Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Even This Won't Tempt Me?
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Even like this, you're not going in?
I turned down the association president position for now. Ridiculous, right? If I showed up looking like this and tried to run the association, it'd be a disaster.
Besides, I prefer my pleasures without the responsibility.
The moment I got home, Dali was giving me this sneaky side-eye.
"(˶︲.︲ก)﹆"
You've got to be kidding me...
There, tucked away in one corner of the blanket, was that massive magic stone shell it thought it had hidden.
I trusted you! Dali, how could you betray me like this...!
"Sigh, it's my fault. What did you even do wrong?"
There were no other goblins around, so I couldn't grab any magic stones for it, and in the chaos, I had left poor Dali behind. That was all on me.
Plus, Dali had saved my life, so I had no right to blame it anyway.
"I'll buy you some magic stones later."
Hey, I'm loaded now—three hundred million hitting my account every month!
Something this pricey, in the tens of millions, might be tough, but I could totally afford million-won magic stones to feed it every day!
Buying them might not be straightforward, but going through the association should smooth that out somewhat.
Work starts next week, anyway.
And "work" means my own dedicated floor! I can live there or stay home, and they'll pick me up when needed. Talk about luxurious treatment.
The nation's taxes... damn, they're sweet.
Honey so thick and concentrated it drips in globs.
Hmm... Heavenly Flame Guild's gonna be pretty disappointed, though.
Going public as association-affiliated basically puts me at odds with the guilds.
Unlike the profit-driven guilds, the association's current direction prioritizes efficient order and stability.
Minister Jin Tae-san explained that since it's newly formed, there'll be plenty of clashes with guilds early on.
But even I had to side with the association—back before I awakened, a low-rank gate popped up near my house right on the border between two guilds. They got caught in a turf war, and the clear got delayed forever.
'Ugh, it's nagging at me.'
The current S-rank gate was being tackled solo by Heavenly Flame Guild. Cheon I-ryeong had put out calls for support, but most responses were lukewarm.
The biggest issue was the other two S-ranks on her level turning her down flat.
Day two inside for Heavenly Flame.
A normal gate would've been cleared by now, but no one's come out with updates.
They're probably still fighting.
'...Or maybe dead.'
I shook off the grim thoughts and flopped back onto the bed, pulling Dali into a hug. Its fur felt soft and warm—nothing like a water spirit.
I spent a while kneading its belly fat—
"Ugh! Can't take it anymore. Let's just go check on things."
Even if we'd gotten a bit closer, I couldn't help worrying a little. I'd swing by, scope it out, and if it looked bad, ask the association to move faster.
With Dali tucked inside me, I rushed to the S-rank gate vicinity and ducked into an alley to cast Camouflage, hidden from prying eyes.
A blue veil draped over my body.
I peeked out cautiously. Nearby onlookers stared straight past the barricades, confirming I was invisible.
'Works like a charm.'
But it wouldn't last long, so I slipped over the barricade quick and darted into the alleys between buildings.
Apart from the main road guarded by low-rank hunters, the alleys were deserted. I headed toward the center, keeping quiet.
Soon, a swirling crimson vortex came into view.
Humanity's greatest headache: a gate.
And next to it, under the tent—
"Hahaha! Heard the gates around Gangseo are loaded lately. Naraka Guild must be loving it."
"Come on, saying that from Abyss? You guys cleared two A-ranks last month."
"We're stuck with B-ranks here. You're hogging all the good ones. If you're swamped, send some our way, Guardian."
A bunch of A-rank hunters were lounging around, happily sipping coffee and gossiping.
"Anyway, should we call the kids over soon?"
"Hmm, maybe we scout it tomorrow?"
"Send in a recon team at least. Better if Heavenly Flame has some juice left—that minimizes our losses."
"True. Worst case... we might need to abandon the site altogether."
These rotten bastards.
I memorized every one of you.
In front of an S-rank gate—the highest danger level out there—and these idiots were still playing it safe, testing the waters.
Someone was risking their life inside, but these tax-sucking A-rank "protectors" only cared about their own gains and plotting their escape.
"We can't put this off any longer! How long are you all just going to sit there?!"
Just then, a guy with a sword at his waist stepped up and yelled at them.
"Whoa, newbie's got some fire—look, we're not doing this for fun... Gear and prep aren't ready yet."
"What prep? You've done nothing for two days!"
"Sigh, I get the enthusiasm now that you're A-rank, but grasp the situation, Choi Kang-in. Follow guild orders. We'll call you soon."
"...Keep this up, and we'll go in first."
"This is why newbies are trouble... Keep talking like that, and you'll get stuck with trash gates. No other guilds will take you."
"Do whatever. I'm heading in."
Choi Kang-in glared at the smirking hunters from his seat, then turned and joined the group at the gate.
'All A-ranks.'
Three somewhat famous guild-affiliated or freelance hunters, plus Choi Kang-in.
I approached under Camouflage.
"What is it?"
Choi Kang-in shook his head grimly, and Song Si-woo, the wind ability hunter, picked up like he'd expected it.
"Told you, wasted trip. Those cowards bail if it smells off. They'll poke around, then spit it out like bad soup."
Damn, straight facts.
Wait, sword user newly A-rank... Choi Kang-in's gotta be One-Second Sword Saint??
Come to think of it, he'd mentioned supporting gates. We'd chatted a bit on Tower Gallery, so I felt this inner camaraderie, but I couldn't exactly say hi.
"Let's go, then. Support's a bust anyway... We help out ourselves or rescue and bail."
"Ready."
"Move out."
The four hunters prepped to enter.
As I watched, I messaged the number Jin Tae-san had given me upon registration.
And then—
S-Rank Gate Subjugation
🎁 Reward: Creation quota +1, Skill
Like it had been waiting, the Quest Window shoved this at me.
Subjugation? Quest, you really think a newbie who just cleared floor 5 should tackle an S-rank?
The rewards were insanely good, though. Straight-up blackmail with "Even this won't make you go in?" vibes.
The quests so far had all been feasible, but this one stretched imagination.
Heavenly Flame was still fighting inside, so if I was gonna slip in, now was the only shot.
In the end, I followed the four into the gate, keeping Camouflage up.
Crimson sky, cracked earth like a drought-stricken field.
Black smoke rose from the fissures.
The stinging air filled my lungs in an instant, breaking my focus with coughs—Camouflage shattered.
"Cough—!"
"What?"
"Who's there?!"
"Huh? A kid...? Get out—before the demonic energy corrupts you!"
The four whipped around at my cough, weapons drawn, shouting sharply.
Choi Kang-in spotted me and pointed urgently at the gate back outside.
...But I'd come this far.
"Take me deeper. I can help."
I swept Overpainting across my chest, soothing the burning in my lungs.
Black aura mixed in the air.
So this is demonic energy.
Dazzling white light scattered the surrounding black smoke, and their eyes went wide at the sight.
"...Saintess?"
"When did you follow us?!"
"The healer from the rumors? For real? Whoa, she's tiny!"
Song Si-woo, hovering slightly with wind swirling his hands on guard, freaked out—
Dwoop.
A gentle breeze from him wrapped and lifted my body.
"Hunter Song. What are you doing?"
"Why? Escorting her inside. She looks too frail to keep up running."
"No way we bring the Saintess to a dangerous battlefield like this! What if something happens?!"
"I'm fine."
"She says she's fine. And don't we need a healer right now? Who knows Heavenly Flame's status inside. Perfect timing, if you ask me."
Choi Kang-in had no comeback to Song Si-woo's logic, and the others nodded in agreement.
And so the rush began—
Me tagging along like luggage, comfy as hell.
'Wind power... Maybe master this first?'
These frail legs ached after a short walk, so this auto-transport wind ability was tempting.
Make a wind spirit outright...? But could I afford the magic stones? If it turned into a stone-munching bug like Dali, that'd be trouble.
Thanks to the easy ride, random thoughts flowed as we pushed deeper—
Boom! Bang—Block—
Deafening explosions and shouts mixed chaotically in the scene ahead.
"...What the hell is that."
Even Song Si-woo, who'd kept his cool vibe, stared grimly at the rampaging monster.
It vaguely resembled a gorilla, but covered head to toe in scales, big as a four-story building.
Lee Jae-hoon blocked a truck-like swing from the monster's arm, only for his left arm to shred on the jagged spines protruding from its scales. He clicked his tongue.
'This is pointless suicide.'
As the meaningless attrition dragged on, Guild Master Cheon I-ryeong gathered all her mana for Hellfire—but it only gouged a shallow wound in its chest.
Grazed by its flailing arm in retaliation, her body tore open on the spines, massive blood loss sending her unconscious.
The problem was those antler-like horns sprouting from both shoulders, spreading out like intricate spiderwebs to form a shield.
Ranged spells and abilities lost half their power to the horns, and the weakened magic couldn't even scratch the scales.
Melee hunters couldn't target vitals like head or chest because of the horns, hitting limbs instead until spines took them out.
Even emergency treatment with medical glue and bandages was hitting limits.
They'd tried pulling back from the battlefield, but the damn thing was too fast for its size, blocking even that.
"Cough... I'll buy time. Get the guild members out..."
Cheon I-ryeong barely regained consciousness, spitting blood as she forced the words out.
"...Don't talk nonsense. You're the only one who can land meaningful hits. You escape."
Only she could pierce those horns for real damage. Get her out, alert another S-rank, bring backup.
"Saintess...?"
Maybe blood loss was making her delirious. As Lee Jae-hoon looked down—
Like sunlight piercing clouds—
Flowing silvery-white hair caught his eye.
"...Lady Iroha?"