Jung Se-ah’s signature technique.
A method that strengthens the nervous system, transforming not only the musculoskeletal system but the entire body into a combat-ready form.
Jung Se-ah, who created this technique, kept her evaluation short and simple
‘It’s a special technique, but not an exceptional one.’
The broad concept of this technique was based on enhancements other Hunters used.
It expands the definition of using mana to enhance the body.
So, if someone were to ask if this technique was usable by all Hunters, she would have to shake her head.
Even though it’s not particularly special, those who didn’t have the right physique wouldn’t survive attempting it, let alone succeed.
It was perfect for the technique of reflection.
By enhancing the nervous system and the brain, the electrical signals in the body became extremely burdensome.
What would normally be a simple task became a heavy strain on the brain.
The ideal physique and mana sensitivity throughout the entire body were two necessary conditions to even begin using the technique of strengthening the nervous system that Jung Se-ah created.
If someone was born without either of these traits and tried to attempt the technique, ‘They would die on the spot, bleeding from every orifice, or fail in the attempt itself.’
That was why Jung Se-ah had never shared this technique with anyone.
She judged that it was not something meant to be taught to others.
Only she fulfilled these stringent conditions, and even if there was someone else who might meet them, without attempting the technique, there would be no way to confirm the durability of their nerves.
‘If I were to pass it down at the very end, it would take decades just to find a suitable successor.’
Now, right in front of her eyes, a potential successor had appeared.
Not only that, but he was a genius who could mimic the technique just by seeing it, without even having the proper training.
“How’s your condition?”
“It’s a little creaky, but… I think I can still move.”
“That’s better than most.”
When Jung Se-ah first tried the technique of nervous system enhancement, she had been bedridden for three days.
But Si-woo had managed his first experience with only a little discomfort in his body.
If he had properly learned the technique and progressed step by step, it would have been no surprise if he completed the enhancement without any side effects.
‘Could it be because he’s a man?’
For a brief moment, she wondered, but quickly dismissed the thought.
While women were naturally superior in terms of strength and skeletal structure, there was no evidence to suggest men were superior when it came to reflexes and the nervous system.
This man wasn’t special because he was male—he was special simply because he was in front of her.
“Then let’s take that woman to the police. I don’t mind taking her myself, but it’s best to have a witness and a victim, right?”
“…Understood.”
Today’s training was off the table.
‘I wonder when I’ll finally be able to enroll in the Academy.’
With a sigh, Si-woo pushed himself off the ground.
At the same time, a dizzying sensation, far worse than before, hit him like a tsunami.
The unexpected shock caused his legs to give out.
Stumble.
“Ugh…!!”
“Oops.”
Just as Si-woo was losing his balance and heading toward the floor, Jung Se-ah grabbed his arm to steady him.
Even with his body’s high durability, the shock he received was far more intense than usual.
No matter how strong his body was, his mind could hardly bear the strain.
‘I should at least be thankful that I didn’t completely lose my balance.’
“I’m fine…”
“Ugh!!”
Thud!!
Si-woo jerked his arm free from Jung Se-ah’s grip, quickly pulling away.
His pupils constricted, and he began showing signs of hyperventilation, looking like someone who was about to have a seizure.
His reluctance to come into contact with a woman, far stronger than expected, left Jung Se-ah momentarily confused.
“Si-woo, hey…”
Seeing the woman calling his name even as he was about to faint, Jung Se-ah finally understood.
If he had been tormented by women like that, it was no wonder he developed a hatred toward them.
In fact, she now realized it was a miracle that he had been able to speak normally with her until just earlier.
With that understanding, she stepped back a little.
As before, she raised both hands and waited silently without saying anything.
“… Phew, sorry. I just need a little time to calm down.”
“It’s okay. I made some mistakes too.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
Si-woo nodded, lowering his head in thanks, and took a pill from his pocket.
“…A pill?”
“Yeah, when my mind is clear, it’s hard to talk to a woman, so I asked for a prescription for sleeping pills. My body has built a resistance to drugs, so even if I take sleeping pills, it only makes me slightly drowsy.”
Of course, the pill was nothing like the ordinary sleeping pills one would take.
It was a drug compressed to be effective on animals weighing hundreds of kilograms, something that could easily kill even an experienced Hunter.
“Why did you take that out suddenly?”
“Without this, I can’t even have a rational conversation.”
Today, he hadn’t taken the pill.
He had planned to stay isolated in the mountains, training without meeting anyone.
Even if he did meet a woman, he would either run away or fight—he thought thatwould be enough to handle things.
He had originally tried not to take the pill during sword training, knowing he couldn’t afford to be drowsy while training.
“If you walk down a crowded street in this state, you’ll probably faint from hyperventilating.”
Her confident tone was the result of experience.
He put the pill in his mouth and swallowed it.
Water would have been nice, but unfortunately, the water bottle had shattered into pieces during the chaotic process of handling the woman lying on the ground, so he had no choice but to swallow it dry.
Swallow!
The moment the pill hit his mouth, the light in Si-woo’s eyes began to fade.
His sense of reason melted away as his sensory perception began to dissolve.
He couldn’t even tell if he was standing or lying down.
So, he pulled out a thread of mana.
This was a method frequently used by Hunters in situations where their limbs were bent, and they had to continue fighting.
Using the thread of mana, he manipulated his body like a puppet.
The fading senses wiped away the feeling below his head, but he maintained the movements of his lungs and heart with mana, ensuring they stayed functional.
The mana thread wrapped around his numb skin, and he experimented by moving his fingers and making different facial expressions.
His body moved normally, as if nothing had changed.
With the thread of mana, he recreated his most familiar expression—a bright smile—before turning toward Jung Se-ah.
“Ready.”
Jung Se-ah’s expression twisted into something unsettling.
The smile created with mana looked genuinely joyful.
The smile, as if it were made by someone truly happy, was natural and didn’t feel fake at all.
‘That’s the problem.’
A moment ago, his pupils had been shaking as though he were having a seizure.
Now, they had calmed down like a serene lake.
The feeling of fear was gone.
The source of the panic, the defensive mechanism that had been protecting him, had vanished, replaced with an overwhelming sense of detachment.
It wasn’t just resistance toward women—it was an absence of everything.
The void wasn’t silent; it was an empty space.
He had forcefully shattered the cylinder that contained both his emotions and reason.
His instincts couldn’t react to anything anymore, and he couldn’t feel fear.
The broken cylinder left cracks that could never fully heal, no matter how much effort was put into mending it.
Eventually, the numb emotions would stop responding to any stimulus.
A person who no longer felt fear would eventually choose the one thing they shouldn’t—the choice of suicide, a quick and simple decision.
People who suffer from depression and PTSD often struggle with countless internal conflicts before choosing suicide as an option due to the fear of death.
However, for someone who lacks fear, suicide becomes just another choice. The thought that there is nothing beyond life even becomes a benefit.
They would become numb to the primal fears of isolation from others, death as a living being, and a future tainted by darkness.
“Huff.”
She sighed in frustration.
She hadn’t expected it to be this bad.
How much had he suffered from women for him to destroy himself without hesitation?
Jung Se-ah placed the woman, who had been lying on the floor, on her shoulder.
“Wait here.”
“Yes, understood.”
The way she smiled brightly in response to the woman’s words, forgetting even her purpose, made it hard to breathe.
Nodding in response, Jung Se-ah kicked off the ground.
If the effects of the drug were considered, it was likely that he was now dreaming in a dazed state.
‘… I’ll make this dream as comfortable as possible.’
This was nothing more than her selfishness.
This wouldn’t make Si-woo better.
If she had made him take the pill because of the goal to bring the woman to the police, it would have been right to take her directly to the police.
But Jung Se-ah said to let him rest, even if just for this moment.
It was her selfishness, but she didn’t think she was wrong.
“Still, in his condition, who knows where he might go?”
Thinking that she needed to get this woman to the Association as quickly as possible, Jung Se-ah accelerated again, thinking of him, wandering between reality and dreams.