Chapter 49

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Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 49

Chapter Title: Secret B-Rank Clears

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Ding, ding.

Lee Ru-ri checked the updated info for Flower Rain and Bubble Bubble, whose levels had just risen.

"Hold on, its attack power jumped by 200? And the charm duration got longer too."

She hurriedly checked her other skills as well.

"Whoa, this one's a must-have. Skill level-ups are absolutely essential. Buff skills probably level up by taking down hidden gate bosses, and attack skills by building affinity with B-rank monsters and above."

Lee Ru-ri summoned Residual Shadow.

"Residual Shadow, ready to get started?"

—Understood.

Residual Shadow wasted no time, slaughtering the monsters the moment Ru-ri finished speaking.

Ru-ri trailed behind as best she could, gathering materials in Residual Shadow's wake.

The two pushed relentlessly until their clear speed outpaced the rate at which new gates spawned around Gimpo Airport.

"Gyeol... how's Gyeol doing?"

"Please take care of your own body first, Chairman."

"Gyeol... haa......"

"Not a single bone in your body is in its proper place. Focus on recovering. I'll handle the guild's disarray myself."

"Your mother's in critical condition."

"What are you talking about?"

"I heard right before the raid started. Couldn't focus because of it—that's how this mess happened. I have no face left."

"Is this true?"

"Go with Eun-woo."

"Understood. Rest well."

Han Seung-woo left the hospital room, his expression as neutral as possible.

He immediately messaged Han Eun-woo to meet at Yang Jeong-hyun's lab.

Yang Jeong-hyun and Ham Dae-hee were swamped with preparations for the hunter re-evaluation and reorganization starting in three days, barely able to step away from the re-evaluation room.

As they stared at the large monitor in Yang Jeong-hyun's lab, Han Eun-woo entered.

"Hyung, what's up?"

"Mom's in critical condition."

"M-Mom?"

"Chairman Han told me himself. She's at a hospital in New York."

"That's why you were in New York for so long."

"He says go see her. What do you think?"

"Honestly, no idea. She's mom in name only—might as well have sold us for money and left."

"I don't have much affection for her either. But as her son, shouldn't I at least do the dutiful thing?"

At Han Seung-woo's words, Han Eun-woo opened his status window to check his schedule.

"Re-eval's in three days, so if we leave now and get back before then, it should be fine. I'll handle the departure prep."

"Thanks."

Han Seung-woo watched Han Eun-woo head back to headquarters.

'Gotta contact Ru-ri.'

He was about to message Lee Ru-ri when she beat him to it, asking if there were any deaths at the hospital.

Han Seung-woo pondered briefly.

'There were fatalities, but since they're out raiding, I can tell her later. With her personality, if I don't stop her, she'll be clearing gates all night without realizing the time. Might be better this way for now.'

Han Seung-woo replied that there were no additional deaths, so no need to worry—just focus on the raids.

Just then, Han Eun-woo messaged that he'd booked flights departing in two hours.

"Looks like I've got enough materials for the hidden gates now."

Having cleared all the low-rank and C-rank gates near Gimpo Airport, Lee Ru-ri checked the status of new gates.

Less than three hours had passed.

'Sneak in a B-rank without Seung-woo knowing?'

She confirmed the coordinates of a nearby B-rank gate.

'Oh, just a bit farther.'

She headed to the closest gate coordinates and requested a clearance permit.

But after a long wait, no permit arrived.

'Because it's B-rank? Better message Choi Si-jin.'

Lee Ru-ri messaged Choi Si-jin.

Ding.

'Hmm, then maybe ask Teacher Yang.'

Lee Ru-ri messaged Yang Jeong-hyun too.

Ding.

'Oh, Seung-woo's not around?'

The clearance permit arrived promptly.

Lee Ru-ri rushed inside the gate.

"Residual Shadow."

—Yes.

"How many are there?"

—2,000... 4,000. 4,000 total.

"Doubled again. I'm solo today... and Seung-woo's out... To crush that bastard Teba, I need to max out skill levels in this window. Residual Shadow, do me a favor—don't kill them all at once."

—Understood.

The moment Lee Ru-ri gave the order, Residual Shadow charged at blinding speed, attacking the monsters.

She spammed heals frantically, and the affinity grinding was over in the blink of an eye.

Ding.

"Whoa, the speed is insane. Residual Shadow, keep it up just like this."

—Understood.

Even the deeper monsters' affinity grinding finished in a flash with Residual Shadow's help.

"Magic stones again. Seems like they always drop from B-ranks. Wonder what they're for?"

Lee Ru-ri opened her status window and tapped the magic stones in her inventory.

"Huh?"

Lee Ru-ri quickly checked the others.

She tapped the newly acquired ones too.

"Whoa......"

Lee Ru-ri swiftly collected the loot from the monsters she'd passed, converted it to Sion, signed the gate clear, and without delay requested B-rank clearance around Gimpo Airport from Choi Si-jin.

Choi Si-jin reluctantly agreed due to Yang Jeong-hyun's orders.

"Let's go."

And so, Ru-ri and Residual Shadow's B-rank gate conquests began in earnest.

Meanwhile, in the re-evaluation room.

"Dae-hee, looks like Ru-ri's flying high right now."

"Why?"

"She asked me to let her get a B-rank permit from Si-jin. Seung-woo's out, so I figured let her have some fun. Check the clear time."

"20 minutes."

"To me, she doesn't even seem A-rank. What do you think?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course. Something's up, huh?"

"Among all the Korean hunters I've seen, Ru-ri's rank is the highest."

"W-what?"

Yang Jeong-hyun jumped in shock at Ham Dae-hee's quiet words, spilling her coffee.

"This is a real secret. Telling you because it's you."

"What about Il-won? How does Ru-ri compare?"

"Honestly, higher than Il-won."

"Whoa... she was an F-rank healer just recently? How's that possible?"

"She got positioned as healer when she's not one, so F-rank was inevitable. If Chairman Han hadn't deleted Il-won's position, who knows what would've happened. Anyway, once he snaps out of it and I start working ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠again, he'll pressure us for sure."

"Yeah. Seung-woo's been agonizing over it."

"It'll be do or die... Honestly, after Il-won died, he blamed himself so much. Can't bring back the dead, but he tried not to let it be in vain... Still don't know."

"But you know, when I first saw Ru-ri, I thought she resembled Il-won a bit. Teacher Kwon and Teacher Lee seemed to feel the same. Feels like there's something there, right?"

"Positions overlap, and she even has a bit of Ian's vibe. I was totally convinced she was his daughter."

"But I heard she's an orphan. Lived alone since she was young."

"Alone?"

"Yeah, in a facility until middle school, then independent."

"Il-won and Ian's thing was 15 years ago—didn't they have a kid then?"

"Can't quite remember. Maybe, maybe not. Never saw one."

"How old's Ru-ri now?"

"Twenty-seven."

"Then the timeline doesn't match again. 15 years ago, she'd still be in the facility."

"She left in middle school, so yeah, still there 15 years ago."

"No way to even do a paternity test......"

Yang Jeong-hyun and Ham Dae-hee fell deep into thought simultaneously.

In that brief moment, Ru-ri finished signing off another B-rank gate clear.

"Dae-hee, look at this. Can't stop this girl. Knocked out another one already."

"Oh, right. Soon, a gloomy loner uncle will show up."

"Gloomy loner?"

"Yeah. A hyung from his old team. Says he'll accept Teacher Jin's offer. Not quite right in the head, but skills are top-tier."

"No expectations, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠S-rank's always welcome. When?"

"Coming with the re-eval start. Told Seung-woo ahead."

"Cool. Enough chit-chat—let's wrap up. I'm so exhausted I could drop dead."

The two returned to the re-evaluation room and finished their remaining work.

Meanwhile, Lee Ru-ri was still grinding B-rank monster affinity with Residual Shadow.

She'd already cleared three B-rank gates, earning six skill points.

She checked her stats.

"The random boxes from hidden gates made my stats line up nicely. But Residual Shadow's attack power still shocks me every time."

Lee Ru-ri leveled up Spear of Lament, Flower Rain, and Bubble Bubble.

Like the others, Azure was added before Spear of Lament.

"Still not enough."

—Far from it.

It seemed Keres had briefly possessed Residual Shadow's body.

"Keres?"

—That window you see... it's more useful than I thought, no matter how I look at it.

"Oh, the status window? Us humans don't have your kind of power. Without numbers, we can't gauge anything."

—Useful, but not perfect.

"In what way?"

—Those magic stones you asked about. They don't just boost contractors' abilities.

"So there's more to them?"

—Let's go where the lingering spirits slumber.

"Where's that?"

—Where my old friend resides.

"I mean, where exactly? Oh? You mean the gravekeeper's place?"

—Indeed.

At Keres's words, Lee Ru-ri immediately used the Key of Repose.

Whoosh.

—It's been ages.

The gravekeeper guarding the door rushed toward Keres, responding to her words.

—Uhihahiuhkiha.

—Yes, you haven't changed a bit.

"What'd she say? Oh, right. Dead Man's Fang."

Lee Ru-ri hurriedly cast the skill, and soon the gravekeeper's words rang clear.