Episode 10: Hunt Beyond the Limit
Kang Seung-woo's breathing remained heavy after exterminating the blood bugs, yet his body
was eerily calm.
Something inside him had awakened—a system working silently like a living organism stirring
from a long slumber.
"Gene Evolution System: Mutated bio-wave accumulation in progress (Class E-D). Next phase
will be unlocked upon reaching threshold."
He sat against a massive tree, checking his current status.
Although his GEU (Gene Energy Unit) hadn't increased, he felt sharper vision, faster reflexes,
and most of all, something within him was continuously changing.
Not training. But evolution. And it came through one thing:
Killing.
"If others are limited by the power they were born with... Then I will build my own power with
my own hands."
He stood up, clenched the core he had just harvested, and began moving again. The hunt had
only just begun.
Deep Forest – Zone 14
Seung-woo's footsteps padded softly through decomposing leaves blanketing the forest floor.
The forest was densely packed with towering trees, vines snaking up their trunks, and a musty
sour odor of rot hung thick in the air—interlaced with the faint metallic scent of blood.
He moved with the alertness of a predator.
Too quiet.
Even the birds and insects were silent—a telltale sign that something was hunting nearby.
He slowed down, crouching low to the ground.
Fingers brushing the soil—temperature drop, subtle tremors from the north.
Not an earthquake.
Something with claws.
A whisper to his AI interface: "Arsis, activate bio-sensor plus mode."
[System running...] [Detected: Bio-signature Tier 2 – Distance: 142 meters – Rapid movement.]
His dry lips curled into a grim line.
Leaves rustled. Something moved through the foliage.
But nothing appeared.
Still, his instincts screamed otherwise.
Heart pounding in steady rhythm. Power pulsing stronger through his veins.
"Hunter Instinct" activated without command.
[Alert: Tier 2 lifeform closing in fast.]
He narrowed his eyes.
A second breath—closer.
Then, it emerged from the shadow.
Crow Howler – a monstrous four-legged beast with black fur and blazing red eyes.
It snarled, unleashing a concussive soundwave that rattled his skull.
"Detected: Sonic disruption to neural processing. Initiating emergency sound filter."
"Evolution system analyzing: Audio frequency classified as brain-disruptive."
Seung-woo dove behind a tree, drawing his vibration knife.
He tossed a decoy blade, then darted sideways in silence.
Melee initiated.
He leaped onto the beast's back, stabbing beneath its ribs.
The creature bucked violently, flinging him across the ground.
"Impact force: 2.1 tons. Class C armor integrity compromised: 12%." "Auto-absorption system
engaged."
He gritted his teeth, circled around, and drove his blade into its remaining eye.
The beast howled one last time before collapsing.
Bio-waves surged into his body.
"Analyzing Tier 2 sonic capability..."
"Permission granted to synthesize D-Class skill: Sonic Pulse (Targeted sonic burst – Range: 10
meters)."
"Gene Evolution System: Threshold met. Class D unlocked."
He stood still, clutching the energy core in one hand, feeling warmth spread through his chest.
Power of sound—once used against him—now his to wield.
He updated his log with a steady hand:
"Class D: Unlocked." "Skill acquired: Sonic Pulse – usable once per day."
Power gained not through government programs. Not from any formal system. But earned.
Through blood and instinct.
He said nothing. But something deep inside him knew:
He wasn't just surviving the trial ground.
He was creating his own power system from scratch.
No one... no government... no federation could contain it anymore.
Because what he used wasn't GEU.
It was a mutant bloodline that could evolve—uniquely his.
(End of Episode 10 – Into the Era of the Unmeasurable Hunter)