Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Civil Servant Hunter’s S-class Resignation Log – Chapter 21
S-rank Awakeners alone could shift the balance of the entire world.
Not to mention those even higher up, the L-ranks.
"We already have one S-rank Hunter among us who's active overseas. But that's an exception. He hasn't left Korea entirely, and he's promised to prioritize things here if an emergency arises."
"What if I do the same?"
"Your situation's different. There are several S-ranks, but you're one of a kind. We can't stop you from roaming freely, but your affiliation has to stay with Korea."
"Is that so? What if I refuse and bolt? Can you even stop me?"
Kang Se-jun's eyes gleamed dangerously. Kang Han-seo and Do Jun-young stiffened, while Yoo Su-eun furrowed her brow as if annoyed.
But Song Han-na and Joo Eun showed no change in expression, even under the veiled threat.
"We couldn't. Well, if all of us piled on, we might grab you by the pant leg, but that'd be pretty embarrassing."
Even as she said it, Song Han-na giggled as if she were enjoying herself.
"You weren't planning to leave anyway, right?"
This time, it was Kang Se-jun who frowned.
"I don't like you. Talking to you feels like facing hundreds of sly foxes. Tiger? Nah, snake suits you better."
"You seem to know me pretty well. That's weird. This is our first meeting, so where'd you see me?"
"Who knows? Maybe in a dream."
Song Han-na stroked her chin. Her narrowed eyes held a flicker of contemplation, but she quickly brushed it aside.
Well, there are plenty of ways to figure it out.
"Are you joining a guild? Or starting your own?"
"I'll operate independently. I'm not interested in dungeon raids. That said, if someone requests my help for a raid or collaboration, I might consider it."
Her unexpected words drew strange looks from the two guild masters.
All guilds focused on dungeon raids. Those were the biggest money-makers in this era, thanks to the items and magistones they yielded. And yet this powerhouse claimed no interest in them.
Joo Eun paused in thought, then suddenly hardened his expression as an idea struck him.
"You're not thinking about the Labyrinth Dungeon, are you?"
Labyrinth Dungeon.
The mere mention sent a chill through everyone except Song Han-na, freezing their faces.
There were four types of dungeons.
The most common regular dungeons, Dungeon Breaks where monsters could spill out beyond the gates, Rift Dungeons where entire spaces transformed into dungeons, and finally, the still-unconquered Labyrinth Dungeon.
Unlike other dungeons that spawned randomly everywhere, there was only one Labyrinth Dungeon in the entire world.
It was a nightmarish place too horrific to quantify in terms of dangera living hell on the surface.
Was Kang Se-jun aiming for that?
"Why would you go there..."
"Failing to clear the Labyrinth Dungeon means the end of the whole world. Literally, everything."
A clear fury rose on Kang Se-jun's face. Red vapors rose from his clenched fisthe was that angry.
No one could make sense of it. Sure, the Labyrinth Dungeon was that dangerous, but why was Kang Se-jun this furious?
As if he'd actually witnessed the world's end.
"That's odd. As far as I know, only one Korean's ever joined a Labyrinth Dungeon raid, and it wasn't you. You talk like you've been there."
Song Han-na's sharp question made Kang Se-jun's eye twitch for a split second.
"So you have been. Sneaking in, even."
"You think a place like that lets people sneak in?"
"Then why the reaction? Like you've experienced it."
"Blame it on my contractor entity and skills."
Kang Se-jun clamped his mouth shut, signaling he was done talking about it.
"Our L-rank has a lot of secrets."
Even as Yoo Su-eun snarked openly, he didn't so much as twitch an eyebrow.
"...Huh?"
Kang Han-seo, who'd been looking increasingly uncomfortable as if his throat were being squeezed, let out a strangled sound. Joo Eun glanced at him curiously.
"Something wrong?"
"Uh, well... My eyes are acting weird right now. What is this? Did the giant serpent's poison get me?"
"As if. I already checked you overyour body's fine."
Yoo Su-eun, the healer responsible for the raid party's safety, shot him down flatly. Kang Han-seo's face grew even more puzzled.
"Then what the hell is this?"
"What? Spit it out."
"Uh, we have 11 S-ranks total, right?"
"Yeah."
"Kang Se-jun's L-rank, but since he's above us, I got a notification that he's joined the S-rank exclusive community?"
"And?"
"With him, it should be 12, but it's showing a total of 13..."
Silence blanketed the Association President's office. The dazed group hurriedly opened their communities. And they all saw it clearly.
13.
The ominously bold number stared back at them.
A chilling dread, like from some ghost story, permeated the room.
"...Since when?"
Yoo Su-eun muttered blankly. She was a community addict alongside Kang Han-seo and Noeul Guild Master Eun In-jae, yet she'd missed the member increase entirely!
"No entry notification either? Anyone see who it was?"
"I-I didn't see anything!"
It wasn't just Kang Han-seo. Joo Eun and Do Jun-young shook their heads too.
So who the hell was this mystery 13th member?
"Has there ever been a new member without a notification?"
"Never."
Kang Han-seo shivered like he'd seen a ghost, hugging his arms tight.
"What is this? System glitch? N-No, then... g-g-ghost?! Ghosts hacking the system?!"
"Get a grip, Han-seo."
Song Han-na looked at him with utter pity. What to do with this scaredy-cat S-rank.
"No recent S-rank certifications, so it has to be someone who contracted a star entity strong enough to confirm S-rank without testing."
"Must've made a pact with an impressive star."
Unlike the trembling Kang Han-seo, Song Han-na and Joo Eun conversed calmly.
There were two ways to determine rank.
Measuring mana post-awakening, or contracting a star entity to lock it in.
Those two were the latter case. The stars backing them were gods powerful enough to grant S-rank just through the contract.
"I'm really curious who it is. They should've registered officially with the Association."
Joo Eun muttered regretfully. A new powerful ally, and they didn't even know whofrustrating for someone who had to collaborate until death.
"Unregistered is illegal, but at S-rank, it's tricky to enforce. I'm curious about the newbie too, but oh well."
Hanna pondered, stroking her chin, then glanced at Kang Se-jun across from her.
His blank face suggested either disinterest or calm confidence from knowing something.
Strange. He looked like he was in his twenties, but impossible to read.
Thinking he'd brought an intriguing one into the mix, Hanna tossed him a casual question.
"You're our country's first L-rank. Any guesses?"
"Hard to say. I don't know everything, but one thing's for surethe odds are high that this person's the one who took down the Grade 2 boss beast."
The group suddenly remembered something they'd forgotten amid Kang Se-jun's dramatic entrance, realization dawning on their faces.
"Right, I was curious about that too. You said someone else killed the boss mob that evolved into a magical beast? You were all stuck in the dungeon."
"The moment we got the Dungeon Break alert, I tried to bail. But a serpent as strong as the boss was blocking the entrance, so it took time."
Joo Eun's expression darkened. Several raid members had gotten hurt by the boss in the delay. If he'd been more careful, it wouldn't have happenedhis failure as raid leader.
"By the time we escaped, it was over. Here's the boss beast's corpse."
Song Han-na's eyebrow twitched at the photo. The serpent's massive headwhich could swallow vehicles wholehad been completely blown off.
"What a style. Such a sloppy job."
Tsk tsk. Couldn't it have been cleaner?
Kang Han-seo gawked at Song Han-na's lament. She was the one who loved crushing everything with telekinesis. No one here was unaware.
"Kang Se-jun, what'd you see?"
"A woman. But she wore a gas mask, so no face. From her weapon, I'd say sniper class."
"Sniper, huh. Rare class. Might be easy to track. Anything else?"
"High chance she contracted a powerful entity, like you guessed. That Jacket of Revival and her weapon looked top-tierhard to get without star backing."
"Spoiled rotten with diamonds, that one."
Song Han-na grumbled enviously, drawing fierce glares from Yoo Su-eun and Kang Han-seo. She herself had contracted the strongest star in Korea.
"If anyone spots a suspected new S-rank, report it immediately. Someone who one-shots a Grade 2 boss beast? We need to secure them for Korea. Might even be stronger than me."
"The domestic rankings are about to flip."
"I've already stepped down from number one. New top dog, nice to meet ya."
Oy, this old shoulder's carried too heavy a load. Hanna kneaded her shoulders dramatically.
Even as the oldest active domestic S-rank, no one bought her "old" actshe was still in her prime.
* * *
Once the discussion wrapped, the guild-affiliated S-ranks headed out. Do Jun-young would handle briefings on the Grade 2 dungeon raid and the L-rank emergence.
Kang Se-jun thus went to the director's office with Do Jun-young. As she sat, her gaze flicked briefly toward Yoon Se-ra outside.
"Do you know your subordinate staff well?"
"What do you mean?"
At Do Jun-young's faintly furrowed brow, Kang Se-jun shrugged as if it were a meaningless question.
"Seems like hardly anyone here knows the director's S-rank. Just wondered if the reverse might be true."
"You mean there's someone here hiding their rank like me?"
Do Jun-young's face grew grave, as if demanding he speak up if so.