Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Provisional Contract with the Lame Thief (1)
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No, what the hell? Why? How?
Hunter Gallery's most likable anonymous poster.
The Pseudo-Blacksmith, the world's only hope.
Sweating buckets in the sweltering heat, silently crafting gear solely for Awakeners to safely clear gates.
That's me. So how could anyone be more interested in other bait when I posted about giving away custom B-Rank gear for free?
A mix of curiosity and a twinge of jealousy had me checking the post right away.
[Holy Nation S-Rank Gate Raid—Am I the Only One Freaking Out?]
Author: Protect the Saintess
Succeeding in raiding an S-Rank gate would be great and all... but this plan feels way too reckless.
They're only teaming up with one guild, and it's some guild I've never even heard of.
Anyone know anything about Sicario Guild?
I was shocked too. Even the World Hunter Association seems against it, but Holy Nation's pushing it through anyway;;
Didn't they decide to raid S-Rank gates only after gathering S-Rank Awakeners?
But they've been saying that for years and nothing's happened. I get Holy Nation's position. An S-Rank gate sitting right in their holy land must be nerve-wracking.
[Holy Nation <<< I Figured Out What These Bastards Are Thinking LMAOOOO]
Since the gate popped up in their holy land, they think showing off their faith will clear it and reward them with a holy relic lololololol
Anything else and raiding an S-Rank gate makes zero sense lolololol
If they're wrong, they just go back to the goddess's side!!!
LOLOLOLOLOL
Hey... you'll get dragged off quietly.
I looked up that Sicario Guild they're going with—no S-Rank Awakeners or anything;; Straight-up suicide.
Damn, how'd you find that out? You a hacker?
No S-Rank Awakener's registered to Sicario Guild lol
Damn you're smart, you little shit;;
These guys registered some E-Rank trash as a holy relic, then the perfect upgrade D-Rank Light Staff dropped, so now they're just throwing their lives away lol
Group suicide by shame lololol
Boastful Blacksmith you bastard!!! lololololololol
But seriously, who's crazy enough to go in there? It's like world politics WWE—just hype it up and call it a day ㅇㅇ
For real lol
Italy's premier guild, famed for housing the S-Rank Awakener Saintess—Holy Nation Guild.
The place they now called their holy land: Vatican City-State.
They'd declared they would raid the S-Rank gate that appeared there.
And they meant it seriously.
While some were genuinely worried, surprisingly—or perhaps not surprisingly—a ton of people weren't paying it much mind.
The reason? The plan was so utterly unrealistic.
Five years ago, the world's first S-Rank gate raid attempt cost two S-Rank Awakeners their lives, leading to a global ban on all S-Rank raids.
A single party composed entirely of S-Rank Awakeners.
That was the World Hunter Association's minimum requirement for an S-Rank gate raid party.
Holy Nation Guild's declaration, woefully short of that mark, naturally drew massive backlash—and still did.
So even if they had such a plan, no one thought it'd actually happen.
Proving it, the gallery's hot topics were shifting.
Holy Nation's S-Rank raid declaration had strong short-term impact, but it crumbled against the steady pull of my B-Rank giveaway event.
[Boastful Blacksmith's Giveaway Comments Are Hilariously Fun LOLOLOL]
["Mom, When I Grow Up I Wanna Be a Blacksmith!" <<< My Kid Actually Said This Today;;]
[TBH Boastful Blacksmith Should Cancel the Giveaway RN—Not Because I'm the Dumbass Who Impulse-Bid 40 Billion on a B-Rank Iron Sword or Anything ㅇㅇ]
My giveaway post had built-in content that breathed life into the bait all on its own.
The endless stream of Awakeners' sob stories in the comments.
Many started by revealing their real names and affiliations, turning peeking at who was commenting into its own entertainment.
It exploded after one S-Rank Awakener joined in.
[Gustavo's Out There Grinding That Hard Too FFS;; Time to Reflect and Drop a Comment Myself]
Author: HonestManHere
S-Rank Awakener joining a B-Rank gear giveaway event FFS;;
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
LOLOL S-Rank Awakeners use B-Rank gear all the time
FFS but it hurts the pride;;
Does pride pay the bills?
Does pride forge gear? LOLOL
Brazil can't help it with their hoe culture lololol
The fuck's that
If you succeed, gotta feed your whole family, friends, and village lol
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Brazil's S-Rank Awakener Gustavo joining my giveaway.
I only found out late, after the bait had already rolled on its own.
His story was something about saving a Brazilian farm family.
With things blowing up this big, I'd probably need to pick one more besides Hyeji and hook them up separately.
If it came out later that Hyeji was a shoo-in, no legal issues, but it'd invite unnecessary hate.
I'd set a generous one-month deadline anyway, so I could just give one of the remaining entries or make another B-Rank later.
Now it was time to reply to Kim Hyeji's PM.
[I've been orphaned since I was little...]
[Spent my tough teen years getting bullied by the orphanage sisters and brothers...]
...
[Truth is, I have this really amazing ability...]
[Can't repay you right now, but I swear I'll make it big and pay you back!!!]
[Oh, and thanks so much for hosting this awesome event!]
"Hmm... Why'd she send her story via PM?"
Better this way, actually.
Since I'd decided to pick one more besides Kim Hyeji for a separate B-Rank, I could treat hers as entirely off-the-books.
[Solo Level Up, thanks for joining the event again. Got something to send you outside the event—reply when you have time.
Keep it 100% secret that I messaged you. Break that, and you could be disqualified from the event.]
I sent a long greeting-cum-warning, since getting all excited about the PM and blabbing to friends would be trouble.
Current time: 7 PM.
She'd be deep in gate runs, so no instant reply expect—
[Yes yes!!! I'm free right now!!!]
"Does Gallery have PM notifications?"
The reply speed made it seem like she had alerts even with the app closed.
Of course, no such thing existed.
She must've been constantly checking for my messages.
"Whoa..."
If Hyeji didn't live next door, what would've happened to me?
Anyway, quick reply was good.
No waiting, and her anticipation meant she'd likely be cooperative with my proposal.
[Reached out via PM cuz I have a separate proposal outside the event.]
[To me?!!]
A perfectly natural reaction.
She did have an amazing ability, but no way Boastful Blacksmith would know that, so a proposal made no sense.
[Just hear me out fully, and I'll give you B-Rank gear.]
Even if she rejected Boastful Blacksmith's offer, once she learned it was me—and that I could make A-Rank and S-Rank gear—she'd have no choice but to join my guild.
No big deal if talks fell through now; B-Rank gear was pocket change.
[Yes yes! Tell me!!!]
Her tone screamed she'd bite on anything I offered—no worries there.
[Read your PM story cover to cover.
It made me want to give you B-Rank gear.
Your desperation, plus that special ability you mentioned.
If you're truly top talent, I'd like to offer you a spot in my guild.]
...
Sent Kim Hyeji a guild recruitment offer for a guild that didn't even exist yet.
I expected another instant wall of positivity, but nope.
Riiiing—
My phone buzzed.
Not from Solo Level Up.
From Kim Hyeji.
To Shin Yujun, not Boastful Blacksmith.
"Hello?"
"Yujun! What do I do!! Boastful Blacksmith's giving me B-Rank gear!! But I sent him my story?! Oh, you know—the giveaway event! I sent it there, but it's not like I won or anything—he's just giving it to me straight-up! And he wants me to join his guild!!!"
"Uh..."
"What do you think??!"
"Asking if you should join the guild?"
"No no! Should I tell Boastful Blacksmith about my ability?!!"
Ah... um...
Is it okay to recruit this girl?