Chapter 90 - Chapter 88: Episode 88
-"If you're having trouble memorizing it, just think of it as Attack Power, Defense, and Speed.
That's how kids these days learn it. Just make sure you don't mix them up on the exam.
If you see 'Attack Power' or 'speed' on the test paper, don't just guess. Okay?
You know how strict they are about terminology accuracy on exams, right?
Make sure you write it down as Firepower, Mobility, and Defense."-
-"But honestly, caring only about Firepower, Mobility, and Defense... that's ignorant, right?
Yeah. By today's standards, it's obviously an outdated metric.
But back in the day, that was the gospel.
And even now, not much has changed.
No matter what other additional abilities are added, if you're superior in Firepower, Mobility, and Defense, you're practically unbeatable."-
-"Then let's move on to the 2nd Generation. This is where things start to look a bit more familiar.
Let's see. Detection Capability. Familiar, right? Stealth. Even more so. Beyond Visual Range Combat—BVR. You've heard that a lot, haven't you?
Exactly. These are the values you need to list on your Hunter ability charts for certification or promotion exams.
Or when applying to various combat units, security firms, or mercenary companies."-
-"Back in the 1950s, Dr. Robin Watson in the UK successfully developed the anti-monster radar.
The problem was that Hunters were also picked up by this groundbreaking radar.
The principle was simple: if an organism had more than a certain amount of mana, it would be flagged.
In other words, if your MCS value crossed a certain threshold, you were detected. Since Hunters are organisms, they got picked up just like the monsters."-
-"That created a need for technology to keep Hunters off the radar.
In war, if the enemy can see everything clearly, you can't just shrug and say, 'Oh, I see.'
That's what we're going to cover now.
First, as those in the know are already aware, let's talk about Stealth. Let's start by looking at the reference video."-
A scene appeared on the display: a hidden assassin Hunter ambushing another Hunter.
The target tried to defend, but the initial strike was fatal, and they eventually died during the skirmish.
It looked like the outcome might have been different if they hadn't been ambushed from the start.
I wondered if I was watching a real killing—it seemed too cruel—but
the subtitles clarified it was a live-fire test conducted in the training facility's virtual reality.
According to the text, the victim was an A-class Hunter, while the ambusher was only a C-class Hunter.
-"The takeaway from this video is that no matter how strong a Hunter is, they can be taken down in an absurdly easy ambush."-
-"Now, Stealth. What is it? Ultimately, in modern terms, it's just concealment and stealth functions.
How important is it?
A question appeared on a previous exam asking whether it falls under cover or concealment.
Stealth is not cover; it's concealment.
Cover is using terrain to protect your body during a fight. Concealment is simply hiding."-
-"Back to the point: how do you counter Stealth?
You have to detect it, right? That's why Detection Capability is crucial.
Of course, this doesn't just mean detecting concealment and stealth, okay?
If you think that, you'll get the trick questions wrong on the exam."-
-"The Detection Capability we're talking about includes not just finding hidden enemies, but also
wide-area reconnaissance and using Mana Radar to track enemies or monsters. Keep that in mind.
Early Warning Capability, Early Alert Capability, Real-time Multi-target Detection Capability.
These all fall under Detection Capability."-
-"Now, for the last of the 2nd Generation abilities—and the most important one these days.
That is, Beyond Visual Range Combat. BVR. You've heard that a lot, right?
It's highly valued now.
Detection and Stealth are well-supported by computers, drones, and magic tools, but
this BVR ability requires the Hunter's own skill to some extent."-
-"Of course, you can do it easily with various tools these days.
But if you don't have the base ability, you can't pull it off.
It's hard to work as a Hunter without it.
Every famous combat unit uses BVR.
Even Somali pirate villains recruit members based on their BVR ability—that tells you everything, right?"-
The lecture wasn't boring at all, as they interspersed the explanations of Hunter generations
with flashy combat footage and explosions.
I felt like Park Hye-ji had picked a decent video lecture.
It was definitely better than having her teach it herself.
-"Now, for the long-awaited final generation—the current generation, and the tricky 3rd Generation that will be on the exam~!"-
-"50% of people get the 3rd Generation questions wrong as soon as they see them. It's difficult, so listen carefully.
The 3rd Generation includes Network Capability, as network warfare has become prominent on the modern battlefield,
and Integrated Tactical Capability, because individual Hunters need comprehensive tactical skills,
and finally, Real-time Adaptive Capability, to adapt to rapidly changing combat environments.
Can you remember that? No? Yeah, I thought so. I'll explain it slowly again.
Oh, while I'm at it, let's review the previous ones."-
-"Just remember the 1st Generation as simple fighting tactics.
Hitting and getting hit. In the end,
if your Firepower, Defense, and Mobility are superior, you win."-
-"The 2nd Generation prioritized Stealth—concealment and stealth functions.
Accordingly, Stealth Detection Capability and Early Alert Capability, like wide-area radar, became important,
and tactics for dealing with threats outside your field of view also developed."-
-"The 3rd Generation became essential for network warfare as combat became increasingly collective and widespread.
If communication and situational awareness are smooth—and if you can see 3D map data—
you can make better choices when attacking, defending, or retreating.
Of course, Jamming capability to counter this also developed.
Jamming is also a key part of the deeper Detection Capability, so I'll explain that later."-
-"Also, as individual tactical capability became important,
Integrated Tactical Capability became essential.
It means each person must have a certain level of tactical proficiency.
When executing timed attacks or defensive maneuvers, you shouldn't be out of sync.
Also, even if it's obvious the opponent has set a trap and is lying in ambush,
you shouldn't stupidly charge in."-
-"Think about it. In popular games these days,
you call kids who stupidly tower dive 'trolls,' right?
And even if an enemy is clearly ambushing in the bush,
and the enemy is baiting you, kids who naively walk in... honestly, they're stupid.
The ability to see through that and handle it in advance is a type of Integrated Tactical Capability."-
-"Lastly, Real-time Adaptive Capability to enemy tactics in a rapidly changing combat environment has become vital.
Real-time Adaptive Capability includes the ability to grasp the strengths and weaknesses of both allies and enemies.
These days, Hunter battles are so chaotic that firepower is poured in and the terrain shifts."-
-"You have to be able to quickly identify allied advantages and enemy disadvantages in that chaos,
and use them at the right moment.
That's Real-time Adaptive Capability.
Combined with Integrated Tactical Capability, you can identify the enemy's culminating point of the offensive and launch a counterattack at the right moment and on the right terrain,
or various such integrations and applications are possible."-
-"Now, I'll give you the historical context for why these Hunter ability criteria changed.
It'll make it easier to understand.
Up until the 1900s, duels were the norm. They were the majority.
That atmosphere and culture were generalized worldwide.
Otherwise, you'd look like a cowardly, cheap opponent. It felt dishonorable.
So, they specifically chose opponents and fought 1:1. That's what they did."-
-"Even if they won, they'd wait like a duelist rather than helping their comrades.
You could say it was an era where Hunters had their own romance and dreams.
That's why older Hunter elders tell us we live in an era without romance.
Anyway, back then, it was just ignorantly Firepower, Mobility, and Defense.
Why? Because 1:1 fights were the majority.
Even if they had a gang fight, it wasn't a unit using tactics or strategy—
by today's standards, it was just a neighborhood alley brawl."-
-"Then the era gradually changed.
Even up until the 1950s, it was still a bit like that, right? Some duels?
But slowly, that era faded away.
We call this the end of the duel era.
Entering the 2000s, nobody fights with that mindset.
A duel? You're kidding me. You want to fight 1:1? Are you crazy? Are you a boomer? That's the vibe.
Now it's definitely a gang-up. That's why things like networks became important."-
-"Also, it's no longer an era for romantic duels.
Now, Hunters rarely have big fights unless it's a large-scale war.
Around 1900, there were a lot of villains who were bandits and pirates,
and on the Chinese continent, even until the 60s and 70s, there were huge numbers of people calling themselves the Demonic Cult or the Murim Alliance.
Of course, both were peacefully suppressed by the Chinese government army holding the red flag...."-
-"Personally, most of the Murim Alliance people were true righteous men,
and they were people who would almost all be called great heroes, so it's a shame.
You have to consider that all the good Chinese Hunters died back then.
That's why these days, Chinese Hunters insist that they developed the Hunter tools our country developed first, at the drop of a hat...,
They say the old Chinese great hero Hunters weren't like that... Anyway..."-
- Ding dong dang dong -
The school bell rang.
It seems the first period had already passed.
I hadn't realized time was passing so quickly because the lecture was actually worth watching.
Park Hye-ji stopped the video and told everyone to rest during the break.
"Everyone, rest properly during the break. From the second period, just keep watching the video lecture or do self-study."
"""Yes~~"""
"And Class President and Vice President, follow me. There's an errand to run."
After saying that, since she wouldn't be there for the second period,
we should just watch the video lecture or spend time self-studying,
she beckoned me to follow her.
I was sitting in my seat, not really wanting to go, but
Choi Seo-ah came over, poked my side slightly, gave me a look, and whispered in my ear.
"Do-jin-ah♡ Let's go quickly♡ If I say it nicely♡ The teacher is calling you, the Class President, and me, the Vice President♡"
Every time she whispered, I could feel a strange scent—
as if it were soaked in the pheromones of a female in heat—wafting from her deep breath.