Thanks to Soo Hyeok and the efforts of Oh Shinwoo, the chaos at the Yonsei University main gate bus stop portal incident was swiftly resolved.
Kim Yumin, the person responsible for the incident, was handed a disciplinary measure based on surrounding testimonies stating she was negligent and lacked the proper mindset expected of an awakened. She received a three-month license suspension, followed by two months of re-education, and six months of front-line duty.
Standing before Oh Shinwoo, the vice president of the Awakened Association and a man of immense power, Kim Yumin was completely silent—speechless.
She could only cry, her face exhausted and defeated.
Of course, no one saw her tears as tears of repentance.
A brief, secret conversation then took place between Kim Ingyu and Oh Shinwoo.
Though the exact contents were unknown, Kim Ingyu looked shocked, while Oh Shinwoo lowered his sunglasses and winked. Officially, Kim Ingyu was hit with a fine of 10 million won, but the atmosphere wasn't tense. The smile tugging at Kim Ingyu's lips as he walked away was proof of that.
As promised, Soo Hyeok was rewarded.
His Hunter grade was raised by two levels in one shot.
He was now officially Grade 8, and received a cash bonus of 20 million won.
Oh Shinwoo apologized, saying the association's budget was tight and that this was all they could do. But for Soo Hyeok, it was more than enough—he was grateful just to have escaped a difficult situation so easily.
He also made one additional request to Oh Shinwoo.
He asked not to have his name publicized in connection with the incident.
His family must not find out—not yet. Considering the scale of the event, it was likely to make the news.
Oh Shinwoo looked puzzled, but said it wouldn't be hard and agreed with a bright smile.
Moreover, the money Soo Hyeok earned didn't just come from the reward.
"You were too busy rescuing people, so I figured you couldn't collect them yourself…"
Two Atel mana stones.
They were collected and handed over to him by two people, including Han Taemin.
It was a completely unexpected gain for Soo Hyeok.
"We didn't have the resources to gather the byproducts ourselves either. We're sorry."
"No, thank you. This alone means so much to me."
There was no reason for Han Taemin to feel guilty.
As said—this was something Soo Hyeok hadn't even considered.
Oh Shinwoo immediately bought the Atel mana stones on the spot.
The price? A whopping 80 million won each.
By closing a Grade-5 portal solo, and with the bonus reward, his total gain was 180 million won.
After taxes, that left him with around 160 million—still a massive amount for Soo Hyeok, all in one go.
"Add that to what's already in my account, and I've got 200 million."
He had been a hunter—no, an awakened running through another world beyond the portal—for just one day, and had already earned a fortune.
"Just another 300 million and a small loan, and I could afford a decent 30-pyeong apartment."
A 30-pyeong branded apartment in Seoul.
They may seem common if you just glance around the city, but few people truly own one.
From a young age, it had always been his family's dream to have a home like that.
And now—it was within reach.
Feeling that what had once been just a dream was now drawing near, Soo Hyeok clenched his fist tightly.
He felt a surge of energy well up from deep inside.
Of course, there was still a wall he had to overcome.
He'd have to tell his family that he had awakened.
He couldn't explain the sudden influx of money otherwise.
But his parents weren't the type to accept that easily.
"Just like I planned… I'll start talking to Sooah and lay the groundwork."
He already had a strategy in mind.
It wouldn't be easy—but it was definitely possible.
"And I'm already Grade 8."
He had achieved something no Grade 6 hunter should be able to.
Even Oh Shinwoo had acknowledged that and given him high marks.
In truth, Soo Hyeok's power far exceeded that of a Grade 6.
Thanks to that, he was getting close to reaching his goal of upgrading his silver badge to gold—a distinction given only to the top 1% of awakened individuals in Korea.
And he had achieved all of this before even reaching level 20.
Soo Hyeok opened his ability status window.
***
[Force Status]Name: Yang Soo HyeokAge: 27Gender: MaleLevel: 18Class: Martial ArtistTitle: Low-rank DestroyerDisposition: Chaotic NeutralKarma: Excessive
Stats
Strength: 38Agility: 41Endurance: 43Wisdom: 40Willpower: 46
Notes:
Karma value is very high relative to age and race.Body purification is at 90%. Using ki-based skills greatly enhances effectiveness.Both Ren and Du meridians are open. Ki regeneration and efficiency are doubled relative to baseline.Unified Body: Ki is divided into lower, middle, and upper dantians. The more concentrated the energy used, the greater the power. (Middle: +70%, Upper: +150%)Sword Unity Achieved: When using a sword, ki conductivity +50%, cutting force +30%
***
His level was only 18.
But his stats were well above average.
These unique traits made Soo Hyeok far stronger than his level would suggest.
"Alright. Let's keep pushing forward."
The more money he earned, the more things he could do.
Beyond just buying a home for his family, he could gear up, invest in powerful Earth-based supplements, and accelerate his growth.
There was still a lot of ground to cover.
"But man… this status window is getting ridiculously long."
Just as he was pondering over the increasingly lengthy status screen…
Ding—!
"Condensed interface mode now available. Would you like to enable simplified view? Full details can still be accessed. Confirm? (Y/N)"
Without hesitation, Soo Hyeok answered:
"Yes! I mean—Yes!"
A message indicating the system was updating passed by, and the status window in front of Soo Hyeok transformed.
***
[Force Status]Name: Yang Soo HyeokLevel: 18
Job: Martial Artist
Title: Low-rank Destroyer
Strength: 38, Agility: 41, Endurance: 43, Wisdom: 40, Willpower: 46
Additional Traits:
You have achieved Sword-Body Unity.Your body purification is approaching 90%.
The results were more than satisfactory.
The interface, which had previously looked unnecessarily complicated, was now much more streamlined.
Only the information Soo Hyeok truly needed was visible now.
What caught his eye was the newly acquired title section.
"Low-rank Destroyer?"
It had appeared when he defeated the giant Atel and closed a Grade-5 portal.
"What does it do?"
As soon as the question formed, the title expanded and showed additional information:
***
[Low-rank Destroyer]
When entering another dimension alone, all stats increase by 5%.
***
"Ohhh."
Soo Hyeok couldn't help but let out a small exclamation.
It was as if the title had been made just for him.
His first title—and it already felt incredibly useful.
"And this is just a low-rank one?"
A 5% stat increase becomes more valuable the higher your stats are.
And yet this was only a low-tier title.
He didn't need anyone to explain how powerful higher-tier titles would be.
Even without considering the cash rewards, this was a huge gain in itself.
But that wasn't all.
By conquering a Grade-5 portal solo, Soo Hyeok had gained tremendous benefits in the skills department too.
When he checked, the skill window opened instantly.
***
[Force Skill Interface]
Active Skills
NEW SS-Rank - Taeguk Eight Divine Steps (3 Stars)
Follow the profound flow of Yin and Yang, walking the Eight Immortals' path of will.
A supreme martial art of divine classification.NEW S-Rank - Heaven-Earth Unity Art (2 Stars)
A divine martial art that links earth and sky into one.
Capable of evolving further.NEW S-Rank - Soul-Reaving Demon Sword (5 Stars)
A demonic art that grants overwhelming power in exchange for the user's mental control.A-Rank - Earth-Origin True Skill (8 Stars)
A superb foundational art based on the spiritual energy of the earth.A-Rank - Crushing Iron Fist and Palm (7 Stars)
A refined martial art harmonizing strength and technique.A-Rank - Wind-Reversing Kick (7 Stars)
A devastating kick that can even repel the wind itself.A-Rank - Mad Ghost Staff Dance (2 Stars)
Wield the staff like a mad spirit. If seen, fleeing is recommended.
***
Inactive Skills
C-Rank - Mental Corruption Resistance
Grants enhanced resistance against mental and psychic attacks.
***
Special Passive Skill
Muscle Bone Reinforcement
When using physical-type abilities, gain an additional 20% performance boost.
***
What really caught his eye among the inactive skills was:
"C-Rank Mental Corruption Resistance…"
It wasn't just helpful for using demonic arts—it could also help resist spell-based techniques.
If that was true, then it had infinite value.
Back on the Huan Continent, the most troublesome enemies weren't necessarily the ones with overwhelming power.
It was those who used illusions, spell arts, or formation techniques to confuse the mind.
Such abilities were the most difficult to deal with.
Of course, back then, Soo Hyeok had already developed some resistance, so he could manage.
But on Earth, mental immunity was typically only achieved after reaching the Harmony Realm.
Yet here he was, gaining such a powerful defense effortlessly through a skill.
"And once I reach the Harmony Realm and boost my mental defenses even further…"
He would become completely immune to illusion-based attacks.
In battles against spellcasters, this would give him an insurmountable edge.
On top of that, his mastery of the martial arts he had trained in was also increasing rapidly.
Especially the A-rank techniques he had begun practicing early after arriving on Earth—they had all shown notable growth.
"Well, I have been using them a lot."
Now it was time to take the next step forward.
Soo Hyeok already knew many top-tier S-rank martial arts like the Soul-Reaving Demon Sword.
Until now, he had held back to maintain balance between body and inner energy, but now? He was ready to start serious training.
"This skill window is a bit messy too… Can I simplify it?"
Ping—!
Simplifying skill interface.
The notification responded immediately.
Soo Hyeok closed the skill window with satisfaction.
He had already seen how well the simplified interface worked in the status window—there was no need to double-check.
"Still, seeing your growth laid out like this always feels good."
That's why he'd end up opening it again.
In any case, Soo Hyeok now possessed strength beyond his level.
From the perspective of other Awakened, it would be an unbelievable phenomenon.
And that meant he needed to use this advantage as much as possible.
"Level up while mastering martial arts."
It was, once again, the most efficient way to grow.
"At this rate… I might actually become a Martial God someday. The leveling Martial God… heh."
Chuckling to himself, Soo Hyeok opened the front door to his home.
He had arrived earlier than expected.
Inside, his younger sister had already come home.
"Sua, when did you get back?"
Soo Hyeok asked as he stepped in, noticing her shoes by the entrance.
From his perspective, now was the perfect chance—with only her around, it was time to reveal the truth.
"Sooah?"
When Soo Hyeok entered the living room, he saw his sister staring at the TV, mesmerized by the news.
"Oppa, look at that. I was in Sinchon today, and…"
On the news, they were reporting the portal incident at the university bus stop—the very one Soo Hyeok had been involved in.
Soo Hyeok flinched instinctively.