Another Choice (3)
Alright, time to come up with a plan. A plan to escape from this witch who keeps calling me our newbie and acts like joining her guild is already a done deal.
Just how many of her mood swings have I seen? How much damage have I taken because of her?
She's interested right now, but the second that cools off, I'll be stuck running errands. I won't even get to raid many dungeons.
My trait is going to need a serious amount of time before people recognize its value, after all.
And there's an even more important reason.
'Han Yura doesn't let go once she bites down on something. This won't end with me—she'll never stop attacking Yoon Sera either.'
False testimony didn't work, so she'll just cook up another scheme. Saint Guild? A nobody guild like that won't even get a chance to spread its wings before Taeseong crushes it. Just like last time.
But what if I join them?
I had already decided to join the Saint Guild. I need a guild to raid dungeons with while I regain my strength, and I want to protect Yoon Sera from Han Yura's grasp while paying back the debt I owe her.
The woman who used me versus the woman who sacrificed herself for me. Any man with a sense of duty would obviously choose the latter.
It may not have been a sacrifice made entirely for my sake, but thanks to her, I was able to seize this second chance.
So this was my answer.
"You're saying I have good eyes?"
"That's right. You looked pretty shocked, but you followed my whip all the way to the end. Excellent vision. You've caught my interest."
"Then..."
I deliberately paused before continuing.
"Would it be possible for me to join the main raiding party, enter A-rank dungeons with you, Lady Yura... things like that?"
Name a condition the other party could never accept.
"What? The main party? Are you messing with me?"
I'm not actually serious. Maybe later, but right now I don't have the skill to join Taeseong's main force anyway.
Han Yura is shorter than me, but when she glares upward like that, the pressure is no joke. Hey, stop flicking that whip around. You're making me nervous my whole body might get sliced into a hundred pieces. I'm still fragile, you know.
"Then... maybe the secondary party? The secondary party would be fine too. Though I was wondering if I could still receive A-grade equipment...?"
I brainwashed myself into believing I was a clueless idiot who had just awakened a trash trait and was naive enough to submit a guild application to Taeseong. Then I poured everything into the performance.
I was fully immersed in the role. Believe it or not, before I awakened I had been preparing to become an actor. People kept telling me I had the perfect face for it, so I started, but I actually turned out to have real talent.
"Ha!"
Han Yura let out a laugh like she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Look at this guy getting cocky after a little praise. What's his trait?"
The staff member who received her glance answered in a rigid tone.
"It's the Link trait. He awakened today, and the note says he hasn't attempted any links yet."
"What? Link? And he hasn't even tried it? Why?"
"Isn't it obvious? He's planning to join our guild while there's still a sliver of hope, trying to scratch off a lottery ticket before his value tanks."
"Ah! Like that guy from before?"
"Exactly."
Oh, so there was someone else who awakened Link and immediately came knocking on Taeseong's door. I wonder what happened to him.
Maybe it's pointless to wonder. The endings for most Link users were pretty similar anyway.
Thanks to Han Yura, I even got to hear that person's evaluation.
"Ha... The one who caught my eye has that garbage trait."
Straight to the trash heap.
Still, saying something like that right in front of the person in question...
Perfect. But my face automatically twisted. Deep immersion in the role. If Link really was trash, I might have made it big as an actor.
I was just thinking it would be nice if Han Yura lost interest in me quickly when she spoke again.
"Enough. Fine. The eyes and the spirit—those two are decent. I'll specially let you into the tertiary raiding party. Who knows? You might be the first to discover an actual use for Link."
....
Can't you just give up cleanly instead of clinging like that?
"Dear respected brothers, what traits did all of you awaken?"
The hunters gathered with nervous expressions for their Taeseong Guild interviews. Among them, a young-looking man smoothly led the conversation.
The traits people receive upon awakening. They range from rare and useful to completely worthless. It was common knowledge you could look up on the Hunter Association site, so everyone started revealing theirs.
"Whoa! Then you're basically guaranteed entry, right? I'm so jealous. I really want to join Taeseong too..."
"Oh! Just the name of your trait sounds incredible. What kind of ability is it?"
The young man kept exclaiming in admiration and praising the others. One hunter, now in a good mood, turned the question back on him. Since the kid looked young and kept calling everyone "brother," it was natural to speak casually.
"So what trait did you get?"
"I received the Durability Confirmation trait."
"Durability Confirmation?"
"Yes. When I looked it up, someone in Russia had the same trait. It lets you determine the durability of equipment without any detailed inspection."
Traits grant appropriate skills, but...
There was only one thought in all the hunters' heads.
This is complete garbage! It's basically useless!
But seeing his pure, innocent expression, they couldn't bring themselves to say it out loud. One person barely managed to sugarcoat it.
"W-well, it might still be useful to Taeseong. I mean... big guilds need all kinds of people. They'll have workshops for trading and stuff."
"Oh, you think so too? Hearing you say that gives me hope. It's got to be a hundred times better than something like Link, right?"
"Obviously! Link is the absolute worst. Speaking of which, a guy I know who always acted so superior just awakened and got Link."
"Really?"
"It was hilarious. Apparently he linked with some fisherman from another continent or something. Still, that guy's in the top one percent. At least he'll learn how to cast a net properly."
Other hunters jumped into the entertaining topic.
"He'd have to actually study hard for that to matter. If you don't put in the effort, even good teaching is useless."
"Still, that's something. At least there's something to learn. Oh, that reminds me of the guy who linked with a dragon a long time ago and went around bragging to everyone."
"Ah, that story! I saw it too. He was yelling about how he'd become S-rank for sure."
The young man couldn't contain his curiosity.
"Brothers, what happened to him? A dragon? That's insane. Did he really become S-rank?"
"You don't actually know about the Link trait?"
The man scratched his head.
"Well... not really. I've only read those random trait summary posts floating around online. I didn't expect to awaken so suddenly. And all they said about Link was that it's trash."
"That's actually pretty good advice. Memorize it. Link is trash."
....
Killing time, the hunter began to explain. A while later...
"Wait, there's seriously a trait that's that useless?"
The young man looked shocked. And for good reason. To gain anything useful through Link, you had to overcome insane difficulty.
First hurdle: Even though language is automatically translated, you have to link with an intelligent being you can actually communicate with.
"They say it links with living things, but linking with a blade of grass is pushing it."
Second hurdle: The species and physical structure have to be compatible enough for you to learn their abilities.
"There's even someone who linked with a bat. They might be able to talk, but who knows? Do they just communicate through ultrasound?"
"Even if they can talk, what's the point? It's not like you're going to learn how to hang upside down from the ceiling or flap wings."
Third hurdle: You need actual talent for the ability.
"The guy who linked with the dragon got stuck here. He tried to learn magic according to their contract, but his aptitude for magic was zero. He can't cast a single spell. He's basically just a normal person now."
"How would a human even learn a dragon's magic in the first place? It's like a pie in the sky."
....
"See? Now you understand why that fisherman guy is considered top one percent. He managed to connect with an intelligent being across countless dimensions, can actually learn what he's taught, and even without any special talent he can at least pick up net-casting."
"But you can learn net-casting here anyway."
"Exactly! That's why Link is trash. The chance of learning something genuinely useful and becoming a real hunter is practically zero."
Someone chimed in.
"You might as well say it doesn't exist. Link isn't even that rare, but there's never been a single person who's made a name for themselves with it."
The young man looked relieved.
"I was a little disappointed at first, but compared to Link, my Durability Confirmation is basically S-rank."
"By that standard, there aren't many traits that aren't S-rank."
One hunter who had been quietly listening in the corner finally spoke up.
"By the way, did you know the person who just went into the interview room has the Link trait?"
"For real? How did you know?"
"We got our results together at the Association. But why isn't he coming out yet?"
"He's probably in there begging them to please accept him. It's obvious. Damn, I wish he'd just give up and come out already. I'm a busy guy too."
That was when it happened.
A person walked out from the direction of the interview room.
Here he comes! The owner of the trash trait!
Earlier they'd just been jealous of the handsome guy, but now that they knew he had Link, everyone prepared to enjoy the show. After all, another person's misfortune is your own entertainment.
Those expectations were completely shattered.
Because right behind the man, Taeseong Guild's master, Han Yura, came running out shouting.
"Hey! I'm saying I'll make concessions here! You should know when to be satisfied with those conditions. What more are you demanding? If it wasn't for my curiosity, do you think someone like you would ever receive treatment like this?"
The hunters held their breath, only moving their eyes.
What's going on? Why does it look like Han Yura is the one clinging to him?
It must have been an incredible trait, not Link. The guy who gave them the information must have been talking nonsense. They had just reached that conclusion when—
"At first, I really was satisfied with just being allowed to join. But... suddenly I realized that Link's possibilities aren't evaluated this low. You even complimented my eyes.... My heart changed, so I'm truly sorry for wasting your time."
What the hell, it really was Link! But then why is Han Yura clinging to him like that? Isn't it supposed to be trash?
"Ha! Are you kidding me? Are you playing hard to get right now? You think you can act like this just because I gave you a little praise?"
"It's not like that. I genuinely changed my mind. I... somehow feel like I'm going to become an amazing hunter."
Shin Yuseong had spoken only the truth.
But Han Yura's eyes turned dangerously sharp.
He had raised the conditions one step higher than what she could barely accept out of simple curiosity. It would be a massive investment. It was strange that negotiations had even gotten this far.
In the end.
"Fine. Shin Yuseong, was it? Since you managed to make a fool out of this Han Yura, you'd better prepare yourself. When the time comes, crying and begging won't do you any good."
After the long back-and-forth, the negotiation fell through. Han Yura's warning was just a bonus.
"Of course, the responsibility for your choice lies with you."
"Hmph. You know that much, at least. Get lost."
Leaving behind her cold gaze, Yuseong turned around.
Prepare myself? We'll see who ends up regretting this.
While the waiting hunters trembled at Han Yura's murderous aura, Shin Yuseong left the Taeseong Guild building.
I wonder how they'll come at me now. Blacklist me for insolence? Well, it's fine. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all.