STC chapter 2

Transmigration? Although it was confusing, simply put, there was no one in this area who could follow me.

‘So many strange things happen when you die.’

There was something my sister always told me. She said my only merit and one of my many flaws was my indifferent nature and lack of deep thinking.

I had died saving Nero in my previous life, hit by a car. Given this bonus-like life, it was better to enjoy the present.

There was another curious thing. My name in the previous life and the name of this body were the same.

Though it was strange, I soon forgot about it as I gnawed on the chicken leg that Taekgyun handed me, saying, ‘You seem weak, eat this.’

“Oh, were you that hungry? Come to think of it, you haven’t been answering your phone since last night. Did you just sleep without eating?”

Yeonji asked, pampering me, but my mind was filled with thoughts about this possession.

‘So, did I get transmigrated into a fantasy novel?’

This was a guild cafeteria, and Yeonji referred to me as part of the support team. Which meant I was also a legitimate hunter.

“Kang Baram, are you really okay? Why are you like this? Do you want to go to the infirmary?”

As I remained silent, lost in thought, Yeonji asked me with a worried look. I stood up, holding my empty tray.

“I’ll get going first.”

“Are you sure you don’t need to go to the infirmary?”

“Yeah, don’t worry.”

I nodded quickly and pushed the empty tray into the slot. Since this wasn’t the real world I used to live in, there were many things I needed to find out.

Thus, I didn’t pay much attention to Taekgyun and Yeonji murmuring, ‘He really seems strange today…’ as I walked away.

What should I check first to understand this world?

‘It has to be the internet.’

There seemed to be a laptop in my room when I glanced around while changing clothes. I planned to look through not only the internet but also the library and newspapers.

Then it happened. My wristwatch beeped and flashed. I only noticed it because it was there from the beginning.

[If you’re sick, you must go to the infirmary, okay? It doesn’t seem like there will be any gate calls today, so just rest in your room. Got it?]

The sender was Yeonji. She had scolded me like a big sister since morning, but she was still a friend.

Though I felt a bit guilty since I wasn’t the ‘real’ Kang Baram, I tapped on the transparent pad on my watch to reply.

[Okay, I’ll rest. Enjoy your meal.]

Just as I hit the send button, I bumped into someone in the hallway.

If it were my real body, which specialized in boxing, I wouldn’t have budged, but sadly, my current body was weak. I was pushed back as if hit by a truck. I almost fell but managed to regain my balance.

Looking up, I saw a huge guy glaring down at me with a disgusted look. His expression was menacing.

Since it was my fault for not looking ahead while sending the message, I quickly apologized.

“Hey, sorry, I didn’t see you. Are you okay?”

Then I patted his shoulder. Considering his large build, my bump shouldn’t have caused any damage.

Now that I think about it, it stung my pride a bit. I used to have a physique that didn’t lose out anywhere.

Since this was a guild dormitory, there must be a gym. I thought about finding it to learn more about this world and train my body.

But the guy’s reaction was strange. He sighed as if in disbelief, then sneered and spat at me.

“…What?”

Dumbfounded, I blinked slowly. Sticky saliva mixed with bubbles dripped down my chest.

I couldn’t believe it. Someone spit on me? In my previous life, I often got into trouble because of my large build, but no one had ever done something like this to me.

Caught in such an unimaginable situation, I was at a loss for words.

What is this…?

Am I being bullied in this world?

I was so flustered that I couldn’t react properly, like a broken robot. The guy tilted his head back and started mocking me.

“Hey, sorry, sorry? What the hell, are you talking down to me?”

A thought crossed my mind immediately.

Oh, is he older than me? I thought he just looked older, but I guess he really is my senior.

In that case, I was wrong. Having attended a military academy, I was very familiar with a strict hierarchical system.

‘So there are a lot of old-fashioned people in this world too, huh?’

But isn’t spitting too much?

As I grumbled to myself and was about to apologize again, the old-fashioned guy spoke again.

“An D-Rank trash like you.”

His voice was full of mockery, disdain, and contempt. I quickly assessed the situation.

Oh, so it’s not because I’m young, but because I’m an D-rank that he’s looking down on me?

And he really does just look older?

I still didn’t know what my hunter abilities were, but from the atmosphere, it seemed like this guy was of a higher rank than me.

In my previous life, there were always a few people like this around. They often bullied those who were smaller or weaker.

Since I couldn’t stand by and watch unjust situations, I always stepped up and taught those guys a lesson.

‘I can’t just let this go.’

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. At the very least, I planned to spit back in his dirty face.

Just as I was clenching my fist, someone placed a hand on the guy’s shoulder. Both the guy and I turned our gazes toward the source.

“Is there a problem? It’s getting quite noisy.”

The newly appeared man had a bright and fresh appearance, almost like he was glowing.

Though it’s a cliché, he looked exactly like what you’d imagine if an angel fell from the sky.

His light blonde hair, almost white, fluttered gently, and his deep olive eyes were as kind as his voice.

His skin, so white it seemed it had never seen sunlight, was smooth and flawless.

I was dumbfounded by the man’s appearance, staring with my mouth open. It was like seeing a celebrity up close.

Wow, how can someone be so beautiful?

But it seemed his fame was just as remarkable as his looks.

The guy who had been bullying me earlier was now filled with embarrassment.

“Vi-vice Guild Leader…”

Vice Guild Leader? No wonder he was impressive.

While I was momentarily entranced by the new hunter’s appearance, a tall guy who had been hesitating behind the Vice Guild Leader quickly approached me.

“Hyung, are you okay? Here… use this.”

“Huh…? Oh, thank you.”

A young-looking guy handed me a handkerchief embroidered with yellow flowers.

Despite his gentle face, he had a bear-like build. Having been in athletics and seen many tall people, this guy was one of the tallest.

‘Seems like I have more friends than I thought?’

The strange thing was, unlike with Heo Taekgyun and Jeong Yeonji, I couldn’t immediately recall information about these two hunters. It seemed we weren’t that close.

Anyway, it was nice of them to help me. The guy who had spit on me watched the Vice Guild Leader nervously before apologizing to me.

“Sorry, Hunter Kang.”

He now looked like a mouse in front of a tiger.

‘You treated me like crap earlier, though. Such a bully.’

I was still boiling with anger, but it was originally my carelessness. Moreover, with someone mediating now, it seemed wise to let it go.

“Yeah. I’m sorry for bumping into you too.”

When I responded naturally in informal speech, the guy’s face turned red and blue. If it weren’t for the Vice Guild Leader, he probably would’ve slammed me multiple times.

As he hurriedly disappeared, only the Vice Guild Leader, the tall hunter, and I were left in the hallway.

Or rather, there were many hunters around, glancing at us from a distance. It seemed both of them were quite well-known.

After wiping off the spit with the white handkerchief, I spoke to the tall hunter.

“I’ll wash it and give it back to you. What’s your name?”

In response to my question, the tall hunter with a gloomy impression blinked his eyes like a cow.

“You… you’re joking, right? It’s me, hyung.”

Feeling quite wronged, the tall hunter’s eyebrows knitted together. Then I realized my mistake.

‘Oops.’

Right, I might not know much about this world, but… the ‘Kang Baram’ here surely knew this hunter. After all, he had called me ‘hyung’ from the start.