Into the Creations

Oh Jun-hyuk looked at me with a mix of envy and curiosity, bombarding me with various questions. I answered them sincerely at first but gradually grew bored.

Just then, the professor walked in, and the lecture began.

"Today, we'll be discussing B-rank dungeons."

I stared at the professor with a bored expression. The middle-aged professor continued the lecture calmly.

I glanced around. Less than half of the students were paying attention. Most were fiddling with their smartphones. After all, Hunters could drop out of university and still live comfortably.

If it weren't for the university's Hunter support policies, the Hunter Department would have been empty.

I rolled my eyes and glanced at a girl sitting a little distance away. She had her arms crossed and was watching the lecture with an arrogant gaze.

Silky black hair, snow-white skin, and slightly upturned eyes.

Han Ha-rin.

The prettiest girl in the department. No, her beauty could be considered the best in the entire university. She was also my first love. Of course, it was unrequited.

She was a year senior to me, class of '17. Currently a D-rank Hunter with the ability to manipulate gravity. She was also famous for being the younger sister of Han Ah-young, an A-rank Hunter.

'Even though she's wearing clothes that don't reveal much… I can tell. At least an E-cup.'

Her innocent face contrasted sharply with her voluptuous figure. She was exactly my type. Honestly, the first time I saw her, I felt a jolt like I'd been struck by lightning.

Back then, I was so captivated that I approached her and tried to strike up a conversation, but her response was colder than a winter storm. I later found out that one of her nicknames was "Ice Queen."

My first love ended that day. And what took its place was an ugly desire.

'I want to knock her down and fuck her senseless.'

I wanted to twist that arrogant face into one of pleasure. In my imagination, she was already my personal sex slave.

But reality was far from my fantasies. I was a failed Hunter aspirant, while she was a prodigy who had reached D-rank at a young age.

'Wait. I've awakened my ability now.'

My ability is unusual, but it's powerful. I believe it has limitless potential depending on how I use it.

A flame ignited in my chest. I had given up on her before. I told myself she was out of my league, like sour grapes I couldn't reach.

But if there's a possibility…

'If I become strong enough to stand on equal footing with Han Ha-rin…'

I think the source of Han Ha-rin's arrogance is her strength. If I become as strong as her, she won't be able to ignore me anymore.

Then, Han Ha-rin turned her head toward me. Our eyes met.

She immediately furrowed her brows and glared at me. Startled, I quickly looked away, pretending not to notice.

Just making eye contact made my heart race. Whether it was a good or bad feeling.

'…Fuck it. I'm going to have her.'

***

After the lecture ended, I brushed past Han Ha-rin and used my Erogenous Zone Detection skill. I couldn't resist the curiosity about where her sensitive spots were.

[Han Ha-rin's Erogenous Zones: Left nipple, Tongue, Armpits.]

'…Hah!'

She had three erogenous zones. I couldn't tell if she was a virgin, but I knew she had the potential to be a seductive woman.

'But what's the point of knowing her erogenous zones? I can't have her.'

I quickly became depressed.

Rape? This is reality. And Han Ha-rin is a D-rank Hunter. She's superior to me both physically and in terms of ability.

If I were to fight her, I'd lose in 10 seconds.

'…Should I try hacking her phone?'

Thinking it would be good to check if she had a boyfriend, I hacked Han Ha-rin's smartphone at an opportune moment.

[Hacking successful.]

[You can hack Han Ha-rin's smartphone for 10 minutes.]

I swiped through the smartphone screen only I could see, thoroughly examining her personal information.

Ten minutes was more than enough.

'Huh…?'

But there was nothing particularly special on Han Ha-rin's phone. The first thing I checked was her contacts, and she didn't even have many friends, let alone a boyfriend.

'Well, her personality is so terrible that she only gets along with 2-3 girls in the department.'

I felt relieved. Aside from those girls' contacts, there were no contacts that seemed like a boyfriend. The same went for her messaging apps.

'Her photos are just family pictures and ones with friends. Nothing special.'

I grew increasingly anxious. I wished there was some clue to help me approach her, but there wasn't much.

'…In times like these, internet history is key. Search history can tell you a lot.'

I looked for particularly repetitive searches. There were records of searches for restaurants and Hunter equipment, but the keyword I focused on was different.

- Han Ah-young

- A-rank Hunter

- Ability enhancement

- Gravity ability usage

- Mana awakening methods

- Ways to get stronger quickly@@novelbin@@

'…Is this an inferiority complex?'

It seemed Han Ha-rin had an inferiority complex toward her older sister, Han Ah-young. Or maybe it was too early to judge. I, too, had searched for things like "How to awaken Hunter abilities" multiple times a day not long ago.

'I'm not sure how to use this information yet… but it's important.'

I quietly repeated the information to myself so I wouldn't forget.

***

Combat Training Room.

Oh Jun-hyuk and I faced each other, swords in hand.

Around us were other Hunter Department students and professors, but no one paid us much attention. The training room was large, and we were only using a small part of it.

"Huh?"

Oh Jun-hyuk tilted his head.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just that not long ago, you could barely lift a sword. Did you get stronger?"

"I've gained some muscle."

"You little… I thought you were just messing around every day, but you've been training in secret. Are you going to start using mana next?"

"Nah, no way."

Mana.

It's a different kind of power from abilities. Some also call it "ki."

If abilities are innate powers, mana is acquired. Through talent and training, one can awaken mana and use superhuman strength.

Most high-ranking Hunters above C-rank knew how to use both abilities and mana. They said that once your ability reaches a certain level, you naturally learn it. Of course, to me, that sounded like nonsense.

In other words, to reach C-rank, you need to be able to use not just your ability but also mana.

With a few exceptions, awakening mana is a requirement for becoming a C-rank Hunter.

"Let's begin."

Oh Jun-hyuk swung his sword and charged at me. Before, just seeing his sword was intimidating, but now I could not only see it but also raise my own sword to defend.

It was probably due to my increased agility stat.

Clang!

"Oh?"

"I'm not the same as before."

I spoke confidently, but the situation was gradually turning against me. Oh Jun-hyuk, though only an F-rank, was a close-combat Hunter. His ability allowed him to harden parts of his body into steel. So, despite appearances, he had been consistently training his body.

Just because my stats had improved a bit didn't mean I could suddenly match Oh Jun-hyuk, who had already been active as a Hunter.

I was purely on the defensive, barely managing to block Oh Jun-hyuk's strikes. That was all I could do.

"Huff... Damn it. I lost!"

At my words, Oh Jun-hyuk chuckled. He didn't look tired at all. It reminded me once again of the physical prowess of Hunters.

"Hey, you lasted three minutes this time. Before, you couldn't even last one. You're improving. It's impressive. If you just awaken your ability, you'll easily beat someone like me."

I didn't tell him I had already awakened my ability. Even after awakening, my physical abilities hadn't improved dramatically. That was a bit disappointing.

"As if."

I sighed and walked over to the bench. In the distance, Han Ha-rin was training against a professor. If it weren't for the professor, she probably wouldn't have even come to the training room.

Han Ha-rin threw a black, spherical object at the professor.

"Gravity Sphere! Good! But Ha-rin, it's too slow. At this rate, it's easy to dodge."

"..."

The professor was indeed a professor. He was calmly handling Han Ha-rin, teaching her at the right moments. Han Ha-rin's arrogance didn't faze him, and he didn't seem to care much about her attitude.

'It's because Han Ah-young is behind her. The professor can't say anything.'

There are fewer than 10,000 A-rank Hunters in South Korea. Among them, Han Ah-young is one of the top in terms of strength and is part of one of the top 10 guilds in the country. She has celebrity-level recognition. A single word from Han Ah-young could bury the professor in the Hunter world. She's not a candidate for the next S-rank for nothing.

"Hey, are you staring at Han Ha-rin again? I thought you gave up."

Oh Jun-hyuk handed me a bottle of water as he spoke. I gulped it down and replied.

"...I've been thinking it might be too early to give up."

"Too early, my ass. She's in a completely different world from us. It's not just a tree we can't climb; she's on a whole different level."

"Then I'll just have to reach that level."

"You're crazy."

Oh Jun-hyuk laughed and then added.

"Chicken and beer tonight?"

"…No. I think I'll be busy for a while."

My eyes didn't leave Han Ha-rin.

***

When I got home, I immediately opened my smartphone and launched the Play Life app.

'If I gain superpowers in the play world, can I use them in reality?'

That question remained unanswered.

But one thing was certain.

'I was able to bring Kotomori Rea's panties. That means I can bring other items from the entertainment world too.'

If I could bring an overwhelmingly powerful weapon from a fictional world into reality…

'Even if it's just relying on items, I can get stronger quickly.'

For the first time, I searched the entertainment list not for my desires but to become stronger.

The first world that caught my eye was "Throne of the Absolute." This novel, which has been adapted into a drama and a game, has magic and special items with unique powers. However, it's also filled with monsters, making it a dangerously hostile world.

'I'm worried if I can survive there with my abilities.'

The second was "Star Oz." A space-themed sci-fi movie where aliens and humans engage in fierce battles. It was a movie I enjoyed quite a bit.

'I could fully utilize my hacking skills there… but it's too dangerous.'

In "Star Oz," human lives are treated like ants. It's even more dangerous than "Throne of the Absolute."

And what I wanted wasn't just a powerful weapon. If possible, I wanted an item that could grant me a permanent ability.

'Vampire Detective… This might be the one.'

The Korean drama "Vampire Detective" is about a detective who becomes a vampire. In the latter part of the drama, an item called the "Orb of Life" appears. If a vampire consumes it, they become human, and if a human consumes it, they stop ageing and gain superhuman physical abilities.

'Since it's set in modern-day Seoul, I can use my hacking skills, and the vampires in the drama aren't overwhelmingly powerful monsters.'

I'm familiar with the plot of "Vampire Detective," which ended relatively recently. In the play world, it's like knowing the future. If I move carefully, I should be able to obtain the Orb of Life without much difficulty.

'My goal is to get the Orb of Life and return to reality immediately. Sleeping with the actresses from the drama is just a bonus.'

It really was just a bonus.

[Vampire Detective has been selected.]

[Avatar is being generated.]

[No customizable avatar settings available.]

[Kang Eugene]

-22-year-old genius hacker.

-Known as "Taker" in the dark web.

There was only one setting available.

'…Is this the only option?'

It wasn't a bad setting. It was a decent fit for blending into the original story.

'Sleeping with women is just a bonus.'

I told myself. But honestly, I wasn't very confident in that resolve.

[Starting the game.]

***

"...."

I opened my eyes in a dimly lit room, sitting on a chair. In front of me were three monitors emitting light, and next to them, a large computer hummed as it operated.

I looked around the room. Beer cans and instant noodle cups were scattered everywhere, and behind me was an unmade bed.

'This is the room of a shut-in.'

I first hacked the computer in front of me.

I needed to learn more about the avatar I possessed, "Kang Eugene," and the computer in front of me was a treasure trove of personal information.

[Hacking successful.]

[You can hack Kang Eugene's computer for 3 minutes.]

"…Oh?"

While browsing through the high-security files, I found something that caught my interest.

Client list.

A familiar name was written there.

Moon Ji-hyuk.

The protagonist of the drama "Vampire Detective."