HVG Ch 2

Episode 2

Clank—

【 “Relief supplies” and “food” have been delivered. ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ If you don’t hurry, they might disappear soon? 】

As a bright blue window filled his vision, Haewon snapped out of his thoughts. At the same time, people who had been hiding in the bushes near the Tree of Good and Evil (Seonakmok) suddenly burst out and rushed toward the tree.

“F*ck, get out of the way!”

“That! Don’t touch that!”

“Damn it! You guys are taking way too much!”

Around the massive tree roots, over a thousand different items were scattered—food first, followed by medical supplies, clothing, and shoes. Sometimes, there were even cooking utensils or industrial materials.

Only enough food for 30,000 people was delivered to this place, and even that happened just twice a week. It was nowhere near enough to feed the 50,000 people on the island.

Securing proper food meant going through brutal competition, and after three months, the stronger Awakened had ended up monopolizing most of the supplies.

“Well, I guess it’s time to get going.”

Rolling his shoulders, Haewon stood up from the bushes. The people who had been lurking nearby, waiting for an opening, turned pale the moment they saw him and quickly backed away.

“I told you Seo Haewon would show up! I said we should go somewhere else, but did you listen? No!”

“Shut up, you bastard! What do you expect me to do now that he’s already here?!”

Jeez. Don’t worry, I’m not even interested in you lot.

Watching as the men, still gripping each other by the collar, moved farther away, Haewon glanced up.  

【 <Battle Start> Activating – Combat Continuation Rate: 60% / Warning: If it reaches 0%, you will enter a comatose state. 】  

Sixty percent—decent enough. That was more than enough to dive into the fight, secure a generous amount of food, and make it back to the guild.

He grabbed his rifle and slid down the slope without hesitation. Near the Tree of Good and Evil, people were still engaged in brutal battles over food, medicine, and daily necessities.

The Tree of Good and Evil (Seonakmok).

It was a massive tree that stood alone, supporting the entire Seonak Island. The island itself was a vast landmass floating above the ocean, surrounded by a dense barrier of shabby fortress walls, as if they were forming a perimeter.

The island’s terrain was generally convex, so no matter where one stood, the treetop of the Tree of Good and Evil, located at the center, was clearly visible.

The distance between the Tree of Good and Evil and the fortress was approximately three kilometers—neither too close nor too far.

In other words, this place was isolated—a strange and surreal island adrift on the boundless sea.

Three months ago, the world underwent a cataclysmic upheaval, and mysterious structures called “gates” began to appear. Many people awakened supernatural abilities, leading society to call them “Awakened.” But in reality, no one had actually seen them firsthand.

Because the moment they awakened, they disappeared.

And the place where all the Awakened had gathered—was here, Seonak Island.

Countless people, snatched away without explanation, trembled in fear as they found themselves here. Haewon had been no exception.

And then, “it” appeared.

Right at the moment when confusion completely clouded everyone’s faces.

It happened suddenly—too abruptly, in a way that was beyond comprehension.

【 #&%&$? Hello? Привет. Xin chào? Annyeong? Annyeonghaseyo? Ah, I don’t really know the language here, so… understanding? Is that right? Please? 】

People stared blankly at the sky. Above them, a massive, semi-transparent blue window hovered, so large that its size was impossible to estimate.

【 I am Seonak! Am I a messenger? There’s a word for it—administrator. Me? Yes, I’m an administrator! ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶ 】

“It” introduced itself in a childlike, awkward manner.

【 The number of people here is… 50,000? Ah, yes, 50,000. I wanted to bring more, but there was no helping it. This place is already too cramped? Yep, too cramped! If you want to survive, a lot of people need to be eliminated! 】

【 Is “Hunter” popular on Earth? People like Hunters. They like rogue nobles, players. Villains? Abilities? They love them! Yes! Then, everyone should become Hunters! Become villains! Awaken! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ Because this is a “game”. 】

And then, it urged them to survive.

【 From now on, I will give you missions! Earthlings are great at group survival! But here, only 10,000 can make it out alive? Once that happens, the “tutorial” ends. Yes, let’s see who can last until 10,000 remain. Oh, and it’s okay to kill each other. Because we’re villains. (◕‿◕) 】

The ground rumbled beneath their feet, and the sandstorm that had engulfed the surroundings began to settle. At the far end of the dusty wasteland, faint outlines of buildings started to emerge. A mirage-like sprawl of crumbling ruins stretched endlessly across the horizon.

【 See that fortress over there? This place—was it created by your desires? Your wishes? Yes! Let’s all band together and do our best! Ah, is there no food? Don’t worry! Supplies and food will be delivered regularly. By who? By me! ٩(◕‿◕)۶ 】

“It” claimed to have raised a continent in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and “this place” was the result. It even gave it a name—Seonak Island.

【 This is “Seonak Island.” But until the “game” ends, no one can leave. Why? Because I’ve released terrifying creatures into the ocean! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ You might get eaten? Why, you ask? Because this is the “tutorial”! 】

【 Everyone, please take a look over there. What do you see? Yes, a tree! That is the “Tree of Good and Evil (Seonakmok).” And where will supplies be delivered? Right under that tree! 】

No one knew where “it” had come from. Whether it had arrived from beyond Earth, or even if “it” was human at all—none of that was certain.

All people could do was move to survive.

One thing was certain, though. Unlike the “System” that had once cried out for Haewon to repent, this entity was something entirely different.

【 Well then, shall we begin?! Time to head for the fortress base! Oh? Looks like it already started in America? Let’s do our best too! 】

Amidst the hesitant crowd, people began rising one by one, gritting their teeth as they dashed forward. Their destination lay ahead—a vacant fortress, faintly visible through the swirling dust.

The “tutorial” had begun.

“At least they’re supplying goods… I suppose that’s something.”

Clicking his tongue, Haewon recalled the events from three months ago. Below the steep sandy slope stood a massive tree, its roots neatly lined with the delivered relief supplies and food. The tree was so enormous—larger than even twenty apartment buildings combined—that the supplies were always distributed around its base, in the exact same locations each time.

Because of this, people had divided the area into designated zones, and it became an unspoken rule that guilds could only take supplies from their own zones. This was to avoid unnecessary conflict as much as possible.

“Seo Haewon? Isn’t he from the opposite zone?!”

“What ‘your zone’ and ‘my zone’? That doesn’t exist.”

“Hurry! Grab everything, quickly! Seo Haewon’s coming—move it!”

The moment someone shouted, the crowd erupted into frantic motion. As Haewon slid down the slope, he swiftly spun his magic rifle onto his shoulder and pulled the trigger, aiming at the ground beneath the feet of those reaching for the food.

Bang! Bang—!

The blue-tinged bullets struck the dirt with dull thuds, sending those gathering supplies scrambling backward, cursing under their breath. Wasting no time, Haewon arrived at his destination, swung his backpack around, and hastily stuffed in whatever he could grab.

Lunchboxes, canned food, instant rice, chocolate bars—roughly fifty servings in total. After securing the food, he glanced around one last time, searching for medical supplies. Spotting a red cross peeking out from an unopened relief box, he immediately tore it open and grabbed a first-aid kit.

“Disinfectant, ointment, bandages… This should be enough.”

He secured a particularly important psychotropic drug inside his coat and quickly stood up. Lingering too long where supplies were dropped would only mean getting dragged into the inevitable brawl among lower-ranked Awakened. Nothing good would come from staying any longer.

Just as he slung his heavy backpack over one shoulder and prepared to ascend the slope—

A dark figure grabbed his ankle and yanked.

“!”

His foot slipped, and he crashed to his knees, scattering the pill bottles he had just stuffed into his pocket. Instinctively, Haewon twisted his body and swung his rifle like a club, but the attacker leaned back, dodging it, then quickly retreated and crouched low to the ground.

“You think you’re the only one who gets to take medicine? Damn, you’ve got no conscience. I need that medicine too. So be a little generous. Just hand over some of what you grabbed.” The man, scowling like a wild animal, glared up at Haewon with bloodshot eyes.  

Ah… I moved here thinking this area was clear… Should I find another spot?

“That’s a tranquilizer, isn’t it? Come on, be generous and hand some over. If you do, I’ll back off quietly.”

Fine cracks began forming on the back of the man’s hand.

Crack-crack-crack—

His splitting skin hardened like pure steel, and the next instant, he lunged forward at high speed, closing the distance in a flash. Most likely, the man’s ability was a reinforcement type or an augmentation type that enhanced his muscles.

Haewon gripped his rifle tightly and swung again. Clang! A series of sharp, stone-like impacts echoed as the two clashed, their bodies entangled as they rolled through the dust.

“Damn it, just hand over the meds! You think you’re the only one in a hurry?! I’m in a tight spot too!”

“I’ll decide if I’m giving them or not—after you let go, you bastard! And keep your damn hands out of my coat!”

Why… is his brute strength this insane—ugh.

Judging by his strength, his physical stats were either slightly lower than or on par with Haewon’s.

Overpowered, Haewon tumbled and struggled against the man’s grip. Eventually, he found himself pinned beneath him, taking a hard punch to the jaw.

“Cough! Ah, seriously—straight to punching, huh…”

“My little brother is in bad shape. He’s anxious… So just give me the damn medicine!”

Of all people, why did I have to run into a reinforcement-type…?

Haewon’s mind raced for a way out. The moment he felt a hand reaching into his inner pocket, he twisted his body with all his might.

“Wait, hey—?! You—! Fine, I’ll give it to you! Just get your damn hand off me first—!”

As he spoke urgently, Haewon reached sideways, his fingers grasping for his rifle.

But before he could act—

Thud!

The man pinning him down was suddenly flung sideways.

For a brief moment, Haewon caught a glimpse of a massive figure, delivering a powerful kick straight to the man’s shoulder.

Black hair swayed in the air. Through the strands, a pair of sharp, dark eyes met Haewon’s gaze.

The man smirked.

As he lowered the mask covering his nose, veins bulged across the back of his hand.

“So this is where you were, Hubae-nim^[1]?”