Chapter 12: Preparation (4)
Kim Ki-Rok glanced in the direction the siren was coming from, then returned to the park bench with a canned drink he had purchased from a vending machine.
"Here you go."
"Th-thank you."
Lee Ji-Yeon, startled, awkwardly accepted the canned drink, but Kim Ki-Rok didn't say anything. He understood that the situation was confusing. Although she hadn't seen it firsthand, Lee Ji-Yeon had just witnessed a murder. Not only that, but it had been by someone she knew. It would have been rather strange if she had not been fazed at all.
Handing over the drink, Kim Ki-Rok stepped back to put some distance between them. He began to say, "You know, originally..."
"Yes?"
"I thought of showing you this after you had grown as a Hunter. Hunters have to fight not just monsters but also Awakened criminals after all."
Lee Ji-Yeon had heard this during basic training at the Hunters Association. Monsters were not the only enemies of Hunters. Those who used their abilities to satisfy their greed were also considered enemies.
"Let's see..." Kim Ki-Rok, confirming that no one was around, equipped the artifact containing shield magic from his subspace pocket.
"Shield."
With a flash, a sphere-shaped shield was created around Kim Ki-Rok.