Awesome Shut-In Necromancer

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I said it.

That I wanted to become a Hunter.

Of course, the response I received was as expected.

“…I oppose it.”

Seo Ha’s opposition was stronger than I had anticipated. She went on for a full thirty minutes, listing the reasons why I was unfit for a Hunter’s life.

“Imagine going out to busk on the street. Could you, who struggles to meet even one person, handle that?”

“Um. If I try hard enough….”

“The situations you would face as a Hunter are far beyond that, right?”

“W-well….”

“If there’s a conflict within the party, you wouldn’t be able to say a word.”

“Uh….”

“How will you communicate, which is the most important aspect of conquering dungeons? If you can’t even converse, forming a party is out of the question.”

“….”

“There are stages to everything. How do you expect to become a Hunter in such difficult circumstances when you can’t even manage simple part-time work?”

To be honest, I thought I’d just get a simple “It’s dangerous” kind of response, but Seo Ha’s arguments were logical and straightforward.

It felt like a ruthless bombardment of facts, as if she had run simulations in advance for times like this.

After being battered multiple times in this manner and left feeling ragged, Seo Ha asked me once more.

“…Why do you want to become a Hunter?”

“…….”

That question came from a place of sincerity. I replied in a gloomy voice.

“Because I want to live like a human.”

How long must I endure this existence, crawling like a bug beneath a million soldiers?

Right now, I felt like nothing more than a pebble on the roadside. By my standards, I wasn’t even worth being treated as a human.

Hearing my words, Seo Ha seemed quite shocked.

“…I didn’t know you wanted to overcome things to that extent.”

And then she fell into her own thoughts, pondering for quite some time.

In the end, the answer she returned was the complete opposite of the impassioned opposition she had given earlier.

“I understand your feelings. I won’t oppose you unconditionally.”

She then added one more thing.

“However, there’s a condition.”

Here’s the explanation.

You must complete the Hunter Education Program organized by the state and build relationships there to make three friends.

“If you can do that, I’ll stop opposing you and will help you.”

Hearing that, I thought for a moment.

‘Three friends…’

Seeing her say it so easily, it was clear that my sister had been a pure social butterfly since her school days.

#

The purpose of the Hunter Education Program was simple.

To reduce the already low mortality rate among Awakened Ones and to help individuals settle as Hunters more quickly.

‘There were tons of advertisements too.’

As a country known for its private education, South Korea had high-end academies with completely premium curriculums all over Seoul.

However, most aspiring Hunters preferred the program offered by the state.

Well, the tuition at those prestigious academies was outrageously expensive, after all.

【Congratulations! You have been selected as a candidate for the 3rd quarter of the 2021 Trainee Hunter Education Program!】

Since the revision of the Hunter Registration Act seven years ago, qualifications were only issued to people who met the minimum combat skills and knowledge.

Obtaining the qualifications wasn’t easy, so typically those aiming to become Hunters would complete state-sponsored education before taking the qualification test.

Thus, applying for the educational course was made simple with just basic verification.

“…….”

Following my promise to Seo Ha, I also applied for the state-sponsored Hunter education course. And fortunately, I passed on my first attempt.

‘I really don’t want to go….’

A whopping four weeks of training.

And the final week would involve group lodging.

I truly felt that it was going to be a hassle.

“Are you really okay with this, Oppa?”

“Y-yeah, I’m fine.”

But once a man has drawn his sword, he must cut through something. I steeled myself and headed to the training center.

And right from the first theory class, I went to the bathroom twice.

‘I feel like I’m going to throw up….’

After my incident with Helena last time, my avoidance symptoms had worsened.

However, it was still a struggle to last an hour in a lecture hall filled with dozens of people.

So, I decided to pull out an extraordinary secret weapon.

“Curse Blind.”

Muttering the incantation as I held the mana stone in my pocket, my vision began to blur in an instant.

It was a simple curse that I normally didn’t use, but now it had become a splendid shield.

If I see nothing, I fear nothing!

I am invincible!

“Let’s see if Trainee Number 13 can answer this.”

“Uh. Well… um…”

And with that, I was pointed out for my lack of participation.

I hope I don’t end up failing this.

#

Having stepped back from the front lines to take on the role of educating future Hunters for about two years now,

Lee Cheol-Soon, a former B-Rank Hunter with a respectable career, had recently become concerned about one particular trainee.

“She looks like she’s in middle or high school…”

Of course, due to recent legislative changes, anyone over 17 could qualify as a Hunter.

However, seeing a girl who constantly seemed so anxious and introverted made him worry no matter how he looked at it.

As a first-generation Hunter, he had witnessed countless young people who went out into the field like that and ended up meeting their untimely demise.

For that reason, he intentionally paired the girl with another trainee during combat training.

That trainee was Kim Seung-Min, a promising candidate in the vanguard category who was expected to do well due to his outstanding practical skills.

‘If she’s going to get hurt in a dungeon, it’s better that she realizes her limitations here and quits.’

Of course, some might criticize such a choice.

But having faced death many times, he understood.

No matter how bad the situation, this world was still better than the afterlife.

And a week later, one of the trainees approached Lee Cheol-Soon, looking utterly defeated.

That trainee was Kim Seung-Min.

“Instructor… am I really suited for this path?”

In this confusing situation, Lee Cheol-Soon could only blink in response.

“What do you mean?”

Being one of the few high-ranked Hunters here, he had a lot on his plate. Thus, he wasn’t fully aware of the direct circumstances of his trainees.

“Honestly, I thought I had some talent until now.”

“…. ”

Lee Cheol-Soon found it even more difficult to understand the situation.

From any perspective, Kim Seung-Min was undeniably talented. Honestly, Lee Cheol-Soon believed without a doubt that he would reach at least B-Rank.

Yet, he was just gazing up at the ceiling with a faint smile as if he had let go of everything.

“There’s a gap as wide as the sky and the earth.”

“What has happened to you?”

“I’ve realized my limitations. I’m quitting being a Hunter.”

With that, Kim Seung-Min tried to leave, but Lee Cheol-Soon desperately held onto him.

Then he dropped everything he was doing and headed to the training site. He had to find out what the heck was going on.

‘Are they doing physical training right now?’

It wasn’t hard to find the girl Kim Seung-Min had described, Baek Eun Ha.

After all, while everyone else was running about, she was sprawled next to the instructor, covering her face with a wet towel.

‘…I still don’t get it.’

He spent an entire day observing the training process, but there wasn’t anything that stood out. Rather, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that she truly wasn’t suited to be a Hunter.

It was really a mystery.

#

The training was simply brutal.

I had to bump into other people all day long under the scorching sun, and I endured the week while feeling fatigued both physically and mentally.

Most challenging of all was the one-on-one sparring sessions.

“Alright everyone, I’ll begin the sparring matches until I signal the end.”

As I stared intently at my opponent while standing face-to-face, my stomach twisted, and my head began to throb.

So, I intentionally averted my gaze and attempted to engage in the sparring.

Bang!
Smack!

Perhaps to prevent overheating, the matches were conducted by alternating between offense and defense.

The defense side would wear specially made protective gear while defending, and any valid hits allowed the opponent to score points.

Thus, it was actually somewhat manageable for someone like me who lacked physical abilities. Our objectives were clear enough.

During training, one day an opponent spoke to me during a match.

“…What did you think of today’s sparring? I’d like an honest answer.”

He had consistently paired with me since the beginning of training and was a rather skilled trainee among the others.

I carefully shared my thoughts without meeting his gaze.

“…Ugh, it was terrible.”

“….”

“I’d rather not talk about it…”

And it was truly as I said.

Regardless of being a Necromancer, I was frankly at a level that made me wish I had never stepped into the arena.

Right now, I felt like a bug.

Worthless, useless bug.

Perhaps understanding my sorrow, the guy didn’t press further and simply walked away.

Feeling down, I got into Seo Ha’s car that came to pick me up and trudged home.

“Um, Oppa. Even if things don’t go well, I still think I’m proud of you…”

“…….”

I still hadn’t made a single friend.

Now was really the time to show something.

#

After Kim Seung-Min’s first match against the girl Baek Eun Ha, he felt a strange sense of discomfort.

‘This is odd.’

How should he put it, it was a feeling of something not clicking?

It might just be that they were simply trading choreographed attacks and defenses, but that sense of discomfort lingered with him, causing disorientation even after a day passed.

Then, during the next sparring session, focusing not on the weapon but rather on his opponent, Kim Seung-Min made a realization.

His opponent, Baek Eun Ha, wasn’t looking at him at all.

In fact, it was strange that he hadn’t noticed it until then.

Baek Eun Ha truly wasn’t allocating even the slightest bit of attention to him. Yet the sparring was even. He immediately understood what that meant.

‘…She’s simply indulging me out of courtesy, isn’t she?’

Of course, it wasn’t about him being inferior. There was no clear winning or losing in these sparring matches anyway.

However, as the sessions piled up, he started to see the clear gap in their skills.

‘…It’s overwhelming.’

To put it frankly, Baek Eun Ha’s strikes had no power behind them at all. It felt like he was dealing with a punching bag that hit back without any feedback.

Yet, his own strikes went unanswered, easily slipping past or being deflected.

There was almost no valid hits at all.

‘Not once has a scenario of me winning crossed my mind.’

At this point, it was clear that she was purposely going easy on him.

She undoubtedly felt that he wasn’t worth exerting herself against.

What Baek Eun Ha was doing right now was practically akin to fighting the enemy with her eyes closed.

Kim Seung-Min, shocked, asked Baek Eun Ha one day what she thought of their sparring.

Her response was somewhat expected.

“…Ugh, it was terrible.”

“….”

“I’d rather not talk about it…”

The pity contained in that statement made his stomach churn even more.

Kim Seung-Min was completely demoralized, refusing further education. Ultimately, however, he decided to stay due to the instructor’s persuasion.

How many days of such passed by? One day, after training had ended, Baek Eun Ha sought him out.

It was, quite literally, the first time she expressed interest in him.

To Kim Seung-Min, unable to meet her gaze, Baek Eun Ha spoke.

“Um, uh, um, would you be….”

“Go ahead.”

“Can we be friends…?”

Kim Seung-Min was dumbfounded by that.

It was such an unexpected proposition.

“I-I mean, after the training is over, if we could have a mutually beneficial relationship…”

Her words were hesitative, but Kim Seung-Min, an Awakened One, caught the meaning with clarity.

In other words, was it an offer to build connections with him?

Kim Seung-Min, half in disbelief, asked Baek Eun Ha.

“Why?”

“…Because I think it would help.”

Kim Seung-Min blinked in surprise.

He never imagined he would hear such a thing from her.

‘Does that mean she acknowledged my skills?’

Many had admired and praised Kim Seung-Min’s talent until now.

However, the words from someone who had pointed out his limits meant something far more significant.

Kim Seung-Min felt a part of his lost confidence return.

“Is that okay…?”

“Y-yeah, that’d be great.”

For someone with her level of skill, truthfully all the trainees here might seem insignificant.

Yet that she chose him for future connections meant that she surely sensed some potential in him.

He felt a flutter in his heart.

“Um, could I have your phone number…?”

That night, Kim Seung-Min fell into a deep sleep for the first time in a while.