"Not only did they try to kill me, but now they want to dispose of my body?"
As the situation crystallized in his mind, a surge of heat rose in his chest.
Rage.
Rage against those who had attempted to erase his existence.
"Bastards!"
Siwoo clenched his fists tightly.
Every fiber of his being screamed for revenge. He wanted nothing more than to rush over and kill them both on the spot. And he could do it.
Unlike when he had first entered the Gate, he was now a D-rank all-rounder. He had mastered both D-rank combat techniques and magic. The two men digging his grave? They were no longer a match for him.
"Should I just kill them?"
For a moment, his rage threatened to consume him.
Siwoo ground his teeth, forcing himself to stay calm. Killing them inside the Gate? His mind raced through the potential consequences.
The moment the Gate closed, he would be summoned by the KHA for questioning, with prosecutors overseeing the investigation. The entry logs never lied. And unlike his mid-tier, budget-friendly Amformation, Jang Dongpil's high-end model undoubtedly had a built-in black box.
A black box—a device equipped with a camera and microphone that recorded everything around it.
"Yeah… I saw it earlier. That bastard was wearing the N-250 model. And that model has an exceptional black box."
Siwoo vividly remembered Jang Dongpil's Amformation. It was hard to miss. The TV commercials had been relentless. Even the cheapest version of that model cost around 900 million won. The one on Jang Dongpil's wrist?
"At least 1.2 billion won, if not more."
Rich kid privilege. The guy had equipment way beyond his abilities.
"Cocky bastard. So concerned about his own safety."
The N-250's black box could only be accessed by the registered mana engraver and the head of production at ARN Electronics, the manufacturer.
Destroy it? Impossible. The black box was built to withstand anything short of an S-rank Hunter's full power.
"There's a reason high-end gear is in demand."
Siwoo exhaled sharply, coming to a decision. The KHA and ARN would recover Jang Dongpil's Amformation, revealing everything. Killing them wasn't an option.
"Damn it."
His hands trembled with frustration. For the first time in his life, someone had tried to kill him. It was only natural that his thoughts had taken such a dark turn. But he wasn't a murderer. He just wanted to make them pay for what they did.
But how?
Siwoo clenched his jaw, refusing to let it go so easily.
"They dared lay a hand on me?"
His fingers hovered over his Amformation, scrolling through the newly available skills.
Hunters gained access to basic skills upon reaching a new rank—simple, foundational techniques recorded in the Amformation database.
But advanced skills? Those were different. They weren't provided. They had to be developed, researched, and refined by specialized Hunter researchers. And they didn't come cheap.
Hunter researchers made their fortune selling these skills as 'Skill Books'—high-priced digital chips that, once purchased and connected to an Amformation, granted new abilities. But they were strictly single-use, locked with anti-duplication technology.
Unfortunately, Siwoo had no advanced skills at his disposal.
"Damn it… so all I can do is beat them up?"
His blood boiled. And then—
"Hey! Jang Dongpil, isn't this deep enough? I think we've done enough."
"You idiot. Don't you know anything?"
"What do you mean?"
"A corpse has to be buried at least 184 centimeters deep. That way, there's no smell, and no one finds it."
"Damn! How do you even know that?"
"Saw it on an American crime show. Figured it might come in handy someday… never thought I'd actually use it, thanks to that bastard Siwoo."
"Shit. I see."
"Quit whining and dig. We're almost done."
Those bastards.
They were actually discussing how best to bury him.
"I'll kill them."
His anger erupted anew. If only he had a way to deliver proper vengeance.
And then—
Beep.
A notification sounded from his Amformation.
"What's this?"
Siwoo's eyes widened as he checked the screen.
[New skills available for acquisition.]
"Huh?"
He quickly navigated through the interface.
[D-rank Magic: 'Mind Control' and 'Mana Destruction' are now available. Would you like to acquire them?]
Siwoo froze.
Mind Control and Mana Destruction? He had never heard of such skills before.
Then it hit him.
"Could it be… the Fantauran blood?"
A chilling realization set in.
This phenomenon was unique to him.
"Incredible…"
He hadn't expected the Fantauran blood to grant him such overwhelming power. The possibilities were terrifying.
But ignoring these abilities would be a waste.
"Fine. Everything happens for a reason. Right now, my priority is revenge."
Determined, Siwoo strode toward the two men who still believed him to be dead.
Jang Dongpil was digging furiously, his arms aching but unwilling to stop.
"Almost there. Rot in hell, Siwoo, you son of a bitch."
Then—
"Hey. Are you done yet?"
A familiar voice echoed above them.
"No way…"
Jang Dongpil's head snapped up.
"Ahhh!"
His scream pierced the air.
"Holy shit!"
Seo Gwangseok threw his shovel and stumbled backward.
Jang Dongpil felt the blood drain from his face.
Siwoo. Alive.
His heart pounded. His breath came in short gasps.
"That idiot! Gwangseok didn't check properly!"
Rage overtook fear. Jang Dongpil tightened his grip on his shovel.
"This bastard hasn't had enough."
His first instinct was violence.
"Gwangseok! Get up! There's two of us and only one of him!"
They scrambled to their feet, ready to pounce.
But—
"Pathetic. Bind!"
Siwoo extended his hand.
Jang Dongpil sneered.
"Bind? That's a D-rank psychic skill. You're an E-rank, you fraud!"
Then—
His body locked in place.
"Wh-what the hell?!"
He struggled, but his limbs refused to move.
Seo Gwangseok shrieked, panic setting in.
Jang Dongpil turned terrified eyes on Siwoo.
"H-how?!"
Siwoo's lips curled into a chilling smirk.
"Let's just say… I picked up a few new tricks."
Jang Dongpil's screams filled the air.
Fear enveloped them.
Siwoo stared down coldly.
"You tried to erase me. Now, I'll erase you."
As his newly learned Mana Destruction activated, blue light engulfed their bodies.
Their Hunter careers were over.
And Siwoo felt no remorse.