Thumbs Up, Level Up

th tears of relief.]

[With great gratitude, you have received 100 Likes!]

[Around 20 citizens are very impressed by your actions.]

[You have received 3 Likes.]

[You have received 5 Likes.]

……

……

‘Jackpot! 100 Likes!’

“Invest half of my Likes into Mana!” Ji-Cheok decided without hesitation.

[You have increased your Mana rank!]

As quickly as the headache had come, it also subsided.
While Ji-Cheok was recovering, he noticed two goblins that had hurriedly thrown their weapons at him.
He blocked them with his shield.

Clang!

He swung his sword, accurately hitting their heads and knocking them down.

‘It’s pretty late now, where the heck is the government with the reinforcements?! You’re taking my tax money to protect me during times like these!’

Ji-Cheok’s mind was clear to the point that he could focus on other things.
At the same time, his attacks began to accelerate.
He planned to attract their attention with the Roar of the Wild and then take down all the goblins that were far away with his Telekinetic Arrow.
This strategy could be considered simple, but it was an overwhelming task and small wounds started to add up.

[Citizen no.7 is admiring how your long-range, melee combat, and aggro skills are balanced out so well.]

[You have received 10 Likes.]

‘Oh, yes, there are still people watching me.’

Ji-Cheok could not fail now.
If the monsters were to scatter and disperse… people would…

It was then that the goblins he was fighting against all stopped at the same time and stared at the Gate.
This time, the Roar of the Wild didn’t seem to affect them at all.
The goblins, feeling what was coming, simultaneously shrieked together in excitement.
And then…

Thud!

A giant goblin walked out of the Gate.
He had bright red eyes and held a greatsword the size of a human body.

“A hob… goblin?”

Following the first one, dozens of other hobgoblins walked out.

‘No way I can beat that thing.’

The main enemy forces had just arrived.
But at that moment, a mass of blazing fire poured out from the sky.

Roooaaarrr! Crackle!

The flames burned and consumed the hobgoblins all at once.

‘Oh, thank God.’

When Ji-Cheok lifted his head up, he saw a government helicopter floating above his head.
The Hunters had finally arrived.

“Are you okay?” The speakers rang loudly.

“Fortunately, a veteran Hunter seems to be blocking the Gate of monsters.
Thank you for your service, Hunter!”

“It seems like he’s injured! Go, save him!”

There seemed to be a misunderstanding here.

***

“So, you’re saying that you’ve recently Awakened?”

The Gate was safely closed with the support of the Hunters.
Ji-Cheok could hear everything happening in his surroundings, as the ambulance noises rang in his ears from all directions.

[Citizen no.19 on a stretcher is sending you a look of gratitude.]

[You have received 30 Likes.]

In the midst of all of this, Likes continue to come in.
It was then that a middle-aged couple came running at Ji-Cheok.

“Sir….!”

He remembered them.
They were the two that had been stuck in the car when the goblins attacked.

“Are you okay?” Ji-Cheok asked.

“Yes.
Yes! Thanks to you, my husband and I survived.
How could we ever thank you for saving our lives…”

As the wife bent over in a bow to express her gratitude, her husband reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of money.

“Please, at least take this…” he begged Ji-Cheok.

“No, no!” Ji-Cheok responded.

It seemed the man wanted to share how truly thankful he was by offering some money.
He was clearly grateful from the bottom of his heart, and he wanted to show it.
He wasn’t wrong, either; after all, there weren’t many things that could express gratitude as well as money could.
That said, what made the difference between other Awakened and Ji-Cheok was that Likes were far more important to him than money.

Ji-Cheok waved his hand to refuse and placed the money back into the man’s pocket.

“Even though you feel okay now, please make sure to get checked up, maybe you are injured.
Make sure to treat your family to something delicious when you return home.
“

“No, no, no!” the man said.

‘He wouldn’t just leave the money on the ground and run away, would he?’

“Heyy!”

Ji-Cheok quickly picked up the money and this time put it in the wife’s hand.

“Please don’t worry about me and keep the money.
Be sure to go to the hospital and get checked.
If you keep doing this, it’ll put me in an awkward spot.”

“You saved my pregnant wife.
It’s not much, but I have to give you this…” the man pressed on.

“No, this even more so means that you should get checked up, just to be sure.” Ji-Cheok countered.

“But…”

“I’m tired of going back and forth.
Just take it back please.” Ji-Cheok finally said decidedly.

[Citizen no.2 is impressed by your integrity.]

[You have received 100 Likes.]

[Public Officer no.1 has been listening to your conversation and is in admiration.
He remembers you blocking the Gate and fighting all by yourself.]

[You have received 30 Likes.]

Ji-Cheok was receiving more likes than ever before.
The public officer said, “The citizens are thanking you right now.”

“I just did what I had to do.
Anyone in my position would have done the same thing,” Ji-Cheok replied.

“No, if it was that easy, why would heroes still exist? When the Gate opened around Noryangjin[1]…

“Noryangjin?”

“Yes, that’s where the Gate opened first.
Then, it opened in the vicinity of Daechi-dong[2].
As soon as we got there, the Gate opened over here.
It almost seemed like… tactics.”

It probably seemed ridiculous even to himself, so he continued, “Of course, this is just a personal impression.
The Gate couldn’t possibly have self-awareness and go ‘f*** you, I’ll move around by myself’, right?”

“Is that place okay?” Ji-Cheok asked.

“There was significant damage because there were a lot of students doing private tutoring sessions late into the night.
By the time we were dispatched, the monsters were already pouring out of the Gate,” the public officer answered.

That was quite strange.

Even in such times, when Gates formed, Hunters came into existence, and the world was upside down, the crazy competition to give children private tutoring on top of their normal school just kept going.
Was it because the so-called 3D industry[3] was now really dangerous?

1.
Area in central Seoul

2.
Another location in Seoul, located in Gangnam

3.
Dirty, Difficult, and Dangerous jobs that are needed in society, such as construction, production, and the environment

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