seong-min looked at Woo Seong-jae.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Choi Seong-min.”

Only then did Woo Seong-jae look directly at Choi Seong-min.

‘Finally I can see Hunter Choi Seong-min’s trait…’

Then, something unexpected happened.

“Huk!”

Woo Seong-jae, who was trying to see through him with his Insight trait, suddenly sat down on the floor.

“Are, are you okay? Mr. Woo Seong-jae?”

The startled Peter asked worriedly, but Woo Seong-jae couldn’t hear any words.

‘Choi, Choi Seong-min’s traits are…’

There wasn’t just one.

There were countless many.

Precisely 294, but.

‘How, how can someone have so many traits…?’

That wasn’t the only surprising fact.

‘The total stats are… 40,000?’

The total stats a normal S-rank hunter has is about 5,000.

And that’s when wearing items; when unarmed it doesn’t even reach 3,000.

‘Peter with 4 million combat power has 20,000 total stats. I with 10 million have 50,000.’

But this is when wearing items.

When unequipped like now, the stat amount is only about half.

‘My current stat amount when unarmed is 20,000. But Hunter Choi Seong-min has over 40,000…’

Woo Seong-jae couldn’t help but be shocked that his stat amount was twice as high.

‘If this is when unequipped, how much stronger does he become when wearing items?’

The more he looked, the more surprised he became.

Most of all, he was shocked by the fact that he had hundreds of traits.

But the shock didn’t end there.

Woo Seong-jae’s trait even told him the opponent’s current combat power.

‘Combat power is… 25 million?’

That wasn’t all.

Woo Seong-jae could even see through Choi Seong-min’s potential combat power.

‘4, 40… no, he’s someone who could reach even 50 million.’

Learning Choi Seong-min’s combat power, honorifics naturally came out.

The 10 million recorded in the rankings was nothing compared to his actual combat power.

Seeing Woo Seong-jae sitting down and staring blankly up at him, Choi Seong-min smiled bitterly.

‘I knew this would happen.’

Of all places to meet Woo Seong-jae here.

‘He was someone I wanted to avoid as much as possible…’

The reason was simple.

Because he had expected this kind of reaction, as you can see.

‘Woo Seong-jae’s trait, Insight, can see through anything. Not just my traits but even stats and combat power.’

Knowing this fact, he had struggled not to encounter him until now.

Because of the trait, he had intended to kill only Woo Seong-jae last.

‘But to think it would be ruined like this.’

A variable had occurred in his plan to kill them in order.

‘Since it’s come to this, I’ll change the plan.’

Killing intent arose in Choi Seong-min’s eyes.

‘I have no choice but to kill both of them right here.’

That’s when it happened.

Woo Seong-jae seemed to regain his senses and stood up.

“Are, are you okay? Mr. Woo Seong-jae?”

At Peter’s question, Woo Seong-jae nodded.

He even smiled brightly.

“I’m fine. Maybe because I haven’t been sleeping lately, I suddenly got dizzy.”

“Oh my. No matter how busy you are, you need to sleep. The center of the continent can’t collapse, can it?”

“Haha, that’s right.”

While having a conversation with Peter, Woo Seong-jae looked at Choi Seong-min.

He flinched momentarily upon reading the murderous gaze, but soon mustered courage to speak.

“Hunter Choi Seong-min… I have something to talk about, could you spare some time? Please.”