Chapter 75
Chapter 75
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: How the Rank 1 Hero Protects the World
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"I'm sorry."
Tae-won finally rubbed his smacked head and pouted.
Of course, I'd already heard on the plane that his family home was on Jeju Island, and I knew full well that his invitation to stay over was purely out of kindness.
Plus, the sight of a delinquent teen wrapped up in a house-sized translucent dragon didn't exactly feel raw and unpleasant—more like something out of a surreal dream.
Still, I'd spent the last half hour or so drilling into him that he shouldn't toss around words like that so carelessly.
Of course, given his age, I had no idea how much of that lecture had actually sunk in.
...I'd have no comeback if he called me a boomer.
But to me, Tae-won felt like a kid about ten years younger.
Whenever he pulled something like that, I couldn't help but scold him reflexively...
Damn, I really am turning into a boomer.
Whatever. Might as well own it.
"Go on home first. I'll grab a hotel nearby. We can link up in the morning. How long does it take to get there? Want me to call a taxi?"
"But you're really not coming to our place?"
After I'd spent dozens of minutes explaining how his casual joking could come off as offensive to others, his tone was a bit more serious this time.
"We've got plenty of rooms, so there's space for you to crash separately. It'd be more efficient to head out to Hallasan together tomorrow morning. Plus, I've got the攻略 data for Baekrokdam Dungeon stacked up at home—you could take a look before we go."
It was a smooth pitch. If he'd led with that, my answer might've been different.
So this time, I turned him down seriously.
"Still, it'd feel weird. We're practically strangers who just met today—I don't want to impose."
"I'm fine with it, so how's it imposing? And more than that..."
Tae-won hugged the Azure Dragon's form coiled around his body with both arms.
It looked so real, like he was embracing something solid.
"Lord Azure Dragon seems to like you, Unnie. Who knows? If he's in a good mood, he might drop some extra hints."
That was a solid hit.
In the end, I threw up my hands in surrender.
"...Fine, I'll crash for one night."
"You should've said that from the start! Come on, let's go."
"Alright, then let's call a taxi."
"Taxi? Why waste money on that? I've got my bike parked nearby—we can take that."
"Your bike?"
"Oh, come on, you're not about to say it's too dangerous and I shouldn't ride, are you?"
This kid must think after one little lecture, I'm some wise old sage from Cheonghak-dong.
I patted Tae-won on the shoulder.
"Bike's fine, but drive safe."
"Hey, I'm a Hunter too, Unnie. I'm not some kid you leave by the water's edge."
The parking spot for his bike wasn't far.
Tae-won spotted his bike and fussed for a good while about the dust on it before finally climbing on.
It was one of the most common 125cc scooter models you'd see on any street. The details were a bit different from what I remembered—probably a newer model.
Makes sense. Five years have passed in Korea too, so new models come out.
Staring at the black scooter stirred up some nostalgia.
"Hop on back, Unnie."
Tae-won hopped on and tossed me a helmet with a cocky grin.
"Only got one, so you wear it."
I stared at Tae-won.
By coincidence, the delinquent was backlit by the sunset. He looked just like the cool protagonist making a dramatic entrance in some novel.
Complete with the Azure Dragon bigger than him itself, coiled protectively around.
Whack!
Tae-won yelped as the helmet I chucked back at him nailed his ribs.
"Ow, Unnie! That hurts!"
But the cops who'll fine you for no helmet won't see it that way.
"Self-inflicted. You really planning to ride without a helmet?"
"But there's only one helmet... What, you gonna take a taxi then, Unnie?"
Sigh. I let out who-knows-how-manyth sigh of the day. Fine. What was the point arguing with a kid.
"There's a bike rental place around here, right?"
Tae-won's eyes went wide.
What was with the surprise?
Sure, it felt like about ten years ago to me, but I'd gotten my Class 2 small motorcycle license back then.
* * *
There were plenty of bike rental shops near the airport.
They had a surprisingly wide selection of models, so picking one took a little time.
I went with a recommended model and rented it for one night and two days.
Honestly, I wondered if I could still ride after so long without practice, but it came back surprisingly easy.
Once I got the feel, handling it was a breeze. If anything, I felt sharper now than when I was prepping for the license test. Even Tae-won, watching from the side during my test drive, said as much.
"Unnie, you ride like a pro. Got some bike skill or something?"
As if.
Sure, I'd ridden 125cc scooters or smaller since high school. But factoring in the long break, it seemed my physical stats were making up for it more than old experience. My body control had sharpened a ton since then.
That said, while picking and riding the bike was no issue, I couldn't help thinking midway that renting a car would've been smarter.
Riding exposed like that was freezing. Should've grabbed a puffer jacket.
Anyway, after about an hour of riding, we pulled up to Tae-won's house.
"Here?"
His place looked like an ordinary house. What stood out was how it sat all alone, far from the road.
"Yeah, this is home."
Tae-won parked by the fence. I pulled up beside him.
"Park here?"
"Yeah, sure. Nobody's gonna steal it anyway."
Less "nobody's gonna steal it" and more "there's nobody around, period."
I'd lived in packed apartments in urban Korea, so this rural isolation felt pretty novel. The street without a single streetlamp gave off a spooky vibe.
Tae-won casually turned on his phone flashlight, unlocked the gate, and swung it open.
"Come on in. Man, I'm starving."
Following him inside revealed a typical family home setup.
The living room had a worn-out sofa and an old TV. The table was stacked with pristine workbooks, no signs of use.
Tae-won glanced at me sheepishly.
"Uh, was gonna toss 'em after the CSAT but forgot."
"Yeah, looks like it."
The workbook covers brought back memories of the CSAT from about ten years ago. Tae-won laughed awkwardly—haha—and bolted to the kitchen.
"Have a seat. Want some green tea? Got a few tea bags left."
"Nah, I'm good. But it's dinnertime—what should we order?"
"Delivery takes forever out here. Nothing's even open this late. Lemme see, there's gotta be something in the house."
Clattering came from the kitchen, followed by a crash of breaking dishware.
Dropped a pot or something.
Anyway, he lives alone, huh.
I peeked around the house through the gaps in the Azure Dragon's long, translucent body.
There were signs of cleaning, but it all felt half-assed.
What was it? No trace of another adult living there.
He'd invited me over without mentioning family, so I'd wondered.
...Not everyone has to live with family, though. Not like I could talk.
Overall, the place felt untouched by human hands.
Maybe Tae-won only used it for sleeping—there was an old blanket tossed in the sofa corner.
Two rooms, from what I could tell. One had talismans on the door, like a shrine. That was the only hint he was a shaman.
"Unnie, got three ramen packs—want some?"
Tae-won called out loudly.
Looks like I need to stock up on basics from a nearby store before heading to Seoul.
While he boiled the ramen, I decided to search up more on Baekrokdam Dungeon.
Choi Min-hyuk had sent me a Hunter-only app for accessing government攻略 databases not long ago.
Government 24
Hunter攻略 Data Viewer App
User: Kang Ye-na
Access Level: Grade 2
It was still rough around the edges, but way better than random web searches for useful info.
I'd checked how many Korean Hunters were registered as shamans thanks to this app. Hunters had to register class and skills to sign up, and it fed into the app's database.
I, though, had registered as Swordmaster.
Probably common to hide unique classes like that. Even Baek Sa-hyeon the Actor was likely listed as Swordmaster.
Might not be super useful data after all.
Searching "Hallasan" in the攻略 reports pulled up about 462 results.
Meaning 462 Hunters had attempted it and submitted reports.
"...This is annoying in its own way."
Too many to read all. Wish it'd summarize key points at a glance.
I clicked on a top-listed report.
"Looking at攻略 data? Eat first."
Tae-won had boiled up the ramen in a big pot and set it on the table.
I was glaring at my phone screen.
"They call this a report?"
"Whoa, you're actually using the government app? People really read that stuff?"
"Isn't that the point?"
"Yeah, but it's mandatory submission, so everyone just phones it in."
Fair enough. Just submission date, party size, and a line or two of content in a template.
"And honestly, after a raid, you're wiped—too lazy to bother with a proper government report."
"For someone who wrote dozens of pages by hand."
"I did it during class. Way more fun slacking off like that."
...So that's why it was handwritten.
I pinched my temple and closed the app. Better to eat than rot my brain on junk info.
Tae-won handed me chopsticks and said,
"Anyway, every Korean Hunter's been to Baekrokdam at least once, so you're the weird one for skipping it, Unnie. If I'd gotten Hero class, I'd have beelined there."
Unfortunately, when I got Hero, I wasn't in Korea—I was in another world.
"What about you? Tried pulling it?"
"Of course. It's the Heavenly Seal, right? Sword for offering to the gods—shamans gotta go for it. I failed too, though."
Yeah, fair.
Even after ten years in Tartarus, I was still a Korean schooled for twenty years.
The legendary artifact turning real once the System appeared was mind-blowing.
Just not sure if that bronze sword's authentic.
My Apex Light Sword or Lee Woo-yeon's Levatein were the same.
These items are System-generated, so probably just cobbling together popular myths.
Won't know unless the System's creator answers directly.
Or... can I ask now? Tartarus aside, Korea's System seems eager to toy with me. Special management target and all.
Anyway, the ramen was damn good.
Whoa, he can really cook.
"Online, people trash it and clown around, but yeah—any Hunter above a certain rank gets a 'Trial' message."
Tae-won slurped up noodles as he explained. Better than those empty reports.
The Azure Dragon was still coiled around him, eyes closed like it was sleeping. It mentioned the Heavenly Seal bronze sword earlier, but clams up now. A hint would be nice.
"'Trial' message?"
"Yeah. Baekrok's got a guardian spirit protecting Pharma's Sword. Get close, and it asks this."
His tone turned theatrical.
"'What will you do with this sword?' That's the first question."
"Vague."
"No kidding. Answers range from personal to national duty. Reports probably list what everyone said."
"So what'd you say?"
Tae-won scooped another bite casually.
"I said I'd use it to close my eyes so I never have to see crap like this again."