Synopsis

10yearsago,after“theGate”thatconnectedtherealworldwiththemonsterworldopened,someoftheordinary,everydaypeoplereceivedthepowertohunt

monsterswithintheGate.Theyareknownas“Hunters”.However,notallHuntersarepowerful.MynameisSungJin-Woo,anE-rankHunter.I’msomeonewhohastoriskhislifeinthelowliestofdungeons,the“World’s

Weakest”.Havingnoskillswhatsoevertodisplay,Ibarelyearnedtherequiredmoneybyfightinginlow-leveleddungeons…atleastuntilIfoundahidden

dungeonwiththehardestdifficultywithintheD-rankdungeons!Intheend,asIwasacceptingdeath,Isuddenlyreceivedastrangepower,aquestlogthatonlyI

couldsee,asecrettolevelingupthatonlyIknowabout!IfItrainedinaccordancewithmyquestsandhuntedmonsters,mylevelwouldrise.Changing

fromtheweakestHuntertothestrongestS-rankHunter!

Volume1

Chapter0:Prologue

[TheDailyQuesthasarrived.]

Aclearandarticulatefemalevoicespoketohim.

Thiswasnotavideogame.Norwasitadream.

Thevoicespoketohim,onlyinhishead.Ontopofthat,aninformativequestscreenfloatedinfrontofhim,waitingforhisaccess.

‘Can’tbe…todaytoo?’

Withaheavyheart,heopenedthequestandreaditscontents.

ring~ring~

DailyQuest:ThePreparationToBecomePowerful

Do100Push-ups:

(Incomplete)(0/100)

Do100Sit-ups:

(Incomplete)(0/100)

Do100Squats:

(Incomplete)(0/100)

Run10kilometers:

(Incomplete)(0/10)

*Warning:FailingtocompletetheDailyQuestwillresultinaPenaltyQuest.

Hecursedasheverifieditscontents.

“Goddammit,howmanydayshasitbeen!”

Chapter1:TheE-RankHunter

“E-rankHunter”SungJinwoo.

Itwasatitlethatfollowedhimwhereverhewent.

EvenasaHunter,hisabilitieswerebarelyabovethatofanordinaryperson.Ifitwasn’tforhisslightlymoredurableconstitutionorhisslightlyincreasedhealingfactor,therewasbutalittledifferencebetweenhimandanon-Hunter.Assuch,hisHuntingcareerwasriddledwithavarietyofinjuries.Therewereeventimeswherehetoedthelinebetweenlifeanddeathitself.

ButhewasnotaHunterbecauseheenjoyedthejob.

Itwasdangerous,filledwithridicule,andthepaywasdisappointing.

No.Ifitwasn’tforthefactthattheHunterAssociationprovidedsupportforthemedicalbillsofhismother,hewasmorethanreadytogiveitupandstartanordinaryemploymentasanordinaryperson.

Buthowcouldhe,amaninhis20swithnospecialtalentsorbackground,affordtopaythemedicalbillsthatamountedtoseveralmillionwonamonth[1]?

Youcouldsayhehadnochoiceinthematter.

Andsotoday,withasilentcryinhisheart,JinwootookpartinanAssociation-supervisedRaid,sameasanyotherday.

Hunterswhooperatedinthesameareakneweachotherwell.ThiswasduetothecollectivegatheringofallHuntersintheareawheneveraGateopenedup.Andtoday,theHunterswho’vegatheredsharedacupofcoffeewhilegreetingeachother.

“Oy,Mr.Kim,overhere.”

“Ooh,Mr.Park,whatareyoudoinghere?IthoughtyouweredonewiththeHunterbusiness.”

“Ahthat…Thewifejustgotpregnantwithnumbertwo.”

“Hahaha,isthatso?Well,nothingbetterthanaRaidtofillthepocketsofaHunter!”

BothMr.KimandMr.Parklaughed.

“Youknow,itseemsliketheAssociation’sbeencallinguslessandlesslately.WonderiftherateofGateappearancesdecreased?”

“Eh,nonsense.It’sbecausetheGuildshavebeenworkingharderthantheAssociationlately.Wheneverlargesumsofmoney’sinvolved,youjustknowtheGuildspounceon’emwiththatfierylookintheireyes.”

“Wellthen,IguessthisRaidbeingsupervisedbytheAssociationmeansit’llbeprettysafe,right?”

Withaslightconcern,Mr.Parktookalookaroundthearea.AGateignoredbyaGuildmeantlowpay,andalowpayingGatemeantlowdifficulty.Ofcourse,therewasnothinginlifethatwas100%certain.SimilartoMr.Park,otherHuntersintheareashiftedtheireyeswithnervousness.

“Perhaps…”

Ashefinishedthecoffee,Mr.Kimsuddenlywavedtosomeonehesawapproachinginthedistance.

“Oh,wait,lookwhoitis.Mr.Sung!HeyMr.Sung!”

OtherHuntersalsolookedatthenewcomerwithfamiliarityandrelief.

“Hello.”

ItwasSungJinwoo.

BrieflygreetingMr.Kimwithanod,Jinwoocontinuedhiswalk.Afterhepassed,Mr.Kimlightlychuckledandloosenedhisworries.

“SoJinwoocame.Thenthisplaceshouldbesafe.”

Withhiseyeswidened,Mr.ParkaskedMr.Kim.

“What?IsHunterSungJinwoothatstrong?”

“Ah,Mr.Parkwouldn’tknow.Hestartedthejobalittleafteryouleft.There’snoHunterherewhodoesn’tknowSungJinwoo.”

“Thatstrong?WhyisheworkingundertheAssociation,then?WhynotfreelanceorjoinalargeGuild?”

Chuckling,Mr.Kim’seyesnarrowed.

“Youknowwhatthatman’snicknameis?”

“HowwouldIknow?Comeon,spititout.”

“Humanity’sWeakestSoldier”

“...Weakest?NotStrongest?”

“Listentoyourself,thatkindoftitlebelongsonlytotheS-rankHunters.ThatmanoverthereistheWeakestSoldier.ProbablytheweakestHunterinallofKorea.”

“Eh?”

Mr.Parkfurrowedhisbrows.Ifhewasthatweak,whywouldtheHunterslooksorelievedathisappearance?AfellowHunterwassomeonewhohadtoberelieduponinaRaid.HecouldnotunderstandtheotherHunters’reactions.

SeeingMr.Park’stiltedheadincontemplation,Mr.Parkribbedhimwithhiselbowwhilelaughing.

“Don’tyougetit?IfSungJinwooappearedintoday’sRaid,itmeansit’sgottabeaneasyone.TheAssociationwouldn’triskputtinghimonanythinghard.Nobodywantstoseesomeonediepointlessly.”

Andnow,Mr.Park’sfacebrightened.

“Is,isthatso?”

ComingbacktotheRaidingsceneafteralongbreak,bothheandhiswifewereladenedwithuneasinessandconcern.ButlisteningtoMr.Kim’swords,his

moodlightenedup.

Mr.Kimcontinued,

“Once,thatmangotinjuredinanE-rankGateandhadtobehospitalizedforaweek.”

“AHuntergotinjuredinanE-rankGate?”

“Yep.NobodyexpectedsomeonetoactuallygethurtinanE-rankGate.Iheardtheydidn’teventakeaHealer-classHunter.”

SeeingMr.Parklaughloudlyinresponse,Mr.KimshiftedhiseyestowardJinwoo.

“Hey,hey,nottooloud.Hemighthear.”

“Oops,didn’tthinkaboutthat.”

Mr.ParkshiftedhiseyestowardsJinwooandquietedhislaughter.Fortunately,Jinwooappearedsomedistanceawayandprobablycouldn’theartheirconversation.

Buthedid.

‘Iheardeverything,yougeezers.’

Doinghisbesttoignoretheirlaughter,hemettheirgazeandputonanignorantsmile.Attimeslikethis,hecursedhisratherkeenhearing.

‘DidIcometoosoon?’

ItwassometimebeforetheRaidwouldbegin.Whilewaiting,JinwooapproachedanAssociationEmployeeforsomecoffee.

“CouldIgetacupaswell?”

“Ah,HunterSungJinwoo-nim[2]...I’msosorry,wejustranout…”

“...”

Acoldwinterbreezeslappedhisface.Jinwoowipedhisnosewithhisfingers.

Itwasarathersaddaywhereeventhecoffeeranoutjustashegottoit...

“WhyareyousostubbornaboutthiswholeHunterbusiness,Mr.Jinwoo?”

“Sorry.”

Jinwoobowedhishead.

Asshehealedhim,LeeJuhee’sfacewasfilledwithcomplaint.

“I’mnottryingtogetanapologyfromyou.I’mjustworriedaboutyou,youknow?Iswear,oneofthesedays,you’regoingtogetseriouslyhurt.”

OnceyoupassthroughtheGate,youwouldbeintheDungeon.TheDungeonthistimearoundwasprobablyD-rank.

JinwoolookedoverJuhee’sshouldersathisfellowHunters.Ten-somethingnumberofHuntersweretakingdownmonstersleftandright.Theydidnotappeartobeparticularlystruggling.Yetherehewas,injured.

ItwastheroleoftheHealer-classHunterstohealtheinjuredHuntersfromtherear.AsamanwhowashurtinnearlyeveryRaidheparticipatedin,JinwoowasratherfamousamongtheHealer-classHunters.

Juheecarefullyaskedhim,

“Doyouperhapshaveareasonwhyyoucan’tquit?”

Jinwoofirmlyshookhishead.Hedidn’tlikerevealingpersonaldetailsabouthimselfsoeasily.

“I’mjustdoingthisasahobby.I’llprobablydieofboredomifitwasn’tforthis.”

Juheepoutedinresponse,

“You’llendupRaidingintheafterlifebecauseofyour‘hobby’”

Notexpectingsucharesponse,Jinwoolaughed.

“Hey!Don’tlaugh!You’llopenyourwounds!”

Jinwooaskedwhilechuckling,

“Man,wheredidyouhearsuchaphrase?”

“Whereelse?Mr.Kimoooverthere.”

“Sigh,thatgeezer...”

Astheylaughedandconversed,thehealingwascompleted.Butitwastoolate,theRaidwasprettymuchoveratthatpoint.

Jinwoogrimaced.

‘Ionlykilledonemagicbeast[3]today…’

Andeventhen,itwasonlyanE-rankmonster.

JinwoofidgetedwiththetheE-rankmagiccore[4]inhishand.SuchlowlevelmagiccorefromanE-rankmagicbeastwasbarelyworthahundredthousandwon[5].Thefactthatheputhislifeonthelinetoearnitmadeitseemallthemorepathetic.

‘IheardamagiccorefromaC-rankmagicbeastisworthatleastfewtenmillions[6]…’

ButtoJinwoo,anE-rankHunter,thethoughtoftakingdownaC-rankmagicbeastwasanimpossibility.

Suddenly,someoneshouted,

“Eh?There’sanotherentrancehere!”

TheHuntersswarmedtowardsthevoice.

“You’reright!”

“Really?Anotherentrance?”

Asthefirstpersonnoted,thereindeedwasanotherDungeonentrancehere.

“ADoubleDungeon…Sotheyreallydoexist.”

AHunterwith10yearsworthofexperience,Mr.Songlookedatthenewlyfoundentrancewithwonder.Unabletoseefarintothedarktunnel,Mr.Songusedhisspecialty,firemagic.Thefireballthatshotoutfromhishandflewthroughthetunnel,illuminatingitsdarkness.However,thetunnelwasdeeperthanexpected,andthefireballeventuallylostitsenergyandfelltothegroundandquicklyextinguishedasaspark.Darknessreturnedbeforetheireyes.

“Hmm…Everyone,pleasegatheraround.”

AsthedefactoleaderoftheRaid,Mr.SonggatheredtheHuntersbeforehim.JuheeandJinwoo,havingcompletedJinwoo’shealing,alsojoinedthecrowd.

Mr.SongaddressedthegatheredHunters,

“Asyouallmayknow,GatesdonotcloseuntiltheDungeon’sbossistakendown.SinceourGateisstillopen,eventhoughwe’veclearedallthemobsinthearea,itappearsthattherealbossindownthattunnel.”

Mr.SonggesturedtowardsthenewlyfoundDungeonentrance.Lookingateachother,theHuntersalsonoddedinagreement.

“TheprotocolinsituationslikethisistoexittheDungeon,contacttheAssociation,andletthemhandlethingsgoingforward…Butifwedothat,andsomeothergroupofHunterstakedowntheboss,there’sachancethatourincomeforthisRaidwilldrasticallydecrease.”

ThegatheredHunters’expressionshardened.Mr.Park,whocameheretosupporthisexpectingwife,lookeddoublytroubled.‘Postnatalcarethesedaysisreallyexpensive…’Ifheleftnow,theeffortsheriskedhislifeforwouldbewasted.

“AndsoIwasthinking.Whatifwejustwentaheadandgokilltheboss?Whatdoyouguysthink?”

TheHuntersfellincontemplation.

“...”

“...”

Itwasnotadecisionthatcouldbemadeeasily.SomeknewthattherewasnoguaranteethattheDoubleDungeonwouldbeassafeastheonethattheyhadjustcleared.OtherscametotheconclusionthatiftheOuterDungeonwasthiseasy,perhapstheInnerDungeonwouldbejustaseasy.Regardless,itwasnotasituationwhereeveryonewouldbeinagreement.

“Hmm…”

Mr.Songfakedacough,

“Sincethere’s17ofushere,whydon’twetakeavoteonthis?Andnocomplainingafterthevote.Howaboutit?”

AtMr.Song’ssuggestion,eachHunternoddedinagreement.

Mr.Song’swasthefirsttoraisehishand.“I’llgo.”

Mr.ParkwasthefirsttofollowMr.Song,“I’llgotoo.”

“Me,metoo…”

“Samehere.”

“Onemorevotefor‘yes’“

Mr.Kimhadalsojoinedthe“go”group.Buttherewereopposingvotesaswell,

“Let’snot.”

“IthinkweshouldwaitontheAssociation’sjudgment.”

Asthe“yes”crowdandthe“no”crowdclashedat8-7,allgazesfellonthetwolastundecidedpeople.

“Sorry…”

Shakingherhead,Juheevotedno,puttingthecountat8-8.Mr.Songturnedandaskedthelastpersonforhisvote.

“Mr.Sung?”

Thefinaldecisiondependedonhim.HefidgetedagainwiththeE-Rankmagiccoreinhishands,thenlookedtohisside.Juheeshookherheadathiseyes.Shehadabadfeelingaboutthis.Well,evenJinwoofeltthesameway.Underanyothercircumstance,hewouldnothavedaredtojumpintodanger.Afterall,helackedtheskillsandcouragetodoso.ButJinwoohadalittlesister,whowaspreparingforcollege.

‘Idon’thaveanythingsavedupforthat…’

Hewas24yearsold,buthehadtogiveuponcollegeduetotheirpoverty.Hedidn’twantthatpovertytohinderhissister’slifeaswell.

Theirliveswerecountingoneverypennythatcameandwent.Mr.Parkwasn’ttheonlyonewhoneededmoney.

Jinwooraisedhishand.

“I’llalsogo.”

Athisside,Juheeletoutasmallsighdisappointedly.

-------------------------------

[1]:“severalmillionwon”:~SeveralthousandinUSD(hismother’smedicalbills)

[2]:“-nim”:Koreanpost-nominalhonorificdenotinghighrespect.FallssomewherebetweenJapanese-sanand-sama.MostserviceemployeesinKorearefertocustomerswith“-nim”.

[3]:“magicbeast”(;Ma-Su);“Magic”Ma+“Beast”Su

[4]:“magiccore”(;Ma-Jung-Suk);“Magic”Ma+“Center/Middle”Jung+“Stone”Suk.i.e.-Amagicstoneatthecenter/middleofthemagicbeast>“magiccore”.

[5]:“hundredthousandwon”:~90USD(valueofE-rankMagicCore)

[6]:“fewtenmillions(won)”:~SeveraltenthousandinUSD(valueofC-rankMagicCore).LasttimeIclarifykoreanwontoUSDequivalent.Asaruleofthumb,justdividetheKRWnumberby1,000togettheUSDE.

Chapter2:DoubleDungeon

Thetunnelwentonandonandon.AtthevanguardstoodMr.SongandotherveteranHunters.LedbythelightfromthefireballinMr.Song’shand,thepartywalkedthroughthedimlylittunnel.

Mr.Kimspokeupfromtheparty,“Isn’tthisgoinginalittletoodeep?Maybeweshouldthinkaboutturningback.”

“Howlonghavewebeenwalking?”

Mr.Kimcheckedhiswatch,“About…40minutes.”

“Whenwetakedowntheboss,we’llhave1hourbeforetheGatecloses.Takingintoaccountthetimeforthereturntrip,westillhaveabreathingroomof20minutes,right?”

“Thenifwedon’tcomeacrossthebossafter20moreminutesofwalking,weshouldleave,right?”

“Isupposeso.”

Nodding,Mr.Songpointedtowardshisbackwithhisthumb.

“HeyMr.Kim,it’sdarkaheadofme,sofallbackalittlebit.”

Mr.KimlookedatMr.Song’sfireball,thentookouthiscellphoneandturnedonitsflashlightfunction.Thelightfromthephonebrightlyilluminatedtheirpath.

“...”

Lookingbackandforthbetweenhisfireballandthephone’slight,Mr.Songquietlysearchedpocketsforhisphone.

AttherearofthepartywalkedJinwoo,whowasinjured,andJuhee,whohadnofightingskills.Jinwooscratchedhishead.

“I’m…sorry.”

“Forwhat?”

“Draggingyoualonglikethis.”

“I’mfine.Youdon’thavetoworryaboutme.”

Jinwoodiscretelyreadherexpression.Itwasnotafacewithoutworry.Tiltinghishead,Jinwoocarefullyasked,

“Areyousure?”

Juheeabruptlyturnedtofacehim,

“OfcourseI’mnotokay!Areyouinyourrightmind?!Earlier,iftheplaceyouwerestabbedinwasjustabithigher,itwould’vepiercedyourheart!Andwhatabouttheinjuriesonyourwristandthigh?!Ibarelyhealedallthose,andyou’realreadyjumpingintoanotherDungeon?Especiallywhenyoudon’tknowanythingaboutit?”

Atherrant,Jinwoofelthimselfbecominglight-headed.Butshewasnotwrong.JuheewasaHealer-classHunter,andmorethanthat,aB-RankHunter.AraresightintheAssociation.Ifitwasnotforherhealing,Jinwoowould’veprobablysuccumbedtoinjuriesthatwould’veputhisnormallifeoutofcommission,muchlessbeingaHunter.

‘Ireallyoweheralot…’

AHealer-classHunter.

Notonlythat,aB-RankHealer-classHunter.

WheneveraGateappeared,theAssociationwouldrequestherasahealer,andofcourse,JinwoowouldalwaysfindhimselfsittingorlyingdownnexttoherintreatmentintheirRaids.

“You’rehurting,right?Pleasehanginthere.”

“Youlookfamiliar…areyoufromthattime…?”

“Yougothurtagain?”

“SeemslikeIseeyouagainandagain.”

“YousaidyournamewasJinwoo?Areyou…alright?”

“DoyoueverthinkmaybetheHunter-lifeisn’tforyou…?”

“...You’rehereagain.”

“Holdoutyourarm.No,notthere,youcanmendthatwithjustbandages,theotherarm.”

Surpassinghisgratitude,henowfeltapologetictoher.

“...”

Seeinghissilentface,Juheefeltbadaboutherrantandcalmeddown.

“Areyoureallysorry?”

“Ofcourse.”

Aftersomethought,JuheelookedatJinwooatherside,withcornersofhermouthrisingeversoslightly,

“Well…maybeyoucouldtreatmetoamealsometime.”

Itwasnotaresponseheexpected.Shocked,JinwoolookedatJuhee’sface,nowshowingamischievoussmile.‘Agirl…’HerememberedJuheewas20goingon21.Ifshehadcutherlonghairintoaproperlengthandputonaschooluniform,she’dbeafittingimageofastudent.Imaginingherinauniform,hisfaceblushed.

Seeinghisdelayedresponse,Juheeblewairintohercheeksandpouted.

“Doyou…notwanttoeatwithme?”

Itwasthen.

Suddenly,acommotionrosefromthevanguardoftheparty.

“Thisisit!”

“Thebossroom!”

JinwooandJuheeturnedtheirgazesforward.

Therestoodagiantdoorsignalingtheendofthetunnel.TheHuntersgatheredbeforethedoor.

“Tothinktherewasadoorattheendofthetunnel.”

“Doyouthinkthiswasalwayshere?”

“FirsttimeI’mseeingsomethinglikethis….”

“Do...doyouthinkit’sdangerous?”

Astheyquietlywhisperedbackandforth,theHuntersbecameuneasy.Afterall,theirliveswereontheline;theyhadtobecareful.Buttoomuchcaremayimpedeprogress,Mr.Songthought.

“Soyouguyswanttoturnbackafterallthat?Togobackemptyhanded?”

Heplacedhishandonthedoor.

“You’refreetogoback.I’llgoalone.”

Mr.SongwasaC-RankHunterwith10yearsofexperience.Ifitwasn’tforthefactthathewaspast60yearsold,hecould’veprobablyraidedunderalargeGuild.

SowhensuchaveteranHunterspokewithconfidence,theuneasinessoftheotherHuntersslowlydisappeared.

“NowthatIthinkaboutit,”OneoftheHuntersspokeofarumorregardingDoubleDungeons,“IheardthatDoubleDungeonshavesomecrazytreasures.”

“Yeah,Iheardsomemid-levelGuildoncefoundaDoubleDungeonandshotstraighttoalargeGuildstatus!”

“AndwherevermagicbeastsmayappearsinaDungeon,theyshouldallbethe

samelevelgenerally…”

AndsotheHuntersthought,whatifthisDoubleDungeoncontainedaphenomenaltreasure?Andwhatifthemagicbeastsbeyondthisdoorwerethesamelevelasbefore?

‘Can’tletthatoldmantakeallthetreasuresbyhimself.’

‘Mm,ofcourse.’

‘Forgetjustpostnatal,Icouldprobablypayforabigprivateschool,payforthemortgage…’

Andjustlikethat,theHunters’understandingsbecameone.EvenJinwoorenewedhisdetermination.

‘Ican’tjustreturnwithaE-Rankmagiccore.Attheveryleast,aD-Rank,no,justevenonemoreE-Rankisgoodenough.’

Itdidn’thavetobeamagicbeasteither.

‘Ifwefindtreasurebeyondthatdoor…’

ItwasastandardagreementthatanytreasuresorartifactsfoundinaDungeonwouldbedividedevenlyamongstpartymembers.Thiswasdifferentthanthecasewheremagiccorefrommagicbeastswouldonlygotothememberswhohelpedtakeatargetdown.

‘IfIcanscorebigrighthere,Icanresteasyforabit…’

Seeinghisdeterminedface,Juheeaskedfromhisside,

“IsthatreallythefaceofsomeonewhoHuntsasa‘hobby’?”

Jinwooshrugged,

“Whowouldrisktheirlivesforworkthesedays?Butforahobby,that’sanotherstory.”

“...What?”

AsJuheeputonanincredulousexpressiononherface,Mr.Songstartedpushingthedooropen.

creak~

Throughsomeunknownmechanism,thegiantdooropenedeasilyasthe60-yearoldmanpushed.

Bang

Thewideopendoorrevealedalargeinterior,andtheHuntersenteredpushingpasteachother.

“Weshouldgotoo.”

Notwantingtofallbehind,JinwootookJuhee’swristandwentforward.

“Ah…”

Withrednesscreepingontoherface,Juheefollowedhim.

AstheHunters’firststepsfellontotheground,thenumeroustorchesthatfilledthewallsofthearealitup,brightlyilluminatingtheinterior.

“Hmm?Thelightwenton?”

“FirsttimeI’mseeingthat.”

“Something’s…different.”

TheHunterssurveilledtheirsurroundings.Itfeltliketheinteriorofalargetemple.Likeanominoustemplethatwouldbehiddenawaydeepunderground,thefloors,thewallsandeventheceilingwascoveredinmoss.SomeHuntersshudderedandnoted,

“Somethingfeelswrong.”

“Doesn’titfeellikewe’rebeingwatched?”

ThemorefearfulHuntersfelltotherear,whilethestrongerHuntersheadeddeeperintotheroom.

“Tsk.Don’tsaysuchthings.”

“Let’sjustfinishuphereandgoback.”

Theinteriorwasincrediblylarge.Awideareainadomeshape.Itwascomparabletomultipleolympicfieldsbeingputtogether.No,perhapsbigger.Atthesametime,itparadoxicallyfeltcramped.Thereasonwassimple.

“That..thatthing…”

“That’snottheboss,isit?”

Attheendoftheroom,somethingwhosesizesurpassedreasonandlogicsatuponagrandandenormousseat.ItcouldonlydescribedasamassiveStatueofGod[1].

“Mygod[2]...”

“Whoa…”

Theycouldnothelpbutbeamazed.

Jinwoohimselfcomparedthestatue’ssizetoAmerica’sStatueofLiberty[3].‘IftheStatueofLibertysatdown,itwouldprobablylooklikethat.’AlthoughtheStatueofLibertyisfemale,andthisonewasclearlymale.‘No…Thisthing’sbigger…’

TheHuntersgatheredbeforethestatuecouldnothelpbutgulprepeatedly.Theystoodinfear,wonderingiftheStatueofGodwasthebossofthisDungeon.

“...”

ButtheStatuedidnotmove.

“Phew~”

Mr.Songalsosighedinrelief.

“Alright,let’sspreadout.”

Withrenewedconfidence,theHuntersspreadout,investigatingthegiantroom.

“Idon’tseeanymagicbeasts.”

“Right?”

“Forgetmagicbeasts,Idon’tevenseeasinglebug.”

Comparedtoitswell-litinteriorsandenormoussize,theroomoftheStatueofGodwasratherplain.Adorningitswallswerecountlesstorches,illuminatingtheroom.Infrontofthetorchesstoodstatuesslightlylargerthantheaverageman,formingequidistantpointsofacircle.

“Beautiful.”

“It’slikeaworkofart.”

Eachstatueheldsomethingdifferentinitshands.Someheldweapons,somebooks,othersheldinstrumentsortorches.

“It’slike…”Mr.Kimstarteddescribing,

“Decorationsinatemple.”Mr.Songfinishedhissentence.

“Hmm?”

Mr.Songfoundsomethingathisfeet.

“Thisis…amagiccircle[4]?”

Atthecenterofthetempleroom,therewasamagiccirclethathehadneverseenbeforeinhislife.

“Mr.Song,there’ssomethingwrittenhere.Canyoucometakealookatthis?”

AHuntercalledouttotheRaid’sleader,findingastatuethatstoodoutfromtherest.Leavinghisobservationofthemagiccircle,Mr.SongheadedtowardstheHunter.Onebyone,alltheHuntersintheroomgatheredbeforethestrangestatueaswell.

Ofallthestatuesintheroom,thisonewastheonlyonewithwings.Itwasholdingastonetablet.WhatcaughttheHunters’eyeswerethewordswrittenonthestonetablet.

“It’sRunic[5].”Mr.Songspokeafteranalyzingthetablet.

Runes.AformoftextthatcouldbefoundinDungeons,itwassomethingthatcouldnotbefoundelsewhereonEarth.OnlytheHunterswhoAwakened[6]asMage-classcouldinterpretthem.

Mr.Songreadthefirstlineofthetablet:

“‘CommandmentsoftheCartenonTemple’[7]”

JinwoolistenedtoMr.Song’sreadingofthetabletwithaseriousexpression.Butthensuddenly,someonegrabbedhisarm.

Turningaround,hesawJuheelookingathimwithapale,fear-strickenface.

HerpalefaceshockedJinwoo.

“What’swrong?Areyounotfeelingwell?”

“Over…overthere.”

JinwoofollowedJuhee’spointingfingerstotheStatueofGod.Theenormousstatue.Shewaspointingatitsface.Notseeinganydifferencefromthefirsttimehesawit,Jinwootiltedhishead.

“?”

Withashakingvoice,Juheespoke,

“H-hiseyes…TheStatue’seyesjustlookedatus.”

“What?”

Nomatterhowlonghestared,theresultswerethesame.TheStatuesatstill,unmoving.

“Hmm…Youmust’veimaginedit.”

Buthiswordsfellondeafears.Castinghergazetotheground,Juheesimplyheldontohisarmsandtrembled.

‘Wait.’

AsenseofdreadwashedoverJinwoo.

‘...Wheredidthesoundgo?’

Thecracklingsoundfromthetorches’firessuddenlybecamesilent.

“First.”

Meanwhile,Mr.Song’sreadingofthetabletcontinued.

“WorshiptheLord.Second,PraisetheLord.Third,ProveyourFaithtotheLord.Thosewhodonotfollowthesecommandswillnotleavealive.”

Itwasinthatmoment,

creak~

Atthesuddensound,alltheHuntersjumpedinsurprise.

“What’shappening?!”

ThefirstpersontonoticewasJinwoo.Havingfocusedonhishearingbecauseofthetorches,hewasabletoimmediatelynoticewhatwashappening.

“Thedoor!Thedoorisclosing!”

Athiswords,theentirepartyturnedtowardsthedoor,onlytowatchitclosewithabang.

“Dammit!Ican’tdothisanymore!”

TheHunterwhofirstvoted“no”toentertheDoubleDungeonsworeandheadedtowardsthedoor.

“I’mleavingnow.Youguyscanhaveallthebossesandtreasuresyouwant.”

GlaringrebelliouslyatMr.Song,themanturnedandgrabbedthedoor’shandles.

Suddenly.

Mr.Song’seyeswidened.

“No,don’t!”

Crunch!

Asickeningsoundof‘something’striking‘something’rangthroughoutthetemple.

Withit,theman’sheadhaddisappearedfromsight.Havinglostitshead,hisbodynaturallyfellbackwardsontotheground.

thud-

TheHuntersstartedscreaming.

Havingobliteratedtheman’sheadwithitsmace,thestatuereturnedandassumeditspositionnexttothedoorasifnothinghadhappened.

“That-thatthingjustmoved!”

“What?Doesthatmeanallthestatuesherecanmove?”

“We’resupposedtofightthose?!”

“Ididn’tevenseehimswingthatmace!”

ItwasatthispointJinwooreplayedJuhee’swordsinhismind.

“H-hiseyes…TheStatue’seyesjustlookedatus.”

‘Ifthat’strue…’

Heshuddered.Makinganefforttomovehisterrifiedbody,heturnedandlookedattheStatueofGod.

AndfoundtheStatueofGodlookingbackathim.

“Ah…”

Jinwoorealized.Thiswasjustthebeginning.

---------------------------------

[1]:“StatueofGod”([];Shin-Sang):“God”Shin+“Statue”Sang

[2]:“mygod…”:Justan“omg”,notspecificallysayingthatthestatuewashisgod.

[3]:“StatueofLiberty”:Heel-to-HeadHeight:~111feet.

[4]:“MagicCircle”(;Ma-Beop-Jin):“Magic”Ma-Beop+“Circle”Jin

[5]:“Runic”(;RuneMun-Ja):Rune(inEnglish)+“Text”Mun-Ja

[6]:“Awakened”(;Gak-Sung):Terminologyusedtodescribethephenomenonwherehumansawakenspecialpowers.Thosethatawakenobtainspecificrepertoireofabilitiesandskillsfittingtoacertainclass(Fighter,Mage,Healer,etc…)

[7]:“CommandmentsoftheCartenonTemple”():Thekoreanwordfor“commandments”actuallyisclosertoanuncommonwayofsaying“rule”,butI’vetranslatedas“commandment”foraminorstorypurposelateron.Icouldn’tfindadirecttranslationfor“Cartenon”,sothisisjustapronunciationchoice.

Chapter3:StartOfTheAttack

TheStatueofGod’seyeswerelitwithacrimsonlight.

WasitaHunter’sinstinct?No,itwasthesurvivalinstinctsofalivingbeing.“Something”wascoming.“Something”thatcouldnotbestopped.

Jinwooturnedandshoutedontopofhislungs.

“GETDOWN!”

Rightashismouthopened,acrimsonrayoflightshotoutfromtheStatue’seyes.

JinwoothrewhimselfatJuheeandpulledhertotheground.

BEAM~!

TherayoflightpassedthroughwhereJinwoowasstandingmomentsbefore.

Onetenthofasecond.

No,onehundredthofasecond.

Ifthetimingofhisactionswereoffbyjustaninfinitesimalamount…

TheotherHunterswerenotaslucky.

“Uwaaaaaaah!”

“Ahhhhhhh!”

ThescreamsdidnotcomefromtheHunterswhowerestruckbythelight.Afterall,theoneswhowerestruckdisintegratedinstantly,leavingonlyatraceofashandburntstoneintheirwake.No,thescreamswerecomingfromtheHunterswhosurvived.

“Whatthehellisthis!”

“Waaaaah!”

“Howcouldthis…”

TheHunterswereinshock.

11remainingaliveoutof16.

Theyhadneverseenanattacklikethisbefore.

‘IbarelydodgedafterhearingJinwoo.’

‘IfMr.Sungdidn’tshoutjustnow…’

TheHunterslookedatJinwooandgulped.Theirlives’savior.Ifitwasnotforhim,theyknewthattheywouldbecountedamongthefallen.

“...”

Withhisentirebodybowedontheground,JinwooturnedhisheadandpeakedattheStatue.Itseyeswerestilllitwithcrimsonglowbutdidnotcontinueitsattack.

‘Is…isitdoneattacking?’

Jinwooturnedhisheadtowardsthegroundagain.Juheelaybelowhim,shakinginfear.AlthoughshewasaB-RankHunter,thiswasthereasonsheHuntedinsimpleRaidsundertheAssociationandnotanadvancedRaidunderalargeGuild.

Herbreathingbecamemoreandmoreirregular.Hecouldn’tjustleaveherlikethis.Thinkinghehadtodosomethingtohelpher,Jinwoobegantoget-upwhenastronghandforcedhimbackdown.

“Don’tstandup.”

ItwasMr.Song.

Althoughsurprised,Jinwoosternlylistenedtohiswords.

Mr.SongshoutedattheotherHunters,aswell.

“Everyonestaywhereyouare!Don'tmovefromyourposition!”

Aftertakingaquicklookacrosstheparty,Mr.SongturnedtoJinwooagain.

“Theoneswhoweremovinggothit.Thosethatlistenedtoyouandgotdownsurvived.”

“Isee...”

Mr.Songtiltedhisheadinconfusion.

“Didyounotshoutafterfiguringsomethingout?”

“Ijustfeltsomethingdangerouswascoming,that’sall…”

Mr.Song’seyeslookedathimwithbrighteyes.

‘Hisinstinctsaregood.IheardhewasanE-Rank?Ifonlyhisabilitieswerealittlehigher…’

HisgazeturnedintooneofpityashecontinuedtostareatJinwoo.Meanwhile,Jinwoogotabetterlookatthemanstaringathim.Whatcaughthiseyesshockedhim.

“Ah-ahjussi[1]…yourarm…”

“It’salright,Icanendurethismuch.”

“But…”

Jinwoogulped.Mr.Song’srightarmwasdrapedoverJinwoo’sshoulder,andhisotherarm…Hisotherarmwasgone.

“...”

WhilesilentlylookingatJuhee,Mr.Songwordlesslywrappedtheremnantsofhisshirtaroundthestumpwherehisarmwas,grittinghisteeththroughthepain.

“Canyoutietheendhere?Hardtodowithjustonehand.”

AsJinwoonoddedandcompletedwhatcouldbarelybecalledfirst-aid,Mr.Songletoutalongsigh.Itwasasighfilledwiththeexperienceof10-yearsofHunting.Lookingaround,hetookinthesurroundingsandthestatusoftheirsituation.JustbecausetheStatueofGodhadstoppeditsattackdidn’tmeantheiradversitywasover.

TimepassedastheHunterslayontheground.

“Uwaaaah-”

“Whydidthishappentous…”

SomeoftheHuntersstartedcryingagain.

“Wecan’tstaylikethisforever!”

Thepatienceofthesurvivorswasslowlyreachingitslimits.

Jinwoofeltthesame.

‘Wecan’tstaylikethisforever.’

Butwhatcouldtheydo?IfMr.Song’sguesswascorrect,theywouldbeattackedthemomenttheystartedmoving.AndeveniftheymanagedtododgetheStatueofGod’sattack,theystillhadtogothroughthestatuesguardingthedoor.Andthereinliedtheotherproblem.Themovementoftheoneguardingthedoorwassofastthatitcouldbarelybeseenbythenakedeye.

Howcouldtheygetpastsomethinglikethat?Itwasanimpossiblesituation.TheHunters’annihilationwassimplyamatteroftime.

‘Wait…amatteroftime?’

Asthethoughtappearedinhishead,anuncomfortablethoughtfollowed.

Somethingthatnooneelsehadnoticed.

‘There’s…there’ssomethingwemissed.’

Perhapstheanswerwasthere.

Itwasinthatmoment.

“Don’tmove!”

Mr.SongyelledatMr.Joo,whorespondedbybaringhisteeth.

“Shutup!Wedon’tknowwhenthatthingwillattackagain!Youjustwantustowaituntilthattime?!”

Mr.JoowasaFighter-classHunter.Asbeingswhothrewtheirbodiesintothemiddleofcombat,aFighter-classHunter’sphysicalabilitiesweremuchgreaterthananordinaryhuman.Ontopofthat,Mr.JoowassomeonewhoseskillswereacknowledgedbyalargeGuild,whohadofferedhimacontract.

“Ican’tdielikethis.”

Withhisbodystillloweredtotheground,Mr.Jooflexedthemusclesinhislegs.

Thegoalisthedoor.

Withanexplosivestart,Mr.Joorantowardsthedoor.Watchingtheman’sattempt,JinwooturnedawayandlookedbackattheStatueofGod.Asifwaiting,theStatuewaslookingatMr.Joo.Arayoflightexplodedfromitseyes.

BEAM~!

TheraycoveredMr.Joo’sback.

“Kiyaaaaaah!”

OneofthefemaleHuntersscreamed.Unabletocontrolherfear,ayellowpuddleslowlyappearedfromthegroundshewascollapsedon.

TheotherHunter’sfaceshardened.

“Ohmygod…”

NotraceofMr.Joocouldbefoundwherehestood.Savefortwofeetontheground,endingjustabovetheankles.

ThesoundofamanretchingreachedJinwoo’sears,andhefurrowedhisbrows.

Asexpected,this‘thing’wasmorethancapableofannihilatingalltheHuntersinaninstant.Toit,itwaseasierthansteppingonaninsect.

‘Sowhy…whyisn’tit?’

Itcouldkillthemall,yetitdidnot.

ComparedtothemagicbeaststhatalwaysthrewthemselvesattheHunters,thesethingsweredifferent.Attackingsomeoneonlywhentheymoved.Attackingsomeoneonlywhentheynearedthedoor.Therewasapatternandconditiontotheiraggression.Likeagamewithrules.

‘Perhaps…Therearerulestothisroom?’

Inthatmoment,Jinwoofoundapieceofthepuzzleinhishead.ItwasthetabletthatMr.Songwasreadingearlier.

‘CommandmentsoftheCartenonTemple’

Acommandmentwasarule,andrulesmustbefollowed.

Iftherewasawayoutofthisplace,awayfromthesethings,thekeywaswrittenonthattablet.

“...WorshiptheLord”

Jinwoospokethefirstcommandmentoutloud.

“Hmm?Didyousaysomething?”Mr.Songasked,facingJinwoo.

Insteadofanswering,Jinwooputafingertohislips.

‘IfI’mcorrect…”

Slowly,Jinwoogotup.Mr.Songfranticallytriedtostophim,butJinwooshookhisheadathimwithadeterminedface.

‘...That’snotafacethat’sgivenuponliving.’

Mr.SongnoddedatJinwoo.

WithoutlookingawayfromtheStatueofGod,Jinwooslowlyroseandraisedhisbodygraduallyhigherandhigher.Suddenly,theStatueofGod’sgazefelluponhim.

BEAM~!

Ifhehesitatedevenforasplitsecondongettingbacktotheground,Jinwoowould’velostalotmorethanfewstrandsofhaironhishead.

Backontheground,Jinwoopantedheavily.

Hehadalmostdiedjustnow.WhenhiseyesmettheStatueofGod’s,heknewhehadlookedatdeathrightintheeyes.Havingdodgedtheattackbyahair(literally),Jinwoo’slegscouldnotstopshaking.

‘But…’

Itwasnotfornaught.

‘He’snotattackingsomeonewho’smoving.’

Havinghisbodyloweredtotheground,noamountofmovementcausedareactionfromtheStatueofGod.

‘No,hisattacksaretowardssomeonewhorisesaboveacertainheight.’

Toconfirm,hehadjustputhislifeontheline.Andnow,hehadthatconfirmation.

ThemeaningoftheFirstCommandment!

---------------------------------

[1]:“ahjussi”(;ah-juh-ssi):Koreannountorefertoordescribeamiddle-agedman.Japaneseequivalent=ojisan.

Chapter4:TheThreeCommandments

JinwooshoutedtowardstheotherHunters.

“Everyone!”

Theyturnedtheirheadstowardhisvoice.

“YouhavetobowbeforetheStatueofGod!”

TheHunterstiltedtheirheadsinconfusion.

“Bow…?”

“Bowtothatthing?”

TheHunterswhowerelookingateachotherstartedcursingatJinwoo,

“Fuck…Whatthehellareyousaying?!”

“Isthisasituationwhereyoucouldsaysomethinglikethat?!”

“Haveyougonecrazy,SungJinwoo?!”

Mr.Kimflaredhisnostrils.

“LookslikeIjudgedyouwrong!IfIcouldgetupfromthisspot,I’dsockyourightinthenose!”

Jinwoobithislips.Afterall,6oftheircomradeshadfallentotheStatueofGod.Tothinkthathe’dasktheotherstobowbeforeitunderstandablyinvitedtheirire.

‘Moreimportantly…’

Therewasnosolidprooftohisguesses.Onlyagutfeeling.Onecouldnoteasily

explainorputtowordswhattheyfeltthroughinstinct.

Whilehewaslostforwords,someonespokeup:“I’lldoit.”

ThevoicecamefrombehindJinwoo.TheHunters’eyesturnedtowardtheRaidleaderwhohadspoken.

“Mr.Song…?”

“You’regoingtobowbeforethatgoddamnstatue?”

AstheHuntersspokeoutinconfusion,Mr.SongturnedandmetJinwoo’seyes.

“Whathaveyoudiscovered?”

Jinwooshookhishead.

“Justagutfeeling?”

“…Yes,fornow.”

“Isee.”

Jinwoo’sinstinctsresultedin11ofthembeingstillalive,well,10afterMr.Joo’sdeath.Assuch,wasitnotworthittotryandputsomefaithinhim?ThiswaswhatMr.Songbelieved.AstheRaidleaderbowedbeforetheStatueofGod,themoodintheairbecamesomber.

“You’rereallygoingtodoit?”

TakingadvantageoftheopportunityMr.Songhadprovided,Jinwoospokeup,

“Please!BowbeforetheStatueofGod.Thismightbeouronlywaytoleaveherealive!”

Alive.

Toleaveherealive.

Thatphrasereachedtheothers’earswithagreatweight.

‘Leaveherealive?’

‘Wecangetoutofhere?’

‘Justbybowingbeforethatthing?’

Onebyone,thehesitantHuntersstartedbowingbeforetheStatue,imitatingasceneofworship.Eventually,eventheangryMr.KimalsotookhisplacebowingbeforetheStatue.However,therewasnoresponsefromtheStatueofGod.Itstwoeyesstillglowedwiththeterrifyingcrimsonlight.Jinwoofelthisheartsinkingtohisstomach.

‘WasIwrong?’

AndhisgazeturnedtoJuheeathisside.Lyingcompletelyproneonthegroundwithherhandscoveringherhead,itwashardtosaythatshewasinapositionofbowingbeforetheStatue.

‘Ah…’

JinwoogentlygrabbedJuhee’swrists.Startled,Juheelookedupathimlikeaterrifiedprey.Hewordlesslynoddedather,thenreleasedhishand.Slowly,JinwoohelpedJuheeassumedthepositionofworshipbeforetheStatueofGod.

‘Thisshoulddoit.’

Andthentherewasone.Himself.

JinwoofacedtheStatue,kneeling,thenputhishandsonthegroundandslowlybowedhishead.

Andachangeoccurred.

“Oh,ooh?”

TheHunterswhonoticedstartedmakingnoise.

“TheStatueofGod?Everyone,lookattheStatueofGod!”

“Itseyes!”

ThecrimsonlightthatadornedtheStatue’seyeswerefadingaway.

“What?Youmeanthisreallyisworking?”

Andjustlikethat,thelightscompletelydisappearedfromtheStatue’seyes.

TheHunterscheeredinunison.

“Thelightdisappeared!”

“We’realive!”

TheexcitedHuntersrosefromtheirspotsandcheered,buttheStatueofGoddidnotreact.Jinwoo,whofollowedsuit,sighedwithrelief.

“Phew-“

Ashehadguessed.Thisroomwasoperatingaccordinglytoasetofrulesandconditions,justlikeagame.

‘Ifthat’strue,’

Thegamewasnotoveryet.ThereweretwomoreCommandments.

Second:PraisetheLord;Third:ProveyourFaith

Suddenly,withadeeprumbling,theentireroomstartedtoshake.Jinwoo’sexpressionhardened.

‘AsIthought…’

Hisguesseswerecorrect.Thiswasnotover.

TheStatueofGod’senormousbodywasslowlyrisingfromitsseat.

“Eh,eh?!”

TheHunterswhowerecelebratingtogetherwithtearsofjoyfroze.

“W-what?!Wasn’titallover?!”

“No,itcan’tbe!”

Frozeninfear,theHunterscouldnotsaymuchmore.Theirfaceswerefilledwithterroranddespair.

“No…no…”

TheStatueofGodassumedastandingposition.Itlookedaround,takinginthesurrounding,thenstartedwalkingtowardstheHunters.

BOOM!

Witheachstepittook,theStatueofGodshooktheearth.

BOOM!

Itsmassivefigurewassuchthatitsheadalmostreachedtheceiling.

BOOM!

AsitssheersizeputpressureontheHunters,itslowlyclosedthegapbetweenitandthem.

“Hey,Mr.Sung!Mr.SungJinwoo!”

“Whatshouldwedo?!”

TheHunterswhowerecursingJinwooonlymomentsagonowlookedtowardshimforhope.

“Isthereanythingelsewehavetodo?!”

“Saysomething!”

Evenasgrownadults,theHunters’faceswereonthevergeofbreakingdownintears.YettheylookedatJinwooastheironlyremaininghope.JinwoocarefullyhelpedJuhee,frozeninfear,toherfeet,andheexplainedtheSecondCommandment.

“Itsaid,‘PraisetheLord’,that’sourclue.”

“Ah,that’s!”Mr.Kimspokeknowingly,“Itwaswrittenonthetablet,right?”

“That’sright,‘PraisetheLord’,‘ProveyourFaith’,wehavetofulfillallthreeCommandments.”

Jinwoo’swordswerefilledwithurgency.

BOOM~!

Withonelaststep,theStatueofGodhadalreadyarrivedbeforetheirgroup.ItsmassiveshadowscoveredtheHunters,whosefacesbecamepale.

“I,I’lltry.”

OneoftheHunters,normallyashy,youthfulman,steppedforward.

“Hey!Whatareyougoingtotry?!”

“I’mpartofmychurch’schoir.Ifit’s‘praise’,I’mconfidentinit.”

TheyoungmanansweredMr.KimandwalkedtowardstheStatueofGod.AshenearedtheStatue,hetookadeepbreathandstartedsinging,

“~AsIwalktotheLord~”Hisyouthfulvoicerangthroughouttheroom.

“~Pleaserenewmeandprovidemewithyourblessing.~”

TheStatueofGodstoppedbeforehim.

TheHuntersgaspedinsurpriseandawe.Asifitwassatisfiedbythesong,theStatueofGodstoodmotionless.Allothersoundsoftheroomdisappeared,onlytheyouth’svoicewasheardintheroom.Gainingcouragefromtheapparentresult,theHunterstrengthenedhisvoiceandcontinuedtosing,

“~AllmyweaknesseswillbewashedawaybythegraceofmyLord~”

AmidstthehopefulHunters,Jinwoocouldnotshakethefeelingofuneasiness.Thefeelingthattheyweremissingsomething.

‘No…thisisallwrong.’

Hekeptrepeatingthethoughttohimself.Thisroomhaditsownsetofrules.Rightnow,theyouthfulHunterwasfollowingtheruleofChristianity,notthisroom.Butthankfully,theStatueofGodwasnotmoving.Maybethiswasenoughtosatisfytheconditions?

Jinwootiltedhishead.ThereasonwhyhehadnotstoppedthesingingwasbecausehecouldnotthinkofanyotherwaytostoptheStatueofGod.

Suddenly,

BOOM!

Aloudcrashbrokethroughthesinging,followedbyascream,

“Kiyaaaaaaah!”

AstheStatueofGodraiseditsfootagain,themangledremainsofthesingingHunterfellfromitssole.

TheotherHuntersstartedscreamingaswell.

“Ahhhh!”

“Uwaaaaak!”

ThepreviouslyemotionlessfaceoftheStatueofGodwasnowfilledwithanincrediblerage.

“It’sangry!”

“R-run!”

TheHuntersquicklyranawayfromtheStatue.

“Kiyaaaaah!!!”

HavinglostallthoughtandreasonafterseeingtheyouthfulmanbecrushedbeneaththeStatueofGod’sfoot,afemaleHuntersimplystoodinplaceandscreamed.

‘Shit…!’

Jinwoo,whowasrunningwithJuheeinhisarms,quicklyturnedtotryandhelpher.ButhewasblockedbyMr.Song.

“Ahjussi…?”

“It’stoolate!”

Likeswattingafly,theStatueofGodslammeditshandontopofthefemaleHunter.

BANG!

Jinwooturnedaway.Itwasagruesomescenewhichhecouldnotbeartowitness.

“Wecan’tdillydallyhere!Areyoutryingtogetthatyoungladykilledaswell?!”

AtMr.Song’srebuke,Jinwoosnappedbacktoattention.Mr.Songwasright.

BOOM!

“Uwaaaak!”

BOOM!

BOOM!

“Helpme!”

Nolongerwalking,theStatueofGodranfromHuntertoHunter,crushingthembeneathhisfeet.Witheachstep,heshooktheentiretemple.

BOOM!

BOOM!

Jinwooranwithhisteethclenched.Withhereyesclosed,JuheeheldontoJinwooastheyran.

“Let’ssplitapart!”

“Okay!”

Knowingthatrunningtogethermadethemabettertarget,JinwooandMr.Songseparatedawayfromeachother.TryingtomaintainthelargestdistancebetweenhimselfandtheStatueofGod,Jinwoorantowardsaspotatthewalls.HesawthatMr.Parkwasalreadythere,havingranwithallhismight,knowingtherewasmoreonthelinetohimthanjusthisownlife.Theimageofhisfamilyreflectedoverhistearyeyes.

Hisson,wholookedjustlikehisfather.Hiswife,withhissecondchild.Mr.Parkcouldnotaffordtodieinaplacelikethis.Pullingfortheveryounceofhisstrength,Mr.ParkwasabletoreachthewallsfasterthantheotherHunters.

“Huff…Huff…”

Suddenly,Mr.Kim,whowasfriendswiththeman,shoutedatthepantingMr.Park.

“Mr.Park!”

Atthefamiliarvoice,Mr.ParkturnedtowardsMr.Kim,

“Hmm?”

Mr.KimgesturedtowardsMr.Park’sbackandyelled,

“Turn!Turnaround!”

AndsomethingsharpflashedfrombehindMr.Park.

“Huh…?”

slash-

Mr.Parkwassplitcleanlyfromthetopofhisheadtothebaseofhiscrotch.Theevenlyseparatedsidesofhisbodyfellindifferentdirectionsontotheground.

“MR.PARK!!!”

ThestatuethathadcleavedMr.Parkintwainwithitsswordsimplyreturnedandassumeditspositiononthewalls,asifnothinghadhappened.

Mr.Kimheldbacktearsashewitnessedthedeathofhisfriend.

“Thesefuckingpiecesof-!”

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Behindhim,thegiantStatueofGodwasgoingfromHuntertoHunter,crushingthemwithhisfeet.Thosethatfledtothewallswereattackedbythestatues.

“Ahhhhh!”

“Myarm!Myarm!”

Theinteriorofthetemplehadturnedintoasceneofterrorandcarnage.

Jinwoopantedwildlyasheran,hisforeheaddrippingwithcoldsweat.Hislegsgettingheavierandheavier;hisbreathgettingshallowerandshallower.Buthisheadwasfilledwithasinglethought,repeatedoverandoveragain:

‘PraisetheLord.PraisetheLord.PraisetheLord.’

TheSecondCommandmentthatswamthroughhishead.ThekeytosolvingthemeaningoftheCommandmentsmustbehiddeninthisroom.

‘Theremustbesomethinginherethatwe’resupposedtouse!’

ButwhentheHuntersinitiallyenteredthetempleandlookedaround,theyfoundnotoolsormechanisms.

‘Theonlythingherearethosedamnedstatues.’

‘Wait.’

AthoughtappearedinJinwoo’shead.

‘Theonlythingthat’sherearethosestatues?’

Jinwoo’seyeswidened.

“Whydidn’tIthinkofthat?!”

Ifthestatuesweretheonlythinginthisroom.Thenthestatuesmustbethekeytosolvingthemystery.Thestatuesonlymovedwhensomeoneenteredtheirproximity;thismusthavebeenthekeytousingthemsomehow.

‘Ifthat’scorrect…!’

Gatheringwhatenergyhehadleft,Jinwooscreamedthroughhispantingbreath,

“EVERYONE,HEADTOTHESTATUESWITHINSTRUMENTS!”

Jinwoo’sshoutreachedalltheHunters’ears.

“!”

“Instruments?!”

Hopereturnedtotheireyes.UnlikethetimewhereJinwooaskedthemtobow,theHuntersthistimedidnothesitatetorespond.Ofcourse,ifJinwoowaswrongonhisguess,theywouldbemassacredwhentheyapproachedthestatues.Butinthismoment,therewasnotoneHunterwhoremainedsuspiciousofJinwoo’sdirections.

Mr.Songwasthefirsttoarriveatastatueholdinganinstrument.

“…”

Holdinghisbreath,Mr.Songslowlylookedupatthestatue.Asifresponding,thestatue’sfingersmoved,anditstartedplayingtheharpinitshands.

Itwasabeautifulsound.

“Hewasright!”

“Movetothestatueswithinstruments!”

EachHunter,withrenewedhope,rantowardsthevariousstatuesholdinginstruments.

Trumpets,flutes,lyres.Soon,theharmoniousmelodyofdifferentinstrumentsfilledtheentiretemple.

Mr.Kim,whohadbeenrunninguntilhisbreathranout,collapsedandkneltbeforeastatueholdingamandolin.

strum~strum~

Asthemandolin’smelodyrangthroughtheair,theStatueofGodthatwaschasingMr.Kimslowedtoastop.Unabletoholdhisemotionsback,Mr.Kimburstintotearswhereheknelt.

“Uwaaaaah-“

AndtheStatueofGodturnedawayfromhim.Scanningtherestofthetemple,itfounditsnewtarget.

“Shit!”

Meetingitseyes,Jinwoocursed.Andhestartedrunning,hisheartbeatinglikeitwasabouttoexplode.Hissweatingbackwassoaked.

‘Why!Whyisthisonenotplaying?!’

Jinwooglaredatthestatuehehadarrivedatwithresentment.Holdingdrumsinitshands,itssilentfiguremadenoindicationthatitwouldplayitsinstrument.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Withterrifyingspeed,theStatueofGodclosedthegapbetweenthem.AstheStatue,whichhadbeenattheoppositeendoftheroomonlymomentsago,nearedthem,Jinwoogulped.

‘IsitbecauseJuheeandIarebothhereatthesametime?’

Thatmust’vebeentheanswer.Ashelookedaround,nootherHunterhadtroublewiththeirstatues.

‘Idon’thavetimetothinkaboutthis,’

HeputdownJuheeandpreparedtoruntoadifferentspot.

“Jinwoo…”

AterrifiedJuheeheldontohissleeves.Jinwoocalmlywhisperedintoherears,

“We’llbothdieifIstay.”

Ashesawtearsformingatthecornersofhereyes,Jinwooknewthattherewasnotimetoexplain.Hegentlypulledawayhershakinghandsfromhissleeves,thenranwithallhismighttowardsanotherstatue.

*Ba-Bum**Ba-Bum**Ba-Bum*

Heheardthebeatofthedrumstartingfrombehindhimasheran.

‘Thankgod.’

Therewasonlyonethingleft.Tosafelymakeittoanotherstatue!

Jinwoowasnowtheonlyonewhohadnotmadeittotheprotectionofstatuesholdinginstruments.Accordingly,thecompleterageoftheStatueofGodwasnowfocusedsolelyonhim.Jinwooranawayfromthecrashingfootstepsofhischaserandspedacrosstheroom.

BOOM!

BOOM!

AshebarelydodgedandrolledawayfromtheStatue’sstomps,hispantingbecameheavierandheavier.AlthoughhewasthelowestoftheE-rankHunters,asaFighter-classHunter,hisbodyofferedwhatlittlehelpitcouldinthissituation.

‘Justalittlebitmore!’

TakingnoticeoftheStatueofGod’sfootstepsclosinginonhim,hefocusedandstrengthenedhislegs.Hisspeedincreased.Therewasbutafewstepsuntilhereachedhistargetstatue.

“NO,NOTTHATWAY!”

Mr.Songhadshoutedathim.

HavingfocusedontheStatueofGod’smovementsuntilnow,Jinwooturnedhisattentiontothestatuehehadarrivedat.

“Ah!”

‘It’snotholdinganinstrument!’

Henowrealizedwhatappearedtobeaninstrumentinthestatue’shandswasactuallyashield.Withoutmercy,thestatueraisedandbroughtdowntheshieldinitshands.

“Uwah!”

Jinwoothrewhisbodytotheside.

“Kiyaah!”

Juheescreamed.

Asherolledacrossonthefloor,helookedup.TheStatueofGodwasalmostuponhim.

“Outofthefryingpan…”

Histumbleonthegroundhadopenedacutonhisforehead.Bloodfloweddowntohiseyes,obscuringhisvision.Jinwoorapidlylookedleftandright.

‘Instrument,instrument…’

Butnoinstrumentregisteredinhiseyes.

TheStatueofGodraiseditsfoot.

“Shit!”

BOOM!

Jinwoobarelyevadedthestompbythrowinghisbodytotheside.Buthewasreachinghislimits.Feelingfaint,hefoundithardtomaintainbalanceforsomereason.

‘Please…’

IftherewasaGod,hewantedtopraytoit.Inthatmoment,Jinwoonoticedastatuethatwasneitherholdingaweaponnoraninstrument.

‘That’s!’

Hecrawledwithlastvestigesofhisstrength,placinghishopesonthestatue.Withafinaltwistofhisbody,hethrewhimselfatthefeetofthestatuewithabookinitshands.FacingtheStatueofGodthatwasheadingtowardhim,herealizedhehadnostrengthlefttomove.Pantingheavily,helookedatthefaceoftheStatueofGod.Asifmadeworsebyhispersistentresistance,theangerinthefacethatlookeddownuponJinwoowasgreatlymagnified.

ItstoppedbeforeJinwoo.

Facedwithagiantastallasabuilding,Jinwoostruggledtobreathe.

‘GuessI’macorneredrat…’

TheStatueofGodsimplycontinuedtostare.

‘Thisistheend…’

Certainofhisimpendingdoom,Jinwoosawhisdeathintheeyesthatwerelookingdownathim.

Inthatmoment,heheardabeautifulandmelodioussingingcomingfrombehindhim.Witheffort,heturnedandlookedatitssource.Thestatuethathewasrestingonwasnowsingingwithaholyvoice;itssoundechoingthroughoutthetemple.Lookingback,JinwoosawtheStatueofGod’sfacestartingtorelax.ThetracesofitsdemonicragedisappearedastheStatue’sfacereturnedtoitsoriginalemotionlessvisage.

Asthestatues’musicended,theStatueofGodturnedandreturnedtoitsseat,appearingasifnothinghadhappened.

BOOM!

Thesoundofthegiantsittingdownrangthroughoutthetemple.

“Hah...Hah...Are…we…safe…?”

Jinwoofaintlysmiledthroughhisheavybreaths.

Juheequicklyrantohim,

“Jinwoo!”

Havingreachedhimafterrunningwithallhermight,Juheecollapsednexttohimintears.

“Ohmygod…ohmygod…”

Sheusedallthemagicpoweratherdisposalandtriedeveryhealingmagicsheknew.Butithadnoeffect.

Onebyone,thescatteredHuntersgatheredbeforeJinwoo.Theirexpressionsequallydark.

“Ohno…Jinwoo...”

Amidsttheirpityinglooksandwords,Juheecriedwithoutceasing.

‘Whyaretheylookingatmelikethat?‘

Jinwoowantedtoask,buthelackedtheenergytospeak.So,hetriedtogatherhisstrengthandstandup.

“…?”

Apoolofbloodhadgatheredwherehewassitting.Jinwoofinallywasabletounderstandthesituationhewasin.

“Ah…”

Hisrightleghaddisappearedbelowtheknees.

Helookedacrosstheroomtothestatueholdingashield.Thebaseoftheshieldwascoveredinblood.

Hismissinglegbelowit.

HeturnedandsawblooddrippingdownfromJuhee’snose.Herbodyhadreacheditslimits.AB-rankHunter’shealingwasinsufficientfortheregenerationofabodypart.Yetshecontinued,hereffortslikecollectingwaterwithabrokenpitcher.Andasshecontinued,bothhermagicpowerandvitalityquicklydecreased.

“It’sokay,Juhee.Youcanstopnow…”

“No!Icanhealthis!I’llhealyou!”

TheHunterswatchedthepairwithpity.

Ofthe17thathadentered,only6remained.

Ofthe6remaining,2hadreceivedaseriouslyinjury.

Mr.Songandhisarm,andnowJinwoowithhisleg.

Althoughtheirlivesweresaved,noonecouldputonasmile.

Suddenly,athunderingnoiserangthroughoutthetemple.

Atitscenter,thegroundwiththemagiccircleinscribeduponitstartedrising,formingaplatform.

Jinwoorealizedthefinaltrialhadarrived.

‘ProveyourFaith…’

Hehadalreadybeencontemplatingitsmeaning.

Chapter5:TheFinalTrial

Therisinggroundstoppedatwaistheight.

“Analtar…”

Jinwooabsent-mindedlyspoketohimself.

‘Analtar?’

‘Didhejustsayanaltar?’

Themanwhohadsavedtheirlivesnotoncebuttwice;JinwoowasnotahighleveledAwakenedBeing[1],butalowlyE-rankHunterthattheylookeddownoninthepast.

‘Ifitwasn’tforMr.Sung,wewouldbe…’

TheHunters’thoughtswereinunion.Jinwoo’swordsupuntilnowwerealifelinetothem.Andnowthismanhadutteredthewords,“altar”.Thequick-wittedMr.Kimwasthefirsttospeak,

“IthinkIunderstand.”

Heunsheathedtheswordathiswaist.Normallyaweapontobeusedinslayingmagicbeasts,itspurposethistimewasdifferent.

“Evenanidiotlikemecanunderstandwhatyoumeanby‘altar’.”

TheHunterslookedatMr.Kim’sdrawnsword,gleamingwithsharpness,andgulped.

“Hey,Mr.Kim!Whyareyoutakingthatoutnow?”

“Let’stalkaboutthis,talk!”

Mr.Song’sC-rankwasthehighestintheparty.Withhimoutofcommission,

therewasnooneelseinthepartywouldcouldmatchMr.Kim,whoseskillshoneevenamongsttheotherD-rankers.

Mr.Kimpointedhisswordatthealtar.

“ThelastCommandmentwas,‘ProveyourFaith’,andnowthisaltarappearedinthemiddleoftheroom.”

Mr.Kim’sgazeshiftedtoJinwoo,

“Wehavetosacrificesomeoneatthealtar,right,Mr.Sung?”

Jinwoonodded.Itwashisguessaswell.Oneoftheliving6hadtobecomeasacrifice.

‘That’sprobablythelastrule…’

Asheraisedhishead,hesawMr.Kimapproachinghimwithastrangelookinhiseyes.AstreakofsweatfelldownthesideofJinwoo’shead.

“Ahjussi…whatareyougoingto-”

“Justsittherequietly!”

Mr.KimpointedhisswordatMr.Song,whohadbeensittingnexttoJinwoolookingoverhisinjuries.

“Whoistheonewhodraggedusallhere?It’sMr.Songrighthere!Thenshouldn’thebetheonetopaythepriceforallthis?!”

“Ahjussi!”

Jinwooyelledandtriedtogetup,butMr.Song’shandsstoppedhim.Jinwooturnedandlookattheman.

“...”

Mr.Songshookhisheadwithoutaword.HiseyesbeggedJinwootostayquiet.Jinwoowantedtosaysomething,butswallowedhiswords.Mr.Songslowlygotup.

“Mr.Kimisright.Ihavetotakeresponsibility.”

“Thenwe’reinagreement,oldman.”

Mr.Kimgesturedtowardsthealtarwithhissword.

“Ifyou’rein,thenlet’shurryup.11peoplediedbecauseofyou.”

OneofthecasualtiesincludedMr.Park,Mr.Kim’sfriend.

Ofcourse,thepartyhadvotedontheissuebeforeenteringtheDoubleDungeon,withastipulationthatnoonewouldarguetheresult.ButtoMr.Kim,whohadlostallreason,itwasbutafadedmemoryinthebackofhismind.

“I’llgoofmyownwill,socouldyouputawaythesword?”

Mr.SongaskedMr.Kim.

“HowcouldItrustyouafterallthis?Stoptalkingandwalk.”

Sighing,Mr.Songwalkedtothealtar,followedbyMr.Kimandhisswordpointedathisback.

Ashewatched,Jinwoobithislips.

‘It’snotMr.Song’sfault…’

Afterall,theyallhadvotedandagreedontheresult.ToJinwoo,aftereverythingtheywentthrough,puttingalltheblameonMr.Songwastheheightofcowardice.

‘But…’

JinwoosimplydidnothavethepowertostopMr.Kim.AD-rankerwhostoodattheheightofhisrank,andanE-rankerwhogroveledatthelowestofhis.Thedifferenceinpowerwastoomuch.Ontopofthat,hewasmissingoneofhislegs.Ifhetriedsomethingnow,notonlyhim,butJuhee,whowashealinghim,couldbecomethetargetofMr.Kim’sanger.

“Shit.”

Jinwooclosedhiseyes.Outofallthedays,hecursedhispowerlessnessthemostinthismoment.

Inthemeantime,Mr.Songhadgottenontopofthealtar.

woosh~!

Inresponse,aredflameappearedattheedgesofthemiddleareawherethealtarwas.Allthosegatheredgulpedastheycautiouslypreparedforwhatwouldhappennext.

Butnothinghappened.

Exceptfortheappearanceoftheflame.

“...?”

Asnonewdevelopmentoccurredaftersometime,Mr.Kimandtheothersstartedfeelinganxious.

“Hey,Mr.Sung,wasn’tthisit?”

Mr.KimaskedJinwoo.

“I’mnotsure…”

JinwoohadexpectedtheThirdCommandmenttobefulfilledwhenapersonwentontopofthealtar.

‘Wasitnotaskingforasacrifice?’

Well,itwasnotabadnewstoJinwoo.Ifhistheoryofsacrificewaswrong,thentherewasachancetosaveMr.Song.Jinwoo’sfacebrightened.Ashestruggledtogetup,JinwooaskedthetwoHuntersstandingnearbyforhelp.

“Couldyouhelpmegettothealtar?”

“Jinwoo,yourinjury…”

JuheealsostoodupwithJinwoo.Havingspentmostofhermana,herappearancewaspaleandweak.Thankstoherhelp,Jinwoowasatleastableto

overcomethesenseofpainfromhisinjuries.

‘Ihavetohurry.’

Juhee’scondition.Mr.Kim’sanger.TheotherHunters’terror.

Hewasrunningoutoftime.

WiththeothertwoHunters’assistance,Jinwooarrivedatthealtar.

“Let’sgouponthealtar.”

Histwohelpersweretakenbackforamoment,butplacedtheirfaithinJinwooandgotontopofthealtar.

Inresponse,threemoreflamesarosefromtheedgeofthemiddlearea.

woosh~!

woosh~!

woosh~!

Jinwoo’seyeswidened.

‘Sameasthenumberofpeopleontop.’

Mr.Song,histwohelpersandhimself.Thefourflamesflickeredaroundthemiddlearea,outliningacircle.

‘Lookingattheirplacement,wejustneed2moretocompletethecircle.’

Andso,itappearedthattheremainingpeoplewouldhavetocomeontopofthealtar.

“Doyouthinksomeonewillcometorescueusifwewait?”

JinwooaskedMr.Song.

Mr.Songshookhishead.

“Todaymarksthe7thdaysincethisGateopened.Beforereinforcementsarrive,thosethingswillprobablymovefirst.”

“ForaD-rankGate,theysureleftitalonefortoolong.”

“Well,it’stheAssociation,afterall…”

AGatewillundergoafullopeningafter7days.ItwasthejoboftheHuntertopreventthatfromhappening.ToclosetheGatebyslayingthebossintheDungeon,thatwastherealobjectiveofaRaid.Shouldtheyfailtodosointime,allthemagicbeastswithintheDungeonobtainedthefreedomtoexittheGate.ADungeonBreak.

Jinwoolookedaroundhim.TheStatueofGodremainedinitsseat,lookingdownupontheirpartyfromdistance.

‘Ifthatthingisallowedtoleavehere…’

Hecouldnotimaginethedestructionthatwouldfollow.Ofcourse,theirpartywouldbethefirsttobemassacred,ifthestatuesintheroomgainedthefreedomtomoveabout.SoJinwoorealizedtheycouldnotjustholdoutforhelp.

JinwoocalledouttoJuheeandMr.Kim.

“Canyoutwoalsocomeuphere?”

Juheefollowedhisinstructions.EventhehesitatingMr.Kimquicklyfollowedsuit.

Twomoreflamesappeared,completingthecircle.

woosh~

TheHuntersgasped.

“Huh?”

“What’shappening?”

AsJinwooexpected,somethingwashappening.

‘It’scoming.’

Fromtheoutermostcircleofthemiddlearea,smallblueflamesstartedappearing.Onebyone,theyflaredintoexistenceandformedacirclearoundthemiddlearea.

‘34…35…36…’

Jinwoocounted36blueflames.

‘Theredflamesthatmatchedthenumberofpeople.Theblueflamesthatnumber36.Isthereameaningtotheirnumber?’

Inthatmoment,

creak~

Thedoorblockingtheirexitopenedwithoutawarning.TheHuntersflinchedinreaction.

“Argh…!”

Everysingleoneofthemwantedtoruntowardstheexit,butthememoryofthefinalmomentsofthesingingHunterremainedfreshintheirminds,andnoonemadeanymovements.Theydidnotknowwhatfatewouldawaitthefirstpersontoleavethealtar.Asifwaitingforananswer,alltheirgazesfelluponJinwoo,whoclosedhismouthinsilence.

“...”

Itwastooearlytomakeaconclusion.Whetherornottheopeningofthedoorwasatrap,orifitwastheDungeon’swayoflettingthemknowthattheyhadfulfilledtheFinalCommandment,hedidnotknow.

AstheHunterswaitedforJinwoo’sdirections,noisesthatcarriedbadnewscamefromedgesoftheroom.

griiiiind

sliiiide

Thesixheadsturnedinunison,lookingaroundtheroom.

“Whatthehell?!”

“They’ve…they’vecomecloser!”

“They’realljustmoved!”

TheHunters’breathingquickened.Thestatuesthatonlyrespondedtohumansbeingnearbysuddenlyappearedtobefewstepscloserthanbefore.Inthatshorttime,Jinwoowasabletofullyascertainthesituation.

‘No,thestatuesdidn’tmove.Itwasthepedestalsbeneaththestatuesthatmovedcloser.’

Theslidingsoundfromearlierwasthesoundofstonepedestalsgrindingagainstthefloor.

“...They’vestoppedmoving?”

Mr.Kimwipedawaythesweatonhisbrows.Aseveryoneelse’sattentionswerefocusedonthestatues,Jinwoolookedattheblueflamesaroundthem.Disappearingonebyone,threeblueflameshadalreadygoneout.

griiiiind

sliiiide

“What,what!Whereisit?!”

Someoneshouted.Jinwooraisedhishead,thesoundcamefromhisdirection.Thestatuesthatfacedhimhadmovedcloser.

‘Whyonlyme…?’

Wasitbecausehehadlookedaway?

Jinwooclosedhiseyestotestthetheory.

grind

slide

“Goddammit,why?!”

“What,whatdowedonow?!”

Withrenewedunderstanding,Jinwooshoutedattheothers,

“Don’tlookawayfromthestatues!”

Nowthathethoughtaboutit,theinitialmovementsofthepedestalswereprobablycausedwheneveryonelookedtowardshimforguidanceearlier.

‘Thesebastarddon’tmovewhenwe’relookingatthem.’

Anotherblueflamewentout,butitdidnotelicitaresponsefromthestatues.

‘Coulditbe…?’

Withouttakinghiseyesoffthestatues,Jinwoocarefullyraisedhisarmandlookedathiswatch.

‘AsIthought.’

Theblueflamesweredisappearingeveryminute.

‘Theblueflamesareatimer.’

JinwoosurmisedthattheFinalCommandment’strialwastowaitontopofthealtaruntilthe36blueflamesdisappeared.Aslongaseachofthemcoveredallthestatues,theywouldbesafe.Therewasachancenoonehadtodieinthisfinaltrial.

Jinwoocheckedhiswatchandtheblueflamestodeterminethetimeremaining.

‘30left…’

Theyjusthadtowaitfor30minutes!

ButJinwoohadmadeamistake.Whilehewascountingtheblueflames,hehadlookedawayfromthestatues,andassuch,theystartedmovingtowardhim

again.

griiind

sliide

“I-Ican’tdothis!”

ThemanwhowaspositionedacrossJinwooscreamedandrantowardstheopendoor.Havingstartledbythesoundofmovementcomingfrombehindhim,unabletoturnaround,themanlostallcourageandmadethedecisiontorun.Ashejumpedfromthealtar,oneoftheredflamesdisappeared.

“No,don’t!”

Jinwooshouted.

Butthemanwhoranwithallhismightignoredhimandsafelypassedthroughtheopendoors.

“W-what?Mr.Sung,whatjusthappened?Hegotoutsafely!”

Jinwoo,unabletoturnaroundtowardsthedoor,didnotknowwhathadhappened.

“Didanythingchange?”

“Thedoor…thedoormovedslightlyinwards.”

“Isitclosingrightnow?”

“No,no.Itstartedclosingalittleafterthatmanwentthroughbutisn’tmovinganymore.”

Jinwoorememberedtheredflamedisappearingafterthemanleftthealtar.

‘Ofcourse!’

Hisheartsanktohisstomach.Theriddlethatplaguedhismindatopthealtarhadfinallyrevealeditsanswer.

Whatpartofthiswasproving‘FaithtotheLord’?Theanswerhadcometohim.

However,toamanwhocouldonlywalkwithsomeoneelse’sassistance,itwastheworstanswerpossible.

The‘opendoor’wasatrap.Afalsehopetotheireyes!

Hadtheentirepartyrantowardstheexitafterseeingthedooropen,thedoorwouldhaveclosedimmediatelyandthepartywouldhaverantowardstheirmassacre.Onthecontrary,thealtarwasthesafezone.Iftheyhadjustwaitedontopandwaitedouttheblueflameswhilewatchingthestatues,itwould’veguaranteedtheirsafety.

Afalsehopetheycouldseevs.apromisetheycouldnot.

Thiswashowoneprovedtheir‘FaithtotheLord’.Itwasatesttoovercomethetemptationoffreedomamidsttheapproachingdanger.

Here,twovariablesappearedbeforetheirsituation.

One.Jinwoo’spresence.

Insteadofrunningtotheopendoortotheirdoom,thepartystoppedtolistentoJinwoo,avoidingacertaindeath.

‘Wegotlucky.’

ItwasonlypossibleduetothepresenceofamanwhohadsolvedtheTwoCommandmentsbeforeandsavedtheirlives,earningtheirrespectandattentionintheprocess.

Butthesecondvariablewasnotasfavorable.

Someonehadlefttheirpartytosafety.

Howwouldthosethatremainedbehindreacttothisappearanceofhope?

Theanswerwasobvious.

ThemansupportingJinwoowasthesecondtorunouttheopendoors.Mr.SongquicklyreactedandcaughtthefallingJinwoo.Anotherredflamewentoutwith

thesecondrunner,andthedoorinchedclosertobeingshut.

“Hey,hey!”

Mr.Kimwaggedhisfingeratthesecondrunner,buttheman,likethefirst,safelypassedthroughthedoors.

Lookingatthenumberofremainingflames,Jinwooshouted,

“Pleasedon’tmove!Wecan’taffordtoloseanyoneelse!”

Front.Back.Left.Right.

Tocoverthefourcardinaldirections,aminimumoffourpeoplewereneeded.

Jinwoo,Juhee,Mr.SongandMr.Kim.

Ifevenonemorepersonleftamongsttheremainingfour,agapwouldopenupintheircoverage.

“Mr.Sung,what’shappening?Pleaseexplain.”

Mr.Kimaskedwhilewipingawaythesweatonhisforehead.

“Wejusthavetowaitlikethis!Untilalloftheblueflamesdisappear!”

Jinwoorevealedallthathehadsurmised.Mr.Kimlistenedwithattentionandnoddedalong.Finishinghisexplanation,Jinwooadded,

“Wecanallsurvivethis.”

Therulesofthisroomalwaysopenedapathtosurvivalforthosethatfollowedit.Thelastruleshouldbenodifferent.Aslongastheybelievedineachother,everyonecouldleavewithoutbeinghurt.ThiswasJinwoo’sconclusion.

“...”

Mr.Kim’sthoughtsweredifferent.Heaskedafterhesitating,

“Mr.Sung…Youmightbecorrectonallthis,but…Isn’tthereapossibilitythatthedoormightjustcloseoncethetimerends?”

“...”

Jinwoocouldnotanswerhim.Althoughhistheorywasgatheredfromthemultipletrialsandtheevidenceobservedsofar,itwasnot100%guaranteedthathewascorrect.

AndMr.Kimneededanassurance.Tohim,thecertaintyofhisownsurvivaloutweighedtheuncertainsurvivaloftheentiregroup.

“I’msorry…Idon’tthinkIcandothis.”

“Ahjussi!”

“I’msorry.”

Andwiththat,Mr.Kimsteppedoffofthealtar.IgnoringJinwoo’svoice,herantowardsthedoor.Aftertakingonelastlookatthepeopleheleftbehind,Mr.Kimwentthroughthedooranddidnotcomeback.

Jinwooclenchedandgrindedhisteeth.

“Fuck!”

Hehadsavedtheirlives.Insteadofrepayinghisactionswithkindnessandgratitude,theybetrayedhim.

Asexpected,aholeappearedintheircoverageofthestatues.

griiiiiind~

sliiiiiide~

Thestatuesinchedcloserandclosertowardsthegroup.

Afterlookingattheirsurroundings,Mr.SongspoketoJinwooandJuhee.

“Youguysshouldgo.”

Itwasavoicefilledwithresignation.

Jinwooturnedhisheadandlookedattheman.

“Ahjussi…?”

“Mr.Kimwasright.Whowasitthatbroughtyouallhere?It’sonlyrightthatIremainbehind.”

“But!”

“Ifanyoneshouldlive,it’syouyounginswithyourmanyyearsofliferemaining.”

Mr.Songsmiled.Theywerewordsmeanttocomfortthetwothatwouldhavetoleavehimbehind.

“...”

Jinwoonoddedindefeat.Hisheartwasheavy,buttheywerenotinasituationwheretheycouldargueonwhoshouldstayandwhoshouldgo.

“Ms.Juhee,couldyoupleasetakeJinwoo?”

“Okay…”

Butsuddenly,Juheewhowasapproachingthetwomencollapsedontotheground.

“Ah…”

Strugglingtogetup,tearsfilledhereyes.

“I…Ican’tmovemylegs…”

JinwooandMr.Song’sexpressionsdarkened.Shewasnotinagoodstate.Herlipshadturnedblue,andherentirebodywasspasminglightly.Itwasthesideeffectofoverusingone’smanatonearemptiness,madeworseinherexhaustedstate.

‘Onlybecauseshetriedtohealmyleg…’

Jinwoostruggledtospeakastheguiltweighedheavilyuponhisheart.Butthiswasnotatimetowasteawaylikethis.

griiiiiind~

sliiiiiide~

Thestatueswerecontinuingtomovetowardsthecenteroftheroom.

JinwoopulledawayfromMr.Song’sarmsandcollapsedontothefloorofthealtar.

Mr.Song’seyeswidened,

“You…”

Jinwoospoketohimwithadeterminedlook,

“Ahjussi,pleasetakeJuheeandgetoutofhere.”

“Itoldyou,Iwouldremain.”

“ThenwhowilltakeJuhee?”

Jinwoowasn’tabletowalkonhisown.ItwasimpossibleforhimtotakeJuhee,alsoincapacitated,tothedoors.

‘Ofcourse…’

Therewastheoptionofleavingherbehind.

Butshewassomeonewhohadsavedhislifecountlesstimesbefore.Andevenhercurrentstatewasduetospendingallhermanaineffortstohealhim.Hehatedthethoughtofcarryingtheguiltofleavingsuchapersonbehindfortherestofhislife

“There’snotime.Pleasego.”

“...”

Mr.SongpickedupJuheewithaheavyexpression.Juheecriedandshookherheadindefiance.

“No…wecan’t…Jinwoo,youcanleave,I’llstaybehind…”

“Ipromisedtobuyyoudinner,right?”

JinwootookouttheE-rankmagiccorefromhispocketandplaceditinJuhee’shand.

“Goaheadfirstandeatwiththis.I’llcomecollectthechangelater.”

Juheeflaredathissmile.

“Howcouldyouevenjokeinatimelikethis!”

JinwoonoddedtowardMr.Song,whostruckthebackofJuhee’sneck,knockingherout.Mr.Songcarriedheroverhisrightshoulder.

“...I’msorry.”

“It’smydecision,afterall.”

Mr.SongbowedhisheadtowardJinwoo,andsteppeddownfromthealtarwithJuhee.

Thestatueswerequicklynearingthealtar.

Sittingdown,Jinwootookinadeepbreath.

NoticingtheswordthatMr.Kimhadleftbehind,hereachedoutandgrabbedit.

‘Nowthatit’slikethis.I’mgoingtotakeatleastoneofyouwithme.’

Turningaround,hesawMr.SongandJuheesafelymakeitthroughtheopendoors.

‘Thankgod…I’mtheonlyonethat’lldienow.’

Itwasnotasentimentborneofsomenobleself-sacrifice.Justamatterofsimplecalculation.Evenifhegotoutsomehow,hewouldhavetolivetherestofhislifeasacripple.ForgetbeingaHunter,itwouldn’tbepossibleforhimtoevenliveanormallife.Withnospecialtalentsorlearnedskills,hedidnotseeahappylifeaheadofhim.

‘Thenthere’smother’shospitalbills…andJinah’seducationexpenses…’

Sincetherewasnowayhe’dbeabletosupportthemwiththisinjury,hethoughttoatleastprovideforthemthroughhisdeath.

‘Let’ssee,thecompensationfordeathduringaRaidwas…threehundredmillionwontothesurvivingfamily?Orwasitfourhundredmillion?’

ComparedtotheworthlesslifeofanE-ranker,itwasarathergenerouscompensation.

griiiiiind~

sliiiiiide~

*Stop*

Theywerehere.

Thefirststatuetoarrivetookasteptowardsthealtar.

Jinwoolookedtowardshimandraisedhissword.

“Come.”

Butthefirstattackcamefrombehind.

*Stab*

Thespearthatpiercedhisbacknowprotrudedoutofhischest.

“cough~”

Jinwoothrewupalargeamountofblood.Thepainassaultedhissenseslikehail.

“Iftheplaceyouwerestabbedinwasjustabithigher,itwould’vepiercedyourheart!”

Juhee’swordsfromearlierflashedacrosshismind.

“Wu-wuaaaaak!”

Thestatueraiseditsspearandwithit,Jinwoo.Stillskeweredtotheweapon,

Jinwoofoundhimselfsuspendedinair.Asheflailedhislegsinpain,thestatueslammedhimtowardstheground.

Bang!

crackcrackcrack

Heheardthesoundofbonesbreakingthroughouthisentirebody.Therewasnowherehedidnotfeelpain.

Onebyone,thestatuesgatheredaroundtheconvulsingJinwoo,whoglaredupatthem.

‘Idon’t…Idon’twanttodielikethis…’

Asdeathcreptcloserandcloser,tearsformedinhiseyes.

Hisfamilyappearedinhismind.Juhee,whoworriedforhimuntilthelastminute,alsoappearedinhismind.

‘Idon’twanttodie…’

Toendhislifeatayoungageof24.

step-

Astatuewieldingaswordwalkedtowardshimwithanexpressionlessface.

Evenashisentirebodyshook,Jinwoodidnotlookawayfromitsgaze.

Finally,thestatue’sraisedswordfelldowntowardshim.

‘Justonemore,ifIhadjustonemorechance!’

Jinwoo’seyeswidenedatthefallingsword.

Itwasinthatmoment.

tickticktickticktickticktickticktick….

Asifsomeonehadpressedthepausebuttononavideo,thefallingsword

stoppedbeforehiseyes.

No,notstopped.

Slowedtoacrawl,almostasifitwasstopped.

Millimeterbymillimeter,theswordwasdefinitelystillcomingdownathim.

‘W-what?’

Hecouldnothidehissurprise.

Then,afemalevoicehehadneverheardbeforeinhisliferangthroughouthishead.

[Youhavefulfilledallconditionsofthe‘SecretQuest:TheWeakOne’sCourage’.]

Secretquest?Fulfilledallconditions?

Hehadnoideawhatitwassaying.

‘No,beforethat,whereisthatvoicecomingfrom?’

Ignoringhisthoughts,thevoicecontinued.

[You’veobtainedtherighttobecomeaPlayer.Doyouaccept?]

Obtainedtheright?Accept?

‘Itsoundslikeit’sgivingmesomething…’

Growingupinpoverty,heknewtherewasnosuchthingasfreeinlife.

‘ButIsupposedthatwasinlife.Whatdoesanyofitmatterindeath?’

“...”

Ashewaitedinhesitation,thevoiceinhisheadaskedagain.

[Youdonothavemuchallowedtimeremaining.Inthecasetherightisrefused,

yourheartwillstopin0.02seconds.Doyouaccept?]

Whetherornotthiswasahallucination,onethingwascertain:hisimpendingdeath.

Ontopoftheswordslowlycomingdownonhishead,theotherstatues’weaponswerealsofindingtheirwaytowardshim.

Atthispoint,Jinwoogavehimselfuptoresignation.

‘...Sure,whynot?’

Hedidnotspeakthewordsoutloud.Merelythoughttheminhishead.

Butthevoiceansweredhisthoughts.

[WelcometobecomingaPlayer.]

Flash!

Ablindinglightsurroundedhisbody,andJinwoolostconsciousness.

---------------------------------

[1]:“AwakeningBeing”(;gak-sung-ja):“toawaken”gak-sung+“person”ja>apersonwhohadunderwentAwakening.AllHuntersareAwakenedBeings.NotallAwakenedBeingsworkasHunters.

Chapter6:Penalty

Heopenedhiseyes.

Abrightwhiteceiling.Thestingingsmellofdisinfectant.Feelingofahardbedbehindhisback.

Jinwooimmediatelyrealizedwherehehadopenedhiseyes.

‘Ahospital?’

AlthoughhefoundhimselfcominglessandlessaftermeetingtheB-rankHealer-classHunterJuhee,thehospitalwasstillaplaceJinwoocouldcallasecondhomeinhisjob.Afterall,therewereevenrumorsthattherewasaroomreservedjustforhimhere.

Jinwoosatupright.Holdinghishanduptohischest,hefelttheregularbeatingofhisheart.

‘I’m...alive?’

Notjustalive,hisentirebodyfeltlighterthanusual.Comparedtotheheavinesshefeltwhenhewouldnormallyopenhiseyeshere,somethingwasdifferent.Itwasasifhewokeupafteragoodrestinhisownhome.

‘...What?’

Whenherememberedthescenebeforehepassedout,itwasanunthinkableoccurrence.

Thefallingsword.Thestatuesthatsurroundedhim.

Evenifhehadsomehowdodgedthesword,itwouldtakeapartycomposedofA-rank,no,S-rankHunterstodefeattheenemiesinthatroom.

‘AndIcameoutoftherealive?’

Wasitadream?

Thankfully,therewasaneasywaytofindout.Jinwoolookedunderneaththeblanketcoveringhim.Ifitwasallreal,hewouldbemissingaleg.

Then,adeepvoiceinterruptedhim,

“Haveyouregainedconsciousness?”

Startledbythedeepvoicethatspoketohimfromacorner,Jinwoostraightenedhisbackandturnedhisheadtowardsthesource.

“IapologizeifI’vesurprisedyou.”

“Unfortunately,wecan’taffordtodelayhereanylonger.”

Twomen,dressedinblacksuits,walkedtowardsthebed.

Jinwootiltedhisheadandasked,

“MayIask...whoyouare?”

Hedidnotrecognizetheirfaces.Oneofthemen,sportingamilitary-esqueshorthair,handedhimabusinesscard.

“Thisiswherewe’refrom.”

Jinwooreadthecardhereceived,

‘KoreanHunterAssociation,HunterSurveillanceDepartment[1],SectionChiefWooJincheol?’

OfallthedepartmentsoftheHunterAssociation,theHunterSurveillanceDepartment(HSD)wastheonlyonecomposedofstrongHunters.AsthedepartmentinchargeofmonitoringandkeepingtheHuntersinline,itmadesensethatitwouldbefilledwithhigh-levelHunters.

“WhatdoestheHunterSurveillanceDepartmentwantwithme?”

WooJincheolpulledupachairandsatdown.Theothermanwhoappearedtobehisjuniorstoodbehindhim.Withthetwomen’simposingphysiqueclosebefore

him,Jinwoofeltagreatdealofpressure.

Theybeganexplainingthesituation.Ashelistenedtotheirwords,Jinwooutteredinsurprise,

“Iwasasleepforfourdays?”

“Doyoubyanychancerememberanythingbeforeyoulostconsciousness?”

“Ithinkso.”

“Couldyoupleasetellusyourrecollection?”

Leavingasidethedetailregardingthemysteriousvoice,herecalledeverythinghewentthroughuntilhispassingout.

“…Andsothat’swhenyoulostconsciousness,isthatcorrect?”

“Yes.WhenIopenedmyeyes,Iwashere.”

WooJincheolandhisjuniorexchangedglances.Sincethevictimoftheincidentdidnotappeartoknowanything,theywereatalossregardingthesituation.Ofcourse,theonewhowantedtoknowwhathappenedthemostwasJinwoo.

“HowdidIenduphere?DidalargeGuildtakecareofthosethings?”

“That’s…”

WooJincheolexplainedawkwardly,

“…Afterbeingcontactedbythesurvivors,theHunterSurveillanceDepartmentandBaekhoGuildarrivedatthesceneoftheincident,onlytofind…”

Withalargemembercount,BaekhoGuildwasoneofthetop5GuildsofKorea.IftheywerepulledintothesituationbytheAssociation,itmeanttheAssociationhadrecognizedthemagnitudeofthedanger.Jinwoogulped,justwhathadhappenedthere?

“Tofind…?”

“Nothing.Everythinghaddisappeared.NotracesofanystatuesorthatStatueof

God.OnlytheunconsciousHunterSungJinwoo-nim,lyinginthemiddleoftheroom.”

“What?”

Jinwoo’sexpressionwasoneofdisbelief.

“Wecouldn’tbelieveiteither.Iftherewereanygapsordisconnectsbetweenthesurvivors’statements,orifwehadn’tfoundtheremainsoftheothervictims,wemight’vesuspectedsomeotherpossibility.”

WooJincheolscratchedhischin.Ithadbeen6yearssinceheAwakenedasanA-rankerandstartedworkingintheHSD.Hefeltlikehehadseeneverythingsincethen,butthiswasthefirsttimehehadcomeacrosssomethinglikethis.EvenafterreachingouttootherGuildsandcontactingforeignagencies,noonehadeverheardofwhatthesurvivorsdescribed.

Andthat’swhy,

“It’sjustatheoryatthemoment…”

WooJincheolcarefullystarted,

“It’sundeniablethatthereweredangerousentitiesinthatroom.Butsomeoneorsomepeoplehadtakencareofthemall.UntiltheGateclosed,nootherworldlyexistencescameoutofit.”

Theyhadtoconsiderallpossibilities,nomatterhowunlikely.Aftermuchdeliberation,theAssociationhadcometoapossibleanswer.

WooJincheollookedatJinwooandcontinued,

“We…webelievethatthereisapossibilityHunterSungJinwoo-nimmayhaveundergoneaSecondAwakening.[2]”

ASecondAwakening!

Jinwoo’seyeswidened.Itwasarareevent,onewhereapersonwhohadAwakenedunderwentanotherAwakening.Morecommonlyknownas‘Reawakening’[3],nearlyalltheHuntersthatAwakenedagainaftertheirfirst

Awakeningreceivedanincredibleamountofpower.Undernormalcircumstances,thepowerthatsomeonereceivedafterAwakeningcouldnotbeincreased;assuch,aHunter’spowerwasfixedattheamounttheyreceivedintheirfirstAwakening.ThiswasnotthecasefortheReawakenedHunters.Leapingovertheiroriginallimit,therewerecasesofC-rankHuntersbecomingA-rank,andB-rankHuntersbecomingS-rank.

WooJincheolgulped.

‘SungJinwoo…IfheunderwentaReawakeningandachievedapowerofanS-rank,no,perhapsevenagreaterpower,it’spossiblethathesingle-handedlytookcareofthemonstersdescribedbythesurvivors.’

TheAssociationemployeerecalledtheenemiesfromthegruesometales.EspeciallythatStatueofGod;thesurvivorsdescribedhowitwasabletodisintegrateaC-rankHunterjustwithitseyebeams.Toslaythatkindofamonsterinanunconsciousstate,justwhatkindofpowerweretheytalkingabouthere?Inpreparationofsuchapossibility,theAssociationhadputamoratoriumontheinformationregardingincidentandrequestedthesilenceofallthoseinvolved.

ThereasonwhySungJinwoowasplacedinaprivateroominthehospitalandprovidedthebestmedicalassistancewasthesame.WooJincheol’sheartbeatquickened.

‘Perhaps…There’sachancethatKoreamightbeabletoobtainaNation-levelHunter[4]…’

Anexistencewhoseindividualmightsurpassedthatofnuclearweapons;thenumberofNation-levelHuntersacrosstheworldwasinthesingledigits.WooJincheolcontainedhisexcitementatthethoughtofsuchpowerbeingbornhereinhisowncountry.

Thankfully,itwaseasytoconfirmaperson’sReawakening.WooJincheolgesturedtohissubordinate,

“Bringit.”

Andthemanwenttothecornerandcarefullytooksomethingoutofabag.

“Isthat-”

WooJincheolrespondedbeforeJinwoocouldfinishhisquestion,

“It’satooltomeasuremagicpower[5]”

ItwasaportableversionoftheAssociation’sofficialmeasurementdevice,locatedattheirheadquarters,butthedifferenceintheircapabilitieswerenotthatbig.

“Justplaceyourhandhere.”

HegesturedtowardstheMagicCoreembeddedontopofthedevice.Asizeofahumanfist,itsblackcolorwasreminiscentofablackhole.TheCorewassomethingthatcamefromA-rankMagicBeasts;thehighestqualityitemthatcarriedapriceof1billionwon.

SeeinghissilentgazetowardstheMagicCore,WooJincheolaskedagainwithasternexpression,

“Thiswillbecrucialtoourinvestigationoftheincident.Mayweaskforyourcooperation?”

Jinwoonodded.

Reawakening.Thethingofhisdreams.Ifittrulyhadhappenedtohim,itwouldcompletelyturnhislifearound.Andiftheywereofferingtocheckitforfree?Whyshouldn’theaccept?

HeplacedhishandontheMagicCore,andthestonerespondedbyradiatingafaintlight.TheAssociationemployees’foreheadsmoistenedwithcoldsweat.

hum~

ThenthelightsurroundingtheMagicCoredisappeared.Removinghissunglasses,WooJincheolcheckedtheresults.Hiseyesstartedshakingatwhathesaw.

“Thiscan’tbe!”

Nomatterhowmanytimeshechecked,thenumbersstayedthesame.

‘Howcouldthisbe…?’

HowcouldthemagicpowerofamanwhohadthequalificationstoobtainaHunterlicensebeonly10?!Eventhoughtheystoodatthelowestoftheranks,theaveragemagicpowerofanE-rankHunterwasstillbetween70and100.Comparedtothis,SungJinwoowasbarelyaboveanordinaryperson.

“IsitReawakening?Ifitis,whatrankamInow?”

Jinwooclenchedhissweatinghands.LookingattheresponsesoftheHSDstaff,hesuspectedagreatresult.Meanwhile,WooJincheollookedatJinwoo’shistoricaldataandthecurrentresults.

‘Hisfirstresultwas12.Andfouryearslater,10.Itdecreasedby2,butthat’swithinamarginoferror.’

Soitwasnotthefaultofthemeasuringdevice.SungJinwoo’spowersweresimplyincrediblyweak.Thefactthathewasabletocomethisfarwasnothingshortofamiracle.

Concludingthatanymoretimespentwastimewasted,WooJincheolrosefromhisseat.

“Let’sgo.”

“Yessir.”

Jinwoostartedspeakingtothetwomenwhowerepackingup,

“Wait,pleasesaysomething-“

WooJincheolnoddedattheyoungman,

“Thankyouforyourcooperation.Ifyourememberanythingelse,pleasefeelfreetocontactus.”

Movingasiftheywantedtobesomewhereelse,thetwomenquicklyleftthehospital.Thehospitalroomthatfeltcrampeduntilmomentsagonowfeltempty.

“…”

Jinwoorubbedthebackofhisneck.

‘Guessitwasnothingafterall…’

Nowthathethoughtaboutit,otherthanthefactthathisconditionfeltgreat,nothingelseseemeddifferentabouthim.AndevenifhehadundergoneReawakening,itwasprobablyimpossibleforhimtodefeatalltheenemiesinthatplace.

‘IwonderifHunterChoiJongin,the“StrongestSoldier”,orHunterGoGunhee,the“S-rankamongS-ranks”,could’vetakenthemon?’

Ashehadneverseenthosetwoinaction,hehadnowayofknowing.TherewerealotofsecretsbehindtheinformationregardingtheS-rankHunters,whoseexistenceswereregardedhighlyasthecloudsinthesky.Itwasinthatmomentofcontemplation,henotedsomething.

‘Hmm?’

Infrontofhiseyes,wordswerefloatinginthemiddleoftheair.

Youhaveunreadmessages.

“…?”

Heclosedhiseyesthenopenedthem.

Youhaveunreadmessages.

Thefloatinglettersdidnotdisappear.Heshookhisheadandrubbedhiseyes,butthewordsstillremained.Heputhispalmstohisforeheadandloweredhishead.

‘Ontopofhearingvoices,nowI’mseeingthings…’

Didsomethinghappentohishead?Herecalledtheconditionknownaspost-traumaticstressdisorder(PTSD).Havinglostalargenumberofcomrades,hisownlifereachingthebrinkofdeath,itwasnotweirdthathismindmight’vebrokendownsomehow.

‘But…’

Beforehecouldsettleonthatsimpleconclusion,therewassomethingelselingeringinhismind.Helookedtowardshislegs.

Thelegthathadbeencleanlyremovedbythatstatue’sshieldwasnowattachedtohisbody,asifnothinghadeverhappened.

AtemplehiddenawayinaDoubleDungeon,thevoiceinhishead,thespontaneoushealingofhisleg,andnowthismessage.

Toomanythingswerehappening.

‘Whatif….’

Theoccurrenceswerenotseparateinstances,butconnectedsomehow?

Ashearrivedatthatconclusion,thethoughtsthatcloudedhisheadclearedupalittle.

‘Okay.’

Heraisedhishead.Withhisagitationgone,andhisheartfeelinglighter,hiscuriosityturnedtothecontentsofthemessage.Perhapsitcontainedthecluesthatmayhelphimsolvethemanymysteries.

Hestretchedhishandstowardthefloatingwords.

Theypassedrightthroughthem.

‘Guessit’snotatouchscreen.’

Hewastoousedtousingasmartphoneandcouldn’tthinkofanotherway.Ashewonderedonhowhewouldopenthemessage,herecalledhislastmomentsinthetemple.

“Ah,right.”

Herememberedhislastinteractionwiththemysteriousvoicewasthroughwords.

‘ThenIshouldjustgivethecommandsinmyheadorspeakthemoutloud?’

Totesthistheory,Jinwoorepeatedallthephraseshecouldthinkofthatmightwork:

“Confirm.”

“Message.”

“Confirmmessage.”

“Checkmessage.”

“View.”

“I’llview.”

“Showme.”

“Showme!”

“…Whatdoyouwanttoseesomuch?”

Heturnedhisheadstowardthevoice.Peekingthroughthehalfopendoor,hislittlesisterinherschooluniformwascoldlystaringathim.

“Er…”

Jinwoowasatalossforwords.

Anoppa[6]thatwasmakingarequesttotheceilingforsomething.

Hecouldnotfindthewordstoexplain.

“Didyouhurtyourhead?”

Hislittlesisteraskedfromthedoor.Jinwooshookhishead.

“No.”

Notcomfortedbyhiswords,hissister’seyeswerefilledwithconcern.

“You’rereallyokay,right?”

“Itoldyou,yes.”

Hislittlesisterhuffedandpuffedasshestartedapproachinghimwithapiercinggaze.Usedtoherreactionsinsituationslikethis,Jinwooputuphisguardashislittlesisterstartedhittinghim.

“Itoldyoutostopgettinghurt!DoyouknowhowmuchIwasworried?!”

“…Sorry.”

“Everyoneelseseemstodojustfine,whyareyoutheonlyonegettinghurtallthetime!”

“…Sorry…”

Thehandsthatwerestrikinghimslowlylosttheirstrength.Eventually,Jinahstoodwithherheadhunglow,tearsfallingdownhercheeks.Jinwoopattedhissisterontheback,doinghisbesttocomforther.Heheldbackthetearsforminginhisowneyes.

‘TothinkIwaspreparedtodie…toleaveherbehind…’

Thankgodhehadreturnedalive.Lookingatthismoment,herealizedjusthowmanytimeshecameclosetodeath.Itwaslikebeinginanightmare.

Jinwooturnedhisgazetowardthewordssuspendedinair.

Youhaveunreadmessages.

‘AnditstillfeelslikeIhaven’twokenup…’

Hecouldnotunderstandthemeaningbehindthewords.Still,whatcouldhedo?Themostimportantthingwasthefactthathewasabletoreturntohisfamilyalive.

“Sniff”

Fortunately,hissisterhadstoppedcrying.Unfortunately,herrantathisconditioncontinuedforanotherhour…

“-Sodoyouunderstand?Ifyougethurtagain,I’llgiveupmystudiesandgostraightintoworking,soyouwon’tbeabletoworkasaHuntereveragain!”

Asharp,piercinggazethatwasunbecomingofherprettyface,shewastrulyherbrother’ssister.

“Igotit,Igotit.”

Jinwoonoddedinresignation.Afterreceivinghisconfirmationmultipletimes,Jinahgotup,satisfied.

“Whereareyougong?”

“School.Ijustgotpermissiontoleavebrieflytocomeandseeyou,butIhavetogoback.”

“Right,right.Thecollegeentranceexaminationsarenextyear.”

Althoughhecouldnotaffordtoprovideatutororsendhertoaprivateschool,Jinahstillmanagedtobecomeoneofthetopstudentsintheschool.Hergoal:tobecomeadoctor.Thelittlegirlwhocouldnotdistanceherselffromvideogamessuddenlybecameaferventstudentwhentheirmotherfellillfewyearsago.

Jinwoowantedtomakesureherdreamscametrue.

‘Wait…videogames?’

Hiseyessuddenlyshotopen.

“I’mgoing.”

Jinwooquicklycaughthissister,whowasleaving,

“Jinah.”

“What?”

“Whenyouplayagame…”

Jinahsmiled,“Idon’tplaygamesthesedays.There’ssolittletimeuntilI’minmyfinalyear.”

“Iknow,Iknow,butIstillwantedtoask,”

“Aboutwhat?Oppa,haveyoubeenplayinggameslately?”

Althoughshehadputthembehind,shewasverygoodinherpast.Assuch,herbrother’squestionflaredherinterest.Jinwoocontinuedtostareatthefloatinglettersandasked,

“IfIhaveanunreadmessageinagame,howdoIopenoraccessit?”

“First,youhavetoopenthemessagebox.”

“Openthemessagebox?”

ring~

Themomenthespokethewords“open”,anelectronicbeepfollowedtheopeningofthemessagebox.

Youhave2unreadmessages.

Welcometobecominga[Player].(Unread)

[DailyQuest:ThePreparationToBecomePowerful]hasarrived.(Unread)

Jinwoofelthimselfbeingfilledwithjoy.

‘Itworked!’

Surprisedbythesuddenappearanceofhappinessinhisface,Jinahanxiouslyasked,

“What?Whatgameisit?Doyouneedmyhelp?”

Jinwoofirmlyshookhishead,

“No,Iwanttotryitoutalone.”

Howwouldhissisterreactifhetoldhereverythingthatwashappeningtohim?

‘Don’twanttohearfrommyownsisterthatI’mcrazy.’

SoJinwooswallowedthewordshewantedtosayandbidhergoodbye.

Afterconfirmingthatshewentdowntheelevatoroutofthehospital,Jinwooreturnedtohisroom.

‘Can’trepeatthesamemistake.’

click-

lock-

Toavoidanyunwantedattention,helockedthedoors.Finishinghispreparation,Jinwoosatonthesideofhisbedandstartedreadingthemessagesfloatingbeforehiseyes.

Welcometobecominga[Player].(Unread)

[DailyQuest:ThePreparationToBecomePowerful]hasarrived.(Unread)

Thefirstmessageseemedfamiliartohim.

‘Wherewasit,I’vedefinitelyheardthisonebefore.’

Hestartedwiththefirstmessage.

‘Open.’

ring~

ThisSystemwillhelpwiththegrowthofthe“Player”.

Non-compliancewiththisSystem’sinstructionsmayresultinapenalty.

Yourrewardhasbeenreceived.

“Ah…”

Herememberednow.Itwasthewordsheheardbeforelosingconsciousness.

‘Itsaidsomethingaboutaplayerbackthen,too…’

Butjustlikethattime,hehadnoideawhatthatmeant.

System.Growth.Penalty.Reward.

Itwasaparadeofunclearmeanings.

‘Justwhatisithelpinggrow,andwhatisitrewarding?’

Hefounditdifficulttoapplythesewordsthathesawinvideogamesbefore.

Ignoringthemeaningofthewordsfornow,hewentontothenextmessage.

[DailyQuest:ThePreparationToBecomePowerful]hasarrived.(Unread)

Gulp.

Jinwooswallowedatthesuspicioustitleofthemessage.Hisheartbeatspedup.

‘Open.’

ring~

DailyQuest:ThePreparationToBecomePowerful

Do100Push-ups:

(Incomplete)(0/100)

Do100Sit-ups:

(Incomplete)(0/100)

Do100Squats:

(Incomplete)(0/100)

Run10kilometers:

(Incomplete)(0/10)

*Warning:FailingtocompletetheDailyQuestwillresultinaPenalty

Quest.

Jinwoomoanedafterconfirmingthemessage.

“Sigh…whatisthis…”

DailyQuest.Ontopofthat,a“preparationtobecomepowerful”.Heexpectedmorethanjustsimpleexerciseswithatitlelikethat.Atleast,itwascertainifhecompletedtheexercisesinthequest,hisbodywouldprobablyimprovealittle.WasthisthegrowthandrewardtheSystemspokeof?

‘NowthatIthinkaboutit…’

Herecalledreading“thosewithinnerproblemsshouldlistentotheirinnervoice”insomebookbefore.

‘GuessI’mjusthallucinatingwhatmybody’stellingme’

Hisurgetobecomestrongermust’vebeensostrongthathewasnowseeingthesenonsensicalwordsintheair.Moresothanhowlaughableitwas,hewasdisappointed.

“Ifyoucanjustbecomestronglikethis,whowouldn’thavedonesoalready…?”

Heshookhisheadindisbelief.Hefeltpatheticintheexpectationthathewouldfindalltheanswersinthesemessages.

‘Eh,Idon’tcare.’

Jinwoowenttoliedowninthebed.Hestaredupintotheceiling.

“...”

Althoughhewasnotdoinganythinginparticular,timepassedbyquickly.Ashebegantofeeltheweightofsilencethroughoutthehospital,hesuddenlysatup.

‘Still…’

Whatifthisdidbringaboutchange?Halfinanticipation,halfinsuspicion,thethoughtof‘shouldIjustgiveitatry’occuredinhishead.

‘Can’thurtafterall.’

Whatifhejustlightlytriedoutoneofthemotions?

Aftersomethought,hemadethedecisiontogiveitatry.

Lightlystretchingaftergettingoffthebed,heattempteddohalf-heartedpush-ups.Insteadofgettingontheground,hestoodupatandangleandpushedoffthebed.

“1,2,3…”

Startingat1,herapidlywentdowntheline.

“...97,98,99,100.”

Finishingwhathestarted,hereachedhis100th“push-up”.Contrarytohisexpectation,nothingseemedtochange.Exceptforhisslightlysorearms.

“...Sonowwhat…”

Hestoodupwithasmileonhisface.

Welcometobecominga[Player].(Read)

[DailyQuest:ThePreparationToBecomePowerful]hasarrived.(Read)

Thepreviously“unread”messageshadbecome“read”.Thewordstellinghimthathehadunreadmessageshaddisappeared,buthenolongerhadanyintentiontocontinueentertainingthesedelusions.Hefelthehaddoneenough.

Withoutanyregrets,heclosedthemessagewindow.

Withayawn,hereturnedtohisbed.Inresponsetomovingaftersuchalongtime,hestartedfeelingsleepy.Thewindowoutsideglowedorangefromthesunset.

‘Isitthislatealready?’

ThemanfromtheHunterSurveillanceDepartmentexplainedearlierthathishospitalbillswouldbefootedbytheAssociation.Withthatinmind,Jinwoowas

notinarushtobedischarged.

‘MaybeI’llhavethehospitalrunsometests,makesureI’mcompletelyhealthy.’

Hethoughtashelayinbed.

‘I’msurethehallucinationsshoulddisappearaftersometime.’

Hiseyelidsslowlyclosed.Soon,hefellintodeepslumber.

tickticktick

Asheslept,theclockontheoppositewallcontinuedtotick.Astimepassed,thehandsoftheclockeventuallypointedto11:59:57.

tick

58.

tick

59.

tick

60.

Theclockpointedto12:00:00.

ring~

[You’vefailedtocompletetheDailyQuest.Youwillbemovedtothe‘PenaltyZone’forasetduration.]

SHAKE!~

Jinwooopenedhiseyestoanintensetremblingthatshookhisentirebody.

“E-earthquake?!”

Heshotupandgrabbedthebedframeatthefootofthebed.Thetremblingwas

sostrongthathefounditdifficulttoholdon.

SHAKE!~

Butwitheachpassingsecond,thetremorsbecameworse.

Suddenly,

psssh~

Thebedframeheheldontoforhislifebroke.No,ithaddisappearedfromhishands.Hischeckedhishands,therewasnosignofthebedframe.Instead,therewassandonhispalms.

‘Sand?’

psssssh~

Restoftheframesonthebedturnedtosand,andthetremblingbecameevenstronger.

SHAKE!~

“Uwaaak!”

Unabletoholdon,hewaseventuallythrownoffthebed.Jinwooscreamedashebouncedupanddowninhisroom.Onebyone,allthefurnitureanditemsinhisroomturnedintosand.

“Uwaaaaaaah!”

Crash!

Jinwoosuddenlyfoundhimselfembeddedinsomething.Hisfingertipsfeltthesoftnessofsandaroundhim.Theearthshakehadstopped.

spitspit

Ashespatoutthesandthatenteredhismouth,heraisedhishead.

“...?”

Hefoundhimselfinthemiddleofavastdesert.Pattingthesandoffhisbody,hestoodupandlookedaround.Ineverydirection,hesawanendlessfieldofsand,stretchingtothehorizon.

“Adesert…?”

Therewasnologicalexplanationforthis.Untilmomentsago,hewasrestingonahospitalbedinthemiddleofSeoul.

Hegrabbedahandfulofsandandletitfall.Thesandfellinastraightlinetotheground.

‘There’snowind.’

Notjustwind,lookingup,therewasnosun,moonorevenstars.

Anemptyskylikeblackinkspilledacrossacanvas.

Evenstranger,despitethelackofavisiblelightsource,hehadnotroubleseeinghissurroundings.

“WhereamI?”

Panicking,Jinwootriedtogetagraspofthesituation;suddenly,heheardthesoundofsandshifting.

ssssssss

Thesandonthegroundnexttohimwassinkingintotheground.

“Uh,uhoh!”

Usingallhisstrength,Jinwoostruggledtonotbesuckedintothewhirlpool.Asthesunkenareabecamewider,Jinwoobarelyescapedthesinkholeusinghistwohands.

“Pant,pant,pant”

Ashesatpanting,helookeddownintothenewlycreateddepressionontheground.Thesandatthelowestpointoftheholewasboilingstrangely.Jinwooshudderedasherealizedasinglemisstepwould’veresultedinhimfallingdown

intothathole.

“Wait…”

Hiseyesnarrowed.

“It’snotboiling.”

Takingacloserlook,herealizedsomethingbigwaswrigglingbeneaththesandatthebottomofthedepression.Jinwoostoodupinstinctively.Somethingdidnotfeelright.

Confirminghissuspicions,apillarofsandshotupfromtheholeashewaswalkingbackwards.

Shaaaah!

Soundinglikeawaterfall,thesandfellallaroundhim,revealingwhathadappearedfromthehole.Jinwoo’seyeswidened.

“A-abug?”

Agiantcentipedehadrisenoutofthesand.

Screeeech!

Thefullyrevealedformofthemonsterstoodtallerthana5-storybuilding.

Jinwoogulped.

‘Thisisimpossible…’

Andlikeso,itwasanimpossiblylargeexistence.Hehadneverheardofacentipedeofthissizebefore.Butitwasn’tjustthesizeofthecentipedethatshockedJinwoo.

“Why…whyisthereanamefloatingabovethatthing’shead?”

Washedreaming?

Heclosedhiseyesandopenedthemagain.Nothinghadchanged.The

centipede’snamefloatedaboveitsheadinredletters.Likeavideogamemonster.

‘Poison-fangedGiantSandCentipede[7]’

Alongsideitsuncannyanddangerouslookingfigure,ithadanamethatscreamedathimtorun.Especiallythe“poison-fanged”part.TwofangsthesizeofachildcaughtJinwoo’seye.Itwasveryclearfromitsnamewhatwouldhappenifhewaspiercedbythem.

Jinwoosawthecentipede’smouthopenandcloserepeatedlywithoutrest.

“Lookslikeit’shungry.”

Atthattime,asoundrangthroughhishead.

ring~

PenaltyQuest:Survive

Goal:Survivefortherequiredtime.

Requiredtime:4Hours

Remainingtime:4Hours0Min0Sec

‘You’rekidding,right…?’

Butthesecondtheremainingtimedecreasedto3Hours59Min59Sec,thecentipedestartedmovingacrossthesandasifitwaswaiting.

sliiiiiide

“Wait,what?!”

Jinwooquicklyturnedandstartedrunning.

Tripping,hefellandrolledonthegroundandquicklyshookthesandoffhishead.Hiseyeswidenedlookingatthesightbeforehim.Thereweremorepillarsofsandappearinginfrontofhim.

shaaaah

shaaaaaaah

Beforeherealizedit,sevencentipedeheadshadrisenfromthegroundandwerestaringdownathim.

Screech!

Screeeeech!

Jinwoo’sfacepaledasheheardtheirterrifyingshrieks.

“Shit…”

Exactly4hourslater,hereappearedinthehospitalroom.

collapse-

Lyingonthefloorofhisroom,hecoughedinagony.

*cough**cough**spit**spit*

Theinsideofhismouthwasdry.Hiseyesstungfromthesand.Jinwoosprawledoutontheground,moaning.Hedidnothavethestrengthtoevenmoveafinger.

“Hah…hah…what…was…that…?”

AnewmessageappearedbeforethepantingJinwoo.

ring~

You’vecompletedthe“PenaltyQuest”.

Hisbrowsfurrowed.

PenaltyQuest?

Didhedosomethingtodeservepunishment?

Searchinghismemories,herememberedthe[DailyQuest]thathehalf-heartedly

gaveupon.

‘Itcan’tbe…’

Herecalledthepartofthequestthattalkedaboutreceivingapenaltyifhedidnotcompleteit.

“Hah…hah…youmean…thatwasn’t...ahallucination...?”

Indeed.

Itwasnotahallucination.

Noradream.

Therewasnoneedtocheckbypinchinghischeeks.Thepainofrunninguntilhisbreathranout;thepainofbeingscratchedbythecentipede’slegs;hefeltthemallevenrightnow.

Itwasallreal.Hehadalmostmethisdeathbackthere.

“This…is…too…much…hah…hah…”

Tothinkthatsomethinglikeapenaltywouldthrowhimintothejawsofdeath.Atthesametime,aforebodingdreadwashedoverhim.Ifwhatjusthappenednowwasduetothedailyquest,itmeantthatallofthiswasnotoveryet.

Asifoncue,theelectronicsoundrang.

ring~

Startledatfirst,herelaxedasherealizeditwasnotanotherquest.

TherewardforcompletingthePenaltyQuesthasarrived.

Wouldyouliketoverify?(Y/N)

‘Reward…?’

Theword“reward”brieflycaughthisattention.Unfortunately,Jinwoolackedthestrengthtocareaboutanythingatthemoment.Itwasatestamenttohow

toughthePenaltyQuesthadbeen.

‘Rewardorwhatever…Ijustwanttorestfornow…’

Andwiththat,hefellintoadeepslumber.

“Ohno!Whyisheontheground?!”

Nextmorning,hisassignednursewasgreetedwithashockingscenewhensheenteredtheroom.Thepatientwaslyingonthefloor,andtherewassandscatteredabouttheground.Eventhepatient’sclotheswerefilledwithsand.Thenursethrewthetreatmentchartontothebedandpressedthecallbutton.

“Someonecomehelp!”

Soon,Dr.JooChiuiarrived.

“What’sthema-whyisMr.Sungontheground?!”

“I’mnotsure!Hewasfineuntillastnight!Ifoundhimlikethisjustnow...”

“Let’sfirstgethimontothebed.One.Two!”

ThetwoputJinwooontothebed.Intheroughmovement,themedicalchartthatwasthrownonthebedmadeasmallpapercutonthebackofJinwoo’shand,butnoonenoticed.

“Now,let’scheckhim.”

JooChiuiwentoverJinwoo’scondition,butfoundnoabnormalities.

“What’sthis?He’sjustsleeping.”

Hesighedinrelief.TheHunterAssociationhadrequestedspecialcareforthispatient.Hehadbeennervousinfearthatsomethinghadhappenedtohim.

“Let’sjustlethimrest.Heseemstobeindeepsleep.”

Afterhespoke,JooChiuibegantoleavewhenhenoticedthesandintheroom.

“Er…Lookslikeweshouldclean-upthisroomalittle.Ms.Yura,I’llleaveitto

you.”

“Understood,doctor.”

Asthedoctorlefttheroom,nurseChoiYuraalsorelaxedinrelief.Itwasagoodthingnothingbadhadhappened.Afterall,therewerenodoctorsornurseswhowishedillupontheirpatients.ThehospitalsheworkedatwasspeciallydedicatedtothetreatmentofHunters.HavingseentheunfortunateendofmanyHuntersbefore,shedidnotwanttoseeyetanotherHunterbehurtunderhercare.

“Phew-”

Calmeddown,shebegantofigureouthowtocleantheroomwhenshenoticedsomethingontheground.Itwasadropofblood.

“Ohmy.”

Thedropofbloodhadfallenfromthepatient’shandthatstretchedoutfromthebedovertheground.Surprised,shelookedforawoundonJinwoo’shandandhelditininspection.Turningovertothebackofhishand,

“...Thisis…?”

Shesawtracesoffreshblood,butnoscar.Wipingawaytheblood,thehandwascompletelyclean.

‘Did…didhiscuthealinaninstant?’

Withconcern,YuralookedovertoJinwoo’sface.

Heappearedtobesleepingwithoutacareintheworld.

---------------------------------

[1]:“HunterSurveillanceDepartment”():“Surveillance/Monitoring”+“Department”.I’vedecidedtoadd“Hunter”infrontofthedepartmenttodistinguishitgoingforwardandwillshortenitto“HSD”whentheycomeupagain.

[2]:“SecondAwakening”():Lit.“AwakeningafterAwakening”,butIshortenedto“secondawakening”duetotheusageasanouninthepassage.Noimpactonstorydowntheline.

[3]:“Reawakening”():Thisismoreliteraltranslationthantheabove.

[4]:“Nation-level”():“nation/country”+“power/authority”+“level”.IshortenedittoNation-level.

[5]:“It’satooltomeasuremagicpower”():Prettystraightforward,“magicpower”+“measurementdevice”

[6]:“oppa”():Likeahjussi,acommonlyusedkoreannoun.Awayforlittlesisterstocalltheirolderbrothers.It’salsousedingeneralpopulationbetweenunrelatedpeople(femaleaddressinganoldermaleofacloseage).

[7]:“Poison-fangedGiantSandCentipede”:Thenametranslationisalmostwordforwordliteral.

Chapter7:DailyQuest

ring~

[TheDailyQuesthasarrived.]

Jinwoo’seyesshotopen.Sittingstraightupfromthebed,thefirstthingJinwoodidwastocheckthetime;itwasalittlepast4:30intheafternoon.Therewasroughly7hoursand30minutesofbreathingroomuntilmidnight.

‘Good.’

Heopenedthemessagebox.

ring~

DailyQuest:ThePreparationToBecomePowerful

Do100Push-ups:

(Incomplete)(0/100)

Do100Sit-ups:

(Incomplete)(0/100)

Do100Squats:

(Incomplete)(0/100)

Run10kilometers:

(Incomplete)(0/10)

*Warning:FailingtocompletetheDailyQuestwillresultinaPenaltyQuest.

“Samething?”Heutteredreflexively.No,perhapsthiswasagoodthing.Comparedtoapossiblydifficultquest,thiswasmuchbetter.Evenifitstrainedhisbody,itwasatleastsomethingthatcouldbecompletedwithtime.

Hewentonthefloorandbeganthepush-ups.

“One.”

Hecouldn’taffordtobedraggedtosomestrangeplaceandbeforcedtorunfromdeathagain.

“Two.”

Hegotluckylastnight.Hedidn’tfeellikehewouldgetluckyagain.

“Three.”

Hepausedtolookupatthequestcreen;thenumberswererisingaccordinglywitheachpush-up.

ring~

You’vesucceededindoing1push-up.

Do100Push-ups:

(Incomplete)(7/100)

ring~

You’vesucceededindoing1push-up.

Do100Push-ups:

(Incomplete)(8/100)

AsiftestingtheSystem,heperformedahalf-heartedpush-up,goingonlypartwaydown,butitdidnotregisteronthescreen.Heunderstoodwhyhisweakattemptslastnightdidnothing.

‘Sigh…really?’

Althoughexasperated,hedidnotlet-upthestrengthinhisarms.50push-upsremaining.Afterthatwouldbesit-ups.

Thensquats...

Thenrunning…...

3hourslater.

Do100Push-ups:

(Complete)(100/100)

Do100Sit-ups:

(Complete)(100/100)

Do100Squats:

(Complete)(100/100)

Run10kilometers:

(Incomplete)(9/10)

“Pant,pant,pant,pant,”

Havingrunalaparoundtheareaoutside,Jinwoobowedoverhuffing.Hisheartfeltlikeitwasabouttoexplode,butheknewhecouldnotstophere.

‘IfIthinkabouttheeffortupuntilnow…’

Heenteredthehospitalgatesandcompletedthelaststretchofhisrun.

ring~

Distanceran:10km.

You’vesucceededinrunning10km.

Itwasfinallyover.

“Pant…pant…”

Hefelltohisknees.Hislungswereonfire.Hisforeheadandbackweresoaked.

“Pant…pant…”

Sweatingprofusely,heattemptedtocontrolhisbreathingwhenafamiliarmessagearrived.

ring~

You’vecompletedthe‘DailyQuest:ThePreparationToBecomePowerful’

Therewardforcompletingthequesthasarrived.

Wouldyouliketoverify?(Y/N)

Healmostwantedtoforgetaboutitlikeyesterdaybutchangedhismind.Hewantedtoconfirmjustwhatthisdamnrewardwas.

“Yes.”

ring~

You’vereceivedthebelowrewards.

Reward1.StatusRecovery

Reward2.Statpoints+3

Reward3.RandomBoxx1

Acceptall?

‘Whyistheresomany?’

Washisfirstthoughtafterlookingattherewardscreen.Butafterthinkingaboutit,henoticedsomeusefulrewardsandrewardshewascuriousabout.

Feelinglikehewasabouttopassoutanymomentfromnow,thefirstrewardcaughthiseyes.Havingexperiencedthepenaltyinvolvedinfailure,heknew

therewasagoodchancethatitsrewardswerejustasreal.

‘Itcouldn’thurt.Probablywon’tthrowmeinthePenaltyZoneafterofferingmeareward.’

“Accept.”

Themomenthespokethewordstoacceptthereward,asubtleblueglowcoveredhisbody.

‘Oh…thisfeelingis?’

Juhee’sfaceimmediatelyappearedinhismind.Itwasasimilarsensationhefeltwhenhereceivedhealingmagic;thefeelingwascomparabletobreathingincrisp,freshairafterbeingstuckinamuggy,stuffyroom.

shooooo-

Hefelttheglowsubsidebuthadhopeditwouldlastalittlelonger.

Standingupfromhisspot,Jinwoostretchedandmovedhisbodyaround.

“Whoa!”

Theheartthatfeltlikeitwasabouttoexplodehadcalmeddown,andtheshortnessofhisbreathhadalsodisappeared.Therewasnotatraceofexhaustionremaining.Hisbodythatwasonthebrinkofcollapsenowfeltlikeithadwokenupfromagoodrest.Theeffectswereunbelievable.

‘Thisisamazing.’

Hiseyeswereopenwideinwonder.Hewasn’tsureifitwasmagicorsomethingelse,butthepowerfuleffectithadleftagreatimpressiononJinwoo.

‘Thenthe“statpoints”mustbe…’

Turninghisheadtowardhisbed,hesawasmallboxandastatusscreenbeforehiseyes.

‘Thatmustbetherandomboxitwastalkingabout,and…’

Hisattentionwasfocusedonthestatusscreen.Theinformationboxthathungintheaircontainedvariousdataregardinghisstatus.

Name:SungJinwoo

Level:1

Class:None

Title:None

HP:100

MP:10

Fatigue:0

Stats

Strength:10

Constitution:10

Agility:10

Intelligence:10

Sense:10

(Availablestatpoints:3)

Skills

PassiveSkills

-(Unknown)(Lv.Max)

-UnyieldingSpirit[1](Lv.1)

ActiveSkills

-Sprint[2](Lv.1)

HerecalledtheonlineRPGshehadplayedinthepast;hisstatswerereminiscentofafreshlycreatedcharacter.

‘Sothesearemystats?’

Currentlevel1.Allstatsatabasiclevel.

FacedagainwiththerealityofbeingtheweakestE-rankHunter,hisstatnumbersdidnotsurprisehim.Rather,hiseyeswerefocusedonhisskills.Thepassiveskills‘UnyieldingSpirit’andactiveskill‘Sprint’.Theywerestrangelyfamiliartohim.

‘NowthatIthinkaboutit…Yesterday…’

Yesterday.Moreaccurately,thedawnoftoday.HerecalledthemessageshereceivedwhilebeingchasedaroundbythecentipedesinthePenaltyZone.Itwasaroundthe3rdhourofrunningfromtheclutchesofdeath.

You’velearned“Sprint”(Lv.1)

You’velearned“UnyieldingSpirit”(Lv.1)

Hedidnotpayattentionatthetime,hisentiremindfocusedonrunning,butnowhewasabletotakeacloserlook.

Sprint(Lv.1)

ActiveSkill

ManaCost:5(+1/Minute)

Activatetoincreaseyourmovementspeedby30%.

Costs1manaperminutetomaintain.

“Yourrunninghasstrengthenedyourlegs.”

UnyieldingSpirit(Lv.1)

PassiveSkill

ManaCost:0

Whenbelow30%HP,alldamagereceivedisreducedby50%.

“Youhaveanunyieldingspirit.”

‘SobecauseIranlikeadog,Ilearnedthesetwoskills?’

Thelogicwassound.Thismeantthatrepetitiveactionsthatmetcertaincriteriaunlockedskills.

“Amazing!”

Themeritsofthiswereincalculable.Normally,therepertoireofskillsthatHuntersusedwerereceivedandfixedatthemomentoftheirAwakening.OnlytherareRunestones[3]thatsometimesdroppedfromA-rankorhighermagicbeastscouldbeusedbyaHuntertolearnanewskill.ThisiswhythepriceofRunestonesrangedfromhundredsofmilliontotensofbillionwon.HerecalledarecenteventofaRunestonebeingsoldatanauctionforthepriceof70billionwon.ItwasaRunestonethattaughtapowerfulhealingmagicthatcouldcompletelyrestoreaninjuredperson,purchasedbyananonymousforeignS-rankHealer-classHunterwhoemptiedhiswalletforit.

Jinwoo’sheartbeatspedup.

Askilltoincreasehismovementspeedandaskilltoreducedamagetaken.

Notquiteskillsthatwouldcosttensofbillionsofwon,buttheywerestillusefulskills.Andhehadearnedsuchskillsforfree.Althoughitprobablywasdifficulttomakefulluseof“Sprint”withhislowmagicpower,thefactthathehadtheseskillsnowwasamazing.

‘Andthe“UnyieldingSpirit”doesn’teventakeanymana…’

Itseemedlike“mana”wasreferringto“magicpower”.Thismeantthatevenhisbodythatlackedmagicpowercouldtakeadvantageofthe“UnyieldingSpirit”.ThisalonewasagreatboontoJinwoo.

‘However…Whatisthisskill…’

(Unknown)(Lv.Max)

PassiveSkill

“Unknown”thattookupalineunderhispassiveskills.Asapassiveskill,itshouldbesomethingthatactivatedautomatically,butitsinformationscreendidnotrevealanydetails.

‘Ihavenocluewhatthisis.’

Therewasnothinghecouldfindorfigureoutaboutthisunknownskill.Realizinghisworrieswouldgethimnowhere,Jinwooturnedhisattentiontotheothersectionofhisstatusscreen.

‘Statpoints…’

ThestatpointshereceivedastherewardfortheDailyQuestremainedundistributed.

Stats

Strength:10

Constitution:10

Agility:10

Intelligence:10

Sense:10

(Availablestatpoints:3)

‘SoIcanraise3pointsworthofstats?’

Fivedifferentattributeswereunderthestatssection.Beinglevel1,hispointsacrosstheboardwereratherlow.Butrememberingallthathehadexperiencedupuntilnow,hecouldnotcarelesslydistributehispoints.Iftheassignmentofpointstrulyenhancedhisabilities,howcouldhemakethedecisionlightly?

Hisexpressionhardened.

‘Themeaningbehind“Strength”isprettyclear…’

Strength,constitution,agility.Hegraspedthemeaningbehindtheseattributesquiteeasily.Afterall,theyweresomeofthemorestraightforward‘stats’invideogames.Theproblemswerethe“Intelligence”and“Sense”stats.ThecurtanddistantSystemrevealednoadditionaldetailstoJinwoo.

Wouldhebecomesmarterifheincreased“Intelligence”?

Ormorekeenandsharperifheincreased“Sense”?

Regardless,thosetwoattributesdidnotseemparticularlyusefultohim.HewasaFighter-classHunter.Whatheneededthemostwasstrength,mobilityanddurability.

‘IfIhadtochooseone,it’dbestrength.’

Increasedstrengthwouldrathermakealotofthingseasier.Hewascuriousonwhatkindofchangehisbodywouldundergowhenheincreasedhisstats.Assuch,heselectedthestatthatwouldprobablyresultinthemostphysicalchangeinhisbody.

“3pointsintostrength.”

ring~

Stats

Strength:13

Constitution:10

Agility:10

Intelligence:10

Sense:10

(Availablestatpoints:0)

‘Is…isthatit?’

Thatwasit.

Allthatchangedwasthenumberinfrontof“Strength”goingfrom10to13.

Inhismind,hehadexpectedtherecreationofthesceneinmoviesorcartoonswheretheheropulledforthanunknownpowerfromwithin.

“Well,didanythingchange?”

Jinwoodecidedtotestouthisstrength.Hestoodnexttohisbedandliftedit.Hefeltaslightresistancefromthebed’sweightbutwasabletoeasilyliftitofftheground.Still,hewasunabletotellwhetherthiswasduetothelightnessofthebedorhisincreasedstrength.

‘Should’vemadeacomparisonbeforeandafterIusedupthepoints.’

Ashispointswerealreadydistributed,itwashardforhimtodistinguishthebeforeandafterofhischanges.

‘IfIjusthadfewmorepoints…’

Rollinghistongueinhismouth,Jinwoosuddenlyrememberedsomething:

“TherewardfromthePenaltyQuest!”

Hehadrememberedthatitwasn’tjusttheDailyQuesthecompletedtoday.Althoughhehadalmostdiedfromit,hedidcompletethePenaltyQuestandevenrememberedtherewardmessagefromitaswell.Hequicklyopenedhismessagebox.

TherewardforcompletingthePenaltyQuesthasarrived.

Wouldyouliketoverify?(Y/N)

“It’sthere!”

Heclenchedhisfists.

Ofcourse,theansweris“Yes!”

You’vereceivedthebelowrewards:

Reward1.Statpoints+3

Reward2.RandomBoxx1

Acceptall?

ComparedtotheDailyQuest,therewasnorewardofstatusrecovery,butwhatheneedednowthemostwerestatpoints.InitiallyworriedthataPenaltyQuestmightgivereducedrewards,Jinwoowasrelievedtoseethatitstillgavehim3statpoints.

Hedistributedthepointsindelight,

“Add3morepointsintostrength!”

ring~

Stats

Strength:16

Constitution:10

Agility:10

Intelligence:10

Sense:10

(Availablestatpoints:0)

Hisstrengthhadincreasedfrom13to16.Hewentbeforehisbedoncemoreandusedhisarms.Comparedtobefore,thebedfeltmuchlighterinhishands.Hewasabletofullycomprehendthedifferencethistime.

“It’strue…!”

Hereallyhadbecomestronger.Bysimplemath,goingfrom10to16pointsmeantthathisstrengthhadincreasedby60%.Theresultwasblatantlyclearto

himnow.Unabletocontrolhisexcitement,Jinwooloudlywentfromcornertocornerofhisroom,liftingeveryfurniturethathecouldgethishandson.Hehadtostopwhenapassingnursepeekedinandglaredathim.

“…Sorry.”

Aftersheleft,hesighedabreathofrelief.

“Phew-“

Buthisexcitementcouldnotbeabated.Hisheartwasbeatingvigorously.

badumbadum

ADailyQuestandstatpointrewards!

Aslongasthisstrangeoccurrencecontinued,hislifewouldturnaroundcompletelygoingforward.Itwasanincredibleopportunityforhim.Ontopofthat,the“level”hesawunderhisstatusscreen,

‘Itshouldbepossibleformetoraisemylevelaswell,right?’

Hetiltedhishead.

‘Eh…probablynot.’

Itwasbutadream;hedidnotexpecthimselftogothatfar.Justthedailyrewardsweregoodenough.

Usingstatpointstoincreasehisattributes.

Yesterdaythentoday,todaythentomorrow,hewouldbecomestrongereveryday.

‘TothinkthatI,anE-rankHunter,the“WeakestSoldier”,couldbecomestrong?’

ForgettheA-rankersandS-rankers,evenhisC-rankedandD-rankedcomradeswouldlaughathim.

SungJinwoobecomingstrong?

ThatweaklingSungJinwoo?

Buthedidnotcarethathewouldbelaughedat.No,hewasalreadyusedtoitafterall.Hewasjusthappythatthisopportunityhadarrivedinhishands.

Thenaquestionappearedinhismind,

‘PerhapsthisistheprocessofaSecondAwakening?’

Itwasarareevent,buttherewerecaseswhereaHunteratthebottomofthebarrelshotuptofirstclassthroughReawakening.MaybeallthoseReawakenedHuntershadgonethroughthesamephenomenonthathewasexperiencingrightnow?

‘Let’sfindout.’

ThenowcuriousJinwoosatinfrontofacomputerinthecornerofhisroom.AshewasdesignatedaspecialpatientbytheAssociation,theVIProomthathewasplacedinevenhadsuchluxuriesforhisuse.

clackclackclackclack

Hisfingersmovedquicklyacrossthekeyboard.

Searchaftersearchaftersearch.

Hewentthroughdozensofwebsites,includingsitesonlyaccessiblebythosewithHunterlicenses.Goingasfaraspurchasingpaidinformation,hegatheredandwentthroughasmanydocumentshecouldfindonReawakening.

Butnothinghefoundmatchedwhathewasexperiencingnow.

‘It’sdifferent…’

HisnewfoundpowerswerecompletelydifferentfromaReawakening.

TheHuntersthatwentthroughReawakeningunderwentthesameprocessastheirfirstAwakening[4].NoonementionedhearinganyvoicesonthevergeofdeathoravideogamelikeSystemthatgavethemstatpointsthatincreasedtheirabilities.

‘Wellll-justincase…’

Tocoverhisbases,JinwooleftananonymouspostinaHunters-onlyforum.

“Somethingstrangehashappened”

I’msuddenlyabletoseefloatingscreensintheairlikeavideogame,andI’mabletousestatpointstoincreasemyability.Hasanyoneexperiencedsomethingsimilar?

Thereplieswerenotkind.

“Hahahahanicebullshit.”

“Thinkyou’recrazy,bro.”

“Checkthefloorforsomeloosescrews.”

“Thinkyou’vebeenplayingtoomuchgames.”

“Areyouacomicbookwriter?”

“Here’sthedirectiontothenearesthospital,lol.”

“Canyougivemoredetails?”

“Lookslikeweneedtocuratewhocanposthere”

Thenextfewdozensofcommentswerethesame.

“Sigh…”

Hewasatitforfewmorehours,tonoavail.Themembersoftheforumjustcalledhimcrazyandcursedathim.Sincehegotthisfarwithnonewinformation…

“IsupposeI’mauniquecase.”

Tobeunique[5]()...

TheonlyHunterintheworld!

Ofcourse,hehadtowaittoseejusthowfarthisSystemwouldtakehim.Justhowmuchofahelpwillitbe?Justwhatwasthelimitofhisgrowth?Itwouldtaketimeforhimtofindout,buthedidnotfeelbadaboutitatall.

Ashelookedaround,herealizeditwasalreadydeepintonight.

“Wheredidthetimego…?”

Furrowinghisbrows,hemassagedhiseyesthatwerestrainedthroughhoursofcomputeruse.Hestoodupandstartedstretching.Ashemovedhisbodybackandforth,hesawthetwoboxesonthefloor.

“Ah.”

RandomBox.

Itlookedlikesomethingthatcouldbefoundinagame.Neatlywrappedingiftpaper,thetwoboxeslayontheground,toppedwithribbons.

‘Imust’vepushedthemoffthebedwhilerunningaroundtheroom.’

Hehadforgottenabouttheserewards.Hegrabbedoneoftheboxesandopeneditup.

‘...Bandages?’

Ashelookedatwhatlookedlikerolledupmedicalwrappings,aninformationscreenwithgreenletterspoppedup.

Bandages

Plainbandages.Useonsmallwounds.

Youmaykeepthisiteminyourinventory.

“It’sreallyjustbandages.”

HewonderedifithadspecialeffectslikethetreasuresfoundinDungeons,butthatdidnotappeartobethecase.

‘IsupposeIneverheardofbandagesbeingfoundinDungeons…’

Halfdisappointed,halfanticipating,Jinwooopenedtheotherbox.

Apenwasinside.

Heturneditoverinhishands,clickingoneendandcheckingthetip.

Itwasanordinarypen.

Pen

Anordinarypen.Goodforwritingmemos.

Youmaykeepthisiteminyourinventory.

Fittingtotheirname,theRandomBoxestrulyproducedrandomitems.

“Hmm…”

Buthewasnotcompletelydisappointed.Althoughhehadlittleusesforthetworandomitems,helearnedsomethingvaluablefromobservingtheitems.Thefirstwasthattheinformationscreenonitemsdidnotpopupfromobservingotheritemsaroundtheroom.Assuch,hesurmisedthatthisfunctionwaslimitedtoitemsfromtheRandomBoxes[6].Thesecondinformationwasfarmorevaluable:

Theexistenceofaninventory.

“Inventory.”

Ashespokethewords,aninformationboxshowingdozensofitemslotsappearedbeforehim.Fittingofalevel1,hisinventorywasalmostcompletelyempty,butJinwoowassurprisedtoseeafamiliariteminthefirstslot.

‘Thats…?’

Hetooktheitemout.

ring~

KimSangshik’sSteelSword

AttackPower+10

ItwasMr.Kim’sswordthathehadpickedupbackinthetemple.HehadthoughtthatitwasleftbehindintheGate.

“Goodtoseeyouagain,youbastard.”

Hecouldn’thelpbutlaugh.Rememberinghislastmomentsinthetemple,hefeltlikethetwohadsharedaspecialbond.Seeingtheswordbackinhishandwasawelcomingsight.Additionally,hefeltashamehidingawayanitemlikethisinhisinventory.

‘Kim-ssi[7]ahjussisaidheboughtitfor3millionwon?’

AlthoughtheHunters’weaponsmayappearordinary,theywereanythingbut.Magicbeastscouldnotbeharmedbyweaponswithnomagicpower.Assuch,weaponscreatedforthepurposeoffacingsuchexistenceswereveryexpensive.

‘LookslikeI’llhavetousethisforawhile.’

Upuntilnow,hecouldnotaffordaHunter’sweaponandfoughtwithhisbarehands.Assuch,eventhoughitwasarelativelycheapsword(comparedtobetterweapons),Jinwoowasverygratefulforit.

‘It’sminenow.’

Kim-ssiwillprobablyaskforitback,foamingathismouth,ifhesawitinJinwoo’shands.Afterall,hewasaselfishpersonwhocouldleavebehindhislife’ssavior.ToJinwoo,boththeswordandhisnewfoundpowerswerethingshehadearnedwithhislife.Hehadnoplanstogivethembackeasily.

Hiseyesbecamefierce.

Inthattemple,hehadlearnedtwothings.

One.Hehadtobecomestrong.

Duetohisweakness,hefaceddeathmultipletimes.Notonlythat,evenknowingwhatwouldhappen,hecouldnotstopthechoirHunterfromdying.EvenwhenheknewKim-ssiahjussiwasinthewrong,hecouldnothelpSong-ssiahjussi.

Tosurvive,hewasforcedtoturnablindeyeonwhatwasrightandwrong.

Andtwo.

‘Thereisnoneedtobeneedlesslykind.’

Hiskindnesswasrewardedwithbetrayalfromhiscomrades.Threeofhiscomradesleftbehindhisincapacitatedbodyandran.Hispleadingshoutsfallingontheirdeafears.Tothinkthattheywouldforgetwhohadsavedtheirlivesmomentsbefore.

‘Giveandtake.’

Fromnowon,hevowedtoneverputhislifeindangerforthesakeofothers,atleast,notoutofsomeimaginedgoodnessofhisheart.Afterall,themostimportantthinginhislifewas…hislife.

Thesewerethetwolessonshehadlearnedwhileonthebrinkofdeath.

Tobecomestronger.Tobecomecold.

“Icandoit.”

Hewasamanwhodidnoteasilyforgethislessons.

Insomestreetsidefoodstall[8],nurseChoiYuraandherfriendconversedlateintothenight.

“Ah,right.”

YurasuddenlyrealizedthatherfriendwasaHunterAssociationemployee.ItwasduetoherfriendthatshewasabletofindemploymentatthehospitaldesignatedforHunters.

“YouknowalotaboutHunters,right?”

“Asmuchasanyoneelse,why?”

“DoyouknowofHuntersthatcanhealtheirinjuriesreallyfast?”

“Ofcourse,theHealer-classHunters.Whentheyusetheirhealingspells,any

injuriesjustgowoosh~!”

“No,no.Notwithaspell.Whileunconscious.”

“Whileunconscious?”

“Forexampleiftheywereknockedout…ormaybeevensleeping.”

Herfriendshookherhead.

“Eh,there’snoway.That’sanamazingabilitycalledregeneration.It’saspecialpowerthatonlyappearsinA-rankorhighermagicbeasts.Eventhen,onlyinspecialones.”

“Andnohumanshavethisability?”

“Yeah.I’veneverheardofaHunterwithsuchabilities.”

“Is…isthatso?”

Wasshemistaken?Yuranoddedalongasshelistenedtoherfriend.Thenherfriendcontinued,

“Well…I’mnotcompletelysure,butmaybeit’spossibleinS-rankHunters.”

Yuraraisedherheadatherfriend’swords,

“S-rank?”

“WelltheS-rankHuntersarefilledwithmonsters,andinformationregardingtheirpowersarehardtocomeacross.Let’ssee,I’veheardtheBaekhoGuild’sHunterBaekYunhocouldeventransformintoanactualmonster.”

ButSungJinwoowasanE-rankHunter.TheinformationregardingaHunter’srankwaspubliclyavailablethroughtheAssociation’swebsite;anyonewasabletoeasilylookitup.Earlierthatmorning,outofcuriosity,YurahadalreadyreaduponSungJinwoothroughtheAssociation’swebsite.

‘Hisrankistoolowtohavesuchanability-ah!”

TheReawakeningofHunters!

SherecalledoverhearingsomethingaboutaReawakeningwhenshehadpassedbyhisroomyesterday.

‘DidthatmanReawakenasahighlevelHunter?’

Forgetbeingfriends,theordinarypersoncouldn’tevendreamofmeetinganS-rankHunter.Thiswasduetotheirlownumbersandincrediblybusyschedules.Buttothinkthatoneofherpatientshadbecomesuchanexistence.AnE-rankbecominganS-rank…

‘Hmm,ifnoonehadnoticedthatman’svalue…’

ThiswasheronlychancetoearnsomebrowniepointswithJinwoo.ItwasnoteverydaysomeonegotachancetobefriendanS-rankHunter.Theirvaluewassohighthatitwasevenhardforotherstomeetthembyspendingmoney.Imaginingallsortsofthingshereandthere,asmilecreptonYura’sface.

“Ohmy.Girl-didsomethinggoodhappen?Why’reyousuddenlysmiling?”

“Ah,no.It’snothing.”

Evenassheshookherhead,Yuracouldnoteaseuponthesmileonherface.

---------------------------------

[1]:“UnyieldingSpirit”(;geun-sung):Thewordonitsownjustmeanssomeone’sdispositionornaturalspirit.Contextualcluesimplythe“spirit”inthissituationisonethatwouldnotgiveupevenat30%HP,soIchosetoaddthe“unyielding”infrontofit.Theskilldescriptionalsogoesasfarastosay“Youhaveanunyielding/untiringspirit.”

[2]:“Sprint”(;jil-joo):Lit.“speeding”or“sprinting”.Shortenedtojust“sprint”basedoncontextualclues.

[3]:“Runestones”(;rune-suk):“Rune”inenglish+“stone”suk.Prettystraightforward.

[4]:Ijustwanttoclarifythiswithinformationgatheredfromcontextthroughoutthestory(notaspoiler).AllHuntersgothroughtheirfirstAwakening,receivingsomeformofpower.Thispowerincludesacombinationofincreasesinphysical

ability,magicpowerandalistofskills.WhattheygetattheirfirstAwakeningdoesnotchange(exceptfornewskillslearnedthroughRunestones).AsecondAwakening(Reawakening)isexactlythesame:AnAwakenedBeingwouldreceivepoweragainwhichincludesacombinationofincreasedphysicalability,magicpowerandnewskills.AfterReawakening,sameasbefore,aHunter’spowerdoesnotchange.

[5]:“tobeunique”(;):“only”+“one”+“no”+“second”.Ithinkit’saphrasethatbasicallytranslatesto“beingunique”.

[6]:“thisfunctionwaslimitedtoitemsfromrandomboxes.”()Thispartthrewmeoffasitwasblatantlywrong.Theinformationscreenliterallypopsupontheswordinthenextsection.NotsureifI’vemissedsomethinginthetranslationoriftheMCcametoaconclusiontooquick.

[7]:“-ssi”(;“ssi”):Iused“Mr.”or“Ms.”forthisKoreanhonorificupuntilthispoint,butasIgodeeperanddeeperinthestory,justusing“Mr.”startedtonotfitthatwellincertainsituations.Thehonorificisusedasbasiccourtesywhenpeopletalkorrefertoeachother,especiallycommoninolderages.

[8]:“streetsidefoodstall”(;“po-jang-ma-cha”):ThisisacommonplaceshopinKorea.Acrossbetweenfoodcartandanactualrestaurant,vendorswouldsetupagianttarptoactastheinsideofashopandservevariousfoodanddrinks.

Chapter8:Level-Up!

“Whoa,lookatthatbody!”

“Wasthatpatient’sbodythatgoodwhenhecamein?”

ThetwoyoungnurseswhocaughtJinwoo’sfigureastheypassedhimwhisperedtoeachother.

Pretendingnottohear,Jinwooreturnedtohisroom.

Ithadbeenaweeksincehestarteddoingthedailyquests.Manychangeshadhappenedsincethen.

Firstwasthechangeinhisbody.Hewentuptoamirrorinhisroom.

“Hmm.Hmm.”

Helookedupanddownhisbodyinfrontofthemirror.Embarrassedatactinglikeagirlexaminingheroutfit,hefakedacough,eventhoughnoonewaswatching.Still,therewasacleardifference.Hisbodywaschanging.

‘Mymusclesarebigger.’

Itwasthefirstthingthathenoticed.Thefathaddisappearedhereandthere,replacedbymuscles.Hisshouldershadwidened,andhisheightseemedtohaveincreasedaswell.

‘Idon’tlookthatfrailanymore.’

Usefulmuscleshadappearedallacrosshisbody.Ifhehadtodescribethefeeling,itwas“nimble”or“agile”.Evenasaman,hisbodylookednicetohim.Itmadesensethatitwouldturnthenurses’heads.

‘Andallthisisthanksto…’

Heopenedhisstatusscreen.

ring~

Name:SungJinwoo

Level:1

Class:None

Title:None

HP:100

MP:10

Fatigue:0

Stats

Strength:31

Constitution:10

Agility:10

Intelligence:10

Sense:10

(Availablestatpoints:0)

Skills

PassiveSkills

-(Unknown)(Lv.Max)

-UnyieldingSpirit(Lv.1)

ActiveSkills

-Sprint(Lv.1)

Innotime,hehadraisedhisstrengthto31.Ashewasnotyetsureabouttheeffectsofotherstats,hehadfocusedallhispointstowardstrengthfornow.Afterall,thethingthatwasmosthelpfulinfightingmagicbeastswasstrength.

‘Thebodydoesn’tjustchangelikethisafterfewdaysofexercise.’

Ifhethoughtofitlikethat,therewasonlyonepossibility.Hisbodywaschangingaccordinglytotheincreasesinhisstrengthattribute;togrowmusclestomaximizetheusageofhisrisingstrength.Hecouldnotthinkofanotherpossibility.

However,hedidworryattimesthathewasputtingtoomuchpointsintostrength.Butseeinghischangedbody,hebecamesatisfiedandforgotabouthisworries.

‘Itreallydoescatchtheeyes.’

Daybyday,hisnameappearedmoreandmoreinthenurses’conversations.Aswomenwhoconstantlyworkedaroundthehumanbody,theywereprobablymoresensitivetothechangesinhisbody.Withhiskeenhearing,hedidnotmissasinglementionofhisnamearoundhim.

‘Maybeit’sabouttimeIgotdischarged.’

Hedidnotwanttoattractunwantedattention.Thegazesthatfellonhimwereuncomfortable,andhedidnotwanttorevealhisstrangephenomenontoothers.Whatwasthesaying?“Letsleepingdogslie.”?

Hewantedtoincreasehisattributesawayfrompryingeyes.

‘Idon’tthinkthereareanyissueswithleavingnow.’

Thankfully,alltheteststheyrancameuppositive;therewasnothingwrongwithhishealth.Hewasabletodischargewheneverhewanted.Rather,boththeAssociationandthehospitalappearedtowanthimtoleave…TheyprobablyfeltthatitwasawastetospendallthatmoneytakingcareofamereE-rankHunter.ComparedtotheS-rankHunterswhoreceivedasmallportionofacountry’sbudgetiftheyrequiredhealing,Jinwoolivedinanotherworld.

Assuch,hefeltthatitwasabouttimeheleftthehospital.

Therewasalsosomethinghewantedtocheckout.

“WheredidIputit…”

Searchinghispockets,Jinwootooksomethingout.

Itwasagoldenkey.

Duetoitssimpledesign,thekeyalmostappearedtobedecorational.

Afterlookingatitforsometime,Jinwooputthekeybackinhispockets.

Ashewasinthemiddleofthedischargeprocedures,hesawayoungnurserunningtohiminahurry.

“Pant...pant...!SungJinwoo-ssi,areyouleavingrightnow?”

“Huh?Oh,yes.”

Itwashisassignednurse,ChoiYura.Shelookedtobesadatthenewsofhisdischarge.Notunderstandingherexpression,Jinwoobecameconfused.Hewonderedifsomethinghadhappened,butcouldnotplacehisfingersonwhat.Afterfidgeting,sheheldoutasmallnotepad.

“CouldIhaveyourcontactinformation?”

“Mycontactinformation?”

“Yes…ifit’sokaywithyou…”

Didshewanttosendsometestresultslater?Notthinkingtoomuchaboutit,Jinwootookhernotepad.Thenherealizedallshehadgivenhimwasthenotepad.

Asheblatantlystaredather,Yurablushed.

“What,whatisit?”

“Er…Idon’thaveapen.”

“Oh,oh!Sorry,onesecond.”

Shemust’veforgotteninherhurry.Shequicklyturnedtoleave.

‘Oh,wait.Ifit’sapen…’

Inablinkofaneye,hewassuddenlyholdingapeninhishand.Asifrespondingtohisthoughts,thepenhadautomaticallyappearedfromhisinventory.Itseemedthathewasabletofreelystoreandretrievetheitemsfromhisinventoryjustbythinkingaboutit.Itwasaratherconvenientfunctionoftheinventory.Confirmingwhatwasinhishand,JinwoostoppedYura,

“Ohwait,itlookslikeIhadoneinmypockets.”

“Oh?Phew,that’sgood.”

Yuraclutchedherchestandsighedinrelief.Jinwoosmiledashewrotehisphonenumberonthenotepad.Thiswasnotthefirsttimesomethinglikethishadhappened.TheitemsthatcameoutoftheRandomBoxoftenfoundawaytobeuseful,inonewayoranother.Thedayafterhereceivedaraincoat,itrained.Thedaybeforehiswatercoolerranoutofcups,acuphadappeared.Althoughhedidreceivefewunneededitemslikethebandages,mosthadfoundtheiruse.

“Hereyougo.”

Yurareceivedthenotepadwithahappyexpression,thenbowedherhead.

“ThenI’llbeinyourcare.”

“Hmm?Ah,yes.Measwell.”

Turningaround,Yuraquicklydisappearedaroundthecorner.Ashewatchedhershuffleaway,Jinwootiltedhishead.

‘Beinmycare?Huh?’

Sheseemedlikeacutenursewithgoodmanners.

Withthatinmind,Jinwooleftthehospitalwithaspringinhissteps.

ThefirstplacehewenttowastheHunterAssociationbuildinglocatedintheGurodistrictofSeoul.AshehadlosthisphoneintheDoubleDungeon,he

neededareplacement.AHunter’sphoneusedspecialmechanismsandcouldonlybeobtaineddirectlyfromtheAssociation.

TheAssociationstafftoldJinwooafterlookingathismonitor,

“ItlookslikeHunter-nim’sphonewillbeavailableinabout2weeks.”

“Really?Thatlong?”

Jinwooexclaimedinsurprise.HisoldphonewassmashedtopieceswhenhewasrunningfromtheStatueofGod,andnowtheyweretellinghimitwouldbe2weeksbeforehecouldgetanewone.

“Ifyouhaveanurgentneedforone,wecanlendyouatemporaryphone.Therentalfeeis50thousandwon.”

50thousandwon…Justtherentalfeewasthathigh.Athiscurrentstatus,itwastooexpensive.

‘Well,it’snotlikeanyone’sgoingtocallme.’

Iftheycouldnotcontacthimthroughhisphone,theAssociationwouldcallhimathome.Sotherewasn’taneedforhimtousemoneyonarental.

Jinwooshookhishead,

“I’lljustwait.”

“Understood.Whenyournewdeviceisready,we’llsenditdirectlytoyourhome.”

“Thankyou.”

Hestoodup.Hiserrandswerenowover.Hehadalreadyfinishedthedailyquest,andtheprocessofrequestinganewphoneattheAssociationwasoveraswell.Asheexitedthebuilding,hetookoutthegoldenkeyagain.

‘Isittimeforthisthing?’

Thekey’sinformationwasoutlinedingreenlettersonthefloatingscreen.

DungeonKey

Rarity[1]:E-rank

Type:Key

KeytoaccessanInstantDungeon.

UsableinHapjeongSubwayStation#3.

ItwasoneoftherewardsfromaRandomBox.Atfirst,hewasconfusedattheappearanceofakey,butlookingatthefirstinstanceofa“rarity”onanitem,heknewitwasnotsomethingordinary.Itwasoneofthemainreasonshehaddecidedtoleavethehospital.

‘AkeytoaccessanInstantDungeon…’

Evenifitwascalled“Instant”,aDungeonwasaDungeon.Itwasawordthatbroughtbackalotofpainfulmemories.Once,hehadparticipatedinanE-rankraidbutreceivedabiginjuryandhadtobehospitalizedforaweek.

‘Atleastatthattime,nooneelsegothurtintheparty…’

However,ifheenteredaDungeonwiththiskey,itwouldhavetobecompletelyalone.

Jinwoomadethedecisionafterthinkingforsometime.

‘Icouldjustcheckitoutandleave.’

Therewasalwaystheoptionofrunningaway.Diligentlyrunning10kmeveryday,Jinwoowasconfidentinhisabilitytorunaway.

Thatconfidencewasamistake.

slam,slam!

“Thisis…awall?”

Hepoundedontheinvisiblebarrierandtriedtoscreamtowardstheoutside,buttherewasnoresponse.Thepeopleoutsidewalkedby,takingnonoticeofhim.

Occasionally,someonewouldwalkdownthestairsintothesubwaystation,butthemomenttheyreachedtheinvisiblewall,theydisappeared.Comparedtotheoutside,itseemedlikethisplacewasinaseparatedimension.

AsJinwoousedallhisstrengthtotryandforcehiswayout,hereceivedanothermessage.

ring~

YoucannotexittheDungeon.

Pleasedefeatthebossorusea“returnstone”[2]

Itwasthesamemessagehereceivedwhenhefirsttriedtoleave.

ThedungeonkeythathewasholdingdisappearedthemomenthetookastepintotheSubwayStation#3.Whenhepanickedandturnedaroundtoleave,aninvisiblebarrierwasalreadyblockinghisway.

HehadinitiallyexpectedtofindaGateorasecretentrancesomewhereinthestation,buthisexpectationswereoffthemark.Andworse,contrarytoanormalDungeon,itwasimpossibleforhimtoleave.

“ContrarytoanormalDungeon…”

Withaheavysigh,heturnedaround.

Thestationhadtransformed,combiningitsnaturalinteriorwithelementsofajungle.Thewallswerecoveredinvines,andthesmellofrottingcorpsesstabbedatJinwoo’snose.Fromadistance,heevenheardsomethingresemblingananimal’scry.

“...”

InsteadoffindinganentrancesomewhereinHapjeongSubwayStation,theentirestationhadbecometheDungeon.

Jinwooretrievedthesteelswordfromhisinventory.

ring~

KimSangshik’sSteelSword

AttackPower+10

Ifretreatwasn’tanoption,theonlywaywasforward.

Jinwoogulpedasheslowlydescendedthestairsintothestation.Heheldhisbreathandlookedaround,butdidnotsenseanything.Yethecouldnotrelax;carelessnesswasnotallowed.Evenamongthelowerlevelmagicbeasts,therewereonesthatcouldhidetheirpresence.Rather,itwasbecausetheywerelowerlevelthattheyhadtohidetheirpresenceandattemptanambush.

Hepassedbyabathroomandcameuponanundergroundshoppingcenter.Thevariousstorefrontswereinastateofdeterioration.Withnohumansinsight,thedimlylitareawasreminiscentofanapocalypticmovie.Ahair-raisingchillwashedoverJinwoo.

flicker-flicker-

Asifontheirlastlegs,severaloftheceilinglightsflickeredonandoff.

Walkingonweedsthatgrewoutfrombrokentiles,Jinwoolookedaroundanxiously.

“...”

Hissurroundingswereempty,buthefeltsomethinglookingathim.

‘Andthissmell.’

Astrongstenchofarottingcorpsewascomingfromsomewhere.HavingenteredmanyDungeonsbefore,itwasafamiliarsmelltoJinwoo.

‘It’sabeasttypemagicbeast[3]’

However,hecouldnotpinpointitslocation.Itwasalmostasifitwaswaitingtoambushaprey.

‘Soyou’regonnahideandwaitforanopportunity,eh?’

Thenhe’llgiveitanopportunity.

Jinwooturnedaroundandshowedhisbackonpurpose,thenslowlywalkedinthedirectionhecamefrom.Predatorstendedtoattackaprey’sexposedback;thebeasttypemagicbeastswerenodifferent.

Itwasafterhetookhisthirdstep,

shatter!

Thewindowsofaclothingstorefrontbrokeapartassomethingleapedthroughitfrominside.Themomentitlandedonthefloor,itimmediatelyjumpedagaintowardsthebackofJinwoo’sneck.

Roar!

Havingalreadyanticipatedtheattack,Jinwoorespondedtothecreature’sroarbyswinginghisswordasheturnedaround.Itwasanimpressivereflex!

slash-!

Thesharpswordcaughtthechinoftheattackingbeastasitswungthroughtheair.Fallingaway,thebeastshriekedasitrolledontheground.

whimper-whimper-

Itwasalargewolfwithredfurs.Havinglostitsentiresnout,thewolftossedandturnedonthegroundinpain.WhenJinwoolookedcloser,hewasabletoseeanameabovethebeast’shead,similartothecentipedesfromthePenaltyZone.

‘Steel-teethLycan’[4]

However,unlikethecentipedeswhosenamewasinred,hiscurrentenemy’snamewasinwhite.

‘Notimetothinkaboutit!’

Withthebeastwrithingonthegroundinpain,theopportunitytofinishitwasnow.Jinwooranacrossthedistancebetweenthetwo.Hebroughtdownhisswordashereachedthebeast.Itsheadwascleanlyseparatedfromitsbody.

whimper-!

TheLycanletoutadeathrattleasitpassed.

You’vedefeatedtheSteel-teethLycan.

“Good!”

Buthedidnothavetimetocelebrate.Fromthebrokenwindow,twomoreLycansthatwerehidinginthedarknesscameout.

‘Ah,ithadfriends.’

Jinwoo’seyeswidened,

Roar!

Baringtheirscaryfangs,thetwobeastsclosedthegaptowardJinwooinaninstant.Jinwoofurrowedhisbrows.InhisexcitementtoslaythefirstLycan,hehadbroughtdownhisswordwithtoomuchforce,andnowtheswordwasstuckintheground.

‘It’sstuck!’

Whilehewasstrugglingtopulloutthesword,oneoftheLycanspouncedtowardshisface.

“Whoa!”

Hequicklyloweredhisheadtoevade.TheLycanthatmissedhisheadcouldnotcontrolitsspeedandcrashedintotheground.

crack!

Thegroundwhereitsfangsstruckcracked.

‘Guess“Steel-teeth”isn’tjustaname’

Buttherewasnotimetobeimpressed,theotherLycanwasnowcomingathim.Thesworddidnotappeartobecomingoutanytimesoon.

“Shit!”

Havingnochoice,heabandonedtheswordandswunghisfistattheLycaninmidair.

woosh!

Makingnoiselikethewind,hisfistflewthroughtheair.

smash!

Uponimpact,theLycan’sheadexploded.TheheadlessbodyoftheLycanstrucktheceilingthenfelltotheground.

slam!

“...?”

Jinwoolookedathisfistinsurprise.

Itsdestructivepowerwasnotsomethinghehadexpected.

TheLycanthathadflownoverhisheadwasnowlookingathimwithfear.Itstaillowered,thewolfbegantostepbackwards.

“Huh…?”

Wasthistheresultofputtingallofhispointsintostrength?

Ashestaredathisfistwithanopenmouth,theheadlessbodyoftheLycanconvulsedwithafinalitythenstoppedmoving.AfamiliarelectronicsoundrangthroughJinwoo’shead.

ring~

You’vedefeatedtheSteel-toothLycan.

You’veleveledup!

“I’veleveledup?”

Makesurehedidn’tmishear,Jinwooquicklyopenedhisstatusscreen.

Name:SungJinwoo

Level:2

Class:None

Title:None

HP:205

MP:22

Fatigue:0

Stats

Strength:32

Constitution:11

Agility:11

Intelligence:11

Sense:11

(Availablestatpoints:0)

Skills

PassiveSkills

-(Unknown)(Lv.Max)

-UnyieldingSpirit(Lv.1)

ActiveSkills

-Sprint(Lv.1)

Hereallyhadleveledup.Withit,allofhisstatshadincreasedby1point.Jinwoo

realizedthatthequestrewardswerenottheonlywaytoraisehisattributes.Itwasapparentthatlevelingupincreasedthemaswell.

‘TothinkthatIcouldlevel-up!’

Somethingthathehadonlydreamtaboutwasnowarealitybeforehim.

Hisheartbeatquickened.

‘AndthetotalpointsI’vegainedisbiggerthanthedailyquest.’

Thestatpointshereceivedfromquestswere3.

Thestatpointshegainedfromlevelingupwere5.

Althoughhecouldnotfreelydistributethese5points,thetotalbenefitfromalevel-upwasmuchbiggerthanthequestreward.

‘AndIleveledupaftertakingdownjusttwoofthem.’

Inavideogame,lowlevelcharacterswereabletolevelupquickly.

Jinwoowascurrentlylevel2.Youcouldsayhewasatthebottomofthebarrel.Buthisleveldidnotproperlyreflecthisstrength.Afterall,hisstrengthwasalreadyabove30;ifyoutreatedonelevel-upbeingequivalenttoonepointofstrength,Jinwooalreadyhadthestrengthofsomeoneabovelevel20.Andwhenalevel1characterhuntswiththestrengthofalevel20?

‘Ithinktheycallthis“powerleveling”?’

Thedestructivepowerofhispunchthatsurpassedallexpectationswasatestamenttohisprogress.

‘I’vetripledthestrengthattribute,butIfeelmorethanjustthreetimesstrongerthanbefore.’

Jinwoo’soriginalstrengthstatwas10.Thedifferencebetween10strengthand30strengthwasafactorof3,buthispowerfeltmuchgreaterthanthat.

‘Maybe…’

Whatifvalueofhisattributesbecameweightedastheyincreased[5]?Thatwouldexplainthisdestructivepower.Ontopofthat,hismovementshadalsobecomefaster.Ifitwastheoldhim,hecouldnotimaginedodgingthebeasts’fastattacksormakethewindhowlwhenhemadeapunch.

“Isupposeincreasingmymuscleswouldmakemefaster.”

Itseemedthatincreasingthestrengthstatincreasedbothhis‘strength’and‘speed’.HisbattlewiththeLycanwastheproof.

Butwhatabouttheagilitystat?Ifnothismobility,whatwoulditincrease?

Jinwooknewhecouldnotsatisfyhiscuriositywithoutmorestatpoints.

‘EvenifIhadsome…’

Itfeltalittlewastefultouseupthepointsfromquestrewardsinagility.Ifhecouldraisebothhispowerandspeedthroughthestrengthstat,whyputpointsintoagility?

Ifthat’sthecase,therewasoneanswer.

‘Increasemylevelasfastaspossible.’

Hewouldobtainpointsintheagilitystatthroughlevelingup,gatheringclumpsofdirtuntilhehadasizeablehill.Surelytheresultoftheincrementalincreaseswouldbenoticedeventually.

‘Then,shallIgetstarted?’

HerememberedtheremainingLycan.

“But,wheredidthatbastardgo?”

TheLycanthathadcowerednearbyhaddisappeared.Jinwoolookedaroundbutcouldnotfindtracesofthebeast.ItappearedtohaveranawaywhileJinwoowasfocusedonhisstatusscreen.

“Bleh.”

Herolledhistongueinhismouth,disappointedatthelossofexperiencepoints.

Ashebegantowalkaway,

‘Wait,dothesethingsdropmagiccores?’

Hestoppedhimselfinthought.

EverymagicbeastfoundinGateshadamagiccoreintheirbody;sometimes,asinglemagicbeastcouldcarrymultiplecores.Ifyouwerelucky,youmightevenfindaRunestone.Themagiccores,whichhadmanyuses,andtheRunestones,whichtaughtvaluableskills,couldbesoldforahighprice.ItwouldnotbeanexaggerationtosaythattheprimaryobjectiveofmostHuntersinaraidwastoobtainmagiccores.

JinwoowasaHunter.Walkingawayfromahuntemptyhandedmadehimfeeldisappointed.Justincase,hehadcutopenthebellyofoneoftheLycanbutfoundnothing.Itseemedlikethesethingsweresomethingdifferentthanamagicbeast.

InhisHuntingexperience,Jinwoodidnotrecallhearinganythingaboutawolf-likemagicbeastthatresembledtheseLycans.

AsJinwoowipedhishandsandgotuptoleave,

“Hmm?”

HesawsomethingshiningintheLycan’smouth.Jinwooopeneditsjaws.OneoftheLycan’steethwassparklingwithlight.Whenhereachedouttoit,amessageappeared.

You’vefounda“Lycan’scanine”

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

“Acquire.”

Lycan’scanine

Rarity:None

Type:Junk

ALycan’slargeandsharpcanine.

Youmaykeepthisiteminyourinventory.

Youmaysellthisitemintheshop.

Jinwooreadthecanineinhishandandwastakenback.

‘Therewasashop?’

WhereintheworlddidthisunhelpfulSystemcomefrom?Tothinkthatitwouldforcetheusertofigureouteverythingonhisown.Jinwoorecalledhowithadgivenhimnoexplanationaboutthepenaltyquest;itjustthrewhiminthepenaltyzoneandexpectedhimtorunfromdeathuntilhisbodygaveout.

Jinwoogrittedhisteethandcalledtheshop.

“Shop.”

HehalfexpectedanNPCshopkeepertopopupoutofnowhere.Hewasdisappointedtofindthatthe‘shop’justendedupbeinganotherinformationscreenfloatinglikeahologram.Asifthatwasn’tenough,thegreenlettersonthescreendisplayedjusttwowords.

[Buy][Sell]

“...”

Wow.Whatanamazingshop.

Jinwooselected“buy”.Althoughhehadnomoneyinhispockets,hewascuriousonwhatkindofitemscouldbefoundinthisshop.Butofcourse,theSystemwasnotverykind.

Yourlevelisinsufficienttousethe“buy”function.

Hewasusedtobeingturnedawayfromplacesthatneededmoney.

“Yessir,yessir.”

Notpayingmind,heturnedhiseyestowardtheotherfunction.

WouldyouliketoselltheLycan’scanine?

“Sure.”

Withasoundofcoinsdropping,hisinventoryopenedup.Atthebaseoftheinventoryscreen,thesectionthatsaid“Gold”wasnowdisplaying20.Yesterday,itwas0.

‘20gold.’

UnabletouseitinreallifeorintheSystem,hewasnotsurewhatthevalueofthisamountwas.

‘IdoubtanythingfromanE-rankDungeonwouldbeuseful.’

EveniftherewasadifferencebetweenaDungeonandanInstantDungeon.Still,JinwoostartedtoheadoverandcollecttheotherLycan’steeth.Hefacepalmed.

“Right.Iblewoffitshead…”

Disappointed,heturnedtoleave.Hewasdisappointedatthelossof20gold,thevalueofwhichhewasn’tevensureabout,buthewasnotabouttowastethetimetolookforatinytooththatcould’veflownofftogodknowswhere.Asheturnedaround,hisdisappointmentmeltedawaylikesnow.

grrrrrrrrl

grrrrl

grrrrrrrl~

TheLycanthathadranawayhadreturnedwithmanymorewolves!

Jinwoo’sfacebloomedintoasmile.Ataglance,thereweremorethan20ofthem.

“Eureka!”

‘Wait,that’snottheword….Whatever.’

Whatwascertainwashishappiness.Hesqueezedthehiltofhissword.

“Thankyouforthemeal~”

Athisgreedygaze,theLycanscoweredandtrembled.

Jinwooleapedtowardthebeasts.

You’veleveledup!

You’veleveledup!

You’veleveledup!

Asexpected,hislevelrosequickly.HavingranaroundtheentirefirstfloorlookingforLycans,Jinwoo’slevelhadalreadyincreasedto7.Aratherlargeleapof5levels.

whimper-!

AshetookdownthelastremainingLycan,astrangemessageappeared.

ring~

You’veobtainedthetitle,“WolfSlayer”

“Title?”

WolfSlayer

Allstatsincreasedby40%againstbeasttypemonsters.

Atitlegiventoahunterexperiencedinslayingwolves.

Hisstatusscreenreflectedthenewtitleaswell:

Name:SungJinwoo

Level:7

Class:None

Title:WolfSlayer

HP:766

MP:81

Fatigue:3

Stats

Strength:37

Constitution:16

Agility:16

Intelligence:16

Sense:16

(Availablestatpoints:0)

Skills

PassiveSkills

-(Unknown)(Lv.Max)

-UnyieldingSpirit(Lv.1)

ActiveSkills

-Sprint(Lv.1)

Astatboostagainstbeasttypemonsters.Althoughtheeffectwaslimitedagainstcertaintypes,a40%boostwasnothingtoscoffat.

‘There’salotofbeasttypemagicbeastsoutthere,wonderifitworksagainstthem?’

Ifitdid,itwouldhelpalotinRaiding.Still,thelootsofarwasratherdisappointing.

‘34canines,tworustydaggers,anadventurer’sclothesandareturnstone.’

Everyonceinawhile,awolf’sbellywouldcontainitems.However,mostwerenotparticularlyuseful.Therustydaggershadlowerattackpowercomparedtohissteelsword,andtheadventurer’sclothesendedupbeingjunkitemsthathecouldnotuse.Aftersellingallthejunkhehadpickedup,Jinwoohadearnedaboutathousandgold.

CurrentGold:1,060

“...Ican’ttellifthat’salotorlittle.”

Nomatterhowmuchhecollected,therewasnowherehecouldspendit.

Ignoringthegold,theonlyotheritemthathehadnowwasthereturnstone.Herecalledtheinvisiblebarrierthatstoppedhimnomatterhowmuchforcewasapplied.TheSystemhadtoldhimherequiredoneofthesetoexit.So,nowheknewhewasabletoleave.

Jinwoowasatacrossroad.

Aheadwasthestairsdescendingtobasementlevel2.

Inhishand,thereturnstone.

‘Forwardorretreat…’

Ifitwashisoldself,hewould’veranawaywithoutasecondthought.Afterall,itwastheonlywayhesurvivedthemanyRaidswithhisweakabilities.Otherscalleditamiracle,butheknewitwasduetohisclevermovements.

Butitwasdifferentnow.

Hedidnotwanttoturnback.

Ifheleftnow,hefeltlikehecouldnotreturn.

“I’msickofrunningaway.”

Itwasabouttimehefaceddangerheadon.Heputthereturnstonebackinhispockets.

Hisfootstepsdownthestairswerelight.

You’veleveledup!

You’veleveledup!

UnlikeaDungeon,theInstantDungeonhadarespawntimerforitsenemies.Themonstersonthefirstlevelrespawnedwhilehetookcareofthesecondlevelmonsters,thenthemonstersonthesecondlevelwouldrespawnwhilehewentbacktothefirstlevelmonsters.

You’veleveledup!

You’veleveledup!

Jinwoowentbackandforthbetweenthefirstandsecondlevelsuntilhislevelstoppedrising.

‘Don’tknowwhenI’llgetachancelikethisagain.’

Afteracertainpoint,hewasabletopredictwherethemonsterswouldattackfrom.

“Amonkeyfromabove,”

Heeasilydodgedtheclawsofthemonkeythatwasfallingonhimandstabbeditschestwithhissword.

“Catsfromtheleftandright.”

Heslashedthenecksoftheblackpanthersthatpouncedonhimfromhissides.

You’vedefeatedtheRazor-clawedBriga.

You’vedefeatedtheBlack-shadowRazan.

You’vedefeatedtheBlack-shadowRazan.[6]

Andwiththat,allthemobsonthesecondlevelweredefeated.Ithadbeensometimesincehislevelstoppedat15.Itlookedlikethatwasthelimitofhisgrowthonthefirstandsecondlevels.

“Stat.”

Stats

Strength:45

Constitution:24

Agility:24

Intelligence:24

Sense:24

(Availablestatpoints:0)

Afterlevelingupseveraltimes,hisstatshadincreasedaccordingly.Agilitywasalmostat25;afterreachingabove20inagility,hewasabletofullydiscernthedifferencebetweenstrengthagility.Insteadofincreasingisphysicalspeed,theincreasedagilitymadehisvisionspeedup,makingitseemliketheenemieswereslowingdown.

‘Likeaslowmotionvideo.’

Evenasthemonkeyfelldownandthepanthersleaptathim,hesawitallinslowmotion.Itwasasiftimeitselfhadsloweddown.Theeffectmadeiteasiertododgetheenemy’sattacksandatthesametimelandhisattacks.Itcertainlymadehimfeelmore‘agile’.

Speedisrelative.

Astheagilitystatbecamehigher,thedifferencebetweenhimandhisopponentwouldmakehisownmovementsseemfastertotheenemy.

‘Lookslikethere’sagreatsynergybetweenthestrengthandagilitystats.’

AndthatwasJinwoo’sfinalthoughtontheagilitystat.

“Sothat’sthat.”

Histurnedhishead.

“Whattodoaboutthat…”

Hewaslookingatthestairwaydowntothethirdlevel.

Eventhoughthepathtothethirdlevelwaswideopen,therewasareasonhespenthistimebetweenthefirstandsecondlevels.

‘Ifeelachilldownthere.’

Ashissensestatincreased,thefeelingofdangerhefeltfromthethirdlevelbecamestronger.Evenwithoutlooking,Jinwoowascertaintherewassomethingstrongdownthere.HerecalledthemessagefromtheDungeonentrance,

YoucannotexittheDungeon.

Pleasedefeatthebossorusea“returnstone”

Theexistenceofaboss.

Inpreparationoffacingit,Jinwoohadgonebackandforthbetweenthefirstandsecondlevelscountlessamountoftimes.Evenaftersuchpreparation,hefeltanuneasinessashestoodbeforethethirdlevelentrance.

Heslappedhischeeks.

‘I’veenteredaDungeon.Ican’tleavewithouttakingalookattheboss,right?’

Asmallamountofanxietywasgoodformaintainingthetoplevelofreadiness.Hiscurrentanxietywasjusttherightamount.

Holdinghisswordinhishands,Jinwooslowlydescendedthestairs.

‘AmIcrazyordothesestairsfeellongerthanusual?’

Hegulped.Althoughthelightingwasmuchdimmerthanthefirstandsecondlevels,hehadnotroubleseeinghissurroundings.

‘Isitbecauseofthesensestat?’

Hiseyesighthadimproved.

Ashecautiouslydescended,hecameacrosstheplatformswherethetrainswouldstopnextto.Butnexttotheplatforms,insteadofthetracksthatthetrainswouldtravelon,wasagiantmassofblackwater.

‘Whatisthis?’

Itwaslikeariveroralake.Totakeacloserlook,Jinwootookastepforward.

Suddenly,somethinglarge,likeagiantlog,shotoutfromthewaters.

sliiiiide-!

‘It’sfast!’

Thethingthatreachedhiminablinkofaneyewasnotalog,butagiantsnake.

“Hiya!”

Jinwooreflexivelystruckthesnake’shead.

clang!

Hiseyeswidened.

“What?!”

Althoughhewasabletoparrythedirectionofthesnakethatwascomingitathim,henowstaredatthebrokenswordinhishand.Hequicklyturnedaround.AsifsurprisedbyJinwoo’sstrike,thesnakecoiledatadistance,staringathimwithapiercinggaze.

‘RuleroftheSwamp,BluePoison-fangedCasaka[7]’

Itsnameinorangelettersfloatedclearlyaboveitshead.

Nexttotheordinarymonstersthathadawhitenameupuntilnow,thisthing’sspeedanddurabilitywasincomparablygreater.

‘Still,tothinkthatamagicpowerenforcedswordwouldjustbreaklikethis.’

JinwoogulpedandanalyzedCasaka.Thebluescalesonitsbodyglistened;these

armorlikescalescoveredCasakafromheadtotail.Thescalesthatcouldnotbepiercedbyasword.Jinwoo’sfistswouldprobablynotworkeither.

Asheconsideredthefutilityofhissituation,Casaka,havingdeterminedthatJinwoowasaprey,chargedtowardshimwithanexplosivespeed.

sliiiiiide-!

Jinwoonarrowedhiseyes.

‘Hereitcomes!’

Asheconcentratedwitheveryounceofhisfocus,Casaka’spreviouslyblurryformbegantobecomeclearerinhiseyes.Thiswasthepoweroftheagilitystat.

AsCasakaopeneditsjawswideandcameathim,Jinwooquicklytwistedhisbodytododgetheattack.Atthesametime,hemaneuveredhimselfbehindthesnake’sheadandgrabbeditwithbothofhisarmsandsqueezed.

crack!

Jinwoo’sstrengthstatwasnearing50.Theterrifyingpowerwasbeingappliedtothesnake’sarteries.Unabletoescapehisclutches,thesnakethrashedandstruggledinpain.Atthemonster’sresistance,Jinwoogrittedhisteethandstrengthenedhisgrip.

slam!slam!

Evenashewasslammedintothefloorandthewallsbythesnake’smovements,Jinwooheldonanddidnotletgo.

‘IfIdidn’tdoallthatlevelingbeforecominghere…’

Therewasnoendtothe‘what-if’sinJinwoo’smind.

Whatifhehadn’tleveledtohislimitbeforehand?

Whatifhehadn’tfocusedallofhispointsintostrength?

ItmayhavesignificantlyhamperedhisabilitytotakedownCasaka.Thisplacewouldhavebeenhisgrave.Hisjudgmentonwaitingbeforegoingdowntothe

thirdfloorwaswise.

crack!

Withasickeningsound,Casaka’sskullwascrushed.

You’vedefeatedtheRuleroftheSwamp,BluePoison-fangedCasaka.

You’veleveledup!

You’veleveledup!

Asexpectedofabossmob.DefeatingCasakahadgrantedhimtwolevels.Jinwoopumpedhisfists.Thelevelsthatseemedtostopat15shotupto17.Hestartedthedayatlevel1;hehadleveleduplikecrazysincethen.

‘However,’

Therewasnoonewhohuntedabossmobjustforexperiencepoints.Whenitcomestotakingdownaboss,thenumberonethingwasitems!

Ashelookedoverthesprawledoutbodyofthesnake,Jinwoosawtwosourcesoflightcomingfromitsbody.

‘Iguessbossesdropmorethanoneitem?’

Withadelightedface,hestretchedhishandtowardsthelight.

ring~

You’vefound“Casaka’sPoisonedFang”

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

You’vefound“Casaka’sVenomGland”

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

“Acquireall.”

Ashespoke,adaggermadeoutofbonesandapouchcontainingsomesubstance

appearedinhisoutstretchedhand.

Casaka’sPoisonedFang

Rarity:C

Type:Dagger

AttackPower+25

Inflicts‘Paralysis’and‘Bleeding’onattack.

‘Paralysis’:Thetargethasachancetobecomeimmobilized.

‘Bleeding’:Thetargetwilllose1%healthpersecond.[8]

AdaggermadeofCasaka’spoisonedfang,stilldrippingwithitspoison.

Youmaykeepthisiteminyourinventory.

Youmaysellthisitemintheshop.

Jinwoonoddedashereadtheitem’sdescription.

‘Notbone,butadaggermadeoutofthatthing’sfang.Itsstatsandeffectsareprettygood.’

Helookedatthepouchnext.

Casaka’sVenomGland

Rarity:A

Type:Elixir[9]

Buff‘Casaka’sArmoredScales’appliedonconsumption.

Debuff‘WeakenedMuscles’appliedonconsumption

‘Casaka’sArmoredScales’:PhysicalDamageReduction+20%

‘WeakenedMuscles’:Strength-35

ApouchcontainingtherefinedvenomofCasaka.Drinkingwillgiveyouapermanentlytoughenedskin,butthevenomwillalsopermanentlydamageyourmuscles.

RaredropfromCasaka.

Youmaykeepthisiteminyourinventory.

Jinwoo’sexpressionflickeredbackandforthbetweenjoyandsorrow.

Casaka’sPoisonedFangwasagoodweapontoreplacethebrokensteelsword.Ontopofthefactthatthedagger’sattackpowerwasmorethandoubleofthesword,itevenhadspecialeffectslike‘paralysis’and‘bleeding’.

‘Butthevenomisabit…’

AtfirstexcitedaboutanA-rankrarityitem,hequicklyrealizeditwasnotthatgreatofanitemafterreadingitsdescription.Ofcourse,reducingallphysicaldamageby20%wasaneffectworthyofanA-rankeditem.Butthepenaltyoflosing35pointsofstrengthwastoomuch.Especiallywhenheconsideredthefactthathehadfocusedallhispointsintostrengthsofar.

Althoughadouble-edgedsword,itwasstillanitemhedidnotwanttothrowaway.Perhapssomeday,whenhisstatsweresohighthata35pointreductionwouldn’thurtthatmuch,hewouldusethisitem.

“...Fornow,intotheinventoryyougo.”

Withadisappointedexpression,hestoredthedaggerandtheelixirinhisinventory.IfonlyanA-rankdaggerandaC-rankelixirhadcomeoutinstead…

Ashecontemplatedtheidea,hereceivedamessage.

Asthebosswasdefeated,theDungeonwillreturntoitsnormalinterior.

Hissurroundingsblurred.Jinwoobecameslightlydizzyastheworldcamebacktohim.Lookingaround,hewasstandinginthemiddleofanormalsubwaystation.Thelightswereonbrightly,andthewatersthatfilledthetrackshad

disappeared.

“Butwhereiseveryone?”

Ontopofthelackofhumans,therewerenotrainseither.Wonderingifitwaspastthetimetrainswererunning,Jinwoocheckedthetime.Theclockwaspointingto10PM.HehadenteredtheInstantDungeonalittleafterlunchandhadspentnearly9hoursinit.

‘Alotoftimepassed.’

Ifhislevel-upswerenotaccompaniedbyastatusrecovery,heprobablywould’vecollapsedawhileago.

‘Still,it’stooearlyfortrainstostoprunning.’

Afterwaitingabittoseeifthetrainswouldarrive,Jinwoodecidedtoleavethestation.Walkingthroughthesecondandfirstlevels,hestilldidn’tseeanyonearound.Ashewalkedupthelastflightofstairs,someoneshoutedtohim,

“Sir!”

AhumanvoicewasaratherwelcomingsoundtoJinwoo.Heraisedhishead.Itwasamilitarysoldierholdingagun.

“Identifyyourself!Whatwereyoudoingdownthere?Didyounotheartheannouncements?”

Seeingtheman’sseriousexpression,Jinwoo’sownbecamehardened.

“Didsomethinghappen?”

“Whatdoyoumeanif‘something’happened?!Doyounotknow?!”

Theapproachingsoldier’seyessuddenlyfellonthebrokenswordJinwoowasholding.Jinwoolearnedthatbeingbroken,theswordwasnotabletobeplacedintotheinventory.Notwantingtothrowitaway,Jinwoohadhelditinhishandswhilewalking.Seeingthesword,thesoldier’seyeschanged.HecarefullylookedupanddownonJinwoo,noticingthetracesofbattleonhistatteredclothes.

Thesoldierwhohadmaintainedahardattitudesuddenlybecamefriendly,

“AreyouaHunter-nimbyanychance?”

“Er,yes,that’sright…”

“Ah,Iapologize.Thisway,sir.I’llleadtheway.”

“Ah…Okay.”

Thinkingthatitwouldbeaheadachetotryandclearupwhatevermisunderstandingthiswas,Jinwoodecidedtogowiththesoldierfornow.Ashefollowed,heobservedhissurroundings,

‘NowthatItakeacloserlook…’

Somethinghadclearlyhappenedinthearea.Theroadswereempty,andtheonlypeoplearoundweresoldiersandpolicemen.Ontopofthat,theareawasscatteredwithabandonedcars,damagedbuildingsandthecorpsesofmagicbeasts.

Jinwooroughlyunderstoodwhathadhappened.

‘LookslikeaDungeonBreak[10]happenednearby.’

Intoday’sworld,thepropermanagementandmonitoringofGatesmeantthatmostofthemwerediscoveredontimeandtakencareof.However,everyonceinawhile,aGateappearsinahiddenplaceandgoesunnoticeduntilit’stoolate.Oncethathappens,themilitaryisdeployedtobuytimebeforetheHunterscanarrive.

Ofcourse,theweaponsofthemilitarydidnotworkonthemagicbeasts.Yettheystillfoughttothebestoftheirabilities;inordertoprotectthecitizensandprovidetimefortheirescape,someonehadtobethesacrifice.Assuch,themilitarybravelystoodupandbecamemeatshields.Itwasajobthathadtobedone,andtheyoungmenofthiscountrynoblydidthatjob.

“Thankyou.”

ThesoldierthatwasleadinghimsuddenlythankedJinwoo.

“Hmm?”

“It’sthankstotheHunter-nimsthatweareabletolive.”

“Ah…”

Gratitude.

Jinwoowastheonewhowantedtothankthesoldier.

ThesoldiertotheHunter.TheHuntertothesoldier.

Asmenwhobothfoughttoprotectthepeople,bothsideswantedtothanktheother.

“...Roger.Overandout.”

Thesoldier’sfacelitupafterreceivingareportthroughhisradio.

“Mostofthemagicbeastsintheareahavebeentakencareof.Theysaidthereisjustonebigoneremaining.”

Jinwoonodded.Healreadyknewthiswithoutthesoldier’sreport.Throughhisraisedsensestat,hewasabletodetectthepresenceofapowerfullifeformnearby,surroundedbytheenergyofmultiplehunters.

Hisinstinctstoldhimthepowerfullifeformwastheboss.

Soon,theboss’sfigurecameintotheirview.Inanemptylotahead,ten-somethingHunterswerefightingwithagiantmadeoutofstone.Thegiant’sheightwasalittleaboveastreetlight;itwasagolemtypemagicbeast.

“Mygod…”

Thesoldiertookastepback.Asifitwasthefirsttimehehadseenamagicbeast,themanfrozeashesawthegolem.Anyordinaryhumanwoulddothesame.Thepresenceofamagicbeastinpersonwasquitedifferentthanseeingitoverthetelevisionoracomputerscreen.

Comparedtothesoldier,Jinwoocalmlylookedovertothebattle.

“Healers!PleasefocusyourhealingontheTanker!”

“We’redoingourbest!”

“Whyisitnotgoingdown!”

“Dealers[11],whatareyoudoing?!Hedoesn’tseemlikehe’stakinganydamage!”

“Hisdefenseistoohigh!WeneedafewMage-classHunters!”

AsHunterswhowerecalledoveronashortnotice,theirranksdidnotappeartobethathigh.Boththeirdefenseandoffensewerelacking.

Bang!

Thegolemslammedhisstonefistontotheground,andresultingshockwavecausedtheHunterinchargeoftankingtobuckle.

“Cough!”

Themanspatoutblood.

“Ohno!”

“TheTanker’sgoinggodieatthisrate!”

“Whatcanwedo?!Ourmagicpower’salmostgone!”

“Wherearethehighrankers?!”

TheHunterswerereachingtheirlimits.

Ashewatched,Jinwoo’sgazesharpened.

‘Ifit’sthismuch…Ishouldbeabletodoit.’

Heslowlytookfewstepsbackwards.Allthegolemtypebosshadgoingforitwasitshighdefense;itsoveralllevelseemedtobelow.Comparedtothepressurehefacedagainstthe‘bluepoisoned-fangedwhatever[12]’,thegolemwasastepbelow.

‘SoifIcanjustgetthroughitsdefense...’

WhattheHuntersneededwasapowerfulattacktogetthroughthatstupidpieceofrock.Atagooddistance,Jinwoocockedhisarmbackintoathrowingposition.Hetightenedhisgriponthebrokensword,andthemusclesofhisarmexpanded.Thickveinsappearedallthewaytothebackofhishand.

Allofhisstrengthwasfocusedonhisrightarm.

Then,thearmthatwasdrawnbacklikeabowstringshotforwardatthespeedofsound.

“Go!”

TheD-rankHunter,LeeHansoo,despaired;hewasathislimit.Theshieldthathewassoproudofwascracking.ThehealingHunters’magicpowermust’vehitrockbottom;thehealingonhimhaddecreasednoticeably.Atthisrate,theentirepartywouldbewipedout.

Hehadtomakeadifficultchoice.

HedecidedtobuytimefortheotherHunterstorunawayandhopethatthehighrankingHunterswouldarriveintimetotakethegolemdown.

‘Orelsewe’llalldiehere.’

LeeHansoo’sbrowsglistenedwithcoldsweat.Hewasreadytodie.

Heturnedandshouted,

“I’lltakeitfromhere,soeveryone-”

Itwasinthatmomenthesawit.Somethingflashedfromadistanceandwasflyingthisway.

Rather,insteadofseeingit,itwasmorelikehefeltit.Hiseyescouldnotpossiblyseethatattack.

BANG!

Thatsomethingobliteratedthegolem’shead.

“W-what?”

LeeHansoo’seyeswidened.Theheadlessgolembegantofalter.Notnoticing,theHunterspressedtheirattacks.

“It’sworking!Theattacksareworking!”

“It’sgoingdown!”

“Justalittlemore!”

Theywerealltoofocusedonattackinganddidnotappeartohaveseenthe‘something’thathadflownover.OnlyLeeHansoo,whostoodrightbeforethegolem,caughtaglimpseofit.

groooooan-

Thegolemfinallywentdown.

Koong!

Itsheavybodythrewupalargecloudofdust.

“Yeaaaaaah!”

TheHuntersshoutedandcheered.

“Wedidit!”

“Wetookitdown!”

OnlyLeeHansoo,whosawwhathappened,shookhishead.

‘No.Ourattacksweren’tevenworking.’

Hequicklysearchedaroundthefallengolem.

“Justwhatthehellblewapartitshead?”

Scanningtheground,LeeHansoocameacrossthepiecesofabrokensword.Althoughithadmagicpower,itwasaratherplainsteelsword.

‘Thatthingwassomethingover10Hunterswerehavingdifficultytakingdown…Andsomeoneblewitsheadopenbythrowingjustthis?’

Hewasatalossforwords.Lookingbackandforthbetweenthegolem’scorpseandtheremnantsofthesword,LeeHansoowalkedpastthecheeringHunterstothedirectiontheswordhadflownfrom.

“Oy!”

Therewasasoldierstandingthere.

“Sir?Areyoutalkingtome?”

“Yes,you!”

AsthelargephysiqueoftheHunterwalkedtowardshim,thesoldierstiffenedandgulped.SuchwasthepressureHuntersgaveofftowardsordinarypeople.

LeeHansooheldouttheswordandasked,

“Didyouthrowthis?”

“Ah,thatwas-”

Thesoldiergesturedbehindhim,thenstopped.

“Wait,what?TherewasaHunter-nimrighthere.”

Therewasnoonethere.Asthesoldierpanickedandlookedaround,LeeHansooscratchedhisheadandlookedattheswordinhishandagain.

‘Thatpower...thatdestructiveness…DidahighrankingHuntercomehere?’

Asthemaninquestionhaddisappeared,hehadnowayofknowing.

Atthattime,Jinwoowasonthewayhome.Hehadalreadyturnedtoleavewhenhesawthegolemfalter.

Hehadtakendownthegolem.Normally,adeadmagicbeast’sdropsbelongedtothepersontakingitdown.Ifhewanted,hecould’velaidaclaimonthegolem’scorpse.

‘ButtheproblemisthatI’dhavetoprovethatIwastheonewhotookitdown.’

WhowouldbelievethatitwasanE-rankHunter’sattackthattookthegolemdown?Hehadnoproof;thebrokenswordorthesoldierstandingbydidnotseemlikeitwouldbeenough.Evenifhewasabletoproveit,hewouldhavetorevealhowheobtainedthepowertotakedownagolem.NomatterhowJinwoolookedatit,thecostsoutweighthebenefits.

Theuniqueabilitytolevel-up.

Hehadnointentionofrevealingthishistoricaloccurrenceoverameregolem’scorpse.

‘Regrettable,butwhatcanIdo.’

Well,itwasn’tallfornothing.No,therewasanunexpectedboon.Amessageappearedtohim,whenhetookdownthegolem:

You’veleveledup!

Takingdownthegolemgavehimonelevel.

‘SoICANlevel-upbytakingdownmagicbeasts.’

Itwasgoodtoknow.Thiswasenoughforhim,fornow.

Attheoutskirtsofthecity,therewasanoldandworndownapartment.Jinwoo’shousewasonthe9thfloorofthisbuilding.

Thehousewasdarkwhenheentered.

‘LookslikeJinah’sbeingdiligent.’

Hislittlesisterwasprobablyatthelibrary.Therewasdinnerontopofthetable.ItwasJinah’swork,havingpickeduptheslackaftertheirmother’shospitalizationfewyearsago.Therewasasmallnotenexttothefood,writtenincuteletters,

“Don’tstarve.I’llcheckwhetherornotyouate.”

Havingreceivedthenewsofhisdischargetoday,shemust’vetakenthetimeto

dothis,evenduringherbusyschedule.Jinwoosmiledandsatdownatthetable,buttherewassomethinghewantedtocheckbeforeeating.

“Statusscreen.”

Name:SungJinwoo

Level:18

Class:None

Title:WolfSlayer

HP:2220

MP:350

Fatigue:2

Stats

Strength:48

Constitution:27

Agility:27

Intelligence:27

Sense:27

(Availablestatpoints:0)

Skills

PassiveSkills

-(Unknown)(Lv.Max)

-UnyieldingSpirit(Lv.1)

ActiveSkills

-Sprint(Lv.1)

Itwasalongday.Inthatlongday,hewasabletogoallthewaytolevel18.Hisstrengthwasnearing50,andhisotherstatshadalsorisengreatly.Additionally,hewasabletolearntheeffectsoftheagilityandsensestats.

‘Ontopofallthat,Igotanicedaggerwithgoodeffectsandagoodamountofgold…thatIcan’tspendyet…still.’

Puttingasidethevenomthathedidn’twanttouse…

TheattackontheInstantDungeonwasabigsuccess.

---------------------------------

[1]:“Rarity”():Lit.“toobtain/get/acquire”+“difficulty”>“thedifficultyinobtainingthisitem”>“rarity”

[2]:“returnstone”():Lit.“toreturn”+“rock”>areturnstone.Insomevideogames,it’sanitemthatallowstheusertoreturntothenearestsafeplace(towns,savepoints,etc…).Called“hearthstone”inWoW.

[3]:“beasttypemagicbeast”():Lit.“beast/animal”+“type”+“magicbeast”;thetwowordsfor“beast”aredifferentinKorean.Abitawkwardtosay“beasttypemagicbeast”,butJinwooclarifyingthe“type”ofthemagicbeastherehastheimplicationthat“magicbeast”justreferstoanyhostileentityinaDungeon(meaningtheirformsarenotjustlimitedtobeastsandanimals).

[4]:‘steel-teethlycan’().Prettyliteraltranslation.“Steel”+“tooth”.Someonetoldme“Lycan”isthekoreanpronunciationoflycan,shortforlycanthrope.Thanksto/u/Zarryiosiadforthereference.

[5]:Sorry,I’mactuallynota100%surewhattheoriginalphraseisreferringto(?).Litwouldbe“asattributesgoup”“weightedvalue”“isapplied”.Fromcontext,Ijustgatheredittomeanthattheincreasesinhisabilitieswerenotarithmetic(straightlineprogression)butgeometric(increasingprogression).

[6]:Literaltranslations+romnizationsofnonkoreannames.

[7]:,.Prettystraightforwardtranslation.Thefirstpartisthething’stitle,“swamp”+“ruler”.“”canrefertoeitherblueorgreen;Iwentwithblue.

[8]:“lose1%health”(…).Thewordfor“health”isthesameasthestatwordfor“constitution”.Iwasn’tsureifthedebuffaffectedthestatortheHP;IwentwithHP.

[9]:“Elixir”():Couldn’tfindadirecttranslation.Seemedlikeitwaseitherpotionorelixir.Founda“waterwalkingelixir”inWoWthattranslated“elixir”to…Soiwentwithelixir...

[10]:“DungeonBreak”:Areminder,aGateundergoesfullopeningafter7days,thenaDungeonBreakoccurs.ThemagicbeaststhatwerenormallyconfinedtotheinsideoftheGatecannowleavetheGate,causingdestructionandmayhemoutside.

[11]:“Dealers”():Thewordisinenglish,“Dealer”. Koreangamingterminologytoreferto“damagedealers”;inthewest,morecommonlycalledthe“DPS”(damagepersecond).

[12]:Notamistrans.Jinwooforgotthename…

Chapter9:Lizards

Peoplewholefttheirhomesinthedawnofdayalwaysmadeapointtodosoquietly.Afterall,theydidn’twanttowakeuptheirfamily.Jinahwasnodifferent.Thinkingofhersleepingbrother,shequietlylockedthedoorandturnedtoleaveforschool.

“Goingtoschool?”

“Eh?!”

Sheabruptlyturnedtoseeherbrotherjoggingtowardher.Hewaswearingatracksuitandsneakers,hisheadcoveredbyahoodie.Itlookedlikehewascomingbackfromarun.

Jinahstaredatherbrotherwithwideopeneyes.

“Whatthe.Youwereawake,oppa?”

“Forawhilenow.Haveagoodday.”

“Ah…okay.”

Shewatchedherbrothergoinsidethehousewithherheadtilted.

‘Huh.Tothinkthatthere’dbeadaywhereoppawokeupbeforeIdid.’

ItwasnotthatJinwoowaslazy,butJinahwasadiligentstudentwhooftengotupatthecrackofdawnforschool,soitwasararesightforhertoseeherbrotherinthemorninglikethis.

‘NowthatIthinkaboutit…’

Herbrother’sshoulderswereabitwiderthanshe’dremembered.

‘Eh,Imustbemistaken.’

Humanbodieswerenotrubberbands.Theydon’tstretchlikethatinjustafewdays.

Asshewasshakingherheadindisbelief,Jinwoosuddenlycamebackoutandheldanumbrellatowardsher.

“Whyanumbrella?”

Shetooktheumbrellaandlookeduptothesky.Itwasstilldarkatdawn,buttheskyappearedtobeclear.

“Idon’tthinkit’sgoingtoraintoday.”

“Justtakeit.”

“It’sgoingtobeahassle…”

“Justtakeitstill.It’snotthatheavy,stopcrying.”

Heclosedthedoorandwentbackinside.

“Sigh-alwayssostubborn.”

Shetappedthedoorrebelliouslywithherfootfewtimes,thenputtheumbrellainherbagandstartedwalking.

‘Wait…’

Sherecalledherbrother’sfigurejustnow.Itwasstrange.Herbrotherwasdistinctlytallerthanshehadremembered.

“Domenstillkeepgrowingafter20?”

‘Can’tbe…’

Sheshookherheadagainandwalkedtowardsschool.

click

Jinwoolockedthedoorandopenedhisinventory.

“Storage.”

Storage.Inv.Inventory.

Afterexperimenting,hefoundthatthespokencommanddidnothavetobethatexact.Samewiththemessages.Variousphraseswiththeintentandmeaningof“opening”worked.

Hetooktheumbrellaobtainedfromtoday’sRandomBoxandputitintothedigitalstoragebeforehiseyes.

“Today’swasabustagain.”

IthadbeenfourdayssincehisfirsttripintoanInstantDungeon.Sincethen,hehadhopedforanotherkeyfromtheRandomBoxesbutwasnotsolucky.

‘Howdisappointing.’

Hewenttohisroomandsatonhisbed.

Therewassomethinghehadtodecidetoday.

“Stat.”

Stats

Strength:48

Constitution:27

Agility:27

Intelligence:27

Sense:27

(Availablestatpoints:12)

Fourdays’worthofstatpointswerepiledupinhisstatscreen.Hehadnotmissedasingledailyquest,andofcourse,diligentlycollectedtherewards.Buthehadnotusedanyofthepointsyet.Hewasn’tsurewhattodowiththem.

“...Thisishard.”

Indeeditwas.Itwasnotaneasydecisiontomake.

Strength.Goodstat.Noregretsindumpingeverypointinitsofar.

Agility.Alsogoodstat.Notneededagainstlowlevelenemies,butabsolutelycriticalagainststrongerfoes.Speedwasrelative,afterall.

Constitutionandsense.Havinghigherhealthwasalwaysagoodthing,andsenseturnedouttobesurprisinglyusefulaswell.

Intelligence…

...Thiswastheproblem.Thiswasthesoleattributethathehadnoinformationtogoon.Evenafterhislevelsrose,hedidn’treallyfeelsmarter.Hismemorizationdidn’texactlyimprove,nordidhismentalmathbecomeanyfaster.

‘I’msureit’srelatedtomagic…’

Perhapshedidn’tneeditafterall.

Thatleftjuststrength,agility,constitutionandsense.

“...Still,it’shard.”

Evenwithonelesschoice,hestillwasnotsure.Thesynergybetweenstrengthandagilitywasclear;nomatterhowhardhecouldhit,itmeantnothingifhecouldn’thithistarget.Onthesamehand,nomatterhowaccuratehewas,itmeantnothingwithoutpowerbehindtheattack.Withthatinmind,strengthandagilitywereaset.

‘Sincemystrengthisatagoodplace,Ishouldbringupagilitytoasimilarlevel.’

Atthesametime,ifhechosetoraisetheagilitystat,hewouldhavetoputalowerpriorityonconstitution.Thesynergybetweenagilityandconstitutionwasbad.Withhighagility,hisabilitytoevadetheenemy’sattackwouldincrease;ontheotherhand,constitutiononlyshinedwhenhetooktheenemy’sattackheadon.

‘Ofcourse,I’llalwaysneedsomeminimumamount,justincase…’

Still,raisingbothagilityandconstitutionatthesametimedidnotseemlikethebestdistributionofhispoints.

Afterthinkingaboutitforsometime,hecametoaconclusion:

First,agility.Second,sense.Third,constitution.

Hehadalreadyinvestedquiteabitintostrength,sohe’llleaveitasis.He’llfocusonbringingagilitytoamatchinglevel;withthefocusonagility,he’llalsoputsenseaheadofconstitution.

Havingmadehisdecision,Jinwooput2pointsintostrength[0].

ring~

Stats

Strength:50

Constitution:27

Agility:27

Intelligence:27

Sense:27

(Availablestatpoints:10)

Hejustwantedtohavehisstrengthataneven50.Wouldn’tanyonedothesame?

Heputthenext8pointsintoagilityforthesamereason.Hewantedthenumbertoendonanice“5”.

Stats

Strength:50

Constitution:27

Agility:35

Intelligence:27

Sense:27

(Availablestatpoints:2)

‘Numbersalwayslooknicewhenthey’reinmultiplesof5.’

50strengthand35agility.Themultiplesof5gavehimapointlesssenseofsatisfaction.

‘Andthelast2points.’

Heputthemintosense.Andwiththat,thedistributionofhispointswasover.

Stats

Strength:50

Constitution:27

Agility:35

Intelligence:27

Sense:29

(Availablestatpoints:0)

Thefactthathecouldn’tgetsenseto30feltalittlesad.

‘Can’tdomuchaboutitwithnopointsleft.’

Otherthanthat,everythinglookedgoodtohim.Constitutionandintelligencewouldhavetoberaisedthroughlevel-ups.

“Isthisgoodenough?”

Ofcourse,hecouldnotbesatisfied100%ineverything.Still,havingmadethe

decisionaftermuchthought,hefeltthatitwasgoodenough.

ring~ring~

Heheardthephoneringfromthelivingroom.

‘IsitacallfromtheAssociation?’

Inthepast,hewouldholdoutpickingupaslongashecould,afraidtobecalledtoRaids.Butnow,hisbodywasitchingtofacemagicbeastswithhisraisedattributes.Hequicklywentandpickedupthereceiver.

“ThisisHunterSungJinwoo.”

-”Ah,thereyouare.”

ItwasnottheAssociation.Jinwoofeltalittledisappointed.

-“StudentJinwoo,whyhaven’tyoupickedupthephoneinawhile?”

Itwasafamiliarvoice.Ithadbeen4yearssinceJinwoohadgraduatedfromhighschoolandleftbehindthetitleofstudent,butthelandlord,whohadwatchedoverJinwoosincehewasakid,stillcalledhimone.

“Sorrylandlordahjussi.Iwashospitalizedforawhileafteranaccident.”

-“Ohno.Isthatso?Thatexplainsthat.So,er..StudentJinwoo,Ihaven’treceivedthismonth’srentyet.Howisit,doyouwanttopushitbacktonextmonth?”

“Ohno,that’sfine.I’llsenditnow.”

-“Ah,okay.Don’tpushyourselftoohard.Iknowyou’reworkinghardtotakecareofyourmomandlittlesister.Moneyismoney,butdon’tneglectyourbody.”

“Iunderstand.Thankyouverymuch.”

Heendedtheconversationandtookouthisbankbook[1]fromadrawer.Hisaccounthad800thousandwon.

“Sigh…”

Hecouldnothelpbutletoutalongbreath.After500thousandwonforrent,theamountleftoverforlivingexpensesthismonthwouldbejust300thousandwon[2].Eventhe500thousandrentwasduetothefactthathelivedataworn-downapartmentontheedgesofthecity;ontopofthat,thelandlord,whohadasoftheartforJinwoo’ssituation,hadnotraisedtherentinthepastfewyears.

Itwouldbehardtofindaplacefor500thousandthesedays.Itwouldbeevenhardertoliveon300thousandforthemonth.

“First,let’searnsomemoney.”

Hehadpickedouttheprioritygoal.

HewasnotthesamemanwhohadstruggledintakingdownasingleE-rankmagicbeast.

HowdoesaHunterearnmoney?

Thebestwaywastotakedownmagicbeasts.

TheA-rankandS-rankHuntershadtheluxuryofbeingsponsored,filmingcommercialsandmakingTVappearances,buttheywereintheminority.Fortherest,theHuntersearnedtheirkeepinDungeons.

YourincomewasdependentonthequalityandquantityoftheDungeon.AndyourDungeonwasdependentonyourcapabilities.

HighertheRank,highertheDungeon.Moreexperiencedyouwere,moreDungeonsyoucouldgetinto.

AsanE-rankHunterundertheAssociation,JinwoohadneverenteredanythingaboveaD-rankGate.Assuch,hehadneithertheranknortheexperiencetoprovehisworth.

Jinwoofurrowedhisbrows.

‘Forgetanyconditions,ifIcouldonlygetintoaraidingparty[3]...’

Hebrowsedthroughthejobboards[4]onHunterwebsitesandevenmadeafewphonecallsbutmadenoprogress.NobodywantedanE-rankHunter.TheHunterswhoputuplistingsonthejobboardswerethereforpersonalraids.Assuch,theywerelookingforreliablepeopletowatchtheirbacksandwerestrictintheircriteriaforselection.

ThesepeoplewerethosethatfellinanawkwardplaceintheHunterworld.TooweakforGuildsbuttoostrongtoworkundertheAssociation.

‘EventhoseHuntersmakeseveraltenmillionamonth.’

Highrisk,highreturn.Puttingtheirlivesontheline,therewardwasjustasgreat.TherewasareasonHunterswerethetargetofenvy.ToJinwoo,itwasratherfrustrating.

‘ShouldIjustgogetretested[5]andraisemyrank?’

Jinwooshookhishead.Nomatterhowlonghethoughtaboutit,itwasastupididea.Itdidn’tmatterifhisnewrankwasA-rank,B-rankorevenC-rank.AHunter’sReawakeningwouldbebignews.Thepeoplelovedgossip,andHuntersmadeprimegossipmaterial.Ifhegotre-testednowandenteredthepublic’sperception,itwouldonlybeamatteroftimebeforehisspecialcircumstanceswouldbediscovered.Afterall,hehadnoplanstostophisgrowth.

“AHunterthatcanraisehisabilities?”

“Hegetsstrongerwithtime?”

“WhoisthatHunter?”

“Howcouldhedosuchathing?”

“HowcouldIdosomethinglikethat?”

Surely,manypeoplewouldbecomeinterested.TherewasneveraHunterlikehiminhistory.Amidsttheirinterest,therewoulddefinitelybethosethatwouldtrytousehimorantagonizehim.

‘Andifanyofthemarestrongerthanme…’

ThethoughtscaredJinwoo.Hestilllackedpower.Untilhewasconfidentinhisabilitytoprotecthimself,hedidnotwanttorevealhimselftotheworld.So,arankingretestwasoutofthequestion.

‘Still,Ineedawaytomakemoneysomehow…’

Hecouldn’tgetanordinaryjob.HedidnotknowwhentheAssociationwouldcomecalling.IfhegotcalledtoaRaid,hewouldbeabletoearnexperiencepointsandmoney;hedidn’twanttothrowthatchanceawayforsomepocketmoney.

AsJinwooponderedonwhathecoulddo,henoticedanewlistingonthejobboard.

We’lltakeanyone,regardlessofranking,firstcomefirstserve!

Hiseyesshotopen.Itwasanewlycreatedpost.Quicklycheckingthedetails,herealizedthelocationwasn’tfarfromhishouse.Jinwooquicklypickedupthephone.Asifwaiting,theothersidealsopickedupquickly.

-“Hello?”

Jinwoogaveabriefintroductionandinquiredaboutthejobposting.

-“Ah,you’reanE-rank?”

Theresponsewasbetterthanhehadhoped.

-“That’sfine.Youjusthavetocomeandhelpusfilltheheadcount.Butsinceit’saC-rankGate,youprobablywon’tbemuchhelpinthefighting.Sowe’llhavetoleaveyououtofthelootdistribution.Instead,we’llgiveyouaflatamountof2million,how’sthatsound?Couldyoumakeit?”

Flatamountof2million!

Itwasanincrediblecompensationforjustfillingtheheadcount.Theconditionswerenotthatbad.Althoughregrettablethathe’dbeexcludedfromtheloot,hecouldnotlet2millionslipoutofhishands.

‘Fornow,let’sstartwiththis.’

Anopportunitylikethisdidn’tcomeeveryday.2millionwouldbemorethanenoughforthemonth.

Jinwooacceptedtheproposition,

“I’llbetherein15minutes.”

Havingfinishedhispreparationinaminute,Jinwoocalledforacabandarrivedatthepromisedlocation.

9peoplewerewaitingforhim.AmanwhoappearedtobetheirleaderwavedtoJinwoo.

“Overhere!”

Itwasaratherhairymanwithalargebody.HegreetedJinwoowithasmile,

“SungJinwoo-ssi?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright,gladyoumadeit.Shallweintroduceourselves?”

Themanbrieflyintroducedhisteammates.EightoftheHunters,includinghimself,wereagroupthathadbeenworkingtogetherforalongtime.TheninthHunter,likeJinwoo,cameafterseeingthejobposttofilltheheadcount.

Ashegreetedhisteammates,Jinwoolookedovertheirfaces.Duetohisraisedsensestat,hewasabletodiscerntherelativestrengthbetweenthegatheredHunters.

‘Fiveofthemareaboutthesamelevel.Fourofthembelow.Soit’sfiveC-ranksandfourD-ranks?’

RaidingaC-rankGatehadrules.Itrequiredaminimumof10people,andhalfofthepartyhadtobeatleastC-rank.Onlythen,theAssociationwouldgiveraidingpermission.ItseemedliketheirneedforJinwoojusttothefilltheheadcountwastrue.

“Nowthatwe’veallbeenintroduced,I’llexplainafewthings.”

HwangDongseok,aC-rankHunter,hadarelaxedfacebornfromexperience.AshebegantoexplainthevariousrulesandwarningsinthisRaid,someoneapproachedJinwoo.

“So-lookslikewe’rebothtagalongs.”

TheyoungmanwithabrightfacewastheotherHunterrecruitedbyHwangDongseoktofilltheheadcount.However,unlikeJinwoo,hewasnotanoncombatant;hewasaD-rankerwhowouldbeparticipatinginbattle.

HisnamewasYooJinho,22yearsold.JinwoogreetedhimwithalightbowofhisheadandturnedbacktoHwangDongseok.YooJinho,whohadhopedforaconversation,scratchedhisheadandreturnedtohisspot.

“Hyungnim[6],let’sjustgoinalready.”

“It’sjustgoingtobeusfightinganyways,sowhyexplainallthat?”

“Yeah,Isupposeit’sallfallingondeafears.”

Ashisteammemberscomplained,HwangDongseoklaughedandclappedhishands.

“Alrightthen,I’llstoptheexplanationshere.Let’sheadonin.”

EveryonebeganthelastminutepreparationbeforeheadingtotheGate.

“Ah,beforethat,ifyoutwocouldjustsignthisrealquick.”

HwangDongseokhandedJinwooandYooJinhoapieceofpaper.Itwasasimplecontract.

“Youjusthavetowriteyournameattheendandsign.”

Jinwoo’scontractstatedthathewouldnotbeinvolvedincombatorbegivenpartoftheloot.Instead,hewouldreceive2millionwonattheendoftheRaid.ItwassameastheconversationJinwoohadoverthephone.However,alineattheendcaughtJinwoo’seye,

‘NomatterwhataccidentbefallsintheDungeon,theywouldnottakeany

responsibility…’

ComparedtoanofficialRaidundertheAssociation,aprivateRaidhadnocompensationifsomethinghappened.Hunterscouldnotevenobtaininsurance;theirlivesinvolvedtoomuchdanger.

Readingtheline,itofficiallyhitJinwoothathehadenteredaraidingparty.

Beforesigning,JinwooaskedHwangDongseok,

“Sowhatdoyouneedmetodo?”

“Notmuch,justfollowusaroundandcarrythebaggage.”

“Baggage…?”

HwangDongseokgesturedtoalargebackpackhisteammateswereunloadingfromaBongo[7].

“Insideitarefood,clothes,equipment,firstaidkit,etc…”

Wait,afirstaidkitinaDungeon?

“ArewegoinginwithoutaHealer?”

“Youshouldknow,it’sreallyhardtogetaHealer-classHunterforapersonalraidingparty.We’vealwaysbeenlikethis”

HwangDongseoklaughedawkwardly.

Araidingpartyformedatthelastminute,onlygoinginwiththeminimumheadcount.

AfillermemberwhomistooktheRaidforasocialgathering.

Andnow,thenewsthattherewerenoHealersintheparty,onlyTankersandDealers.

Jinwooswallowedhislaugh,

‘They’reallscrubs.’

Still,thereasonhewasabletosignthecontractwasnotbecauseofthe2millionwon.Itwasbecausehewasconfidentinhisabilitiestoprotecthimself.

“Hereyougo.”

“Mineaswell!”

HwangDongseokcheckedthetwomen’ssignaturesthenproclaimedloudly,

“Then,let’sgo!”

ThepartyheadedtowardstheplacetheGatehadappeared.Itwasanabandonedconstructionsiteforanapartmentcomplex.Theconstructionhadbeenhaltedpartway.

“Tsk.Isupposetheeconomy’snotdoingthatwell...”

HwangDongseokclickedhistongue.Thetracesoftheunfinishedbuildingstoodlikeagravestone.Itwouldbeafittingmemorialtoagiant.

“Didyouknow?”

YooJinhowalkeduptoJinwoo’ssideandspokeinaloweredvoice,

“Iheardtheinvestorsandtheemployeeswhoworkedherelosteverythingandarestrugglingtolivethesedays.Butthepresidentofthecompanyranawayfromthecountrywith900billionwontwomonthsago.”

“...”

AlthoughJinwoogaverepeatedindicationthathedidnotwanttotalk,YooJinhodidnotappeartowanttoleaveJinwoo’sside.Thismight’vebeenbecausethe8peoplethatexcludedthetwoappearedtobeoldfriends,anditwashardtofitamongstthem.

“Hyung,areyouusuallyamanoffewwords?”

Beforeherealizedit,Jinhowascallinghimhyung.Evenignoringhimwasbecomingtiring.

“...You’rereallybadattakingahint.”

“Igrewupwithouthavingto,haha”

Jinwoowasn’tsureiftheboywasjustoptimisticorstupid.HescratchedhisheadatYooJinho’ssmilingface.

‘Hmm...Iamtense,however.’

ItwastruethathewouldbecomemorestiffnearGates.Hecouldn’thelpitafterall.TootherHunters,itmayhavebeenasimplesourceofincome.ToJinwoo,everyRaidhadbeenabattleforhislife.Allthosepainfulmemorieswerethecauseofhisstiffness.

“Overhere,”

HwangDongseokstoppedtheparty.

Oooh-

TheHuntersgaspedinawe.

“Hwanghyung,areyousurethisisaC-rankGate?It’salittlebig.”

“Psh,doyouthinktheAssociationwouldlie?Iheardtheirsurveillanceteamalreadycheckeditouttwice.”

Ablackholelikeentrancethathungintheair,thatwastheGate.

WavesofmagicpowerwouldseepfromtheGate,andtheamountofmagicpowerinthosewaveswoulddeterminetherankoftheGate.Oncediscovered,theAssociationwouldsendspecialteamsthatwouldmeasurethemagicpowerwithadevice.Theresultinginformationwouldbemadepublic,andindividualsorGuildswouldrequesttheraidingrightsfromtheAssociation.

MostoftheB-rankandA-rankGateswouldbepickedupbylargeGuilds.Thoseweretoodangerousforanindividualtoleadaprivatepartyinto.Instead,privatepartieswouldrequestandreserveC-rankorlowerGates.

HwangDongseokstoppedbeforetheGateandturnedtohisparty.

“I’llgoinfirst,pleasefollowafter.”

TheTankertookthevanguard,thenonebyone,restofthepartyfollowed.

‘Justincase.’

Jinwoolightlystretchedhisbody.Nexttohim,YooJinhowastakingoutvariousequipmentfromhisbag.Theswordandshieldhewieldedsparkedwithradiance.Evenataglance,theywerehighqualityequipment.ItwasnotsomethingabeginnerHunterwouldbewielding.

‘Hmm…“grewupwithouthavingtotakeahint”...Lookslikehe’sfromawealthyhousehold.’

JinwoolookedatJinhowithsurprise.Feelinghisgaze,Jinhotookfewstepsforwardinelation.

“Hyung,yousaidyouwereE-rank,right?I’llmakesuretoprotectyou.Pleasestandclosetome.”

Jinwooscratchedthebackofhishead.Whowasgoingtoprotectwho?...

“...Sure,thankyouforthat.”

“Let’sgoinaswell.”

RegardlessofhowJinwoofelt,thetwomensafelyenteredtheGate.

TheinsideoftheDungeonwasquiet.

“...”

Itwassilentanddark.

HwangDongseokgavehisfirstcommand.

“Gyuhwan,makealight.”

“Yessir.”

TheMage-classHunterJoGyuhwancreatedafloatinglight.Theirsurroundingsbecamelit.HwangDongseokloweredhisshieldandtiltedhishead.

“What?Wherearethemagicbeasts?”

“Iwonder.There’snolight,either.”

NormallyinDungeons,glowingrocks[8]wouldbeplacedhereandtherethroughoutthecavetolighttheway.ButthisDungeondidnotappeartohaveany.

YooJinhowhisperedtoJinwoo,

“Hyung,arethereanyDungeonswithnomagicbeasts?”

“Shh.”

Jinwooputafingertohislips,hisearsperked.Fromadistance,heheardnumerousfootstepsapproaching.

Jinwoospoke,

“It’snotthattherearen’tany.Theyjusthaven’tcomeyet.”

YooJinhogulped.

skitter-

ThepartysoonheardthenoisethatJinwooheard.HwangDongseokfeltsomethingwasoff.

‘ADungeonwithnoglowingrocks…?’

“Whatlivesandmovesinthedarkandareattractedtothelight?”

Right!

HwangDongseokandhisteammates’expressionsdarkenedasone.

“Bugs!”

“It’sbugs!”

“Fuck,whyofallthethings,bugs?!”

HwangDongseokshoutedattheparty,

“Everyone,toyourpositions!They’recoming!Facesforward!”

Somewhereaheadofthetunnel,numerous“somethings”wereheadingthisway.

“Thisisn’tanant’snest,isit?”

“Don’tsaysomethinglikethat.”

Ofthemanytypesofmagicbeasts,insecttypeswereparticularlytroublesome.Theywerehardtokill;theymovedingroups;ontopofthat,evenasingleoneofthemhadgoodamountofpower.Andoftheinsecttypes,theworstweretheants.ManyHuntersmistakenlyenteredthenestofantmagicbeastsandmettragicends.

skitterskitterskitter-

Thesoundofbugsmovingacrossthefloorbecamelouderandlouder.Theywerenearingtheparty.HwangDongseokraisedhisshieldbelowhischins.Buttheinsectsdidnotappear.Hisjuniorsmutteredfrombehindhim,

“What?Wherearethey?”

“Icanstillhearthem.”

“Dongseokhyung,doyouseeanything?”

Jinwoointerruptedthem,

“Above!”

‘What?’

HwangDongseokreflexivelylookedup.

skitterskitter-

Giantbugswerecomingatthemacrosstheceiling.Ifthewarninghadbeenalittlelate,thebugswouldbefallingontheirheadsnow.Againstthemagicbeaststhatclumpeduponthegroundlikeinsects,losingyourbalancespelledadeath

sentence.

‘Ifwehaddiscoveredthemjustalittlelater…’

HwangDongseok’sinsidessquirmed.Thankfully,hedidnotseeanyantsamongtheattackingbugs.Hegatheredstrengthinhisthroat,

“Shoot!Shootthemdown!I’llgrabtheaggro[9]whentheyfall!”

Arrowsandmagicflewacrosstheairtowardsthebugs.

woosh-thwack!

bang!

screeeeech!

scree-

AsfewofthebugsfelldownduetotheHunters’attacks,theremainingonesjumpedtothegroundoftheirownvolition.TheirintentwastofighttheHunters.NowwouldbegintheTanker’sroleinthefight.

HwangDongseokusedatauntingskillandgrabbedtheattentionofthemagicbeasts.Asifensnaredbysomepromise,allofthemturnedtheirgazestowardHwangDongseok.

“Overhere,youinsects!”

screeeech!

DozensofmagicbeastschargedtowardHwangDongseok.

crash!

clang!clang!

Hisshieldblockedeveryoneoftheirattacks.Evenwiththeirstrongclawsandmandibles,thebugswerenotabletogetthroughtheshieldTheTankerHwangDongseokskillfullyheldoffthebugs.

“Hold.Hold.Hold!”

Hewaswaitingfortherighttime.

Evenasthebugscontinuouslybitandtoreawayathisdefense,HwangDongseokcalmlywaitedforthemomentofopportunity.HewantedtomakesuretheaggrowasfocusedonhimevenwhentheDealersbegantheircounterattack.

‘Thisshouldbegoodenough!’

Nowwouldbegintherealhunt.ThebugswouldlearnwhyHuntersarecalledHunters!

HwangDongseokroaredwithstrength,

“Deal!”

Inresponsetothesingleword,theentireteam’sfirepowerraineduponthebugs.

screech-!

screeeeeech-!

Thecryofthemagicbeastsrangforthhereandthere.AspartoftheRaidagreement,Jinwoowatchedtheparty’sbattlefromtherear.Asheanalyzedthebattle,heimaginedhowhewouldfightagainstthebugs.

‘Howfrustrating…’

Hesuppressedtheurgetostepforward.Thereweretoomanyopeningsinthemagicbeasts;unfortunately,manyoftheHuntersseemedtomissthoseopeningscompletely.Yet,hewasforcedtostandintheback,doingnothing.Itwasfrustrating.

Nonetheless,thedamagetoHwangDongseok’steamwasminimal.Theirteamworkwasthatgood.ItappearedthatthecarefreeattitudeHwangDongseokmaintainedbeforetheRaidwasnotfornothing.

“Jinseok,11o’clock!”

“Hyung,fromtheright,too!”

“Joontae,Sukmin,Gyuhwan!Taketheright!”

“Yessir!”

“Cheoljin,yourwristisswelling.Gettotherear!”

“Hwanghyung,Icanhandlethismuch!”

“Youthinkwe’llbedoneafterthis?Wedon’tknowhowmanymorebattlesarewaitinghere,don’tgoalloutfromthestart!Controlyourpace!”

“Alright,alright,Igotit!”

Havingbeenthroughmanybattlestogether,eventheirconversationsshowedexperience.Propercommunicationinbattlewasthekeytoteamwork.ComparedtothechaoticformationsoftheAssociation’sHunters,thesemenweredifferent.

‘Evenhe’sdoingjustfine.’

JinwoolookedovertoYooJinho.Asamagicbeastcrashedintohisshield,Jinhokickedawaythebugandswunghissword.Theexpensivebladecutstraightthroughitshead.EvenasamereD-rankHunter,Jinhowasputtingupagoodfight.

‘Iguesstheequipment’scoveringforhislackofpowerandexperience.’

TherewasareasonwhyHunterssoughtgoodequipment.

Meetinghiseyes,YooJinhomadeathumbs-upatJinwoo.

“…”

RelentingunderJinho’sbrightandhopefulgaze,Jinwooreturnedathumbs-upbackattheyoungman.YooJinholookedsatisfied.

screeee-

Regardless,thebattlewasnearingitsend.Astherestofthepartycleaneduptheremainingmagicbeasts,HwangDongseokorderedhissubordinates,

“Graballthemagiccores!We’llbedividingitupexactly9ways.”

“Yessir.”

“Thisismyfavoritepart.”

“Metoo.”

Watchinghisteammatesworkhappily,HwangDongseokapproachedJinwoo.

“Ohboy,Igottathankyouforthat.”

“Hmm?”

“You’retheonewhoshoutedthewarninginthebeginning,right?Howdidyouknow?”

“Justa…gutfeeling.”

Jinwoomadeupanexplanation.Hecouldnotsaythatitwasduetohisraisedsensestat.

“Ah,isthatso?Agutfeeling.Yougotsomeluckinya.Ifwewerejustasteplateindiscoveringthem…phew-“

Suddenly,oneoftheHunterswhowasgoingthroughthecorpsesgesturedtoHwangDongseok.

“Hwanghyung,cometakealookatthis.”

Hissubordinatesweregatheredaroundsomething.HwangDongseokheadedtowardsthem.

“Whatisit?”

“There’ssomethingoffabouttheseguys.”

TheHunterspartedtomakeroomforHwangDongseok.Hesatdownandlookedoverwhattheywerepointingat.Therewasn’tanythingwrongatafirstglance;itwasjustdeadbugs.

“What’soffaboutthem?”

Oneofhissubordinatespointedtothelegofoneofthebugs.Itsendshowedtracesofbeingtornoffmessily.

“Thatwound,Idon’tthinkit’sfromus.”

“…”

HwangDongseok’sforeheadwrinkled.Aftertakingacloserlook,henoted,

“Lookslike…itwasbittenoffbysomething.”

“Right?Andthisisn’ttheonlyone.Look,thisone.Andthatonetoo.Thisoneevenhadawingrippedoff.Ithinktheywerelikethisbeforetheyfoughtus.”

HwangDongseok’sfacehardened.Despitetheirnumbers,itdidfeellikethemagicbeastswentdowneasierthanexpected.

“Werethey…fightingeachotherbeforethis?”

Inthatmoment,itwasverybrief,butJinwoofeltthe8Hunters’gazefallonhim.Whentheysawthathewaslooking,theyquicklyturnedback.Withthat,Jinwoobecamesure.

‘AsIthought…’

Hisfirstintuitionwascorrect.Theirgoodteamworkwasindicativeoftheirlonghistorytogether.ButhowwasitthattheycamethisfarwithoutaHealer?Nomatterhowgoodtheywere,peoplewerepronetomakingmistakesfromtimetotime.Evenjustnow,ifitwasn’tforJinwoo,theirformationwould’vebrokendownatthesuddenappearanceofthebugs.

ThepiecesofthepuzzlefelltogetherinJinwoo’shead,andasmileappearedonhislips.

‘Imightbeabletomakeuseofthem…’

Aslongastheymovedaccordingtohisexpectations.

HwangDongseokchuckledashegotup,

“Now,now.Let’skeepgoing.Lookslikewewon’thaveanyissuesifit’sjust

thislevel.”

Hisloudvoicewasnotforthebenefitofhisteammates;theywererightnexttohim,afterall.

Inthemeantime,YooJinhoapproachedJinwoowithawidesmile.

“Hyung,didyouseethat?Yousawme,right?Ijustwooshed!Andbam!Allthesemagicbeasts-“

Heswunghisswordaroundwithaflourish.

Jinwooaskhim,

“Yourswordandshield,they’requiteexpensive,right?”

“Huh?Oh,yeah.MyfathertookspecialcareonmewhenheheardthatIwasgoingonmyfirstRaid.”

“You’llhavetobecareful,too,then.”

JinwoopattedYooJinho’sback,thenheadedaftertheotherHunters.

“Huh?”

Withaconfusedlook,YooJinhofollowedafterhim.

Thepartytraveleddeeperintothecavebutdidnotcomeacrossanymoremagicbeasts.AsaDungeonwithalongsinglepath,itcouldn’thavebeenthattheyhadwentaroundany.

“Weretheonesattheentranceit?”

“Nah,there’snoway.”

“Howstrange.”

“Thereshouldatleastbeaboss,right?”

“YouthinkaGatewouldopenupwithnobossinit?”

TheHuntersexchangeddifferentopinionsbackandforthastheywalkedthroughthelargebutemptyDungeon.

“Holdup.”

HwangDongseokstoppedtheparty.Athissuddenaction,fewpeoplebumpedintoeachotherastheystopped.TheHunterwhosmackedhisfaceintoHwangDongseok’sbackaskedasherubbedhisnose,

“Ow,Hwanghyung,whatisit?”

“Gyuhwan,shineyourlighthere.”

JoGyuhwanmovedhisballoflightfromtheirreartotheareawhereHwangDongseokwasindicating.

“Holyshit…”

“They’reall…”

TheHuntersletoutquietgroans.

Insectwings,legs,bodiesandevenheadswerelitteredacrosstheground.Corpsesofthebugtypemagicbeastswereeverywhere.Thedeadbodiespiledupmoreandmoredeeperintothecave,andattheendofthetunnel:

“It’sthebossroom.”

Someoneuttered.HwangDongseoknoddedinagreement.

“Everyone,gearsout.”

Theyrespondedimmediately,facesfilledwithnervousness.Thepartyquietlysneakedtowardsthebossroom,withHwangDongseokatthevanguard.Suddenly,themanwhohadbumpedintoHwangDongseokexclaimed,

“Holy-holyshit!”

ItwastheheightofstupiditytomakeloudnoisesinaDungeon;itwouldonlyservetoattractmagicbeaststhatcould’vebeenavoided.ButnobodyrebukedtheHunterwhohadshouted.

“Whoa-“

“Howmuchwouldallthisbe?”

“Thisisabigscore!”

Theywereallexclaiminginadmiration.

“Hold.”

AsJoGyuhwan’slightlituptheareafromabove,whattheHuntershaddiscoveredintheroombecameclearer.Alargeamountofjewellikerockswereembeddedonthewalls.

“It’smanacrystals![10]”

“Theentirewallisfilledwiththem!”

TheHunters’eyessparkledbrighterthanthelightreflectingoffthemanacrystals.

Manacrystals!

ItwasoneofthetreasuresthatcouldbefoundinDungeons.Althoughtheycontainedlessmagicpowerthanthemagiccoresfrommagicbeasts,theywerenormallyfoundinlargeamounts.Miningthemwouldresultinanimpressiveincomeforaraidingparty.Theamountthatthepartyhadcomeacrosswasevenmoreimpressive;theentirewallwasfilledtothebrimwithcrystals.

“Bymyroughestimates…”

OneoftheHunters,quickwithhiscalculations,startedcountingthecrystals.

“Ifwegotallofitout,it’dberoughly1billion.Ifwedivideditby9shares,eachpersoncouldwalkawaywithovera100million.”

AbigsmileappearedontheHunterslistening.Suddenly,YooJinho,whowasstandingnexttoJinwoo,pokedJinwoo’ssideswithhiselbows.

“Hyung,givemeyourcontractforasecond.”

“Thecontract?Whatfor?”

“Justtrustme,I’mprettygoodwiththesekindsofthings.”

Jinwooshruggedandhandedhiscontractover.YooJinhotookitandwalkedovertoHwangDongseok.

“Excuseme,sunbae-nims[11],IhavesomethingIwanttosay.”

Heunfoldedandheldoutthecontractforalltosee.

“Leader,thisisJinwoohyung’scontract.Asyoucansee,there’snothinginhereaboutbeingexcludedfrommanacrystals,onlymanacores.”

EveryoneunderstoodwhatYooJinhowastryingtosay.Itwasstandardagreementthatincomefromtreasuresandartifactswouldbedividedevenlyacrossallmembersoftheraidingparty.Thiswasdifferentthanmagiccoresonlygoingtothosewhotookdownthemagicbeasts.Assuch,themanacrystalsshouldbedividedup10ways,not9.

ThelookintheotherHunters’faceschanged,butHwangDongseoksteppedinfrontofthemwithasmile.

“Ofcourse,we’lldivideitupacrossallofus.Iknowthis.Butthere’ssomethingwehavetotakecareoffirst.”

HwangDongseokpointedforwardwithhisfinger.YooJinhogotstartledforasecond;hethoughtthemanwaspointingathim.Butturningaround,hesawagiantspiderrestinginafarawaycorner.

“Whoa…!”

YooJinhostartedwalkingbackwardsafterdiscoveringthecreatureandcoveredhismouth.Thankfully,thespiderdidnotmove;itappearedtobesleeping.Thelifelesshusksofbugslittereditssurroundings.Thehalf-eatencorpsesremindedtheHuntersofleftoverfoodsittingatthebottomofagarbagecan.

“It’stheboss.”

“Wasittheonethatateallthosebugs?”

“Hesurehadafeast.”

HwangDongseokgatheredtheHunters,includingJinwooandYooJinho.

“Asyou’reallaware,ifthebossgoesdown,theGatewillstartclosing.Sowhydon’twemineallthemanacrystalsbeforewetakethespiderdown?”

Theyallnoddedinagreement.

HwangDongseokturnedtoabaldHunter.

“Cheoljin,didyougrabthegear?”

LeeCheoljinshookhishead.

“No.Whowould’vethoughttofindmanacrystalsinaC-rankDungeon?Ileftallthemininggearbackinthecar.”

“Youpunk…Didn’tItellyoutobepreparedatalltimes?”

“Sorry,sorry.Reallysorry.”

LeeCheoljinapologizedtoeveryonewithasmile.

HwangDongseokscratchedhisheadandspoke,

“Sigh,thisisgoingtobeahassle.Canyoutwostayherewhilewegograbtheequipment?”

AstheHuntersbegantoleave,YooJinhoaskedwithaworriedexpression,

“YouwantjustmeandJinwoohyungtostayhere?Inthebossroom?”

Withlaughterinhiseyes,HwangDongseokreplied,

“Thethingdidn’tevenwakeupafterallthatcheering.Youguyswillbejustfine.IhavesomethingsIwanttodiscusswithmyteammatesoveracigarette.We’llbebackinajiffy.”

JinwoolistenedtoHwangDongseok’shalf-assedexplanationandsmiledinside.

‘So,they’verevealedtheirtrueselves.Buttothinkthatthey’reallgoingtojustleave.Aren’tyoulookingdownonusalittletoomuch?’

ItwasprobablybecauseJinwooandJinho’srankswerelow.ButjustasJinwooguessed,HwangDongseokandco.weremovingaccordingtoexpectations.Evenifitwasalittledifferentthanwhathehadinmind.

Ithadbeen4yearssinceJinwoohadstartedworkingasaHunter;inthattime,hehadmetmanydifferentHunters.OneofthemwasOh-ssiahjussi.HewasafreelancerwhooccasionallyhelpedwithAssociationjobs.

“Watchoutforlizards.”

ItwassomethingOh-ssirepeatedeveryonceinawhile.ItwascommontocomeacrossdangerinRaids.Inthosetimes,therewouldbecertainHunterswhowouldsacrificetheirowncomradestoescapesafely.Whetheritwasbecausethevictimwasn’tapartoftheircreworthevictimwasmuchweakerthantheywere,itdidnotmatter.Theywouldbethrownasideallthesame.Likealizardcuttingoffitstailtoescape.

‘Cuttingoffthetail…’

Oh-ssiwouldcallthoseHunters“Lizards”,andtheiract,“cuttingoffthetail”.

TheminimumnumberofpeoplerequiredforC-rankGateswas10,yetHwangDongseok’smainteamwascomposedof8.

“Youshouldknow,it’sreallyhardtogetaHealer-classHunterforapersonalraidingparty.We’vealwaysbeenlikethis.”

Ifthey’ve“alwaysbeenlikethis”,itmeantthattheyhadenteredmanyC-rankGatesbefore.

‘Ofcoursetheydidn’tbothertofilltheremainingtwospots.’

Youneededtoleaveroomforthetail,afterall.Therewasareasonwhytheydidn’tcareifthefillermemberwasanE-rankorabeginner.

Andnow,justbecausetheywerenotpartoftheoriginalgroup,HwangDongseokwasplanningtoabandonSungJinwooandYooJinho.

‘Isupposethisisgoodforme.’

HavingfiguredoutHwangDongseok’sintentions,Jinwoodidnotfeelbad.Rather,itwaswhathewanted.However,YooJinho,whowasonhisfirstRaidever,wasnotasconfident.Heaskedwithaworriedvoice,

“Well,still…Don’tyouthinkweshouldallgotogether?”

JinwoonoticedoneoftheHuntersmovehishandtowardhisweapon.HewentupandputahandonYooJinho’sshoulder.

“It’salright.We’llstaybehindandwatchthespot.”

TheHunter’shandstopped.

“Hyung…?”

YooJinholookedathimwithapleadingexpression,butJinwoodidnotrespondandinsteadlightlyshookhishead.Theyoungmanwasannoying,buthecouldn’tlethimdiejustlikethat.Afterall,evenwithnobenefittohimself,JinhotriedtohelpJinwoooutwiththecontractearlier.

HwangDongseoksmiledatthetwo.

“Ourcar’sparkedrightinfront.Wewon’ttakelong.Seeyousoon,then.”

Andthe8Huntersleftthebossroom.Theirfootstepsquicklydisappearedinthedistance.YooJinhoturnedandquestionedJinwooaccusingly,

“Hyung,howcouldyousaythat?Whatifthatthingwakesup?”

Hewasterrifiedofthespider.

‘Lookslikehehasn’tfullyunderstoodthesituationyet.’

Jinwooclickedhistongueinhismind.Itwouldbeannoyingtoexplaineverylittledetailtothiskid.Instead,hestartedwarminguphisbody.

ItwasatthattimeHwangDongseokturnedaroundandfacedtowardsthebossroom.ThefollowingHuntersalsostopped.Theywereactuallynotthatfarawayfromthebossroom,justenoughsotheirvoiceswouldnotreach.

Smiling,HwangDongseokraisedhischintowardsJoGyuhwan.

“Gyuhwan,blocktheentrancetothebossroom.”

“ShouldIblowitup?”

“Yeah.Nottoohardthough,westillhavetogobackinside.”

LeeCheoljininterruptedthem,

“Hwanghyung,whygothroughallthistrouble?Whydidn’twejustkill’embothrightthere?”

HwangDongseokturnedasharpgazetowardtheman,eyesnarrowed.Therewasnoneedtoputupafrontanymore.

“S-sorry.”

HwangDongseokclickedhistongue.

“Andifthespiderwokeupwhilewewerefighting?Howwouldweminethemanacrystals?”

“I’msorry.”

JoGyuhwanjoinedthem,

“Hwanghyung,nowthatyoumentionit,wouldn’tthespiderstillwakeupifwetriedtominethemanacrystals?It’snotexactlygoingtobequiet.”

Thatthingwassomethingthatatethedangerousbugtypemagicbeastsforfood.Iftheywerecaughtoffguardwhilemining,itwouldresultinadisasterfortheirparty.

“Andthat’swhy,”

HwangDongseoksmiledwidely,

“We’regonnafeedthosetwotoit.”

“Ah.”

JoGyuhwannodded,understandinghismeaning.Atthemoment,theydidnotknowwhenthespiderwouldwakeup.Itcouldbe10hoursfromnowor1minute.Sothebestoptionwastowakeitnowandfeedit,torefreshitssleepingcycle.Thesoundoftheentrancebeingboardedupshoulddefinitelywakeitup.

HwangDongseokcontinued,

“Wecangominethemanacrystalswhenthespidergoesbacktosleepaftereating.”

TheAssociationhadallotted5daysfortheirRaid,whichmeantthattheystillhad4daysremaining.Theywouldwaittoseeifthespiderwouldfallasleep.Ifitdidn’t,theywouldjusttakeitdownandtrytomineasmuchcrystalsbeforetheGateclosed.Theyprobablycouldn’tgetitallinjustanhour,butwithtwolesssharestogive,theyprobablycouldstillwalkawaywithagreatincome.Wasn’tthatbetterthanworkingawayinfear?Themostimportantthingwastheirsafety,afterall.

‘Andofcourse,that’stheworst-casescenario…’

Iftheywerelucky,theywouldbeabletograballthemanacrystals,takedownthespider,andgetYooJinho’sgeartoboot.

‘Thatswordandshield…atminimum,they’dbeworthafewhundredmillioneach.’

Therewaslittletheycouldlose.ThecornersofHwangDongseok’smouthrose.

“Alright,blocktheentranceandlet’sgooutforasmoke.”

“Yes,hyung.”

Ashereplied,ablindinglightgatheredinJoGyuhwan’shands.

“…”

YooJinho’seyeswerefixedonthespider,doinghisbesttoquiethisbreath.Heaskedwithafearfulexpression,

“Thatspider…Youdon’tthinkit’llwakeup,doyou?”

“Hmm…”

Jinwoosavedhiswords.Hehadanideaofwhatwasabouttohappen,buthefeltlikeexplainingitinfullwouldmaketheyoungmanfaint.

‘NowthatIthinkaboutit…’

YooJinho’swordstohimjustnowwasafterfiveminutesofsilence.Comparedtohischattydemeanorearlier,itseemedliketheyoungmanwastrulyafraid.

Itwasinthatmoment,

BANG!

Withadisastroussound,theentranceofthebossroomcollapsed.

“Huh?Huh?!!!”

YooJinhorantowardstheentranceinpanic,butthefallenstoneshadalreadyblockedofftheexit.Hepushedwithallhismight,buttherocksdidnotbudge.Jinwooapproachedhimcasually.

“Hng-!Hyung,helpmewiththis!”

Theyoungmanwasstilltryingtocleartherockswitheveryounceofhisstrength.

‘Themage’snamewasJoGyuhwan?’

Jinwoonoticedaflashoflightbeforethecollapse.AC-rankMagewhousedlight.Thiswasdefinitelyhisdoing.

Jinwooplacedahandononeoftherocks.

‘Icouldgetoutofthiseasily.’

Hewasabletofeeltheweightofthestonethroughhistouch.Itwaslighterthanexpected.Puttingalittlebitofpowerintoit,hefeltthenearbyrocksbudgeslightly.However,hehadnointentionofleaving.

“Ah!Igotit!”

YooJinhosuddenlystoppedpushingandspokeunderstandingly.HeturnedtoJinwoowitharedfaceandcontinued,

“Thosesonsofbitchesaretryingtokillus!Theydon’twanttosharethemanacrystalssothey’regoingtoblockusinandletthespiderdotheirjob!”

‘Yes.Yougotit.Goodjob.’

Jinwooheldbackasigh.

“Yougotit.Lookslikewe’reintrouble.”

“Argh!”

Thefacethatwasredwithangerquicklyturnedpale.Jinwoodidn’tneedtoaskwhy.HesawthemovementofthegiantmagicbeastreflectedinYooJinho’seyes.Heturnedaround.

grrrrr

Thespider,havingwokeupfromthesound,wasslowlymovinghisgiantbody.

Sizeofahouse.

Dozensofeyes.

Terrifyingmandibles.

Long,thicklegs.

Seeingthethinginmotionmadeitseemmuchmoreterrifyingthanwhenitwassleeping.

“Wah…”

YooJinhobegantomoaninterror.Hisentirebodyfrozeup.Ontheotherhand,JinwoofixedhisgazeonthespiderandcalmlycalledforCasaka’sPoisonedFangfromhisinventory.

‘You’remine.’

Itwasfinallytimetotesthisincreasedabilities.Casaka’sPoisonedFangappearedinhisrighthand.Holdingitasifitwasalwaysthere,hetightenedhisgrip.

Nowwouldbegintherealhunt.TimetoshowwhyHuntersarecalledHunters!

“W-wait,hyung!”

YooJinhofranticallystoppedJinwoo,whowaswalkingtowardthespider.

“W-whatareyougoingtodo?”

ThehandsholdingontoJinwooweretrembling.Jinwoopointedatthespiderwithhislefthand.

“I’mgoingtotakeitdown.”

ThiswasthereasonwhyJinwoohadfollowedHwangDongseokupuntilnow.Ifheattemptedto‘cutoffthetail’,JinwoowouldtakeallthemagicbeastsoftheDungeonforhimself.Itwasagoodopportunitytoobtainvaluableexperiencepointsandmagiccores.

‘Ifonlythebosshadn’teatenallthemagicbeasts…’

Hecould’veearnedsomuchmore.Itwasregrettable.

Inthemeantime,YooJinho,whodidnotknowthetruthaboutJinwoo,lookedathimincredulously.

‘Whatisthishyungevensaying?’

Jinhorecalledhearingsomewherethatpeoplewouldsometimesgoinsaneafteragreatshock.Andnow,thisE-rankHunterwassayinghewouldsoloaC-rankDungeon’sboss.Whatwasthis,ifnotinsane?!

“You’regoingtotakethatthingdown?”

Jinwooscratchedthetopofhishead,

“Doyouwanttodoit?”

---------------------------------

[0]:Thisgoddamntroll.

[1]:“bankbook”():InKorea,peopleoftenhavethesephysicalrepresentationsoftheirbankbalance,whichalsorecordsdepositsandwithdrawals.Arelicfromdaysbeforeonlinebanking,you’dhavetotakethesetobankstogetanupdateonyouraccountstatus.Theylooklikethincheckbooks.

[2]:Justareminder,whenconvertingfromKRWtoUSD,justdivideitbyathousand(it’llbeoffbyfew%,butgoodenoughforstorypurposes).Hisrentis~$500andhewouldhave~$300leftoverforthemonth.

[3]:“raidingparty”():“attack/attacking”+“group”.Sincethecontextreferstohuntersthatwouldgroupupandattackadungeon,Idecidedtotranslateitas“raidingparty”.

[4]:“jobboard”():“wanted”“board/column”.Normallyrefersto“wanted”sectionor“classified”innewspapers.Ireallywantedtocallitthe“LFG”boardoftheHunterwebsitebutthoughtthat’dbegoingtoofar.

[5]:“retested”():“re/again”+“test”.Iuseditasaverbforthecontextbutwillcomeupasanouninthefuture.

[6]:“Hyung-nim”:Combinationof“hyung”andhonorific“nim”.“Hyung”isthewayyoungermalewouldaddresshisolderbrother.Butit’salsousedingeneralpopulation(byyoungermaletoandoldermaleofacloserage).“Nim”isaddedasanhonorific,denotingrespect.

[7]:“Bongo”.Asmallflatbedpickuptruck.

[8]:“glowingrocks”():“darkness”+“light”+stone“”.“Lightthatglowsinthedark”>just“glowingrock”.Theword“”alsospeciallyreferstotheglow-in-thedarkstuff.

[9]:“aggro”():Theauthor’susageofgamingterminologyisbecomingmoreandmoreapparent.Shortforkoreanpronunciationoftheenglishword“aggression”,itreferstotheideathatavideogameenemywillbefocusedonatargetwiththemostthreat.Normally,thatwouldbethedamagedealers,but

tankingrolesoftenhavespecialskillstoforciblyincreasetheirthreatanddrawtheaggressionor“aggro”ofanenemy.

[10]:“manacrystals”():“mana”inenglish+“stone/rock”.Stylizedthetranslationinto“crystals”becauseoftheirshininess.

[11]:“sunbae-nim”():“sunbae”isaKoreanwordusedtoaddressone’sseniorsinthesameprofession.Inrarecaseswheresomeoneyoungerthanyouwasatthecompanylongerthanyouwere,thatpersonwouldstillbeyour“sunbae”.“Nim”isaddedwithrespectoccasionally.Japaneseequivalent=senpai.

Chapter10:GiveAndTake

Beforehecouldrespond,Jinwooturnedbacktotheboss.Therewasnoneedtohearhisresponse.YooJinhojuststoodwithshakylegs.Fromthestart,JinwooexpectednothingfromYooJinho.Rather,hewasgladthattheyoungmandidn’toffertohelp.

‘He’lljustgetintheway.’

Jinwooslowlywalkedtowardsthespider.Havingdiscoveredhimaswell,thespidermoveditseightlegsandfacedJinwoo.

Itwascoming.

Asifamusedbyanewtypeoffood,thespiderdidnothurry.Ittooksmallstepswithitslongandthicklegsandslowlyclosedthegapbetweenthetwo.

“Breathe-”

Facedwiththespider’sgiantfigure,Jinwoofelthisbreathspeedingup.Hisheartbeatracedcrazily.

badumbadumbadum

Hecontrolledhisbreathingandtriedtobringdownhisexcitement.Hehadtobecalm.Theimageofhimstandingbeforethethirdlevelentranceatthesubwaystationcametomind.

‘TheBluePoison-fangedCasaka...’

Thankfully,thepressurehefeltfromthespiderinfrontofhimwasnotasgreatasthattime.Hefeltfullyconfidentinhisabilitytotakeitdown.Afterall,ifhehadfeltthatitwasanimpossiblebosstoface,hewouldnothavestayedbehind.

grrrrrl-

Thespiderwascloseenoughthathecouldseehisfacereflectedinitseyes.

Jinwoo’seyesnarrowed.

‘Hisskinlooksprettytough…WonderifIcoulddamageitwiththisdagger.’

ThedaggerhadashorterreachthantheswordheusedintheInstantDungeon.Toinflictadeepwoundwithit,hewouldhavetousealotofstrength.Heflippedhisgriponthedagger,holdingitdownwards.Thisway,hefeltlikeit’dbeeasiertododamagewithit.

grrl...

ThespiderstoppedbeforeJinwoo.Itraiseditstwofrontlegs.Outstretchedatitssides,itsfigurelookedlikeagiantXfromthefront.

‘Whatisittryingto-’

Slam!

Ifhedidnotinstinctivelymovehisbody,hischestwould’vebeenpiercedbythespider’sleg.Thespiderquicklyretracteditslegfromthegroundandassumedthestrikingpositionagain.Bitsandpiecesofrockfellfromthetipofhislegs.

Jinwoomadeaquickglancebehindhim.Thegroundmadeofstonehadaholeinit.

‘IfIgethitbythat,itwon’tendinjustpain.’

Hiseyesflashedwithreadiness.Itwastimetofocus.

‘Hereitcomesagain!’

wooooosh-!

Hebegantobeabletoseethelegsthatpreviouslymovedlikebullets.

Left.

Heloweredhishead,evadingaleg.

Right.

Turninghisbodytotheside,hedodgedthespider’srightlegandadvancedastep.

Rightagain.

Thelegaimedforhisheadagainandwasdodged.Jinwootooktwomoresteps.

Left.Right.Right.Left.Right.Right.Right.Left.Left.

slam!slam!slam!slam!slam!slam!slam!slam!slam!

Thesoundofthespider’slegsstrikingthegroundstunghisears;bitsandpiecesofthegroundflewinalldirections.Dodgingtherainofassault,Jinwooclosedthegapwitheachstephetook.

YooJinhocouldnotbelievehiseyes.

“Who-whothehellishe?”

Evenfromadistance,thespider’sattacksraisedthehaironthebackofhishead.Andthismanwasevadingalltheattackswhileclosingthegapatthesametime.Jinwoo’sbodythatmadenowastedmovementswaschilling.

“That’sanE-rankHunter?”

No.Therewasnoway.

IfhewasstandingintheplaceofSungJinwoo,hisbodywould’vebeentornapartlikerags.Hedidnothavetheconfidencetododgeasingleattack.ButJinwoowasdoingsowithoutasinglemistake.AnE-rankpullingoffsomethingthatwasimpossibleforaD-rank?

Therewasonlyoneanswer.

‘...Afalseranker!’[1]

YooJinho’sfacedarkened.OftheskilledHunters,therewerethosethatcouldcontroltheirownmagicpower.Iftheywanted,theycouldevenhidetheirownrank.Purposelyloweringtheirmagicpower,theywouldreceivealowerrankthantheyshould.

Thesepeoplewerecalled“falserankers”.Mostofthemwereknownfortheirmaliciousintents.

‘IheardtheywereserialkillerswhoenjoyedslaughteringlowrankedHuntersinlowerrankedDungeons…’

SinceonlythepeoplewhohadparticipatedintheRaidwouldknowwhathappenedintheDungeon,itwastheperfectplacetocommitacrime.

YooJinhogulped.Suddenly,Jinwoowasscarierthanthespider.

‘WhydidIcomehere…’

Hefeltlikecrying.

woosh!woosh!woosh!

Thespidercontinueditsattacksrelentlessly.Jinwoobecameconfidentofhisvictoryashedodgedtheattacks.Asheclosedthegap,bitbybit,thespider’sheadenteredhisrange.Duetothesimplepatternofthespider’sattacks,hedidnothavethatmuchdifficulty.

‘First.Eyes.’

AttackingtheweaknessofamagicbeastwasaRaidfundamental.Sohechosetheeyes,whichlookedlikethesoftesttarget.

‘Nowtostabitseyes!’

Itwasashemadethedecision.Thespider’sattacksseemedtoslowdown.

woosh!woosh!

Didhegetusedtotheattacks?

slam!slam!

No.Thatwasnotit.

Hiseyesmaybetricked,butnothisears.Thesoundoftheattacksstrikingthegroundhaddefinitelyslowedabeat.Evenbeforehisstrengthening,Jinwoowas

confidentofhishearing.Anuneasyfeelingwashedoverhim.

Lookingcloser,Jinwoosawthespider’smandiblestwitching.

‘Whywoulditopenitsmouthinthistiming?’

Jinwoo,whowasabouttoleap3meterstowardsthespider’shead,feltthatsomethingwasoff.Trustinghisinstincts,hejumpedtotheside,insteadofup.

shaaaaaa-!

Thespiderspatoutamurkyfluidfromitsmouth.Jinwoorolledontheground,gotbackonhisfeetandlookedbehindhim.

Thespacewherehewasstandingwasnowsmokingandturningblack.

shiiiiiii-

Thestonethatmadeupthegroundwasmelting.

Jinwoogulped.

‘IfIjumpedatitsheadjustnow…’

Thestonewouldnotbetheonlythingmelting.

Sensinghisagitation,thespiderquicklyturnedtowardsJinwoo.

skitterskitterskitter

Thespiderwasalreadybeforehimasheraisedhishead.

woosh!

Jinwoojumpedupfromhisspot,dodgingthespider’sleg.

slam!

Itsattackhadstartedupagain.

“Shit!”

Hemadethesamemovementsasbefore,gettingclosertothespiderbutwasdrivenoffagainbytheacidattack.Asanothermovewasaddedtothespider’sattackpattern,thesituationbecamedifficult.

Acidifhegottooclose.

Legsifhekepthisdistance.

“Fuck!”

Frustrated,Jinwootriedattackingthelegs.Buthisdaggercouldnotevenscratchthetoughchitinousexterior.

Jinwoobithislips.

‘Thisisnotgoingwell.’

Whilethespiderwasjustusingitstwofrontlegstoattack,Jinwoowasevadingwithhisentirebody.Itwasobviouswhowouldtirefirst.

‘Fatigue.’

Fatigue:57

Asexpected,hisfatiguewasrapidlyrising.Ifithit70,hisspeedwouldslowdown.Above90,hisbreathwouldseizeanditwouldbecomedifficulttomove.Jinwoowasrunningoutoftime.

‘IfIcanjustbealittlefaster…’

Speed.

Speedwastheproblem.

slam!slam!slam!slam!

‘Wait,speed?’

Ashedodgedtheattacksbyahair’sbreadth,athoughtflashedacrossJinwoo’smind.

‘Right!Therewasthat!’

Theonlyactiveskillathisdisposal.Hehadforgottenaboutituntilnow,nothavingneededit.

‘Sprint!’

Sprinthasbeenactivated.

Yourmovementspeedisincreasedby30%.

Whileactive,1manawillbeusedupeveryminute.

Accompanyingthemessage,Jinwoo’sbodybecamefasterasifaboosterwasapplied.Itbecamealoteasiertododgethespider’sattacks.

woosh!woosh!woosh!

slam!slam!slam!

Dodgingthelightning-likestrikesofthespiderlegs,Jinwooquicklycameinfrontofthespideragain.Panicking,thespidersprayedtheacidoncemore.

shaaaaaa-!

Buttothesped-upJinwoo,abreathingroomappearedinhismovements.Easilydodgingtheacidspray,Jinwoojumpedtowardsthespider’shead.

slash!

Thedaggerflashedacrossthespider’seyes.

Paralysishasbeeninflicted.

Thetarget’sresistancewastoohigh.Effectcancelled.

Bleedinghasbeeninflicted.

Thetargetwilllose1%healthpersecond.

“Good!”

Thespecialeffectofthedagger,Casaka’sPoisonedFang,wassuccessfullyapplied.

screeeech!

Thespiderhowledandtwisteditsbody.Jinwoodidnotmisstheopportunity.Landingontheground,heimmediatelyjumpedontothespider’sbodyandmovedtowardsthehead.Thespiderthrashedaboutandtriedtogethimwithitslegs,butJinwoowasnotabouttobecaughtbyablindattack.

slam!slam!slam!

Onlythepoorgroundwasturnedintoswisscheese.

Ontopofitshead,Jinwoorepeatedlyattackedtheremainingeyes.

stab!stab!stab!

screeeech!

stab!stab!

screeeeeeeeech!

Thespidershookitsbodysidetoside,butJinwooheldonandcontinuedputholesinthespider’shead.Itbegantofalter.Thedamagewasbeingdone.Jinwoo’shandsbecamefaster.

Eventually,thespider’sgiantbodyfinallyslammedontotheground.

Boom!

ButJinwoostillkeptgoing.Untilitslifewassnuffedout.

stab!stab!stab!

krrrrl-

Withitsdeathrattle,messagesappeared.

You’vedefeatedtheboss[2]oftheDungeon.

You’veleveledup!

You’veleveledup!

You’veleveledup!

“Yes!”

Coveredinthespider’sblood,Jinwooraisedhishandstothesky.Havingdefeatedaboss,hislevelswentupbyanimpressiveamountofthree.

“Statusscreen.”

Name:SungJinwoo

Level:21

Class:None

Title:WolfSlayer

HP:2600

MP:391

Fatigue:0

Stats

Strength:53

Constitution:30

Agility:38

Intelligence:30

Sense:32

(Availablestatpoints:0)

Skills

PassiveSkills

-(Unknown)(Lv.Max)

-UnyieldingSpirit(Lv.1)

ActiveSkills

-Sprint(Lv.1)

Hewentfromlevel18to21inaleap.Andthatwasnotit.Anothermessageaccompaniedthelevel-upmessages.

ring~

You’veleveleduppastlevel20.The“buy”functionoftheshopisnowenabled.

‘Icanfinallyusemygold.’

Itwasagoodnews.Buttherewasnotimetodillydallyandusetheshophere.

shake-

Thecavebegantoshake.

BecausetheDungeon’sbosshasbeendefeated,theGate[3]willbedestroyedin1hour.

Remainingtime:59min58sec

HehadtoleavebeforetheGateclosedafterall.Therewouldbeplentyoftimetotakealookattheshopoutside.Halfwaydownthebody,Jinwoonoticedashinylightinthemiddleofthespider’shead.

‘Item?’

Butcomparedtoamonster’sdrop,therewasnoitemmessage,andhecouldnotautomaticallyobtainwhateveritwas.

Whatisit?

Brieflythinkingaboutit,Jinwooquicklyrealized.

‘Ah,right.Magiccores.’

Nomatterhowhurriedhewas,hecouldn’tforgetthose.Hewenttothespider’sheadandrippedoutthemagiccore.ComingfromthebossofaC-rankDungeon,itwasworthabout10millionwon.Itwasnotabadrewardforthetroublesomefight.

Jinwooleapeddownfromthespider’shead.Afteralightlanding,hetookaglancebackwardsandnoticedanothersourceoflightfromthespider’sabdomen.Andmultipleofthem,too!

Jinwoobecamesuspicious.Hehadheardofmagicbeastswithextramagiccores,butthiswastoomany.

‘Whatcoulditbe?’

Cuttingopenthespider’sbody,hefoundhisanswer.Thecorpsesofmanyhalf-eatenbugmagicbeastsfelloutofthestomach.Thelightwascomingfromeachofthebugs.

“Maybe...”

Goingfrombugtobug,hefoundamagiccoreineachofthem.Someofthemweresmallerduetobeingdigested,butmanymorewereinperfectcondition.Combined,heobtained10moremagiccores.

“Awesome!”

Hecamehereforrentmoney.Hewouldwalkawaywithamortgage.

“Hyungnim.”

Turningaround,hesawYooJinho.

“Please,youcanputthemhere.”

YooJinhotookthemagiccoresandplacedtheminhisownpackwithgreatcare.

Then,hetookoutathermosandpouredsomethingoutinitscap.

“Hyungnim.You’rethirsty,right?Here’ssomewater.”

Thewaterwascoldenoughtocollectcondensationonthecup.

‘Whyishedoingallthis?’

Goodtiming.Hewasthirstyafterthefight.Still,Jinwootookthecupwithaconfusedlook.

gulpgulpgulp

Thecoldwaterwentdownrefreshinglydownhisthroat.

“Howisit,hyungnim?”

Nowthathethoughtabout,Jinho’stitleforhimhadgonefrom“hyung”to“hyungnim”.

“Mm,it’srefreshing.”

HereturnedthecuptoJinho.

“Sowhatyoujustsawhere-”

JinhointerruptedbeforeJinwoocouldfinishhissentence,almostasiftotellhimnottoworry.

“Ofcourse!I’llcarrythissecretwithmetothegrave.”

“No,youdon’thavetogothatfar…”

“HowcanInot?It’smypromisewithhyungnim.”

“Well…Okay.Ifyoufeelthatway.”

“Don’tworryaboutme,hyungnim.”

Besides,therewasnowaysomeonewouldbelievethatanE-rankHuntertookdownaC-rankGate’sbossonhisown.Still,JinwoowasthankfulthatJinho

promisedhissilenceonhisown.

‘Thoughthewasbadattakingahint.Hesuredoesn’tseemlikeitnow.’

“Isthereanythingelse,hyungnim?”

“...No.”

Itwasstrange.JinwoolookedupanddownonJinho’sfigurethatwasstandingatattention.

‘Well,IguessIdidsavehislife.’

Afterall,itwasnormalforsomeonetoberespectfultowardsthepersonwhosavedtheirlife.Itwasunderstandableifthatwasthecase.Ofcourse,thetruthwasalittledifferent.

shaaake~

TheDungeonlightlyshookagain,thenstopped.TheshakingwasthesignalthattheGatewouldbeclosingsoon.Thetremorswouldincreaseastimepassed,untilrightbeforetheGate’sclosing,whenitwouldfeellikeanearthquake.

“Let’sgo.”

“Yes,hyungnim.”

Jinwoostartedwalkingtowardstheblockage.Suddenly,thecollapsedrocksblewapartwithaflash.

Bang!

HwangDongseokandco.enteredthebossroom.SeeingthecollapsedspiderbehindJinwoo,theirlookswereincredulous.

“Whatthe,it’sdead?”

“Thosetwotookitdown?”

“Wastheonlythingscaryitssize?”

“Well,ifitgottakendownbyanE-rankandaD-rank...”

“Hwanghyung,whatdowedonow?”

HwangDongseoklookedatJinwooandYooJinhoandscratchedhischin.Withthespiderdead,theGatewouldclosesoon.Itwastoolatetostartminingthemanacrystalsnow.Theyweren’tpreparedforit,andthetimeremainingwaslessthananhour.Hehadtochangetheplan.

HeshoutedtowardYooJinho,

“YooJinho!”

YooJinhoflinchedandtookastepbackwards,facewasfullofnervousness.

HwangDongseoksmirked,

“Yourequipmentreallycaughtoureye,sowedidalittleinvestigation.Yourdaddyturnedouttobesomeonecrazy!YoojinConstruction’schairman,YooMyunghan.”

“So-sowhat?”

“Well,we’regivingyouachance.Wehavesomethingswewanttotalkoverwithyourdaddy.Butifwhathappenedheregotout,oursituationwouldbecomealittleuncomfortable.Soifyouwanttolive,becomeouraccomplice.”

“Anaccomplice?”

HwangDongseokraisedhischintowardsJinwoo.Athisunpleasantgaze,Jinwoogrimaced.

“KillSungJinwoo.”

“What?”

YooJinhopanicked,butHwangDongseoklookedathisfaceandlaughed.TheiroriginalplanwastokillJinhoaswell.ButtheyhaddiscoveredthatYooJinho’sfatherwasthechairmanofoneofthetopconstructioncompaniesofthecountry.Withthatinmind,adeviousthoughtcametohim.WhatiftheyfilmedYooJinho

killingSungJinwoo,andusedthattoblackmailYooMyunghan?

‘YooMyunghan’sknownnetworthisabout10trillion.’

Ifeverythingwentright,theycouldearnseveraltimesmorethanwhattheywould’vegottenfromthemanacrystals.

“Thatisyourwayoutofhere.We’llletyouliveifyoukillSungJinwoowithyourownhands.Otherwise,we’llkillyouboth.”

HwangDongseok’seyesbecamemurderous.

“Whatareyouwaitingfor?Noone’sgoingtoknowwhathappenedinaDungeonanyways.IsaD-rankcoweringbeforeanE-rank?”

YooJinholookedtohisside.Jinwoojustshruggedinresponse.“Dowhatyouwant”waswhathewastellinghim.YooJinhotookouthisswordwithadeterminedface.

‘Lookslikehemadehisdecision.’

HwangDongseoksmiled.

Buttheresultswerenotwhatheexpected.

YooJinhotookhisswordandstoodatJinwoo’sside.

“Oh?Goingtoteamupagainstus?”

HwangDongseokspoketohimself.TheyoungmastersuregotgutsyafterluckilytakingdownaC-rankboss.

JoGyuhwanwhisperedtohimfromhisside,

“Hyung,whatshouldwedo?”

HwangDongseokwhisperedback,

“Fornow,takecareofSungJinwoo.We’llholdontoMr.Moneybagsfornow.Ourlosswastoobigtoday.”

“Gotit.”

AbrightlightappearedinJoGyuhwan’shands.Jinwoo’seyesnarrowed.

‘Sowe’redoingitthisway,afterall.’

ThiswouldbehisfirsttimefightingaHunter.However,hehadnoplansonbeingmercifultothosewhohadthreatenedhislifemultipletimes.

Suddenly!

ring~

Theelectronicsoundranginhishead.

Anemergencyquesthasbeencreated.

‘Emergencyquest?’

Heraisedhishead.Hedidnotgivethecommandtoopenit,butthequestscreenhadopeneduponitsown.Thiswasthefirsttimethishadhappened.

EmergencyQuest:DealWithTheEnemies!

Thosewithmurderousintenttowardsthe‘Player’havebeendetected.Ensureyoursafetybydealingwiththeseenemies.

Enemiestodealwith:8

Enemiesdealtwith:0

Non-compliancewillresultinapenalty.

Jinwoo’seyeswereopenwide.

‘ThequestrequiresmetokillHwangDongseok’sentireparty?’

Somethingbehindthescreenflashed.ItwasthearrowoflightreleasedfromJoGyuhwan’shands.

Bang!

Jinwoo’sbodywasthrownfromtheexplosionandcrashedintothewallwithgreatspeed.

Slam!

ThewallbrokeapartonimpactandthepieceslandedonJinwoo.

“Hyungnim!”

YooJinhotriedtoruntoJinwooinpanic,butHwangDongseokstoppedhim,

“YooJinho!”

YooJinhoflinchedandstopped.

“Youbetternotpayanymindtoadeadpersonandcomehere.”

HwangDongseokgesturedhimtocomeover.YooJinhoturnedandlookedatwhereJinwoowas.LikeHwangDongseoksaid,Jinwoowasburiedinrocksanddidnotappeartobemoving.

“You…youmurderers…”

TearsgatheredatthecornerofYooJinho’seyes.HwangDongseokandhispartylaughedathiswords.

Itwasthetruth,afterall.TheylostcountofthenumberofpeopletheyhadkilledinDungeons.

AstheylaughedatYooJinho,Jinwoowasquestioninghiseyesbelowtherubble.Thiswasbecausethequest’scontentswerechangingbeforehiseyes.

EmergencyQuest:DealWithTheEnemies!

Thosewithmurderousintenttowards%*@##havebeendetected.Ensureyoursafetybydealingwiththeseenemies.

Enemiestodealwith:8

Enemiesdealtwith:0

Non-compliancewillresultin#$%^%@$#$%#^!^&#$%^$.

Severalofthelettersbrokeapartandreformedintonewwords.

EmergencyQuest:DealWithTheEnemies!

Thosewithmurderousintenttowardsyouhavebeendetected.Ensureyoursafetybydealingwiththeseenemies.

Enemiestodealwith:8

Enemiesdealtwith:0

Non-compliancewillresultinyourheartstopping.

Itwasaveryclearthreat,“I’llkillyouifyoudon’tdothequest.”

‘KillifIdon’twanttobekilled?’

Itwasashockingmessage,buthisconfusiondidnotlastlong.Theconfusionquicklyturnedtocomfort.Hecouldnotbelieveit,butitwastrue.Fromthedaythequestsandstatscreensappeared,asinglethoughthadplaguedJinwoo’smind.

“Whatifthisstrangeoccurrenceends?”

Ifallthishappenedoutofcoincidence,coulditendjustassuddenly?

Suchworrisomethoughtalwaysfollowedhim.

Butnow,withtheappearanceofthisquest,heobtainedacertainty.

Thiswasneithercoincidenceorkindness.

IftheSystemcametohimoutofsomekindness,itwould’vegivenhimtheoptiontoavoidthedanger.Itwouldnotuseapenaltytoforcehimtokill.

TheSystemhadagoal.

Not“tomakeSungJinwoobecomestrong”,but“needSungJinwootobecomestrong”.

‘Dependingonthesituation,evenkillfellowHunters…’

Thatwaswhathegatheredfromtheappearanceofthequest.

Still,Jinwoofoundcomfortinthethought.

‘Thankgod.’

Becauseitwasnotacoincidence.

Therewasaclearpurpose.

Everytimehefaceddanger,hewantedtobecomestronger.Hewantedtheopportunitytoriseabovehislifethatfeltlikeholdingontotheedgeofacliff.Andonthatday,inthemostdangerousmomentofhislife,theopportunitycametohim.

TheSystem’sgoalswereperfectlyalignedwithJinwoo’sdesires.

‘TheSystemusesme,andI’llusetheSystem.’

That’sallhehadtodo.Aslongasithadagoal,hewouldbeabletoholdontothisphenomenon.

Jinwoorosefromtherubble.

Health:1360/2600

HereallydidgethitbyaC-rankHunter’smagic.Asinglehittookhalfofhislifedown.Therewasnoroomforerrorgoingforward.AcoldnesscreptintoJinwoo’seyes.HebegantowalktowardsHwangDongseok.

“What?”

HavingsurroundedthecoweringYooJinho,HwangDongseok’spartynoticedJinwoo.

“Whatthe,he’salive?”

“Gyuhwanhyung,lookslikeyou’velostyourtouch.”

“Howembarrassing,againstanE-ranker,too.”

HwangDongseokscratchedhischin,

“Gyuhwan,doitrightnexttime.”

JoGyuhwan’sfacereddenedwithembarrassment,

“I-Igotit.”

No.Hedefinitelyusedhismostpowerfulspell.Itwasanattackthatusedupathirdofhismagicpower,howcouldhegetup?Didhemiss?No,ifhemissed,itwouldn’thavemadesuchaloudsound.Hehadmanyquestionsbutdidnotgetthechancetoask.

BecauseJinwoowasthefirsttospeak,

“You’veplayedwithpeople’slives.”

HwangDongseok’sgroup’seyeswerefixedonJinwoo.Jinwoostoppedbeforethem.YooJinhowassurprised,buttheotherHunterswerenonchalant.Fewofthemevenhadamockingexpression.

Jinwoocontinueddryly,

“You’rereadytopaytheprice,right?”

Atthatphrase,HwangDongseoksnorted.

“Thehellisthisfuckersaying?”

“Hyungnim,Igotthis.”

AHunterwithnarroweyeswentoveranddrapedanarmaroundJinwoo’sneck.

“Itlookslikeyou’renotreallyunderstandingthesituationhere,”

Thenarrow-eye’sexpressionbecamestrangeasheputstrengthonhisarm.

‘...What?Whyishenotbending?’

HeusedallofhisstrengthtotryandputJinwooinaheadlock,butnomatterhowmuchheflexed,Jinwoo’sbodydidnotbend.

Wasn’tthisfuckeranE-rank?

Thenarrow-eye’sbrowsmoistenedwithcoldsweat.

‘What’swiththispow-’

slash.

Thenarrow-eye’sheadfellontotheground.

thud

“J-Joontae!”

HwangDongseok’seyesshook.

“Wait,what?”

“Whendidthatfuckergetadagger?!”

“Wherediditcomefrom?!”

HwangDongseok’spartyquicklydrewtheirweaponsandtookastepback.InJinwoo’shandwasCasaka’sPoisonedFanghehadsummonedfromhisinventory.

Thedaggerdrippedwithblood.

ring~

Enemiestodealwith:7

Enemiesdealtwith:1

‘7left.’

Withtheeyesofapredatorsizingupprey,JinwoomovedhisgazefromoneHuntertothenext.

HwangDongseokgulped.

Thefactthatadaggerhadappearedoutofnowhereinhishandwassurprising,butwhatshockedhimevenmorewasParkJoontae’sdeath.

‘HowdidanE-rankkillaD-rankinonehit?’

Regardlessofwhattrickheused,hecouldnolongerbeunderestimated.Theyhadtobecomefocused.HwangDongseokcastaglancetohisside,‘givehimanotherone.’

JoGyuhwannodded.Hewouldnotmakethesamemistake!Thedeterminedhandsoncemoregatheredlightinthem.

Butbeforehecouldfirethearrowoflight,JinwooappearedbeforeJoGyuhwan.

“Huh?”

JoGyuhwan’smouthopenedwideinsurprise.Jinwoo’seyeswerefierce.

‘First,theMage-classHunterwithstrongfirepowerbutweakconstitution.’

Hehadalreadymadeallthecalculations.

ThedaggerembeddedintoJoGyuhwan’sneck.

stab!

cough!

JoGyuhwangrabbedhisneckandfell.

thud

“Killhim!”

“Ahh!!!”

Theman’sdeathsignaledthestartofthefight;alltheHunterscameatJinwoo.Jinwoosharpenedhisnervesandfocusedoneachoftheirmovements.

Sounddisappeared,andtimesloweddown.

Thepoweroftheagilitystat,raisedto38points,begantoshowoff.

Heblockedanddodgedthetorrentofswords,spearsandarrowsthatwerecomingathim.

TheHunters’eyeswidened,

‘How,howisanE-rankermovinglikethis?!’

‘He’stoofast!’

‘Ican’thithim!’

Theirfacesbecamepale.

Speedwasrelative.Totheireyes,Jinwoo’smovementswereterrifyinglyswift.

JinwooweavedbetweentheHunters,stabbingthemonebyone.

Paralysishasbeeninflicted.

Bleedinghasbeeninflicted.

Paralysishasbeeninflicted.

Casaka’sPoisonedFanginflicteditsdebuffsleftandright,throwingtheHuntersintochaos.

“I-Ican’tmovemybody!Uwak!”

“Magic?Isthismagic?”

“Thissonofabitch!”

Bleedinghasbeeninflicted.

Paralysishasbeeninflicted.

Paralysishasbeeninflicted.

“Ahh!”

“What,whatthehellishe?!”

“Uwaaaak!”

Allaroundtheroom,theHunters’screamsspilledforth.Fiveofthesurroundingenemieshadalreadyfallen.

thud

thud

ring~

Enemiestodealwith:1

Enemiesdealtwith:7

Jinwoofacedthelastmanremaining.

Thehairymanwithalargephysique,HwangDongseok.

Withadeterminedface,hethrewasidehisshieldandgatheredhisenergy.

“Waaaaaah!!!”

Hekickedthegroundandcharged.

boomboomboomboom!

Asheran,hethoughttohimself.HewasaTankerwhoshoneintheupperechelonofC-rankers.ThetargetwasprobablyaDealer.Hismovementswerefast,buttherewasnowaythathewouldhavethepowertogothroughhisbody,reinforcedwiththe‘Strengthen’[4]skill.

‘Youcannotgivemeamortalwoundwithameredagger!’

TheonewhowouldbedestroyedintheirclashwillbeSungJinwoo!

Hetackledwithhisshoulderasthedistanceclosed.

“Strengthen!”

Theroomsuddenlyspunaroundhim,andtheDungeon’sceilingappearedbeforehiseyes.

Slam!

Hisheadshookandhefeltagreatpainonhisneckandback.Hetriedtorisebuthisbodydidnotlisten.ThestrugglingHwangDongseoksprawledontheground.

“cough!”

Bloodcameoutofhismouth.

‘Did…didhejustthrowme?’

He,HwangDongseok,justlostinpower?

Inacontestofstrength?

“AmereE-ranktrashlikeyou…”

Herealizedhismistake.5C-ranksand4D-ranksweredefeatedinaninstant.TherewasnowayJinwoowasanE-ranker.

JinwoostoodnexttoHwangDongseok.Themancouldnotevenmovehisbody.Theresultsofthefightwasclear.Ifthiswasacompetitivesport,thisiswhereitwouldend.

Itwasnotgoingtoendhere.

“W-wait.”

HwangDongseokraisedafeeblehand.

“P-please,letmelive.Ifyouwantmoney,I’llgiveyoumoney.Plentyofit,justletmelive…”

“Threetimes.”

Jinwoorepliedwithiceinhisvoice,

“Aren’tyouembarrassedtoasksomeoneyoutriedtokillthreetimesformercy?”

One.Throughblockingtheentrance.

Two.ThroughorderingYooJinho.

Three.ThroughJoGyuhwan’smagic.

HwangDongseokhadmadethreeattemptsonJinwoo’slife,discountingthefightjustnow.

GiveandTake.

Afterreturningalivefromthetemple,Jinwoohadmadethiscreed.

Togiveasmuchwasgiven,andtotakeasmuchwastaken.

Whetheritwasgoodorbad.

Therewouldbenocompromise.

Realizinghecouldnotbegformercy,HwangDongseokopenedhiseyeswideandfoamedatthemouth,

“You,youthinkyou’lljustgetawaywiththis?!Doyouknowwhomylittlebrother-”

Snap!

HwangDongseokcouldnotcontinuewithhiscrushedneck.

Hiseyesrolledbacktorevealtheirwhites.

ring~

Enemiestodealwith:0

Enemiesdealtwith:8

Thequestwasfinallyover.

“Phew-”

Jinwoo’slengthysighcarriedmanymeanings.HetookhishandoffHwangDongseok’sthroatandlookedatit.Althoughitwasaone-sidedbattle,hishandswereshakingatthefactthathehadjusttakeneightlives.

‘Isthisreallyokay?’

Heplacedthehandonhischestandfelthisheart.

badumbadumbadum

Itwasbeatingnormally.

‘Iwonder…’

Fromthedaythathehadreturnedfromtheundergroundtemple,perhapstheSystemwasn’ttheonlychangewithinJinwoo.Buthisworrieswerebrief,interruptedbythefamiliarelectronictone.

ring~

You’vecompletedthe‘EmergencyQuest:DealWithTheEnemies’

Therewardforcompletingthequesthasarrived.

Wouldyouliketoverify?(Y/N)

Hehadexpectedthis.Withoutdelay,heconfirmedtherewards.

“Verify.”

ring~

You’vereceivedthebelowrewards.

Reward1.StatusRecovery

Reward2.Statpoints+10

Reward3.Skill:‘Bloodlust’[5]

Acceptall?

‘10statpointsandevenanewskill?’

Jinwoo’seyeswidenedattheincrediblereward.Puttingtheattributepointsaside,theideaofanewskillpiquedhisinterestgreatly.

‘IfIdidn’thave‘sprint’whilefightingthespider…’

Thereasonhewasabletodefeatthebosswasthankstoaskill.Theireffectivenessinbattlescouldnotbeunderstated.TherewasreasonwhyRunestoneswereinsanelyexpensive.

Jinwooimmediatelycheckedthe‘Bloodlust’skill.

‘CheckReward3.’

ring~

Bloodlust(Lv.1)

ActiveSkill

ManaCost:100

Activatetoinflict‘Fear’onatargetfor1minute.

Multipletargetscanbeselected.

‘Fear’:Allstats-50%

“Youemitamurderousintent.”

Althoughtemporary,ithadaverydesirablepowertolowereveryattributeofatarget.Jinwoowassureitwouldnotworkagainsttargetswithhighresistance,buttotheonesthatdidn’t,theywouldbecomefoodbeforehishands.Ontopofthat,itwasabletoaffectmultipletargets.

‘It’samazing.’

Asthepenaltywasgreat,sowasthereward.

‘Well…itmakessense,right?’

Hislifewasonthelinethistime.Notonlythat-

Jinwoolookedaround.Hefrownedatthesceneofmassacre.HehadwitnessedthedeathofmanyHuntersbefore,buthewasstillnotusedtothesightoftheircorpses.Thiswastheresultthatthequestwanted.Comparedtothenumberofliveshehadtaken,therewardnowseemedsmall.Notthathewould’vebeenabletoavoidallthis,evenwithoutthequest.

‘There’snoendtoman’sgreed…’

Heshookhishead.

Thecaveshookagain.

Shaaaaake!

Itwasalotstrongerthanbefore.ItwastimetoleavetheDungeon.

Buttherewasalooseendtotidyupbeforeleaving.

YooJinho.

Jinwooturnedhisgazetowardstheyoungman.ThepitifulformofYooJinho,frozenfromfear,casthiseyesdownatJinwoo’sgaze.

‘Whattodowithhim…’

Ofcourse,hewasn’tthinkingofkillingYooJinho.Therewasnoreasonorneed.

Butifeverythingthathadhappenedhereleaked,itwouldbecomeverybothersome.

‘Let’sthoroughlyensurehissilence.’

Asifoncue,YooJinhoranforwardandkneltbeforeJinwoo,

“Hyungnim!Pleaseletmelive!”

“...”

Jinwoorealizedthiswouldbeeasierthanhethought.

YooJinhotrembledheavily.Hisfacewascompletelypale.Afterall,hehadjustwatchedJinwooslaughtereightpeople.Oneofthemostpowerfulweapontoruleoverapersonwas‘fear’.SoJinwoodecidedtousethattohisadvantage.

“WhyshouldI?”

JinwoosworeheheardYooJinho’sheartliterallysink.

‘Wasthattoomuch?’

“M-money-ifyoun-needmoney,Icanaskmy-”

“Whatareyoutakingmefor?!”

Jinwooflaredwithagenuineanger.Helivedhisentirelifeinpoverty,buthehadnointentionstousesomeoneasahostageformoney.Ifhedidthat,hewouldbenodifferentthanHwangDongseok.

“I-Iapologize.”

IfYooJinhowasnotshakinginfear,hewould’vesmackedhimonthebackofhishead.Butifhedid,itfeltliketheyoungmanwouldkeeloverwithaheartattack,soJinwoostayedhishand.

SeeingJinwoo’shardenedexpression,YooJinhogulped.

‘NowthatIthinkaboutit,healsorefusedHwangDongseok’sofferofmoney…Isheamanwhoabandonedmaterialwantsandwalksapathoffleshandblood?’

TheimageofJinwooinYooJinho’sheadbecamestranger.Butitwastooearlytomakethatcall,

‘Thenwhydidhecollectthemagiccores?’

Justmomentsearlier,Jinwoowascuttingopenthespider’sstomachtograbeverylastbitofthemagiccores.Asourceofgreatpower,themagiccoreshadmanyusesbeyondjustcraftingmagicitems.ButtoaHunter,theywereno

differentthanmoney.

YooJinho’sheadspunwiththought.

‘Thenitmustbethat!’

Itwasthepriceofblood.Thereasonthathedirtiedhishandstolookthroughthecorpsewasbecausehehadfoughtthespiderbossforit.Hewouldhavenomercytowardsthosewhowentagainsthim,buthewouldalsohavenothingtodowiththatwhichwasnotearnedwithsweatandblood.Atruepatronofeffort[6]!

‘TothinkthatItriedtobuysuchhyungnim’smercywithmoney.Ofcoursehewouldbemadatme.’

Then,whatheneedednowwasnot‘hisfather’smoney’,buta‘worthiness’tosparehislife.HeglancedoveratJinwoo’sface,butthemanstillappearedtobemad.

YooJinhoquicklyspoke,

“Hyungnim.Ifyouspareme,I’llturnoveralltheincomefromthisDungeontohyungnim.”

“Hmm?”

Asheexpected,Jinwoowasinterested.

“Thinkaboutit,hyungnim.IfnineofthetenpeoplediedinthisDungeon,andhyungnimtookhomealltheprofits,anyonewouldbesuspicious,no?”

YooJinhowassurethatJinwoowasafalseranker.Notonlythat,apowerfulfalserankerwhoenjoyedkilling!Apersonlikethatcouldnotaffordtheattentionofothersfallingonhim.

“So?”

“Ontheotherhand,ifhyungnimandIleaveheretogether,accordingtothecontract,allofthemagiccoreswouldbecomemine.Evenwiththeeightothersdead,sincetherewasnobenefittohyungnim,nobodywouldsuspectyou.”

Ofcourse,nobodywouldsuspectYooJinhoeither.Hewasthesonofoneofthecountry’smostpowerfulchairman.Themagiccoreswouldn’tbeofanyworthtohim.

“Ofcourse,themoneywouldbelongtoyou,hyungnim.It’sthe‘fairprice’forkillingHwangDongseok’spartyandsavingmylife.”

YooJinhoplacedemphasisonthewords,‘fairprice’.

‘He’snotwrong…’

Jinho’ssuggestionwouldbethebestcourseofoptionforJinwootosafelyobtainallthemagiccores.Currently,theownershipofthemagiccoreswasclear.Nomatterhowgreedythemanwas,HwangDongseokcouldnottakethemwithhimtotheafterlife.Assuch,YooJinhohadthelegalrightstoallthemagiccorestheycarried.Andnow,theyoungmanwasofferingitalltoJinwoo.Thiswasdifferentthantakingthembyforce.

‘Noreasontoturnawaygoodfortunelikethis…’

Afterall,ifitwasn’tforhim,YooJinhowouldalreadybedeadortakenashostage.Inthatlineofthinking,itindeedwasthefairpriceforJinwootoobtainallthemagiccores.

WatchingJinwoo’sexpressionsoften,YooJinhowassurethathehadhittherightmark.

‘AsIthought,themagiccoresarethepriceofthebloodhespilledtakingdownHwangDongseok’sparty.That’swhyhewon’trefusethem.’

Thetwomen’sideaofthe‘fairprice’wascompletelydifferent,butneitherofthemwouldrealizethis.

“Alright.”

AtJinwoo’sagreement,YooJinho’sfacebrightened.TheyoungmanfeltalittleaweatwhatheperceivedtobetheJinwoo’sironcladconviction.Butthen,Jinwoo’sfacebecamecoldagain.

“ButhowwouldIbeabletotrustyou?”

Jinwoothoughtbackontheinitialgoalofthisconversation.Hedidnotfrightentheyoungmanforamaterialgain;hejustwantedtomakesuretheeventsofthisRaidwouldnotcausehimtroublesinthefuture.

“HowcouldIbetraythehyungnimthatsavedmylifemultipletimes?”

“Youcouldalwaysignorethepromiseandgoaroundblabbingyourmouthoff.”

Well,itwouldn’treallyhurthiminthelongrun.KillingHwangDongseok’spartywas100%inself-defense.Itwaseightarmedmenversusjusthim,andtheyweretheoneswhoattackedfirst.Withtheworld’slawshavingchangedintheadventofHunters,hewoulddefinitelybefoundnotguiltyinallofthis.Still,hewantedtoavoidallthatifhecould.Forthat,heneededYooJinho’scooperation.

“Well?”

Jinwoopressedhisquestionandstared.YooJinhorespondedwithafiercelookinhiseyes.

“Iwouldn’tdaredosuchacowardlything!Especiallytothesaviorofmylife!”

‘Hmm…’

HerealizedwherehehadseenthatdeterminedlookinYooJinho’seyesbefore.ItwasthesameeyeshedefiantlystooduptoHwangDongseokwith.

‘Kid…you’retherealthing,aren’tyou?’

GiveandTake.

Withhislifeontheline,YooJinhochosetostandwithJinwoo.Puttinghisfaithinhim,theyoungmanwasreadytofighteightHunters.Andso,Jinwoodecidedtoreturnsomeofthatfaith.

Well…afterputtinginsomefinaltouches.

JinwoowentoverandpickedupHwangDongseok’sshield.

“Youknow,I’mstillpissedaboutHwangDongseok’sbetrayal.”

Casuallyturningtheshieldoverinhishands,Jinwoosuddenlythrewtheshieldatthewall.

Crack!

Theshieldbecamehalfembeddedintothewall.YooJinhogulped,andhisbodybegantosweat.

“Mydongsaeng[7]won’tbetraymelikethat,wouldhe?”

“Of-ofcoursenot,hyungnim.”

TheDungeonshookagain,moreviolentlythanbefore.

Shaaaaaake-!!

Alright.Jinwoowasdoneteasingtheyoungman.Fromthestart,hehadnoplanstohurtYooJinho.Hefeltthathehaddoneenoughandmadehisfinaldecision.

“Okay.Gograbtheirmagiccores.We’releavingtheDungeon.”

“Thankyouverymuch,hyungnim!”

YooJinhostoodupandbowedhisentireupperbody,makinga90-degreeangleatthewaist.Thesmilereturnedtohisface.

WhileYooJinhowentaroundgatheringHwangDongseokparty’sbagswiththemagiccores,JinwoowentandpickedthepocketofHwangDongseok.

‘Gottatakewhat’smine.’

Thecontractualwagefortodaywas2million.Hewasnotgoingtoletthemangototheafterlifewithoutpayinghim.InHwangDongseok’swallet,hefoundjustalittleover2millionwon.HerecalledHwangDongseoksayinghewouldbepaidincash,rightaftertheRaid;itseemedthemanwasnotlying.Afterall,youcouldn’tcutoffthetaileverytime.Ifnothingunusualliketheappearanceofmanacrystalshadoccurred,theywould’veprobablyfinishedtheRaidwithnotrouble.

“Thankyoufortoday’swages.”

Jinwoothankednooneinparticular,thengotupandleft.YooJinho,whohadgonetoplacetheHunters’magiccoresinhisbag,panickedwhenhesawJinwoomissingaftercomingback.

“Hyungnim?”

OnlythecorpsesofJinwoo’svictimswerescatteredabout.

“Aaaaahhhhhh!”

Turningblue,YooJinhofranticallychasedafterJinwoo.

Atthesceneoftheincident,theAssociation’sinvestigatorsandstaffhadarrived.TheprotocolinthecaseofadeathduringaRaidwassimple.TheywouldhavetoreporttheincidenttotheAssociationandundergoabriefinvestigation.Theinvestigatorthistimewasastrict-lookingmiddle-agedwoman.

“Yournames?”

“SungJinwoo.”

“I’mYooJinho.”

AHunter’sdeathinaDungeonwasunfortunatelyacommonoccurrence,sotheaftermathinvestigationsweremoreorlessroutine.Itwasjustamatterofkeepingproperrecordofeverythingthathadhappened.Itwouldallgosmooth…aslongasnothingsuspiciouswasnoted.

“…Hmm,you’retellingmealltheC-rankHuntersdied,butyoutwo,aD-rankandanE-rank,gotoutsafely?”

Theinvestigatorpushedherglassesupandasked,hereyesnarrow.

‘InanormalRaid,thefirsttodiearetheweakones…’

Asshecarefullylookedoverthesurvivors,somethingcaughthereye,andshespokewitharaisedvoice,

“Ohmy!”

SheapproachedYooJinhowithsparklesinhereyes.

“Isn’tthisoneofMayaCompany’snewproducts?Thelongsword,Kallion?Andohmy,thisisoneofmasterartisanGredos’works,theRoyalSeriesShields!”[8]

YooJinhoputonaproudexpression.

“Youknowyourstuff!”

“Hohoho,ohno.Ijustlovelookingthroughnewproductcatalogues.”

Thelongsword’spricewas700million,andtheshieldwas500million.Producedfrommagiccoresworthhundredsofmillionwonandotherexpensivematerials,thesewerepowerfulequipmentthatcouldraisethelevelofaD-rankHuntertoC-rank.AtheoryofwhathappenedintheDungeonwascreatedinherhead.

‘Ifitwaswiththesegear…’

AD-rankerjustmight’vebeenabletodefeatthebossinasituationwherealltheC-rankershaddied.

‘TheE-rankerprobablysurvivedbyhidingawayinsomecorner.’

Ofcourse,thetruthwascompletelyopposite.Still,shehadmadeherconclusion.Someonewhocouldaffordsuchgearwouldnothavebetrayedhiscomradesforfewpaltrypiecesofmagiccores.TherewasalsonowaythattheE-rankercoulddoanythingagainsttheC-rankers.Assuch,HwangDongseokandco.’sdeathswouldberuledasanunfortunateaccident.

“Well,Ithinkthatshoulddoit.”

Withasatisfiedexpression,shefinishedtherecordingoftheincident.

“Theinvestigationisnowover.Youarebothfreetoleave.Iknowtodaymust’vebeenhard.TheAssociationthanksyouforyourcooperationinthismatter.”

“Thankyou.”

Jinwooansweredforthepair.

Theinvestigatorleftasquicklyasshehadarrived.

“Thankyouaswell,hyungnim.”

YooJinhobowedagainina90-degreeangle.EvenaftercomingoutoftheGate,hisat-attention-attitudedidnotchange.Theyoungmanprobablywentthroughalotofscarythingsbackthere,Jinwoothought.

“Youdidwell,too.”

“Eh,Ididn’treallydoanything.Itwasallhyungnim.Here,yourmagiccores.”

YooJinhorespectfullyheldoutabagwithtwohands.Jinwootookthebag;itwasfilledtothebrimwithmagiccores.ThehighestpriceforamagiccorefromaC-rankGatewas10million,eventhelowestwouldbeworthatleastseveralmillion.Jinwootriedtoobtainaroughcountofthemagiccoreshewasholdingandscreamedinsideindelight.

‘Howmuchisallofthis…?’

Hehadtoholdbackthelaughterofjoy.Suddenly,dropsofwaterappearedonthebag.

drop.

drop.

Jinwooraisedhishead.Theskythatbegantodarkenafternoonwasnowbeginningtorain.

‘GoodthingIsentherwithanumbrella.’

Hesmiledatthesuddenthoughtofhislittlesister.

Deepintothenight.

Themomenthearrivedhome,heopenedhisstatscreen.

“Stat!”

Stats

Strength:53

Constitution:30

Agility:38

Intelligence:30

Sense:32

(Availablestatpoints:10)

Hestillhadthe10statpointsfromtheemergencyquest.Hewasitchingtousethemup.Itwasanamountthatnormallyrequiredthreedaysofdailyquests(albeitmissingapoint)ortwolevel-ups(butnotfreelydistributable).

‘Firstandforemost,agility.Then,sense.’

Heput7pointsintoagilityandtheremaining3intosense.

Stats

Strength:53

Constitution:30

Agility:45

Intelligence:30

Sense:35

(Availablestatpoints:0)

“Okay.”

Hisattributeshadrisenquiteabit.Agilityhadalmostcaughtuptohisstrength,andinnotime,hissensehadreached35points.Onceagilityandstrengthreachedthesamelevel,heplannedonfocusingonconstitution.Leavingasideintelligence,whichhestilldidnotknowtheeffectof,hewantedtoraisehisstatsevenly.

“Let’schecktoday’sprogress.”

Name:SungJinwoo

Level:21

Class:None

Title:WolfSlayer

HP:2600

MP:390

Fatigue:0

Stats

Strength:53

Constitution:30

Agility:45

Intelligence:30

Sense:35

(Availablestatpoints:0)

Skills

PassiveSkills

-(Unknown)(Lv.Max)

-UnyieldingSpirit(Lv.1)

ActiveSkills

-Sprint(Lv.1)

-Bloodlust(Lv.1)

Whatmadehimthehappiestregisteredfirst:hislevel,whichhadjumpedby3levels,andthenewlyearned“Bloodlust”skill.Thankstothe10statpoints,hisattributeslookedgreataswell.Justallthiswould’vemadeaveryproductiveday,butthiswasnotallthathehadearnedtoday.

‘Ontopofthewageof2million,’

Heopenedthebagfullofmagiccoresandstartedcounting.

’11magiccoresfromthespider.38fromHwangDongseok’steam.’

Allinall,hehad49magiccores!

Atanaveragepriceof5millioneach,hewouldbewalkingawaywithover200million.[9]

“200millioninoneday…”

Havingcollectedten,no,ninepeople’ssharesalltohimself,Jinwoohadearnedanincredibleamount.Itwasanunthinkablestrokeofluck.

‘Allthat’sleftistosellthese.’

Itwasnotdifficulttosellmagiccores.Thedemandwassohighthattheywouldbesnatchedupthemomenttheywereputuponthemarket.Thequestionwaswheretosellthem.Hecouldsellthempersonallytoanotherindividual,toaGuildorthroughabusiness.Lookingattheamounthewasholding,Jinwooconcludedthatinsteadofapersonalsaleorusinganonlinemarket,hewouldgotoanintermediaryforbrokerage.

‘WonderifIcanjustselltheseintheshop?’

Itwouldberatherconvenientiftheshoptookthemagiccoresatfacevaluelikethejunkitems.Thinkingabouttheshop,Jinwooputawaythebag.Herealizedtheoneotherprogresshehadmadetoday.

‘ItsaidIcouldusethebuyfunctionoftheshopnow,right?’

Hequicklyopenedtheshop.ThegoldthathehadcollectedintheInstantDungeonwassittinginhisinventory,figurativelycollectingdust.

“Buy.”

ring~

Withthatfamiliarelectronictone,aseeminglyendlesslistofpurchasableitemsappearedbeforehiseyes.Theyrangedfromcheappotionsandmiscellaneousaccessoriestoexpensivearmorsandpowerfulweapons.Everyoneofthemwasbeingsoldforgold.Obviously,thebettertheitemwas,moreexpensivethegoldcost.Someofthemostpowerfulitemscostasmuchas10billionpiecesofgold.

“Whoa…10billion…”

Hiscurrentgoldwasat112thousand.Itwasfartoolowtopurchaseanythingthatappearedtobeuseful,buttherewasnoneedtorush.Hehadplentyoftime.

‘SoaslongasIgatherthegold,Icanbuyallofthis,right?’

Hehummedashecontinuedtobrowsethroughthelistofitems.HehadobtainedonemorereasontoenteranInstantDungeon.

Jinwoowasalreadyanticipatingtherewardfromtomorrow’sRandomBox.

---------------------------------

[1]:“falseranker”():Lit.“illegal/dishonest”+“registrant/aregisteredperson”.Basedonthecontext,Ifeltlikea“falseranker”wasabetterfit.

[2]:“boss”():Thewordusedhereactuallydoesnotmeanbossatall.means“owner”or“master”.Isubstitutedbossforcontext.

[3]:“gate”():Again,wordusedhereisnot“gate”,but“Dungeon’sentrance”.Contextreasonstoshortenthephrasing.

[4]:“Strengthen”():lit.“reinforce/strengthen”

[5]:“Bloodlust”():“murder/murderous”+“energy/spirit”.Directly

translatesto“bloodthirst/bloodlust”.Alsocouldbe“KillingIntent”.

[6]:“patronofeffort”():Myapologies,mytranslationisactuallycompletelydifferentthantheoriginalkorean.Theliteraltranslationwouldbe“asceticofblood”,whichIhadfeltdidnotconveythemeaningofthepassageinEnglish.Jinho’simageofJinwooisbasicallythatheonlytakeswhathehasearned.InKoreanculture,“blood”carriesaverycommonsymbolicmeaningofeffort,hencethe“asceticofblood”title.

[7]:“dongsaeng”():AnothersupercommonKoreannounusedtorefertosomeonemakesanappearance.Thisoneisusedbyoldersiblingstorefertotheiryoungersibling(unlikeoppa/hyung,it’sgenderneutral).Justlikeoppa/hyung,it’susedingeneralpopulationbetweenunrelatedpeopleaswell(olderpersontoayoungerpersonofarelativecloseage).

[8]:“MayaCompany”,“Kallion”,“Gredos”(,,):Whatappearstobebunchofpropernouns.

[9]:No,notamistranslation.Technically245isabove200...

Chapter11:Arrangement

Ithadbeen3dayssinceJinwoohadreturnedfromtheC-rankGate.HavingcomehomeearlyonaSaturday,Jinahsmelledsomethingdeliciousandquicklythrewoffhershoes.

“What’sthis?Oppa,didyouorderchicken?”

“Yeah,yougothererightontime.”

“Yay!”

Jinwoogesturedtoaseatnexttohimatthetable,andJinahshuffledtowardshimwithasurprisedlook.

“Butwhat’stheoccasion?Didsomethinggoodhappentomycheapskateoppa?”

“Hey,hey,now.Goputyourbagaway,you’rebeingtooimpatient.”

“Ha!I’mgood,thebag’snotthatheavy.”

Thiswasthesamegirlwhocomplainedabouttheextraweightofanumbrellainherbag.Evenasheclickedhistongue,Jinwoostruggledtohidethesmileonhisface.

‘Didsomethinggoodhappen?’

Ofcourse!

Thenumbersinhisbankbookhadincreasedfromjust800thousandtoawhopping180millionand300thousand.The180millionwastheincomefromsellingthemagiccores,and500thousandwonwassenttothelandlordasrent.

Ahundredandeightymillionwon!

ThiswastheincredibleamounthehadobtainedfromasingleRaid.HehaddiligentlyworkedasaHunterinthepast,butthiswasthefirsttimehetrulyfelt

likeone.Afterall,greatwealthwasassociatedwithbeingaHunter,buthispastincomewasnotthatgreat.Thefaceofthemagiccoreexchangestaffstillremainedfreshinhismind.

“You,yougatheredallofthisonyourown?”

“Yeah,Imanageditsomehow.”

“Howinthe…amazing.”

49C-rankmagiccores.Initialestimateswerelittleover300million,butthetaxesonthesaletookabulkamount.

“40%?”

“Yessir.Apersonalsalehasataxrateof40%.Ontheotherhand,aGuildsalehasataxrateof10%.”

“IsthereareasonwhyGuildsgetamuchbetterrate?”

“Wellunlikeaprivateparty,aGuildcannotignoreamobilizationorder.”

Nowthathethoughtaboutit,herecalledthateventhegreatBaekhoGuildwaspulledintoassistancebytheAssociationduringtheDoubleDungeonincident.Becauseofthemanybenefitsandlenienciestheywereallowed,GuildswouldcomplywiththeordersfromthegovernmentandtheAssociation.ThismadeJinwoostopandthinkforasecond.

‘ShouldIjustenteraGuildandwaitonsellingthesemagiccores?’

Buthequicklywavedawaythethought.IfhebecameactiveinaGuild,theGateshewouldbeenteringwouldbeB-rankorA-rank.TheincomefromthoseGateswouldbemuchlargerthantheamountobtainedfromtheC-rankGate.TherewasnoneedtomiserlycounteverypennyontheseC-rankmagiccores.

‘Ican’tjustthoughtlesslyenterarandomGuildtosaveontaxesforjustthisamount’

“Iunderstand.I’llmakethetransaction.”

Andlikethat,180millionwoncameintohisaccount.Ashissisterhadguessed,thechickenandbeerweretocelebratethelargewindfall.

“Thankyouforthefood~”

JinwooflickedtheforeheadofJinahwhowascoylyreachingforacanofbeer.

thwack!

“Ow!”

“Thisisforyou.”

Heplacedacanofcolainfrontofher.

“Hiiing…Iwasjustkidding…”

AsJinahrubbedtheredspotonherforehead,Jinwootookaswigofcoldrefreshingbeer.Anunexpectedsoundappearedinhishead.

ring~

Jinwoogrimacedattheelectronictone.

‘ASystemmessage?’

Aharmfulsubstancehasbeendetected.

Theeffectsofthe‘Detoxification’[1]buffwillbeactivated.

3,2,1…Detoxificationcomplete.

‘Aharmfulsubstancewasdetected?Isittalkingaboutthealcohol?’

Jinwoofinishedthebeerandopenedanothercan.

gulpgulpgulp

Aharmfulsubstancehasbeendetected.

Theeffectsofthe‘Detoxification’buffwillbeactivated.

3,2,1…Detoxificationcomplete.

Asexpected,thesamemessageappeared.Evenafterchuggingtwocansofbeerback-to-back,Jinwoodidnotfeelahintofabuzz.Theeffectofthebuffwasclear.

‘ButwhenandwheredidIgetabuff?’

Jinwootiltedhishead.HehadnevermetaHunterwouldcouldplacebuffsonothers.HunterswithsuchspecialabilitiesmostlyworkedforlargeGuilds.TherewasnochanceofmeetingsomeonelikethatundertheAssociation.

‘Evenifsomeonebuffedmewithoutknowing,Ishould’vegottenaSystemnotification.’

Thatlefttwopossibilities.EitherhewasbuffedwhileunconsciousorhehadreceivedthebuffbeforetheappearanceoftheSystem.Jinwoo’sthoughtsleanedtowardsthelatter.

“Oppa,what’swrong?Indigestion?Should’veateslower.”

Watchinghisfacedeepinthought,Jinahaskedwithconcern.

“No,somethingjustcametomind.Youkeepeating.”

Hewenttohisroom.Heranthroughhismemories,tryingtorememberifhehadmissedanythinginthepast.

‘Ah.’

Arealizationflashedacrosshismind.

‘Allthequestshavehadarewardsofar,eventhepenaltyquest.ButtherewasonequestthatIhaven’tverifiedtherewardfor.’

Hequicklyopenedhismessagebox.Atthetime,hedidnotknowanythingabouttheSystemoritsrewards,sohehadputthemessageaside,butthatmessagedefinitelyhadmentionedarewardaswell.

Hisheartbeatquickened.

Jinwooscrolledtothelastmessageonthelist.

Welcometobecominga[Player].(Read)

Hespokewithashakyvoice,

“Open.”

ring~

ThisSystemwillhelpwiththegrowthofthe“Player”.

Non-compliancewiththisSystem’sinstructionsmayresultinapenalty.

Yourrewardhasbeenreceived.

Ashethought.Ithadmentionedareward.Hethoughtbackonthefirsttimeheheardthevoiceinhishead,backintheundergroundtemple.

[Youhavefulfilledallconditionsofthe‘SecretQuest:TheWeakOne’sCourage’.]

Asecretquestwasaquestlikeanyother,butJinwoohadnevercheckeditsreward.Allthatwasonhismindatthetimewashisimpendingdeath.Jinwooscrolleddownonthemessage,

...Non-compliancewiththisSystem’sinstructionsmayresultinapenalty.

Yourrewardhasbeenreceived.

Wouldyouliketoverify?(Y/N)

‘Yes.’

ring~

‘SecretQuest:TheWeakOne’sCourage’,ReceivedReward

TheGreatSorcererKandiaru’sBlessing[2]

One-timeeffect,‘WilltobeReborn’appliedonblessing.

Continuouseffect,‘Longevity’appliedonblessing.

‘WilltobeReborn’:Alldamagedpartsofthebodyarerestored.

‘Longevity’:Becomeimmunetoalldiseases,poisonsandailments.

Sleepingwillexplosivelyincreaseyourregenerationability.

Awedbyyourgreatcourage,theGreatSorcererKandiaruhasblessedyouwithaspecialgift.BlessedbytheGreatKandiaru,youwilllivealongandhealthylife

“Abrightfutureawaitsthechallenger.”[3]

Everythingfellintoplace.

‘Sothat’swhymylegwashealed…’

Theseveredlegthatwasreattachedwasduetothisquest’sreward.Samewiththefactthathecouldnotgetdrunkoffthebeerjustnow.

‘Wait,immunitytoallpoisons?’

Jinwoosuddenlybecamealert.Perhapseventhatwouldbe…?

Jinwootookoutanitemfromhisinventory.

Casaka’sVenomGland

Rarity:A

Type:Elixir

Buff‘Casaka’sArmoredScales’appliedonconsumption.

Debuff‘WeakenedMuscles’appliedonconsumption.

‘Casaka’sArmoredScales’:PhysicalDamageReduction+20%

‘WeakenedMuscles’:Strength-35

ApouchcontainingtherefinedvenomofCasaka.Drinkingwillgiveyouapermanentlytoughenedskin,butthevenomwillalsopermanentlydamageyourmuscles.

‘Ifthemuscledebuffwasduetothevenom,maybethedetoxificationbuffwillblockit.’

Onlyonewaytofindout.Jinwooclosedhiseyesanddrankthesubstancefromthepouch.

gulpgulp

Thethickliquidwentdownhisthroat.Heignoredthebittertasteandfinishedthewholepouch.

‘Bleh,andtheysaymedicineisbitter…’

Asthepouchbecameempty,amessageappeared.

Aharmfulsubstancehasbeendetected.

Theeffectsofthe‘Detoxification’buffwillbeactivated.

3,2,1…Detoxificationcomplete.

Thedebuff,‘WeakenedMuscles’,hasbeenremoved.

“Itworked!”

Jinwooraisedhisfistintheairintriumphandcheckedhisstatusscreen.

‘Stat.’

Stats

Strength:53

Constitution:30

Agility:53

Intelligence:30

Sense:36

(Availablestatpoints:0)

PhysicalDamageReduction:20%

Asexpected,therewasnoreductioninstrength.Itremainedat53points,butanewattributeofphysicaldamagereductionhadappeared.Anamazingpowertoreduceallphysicaldamagetakenby20%.

“Good!”

Ashecelebratedhisnewstat,Jinahcalledtohimfromthelivingroom.

“Oppa,doyouknowsomeonenamedYooJinwoo?AnYooJinwooislookingforyou.”

“Idon’tthinkhisnameisYooJinwoo…”

Hewentovertothelivingroomandtookthereceiverfromhissister.

“Hello.”

-“Hyungnim,it’sme,YooJinho.”

Ofcourse.

“…Howdidyougetthisnumber?”

-“IknowsomeoneintheAssociation.Youweren’tansweringyourcellphone,soIdecidedtoreachyouthroughyourhomephone.”

“Makeitshort.”

-“Ah!Iapologize,hyungnim.Butthere’ssomethingIreallywanttodiscusswithyou.It’shardtoexplainoverthephone,canwemeetupsomewhere?”

Jinwootiltedhishead.

‘Afterallthat,youstillwanttomeetwithme?’

-“It’sreallyimportant,hyungnim.”

Hewasareallystrangefellow.

________________

JinwooallowedYooJinhoexactly1hourofhistime.TheymetataFrenchcafénearJinwoo’shouse.Evenonaweekdayafternoon,thecaféwaspackedwithpeople.

“Hyungnim,overhere!”

YooJinhogreetedhimhappily.JinwoohadexpandedhissenseswhenheenteredbutdidnotnoticeanyotherHunters.Attheveryleast,thiswasnotgoingtobeanambushforsomeretaliation.Well,Jinwoodidn’texactlyrecallanythingtoberetaliatedfor.

HesatdownoppositefromYooJinho.Infrontofhimwashalf-eatenicecreaminabowl.

“Ididn’tthinkI’dseeyouagain.”

YooJinhostoodupandasked,

“Didyouorderanything?ShallIgograbsomecoffee?”

“No,it’sokay.”

Withadisappointedface,YooJinhosatbackdown.

Jinwooopenedhismouthtospeak,

“Sowhat’sthisallabout-“

Buthewasinterruptedbyagroupofstudentsatableover.

“I’mtellingyouit’strue!Youshould’veseenit,itwascrazy!”

Therewerethreestronglookingboyswearingathletic-clubuniformstalking

withthreegirls.Jinwootriedtofocusontheconversationonhand,

“Sowhat’sthisall-“

“Whatareyoutalkingabout!Lookatthisfuckermakeupshitinfrontofgirlsagain!”

“…About…”

“I’mtellingyou!Holyshit,youwantmetoshowyouthepictures?Igottheproofrighthere!”

Themalestudents’voiceswereloud,butjustasannoyingwasthegigglingfemalestudents.

“…”

Unabletotalkthroughtheloudconversationnexttothem,Jinwoogotupandquietlywalkedovertotheothertable.Thethreeboys’facesturnedtoJinwooinunison.

“Couldyoupleasequietdownalittle?Thereareotherpeoplehere.”

Oneoftheboysmockinglybowedhishead.

“Yessir,yessir.We’llbequiet.Sowwy~”

Thegirlslaughedathisapology.

“…”

Jinwoojuststaredatthem,thenturnedaround.Suddenly,somethingsofthitthebackofhishead.Arolled-upnapkinfellontothefloor.

“Hahahahaha!”

“Hehehehehehe!”

“Stopit!Haha,stopit!”

Themalestudentslaughedoutloud,whilethefemalestudentspretendedtostop

themandlaugh.YooJinho’sfacethatwaswatchingthescenestartedtofreeze.

“H-hyungnim…”

JinwoograbbedaspoonfromYooJinho’sicecreambowlandwentovertothecounter.

“Lookatthathim,he’sgoingtotellonus.”

“Waah-mommy,there’ssomepeoplebeingloud,waah.Hahaha”

Evenashewalked,thestudentscontinuedtheirmocking.Jinwooaskedthenervouslookingshopemployee,

“Thisspoon.Howmuchisit?”

“I’msorrycustomer,wedon’treallysellthosespoons...”

“It’slessthantenthousand,right?”

“Sir?Ah,well…probably…”

Jinwooplacedatenthousandwonbillonthecounterandturnedaround.

“Customer?S-sir?”

Jinwooignoredthewoman’svoiceandwalkedtowardsthestudents’table.Seeinghimapproachwithaseriousexpression,themalestudentsroseupfromtheirseats.

“What,youwannago?”

Everyeyeintheshopwasfocusedonthescenethatwasunfolding.

Jinwooheldoutthespoonthathewasholdingtotheboys.

“…?”

“…?”

Astheylookedathimwithconfusion,Jinwooslowlyclosedhisfistaroundthe

spoon.Themetallicspooncrumpledintoanunrecognizablemessinhishand.

Theboys’facesbegantoturnwhite.

toss

rollrollroll

Thethingthatrolledacrossthetablecouldnolongerbecalledaspoon.Itwasapieceofmetalcrushedintoaballshape.

“!”

Eachoftheboysgulped.

‘That’snotanordinaryhuman’sstrength.’

‘H-he’saHunter.’

Astheycastglancesateachother,theboywhohadthrownthepapernapkinwasthefirsttolowerhishead.

“I’m…I’msorry.”

Theothertwoquicklyfollowed.

“Sorry…”

“Wemadeamistake.Sorry…”

Afterrepeatedlybowingtheirheads,theboysquicklyranoutofthecaféwiththegirlsintow.

Whoa-

Theothercustomers,alsobotheredbythestudents’loudrambling,sentasilentgratitudetowardJinwoo.Hereturnedtohisseat.YooJinhoexclaimedwithsparklesinhiseyes,

“Asexpectedofhyungnim!”

“Enough.”

Jinwoosteeredtheconversationbacktothestart,

“So.What.Is.This.About?”

“Well…hyungnim.Igaveitalotofthought.Like,Ireallyreallythoughtaboutithard.Andthere’ssomethingIwanttoaskyou.”

Jinwootiltedhishead,

“And?”

“Hyungnim,thetruthis…”

YooJinho’sfaceturnedredwithembarrassment.Hegatheredthecouragetofinishhissentence.

“…I’mtryingtocreateaprivateraidingparty-“

Itdidn’teventakeJinwooonesecondtothinkaboutit.

“Irefuse.”

---------------------------------

[1]:“Detoxification”():Literaltranslationoftheword.Couldalsomean“neutralize/curepoison”

[2]:“GreatSorcererKandiaru”():“great”+“sorcerer”.=khan-dee-ah-ru.

[3]:“WilltobeReborn”():“rehabilitation”+“will”.Thewordfor“rehabilitation”canalsobereadas“rebirth”.“Longevity”():Lit.translationoftheword.“No”+“sickness”+“life”

Volume2

Chapter1:Deal

YooJinhowasstunned.

“Hyungnim,Ididn’tevenfinish.”

“Idon’tthinkIhavetolistentotheresttogetthejistofwhatyou’reasking.”

Jinwoocuthimofffirmly.Itwasn’tthathedidn’tlikeYooJinho.Hewasaweirdone,buthewasenergeticandgenuine.Theyoungmanwasdifferentthantheimageoftheultrarichheirshesawinthemedia.However,JinwoohadnointentionofplayingHunterwitharichboy,whoprobablythoughtoftheDungeonasaplayground.

“Well,ifthatwasallyouwantedtoask,I’mleaving.”

“H-hyungnim!”

YooJinhofranticallytriedtostopJinwoo.

“Hyungnim!Just20times,nojustaccompanyme19times!”

“Towhere?Dungeons?”

“Yes!I’llofcoursemakesureyouarecompensatedproperly.”

YooJinhowaspracticallybegging.Jinwootiltedhishead.ThereweretworeasonspeoplebecameHunters:MoneyorDuty.YooJinhodidn’tseemlikehefiteitherideals.TheyoungheirhadnoneedformoneyfromDungeons,andifitwassenseofdutythatcarriedhimthere,hewouldnothaveaskedforsomeoneelsetodoallthejobforhim.

Perhapshewaslookingforabiggersenseofthrillthananextremesport?Itwouldnotbestrangethatachildfromarichfamily,havingeveryneedtakencareofandhavingprovidedeveryprotectionthereis,wouldbecometiredofasafe,boringlife.

‘Isupposethereareallkindsofpeopleinthisworld.’

ThiswasJinwoo’sopinionoftheyoungmanuntilnow.ButcomparedtowhatJinwoohadpreviouslythought,hesawastrangelightofdeterminationbehindYooJinho’seyes.

‘Doeshehavesomeotherpurpose?’

Insteadofthe“propercompensation”theyoungmanwasoffering,whatcaughtJinwoo’sinterestwasthespecificnumberof19Raids.Hismindbegantorunthecalculations.

‘Wait…IfthelastDungeonwashisfirstRaid,andnowheneedsnineteenmore…’

Thispunkcouldn’tbethinkingof…

Jinwooreachedaconclusion,dumbfounded.

“AreyouthinkingofgoingforaGuildmasterLicense?”

“Yes,hyungnim!”

Itwasgoodthinghehadnotorderedcoffee.Hewould’vesurelydoneaspittakewhiledrinkingit.

“You’regoingtobecomeaGuildmaster.You.”

“Well,it’scomplicated,hyungnim...”

YooJinho’sfacereddenedevenmorethanbefore.

“Pleasehearmeout,hyungnim.”

“...”

Wonderingwhathewoulddo,Jinwoolosttohiscuriosityandsatbackdown.

“Alright,let’shearit.”

Afterall,the1hourthatheallottedhadnotpassedyet.Hecouldaffordtoat

leastlistentotheyoungman’sstory.YooJinhofollowedsuitandsatdownacrossfromhimagain.

“Asyousaid,IwanttoobtaintheGuildmasterLicense.”

Itwasn’texactlyhardforaHuntertoobtainaGuildmasterLicense.ItjustrequiredtheHuntertoobtaintheexperienceof20Raids.Aftermeetingthatrequirement,theHunterjusthadtotakeasimplewrittentest,andtheywillbeawardedthelicense.Ofcourse,nobodywouldwanttojoinanonameHunter’sGuild,andiftheycouldnotmaintaintheminimumnumberofmembersrequiredforaGuild,theGuildwouldbedisbanded.

YooJinhocontinued,

“Ithasn’tbeenrevealedtothepublicyet,butthetruthis,myfatherwantstomakeaGuild.”

“YoojinConstructionwantstomakeaGuild?”

“Yes.”

YoojinConstructionwasoneofthetopconstructioncompaniesofSouthKorea.Despitetheirname,theiractivitieswerenotlimitedtojustconstruction.Thecompanywasknownforhavingafingerinmanyareasofbusiness,andrecently,theyhadevenbegunengaginginHunter-relatedbusinesses,makingalotofmoney.

‘AndsuchacompanywantsitsownGuild?’

SeeingJinwoo’sinterest,YooJinhocontinuedexcitedly,

“FatherwantstogatherstrongHuntersandgrowalargeGuild,andthroughtheGuild,hewantstoconductallsortsofHunter-relatedbusinesses.”

IfacompanywantedtoconductHunter-relatedbusiness,thecooperationofaGuildwascrucial.Afterall,itrequiredtheprovisionfromalargeGuildtoobtainmagiccores,magicbeastcorpses,manacrystalsandothertreasuresfromB-rankorA-rankGates.

“Sohewantstocutoutthemiddlemaninthatprocess.”

“You’vehitthemark,hyungnim!”

Withtheirpower,itwouldbenoproblemforYoojinConstructiontomakeaGuild.

TheproblemwouldbewhowouldmanagethatGuild.

“Currently,fatherwantstoemployeeanS-rankHunterastheGuildmaster,andmakemyolderbrothertheDeputyGuildmastertooperatetheGuildasabranchofthebusiness…But…”

JinwoocaughtthehintofwhatYooJinhowassaying.Thefather’scurrentplanhadasmallflaw.TheGuildmaster’spowersintheGuildwasabsolute.IfafrictionarosebetweenthecompanyandtheHuntertheyemployed,itwouldresultinthedestructionoftheirplan.Inthatlineofthought,therewasanotheroption:tomakesomeonewhowouldneverbetraythecompanytheGuildmaster.

Forexample,thesonofthechairman.

AndChairmanYooMyunghanhadYooJinhoashisson.

“...Comparedtomybrother,myinfluenceorachievementsaren’tenoughtobecometheGuildmaster.ItwashisideatomovethecompanyinthedirectionofHunter-relatedbusinesses,andthatdirectionalreadyresultedinmassiveprofitsforthecompany.”

Attheyoungageof31,YooJinho’solderbrotherhadalreadybecomeanaccomplishedbusinessman.Comparedtohim,theyoungerbrotherwasjusta22-yearoldcollegestudent,puttingasidethefactthathewasaD-rankAwakenedBeing.

ItwasclearthatthechairmanintendedtoleavethebusinessoftheGuildtohisfirstborn.WhiletheolderbrothercouldnotbecomeaGuildmasterasanon-Hunter,hehadalreadyshowedgreatresultsintherealmofHunter-relatedbusiness.TheywouldtakethegambleagainsttheriskoftheemployedHunter’sloyalty.

“AndyouwanttoconvinceyourfathertomakeyoutheGuildmaster?”

“Yes,thatisright,hyungnim.”

NowJinwoorealizedwhyYooJinhohadclungtohimwithgreatdesperation.IftheyoungmanjustemployedahighrankingHunterandobtainedtheGuildmasterLicense,itwouldbenodifferentthanbuyingthelicense.ButwhatifhewentwithlowrankingHunterslikehimselfandcompleted20Raids?

Thismightjustmovehisfather’sheart.

YooJinhohadtoshowthathecouldleadtheotherHunters.Thiswashisgamble.OncehebecametheGuildmaster,hecouldplaceanS-rankHunterastheDeputyGuildmasterandgatherotherskilledHunters.AslongasoneoftheleadersoftheGuildwasskilled,itwouldbegoodenoughfortheotherHunters.

Forallthistohappen,heneededthe20Raids.SpecificallywithlowrankingHunters.

“Hyungnim,please!Ibegyouforyourhelp!”

YooJinhobowedhisheaddeeply.Ifitwasn’tforJinwoo,hewould’velosthislifetwiceonhisfirstRaid.Oncefromthespider,andsecondfromHwangDongseok.Heneededareliableally.

‘Icanputmytrustinhyungnim.’

ToYooJinho,Jinwoowasamanofabsolutefairness.Hewassomeonewhowouldcoldlykillhisenemieswithoutblinking,yetwouldnotneedlesslythreatenthelivesoftheweak.Apatronofeffortwhowouldnotforciblytakesomethingthatwasn’tearned.

TheE-rankerSungJinwoowastheperfectcandidateforhisplans.

ButSungJinwoodidnotneedYooJinho.Soheasked,

“What’sinitforme?”

YooJinhoraisedhisheadandgladlytookoutamanillaenvelopehehadprepared.Insideitwastheblueprintforabuilding.HehandedittoJinwoo.

“It’sthebuildingwe’llbebuildingfortheGuildOffice.Estimatedvalueisabout30billionwon.”

AlthoughtheAssociationdiditsbest,thepossibilityofaDungeonBreakalwaysexistedinthiscountry.Assuch,theareaswherelargeGuildsmaintainedtheirheadquartershadtheirlandvaluesriseexplosively.One’slifewasthemostvaluableasset,afterall.EventhepresenceofasmallGuildnearbywouldincreasetheirsafety,andifitwasalargeGuildinstead?

“IfIbecometheGuildmaster,we’lluseitforexactlyoneyearuntiltheGuildbecomesstabilized.Then,I’llturnoverthedeedtohyungnim.Ofcourse,we’llnotarizetheagreementsothecompanywon’tbeabletobackoutinanyway.”

A30billionwonbuildingforjust19C-rankRaids…

Jinwoosmiled,

“AreyousayingthepriceofyoubecomingGuildmasterisworththatmuch?”

“Thatiscorrect,hyungnim.”

OnthatdayintheC-rankDungeon,YooJinholearnedthatanythingcouldhappeninaRaid.GoinginwithaweakHuntercouldresultinhisdeath.Ontheotherhand,ifheemployedafamousHunter,hisfatherwouldnotbeconvincedinanycapacity.ButJinwoowasdifferent,hewasanE-rankHunterwhotookdownaC-rankbossandmultipleC-rankHuntersalone,withoutanymajorinjuries.

‘HyungnimisattheveryleastaB-rank…maybeevengreater.’

Withhishelp,goingthrough19C-rankRaidswouldbeabreeze.IfhecouldbecomeaGuildmaster,30billionwouldbenothing.AllthatwasleftwasJinwoo’sanswer.

‘Idon’tthinkhe’llrefusesuchanoffer.’

YooJinhocarefullytriedtoreadJinwoo’sexpression.

‘WhatshouldIdo?’

Jinwoohadfallenintocontemplation.

30billionwon.

Itwasamassiveamount.

Ifwinningthelotterymeantoneandahalfbillionwon,hewouldhavetowinthelottery20timestoobtainsuchanamount.Ontopofthat,thebuilding’svaluewouldonlyrisewiththepresenceofaGuildoperatingoutofit.TheordinaryHunterwouldimmediatelygrabthepapersandsigntheoffer.

ButJinwoowasnotanordinaryHunter.

“OnlyOne,NoSecond().”[1]

HewastheonlyHuntercapableofgrowth.

Aslongashecontinuedhisquestsandlevel-ups,hewouldsomedayreachS-rank,no,higherthanthat.

‘IfIbecomeanS-rankHunter,30billionisnothing.’

JustthecontractfeesforS-rankHunterswereinthetensofbillions.NocelebrityorsportsstarscouldcomparetotheworthoftheseS-rankHunters.ThiswasaworldwherethenumberofS-rankHunterssignifiedtheinfluenceandpowerofacountry.Assuch,thetreatmentofS-rankerssurpassedimagination.

Sointhismoment,themostimportantthingtoJinwoowasnotmoney,butprogress.Andtogrowhispowers,beingalonewasthebest.

‘Ihavetominimizetheunknownfactors.’

Huntingtogetherwoulddecreasehisexperiencepoints,anditwouldalsobedifficulttoactunderthegazeofothers.EveninthelastDungeon,hehadtoensureYooJinho’ssilencetomakesurenothingbothersomehappenedtohim.Itwouldalsobeaheadachetomatchhisscheduletohisteammates’.Nomatterhowhelookedatit,thenegativesweretoomuch.

‘Icanalwaysearnmoremoney.’

Regrettable,butJinwoodecidedtorefusetheoffer.

‘Wait.’

Suddenly,hethoughtofawaytoearnmoneyandensuregrowthatthesametime.

‘IfIcandothat…’

HeraisedhisheadandfoundYooJinho’snervouseyeslookingathim.

Jinwooslowlyopenedhismouth,

“Ihaveonecondition.”

YooJinho’sfaceimmediatelyfilledwithhappiness,

“Anything!Justletmeknow,hyungnim!”

Jinwoowonderedifhewouldstillsmileafterhearingthecondition.Heheldbackhisownsmile.

“Justyouandme.OnlythetwoofuswillentertheDungeon.”

“Huh?”

YooJinhobecamesurprised.

“H-hyungnim,forgivemeifIgotitwrong…ButareyousayingthatjustyouandIwouldclearaC-rankDungeon?”

“You’vegotit.”

YooJinho’sfaceturnedaspaleassnow.

Ifitwasjusttheboss,Jinwoohadalreadyshownthathecouldsolothespider.ButthinkingaboutholdingbackthehordeofinsectsattheentrancewithjustthetwoofthemmadeYooJinho’sbreathstop.

“...”

WatchingYooJinhoatalossforwords,Jinwoonoddedunderstandingly.

‘Still,thisisthebestmethod.’

Tokilltwobirdswithonestone.

ItwasverydifficultforanE-rankerlikehimtogetintoaprivateraidingparty.Hehadrealizedthisaftertryingtoearnmoneyforthemonth.HecouldnotreserveaDungeonwithhisowncredentials,anditwasimpossibleforhimtoformhisownraidingparty.ButnowYooJinhowasofferingtocreatethepartyforhim.

Thiswastheperfectopportunity.

“B-buthyungnim!ToenteraC-rankGate,you’dneedaminimumpartyoftenpeople!”

“Ifwetoldthemwejustneededtofilltheheadcountandofferedthemmoney,peoplewouldbeliningup.”

ItwasthemethodhehadlearnedfromHwangDongseok.TheHunterswhodidnotwanttorisktheirlivesbutneededmoneywouldjumpattheopportunitywithahungerintheireyes.

YooJinhomadeanexpressionofdefeat,

“You’re…you’resayingwe’llbetakingdownallthemonstersoftheDungeononourown?”

Well,itwouldbejustJinwoo.

“Yep.”

Withthatmethod,hewouldbeabletohoardalltheexperiencepointstohimself.Additionally,withjustYooJinhoathisside,hedidn’tneedtoholdbackorworryaboutrevealinghistruepowers.

‘I’llbeabletopowerlevelwiththat.’

Ontopofthat,aftertheRaidswerecomplete,hewouldobtainthatvaluablebuilding.Onceagain,“killingtwobirdswithonestone”.

AllthatwaslefttodoisconvinceYooJinho.Asexpected,theyoungmanwasterrified.

“S-still…wouldn’titbetoodangerous,hyungnim?”

“Tsk,tsk.Youunderstandonethingbutnottheother.”

“Huh?”

JinwoogesturedforYooJinhotocomecloser,andtheyoungmanleanedin.

“IfyoulookedatjustthetwoofusgoingintotheDungeonfromanotherangle,itmeansthatnooneelsehastogethurt,right?”

“R-right.”

“Let’sputasideyourfirstRaid,whichyouhadtojoinasatagalong.ImaginehowyourfatherwillfeeliftheraidteamthatyouputtogethergoesthroughnineteenRaidswithnoonegettinghurt.”

YooJinho’seyesshotopeninunderstanding.

If…Iftheywereabletopullthatoff,convincinghisfatherwouldbecomethatmucheasier!

HewouldbeabletoshowthatamereD-rankerisabletoleadaraidingpartythrough19Raidswithoutanycasualties.ItwouldbeatestamenttohisabilitytobecometheGuildmaster.Thiswouldbethegreatestfeatthathecouldbringbeforehisfather.

JinwooreadYooJinho’sexpressionsandbecamesatisfied.

‘Gothim.’

TheoneholdingallthecardsrightnowwasJinwoo.EvenifYooJinhocouldnotbeconvinced,hecouldalwaysensurehisgrowththroughtheAssociation’sRaidsorInstantDungeons;itwouldjustbeamatteroftime.

Inthemeantime,YooJinhowasdeepinthought.Evenifitwasalittlescary,ifeverythingwentaccordingtoJinwoo’swords,thebenefittohimwouldbegreat.ThinkingbackontheunstoppablepowerthatJinwoodisplayedinthelastRaid,hefeltthatitwouldjustbepossible.

YooJinhomadehisdecision.

“Okay,I’llagreetothoseconditions,hyungnim.I’llgathertheteammembers.”

“Good.”

Jinwoonodded.Thetwomenwereinagreement.YooJinhofinallywasabletosit-upstraightandputonabrightsmile.

‘Iwasabletogethyungnim’shelp.’

TheremainingRaidsnolongerworriedhim.HehadgainedareliableallyinJinwoo,andperhiscondition,gatheringtheremainingmemberssuddenlybecamealoteasier.Henolongerneededothercapable,lowrankingHunters.Instead,anyonewhoansweredthejobboardswoulddo.

‘Withthis,I’vetakenasteptowardsbecomingaGuildmaster.’

Jinwoowasalsosmiling.

‘I’llsoloalltheC-rankDungeonsandquicklyraisemylevels.’

Thetwomenleftthecafewithsatisfiedfaces.

________________

AfterbiddingfarewelltoYooJinho,Jinwooquicklyranhome.Hedidn’tknowwhentheAssociationwouldcomecalling.Ithadbeen10dayssincehewasdischargedfromhospital;itwouldnotbestrangeforaGatetoappearintheirvicinitysoon.Onaverage,theAssociationhadgathereditsHunterstwoorthreetimesthroughoutthemonthforaRaid.Thereasonhehadinitiallyallotted1hourtoYooJinhowasbecauseJinwoowantedtobebackhomeasfastaspossible.

‘Rightnow,evenmissingjustoneE-rankDungeonwouldberegrettable.’

Hewantedtoquicklyraisehislevelsthroughmagicbeasts.Tothinkthatnothavingaphonewouldbethisinconvenient...Thankfully,hisnewphonewouldbearrivinginfewdays.

Jinwooopenedthedoorandheadedinside.

“...”

Thehousewasquiet.Sinceitwasaweekday,hislittlesisterwasinschool.Confirmingthatnooneelsewasinthehouse,Jinwooopenedhisdailyquestwindow.

‘Timetograbtoday’sreward.’

JinwoohadalreadyfinishedthedailyquestbeforemeetingwithYooJinhobutdidnotreceivetherewardsyet.Hewasn’tabouttoshowoffthelightofstatusrecoveryortheappearanceofagiftboxoutofnowhereinthemiddleofthestreet.

ring~

Do100Push-ups:

(Complete)(100/100)

Do100Sit-ups:

(Complete)(100/100)

Do100Squats:

(Complete)(100/100)

Run10kilometers:

(Complete)(11/10)

You’vecompletedthe‘DailyQuest:ThePreparationToBecomePowerful’

Therewardforcompletingthequesthasarrived.

Wouldyouliketoverify?(Y/N)

“Ye----no.No.”

Hewasabouttoverifytherewardsoutofhabitbutquicklystoppedhimselfafternoticingsomething.Hiseyesfocusedontherunningpartofthequest.

Run10kilometers:

(Complete)(11/10)

Goingoverthe10kmrequirementby1didn’tphasehimmuchatfirst.Butmorehethoughtaboutit,itwasstrange.

‘Whywoulditkeeprecordingaftermeetingthegoal?’

Hiseyesnarrowed.Wasthisacoincidence?

Hegotdownonthegroundandstartedperformingpush-upsinrapidsuccession,hisgazefixedonthequestscreen.

ring~!

You’vesucceededindoing1push-up.

Do100Push-ups:

(Complete)(111/100)

ring~!

You’vesucceededindoing1push-up.

Do100Push-ups:

(Complete)(112/100)

‘AsIthought…’

Runningwasn’ttheonlycategorythatwasrecordingbeyondthegoal.Thepush-upswerealsogoingabovetheirrequiredamount.

Jinwoobecamecuriousjusthowhighthenumberswouldgo.Hisarmsflexed,showingtheirveins.Thankstohisraisedattributes,hecouldbarelyfeeltheweightofhisbody.Itfeltaslightasfeathers.Thenumbersquicklyreached200.

ring~!

You’vesucceededindoing1push-up.

Do100Push-ups:

(Complete)(200/100)

ring~!

You’vesucceededindoing1push-up.

Do100Push-ups:

(Complete)(200/100)

Thenumbersstoppedexactlyat200.Hetriedfewmoretimes,buttheydidnotgoup.Soon,hehadcompletedthesit-upsandsquatsto200aswell.

Do100Push-ups:

(Complete)(200/100)

Do100Sit-ups:

(Complete)(200/100)

Do100Squats:

(Complete)(200/100)

Run10kilometers:

(Complete)(11/10)

Exactly200.Thetrackerwasnotgoingupinfinitely,norwasitstoppingat100.Therewassomethingtothis.Whatwouldbewaitingforhimwhenalloftheovercapsweremet?

‘Timetofindout.’

Jinwooleftthehousefasterthanever.The9kmofrunningwascompletedinablinkofaneye.Ashefinishedtheruninfrontofhishouse,amessagearrived.

ring~

You’vecompletedthe‘HiddenQuest:ThePreparationToBecomePowerful’

Therewardforcompletingthequesthasarrived.

Wouldyouliketoverify?(Y/N)

Thenameofthequestdidnotchange,butthequesttypehadturnedto“hidden”.Hisintuitionswerecorrect.Jinwoogulped.

‘...Verify.’

ring~

You’vereceivedthebelowrewards.

Reward1.StatusRecovery

Reward2.Allstats+3

Reward3.Selectone:

1.BlessedRandomBox(Select)

2.CursedRandomBox(Select)

Acceptall?

‘Threepointstoeveryattribute!’

Hiseyeswerewideopen.Asexpectedofahiddenquest,therewardswereamazing.Adding3pointstoeverystatwasthesamethingaslevelingup3times.No,inaway,itwasevenbetter.Gainingallthesepointswithoutraisinghislevelswouldmakelevelingthatmucheasier.

Atthesametime,hefeltatwingeofsadness.Somewheredeepinhim,therewas

hopethateverydailyquestgoingforwardcouldbecompletedthisway,butJinwooknewthatthiswasprobablyaonetimedeal.

Andifitwasaonetimedeal,hewouldhavetotakegreatcarewithReward3.

Reward3.Selectone:

1.BlessedRandomBox(Select)

2.CursedRandomBox(Select)

Thiswasthefirsttimehehadtochoosebetweendifferentrewards.Selectingonewouldlosetheother.

‘SoIprobablywillneverbeabletoseetheother.’

Justgoingbytheirnames,itwasclearwhichonehehadtopick.Buteventhatcouldbeatrap.

“AcceptReward3”

ring~

YoumustchoosebetweenthetwoRandomBoxes.

BlessedRandomBox

CursedRandomBox

Willprovidewhatthe‘Player’wants.

Willprovidewhatthe‘Player’needs.

Whichonewillyouchoose?

Theexplanationsweresimple.Thatmadethedecisionevenharder.Iftherewasnoexplanation,hewould’vechosetheblessedonewithoutathought.Butafterreadingtheexplanation,itfeltthathewouldregretthedecisionnomatterwhichonehepicked.

‘SomethingthatIwantvs.somethingthatIneed…’

Atfirstglance,bothsoundedgoodtohim.

‘Butthereisatraphere.’

Somethingthathe‘wanted’wouldbebecauseitwasneeded.Butsomethingthathe‘needed’mightnotnecessarilybesomethingthathewanted.Forexample,ifhewasinasituationwhereheneededapowerfulweapon,apowerfulbombthatcouldblowawayeverythingincludinghimmightappear.

‘Thatseemsfittingofsomethingcursed.’

Jinwoodecidedtogowiththelessriskyoption.Notknowingtheresultyet,itwasbesttominimizetheamountofregretinvolved.Feelinglikehecouldn’tbedisappointedinsomethingthathewanted,Jinwoomadeacolddecision.

“BlessedRandomBox.”

Asmallboxappearedathisfeet.

Jinwoopickeditup.

‘Coulditbe…?’

Jinwoo’sheartbegantorace.Itwasbecausethesizeoftheboxwasfamiliartohim.Hequicklyunwrappedtheboxandopenedit,

‘Itis!’

Hiseyesopenedwide.Therewasagoldenkeyinsideofthebox.AnInstantDungeonkeythathehadbeenwantingforalongtime.Theinformationboxpoppeduponthekey.

ring~

TheDemonCastleKey

Rarity:S-rank

Type:Key

KeytoenteranInstantDungeon.

UsableinDaesungTower.

“S-rank?”

Hisvoicewasraised.Ofcourse,therewasnoguaranteethattherarityofthekeyindicatedthedifficultyoftheDungeon,butitwouldnotbeanunusualconclusiontohave.Afterall,theInstantDungeonhehadenteredwiththeE-rankkeywasaseasyasanE-rankGate’sDungeon.

Whatifthiskey’sDungeonwasS-rank?ItwouldbedifficulttoclearitevenwithateamcomposedofonlyS-rankHunters.Theprobabilityofsuccesswouldbe50%.

AbovetheB-rank,thedifficultyofaGateincreasesatageometricrate.Inthepast10yearssincetheGatesfirststartedappearing,onlyahandfulofS-rankGateshadopenedacrosstheworld.

‘AndJejudo[2]wasonethem…’

AfterSouthKorea’sHuntersfailedtocleartheDungeonontheisland,theS-rankGateunderwentaDungeonBreak,andtheislandbecameuninhabitableandwasnowabandonedbythecountry.

Jinwoolookedatthekeyinhishand.

‘ThisissomethingthatIwanted?’

Therewasonepotentialsilverlining.Comparedtothefirstkey,which“moved”himintotheDungeon,thiskeystatedthathecould“enter”theDungeon[3].JinwooconcludedthatthedifferenceinthewordingmeantthathecouldmoveinandoutoftheDungeon.Evenifthekeydisappearedlikelasttime,hestillhadthereturnstoneinhisinventory.Hewouldnotbeimprisonedbyaninvisiblewallagain.

‘Well,Ishouldn’tthrowawayarareopportunitylikethis.’

HewouldconfirmtheInstantDungeonwithhisowneyes.

----------------------

[1]:“Onlyone,nosecond”():Ihadpreviouslytranslatedthisas“tobeunique”.Themeaningissame,butIfeltliketheimpactofthephrasewasbetterinthedirecttranslation.

[2]:“Jejudo”():AnislandprovinceofSouthKorea.Consideredthe“Hawaii”ofSouthKorea,itisapopulardestinationfortourists(bothdomesticandforeign)andhoneymoons.

[3]:Sorry,inmyattempttobeconciseinthetranslationofthefirstkey,Ididn’treallyemphasizethedifferencebetween“movedinto”and“enter”.

Chapter2:TheDemonCastle

JinwoostoodinfrontoftheDaesungTower.Withexactlyonehundredfloors,thebuildingreachedhightowardsthesky.Fittingofaskyscraper,evenlookingupatitfromthegroundgaveasenseofvertigo.

Itwascurrentlynight,andtherewaspracticallynooneinthearea.Theabsenceofhumanscreatedagloomyatmosphere.

‘Butjustincase…’

Jinwoolookedaroundandloweredthehoodoverhisheadtightly.IfsomeonesawamandisappearintothinairwithoutaGateinsight,itwouldsurelycauseadisturbance.Inthecasethathegetscaughtonthesurveillancecamerashereandthere,alittleanonymitywouldbeuseful.

Asmatteroffact,therewassomeonewhowaswatchingJinwoo.

‘What’sheupto?’

Thesecurityguardthatwaspostedinthelobbyofthebuildinglookedattheshady,hoodedmanwhowasloiteringinfrontofthebuilding.Theguardrosefromhisseatandwalkedovertotakeacloserlook,thenwascaughtoffguardinshock.

“W-what?!”

Thehoodedmanthatwaswalkingtowardsthebuildingsuddenlydisappearedwithoutatrace.Nomatterhowlongtheguardstaredatthespot,notevenaninsectcouldbefound.

“Er…Must’vebeenseeingthings…”

Themanturnedtogobackinsidebutthensawsomethinginthecornerofhiseyes.Hescreamedandfelltotheground.

“Ah!Whatthehell?!”

Thehandthatwasfloatingintheairdisappearedagain.

________________

Jinwooretractedthehandthathewasholdingout.

‘It’sconnectedtotheoutside.’

Unlikelasttime,therewasnoinvisiblewallblockinghisexit.Thekeyalsodidnotdisappearbutremainedinhispockets.Jinwooconfirmedthathewouldbeabletoexitandcomebackwhenever.

‘Alright,thepathtoretreatissecured…’

Ashedidnotknowiftherarityofthekeycorrespondedtothedifficulty,Jinwoowasbeingalotmorecarefulthanusual.Hetookoffhishoodandturnedaround.

“…”

Itwasascenerythatinviteddespair.

Momentsago,whenhetookfewstepstowardstheDaesungTower,theworldbeforehiseyeschangedinaninstant.

CouldthisevenbecalledaDungeon?

Infrontofhimwasanentirelynewworld.

InplaceoftheDaesungTowerstoodamassivetower.

‘Can’ttellifit’sacastleoratower.’

Thetowerthatstretchedtowardstheskywassurroundedbyacrimsonflame.Insteadofbeingonfire,itwasmorelikethetowerwasholdingthefireback.

“Atoweronfire…”

ThisfeltlikeamorefittingdescriptionoftheplacethanaDemonCastle.

Jinwootookstepstowardthetower.

flare!

Ashegotcloser,thesoundofthefireroaringbecamelouder.

‘CouldIevengetinside?’

Evenifhecould,therewasanotherproblem.ThelastInstantDungeonusedthesubwaystationasthetemplateforitslevels.IfthisoneusedDaesungTowerasits,Jinwoowouldhavetoclearahundreddifferentlevelsofmonsters.Hecouldnotimaginejusthowlongthatwouldtake.

‘Hmm?’

Hestopped,feelingapowerfulpresencenearthetower’sgate.Takingacloserlook,hesawablackbeast,thesizeofabull,rolleduponthegroundsleeping.JinwootookouttheCasaka’sPoisonedFang.

ring~

Casaka’sPoisonedFang

Rarity:C

Type:Dagger

AttackPower+25

Inflicts‘Paralysis’and‘Bleeding’onattack.

‘Paralysis’:Thetargethasachancetobecomeimmobilized.

‘Bleeding’:Thetargetwilllose1%healthpersecond.

AdaggermadeofCasaka’spoisonedfang,stilldrippingwithitspoison.

Youmaykeepthisiteminyourinventory.

Youmaysellthisitemintheshop.

Althoughitsattackpowerwasn’tthathigh,itsspecialeffectshadalreadyprovedthemselvesinbattle.

‘It’dbeniceifIcouldjustkillafterparalyzingit.’

Jinwooslowlyapproachedthebeast,quietinghisfootstepsasbestashecould.Buthecouldnothidefromthemonster’ssenseofsmell.Thebeastsoonstartedtorise,sniffingtheair.

‘Shit.’

Jinwooclickedhistongue.Thebeast’sform,standingupfully,raisedthreeseparateheadstowardsJinwoo.

‘GatekeeperofHell,Cerberus’

Aviciouslookinghoundwiththreeheads.Itsheadswereadornedbyitsnameinredletters.Thismeantthemonster’slevelwashigh.

‘Ifit’sred,doesitmeanit’sthesameasthecentipedesfromthepenaltyzone?’

Herecalledrunningforhislifefromthecentipedes.Afterall,hewasjustlevel1backthen.

‘I’mdifferentnow.’

Inashortperiod,Jinwoohadexperiencedanexplosivegrowth.Themonsterbeforehimwasdefinitelystrong,butitdidnotgiveoffafeelingofoverwhelmingpressure.ThiswasascertainedwithJinwoo’ssensestat.

Hehadnotraisedtheattributethoughtlessly.Valuablepointswereinvestedintoitsothatitcouldhelphimdeterminewhethertofightorrunfromanenemy.

Grrrrrl!

TheCerberusregisteredanenemyandbareditsteeth.Thebeast’stailcaughtJinwoo’seyesmomentarily.Thelong,whip-liketaildecorateditstipwithpowerfulflames.

‘Fangsandtail.Thething’sattackpatternwillhaveatminimumtwomoves.’

Jinwoogulped.TheCerberusslowlyclosedthegapbetweenthetwo,thenstoppedrightbeforetheHunterandstared.

‘Isitlookingforanopeni-’

TheCerberussuddenlyleapedtowardshim.

Woof!

Jinwoowascaughtoffguard.

‘It’sfast!’

JinwooquicklyslidunderneaththeCerberus’bodyanddodgeditsbite.Landingontheground,Cerberusimmediatelyturnedaroundandbareditsteethacrossallthreeheads.

Bark!BarkBark!

Thefangsbetweenitsjawsshoneinthelight.

ring~

Theeffectofthetitle,‘WolfSlayer’,hasbeenactivated.

WolfSlayer

Allstatsincreasedby40%againstbeasttypemonsters.

Atitlegiventoahunterexperiencedinslayingwolves.

Jinwoofelthisbodybecominglighter.

‘Icanfeelit!’

TheCerberuschargedatJinwoo.Jinwoorapidlytookbackwardsteps,tryingtodistancehimselffromtheCerberus’advances,andrepeatedlyblockeditsbiteswithhisdagger.

slash,slash,slaaash,slash!

clang!clangclang!clang!

Thesoundofthemetalclashingagainstthefangsrangloudly.Althoughhewas

swingingthedaggerwithanincrediblespeed,itwasallhecoulddotoblocktheCerberus’attacks.

‘I’mbeingpushedbackevenwiththetitlebuff!’

TheCerberus’agilityhadsurpassedhisexpectations.Jinwootriedtoturnthetideofthebattlewithaskill.

Bloodlusthasbeenactivated.

Thetarget’sresistancewastoohigh.Effectcancelled.

Jinwoowasshocked.

‘Itdidn’twork?’

TheCerberus’whippeditstailatJinwoo.

snap!

Jinwooreflexivelyloweredhisheadtododge,butthisstoppedhislegstemporarily.TheCerberusdidnotmisstheopportunity;oneofitsheadsbitdownonJinwoo’sleftshoulder.

“Uwaaaaak!”

Jinwoostabbeditsforeheadwithallhisstrength.

stab!

Paralysishasbeeninflicted.

Thetarget’sresistancewastoohigh.Effectcancelled.

Bleedinghasbeeninflicted.

Thetarget’sresistancewastoohigh.Effectcancelled.

whimper!

TheCerberusyelpedandbackedaway.Thankfully,Jinwoomanagedtodriveit

offbeforetheotherheadscouldalsobitedown,butthedamagewasdonetohisleftshoulder.Hisleftarmhunglimpathissides,thejointsmangled.Thebeast’sjawshadaterrifyingbite.

Jinwoofurrowedhisbrows.ComparedtothesmalldamagehehadinflictedontheCerberus,hisowninjurywasfargreater.

‘Ifonlyparalysisorbleedinghadstuck…’

JinwooglaredatCerberuswithdisappointment.

Suddenly,thebeast’seyesstartedturningred.

‘Huh?’

grrrrrl

AfrighteningpressurewashedoverJinwoo.

‘What?’

TheGatekeeperofHell,Cerberushasused‘Rage’.

Itwillenterastateofragefor3minutes.

Cerberus’allattributesaredoubled.

Cerberuscannotfeelanypain.

Jinwoocriedoutinfrustration,

“What?!”

Amagicbeast,no,amonsterusingaskill?!

TheCerberuskickedthegroundandcharged.

‘Shit!’

Jinwoocouldnotreactintime;hisswingingdaggerbounceduselesslyoffthebeast’shead.AllthreeheadsbitdownonJinwoo.

crack!

“Argh!”

Jinwooclenchedhisteeth.ThebeasthadsimultaneouslyclampeddownonJinwoo’sneck,sidesandthigh.ItcontinueditsmomentumandslammedJinwoointothecastle’sgates.

slam!

Jinwoo’shealthplummetedtotheground.

“Cough!”

Health:411/3,602

ring~

Yourhealthhasfallenbelow30%.‘UnyieldingSpirit’hasbeenactivated.

Alldamagereceivedisreducedby50%.

ThankstotheUnyieldingSpiritandhisphysicaldamagereduction,Jinwoomanagedtoavoidaninstantdeath.

“Kuh…”

Hiseyesshotopen.

Itwasdifficulttocontinuedodgingwithhisbodyinsomuchpain,butJinwoocouldnotmissthetimingofhisnextmove.Ifhelostconsciousnessnow,itwouldbeallover.

‘…178,179,180!’

Havingwaitedoutthe3-minutetimeronCerberus’buff,Jinwooactivatedthetrumpcardhehadpreparedbeforethefight.

‘AcceptReward1!’

Hehadpurposelyheldontothefirstrewardofhisdailyquest,specificallyforan

occasionlikethis.

Reward1.StatusRecoveryhasbeenaccepted.

wooosh!

Abluelightcoveredhisbodyandcompletelyrestoredhishealth.

Health:3,602/3,602

Hisinjuredshoulderandarmalsobecamehealed.

‘Thisismychance!’

Attheshoulder-to-shoulderdistancethetwomaintained,evenCerberus,withallofhisagility,couldnotdodgeJinwoo’snextmove.Havingrecoveredallhisstrengthandstamina,JinwoodeftlymaneuveredaroundtheCerberus’heads,puttingitinaheadlockwithhisleftarm;itwasthesamemaneuverheusedagainstCasaka.

Withhisrightarm,Jinwoobegantomercilesslystabthecenterofthebeast’sneckrepeatedly.

Stab!Stab!Stab!

Havingendeditsenragedstate,Cerberusfeltthepainandthrashedaround,tryingtoloosenJinwoofromitsback.

yelp!whimper!whimper!

Justasbefore,Jinwooheldonwithallhisstrength.AstheCerberuswhippedbackandforth,hetightenedthegriponitsneckandcontinuedtostab.

Stab!Stab!Stab!

ThebeastcontinuedtowhimperinpainandtrieddesperatelytobiteJinwoo,butthefightwasoveratthispoint.

Stab!Stab!

TheCasaka’sPoisonedFangmovedpastthebeast’sthroatandtowarditsheart.

Stab!Stab!Stab!

ThelightofstruggleinCerberus’eyesbegantofade.

whimper…

Finally,thebeast’sheadswentlimp.

ring~!

You’vedefeatedtheGatekeeperofHell,Cerberus.

You’veleveledup!

You’veleveledup!

You’veleveledup!

You’veleveledup!

Jinwoohadleveledupfourtimesinonego.Itwasthatdifficultofafight.Jinwoomadesurethebeast’slifewascompletelysnuffedoutbeforelettinggoofitsneck.TheCerberus’bodyslumpedontothegroundlifelessly.

thud

Jinwoobentoverwithhandsonhisknees.

“Hah…”

Heletoutasighofrelief.Tothinkthathewouldfaceamonsterthatcoulduseaskill.Ifitwasn’tforthetrumpcardhehadprepared,hewouldbetheoneonthegroundrightnow.ThinkingaboutthismadeJinwooshudder.

‘Ah…items…’

Whatkindofdropswouldheobtainafterallthiswork?

Jinwoosighedoncemoreandstretchedahandouttowardthecorpse.

ring~!

You’vefounda“Gatekeeper’sNecklace”

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

You’vefounda“CastleGateKey”

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

You’vefounda“Cerberus’Molar”x3

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

‘Obtainall.’

Gatekeeper’sNecklace

Rarity:A-rank

Type:Necklace

Agility+20,Sense+20

Cerberus’Molar

Rarity:None

Type:Junk

CastleGateKey

Rarity:A-rank

Type:Key

ItisthekeytotheDemonCastle’sgates.

ObtainedafterkillingtheGatekeeper.

“Whoa.”

Jinwoowasjubilant.

‘Increaseagilityandsensestatsbytwentypoints?’

Thenecklace’sstatswereamazing,fittingofanA-rankitem.Itwasthehighest-rankingequipmenthehadseensofar.

‘Makessenseafterthatfight…’

Ifanything,hewould’vebeenmadiftherarityonitwaslow.However,takingacloserlookatthenecklace,Jinwoohesitated.Aroundgoldbandwithsofttippedspikesjuttingaroundit,itwasclearlyadogcollar.

“Hmm…”

Havingcontemplatedputtingitonwithclosedeyes,Jinwoorelentedandmovedittowardshisneck.Amessageappearedinresponse.

ring~

Wouldyouliketoequipthe“Gatekeeper’sNecklace”?

Hehesitatedagain.

“…Sure.”

Thenthenecklaceslowlydisappearedfromhishands.

The“Gatekeeper’sNecklace”hasbeenequipped.

“Huh?”

Jinwooquicklyopenedhisstatscreen.

Stats

Strength:60

Constitution:39

Agility:80

Intelligence:37

Sense:67

(Availablestatpoints:0)

PhysicalDamageReduction:20%

“Oh,whoa!”

Hisagilityandsensestatswereraisedby20points.Thenecklace’sstatshadbeenappliedtohim.Hefeltaroundhisneck,confirmingthatthenecklacewasn’tthere.ItseemedthatequippingitemsthroughtheSystemdidnotnecessarilyputthemonhimphysically.Hewasrelievedthathewouldnothavetowalkaroundwearingadogcollar.

‘Next,themolars.’

Jinwooopeneduptheshop.Eachofthemolarsweresoldfor150thousandgold.Havingsold3molars,Jinwoohadcollected450thousandpiecesofgold.

CurrentGold:562,362

‘Whatkindofjunkitemisthisexpensive?’

HisfirstfighthadgivenhimanideaofthedifficultyofthisDungeon.TheDemonCastlewouldnotbeapushover.ButthiswasnotabadnewstoJinwoo.JusttakingdownonemonstergavehimfourtimestheamountofgoldhehadearnedinhisfirstInstantDungeon.Atthisrate,hewouldsurelybeabletoaffordsomeofthetoptieritemsfromtheSystem’sshop.

‘AslongasIcanclearthisplace…’

Jinwoolookedupatthetoweronfire.

flare!

Thetopofthetowerwasobscuredbyastrangefog.Theonlywaytoseewhatwasontopwouldbetoclimbthetowerfromtheinside.Jinwooshookhisheadatthethought.

‘No.It’stooearlyforme.’

Afterall,hehadonlybarelymanagedtodefeattheGatekeeper,andthatwaswiththetitlebuffandthetrickusingthedailyquest’sreward.Therewasnoknowingwhatwaitedbeyondthegates.Fornow,itwastimetoretreat.

Still,onethingwasforsure.

TheDemonCastleKeywasindeedsomethingthathewanted.ThedescriptionoftheBlessedRandomBoxwasnotwrong.Level-up,itemsandevengold,allthathewantedcouldbefoundinthisplace.Oncehehadthepower,hewouldbeabletoobtainitall.

Justnottoday.

Regretfully,Jinwooputawaythekeybackintotheinventory.

‘I’llbeback.’

Itwasapromisethathewouldkeep.

Jinwooturnedbackwithasmileonhisface.

Chapter3:Coincidence

Thenextfewdayswentbywithoutincidence.YooJinhokeptcallinghimonadailybasistocheckwithhisstatus.

-“Hyungnim!It’sme,YooJinho.”

“Makeitshort.”

-“Yes,hyungnim.”

Theyoungmantoldhimthathewasdiligentlyworkingongettingtogetherateam.Theraidingpartywouldbecompletedshortly,soherepeatedlyaskedJinwootowaitjustalittlelonger.

‘HemustbescaredthatImightbackout.’

ButtherewasnowaythatJinwoowouldwaitidlywhileYooJinhocompletedhistask.Sotoday,likethepastfewdays,JinwoowentontheHunterwebsite.Hehadcontinuouslycheckedthejobboards,butasexpected,therewerenoprivateRaidsthatwereacceptinganE-rankHunter.HisruninwithHwangDongseokwasluck.Evenifthebastardhadnefariousplansinmind,itstillmeantthatJinwoowasabletogoonaprivateRaid.

‘Thankfully,Iwasabletoearnsomemoney,level-upandevengetanewskill.’

Wait,washeactuallythankingHwangDongseok?

Jinwoogroaned.Still,evenifitwaswithmorelizards[1],hewantedtogetbackintoaDungeon.

Can’tgetintoaprivateRaid,nocallsfromtheAssociation,andnokeysfromdailyquests.

Jinwoohatedwastingtimelikethis.

growl…

‘Isitalreadytimetoeat?’

Jinwoosteppedawayfrombrowsingthejobboardsandwentovertothekitchen.

Thefridgewasempty.

“…”

Hehadbeendistractedbysomanythingslatelyandhadforgottentogoshopping.

‘GuessI’llgodothattoday.’

Heclosedthefridgewithayawn.

________________

Oneofthefewbenefitsofhisworn-downapartmentwasthatitwasclosetoalargegrocerystore.Jinwoochangedintosomethingcomfortableandwentoutside.Ittookhim10minutesofwalkingtoreachthestore.

Thelargeinteriorofthestoregreetedhimashewalkedin.Sincetherewasnosalegoingon,therewerelesspeoplearoundthanusual.Jinwoograbbedabasketandstartedwalkingdowntheaisles.Havingbecomethemanofthehouseafterhismotherfellill,goinggroceryshoppingwasaroutineexperienceforJinwoo.

‘Nothing’sreallycatchingmyeyes.’

Hestaredattheingredientswhilethinkingaboutdinner.

“Youngman,isyourbodyfeelingbetter?”

Jinwooturnedaroundtowardsthefriendlyvoice.

‘Who?’

Duetohishighsensestat,heknewthattherewasanotherHunternearby,butsincethegrocerystorewasaplacewherealotofpeople,includingHunters,wouldbeshoppingat,hehadnotpaiditmuchmind.HedidnotexpectthatHuntertoactuallyspeaktohim,butitwassomeonethatheknew.

“Song-ssiahjussi?”

Jinwoogreetedhimwithwelcome.

Song-ssiahjussi,akaSongChiyeol,lookedatJinwoowithamixofsurpriseandhappiness.

“Ihadheardthatyouwerealright,butlookingatyounow,Ican’tbelieveit.”

SongChiyeolwasawedbyjusthowfastJinwoohadrecovered.Embarrassedattheman’sstaring,Jinwooscratchedhistemples.SongChiyeolcontinued,

“Ishould’vegonetoseeyoumyself,butthosebastardsattheAssociation,Idon’tknowwhattheywerethinking,putamoratoriumontheincident,andIhadnowayofreachingyou.IbelieveMs.Juheewasalsodyingtohearaboutyou.”

“Juhee-ssi?”

“Yep.Shesaidshewouldretire,butstillwenttolastweek’sRaidtocatchaglimpseofyou.”

“Lastweek…?”

HearingSong-ssiahjussi’sexplanation,JinwoolearnedthatthedayhewentonaRaidwithHwangDongseok’steamwasalsothedayanAssociationRaidhadtakenplace.

‘NowondertheAssociation’sbeenquiet.’

Itwasn’tthattheyweren’tcontactinghim,butrather,hehadmissedthemonthatoneday.AsmallmysteryclearedupforJinwoo.

SongChiyeolcontinuedtoobserveJinwoo’sfigurewithanamazedlook.

‘WasSung-ssialwaysthisbig?Hislegshouldbestill…’

SongChiyeol’sgazefelltoJinwoo’slowerhalf.Hiseyeswidened.

“Youngman…isyourleg…?”

Jinwoohadexpectedtheinquiryandrepliedcalmly,

“ItwasjusttherewhenIwokeup.Idon’tknowwhathappened.”

SongChiyeolnodded.SincethedaythefirstGateappeared10yearsago,manyincrediblethingshadhappenedintheworld.OneofthemwasthephenomenonofAwakenedBeings,nowcalledHunters.AmongtheS-rankHealer-classHunters,therewerethosethatcouldcompletelyrestorethebodyofateammatethathadtheirbodiesrippedapart.Aslongasthevictimhadashredoflifeleftinthem,theycouldbemadewhole.Soitwasn’tcrazytothinkthatsomehighrankingHealerhadrestoredJinwoo’sleg.

“Itwouldn’thavebeenrightforsuchayoungpersontobecomeacripple.Thankgoodnessforthat.”

SongChiyeolsighedinrelief.Jinwoo’seyesmovedovertotheoldman’sleftarm.Thesleevethatcovereditwasclearlyempty.SongChiyeollaughedathisgazeandrubbedhisleftshoulder.

“Don’tworryaboutthis.It’snormalforaHuntermyagetogetintoanaccidentinaRaid.IwasjustluckythatIgotthisfarbeforehavingone.”

SongChiyeolspoketoputJinwoo’smindatease,buthiswordsdidnotreachtheonlookers.

“Ohmy,thatman…”

“Howterrible,itmust’vebeenfromamagicbeast.”

Thepeoplepassingbywhisperedtoeachotherattheman’smissingarm.Somechildrenstoppedandblatantlystared.

Jinwoohopedtorescuetheman,

“Shouldwemovetosomewherequieter?”

Thereweretoomanypeoplewalkingbuy.Feelinguncomfortablefromtheirgazes,SongChiyeolnoddedinagreement.TherewerestillfewthingshewantedtosaytoJinwoo.

“Yes,thatwouldbegood.”

Thetwomentriedtofindasmallcornertocontinuetheirconversation.Whilewalking,SongChiyeolnoticedsomething,

‘Sung-ssi’sfootsteps…’

Jinwoo’sfootstepswereincrediblylight.Evenstandingrightnexttohim,SongChiyeolhaddifficultydetectingtheman’spresence.Howcouldthisbe?TheveteranHunterfeltthatifheandJinwoofoughtinthismoment,hecouldnoteventouchtheyoungman.EvenifhewasaC-ranker,whileJinwoowasanE-ranker.

‘WhatamIthinkingnow…’

SongChiyeolshookhishead.Noneofthatmatteredinthemoment.TherewassomethinghewantedsaytoSung-ssi.No,itwassomethingthathadtobesaid.Havingfoundasuitableplace,SongChiyeolstoppedandJinwoofollowedsuit.Turningaroundtofacehim,SongChiyeolbowedhisheadtoJinwoobeforetheyoungmancouldstophim.

“Sung-ssi.Ihavetothankyou.”

Asthemanwhowasoldenoughtobehisfatherbowedtohim,Jinwoobecamesomber.Evenastheyoungmantriedtostophim,SongChiyeoldidnotrelentandcontinuedwithhisheadlowered.

“Elevenpeoplediedbecauseofme.Thankstoyou,sixofuswereabletolive.Asmyresponsibilitywastheheaviestinthatplace,Ithankyouonbehalfofeveryoneelse.”

Everywordhespokewasoutofhisheart.EvenJinwoowasabletofeeltheman’ssincerity.Itwasanunexpectedsituation,butJinwoodidnotfeelbad.Rather,hefeltatwingeofpride.Buthecouldnothaveanelderbowtohimlikethisforever.

“Ahjussi,pleaseraiseyourhead.”

AtJinwoo’spleadingwords,SongChiyeolraisedhishead.Justthen,hisphonerang.Theoldmanapologizedandturnedawaytopickitup.

“Gotit.I’llberightthere.”

Endingthecall,SongChiyeol’sfacewashardened.HeturnedtoaddressJinwoo,

“Ihavetogosomewherenow.”

Theelderspokeasifhehadaprivatebusinesstotakecareof,butJinwoohadalreadyheardtheentireconversationthroughhisears.Thankstohisraisedsensestat,hisnaturallygoodhearingwasimprovedevenmore.ThephonecalljustnowwasfromtheAssociation,whowasnotifyingSongChiyeolofaGatethathadappeared.WorryingabouttherecentlydischargedJinwoo,theoldmanhidthisinformationandwastryingtowalkaway,butJinwoohadnointentionoflettingthisslipfromhishands.

“ItwastheAssociation,right?”

“You…youheardallthat?”

TheAssociationwillcallallofitsaffiliatedHuntersinanareaintheeventofaRaid.IfSongChiyeolwascontacted,surelyJinwoowould’vebeentoo,ifhehadhisphone.ThiswasthecallthatJinwoohadbeenwaitingfor.

“I’llgotoo.”

“Youngman…”

SongChiyeol’seyeslookingatJinwoowasquicklyfilledwithdefeat.

________________

Thetwomenarrivedattheappointedlocation.BecausetheGatehadappearedinaresidentialarea,thepolicewerealreadyaround,cordoningoffthearea.However,therewaslittleneed,astherewerenonoisycivilianswatching.TheGatesthattheAssociationendeduptakingcareofwerethoseonthevergeofDungeonBreak,sothepeoplestayedawayincaseofdanger.Besides,itwasn’tasiftheycouldwatchtheHuntersbattleintheDungeonanyways.Everynowandthen,acuriouschildmightapproachwithmischief,buttheywouldbechasedawaybythepolice.

JinwooandSongChiyeolgotoffthetaxiandwerestoppedbythepolice.

“Couldyoupleaseshowmeyouridentification?”

SongChiyeoltookouthisHunterlicensefromhiswallet.

“C-rankHunter,SongChiyeol.ThisismyfellowHunter,SungJinwoo.”

Satisfied,thepolicemanletthepairthrough.

“We’reinyourcare,Hunter-nims.”

“We’lldoourbest.Thankyouforyourservice.”

Afterexchanginglightgreetings,thetwobegantowalktowardstheGate.Jinwoowalkedbehindtheoldman.InfrontoftheGate,anAssociationemployeewaswaiting.Itwasayoungwomanwithglasses.Sheapproachedthepair,

“HunterSongChiyeol-nim!Huh?HowdidHunterSungJinwoo-nimgethere?Youweren’tpickingupthephone.”

SongChiyeolrepliedforJinwoo,

“WeweretogetherwhenIgotthecall.”

“Oh,isthatso?WejustthoughtHunterSungJinwoo-nimwasavoidingthecallagain.”

Theemployeesmiledinjest.Alongtimeago,shewouldhavebeencorrect.HavingreceivedamajorinjuryduringaRaid,Jinwooonceeventurnedoffhisphoneinfear.However,hehadtoeventuallyrelentandshowupbecauserefusingtheAssociation’scallthreetimeswouldresultinanexpulsion.Thinkingaboutthepast,Jinwoosmiledbittersweetly.

“Ah,right.TheotherHuntersarealreadyhere.Whydon’tyougoandsayhi?”

TheemployeegesturedtotheotherHunters.Therewereonlytwoofthemwaiting.AftertheincidentattheDoubleDungeon,thenumberofHuntersintheareahaddecreasedgreatly.AccordingtoSongahjussi,twoofthesurvivingHuntersevenchosetoretireoutoftrauma.

‘AndJuhee-ssiwasoneofthem…’

JinwoolookedaroundbutdidnotseeJuhee.Asthetwomenapproached,theHunterswhohadarrivedbeforethemavoidedhisgaze.Jinwoo’seyesnarrowed.

‘Ofcourse…’

Itwastwoofthemenwhohadabandonedhimbackintheundergroundtemple,KimSangshikandthemanwhocastasideJinwoo’sinjuredbodytotheground.Itmadesensethattheywereavoidinghim.

“Er,Sung-ssi…”

KimSangshikgatheredhiscourageandtriedtomakealategreetingbutwasrebuffedbyJinwoo’scoldeyes.

“…”

Themanclosedhismouthandwalkedaway.Fromadistanceaway,helookedatJinwooandtiltedhishead.

‘IsthathumanreallytheSungJinwoothatIknew?Hiseyeswerefiercelikeamagicbeast’s…’

KimSangshik’sbodyshuddered.Hisarmswerecoveredingoosebumps.Itwasnothisfault,Jinwoohadlightlyappliedakillingintentinhisgaze.Thankfully,themanhadtakenthehintandavoidedhim.Jinwoohadhopedhewouldcontinuetodosogoingforward.

“Sung-ssi,”

SongChiyeol,whowasstandingnexttoJinwoo,suddenlysmiled.

“Thereshecomes.”

Jinwoostartedturninghisheadtowardswheretheelderwasgesturing,butbeforehefullycould,

“Jinwoo-ssi!”

Somethingsofthuggedhimtightly.

“Juhee-ssi?”

AsJinwoopanicked,Juheeexaminedhisbodywithtearsinhereyes.

“Areyoualright?Areyouhurtanywhere?Yourleg!Howisyourleg-?”

JuheelookedbackandforthbetweenJinwoo’sfaceandlegswithsurprise.Themagnitudewasdifferent,butherresponsewasthesameasSongChiyeol.

“Ah,that’s…”

Jinwoo’sexplanationwasinterruptedbyaloudvoice,

“Ah,younglove!Hothothot!”

Amaninprisoner’suniformwaswhistlingtowardsthem,havingjustgottenoutofacar.

‘Aretheyfilmingamovienearby?’

AsJinwoostaredwithconfusion,amanwearingasuitgotoutofthepassengerseatofthecar.Themangaveasternwarningtotheprisoner,

“Shutyourmouth.”

Theprisoneravoidedhisgazeandlookedaway.Whilethemaninthesuitturnedbacktothecar,theprisonerwinkedatJuhee.Jinwoo’sforeheadfurrowed.Fromthecar,twoadditionalmengotout.Theywereallwearingaprisoner’suniformandhandcuffed.ThemaninthesuitledthethreeprisonerstowardstheAssociationemployeeandgreetedher.

“You’refinallyhere.”

“Sorry.Therewasalittletrafficontheway.”

TheAssociationemployeehandedthemansomepapers,andhebegantosignthemonebyone.Meanwhile,theAssociationemployeecalledoveralltheHunters.

“Thesemenareprisonersonawork-releaseprogram[2]thatwillbegoingwiththeHunter-nimsintotheRaid.”

TheHunters’expressionsdarkened.KimSangshiksteppedforward,

“Prisonersonwork-release?You’retellingustoRaidwithcriminals?”

Hunterswhohadcommittedcrimeshadtwochoices.FulfilltheirsentencesawayinaprisonorcooperatewiththeAssociationandreducetheirsentences.Mostchosethelatter.Thesecriminalswouldbeon“work-release”.TheemployeeapologeticallybowedbeforetheHunters.

“Ireallyhavetoapologize.ThenumberofHuntersinourareahaddecreasedtoodrastically.TheAssociationsaidwehadnochoiceforthetimebeing.Thankfully,aHunterfromtheHunterSurveillanceDepartmentwillbeaccompanyingyou,soyoushouldn’thavetoworry.”

KimSangshikaskedsuspiciously,

“TheHSDHunterwillbegoingwithustoo?”

“Yes,alloftheprisonersareC-rank,buttheHSDHunterisaB-rank,sothere’snothingtoworryabout.”

KimSangshikrelentedandnodded.Itwasabasictheorythatyouneededatleast10C-rankHunterstodefeatasingleB-ranker.IfsuchaB-rankerwasofferingtonotonlywatchtheprisonersbutalsohelpwiththeRaid,therewasnothingtocomplainabout.

‘AsingleB-rankerandthreeC-rankers…’

JinwoostaredattheHSDHunterandtheprisonerswithconfusion.

‘Something’sweird.’

Therewasastrangekillingintentspillingforthfromoneofthem.Wasthisaneffectofthesensestat,orwashejustimaginingthingsoutofworry?Whateveritwas,Jinwoocouldnothelpbutfeeluneasy.

HewhisperedtoJuhee,

“Juhee-ssi,pleasedon’tgoonthisRaid.”

Shelookedaroundthenresponded,

“Whataboutyou?”

Heansweredherquestionwithaquestion,

“IfIgo?”

“ThenI’malsogoing.”

Herfacewasdeterminedtofollowhim.

‘Iunderstandyou’reworriedaboutme,but…’

Havingexperiencedherstubbornnessinthepast,Jinwoorelented.

‘IsupposeeverythingshouldbealrightifI’mthere.’

Afterall,hehadsinglehandedlydefeatedHwangDongseok’sparty,whichincluded5C-rankers.

Jinwoonodded,

“Alright.Alright.”

TheHSDHunterfinishedwiththedocumentsthenappearedbeforealltheHunters.

“I’mKangTaeshikoftheHunterSurveillanceDepartment.I’msureyou’vealreadyheardthesituation.I’llbekeepingacloseeyeonthem,sodon’tworryaboutthosebastards.”

Hegesturedtowardstheprisoners,andtheycametohimandheldouttheircuffedhands.Onebyone,KangTaeshikuncuffedthem.

“Awman,thatwasreallyuncomfortable.”

“Youcan’tdragusaroundlikethis.We’renotslaves,yaknow?”

Thefreedprisonersrubbedtheirwristsandcomplained.Ignoringthem,KangTaeshikturnedtowardtheHunters.

“Who’llbeleadingtheRaidtoday?”

Havingtakentheresponsibilitynormally,SongChiyeolhalf-heartedlyraisedhishand.

KangTaeshiknodded,

“Understood”

WithSongChiyeolinfront,theHuntersstartedenteringtheGate.

“Let’sgo.”

JinwooandJuheealsostoodbeforetheGate.RememberingherlasttripintoaDungeon,JuheelightlyheldontoJinwoo’ssleevesastheyentered.

________________

TheDungeonthistimewasfilledwithgoblins.Facedagainsttheweakesthumanoidtypemagicbeasts,theRaidwasaloteasierthanexpected.

screech!

scree-!

Evenbeforehehadpoweredup,Jinwoocouldtakeonthesebizarrelookingthings.Hecarefullydefeatedofthemonebyone.HiscombatprowesssurprisedJuheeandSongChiyeol,whohadnotrememberedhimlikethis.

“Whoa~”

Jinwoowasusingthebareminimumpowerrequired,astonotgetnoticed,butthedifferencebetweenhisoldselfwasstillnoticeable.

Juheeapproachedhimandasked,

“Have-haveyoubeenlearningsomewhere?”

“That’ser…I’vebeenrunningeveryday.”

“Running?”

Juheewasconfused,butitwasn’texactlyalie.

‘But…I’mnotgettinganyexperiencepoints…’

screech!

Theenemy’slevelwastoolow.You’vegainednoexperiencepoints.

screech!

Theenemy’slevelwastoolow.You’vegainednoexperiencepoints.

Jinwoowasdisappointed.Allhekeptgettingwasthemessagethatthegoblins’levelsweretoolow.

‘Atthisrate…’

Evenworse,themagiccoresfromthegoblinswerethelowesttierpossible.Jinwoolookedaround.Excitedatthefreedomofmovementafteralongtime,theprisonersweregoingalloutonthegoblins.

screech!

screeee!

Itwashardtotellwhowasthehumanandwhowasthebeast.

‘LookslikeIdon’thavetodothatmuch.’

Still,hewasn’tgettingexperienceorgoodincome.ThisconcernedJinwoo,

‘Ifit’sgoingtobelikethisallthetime,shouldIjustleavetheAssociation?’

TheRaidsundertheAssociationweremostlyD-rankorE-rankGates,andifhewasnotgettinganyexperiencepointsinthoselow-levelDungeons,therewasnopointtostayingwiththeAssociation.

‘Andatthispoint,Icaneasilytakecareofmother’shospitalbills…’

HecouldleavetheAssociationwheneverhewanted.Thiswaswhyhavingmoneywasgood.ItallowedJinwoomorefreedominthepathsthathecouldtake.

Whilehewaslostinthought,thepartyhadventureddeepintotheDungeon.

“Huh?”

“Hmm…”

Theycameacrossthreedifferentpaths.KangTaeshiksuggestedtoSongChiyeol,

“TheDungeon’sdifficultyisratherlow.Shallwesplituphere?”

“Soundsgood.”

SongChiyeolagreed.Jinwooclosedhiseyesandfocusedhissenses.

‘Nowwhichpathleadstotheboss?’

Hehadhopedatleastthebosswouldgivehimsomesmallamountofexperience.Soon,theenergyofthevariouslifeformintheDungeonenteredhissenses.Openinghiseyes,JinwootoldSongChiyeol,

“Ahjussi,let’sgototheleftpath.”

“Alright.”

Jinwoo,JuheeandSongChiyeolchosetheleftpath.KangTaeshikandtheprisonerschosetherightpath.Theremainingtwowentdownthemiddlepath.

Jinwoo’sheartbeatincreasedslightly.

‘Thebossisattheendofthispath.’

Itcouldn’tbecalledstrong,butitdefinitelygaveoffatougherpresencethanthegoblins.Jinwoowantedtogettothebossquickly.Butjustaftertakingfewstepsintotheleftpath,agroupofgoblinsappearedandblockedtheirway.

“Kikik.”

“Kiriririk.”

“Kiiik.”

Therewasabouttenofthem.Holdingwoodenclubs,woodenswordsandwoodenstaves,thegoblinsgaveabsolutelynosenseofdangertoJinwoo.

‘Aren’ttheytiredofthis?’

Jinwooscrunchedhisfaceinannoyance.Theseworthlessthingsthatranathimwithnoexperiencepointsormoneywerejustathornathissides.

“Therearetenofthem…”

“Whatshouldwedo?Shouldwegroupwiththeothersandcomeback?”

However,theothertwowithhimweretakingitmuchmoreseriously.

“Well,sincethey’rejustgoblins,weshouldjustgiveitago.”

“Hmm…Okay.”

AfireballappearedinSongChiyeol’shandandJuheebeganpreparingherhealingmagic.Jinwooscratchedthebackofhishead.

‘NowthatIthinkaboutit,I’veneverbeenthisrelaxedinaDungeonbefore…’

Wasitbecausehehadbecomeincomparablystronger?Appliedtoafamiliarsituationfromhisoldlife,Jinwoofinallybegantofeelthechangesthathewasundergoing.

SongChiyeolinterruptedhisthoughts,

“Sung-ssi,areyouready?”

“Yes.”

Jinwoomatchedthepaceofhisteammatesandslowlysteppeduptowardsthegoblins.Suddenly,ascreamrangforthfromsomewhere.

“Uwaaaak!”

“Ahhhh!”

Itwasn’tgoblin.Itwasahumanscream.Jinwooandco.lookedateachother.

Justastheythoughtthescreamshaddiedout,anotheronerangforth.

“Ahhhhhh!”

SongChiyeol’sfacehardened,

“Let’sgocheckitout.”

ThethreeHuntersquicklyrantowardsthedirectionofthescream.Jinwoocould’veeasilywentaheadofthetwobutdecidedtomatchtheirspeedfortheirsafety.Afterrunningforsometime,theycameacrossthesource.

Juheediscoveredsomeoneandshouted,

“Overthere!Someoneis…”

TheHSDHunterKangTaeshikwaskneelingontheground,coveredinblood.Heshoutedattheapproachingparty,

“B-becareful!Thosebastardsarestillaroundsomewhere!”

Appearingtohaveshoutedwiththelastbitofhisstrength,KangTaeshikcollapsedface-downontotheground.Unabletoignorehim,Juheequicklyrantowardhisbody.

“I’llhealhim!”

Evenaftereverythingshehadgonethrough,JuheestillheldprideasaB-rankHealer.Eveniftherewereenemiesaround,herhealingwouldbequick.SheconcludedthatitwouldbebesttohealKangTaeshikbeforetheycouldattack.

“Pleasejustwait.”

SheheldoutherhandsinfrontofKangTaeshik,andalightgatheredinherhands.

Itwasinthatmoment,KangTaeshikshotupfromthegroundandstretchedahandfilledwithmagicpowertowardJuhee’sthroat.

woosh!

BeforehishandcouldreachJuhee’sthroat,someonegrabbedhiswristinthenickoftime.

grab!

“Ah…!”

Takingfewstepsbackwardsinsurprise,Juheefellontotheground.

KangTaeshikwassurprised.

‘Someonestoppedmyattackatthisdistance?’

Itwaseasyforahigher-rankingHuntertodisposeofalower-rankingone.That’swhyhisfirsttargetwasthefemaleHunter,whowasaB-rankerlikehim.Fortunatelyforhim,shewasanoncombat-classHunter,sohehadexpectedtotakecareofhereasilythroughasurpriseattack.

Buthisattack…wasstopped.

Theeffortsheputtowardactingdisappearedinapuffofsmoke.

KangTaeshik’seyesfollowedthehandholdinghiswristtoJinwoo’sface.Jinwoo’seyeswerefilledwithmurderousintent.KangTaeshikfrowned,

“JustashittyAssociation-affiliatedHunter?!”

woosh!

KangTaeshik’sotherfistflewtowardsJinwoo’sface,butthemaneasilyturnedhisheadanddodgedtheattack.

‘What?’

KangTaeshikthrewasideJinwoo’sgripwithstrength.

“What?”

Jinwoowasalsosurprised.Itwasastrengthworthyofahigh-rankingHunter.

HavingfreedhimselffromJinwoo’shands,KangTaeshikrainedhisfistsupon

himmercilessly.Notlosingtohisspeed,Jinwoododgedandcounterattacked.

Hit!Strike!Woosh!Bam!Pow!

Thetwomenceaselesslytradedandevadedeachother’sblows.Neitherofthembackedoff.

Whiletheywerefighting,SongChiyeolgrabbedJuheeandpulledherawayfromthedanger.

“A-ahjussi…”

Juheecouldnotspeak,stunned.SongChiyeolwasevenmoresurprisedthanher.

‘Howisthispossible…?’

Theiroffenseanddefensewerehappeningatanunbelievablespeed.Itwastoofasteventotrackwithhisowneyes.Thehigh-rankingHunter’smovementsmadesense,butSungJinwoowasnotthemanhehadremembered.TheyoungmanwaskeepingupwiththeB-ranker.

‘HisspeedistoofastevenforthisC-ranker’seyes!’

Hewascorrectonhisfeelingsearlier.TheJinwoothatwasfightingbeforehimwasnotthesameweakE-rankerfrombefore.

Havingtradeddozensofexchangesinablinkofaneye,thetwofightersbackedawayfromeachothertocatchtheirbreath.

JinwoolookedatKangTaeshikwithnarrowedeyes,

“Thebloodonyourclothes…It’snotyours,isit?”

KangTaeshikrubbedhiswristsreplied,

“That’sright.It’sthosefuckers’blood.Puttingthataside,tothinkthatI’dmeetaHunterlikeyouhere.”

Hewastrulyawed.HehadnoideathattherewasanAssociation-affiliatedHunterthatwasahigh-ranker.

‘Thisisnotgood.’

Hehadthoughtthattodaywasthebestopportunitytoact,butJinwoo’sappearancehadthrownawrenchinhisplans.

KangTaeshikaskedoutofcuriosity,

“Whoareyou?What’syourranking?”

JinwoosummonedCasaka’sPoisonedFanginhishandandanswered.

“SungJinwoo.E-rank.”

----------------------

[1]:“Lizards”:ScumbagHunterswhowouldpurposelyrecruitweak/inexperiencedpeopletouseasgetawaysacrificesinDungeons.

[2]:“prisonersonawork-releaseprogram”():Notgonnalie,Ihavenoideawhatthismeans.Ijustusedmybestguessbasedoncontext…Sorry...

Chapter4:B-RankerKangTaeshik

KangTaeshikfeltlikehegotslappedintheface.EvenamongsttheB-rankers,hehadneverlostinspeed,andnowthismanwhohadkeptupwithhimwasintroducinghimselfasanE-ranker.

‘Whoisthisfuckerkidding?’

KangTaeshikgrindedhisteeth.

‘Wait…’

Therewassomethingthattrippedhimup.

‘Ifhe’sreallyahigh-rankingHunter,there’snowayhewouldbehere.’

TheHunterswhoworkedfortheAssociationbasicallygroveledforscraps.Afterall,theGatesthattheAssociationhadtoclearwerethosethatwerepassedupbytheGuildsorprivatepartiesforbeingtooweak.ComparedtotheotherHunters,theAssociation-affiliatedHuntersdidnotearnmuchandwereevenlookeddownonbymost.

SothisbastardwassurelyanE-ranker.Justonethatwashidinghisskill.

‘Still,evenafalserankerwouldn’tbeworkingundertheAssociation.’

Afterallthat,KangTaeshikcameuponaconclusion.

‘…AwakeningafterAwakening.’

Nowthathethoughtaboutit,herecalledashorttimeagowhentheuppermanagementoftheAssociationwasexcitedatthenewsofapotentialReawakeninghappeninginthisarea.

‘TheysaiditwasanAssociation-affiliatedHunter…’

KangTaeshikcursedhimself,asherealizedheshould’verememberedthe

Hunter’sname.Ifthemanwasputtingoffhisretest,hewould’vestillbeenworkingintheareaasanE-ranker.Tothinkthathewouldbefacingoffagainsthimnow…HehadthoroughlylookedoverthelistofHuntersparticipatingintoday’sRaidbutdidnotpayattentiontothepossibilitythattheReawakenedHunterwouldbehere.[1]

‘That’ssomebadluckI’vegot…’

Hecouldnothelpbutthinkthisway.

‘IfIknewthis,Ishould’veaskedformoremoney…’

KangTaeshikthoughtbackontheeventthatoccurredfewdaysagoandlickedhislips.

________________

Fewdaysago.

AcaféneartheAssociationHeadquarters.

KangTaeshikspokeashesatdown.

“Whydidyoucallme?”

Themiddle-agedmansittingacrossfromhimlookedemaciated.

‘Hesaidhewasapresidentofsomebusiness?’

Hehadnevermettheman,butafterrepeatedlybeingcalled,KangTaeshikrelentedanddecidedtogivethemanhistime.

Themanseeminglyspoketohimself,

“IheardnobodyknowswhathappensinaDungeon.”

Hisvoicewassosmall;KangTaeshikhadtoaskhimtoclarify,

“Whatdoyoumeanbythat?”

“ThisisallthemoneyI’vegathered.”

Themanslidabankbookacrossthetable.KangTaeshikstaredbackandforthbetweenthemanandthebankbook,thenpickeditupandcheckeditscontents.Thebankbookcontained2billionwon.

“Andyou’regivingthistome…why?”

ThemanrepliedtoKangTaeshik’ssuspiciousface,

“Oneoftheprisonersunderyourwatchviolatedmydaughter.Shehangedherselfafterwards.Mywifecollapsedoutofshockandisstillhospitalized.”

Themanspokewithtearsonhisface.

“Andtheysaythesonofabitchwhodiditisgoingtogofreeinjustafewyears…HowcouldIsleepknowingthis?”

Themanraisedhiseyes,andhisfacewasfilledwithrageandsorrow.

“IthinkyouknowwhatImeanbythis.”

Themanbowedhishead,

“Please,Hunter-nim!Ibegofyou!”

Aquietnessfellbetweenthetwomen.

KangTaeshikleanedbackonhischairandfellintodeepthought.

Aftersometime,heopenedhismouth,

“DoyouknowwhyIwentintotheHunterAssociation’sHunterSurveillanceDepartment?”

“Sir?”

“AsaB-rankHunter,Iwouldbeconsideredahigh-rankingHunter.Itwouldn’tbestrangeformetoreceiveoffersfromvariousGuilds.YetdoyouknowwhyIchosethisjobwithitsshittypay?”

“I…Idon’tknow.”

ThecornersofKangTaeshik’smouthrose,

“Comparedtofightingmonsters,Imuchratherenjoyfightinghumans.”

Forthatpurpose,workingfortheHSDwasadreamjob.HewasabletolegallybeatupotherHunters.Andoccasionally,iftheyresistedtoohard…Hecouldn’thelpbutkillthem.

‘Couldn’t…helpit….pft…’

KangTaeshikswallowedhislaughter.

“Asyou’veasked,itwon’tbemuchformetotakecareofthebugsyou’rereferringto.Theproblemis,therewillbeHuntersotherthanthebugsintheDungeon.Well,they’reallbugstome,butstill,whatwouldyouhavemedoaboutthoseotherHunters?”

AtKangTaeshik’swords,themanfrowneddisappointedly.Allhewantedwasrevengeforhisdaughter.Asifmockinghim,KangTaeshikputonanuglysmile.

“I’mgoingtoask1billionmorefortakingcareoftheotherHunters.Doesthatworkforyou?”

________________

However,ifthoseotherHuntersincludedaReawakenedHunter,3billionwouldnotnearlybeenough.Hislifewasontheline,afterall.Theso-calledE-rankHunterwasexpellinganoppressiveamountofpressure.HewaspoisedtoleapatanyopeningKangTaeshikshowed.Themangulped.

‘He’snotaneasytarget.’

Hehadtheconfidencetowin.EvenbeforehebecameanAwakenedBeing,KangTaeshikhadneverlostaduel.Still,itwouldnotbeaneasyvictory.Hemayneedtochangeuptheplanalittle.

Suddenly,theE-rankHunterspoke,

“Thoseprisoners…whydidyoukillthem?”

“Oneofthemrapedagirl.Herfathercametomeandaskedmedirectlyforit.Theywerebeaststhatdeservedit.AllIdidwaskillthatbeast.”

TheE-rankHunterlistenedwithoutspeaking.Perhapsit’dbepossibletotalkhiswayoutofthis.KangTaeshikmovedintoaction,

“Afterallthis,Idon’treallyfeellikekillingyou.Whydon’tyoujustlookawayfortoday?Ifyoupromisetobequiet,Iwon’ttouchyouguysanymore”

Ofcourse,hehadnointentionoflettingthemgo.Butadirectconfrontationherecouldresultinhimbeinginjured,andhewantedtoavoidthat.Hewouldletthemgo,thentakecareofthemonebyonelater.

ButtheE-rankerlaughedinhisface,

“That’ssomethingyoushould’vesaidbeforeattacking.Nowthatyou’vefailedyourambush,you’regoingtotryandtalkyourwayoutofthis?”

Well,hewasnotwrong.KangTaeshikalsosmiled.

‘Soit’sgoingtobethiswayafterall.’

Then,hewouldgiveitallhehas.KangTaeshik’seyesbecamefilledwithbloodlust.HiseyesquicklyscannedtheE-rankHunterupanddown.

‘Wheredidhegetthedagger?’

Beforehehadrealizedit,theE-rankerwasholdingadagger.

‘Well…whatever.’

Itdidnotmatterwherehehadgottenit.Onlywhathewasholding.KangTaeshikfinishedabriefanalysis.Theenemywasadaggeruserwithaquickbody,anultrashortrangefighter.Hisclasswasprobablyassassin.Coincidentally,itwasthesameashisownclass.ButthebastardonlyReawakenedashorttimeago,sothedifferenceinexperiencewouldbemassive.Hewouldnothavethechancetoshowoffhisskills.

“Thissunbaewillteachyouafewthings.”

KangTaeshiktookoutaknifefromhiswaistandmockedtheE-rankHunter.

“Canyoudosomethinglike…this?”

KangTaeshikusedtheskill,‘Stealth’[2],andhisbodybecameinvisible.Athisdisappearance,theE-rankerpanickedandlookedaround.

‘Ofcourse.’

The‘Stealth’skillwasnotjustasimpleinvisibility.

Appearance,soundandsmell!

Allthetracesdetectablebythenormalsensesofahumanbeingwouldbeerased,thatwas‘Stealth’.EvenamongtheAssassin-classHunters,onlyahandfulofthemcoulduse‘Stealth’.Regardlessoftheirrank,onlytheluckyonesreceivedthisskillattheirAwakening.

‘Surprise,bitch!’

KangTaeshikmovedbehindtheE-rankerinaninstant.Hisbackwascompletelyexposed.

‘It’sover.’

Hehadexpectedadifficultfight,butthiswasalotmoreboringthanhethought.Iftheopponenthadanticipatedthe‘Stealth’skill,hemight’vebeenabletodosomething.Thedifferenceinexperienceendedupbeingthedecidingfactor,afterall.

‘Die!’

KangTaeshik’sknifestabbedstraighttowardsJinwoo’sribs.

clang!

Twodaggersclashedandsparked.Withhis‘Stealth’released,KangTaeshik’seyeswidened.

“How?”

TheE-ranker’sdaggerwasblockinghisown.

KangTaeshiklookedupattheE-rankHunter’sfaceinsurprise.

Themanopenedhismouthwithanexpressionlessface.

“Itfinallycameup.”

“Whatcameup…?”

UnabletounderstandJinwoo’swords,KangTaeshikfeltanunknownsenseofterrorwashoverhim.

________________

ring~!

EmergencyQuest:DealWithTheEnemies!

Thosewithmurderousintenttowardsthe‘Player’havebeendetected.Ensureyoursafetybydealingwiththeseenemies.

Enemiestodealwith:1

Enemiesdealtwith:0

Non-compliancewillresultinapenalty.

Jinwooconfirmedthecontentsoftheemergencyquestandsighedinrelief.

‘Thiswasn’tallfornothing.’

HehadhopedthatlettingKangTaeshikmakethefirstmovewouldresultinanemergencyquest,justlikethetimewithHwangDongseok’sparty.Hetestedittomakesureandtheresultswereasexpected.ThemomentKangTaeshikstruckwithakillingintent,themessagepoppedup.Therewasareasonhehadrefusedtheofferandpretendedtopanic.

‘Well,Ididn’texpecttoseehimuse‘Stealth’…’

WhenKangTaeshikdisappearedbeforehiseyes,itdidsurprisehimalittlebit.

Afterall,the‘Stealth’skillwasararesighttobehold.ButthemomentJinwoofocusedhissenses,hewasabletofeeltheman’spresenceevenwithhiseyesclosed.Thiswasthepowerofhisraisedsensestat.Atfirst,hehadinvestedpointsintoittodeterminewhetherhehadtofightorrunfromanenemy,butnowithadfoundanotheruse.

‘Igotlucky.’

Andthankstothat,KangTaeshikwasstartledasifhehadseenaghost.

“How,howdidyou?”

Allthatwasleftwastodealwithhimandgetthequest’sreward.

‘IfI’mgoingtofight,mightaswellgetpaidforit.’

Itwashisturnnow.

Timetoattack.

Thetwomenputstrengthbehindtheirdaggers,attemptingtopushtowardstheother.

Theirstrengthwasevenlymatched.

‘ShouldItrysomethingelse?’

JinwooquicklyslammedhisfootdownonKangTaeshik’s.

crack!

“Uwaaaak!”

Havingfocusedontheclashofdaggers,KangTaeshikwascaughtoffguardbythesuddensurgeofpainshootingfromhisfootandbackedoff.

Jinwoodidnotgivethemananyroomtobreathe.

‘Sprint!’

Sprinthasbeenactivated.

Yourmovementspeedisincreasedby30%.

Whileactive,1manawillbeusedupeveryminute.

AsJinwoorapidlychasedaftertheman,KangTaeshikwassurprisedoncemore.

‘Hegotfaster!’

Upuntilnow,hehadfeltthathisspeedwasmatchedbyJinwoo’s;maybehewasjustasmidgenfaster.ButseeingJinwoosuddenlyspeedupalevel,KangTaeshikcouldnotaffordtoloseamomentoffocus.JinwooclosedthegapinaninstantandstabbedhisdaggerintoKangTaeshik’sthigh.

“Argh!”

ItwasanattackthatslippedpastKangTaeshik’sdefensethathadbeenfocusedonhisupperbody.

Paralysishasbeeninflicted.

Thetarget’sresistancewastoohigh.Effectcancelled.

Bleedinghasbeeninflicted.

Thetargetwilllose1%healthpersecond.

‘Goodenough!’

OneofCasaka’sPoisonedFang’sspecialeffectswentthrough.Itwasashamethatitwasn’t‘Paralysis’,but‘Bleeding’wouldstillmakethefightmucheasier.

ButKangTaeshikheldhisprideasahigh-rankingHunter!

Hisresistancewasnotatalllow.HeleapedafterJinwoowithhisknife.

slash-slash-

Jinwoododgedtheknifebyahair’sbreadthandcounterattackedtowardsKangTaeshik’svitals.Evenwithawoundonhisthigh,themanskillfullyblockedJinwoo’sattacks.

clang,clang!

Bothofthefighter’sbrowsmoistenedwithsweat.

‘Thespeedisabouteven!’

‘Ourspeed’sthesame!’

Thetwomenpraisedtheother’sspeedandcontinuedtheirultrashort-rangebattleofspeed.Asinglemisstepwouldmeandefeat;theduomercilesslyattackedeachotherwithattacksmeanttokill.

slash,slash,slaaaash,slash-slash!

Aspectaclethatwoulddrainthebloodofthosewatching,itwastrulyafighttothedeath.

‘Ihavetobreakthebalance.’

Jinwoofocusedstrengthintohiseyes.

Bloodlusthasbeenactivated.

KangTaeshiklookedintoJinwoo’seyesandflinched.

‘What?’

Fearhasbeeninflicted.

Thetargetwilllose50%ofallattributesfor1minute.

‘Itworked!’

Jinwoobecameassuredofvictory.Ontheotherhand,KangTaeshik’seyesweretrembling.

‘What’shappeningtome?’

AftermeetingJinwoo’seyes,itsuddenlyfeltlikehehadbeensubmergedindeepwater.Hisbodyfeltheavy,asifhewasstrugglingtomoveunderwater.Thespeedthathewassoproudofwascutdrastically.

slash!slaash!

Thestalematehadbeenbroken.Jinwoo’sattacksbegantoland.Onebyone,woundsstartedappearingonKangTaeshik’sbody.

‘This,thiscan’tbe!’

TheB-rankHunterwasinpanic.Thiswasdefinitelyaneffectofadebuffskill.HehadneverheardofanAssassin-classthatcoulduseadebuffmagic.

‘IshenotanAssassin-class?’

Butifnot,howwashisspeedpossible?

KangTaeshikcouldnotfinishhisthought.Hispanicquicklyturnedintoterror.Jinwoowaschargingstraightathimfromthefront.KangTaeshikswunghisknifeatJinwoo’seyeswithallofhisspeedasafinalresort.

slash!

Jinwooquicklytwistedhisheadbutwasscratchedbytheknifeonhischeek.Butthisamountofdamagewasinhiscalculations.Hehadthrownhisentirebodyintothedecidingblow,anticipatingtododgethedesperatecounterattack.

Thetwomenhadfoughtinaworldwheretimehadsloweddown.Intheirfinalinfinitesimalmoment,KangTaeshikfrownedinrealization.

‘Shit.’

stab.

Casaka’sPoisonedFangdugitselfdeepintoKangTaeshik’schest.

“cough!”

KangTaeshikwidenedhiseyesinpain.Inthatmoment,thetwomenknewitwasover;thevictorhadbeendecided.BloodseepedoutofthecornerofKangTaeshik’smouth.Hesmiledwithablood-filledmouth.Ofallthedays,hejusthadtomeetaReawakenedHunterinaD-rankDungeontoday.

‘Ireallyhaveshittyluck…’

Theknifeinhishandfelltotheground.Ashegaspedforbreath,KangTaeshikwhisperedsomethingintoJinwoo’sear.

“...”

Jinwooallowedthemanhisfinalwords,thenremovedthedaggerfromhischest.

KangTaeshik’sbodyslumpedtotheground,likeapuppetwithitsstringscut.

collapse

ring~!

You’vecompletedthe‘EmergencyQuest:DealWithTheEnemies’

Therewardforcompletingthequesthasarrived.

Wouldyouliketoverify?(Y/N)

Jinwoogrimacedatthemessage.Likebefore,killingahumanbeingleftabittertasteinhismouth,eveniftheopponenthadinstigatedit.Ifnotforthereward,thisaffairwould’vebeenaredinhisledger.Jinwootriedtocomforthimselfwiththatthoughtandcheckedthereward.

ring~!

You’vereceivedthebelowreward.

Reward1.Statpoints+5

‘What?’

Jinwoostaredattherewardincredulously.ItwasmuchsmallerthanwhathehadreceivedfordealingwithHwangDongseok’sparty.

‘Thedifficultythistimewasmuchhigher!’

Didthenumberofenemiesmattermorethantheirskill?Orwastheresomeotherfactorinvolved?

Jinwootiltedhisheadinquestion,then,somethingcaughthiseyesbehindthescreen.Therewasadime-sizedlightcomingfromKangTaeshik’scorpse.Jinwoo’seyeswidened,

‘Isit…?’

Hecouldnotbelieveit,butitwasthesamelightcomingfrommonsters’corpseswithdrops.Thesamelightalsoappearedinmagicbeasts’corpseswithmagiccores.Andnow,thelightthatsignifiedadropwascomingfromKangTaeshik.

‘Whatcoulditbe?’

HecalmedhisbeatingheartandstretchedahandtowardKangTaeshik’scorpse.

ring~!

Hewasnotmistaken!

You’vefounda“Runestone:Stealth”

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

‘Runestone?Wait,Runestone?!!!’

Hisheartstartedpoundingagaininexcitement.TheskillthatKangTaeshikusedhadbeenleftbehindasaRunestoneonhiscorpse.‘Stealth’wasarareskillthatonlyahandfulofHuntershad.IfJinwoowasabletoobtainaRunestonewiththatskill…

‘Acquire.’

Asmallstonewithrunesinscribedonitappearedinhisoutstretchedhand.

Runestone:Stealth

BreaktheRunestonetoabsorbtheskill.

Hehadtobreakthestonetoabsorbtheskill.ThisconfirmedthatthiswastrulyaRunestone.Breakingthiswouldgivehimaccessto‘Stealth’.JinwoohadneverheardofaRunestonegranting‘Stealth’,thatalonemadetheitempriceless.

Twopeople’svoicecriedoutfrombehindhim.

“Sung-ssi,areyoualright?”

“Jinwoo-ssi!”

JinwooquicklyhidtheRunestoneinhispocketsandturnedaround.SongChiyeolandLeeJuheewasstaringathimindisbelief.TothinkthatanE-rankHunterJinwoo,whousedtotrembleinfearinD-rankDungeons,defeatedtheB-rankHunterKangTaeshik.Thenoncombat-classLeeJuheemightnotfullygraspthesituation,buttheC-rankSongChiyeolunderstoodjusthowunbelievablethiswas.

Jinwoolookedoverhisbody.

“Yes,I’malright.”

Ataglance,everythingseemedtobealright.Therewasn’tanyspecificplacethatwashurting.Butasheturnedhishead,thebloodthathadpooledbeneathhischindrippedtotheground.Jinwootouchedhischeek;thecutthathereceivedduringhisfinalattackwasbleeding.

“Ah.”

“I’llhealit.”

AbluelightgatheredinJuhee’shands,andeventhatsmallwoundquicklydisappeared.TheE-rankHunterhaddefeatedtheB-rankerwithoutanymajorinjury.TothetwothatknewJinwoo,thiswasmoreshockingthanthefactthataB-rankerhadtriedtokillthemall.

“Youngman,howdidyou…”

SongChiyeolcouldnotfinishhissentence.Jinwooknewwhathewantedtosay,soheopenedhismouthinstead,

“I’msorry.I’llbeabletotellyouthefullstorysomeday,butrightnow,pleasedon’taskmeanyquestions.”

AsJinwooaskedwithasternandsincerevoice,Juheenoddedherhead.Song

Chiyeolhesitated,thennoddedaswell,

“Ifyousayitlikethat,I’msureyouhaveagoodreason.Iunderstand.”

Then,Jinwooturnedhisheadtowardsthedirectionofthebossroom.Theyhadhitabumpontheroad,buthewantedtocompletehisoriginalobjective.However,hehadtosendtheothertwoaway.Hewantedtosolotheboss,andtherewassomethinghewantedtodowithouttheotherswatching.

JinwooaskedSongChiyeol,

“I’msurecontinuingtheRaidafterallthisistoomuchforthetwoofyou.Whydon’tyouleavetheDungeonandcontacttheAssociation?I’llstaybehindandseeifthereareothersurvivors.”

SongChiyeolintuitivelyunderstoodwhatJinwoowasaskingfor.

‘He’sgoingtoclosetheGate.’

“Thatsoundsgood,Ms.Juhee,whydon’tweleave.”

Juheehesitated,thenranovertoJinwoo,

“Youdidn’tforgetourdinnerpromise,right?”

Jinwoosmiled,

“Ofcoursenot.Istillhavetogetthatchange.”

“Thendon’tforget.I’llbewaitingoutside.”

Jinwoonodded,andJuhee,satisfied,leftwithSongChiyeol.ButevenasshewalkedoutoftheDungeon,sherepeatedlylookedback.

Confirmingthetwohadleft,Jinwoosighed.

“Sigh...”

Hehadhopedtohidehisabilitiesforabitlonger.Butnowthatthereweretwomorewitnesses,hecouldnotdelayitmuchlonger.

‘It’snotlikeIwanttothreatenJuheeorSong-ssiahjussi.’

KillingtheB-rankHunterwouldberuledasanactofself-defense.Sincehehadtwowitnesses,therewouldbenoproblem.TheproblemwasexplaininghowanE-rankHunterhaddefeatedaB-rankHunter.

‘BestexplanationisthatIwentthroughReawakening…’

Andso,hedecidedtogowiththatroute.HewouldclaimthathewasaReawakenedHunterandundergotheretest.NobodywouldbelievethetruthabouttheSystemorlevel-ups,andhedidn’tparticularlywanttorevealthatdetail.

Havingdeterminedthathewouldundergoaretest,Jinwoofeltaslightsenseofdisappointment.

‘Iplannedtodoitaftergettingjustabitstronger…’

Butsometimes,thingsjustdidnotgoaccordingtoplan.Therewasnothinghecoulddo.

‘Wonderwhatmynewrankwillbe?’

HefeltevenlymatchedwithKangTaeshik,soperhapshewasalittleaboveB-rank?

Jinwoohadthoughtthathehadbecomestronger,buttheincreasesinstrengthfromB-ranktoS-rankHunterswerebeyondhisexpectations.

‘Well,I’llworryaboutthatlater.’

Rightnow,hehadtofocusontheboss.TheD-rankDungeonhadonlyshownE-rankmagicbeastssofar,thismeantthatthemagicpowerthatwasdetectedwhenmeasuringtheDungeon’sdifficultymostlycamefromtheboss.Ifthatwasthecase,hecouldprobablyearnsomeexperiencepointsstill.

‘Beforethat.’

Therewassomethinghehadtocheck.Hefocusedhisenergiesandexpandedtherangeofhissenses.

“Foundhim.”

Jinwoostartedwalking.Ontheway,hefoundthecorpsesofKimSangshikandtheotherHunter.Thiswasthepowerofahigh-rankingHunter.Iftheywanted,itwasnothingforthemtoquicklydispatchalower-rankingHunter.

Jinwoopassedthebodiesofhisformercomradeswithahardenedexpression.

Soon,Jinwoocameuponwhathewaslookingfor.

“Mmph!mMM!Mph!”

Oneoftheprisonerswasstrugglingontheground.Theman’shandsandfeetweretied-up,andhismouthwasgagged.Beforehedied,KangTaeshik’swhispershadsentJinwoohere,

“Ilefttherapisttied-upsomewherenearby.Thegirl’sfatheraskedmetokillhiminthemostpainfulway,soIhadsavedhimforlast.”

AndthoseweretheB-rankHunter’sfinalwords.

TheprisonersawJinwooapproachingandstruggledharder.ItwasasifhewastellingJinwootountiehimquickly.

“Mph!Mmmph!mmM!”

Lookingcloser,JinwoorealizeditwastheprisonerwhohadwinkedatJuhee.Hekneltdownandremovedthegagfromtheman’smouth;thecriminalopenedhiseyeswideinreliefandtookinadeepbreath.

“pant,pant,pant!KangTaeshik,thatcrazyfucker,hekilledthemall.Allofthem!Wheredidhego?What’swiththeblood?Didhegetyoutoo?”

Jinwoodidnotreplyandinstead,raisedhisheadandlookedstraightahead.Itwasthedirectionofthebossroom.Theprisoner’svoicebecamemoreurgent,

“Hurryupandgetmeoutofthese.WegottagetoutofherebeforeKangTaeshikcomesback.Fuck,ifonlytheseropesweren’tfilledwithmagicpower!Yougotsomethingtocutthesewith,right?Whyaren’tyousayinganything?Areyounotlisteningtome?!”

AsthelowlyAssociation-affiliatedHunterignoredhim,theprisonerforgotthesituationhewasinandbecameangry.TheemotionlessJinwoofinallyopenedhismouth,

“Thebossisstraightupahead.”

“What?”

“He’sstrongerthananaverageD-rankDungeon’sboss.I’mcuriouswhathisattackpatternislike.”

Theprisonerlostallpatience,

“Whothefuckcares?!Fuck!”

Jinwoocontinuedcalmly,

“Beforethat,Iwanttoaskonething.Doyourememberthegirlyouraped?”

“Huh?Whichone?Areyourelatedtooneofthevictimsorsomething?!”

Jinwoo’seyestwitched.“Whichone”…hehadguessedcorrectly.Theman’scrimewasnotlimitedtojustonevictim.Possessingagreatstrength,aHuntercaneasilybecomeamonsterbeforeanordinaryhuman.Andthismanhadusedthatstrengthtoviolatewomen.ThissolidifiedwhatJinwooplannedtodo.

Helookeddownontheprisonerandcoldlyspoke,

“Well,thankyouforconfirming.”

“What?mmM!Mmph!”

Beforetheprisonercouldcontinue,Jinwoogaggedhimagain.Then,hegrabbedthemanbyhisankleandstarteddragginghimforward.

“mMM!Mph!Mmph!!!”

Theprisonerstruggledwithallhismight,veinspoppinguponhisface.Ignoringthemanthrashingabout,Jinwoocalmlydraggedhimallthewaybeforetheentranceofthebossroom.

“MM!!!MMPH!!!”

Inside,therewerehobgoblins,knownfortheirloveofhumanorgans.

“MMM!!!MPH!!!MMPH!!!”

TheprisonerrealizedwhatJinwoowasabouttodo.Hesawthehobgoblinsandshookhisheadfiercely,tearstrailingfromhiseyes.Thefrontofhispantsbecamewet.

“whooo-“

Jinwootookadeepbreath,thenthrewtheprisonerintothemiddleofthehobgoblins.

“MMMMMPH-!”

“Kirik?”

“Kikikiki”

“Kiiiik!”

Smellingfreshmeat,thehobgoblinsleapedupontheprisonerasoneandstartedtearingintohisstomach.

“MMM!!!MM!!!MMPH!!!”

Thethrashingprisonermovedsoviolentlythatabloodvesselburstinhishead,turninghiseyesred.

“Mmmph!Mmm…mph…”

Evenasthemanlostconsciousness,thehobgoblinscontinuedrippingandeating.Couldanordinaryhumanwatchthisviolentspectacleofamanbeingeatenalivewhilekeepingtheirlunch?

Jinwooscannedtheroomwithnarrowedeyes,lookingfortheboss.

‘Thereheis.’

Alargehobgoblinwassittingarrogantlyinafarawayspotintheroom.Hissubordinatesdistractedbythebait,thebosswasleftunguarded.ThiswasJinwoo’sopportunity.

‘Sprint!’

Jinwooflashedpastthehobgoblinsandappearedbeforethebosshobgoblin.

“Kiiiik!”

Thebosstriedtoriseinsurprise,buthisheadwasrollingonthegroundbeforehewasfullyup.

thud

rollrollroll

ring~!

You’vedefeatedthebossoftheDungeon.

You’veleveledup!

‘Ah,Iforgot.’

Lookingatthehobgoblinboss’headontheground,JinwoorememberedtheRunestonehehadgottenmomentsearlier.

‘IfIused‘Stealth’,Iprobablydidn’tneedtouseabaittogettotheboss.’

Jinwooclickedhistongueatthemangledremainsoftheprisoner.Thebodycouldnotberecognizedashumananymore.Still,Jinwoodidnotfeelanysenseofcompassiontowardstheman.

‘Well,whatever…’

Theplanhadworkedafterall.

----------------------

[1]:Justareminder,theReawakeningisKangTaeshik’stheoryinthemoment.

JinwooconfirmedbeforethatwhathewasgoingthroughisNOTReawakening.

[2]:“Stealth”():Lit.“hide/stealth”.

Chapter5:Gears

Itwaseasytotakecareoftheremaininghobgoblinsthathadlosttheirleader.

“Kiiik!”

“Kiaaak!”

“Kiyak!”

ThehobgoblinstriedtorunfromJinwoobutweretakendowninaninstant.

“Kiiik!”

Whenthelasthobgoblinwentdown,aratherjoyoussightappearedbeforeJinwoo’seyes.

You’veleveledup!

‘Again?’

Jinwoo’sfacebrightenedattheunexpectedgrowth.HewipedthebloodfromCasaka’sPoisonedFangandcollectedthemagiccoresfromthemagicbeasts’corpses.Afterdepositingthecoresintohisinventory,hecalleduphisstatusscreen.

ring~!

Name:SungJinwoo

Level:27

Class:None

Title:WolfSlayer

HP:5,114

MP:548

Fatigue:0

Stats

Strength:72

Constitution:43

Agility:82

Intelligence:39

Sense:69

(Availablestatpoints:5)

PhysicalDamageReduction:20%

Skills

PassiveSkills

-(Unknown)(Lv.Max)

-UnyieldingSpirit(Lv.1)

ActiveSkills

-Sprint(Lv.1)

-Bloodlust(Lv.1)

Equipment

Gatekeeper’sNecklace(A)

Innotime,hehadalmostreachedlevel30.HewasdisappointedatfirstinthebeginningoftheRaid,buthavingtakendownthehobgoblinbossanditssubordinates,hehadunexpectedlygained2levels.Itwasluckythatallthe

strongmagicbeastsweregatheredinthebossroom.

‘Wait,isitlucky?’

Jinwoothoughtaboutthethreedifferentpathsandthedifficultyofthebossroom.Iflow-levelHuntersspenttheentireRaidtakingdowntheweakgoblins,theymight’vecarelesslyenteredthebossroomwithconfidence.Then,thesuddenleapinstrengthofthehobgoblinsmight’veresultedinaterribleendfortheHunters.Thedifferencebetweenthegoblinsandthehobgoblinswerethatbig.

‘IknowthatappearanceofhobgoblinsarenotuncommoninDungeonswithgoblins,butstill…’

Itwasunusualforhobgoblinstomakeanestatthebossroomlikejustnow.IttrulywasimpossibletopredictwhatcouldhappeninaDungeon.Oneperson’sluckjustmightbeadisasterforothers.

Onlyastrongpowercouldprotectsomeoneinthechaosoftheunknownthatplaguedthisworld.Becauseofthat,Jinwoowantedtobecomestronger.SurvivinginaDungeonwasonething,butwhatifaDungeonBreakoccurrednearhismother’shospital?Whatifhewasattackedbymagicbeastsinthemiddleoftheroad?No,magicbeastswerenottheonlythingtofear.TheHuntershadalreadybecomeanexistenceasdangerousasmagicbeasts.Eveniftheywerebeingheldbackbysociety’srules,therewerelimits.Jinwoohadtoobtainthepowertoprotecthimself.

‘TherearelimitstoaHunter’sstrength.’

Hehadnosuchlimits.

Increasinghisattributesandobtainingnewitems,hispowerwouldriseinfinitelybeyondanylogic.Andtoday,hehadobtainedanothermethodtobecomestronger.

Runestones!

JinwootookouttheRunestonefromhispockets.Justlikeotheritems,floatingholographiclettersformedtheinformationboxontheRunestone.

Runestone:Stealth

BreaktheRunestonetoabsorbtheskill.

Toanignorantindividual,thiswasjustasmallrockwithstrangemarkingsonit.ToaHunter,itwouldmakeanyonedroolwithgreed,regardlessoftheirrank.Ahigh-rankercouldusetheskill,whilealow-rankercouldsellit.EspeciallyaRunestonewiththeskill,‘Stealth’.WhatJinwooheldinhispalmscouldprobablyfetchapriceofseveralbillionsonthepublicmarket.Tentimesthatamountatablackmarket.

Thereasonwhyasaleatablackmarketwasmoreprofitablewassimple.ItwasbecausesuchsaleswouldnotleaveanyrecordsofwhohadpurchasedtheRunestone.Havingaskillthatnooneelseknewaboutwasthesameasholdingahiddentrumpcardorasecretweapon.

‘JustlikeKangTaeshikwashidingthe‘Stealth’skill.’

IfJinwoo’ssensestatwasnothigh,hisbackwould’vebeenexposedjustlikethat.Heshudderedatthethought.

‘Fornow,I’llusethis.Icanalwaysearnmoremoney.’

Jinwoowasnotgoingtoletanimmediateprofitcloudthelong-termbenefit.Thepriorityrightnowwasbecomingstronger.Theusefulnessofthe‘Stealth’skillcouldnotbeunderstated.

‘Tothinkthatthislittlepebbleisworthseveralhouses…’

Jinwooputintoactionwhathehadonlydreamedaboutinthepast.HeclenchedhisfistsaroundtheRunestone.

crack

FromthecrackedRunestone,asubtleredlightstartedtoslowlysurroundhisbody.Thephenomenonwassimilartoreceivinghealingmagic,exceptthelightwasredinsteadofblue.Itwasnotabadfeeling.Theredaurawhirledaroundhisbody,thenenteredhislungsthroughhisnose,andastrangepowerbegantofillJinwoo’sbody.Afamiliarelectronictoneranginhishead.

ring~!

You’velearned‘Stealth’(Lv.1)

‘Alright!’

Hehadsuccessfullyabsorbedtheskill.SincehehadneverusedaRunestonebefore,hefeltnervousonhowtheprocesswouldgo,butitwasquickerandeasierthanhethought.

‘SoIcanuse‘Stealth’now?’

Atthethoughtofobtainingarareskill,hisheartbegantoraceexcitedly.Jinwootriedtheskillout,

‘Stealth.’

Theskillrespondedtohisthoughtsimmediately,andhisbodybegantofade.Fromthetipofhisfeettothetopofhishead,hisbodybecameinvisible.Itwasastrangefeelingtonotbeabletoseehisownhandsinfrontofhim.

‘Wouldthiswork?’

Jinwootookouthisdagger.Hefelttheweaponinhishandsbutcouldnotseeit.

‘Iwonder…’

JustliketheknifethatKangTaeshikwielded,Casaka’sPoisonedFangalsohad‘Stealth’appliedtoit.Ashethought,itwasn’taspecialfunctionofKangTaeshik’sweaponbutthepoweroftheskill.

‘Whatelsecanthisbeappliedto?’

Jinwoopickedupastonefromtheground.Italsodisappearedfromsight.

‘Whataboutthis?’

Hewentandputhishandontheshoulderofadeadhobgoblin,butitdidnotbecomeinvisible.Bitbybit,hewasbeginningtounderstandthelimitsoftheskill.Itseemedthatitappliedtosomethingthathewaswearingandsomethingthathecouldholdinhishands.Suddenly,

Youareoutofmana.‘Stealth’willbecancelled.

“What?”

The‘Stealth’skillhadbeencancelled.

‘It’sonlybeenafewseconds,butmymanaisalreadygone?’

Hehadbeentryingtogetusedtotheinvisibleform,testingoutitseffectshereandthere.Jinwooopeneduptheskilllistingwithadumbfoundedexpression.

Skills

PassiveSkills

-(Unknown)(Lv.Max)

-UnyieldingSpirit(Lv.1)

ActiveSkills

-Sprint(Lv.1)

-Bloodlust(Lv.1)

-Stealth(Lv.1)

Whathewantedwasthe‘Stealth’information.Thewordsappearedintheairbeforehim.

ring~!

Stealth(Lv.1)

ActiveSkill

ManaCost:200(+10/Second)

Activatetodisappear(sight,sound,smell)

Costs10manapersecondtomaintain.

“Becomeinvisibleandhidethetracesofyourexistence.”

Theactivationcostis200anditusesup10manapersecond?

“Sigh…”

Nowonderhismanaranoutsofast.

MP:7/548

Hisremaining7manaseemedtolaughathim.

‘Itreallyhitrockbottom.’

Withhiscurrentmana,hecouldmaintain‘Stealth’foralittleunder35seconds.However,ifhefactoredinotherskillsintocalculation,itwouldbefarlessthanthat.

‘NowthatIthinkaboutit,evenKangTaeshikreleasedtheskillafterfewseconds.’

ItwasclearthattheB-rankHunterdidnotdosooutofsomedramaticflair.Heprobablydidnothavethemagicpowertomaintaintheskillforlong.Ifthehigh-rankerKangTaeshikwaslikethat,low-rankersprobablycouldn’tevenactivatetheskill.

“Lookslikemanaistheproblem.”

Hehadinvestedpointsineverystatexceptforintelligencesofar,buthismanadidnotincrease.Thistoldhimthattoincreasehismana,hehadtoraisetheintelligencestat…

‘DoIhavetostartputtingpointsintointelligence?’

Butitfeltalittlewastefultoinvesthisvaluablepointsjustsohecoulduseaskillforalittlelonger.EspeciallybecauseJinwoofeltthatintelligencewasnotastatdirectlyusableincombat.

‘Comparedtotheothers,intelligencereallyfeelslacking.’

Strength,constitution,agility,sense.

Aseachofthosestatsrose,hebecamenoticeablystronger.Butevenwhenhehadraisedtheintelligencestatthroughlevel-ups,hedidnotgainanyworthwhilepowerup.Comparedtowhenhewaslevel1,hisintelligencestathadnearlyquadrupled,buttheonlythingitgavehimwasincreasedmana.Thatwasit.Toinvestvaluablepointsintothestatjustforthatwas…

‘Toowasteful.’

Usingthosepointsintheotherfourattributesequaledtodirectlystrengtheninghisfleshandblood.Intheend,Jinwoodecidedthathewouldjustincreasehismanathroughlevel-ups.Thestatpointswouldbedistributedintotheother,moreusefulstats.

‘Statpoints…’

Herememberedthathestillhad5pointsreceivedfromtheemergencyquest.Afterthinkingaboutputtingthemintointelligence,Jinwooinsteadput3pointsintostrengthand2pointsintoconstitution.

Stats

Strength:75

Constitution:45

Agility:82

Intelligence:39

Sense:69

(Availablestatpoints:0)

PhysicalDamageReduction:20%

‘Yep.Multiplesoffiveareagoodthing.’

AsJinwoosmiledinsatisfaction,

SHAAAAAKE!

TheDungeon’sinteriorsshookasiftheworldwasending.

‘Hasitalreadybeenonehour?’

Therewasnotimetodelayanymore.Jinwooclosedhisstatscreen.HehadpurposelywaitedinsideuntilrightbeforetheGatewouldclose.Stayinghereanylongerwouldmeanthathewouldneverbeabletoleave.Jinwoodidafinalcheckbeforeleavingthebossroom.

‘Let’ssee,Igotallthemagiccores…’

Therewasnothinghehadforgotten.Aftergoingovereverydetail,JinwooquicklyranthroughtheDungeon.

SHAAAAAAKE!!!

Asiftellinghimtoleave,theDungeonshookintenselyagain.

________________

Rightontime,theAssociation’sinvestigatorsandemployeeshadarrived.TheywatchedJinwooexittheGatejustasitclosedandasked,

“H-Hunter-nim!Arethereanyothersurvivors?”

“No.”

“Ohno!”

Theemployee’sexpressionshardened.9peoplehadenteredtheDungeon;only3hadcomeoutalive.ThiswouldbeyetanothermajorincidentfortheAssociationinthearea.Facedwiththeprospectofasecondincident,theAssociationemployeesassignedtothissectorgrimaced.TheywantedtoentertheDungeonthemselvestocheckforsurvivors,buttheGatehadalreadyclosed.ThiswasthereasonwhyJinwoohadpurposelywaiteduntilthelastminutetoexit.

‘Can’tletthemknowtherewasanothersurvivor.Was...’

Now,theonlywitnesseswerethethreethathadsurvived.Anemployeestartedtalkinghesitantly,

“Justnow...we’vereceivedtheconfessionofGoldMountainCompany’spresidentoverthephone.”

SongChiyeolsteppedforward,

“ThepresidentofGoldMountainCompany?”

“Yes,he’soneoftheprisoner’svictim’sfatherwhohadcontactedHSDHunterKangTaeshikforanassassination.”

“Ah…”

TheemployeeexplainedthatoncehehadheardthatKangTaeshikhadsucceededinkillingtheprisoner,thepresidentofthecompanyhadconfessedtoeverything.

‘Well,itwasn’tKangTaeshik,butme…’Jinwoothought.

Thepolicehadgonetothecompanypresident,andtheAssociationhadcometotheGate.

Afteramomentofsilence,Jinwooasked,

“Sotherearenoproblems,right?”

Theemployeerespondedembarrassingly,

“Yes,Isupposeso.”

KangTaeshik’scrimeshadaclearevidence,andthethreesurvivorshadfoughthimfortheirownlives.AsJinwoosaid,therewasindeednoproblems.Exceptone.

Theemployeeaskedsomethingthatwastroublinghim,

“WhokilledtheB-rankHunterKangTaeshik?”

Havingjustarrived,theemployeeshadnotheardthispartofthestoryyet.ThedistancetotheAssociationHQwasfarfromhere,andtheemployeeshadhurriedlymadeeffortstoarrivebeforetheGateclosed.Theyalllookedverytired.

Jinwoodecidedtotellthetruth,thenthoughtofYooJinho.

‘It’sunfortunatebutlookslikeIwon’tbeabletohelphimanymore.’

Ifhetoldthetruth,hewouldhavetoundergoaretestandhavehisrankraised.Oncethathappened,hispartinYooJinho’splanswouldbeover.Afterall,whattheyoungmanneededwasnotonlyaskilledHunter,butalowrankingone.Oncehereceivedhisnewrank,Jinwoowouldnolongerqualify.

‘Hmm…what’swiththisfeeling?’

JinwooimaginedYooJinho’sdisappointedface.Insteadoffeelingsorry,heactuallyfeltlikelaughing.Still,itwasashamethathewouldn’tgetthatbuilding.

‘Well,whatcouldIdo…’

Determined,Jinwoostartedopeninghismouthbutwasinterrupted,

“Itwasme.”

Jinwooturnedtowardsthevoice.LeeJuheewasstaringatSongChiyeolinshock.

“Ahjussi…?”

BeforeJinwoocouldstophim,theoldmansteppedforth.

“IwastheonewhokilledKangTaeshik.”

Theemployeelookedsuspicious,

“HunterSongChiyeol-nimwastheone?”

Thatwasimpossible.SongChiyeolwasaC-ranker;ontopofthat,hewasmissinganarm.HisopponentwasaB-ranker,whoseexistencewouldbecalledahigh-ranker.Theirstrengthexceededimagination.ThedifferencebetweenaB-rankerandaC-rankerwasincomparabletothedifferencebetweenaC-rankerandaD-ranker.

SongChiyeollaughedandreplied,

“Youallknowwho’sstandingbehindme,right?”

“Ah!”

AlleyesfellonLeeJuhee,wholoweredherembarrassedface.

LeeJuheewasalsoaB-rankHunter.Shemaynotbeacombat-classHunter,butshewasstillahigh-rankerlikeKangTaeshik.IfaB-rankHealersupportedaC-rankHunter,therejustmighthavebeenachancethattheyprevailed.Theemployeesallnoddedunderstandingly.Whiletheywerethinkingaboutthepossibilities,JinwoowentuptoSongChiyeol’ssideandquietlyasked,

“Whydidyoulie?”

SongChiyeolrepliedwithasubduedvoice,

“IfeltlikeSung-ssihadareasontohideyourabilities.ShouldInothave?”

Ofcoursenot.Thankstotheelder,Jinwoowouldbeabletoavoidathorninhissideforabitlonger.Jinwoowasimpressedbytheoldman’sabilitytotakeahint.

“No,no.I’mgrateful.”

“I’mtheonewhohastobegrateful.I’mjustgladIwasabletohelpoutalittle.”

AnAssociationinvestigatorapproachedthepair.

“SongChiyeol-ssi,couldyoupleasecomewithus?Wejusthavetowrap-upthedetails.”

“Yes,let’s.”

SongChiyeolleftwiththeinvestigatortotheAssociation,alongwiththerestoftheemployees.Soon,onlyJinwooandJuheeremained.Thesunhadalreadysetawhileago.FeelingawkwardnearthechangedJinwoo,Juheeshylyapproachedhimandasked,

“Couldwewalktogetherforabit?”

‘Isthisaboutthedinnerpromise?’

Jinwoowashungryaftermovingaroundforawhileandfeltthatitwasagoodtiming.Hehappilyagreed,

“Sure.”

Underthestreetlights,thepairwalked,sidebyside,insilence.

“...”

Juheestaredatherfeetastheywalked.Everytimeshelookedup,shepeakedaglanceatJinwoo.Shewantedtoignoreit,butshecouldnotignorethefactthatthemanfeltalotstrongerthanbefore.Shehadfoundhimmorecomfortabletobenearinthepast.Now,itwashardtoevenstrikeupaconversationwithhim.

‘Justwhathappenedtohim…?’

NotjustthefactthathehadeasilydefeatedaB-rankHunter.Theman’spresencefeltcompletelydifferentthanbefore.Hehadaskedforhersilence,soshedidnotwanttopresstheissue.

Buthisabruptchangebotheredherforsomereason.

‘Iwishhewouldsaysomething…’

ThesilentfigureofJinwoofeltcoldtoher.Gatheringhercourage,Juheeopenedhermouthfirstwithgreatdifficulty,

“So…Idon’tthinkIcaneatanythingtoday,soI’llreturnthis…”

JuheegaveJinwooamagiccore.Itwasthesamecorethathehadgiventoherbackintheundergroundtemple.Herhandthathandedoverthemagiccorewastrembling.

‘Isupposethattimewaslessthanamonthago…Andwehadanotherincidenttoday.’

JinwoorealizedjusthowscaredJuheemustbe.Hefullyunderstoodthatshewouldloseherappetiteaftereverythingthathappenedtoday.

“Today’snottheonlydaywecouldgrabdinner.Youdon’thavetoreturnitlike

this.”

Juheeshookherhead,

“I’mgoingbackhomenextweek.”

AsshehadretiredfrombeingaHunter,shemust’veplannedtoreturntoherhometown.Jinwoobecamedisappointed,

“Becauseofthatincident?”

“Notjustthat…”

RememberingtheDoubleDungeon,Juhee’sfacedarkened.Jinwooquicklysteeredtheconversationaway,

“Whereisyourhometown?”

“Busan.So,Jinwoo-ssi.”

Suddenly,hereyesbecameserious.

“Yes?”

Havingsensedthemood,Jinwooerasedhissmileandalsobecameserious.Juheestaredathisface.Shethoughtabouthiseyesthatwerefilledwithlife.Wheneveryoneelsehadfallenintodespair,heheldontothelightinhiseyes.Juheerememberedbeingrightnexttohimandlookingintothem.

‘Hesaidsomethingaboutcomingbackalive.’

Therayofhopethathiseyesheldontoresultedinsavingthelivesofmanypeople,includingherown.Itwasanactthatcouldnotbeimitatedbyanyother.

badumbadum

Asshethoughtbackonthatday,herheartstartedpounding.

‘No…’

ShehadnoregretsaboutretiringasaHunter;sheknewshewasnotfitforthe

life.ButthinkingabouthowharditwillbetoseeJinwooagainfilledherwithregret.

‘IfIaskedhimnow,“canIseeyouagain”,he’llprobablythinkI’maweirdperson…’

Buttherewasnothingshecoulddo.Todwellonsuchmatterswouldbefoolish.Aftersometime,Juheechortledandlightlyshookherhead,

“No,it’snothing.Ifyou’reeverdowninBusan,pleasegivemeacall.I’llbuyyousomefood.”

“Soundsgood.”

Jinwoosmiled,andJuheereturnedthesmile.Andso,havingsaidthewordsshewantedtosay,thetwobideachotherfarewell.

“...”

Theroadhomehadneverfeltthislong.

________________

AfterseeingJuheeoff,Jinwooreturnedhome.Thesightoftheworn-downapartmentcameintohisviewfromafar.Helivedonthe9thfloor.Hepassedbytheparkedcarsandheadedtowardsthebuilding,thenanagedvoicestoppedhim,

“Youngmanfromunit902.”

Itwastheelderlyguardahjussi.Jinwoogreetedtheguardhehadknownforalongtime.

“Haveyounotgonehomefortheday?”

“Ah,I’monthenightshifttoday.”

“Ah,”Jinwoonodded.

“Here,apackagecameforyou.”

“Ah,thankyou.”

ItwasfromtheAssociation.

‘Wasitsupposedtoarrivetoday?’

TheHunterphonefromtheAssociationwassupposedtoarrivesoon.Jinwootookthephoneoutofthebox.Itwasasparklingnewphone.

Lately,therewasmuchpublicinterestintheHunters.JinwoorecalledanewssegmentwhereanincreasingnumberofpeoplewhowerenotAwakenedBeingstriedtoillicitlybuyaHunterphone.

‘Forgetthebuyers,whatarethethievesthinking?’

Theysayit’snotthatacountrydoesn’thavemoney,butithastoomanythieves.WhetheritwastheAssociationorthemilitary,whereverpeoplegatheredproducedallkindsofcorruption.Whenevermoneyleaksfromsuchorganizationsthroughsaidcorruption,itdecreasestheabilityoftheorganizationtoprovidesupportforthepeople.Andifthesupportforthepeopledecreases,thesocietysuffers.Whensocietysuffers,eventually,someonewhoneedshelpwillbehurtbecausetheycannotgetit.

‘Iwasworriedaboutthat…’

Thankfully,thereappearedtobenoflawswithhisnewphone.[1]

Whilehewaswaitingfortheelevator,heturnedonthephone.Itwaspackedwithnotifications.

‘Sigh,howlongwillittaketogothroughallofthis?’

Amongthemissedcallsandmessages,twonumberskeptrepeating.Neitherofthenumbersseemedfamiliartohim.Oneofthenumbershadrepeatedlycalledhim,theotherhadrepeatedlysenthimamessage.

‘Idon’tthinkIknowanyonewhowouldcontactmethismuch.’

Jinwoolookedatthephonewithatiltedhead,thenstartedcheckingthemessages.

Hi,it’smefromthattimeatthehospit...

Areyoufreethisweekbyanychan...

WasIbeingtooannoying?Ihop...

Herememberedwhothiswas.Itwasthenursethathadaskedforhiscontactinformationonthedayofhisdischarge.

‘IthinkhernamewasChoiYura?’

Hermessageswerenotparticularlyannoying,butJinwoofeltthatoncehereplied,itwouldgetreallyannoying.

‘I’llpassonthisthen…’

Nextwasthenumberthathadrepeatedlycalledhim.Jinwooclickedthecallbuttononthenumber.Thecallerringtonewasaloudpopsongthathadjustcomeout[2].Jinwoohadafeelingheknewwhothiswouldbe.Thepersonontheotherendpickedupquickly.

-“Hello.”

Asexpected.

Havingpredictedtheperson,Jinwoochuckledandspoke,

“It’sme.Callmeonthisnumberfromnowon.”

-“Ah!You’vereceivedyournewphone,hyungnim!”

ItwasYooJinho.

Jinwoohadrememberedtheyoungman’snumber,butnothavingcalledhimbefore,ithadslippedhismind.YooJinhospokewithanexcitedvoice,

-“Iwasactuallyabouttocallyou.Hyungnim,theraidingpartyiscomplete!I’llcomepickyouuptomorrow!”

Evenjusthearinghisvoice,JinwoocouldimagineYooJinho’ssmilingface.Jinwooalsosmiledwidely.

“Alrighty,I’llseeyoutomorrow.”

click

Rightontime,theelevatorarrivedasheendedthecall.Finally,therealRaidswouldbegintomorrow.Jinwoo’sheartbeatinanticipation.

‘Timetolevel-upaton.’

He’lllevel-up,raisehisstatsandbecomestrongerthananyoneelse.

OncehebecameastrongHunter,money,fame,influence,hewouldbeabletoobtainitall.

Tomorrowwouldbethefirststeptowardsthatdream.

________________

EasternUnitedStates.

Deepintothenight.

HwangDongsoo,oneofthemainHuntersofoneofthetopGuildsofNorthAmerica,“Scavenger”,receivedashockingnewsbeforehewasabouttogotobed.

“...Myolderbrotherisdead?How?Explainit…slowly…”

Hisolderbrother’snamewasHwangDongseok.ThepersonontheotherendtoldhimthatthemanhadlosthislifeinaC-rankGate.

“...Hyung’smainteamofeightmembersalldied,buttwoothersgotoutalive?”

AndthosetwowereaD-rankerandanE-ranker?

Somethingwasfishy.Theolderbrotherheknewwouldnotriskhislifeforaweakling.Ontopofthat,theywerefillermembers?Therewasnofuckingway.

Buthereitwas,hisbrotherandhisC-rankteammateshaddied,andtheDandE-rankershadlived.

‘Something’sdefinitelywrong…’

HwangDongsoo’seyesbecamesharp.EventhoughhewasscoutedbyafamousAmericanGuildandwascurrentlyaway,backinSouthKorea,HwangDongseokwasanolderbrotherwhotookcareofhimmorethananyoneelseinlife.Hecouldnotbecalledagoodman,buthewasagoodbrother.

‘OnceIsolidifiedmypositionhere,Iwasgoingtobringhimover…’

Tothinkthathewoulddiebeforehecould.HwangDongsoobithislips.

“Faxmethetwosurvivor’sinformation,mynumberis…”

HwangDongsoohungupandcalledthemanager.

-“Mr.Hwang,whatisitatthishour?”

“Laura,whatwouldhappenifIkilledsomeoneinSouthKorea?”

-“Areyouserious?”

“Yes.”

Ittookthewomanamomenttorespond,

-“...Atthemoment,thereisnoCriminalExtraditionTreaty[3]betweentheU.S.andSouthKorea.AsMr.HwangisaHunterundertheAmericangovernment,you’llbetriedbackhereinthestates.Butconsideringourrelationshipwiththegovernment,Idon’tthinkthesentencewillbethathigh.”

“Good.Somethingcameup,soI’llhavetogotoKoreaforabit.Canyouclearmyschedule?”

-“ButMr.Hwang,ifyouleftjustlikethat,it’llhaveanimpactontheGuild’sbusiness.Couldyouletmeknowwhatthisisabout?”

“It’spersonal.Ofcourse,IhavenointentionsofhurtingtheGuild.Howbackedupismyschedule?”

-“It’spackedforabouttwomonths.”

“Twomonths…Alright,clearmyschedulebeyondthat.Doesn’thavetobelong,justtwoweeks.GivemetwoweeksandI’llbebackfromKorea.”

-“...Gotit.WhatshouldItellthebrass?”

“TellthemI’mgoingformybrother’sfuneral,andI’llneedsometimetogrieve.”

-“Ok.I’lldothat.ButMr.Hwang…Ifthere’sanythingIcan-”

Click!

HwangDongsooendedthecall.Whetheritwaswordsofcomfortorawarning.Hewasnotinthemoodtoheareither.

beepbeep

Thefaxthathehadrequestedearlierhadarrived.HwangDongsoolookedattheprinteddocuments.ItcontainedtheinformationonthetwoHunters.Theirnames,pictures,briefprofiles,etc…

“D-rankHunterYooJinho.E-rankHunterSungJinwoo.”

HwangDongsoolookedbackandforthbetweenthetwofacesandmadeadetermination.

‘IshouldbeabletoobtainsomeanswersifIquestionedthesetwo.’

Andifheshoulddetectahintoflieintheiranswers…

“You’llregretcomingoutoftherealive.”

HwangDongsoo’seyeswereredwithrage.

----------------------

[1]:IthinkthewayItranslatedthepassageisabitconfusing.Basically,itseemslikeJinwooisgoingintoaphilosophicalrantaboutsocietybeinghurtbycorruption,wheninreality,hewasworriedabouthimnotgettinghisnewphone(“helptosomeonewhoneedsit”).Thistroll...

[2]:InSouthKorea,peoplecanset-uptheirownreceivingringtonestodifferentsounds/music.Asinifyoucallthatperson,you’llheartheirpersonalringtoneinthereceiver(andnotthestandardringringringsoundyou’dhearintheWest).Youngfolksoftenset-upthesongsthattheylikeastheirringtone.

[3]:CriminalExtraditionTreaty():literaltranslation.

Chapter6:AStrangeRaid

Nextmorning.

JinwooreceivedthecallfromYooJinhoandwentoutside.HewasgreetedbyalargeBongooutinfront.

“...?”

Hewasabouttoaskwhothehellwasblockingsomeoneelse’shousewhenthedriverseatwindowrolleddown.Theownerofthesmilingfacewas…YooJinho.

“Hyungnim!Getin!”

YooJinhoslappedthesideofthecar.HearingthatYooJinhowascomingtopickhimuppersonally,JinwoohadexpectedaBenz…Anywayhelookedatit,thiswasanordinaryvan.Well,itwasabitlarger.

“Aren’tyouasecondgenerationchaebol[1]?”

“Well,IfeltlikeifIbroughtmycar,we’dgetnoticedabit.IboughtthisonetouseinourRaids.”

Jinwoodidrealizethecarwascleanandsparkling.

‘Hemust’veboughtitprettyrecently.’

Theyoungmandiligentlycametopickhimupearlyinthemorningandhadevenboughtanewcarsotheywouldnotbenoticed.YooJinho’spreparationswerethorough.Hisexpectationsonthisarrangementwasthathigh.YooJinhomistookJinwoolookingoverthenewcarforsomethingelse,

“Isthisnotsatisfactorytoyou,hyungnim?”

“No,it’sgood.”

Hecuthimoffandgotinthepassengerseat.

“We’reoff,hyungnim.”

ExcitedbytheofficialstartoftheirRaids,YooJinhohummedhappilyashedrove.Aftersometime,theyarrivedatavacantlot.

screech-

“Hyungnim,thisisit.”

Therewere8Hunterswaitinginthepromisedlocation.

TheGatethatstoodbehindthemwasbigevenforaC-rankGate.ThewaitingHuntersapproachedJinwooandYooJinhowhogotoutoftheirBongo.Noneofthemwere…normal.

Someofthemappearedtohavetroublemoving,otherslookedlikepatients,whilesomeevengaveofftheimpressionofanalcoholic.Therewasevenanunderagegirl,whoseagewouldmeanthatshewouldnotbeacceptedbytheAssociationortheGuilds;sheappearedtobeahighschoolstudent.

“Isitokaytobringthatone?”

“Iwentaheadandgotsomelegalcounsel.Thereisn’tanylegalreasonwhyshecan’tjoinus.It’sjustgoingtobeabigproblemifshegetshurt.”

Jinwoonodded.

‘Thatshouldbealright,then.’

AstheonlyonesenteringthegatewouldbehimandYooJinho,therewasnochancethatshewouldgethurt.AllthatthegatheredHunterswouldbeusedforistofilltheminimumheadcounttoentertheGate.TheotherHunterswerewellawareofthis.AlthoughtheyhadtheirHunterlicenses,theycouldnotworkasHuntersduetovariousreasons.Havinglivedanordinarylifebecauseofthosereasons,theyreadilyagreedtoberecruitedasjustfillermembers.

YooJinhosteppedforward,

“MynameisYooJinho.IwillbethisRaid’sleader.AndthispersonisHunterSungJinwoo-nim.He’stheonlyotherpersonwhowillentertheDungeonwithme.TherestofyoucanjustwaitneartheGateuntilwereturn.”

OneoftheHunterscautiouslyraisedahand,

“Er…Soifwejustwaitouthere,you’llpayusthreemillion?”

Therewasnoneedfortherestofthemtohunt.Therewasn’tevenaneedforthemtoentertheDungeon.Yettheywouldbepaid3millionperRaid.ForjustfillingtheheadcountfortheAssociation’srecords,thiswasanincrediblecompensation.Butbecauseofthelargerewardfordoingsolittle,manyoftheHunterswerecautious.

“Yes,thatisthepromise.”

YooJinhogatheredstrengthinhislungs;hiseyesbecameserious.

“Thereisonecondition.Youmustnotspeakofwhatyouseeheretoanyone.Therewillbeanon-disclosureclauseattachedtoyourcontracts.Uponbreakingthatcontract,youwillberequiredtopaytentimesyourpayaspenalty.”

TheHunterswhisperedamongthemselves.JustwhatdidthesetwoplantodointheDungeonthattheywouldoffersuchacontract?Theywerecurious,buttheycouldnotaskanyquestions.Thatwasalsopartofthenon-disclosureclause.

[“Noquestionsonwhat’sgoingtohappenintheDungeon.”]

Jinwoowantedtokeephisspecialcircumstancessecret,whileYooJinhowantedtokeephisplanstobecomeaGuildmastersecret.Assuch,theythoroughlyplannedtomaintainthesilenceoftheirfillerteammates.

“…”

Insteadofaskingtheduoquestions,theHuntersjustwhisperedamongthemselvesaboutthesituation.

“Wait,couldjusttwopeopleevendoanythinginaC-rankDungeon?”

“Theydon’tseemthatstrong…”

“IftheyweregoodenoughtoclearaC-rankGatewithjustthetwoofthem,whywouldn’ttheybeworkingforalargeGuild?”

“Yep,you’reright…”

Theywereallsuspicious,butnotoneofthemwantedtobackout.Thereasonwasobvious.Theconditionsweretoogood.EvenJinwoohadacceptedsimilarconditionsfor2millionbefore.ComparedtotheHwangDongseokincident,thepairhaddecidedtoaddanadditional1milliontothecontractforthenon-disclosureclause.

They’vewastedenoughtimeexplainingeverything.Lookingatthetime,JinwooapproachedYooJinho,

“Weshouldgetgoing.”

“Understood,hyungnim.”

YooJinhorepliedpolitely,thengrabbedeveryone’sattentionwithaclap.

“Well,Ithinkwe’redoneexplainingthedetails.Wewon’tbeforcinganyonetosign.Isthereanyonewhowantstobackoutatthispoint?”

“…”

“…”

Ofcourse,therewasnoonewhoraisedtheirhands.Now,thepaircouldentertheGate-

“Ah,hyungnim,onemoment.”

Asifrememberingsomething,YooJinhoquicklyrantotheBongo.Hetooksomethingoutofthecarandstartedputtingiton,thenslowlylumberedtowardJinwoo.

“What…areyouwearing?”

“ItwasmadebyaCraftsmenGuildinItaly.It’safullsetofstrongarmor,hyungnim.Ifit’sjustgoingtobeustwointheDungeon,Ishouldprepareatleast

thismuch,right?”

Jinwoofacepalmed.

“…”

Coveredfromtipoftheheadtotoesinarmor,YooJinholookedlikeagiantwalkingpieceofmetal.Evenjustlookingathimgaveoffasenseofclaustrophobia.

“What’swrong,hyungnim?”

Unabletotakeitanylonger,JinwoowalkedoverandunsheathetheswordatYooJinho’ssideanddroppeditathisfeet.

“W-what?”

YooJinholosthisbalancetryingtopickuptheswordandfellflatontotheground.

collapse

Jinwooheldbacktheragethatwasforminginsideofhimandspokesternlytotheyoungman,

“I’llsaythisonce.Gotakeitoff.”

“…Yessir…”

YooJinhostartedgettingupthenspoke,

“Hyungnim…”

“What?”

“Couldyoupleasehelpmeup.”

JinwoosigheddeeplyatYooJinho’soutstretchedhand.

________________

“Isthisokay,hyungnim?”

“Yeah,that’sfine.”

Intheend,theyagreedthatYooJinhowouldatleastwearthehelmet.TheyoungmanenteredtheGatewithasatisfiedexpression;Jinwoowordlesslyfollowedsuit.

AfterthepairenteredtheGate,theHuntersapproacheditonebyoneandstared.Oneofthemspokewithaworry,

“Theydidn’texactlyinspireconfidence…”

“Yeah…”

TheirwordsbrokethedamofsilenceoftheotherHunters.Theyallhadsomethingtheywantedtosay.

“WhathappensifthosetwojustkickitintheDungeon?”

“Well,wealreadyreceivedthemoney…”

“Still…”

“Wait,whatweretheirnamesagain?”

“Hmm,itwas…”

Amanwithacastononeofhislegsquicklytookouthisphoneandlookedtheiremployersup.

“YooJinho,SungJinwoo…”

Whethertheywereconcernedforthemanstandingupwithacrutchortheywerecuriousonwhathehadfound,theotherHuntershelpedthemanstandwhilelookingathisphone.

“What?TheRaidleader’saD-rank?”

TheHuntersgroanedatthisnews.Thenextbitofinformationsurprisedthemevenmore.

“Andtheotherone’sanE-ranker!”

“Isn’tisdangerousforanE-rankertoevenenteraC-rankGate?”

“AD-rankerandanE-rankeraregoingtoclearaC-rankDungeon?”

“Isthatpossible?”

“Hell,theRaidleaderdoesn’tevenhaveanypriorexperiences!”

“Whywouldsomeonesoyoungdothis?”

TotheotherHunters,JinwooandYooJinho’sactionswerejustsuicidewithextrasteps.TherewasareasonwhytheAssociationplacedarestrictionofaminimumheadcountforC-rankGates:10Hunters,withatleasthalfofthembeingaboveC-rank.

“Tsk,tsk.”

Amanwithgreyinghairtookoutacigaretteandplaceditinhismouth.

“Itellyou,rashnessisthedeathofmanyyouths.”

Awhitesmokefilledtheair.

“…”

“…”

TheHuntersbecameatalossforwords.Havingfeltlikethey’veassistedinsomeoneelse’ssuicide,theydidnotfeelgood.Evenifitwasacompletestranger,noonewantedtosee,orrather,knowthatsomeonewasabouttodieintheGateinfrontofthem.Notonlythat,theyfeltdisappointedattheideathattheywouldnotbepaidfortheremaining18Raids.Itwasregrettable,buttherewasnowaythosetwomenwouldbecomingbackalive.

“Should…shouldwecalltheAssociation?”

“No,whatifwegetblamedduringtheinvestigation?”

Atthattime,theGaterippled,andJinwooandYooJinhocameoutofthe

Dungeon.

“pant,pant,pant.”

YooJinhowastakingvigorousbreaths.Thetwomen’sfaceswerefilledwithexhaustion.

“Oh!”

“Theyescapedsafely!”

“Thankgoodness.”

TheHuntersgreetedthepairwithwelcome.BecauseoftheshorttimetheywereintheDungeon,theHuntershadthoughtthatthepairwanderedaimlesslyattheentranceandmanagedtorunaway.Butsuddenly,theHunters’expressionsstartedchanging.Someoneshouted,

“Th-theGate!TheGateisclosing!”

What?

TheyallturnedtowardstheGate.

“Holyshit!”

“Itis!”

“They-theytookdowntheboss?!”

Asitalwayswouldwhenthebosswastakendown,theGatewasripplingandblurring,signalingitsclosing.WhiletheHuntersopenedtheirmouthswideinsurprise,JinwooquietlyslippedawayfromthemandaskedYooJinho,

“Where’sthenextone?”

“It’saboutanhourdrivefromhere,hyungnim.”

“Let’sgo.”

JinwooandYooJinhogotintheBongo.TheHunterswerewatchingtheirbacks

withdumbfoundedexpressions.RealizingtheotherHunterswerenotmoving,YooJinhoshoutedafterthem,

“Let’sgoplease,Hunter-nims.WehavetocovertwomoreGatestoday.”

TheotherHunters’mouthsopenedevenwider.Themiddle-agedHunterwiththegreyinghairdidn’tevenrealizehiscigarettehadfallenoutofhisopenmouth.

‘TheyjustsmashedaC-rankDungeonandthey’regoingonanotherRaid?’

Hewasn’ttheonlyonewiththethought.AlltheotherHunterswerethinkingsomethingsimilar.

‘Justwhatarethosetwo?’

________________

Day1.

groooooan

Thezombiehordeapproached.

“Hyungnim,heretheycome!”

“Alright.”

Jinwoosmoothlyslippedthroughtheapproachingzombies.Ashepassedthem,theheadsofzombiesfellontotheground.Theirnumbersdiminishedquickly.

Oneleft.

stab!

groooan!

AsJinwoostabbeditschestwiththedagger,thefamiliarelectronictonerang.

ring~!

You’veleveledup!

Watchingfromtherear,YooJinhoclappedrapidlyinawe.

“Hyungnim!Youlooksocool!”

“Themagiccores.”

“Ah,right.”

YooJinhoquicklystartedtogatherthemagiccoresintohisbag.Meanwhile,theelectronictonethatonlyJinwoocouldhearcontinuedafterthelevel-upmessage.

ring~!

You’velearned‘AdvancedDaggerProficiency’(Lv.1)

You’velearned‘VitalStab’(Lv.1)[2]

‘Sprint’hasleveledup!

Jinwoo’sexpressionbecamebright.

‘Newskills?’

Howlonghasitbeen?Jinwooimmediatelyopenedhisskillscreenwithjoy.

Skills

PassiveSkills

-(Unknown)(Lv.Max)

-UnyieldingSpirit(Lv.1)

-AdvancedDagger

Proficiency(Lv.1)

ActiveSkills

-Sprint(Lv.2)

-Bloodlust(Lv.1)

-Stealth(Lv.1)[3]

-VitalStab(Lv.1)

Havinguseditsooften,‘Sprint’hadleveleduptolevel2.Andhegainedapassiveskillandanactiveskill,‘AdvancedDaggerProficiency’and‘VitalStab’.

Sprint(Lv.2)

ActiveSkill

ManaCost:5(+1/Minute)

Activatetoincreaseyourmovementspeedby40%.

Costs1manaperminutetomaintain.

“Yourrunninghasstrengthenedyourlegs.”

‘Themovementspeedboostwentup.’

Theskillhadgonefrom30%to40%boostinmovementspeed.Evenjusta10%improvementwashuge.‘Sprint’washismostusedskill,afterall.

AdvancedDaggerProficiency(Lv.1)

PassiveSkill

ManaCost:0

Dagger-specific

+33%DamagewithDaggers.

“Havingusedadaggerforalongtime,youareabletowieldthemwithgreaterproficiency.”

Increaseddamagewhenwieldingadagger!Itseemedthatsincehehadsolelyusedadaggerupuntilnow,hehadreceivedadagger-specificskill.

‘Lookslikeit’llbelesseffectivetouseotherweaponsnow.’

Ontheotherhand,it’llnowbemoreeffectivethanevertouseadagger.Moreso,hehadbecomeusedtowieldingadagger,anditdidnotseemlikehewouldchangeweaponsfromCasaka’sPoisonedFangforthetimebeing.

‘Lastly.’

Jinwoolookedattheothernewskillwithinterest.

VitalStab(Lv.1)

ActiveSkill

ManaCost:70

Dagger-specific

Stabtheenemy’svitalswithfataldamage.

“You’velearnedtostrikeeffectively.”

Thiswasalsoadagger-specificskill.

‘Awaytostrikeeffectively…’

Nowthathethoughtaboutit,thefinalattackthatheusedonKangTaeshikandthefinalattackonthelastzombiejustnowbothleftasimilarfeelinginhishand.Itcouldsomewhatbedescribedassatisfying.Themomenthestabbedwiththedagger,thefeelinginhishandtoldhimthatthefightwasover.

‘Sothatwas‘VitalStab’.’

Tothinkthathewouldnowbeabletorepeatedlyusetheskillhehaddiscoveredonaccident!

Jinwoo’sheartraced.Havingmindlesslyslashedandstabbedwiththedaggeruntilnow,receivinganofficialoffensiveskillwaslikefindingwaterinadesert.

‘Awesome!’

Level-upandnewskills.

Thiswasagoodstart.

________________

Day2.

You’veleveledup!

You’veleveledup!

Withthenewoffensiveskill,thehuntingspeedhadbecomedrasticallyfaster.

You’veleveledup!

Oneshot,onekill!

EverytimeJinwooused‘VitalStab’,amagicbeastwouldfall.YooJinhowatchedeachkillwitheyeswideopen.

‘Wherewashehidingsuchaskill?’

Justwhatwasthelimitofhyungnim’sabilities?YooJinhocouldnothelpbutbeamazed.Atthesametime,hebecamecuriousaboutJinwoo’struerank.

‘HeeasilydefeatedC-rankHunters,sohe’satleastB-rank…’

Unfortunately,theyoungmanwastooscaredofaskingJinwoodirectly,sohejustsettledforwatchinghimwithanopenmouth.

Inthemeantime,Jinwoodiscoveredaflawinhuntingwithhisnewskill.

Insufficientmanatouseskill.

Insufficientmanatouseskill.

Jinwooscrunchedhisfaceinannoyance.

‘Again?’

Likehehaddonepreviously,Jinwootookoutamanapotionfromhisinventorytofillhismana.ItwaspurchasedfromtheSystem’sshop.

“What’sthat,hyungnim?”

YooJinhoaskedcuriously.WheneverhespenttimewithJinwoo,YooJinhoexperiencedmanyincredibleandwondrousthings.Althoughhehadheldhistongueinbothrespectandfearupuntilnow,hiscuriositygotthebestofhimwhenhekeptseeingJinwoodrinkthismysteriousblueliquid.

“This?”

Beforeanswering,Jinwoolookedatthemanapotion’sinformation.

ManaPotion

Rarity:E

Type:Consumable

Drinktorecover500MP.

“It’sapotiontorecovermana.”

Youmaykeepthisiteminyourinventory.

Cannotbetraded.[4]

‘“Cannotbetraded”…IwonderwhathappensifItry?’

Jinwooalsohadhisownshareofcuriosities.HehandedthemanapotiontoYooJinho.Themomenttheyoungmangrabbedit,thebottledisappearedintothinair.

“W-wasthatmagic,hyungnim?”

‘Sothisiswhattheymeantby‘cannotbetraded”’

Jinwoohadlearnedsomethingnew.Itemsthatcannotbetradedwoulddisappearwhentheywereplacedintosomeoneelse’shands.Butwhatifitdidn’ttouchtheirhands?Jinwooopenedtheshopandpurchasedanotherpotion.Thistime,

insteadofthebluemanapotion,hepurchasedaredhealingpotion.Afterconfirmingthepurchase,thepotionappearedinJinwoo’shand.

“H-hyungnim!Thatwassocool!Theliquidturnedtored!”

SeeingthebluemanapotiondisappearfromhisownhandsandseeminglyreappearinJinwoo’shandasred,YooJinhothoughthewaswatchingsomemagictrick.However,Jinwoohadareasonforswitchingupthepotions.

‘Iwanttoknowifitcouldbe“used”onanotherperson.’

JinwooloweredYooJinho’sbody.

“Openyourmouthandtiltyourheadback.”[5]

“L-likethis,hyungnim?”

“Yeah,standstill.”

JinwoopouredthehealingpotionintoYooJinho’smouth.

pour

YooJinhobecamesurprised,

“Huh?What’sthis,hyungnim?I’msuddenlyfeelingenergized!”

YooJinho’sfacewasfilledwithexhaustionfromactingasthebaggageboy.Oncethepotionwasadministeredtohim,lightandenergyreturnedtotheyoungman’sface.Jinwoowassatisfied.

‘SoIcoulduseitseffectslikethis.’

Hehadlearnedsomethingelse.Fromnowon,eveniftheydidn’thaveaHealer,Jinwoowouldbeabletohealaninjuredpersonwiththismethod.Heimagineditwouldbehelpfulinthefuture.

“Letmeknowifyoufeelexhausted.There’splentymorewherethatcamefrom.”

Thiswasnotanactofneedlesskindness.Ifthebaggageboybecameslower

becauseoffatigue,theirhuntingspeedwouldfall.Ultimately,Jinwoodecidedthisafterweighingthecostofthehealingpotionagainsttherateoftheirhunting.However,toYooJinho,thegesturecarriedagreatmeaning.

“H-hyungnim…”

“Let’sgo.”

Withtearsforminginthecornerofhiseyes,YooJinhotrailedafterJinwoo,inaweoftheman’sgreatheart.

________________

Day3.

“Ah,beforeIforget.Thisisforyou,hyungnim.”

YooJinholookedthroughhisbagthentookoutabankbook.

“What’sthis?”

“It’sthemagiccoreincomefromthepasttwodays,hyungnim.”

‘Whyareyougivingthistomeinthemiddleof-gah,nevermind.’

ThepairwasdeepinaDungeonfilledwithmagicbeasts.

‘Sixhundredmillion?’

Jinwoo’seyeswidenedafterlookinginsidethebankbook.

“You’regivingalltheincomefromthemagiccoressofartome?”

YooJinhonodded.

“Ofcourse,hyungnim.It’snotlikeI’mRaidingbecauseIneedthemoney.Morethanthat,you’retheonewho’sreallykillingallthemagicbeasts,right?WhatrightdoIhavetoeventhinkaboutsharingsuchincome?”

Theyoungman’seyessparkled,hopingforsomepraise.

‘Oy…Lookatthiskid…’

Inthepastfewdays,JinwoohadfeltlikeYooJinho’sattitudetowardshimwaschanging.Inthebeginning,theyoungmanhadfollowedhimwithnochoiceoutoffear.Now,itfeltlikehewasalittledongsaengthattrulyrespectedhissunbae.[6]

‘Youknow,he’skindofadorableinthatsense.’

Jinwoosmiledwidely.

“Icanreallytakeallofthis,right?”

“HaveI,YooJinho,everseemedlikesomeonewhowouldsayonethingandmeantheother,hyungnim?”

Jinwoochuckledandwavedthebankbook.

“Alright,I’lltakethiswithgratitude,then.”

“Thankyou,hyungnim!”

YooJinhobowedhisbodyina90-degreeangle.Ifsomeonewaswatchingfromadistance,theywouldnotbeabletotellexactlywhowasgivingmoneytowhom.

________________

Meanwhile,outsideoftheDungeon.Thepair’s“teammates”hadfoundtheirownwayofpassingthetime.WhenRaidleaderYooJinhoandassistant(?)SungJinwooenteredtheGate,theotherHuntersbegantograbaspothereandthereandentertainedthemselves.Asexpected,themostpopularpastimeforagroupofthemwas“Go-Stop”[7].FiveoftheHunterssatinacircle,playingthegame.

“WhichRaidisthisone?”

“Let’ssee…wedidthreeonthefirstday,twoyesterday,andthisisthesecondonetoday.Thatmakesittheseventh?”

“Isitokayforthosetwotocontinueatthispace?Normally,raidingpartiestend

totakeaweek’srestafterasingleRaid,right?”

“Eh,don’tworryaboutthoseguys.EverytimetheycomeoutoftheGate,they’renotevenbreakingasweat.Besides,we’rejustearningthreemillioneachtimewithoutdoinganything.We’renotinapositiontocomplain.Oy,it’syourturn.”

“Ah,okay.”

Astheynoted,eventhroughtheirnonstopschedule,JinwooandYooJinhodidnotappeartobetiredatall.Theydidnotknow,butthiswasduetotheeffectofthepotions.Thankstothat,theywereoverathirdofthewaythroughthe19Raidstheyneeded.Soon,theGatestartedtorippleandthepairappearedbeforethewaitingHunters.

“Oy,therecomestheleader.”

“Let’sgetup”

TheHuntersstartedcleaninguptheirspots.

“Don’tforgetyourstuff.”

“Wakeupthesleepingones.Makesureyoudidn’tmissanything.”

TheHuntersmovedwithperfectcoordination.ThesleepingHuntersalsoquicklygotupandpreparedtomove.

“Let’sgo!”

EveryonewasbecomingusedtothisbizarreRaidingmethod.

________________

BaekhoGuild’soffice,nearby.

TheheadofSecondManagementDivision,AhnSangmin,wasabouttoblowagasketearlyinthemorning.

“DeputyHyun!Thenewrecruittrainingistomorrow!Whatdoyoumeanwedon’thaveaGatereservedforit?!”

DeputyHyunGicheolloweredhisheaddeeply.

“I-Iapologize,chief.There’sbeenateamthat’sbeensnatchingupeveryC-rankGateintheareabeforewecouldgetourhandsonit...”

“What?Thenjustspendmoremoneytoreserveit!IsourGuildmissingmoneyormanpower?Whatexactlyistheproblem?!”

“Itriedbut…”

“Hey!Ididn’taskforyour“triedbut”s!”

AtAhnSangmin’sshouting,theentireSecondManagementDivisionfellintosilenceasifatafuneral.IthasbeensometimesinceAhnSangminwasthisangry.

JustwhatdidtheythinkBaekhoGuildwas?

Itwasoneofthetop5GuildofSouthKorea.

Appropriately,itsemployeesmustbegreatlyskilled.DeputyHyunGicheolwasalsoaproudemployeewhohadnevermadeamistakeuntilnow.Andtothinksuchamancouldn’tevenreserveaGatefornewrecruittraining!Thiswasamajormistake.ChiefAhnSangminwastheheadoftheSecondManagementDivision,whichwastheteaminchargeofrecruitingnewHuntersandtrainingthem.(TheFirstManagementDivisionwasinchargeofmanagingtheofficialmemberHuntersoftheGuild.)

“J-justtakealookatthis,chief!”

HyunGicheolheldoutalaptop.

“Yousonofa-”

AhnSangminwasabouttoberatethemanagain,butthenlookedatthenumbersonthelaptopandgaspedinsurprise,

“T-twohundredandfiftymillion?There’ssomeonewhousedtwohundredandfiftymilliontoreserveamereC-rankGate?!”

AhnSangminwasatacompletelossforwords.ThemaximumamountofprofityoucouldearninaC-rankGatewas200million.Touse250milliononsuchaGatewasutterfoolishness.

“Theiroriginalbidwasaboutseventymillion.ButwhenIoutbidthemwithahundredmillion,thosebastardsraisedtheirbidtotwohundredandfiftymillion.”

InBaekhoGuild,thedefaultmaximumforreservingC-rankGateswas100million.Ifwhathesaidwastrue,itwasreasonableforHyunGicheoltofeelwronged.

‘Whothehellarethesebastards?’

clackclackclack

AhnSangmin’sfingersblazedacrossthekeyboard.Thesearchresultsimmediatelycameuponthescreen.AsHyunGicheolhadsaid,theraidingpermissionsforalltheC-rankGatesintheareawerebeingboughtoutatanincrediblespeedandanunreasonableprice.

“Whothehellarethesecrazysonsof…”

ThisareawasunderthemanagementoftheBaekhoGuild.Atfirst,hethoughtitmight’vebeenanotherGuild’swayofhinderingtheGuild.

‘No,there’snoway.’

TherewasnoGuildstupidenoughtostartafightwiththeBaekhoGuild.Eventheothertop5Guildswouldhavetobepreparedforanalloutwariftheydidsomethinglikethis.

‘It’snotaGuild…’

Thenwho?Andwhy?

AhnSangmingulpedandpulledupthepartyinformationoftheoneswhoreservedalltheGates.Theleader’snamewas“YooJinho”.

“FirsttimeI’mhearingofhim.”

ItwasAhnSangmin’sjobtoscoutpotentialnewrecruits.Assuch,evenafreelancerwiththesmallestamountoffamewouldbeknowntohim.Butthename“YooJinho”wascompletelyunfamiliartohim.

‘Ok,next.’

AhnSangminslowlyscrolledthroughrestofthepartymembers,confirmingeachHunteroneatatime.Therewasnotonethatherecognized.

Exceptone.

Oneofthenameswasfamiliartohim.

‘SungJinwoo?SungJinwoo…WheredidIhearthatnamebefore…?’

Aftercombingthroughhismemories,AhnSangminrememberedtheDoubleDungeonincident2monthsago,whichbecameahottopicamongthoseinvolved.TheGuildthatwaspulledintoassistancebytheAssociationatthetimewasBaekho.

“Gicheol,doyouremembertheDoubleDungeonincidenttwomonthsago,whenourGuildwascalledtomobilization?”

“Yes,ofcourse.Didn’twefindonlyonesurvivorintheDungeonwithnomagicbeasts?”

“Whatwasthesurvivor’sname?”

HyunGicheolhadagoodhead.Hecouldnotbecalledagenius,buthismemorywastheonethinghewasproudof.Themandidnotneedtoperformasearchorlookthroughanydocuments.

“E-rankHunter,SungJinwoo.”

‘AsIthought!’

Hehadwonderedaboutthepossibilityandcametoaconclusionthroughintuition.Therewassomethinghere.Thegutfeelingthatappearedinsituationslikethishadneversteeredhimwrong.AhnSangminshoutedtotherestofhisteam,

“Everyonestopwhatyou’redoingandbringmeeverysinglebitofinformationonD-rankHunterYooJinhoandE-rankHunterSungJinwoo!Rightnow!”

Theresponsespeedoftheemployeesatthissuddenorderwasbeyondimagination.Theywerecalledelitesforareason.Onebyone,thereportsquicklyappearedbeforeAhnSangmin.

Tobehonest,therewasnothingthatspecialaboutYooJinho.HewasthesecondsonofYoojinConstruction’sChairmanYooMyunghan,butotherthanthat,therewasnothingnoticeableabouthim.

SungJinwoowasdifferent.

“SoincludingtheDoubleDungeonincident,he’sbeeninvolvedinatotalofthreedifferentincidents.Andhecameoutofeveryoneofthemunharmed?”

HyunGicheoladdedon,

“AndasanE-rankHunter,too.”

SungJinwooandYooJinhometduringYooJinho’sfirstRaid,andtheyweretheonlyoneswhosurvivedthatRaid.

Andnow,thepairhadformedateamandwasclearing2~3Dungeonsaday.Thiswasanunfathomablespeed.

“Somethingaboutthissmells…”

“Whatdoyouthinkthey’redoing?”

“Hmm…Wait,wasn’ttherearumorrecentlythatChairmanYooMyunghanwasmakingcontactwithvariousS-rankHunters?”

“I’veheardthatrumor,yes.”

“AndYooJinhoisthatChairmanYooMyunghan’sson…”

ItappearedthatYooMyunghanplannedtomakeaGuild.Thiswouldbeatopsecretinformationthatwouldshaketheindustry.Andifthiswastrue,YooJinho’scurrentactionswoulddefinitelyberelated.

“Coulditbe…?!”

ApieceofthepuzzlefellintoplaceinAhnSangmin’shead.

Thatwouldmakesense!Watchinghissuperior’sexpressionschange,HyunGicheolgulped.AhnSangminspokewithaconfidentvoice,

“ThissonofabitchisaReawakenedHunter!”

“AReawakenedHunter?!”

HyunGicheol’slookedlikeadeerinheadlights.

“Yes.”

AnE-rankHunterwasbarelyaboveanordinaryperson.Iftherewasanaccident,theywereallbutcountedasdead.ButSungJinwoohadgonethroughmultipleincidentswherehisteammateshaddiedwithoutbeingharmed.

‘Ofcourse,hecouldjustbeluckyashell,but,’

Thethirdincident.

TheincidentwhereHunterSurveillanceDepartmentHunterKangTaeshikcommittedmurderwasdifferent.TherecordsshowedthataC-rankMageandaB-rankHealerteameduptodefeatKangTaeshik.

‘There’snoway.TheHSDHunters’primaryjobistofightotherHunters.’

UnlessKangTaeshikwasamoron,hewould’vetriedtotakecareoftheonewiththehighestrankbutlowestcombatability,theB-rankHealer,first.

‘AndtheysayaC-rankMage-classHunterstoppedhimfromdoingthat?’

Mage-classHunterswereweakagainstFighter-classHunters,andamongthem,theirworstpossiblematch-upwouldbeagainsttheAssassin-class.PerhapsKangTaeshikcould’vearrogantlyignoredthepresenceoftheB-rankHealer,butitwasunlikelythata3-yearveteranoftheHSDwouldmakesuchamistake.

‘ThepersonwhostoppedKangTaeshikonthatdaywasnottheC-rankSongChiyeol,butsomeoneelsewhowaswiththem.’

Therewasnosolidproof,butAhnSangminwascertainofhistheory.

SungJinwoohadReawakenedasahigh-rankingHunter.YooJinhohadwitnessedhispowerintheirRaidanddecidedtotesthimtoplacehiminhisfather’sGuild.Everythingfellintoplace.

‘Thisisbignews.’

IfSungJinwootrulywasaReawakenedHunter,theonlyoneswhoknewhistruevaluewereYooJinhoandfewothers.KnowingpublicimageofYooMyunghan,themanwouldnotcarelesslyacceptanyoneintohisGuild,especiallyasafoundingmember.ThiswouldbeanopportunitytostealawayatalentthatTHEYooMyunghanhadpicked.

‘IfhedefeatedtheB-rankerKangTaeshik,he’satleastaboveaB-ranker!’

TheirprioritynowwouldbetoobtainSungJinwoobeforetheotherGuildsandespeciallyYooMyunghancould.ThecompetitionwouldbecomefierceafterSungJinwoo’sretest.Evenifthemandidnotturnouttobethathighlyranked,itwouldnotmatter.Astheirnumbersacrosstheworldwasincrediblysmall,aReawakenedHunterwouldbeprimetargetofthepress.Thatalonewouldmakethemananincrediblesourceofadvertisingpower,onethatcouldnotbeboughtwithmoney.

ThiswasnotanopportunityBaekhocouldpassupon.

‘Well,ifhealreadysignedthecontractwithYooMyunghan,it’stoolate…’

Buttherewaslowchanceofthat.

ThefactthatSungJinwoowasbeingtestedthroughC-rankGateswastheproof.

‘There’sagoodchancethatthere’snothingsetinstone.’

ThismeantthattheBaekhoGuildstillhadachance.

‘There’snotimetowaste,’

AhnSangmingrabbedhiscoatonhischair.

“Gicheol,let’sgo.”

Heneededhisrighthandmanforthis.HyunGicheolwasamanAhnSangminwouldtrustwithhisback.

HyunGicheolwassurprised,

“Sir?Wherearewegoing,chief?”

“Wheredoyouthink?Recruitment!”

“Thechiefhimselfisgoingoutforrecruitment?”

“Ofcourse,isthatnotallowed?”

AhnSangminquicklyturnedtoleave.HyunGicheolfollowedhimwithatiltedhead.

‘Howstrange…’

Sincehebecamechief2yearsago,thiswasthefirsttimeAhnSangmindirectlywentoutforrecruitment.

----------------------

[1]:“Chaebol”():https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaebol(“largeindustrialconglomeratethatisrunbyanownerorfamilyinSouthKorea”)

[2]:“AdvancedDaggerProficiency”():“highlevel”+“dagger”+“arts/skill”“”.Tookavideogameapproachanddecidedtocallit“AdvancedDaggerProficiency”.

“VitalStab”():“vitalpoint/pressurepoint”+“stabbing”.Condensedto“VitalStab”

[3]:Heheh,intheoriginalKorean,thereisactuallyamistakehere.Theauthorforgottoput‘Stealth’intheskilllisting.Iaddeditin.

[4]:“Cannotbetraded”():Lit.“Cannotbetransferred/giventoothers”

[5]:Erm…

[6]:Reminder,“dongsaeng”()=“littlesibling”,usableb/wunrelatedparties.“Sunbae”():“senior”,i.e.someonewho’sbeeninyourprofessionlongerthanyou.

[7]:“Go-Stop”():Koreancardgame.

Chapter7:ThePremonitionOfSuccess

Fromtheirinvestigation,theBaekhoemployeeslearnedthatYooJinho’steamhadreservedtwoGatestoday.ThedistancebetweentheGateswerequitefar.AhnSangminandHyunGicheolsplitupandwenttoseparateGatestoconfirmAhnSangmin’stheory.ThepairoccasionallycontactedeachotherandwaitedforYooJinho’steamtoappear.

‘It’sstillalittlecold…’

AhnSangmingrabbedacannedcoffeefromanearbyvendingmachine.Ithadbeen1hoursincehestartedwaitingforYooJinho’steam.Butmorethanboredom,hewasfilledwithanticipation.Hisheartracedinexcitement.

‘IfI’mcorrect,this’llbethefirstgreatrecruitinawhile.Aspecialoneatthat!’

AhnSangminhadbecometheheadofthedivisionatayoungage,fasterthananyoneelse.Thiswasallthankstohisgreatinstinct.HiscontributionwascrucialinhelpingtheBaekhoGuildgrowtowhatitwastoday.Andnowhisinstinctsweretellinghim:

SungJinwoowassomeonewhocouldraiseBaekhotogreaterheights.

‘They’llprobablycallmecrazyifIsaidthatoutloud…’

Afterall,SungJinwoowasofficiallyjustanE-rankHunter.Butnoteverythingwasastheyappeared.Ifitwereso,hewouldnotbewherehewas.AshesurveyedtheGatewithhawk-likeeyes,hisphonerang.

ringring

ItwasHyunGicheol.

“Oy,Gicheol.”

-“Chief,YooJinho’steamjustarrived.”

“Gotit.Don’tpanicandreporteverythingyousee,don’tleaveoutasingledetail.”

-“Yes,chief.Eh?What?C-chief!”

Thevoiceontheotherendbecamestrange.

‘Didthisidiotgetcaught?’

AhnSangminbecameworried,

“Whatisit?Talk!Talk!”

-“Chief,youwereright!”

“Huh?”

AhnSangmin’sheartbeatbecamefaster.

-“It’sjustYooJinhoandSungJinwoo!They’retheonlyonesenteringtheGate!”

“Ofcourse!It’salltotestSungJinwoo!”

Asexpected!

Hisguesseswererightonthemark.Hisinstinctshadnotfailedhim.

‘Perfect!’

AhnSangminpumpedhisfists.

‘Whileyou’rebusytestingtheman,SungJinwoowillbecomeours!’

BecauseBaekhoGuild’sSecondManagementDivisionhadAhnSangmin!

WhileAhnSangminwascelebratinghisvictory,HyunGicheol’svoicecontinued.

-“SowhatshouldIdo?ShouldIcometoyou?”

“No,no.Watchthemforabitlonger.”

-“Sir?Didn’tweconfirmyourtheory?”

“I’mcuriousabouttheirclearingtime.Howmanyhoursdoyouthinkit’lltakethemtoclearaC-rankDungeon?”

-“Doesn’tittakeevenanA-rankHunterabouttwohourstosoloclearaC-rankDungeon?”

“Youdon’tthinktheycandoit?”

-“Ofcoursenot.Iwasjustworriedthatyou’llbelonelywhilewaiting.”

Theabilitytochangehisattitudeinaflash.ThiswaswhyAhnSangmincouldnotgetmadatHyunGicheol.

“Don’tworryaboutme.Justwatchthemcloselyandtimethemwhentheycomeout.”

-“Areyousure?”

“I’llbewaitingwiththephoneinhand.Contactmeimmediatelyifsomethinghappens.”

-“Understood,chief.”

AhnSangminendedthecall,thenrealizedhewashungry.

growl

‘Argh,Iwastoofocusedonallofthis..’

Itwasalreadylongpastlunchtime,butAhnSangminhadnoteaten,havingwaitedforSungJinwoo.HedidnotknowwhenYooJinho’steamwouldarrive,sohehadnotleftthespot.Havingsomefreetimenow,AhnSangminlookedaroundforaplacetoeat,thensettledonaconveniencestore.

‘NotthatI’mtryingtosaveanymoney…’

Thoughnoonesaidanything,hefeltweirdgoingintoarestaurantalone.So,hedecidedtojustgetacupramenattheconveniencestore.

Hepouredthehotwaterandwaited3minutes,thenwasabouttodiginwhenhisphonerang.

ringring

“Dammit!Whothehell?I’mtryingtoeathere!”

Lookingatthephone,itwasafamiliarname.

[MyRightArm]

‘HyunGicheol,yousonofa…’

AhnSangminansweredwithanannoyedvoice,

“Didyoureallymissmyvoicethatmuch?”

-“Chief,that’snotit…”

“Thenwhatisit,ifyou’vecalledmefornoreason,you’reeatingcupramenforaweek.”

-“That’snotit,chief!Thetwojustcameout!”

AhnSangmin,whowasabouttoeathisfirstbite,frozelikeastillimageofavideo.

“What?”

-“LikeIsaid,YooJinhoandSungJinwoojustcameout!Theirteam’sallpreparingtomoveout!”

Hecheckedhisears.Therewasnothingwrongwiththem.Hequicklycheckedthetime.

“It’sonlybeenthirtyminutes.AretheygivingupontheRaid?”

-“No…TheGateisclosing.”

Howthehell?!

NomatterhowlowthedifficultyofagivenC-rankDungeonwas,noonecouldsoloclearitinjust30minutes.

“Checkagain!AreyousuretheGateisclosing?!”

-“Yes,I’msure.Doyouwantmetosendyouavideo?”

“...No,it’sokay.”

AhnSangminhungupandstaredblanklyintothedistance.

TheyclearedaC-rankDungeonthatwouldtakeanA-rankHunter2hourstoclearinjust30minutes.

‘AboveB-rankmyass…’

Evenifhetookanobjectivelookattheinformationsofar,

“Above…A-rank…”

Thiswasanunimaginablygoodfortune.

________________

“Hyungnim,doyouhavesomewhereelsetogoafterthis?”

“Hmm?No,why?”

“I’veneverseenyouhuntthisfastbefore.”

YooJinhowasastonished.HehadalwaysknownJinwoowasstrong,buttoday,heseemedstrongerthanever.

Wellofcourse.

Jinwooswallowedalaughter.

‘Themagicbeaststodaywerewerewolves~’

WolfSlayer

Allstatsincreasedby40%againstbeasttypemonsters.

Atitlegiventoahunterexperiencedinslayingwolves.

Thebuffofhistitleworkedagainstthewerewolves.Ontopofallofthelevel-upshehadgonethrough,ifthetitlebuffwasapplied,noC-rankmagicbeastscouldstandagainsthim.

“Whimper!”

“Whiiimper!”

“Yelp!”

Thankstothat,YooJinhohadtogofromcorpsetocorpsewithoutstopping,collectingmagiccores.Ifhehad10morehands,itwouldn’thavebeenenough.Jinwoohadtospend5healingpotionsonhimbecauseofthis.Theyoungmanevenhadhishungersatiatedbythehealingpotion,sohedidn’tevenstoptoeat.

‘Well,that’sthat...’

Jinwooraisedhishead.Hefeltapresenceofsomeonewatchinghimfromsomewhere.

‘Idon’tsenseanymagicpower,soit’sprobablynotaHunter.’

Helookedaroundbutdidn’tseeanyonesuspicious.Ofcourse,ifhewanted,hecouldfindthemanwitheffort.Butnotdetectinganykillingorhostileintentfromtheman,Jinwoodecideditwasnotworththetime.

“...”

Itcouldjustbenothing.

Asifreadinghismind,thepresencedisappeared.

“Hyungnim,whatisit?”

“...It’snothing.Let’sgo.”

Theyhadnotimetowaste.Jinwootookonelastlookaroundtheareathengotinthepassengerseat.

________________

AtthesecondGate,hedidnotfeelanyonewatchinghim,bothbeforeheenteredtheGateandafterheleftit.

‘WasIbeingtoocautious?’

Thankfully,itappearedthatitwasnothingafterall.

YooJinhoapproachedhimandbowedhishead,

“Sorry,hyungnim,thisisitfortoday.TheotherGatesaretoofar.”

“Nothingtobesorryabout.”

Itwouldbeawhilebeforesunset,butbecauseofthetwomen’sefforts,alltheGatesintheareahadbeenclosed,sotheywouldhavetocallitaday.

“You’veworkedhard.”

“Oh,theonewhoworkedhardistheRaidleader.”

“I’llseeyoutomorrow”

“Thankyou,you’veworkedhard.”

AfterbiddingtheotherHuntersgoodbye,JinwooandYooJinhogotinthecar.

“I’lldriveyouhome,hyungnim.”

Beforeheknewit,YooJinhohadbecomeafaithfuldriver.Theimageofhimholdingthehandlewasratherfitting.Jinwooblatantlystaredattheyoungman.

‘Tothinkthattheyoungmasterofarichhouseholdwouldbecomeachauffeur,justsohecanbecomeaGuildmaster…’

Steppingonthegaswithasmile,YooJinhosuddenlyrealizedJinwoowasstaringathim.

“Hmm?Istheresomethingonmyface,hyungnim?”

“...No,it’snothing.”

Jinwoopretendedtonothavestaredandtookouthisphoneasadistraction.

‘4:46…’

Itwastooearlytogohome.Thankfully,therewassomethinghehadtodo.

‘Itwasaroundhere,right?’

“Jinho,”

“Yes,hyungnim.”

YooJinhoskillfullyturnedthehandlearoundacurvewhileanswering.

“Let’sgotoMiraeMall.”

“MiraeMall?”

YooJinhowassurprised.

“Yes.”

“Wellitisrightahead…Youknow,you’vebeenactingweirdallday,hyungnim.Areyousureeverything’salright?”

“...Youknow,you’vebeengettingrathertalkativethesedays.”

Andwiththat,YooJinho’sfacebecamefixedontheroad.

“Iwilltakeyoutherewiththespeedoflight,hyungnim.Holdontoyourbelt!”

Changinghisattitudeinaflash,YooJinhodrovethecarwithoutbraking.TheysoonarrivedatMiraeMall.

screech-

Thecarstoppedattheirdestination.AsamallattheheartofSeoul,MiraeMall

wasquiteaspectacle.Jinwoogotoutofthecar,andYooJinhofollowed.TheyoungmanclosedthedoorandwalkeduptoJinwoo’sside.

“Hyungnim,someday,ourGuildshoulduseabuildinglikethisforourheadquarters.”

YooJinholookedupanddownatthemallandmadeahalf-seriousjoke.Butnoonereplied.Noticingsomethingwasoff,YooJinhoquicklyturnedtowardwhereJinwoowas.

“What?”

Jinwoohaddisappeared.

“Hyungnim?”

Nomatterwherehelooked,Jinwoowasgone.

“Hyungniiiim?”

________________

Asthebosswasdefeated,theDungeonwillreturntoitsnormalinterior.

‘Twomorelevelsfromthemall’sInstantDungeon.’

Jinwoo’sfootstepsonthewayhomewerelightwithjoy.ItwasthefirstkeyhehadseeninawhilefromaRandomBox,usableinMiraeMall.Hehadwonderedwhenhewouldgoandclearit,andtoday,theopportunitypresenteditself.

“Hyungniiiim?”

RememberingYooJinhocallafterhisdisappearedself,Jinwoostifledalaughter.

ringring

Jinwoostartedtoanswerhisphoneoutofhabit,butstoppedwhenherealizeditwasanumberhehadneverseenbefore.

‘Who?’

Whenhewasinhighschool,hewasbusytakingcareofhislittlesisterintheplaceoftheirmother.Aftergraduating,hehadstartedworkasaHunter.Becauseofthis,Jinwoodidnotknowthatmanypeople.

‘Thereshouldn’tbeanyoneIdon’tknowcallingme…’

Afterabriefpause,Jinwoopickedup.

“Hello.”

-“Hello,isthisSungJinwoo-ssi?”

Aclearandwell-spokenmale’svoice.

Jinwooimmediatelyhungup.

‘Inmyexperience,99%ofthesecallsaretelemarketingorloansharks.’

Hewasabouttoputthephoneawaywhenitrangagain.

ringring

Itwasthesamenumber.

‘Hmm?Wasitnottelemarketing?’

Valuingquantityoverquality,telemarketingcallsusuallydidnotcallagainafteroneattempt.Theyknewthatit’dbeawasteoftime.

‘Thenthispersonmightreallyhaveareason…’

Thistime,heproperlyansweredthecall.

“Yes,thisisSungJinwoo.”

-“Ah,Ihadtherightnumber.IthoughtIhadthewrongonewhenyoujusthungupnow,haha.”

“...”

Jinwooconsideredforabout2secondswhethertoexplainthathehadthought

theclearandwell-spokenvoicebelongedtoatelemarketer.

‘Feelslikeapologizingforitmightsoundmorerude…’

Soon,thebusinessemployee,orrather,themanwhosoundedlikeabusinessemployeeintroducedhimself.

-“Ah,Iapologize.Ihavenotintroducedmyself.IamAhnSangminoftheBaekhoGuild.”

Jinwoostoppedwalking.

‘TheBaekhoGuildiscallingme?’

Nomatterhowhethoughtaboutit,theBaekhoGuildwouldnothaveareasontocallhim.OnlypossiblerelationhehadwiththemwasthefactthattheyweretheGuildwhohelpedouttheAssociationduringtheDoubleDungeonincident.

‘ButIdon’tthinkthey’recallingmeaboutthatdayafterallthistime.’

Curiositywasafeelingthatinvitedimpatience.BeforeAhnSangmincouldcontinue,Jinwooasked,

“WhyistheBaekhoGuildcallingme?”

-“It’salittlehardtoexplainoverthephone,couldwecometoseeyouandexplain?”

Insteadoftellinghimtocomeover,theywereofferingtocometohim.Jinwoohadnoreasontorefuse.Hewouldhavesomefreetimeanywaysthedayaftertomorrow.

‘Jinhosaidhehadsomeeventathome?’

YooJinhohadexplainedthattherewasabigeventthatrequiredtheattendanceoftheentirefamilyandapologizedfornotbeingabletoRaidonThursday.

‘Abigevent…’

Imaginingachaebol’sfamilygathering,Jinwooimaginedapartyheldinsomeluxuriousbanquethallatatophotel,likeinthedramas.Anyways,hewouldbe

freethatday.

“I’llhavesomefreetimeonThursday.”

-“That’ser…Areyoufreerightnow?”

Rightnow?

Jinwoocheckedthetime.Itwas8o’clock.

“It’salmosteight.”

-“We’rewaitingnearby.Wejustneedamomentofyourtime.”

“Nearby?”

-“It’safrenchcafe.”

AhnSangmintoldhimthelocation.Itwasafamiliarplace.Afterall,itwastheplacehehadmetwithYooJinho.Jinwoo’seyesbecamesharp.

‘HeknowswhereIlive.’

EventheAssociation’swebsitedidnotrevealaHunter’shomeaddress,onlytheirnamesandrank.AnindividualHuntermayopttoaddadditionalinformationontheirprofile,butJinwoowasnotoneofthosepeople.Soiftheyknewnotjusthisphonenumberbutwherehelived,theymust’veperformedathoroughinvestigationonhim.

‘NowthatIthinkaboutit…’

Herememberedsomethingfromearlierintheday.

“Ifeltsomeonewatchingmefromafartoday.Wasthatyouguys?”

Jinwoo’svoicewasfilledwithhostility.Hearingthis,thepersonontheotherendexplainedapologetically,

-“Weapologizeforintrudingonyoulikethat.Therewasjustsomethingwewantedtoconfirm.Ifwewantedtocauseyouanytrouble,wewouldn’thavecontactedyoulikethis.You’llunderstandwhenyouhearusout.”

Jinwoohesitated,thenreplied,

“…I’llberightthere.”

________________

“Hunters,GrimReaper,Knights,Myungsung,andus,Baekho.I’msureyou’veheardeachofthematleastonce.”[1]

AhnSangminhadlistedthetop5GuildsofSouthKorea.Thenumberoneamongthemwas“Hunters”.However,thatwasnotalwaysthecase.Originally,thenumberoneGuildofKoreawas“GrimReaper”,butsomemembersofGrimReapercededfromtheGuildandformedtheirown,“Baekho”,resultinginHunterstakingthenumberonespot.Andlikethestudentsurpassingthemaster,BaekhohadalreadysurpassedGrimReaperasaGuild.Now,theyweregunningforthenumberonespot.

AhnSangminwascertain.Themansittinginfrontofhim,SungJinwoo,wouldbetheonetopropelBaekhointothatnumberonespot.HehandedJinwoohisbusinesscard.

[BaekhoGuildSecondManagementDivision[2]Chief,AhnSangmin]

“I’mthemanwhooverseesrecruitingandmanagingnewHuntersforoneofthetopfiveGuilds,Baekho.MynameisAhnSangmin,chiefoftheSecondManagementDivision.”

OtherHunterswould’vebowedtheirheadsina90-degreeanglebeforeevenreceivingthebusinesscard.UnlessyouwereanS-rankerorstoodatthepinnacleoftheA-rankers,theBaekhoGuildwasatargetofgreatdesireformostHunters.Truthfully,AhnSangminhadhopedforsuchareactionfromJinwoo,buthewasdisappointed.Asifhewasnotimpressed,Jinwoocalmlyaskedthequestionhehadcomefor,

“WhyissomeoneworkingfortheBaekhoGuilddoingabackgroundinvestigationonme?”

AhnSangminflinched,

‘Tothinkthathewouldholduphisheadhighafterhearingourname…’

Justfromtheintroduction,herealizedthatrecruitingJinwoowouldnotbeaneasytask.However,thismadehimwanttheHunterevenmore.Arecruitwithfightingspiritwasnotabadthing.

‘Yes.Youneedatleastthismuchspirittobeofuseanywhere.’

AhnSangminrenewedhisdeterminationoncemore.

“I’llcuttothechase.OurGuildwantstobringSungJinwoo-ssiintoourfold.WhateverYoojinConstructionhasofferedyou,we’lldoubleit.”

Thedivisionchiefsmiled.HebelievedthatYoojinConstructionwasintheprocessoftestingSungJinwoo.

‘Whatafoolishthingtodo.’

Jinwoo’sC-rankDungeonclearingtime.ThefactthathewasaReawakenedHunter.Andthecalmattitudehewasdisplayingnow.Takingallofthatintoconsideration,therewasclearlynoneedtotesttheHunter.

‘They’retestinghimasiftheydon’tunderstandhistruevalue.There’snowaywewon’tbeabletobeattheirprice.’

Becauseofthis,AhnSangminwasconfidentthatBaekhocouldmorethandoubleYoojinConstruction’soffer.Suddenly,Jinwoo’seyesfilledwithcoldness.

“Howdidyouknow?”

“H-hmm?”

Surprisedatanunexpectedresponse,AhnSangminstutteredhiswords,unbecomingofachiefofalargeGuild.

“Howdidyouknowtoseekmeout?”

Ifwordshadphysicalweight,AhnSangminfeltlikehewouldbecrushedbyJinwoo’s.

‘Whatisthispressure?’

Itappearedthatthemansittingacrossfromhimregisteredhimasanenemy.

Nowthathethoughtabout,hedidplaceatailonJinwooandhadaskedtomeethimoutofnowhere.LookingatitfromJinwoo’sperspective,itwasreasonablethathisactionswouldinvitehostility.AhnSangminstartedexplaininginpanic,

“Ah,ah,pleasedon’tmisunderstand.Wedidnotpurposefullysingleyououtforinvestigation.It’sjustthatsomeonewastakingupalltheC-rankGatesinourGuild’sterritory,andwhenwelookedintoit,yournamecameup.”

“…”

Jinwoolookedawayintothedistance.

‘Sothat’swhatitwas.’

Contrarytowhathehadthought,itappearedthatthemansittingacrossfromhimdidnotstartaninvestigationafterrealizingthetruthabouthim.JinwoowasjustnaturallynoticedaftercompletingarapidsuccessionofRaids.

‘Idon’tparticularlysenseanybadintentionsfromhim.’

Jinwoorelaxedhisexpressionslightly.Thenervousnessbetweenthetwomeneasedupaswell.

‘Phew…’

AhnSangminsighedinhishead,butallhehadaccomplishedwasbringingtheirrelationshipbacktoneutral.NowwouldbegintherealtrialofearningJinwoo’sfaith.

‘There’snobetterwaytoearnsomeone’strustthansharinginformation.’

AhnSangminwasarecruitmentspecialist!

Heerasedhispanickedexpressionandputonhissmileagain.

“Thismightbeatop-secretinformation,butwe’rewellawareofChairmanYooMyunghan’splanstomakeanewGuild.”

“…”

Jinwooneitherconfirmednordenied.AhnSangmincontinued,

“AndwhenwenotedYooJinho,theman’sson,andHunterSungJinwoo-nimhadmadecontact,wewereabletopiecetogetheraconclusion.HunterSungJinwoo-nimisaReawakenedHunter,andYoojinConstructionwantedyoufortheirGuild.”

Asexpected,AhnSangminthoughtthathewasaReawakenedHunter.

‘Well,I’lllethimbelievethat.’

Jinwoohadnoreasonstocontradicthim.AhnSangminquicklyadded,

“WehadhopedtospeaktoyoubeforeyousignedanofficialcontractwithYoojin.That’swhywecontactedyououtofthebluelikethis.Weapologizeagainforourrudeness.”

“It’salright.”

Itwould’vebeendifferentiftheyhadapproachedhimwithillintent,butnowthattheywereapologizinglikethis,therewasnoneedforJinwootobeangry.

‘Moreimportantly…’

Howtohandlethisnow.ThiswasJinwoo’squandary.Noticinghishesitation,AhnSangminspokeupagain,

“HaveyoubyanychancesignedthecontractwithYoojinConstruction?”

Perhapsthemanthoughthehad,seeinghishesitation.Jinwooshookhishead.AhnSangmin,whohadlookedalittledefeated,immediatelybecamehappy.

‘Perfect!Heisafreeagent!’

ThiswasthechancetoobtainaHunterwouldcouldsoloclearaC-rankDungeoninjust30minutes.AlthoughaD-rankerhadfollowedhimintotheDungeon,toamanwhowasaboveB-rank,theD-rankerwould’vebeennothingmorethanabaggageboy.

‘ImagineifSungJinwooretestsasanA-rankerundertheBaekhoGuild!’

AhnSangminkeptsuppressinghissmileandstruggledtokeepacalm

expression[3].Meanwhile,Jinwoowasscratchinghischin.

‘Thisman,he’scountingthechickensbeforethey’vehatched...

Well,Baekhowouldn’tbethatbad.Itwasoneofthetop5Guildsandwasevengunningforthenumberonespot.Butrightnow,JinwoohadnodesiretoenteraGuild.

‘MyvalueonlyrisesasIlevel-up.’

Additionally,althoughitmaybefardowntheroad…

‘JustlikehowI’msoloclearingaC-rankDungeonrightnow,whatifIcaneventuallysoloclearaB-rank,maybeevenanA-rankDungeon?’

Theincomefromthehigh-rankingDungeonssurpassedimagination.ConqueringthoseDungeonsiswhatallowedthelargeGuildstogrowaspowerfulasbigcorporations.Whenyouconsideredthehigh-qualitymagiccores,magicbeastcorpses,minerals,Runestonesandartifacts,anastronomicalamountofmoneywasinvolvedintheHunter-relatedbusinesses.IfhecouldmaintainamonopolyofalltheincomefromtheDungeon,wasthereareasonheshouldjoinaGuild?

‘AslongasIkeeplevelingup,it’snotanimpossiblescenario.’

Assuch,itwastooearlyforhimtogointoaGuild.

ThecornersofJinwoo’smouthrose.Mistakinghissmileforgoodnews,AhnSangminalsosmiled.

“Haveyoumadeyourdecision?”

“Yousaiddoubletheprice,right?”

“Yes,ofcourse.AndifwefeelthatthepriceislackingcomparedtoHunter-nim’sabilities,wemayevenraiseithigher.”

“ThenwhatisthevalueofthebuildingBaekhoisusingasitsheadquarters?”

AhnSangminfrozeforasecond.

‘IshequestioningourGuild’sfinancialpower?’

Well,therewasnoneedtopanic.ThiswasanopportunitytoshowofftheGuild.Therewasnoneedtohideorholdhistongue.AhnSangminwasrathergladfortheopportunity.

“Theestimatedvalueisaboutfiftybillion.We’renotusingtheentirebuilding,butthedeedisunderourname.”

AhnSangminspokewithpride.Inthepast,theyhadrentedtheirofficeinthebuilding,butwhentheGuildsolidifieditspositioninthecountry,theyoutrightpurchasedit.Ittookthemoneyeartoachievethisfeat.ItwasatestamenttojusthowmuchthelargeGuildsearned.AhnSangminwasreadytogointodetailsaboutBaekho’sfinancesandincomebutfrozewhenJinwoospoke,

“Thatbuilding,couldyougiveittome?”

“What?”

AhnSangmin’seyeswerewideopen.Hedoubtedhishearingandasked,

“W-whatdoyoumeanbythat?”

Jinwoohappilyexplained,

“Yoojinpromisedmeabuildingworththirtybillionontheirend.Althoughit’snotquitedouble,I’dbehappytoacceptapriceoffiftybillionfromBaekho’sbuilding.”

“Th-thirtybillion?”

SungJinwoo’sHuntercareerwas4yearsold,butthatwasasanE-rankHunter.Hehadnotdoneanythingnoticeableuntilrecently,meaninghisReawakeningmustbejustasrecent.SojustwhatkindofapowerdidthismandisplaythatYooMyunghan,amanknownforhisbusinessacumen,wouldofferhim30billionwon?Andevenbeforehegotretested?

‘Is,ishebluffingsincewehavenowayofconfirming?’

AhnSangminstaredatJinwoowithasuspiciousgaze.Asifreadinghismind,

Jinwootookouthisphoneandmadeacall.

ringring

click

-“Yes,hyungnim.”

Itwasdinnertime,andthecaféwasnearempty.Jinwoopurposelyputthevolumeonthehighestsetting.

“Jinho,letmeaskyousomething.”

-“Ofcourse,anything,hyungnim.”

Jinho?AsinYooJinho?AhnSangmingulped.

‘IsheplanningonrattingmeouttoYooJinho?’

Buthisguesswasoff.Instead,Jinwoobroughtupadifferenttopic,

“Thatbuildingyoupromisedme,howmuchwasitagain?”

-“Thecurrentestimatesputitatthirtybillion,butonceweestablishourGuildthere,thevalueissuretogoupgreatly.Ah,hyungnim,right!Doyouneedacopyofouragreement?ShouldIfaxitovertoyou?”

“Holdon.”

Jinwoocoveredthebottomofthephonesohecouldnotbeheard.

“Ifyoudon’tbelieveme,wouldyouliketospeaktohimdirectly?”

AhnSangminshookhisheadwhilesweating.

“No,it’salright.I’mhangingup.”

-“Yes,hyungnim.”

AfterJinwooendedthecall,henotedAhnSangmin’sexpressionhadcompletelychangedfrombefore.Theman’seyeswereshakinglightly.

‘EvenbeforetheymadetheGuild,YoojinConstructionpromisedhimthirtybillionasthecontractfee?Andtherespectfulwaythatthechairman'ssonwasaddressinghim…’

AhnSangmin’sheadwasspinning.

“So,er,that’s…Sothatamountisabitbeyondmyauthoritytodecide…Ifyoujustgaveussometimetotalkitover…”

Jinwoocuthimoff,

“Thenourconversationendshere.”

AhnSangminwasatalossforwords.Heweaklynoddedandrealizedthathehadfailed.

‘Ultimately,itwasbecauseofthelackofinformation.’

Hewasangrythathehadrushedallofthis.Hewasblindedbytheprospectofabigwindfallandmovedtoocarelessly.IfonlyhehadinvestigatedYoojin’soffermorethoroughlyandworkedwiththeGuildtoproceed…

‘IhavetoreportthistotheGuildmaster.’

IfJinwoowasaHunterworth30billiontoChairmanYooMyunghan,hecouldbeworth50,maybeeven100billion.Itwasnottoolate.

‘OnceIobtaintheGuild’ssupport,I’llinvestigatehimmorethoroughlyandapproachwithmoreaggressionnexttime…’

Jinwoointerruptedhisthoughts,

“Iwantedtoaskonething.”

AhnSangminraisedhishead.ThesmilehaddisappearedfromJinwoo’sface.Todayhadawarmspringweather,butsuddenly,hissurroundingsbecamecold.

gulp

“Howmanypeopleknowaboutme?”

“Ah…Rightnow,it’sjustme.IhadrushedintheattempttorecruitHunter-nim,andIdidn’thavethetimetoreportthistothehigherups.”

Truthfully,therewasoneother.Hissubordinateandright-handman,HyunGicheol.ButAhnSangminhidtheman’sexistenceincaseJinwoobecameangry.However,Jinwoospokeagainwithamorethreateningtone,

“Whydon’twerespecteachotherandavoidtellinglies?”

AhnSangminpanicked.

‘What?Didhecomeherewithsomeinformationaboutus?’

Ifthatwasthecase,makingexcusesrightnowwouldworsentheirrelationship.

‘GuessI’llhavetocomeclean.’

TherelationshipbetweenaHunterandaGuildwaslikethatofacelebrityandtheiragent.EveniftheycouldnotrecruitJinwoorightnow,itwouldbeagoodideatomaintainafriendlyrelationshipforthefuture.Attheveryleast,theywouldhavetoavoidanyfrictionwithaHunter.ThiswastheironcladruleoftheSecondManagementDivision.

AhnSangminspoke,

“Truthfully,oneofmysubordinatesisalsoaware.ButIswearthathe’stheonlyother.”

Jinwoonodded.

‘AsIthought…’

Itwasashehadguessed.Allofthiswouldbetoomuchforonemantohandle.Theinvestigation,thesurveillanceandthecontact.Thedamningevidencewasthecontact.Hewascalledrightashegothome.

‘Someonemust’vebeenwatchingmeandgavethesignal.’

TheywereeagertomeetwithhimbutcouldnotaffordtotipoffYooJinho.

‘Butattheveryleast,I’veconfirmedthatit’snottheentireBaekhoGuild

movingafterme.’

HewasabletodiscernthisfromAhnSangmin’sreactiontothe50billionearlier.ThemanhadpanickedwhenJinwoobroughtupanamountthathedidnothavetheauthoritytoagreeto.IftheGuild’shigher-upswereinvolved,themanwould’veatleastmadeanefforttocontactthemthenandthere.Andso,Jinwoosuspectedthattherewasonlyasmallteaminvolved,andashethought,itwasindeedjusttwopeople.

‘That’sgood.’

Hedidnotwanttocomplicatehissituation.Ifitwasjusttwo,itwasanamountthathecoulddealwith.Ifhedidnothing,hewassurethatitwouldbecomeaheadachedowntheroad.SoJinwoodecidedtoleavethemwithalittlewarning.

“IfI’mbeinghonestaswell,I’vealsorejectedYoojin’soffer.”

AtJinwoo’sexplosiveconfession,AhnSangminsatstraightup.

“What?”

Suddenly,Jinwoodisappearedbeforehiseyes.

“What?!”

AhnSangminstood-upinshock.HequicklylookedaroundbutdidnotseetheHunter’sfigure.

‘Whatwasthat?Didhemovefasterthanmyeyescouldfollow?’

Whilepanicking,AhnSangminrealizedtoolatethatsomeonehadplacedahandonhisshoulder.

“gasp”

Acoldchillrandownhisback.

“Don’tturnaround.”

Avoicecamefromhisside.Jinwoo,whohaddisappearedwithoutatrace,wasstandingrightnexttohim.

‘S-stealth?’

AhnSangmin’sbrowsweredrippingwithcoldsweat.

‘He…he’snotmadatme,ishe?’

Inmanyways,Huntersweremonstrousexistences.Andthemanwhoworkedclosetothemknewthisbetterthananyoneelse.That’swhyhehadalwaysputonthemostrespectfulattitudetowardsthem.

‘Ishemadatthesurveillanceandthetailing?ShouldIhavebroughtabodyguardfromtheGuild?No,wait,Idon’tevenknowtheman’sranking,howcouldIaskforabodyguard…’

Hisheadspunwithmanythoughtsandhisheartwasbeatinglikeitwasabouttoexplode.Everytimehegulped,hewassurprisedathowlouditsoundedinhishead.

Jinwospokewithaquietvoice,

“Whydon’tyoutakeaseat,slowly.Idon’twanttogiveyouafright.”

AhnSangminnodded,

‘Sir,thissituationisalreadyplentyfrightening…’

Hecompliedandslowlysatdownonhisseat.Jinwooreappearedandtookaseatnexttohim.

‘Isee…’

AhnSangminunderstoodwhatJinwoohadmeant.Earlier,whenJinwoospokeaboutaskingonequestion,theairitselfbecamecoldinresponse.Inthistensesituation,ifJinwooreappearedinfrontofhimandmethiseyesdirectly,heprobablywould’vehadaheartattack.

‘Isthishiswayofgivingmeroomtobreathe?’

Still,thesituationwasdefinitelyfrightening.Regardless,Jinwoospoke,

“ThereasonwhyIhadrefusedYoojin’sofferwasbecauseIdon’tplanon

enteringaGuildforthetimebeing.”

Thetwomendidnotfaceeachother,andinstead,continuedtheirconversationwhilefacingforward.

“Is,isthatso.”

“And.”

Jinwoopausedforabeatandcontinued,

“Idon’twantthenumberofpeoplewhoknowaboutmetoincrease.”

Whathewantedwassimple.HedidnotwanttoenteraGuild,andhedidnotwanthisinformationtoleak.AhnSangminunderstoodwhatJinwoowasasking.However,therewasonecuriousthing,

“Th-then,whyareyouRaidingwithYooJinho-ssi?”

“I’mhelpingYooJinhooutofpersonalreasons.HewastheonlyonewhoknewaboutmyReawakening,andIthoughtofhimasatrustworthyfriend.Andso.”

Jinwoospokehisnextwordswithweight,

“IfIeverhearaboutmyselffromsomeoneelse,woulditbeokaytoassumethatit’sbecauseofChiefAhnSangminandyoursubordinate?”

JinwoohadremovedhishandfromAhnSangmin’sshoulderawhileago,butthemancontinuedtofeelpressuredjustfromhisvoice.

‘Thisisnotabluff.’

Whatwasthisfeeling?DespitebeingbackedbyoneofthetopGuildsofKorea,AhnSangminwascertainthatJinwoowassomeonewhowouldbeabletogothroughwithhisthreat.

‘Ihaveneverbeenwrongaboutaperson.’

Jinwoohadrepeatedlycomeoutunharmedthroughmultipleincidents.TheysaywhathappensinaDungeonstaysintheDungeon.NobodyknewexactlywhatthismandidintheDungeoninthoseincidents.

‘Ontopofthat,thismancanuse‘Stealth’…’

The‘Stealth’wasatroublesomeskill.Apersonwiththatskillcouldfreelycommitcrimeswithoutleavingatrace.Itbypassedallsurveillanceandmonitoringequipment.AstreakofsweattraileddownonthesideofAhnSangmin’sface.

‘Tothinkthathehadsuchaskill…’

Possessinggreatabilitiesandarareskill,itmadeperfectsensethatYoojinhadofferedhim30billion.

‘Theyarenotacompanytooverpayforsomething.’

badumbadum

Eventhoughhewasafraid,AhnSangmincouldnothelpbutfeelexcited.Heopenedhismouthwitheffort,

“I-Iswearmysilenceonthismatter.I’llmakesuretothoroughlysilenceGicheol,no,mysubordinateaswell.”

Tobehonest,AhnSangminwastheonewhowantedtobringuptheideaofsilence.Jinwoowasahiddentreasurethatnooneelsehaddiscovered.AhnSangmindidnotwanttoinviteunnecessarycompetitionbyspreadingthenewsabouthisexistence.

‘IfI’mbeingreallyhonest,it’sbecauseIdon’twanttomakeanenemyoutofhim.’

“I’llplacemyfaithinyou,chief.”

Withthat,thepresenceofthemannexttoAhnSangmincompletelydisappeared.AhnSangminlookedaround,butthecaféwasdesertedasifhewastransportedtoadifferentworld.

“Hah…”

Themancouldnotspeak,onlyheaveadeepsigh.HyunGicheolranintothecafé.Thesubordinatewaswatchingthepair’smeeting,butwhenJinwoo

disappearedintothinair,hedecidedtohurrytothesideofhissuperior.

“Chief!”

AhnSangmin’sexpressionwasnotgood.HyunGicheolaskedwithconcern,

“Whathappened?DiditnotgowellwithSungJinwoo?”

AhnSangmintookoutacigarettewithashakinghandandplaceditinhismouth.

“Gicheol…Wemight’vecomeacrosssomethingbiggerthanwethought.”

Theyhadtoobtainthistreasure.AhnSangmin’sheadwasfilledtothebrimwiththoughtsonhowtoobtainSungJinwoo.Thankfully,therewasstillachance.Suddenly,HyunGicheolgentlygrabbedAhnSangmin’swrist.

“…Er,chief,”

AhnSangminwasabouttolightuphiscigaretteandraisedhishead,

“Hmm?”

HyunGicheollookedaroundandcarefullywhispered,

“It’snosmokinginhere.”

AhnSangmincrumpledupthecigaretteinhishand.

“Youfuckingsonofa-“

________________

________________

ThefirstthingJinwoodidaftercominghomewastoopenuphisstatusscreen.

ring~

Name:SungJinwoo

Level:39

Class:None

Title:WolfSlayer

HP:7,229

MP:683

Fatigue:0

Stats

Strength:97

Constitution:59

Agility:97

Intelligence:51

Sense:81

(Availablestatpoints:0)

PhysicalDamageReduction:20%

Skills

PassiveSkills

-(Unknown)(Lv.Max)

-UnyieldingSpirit(Lv.1)

-AdvancedDagger

Proficiency(Lv.1)

ActiveSkills

-Sprint(Lv.2)

-Bloodlust(Lv.1)

-Stealth(Lv.1)

-VitalStab(Lv.1)

Equipment

Gatekeeper’sNecklace(A)

‘Isupposeallthisisboundtocatchsomeone’seye.’

From27to39,hehadgained12levels.OtherthanthetimehehadenteredhisfirstInstantDungeonatlevel1andleftatlevel17,hehadnotgainedlevelsthisfastbefore.Evenmoreso,hewasamuchlowerlevelbackthenandwasexpectedtolevel-upfaster.Thiswasnotthecaseforhimrightnow.Assuch,allthiscouldbeattributedtothenumberofRaidshehadcompletedwithYooJinho.

‘It’sbeenfourdayssincewestartedRaidingtogether.We’vegonethroughnineDungeonsinthosefourdays…’

Andthose9DungeonswereC-rankDungeons,thehighestdifficultypossibleforasoloclear.Itwasindeedacrazyspeed.However,totheotherHunterswhoneededC-rankGates,itwasasifadisasterhadfallenuponthem.EvenYooJinho,whohadwatchedJinwoo’sincreasingcleartimes,wasimpressed.

Ofcourse,allofthismadesensetoJinwoo.Afterall,witheachlevel-up,clearingthesamedifficultybecameeasier.12levelsfrom9Dungeons,itwaspracticallyonelevel-upperDungeon.Andtherewere10Raidsremaining.Ifhecompletedthe19RaidshehadpromisedtoYooJinho,hecouldprobablygoupanother4~5levels.

HerecalleddefeatingaB-rankHunterwhenhislevelwasinthe20s.Hewasnolongersurehowpowerfulhadbecome.

‘Myheartisbeating.’

Jinwooplacedahandoverhisheart.Hefeltitsvigorousbeating.

badumbadumbadum

Itwasanexcitingfeelingtoexperiencethegrowthofhisstrengthdaybyday.Allofthiswassomethinghecouldn’tevendreamofinthepast.TothinkthathewouldactuallyenjoyenteringaGateandraidingaDungeon.

‘It’sbecauseIcanconfirmmystrengtheachtime.’

Asheleveledup.Ashisattributesincreased.Huntingthemagicbeastsgavehimassuranceofhischangedstrength.

‘Hunting…’

HetrulyhadfeltthathehadbecomeaHunter.Theideaofhuntingwasnolongerawkwardtohim.Now,hehadanewgoal:

‘...TheDemonCastle.’

Hewaslevel21whenhehadfirstenteredit.Sincethen,hehadgainednearly20levels.Jinwoowonderedifthiswouldbeenough,butthenthoughtbackontheCerberusandbecameunsure.

‘IfIenteredthroughthecastlegatesandwasmetwithsomethingthatIcouldnotrunfrom…’

Heshuddered.Itwouldbegoodifhecouldescapeusingthe‘Stealth’skill,buteventhatwasnotaguaranteedpossibility.Youcouldbesuccessful10timesinarow,butasinglemistakecouldcostyouyourlife;thatwastheHunter’slife.Soheneededacompleteassurance.TheassurancethathecouldfightsomethingliketheCerberusandwin.

‘Cerberus’namewasinred.’

Themonster’sdifficultywasclassifiedbythecolorofitsname.OutsideoftheDemonCastle,Jinwoohadyettoseeanothermonsterwitharedname.TheotherInstantDungeonshehadenteredsofarallhadlow-levelmonsters,includingtheMiraeMalltoday.

Butsomethingwasoff.

‘Whatisit?’

WhenhethoughtabouttheideathathehadonlyseenamonsterwitharednameintheDemonCastle,somethingfeltoff.Asifhewasforgettingsomething…

‘HaveIseenarednamemonsteroutsideoftheDemonCastle?’

Thatwasimpossible.Evenatlevel21,hehadalmostdiedwhilefightingtheCerberus.Ifhehadmetarednamemonsterbeforethat,hewould’vesurelydied-

“Ah!”

Jinwoogaspedindisbelief.

Yes,indeedtherewasatime.

Atimewhereheranfromarednamedmonsteruntilhewasabouttodie.

‘Thepenaltyquest!’

Thecentipedeshehadencounteredinthatdeserthadrednames.

‘Poison-fangedGiantSandCentipede’

Becauseofthetimethathadpassed,doubledupwiththefactthathehadnoideawhatwashappeningatthetime,thememoryofthosemonstershadfadedinJinwoo’shead.

‘IfIcantakethosecentipedesdowneasily!’

ThenhewouldearntheassurancethathecouldraidtheDemonCastle.Sincetherewasmorethanonecentipede,hecouldeventesthimselfagainstmultipleenemies.

Theproblemwashowhewouldgobackthere…

‘Isskippingoutonthedailyquesttheonlyway?’

Therewasnotthatmuchlossinvolved.Hewouldstillearnthesameamountofstatpoints,evenifitwasthepenaltyquest.

‘Let’stryforthePenaltyZonetomorrow.’

Tothinkthathewouldskipthedailyquestsohecouldgetthepenaltyquest…Jinwoothoughtbackonthetimeheranforhislifeandchuckled.

“Iwonderifthey’llgiveexperienceanditems.”

Jinwoocouldn’thelpbutsmile.

Atthattime,Jinwoofeltapresenceofsomeonegettingoutoftheelevatorattheendofthehallwayoutside.Itwasthelightfootstepsofagirl.Herwalkwasfamiliartohim.

‘It’sJinah.’

Itwas11o’clockatnight,abouttimeforhissistertocomehome.Jinwoogotupandopenedthedoorbeforeshecouldevengetthekeysoutofherpocket.

“Oooh~”

Jinahjokinglypraisedherbrother.Thefirsttimehedidthis,shenearlyjumpedoutofherskin,butshehadgottenaccustomedtothismethodofgreeting.Theysayhumanbeingscangetusedtoanything.

“I’mhome~”

“Welcome~”

Jinahhappilygreetedherbrotherthenwalkedtoherroom.Shewasabouttoclosethedoor,thenstopped,

“Oppa.”

Shestuckherheadoutofherroom.

“Doyouhaveanyfreetimethisweek?”

“Thisweek?Why?”

“Theteacheraskedmetoaskyouforaparent/guardianmeeting[4].Can’tbehelpedifyou’renotfree,though.”

Asifherteacherhadsentheronanimportantmission,Jinahlookednervous.

‘Parent/guardianmeeting…’

Asaseniorinhighschool,Jinahmust’vebeenbusywithschool.Hewantedtomakeanexcusethathedidnothavethetime,butthankstosomeone,hedidhaveadayhewascompletelyfree.

‘Sigh…YooJinho,you’renohelpatall.’

Jinwoorepliedaftergivingitsomethought,

“Thursday.”

“Really?Thanks,oppa!”

Jinah’sexpressionbrightened.Feelinglikeshewasabouttorunoverandgivehimahug,Jinwooheldupahand.

“Che.”

Jinahscrunchedherfaceathimandclosedthedoor.Jinwoosighedathissituation.

“Hah…”

OntopofthenonstopRaids,hewantedtovisitthePenaltyZoneandnow,hehadtogotoaparent/guardianmeetingonThursday.

Itwasgoingtobeabusyweek.

----------------------

[1]:“Hunters,GrimReaper,Knights,Myungsung,Baekho”

“Hunters”():Literalenglishof“Hunters”,includingthepluralform.“Hun”+“Tuh”+“Ss”.Notgonnalie,it’sgoingtobeheadachetodistinguishthisfromtheprofessionof“Hunter”fromnowon…Ishouldn’thavecapitalizedthewordHunter...

“GrimReaper”():Thiswordcouldbeinterpretedinfewways,“FourGods,

DeathGod,Envoy”.Ichose“DeathGod”>GrimReaper

“Knights”():Lit.“Knighthood”or“KnightCorps”.

“Myungsung”():Justappearstobeapropernoun/name.

“Baekho”():Couldbetranslatedas“WhiteTiger”,whichactuallyfitsreallywell.IchosetoleaveitinKoreantogiveweighttotherelationshipbetweentheGuildnameandtheGuildmaster.

[2]:“SecondManagementDivision”(2):“Number2”2+“administrative/managementdivision/department”

[3]:/r/prematurecelebration

[4]:“parent/guardianmeeting”():“student’sparent”+“discussion/counselling”. AshighschoolstudentsneartheirgraduationandprepareforcollegeinKorea,parent/guardiansareoftencalledtotheschooltositdownanddiscussthestudent’sfutureprospectswiththeirhomeroomteacher.

Chapter8:ClassAdvancementQuest[1]

Jinwoolefthishouseearlyinthemorning.Today’sschedulewaspackedwithwork.YooJinhohadtoldhimthattheyhadreserved4Gates.Astheywouldbetakingabreaktomorrow,theyoungmanwantedtotakecareof2day’sworthofRaidsinoneday.

‘Well,whenIthinkabouttherecentclearspeeds…’

Hecouldcertainlypulloff4~5Raidsinaday.TheonlylimitingfactorwasthenumberofC-rankGatesappearinginasamearea.Sotodaywasaratherluckyday.Hehappilywalkedtowardsoutsideoftheapartment,buthedidnotseeYooJinho’sBongothatwouldalwaysbewaitingforhim.Ontopofthat,hefeltanunfamiliarpresencenearby.

“Tsk.”

Ifitwasn’tforwhathappenedyesterday,hewould’vegivenitnothought.Butnotafterthatmeeting.

‘Ievenwarnedthem...’

Jinwoodiscoveredhiswatcherhidingaroundthecorner.ThemaninabusinesssuitwascheckingthetimeonhiswatchanddidnotnoticeJinwooapproachinghim.Jinwospokeuprightinfrontoftheman,

“Excuseme.”

Themanjumpedinsurprise,

“H-HunterSungJinwoo-nim!”

Helookedlikehehadseenaghost.

‘Well,that’swhyIhidmypresence.’

Jinwooclickedhistongueontheinside.

“You’refromBaekhoGuild,right?”

“Hmm?Ah,yes.I’mHyunGicheolofBaekhoGuild’sSecondManagementDivision.”

ThisappearedtobethesubordinatethatAhnSangminwastalkingaboutyesterday.

“Pleasetomeetyou,Hunter-nim.”

HyunGicheolcautiouslyheldoutahand.Hewasaskingforahandshake,butJinwoowasnotinthemood.SeeingJinwoojuststarewithoutreciprocating,HyunGicheolturnedredandretractedhishand.

“Didn’tImakeitclearthatIwon’tbeenteringaGuildforthetimebeing?”

HyunGicheolfranticallyheldoutahand.

“Ah,that’snotwhyI’mhere.”

Then,themanheldoutatumblerhewasholdingintheotherhand.

“What’sthis?”

Inthefrostedsidesofthetumbler,Jinwoosawastrangecolorfulliquid.HyunGicheolheldhisheadupwithprideandreplied,

“It’svegetablejuice.Ipersonallymadeit,andIcanguaranteeit’squality.”

“...”

HyunGicheoldidnotlowerhishandthistime.Jinwoorelentedandtookthetumblerfromhim.

“So,you’retellingmeyou’vebeenwaitingsincedawn,justtogivemethis?”

“Yes!Hunter-nimhastothinkabouthishealth,afterall!”

JinwoowantedtoaskwhyBaekhoGuildwouldbeconcernedwithhishealthbutstoppedhimself.HyunGicheolbowedhisheadthensmiledbrightlyashewalkedaway.

“Then,I’llseeyouagain,Hunter-nim!”

Themanwavedtohimashedisappearedinthedistance.Jinwoowavedthetumblerbackathim.

“...Whatanamusingman.”

AfterHyunGicheolleft,Jinwoostaredatthetumbler.Hehadheardofinsurancesalesmenwhotriedtoearnbrowniepointswithapotentialcustomerwithstore-boughtyogurt,butthatmanwasprobablythefirstinhistorytobringhandmadevegetablejuicetoapotentialcustomer.

‘Well,Ishouldn’tthrowitaway.’

Itprobablywasn’tpoisoned.Notthatitwouldworkagainsthim.

Hethoughttoatleastgivethetasteatry.

gulp

Jinwoodrankthejuiceandwassurprised.

‘It’sdelicious.’

Afamiliarvoicecamefrombehindhim,

“Hyungnim!”

Turningaround,hesawYooJinhoapproachinghim.Brightlysmilingasalways,theyoungmangesturedtowardsthedirectionHyunGicheolhadwalkedawayto.

“Hyungnim,whowasthatjustnow?Isawhimstandingaroundforawhile.”

Jinwoo’sreplywasshort.

“Aninsurancesalesman.”

“Ah.”

Asexpected,YooJinhoacceptedtheexplanationwithoutadoubt.Jinwoolookedaroundandasked,

“Where’syourcar?”

IftheyoungmanhadseenHyunGicheolwaitingforhim,thatmeanthemust’vebeenalsowaitingaroundnearby,butJinwoodidnotseehisride.

“Iparkeditwayoverthere,hyungnim.”

“Why?”

“Haven’ttherebeenreportsofaserialkillerinthisarea?I’mnotfromaroundhere,sopeoplewerelookingatmestrangely.”

Jinwoonodded,understanding.Itwasanincidentmakingitsroundinthenews.Thevictimsweremostlyyoungwomen.Theysaidtherewerealreadytwomurdersjustthismonth.Ofcourse,ifpeoplesawastrangeBongoparkedattheentranceoftheapartment…Itmadesensetheneighborswouldbesuspicious.

JinwoodrankthelastdropsofthejuiceandstartedwalkingtowardswhereYooJinhohadparkedthecar.

“Let’sgo.”

“Yes,hyungnim!”

________________

Themagicbeaststhistimewerelizardmen.Astheirnameimplied,thelizardmenwerehumanoidsintheshapeoflizards.Walkingontwofeet,theyusedbothweaponsandoccasionallymagic.Thelizardmenmagicianswerefewinnumber,buttheywereanannoyingenemy.

Twofireballsappearedinthelizardmenmagician’shands.

‘Magic?’

AsJinwootriedtoapproachthecaster,thetwolizardmenthatwerestanding

guardatitssideraisedtheirspears.Theirreptilianreflexeswerefast.Jinwoleapedbackwardstododgetheirspears,butthefireballslaunchedthemselvesathim,oneaftertheother.

woooosh-

“Hyungnim,watchout!”

YooJinwooscreamedfromadistance.

Bang!

Thecaveshookwiththeexplosion.

Aneyewateringsmokefilledtheroom.

“cough,cough.”

YooJinhocoveredhisfacewithahandandcoughed,buthewasmoreworriedaboutJinwoothanhimself.Thelizardmenmagician’sattackwasdangerous,andhishyungappearedtohavecaughtthebruntofit.Fortunately,Jinwooappearedfromthesmoke,lookingunharmed.YooJinhowasamazed,

‘Sasugahyungnim!’

TheysaythelizardmenwereoneofthetoughestmagicbeaststofaceinaC-rankDungeon,butJinwoohadskillfullydodgedalizardmenmagician’sattackwithouthavingahaironhimharmed.Somehow,itfeltlikethemanwasbecomingfastereveryday.

‘...Itcan’tbe,right?’

Jinwoospatoutsmallbitsofrocksfromhismouth.

“spit.”

Thespitonthegroundwasblack.

‘Thesebastards…’

Amerelizardmenusingpaltrytricksforcedhimtobreatheinsomesmoke.

Jinwoowasannoyedbythis,anditshowedonhisface.

Bloodlusthasbeenactivated.

Hiswideopeneyesradiatedapowerful,murderousrage.

Fearhasbeeninflicted.

Thetargetswilllose50%ofallattributesfor1minute.

Thelizardmenhitwiththebloodlustpanicked.

“Ssuwack?”[2]

“Ssurukka?”

JinwootookadvantageofthechaosandthrewCasaka’sPoisonedFang.Thedaggerflewinastraightline,rightintotheforeheadofoneofthelizardspearmen.

stab!

Intheirdebuffedstate,Jinwoo’sdaggerwastoofasttoavoid.

“Ssukwa!”

Watchinghiscomradefall,theotherlizardspearmanroaredwithangerandthrusthisspear.Buthisweaponstrucknothingbutair.Jinwoohadalreadydisappearedintothinair.

“Ssurukahnakka!”

Thelizardmenmagicianshoutedwithpanic.

“Ssurukahnakka!!!”

Asthemagicianrepeatedhiswordstothespearman,thewarriorlizardturnedtothemagicianandletoutabeastlyroar.

“Ssuukwa!”

Thespearmenbaredhisteethandapproachedthemagician.Themagiciandidnotloseinfightingspirit.

“Sswarik!”

Suddenly.

“Kak!”

Aholeappearedinthespearman’schest.Thebloodspilledalloverthemagician,whotookastepbackinsurprise.

“Ssuwak?”

shoooo-

As‘Stealth’wasreleased,thespearthathadpiercedthelizardspearman’schestshoweditsform.ThehandswieldingitbelongedtoJinwoo.Heletgooftheweapon,andbothitandthecorpsestucktoitdroppedtotheground.

thud

Whilethebodyfell,JinwooresummonedCasaka’sPoisonedFangfromtheothercorpse’sforeheadbackintohishand.

“Ssuwaaaaaarik!”

Thelizardmenmagician’shandscollectedfireagain.Jinwoohadnointentionsoflettingthethingannoyhimagain.

‘Sprint!’

Thedistancebetweenhimandthelizardshrankinaninstant.Thelizardmagician’seyeswidened.Itsreptilianeyeswereratherunpleasant.

flaaare-

Jinwooeasilydodgeditsflamesandappearedbehindthemagician’sback.Beforethelizardmanrealizedwhathappened,Casaka’sPoisonedFangwasstickingoutofitsspine.

‘VitalStab!’

Stab!

Themagicianscreamed.

“Kiaaaaaak!”

Thesecondtimeitwasstabbed,thescreamwasalotshorter.

Stab!

“Kak!”

Thelizardmenmagicianthrewupbloodandfell.

thud

Inhishead,Jinwoopumpedhisfists.Itwasacleanfight.

‘Alrighty!’

Asifcongratulatinghim,theSystem’selectronictonerang.

ring~

You’veleveledup!

The‘Player’hasreachedamilestonelevel.[3]

Afamiliarmessageandanunfamiliarone.

‘A“milestonelevel”?’

Atthispoint,Jinwoohadnoideawhatthismeant.Butreadingthemessagesthatfollowed,Jinwoo’sheartbeatracedtothepointitwasalmosthurting.Hehadtospendsomementalefforttotryandcalmhimself.

ring~

TheClassAdvancementQuestasarrived.[4]

Wouldyouliketoaccept?(Y/N)

‘Class…ClassAdvancementQuest?’

Upuntilnow,hehadfocusedonhislevelsandstatsanddidnotgivemuchthoughttoacertainpartofhisstatusscreen.

Name:SungJinwoo

Level:40

Class:None

Thethirdlineofhisstatusscreen,“Class”.

‘IfthereissuchathingasClassAdvancementQuest…’

Insteadof“none”,itwouldfinallybetheopportunitytoplaceadifferentwordthere.

Hewouldobtainaclass.

Inmostvideogames,theplayercharacterhadalotofchoicesinchoosingtheirclass.TheSystemthatoperatedlikeavideogameshouldbethesame.

BADUMBADUM

Hisheartbeatwasroaring.Inthefaceofanotheropportunitytobecomestronger,hecouldnotcalmhimself.

Wouldyouliketoaccept?(Y/N)

The“(Y/N)”keptblinkinginfrontofhiseyes.

‘Ofcourseit’syes…’

Whatkindofanidiotwouldthrowthischanceaway?Jinwoopreparedtoacceptthequest,butstoppedinstinctively.

‘Wait.’

Therewasnoknowingwhatkindofaquesthewouldreceive.Theinstinctivehesitationwasfollowedbyafeelingofcaution.

‘We’reinsideaDungeonrightnow.’

Theywereinthemostdangerousplaceintheworldrightnow.EvenifhehadgottenusedtotheC-rankDungeons,aDungeonwasaDungeon.Therewasnoneedtoignorantlyinvitedangerhere.

Ontopofthat,YooJinhowasalsohere.Itwasn’tthathedidn’ttrusttheyoungman.ButtherewasnoneedtocluehiminontheSystemorshowhimastrangephenomenonthatmayappearwhenheacceptedthequest.Thingsmightgetcomplicatedifhedid.

‘Also,thequestmightresultinJinhobecominghurt.’

Whatifthequestsuddenlyspawnedmonsters?

‘Well,justthatwouldbefine.’

Hejusthadtotakethemdownasfastaspossible.Butfromhisexperience,ameremonsterhuntingwasnotthelimitofthequests.Forexample,the2emergencyquestshehadtocomplete.

‘ThisquestmighttellmetokillthenearestHunternexttome.’

Itwasafaintpossibility,probablynotarealisticone,butJinwoowasnotabouttoriskit.Whilehewaslostinthought,YooJinhoranuptohim.

“Hyungnim!”

Itlookedlikethelizardmenmagician’slastattacklandedneartheyoungman,hisfacewascoveredwithsootanddust.

“Ijustsawyoudisappearandreappear!Youhadaskilllikethat?”

Despiteofhisdirtiedface,YooJinho’seyesweresparklingwithawe.Itseemedthattheyoungmanwasfascinatedbyseeingtherareskill.

‘I’mmorefascinatedbyyourfacerightnow.’

Insteadofreplying,Jinwootookoutahandkerchieffromhisinventory;itwasoneoftherandomitemsreceivedfromadailyquest.

“H-hyungnim?”

JinwooroughlywipedYooJinho’sfacewiththehandkerchief.

“Oof,mmph!”

Theclean,whitehandkerchiefquicklyturnedblack.JinwoohandedtheitemtoYooJinho.Theyoungmanlookedatthedirtyclothandrealizedwhathisfacewaslike.Hewalkedawayandquietlycleanedhisface.

“Jinho.”

“Yes,hyungnim.”

“Somethingcameup.”

YooJinhoturnedhisfacetowardshimwithsurprisingalacrity.

“Doyouhavetogo?”

“Afterfinishinguphere.”

“Iunderstand.I’llcancelthereservationontheremainingGates.”

YooJinhodidnotwanttoshowJinwoohisdisappointment,buthedeeplyregrettedthefactthattheywouldhavetogive-upontheremaining3Gates.

‘I’mstartingtorunoutoffunds…’

Totheyoungmanwhodidnotparticularlyhaveasourceofincome,the“funds”forhisplancamefromtheallowancethathehadsavedupuntilnow.Becausehewasactingwithouthisfather’sknowledge,hecouldnoteasilyaccessthefamily’smoneyinhisplan.Ifhecancelledthereservations,hewouldnotbeabletogetthefeesback.Itwouldbemoneydownthedrain.BecauseoftheunusualmethodintheirRaiding,hehadtospendalotmorethanhehadbudgetedfor.Tothinkthathewouldbewastingthereservationfeesfortoday…YooJinho’sshoulderssunk.

ButJinwoorepliedwithacalmexpression,

“Whywouldyoucancelit?It’ssowasteful.”

YooJinhotiltedhisheadinconfusion.

“Hmm?IfwereserveaGateandnotenteritintwodays,theraidingrightsareautomaticallyforfeited,hyungnim.”

OfcourseJinwooknewthisbasicfactofhunting.

“Leaveittome.”

Didhehaveaplan?

YooJinhowascurious.Atthesametime,hefeltstrangelyproudofhisreliablehyung.

________________

BaekhoGuildHeadquarters.

“ChiefAhn!Isyourheadonstraight?!”

AloudberatingwasheardfromtheSecondManagementDivisionoffice.TheownerofthevoicewasBaekYoonho.HewasBaekho’sGuildmaster,andtheonewhoactedastheorganization’spresident.Asoftenisthecase,whensomeonewhowasbasicallytheheadofacompanycamedowntoalowerfloor,itwasnotagoodthing.

“Whatdoyoumeanwestilldon’thaveaGatefornewrecruittraining?We’vealreadypushedthetrainingbackfourdays!”

TheemployeesoftheSecondManagementDivisioncouldnotraisetheireyes.Theyalllookedaway,hopingtoavoidtheGuildmaster’swrath.InfrontofBaekYoonho,AhnSangminwasreceivingtheverbalabusewithhisheadlowered.

“...”

UnlikehissubordinateHyunGicheol,AhnSangmindidnothavetheabilitytoskillfullysteertheconversationtocalmthewrathoftheotherperson.Intimes

likethese,hisbestresponsewasjusttoendureitwithaclosedmouth.Ignoringtheman’sfeelings,BaekYoonhoangrilywavedthedivision’sreportthathadfounditswaytohisdeskthismorning.

“Whatkindofanexcuseisthis?!Someotherteamwasbiddingtoohigh,sowecouldn’treserveany?IsourGuildlackingfunds?Istheotherteamsomechaebol’sson?!”

AhnSangminreally,really,reallywantedtospeakupatthatlastsentence.Butthemanheldhissilencewithanironwill.HerememberedthepromisewithJinwoo.

‘IfIopenmymouthnow,thetopicwillnaturallychangetoYooJinhoandSungJinwoo.’

NotknowingjusthowmuchAhnSangmin’sinsideswereinturmoil,BaekYoonhocontinuedhisshouting.TheS-ranker’sroaringvoicewasenoughtoalmostchaseawaytheentireroom.

“Idon’tcareifit’sonehundredortwohundredmillion,reserveadamnGate!Doyouunderstand?!”

Itwasinthatmoment.

AhnSangmin’sphonerang.

[SorryIcouldn’tpickupearlier~Iwasmeetingmyfriends~shyshyshy~][5]

Heglancedatthecallerandopenedhiseyeswideinsurprise.

“Guildmaster,Ihavetopickthisup.”

“...”

TimingwasthekeytothemainpurposeoftheSecondManagementDivision:newrecruitscouting.AhnSangminwasthebossofthatdivision.Nomatterwhatkindofamistakethemanhadmade,itwouldbetheheightoffoolishnesstonotlethimdohisjob.

“Well?Pickitup.”

BaekYoonhogaveabluntpermission.

AhnSangminapologeticallybowedhisheadtotheGuildmasterthenansweredthephone.

“Hello,thisisBaekhoGuild’sAhnSangmin.”

BaekYoonhowatchedthemanwithhisarmscrossed.

“Yes,yes.Iunderstand.I’llcomerightover,pleasewaitrightthere.”

Afterhangingup,AhnSangminimmediatelyspokeup.

“Guildmaster,Ihavetoleaveonanurgentbusiness.”

TheaceoftheSecondManagementDivision.IfthatAhnSangminspokeofan“urgentbusiness”,eveninthissituationwherehewasbeingberated…BaekYoonho’sfacerelaxedeversoslightly.

“Isitrelatedtonewrecruitscouting?”

“Yes,sir.”

Lookingattheman’sconfidentanddeterminedface,BaekYoonhorealizedsomething.

‘Andthedivisionchiefhimselfisgoing?’

ItmeantthatthetargetwasnotanordinaryHunter.BaekYoonho’sfacethatwasfilledwithragesuddenlyshowedasmile.

“HowcouldIstoptherecruitmentspecialistfromdoinghisjob?Don’tworryabouthereandgo.Doyourthing.”

AhnSangminbowedhisheadoncemore,thenquicklycallovertoHyunGicheol.

“DeputyHyun,grabthecontractandtheseals[6].”

“Yessir!”

Themanfinishedhispreparationsinaninstant.Asthetwomenquicklylefttheoffice,BaekYoonhoaskedanemployeestandingnearby,

“Whatjusthappened?Justwhatkindofarecruitisit,thatChiefAhnmovedlikethat?”

Themanheaskedturnedtoafemalecoworkerforhelp,butsheshookherhead.

Idon’tknoweither.Hereyestoldhim.

‘Sigh…’

Flustered,themanscratchedthebackofhisheadandspokewithdifficulty,

“Er…That’s…I’mnotsure…”

HeexpectedthewrathoftheGuildmastertocomedownuponhimnext,buttheGuildmasterdidnotsayanything.

‘He’sevenhidingitfromhissubordinates,isthatit?’

BaekYoonhoputahandonhischin.OneofthecrucialpiecesthatbuiltBaekhotowhatitwastodaywasChiefAhnSangmin.Andifsuchamanwasthisfocusedonhistask…

‘DidourChiefAhncomeacrosssomethingbig?’

BaekYoonho’slipswidenedtoabrightsmile.

________________

‘Whatkindofcoffeeisthisbitter?’

Jinwooscrunchedhisface.Comparedtoacanofcoffeefromavendingmachine,this“espresso”hehadorderedtastedmorelikeamedicine.Ontopofthat,itwassoexpensive.

‘YouknowhowmanycannedcoffeesIcouldbuywithsixthousandwon…?’

Asheconsideredhowmuchsugarhewouldhavetoaddtogetittothelevelofacannedcoffee,AhnSangminandHyunGicheolenteredthecafe.

“Overhere.”

Jinwoowavedhishand.

AhnSangminandHyunGicheoldiscoveredJinwooafterlookingaroundtheshopandsmiled.Theylookedliketheywereabouttowinbigonsomelottery.

“Wedidn’tthinkwe’dseeyouagainsosoon.”

AhnSangmingreetedJinwooandsatacrossfromhim.Hissubordinatesatdownnexttothedivisionchief.Jinwoogreetedthemwithalightnodofthehead.Theysaytostrikewhiletheiron’shot;AhnSangminimmediatelybegantotakeoutthecontractashesatdown.

“Sofirst,we’llgooverthecontractualconditions-”

Theman’seagernesswasblinding,butJinwoofirmlycuthimoff,

“I’mnothereforacontracttoday.”

Thehandthatwastakingoutthecontractfroze.HyunGicheol’sexpressionequallyhardened.

Asifsomeonehadpressedapausebuttononhislife,AhnSangminspokewhilehishandswerestillfrozenonthehalf-revealeddocuments,

“ThenwhatbusinessdoyouhavewiththeBaekhoGuild…?”

Ashisexpectationswerelarge,sowashisdisappointment.Thenewrecruitthathadapproachedthemofhisownwillrejectedthecontractassoonashesawit.Itcouldn’thavebeenthathechangedhismindinthatinstant.

“I’mheretohelpyouboth.”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

BothoftheBaekhoemployeesreactedinthesameway.Thepairlookedateachother,thenbackatJinwoo.Jinwoocontinuedattheconfusedpair,

“YoutoldmethatbecauseoursidewastakingupalltheC-rankGates,youwerehavingsomeissueswithnewrecruittraining,right?”

“That’sright.Evenifwedon’thaveaC-rankGate,wecan’texactlytakenewrecruitsintoahigherlevelDungeon.”

“Andthat’swhyI’mhere.”

AhnSangminwasconfused,

“I’mafraidIdon’tfollow…”

Jinwoodecidedhehadteasedthemenoughandgottothepoint,

“WecurrentlyhavethreeC-rankGatesreserved.I’dliketoselltheraidingrightstotheBaekhoGuild.”

Ah~

HyunGicheolopenedhismouthinunderstanding.ThetwomenfromBaekhofinallyunderstoodwhyJinwoowashere.AhnSangminputawaythecontractandasked,

“Ifyouwantedtohelpus,wouldn’tithavebeenbettertojustnotreservetheminthefirstplace?”

Jinwooshookhishead,

“WehaveaneedtoreservealotofC-rankGatesforawhile.”

“Thenwhytoday…?”

Jinwoosmiledwidely,

“Well,Iwantedtohelpyoutwoout.”

Shouldtheybelievehim?AhnSangminstartedtorunallsortsofpossibilitiesinhishead,butJinwoocontinued,

“Ofcourse,thisofferisonlyfortoday.Wecan’tputitoffforeverafterall.Ifyoumissthisoffer,I’mafraidit’llbedifficultforyoutoreserveaC-rankGatefora

while.”

Itwasthewayhomeshoppingchannelsalesmenwouldspeakwhenasalewasabouttoexpire.

‘Hmm…’

AhnSangminfellintocontemplation.Itwasn’tasifGatesonlyappearedinthecapitolarea.Iftheybecamedesperate,theycouldgotootherregionstotraintheirnewrecruits.However,suchamethodmightinvitecomplaintfromthatregion’sGuildsorprivateparties.Notonlythat,doingsowouldgiveoffahintofweaknesstotheothertopGuilds.Theywouldbasicallybeannouncingthattheydidnothavethepowertotraintheirnewrecruitsintheirownterritory.

‘Hmm…Thatwouldbedisgraceful.’

Itwasthetruth.WhatkindofarecruitwouldwanttoenteraGuildthatwasbelittledbytheothertopGuilds?ThisiswhyaGuild’simagewasimportant.

“Alright.”

Aftergivingitsomethought,AhnSangminmadeadecision.

“We’llbuytheraidingrights.ThreeC-rankGatesshouldjustbeenoughforus.Howmuchforallofthem?”

BaekhoGuildcertainlyhadthefundstofightfortheGatesgoingforward.ButitwouldneitherbeworthittogetintoabattleoffinancesagainstYoojinConstructionnorsourtheirrelationshipwithJinwoo.SoifJinwoowasofferingtoturnovertheGates,shouldn’ttheybethankful?

Theywerenotthankfulforhisaskingprice.

“HowaboutthreehundredmillionperGate,soninehundredmilliontotal?”

“Huk!”

Bothoftheemployeesmadeasamenoise.

“That’salittle-”

HyunGicheolstartedtoprotest,butAhnSangminquicklystoppedhim.Thiswasjustliketheirfirstmeeting.Backthen,JinwooendedthediscussionafterBaekhowasunabletomeethisaskingprice.Theycouldnotmissanopportunitylikethis.Iftheydid,itwouldbecomeverydifficulttoreserveaC-rankGateinthearea.Worstcasescenario,theywouldhavetogototheotherregionstotraintheirnewrecruits.

‘I’llatleasthavetotryacounteroffer.’

Itwastooearlytoendthenegotiations.Still,300millionforasingleGatewastoomuch.Accordingtotheirrecentinvestigation,YooJinho’steamboughttheGatesfor100millioneach.Jinwoowasaskingfor3timesthatamount.AhnSangminwassureJinwooknewasmuch.

‘Heprobablygaveahighnumber,expectingustonegotiateitdown.’

ThedivisionchiefrememberedhisGuildmaster’swordsashelefttheoffice.

“Idon’tcareifit’sonehundredortwohundredmillion,reserveadamnGate!Doyouunderstand?!”

Thiswasasgoodasreceivingpermissionfromthecompanypresident.SincetherestoftheSecondManagementDivisionheardthesamething,theGuildmasterwouldprobablynotretracthiswords.AhnSangmingulpedandgaveacounteroffer,

“Threehundredisabithardforus,howabouttwohund-”

“Worksforme.”

BeforeAhnSangminevenfinished,Jinwooheldoutahand.AhnSangmintookthehand,flustered.

“So…sowe’reinagreement?”

“Yes,twohundredmillionperC-rankGate.Pleaseputitintothisaccount.”

Itfeltlikethenegotiationwasovertooquickly,butAhnSangminwasstillglad.ThemanshookJinwoo’shandandbowedhishead.

“Thankyouverymuch.”

“Itwasnothing.”

Jinwoowassmilingwidely.AhnSangminthoughtthathehadscoredsomesmallvictoryhere.HehadsolvedtheissueofnewrecruittrainingandfurtheredtheGuild’srelationshipwithJinwoo.

‘Atransactionlikethisisthefirststeptobuildingfaith.’

Yes.Stepbystep,hewouldbuildagoodrelationshipwithJinwoo.Eventually,he’llcomeovertotheirside.Peopledidnotspitinthefaceofsomeonesmilingatthem,nordidtheyignoreapresentthatwasgiven.Inhisheart,AhnSangminpumpedhisfistsinaccomplishment.

Jinwoowasthefirsttorise.

“Then,I’llseeyouagainsomeday.Ah,Iforgot,here-”

Jinwooheldoutashoppingbagwithatumblerinitandreturnedittoitsowner

“Thankyouforthat.Itwasdelicious.”

“I’mgladitwastoyourtastes.”

HyunGicheoltooktheshoppingbag,andJinwooleftthecafe.

AfterwalkingsomedistanceawayfromtheBaekho’semployees,JinwoocalledYooJinho.Theyoungmanansweredthecallwithasurprisedvoice,

-“Hyungnim,thefundsreallycamein.Sixhundredmillion?”

“...”

Jinwoosilentlylaughed.Thetransactionwasasuccess.Hemanagedtoselltheraidingrightsthatwould’vebeenthrownawayfortwicewhattheypaid.Itwasanincredibledeal.YooJinhoaskedwithaweinhisvoice,

-“Hyungnim,justhowdidyoupullthisoff?WheredidyouselltheC-rankGates?”

“It’satradesecret.”

-“Eh?”

“Restwell,I’llseeyouintwodays.”

WhileYooJinhowasflustered,Jinwoohungup.

________________

Thatnight.

TheSecondManagementDivisionoffice.

HyunGicheolfranticallylookedforAhnSangmin.

“Chief!Chief!”

“Whatisit?”

AhnSangminturnedawayfromhiscomputer.HyunGicheolheldouthisphonewithapanickedexpression.

“Lookatthis!”

“Justwhatisit?”

Lookingatthephonescreen,AhnSangmin’seyesnarrowed.

‘Thisis…?’

ItwastheHunterAssociation’swebsiteavailableonlyforHunters.ThewebsiterevealedtheinformationonGatesthathadappeared.Thephonewasspecificallyinthereal-timeraidingrightsreservationsection.

“Whatthe?!ThereareplentyofC-rankGatesinourarea!”

“Iknow!Andmostofthemwerereservedforlessthantenmillion!”

“Wait…Areyoutellingme…”

AhnSangmindreadedHyunGicheol’snextwords,

“YooJinho’steamdidn’treserveanyGatestoday.”

HethenrecalledJinwoo’swordsfromthefirstphonecalltheyhad.

“I’llhavesomefreetimeonThursday.”

TomorrowwasthatThursday.

Fromthestart,YooJinho’steamhadnoplanstoRaidtomorrow.AhnSangminhadforgottenaboutthisandpurchasedtheraidingrightsforanexpensiveprice.

“Hah…”

AhnSangmingroaned.Thefactswereallthere,buthefailedtoputthemtogether.Itwasagravemistake.Well,thatmistakemanagedtocalmthewrathoftheGuildmaster.

“Ithinkhegotus,chief.”

Asifoncue,AhnSangminreceivedamessage.

beepbeep

ItwasSungJinwoo.

Lookslikewe’reevennow.I’llforgetaboutthespyingbusinesswiththis.

‘Hahaha,theman’snottobeunderestimated.’

AhnSangminswallowedalaughter.IfJinwooreallymeanttooverlookthespying,AhnSangmindidnotfeelbadatallaboutbeingtricked.TheirfinalobjectivewastorecruitJinwoo,afterall.TheamountthattheyspenttodaywasnothingforBaekho.

“Let’sjustconsideritaninvestmentintoSungJinwoo.”

Ifonlytheycouldgainsomethingworthyfromtheirinvestment.AhnSangminlookedatthemessagewithasmilethenputawayhisphone.

________________

Aftersendingthemessage,Jinwoolookedaroundthesurrounding.

Therewasnoonearound.

Hewasinthemiddleofaforest.

Toplanforallpossibilities,hehadchosenasecludedplace.

Thetimewas5:44PM.Therewouldbenoonehikingatthishour.Justincase,hehadstillpickedaplacefarawayfromanyhikingtrails.

‘ShallIgetstarted?’

JinwooopenedtheSystem’smessagebox.

TheClassAdvancementQuesthasarrived.

Wouldyouliketoaccept?(Y/N)

Asifwaitingforhim,themessageappearedinfrontofhiseyes.

gulp

Evenafterallofhisprogress,Jinwoocouldnothelpbutbewaryofwhatwastocome.Still,hisexcitementintheanticipationofgrowtheclipsedhisfear.

Amomentago,whilehewaslookingforasuitablespottostartthequest,Jinwoohadusedhisphonetolookthroughvariousvideogamewikisonclasses.

[Newskill.]

[Growthbenefits.]

[Class-specificweapons.]

[Class-onlyquests]

[...Etc]

Onethingwascommonacrossdifferentvideogames:classadvancementhadmanygreatbenefitsandrewards.

‘Anditbecamepossibleformeatlevelforty.’

Ofcourse,noteverythinghefoundwaspositive.Therewereforumpostshereandtherecomplaining:

[I’mworriedthatIpickedthewrongclass.]

[F***,ifIknew,Iwould’vepickedadifferentclass.]

[Imesseduponmybuild.IthinkI’mdonewiththisgame.]

[DoIhavetodeletemycharacter?]

...Well,theywerestilltalkingaboutvideogames.

Jinwoowasn’tthatworriedaboutwhatclasshewouldpick.Hehadsolelyusedadaggerupuntilnow,andevenhisskillswereallrelatedtoanassassinclass.

‘Daggerskillsandsomethinglike‘Stealth’.’

Ontopofthat,hisattributeswerelargelyfocusedonstrengthandagility.Becauseofthis,Jinwoocouldn’tthinkofobtainingaclassotherthanAssassin.Thinkingabouttheidea,JinwoosummonedCasaka’sPoisonedFangfromhisinventory.

shooo-

Thedagger’sgripfeltperfectinhishand.Henoddedtohimself.

‘Yep,thisiswhatI’musedto.’

Withthedaggerinhand,Jinwoomovedhisgazetowardsthequestscreen.

‘Wellthen…’

Hebeganplanningforasmanypossibilitiesaspossible.Aftertakingamomenttopreparehisheart,Jinwoorepliedtothemessage.

TheClassAdvancementQuesthasarrived.

Wouldyouliketoaccept?(Y/N)

‘Accept.’

Themomenthespokethewordinhismind,amessagedfollowed.

ring~

You’veaccepttheClassAdvancementQuest.

ADungeonwillbecreatedforthequest.

‘ADungeon…willbecreated?’

Beforehecouldfullygraspthemeaningofthemessage,achangeoccurredinthespaceinfrontofhim.

wooooong-

Atinyblackholeappearedbeforehiseyes,butthatwasjustthestart.

woowooooong-

Theholethatwasassmallasabeangrewtoasizeofacoin,thenavolleyball,thenfinallybecamelargeenoughforamantoenter.

‘Thisis…?’

Jinwoo’seyeswerewideopen.Afteracceptingthequest,hehadexpectedanotherinformationscreenwiththequest’sinformationwouldfollowbutnotthis…

AGatehadformedbeforehiseyes.

‘TothinkthatitwouldevenmakeaGate…’

ThephenomenoninfrontofhimwasexactlythesameastheGatesthatappearedintheworld.Onlydifferencewasthatitwasabitsmallerthantheonehehadseen.TheSystem’smessagecontinued,beckoninghimin.

PleaseentertheDungeonthroughtheGate.

‘Let’sbecalm.’

Jinwoocalmedhisheart.

Yes.

Ifhethoughtaboutit,whetherheenteredusingakeyorthroughaGate,aDungeonwouldbewaitingontheotherside.HewasjustsurprisedatthecreationofanartificialGateinfrontofhiseyes.WhilehehadenteredmanyGatesbefore,hehadneverseenonebeingcreated.Whenhereachedthatlineofthought,anideaappearedinhishead,

‘Wait…CouldotherHuntersenterthisGate?’

Well,therewasnotimetoexperiment.Thereweren’tanyotherHuntersinthevicinity,nordidheknowofanyHuntersthatwouldcomerunningif..he...called….

JinwooerasedYooJinho’sfacefromhismindandshookhishead.

‘WhatwouldIdoifsomethingwentwrong.’

TheSystem’smessageblinkedasifremindinghim,

ring~

PleaseentertheDungeonthroughtheGate.

Jinwoowassnappedbacktorealitybytheelectronictone.Heslappedhischeekstofocus.

‘Now’snotthetimetogetdistracted.’

Successherewouldmeanobtainingaclassandotherrewards.Hedreadedwhatfailurewouldentail.Hehadtobefocused.

“Whew-”

Afteradeepbreath,JinwooheldCasaka’sPoisonedFanginareversegripand

enteredtheGate.

--------------------

[1]:“ClassAdvancement”():lit.“tochangejobs”.I’vetranslated“job”as“class”inhisstatusscreen.

[2]:Randomnoisesmadebythelizardmen

[3]:“milestonelevel”():“demanded/asked”+“level”inenglish.Contextuallychangedituptoa“milestone”instead.

[4]:“ClassAdvancement”():I’vementionedthisbefore,buttheliteralmeaningis“tochangejobs”.I’vetakenatranslator’slibertyandchanged“job”into“class”.Norealimpactonthestory.

[5]:Itookthetranslationdirectlyfromakpoplyrictranslationwebsite.Forthoseofyouintok-pop,yes,AhnSangminisaOnce.

[6]:InKorea,businesses/individualuseofficial/personalsealstoofficializevariousdocuments.

Volume3

Chapter1:SystemDungeon

You’veenteredtheDungeon.

‘Huh?’

Tobehonest,hehadenteredtheGatewithagreatanticipation.Contrarytohisexpectations,therewasnotmuchtobesurprisedatinside.ItwasjustasimplecaveDungeon.

“It’sthesameasalways…?”

Hehadheardthathigh-levelDungeonswouldconnecttodifferenttypesofinteriorsandexpectedsomethingsimilarbutwasdisappointed.Aspecialmessagedidappear,however,

ring~

Inthisplace,usageofpotionsandtheshopisrestricted,andlevelingupwillnotrestoreyourstatus.

Jinwooputawaythedaggerafterconfirmingthattherewerenomagicbeastsaround.

‘...Lookslikethiswon’tbeeasy.’

SincethiswasaspecialDungeonforclassadvancement,itseemedthattherewereafewconditions.Thefactthathecouldnothealhimselfthroughpotionsorlevel-upswasparticularlytroubling.

‘Thatmeansevensmalldamagewillaccumulateovertime.’

Aninjurywouldspelltheendhere.Withoutmeansofrecovery,hewouldhavetobecautiousofeverymovehemade.

‘Ireally,reallyhavetobefocused.’

Jinwooclosedthemessagebox.Ashealwaysdid,hecheckedtheexitoftheDungeon.

Untilyourclassadvancementiscomplete,youcannotleave.

ThemomentheplacedhishandontheGate,thatmessageappeared.Heputhisbackintoit,buttheexitdidnotbudge.

“...”

Heretractedhishand.

‘Sothepathtoretreatisblocked.’

HehadyettofigureoutthedifficultyoftheDungeon.Additionally,hecouldnotrecoverhishealthhere.Finally,therewasnoleavinguntilhewasfinished.

Theriskthistimewasveryhigh.EventhebravestofHunterswouldhesitatebeforeenteringwithsuchconditions.

‘Butahighriskdoesn’tnecessarymeanthatit’sbad.’

Highriskequaledhighrewards.Hehadlearnedasmuchfromhisexperiences.Ifalltheseconditionsmadethequestharder,perhapsanequallygreatrewardwaitedattheend.

Well,therewasonlyonewaytofindout.

‘Timetogo.’

Jinwoobegantowalkdeeperintothecave.Hecouldnotseetheendofthetunnelandatthesametimedidnotseeorsenseanymagicbeasts.

‘Wait,sincethisistheSystem’sterritory,shoulditbe“monsters”andnot“magicbeasts”?’

Eh,intheend,theywerebothdangerousbeings.

TherewasonedifferenceinthisplacecomparedtothenormalcaveDungeons.Thecave’swallsweredecoratedwithtorches,placedevenlyacrossthepath.

‘Torchesinsteadofglowingrocks.Hmm...’

Thetorcheswerenotaneffectivesourceoflight.Evenifthereweremanyofthem,itwasnotenoughtocompletelyilluminatethedarktunnel.Assuch,theflickeringlightproducedmanyshadowshereandthere.ThecombinationoftheshadowsandthesilenceproducedaverydrearyatmospherecomparedtoanormalDungeon.

‘Well,Idon’thaveanyproblemsseeing.’

Whatbotheredhimwastheimpactithadonhismood.

Jinwoowentoverandremovedtheclosesttorchfromthewall.Thewayforwardbecameslightlybrighter.

‘Thisisbetter.’

Jinwoosmiledinsatisfaction.Hetookabrieflookbehindhim,thenstartedforwardagain,torchinhand.

________________

Howlongdidhewalkinthisstraightpath?

Aftersometime,hefinallycameacrossaturn.Aroundthecorner,hefeltseveralpresences.

‘Finally.’

Hecarefullydroppedthetorchontheground.

shooo-

Intheplaceofthetorch,hisrighthandnowheldadagger.Hebrieflyconsideredusing‘Stealth’togainapreemptiveadvantagebutdecidedtoconservehismana;potionscouldnotbeusedafterall.Ifhecarelesslyspenthismana,hemightnotbeabletouseaskillinapivotalmoment.

‘...They’recomingthisway.’

Jinwoohuggedthewallwithhisback,thenwaitedfortheenemiestocome

aroundthecorner.

clang,clang

Ametallicsoundrangwhiletheywerewalkingtowardshim.Thesoundcamecloserandcloser.

clang,clang

Attherambunctioussound,Jinwoowondered,

‘Aretheyholdingsomesortofachainweapon?’

Hewascuriousbutdidnotworry.Hewouldfindoutinamoment.

‘5,4,3.’

Heheldhisdaggerinareversegripandheldhisbreath.Hedidnotwantthesoundofhisbreathingtobeheard.

‘2,1.’

clang,clang.

Finally,theirshadowsappearedaroundthecorner.

‘...0.’

AsJinwoofinishedcountingdown,thethingshoweditself.Jinwooimmediatelywentforitsneck.

Clang!

Thesoundofmetalstrikingmetalrangloudly.Hisdaggerdidnotpiercethetarget.

‘Armor?’

Jinwoowassurprised.Confirmingtheidentityofhisenemy,hequicklybackedway.

“Human?”

Itwasaknightequippedwithafullsetofarmor.Evenitsfacewascoveredbyahelmet.Justincase,Jinwoocalledtowardit,

“Oy!”

TheknightreactedbychargingtowardJinwoo.

clang,clang,clang!

TheknightvigorouslyusedhisshoulderstotryandtackleJinwoo,buttheHuntereasilytwistedhisbodytododgetheattack.Theknightcouldnotstopitsmomentumandranforwardforabitbeforestopping.

‘Nothuman?’

Afterexpandinghissenseabitmore,Jinwoowassure.Theknightdidnothaveaheartbeat.Itwasamagicbeast,orrather,amonsterthathehadneverseenbefore.Tothinkthatthere’dbeamonstercoveredfromheadtotoeinarmor.

‘So…’

Itwasalmostasifhewasfightinganotherhuman.

shiing!

Theknightturnedaroundandunsheathedtheswordatitsside.AsJinwoothought,ithadnointentionoflettinghimleavealive.Confirmingeachother’shostility,Jinwoo’seyesbecamealevelsharper.

‘Sprint!’

Yourmovementspeedisincreasedby40%.

Thefirsttostrikewouldbethevictor!

Beforetheknightcouldreachhim,Jinwooentereditsrangefirst.

slash!

TheHunterdodgeditspanickedswingandstabbeditsarmorhereandthere.

Clang!Clang!

Buthecouldnotdoanydamage.

‘Thearmor’stoothick.’

Notonlythat,itcouldalmostbedescribedasslippery.Hisdaggerhelplesslyslidoffandwasdeflectedeverytimehestruckthearmor.Theknightswungitsswordinahorizontalline.

slash!

Jinwooloweredhisheadtododge.Thebladeoftheswordpassedjustinchesabovehishead.Asitsattackwaspowerful,theopeningcreatedaftermissingwasequallyhuge.Jinwoodidnotmisstheopportunity.Stillinmeleerange,Jinwoofocusedallofhispowerintohisdagger.

‘VitalStab!’

Crack!

Thedaggerpiercedthroughthearmor.

‘Diditwork?’

However,asifitdidn’tdoanydamage,theknightignoredthedaggerstickingoutofitssideandbroughtdowntheswordinaverticalline.

Slash!

Jinwoothrewhisbodybackwards.

Clang!

Sparksflewfromthegroundtheswordstruck.

“...”

Jinwoostraightenedhimselfaftertakingfewstepsback.Casaka’sPoisonedFang

wasstillstucktotheknight’sside.

Che.

Jinwooclickedhistongue.

‘He’snotexactlystrong.’

Itwastrue.Becauseofitsarmor,theknightwasslow.Notonlythat,itsattackpatternwasrathersimple.Theprimaryobstaclewasitstoughresistancetobladedweapons.

Jinwoorolleduphissleeves.

‘Ifit’satougharmorabladecan’tgetthrough,I’vealreadygotsomeexperience.’

Hismaintainedhiscomposure.Herecalledthescalesofabossthateffortlesslybrokeamagicpowerinfusedsteelsword.Herememberedhowhetookdownthatgiantsnake.

‘ComparedtoCasaka,thisbastard’snothing…’

Thinkingofthefirstbossheeverwonagainst,Jinwoosmiledinnostalgia.

clang,clang,clang!

Theknight,confidentinitsarmor,chargedatJinwoooncemore.

‘Asexpected,it’snotthatsmart.’

Jinwooeasilydodgedtheknight’sshouldertackleandmaneuveredbehinditsbackandputitinaheadlock.

craaack!

Ofcourse,itsneckwasalsoarmored;itprobablywouldnotbechokedjustbythis.

craaaaaack!

Jinwoo’sarmsflexedandshowedtheirveins.Hewasnottryingtochoketheknight.Heclenchedhisteeth,andhiseyesflaredopen.

CRACK!

Withasickeningsound,thehelmetwasremoved.Thiswasthepowerofthestrengthstatthathadreachedabove100.Havinglostitshead,theknightknelttotheground.

Clang!

You’vedefeatedtheKnight.

Thewelcomingsightofamessagesignaledtheendofthefight.Whiletherewasalightindicatingadropcomingfromtheknight’scorpse,Jinwoowasfocusedonsomethingelse.

‘Whatthe,it’sempty?’

Therewasnoheadinthehelmethewasholding.Healsolookedinsidethekneelingarmorbutfounditjustasempty.

‘ThenwasIfightingwithamovingarmor?’

Ashereachedthatconclusion,twomoreknightsappearedaroundthecorner.Itappearedthattheyhadfinallyrealizedthattherewasafightgoingon.

clang,clang.

HavingdiscoveredJinwoo,thetwoknightstookouttheirswordsinunison.

shiing-

shiing-

Jinwoothrewasidethehelmetandstretchedhisneckandshoulders.Heknewthemethodofdefeatingthemnow.

‘Shallwebegin?’

clang,clang,clang,clang!

Jinwoosmiledattheapproachingknights.

Thequestwasgoingsmoothlysofar.

Wasitbecauseoftherestrictions?

Thedropratewasgood.Hehadonlytakendownthreeknights,buttwoofthemdroppedanitem.Itwasadroprateof66.6%.Hehadnotseenaratelikethisanywhereelsebefore.Ontopofthat,mostoftheitemsdroppedinInstantDungeonsweretrashthatweresoldtotheshop.Thiswasnotthecasehere.

You’vefounda“High-levelKnight’sBreastplate”[1]

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

‘OfcourseIwould.’

ThebreastplateofthefirstknightJinwootookoutslowlydisappearedthenreappearedinfrontofhisfeet.

thud

Theequipment’sinformationpoppedup.

High-levelKnight’sBreastplate

Rarity:B

Type:Armor

PhysicalDamageReduction+7%

(Ifyourstrengthisbelow80,yourmovementswillbeslowed.)

7%physicaldamagereduction!Combinedwithhisnaturalbuff,hecouldincreasehisdamagereductiontoatotalof27%.

‘IfIreacha100%,doIjustbecomeimmunetophysicaldamage?’

HedismissedthethoughtafterrealizingthataB-rankequipmentonlygave7%.Ifthepatternstuck,anA-rankequipmentwouldprobablynotgive30%or40%

reduction,soreaching100%wouldbeimpossible.

‘Still,everylittlebitcounts.’

Gatheringtheboostsbitbybitwouldhaveagreatimpactdowntheline.HerememberedtheeffectivenessofgoodequipmentthefirsttimehesawYooJinho.

‘SoIjustdothis,right?’

Heheldupthebreastplate.Asexpected,theSystemaskedhimwithamessage,

Wouldyouliketoequipthe“High-levelKnight’sBreastplate”?

Justlookingatthearmor,itwasnotsomethinghewantedtobeseenwalkingaroundin.Ifitwasn’tforhisexperienceswith“Gatekeeper’sNecklace”,hewould’vebeenalotmorehesitant...

‘Yes.’

ring~

The“High-levelKnight’sBreastplate”hasbeenequipped.

Thebreastplatewasinvisibletotheeye.Jinwooopeneduphisstatusscreentoconfirmthebenefits.

PhysicalDamageReduction:27%

‘Thereductionincreased.’

Hefelthischest;hedidnotfeelanythingthere.Hetwistedandstretchedhisbodybutdidnotfeelthearmorhinderhim.Itwasalmostasifitwasn’tthere.ItwasthesameasthetimeheequippedtheGatekeeper’sNecklace.

‘Good.’

Jinwooturnedhisgazetotheotherknight,crumpledupinacorner.Itscrushedformsparkedwiththelightofadrop.

You’vefounda“LeatherPouch”

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

Althoughitwashishandiwork,hefeltalittlebadatitsmangledbody.Itseemedthathecouldnotcontrolhisstrengthwhenusinghisbarehandsinafight.

“...”

Withasolemnexpression,hestretchedahandtothelight,

‘Acquire.’

You’veopenedtheleatherpouch.

Therewas30,000goldinside.

You’veacquired30,000gold.

‘Huh?’

Withoutevenappearinginhishands,theleatherpouchwasjustopened.Itappearedthatthiswasalittledifferentthantheotheritems.Heopenedhisinventoryandconfirmedthathehadreceivedthe30,000gold.

CurrentGold:863,400

‘Thirtythousandinonego,eh?’

Wasitbecauseknightsnormallycarriedthatmuch?Herememberedthatinvideogames,humanoidmonstersoftendroppedmoreitemsthanothers.Well,itmadesensethathumanscarriedmorethingsthanbeastsorbugs.NotthatitwascertaintheSystemwascopyingallofthat.Still,thiswasgoodnews.Therewerestillmanythingshewantedtobuywithgold,anditwouldbegoodifgoldkeptdroppingthisway.

‘AnythingelseIcouldtake?’

Theysaytherewasnoendtoman’sgreed.Jinwoolookedaroundwithgreedyeyes.Theknights’armorswereallcrushedbyhishandsanddidnotlookusable…Hisgazefellupontheirswords.

‘Thatlooksusable.’

Acleanlongswordthatlookednew.Sinceitwasnotadagger,hedidn’tplanonusingit,buthecouldprobablysellintheshoportootherHunters.Jinwoopickedupthesword.However,themomentheraisedtheweapon,itrapidlyrustedthenturnedtodustinhishands.

“Shit…”

Ithappenedinablinkofaneye.

‘Itwon’tletmeobtainanythingifit’snotadrop?’

Regrettable,buttherewasnothinghecoulddo.Heclappedhishandsandpickedupthetorchhehaddroppedearlier.

Turningaroundthecornertowheretheknightshadcomefrom,hesawyetanotherdeep,darktunnel.

“...”

Itseemedthattherewasstillalongwaytogo...

________________

Itwasfunny,butitalmostseemedlikehehadtostudytheencounterslikeatest.After2hoursofwanderingtheDungeon,hehadcomeacross4typesofmonsters:

Knights,Mages,AssassinsandArchers.

“Isit‘Stealth’thistime?”

Theassassinhaddisappearedbeforehiseyes.Withoutpanicking,Jinwooimmediatelyfocusedhissensesanddetectedtheenemyapproachingfromhisback.

clang!

Jinwooparriedtheassassin’sdaggerwithCasaka’sPoisonedFang,thenquicklycounterattackedafteritfelloffhisbalance.Hisdaggerfounditswaystraightintotheenemy’schest.

stab!

You’vedefeatedtheAssassin.

You’veleveledup!

Afterreceivingafatalblow,theassassinturnedintoblacksmokewithoutsomuchasascream.

thud

Allthatwasleftinitsplacewastheleatherarmoritwaswearing.

‘Iwonderwhythey’reallhumanoid.’

Jinwoothoughtthiseverytimehedefeatedoneofthem.Thankfully,hedidnotgettoseetheirfaceswhentheyfought.Theknightshadtheirhelmets,theassassinsandarcherstheirleatherhoods,andthemagescoveredtheirheadswiththehoodoftheirrobes.

Jinwooturnedtocontinueonhispath.

Suddenly,aflashblindedhisvision.Amagethathiditspresencehadcompletedcastingitslight-elementspell.

Bang!

Itwasanexplosionthatpiercedtheears!

ButJinwoohadalreadymovedbehindthemage.

“...!”

Themagedetectedapresencebehinditandquicklybegantocastaspell,butJinwoohadalreadybroughtdownhisdaggerdownuponit.Themagedisappearedwithablacksmoke.

thud

Jinwoostaredattherobethatlostitsownerandputawayhisdagger.

‘Iwashitbyanattacklikethatbefore,yousee.’

Infact,hewasalreadypreparingtomovewhenhefeltthecollectionofmanafromadistance.JoGyuhwan’slight-elementmagic.Jinwoowasnotasnaiveastobestruckbyanattackhewashitwithbefore.Thiswasthemeaningofstudyingtheencounters.

‘Notonlythat.’

Eachofthemonstersneededaspecificstattodealwith.

Knightswithstrength,assassinswithsense,archerswithagilityandmageswithconstitution.

Iftheappropriatestatwasnotaboveacertainlevel,dealingwiththecorrespondingenemywould’vebeenverydifficult.Withalowstrength,hewouldn’thavebeenabletodamagethearmoroftheknight;withalowsense,hewouldn’thavebeenabletodetecttheassassin.

‘Lookslikedistributingmystatsevenlywashelpfulforsituationslikethis’

Well,hisintelligencewasabitlow,butthatcouldbedealtwithbymanaginghismanacarefully.

You’veopenedtheleatherpouch.

Therewas20,000goldanda“canteenwithwarmwater”inside.

You’veacquired20,000goldanda“canteenwithwarmwater”.

Jinwooopenedhisinventoryandtookoutthecanteenanddrankfromit.

“Whew-”

Fatiguewaspilingup.

‘HowmuchlongerdoIhavetogo?’

No,wasthereevenanend?

Jinwoodroppedtheemptycanteenandstoodwithhishandsonhiship.It’sbeen

3hourssincehehadstartedthequest.Bothhisbodyandmindwerebecomingtired.

‘...ShouldIrestforabit?’

Hesatdownwithhisbackagainstthecavewall.

‘Statusscreen.’

ring~

Fatigue:66

Hisfatiguehadalmostreachedadangerouspoint.Above70,itwouldhaveanoticeabledebuffonhisbodyandmind.Evenforamoment,hehadtoresthiseyesandrecoverhisstamina.Jinwoorestedhisheadagainstthewallandquicklybegantodozeoff.Eveninthisenvironment,hewassotiredthathewouldfallasleepinamoment.Unfortunately…

thwip-!

Asharpsoundflewacrosstheair!Withhisagilitystatslowingdowntheworld,Jinwoowasabletograbthearrowthatwasflyingtowardshim.

grab!

TheHunter’seyesshotopen.Atadistance,thearcherwaspreparingitsnextshot.

‘Won’tletmeevensleep,huh.’

JinwoosummonedCasaka’sPoisonedFangashegotup.

________________

crack!

ThebreastplatecavedinatJinwoo’spunch,andtheknightstruckthewall.Itsbodysliddownthewall,sprawledoutonthegroundandstoppedmoving.

ring~

You’vedefeatedtheKnight.

You’veleveledup!

Itwasunfortunatethatitwasnotaccompaniedbyastatusrecovery,butJinwoowasstillsteadilylevelingupthroughthebattles.Itwasasmallconsolationamidstthepilingupfatigue.Themanstaredathisslightlyscratchedknucklesandclickedhistongue.Itwouldbeniceifhecouldjustrestforalittlebit,butthemonstersdidnotgivehimanyroomtobreathe.Thankfully,theydiddropalotofitems.

Equipment[2]

Gatekeeper’sNecklace(A)

High-levelKnight’sBreastplate(B)

Mid-levelAssassin’sShoes(B)

Low-levelArcher’sGloves(C)

High-levelMage’sRing(B)

Otherthanwhathehadequipped,therewereseveralitemsthatheputawayinhisinventoryaswell.

‘Wishtheydroppedausableweapon.’

Unfortunately,thedaggersdroppedbytheassassins,whilehavingasimilarattackpowerasCasaka’sPoisonedFang,didnothaveanyspecialeffectssocouldnotbeconsideredanupgrade.

‘Alright,what’veyougot?’

Jinwoostretchedahandtowardthelightfromthefallenknight.

ring~

High-levelKnight’sGauntlet

Rarity:B

Type:Armor

PhysicalDamageReduction+3%

Additionaleffect:Protectsthehandsfrominjury

(Ifyourstrengthisbelow80,yourmovementwillbeslowed.)

‘Oooh.’

Jinwooobtainedthegauntletswithahappyexpressionandequippedthem.Justliketheotherequipment,thegauntletsdidnotshowtheirformanddidnotimpedehisfingers.

‘Good.’

Aftermovinghisfingersaround,Jinwooraisedhishead.

Aheadofthetunnel,thetorchesthatlinedthewallfinallyended.Attheirendwasagiantdoor.Jinwoorememberedtheentranceoftheundergroundtemplefrombackthen.Hispartywasnotpreparedandmetatragicfatethroughthedoors.

Itwouldbedifferentthistime.

Jinwoolookedbackonthepaththathehadwalkedsofar.

‘It’sbeensixhourssinceIcameinhere…’

Hislevelhadreached45,andhehadpickedupalotofnewequipment.

Hewasprepared.

Hewantedtorestforabitandrecoverhisstamina,butheknewthatitwouldjustsummonmoremonstersthatwouldinterrupthissleep.Hecouldnotaffordtoincreasehisfatigueanymorethroughsuchencounters.

HP:4,511/8,330

MP:660/790

Fatigue:43

‘Ihavetowinwithjustthis.’

Afterperformingafinalcheckonhisstatus,Jinwoograbbedthehandlesofthedoor.

guoooooooo-!

Asifmovedbysomeunknownmechanism,thedoorsopenedaparteasily.

--------------------

[1]:“High-levelKnight’sBreastplate”():“advanced/highlevel”+“knight”+“breastplate”

[2]:Allprettyliteralandstraightforward.Theequipmentaredividedinto3tiers,high-level,mid-levelandlow-level(,,).

Chapter2:Blood-RedYgritte

Kooong-!

Thedoorsofthebossroomopened.Insideoftheroomwasdark.Evenwithhisraisedsensestat,itwashardforJinwootoseeinside.Allthathecouldseewasthefrontofhisfeet.Thefloorwasneatlylinedwithstoneslabs.Thegreystonesgaveoffacoldfeelingcomparedtotheheatofhisbody.

Themomenthetookastepontothoseslabs,

flaaare-!

Thenumeroustorchesthatlinedtheinterioroftheroomalllitup,illuminatingthearea.

‘AsIthought…it’sthesameastheundergroundtemple.’

Jinwoocouldnotlowerhisguard.Hecautiouslywalkedwhileobservinghissurroundings.Thesidesoftheroomcontainedgiantpillars,andatthedeependoftheroomwasalargethrone.

‘Thisremindsmeof…’

Itwasreminiscentofaking’sthroneroomthathesawinamovie.Well,thescalewasquitedifferent.

Afterhehadtakenfewstepsintotheroom,thedoorbehindhimclosedwithaloudsound.

Slam!

Hetookaglancebackbutdidnotpanic.Hehadalreadypredictedasmuch.Hecontinuedforward.

‘...Isenseastrongpresence.’

Hefeltthattofinishtheclassadvancementquest,hewouldhavetoreachthethroneahead.Thatkindofthinkinghadmostlyworkedoutsofar,buthewaswrongthistime.

Ashenearedthethrone,anarmoredformhiddenbehindapillarrevealeditselfandslowlywalkedinfrontofhim,blockinghispath.

stepstep

stop.

ThethingstoppedandturnedtofaceJinwoo.

gulp

Heknewthiswastheboss.Itsnameinredletters,floatingaboveitshead,toldhimasmuch.

‘KnightCaptain,Blood-redYgritte’[1]

Itwasaknightwearingaredarmor.Thearmorpartwassameastheknightshehadfacedbefore,butcomparedtothoselumberingenemies,thisonelookedalotmoreagile.WhatstoodouttoJinwoowasitshelmet.Thetopofthehelmetwasadornedwithaplumage.Itwasastreakofredhairthatstartedfromthetopofthehelmetandfellbackwards,lookinglikeahorse’stail.Whilelookingoverthehelmet,Jinwoonoticedsomethingelse,

‘He…hehaseyes?’

Orrather,inthespotwhereaperson’seyesshouldbe,theopeningofthehelmetglowedwithtwosilverlights.Its“eyes”werereminiscentoflightcomingfromamachineandgaveoffasenseofcoldness.ThoseeyeswerelookingatJinwoo.Itraisedthehaironthebackofhisneck.

‘Sothiswastheownerofthepowerfulpresence…’

Perhapsdefeatingitwasthegoaloftheclassadvancementquest.Ifthatwasthecase,Jinwoohadtobecareful.HekeptaneyeonYgritte’smovementsandraisedhisfists.

‘Daggerwon’tworkanyways.’

Whatwasneededtodefeataknightwasdestructivepower.Hewouldneedhisstrength.

“...”

YgrittewaswatchingJinwoo,thensuddenlyremoveditsredcape.

thud

Thecapefellontotheground.

‘Hmm?’

Itsstrangebehaviordidnotstopthere.

Theknighttookoutthelongswordandthetwodaggersatitssidesandthrewthemontothefloor,oneatatime.Itwasaslow,deliberateact,sendingamessagetoJinwoo.

clang.

clang.clang.

Thesilenceofthebossroomwasbrokenbytheloudsoundsofthemetalfallingontothestoneslabs.Havingdiscardedhisweapons,Ygritteraisedhisfistsandtookafightingstance,imitatingtheHunter.

Jinwoo’seyeswidened.

‘Isthisbastard…’

Washegoingtofighthiminahand-to-handcombatbecauseJinwoodidnottakeoutaweapon?TheHunterbithislips.

‘...Lookingdownonme?’

ThemonsterhadsucceededintauntingJinwoowithoutusingaskill.However,Jinwoomaintainedhisfocus.Theangrierhegot,themorehecooledhimself.Comparedtotheincreasingspeedofhisheartbeat,Jinwoo’seyesshonewith

sharpness.

‘Come.’

Asifreadinghismind,Ygrittechargedathiminastraightline.

step,step,step,step!

Itwasanunthinkablespeedforanarmoredbeing.

‘Myarmorsaidstrengthbeloweightyresultedinamovementpenalty.’

Thatmeanttheopponent’sstrengthwasatleast80!Ontopofthat,theknight’smovementsrevealedthathisagilitywasnotatallbelowahigh-rankingHunter.

YgrittecamebeforeJinwooandleaped.

Step!

TheknightaimedakneeatJinwoo.

‘He’sfast!’

ButJinwoowasnotabouttoloseinspeed.Hebenthisbodybackwardsinanear90-degreeangleanddodgedYgritte’sattack.Hequicklyraisedhisbodyandturnedtofacetheboss.Unliketheknightsthatlosttotheirmomentumandcontinuedaftermissingtheircharge,Ygritteimmediatelyturnedaroundafterlanding.

Koong!

Therewasnotimetobeimpressedbyhiscleanmovements.JinwooquicklyrantoYgrittebeforehefullyturnedaroundandaimedakickathisface.However,evenwhileturningaround,theknightaccuratelymovedhisarm.

Bang!

Jinwoo’srightlegwaseasilystoppedbyYgritte’slefthand.

‘Impossible!’

Jinwoowassurprised.WhileJinwoo’slegwasstillofftheground,Ygritte’sfistflewstraighttowardhim.

woosh-!

TheHunterreflexivelyputupbotharmstoguardbutcouldnotcompletelyblocktheimpact.

Bang!

Thepunchbrokethroughhisguard,andJinwoofelthisbodytossedintotheair.

“What?”

Jinwooexclaimedinshockbutthesoundfromhismouthquicklyturnedtoagroan.

“...?”

Ygrittewasalreadyrightbeforehiseyes.Beforehecouldreact,Jinwoo’sfacewasgreetedbytheknight’sleftfist.

Smash!

TheHunterbouncedonthegroundandrolledacrosstheroom.

tiiiiiiing-

Whenhefinallystoppedandgotup,Jinwoo’searswereringing.Heshookhisheadfewtimesandtheringingeasedupabit.However,therewasabiggerproblemapproaching.Throughhisblurredvision,JinwoosawYgrittewalkingtowardshim.

stepstep

Jinwooopenedhiseyeswideandfocusedstrengthintohislegs.Ygrittestoppedatanarm’sreachbeforehim.

Aslugfestbeganbetweenthepair.

YgrittedidnotmakeanyattemptstododgeJinwoo’sattacks.Hetooktheman’s

fistandcounterattackedwithhisown.

Bam!

Theknight’sheadturnedslightly.EvenbeforeJinwoo’shandretractedafterpunching,theknightstruckwithablindingspeed.

Pow!

Jinwoo’sbodyswayed.

Smash!

Thistime,Ygrittetookastepbackwards.

Bash!

Theknight’sfistsstruckJinwoo’sstomach,andtheHunterbentover.

“cough!”

Bloodcameoutoftheman’smouth.

‘Somuchforphysicaldamagereduction…’

Jinwoo’sphysicaldamagereductionwasatawhopping30%withhisequipment.ButeachofYgritte’spuncheshurtlikeahammerslammingintohim.Ontheotherhand,hisownattacksdidnotseemtodomuchdamagetotheknight.Thepair’sexchangedidnotlastlong.

Smash!

Shaking,Jinwoofinallytookaknee.

thud.

Hetriedtoriseagainbutcouldnotfindthestrength.

thud.

“Grrl…”

YgrittestoodbeforeJinwooandstoppedhisattacks.Theknightstareddownattheman.

‘...?’

Thecrimsonfigureignoredtheeyeslookingathimwithconfusionandstretchedahandtowardstheswordinthedistance.Theknight’sswordflewacrosstheairintohishand.JinwoorealizedwhatYgrittewasgoingtodo.

‘Youwanttoexecuteme,isthatit?’

Ittrulydeserveditstitleof“KnightCaptain”.WhenJinwoodidnotparticularlymakeanymovementstoresist,YgritteraisedhisswordtobeheadtheHunter.Theswordfellinastraightlinetowardstheman’sneck.

However,Jinwoohadnointentionofgoingthateasily.

slash-

Jinwoo’slefthandshotupandblockedthefallingblade.

Clang!

Itmadeanunexpectedsoundofmetalstrikingmetal!Thegauntletthathehadearnedbeforecomingherehadprotectedhishand.

!

HefeltYgritte’sshock.Notmissingtheopportunity,Jinwoo’sthrewhisrightfistattheknight.Asexpected,Ygrittedidnotshowanyindicationthathewoulddodge.

‘You’rejustgoingtocounterattackagain,right?’

Themonster’scalculationwastoexchangeblowforblow.However,therewassomethingthatwasnotincludedinhiscalculation.

‘Casaka’sPoisonedFang!’

shooo-

Inaninfinitesimalmoment,thefistthatwasflyingtowardsYgritte’sfacewasholdingthesummoneddagger.Jinwoodughisdaggerintotheknight’seyes.

Stab!

Kuwaaaaaah!

Aninhumanscreamspilledforthfromthehelmet.Atthesametime,theeyesstruckbyJinwoo’sdaggershonewithapowerfullight.Jinwoostoodup.

‘Nowwhat?’

Thebattlewasnotoverjustbecausehetookoneeye.Heneededsomethingmorepowerful.AmemoryflashedacrossJinwoo’smind.Thatattackthatnearlykilledhiminthepast!Let’susethatagainstYgritte.Hisbodymovedbeforehismindcouldgivetheorder.JinwooloweredhisbodyandhuggedYgritte’swaist.Hestartedrunning.

Kuwaaaaak!

Whilethrashingaboutinpain,YgritterepeatedlystruckJinwoo’sback.Themanclenchedhisteethanddidnotletgooftheknight.Instead,heraisedhisspeed.

“Sprint!”

Yourmovementspeedisincreasedby40%.

TheHunter’slegsmovedfaster.Hereachedaspeedwherehisentirebodywasshaking.

‘Yes,likethis.’

Hewouldslamhimintothewallwiththisspeed!

Jinwoodidnoteaseuponthestrengththatwasholdingtheknight’swaistandranwithallofhismighttowardsthewall.Ofcourse,heknewthatthedamagetohisownbodywouldnotbeminimalatthisspeed,butJinwoohadapassiveskillasatrumpcard.

Hewasalmostthere!Thewallwasjustahead.

Kuang-!

SLAM!

Withascream,Ygrittewasslammedintothewall.Atthesametime,aSystemmessageappeared.

ring~!

Yourhealthhasfallenbelow30%.‘UnyieldingSpirit’hasbeenactivated.

Alldamagereceivedisreducedby50%.

Theshockoftheattackwaspowerfulenoughtoshaketheentireroom.

“Kuuk.’

Jinwootookastepback.Evenstucktothewall,Ygrittewasstillalive.Jinwoofelttheblazinglifeforceemanatingfromtheknight.

‘...Ihavetoendit.’

HeremovedCasaka’sPoisonedFangfromwhereitwasstuck.Ygritte’sbodyflinchedashetookthedagger.Jinwoograbbedthedaggerlikeanicepickandbroughtitdownattheknight’sneck.

‘VitalStab!’

Clang!

Theattackdidnotpierce.

Onemoretime.

‘VitalStab!’

Clang!

Sparksflewfromthedagger’stip.Asmallscratchappearedinthearmor.

Again.

‘VitalStab!’

Clang!

Again.

Clang!

Again.

Clang!

Andfinally.

‘VitalStab!’

Crack!

Casaka’sPoisonedFangdugitselfdeepintotheknight’sneck.

You’vedefeatedtheKnightCaptain,Blood-redYgritte.

You’veleveledup!

You’veleveledup!

Jinwooraisedhisarmshighintotheair.Whilewalkingbackwards,helostthestrengthinhislegsandfelltotheground.

“pant,pant.”

Hepantedlikehewasabouttothrowup.Thiswasabarelyobtainedvictory.Itwasanincrediblyclosefight.

‘So…isthatit?AmIdonewiththequest?’

Aftertryingtocollecthisbreathforsometime,Jinwoofinallygotupwithdifficulty.HehadexpectedtheclassadvancementquesttofinishafterdefeatingYgritte,butnomessagesappeared.Lookingaround,nothinghadreallychanged.Well,therewasonething.TherewereseveralstreaksoflightcomingfromYgritte’sbody.Itwasthecallingcardofitems.

‘Let’sgrabthosefirst.’

Hewasn’tsurewhatwasabouttohappennext.Hejudgedthatheshouldgrabwhathecouldfornow.Jinwoostretchedahandtowardsthelight.

You’vefoundthe“RedKnight’sHelmet”

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

You’vefounda“Runestone:Ruler’sHands”[2]

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

You’vefounda“LeatherPouch”

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

You’vefoundan“InstantReturnStone”

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

Whyweretheresomany?Jinwoowassuspiciousbutcouldnothidehishappiness.

‘Acquireall.’

Theleatherpouchwasthefirsttobeobtained.

You’veopenedtheleatherpouch.

Therewas1,500,000goldinside.

You’veacquired1,500,000gold.

Jinwoowastakenback.

‘Therewardisinadifferentclass.’

Asexpected,thedifficultyintakingdownthebossresultedinagreatreward.Eventheleatherpouch,whichhedidnothavemuchexpectationson,gavehimaninsaneamountofgold.Thiswouldbequiteusefulfortheshop.However,

Jinwoowasmoreinterestedintheotheritems.Ifjusttheleatherpouchgavehimthismuch,justwhataboutthehelmetandtheRunestone?Heopenedtheinformationscreenonthehelmetwithanexcitedheart.

ring~

RedKnight’sHelmet

Rarity:S

Type:Armor

PhysicalDamageReduction+15%

Strength+20,Constitution+20

“S-rank!”

Jinwooletoutascreamofjoy.

--------------------

[1]:“KnightCaptain,Blood-redYgritte”():“knights/knightcorpleader/captain”+“colorofblood”+propername.Thismightbeweird,butthekoreanspellingofitsnameisexactlythesameasYgrittefromGameofThrones,“Yi”+“Geu”+“Ri”+“Teu”.Notsureifit’sanhomage.Theknightismale,however.

[2]:“Ruler’sHands”():“ruler”+“touch/hands”

Chapter3:TheRealTest

ThiswasthefirstS-rankequipmenthehadfound.Ontopoftheincrediblebenefitofreducingphysicaldamagetakenby15%,italsohadapowerfuleffectofgivingstrengthandconstitutiona20pointboost.Jinwoo’schestpoundedinexcitementattheitem.

‘It’sincomparabletotheA-rankequipment.’

Hehadobtained2A-rankitemssofar.ThefirstwasCasaka’sVenomGlandfromtakingdownCasaka.ThesecondwastheGatekeeper’sNecklacefromCerberus.Eventhosetwowereplentypowerful.WhiletheVenomGlanddidtechnicallyhaveapenaltyonstrength,itstillwasapowerfulitemthatgavehimapermanent20%physicaldamagereduction.AndtheGatekeeper’sNecklace?Itwasanamazingitemthatgave20pointstobothagilityandsense.Thebenefitofthosetwostatsonlybecamemoreapparentastimepassed.

Andthe“RedKnight’sHelmet”thatheobtainedhadeffectsthatnearlycombinedthosetwoA-rankitems.Andwithoutanypenalties.

‘It’sreallythebest.’

Jinwoocouldnothelpbutsmiledespitethedifficultfight.Therewasonemoreminorthing;heactuallylikedthedesignofthehelmet.

‘ShamethatIwon’tbeabletoshowitoff.’

Thehelmetshonewiththecolorofblood.Alongwiththelongplumage,itwasalmostlikeaworkofart.Forabriefmoment,Jinwoowould’velikedtoobtainandwearthefullsetofthecrimsonarmor.Unfortunately,

‘Regrettable…’

TheotherpiecesofYgritte’sarmordidnotappearasdrops.Onlythehelmethadbeenobtained.Jinwooputasidethesmallregretandcarefullyputonthehelmet.

shooo-

Asalways,theitemdisappearedthemomentheequippedit.Althoughhecouldnotshowoffitsform,thehelmetgreatlyincreasedhisattributes.

Stats

Strength:128(+20)

Constitution:87(+20)

Agility:107

Intelligence:66

Sense:89

(Availablestatpoints:0)

PhysicalDamageReduction:46%(+15%)

Theboostofthehelmetwastemporarilyshowninparenthesis.Strength,constitutionandevenphysicaldamagereductionhadbeengreatlyincreased.Jinwoowasimmenselysatisfied.Confirmingtheeffectswithhiseyesmadehisheartrace.

‘Wait.’

Jinwooshookhishead.

‘Thequestisnotover.Ineedtocalmmyself.’

Therewasonemoreitemhehadtocheck.Stillexcited,Jinwoolookedoverthetworemainingitems.

Runestone:Ruler’sHands

InstantReturnStone

Twostones.Jinwoofirstlookedatthe“InstantReturnStone”.Itwasapieceofrockslightlybiggerthanawalnut.

‘IknowwhataRunestoneis,but…’

Whatwasan“Instant”ReturnStone?Hiscuriositywasquicklyanswered.Thestone’sinformationcameupinfrontofhim.

ring~

InstantReturnStone

Rarity:???

Type:Consumable

ClassAdvancementQuestItem

BreaktoimmediatelyreturntotheoutsideoftheDungeon.

Thisitemwilldisappearoncethequestiscomplete.

Youmaynotkeepthisiteminyourinventory.

ThewaytouseitwasthesameasaRunestone.Insteadofaskill,breakingitwouldtakehimtotheoutside.

‘Wait,sotheclassadvancementquestisn’tover?’

Accordingtotheitem’sdescription,ifthequestwasover,itshould’vebeendestroyed.Thatmeant...

AchillrandownJinwoo’sspine.Itwasastrangefeeling.HereceivedawaytoexittheDungeonincaseofanemergency,sowhydidhefeelsouneasy?IfthiswassomethingthatcouldbeusedinarealDungeon,thestone’svaluewouldbeincalculable.Thelittlerockwasequivalenttoalifesavingdevice,whowouldbestingywiththeirmoneyonsomethinglikethat?Ofcourse,Jinwoofeltthesameway.Thisshould’vedecreasedthedangerinthequestgreatly.

‘IfIwantedto,IcanleaveanytimeIwant…’

Despiteallthis,hecouldnotshakethedreadthathewasfeeling.Asifitwaswaiting,theSystemwarnedhimwithitstone.

ring.

TheplayerhasobtainedtheInstantReturnStone.

TheClassAdvancementQuestwillnowbegin.

Ah!Sothiswastheitemthatstartedthequest!Jinwoowasshocked.Hefeltlikehehadsteppedonaminethatcould’vebeenavoided.

‘IfIknewthis,Iwould’verestedbeforepickingitup…’

Itwastoolatetoregretitnow.Nomatterhowmuchhecombinedhisexperienceandintelligence,itwasimpossibletopredictthefuturewitha100%certainty.Coldsweatgatheredonhisbrows.Hecheckedhisstatus.

HP:4,161/10,270

MP:390/850

Fatigue:61

‘Thefatigueisabithigh,butit’sstillmanageable.’

Thankstotheincreaseinconstitutionfromthehelmet,bothhiscurrentandmaximumhealthwentupproportionately.Thankgoodnessforthat.Jinwootriedtocheerhimselfupalittle.

‘Thisisstilldoable.Fornow.’

Ultimately,hislifewouldn’tbeindanger.HewasholdingtheInstantReturnStoneinhishand.Butnomatterhowhethoughtaboutit,thestonerepresentedgiving-uponthequest.Ifnot,itwouldnothavebeengiventohimasthestartingsignal.

‘AndifIgive-uponthequest…’

It’dbenodifferentthangivinguponobtainingaclass.Thesweatthatgatherednowfellinstreaksdownhisface.

gulp

TheSystem’snextmessageappeared.

ring.

In10seconds,dimensionalgateswillstartopeningatrandom.

‘Dimensionalgates?’[1]

Beforehecouldfigureoutwhatthosewordsmeant,theSystemproducedahugescreenwithnumbershighintheair.

00:00:10

Well,thatwaseasyenoughtounderstand.Itwasprobablythecountdownitspokeofearlier.Themessagescontinued.

Theplayerhasachoice:

UsetheInstantReturnStonetoescapetheDungeon,

...8,7,6…

Thecountdowncontinued.

Orendureaslongaspossibleandobtaintheadvancementpointsrequiredforclassadvancement.

“Endure?Endurewhat?”

Jinwooutteredloudlyinfrustration.HishandwasalreadyholdingCasaka’sPoisonedFang,summonedfromtheinventory.TheRunestonewasplacedintheinventory,andtheInstantReturnStonethathecouldnotstorewasplacedinhisbackpocket.

Whilehisheartfeltlikeitwasabouttoexplode,hehadfinishedhiscombatpreparations.

ThiswasSungJinwoo.

TheClassAdvancementQuestwillbeginsoon.

...4,3,2.

Jinwoostaredatthenumberscountingdown,thensurveilledhissurroundings.Hisgazequicklyfellhereandthere.Somethingwasabouttostart.Theairintheroomstartedtotwistandbecomedistorted.

00:00:01

Iwishyouluck.

What?

ItwasthefirsttimetheSystemdisplayedasemblanceofemotion,buttherewasnotimetobesurprised.Themomentthetimerhit0,gates[2]startedappearinginvariousplacesaroundtheroom.

woong-

woong-

Itwasn’tjustoneortwo.Therewere6closetohim,behindthemweremanymoreappearing.Atthesametime,thetimerstartedtocountforward.

00:00:02

Thecountdownhadstartedagain.Thistime,itwouldtimehistrialhere.Theadvancementpointswoulddependonhisrecord.TheSystemwasn’tfullyclear,butJinwoounderstoodasmuch.

‘I’llbecomestrongerthemoreIendure.’

Moreaccurately,hewouldobtainamorepowerfulclass.Hecouldnotwasteanopportunitylikethis.TherewasbreathingroominhisHPandMP.

‘Let’sendureasmuchasIcan.’

00:00:03

Theexactmomentthetimerreached3seconds,thenearestgatesstartedspawningamultitudeofknightswithoutweapons.

clack-clack-clack-clack

Thegroundshookasthearmoredknightsgotintoformation.Theylookedlikeasilvertidalwavefrozenintime,waitingtocrashdownuponhim.Eveninfaceoftheoppressiveforce,asmileappearedonJinwoo’sface.

‘Ifit’sjustthismuch,Icantakethemon.’

Inaway,hewasthankfulthatitwasjustthislevelofenemies.IfsomethinglikeYgrittecameoutofthosegates,hecouldn’timaginelastingmorethanseconds.

‘Stealth!’

Jinwoousedwhatlittlemanahehadlefttogointo‘Stealth’.

‘It’salot,butI’lluseittofirstcheckoutthesituation.’

shooo-

TheHunter’sformdisappearedfromsight.Asexpected,theknightsthatwererunningtowardhimallsloweddownandstopped.Unfortunately,somethinghappenedthatJinwoodidnotexpect,

Amagehasused‘EyeofDetection’.[3]

TheSystembeepedwithwarning.Jinwooturnedhisheadtowardsthesound.

‘What?’

Amagethathadappearedfromoneofthegateswascastingaspell.Jinwoosawaneye-shapedmarkaboveitshead.Themarksparkled,andJinwoo’s‘Stealth’wasreleased.

‘Shit!’

Hisplanswentkaputfromthestart.

turn.

turn.

TheknightsthatstoodmotionlessafterhedisappearedturnedtheirheadsinunisontowardsJinwoo.Itwasascenestraightoutofahorrormovie.Thesilvertidalwavefellupontheman.Heclenchedhisteethandpreparedhimself.

Bang!

Hispunchblewoffaknight’shead.Hisvictimfellonthespot.

You’vedefeatedtheKnight.

AlightgatheredinJinwoo’seyes.

‘Bloodlust!’

Bloodlusthasbeenactivated.

Fearhasbeeninflicted.

Thetargetswilllose50%ofallattributesfor1minute.

Hewasabletoslowmanyofthemonsterswiththefear’seffects,buthismanahadfallenallthewayto90.The‘Bloodlust’manacostwas100.Hewouldnotbeabletouseitagain.

‘ButIboughtmyselfaminutewiththis.’

Inthesingleminutethatthemonsters’attributeswerelowered,Jinwoomercilessdestroyedasmanyenemiesashecould.

Bang!

Crack!

Boom!

Kaboom!

InfaceoftheHunter’sterrifyingmight,theknightscrumpledleftandright.

Bang!Boom!Crack!

However,thespeedatwhichnewknightsspawnedoutpacedJinwoo’sabilitytodestroythem.

clack-clack-clack-clack

Inthemiddleoffranticmelee,Jinwoocheckedthetime.

00:03:19

3minutesand19seconds.Jinwoowonderedhowmanypointsthattranslatedto.Whatwouldhereceiveifheleftnow?Thesituationwasbecomingmoreandmoreunbearablebythesecond.Theonslaughtoftheknightscontinuedfromthegates.Hehaddestroyedmanyofthem,buttheirnumbersremaineduncountable.

“Uwaaaaah-!”

Eventually,Jinwoowasburiedinthemassoftheknights.

‘UnyieldingSpirit’hasbeenactivated.

‘UnyieldingSpirit’hasbeenactivated.

Hebegantofeelhishealthplummet.

HP:1,036/10,270

‘Andthetime…?’

00:05:08

5minutesand8seconds.Hehadenduredaslongashecould.

‘...Let’sleave.’

Atthebottomofthesuffocatingdogpileoftheknights,Jinwooreachedintohisbackpocketwitheffort.

But…

drop

TheInstantReturnStoneslippedfromhishands.

rollrollroll

Theroundstonewaskickedbyaknight’sheelandrolledfaraway.

“NO!!!”

Jinwoofutilelystretchedhishandtowardshislifelinebutcouldnotgetthroughtheknights.Moreknightspiledontopofhim.Itwasbecominghardtobreathe.

‘UnyieldingSpirit’hasbeenactivated.

‘UnyieldingSpirit’hasbeenactivated.

Hefelthisconsciousnessfade.

clang!clangclang!

Inthechaosoftheknightsclashingontopofhim,Jinwooheardalaughtercomingfromsomewhere.

-“Didn’tyoubringallthisdownonyourself?”

‘...’

-“Whygodownsuchadangerouspathoverasafeone?IfanE-rankHunterbecameaB-rank,orevenaC-rank,wouldn’tithavebeenanincrediblestrokeofluck?”

‘...”

-“Iguessthisisallyou’reworth.”

‘...Shutup.’

-“Youarethereasonyouwilldiehere.”

Shut!Up!

BOOM!

TheknightsthathadpileduponJinwoowereallblastedback.Evenontheedgeofdeath,theHunter’seyeswerestillalive.Theywerefilledwiththespiritofdetermination.

‘I’mnotgoingtoletitendlikethis.’

Justhowdoyouthinkheobtainedthisopportunity?

No.Itwouldnotendhere.

Heknewwhatitwasliketobeattheabsolutebottomoftheworld,andthat’swhyhedesiredtostandattheabsolutepeak.Morethananyoneelse,heknewtheweakone’spain.Hehaddonecowardlythingstosurviveandwasmetwithridiculeindoingso.

“HowmuchofahelpcouldanE-rankerbe?”

“Evenifit’stheAssociation,couldn’ttheyhavesentsomeonemorehelpful?Thisguy’sjust…”

“Isthatpunkjustsurvivingbyhidingbehindhisteammates?”

Theladdertothepeakthathehadonlydreamtabouthadfinallyappearedbeforehim.Didtheyexpecthimtojuststareanddonothing?Therewasnoway.

‘...Iremember.’

Thatvoiceinhishead.Itwas“their”voice.Thevoicesthatwhisperedbehindhisback.

Sure,goahead.Laugh.

Iwillstruggleuntiltheend.

Itdoesn’tmatterifmyhealthis10or1.Iwillfighttothebitterend.Untilmybonesaredustandmymusclesaretorn.

“UWAAAH-!”

Jinwoothrewhisbodyattheknights.

Smash!

Hisfistflewforward.Aknight’sbreastplatecavedinanditswearerwassentflying.Likeabowlingball,theflyingbodyknockeddownotherknightsinitspath.Unrelenting,theknightschargedathimoncemore.Jinwoostruggledevenharder.

Bang!Smash!Boom!

Fists.Elbows.Knees.Feet.

Jinwoothreweverypartofhisbodyathisenemies.Eachtimeheattacked,aknightcrumpledlikeapaperdoll.

Yourfatigueisover70.

Yourmovementswillberestricted.

Asthewarningsaid,hisbodybegantoslowdown.ButthelightinJinwoo’seyesdidnotfade.Eventually,theknightscontinuedevenafteroneortwohits.Still,iftheywon’tgodowninonehit,hewouldjuststrikethemtwice.Iftheywon’tgodownintwohits,hewouldstrikethemthreetimes.Fourtimes.Fivetimes.

Crack!

...8,7,6,5

Meanwhile,somesortofacountdownwashappening.Jinwoowasfocusedonthebattleathandandhadnotnoticeditbefore.

‘What?Isthequestending?’

Hisbriefmomentofhopewasquicklydashed.

00:06:27

Thequesttimerwasstillclimbing.Whateverwashappeninginfrontofhimwasunrelatedtothetimer.

4,3,2

‘Areyoucountingdowntomydeath?’

JinwoothoughttotheSystem.Herememberedthefirsttimeitspoketohim.Howitthreatenedtostophisheartin0.02secondsifhedidnotacceptbecomingaplayer.

Good.

Jinwoo’seyesopenedwide.

‘I’lluseyouuntiltheverylastsecond.’

Bang!Kaboom!

Twomoreknightswerecrushed.However,comparedtohisfightingspirit,Jinwoo’sbodywasunrecognizable.Thestrengthbehindhisshouldersweregone.Theslowedfistscouldnolongerblocktheknights’attacks.

Onefromthefront,onefromtheback.

Bam!

Crushedbetweenthetwochargingknights,Jinwooletoutapainfulgroan.

“Kuk!”

Notmissingtheopening,theknightsclosedinonJinwoooncemore.Imprisonedbythemultitude,hecouldnotliftafinger.

clack-clack-clack-clack

Evenstill,moreandmoreknightspiledtowardstheHunter.Thesilvertideturnedintoasilvermountain.Jinwoobreathedwhatheimaginedtobehislastbreaths.

“Hah...Hah…!”

Sothiswastheend.

Somehow,Jinwoofoundasmallopeningandstretchedhishandtothesky.Itwasameaninglessgestureinthemoment.

HP:93/10,270

Thesituationwashopeless.

ButJinwoodidnotgiveup.

‘No,notyet…just…alittlemore…’

Thehandthatwasheldtotheskyclenchedintoafist.

Inthatmoment,theunknowncountdownfinished.

...1,0

You’vefailedtocompletetheDailyQuest.

YouwillnowbemovedtothePenaltyZone.

Jinwoocouldnotbelievewhathewashearing.

‘...PenaltyZone?’

Ah-

Heremembered.Hedidnotdothedailyquesttoday.HehadpurposelyskippedittoenterthePenaltyZone,inordertotestouthisprogressagainstthecentipedesandseeifhecouldcontinuetheDemonCastleRaid.Tothinkthatitwouldworkoutlikethis.

shaaaaaake-

Likebackinthehospital,theareastartedshakingvigorously.

pshhhh

pshaaaaah

Onebyone,eventheknightsthathewasfightingturnedintosand.

Theworldchangedaroundhim.

‘Ha…haha…’

Hesilentlylaughed.TheSystem’swordsbeforethequeststartedkeptappearinginhishead.

Iwishyouluck.

Wasitbecauseitwasthatdifficultofaquest?Ordiditwanthimtobeluckyinobtainingmoreadvancementpoints?

Luck,coincidence,callitwhatyouwant.Itwasjustanotherchanceforhim.Theimportantthingwashowhewouldusethischance.

Shaaaake-!

Thetremorsbecamestronger.Insteadoffightingtokeephisbalancelikeinthepast,Jinwoogavehimselfuptotheearthquakeandclosedhiseyes.

‘Becalm…’

Andjustlikethat,hefeltasenseofweightlessness,andallsoundsdisappeared.Whenheopenedhiseyes,itwasinthemiddleofafamiliardesert.Jinwoocollapsedontothesand.

“gasp-gasp-pant-pant-”

Hegrabbedthesandwithhishandsandletlooseatorrentofpanting.Hislungsfilledwitharefreshingbreathofair,spreadingthefeelingtohisentirebody.

Finally,

“Ifeelalive.”

Withthesenseofsafetysurroundinghismind,Jinwoostayedlyingontheground.Helookedupattheempty,blacksky.Thevisionofanendlesspitchblackceilingfilledhisview.ItwasthePenaltyZonethatheremembered.

‘Ohwait,now’snotthetimetobelyingdown.’

Becausehehadjustescapedfromanincrediblydangerousplace,heforgotthatthisplacewasnotexactlyasafeone.Still,hedidn’twanttoget-up,sohecalled

upthestatusscreenwhilelyingdown.

HP:104/10,270

MP:202/850

Fatigue:91

Hewonderedwhyitwassohardtomove.Nowheknewwhy;hisfatiguehadrisenover90.

‘Thisisthefirsttimethathappened,Ithink.’

Hedidn’tfeellikemovingafingerrightnow.Hishealthwasonething,butatthemoment,itwasimportanttorecoverhisstamina.

“Shop.”

ring~

Thewords“Buy”and“Sell”appearedintheair.Nomatterhowhelookedatit,theSystemhadclearlycreatedtheso-calledshopwiththebareminimumofeffort,buttoday,itwasanincrediblywelcomingsight.Jinwoopurchasedthemostexpensivehealingpotion.Themomentheconfirmedthetransaction,

shooo-

Aglassbottlewitharedliquidappearedinhissprawledarm.

pop

Inhisstate,ittookefforteventouncorkthebottle.Hepouredthepotiondownhismouth.

gulpgulp

Theredliquidpassedthroughhisthroat.

Yourstaminaisrecovered.

Yourstaminaisrecovered.

Yourstaminaisrecovered.

Sinceitwasthehighestlevelhealingpotion,justonebottlewasenoughtocompletelyundohisfatigue.Strangely,hishealthdidnotrecover.

HP:106/10,270

MP:204/850

Fatigue:0

Evenwhenthebottlewasemptied,hishealthstayedthesame.Itwasdrasticallydifferentthanthefatiguethatwasnowzero.

‘Why?’

Themomentthelastdropofpotionfellintohismouth,hewasabletofindoutwhy.

ring.

Yourhealthisbelow10%.Youcannotrecoveryourhealthwithapotion.

Thereasonwassimple.Itwasbecausehishealthwastoolow.

‘NowthatIthinkaboutit…’

Evenhealingmagichadtheirlimits.Thiswasnotanunfamiliarphenomenon.JustasHealerscouldnothealsomeonepastacertainpointdependingontheirskill,itappearedthatpotionshadsimilarlimits.

‘Andyou'retellingmethatthelimitis10%remaininghealth.’

Thiswasgoodtoknow.Hadheplacedfaithinthepotionatawrongtime,hecould’vemadeagravemistake.Thisiswhyexperiencewasimportant.Wasn’tthereasaying?

“Whatdoesn’tkillyoumakesyoustronger.”

Thatwasallduetothepowerofexperience.Evenrightnow,hethankfullyhadtheexperienceofencounteringthePenaltyZone.

‘It’sabouttime…’

Andindeeditwas.Hefeltalifeformrisingbeneaththesand.Jinwooraisedhislegsandshotupfromtheground.Hisbodyfeltaslightasafeather.Thankstothepotion,hisstrengthhadcompletelyreturned.Jinwoolandedfewstepsawayandturnedaround.

shaaaaah

Asexpected,thespothewaslyingonwassinkingtotheground.

‘Heh,IrememberthinkingthatI’dslipandfallintothatinthepast.’

Now,hecouldstareatthesinkholewithacarefreeattitude.Thebottomofthedepressionboiledlikeinthepast,and-

pshaaaah!

Acolumnofsandexplodedfromtheground,revealingtheformofthegiantcentipede.

screeeeech!

Itwasalljustasheremembered.

‘Man,theylookedalotscarierbackthen…’

Now,theyappearedtobemovinginslowmotioninJinwoo’seyes.Heraisedhisgazeandconfirmedtheredlettersabovethecentipede’shead.

‘Poison-fangedGiantSandCentipede’

Aredname.JustliketheCerberusfromtheDemonCastle.Thequestmessageappeared.

ring~!

PenaltyQuest:Survive

Goal:Survivefortherequiredtime.

Requiredtime:4Hours

Remainingtime:4Hours0Min0Sec

Afterreadingthemessage,Jinwooclenchedhisfists.

‘Icanbuysometimewiththis.’

AshedidnotusetheInstantReturnStoneoutoftheDungeon,heprobablystillhadachance.

‘I’llprobablybemovedbackafterthepenaltyquest.’

Andifthe4hourshespentherewasaddedtotheendurancetimer?Theadvancementpointshewouldgainwouldbemassive.Well,hestilldidnotknowjusthowthemathworked.

‘Still…’

WhenhethoughtabouthowtheSystemworkedupuntilnow,thismightbecomeanincrediblewindfall.

‘Fourfuckinghours!’

Hecouldn’tlast10minutesbackthereandwasabouttousetheInstantReturnStone.Now,thankstothePenaltyZone,hewouldbeabletoadd4hourstothattimer.Therewasoneproblemleft.Hehadtosurvivethisworldwithbarelya100healthremaining.Sincehecouldnotrecoverusingapotion,hehadtolevel-upthroughthecentipedeswithoutreceivinganydamage.Inaway,thiswasanadditionalconditionofthepenaltyquest.

‘...Let’sdothis.’

JinwoosummonedCasaka’sPoisonedFang.

Remainingtime:3Hours59Min59Sec

Themomentthepenaltyqueststarted,Jinwoobegantomove.Becauseofhisexperience,heknewtomovebeforethecentipedesdid.Heclosedthedistanceinaflashandjumped.

land!

Hereachedahalfwaypointontheinsect’sbodythenstartedworkinghiswaytotheheadwhileslashingatitsbody.

stab!stabstab!slash!

Whereverthedaggerattacked,theexoskeletonofthecentipedecrackedandseepedaliquid.

screeeech!

EverytimeJinwoomadeanewwoundonitsbody,thecentipedethrashedinpain.

‘Sprint!’

Jinwoo’slegsspedup.

step,step,step,step!

Hequicklyreachedthetopofthemonster’sheadandgrabbedthedaggerwithbothhands.

‘VitalStab!’

Heusedtheskillandbroughtdownthedaggerontothecentipede’shead.Thedaggerdugdeepintothehead.

crack!

‘VitalStab’hasleveledup!

‘Alright!’

Ithadbeenawhile!Theleveled-upskillappearedtohavedonequiteadamage.Thecentipedeshookitsheadinpain.

screech,screee!

Jinwoodidnotstopthere.Hemovedfromitsheadtowardsthecentipede’sback.

Themonster’sbackwascompletelyexposed.

stab!

Afterstabbingapointbehindthecentipede’shead,Jinwooheldthedaggerinplaceandjumpeddown.

cra-cra-cra-cra-craaaaaack!

Combinedwiththestrengthover120andaleapfromaheightofa5storybuilding,thedaggerslidcompletelyacrossthecentipede’sback,cuttingitwideopen.

cra-cra-crack!

land.

Jinwoolandedsafely.

screeech,screeeeee!

Thecentipedespewedaliquidallovertheplacethenfinallyfell.

Boom!

Itsbodyraisedupacloudofsand.

ring~

You’vedefeatedthePoison-fangedGiantSandCentipede

Jinwoopattedthesandoffhisbodyandcheckedthetime.

Remainingtime:3Hours59Min42Sec

‘Thattook17seconds.’

Ittookhimlessthan20secondstotakedownthecentipede.ItwascompletelydifferentthanthetimehetookdowntheCerberus.Hisstrengthhadreachedadifferentdimension.

‘Well,ifIthinkaboutallthelevelingIdidandtheitemsI’veobtained…’

Itmadesense.Atthisrate,Jinwoowasconfidenthecouldcontinuehuntingwithoutlosinglife.

‘Nowtheproblemisifthereareenoughmonstershereforalevel-up…’

Onlythenwouldhehaveachanceofsurvivingwhenhewentbacktotheclassadvancementquest.Ifhewentbackwithoutrecoveringhishealth,hewassuretobecrushedlikeaninsect.Ashewasdeepinworry,multiplesandcolumnsappearedaroundhim.

pshhhhh-

pshaaaah-

Thecentipedeshadarrivedaftersmellingtheirkin’sblood.

screeech-

screeech-

Jinwoo’sfacebrightened.

‘Justhowmanyarethere?’

Lookingattheheadsofthecentipedespoppingupfromtheground,Jinwoocouldnothidethesmileonhisface.

________________

You’veleveledup!

You’veleveledup!

You’veleveledup!

You’veleveledup!

Afternearly4hours,Jinwoohadgained4levelsaftertakingdowncountlesscentipedes.Hehadreachedlevel51.Thepenaltyquestwasalmostover.

PenaltyQuest:Survive

Goal:Survivefortherequiredtime.

Requiredtime:4Hours

Remainingtime:0Hours3Min19Sec

Itwasabouttimehe’dreturn.Jinwoolookedaroundatthecorpsesofthecentipedesthatlitteredthearea.Thankstotheirsacrifice,hewasabletorecoverhishealth.

‘It’sashametheydidn’tdropanyitemsorgold…’

Well,itwouldn’thavemadesenseforaplaceofpunishmenttorewardhimthatmuch.Now,itwastimetoprepareforhisreturn.

‘Shop.’

CurrentGold:3,115,629

Ontopofthevariousmoneybagsfromthehumanoidmonsters,hehadearnedawhopping1,500,000goldfromYgritte.Hehadplentyoffundsnow.Withthatinmind,helookedthroughtheshopforanewweapon.Asuitableupgradecaughthiseye:

KnightKiller

Rarity:B

Type:Dagger

AttackPower+75

‘KnightKilling’:+25%damageagainstheavyarmoredopponents

It’sasturdyandsharpdaggerdesignedtocutaknight’sarmor.Becauseofitsserratedblades,itwillnotslipeasilyagainstarmor.

Itwasaweaponmeanttobeusedforkillingheavilyarmoredtargets.Thecostwas2,800,000gold.Hewouldhavetospendmostofhisgold,butthiswasnot

thetimetobestingy.

‘Can’ttakemygoldwithmetotheafterlife.’

Withouthesitating,Jinwooboughttheweapon.Additionally,healsopurchasedsomewrappings.

You’vepurchased“KnightKiller”.

You’vepurchased“Wrappings”.

Asitsdescriptionnoted,itwasascarylookingdaggerwithaserratedblade.Hetooktheweaponwithhisrighthandandusedthewrappingstotightlybinditinhishand.

slash!slashslash!

Heswungthebladearound.Itfeltnaturalinhishand,asifitwasapartofhisbody.

‘Attheveryleast,Iwon’tbedroppingitlikethis.’

HebrieflyconsideredwrappingCasaka’sPoisonedFangtohislefthandbutdecidedagainstit.Itwouldbetooinconvenienttolosebothofhishands.Hewouldkeeptheusageofhislefthandjustincase.HeplacedtheleftoverwrappingsintotheinventorythennoticedtheRunestonehehadgottenfromYgritte.

‘Ahright,therewasthis.’

Runestone:Ruler’sHands

BreaktheRunestonetoabsorbtheskill.

Heneededeverylittlebitrightnow,whetheritwasanitemoraskill.JinwoosmashedtheRunestonewithoutaregret.

You’velearned‘Ruler’sHands’(Lv.1)

Ruler’sHands(Lv.1)

ActiveSkill

ManaCost:0

Exertyourwilloveranobjectwithoutphysicallytouchingit.

‘Ah…’

Readingtheexplanation,herememberedascenefromearlier.ItwaswhenYgrittestretchedahandtohisswordandbroughtittohishandsfromadistance.

‘Soheusedthisskilltomovethelongsword.’

Askilltomoveanobjectfromadistancejustwithhismind!Ontopofthat,itdidn’thaveamanacost.

‘IfIcanreallymoveanything,it’sanincredibleskill.’

Jinwooquicklytrieditoutonthecorpseofthecentipedenexttohim.

Yourproficiencyisinsufficienttomovetheobject.

Yourproficiencyisinsufficienttomovetheobject.

Itseemedthatmovingsomethingheavyrequiredmorepractice.

‘Whataboutthisone?’

JinwoodroppedCasaka’sPoisonedFangontotheground,thenstretchedahandtowardit.Thedaggereasilymovedintohishand.

grab!

‘Oh~.’

Jinwoostaredatthedaggerwithamazement.

‘Alright,thisishelpfulenough.’

Andwiththat,hehadcompletedallpreparations.Jinwooraisedhisheadandsawthatthetimewasalmostover.

Remainingtime:0Hours0Min4Sec

Asthe4secondsdecreasedto3,theSystemmessagedhim.

ring~

ThePenaltyQuestwillendsoon.

Andanotheronefollowed,

ring~

Becauseyou’vehuntedinthePenaltyZone,

ThenextPenaltyQuest’sdifficultywillbeadjusted.

Anadjustmentofdifficulty.Itwouldmakeithardertohuntsothatthepenaltywillfeellikeapenalty.Well,wouldthereevenbeanexttime?Jinwoogulped.

‘Now,theclassadvancementquestwillresume.’

Hundredsofmonsterswouldprobablybewaitingforhimbackinthebossroom.Perhapsevenmore.Althoughhethoughtofitas“returning”totheroom,itwasmorelikehewasbeing“thrown”backthere.

Health,mana,fatigue,equipmentandskill.Inadditiontothose,evenhismindhadimprovedinthepast4hours.Still,hewasfeelingnervous.

badumbadumbadum

Thebeatingofhisheartwasalmostpainful.

Jinwooclosedhiseyestocalmhimself.

Then,theelectronictonerang.

ring.

ThePenaltyQuestwillendnow.

‘Thisismylastchance…’

WhenJinwooopenedhiseyes,hesawthemassofsilverknightsstartingtoturntowardshim.Theywerenothistarget.Jinwoo’seyesshiftedsidetoside,lookingforhistarget.

‘First,themages!’

--------------------

[1]:“dimensionalgates”():“dimension”+“door/gate”.Notthesamewordasthe“Gates”thathaveDungeons.

[2]:“gates”:I’mnotsureifitmeansanything,butthistime,Jinwoousestheenglishwordfor“Gates”.Thesameasthe“Gates”thathaveDungeons.

[3]:“eyeofdetection”():“detect/spy/search”+“eyes/sight”

Chapter4:ClassAdvancementResult

Thereasonwhyhetargetedthemagesfirstwassimple.

‘Ifmytheoryiscorrect…’

Itwastoconfirmthetheorythathadhehadthoughtupinthepenaltyzone.

Clack-clack-clack-clack!

Theknightsfiercelychargedtowardhim.Jinwoocalmlyusedtheknightattheheadofthepartyasasteppingstoneandleapedoffofitsshoulders.Heoverlookedtheenemyarmyintheair.

‘Wherearethemages?’

...Foundone!

Inadistance,hesawalonemage.

‘Iwasright!’

Whathesawearlierwascorrect.Inthepenaltyzone,hehadconsideredifhewasmistaken,butnowhewassure.Itwasduringthetimehewasbeingsuffocatedbythemassoftheknights,onlyabletoholdupahandtothesky.Inthatmoment,throughthetinygapsofthesoldiersbeforehim,hesawsomethingthatmadenologicalsense.

‘...’

Itwasalonemagethatwascontinuallycastingspells.Ifitwasjustamagepreparingaspell,itwould’vebeennothingoutoftheordinary.Butinthatbriefmoment,somethingfeltoffinJinwoo’smind–

‘Thenwhy…’

Wastherenotasinglespellthatcametowardhim?

Theattackonhimwassolelyrelegatedtotheknights.Themageswerecontinuouslycastingspellsbuttheircompletedspellsdidnotdisplayanyeffectsonhim.Well,exceptforthetimetheyusedadetectionskilltobreakhis‘Stealth’.Andduringthattime,theknightsaroundhimpausedforamoment.Atfirst,hehadthoughtitwasbecausetheyhadlosttheirtarget.Butwhilehuntingthecentipedesinthepenaltyzone,herealizedsomethingveryimportant.

Wasitaftertheeighthcentipede?Whenhetookdownthemonster,hecelebratedatthelevel-upmessagethatfollowed.Andthelevel-upwasfollowedbyacompleterecoveryofhishealth.Inthatmomentofjoy,athoughthadoccurredtohim–

‘Wait,Ijustleveledupthiseasily,whydidn’tIgainasinglelevelbackthere?’

TheSystemhadwarnedhimthatthelevel-upsbacktherewouldnotrecoverhisstatus,butitdidnotwarnhimthathewouldnotlevel-upatall.Infact,heleveledupfivetimesbeforereachingthebossroom.Butduringtheactualclassadvancementquest,hedidnotgainasinglelevel.Inthesixminutesthatheendured,hehaddestroyednearlyahundredknights.

Magesthatdidnotusetheirspellsonhim.

Knightsthatdidnotgiveanyexperiencepoints.

Hehadnotgivenmuchthoughtonthesetwofactsandplacedtheminthebackofhismind.Butaftersometime,thetwofactscombinedintoatheoryinJinwoo’shead.

‘Whatif…’

Everysingleknightsinthatareawereallfake?

Whatifthereasonwhyalltheknightsstoppedwhenthemageused‘EyeofDetection’wasnotbecauseJinwoohaddisappeared,butbecausethemagehadstoppedthecastingofitsotherspell?

‘IfI’mcorrect!’

Nowwasthetimetoconfirmhistheory.Jinwooignoredtheoutstretchedhandsthatweretryingtograbhimandusedtheknights’headsandshouldersasapathwaytothemage.

‘...!’

Hefeltthemagethatnoticedhimpanic.Itscastingspedup.Theknightsthathadpreviouslyfocusedonswarminghimsuddenlychangedpatternandformedaprotectivewallaroundthemage.Jinwoopracticallyreceivedtheconfirmationofhistheorywiththis.

Step!

TheHunterlandedinfrontofthemage.Withoutanounceofhesitation,hestabbedthemage’schestwiththedaggerinhisrighthand.

‘VitalStrike!’

Stab!

Withoutasound,themagedisappearedinapuffofblacksmoke.

YouhavedefeatedaMage.

Andatthesametime!

COLLAAAAPSE!

Thehundred-somethingknightsthatweregunningforJinwooallfelldown,quiteliterallylikeapuppetwithitsstringscut[1].Thefallenknightswerejustemptyarmorswithoutanowner.

‘Thisisit!’

Jinwoointernallyscreamedinvictory.Aftertoeingthelinebetweenlifeanddeath,hehadfinallyarrivedattheanswer.Theknightswerenothing.Itwasthemagesthatcontrolledtheknights.Killingthemwasthegoal.

‘TothinkthatthefirstvictimofKnightKillerwas…amage…’

Jinwoolookedattheownerlessrobeonthegroundwithasmile.Hehad

obtainedthatmuchbreathingroomnow.However,hewasnotabouttobecomecareless.Thequestwasnotover.

Clack-clack-clack-clack!

Thegroundshook.Jinwooturnedaround.Theotherknightshadalreadysurroundedhim.Theremust’vebeenmoremagescontrollingthemaround.TheknightsswarmedafterJinwoo.TheHunter’srightarmturnedintoablur.

Slaaash!

Thetidalwaveofknightsinfrontofhimwereallcutneatlyinastraightline.Jinwoowasshockeddespiteofhimself.

‘Wow!’

Theinvestmentof2,800,000goldpaidoffhandsomely.ThebladeofKnightKillercutthroughtheknight’sarmorlikepaper.Itwasn’tjustbecauseoftheserratededge.Asfittingofitsname,apowerfulmagictocutthroughtheknightswasenchantingtheweapon.

‘Theweaponsfromtheshoparethisgood?’

Thiswasalittledifferentfromthestandardvideogamelogichewasfamiliarwith.Inanormalvideogame,weaponsfromtheshopwerejustfillerweaponstousewhenyoucouldn’tfindagoodoneinthewild.

‘Ifit’slikethis,Ireallycan’tlookdownongold…’

Attheveryleast,itwasmuchbetterthanweaponsfromtherealworldusedbyHunters.Atthesametime,JinwoothoughtaboutjusthowmuchmoneyhecouldmakeifhesoldtheitemsfromtheSystem’sshopintherealworld.Unliketheconsumables,theequipmentfromtheSystem’sshopdidnothaveanuntradeablerestriction.

‘Ohshit,focus.Focus.’

Thiswasnotthetimetobedistracted.Theknightscontinuedtochargeathimwithoutstopping.

Slash!Slaaaash!

Jinwoododgedhereandthereandcontinuedtodefeattheknights.However–

‘It’snotgoingtoendifIkeepuplikethis.’

Themomenthefocusedinonedirectionandtookdownanumberofknights,alargergroupwouldappearfromadifferentdirectionandchargeathim.

Slash!

Anotherknightlostitshead.

‘Ihavetofindthemages.’

Jinwoousedtheheadlessknight’sfallingcorpseasaplatform.Usingitsshoulders,Jinwooleapedintotheairagain.

‘Stealth!’

Shoooo—

Hisfigurebegantofade.Ofcourse,thiswasnottohidehimselfforanyreason.Whathewantedwas–

MagehasusedEyeofDetection.

MagehasusedEyeofDetection.

MagehasusedEyeofDetection.

Ring,ring,ring.TheSystem’swarningalarmspiercedhisears.Jinwoocontinuedtoleapfromknighttoknightandmemorizedthelocationoftheeye-shapedmarks.‘Therearefivemages.’

Hewentforthenearestonefirst.

‘...!’

AsJinwooturnedtofaceit,themagepanickedandgathereditsknightstoitself,butitwastoolate.

Woosh!

Casaka’sPoisonedFangflewfromJinwoo’slefthandandstruckthemage’sforehead.

Crack!

YouhavelearnedDaggerThrow(Lv.1)

YouhavedefeatedaMage.

COLLAAAAPSE.

Oncemore,ahundredknightsfelllifelesslytotheground.

‘Fourleft!’

Usedtothemaneuver,Jinwoousedtheheadsandshouldersofthearmyagaintomove.Whilemoving,JinwooquicklyglancedatCasaka’sPoisonedFangthathehadnotresummoned.Hedecidedtotestouthisnewskill.

‘Ruler’sHands.’

Jinwoostretchedahandtowardsthedaggerontheground.Asifpulledbyamagnet,thedaggershotacrosstheairtowardhishand.

‘Yes!’

Jinwoograbbedthedagger.Hewouldnolongerneedtoinefficientlyresummonthedaggerintohishandnow.Meanwhile,hehadarrivedinfrontofthenextmage.‘...!’

Beforeitcouldtryanythingthistime,Jinwoobroughtthedaggerdowndiagonallyonitsbody.

YouhavedefeatedaMage.

Moreknightsfell.Therewerelessthanhalfofthemremaining.Jinwoobecameassuredofvictory;hiseyesopenedwideinanticipation.

‘Threemore.’

Asifsensingthedanger,theremainingmagesgatheredatthesamespot.Followingthemwastheirknightarmy.Whenalltheknightsgatheredinonespot,themagescastanotherspell.Theirstrangevoicesechoedthroughouttheroom,andtheirmagicwascompleted.

Crack,crack.

Themassofknightsthatguardedthemagesbegantocollapseonthemselvesliketheywereputintoahydraulicpress.Soon,agiantmetalgolemwasformedoutoftheirbodiesandstareddownonJinwoo.

Wooooo—

‘Damn,that’scool!’

Atthepowerfulpressureitgaveoff,Jinwoobrieflypausedandpraisedthemagic.Buttherewasnothingtobeafraidof.Afterthenumeroustimeshehadfaceddeath,hewasfilledwithananticipationratherthannervousness.

Boom,Boom,Boom!

Thegolem’sfootstepsshooktheground.Itlookedverydangerous.

WOOOSH—!

Jinwooloweredhisbodytododgetheswingofitsgiganticfist.

CRASH!

ThepillarbehindJinwoowaslightlygrazedbythefistbutthedestructivepoweroftheattackresultedinthestructurebeinghalfobliterated.

‘Well,thatisquitescary…’

Jinwoosmiledwidely.Ifhehadnotfiguredoutthetruth,hewould’vepanickedattheideaoftakingthisthingdown,buthewasfilledwithnosuchworries.

GOOOOO—!

Thegolemputitshandstogetherandwasabouttobringitdownontheground.Insteadofrunningbackwards,Jinwooused‘Sprint’andchargedforward.

Sliiiiide—!

Inablinkofaneye,Jinwoopassedbetweenthegolem’slegs.Whilethegiantmonsterlostitsbalance,Jinwooappearedinfrontofthethreemages.

‘...!’

‘...!’

Themage’sshouldersroseinsurprise.

‘Checkmate!’

Theysaythereisstrengthinstandingtogether.

Notthistime.

BothofthedaggersinJinwoo’shandsflashed.

YouhavedefeatedaMage.

YouhavedefeatedaMage.

YouhavedefeatedaMage.

Thethreemagesdisappearedinapuffofblacksmokeinunison.ThegolemthatfinallyturnedaroundtostrikeJinwooalsofellapart.Theknights’armorsthatmadeupthecompositionofitsbodyscatteredabouttheground.However,Jinwoodidnoteaseup.

‘Isitover?Orissomethingelsecoming?’

Heheldhisfightingstance,andtheSystem’selectronicsoundrang.

Ring~

Jinwoogulpedinanticipation.Contrarytohisthoughts,theSystemannouncedtheendofthequest.

Youhavedefeatedallthemonstersofthetestingroom.ClassAdvancementQuestwillnowend.

Yourclasswillbedecidednext.

Dependingontheadvancementpointsearned,youmayadvancetoahigherclass.

Finally.

Jinwoobreathedasighofrelief.

“Whew-”

Itwasadifficultfight.IfheheldontotheideaoftheInstantReturnStoneuntiltheend,hewouldnothavefiguredoutthesecrettothefight.

‘Iprobablywould’vejustfocusedonwhentoendthequest.’

Throughbadluck,orperhapsgoodluck,helostthestoneandwasabletofocusonthebattleathand.Theresultwasagreatsuccess.Now,itwastimetoreaptherewards.Jinwoomovedhisgazetothetimer.

04:29:16

Thetimerwasstopped.Hemanagedtolastnearlyfourandahalfhours.Notonlythat,inaquestwherehejusthadtoendure,heactuallyendedupkillingallthemonstersandendedthequestitself.Thinkingaboutjusthowmanypointshewouldearn,andwhathewoulddowiththosepoints,Jinwoo’sheartbegantorace.

ThePlayer’sactionswillbeanalyzedtodeterminetheappropriateclass.

‘Finewithme.’

IftheSystemusedhisactionsupuntilnowtodeterminehisclass,therewaslittlechanceofhimreceivingsomethingthatdidnotfithisfightingstyle.Itwasawelcomingnews.

ThepresenceofthedeathgodfollowswherethePlayergoes.Theroadhewalksispavedwithcorpses,andthesmellofbloodfollowsinhiswake.

...Jinwoofeltlikethatwasabittoomuch,butwhenhethoughtaboutit,hecould

notdisagree.

‘Well,itwasallforlevelingup…’

WheneverheenteredanInstantDungeon,heslaughteredtherespawningmonstersuntilhenolongerleveled-up.InanormalDungeon,hecombedeverysinglecornerfortheverylastmagicbeasttokillit.Andnotthatheinstigatedit,buthehadkilledfewHuntersaswell.

Deathgod,corpses,smellofblood.

‘Nomatterhowyouanalyzethat…’

Ashehadfirstexpected,itlookedlikehisclasswouldbeAssassin.

ThePlayeryearnsforagreatpower,butwithoutrelyingonanycomrades,hebuildshisroadwithhisownstrength.

Jinwoonoddedalongashelistened.HeagreedwiththeSystem’sanalysisofhim.

‘Fromthestart,Ineverhadanyonetorelyon.’

Still,JinwoowasnotsurewhytheSystemwasgoingthisdeepintoanalysinghispersonalitywhenallitwasdoingwasdetermininghisclass.TheSystemcontinued–

Yourdesireforgreatpowerisstrongenoughtocalluponthespiritsthatwanderthevalleyofdeath.

Throughthearmyofthedeadthatwillfollowyoureverycommand,youwillbeabletobuildyourownpathwithoutanyone’shelp.

‘...Armyofthedead?’

ItwasthereJinwoorealizedsomethingwaswrong.

“Wait!”

Beforehecouldprotest,theSystemusedthecalmtoneitalwaysusedtorelaytheresults.

YourclassistheNecromancer.

“…What?”

----------

[1]Okthisisanunusualtranslator’snote.Thishasnothingtodowiththeactualtranslatedphrase,butIsweartogod,Itypedthephrase“likeapuppetwithitsstringscut”asajokebeforeactuallyrealizingthephrasewasintheoriginaltext.Like,Ifinishedthesentenceoutofhabit(thanksOverlord),butthenlookedovertotheoriginaltextandrealizedtheauthoractuallyusedthesamephrase,hahaha!

Chapter5:ClassUpgrade

Whatthehellwasthis.

Howdiditstartoffsonicelytowards‘Assassin’andthenveeredoffsharplyto‘Necromancer’?

Jinwooblanklystaredattheresultswithadumbfoundedexpression.

Herubbedhiseyes,butthewordsdidnotchange.

YourclassistheNecromancer.

Themessagestillfloatedinfrontofhim.Hisinitialdisbeliefwasfollowedbyanger.

‘InevereventouchedtheIntelligencestat!Why?!’

OfalltheMage-classHunters,hehadneverheardofaNecromancer.WhenhefirstAwakenedasanE-ranker,JinwoowasaFighter-class.Puttingasidetheswordhebrieflyusedinthebeginning,hehadsolelyusedadaggerupuntilnow,andtheskillsheobtainedeasilybelongedtotheAssassin-class.Hecouldnothaveimaginedthatanentirelydifferentcategoryofclasswouldappear.

TothinkthathewouldreceiveaMage-class,notonlythat,theNecromancer.

Heonlyknewoftheclassthroughvideogameknowledge,buthehadaroughideaofwhattheNecromancerclassentailed.Adistastefulmagefollowedbyanundeadarmy.Nomatterhowhethoughtaboutit,itdidnotfithim.Jinwoorelaxedhisscrunchedfaceandshookhishead.

‘...Fornow,let’scalmdown.’

Evenifhisthoughtswereinchaos,hewouldapproachthesituationcalmly.ThiscalmnesswasoneofJinwoo’sweapons.Takingamoment,hewasabletofindhiscomposure.

‘Still,howthehell…’

Denial,thenanger.Hefeltlikeapatientthathadreceivedaterminaldiagnosis,goingthroughthefivestagesofgrief.

‘Anger…Then...Wasitbargainingorcompromise?’

Inthissituation,therewasnotmuchroomtocompromise.IfhehadtopickthebenefitsoftheNecromancerclass…astheSystemsaid,hesupposedhecouldmakehisownarmy.

‘Theproblemisthatthearmywouldbecomposedofsoldiersmadeofbonesandcorpses.’

Takingthataroundtherealworldwouldflipsocietyonitsback.Hunterswerealreadythetargetofenvyandfear.ImagineifaHunterledan‘ArmyoftheDead’around.Forgetcompatibility,hecouldnotimagineshoulderingtheburden.

Ring~

Wouldyouliketoaccepttheclass?

TheSystemaskedforhisreply.

Ohthankgod.

‘Ihaveachoice…’

Jinwoosighedinrelief.Thefactthattheclasswasn’tbeingforcedonhimmeantthathehadanotherchance.Andifhehadanotherchance,hewasnotabouttohesitate.

Jinwooeasily(?)refusedtheoffer.

“Nope.”

Thenthemessageaskedagain.

TheNecromancerisaHiddenClass.Wouldyoustillliketorefuse?

Itwasbasicallythesamequestion,buthecouldnotreadilyreplyafterbeingaskedtwice.Thistime,hehesitated.

‘Hidden…class?’

Itwascertainlysomethingthatcouldbefoundinagame,butinreality,therewereHunterswithrareabilities.AHunterthatcouldformbarriers,oraHunterthatcouldcastbuffs.

‘IheardarumorthatBaekho’sGuildmasterBaekYoonhoevenhastheabilitytotransformintoamagicbeast.’

AllthoseHunterswithspecialpowersworkedforlargeGuildsandwieldedanimmenseamountofinfluenceandpower.

‘Whenitsays“hiddenclass”,isittalkingaboutthoseHunterswithspecialpowers?’

Ifthatwasthecase…

‘Thismightbeagoodchance.’

HeimaginedtheSystemtalkingtohim.

“I’mofferingyoutheNecromancerclassbecauseIknowyouwantagreatpower.”

Inthatsense,theNecromancerwasprobablyapowerfulclass.Infact,herememberedthatmostoftheHunterswithspecialpowersfellundertheSupportclass.Onthecontrary,hewouldbeaHunterwithaspecialpowerundertheCombatclass.Littlebylittle,hisheartbegantorace.

‘IfIcouldonlytryouttheNecromancer-class,Iwouldn’tbehesitatingthismuch.’

Butitwasahopelessthought.Thingswouldn’tjustgolikethathisway,andhehadneverheardofanyonewithsuchpowers.Infact,hehadneverheardofsummonerswhofoughtandcommandedanarmy.Whenhereachedthatlineofthought–

‘Wait…’

Jinwoolookedaroundthefallenarmyofknightsaroundhim.

‘Thosemages!’

Inaway,themagesthathefoughtduringtheclassadvancementquestwieldedsimilarpowersasaNecromancer.Theknightsweretheirarmy.

‘Hmm…’

FightingtheknightsthatthrewthemselvesatJinwoowithoutacarefortheirliveswasannoying.Ifhefailedtosolvetheanswertothefight,orifthecombatprowessofthemageswerenotlow…

‘Whatwouldbelyingonthegroundaren’tthesepiecesofmetalbutme.’

Jinwooraisedhishead.Anunderstandingfilledhiseyes.

‘Mycombatprowessisnotlow.’

Hewasdifferentthanthesemages.Whatwouldhappenifthesummonerthatledanarmyalsomaintainedagreatindividualmight?Itwouldtrulybeanightmaretohisenemies.

‘Ifitcouldbelikethat…’

Thefleetingideathatwaslikeadreamtohiminthepast.ItmightevenbepossibleforhimtosoloclearaB-rankDungeonandabove.Jinwoogulped.IfhecouldcontinuetoraisehisabilitiesafterbecomingaNecromancer,naturally,thearmyunderhimwouldalsobecomestronger.Thesynergyofgrowthsurpassedhisimagination.

‘It’snotjustsololeveling.’

Hisarmywouldlevelwithhim.

‘Isitpossible..?’

Achillrandownhisback.Jinwoolookedupatthefloatingmessage.Itquietlywaitedforhisreply.

NecromancerisaHiddenClass.Wouldyoustillliketorefuse?

Contrarytobefore,itdidnotpressthequestion.Jinwooaskedwithinhisthoughts–

‘Isthiswhatyouwantedforme?’

Ofcourse,theSystemdidnotreply.

Aftermuchthought,Jinwoomadeadecision.Ifitwasgivinghimastrongpower,hewouldaccept.Henolongerhesitated.

Wouldyouliketoaccepttheclass?

“Alright.”

Asifwaiting,theSystemimmediatelysentthenextmessage.

Ring~

Youhaveacceptedyourclass.

Dependingontheadvancementpointsearned,youmayadvancetoahigherclass.

Thepointswillbecalculatednow.

Calculating...

WhiletheSystemcalculated,Jinwoounwrappedthewrappingaroundhisrighthand.Hehadclenchedthegripsohardthatweltsappearedonthepalm.

“Thisisgoingtoblister.”

Helightlyclickedhistongue.Itcouldbetakencareofwithasingledropofahealingpotion,butthefactthathewasn’tabletodosointhisplacewasinconvenient.AshereturnedKnightKillerintotheinventory,theSystemrang.

Ring~

Jinwooraisedhisheadinresponse.

Youhavesurpassedtheexpectedtimelimit!

Extrapointsareawarded.

Extrapoints.Well,itmadesense.

‘Notsurewhattheexpectedtimelimitwas,butIdidlastforquitealongtime.

Hechuckledinsatisfaction,butthensuddenly,numerousmessagesappearedbeforehiseyes.

YoudidnotuseInstantReturnStone!

Extrapointsareawarded.

Yourcurrenthealthisabove50%!

Extrapointsareawarded.

Youhavedefeatedallenemies!

Extrapointsareawarded.

Theaggregateadvancementpointshavesurpassedtherequiredamount.

Asagreed,aspecialrewardwillbeprovided.

Ring~ring~ring~

‘What?’

Therepeatingtonewaspiercingtotheears,butthesounddidn’tevenregisterinJinwoo’smind.Hisgazewasaffixedontwospecificwords.

‘Specialreward?’

Reward.A“Special”one.

Jinwoo’shandsthatwereplacingKnightKillerintotheinventoryfroze,andhiseyesstaredatthemessagebox.Hecouldnotlookaway.Themessagecontinued.

Ring~

YouhaveadvancedfromNecromancertoMonarchofShadows.[1]

Youhavelearnedclass-specificskills.

Youhaveobtained10statpoints.

YouhaveobtainedthetitleConquerorofAdversity

‘MonarchofShadows?’

Atanunfamiliarname,hequicklyopenedhisstatusscreen.

Name:SungJinwoo

Level:51

Class:MonarchofShadows

Hisnewclasswasplacedattheappropriatespot.

‘NotNecromancer?’

TheSystemdidtellhimthatdependingontheadvancementpoints,itwaspossibletoadvancetoahigherclass.Andjustnow,ittoldhimthathisadvancementpointssurpassedtherequiredamount.Andtheresultingclasswas“MonarchofShadows”.

“Sothisisthe…”

SpecialrewardthattheSystemspokeof?

Hecouldnotputintowordswhathewitnessednext.

‘...?’

Somethingstrangewashappeningbeforehiseyes,behindthefloatingmessage.Therewasastrangeblacksmokerisingfromthecorpsesoftheknightsthatlitteredtheviewinfrontofhim.Itwasnottherebeforetheclassadvancement.Justamomentago,theyweremerepiecesofmetalwithoutacontroller.

Andnow…

Jinwooclosedhisstatusscreenandlookedaround.Itwasnotjustoneortwoofthem.Everysinglefallenknightsweregivingofftheblacksmoke.

It’sapossibletargetforShadowExtraction.

It’sapossibletargetforShadowExtraction.

It’sapossibletargetforShadowExtraction.

Everytimehelookedatacorpsewiththeblacksmoke,amessageappeared,tellinghimthatextractionwaspossible.

‘ShadowExtraction?’

Hehadnoideawhatthismeant.Theblacksmokealmostlookedlikeitwastwistinginpain.Itfeltliketheywerestretchingahandtowardshim,askinghimtorescuethem.Woulditbeweirdtosaythathecould...Hearscreaming?

‘But.’

Jinwoowassure.Hewouldbeabletosavethemfromtheirpain.

‘ShadowExtraction.’

PleasechoosethecommandphraseforShadowExtraction.

‘Ihavetoassignaspokenphrasetotheskill?’

Afterabriefmoment,Jinwoospokeoutofinstinct.

“Arise.”

Andwiththat-

Uwaaaaaah—

Withaheavymoanthatcamefromsomewhere,theshadowsoftheknightsstartedquiveringasiftheywerealive.Jinwoolookedaroundthefallenarmy.Alloftheirshadowsweremoving.Ablackhandappearedfromoneoftheshadows.

Thenitplaceditselfonthegroundandseeminglypulleditselfupfromtheshadows.

‘Holyshit!’

Jinwoo’seyeswerewideopen.

Itwashuman.

Moreaccurately,soldiersintheshapeofman!

Coveredfromheadtotoeinpitchblackarmor,soldiersstartedappearingonebyonefromtheshadows.

‘Thisisaskill?’

Beforeherealizedit,severaldozensoldiershadrisen.

YouhavesucceededinShadowExtraction.

Thesoldiersstood,surroundinghim.

‘Whatisthis…’

Heapproachedtheclosestsoldier.

First,touch.

Heplacedahandonthemandfeltmetal.Thearmorwasn’tjustforshow.Theyreallyweresoldierscladinpitchblackarmor,holdingweapons.

‘Theylooklikepeople.’

Buttheywerenothuman.Hedidnotsenseanylifeforcecomingfromthem.Notasoundofbreathingorahintofaheartbeat.

Ontopofthat.

“...”

Jinwooswallowedascream.Hehadtakenalookthroughthevisorsofthe

helmet.Insidewasdarknessitself.Feelingasifhewouldbeswallowedbyit,Jinwooslowlytookafewstepsbackwards.

‘Allofthemwerespawnedfromtheshadows?’

Hequicklyopeneduphisskillscreen.AstheSystemhadtoldhim,therewerenewclass-specificskillsinhislisting.

Class-specificSkills

ActiveSkills

–ShadowExtraction(Lv.1)

–ShadowStorage(Lv.1)

Hecheckedthefirstskill.

ShadowExtraction(Lv.1)[2]

Class-specificSkill

ManaCost:0

CreateaShadowSoldierfromacorpse.Successrateisdependentontarget’sabilitiesandtimeofdeath.

MaximumShadows:30/30

Youextractandshapethemanafromalifelessbody.

Afterreadingtheskill’sexplanation,hewasabletoascertaintheidentityoftheblacksoldiers.

‘...They’retheundead.’

ShadowSoldier.

Itwasamonstercreatedfromacorpse’sshadow.

Jinwoogulped.

‘Iftheseguysarereallymysoldiers…’

Jinwoostretchedhishandtotheright.Thesoldiersallturnedright.Heslowlymovedthehandtohimself.Thesoldiersfollowedhishandandfacedforward.InthemiddleoftheirgazesstoodJinwoo.Hecalmedhisbeatingheartandloweredhishand.

Clack.

Clack.

Allthesoldierskneeledbeforehim.Itwasallmovingaccordingtohiswill.

“Hah…”

Jinwooexpressedhisamazement,andthecornersofhismouthrose.

‘Thisissocool.’

----------

[1]“MonarchofShadows”():“shadow”+“king/monarch/lord”.Flippedthewordsforcoolness.

[2]“ShadowExtraction”():Literal.“Shadow”+“extract/extraction”

Chapter6:MonarchOfShadows

Oh,right!

AnideaflashedacrossJinwoo’shead.

‘Ican’twasteanothersecond.’

Hejustsawthepowerofthenewskill.Hecouldturnaslainmonsterintoanundeadsoldier.Ifthatwasthecase,therewasamonsternearbythathehadtoquicklyturnintohisown!Jinwoowentuponthepileofarmorsthatmadeupthegolem.Hewasabletoseetheentireroomfromthetop.

‘...’

Hiseyesscannedacrosstheroomandfoundhistarget.

Foundhim!

Jinwooquicklyrantowardsthedirection.

Step,step,step,step!

Evenwithout‘Sprint’,heimmediatelyreachedhisdestinationwithanticipation.

Gulp.

Jinwoostaredattheextractiontargetandgulped.Themonster’scorpsewasexactlywherehehadleftit.

‘...Blood-redYgritte.’

Lookingattheheadlessbodyhalfburiedinthewall,Jinwoorememberjusthowfiercetheirbattlewas.

HestoodbeforeYgritte.

Justafewhoursago,hewasanenemythatthreatenedhislife.Butnow,thefallenknightwasatopclassingredientforhisskill.Thankfully,liketheotherknights,therewasblacksmokecomingfromYgritte’sbody.

It’sapossibletargetforShadowExtraction.

Jinwoo’sfacebrightened.

‘Good.’

Herememberedthecommandphrase.Aftertakingabreath,Jinwooquietlyspokethewords–

“Arise.”

Thatwastheactivationphrasehehadchosen.Buttheskilldidnotactivate.

‘...?’

JinwootiltedhisheadinconfusionandwasabouttotryagainwhentheSystemrang.

YouhaveexceededthemaximumnumberofShadowsallowed.

ToextractanotherShadow,useExtractionCanceltosendoneormoreShadowSoldierstotheWorldofNothingness.[1]TheShadowSoldierssenttothevoidcannotbesummonedagain.

Oh,right.Hedidrememberthatpartoftheskill–

MaximumShadows:30/30

The‘ShadowExtraction’’slimitwas30.Thatmeantthenumberofsoldiershemadewasexactlythirty…Jinwooturnedaround.TheShadowSoldiershadfollowedhimandwerestandingatattention.

‘Whendidtheyfollowme?’

Asfittingoftheirname,theShadowSoldiershadmovedwithoutasound.Anyways,toextractYgritte’sshadow,hehadtogetridofoneofthem.

‘But…’

Evenaftermeetingthemonlymomentsago,itfeltregrettabletogetridofoneofhissoldiers.Hadhegainedafamiliarityinthatshorttime?Withasorrowfullook,JinwooscannedeachoftheShadowSoldiers.Ashemovedfromonetothenext,theirnamesandlevelappeared.

ShadowInfantry(Lv.1)

Grade:Common

ShadowInfantry(Lv.1)

Grade:Common

Theyallhadthesamenameandlevel.

‘Well,Iguesstheirbasewasallsame.’

However,hediddiscoverthreesoldiersthatwerenotinfantry.

‘Thoseare…?’

Unlikethearmor-cladinfantry,thosethreeworerobes.

ShadowMage(Lv.1)

Grade:Elite

“Ah.”

Heknewwherethesehadcomefrom.Thethreemagesthatcontrolledtheirongolemhadalsorisenupunderhiscommand.

‘Twenty-seveninfantryandthreemages.’

Hedeterminedthatthesmallnumberofmageswouldhavetobekept,soJinwooselectedthenearestinfantry.

...I’msorry.

“ExtractionCancel.”

Vanish—

Thesoldierturnedtosmokeandscatteredintonothingness.Notatraceofitcouldbefound.

‘...’

Jinwootookamomentofsilenceforit,thenturnedtoYgritte.Hewasready.HehadsacrificedavaluablesoldiertomakeroomforYgritte,thisbetterbeworthit.Timetostrikewhiletheiron’shot.Jinwooattemptedtheskill.

“Arise.”

Comparedtohispreviousattempt,theshadowbeneathYgrittebegantoquiverandmoveasifitwaslive.Itwasthesamephenomenonhesawwhenextractingtheothersoldiers.

‘It’sworking!’

Jinwooclenchedhisfists.Hehadagoodfeelingaboutthis.

ShadowExtractionhasbeenattempted.

Extracting...

WhatwouldYgrittelooklikewhenheroseagain?SweatgatheredinJinwoo’shands.

However.

Crack!

Withasoundofmetalbreaking,amessageappeared–

ShadowExtractionfailed.

“What?”

2attemptsremaining.

“Phew-”

Hesighedinreliefafterseeingthathestillhadachance.

‘NowthatIthinkaboutit…’

Theskill’sdescriptiondidtellhimthatthesuccessratewasdependentonthetarget’sabilities.Seeingthatinactionwasrathersurprising.Hisfirstextractionfailure.Itwaslikebeingslappedintheface.Ontopofthat,therewasalimitonthenumberofattempts.

‘Twoattemptsremaining…’

Ifhefailedthosetwoattempts,wouldYgritte’sshadowreturntothevoidlikethesacrificedsoldier?Jinwooshudderedattheworstcasescenario.Heshookhishead–

‘Let’snotbepessimistic.’

Beoptimistic.Ifhebelieved,perhapstheuniversewouldhelpout.Feelingamixofdreadandanticipation,Jinwootriedthesecondattempt.

“Arise.”

Hisexpectationswereoff.

Crack!

ShadowExtractionfailed.

1attemptremaining.

‘...’

Ygrittewasapainintheasswhileliving,andhewasequallyannoyingindeath.Hethoughtoftheworstcasescenarioagain.Afterthesecondfailure,theoutcomelookedbleak.

Whew-

Jinwootookadeepbreath.Therewasonlyonechanceleft.Thelastchance.

Jinwooclosedhiseyesandorganizedhisthoughts.

‘Itmightjustbebasedonaprobability,but…’

HeconsideredthatmaybehisdesireforYgritte’sshadowwasnotshowingenough.Jinwooslowlyopenedhiseyes.TheblacksmokecomingfromYgrittelookedlikeitwasholdingoutahandtowardshim,askinghimtorescuetheknight.Jinwoo’seyesbecamefocused.Asiftotakethehandinrescue,Jinwooalsoheldouthisrighthand.

“Arise.”

SomethinghappenedthatJinwoodidnotmeantodo.Nordidherealizethatithappened.Butinthatmoment,thewordhespokeechoedandvibratedwithpower.

Andfollowinghiscommand–!

Waaaaah—!

Adeepscreamrangforthfromsomewhereandachillingwindfollowed.

‘Thisis?’

Jinwoo’sfacelitup.Herememberedthisphenomenon.Itwasthesameaswhenthesoldiersroseearlier.

Aaaaaah—

Asexpected,whenthescreamended,ahandrosefromYgritte’sshadow.

Themomentthehandwasplacedontheground,amessageappeared.

YouhavesucceededinShadowExtraction.

Jinwooyelledincelebration.

“Alright!”

Heclenchedhisfists.Becausehehadfailedtwice,thesuccesswasallthesweeter.Thegoodnewsdidnotstopthere–

TheMonarch’svoicepulledforththefightingspiritofthefallenone.

YouhavesucceededinShadowStrengthening!

TheShadow’slevelwillstartat7.

‘Succeededinstrengthening?’

DidthismeanthattheydidnotnecessarilystartatLevel1?Jinwoo’seyeswerewideopen.Asthemessagetoldhim,thepitchblackknightthatrosefromtheshadowwasLevel7.

“Mhmm!”

Jinwooyelpedlightly.Ygritte’sformwasexactlyasheremembered.Theplumagethatdecorateditshelmet.Thenimblelookingbodycoveredfromheadtotoeinarmor.Itevenmaintainedtheclassycapeithadtakenoffbeforethefight.Onlydifferencewasthatinsteadoftheblood-redcolor,itwaspitchblackallover.Otherthanthat,itwasthesamebossthathehaddefeatedearlier.YoucouldalmostsaythatYgrittehadcomebacktolife.

However–

‘...’

Comparedtobefore,therewasnotashredofhostilitycomingfromtherebornYgritte.

Itstoodatattention,waitingforanorder.

Badumbadum

LookingatYgritte,Jinwoo’sheartbeatvigorously.Asmiledecoratedhisface.Atthesametime,aquestionappearedinhismind.Jinwoolookedabovetheknight’shead.

‘Whydoesn’thehaveaname?’

???(Lv.7)

Grade:Knight

Curiously,questionmarksappearedwherehisnameshouldbe.

‘Thegradeisdifferent,too.’

Hehadexpectedittobestrongerbecauseofhislevel,buttherewasafewmoredifferencebetweenhimandtheothersoldiers.Asifreadinghismind–

Ring~

YoumayassignanametosoldiersatoraboveKnightGrade.

Thegivennamewillbemaintaineduntilthesoldierisreleased.

Pleasechooseanameforthesoldier.

‘Name?’

Hewasunsureatfirst,butthenrealizedthissoldierdidhavehisownname.Itwouldn’tbeaproblemifhecalledhimbythatname.

Pleasechooseanameforthesoldier.

Asifaskinghimtohurry,themessagewasblinkingrapidly.Jinwooopenedhismouth–

“Blood-redYgri-...”

Wait.

Ifheassignedaname,hewouldhavetoconstantlycallitbythatname.Thatmeantthatifheassignedthenamewasthinkingof,hewouldalwayshavetostartwith“Blood-red”something.Heshudderedathowlamethatsounded.

‘...Toolame.’

Andso,Jinwoodecidedtoshortenthenameabit.

“Ygritte.”

Wouldyouliketopick“Ygritte”?

“Yes.”

Themomentheconfirmed,thequestionmarksintheknight’snamedisappearedandwerereplacedwithYgritte.

Ygritte(Lv.7)

Grade:Knight

Eventhoughitwastheknight’soriginalname,seeinghisnameofficiallydecoratetheinformationboxgaveJinwooasenseofpride.Itwasasiftheideathatthebosswasnowhissoldierhadsolidified.

‘Mysoldier…’

Jinwooturnedaround.

Thetwenty-nineShadowSoldiersawaitedhiscommand.Rightnow,hisarmy’snumberswerelittle.

‘Onlythirtysoldiers…’

Itcould’vebeenbecausethe‘ShadowExtraction’’slevelwastoolow,oritcould’vebeenthathisIntelligencestatwastoolow.Still,Jinwoowassurethatthenumberofhisarmywouldonlyincreasegoingforward.

‘Ireallygotanarmy.’

Andcontrarytowhathehadfearedearlier,anarmymadeofshadows,notboneandcorpses.Onlyoneproblemleft.Howwouldhewalkaroundwiththesesoldiers?Itgavehimaheadacheimaginingwalkingdowntheroadwiththepitchblackhumanoidsfollowing.

‘Whetherit’sskeletonorshadow…’

Hewouldsurelybenoticedifthesethingsweresurroundinghim.Notonlynoticed…ThisabilitywasbeyondReawakening.Ifhewasplacedunderspecialsurveillance,peoplemayevenaskhimtocancelthesummoning.

‘HunterAssociationHSDChiefWooJincheol…’

Heimaginedthosemilitary-lookingahjussisswarminghimandfeltstifledattheheadachethatwouldfollow.Thankfully,hehadanotherskill.

‘Skill.’

Jinwooopeneduphisskillscreen.

Class-specificSkills

ActiveSkills

–ShadowExtraction(Lv.1)

–ShadowStorage(Lv.1)

Theonethathehadn’tcheckedyet.

‘ShadowStorage’.

Itseemedlikesomethingthatwouldbeusedinsituationslikethis.

***

ShadowStorage(Lv.1)[2]Class-specificSkillManaCost:0

AbsorbShadowSoldiersintotheuser’sshadowforstorage.

Thestoredsoldierscanbefreelysummonedandreabsorbedbytheuser.

StoredShadows:0/20

‘AsIthought.’

Jinwoonodded.Beforehehadcheckedthedescription,hehadsurmisedthatthe“storage”initsnamemeantthattheskillwouldallowhimtomanagethesoldierssomehow.However,therewasonethinghedidnotexpect.

‘Thelimitis…’

Thelimitsofthestoragewassmallerthanthelimitsofthesummoning.Whilehecouldmakethirtysoldiers,hecouldonlystoretwentyofthem.Thatmeantthat

hewouldhavetogetridoftenmore.

‘Wellthatsucks.’

Itwouldbelikebitingofoneofhisfingers.Evengettingridofjustonesoldierwaspainful,andnowhehadtogetridoftenofthem.

‘Hmm…’

Withaheavyheart,Jinwoolookedoverhisarmy.Ofcourse,Ygritteandthemageswouldbeexcludedfromselection.Thatwouldleavetheinfantry.Hedecidedtopickthetensoldiersfurthestawaythistime.

‘I’msorry.’

Jinwoobrieflyprayedfortheirsouls.

Shooooo—

Thesoldiersheselectedbecamedustandscattered.Comparedtothefirsttime,theregretthathefeltwaslessened.Theysayhumanscangetusedtoanything.

Anyways.

Jinwoolookedattheremainingsoldiersandused‘ShadowStorage’.

Attheactivationoftheskill,YgritteandtheShadowSoldiersmeltedlikeiceintoflatshadows.Then,theirshadowsflowedovertoJinwooandenteredhisownshadow.

‘Sothisiswhattheskillmeantbyabsorbingthem…!’

Itwasexactlyasdescribedbytheskill;hisarmywasabsorbedintohisshadow.Itallhappenedinablinkofaneye.Theshadowarmywasnowheretobeseen.

‘...Evenafterseeingit…’

Jinwoolookedathisshadowwithamazement.Inthatmoment,theSystemrang.

Ring~

Youhavetriedoutalltheclass-specificskills.

Theclassadvancementisnowcomplete.

Theexitwillnowbecreated.

‘Isitfinallyover…?’

Itwasalongandtoughroad.JinwootookonelastlookaroundtheDungeon.Thetracesofcombatlitteredthearea.

Brokenknights.Crackedwalls.Thedestroyedpillar.

Andtheonewhodestroyedthepillar,theirongolem,whichwasnowapileofbrokenarmor.

Buthistrialshadresultedinmanygreatboons.

Newclassandskills.

Apowerfularmy.

AsmileappearedonJinwoo’sface.Heturnedaroundwithoutalingeringthought.Thegatetotherealworldwaitedforhim.Jinwoosteppedthrough.

Hereturnedtotheclearingintheforest.Itwasthesamespothehadfirstenteredthequest’sDungeon.Thetimewas5a.m.Thesunwouldberisingsoon.

Ohright.

Jinwoolookedathiswatchandkickedhimselfinhismind.

‘IfIknewIwasgoingtotakethislong,Ishould’veletJinahknow.’

Fortunately,hehadbeenlateinthepastduetotheAssociation’sRaids.

Jinwoolookedbehindhim.Thegatethatheleftfromhaddisappearedwithoutatrace.

‘Huh…’

Lookingattheemptyclearing,everythingthathadhappenedfeltlikeadream.

Wait,adream?

No,noway.

Jinwoolookedaround.

Soldierscladinpitchblacksurroundedhim.TheShadowSoldiershadcomeoutthemomenthethoughtoftheminhishead.

‘...’

Atfirst,hethoughtofthemasmonsters.

ShadowSoldiers.

Monstersthatwerecalledfromtheshadowsofthedead.Iftheyweremonsters,whatdoyoucallthebeingthatcanfreelycreateandcontrolthem?Jinwoosmiled–

‘Well,itdoesn’tmatter…’

Herecalledthesoldiersintohisshadowagain.

Theroadhomefeltaseasyaswalkingdownhill.

***

Jinwoosleptforalongtime.Hecouldnothelpit.Themomenthehadlieddowninhisbed,thedaywasalreadybright.

Ring~ring~

Whatwokehimwastheringingofhisphone.Hemanagedtograbitwithmuchdifficulty.Jinwooansweredthephonewithhiseyesstillclosed.

“Hello…”

Histiredvoicecrackedabit.

—“Whatthe…Oppa,areyoustillsleeping?Doyouknowwhattimeitis?!”

Jinahaskedwithsurprisefromtheotherend,soJinwooasked.

“Whattimeisit…”

—“It’stwoo’clock!”

“Whaaa?”

Jinwoopeakedatthephonethroughacrackinhiseyes.Shewasright.

—“Oppa,youdorememberthatyouhavetocometotheschooltoday,right?”

Hervoicewasfilledwithconcern.ThismadeJinwoofinallysit-uponthebed.

“WhendoIhavetobethereby?”

—“Five!”

“Alright,Iwon’tbelate.Don’tworry.”

—“Asexpectedofmybrother!Callmewhenyougethere!”

Jinahcutelyendedthecall.

Jinwooscratchedhisheadandslowlygotup.Hecouldprobablymakeitifhegotreadynow.

‘Still,I’mabouttogoseemylittlesister’steacher.’

Ontopofthat,itwasfortheparent-teachermeetingforahighschoolsenior.Theysaythiswasoneofthemostimportantmeetingsofachild’slife.

‘Ican’tgolookinglikethis.’

Hewentoverandlookedthroughhiswardrobe.Amustyscentfilledhisnose;itwasnotexactlyagoodsmell.Jinwoo’sforeheadwrinkled.Themostsuitablethinghefoundwastheoldsuitthathehadwornforhisgraduation.

‘CanIwearthis?’

Hetriediton,butitdidnotfit.Thesuitwastoosmallforhisbody.

‘Man,mybodyreallygrew.’

Tryingonhisoldclotheswasasurewaytotell.Thesuitfeltlikeitwasabouttoripapartoverhim.

...Nowwhat?

Whilewonderingwhathecouldwear,Jinwoo’seyesfellonthebankbookthatYooJinhohadgivenhim.ItcontainedthemagiccoreincomefromtheirRaids.Lookingbackandforthbetweentheoldsuitandthebankbook,asmilecreptuponJinwoo’sface.

‘It’sbeenawhile.ShallIgoshopping?’

However,therewassomethingsmallhehadtocheck.Wait,notsmall,somethingbig.Jinwootookoffthesuitandsatdownonhisbedandopenedupthestatusscreen.

‘Statusscreen.’

Aninformationboxfilledabunchofwordsfilledhisview.[3]

Name:SungJinwoo

Level:51

Class:MonarchofShadows

Title:WolfSlayer(...1more)

HP:11,035

MP:1,022

Fatigue:0

Stats

Strength:132

Constitution:91

Agility:111

Intelligence:70

Sense:93

(Availablestatpoints:10)

PhysicalDamageReduction:46%

Skills

PassiveSkills

−(Unknown)(Lv.Max)

−UnyieldingSpirit(Lv.1)

−AdvancedDaggerProficiency(Lv.1)

ActiveSkills

−Sprint(Lv.2)

−Bloodlust(Lv.1)

−Stealth(Lv.1)

−VitalStrike(Lv.2)

−DaggerThrow(Lv.1)

Class-specificSkills

ActiveSkills

−ShadowExtraction(Lv.1)

−ShadowStorage(Lv.1)

Equipment

RedKnight’sHelmet(S)

Gatekeeper’sNecklace(A)

High-levelKnight’sBreastplate(B)

High-levelKnight’sGauntlet(B)

High-levelMage’sRing(B)

Mid-levelAssassin’sShoes(C)

“Huh…”

Jinwoostuckoutatongueatthestatusscreenthatwentonandon.

‘Ifeellikeonlyfewdaysagothiswasnearlyempty.’

Itwastrue.Butnow,justtheskillsandequipmentalonehadincreasedgreatly.Aboveallelse,whatstoodouttohimwashisnewclass.

Class:MonarchofShadows

Justyesterday,thisspotwasdecoratedwithword,“none”.Tobehonest,everytimeheopenedhisstatusscreen,that“none”botheredhim.AHunterthatdidn’tRaidwasbasicallyanunemployedbum.Atleast,that’showsocietyviewedthem.Sowhenhelookedathisstatusscreenbeforeandsawthathehadnoclass(job),itstruckachordinhismind.Now,hecouldnothidehisjoyinlookingatthenewlyfilledpartofhisstatusscreen.

‘Isthiswhattheycallaninferioritycomplex?’

Ofcourse,having“none”inthatsectiondidn’tmeanthathedidn’thaveajobinreallife.Still,itremindedhimofhispast.OtherHuntersraidedandearnedatonofmoneywithoutpayingattentiontotheeyesoftheworld.Hewasnotthesame.HecouldnotevenproudlyclaimthathewasaHunter.Afterall,hewasamereE-rankerwhocouldbarelyholdontohisownlife.

“Hello,I’manE-rankHunter.”

Everytimethosewordsescapedhismouth,anyonewhoknewanythingaboutHunterswouldpraisehimforhishardworkbutgoontomockhimbehindhisback.That’swhynothavingaclassbotheredhim,despitehowillogicalitwas.

Butnow,hehadobtainedajob,orrathersomethingspecial.HisjobwasstillaHunter,butinaway,hehadobtainedaspecialcallingcalledthe“MonarchofShadows”.

‘Evenifit’snotexactlywhatIwashopingfor…’

Hehadnoregrets.Ifanything,hewassatisfied.Ifhewasn’tinhisroom,hewould’vesummonedYgritteandtheShadowSoldiersbeforehim.Jinwooreallywantedtotestouttheircapabilitiesinbattle.Whatiftheycouldbringoutahundredpercentoftheirformerpowers?

‘Probablynot.’

Butevenimaginingitmadehisheartrace.

Badumbadum.

Jinwoostoodstillandfelthisheartbeat.Inhishead,hewasrunningsimulationsofhisnextRaid.Additionally,hewaslookingforwardtoYooJinho’sreaction.

Imaginingtheyoungman’sfacewithwideopeneyesandmouth,Jinwoolaugheddespiteofhimself.

Holdon.

‘NowthatIthinkaboutit.’

Ifhewasabletoraiseadeadtarget,andifthattargetwasnotlimitedtoamonsteroramagicbeast…

‘IshouldbeabletoraiseasoldierfromadeadHunter,right?’

Itwasobvious,buthehadavoidedtheideabecauseahumanwasinvolved.Tothinkthathewouldcommandanundeadsoldierfromadeadman’sshadow.Justtheideashockedhim.

Evenstill…

‘WhatifIcanraiseanA-rankoranS-rankHunter’sshadow?’

Thepowerhewouldobtainwouldbebeyondimagination.Evenifthesoldiercouldwieldjusthalfoftheirformerpowers,itwouldbeenoughforhimtoraidhigh-levelDungeons.Thelightracingofhisheartturnedtoafullsprint.

BADUM,BADUM,BADUM!

ButJinwooshookhishead.

‘Still,raisingahumanbeingintoanundeadis…’

Itwasnotsomethingthatshouldbedone.Nomatterhowmuchitincreasedhispowers,hewantedtoavoiddoingthat.Unlesssomeoneappearedthattrulydeservedit…

‘NotthattherearealotofopportunitiestofightanotherHunter.’Evenifanopportunityappeared,therewasaphilosophicalproblem.Humanswerenotmonstersormagicbeasts.

Alright.

Fornow,hewouldbesatisfiedwiththearmyonhand.

‘Ididobtainaboss-levelsoldiertoo.’

TheShadowSoldierwhowasLevel7andofKnightgrade.Howpowerfulwashe?

JinwooanticipatedhisnextRaid.

----------

[1]“WorldofNothingness”(()):“nothing/zero”()+world().

[2]ShadowStorage():Sameasextraction,prettyliteral.“Shadow”+“save/store/preserve”

[3]Ineedanewwayofdisplayingthisinformation…It’sonlygoingtoget

bigger…

Chapter7:StrangeRequest

Whilestaringatthescreeninhappiness,Jinwoonoticedsomethingelse.

Title:WolfSlayer(...1more)

‘...Onemore?’

Ah.Hesuddenlyrememberedthattherewardfromtheclassadvancementquestdidsaysomethingaboutanewtitle.Jinwoocheckedthehiddentitle.

ConquerorofAdversity

Forevery1%HPlost,allstatsincreasedby1%.

Atitlegiventotheonewhohascourageouslyenduredagainstadversity.

‘Ilikeit!’

Itwasanamazingbuffthatwouldincreaseallofhisattributesashelostlife.The‘WolfSlayer’wasadecenttitleonitsown,increasinghisattributesby40%againstbeast-typemonsters.However,itsconditionmadeitdifficulttoseethebenefitmostofthetime.

‘IfI’mfacingsomethingotherthanabeast-type,it’sasifIdidn’thaveatitle.’

Andnow,hehadearnedsomethingthathecouldalwaysuse.Afterthinkingaboutit,itevenhadagoodsynergywiththe‘UnyieldingSpirit’passive.Withoutahesitation,Jinwoochangedhistitle.

Title:Conqueror…(...1more)

Theunusedtitlewouldbehidden,buthecouldalwaysswapitoutwhenheneededit.

‘Next,stats.’

Therewerethreerewardshehadreceivedafterreachingahighamountofadvancementpoints.

Thefirstwastheadvancementtoahigherclass.

Thesecondwasthenewtitle.

Andthethirdwasbonusstats.

Stats

Strength:132

Constitution:91

Agility:111

Intelligence:70

Sense:93

(Availablestatpoints:10)

PhysicalDamageReduction:46%

Thereweretenundistributedpoints.Inthepast,hewould’veinvestedthemintoAgilityorSense,butthingsweredifferentnow.JinwooputalltenpointsintoIntelligence.Evenstill,thestatwasonlyat80.

Ring~

Stats

Strength:132

Constitution:91

Agility:111

Intelligence:80

Sense:93

(Availablestatpoints:0)

PhysicalDamageReduction:46%

ComparedtoStrengthorAgility,itwasreallylacking.ItevenfellbehindtheConstitutionstat,whichhehadneglectedbecausehewantedtoraiseAgilityhigher.ThatwashowmuchJinwoohadleftbehindtheIntelligencestat.

‘IneverthoughtI’dbeusingmagic.’

HisplanforthetimebeingwastoinvesteverypointintoIntelligence.However,Jinwoodidnotplantoswitchuphisfightingstyle.

‘Man,eventheothernewskillfeelslikeitbelongstoAssassin-class.’

Itwasthenewskillhehadlearnedduringcombat.

‘DaggerThrow’.

Hedidnotneedtoreadtheexplanationtounderstandwhatitwas.

DaggerThrow(Lv.1)

ActiveSkillManaCost:30Dagger-specificThrowyourdaggertoinflictdamage.

Astheskilllevelincreases,theaccuracyanddamageincreases.

‘AsIthought.’

HehadfoughtlikeaFighter-classupuntilnow.Justbecausehehadearnedanewclassandclass-specificskills,hecouldn’tjustthrowawayhiswayoffighting.Fornow,hewouldusetheshadowskillsasasupportandcontinuetowieldthedagger.

‘Atleast,untilmyIntelligenceishighenough.’

Anoutstandingcombatskill,supportedbytheshadowarmy.Hisgoalbeforereceivingtheclasswasunchanged.

‘Onlydifferenceis...’

TheShadowSoldiersappearedmoreusefulthanhethought.Hedidnotthinkitwaspossibletosubordinateaboss-levelmonster.

‘...Still.’

Ifhereliedsolelyonthosenewskills,thedagger-specificskillshehadobtainedwouldbewasted.Ontopofthat,hehadjustpurchasedKnightKiller.

‘IfIknewIwasgoingtobeaMage-class,Iwould’veboughtastafforsomething.’

Ofcourse,hadhedonethat,hemightnothavebeenabletofinishtheclassadvancementquest.

Jinwooclosedthestatusscreen.Hehadsufficientlyabsorbedallofthenewinformation.

‘Ohshit,thetime.’

Hehadspenttwentyminutesgoingthrougheverything.Jinwooscratchedhishead.

‘Timetoheadout,Iguess.’

Jinwoosmirked.Thepoweroftheattributesdidnotshinejustinfightingmagicbeasts.Whenhefocused,timesloweddown.Moreaccurately,Jinwoohadspedup.Heopenedthedoorandwentoutsideofhisroom.

Shower.Dry.Putonclothes.

Ittookhimthreeminutes.

Hecould’vedoneitfaster,buthefeltliketheworndownapartmentwouldnotbeabletowithstandhisfullspeed.

‘Myhair’sstillwet.’

Still,hehadbasicallysavedabouttwentyminutes,sotherewasnoneedtohurry.Jinwoowasabouttoleavewhenrealizedheforgotsomething.

Hiskeys.

Thekeyswereontopofthedesk.Onanyotherday,hewould’vewalkedoverinannoyancetograbthem.Today,hestretchedahandtowardsit.

‘WhereelsewouldIusethis?’

‘Ruler’sHands!’

Thekeyslowlyslidacrossthetable,thenshotintohishandasifpulledbyapowerfulmagnet.Jinwoograbbedthekeyandsmiled.Havingfinishedallpreparationsinaflash,Jinwoolefthishousewhilewhistling.

***

Thefirstplacehevisitedwasthebank.Hewascuriousonhowmuchhehadearnedfromthemagiccores.

‘Iwastoobusytocheckit.’

ThemanagementofthemagiccoreswerelefttotheRaidLeader,YooJinho.Theyoungmanhadtoldhimthathehadsoldallthemagiccoresaftereachday’sRaids.ThefundsweredepositedintothebankbookJinwoowasholding.However,theydidnotparticularlydiscusstheactualamountsinvolved.

‘Jinho,thatpunk.He’ssogoodatreportingoneverythingelse.Guesshedoesn’treallyhaveaninterestinmoney.’

Maybebecauseofthecircumstancesofhislife,theyoungmanprobablyhadlittleinterestinfinancialmatters.Hisconversationtopicsmostlyrevolvedaroundcelebrities,Raids,musicandmovies.Well,“conversation”mostlyentailedYooJinhotalkingwhileJinwoojustsilentlynoddedalong.‘Hmm,also…’

WhenJinwoothoughtbackonthetimeshespentwithYooJinho,thechattermouthhadnevertalkedabouthisfamily.Itwasstrange.

BeforeJinwoocouldgiveitmorethought,hearrivedatthebank.

‘Ofallthedays…’

TheATMswerebeingserviced.

Defeated,Jinwoograbbedanumberandwaited.Soon,hewascalledandwentuptothecounter.

“Hello.”

Thefemaleserviceemployeehadashorthairandabrightsmile.Sheaskedhelpfully–

“HowmayIhelpyoutoday?”

“CouldIgetsomehelpwiththis?”

“Ofcourse.”

TheemployeetookthebankbookfromJinwoo’shandswithasmile.Whilewaiting,Jinwoolookedaroundthebank.Eventhoughitwasaweekdayafternoon,therewereunusuallymanypeoplearound.Whilehewaspeoplewatching,thebankemployeetookalookatJinwoo’sbankbookandwassurprised.

‘Holy!’

[AccountBalance:1,482,920,000]

Shecarefullyrereadthenumber,countingthezeroes;itwasdefinitelyoverabillion.Andtheamountwasn’tsomelifesaving.Thetransactionhistoryshowedthatitwasallcollectedinthepastweek.

‘He’ssoyoung,howcouldhe…?’

ShehadfirstthoughtofJinwooasacollegestudentwhowasrunningbankbookerrandsforhismother.Now,shestaredatthemanwithacompletelydifferentlook.Shecarefullyaskedhimaquestionwithaslightulteriormotive.

“So…whatdoyoudo?”

Realizinghowherquestionsounded,theemployeebecameembarrassedandlookedawaywithhercheeksreddening.

“I’maHunter.”

“Ah…”

Theemployeenodded.Therumorsweretrue.

‘IheardthatHuntersearnedalotofmoney.’

Tothinkitwouldbethismuch.Shesuddenlyfeltashameatherordinarydeskjob.Justuntilmomentsago,Jinwoowasjustacustomerlikeanyother.Now,sherealizedhelivedinadifferentworld.

‘He’sprobablyareallyhigh-rankingHunter.’

Onlytheywouldearnthismuchmoney.Thiswasthefirsthigh-rankershehadmet.Thethoughtmadeherheartflutter.AyoungmanlikehimwithoverabillionincashwouldbeconsideredaVIPatthisbank.AndifhewasaHunterontopofthat,hewouldbeaVVIP.Shedidnotwanttomisstheopportunity.Theemployeestartedtogooffasmandatedbyhertraining–

“So,there’sanewproductforVIPcustomersatourbank,”

Herbusiness-usesmilehadturnedintoagenuineone;hereyeswerefixedonJinwoo.

‘Ohmy,he’s…’

Themanlookedlikehehadlefthishouseinahurry–wearingcarefreeclotheswithunstyledhair,stillslightlywet.Sherealizedheprobablylivedaverybusylifeandtookvaluabletimeoutofittocomehere.Lookingatsuchacapableman(inherhead),herheartbeatslightlyfaster.

“It’sbeenverypopularwiththecustomers.Wouldyouperhapsliketoinvestinit?”ButJinwooheldoutahand.

“No,I’mgood.”

“Ah…Okay.”

Shecouldnothidethedisappointmentinhervoice.Feelinglikealengthy

conversationmightfollow,Jinwoohurriedandgotup.

“Thankyouforyourhardwork.”

Whileignoringthegazeoftheemployeeonthebackofhisneck,heleftthebank.Themomenthewentoutside,hesighedinrelief.

“Whew-”

HehadnoticedthechangeinhereyesafterherevealedthathewasaHunter.Thegazeofothers.Andtheirinterest.ItwassomethingnormalforotherHuntersbutnottoJinwoo.

‘IsupposeIhavetogetusedtothat.’

Oncehetooktheretestandobtainedahighrank,theattentiononhimwouldbecomealotheavier.HehadheardthatHuntersevenhadtheirownshareoffansandpaparazzi.Lookingup,hesawabillboardontopofabuildingwithanadvertisement;themodelwasafamousHunter.BeforethedaysoftheGates,itwould’vebeenanathleteoracelebrity.Now,Huntersreceivedtheloveofthemasses.Jinwoomightbecomethesame.Nowadays,theonlypeoplewhodislikedHunterswereinsurancecompanies.

‘Well,anyways.’

Afterleavingthebank,Jinwoowasfinallyabletocheckhisincome.Hewasverysurprised.

‘1,482,920,000…!!!’

TheincomefromnineRaidswasnearlyabillionandahalf.Itwasanaverageof160millionperC-rankDungeon.ConsideringtheC-rankDungeonwithHwangDongseokpaidout180million,heroughlydeterminedthatC-rankGateswouldgive150to200millioneach.

‘Well,anyemployeewould’vebeensurprisedlookingatthis.’

***

AfterJinwoofinishedtheerrandtocheckhisaccountbalance,hewentandgot

fittedforasuitandevenhadthetimetogetahaircutatanearbysalon.

“Hmm.”

Hewasacompletelydifferentpersonthanwhenhehadleftthehouse.

‘Moneyreallyisgood.’

Jinwoostoppednexttoashopwindowandcheckedhisnewlookoutinthereflection.Thisshouldbegoodenough.

‘Attheveryleast,Iwon’tleaveabadimpression.’

Hecheckedthetime.Itwastwentypastfour.

‘Shesaidbetherebyfive.’

Hewouldmakeitintime.

“Taxi!”

Hehailedacabandarrivedattheschoolwithtimetospare.HesawJinahwaitingforhimoutinfront.

“SungJinah.”

Hislittlesisterdidnotrealizehehadapproachedandjumped.

“Oppa?”

Jinahstaredathimlikeadeerinheadlights.

“Excuseme,areyoureallySungJinwoo-ssi?”

“Doyounotrecognizeyourownoppa?”

Jinahlookedupanddownonhisfigureandexclaimed–

“Well,you’reacompletelydifferentperson!”

“DidyouthinkIwouldmeetmydongsaeng’steacherintracksuitandslippers?”

“Wow…”

Jinahcouldnotclosehermouth.

“Yourjaw’sgoingtofalloff.I’mgoingahead.”

ItlookedlikeJinahwastooshockedtoguidehim,soJinwootookthelead.Hewasastudentherefiveyearsago.Thestructurewasfamiliartohim.Heknewthemeetingwouldhappeninaconferenceroomandnotherhomeroom,soheheadedinthatdirection.Hispacewasquick.

“O-oppa!Waitforme!”

Jinahquicklytrottedafterherbrother.

“Hello,teacher.”

“Hmm?Oh,hello.”

Ontheway,hegreetedvariousteachers.Everyoneofthemstaredathimashewalkedby.

‘Whowasthat?’

‘Isheanalumni?Idon’tthinktherearestudentslikethatatourschool.’

‘Isheanewteacher?’

Theteachersweren’ttheonlyoneswhoturnedtheirheads.

“Whoa,handsome.”

“Whoisthat?”

“Isn’tthatJinahnexttohim?”

“Itmustbeherbrother.Wow,he’ssocool.”

Amuscularbodyandafashionablesuit.Evenaplain-lookingpersonwouldcatchtheireyes.Well,Jinwoowascompletelyuninterested.

‘...’

Thestudent’swhisperswentinoneearandouttheothertohim.TheonewhowasexcitedwasJinah.Sheperkedherearsandlistenedtoherfellowstudents’whispers,thenwentuptoherbrotherandribbedhimwithherelbow.

“Wow,oppa’sprettypopular~”

Heignoredherthefirsttime.

“Youknow,oppadoesn’thaveagirlfriend,right?”

Heignoredherthesecondtime…

“Shouldyourcutelittlesisterintroduceyoutosomeone?”

Hepinchedhercheeksthethirdtime.

“Don’tmessaround.”

“S-sorry.”

Jinwooreleasedher,andsherubbedherredcheek.

“Chet,Iknowyou’reenjoyingallthis…”

Whiletheywerebeingsiblings,theyhadarrived.Jinahspunwithaflourishthengestured.

“Oppa,it’shere.”

Jinwoowasabouttoenter,thenturnedtoJinah.

“Whataboutyou?”

“Thisisonlyfortheguardianandtheteacher.I’mjustheretoseeyouoff.”

Ohright,Jinwoorememberedhisownbackinhislastyearofhighschool.Atthetime,noonehadcomeforhim.

‘Motherwasalreadyhavingdifficultiesmovingbackthen.’

Aftershefellill,hismotherhadtobequicklyhospitalized.Notwantingtoexertherweakbody,Jinwoodidnottellherabouttheparent-teachermeeting.Hehadtoendurethepesteringofhisteacherforawhilebecauseofthat.Rememberingthatexperience,herealizedwhyJinahwasnervouswhensheaskedforhistime.Heaskedhissisterwithasmile–

“You’restayingoutlatetoday,too,right?”

“Yep,youcangohomewithoutme.”

“Alright.”

Hepattedherheadbeforeshecouldreact,messingupherhair.

“Studyhard.”

“Ahdanggit,don’tdothat.”

“I’llseeyouathome.”

Jinwooenteredtheconferenceroomwithasmile.Jinahfixedherhairwhilepouting.

“Howlongwillyoutreatmelikeakid…”

Well,itwasn’tlikeshehatedit.Shelookedaround,worriedthatsomeonemight’veseen.Afterconfirmingnoonewasaround,sheskippedtowardsherclassroom.

***

IfhehadtodescribehisfirstimpressionofJinah’shomeroomteacherinasentence...

‘Hmm…’

Shelookedlikeavirtuousperson.

“YoumustbeJinah’solderbrother.”

Shewasawise-lookingmiddle-agedfemaleteacher.Someonewhosebright

smilemadetheotherpersonfeelcomfortable.Knowingthecircumstancesofhishousehold,shedidnotquestionJinwoo’spresenceatallfortheparent-teachermeeting.

“Pleasetomeetyou.IamJinah’shomeroomteacher.Ididn’trealizeJinahhadsuchahandsomeolderbrother,hoho.”

Athersassybutpleasantgreeting,Jinwoobowedhishead.

‘Idon’trememberherwhileIwashere.’

Shemust’vebeenanewteacherafterhehadgraduated.Theysaythefirstimpressionwasveryimportant.Aftertheirgreeting,hewasabletorelaxabit.

‘She’sveryrespectfultosomeonemuchyoungerlikeme.’

Itappearedthathislittlesister’ssenioryearwouldnotbeplaguedbyabadteacher.

“Please,haveaseat.”

Shegesturedtowardachair.Jinwoosatdownandfacedtheteacheracrossalargedesk.

“Idon’tthinkyouhavetoworryaboutJinah.”

Theytalkedabouttheaveragemattersforaparent-teachermeeting.Theirconversationcontinuedinagoodmoodforsometime.BecauseJinahwasamodelstudent,herteacherhadnothingbutgoodthingstosay.

“You’reawarethatJinahwantstogotoamedicalschool,right?”

“Yes.”

TheteacherreadthroughJinah’sprofile.

“Hertestscoresweregood,andheroverallgradesareexcellent.Sheshouldbemorethancapableofgettingintoagoodschool.Sopleasedon’tputtoomuchpressureonher.”

Jinwoosolemnlynodded.Theteacher’sfacewasfilledwithexpectationsfor

Jinah.Truthfully,manyhomeroomteachersforhighschoolseniorswerefilledwithstressduetothestudent’sgrades.Afterall,astudent’sfinalyearsinhighschooldeterminedthecourseoftheirlives.[1]

‘Andthat’swhyIheardmostteacherswantedtoavoidteachingseniors.’

Hehadheardthatsometeachershadtobeforcedintothespot.Withthatinmind,itwasclearthatJinah’steacherwassomeonewithpassionforthejob.AsJinah’sguardian,Jinwoowasverygratefulforthis.

Themeetingwasnearingitsendafterfifteenminutes.

“Andthen…”

Jinwoowasabouttorise,butthentheteachercarefullyaskedaquestion–

“IheardthatJinah’soppawasaHunter.”

Hereyeshadsuddenlyturnedserious.Jinwoorealizedsomethingwasup.

“Yes,Iam.”

“If…JinahunderwentAwakening,wouldyouletherworkasaHunter?”

“Absolutelynot.”

Never.

Jinwoofirmlyreplied.Hedidnotneedtothinkaboutit.Theteacher’sexpressiondarkened.

“AsIexpected…”

WhenJinwoolookedathersuspiciously,theteachercontinuedwithhesitation–

“Ifit’snottoomuchtrouble,mayIaskyouforafavor?”

Jinwoonodded.

“Ifit’ssomethingIcando…”

He’dhearheroutatleast.ThewomanwasJinah’steacher;hedidnotwanttosourtheirrelationshipbycuttingherofffromthestart.Fearingthathewouldchangehismind,theteacherquicklyspoke–

“OneofthefemalestudentshereunderwentAwakeningrecently.She’splanningondroppingoutandstartingworkasaHunter.She’sbeenabsentforsometimenow.”

‘Ah.’

Itwasacommonoccurrence.PeoplewhofreshlyreceivedtheirAwakeningignoredcommonsenseandthrewthemselvesintotheHunterprofession.Despitenotknowingwhatthejobtrulyentailed,theydiditwithprideatthefactthattheyweredifferentfromanordinaryperson.EvenifyouwereanAwakenedBeing,takingonthetitleofaHunterandearninglife-changingamountsweredifficult.

Theteachersigheddeeply–

“Ifthiscontinues,theschoolwillhavenochoicebuttotakeaction.Iwanttoavoidthatifpossible.EvenifyouwereaHunter,don’tyouthinkyoushouldatleasthaveahighschooldiploma?”

Jinwoonoddedinagreement.Atthepositiveresponse,theteacher’sfacebrightenedabit.

“Couldyoupleaseconvincehertoatleastconsidergraduating?”

Theteachersmiledpleadingly.Jinwooaskedaquestionoutofcuriosity–

“Thatstudent,whatwasherrank?”

“FromwhatI’veheard…itwasthelowestrank…”

E-rank.

‘...She’snotgoingtolivelong.’

Jinwooclickedhistongueinsidehishead.EvenjustenteringaDungeonrequiredacautionatthatrank.Ninetimesoutoften,enteringaDungeonwith

carefreeattitudebornofarroganceresultedineitherbecomingdisabledordying.Thefactthatagirlhissister’sagemightmeetsuchafateweighedheavilyonJinwoo.However,heknewthiswasherdecision.Noonehadforcedherintoit.Itwasunfortunate,buthedidnotwanttotakevaluabletimeoutofhisscheduletointerferewithsomeoneelse’schoice.

‘I’mnotsureifIcouldevenconvinceher.’

Peoplelikethatdidn’tlikebeingtoldwhattodo.Andso,Jinwoodecidedtorefuseandstartedtorise.Buttheteachercontinued–

“Hernameis—Jinahshouldknowher.”[2]

Whenheheardthestudent’sname,Jinwoocouldnotgetup.Heaskedtoconfirm–

“Teacher,whatwashernameagain?”

“It’s—.Doyouknowher?”[3]

“...”

Whatasmallworld.

‘Huh…’

Jinwoowasatalossforwords.

***

ATTHESAMEHOUR.YOOJINCONSTRUCTION’SCHAIRMANYOOMYUNGHAN’SPERSONALRESIDENCE.

Fromearlymorning,luxuriousandexpensivecarsmadenonstopappearancesatthehouse.

Theyallhadarrivedforthesamereason.

Itwasforthememorialservice[4]ofYoojinConstruction’sfoundingchairman,YooByungcheol.HewasthefatherofKorea’snumberonebusinessman,YooMyunghan.Theman’sfirstbornmadesuretoclearallschedules,nomatterhow

busyhewas,andtookcareofhisfather’smemorialserviceeveryyear.Asatestamenttotheman’sfiercedemeanorandinfluence,theentireYooclangatheredasoneonthisday.

Acertaininvestmentfirm’spresident.Acertainpharmaceuticalcompany’schairman.Acertainmall’sowner.ThemembersoftheYooclanwerefilledwithprominentheadsofvariousbusinesssectors.Eventheirchildrenweretheelitesamongelites.Exceptforone.

Thatoneperson,withoutbeingtoldtodoso,tookupaspotquietlyinacorner,actingasifhedidn’texist.

ItwasYooJinho.[5]

‘Boring.’

Theyoungmanwishedthisentireceremonywouldbeoversoon.RunningthroughDungeonswithhyungnimwasahundredtimes,no,athousandtimesmorefunthanthis.

‘Iwonderwhathyungnim’suptorightnow?’

Nowthathethoughtaboutit,hecouldn’timaginehowJinwoowouldspendhisdayoff.Jinhoidlythoughtaboutrandomthingswhilesippingawayathisdrink,whenavoicehedidn’twanttohearspokeupfrombehindhim.

“Oy.”

Whoelsecoulditbe?Evenataglance,youcouldtellthatthevoice’sownerwasamanoftalent.Exudingtheauraofanelite.Wearinghigh-classglasses.Atallheight.

ItwasYooJinho’solderbrother,YooJinsung.ThefirstbornsonofYooMyunghan.TheheirwhowouldcontrolYoojinConstructionsomeday.

Themanstoodrightbeforehisyoungerbrotherandstareddownonhim.

“Youshouldbeupandaboutgreetingtherelatives.Howlongareyougoingtoactlikealittlekidfor?”

“...Whatever.”

“Knowthatyourunseemlyactionsonlybesmirchthenameofourfather.”

YooJinsung’swordsdidnothaveashredofbrotherlyloveinthem,onlyanutterdisdainoflookingdownonsomeoneinferior.Ofcourse,YooJinhoalsohadlittleloveforhisbrotherbutdidnotdarespeakupagainsthim.

“...”

Hisbrothertookaftertheirfatherinmanywaysafterall.Hewasageniusamonggeniusesthatstoodatthetopoftheclassineverysubject,andhisgradeswerejustthetipoftheiceberg.Oncehegraduated,hequicklybeganworkingunderhisfather,YooMyunghan,invarioussectorsofbusinessandproducedgreatresults.Comparedtohim,YooJinhohadnothingtoshowforhimself.Evenenteringcollegewaswiththehelpofthefamilyname.Wheneverhestoodnexttohisbrother,Jinhofelthimselfshrinkingdowntononexistence.

“...”

“Pathetic.”

Theolderbrotherfrownedattheyounger’sloweredhead.Hequicklyturnedandwalkedaway.

“Esteemeduncle.”

“Oh,it’sJinsung.Howareyou?”

YooJinhowasabletofinallyraisehisheadafterYooJinsunghadwalkedaway.Thisiswhyhehatedcominghome.Ifonlyitwasn’thisgrandfather’smemorialservice…WhileYooJinhorepeatedlysighedtohimself,anotherfamiliarvoicecamefrombehindhim.

“Wow,Ireallyhatethatguy.”

YooJinhoturnedaround.Itwashiscousin,ayearolderthanhim,YooSoohyun.

***

“Man,didyouhearthewayhetalks?He’sreally…Eh.”

YooSoohyunapproachedYooJinhoandtappedhimonhisshoulder.ShemockinglyimitatedYooJinsung’sfrown–

“Lookatmypatheticlittlebrother.Blah,blah,blah.”

YooJinhocouldnothelpitandburstintolaughter.

“Pfft,stop.I’mnotinamoodtojokearound.”

“Sopathetic,tsktsk.”

“Hahaha,stopit!”

Becauseoftheircloseage,thetwocousinshadgrownupasfriends.YooSoohyunwalkedaroundtheyoungmanandstoodbeforehim.

“Whydoyoulethimkickyouaroundlikethat?”

“WhatelsecouldIdo?”

“YoujustunderwentanAwakening.Don’ttellmeyoucan’twinagainstanordinaryhumanlikehim.”

“So,what?Youwantmetothrowapunchatmyolderbrotherorsomething?”

“Well…”

YooSoohyuncoylyclosedherlips.SheimaginedthepunishmentYooJinhowouldreceivefromhisfatherifheeverstruckhisolderbrother…Itwasaterrifyingthought.Ofcourse,sheunderstoodYooJinho’sfeelings;howhecouldnotdoanythingbuttaketheabusefromYooJinsung.SheglaredinthedirectionYooJinsunghadwalkedoffto.

“Goodtoknowhe’sstillanasshole.”

IntheYooclan,shewastheoneotherpersonwhodislikedYooJinsungasmuchasYooJinhodid.Sheknewtherealfacetheheirhidbeneathhisfacefilledwithintelligence.Meanwhile,YooJinhodidnotjoinherininsultinghisbrother.It’snotbecauseofanybrotherlyloveorrespect.Itwasbecausehewantedtobeat

hisolderbrotherfairandsquareandnotjustwhisperbehindhisback.Notinghissilence,YooSoohyuncarefullyasked–

“Thatplan…Areyoustillstickingtoit?”

“Hmm?”

“YourplantobecomeGuildmasteroverthatman.”

YooJinhorepliedwithasmile.Whowouldbelieveit?Itwouldbegratefulifalltheydidwaslaugh.Tothinkthathewouldthinkaboutcompetingagainsthisbrother.Still,hehadearnedatrumpcardinhis“hyungnim”;hisgoalbecamemuchmorepossiblethankstoJinwoo.

‘IfIcanjustobtaintheGuildmasterlicense…’

Itmightputthemonevengrounds.No,perhapshecouldreallywin.LookingatYooJinho’seyesbecomefilledwithdetermination,YooSoohyunputherhandstoherhipsandfirmlyspoke–

“EvenifIdie,I’llnevergoworkforthatman.ButIreallydon’twanttofightwithyourfather,soyouhavetosucceed.”

“...Thanks.”

Thiswasherwayofcheeringhimoninhisgoal.YooSoohyunwasafamouschildactorbackintheday,andnow,sheworkedasanequallyfamousmodel.ButtherewassomethingveryuniqueaboutherintheYooclan.ItwassomethingshehadincommonwithYooJinho,butatthesametime,completelydifferentfromtheyoungman.

YooSoohyunwasanA-rankHunter.

Evenputtingasidethefactthatshewasayoungladyofachaebol,manyGuildswantedtorecruither.Buttheyoungwomanhadrefusedeveryofferandsimplycontinuedherworkasamodel.Unfortunately,anoffercametoherthatshecouldnotrefuse.

ShehadbeenasktobecomeoneofthefoundingmembersoftheYoojin’sGuild.Itwasanoffer,no,anorderfromChairmanYooMyunghan.Shecouldnot

ignorethewordsoftheYooclan’spatriarch,butshedetestedtheideaofworkingunderYooJinsung.SoYooSoohyunwasjustastroubledasYooJinho.Hedidnotseemparticularlydependable,butshewouldhavetoplaceherfateinhisplans.

Vibrate–vibrate–

YooSoohyunheardhisphonevibratingandasked–

“Areyougonnapickthatup?”

“Oh.”

Hewaslostinhisthoughtsandhadnotrealizedsomeonewascallinghim.Herecognizedthenumberimmediately.

[Hyungnim]

YooJinho’sfaceimmediatelylitup,puttingbehindthesombermoodthathehadmaintainedthroughoutthisfamilygathering.

“Hello,hyungnim!”

Heansweredwithawidesmile.

“Yes!Yes,hyungnim.No,no,Icanmakeit.Yep,I’llberightthere,hyungnim.”

YooJinhoendedthecall.YooSoohyuntookinterestathisattitudethatmadea180degreeturn.

“Whaaaa?Whowasthat?”

However,YooJinhodidnothavethetimetoexplain.Hishyungnimhadcalledhimforafavor!Hewantedtoquicklyleave,tosaveevenjustonesecond.

“I’lltellyoulater!”

YooSoohyunstaredattheyoungmantrottingawaywithatiltedhead.

“Whydidhebecomesohappy?”

YooJinhohadalwaysspentthetimewithsunkenshouldersduringthesefamilygatherings,butsomethingabouthimchangedjustnow.

“...Howstrange.”

Shedefinitelyplannedtogrillhimforthetruthlater.

Meanwhile,YooJinholookedaroundforhisfather.Itwouldbedinnertimesoon.Arareoccasionwheretheentireclanwouldgatherforameal,noonewoulddaretoleavewithouthisfather’spermission.Lookingleftandright,YooJinhodiscoveredhisfatherinconversationwithsomepeopleinthedistance.

Afaceasfierceasatiger.Astrictpersonalitythatrarelyeversmiled.ToYooJinho,itwasalwaysdifficultytoapproachhisfather.

‘Man,Ididn’teventalktohimyet.’

Hewasalreadynervous,buttheyoungmangatheredhiscourage.

‘Ipromisedhyungnim.’

Hecalmedhisbreathing,thenslowlyapproachedhisfather.Evenintheshortdistance,hewantedtoturnaroundmanytimesbutmaintainedhiscourse.YooJinhoarrivedbeforeYooMyunghan.

“Father…”

Hestoppedatadistancetoofarforafather-sontalk.YooMyunghanmovedhisgazeovertohisson.

“Whatisit.”

Readingthemood,thepeoplehewastalkingtoallwalkedawayasone.

“Father,mayIpleasebeexcusedforamoment?”

TherewasbarelyanystrengthinYooJinho’svoice.

“I’ll,I’llbebackbydinner.”

“...”

YooMyunghanlookedlikehewasabouttoberatetheyoungmanbutinsteadsighedandgavepermission.

“...Goahead.”

YooJinho’sfacebrightenedintoasmile.Hebowedtohisfather.

“Thankyou,father.”

Then,theyoungmanquicklydisappearedfromtheroom.YooMyunghanstaredathissonwithahardenedexpression.Hiswifeapproachedhim–

“Dear,we’vegotwordfromVienna.”

Itwasanewshewaswaitingfor.YooMyunghanturnedtoherwithinterest–

“Andtheresultsofthecompetition?”

“Shewon.Whosedaughterdoyouthinksheis?”

AfaintsmileappearedforthebriefestofmomentsinYooMyunghan’sfacebutquicklydisappeared.

“Mm.WhenisshecomingbacktoKorea?”

“Shesaysshe’stoobusywithschoolandwillmaketimeduringbreak.”

YooMyunghanfurrowedhisbrows.

“Nomatterhowbusysheis,Itoldhernottoforgetthememorialservice.”

“Ohdear,kidsthesedaysdon’treallycareforthesekindsofthings.”

YooMyunghanclickedhistongue.Hiswifefixedhistieandcontinuedlovingly–

“Youknowdear,youshouldgiveJinhomoreattention.”

“Notthisagain…Atigershouldraiseatiger,notakitten.”

“Tigerorcat,he’sachildthatIgavebirthto.Yourchild,youknow.”

“Hmph…”

“Didyouknow?Sincehegraduatedjuniorhigh,todaywasthefirsttimeourboysmiledinfrontofyou?”

Wassheright?YooMyunghanturnedhisgazetowardsthedirectionYooJinhohadleftin.Theinterestinhiseyesquicklydisappeared.Themanwasnotonetobefocusedontriflingmatters.

“Heprobablygotagirlfriend.Othersarewaiting,letusgo.”

***

HUNTERASSOCIATIONHEADQUARTERS.

Anemployeewasperformingaroutinecheckonallthemachines.Hewascurrentlylookingatahandheldmagicpowermeasuringdevice.

“What’swrongwiththis?”

Thecounterthatshould’vebeenfixedatzerowasfluctuatingupanddownnonstop.Itseemedlikethedevicewasbroken.However,theemployeewasnotworried.Evenmagicpowereddevicesbrokedownfromtimetotime,justlikeanyotherdevices.

“HeyKim.”

“Sir.”

Hissubordinatequicklycametohim.

“HowmanyGatesdidwemeasurewiththis?”

“What’stheserialnumber?”

“N-1744B.”

Thesubordinateperformedaquicksearch–

“Itwentthroughsevenplacesinthepastfewdays.”

“Inthepastfewdays?Letmesee.”

Itwastrue.IthadmeasuredexactlysevenGatesinthepastfewdays.FourofthoseGateswerealreadyclosedbyHunters.

“WerethereanyproblemswiththeGates?”

“No,nothingunusualwasreported.”

“Alright.”

Thesenioremployeescratchedhischin.TheprotocolwhenamagicpowermeasuringdevicewasfoundtobefaultywastocanceltheraidingrightsofeveryGateithadmeasured.Thereasonwasobvious.IfagroupofHuntersenteredwhattheybelievedtobeaC-rankGate,onlytobemetwithaB-rankorevenanA-rankdifficultyone,theywouldbeslaughtered.Thiswastheterrorofhigh-levelDungeons.Justasthedifferencebetweenlow-rankingHuntersandahigh-rankerwaslikenightandday,theDungeon’sdifficultyalsoincreasedexponentiallyastherankwentup.Therewasareasonwhyhigh-levelGatesweremostlyreservedbythelargeGuilds.

‘Shouldwesentoutanotice?’

ItwaseasytonotifythepropergroupsandcanceltheRaids,butthatwouldinviteaproblemortwo.TheHunterswhoseRaidswerecancelledwouldcomplain,andiftheDungeonunderwentaDungeonBreakwhiletheywereremeasuringit,itwouldbeagreatdisaster.Worstcasescenario,hecouldbefired.

‘DoyouknowhowharditwastogetajobattheAssociation?’

TheHunterAssociationwasareveredorganization.Obtainingemploymentherewasanarduoustask.Theprospectoflosingsuchemploymentcloudedtheemployee’sjudgment.

‘No,no,no.’

Heshookhishead.Hissubordinateroughlygatheredwhathisseniorwasthinking.

“So…Whatshouldwedo?”

“Hmm.”

It’sbeentwodaysalready.Iftherewasaproblem,itprobablywould’veshownitselfalready.

“...Let’sleaveitbe.”

“A-areyousure?”

“It’salreadybeentwodays,whatcouldhappen?”

“Iguess…”

Thesubordinatenodded–

“PutinareportthatN-1744Bwasworkingjustfineuntiltoday.”

“Understood.”

***

Baekho’sSecondManagementDivisionChiefwasmakingdinnerathome.AhnSangminwascuttinggreenonionsthenstoppedtostretchhisback.

Craaack–

“Ohboy.”

Tonight’smenuwassoybeanstew.Havingachievedindependenceeightyearsago,thebachelorhadbecomequiteskilledincooking.Themanhadstartedteachinghimselffiveyearsago.Itwasduringaperiodwherehefilledhisbellywithinstantfood.Realizingthathishealthwasdeclining,hedecidedtolearnhowtocookforhishealth.Now,hewasskilledenoughtocooksomethinghehadonlyseeninpassingonTV.However,ashisskillsincreased,thethingshecookedbecamemoreandmoresimple.Justliketoday’ssoybeanstew.

“Ohman,thisisgood.”

Hetastedthesoupandpraisedhimself.Tothinkthatonlyonepersonwouldbe

abletotastethis,themanwastrulydisappointed.

‘ShouldIinvitesomeoneoverfordinner?’

Thefaceofhisrighthandmanflashedacrosshismind,buthequicklydismissedthethought.Hewasalreadysickofbeingcalledabachelor;hedidnotwanttoinviteweirdrumorsbyinvitingafellowmaleemployeeoverfordinner.

‘Wonderifhe’sdoingwhatItoldhimtodo.’

AlthoughHyunGicheolwasanobedientsubordinatewithagoodhead,therewerecertainareasthemanwaslackingin.

‘Eh,shouldn’tthinkaboutworkathome.’

Timetoeat.AhnSangminpreparedhistableinthelivingroomwhilehumming.Soon,themanwasreadytoeathisdinneralonewhilewatchingTV.HeturnedontheTV;thenewswason.

[“Thisisanupdateontoday’sbreakingnews.”]

Oneofthebenefitsoflivingalonewasthatheneverhadtofightanyoneforwhatchanneltowatch.WheneverheturnedontheTV,itwouldbeatthesamechannelhewasalwayswatching.AhnSangminwatchedthenewswhilemovinghisutensilsinthecornerofhiseye.

[“AnunknownexplosionattheU.S.FederalBureauofHunters(FBH)[6]inthecapitolhasthrownthecountryintochaos.We’vereceivedunconfirmedreportsthatitwastheresultoffrictionbetweenS-rankHunters.”]

“Tsktsk…That’snotright.”

AhnSangminclickedhistonguewithaworriedexpressionandcontinuedeating.Lookingoverthemealinfrontofhim,herealizedtherewassomethingmissing.

‘Kimchi.’

[“Thisisafootagefromasecuritycamoutsideofthebuilding.Hereyoucanseecracksappearingonthewall,andthen—”]

Themangotupandgrabbedsomekimchifromtherefrigerator.Hewasabouttotakehisfirstbitewhenthephonerang.

‘Goddammit!Whoisitnow?!’

Hetookouthisphoneinannoyance,buthisattitudechangedinaninstantwhenherealizedwhowascalling.

“Yes,thisisAhnSangmin.”

ItwasJinwoo.AhnSangmintookthecallwithabrightexpression.

However…ListeningtowhatJinwoohadtoask,hisexpressionturnedtooneofconfusion.

“Sir?Youwanttotagalonginournewrecruittraining?”

----------

[1]Mightsoundweirdforfolksinthewest,butit’sreallytrueinKorea.There’sareasonwhythecountry’sknownfortheimmenseamountofpressureparentsputontheirkidsduringhighschool.

[2]Theoriginalpassageskipsoverthestudent’snamehere.

[3]Again,thenameisnotwrittendownintheoriginalpassage.

[4]“Memorialservice”():InKorea(andIthinkmostEastAsiancountries),familiesgotheextramilewhenitcomestorememberingthedead,specificallytheireldersthathavepassed.Largefamilieswouldgathertheentireclanintooneplaceforremembrance.

[5]Aww...

[6]“U.S.FederalBureauofHunters”():“U.S.”+“Hunter”inEnglish+“Bureau”.JuststyleditafterFBI,butFBH.

Chapter8:RecklessGirlFromTheHighSchool

‘Alright.That’stakencareof.’

Jinwooendedthecall.Atfirst,AhnSangminwasflusteredbutuponhearingJinwoo’sexplanation,themanhappilyagreedtohisrequest.Thanktothat,JinwoowouldbeabletoseehowBaekhotrainedtheirnewrecruitsinaRaid.

‘I’vealreadygotthevan.’

YooJinhohadhelpedhimoutwiththatevenonhisbusyday.Theyoungmanhadtoldhimthathecouldonlyvacatewhereverhecamefromforabriefmomentandapologized.Jinwoothoughttheyoungman’sattitudewasrathermaturecomparedhowhehadactedinthepast.

Anyways,Jinwoowasready.HewascurrentlyinfrontoftheresidenceofthetroublestudentthatJinah’steacherhadaskedhimtoconvince.

‘It’skindaclosetoourplace.’

Itwasaboutatwominutewalk.Jinwooprobablycould’vehititwitharockfromhisownroom.Hetookalookaroundtheneighborhood.Itwasasmallneighborhoodfilledwithworndownbuildings.Hewasabletoroughlygatherthat,likehisownfamily,sheprobablydidnotgrowupthatwell.HeunderstandwhyshewantedtobeaHunter.Itremindedhimofhispast.

‘Still,it’speoplelikethatwhoarethefirsttodie.’

Hehimselfhadgottenhurtmanytimesbefore.TheE-rankHuntereventeeteredbetweenlifeanddeathfewtimes.Ifitwasn’tforhismother’srareillness,hewould’veneverstartedthejob.ForanE-rankHunter,theDungeonwasthatmuchofadangerousplace.Ifhedidnothing,shewouldsurelycometoregretherdecision.Forgetregret,shemightevenloseherlife.

‘Andthat’snotallthatrare.’

Afterall,dozensofHuntersdiedeverydayacrosstheworld.Jinwoodidnotcareaboutanyofthem;itwastheirdecision.

‘However.’

Thepersonthistimearoundwasnotacompletestranger.Ifshewas,Jinwoowould’veignoredtheteacher’srequest,evenifitwasJinah’sclassmate.Buttheyounggirl’snamewasfamiliartoJinwoo.Hefeltapresenceapproaching;lookingup,itwastheproblemstudent.Seeingherface,Jinwooconfirmeditwasindeedthesamegirl.

“Whatthe?”

ThestudentnoticedJinwooandtiltedherhead–

“Ahjussi,whyareyouhere?”

Asexpected,thegirlrecognizedhim.

‘Sigh…it’sareallyasmallworldafterall.’

Jinwooscratchedthesideofhishead.

AfemalehighschoolstudentwhowantedtobeaHunter.ShewasthesolefemalememberofYooJinho’sraidingparty;theonewhoseageconcernedJinwoointhebeginning.

“Isitokaytobringthatone?”

“Iwentaheadandgotsomelegalcounsel.Thereisn’tanylegalreasonwhyshecan’tjoinus.It’sjustgoingtobeabigproblemifshegetshurt.”

‘HanSongyi.’

WhenheheardhernamefromJinah’steacher,Jinwoowassureitwasher.Justincase,heaskedforherrecords.ThedaythatshestoppedcomingtoschoolwasthedayhestartedraidingwithYooJinho’steam.Onceherealizedthis,Jinwoorealizedallthismighthavebeenpartiallyhisfault,sohedecidedtotake

responsibility.Thecircumstancesoftheirraidingpartywerespecial,andhedidnotwanttomisleadthegirlintothinkingthatwhatsheearnedwiththemwouldbethenormgoingforward.Afterall,shehadearnedthirtymillionwoninthepastweek;thatwasanunthinkableamountforahighschooler.

‘Onething’sforsure.’

IfheheardinthefuturethatshediedinaDungeon,heknewitwouldbeathorninhisheart.Andso,hedecidedtotakethetimetodaytoconvinceher.Itwouldn’tbethatdifficult.

“Sowhyareyouhere?”

HanSongyistaredatJinwoowithwideopeneyes.Shelookedalittlehesitant.

“Noway,theHunterthattheteacherwantedtointroducemetowasyou,ahjussi?”

Hewasbotheredatthefactthatshekeptcallinghimahjussibutnoddedwithasmile.

“Idon’tknowwhattheteachertoldyou,butI’mnotinterestedinschoolanymore.Idon’tplanongivinguptheHunterlife.”

Sheattemptedtocuthimofffirmlyfromwhateverhewasplanningondoing.Backintheraidingparty,shewasaratherquietgirl,butwhenitinvolvedherfuture,herattitudehadchanged.Itwasaprecociousbehaviorfittingoftoday’schildren.

‘Remindsmeofanotherprecociousbratlivingathome.’

Jinwoosmiledwidely.Havingattemptedtocomeoffasstern,HanSongyiwasflusteredbyJinwoo’sunexpectedresponse.Jinwoocalmlyspoke–

“Yeah,Idon’tplanontellingyoutogiveitupeither.”

Thegirl’seyeswidenedinsurprise–

“Really?”

Jinwooknew,tellingkidslikehertonotdosomethingwasthebestwaytogetthemtodothatsomething.Fromthestart,hehadnointentionofconvincingherthroughwords.Hewouldjustshowheraglimpseofreality.

‘Iwasthesame.’

HerealizedthattruthonhisfirstRaid.Thattherealitywasmuchmorecruelthanhethought.HanSongyitriedtokeepupasterndemeanorandasked–

“Th-thenwhyareyouhere?”

Jinwoosteppedforward.Thegirlalmosttookastepbackinsurprisebutkepthercomposureastonotappearweak.InfrontofHanSongyi,Jinwooputonasmile.Hedidnotmeantodoso,butitwasaratherevillookingsmile,filledwithulteriormotives.

“IwanttoturnyouintoanamazingHunter.”

***

ShedidnotneedanyconvincingtogointotheDungeon.EnticedbytheprospectofwatchingBaekho’snewrecruittraininginperson,sheexcitedlytaggedalongwithoutashredofsuspicionatJinwoo.Whensheaskedhowheknewherhomeroomteacher,Jinwooshowedherapictureofhimandhissister.

“Ahjussi,you’reJinah’soppa?”

“...”

Acertainwordkepthittinganerveonhismind,butJinwoooverlookeditsincethingsweregoingaccordingtoplan.

“Getin.”

“Thankyou!”

JinwoodroveHanSongyitotheplacewhereBaekhowouldbeholdingtheirnewrecruittrainingintheformofaRaid.Hewastoldthattheywouldbegintheirtrainingatnineo’clock,sohehadplentyoftime.

Zoom–

Thevanthatwastoolargeforjusttwopeopletraveledtotheirdestinationlikeitwasflying.WasitbecauseoftheAgilityandSensestats?Jinwoo,whohadneverdrivenacarafterobtaininghisdriver’slicense,wasskillfullynavigatingtheroad.Evenfocusingjustalittlebitsloweddowntheothercars.

‘Man,theseattributestatssureareuseful.’

Fromhisside,HanSongyistruckupaconversation–

“SodoesJinahreallyspendalldaystudyingathome?Iheardsheevenusesanencyclopediaaswallpapersoshecanconstantlylookatsomethingtomemorize.”

Didhislittlesisterreallyhavesuchareputation?Athome,shewasjustachickenlovinggirlwholovedtosleep.

“She’sthesameaseveryoneelse.Whenshecomeshome,sheplaysaround,eatsandsleeps.”

Well,mostlysleep.

“Eh…Noway.Howcouldhergradesbesogoodifthatwasthecase?”

“Icouldn’tbelieveiteither.Backinjuniorhigh,shewasjustagirlwhowenttoarcadeswithme.”

Whilethepairsharedaconversation,theyhadarrivedattheGate.Jinwoostoppedthecar.

Screech–

ItwasaneighborhoodthatproducedalotofGatesforsomereason.Becauseofthat,mostofthepeoplehadmovedaway,anditwaseasytofindaparking.Jinwooheardthattherewereatleasteightresidentialbuildingsintheareathatwereabandoned.Oncetheremainingpeoplemovedaway,thegovernmentplannedtojustflattentheentirearea.

JinwooandHanSongyigotoutfromthecar.Therewasastrangeforeboding

feelingintheair.

Waaaah-

Jinwoosworehecouldhearacheeringcomingfromhisshadow.Hechalkedituptotheatmosphere.HanSongyiwasslightlyscaredbecauseofthatatmospherebutquicklycheeredupwhenshesawotherHuntersinthedistance.Hersparklingeyeswerelikesomeonelookingatacelebrity.

‘Well,theyaretheBaekho’sHunters.’

HesupposedtoastudentwhowantedtobeaHunter,theywerenodifferentthancelebrities.WhenherememberedtheimageofHuntersinthemedia,itwasnotastrangething.

“Oh,youreallycame.”

HyunGicheolnoticedJinwooandcameover.

“Doyourememberme?”

Jinwoolightlynodded.WhenHyunGicheolgreetedhimwithagenuineandnotabusiness-usesmile,Jinwoosmiledbackdespiteofhimself.Hehadonlymetthemanfewtimes,butitseemedlikehehadalikeablepersonality.

“Iheardfromthechief.Sothisisthestudent?”

“Hello.”

HangSongyibowedherhead.TheywerelightlyexchanginggreetingswhenalargemuscleheadsplitofffromtheHuntersandcameover–

“Canwegetgoingalready?We’renothereforapicnic.It’salmostnine.”

Withoutwaitingfortheirresponse,themanreturnedtotheGate.Jinwoocouldtellhewasnotanordinaryman;heturnedtoHyunGicheol–

“Whowasthat?”

“Ah,he’sanA-ranknewrecruitthatjustenteredtheGuild.Whenweinformedhimaboutyouandthestudent,hewasannoyed.Saidsomethingabouta

Dungeonnotbeingaplayground…”

“A-rank?”

HyunGicheolnodded.ThemanbeinganA-rankwouldexplainthepresenceJinwoofelt.Jinwooaskedanotherquestion–

“What’stheleveloftheraidingparty?”

“OneA-rank,sevenB-ranks,fourC-ranksforatotaloftwelvemembers.”

“You’retakinganA-rankandB-ranksforjustaC-rankGate?”

“Well,eveniftheirrankishigh,they’renewbies.It’stogivethematasteofwhattheDungeonislike.”

HyunGicheolspokewithpride.OncetheycompletedtheirRaidtoday,headdedthattheywouldbeplacedinofficialhigh-levelRaidsgoingforward.

‘Still,anA-rankandsevenB-ranksareabittoomuch…’

Jinwoo’seyeschanged.Infact,thiswastherealreasonwhyAhnSangminlethimtagalongsoeasily.ThechiefwantedtoshowofftheelitenewrecruitsofBaekhotoJinwoo,toshowhimthevalueoftheGuild.However,contrarytoAhnSangminandHyunGicheol’sexpectations,Jinwoolookedoverattheraidingpartywithadisappointmentinhiseyes.

TheGatewasaC-rank.Comparedtothat,theraidingpartywastoostrong.

‘IftheRaidistooeasy,myplanwon’twork.’

Thiswashisworry,butheshookhishead.

‘Eh,I’msureoncesheseewhatit’slikeinthere,she’llrealizethetruth.’

ThetruthofhowpowerlessanE-rankerwasinaDungeon.Thatshouldbeenough.

“Whenarewegoingin?”

NotrealizingJinwoo’strueintentions,HanSongyiimpatientlyaskedwhenthey

wouldstarttheRaid.Turningtohisside,Jinwoosawthatherfacewasfilledwithexcitementandanticipation.

‘Let’sseehowlongyoucankeepthatup.’

HelaughedinhisheadandturnedtoHyunGicheol–

“Then,we’llbegoingaswell.”

“Ah,yes.”

HyunGicheollookedaroundthenleanedinandwhisperedtoJinwoo–

“Er…IfHunterSungJinwoo-nimstepsup,theRaidwillbeoverinaflash.Couldyoupleasejuststayinthebackandwatch?”

Well,thatwashisplan.

“Yes,I’lldojustthat.”

HewouldresumetheRaidswithYooJinhotomorrow;hehadnoneedtointerferewithBaekho’snewrecruittraining.However,tomorrowwouldbetheinauguralcombatforhisshadowarmy,sohedecidedtobringHanSongyihere.

‘Idon’twanttoshowofftheShadowSoldiersinfrontofher.’

Ifthegirlsawhimeasilytakingdownmagicbeastswithhisshadows,herdelusionsmightworsen.JinwooandHanSongyiwentbeforetheGate.UnliketheA-ranker,someoftheotherHuntersgreetedthemwithasmile.

“Hello.”

“Pleasetomeetyou.”

AsthepurposeoftheRaidwasnotmoney,havingmorepeoplewasagoodthing.Theytookturnsintroducingthemselves.WhenitwastheA-ranker’sturn–

“I’mgood.”

HeturnedandenteredtheGatefirst.

“Letusgoaswell.”

Baekho’snewrecruitsenteredtheGateonebyone.HanSongyistoppedbeforetheGateandturnedtoJinwoo–

“Whataboutyou,ahjussi?”

Jinwoocrossedhisarmsandreplied–

“I’llseeyougoinfirst.”

Withafacefilledwithnervousness,thegirlnoddedandentered.

‘Hmm.’

JinwoolightlysighedthenstoodbeforetheGate.Turningaround,hesawHyunGicheolwavingtohimandcheering.

‘...’

JinwooturnedbacktotheGate.

Somethingwaswrong.

‘...?’

TheGatewasripplingandtremblingnonstop.

‘Unlesssomeoneisintheprocessofenteringorleaving,itshouldstaystilllikeablackcurtain.’

Butrightnow,eventhoughnoonewasenteringorleaving,theGatewasripplinglikesomeonehaddisturbedthesurfaceofalake.Somethingwasdifferent.JinwooplacedahandontheGate.ThesurfaceoftheGateclungtohishandlikeastickysubstanceandstartedcrawlinguphishand.

‘Wait,thisis..!’

JinwoosharplyturnedhisheadandmetHyunGicheol’seyes.Theemployeealsorealizedsomethingwaswrong.Jinwooshoutedattheman–

“CALLYOURMAINHUNTERS,RIGHTN—”

BeforeJinwoocouldfinish,hewassuckedintotheGate.

“W-whatwasthat?”

“D-deputyHyun!”

HyunGicheolrantotheGate.ThethreeotherBaekhoemployeesalsowentupbehindhim.InfrontoftheGate,HyunGicheolwaspanickinginterror.

“No…noway!”

TheHuntersweren’ttheonlynewrecruitshere.Theemployeesstandingbehindhimwerealsonewhires.Ofcoursetheywouldbeconfusedatwhatwashappening.TheylookedatHyunGicheollikedeerinheadlights.

“D-deputy!TheGateisturningred!”

Asifadropofbloodfellonthesurfaceofwater,theGate’ssurfacewasquicklyturningred.HyunGicheolignoredtheemployeesandquicklymadeacall.

Click.

—“Whatisit,Gicheol?”

“Chief!It’saRedGate!ThenewrecruitsjustenteredaRedGate!!!”

—“What?!”

AhnSangmin’svoicebecameserious.

—“Whatthehell?!HowdidaRedGatecomeoutofaC-rankGate?!”

HyunGicheollookedupattheGatethathadturnedcompletelyred.Theripplinghadalreadystopped.Thedeputygulped.

“I…Idon’tknow,butit’sdefinitelyaRedGate.”

—“What?!!!”

Chapter9:RedGate

“ARedGate?Howdidthishappen?”

Baekho’sGuildmasterBaekYoonhoimmediatelycametothesceneafterreceivingthenews.HyunGicheol,themaninchargeofthetraining,hadadarkexpression.

“That’s…”

“Letmetakealook.”

BaekYoonhowalkedpasttheemployees,whowerepracticallypreparingforafuneralintheirminds,andwalkeduptotheGate.

‘ItreallyisaRedGate!’

BaekYoonho’sfacehardened.

RedGates.Itwasaterrifyingphenomenonobservedinrandomhigh-levelGates.InsteadoftakingyoutoasmallandconfinedDungeon,itwouldconnecttoanentirelydifferentworld,completewiththeirownenvironmentsandlifeforms.OncetheGatesolidifiedinitsredcolor,noonecouldenterorleaveuntilthebosswastakendownoraDungeonBreakoccurred.Itwascompletelyclosedofffromtheoutside.

BaekYoonhoplacedahandontheGate.Itwasdefinitelyblocked.

‘Thisisnotgood.’

Therewasnothingtheycoulddo.Unlikeotheremergencies,helpcouldnotbeprovidedtotheonesinside.BaekYoonhoturnedtoHyunGicheol–

“WasthisnotaC-rankGate?”

“Itwas.”

“DidyouconfirmwiththeAssociation?”

“Wedid,but…TheywereunusuallyadamantthatthiswasaC-rankGate.”

“Thosefuckingsonsofbitches!”

BaekYoonhosworeloudly.TheRedGateswereaphenomenonlimitedtohigh-levelGates.Itwouldtakeyoutoanentirelydifferentworldontheotherside,andtheysaidthemagicpowerseepingoutwasonlythatofaC-rankGate?Itwasanunthinkablebullshit.TheGateinfrontofhimwasattheminimum,aB-rank.Iftheywereunlucky,itcouldbeanA-rank.Iftheywerereallyunlucky,somethingabovethat...

Meanwhile,therewasareasonwhytheAssociationcouldstubbornlydenyanywrongdoing.

“Shouldwemeasureitwithourowndevices?”

AtHyunGicheol’squestion,BaekYoonhoshookhishead–

“No,RedGatesstopseepingmagicpoweraftersolidifying.It’simpossibletomeasureitnow.”

AndthisiswhytheAssociationcoulddenyeverything.ItwasimpossibletoremeasureaRedGate,sotherewouldbenoevidencethattheyhadmesseduptheirinitialmeasurements.Regardless,therankoftheGatewasnotimportantrightnow–

“Howmanyofourownwentin?”

“Twelve,sir.”

“Howmanywerehigh-rankers?”

“TheA-rankHunterKimCheol-nimtookthelead,andsevenB-rankHunter-nimsbelowhim.”

“OneA-rankandsevenB-ranks…”

“Do…doyouthinktherecruitswillbealright?”

BaekYoonhoshookhishead.

“Wecanconsiderthemdead.Ifwe’relucky,theA-rankerandfewB-rankersmightcomebackalive.”

Iftheywerelucky.

ThecompositionofthepartythatwentinwouldhaveadifficulttimeclearingtheeasiestofB-rankDungeons.Anythingbeyondthatwasimpossible.Withoutamiracle,thepossibilityofthenewrecruitscomingbackalivewasslim.BaekYoonho’sfacedarkened.Readingthemood,HyunGicheolcarefullyspokeup–

“Er…So…therearetwoothersthatenteredwithournewrecruits.”

BaekYoonhoraisedhishead.Didapassinghigh-rankertagalongoutofcuriosity?Thatindeedwouldbeamiracle!BaekYoonho’svoicebecamelouder–

“Whowasit?!”

“He’stheHunterthat’sbeenonmysightsrecently.”

Thereplycamefromtheirside.BothHyunGicheolandBaekYoonhoturnedtheirheadstofaceAhnSangmin.Thedivisionchiefwasdrenchedinsweat,panting.

“Sorryforbeinglate.Therewasalittletraffic.”

Becausehelivedthefurthestawayfromthesceneoftheincident,AhnSangminarrivedlast.ThemanglancedattheGate.Thephenomenonthatwaslikeadoortoanotherworldwasnowanironwall,cuttingeveryoneofffromtheotherside.Justlookingatitmadeithardforanordinarypersontobreathe.

‘Butifit’sHunterSungJinwoo…’

Themanwhohadtriumphedoverincidentafterincident.Thatmanjustmightbeabletosurpasseveryone’sexpectationshere.BaekYoonhoquicklyapproachedAhnSangmin.

“He’saHunterthatChiefAhnhadhiseyeson?”

“Yessir.”

Ah.BaekYoonhorememberedthewhispersaroundtheoffice.

‘NowthatIthinkaboutit…’

Lately,peopleweretalkingabouthowChiefAhnwascomingandleavingtheofficeinahurry.Asexpected,itwasfortherecruitmentofanewHunter.Theman’seyeswereneverwrong.

‘Coulditbe…’

ThefiresofhopelitupinBaekYoonho’schest.

“What’stheHunter’srank?A?OrmaybeB?”

Itcouldn’thavebeenS.TherehadonlybeenaroundtenS-rankHunterscurrentlyinSouthKorea;everysingleoneofthemkneweachother.ButAhnSangminshookhishead!

‘Mygod!’

ThehardenedfaceofBaekYoonhorelaxedinaninstant–

“AreyoutellingmeanS-rankerwentinwiththem?”

AhnSangmincalmlyreplied–

“Nosir.He’sanE-ranker.”

BaekYoonholookedlikeheswallowedabug.

***

Jinwoowassurprised.

‘Sothisistheotherworldthattheytalkedabout?’

Thiswashisfirsttimeseeingitperson,butJinwoohadreadupontheRedGatesontheinternetinthepast.Theyallusedtheexpressionofbeing“suckedin”.Jinwooagreed.WhentheGateseeminglygrabbedontohishandandpulledhim

in,allhesawforamomentwasdarkness,anditfeltlikehewasslidingdownatunnel.

‘Holy!’

Whenheopenedhiseyes,hewasinthemiddleofaforestcoveredinsnow.

“Wherearewe?!”

“Idon’tthinkthisisaDungeon.”

“TheGateisgone!”

TheotherHunterslookedaroundandcouldnothidetheirpanic.Whiletheywereinchaos,Jinwoocalmlylookedaroundwithnarrowedeyes.

‘Idon’tsenseanythingweird.’

ThankstotheSystem,eveninasituationlikethis,hewasabletoremaincalm.Firstthingthatheanalyzedwasthetrees.Giantevergreens,impossiblylargetobefoundintheircountry,coveredthelandscape,reachinghighintothesky.Thetopofthetreeswerestackedwithsnow.Heloweredhisgazeandmetsomeoneelse’seyes.ItwastheA-rankHunterKimCheol,whohadalsobeensurveillingthesurroundings.

‘...’

‘...’

Thetwostareddownateachother,thenlookedaway.HanSongyiapproachedJinwooandlightlytuggedonhisclothes.

“Excuseme…Somethingwentwrong,right?”

Hereyeswerefilledwithfear.Theconfidenceshedisplayedoutsidewascompletelygone.Suddenly,Jinwoo’shandshottowardherface.

...?’

Thegirl’seyeswidened.

Grab!

ThearrowJinwoocaughtlightlytrembledasifangryatnothittingitstarget.ThetargetwasHanSongyi’sforehead.

“Ah,ah…”

Realizingwhatjusthappened,HanSongyi’sfaceturnedwhite.However,thescreamthatrangforthdidnotcomefromher.

“Kiyaaaaah!”

“U-uwak!”

Thud.

BloodseepouttheHunter’smouthashefelltotheground,anarrowstickingoutofhistemple.Acrimsonflowerbloomedontopofthesnow.TheHuntersbegantomoaninfear.Thetwoarrowshadflowntowardthematthesametime.Thankstothat,mostofthemdidnotseeJinwoocatchtheotherarrow.

“Overthere!”

“Itwasthem!”

AB-rankHunterpointedtowardafaintspotontopofadistanttree.Longbeforehepointed,JinwooandKimCheol’seyeswerealreadylookinginthedirection.Thereweretwopeoplestandingontopofthetrees.

‘Orrather,theycertainlyaren’tpeople.’

Whitehair.Skinaspaleassnow.Silvereyes.Andthetrademarkoftheirrace,pointedears.

Becauseoftheirfairbeautyandthefactthatyoucouldonlyseetheminhigh-levelDungeons,theywerequitefamousamongthemagicbeasts.

‘Iceelves.’

OrWhiteWalkers.[1]

Thosethatnevermettheminpersonreferredtothemasiceelves.However,thosethathavefacedtheminbattlecalledthemWhiteWalkers.Theirreasoningwasthataprettynamelike“elf”wasnotfittingforthesethings.JinwoowasabletounderstandwhyHuntersunbaescalledthesethingsWhiteWalkerswhilegrittingtheirteeth.

‘...They’relaughingatus.’

ThetwoelveshadloweredtheirbowsandwerelaughingdisgustinglyattheHunters.Itwasasiftheyweredecidingwhichfoodtoeatfirstatabuffet.

‘Andthiswasyourdecision?’

Jinwoo’seyesbecamesharp.Anarrowtotherightoftheparty.Anarrowtotheleftoftheparty.Theirtargetswerenotrandom.TheHunterkilledbythearrowwasanewlyAwakenedC-rankerinhisthirties.OtherthanHanSongyi,hewastheweakestofthegroup.Andtheotherarrowwasaimedat…

‘HanSongyi.’

Theelveshadtargetedthetwoweakestmembersoftheirparty.

‘Ifitwasn’tfortheSystem,Iwould’vebeentheothertarget.’

TheWhiteWalkers’calculatingwaysannoyedJinwoo.Makingsuretheycouldseehim,Jinwooheldoutthearrowandcrusheditinhishand.

Crack!

Acceptingthechallenge,oneoftheWhiteWalkersslidafingeracrosshisthroat.Evenbetweenhumanandmagicbeast,itwasauniversalgesture.

Jinwoo’smouthformedasmile.Hiseyeswerenotsmiling.

‘...You.Iwillkillyoumyself.’

Atameremagicbeast’staunt,Jinwoo’seyesfilledwithcoldfury.TheWhiteWalkersquicklydisappearedbehindthetree.

“Idon’tthinkthey’reheretobefriends.”

KimCheolfinallyopenedhismouth.AsthesoleA-rankerintheparty,everyoneturnedtheireyesonhim.HewastechnicallytheleaderofthisRaidafterall.

“I’msuresomeofyounoticed.ThisisaRedGate.”

KimCheolspokeinacondescendingmanner,butnobodydaredtocomplain.

“ThatmeansuntilwearealldeadoraDungeonBreakoccurs,noonewillbecomingforus.”

ManyoftheHuntersgroanedindefeat.Someoftheignorantoneshadhopedforarescue,andthefactthatnosuchhelpwouldbecomingcrushedtheirspirits.KimCheolcontinued–

“Ifwestayhere,we’lleitherfreezetodeathorbeambushedbythosebastards.IwillgoandclearthisDungeontoleave.Who’swithme?”

Withwideshouldersandapowerfullookinhiseyes,KimCheollookedratherdependable.Afterabriefpause,theHuntersapproachedthemaninunison–

“I’llgo.”

“Metooplease.”

“Let’sleaveherealive.”

“I’llhelpaswell!”

However,KimCheolshovedamanwhohadapproachedhim.

“Ow!”

Hehadheldback,butitwasthepowerofanA-ranker.Themanwalkedbackwardswhileclutchinghischestinpain.

“Notyou.”

“Huh?”

“Andyou,you,youandyou.”

Inadditiontotheman,KimCheolpointedtoseveralothers,includingJinwooandHanSongyi.Jinwoo’seyestwitched,realizingKimCheol’sintentions.Themuscleheadhadpointedtoatotaloffivepeople.TheyweretheC-rankandbelowHunters.

“Unfortunately,wecannottakeyouwithus.”

“What?”

“WhatdoyouknowofRedGates?”

Themanshookhishead.

“Adayinhereisanhouroutside.Worstcasescenario,it’lltakemonthsbeforeeitherwetakedownthebossoraDungeonBreakoccurs.Withthatinmind,wecan’tbabysityouall.”

“Whatdoyoumeanbabysitus?!”

TheHuntersthatwouldbeexcludedtriedtoprotestbutweresilencedwhenKimCheolgaveafiercelookwithhiseyes.Withafalsekindness,KimCheolcontinued–

“Don’tfeelbad.Allyouhavetodoissurviveuntilwetakedowntheboss.”

“Still…”

TheexcludedHunterslookedtowardtheotherHuntersinKimCheol’sgrouppleadingly,butnotoneofthesteppedforward.Theyalllookedaway.Exceptone.

“Excuseme.”

AfemaleB-rankerinKimCheol’steamraisedahand.

‘...?’

WhenKimCheolturnedaround,thewomangesturedtoJinwoo.

“Wecangofromheretothere,right?”

“...Ifyouwant.”

Withoutahesitation,thewomanwalkedovertoJinwoo’sside.KimCheollookedbackandforthbetweenthewomanandJinwoo.TheA-rankersnortedthenspokewithaloudvoice–

“Well,lookslikewehaveaspotopen.We’lltakeonemorefromyourend.”

“M-me!”

ThemanwhowasshovedearlierquicklyranovertoKimCheol’sside.That’showitshouldbe,Jinwoothought.

‘Thiswoman’stheweirdone.’

Jinwoostaredatthewomanathissidewithasuspiciousgaze.Meetinghiseyes,thewomanquietlyspokesonooneelsecouldhear–

“Thatman,KimCheol,hedidn’tseethearrowcoming.”

Justbecauseyouwereahigh-ranker,didn’tmeanthatallyourstatswereevenlydistributed.KimCheol’sAgilitystatmight’vebeenlow.Knowingthepowerofthedifferentstats,Jinwoodidnotgiveitmuchthought.

“So?”

Thewomansmiledwidely–

“You.You’renotanE-rank,areyou?”

***

MEANWHILE,OUTSIDEOFTHEREDGATE.

BaekYoonho’sexpressionwasdarkagain.AhnSangmingaveabriefexplanationofwhoSungJinwoowas,buttheGuildmasterwasnotconvinced.

“Intheend,it’sjustatheory,isn’tit?”

“Yes,sir.”

Thechiefagreed.Afterall,therewasnothingofficialonSungJinwooyet.

‘IfonlytheGuildmasterhadseenHunterSungJinwooinperson,hewould’veunderstood.’

TherewassomethingdefinitelydifferentaboutSungJinwoo.Unfortunately,AhnSangminwasfrustratedatthefactthathecouldnotexplainthisinwords.BaekYoonhoglancedattheGate.

“ThenthepersonwehavetoplaceourhopesinisKimCheol.”

Anothervoicespokeup–

“Thereshouldbenoproblemswiththat.”

AnotherpersonhadjoinedBaekYoonho,AhnSangminandHyunGicheol.Thethreementurnedtheirgazetowardsthenewcomer.ItwastheFirstManagementDivisionChief,JooSungchan.Helookedoveratthethreemenandcontinuedwithconfidence–

“We’vealreadyfirmlyeducatedKimCheoltoprepareforanycircumstances.”

WhilenewrecruitmenttrainingwastheSecondManagementDivision’sjob,theFirstManagementDivisiondirectlymanagedtheeducationofA-ranknewrecruits.ForthetalentsthatwouldbeplacedinBaekho’smainraidingparty,theirstartingplacewouldbedifferentintheGuild.AtJooSungchan’sconfidence,BaekYoonhorelaxedalittle.

“HowwasKimCheol’sscores?”

“Theywereverygood.Hiscombatabilitiesweren’tlackingatallcomparedtoourmainraidingpartymembers.”

“Isthatso?”

AsmilefinallyreturnedtoBaekYoonho’sface.KimCheolwasanA-ranker.Anexistenceamonghigh-rankersthatshouldbetreatedvaluably.IfthatmanwasleadingtheB-rankHuntersofthisRaid,hejustmightbeabletoclearthisDungeon.ItwasashameabouttheC-rankHunters,buttoBaekho,themostimportantassetwasthehigh-rankers.

‘Thankfully,itlookslikeHunterKimCheol’sabilitiesaretopnotch...’

Theflickeringembersofhopelitupagaininhischest.HavingreassuredhisGuildmaster,JooSungchanturnedtoAhnSangmin–

“IheardsomethingaboutaReawakenedE-rankHunter?”

JooSungchansnortedderisively–

“Comparedabaselesstheorylikethat,ourHunterKimCheolwillbeinfinitelymorereliable.”

AhnSangmin’sexpressionhardened.Themanwasbeingblatantlycondescending.However,AhnSangmindidnotstooptoarguingwiththeJooSungchan.

‘Theresultswillprovewhoisright…’

ThefourmenallturnedtotheRedGateinunison.

Thecolorofthephenomenonlookedlikeanillomenoftoday.

***

“You.You’renotanE-rank,areyou?”

Thewomanbrazenlyasked.Jinwooreplied–

“Thenletmeaskyousomething.”

“Sure.”

JinwoolookedovertoKimCheol’sparty.Theyweremakingvariousplansbeforeheadingout.

“Allofyou,howcouldyoubesocalmasnewrecruits?”

“Thefirstthingtheyteachusisthat‘anythingcanhappeninaDungeon’.”

AnythingcanhappeninaDungeon.Jinwooknewthisbetterthananyoneelsehere.

“We’veallalreadyreceivedsomeeducation.Especiallythatman,KimCheol.He’sreceivedaspecialtraining.Theysayhe’llenterBaekho’smainraidingparty.”

Theywereunafraidjustbecausetheyhadreceivedsomeeducation.Jinwoowasaghast.HerealizedthattherewaslittledifferencebetweenthemandHanSongyi.Sotheysatdowninaclassroomandweretaughtafewthings,buthowusefulwoulditbeinarealsituation?Theywerearrogantlypuffingouttheirchest,notknowingtheterrorofaDungeon.

‘There’sahugedifferencebetweenhearingaboutitinaclassroomandexperiencingitinreallife.’

Infact,walkingaroundasiftheyknewtheDungeon,aslightestcrackintheirconfidencewouldbringdownthedamoftheirarrogance.Ittakestimetobuildupsomethingsofragilebutaninstanttobreakitalldown.Somehow,JinwoowasabletoseethefateofKimCheol’sparty.Theylookedconfidentandfineontheoutside,butheknewtheywereallbeginners.

“Youdidn’tanswer.”

“Hmm?”

Jinwooturnedhisgazebacktothestrangewoman.

“Myquestion,youdidn’tanswer.”

WashereallyanE-rank.Shewasaratherpersistentwoman.

“WhydoIhavetotellyouthat?”

Althoughhehadchosentonotanswerherquestion,thewoman,ParkHeejin,pumpedafistinsidehermind.Shehadmetmanypeopleinherlife,andshewasabletounderstandtheirminds.Justnow,Jinwoo’sanswerwasmeanttodeflect,butithadbetrayedtheconfidencebeneaththeman.

‘Iwasrightabouthim!’

Therewasanotherreasonwhyshewassure.Inthepast,shehadtrainedwiththehigh-rankersofBaekhoandsherememberedthespeedoftheirmovements.But

Jinwoo’shandjustnow.ThehandthatcaughtthearrowwasfasterthananyoftheBaekho’shigh-rankers.

‘Iwasbarelyabletocomprehendwhathappened.’

ShewasanathletewhoAwakenedasaFighter-class.ShewasconfidentinhervisualacuityyetshewasstillunabletofullyseeJinwoo’smovements.ParkHeejin’seyesweresparkling.

‘Attheveryleast,thisman’sanA-ranker.’

No,perhaps…

“Can’tyoujusttellme?”

“No.”

Thecasualconversationwouldstophere.Jinwooturnedhishead.Hedidnotwanttocontinuethisback-and-forththatwouldgonowhere.Moreimportantly,KimCheolwaswalkingtowardsthem.JinwooandKimCheol’seyesmet.

“We.”

Becauseofhisgruffandlowvoice,nomatterwhathisintentionswere,theman’svoicewasthreatening.

“Willbeheadingdowntheroad.”

Hewasnotheretosimplyletthemknowoftheirplans.KimCheol’seyeswereaskinghimwhatJinwoo’spartywoulddo.Asubtlemessageof“don’tfollowus”washiddenbeneaththosewords.

‘...’

Jinwoolookedaroundthenreplied–

“We’llbeheadingdowntheforest.”

“...Goodluck.”

Well,theoneswho’llneedluckareyouguys.Jinwooswallowedthewords.

“Youtoo.”

Jinwoo’steamheadedintotheforest.Afterwatchingthemdisappearinthedistance,KimCheolletoutalaughterhehadbeenholdingin.

“Morons.”

“Whatdoyoumean?”

“Lookoverthere.”

KimCheoluncrossedhisarmsandpointedfromtreetotree.Itwasn’tjustinoneplace.Whereverhepointed,therewasaterritorialmarkingplacedbysomelargebeast.

“Th-thats…!”

“Bears.”

“Icebears!”

Ofthebeast-typemagicbeasts,thebeartypeswereespeciallydangerous.Themarksonthetreessignifiedtheirterritory.TheHuntersinKimCheol’steamclickedtheirtongues.

“Tsktsk.”

“Should’vejustwaitedhere.”

“LookslikethatE-ranker’sgoingtogeteveryonekilled.”

“WhatdoesanE-rankerknow?”

KimCheollookedtowardstheforestmockingly.

‘Ofcourse,whatdoesanE-rankerknow?’

...Wait.

Thesmiledisappearedfromhisface.

‘TheirteamhastwoC-rankersandevenaB-ranker…’

SowhydidheconsiderJinwootobetheirleader?Hehadnotrealizedthisuntilnow.KimCheolshookhishead–

‘...Well,whatever.’

They’llallbedeadsoonanyways.KimCheoldecidedtofocusonhimselfandputtheweaklingsoutofhismind.Thedeadaredead,butthelivingshouldstrivetolive.KimCheolturnedtotheroadandspokewithstrengthinhisvoice–

“Let’sgo.”

***

Jinwoowalkedinfrontofthegroup.However,hehadonlytakenfewstepswhenParkHeejinranaheadofhimandblockedhisway.

“Whatisit?”

“Areyoucrazy?”

Jinwoodidnothidehisannoyanceandcrossedhisarms.“Chooseyournextwordscarefully,”wasthemessage.Readingthemood,ParkHeejinloweredhervoice–

“Sorry,butIhavetosaythis.”

Shegesturedatthetreesaroundthem–

“Doyouseethose?”

Alargeclawmarkonatree.

“Andthere.Overtheretoo!”

Infact,itwashardertofindanunmarkedtree.

“Thebears’territorialmarksareallovertheplace!Thisentireforestmustbethehometobearmagicbeasts!”

Intheanimalkingdom,dogsandcatswereweakcomparedtotigersandlions.Itwasthesamewithmagicbeasts.Adogtypeoracattypemagicbeastswerefarweakerthanatigertypeoraliontype.Andwhataboutabeartype?Doublysowhenitwasthepolarbear,atoppredatoramongtheanimals.Andrightnow,Jinwoohadleadhisteamintotheterritoryofthoseterrifyingmagicbeasts.ItwasunderstandablethatParkHeejinwasagitated.

“Wehavetogobackrightnow!Beforethemagicbeastscome!”

Tsktsk.

Jinwooclickedhistongue.

‘What?’

ParkHeejinhadexpectedoneofthreeresponsesfromJinwoo–anger,surpriseoracceptance.Herexpectationswereoff.Insteadofactingliketheoneatfault,Jinwoowasinsteadlookingdownathercondescendingly.

‘Why-whyishelookingatmelikethat?’

Feelingembarrassed,ParkHeejin’sfaceturnedred.

“W-What!”

Hervoicewasraisedagain.Jinwoosigheddeeplyandopenedhismouth–

“Sinceit’shardtofindanunmarkedtree,thatmeanstherearealotoficebears,right?”

“E-exactly,sowehavetoquickly–”

“That’swhywe’reheadingintotheforest.”

“Huh?”

ParkHeejin’seyeswerewideopen.

‘Doesshestillnotunderstand?’

Jinwoodecidedtotakethetimetoexplain–

“Intheforest,allwehavetoworryaboutaretheicebears.”

“Ah!”

ParkHeejinfinallyunderstoodthemeaningofJinwoo’sactions.Ifthisforestwasahometomanyicebears,thatalsomeantthattherewasnothingherethatthreatenedthem.Itmeanttheydidn’thavetoworryaboutanymagicbeaststrongerthanicebears.

‘Whydidn’tIthinkofthat…’

Shefeltembarrassedatyellingknowinglyattheman.Shecouldnotraiseherreddenedface.Jinwooclickedatongueinhismindagain.OneofthescariestthingsaboutaDungeonwasthatyouneverknowwhatkindofenemywouldbewaitingaroundthecorner.Knowingtheenemywashalfthebattleafterall.Andinthisforest,informationabouttheenemywasallovertheplace.

‘Magicbeastsintheformofbears.’

Nomatterhowstrongtheseicebearswere,Jinwoowassurethattheywereweakerthantheiceelvesearlier.Itwasbecausetheelves’clothingwasmadeofbearpelts.That’swhyheselectedtheforest.HisplanwastolevelupherewhilekeepinganeyeoutforKimCheol’steamandtheWhiteWalkers.Thatwasthesafestpathhehaddetermined.

‘...?’

JinwoostaredsuspiciouslyatParkHeejin–

“Whyisyourfacesored?”

Herfacewasreallyred.Shespokewithherheadlowered–

“I...I’mcold.”

“Whew–”

Withadeepsigh,Jinwoopulleduptheshopandpurchasedseveralarticlesofclothingmadeoutofthickfur,andsomewinter-useshoes.

Ring~

WarmFurCoat

Rarity:None

Type:Junk

It’sreallywarm.

Cost:10gold

WarmBoots

Rarity:None

Type:Junk

It’sreallywarm.

Cost:10gold

‘Furcoatandboots,tengoldeach.’

Comparedtoitemswithspecialeffects,ordinary-useitemslikethesewerenotexpensive.Comparedtohisstashofgold,theyweredirtcheap.

CurrentGold:431,930

‘Still,tothinkthatIwouldactuallypurchasejunkitems…’

Jinwooconfirmedthetransaction.Sincehecouldnotdiscriminateintheircurrentsituation,hespenta100goldtobuyasetforeachofthefiveHunters.

Shooo—

Fivesetsoffurcoatsandbootsappearedoutofthinairinfrontofhisfeet.OtherthanJinwoo,everyoneofhispartymembersopenedtheireyeswideinshock.

“Whatthe!”

“W-whatthehell?Spatialmagic?”

ParkHeejinwasalsoshockedandraisedherhead.Ignoringtheirgasps,Jinwoocalmlyspoke–

“Everyone,pickoneupandputiton.”

Andwiththat,Jinwooreachedforthenearestfurcoatwhenhefeltatugonhissleeves.

‘...?’

JinwooturnedhisheadtofaceHanSongyi.Thegirlgatheredcourageandspokewithdifficulty–

“Ah-ahjussi,whatareyou?Thearrowfromearlier…Andnowthisweirdmagic…”

Jinwoofurrowedhisbrows.Ifheletthiscontinue,itwouldonlybeaheadachegoingforward.

‘Ok,let’snipthisinthebudrightnow.’

Jinwoosternlyspoke.

“Ibroughtyouhere,soI’llberesponsibleforyourprotection.But.”

Hisvoicelowered,“Youcannotaskmeanyquestion.”

HeraisedhisheadandstaredatParkHeejinandtheotherHunters.

“Thatgoesforallofyouaswell.Donotaskorrequestanythingofme.”

Hecontinued,“Ifyoudon’tlikeit,youaremorethanfreetoleave.Iwon’tstopyou.”

Truthfully,thetwoothermaleHuntershadfollowedtheB-rankHunterParkHeejinupuntilnow.ButlookingbackandforthbetweenthewarmgearandJinwoo,theyvigorouslynodded.

***

TherewasonemorereasonwhyJinwoohadchosentheforest.

‘Statusscreen.’

Name:SungJinwoo

Level:51

Class:MonarchofShadows

Title:Conqueror…(...1more)

Withoutlettingtheothersknowwhatwashappening,Jinwooquietlychangedhistitlefrom‘ConquerorofAdversity’to‘WolfSlayer’.

WolfSlayer(...1more)

Allstatsincreasedby40%againstbeasttypemonsters.

Atitlegiventoahunterexperiencedinslayingwolves.

Itwastimetoshowoffthischeat-likebuff.

Ring~

Abeasttypemonsterhasappeared.

TheeffectofthetitleWolfSlayerhasbeenactivated.

Confirminghisincreasedattributes,Jinwoosmiled.

‘Good.’

Itwasinthatmoment,theotherHuntersscreamed–

“I-it’sabear!”

“Icebear!”

Havingsmelledthehumans,anicebearwasslowlywalkingtowardsthem.Tothebeast,theywereenemieswhohadintrudedonitsterritory.Theicebearwas

notlookingatthemnicely.

Grrrrrl-

Theicebearbareditsteethandgrowled;itsfangswereasclearasice.Thebeaststoodup,toweringovertheHunters.Italmostcoveredtheirentirevision.

“Ah…”

Althoughitlookedlikeapolarbear,thebeastwastwiceasbig,andadorningitschestwasthesignaturecoreofmagicbeasts.

Roooaaar!

Apowerfulroarechoedinthearea!Hearingitsroar,alltheHunters,saveforJinwoo,frozeup.ParkHeejinfrowned–

‘Whatdoyoumeanallwehavetoworryaboutareicebears!’

Wasthatsomethingthatcouldbesaidwhilelookingatthebeastbeforethem?!ShehadfallenforSungJinwoo’sso-calledlogic.Lookingattheicebearinperson,shewasnowsure–

‘Weshouldn’thaveenteredthisforest!’

Sensingdanger,ParkHeejinsteppedinfrontofthepartyandshouted–

“I’llgrabitsattention,everyoneelse–ahh!”

ApowerfulforcegrabbedthehoodofParkHeejin’scoatandpulledher.Shewasforcedtotakeafewstepsbackwardstomaintainherbalancewhilebeingdragged.Aftercollectingherself,shelookedupandsawJinwooinfrontofher.

“Whatthehell!”

Jinwoopointedafingerather–

“I’mgoingtosaythisonce.Allmagicbeastsgoingforwardaremine.”

Hecouldnotsharethevaluableexperiencepointsafterall.ToJinwoo,thesecutelittlebearswerejustanappetizerbeforethemaincourse–theWhiteWalkers.

“Huh?”

ParkHeejincouldnothideherconfusion.

‘Didheseriouslyjustpullmebacktofacethethingalone?’

ThetwoC-rankMage-classHuntersalsostoppedtheircastingandstaredwithadumbfoundedexpression.

“Nomatterhowstrongyouare,thosearehigh-levelDungeon’smagicbeasts!”

Jinwooignoredthefieryprotestcomingfromthewomanbehindhimandslowlywalkedtowardstheicebear.

‘Hmm,ifIusedadagger…’

Thespiltbloodwouldmessuphisclothes.Jinwoohadsummonedthetwodaggersoutofhabitbutquicklyreturnedthemtotheinventory.Instead,themanclenchedhisfists.

‘IknowIsaidIwouldjustwatch,butthesituation’sdifferentnow.I’msurethey’llunderstand.’

Jinwoometthegazeoftheicebear.

Roooaar!

Theicebearswunganarmthesizeofatreetrunkwithalightningspeed.

Woosh—!

Butitsattackstrucknothingbutair.

‘It’sfastforitssize.’

Havingjumpedabovethebear’shead,Jinwoorealizedwhyithadsuchadangerousreputation.

‘Still…’

Thelevel-upshewentthroughwerenotfornothing.Beforetheicebearcould

raiseitshead,Jinwooputallofhisstrengthinapunchtoitsforehead.

BAM!

Thebear’sheadcrashedintotheground.Itsskullobliterated,thebearstuckoutatongueanddidnotmoveagain.

Youhaveleveledup!

Alright!JinwoofeltlikehewasclosetolevelingupandrealizedthatitwasagoodthingthathestoppedParkHeejin.

“Who…whothehellareyou?”

Heturnedtofacetheshakingvoiceandlookedatthefourmembersofhispartycurrentlyatalossforwords.Jinwooscratchedhistemple.

‘IthoughtImademyselfclear.’

Well,theyprobablyforgotafterseeingsuchashockingscene.Jinwoofirmlyspokehisconditionsagain–

“Onceagain,noquestions.Ifyoudon’tlikeit,youcango–”

JinwoopointedtowardsthedirectionKimCheol’steamhadleftto.

“–tothem.”

HiswordssnappedParkHeejintoattention–

“Ijustsawyoukillanicebearinonehit.Iamnotleavingyourside.”

Herheartwasbeatingfast.ShehadinstinctivelyselectedJinwoooverKimCheolbutshenowrealizedjusthowcorrectherdecisionwas.Shemadeadeterminationafteraquickcalculation.Inordertoleavethisplacealive,shewouldhavetofollowSungJinwoo.BeforeJinwoocouldchangehismind,shequicklyspoke–

“Jinwoo-ssi,pleasebeourleader.I’llfollowwhateveryouhavetosay.”

‘IalsosaidIwon’tbeacceptinganyrequests…’

Afterabriefmoment,Jinwoonodded.Whenhethoughtaboutit,thiswouldprobablybethebest.ParkHeejinturnedaroundtotherestoftheparty.SinceHanSongyiwasbroughtherebyJinwoo,sheprobablydidn’tneedtoaskthegirl.AndtheothertwoHunters…

“Youtwoalsoagree,right?”

Suddenlyhavingtheattentionfocusedonthem,thetwoHunterslookedbackandforthbetweentheicebear’scorpseandJinwoo,thenvigorouslynodded.

***

MEANWHILE,OUTSIDEOFTHEREDGATE.

HyunGicheolwipedawaythesweatonhisbrowsandcheckedthetime.

BaekYoonhoasked–

“Howlonghasitbeen?”

“Aboutthreehours.”

“Threehours…Thatmeansthreedayshavepassedinside.”

BaekYoonho’svoicewasheavy.Ofthefourgatheredhere,onlyBaekYoonhohadactuallyexperiencedtheRedGatebefore.ThemanwasoneoftheS-rankerswhorepresentedSouthKorea.Eventoamanlikehim,aRedGatewasnotsomethingtobetakenlightly.Withacalmheart,herecalledthememoryofthetime–

“ThetrueterrorofaRedGateisthefactthatinside,itconnectstoanentirelydifferentworld.”

Thiswasararesight:anS-rankHunterwasabouttotellhisexperiencewithaRedGate.AhnSangmin,JooSungchanandHyunGicheolallperkedupinattention.

“InsidetheGate,youcouldendupinadesertworldwithtemperaturesexceeding140degrees[2].Orperhapsit’llbeajungleworldinfestedwithvenomoussnakesandpoisonousinsects.Maybeevenatundraworldwherethe

tipsofyourfingerswillfreeze.”

Gulp.

Thethreelisteninggulpedasone.

“TheproblemsitthatuntilyouhaveenteredtheGate,youwon’tknowthatit’saRedGate.Thismeansthatthereisnowayofpreparingaheadoftime.”

Todaywasthesame.AnordinaryGatehadturnedredaftertheHunterswentinside.

“Whetherburningundertheblazingsun,houndedbypoisonousinsectsdayandnight,orfrozeninthecold…Theweakwillbethefirsttodie.”

“Mygod…”

HyunGicheolletoutasmallmoanindisbelief.

“Andinthatharshenvironment,youhavetofacemagicbeasts.”

JusthearingthecircumstancesrelayedthedarksituationtheHunterswerein.Butthatwasnotall.

“Andlet’ssayyousomehowmanagedtogetusedtotheenvironment.Theproblemafterthatisfindingsustenance.”

Attheminimumafewweeks,atthelongestafewmonths.Youhadtofindyourownfoodinthattime.Itwasnotaneasytask.

“Intheharshenvironmentmadeworsebythehunger,theonlythingyoucanrelyonisthemagicpowercompass.”

Itwasatooltopointtowardstrongsourcesofmagicpower.DefeatingthebosswastheonlywaytoleaveaRedGate,outsideoflettingitundergoaDungeonBreak.

“Imaginelookingatthattinycompassandenduringdays,weeksormonths.Doyouthinkyoucouldkeepyoursanity?”

Thethreemenshooktheirheads.Ifordinarynon-Hunterslikethemwerethrown

intosuchaplace,forgetthemagicbeasts,theenvironmentwouldkilltheminaday.

“Yousaidthreedayshadpassed,right?”

“Yes.”

AtHyunGicheol’sconfirmation,BaekYoonhomadeatragicface.

“Ifit’sbeenthatlong,alltheHuntersbelowB-rankaredead.”

KimCheolwasanA-ranker.ButnomatterhowskilledanA-rankerwas,itwasimpossibletoprotecthisentirepartyinasituationlikethis.Attheveryleast,you’dneedanS-rankerwiththem.Andso–

“Allwecandoispraythatthehigh-rankerscomebackalive.”

Itwasaconclusionbornfromexperience.

InBaekYoonho’smind,theC-rankHuntersandbelowwereallasgoodasdead.

***

BACKINTHEREDGATE.

TheC-rankHuntersandbelowwereenjoyingafeastaroundacampfire.

Ontopofthefire,alargepieceofmeatwasbeingcooked.

“Youknow,thisbearmeat.It’salittletough,butit’snotbad.”

“Wouldyoulikesomemore?”

“Oh,thankyou.”

YoonGijoongheldoutaplateandGoMyunghwancutupsomemoreicebearmeatandplaceditontheplate.ThesewerethetwoC-rankersofJinwoo’sparty.ParkHeejinandHanSongyialsoatetheirfillofbearmeat.

“Unni,couldyoupassthepepper?”[3]

“Youwantthesaltaswell?”

“No,justthepepperplease.”

Somehow,theyhadallgottenusedtotheDungeon.Alongsidethecampfire,theyevenhadtentsandblanketsforsleeping.Theydidn’texactlyhavemuchdiscomfort.No…Inabizarreway,theywerealmostfeelingcozy,asifonvacation.GoMyunghwanlookedaroundandspoke–

“Youknow,doesn’titfeellikeicebearshavebeenattackinguslessandlesslately?”

ParkHeejinrepliedtohim–

“Well,it’sbecauseRaidLeaderhasbeentakingcareofthem.”

“Youknow,Idon’tknowwhatgrudgethatmanhasagainsticebears,butwheneverIseehimlookingatone,it’sterrifying.HonestlyIhopeRaidLeaderneverlooksatmethatway.”

Innotime,Jinwoo’stitleamonghisteammateshadturnedinto“RaidLeader”.Feelinghisabsence,ParkHeejinlookaroundandasked–

“WheredidourdearRaidLeaderdisappearofftoanyways?”

YoonGijoongraisedhisheadthatwasfocusedonhisplateandreplied–

“Hesaidhewasgoingtopatrolthearea.”

What.ParkHeejinwasincredulous.

“Togoaroundahigh-levelDungeononhisown…ishenotscaredevenalittlebit?”YoonGijoongsmiledwidely–

“Ithinkhe’llbealright,don’tyouthink?”

GoMyunghwanadded–

“Seriously.Themankilledahigh-levelmagicbeastwithhisbarehands.”

Themancontinued–

“Youknow…nowthatImentionit…Justhowhighdoesyourrankhavetobetokillamagicbeastlikethatwithyourbarehands?”

Silencefellonthegroup.Ofcourse,theywereallcurious.ButtheydidnotwanttobreakthecardinalruleoftheirgroupevenwhenJinwoowasabsent.

“...Let’sjustkeepeating.”

AtParkHeejin’swords,everyonenodded.

***

Jinwoowascombingtheforestandwalkedthroughabush.

‘Itwasaroundheresomewhere…’

Hefeltthepresenceofmultipleicebearsfromsomewhere.Hehadbeentrackingtheirdensincelastnight.Hehadstartedthisafterrealizingthattheattackingbearswereallcomingfromthesamedirection.Walkingalloverthearea,Jinwoo’seyessuddenlysparkled.

‘Foundthem!’

Acrossthethicket,hesawdozensofcaves.Ineachcave,hefeltmorethanonepresence.Well,hedidn’tneedtousetheSensestat.Justbeforehim,manyicebearswereenteringandleavingthecaves.Ataroughcount,therewereaboutthirtyofthem.Itwastrulyadenofbears.

ThecornersofJinwoo’smouthrose.Hehadpurposelycamealone.

Thiswouldbetheprimeopportunity.

Theyhadbeenwaiting.

Thiswouldbetheirinauguralbattle.

‘Comeforth.’

Respondingtohisthought,soldierscladinblackarmorsoundlesslyappearedfromhisshadowandstoodbehindhim.

“Youknowthisisyourfirstbattle,right?”

Justaspeoplehadfirstimpressionsofeachother,yourfirstbattlewilldeterminemyimpressionofyou,waswhathemeant.

‘...’

‘...’

TheShadowSoldiersstoodshouldertoshoulder.

Good.

Jinwoosmiledwidely.

Sniffsniff.

TheicebearscaughtawhiffofJinwooandslowlystartedcomingoutoftheircaves.

‘Lookslikethey’realsoready.’

Jinwoopointedahandtowardtheicebears.

“Go.”

Athiscommand,theShadowSoldiersslidacrossthelandtowardtheenemy.

***

TheShadowSoldiersquicklyclosedthegap!

However,theferociousmovementsoftheicebearswerefarfasterthantheShadowSoldiers.

Boom!

Crack!

Asingleswipeofthebear’sclawobliteratedaShadowSoldier.Ifitwasahumaninthatpitchblackarmorandnotashadow,itwould’vebeenagruesomesight.

‘Hmm…’

Jinwoofurrowedhisbrows.

‘AsIthought,wasittoomuch?’

Whetheritwasstrengthorsize,itunfortunatelylookedlikeitwastoomuchfortheShadowSoldierstofacetheicebears.

Butsuddenly,somethingsurprisinghappened.

‘Whatthe…!’

Jinwoo’seyeswidened.

ThebodyoftheShadowSoldierthatwasdestroyedbyanicebearturnedtoblacksmokebeforeitfullyhittheground.

Shooooo—

Theblacksmokegatheredatsomedistanceaway,thenreformedintoitsoriginalshape.

‘Ohshit!’

Jinwoo’sfacelitup.

Undead.

Hehadforgottenaboutthetruenatureoftheseshadowsandwasnowreminded.

Realizingitsattackhadnoeffect,theicebearpanickedandroared.

Roooaaaar!

WhiletheShadowInfantrykepttheicebearsbusy,theShadowMageshadfinishedtheircasting.

Flaaaare-!

Bang!

Kaboom!

Thefireballsreleasedfromthemages’handsexplodedaroundthearea.WhiletheShadowInfantrycaughtintheexplosionsregeneratedimmediately,theicebearscaughtonfireandthrashedabout.

“Kuwaaaah!”

“Kuwuuh!”

TheShadowInfantrycontinuedtheirattacks,swingingandstabbingtheirswordsattheburningbears.

Slash!

Stab!

Atfirst,theicebearslookedliketheyhadtheadvantage,buttheywereslowlybeingpushedbackbythecombinedattackoftheinfantryandthemages.

‘Whoa…’

Jinwoowatchedthebattlewithgreatinterest.

Theinfantry’sfastregeneration.

Themages’powerfulfirepower.

ThemightofShadowSoldiersexceededhisexpectations.Theicebearsweresoonoverwhelmedandpushedallthewaybacktothecaves.Itseemedlikethebattlewasover-

ROOOOAAAAR!

Witharoarthatshookeardrums,agiantsomethingappearedfromthecave.

“That’s…”

Jinwoo’seyeswidened.Itwasanicebearaheadtallerthantherestandalsomuchwider.

ROAR!

Atasingleswipeofitsclaw,manyShadowSoldiersweresweptaway.

BOOM!

Craaaaack!

Eventheirquickregenerationspeedcouldnotkeepup.

Crack!

Smash!

“Lookslikethealphahasmadehisappearance…”

Ofcourse,hehadexpectedthatadenofbearswouldhaveanalpha.Butthething’ssizeandpowersurpassedhisexpectation.

ROOOOAR!

ThegianticebearslappedawaytheShadowSoldiersandrantowardJinwoo.Suddenly,amessageappeared–

Ring~

Youareoutofmana.TheShadowSoldiercannotregenerate.

Youareoutofmana.TheShadowSoldiercannotregenerate.

What?

Hecheckedhismanainpanic.JustastheSystemsaid,hismanawasatzero.

MP:0/1,860

Withhismanagone,theShadowSoldiersnolongerregeneratedafterbeingdestroyed.Instead,theyturnedintoshadowandreturnedtoJinwoo’sshadow.Jinwoorealizedthatitwashismanathatallowedthesoldierstoregenerate.

‘Thatgoddamnmana…’

HefoundyetanotherreasontoraisehisIntelligencestat.Jinwooscratchedthesideofhishead.Theappearanceofthealphahadcompletelyturnedthetideofthebattle.However,Jinwoostillhadatrumpcarduphissleeve.

‘Iftheirbosscameout,Ishouldsendmineoutaswell.’

Withhisarmscrossed,JinwoocalledfortheonewhowasworthytobecalledtheShadowSoldier’sboss.

“Ygritte!”

AsingleshadowslidoutfromJinwoo’sshadow.Fromtheshadowroseaknightwearingahelmetadornedwithaplumage.Jinwooraisedachinatthealpha.YgrittebowedhisheadtoJinwoothenshotforthtowardsthegianticebear.

Step,step,step,step!

Ygrittedodgedthealpha’sswipeandslidbetweentheicebear’slegs.Whileinmotion,hequicklytookoutthedaggersathissideandcutthetendonsofthebeast’slegs.

“Kuwwaaah!”

Thiswasonlythebeginning.

Unsheathinghislongsword,Ygritteskillfullydodgedthetorrentofattacksfromthealphawhilecarvingituplikeasculpture.

Tendons,claws,paws,legs.Bitbybit,thealpha’sfleshwasbeingcutofflikebeingworkedbyabutcher.

“Huh…”

JinwoowatchedYgritte’sflowing,artfulmovementswithgreatadmiration.

Theheadwasthelasttogo.

Slash!

Thegianticebear’sheadwascleanlyseparatedfromitsbody.Beforeitcouldhittheground,Ygrittesnatcheditfromtheair.TheknightapproachedJinwooand

thenkneltbeforetheHunter.

Drop.

Ygritteplacedthebear’sheadinfrontofJinwoofeet,asifofferingatrophytohisking.Jinwoostaredattheknightandgulped–

‘Ifheusedhisswordfromthestartbackthen,couldIhavedefeatedhim?’

Theremainingicebearswerethrownintochaosafterlosingtheirleaderandwerequicklyroutedbythesoldiers.Thebattlewasover.TheresultsgreatlysatisfiedJinwoo.

ShadowInfantry(Lv.2)

ShadowInfantry(Lv.3)

ShadowInfantry(Lv.2)

ShadowMage(Lv.2)

Thesoldiershadleveledupsteadily.SincetheShadowSoldiersthemselveswereJinwoo’sskill,theHunterhadalsogainedthreelevels.Andaboveallelse–

“Arise.”

YouhavesucceededinShadowExtraction.

YouhavesucceededinShadowExtraction.

YouhavesucceededinShadowExtraction.

Hehadearnednewfriends.

ROOOAR-!

Includingthealpha,Jinwoohadselectedseveralicebears.Fromtheirshadows,alargeblackmassrose.

‘Iexpectedabearwearinganarmor…’

Therealitywasalittledifferent.

The‘ShadowBeasts’[4]thatarosemaintainedsomesemblancetoabearbutatthesametimehadaformthatseemedtoshiftbetweensolidandgas.Blacksteamcontinuouslyspewedfromtheirfigures.

‘Thepictureisabitlacking,butstill,they’rethoseicebears’shadows.’

Theirstrengthandcapacityfordestruction.Hewouldsurelyhaveauseforit.Suddenly–

Rooooar.

Jinwoo’searsperkedupatacrysoundingfromadistance.Itwasnotjustoneortwo.

‘Looksliketherearemoredensinthearea.’

Itwasgettingalittlelateintheday.He’llcheckitouttomorrow.

AbrightsmileappearedonJinwoo’sface.

----------

[1]“WhiteWalkers”():OnewaytotranslateistheJapanesephrasefor“HyakkiYako”,akathe“ProcessionofHundredDemons”.It’salsocouldbereferringtoKoreantranslationof“WhiteWalkers”fromGameofThrones.Idecidedtogowiththelatter.With“Ygritte”and“WhiteWalkers”,Ithinktheauthormightbeafanoftheshow.

[2]Fahrenheit.60°C

[3]“Unni”():Lit.“OlderSister”.Surprisedittookthislongforthiswordtoappear.Yetanotherultra-commontitleintheKoreanlanguage.Thisoneisusedbyfemalestorefertoolderfemalesofarelativelycloseage.Basicallythefemaleequivalentof“hyung”

[4]“ShadowBeast”():Lit.“ShadowMagicBeastSoldier”.I’veremoved“magic”todistinguishthemfrommagicbeasts.Thereasonwasbecauseinthecontext,“magicbeast”wasclearlyreferringtotheshadow’sbear-

likebestialform,butinthegeneralstory,“magicbeast”referstoanyotherworldlyentitiesfoundinDungeons.Iwantedtoavoidtheconfusion.Alsotookouttheword“soldier”becauseitfeltredundantinmostcontextcases.

Chapter10:KimCheol’sFury

“Uwaaaaak!”

“Kuk!”

Histeammateswerescreamingleftandright.KimCheol’seyeswerewideopen.

‘Thereisnoway!’

Thathe,KimCheol,wouldfaillikethis!HewassomeonewhowouldbecomeaBaekho’selite.Hehadevenreceivedaspecialtrainingforthatgoal.Andnow,hewasgoingtofail?!TheA-rankercouldnotacceptit.

Theirpartyhadenduredthecoldandhungerandfoughtwiththeyetis.Afterthatthereweretheicegiants.Theyhadlosttwooftheirmembersbutmanagedtoprevailagainstthemtoo.TheRaidappearedtobegoingsmooth.

But.

But!!!

Themomenttheyhadtriumphedovertheicegiants,WhiteWalkersambushedthemfromalldirections,asiftheyhadbeenwaiting.Thosebastardshadbeenwatchingtheirparty,waitingfortheirstaminatohitrockbottom.Whatfollowedwasamassacre.TheHuntersfell,oneafteranother,inaninstant.

“L-leader!”

AfallenHunterstretchedabloodiedhandtowardKimCheol.KimCheolsteppedbackwards.AWhiteWalkerappearedoutofnowhereandslitthethroatoftheHunterontheground.Whilethemangurgledandchokedonhisownblood,themagicbeastraisedhisheadtowardsKimCheol.TheA-rankerscreamed–

“U-uwaaaah!”

Heturnedaroundandranintotheforest.Theforesthadicebears?Thosebearswerenothingcomparedtotheyetis,icegiantsandWhiteWalkers.KimCheolranwithallhismight.Watchinghisfiguredisappearintothedistance,theWhiteWalkersraisedtheirbowsandtookaim.Butbeforetheycouldfire,aWhiteWalkerraisedhishandandstoppedthem.Itwasaniceelfwithhairflowingdowntohiswaist.TheotherWhiteWalkersloweredtheirbows.

‘...’

ThelonghairedelfpointedandsignaledtofollowKimCheol.Onebyone,theotherWhiteWalkersdisappearedfromsight.

***

KimCheolleapedthroughabush.

“Pant,pant,pant.”

Hislungsfeltliketheywereonfire.TheimageoftheWhiteWalkersthatsmiledwhileslaughteringhisteammateswasstillfreshonhismind.Themanlookeddownathishands.Thefrostbittenhandswerelosingtheirsenseoftouch.Histoeshadlongsincelostallfeeling.Hecouldnotfightproperlyinhiscurrentcondition.

‘Thisdamncold…No,ifonlywedidn’tstarveforthepastfewdays,wewould’vewon.’

Tothebitterend,KimCheolcouldnotacknowledgehisfailure.Whilemutteringtohimself,KimCheolraisedhishead.

‘Anyways,howdeepamIintotheforest?’

Helookedaround.Thesmellofbloodpokedathisnosefromsomewhere.Themanfollowedthesmell.Itwasclose.Movingthroughthetrees,hecameuponaclearingandcouldnotbelievehiseyes.

‘Howisthispossible?’

Infrontofthecaveswereovertwentyicebearcorpses.Hehadwonderedwhyhehadn’tcomeacrossasinglebear!

“Whatthe?”

Hestudiedthecorpses.Allthecorpseshadtracesofbeingcutwithsomething.Someofthemalsohadtracesofbeingburned.SungJinwooandhispartyflashedacrossKimCheol’shead.

“Itcan’tbe...thosebastardsdidthis?”

No.KimCheolshookhishead.Thewoundsonthecorpsesoftheicebearsweremadewithasword.Tohisknowledge,SungJinwoo’spartydidnothaveasworduser.

‘ThetwoE-rankersdidn’tevenhaveaweapon.’

Therewasnowaytheyhadsurvivedhere.Thentherewasonlyoneotherconclusion–

‘TheWhiteWalkersarealsohere!’

Hisheartsank.Hehadthoughtthathemanagedtogetawayfromthoseelves.Tothinkthathehadwanderedintoanothergroupofthem.Withagreatfearinhisheart,KimCheolheldhisbreathandturnedbacktothedirectionhehadcomefrom.

Further.Faster.

HewantedtogetoutoftheWhiteWalker’sterritory.

***

ATTHESAMETIME.

“Wuwaaaaang!’

Anicebearfellwithadeathrattle.TheShadowSoldiersswarmeditsbodyandmadesureitwasdead.

Youhaveleveledup!

“Alright.”

Jinwoowasinadifferentbearden.It’sbeenfivedayssincetheyhadenteredtheGate.Hehadgonethroughthreedifferentbeardenssincethen.

‘LookslikeI’vetakencareofeverybearinthisforest.’

Thankstothat,bothheandhisarmy’slevelshadrisenquiteabit.Atfirst,itrequiredtwosoldiersjusttoholdbackanicebear.Now,asinglesoldierwascapableofwinningone-on-oneagainstthebeast.Jinwoowassatisfied.Astheabilitiesofhissoldiersrose,hestartedassigningthemdifferentroles.Hiscurrentlimitwasthirtyshadows.Twenty-eightofthemwouldbeassignedtocombat,whiletwoofthemwouldbeassignedtothecollectionofmagiccoresandmeat.Nowthathedidn’thavetoliftafingertofightorcollectdrops,lifebecameincrediblyconvenientfortheHunter.

‘Idon’tsenseanymoremagicbeast.’

Itseemedthathehadclearedtheentireforest.

Then.

‘Isittimetogofortheboss?’

Therewasstillaboutamonthtogo,atworstseveralmonths,untiltheDungeonBreak.Hehadnointentionofwaitingforthattohappen.

‘Gottakillthatcockyelftoo.’

AmeremagicbeastthattauntedaHunter.ItsarrogantsmilestillannoyedJinwoo.

***

KimCheol’snosedetectedthesmellofcookingmeatfromsomewhere.

Sniffsniff.

Theman’ssenseofsmellhadbecomesensitiveduetohishunger.AfterenteringtheGate,allhehadtoeatforthepastfewdayswasasinglerabbit.Hismouthwateredatthesmelloffood.

Gulp.

TheWhiteWalkersmightbeeatingsomewhere.

‘Butifthere’sonlyfewofthem…’

Hewasconfidenthecouldtakecareofthemandstealthefood.Amisguidedconfidencebornoutofhunger.

‘Let’scheckitout.’

KimCheoldidhisbesttoquiethisfootstepsandcarefullyapproachedwherethesmellwascomingfrom.Finally,hecameupontheclearingwhereJinwoo’steamwas.KimCheol’seyeswidened.

‘What?’

Thesmellofmeatwascomingfromtheircampfire.

‘Howaretheystillalive?’

However,hedidnotseeoneoftheE-rankHunters.

‘Pft.Hetooktheleadwithsuchconfidence.Must’vediedfirst.’

Thatmuchwasobvious.Butwhatwasn’tobviouswasthesceneinfrontofhim.Whatto…makeofallthis?Somethingwasweird.

‘Wait,theirclothes…?’

Warmclothes,blankets,tentsandotherequipmententeredhisview.Theywereclearlypreparedfortheenvironment.

‘Howthehell?’

Whileflustered,KimCheol’sgazebecameaffixedonsomething.

Itwasapieceofbreadnexttothemeat.Therewasnowaytheyhadfoundormadebreadhere.Itmust’vebeenpreparedbeforehand.Hisconfusionquicklyturnedtoanger.

‘Thesefuckers…’

Grind.

KimCheolgrindedhisteeth.Thesefuckershadallofthiswiththemandwalkedawayontheirown.

‘Ifmyhandsweren’tfrozen,no,ifonlyIwasn’thungry,Icould’veeasilytakencareofthoseiceelves.’

Thinkingabouthowtheygreedilyhoardedsomethingthatshould’vebeensharedwiththeRaidteam,KimCheolcouldnothelpitanymore.Heleapedoutintotheclearing.

“Youbastards!”

ParkHeejinjumpedinsurpriseandstoodup.

“KimCheol?Howareyouhere?”

Tobehonest,itwashardtosaythathewasawelcomedsight.Theman’seyeswerefilledwithmurderousintent.KimCheoldidnothidehishostility.

“OurpartyfailedinclearingtheDungeonbecausewelackedproperequipmentandfood.Thenhowthehellareyousittingherewithallthoseequipmentandfood?”

“That’s…”

ParkHeejincouldnotanswer.ShefearedthatbringingupJinwoowouldturnKimCheol’swrathtowardsJinwoo.Shedidnotwanttoratonthesaviorofherlife.

‘Fromthestart,Ididn’tlikethewaythatmanlookedatSungJinwoo.’

ParkHeejinclosedhermouth.Seeingherdefyhiswill,KimCheol’sragetookaturnfortheworse.

“Idon’tconsidereveryoneofyouanaccomplice.Whohidallthis?I’llsparetherestofyou.”

Theveinsinhisneckbulged.

“WHICHONEOFYOUHOARDEDALLOFTHISANDENDANGEREDTHELIVESOFYOURCOMRADES?!!!”

Hisshoutingechoedloudlythroughouttheforest.KimCheolrealizedhewouldhavetouptheante.

“I’mgoingtocounttothree.Ifnoonespeaksup,I’llconsiderallofyouequallyguilty.”

HanSongyituggedatParkHeejin’ssleeves.

“U-unni…”

ParkHeejinhuggedHanSongyi.GoMyunghwanandYoonGijoongalsogulpedwhilesweating.KimCheolwasanA-ranker.Eveniftheycombinedtheirpowers,theycouldnothopetowinagainsthim.Still,notoneofthembetrayedJinwoo.

“One.”

KimCheolunsheathedtheswordathisside.

Schiing-

“Two.”

TheHuntersstillheldtheirsilence.

Merelow-levelHuntersdaredtodisobeyhim?KimCheol’sfuryflared.

‘Howdareyoulookdownonme…’

Hiseyesturnedredwithmurderousintent.

Firstwouldbethiswoman.Theonewhobetrayedhisteamanddecidedtojointheweaklings.ParkHeejinwillbethefirsttodie.

‘Yes.Shemust’vebeenhidingsomething.That’swhysheleftmyteam.’

Thatwastheonlyreasonhecouldthinkof.KimCheolsteppeduptoParkHeejinandfinishedhiscountdown.

“Three.”

ParkHeejinclosedhereyes.

Suddenly.

—“Four.”

Bam!

SomethingstruckKimCheolonthebackofthehead,andthemanfellfaceforwardontothegroundandslidforwardforafewfeet.

AlltheHunters’eyesopenedwide.

“RaidLeader!”

Jinwoohadstruckwithsuchaforcethathisfistwasstillsmoking.

Hespoke,appalled–

“Who’sthefuckerthatreallyendangeredthelivesofhiscomrades?”

Chapter11:HuntingWhiteWalkers

“Jinwoo-oppa!”

HanSongyi’seyeswerefilledwithtearsasshegreetedJinwoowithjoy.

“RaidLeader!”

Itwasn’tasmuchasthegirl’sreaction,butthetwomaleHuntersalsogreetedhimhappily.ParkHeejinsighedinreliefafterrealizingJinwoowashere.However,Jinwoodidnothavetheluxurytoreturntheirgreeting–

“Shh.”

Heputafingertohislips.Halfwaytorushinghimandgivinghimahug,thefourHuntersfrozeupatJinwoo’sgesture.ParkHeejinasked–

“W-what’swrong?”

JinwooglancedovertotheunconsciousKimCheol.TheE-rankHunterwasstillfuriousattheman,feelinglikehecouldbeathimtodeathwithoutblinking.

“KimCheolwasfollowed.”

Jinwoofeltapowerfulpresencecomingfromtheforest.NowwasnotthetimetobeconcernedaboutKimCheol.Therealproblemwascomingfromthedistance.

Shooo—

RealizingJinwoowaslookingdirectlyatthem,theWhiteWalkersreleased‘Stealth’andshowedthemselves.Therewereabouttwentyofthem.Oneofthemstoodoutfromtherest.JinwoostaredattheWhiteWalkerwithlonghairflowingdowntoitswaistontopofahorse.

‘...He’stheboss.’

ComparedtotheicebearsoreventheWhiteWalkersnexttohim,thelonghairedonewasgivingoffanoppressiveamountofpressure.Ifthiswasn’tthebossoftheDungeon,whoelsecoulditbe?Ithadbeenalongtime,butachillrandownJinwoo’sback.WhileJinwoolightlytrembledatthething’spower,thebossalsoobservedJinwoo–

[“Soitwastrue.Thetrashendedupbeingusefulafterall.”]

[“Whatdidyousay?”]

[“...?”]

Jinwoohadrepliedwithoutrealizing,andthebosswasshocked.

[“You.Youspeakourlanguage?”]

Jinwoowasequallyshocked–

‘HowamIcommunicatingwithamagicbeast?’

Hewasabletounderstandthemagicbeast’slanguage.Notonlythat,hewasinfactabletospeakit.Wordsthathehadneverlearnedwereflowingoutofhimlikeitwashisnativetongue.

“You…Youcanspeakthelanguageofmagicbeasts?”

ParkHeejinwasrunningoutofthingstobesurprisedbyfromJinwoo.HerquestiongaveJinwooconfirmationthathewasindeedspeakingandunderstandingthemagicbeast’slanguage.

‘IsthisalsoaneffectoftheSystem?’

Somethinglikeauniversaltranslator.Jinwoolookedbackattheboss.Thebosswaslookingathimwithanamusedface.

[“Sowecancommunicate…Howinteresting.ThereissomeoneIwanttointroducetoyou.”]

ThebossgesturedbehindhimtoaWhiteWalker.

[“Ibelieveyouarealreadyacquainted.”]

Jinwoo’seyessharpened.Indeed,hewasfamiliarwiththisone.

‘Thatbastardis…’

ItwastheiceelfthatshotanarrowtowardsHanSongyiwhentheirgrouphadfirstenteredtheGate.Hecouldnotforgetthatarrogantface.Justlikebackthen,asneerdecorateditslips.

[“Hehastoldmethattherewassomeonestrongamongthehumans.Hewishedtoduelthatsomeone,so–”]

Pierce!

ThesmilingfaceoftheWhiteWalkerwasnowdecoratedwithKnightKillerstickingoutofit.

“Ah!”

TheexclamationcamefromtheHunters’side.YoonGijoongquicklycoveredhismouth,afterscreamingwithoutmeaningto.

Thud.

TheWhiteWalkerfell.Jinwoostretchedahandtowarditscorpse.Thedaggerthatwasstucktoitsheadlightlytrembled,thenshotforthintoJinwoo’shand.JinwoograbbedtheKnightKillerinareversegripandtookacombatstance–

[“Anythingelse?”]

Thebossspokewithawe–

[“...Youtrulyarestrong.”]

Andgotdownfromthehorse.However,thebossdidnotappeartowanttofightyet;itdidnotraiseaweaponorgiveoffasenseofhostility.

[“However,youshouldknow.”]

Withacarefreeexpression,itcontinuedtheirconversation–

[“Thatevenyoucannotwinagainstthisnumber.”]

Jinwoolookedovertheiceelves.Therewereatleasttwentyofthem.Buttheirnumbersweren’twhatconcernedhim.Itwasthestrengthoftheboss.ThetrashmobsaroundthebosswerenomatchforJinwoo,whohadgreatlyraisedhislevelswhilehuntingtheicebears.Asatestament,JinwoohadjustkilledaWhiteWalkerwithbutathrowofhisdagger.

‘Sowhattodoabouttheboss?’

WhileJinwooranthesimulationsinhismind,thebosscontinued–

[“Ihaveaproposal.”]

[“Aproposal?”]

[“Yes.Ithinkyou’llfindittoyourbenefitaswell.”]

[“...”][1]

Jinwoowassurprised.Heknewthathumanoidmagicbeastshadsomesemblanceofintelligence,buthehadneverthoughtthattheywouldattempttobargainwithahumanbeing.Hiscuriositygotthebestofhim–

[“...Let’shearit.”]

Thebosssmiledasexpectingthatresponse–

[“Beforethat,Ihaveaquestion.”]

[“...?”]

[“Youarenothuman.Whyareyouamongthehumans?”]

Jinwoo’sbrowsfurrowed.

[“Thehellareyoutalkingabout?”]

[“Haha.Areyounotaware?”]

Thebosschuckledthenpointedtoitstemple.

[“Inourhead,thereisavoicewhisperingtouswithoutrest.Ittellsusto‘killall

humans’.Butinfrontofyou,thevoicebecomessilent.”]

Ah.Isthatso?Ifthatwasthecase,Jinwoohadaroughtheory–

‘Theword“human”isprobablyreferringtoHunters.’

Ontheotherhand,aftercomingoutoftheundergroundtemplewiththeSystem,Jinwoo’sidentityhadprobablychangedtoa“Player”.Inastrictsense,hewasprobablyregistereddifferentlythanHunters,akaAwakenedBeings.

‘That’swhyhe’smistakenlythinkingI’mnothuman.’

Jinwoothoughthewasrightonthemark.MistakingthelookonJinwoo’sfaceforagreement,thebossnodded–

[“Thereisnoneedforustofight.Wewanttoavoidanyunnecessarybloodshedinourend.”]Thebossgottothepoint–

[“Giveusthehumansbehindyou.Thenwewillletyouleaveherealive.Howaboutit?Doyouacceptourproposal?”]

Insteadofananswer,Jinwooaskedaquestion–

[“Letmealsoaskonething.”]

[“Verywell.”]

[“Whoareyoupeople?Wheredidyoucomefromandwhyareyoutryingtokillhumans?”]

[“Weare–”]

Suddenly,thesmilingfaceofthebossfrozeforasplitsecond.Thenhecontinuednaturallyasifnothinghadhappened–

[“Thereisnoneedforustofight.Wewanttoavoidanyunnecessarybloodshedinourend.”]

‘Whatwasthat?’

Jinwoonarrowedhiseyes.ThebossreactedlikeanNPCinavideogame,forced

intorepeatinghiswordsaftertryingtoactoutsideofhisprogram.

[“Giveusthehumansbehindyou.Thenwewillletyouleaveherealive.Howaboutit?Doyouacceptourproposal?”]

Theboss’sfaceshowednoindicationthatsomethinghadhappened.Itcontinuedtomaintainitscarefreesmile.TheWhiteWalkersbehindhimalsodidnotshowanyreaction.

‘...’

WhenJinwoojustobservedthesituationinsilence,thebosspressedhisquestion–

[“Doyouaccept?”]

Jinwoowantedtoobtainsomeinformationaboutthemagicbeastsandtheirgoalsbutrealizeditwouldbefutile.

‘Inthatcase…’

Therewasonlyonethingleft.Hisreplywasalreadydeterminedalongtimeago.

[“Irefuse.”]

ThecornersofJinwoo’smouthrose.

‘Yousee,you’vegotsuchadeliciouslookingshadowformetojustletyouwalkaway.’

Hewoulddefeatthebossandtakeitsshadow.Fromthemomenthelaidhiseyesonthelonghair,thiswashisplan.

[“Youwanttofightmeandmysoldiers?Doyouthinkthatyoucouldwithstandournumbers?”]

Jinwoosmiledwidely.

Soldiers?

‘Youthinkyou’retheonlyone?Igotsometoo.Shadows,comeforth.’

Followinghiswill,thesoldierswaitinginJinwoo’sshadowappearedbehindhim.

“U-uwaaak!”

Onceagain,thescreamcamefromtheHunters’side.YoonGijoongscreamedafterseeingtheicebear’sshadow,theShadowBeast,andfellonhisbehind.

“Ah-ah…”

Jinwooglancedoveratthepalefacesofhisteammatesandfeltalittlebad.Butthiswasadangerousmoment,therewasnotimetoexplain.

‘NotthatIwouldexplaineveniftherewasnodanger.’

Thereweretwenty-nineShadowSoldiers.Jinwoostoodattheirheadandleeredattheboss–

[“So.Who’swithstandingwhosenumbers?”]

Thebossfinallyemittedhostility–

[“...Youwieldbutamereparlortrick.Verywell,Iwillfulfillyourdeathwish.”]

Thebosstookoutthetwotanto[2]atitsside.JinwoomirroreditsactionandheldKnightKillerinhisrighthandandCasaka’sPoisonedFanginhisleft.

‘Aparlortrick...’

Well,Jinwoodidn’tdisagree.Theshadowarmymighthavetheadvantageinnumbers,butheknewthattheiroverallmightwaslackingcomparedtotheboss.Heunderstoodwheretheboss’sconfidencewascomingfrom.Heneededapowerfulreinforcement.

‘Wait,ifit’sapowerfulreinforcementIneed…’

Therewassomeonefitting.Jinwooquicklyglancedovertohisside.KimCheolwasstillpassedoutoverthere.

[“Attack!”]

Attheboss’scommand,theWhiteWalkersaimedtheirbows.

“Bears!”

JinwooplacedtheShadowBeastsinfront.

Hit!Hit!Hit!Hit!

Kuwaak!

TheShadowBeastsbaptisedbyarrowscriedout.BeforetheWhiteWalkerscoulddrawtheirnextround,theShadowInfantrychargedforth.TheShadowMagesalsobegantheircasting.Jinwoo’seyesflared–

‘Mytargetisyou!’

Beforeheadingout,JinwooquicklykickedoverKimCheol’sswordtothepassedoutHunter.Jinwoo’sgazewasfixedonthebossandtheboss’sonJinwoo.Thefourdaggersclashedinamagnificentdisplayofsparks.

Clang!Clang!Cla-clang!

Aroundthem,theskirmishbetweentheShadowSoldiersandtheWhiteWalkersraged.

GoMyunghwanturnedtoParkHeejin–

“Should…Shouldwealsohelpout?”

Thewomanshookherhead–

“Thisisnotafightthatweshouldbejoining.”

Itwasachaoticbattlefieldwheregiantblackmonsterswereswingingtheirclaws,destroyedblacksoldierswereinstantlyregeneratingandhigh-levelmagicbeastsweremercilesslyattackingwithswordsandarrows.

‘Whatcouldwe,aB-rankerandtwoC-rankers,evendointhissituation?’

Alltheycoulddowaspray.ParkHeejinstaredattheformofJinwooclashingwiththelonghairedWhiteWalker.

“Kuk!”

AyelpescapedfromJinwoo’smouth.Thiswasindeedahigh-levelDungeon’sboss!Acasualobservermightthinkthattheywereevenlymatched,butJinwoowasslowlybeingpushedback.Variouscutsappearedhereandthereonhisbody.Couldheholdoutforanotherthreeminutes?Evenashefoughttheboss,theregenerationofhisarmycontinuedtodrainhismana.

TheShadowMageshadfinishedcastingtheirspell.AfireballmuchbiggerthanavolleyballfellintothemiddleoftheWhiteWalkers.

BANG!

Itwasthepoweroftheleveledupmages.ThedeafeningsoundoftheexplosionwokeupKimCheol.

“Mmm…”

Heraisedhishead.

Clang!Clang!Bam!Boom!

Inhisblurredvision,hesawtheterrifyingWhiteWalkersfightingunknownblacksoldiers.

‘What…thehell...isthis?’

Hehadnoideawhatwasgoingon,butheknewwhyhewasontheground.Thehandthatstruckhimonthebackofhishead!Thatvoiceheheardwhilefallingdown!

‘ItwasSungJinwoo!’

Onceheregainedconsciousness,thehumiliationandtheragehefeltmadehishandstremble.Hishandsfoundtheirwaytohisswordthatwasconvenientlyrightnexttohim.NowthattheyweresurroundedbytheWhiteWalkers,theywereallasgoodasdead.Attheveryleast–

‘SungJinwoo.IwillkillthatfuckerbeforeIdie.’

HisheatedgazefoundJinwoo’sback.

...Foundhim!

ThefuckerwasfightingaWhiteWalker,andhisbackwaswideopen.Thiswashischance.KimCheolshotupfromthegroundandranforth.

“Waaaaaah-!’

Sensingthepowerfulreinforcementrunningtohim,Jinwoocelebratedinhismind–

‘Yes,ifit’syou.’

JinwoobelievedinKimCheol.

KimCheolreachedJinwooandswunghisswordattheE-rankHunter’sneckwithallhismight.

“DIE!”

Thebossinfrontofhim,KimCheolbehindhim.Seeminglybetweenarockandahardplace,Jinwooshouted–

“Ygritte!”

Asifwaiting,YgritterosefromJinwoo’sshadowanddeflectedKimCheol’ssword.

Clang!

“What?!”

KimCheol’seyeswidened,revealingthebloodshotwhites.Beforehecouldsayanything,Ygritte’ssworddugitselfdeeplyintotheA-ranker’schest.

Staaaab!

Theswordpiercedstraightthroughthemuscularmanandcameoutofhisback.

“Cough!”

Jinwooquicklybackedawayfromtheboss.

‘Yes.Ibelievedinyou,KimCheol.Ibelievedthatthisisexactlyhowyouwouldact.’

Afoolishmanwhomovedaccordingtohisfeelingswithoutthinkingaboutthefuture.Inashorttime,JinwoofullyunderstoodwhatkindofamanKimCheolwas.KimCheolglaredatJinwoo–

“You…you…”

AndthosewereKimCheol’sfinalwords.

WhiteYgrittewaskeepingthebossbusy,JinwoostoodbeforeKimCheol’sbody–

“Arise!”

Uwaaaaah-

Thefamiliardeepscreamrangforthfromsomewhere.

Withit,agianthandcameoutofKimCheol’sshadow.

***

YouhavesucceededinShadowExtraction.

‘Ofcourse!’

Jinwooclenchedhisfists.Thepathtovictoryofthisbattlewasapuzzle.Andthelastpieceofthatpuzzlejustfellintoplace.TheblackknightthatrosefromKimCheol’sshadowwasmuchbiggerandthickerthanhisbase.Onehandwieldedagianthammer.Theotherhandheldashieldthesizeofanadult.Theknightgaveoffanincrediblesenseofdanger.

‘Man,IknowKimCheolwasamusclehead,butthisthingis…’

Eveninthetensesituation,Jinwoocouldnothelpbutbeamazed.

Pleasechooseanameforthesoldier.

‘Ohright,name.’

Jinwootookaquickglanceatside.Ygrittewasbeingpushedbackbytheboss;hisregenerationwastheonlythingkeepinghiminthefray.

Slash!

OneofYgritte’sarmswerecutoff.

‘Shoot,Ihavetohurry.’

Name.

Shouldhejustusetheman’sname?Jinwooshookhishead.No,itwasratherdistastefultousethehumanbeing’snameonhisundeadform.

‘Ohwait,KimCheol.Cheolisiron,soIron!’[3]

Hedecidedonthename.Themomenthemadehisdecision,thenewlybornshadowearneditsname.

Iron(Lv.1)

Grade:Knight

Knightgrade!ItwasthesameasYgritte,butnowwasnotthetimetocelebrate.

‘Notimetodally!’

Jinwooraisedachinattheboss–

“Iron!”

Ironmovedhislargebodyandsteppedforward.

STEP!STEP!STEP!

Itsgiantbodywasfilledwithpower,buttherewasnowaythatthislumberingthingwasgoingtofacethatnimbleboss.However,IronexceededJinwoo’sexpectations.Thegiantknightthrustouthischestandroared–

WAAAAAAH-!

‘What?’

AmessageappearedinfrontoftheconfusedJinwoo.

Ring~

IronhasusedTauntingShout.[4]

Thebosshasbeentaunted.

“Atauntskill!”

KimCheolwasanA-rankTanker.Asexpected,hemaintainedapowerfulaggromanagementskill,andIron,hisshadow,perfectlyimitatedthatskill.Theboss’sheadsharplyturnedtothegiantknight.LeavingbehindYgritte,whoitcould’veeasilyfinished,thebossrantowardsIronasifpossessedbyaghost.Ironfollowedupwith‘Strengthen’andenduredtheboss’sattacks.

‘Goodjob!’

Jinwoonoddedinapprovement.Meanwhile,Ygritte’sarmregenerated.Blacksmokeseepedfromthewoundthenreformedintotheknight’sarm.ThebosswasstillfocusedonIron.JinwooandYgrittebegantheircombinationattack.

***

‘...’

ParkHeejinwasatacompletelossforwords.Thesceneunfoldingbeforeherwasoutsideofreality.Shelostthestrengthtobeevencuriousatthispoint.Atherside,HanSongyiaskedaquestionwithatinyvoice–

“Unni…”

IttookParkHeejinamomenttorespond–

“Huh?Hmm?”

“Are…areallHunters’fightslikethis?”

Thegirl’svoicefilledwithfearwasshaking.ParkHeejin’sresponsewasalittlecurt–

“...Ifthatwasthecase,doyouthinkIwould’vegottenmylicense?”

GoMyunghwanutteredwithablanklookinhiseyes–

“Are…areweinadream?”

Ifthiswasadream,itwasdefinitelyanightmare.ParkHeejincouldonlywatchthemagicbeastsfighting“something”cladinpitchblackwithanopenmouth.Atthesametime,aworryappearedinhermind–

‘Oncewegetout,we’lldefinitely…’

Assurvivors,they’llbethoroughlyinterviewedandinvestigated.Howwouldsheexplainallofthis?ThinkingaboutthethingsSungJinwoohadshowntheminthisplace,shecouldnotimaginehowthebrasswillreact.ShevoicedallofthistoherfellowHunters.

“Butyouknow…”

Tremblingwhilesittingontheground,YoonGijoongopenedhismouthwithdifficulty–

“Thefactthatwe’reworryingaboutwhatwe’lldo“oncewegetout”...Isn’tthatamazing?”

Thepartymembersnoddedinunison.

Theywereinahigh-levelDungeon,aRedGateontopofthat.ThemomenttheywerethrownasidebyKimCheol,theywereonlydreadingtheirdeaths.Butnow,theywereactuallyworryingabouttheoutsideasifleavingherealivewasguaranteed.Thiswasallthankstooneman.ParkHeejinturnedhergazetoJinwoo–

‘SungJinwoo-ssi,you…’

Theaweinherheartsurpassedhergratitudeandsurprise.

***

Stab!

Casaka’sPoisonedFangstrucktheboss’sshoulder.

Paralysishasbeeninflicted.

Thetarget’sresistancewastoohigh.

Effectcancelled.

Bleedinghasbeeninflicted.

Thetarget’sresistancewastoohigh.

Effectcancelled.

Lately,becausehisopponentshadbecomealotstronger,Casaka’sPoisonedFang’sspecialeffectsdidnottakemostofthetime.Still,leavingawoundwasgoodenough.

‘Good!’

Asmoreandmorewoundsappearedonitsbody,theboss’smovementsbegantoslowdown.

[“Kwaak!”]

Thesmilehadlongsincedisappearedfromtheiceelf’sface.IthadtakenonJinwoo,YgritteandIrononitsownandwasnowpanting.

‘Justabitmore!’

Suddenly,Ironsucceededinpullingthebossintoabearhug.

“Now!”

AtJinwoo’ssignal,bothJinwooandYgrittefellback.Theboss’seyeswidened–

[“Whatareyou…?”]

ThefinishedspellsoftheShadowMagesfelluponIron.

BANG!

KABOOM!

BOOM!

[“COUGH!”][5]

Forthefirsttime,thebossbetrayedsignsofitspain.TheiceelftwistedhisbodyandIron’sarmswereblownoff.

Crack!

ThebosssentavenomousglareatJinwoo.

[“KWAAAAK!”][6]

Jinwoowasonceagaininaweoftheboss’sstrength.

‘Evenwiththatmuchdamage,he’sstillabletopulloutthismuchpower!’

Itwastrulythebossofahigh-levelDungeon.However,thescalesofthebattlehadalreadytippedtowardsJinwoo.

‘DaggerThrow!’

JustlikehowhetookcareofthatarrogantWhiteWalker,KnightKillerflewtowardstheboss.Jinwooevenusedthe‘Ruler’sHands’tosupplementitsspeed.

Woosh-!

Thedaggerreachedthebossinaflash.

[‘Keuk!’]

Realizingitcouldnotdodge,thebossdeflectedthedaggerwithitstanto.

Crack!

AsatestamenttotheKnightKiller’sspeed,alargecrackappearedintheblockingtanto.

Atthesametime–

Havingclosedthegaptothebossusing‘Stealth’and‘Sprint’,Jinwoostabbedtheiceelf’sribswithCasaka’sPoisonedFang.

Stab!

Theboss’seyeswidenedinpain–

[“COUGH!”]

Evenstill,theiceelfgrabbedJinwoo’swrist.Itseyesscreamedthatitwouldnotdiewithoutleavingamark.

[“KAAAAH!”]

ThebossraiseditstantooverJinwoo’shead.Jinwoosneeredbrightlyinitsface.

Thegianthammerswungdownontheiceelf’shead.

CRASH!

Withasickeningcrunch,theboss’sheadwasslammedintothesnow.BehinditwasIronwithhisgianthammer,hisarmsalreadyregenerated.Thegiantknightraisedhishammeragainandbroughtitdown.

CRASH!

Ygrittewasalsopreparingtoattackbutthenputawayhissword.Jinwooalsoreturnedhisdaggerstotheinventory.

Ring~

CRASH!

YouhavedefeatedthebossoftheDungeon.

Youhaveleveledup!

CRASH!

Youhaveleveledup!

‘Phew,it’sfinallyover.’

CRASH!

Jinwoosighedinrelief.Itwasadifficultfight.HewasabouttocollecthisbreathbutthennoticedIron.

“Hey,hey,that’senough.”

Jinwooquicklystoppedthenewestmemberofhisarmy.Ironwasabouttobringdownhishammeragainandstopped.Justlikehisbase,itseemedlikethegiantknightwas…slowinmorewaysthanone.

Theboss’scorpsewasanunrecognizable,mangledmess.

‘Well,there’snoproblemwithitsshadow.’

Jinwoosmiledwidelyagain.Hisrewardafteradifficultfightwaswaitingbeneathhisfeet.

TheHuntergavethecommandwithasubduedvoice–

“Arise.”

***

ITWASALREADY3A.M.

Thefacesofthefourmenguardingtheareaweredark.Unabletotakeitanylonger,HyunGicheolspokeup–

“We’llkeepwatchhere,whydon’tyouturninforthenight,Guildmaster?”

“ThemembersofmyGuildareinthere.HowcouldIrestinatimelikethis?”

BaekYoonhowasdetermined.AsamasteroftheGuildandasanS-rankHunter,hecouldnotleavethisspot.Suddenly,AhnSangminshoutedinsurprise–

“What?TheRedGate!”HyunGicheolandJooSungchanalsonoticedatthesametime–

“TheRedGateisopening!”

“TheyclearedtheDungeon!”

“People…peoplearecomingout!”

BaekYoonhoclenchedhisfist.

‘KimCheol!KimCheol,he’sdoneit!’

ThefourmenallrantotheGate.Unabletohidehisexcitement,BaekYoonholookedforKimCheol’sfaceamongthesurvivors.However,evenaftereveryonehadexitedtheGate,hecouldnotfindKimCheol.

‘Huh?Something’swrong.’

EvenJooSungchan,whotoldeveryonetobelieveinKimCheol,losthisconfidentattitudeandputonaconfusedexpression.

“HunterParkHeejin-nim!HuntersGoMyunghwan-nim,YoonGijoong-nim!”

“HunterSungJinwoo-nim!!!”

SeeingJinwoofollowHanSongyioutoftheGate,asmilebloomedonAhnSangmin’sface.

‘AsIthought!’

JooSungchanandAhnSangmin’smoodshadcompletelyflippedfromhoursago.However,thesmilequicklydisappearedfromAhnSangmin’sface.AfterthefiveHunters,includingSungJinwoo,cameoutoftheGate,theGatequicklydisappearedintooblivion.

“Itcan’tbe…aretheoneshereit?”

Withadefeatedface,Jinwoonodded.HyunGicheol,whohadaskedthequestion,froze.

‘Itcan’tbe…’

Withtearsforminginhiseyes,HyunGicheolbegantocrossoffthenamesofthedeceasedinthepartylist.Itwasasadjob,butsomeonehadtodoit.BaekYoonhowasdumbfounded–

‘Onlythelow-rankerscameback?NoteventheA-rankerandonlyoneB-ranker?’

Itwasimpossible.Justwhathappenedinthere?

“Let’sgo,I’lltakeyouhome.”

JinwoowasabouttoleavethesceneoftheincidentwithHanSongyiwhenBaekYoonhograbbedhiswrist.

“Excuseme,holdonaminute–”

Woosh!

JinwoothrewasidetheS-ranker’sgrip,andBaekYoonho’seyesturnedsharp.

“Canwetalkforaminute?”

Jinwooturnedaround–

“I’malittletiredrightnow.Ifyouhaveanythingtoask,talktoyourGuildmembers.”

BaekYoonhocouldnottakeitanymore.HerevealedhisidentitytoJinwoo–

“IamBaekho’sGuildmaster,HunterBaekYoonho.”

Jinwoo’seyesmaintainedtheircoldness–

“So?”

AtJinwoo’scoldreply,BaekYoonho’sirisesflickeredandturnedintothatofamagicbeast’s.Theywereinhuman,beastlyeyes.

“We’vejustlostnineGuildmembersbecauseofthisincident.Asthe

Guildmaster,Ihavetherighttoaskyousomequestions.”

Thiswasnotarequest.

Anorder.

Inaway,athreat.

Nomatterwhat,BaekYoonhohadnointentionsoflettingJinwooleavethateasily.Butsuddenly,Jinwooflaredhiseyes.HewasnotpushedbackinanywaybytheSranker’sgenuinehostility.

“AndIjustsavedthreeofyourGuildmembers.Ifyou’retheirleader,shouldn’tyoubethankingmebeforeanythingelse?”

AtthestiflingpressuretheE-rankHunterwasgivingoff,theS-rankHunterretractedhishostility.Themanwasright.BaekYoonhohadnoroomtoargue.

“...Iapologize.”

AsBaekYoonhobowedhishead,Jinwooturnedaroundagain.

“HanSongyi,we’regoing.’

“Okay.”

ThestudentcarefullyfollowedafterJinwoowhilemakingglancesatBaekYoonho.Soon,thepairgotinthevantheyhadarrivedinandleftthesceneoftheincident.

‘Whatjusthappened…’

Histhoughtsinchaos,BaekYoonhoquicklyrantowardthesolehigh-rankerofthesurvivors.

“Excuseme,ParkHeejin-ssi.”

ThewomanwaswarmingherbodywithsometeaprovidedbyHyunGicheolandraisedherhead.

“What’swiththatman?Whywashesomad?”

Theirpartyhadovercomealloddsandshould’velefttheGatehappilywiththeirlives,sowhywasJinwoofilledwithsomuchanger?ParkHeejinshookherhead–

“I’mnotsure…Hetookdownthebossandyelledsomethingthreetimesinfrontofthecorpse…Thenhegotreallymadafterthat…”

“Andhewasfineuntilthen?”

ParkHeejinlookedovertoGoMyunghwanandYoonGijoong.Thetwomennoddedinunison.

“Whatastrangeman…”

BaekYoonhoutteredwhilestaringoffintothedistancewhereJinwoohaddisappearedoffto.AhnSangminapproachedhisbossasifJinwoo’sbadmoodwashisfault–

“Iapologize,Guildmaster.I’msurehewasjusttiredaftereverything.Inmyeyes,he’snotabadperson.”

“No,that’snottheproblem.”

“Sir?”

BaekYoonhoturnedandfacedAhnSangmin–

“Whyhaveyounotrecruitedthatmanyet?”

“S-sir?”

AhnSangmincouldnothidehisembarrassment.ButhisembarrassmentpaledincomparisontoBaekYoonho’s.

‘Againstme…’

TheS-rankerrecalledmeetingJinwoo’seyesmomentsagoandswallowedhard.

Gulp.

Iftheyhadfoughtjustnow,BaekYoonhowassurethathewouldhavetobe

preparedtoloseanarm.

‘Maybeevenmore…’

RealizinghisGuildmaster’smeaning,AhnSangminquicklyreplied–

“I’mcurrentlydoingmybest.”

“That’snotenough.”

BaekYoonho’seyeslitup.

SungJinwoo.

Asexpected,ChiefAhn’seyeswereneverwrong.

“Fromnowon,thefullsupportoftheGuildisatyourdisposal.Youmustbringthatmanintoourfold.”

----------

[1]Everseethoseunnecessaryclosedcaptiondescribingasoundwithtoomuchdetail,like“BroodinginSpanish”?Well,Jinwoois“beingsilentinlanguageofthemagiccreatures”here:P

[2]“Tanto”():AJapaneseknife.

[3]It’sstraightupnotedinthecontextbut“Cheol”()means“Iron/Metal”.

[4]“TauntingShout”():“provoke/taunt”+“cry/shout/roar/yell”

[5]“coughinginthelanguageofmagicbeast”:P

[6]“screaminginthelanguageofmagicbeast”:P

Volume4

Chapter1:PeculiarMisunderstandings

Onthedrivehome.

Zooom—

Thefaceofthevan’sdriverwascloudedwithdisappointment.

‘Sigh…’

Wasitbecausetheextractiontarget’sabilitiesweresignificantlygreaterthanhisown?Unfortunately,JinwoohadfailedintheShadowExtractionoftheiceelfboss.

‘Shame,butwhatcanIdo…’

Surely,theopportunitytotakedownanotherhigh-levelbosswouldcomeagainsomeday.Theimportantthingwasthatwhenthatopportunitycameagain,hewouldbestrongenoughtonotfail.

Levelup.

Itwassomethinghewasquitegoodat.

Still,theRaidwasn’tallfornaught.Hetookhislefthandoffofthesteeringwheel;anelegant,curveddaggerappearedinit.

Baruka’sTanto[1]

Rarity:A

Type:Dagger

AttackPower+110Agility+10

Itisthetantowieldedbythegreatwarrior,Baruka.Amagicalenchantmentmakesboththedaggerandthewieldermoreagile.

JinwoohadnotlefttheDungeonempty-handed.WhileoneofthetwindaggerswieldedbythebosswasdestroyedbyKnightKiller,hehadclaimedtheunbrokenoneashisown.

‘Baruka’sTanto.’

Ithadthehighestattackpoweroutofallthedaggershehadfoundsofar;ontopofthat,itevenhadaneffectofincreasinghisAgility.ItwasobviouslybetterthantheCrankCasaka’sPoisonedFang,andeventheB-rankKnightKiller,boughtwithgold,couldnotcomparetoit.AnA-rankdagger!ItwastheperfectweapontoreplaceCasaka’sPoisonedFang,whichwasgraduallylosingitseffectivenessinbattle.

‘Thegripdoesn’tfeelbadeither.’

WhilehewasgoingovertheeventsoftheRedGate,thevanhadarrivedinfrontofHanSongyi’shouse.

Screech.

Thestudent,whowassilentthroughouttheentireride,bowedherheadtoJinwoo–

“Then,takecare.”

“Okay.”

Watchingthegirlwalkbacktoherhousewithsunkenshoulders,Jinwoofeltlikehehadaccomplishedhismission.

‘Thingsgotalittlecomplicated,buttheoriginalgoalwastoconvinceHanSongyi.’

ItlookedlikethegirlwouldnotbecontinuingasaHunteranymore.Well,anyonewhosefirsteverDungeonwasaRedGatewoulddothesame.Jinwoowasabouttodriveawayinsatisfactionwhenthepassengerdooropened.

‘...?’

HeturnedtoseeHanSongyiholdingthedooropen.

‘What’swrongwithher?’

Hiscuriosityonlylastedforabriefmoment.Thegirldeeplybowedherheadagain–

“Thankyoufortoday,oppa.”

Nowthathethoughtaboutit,hertitleforhimhadchangedfrom“ahjussi”to“oppa”.

“Oh,yeah,noproblem.”

“So…”

“Hmm?”

“I’llseeyoutomorrow–Imean,afewhoursfromnow.”

Afewhoursfromnow?

Beforehecouldaskherwhatshemeant,HanSongyiraninside.Aftershedisappearedintoherhome,Jinwoorealized–

‘Ohright.’

Itwasalreadydawn,buttheRaidswithYooJinhowouldresumetoday.AsHanSongyiwasstillpartoftheirraidingparty,theywouldseeeachotheragain.

‘That’swhatshemeant.’

Ohshit…IfHanSongyicompletelyretiredfromanythingrelatedtoHunters,YooJinho’steamwould’velostateammember,anditwould’vedelayedtheirplans.Thankfully,itlookedlikethegirlwouldatleastfinishtheremainingRaids.

‘Thankgod...’

WiththeShadowSoldiers,theclearingspeedoftheC-rankDungeonswouldrisealevelhigher.JinwoowasconfidenthecouldcompletetheremainingRaidsinarecordtime.HewasalsolookingforwardtoYooJinho’sreactionwhentheyoungmansawtheShadowSoldiers.

‘Thatman,YoonGijoong,hisreactionsweretopnotch.’

Jinwoogrinnedwidelywhileturningthesteeringwheel.

***

Afewhourslater.

“Yawn–”

Jinwooarrivedatthelobbyofhisapartmentwhileyawning.Whenheopenedhiseyesafterabriefnap,itwasalreadythepromisedtime.

“Goodmorning,hyungnim!”

Afamiliarvoicefilledwithenergygreetedhim.YooJinhowasalreadywaitingforhim.

“Itookthecar.How’dyougethere?”

Jinwoohadborrowedtheworkhorseoftheirraidingparty,“Bongo”,forlastnight’sevents.Thevanwasparkednearby.

“Ataxi,hyungnim.”

“Ah,taxi.”

Jinwoohadhopedtofliptheirpositionsforonceandgopickuptheyoungman.

“It’sokay,hyungnim.I’mtheonereceivingyourhelp.Ishouldbetheoneaccommodatingyou.”

YooJinhospokewhilechortling.Afteraonedaybreak,theirmorningexchangeshadresumedasnormal.

“Huh?”

YooJinhodiscoveredsomething.Jinwoowasholdingsomethingcylindricalinhishand.Theyoungmanaskedcuriously–

“Hyungnim,what’sthat?”

“What,this?”

Jinwoosmiledwidely–

“I’mgoingtouseitintheDungeontoday.”

Holy…YooJinho’sstomachfluttered.

‘IsitaweapontobeusedintheDungeon?’

HyungnimalwaysshowedoffsomethingcrazyinDungeons.Justwhatkindofaterrifyingweaponwasheholdingnow?YooJinhoalreadybegantofeelanxious.

Gulp.

YooJinhogatheredhiscouragethenraisedhishead–

“Hyungnim,letusgo.”

“Holdon.”

Jinwooputupahand,thentookouthisphone.

“We’llbepickingupsomeoneontheway.”

“Huh?Who?”

Jinwooignoredhimandspokeintothephone–

“Yeah,Songyi,it’sme.We’llpickyouupandtakeyoutotheGate.”

Songyi…ThatSongyi?WhenJinwoohungup,YooJinhoasked–

“Hyungnim,isthepersonwe’repickingupourteam’shighschoolstudent?”

Jinwoonodded.Sinceshelivedreallyclosedtohishouse,hefeltlikeitwould

beefficienttojustpickherupbeforeleavingthearea.However,ashehaddoneinthepast,YooJinhocompletelymisreadJinwoo’sintents.

HanSongyi.

Acute-lookinggirlwithshorthairfallingjustbelowherears.

‘Ifhyungnimknowshernumberandtalkedtoherwithsuchfamiliarity…Istheirrelationshiplike…that?’

Ashehadalwaysknown,hyungnimwasanamazingman.

‘EspeciallywhenIwatchhimgotoworkongiantmagicbeastswithasingledagger…’

Theyoungmanwassurehishyungnimhadnointerest,butitmadesensethatthefemalestudentwouldfallforhishyungnim.YooJinhonoddedtohimself.Ifthatwasthecase,therewassomethinghehadtoclearup–

“Hyungnim,soshouldIbeaddressingMs.HanSongyias“missus”fromnowon?”[2]

Whatthefuck.

WaswhatJinwoo’seyesweresaying.EvenYooJinho,whowasterribleattakinghints,wasabletoreadasmuchfromtheman’sexpression.

“Er…Wereyoutwonotdating?”

“She’sjustmylittlesister’sfriend.”

“Oh.Oooooh.”

Sothat’swhatitwas.YooJinhofinallyunderstoodthesituation.Tothinkthatheaccidentallyalmostcalledherhissister-in-law.Theyoungman’sfaceturnedredwithembarrassment.

Soon,HangSongyicamedownfromherapartment.Comparedtotheirpreviousmeetings,thegirlappearedtohavepaidalittlemoreattentiontoherlooksthistime.YooJinhosmiled–

‘She’sjustlikeateenagerwhowantstoshowoffbeforeherfriend’soppa.’

YooJinhowasabouttoactlikealeaderandcomplimentthegirl’sclotheswhenJinwoogreetedherfirst–

“Didyougetsomesleep?”

YooJinho’sfacefroze.

‘...’

HanSongyismiledandshookherhead–

“Icouldn’tsleepawink.”

“Youmustbetired,getsomeshut-eyeinthecar.”

Atthepair’sconversation,YooJinho’smindbecamemoreandmorechaotic.

‘Huh?Huuuuuh?’

HanSongyiaskedJinwooaquestion–

“Oppa,didyougetanysleep?”

“Justaquicknap.Itwasalready4a.m.whenIgothome.”

“Right…”

Couldn’tsleep?Mustbetired?4a.m.?YooJinho’sconfusionturnedtohorror.JinwoowasheadingtowardtheBongoandturnedaround–

“YooJinho,areyoucoming?”

“Err…hyungnim?”

“...?”

“That’ser…Ms.HanSongyiisunderage,hyungnim.”

Whatthefuck.

“So?”

“...Nevermind,hyungnim.”

Asexpected,hyungnimwasthemanliestofmen.YooJinhowasinaweofJinwoo’spersonalitythatgavenothoughttosociety’srules.

‘He’strulynotanormalman.’

YooJinhoberatedhimselfforjudginghishyungnimwiththelawsofordinarypeople.

***

ATTHESAMEHOUR.BAEKHOGUILD’SMEETINGROOM.

“–andthat’sprettymuchallIsaw.”

ParkHeejinfinishedrecountingtheeventsoftheRedGate.Beforeshebegan,BaekYoonhohadaskedifsheneededsomerestoutofconcern,butthewomaninsistedthattheycompletetheinvestigation.Sheexplainedthatshewasrelativelycomfortable(?)inthere.

“...”

“...”

Thetwouppermanagementmemberswhoconductedtheinterview,GuildmasterBaekYoonhoandChiefAhnSangmin,wereatalossforwords.Theonewhowasinchargeofthetraining,HyunGicheol,wassenttotheAssociationtoargueabouttheincident.Assuch,onlythreepeopleweregatheredinthemeetingroom.AhnSangminbrokethesilence–

“Wasallthatreallytrue?”

“YoucancontactGoMyunghwanandYoonGijoong.They’lltellyouthesamestory.”

ThetwoC-rankershadreturnedtotheirhomes,statingthattheywantedtoseetheirfamilies.ParkHeejincouldconfidentlysaythattheirstatementswouldnot

differfromhers.

‘AllIdidwasexplainwhatIexperiencedinperson.’

Howtheforestthatmandisappearedofftorangwithscreamsoficebears,orhowthatmanwasdoingpush-upswhileeveryoneelsewassleeping.Shedidn’tdaretoincludeanyhearsayfromtheotherteammates,onlywhatshehadseenwithherowntwoeyes.

“Huh…”

AhnSangminmadeastrangenoisewithhismouth.KnockingoutanA-rankHunterinonehit.Freelyusingspatialmagic.Wieldingdozensofsummons.Eachoneofthemalonewouldbeanunbelievablething.Andthemaninquestionhaddoneitall.Butthemostshockingfactwas–

“Sohesoloclearedahigh-levelDungeon.”

BaekYoonhoutteredafteralongperiodofsilence.ItwasbecausehewasanS-rankerthathewasabletosay–

“Thatisanincrediblefeat.”

Althoughthemanhadfoughtwithsummons,thosesummonswerenotcomradesbutHunterSungJinwoo’sskill.ItwasthesameassoloclearingtheDungeon.

“Nomatterhowhighone’srankis,itisdifficultforaHuntertosoloclearahigh-levelDungeon.”

ARedGateontopofthat.

Whatifhehimselfwasthere?CouldhesoloclearaB-rankRedGate?ItwaspossibleforHunterSungJinwoo,whowieldednotoneortwobutdozensofsummons.AhnSangminspokewithamazement–

“Withthis,itisclearthathe’sanAwakenedBeingwithspecialpowers.”BaekYoonhoagreed–

“AmongHunters,thosethatcanusesummoningarerare.Andtothinkthathe’saHunterthatcanwieldmultiplesummons…”

HavingworkedasanS-rankHunter,BaekYoonhohadmetandconversedwithmanydifferentHunters.NotoneofthemeverspokeofaHunterwieldingthatmanysummons.

“AnAwakenedBeingwithaspecialpowerinadifferentdimensionthantheaveragespecialpower…”

BaekYoonhowasamazed.AhnSangminthoughtofsomethingandasked–

“IfyouhadtoputavalueonSungJinwoo-ssi’sabilities,howmuchdoyouthinkhe’sworthrightnow?”

“...”

BaekYoonhocouldnoteasilyreply.Butonethingwasforsure,regardlessofwhatthevalueofSungJinwoowasrightnow,itwouldmultiplyexplosivelyoncethemanunderwenttheretest.Theyhadtoactbeforethathappened.BaekhohadjustlostanA-rankHunterandmultipleB-rankHunters.IftheywerenotabletoobtainthepowerknownasSungJinwoo,theirlossesfromthisincidentwouldbetoogreat.

“Itrustyou,ChiefAhn.”

BaekYoonhosentalookoffaithtowardstheman.AhnSangminrepliedwithadeterminedexpression.Suddenly,thetwomenturnedtowardParkHeejin.Thewomanwasraisingahand.

“Doyouhavesomethingtoask?”

Succeedingingrabbingthetwomen’sattentions,ParkHeejinloweredherhand–

“Pleaseallowmetohelp.”

“Withwhat?”

“RaidLead-Imean,HunterSungJinwoo-nim’srecruitment.”

BaekYoonhoandAhnSangminexchangedglances.TheRecruitmentSpecialistAhnSangmintiltedhishead–

“WhywouldHunterParkHeejin-nimbe…?”

“OfthemembersofourGuild,I’mtheonewhospentthemosttimewithHunterSungJinwoo-nim.IbelieveIcanbeofgreatassistance.”

SixhoursoutsideoftheGate.Nearlyaweekinside.BaekYoonhoandAhnSangminthoughtParkHeejin’swordsmadesense.Ontopofthat,thewomanwasabeauty.Herappearancewouldn'texactlybeahindranceintheireffortstoobtainSungJinwoo.RealizinghersuggestionwasmovingthemindsoftheGuildmasterandthechief,ParkHeejincontinued–

“ButIhaveonecondition.”

BaekYoonhoasked–

“Whatisit?”

“OnceHunterSungJinwoo-nimentersBaekho,pleasebesuretoplacemeinhisraidingparty.”

ParkHeejinhadlearnedsomethinginthelastRaid:theterrorofahigh-levelDungeonandjusthowpowerlessshecouldbe.

‘Intheend,IendeduplearningthelessonSungJinwoo-ssiwastryingtoteachHangSongyi...’

Itwasembarrassing,butitwastrue.Tostubbornlyclaimthatsomethingterrifyingwasn’tscarywasjustfoolishness.WhathappenedintheRedGatewascertainlyaterrifyingexperience.However,shedidnotwanttogive-upthebenefitsofworkingasaB-rankHunter.Ahighsalary!Multiplecareerchoices!Andtheacknowledgmentofsocietyontopofthat!Ifyouputasidethedangerinvolvedinthejob,beingaHunterwastheperfectprofession.Ifanything,itwasbecauseofthehighrisksinvolvedthattherewardswerejustashigh.

However,ParkHeejinhadfoundawaytoreducethatrisk.

‘It’storaidwithRaidLeaderSungJinwoo-nim.’

ThepersonshewasmostjealousofintheRedGatewasinfactHanSongyi.Thereasonwassimple.ItwasbecauseofthepromiseSungJinwoomadetoHan

Songyiontheirfirstday:

“Ibroughtyouhere,soI’llberesponsibleforyourprotection.”

Inotherwords,JinwoohadnoresponsibilitytoprotectanyoneexceptHanSongyi.ParkHeejinandthetwoC-rankHunterswerejustaddedbaggage.Thewomanhadalwaysheldafearthattheywouldbethrownaside.Andonthesixthday,SungJinwooclearedtheDungeonandprotectedHanSongyiuntiltheend.Themanhadkepthispromise.Watchingallofthis,ParkHeejinobtainedanassurance.

Ifsheraidedunderthatman,shewouldn’tbeinanydanger.Aftershehadrealizedthis,herheartbegantorace.Infact,herheartwasstillbeatingvigorouslyrightnow.

Theabilitytocoollymakedecisions.Apowerfulstrength.Andasenseofresponsibilitytoboot.

ShewantedtobeatSungJinwoo’ssideinthenextRaid.Andthatwashercondition.

‘PlacemeinSungJinwoo’sraidingparty.’

BaekYoonhoandAhnSangmintalkedamongthemselvesforabit.Soon,theycamebacktoParkHeejin–

“Alright.”

BaekYoonholaughedexcitedly–

“ThenParkHeejin-ssiwillbeactingtogetherwithChiefAhnforawhile.”

“Thankyou.”

Ofcourse,therecruitmentwouldnotbeeasy.SungJinwoowassomeonewhoknewthevalueofhisability.

‘HewassoconfidentintheRedGatetoo.’

Convincinghimwouldnotbeaneasytask.

‘Still…’

Sheobtainedtheopportunitytoseehimagain.ParkHeejinsmiledinherhead.

Meanwhile,afterthinkingaboutsomething,BaekYoonhoopenedhismouthwithdifficulty–

“ChiefAhn,”

“Yessir.”

“IwouldliketoknowSungJinwoo-ssi’scontactinformation.”

“Guildmaster,that’s…”

AhnSangminfinallyexplainedhisexperienceswithSungJinwoo.Howtheyhadfirstmet.Whyhehadhiddentheman’sexistenceupuntilnow.Listeningtohisstory,BaekYoonhonoddedunderstandingly–

“Ifhehadthatamountofpower,itmakessensethathewouldwanttohideit.Afterall,therearecertainlypeopleinthisworldwhodonotwanttheattentionofsociety.”

However,thatmanhadshownhisabilitiesinfrontofmanypeoplethistime.Ofcourse,itwasduringanemergency,butitalsomeantthatthemanwasreadytoshowhimselftotheworld.

“I’msureaslongasitdoesn’tgetoutofhand,SungJinwoo-ssiwon’tblameChiefAhn.”

AhnSangminnodded.Ofcourse,therewasnochancewhattheydiscussedherewouldbeleakedtotheoutside.SungJinwoohadhisreasons,butatthesametime,Baekhohadnointentionofinvitingunwantedcompetitionbyrevealingthetruth.

“Iunderstandthat,but…”

WhatAhnSangminwasworriedaboutwassomethingelse.Thechiefwasafraidthat,notknowingSungJinwoo’ssternpersonality,theGuildmastermightmessthingsupwithhisimpatientpersonality.Hewantedtoavoidthatatallcosts–

“IthinktheGuildmastercontactinghimdirectlyisabit…”

BaekYoonhounderstoodwhatAhnSangminwasworriedabout–

“Oh,I’mnottryingtocontacthimabouttherecruitment.”

“Oh?Thenwhy…?”

“It’sasSungJinwoo-ssisaidlastnight.”

BaekYoonhorealizeditafterlisteningtoParkHeejin’sstory;SungJinwoowasthesavioroftheBaekhoGuild.ThemanhadrescuedthreeofthenewrecruitsoftheGuild;ontopofthat,hehadpreventedtheDungeonBreakofaRedGateintheirareaandsavedtheirreputationaswell.EvenifitwastheAssociation’sfault,howmuchwouldtheGuild’simagefalliftheylostalloftheirnewrecruitsinthisincident?JustimaginingitmadeBaekYoonho’sstomachsink.

‘TothinkthatIwasbeingsohostiletothatsavior.’

BaekYoonhounderstoodwhyJinwoowasinabadmood.Nowknowingthefullstory,therewassomethingtheGuildmasterhadtodo–

“AsarepresentativeofBaekho,IwouldliketogivemygratitudetoSungJinwoo-ssi.Ialsohavetoapologizeformybehaviorlastnight.”

‘Oh,ifit’sjustthat…’

AhnSangminfullyagreedwithhisGuildmaster.Knowingtheman’spersonality,thechiefknewtheS-rankerwouldnotdosomethingaslowasbringinguptheideaofrecruitmentwhilethankingJinwoo.

“Iunderstand.”

AhnSangmintookhisphoneoutandfoundJinwoo’snumber.

“What’shisnumber?”

BaekYoonhoalsotookhisphoneout.

“It’s–”

AhnSangminwasabouttoreadoffthenumberwhenherealizedsomethingweird.Thechiefraisedhishead–

“Er,HunterParkHeejin-nim,whydoyouhaveyourphoneout?”

“Oh,er…haha…”

ParkHeejinsmiledawkwardlyandputawayherphone.

***

SOUTHKOREA’SNUMBERONEGUILD,HUNTERSGUILD.[3]TheGuildmasterandactiveS-rankHunterChoiJonginwasgoingoveraninterestingreport.

“Is…thisalltrue?”

Well,wouldhehavebotheredtheGuildmasterwithafalsereport?TheHeadofRecruitment,JoMyunggi,nodded.

“Yessir.It’stheinformationwe’veobtainedfromtheAssociationtoday.”

EverylargeGuildhadadiscretelineofcontactintheAssociation,aspyofsorts.Itwasalittleunderhanded,butitwasnecessarytoobtaininformationonnewhighrankingAwakenedBeings.Andtoday,theHuntersGuild’slineofcontacthadleakedaninterestingtale.Afterlookingoverthereport,JoMyunggidecidedtobringittotheGuildmaster’sattention.

‘TherecentlyrisingBaekhoisoneofthelargeGuildsafterHuntersGuild’sposition.’

Themanthoughtitwasworthyenoughtolookinto.Asexpected,ChoiJonginwasgreatlyinterested.

“AC-rankGatebecameaRedGate?AndtheloneA-rankerandmultipleB-rankersdied,buttwoC-rankerscameoutalive?AndtheyclearedtheDungeon?Thisiscompletelyimpossible.”

EveniftherewasasingleB-rankeramongthesurvivors.Readingupanddownthereport,ChoiJonginshookhishead–

“Thereissomeone,ahelper,whowasleftoffofthisreport.”

ChoiJonginwascompletelysure.Hisextensiveraidingexperiencesweretellinghimso.JoMyunggireplied–

“TheAssociationhadalsosuspectedasmuch,but…”

“But?”

“Baekhoclosedtheirmouthsontheincident.”

“AndtheAssociation’sjustgoingtoletitgo?”

“Well,IheardthattherewassomefaultontheAssociation’sendthistime,soitlooksliketheydon’twanttoescalatetheissue.”

“Hmm…”

ChoiJonginputahandtohischin.Itwastheman’shabitwheneverhefellintothought.Iftheyhadmadeamistake,theAssociation’sattitudewasunderstandable.ButwhywasBaekhoalsomaintainingasilence?Therewasoneanswer–

“LookslikeBaekhoreceivedhelpfromsomeonethattheydon’twanttoreveal.”

“Ialsothinkthatway.”

Thetwomenwereinagreement.ChoiJongin’sheadranwithquickcalculations–

‘Anamelesshelperthatwasabletosavethelow-rankHuntersinadifficultDungeonwheremultiplehigh-rankersdied…’

TheS-rankerbecamefilledwithcuriosity–

‘Anewrecruitthatdidn’tevenreceivearankyet?Oracriminalthatcouldn’trevealtheiridentity?

Itdidn’tmatter.Ifitwasanewbie,theywouldberecruitedbyHuntersGuild.Ifitwasacriminal,theywoulduseittobesmirchthenameofBaekho.ChoiJongin’seyessparkled–

“Wehavetofindoutwhothatwas.”

“Doyouhaveaplan?”

“Tosmokeoutatiger,yousetfiretohisden.”

JoMyunggicouldnothidehisshock–

“YouwanttosetBaekhoonfire?”

“What?!No,I’mnotcrazyenoughtolightsomeoneelse’scompanyonfire.”

“Ah,sorry.Butyouknowyouhaveareputationforyourmagic…”

TherewasareasonwhyChoiJonginwascalledthe“StrongestSoldier”[4].IftheMageclassHunterwanted,itwasaneasyfeatforhimtoblowawayabuildingortwo.Anyways,ChoiJongincontinued–

“No,no,Imeantthatwe’llcreateafire.”

“Okay,youkeepusingthatword,‘fire’–”

JoMyunggishutupwhenChoiJongin’seyesflared–

“Imean.Let’sleakthistothepress.”

‘Oooooooh!’

JoMyunggifinallyrealizedwhathisGuildmasterwassaying–

“Justimaginetheheadlines,‘TheAssociation’sMistake,aLargeGuild’sMisfortune,andtheMysteriousHunterbehinditall.’Isn’tthisjustwhatthepressloves?”

Theheadofrecruitmentnodded.ChoiJonginchuckled–

“Oncethemedia’sattentionsfallonBaekho,they’llhavetoeventuallyrevealtheidentityoftheirmysterioushelper.”

“Thatcouldwork!”

JoMyunggialsolaughed.ThiswastheopportunitytostrikeatBaekho,whowassteadilycomingafterHuntersGuild.ThecornersofChoiJongin’smouthrose–

“Contactthereportersimmediately.”

***

YouhaveenteredtheDungeon.

JinwootookintheDungeon’sairwhenheentered.

‘Whew-’

Havingbeingstuckinafield-typeDungeonforseveraldays,thecave-typeDungeon’sairfeltnewtohim.YooJinhofollowedinafterhim–

“Whatdoyouthinkthemagicbeaststhistimewillbe?”

“Iwonder…”

‘Idefinitelysensesomethingnearby.’

Buthedidnotseeanything.However,themomenthetookastep,bodiesstartedrisinghereandtherefromthefloorofthecave.

Dudududududu–

Dududududu–

Thehumanoidmagicbeastsmadeoutofrocks.YooJinhorememberedtheirnames–

“Hyungnim,it’sthestonemen.”

Jinwoonodded.Ofallthemagicbeaststhatcouldbefoundinlow-levelDungeons,thestonemenboastedthestrongestdefense.Basiclogiccalledformagictoovercomethetoughexteriorsofthestonemen.

“Here,holdthis.”

ThemanforwhombasiclogicdidnotapplyhandedthecylindricalobjecttoYoo

Jinho.

‘Holy!’

Notknowingwhatwasinside,YooJinhoflinchedashetooktheobjectfromJinwoo,butnothinghappened.

‘Isitnotaweapon?’

Meanwhile,JinwoosteppedtowardsthestonemenandsummonedBaruka’sTantoandKnightKiller.

Slash!

Inaninstant,astoneman’sheadfelltothefloor.JinwoolookedatBaruka’sTantowithsatisfaction–

‘Notbad.’

ThesmilingfigureofJinwoomovedfasterthantheeyecouldsee.

Step.

TheHunterreappearedbehindthegroupofstonemen.Tenmagicbeastsfelltotheground.

Collapse.

‘MybodyfeelsalotlightersincetheRedGate.’

Ofcourse.ThemanwascurrentlyLevel60.HuntingthebearsandWhiteWalkershadraisedhislevelsbyninefromLevel51.ThemagicbeastsoftheC-rankDungeonnowfeltlikethegoblinsfromE-rankDungeons.

‘Idon’tthinkIneedtakeoutaweaponifit’sonlythismuch.’

Hiswarm-upwascomplete.

‘Timetoraisethespeed.’

Itwastimeforthemtomobilize.Rightoncue,morestonemenappearedfrom

furtherdownthecave.

‘Comeforth.’

Ashisorderfell,theShadowSoldierswaitinginhisshadowallappearedbehindhim.Ascreamfollowedtheirappearance–

“AHHHH!!!!!”

Ohright.Jinwooputhishandonhisforehead.

‘Forgotabouthim.’

Inhisexcitement,JinwoohadforgottenaboutYooJinhoo.

“H-hyuuuungnim.”

TheyoungmanwasonhisrearwaggingafingerattheShadowSoldiers–

“W-whatarethose?”

“It’shardtoexplain…Justthinkofthemasmyskill.”

“Y-youcanmakesomethinglikethatwithaskill?”

Jinwoonodded.YooJinhocouldnotclosehismouth.

“Ah…”

ThiswashiseleventhRaidwithhyungnim.TheyoungmanhadthoughtthathehadseeneverythingwithJinwoo.Thatwasagravemistake.Asalways,hyungnimwassomeonewhosurpassedallexpectations.

Gulp.

Feelingadangerouspresencecomingfromthesoldierscladinpitch-black,YooJinhogulped.Jinwooturnedbacktothemagicbeasts.Thelumberingstonemenhadalreadyarrivedbeforethem.Jinwooraisedachin.

“Go.”

TheShadowSoldiershadbeenwaitingforthatorder.

STEP.STEP.STEP.STEP.

Whenthesoldiersthatnearedfortyinnumber[5]chargedattheenemy,theircombinedmovementsshookthefloorsofthecave.AsthearmyincludedIronandtheShadowBeasts,theweightofthearmyhadcertainlybecomeheavier.

‘FeelslikeI’veaddedatankdivisioninmyarmy.’

Jinwoolookedatthescenewithsatisfaction.Oncehisforcesweremobilized,theDungeonwasclearedinablinkofaneye.Allthatremainedwerethedestroyedcorpsesofthestonemen.TheC-rankDungeonwasobliteratedinaninstant.

Wow–

Jinwoowasinawe.

‘Atthisrate,wecanfinishtheremainingRaidsinnotime.’

ItlookedliketheremainingeightRaidswouldbeoversoon.

Step,step,step.

Afterthebattle,theShadowSoldierscollectedthemagiccoresandlined-upinfrontofJinwoo.AttheirheadwasIronandYgritte[6].Thetwoknightsstoodatattention.WhentheShadowSoldiersstoppedtheirmovements,YooJinhowasfinallyabletomove.TheyoungmannervouslyapproachedJinwoo–

“Hyungnim,here…”

HereturnedtheplasticbagwiththecylindricalobjectbacktoJinwoo.Jinwootookoutthetumblerandstarteddrinkingfromit.

“Hyungnim,whatisthat?”

“Vegetablejuice.”

“Oh…”

“It’snotbad.”

Sipsiiiip—

Whenthetumblerwasnearlyempty,Jinwooasked–

“Jinho,howmanyGatesdidwereservetoday?”

TheyoungmanwasinthemiddleofreachingouttotouchthefurofaShadowBeastandfroze–

“Four,hyungnim.”

Fourtoday,thenfiveafterthat.Therewasnoneedtodelayitanylonger.

“Thenlet’sendittomorrow.Itdoesn’tmatterifwehavetotravelabit.”

“Tomorrow?”

YooJinholookedaround.Thetracesofthemassacredstonemenwereallaroundthem.Theyoungmannodded–

‘Withthisspeed,it’smorethandoable…’

“Understood,hyungnim.But…”

Theyoungmanhesitatedthenspokewithdifficulty–

“...IsitokayifIpickupthemagiccores?”

“Why?”

“Ifeellikemyjobwastakenawayfromme,hyungnim.”

Jinwoolaughed.

‘He’sreallyanamusingguy.’

Andadaylater,JinwoocompletedthenineteenRaidshehadpromisedtoYooJinho.

***

“Hyungnim!Nowthatwe’redone,howaboutadinnertocelebrate?”

Onthedrivehome,YooJinhocarefullybroughtupthesubject.

“Celebratorydinner?Justustwo?”

WiththefinalRaid,theirraidingpartyhadbeendisbanded.HanSongyihadtoldthemshehadsomewheretobe,soitwasjustJinwooandYooJinhointhecar.YooJinhoshylycontinued–

“Well…I’vejustbeengettinghelpfromyouleftandright.IthoughtI’dtreatyoutoday.”

Whywashesoshyaboutjustaskingtoeattogether?Jinwoogrinned.Theyoungmanhadofferedtopay,sohedidn’thaveanyreasontorefuse.

“Alright.”

WhenJinwoocasuallyagreed,YooJinho’sfacelitupnoticeably.

“Hyungnim!There’sahighclassrestaurantatahotelthatIknow,howaboutit?Theirsteakistodiefor.”

“Nah,nothinglikethat.”

JinwoowantedtoeatwithYooJinhosomewherecomfortable.Asuitablerestaurantcameintoviewwhiledriving.

Tap.

Jinwootappedthecarwindowwithhisfinger.

“Howaboutthere?”

“Ah,doyouwantsomehanwoobeef?”[7]

“No,nexttoit.”

YooJinho’seyesnarrowed.Nexttoit…Therewasonlyoneotherrestaurant.

[FLOWERSAMGYUPSALDAY–THINSLICESPECIALTY][8]

“Areyoutalkingaboutthethinlyslicedsamgyupsalplace,hyungnim?”

“Doyounotlikesamgyupsal?”

YooJinhosmiledbrightly–

“No,hyungnim.Ilikeittoo.”

Afterparkingthevan,theduoenteredtheshop,onlytofinditbustling.Itwas7p.m,justabouttimeformostrestaurantstobepacked.

“Welcome.”

Awaitergreetedthemwithasmile.

“Howmany?”

“Two.”

“Please,thisway.”

Thewaiterledthemtoaspotinacorner.Suddenly–

“Holdon.”

Lookingaroundtherestaurant,YooJinhogesturedtoanemptyspotnearthewindows–

“Canwesitthere?”

“Ah,I’msorry.Thosetablesarereserved…”

Itappearedthatalargegrouphadreservedasectionoftherestaurant.YooJinholookedatthewideopentableswithdisappointmentthenshookhishead.Andso,thetwomenendedupbeingseatedatacornerdeepintotherestaurant.YooJinholoweredhishead–

“I’msorry,hyungnim.”

“Hmm?Whatdoyouhavetobesorryfor,Iwastheonewhowantedtocomehere.”

“Still,Ishould’vetreatedyoutosomewherebetter.”

JinwoosmiledandtappedYooJinho’sshoulder–

“Don’tworryaboutthatandjustenjoythefood,yapunk.”

Infact,JinwoowasworriedthatthischeapestablishmentmightnothavebeentoYooJinho’sexpensivetastes.

‘AndIdidn’twanttomentionit,but...’

Jinwoolookedaround.Therestaurantwaspackedwithpeople.Becausehehadoftenspenttimeinaquietsolitudeathome,alivelyatmospherelikethiswasn’texactlybad.

“Hereissamgyupsalforthreeandtwobottlesofsoju.”[9]

Theirorderhadarrived.

Sizzle—

Themeatcookednicelyoverthepan.ThetwoHuntersdugintothefood.Onebyone,piecesofmeatdisappearedfromthepan.Fortunately,itlookedliketheyoungmasterofachaebollikedthefood.

“Iofteneatsamgyupsalwithmyfriends,hyungnim.”

“Ohyeah?Collegefriends?”

“Yep.Comparedtotherichkidsfromexpensiveandprestigiousschools,Igetalongmuchbetterwithmypeersfromanormalcollege.”

JinwoosmiledandnoddedasYooJinhospoke.Itwasratherfittingoftheyoungmanhehadgottentoknow.

“Here,hyungnim.”

YooJinhopouredJinwooashotofsoju.

“Youtoo.”

Jinwooreturnedthegesture.

Gulpgulp.

Theyfilledeachother’sglasses,clinkedthendranktheshotitonego.

“Kyaaaah–”

However,comparedtoYooJinhowhomadeadeliciousexpression,Jinwoo’sfacescrunchedupinannoyanceandrealization.

“Huh?Hyungnim,isitnottoyourliking?”

“No.It’snotthat…”

Jinwoostaredathisemptyglass.Amidstthebusyschedulehemaintained,hehadforgottenaboutthis.

Ring~

Aharmfulsubstancehasbeendetected.

TheeffectsofDetoxificationbuffwillbeactivated.

3,2,1…Detoxificationcomplete.

‘Right.Icannevergetdrunkagain.’

Nomatterhowmuchhedrank,theresultswerethesame.

Ring~ring~ring~

Withthe‘Longevity’buffineffect,allharmfuleffectswereremovedfromJinwoo.Thesojuhedrankwasnothingmorethanbitterwater.Jinwoocursedinternally–

‘Fuck.’

Ratherthanputtingdownthisuseless,bitterliquid,hewasbetteroffdrinkingsoda.

“Excuseme,”

Jinwooflaggedaserver–

“Couldwegettwomoreordersofsamgyupsalandabottleofsoda?”

“Ofcourse.”

Whentheserverwalkedaway,YooJinhotiltedhishead–

“Hyungnim,you’renotgoingtodrinkanymore?”

“I’mnotthatgoodwithalcohol.”

Jinwoohadrepliedwithanexpressionlessface,butasalways,YooJinhodidnottakethehint.Hisfacewasbecomingredwithdrunkenness,andtheyoungmansmiledmoronically–

‘Tothinkthatevenhyungnimhasahumansidelikethis…’

YooJinhosentastrangelookatJinwoo,butthemanignoredit.

‘Notlikethisistheonlytimethekid’sbeingweird.’

TherewassomethingJinwoowascuriousabouthowever–

“Sowhat’syourplannow?”

Whenaseriousquestionappeared,YooJinhosuddenlysatuprightlikeanintervieweeonhisfirstjobinterview–

“AfterasimplewrittentestattheAssociation,IwillobtainmyGuildmasterlicense,hyungnim.Withit,Iwillgoandtrytomakeadealwithmyfather.”

Theyoungman’seyeswerefilledwithdetermination.Hehadinvestedquiteabitofhisownmoneyintothisplan;therewasnoroomforbackingoutnow.

‘AndIhavemypromisewithhyungnim.’

ThatbuildinghepromisedtoJinwoo.HewouldonlybeabletokeepthatpromiseifhewasabletoconvincehisfathertohandovertheGuildmaster’s

position.Meanwhile,Jinwoowasrathercarefreeabouttheentireaffair.

‘It’dbenicetogetthat30billionwonbuilding,but–’

Thatwasjustthetipoftheiceberg.Hisrealgoalwastolevelup.AndwiththetwentyC-rankDungeonshehadconqueredwithYooJinho,hemanagedtofulfillthatgoalplentyoftimes.Theresultsofthatlevel-up?KimCheolwasanA-rankerwithcontractfeesprobablyinthebillions,andJinwooknockedhimoutwithasinglehit.

‘Thatmeansattheveryleast,I’llbeabletoearnmorethanthatshitbag.’

Greatincomewouldnaturallyfollowgreatabilities.TherewasnoneedforJinwootoworryaboutmoney.Becauseofthat,Jinwoo’sfacewasfilledwithacarefreeexpression.AsJinwooreminiscedonthepastfewdayswithasmile,YooJinhoaskedaquestion–

“Whataboutyou,hyungnim?What’syourplannow?”

“Me?”

Wasitsomethingheshouldn’thaveasked?YooJinhopanickedforasecondbutrelaxedwhenJinwoosoftenedhisexpression.

“I’llbeoutofcontactforawhile.There’ssomewhereIhavetogo.”

Withthatsentence,anoticeablefrownappearedonYooJinho’sface.Theyoungmanlookedlikeapuppyabandonedontheroadanddrainedhisglass.

Tap.

YooJinho’splacedhisglassloudlydownonthetable.Withhelpfromtheliquidcourage,theyoungmanopenedhismouth–

“Hyungnim,ifI’mjustabothertoyou,pleaseletmeknow.Iwon’tbotheryouanymore.”

‘Thisbrat…’

ItseemedthatJinhohadmistakenhiswordsaboutbeing“outofcontact”for

somethingelse.Jinwooscratchedhistempleandspoke–

“Jinho.”

“Yes,hyungnim.”

“WhatexactlyamItoyou?”

“Tome…”

Unabletoreplyimmediately,theyoungman’seyeslookedtotheceiling.

“Ihaveanolderbrother,abouttenyearsolderthanme,hyungnim.”

Jinwoohadheardofit.YooMyunghan’sfirstborn,YooJinsung.

“Myhyungdoesn’tlikemethatmuch.Tobehonest,I’veprobablyspentmoretimewithyouinthepastfewdayscomparedtomyentirelifewithmyhyung.Comparedtothatolderbrother,hyungnimsavedmylife,helpedmewithmyplans…”

YooJinholookedatJinwoowithacleareyes–

“Tome,hyungnimfeelsmorelikemyolderbrotherthanmyrealbrother.”

Well,hewasstillscaredofJinwoofromtimetotime.Still,thememorieshehadmadewithJinwoointheirdaystogetherweresomethinghecouldneverforget.TherespectYooJinhohadforhishyungnimwasfargreaterthananyfear.

“Ifyouthinkofmeasyourolderbrother,”

Jinwoospokewithasmile–

“I’llthinkofyouasmylittlebrother.”

“H-hyungnim…”

Withhisnoseturningred,YooJinhobegantocry.Well,Jinwoocould’vetoleratedjustcrying,buttheyoungmansuddenlypushedhimselftowardJinwoo–

“Hyungnim!Iwanttogiveyouahug!”

“Hey,hey!You’redrunk,youpunk!”

“No,hyungnim!Myheadhasneverbeenclearerthannow!”

“Atleastkeepyoureyesopenwhenyou’retalking!”

“Waaaaaaah!”

Whetherhewastrulymovedorwasjustdrunk,YooJinhoputhisheadonthetableandbegantocryloudly.Jinwoogentlypattedtheyoungmanontheshoulder.Soon,YooJinhofellasleep.

“Sigh…He’sreallysomethingelse.”

Jinwooleanedbackonhischairandbithistongue.

YooJinho.Hewasannoyinginmanyways,butJinwoodidnotdislikehim.

[“…andhere’sthenextreport.”]

JinwooturnedhisheadtowardstheTV.TheTVintherestaurantwasturnedtoanewschannel.

‘Isitalreadynine?’

Jinwooabsentmindedlystaredatthescreenwhenafamiliarfaceappeared.

‘Oh?’

Jinwoo’seyeswidened.LeavinghisGuildHeadquarters,BaekYoonhowasassaultedwithabarrageofquestionsfromreporterssurroundinghim.

[“We’vereceivedareportsayingtherewasabigaccidentwiththenewrecruittraining,isittrue?”]

[“We’veheardthatallthehigh-rankingHuntersdiedandonlylow-rankHunterslived,doyouhaveanycomments?”]

[“Therewerereportsthatanunknownhelperrescuedthesurvivors,whatare

yourthoughtsonthis?”]

TheS-rankerdidhisbesttoignorethereportersbuteventuallyrelented–

[“TheincidenthasalreadybeeninvestigatedbytheAssociation.Itistruethattherewasanaccidentduringthetraining,buttherewasnosuchthingasanoutsiderhelper.Baekho’smembersworkedtogethertocleartheDungeon,butmanyHuntersfellduringtheprocess.Thatisthefinalstory.”]

Areporterasked–

[“Thenwhyareyoupreventinganinterviewwiththesurvivors?”]

[“They’vejustbarelyescapedwiththeirlivesfromthejawsofdeath.Iwouldnotletthembeheldtoquestioningafterwhatthey’vebeenthrough.Thatwillbeall.”]

TheTVshowedBaekYoonhoquicklygettingintoacaranddrivingaway.Jinwoo’seyeswerewideopen.

‘...Aren’ttheytalkingaboutme?’

***

SOMETIMEAGO.EASTERNSEABOARD,UNITEDSTATES.

“AHHHHH!”

Jamesfelltotheground.Withthestrengthinhislegsgone,themancrawledonthefloortoescapebutrealizedhehadcomeacrossadead-end.AllhopelefttheAmerican.

“Oh,Jesus!”

TheDungeonthistimewasA-rank.AraidingpartywiththeappropriatelevelofpowerwasputtogethertocleartheDungeon,buttheentirepartywaswipedout.Tobeprecise,theywereknockedout.

‘Impossible!’

Withhisbackagainstthewall,Jamescollectedhisbreathandshookhishead

repeatedly.Ittrulywasanimpossibleoccurrence.WhentheyhadfirstenteredtheDungeon,theraidingpartyhaddiscovereditwascompletelyempty.Notasinglemagicbeastwasfound.

“ADungeonwithnomagicbeasts?”

“Isthatevenpossible?”

“Thenwheredidallthemagicpowermeasuredoutsidecomefrom?”

TheHunterswereallconfused.However,pastthisstrangeissue,somethingevenmoresurprisingwasfoundinthebossroom.Theyfoundalonemagicbeastthere.Amagicbeastthatlookedexactlylikeahuman.Thatsingleenemyknockedouttheentireraidingparty.Strongdidn’tevenbegintodescribethisthing.OnlyJameswasabletobarelyescapethebossroom.

‘Wait,wasallthemagicpowermeasuredoutsidecomingfromjustthatonemagicbeast?’

TheA-rankdesignationwasgiventotheDungeonaftermeasuringthemagicpowerseepingfromtheGateoutside.Inanordinarysituation,thatmagicpowerwouldbethecombinedamountleakedbyeverymagicbeastintheDungeon.Thistime,therewasonlyoneentityreleasingsaidmagicpower.[10]

‘Impossible.’

But.

“Sigh…comeon.”(InKorean)

Thatmagicbeasthadappearedinthedistance.Jamesscreamed–

“AHHHHHH!”(ScreaminginEnglish)

“Ow,myears.”(InKorean)

Themagicbeast,no,theAsianmanwithovergrownhairandfacialhairscratchedhishead.

“Ah,ahh…”

Jame’sscreamsturnedintoagroan.ThemysteriousmanstoodbeforetheAmericanandputhishandsonhiships.

“Imean,why’dyouattackmelikethat?Itoldyou,I’mnotamagicbeast.I’mhuman.”(InKorean)

Jamescouldnotunderstandtheman.Hisfacejustturnedwhiterandwhiter.TheAsianmanstaredatthepanickingAmerican,wonderingwhatheshoulddo.Hesigheddeeply.

“Notlikeyouyankeescanunderstandme.”(InKorean)

Still,themanattemptedcommunication.HesquatteddowntositataneyelevelwithJames,thentriedtospeakasfriendlyaspossible–

“Hey,hey.”(InbrokenEnglish)

ThemantriedtorememberwhatlittleEnglishheknew.

“AimCoreaun.”[I’mKorean]

Hedidhisbesttospeakasclearlyaspossible–

“Aiwanteutogohom.”[Iwanttogohome]

----------

[1]“Baruka’sTanto”:Tantowascoveredbefore;itisawordforaJapanesedagger/knife.Baruka():“ba”+“ru”+“ka”.Translatingthe“r”or“l”soundfromEastAsianlanguagesoftenisshortenedtoremovethevowelsound,butinthiscase,Ikeptthe“ru”asitwas.Ifitwas“”(reu)insteadof“”(roo),Imight’veshortenedittoBalka.

[2]“Missus”():IchosenottodotheusualandputthisinKorean.Idon’tthinkit’sawordthat’llcomeupthatmuchthroughoutthestory.TheKoreanwordheremeans“wifeofolderbrother”.Morecommonlyusedinactualbloodrelativesituations,butjokingly/friendlyusedbynon-relatedpeopleaswelltotheirhyung’swife/girlfriend.

[3]Okay,IwonderedhowIwoulddistinguish“TheHunters”(guild)from“The

Hunters”(profession).I’mjustgoingtoalwaysmakesuretheirnameisfollowedbytheworld“Guild”.Pleasenotethattheguild’sname,“TheHunters”,isstraightupenglishwritteninkorean.Itisnotpossessivelike“Hunter’sGuild”.“TheHunters”istheirname.

[4]StrongestSoldier():Prettyliteral.ThereisalittlepuninChoiJongin’sname.The“StrongestSoldier”ispronouncedChoi-Jong-Byung-Gi.Btw,anyonerememberacertainHuntercalledthe“WeakestSoldier”?NowwemeetthatHunter’sopposite,huehuehue…

[5]Okay,sothepassagesupuntilnowhaven’tgottenintodetail,butit’sassumedthatJinwoo’smaximumstoragelimithadbeenincreasingwitheitherlevel-upsorintelligenceincreases.Thishasnotbeenspecificallyclarifiedyet.Rightafterclassadvancement,thestoragelimitwas20.Duringicebearspartintheredgate,thestoragelimitwas30,andnow,thestoragelimitis“nearly40”.

[6]Notsureifpeoplewerejokingornot,butbestgirlYgritteisaman.

[7]“Hanwoobeef”():https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanwoo.AbreedofcattleinKoreafamousfortheirflavor.

[8]“Samgyupsal”():https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samgyeopsal.KoreanBBQ;porkbellymeatself-grilledoverflame.

[9]“Soju”():https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soju.wearejustgoingalloverkoreanculturetoday.Traditionalkoreanalcoholthatoften(oftenisanunderstatement)accompaniesgroupmeals.

[10]JustasmallreminderthatasyougoupintherankofDungeons,thedifficultyrisesexponentially(justlikepowerlevelofHunters).Logicallyspeaking,multipleX-rankersareneededtoconqueranX-rankDungeon.IfallthemagicpowerofadungeoncamefromasingleentityinaX-rankDungeon,thatentitywouldbemassivelystrongerthanasinglecorrespondingX-rankHunter.Ontopofthat,high-levelDungeons(B,A,S)requireHunterswithhigherrankthanagivenDungeon’srank.Forexample,BaekYoonhoimpliedthatmultipleA-rankerswouldbeneededtoclearaB-rankDungeon(Chapter59).AlargernumberofA-rankersandmaybeevensomeS-rankersareneededtoclearanA-rankGate,andashittonofS-rankersareneededtoevenhaveachanceofclearinganS-rankGate(JinwoonotesinChapter28thatateamofonlyS-rankerswouldhave50%ofclearinganS-rankDungeon).

Chapter2:HumanOrBeast?

Itwasanunprecedentednews!

AlivinghumancameoutofaDungeon!

TheFederalBureauofHunters(FBH)wascalledinanemergency.TheDeputyDirectorofFBHarrivedattheinterrogationroom.Hewasononesideofaone-waymirror,lookingatanAsianmaninhandcuffsontheotherside.

“Isthathim?”

“Yes,sir.”

“Lookshumantome.”

“Iagree,sir.”

Indeed.Ifhecleaneduphismessilygrownhairandfacialhair,hewould’velookedlikeanordinary,middle-agedAsianman.

“Didhesayanythingabouthimself?”

“He’sclaimingthathe’saHunterfromSouthKorea.”

“SouthKorea?”

“Yes,sir.”

“HowthehelldidaHunterfromSouthKoreacomeoutofaDungeonontheothersideoftheworld?”

“HesayshewasstrandedintheDungeontenyearsagowhentheGateclosedbeforehecouldleave.”

“Andwhenheopenedhiseyes,hewasinthestates?”

“That’swhathe’sclaiming.”

Thedeputydirectorplacedahandonhisforehead.Howtoexplainallthistothedirector?Healreadyfeltaheadachecomingon.

“Sowhyareyoujustwaitingouthere?Shouldn’tsomeonebeinthereinterrogatinghim?”

Forgetthedirector,thismightmakeitswayuphighintothechainofcommand.Theyshouldn’tbewastingtimelikethis.However,theheadofinterrogationhadotherthoughts–

“Itisoneofourtheoriesthatthemanisamagicbeastthatsomehowobtainedahuman’smemories.”

“So?”

“Ifitrevealsitstruenatureduringinterrogation,theentirecapitolmightbeplacedindanger.”[1]

Itcertainlywasapossibility.Accordingtothereport,evenaraidingpartywithmultipleA-rankersweretakendownbythisthing.Theycouldnotmakeanycarelessmovements.

“SoweneedacapableHuntertoperformtheinterrogation.”

AnS-rankerifpossible.Theheadofinterrogationnodded–

“Fortunately,thereisanS-rankHunternearbyfluentinKorean.”

Thedeputydirector’sfacebrightened.HewastheDeputyDirectoroftheFBH;themanwasfamiliarwitheverysingleS-rankHunterworkingintheU.S.

“Mr.Hwang!Isheontheway?”

“Yes,sir.”

OneofthemainHuntersofScavenger,HwangDongsoo.BringinghimtotheU.S.requiredquiteaneffortbytheFBH.

‘Butifit’shim…’

Thereshouldn’tbeanyproblems.Thedeputydirectorsmiled.

“Ohright,”

Hehadforgottentoask.Toreportthistothehigher-ups,hehadtoatleastknowthetarget’sname.

“Whatdidthatmansayhisnamewas?”

Theheadofinterrogationshadtroublepronouncingthename.Hecheckedthereportfromhissubordinates–

“AHunterfromSouthKorea.HisnameisSungIlhwan.”

***

HwangDongsoowasamercilessperson.Especiallytomagicbeasts.BecauseofaDungeonBreak,hehadlosthisparentsandgrewupunderhisolderbrother.AndwhenheAwakenedasanS-ranker,heconsidereditablessingfromtheheavens.

‘Thechancetoripapartmagicbeastswithoutmercy!’

Andso,theS-rankerenteredtheinterrogationwithacoldattitude.AmanfromaDungeon.Theyevensaidthewavelengthofhismagicpowermatchedthepatternofmagicbeasts.

‘Ifit’samagicbeastimitatingahuman…’

Hewouldkillitonthespot.HehadacceptedtherequestfromtheFBHwiththatinmind.

HwangDongsoomettheeyesoftheman.

‘...’

‘...’

Thepairexchangedlooks.HwangDongsooplacedtheman’sfileonthetableandleanedbackonthechair–

“Isuggestyoucooperate.Mywordwilldeterminewhetherornotyou’reahumanoramagicbeast.”

“Alright.”

Beforestartingtheofficialinterrogation,HwangDongsooaskedapersonalquestion.TheysaidhisbrotherdiedintheDungeon.Wasthereachancehecouldcomeback?TheS-rankerwantedtoknow–

“IsitpossibleforotherHunterstocomebacklikeyou?”

Themanshookhishead.HwangDongsoo’sbrowstwitched–

“Howcanyoubesure?”

“BecauseIknowthereasonwhyIwasabletoreturn.”

“Reason?Whatreason?”

“Beforethat,letmeaskyousomething,”

“...I’mtheoneaskingthequestions.”

HwangDongsoo’seyesnarrowed[2].However,themanignoredhimandcontinued–

“Gates,magicbeasts,DungeonBreaks.Justwhatdoyouknowaboutallofthat?”

“...”

Ifitwasaboringquestion,HwangDongsoowould’veusedhisstrengthtosilencetheman.Butitwasnotaboringquestion.SincetheGatesfirststartedappearingtenyearsago,followedbytheAwakenedBeings,manyhadchallengedthatquestionbuttonoavail.Thismightbeanopportunitytofinallyobtainsomeanswers.

“DeputyDirector…”

“Shh.”

TheFBHemployeesacrosstheone-waymirrorgulped.HwangDongsooasked–

“Areyousayingyouknow?”

“Dungeons,Gates,magicbeasts…Theyareallbutapreludetotherealwarthat’scoming.Andtheexistencethatwillbecomethegreatestdisasterofthatwarjustopeneditseyes.”

“Thenthereasonyouarehereis?”

“Topreventthatdisaster.”

“Whatexactlyisthis“greatestdisaster”?”

“...ThatIcannotsay.”

HwangDongsoosneered–

“Ifyoutrulyareahumanwhocameheretopreventadisaster,whycan’tyourevealanydetails?Nomatterwhatitis,wouldn’titbebettertoworktogether?”

Themanshookhishead–

“Numbersmeannothinginfrontofitspower.Weaklingsgroupingupwillonlybecomeusedbyit.”

“Andonlyyoucanstopit?”

Themannodded.HwangDongsooclickedhistongueinhismind.

‘He’sfuckingcrazy.’

Well,itmadesenseifthemanwasstrandedinaDungeonfortenyears.Or,itcouldjustbethatamagicbeastimitatingahumanmadeanerror.HwangDongsoodecidedtoentertaintheman’sdelusions–

“Youmustbequiteconfidentinyourabilities.”

“Ihaveacertainqualificationotherthanabilities.”

“Well,ofcourse,ofcourse.”

Whatcouldtheyhopetolearnfromacrazyman?HwangDongsoodecidedhewasdoneaskingquestions.Instead,heopenedthefilegiventohimbytheFBH.Itwasalistofinformationandquestionstoconfirmtheman’sidentity.

“Name,SungIlhwan…”

Thepictureinthefilewasaperfectmatch.

‘Insteadoftenyears,itlookslikeonlyafewweeksormonthspassed.’

ButHwangDongsoodidnotpayitmuchmind.Afterall,theysayhigh-rankingHunterscanevenslowtheiraging.

“YouraccomplishmentsasaHunterareratherimpressive.Youcouldearnquiteabitintoday’sworld.”

SungIlhwandidnotreply.Atthetime,thesystemofclassifyingHuntersdidnotexist.Theywerenotevenassignedrankings.HwangDongsoocontinuedthroughthedocument–

“Wife,ParkGyunghae.Twokids,son’snameis…”

Absentmindedlyreadingdownthelist,HwangDongsoofrozeforthebriefestofmomentswhenhegottotheson’sname–

‘SungJinwoo?’

HwangDongsoocontinuedwithoutshowinganyindication–

“...SungJinwoo.Whatisyourdaughter’sname?”

“SungJinah.”

“Okay,next.”

Suddenly–

“Holdon.”

HwangDongsoowasabouttofliptothenextpagewhenSungIlhwanstoppedhim.TheS-rankerraisedhisheadwithoutmuchthought.SungIlhwan’sfacehad

turnedascoldasHwangDongsoo’s–

“WhydidIfeelakillingintentwhenyoureadmyson’sname?”

“...”

Tak.

Thefilewastossedtothetable.HwangDongsooturnedoffthemicrophoneconnectingtotheoutside.

“IthoughtIsaidIwouldbetheoneaskingquestions.”

“Ineedtohearyouranswer.”

“AndifIrefuse?”

“I’llhaveyoutalkwithforce.”

SungIlhwan’seyesflared.Themanwasnotabouttobackoff.Withthat,HwangDongsoosneeredwidely–

“Alright.You’reamagicbeast.”

HowdareameremagicbeastthreatenaHunter?FeelingSungIlhwanemitapowerfulhostilitytowardhim,HwangDongsoofeltthatitwasenoughevidencetoclaimthemanwasamagicbeast.

‘Perhapstheheavenshaveblessedmeagain.’

Havingmadehisconclusionwithoutmuchthought,HwangDongsooturnedonthemicrophoneagain.

Beep.

“DeputyDirector,thismanisamagicbeast.He’sgoingtoattacksoon,pleaseevacuate.”

—“What?Hey,wait!”

Beep.

Thepresenceshefeltontheothersideoftheone-waymirrorpanickedthenranoff.Thesirenrangloudlythroughoutthebuilding.HwangDongsoo’sfistsbegantoglowwithasilverlight.

“IwillbevisitingKoreasoon.”

Finishinghispreparations,HwangDongsoo’slipsmadeanuglysmiletowardsSungIlhwan–

“WhatshouldItellyoursonhisfather’slastwordswere?”

***

TheTVcontinuedtoreportontheRedGateincident.Jinwooscratchedthebackofhishead.

‘Thingsareabouttogetreallyloud.’

However,hedidnotfeelanannoyance.Justastrangeness.StrangersontheTVwerereportingleftandrighttryingtofigureoutJinwoo’sidentity.Andiftheysucceeded?Itdidnotmatter.

‘I’vebecomestrongenough.’

Thereasonwhyhehadhidhispowerupuntilnowwastoavoidbeingusedbysomeone.Butthingsweredifferent.

BaekYoonho.

JinwoowasabletothrowasidethegripoftheS-rankGuildmasterofBaekho.That’showstronghehadbecome.Itwasanunthinkableactioninthepast.

‘Iwould’veprobablypissedmypantsifIsawthoseeyesinthepast.’

AlightsmileappearedonJinwoo’sface.Itwasmomentslikethisyouhadenjoyindrunkenness.

Ring~

Aharmfulsubstancehasbeendetected.

TheeffectsofDetoxificationbuffwillbeactivated.

3,2,1…Detoxificationcomplete.

Unfortunately,thatmuchwasnotallowedforhim.Jinwoochuckledindefeat.Puttingdowntheshotglass,hisexpressionbecameseriousagain.

‘Still,I’mnotstoppinghere.’

Jinwoobroughtupthestatusscreen.

Ring~

Name:SungJinwoo

Level:61

Class:MonarchofShadows

Title:Conqueror...(...1more)

HP:13,001

MP:1,677

Fatigue:0

Stats

Strength:142

Constitution:101

Agility:121

Intelligence:99[3]

Sense:103

(Availablestatpoints:0)

PhysicalDamageReduction:46%

Level61.

Havinginvestedallthepointsfromthedailyquest,evenhisIntelligencewasnearing100.

‘Istillhavealongwaytogo…’

Yes,alongwaytogo.Toahigherplace.Somewherenoonecoulddaretoreachhim.

Forastart,hewouldbeginwiththeDemonCastle.

‘TheSystemdefinitelytoldmeit’ssomethingIwant.’

HerecalledthedescriptionontheBlessedRandomBox–

BlessedRandomBox

WillprovidewhatthePlayerwants.

AndtheDemonCastleKeycameoutofthatbox.High-leveledmonstersandgreatrewards.HehadalreadyconfirmedthiswiththeCerberus.Nomatterwhatwasinside,Jinwoowassurethatitwouldbejustasgreat.Itwasfinallytimetoreturntothatplace.Infact,heplannedonstayingthereforafewdays.Hejusthadoneissue–

‘OnceI’minside,Iwon’tbeabletomakecontactwiththeoutsideworld.’

Whatwouldhetellhislittlesister?Hewouldhavetothinkofanexcuse.Jinwoostoodup.

Taptap.

“Jinho.”

Taptap.

“YooJinho.”

“Mm-what.”

Jinwooshookandlightlyslappedtheyoungman,butYooJinhowascompletelyout.Whattodonow?

‘Didn’tthisfoolsayhewasgoingtotakethetestattheAssociationtomorrow?’

Forgetthetest,JinwoohadtogetYooJinhohomesomehow.HepickedupJinho’sphone.

“OfcourseIcan’tcallChairmanYooMyunghanorYooJinsung.”

WasthereanyoneelsehecouldcalltopickupYooJinho?Lookingthroughthecontactlist,Jinwoonotedaname.

‘YooSoohyun?’

Unliketheheir’sfatherorbrother,theyoungmanhadcontactedthispersonquiteabit.Itlookedlikeagirl’sname…Consideringcallingherforamoment,Jinwooputthephonedown.

‘Whatif,’

Jinwoolookedthroughtheshopandfoundwhathewaslookingfor.

StatusRecoveryPotion

Rarity:E

Type:Consumable

Drinktorecoveryourstatus.

Youmaykeepthisiteminyourinventory.

Untradeable.

Afterconfirmingthetransaction,ayellowbottleappearedonthetable.Itwasdifferentfromtheredhealingpotionsorthebluemanapotions.Jinwoolookedaround,thenquicklytiltedYooJinho’sheadbackandpouredthepotiondownhisthroat.

Theeffectstookinaninstant.

YooJinho’seyesshotopen.

“Hyungnim?”

“Youawakenow?”

Hisheadwastiltedback.Hishyungnimwasstandingoverhim,lookingdown.

“Hyungnim,whatareyoudoing?”

“...”

Jinwoocouldnotfigureouthowtoexplainallthis.Hedecidedtofeignignorance.

“Let’sgo.”

“Yes,hyungnim!”

YooJinhoquicklygotupfromhisseatandwasconfused.

‘Huh?Whydoesmybodyfeelsolight?’

Theyoungmanstretchedhisbodyhereandthere,thenranafterJinwoowithabrightexpression.

Asthepairlefttherestaurant,thenewsontheTVcontinued–

[“–here’sthenextreport.TheU.S.governmentremainssilentontheexplosionattheFBHheadquartersfewdaysago…”]

----------

[1]Itwasnotedinpreviouschapters,buttheFBHHQisinWashington,D.C.

[2]Foundanothermistakeintheoriginaltext!Intheoriginaltext,itsaysHwangDongseok(thedeadolderbrother’sname)here,xD.Yourwelcome,author!

[3]Ok,IthinkIfoundanothererrorhere.Theoriginaltextsayshisintelligence

was89,butthatdoesn’tmakesenseconsideringhegained10levelssincethelasttimewesawhisstatusscreen(level51,intwas80).Sohisintshouldbeatleast90.Also,rightnextinthepassage,hesaysheputinallofthedailyquestpointsintoint.It’sbeen3dayssincehelefttheredgate,thatshouldbe9pointsintoint,soIthinkitshouldbe99.

Chapter3:ConqueringDemonCastle

Nextmorning,JinwoowentstraighttoDaesungTower.

‘Man,it’sstillsotall.’

Askyscraperwithahundredfloors.Standingnearit,you’dhavetostrainyournecktolookuptothetop.

‘Therearealotofpeopleheretoday.’

Comparedtothelasttimehehadcomehere,therewerealotmorepeoplearound.Guessthatwastheliteraldifferencebetweennightandday.Whetheritwasthelobby,entranceorthesidewalk,peoplecameandwentnonstop.

‘Man,ifIjustdisappearedintothinairlikelasttime,it’llcausequiteacommotion.’

Therewerealreadymanyeyeslookingforhimbecauseofthisso-called“unknownhelper”incident.Wasthereaneedforhimtorevealhimselfandpurposelyattractattention?

‘Ofcoursenot.’

Jinwoodidnotenjoyhavingattentionfocusedonhim.HewalkedovertoahiddencornerandtookouttheDemonCastleKey.Itwasaslender,goldenkey.Atacasualglance,itwasclearlynonfunctional.

‘Noone’slooking,right?’

Jinwoolookedaroundandnodded.

‘Timetogo.’

TheHunterusedhis‘Stealth’skill.

Shooo—

Theinvisiblemancameoutofhishidingspotthenmadehiswaythroughthecrowdtothebuilding.Becauseofhowpackedthestreetswere,hecouldn’tavoidbumpingintofewpeoplehereandthere,butnoneofthempaidanymind.

‘Man,thisskillcanbeusedforsomereallybadthings.’

Nowonderhigh-rankerswith‘Stealth’wereunderalotofsurveillance.

Flaaaare!

Inthemeantime,hepassedthroughtheinvisiblethresholdintoacompletelydifferentworld.

‘IfIcanheartheflamesfromhere,justhowhotisit?’

Jinwoolookedupatthemassivetoweronfire.ItstoodwhereDaesungTowerwasmomentsago.TheDemonCastlenearlyfilledhisentirevision.Still,theysayhumanscangetusedtoanything.

‘Feelslessoppressivethanlasttime.’

Indeed,Jinwoo’sanxiousnesswaspracticallynonexistentthistime.

Orperhaps–

‘It’sbecauseI’vegrownthatmuch.’

Jinwooreturnedthegolden-coloredDemonCastleKeytotheinventory,thentookoutagraykey.

CastleGateKey

Rarity:A-rankType:Key

ItisthekeytotheDemonCastle’sgates.

ObtainedafterkillingtheGatekeeper.

Itwaswhatheacquiredafterkillingthewatchdog,Cerberus.Hewasunabletouseitinthepast,havingjustbarelydefeatedCerberus.Now,hewouldfinallyenterthecastle.Next,hetookouthisweapon.Baruka’sTantoinhisrighthand,

thegatekeyinhisleft,Jinwoocarefullywalkedtowardsthecastlegate.Curiously,hedidnotseeCerberus.

‘DomonstersnotrespawnintheDemonCastleDungeon?’

Mightbejustlimitedtothedog,buttherewasastrongpossibilitythatitwasaspecialruleofthisplace.

‘Ifthat’sthecase…’

TheinteriorsmightbealittledifferentthantheInstantDungeonswheremonstersrespawned.Jinwoosharplyfocusedhissenses.

BADUMBADUMBADUM!

BecauseoftheSensestatthathadreachedoverahundred,focusinghissensesmadehisownheartbeatsoundlikethunder.

‘ButIamnotafraid.’

Comparedtothepast,whathefeltnowwasnotfearbutanoverwhelmingconfidenceresultingfromhispower.Maintainingasharpnessandbeingafraidweretwocompletelydifferentthings.

Ring~

Amessageappearedinfrontofthecastledoor.

WouldyouliketousetheCastleGateKeyandenter?(Y/N)

‘No,MissSystem,I’lljustturnbackandgohome.’

Jinwoolaughedatthestupidquestionandselected“Yes”.

Creaaaak–

Hehadnottouchedthedoor,butthegiantgatesswungopenontheirown.

Clunk!

‘Huh…?’

Jinwoowastakenback.Eventhoughhissenseswerefocused,hedidnotsenseanymonsterspastthedoors.

‘Nomonsters?’

Hehadpreparedfortheexactopposite.Hisworstcasescenarioenvisionedascenewhereatonofmonstersjumpedhimthemomentheopenedthedoor.Itwasthispessimisticthoughtthathadcarriedhimtothepenaltyzonefortraining.

‘But…’

Justwhatwasthis?Itseemedlikehiseffortswereinvain.Theinsideofthecastlewasalmostpatheticallydevoidofanymonsters’presence.

‘Huh…Whatnow?’

Withadisappointedfeeling,JinwooreturnedBaruka’sTantototheinventoryandsteppedintotheDemonCastle.Asthesethingsusuallygo,thatfirststepintotheareatriggeredtheresponse.

Ring~

Jinwooreflexivelycalledhistwodaggerstohishandsinaflash.

‘What!Whatisit?!’

Aquesthasarrived.

‘Aquest?’

Andit’snotthedailyquest?Wellthatwould’vebeenweird;hehadalreadymadesuretocompletethedailyquestbeforecominghere.Thenthismustbe…justaquest.

Thiswasthefirsttimehehadreceived“just”aquest.

‘Everyotherquestupuntilnowwashidden,emergencyorsomething.’

Jinwoocheckedthequestwithatiltedhead.

OrdinaryQuest:CollecttheDemonSouls!Part1

TheDemonCastleisfullofdemons.Pleasehuntthemandcollecttheirsoulstoearnaspecialreward.Normaldemonscontainonlyonesoul,buttheupperfloorswillhavedemonswithmultiplesouls.

QuestRequirement:EntertheDemonCastle

QuestGoal:DemonSouls0/10,000

Rewards:

1.Pickoneitemfromeveryitempossible

2.Statpoints+20

3.UnknownReward

Twentystatpoints!Asalways,thefirstthingthatgrabbedJinwoo’sattentionwasthestatpointreward.

‘IcanraisemyIntelligenceby20!’

Hecouldnothelpbutsmile.Thedisadvantagesoflowmanacouldnotbeunderstated.

‘Ineedatonofmanatokeepmysoldiersregenerating.’

Andmanawasn’ttheonlybenefitoftheIntelligencestat.JinwoowasfinallyabletolearnthatashisIntelligenceincreased,thenumberofshadowshecouldextractandstoreincreasedaswell[11].Becauseofallthis,increasinghisIntelligencewasurgent.

‘There’salimitwithjustlevel-upsanddailyquests…’

Ifhecouldearntwentybonusstatsthroughthequest,itwouldtakecareofalargeproblem.

Gulp.

‘And…’

Jinwoolookedupfromthestatreward.

“Pickoneitemfromeveryitempossible.”

Justthebonusstatswereaninsanereward,thentherewasthis.

‘Really?Everyitempossible?’

Jinwoorememberedtheabsolutehighest-classequipmentfromtheshop.

‘Therewereeven…’

S-rankequipmentthatcostbillions,someeventensofbillions,ofgold.JinwoolookedatKnightKillerinhislefthand.Thispowerfuldaggercostnearly3milliongold,andhewasstillusingit.

‘IfaB-rankdaggercostingnearlythreemillionisthisgood,justhowgoodaretheS-rankdaggerscostingtensofbillions?’

Hebecamecurious.Lookingatjustthefirstandsecondrewards,evenignoringtheunknownthirdreward,thiswasanincrediblequest.

‘Consideringtherewards,takingdownfewmonsterswillbeaseasyaseating–’

BecauseJinwoo’seyesfellonthequestrewardsfirst,hehadnottakenacloserlookatthequestgoal.Themanfinallylookedatthenumberofzerosandwasshocked.

“Ten…thousand?”

Jinwoocouldnothelpbutexclaimloudly.Thiswasnotjust“takingdownfewmonsters”.

‘It’sreally,reallynotanordinaryquest.’

Nomatterwhatkindofmonstersthesedemonswere,killingtenthousandofthemwouldbeanordeal.However,theHuntersmiledwidely.

‘Thatis…ifIwasalone.’

Thecurrentnumberofsoldierswasfifty.Theyeachjusthadtotakedowntwohundreddemons.Yes,withthosesoldiers,thisquestwouldbedoable.

Wouldyouliketoacceptthequest?

‘Ofcourse.’

Therewasnowayhewouldrefuse.

Youhaveacceptedthequest.

Ifhefailed,the“penalty”wouldbejustthewastedtime.

‘Comparedthepenaltyofthoseotherquests…bleh…’

HislifewasonthelinefortheClassAdvancementQuestandtheEmergencyQuests.Comparedtothose,thiswastrulyablessedquest.Jinwooraisedhishead–

‘Sothat’sgoingtokeeptrackofmyprogress?’

Themomentheacceptedthequest,acounterappearedintheair.

CollectedDemonSouls:0/10,000

‘10,000…This’llbealongroad.’

Withthenumbersheimaginedinhisheadactuallyvisualized,Jinwoochuckledindisbelief.Suddenly,hediscoveredanothercountertothelefttothesoulscounter.

‘Huh?’

ExperiencetoNextLevel:60,000

Theholographiclettersclearlydisplayedanumber,anditwastellinghimthathewouldleveluponcehefilledthatnumber.

‘AmIfinallyabletoseemyexperience?’

ButhewasLevel61.“61”didn’tparticularlyseemlikeamilestonelevelforsomethinglikethistohappen.Notonlythat,Jinwoodidn’tseesuchacounterbeforeheadingintotheDemonCastle.

‘Let’ssee…’

JinwootookastepbackandexitedtheDemonCastle.Withthat,boththesoulcounterandtheexperiencecounterdisappeared.Whenhewentbackin,thetwocountersreturnedasiftheywerealwaysthere.

‘Lookslikeit’sonlyfortheDemonCastle.’

Itwasashamehewouldn’tbeabletoseetheexperiencecounterontheoutside,butitwouldsurelybeconvenientwhilehewasinhere.Ontheotherhand–

‘Doesthatmeanit’lltakethatlongtoconquerthisplace?’

Thatwascertainlyapossibility.Jinwooporedoverthedetailsofthequestoncemore,thenclosedthemessagebox.

‘ThinkIgotthedetailsdown.’

Finally,itwouldbetimetoexploretheinteriorsoftheDemonCastle.

‘Whoa!’

Wooooooooo—

Aruinedcitylaybeforehiseyes.Unexpectedly,itwasanotherfield-typeDungeon.

‘Whereisthis?IsthisSeoul?’

PerhapsifeveryoneinSeouldiedandahundredyearspassed,itmightlooklikethis.Alifelesscityfadedtogray.Afewstreetlightsflickeredonandoffhereandthere.

‘Tothinkthatit’dbeanotherfield-typeDungeon…’

Ontopofthat,itwasusingthegreatcityofSeoulasitsbase.NexttotheInstantDungeonsthatusedasubwaystationoramallastheirbase,thiswasincomparable.Jinwoo’seyesnarrowed.

‘WheredoIgofirst?’

Wherewasthegoal?Jinwoolookedoverhereandthere.Thankfully,hedidnothavetowonderfortoolong.Fromadistance,whereNamsanTowershould’vebeen,agiantpillaroflightstoodinitsplace.

‘Let’stryoverthere.’

Jinwoostartedheadingtowardsthedirection.Incasehegotlost,hecarefullyrememberedtheareawherethecastlegatewas.However,hedidnotgotoofarwhenhewasinterrupted–

“Kikkik.”

“Kikikik.”

Smallmonsterscrawledoutfrombetweenthebuildingsnearby.

‘Low-LevelDemon’

Jinwooreadthedarkrednamesabovetheirheadsandunderstoodwhattheywere.

‘Theylooklike…’

Ifthegargoylemagicbeastshadwings,itwouldlookjustlikethem.Therewereeightofthem.Jinwoosmiled.

‘Goteightsouls.’

Pierce!

OneofthedemonssportedBaruka’sTantooutofitsforehead.

YouhavedefeatedaLow-levelDemon.

Youhaveearned100experiencepoints.

Youhaveearned1DemonSoul.

“Kiak?”

“Kiek?”

Whiletheyweredistractedbytheirfallencomrade,Jinwooquicklyranoverandremovedanother’shead.

Slash!

YouhavedefeatedaLow-levelDemon.

Youhaveearned100experiencepoints.

Youhaveearned1DemonSoul.

Thesethingsgaveahundredexperiencepointseach.

‘AndIneed60,000experiencepointstolevel-up…’

Defeating600oftheselow-leveldemonsshouldlevelhimup.Theremainingdemonsfellquickly.

“Kiiiiiiek!”

“Kek!”

Currentsoulsat8.Experiencedgainedwas800.

‘Notabadstart.’

Amarathonstartswithjustafewsteps.Jinwoo’seyessparkled,lookingforthenextprey.

***

BAEKHOGUILD.GUILDMASTER’SOFFICE.

Afterbeingbusyforthepastfewdays,BaekYoonhowasgoingthroughthedocumentsandreportsthathehadbeenneglecting.

Beep–

Hepickedupthephone.

—“Guildmaster,HunterMinByunggu-nimiscalling.Wouldyoulikemeto

connect?”

“Yes,please.”

—“Alright.”

Amomentlater,afamiliarvoicecamefromthereceiver.

—“Baek-hyung,whyisyourcellphoneoff?”

BaekYoonhosigheddeeply–

“Becauseofthosedamnreporters.I’mgoingdarkuntilthisdamnstorydiesdown.”

—“Oh,yeah,that!RedGate!IsawthenewsfromJapan.Hyung,youlookprettygoodontheTV.”

“Don’ttestme.I’mnotinthemoodtojokearound.OnceIfindwholeakedthatstory,I’mgoingtojust…”

—“Don’tworryaboutthattoomuch,hyung.Thatstory’sgoingtogetpushedoverbyabignewssoon.”

“Abignews?FromJapan?”

—“Yeah.Theproblemisworsethanwethought.It’sgoingtomakewavesinKoreasoon.”

“Why?Whathappened?”

Aweekago,JapansecretlycontactedtheKoreanHunterAssociationandthelargeGuildsofSouthKorea.TheywereinformedthatJapanneededaconsultationwithKorea’sHunters.Andso,severalHuntersrepresentingKoreaheadedovertoJapanforameeting.MinByungguwasoneofthoseHunters.BaekYoonhohadbeencuriousaboutthematter–

“Stopmessingaroundandspillit.ThisisthefirsttimethoseJapanesebastardsaskedforouradviceonsomething.Justwhat’sgoingonovertherethatcouldrattlethosearrogantfucks?”[2]

—“Baek-hyung,youremembertheantsofJejuIsland,right?”

AnS-rankGateunderwentaDungeonBreakfouryearsagoonJejuIsland.TheDungeonwaspopulatedbyanttypemagicbeasts.SouthKoreahadattemptedtoreclaimtheislandthreetimes.Theyfailedthreetimes.Eventually,thegovernmentgaveuponthejewelofKorea,andJejuIslandbecamethelandofthemagicbeasts.

“HowcouldIforget?Ialmostdiedduringoneofthereclamationefforts.”

—“There’sbeenadevelopmentinthatarea.”

“Development?Whothehellcares.Letthemkillandeateachotheronthatisland.”

—“That’s…”

Thevoiceonthephonebecamefilledwithworryandcontinued–

—“TheydiscoveredacorpseofawingedantonthecoastofJapan.”[3]

----------

[1]Oh,hereitis.TheactualconfirmationthatIntelligenceincreasedhismaximumshadows.

[2]Err,incaseanyone’suncomfortablewiththeratherblatantracism,therelationshipbetweenKoreanandJapan,especiallyforolderfolks,isnotthatgood.

[3]InthenextarcofSoloxLeveling,we’llbevisitingtheChimeraAntIsland:P

Chapter4:SmoothStart

YouhavedefeatedaLow-levelDemon.

Youhaveearned100experiencepoints.

Youhaveearned1DemonSoul.

…

…

YouhavedefeatedaLow-levelDemon.

Youhaveearned100experiencepoints.

Youhaveearned1DemonSoul.

Jinwoohadbeenhuntingthelow-leveldemonsfortwohoursnow.Hecheckedthecurrentsoulcount.

CollectedDemonSouls:309/10,000

Thequestwasthreepercentdone.Additionally,atthecurrentrate,hewouldlevelupinabouttwomorehoursofhunting.Hiscurrentlevelwas61.IttooknineC-rankDungeonstolevelupfrom60to61,andthatwasovertwodays.Comparedtothat,hewouldbeabletogainonelevelafterfourhoursofhuntinghere.

‘That’scrazy.’

AsmileappearedonJinwoo’sface.Howlonghaditbeensinceheenjoyedhuntingthismuch?

‘Ithinkit’sthefirsttimesincethatday.’

HerecalledhisfirstInstantDungeonwithnostalgia.Jinwoohadalternated

huntingbetweenthefirstandsecondlevelsofthesubwayDungeonnonstopuntilhestoppedlevelingup.

“Kiek!”

EverytimeJinwoo’sdaggerflashed,alow-leveldemonfell.

“Kiaaak!”

“Kiek.”

“Kehgeck,kek!”

Sometimes,morethanonewithasingleswing.Innotime,hetookdowntwentymorelow-leveldemons.

‘Thisisamazing.’

Theexperiencepointsandsoulcountsincreasedappropriatelywiththefallendemons.Ontopofthatwerethedrops.AsmilebloomedonthefaceoftheHuntercollectingitems.

‘Lookslikethehornsareaguaranteeddrop.’

Low-levelDemon’sHorn

Rarity:None

Type:Junk

Ahornfromthelow-leveldemon’shead.Asavaluablemagicreagent,ademon’shornsellsforquiteanamount.

Thejunkitem,“Demon’sHorn”.Sellingitattheshopearnedhim200,000gold.

‘EvenCerberus’teethsoldfor150,000each…ThemonstersoftheDemonCastlesurearegenerous.’

Havingtastedthevalueoftheshoprecently,thejunkitemswerenolongerjust“junk”toJinwoo.Theywerevaluablegoldthatwouldbecomehisfleshandblood.

‘There’sreallynothingtothrowaway.’

Jinwoohappilysoldwhatneededtobesoldandstoredwhateverhedidn’t.Whilehewasgoingthroughthecorpses,hediscoveredsomething.

‘What’sthis?’

Hefoundanitemhehadnotseenbefore.

EntryPermit

Rarity:???

Type:???

Apermittoenterthe2ndFloor.

Usableintheinterfloormovementmagiccircleonthe1stFloor.

Itwasadocumentrolleduplikeascroll.

‘EntryPermit?’

Unfurlingthescroll,Jinwoofoundabunchoflettersandshapeshecouldnotinterpret.Theonlyinformationhecouldfindwasintheitem’sinformationbox.

‘Anitemthatletsmegofromthefirstfloortothesecond…’

Coulditbe?Jinwoolookedaroundthearea.WhilethiswastheinteriorsoftheDemonCastle,inaway,itsbasewasDaesungTower.IftheDemonCastlewasdividedupintofloorslikeDaesungTower,thenthiswouldbethe1stFloor.

‘Itneverevenoccurredtomethatafield-typeDungeoncouldhavemultiplefloors…’

DidthatmeanthisplacealsohadahundredfloorslikeDaesungTower?ImaginingthesheerscaleoftheDungeon,Jinwoostuckoutatongue.

‘...Itcan’tactuallybeahundredfloors,right?’

Onlyonewaytofindout.Hehadtofindthatmagiccircle.

‘Onlyplacethattheinterfloormovementmagiccirclecouldbeis…’

Jinwoolookedovertothepillaroflightthatreachedtothesky.

‘...That.’

Well,itwashisgoalfromthestart,buthewasdistractedbyhuntingthelow-leveldemonsandendedupintheoppositedirection.

‘GuessI’llheadovertherenow.’

Hehadhuntedallthelow-leveldemonsintheareaanyways.Jinwoosmiled.

‘Comeforth.’

TheShadowSoldiersstoredbyShadowStoragedidnotneedanyparticularcommandtobesummoned.Allhehadtodowascallonthemwithintent.

Shooo–

TheShadowBeastspawnedfromthealphaicebearstoodbeforeJinwoo.

Grrrrl.

Themonstrousbearstoodonitshindlegs.Ittoweredoverahouse.However,infrontofJinwoo,itwasnodifferentthanatrainedpuppy.

“Down.”

Whimper.

TheShadowBeastobedientlylowereditsbody,andJinwoogotonitsback.

“Hiyah!”

Jinwookickedthesideofthebeast,andhisrideshotforwardtowardsthepillaroflightwithaterrifyingspeed.

Koongkoongkoongkoong!

Combinedwiththelargestridesofitsgiantbody,doubledupwithitsunnaturally

fastspeed,theobjectivecamecloserwithgreathaste.Well,therewasanobstacleeveryonceinawhile.

“Kirik!”

“Kikkik!”

ROOAR!

Thebeastswipeditsclawswithalightningspeed,andtheobstaclesdisappearedinaninstant.

Oh?

Jinwoonoddedinsatisfaction.

‘Ijustgotonforkicksandgiggles,buthe’sbetterthanIthought.’

Jinwoodecidedhewouldusehimasamountinthefutureandevengaveitaname.

“Fromnowon,yournameisTank.”

“Guoooo!”

TheShadowBeast,no–Tankraiseditsheadandhowled.Jinwoowasn’tsureifitlikedordislikedthename.Slowingdown,Tankreachedandstoppedbeforethepillaroflight.

“Goodboy.”

Jinwoodismounted,pettedtheShadowBeastthenreturnedhimtohisshadow.Heturnedaround.

Ring~

Youhavediscoveredtheinterfloormovementmagiccircle.

Acirclemagicsealwasdrawnonthefloor.Thelightfromthemagiccirclereachedthesky.Jinwoosteppedinthelight.

‘...’

Nothinghappened.Confused,Jinwootookfewmorestepsandreachedthecenterofthecircle.

Therearenootheropenfloors.

Whichfloorwouldyouliketogoto?

“Howmanyfloorsarethere?”

Therewasnoreply.

‘Toseethetop,Ijusthavetoclimbthetower,eh?’

Jinwoothoughtforamoment.Hewasalmostleveledup.Shouldheleveluphereorgoupafloor?

‘ComparedtotheotherInstantDungeons,monstersdon’trespawnhere.There’snopointinstayinginoneplace.’

Ontopofthat,thequesttoldhimthattherewouldbedemonswithmultiplesoulsintheupperfloors.Withregardstobothexperiencepointsandsouls,Jinwoodecideditwouldbebettertogouptohigherfloors.

‘Alright.’

Let’sgoup.

Jinwoospokedtotheair–

“2ndFloor.”

Anentrypermitisrequired.

Followingtheinstruction,Jinwootookoutthescrollfromtheinventory.Themomentitlefttheinventory,thescrolldisappearedwithaflashoflight.

The2ndFlooroftheDemonCastlehasbeenopened.

Youwillnowgouptothe2ndFloor.

Wooooong—

Themagiccirclebegantoglowfiercely.Atthesametime,Jinwoounderstoodwhatwashappening.

‘Oh...sothisis…’

Justanelevator.

Themomentheunderstoodthepillaroflight’spurpose,Jinwoowassenttothe2ndFloorwithablindingflash.

***

2ndFloor,3rdFloor,4thFloor…Andnow,27thFloor.

ThiswasJinwoo’sprogressinthepasttwodays.HehadtoldJinahthathewouldbetravelingforaweek.

‘Ihavefivedaysremaining.’

Consideringtheincreasingspeedatwhichhewasclearingeachfloor,Jinwoogainedhopethatitmightbepossibleforhimtoreachthe100thFloorinthefivedaysremaining.Jinwoolookedaroundarea.Itwasacompletelydestroyedcity.

‘Ican’teventellwhatcitythisisbasedon.’

Everyfloorwasadifferentcity.Additionally,thedestructionofthecitiesworsenedashewentupthefloors.Onthe27thFloor,itstartedbecominghardertoevencallitacityanymore.Isthiswhatacitywouldlooklikeifitwascarpetbombed?Jinwoodismissedthethoughtandshookhishead.

‘Notthetimeforsuchthoughts.’

Hecheckedhiswatch;itwas11p.m.Therewasnonightordayinthisplace.Hehadtorelyonhiswatchtokeeptrackofthetime.Ifitwas11o’clock,heshouldgrabsomerest.PropersleepwasnecessarytocontinuetheRaid.Beforethat–

‘Let’schecktheprogress.’

CollectedDemonSouls:2,116/10,000

‘2,100…’

Itwasarateofroughlyathousanddemonsaday.Hehadmadegoodprogressinthepasttwodays.Therewasstillalongwaytogototenthousand,butJinwoohadgreatexpectationsonthosedemonswithmultiplesoulsontheupperfloors.

‘Lookslikethemostimportantthingistokeepgoingup.’

Afterthatwouldbeleveling.

“Wow!”

Jinwooopenedhiseyeswide.

Level:67

HehadreachedLevel67innotime.Goingfromthelow-leveldemonsthatgave100experiencepointstomid-leveldemonsthatgave300,theprogresshemadetowardslevelingincreasedexplosively.

‘Man,Ireallyamlevelingupfasthere.’

Tonsofmonsters.Generousexperiencepoints.Aproperdifficulty.

TheDemonCastlewastrulyaheavenforleveling.Andthatwasnotall.Jinwoohaddiligentlyworkedonraisingtheproficiencyofhiskills.Evennow,hewaskeepingKnightKillerhoveringoverhishand.The‘Ruler’sHands’.Itwasaskillthatallowedhimtomovephysicalthingswithouttouchingthem.

‘Thankfully,“Ruler’sHands”doesn’tcostanymana.’

Itwasabittiringtokeephismindconcentratedonmaintainingtheskill,butcomparedtothebenefitsofraisinghisproficiency,itwasworthit.Asifoncue,Jinwooreceivedthegoodnews.

Ruler’sHandshasleveledup!

‘Alright!’

Jinwoobeamedinhappinessandrestedhisbackagainstthewall.Everytimehebecamestronger,hisheartrelaxedabit.Hiseyelidsbegantodroop.

‘Hmm,heshould’vegottenhislicensebynow.’

WonderifYooJinhowaswell?It’sbeenawhilesinceJinwoomovedonhisown.ItmadehimthinkoftheyoungmanwhohadalwaysclungtohisbackinDungeons.ThefightbetweentheolderbrotherwhohadalreadyprovenhisworthinthefinancialworldandtheyoungerbrotherwhowasonlyacollegestudentwithaGuildmasterlicense.Itwouldnotbeaneasybattle.

‘Staystrong,YooJinho.’

CheeringYooJinhooninhisheart,Jinwooslowlyfellintodeepslumber.

***

YooJinwooenteredthehigh-classKoreanrestaurantwithadeterminedface.Hehandpickedthelocationtoaccommodatehisfather’stastes.

“Thechairman?”

“He’swaitinginside.”

YooJinhogulped.

“Please,thisway.”

YooJinhowasledtotheroomhisfatherwasin.

Slide–

Theslidingdooropened,andtheyoungmansawhisfather’sfaceacrosstheroom.Hisnervousnessmultiplied.Themomentofweaknesslastingonlyamoment,YooJinhogatheredhiscourageandsatdownacrosshisfather.

“Sowhatisthisallabout?Tothinkthatyouofallpeoplewouldactuallysetupameetingwithme.”

“Father,beforeIsaymypiece,pleasetakealookatthis.”

“Thisis…?”

“It’smyGuildmasterlicenseandmyraidingrecords.”

“AGuildmaster…licence?You?”

WhenYooMyunghanlookedathimwithasuspiciousgaze,YooJinhonoddedhappily–

“Yes,father.”

Withoutaword,YooMyunghantookthedocumentsYooJinhotookoutandlookedoverthem.Asthechairmanporedovertheinformation,alightappearedinhiseyes.

“So,”

YooMyunghanputdownthedocumentsonthetable.

“You’retellingmeyouwantYoojinGuild?”

“Yes,sir.”

“Hmm…”

Forabriefmoment,tracesofsurpriseandcontemplationappearedinYooMyunghan’sface.

‘Tothinkthatfatheractuallyhastotakethetimetochoosebetweenmeandmybrother.’

YooJinhowasamazed.Evenjustthatwasagreatresultfortheyoungman.Ifitwashiminthepast,hewould’vebeensatisfiedwiththat.However,YooJinhohadchanged.Theyoungmandidnotwanttobackoffaftercomingthisfar.

“Fathershouldknowalready,butleavingtheGuildmaster’spositiontoanoutsidergivestoomuchpowertosomeonenotunder–”

“Enough.”

YooMyunghanheldupahand.Atthesametime,YooJinhoclosedthismouth.IntheYooclan,theword“enough”fromYooMyunghanwasanabsoluteordernoonewoulddarerefuse.

“ThereissomeoneIwanttointroduceyouto.”

“Sir?”

YooJinhowascaughtoffguard.Theonewhocalledforthismeetingwashim,sohowcouldhisfatherhavesomeonetointroducehimto?Whocoulditbe?Astheyoungman’scuriosityreacheditspeak,anotherentrancetotheroomopened.

“Er…Hello.”

Amaninhistwenty-to-thirtiesstoodatthedoorandawkwardlygreetedthem.

Who?

YooJinhodidnotrecognizetheman.YooMyunghangesturedwithhischin,andthemansatdownnexttohim.

“ThisisHunterGoMyunghwan.”

‘GoMyunghwan?’

YooJinwoowasconfused.Itwasanamehehadneverheardof.Hisfathernoddedunderstandinglythencontinued–

“ThatBaekhoGuild’sRedGatenewsmakingitsroundslately,he’soneofthesurvivorsofthatincident.”

***

YooJinhowasshocked.

‘...RedGate?’

Whywouldthatbebroughtuphere?Becauseofhowmuchattentionitwasgettinginthemedia,YooJinhowaswellawareoftheincident.However,hewasnotsurewhyhisfatherwasbringingitupinthismeeting.

‘Andthatman…’

Theso-calledsurvivoroftheincident.Thepresswaslookingforanyonerelatedtotheincidentwithfervor.Howwasthatmanevencalledtothisplace?QuestionspiledupinYooJinho’smind.Watchinghim,YooMyunghanslowlyopenedhismouth–

“Itappearsthatyouarenotaware.”

“Sir?”

PuttingasidetheconfusedYooJinho,thechairmanturnedtothenervouslookingGoMyunghwan.

“Hunter-nim.”

“Yes?”

“Pleaseinformmysonwhowasthereonthatday,otherthantheBaekho’snewrecruits.”

“Understood.”

GoMyunghwanturnedtoYooJinho.Lookingattheman,YooJinhostillshowedconfusiononhisface.

“TherewasayoungfemaleHunter,abouttheageofahighschooler,and–”

‘AyoungfemaleHunter?’

Upuntilthatpoint,YooJinhocouldnothavedreamtofthenameGoMyunghwanwouldsaynext–

“SungJinwoo-ssi.”

Sink.

YooJinhocouldalmosthearhisheartsinkingtohisstomach.

‘H-hyungnimwasattheRedGateincident?’

Howcouldthishavehappened?YooJinho’smindfellintochaos.Butthentheyoungmanrememberedsomething–

‘Wait,fewdaysago…’

HanSongyi,whohadcompletelyignoredhyungniminthepast,wassharingafriendlyconversationwiththeman.

“WhatwasthefemaleHunter’sname?”

“It’sMs.HanSongyi.”

Mygod.YooJinho’smouthopenedwide.TothinkthatthiswasthesecretofhyungnimandHanSongyi’srelationship.

‘Thatmeans…’

The“unknownhelper”theorizedalloverthenewsis…Asiffinishinghisthought,GoMyunghwancontinued–“ItwasbecauseofSungJinwoo-ssithatMs.HanSongyiandourBaekhomemberswereabletoleavetheRedGatewithourlives.”

‘Ohmygod…’

Hyungnim,justwhatwereyoudoingoverthere.YooJinhowashalfsurprisedandhalfhappyathearinghishyungnim’sname.Theyoungmanhadforgottenabouthisfatherinfrontofhimandbrazenlyasked–

“WhathappenedintheRedGate?”

GoMyunghwanlookedtohissideforpermission.YooMyunghannodded.TheHunterwasalreadyitchingtogooffintodetails,sothemanhappilyexplainedeverythingthathadhappenedintheRedGate–

“Well,wheretostart…”

YooJinholistenedwithhiseyessparkling.

“Wewereflusteredatfirst,whenweheardthattwoE-rankHunterswouldbejoininginourtraining.But…”

GoMyunghwanbeganregalingthetalesthathappenedlikeachildshowingoffhisnewtoytohisfriends.However,hewasnottheonlyoneexcitedbythetale–

“AnA-rankHunter?!”

“Iknow,right!Hejustslappedhimlikepow!AndKimCheoljustwentdownlikeboom!”

“Wow…”

Everytimeheheardanewaccomplishmentofhyungnim,YooJinho’sheartbeatfaster.

‘Asexpectedofhyungnim.’

Takingdownthehigh-levelmagicbeastswasnothing.ButtothinkthathecouldknockoutanA-rankHunterinoneblow.ThefactthatthatmanwashishyungnimfilledYooJinhowithaweandpride.GoMyunghwancontinuedhisstory–

“–thendozensoficeelvesappearedoutofthinair.Ireallythoughtweweredoneforthen,but–”Wasitbecausetheyweresofocusedonthestory?Thetimepassedbyquickly.ThetaleoftheRedGatewasnotashortstory,butinnotime,GoMyunghwanreachedtheend.Themanspokealittletooexcitedly–

“Itwassomethingimpossible.SungJinwoo-ssiwasthesaviorofeveryonethere.”

YooJinhonoddedalongwithoutrealizing.HefullyunderstoodGoMyunghwan’sfeelings.Hehimselfwassavedbyhyungnimseveraltimes.

“Andtothinkthatwecouldn’ttellthestoryofoursavior!ItwashardformetoacceptBaekho’sdecisiononthismatter.Fortunately,thechairmancontactedmeand–”

YooMyunghancutoffGoMyunghwanattherighttime–

“HunterGoMyunghwan-nim.”

“Sir?”

“Ithinkthat’sgoodenough.”

“Ah,Iapologize.Igotalittletooexcited.”

GoMyunghwanslightlybowedhisheadinembarrassment.YooMyunghanturnedbacktohisson–

“AndwhenIinvestigatedHunterSungJinwoo,anunexpectednameappeared.”

YooMyunghanpointedtoanameonadocumentinfrontofhim.Theman’sfingerwasonYooJinho’sname.ThedocumentwasoneoftheraidingreportstheyoungHunterhadhandedtohisfatherinthebeginning.Thefingerslidovertoasecondnameonthedocument,SungJinwoo.

RaidLeaderYooJinho.RaidMemberSungJinwoo.

Theevidencewasclear.

‘Hegotme…’

ThefactthathehadborrowedapowerfulHunter’sabilitiesforhisGuildmasterlicenseplanwasfoundout.YooJinho’sexpressionhardened.

“ThefactthatHunterSungJinwoo’shelpwassignificantinyourplanstoobtaintheGuildmasterlicense.Doyoudenyit?”

“...No,sir.”

“Doyouhaveanythingelsetosay?”

“...”

Theroadaheadlookedbleaktotheyoungman.Themomenthyungnim’sinvolvementintheplanwasrevealed,itbecameimpossibletoconvincehisfatherthathewasworthyofYoojinGuild.

‘...’

Hisfathercontinuedtolookathimwithafiercegaze.Inthepast,YooJinhowould’velostallstrengthbeforethatgaze.

‘But.’

Hecouldnotbackofflikethis.Forthefirsttimeinhislife,YooJinhogatheredthecouragetostanduptohisfather.Theyoungmanbowedhisheadandraisedhisvoice–

“CouldyoupleaseleaveYoojinGuildtome,father?”

“Alright.”

“Eh?”

Atthecoolreply,YooJinhoraisedhishead.

“I’llleaveYoojinGuildtoyou.”

“Huh…?”

“Yousaidityourself.It’stooriskytoleavetheGuildtoanoutsider.Withyourexistence,isthereaneedforustotakeonunnecessaryrisk?”

“B-but,Itriedtodeceiveyou,father–”

“Sowhat.DidyouthinkIwouldscoldyouandchaseyouaway?”

Washemistaken?Hisfather’sfaceremainedstern;hismouthclosedinastraightline.ButYooJinhofeltlikehisfatherwassmiling.

“IfyouhadcarelesslyenteredtheseDungeonswithoutaplan,perhapsIwould’vedoneso.Idonotrecallraisingafoolforason.”

YooJinhofelthisfacebecominghot.

‘IfInevermethyungnim,Iwouldbeyelledatandsentawaybyfatherrightnow.’

Well,hewould’veprobablydiedbeforethat.YooJinhosighedinreliefinhismind.

“However,Ihaveacondition.”

“Yes,sir.”

“ThisHunterSungJinwoo…CouldyoubringhimtoYoojinGuild?”

YooJinho’seyesopenedwide–

“HyungnimtoourGuild?”

‘Didhejustsayhyungnim?’

AlightflashedacrossYooMyunghan’seyesforasplitsecond.

“Yes.”

YooJinhocouldnotreplyeasily–

‘Argh…’

Theyoungmanknewhehadtoappearconfidentbeforehisfatherrightnow.However,thetargetinquestionwashyungnim.Allhecoulddoisaskandhopeforthebest.So,hespoketruthfullytohisfather–

“I’mnotsure.”

“Good.Therewould’vebeennopointtoaconditionifitwasthateasy.”

ChairmanYooMyunghandranksomewaterthenwipedhismouthwithahandkerchief.

“Ifyoufail,IwillturntheGuildovertoyourbrother.Howaboutit,willyougiveitago?”

YooJinho’sfacefilledwithdetermination.

‘I’veworkedhardforthisopportunity…’

Ifhewalkedawaynow,hewouldnotbeabletoraisehisheadinfrontofhyungnim,whohadhelpedhimuntiltheveryend.YooJinhospokewithaseriouslookinhiseyes–

“Yes,Iwilltry.”

“Good.”

Withhisfather’slastword,thedealbetweenfatherandsonwascomplete.YooMyunghansilentlynoddedtodismisshisson,andYooJinhobidhisgoodbyesandleft.YooMyunghanremovedthehandkerchieffromhismouth;themanhaddifficultyhidingthesmileonhisface.

‘Thatbrat…’

TothinkthathewouldaskfortheYoojinGuild.HehadaroughideaofwhatYooJinhowantedwhenhissonaskedforthismeeting,butitwasbeyondYooMyunghan’sexpectationsthathissonwouldcomewithsuchdetermination.

‘Asexpected,thetiger’ssonisatiger.’

ThesmileonYooMyunghan’sfaceslowlywidened.

‘Holyshit!THEChairmanYooMyunghanissmiling!’

GoMyunghwanwasbeyondshocked.Thechairman’snicknamewas“Pokerface”.Whethersomethinggoodorbadhappened,themanwasfamousformaintaininghissternandfierceexpression.SensingGoMyunghwan’sawedstare,YooMyunghanturnedtohissideandasked–

“Hunter-nim,doyouhaveanythingelsetosay?”

Atthesuddenquestion,GoMyunghwanhastilyshookhishead–

“N-no,sir.”

***

...47,48,49,50.

Jinwooclimbedtowardtheupperfloorwithaterrifyingspeed.

YouhavedefeatedaMid-levelDemon.

Youhaveearned300experiencepoints.

Youhaveearned1DemonSoul.

…

…

YouhavedefeatedaMid-levelDemon...

YouhavedefeatedaMid-levelDemon...

However,lookingatthepilingupexperiencepointsandsoulseverytimehedefeatedademon,Jinwoodidnotfeeltired.

CollectedDemonSouls:4,388/10,000

‘Notevenhalfway,huh?’

Hefeltlikehehadhuntedanendlesshordeofdemonshere,butthewallknownas10,000wasstillveryhigh.Whatabouthislevel?

Level:69

Hehadgainedtwomorelevelsafteraday.Itdefinitelyhadsloweddown,butwasstillfastcomparedtotherateofsoulcollecting.Evennow,hecontinuedtogainexperiencepoints.

“Kkieeeek!”

...Mid-levelDemon.

Youhaveearned300experiencepoints.

Youhaveearned1DemonSoul.

“Whew-!”

Aftertakingdownthelastdemoninfrontofhim,Jinwoostretchedhisbackandlookedaround.BetweentheShadowSoldiersstandingatattention,countlesscorpsesofmid-leveldemonswerescatteredabout.

Clap.

Jinwoosmiledandputhishandstogether.

“Goodjob,everyone.”

Thesoldiersthatfoughthardreturnedtohisshadow.WhiletheycouldbeusedtocollectmagiccoresinnormalDungeons,inhere,onlyJinwoowasabletocollectthedrops.

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

Afterall,onlyhecouldrespondtotheSystem’smessages.

‘Thispart’sabitinconvenient.’

Andso,ifthenumberofdemonswaslow,Jinwoowouldtakecareofthemonhisown.Onlyagainstalargergroup,werethesoldierssummoned.Aftereachbattle,hewentfromcorpsetocorpse,stretchinghishandtowardthelightandcollectingdrops.

‘WhatwassofunaboutthisthatJinhokeptvolunteering?’

Rememberinghisdongsaeng,Jinwoosmiledashecontinuedtowork.

Therewasonemoreinconveniencehere.IntheDemonCastle,ShadowExtractionwasimpossible.Thelow-levelandmid-leveldemonshefoughtdidnotgiveofftheblacksmokethatindicatedasoldiercouldberaised.

‘EvenwhenIstareatthecorpses,allIgetis-’

Themanaiscontaminated.

It’snotapossibletargetforShadowExtraction.

Themessagethattoldhimextractionwasimpossibleduetocontaminatedmana.

‘Well,whatcouldIdo?’

Withadisappointedfeeling,Jinwoowentfromcorpsetocorpseandpiledupthedropmessages.

Ring~

Youhavefound29Mid-levelDemon’sHorns

Wouldyouliketoacquirethemall?

Jinwoosmiledwidely–

‘Ofcourse!’

Lookingattheitemsthatpileduponthegroundoutofthinair,JinwooforgotaboutthedisappointmentregardingShadowExtraction.

‘NothingIcoulduse.’

Theneverythinghastogo!Themasssaleofjunkitemsinthepastfewdayshadmassivelyincreasedhishoard.

CurrentGold:914,690,772

Damn!Lookingattheamountofgoldhehadamassed,Jinwoowassatisfiedoncemore.HisfundsfortheSystem’sshophadrisenabove900million.

‘Makessense.Asingledemon’shornisabout200,000,andI’vehunted4,000ofthem.’

Andaddingtheotherrandomitemssoldhereandthere,thegoldpiledupwithterrifyingspeed.

‘ShouldIpurchaseanS-rankweaponoranarmor?’

Jinwooshookhishead.Hedidn’tparticularlyfeeltheneedrightnowanddidnotwanttoforcefullyspendgold.

‘I’msureI’llhaveaneedforitsomeday.’

Jinwooclosedtheinventoryanddustedoffhishands.Theareawasroughlycleared.Hehadlongsinceobtainedtheentrypermitforthe51stFloor.Allthatwaslefttodoisheadovertothemagicelevator…

Jinwoomovedhisgazetothepillaroflight.Guardingthemagiccirclewasasinglegiantdemonsurroundedbymultiplehigh-leveldemons.Jinwoolookedabovethegiantdemon’shead.Itsnamewasfloatingintheusualplace,inblackletters:

‘OverlordoftheLowerFloors,VolkhanofAvarice’[1]

Thedemonhadagiantmuscularbodythatlookedlikeitweightseveraldozen–no,severalhundredtons.Initshandswasaterrifyinglylargeclub.Still,Jinwoosmiled–

‘Sothat’sthehalfwayboss?’

JinwoohadnobadmemorieswhenitcametothebossesoftheInstantDungeons.Theyhadalwaysgivenalargeamountofexperiencepointsanddroppedgooditems.Comparedtotheboss-levelmagicbeaststhatoftengavelittlereward,boss-levelmonsterswerepracticallygiftboxes.TheHunterwonderedjustwhatthisthingwoulddrop.

Gulp.

Jinwoosmiledashegulpedinanticipation.

----------

[1]“OverlordoftheLowerFloors,VolkhanofAvarice”(,):Wew,longname.“Lowerlevel/floor”+“ruler/overlord/dominator”.“Greedy/Avarice”+propername(ball+khan).Note,thetitlefor“overlord”,istheexactsamewordas“Ruler”from“Ruler’sHands”skill(),butIampurposelyusingadifferentwordhere.Don’taskwhy.

Chapter5:VolkhanOfAvarice

‘Shallwegetstarted?’

TheShadowSoldiersappearedbehindJinwoo’sback.Hisarmywascomposedofinfantry,mages,beastsandthetwoknights.AttheirheadstoodJinwoo.ThetwoknightssteppedforwardandtookplaceatJinwoo’ssides.Ygrittetohisright,Irontohisleft.Lookingatthepair,Jinwoobeamedwithpride.

‘They’requitedependable.’

Evenifitwashisskill,theyfeltlikecomradesthatprotectedhisback.ItgaveJinwooasenseofsecurity.

However–

‘Facingthatthinghead-onisabit…’

Dangerous.MainlybecauseofthegiantwoodenclubthatVolkhanwasholding.

‘It’samazingthere’satreelargeenoughtomakethatthing.’

TakingVolkhan’sgiantbodyandthesizeofthewoodenclubintoaccount,asingleswipewouldwipeawayhisentirearmy.

‘Well,beingwipedawayisfine.’

Theproblemwasthelimitedamountofmanahehadtoregeneratehisentirearmy.Jinwooknewhismanawouldplummettothegroundifhestupidlyrushedatthedemonwitheveryoneathisdisposal.Thatleftoneoption–

‘Thatmuscleheadismine.’

HisarmywouldtakecareofthetrashmobsaroundVolkhan,whileJinwoofoughtthegiantdemononhisown.Hefeltthatthatwasthebestwaytoapproachthisfight.

‘Ijusthavetonotgethit.’

Unlikehissoldiers,JinwoowasconfidentinhisabilitytododgeVolkhan’sattacks.TheHunterorderedtheShadowMagestofiretheopeningshot.

‘Therangedattackswillgrabaggrofromthetrashmobs.Whenthatslowlookingthinglumbersbehindthehigh-leveldemons,I’llgofightitone-on-one.’

Itwasastraightforwardtactic.

‘Now.’

Whenhegavethesignal,fireballsshotoutfromtheShadowMages’hands.

Wooosh–

Wooooooosh–

BANG!

ThefireballexplodednearthemobsaroundVolkhanandsignaledthestartofbattle.

Ring~!

OverlordoftheLowerFloors,VolkhanofAvaricehasnoticedanintruder!

Volkhan’sBodyguardhasnoticed...

Volkhan’sBodyguardhasnoticed...

Ring,ring,ring!

Thewarningtonescameoneafteranotherrepeatedly.Withthewarning,VolkhanandthebodyguardsturnedtheirgazestowardJinwoo.

‘Alright…’

Theysucceededingrabbingtheenemy’sattention.Jinwooactivated‘Stealth’;hisplanwastoflankaroundthetrashmobsandgettoVolkhan.

Shooo–

Everythingwasgoingtoplan.

...Orsohethought.

BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM–!

‘...!!!’

ContrarytoJinwoo’sexpectations,VolkhanwasthefirsttoruntowardstheShadowArmy.Ifitwasn’tforthefactthattheywereabouttoengageinadifficultbattle,itwould’vealmostbeencomicalsight.Insteadoflumberingslowly,thegiantdemonwasrunningatfullsprinttowardsthem,almostasif–

‘Whatthehell?!What’swithitsmovement?!It’slikesomeonepressedfastforwardonavideo!’

Indeed,Volkhanhadreachedtheminablinkofaneye!Leavingbehindhisbodyguards,thegiantdemonstoppedbeforetheShadowSoldiers.

‘Ifuckedup!’

Jinwoo’seyesopenedwide.Thedemon’smountain-likebodydisplayedaspeedthatbetrayedalllogic.

“Mm!”

Volkhanraiseditsclubandbroughtitdown.AstheclubfelldowntowardstheexposedShadowMages,Ironappearedoutnowhereandraisedhispitch-blackshieldtoblock.

SMASH!

CRACK!

Itwasavalianteffort…Whilethegiantknightmanagedtoblocktheattack,Iron’stwoarmswerecompletelydestroyed.TheShadowSoldierwiththehighestdefensewasrendereduselessafterasingleattack.

Thud.

PiecesofIron’stwobrokenarmsfellontotheground.

“Mm?Mm?”

Asifdisappointedbyitslastattack,Volkhantiltedhisheadandsquintedathisclub.Well,thedemon’sconfusiononlylastedforasplitsecond.Thewoodenclubwasbroughtdownoncemore.

“Mm!”

CRACK!

Withnowaytodefendanymore,IronandtheShadowMagesbehindhimwerecrushedwithoutresistance.

Snap.

Watchingthisscene,somethingsnappedinsideofJinwoo.

‘Youfucking…’

TheHunterbithislowerlip.Hisbodymovedbeforehismindcouldgivetheorder.

Jump!

Beforeherealized,Jinwoowasalreadyintheair,flyingtowardsVolkhan.Histargetwasclear.Comparedtoitsmountain-likebody,thedemon’sheadwastiny.Jinwootwistedhishipsmidair,pullinghisrightarmback.ThemusclesontheHunter’srightarmandshoulderflexed.Ashefocusedeveryounceofhisstrengthintohisclenchedfist,‘Stealth’wasreleased.

“Mm?”

VolkhandiscoveredJinwootoolate.Jinwoowasnotabouttomissatargetatthisrange.

WOOSH–!

Theman’sfistshotforthlikeabulletintothesideofVolkhan’sface.

BAM!

Thebodyofthegiantdemonwasthrownback.Thedemonrolledonthegroundforsometime,finallystoppingwhenitstruckabuildingwithonlyframesremaining.

Collapse!

Whatremainedofthebuildingcollapsedwhenthegiantdemoncrashedintoit.

Step.

Jinwoonimblylandedonthegroundbutwassurprised.

‘Whydidheflysofar?’

Helookeddownathisfistwithdisbelief.Therewasnotascratchonthefistthatblewawaygiantdemon.Thenherealized–

‘Ohright…’

Jinwoolookedup.Thestatscreenwaspulledup.

Stats

Strength:150

Constitution:109

Agility:139

Intelligence:109

Sense:111

(Availablestatpoints:0)

PhysicalDamageReduction:46%

‘...Iforgot.’

BecausehehadmostlyreceivedAssassin-classskillsandobtainedaMage-classashisclass,Jinwoohadforgottenaboutsomething:

Strength:150

‘...’

EventhoughhehadinvestedeverypointintoIntelligencelately,hisStrengthwasstillnearlyfiftypercenthigherthanIntelligence.

‘Ireallyinvestedastupidamountofpointsintothat,huh.’

Ontopofthat,hehadexplosivelyraisedhislevelsinthepastfewdays.Lookingatthestats,hewasabletofeelhisgrowth.

Andtheresultsofthatgrowthwas…that.JinwoolookedatVolkhan’sbodyintherubblesofthebuildingindisbelief.Itwashardtotellwhenhefoughtthelesserandmid-leveldemons.Butusinghispowersagainsttheboss-levelmonstergavehimassurance–

‘I…havebecomestrong.’

Clench.

StrengthfilledJinwoo’sfistandspreadthroughouthisentirebody.Suddenly,thefamiliarelectronictonerang–

Ring~

‘Whatisit?’

Jinwooraisedhishead.

“Mm?Mm?”

Volkhanuseditsclubasasupportandrosefromtheground.

‘Isitwarningmethatamonsterisgettingup?’

HadtheSystemeverbeenthatfriendly?Withatiltedhead,JinwoorealizedthetruemeaningoftheSystem’swarningtone.

OverlordoftheLowerFloors,VolkhanofAvaricehasusedRage.

‘Huh?’

Ring,ring,ring–

Thewarningtonescontinued.

Itwillpermanentlyenterastateofrage.

Volkhan’sallattributesareincreasedby50%.

Volkhancannotfeelanypain.

‘Thatskillis…?’

BeforeevenJinwoocouldrecallthememoriesofCerberus,Volkhanchargedathimwithblood-redeyes.

BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM–!

Thegroundshookwitheachdeafeningfootstep.Jinwootookaquickglanceback;hisShadowSoldiersandVolkhan’sminionswereinafiercebattle.

“Guoooo!”

“Kiiek!”

Amidstthechaoticbattle,JinwoofoundIron.AsatestamenttoVolkhan’sdestructivepower,thegiantknightwasstillinthemiddleofregenerating.

“Iron!”

Jinwooshouted.Hisknightimmediatelyunderstoodhisliege’sorder.IronthrewhisshieldwithstrengthtowardsJinwoo.TheHunterquicklysnatcheditoutoftheair.Whenheturnedhisgazeforwardagain,Volkhanwasalreadybeforehim.

‘IfIdodge,mysoldierswillbehit.’

ItwouldbeimpossibletotakedownVolkhanandhisminionswithouthisarmy.Andso,Jinwooselectedthebestmethodtoprotecthissoldiers.Heraisedhis

shieldandfocusedstrengthintohisarms.

“Mm!”

Volkhan’sclubfell.

BANG!BANG!BANG!

ThebrutalattacksthatmadetheearthcryraineddownmercilesslyonJinwoo,buttheHunterheldhisground.ItwasonlymadepossibleduetohishighphysicaldamagereductionandConstitutionstat.

“Mm?Mm?”

Enragedthathisattackswereineffective,Volkhanstartedswinginghisclubwithfury.

BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!

However,Jinwoo’skneesdidnotbuckle.

‘Still…’

Justblockinglikethiswouldneverbringdownthatmountain.Jinwoo’sbrowsfurrowed.UnlikeCerberus,Volkhan’s‘Rage’–whilelesseffectivethanthedog’s–didnothaveatimelimit.Hecouldnotwaitforittotimeoutlikelasttime.

BANG!BANG!

Jinwooclenchedhisteeth.

‘NotreallymystyletobeaTankeranyways…’

BANG!

ThemomentVolkhan’sclubretractedforthenextblow,Jinwooleapedtowardsdemon’sheadagain.However,Jinwoowasn’ttheonlyonelookingforanopportunity.

“Mm!”

Timingitsmovements,VolkhansteppedbackasJinwooflewtowardshim.

‘What?’

Jinwoosawtheclubswingingtowardshimhorizontally.

‘...Hegotme.’

Ifhewasontheground,itwould’vebeenadifferentstory.Buttherewasnowaytododgemidair.Evenifheblocked,hewouldbesmashedintosomething.

Woooooooosh–!

Inaworldofslowedtime,Jinwoosawtheclubmakingitswaytohiminslowmotion.

‘IsthereanythingIcoulddo?!’

Ifonlyhecouldmovehisbodysomehow.Suddenly,athoughtflashedacrosshismind–

‘IfIcouldonlymovemybody?’Therewasnotimetothink.Jinwooquicklyused‘Ruler’sHands’totryandpushVolkhan.

“Mm?”

Ofcourse,movingthatmountainousbodywithhiscurrentlevelofproficiencywasimpossible.However,thereboundingforceinsteadpushedJinwoo’sbodyback.

Woooosh–!

Thetipoftheclubpassedbeforehiseyes.

‘ThankyouNewton-ahjussi!’

Becauseoftheerraticmovement,Jinwoolosthisbalanceandrolledonthegroundforabit,butitwasnothingcomparedtothedamagehewould’vereceivedifhewasstruckbytheattack.

“Phew-!”

Jinwoocollectedhimselfandsighedinrelief.

“Mm?”

Ontheotherhand,Volkhan’sfacescrunchedhideouslyinanger.Missingitsplannedattackmadeeveryinchofitsbodytrembleinrage.

“Mm,Mm!”

Lookingatthedemon’sfaceturningred,Jinwooscratchedthesideofhishead.

‘Nowwhat?’

Itjustdisplayedtheabilitytododgewhenhejumpedatitshead.Additionally,itdidnotfeellikeJinwoocoulddomuchdamagetotherestofitsbodyconsideringitssize.

‘IsthereanywayIcanpreventitfromdodging?’

Jinwoothoughtofanidea.Thecornersofhismouthrose.TheHunterturnedaroundandran.MistakingitforJinwootryingtoescape,Volkhanrapidlychasedafterhim.

BOOMBOOMBOOM–!

JinwoocontrolledhispacesoVolkhancouldfollowrightbehindhim.Hiseyeslitupwhenhefoundasuitablebuilding.

‘Thatshouldwork.’

Meanwhile–

“Mm!”

AsthedistancebetweenitandJinwooclosed,thedemonswunghisclub.

Thisinsectileexistence!

Thechancetocrushthisannoyancewashere.AdisgustingsmileappearedonVolkhan’sface.Butashisclubfelldowntowardstheground,theinsectsuddenlyspedupandranupthesideofacrumblingbuilding.

“Mm?”

Somethingfeltoff,butitwastoolatetoslowdown.

“Mm,mm?”

Theinsectonthebuildingreachedthedemon’seyelevel,thenkickedoffthebuildingwithallhismight.

CRACK!

Thewallhekickedoffofcrackedlikeaspider’sweb,andsomethingflewtowardVolkhan’sfacefasterthanitcouldreact.Itwastheinsect.

“Mm!”

Volkhan’seyeswidened.Jinwoometitseyeswithasmile.WieldingBaruka’sTantoinhisrighthand,Jinwooslicedthebulgingarteryonthedemon’sneck.

Slash!

Asfittingofitslargebody,bloodspilledoutlikeafountainfromthewound.

Splash!

“Mm?Mm!”

Volkhanthrewawayitsclubandquicklyputahandoverthewound.

“Mm!”

However,itwasnotenoughtostopthebleeding.Thegiantdemon’seyesbegantotremble.

“M-mm?”

Jinwoohadalreadyclimbedbehinditsbackandusedhistwodaggerstostabthedemon’sneck.

‘Isoncenotenough?’

Withatiltedhead,Jinwoousedtheskillagain.

‘VitalStrike!’

ThetwodaggersdugintoVolkhan’sneckagain.

Stab!

Stab!

Andfinally,thevictoriousmessageappeared.

Ring~

YouhavedefeatedtheOverlordoftheLowerFloors,VolkhanofAvarice.

Youhaveearned150,000experiencepoints.

VolkhanhasthrownuptheDemonSoulsinhisstomach.

Youhaveearned72DemonSouls.

Youhaveleveledup!

Youhaveleveledup!

Chapter6:Rewards

BOOM!

Volkhanfell.Fromthedustblownupbyitsgiantbody,Jinwoosteppedout.Helookedaround.Hewasabouttogototheaidofhisarmy,butitlookedliketheywerefinishingupaswell.

“Kiiiiek!”

“Kekek!”

“Keeeek!”

WiththecombinedmightoftheShadowArmy,Volkhan’sminionsrapidlyfellleftandright.

‘Statusscreen.’

Jinwoolookedoverhisstatus.Becausehehadjustleveledup,hehadrecoveredallofhishealth,manaandstamina.

‘Withmymanarefreshed,Idon’tneedtohelpthem.’

Aslongastherewasmana,theShadowSoldierswereimmortal.Thatwasthepoweroftheundeadarmy.Decidingtoleavethetrashmobstothesoldiers,JinwooturnedbacktoVolkhan’scorpsetocollectthedrops.

“Hmm.”

ItfeltlikehewasabouttoopenhisChristmasgifts.JinwoocouldnothelpbutsmilewhilelookingatVolkhan’sbody.

‘WonderwhatI’llget?’

Thereweremultiplelightscomingfromthecorpse.Asalways,Jinwoostretchedahandtowardsthelight.Theitemmessageappeared.

Ring~!

YouhavefoundTheMonarchofDemons’Earrings

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

YouhavefoundMarbleofAvarice

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

Youhavefound2Volkhan’sHorns

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

Youhavefoundacraftingingredient,FragmentoftheWorldTree

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?[1]

JinwoohadagoodfeelingwhilefightingVolkhan.Asexpected,multipleitemsdroppedfromtheboss’scorpse.AjoyfilledtheHunter’sfaceashelookedovertheloot.

‘Ofcourse,Volkhan’sHornsareprobablyjunkitems.’

Justlookingatthenameandtheamountacquired,JinwoowassureVolkhan’sHornswerethesameasthehornsdroppedbytheotherdemons:justjunkitemstobesold.Thatlefttheotherthreeitems…OneofthemgrabbedJinwoo’sattention.

Youhavefoundacraftingingredient,FragmentoftheWorldTree

Wouldyouliketoacquireit?

‘Craftingingredient?’

Whatcouldhecraftwithit?Orwasitpartofthequest?Hiscuriositypeakedatthenewtypeofitemhehadfound.Inordertoreadtheitem’sinformation,hehadtofirstsolidifytheitemfromthelight.Andso,Jinwoodecidedtopickupalltheitems.

“Acquireall.”

ThemultiplelightsdisappearedfromVolkhan’scorpse,andanequalamountofphysicalobjectsappearedinfrontofJinwoooutofthinair.Twoearrings,aredmarble…

...Andagiantpieceofwoodthesizeofagrownman.

JinwooinstantlyknewwhichoneofthesewastheFragmentoftheWorldTree.Hestaredatthegiantpieceoflumber,andthecorrespondinginformationpoppedup.

FragmentoftheWorldTree

Rarity:???

Type:Ingredient

Volkhan’sClubwasmadeoutofwoodfromtheWorldTree.Thispieceofwoodremainedafterthecontaminatedpartswereremovedfromtheclub.ThewoodobtainedfromtheWorldTreecontainsastrongmagicpowerandisthehighest-classmaterialforcraftingmagicitems.

‘Theingredientforthehighest-classmagicitems.’

Jinwoowantedtoknowjustwhathecouldmakewiththisthing.Unfortunately,thatinformationwasnowheretobefound.Still,itwascertainthiswasnotanordinaryitem.Standingclosetoit,hewasabletofeelapowerfulenergyemanatingfromthepieceofwood.

‘Ihaveafeeling…thiswoodwillbeusefulsomehow.’

Insteadofsellingit,JinwooputtheFragmentoftheWorldTreeintohisinventory.Heporedovertheotheritems’information.

TheMonarchofDemons’Earrings

Rarity:S

Type:Accessory

Strength+20,Constitution+20

Set:TheCrownJewelsoftheMonarchofDemons[2]

1.TheMonarchofDemons’Earrings

2.TheMonarchofDemons’Necklace

3.TheMonarchofDemons’Ring

SetBonus:

1.???(2Items)

2.???(3Items)

‘Asetitem?’

WhilethebaseeffectsweresimilartotheA-rankGatekeeper’sNecklace,theMonarchofDemons’Earringshadanunknownseteffect.Evenwithoutknowingtheseteffects,itwasanamazingitem,increasingbothStrengthandConstitutionbytwentypoints.

‘Sinceonelevel-upisequivalenttofivestatpoints.’

Inthatlineofthought,thiswasthesameaslevelingupeighttimes.Withahappyheart,Jinwoopickeduptheearrings.

WouldyouliketoequipTheMonarchofDemons’Earrings?

‘Equip.’

Likealways,theearringsdisappearedanditseffectswereappliedtoJinwoo.Hesmiledinsatisfactionathisincreasedstats.

CrownJewelsoftheMonarchofDemons.

‘I’msuretheotherpieceswilldrophere.’

Withanamethatincludedtheword“Demon”,itwastooeasytounderstandthatthefullsetwoulddropfromaplacecalledDemonCastle.Justwhatwouldtheseteffectsbe?Eventhoughhehadobtainedonlyonepart,Jinwoo’sexpectationsweregreat.However,hissmilewouldsoondisappear.

‘Thisis…?’

MarbleofAvarice

Rarity:A

Type:MagicTool

Effect:DesireforDestruction–Yourmagicdamageisdoubled.

It’samarblemadefromthebloodofthearchdemonVolkhan.Themarblewillempowerthewielder’smagicandincreasethedestructioncaused.

Itwasaredballthesizeofabilliardball.JinwooheldtheMarbleofAvariceinhishand.Therewasnochangetohisstats.Hepulleduptheskillinformationontheonlythinghehadthatmightqualifyasmagic,hisclass-specificshadowskills,buttherewerenochanges.Thelimitsonthenumberofshadowsremainedthesame.

‘IsitnotsomethingIcouldbenefitfrom?’

Jinwootiltedhishead.

Doublingmagicdamage.Theeffectwasincredible.

Outintherealworld,magictoolsthatempoweredtheuser’smagicwereprohibitivelyexpensive.Becauseofthat,theywereonlyusedbyahandfuloftheMage-classHunters.However,Jinwoohadneverheardofanartifactthatincreasedyouroffensivepowerbyahundredpercent.Ifsomethinglikethiswasfound,itwould’vemadewavesacrosstheentireworld.Therewasnowaysomeonehadkeptsomethinglikethathidden.

Andherehewas,holdinganitemthatdoubledone’smagicdamage.

‘Still,it’suselesstome.’

Anitemthatsimplyincreasedmagicdamagedidnothingforhim.Afterall,theshadowskillstechnicallydidnotdodamageontheirown.Hisoffensiveskillsweren’tevenmagic.IfonlyanitemthatincreasedIntelligenceappeared.

‘Tsk.’

Whilehetossedthemarbleupanddowndisappointedly,theShadowSoldiershadfinishedthetrashmobsandgatheredbeforehim.ThefastestamongthemwasYgritte.

Threeinhisrighthand.Threeinhislefthand.

TheknightwalkeduptoJinwooandplacedsixdemonheadsinfrontoftheHunter.

“...”

Jinwooscratchedhistemplewhilelookingatthekneelingknight.

“Couldyoupleasestopdoingthat?”

Ofcourse,therespectfullybowedheadoftheknightdidnotreply.

“Becausewhenyoudothat…”

Jinwoowasnotsurewhentheotherknightmanagedtodoit,butIronhadcutoffVolkhan’sheadanddraggeditovertohismasteraswell.

“...Healsodoesit.”

‘Imean,I’mtheonewhotookitdown,right?’

JinwoofixedhisgazeonIronandsigheddeeply.Lookingatthekneelinggiantknight,aninterestingideaoccurredtohim.

‘WhatifIcangivetheMarbleofAvaricetooneofthemlikehowIwasabletouseIron’sshield?’

Rightoncue,theShadowMageswereslowlyapproachingJinwoobehindtheinfantry.Comparedtotheknightsoreventheinfantry,themageswereratherslow.Jinwoocalledoverthenearestonetohim.Whenhegesturedwithhishand,theindicatedmageslowlywalkedovertohismaster.

‘...MaybeIshouldgotohim.’

Jinwooshookhisheadthenquicklywalkedovertothemage.HeplacedtheMarbleofAvariceontothemage’shand,thenpointedtothebuildinghehadusedtojumptowardsVolkhan.AstheShadowSoldiersmovedaccordingtohiswill,hedidnotparticularlyneedtoexplainthedetails.

Jinwoogavethesignal–

“Fire.”

Withit,afireballtwicethesizeofwhathewasusedtoseeingappearedinthemage’shands.

‘Whoa!’

Jinwoo’seyeswidened.Ignoringhisshock,thefireballflewfromthemage’shands.

WOOOOOSH–!

BAAAAAANG!

“Wha-!”

Jinwoo’smouthopenedwide.Thebuildingwasswallowedbytheexplosionandblewapartlikeatoyhouse.Thefireconsumingthebuildingdidnotlooklikeitcouldbeputouteasily.

Flaaaare!

Watchingthefireworkscausedbythemage’sspell,JinwooquicklytookbacktheMarbleofAvarice.Heporedovertheiteminformation,lookingforaspecificphrase–

‘It’snotthere.It’sreallynotthere.’

Nomatterhowmuchhelookedupanddownonthedescription,theitemdidnotsaythatitwasuntradeable.Didthatmeanhecouldsellthis?

Gulp.

Jinwoolookedbackattheburningbuilding.

Flaaare!

Evenfewpartsofthebuildingthatremainedstandingfelleventuallywithacrashingsound.Jinwoosmiledatthedestruction.

‘Thisthing…’

It’lldrivetheMage-classHunterscrazy.Hisdisappointmentwasnowheretobeseen,replacedbyananticipation.

***

ABRIGHTAFTERNOON.

“Theyoungmanin902?”

Amiddle-agedwomanthoughtforamomentthenreplied–

“Hmm,I’mnotsure.Haven’tseenhimaroundlately.”

“Ah,okay.Thankyou.”

HyunGicheolbowedhishead.IthadbeenfourdayssincethedeputyhadbeenwaitingforJinwoonearhishouse,butthemanhadnotranintotheHunter.Hehadbeenmakingvegetablejuicenonstop.Withasigh,hetookouthisphone.

Ring~ring~

Someonepickedup.

—“Oy,Gicheol.”

“Chief.”

ItwasChiefAhnSangmin.

“Ihaven’tseenHunterSungJinwoo-nim.Theneighborsalsosaidtheyhaven’tseenhimrecently.”

—“Really?”

“Yes,sir.”

—“Well,can’tbehelped.Startcomingtotheofficetomorrow,then.”

“Yes,sir.Understood.”

Click.

AhnSangminhungupandtiltedhishead.WheredidHunterSungJinwoogo?Themanfelloffthegridfewdaysago.Thinkingthathemightbepurposelyavoidingtheircalls,HyunGicheolwassenttotheHunter’sresidencebutcouldnotfindhim.TheSecondManagementDivisionChiefbegantoworryifsomethinghadgonewrong.

‘Well,notsurewho’sworryingaboutwhom.’

Still,themanfeltrestless.

Taptap.

Someonetappedhimontheshoulder.Turningaround,hesawHunterParkHeejinbehindhim.

“Accordingtohislittlesister,he’sgoneonatripwithafriendforaboutaweek.”

“HunterSungJinwoo-nim?”

“Yes.”

“Ifthat’sthecase…Idon’tthinkthedestinationisonEarth.”

“Huh?”

ParkHeejinwastakenaback.AhnSangminquicklyexplained–

“There’snorecordofhimleavingthecountry.Andtherearealsonorecordsofhimpullingfundsorusinghiscardfromthebank.”

“Youcanobtainthatkindofinformation?”

“Well,it’sourjobtokeepaneyeonHunters.”

“Ohmy.”

“Ontopofthat,accordingtotheAssociation’strackingrecords,thelastplacehewasnotedinwasinthemiddleofthecity,fivedaysago.Isn’titalltoomysterious?”

“Doyouthinkhegotkidnapped?”

Themomentthewordslefthermouth,sherealizedhowstupidtheysounded.Thepairmeteachother’seyesandlaughed.

JustwhowasSungJinwoo?Hewasthemanwhosoloclearedahigh-levelDungeon,aRedGateatthat.AhnSangminscratchedhischeekandspoke–

“IfyouwanttonabHunterSungJinwoo-nim,you’llneedtocallinthatChinesespecialforcesunit.TheonesolelymadeupofHunters.”

ParkHeejinnoddedinagreement.Stiflinghislaughter,AhnSangminbecamecuriousandaskedaquestion–

“Bytheway,howdidyoufindoutthathewasgoingonatrip?”

“Oh,itwasHanSongyi.Westillkeepintouch.ShegoestothesameschoolasSungJinwoo-ssi’slittlesister,soIaskedhertofindout.”

“Aha…”

Withthat,thepair’sconversationwasover.Buttheywerethinkingthesamething–

‘Justwheredidthemango?’

***

‘Theupperfloorsareonawholedifferentlevel.’

JinwoorecalledthefirstandonlybossoftheDemonCastlehehadfought,theOverlordoftheLowerFloors,VolkhanofAvarice.Thebastard’stitlewasthe“OverlordoftheLowerFloors”.Aftergoingabovethe50thFloorwherethedemonwas,thedifficultyofeachfloorincreasedrapidly.Before,hewasableto

climbtenfloorsaday,twentyonagoodone.Now,hewasbarelyabletoclearseventoeightfloorsaday.

Jinwoowascurrentlyonthe74thFloor.Thenormalmobsherewerethetop-leveldemonsandoccasionallyarchdemons.Theywereinadifferentclassthanthedemonsfromthelowerfloors.

Stab!

Atop-leveldemonthesizeofatwo-storybuildingfellwithatantostickingoutofitschest.

Koong!

YouhavedefeatedaTop-levelDemon.

Youhaveearned1,700experiencepoints.

Youhaveearned1DemonSoul.

JinwooremovedBaruka’sTantofromthefallendemon’schest.Itwasthelastenemyofthelatestgroup.Anotherbattlewaswon.ThevictoriousShadowSoldiersallgatheredbeforeJinwoo.Helookedoverhisarmy.Itwasimpossiblefortheundeadarmy,butJinwoosworehissoldiersactuallylookedtired.Thatwashowtoughthemonsterswereontheupperfloors.Thankfully,anarchdemonwasnotinvolvedinthebattlejustnow,soitwasrelativelyeasierthantheothers.

‘Eachofthosedamnedthingsareboss-class.’

Thiswasnotaconclusionmadeidly.ThedescriptionoftheMarbleofAvariceindicatedthatVolkhanhimselfwasanarchdemon.WhileVolkhanmayhavebeenthebossofthelowerfloors,thearchdemonswerejustnormalmonstersontheupperfloors.Afterthe70thFloor,theystartedappearingmoreandmorecommonly.

‘Ifitwasjustthemonstersgettingstronger,Icanmanageit…’

Buttherewasabiggerproblem.Itwasthechangeintheenvironmentintheupperfloors.Startingwiththe51stFloor,thecitywasonfire.Thefiresbecamestrongerwitheachfloor.Afterthe70thFloor,theheatbecamestrongenoughto

shaveawayathishealth.Justmovinghisbodyalittlebitincreasedhisfatiguegreatly.

Nota“DemonCastle”buta“ToweronFire”.Thatfeelinghehadbeforeenteringtheplacewasonthemark.

‘...Let’sleave.’

HewouldendhisRaidhere.Heneededawaytodealwiththeheatoftheflames.

‘Ineedtoobtainanartifactthatcanincreasemyresistanceagainstfire-typemagic.’

Theequipmentusedbyhigh-rankingHunterswereincrediblyexpensive.Ontopofthat,iftheywereenchantedwithprotectivemagic,itwouldbedoublyso.Herecalledseeingonthenewsthatthesomeofthemoreexpensiveitemscosttensofbillionsofwon.WhilehehadearnedquiteabitofrealmoneywhileraidingwithYooJinho,Jinwoowasn’tsureifitwouldbeenoughtobuytheartifactsheneeded.Soheneededaninsurance–

‘Thisshouldbegoodenough.’

JinwoolookedattheMarbleofAvariceinhisinventoryandsmiled.AnyMage-classHunterwoulddroolatthesightofsuchanitem.Whatwouldhappenifheputthemarbleupforauction?Ifitseffectswereproven,thehigh-rankingMage-ClassHunterswouldline-upatthedoor.Jinwooclosedtheinventory.

HisgoalinthisDungeonwastolevel-up.Hehadachievedthatgoalwonderfully.HedidnotfeelanyshameinputtingofftheRaidforthefuture.However,onethinglingeredinhismind.Heraisedhishead.

CollectedDemonSouls:9,624/10,000

‘Only400soulsgoto.’

Justalittlemore,andhecouldfinishthequest.Todaywasthesixthday.Onemoredaywouldbemorethanenoughtocollecttheremainingsouls.Asilverliningoftheupperfloorswastheexistenceofdemonsthatgavemultiplesouls.400couldbecollectedinaflash.

‘Let’sleaveafterfinishingthequest.’

Withthatdetermination,Jinwooheadedforward.Becausehehadasolidgoalinmind,therewasmorestrengthinhissteps.

Floors1through74areopen.

Whichfloorwouldyouliketogoto?

Inthemiddleofthemagiccircle,Jinwoospoke–

“75thFloor.”

***

Whatwasthisunexpectedboon?

Jinwoostaredatthemonsterguardingtheinterfloormovementmagiccircleinthedistance.

‘TheGuideofSouls,Metus’[3]

Lookingatthename,itwasclearthatitwasaboss-classmonster.Themonsterwascladinablackrobe,wearingasilvernecklace.

‘AndthatmustbetheMonarchofDemons’Necklace.’

Inhispathtojustcompletethequestandleave,hehadunexpectedlycomeacrossthenextpieceofthesetitems.However,thereasonwhyJinwoowassmilingwasnotbecauseoftheitem.Nomatterhowgoodthedropswere,youcouldn’tobtainthemifyoucouldn’tkillthemonster.Jinwoosmiledasherealizedtherewassomethingcriticallydifferentaboutthismonsterthatwouldhelphimkillit.TheHunterheldhistwodaggersinhishandsandranforward.Theskeletonmagecladinblackrobesdiscoveredhim.

Ring~

TheGuideofSouls,Metushasnoticedanintruder!

Asexpectedofaboss-classmonster,Metuscompleteditsspellinaninstant.Abloodredmagiccircleappearedatitsfeetandagloomyenergygatheredaround

it.

TheGuideofSouls,MetushasusedCursedVoice.

ReceivingMetus’scalling,anundeadarmyrosefromtheground.

Theirnumberswereinthethousands!

Anormalpersonwould’vesuffocatedjustlookingatthisterrifyingarmy,butJinwoowasnotfazedinanycapacity.

‘AsIthought…’

Hehadpredictedthis.OutoftheentireDemonCastle,thiswasthefirstplacehesawthatfamiliarblacksmokerisingfromtheground.Lookingatthestrangephenomenon,itwaseasyforJinwoototellwhatkindofamonsterMetuswas.

‘TheGuideofSouls.’

Theboss’stitleonlyaddedontohissuspicions.

Andasexpected,Metushadcalledforthapowerfulundeadarmy.However,inthatareaofexpertise,Jinwoohadthestrongestclass.

“ARISE!!!”

UWAAAAAH–!

Withapiercingscreamofpain,soldiersrosefromtheshadowsofMetus’sundeadarmy.

Theirnumberswereinthehundreds![4]

ItwasagreatlylackingtoMetus’army,butitwasmorethanenough.Theonesdoingthejobwouldbehisrealarmy.

“Makemeapath!”

Andherewastherealarmy.Thepitch-blacksoldiersrisingoutofJinwoo’sshadow.ThehundredsofsoldiersmadefromShadowExtractiondistractedMetus’sarmy.

Meanwhile,themembersofJinwoo’srealarmy,havingleveleduptogetherwiththeirmasterwhileclearingtheDemonCastle,clearedapathforJinwoo.

Therewasonlyonetarget!

YgritteandIrontookthevanguardandcutdowntheundeadwithanincrediblespeed.ThedistancebetweenJinwooandMetushadshortenedinaninstant.

‘Thisisgoodenough.’

Jinwooranaheadofhisknights.

‘Sprint!’

Sprinthasleveledup!

HavingusedittorunallovertheDemonCastle,‘Sprint’leveledup.

‘Good.’

Jinwoosmiledwidely.Havingescapedtheencirclementoftheundeadarmyinaflash,JinwoostoodbeforeMetus.Thetwocommandersoftheundeadmeteachother’sgazes.

‘Didn’texpectthis,didyou?’

WhilethelightofvictoryfilledJinwoo’seyes,Metus’sshouldersjumpedatthesightofJinwoo.Atleast,that’swhatitlookedlike.

‘Domonstersfeelfear?’

Well,thiswasnotamomenttothinkofsuchthings.Theflashingdaggersmovedwithsuchspeedthattheycreateddozensofafterimages.

Thud.

Theboss-classmonsterfellwithoutafight.Jinwooknewthroughhisexperiencesthatmage-classmonstersthatcommandedminionswereincrediblyweakatone-on-onecombat.HeknewthisfromthemomenthelaideyesonMetus.TheHunterreturnedhisweaponstotheinventory.

Ring~

YouhavedefeatedtheGuideofSouls,Metus.

Youhaveearned200,000experiencepoints.

TheDemonSoulssealedinMetus’pendantwerereleased.

Youhaveearned220DemonSouls.

Youhaveleveledup!

Youhaveleveledup!

Jinwoopumpedhisfistinvictory.Hehadearned220soulsinonego.Itwastrulyanunexpectedboon.

CollectedDemonSouls:9,971/10,000

AsmilebloomedonJinwoo’sface.

‘Notmanyleftnow.’

Just29soulstogo.Hejustneededtokillafewmoredemons.Jinwooquicklygrabbedtheitemsoffoftheboss’scorpseandmovedtothemagiccircle.

Whichfloorwouldyouliketogoto?

“76thFloor.”

***

EASTERNSEABOARD,UNITEDSTATES.

Asleepingmanstruggledlikehewasinanightmare,thenawokewithastart.ItwasHwangDongsoo.

‘...?’

Thefirstthinghesawwasthewhiteceiling.Inanunfamiliarenvironment,themanlookedleftandright.

“A…hospital?”

Dream.

Wasitnotadream?

WhenHwangDongsoowipedawayastreakofsweatbeneathhischinwiththebackofhishand,hediscoveredsomething.Ontopofthehospitalgown,anIVneedlewasstucktohishand.Theman’sfacehardened.Acoldvoicecameoutofhismouth–

“Justsaywhatyou’rehereforandgo.”

TheDeputyDirectoroftheFederalBureauofHunters(FBH)stoodacrosstheroom.Hewasamiddle-agedAmericanwithmorewhitesinhishairthanblack.ThemanslowlyapproachedHwangDongsoo.

“IhadsomethingIwantedtoaskyou,soIwaswaitinghere.”

Whatdidhewanttoask?HwangDongsooraisedhishead.Thedeputydirectormethisgazeandspoke–

“Thatman,SungIlhwan…Areyoureallysurehe’samagicbeast?”

“DoyouthinkIattackedanordinaryperson?”

“It’snotthatIdon’tbelieveyou.IjustwantedtoconfirmwhatIsawwithmyeyes.”

ThedeputydirectorhandedtheHunterhisphone.Avideowasplaying.

“Whatisthis…?”

“It’sasecurityfootagefromthatday.”

Inthevideo,anAsianmanwasrescuingFBHemployeesfromthecollapsingbuilding.HwangDongsoodidnotneedtoaskwhothemanwas.Howcouldheforget?Itwasthelastfacehesawbeforelosingconsciousness,SungIlhwan.Thedeputydirectorcontinuedwithadarkenedexpression–

“I’ve…neverheardofamagicbeastthathelpedhumans.Areyoustillcertain

thatthatmanisamagicbeast?”

“...He’smostcertainlyamagicbeast.”

“Isthatso.”Thedeputydirectorputawayhisphone–

“Onceyou’redischarged,cometotheFBH,therearefewthingsweneedtoputonrecord.”

Asthedeputydirectorturnedaroundtoleave,HwangDongsooasked–

“Whathappenedtothatman?”

“Hedisappearedafterfightingyou.Whilethebureau’sworkinghardtotrackhimdown,we’renotsureifwecangetsomeonewhowasabletodefeatyou…”

Beforeleaving,thedeputydirectoraskedonemorequestionwithdifficulty–

“Doyou…byanychanceknowofaplacehemightgoto?”

“...”

WatchingtheHunterclosehismouthwithafinality,thedeputydirectorheadedoutofthehospitalroom.Themomentthemanleft,HwangDongsoorippedouttheIVneedlefromhisarm.

“Fuck!”

HwangDongsoocombedthroughhismemories.

Itwasahumiliatingdefeat.

Beforeherealizedwhatwashappening,SungIlhwan’sfootwasonhisneck.Hewassprawledoutonthefloorlikeaweakling.Whilehewascoughing,SungIlhwanspoketohim–

“DonottakeastepintoKorea.Thisisforyourbenefit,notmyson’s.Ifyoudo,youwillnotbeabletorestevenindeath.”

Andhecouldn’trememberanythingafterthat.Whenhehadopenedhiseyes,hewashere.

‘Iwon’tbeabletorestevenindeath?’

Whatdidthatmean?Wasitathreatthathewouldbeviciouslykilled?

‘Youdare…threatenme?’HwangDongsoo’sfiststrembled.Itwashumiliatingenoughthathelosttoamagicbeast,buttothinkthathewouldbefurtherdisgracedbyathreat.

‘Iknowwherehe’sgoing.’

Hewillkillthatthing.

Buthow?Whetherornothetrulywasamagicbeast,SungIlhwanwasundeniablystrong.

‘Ineedapropergeartotakehimdown.’

Fortunately,itwouldbeeasytoobtainsuchgear.

‘I’llcalltheGuild.’

TheGuildHwangDongsoobelongedto,Scavenger,wasoneofthetopGuildsacrosstheentireworld.JustthevalueofartifactsownedbyScavengerwasgreaterthanasmallcountry’sbudget.

‘Itwon’tbeaproblemaslongasIcanborrowfewartifacts.’[5]

HwangDongsoo’seyesflickeredwithapowerfullight.

ToKorea.

Themandecidedonhisnextobjective.

***

YouhavedefeatedanArchdemon.

Youhaveearned2,200experiencepoints.

Youhaveearned1DemonSoul.

Youhaveearned3DemonSoulsfromtheArchdemon’sslaves.

‘I’MALLDONE!’

Jinwoocouldnothidehisjoy.Luckily,thelastmonsterhetookdowngavehimfoursouls,justtheamountneededtocompletethequest.

CollectedDemonSouls:10,001

Ring~

YouhavecompletedOrdinaryQuest:CollecttheDemonSouls!Part1

Therewardforcompletingthequesthasarrived.

Wouldyouliketoverify?(Y/N)

‘Ofcourse!’

Withhismentalreply,therewardsappeared.

Youhavereceivedthefollowingrewards.

Reward1.Pickoneitemfromeveryitempossible

Reward2.Statpoints+20

Reward3.UnknownReward

Acceptall?

Ofcourse,everyrewardwasamazing,butJinwoowasmostinterestedinthefirstreward.Itwould’vebeenworthittocompletethequestjustforthatreward.

‘AcceptReward1.’

Ring~!

Youmaypickoneitemfromeveryitempossible.

Whichitemdoyouwant?

AnitemIwant.

Therewasone.

ItwasanitemJinwoohadthoughtabouteversincehesawthequest.Hetookhismemoriesbacktothedayhehadtomakeasimilardecision.Whatwould’vehappenedifhepickedtheotheritem?Thepossibilityhadplaguedhismindeversincethattime.Hewasn’tsureifthatitemwasevenapossibilityherebutdecidedtotry.

Youmaypickoneitemfromeveryitempossible.

Whichitemdoyouwant?

Asifpressuringhim,theSystemaskedagain.Jinwoospokeaftersomethought–

“CursedRandomBox.”

----------

[1]Lotsofitemnames“MonarchofDemons’Earrings”():Prettyliteral.Thewordusedfor“monarch”isthesamewordsas“MonarchofShadows”.“Demon”+“monarch/king/lord”+“earrings”.Onethingtonotehere,justlike“MonarchofShadowsvs.ShadowMonarch”,ismorecloselyread“DemonMonarchorDemonicMonarch”.Iammakingapurposefulstylechoicetoflipthewords.“MarbleofAvarice”():Prettyliteral.Sameword“Avarice”asVolkhan’stitle.“greed/avarice”+“marble”“FragmentoftheWorldTree”():Alsoliteral.“WorldTree”+“fragment”.“Worldtree”canalsorefertoYggdrasilfromNordicmythology,butIdon’tknowifitfitthecontextofthestory.

[2]OriginalKoreansaysthe“AccessorySeriesoftheMonarchofDemons”().Istyleditupabit.

[3]“GuideofSouls,Metus”():prettystraightforward.“souls/spirits”+“guide”+propername(mehtooss).

[4]“Theirnumberswereinthehundreds!”:Iknowhegainedatonoflevels(andintelligencepointscorrespondingly),butIdidn’texpecthisShadowExtractionlimittoincreasebythismuch…Nothingelseinthepassageindicatesthatthisis

somespecialoccurrence.Notsureifit’splot-holeorrule-of-cool,butJinwooapparentlycanraisehundredsofsoldiersthroughShadowExtractionnow.Shrug.OR,sincealltheotherstatsareweighted(i.e.gaining1pointfrom100to101strengthgivesfarmorebenefitthangoingfrom10to11),maybeintelligenceisthesame(i.e.gaining1pointfrom109to110givesfarmoreShadowlimitsthangoingfrom50to51).

[5]Justasmallreminderallthewaybackfromthefirstarc,but“artifacts”arewhatpeoplecallmagicitems(tools/equipment/gear)fromDungeons.

Chapter7:RankingTest

Onthatcrossroadinthepast,JinwoohadselectedtheBlessedRandomBoxovertheCursedRandomBox.ItwasfromthatBlessedRandomBoxthathehadobtainedtheDemonCastleKey.Throughthatkey,hehadearnedmanythings.Level-ups,newitems,and…somuchgoldthathewasstartingtoworryifhehadtostartspendingit.

‘Evenifthesamechoicewaspresentedtome,IwouldpicktheBlessedRandomBox.’

However,thatdidn’tmeanthathewasnotcuriousaboutwhattheotherchoicewouldhaveresultedin.Theblessedboxthatwouldgivehimwhathe“wanted”,andthecursedboxthatwouldgivehimwhathe“needed”.Justwhatwasthethingthathe“needed”fromthecursedbox?

‘TheBlessedRandomBoxcertainlyhadwhatIwanted.’

Andnow,Jinwoohadtheopportunitytofinallysatisfyhiscuriosity.

‘...’

JinwoowaitedfortheSystem’sreplywithananxiousheart.Forsomereason,theSystemappearedtobemoredelayedinitsresponsethanusual.

Ring~!

Abatinghisworries,theSystem’sreplycameamomentlater–

YouhavechosenCursedRandomBox.

Thechosenitemwillnowbeprovided.

Shooo—

Asmallboxappearedinfrontofhisfeet.

‘Alright!’

Withashakingheart,Jinwoopickedupthebox.Hewasshockedwhenhepickeditup;itsweightwasveryfamiliartohim.

Coulditbe?

Jinwooquicklyopenedthebox.Hiseyeswerewidened.

“...Thisis?”

***

AfterleavingtheDemonCastle,Jinwooquicklyheadedhome.Thefirstthinghewantedtodowaswashup.ItwasaluxurynotaffordedwhilebeingintheDungeonforaweek.AlthoughhecouldobtainwaterfromtheSystem’sshop,hehadneitherthetimenortheplacetocleanhisbody.

‘Afterall,showeringwhilebeinginaplacepackedwithmonstersisabit…’

Splash–

Feelingtheheatofthewaterwashoverhisbody,theHunterfinallyfeltlikehehadlefttheDungeon.

‘Thisiswhyhomeisthebest.’

Aftershowering,Jinwoohadchangedintoafreshsetofclothesandsatonthebedwithawettoweldrapedoverhishead.Itwastimetoreviewsomethings.First,hepulledupthestatusscreen.

‘Statusscreen.’

Ring~

Screensfilledwithenoughwordstospinone’seyesappeared.Jinwoo’sgazestoppedatthestatscreen.

Availablestatpoints:20

Thebonusstatpointsfromthequestwasneatlywaitingforhisdecision.Of

course,JinwooputitallintoIntelligence.

Ring~

Stats

Strength:178

Constitution:137

Agility:147

Intelligence:149

Sense:119

Finally,Intelligencebegantoovertaketheotherstats.ItwasnotquiteattheStrength’slevel,butcomparedtothepast,ithadmadeanamazingprogress.

Strength,Constitution,Agility,Intelligence,Sense.

Abalancewasformingacrosstheattributes.

‘Therearenowastedstats.’

Beforeheknewit,heunderwentperiodswherehehadsolelyinvestedintoasingleattribute.PeriodswherehehadsolelyinvestedintoStrength,periodswherehehadsolelyinvestedintoAgility,andlately,theperiodwherehehadsolelyinvestedintoIntelligence.Now,hefullyunderstoodthateachstathaditsownbenefitsanduses.

‘Youknow…’

Nowthathehadreachedthispoint,whatifhejustdistributedhispointsevenlyacrosstheboardfromnowon?

AnAll-StatPlayer.

AdesireforsomethinglikethatappearedinJinwoo’smind.Itwasaratherhappyquandary,bornoutofknowingthatnotasingleattributewasuseless.

‘OnceIntelligencereachesthelevelofStrength,let’sraisetheotherstatsaccordingly.’

Havingmadehisdecision,Jinwooturnedtotheskillscreen.Thethirdrewardwasinthatspace.

Reward3.UnknownReward

Becauseofjusthowgreatthefirstandsecondrewardswere,Jinwoohadnotpaidmuchattentiontothisunknownthirdreward,havinglookedatitwithapassingcuriosity.Still,hewasnotamantoignoreanyrewardgiventohim.

Reward3willnowbeprovided.

Whatappearedinhishandwiththemessagewasascroll,similartotheEntryPermitsfromtheDemonCastle.

‘What’sthis?’

Surprisedattherewardgivinghimanunexpecteditem,Jinwoounfurledthescroll.

Recipe:HolyWaterofLife[1]

LearnhowtocrafttheHolyWaterofLife.

Jinwoo’seyeswidened.

‘Icanmakeanitemmyself?’

OnlytheMage-classAwakenedBeingscouldmakeweaponswithmagicpower…Ohwait,hewastechnicallyaMage-classnow.

‘Still,tothinkthatIcanmakeanitemifIjusthavetherecipe…’

Jinwooheartbegantorace.Atthesametime,aquestionappearedinhismind.Justwhatexactlycouldhemake?

‘What’saHolyWaterofLife?’

JinwooreadovertheiteminformationofHolyWaterofLifeontherecipescroll.

HolyWaterofLife

Rarity:S

Type:Consumable

Healanyandeveryillness.

Effectswillonlybeshownafterafullbottleisused.

Adivinepotionfilledwithapowerfulmagictocureeverysickness.

‘Cure…everysickness?’

Themomenthereadthewords,Jinwoothoughtofhismotherinthehospital.ThroughhisexperimentswithYooJinho,Jinwooknewthatpotionscanbeusedonotherpeople.IfhecouldtrulyobtainthisHolyWaterofLife,itmeantthathecouldsavehismother.Thehandsthatheldthescrolltrembledinexcitement.Theingredientsweresimple.

‘FragmentoftheWorldTree.’

WasobtainedafterkillingVolkhanonthe50thFloor.

‘TheSpringWaterfromtheEchoingForest.’[2]

WasobtainedafterkillingMetusonthe75thFloor.

Andthelastingredient.

‘...ThePurifiedBloodoftheDemonKing.’[3]

Thiswastheonlyitemhehadnotobtainedyet.However,lookingatthefloorshehadgottenthetwoingredients,itwascleartohimwherethelastwouldcomefrom.

Thetopofthetower.

‘It’llprobablycomefromthefinalbossoftheDemonCastleonthe100thFloor.’

Assuch,clearingtheDemonCastleDungeonwouldnethimalltheingredientstocrafttheHolyWaterofLife.

ItwasinthismomentJinwoorealized–

“Ah.”

Heutteredwithoutthinking.Theshockofhisrealizationwasthatgreat.

Whatif…thethingthathe“wanted”fromtheBlessedRandomBoxwasthisHolyWaterofLife?

‘Mother…’

Hiseyesglistenedwithtearsatthethoughtofseeinghismotherhealthyagain.

Ring~

YoumaylearnacraftingskillthroughRecipe:HolyWaterofLife

Wouldyouliketolearnthecraftingskill?

Attheelectronictone,Jinwoosnappedbacktoreality.TocrafttheHolyWaterofLife,hehadtosucceedinconqueringtheDemonCastle.Inordertoaccomplishthat,hehadtoquicklyobtaintheproperraidinggearandreturn.Therewasnotimetobelostinhisfeelings.

“...Teachme.”

YouhavelearnedhowtomakeHolyWaterofLife

‘Thisisnotadream,isit?’

Asifremindinghim,theskillscreennowshowedasectionforcraftingskills.

CraftingSkills

–Consumable:HolyWaterofLife(2/3)

Thenumbersattheendprobablyreferredtothenumberofingredientshehadonhand.

‘Ohright.Forgotaboutthis.’

JinwootookoutanitemnexttotheSpringWaterintheinventory.Itwasanecklacemadeoutofskullsofsmallanimals.

TheMonarchofDemons’Necklace

Rarity:S

Type:Accessory

Agility+20,Intelligence+20

Set:TheCrownJewelsoftheMonarchofDemons

1.TheMonarchofDemons’Earrings

2.TheMonarchofDemons’Necklace

3.TheMonarchofDemons’Ring

SetBonus:

1.???(2Items)

2.???(3Items)

TheSpringWaterfromtheEchoingForestwasn’ttheonlythinghehadearnedfromtheGuideofSouls.Hehadalsoobtainedthisratherdistastefullookingnecklacefilledwithbadvibes.

‘Whyareallthesenecklaceslikethis…’

Jinwoo’sfacescrunchedatthinkingaboutthedogcollarhewas“wearing”rightnow.HeheldtheMonarchofDemons’Necklacetohisneck.

Ring~

WouldyouliketoreplaceGatekeeper’sNecklacewithTheMonarchofDemons’Necklace?

Theboostfromthetwoitemswereprettysimilar.Bothofthemincreasedtwostatsby20.However,thenewitemhadaseteffect.

‘Exchange.’

Shooo–

TheMonarchofDemons’Necklacehasbeenequipped.

TheskullnecklacedisappearedandwasreplacedwithadogcollarinJinwoo’shand.HeputawaythedogcollarintohisinventoryandcheckedthesetbonusoftheCrownJewelsoftheMonarchofDemons.

TheMonarchofDemons’Necklace

...

SetBonus:

1.AllStats+5(2Items)

2.???(3Items)

‘Allstatsincreasedbyfive.’

Justasinglesetbonuswasequivalenttoincreasinghislevelsbyfive,andtherewasstillonesetbonusremaining.

‘TheMonarchofDemons’Ring…’

Usuallyinvideogames,thesetbonusesbecamebetterandbetterasyouequippedmoreitemsintheset.Inthatlineofthinking,theunrevealedsetbonusshouldbesomethingcrazy.

Still,theS-rankequipmentshehadearnedwerebutthesidebenefitsofhistimespentintheDemonCastle.

Thetruebenefitwasthegreatleaphehadmadeinhislevels.Jinwoolookedattheprogresshemadewhileclimbingseventy-sevenfloorsandsmiled.

‘Iwentupsixteenlevelsinoneweek.’

ItwasaspeedunthinkableintheC-rankDungeons.Thiswastheresultofhiseffortsspentinthewild(?)forsevendays.Ofcourse,hestillhadbusinessleftintheplace,buttheDemonCastleRaidwasanincrediblesuccess.

‘Butthere’sthis…’

Onethinghecouldnotunderstand.JinwooheldtheitemfromtheCursedRandomBoxunderthelightfromalamp.

‘Whatisthis?’

Itwasablackkeythatseemedtoabsorballlight.Noinformationboxpoppedwhenhestaredatit.

‘I’veneverhadtheinformationboxnotpopupfromanitemfromtheSystem…’

JustInstantDungeonKeyswererareenoughfromnormalRandomBoxes,buthehadneverseensomethinglikethisbefore.

‘WheredoIevenusethis?’

Becauseitwasanitemfroma“cursed”box,hedidfeelalittleanxiousholdingit.Still,itwassomethingthathadbeenearnedwitheffort,sohecouldn’tjustthrowitaway.

‘I’msureI’llfindauseforitsomeday.’

Afterall,theCursedRandomBoxdidsayit’llgivehimsomethingheneeded.

Returningthekeybacktotheinventory,Jinwoostoodup.Now,hehadtofocusonobtainingartifactstohelpcleartheDemonCastle.

‘Andthere’ssomethingIwanttosell.’

However,theproblemwasthatanE-rankHuntercouldnoteasilybuyorsellhighlevelartifacts.Ifalow-rankingHunter(andJinwoowasknowntobetheweakest)putupanitemforauction(anitemthatevenhigh-rankerswouldbepressedtoobtain),whowouldn’tbesuspiciousofhim?Samegoesforbuying.Withthetitleof“E-rankHunter”attachedtohim,itwashardforJinwoousethefundshehadamassed.

‘It’llbehardtoexplainwhereIwanttousetheartifactstoo.’

Andso,hehadtoovercomethisawkwardsituation.

“Isittime…”

TimetocastasidethefacadeofanE-rank.

RankingRetest.

Itwastimeforhimtoearnhistrueranking.

TheHunter’sexpressionbecameserious.

‘Atmycurrentlevel,Iprobablywon’tbeusedbyothersagainstmywill.’

Fromthestart,thatwasoneoftheobjectivesoflevelingup.Topreventastrongerpowerfromforcinghimundertheircontrol,JinwoohadmasqueradedasanEranker.

Butnow?HewasabletostandfacetofaceagainstBaekho’sGuildmasterBaekYoonho.No,evenifitwasn’tBaekYoonho,hewasconfidentthathecouldremainstronginfrontofanyone.Therewasnolongeranyreasontohidehispowers.

Badum,badum,badum.

Thinkingaboutthrowingawaythatannoyingtitleof“E-rank”thatplaguedhispast,Jinwoo’sheartbegantobeatfaster.

‘Beforethat,’

Therewasonethinghehadtocheck.JinwooturnedonhisHunterphone.Afteraweekofnocontact,hisphonewasfilledwithmissedcallsandmessages.Mostofthemwereunknownnumbers.Hefeltsorry,buthedidnotparticularlywanttocheckwhotheywere.

‘Ifit’surgent,I’msurethey’llcallagain.’

Withacoolmind,hekeptgoingdownthecallhistoryandfoundthenumberhewanted.Jinwoocalledthenumber.

[Followme~]

Beforethesongevenfinishedaverse,thepersonontheotherendpickedupthephonewithanincrediblespeed.

—“Hyungnim!”

WasheintheDungeonforthatlong?Tothinkthatthisbrat’svoicewouldsoundsowelcoming.Jinwoosmiledandopenedhismouth–

“Didthetalkwithyourfathergowell?”

—“Yes!Itwentwell,hyungnim!”

‘Ohyeah?’

Thatwasgoodtohear.JinwoodidnotwanttotaketheretestwhileYooJinhoandhisfather’sdealwasnotcompleted.Andiftheirsidewasallgood,hehadnoproblemsanymore.HehadguessedthatYooJinho’shappygreetingmeantgoodnews,buthearingitfromtheyoungman’smouthgavehimtheassuranceheneeded.

—“Hyungnim!Iwasactuallygoingtogoseeyouabout–”

Click.

‘Huh?’

Thecallwassuddenlyended.Jinwoocheckedhisphone;ithaddiedbecausethebatteryranout.

‘Well…IdidforgettochargeitbeforegoingintotheDemonCastle.’

Still,itwasgoodthathewasabletoconfirmYooJinhohadsucceeded.Jinwoochangedhisclothes.TheAssociationHeadquarterswasnotfarfromhere.Hecouldfinishtheretestinaninstant.

“Ohright.”

Jinwoowashalfwayoutofthedoorandquicklycamebackin.Heforgotabouthislittlesister.Shewouldprobablyworryifherbrother,whosaidhe’dbehome

afteraweek,leftthehouseagainwithoutaword.Heleftabriefnoteonthekitchentable.

[Oppacamehomeandleft.]

Withasatisfiedsmile,Jinwooleftthehouse.

***

IthadbeenalongtimesinceJinwoohadstoodbeforetheAwakenedBeingRankingTestOffice.

‘Hasitbeenfouryears?’

Maybefive?Withanostalgicface,Jinwoowalkeduptotheemployeeatthereceptiondesk.Theemployeedidn’tevenlookup–

“Yourproofofidentityandcontactinformationplease.”

Rememberinghowtheproceedingswentlasttime,Jinwooputdownthedocumentshehadalreadyprepared.

‘Hmm?’

TheemployeelookedatJinwoo’sproofofidentityandtiltedhishead–

“ThisisaHunter’sLicense.”

“Yep.”

Theemployeelookedconfused–

“Ifyouhaveanycomplaintsabouttheresultsofyourrank,that’sforadifferentoffice.”

“No,I’mhereforaretest.”

“Huh?”

TheemployeelookedbackandforthbetweenJinwoo’sfaceandthelicensethenputupafinger–

“O-onemoment.”

Theemployeestoodupandwentbehindhimtoamiddle-agedmanwholookedlikehehadatemper.

“Deputy,someHuntercamehereforaretest,whatshouldIdo?”

“Retest?What’shiscurrentrank?”

“E-rank,sir.”

ThedeputylookedbehindtheemployeeatJinwoo.

“Ithappensfromtimetotime.DeludedHunterswhocomehere,unabletoaccepttheirreality.”

“Soyouthinkthatmanis?”

Thedeputynodded–

“Reawakenedmyass…He’sjustunabletoacceptthefactthatotherHuntersearnatonandaremorefamousthanhim.”

“Ah.”

“Peoplelikethatbecomeaheadacheifyouentertainthemfortoolong.Justtellhimthathe’llhavetopaytheretestfeeandsendhimtothetestingbuilding.”

“Yes,sir.”

Havingridofhisworries,theemployeereturnedtothereceptiondesk.ThedeputystaredattheemployeeandJinwooandclickedhistongue,thenreturnedhisgazetohiscomputer.Suddenly,thedeputy’sfingersstopped.ThatHunter’sname…Hefeltlikehehadhearditbefore.

‘Wherewasit?’

Afterthemandisappearedofftothetestingbuilding,hequietlywentuptotheemployee.

“ThatE-rankHunterjustnow,whatwashisname?”

“ItwasSungJinwoo.Doyouknowhim?”

“No,Idon’tthinkso.”

Butthedeputycouldn’tshakethefeelinghehadheardofthenamebefore.Combingoverhismemories,hesuddenlyrealizedandwidenedhiseyes.

‘Ah!’

Thatmanhadaskedhim!TolethimknowifaHunternamedSungJinwoocametothetestingoffice.Whydidn’theremember?!Thedeputydisappearedtoacornerandquicklycalledsomeone.

Ring,ring.

—“Hello,thisisBaekYoonho.”[4]

“Ah,GuildmasterBaek.It’saboutthatHunteryouaskedaboutbefore.ThatHunterSungJinwoo.Hereallycamehere.Imean,howdidyouknowhewouldcome?”

—“SungJinwoo-ssicametothetestingoffice?”

“Yes,hejustrequestedaretestjustnow.”

—“...”

Thedeputythoughtthecallwasended,butamomentlater,anurgentvoicecontinuedacrossthephone–

—“Couldyoupleasedelayhistesting,evenforalittlebit?I’llberightthere.”

Thedeputytiltedhishead.

Washemistaken?ThatBaekho’sGuildmaster’svoicesoundedanxious.

‘Whatastrangeday.’

Unfortunately,thematterwasalreadyoutofhishands.Thedeputyscratchedhistempleandreplied–

“Er…Healreadyleftforthetestingbuilding.

‘Wait,what’sgoingon…?’

Justwhatwashappening?JungGisooendedthecallwithBaekYoonhoandtiltedhishead.ItwasamusingenoughthatanE-rankHunterwashereforaretest,andnow,Baekho’sGuildmasterwascomingheretolearnthatHunter’sresults.

‘Ishetherealdeal?’

IftheBaekYoonhowasbeingthisserious,perhapstherewassomethingreallygoingon?Butthedeputyquicklyshookhishead.

‘Eh,noway.’

AnAwakening-after-Awakeningwasnotaphenomenonyousaweveryday.

Wasitfewmonthsago?TheentireAssociationwasthrownintochaoswhenapotentialReawakeningcandidateappeared,butnothingcameoutofit.Theconfirmedcasesofthephenomenonwereincrediblyfew,buttherewerealotofmistakencases.

‘Plentyofdeludedpeoplecamehereforaretestandwastedourresources...’

Baekhomusthavebeenthoroughlymistakenaboutsomething.Still,thinkingaboutmaintainingagoodrelationshipwithBaekho,JungGissocouldnotrefuseBaekYoonho’srequest.

“I’mheadingout.I’llberightback.”

“Huh?Whereareyouheaded,deputy?”

“IjustrememberedIhavesomethingtodoinBuildingB.”

BuildingBwastheoccupationallanguageusedintheAssociationforthebuildingwithmagicpowermeasuringequipment.ItwaswheretheevaluationoftheHunters’rankingsoccurredin.

“Alright,understood.”

“Callmeifanythinghappens.”

“Yes,sir.”

Evenashekeptmuttering‘Reawakeningmyass…’inhishead,JungGisooimaginedBaekYoonho’sfaceandheadedtowardBuildingB.

----------

[1]“Recipe:HolyWaterofLife”(:):twopartsheretogoover–“Recipe”():lit.“design”.“Design”isprobablymoreappropriateincontextoflearningnewcraftingitems,butIwentwith“recipe”sincethecraftingiteminquestionisaconsumable.“HolyWaterofLife”():“life”+“god”+“water”.Closestculturalapproximationof“godwater”()istheceremonialwaterusedincertainEastAsianreligiousrites,soIdecidedtogowith“holywater”.

[2]“SpringWaterfromtheEchoingForest”():quiteliteral.“Echo”+“forest”+“springwater”

[3]“PurifiedBloodoftheDemonKing”():quiteliteral.“Purified”+“demonking”+“blood”.PleasenotethatthisisoneofthereasonswhyItranslatedas“Monarch”andnot“King”.It’sbecausetheword(“King”)exists,andthatwordcanonlybereallyusedfor“King”.

[4]Correctedamistakeontheoriginal.BaekYoonho’snameiswrittenasBaekYoonhob.:P

Chapter8:TestResult

Jinwoosatdownonachairattheendofthewaitingroom.Therewerethreeotherswaitingfortheirtesting.Theirfaceswerefilledwithnervousness;Jinwoofullyunderstoodtheirfeelings.

‘Afterall,theresultsofthetestwilldeterminethecourseoftheirlives.’

Jinwoowasthesamethefirsttimehewaitedinthisplace.Herecalledhowhehadhopedtobecomeahigh-rankerbackthen.TheyoungmanfouryearsagodreamtaboutB-rank,A-rankandevendeludedhimselfasfarasbecominganS-ranker.ReceivinghisE-rankshockedhimanddestroyedhisdreams.Rememberingthatdayfouryearsago,Jinwoosmiledinnostalgia.

‘Whyishesmiling?’

‘Howcouldyousmileatatimelikethis?’

TheotherswaitingstaredatJinwoostrangely,butthemanremainedcarefree.

‘Washebornwithastrongheart?’

‘Hedoesn’tlooknervousatall.’

ThespiritsoftheotherswereloweredbyJinwoo’sconfidentattitude.Theyturnedtheirheadsandlookedateachother.

‘Lookslikenothingchanged.’

Jinwooalsorememberedthis.Waitingherefilledyouwithnervousness,andpeoplewouldlookateachother,interestedintheother’sresults.Stillsmiling,Jinwoolookedaroundthebuilding.Justlikethepeople,thebuildingitselfhadnotchanged.SinceHunterAssociationwasonlytenyearsold,thebuildinglookedrelativelynew.Theinteriorswereasheremembered.However,onethingwasdifferent–

‘Thosepeopleoverthere.’

AsJinwoostaredatthegroupofwell-dressedmenandwomenacrosstheroom,themannexttohimstruckupaconversation–

“They’reallfromvariousGuilds.”

“Guilds?”

“Yeah.Huntersdon’texactlygolookingforsmallGuildstojoin.Soinstead,theysendrepresentativesheretotryandrecruitthefreshrankers.”

Itdidlooklikethepeopleinthegroupweregivingoffacoldvibetoeachother.

‘Andthewaythatthey’relookingatuswithanticipation.’

Itnowmadesense.

“Justincaseyoudon’tknow,youshouldn’tjointhoseGuilds.”

“Why’sthat?”

“FromwhatI’veheard,smallGuildsengageindangerousRaidsandlosealotofHunters.”

Jinwoonodded.Thatmadesense.ThesmallGuildswereprobablynotinagoodposition.Raidinglow-levelDungeonslikeprivatepartieswouldnotresultinagoodincome,andatthesametime,theydidnothaveenoughpowertoproperlyraidhighlevelDungeons.Becauseofthat,smallGuilds’affairsoftenresultedinincidents.

‘Soreplenishingtheirmembercountisveryimportanttothem.’

AndthatresultedinthesesmallGuildscomingtotheAssociation’sbuildingforrecruitment.

“Ah.”

Themanwhostruckupaconversationwipedawaythesweatgatheringathisbrowswithahandkerchief.ThemancarefullyheldoutahandtoJinwoo–

“Sincewemetinaplacelikethis,shallweintroduceourselves?MynameisYoonJunghoon.”

“I’mSungJinwoo.”

Withashortgreeting,thetwomenreturnedtowaitinginsilence.

“Nextperson.”

Themeasuringroomwaswideopen,sopeoplewereableseetheexpressionsoftheemployeesandthetestedperson.Thepersonwhojustgottesteddidnotlookgood.

‘MustbeEorD.’

AsifreachingthesameconclusionasJinwoo,thepeoplefromtheGuildsdidnotshowanyinterest.Itwasaratherhonestreaction.Jinwoowonderediftheyhadawayofknowingtheexactresultssomehow.

“Nextperson.”

Anotherresultcameout.Itseemedlikethisonewasalsoadud.Themanwalkedoutwithheavyfootsteps.Well,itmadesense.

‘Ifhigh-rankerscameoutthatoften,theywouldn’tbesorevered.’

Fortheaverageperson,evenreceivingaC-rankwasagreatthing.Theycouldearnalotthroughaprivateparty,andiftheywerelucky,theycouldevenenteralargeGuild.EvenBaekho’snewrecruitshadfourC-rankmembers.IfyousucceededinenteringalargeGuild,you’dearnanincomecomparabletoadoctororalawyer.ThemannexttoJinwoostruckupaconversationagain–

“IheardthatthesigningbonusforlargeGuildsareincredible.”

Theman’shandholdingthehandkerchiefwaslightlytrembling.

“Tobehonest,I’mactuallyinabitofdebt.Havetoliveawayfrommydaughter,yousee.Allthisismakingmemoreanxious.”

Themanrealizedhewasspeakingalittletoofreely.HequicklyloweredhisheadtoJinwoo–

“Sorry,whatamIsayingtoastranger...howembarrassing.Igetalittletalkative

whenI’mnervous.”

“It’salright.”

Jinwoosmiledandalsobowedhishead.AnotherAwakenedBeingleftthetestingroom.

“Nextperson,please.”

Itwastheman’sturn.However,thesweatingmansuddenlyheldandshookJinwoo’ssleeves.Washesick?

“Areyoufeelingalright?”

Jinwooaskedoutofconcern.Themanshookhishead.

“No,nothinglikethat…Er…Doyoumindgoingfirst?I’mfeelingtoonervousrightnow.”

Theman’seyeswerepleading.Well,ifhewasgoingtogiveuphisspot,Jinwoohadnoreasonstorefuse.Jinwoohappilyagreed.Heunderstoodtheman’sfeelings;afterall,thefewminutesinthatroomwoulddeterminethefateofyourlife.Anyonewouldbeshaking.

Jinwoogotupinsteadofthemanandheadedtotheemployee.Theemployeeaskedwithabusinesstone–

“Name?”

“SungJinwoo.”

“SungJinwoo-ssi…Alright,placeyourhandonthatblacksurfaceandwait.”

Asinstructed,Jinwoowalkeduptothemeasuringdeviceandplacedahandontheblacksurface.

‘Huh?HewasalreadytestedasanE-ranker?’

TheemployeelookedatJinwoo’sfileandwasamused.AlmosteverysingleHunterthatcamehereforaretestwerethesepatheticE-rankers.TheemployeelookedderisivelyatJinwoothenturnedonthemeasuringdevice.

Beep.

Woooong—

Themachinemadeanoiseforamoment,thencompleteditsmeasurement.Theresultsweredisplayedonthemonitor.

‘Huh?Whatthehell?’

Jinwooremovedthehand,andtheemployeespoketohiminconfusion–

“Holdon.”

“Hmm?”

“We’llhavetodoitagain.”

“Oh,okay.”

Jinwooputhispalmonthemachineagain.

Beep.

‘Huh?’

Thishadneverhappenedbefore.Theemployee’sexpressiondarkened.Ofallthedaysthemeasuringdevicecouldbeactingup…TheemployeeapologeticallyspoketoJinwooagain–

“Sorry.Justonemoretime.”

“...”

Attherepeatedinstruction,Jinwoojustplacedahandonthemachineandkeptitthere.

Beepbeeeeeep.

‘Whyisitlikethis?’

Theemployeebegantosweat.Thepeoplegatheredoutsiderealizedsomething

waswrong.

‘Whatisit?Didsomethinghappen?’

‘Howmanytimesisthatmangoingtorunthemeasuringdevice?’

‘Lookslikesomethingwentwrong.’

Feelingtheattentiononhim,theemployeebegantosweatprofusely.

Beep.

‘Dammit,whatamIsupposedtodo?’

Whiletheemployeestoodstillinpanic–

“Whatthe…?WheredidChangshikgo?Whyareyouherealone?”

Theemployeeturnedaround.TheDeputyoftheReceptionOffice,JungGisoowasstandingbehindhim.

“DeputyJung!”

Attheappearanceofanunexpectedally,theemployee’sfacerelaxedabit.

“Sunbaewentonabathroombreak.”

“Doesthatbastardknowwhatthetimeis?Tothinkthathewouldleavehisspotlikethat…”

JungGisoocouldnotcontinue.

‘...Well,Ialsoleftmypost.’

Anyways,itwasagoodthingthathehadcomehere.Withthesenioremployeemissing,thisunluckynewbiewassweatingprofusely.Thiswasthetimeforaveterantostep-up.

“Sowhatisit?What’swrong?”

JungGisooshowedinterestatwhateverwashappening.

“There’ssomethingwrongwiththemachine.”

“Themeasuringdevice?”

“Here,look.Theresultskeepshowinganerror.”

TheemployeesteppedasideandshowedJungGisoothemonitorshowingthemeasurementresults.Thedeputy’sfacefroze.

“...Howlonghaveyoubeenworkinghere?”

“Aboutsixmonths.DidIdosomethingwrong?”

“No.CallChangshikandtellhimtocomerightaway.”

“Sir?”

“Now’snotthetimeforbathroombreaks,callhim!”

JungGisooraisedhisvoice.Theemployeeflinchedandasked–

“W-what’sgoingon,deputy?”

“Thisisnotanerror!It’ssaying‘measurementimpossible’!Don’tyouknowwhatthatmeans?!”

“Eh?It’snotjustanerrormessage?”

Whywereallthenewhiressouseless?JungGisoomovedhisgazefromtheemployeetothepersonbeingmeasured.

‘Howcouldthisbe…’

SungJinwoo.ThemanwhoseresultsinterestedBaekho’sGuildmaster.

JungGisookepthiseyesonSungJinwooandspoketotheemployee–

“Youmoron,itmeansthatourdevicesareincapableofmeasuringthatman’smagicpower.”

“Sir?Does-doesthatmean?”

Hesaidheworkedhereforsixmonths?Forgetsixmonths,thishadnothappenedinthepasttwoyears.Ofcoursethenewhirewouldn’tknow.JungGisoorepliedwithashakingvoice–

“Yes…He’sanS-ranker.”

S-rank.Becauseofitswidespreadusetodenotecertainpeople’srankings,it’softenmistakenasanofficialpowerlevel.Inreality,theS-rankwasgiventopeoplewhosepowerscouldnotbemeasuredbythelimitsofhumanity’smeasuringtechnology.

“SohurryupandcalloverChangshik.”

“I’llcallhimrightaway.”

Soon,KimChangshikranoverwhilepullinguphispants.

“Pant,pant.Letmesee.”

Confirmingtheinformationonthemonitor,KimChangshik’sfaceturnedwhite.HiseyeswereshakingastheymovedovertoJinwoo.

‘ThismanisKorea’stenth…’

KimChangshikapproachedJinwoo.TheHunterfinallytookhishandoffofthemeasuringdevice.

“Er…Withourcurrentmachine,SungJinwoo-ssi,”

KimChangshikrealizedwhothismanwouldbecomeandquicklychangedhistone–

“No,HunterSungJinwoo-nim,itisimpossibletomeasureyourmagicpower.Inordertouseourmoreaccuratemeasuringdevice,we’llhavetoobtaintheuppermanagement’spermission.DoyoumindcomingbacktotheAssociationinthreedays?”

KimChangshikhadspokenasmandatedbyhistraining.Ithadbeensuchalongtimesincehehadtoreadthatscriptmemorizedinhishead.Hebarelyrememberedthecorrectphrases.

AsamanwithknowledgeaboutHunters,Jinwoounderstoodwhatthatmeant.

‘Alright.’

Adeferredmeasurementevaluation.Inotherwords,ifthismoreaccuratemeasurementdevicewasalsounabletomeasurehim,itwouldmeanthathewouldbecomeanS-ranker.

‘Thankgod.’

IfhereceivedanA-rankjustnow,hewouldhavetoreturntotheAssociationafterbecomingstronger.Butwhatwouldtheythinkifhe“Awakened”oncemoreafterReawakening?TheReawakeningitselfwasanincrediblyrareoccurrence,butathirdAwakeningwouldraiseatonofsuspicion.Jinwoowasgladhedidnotneedtobebotheredbysuchattention.

‘Phew-’

Withthesatisfyingresult,Jinwoosighedinrelief.Asheturnedtoleave–

“Huh?”

Everysinglepairofeyesinthebuildingwasfocusedonhim.

***

“Ohmy,you’reabusyman.Youdidn’thavetocomehereyourselflikethis.”

“Nonsense,I’mheretomeettheHunterAssociation’sDirectorPark.HowcouldIjustgiveyouacall?Ihadtocomeseeyoufacetoface.”

AsChoiJonginsmiledwithhiseyesandspokewithfriendliness,theelderlyDirectorParkchuckledinresponse.

Whowasthismaninfrontofhim?HewasthemanwholedSouthKorea’stopGuild,“Hunters”.

TheStrongestSoldier,ChoiJongin.Theman’swordscouldmovethecountry’smostpowerfulraidingparty.Andthatmanwasshowingconsiderationfortheelderlydirector,howcouldhenotfeelhappy?

ChoiJonginplacedacigaretteinhismouth–

“IsitokayifIsmoke?”

“Ofcourse.”

“Whataboutyou,director?”

“Oh,no,I’mgood.”

Withalitcigarette,ChoiJonginwasthefittingimageofacarefreeyoungmanwhohadeverythinginlife.

‘Isthiswhattheycallcharisma?’

Whilethedirectorstaredathim,ChoiJonginasked–

“Youknow,BuildingB’sratherloudtoday.”

“BuildingB?”

Thedirectorlookedinthedirectionofthebuilding.Inreality,thedirectorcouldnothaveheardwhatwashappening.However,ChoiJonginwasanS-rankHunter.Theman’sfivesenseswereincomparabletoanordinaryperson.Ifthatmanwassayingitwasloud,somethingmustbehappeningoverthere.Avaluableguestwashere,howembarrassing.Thedirectorfurrowedhisbrowsandspoke–

“I’llgocheckitout.”

“No,it’salright.”

ChoiJongindroppedthecigaretteandputitoutwithafoot.

“I’malsocuriousonwhat’sgoingonoverthere.”

Raisinghishead,ChoiJongin’seyeswerefilledwithlight,andasmileappearedonhisface–

“Let’sgotogether.”

***

TheentireBuildingBbecamesilent.

‘Didhejustsay“measurementimpossible”...?’

‘DoesthatmeanthatmanisanS-ranker?’

‘I’veonlyheardofitinstories.TothinkthatIwouldactuallyseeitinperson…’

Gulp.

TherepresentativesfromthesmallGuildsgulpedasJinwooturnedtoleave.However,notoneofthemcouldapproachhim.

“...”

“...”

IfaC-rankerappeared,afiercecompetitionwould’vetakenplaceamongtherepresentativestotryandrecruittheHunter.Manyofthemwouldlineupjusttogetawordortwoin.

AndifaB-rankerappeared?Therepresentativeswouldpracticallyfighteachothertoofferallkindsofdeals,benefitsandconditionstotheHunter.Toanoutsideobserver,itwouldlooklikeawar.Everyonceinawhile,B-rankerswhowantedtobetheheadofasnakeinsteadofthetailofadragonwouldbewonover.

However,A-rankerswereadifferentstory.TheywerethespecialexistencesthatcouldfindahomeinlargeGuildsandignoresmallandmiddleGuilds.Ofcourse,theywouldobviouslybeplacedinprimaryraidinggroupofanylargeGuildstheyenter,andthroughtheirjobs,clearhigh-levelDungeonsandearnanunimaginableamountofmoney.Thatwasnotall.Iftheywanted,A-rankerscouldeasilymaketheirownGuildsandbecometheGuildmaster.Andso,theyhadnoreasonstogivethetimeofdaytosmallandmiddleGuilds.

Andthen…

AmagicpowerthatcannotbemeasuredmeantanS-ranker.

S-rank,notA-rank.

Itwasthedifferenceofasingleletter,butitmeantthathewasamongtheninehighest-rankingAwakenedBeingsofSouthKorea.

‘Well,ifyouincludehim,it’stennow,right?’

‘ThetenthS-rankHunter…’

HewasnotatargetsmallandmiddleGuildscouldeventhinkofrecruiting.

Gulp.

Alltheycoulddoissilentlygulprepeatedly.Hewastrulyatreasurejustoutoftheirreach.

However–

‘Wait…’

‘Isthisnotmychance?’

Someofthemorecunningscoutsthoughtofadastardlyidea.WhatiftheyreportedtheinformationofanS-rankAwakenedBeingtoalargeGuildformoney?TheSrankers’contractualfeessurmountedtoseveraltensofbillionsatminimum.Iftheycouldobtainjust1%ofthatfeeasafinder’sfee,theycouldretirethenandthere.Andiftheywerelucky,theycouldevenactasthatman’spersonalmanager.Didn’tsomeS-rankHunter’spersonalmanagerreceiveaPorscheasabirthdaypresent?

‘...ShouldItryit?’

‘Ifit’sme,Icoulddoit…’

‘Ishouldjustclosemyeyesanddoit.’

Inthatshorttime,manyofthescoutsbecamebrazen.Afailurewouldresultinamoment’shumiliation,whileasuccesswouldchangetheirlives.Thescoutsglancedateachotherandslowlybegantomaketheirmove.Suddenly,someonepointedatthebuilding’sentrance–

“Huh?Overthere…!”

Wasitbecausetheywereallholdingtheirbreathinanxiety?Everyoneturnedtowherethemanwaspointing.Theeyesofthescoutsopenedwide.

“Holyshit!”

EverysinglepersonrecognizedthefashionablemanenteringBuildingB.

“Choi…ChoiJongin?”

“WhyistheGuildmasterofHuntershere?”

ChoiJonginignoredtheirattentions,lightlypressedhisclothes,thenwalkedovertoJinwoo.

‘Hecan’thavearrivedafterreceivingaword.It’stoosoon.’

‘WasthatmanalreadycontractedwithHuntersGuild?’

‘DidHuntersGuildalreadyknow?Man,thenumberoneGuildsureissomethingelse.’

Thescoutsnoddedinunderstanding.ItwasagoodthingthattheydidnotapproachJinwoo.IftheywerefoundoutbyChoiJonginintheprocess,whatwould’vehappenedtothem?Thesituationfinallylookedlikeitwasabouttoresolve.

‘ThepicturelookscompletedwithChoiJonginhere.’

‘Damn,thisissocool.’

‘TothinkthatHuntersGuild’sGuildmasterhimselfwouldcome…Man,theSrankerssureareinadifferentclass.’

Whiledisappointed,thescoutswatchedthemeetingbetweentheGuildmasterofSouthKorea’snumberoneGuildandthefreshS-rankAwakenedBeinginanticipation.

Meanwhile.

JinwoosawChoiJongin’sarrivalandsighedinrelief.

‘Thankgod.’

Hewasconfusedonwhattodowhenalltheattentionwasonhim.Thankfully,ChoiJonginhadappearedandtookthatattentionaway.Jinwoosilentlythankedthemaninhisheartandwalkedpasthim.

ChoiJonginwastakenback.

‘Huh?Wait,thisisn’tit.’

ThemanquicklystoppedJinwoo–

“Excuseme,”

Jinwoostoppedandturnedaround–

“...?”

LookingatJinwoo,alightappearedinChoiJongin’seyes–

‘Thismanisthetenth…’

Hehadtoldthedirectorthathewantedtocomealongandseewhatthefusswasabout,buttruthfully,ChoiJonginwaswellawarewhathadhappenedhere.

‘Theyweresoloudgoingonabout“measurementimpossible”,howcouldInothear?’

Becauseofthat,hehadobtainedalargewindfall.ThemaninfrontofhimwasanSranker.AnS-ranker!IfChoiJongincouldbringthismantoHuntersGuild,hisGuildwouldhavethreeS-rankHunters.ForgetKorea,theycouldstandshouldertoshoulderwiththebestGuildsacrosstheentireworld.Hecouldnothelpbutdroolatthethought.

‘There’snoneedformetoborrowameasuringdevice.’

JustmeetingJinwoo’seyes,ChoiJongincouldfeeltheother’spower.Hewasundoubtedlythehighest-rankingHunter.Therewasnoneedtowaitthreedays.

ChoiJonginstartedwitharefreshingsmile–

“IamtheHuntersGuild’sGuildmaster,ChoiJongin.”

Jinwooalreadyknewasmuch.Theman’sfacewasplasteredalloverthemedia.HewascuriousonwhythiscelebritywastalkingtohimallthewayattheAssociation,buthedidnothavethetimetoask.Jinwooglancedattheclockonthewall–

‘It’s5:50rightnow.’

Takingthetraveltimeintoaccount,hebarelyhadanytime.WhenJinwooputonanimpatientexpression,ChoiJongincontinued,alittleflustered–

“Ah,well…Iheardthatyoujustreceivedyourranking.”

“Yep.”

“DoyouperhapshaveaGuildinmindtojoin?”

“Nope.”

Withthatreply,abrightsmileappearedonChoiJongin’sface.

‘Yes,thisisgood.’

Healreadyimaginedtheirfuturetogether.“OneofthetopthreeGuildsoftheworld,HuntersGuild.”Ohhowsweetthatsoundedinhismind.Startingtoday,itwasnolongerapipedream.

‘You’remine.’

ChoiJongincalmedhisheartandspokethewordsthathebelievedwouldgodowninhistory–

“Iwishtohaveadiscussionwithyouaboutthat.Couldyoupleasesparethetime?”

“Can’t,sorry.”

Andwiththat,Jinwooleftthebuilding.

“...”

Everythinghappenedsoquickly.ChoiJonginwassoshockedthathecouldn’tevenstopJinwoo.TheAssociationemployeesandthescoutsrealizedwhathappenedandfellintochaos.

“What?”

“DidGuildmasterChoiJonginjustgetrejected?”

“Hejustgotignoredjustlikethat!”

Theinteriorofthebuildingbecameloudwithchatter.ChoiJongindidhisbesttokeephiscomposureandturnedtohisside–

“DirectorPark.”

“Hmm?”

Thedirectorrepliedwithanawkwardexpression.

“DidIjustmessupmyintroduction?”

“Er…That’s…I’mnotsure.”

Ofcourse,thedirectorhadheardeverywordfromstarttofinish.However,thiswasnotatimetoreplysodirectly.Whenthedirectorclosedhismouth,thedumbfoundedChoiJonginscratchedthesideofhisface.

‘DidIcomeontoostrong…?’

Well,therewasnoneedtobedisappointed.HedefinitelywasaheadoftheotherGuildsonthis.

‘TheonlyonewhoknowsaboutthenewS-rankerisme.’

Theremeasurementwouldbethreedaysfromnow.Hehadtimeuntiltheofficialannouncement.

‘Ihavetoplanameetingwithhimsomehowuntilthen…’

Wasthereagoodmethod?Whileincontemplation,ChoiJongindiscoveredsomeonerunningwithallofhismighttowardtheAssociationbuilding.

‘...Wait,that’s?’

Itwasafamiliarface.Whenthemanopenedtheglassdoorsandenteredthebuilding,ChoiJongingreetedhimwithshock–

“GuildmasterBaek,whyareyou…?”

BaekYoonhoalsosawChoiJonginandopenedhiseyeswideinsurprise–

“GuildmasterChoi?”

ChoiJonginquicklyreadBaekYoonho’sexpression.

‘That’sthefaceofamanwhogotcaught…’

Itcouldn’thavebeenthatthemanhadcomehereafterreceivingword.Thetimingdidn’tfit.

‘Baekho’sofficesaretoofarfromtheHunterAssociation…’

Thatmeans…BaekYoonhoknewfromthestartwhatwouldhappenhere.

‘Washeawareofthatman’sexistence?’

No,ifthatwasthecase,BaekYoonhowouldnothavesimplylethimundertakearetestlikethis.

‘IfIwasawareofsuchanexistence,Iwould’vemadeacontractbeforelettinghimtakearetest.’

Inthatmoment,thescatteredpiecesofthepuzzlebegantoassembleinChoiJongin’shead.

‘...Coulditbe?’

BaekhoGuild.Theincidentduringthenewrecruittraining.RedGate.Theunknownhelper.

...AndthisnewS-rankAwakenedBeing.

“LookslikeBaekhoreceivedhelpfromsomeonethattheydon’twanttoreveal.”

“Anewrecruitthatdidn’tevenreceivearankyet?Oracriminalthatcouldn’trevealtheiridentity?”

Everythingfellintoplace

...Foundhim.

‘Itwasthatman.’

Asasignofjusthowhardheranhere,BaekYoonhowaspanting.ChoiJonginrealizeditwasn’tthatBaekYoonhohadleftthemanalone;BaekYoonhocouldn’tpreventthemanfromtakingtheretest.ChoiJonginturnedtoBaekYoonhowithasmile–

‘Youdidn’tgethim.’

I’mdifferentthanyou.

‘Thankyoufortheopportunity.’

Withoutsayinganythingtotheman,ChoiJonginwalkedpastBaekYoonho.

BaekYoonholookedaround.HedidnotseeJinwoo.

‘WasItoolate?’

BaekYoonhostartedatChoiJongindisappearinginthedistanceandsigheddeeply.

“Sigh–”

OfallthedaystheHuntersGuild’smastercouldbehere...BaekYoonhoscratchedthebackofhisheadanduttered–

“Thingsjustgotcomplicated.”

***

Seoul’sIlshinHospital’spatientvisitinghoursranuntil8p.m.

“You’repatientParkGyunghae’sguardian?”

“Yes.”

“Visitationshouldbefine.You’reawareofthevisitinghours?”

“Yes,I’maware.”

Jinwooheadedtothehospitalroomwherehismotherwas.Becausehehadhurried,hemanagedtoarriveintime.

Afteropeningthedoorandentering,Jinwoosawhismother.Thewomanwaslyingonthebedasifsleeping.Hersonquietlysatdownnexttoher.

‘Justlookingatherlikethis,itfeelslikeshecouldwakeupanyminute…’

Thesleepwhichyouwouldnotwakeupfrom.ItwasanillnessthatappearedaftertheGatesstartedappearing.

‘Theysaythere’satleasttenotherpatientswiththesameconditionhere.’

Jinwoogentlyheldhismother’shand.

“Mom…”

Fortunately,lifesupportdevicesempoweredbymagiccoresprotectedherbodyfromwastingaway,evenafteryearsofunconsciousness.However,magiccoreswereexpensive.Justthemonthlycostofthemagiccoresusedtorunthemachinewasinexcessoffivemillionwon.WithoutthesupportprovidedbytheAssociation,itwasnotanamountthatamaninhis20scouldpay.ThankstoworkingasaHunterundertheAssociation,Jinwoowasabletoholdhismother’shandlikethis.

Butthingsweredifferentnow.

Insteadofbeingjustsatisfiedwiththefactthathismotherwasalive,Jinwooobtainedthemeanstocureher.

TheHolyWaterofLife.

ThecuregiftedbytheSystem.

Whetherornotitwouldworkwasforthefuture.Rightnow,theprioritywastomakeit.

“I’llsaveyou.”

Themotherthatheldthefamilytogetherwithherweakbodyaftertheirfatherhaddisappeared.Theywouldsoonbeabletoseetheirmotherwholeagain.

‘Pleasewaituntilthen.’

Howlongdidhestaybyhismother’sside?Sometimelater,Jinwoofinallygotup.Afteralongvisit,Jinwoosilentlyleftthepatient’sroomandclosedthedoor.Whenheturnedaround,heranintoafamiliarface.

“AsIthought…wereyouthemanwhotookcareofthemagicbeastsintheDoubleDungeonthatday?”

Adeepvoice.Sharpeyes.

ItwastheHunterSurveillanceDepartment(HSD)ChiefWooJincheol.

Jinwoodidnotreply.Heneitherhadthereasonnorthedesiretodoso.Instead,heaskedaquestion–

“HowdidyouknowIwashere?”

“I’vetheorizedtheplaceswhereHunter-nimmightgo.WhenIcontactedthehospital,theytoldmeyouwerehere.”

Theoneswhoprovidedforhismother’shospitalbillsweretheAssociation.

‘Well,notanymore.’

Perhapsthefirstplacetheywould’velookedforhimwashere.ItwasaspeedfittingoftheHSD.Jinwoosmiledwidelyandspoke–

“Areyouheretoaskmeaboutthatdayagain?”

WooJincheolshookhishead–

“No,sir.”

“Thenwhy?”

“ThereissomeonewhowouldliketomeetwithHunter-nim.Couldyoupleaseaccompanyme?”

HunterAssociation’sHunterSurveillanceDepartment.

TheHSD’sprimaryfunctionwastomonitorandarrestanywrong-doingHunters.TotheHunters,theyweren’texactlyafriendlyexistence.Jinwoowasthesame–

“Isthatanorder?”

“No,sir.”

WooJincheolremovedhissunglassesandbowedhisupperbodyinanear90-degreeangle–

“Itisarequest.”

“...”

Tothinkthatthefierce-lookingWooJincheolwouldbethisrespectfultohim.Afterthinkingforamoment,Jinwoodecidedhewouldatleastfindoutwhoitwas–

“Who’sthepersonthatwantstomeetwithme?”

WooJincheolraisedhishead–

“HunterAssociation’sPresidentGoGunhee-nim.”

WooJincheolgesturedtoacornerattheendofthehall.

“Theassociationpresidentishere.”

Chapter9:ProposalFromTheAssociationPresident

HunterAssociation,AssociationPresident’sRoom.

DoctorJooChiuiwaslookingoverGoGunheewithasolemnexpression.Thedoctorremovedthestethoscopefromtheelder’schest.

“AssociationPresident…”

“Youdon’thavetosayanything.YourexpressiontellsmeeverythingIneedtoknow.”

GoGunheebuttoneduphisshirtandchuckled.JooChiuicouldnotopenhismouth.

‘AssociationPresidentGoGunhee…It’samiraclethathe’sevenabletowalkinthisstate…’

Andyettheheadoftheassociationdidnoteaseuponhisbusyactivities.Afterall,themandidnotevenhavethetimetogotothehospitalandhadtocallthedoctorovertohisworkplace.

“Youknow,”

GoGunheeputonhissuit.

“IoncethoughtthatwiththeappearanceofHealersandtheirhealingmagic,Imightbeabletoexperiencemyyouthagain.Iwasreadytosaygoodbyetothisfrailoldbodyofmine.”

GoGunheelaughedagain.

“Seemsthatisn’tthecase.”

“Istherenootherway?”

“EventhebestofHunterscannotstopthearrowoftime.”

IfHealer-classHuntersweretrulyabletoeliminateeverysickness,everyhospitalinthecountrywould’vecloseddown,andthedoctorswouldbeoutofajob.Whetheritwasfortunateorunfortunate,suchathingdidnothappen.Justhelpingthebodyregeneratewerethelimitsofhealingmagic.Evenifitcouldmiraculouslyregrowanarmthatwascutoff,itcouldnotcureachildwithasimplecold.

‘Thankstothat,Iatleasthaveajob…’

JooChiuistaredattheassociationpresidentalreadypreparingtoheadout.

‘Apersonliketheassociationpresidentneedstoborrowsomeunknownmagic’spowerandbecomewhole.’

Unfortunately,nohealingmagicormedicaladvancescouldhelptheman.Onlythingthedoctorcoulddowasofferupwordsofsupport–

“Pleasetakecareofyourself,sir.Evenit’salittle,youneedtogetsomerest.”

“Ialsowouldlikethat.”

ButwhatwouldhappentotheHunterAssociation?GoGunheejustlaughedinsteadofcontinuing.

‘AnAssociationwithoutthisGoGunhee.’

Evennow,thelargeGuildswerefiercelycompetingtobecomestronger.Theirstrengthhasfarsincegrownbeyondtheconventionalmilitarymightofmostcountries.ThefactthattheAssociationhadanyinfluenceoverthemwasnotbecauseofthegovernmentbackingtheAssociation,butbecauseofthepowerofGoGunhee.ThemomenttheAssociationlosesthatpower,theHunterswillbecomelikebeastsunleashedfromtheircages.

‘No…Notyet.’

Hecouldnotretirenow.Rightnow,theAssociationwastheonlyexistencekeepingtheGuildsincheck.Withoutasuitablealternative,themancouldnotaffordtodisappear.

‘ToshowthattheAssociationisaliveandstrong,mypresenceisneeded.’

TheS-rankamongS-ranks.ThenameGoGunheehadtobethere.Nomatterhowlongithadtogoonfor…

“Mm!”

GoGunheeclutchedhischestinpain.

“Associationpresident,here…”

JooChiuipreparedsomepainkillersandwater.

“Thankyou.”

Aftertakingthemedicine,hefeltalittlebetter.Suddenly,hisphonerang–

‘Hmm?’

Hehadgivenstrictinstructionsnottodisturbhimwhilethedoctorwashere.GoGunheefurrowedhisbrowsandpickedupthephone–

“I’mbeingexaminedrightnow.”

Acrosstheline,hissecretaryspokewithapanickedvoice–

—“Iapologize,associationpresident.Thiswastoourgent.”

“DidJapancontactusagain?”

—“Theydid,butit’snotaboutthat,sir.”

GoGunhee’seyebrowstwitchedforamoment–

‘There’sabiggerproblemthantheantsofJejuIsland?’

Whatcoulditbe?

“Whatisit?”

BeforeGoGunheecouldlosehispatience,theassistantcarefullyspoke–

—“There’sbeenawordfromtheTestingDepartment.”

“TheTestingDepartment?”

TheHunterAssociation’sTestingDepartmentwasinchargeofmeasuringthemagicpowerofGatesanddeterminingtherankofnewAwakenedBeings.Itwasnotexactlyadepartmentthatwouldbecallingaboutaproblem.

‘Unless…’

DidtheymismeasureyetanotherGate?GoGunheefrownedwhilerecallingtheincidentwithBaekho.However,thatillfeelinglastedonlyforamoment.Thewordsthesecretaryspokenextfarexceededanyproblem–

—“JustnowattheTestingDepartment…theysayanAwakenedBeingappearedwitharesultof‘measurementimpossible’.”

***

“TheHunterAssociationPresidentGoGunhee?”

Didhehearthatcorrectly?Jinwooquestionedhisears.ThegreatestHunterofSouthKoreacameallthewaytothehospitaltomeetwithhim?

‘Noway…’

WhileJinwoostoodindisbelief,WooJincheolgesturedtohisbackandconfirmed–

“Yes,theassociationpresidentishere.”

WooJincheolwaitedforJinwoo’sreplywithaseriouslook.Themanwasclearlynotjoking.

‘...He’sreallyhere.’

WhywouldtheGoGunheewanttomeetwithhim?AstrongsuspicionappearedinJinwoo’smind.Theonlythinkhecouldthinkofwastheresultsoftheretest…

‘DotheywanttobringmeintotheAssociation?’

ButtheAssociationwasanon-profitorganization.TheywouldnotusethechiefofHSDjusttocomeandgetaloneHunterlikethis.Ontopofthat,theresultsofhisretestwerestillpending.Moreandmorehethoughtaboutit,theassociationpresident’sactionsdidnotmakesense.

“Okay.”

Jinwoodecidedtocomply.Comparedtotheseriousexpressionheputonmomentsago,WooJincheol’sfacebrightenedinaninstant.

“Thankyou,sir!”

Hisgratitudewasfilledwithsincerity.

‘Eventhatseriouslylookingahjussicouldmakeafacelikethat,huh.’

Stillamazed,JinwoofollowedafterWooJincheol.Aroundthecorner,anelderlymansatononeofthechairsusedbypeoplewaitinginthehospital.

‘Thatmanis…’

Jinwoogulped.

TheS-rankHunterwhowascalled“TheSkyAboveSkies”,GoGunhee.

Rise.

DiscoveringJinwoo,GoGunheerosefromhisseat.

“HunterSungJinwoo-nim?”

Theelderlyman’sbodydidnotlooklikeitbelongedtosomeoneover80yearsold.Itwasreminiscentofaretiredwrestlerorasireumplayer[1].However,therewasnooppressivepressurecomingfromtheman.

‘NotwhatIexpected.’

Jinwoothoughttheman’sappearanceandplaceinsocietywould’vegivenoffasenseofpressure.Instead,theHSDchiefnexttohimlookedmuchscarierinhiseyes.

“Yes,IamSungJinwoo.”

Jinwooreplied.GoGunheeheldoutahandwithabrightface.

“Pleasetomeetyou.IamGoGunhee.”

Thetwomenbrieflyshookhands.GoGunheegesturedtoachairacrosstheonehewassittingin.

“Please,haveaseat.”

“Thankyou.”

AfterJinwoosatdown,GoGunheefollowedsuit.ThefirstthingthatcaughtJinwoo’seyeswasthegoldenbadgepinnedonGoGunhee’ssuit.AmemberoftheNationalAssembly[2]andtheHunterAssociation’sPresident–

‘AndanS-rankAwakenedBeing.’

GoGunheewasnotamanjustanyonecouldmeet.Includingthenation’spoliticiansandevenforeigndignitaries,thewaitinglistforthepeoplewantingtomeetwiththemanwasunimaginablylong.AndthispiquedJinwoo’scuriosityevenmore.WhydidamanlikeGoGunheelookforhiminsuchahurry?

‘NowthatIthinkaboutit,ChoiJongintoo…’

Thetwomenhehadmetoneaftertheothertodayweretrulydeservingoftheword“best”indescribingthem.AndJinwoowasn’tevenofficiallyanS-rankeryet.GoGunheespokeasifoncue–

“CongratulationsonbecominganS-rankHunter.”

Jinwoowasconfused–

“IbelieveIstillhavetheremeasurementtoundergo.”

GoGunheeshookhishead–

“Thereisnomeaningtotheremeasurement.”

“Sir?”

WhenJinwoobecameincredulous,GoGunheecontinuedwithagentlesmile–

“Thetruthis,theso-calledaccuratemeasuringdeviceisonlyusedtobreakdownyourresults.Itisnotcapableofmeasuringanymoremagicpowerthanourordinarymachinescould.”

“Thenwhy–”

“‘…didwemakeupsomethinglikearemeasurement?’”

Yes.Iftheresultsweregoingtobethesame,whywouldtheAssociationmakethingsmorecomplicatedwithafalseremeasurement?GoGunhee’sreplywasstraightforward–

“Itistobuyussometime.”

‘Buytime…?’

BeforeJinwoocouldask,GoGunheecontinued,alittleembarrassed–

“WhatlittletimewecouldobtaintohavethefirstopportunitytotalktopeoplelikeHunterSungJinwoo-nim.”

Ah~

Jinwoocompletelyunderstoodwhattheassociationpresidentwassaying.

“Asyouknow,comparedtothesizeofourorganization,theAssociationdoesnothavemanyoutstandingHunterslikeChiefWooJincheol.”

Jinwooknewwhy.

“BecauseofthelargeGuilds.”

Ofcourse.

Jinwoonodded.

“ThelargeGuildscanofferanimmenseamountofmoneyandfame.Comparedtothat,whowouldwanttocomeworkforusintheAssociation?”

ThesalariesofHuntersundertheAssociationwerenotexactlysmall.However,comparedtothesumsofferedbylargeGuilds,theylookedlikeapittance.Itwentsimilarlyforfame.

“PeoplemayrecognizethenamesofalargeGuild’smainraidingmembers,butnooneknowsourChiefWooJincheol’sname.”

Atthementionofprimaryraidingmembers,JinwoothoughtofKimCheol.TheSensestathadmanyuses.Oneofwhichwastodiscernthepotentialsofdifferentpeople.Rightnow,JinwoowasabletotellthatWooJincheolwasalevelaboveKimCheol.

‘They’rebothA-rankers,butthelevelsaredifferent.’

JinwooturnedhisheadtolookattheHSDchief.Asifembarrassedbytheassociationpresident’scomplimentingwordsandJinwoo’sgaze,themanwasstandingwithhisheadlowered.

‘But…’

HadKimCheolstillbeenaroundtoworkasaHunter,hewould’veearnedamagnitudemorethanWooJincheol.Nottomentionbeingmuchmorefamous.ThatwasthedifferencebetweenanAssociationHunterandaGuildHunter.

“Andso,wecreatedalittleschemeforoccasionswhenapowerfulAwakenedBeingappearedattheAssociation.

Andthat’stheremeasurement?

‘WhenIthinkaboutit…’

Oncetheresultswereofficiallymadeknown,itwouldmakewavesacrossthecountry.TheAssociationwouldhaveahardtimemeetinghimfacetofacelikethisoncethathappened.Itwasaconvincingstratagem.

“Allowmetogettothepoint.”

Suddenly,thesmiledisappearedfromtheassociationpresident’sface.

“Wearenotabusiness,sowecannotpromiseyoumuchmoney.However–”

GoGunheeputahandinsidehissuitpocketandremovedsomethinginaclosedfist.

“Wecanhelpyouwalkdownanotherpath.”

“Whatdoyoumean…?”

“ItmeanswecanhelpHunterSungJinwoo-nimgrowinotherways.”

Theclosedfistopened.ThegoldbadgeoftheNationalAssemblysparkledinGoGunhee’shand.

‘He’stalkingabout…authority?’

However,Jinwoowasstillskeptical–

“There’ssomethingIdon’tunderstand.”

“Hmm?”

“Wasthereareasontoseekmeoutlikethis?”

Itwasafairquestion.GoGunhee’seyesstaringatJinwoolitupwithinterest.

‘He’sneitherfazedbywhoIam,norshakenbytheofferinfrontofhim.Instead,hecalmlyaskssuchaquestion…’

Hadherushedtoomuchintothis?Theysaidyourpatiencedecreasesasyougetolder.GoGunheerealizedjusthowtruethatwas.Theelderswallowedalaughterandcontinued–

“YouareawareofthetopfiveGuildsofournation,right?”

Whowouldn’t?Jinwoonodded.

“Inourcountryrightnow,therearefivebehemothsbarelymaintainingabalance.”

HuntersGuild,Baekho,andGrimReapersinthecapital.

MyungsungandKnightsintheotherprovince.

“NomatterwhichofthoseGuildsHunter-nimjoins,thatfragilebalancewillbebrokenandtheboardwillbeflippedover.”

Evennow,thepowerandauthorityofthelargeGuildssoaredtothesky.AndifoneofthemwasabletoobtainasingleS-rankHunterandleavetheothersbehindinthedust?CouldtheAssociationstillhaveanyholdoverthatGuild?TheAssociationwasthelynchpinholdingthebalanceofthoselargeGuilds.

“Laws,society,military.ItistoolateforanyofthosethingstoholdbacktheHunters.”

Jinwoohadthoughtsomethingsimilarinthepast.Magicbeastswerenottheonlymonsters.Hunterscouldeasilybecomejustasdangerous.Ifanything,justgoingbytheir“strength”,Hunterswerealreadymoredangerousthanmagicbeasts.

“AndthatiswhytheAssociationisneeded.”

GoGunhee’sfaceturnedveryserious–

“AndthatAssociationneedsHunterSungJinwoo-nim.”

‘Amanwieldingapowerfulstrengthlikeyou.’

Theelder’seyesbecamekeen–

‘Well,timewilltellwhatkindofamanyoureallyare…’

AslongasSungJinwoosaid“yes”here,theassociationpresidenthadnoqualmsaboutsupportinghimwitheverythinghehad.ThatwasthevalueoftheS-rankers.

‘IthinkI’vesaidenough.’

Ithadbeenalongtimesincetheelderhadfeltthismuchnervousnessandanticipation.Andwiththat,GoGunheeaskedwithasubduedvoice–

“Whatisyouranswer,Hunter-nim?”

***

Itwasnotabadoffer.WithGoGunhee’sbacking,evenanordinarymancouldquicklyreachtheupperranksofgovernment.Afterall,therewasnoplacetheassociationpresident’sinfluencedidnotreach.ButifthatmanwasanS-rankHunter?

‘Ican’tevenimaginehowhighIcango.’

Jinwooimaginedhimselflookingsharpinacleansuit,standingnexttoGoGunheeintheNationalAssembly.Hisheartracedalittle.

‘It’snotanopportunitythatcomeseveryday.’

TheroadofferedbyGoGunheewasnotapathjustanyonecouldfollow.

However,therewassomethingcriticalmissingonthatroad.

‘IfIentertheAssociation,Iwon’tbeabletolevelupanymore.’

TheAssociation’sstaffHuntersdidnotgoraiding.TheirprimaryrolewastofightotherHunters,notmagicbeasts.EveniftheyoccasionallyenteredanAssociationRaid–

‘TheAssociation’sRaidsarelimitedtotheDandE-rankDungeonsthattheGuildsdon’tevenlookat.’

Couldhelivetherestofhislifeasalow-levelwithoutearninganymoreexperiencepoints?No,therewasnoway.AstrongdeterminationcriedoutinsideofJinwoo–

‘Iwanttobecomestronger.’

Toahigherplace.Ashighashecouldgo.Ifhehadreachedhislimit,itwouldbeadifferentstory,butheknewthathehadnot.Howcouldhegivethatup?Fromthebottomofhisheart,Jinwoocouldnot.

‘AslongIcankeepleveling,mygrowthwillnotstop.’

Badumbadum.

ComparedtohisimageofneatlystandingnexttoAssociationPresidentGo

Gunhee,thethoughtmadeJinwoo’sheartbeatmuchfaster.GoGunheealsonoticedthechangeinJinwoo–

‘Hisbreathingspedup.Hashereachedadecision?’

Ifonlyitwasagooddecision.

‘No,ithastobeagoodone.’

Whenhethoughtofhisremainingtime.

GoGunheewasasexcitedasJinwooashewaitedfortheyoungman’sreply.Asinglesecondfeltlikeafullminute.

Jinwoofinallyopenedhismouth–

“I’msorry.”

GoGunhee’sfacedarkened.

‘Iswearhisfacewasfilledwithdeterminationjustnow…WasImistaken?’

Theeldercouldnothidehisdisappointment–

‘Intheend,thisisallthatthemanamountsto.’

HewasnotlyingwhenhesaidhewouldhelpJinwoodownadifferentpath.Infact,hehadthoughtofaplacehigherthanthat.

‘ThefirstS-rankerintwoyears…’

Heplannedtoplacetheyoungmanathissideandteachhimmanythings,andifthemanshowedpotential,hewould’vemadehimtheheirtohiswork.ThestrongpowerthatwouldupholdtheAssociationafterhedied.Thatwaswhathehadmeantbya“differentpath”.GoGunheewaspreparedtogiveeverythingtotheyoungman.Andtothinkthatthiswashisreply.

‘Imustlooklikeafool.’

GoGunheeputawaythebadgehewasholdingandaskeddefeatedly–

“Intheend…isitmoney?”

Jinwoosharplyreplied–

“No.”

GoGunheesnortedinhishead–

‘Ofcourseyouwouldsaythat.’

Butheknew.Everyonewasthesame.Alltheythoughtaboutwasmoney.Thefamewasjustthecherryontopofthecake.

‘Well…’

Itwashumannaturetoseekmaterialwealth.Hedidnotcriticizethatfact.Itwasjustalittleinsultingthattheywerealwayssodishonest.

“Thenwhydidyourefuse?”

Evenknowingtheanswer,GoGunheeasked.Hejustwantedtoseetheman’sreaction.

However–

“BecauseIwanttofight.”

Jinwoo’simmediatereply,spokenwithoutanounceofhesitation,slappedGoGunheeacrossthecheeks.

‘What?’

No,notaslap–itfeltlikeapunchtotheguts.

“Youmean…youwanttofightmagicbeasts?”

“Yes.”

Jinwoodidnotaddanyunnecessaryclarificationandtoldthetruth–

“IwanttoentertheGatesandeliminatemagicbeasts.TheplacewhereIbelong

toistheDungeon.”

‘Mygod.’

GoGunhee’seyeswidened.Asamanstandingatthetop,hecouldtellbylookingintosomeone’seyeswhetherornottheywerelying.Afterall,suchinsightwasrequiredtoreachthetop.AndlookingatJinwoo’seyesrightnow,GoGunheeknew–

‘Thoseeyes…aretellingthetruth.’

HisopinionofJinwoomadeacompleteturn.

‘HowlonghasitbeensinceIfeellikethis?’

WhenhefirstbecameanAwakenedBeing,GoGunheewasalreadytoooldtomakethefulluseofhispower.Andso,insteadoffightingmagicbeasts,themanlookedforadifferentwaytohelptheworld.HesoldhisprivatecompanytoobtainthefundstocreatetheAssociation,collectedHuntersandusedhisinfluencetoentertheNationalAssemblytocreatelawsfortheHunters.However,nomatterhowhardheworked,therewasacoredisappointmentinhisheart–

‘IfIwasjusttwenty,no,justtenyearsyounger,Icouldbefightingalongsidemenlikethese…!’

BADUM,BADUM,BADUM.

GoGunheeplacedahandonhischest.Theheartthatcould’vestoppedanyminutewasnowbeatingfuriously.

‘Tothinkthatmyheartcouldmakeasoundlikethis.’

Itwasagoodsound.Meanwhile,Jinwoowasconfused–

‘Weird…’

Hehadrefusedtheoffer,expectingtobeshunnedbytheAssociation.Instead,theassociationpresidentwasmaintainingahappyexpressionforsomereason.

‘Well,notthatitmatters…’

Jinwoohadsaidalltherewastobesaid.Hestoodupfromhisseat–

“Mylittlesister’sathomealone,soI’llbetakingmyleavenow.”

“Thankyouforyourtime.”

GoGunheeroseafterJinwooandheldsomethingouttotheyoungman–

“Andhere.”

Itwasabusinesscard.

‘...?’

“Ifyouneedmyassistance,please–feelfreetocallmeatanytime.”

GoGunheesmiledbrightly.Jinwoowasright.AstrongHunterbelongedintheDungeon.AlthoughhehadfailedtorecruitSungJinwoo,astheHunterAssociation’sPresidentandasafellowHunter,GoGunheewantedtohelptheyoungmaninwhateverwayhecould.

Ifhewasbeingalittlemorehonest–

‘Ilikethisyouth’sspirit.’

Still,hehadtoleavewithawordofadvice.Aninterestinsomeoneoftenbroughtaboutnagging.

“It’llbeimpossibleforyoutoenterahigh-levelDungeononyourown.SopleasebecarefulinwhatGuildyoudecidetojoin.”

‘Afterall,yourdecisionwillmakeagreatwave.’

Hearingtheelder’sadvicefilledwithsincerity,Jinwoobrieflyshowedasmile.

“Thankyou.”

Placingthebusinesscardinhiswallet,JinwoolightlybidfarewelltoGoGunheeandWooJincheolandleftthebuilding.

“Whew–”

Withasigh,GoGunheecollapsedontohischair.

“Areyoualright,sir?”

Fearingfortheelder’shealth,WooJincheolquicklyrushedtohisside.However,GoGunheeheldupahandwhilesmiling–

“No,no.I’mfine.”

Yes,yes.Hewasfine.Ithadbeenalongtimesincehefeltthiselated.Afterenjoyingthefeelingforawhile,GoGunheeturnedtohissecretaryandgaveanorder–

“Cancelallmyappointmentstoday.”

“Butsir,youhavethemeetingwiththecabinetmembersto–”

“Everysingleoneofthem.”

Andhesmiledwidely–

“Idon’twanttosourthisfeelingbyseeingthosegeezers.”

Evenforjusttherestoftheday,GoGunheewantedtosavorthishappiness.Suddenly,heturnedhisgazetoWooJincheol.Becauseofseeingtheraresmilefromtheassociationpresident,WooJincheolwasalsodelighted–

“Doyouhavesomethingyouneed,sir?”

“Well,it’snothing,but…”

Pausingforamoment,GoGunheeplacedahandonhischin–

“Whydon’tyouandIgoforadrinktoday?”

Attheunexpectedrequest,WooJincheolsmiledawkwardly–

“I’mnotverygoodwithalcohol…Isthatokaywithyou?”

“Huh,didn’tthinkthataboutyou.”

GoGunheeclickedhistonguejokingly–

“Haven’tyouheardasaying?‘Thesizeofyourdrinkingglassishowmuchoftheworldyoucanputinit’?”

“Iapologize,associationpresident.”

Embarrassed,WooJincheolputahandonthebackofhishead.

“I’mjoking.Thisgoodmoodevenmakesmecrackjokes.”

Well,therealpersonhewantedtoshareadrinkwithalreadyleft.GoGunheestaredoffintothehallwayJinwoodisappearedoffto.

‘HunterSungJinwoo…’

Howmuchcouldthatfellowdrink?GoGunheehopedtoshareaglasswithhimsomedayandcontinuedtosmile.

***

Jinwoogotoffthebusnearhishome.

‘IusedJinahasanexcusebut…’

Lookingatthetime,itwouldbeawhilebeforehislittlesisterwouldcomehome.Jinwooslowlyheadedtowardstheapartment.

Buzzbuzz.

Atanunfamiliarsound,heturnedhishead.Atadistance,astreetlightwasflickeringonandoff.

‘NowthatIthinkaboutit.’

Itwastoodarkaroundhere.Becausetheylivedinanobscureneighborhood,leavingthemainroadswouldgreetyouwithadarkness.AndJinwoorememberedtherecentnews–

‘Therewasastringofcoldbloodedmurdersaroundhere.’

Thevictimswereallfemale.Hislittlesisteroftentraveledonthispath,lateatnight.

‘Wecan’tevenmovesinceherschoolissoclose.’

Hebegantoworry.Ifhecaughttheperpetrator,itwasadifferentstory.Buthecouldnotpatrolthenightsjustbecausehewasworried.Wastheresomethinghecoulddo?Whilethinkingwithhisarmscrossed,Jinwoosuddenlysmiled.

‘Icouldleaveittosomeoneelse.’

Therewereplentyof“someoneelse”sthathecoulduseinsituationslikethis.

“Comeout.”

Athiscalling,theShadowSoldiersappeared.

‘Fiveshouldbeenough.’

ThesoldiershadclimbedtheDemonCastlewithJinwooandhadgrownquitestrong.Theylookedverydependable.

“Fromnowon,youwillbetheneighborhoodwatcharoundhere.Yourpatrolbeginsnow.”

Themomenthefinished,thesoldiersreturnedtotheirshadowforms.Theflatshadowsdisappearedinandoutofthevariousbuildingsandobjects’shadowsandmovedacrosstheneighborhood.

‘Yes,justlikethat.Patrolwithoutbeingnoticedbyanyone.’

Aw,theywereadorable.Aslongastheserialkillerwasnotahigh-rankingHunter,theShadowSoldierswouldnotlose.Evenifoneofthemfell,Jinwoowouldknowinaninstantifsomethinghappenedtooneofhissoldiers.

HewasanS-rankHunternow.

‘Wait,wait.Idon’thavemyofficiallicenseyet,soIguessI’mjustanS-rankAwakenedBeingfornow.’

Whatever.

WhetheritwasaHunteroranAwakenedBeing,thiswasaneighborhoodprotectedbyanS-ranker.Ifhis24-hourfreesurveillancesystemwasrevealedtotheworld,howhighwouldthelandvaluesrisearoundhere?Jinwoolaughed.

‘Alright.’

Withthis,heabatedhisworries.Hetookonelastlookaroundthenheadedhome.

***

“Yousaidyouwantedtoeat,soIcameoverrunning.Butyou’retreatingmetosomeslicedsamgyupsal?”

“What?Areyoulookingdownonsamgyupsal?”

“...”

“ThisisapreciousplacewherehyungnimandIsharedanunforgettablememory!”

Hisfaceredwithdrunkenness,YooJinhoflaredhisnostrilsasheputdownhisshotglass.

“Sowhydidyoucallmetoyourpreciousplace?”

YooSoohyunlookedincredulous.ShewasabouttogotosleepwhenYooJinhocalledhim.

—“Noona,comecheermeup.”[3]“Whathappenedthatyou’recallingmenoona?”

—“Noonaaaaaa–”

Hiscryingvoicesoundedsopatheticthatshedecidedtocomeout.Tothinkthattheplacehetookherwashere.Theyoungwomanhadgrownupunderanicechaebolhouseholdandevenworkedasafamousmodelrightnow.ShecouldnothelpbutbeshockedatYooJinho’schoice.Sheleftherhomeinahurryanddressedcasually.Eventhoughshewaswearingahat,thegazesofmenkept

fallingonher.

“Sowhatisit?Saysomething,putitinwords.”

ShefilledYooJinho’semptyglasswithsojuandasked.

“Lookatthis,look.Hyungnim’signoringmycalls,right?”

YooJinhoheldouthisphonewithtearsinhiseyes.Thescreenwasoncallhistory.Itshowedoneconnectedcallfollowedbyfourmissedones.Andtheconnectedcallwasendedmid-conversation.

“Didyouseriouslycallmeoutbecauseyoucouldn’tgetintouchwithsomeone?”

YooJinhonodded.

“Sigh–”

Dumbstruckinawe,YooSoohyunrippedYooJinho’sphoneoutofhishand.

“Here,letmesee.”

Shepressedthecallbutton.

Ring~

Theringingstoppedinmatterofseconds.YooSoohyunglaredathercousin.

“Moron.”

“Hmm?”

YooJinhoraisedhishead.

“Ithangsupexactlyafter15seconds.Thisisn’thimignoringyourcall.Itmeanshisphoneisoff.Andifyourfirstcallendedinthemiddleofconversation,thatprobablymeanshisbatterydied.”

“...Really?”

“Ifyoudon’tbelieveme,tryityourself.”

Ring~

Asshesaid,theringingstoppedexactlyafterfifteenseconds.

“You’reright!”

YooJinho’sfacebrightened.

“You’regoodnow,right?I’mleaving.”

Theyoungwomangotuptoleave,butthenYooJinhoclungtohersleeves.

“Noonaaaa-atleastfinishthesojuwehavehere!”

“WhyamInoonaonlyintimeslikethis?”

Thisbastardnormallycalledher“you”[4].Eventually,YooSoohyunrelentedandsatbackdown.

“Huh?You’regoingtodrinktoo?”

“Didn’tyoujustsaylet’sfinishthesojuwehavehere?It’sgoingtotakeforeverifit’sjustyoudrinking.”

“AsIthought,Icandependonmynoona.”

“Enough.”

Despitethemooduntilnow,thepairbegantodrinkinafriendlyatmosphere.

“Bytheway,who’sthis‘hyungnim’youkeeptalkingabout?”

“You’llknowsoon.”

IfhecametoYoojinGuild.YooJinhowasabouttosayasmuchwhenhesawsomethingontheTV.

“Huh?Thatman…?”

YooSoohyunalsoturnedtofacetheTV.Onthescreen,thenewsreportedtheAwakeningofoneofKorea’stopcelebrities,actorLeeMinsung.Theactorshylyspokeinfrontofamultitudeofreporters–

[“Well,I’mstillinthemiddleoffilmingaproject…Iwon’tknowuntilmyrankisrevealed.”]

ThecaptionsbelownotedthatLeeMinsungplannedtogototheHunterAssociationinthenearfuturetoundergotherankingtest.

“Whoa…AsexpectedoftheKoreanWave’sstarLeeMinsung!Lookatthereporters.Ohlook,there’sevenreportersfromChina.”[5]

YooJinhowasinawe.However,hiscousinscrunchedherface.

“Man,howcouldheliesoopenlyinfrontofthatmanypeople?”

“Huh?”

“Everyoneintheindustryalreadyknows.AllthatontheTVrightnowisjustforshow.He’salreadyreceivedanA-rankandnowwantstoshowoffaftergrabbingalltheattention.”

“He’smakingashowofit?Thatsymbolofhumility,LeeMinsung?”

YooSoohyunclickedhertongue.

Tsk.Tsk.

‘Whyiseveryonesoignorant?’

Sheheldhertongue,notwantingtotalkbehindpeople’sbacks.Butinreality,peoplewhoreallyknewwhatLeeMinsungwaslikeheldanincrediblylowopinionofhim.Hewasacompletelydifferentpersonawayfromthecameras.ItwasYooSoohyun’sleastfavoritetypeofperson.Ifthemanwasjustatwo-face,shemighthavebeenabletoignoreit,buthehadrelentlesslypesteredandflirtedwithher.Evenjustawhileago,shehadtodoherbesttohanguponthemanwhocalledher,prancingonabout“becomingaHunterjustlikeher”.

‘Whatashittyman…’

HewasalreadysoarrogantbeforehebecameanAwakenedBeing.JusthowmuchmoreunbearablewouldhebecomenowthathewasanA-rankHunter?Ontopofthat,hemadeitsothattheentirecountrywouldwatchhimreceivetheA-rankresults.

‘He’sreallygoodatschemingshitlikethat.’

YooSoohyunshookherheadanddrainedherglass.

----------

[1]“Sireum”():https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ssireum.Koreanwrestling

[2]“MemberoftheNationalAssembly”():Korea’sparliament/congress.Membersaregivenspecialgoldbadgestoweartoprovetheiridentity.

[3]“Noona”():Ohhey,Ithinkthisisthelastofthesiblingtitles(alsousedbynonrelatedpeople).Youngermaletoolderfemaleofrelativelycloseage.(We’vecoveredhyung,oppaandunniupuntilnow).

[4]Multipleformsofinformal“You”arewrittenhereinKorean…ButEnglishreallyonlyhasoneinformal“you”.

[5]“KoreanWave”():https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Wave.Notmuchtosayaboutthis.

Chapter10:AFieldTrip

—“AndwhatifIgetfired?Willyoutakeresponsibility?”

“What?Whatdoyoumeanbythat?”

—“Theassociationpresidenthasplacedacompletegagorderwhathappenedyesterday.HealsoaddedthatiftheHunter’sidentitywasleaked,hewouldmoveheavenandearthtofindoutwhodiditandthoroughlypunishthem.”

“AssociationPresidentGoGunhee-nimsaidthat?He’sneveractedlikethisbefore.”

—“HowwouldIknowwhattheassociationpresidentisthinking?”

“...”

—“Ifthat’sall,I’mhangingup.”

“...I’llcallyouagain.”

Click.

Andjustlikethat,thecallended.GrimReaper’sGuildmasterLimTaegyuputdownthereceiver;hisfacedidnotlookgood.

‘Justwhathappened…?’

HehadheardarumourthatasuperrookieappearedaftertwoyearsandcalledtheAssociationhimself.Hehadnotexpectedsucharesponse.“WhatifIgetfired?”?AsiftherewasanyGuildstupidenoughtohiresomeonechasedoutoftheAssociationbytheGoGunhee.Especiallysincetherewasnoguaranteethattheyevencouldrecruitthissuperrookie.

‘Moveheavenandearthto…thoroughlypunishthem...’

IfitwasGoGunhee,itwascertainlypossible.

‘Butwhatthehell?Didthatgeezerfinallygosenile?Whyishedoingsomethinglikethis?’

Justwhatkindofarookiewasit?TothinkthattheAssociationwouldpreventtheidentityofanAwakenedBeingfromleaking.Thishadneverbeendonebefore.Becauseofthat,allGrimReapercoulddowaswaitwhiletwiddlingtheirthumbsuntiltheofficialunveiling.Thehumiliationdidnotendthere.

‘HowthehelldidChoiJonginandBaekYoonhogettheinsidescoop?’

Wasthisthedifferenceintheirinformationnetwork?DidGrimReaperfallthatlowamongthetopGuilds?IfthisunknownsuperrookieendedupenteringBaekhoorHuntersGuild,itwouldwidenedthegapevenfurther.Inasituationlikethis,thegagordercompletelycutoffthepathforGrimReaper’sfuture.

‘WerethatgeezerandIswornenemiesinapastlifeorsomething?’

WhenBaekYoonholeftGrimReaper,itwasthatgeezerwhohelpedhimsafelymakeBaekho.Becauseofthat,GrimReaperlostitsplaceasthenumberoneGuildofKorea.HuntersGuildandBaekhowereadvancingfurtherandfurther,whileGrimReaperseemedtojustspinincircles.

‘Isn’titabouttimeyouhelpedusoutalittle?!’

Suddenly,hefeltaresentmentforGoGunhee.Butwhatcouldhedo?

Frustrated,allLimTaegyucoulddowaskickhisfeetontheground.

***

‘Thedailyquestisalldone.’

Withalightheart,Jinwoostartedsurfingtheinternet.Thereweretwodaysbeforehisremeasurement.Heplannedtoobtainasmuchinformationaspossibleonartifactsandexchanges.

‘Whoa!’

Lookingattheauctionpages,Jinwoowasshocked.

‘Thesmallestincrementofcurrencyisinthehundredmillions.’

Wasthatall?Theusefullookingitemscostbillions.

‘Makessense…’

ToaHunter,theequipmentwasequivalenttotheirlifeline.Betterequipmentmeantincreasedsafety.SincetheHuntersearnedsomuch,whywouldtheycheapoutonthetoolsthathelpedthemhuntfasterandsafer?Itwasveryunderstandable.Still,hecouldnothelpbutbesurprised.Lookingatthepricesoftheartifacts,hebegantoworryabit.

‘Mycurrentfundsaren’tgoingtobeenough.’

Hedidnotseeanyartifactswithflameresistanceupforauction,buttheotherhighclassarmorscostfarmorethaneverythinghehadearnedsofar.

‘IthoughtI’vealreadycollectedenough…’

However,thatwasthroughtheeyesofanordinaryperson.TogettoaHunter’slevel,Jinwoostillhadalongwaytogo.Thefundsinhisbankbookamountedtoabout1.7billionwon.Inordertobuywhatheneeded,hehadnooptionbuttoselltheMarbleofAvarice.Whenheswitchedgearstothatofaseller,hisexpressionchanged.

‘Ifitcostsatontobuyartifacts,ontheflipside,Icanmakeatonbuysellingmyartifacts.’

Click.

Hemovedhismousetoclickonthesectionwheremagictoolswerebeingsold.

‘...’

Nomatterwherehelooked,therewerenoartifactsthatdoubledyourmagicdamage.Theclosestonesincreaseditbyabout20to30percent.Andthoseartifactswereunbelievablyexpensive.

‘Thepricesofmagictoolsaren’tajoke.’

Inaway,evena20percentincreaseofpowerwasnothingtoscoffat.Theonlyonesabletopurchasetheseexpensiveartifactswerethehigh-rank,no,thehighest-rankingHunters.AndifthoseHunters’powerswereincreasedby20percent?Itwouldmakeahugedifference.Infact,someoftheitemswerealreadymarkedassold.Andiftheywerethisexcitedabout20percent...

‘JusthowmuchcanIsellthisfor?’

Gulp.

Becausehehadneverevendreamtofholdinganartifactinthepast,JinwoowasunabletoimaginethepriceoftheMarbleofAvarice.

‘That’swhywehaveauctions.’

Hehopedthatputtingthemarbleupforauctionwouldresultinagoodprice.Withasatisfiedsmile,Jinwooclosedtheauctionwebsites.Afterhisresearch,hehadlearnedthatthereweretwomainwaystosellanartifact.

One.Throughordinarysellersandmeans.

Two.Throughtheblackmarket.

However,hehadnowayoffindingablackmarket.Therewerelimitstowhathecouldfindontheinternet.

‘Ifyoucanjustreachitinfewmouseclicks,youwouldn’tcallitablackmarket.’

AndtheMarbleofAvaricewasn’texactlyashadyitem,sotherewasnoreasontousetheblackmarket.Andso,Jinwoodecidedthatthebestwaytosellthemarblewastogetintouchwithaprofessionalartifactexchangeandletthemauctionitoffforhim.Eventhoughthereweretaxesandfeesinvolved,itwouldbethefastestandcleanestmethod.

‘TheproblemisthatIhavetosomehowexplainwhereIgotit…’

WhatwouldtheysayifanE-rankHunterbroughtaninsaneandnever-before-seenartifacttothem?Wouldtheyacceptitquietly?TheKoreanHunterAuctionwasthebiggestbusinesswhenitcametobrokeringdealsbetweenHunters.They

wouldsurelyironoutalldetailsinvolvedintheitemstheysold.

‘Andthat’swhyIneedthatlicense.’

AHunter’slicensewiththeletter“S”onit.Thisiswhyheundertooktheretest,andtheresultwasasuccess.IfAssociationPresidentGoGunheewasright,hewouldobtainhisnewS-ranklicenseintwodays.Hedidworryforamomentwhenherefusedtheelder’sofferbut…

‘Thankfully,itdoesn’tseemliketheassociationpresidentisthatkindofaperson.’

Evenastheybideachothergoodbye,theassociationpresidentwassmiling.

Spendingalongtimereadingthehintsofotherpeoplegaveonetheabilitytoreadthemood.Jinwoohaddonethatinthepast.AsanE-ranker,hehadspentfouryearscarefullytakingnoticeofotherpeople.Becauseofthat,hewasmostlyabletoreadtheirmoodsbylookingattheirfaces.GoGunhee’ssmileatthetimewasdefinitelynotfake.Atleast,itlookedgenuinetoJinwoo’seyes.

Andso,hedidnotworryabouttheremeasurementtwodaysfromnow.

‘But…whattodointhemeantime?’

Jinwooleanedbackonhischair.

Twodays.

Tooshorttodosomethingserious.Toolongtojustwasteitbyplayingaround.

‘ShouldIcheckthatout?’

Jinwoohalf-heartedlymovedhiscursortotheHunterwebsite’sjobboard.

Click.

Withaclick,manypostsfilledthescreen.Hesawmultiplepostsstatingthatpeoplewerelookingformembersforprivateraidingpartiesinthearea.

‘...’

Thereasonwasobvious.WhenheandYooJinhomonopolizedtheC-rankGatesintheareaforfewdays,allprivatepartiesintheareahadtostopworkingforawhile.NowthatJinwoohadstopped,allthestoppedpartiescouldresumetheirworkagain.TheabsenceofJinwooandYooJinhocreatedavacuum,andmanypartiesappearedtofillthatvoid.Jinwoochuckledbitterlythenwenttothenextpage.

‘Idon’tlevelupinC-rankDungeonsanymore.’

IttookhimanentiredayofraidingtolevelupthelasttimeheenteredC-rankDungeons.Actually,ittooktwodays.Sincethen,hehadleveledupmorethanadozentimes.Ifhecouldseehisexperiencepoints,heknewthatC-rankmagicbeastswouldbarelymakeatickle.

‘So,C-rankDungeonsmeannothingtome.’

Unfortunately,therewasnopostingforhigh-levelDungeons.Itwassuicideforaprivatepartytoattemptahigh-levelDungeon,andGuildswouldn’tbelookingformembersonajobboardlikethis.

Still,justincase.

‘ShouldIswitchupthesearchtermsabit?’

Hechangedthefiltersoonlyhigh-levelDungeonswouldshow.Hedidnotexpectanythingoutofit.

However–

‘...Huh?’

Apostingcameup.

***

“YousaidyouwereanE-rank?”

“Yes.”

“Haveyoueverdoneajoblikethis?”

“No.”

“Er…andyourcategoryis?”

“I’maFighter-class.”

‘Well,that’sgoodnews.’

TheteamleaderwearingahardhatlookedupanddownonJinwoo.

‘ForanE-rank,hisbodylooksstrong.Hiseyesareshowinggoodspirit.’

Jinwoopatientlywaitedfortheteamleader’sreply.Soon,themanhandedhimanIDcardandlaughedlively.

“Hahaha,therearemanypeoplelikeyouhere,Jinwoo-ssi.Don’tbenervousandlet’sworkwelltogether.”

Eventhoughhelookedoverforty,theahjussiwasfilledwithenergy.Hismustachefithisfacewell.

“Wejustwaithereandgoinwhenthepeopleinsidecomeout.Don’tforgetyourequipment.”

“Equipment…?”

“Youcanjustpickoneofthoseuponthefloor.”

“...Gotit.”

Jinwoonoddedtowardsapileofpickaxes.Meanwhile,anahjussiwithatoweldrapedoverhisshouldershastilywalkedover.

“Bae-ssi!We’reshorthandedtoday,whywouldyoutakesomeoneawayfromus?”

“Eh,yourcollectionteamhasplentyofpeople.Whatifwe’retheonewho’sshorthandedandmissthetimingontheGateclosing?Yougonnatakeresponsibility?”

“Well,still.”

ThemustacheahjussiturnedtothetowelahjussiandsmiledatJinwoo–

“Sung-ssi,youcanjustresthere.I’mgoingtohavewordswiththisguy.”

“Wecanhavewordshere,whydowehavetowalkaway?”

“Iwonder.Followme.”

Thetwoahjussisbanteredandwalkedaway.

‘Sotheotherteamisinchargeofcollecting…’

Thehigh-levelDungeonsweresolargethatasingleraidingpartycouldnotdoeverything.Andso,multiplepartieswerecreatedforeachjob.ApartytocleartheDungeon,apartytominetheDungeon’sores,andapartytocollectthecorpsesofmagicbeasts[1].TheoffensiveraidingpartywouldcleartheDungeonallthewaytotheboss,andthenleave.OncethemagicbeastsintheDungeonwereisolatedtotheboss’sroom,theminingteamandthecollectionteamwouldenter.Jinwoowasplacedintotheminingteam.

‘...IsthisallIneed?’

Withasourface,Jinwoopickedupapickaxe.Itwastiny,buthefeltamagicpowerinit.

‘Itcontainsmagicpower.’

ModernmachinesthatusedelectricitydidnotfunctionwithintheDungeon.Becauseofthat,toolsfilledwithmagicpowerlikethiswereusedinstead.

‘...’

TherewasareasonwhyHuntersinminingteamswerejokinglycalledDungeonMiners.JinwooturnedhisheadtowardstheGate.Agiantholefloatedintheair.ItwasasizeincomparabletoaC-rankGate.

‘Sothat’sanA-rankGate…’

Therealreasonhewasherewasbecauseofthat.

‘Iwanttoseeahigh-levelDungeonwithmyowneyes.’

Eventhoughallthemagicbeasts,saveforthebossanditsminions,wouldbedead,JinwoostillwantedtocheckouttheinteriorsofanA-rankDungeon.

‘I’llhavetogoinaplacelikethatsomeday.’

Knowledgewaspower.Buttherewasalimittowhathecouldlearnthroughbooksortheinternet.EventhenewrecruitsofBaekhoreliedonwrittenknowledgeandmetanuntimelyend.

‘IfIwasn’tthere,theywould’vealldied.’

Knowingsomethingandexperiencingitweretwodifferentthings.Whentheopportunityappeared,JinwoovolunteeredhimselffortheminingteamsohecouldtakealookattheA-rankDungeon.Hebrieflyregrettedhisdecisionafterlookingatthepiss-poorpickaxesbutfeltbetterwhenhesawthegiantGate.

‘Comingherewasagoodthing.’

Therewasstilltimeuntilhisremeasurement.Thiswasagoodopportunity.

Asiftheirconversationhadgonewell,themustacheahjussi,no,TeamLeaderBaeYoonsukcamebacksmiling.

“Let’sgoin,they’reallready.”

Holdingapickaxe,Jinwoosmiledandnodded.

***

Knockknock.

“Sir,Ihavethefileyourequested.”

“Comein.”

WooJincheolenteredtheassociationpresident’soffice.Havingwaitedforthechief,GoGunheegreetedhimwithabrightexpression.TakingthedocumentsfromWooJincheol,theelderlyassociationpresidentlookedatthepictureontop.

ItwasJinwoo.

Thepicturewastakeninthepastwhentheyoungmanfirstreceivedhislicense.Whilethedifferenceinthemanwasgreatbetweenthepastandthepresent,itwasstilleasilyrecognizableasJinwoo.

“Hmm.”

ReadingdownthelistofJinwoo’sactivityrecords,GoGunhee’seyesbecamesomber.

‘NotonlyanE-ranker,buttheweakestofthem.HeworkedasaHunterforfouryearslikethat?’

Theman’sactionswerenodifferentthansuicide.NomatterhoweasytheAssociation’sRaidswerecomparedtotheGuild’s,itwasstillatalevelthatwouldstifleanE-ranker.Appropriately,JinwoohadspentalongtimeinhospitalsduringhiscareerasaHunter.

“Heenduredwellwithalltheseinjuries.”

“TheysaidhecouldnotleavetheAssociationbecauseofhismother’smedicalbills.”

“...Whatarareyouthintoday’sworld.”

AlightfilledGoGunhee’seyes.

‘Inplaceofhismissingfather,hetookcareofhislittlesisterandhisillmotheronhisown…’

TheassociationpresidenthaddecidedtolookoverJinwoo’sfilesoutofinterestwhenhelearnedthattheE-rankHunterhadReawakenedbutdidnotexpecttofindsomethinglikethis.Themorehelearnedabouthim,themoreGoGunheefeltthathewasagoodman.

‘WhatashamethatIhavetohandhimovertotheGuilds.’

AfterreadingJinwoo’sfile,thefactthathehadfailedtopersuadetheyoungmanintojoiningtheAssociationfeltevenmoredisappointing.

GoGunheeclickedhistongueandturnedthepage,buthehadreachedtheendof

thefile.Withasatisfiedexpression,theelderclosedthefile.

“Goodwork.”

“Thankyou,sir.”

WooJincheoltookthedocumentsandwasabouttoleave,butthenturnedaroundandspokewithdifficulty–

“Er…associationpresident.”

“Hmm?”

GoGunheeraisedhishead.WooJincheolhadanawkwardlookonhisface.

‘Henormallylookslikehewouldn’tbleedifyoucuthim.TothinkthatChiefWoocouldmakeafacelikethat…’

Wastheresomethingdifficulthewantedtosay?GoGunheebecamecurious–

“Whatisit?”

Thechiefcontinuedafteramomentofhesitation–

“There’ssomethingIhavetoreport…Justamomentago,we’vereceivedawordthatHunterSungJinwoohasenteredaRaid.”

“Already?WhoseRaidisit?”

“It’saRaidfromHuntersGuild.”

“Hmm…HuntersGuildyousay.”

SungJinwooendedupchoosingHuntersGuild.Andonlyafteroneday.GoGunhee’sfacebecamedark.

‘Afterallthattalk,washeswayedbytheamountHuntersGuildofferedhim?’

Ifthatwasthecase,GoGunheewouldtrulybedisappointed.Hehadbeendeeplymovedaftermeetingsuchagreatmanafteralongtime.However,whenherecalledtheyoungHunter’sattitudeyesterday,combinedwiththefilehehad

justgoneover,Jinwoodidnotseemlikeamantochangehismindthateasily.No,theremustbeanotherreason.

Like–

“Ifyouwantedtofightwithstrongmagicbeasts,HuntersGuildcertainlywouldbethebestplacetodoso.”

GoGunheedecidedtotellhimselfthatthatwasthereason.However,WooJincheol’snextwordskickedthatreasonaway–

“Idon’tthinkthat’sit,associationpresident.”

“Wastheremoreinformation?”

“Accordingtoourrecords…HunterSungJinwoodidnotentertheraidingparty.Instead…hewentintotheminingteam.”

GoGunheeshotupfromhisseat.

“What?AnS-rankHuntervolunteeredasaminer?”

Theeldercouldnotbelieveit.Infact,WooJincheolagreed.TheHSDchiefhadrepeatedlycheckedandconfirmedtheinformation,butthereportsremainedthesame.

‘ThisiswhyIwashesitanttoreportit…’

JustwhatwasSungJinwoothinking?Withsweatgatheringathisbrows,WooJincheolreplied–

“Thatiswhatwasreported,sir.”

GoGunheecollapsedontohischairandlaughed.

“Whatanamusingyoungman.”

***

Wearingthehardhatandworkclotheshehadreceived,JinwoofollowedbehindTeamLeaderBaeYoonsuk.NeartheGate,manyHunterswearinghardhats

weregathered.Roughlytwentyofthem?AlltheirgazesturnedtoTeamLeaderBae.ThemustacheahjussiintroducedJinwoo–

“ThisisSung-ssi.He’llbejoiningustoday.”

“Hello,everyone.”

JinwoolightlybowedhisheadthenreadtheHunters’moods.

“...”

Theywereallratherbeingcold.Jinwoounderstoodwhy.

‘Afterall,’

Hewasjustatempthatmightnotevenshowuptomorrow,whiletheywereHuntersofficiallycontractedwiththeGuildasmembersoftheminingteam.Fromtheirpointofview,therewasnoreasonforthemtobefriendlywithhim.

“Mygod,youpeopleare…Comeon,he’sstillateammatethat’llbeworkingwithyouall.”

TeamLeaderBaesmiledawkwardlyandpointedatanintimidating-lookingHunter.

“Sung-ssi,youcanjuststicktoMok-ssioverthere.Ifthere’sanythingyoudon’tknow,youcanlearnfromhim.He’salittlequiet,buthe’sthemostveteranminerhere.”

“...Iunderstand.”

JinwoowalkedoverandstoodsilentlynexttothemannamedMok-ssi.Mok-ssimetJinwoo’seyesandspokeinabarelyaudiblevoice–

“MokJinsoo.”

“I’mSungJinwoo.”

Thatwasitfortheirgreeting.MokJinsooimmediatelyturnedbacktotheteamleader.

‘Everyonesureisfriendly.’

Jinwooalsoturnedhisgaze.Somedistanceaway,theteamleaderandaGuildemployeethatlookedlikeanordinarymanweresharingwhatlookedlikeaserioustalk.Focusingjustalittle,Jinwoowasabletoeavesdropontheirconversation.

“...Istheattackteamstillinthere?Theytoldusthattheyweredoneawhileago,whyisittakingsolong?”

“They’rereallyalmostdone.Thisisallforthesafetyofyouandyourteammembers,sopleasejustwaitalittlelongeruntilallmagicbeastsaredown.”

“I’veheardthatthreetimesalready.”

“Teamleader,youknowhowdangerousitcouldbeiftheyhalf-asstheclean-up.Whatifahiddenmagicbeastleapsoutatyourteam?”

Asthemanyoungenoughtobehissonsmiledwithhiseyesandexplained,TeamLeaderBaecouldnotstayangry;heshookhisheadandsmiled.

“Igotit,Igotit.”

“Oh?Didyoucalmdownabit?”

“IsaidIgotit.Godoyourjob.”

“Yes,sir.Oncetheycomeout,I’llmakesuretorunherewithallmymightandletyouknow.Ohyeah,youknowwe’reallgoingforhappy-hourafter,right?”

“Iknow,sogodoyourdamnjob,yapunk.”

Thankfully,itlookedliketheconversationendedinafriendlymood.Theemployeehadhandledthesituationwithfinesse.

‘You’dthinkthateveryoneworkinginlargeGuildswouldbearroganthot-heads…’

However,theGuildemployeesdoingclericalworkwereordinarymen,whiletheHuntersdoingthephysicallaborwereAwakenedBeings.Therewerealotof

jobstheAwakenedBeingshadtodobuttherewasalimitednumberofAwakenedBeings.Youcouldn’tjusttakeoneoutandreplacethemwithanotherlikepiecesofamachine.Andthat’swhythestaffemployeeswatchedtheirwordsandattitudesaroundtheHunters.Whilethepublicmayviewthewhite-collaremployeesoflargeGuildswithenvy,theemployeeshadtheirshareoffrustrationsandhardwork.

‘...Hmm?’

Asheeaseduponfocusingonthedistantconversation,Jinwooheardwhisperscomingfrombehindhim.

“Didyouhear?ThetemptodayisanE-ranker.”

‘Thisagain?’

Likeinthepast,Jinwoosometimeshatedhiskeenhearing.

‘NotlikeIcanjustgoaroundwithmyearscovered…’

Whilehechuckledindefeat,histeammates’quietconversationscontinued–

“What?E-rank?”

“TheypickedanE-ranker?”

“Yeah.”

Hefeltthefierygazesfallingonthebackofhishead.

“Imean,whythehelldidtheteamleaderpickanE-ranker?”

“WouldanE-rankerevenbeofanyuse?”

“Iknow,right?”

“Idon’tknowifwe’llbeabletofinishontimetoday.”

Worriedvoicescamefromhereandthere.Whiletheywerebeingconsiderateofhisfeelingsandkeepingtheirvoicesdown,theireffortsmeantnothingbeforeJinwoo’sheightenedsenses.Jinwooswallowedalaughter.

‘Looksliketherewasanotherreasonwhytheyweresocold.’

Asexpected,E-rankerswerelookeddownoneverywhere.Becausehewassousedtoit,hewasnotbothered.

‘Besides,I’llbeputtingthattitlebehindmesoon.’

Meanwhile,itgotnoisyaroundtheGate.

“Theattackteammustbeout.”

“Lookslikethey’refinallydone.”

Tiredofwaiting,theminingteam’sHunterscheeredupabit.Watchingthescene,TeamLeaderBaegesturedtohisteam.

“Alright,let’sgetmoving.”

TheminingteamHunterseachgatheredtheirgearandstartedwalking,Jinwooincluded.

“Thankyouforyourhardwork.”

“Thankyou.”

“Everyone,goodjobtoday!”

InfrontoftheGate,HuntersGuild’semployeeswerehappilygreetingtheexitingraidingparty.Jinwoorealized“attackteam”wasreferringto“raidingparty”aroundhere.[2]

‘Theseguysare…thenation’sstrongestraidingparty.’

Lookingatthehigh-rank,no,thehighest-rankingHunters,Jinwoo’seyessharpened.Herecognizedafaceamongthem.

‘...ChoiJongin.’

HuntersGuild’sGuildmasterandaMage-classS-rankHunter.

JinwoofeltlikeitwouldgetannoyingifChoiJonginrecognizedhim,sohe

pressedhishardhatdown.Fortunately,thereweremanyHuntersaroundhimwearingthesamething,andJinwoowasabletoblendintothebackground.Ashequietlystudiedthecountry’stopraidingpartymemberswhilehiddenamidsttheminers–

‘...ThesearethemainmembersofHuntersGuild?”

Jinwoocouldnothidehisshock.Despiteofhisexpectations,itwasdifficultforhimtofindaHunterwithastrongenergy.WhileChoiJongingaveoffanincrediblemagicpowerdeservingofhistitleasthe“StrongestSoldier”,therestwereratherdisappointing.

‘Aretheythatweak?’

Ofcoursenot.Jinwooshookhishead.Themembersofthemainraidingpartyofthecountry’snumberoneGuildwerechosenafteranincredibleamountofscrutiny.

‘TheGuildmasterhimselfparticipatedintheRaid.Idoubtthemembersofhispartywouldbeputtogetherthatpoorly.’

No,theword“weak”wasasfarasawayitcouldbefromthesemen.Thatmeantonething:

‘Ihavebecomethatstrong.’

ThecornersofJinwoo’smouthrose.Strengthwasrelative.Hiseffortsinthepastfewmonthshadnotbetrayedhim.IttookhimtoaplacewhereeventheseHuntersthatjustclearedanA-rankDungeonfeltweaktohim.Therelativestrengthbetweenthemandhimgavehimtheassurancethathehadbecomestrong.

Badumbadumbadum.

Itmadehisheartbeatfaster.

Inthatmoment…Noonehadsaidanything.Noonehadtoldhimtodoso.

ButJinwoo’sgazenaturallydriftedtowardstheGate.

Afeelingofwonderovertookhim.

‘Mygod…’

Ashort-hairedwomanwasleisurelywalkingoutoftheGate.Whatcaughthisattentionfirstwasherbigandcleareyes,adorninghermakeup-freeface.Herclear,whiteskinandperfectfacewereequallyeye-catching.Shewasabeautythatwouldinvitebrazencomplimentsfrom99outof100men.[3]

However,whatturnedhisgazetoherinthefirstplacewasnotherbeauty,butwhathefeltinsideofher.

Thestrengththatresidedinherbody.

AnenormousamountofmagicpowerwasceaselesslyemanatingfromtheexpressionlessfemaleHunter.

‘Attheveryleast,it’sonthelevelofChoiJongin’

Perhapshigher.

Sheexudedanincredibleauraofpressure.

Whenhecalmedhissurpriseandsucceededinexpellingallearthlydesiresfromhismind,Jinwoorealizedwhothiswas.

‘Thatwomanis…’

Korea’ssolefemaleS-ranker,ChaHaein.[4]

AlongwithChoiJongin,shewastheotheraxisofHuntersGuild,thehighestofrankers.

‘Itcan’tbeanyoneelse.’

HowmanyotherwomeninKoreawieldedthismuchpower?Despiteherfame,ChaHaein’sfacewasnotknowntothepublic;thefemaleHunterhaddistancedherselffromappearinginthemedia.Assuch,thiswasthefirsttimeJinwoosawherface.

‘Contrarytotherumors,she’snotweirdlookingatall.Whywouldshehatethe

camerassomuch?’

Girlsintheirearlytwentiesoftenenjoyedbeinginfrontofthecamera.Well,mostlyjustacellphone.

Perhapsfeelinghisgaze,ChaHaeinturnedherheadtowardJinwoo’sdirection.

‘Ishouldn’tneedto…use‘Stealth’,right?’

Jinwoohidhispresence,andtheyoungwomanlookingovertheminingteambecameconfused.

‘Whatwasthat?Ijustfeltastrongpresence.’

Wassheimaginingit?Atfirst,shethoughtAssociationPresidentGoGunheehadarrivedinthearea.Butthepresencehadcompletelydisappeared,asifitwasneverthere.

‘Theassociationpresidentisabusyman.There’snowayhewouldvisituswithoutanotice.’

Unfortunately,thecostofherdistractionwashuge.Shehadheightenedhersensestolookforthestrongpresence.Becauseofthat,thefoulstenchshenormallysmelledassaultedhernosestrongerthanusual.

‘Ugh.’

Asshealwayshaddone,ChaHaeintookoutahandkerchiefandpinchedhernose.TheyoungwomanquicklyranthroughtheotherHuntersoutofthearea.

‘Hersensesareprettygood.’

WatchingChaHaeindisappearinthedistance,Jinwoosighedinrelief.Andwiththat,theentireattackteamhadlefttheGate.Havingwaitedforthismoment,TeamLeaderBaeturnedtothemembersoftheminingteam.Heclappedhishandsloudlythenspokewithaclearvoice–

“Alright,it’sourturnnow!Let’sworkhard!”

AfterthecollectionteamenteredtheGate,theminingteamfollowed.Jinwoo

stoppedinfrontoftheGate.

‘...’

AshestoodstillandtookintheexperienceofseeinghisfirstA-rankGate,BaeYoonsukapproachedhim–

“Sung-ssi,what’reyoudoing?Weshouldalsogoin.”

“Okay.”

Withashortreply,JinwooalsosteppedthroughtheGate.

Thatfamiliarmessageappeared,asitalwayswould:

YouhaveenteredaDungeon.

----------

[1]Forhigh-levelmagicbeasts,eventheircorpsesareusedforvariouspurposes.

[2]“Attackteam”()vs“raidingparty”().Bothwordsliterallymeanthesamething,andbothmeanattack/assault/offense,meansteam.wasthecommonlyusedwordtorefertoateamofhuntersthatcleareddungeonsupuntilnow,andI’vepreviouslytranslatedthatas“raidingparty”inthepast.

[3]Whodafuck’sthe100th.

[4]HellopeoplewhoreadtheMTLs,cargirlhasfinallyarrived.Orteagirl.Whicheveryouprefer.

Chapter11:TheGodOfMiners

‘Wind?InaDungeon?’

Jinwooraisedhishead.ThemomentheenteredtheDungeon,hefeltanominouswindblowingoverhim.ItwascomingfromdeepwithintheDungeon.Achillrandownhisback;atthesametime,herealizedwhatitwas.

‘It’snotwind.’

Itwaswavesofmagicpower.Magicpowerstrongenoughtobegivensubstance,releasedbythebossofanA-rankDungeonandwashingovertheE-rankHunter,givinghimthesensationofwind.ConsideringhowfortunatelyrareS-rankDungeonswere,itcouldbesaidthattheownerofthismagicpowerisoneofthehighest-levelmagicbeaststhatJinwoocouldcomeacrossrealistically.

‘AnA-rankDungeon’sboss…’

Hewantedtoseeitwithhisowneyes.Andiftherewasanopportunity…

Evenstandingbeforethewavesofmagicpowerthatraisedthehaironhisbody,Jinwoocouldnothidehissmile.WasthisaHunter’sdrive?Likeahunterthatwantstopointagunatastronganimal,theHunterwantedtofightthestrongmagicbeast.

Suddenly–

Bump.

Someonetriedtopushhimontheshoulderfrombehind.

“Hey,howaboutyoukeepmoving?”

LeeSungguscrunchedhisfaceandspokeantagonistically.TheinteriorsoftheA-rankDungeonwerewide.Therewasplentyofroomtowalkaround.However,themanhadpurposelypickedafightbecausethetempworkerstandingstillannoyedhim.Sohethoughttoembarrassthetempabitandpushed

him…oratleasttriedto.

‘What’swiththisfucker?It’slikepushingaboulder.’

WhenthemanpushedJinwoo,LeeSungguwastheonewhowaspushedback.Thisincreasedhisannoyance.

‘WhatkindofanE-rankshitisthissturdy?’

Whatever.ThisbratwasanE-ranker.LeeSungguwasaC-ranker.EventhoughheworkedasaminerbecausehisskillswereonthelowendofC-rankers,hewasnotabouttoloseinacontestofspiritagainstanE-ranker.However,thetempworkerdidnotshowsomuchasaninklingthathehadnoticedLeeSunggu.LeeSunggu’seyesnarrowed.

‘Whatthefuck,lookatthisshit.’

Theangerslowlybuildingupinsideofhim,LeeSungguflaredhiseyesandstrengthenedhisvoice–

“Hey,aren’tyougoingtoapologizeforbumpingintome?”

Jinwooturnedaround.LeeSungguflinchedandtookastepback.

‘Whatthehell?!’

Jinwoo’seyeslookedliketheywereglowingwithapowerfullight.LeeSunggubecameflustered;hisbreathwasstifledbytheoppressiveamountofpressurecomingfromthemanhewastryingtobully.

“Iapologize.”

“N-no,that’s…”

LeeSunggustutteredandmanagedtosqueezeoutaresponse–

“Ithappensfromtimetotime…sir.”

Themanaddedanhonorificwithoutmeaningto.Turningred,heloweredhisheadandquicklywalkedawayfromJinwoo.

“Phew–”

LeeSungguwasfinallyabletobreatheaftercreatingsomedistanceawayfromthetempworker.

‘Whatthehellwaswiththoseeyes?Also,whatthehellwashesmilingabout?’

MeetingJinwoo’seyesforabriefmomentmadehisentirebodyfreezeup,anditevenbecamedifficulttospeak.Thefactthathedidnotlowerhiseyeswasthesmallamountofpridehewasabletowalkawaywith.

‘...IshereallyanE-ranker?’

LeeSungguthoughtbackonhowJinwoowasnotpushedback.AndthoseeyestheErankerlookedathimwith.

Eh,fuckit.LeeSunggushookhisheadviolentlyasiftoexpelstrangethoughts,thenquickenedhispace.

***

“Shit.”

JinwoostaredatLeeSungguandscratchedhistemple.

‘Iwasonedgebecauseoftheboss…’

Hedidnotmeantofrightentheman.Histrainingwasstilllacking.Jinwooscoldedhisdemeanorjustnowandranaftertheminingteam.Hereachedtheminaninstant,thensloweddowntomatchtheteam’space.

‘IfIwalkedatmypace,noonewillbeabletocatchup.’

Yes,hehadtomatchthepaceofothers.However,ashewentdeeperintotheDungeon,thewavesofthemagicpowercomingfromthebossbecameincreasinglystrong.

‘MySensestatreallyrosealot.’

Tothinkthathecouldfeelthepresenceofthebossfromallthewayhere.Thebosswasinitsroom,atthedeepestareaoftheDungeon,whiletheminingteam

wasfar,farawayneartheentrance.Becauseofthat,hisheartbeatspedup.

‘CanIfocusontheworklikethis?’

Asifreplyingtohisthoughts,aloudshoutingcamefromahead.

“One!Two!One!Two!”

Thecollectionteamthathadenteredaheadoftheminingteamwasalreadyhardatwork.Theywerepullingagiantmagicbeast’scorpsewithropes.

“One!Two!”

“Pull!”

BecausetheteamwascomposedofstrongFighter-classHunters,theydidnotparticularlyneedthehelpofmachinerytoworkontheirtask.Jinwooobservedthejobsbeingdoneinahigh-levelDungeon.

‘First,theattackteamentersandclearstheDungeonofallmagicbeastsexceptfortheonesinthebossroom.’

Afterthat,thecollectionteamwouldcollectthemagicbeasts’corpses.Finally,theminingteamwouldminethevariousoresonthecavewalls.Tomaximizetheincome,notasinglejobcouldaffordanyslack.Magiccoresandmagicoreswereobvious,buteventhecorpsesofthehigh-levelmagicbeastswereagreatsourceofmoney.

‘Bones,hides,flesh,etc…There’snothingtobethrowawayfromcorpsesofhighlevelmagicbeasts,eh?’

Thatwasthedifferencebetweenthemagicbeastsoflow-levelDungeonsandhighlevelDungeons.

AndaftereverythingworthanythingwascleanlyremovedfromtheDungeon–

‘They’lltakedownthebossandclosetheGate.’

Oncethesefourjobswerefinished,itcouldbesaidthehigh-levelDungeonwascompletelycleared.

Atleast,fromthepointofaGuild.

However–

‘Ifit’sthissimplelevelofwork,mysoldiersshouldsuffice,right?’

JinwoothoughtwhilepassingbythesweatingHuntersofthecollectionteam.TheShadowSoldiersthathadleveledupwerefarstrongerthantheC-rankHuntersofthecollectionteam.IfhedistributedtheShadowArmysothattherewasaunitforhunting,aunitforcollecting,andaunitformining…

‘Icouldreallysoloclearahigh-levelDungeononmyown.’

Jinwoosmiledinsatisfaction.Thegoalofcomingherewastoobtaininformation.Hewasrathergladthathecamehereduringhisfreetime.

“Somethinggoodonyourmind,Sung-ssi?”

Theteamleadercameuptohimandstruckupaconversation.LookingatanE-rankHunterquietlysmilinginahigh-levelDungeon,themanwascurious.

“Oh,Iwasjustsurprisedbythesizeofthemagicbeasts.”

Asifsatisfiedbyhishalf-assedexplanation,theteamleaderchimedinenthusiastically–

“Ohthatwasit?Yeah,Iwasthesameway.IrememberjuststaringwithawideopenmouththefirsttimeIsawthose.”

Feelinglikeitwasagoodopportunity,Jinwoodecidedtoaskafewthings–

“Evenifthenormalmagicbeastsweretakendown,isn’tthebossstillalive?”

“Ofcourse,theGatewillcloseifthebossisdead.”

Hemeantthatuntilthecollectionandminingteamsfinishedtheirwork,thebosswouldnotbetakendown.

“Whathappensifthebossleavesthebossroom?”

“Well,Idon’tthinkthathaseverhappened…butifitdoes,we’dalldie.”

Itwasanobvioustruth.TheraidingpartythatlefttheDungeonwouldrestuntilthetimecametokilltheboss,andtherewasnopoweramongthecollectionandminingteamsthatcouldfaceanA-rankDungeon’sboss.Fortunately,itwasbasicknowledgethatthebosswouldstayinthebossroomuntilaDungeonBreakoccurred.Becauseofthat,theteamleaderdidnotlookatallafraid.

“Still,tothinkthatsuchaterrifyingthingisatourbacks.Aren’tyouafraid?”

“Nope.”

TeamLeaderBaewasconfident.

“I’veworkedatHuntersGuildforthreeyears.Duringthattime,we’veneverhadanaccidentduetoabosscomingoutlikethat.Youdon’thavetoworry,Sung-ssi.”

TheteamleadertappedJinwoo’sshoulderandgrinned.Foramoment,Jinwooenviedtheman’scarefreeness.

‘Theysayignoranceisbliss.’

Evennow,Jinwoowasmakinganefforttocalmhisnerveswhilebeingassaultedbythewavesoftheboss’smagicpower.Itlookedlikehewastheonlyonewhocouldfeeltheboss’senergyinthisgroup.

“Alright,thisisourspot!”

TeamLeaderBaehappilyexclaimedasthegroupcameupontheveinsofmagicoresdecoratingthecave’swall.Theexperiencedmembersoftheminingteamtooktheirspotsuponthewallswithoutanyneedtobetoldto.Theydroppedtheirbagsandpickeduptheirpickaxes.Jinwooalsowentuptoanopenspotofamagicorevein.

‘DoIjusthititwiththis?’

Hewasalittleuneasy.Itfeltlikeithestruckwithhisstupidstrength,boththepickaxeandthemagicoreswouldbeobliterated.

‘Whattodo…’

Jinwoocouldnotstarttheworkimmediatelyandhesitated.Suddenly,henoticedtheveteranminerreferredtohimbyTeamLeaderBae,MokJinsoo.

Swing!Crack!Swing!Crack!

MokJinsoowasrhythmicallyminingawayatthemagicores.Everytimehestruckthewalls,piecesofmagicoresfelloffwithanicesound.

‘Hmm…’

Itwasaskillworthyofaveteran.Themanwasworkingattwicethespeedofhispeersaroundhim.AlightflashedacrossJinwoo’seyes.Hefocusedhissenses,slowingdowntheworldaroundhim.Inslowmotion,hecarefullystudiedMokJinsoo’sposture,form,breathingandthemovementoftheman’smuscles.Theveteranminer’seffectivemomentswererepeatedoverandoverinJinwoo’shead.

‘IthinkIgotit.’

Jinwoopickedupthepickaxe.Soon,helookedlikethemirrorimageofMokJinsoo.

Swing!CRACK!Swing!CRACK!

However,evenifitwasthesamemovement,JinwoopossessedastrengthincomparabletoMokJinsoo’s.EverytimetheE-rankHunterstruckthewalls,alargeamountofmagicoresrolledawayfromtheveins.

Swing!CRACK!Swing!CRACK!

Realizingtherewasanincrediblesoundcomingfromoneoftheworkers,alltheminingteamHuntersslowlyturnedtheirheads.

“Hey…hey,”

“What?”

“Lookoverthere.”

“Whoa!”

“What’swithhim?”

Onebyone,theminersstoppedandstaredatJinwoowithadumbfoundedexpression.EvenMokJinsoostoppedtoobservethetempworker.

‘...’

Everyonewasatalossforwords.TheE-rankHunterthathadneverworkedasaminerbeforewasnoweffectivelyshavingawayatthemagicoreveinswithskilledmovements!

“What’sgoingonhere?!We’reheretowork,people!Whatareyouallstaringat?”

TeamLeaderBaehadbeenrecordingtheamountofmagicoreveinswhenherealizednearlyeverymemberofhisteamhadstoppedworking.

“Teamleader,lookatthat.”

“Lookatwhat?”

TeamLeaderBaeturnedhishead.Hiseyesopenedwide.

“Whoa!”

Theteamleaderreactedthesamewayastheotherminers.HecouldnothelpbutbeawedatJinwoo,whowasworkingthreetimesasfastasanyoneelse.

“Teamleader,didn’tyousaythiswashisfirstday?”

“...Idid.”

LeeSunggu,whohadbeencuriousaboutJinwoo’sidentity,spokeup–

“Areyousurethatman’sanE-ranker?”

“Ofcourse,wecheckthosekindsofthingsthoroughly.YouthinkIwould’veacceptedastrangerwithoutlookingathisHunter’slicense?”

“Sohowdoyouexplainthat?”

“...”

AftersilentlyobservingJinwoo,TeamLeaderBaegulped.

“Sung-ssi…isaminerblessedbytheheavens.”

Evenduringtheinterviewprocess,Jinwoo’smusclesstoodouttotheteamleader.

‘I’vegotagoodeyeforpeople.’

AsmilebloomedonTeamLeaderBae’sface.

***

Beep,beep,beep

ThealarmwentoffonTeamLeaderBae’swatch.Themanlookedathiswristandcheckedthetime.

‘Whoa,it’salreadythislate…’

Itwaslunchtime.

“Everyone,let’sgoeat!”

“Yes,sir!”

Alltheminersdroppedtheirequipmentandwipedtheirhands.WhenJinwooshowednoindicationofmovingwhileeveryoneelsewasleaving,TeamLeaderBaeapproachedhim–

“Sung-ssi,aren’tyoucoming?”

“Oh,I’mnotreallyhungry.”

“Still,youneedtoeattowork.”

“It’salright,Ihadalatebreakfast.”

“Oh?Well,okay.”

TheteamleaderwantedtoshareamealwithJinwooandtalkaboutsomeseriousmatters,buthedidnotwanttoforcetheman.Disappointed,TeamLeaderBaewalkedtowardstheGate.Watchinghimleave,thecornersofJinwoo’smouthrose.

‘Ican’tmissanopportunitylikethis.’

Finally,hewasalone.BoththecollectionandtheminingteamshadlefttheDungeon.Hewouldhaveaboutanhour’stimetohimselfinhere.Itwasanopportunitytogofindtheboss-classmagicbeastdeepintheDungeon.Jinwoodroppedthepickaxeandlookedtowardsthedirectionofthebossroom.Thepresenceofamagicbeastcamestronglyfromthatway.

‘I’mjustgoingtotakealook.’

Hewasn’tgoingtodoanything.Hejustwantedtotakealookattheboss.

Badum,badum,badum.

Atthethoughtofseeingtheboss,Jinwoo’sheartalreadybegantorace.Heforciblycalmedhisbeatingheartandstartedwalking.Followingtheenergyoftheboss,hewalkeddeepintothecave’sinterior.

Howlonghadhewalked?Aftersometime,hefinallycameacrossagiantroom.Itwasthebossroom.Thetunnelsofthecavewereincrediblywide,butthebossroomwasevenbiggerthanthat.Wereallthehigh-levelDungeonslikethis?Whenheaskedthatquestioninhishead,helookedatthebossandreceivedananswer.TherewasareasonwhythisDungeonwassohuge.

‘Ifthatthingleavesthisplace…’

Agianthumanoidmagicbeastwithasingleeyewasstandingallthewayattheendofthebossroom.Jinwoolookedlikeachildwhowasstandinginfrontofatoythathewanted.

‘Giant-typemagicbeast.’

Hehadheardofthembefore,butthiswasthefirsttimeseeingoneinperson.Corpsesofgiant-typemagicbeastsweretoolargetobemovedoutoftheGates.UnlesstherewasaDungeonBreak,itwasimpossibletoseeoneinthereal

world.Standinginfrontofsuchanexistence,Jinwoo’sheartfluttered.

‘It’sstrong.’

Enoughtoraisethehaironthebackofhishead.However,itdidnotfeelimpossibletotakedown.

‘Ifit’sthecurrentme.’

Itwouldbeenough.Themomentthatthoughtenteredhishead,Jinwoogulped.

Gulp.

Howmuchexperiencepointswouldthisthinggive?AftertoilingawayattheDemonCastle,Jinwoo’slevelhadrisenbyfifteenwithinoneweek.Butifhecouldtakedownasinglebossandobtaintwoorthreelevels…

‘Wait,Ishouldn’tbedoingthis.’

Contrarytohisthoughts,theHunter’shandswerealreadyholdingBaruka’sTantoandKnightKiller.Hisfacealsodidnotmatchhisthoughts.

ShouldIjustgoandstabit?

Evenhismouthwascurledupwithtoomuchexcitement.

Suddenly,whilethemanwascontemplatinghisactionswithasmile,awoman’svoicecamefrombehindhim.

“Excuseme,butwhatareyoudoinghere?”

***

Jinwoofelthisheartsinkingtohisstomach.

‘Whendidshecome?’

Becausehehadbeentoofocusedontheboss,hehadnotrealizedsomeoneelsehadarrived.

‘I’vebeenfoundout.’

Jinwooclickedhistonguewithdisappointment.

Tsk.

Nowthatawitnesswashere,hesnappedoutofhisgreedtowardstheboss.HuntersGuildhadboughttheraidingrightsofthisGate;inasense,thebosswasthepropertyofHuntersGuild.Ontopofthat,ifhetookdownthebossrightnow,theGatewouldcloseandtheunfinishedjobsofthecollectionandminingteamswouldresultinagreatlossfortheGuild.

‘Ialmostdidsomethingterrible.’

Blindedbythegreedoflevelingup,healmostlaidhandsonsomeoneelse’sproperty.Jinwoocametohissensesandbreathedasighofrelief.Meanwhile,theownerofthevoicecamecloser–

“Excuseme,Iaskedyouaquestion.”

Jinwoosmiledawkwardlyandturnedaround–

“Er,Igotlostandendeduphere.”

“Yougotlost?”

Thevoicewasflustered.Jinwoorealizedwhotheownerofthevoicewas.

‘Huh?Thiswomanis…?’

ThatfacehesawbeforeenteringtheDungeon.ItwasthefemaleS-rankHunter,ChaHaein.SheslowlyclosedthegaptowardJinwooandlookedattheman’shands.

‘IswearIsawhimholdingweapons.’

Wasshemistaken?Whateverhewasholdinghaddisappearedasifitwasneverthere.ThewomanlookedupanddownonJinwoo.

‘Hardhatandworkclothes…IsheaHunterfromourminingteam?’

Itseemedthattheman’sexcusethathewaslostwasnotalie.Still,regardlessofhisreason,thebossroomwasadangerousplace.ChaHaeindecidedthat

sendinghimawayfromherewasmoreimportantthanfindingoutthetruth.

“Thisisaplacewherethebossresides.”

Asshealwayswould,ChaHaeinpinchedhernosewithahandkerchiefandstoodbeforeJinwoo.

“Pleasegetawayfromhere.Ifyouaccidentlygrabaggro,everyoneherecouldendupdying.”

“Ah,I’msorry.”

Thankfully,itlookedlikehisactingworked.JinwoowalkedpastChaHaeinwithasatisfiedface.

Ashepassedby–

‘Huh?’

ChaHaeinturnedherheadtowardJinwoo.Somethingimpossiblehappened.Withhereyeswideopen,theS-rankHunterstoppedJinwoobeforesherealizedit–

“Hey,excuseme.”

“Yes?”

“Holdonaminute.”

Whatisthiswomandoing?Likeathiefwhohadbeencaught,JinwoodidnotparticularlyfeelgoodasChaHaeinapproachedhim.Thewomangotuncomfortablyclosetohim.

“Er…whatisit?”

Jinwooaskedwithanawkwardface.However,ChaHaeindidnotreply.Instead,thewomanboldlysniffedtheman.Shehadalreadyputherhandkerchiefaway.

‘Whatthehell?’

Jinwoohadnoideawhatwashappening.

‘Whyisshesmellingme?’

Themanwasflustered.However,thewomanwasevenmoreso.

‘There’sno...foulstench.’

ThiswasthefirsttimeshehadmetaHunterwithoutthatfoulsmell.ChaHaeinlookedatJinwoowithwideopeneyes.AquestionmarkappearedonJinwoo’sface.

“Istheresomethingwrong?”

“Areyou…reallyaHunter?”

Wasthereaneedtogointodetail?JinwooremovedtheHunter’slicensearoundhisneckandhelditouttoher.ThewomantookthelicenseandlookedbackandforthbetweenJinwoo’sfaceandthepictureonthelicense.

‘E-rank…SungJinwoo…’

Wasitbecausehisrankwastoolow?TherewasnobadsmellcomingfromJinwoo.Infact,shesmelledapleasantfragrancefromhim.

JinwoocarefullytookhislicensefromChaHaein’shands.

“So…CanIgo?”

“That’s…”

Thewomanrealizedshenolongerhadanyreasontoholdhimhere.

“...Nevermind.Pleasebecarefulonyourwayback.TheDungeonislarge.”

“Ah,okay.”

Jinwoobidhisgoodbyethenwalkedbacktowardsthedirectionoftheworkarea.Hisbackquicklydisappearedinthedistanceofthecave.However,ChaHaeinstoodstillforsometimelookingatthedirectionthemanwalkedoffto.

‘Hesmellednice…’

***

Afterfinishinglunch,theHuntersoftheminingteamreturnedtotheworkarea.Walkinginwhilepickinghisteeth,TeamLeaderBaejumpedafterdiscoveringJinwoocomingbackfromdeepintotheDungeon.

“Whoa,whoa.Sung-ssi,whyareyoucomingfromthatway?”

“Ah,that’s…”

Jinwoobrieflyturnedhisheadbacktothebossroom’sdirection.

‘Ican’texactlyexplainthatIwascuriousaboutwhattheA-rankDungeon’sbosslookedlike,right?’

Heturnedbacktotheteamleader.

“Igotlostwhilelookingforthebathroom.”

“Oh,no!Youhavetobecareful!LotsofDungeonsarelikemazes.Ifyougetlost,youmightneverfindyourwayback.Infact,howdidyoufindyourwayback?”

“IranintoHunterChaHaein-nimonthewayback…”

“Ah,HunterCha-nim?Shewenttokeepwatchjustincasethebosscameoutofitsroom.Likeyou,she’saratherworry-filledperson.”

TeamLeaderBaelaughedenergetically.ItseemedlikeJinwoo’squestionsearlieraboutthebosshadgiventhemanawrongimpression.Jinwoosmiledbitterly.

‘Theteamleadercanlaughsincehedoesn’tknowhowscarythebossis.’

Thiswasthedifferencebetweentheworkteamandtheraidingparty.Knowingthetrueterrorofmagicbeasts,ChaHaeinwaskeepingwatchandpreparingfortheworstcasescenariothatthesemendidnotgiveasecondthoughtto.

‘Evenwiththatexpressionlessface,she’sgotasidelikethattoher.’

Ifthebossleftitsroom,theonesindangerwerenottheraidingparty.Itwould

bethelaborteamworkingwhiletheraidingpartywasabsent.Toprotecttheirlives,thewomanhadforgonethecomfortofrestandwenttokeepwatchatthebossroom.

‘...She’sanamazingwoman.’

ThiswasJinwoo’shonestopinionofChaHaein.Suddenly,herecalledthewoman’sstrangehabit.

‘Whydoessheblockhernosewiththathandkerchief?’

Nowthathethoughtaboutit,otherthanthetimejustnow,shehadconstantlyheldthathandkerchieftohernose.

“Teamleader,”

“Hmm?”

Insteadofbeingannoyedbyhispestering,TeamLeaderBaewasratherfriendlyandaccomodatingwheneverJinwoocalledtohim.

‘Hedidseemtorespondwelltomyworkearlier.’

Itseemedthathisprowesshadearnedhimselfsomecreditwiththeteamleader.Thankstothat,Jinwoowasabletocomfortablyaskthingshereandthere.Ifanything,TeamLeaderBaewastheonewhopressedhim–

“Whyareyouquietaftercallingamanover,Sung-ssi?”

Jinwoogrinnedandreplied–

“Noit’snothing..IwasjustcuriousonwhyHunterChaHaeincarriedthathandkerchiefaround.”

“Oh,that?She’salittlespecial.”

“Special?”

Whatdidthatmean?Theteamleaderexplainedpatiently–

“FromwhatI’veheard,HunterChaisabletosmellsomethingfromHunters.It’s

apparentlynotagoodsmell.”

“AHunter’ssmell?”

“Somethingaboutauniquephysiology.”

Auniquephysiology.Jinwoohadsomethingsimilar:hiskeensenseofhearing.EvenbeforehehadbecomeanAwakenedBeing,theyoungmanhadgoodears.AndafterheAwakened?Well,evenasanE-rankHunter,hishearingwasalevelaboveothers.

‘Hersenseofsmellmust’vealsobeenenhancedafterAwakening.’

Heunderstoodhertoadegree.

“Peculiar,right?”

AsiflikingthatJinwoowaspayingattention,TeamLeaderBaecontinued–

“Iheardthatbecauseofthatsmell,shehasdifficultybreathingaroundHunters.”

“...”

Wasthatthereason?

‘WhysheaskedmeifIwasreallyaHunter.’

WasitbecausehedidnotsmelllikeaHunter?JinwoorecalledthewordsoftheleaderoftheWhiteWalkersbackintheRedGate–

[“Inourhead,thereisavoicewhisperingtouswithoutrest.Ittellsusto‘killallhumans’.Butinfrontofyou,thevoicebecomessilent.”]

Wasitrelatedtowhatthatthingtoldhim?

NothavingthesmellassociatedwithHunters,notbeingtoldtobekilledlikehumans.

‘BecauseIamaPlayer…’

TheabsolutesingularexistencechosenbytheSystem.

JustwhatwasaPlayer?

Brieflyquestioninghisownidentity,Jinwooquicklyshookhishead–

‘NotlikeIcanobtaintheanswertothatquestionrightnow.’

Heclearedhismind.Worryingaboutariddlethathecouldnotsolvewouldonlyexhausthimmentally.

Crack!Crack!

Soon,thesoundofhiscoworkersminingstarted.Jinwooalsograbbedhispickaxe.

‘AnA-rankBoss…Ireallywantedtokillit.’

Whatwould’vehappenedifChaHaeindidn’tarriveontime?

Jinwooswungawaywhilethinkingaboutit.

***

BecauseofJinwoo’soutstandingperformance,theminingteammanagedtofinishtheirworkbeforedinner.Accordingtotheteamleader,itwastwohoursearlierthanusual.Becauseofthat,theeyesofhisteammateslookingathimhadchanged.

“Goodworktoday,Sung-ssi!”

“Notbad!”

“Ithoughtsomeonebroughtinaminingmachine,haha!”

TheHunterssurroundedhimandpouredcomplimentsalloverhim.ThecoldattitudetheygreetedhimwithbeforetheGatehadallbutdisappeared.Jinwoowasalsoinagoodmood.Theexperienceofworkingasaminerwasinteresting,andhehadsucceededinhisobjectiveofscoutinganA-rankDungeon.

“Let’sgo!”

“Yes,sir!”

“Let’sgo,go,go!”

AtTeamLeaderBae’sorder,theminingteammovedasonetowardstheexit.

“One!Two!”

“Pull!”

Theypassedbythestillworkingcollectionteam.Soon,theminingteamlefttheDungeonandloiteredwhilepreparingtoleave.ComparedtotheGuild’sofficialmembers,thetempworkerSungJinwoo’spaywasprovidedonthespot.

“Sung-ssi,hereyougo,thisisyours.”

“Thankyou.”

Whilehandingovertheenvelope,TeamLeaderBaediscretelyaskedhimaquestion–

“We’reabouttogoforsomefood,wouldyouliketojoinus?”

Whilethequestionwasaskedcasually,theteamleader’seyeswereserious.

‘Itfeelslikehehassomethinghewantstoaskme…’

Jinwoofelttheman’ssincerity.However,hepolitelydeclined.

“I’msorry.”

“Hmm…That’sokay.”

Theteamleaderscratchedhischin.

‘Iwantedtoaskhimwhilewewereinagoodmoodwithalcohol…’

Butthemanhadtochangehisplansabit–

“Youknow,I’vemetalotofpeoplewhileworkingonthisjob.”

“Mhmm.”

“ButI’veneverseenamanlikeyou.Youwereborntobeaminer.”

Itseemedthattheteamleaderhadtakenalikingtohim.

‘Haha…That’sabit…’

Jinwoocouldneitherconfirmnordenytheteamleader’swords.Instead,heawkwardlylaughed.Confusingthatforagoodsign,theteamleadergottobusiness–

“Idon’tnormallydothisbut…Howwouldyouliketocomeworkunderme?Iguaranteeyou’llbepaidwell.”

TheyoungmancalledSungJinwoo.Onhisfirstdayasaminer,themanhadcompletedseveraltimesmoreworkthanaveteranminer.Ifhecouldnotobtainthisgenius,itwouldbehisfailureastheleaderoftheminingteam.Evenifhehadtotalktothehigher-upstoprovideaspecialconsiderationforJinwoo,theteamleaderwantedtohiretheyoungman.

However,Jinwoo’srefusalwasfirm.

“I’mgratefulforyourwordsbut…there’ssomethingI’mpreparingfor.”

Atthatsentence,theteamleader’scheerfulmoodfell.

“Is…isthatso?”

Jinwooswallowedalaughter.

‘Whatafunperson.’

Tothinkthathisfeelingswouldshowthismuchonhisface.ItseemedthatTeamLeaderBaethoughthehaddiscoveredsomehiddentalentintheE-ranker.Afteramomentofthought,theteamleadercarefullyasked–

“Howabouttomorrow?Doyouthinkyoucouldcomeoutagain?”

“Tomorrowisabit…Hmm…”

Well,hewouldstillbefreetomorrow.Theremeasurementwastwodaysfromnow.ButJinwoowonderediftherewasareasonforhimtoworkasaminer

again.HehadalreadyobservedtheraidingmethodofalargeGuildandeventookalookatanArankDungeon’sboss.

Suddenly,Jinwoorealizedsomething–

‘Holdon.’

Hewasabouttorefusewhenaquestionflashedacrosshismind–

“DoesthatmeanHuntersGuildhasanotherRaidtomorrow?”

“Yep.It’sanotherA-rankGate.”

“Isthatevenpossible?TheyjustfinishedaRaidtoday.”

ItwascommonpracticeforraidingpartiestorestforaweekaftercompletingaRaid.

‘Theysaidthattoday’sRaidstartedyesterdayevening.’

ThatmeantthemainraidingpartyofHuntersGuildhadraidedfortwoconsecutivedays.Ontopofthat,bythetimetheywentbacktotakedownthebossafterthecollectionteamfinished,itwouldbedawn.Jinwoocouldn’timaginethattheywouldraidagaintomorrow.

WhenJinwoolookedinterested,theteamleadercontinued–

“InsteadofAttackTeamA,AttackTeamBwillbeuptotheplatetomorrow.”

AttackTeamB?TheyweregoingtoclearanA-rankDungeonwiththesecondaryraidingparty?

“ThisisthepowerofHuntersGuild.We’reprobablytheonlyGuildinSouthKoreathatcantakedowntwoA-rankGateswithtwoseparateteams.”

TeamLeaderBaespokewithpride.

“IsthishowHuntersGuildalwaysraided?”

“No,no.Normallytheywouldn’tdivideuptheteamslikethat.Butseemslikethejobsoverlappedthistime.”

BecausetwoA-rankGateshadsimultaneouslyappearedinHuntersGuild’sterritory,theteamleaderexplainedthatGuildmasterChoiJonginhadtopullalotofstringsinordertoobtaintheraidingrightsforbothofthem.

‘Oh,sothat’swhyGuildmasterChoiwasattheAssociationyesterday…’

AbusymanlikeChoiJonginwouldnothavefrivolouslyvisitedtheAssociation.

Jinwoonodded–

“SodoesthatmeanthisisthefirsttimethesecondaryraidingpartywillbethesoleattackteamoftheRaid?”

“Yep.Butdon’tletthatfoolyou.HuntersGuild’ssecondaryteamisnotjustanysecondaryteam.They’rebetterthanmostlargeGuild’sprimaryteam.”

“Still,itshouldbemuchmoredangerousthantoday,right?”

TeamLeaderBaewasatalossforwords.Jinwoowasright.TwoS-rankershadparticipatedintheRaidtoday.Comparedtothat,onlyA-rankerswouldbepartoftheoffensivetomorrow.Eventhoughtheyhadheardthattomorrow’sGatewassmallerthantoday’s,theabsenceofthetwoS-rankerswouldbegreat.TheteamleaderrecalledhowSung-ssiwasworriedaboutthebosseventhoughtheS-rankerswerenearby.

‘Still,Idon’twanttolietotheman.’

TeamLeaderBaehadhopedtoworkwithJinwootomorrow.Realizingthatwouldnothappen,themanansweredhimdisappointedly–

“It’llbemuchmoredangerous.Ifthingsgowrong,theRaiditselfmightfail.”

Jinwoo’seyeslitup.

Volume5

Chapter1:B-Team’sRaid

TheE-rankHunterdidnothesitate.

“Alright.”

“Well,Iunderstandifyoufeelthatway.”

“SowheredoIhavetogotomorrow?”

“Huh?”

Theteamleader’seyesopenedwide.

‘DidIexplainitwrong?’

HewascertainhejusttoldJinwoothattomorrowwouldbemuchmoredangerous.Jinwoohadlistenedtohiswordswithastrangeexpression,sotheteamleaderthoughtthatitwasalostcause.Butwhatwasthisunexpectedboon?ThankstoSungssi,itseemedthattheywouldnothavetorecruitadditionalhandsfortomorrow.

‘Andthat’snotall.’

Sung-ssiwasamanwhodidfivemen’sworkonhisown.Onhisfirstdayeverasaminertoboot.Everyoneintheteamwastrulyinaweathisspeedthatsurpassedtheteam’sace,MokJinsoo…SohearingthatJinwoowasgoingtocomeagain,TeamLeaderBaebecamefilledwithjoy.

“Sung-ssi!You’vemadeagoodchoice!”

TeamLeaderBaesmiledbrightly.Justincasethemanchangedhismindovernight,theteamleaderquicklyaddedonsomeincentives–

“I’lltalktothehigher-upsandgetyoutwicethepaytomorrow.”

“Isthatokay?”

“Ofcourse!It’stheleastIcoulddoforSung-ssi.”

Theteamleaderpoundedhischest.

“Don’tworryaboutathing.Allyouhavetodoisshowuptomorrow.”

Ofcourse.Itwasnotawasteinanycapacitytogivedoublepaytothemanwhodidfivepeople’sworkonhisown.IfhewastheGuildmaster,hewould'vebeenpreparedtocompensateJinwoothreetimesover,maybeevenmore.

‘Haha,tothinkthatthere’sadayIwouldfeelbadthatI’mnottheHunters’Guildmaster.’

TeamLeaderBaeswallowedalaughter.Inthatmoment,Jinwooasked–

“Oh,Ihaveapromiseatnighttomorrow,isthatokay?”

HehadreceivedacallfromYooJinhothismorning–

—“Hyungnim,canwemeetup?”

Theyoungman’svoicesoundedtimid.

‘Thispunk,Ithoughthesaideverythingwentalright...?’

Jinwoowasabitsurprised.Unfortunately,hehadalreadyvolunteeredfortheminerjobandhadtopushbackthemeetingwithYooJinhototomorrow.

TeamLeaderBaerepliedwithasmile–

“FromwhatI’veheard,tomorrow’sworkloadissmallerthantoday’s.Weshouldbedonebysix.”

Eventoday,theyhadfinishedbyfiveo’clock.Iftomorrow’sworkloadwassmaller,therewouldbetimetospare.Jinwoonodded–

“ThenI’llseeyoutomorrow.”

“Alright,takecare.”

WatchingJinwooleave,TeamLeaderBaesmiled–

‘IfIwasmarried,I’dprobablyhaveasonhisage.’

Eventheyoungman’sbacklookeddependable.IfonlynewhiresintheworldwerealllikeSung-ssi.Theteamleader’ssmiledidnotleavehisface.However,hewasnottheonlyonesmiling.Walkingtowardsthebusstop,Jinwoowasalsosmiling.Unlikethereasonbehindtheteamleader’ssmile,however,theE-rankHunter’ssmilewas…slightlyfilledwithanulteriormotive.

‘Imean…notthatI’mactuallyhopingforsomethingtogowrongtomorrow…’

Butifsomethingdidgowrong…hecouldbeavaluablehelptotheraidingpartyortheminingteam.Themanhadnotchangedhismindfornoreason.Inastrangeway,A-rankGatesactuallyhadahighersuccessratecomparedtothelowerrankedGates.

‘First,theAssociationwouldn’tjustgiveawaytheraidingrightstoanyGuild.’

Second,theGuildsreceivingtheraidingrightwouldthroweverythingtheyhadattheRaid.

However–

‘HuntersGuildisnotthrowingeverythingtheyhaveattomorrow’sRaid.’

TothinkthattheywouldactuallysplituptheirraidingmemberstotryandcleartwoA-rankGatesatonce.Itwasaconfidenceworthyofthenation’stopGuild.Atthesametime,itwasalsoanincrediblydangerousthingtodo.

‘Nomatterwhathappens,there’snolossforme.’

IftheRaidwascompletedsafely,itwouldbethebestoutcome.

Butifsomethingwentwrong,Jinwoowouldtakethehigh-levelmagicbeastsaspaymentforhelpingHuntersGuild.

‘Good.’

Jinwoogotonthebuswithasmile.

***

LATEATNIGHT.

ChaHaeintossedandturnedinherbed.

‘Whywasthatmandifferent?’

Becauseofthemanshemetoutsideofthebossroom,shecouldnotfallasleep.AfterherAwakeningtwoyearsago,shehadmetalotofHunters,buteverysingleoneofthemwasthesame.Hunters,ormoreaccurately,AwakenedBeings,allgaveoffaterriblestenchthatassaultedhernose.Atfirst,shehadthoughtitwasanillnessandmetwithmanydoctors,buttonoavail.Oneofthedoctorswhoconsultedheratthetimecarefullybroughtupatheory–

“CoulditbethatHunterCha-nimisabletodetectmagicpowerwithhersenseofsmell?”

Itwascertainlyaplausibleidea.Higher-rankingHuntersgaveoffaworsesmellcomparedtolow-rankingHunters.Ofcourse,ordinarypeopledidnotgiveoffasmell.

But.

‘...Hewasthefirstpersontoactuallysmellgood.’

Thinkingabouttheeventsoftheday,herheartbegantobeatfaster.

Curiousaboutwhothemanwas,shehadlookedhimupontheAssociation’swebsite.

E-rank.

SungJinwoo.

Theinformationshesawonhislicensecameup.

‘Nocontactinformation…’

Wait,whatwouldsheevendowithhisnumber?RealizingthattherewasnotmuchmoreshecouldlearnfromtheAssociation’swebsite,shecalledtheHeadofRecruitment,JoMyunggi,beforeshecouldstopherself–

—“HunterCha-nim,whatisitatthishour?”

Itwasalreadyanhourpastmidnight.

IfthecallerwasnotthesolefemaleS-rankHunterofSouthKoreaandtheDeputyGuildmasterofhisGuild,themanwould’veneverpickedup.Shemomentarilyregrettedherdecisionafterhearingtheman’shalf-awokenvoice–

“CouldyoulookupsomeinformationonaHunternamedSungJinwoo?”

—“Huh?DoyoumeantheE-rankerwhoworkedundertheAssociation?”

ChaHaeinwassurprised.JoMyunggiwastheHeadofRecruitmentforthenation’sbestGuild.HowdidheknowanE-ranker’sname?

“Doyouknowhim?”

—“Ah,that’s…GuildmasterChoihadaskedthesamethingyesterday–tofindinformationonSungJinwoo.”

“GuildmasterChoi?”

—“Yes,ma’am.”

“Doyouknowwhatitwasabout?”

—“Err,no...“

“...Sowhatdidyoufindout?”

Adeepsighrangacrossthereceiver–

—“Ispentconsiderableefforttoinvestigate,buttheAssociationhadplacedalidontheman’sinformation.I’veneverseensomethinglikethishappeningbefore,theAssociationblockinganinformationofanordinaryHunter.”

“Ah…”

—“Butwhyareyoulookingforhim,HunterCha-nim?IsitsomethingIcouldhelpwith?”

“No,sorryforbotheringyouatthishour.”

Click.

Thatcallwasthreehoursago.ShehadgatheredhercouragetofindoutwhoSungJinwoowas.Instead,onlymorequestionspiledupinherhead.

AmanwhoHuntersGuild’sGuildmasterwantedtoinvestigate…

AmanwhotheAssociationwasworkingtohide…

AnE-ranker…

‘Something’sthere.’

No,somethingbetterbethere…shehoped.

Hemightbethekeytosolvingtheriddleofheruniquephysiology.ThethingthathadplaguedherlifesincethedaysheAwakenedtwoyearsagoattheageof21.

‘Thatman,willIeverseehimagain?’

Whatifshecouldneverseehimagain?Astrangeworryappearedinherhead.Thankfully,ChaHaeinrecalledthehardhatSungJinwoowaswearing.Alongwiththehat,hisworkclotheshadHuntersGuild’slogoonit.

‘Hemustbepartofourminingteam.’

UnlikeAttackTeamAthatshebelongedto,theminingteamwouldbeworkingagaintoday.IfSungJinwoohadnotlefttheteam,shemightbeabletoseehimagain.

‘I’mgoingtogo.’

ItwasnotastrangethingfortheDeputyGuildmastertopayvisittoaRaid.

‘I’lljustactnaturallywhileseeingifhe’sthere.’

Whywasthis?WhenshethoughtaboutseeingthatstrangeHunteragain,hermindrelaxed.

‘Ihavetogotosleepthen.’

Forherplantoday,ChaHaeinforciblytriedtofallasleep.

***

BEFORETHESUNWASUP.

JinwooheadedoutatthecrackofdawntotheRaidlocation.Comparedtoyesterday,wherehehadjoinedwhiletheraidingwasinprogress,todaywasdifferent.

‘WasIworriedfornoreason?’

Hewasworriedthathehadarrivedtooearly.However,theGateareawasalreadypackedwithHunters.

“Oh?Sung-ssi!Sung-ssi!”

TeamLeaderBaewasthefirsttogreethim.

“Sung-ssi’shere.”

“Oy!Sung-ssi!”

TheotherHuntersalsogreetedhimhappily.Sincetheyallworkedtowardsthesamegoal,theskilledteammatewasawelcomedsight.

‘Feelsabit…awkward.’

Inthepast,theE-rankerhadalwaysbeentreatedwithcontemptandderision.Thiswasthefirsttimehewasbeinggreetedsosincerelybyhisteammates.Still,Jinwooenjoyedtheirreactions.

“...”

Jinwoorespondedtotheirgreetingsbysilentlybowinghishead.

“One,two,three–”

TeamLeaderBaecountedtheminingteam’smembers.

“Eighteen,nineteen,everyone’shere.”

Thiswasmorethanenough.Well,onadaylikethis,itdidn’tmatterifoneortwopeopleweremissing.

‘Afterall,wehavetwoacesnow.’

Whentheteamleaderlookedathistwoaces,MokJinsoolookedaway,whileSungJinwootiltedhishead.

Inthatmoment–

“Excuseme,TeamLeaderBae.”

“Whoa!Yousurprisedme.”

Theteamleaderjumpedatthesuddenvoicethatcamefromhisside.Itwasatestamenttoone’sabilitiesiftheycouldmovewhileerasingtheirpresence.Asexpected,thepersonwhohadsurprisedtheteamleaderwastheleaderofthisraidingparty,SonGihoon.

“Ialmosthadaheartattack,HunterSon-nim.”

“Iapologize.It’sahabitfromDungeons.”

SonGihoonsmiledsheepishly.Frombehindhim,thecollectionteam’sleadersteppedout.

“Stopactinglikeanoldman…”

“Huh?Youtoo?Whyareyouhere?”

“Whatdoyoumean?It’sforwork.”

TeamLeaderBaeturnedtoSonGihoonwithacuriousgaze.TheA-rankHunterlookedovertheminingteam’sHuntersthenopenedhismouth–

“Thepersoninchargeofcarryingourbagsdidn’tcometoday.Ithinkwe’llhavetoborrowsomeonefromtheminingteam.”

“Huh?”

TeamLeaderBae’seyesopenedwide.

“Therearestrongfellowsinthecollectionteamusedtocarryingheavyloads,sowhyourteam…?”

Asifwaiting,thecollectionteam’sleaderspokeup–

“Ourboyshadtoskipdinnerandworknonstopforthreehoursyesterday.Andyouwantoneofustobethebaggageboytoday?”

Therewasareasonwhythecollectionteamhadtoskipdinnerandworknonstop.Itwasbecausetheminingteamhadfinishedtooquickly.

‘Well,normallywewould’veworkeduntilseven,butthankstoSung-ssi,wemanagedtofinishbyfive…’

Whenthecollectionteam’sleaderstareddaggersathim,TeamLeaderBaecouldnotargue.Feelinglikethesituationwasresolved,SonGihoonaskedtheminingteamHunters–

“Isthereanyonewhocanaccompanytheraidingparty?Ofcourse,we’llcompensateyouproperlyfortheaddeddanger.”

“...”

SonGihoonturnedhisgazearoundpleadingly,butnoonevolunteered.Theminersavoidedhisgazeasone.Itmadesense.

‘YouthinkI’llriskmylifeformoney?’

‘Can’tgetmetogointhereevenifyoukillme…’

ThehighestrankamongtheminerswasC-rank.TheaveragewasD-rank.SomeofthemwereevenE-rankers.AndtheplacethatSonGihoonwastryingtotakethemtowasanA-rankDungeon.Theywould’vehesitatedbeforeevenaB-rankGate,butanA-rank?Ascratchintherewouldkillthelow-rankHunters.No,forgetbeingscratched,amisstepwouldkillthem.Itwasnotaplaceforlow-rankers.Evenifbeingaportermeantthattheyjusthadtocarrythebags,itwasfarmoredangerouscomparedtotheminingwork.

“Isthere…anyone?”

SonGihoonbecamepanicked.Hedidn’tknowhowlongitwouldtaketofindanotherporter.Theymightwasteaquarterorhalfoftheday.Worstcasescenario,theentiredaywouldbewasted.

‘Thisisabigproblem.’

Suddenly,theA-rankermettheeyesofaloneHunter.

‘Huh?’

Unliketheotherminers,thisHunterwasstaringstraightathim.

‘Hmm…’

WhileSonGihoonwaslookingoverhim,JinwooalsolookedoverSonGihoon.

‘He’sprettysharpforaTanker.’

ItwasbasicknowledgethattheleaderofaRaidwouldbeaTanker.However,unliketheaverageTanker,SonGihoonwasratherslender.Addinghistallheightintotheequation,themanlookedmorelikeabasketballplayer.

‘...’

Aftertakinghismeasureoftheman,Jinwoomovedthegazesomewhereelse.

“Hah–”

Withthat,SonGihoonwasfinallyabletobreathe.

Whatwasthatjustnow?TheA-rankerbecamestifftothepointwherehedidnotevenrealizethathewasholdinghisbreath.Themanhadnoideawhatjusthappened.

‘WasItoonervousbecausethisisthefirsttimeI’mtakingleadinaRaid?’

Inthepast,hehadonlyworkedasasub-TankerinRaids.Sotodaywasaspecialopportunityforhim.Hecouldnotmakeamistakeonadaylikethis.Themanhunchedover,breathingheavily.Suddenly,heheardacommotionfromthe

miners.

Wasitbecausehehadsuddenlydoubledover?Hequicklyrealizedthatwasnotthecase.

Lookingovertheminers,SonGihoonrealizedahandwasraisedtothesky.ItwasavolunteerfortheporterjobtheTankerhadbeenprayingfor.Theman’sfacebrightened.

Jinwootookastepforward.Alleyeswereonhim.

“I’llgo.”

***

AnE-rankHuntervolunteeredtogointoanA-rankDungeon?!

ItindeedstirredacommotionamongsttheHunters.

“High-levelmagicbeastsarewaitinginthere!”

“Sung-ssi,whatareyouthinking?!”

“You’restillyoung,don’tthrowawayyourlifeforsomemoney!”

Membersoftheminingteamswarmedhim,tryingtochangehismind.TeamLeaderBaeexplainedtoSonGihoon–

“Ohno,thatfellowjuststartedworkinghere.Hemust’veraisedhishandwithoutknowinganything.”

“Whatishisrank?”

“That’s…”

TheteamleaderglancedatJinwooandwhispered–

“He’sanE-ranker.Hisrankistoolow,whydon’tyoutakesomeoneelse?Takingthatfellowistoodangerous.”

SonGihoon’sexpressionbecameserious.

‘Thatman…isanE-ranker?’

Themanwhohadmethiseyesearlier.Certainly,theA-rankerdidnotdetectanystrongmagicpowercomingfromhim.Butwhatwasit?Themanhad...aninexplicableanddangerousauraabouthim.

‘Hedoesn’tfeellikeanE-ranker.’

Hedidnotseemlikethelowest-rankingHunterinanyway.Ofcourse,SonGihoondidnotthinkthatTeamLeaderBaewaslying,buthecouldnotshakehisinstinct.

‘Still,theporter’srankdoesn’tmatter.’

Alltheporterhadtodowascarrythebaggage.Iftheporterplacedattherearoftheraidingpartywasindanger,theRaidwould’vealreadyfailed.IfitgottoasituationwhereanA-ranker’slifewasindanger,whatdiditmatteriftheporterwasC-rankorE-rank?They’llalldiejustthesame.However,SonGihooncouldnotthinkbeyondthat.Timewasrunningout.HelookedatJinwooandspoke–

“No,we’lltakethatman.”

Chapter2:S-RankPorter

“Isittooheavy?”SonGihoonasked.

Jinwooshookhishead,“I’malright.”

ThebagontheE-ranker’sbackcontainedtheraidingparty’sclothes,weaponsanddefensivegears.Thesizewasquitelarge,buttoJinwoo,itdidnotfeelheavyatall.ItwasthepowerofhisStrengthstat.

‘Hedoesn’tlooklikehe’sstruggling.’

SonGihoonlookedoverJinwoo’sexpressionthenturnedtowardstheGate.Jinwooalsoturnedhishead.Infrontofthem,aGateaslargeasyesterday’sfloatedintheair.

‘Wait,isthisonebigger?’

However,theysaidthemagicpowerseepingouttoday’sGatewassmallerthanyesterday’s.SincetheRaid’sdifficultywasdeterminedbythemagicpowerandnotthesizeoftheGate,thesecondaryraidingpartywasdeployedhere.

‘Huh…themagicpowercomingoutispitifulcomparedtoyesterday.’

InfrontoftheGate,Jinwoowasassured.ItseemedthattheAssociation’smeasurementswerenotoff.

Butwhatwasthisfeeling?JustlikeinfrontoftheRedGate,theE-rankHunterfeltastrangesenseofdread.

‘...I’mjustimaginingit,right?’

SonGihoongavetheorder,

“Letusgo.”

MembersoftheraidingpartythathadbeenwaitingneartheGateallstartedto

moveasone.Onebyone,theHuntersenteredtheDungeon.

‘...’

Watchingthem,Jinwoofollowedbehind.

YouhaveenteredaDungeon.

***

Theinsideswereratherplain.Havingenteredwithhisnervesonedge,Jinwoorelaxedoncehecameacrossatunnelfarsmallerthanyesterday’s.

‘Phew-’

Thankfully,theywerenottransportedtoanotherworld.Well,thecompositionofthepartymightbeabletoclearaRedGate.

ElevenA-rankersandsixB-rankers.

LikeTeamLeaderBaesaid,inanyotherGuild,thispartywouldhaveneverbeenasecondaryraidingparty.Jinwoosmiled–

‘I’mnotevenpartoftheraidingparty,let’srelax.’

Yesterdayandtoday.Inaway,hewasjustheretoplayaround.Theonlydifferencetodaywashewouldbeabletowitnessmorethings.Therewasnoneedtobeonedge.Withthatinmind,hisheartrelaxedabit.

“Don’tbesonervous.”

Fromhisside,afemaleHealer-classHunterstruckupaconversation.Shelookedlikeshewasinherlatetwenties.Itseemedthatshehadnoticedhishardenedexpressionandwantedtocheerhimupabit.

“Gihoon-oppa,Imean,theRaidLeaderandeveryonehereareexperiencedHunters.Well,exceptforme.”

AbrightlysmilingHealer.Fromthestart,therewasnothinglikefearinJinwoo’sheart,butathercarefreeexpression,hissharpenednervesemptiedfromhisheartlikesomeonepoppedaballoonwithaneedle.Jinwooheldbackalaughterand

nodded–

“Ah,okay.”

Asifsatisfiedbyherwork,theHealerputonaproudexpression.

Meanwhile,havingconfirmedthattherewerenomagicbeastsneartheentrance,asignalwasgiventomoveforward.

“Let’smove.”

JinwooandtheHealermatchedthepaceoftheraidingpartyandwalkedslowly.Becausetheyweretakingcareoftheirsurroundings,themovementofthepartywasslow.

“Ifit’sheavy,couldIhelpoutabit?”

TheHealeraskedafterglancingatthebaggageJinwoowascarrying.Withoutaword,heheldoutawatertankinhislefthand.Thewomantookitandimmediatelyfalteredatitsweight.

“Ahhh!!!”

JinwooquicklygrabbedthewatertankfromtheHealerwhowasabouttoloseherbalance.TheentirepartyhaltedandstaredattheHealer.

“I’msorry.I’msorry.”

TheHealerbowedherheadprofusely.Ofcourse,shedidnotoffertohelpagain.Instead,sheglaredathimeveryonceinawhile.Jinwooswallowedalaughterandfeignedignorance.It’sbeenalongtimesincehefeltlikelaughinginaDungeon.

‘It’sdangeroustogetdistracted.’

EspeciallyinhisrecentRaids.WhenhethoughtbackonthedifficultyoftheDemonCastle,heshuddered.However,todaywasdifferent.ItfeltnicetotagalongasanobodyinaRaidlikethis.

Suddenly,Jinwoostopped.NoticingwhattheE-rankernoticedabeatearlierthan

theydid,theraidingpartyalsostopped.

“Heretheycome!”

BeforeSonGihoonevenfinishedgivingtheorder,theentirepartygotintodefensivepositions.Itwasinablinkofaneye.Jinwoowasamazed–

‘SothisistheRaidofhigh-rankingHunters…’

Itwasinacompletelydifferentlevelthantheraidingpartieshehadseeninthepast.Eventhenaive-lookingfemaleHealerwasalsoinanutmostreadystance,aclearlightcomingfromherhands.

‘LookslikeIwon’thaveachancetostepup.’

Jinwooridhimselfoftheworryandatthesametimefeltsecretlydisappointed.

Anyways,themagicbeastsarrived.

Beast?Dog?

SonGihoon’seyesnarrowed.

Dadadadadadadada.

Agroupofmagicbeaststhatlookedlikehyenasrantowardsthegroup.Eachofthemwasasizeofamidsizecar.SonGihoontiltedhishead–

‘DungeonJackals?’

Astheyneared,hebecamesure.TheywereDungeonJackals.SonGihoonrelaxedhistensedformthatheldoutashield.ThemanslammedhisshielddownonaDungeonJackalthatleapedtowardhisneck.

Whimper!

“Thehell?”

“DungeonJackals?”

Themembersofthepartythathadbeenmaintainingatensestancealsorelaxed

andtiltedtheirheads.Soon,thecryofDungeonJackalsfilledthecave.

Whimper!Yelp!Whimp—

Themagicbeastswereroutedinnotime.Thedozenorsojackalswerequicklyturnedtocorpses.TheHuntersdustedofftheirhandsinconfusion.

“Whatwasthat?”

“Ididn’tevenhavetimetofinishcastingmyspell.”

“WhywouldDungeonJackalscomeoutofanA-rankDungeon?”

“Right?”

“DidtheAssociationfuckupagain?”

Theirvoiceswereraised.ItwasacardinalruleinDungeonstonotraiseyourvoice.TheappearanceoftheDungeonJackalswereshockingenoughtomaketheHuntersforgetthatrule.

“Hmm…”

SonGihoonlookedoverthejackals’corpsesandscratchedhistemple.

‘WhywouldmagicbeastsfromaC-rankDungeoncomeouthere?’

TheTankerlookedaroundindisbelief.Everyonehadsimilarexpressions.Exceptoneman.

Jinwoowaslookingatthecorpsesofthejackalswithanuneasyexpression.

‘They’renotnormaljackals.’

Hiseyesnarrowed.Helookedoverthetracesofmattedfursaroundthejackals’necks.Itwasevidentthattheyweretiedupsomewhere.

‘Thatmeansthere’ssomethingelseherethatraisedthesethings…’

Magicbeastswithintelligence.JinwoorecalledtheWhiteWalkersfromtheRedGate.Nomatterwhatracetheybelongedto,intelligentmagicbeastswere

difficultenemies.

‘ThatfeelingIhad…mightberightafterall.’

Itwasnotagoodomen.

“Whatareyoulookingatsoseriously?”

ThefemaleHealercameuptohimandstaredblanklyatthecorpse.

“Shh!”

Jinwooheldupafinger.

Stepstep.

Stepstep.

Heheardfootstepscomingtheirwayfromdeeperintothecave.

‘Therealthingiscoming.’

Jinwoogotup.Meanwhile,theotherHuntersalsorealizedsomethingwaswrong.

“Ohmygod…”

“P-prepareforbattle!”

SonGihoonsqueezedoutanorder.Finally,fromthedarknessofthecave,therealenemyappeared.TheeyesoftheHunterswidened.

“Highorcs?”

“Ofallmagicbeasts,whythehighorcs?!”

Highorcwarriorswithbattle-hardenedlookswerestandinginaformation.Thereweretwenty-twoofthem.Eveniftheywerejustnormalhighorcs,twenty-twoofthemwould’vestillbeendifficultopponents.Butthesewerehighorcwarriors.

“Something…somethingwentwrong.”

Someoneuttered.Tothinkthatthelow-levelmagicbeastswouldbefollowedbyhighlevelmagicbeaststhatwereknownfortheirstrengthamonghigh-levelmagicbeasts.

Clack!Clack!

ThelongspearsofthehighorcspointedtowardstheHunters.

‘TheHuntersandthehighorcsareaboutevenlymatched.’

Jinwooevacuatedtoacorner.Heplannedtoquietlyobservethesituationandlookforthetimingwherehehadtostepup.ThefemaleHealermistookhisintentions–

“Staythereandhidesoyoudon’tgethurt!”

Forsomereason…thatwasabitinfuriating.Jinwooclosedhiseyesandtookdeepbreathstotryandcalmhisannoyance.

Soon,thebattlebegan.

“Kuaaaaaah!”

Attheapproachinghighorcs,SonGihoonusedawideareatauntingskill.However,thehighorcswerenotsoeasilyprovoked.Soon,Fighter-classHuntersandthehighorcsclashed.

Slash!Stab!Crack!

Bloodspilledeverywhere,followedbyscreams.

“Euaaaak!”

ThecompletedspellsoftheMage-classHuntersfelluponthehighorcs.

Bang!Boom!

Thehighorcsstruckby‘ArrowofLight’losttheirheads.However,thespellsdidnotshootoutrepeatedly.Whilethemagiceffectswerestrong,theyhada

drawbackofhavingcasttime.

“Ahhhhh!”

Thehighorcswerestartingtowinthemelee.

“Heal!Heal!”

“H-hurry!”

Thenumberofinjuredincreased,andtheHealersbecamebusy.

“H-healer-nim!”

ThefemaleHealerhadalsobeenrunningfromonespottoanother.

“I’monmyway!I’monmyway!”

ShekneltdownnexttoaHunterthathadlostanarmandutteredincantations.

Wooooong—

Withabrightlight,theHunter’sarmbegantoregenerate.ItwasthepowerofhealingaffordedbyanA-rankHealer’spowers.Butwhileshewasfocusedonherpatient,alargeshadowfelloverher.TheHealerraisedherhead.Ahighorcthatshehadthoughtwasdeadwasstandingoverherwithanaxeinhand.

“Ah…”

TheHealer’sfaceturnedwhite.Unfortunately,therewerenoalliesnearby.Whentheorcraiseditsaxe,insteadofrunningaway,theHealercoveredherpatientwithherbody.

“No!”

Sheheldherheaddown,waitingfortheblowtocome.However,nomatterhowlongshewaited,shedidnotfeelanypain.Inamomentwhereasinglesecondfeltlikeaminute,theHealerraisedherheadslightly.Anincrediblesightwasbeforeher.

“Ku...Kwek…”

Thehighorcwasfloatingintheair,flailingitslimbs.

“What…?”

Whatishappening?TheHealeropenedhereyeswide.

Suddenly–

Cruuuunch.

Thehighorc’sheadseparatedfromitsbody,pullingupitsspinewithit.Itwasanincredibledisplayofpower.

Thud.

‘...?’

Lookingatthehighorc’sbodythatcollapsedtotheground,theHealerlookedcompletelydumbfounded.

“Huh…?”

Thehighorc’sheadwasstillfloatingintheair.

***

‘...Bleh,Igotbloodonme.’

Jinwooscrunchedhisfaceandthrewthehighorc’shead.

SMACK!

Anotherhighorcwasstruckbyhiscomrade’sheadandfelltotheground.Itsnecktwistedinagrotesqueway,itwasnotgoingtogetupanytimesoon.

‘Twodown.’

Jinwooturnedhisgaze.Hewascurrentlyin‘Stealth’.NeitherthehighorcsnortheHunterscouldseehiminthisstate.

ThemanhadworriedaboutsteppingupandgettingscoldedbytheHunters,but

thenfoundasolutioninhis‘Stealth’skill.Withthis,hewouldbeabletodowhateverhewanted.Thecornersofhismouthrose.

‘ShallIgetstarted?’

Inthatmoment–

“Uwaaah!”

HesawtheRaidLeader,SonGihoon,fightingwiththreehighorcsatonce.

Jinwoo’slegsmovedwithincrediblespeed.

***

Itwasalongdistancethatwasatthesametime,short.

Focusingthestrengthintohislegsalittlebit,Jinwooleapedandimmediatelyshotawayfromtheground.Whenhelanded,hewasbehindthelargebacksofthehighorcs.

Step.

Withthelanding,aconundrumappearedinhishead.

‘It’seasyformetokillthehighorcslikethis.’

Butthentherewasnopointinusing‘Stealth’.IncludingSonGihoon,theHuntersherecouldbeconsideredtobeatthetopofthenation.Iftheywitnessedthehighorcsbeingrippedapartbyanunseenforce,everysingleoneofthemwouldquicklyrealizethat‘Stealth’wasbeingused.Well,almosteverysingleoneofthem…ThenaivefemaleHunterhadnotrealized.

‘Well,it’snotlikeitmattersifIgetcaught.’

Still,withhisremeasurementcomingup,hedidnotwanttoinviteneedlessirefromHuntersGuild.Becauseofthat,JinwoohadplannedtoperhapsjustwaituntiltheRaidhadcompletelyfailed…ButitseemedliketheharmtotheHunterswasgoingtobetoogreat.Justnow,thefemaleHealerhadalmostdiedalready.

Andso.

AlightgatheredinJinwoo’seyes.

‘Ihavetoactwithoutbeingnoticed.’

Hedecidedonhisapproachtothisbattle.Theentirethoughtprocesstookaboutone,maybetwosecondsfromthetimehelanded.Amomentlater,Baruka’sTantoandKnightKillerwereinhishands.Thesedays,thedaggerswerereflexivelysummonedbeforeheevengavethementalcommand.

‘WhendidIsummonthese?’

Amidstthebattle,Jinwoosmiledwithamusement.Thefamiliargripsofthedaggerscalmedhisbeatingheart.Thankgodhecouldn’tbeseenrightnow.Hewould’velookedlikeamadman,smilinginthemiddleofthischaoticmelee.ThesweatingRaidLeaderthatwasfendingoffthreehighorcsespeciallywould’vebeenmad.

‘First,theseguys.’

Jinwoomovedintoaction.Withhisbodylowered,hewieldedthedaggersinreversegripandcutahighorc’sAchillestendon.

“Kuaaaaaak!”

Whenitsankleswerecutoutofnowhere,thehighorcwarriorcriedoutinpain.

Thiswasonlythebeginning.

Withfluidmovementsresemblingadance,Jinwooweavedinandoutbetweenthehighorcs.OnewasstabbedbyBaruka’sTantoinitsribs.AnotherwascutbehindthekneesbyKnightKiller.

“Kreureuk!”

“Kuhak!”

Theadrenalinefromthebattlewasinsufficienttoblocktheirpain.Havingcutandstabbedinanentirelyunexpectedway,thehighorcwarriorsstiffened.Itwas

morethanenough.SonGihoonimmediatelysprangtohiscounteroffensivewhenthehighorcsshowedamomentarysignofweakness.

Stab!

“Kreu…kreureuk.”

“Pant,pant.”

SonGihoonraisedhishead.Thelongswordinhishandwasstickingthroughahighorc’sheart.

“Kkreuk.”

Thehighorcthatwasglaringwithitslipstremblingsoonshowedthewhitesofitseyesandfellbackwards.

Thud.

TheTankerclenchedhisfists.

‘Yes!Wecandothis!’

Themanslewthehighorcssurroundinghimonebyone.Meanwhile,JinwoomovedceaselesslyaroundtheDungeon.

“Kuaaaak!”

“Kwoook!”

Intheworldofslowedtime,hecasuallymovedaroundandbrokethebalanceofthevariousbattlesaroundwhiledoinghisbestnottomakeitnoticeable.

Slash!

Everytimehepassedahighorc,smallbuteffectivewoundsappearedonitsbody.

“Kreureuk!”

“Kuwak?”

Whenthehighorcswerethrownintochaosbythesuddeninjuriesappearingontheirbodies,theeliteHunters’attacksdidnotmisstheopportunity.

‘Did…didthefightjustbecomeeasier?’

‘What’sthisfeeling?’

‘Arewewinningagainstthismanyhighorcswithoutacasualty?’

TheHuntershadbeenresolvedthatatleastoneortwoofthemwoulddieinthisbattle.Contrarytotheirexpectations,thebattlewasgoingexceedinglyintheirfavor.

Smash!

AmaceswungbyoneoftheHunterssmashedintoahighorc’shead.Withthat,awelcomedvoiceranginJinwoo’shead.

Youhaveleveledup!

‘Oooh.’

Hiseffortshadnotbeeninvain.Hehadleveledup.Eventhoughhehadnotkilledorinflictedamortalwound,itseemedthathestillearnedexperiencepointsbyjusthelping.

‘TheonlyonesIactuallykilledweretwoofthem.’

Theonesheassistedinkillingwerethirteenofthem.Ifhisactionswerestillgivinghimexperiencepoints,itmadesensethathewouldlevelup.Excitedbythis,Jinwoo’smovementsspedup.

Slash!Stab!

“Kaaak!”

BecauseofJinwoo’sinvisiblesupport,thecurtainswereclosingonthebattle.

‘Phew-!’

Hetookastepbackfromthemeleeandreturnedhisdaggerstotheinventory.

Themanlookedaroundthebattlefield.

‘IthinkIdidenough…’

Thesituationwasnearlyover;hisoperationwasasuccess.Andhehadleveledupontopofthatasabonus.Jinwoolookedovertheground.Nearlytwentycorpsesofhighorcswerescatteredabout.

‘IfItookthemdownonmyown,Iprobablycould’vegainedanotherlevel.’

Regrettable,butthiswasHuntersGuild’shuntingground;theGuildhadpaidalargesumofmoneyfortheraidingrights.Hehaddoneasmuchashereasonablycould.

‘Alright.’

Withasatisfiedexpression,Jinwooreturnedtothecornerwheretheportershould’vebeenhiding.

“Kaaaah!”

Theirinitialsituationreversed,theHunterssurroundedthelasthighorc.Itsscreamrangloudlythroughoutthecave.Watchingthefinalenemygodown,Jinwooreleased‘Stealth’.

Shoooo—

TheHuntersgatheredtheirbreaths.Lookingaround,theyconfirmedthatallthehighorcsweredead.

“Is…isitover?”

“We’redone?”

“Holdon.”

Beforetheycouldcelebrate,RaidLeaderSonGihooncheckedfortheinjured.

“Injuries!Isanyonehurt?”

Inreality,therewererarelyinjuredpeopleattheendofbattleswithahigh-

rankingHealer.Aslongastheyclungtoashredoflife,theycouldbehealed.WhenSonGihoonaskedforinjuries,hewasnotactuallyaskingifanyonewashurt.Hewasaskingifanyonehaddied.Meetinghiseyes,thefemaleHealershookherhead.Therewereinjuriesbutnocasualties.

“Then…”

Thefacesoftheentireraidingpartybrightened.

“Wewon!”

“Weactuallywon!”

“Waaaah!”

TheHunterscelebratedinunison.Jinwoolookedonwithhisarmscrossed.

‘Arehighorcsthatstrong?’

Fromwhathesawjustnow…perhapsnot.Havingnoexperiencewithahigh-levelRaid,thejubilantmoodoftheraidingpartywaslostonJinwoo.

Atthetime,Jinwoodidnotknow.WhenitcametoB-rankandA-rankDungeons,therankoftheDungeonwasn’ttheonlythingtakenintoconsiderationwhendeterminingthedifficulty.ThemagicpowermeasuredwerecarefullyreviewedtofigureouttheapproachandpartycompositionoftheRaid.EvenforanA-rankDungeon,highorcswereattheupperendofhigh-levelmagicbeasts.Andifitwasnotjustanordinaryhighorcbutovertwentyhighorcwarriors…?Thevictoryachievedjustnowwasnothingshortofamiracle.

Theoneresponsibleforthismiracledidn’tevenknowtheweightofwhathehaddone.Jinwoojustquietlycongratulatedtheraidingparty’svictory.

‘Hmm?’

HesawthefemaleHunterapproachSonGihoonwithaseriousexpression.Hereyessaidshehadsomethingtosay.Jinwoofocusedhishearingtowardstheirconversation.

“Gihoon-oppa.”

“Hmm?”

“Whenwewerefightingthehighorcsjustnow…”

TheHealercarefullyexplainedwhatshesaw.Thatahighorcsuddenlyfloatedintheairandremoveditsownhead,thenflewovertostrikeandkillanotherhighorc.Herfacewascompletelyserious.

“...”

SonGihoonwasatalossforwords.

“I’mtellingyouthetruth!”

LookingatthemortifiedredfaceoftheHealer,Jinwoostruggledtokeepinhislaughter.

Meanwhile,theHunters’celebrationlastedonlyashortwhile.TheygatheredaroundtheRaidLeader,SonGihoon.

“Leader,arewegoingtocontinue?”

“Isn’titabitdangerous?Tothinkthathighorcswouldappearjustaheadoftheentrance.”

“Whydon’tweretreatfornow?”

SonGihoonstareddownthecaveandclosedhismouth.

‘It’sprobablynoteasyforhim.’

JinwoounderstoodSonGihoon’sfeelings.InaGuildwithtwoS-rankHunters,thiswasprobablythefirstandlasttimeSonGihoonwouldbegivencommandofaraidingparty.Tothinkthathewouldhavetoendwhatmightbetheheightofhiscareerthatquickly…

‘Anyonewouldwanttocontinueandcleartheplace.’

Unlesstheywerealevel-headedleader.

Havingmadehisdecision,SonGihoonslowlyopenedhismouth.Jinwoo’seyes

narrowed.Thankfully,SonGihoonwasnotafoolishman.

“Letusretreatfornow.”

ARaidLeader’sdecisionswereabsoluteintheDungeon.Aslongasyouwerepartoftheraidingparty,itwasanunspokenrulethatyouhadtofollowtheordersoftheRaidLeader.Inancienttimes,werenotdisobedientsoldiersexecutedevenbeforeabattle?Inaway,aDungeonwasamuchmoredangerousplacethananancientbattlefield.Becauseofthat,yoursafetyinaDungeonwasoftendeterminedbywhoyourleaderwas.SonGihoondidnotdisappointhisteammates.

Athisretreatorders,theentireraidingpartybreathedasighofrelief.

“Phew–”

“IthoughtSonhyungwasgoingtogotothebitterend.”

SonGihoongrinnedandslappedtheshouldersofthemanwhojustspoke.

“I’mnotthatmuchofadumbass.”

“Iknow.Man,lookhyung,myhandsareshaking.”

“Stopbeingsuchababy.Alright,everyone!Let’sheadout!”

Jinwoopickedupthebaggage.Ascommanded,theraidingpartybegantomovebacktotheentrance.Jinwoosmiledinresignation.

‘Iwantedtogoinabitmore.’

Still,hewasonlyaguesthere.Amereguestshouldnotcontestthewillofthehost.Regrettable,butitlookedlikethiswouldbeitfortoday.

“Dammit…”

FrustratedatthefactthattheRaidLeaderdidnotbelieveher,thefemaleHuntercameuptoJinwoo’ssidewhilepouting.

“Itreallyhappened.”

Withhercheekspuffeduplikeachild,sheaskedJinwoowithahope–

“Didyoubyanychanceseethathighorc–”

“Nope.”

“Hiiiiing…”

Herhopesweredashedinaninstant.Jinwoothoughthewasgoingtobusthisstomachfromholdinginthelaughter.

***

Howlongdidtheywalkfor?

Suddenly,thevanguardofthepartystopped.SonGihoonraisedhisrighthand.

“S-stop!”

Hisvoicewasfilledwithpanic.TheHunterstiredfromwalkingandJinwoo,whohadfocusedhissensesbehindthepartytodetectanyambushingmagicbeasts,alsostopped.

AcommotionbrokeoutbetweentheHunters.

“What’shappening?”

“Whatthehellisthis?”

“Whyistheroadblocked?Itwasfineonthewayhere!”

Jinwoopassedthroughthechaosandreachedoutwithahand.Hiseyeswidened.

‘It’s…blocked?’

Therewasaninvisiblebarrierblockingtheirway.

ThefirstthingthatcametomindwastheInstantDungeon.ThatinvisiblewallthatseparatedtheInstantDungeonandreality,liketheywereintwodifferentdimensions.ButJinwooshookhishead.

‘No,thisisn’tthesame.’

Thewallreekedofbeingartificiallymade.Sensingmagicpowermixedinit,itwasclearthatitwasthemagicofanintelligentmagicbeast.

‘Butwhy?’

Whydiditblockthemfromleaving,insteadofblockingthemfromcomingin?

Suddenly,Jinwoosharplyturnedhishead.

‘...?’

Asifwaiting,aterrifyingwaveofmagicpowercameintorrentsfromthedeependoftheDungeon.

‘Mygod…’

ThisisabossofaDungeon?ItwasonadifferentscalethanthemagicpowerhehadfeltfromoutsideoftheGateorevenintheDungeonupuntilnow.TheotherHuntersalsofeltthepowerandshuddered.

“W-what?”

“Ijustgotchills.”

LookingatthefacesoftheHuntersturningwhite,Jinwoothoughtupofatheory–

‘Ifit’sabossthatcaneraseorhideitsenergy…’

Thewallthatwasnotthereonthewayin.Andabossthatrevealeditsmagicpoweraftercreatingthewall.

‘Didit…createatrapfortheHunters?’

Whenhethoughtthatway,achillrandownhisback.

Asifoncue–

Stepstep.

Stepstep.

FromthedistantdarknessoftheDungeon,footstepsincomparablylouderthanthefirsthighorcgrouprangforth.

Chapter3:HighOrc’sAmbush

Theshiftinatmospherewasnoticeable.Asthefootstepsgrewlouderandcloser,thesoundfromtheHuntersbecamequieter.

“Sonhyung…”

“...”

Asilencefellontheraidingparty.

Meanwhile,Jinwoo’searswereworkinghard.Usingthesilenceoftheraidingpartytohisadvantage,heperkedhisearstotryanddeterminethenumberofapproachingentities.

Stepstep.

Stepstep.

BecauseofhisnaturallykeenhearingcombinedwithhighSensestat,hewasabletodistinguishbetweenthefootsteps.

‘48,49,50,51.’

Fifty-onefootsteps.Itwasthesamesoundasthehighorcsearlier.Jinwoolookedaround.

‘...’

NervousnessfilledthefacesoftheHunters.They,too,hadroughlydeterminedthenumberofenemiesthroughtheirsenses.Winningthebattlejustnowagainsttwentytwohighorcwarriorswasamiracle.Andnowthereweremorethanfiftyapproaching,overtwicethepreviousamount.

‘...There’snohopeforvictory.’

Well,totheHuntersGuild’sraidingparty,ofcourse.Jinwoolookedbehindhim

intohisshadow.Hisshadowappearedtobeswayingandtwitching.

Woooooooo—

Itfeltlikehissoldierswerecomplainingthattheyhaven’tseenbloodinawhile.Jinwooreturnedhisgazeforward.

Badum,badum,badum.

Theheartthatwascalmupuntilnowwasstartingtobeatharder.

‘Justwait…’

Nowwasnottherighttime.Hecalmedhimselfandquietlylookedforward.Theenemiesfinallyappeared.

Stop.

ThehighorcsstoppedabitofdistanceawayfromtheHunters.

“Kreuuuuu.”

“Kreuk.”

Theylookedliketheywereabouttochargeatthemanysecondnow.Theoppressivepressurecomingfromthehighorcsthatnumberedoverfiftycouldnotbeputtowords.Evenwithoutfighting,theresultswereclear.

“Fuck!”

“Whyisthishappening…”

“Sniff.”

TheHuntersgroanedinterror.Theyhadretreatedbackwardsbecauseofthepressure,buttheirbacksweremetbytheinvisiblewall.Whatcouldtheydonow?Theyhadfinishedtheirbattlepreparationsawhileago,butnoneofthemtooktheinitiative.Instead,theyalllookedtotheRaidLeaderSonGihoonforhelp.

TheTanker’smouthwasclosedinastraightline.

‘Shit…’

IfonlyGuildmasterChoiJonginorDeputyGuildmasterChaHaeinwashere…SonGihoon’sbrowsfurrowed.S-rankerswieldedtheunimaginablepowertooverturnsituationslikethis.Iftheywerehere,highorcslikethesewouldbenothing.

‘Ofallthedays…’

...WhywerethosetwoabsentfromtheRaidtoday?Havingalwaysfoughtattheirside,SonGihoonrealizedjusthowpowerlesshewasinthismoment.TheabsenceofanS-rankerwastoopainful.However,hecouldnotwallowindespairforever.Hehadtomakeadecision.

‘Fightingherewouldjustgetusallkilled.’

However,withtheirretreatcutoff,therewasn’tanyotheroption.

FromthedayhemadethedecisiontobecomeaHunter,FromthedayhetookhisinauguralstepintotheDungeon,Fromthedayhefirstlostconsciousnessfrombeingwounded.

Heknewthatthisdaywouldcomesomeday.

‘Yes,yesIdid.’

Resolvedtofightuntilthebitterend,SonGihoonunsheathedhislongsword.

Shiing—

WhentheRaidLeaderlookedbacktohisteam,theHuntersthatwaitedforhisordersnodded.SonGihoonturnedhisgazeforward.Raisinghisshieldtobelowhischin,theTankerglaredatthehighorcs.However,themagicbeastsdidnotappeartobeattackingyet.

‘Didhemakehisdecision?’

Jinwooalsobeganhispreparations.Hisrighthandwasheldbehindhisback,grippingBaruka’sTanto.TheE-rankerclosedhiseyes.Theheartthatwasbeatingcrazilywasnowsettlingdowninthecalmbeforethebattle.

Badum.Badum.Badum.

Don’twasteanystrengthonuselessmovements.

Controlyourbreathing.

‘...Good.’

WhenJinwooopenedhiseyesagain,theywerefilledwithasharplight.

Gulp.

TheHuntersgulpednervouslyassweatgatheredontheirbrows.

Meanwhile,Jinwoogulpedinanticipation.

Gulp.

‘Iwonderhowmuchexperiencepointstheseguyswillgiveme?’

Jinwoo’slipscurvedintoathinsmile.

Suddenly,alonehighorcstartedtomovefromthebackofthegroup.Themagicbeastshoveditscomradesroughlyoutofitswayandcameoutaheadoftherest.TheorclookedovertheHunterswithitsbeast-likeeyes.

“Grrrrl….”

Itwasaheadtallerthantherest,withlongtusksstickingoutofitsmouth.

‘Ishethecaptain?’

Jinwoo’seyesnarrowed.Ifhejustkillthatthingrightnow,wouldn’tthebattlebecomeeasier?Whatshouldhedo?WhileJinwoofidgetedwithBaruka’sTantoandwondered,thehighorcopeneditsmouth–

“KRAERAKTUOSHEENAWEGEUDUAHRAKNAKA.”

Itwasaboomingvoice.Thehighorc’sgazewasfixedonthevanguardoftheraidingparty,SonGihoon.

“KRAERAKTUOSHEENAWEGEUDUAHRAKNAKA!”

TheHuntersbegantowhisperamongthemselves.

“What?”

“Isittryingtotalktous?”

“What’sitsaying?”

Suddenly,thefaceofthehighorcbegantoshake.Whentheshakingstopped,itsmouthopenedandspokewithacompletelydifferentvoicethanjustnow–

“Human…”

Itwaslikeaventriloquistspeakingthroughadummy.

“Humans…”

Lookingcloser,thehighorc’seyeshadturnedwhitelikeafishthathadbeendeadforawhile.

What!TheHuntersfeltliketheyhadbeenslappedacrosstheface.Theorcwasspeakinginthelanguageofhumans!

‘HowdoesanorcknowKorean?!’

‘Magic?Isitmagic?’

Inthisunexpecteddevelopment,theHunterscouldnotclosetheirmouths.Thehighorccaptain’smouthcontinuedtomove–

“I…Am…Kargargan...I…Wish…To…Meet…With…You…Humans…Follow…This…One…”[1]

Amagicbeastwantstotalkwithhumans?SomethinglikethishadnoteverbeenreportedinthehistoryoftheGates.Inanunprecedentedsituation,SonGihoonandhisteammatesfellintochaos.

“Gihoonhyung,youdon’tactuallybelieveamagicbeast,right?”

“Ignoreit,sir.”

“Gihoon,thisistrap.Ifwe’regoingtodie,let’sjustendithere.”

“Still,ifit’sanorcthatwecantalkto,maybe…”

“Heymoron,afterallthetimeyouspentinDungeons,doyoustillnotknowmagicbeasts?”

Inthatshorttime,adiscordfellupontheHunters.SonGihoonbrokehissilencewithaquestion–

“Kargargan,areyoutheonewhoblockedthecave?”

“That…is…correct…I…am…a…proud…great…sorcerer…of…the…oruku…your…human…strengths…cannot…break…my…magic.”

“Isthereanexistencestrongerthanyouinthiscave?”

“HOW…DARE…WOULD…ANY…STAND…AGAINST…ME!”

AboomingvoicerangoutandassaultedtheearsoftheHunters.SeveraloftheHuntersflinchedorcoveredtheirears,butSonGihoonnoddedcalmly.Hisguesseswereonthemark.Theexistencethatwasborrowingthathighorc’smouthtotalktothemwasthebossofthisDungeon.BecausethebosscouldnotleaveitsroomuntiltheDungeonBreak,itwascallingtheHunterstowhereitwas.

‘Idon’tknowwhybut…’

AstheRaidLeader’sreplywasdelayed,thehighorccaptainraiseditsaxedhighintotheair.

“Choose…will…you…die…here…by…my…soldiers…or…will…you…follow…my…soldiers.”

“We’llfollow.”

Athisreply,theHunterswereshocked–

“Hoonhyung!”

“Gihoon-ssi!”

SonGihoonsilencedhisteammatesandwatchedthehighorc’sreaction.

“Follow…human.”

Withthat,thehighorccaptain’seyesreturnedtonormal.Thebeast-likeuglyeyes.Thehighorcspoke–

“Ashtuoreka.”

Withthatphrase,thehighorcwarriorsthatweregivingoffadangeroushostilityallturnedaroundandbegantofallbackasone.ThehighorccaptainremainedandgesturedtoSonGihoontofollowit.

“Weshouldgotoo.”

SonGihoonwasthefirsttostartwalking.ThehesitatingHuntersstartedtofollowafterhimonebyone.

‘What’shethinking?’

JinwoostaredcuriouslyatSonGihoon.Ontopofthebosshimself,thebossroomshouldbefilledwithevenmorehighorcs.Ofcourse,theprobabilityofsurvivalwouldplummetinthere.Andso,JinwoowasnotsurewhattheRaidLeaderwasthinkingbyfollowingthem.

‘Ishethinkingofbargainingwiththeboss?Toleaveherealive?’

Thechanceofthathappeningwaslow…

Still.ThismightactuallybeagoodthingforJinwoo.Hehadexpectedtojusttakecareofafewdozenhighorcwarriors.Now,hewasabouttocomefacetofacewiththeboss.Jinwooreturnedthedaggerinhishandtotheinventoryandquietlyfollowedthegroup.

Purposelyslowinghispace,SonGihooncamenexttoJinwoo.TheRaidLeaderspoketotheporterinalowvoice–

“Hunter-nim.”

“Yes?”

Jinwoorepliedwithoutturninghishead.SonGihoonalsospokewhilekeepinghisgazefixedonthehighorcinfrontofthem.

“Whenwemeettheboss…we’regoingtoambushit.Whetherornotwesucceedinkillingit,itsmagicblockingtheexitshouldbereleased.”

Itwasareasonablethought.Withtheexceptionofcurses,maintainingaspellrequiredthefocusandconcentrationofthecaster.Thehigherthelevelofthemagic,thestrongerthefocusrequired.

Butwhatwouldtheydowiththat?Eveniftheysucceededinkillingthebossorundoingitsmagic,theywouldjustbeswarmedandmassacredbythehighorcwarriors.Inotherwords,thechanceoftheraidingpartyleavingherealivewasaboutnil.AsiftoclearupJinwoo’sconfusion,SonGihooncontinuedwithadeterminedface–

“Oncewehavealloftheirattention,Hunter-nim,escapefromthebossroom.LeavethisDungeonandcontactthemainraidingparty.”

BythetimetheraidingpartyincludingtheS-rankersarrived,itwillhavebeenalloverforthecurrentparty.SonGihoonwasresolvedtosacrificehislife.

“Areyouallplanningtodieintakingdowntheboss?”

Jinwoocastaquicksidewayglancetolookovertheman’sface.TheTanker’sexpressionwashardened,butthelightinhiseyeswerestrong.

“AsHunters,ourjobisnottoleavetheDungeonalive.ItistoclosetheGate.Itisbecauseofthatjobthatmanypeoplesupportuswithagreatamountofmoney.”

SonGihoonstrengthenedhisvoice–

“We’lljustdoaswealwayshave.Butnotyou.Thereisnoneedforyoutodiehere.Ihopethatyoucanleaveherealive.”

Jinwoofeltastrongconvictionfromtheman’svoice.Hewasputtinghislifeontheline.NomatterwhatJinwoosaid,heknewitwouldnotchangeSonGihoon’s

mind.Assuch,Jinwoojustrepliedwithanod.

***

ChaHaeinarrivedatthescene.

Shehadpressedhercapdownsomostpeopledidnotrecognizeher.Shewalkedovertolookfortheminingteam.SomeHunterspassedherbyandgavequickglancesbutconcludedthatshemust’vebeenaGuildemployeeanddidnotpaymuchattention.

Inthedistance,shesawTeamLeaderBaeandtheHuntersofminingteam.

Badum,badum.

Herheartbegantorace.Shecarefullylookedthroughtheminer’sfaces.

‘Whereisthatman…?’

ShedidnotfindJinwoo.

Shouldshesaysomething?Itfeltlikeshehadlostthestrengthinherentirebody.

‘Didhequitbeingaminer?’

Let’sjustwaitaminute.Hemight’vegonetothebathroom.

...

Justthreemoreminutes.

...

Justfivemore…

...

Afterfifteenminutes,Jinwoodidnotshowup.

“Sigh–”

Withadeepsigh,sheturnedtoleave.

Thewomantookfewsteps,thenimmediatelyturnedaroundandreturnedtoherwaitingspot.

Sheremovedhercap,thenhuffedrapidlytopsycheherselfup.Aftergatheringthecourage,shewalkedovertoTeamLeaderBae.TheHuntersofminingteamturnedtheirgazetowardstheapproachingwoman.Thankfully,becausetheywerelowrankingHunters,theirstenchwasbearable.

“Huh?”

RecognizingtheDeputyGuildmaster,theteamleaderquicklyranover.

“HunterCha-nim,isn’tthisyourdayoff?”

“Hello.”

Afteraquickgreeting,ChaHaeinlookedaroundtoseeiftherewasanyonelistening,thencarefullyasked–

“Er…isHunterSungJinwooherebyanychance?”

“Sung-ssi?”

Attheunexpectedmentionofhisace,TeamLeaderBaelookedcurious–

“Sung-ssiwentwiththeattackteamasaporter…”

“Aporter?”

ChaHaeinwasshocked–

“HewentintotheGate?”

Theteamleaderagreedwithherdisbeliefandreplied–

“Yep.”

AnE-rankHuntervolunteeredasaporterandenteredanA-rankDungeon?It’snotlikehewasacatwithninelives.

‘What’shethinking?’

Nowthatshethoughtabout,themanwasstandinginfrontofthebossroomyesterdaywithweapons.Shewasnotmistakenaboutthosedaggers.Therewassomethingelse.Althoughshehadacceptedhisexplanationwithoutmuchfussyesterday,whenshethoughtaboutitcarefully,therewasnowayaHunterwithfouryearsofexperiencewouldbe“lost”inaDungeon.

‘Ihavetofindout.’

JustwhatwasthismancalledSungJinwoodoingatHuntersGuild?Shehadtoconfirmwithherowntwoeyes.Inordertodothat,shehadtoentertheDungeon.ThewomanwastheDeputyGuildmasterofHuntersGuildandanS-rankHunter.NoonewouldstopherifshewantedtoparticipateinherownGuild’sRaid.

Bitingthenailonherthumbwhilecontemplating,ChaHaeinmadeherdecision.

“ThatGate,I’mgoingtogoinside.”

TeamLeaderBaewasshocked–

“Did…didsomethinghappen?ShouldIgocallforreinforcementsfromtheGuild?”

“No,nothinglikethat.It’sforapersonalreason.IjusthavesomethingIwanttotalkwiththeman,soyoudon’thavetoworry.”

“Oh…Okay.”

ChaHaeinturnedtowardstheGate.Suddenly,shefeltanemptinessatherside.

‘Ah…myweapon.’

Pattingherhipswithoutlooking,sherealizedshehadleftherswordathome.Well,it’snotlikeshehadplannedongoingintotheDungeontoday.Herprettyforeheadgentlywrinkled.

‘IknowRaidLeaderGihoon-ssiisadependableman,andofcoursealltheteammembersarecapableHuntersbut…’

EnteringaDungeonwithoutaweaponwasanunthinkablething.Afteramomentofcontemplation,ChaHaeinturnedtoTeamLeaderBae.

“Isthereanythingelse…?”

“TeamLeader,couldIborrowaweapon?”

“Ma’am?”

Afterhesitating,theteamleaderindicatedtoapassingminer–

“Hey,Suk-ssi,bringoneoftheequipmentoverhere.”

“Yes,sir.”

WhatSuk-ssibroughtinaflashwastheminingteam’s…pickaxe.

“...”

ChaHaein’sexpressionhardened–

“Is…isthereanythingelse?”

“Whenyousayanythingelse…”

“Likeasword,ormaybeaspear.”

“DeputyGuildmaster,ifyou’reaskingforsomethinglikethatfromus…”

“...”

ChaHaeinlightlysighed–

“Alright.”

SherespectfullydeclinedthepickaxeTeamLeaderBaewasholdingoutthenheadedtowardstheGate.Theteamleaderlookedatherwithworrythenasked–

“HunterCha-nim,areyousureyou’llbealrightempty-handed?”

Flinch.

ChaHaeinfrozeinherspotandthoughtaboutit.Shequicklyturnedaroundandtookthepickaxefromtheteamleader.Themanchuckled–

“Goodthinking.Nomatterwhat,goingintoaDungeonempty-handedisdangerous.”

“Thankyou…”

Assheturnedaroundandleft,theteamleaderdidnotnoticehowredherearshadgotten.

***

Stronglookofdeterminationfilledtheentireparty’sfaces.Everyoneofthemacceptedtheirfatesandwalkedwithresolve.Meanwhile,thefemaleHealercameovertoJinwooandlookedthroughthebagonhisback.Jinwooturnedhisheadandasked–

“Whatareyoudoing?”

“Holdon.”

Whatshetookoutwasawoman’shandbag.

“Fromalongtimeago,Ifeltstrangelyworriedwhenmybagwasawayfromme,soItakeitwithmeonRaids.”

Shesurelikedtoanswerquestionshedidn’task.

Shetookoutasmallnotepadandapenfromthebag;theHealerbegantowritesomethinginthenotepad.Becauseshewasnotlookingwhereshewaswalking,shekeptbumpingherheadintoJinwoo’sshoulders.Soon,shefinishedandclosedhernotepad.SheputherhandbagbackintoJinwoo’sbagbutheldontothenotepad.Curiousonwhatshewoulddonext,thewomansuddenlyheldthenotepadouttoJinwoo.

“...?”

Hetookthenotepadwithatiltedhead,andthewomanspokewithtearsinhereyes–

“IjustwrotesomethingsthatIwantedtosaytomyfamily.Whenyougettotheoutside,pleasemakesureitgetstotheirhands.”

Ifhelaughedrightnow,shewouldbereallyhurt.Fortheumpteenthtimeinfrontofthiswoman,Jinwoosuppressedhislaughterandputthenotepadintohispockets.

“I’llholdontoit,butIdon’tthinkI’llhavethechancetodeliverit.”

“It’sokay.”

TheHealernodded.

‘Ofcourse,allthehighorcwarriorsarekeepinganeyeonus.It’llbedifficultforhimtoleaveherealive.’

Afterall,porter-ssiwasonlyanE-ranker.

ThewomanwouldlaterrealizewhatJinwoohadreallymeant.

***

Soon,thebossroomcameintoview.ThenervousnessoftheHuntersreacheditspeak.Theroomwasincrediblylarge.

‘...’

Jinwoolookedaroundthebossroom.Itwasbiggerthantheroomthegiant-typemagicbeastwasinyesterday.Unlikeyesterdayhowever,theroomdidnotfeelbig.Itwasbecauseofthehordeofhighorcsthattookuptheentireroom.Highorcstwicethenumberofthegroupthatcametopickuptheraidingpartywaitedintheroom.

‘Aboutahundredofthem…maybealittlehigher?’

InsteadofbeingscatteredabouttheDungeon’sinterior,allthemagicbeastsweregatheredinthebossroom.Lookingoverthehordeofhighorcs,SonGihoon’sfaceturnedpale.

‘IfthismanyhighorcsleavetheGate…’

Bythetimethehighest-rankingHuntersarrived,asmallcitycouldbedestroyed.TheTanker’sbackbecamewetwithsweat.

‘Attheveryleast,wehavetokilltheboss.’

Hepressedthatdeterminationdeepintohisheart.

Thehighorcsintheroompartedtomakearoad.

“Ahshaku.”

Thehighorccaptaingesturedtotheraidingpartyagain.Followingtheguidinghighorcs,theraidingpartywalkedtowardsanaltarattheendofthebossroom.

“Overthere!”

AHunterpointedtothetopofthealtar.Ontop,therewasamaskedhighorcsorcerer.Thesorcererwaswearinganecklaceandearringsmadeofbonesandwascoveredfromheadtotoeinvariousadornmentsandornaments.

‘Sothat’stheboss…’

SonGihoon’sexpressionhardened.HerealizedthattheterrifyingmagicpowerthatfilledtheDungeonwasmostlycomingfromhim.Thebosswassurroundedbyfourbodyguardsthatalsogaveoffadangerouspresence.

‘Thisisnotgood.’

Couldtheyambushthesorcererwiththosebodyguardsaround?Allmembersoftheraidingpartyhadthisthought.

TheHuntersstoppedbeforethesorcerer.Astrangenervousnessfilledthehighorcsthatwatchedtheprocessionfromadistanceinthebossroom.

“Hue,hue.”

However,thesorcererignoredtheuneasinesshisminionsfeltandlaughed,revealingahideousmouth.

“Welcome,humans.”

TheHuntersoftheraidingpartyexchangedsignals.

‘OnceSon-hyunggivesthesignal.’

‘We’llallattackatonce.’

‘Justfocusonthesorcerer.’

Theywerelookingfortheopportunitytoattack.

Suddenly,theairaroundthembecameincrediblychilling.AlltheHuntersraisedtheirheadsasoneatthesourceofthechill.Itwasthesorcerer.Thehighorcbosshadremovedthemaskhewaswearing,andwithit,themagicpowerthathehadbeenhidingwasunleashedinfull.

WOOOSH—

Ahorriblewaveofmagicpowershotfromthesorcererinalldirections,washingovertheentireDungeon.Likeapreyfrozeninfrontofapredator,theHuntersoftheraidingpartyturnedintostatues.

“M-mygod…”

“Howisthisamountofmagicpowerevenpossible?”

“W-wehavetofightwiththisthing?”

Frustration,Lamentation,Resentment,Regret.

AtthedifferentformsofdespairtheHuntersshowed,thesorcerermadeanuglysmilewithitsmouthagain.

“Areyouafraidofme,humans?”

Bitinghislips,SonGihoontookastepforwardwithdifficultyandasked–

“Whydidyoubringusallthewayhere?Thosewarriorsshould’vebeenmorethanenoughtokillusall.”

Thesorcerersneeredwidely.JustlookingatitssmilemadetheHuntersshudder.

“Forfun.”

“What?”

SonGihoonwasdumbstruck.Thatwasthereasonwhytheywerebroughthere?Forfun?

Thesorcerercontinued–

“Inthetimewehaveremaining,eachofyouwilldieonebyonetoentertainmysoldiers!”

UWAAAAAAH—!

Thehighorcwarriorsroaredinexcitement.Attheoppressivepressuretheygaveoff,theHuntersstruggledtoevenbreathe.Someofthemwerecrying.

“But…”

Thesorcererhesitated.ThebosslookedovertheHuntersthenstoppedatJinwoo.

“...Thereissomethinginterestingmixedamongthehumans.”

Inaninstant,SonGihoon’seyesflared.

‘Thesorcererisdistracted!Nowisthetime!’

VeinspoppedupintheRaidLeader’sthroat–

“NOW!”

Witharoar,SonGihoontookhisswordandranforward.

However…therewasnosoundcomingfrombehindhim.

‘What…?’

Whilerunning,hequicklylookedback.Histeammatesdidnotshowanyindicationthattheywouldbemoving.Theirfightingspiritshadbeencrushedbytheoppressivedisplayofpower;theirbodiesfrozeninterror.SonGihoon’sheartsanktohisstomach.

‘Ah…’

Still,hehadajobtodo.Hecouldnotstophere.TheRaidLeaderlookedforwardagain.Thesorcererwasstilllaughing,andthebodyguardshadnotreactedyet.Thiswasit.Hisfirstandonlychance.It’sokayifitwasluck.It’sokayifitwasafluke.Thisswordjustneededtoreachit…

Step,step,step!

Chargingwithallhismight,SonGihoonbroughthisswordbackwards.

“Uwaaaaaah-!”

However,hedidnotgetthechancetoswinghissword.Instead,hebouncedagainstsomethingandwasthrownback.

Bang!

Itwasashieldmagic.

“Cough!”

Blastedbackbythebarrier,SonGihoonrolledacrosstheground.

“So,wehaveourfirstvolunteer.”

Withthesorcerer’smockingwords,SonGihoon’sbodyfloatedtotheair.

Woooong—

Itwasreversegravitymagic.[2]

“...”

Thesorcerer’slipsweremovingcontinuouslywithincantations.AfterraisingtheTankertotheheightofatwo-storybuilding,thesorcererrecitedadifferentspell.

“...”

Gravityacceleration.[3]

Slam!

SonGihoonwasslammedontotheground.

“Cough!”

Beforehecouldevenflailaboutinpain,hewasraisedintotheairagain.

“Reversegravity.”

Kikkikkik.

Alongwiththesorcerer,thehighorcsrevealedtheirtusksandlaughed.

Slam!“Cough!”

Woooooong—

Slam!“COUGH!”

ThesorcererrepeatedlyraisedandslammedSonGihoonlikeapuppet.Thefourthtimethemanwasslammedintotheground,SonGihoonthrewupatorrentofblood.Watchingtheirleader’storture,theHunters’facesturnedincreasinglypale.Butnotoneofthemcouldgatherthecouragetostepforward.

“G-Gihoonhyung…”

AlltheycoulddowasjustwatchwhiletremblingasSonGihoonwasbeingbrokenapart.

Collapse.

ThefemaleHealerfinallylostthestrengthtostaystandingandfelltoherknees.

Meanwhile,thesorcererraisedSonGihoonforthefifthtime.

“Yousureareasturdyone.”

“Groan…”

Themangroanedinpainintheair.However,hishandsheldhisswordtightly,

notintendingtogiveupuntilthebitterend.

Woooong—!

Slam!

Woooong—!

Slam!

Woooong—!

ThebitterendcameclosefortheTanker.Ashewasraisedintotheairagain,hecouldnotholdontotheswordanymore.Itfelltotheground.

Clang.

Withit,SonGihoon’sbodyfellforthelasttime…

...Orsoeveryonehadthought.

“Hmm?”

Thesorcerer’seyeswidened.TheTankerfallingtothegroundhadsuddenlydisappeared.Thethingshouldhavebeensmashedtopieces,wherediditgo?Thesorcerermovedhiseyestolookfortheman’spresence.

‘Overthere…?’

Insomedistanceaway,SonGihoonwaslyingdownontheground.Atthesametime,thesorcererdiscoveredamannexttoSonGihoon.ItwasJinwoo.

Afterlayingthemandowngently,JinwooaskedtheRaidLeaderwhilestaringatthesorcerer–

“Leader-ssi,I’mgoingtoaskyoujustonething.”

“...?”

Upuntilthatpoint,SonGihoonhadnoideawhathadhappenedtohim.

“IsitokayifIkillallthemagicbeastshere?”

“You…whatareyou…saying?”

Meanwhile,thesorcererraisedhischinatJinwoowhilefurrowinghisbrows.OneofthebodyguardsturnedandchargedattheE-ranker.Watchingitruntowardhim,Jinwoo’seyesflashedwithalight.Themanheldoutahandtowardstheapproachinghighorc.

‘Ruler’sHands.’

Withthat,thehighorcbodyguardfloatedtotheairasifgrabbedbyagiant,invisiblehand.

“Keu,krah?”

Itflaileditslegsintheair.

‘What…?’

Thesorcerer’seyesopenedwide.

Jinwoomovedthetipofhishandstotheground.

SLAM!

Thebodyguardwasslammedtotheground.Thestrongimpactofthefallcrackedthefloor.

However,Jinwoodidnotstopthere.

JustlikethesorcererhaddonetoSonGihoon,theE-rankHunterraisedthebodyguardtotheairagain.

SLAM!SLAM!SLAM!

Thehighorcscreamedwhilebeingbouncedbetweentheceilingandthefloorlikeabasketball,thenwentsilencewhenitsheadwasnailedtotheceiling.

CRACK!

Scatter.

Bitsandpiecesofthepowderedceilingfelltotheground.Lookingattheswayingbodyofthehighorcstucktotheceiling,boththehighorcsandtheHunterscouldnothidetheirshock.

SonGihoontrembledasheasked–

“You…whoareyou…?”

“I’llaskagain.”

ThiswasthehuntinggroundsofHuntersGuild.TherewasonlyonepersonherewhocouldactastherepresentativeofHuntersGuild.Jinwooaskedforthelasttime–

“Themagicbeastsinthisroom…CanItakethemall?”

Whatwasthisfeeling?SonGihoonstoppedcaringabouttheidentityoftheporter.Hewasjustseething.Seethingwithangeratthefactthathewasplayedwithlikeatoybyamagicbeast.StreaksoftearsfelldownfromtheRaidLeader’seyesashereplied–

“Please…Pleasehelpus.”

Done.

AsJinwoostoodup,thehighorcsapproachedhim.Attheirbackwasthesorcerer.Thehighorcbosslaughedderisively–

“Forahuman,youhaveaninterestingtrick.”

Thesorcerergestured,andthehighorcssurroundedJinwoo.

“Howfarwillthattrickcarryyou,Iwonder?”

Jinwoo’sexpressionturnedunbelievablycold.

Themanhadneverlikedmagicbeasts,butthiswasthefirsttimehehadcomeacrossonethathewantedtokillthismuch.

“You.Youwillbethelast.”

Ifitcouldfeeljoy,itcouldcertainlyfeelfear.

Ifnot,itwilllearn.

Jinwoospokewithalowvoice–

“Shadows,”

Twodaggersappearedinhishands–

“Comeforth.”

----------

[1]“Kargargan”():madeupname.Ka+reu+gar+gan.Kargargan.

[2]“Reversegravitymagic”():Prettystraightforward“anti/reverse”+“gravity”+“magic”.

[3]“Gravityacceleration”():literal.

Chapter4:Counterattack

Screech—

Ablacksedanstoppedatthesideoftheroad.Amanwearingsunglassesandablacksuitgotofffromthecar.HewastheHunterSurveillanceDepartment’s(HSD)Chief,WooJincheol.Followinghim,threeotherHSDHuntersalsogotofffromthecar.

“Chief,whydidwestophere?Weren’twegoingdirectlytotheAssociation?”

“IjusthavesomethingIwanttocheckout.”

WooJincheolturnedhisheadtowardstheGateinthedistance.

‘NomatterhowmanytimesIseeit,anA-rankGateisadreadfulthing.’

TheHSDchieffurrowedhisbrows.Ifthatgiantholeopenedupandunleashedthemagicbeastswithin…evenjustimaginingitmadetheA-rankHuntershudder.

‘Sowhywouldthatmanvolunteerasaminerinsuchascaryplace?’

Andnotjustforasingledaybuttwo.EvenifAssociationPresidentGoGunheehadnotaskedhimpersonally,WooJincheolwould’vetriedtofindoutonhisown.

‘Wecan’t…investigatehimbehindhisback.’

“Him”wasanS-rankHunter.ItwasimpossibleforanA-rankerlikeWooJincheoltosecretlyinvestigateanS-rankHunterwithoutbeingdetected.Assuch,theHSDchiefhaddecidedtoappearboldlytocheckoutwhatJinwoowasupto.SincetheHSDhadanotherjobnearby,hehadthoughttousetheexcusethathewasjustpassingbyandwantedtogivehisgreetings.

‘Thatwon’tcomeoffastoostrange,right?’

IfaHunterthatwasconfirmedtobeanS-rankwasdoingajobdiggingawayattheground,anyonewouldbecurious.Ontopofthat,SungJinwoowassomeonewhohadtheattentionoftheHunterAssociation,especiallytheassociationpresident.Theassociationpresidentmust’vereallylikedtheman;recently,WooJincheolnoticedthatGoGunheehadperkedupbotheyesandearswheneverJinwoowasmentioned.

‘No,ifanything,thestrangeoneisn’tme.’

Beingcuriouswasobvious,andaskingfewquestionsoutofthatcuriositywasnormal.Withthatinmind,WooJincheolapproachedaHuntersGuildemployee.

“Hello,I’mlookingfortheminingteam.”

“Excuseme...butwhoareyou?”

“I’mfromtheAssociation.”

AfterconfirmingWooJincheol’sidentity,theemployeegesturedtowheretheminingteamwasonstandby.

“Youcanfindthemoverthere.”

“Thankyou.”

ThefourHSDHunterswentovertotheminingteam.Havingheardthattheywereontheway,TeamLeaderBaecameoutrunning.

“Ohboy,tothinkthattheAssociation’sHSDHunter-nimswouldbepayingusavisittoday.Howcanwebeofservice?”

Havingbeenrestingcomfortablyonlymomentsago,Huntersoftheminingteamnowlookeduneasy.ToHunters,“HSD”wasaratherthreateningwordtohear.Afterall,HSDHuntersweretheonesdealingwithAwakenedBeingsthatcouldnotbecontrolledbysociety’slawsandenforcement.Theywouldarrest,imprisonandattimes…disposeofsuchcriminals.Andnow,thoseHSDHunterswerestandingbeforethem.

“Whatisit?”

“TheHSD’shere.”

“WhyistheHSD…?”

Somethingwasabouttohappen.Withacuriosity,theminersgatherednexttoTeamLeaderBae.WooJincheolremovedhissunglasses.

‘...’

TheA-rankerlookedforSungJinwoo’sface.Whenhedidn’tfindit,hedecidedtoasktheteamleader–

“WhereisHunterSungJinwoo-nim?”

“Iknewit!”

Suddenly,amanpushedhiswaythroughtheminers.ItwasthemanwhohadtriedtobullySungJinwooyesterday,LeeSunggu.Themanspatonthegroundandwentoffintoarant–

“Thatfuckerturnedaroundandlookedatmewhilesmiling!Iswear,hiseyeslookedliketheycouldswallowapersonwhole!Shitman,eventhinkingaboutitnowmakesmeshake.”

WooJincheol’sbrowsfurrowedslightly–

‘Eyeslookingliketheycouldswallowaperson?’

Justwhathappened?Theminersstartedtowhisperamongthemselves.WooJincheolignoredthemandaskedLeeSunggu–

“Didsomethinghappen?”

“Oh,that’s…”

Theminerwasabouttoreply,thenrealizedthathewastheonewhotriedtobullyJinwoo.Hequicklywavedhishand–

“That’snotimportant.I’mtellingyou,theman’seyeswerejusttooscary.”

“...”

WooJincheolturnedtoTeamLeaderBaeagain–

“WhereisHunterSungJinwoo-nimnow?”

“Er…Sung-ssiisinsidetheGaterightnow.”

SungJinwooenteredanA-rankGatewhiletheRaidwasinprogress?TheHSDchief’seyesgrewwide.

“WhywouldHunterSungJinwoo-nimbeintheDungeon?”

“Well,theattackteam’sporterdidn’tcometoday.Sung-ssiwastheonlyonewhovolunteeredtogointotheDungeonastheirporter.”

“...”

“Youknow,it’sstrange.”

“Whatdoyoumean?”

“Well,it’snothingbut…justnow,HunterCha-nim,Imean,HunterChaHaein-nimalsolookedforSung-ssi.WhensheheardthathehadenteredtheGate,shealsowentin.Ijustthoughtitwasstrange…”

TeamLeaderBaetiltedhishead.Whenheheardtheman’swords,WooJincheol’smindstartedturningfrantically.

‘TheDeputyGuildmasterofHuntersGuildlookedforSungJinwoo?AndsheactuallyfollowedhimintotheDungeon?’

Justwhatwasgoingon?WooJincheolhadonlycomeheretogiveSungJinwoohisgreetings,butitappearedthatsomethingwasgoingoutofhand.

‘First,let’scheckouttheGate.’

AsmembersoftheHSD,thatwastheleasttheycoulddo.

“We’llbecheckingtheGateout.”

“Ah,understood.”

AsWooJincheolturnedtoleavewithhissubordinates,LeeSunggusuddenlystoppedthemandspokeup–

“Er,Hunter-nim!”

Theminer’sfacewasfilledwithanticipationandexcitement–

“Thatfucker,SungJinwooorsomething.Didhedosomethingbad?Likekillaman?Heseemedlikethetype.”

WooJincheolscrunchedhisface.Suddenly,herealizedjustwhySungJinwoowouldglareatthisman.

‘Youlooklikeyou’dkeeloverifSungJinwoosomuchassneezeinyourdirection…’

Still,thereweretoomanyeyeshere.ArepresentativeoftheAssociationcouldn’tjustberateorshowangeratanordinaryHunter.Attimeslikethis,WooJincheoldislikedhisstatusintheorganization.TheHSDchiefdidhisbesttospeakasdiplomaticallyaspossible–

“You’llfindoutontomorrow’seveningnews.”

Asifthatwasthereplyhewaslookingfor,LeeSunggulookedsatisfiedandvindicated–

“Yousee?What’dItellyou?Thatfuckerwassuspiciousashell!”

“Hedidn’tseemlikethattome…”

“Yeah,seemedlikeagoodworker.Prettydiligent.”

LeeSungguignoredthelukewarmresponsesofhisteammatesandheldhisnosehighattheideathathewasrightallalong.Havingenoughofthesorryman,WooJincheoltookhissubordinatesandlefttowardtheGate.

***

Flinch.

WooJincheolinstinctivelystoppedfewstepsbeforetheGate.

“Chief?”

TheHSDHunterslookedatWooJincheolwithconfusion.Theman’sfacewasfrozen.

‘Whatthehell…thisisimpossible.’

WooJincheoltookouthisphoneandpulleduptheA-rankGate’sinformation.Hewasshockedatwhatheread–

‘Whyisthemagicpowersolow?’

Heshookhishead–

‘Themeasurementwasoff.’

NotallA-rankHunterswereequal.WooJincheolwasintheupperechelonofA-rankHunters.Andhisskilledsensesweretellinghim:themagicpowermeasurementwaswrong.Hequicklyturnedtohissideandgaveanorder–

“Magicpowermeasuringdevice,now!”

Readingthemood,asubordinatequicklyrantothecarandreturnedwiththedevice.TheminiaturemeasuringdeviceusedbytheHSDwereofadifferentclassthantheonesusedbytheordinaryAssociationemployees.Asexpectedofadevicemadewithamagiccorecostingabillionwon,itrarelyeverproducedanincorrectmeasurement.

Beep.

Themeasurementfinished.

‘Iwasright…’

TheresultswerenoticeablydifferentthanthemeasurementdonebythenormalAssociationemployees.IfaGuildreliedontheinitialdatafromtheAssociationinplanningtheirraidingparty,itwould’veendedinadisaster.

‘Shouldn’tbeanissuenowthattwoS-rankersareintherebut…’

WooJincheolreacheddowntopickupthemeasuringdevicewhensuddenly–

WOOOOONG—

TheGateshookwithapowerfulvibration;itwasnotthesamephenomenonasaGateclosing.Itwascausedbyapowerfulwaveofmagicpowerbeingreleasedfromwithin.PuttingthehighlyskilledWooJincheolaside,eventheweakersensesofhissubordinateswereabletodetectthepowerfulwave.Eachofthemflinchedandshookwhentheyfeltit–

“C-chief?”

“Whatisthis?”

WooJincheollookedattheyoungestmemberwhohadturnedpale–

“Areyoualright?”

“Y-yes,sir.”

Afterreplying,themancarefullylookedatthebackofhishand.Itwasfilledwithgoosebumps.WooJincheolrosefromtheground.

“We’regoingin.”

“Sir?”

“Youwanttogointhere?”

WooJincheolcontinued–

“Anyoneafraidcanremainbehind.”

TheonlyoneswhoknewthemeasurementwaswrongweretheHSDHuntershere.TheyhadtorelaythisinformationtotheHuntersinside.OntopofmanagingandmonitoringHunters,itwastheAssociation’sfirstandforemostdutytohelpHunters.

“N-no.I’llgo.”

“Let’sgotogether.”

WooJincheolnoddedthenturnedtotheyoungestemployee–

“You,stayhereandreportthistotheAssociation.”

“S-sir?”

“Youcandoit,yes?”

WooJincheoltappedhimonhisshoulder,andtheyoungestemployeenoddedwitheffort–

“Yes,Iwilldothat.”

TheHSDchiefturnedbacktotheGate.Ontopofwhattheyhadfeltjustnow,evenmorepowerfulwaveofmagicpowerpouredoutfromtheGate.

‘Justwhat’shappeninginthere?’

WithWooJincheoltakingthelead,thethreeHSDHuntersthrewthemselvesintotheGate.

***

AMOMENTAGO.

ChaHaeinwastracingtheraidingparty’sstepsinsidetheDungeon.

‘Weird.Whyaren’tthereanymagicbeasts?’

IfitwasanordinaryDungeon,thereshould’vebeencorpsesofmagicbeastsfromtheentranceallthewaytothebossroom.However,shehadcomeacrossnosuchcorpses.Wereallthemagicbeastsgatheredinoneplaceorsomething?Whilemovingwiththatinmind–

‘Huh?’

Shehadfinallycomeacrosssomecorpsesofmagicbeasts.

Step,step,step.

AsfittingofanS-rankFighter-classHunter,shereachedthesiteoftheskirmishinablinkofaneye.

‘Mygod!’

Hereyesshotopenwide.Thecorpseswereofhighorcs.Thehighorcswereeasilydistinguishedfromordinaryorcsduetotheirredskinandlongtusks.

‘HowdidSonGihoon-ssi’steamwinagainstthismanyhighorcs?’

Notonlythat,itlookedliketherewasnocasualtiesamongtheHunters.Iftherewere,theraidingpartywould’vesurelyretreatedfromtheDungeon.

‘DidIlookdownonA-rankandB-rankHunterstoomuch?’

Perhaps…Lookingoverthebattlefield,itlookedlikeanordinaryclashbetweenHuntersandmagicbeasts—Wait.

‘What’sthis…?’

ChaHaeinloweredherbodytotakeacloserlookatsomethingshenoticed.Hereyeswidened.Gettingup,shewentfromcorpsetocorpse.

‘Here…andhere…alsohere…’

Hersuspicionsquicklyturnedtoconfirmation.

‘How…?’

Didthishappen?Almosteveryhighorccorpsehadawoundcausedbyasmallandsharpweapon.

‘It’snotenoughtobefatal,but…’

Itwould’vebeenmorethanenoughtoweakenthehighorcs’combatprowess,anditwasclearlydonebyasingleHunter.Ultimately,alltheotherHuntershadtodowasfinishofftheheavilywoundedprey.Inreality,itwasthesameasasingleHuntermassacringtwentyhighorcs.Ontopofthat,shenoticedtwohighorcsthathaddiedinadifferentfashion.Oneofthemhaditsheadrippedoffbyapowerfulforceandanotherwaskilledbyblunttraumatothehead.

‘Otherthanthesetwo,someonehadsingle-handedlyinjuredthehighorcssotheotherHunterscouldtakethemdowneasily.’

Wasthatpossible?ChaHaeintookprideinherspeed,evensoshewasnotsureshecoulddosomethinglikethat.Andtoherknowledge,therewasnoAssassin-classHunterwieldingdaggersinSonGihoon’steam.

‘Dagger?’

Suddenly,amemoryflashedacrossherhead.

Thatmanwhostoodbeforethebossroomyesterday.

SungJinwoowasdefinitelyholdingsomekindofsmallweaponsinbothofhishands.

‘Wasitthatman?’

Asshereachedthatlineofthought,theS-ranker’sheadturnedsharplytowardstheinterioroftheDungeon.SomewherefromdeepwithintheDungeon,awave,no,atsunamiofmagicpowerthatshehadneverexperiencedbeforewaspouringout.Thewoman’sfacedarkened.Theairitselfshookatthemagicpower.

‘Ohno!’

ChaHaeinbitherlipsandranwithallhermighttowardsthebossroom.

Ifthiswastheboss’smagicpower,SonGihoon’steamwouldbeannihilated.

***

“Comeforth.”

Everythingstartedwiththosetwowords.

WOOOSH—

AmassivefloodofmagicpowerincomparabletotheonereleasedbythehighorcsorcererexplodedfromSungJinwoo.Butthatwasnotall.Accompanyinghisreleaseofmagicpower,theshadowbeneathJinwoo’sfeetstartedtospreadout.Withaterrifyingspeed,theblackmassspreadunderneatheveryone’sfeetandcoveredthegroundoftheroom.

“Whoa!”

“W-whatisthis?!”

SonGihoon’steamlookedattheshadowbeneaththeirfeetandgasped.Howwouldyouexplainallthis?TheexperiencedHuntershadneverseenorheardofsuchphenomenon.Inthefaceoftheunknown,anewwaveofterrorfellupontheHunters,andtheytrembledwheretheystood.EvenSonGihoon,whowasstillonthegroundduetoalackofstrength,lookedatJinwoowithfearinhiseyes.

‘Justwhat…areyouabouttodo?’

Jinwoo’sshadowfinishedcoveringtheentiretyofthebossroom’sfloor.AsifreplyingtothequestioninSonGihoon’smind,theshadowaroundtheE-rankHunterrippled,andsoldierscladinpitch-blackarmorrosefromtheground.

DomainoftheMonarchhasbeenactivated.[1]

ShadowSoldiersfightinginsidetheuser’sshadowwillhavetheirattributesincreasedby50%.

Jinwoosmiledlightly.

‘Good.’

Thiswasanewclass-specificskillhehadearnedwhenreachingLevel70intheDemonCastle.Feelingthefightingspiritofthesoldierswhohadbecomestrongerduetotheskill,Jinwoonaturallybecamesatisfied.FiftyShadowSoldiersappearedandsurroundedJinwooliketheywerehisguards.

“Keu,kereureuk!”

“Gerreuk!”

ThehighorcsknownfortheirferocityandfearlessnessstartedbackingawayinfearattheoppressiveamountofpressurereleasedfromJinwooandhissoldiers.

“Th-theorcsarebackingoff!”

“Justwhatthehellishappening…?!”

Evenastheycontinuedtotrembleatthisunbelievablescene,thefaintembersofhopebegantoappearintheHunters’hearts.

“Doyoufeelittoo?”

“Yeah.”

“Is…isthisevenpossible?”

TheMage-classHunters,whowereespeciallysensitivetomagicpower,couldnotcalmtheirheartsthatwerebeatingliketheywereabouttoexplode.ThisE-rankHunter,a“mere”volunteerfortheporterrole,wasreleasinganunimaginableamountofmagicpower.

‘Mygod,couldthisevenbecalledmagicpower?’

‘Itfeelsmoreterrifyingthanthehighorcsorcerer’s…!’

Withallthemagicpowerfillingthebossroom,itwashardfortheotherHunterstoevenbreathe.However,thefactthatthisoppressivepowerwasnotaimedatthemgavethemasenseofrelief.Meanwhile,thegroupthattheoppressivepowerwasaimedat,thehighorcs,feltanincrediblesenseofdread.Theinitialoddsofonemanversus150ofthemhadquicklyturnedinto51versus150.

Butthatreinforcementoffiftywasnotjustanyfiftysoldiers.Afterallthelevel-upstheyhadgonethrough,theindividualmightofeachShadowSoldierwouldmorethanmakeupfortheirlackinnumbers.Andthentherewastheirleader…

Jinwoowalkedpasthissoldiersandsteppeduptotheheadofhisarmy.

Thehighorcsorcerershouted–

“Whatareyouwaitingfor?!Killthatdamnhuman!”

Hisvoice,filledwithmagicpower,brokethroughthefearofthehighorcs.Thesorcerer’sarmyshriekedandswungtheirweapons.

“Kuwaaaaaah!”

Slash,slash,stab!

The‘DomainoftheMonarch’skillwasonlyfortheShadowSoldiers;ithadnoeffectontheuserhimself.However,evenwithouttheattributebuff,Jinwoodisplayedastrengthofacompletelydifferentdimension.

“Kuwaaaak!”

“Kuwah,kuwaaaah!”

Screamsofthehighorcssoonfilledtheroom.BodypartsflewandbloodspilledwheneverJinwoo’stwodaggersflashed.TheE-rankermovedsofastthateventheeliteHuntersofHuntersGuildsawafterimagesinhismovement.

“Hey,isn’tthat…?”

“Yeah,justliketheDeputyGuildmaster.”

ChaHaein’snicknamewas“Dancer”.Unlikehernormaltimidself,thewomanslewmagicbeastswithgraceandflairinbattle.Itwashermovementslikedancingtoafasttempothatearnedherthisnickname.Well,shewasembarrassedbyitandforbidanyonetouseit,butitwasstillwellknowninHuntersGuild.Andnow,thisporterwasshowingsimilar,no,evenfargreatermovementsthantheirS-rankDeputyGuildmaster.

However,ifChaHaein’scombatwasadance,thisman’swasahurricane.Andattheeyeofthestorm,magicbeastswerebeingslaughteredlikesheep.

ROOOOAR!

TheShadowSoldiersdidnotlosetotheirmaster.Withafierceroarfromtheformeralphaoftheicebears,Tank,theShadowSoldiers’offensivestarted.

Irontookthevanguard.Ashewouldalwaysdoatthestartofbattle,thegiantknightthrustouthischestandroared.

WUAAAAAH!

Ironhasused‘TauntingShout’.

Thetargets’resistancesweretoohigh.Tauntfailed.

Angeredbythefactthathisskilldidn’ttake,Ironletoutanotherbeastlynoise.Andwiththat,hejustresortedtosmashingthehighorcswithhisgianthammer.

Wooosh—

SMASH!

CRACK!

“Kuhaaak!”

“Kiek!”

TheHuntersalmostfeltsorryforthehighorcsinfrontofIron.Thoughjustalmost.

Meanwhile,YgrittewasmovinginacompletelyoppositefashionthanIron.Withgreatfinesseandartfulmovements,theknightefficientlytooktheheadsofhisenemies.Thehighorcsslainbyhimdidnotevenhavethetimetoscream.

Slash!

Drawingstraightlinethroughtheair,Ygritte’sswordremovedanotherhighorc’sheadfromitsbody.

However,thecombinedmightoftheordinarysoldierswereslightlybehindthehighorcarmy.Fortunately,theircombatwassupportedbytheirinfinitestaminaandnear-unlimitedregeneration.Andwhentheyheldbackthelineinordertobuytime-

BAAAANG—!

Flaaaare!

TheShadowMages’fireballsfelluponthehighorcs.Thehighorc’snumbersdiminishedrapidly.Thehighorcsorcerertrembledwithanger–

‘Thisimpudentmerehuman!’

ThesorcererfixedhisgazeonJinwoo.First,hewouldhavetotakecareofthathuman.Thepitch-blacksoldierswerethatbastard’ssummons!Ifthehumanfell,

thesoldiersshoulddisappear.Toaccomplishthis,thesorcererbegantoreciteanincantation.

Hislipsmovedquickly.‘SongofSlowing’,‘SongofBlinding’,‘SongofFevers’,‘SongofPain’and‘SongofSlumber’.Fivedifferentpowerfulcursesfinishedinaninstantandflewtowardshistarget.

“It’sover,human!”

Thehighorc’smouthcurledintoasmile.Jinwoofeltthemovementofmagicpowerwhenthesorcerercompleteditscurses.

‘Magic?’

Jinwoometthesorcerer’sgaze.Thehighorclaughed.

‘Itistoolate,human.’

Unlikenormalmagic,cursescouldnotbeevaded.Onceactivated,itwasover.Riddledwithallthecurses,thisinsolenthumanwillsoonberippedapartbythehighorcwarriors.Itwasthefittingendforanexistencethatdidnotknowitsplace.

However,inthatmoment,Jinwooheardthefamiliarelectronicvoiceinhishead.

Ring~

Abnormaleffectshavebeendetected.

TheeffectsofImmunitybuffwillbeactivated.

Ring,ring,ring.

Theelectronictonecontinuedinrapidsuccession.

Curse:Slowhasbeenremoved

Curse:Blindhasbeenremoved

…

…

Thefivecurseswereremovedbeforetheycouldevenshowofftheireffects.

Thistime,Jinwoowastheonetosmile.TherewasabuffhehadreceivedwhenhebecameaPlayer:

TheGreatSorcererKandiaru’sBlessing

Permanentbuff,Longevitywillbeapplied.

Longevity:Becomeimmunetoalldiseases,poisonsandailments.Sleepingwillexplosivelyincreaseyourregenerationability.

Thankstothat,henolongerhadanyreasonstofearthingslikecursemagic.

“W-what?!”

Thesorcerershookinsurprise.AsexpectedofanA-rankDungeon’sboss,thethingquicklyrealizedthathiscurseswereremovedbyanotherpower.

‘Howcouldthecursesplacedbymebe…?’

Itwasanunthinkableoccurrence.Tonullifyacurse,oneneededablessingoraremovalmagicwithgreaterpowerthanthecurseuser.

‘Isthereasorcerergreaterthanmeamongthehumans?’

Beforehecouldponderonthislonger,thehighorcsorcererscreamedatthesuddenpainshootingupfromhisfoot.

“Kuwaaaaak!”

Lookingdown,adaggerwasstickingoutoffromthetopofhisfoot.ItwasKnightKiller.ThehighorcraisedhisheadandglaredatJinwoowithbloodshoteyes.

Jinwoolookeddirectlyintothesorcerer’seyes.Withoutlookingaway,theE-rankHunter’sarmblurred.Ahighorcwarriorthatwasrushingathimlostitshead.Asthewarrior’sheadrolledacrossinfrontofhisfeet,Jinwoosilentlywordedamessagewithhislipstothesorcerer.

Youjustwaityourturn.

Don’tdoanythinguseless.WhenitreceivedJinwoo’smessage,thehighorcsorcerer’sheadturnedredwithanger–

“Youmerehuman!”

Soitstillhadthestrengthtobecomeangry.Jinwoo’sfaceturnedcold.Ifhewanted,hecould’vekilledthethingthemomentthebattlestarted,butthat’snotwhathewanted.JustasthehighorchaddonetotheHunters,Jinwoowantedtoinstillthefeelingoffeardeepwithinitsheart.Butitseemedlikethatthiswasnotenoughtomakethisarrogantmagicbeastfeelfear.

Notyet.

‘I’llshowyousomethinginteresting.’

Thebattlewouldnowenterthetrueterritoryofanecromancer.IntheeyesoftheMonarchofShadows,thebattlefieldhadalreadyturnedtoasceneofadeliciousbuffet.Blacksmokerosefromthecorpsesofhighorcseverywhere,waitingforJinwoo’scalling.

Andsothemancalledtothem.

“Arise.”

ShadowExtractionhasbeenattempted.

WiththeSystemmessagethatinformedhimoftheskill’sactivation,aterrifyingscreamrangforthfromanunknownplace.

UWAAAAH—!

Thehighorcsorcerer’seyeswidened.

“Whatis—!”

Hecouldnotfinishhissentence.Beforehecould,blackhandsshotoutfromtheshadowsofthehighorccorpses.

YouhavesucceededinShadowExtraction.

JinwoolookedoverthenewrecruitsoftheShadowArmyandsmiled.

‘Heturnedmywarriorsintoundead…!’

Thehighorcsorcerertrembled.Thenumberofhighorcwarriorsthathadfallenwereaboutfifty.Itmatchedthenumberofthenewsoldiersinblackarmor.

‘Thentherestofhissoldiersareall…?’

Thesorcererfinallyrealizedthatthemysterioussummonswieldedbythishumanwerenotordinary.Atthesametime,thehighorcrealizedjusthowoverwhelmingJinwoo’smightwascomparedtohisown.The50versus150fighthadnowturnedto100versus100.Thehighorcwarriorshadbravelyfoughtagainsttheenemythatwasstrongerthanthem,butlookingattheircomradesrisenastheShadowSoldiers,theyquicklylosttheirfightingspirit.

“Keu…keureureuk.”

“Keureuk.”

“Keuak.”

Thehighorcwarriorsthatwereneverafraidtospillbloodnowbegantobackawayinfear.Insteadofgoingtotheafterlifeafterfallinginbattle,theircomradeswerenowraisedaspuppetsfortheenemy.Afatethatwouldhavebeennodifferentthananightmaretothehighorcs.

JinwooconfirmedthatShadowExtractionhadagreateffectonthemoraleofthehighorcwarriors.

‘Butwhataboutthesorcerer?’

Jinwooturnedandlookedoverthesorcerer’sface.

‘Oh~’

TheHunter’sfacebrightened.

Finally.

Therewasfearintheboss’seyes.

***

Thesorcerertrembledasherecalledtheexistencethatcouldraisethedeadintoshadows.Therewasnowaythatthereweretwobeingsinallofcreationwiththatability.Thatmeantthatthishumaninfrontofhimwas…him.

‘Thismere–Imean,thisesteemedhumanis…him.Thenwhatarewedoinghere?’

Themomenttheconceptof“self”and“we”enteredthehighorc’smind,hismindturnedblankandthememoriesdisappeared.

Allthatremainedwasthefear.

***

Jinwoo’sfacelookedsatisfied.

‘Yes,juststaylikethat.’

Thatbastardwillbethelasttodie.Jinwoofeltlikehehadsucceededinleavingthebosstremblinginfearuntilitslastmoments.

TheHuntersmiledandturnedaround.Hesuddenlynoticedafamiliarwomanstandingattheentranceofthebossroom.Jinwootiltedhishead.

‘Who?’

Shefeltfamiliarandatthesametimenotsofamiliar.Afteramoment,Jinwoorealizedwhoshewas.

HuntersGuild’sS-ranker,ChaHaein.

‘Whyisshehere?’

TheE-rankHunterwasmildlysurprised.

TheS-rankHunterwasincomparablymoresurprised.

ShelookedatJinwooandtheShadowSoldierswithwideopeneyes.

----------

[1]“DomainoftheMonarch”():“monarch”+“territory/domain”.

Chapter5:Tusk

‘Summons?’

ThefirstthingthatcametoChaHaein’smindwhenlookingattheShadowSoldierswassummoningmagic.However,thisnumberwasfartoogreattobecalledmeresummoningmagic.TheMage-classHuntersthathadthespecialpowertowieldthemagiccouldonlycallononeortwosummons.Evenbeingabletosummontwothingswouldgrantyouaspecialtreatment,andshehadneverheardofaHunterabletosummonthreethings.

Andnow…Justwhatwasthisnumber?

‘Isthisevenpossible?’

Asinglemanhadcalledforthnearlyahundredsummons.Ontopofthat,thecastingdidn’teventakeanytime.Dozensofsummonswerecreatedinaninstant.

‘IfIdidn’tseeitwithmyowneyes,Iwould’veneverbelievedit.’

ThefemaleHuntercalledoneofKorea’stoptenwasatalossforwordsatthesightoftheotherHunter’sabilities.

‘Wait,thisisnotthetimeformetobeawed.’

ShemovedhergazeoverfromtheShadowSoldierstotheraidingparty.TheotherHuntersdidnotlookgood.Afewofthemappearedtohavelostthestrengthintheirlegsandwereontheground.WhoeverSungJinwoowas,whateverhisabilitieswere,fornow,shehadtoworkwithhimtodefeatthehighorcs.

Keepyourthoughtsbriefandyouractionsfast.

ChaHaeingrippedherweaponwithtwohandsandtookasteptowardsthehighorcs.

Suddenly,shemetSungJinwoo’seyes.Hispowerfuleyesweresendingamessagetoher:

Idon’tneedyou.Donotinterveneandjustwatch.

ChaHaeinwastakenback.

‘Why…?’

SheacceptedthefactthatSungJinwoowieldedamultitudeofsummons.However,thebosswasstillalive.Lookingatthenumberofthehighorcsunderit,thebossmustbequitepowerful.Meanwhile,sinceJinwoohadsummonedthismanysoldiers,maintainingthemshouldhavebottomedouthismanabynow.

‘Whatishegoingtodoalone?’

Shewasconfusedbuteventuallydroppedherweapon.Andnotjustbecausethatweaponwasapickaxeborrowedfromtheminingteam.Shewantedtoseewhatthatman,SungJinwoo,woulddoagainstthesehighorcs.Hercuriosityandanticipationonwhathewoulddotriumphedoverherwilltobattle.Forsomereason,herheartracedwhenshelookedathim.

***

‘Phew,thankgod.’

JinwoolookedatChaHaein’sresponseandsighedinrelief.Thebattlewouldonlygetmoreexcitingfromhere;hecouldnotaffordaninterruptionatatimelikethis.Infact,inordertotakeonallthemagicbeastsalone,hehadpurposelyletSonGihoonbeattackedbythebossuntilthelastminute–

‘Helookedlikeamanwhowouldtrytohelpmeevenifheonlyhadashredofstrengthremaining.’

Andthat’swhyJinwooonlymovedwhentheswordfellfromSonGihoon’shand.Hehadtosuppresstheurgetogooverandremovethefuckingsorcerer’sheadduringthattime.

Allforthismoment.

‘AsIthought,she’sgotagoodheadonher.’

ItwasagoodthingthatChaHaeinwasgoodattakingahint.Shebackedoffwithoutexplicitlybeingtoldtodoso.Jinwoosmiledandturnedaround.

“Shadows!”

Jinwoo’svoicerangthroughouttheentireroom.Athisorder,everysingleShadowSoldiertookabattleformationwithoutmissingabeat.

CLACK!

Forabriefmoment,asilencefelluponthelargeroom.Jinwoopointedtothehighorcsorcerer.

Thesilencewasbrokenwithasingleword.

“Go.”

Withthat,theShadowSoldiersnumberingoverahundredchargedtowardsthetremblinghighorcs.

STEPSTEPSTEPSTEP—!

Themovementofthesoldiersshooktheground,thecave,andtheeyesofeveryonewatching.

***

WooJincheolranwithallhismight.

“Pant,pant,pant.”

EvenforanA-ranker,coveringallthatdistancewithhismaximumspeedmadehimpant.Ashecollectedhisbreath,henoticedashort-hairedwomanattheentranceofthebossroom.Heinstantlyrecognizedher.

‘ChaHaein…’

WasthereanyotherfemaleHunterwiththatmuchpower?

‘Whyisshestandingstill?’

WooJincheolapproachedwithconfusionatthewomanabstainingfrombattle.Ashenearedher,healsosawwhatwashappeninginsidethebossroom.

“H-howisthis…?”

Soldierscladinpitch-blackarmorwereengagedinaone-sidedbattleagainstthepowerfulmagicbeastsknownashighorcs.Thescreamsofthehighorcswerealmostdeafening.Ifitwereonlyhumanoidsoldiers,perhapsWooJincheolwouldn’thavebeensurprisedasmuch.Butjustwhatwerethosestupidlylargeblackbearswithsmokeseepingoutofthem?Andthehighorcscladinpitch-blackarmor?

“It’sbeensometime,ChiefWooJincheol.”

ChaHaeinwasthefirsttogreettheHSDchief.

“Ah,yes.Ithasbeenawhile.Butwhatarethosethings?Itdoesn’tseemlikethey’remagicbeasts…”

“They’rethatman’ssummons.”

ShegesturedovertoJinwoo.WooJincheolremovedhissunglassesandstaredatJinwoointhemiddleofthefray.Themanwasslaughteringhighorcsleftandrightwithhistwodaggers.

‘Nomatterhowyoulookathim,isn’theaFighter-classHunterofthehighestlevel?’

Buthe’salsocapableofusingsummoningmagic?

Asifansweringhisquestion,Jinwoo’slipsmovedandWooJincheolsawdozensofsummonsrisingfromtheground.

“Mygod!”

TheHSDchief’smouthgapedopen.JusthowmanysummonscouldJinwoowield?

‘ThisisHunterSungJinwoo’sability…’

Themancouldnotclosehismouth.DidtheassociationpresidentalreadyknowaboutHunterSungJinwoo’sabilities?Ifthatwasthecase,itwouldexplaintheassociationpresident’sheightenedinterestinHunterSungJinwoo.

UnabletolookawayfromJinwooforsometime,ChaHaeinsuddenlyrealizedsomethingandturnedtoWooJincheol–

“Wait,whyisChiefWoohere…?HadourgroupalreadycontactedtheHSD?”

WooJincheolsuppressedhisshockandaweandreplied–

“Noma'am.WehappenedtobeintheareawhenwenoticedanabnormalitywiththisGate.Sowecameinsidetoevacuatetheraidingparty…”

Whilespeaking,WooJincheolturnedhisheadbacktoJinwoo–

“...Butitlookslikethere’snoneed.”

WooJincheolhadnowseenHunterSungJinwoo’sskillsforthefirsttime.TheskillsthatwereclearinganA-rankDungeonsingle-handedly.Itlookedlikethemandidnotneedanyhelp.

“Yes.Itseemslikethebestthingtodonowisjustwait.”

ChaHaeinalsoagreed.Jinwoo’sfightdidnotevenhaveroomforanS-rankHunterlikeher.

“Doyouknowthatman?”

ChaHaeinasked.SherealizedthatWooJincheolwasnotcuriousorsurprisedbyJinwoo’sidentity,onlybytheman’spower.Ontopthat,sherememberedthatitwastheAssociationthatputablockonJinwoo’sinformation.

‘PerhapsWooJincheolknowsaboutthatman.’

Shewasonthemark.

“Alittlebit.”

“Thatman…justwhoishe?”

WooJincheolputhissunglassesonagainandreplied–

“Iamnotallowedtosay.”

***

Thehighorcsorcererwasfurious.Whenheandtheothersfirstopenedtheireyesinthisworld,asingleorderrepeatedintheirheads:

Huntthehumans!

Butwhatwashappeningnow?Becauseofasinglehuman,theentiretribewasbeinghunteddowninstead.Thiscouldnothappen.No,thismustnotbeallowedtohappen.Lookingatthemassacreofhisunderlings,thesorcerer’seyesturnedred.

‘Youinsect!Iwillcrushyoubeneathmyfoot!’

Ifcursesdidn’tworkonhim,hewouldjustuseblessingsonhimself.

“SongofRage,SongofStrengthening,SongofGiants,SongofDragons.”

Ashisspellscompleted,thesorcerer’sbodygrewover30feet.Thehighorc’sstrength,agility,vitalityandconfidencesoaredaspowerspreadthroughoutandfilledeveryinchofhisbody.

Soon,thegianthighorcswunghisarmandblewawaytheShadowSoldiersandtookadeepbreath.

“SPEW-!’

Acrimsonfirespewedoutwiththesorcerer’sbreath,fallingovertheShadowArmy.

FLAAAARE!

Thesoldiersstruckbytheflamesweredestroyedinaninstantintotheirwispyshadowforms.Evenaglancingblowblewofflargechunksofthesoldiers’bodies,disablingtheirmovement.Thefirebreathdidnotstopwithoneattack.

Thesorcerertookanotherdeepbreathandspewedoutasecondwaveofflames.Withit,alargenumberofShadowSoldiershadbeenreducedtotheirshadowforms,forcedtoslowlyregenerate.

Thesorcererroaredwithconfidence–

“DOESTHEGREATKARGARGANSTILLLOOKFOOLISHTOYOU?!”

Thereplycamefromabovehishead–

“Yep.”

Lookingup,thelastthingthehighorcsorcerersawwasJinwoo’sfistcomingdownathishead.

SMASH—!

CRACK!

Theplacewherethesorcerer’sheadhitthegroundcrackedlikeaspider’sweb.

YouhavedefeatedthebossoftheDungeon.[1]

Land.

AsJinwoolandedontheground,amessageappearedthatliftedhisspirits.

Ring~

Youhaveleveledup!

“Alright!”

Jinwoopumpedhisfist.OnelevelfromhelpingtheotherHunterswith‘Stealth’.Onelevelfromtheminionhighorcshere.Andnowonelevelfromtakingdowntheboss.HehadgainedthreelevelsfromclearingtheA-rankDungeon.Itwasbeyondhisexpectations.HesentadeepgratitudetoTeamLeaderBaewhohadprovidedhimwiththisopportunity.

‘Good.’

Withajoyfulexpression,Jinwooapproachedthebodyoftheboss.Withitsbuffsgone,thesorcererhadreturnedtoitsnormalsize.TheHunternoticedthemagiccoreembeddedinitscollarbutdidnotfeelgreedyaboutit.

‘Theexperiencepointsaregoodenough.’

ThiswasHuntersGuild’sDungeon.IfheneededanA-rankmagiccore,heshouldobtainitinaDungeonthathehadobtainedtheraidingrightsfor.WhatJinwoowantednowwassomethingelse.Thefamiliarblacksmokewasrisingfromtheboss’scorpse.

Gulp.

Jinwoogulped.HerecalledthebossthathecouldnotobtainfromtheRedGate,Baruka.

‘It’sdifferentthanthattime.’

Atthattime,thedifferenceinpowerbetweenhimandthebosswastoogreat.HeevenneededIronandYgritte’shelptobarelywinagainstBaruka.Butthistime?Jinwoohadwonwithoverwhelmingease.TheoneweekhehadspentintheDemonCastlewasnotwasted.Theprogressthathemadeinthatplacehadshownitsresultshere.

Jinwoogavethecommandtothepitch-blacksubstance–

“Arise.”

Withit,anominouswindblewpasthischeeks.Heinstinctivelyrealized–

‘Itworked!’

AbrightsmilebloomedonJinwoo’sface.

KUWAAAAAAH—!

Withapiercingscream,amagecladinpitch-blackrobesrosefromthesorcerer’scorpse.

‘Oh?’

JinwoorealizeditwasnotanordinaryShadowMageandcheckeditsinformation.

???(Lv.1)

Grade:EliteKnight[2]

‘EliteKnight?’

ThegradesoftheShadowSoldiersupuntilnowweredividedintothree:

NormalGrade.

EliteGrade.[2]

KnightGrade.

Andforthefirsttime,asoldierwith“EliteKnight”gradehadappeared.Followingbasiclogic,Jinwoorealizedthatputtingtheword“elite”infrontofKnight-gradeslikeYgritteandIronmadethislatestadditiontohisarmystrongerthaneitherofthem.

‘ThemagicpowerIfeelfromhimisgreaterthanthetwoknights.’

ItwasaShadowSoldierworthyofbeingbornfromanA-rankDungeon’sboss.

Ring~

Pleasechooseanameforthesoldier.

SincethenewsoldierwasaboveKnightgrade,theSystemwasexpectedlyaskingforJinwootonameit.

‘Name…’

Themage’sfacewascoveredbythehoodrightnow,butwhenitcametohighorcs,wasn’ttheirdefiningtraittheirtusks?

‘Let’sgowithTusk.[3]

Tusk(Lv.1)

Grade:EliteKnight

Withoutneedingtospeakoutloud,Jinwoo’sthoughtsreplacedthequestionmarksinthemage’snamewith“Tusk”.Ifthehighorcsorcererhadlearnedthisinlife,itwould’vefoamedatthemouth.Butwhatcouldadeadthingdotocomplain?

Withasatisfiedexpression,JinwoorecalledalltheShadowSoldiersintohisshadow.Hiscurrentstoragelimitwas130.Itwasunfortunate,buthehadtosendtherestbacktothevoid().[4]

‘Thisisenough.’

Ashewalkeddownfromthealtarareawithasmile,thepeoplebelowallranuptoJinwoo.Itwastheraidingparty’sHunters,ChaHaeinandmenwearingblacksuits.Jinwoorecognizedoneofthemenwearingsuits.

‘WhendidChiefWooJincheolarrive?’

Lookingattheman’sface,JinwoorealizedthechiefhadseenhimfightwiththeShadowSoldiers.

“SungJinwoo-ssi.”

“HunterSungJinwoo-nim.”

“Porter-ssi…?”

ThethreegroupscalledouttoJinwooinunisonthenlookedateachother.

Jinwoonolongerhadanyreasonstohidehispower;hehadfoughtwithnoregretsbut…

‘HowdoIgetoutofthissituation?’

Jinwoostaredatthepeoplesurroundinghimandscratchedthebackofhishead.

***

WooJincheoldecidedtotakethelead.Whileeveryoneelsewashesitating,theHSDchiefreadthemoodandwalkedupnexttoJinwoo.Hetookouthis

identification–

“We’refromtheAssociation’sHunterSurveillanceDepartment.”

Low-rankorhigh-rank,everyHunterwouldbewarywhenevertheHSDappeared.Asexpected,withtheexceptionofChaHaein,anervousnessbrieflyflashedacrossthefacesofHuntersGuild’smembers.ThefirststepofWooJincheol’splanworked:alltheeyeswereonhimnow.Themancontinued–

“TheidentityofHunterSungJinwoo-nimhereiscurrentlybeingkeptasasecretbytheAssociation.Duetospecialcircumstances,itisahighlyclassifiedinformationthatwearenotabletorevealtoexternalpartiesatthemoment.”

JinwoowasinaweofWooJincheol’sactingabilities.Theman’sexpressionandwordsweresonaturalthattheE-rankerwouldhavethoughtthechiefhadpracticedthisbeforecominghere.Still,theHSDchief’sintentionswereclearasdaytoJinwoo.Asifoncue,thechiefbrieflyglancedovertohimandsenthimamessagewithhiseyes,Iwillhelpyouleaveherewithoutraisingupafuss.JinwoowasnotsurewhytheHSDwashelpinghim,buthewasnotabouttocomplain.TheE-rankernodded.EvenWooJincheol’ssubordinateswerequickonthetake;theyimmediatelytookplaceatJinwoo’ssides.

“Ifyouhaveanyquestions,pleasecontacttheAssociation.We’llescortHunterSungJinwoo-nimoutofherefortoday.”

TheHSDchief’swordswereladenwithanot-so-subtlemeaning:Thisisnotnegotiable.Becauseoftheman’sironcladwords,HuntersGuild’smembersswallowedthewordsandquestionstheyhadforJinwoo.

“Then,Hunter-nim,shallwe?”

JinwoowasescortedbytheHSDHuntersaroundhimandleftthebossroom.

‘WhileI’mgrateful…’

Itfeltalittlestrange.WhywasChiefWooJincheoldoingsomethinglikethiswithoutbeingasked?AftergettingsomedistancefromtheotherHunters,Jinwooquietlyasked–

“Isthereareasonwhyyou’redoingthis?”

“IfImayansweryourquestionwithanotherquestion,isHunter-nimthinkingofenteringHuntersGuild?”

Jinwooshookhishead.Asifexpectingthatresponse,WooJincheolquicklycontinued–

“Justnow,Hunter-nimshowedhispowersthatsurpassedthestrengthofanS-rankertothenation’smostpowerfulGuild.IhadfeltthatdoingwhatIdidwasthebestwayforyoutoavoidanunnecessaryheadache.”

Thatmadesense.JinwoocouldnotimaginejustwhatHuntersGuildwoulddototryandrecruitanotherS-rankHunter.WhileotherHuntersmayhavegreetedtheattentionwithopenarms,Jinwoowasnotsuchaman.FollowingGoGunhee’swill,theHunterAssociationalsowantedtopreventJinwoofromenteringanylargeGuildifpossible.Andso,withJinwoowantingtoavoidattentionandtheAssociationwantingtoavoidtoomuchpowerbeingfocusedintooneGuild,thetwoparties’desireswereinagreement.Sincetheywerehelpingeachother,JinwoodidnotfeelburdenedbyreceivingtheHSD’shelpthistime.

‘ThingsjustgotrathercomfortablethankstotheAssociation.’

Becausethesituationhadresolvedwithoutmuchtrouble,asmileappearedonJinwoo’sface.

WhenJinwooandtheHSDHunterswereonlyfewstepsoutofthebossroom,avoiceshoutedafterthemfrombehind–

“P-pleasewait!”

Turningaround,JinwoosawSonGihoonlimpingtowardhim,supportedbyalargeman.TheTanker’swoundswerehealedbytheHealers,buthavinglostsomuchblood,themanwasstillpale.

‘Heshouldn’tmovearoundlikethat.’

DespiteJinwoo’sworries,SonGihooneventuallystoppedbeforeJinwoo.Then,theA-rankRaidLeaderbowedhisheaddeeply–

“Thankyou.BecauseofHunter-nim,wewereabletolive.Onbehalfoftheentireraidingparty,Iwouldliketogiveyouourgratitude.”

AfterhearingtheHSDHunter’swords,SonGihoonrealizedthattheremust’vebeenareasonwhyJinwoohadhiddenhistrueidentity.

‘Ifhehasthatmuchpower,I’msurethereisagoodreason.’

Despiteofthatreason,JinwoohaddecidedtoriskrevealinghimselftotheworldandhelpedSonGihoon’sparty.Wasthatall?Hedidnotaskforanythinginreturn.Itwasfullywithintheman’srightstoobtainthecorpsesandmagiccoresofthemagicbeastshehadslain,butJinwoohaddecidedtoleavewithoutsayingaword.HowcouldSonGihoonnotbowrespectfullywhilethankinghim?

“...Onceagain,thankyou!”

Sweptbyhisfeelings,SonGihoonbowedhisupperbodyatarightangleoncemore.Thesuddenmovementmadehisentirebodyscreaminpain,buttheTankerenduredit.HerecalledhowJinwoohadgottenrevengeforhim,playingwiththatmagicbeastjustashehadbeentoyedwithbythesorcerer.Itmadehisheartbefilledwithastrangesensationofjoyfulsorrow;hecouldthankJinwooahundredtimesoverinthismoment.

LookingattheirRaidLeaderbowingingratitude,therestoftheraidingpartyfinallysnappedoutofthechaosoftheRaid.

‘Ifitwasn’tforthatman…’

‘He’sourlives’savior.’

‘Thisisnotthetimetoblanklystareathim.’

Everyoneofthemwalkedforwardandbowedtheirheads–

“Thankyouporter-Imean,Hunter-nim.”

“Ifitwasn’tforyou,Hunter-nim.”

“Thankstoyou,mywifewon’tbeawidow.”

TheyoungmanwhowasrelievedwhenSonGihoondecidedtoabandontheRaidawhileagocameforwardwithtearsinhiseyes–

“Hunter-nim…Ifeelsogratefulrightnow.CanIgiveyouahug?”

“Hey,hey,you’regoingtoofar.”

“He’sactingallemotionalagain,someonestophim.”

“Thenyouhugmeinstead,hyung!”

Hug!

“Ah!Getoffofme!”

“Hahahaha!”

ForthefirsttimesincetheyhadenteredthisA-rankDungeon,laughterrangoutbetweenthemembersoftheraidingparty.Jinwoolookedattheirlevitywithasmile.Hehadnothelpedthemoutofsomedesireforcomplimentsandflattery,buttheirsincerityreachedhisheart.

“Oh,right.”

JinwoonoticedthefemaleHealercelebratinginthebackofthegroupandapproachedher.

‘She’ssosmall.Didn’tevennoticeherintheback.’

Heheldouthernotepadtoher,andshetookitwithareddenedface.

“Th-thankyou…”

Thewomanscoldedherpastself.

‘Awman…WhydidIhavetogoandsayallthattohim…’

Sherecalledhowshewrotedownandhandedhimwhatshehadthoughttobeherlastwords.Toamanwhojusthadsingle-handedlyclearedtheDungeon.Howfoolishdidshelookbeforehim?Itwouldbecomeoneofthosememoriesthatwouldmakeherkicktheblanketinembarrassmentatnights.Sheglancedup;thankfully,hedidnotseemtobelaughingather.Instead,themanspokewithasternvoice–

“Healer-nim.”

“Yes?”

Sheraisedherheadlikeastudentabouttobescolded.

“Fromnowon,trynottoputyourpersonalitemsintheraidingparty’sbaggage.It’sunnecessaryweight.”

“Huh?”

TheHealerbecamelostforwordsandjuststaredwithroundeyes.Jinwoogrinned.Hehadsaidwhathewantedtosay.ThemanturnedaroundwithacoollookandheadedbacktotheHSDHunters.

“Letusgo.”

Andwiththat,JinwooandtheHSDHunterslefttheDungeon.HuntersGuild’smembersstaredatthemdisappearinginthedistance.EveryoneofthemwasabletosaysomethingtoJinwoo,mostlythankinghimforsavingtheirlives.

Well…Almosteveryoneofthem.

‘Ah…’

ChaHaeinloweredherhandthatwasstretchedtowardsJinwoo.

‘Iwantedtoatleastgethisnumber…’

Shejustwantedtoseeifhecouldsparesometime.Unfortunately,sherealizedthosewordswould’vecausednosmallamountofmisunderstandingsinthissituation.Suddenly,anotherfemaleHunterapproachedChaHaein.

“Er…DeputyGuildmaster?”

“Yes?”

AstheS-rankerturnedaround,thefemaleHunterpointedtoChaHaein’shand–

“What’swiththepickaxe?”

ChaHaeinraisedher“weapon”andstaredatit.Thelongershestared,theredderherfaceturned.Sheloweredthepickaxeandasked–

“DoyouthinkIlookedweird?”

ThefemaleMagetiltedherheadandreplied–

“Towho?”

TherednessinChaHaein’sfacecreptallthewaytothebaseofherneck.

***

AfterleavingtheGate,WooJincheollookedathiswatchandasked–

“We’regoingtoreturntotheAssociation…Ifit’salrightwithyou,wouldyouliketocomewithusandmaybehavedinnerwiththeassociationpresident?”

“Whattimeisit?”

“It’s5:15.”

‘Hmm…’

Itwasabitlate,buthecouldmakeitontime.JinwoorespectfullydeclinedWooJincheol’soffer–

“Myapology,butIhaveapriorengagement.”

***

Huffhuff.

YooJinhotriedoutsomebreathingexerciseshesawinamovieoncetocalmhimself.

‘Thefatedhourisarriving.’

Hyungnim’sdecisionwilldetermineYooJinho’sfate.Comparedtothemeetingwithhisfatherfewdaysago,theyoungmanfeltfarmorenervousandexcited.

‘Calmyourself.Calm.’

HehadpurposelypickedthemeetingspotattheFrenchcaféhehadfirstsatdownwithhyungnim.

‘Withouthishelp,Iwouldn’thaveevencomethisfar.’

Lookingaroundthecafé,asenseofnostalgiarushedthroughtheyoungman.Hewasevensittingatthesametableasbackthen.

Ring~

Thebellattachedtothedoorrang,andwithit,Jinwooenteredthecafé.

“Hyungnim!”

YooJinhorosewithabrightexpressionandgreetedJinwoowithadeepbow.Jinwooreturnedhisgreetingwithalightnodandsatdownacrossfromtheyoungman.YooJinhofollowedsuit.

“Sowhatisit?”

Raisinghishead,YooJinho’seyeswidened–

“Hyungnim,yourclothes…?”

“Oh,this?”

Jinwoohadranhererightafterthebattlewiththehighorcs.Hisclotheswereabitdirty.Therewasevenhighorcbloodspilledabitoverhim.Herepliedwithoutmuchthought–

“IjustcamefromaDungeon.”

‘What!’

YooJinhowasonceagainsurprisedbyhishyungnim.Comparedtohishyungnim’sachievements,YooJinhoearningtheGuildmasterlicensewasnothing.Andyettheyoungmanhadspentthedaysfollowinghis“achievement”bydoingnothingbutcelebratinganddrinking.Andhishyungnim?Despiteallthatpower,themancontinuedtotrainhimselfbyenteringDungeons.YooJinho

wasashamedofhimself.

‘Asexpectedofhyungnim…’[5]

Atthesametime,hisrespectforhyungnimonlycontinuedtoincrease.Thefactthatthemanhadnotevenbotheredtochangehisdirtyclothesmust’vebeenasignofjusthowproudhewas.Thedirtandbloodonhisclotheswerelikethebadgeofhonorofhisceaselesstraining.YooJinho’sexpressionhardened.Hewaspreparedtoacceptanyanswersthathishyungnimwouldgive.

“Hyungnim,thetruthis…”

YooJinhorecollectedhismeetingwithhisfathertoJinwoowithoutleavingoutasingledetail.GoMyunghwan.ThetruthbehindtheRedGateincident.TheunknownhelperofBaekho.Everything.

‘Thatahjussididsomethingreallyunnecessary…’

Still,hecouldn’tgetmadattheman.GoMyunghwanapparentlydiditforJinwoo’ssake.YooJinho’sfacewhenhegottothepartabouttheRedGatelookedelated.Anyways,Jinwooknewwhattheyoungmanwasaskingofhim–

“Andso,whatyou’retellingmeisthatyouneedmyhelptobecomeYoojinGuild’sGuildmaster,right?”

Afterfinishinghisstory,YooJinhopatientlywaitedforJinwoo’sresponse.Unlikehisusualself,theyoungmandidnotact-up,trytochangethemood,begorevenlookpitiful.

‘Thisishyungniminfrontofme.’

Withoutanyschemes,hewouldplacehisfutureinhyungnim’shands.Jinwoowaslookingdown,havingfallenintoadeepcontemplation.Themanfinallyraisedhishead–

“Jinho,I…”

Gulp.

YooJinhoswallowedthelumpinhisthroatasJinwoobegan.

***

HuntersGuild’sGuildmaster,ChoiJonginreceivedthereportoftoday’sincident.Heputasideeverythinghewasdoingandwentintohispersonalroom.

“What?SungJinwoocametoourRaidyesterdayandtoday?!”

ThenewS-rankHunter.ThemanhadappearedathisGuild,howwashenotmadeawareofthis?!Itwaslikethrowingawayabagofmoneythatfellfromthesky.Itwasanincrediblyfrustratingthingtohear,butwhenheheardtherest,itwassuddenlyunderstandable–

“Wait,what?Heworkedasamineryesterdayandtoday,hewasaporter?!”

...Yep.Somethinglikethiswouldn’thavebeenreportedtohimdirectly…

‘Fornow,let’sputasidewhatthemanwasthinking…’

Focusingonthiswouldonlybringaboutaheadache.That’snotwhatwasimportantrightnow.

‘AfterBaekho,evenourHuntersGuildjustreceivedhishelp.’

Now,ChoiJonginowedadebttoSungJinwoo.HehadhopedtoapproachhimonequalgroundforrecruitmentbutendedupinthesameplaceasBaekho.

‘Still,IwasthefirsttolearnabouttheexistenceofthetenthS-ranker.’

Yes.Moreimportantthanthefactthattheywerehelped,ChoiJonginwantedtoknowwhatkindofapowerSungJinwoowielded–

“HunterSungJinwoo,whatcategoryofaHunterwashe?”

…

Ashelistenedtotheexplanationacrossthephone,ChoiJonginbecamecompletelyatalossforwords.Thepersonontheotherend,SonGihoon,wasnotamantolieorembellishthetruth.Still,ascertainBaekho’semployeehadoncedonewhenhearingofJinwoo’sexploits,ChoiJonginreflexivelyuttered–

“Isallthatreallytrue?”

—“Yes,sir.ThatwasallIsawwithmyeyes.”

‘Allhesaw…?Doesthatmeantherecouldbemore?’

Ifthatmanwasreallythatstrong…

“Ifyoucomparedmetohim,whodoyouthinkisstronger?”

Itmight’vebeenachildishquestion,buttherewasnobetterquestiontodeterminethestrengthofanother.Afteramomentofhesitation,SonGihoonspoke–

—“Guildmaster,canyousoloclearanA-rankDungeon,especiallyoneontheupperendofA-rankDungeons?”

“...That’simpossible.”

—“Butthatmandidsuchathing.HeevenstoppedHunterCha-nimfromhelping.”

‘ChaHaeinwasthere?’

ThisraisedanotherquestioninChoiJongin’shead,butthatwasnotimportantrightnow.

“Wasitpossiblethatitwasn’tahigh-endA-rankDungeon?”

—“Ifthatwasthecase,weshouldn’thavehadanyproblems.Thatmansavedallourlives.”

“...”

ThemancalledtheStrongestSoldier,ChoiJongin.Inaway,hehadbeenlookeddownjustnow.However,insteadoffeelingslighted,themanwasfilledwithexcitement.

‘Me,ChaHaein,andSungJinwoo.’

DependingonSungJinwoo’struepowers,theirGuildcouldraisetheirnameacrossthecountry,no,Asia,no,theworld...

—“GuildmasterChoi,IknowI’mnotreallyinapositiontosayanythingaboutthemanagementofourGuildbut…”

Truthfully,SonGihoonwasnotthetypeofmantobrazenlysaythisandthatabouttheGuildbeyondhisplace.Becauseofthat,ChoiJonginwascuriousonwhatthemanhadtosay–

“No,please,continue.”

—“Thatman…HunterSungJinwoo-nim.Pleasemakesuretorecruitthatman.Youmightbeabletoaccomplishyourdreamsifyoudo.”

Badum.

ChoiJongin’sheartraced.Hemadeanefforttonotrevealhisshakingvoice–

“Iwilldomybest.”

----------

[1]Patchnote:AllcontractionsoftheSystem(suchas“you’ve”)willnowbeuncontracted(suchas“youhave”).ThankyouFhaarkasforthesuggestion.

[2]Morepatchnotes:I’vepreviouslytranslatedthewordfor“Elite”hereas“Veteran”().ThiswasthegradeoftheShadowMageswhentheyfirstappeared.PerFhaarkas’sadvice,I’mchangingitto“Elite”goingforward.

[3]“Tusk”():Ok,theliteraltranslationofthewordis“Molar”,andInoticedthatalotofMTLreadershavealreadycalledhimassuch.However,incontextofthepassage,theMCdecidedtonamehimafterthedefiningphysicalcharacteristicsoforcs,whichistheprotrudingtuskscomingoutoftheirmouth.Whiletheeasternlanguagemaycallthisan“Orc’sMolar”,thefolksinthewestwouldbemuchmorefamiliarwithan“Orc’sTusk”.Assuch,I’vedecidedtonameouradorablelittle(?)mage,“Tusk”.

[4]“Void”(;):lit.“TheEmptiness”

[5]YooJinho’ssasugaisquicklyreachingthelevelofNazarick.

Chapter6:Remeasurement

INFRONTOFKOREANHUNTERASSOCIATIONHEADQUARTERS.

ThereporterswhowantedtocoverLeeMinsung’sAwakeningresultslineduplikeantsinfrontofthebuilding.TothinkthatAsia’sSuperstarLeeMinsungwouldbecomeaHunter!Itwasnotanexaggerationtosaythattheentirecontinent’scameraswerefocusedonthislocation.Withsomanyofthemthere,thereportersbegantofighteachotherforgoodspots.

“Excuseme!Wewereherefirst!”

“Gotohell!Doyouseethenumberofpeoplearoundyou?!There’snopickingspots!Whereyoustandisyourspot!”

“Sigh…”

Insideofthebuilding,LeeMinsunglookedatthepresswithasatisfiedexpression–

“Yes,atleastthismanyshould’veshowedupforme.”

Purposelydraggingthetimeontograbtheworld’sattentionworked.Asthefruitsofhis“labor”(scheme),alleyesweregoingtobeonhimnow.

“Excuseme,Minsung-ssi,thiswillbetomorrow’sheadline,whatdoyouthink?”

ThereporterfromoneofKorea’stopnewspapershowedtheactorwhatwouldbeonthefrontpagetomorrow.

“Isn’titabittoosimple?”

“Youthinkso?”

“Hmm…Howaboutthis?‘Themanwhohasitall,LeeMinsung,nowobtainspowerssurpassinghumanity’,somethinglikethat?”

“Don’tyouthinkthatit’sabittoomuchfortheaveragereader?”

“AmIwrong?Besides,whointhiscountrywoulddarecontradictme?Ihavethecompleteattentionofboththemediaandfans.”

“Alright,I’lldothat,then.”

“Ileaveitinyourcare.”

LeeMinsungstaredcondescendinglyatthereporter’sbowedhead.

‘Justdowhatyou’retold.Stopraisingafuss.’

Inthatmoment,twohigh-classcarsarrivedattheAssociation’sparkinglot.

Twopeoplegotofffromtheirrespectivecarsatthesametime.ItwasBaekho’sBaekYoonhoandHuntersGuild’sChoiJongin.

“What?Lookoverthere!”

“It’sBaekYoonho!”

“AndChoiJongin!”

Thereportersblockingtheentranceswarmeduptothetwomen.BothoftheSrankersscrunchedtheirface.

‘Thehelliswiththesereporters?’

‘Whyisitsopackedheretoday?’

Flashclickflashflashclick.

Thereporters’camerastookpicturesnonstop.Theysurroundedthetwomenandyelledabunchofquestions–

“AreyoutwoheretorecruitLeeMinsung?!”

“AsHuntersrepresentingSouthKorea,whatisyouropiniononLeeMinsungretiringasacelebrity?!”

“WhatdoyouthinkLeeMinsung’srankwillbe?!”

“PleasesaysomethingaboutLeeMinsung!”

TheimpatientBaekYoonhowavedahandinannoyance–

“I’mnothereforthatman.Ihavenocomments.”

ThemorediplomaticChoiJongincalmlyspokethetruthwithoutmuchemotion–

“I’msuremostofyouareawarethatLeeMinsung-ssiisalreadycontractedwithGrimReapers.Iamhereforanothermatter.”

Attheratherboringresponses,thereportersturnedaroundwithdisappointment–

‘Whatthehell?’

‘IthoughtI’dbeabletograbahotscoop.’

‘Damn,itwasnothingafterall.’

Still,notoneofthemdaredtovisiblycomplaininfrontoftheS-rankers.TheyjusttookupspotsaroundthevicinityagaintowaitforLeeMinsung.

Whenthereportersleft,BaekYoonhometChoiJongin’sgaze.TheBaekho’sGuildmasterspokefirst–

“Iheardthenews.LookslikeHuntersGuildalsoalmosthadanincidentyesterday.”

BaekYoonhopurposelyplacedemphasisontheword“also”.

“Well,atleastweavoidedlosinganA-ranknewrecruitlikeBaekho.”

Thetwomen’scontestofspiritdidnotlosetothereporters’.However,BaekYoonhocalmedhisangerandsighedlightly–

“Well,intheend,itlookslikewearebothindebtedtothatman.”

“You’reright.Ifitwasn’tforhim,wewould’velostourentiresecondaryraidingparty.”

Itwastheheightofthetwomen’spridethatneitheractuallyspokethenameofthehelper.Thenamethatbothofthemknewtheotherwasawareof.ChoiJongintookasteptowardBaekYoonho–

“Andbecauseofourgratitude,wewanttotakecareofthatmaninourGuild.”

BaekYoonhodidnotbackoff.HealsotookastepuntilhisforeheadwasrightnexttoChoiJongin’s–

“Inourincident,we’veactuallylostpeople.Inordertoreinforceournumbers,don’tyouthinkyoushouldyieldthatmantous?”

“JustwhatkindofareinforcementdoyouneedanS-rankerfor?What,areyouthinkingofinvadingNorthKorea?”

“Whataboutyou?‘Takecareofhim’?Justwhenwereyousuchacompassionateandkindman?‘Takecareofhim’...”

ThetwoS-rankHunters’eyeslitupwithflames.

‘Huh?’

Arrivingintimeforthepressconference,GrimReaper’sGuildmasterLimTaegyulookedatthearguingS-rankersandlaughed.Whatwastheexpression?Countingyourchickensbeforetheyhatched?HavingalwayslostresourcestothetwoGuilds,LimTaegyuwaselatedattheideaofbeatingthemforachange.HetriedtohidehissmileandwalkeduptothetwoGuildmasters.

“Oy,twoGuildmasters.AreyoufightingoverourMinsungrightnow?”

BaekYoonhoandChoiJonginturnedsharplytowardLimTaegyu–

‘Thehell’swiththisretard?’

‘Idon’tgiveashitaboutthisLeeMinsungorLeeMintardorwhateverhisnameis.’

LimTaegyuflinchedandtookastepbackwhenthetwomenglaredathim.

‘What’swiththeseguys?’

***

“What?ChoiJonginandBaekYoonho?”

LeeMinsunggrinned.TheactorwasalreadyfamiliarwithLimTaegyu,havingmethimoftenduringthecontractprocess.EvensigningacontractwithGrimReapers,whichhadfallenquiteabitfromitsglorydays,andleavingbehindthenation’stoptwoGuildswereallpartofLeeMinsung’sscheme.

‘MyimagewillonlyshinewhenI’mnexttoweaklings.’

Asacelebrity,sellinghisimagewasabigpartofthejob.AndLeeMinsunghadmadesuretocarefullymaintainhisimageupuntilnow.

‘Tothinkthatthenation’sbestGuildsarefightingoverme…’

HehadnoplantoworkasaHunterforanextendedperiodoftime,butthisstillmadehisshouldersriseinarrogance.Soon,hismanageropenedthedoorandcameinside–

“Minsung,they’reallready.Let’sgetstartedwiththeinterviews.”

“Alright.”

Themanagertookthelead.WhenLeeMinsungsteppedthroughtheglassdoorsandshowedhisface,theflashesofthecamerasroared–

Flashflashflashclickflashclickflashflash—

LeeMinsunglookedoverthehundredsofeyeslookingathimandputonafake,affectionatesmile.

***

Inthatmoment–

JinwooarrivedattheAssociation.

‘...?’

Astheyhadinstructedhimthreedaysago,theE-rankHunterarrivedforhis

remeasurementattheAssociation.

‘Whyisitsopacked?’

Itdidnotseemlikehecouldplainlyenterthebuildinginthissituation.Ofcourse,hedidhavetheoptionofusing‘Stealth’,jumpingoverthereportersorevenusingthebackentrance.However,hedidnotliketheideaofhavingtoavoidthereporterslikethat,especiallyconsideringhehadalreadymadeanappointmentthreedaysago.

‘It’snotlikeIdidanythingwrong.’

Therewasnoreasonforhimtoavoidusingthefrontdoor.Jinwooshovedhiswaythroughthecrowdofreportersandforciblymadehispathtothefrontofthebuilding.

“Excuseme.”

“Hey!”

“Whatthehell!”

“Whoisthat?!”

ItwasthestrengthofanS-ranker.Thereportershadnochoicebuttobepushedasideandcouldonlyscrunchtheirfaces.Inaninstant,Jinwooarrivedatthestepsbeforethebuilding’sentrance.Beforehecouldtakeastep,however,amuscularmanblockedhispath.

“Hey!”

ItwasLeeMinsung’smanager.ThemanagerflaredhiseyesandyelledatJinwoo–

“Whoareyou?AreyouwiththeAssociation?!”

Jinwoolookedstraightintotheman’sfaceandshookhishead.

‘Whatthehell?Lookatthislittleshit.’

Themanager’sthickeyebrowstwitched.

“Don’tyouseeallthereportershere?!”

Jinwoobrieflyturnedaroundandlookedatthecrowd.Everyoneofthemwasstaringathimwithannoyance.Heunderstoodthattheywerehereforsomeinterview,butit’snotliketheyownedtheroad.Justashecouldnotpersonallychaseawaythereporters,thereportersalsohadnorighttochasehimaway.Still,thereweretoomanyeyeswatching,Jinwoojustwantedtoquietlyenterthebuildingwithoutgrabbingtoomuchattention.

“Youcan’tgopast.Getoutofhere,dumbass.”

ThemanagerblockedhispathagainandshovedJinwoo’schest.Atthisprovocation,theE-ranker’seyeschanged.

‘What?’

Themanagerwasshocked.HeplannedtoembarrassJinwoobypushinghim.ButevenasaD-rankFighter-classpushedhim,Jinwoodidnotbudgeintheslightest.Themanagerwaspushingwithaforceenoughtoharmanordinaryman.Ofcourse,Jinwooknewthis.

“...”

Feelingirritated,heglaredatthemanager’sface.Andjustwiththat,themanagerturnedpale.

“What’sgoingon?”

“Aretheygoingtofight?”

Acommotionroseamongthereporterswatchingthescene.Themanagerbegantosweat.Hadtherebeennoonewatching,themanagerwasfullypreparedtostepaside.

Unfortunately,theeyesofthereportersandhisboss,LeeMinsung,wereonhimrightnow.LeeMinsungapproachedthemanagerandwhispered–

“Dammithyung,what’sgoingon?Takecareofhim.”

“Oh…yeah,gotit.”

Ifhecouldn’tdohisjobhere,themanagercouldbefired.Themanputonthebestscaryfacehecouldandyelled–

“Itoldyou,youcan’tgopasthere!Sogetoutofhere!”

“Justbywhoseauthorityareyoublockingthatman’spath?”

‘Huh?’

Thevoicecamefrombehindhim.Themanagerturnedaround.

ThepresidentofKoreanHunterAssociation,GoGunhee,stoodinfrontoftheglassdoors.

Thereporters’eyeswidened.Theirshockwassogreatthattheycouldn’teventakeanypictures.

“GoGunhee?”

“AssociationPresidentGoGunhee?”

Therambunctiouschaosmomentsagowascompletelysilencedbytheunexpectedappearanceofasingleman.GoGunheecameallthewaytothestairsandspoke–

“Thatmanisourguest.”

GoGunheeturnedtoLeeMinsung–

“LeeMinsung-ssi,Ibelieveyoudorememberwhoallowedyoutohaveallthesereportershere,yes?”

LeeMinsungsnappedintoattention–

“O-ofcourse,sir.”

Ifhemadeamistakehere,hewouldlosethevaluablepressconferencetimeallottedbytheAssociation.Hecouldnotbemadeafoolinfrontofthismanyeyes.LeeMinsungfurrowedhisbrowsandsignaledhismanager,andthemanagerbowedhisheadbeforeGoGunheeandJinwoothensteppedaside.

“Please,letusgoin,HunterSungJinwoo-nim.”

AsJinwooreceivedGoGunhee’sescortintothebuilding,thereporterscouldnothidetheirshock.

Chatterchatter.

“Whatjusthappened?”

“Whowasthatman,thattheassociationpresidenthimselfwouldcometogethim?”

“Doesanyoneknowwhothatmanis?!”

Thereporterscriedoutinfrustration,butnooneanswered.

***

LeeMinsung’sfacedarkened.ThemanwhojustforcedhiswaythroughthereportersandAssociationPresidentGoGunheethattookthatmaninside.Whatwasthatabout?

“What’sAssociationPresidentGoGunhee’sscheduletoday?”

“Hismorning’scompletelyfreedup.”

“Doesthatmeanhefreeduphisentiremorningforthatman?”

Chatterchatter.

AftertheappearanceofJinwooandtheassociationpresident,themoodnolongerseemedappropriateforaninterview.Justhowmuchworkhadhe,LeeMinsung,puttowardthisday?Withanexpressionlikehehadswallowedabug,LeeMinsungglaredathismanager.

‘Fuckinguselessmanager.Youcan’teventakecareofsomethinglikethisproperly.’

Themanagercouldnotmeethisgaze;allthemancoulddowaslowerhisheadwithoutenergy.AsLeeMinsungwasnowanA-rankAwakenedBeing,hecouldnotevenusehisstrengthtooverpowerthemananymore.

‘...’

Afterglaringathismanagerforsometime,LeeMinsung’sheadnaturallyturnedtoanotherdirection.

“Cue!”

Ohshit.

Likekickingamanwhilehewasdown,thecameraswerenowrolling.Thiswasalivebroadcast.Ifthischaoticsituationwasbroadcasttothenation,theeffortsthathehadmadetoraisehisvaluewiththetitleofanA-rankHunterwoulddisappearlikebubbles.However,raisingthemoodoftheinterviewaftertheappearanceofAssociationPresidentGoGunheewouldbeagreatordeal.Ifonlythatbigshothadn’tappearedinanimportantmomentlikethis...

‘IsthereanythingIcoulddotochangethemood?’

Hisschemingmindquicklyturnedwithideas.

‘Yes,Ineedtosaysomethingwithgreatimpact.’

Thereportershereforhisrankunveilingweren’thereforsomethingasmundaneashisopinionsandfeelings.TheywantedtoknowwhattherankofSuperstarLeeMinsungwouldbe,andwhathewoulddoasaHunterfromnowon.IfLeeMinsunggavethemwhattheywanted,surelythemoodwouldimproveagain.

‘Let’schangetheplanandmoveupmytesting.’

Anuglysmileappearedontheactor’sface.Asthepeoplewhoreallyknewhimcouldattest,theman’sbrainforschemingwastopnotch.

“Alright,excusemeeveryone.I’mgoingtohaveasmalltalkwiththeAssociation’semployeesabouttoday’splans.”

Withthat,LeeMinsungheadedtowardstheAssociationbuilding.Hewasnotplanningtohavea“smalltalk”aboutmovinguphistesting;hewasdeterminedonmakingitanorder.

‘WithhowmuchmoneymyfathergivestotheAssociation,theybetterbe

crawlingonthefloorinfrontme.’

But.

‘Huh?’

Beforehecouldgettothedoors,HSDHunterspouredoutofthebuilding.Theylinedupandblockedtheentrance.

‘Whatthehellisthis?’

LeeMinsung’sfacescrunchedupagain.Helookedatthebadgeonthemaninthecenter.

‘HunterAssociationHunterSurveillanceDepartment,ChiefWooJincheol?’

LeeMinsungaskedthisWooJincheolaquestion–

“Whatisthis?Whyareyoublockingtheentrance?”

WooJincheollookeddownonLeeMinsungwithsunglassesoverhiseyes–

“Currently,anotherAwakenedBeingisundergoingaremeasurementtesting.Untilthetestingiscompleteateleveno’clock,nooneelseisallowedtoenterthebuilding.”

“Excuseme?!”

AnotherAwakenedBeing…Ishetalkingaboutthatmanwhojustentered?

LeeMinsunglookedathiswatch.Itwas10:30a.m.Hisownrankingtestswereat11a.m.Andnoonecouldenteruntilthen?Hisschemetooverturnthemoodbypushinghistestingforwardwasabouttobedestroyed.LeeMinsungfirstspokediplomatically–

“Whydon’tyoujustletmein?IhavesomethingsIwanttotalkoverwiththeemployees.”

“Iapologize.”

Withasternreply,WooJincheolclosedhismouthtightly.Frustrated,Lee

Minsungbegantoshowhistruenature–

“Look,doyouknowIam?I’mLeeMinsung.LeeMinsung!”

Hiswordshadgottenrough,butWooJincheolshowednoindicationofmovingaside.

“Sigh–”

LeeMinsungsighed,dumbfounded–

“You’reawarethattheHunterAssociation’sbiggestsponsorisYoojinConstruction,right?”

Thecornersoftheactor’smouthrose–

“YoojinConstruction’sVicePresidentLeeWongyuismyfather.Anddoyouseethepeoplebehindme?”

LeeMinsunggesturedtothepackedmassofreportersbelowthestairs–

“Infrontofallthosereporters,youwanttomistreatthesonofYoojinConstruction’svicepresident?!Doyouthinkyoucanwithstandtheaftermath?!”

WooJincheol’sreplywassimple–

“Yes.”

“What?!”

LeeMinsungwastakenback.Justwhothehellwasthatman?Theassociationpresidenthimselfcametograbhim,andnowtheentirebuildingwassealedoff.Ontopofthat,ameresectionchiefwasblockinghisway.LeeMinsungputhishandsonhishipsandspokeangrily–

“JustwhothehellisthatotherAwakenedBeingthattheAssociation’sfightingmelikethis?”

Andfinally,WooJincheolremovedhissunglasses–

“IfItoldyouthat,”

Flinch.

WhenWooJincheolglaredathimwithhawk-likeeyes,LeeMinsungtookastepbackwithoutrealizing.Withouttakinghiseyesoffoftheactor,theHSDchiefcontinued–

“LeeMinsung-ssi,doyouthinkyoucanwithstandtheaftermath?”

***

Theinteriorsofthebuildingwerequiet.WithoutasingleAwakenedBeingwaitingfortheirtesting,onlyafewAssociationemployeeswerewalkingaroundhereandthere.Itwasnotatallunrelatedtothemassofreportersoutside.

“Please,thisway.”

“Okay.”

AshefollowedGoGunhee’sescorttotheaccuratemeasuringroom,Jinwoonoticedtwofamiliarfaces.

‘Oh?’

Atabreakroomacrossthehall,BaekYoonhoandChoiJonginwereseated.TheywereintheareawherethescoutersfromthesmallGuildswerethreedaysago.WhentheymetJinwoo’seyes,theybothstoodupandloweredtheirheads.Jinwooreturnedtheirgreetingsandcontinuedpastthehall.

Astheyquietlywalked,GoGunheesmiled–

“Thosetwo,theycamehereanhouragoandhavebeenwaitingforHunter-nim.”

ThetworepresentativeGuildmastersofSouthKoreawerewaitinghistestingresultsforanhour?AsifreadingJinwoo’smind,GoGunheespokewithapeacefulvoice–

“Youarethenation’sfirstS-rankHunterintwoyears.Ontopofthat,ChoiJonginevensawyourprowessthroughhisGuildmembers’accounts.”

Jinwoonodded.

“Ohmy.”

“Associationpresident.”

Ontheway,fewAssociationemployeesbowedbeforeGoGunheeandstaredatJinwoowithawe.

‘Whoisthatman?Theassociationpresidenthimselfisescortinghim?’

‘Hemustbesomeoneamazing.’

‘Howdoesayoungmanlikethatknowtheassociationpresident?’

EvenifacabinetmembercametotheAssociation,GoGunheestillwouldn’thaveescortedtheminperson.Andso,lookingatthisscenerightnow,theemployeeswereshocked.

GoGunheespokewhilelookingahead–

“Iheardyesterday’sreports.”

Theelderlymanspeakinglookedelated.Inreality,GoGunheewasecstatic.Ashesuspected,Jinwootrulywasarareman,unlikeanyotherHunters.Whenheheard

WooJincheol’sreportoftheA-rankDungeonandJinwoo’spowers,GoGunheeclenchedhisfistsasifhewasthere.

‘Ofcourse,powerispower,but,’

ItwasJinwoo’sactionsafterwardsthattrulymovedtheassociationpresident’sheart.EventhoughtheyoungHunterhadsoloclearedtheentireDungeon,hehadnotshownanygreedatthespoils.Insteadofhavingagoalofearningmoneyorfame,Jinwoo’sobjectivestrulyweretofightmagicbeastsandprotectthepeople.GoGunhee,andbyextensiontheAssociation,waspreparedtohelphimwitheverysinglemeansattheirdisposal.Afterall,helpingsuchHunterswasthetruefoundinggoaloftheHunterAssociation.

‘IfonlyIcouldbringhimtotheAssociation…’

Still,whatcouldtheelderlymando?AsJinwoohadsaidfewdaysago,ifheenteredtheAssociation,hewouldlosetheopportunitytofightwithmagicbeasts.WhenhethoughtbackonJinwoo’sabilitiesfromyesterday,itwasapowertoostrongtobewastedoutsideofDungeons.

Soon,thepairreachedthetestingareadeepwithinthebuilding.

“Beforetheremeasurement,wewilldetermineHunter-nim’scategory.”

Jinwooknewthis.DependingonthepowertheywereAwakenedinto,HuntersweredividedintocategoriesofFighter,Mage,Healer,Supporterorotherclasses.

TheemployeewaitinginthetestingareaboweddeeplytoGoGunheeandspoketoJinwoo–

“Please,thisway.”

Jinwoofollowedandendedupinthemiddleofthetestingarea.Theroomwaslikealargegymnasiumfoundinschools.Unlikeordinarygyms,therewasastrongmagicpowerfillingthewallsandthefloors.Itseemedthattheroomwasreinforcedtopreventanyaccidents.

Theexaminerasked–

“So,whatcanyoudo?”

Fromacorner,AssociationPresidentGoGunheelookeduponthetestingwithgreatinterest.ThiswasthemainreasonwhyhehimselfhadcometoescortJinwoo.GoGunheewantedtoseeJinwoo’sabilitieswithhisowneyes,andthemomentcouldn’tcomeanyfaster.

“Icandothis.”

JinwoosummonedasingleShadowSoldier.

“Whoa!”

Theexaminerjumped.Whowouldn’tuponseeingasoldiercladinpitch-blackarmorrisefromtheground?EventhoughJinwoohadpurposelyselectedtheweakestsoldieramonghisarmy,thesoldierstillgaveoffadangerousauratoan

ordinaryman.

“Isthis…summoning?Youcanwieldsummons?”

Theexaminer’svoicewasshaking.Jinwoowantedtoexplainthathewasnotinanydangerbutheldhiswordsback.Withapityinglook,Jinwooreplied–

“...Well,somethinglikethat.”

“If,ifthat’sthecase,howmanysummonscanyoubringout?”

‘There’snouseinlying.’

Afterall,thereweremanywitnessesyesterdaywhosawhisbattle.JinwooroundeddownthenumberofhisShadowStoragelimitandspoke–

“About…ahundred.”

Hearingthenumber,theexaminer’seyesshotopenwide–

“A-ahundred?”

“Yes.”

Jinwoorepliedcalmly.

Inthatmoment,GoGunhee’seyeslitupashelookedattheShadowSoldier–

‘Hecanwieldahundredofsomethinglikethat…’

Atasimpleglance,theShadowSoldierhadamagicpowercomparabletoaB-rankHunter.Ifthemanwasabletocallforthahundredofthem,inaway,JinwoomaintainedapowersurpassinganaveragelargeGuild.Itwastrulyanamazingability.

JinwoofeltGoGunhee’sfiercegazeonhim.Takingintheresponsesaroundtheroom,hesigheddeeplyinrelief.

‘Ifthey’rereactinglikethistoanordinarysoldier…’

JinwoowasgladhedidnotpulloutYgritteorTusk.Anyways,withthis,his

categorywasdetermined–

“Then…HunterSungJinwoo-nimisaMage-class.”

Theexaminerrecordedtheresultsdown,thenraisedhishead.

“Okay,wecanheadovertothemeasurementroomnow.”

***

JinwoohelduphisnewHunter’slicense.

SungJinwoo.S-rank.Mage-class.

Evenlookingathisfaceonthelicense,hecouldnotbelieveit.

‘Alright.Everythingwentsmoothly.’

Heputthelicenseintohiswallet.Ashenearedtheendofthehallway,theS-rankersthathadbeenwaitingforhimapproachedhim.

“SungJinwoo-ssi,couldIhaveamomentofyourtime?”

“HunterSungJinwoo-nim.”

“I’msorry.Ihavesomethingstotakecareof.”

Jinwooignoredthemandheadedtotheglassdoors.

“Huh?Wait?”

BaekYoonhospoketohimwithworry–

“Idon’tthinkit’sagoodideatogooutthatway.”

‘IshesayingthathehasacontractthatI’llregretifIwalkawayfromit?’

Whateverthecasewas,Jinwoohadnointerestintheircontracts.HecontinuedtoignoreBaekYoonhoandwalkedthroughtheglassdoors.

Withthat–

Flashflashflashflashclickflashclickclickflashflashflash!

ThereporterspasttheHSDHunterstooknonstoppicturesofJinwoo.

‘Whatisthis?’

Attheblindingbarrageofcameraflashes,Jinwoowasatalossforwords.

***

Asshealwayswould,Jinahwenttoaconveniencestoretobuyabanana-flavoredmilkafterherthirdclassfortheday.Shestillhadaboutanhourtogountillunchwasover.Ifshedidn’tfillherstomachwithatleastsomemilk,itwouldbehardtofocusontheclasses.

Asifoncue–

Growl.

Herstomachrumbledinhunger.Jinahcamebacktotheclassroomwhilerubbingherbelly,whenoneofherfriendsapproachedherwithroundeyes–

“J-Jinah!”

“W-what?”

Herfriend’sshockcarriedovertoJinah–

“Yourbrother!Yourbrother’sonTV!”

“What?WhyismybrotheronTV?”

Jinah’sheartsanktoherstomach.Washehurtagain?Orwhatif…

Withoutexplaining,herfriendimpatientlytookJinah’swristanddraggedherintotheclassroom.Jinahmovedhergazeovertothegianttelevisionnexttotheblackboard.

“O…oppa?”

Thebanana-flavoredmilkfellfromherhandsontothefloor.

Chapter7:The10thS-RankHunter

TENMINUTESAGO.INFRONTOFTHEHUNTERASSOCIATION.

Sincehisplantopushuptherankingtestwentkaput,LeeMinsungdecidedtosaysomethingwithanimpactinapanic–

“I,LeeMinsung,regardlessofmyrank,willretirefrombeingacelebrityandworkasaHunterforthepeople!”

AtthemoodthatwasdownedaftertheappearanceofGoGunhee,thiswastheactor’slastditchefforttoimprovehisimage.Thankfully,itworked.

“What?”

“LeeMinsungisgoingtoretire?”

“Regardlessofhisrank?”

Themoodwasraisedagaininaninstant.

Flashflashflash!

AmultitudeofcamerasturnedtowardLeeMinsung,andtheexcitedreporterslaunchedabarrageofquestions.

“LeeMinsung-ssi,overhere!”

“AreyousayingyoucouldthrowawaythetitleofAsia’sTopStarandbecomealowrankingHunter?!”

“Areyougoingtothrowawayeverythingyou’veearnedasanactor?!”

‘Yes!’

LeeMinsungwasgreatlysatisfiedbytheattentionfocusedonhimagain.

“Nomatterwhatmyresultsare,evenifIreceivealow-rank,Iwillrespondtoeveryone’sloveandfightwiththemagicbeasts.”

Ofcourse,itwasablatantlie.

Justtwoyears.Hehadplannedto“work”asanA-rankHunterwithahighsalaryforjusttwoyearsandhelpwithGrimReaper’smarketing.Hewasalreadystartingtoreceivenegativeattentionfordodgingthemilitarydraftwiththehelpofhisfather,anditdidn’thelpthatscandaloustruthswereslowlycomingouthereandthereabouthim.Thiswasthebestwaytosuppressthosenegativetruthsandraisehisimageagain.

Walkingawayfromthetoptoprotectthepeoplewithhislife!Itwasanopportunitytoobtainashieldfromnegativerumorsfortherestofhislife.Asifsatisfiedthateverythingwasgoinghisway,LeeMinsunghappilycontinuedtheinterviewwiththereporters–

“AndhereisGrimReaper’sGuildmaster,LimTaegyu.Heisthemanwhowillhelpmeinmyserviceforthecountry.”

ItwaswhenthereporterswereallperkedupandfocusingonLeeMinsung’swords–

Ring~ring~ring~

Acellphonewentoff.

Thereportersglancedateachother.Theownerofthephonequicklyturnedhisphoneoffandloweredhisheadinembarrassment.Thenoisebrieflyhaltedthemoment,butLeeMinsungignoreditandcontinued–

Suddenly–

Beepbeepbeep.

Someoneelse’sphonewentoff.

“Mygod,”

“Whosephoneisit?”

“Shouldn’tyourphonebeoffinaninterview?”

“Whoeveritis,pleaseturnitoff.”

Seeinganopportunitytoshowoffhis“kind”demeanor,LeeMinsungsmiledandspoke–

“I’malright.Whydon’teveryonejusttakeaquickcall?”

Laughter.

Athisquickwit,laughterrangouthereandtherefromthereporters.

Butthiswasonlythebeginning.

Vibratevibrateringringringbeepbeepringring.

Suddenly,phonesstartedringing,vibratingandbeepingeverywhere.

“What?”

“Huh?Metoo?”

Eventhefirstreporterwhoquicklyturnedhisphoneoffrealizedsomethingwaswrong.

Thereporterswhoactuallyansweredtheircallsopenedtheireyeswideinshock–

“AnewsfromtheAssociation?”

“Whyareyoutellingmethisonlynow?!”

Withhaste,thereportersquicklyaccessedtheAssociationwebsitefromtheirphones.Asifpreparedbeforehand,thefrontpagewasdecoratedwithanewposting.

ItwasthenewS-rankHunter’spictureandname.

Thetestingresultswereannouncedtoday.

‘Butdidn’ttheysaythetestingroomwasbookedupinthemorning?’

‘Wasn’titbecauseofLeeMinsung?’

‘ThenthereasonwhythetestingroomwasbookedupwasnotbecauseofLeeMinsungbutthisnewS-rankHunter?’

Andwiththat,afaceofamanflashedacrossthereporters’minds.

Coulditbe?!

ThemanwhojustfollowedAssociationPresidentGoGunheeintothebuilding!

Theonlyothercandidatewhocould’veusedthetestingroomtodaywasthatman.Iftheyhurriednow,theycouldgetaglimpseofhim!

“Er,r-reporter-nims?”

Withfaceslikepredatorseyeingaprey,thereportersignoredLeeMinsungandrantowardstheAssociationbuilding.

Chaaaaarge—

WooJincheolquicklygaveasignal,andtheHSDHuntersheldouttheirarmsandmadeabarricade.

“Letusgoin!”

“Yousaidthere’sanewS-ranker!Shouldn’tyouletusknowthesekindsofthingsaheadoftime?!”

“Pleaseletusin!”

Thereportersfiercelytriedtogetthrough,buttheordinarymencouldnotdoanythingagainstthewallmadebyAwakenedBeings.

“W-whatthehell?!”

Havingbeenleftbehindlikediscardedgood,LeeMinsunglookedathismanagerwithaflusteredexpression.Themanagerquicklyhelduphiscellphone.

“S-rank?”

ThecolorleftLeeMinsung’sface.

“Ofallthedays,anS-rankappearedtoday?!”

HehadbecomeanA-rankHunter.Hewasgoingtograbtheattentionandloveoftheentirenationtoday.TothinkthathisplanswouldbedestroyedbyanappearanceofanewS-ranker.LeeMinsungshookhisheadindisbelief.

‘No,theremustbesomemistake.’

S-rankwasnotsomecasualthingthathappenedeveryday.Perhapsoneofthereporterswouldknow.Withagoodtiming,LeeMinsungnoticedareportergoingupthestairsalittlelaterthaneveryoneelsehad.Itwasthesamereporterwhowasdiscussingtomorrow’sheadlineswithhim.

“Hey,ReporterLim!”

EvenatthepleadingvoiceofLeeMinsung,thereporterhastilyrepliedandranpast–

“Oh,LeeMinsung-ssi,I’lltalktoyoulater.”

“Huh?ReporterLim,ReporterLim!”

Asthemandisappearedoffintothedistance,LeeMinsungwasabletooverhearthereporter’swordsspeakingintothephone–

“...Yes,tomorrow’sheadline,‘ThetearsofE-rank,washedawaybyS-rank.’Yes,putthatupthererightnow.”

Withthestrengthgonefromhiseyes,LeeMinsunglookedaroundhim.

Therewasnooneremaining.

Theactorcollapsedontotheground.

“What…thehell…”

Whilethemanutteredindisbelief,theAssociation’sdoorsopenedandSouthKorea’s10thS-rankHuntershowedhisface.

Flashflashflashflashflashclickflashclickclickflashflashflashflash!

Jinwooopenedhiseyeswide.

‘What…thehell…?’

ThecamerastooknonstoppicturesoftheS-rankHunter.Jinwoo’sfacefilledtheentireimage.AthisbackwasBaekYoonho,wholookedalittleapologetic,andathissidewasChoiJongin,whowassmilingwidely.

***

LUNCHTIME.

Theminingteamwhohadcompletedtheirmorningworkwerecomfortablysittingaroundthearea,eatingtheirlunch.Eventhoughtheywerejustminers,sincethejobhadneverresultedinanyaccidentsorissues,theirmoodswerecarefreeandhappy.TherewereHuntersthatfilledtheirplateswithfood,Huntersspendingfreetimeontheirphones,andHunterswhoevenenjoyedadrinkduringthedaywithsnacks.

“Huh?”

AHunterthatwasonhisphonesuddenlyshotupinsurprise.

“Isn’tthisSung-ssi?”

LeeSunggu’searsperkedup.

“You’reright!”

“Sung-ssi’sonthenews!”

Hishearingwasnotoff–

“Iknewit!”

Hisfaceslightlyredfromdaydrinking,LeeSungguquicklyranovertowherehisteammatesweregathered.Hismouthdidnotstoptalkingontheway–

“IknewitfromthemomentIsawthatfucker’seyes!Letmesee!Whatcrime

thatevil-lookingshitbagcommit!Letmesee!”

WasitbecauseLeeSunggu’svoicewastooloud?

“Sung-ssi?”

“Sung-ssicommittedacrime?”

IncludingTeamLeaderBae,alltheHuntersoftheminingteamgatheredaround.TheHunterwhowasonhisphoneheldouthisscreenforalltosee.Jinwoo’sfacewasonit,andbelowhisface,acaption:

[“...FollowingHwangDongseok,thenChaHaein,SouthKorea’s10thS-rankHunter,SungJinwoo-ssijust…”]

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!!!!!!!”

LeeSunggufainted.

***

YOOJINCONSTRUCTION’SCHAIRMANROOM.

Infrontofthedoor,YooJinhosighedlightly–

“Whew–”

Open.

Acrosstheopendoors,hisfatherdidnotevenlookupfromthedocumentshewaslookingat.

“Comein.”

Evenasheinvitedhissonin,YooMyunghancontinuedtosigndocumentshereandthere.YooJinhowentuptohisfather.Themanquicklylookedathisson’sfacethenwentbacktohisdocuments.

‘Hehasn’tchanged,thisfatherofmine.’

Inthepast,YooJinhowould’vebeensuppressedbyhisfather’spresenceand

wouldprobablyranoffwithoutsayingwhathecametosay.Buttheyoungmanhadchanged.

“There’ssomethingIhavetosay.”

“IsitaboutHunterSungJinwoo?”

“Yes,sir.”

YooMyunghanfinallyraisedhishead–

“So,howdidit–”

Suddenly,YooMyunghan’sphonerang.

Ring~

“Holdon.”

YooMyunghanheldupahandtosilenceYooJinho.Lookingatthemessageonhisphone,thechairman’seyesslightlywidened.

‘Whoa,tothinkthatfathercouldactuallybesurprisedbysomething.’

YooJinhotiltedhishead.

“...Thereissomethingyouneedtosee.”

“Sir?”

Insteadofexplaining,YooMyunghanquicklyworkedhisremotetoturnonthelargetelevisiononthewall.Thenewscameon–

[“Yes,we’vejustreceivedconfirmation.TheS-rankHunterrevealedtodayisaReawakenedBeing.We’veheardfurtherreportsthathehadworkedasanE-rankHunterundertheAssociation.HisnameisSungJinwoo.”]

Theelatedvoiceofthereportergaveclearindicationofwhatthemoodwaslikeinthemedia.YooJinhowaslisteningcalmlyuntilthename“SungJinwoo”wasspoken.Theyoungmannearlyjumpedoutofhisskin–

‘What?!’

Theimageonthescreenchanged.Avery,veryfamiliarfacewaslookingaroundthescenerywithanexpressionlessface.

Itwashyungnim.

‘Iknowthatexpression.Hyungnim’sannoyedrightnow.’

Havingspentalongtimenexttohyungnim,YooJinhowasabletoreadhismoodevenwhenthemanwasexpressionlesslikenow.

Wait,forgetthat,anS-rank?!

Hehadalwaysheldahighopinionofhyungnim,butYooJinhorealizedjusthowmuchgreaterthemanwas.Atthesametime–

‘Hehasthatmuchpower,buthestilltrainsinDungeonseveryday?’

TherespectandaweoverwhelmedYooJinho.AstheTVreportscontinuedtospeakJinwoo’sname,apowerfulsenseofpridefilledtheyoungmanwhohadwatchedJinwoountilnow.

Beep–

Thescreenturnedoffandhyungnim’sfacedisappeared.YooJinholookeddisappointed.

“Continue.”

Hisfatherhadbidhimtosaywhathecametosay.YooJinholoweredhisheadandspokethewordshehadprepared–

“Iapologize,father.Icouldnotconvincehyungnim.”

YooMyunghan’sfacedarkened–

“...So,whatdidHunterSungJinwoosaywhenherefused?”

“Hyungnimsaid…”

Hesitatingalittle,YooJinhoraisedhisheadabitandcontinued–

“...Hesaidhe’llmakehisownGuild.AndifIwanttobetheDeputyGuildmaster,comeonover…”

Flinch.

Hehadexpectedhisfathertobecomeangry.Instead,theman’sfacefrozeforasplitsecond.

Andthen.

Grin.

YooMyunghansilentlylaughed.Themanknownas“Pokerface”showedachangeofexpressioninfrontofhisson.

‘Whyishe…?’

YooJinhodidnotdaretoaskthereason.YooMyunghanstifledhislaughterandasked–

“DoyouknowwhyIwantedtomakeYoojin’sownGuild?”

“Isn’titbecauseHunter-relatedbusinesseshavealotofmoneyinvolved…?”

“Thatisnotit.”

YooMyunghanfirmlyspoke–

“Ifitismoney,wehavemorethanenoughtolastadozengenerations.YouthinkIwouldstartacompetitionwiththelargeGuildstojustearnalittlemoreontopofthat?”

Itwasn’tbecauseofmoney?YooJinhostaredwithroundeyes.

“Then…?”

YooMyunghanplacedthepenthathewasholdingquietlyontopofhisdesk.

“Itisforourprotection.”

Ashisfather’sseriousgaze,YooJinhogulped.

“ThepowersofHuntersarerisingeveryday.Thereareeventhosewhosestrengthmatchesthemightofnations.”

Theappropriatelycalled“Nation-levelHunters”,thestrongestbeingsintheworld.YooMyunghanwasspeakingofsuchexistences.

“Evennow,thereareHuntersthatruleaskingsinthirdworldcountries.Inaworldlikethis,howlongdoyouthinksociety’slawsandauthoritycouldprotectus?”

YooMyunghan’svoicewasheavy.However,listeningtohisfather’sexplanation,YooJinhorealizedhewasstrangelyhappy.Whywasthis?

‘Ah…’

Theyoungmanrealizedhewasincludedinthe“us”thathisfatherspokeof.Itfeltlikethefirsttimeinhislifethathehadreceivedhisfather’slove;theyoungmancouldn’thelpbutfeelasmalljoy.YooMyunghan’sexplanationcontinued–

“IwanttoraiseaGuildandcollecthonorableanddependableHunters.Notformoneyorconnections,buttoplaceHuntersthatwecantrustashumanbeingsaroundus.”

Afaintsmileappearedonthechairman’sfaceagain–

“Itseems…Youhavealreadyfoundsuchaman.”

“Yes.”

YooJinhorepliedwithoutahesitation.Hecouldnotfullyunderstandthetypeofmanhisfatherspokeof,butheknewfromthebottomofhisheartthathishyungnimwassomeonehecouldtrustanddependon.

YooMyunghannodded–

“Verywell.”

“Sir?”

“Youhavepassed.”

Passedwhat?YooJinhoraisedhishead.

“IwillleaveYoojinGuildtoyou.”

“Sir?”

“TakecareofandraiseYoojinGuild.Bringtrustworthy,dependableandstrongHunterstoyourside.Theywillbetreasuresmorevaluablethananymoneyinthefuture.”

YooMyunghanspokewithavoicefilledwithconfidence.Hearingthatconfidenceinhim,hissonwasgreatlyelated.Thismight’vebeenthefirsttimeinhislifethathewasacknowledgedbyhisfather–

“Thankyou,father!”

Withabrightsmile,YooJinhobowedhisbodyatarightangle.YooMyunghanlookedathimwithpride.

However,thewordsYooJinhospokenextsnappedthechairmanoutofhisjoy–

“ButIdon’tthinkIcandothat.”

“Hmm?”

YooMyunghan’sbrowstwitched.WiththebackingofYoojinConstruction’sassets,YoojinGuildhadthepotentialtobecomeoneofthetopGuildsofthenation.ThecompanywasalreadyincontactwithmultipleS-rankHuntersforpotentialenlistment.HissonshouldbeawarejusthowgreattheGuildwouldbeinthefuture.

‘Andisn’tthatwhyhewantedtheGuildmaster’sposition?’

Tothinkthathewouldrefuse,justwhatwashappening?Washefrightenedoftheresponsibility?YooMyunghansuppressedhisdisappointmentandangerandspokewitheffort–

“...Why?”

YooJinhoraisedhishappyfaceandrepliedwithoutanounceofregret–

“I’mgoingtojoinhyungnim’sGuild.”

***

Surroundedbyreporters,Jinwoowasatalossonwhattodo.

‘Whyaretheydoingthisinfrontofme?Aren’ttheyhereforLeeMinsung?’

HethoughtmaybeLeeMinsungwasbehindhim,butturningaround,heonlysawBaekYoonhoandChoiJongin.Inthatmoment,somethingvibratedfromhisside–

Vibratevibrate.

Itwashiscellphoneinhispocket.

‘WhyisJinahcallingme?’

Whenhepickedup,theexcitedvoiceofhislittlesisterrangout–

—“Oppa!Oppa,you’reonTV!”

Wellthatmadesense.Thereweresomanydifferentchannel’scamerashere.Initiallyworriedthatsomethinghadgonewrongwithhissister,Jinwoosighedinrelief–

“Mm…Everything’salrightwithyou,right?”

—“Withme?Whatdoyoumean?!WhatdotheymeanbyReawakening?!Andyou’reanS-rankernow?!”

Hearinghervoice,Jinwoorealizedshemust’vebeenquiteshocked.However,thiswasnotthetimetocalmlyexplaineverything.

“Hey,oppaisabitbusyrightnow…I’lltalktoyoulaterathome.”

—“Oppa?Oppa?!”

Heignoredhershockedvoiceandhungupthecall.Lookingatthephone,he

realizedwhatwashappening.

‘...There’samessage.’

TheHunterAssociationsentliveupdatesthroughaphoneapp.Normally,itwastowarnthepublicofA-rankGatesorDungeonBreaklocations.However,today’smessagewasalittledifferent.

‘Sigh…’

JinwoowenttotheAssociationwebsitetoconfirmthecontentsofthemessage.

Asexpected,theinkonhislicensewasn’tevendryyet,butthelistofhighest-rankingHunterswasalreadyupdated.

[SungJinwoo,S-rank,Mage-class]

ItwasexactlyaswrittenonhisHunter’slicense.

‘...Theysurearequickwhenitcomestothesekindsofthings.’

Puttinghisphonebackinhispocket,Jinwoolookedforwardagain.

“SungJinwoo-ssi!AreyoureallytheE-rankHunterSungJinwoo-ssiundertheAssociation?!”

“You’vejustbecomearareReawakenedBeing!Howareyoufeelingrightnow?!”

ThereportersfoughtamongthemselvestotryandgetabetterlookatJinwoo.Theywould’vebeensatisfiedwithjustahintofhisvoice.ButtoJinwoo,theirexplosiveattentionwasbutanannoyance.

‘Ihavetogetoutofhere.’

Itdidnotfeelliketheywouldmakewayifheaskedpolitely.Jinwoo’sbrowstwitched.ShouldhejustsummontheShadowSoldiersandforcehiswayoutofhere?

“Overhere!SungJinwoo-ssi!Pleaselookthisway!”

“SungJinwoo-ssi!Theentirenationiswatching!Pleasesmile!”

Asthecameralensesdrewcloserandcloser,JinwooseriouslyconsideredbringingoutTankorTuskforabouttwoseconds.

Meanwhile,behindJinwoo,ChoiJonginstaredatthenewS-rankHuntersurroundedbyreporters.BaekYoonhoapproachedhim–

“Lookslikeournewrecruit’salittleuncomfortableattheexcessiveattention.”

“Excuseme,justwhodoyouthinkyou’recallingyour‘newrecruit’?”

“Can’tImakeajoke?I’mjustjoking.”

Thetwomenagainenteredacontestofspirit.ChoiJongindecidedtobackoff.Withadeepsigh,hespoke–

“Anyways,ifwewaittoolong,we’llbegivingtheotherGuildstheopportunity.”

BaekYoonhoagreed.PuttingasideGrimReaper’sGuildmasterLimTaegyuwhowasherebecauseofLeeMinsung,theothertwotopGuildswouldsoontryandcontactHunterSungJinwoo.BaekYoonholookedovertothereporters–

“SowhatGuildmasterChoiissayingis…”

“Beforethefliescouldgethere,whydon’twecombineourmightandhelpHunterSungJinwoo-nimoutofhere?Wecouldevenhaveawordortwoontheway.”

Insteadofinvitingmorerivals,thetwoGuildmasterswouldworktogetherfornow.Nomatterhowpowerfulthemanwas,HunterSungJinwoowouldneedaGuild’shelptoraidhigh-levelDungeons.Ifeverythingwentwell,thenewS-rankerwouldjoinBaekhoorHuntersGuildaftertoday.ChoiJonginwasconfidentthathecouldconvinceJinwoo.

“Alright.”

BaekYoonhowasequallyconfident.BaekhomaynothavebeenasbigasHuntersGuild,buttheycertainlyhadanequallylargevision.

‘OurChiefAhnalreadyhasafriendlyrelationshipwithSungJinwoo-ssifrombefore.’

Attheveryleast,BaekYoonhobelievedthatBaekhohadabetterrelationshipwithJinwoothanHuntersGuild.Regardlessoftheirthoughts,thetwomenwereinagreement.Afterexchangingstrangeglances,thetwoS-rankersapproachedJinwoo.ThefirsttospeakwasBaekYoonho–

“Hunter-nim.”

Jinwooturnedaround–

“Yes?”

ChoiJonginkickedhimselfinhisheadformissingtheopeningshot,butrememberedtheircooperationandkeptstill.Withthebrightestsmilehecouldmuster,BaekYoonhocontinued–

“It’sabitannoyingwithallthesereporters,right?Whydon’tweescortyououtofherebacktoyourhouse?We’reabitfamiliarwiththesekindsofproceedings.”

Itwasabitofanexaggeration,butnotentirelywithouttruth.Thetwomenwerealsoinsimilarsituationsinthepast.Afterall,theywerealsooncefreshlyAwakenedSrankHuntersinthecountry.Ontopofthat,theywerecurrentlyoperatingtwodifferenttopGuildsrespectively;theyunderstoodhowtodealwiththepressinsituationslikethis.

ChoiJonginalsoenteredtheconversation–

“Yes,pleaseallowustohelp.Therearefewthingswewanttodiscussonthewaytoo.”

However,Jinwoopolitelydeclinedtheirofferswithasmile–

“I’malright.”

Hefirmlypressedthehoodonhishoodieoverhishead–

“There’ssomewhereIhavetoberightnow.”

“Hmm?Thereportersareblockingthewayallthewaytotheroad,howwill–”

LEAP!

ChoiJongindidnotgetthechancetofinishhissentence.Whenheturnedhisheadovertothereporters,Jinwoohadalreadylandedbehindthegatheringanddisappearedintothecrowd.TheGuildmasterofHunterswasatalossforwords.EvenasanS-rankerhimself,hecouldnotreacttoJinwoo’smovementsjustnow.Ofcourse,therewasnowaythatanyofthereporters’ordinaryeyessawthatleap.ChoiJonginchuckled–

‘ThemomentyoubecomeanS-rankHunter,you’replayingSuperman?’

TothinkthathehadthatlevelofphysicalabilitiesasaMage-classHunter.AsaMageclassHunterhimself,ChoiJonginwasalittlemiffed.HewonderedhowthatmovementlookedtoanS-rankFighter-classHunter.

“Sojustnow,”

WhenheturnedhisheadtoaskBaekYoonho,ChoiJonginflinchedandtookastepbackreflexively–

“Baek,youreyes!”

ChoiJonginwassoshockedthatheforgottoaddanhonorific.

“Ah…!S-sorry.”

BaekYoonhoquicklycoveredhiseyeswithahandandturnedaround.Whenheturnedaroundagain,thebeast-likeeyeshadreturnedtothatofanordinaryhuman.However,theGuildmasterofBaekhowasstillshocked.

‘Howcouldthisbe…?’

Theman’sentirebodyshuddered.WhenJinwoofocusedthestrengthintohislegsjustnowtojump,forthebriefestofmoments,thenewS-rankerrevealedthemagicpowerthathewashiding.However,nomatterhowskilledonewas,itwasnearimpossibleforsomeonetodetectthatmagicpowerinthatinfinitesimalmoment.ButBaekYoonhohadinstinctivelycalledforthhisspecialability,‘BeastEyes’,andmanagedtoobserveJinwoo’spowers.

‘Strong.’

Healreadyknewthis.

But.

‘It’snotthathe’sjuststrong.’

WhenhehadantagonizedJinwoointhepastduringtheRedGateincident,hehadalsoinstinctivelyactivatedthe‘BeastEyes’withoutrealizing.Duringthattime,BaekYoonhohadascertainedJinwoo’slevelofstrength.Hewasdefinitelystrongbackthen.Evenifitwashim,BaekYoonhoknewthathewouldhavetosacrificeanarmtowin.Butthatwasjustit.Withsufficientsacrifice,theGuildmasterofBaekhoknewthathecoulddefeatJinwoobackthen.

Butnow.

Whatwaswiththisstrength?ItwasamagicpowerincomparabletotheonehehadfeltduringtheRedGateincident.

Hehadbecome…stronger.

Muchstrongerthanbefore.

IfitwasaReawakening,itshould’vebeenoveralongtimeago.Sohow?

Inthatmoment,asingleideafloatedinthechaosofBaekYoonho’smind–

‘Coulditbe…thathe’scapableofgrowth?’

NotaReawakening,butthroughanabilitytogrow…WhenBaekYoonhoreachedthatlineofthought,hewasinterrupted–

“Hey,GuildmasterBaek,areyoualright?Yourfaceis…”

ChoiJonginaskedoutofconcern.BaekYoonhorubbedhisfaceandshookhishead.

“I’mfeelingabitlight-headed.I’malrightnow.”

“You’reayoungman…youshouldtakecareofyourself.”

EvenashecontinuedtotalkwithChoiJongin,BaekYoonhostaredoffintothedistancewhereJinwoodisappearedto.

‘He’salreadystrongerthananaverageS-ranker.Ifhecancontinuegrowing…’

Shudder.

BaekYoonho’sentirebodyshookwithachill.

***

“Taxi.”

Aftergettingawayfromthereporters,Jinwoohailedacabonthesideoftheroad.Ashewanted,hehadobtainedanS-ranklicense.LevelingupandDungeonswereapriority,butrightnow,themostimportantthingwashismother’scure.

‘TheHolyWaterofLife…’

Thatitemreallymightbeabletocurehismother.

‘Eveniftherewasaoneinathousandchance,no,achanceintenthousand…’

HishighestprioritywastofinishclearingtheDemonCastleandobtaintheingredientstocrafttheHolyWaterofLife.Jinwoospokethedestinationfromthebackseat–

“KoreanHunterAuction,please.”

Glancingathimthroughthebackmirror,thedriversmiled–

“Lookslikeyou’regoingtosellsomethingcrazy.IheardthattheitemsexchangedintheHunterAuctioncostatleastseveraldozenmillions.”

Insteadofreplying,Jinwoojustsmiled.

Gulp.

Thedrivergulped.IfthismanwasonthewaytotheHunterAuctiontosellsomething,thatmeantthathewasaHunter.Ordinarypeoplehadtobecareful

aroundHunters.AmongtheHunters,therewerepeoplewithpersonalitiesasterribleastheirpowers.Anunintendedslightcouldresultinabigincident.

‘Thatyoungmandoesn’tlooklikethetype,butIshouldbecareful.’

ReadingJinwoo’smood,thedrivershutup,andthetaxibecamequiet.Ontheway,JinwoopulleduptheHunterAuctionwebsiteonhisphone.Whilenavigatingtheinternet,Jinwoorealizedthateverysinglewebsite,whetheritwassocialmedia,newsorcontentaggregationsite,wasdisplayingthenewsofthenewS-rankHunter.Justthismorning,thenumberonesearchkeywordwas“LeeMinsung”.Now,theactor’snamedidn’tevenshowuponthetoptentrendingsearches.

Tsk.

Jinwooclickedhistongue.

‘Ididn’tthinkit’dbethisbad.’

Hehadexpectedsomelevelofattentionbutdidnotrealizeitwouldbethisgreat.

Well,itmadesense.

OnlytenpeopleinSouthKorea.Ifyoudiscountedthedeadandtheexpat,therewereonlyeightS-rankersinthecountrynow.Thepeople’sattentionmadesense.

‘ButwhywasitsoquietduringChaHaein’stime?’

WhenKorea’sninthS-rankerChaHaeinappearedtwoyearsago,hernewsdidnotmaketheroundsinthemedia.Jinwoohadhopethathewould’vebeenthesame.Afterlookingintoabit,herealizedthatitwasbecauseChaHainhadaskedtheAssociationtoputamoratoriumonherinformationafterbecominganS-ranker.

‘Oh?IfyoujustasktheAssociation,bothGuildsandthepresscan’ttalkaboutyoulegally.’

Therewassuchaconvenientmethod,whydidn’ttheassociationpresidentlethimknow?

Ah.

Jinwoorecalledthequestionhewasaskedonthewaytothetestingarea.Theassociationpresidenthadaskedhim–

“DoyouperhapshaveaGuildinmindtojoin?”

“Notyet.”

Wasthiswhytheelderhadasked?PerhapstheassociationpresidentdidnotwanttopreventtheGuildsfromapproachinghimanddidnotbringuptheideaofaninformationblock.

‘Well,that’sthat.’

JinwoosentaquickrequestforaninformationblockthroughtheAssociation’swebsite,thenmadeacalltotheKoreanHunterAuction.

Click.

—“Hello,thisistheKoreanHunterAuction.”

“There’sanartifactIwouldliketoappraise.I’monthewaytotheHunterAuction,isthatalright?”

—“Ofcourse.Whatkindofanartifactisit?”

“It’samarblethatamplifiesyourspellpower.”

—“Oh?Aspellamplificationtool…Ifyouknowitseffects,haveyoualreadyreceivedanappraisalfromsomewhereelse?”

“Yes,butIwantedtoobtainasecondopinionfromtheHunterAuction.”

—“Haha.You’vemadeagoodchoice.Wearenumberonewhenitcomestoappraisingthevalueofanartifact.”

Theemployeebrieflybecamesilentasifwritingsomethingdownthenspokeagain–

—“Fromyourpastappraisal,howbigwastheamplificationeffect?”

“Onehundredpercent.”

—“Excuseme?”

“Theamplificationeffectisbyahundredpercent.”

—“...”

Thevoicespokeafteramomentofhesitation–

—“I’msorry,butareyou,theseller,aHunter?”

“Yes.”

—“Forasmoothappraisalprocess,we’llneedtheseller’sidentification.CouldIhaveyournameandrank?”

ThecornersofJinwoo’smouthrose.

‘Iknewitwouldbelikethis.’

IfanE-rankHuntertriedtosellthisinsaneandunheardofartifact,theHunterAuctionwould’vejusthungupthenandthere.Inaway,itwasforthismomentthatJinwoowentandgotaretest.TheS-rankHunterspokecalmly–

“S-rank.MynameisSungJinwoo.”[1]

----------

[1]Ohman,IgotchillswhenIrealizedIwouldnolongerhavetosubstitute“E-rankHunter”forJinwoo,T.T

Chapter8:HunterAuction

JinwooarrivedattheHunterAuction.

Unlikeacompanybuildingwithmultiplefloors,theauctionhousewaslowbutwide.Itwasreminiscentofamuseumoranartgallery.Itsparkinglotswerewideenoughtoaccommodatethousandsofbidders.Beinginthemiddleofthatgiantlot,JinwoowasabletodiscernjusthowmuchtheHunterAuctionearnedthroughitsbusinessbylookingattheincrediblylargebuilding.

WhenJinwoogotofffromthetaxiandheadedtowardsthebuilding,awell-dressedmancameuptogreethim–

“HunterSungJinwoo-nim?”

“Yes.”

AfterconfirmingJinwoo’sface,themanlookedsurprised.Hewentontointroducehimselfwithaclearvoice–

“Hi,Iwastheoneonthephone.I’mfromtheHunterAuction’sAppraisalTeam,mynameisKimJunggi.Please,followme.”

Jinwoonoddedandfollowed.AsheescortedtheHunter,allsortsofthoughtsappearedinKimJunggi’shead.

‘TothinkthattheS-rankrookiethatjustdisappearedinfrontofthereportersisnowbehindme.’

Whenhefirstpickedupthephone,hethoughtitwasaprankcall.First,theartifactinquestionwasanimpossibleexistence,andthenthecallersaidhewasthenewlyrevealedS-rankHunter.

‘IalmostsworeatanS-rankHunter…’

OnceheconfirmedHunterSungJinwoo’sidentitywiththeHunterAssociation,acoldchillrandownKimJunggi’sback.Itwasagoodthingthathedidnotyell

atJinwoooutofreflex.

[“...thetest,HunterSungJinwoojumpedoverfiveranksthroughtheReawakening,becominganS-rankerfromanE-ranker.We’vereceivedreportsthattheHunterisaMage-classand…”]

Evennow,thetelevisionscreenslocatedthroughoutthebuildingweredisplayingJinwoo’sface.Asifbotheredbyit,Jinwooputhishoodoverhisheadagain.Meanwhile,KimJunggisuddenlyfeltastrangeflutteratthenewsreportingonJinwoo.

‘ShouldIaskhimforaselfie?’

Theemployeeshookhishead.Ifhewasn’tcurrentlyatwork,hewould’veaskedforasignatureorapicture.However,hecouldnotactsoimpolitelyataguestwhohadcomehereforanimportanttransaction.KimJunggihadtobepatient.

‘Wasthedistancefromtheentrancetoherethatshort?’

Asthemancycledthoughtafterthought,thepairhadalreadyarrivedattheappraisaloffice.Withadisappointedface,KimJunggispoke–

“Thisway,sir.”

Inthelargeroom,theteamleaderofAppraisalTeamandthechiefappraiserwerewaiting.NoticingJinwoo,theteamleader’seyeswidened;themanhadranhereduringlunch,leavingbehindhismeal.

‘It’sreallythemanfromthenews.’

Meanwhile,thechiefappraisergulped–

‘Thenthatamplifiermustalsobereal…?’

No,notyet.Justbecausethemanwastherealthing,didn’tmeanthathisitemwas.Thechiefappraisercalmedhimselfwiththatthought.Theworld’smostskilledartifactcrafterusingthehighestmaterialspossiblecouldmakeanamplifierwitheffectsalittleover50percent.Eventhen,gatheringthematerialswereanincredibleordeal.Ontopofthat,theamountofmanpowerandeffortrequiredtocraftsuchanitemweresogreatthattheitemonlyappearedevery

fewyears.

TheMage-classHunterswhowantedsuchanitemlinedupacrosstheentireworld,buttherewasnosuchitemforsalerightnow.Forgettheentireworld,eveninthenation,theMage-classHuntercalledtheStrongestSoldier,ChoiJongin,hadanopenorderforanamplifierwitha50percentboost.

AndnowthisfreshS-ranker,whohadonlybeenrevealedminutesago,saidhehadanamplifierwitha100percentboost?

‘Thereisnoway…’

IfJinwoowasn’tthehighest-rankingHunter,theauctionwould’vechasedhimawayfromthebuilding.

Still.

OnecouldnotcarelesslyignoreanS-rankHunter.Evenifwhateverthiswastodayendedupbeingnothing,themanwasavaluablecustomerforthetimetocome.

‘Whatdowehavetolose?’

Withalittlebitofanticipationandmuchmoredoubt,thechiefappraiseraskedJinwoo–

“Thatartifact…Couldyoushowittous?”

KimJunggiandtheappraisalteamleaderalsolookedatJinwooinanticipation.

“Sure.”

JinwooputhishandinhispocketandcalledtheMarbleofAvaricefromhisinventory.

“Sothisis…”

Thechiefappraiserfixedhisglasses.Itwasamarblewithamarvelouscolorofblood.Evenataglance,itwouldmakeonegaspinawe.Infact,thetwoothersfromtheappraisalteamdidasmuch–

“Whoa–”

However,thechiefappraisercontinuedtofidgetwithhisglasseswhilelookingattheitem.

“Thisisnotanartifactcraftedfrommagiccoresormagicores,correct?”

“Yes.”

Thechiefappraisernodded–

‘AsIthought.’

Ithadbeensevenyearssincehestartedworkingasanappraiser.Manyartifactshadpassedthroughhishandsduringthattime,buthehadneverseenaredcrystallikethis.Theaveragecrystalwasbrightandblue,andasthequalityrose,thecrystalwouldbecomeclosetoblack.Butred?

Thechiefappraisertiltedhisheadsidetoside,thentookthecrystalfromJinwoo.

Andthen.

‘W-what?!’

Achillrandownhisback.Itwasbecauseofanunfathomablepowercomingfromthecrystal.

‘Coulditbe…?’

Inshock,helookeddownatthemarble.ThechiefappraiserwasaB-rankMage-classAwakenedBeing.Hecouldimmediatelytelljustwhatkindofanitemhewasholding.Coldsweatpouredoutfromhisentirebody.

‘Mygod!’

Shudderingagainatthepowerfromthemagictool,thechiefappraiserlookedup.Jinwoowasstaringathimcalmly.

‘Ifthepersonwhobroughtthiswasalow-rankingHunter…’

Thiswasthefirsttimethechiefappraiserfeltlikethis.Inhiscareer,hehadcomeacrossmanypowerfulandhigh-classartifacts,butthiswasthefirsttimethethoughtofstealinganartifactflashedacrosshishead.However,theopponentwasanSranker.

‘...?’

Jinwoostaredwithoutaword.Athisgaze,thechiefappraiserwasbarelyabletosuppresshisgreed.

‘StealingfromanS-ranker?’

Hecouldn’tevenimaginewhatwouldhappentohimifhetried.Asthechiefappraiserhaddonewhenhefirstlookedattheartifact,Jinwooalsotiltedhisheadwhilelookingatthechiefappraiser.

‘What’swrongwithhim?’

Wasthemansickorsomething?Anyways,thechiefappraiserwipedawayhissweatandspoketotheteamleader–

“Teamleader,pleaseturnonthecamera.”

“Oh!Okay,okay.”

Thefactthatthechiefappraiserhadaskedtoturnonthecamerameantthattheitemwastherealthing.Theteamleader’sheartbegantorace.EvenKimJunggi,whofirstreceivedJinwoo’scall,realizedandbecameexcited.

“Beginningthefilmingnow.”

Theteamleaderturnedthecameralenstothechiefappraiser.Thechiefappraiserstoodinfrontofaroundmagicpowermeasuringdevice.First,heputdownthemarble.

Beep–

Thedevicepulledupanumber.Then,thechiefappraiserpickedupthemarbleandremeasuredhimself.

Beep–

Themagicpowerfromthechiefappraiserhadexactlydoubled.Afterconfirmingthemeasurementresults,KimJunggiturnedpale.

“Mygod…”

Theteamleaderalsoranupandconfirmedtheresults.

‘Ahundredpercent?It’sreallyanamplifierwithahundredpercentboost?!’

Hisheartfeltlikeitwasabouttoexplode.TheaveragecommissionfeetheHunterAuctiontookfromartifactsaleswasfivepercent.Foranitemthatwassoldforahundredbillion,theycouldreceiveawhoppingfivebillion.ButevenasanexperiencedveteranofHunterAuction,theteamleadercouldnotsurmisejusthowmuchthisredmagictoolwouldgofor.

‘Thisisamazing!Amazing!’

Ifthesellerhimselfwasn’there,theteamleaderfeltlikehecouldraisehisarmstotheskyandhughissubordinatenexttohim.Iftheysucceededinsellingthis,justhowmuchcouldtheyreceiveascommission?Inhisexcitement,theteamleaderstruggledtobreathe.KimJunggireactedthesameashissuperior;themanclenchedhisfistswithanelatedface.

‘Alright!’

Now,theyjusthadtocarefullymovethetransactionforward.

“I’m…I’mgoingtotestoutitseffects.”

Atthechiefappraiser’sshakingvoice,thetwootheremployeessnappedoutoftheirjoyandtookadistance.Jinwooalsobackedaway.Thecamerawasstillrolling.Inordertoenticebuyers,ademonstrationwasfarbetterthanasimplechangeinnumbers.Thechiefappraiserlookedtowardsthecamera–

“Iwillbeginnow.”

Theappraiserheldouthisrighthand.Asmall,containedsnowfallappearedinanareathesizeofatrucktire.Theappraisercontinued–

“Whilemaintainingmymagic,Iwillnowtouchthemagictool.”

WhenhislefthandtouchedtheMarbleofAvarice–

Wooooosh—!

Thesnowfallbecameablizzardthatenvelopedtheentireroom.

“Whoa!”

Ifthesurprisedappraiserdidnotstophismagic,theentireroomwould’vebeenfrozenover.

“Youcanturnoffthecameranow.”

“Okay.”

Theteamleaderquicklyranoverandturnedthecameraoff.

‘Phew-’

Jinwoosighedinreliefafterseeingthemagicpowerexplodefromthechiefappraiser.Notonlyhim,allthemenintheroomhadtocalmtheirracingheartsandsigheddeeply.Soon,acalmfellupontheroom.Jinwooasked–

“Sohowmuchdoyouthinkit’llgofor?”

Wouldhebeabletoobtaintheartifactsheneededifhesoldthis?Well,hewasalsocuriousonjusthowmuchanamplifierwitha100percentboostwouldsellfor.ThechiefappraiserstaredattheMarbleofAvariceindisbelief.

“How…Howcouldweputapriceonsomethinglikethis…”

HemovedhisgazeovertoJinwoo.

Gulp.

Justwherehadthismanobtainedanartifactlikethis?Itwasnotaquestionanappraisershouldask,buthecouldnothelpit–

“Wheredidyougetthis?”

JinwooturnedhisgazefromtheappraisertoKimJunggi–

“Isthatinformationrequiredforthesale?”

KimJunggiavoidedhisgazewhilerubbingthebackofhishead.Thechiefappraisershookhishead–

“No,it’snotthatsir.It’sjustthat…Iwassosurprised.Butifitgotoutthatsomethinglikethisexisted,everyonewouldwanttofindoutwhereitcamefrom.”

Asthemansaid,alltheHunterAuction’semployeeslookedliketheywereabouttodiefromcuriosity.

‘Well,woulditmatter?’

Sincetheyasked,Jinwoocouldn’tthinkofareasontohideit.It’snotlikeheobtaineditinanillicitmanner.Anditalsowasn’tliketheycouldgoandgetanotheroneiftheyknew.Jinwooopenedhismouth.ThethreeemployeesheldtheirbreathandfocusedontheS-rankHunter.Jinwoosmiledwhilereplying–

“IpickeditupinaDungeon.”

***

BaekYoonhoenteredhispersonaloffice.

“Iwanttobealone,makesurenobodydisturbsme.”

Feelingliketheordertothesecretarywasn’tenough,themanevenlockedthedoorandwenttohiscomputer.UsingeveryamountofresourcesattheS-rankerandGuildmaster’sdisposal,BaekYoonhogatheredeveryinformationhecouldfindonwhathewaslookingfor.

‘Isitsomethingthat’spossible?’

BaekYoonhocouldnotstopthinkingaboutJinwoo.

AHuntercapableofgrowth?

Ifnotthat,howelsedoyouexplainthedifferenceinthemanafterjustafew

days?BaekYoonho’sfingersmovedquicklyacrossthekeyboard.HeevenaccessedtheHunterwebsiteaccessibleonlybythetopHuntersacrosstheentireworld.

Buthefoundnothing.

‘There’snothing…’

TherewasnoHunterthatcouldraisehisabilitiesonhisown.AwakeningorReawakening,youcouldonlyobtainapowerthroughluck.DoesthatmeanthatunlikeaHunter,thatmanwaschosenbythegods?Countlesstabsopenedandclosed,andthemanreadthroughnovels’worthofwordswithoutstopping.

Hewasatitforthreehours.

Mentallyexhausted,BaekYoonholeanedbackonhischair.

‘WasIoverthinkingit?’

Perhapsthatwasit.HewonderedifhewasjustsurprisedattheamountofpowerHunterSungJinwoowielded.

“Haha…”

Justwhatwashedoingatatimewhenheshouldbebusy?Heshould’vefocusedontakingevenjustasinglestepclosertorecruitingHunterSungJinwoo.Forallheknew,thatdastardlyGuildmasterChoimightbeofferingacontracttotheyoungHunterrightnow.BaekYoonhochuckledandclosedthetabsonebyone.

Whenhegottothelasttab–

‘Wait…’

Insteadofclosingthetab,BaekYoonhojokinglygoogled“Hunterabilityincrease”.Ofcourse,therewerenorealresults.It’snotlikehehadexpectedanything.Hehadsimplyrepeatedasearchmethodthatwassecondnaturetohimafterthreehours.

‘Hmm…Iskippedlunchtoday.’

BaekYoonhowasabouttoclosethelasttabinhungerwhenhenoticedsomething.Hiseyesshotopen.

‘...?’

Itwasthefifthresultinhissearch.Ifitwasn’tapostingonaHunter-onlyforum,theGuildmasterwould’vegivenitnothought.BaekYoonhoclickedthelink.

“Somethingstrangehashappened”

I’msuddenlyabletoseefloatingscreensintheairlikeavideogame,andI’mabletousestatpointstoincreasemyability.Hasanyoneexperiencedsomethingsimilar?

Itwaswrittenbyananonymousposter.Butwhatwasthis?Ashereadthepost,hisheartbegantopoundandhisbreathingshortened.

‘Ifsomeonesawmerightnow,they’dcallmecrazy.’

Still,therewasnoharmingincheckingitout.BaekYoonhopickeduphisphone.

—“Yes,Guildmaster.”

TheSecondManagementDivisionChiefAhnSangminpickedup.

“ChiefAhn,there’ssomethingIneedtoyoufindout.”

HeaskedthemantoseeifanythinghadhappenedtoHunterSungJinwooonthedaythispostwasmade.

—“Alright,I’lllookintoit.”

Withadeterminedreply,thechiefhungup.ChiefAhnwasadependableemployee,ifBaekYoonhowaited,themanwouldsurelyfindoutusinganymeanspossible.However,theGuildmasterdidnotexpecttheresponsetocomethisfast.

‘Already?’

BaekYoonhoquicklypickeduptheringingphone.

—“Iactuallyhadthefileontopofmydesk,soitdidn’ttakelong.”

“Isthatso?”

BaekYoonhowaspleased.Nowthathethoughtaboutit,hedidrememberhearingthatChiefAhnhadorderedtheSecondManagementDivisiontocollecteverybitofinformationonSungJinwoo.Thankstothat,theresponseforhisrequestwasquick.

—“Okay,soonthatday,HunterSungJinwoo-nimwas…Oooh,thismust’vebeenthattime.DoyouremembertheDoubleDungeonincidentfewmonthsago?”

“Ofcourse.”

—“HunterSungJinwoo-nimwasoneofthesurvivorsfromthatincident.Itlookslikehewasinthehospitalunconsciousduringthatperiod.”

“Ah…isthatso…”

BaekYoonhowasdisappointed.Anunconsciousmancouldnothaveputupapostingontheinternet.

‘Increasingone’sabilities…Itwasimpossibleafterall.’

Itwasalaughableidea.Atthereport,hisexhaustioncamecrashingdownonhim.BaekYoonhofeltlikeheshouldgohomeandtaketherestofthedayoff.Suddenly–

—“Oh?Holdon,hewasoutforawhile…”

AhnSangmin’svoiceacrossthephonebecameamused–

—“Butthatwasthedayhewokeup.”

***

Withthosewords,BaekYoonhosatstraightup.

‘Ofallthedays,thatwasthedayhewokeup?’

—“Ah,tobemoreaccurate,heopenedhiseyesthedayprior.”

AhnSangmincorrectedhimself,butBaekYoonhodidnotthinkthatadifferenceofonedaychangedanything.ThemostimportantthingrightnowwasthattherewasapossibilitythemanwholeftthispostingwasHunterSungJinwoo.

“...Iunderstand.Thatshouldbeenough.Thankyouforyourwork.”

Hangingup,BaekYoonholookedthroughthefoldersonhiscomputerandopenedupafile.ItwastheSecondManagementDivision’sreportonSungJinwoo.

Click,click.

BaekYoonhofocusedonJinwoo’sactivityhistoryaboveallelse.Beforeacertainpoint,nothingstoodoutabouttheman.Poorincome,largeamountofinjuries,itwasanordinarycareerofanE-rankHunter.

Butthen.

‘TheDoubleDungeonincident…’

BaekYoonhowasthereonthatday.TheAssociationhadmobilizedtheclosestlargeGuildinthearea,andBaekYoonhoarrivedwiththeprimaryraidingpartytothescene.

Siren,siren!

Herecalledseeinganunconsciousmanbeingcartedawayonanambulance.

‘Ididn’tknowthatmanwasSungJinwooatthetime…’

Justwhathappenedinthere?

Regardlessofwhat,SungJinwoowascompletelychangedafterthatday.ThemanwhohadquietlyworkedundertheAssociationsuddenlyenteredaprivateraidingpartyandwasclearingseveralC-rankGatesperday.SomethingdefinitelyhappenedinthatDoubleDungeon.BaekYoonhowascertain.

‘ThisisnotanordinaryReawakening.’

ChiefAhnhadhypothesizedthatYoojinConstructionwastestingHunterSungJinwoo’sReawakening.

‘No.’

Thatwasnotenoughtoexplaintheexplosivegrowthintheman’sstrengthafterReawakening.Thismeantthat…

‘...WhatifhetrulyisaHunterthatcouldbecomestronger?’

Notonlythat,agrowthspeedthatallowedhimtogofromanE-ranktoanS-rankinmatterofmonths?

“...”

BaekYoonhoshuddered.Ofcourse,itwasnotdefinitelycertainthatthemanwholeftthatpostingontheforumwasHunterSungJinwoo.Butifitreallywas,justimagininghowmuchstrongerthemancouldbecomemadeBaekYoonhofeeldizzy.Andatthesametime–

‘Iwastoofoolish.’

HefinallyunderstoodwhyHunterSungJinwoohadnointerestintheGuilds.

‘WhenIlookatitfromhispointofview…’

Ifhehadthepowertobecomestrongerwithoutalimit,wouldhejoinsomeoneelse’sGuild?BaekYoonhoshookhishead.

‘I’drathermakemyownGuild.’

Whatwouldthenation’sfirstorsecondGuildmeantosuchaman?Whereverheendedupwouldinstantlybecomethefirstnomatterwhat.

‘LookslikeGuildmasterChoiandIwerebothgravelymistakenaboutthis.’

ImaginingGuildmasterChoirunningaroundlookingforHunterSungJinwoorightnow,BaekYoonholaughed.

However.

‘Ifmytheoryiscorrect,thisisnotsomethingtolaughabout.’

Soon,HunterSungJinwoowouldbecomeamanstandingatthetopabovethenation’sHunters.No,forgetthenation,themanwouldreceivetheattentionoftheentireworld.BaekYoonhohadtochangehisplansabouttheyoungHunter.Beforeanythingelse–

‘Ihavetomeethimandconfirm.’

BaekYoonhonodded.Nomatterhowhethoughtaboutit,ameetingwithJinwoowasthenumberonestep.

Unfortunately–

‘...HowdoIaskforhistime?’

BaekYoonhoburiedhisheadintohishands.

“...”

JinwoohadnotrepliedtoasinglemessageorcallBaekYoonhohadsent.Thinkingaboutcontactinghimagain,theGuildmasterofBaekhoalreadyfeltaheadachecomingon.[1]

***

Thechiefappraiserrepliedwithshock–

“YoupickeditupinaDungeon?”

Jinwoonodded.Itwastechnicallytrue.Hehad“pickeditup”afterdefeatingVolkhanofAvariceintheDemonCastle“Dungeon”.Nopartofitwasalie.

‘YoucanpicksomethinguplikethisinaDungeon?’

‘It’simpossibletocraftsomethinglikethiswithhumanity’scurrentlevelofskill.’

Theappraiserandbothoftheappraisalteam’semployeeslookedliketheycouldn’tbelieveit,butsincetheownerhadsaidso,theyhadtoacceptitasthetruth.Tobehonest,itdidnotmatterwherethisredmagictoolhadcomefrom.

‘WhatmattersiswhatHunter-nimwantstodonow.’

Theteamleadersteppedforward–

“Itlookslikeit’stherealdeal.”

HisgazefelltothemarbleinJinwoo’shand.

“Wouldyouliketoleavetheauctiontous?Weguaranteetosellitatthebestprice.”

Whattodo?BeforehecoulddecideonwhattodowiththeMarbleofAvarice,Jinwooaskedaquestionregardingtheotherreasonhewashere–

“CanIbyanychancepurchaseartifactswithflame-resistancemagichere?”

TheteamleaderandKimJunggilookedateachother.Withanawkwardexpression,theyturnedbacktoJinwoo.TheS-rankerwasconfused–

“DidIasksomethingstrange?”

“No,sir.”

“Thenisittoohardtoobtainadefensivegearwithflame-resistance?”

“Thetruthis…”

Theteamleadersmiledwhilereplying–

“It’stheexactopposite.It’swaytooeasytoobtainsuchagear.”

“Ididn’tseeonthewebsite?”

“Gearswithelemental-enchantmentsaretoohighpricedthatwedon’tputitupontheinternet.Still,ifyouwanted,youcanobtainsomethinglikethatinaninstant.Afterall,themostcommontypeofoffensivemagicisfire-based.”

Thatmadesense.ThemanyMage-classHuntersJinwoohadseeninthepastallwieldedflamesorlight.EventheS-rankHunterChoiJonginwassaidtospecializeinfiremagic.Ontopofthat,Jinwoo’sownShadowMagesusedfiremagic,andTuskevenbreathedfireonhisown.That’showcommonfiremagic

was.

‘Well,it’sagoodthingifIcanobtainthemeasily.’

Thefactthattheywerehighpricedbotheredhim,buttherewasnocosthecouldn’tbeartocurehismother.Ifhecouldobtainitquickly,Jinwoowaspreparedtopayanyprice.EvenifitmeantsellingtheMarbleofAvarice.

“Couldyoulookintoitforme?”

“Ofcourse,I’lldothatrightnow.”

Theteamleaderwasabouttoleave,thenturnedtoKimJunggi–

“Junggi-ssi,Idon’twanttheHunter-nimtojustwaitarounddoingnothing.Whydon’tyoushowhimsomeofouritems?”

“Ah,I’lldothat.”

KimJunggisteppedforward–

“Please,followme.”

Thetwomenwenttotheexhibitionarea.ItwasanareareservedforVIPs,meanttodisplaythetop-classitemsthatwouldbeputupforauctionorwaitingforabuyer.Weapons,armors,Runestonesandsuchweredisplayedinglassboxes.Jinwoostoppedbeforeabox.Insideofitwasalongsword.KimJunggicameuptohim–

“Isthereanythingthatcatchesyoureyes?”

“No,nothinglikethat.”

Jinwooknockedthetopoftheglassbox–

—Crack.

“Areyousureit’sagoodideatokeeptheseartifactsinthisfraillookingglass?Itdoesn’tlooklikethereareotherprotectivemeasures.”

KimJunggiputonaproudexpression–

“Itmaylookthatway,buttheseboxesaremadeofmagic-reinforcedglass,producedbytopcrafters.EvenifanA-rankFighter-classHunterpuncheditwithalltheirmight,itwouldn’tmakeacrack.”

“IfanA-rankpunchedit…?”

WhenJinwoodidn’tlookconvinced,KimJunggismiledwidelyandspoke–

“Ifyoudon’tbelieveme,whydon’tyougiveitahit?Ifitbreaks,Hunter-nimcankeeptheiteminside.”

“Hmm…”

Couldthisreinforcedglassbethatstrong?

‘Idosensemagicpowerinit.’

Outofcuriosity,Jinwoogatheredstrengthinhisrightarm.Withit,hisshouldersandarmbulgedandthesurroundingairbecamethickwithpower.

“H-holdon!”

KimJunggiquicklystoppedhim–

“Iwasjustjoking.Ididn’tmeanforyoutoactuallyhitit.”

“Oh,okay.”

“Ifitreallybreaks,theelitesofHuntersGuildwillcomerunning.Ourauctionhasadefensecontractwiththem,yousee.”

“Ah.”

Itdidn’tseemlikethemainwasjokingearlier.Whatever.Jinwooreleasedhisstrength.WhentheoppressivepressuredisappearedfromtheS-ranker,KimJunggisighedinrelief.

‘Wait,wasn’tthismanaMage-classHunter?’

WhatkindofaMage-classHuntergaveoffthatlevelofphysicalpresence…?Inreality,KimJunggimeantwhathesaidtoJinwoo.Themanthoughtthatthe

physicalstrengthofaMage-classHunter,evenifthatmanwasanS-ranker,wouldn’tbethatgreat.ButwhentheHunterflexedhismuscles,everyhaironhisbodystoodupandscreamedathiminstinctivelytostopwhatevertheS-rankerwasgoingtodo.Thankfully,Jinwoobackedoffcasually.

‘Well,Hunter-nim’shandscould’vegottenhurt.’

KimJunggicalmedhimselfwiththatlineofthoughtandguidedJinwoothroughtheotherartifacts.Havingmadearoundaroundtheroom,Jinwooasked–

“IsthereaweaponIcanhold?Somethinglikeadagger?”

Hewasnotparticularlylookingtobuyaweaponhere,butlookingaroundtheartifactsondisplay,Jinwoowascuriousonwhatthetop-classweaponswerelike.KimJunggi’sfacebrightened.Therewasareasonwhyalltheseitemswereondisplay;itwasformomentslikethis.Huntersweresellersbutalsovaluablebuyers.

“Ofcourse,sir.”

KimJunggispokeintoamicrophoneatthecuffofhisshirtandcalledtheemployeeinchargeoftheweapons.Theweaponspecialistranoverinaflash.

“Thisishim?”

Whenthespecialistaskedwithhiseyes,KimJungginodded.

“Ah,pleasedtomeetyou.I’mtheoneinchargeoftheweapons.Please,followme.”

TheweaponspecialisttookJinwooandlefttheVIPexhibitionroom.Afterthetwomenleft,KimJunggisigheddeeplyagain.

‘HunterSungJinwoo-nimsurehasaknackforsurprisingpeople.’

Aftercalminghimself,KimJunggilookedaroundtheroomwithoutmuchthought.HecameinfrontofthedisplaycasewiththelongswordJinwoowaslookingat.Worriedthatmaybetherewasadirtymarkonthecase,theemployeelookedoverthecasewhenhenoticedsomething.

“Hmm?”

Itwasthetopoftheglasscase.

“What?”

Ontheglasspane,therewasabarelyvisiblecrack.

“Whendidthishappen?”

Hetookoutasmalltowelandtriedtowipeitawaybutcouldn’t.Heconfirmedthatitwasreallyacrackandnotadirtymark.

“Dammit.”

KimJunggiscrunchedhisface.IfavaluablecustomerlikeHunterSungJinwoonoticedthis,howdisappointedwouldhehavebeen?Thankfully,itdidnotseemliketheS-rankerhadnoticed.

Whileclickinghistongue,KimJungginotifiedthemaintenanceteamandlefttheroom.

***

Jinwooheldupthedaggertheweaponspecialistshowedhim.Tobehonest,itwas…disappointing.

‘It’sworsethantheB-rankKnightKiller.’

TheattackpowerdisplayedbytheSystemwasn’tevenhalfofKnightKiller.Jinwooreturnedthedaggerwithdisappointmentandasked–

“Howmuchisit?”

“Thirtymillionwon.”

Jinwoo’seyesopenedwide.Howmuchdidthispieceofcrapcost?

“Excuseme,howmuch?”

“Thirtymillionwon,Hunter-nim.”

“Holdon.”

Jinwooturnedaroundandpretendedtogothroughhispockets.HesummonedKnightKillerandturnedaround.

“Howmuchwouldthisgofor?”

Thistime,theemployee’seyesopenedwide.

“IsthisHunter-nim’sitem?Whoa,Ifeelanelitecrafter’sskillsalloverit!”

Er…No…It’sjustashopitem…

Afteramomentofreview,theemployeespokewhilesmiling–

“I’mnotanofficialappraiser,soit’shardformetosay,butitlookslikeitcouldgoforatleastahundredmillionwon.”

Jinwoo’sfacefroze.

‘Iboughtthisforthreemilliongoldintheshop.’[2]

Tobemoreaccurate,2.8milliongold.Readinghisexpression,theemployeescratchedthebackofhisheadinembarrassment–

“WasIwrong?Iapologize,I’maweaponspecialist,soImayhavespokenoutofmyplace.”

“No,it’snothinglikethat.”

Hewasjustshockedatthepriceofhisitem.Well,ifhethoughtaboutit,evenKimSangshik’sSteelSwordheusedwassaidtocostthreemillionwon.AndYooJinho’sexpensivegearthatdidn’tseemuchusecosthundredsofmillionsofwon.ThefactthattheSystem’spowerfulitemswentforahighpriceintherealworldwasn’tthatcrazy.

‘Ijustdidn’tpaymuchattentiontoit.’

Helostinterestinmoneyalongtimeago.

‘Wait…’

Hisinventorywasfilledtothebrimwithgold.WhatifhecouldexchangethatgoldforrealmoneybysellingtheSystem’sshopitems?Jinwoo’sheadranwithquickcalculations...

‘...Idon’thavetoselltheMarbleofAvarice.’

Whenhismindreachedthatthought.

WAAAAH—

Washemistaken?

Jinwoosworeheheardcheeringcomingfromthemagesinhisshadow.[3]

***

“Whoa!Oppa,thereportersarestillthere.”

Jinahlookedoutthewindowandspoke.Itwasgettinglate,butthereporterswerestillgatheredlikeacloudneartheirapartment.

“Overthere!”

Thinkingthattheysawaglimpseofaperson,thereportersclickedtheircamerasrepeatedly.

Clickclickclick!

Surprisedbythesuddenflashes,Jinahquicklyclosedthecurtain.Turningaround,Jinwoo’slittlesistersighed.

“Sigh–”

AfterreturningfromtheHunterAuction,Jinwooplannedtograbhisfirstrestinawhileathome.TheS-ranker’sfacedarkenedalittle–

“ShouldIgodownandsaysomething?”

Itwasokayiftheywerejustbotheringhisrest.Butiftheydaredtobotherhislittlesister’sstudies…

Jinahwasaseniorinhighschoolpreparingforhercollegeentranceexams.Thiswouldbeanincrediblytensemomentinastudent’slife,enoughforonetobebotheredbytheslightestnoise.

‘NotthatJinahislikethat…’

Still,hewasworriedshewouldnotbeabletofocuswithallthenoiseoutside.TheHuntergotup–

“No,it’sokay,it’sokay.”

Jinahwavedhimdown.

“Oppa’salreadygettingtrashedontheinternet,Idon’twanttoimaginewhatwouldhappentoyouifyouchasedawaythosereporters.”

“Trashed?”

Whendidhedosomethingdeservingofinsults?WhenJinwootiltedhisheadinconfusion,JinahpulledupanarticleonherphoneandhelditouttoJinwoo.Theolderbrothertookthephonefromhislittlesister.

‘...’

Onthescreen,therewasapictureofhimtakingacallinfrontofallthereportersinfrontoftheAssociationheadquarters.Asexpectedofaphototakenbyaprofessional,Jinwoothoughtheratherlookedgoodonthescreen.Butwhenhereadthroughthecomments…

[Hisattitudeisshit.][Healreadyignoresthereporters.][He’ssocool.]

Themostupvotedcommentwas[Mom,I’manS-ranker!].ThecommentfitthepicturesowellthatJinwoolaugheddespitehimself.Jinahlookedathimwithadumbfoundedexpression–

“Oppa,youcanlaughatthat?”

“It’sfunny.”

“...”

WhenJinwooshowedherthehighestcomment,Jinahalsolaughedthenquicklystoppedherself.

“No,that’snotwhatimportant!”

Withahurtexpression,Jinahraisedhervoice–

“Whydidyouhavetopickupthephoneoverthere?Infrontofallthosereporters?Thankstothat,evenmynameisallovertheplace.”

Jinwoorepliedasitwasobvious–

“DoIhavetolookoutforreporterseverytimeIpickupacallfrommylittlesister?”

“Hmph!”

Jinahwasatalossforwords.Herolderbrotherwascorrect,andshecouldnotargue.

‘...Ican’tbeathiminanargument.’

Jinwoohandedthephonebacktoher.

“Here.”

Withaslightlyupsetface,Jinahtookthephoneback–

“Anyways,I’malright,sodon’tbotherwiththereporters.”

“Okay.”

Jinwoonodded.Evenifitwaslikethisnow,adayortwofromnow,thereporterswillreceiveanordertostayawayfromtheAssociation.JinwoowastoldasmuchbytheAssociation.

‘Icanwaitthatlong.’

ItseemedlikeJinahdidn’twantthingstogetoutofhandeither.

“Butboy,justwhatishappening?”

JinahstaredatJinwoowithanamusedlook–

“OppaisanS-rankHunter,andreportersareswarmingourhouse…”

Theexistencethatwasthathardtoevengetaglimpseof,anS-ranker.Suchanexistencewasrightinfrontofherrightnow:herolderbrother.Asanyonewouldbeinthissituation,Jinahwasincredulous.ButJinwoowassureshewouldgetusedtoitsoon–

‘LikeIdid.’

Hesmiledwidely.Inordertohelphercalmdown,heplayfullypinchedJinah’scheekslightly.Jinahreactedasshealwayswouldandkickedherbrother.

“Ow!”

Unfortunately,shehadtohoparoundtheroomwhileholdingherfoot.

“Hiiing.”

JinahglaredatJinwooinpain.Jinwoojustshrugged.ItseemedlikeitwouldtakesometimeforhertoadjusttothefactthatherolderbrotherwasanS-rankAwakenedBeing.

“Anywho,lookslikeoppawillbebusyfromnowon.”

Jinahcarefullyasked.

“Mm.”

Jinwoonodded.Thereweremanythingshewantedtodoandmanythingshehadtodo.Butaboveallelse,hisprioritywastogobackandcleartheDemonCastle.Hehadsucceededinobtainingtheartifactswithflame-resistancefortheupperfloors.Hisactualfundswerepainfullylacking,butthankfully,hewasabletoputupafewArankequipmentsfromtheSystem’sshopascollateralandborrowfromtheHunterAuction.

‘TothinkthatthefirstthingIdidafterbecominganS-rankHunterisgettingintodebt…’

Itwasratherlaughable.Fortunately,hewastoldthatoncetheSystem’sitemsweresoldforagoodprice,hisdebtwouldbeclearedinaninstant.

“ThenIsupposeit’llbeharderformetoseeoppafromnowon.”

Hearingthathewouldbecomebusier,Jinahlookedalittledejected.Well,itwouldbelonelyforherathome.Jinwoowentupandputahandonhissister’shead.

Justfewmoredays.OnceheclearedtheDemonCastle,hissisterwouldn’thavetobealoneathomeanymore.

‘I’llmakesureofit.’

Suddenly.

Jinwoo’seyesnarrowed.Hisgazemovedovertothedoor.

‘Someoneiscoming.’

Jinahrealizedthesuddenchangeinhim.Sheaskedwithaworry–

“Oppa?”

“Gotoyourroom.”

“Whatisit?”

Apresencegotofffromtheelevatorandwasheadingthisway.

‘AHunter…?’

Theunknownpresencewasgivingoffasmallamountofmagicpower.Hissensestoldhimthatitdidn’tfeellikeanenemy,butatthesametime,itwasnotaninvitedguest.DidaGuildsendsomeone?OrabrazenreporterwhohappenedtobeanAwakenedBeing?Whoeveritwas,Jinwoowasnotkindenoughtohappilyreceivesomeonewhointrudeduponsomeoneelse’shousethislateatnight.

Jinwoostoodinfrontofthedoor.

‘Ifit’sonlythismuch…’

Hedidnotneedaweapon.Jinwoolightlystretchedhisbody.Ashemovedleftandright,hecrackedhisjoints.

Soon,asexpected–

Knockknock.

Someoneknockedtwice,andJinahyelpedandrantoherroom.Jinwooslowlyopenedthedooralittle.Throughthecrack,hesawafamiliaryoungman’sfaceontheotherside.Themanspoke–

“Hyungniiiim…”

Theyoungmanwassniffling.Withhisnosered,YooJinhowaslightlycryinginfrontofJinwoo’shouse.

“...”

“Hyungnim,I’vebeenkickedout.Myfatherkickedmeoutofthehouse.”

“...”

Takingacloserlook,YooJinhowaswearingahugebackpack.Bothofhishandswerealsoholdingsomelargebags.

“...Didn’tyouliveawayfromyourparents?”

“That’s…”

Sniff.

“ThevillathatIlivedinwasundermyfather’sname.Heevenfrozeupallmyaccounts.”

Afatherfreezingupallofhisson’saccounts.ItsoundedlikesomethingstraightoutofamovieorTVshow,butifitwasthenumberonebusinessmaninSouthKorea,YooMyunghan,itwascertainlydoable.Butwhatdidthispunkdotoearnhisfather’sire?WhenJinwoojuststaredwithconfusion,YooJinhospokewithashakingvoice–

“SoIwaswondering,hyungnim.CouldIstaywithyouforawhile?”

Creeeeeak–

Close.

Jinwooslowlyclosedthedoorandlockedit.

Click.

Whenheturnedaround,Jinah,whohadbeenwatchingwithworry,ranuptohim.

“Oppa,whowasthat?Someoneyouknow?”

Jinwooshookhishead–

“Nope.FirsttimeI’mseeinghim.”

“Youdon’tknowhim?Thenwhydidhecometoourhome?”

“Don’tworryaboutit.Hemust’vebeenlost.”

“...Really?”

Itdidn’tseemlikethat.

AsJinwoopushedhissisterbacktoherroom,apatheticvoicerangoutbehindhimthroughthedoor.

Knockknock!

“Hyungniiiiim!Hyungniiiim!”

***

“Dear,don’tyouthinkyouweretooharshonJinhotoday?”

“Hmph.”

YooMyunghanroughlytriedtoremovehisnecktie.

Thatlittlebrat.

TothinkthatwashisreplyafterhewasofferedYoojinGuild,theGuildthatwouldbecomethecornerstoneofYoojinConstruction.

“I’mgoingtojoinhyungnim’sGuild.”

Whatwasthat?Joinhyungnim?

“Hedeserveseverylittlebitofit.”

YooMyunghansnorted.Iftheboywantstostandalone,hesureashellwilldoitwithhisownstrength.Heplannedtoteachhissonthateverychoicehadaconsequence.

Wasitbecausehewastooemotional?Histiewasn’tcomingoffeasilytoday.Whenhisroughhandsbegantopullatthetie,hiswifecameoverandreachedout.

“Here,letme.”

Athergentlehands,thetieunraveledsmoothly.YooMyunghanstoodstillandlethiswifework.Suddenly,holdingthetieinherhand,hiswifelaughed–

“Whatisit,wife?”

YooMyunghanwasconfused.Shehadhelpedhimtakeoffhistietheirentirelife.Somethinglikeaknottedtieshouldnothavebeenfunny.

“Dear,areyoureallyangry?”

“Hmm…?”

Wasshefeelingalright?Whatdidshemeanbythat.YooMyunghantiltedhisheadandlookedathisfaceinthemirror.

‘What…?’

Hewasshocked.Hiswordsonlymomentsagowererantinginanger,sowhydidhelooksohappyinthemirror?Embarrassed,YooMyunghanrubbedhischinandcheeks.

“Todaywasthefirsttime,right?”

“Whatdoyoumean?”

“ThatJinhoactuallystooduptoyou.”

“...”

Thatwasindeedwhyhewasangry.Abusinesscouldnotfunctioniftheordersfromthetopdidnotflowtothebottomlikeariver.Themanheldthesamecreedinhishousehold.Becausehehadranhishouseholdwiththesameattitudeashisbusiness,hehadneverallowedhisorderstobedisobeyedathome.Butwhatwasthis?Hisorderwasthoroughlyrefusedtoday.Andwhilehewascertainlyangry,whydidhenotfeelbadaboutit?

‘I’mangry,butIdon’tfeelbadaboutit?’

Hecouldnotmakesenseofthisfeeling.Asifreadingherhusband’smind,hiswifespokeasifcomfortingachild–

“Forthefirsttime,Jinhoismakingandgoingdownhisownpath.Whydon’tyoucheerhimoninsteadofbeingangry?”

“...”

YooMyunghanfirmlyclosedhismouth.Hehaddifficultycomposinghisthoughts.

“Fornow…I’llwatchhim.”

“Yes,dothat.”

Withagentlesmile,hiswifehelpedhimtakeoffhissuitjacket.

Butsuddenly,YooMyunghanstaredblanklyathiswife’sface.

“Howstrange.”

“Whatis?”

“Dear,I’mlookingattwoofyourightnow.”

“What?”

Hiswifeopenedhereyeswide.YooMyunghansuddenlylosthisbalanceandfelldown.

“Dear?!”

Surprised,thechairman’swifequicklyrantohisside.Shakinghishead,YooMyunghantookroughbreaths.

“Pant,pant.”

Hiswife’seyesbecamewider–

‘He’ssweatingsomuch!’

YooMyunghanfoughtbackthesuddenwaveofsleepinessoverwhelminghim.Thechairmanlostthefightandfellunconscious.

***

IntheVIProomofthenation’sbesthospital,YooMyunghanopenedhiseyes.Thehospitalputaround-the-clockwatchonthechairman,rotatingdoctorseveryfewhours.ThedoctorondutycameoverandlookedoverYooMyunghan’sstate–

“Areyouawake,chairman?”

“...”

Lookingaround,YooMyunghanimmediatelyunderstoodthesituation.

“HowlonghaveIbeenhere?”

“You’vebeenasleepfortwodays.”

Twodays?DiligencedidnotevenbegantodescribeChairmanYooMyunghan.Nomatterhowtiredhewas,themanhadneversleptformorethanfivehoursinaday.

“...”

Havingclosedhismouthforamoment,YooMyunghanspokecasually–

“ItseemsthatI’vebeenquitetiredlately.”

Hedidhavequiteabitonhisplatelately.Thesuddencollapseandlongsleepmust’vebeenbecauseofthat.However,thedoctorcontinuedtomaintainaseriousexpression.YooMyunghanwasamanstandingatthetopofoneofthenation’stopcompanies.Hehadtensofthousandsofemployeesunderhim.Themanknewhowtoreadanother’sexpression.Lookingatthedarkenedexpressionofthedoctor,YooMyunghanasked–

“Isthere…somethingwrongwithmybody?”

***

“DoyoubyanychancehaveaHunterclosetoyou?OrperhapssomeoneclosetoyouthatiswaitingfortheirAwakeningtestresults?”

Thedoctoraskedstrangequestions.Thechairmanhadaskediftherewasanythingwrongwithhisbody,sowhywasthemantalkingaboutHunters?YooMyunghanasked–

“Whatdoyoumean?WhyisthetopicofHuntersbeingbroughtupallofthesudden?”

“HaveyouheardofanillnesscalledtheEternalSleep?”[4]

Hearingthewords,“EternalSleep”,eventhenormallycalmandexpressionlessYooMyunghanimmediatelyfeltshaken.

EternalSleep.

Sleepthatyoucouldnotwakeupfrom.

Itwasn’tjustfallingasleepforever.Theillnesswouldcausethepatient’slifetowasteawayquickerthannormal.Lifesupportdevicesempoweredbymagiccoreswereneededtomaintainthelifeofthesick.ItwasaterrifyingillnessthatappearedwiththeGates.Manypeoplewhocouldnotaffordthelifesupportdevicessuccumbedtotheillnessandpassedaway.

“You’llcontinuetofallasleepperiodically.Eventually,youwillneverwakeup.”

Thedoctorlookeddefeated.Untilnow,nopatienthadeverwokenupfromEternalSleep.Allthatyoucoulddowasextendyourlifewithsupportdevices,butyouwouldbenodifferentthanalifelessdoll.

“...”

Whenthedoctorfinishedhisexplanation,YooMyunghanaskedimpatiently–

“SowhatdoesthathavetodowithHunters?”

“ItisknownthatEternalSleephasacorrelationwithmagicpower.”

Duetotheirnature,therewerepeopleintheworldweaktomagicpowerexposure.Amongsuchpeople,oneofthesideeffectsofbeingexposedtoamagicpowerforalongtimewasEternalSleep.

“Aren’tthepatients’lifespansextendedwithdevicespoweredbymagicpower?”

“Thatiscorrectbut,”

Justasnuclearpowercouldresultinbothgoodthingsandharmfulthings,thedoctorexplainedthatmagicaldevicesempoweredbymagicpowerdidnotharmthebody.

“Whatyouhavetowatchoutforaremagiccores,magicoresandpeoplewithmagicpower.”

‘Peoplewithmagicpower…’

YooMyunghanthoughtofthesoleAwakenedBeinginhisimmediatefamily,YooJinho.Thedoctorcarefullycontinued–

“Iheardthat…thechairman’ssecondsonisaHunter.”

AtthementionofYooJinho,YooMyunghan’sfacehardened–

“So…whatyou’retellingmeisthatIcanneverseemysonagain?”

“Thatistheonlywayforyouto–”

“Don’tmakemelaugh!”

YooMyunghanfirmlycutthedoctoroff–

“Thereisnoway.”

Andwithawaveofhishand,hedismissedthedoctor.

“Chairman…”

Atalossforwords,thedoctorlookedatYooMyunghan’sfiercegazeandlefttheVIProom.YooMyunghancontinuedtostareatthedoorthedoctorleftthroughwithrage–

‘Tellingmetodistancemyselffrommysonbecauseofanillness.Isthatsomethingyoucouldaskofafather?’

Andlet’ssaythatwasthecase.JusthowwouldJinhoreactifheheardthenews?Asafather,YooMyunghancouldnotburdenhischildwithsuchathing.

‘Also…’

Everyday,theuseofmagicpowerspreadthroughouttheworld,andthenumberofAwakenedBeingsincreased.Insuchaworld,tellinghimthathewasunabletowithstandexposuretomagicpowerwasbutadeathsentence.

‘ThisYooMyunghanreceivedadeathsentence?’

Thiswouldnotstand.

‘Iwillnotlose.’

Hehadmanagedtoaccomplishthingsthateveryoneelsehadtoldhimwasimpossible.HeinheritedYoojinConstructionwhenittitteredonthethirtiethplaceamongthebusinessworldandraisedittothenumberonespotinthecountry.

‘AnddoyouthinkIwillbowdownbeforeameresicknessnow?’

Iwillnotlose.

YooMyunghanrepeatedthatmanytimesinhishead.

***

Beforeleaving,Jinwoocarefullypeakedintohissister’sroom.Becauseitwassoearly,Jinahwasstilldeepinslumber.Still,herolderbrotherwasworried.

‘WhatifsomeonegetstoherwhileI’mgone?’

Ofcourse,peoplewouldn’tbestupidenoughtoharmthelittlesisterofanS-rankHunter,butatthesametime,peoplewereunpredictable.Attheveryleast,heneededtoplanafewcontingencies.

‘Wait,mysoldierscanhideinsomeone’sshadow,right?’

Jinwoorecalledthesoldiersheputupaspatrolfortheserialkilleraroundtheneighborhood.Atthattime,theshadowsweremovingwhilehidinginvariousobjects’shadows.Withthat,hemightbeabletoprotecthissisterwithoutbeingnoticed.Infact,therewereafewsoldiersjustperfectforprotectingsomeone.

‘Comeout.’

JinwoocalledthemagicbeastsoldiersthatonceactedasTusk’sbodyguards.

Shooo.

Bigevenforahighorc,thethreesoldiersfilleduptheentiretyofJinah’sroom.

Holdon.

‘Wait.Whyarethereonlythreeofthem?’

Weren’ttheredefinitelyfourbodyguards?Combingoverhismemory,Jinwoosilentlyexclaimedinrealization–

‘Ah.’

Herealizedthatheleftoneofthebodyguardsnailedtotheceiling.Heforgottoextractthatone’sshadow.

‘I’llhavetobemoremindfulnexttime.’

Withasmile,Jinwoosentthethreeformerhighorcbodyguardsforward.AllthreeofthemwereofEliteGrade.ItwasastepabovetheNormalGradegiventotheordinaryhighorcwarriors.Ifitwasthosethree,evenanA-rankHunterwouldn’tbemuchofatrouble.Thiswasn’tjustatheory,JinwoorecalledseeingtheA-rankSonGihoonstrugglingagainstordinaryhighorcs.Thesethreeweremuchstrongerthanthoseenemies.JinwooraisedachintowardsJinah.

Shooo–

Thebodyguardsmeltedintotheirshadowformsandtraveledacrossthefloor.TheywereabsorbedintoJinah’sshadow.

‘Alright.’

Justquietlyhideinhershadow.Ifsheisindanger,nomatterwhotheenemyis,eliminatethemwithoutmercy.Withthatorder,Jinwoocarefullyclosedthedoor.

‘NowIfeelabitbetter.’

Hisworrieswereabated.Aftermakingsurethedoorwassecure,Jinwoowentoutside.

Aspromised,YooJinhowaswaitingforhim.

“Hyungnim!”

Withabrightexpression,theyoungmangreetedJinwoo.

“Wasyourroomalright?”

“Yes,hyungnim.Amotelisn’tthatbadthesedays.”

Sincehislittlesisterwasathome,JinwooendeduplettingYooJinhostayatanearbymotel.Thankfully,itdidnotseemlikeitwasthatuncomfortable.

“UntilwegetaGuildoffice,staytherefornow.”

“Understood,hyungnim.”

Inagoodmoodforsomereason,YooJinhokeptsmiling.Jinwoohadheardtheroughstoryfromtheyoungman.Tothinkthathewouldactuallyrefusethe

Guildmasterpositionandcometohim.WhenJinwooaskeddumbfoundedly,YooJinhorepliedasifhewaswronged–

“Wait,soyoureallydecidedtocometomyGuild?”

“Hyungnimtoldmetodoso!”

Andso,hecouldnotscoldorpushawaytheyoungmanwhohadthrownasidetheGuildmastertitleandcametohiminstead.

“Alright,let’sgo.”

“Yes,hyungnim.”

YooJinhogotinthedriver’sseat,andJinwoogotinthepassengerside.ThepairinthevanheadedtoDaesungTower.Ontheway,YooJinhoglancedovertoJinwoo.

‘IwonderwhathewantstodointhishouratDaesungTower.’

Hewascurious,butfeltlikeitwasoutofhisplacetoaskhyungnimtoomanyquestions.

Screech–

WhenthevanarrivedatDaesungTower,theyoungmanfinallygatheredthecourage–

“Sohyungnim,whyareweatDaesung–”

“I’llbeback.”

“Huh?”

YooJinhoquicklyturnedhishead.Butthepassengerdoorwasalreadyopen,andhyungnimwasgone.YooJinhowasremindedofsomethingsimilarthathappenedinthepast.Theyoungmanscratchedthebackofhishead.

‘Sometimes…Iwonderifhe’saghost.’

----------

[1]Hehhehheh,rememberallthosetimesJinwoolookedathisphoneandsawmissedcallsfromanunknownnumber?“Ifit’simportant,thepersonwillcallagain”?Hehhehheh.

[2]Justareminder,thelasttimeweseeJinwoo’sfunds,it’s900milliongold,andthisisBEFOREhefightsVolkhanhalfway.Heclimbsabout20floorsafterthat.3milliongold=$100kitem.WonderhowfastMC’smathis?

[3]YES,THANKYOU.EVENTHESHADOWARMYKNOWSHOWFUCKINGSTUPIDITISTOSELLTHEMARBLE.HANDSDOWNTHE#1DUMBESTFUCKINGTHINGTHISMCHASCONSIDERED.

[4]“EternalSleep”():Seemstocomefromtheword“narcolepsy”(),butnodirecttranslation.Justcalled‘eternalsleep’basedoncontext.

Chapter9:TheDemonCastle,SecondRun

YouhaveenteredtheDemonCastleDungeon.

Jinwooreleasedhis‘Stealth’.

‘I’mfinallyback.’

Attheideaofcomingbacktoaplacewherehedidn’thavetoholdback,Jinwoo’sheartfluttered.Oncehecrossedthroughthecastlegates,theelectronicvoicerangoutasifithadbeenwaiting.

Ring~

Aquesthasarrived.

Unlikethetimehefirststeppedintothisplace,Jinwoowasnotsurprised.Afterall,thelastquesthereceivedherewaslabeled“Part1”.Hepredictedthatthesecondpartofthequestwouldappeareventually.TheHunteropenedthemessagebox.

Ring~

OrdinaryQuest:CollecttheDemonSouls!Part2

TheMonarchofDemons,Baran,residesatthehighestflooroftheDemonCastle.PleasedefeatBaranandcollecthissoul.[1]

QuestRequirement:

CompletePart1

Re-entertheDemonCastle

QuestGoal:

DefeattheDemonKing[2]

Rewards:

1.Top-classRunestone

2.Statpoints+30

3.UnknownReward

‘Sothegoalistodefeatthedemonkingthistime?’

Jinwoo’sfacebrightened.Insteadofwanderingaroundlikelasttime,allhehadtodowasrushtothetopofthetowerwithmaximumspeed.Therewardswerealsoquitegoodthistime.

‘Thirtybonusstatpoints!’

Forthelastquest,hehadtotoilawayincollectingtenthousandDemonSouls.Andthefruitsofhislaborweretwentystatpoints.Butthistime,allhehadtodowasdefeatasingleenemytoearnthirtystatpoints.Itwasanamountthatwouldtaketendaysofdailyquestsorsixlevel-upstoearn.Hehadnotexpectedmuchoutofthequestthistime,sonaturally,Jinwoosmiledwhenlookingatthegreatrewards.

‘Butwhatcouldthetop-classRunestonebe?’

Jinwoocheckedthefirstreward.

Ring~

Top-classRunestone:ShadowSwap[3]

BreaktheTop-classRunestonetolearnaclass-specificskill.[4]

‘Learnaclass-specificskill?’

Jinwoo’seyeswidened.Upuntilnow,hehadlearnedthreeclass-specificskills:

ShadowExtraction.

ShadowStorage.

DomainoftheMonarch.

Notasingleoneofthemwithoutitsvalue;allthreeofthemwereincredibleskills.Andthethoughtofaddinganotherskilltothatlistmadehisheartrace.

‘Whatkindofaskillisit?’

Althoughhetriedtochecktheskill’sinformation,alltheSystemtoldhimwastheskill’sname.

Tsk.

Disappointed,Jinwooclickedhistongue.

‘Well,Icanconfirmitmyselfoncethequestisover.’

Aclass-specificskillandthirtybonusstats.Evenifheignoredtheunknownthirdreward,therewardswerealreadyincredible.Jinwoowantedtostartimmediatelyandchargetothetop.

However–

‘BeforeIstart…’

Ithadbeenawhile;Jinwoopulleduphisstatusscreeninfull.

Ring~

Name:SungJinwoo

Level:80

Class:MonarchofShadows

Title:ConquerorofAdversity(...1more)

HP:24,406

MP:5,019

Fatigue:0

Stats

Strength:186

Constitution:145

Agility:175

Intelligence:189

Sense:126

(Availablestatpoints:0)

PhysicalDamageReduction:46%

Skills

PassiveSkills

—(Unknown)(Lv.Max)

—UnyieldingSpirit(Lv.1)

—AdvancedDaggerProficiency(Lv.2)

ActiveSkills

—Sprint(Lv.Max)

—Bloodlust(Lv.1)

—Stealth(Lv.2)

—VitalStrike(Lv.Max)

—DaggerThrow(Lv.2)

—Ruler’sHands(Lv.2)

Class-specificSkills

ActiveSkills-ShadowExtraction(Lv.1)

-ShadowStorage(Lv.1)

-DomainoftheMonarch(Lv.1)

CraftingSkills

-Consumable:HolyWaterofLife(2/3)

Equipment

RedKnight’sHelmet(S)

MonarchofDemons’Earrings(S)

MonarchofDemon’sNecklace(S)

High-levelKnight’sBreastplate(B)

High-levelKnight’sGauntlet(B)

High-levelMage’sRing(B)

Mid-levelAssassin’sShoes(C)

Hislevelwasnow80.Andafterhavinginvestedeverysinglepointintoitrecently,theIntelligencestatfinallyovertookStrengthstat.

‘Almostat200Intelligence.’

Thankstothat,hismaximummanahadreachedoverfivethousand.Inaway,Jinwoo’smanawasbasicallythelifeofhisarmy.It’swhatallowedthemtocontinuouslyregeneratethroughoutbattles.Whenhethoughtabouthowhisarmywillonlycontinuetoincrease,evenfivethousandseemedlacking.

‘Alright,let’sgetstarted.’

Evenasinglesecondwaspreciousnow.Jinwooclosedthestatusscreen.Hewas

currentlyonthefirstfloor.Thankfully,hedidnotneedtowasteanytimeontheseventy-fivefloorshehadalreadycleared.Hewentintothemiddleoftheinterfloormovementmagiccircle.

Floors1through76areopen.

Whichfloorwouldyouliketogoto?

Jinwoospokewithouthesitating–

“76.”

Lightflashedbrightlyfromthecircle.WhentheHunterclosedandopenedhiseyes,thescenerybeforehimhadcompletelychanged.Hestoodbeforeafiercelyburningcity.Eventhoughtheenvironmentcouldnotaffecthimwhilehewasstillinthemagiccircle,justlookingattheflamesmadehisskinfeelhotter.

Jinwooputdownthebaghebroughtandtookouttwoartifacts.Oneoftheartifactswasablackrobenamed“RobeofWind”byitscreator,andtheotherartifactwasanamelessringenchantedwithwater-elementmagic.Wearingtherobe,itfeltlikehereallyhadbecomeaMage-classHunter.[5]

‘...It’scoolingdownmybody.’

Justwearingthenewartifactsmadehimfeellikehewasstandinginacoolcave.

‘WouldtheseworkontheDemonCastle’sflames?’

Jinwooslowlywalkedoutsideofthemagiccircle.

Interesting.

Theirexpensivepricehadareasonafterall.Unlikeinthepast,theheatoftheenvironmentdidnotaffecthimintheslightest.

‘Iwonderiftherobewillhampermymovements.’

Hestretchedandmovedhisbodyhereandthere.Fortunately,hismovementsstillfeltcomfortable.Fittingofitsname,theRobeofWindwasaslightasair.

‘Alright.’

Hispreparationswerefinished.However,hewasnottheonlyone.Catchingthescentofahuman,demonsbegantogroupupandheadtowardhisdirection.Inthepast,hewould’vefacedthemheadonasawarm-upandevenwould’vesearchedeverycornerintheareaforenemiestogainexperiencepointsfrom.

‘Butrightnow…’

Hedidnotwanttowasteasinglesecondinobtainingthecureforhismother.Insteadofbringingouthisdaggers,Jinwoosummonedhissoldiers.

Shoooo.

ThetrustworthyShadowSoldiersmadetheirappearance.

“Where’sTusk?’

Jinwoolookedforthenewestmemberofhisarmy.Asiftheirrelativestrengthdeterminedwheretheywouldspawnfrom,Tuskhadappearedrightbehindhim.

JinwootookouttheMarbleofAvaricefromhisinventoryandplaceditinTusk’shand.

“You’llbeusingthistoday.”

EventhoughJinwoowasaMage-class,themandidnotreceiveanybenefitsfromtheamplificationeffectoftheMarbleofAvarice.However,sinceTuskwasasorcererinlife,hecouldprobablymakeuseofthemagictoolsomehow.

‘...’

Asiftodisplayhisgratitude,Tuskbowedhisheaddeeply.

Boom,boom,boom.

Giganticdemonsappearedinthehorizon.

‘Shallwegetstarted?’

Aftergivingthepreparationorderstohissoldiers,JinwoosummonedBaruka’sTantoandKnightKillerintohishands.Aheadofhim,amultitudeofdemonschargedathisarmylikeinsects.However,thenumberinJinwoo’ssidewasnot

lackinginanyway.Havingmoreconfidencethanlasttime,Jinwoowatchedthetimingandshouted–

Breathein–

“G-!”

Jinwoomeanttoyell“Go!”,butbeforehisvoiceevencameout–

WOOOOOOOSH–

Aterrifyingpillarofflameshothorizontallyabovehisheadtowardsthechargingdemons.

“–O–what?”

FLAAAAAAARE–

Astheflamebreathsweptoverthem,boththedemonsandthegroundmeltedinitspath.

“KIIIIIIEK!”

“KIWEEEEK!”

Inaninstant,anincredibleamountofdemonswereobliterated,followedbyafamiliarvoice.

Youhaveleveledup!

Youhaveleveledup!

‘Coulditbe…?’

Jinwootriedtocalmhispoundingheartandturnedaround.TuskhadgrowntotwicethesizehewasbackinhisDungeon.Thehighorcmagewasstandingwithgreysmokeescapingfromhismouth.

Gulp.

Jinwoogulped.

‘ThisisthepoweroftheMarbleofAvarice?’

ThemonsterslivinginthefieryDemonCastleshould’vehadsomeresistancetofirebasedmagic.Inspiteofthat,Tusk’sflamebreathattackhadburnedthemalltocrisp.

“Hahahaha!”

Afterconfirmingthesituation,Jinwoobrokeintoaloudlaughter.

‘Icouldclearthisentireplaceinnotime!’

TheHunterstaredatthestillroaringfireandthecharredcorpsesofdemons.

***

AugmentedbytheMarbleofAvarice,Tusk’spowerwasincredible.

Breathein–

Thehighorcbreathedinagainwithenoughstrengthtoturntheairaroundhimcoldforamoment.Then–

WOOOOOOSH–

Thegiantpillarofflameshotoutfromhismouthagainandmeltedtheenemy.

YouhavedefeatedaTop-levelDemon.

Youhaveearned1,700experiencepoints.

YouhavedefeatedanArchdemon.

Youhaveearned2,200experiencepoints.

…

YouhavedefeatedaTop-levelDemon.

…

Themessagethattoldhimanenemywasdefeatedandexperiencepointswereearnedpouredinwithoutstopping.Theringingoftheelectronictonecontinuedforsometime.Jinwoobeamed.

‘Thisisamazing!’

Asifoutofmana,Tuskstoppedhisattack.Fromhisattacksjustnow,alargeportionofthechargingdemonsweredefeated.However,afewofthemwereluckyenoughtoevadetheflames.JinwoolettheotherShadowSoldierstakecareoftheluckyones.

STEPSTEPSTEPSTEP–

WhenJinwoostaredathisarmynumberingoverahundredchargeattheenemy,hetrulyfeltlikehadbecomeaMonarchofShadows.

YouhavedefeatedaTop-levelDemon.

YouhavedefeatedaTop-levelDemon.

Themessagesthatbroughthimjoycontinuedagain.Withoutliftingafinger,JinwoohaddefeatedalltheenemiesthroughhisShadowSoldiers.TheMVPofthebattlewasundoubtedlyTusk.

‘Tusk,you…’

Jinwoo’sturnedhisheadtolookbehindhim.Tobemoreaccurate,behindhimandhighabove.ThegiantShadowMagewhowasonceahighorcsorcerercameintohisview.TheMarbleofAvariceinTusk’shandhadalsoenlargedinsizewiththehighorc.Theitemdoubledthedamageofthewielder’sspellsbyjustbeingheld.Eventhoughhispowersshould’vebeennerfedafterbecomingaShadowSoldier,Tusk’spowerwasenforcedwithamountstosparebytheMarbleofAvarice.

AlthoughhehimselfwasaMage-class,Jinwoohadnooffensivespellthatcouldbenefitfromthemarble.Thismadehisnextdecisioneasy.

‘Forthetimebeing,I’llhaveTuskholdontotheMarbleofAvarice.’

Jinwooopenedupaskillinformationwindow.

ShadowExtractionLimit:127/820

ShadowStorageLimit:127/155

‘ShadowExtraction,ShadowStorageandDomainoftheMonarch.’

NoneofthoseskillswereaffectedbytheMarbleofAvarice.TheonlywaytoincreasethelimitofhisshadowswasbyincreasingIntelligencestat.Jinwooclosedtheskillinformationwindow.

Step,step,step.

Havingfinishedthebattle,thesoldiersgatheredbeforetheirmasteroncemore.Lookingatthemountainofdemoncorpses,thecornersofJinwoo’smouthroseagain.

‘That...isatonofitems.’

Ring,ring,ring.

Thistime,atorrentofitemmessagespouredoutnonstop…

***

‘Alright,grabbedeverything.’

Stillsmiling,JinwoofinishedthecollectionandgotontopoftheicebearShadowBeast,Tank.Unfortunately,theentrypermitforthenextfloorhadnotdroppedyet.Thismeantthathehadtocontinuehunting.TheHuntergavetheorder–

“Hiyah!”

AsTankbegantoslowlywalkforward,theShadowSoldiersfollowedbehind.

‘It’sinefficienttomovetheentirearmyasone.’

Focusingthearmyof120insinglebattlesdidnotseemeffectiveenough.Havingraisedtheirlevelsthoroughly,thesoldierscouldnowmatchthedemonsontheirown.Ontopofthat,hislatestadditiontothearmywerethemagicbeastsfromanA-rankDungeon.Asexpected,thequalityofhisarmyhad

increasedgreatly.

“Kieeeek!”

“Kiahk!”

YouhavedefeatedaTop-level...

YouhavedefeatedaTop-level...

Becauseofthatrisenstrength,itwasnowtakinglongertofindnewmonsterstokillthanactuallykillingthem.Additionally,asingleflooroftheDemonCastlewasaslargeasamajorcity.

‘It’lltakeforeveratthisrate.’

Andso,Jinwoodividedhisarmyupintosixunits,roughlytwentysoldiersineachunit.Hegavetheorderforthemtospreadoutinalldirectionsandhuntthemonsters.Hisordersincludedtwospecificinstructions–

‘First,killallenemiesyousee.’

‘Second,ifyouseesomethinglikeanentrypermit,notifyme.’

Hecouldnotdirectlyconversewithhissoldiers,butitwaspossibleforthemtogiveasimplesignaltohim.Sincehissoldierscouldnotpickupitems,hehadtogoandpickuptheentrypermithimself.Althoughthisalsomeantthathewouldhavetogiveuponallotheritems,Jinwoo’sprimarygoalwastoreachthetopoftheDungeonasfastaspossible.

“Go.”

Athissignal,thesixunitschargedforthdowndifferentroads.

Soon–

Youhaveearned1,500experiencepoints.

Youhaveearned1,500experiencepoints.

Youhaveearned900experiencepoints.

Youhaveearned1,500experiencepoints.

Experiencepointscameinfromalldirections.

‘Theymust’vebegun.’

Jinwoosmiledwhilelookingathisincreasingexperience,butherealizedsomethingodd.

‘Theexperiencepointsdecreased?’

Oncehehadreachedtheupperfloors,thelow-level,mid-levelandhigh-leveldemonsfromthelowerfloorsnolongerappeared.Themostcommonmonstersherewerethetop-leveldemons,andoccasionally,anarchdemonwouldbemixedamongthem.Theexperiencepointsfromtop-leveldemonswerefixedat1,700,andthearchdemonsabovethemgave2,200.Theexperiencepointsthatwerepouringinrightnowwerefarbelowthosetwonumbers.

‘Doestheincreaseddistanceresultinlowerexperiencepoints?’

Jinwoostoodstillandstaredattheexperiencepointmessagesthatstillcontinued.Littlebylittle,thenumberscomingupweredecreasing.Heobtainedconfirmationthatthedistancebetweenhimandhissoldiersaffectedtheexperienceearned.

‘Thisisgoodtoknow.’

Ifitwasn’tfortheuniquesystemofmakinghisexperiencepointsvisiblehere,hewouldhaveneverfoundsomethinglikethisout.Onthelowerfloors,hehadfoughtthedemonshimselftobothhonehiscombatsensesandmakesurenotasingleDemonSoulwasmissed.Itwasagoodthingthathehadnotsplituphisarmybackthen.Still,hewasnotthatdisappointedbytheloweredexperiencepoints.

‘Iknowtheindividualamountsarelower…’

Butinthiswidearea,theoverallgainfromtheefficientmethodofhuntingwasfargreater.Evenashethoughtaboutallthis,theexperiencepointswerestillcominginwithoutstopping.Becauseofthat,moreofthewelcomedmessagesappeared,oneaftertheother–

Youhaveleveledup!

Youhaveleveledup!

Jinwooclenchedhisfists.

Good.Eventhoughitwasalittleunfortunatethathecouldnotobtainallthedrops.

‘Level-upsandclearingspeed,I’veobtainedbothwiththismethod.’

TheHunterstaredathislevelsthatwentuptwiceinaflashwithsatisfaction.

***

Theplanhadworked.

Despitehisestimates,hereachedthe80thFloormuchfasterthanexpected.Themomenthearrivedonthefloor,Jinwoosummonedhissoldiersagain.

Shooo.

The119soldiersweresummonedinaninstant.[6]Astheyhadallwentoffontheirownandfoughtwithmonsters,thesoldiers’levelshadrisengreatly.

‘What?Tankleveleduptentimeswhilehewasaway.’

Jinwoostaredwithroundeyes.Asifhappyatitsmaster’sattention,theLevel28ShadowBeastraiseditslegstotheairandhowled.ItappearedthatJinwoowasn’ttheonlyonebenefitedbytheefficientmethod.Jinwoosmiledwidely–

“Alright,let’sgo!”

Astheyhaddoneforthepastfewfloors,thesoldiersscatteredintosixunitsagain.Jinwoowentaheadonhisown.Afterall,hewasusedtobeingalone,andhedidnotparticularlyneedthesoldiers’help.IfheexcludedTuskwiththeMarbleofAvarice,Jinwoowasevenconfidentthathecouldtakeonhisentirearmyonhisown.

But…

‘WhatifIincludedTusk?’

Hmm…ItwouldbeaninterestingmatchifTuskwasincluded.Still,itwasanimpossibility.

‘Wasitaboutaweekago?’

Forfunandresearch,hehadorderedaShadowSoldiertoattackhim.However,forthefirsttime,thesoldierdisobeyedadirectorder.

‘I’mnotsureifit’soutofloyaltyorsomesortofasafeguard...’

Still,thesoldierdidnotattack.Well,asthemanwhocalledthemhissubordinates,itwasagoodthingtoknow.

Meanwhile–

‘Whyaren’tthereanydemons?’

JinwootossedBaruka’sTantoupanddownonhishand.TheHunterexpandedhissensestodetectmonsters.

‘Itwasaroundhere…’

Jinwoolookedaround.Hedefinitelyfeltapresencearoundherebutdidnotseeanymonsters.Whenwasitagain?Somethinglikethishappenedinthepastonce.Suddenly,thegroundshookabitandcolumnsofdirtshotintothesky.

“Kikik.”

“Kihihi–”

Threearchdemonshadrisenoutofthegroundandsurroundedthehuman.Theyweregivingoffanuglylaughter.Theman’sfacelookedtroubled.

Notknowingjustwhowaspreyingonwhom,thedemonsmistookJinwoo’sreactionforfearandmovedtheirwideopenmouthstowardstheman’shead.Tothedemons,ahuman’sheadwasthemostdeliciouspartoftheirbody.

Suddenly,their“prey”leapedintotheairandspunaroundonce.

SLASH!

BeforeJinwooevenlanded,thethreeheadsofarchdemonsrolledontheground.

YouhavedefeatedanArchdemon.

YouhavedefeatedanArch...

“Ah.”

Jinwooclappedhishands,andhistroubledexpressiondisappeared.Herememberedwhenhefacedasituationlikethisbefore.ItwasthelastC-rankDungeonhehadclearedwithYooJinho.

‘Thosestonemenwerehidinginthegroundthattime.’

TheHunter’sexpressionwasdarkenedbecausehecouldn’tremember.Now,hisfacehadbrightenedagain.Itreallywasasatisfyingfeelingtoremembersomethingthatwasonthetipofyourtongue.Withabrightsmile,Jinwoocollectedtheitemsandcontinuedhiswalk.

Hestoppedaftertakingafewsteps.

“...”

TheHunter’sgazewasfixedtotheground.Heglaredatthegroundandspoke–

“Whyaren’tyouguyscomingup?”

Ifsomeoneelsewasstandingthere,theymight’vemistookthetremblingofthedemonsundergroundforanearthquake.

***

Unfortunately,Jinwoowasnotabletoleavethe80thFloorthateasily.

‘Istheresomethingstrongaround?’

AnotherunitofShadowSoldiersreturnedtohimintheirshadowforms.Momentsago,oneofhisunitswasbeingdestroyedandregeneratedsofastthattheHunter’smanacouldnottakeit.Tostopthatfromcontinuing,hehad

recalledtheunitbackintohisshadow.Soon,hefeltanotherunitbeingattackedandrepeatedtheorder.Thiswasthefirsttimesomethinglikethishadhappened.

Fromthe76thFloortothe80th,theefficientmethodofscatteringhisarmyacrossthefloorworkedperfectly.

‘Arearchdemonstoomuchforthem?’

Startingfromthe80thFloor,themostcommonmonstershadupgradedtothearchdemons.Thesemonstersevenusedatricklikehidingbeneaththeground.Still,itdidnotseemlikehissoldierswouldhavethatmuchofahardtimeagainstarchdemons.

‘Ontopofthat…’

Therewassomethingelsestrange.Theunitsthatwereambushedweretheoneswithoutanotablecaptain.TheunitsledbyTusk,Ygritte,IronandTankwerejustfine,butthetwounitsspecificallywithoutaleaderwereattacked.

‘Aretheypurposelytargetingtheweakerunits?’

Thatwouldmeanthattherewasamonsterwithenoughintelligenceandskilltodeterminethestrengthofitsenemies.Whateveritwas,itwasstrongenoughtodefeataunitofShadowSoldiersandsmartenoughtotargettheweakerunitsfirst.ItwasabigthornatJinwoo’sside.

Therewerefourunitsstillinaction.Ifheincludedhimself,five.

‘Ifitknowsthemovementsofthesoldiers,itsnexttargetisobvious.’

Withthatthought,theS-rankHunterdisappearedfromsight.

----------

[1]“MonarchofDemons,Baran”():“demons”+“monarch”+propername.IwasgoingtogowithValanorVaran,butthenresearchshowedthatcouldbereferringtoacharacterfromDragonQuest.

[2]“DemonKing”():“demon”+“king”.Differentwordthan“Monarch”thistime.

[3]“ShadowSwap”():“shadow”+“exchange/swap/change”.Thoughtaboutwhichoneofthosemeaningstouseforsometime…Ichose“swap”over“exchange”intheend.

[4]UnlikeRunestone:Stealth,thepassagespecificallysays“learn”insteadof“absorb”theskill.Nobigmeaningtoit,Ithinktheauthorjustdidn’tcare.

[5]Interesting.WearingequipmentnotfromtheSystemisactuallyphysicallywornoverhisbody.Wonderifhecoulddoubleuponeveryequipslot?

[6]127shadowscurrentlymade.5ofthempatrollingtheneighborhood,3ofthemcurrentlyprotectingJinah=119shadowscurrentlywithhim.JustincaseanyoneelsewasconfusedlikeIwas.

Chapter10:SuspiciousMonsters

JinwooquicklyarrivedwhereTank’sunitwas.Fromadistance,hesawhisunitcomposedofformermagicbeasts,theicebearsandthehighorcwarriors.WalkingwithdignityinfrontofthegroupwasTank.

‘Thenexttargetshouldbehere.’

Astheformeralphaoftheicebears,TankhadthepowertofacemultipleShadowSoldiersevenwhenhewasalive.AfterlevelingupasaShadowBeast,therewerefewamongthearmythatcouldmatchhismight.Still,comparedtotheothercaptains,hewaslacking.Thecaptainsoftheotherunits,Iron,YgritteandTusk,wereonawholedifferentgradethantheShadowBeast.NomatterhowhighTank’slevelwas,hewasstillonlyanEliteGradesoldier,whiletheothercaptainswereeitherKnightorEliteKnightGrade.Itwouldnotbeamatch.

Andassuch,iftheunknownenemywascapableofdeterminingtheShadowSoldiers’strengths,theirnexttargetwouldbeTank’sunit.

‘Let’swatchfornow.’

Jinwooerasedhispresenceasbestashecouldandwatchedthemagicbeastsoldierswhilefollowingfromadistance.Evenhisownsoldiersdidnotrealizethathewasthere.

***

Howlonghadhebeenwaiting?Whentheenemydidnotappearaftersometime,Jinwootiltedhishead.

‘WasIwrong?’

Whenpossibilitythatthetwodefeatedunitsweresimplyunluckyenoughtorunintoamassofenemiesenteredhismind,Jinwoo’seyessuddenlynarrowed.

‘...They’rehere.’

Theenemymust’vehiddentheirpresenceuntilthelastpossiblemoment;hedetectedthemfarlaterthanhenormallywouldhave.Jinwooclosedhiseyesandfocusedhissenses.HisincreasedSensestatworkedlikearadar,andtheHuntercarefullyscannedeverybitofenergyinthearea.

‘Fourpresencesapproaching.Fivedemonshiddenintheground.Twentysoldiersinmyunit.’

Jinwooopenedhiseyes.Thedemonshidingbeneaththeground,pretendingtheydidn’texist,wouldbetakencareoflater.

‘Stealth.’

Shoo—

Withtheskill,Jinwoobecameinvisibleandapproachedhissoldiers.Soon,hewasabletoconfirmtheapproachingenemieswitheyes.

‘They’reridinghorses?’

Clopclopclopclop.

‘Andwearingarmor?’

Ashenoted,thefourapproachingenemieswereequippedwitharmorsandweapons,ridinghorses.Whentheycamecloser,theHunterwasabletoseethenamesabovetheirheads.Asexpected,theirnameswerecompletelydifferentthanthedemonshehadfacedupuntilnow,revealingtheiruniquenessandstrengths.

‘Threedemonknightsandonedemonnoble.’

Theirnameswereblack,likeVolkhanandMetus.Jinwoofeltastrongenergycomingfromthem.

‘Theymustbetheonesthatattackedtheothertwounits.’

Astrongpresenceandamatchinghostility.Jinwoodecidedtoobservetheirmovementswhilein‘Stealth’.

‘Let’sseehowtheydo.’

Itwasastrategicmovemadetodeterminethestrengthandthefightingstylesofthesenewtypesofmonsters.

‘MonstersthatambushtheShadowSoldiers…’

Inaway,hewasevenexcited.Inordertonotinterferewiththebattle,Jinwoostoppedandwatchedfromadistance.

Grrl?

Tanknoticedtheapproachingdemons.Theenemycameclosetotheunit,thendismounted.

‘Lookslikethehorsesareonlyfortraveling.’

Withaninterest,Jinwoowatchedwhatthedemonswoulddo.Themagicbeastunitroaredattheappearanceoftheenemyandcharged;soon,thetwogroupsclashedinaheatedbattle.

ROOOOOAR!

Tanktookthevanguard.Chargingonhisfourlegswithallhismight,thegiantbearstoppedbeforetheenemyandraisedhisbody.IfanordinaryhumanstoodbeforethesightoftheShadowBeast,theywould’vefaintedonthespot.Thedemonswereanythingbutordinaryhumans.EvenasTankswipedhispawwithagreatstrength,theydidnotflinch.

WOOOSH!

Thebear’spawdrewalineacrosstheair.Unlikehisgiantbody,itwasasurprisinglyfastattack.

However.

ThedemonnoblethatwasthetargetoftheattacknimblyjumpedovertheShadowBeast’spaw.

‘...!’

Jinwoo’seyeswidened.Hissurprisedidnotstopthere.Twistingintheair,thedemonnoblestabbedthespearinitshandsdeepintoTank’schest.

STAB–!

TheattackfilledwithmagicpowerblewaholethesizeofawatermelonintotheShadowBeast.Jinwoofeltanexplosiveamountofpowercomingfromtheslenderdemonnoble.Itsmovementswerecleanandbeautiful.TheHunter’sinterestintheseentitiesrose.

‘They’renotordinarymonsters.’

Besidesthedemonnoble,thethreedemonknightsalsoshowedoffanincrediblestrength.Thebattlequicklybecameone-sided.Themagicbeastsoldierswerenomatchforthesenewdemons.Previously,theunithadtakendownarchdemonswithease;theonlythingarchdemonshadgoingforthemwastheirgiantstature.Unlikethem,thesenewhumanoiddemonswerefartoogreatofanenemyforthemagicbeastunit.

‘Sothisiswhythesoldiers’regenerationcouldnotkeepup.’

Jinwoo’sfacehardened.

“Whimper!”

“Scream!”

Theicebearsandthehighorcswereobliteratedfarfasterthantheycouldregenerate.Jinwoo’sbrowsfurrowed.Aslongashehadthemana,hissoldierswerebasicallyimmortal.Evenifheranout,allthatwouldhappenisthatthesoldierswouldturnbacktoshadowformsandreturntohim.

“Yelp!”

Still,seeinghisownsoldiersgettingbeatupdidnotsitrightinhisheart.Itwaslikeanolderbrotherwatchinghislittlebrothersgettingpickedon.

‘That’senough.’

Unabletotakeitanylonger,Jinwoorecalledthemagicbeastunit.Athismental

command,theentireunitmeltedbacktotheirshadowformsandflowedintoJinwoo’sshadow.Asifthinkingtheenemyhadretreated,unabletotaketheirattacksanylonger,thedemonsturnedtoeachotherandnodded.Itwasasiftheywerecelebratingtheirthirdvictory.

That’swhen–

Shoo.

Inthemiddleofthedemons,Jinwooreleased‘Stealth’.

Flinch!

Theirsurpriseonlylastingamoment,thedemonsskillfullyreadthehuman’shostilityandwentontoattack.

BANG!

BANG!

Withhisbarefist,theHunterblewawaythetwodemonknightsthatwererightnexttohim.Thethirddemonknightthatchargedathimwasgrabbedbytheheadandslammedintotheground.

SLAM!

Asthegroundcrackedandsplintered,theSystemspoketohim–

YouhavedefeatedaDemonKnight.

Youhaveearned3,000experiencepoints.

Thesamemessagerepeatedthreetimes.Oneattackperdemon;heendedthelivesofthreemonstersinlessthanasecond.

‘They’rejusttrashmobsanyway.Thisone’stherealdeal.’

Jinwoomovedhisgazeovertothedemonnoble.Thedemonmethiseyesandflinched,thenraiseditsspear.

‘Youknow,Iwonderedinthepastifmonstersalsofeltfear…’

Lookingatthisthingrightnow,hebecamesure.Unlikethetimeitfacedthemagicbeastsoldiers,thetipofthedemonnoble’sspearwaslightlyshaking.Asexpected,itwasabletoascertainthedifferenceinstrengthofitsenemies.

‘NotthatI’mgoingtoholdback.’

Jinwooflashedacrossthegap.Atthesametime,thedemonnoblestabbedwithitsspear.AlltheHunterhadtodowaslightlymovehisheadtododge.However,thenoble’sspearturnedandtwistedintheair,continuingitsattacks.ItaimedforJinwoo’sforehead,neckandheartinsuccession.Itwasaflowingmovementtellingofthedemon’sskill.

Unfortunately(forthedemon),thethreeattackswereinstantlyrebuffedbyBaruka’sTanto.Whenthespearbegantoretractafterthefinalattack,theHunterquicklyremovedtheupperhalfofthespearwithhisdagger.

‘...!’

Thedemonnoblefrozeasitstaredatitshalvedweapon.

Thebattlewasover.

‘EventhoughitlookslikeitcoulddefeatseveralA-rankHuntersatonce…’

TheS-rankerpraisedthedemonnoble’sskills.Unfortunately(forthedemon),itsenemywasJinwoo.TheHuntergrabbedthenoble’shelmetwithhislefthand.

“Yelp!”

Shocked,thedemontriedtofreeitsheadandbackawaybutcouldnotdoanythingagainstJinwoo’sstrength.Thinkingtoslashitsneckafterexposingit,Jinwoofocusedhisstrengthinthelefthandtoremovethehelmet.Asexpected,itcameoffwithease.TheHunterraisedBaruka’sTanto.

[“Surrender!Isurrender!”]

Raisinganeyebrow,Jinwoostoppedhismovement.

[“Agirl?”]

Withthehelmetremoved,thefacethatwasrevealedwasdefinitelyfeminine.Truthfully,itdidnotmattertoJinwoowhetherthemonsterwasmaleorfemale.However,themonsterraisedherhandshighintotheair,declaringsurrender.WhensherealizedJinwoospokeherlanguage,shequicklyprostratedherselfontheground,flatteningherheadtothesurface.

‘...’

ShelookedtoopitifulfortheHuntertocontinuehisattack.

[“I-Iapologize!Wemadeaterriblemistake.P-please,sparethisone’slife!”]

Beggingforitslifeaftersuchaquickchangeinattitude?

Amonster?

“Huh…?”

Indisbelief,Jinwoostaredatthebackoftheslendermonsteronthegroundforsometime.

***

Sinceintelligentmagicbeastsexisted,itwasnotaweirdthingthatamonsterwithsimilarintelligencewouldexist.Still,thisthinginfrontofhimwasastrangeone.

‘...’

Dumbfoundedatwhatwashappeninginfrontofhim,Jinwoothoughtforaminutethenfinallyopenedhismouth–

[“You’reaskingformercyafterattackingmysoldiers?”]

[“W–we’vecommittedagravesin.”]

Thedemondugherforeheadintothegroundandcontinued–

[“However,astheclaninchargeofprotectingthisplace,wehadtodealwiththebastar–...IMEAN!Therespectfulbeingsthatweremassacringthedemons.Wehadnochoice.Pleaseforgiveus.”]

Well,fromthedemons’pointofview,hisactionscertainlywereantagonistic.Afterall,hehadinvadedtheirhomelandoutofnowhereandstartedtokillthemleftandright.Jinwootriedadifferentapproach–

[“Areyouokaywithreceivingmercyfromthepersonwhokilledyoursoldiers?”]

[“Theknights’dutiesweretoprotecttheirliege.IfIamsafe,I’msurethey’llbehappy.”]

Jinwooscratchedhistemple.Thenoble’sreplywasalittle…

‘Ican’ttellifshe’sshamelessoroptimistic.’

ThedemonnobleraisedherheadslightlyandpeekedatJinwoo.

[‘Gasp!’]

Sherealizedthesituationwasnotgoinginherfavor.Loweringherheadagain,shecontinuedwithanurgentvoice–

[“Ifyousparemylife,Iampreparedtogiveyouwhateveryouwant.”]

Jinwooplacedhishandsonhiships.Whilethedemonnoblewasastrongmonster,athercurrentdefenselessstate,itwouldbenothingfortheHuntertofinishheroff.

‘WhatshouldIdo?’

Hefellintocontemplation.Insteadofwonderingaboutwhethertoletthisthingliveordie,hewasinsteadthinkingaboutwhatbenefitsshecouldbringhimotherthanexperiencepointsanditems.

‘Ohright.’

Therewassomething.

[“Theinterfloorentrypermit.”]

[“Sir?”]

Withsurpriseinhereyes,thedemonsnappedherheadup.Exceptforthesharpfangshesawearlierwhensheopenedhermouth,shehadaratherhuman-likeface.Jinwooaskedindifferently–

[“Canyougetitforme?”]

[“...”]

Herfaceturnedpaleaftermeetinghisgazeandthemonsterplacedherforeheadontothegroundagain.

‘Well,it’snotlikeamonsterwouldknowaboutitems.’

Thediscussionwasover.JinwoorecalledBaruka’sTantofromhisinventory.Hewascuriousaboutwhytherewasamonsterwithintelligencebeggingformercy,butthemanwasnotabouttogiveuppreciousexperiencepoints.

‘Sincethedemonknightsgavethreethousand,thisoneshouldgivemore,right?’

Theentrypermitmightevendropfromitscorpse.

Suddenly–

[“W–we’llgiveittoyou.”]

[“Givewhat?”]

[“The…theinterfloorentrypermit.”]

Thedemonlookedup,sawthedaggerinJinwoo’shand,andbegantosweat.

[“Youcangivethepermittome?”]

Thedemonnoblerapidlynodded.

[“It’ssomethingkeptbyourclan.Ifyoubringmehomesafely,we’llgiveyouthepermit.”]

Thedemonswerekeepingtheentrypermit?

Jinwooplacedahandonhischin.Whenheheardit,itwasastrongpossibility.

Hehadwanderedthe80thFloorforsometimenow.Whilethenumberofdemonstakendownbyhisunitswerenotsmall,theentrypermitdidnotdropfromanyofthem.

‘Atfirst,IjustthoughtthedropratedecreasedasIwentup.Ormaybeabosswasholdingontoit…’

Itmadeperfectsenseifthemonsterswerekeepingithiddenlikethisonesaid.WatchingJinwoosilentlyconsiderheroffer,thedemonnoblequicklyadded–

[“Ievenknowwherealltheentrypermitsareonthefloorsaboveus.Ifyouguaranteethesafetyofmeandmyclan,I’llguideyoutoeveryoneofthem.”]

Jinwoo’seyeschanged.Herwordspiquedhisinterest.Wantingtoreachthefinalfloorasfastaspossible,theideaofbeingguidedtoeveryentrypermitgreatlyinterestedtheHunter.

However–

‘ThequestioniswhetherornotIcantrustthisthing.’

Jinwoostretchedoutahandandraisedthedemonnoble’schin.Shepanickedbutdidnotresist.TheHunterlookedstraightintothedemon’seyes.

‘Bloodlust.’

Bloodlusthasbeenactivated.

Woosh–

AchillingenergyemanatedfromJinwoo’seyes.Terrified,thedemonnoble’slipsbegantotremble.

[“CanItrustyourwords?”]

[“This…thisoneisnotlying.”]

JinwoorecalledthecreedhemadetohimselfwhenhefirstobtainedtheSystem.

GiveandTake.

Eveniftheoppositionwasamonster,thatcreedwouldstand.Ifthemonsterkeptitspromise,healsowouldkeephispromise.

[“Alright.”]

Jinwooretractedhiskillingintent.

[“Aslongasyougivemetheentrypermit.Iwillleavethisplacequietly.”]

[“R-really?”]

Jinwoonodded.Includingthisone,theexperiencepointslostfromnottakingdowntheonesprotectingtheinterfloorentrypermitwereregrettable,butspendingagreatamountoftimelookingforthosepermitswastoowasteful.Already,hefeltlikehehadspenttoomuchtimeonthe80thFloor.Ofcourse,ifthiswasallatrick,therewasnothinghe’dlose.Hersocalledclanwouldjustbeerasedfromexistenceifitwas.

[“Thankyou,sir!”]

Thedemonnoble’sfacebrightenednoticeably.Jinwoowasn’tsureifitwasbecausehergratitudewasgenuineorifshewasjustasimpleone.Ashetuttedinhismind,heaskedaquestionthathadbeenplaguinghismindforalongtime–

[“Beforethat…justwhatareyouall?”]

***

[“IamLadirclan’seldestdaughter,Eshil.Ourclanis–”][1]

[“Nonotthat.”]

Jinwoointerruptedher.Hedidn’tcareforthemonster’sbackgroundorherplaceinlife.WhathewantedtoknowwasthemysterybehindthemonstersandtheInstantDungeon.Howshouldhephrasehisquestiontogetthatanswer?No,astraightanswerwasn’tevenneeded.Justasmallcluewouldbeenough.Hehadattemptedsomethinglikeinthepastagainstamagicbeast,butallhelearnedfromthattimewasthatthecommandof“KillAllHumans”wererepeatedinthemagicbeasts’minds.

‘Dothesethingshavethesamecommandintheirheads?’

Jinwoosimplifiedtheideaandasked–

[“Doyoualsohaveavoiceinyourheadtellingyoutokillallhumans?”]

[“Sir?”]

Eshilraisedherheadandstaredblankly.Becauseshewasstillkneelingontheground,Jinwoohadtokeeplookingdowntomeethergaze.Thiswasalittleuncomfortable.

‘Che.’

Withalightclickofhistongue,Jinwoojustgrabbedherbytheshouldersandforcedherup,thenlookedintohereyesagain.Asifscaredbythesuddentouch,hefeltherheartbeatspeedup.Jinwooaskedagain–

[“Is.There.Avoicethatcontinuouslywhispersinyourheadtokillallhumans?”]

[“Ah…”]

Eshilthoughtforamomentthenopenedhermouth–

[“No,sir.Butthereisanothervoicespeakingtousconstantly.”]

[“Whatdoesitsay?”]

[“Ittellsusto‘protecttheplaceyou’rein’...”]

EshilspokewhilecarefullywatchingJinwoo’sexpression.

‘Themonsters’reasonforexistenceisdifferentthanthemagicbeasts.’

Unlikethemagicbeaststhatwerecommandedtokillhumans,itappearedthatthemonsterswerecommandedtoprotecttheInstantDungeons.Thetwocommandswerecompletelydifferent.

‘Wait….’

Inaway,doesthatmeanhehimselfwaslikeamagicbeasttothemonsters?Afterall,withouthavingavoicecommandinghim,themanhadalwaysenteredInstantDungeonsandslaughteredmonstersleftandright…LookingatEshil’sfacethathadpaledafterbeinghitby‘Bloodlust’,Jinwoofeltalittlesorryforthemonster.

Justatinybit.

[“Whendidyoufirsthearthevoice?”]

[“Themomentweopenedoureyesinthisplace,sir.”]

‘Openedtheireyeshere?’

Doesthatmeantheylivedsomewhereelsebeforethis?Well,whetheritwastrueornot,itwould’vebeenhowthesethingsrememberedit.Somehow,JinwoofeltlikehetookatinysteptowardsfiguringoutthetrueidentityoftheSystem.TheHuntercontinuedhisquestioning–

[“Thenwherewereyoubeforeyouopenedyoureyeshere?”]

[“IntheDemonWorld.Whenwewokeup,wewerehere.”][2]

[“WhatwereyoudoingbackintheDemonWorld?”]

[“Wewere…preparingforwar.”]

[“War?”]

[“Yes,sir.”]

Wassherememberingthetimebackthen?Theterrorinherfacewhilebeggingforherlifewasreplacedwithastrangedetermination.

[“ItwasforawaragainstaterrifyinglypowerfulenemythatwehadtogatherallthedemonsoftheDemonWorld–”]

Atthatpoint,Eshil’swordscutoff.

[“–––––––––”]

No,notcutoff.Shewasstilltalking;herlipsmovingcontinuously.However,Jinwoocouldnothearhervoice.Instead,theSystem’selectronicvoicespoke–

Youhavesurpassedtheallowedamountofinformation.Theconversationwillbemuted.

Youhavesurpassedtheallowedamountofinformation.Theconversationwillbemuted.

Youhavesurpassedtheallowedamountof...

UntilEshilfinishedtalking,thesamemessagerepeated.Jinwoo’seyeslitupwithafiercelight.

‘Ifyoudidnothing,Imight’vegivenitnothought.’

IfEshilhadbeenallowedtocontinue,Jinwoomight’vejustacceptherwordsasabackstorygiventoherbytheSystem.

Level-up,InstantDungeons,Quests,Rewards,PenaltiesandevenClassAdvancement.JustlikeeverythingfromtheSystemupuntilnowwerelikefromavideogame,amonsterhavingavideogame-likebackstorywouldn’thavebeenstrange.However,oncetheSystemforciblyintervenedtostophimfromhearingEshil’swords,Jinwoobecamecompletelysure–

‘Herwordscontainedastrongclueaboutallthis.’

TheSystemhadmadeagraveerror.

[“Did…didIdosomethingwrong?”]

WhenJinwoo’sexpressionbecameserious,Eshil’sfacedarkened.

‘DidtheSystemwanttohidewhothedemonswerefighting?Orperhapsthereasonandresultofthebattle?’

Tofindout,Jinwoonarrowedhislineofquestioning–

[“Whowerethe‘terrifyinglypowerfulenemies’youspokeof?”]

Inthatmoment,Eshilfrozelikeatoythathaditsbatteriesrunout.However,it

onlylastedforasplitsecond.

[“Ah…”]

Herfrozenformsuddenlyrelaxedandlostconsciousness,likeapuppetwith…nevermind.Jinwooquicklyplacedherontheground.Shewasbreathing,anditdidnotseemliketherewasanythingseriouslywrongwithher.However,herfacewasscrunchingupasifshewasuncomfortable.Itlookedlikeshehaddifficultybreathing.Inordertohelpherbreathe,Jinwoorippedoffherarmorwithhisbarehands.

Crack.

Thearmorwasremovedeasily.Then,themanrolledupthecapeattachedtothearmorandcreatedapillowforherhead.Itwasabitofworkforamonster,butitwasnotdoneoutofanykindness.Afterall,heputherinthisstatewhileearningahintabouttheSystem.

‘Theenemythatthedemonsfought…’

TheSystemhadthoroughlystoppedhimfromhearingtheidentityofthoseenemies.

‘Couldtheybethekeytoallofthis?’

Perhapstheyhadsomesortofanunimaginablepower,andforanunknownreason,wereaffectingEarthorhimself…

Jinwooopeneduptheshop.HetriedtowakeupEshilusingapotion,butitdidnotwork.

‘IswaitingallIcoulddo?’

JinwoosatonthegroundnexttoEshil.Untilsheopenedhereyesagain,hecarefullywentoverthehintshehadobtainedfromtheirconversation.

***

[“Huh?”]

Eshilshotawakeandsatupstraight.Sensingapresencenexttoher,sheturnedherheadandflinchedwhenshesawJinwoo.

[‘Thatwasn’tadream.’]

Inordertofullytakeinhersituation,shelookedaroundhersurroundings.Theareawaslitteredwithcorpsesofarchdemons.Thefemaledemon’seyeswidened.Demonswithoutintelligencewouldnotconsiderdemonswithintelligencetheircomrades.Tothem,herunconsciousbodywouldhavebeennothingbutfood.

But–

Thefactthatshewasaliveandwellmeantthat…

[“Didyouprotectme,sir?”]

Insteadofreplying,JinwoojuststoodupandheldoutahandtowardEshil.Withamovedexpression,shetookhishandandcarefullystoodup.

[“Thankyou.”]

[“Howlongistheplacewiththepermitfromhere?”]

[“Notfar,allowmetoleadtheway.”]

Suddenly,EshilheldoutherhandstowardJinwoo.

“...?”

[“...?”]

Thepairexchangedconfusedgazes.Asiffrustrated,Eshilwasthefirsttospeak–

[“I’myourprisoner,soyoushouldbindmy–”]

[“Thatwon’tbenecessary.”]

Evenwithoutabinding,hewasconfidentenoughtorespondtoanyresistanceorescapeattempts.Hehadwastedtoomuchtimetodosuchuselessgestures.

JinwooturnedEshilaroundandpushedherfrombehind.Asifstillterrified,JinwoofeltEshil’sheartbeatspeedupagain,butthemandidnotgiveitmuchmind.TheHunter’sgazelookedtowardthedirectionthemonsterscamefrom.

[“Whataboutthehorses?”]

[“Thisonewilltakethem.”]

Withablushingface,Eshiltookthereinsofthethreehorsesandtookthelead.Jinwooquietlyfollowedafterher.

----------

[1]“LadirClan”():propername+“clan/extendedfamily”.Thepropernameispronounced“la”+“dee”+“reu”>Ladir.“Eshil”():propername“eh”+“sil/shil”.Couldn’tfindanynotablematchingreferences.Chose“shil”insteadof“sil”fornoparticularreason.

[2]“DemonWorld”():“demon”+“world”