Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Named (2)
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Stepping into the gate, the scenery changed in an instant.
The first thing I noticed was the shift in the air.
A breath of the forest—humid yet refreshing—filled my nostrils.
Naturally, the party's footsteps came to a halt.
An overwhelming green filled our vision completely.
The place we'd come from was in the mountains too, but this landscape was on another level entirely.
"Woof, is this the freaking Amazon or what?"
An Changsu muttered in dismay.
I wondered if tropical rainforests looked like this in photos.
Even I couldn't close my mouth.
Han Sehee frowned.
"Visibility's going to be tough. Let's tighten up the formation and move."
We pushed forward slowly, parting the branches as we went.
The environment beyond the gate wasn't ideal, but no one was overly tense.
It was just a C-rank gate, after all.
With two B-rank mages in the party, as long as we didn't screw up, we shouldn't face any real crises in this raid.
The frontline knew it too—they were leading the way.
They might look annoyed, but they weren't showing major signs of tension.
Except for one person: Lee Seonwoo.
The guy had been stiff as a board even before crossing the gate.
His steps were half a beat slower than the other frontliners, and his head whipped around sharply at the slightest noise.
You could really feel the rookie hunter vibes.
Who'd believe this guy was a Named on par with Jin Seohyeon?
Of course, not all Nameds were exceptional like her.
Kang Jiwon, the tutorial NPC, could be considered a Named in a way, but she wasn't anything special.
Still, Lee Seonwoo was definitely special in terms of ability.
His skill: Sword Mastery.
A passive that boosted swordsmanship proficiency and removed growth limits.
At max potential, it was strong enough for endgame parties—super high ceiling.
If you only looked at peak potential, it even surpassed Jin Seohyeon's...
But that was all it had: potential.
He was such a high-investment character that even I hadn't pushed him to his limits often.
Crunch. Lee Seonwoo jumped back in shock from the branch he'd stepped on.
Kim Taemin snapped at the sight.
"Fuck... Hey, I get you're nervous 'cause it's your first C-rank, but tone it down, alright?"
He seemed like he was about to curse fully but held back.
Less consideration, more watching An Changsu's reaction.
Kim Taemin wasn't overreacting.
Joking around was fine before entering the gate, but inside, even small mistakes could be fatal.
Even Kim Beomsu looked troubled watching him.
I briefly considered Lee Seonwoo as a party member candidate,
then shook my head.
High potential or not, right now he was just dead weight.
I couldn't handle it.
I was already baggage myself.
Expecting someone to carry me, only to add more weight?
Might as well quit being a hunter.
"Hold up."
Han Sehee's voice halted the group.
Unlike Kim Beomsu, she'd brought her staff and extended it forward.
The staff tilted slightly as she closed her eyes and murmured a quiet incantation.
"Something approaching from that direction... five? No, six. Pretty fast. We'll run into them soon—get ready."
No sooner had she spoken than something hurtled toward us,
— Thunk!
An Changsu's round shield deflected it deftly.
A rock. Moving at a threatening speed.
Unlike the frontliners, we in the back didn't wear helmets.
A direct hit to the head would've been serious—so it wasn't just me noticing; the front tightened the formation.
— Eek! Keekee-keek!
"Screaming Monkeys."
Beasts covered in red fur glared at us from the trees as they swung over.
A pack of apes screeching and spitting.
One monkey pulled back its long arm.
Not hard to guess what it gripped.
As its arm whipped forward like a lash,
Splat! A massive hole punched through the beast's gut, like it'd taken cannon fire.
The dead monkey tumbled from the tree, an arrow glinting in the trunk opposite.
Hoo, Park Bomi exhaled sharply after holding her breath to loose the shot.
The tension beside me was palpable.
That insane power left me stunned for a moment.
— Eekee-keek!
The Screaming Monkeys launched a full assault.
They shifted from tree-top perches and leaped at us.
"Block 'em!"
An Changsu's shout.
Did they see Park Bomi's sniping as the biggest threat?
Ignoring the front, they charged straight for us.
The frontliners clustered to hold them off, but one slipped over them.
A monkey diving from the trees.
One with especially long arms swinging toward us.
Not one to underestimate.
I timed it for my ability, but no need.
Thud!
Kim Beomsu's shockwave slammed the beast into a trunk beside us.
It tried scrambling up quick, but Han Sehee finished her spell faster.
A frost arrow pierced its brow perfectly; it slumped mid-rise.
Up front, An Changsu's mace shattered another's skull.
Half the pack gone in seconds.
Beasts or not, they weren't dumb enough to miss the tide turning.
The monkeys wheeled and fled.
The ones facing Kim Taemin and Lee Seonwoo bolted too.
The pair gave chase instantly, but closing the gap wasn't easy.
The monkeys scampered up the trees.
One reached for the next branch, but
— Keek?
Its hand stuck to the branch, thrashing in panic.
Lower Freezing Magic.
Han Sehee's spell had iced the hand gripping it solid.
It struggled to break free, to no avail.
Kim Taemin seized the chance.
Acceleration.
His ability kicked in; he lunged with sharper agility.
Sword out at full speed, neatly bisecting the monkey top to bottom.
Seeing its ally's futile end, did one think the same for itself?
The monkey Lee Seonwoo chased turned and charged him instead.
He braced for a split second, readying his stance and swing.
I squinted.
The monkey had superior physical stats—was the guy sane?
Do-or-die moment.
Someone might help, but hesitation meant no time.
I channeled mana at the monkey instantly.
'Death.'
As the monkey thrust its arm, Lee Seonwoo slashed.
The monkey was microscopically faster.
Its whipping arm nearly grazed his face when its pupils glazed over.
Then the order reversed.
Slash! The cold blade grazed its throat,
and the life atop it rolled across the ground.
"Hoo..."
The last monkey fell.
Lee Seonwoo, wiping sweat with a satisfied grin at his work, had someone approach.
An Changsu, looking anything but pleased.
"Ah, hyung, you saw— Gah!"
Lee Seonwoo clutched his leg from the sudden knee strike.
"I brought you along 'cause you begged, and this is what you do?"
"H-Hyung? What the hell..."
"Didn't even notice you almost died? If the mage hadn't helped, your face would've been mush, you dumbass—!!!"
An Changsu stormed our way, leaving the cowed Lee Seonwoo behind.
Kim Beomsu and Park Bomi had stepped away for their own reasons, so it was just Han Sehee and me facing him.
An Changsu bowed to Han Sehee.
"Thanks for saving that useless punk. Since he's my guy, I'll take responsibility—deduct it from my cut."
Their contract was for protection, so yeah, that was a failure.
Lee Seonwoo, who they were supposed to guard, nearly died alone.
Han Sehee's eyes widened.
"Oh, no. I didn't help. No need to thank me."
"Then the other mage?"
"Doesn't seem like Beomsu..."
"I did it."
They turned to me in unison.
An Changsu looked baffled, but Han Sehee got it right away.
Suddenly remembering why we were here, she stomped her feet.
"Wait, we came to gather Han Yujin's data... but we handled it ourselves. What now?"
What could I do about her worried gaze?
I'd realized midway this wasn't ideal.
But could I really say "stop attacking so I can test"?
Gate not cleared yet, so I just said we'd be careful with the next monsters.
As Han Sehee sighed deeply, Kim Beomsu reappeared.
He cradled something— a limp monkey, on closer look.
Monsters beyond gates turned to mana stones soon after death.
And obviously, collecting stones beat hauling corpses.
Why? Was he an idiot?
Han Sehee frowned too—not just me.
She'd forgotten the plan in the heat of battle and was mildly pissed at the pointless corpse-hauling.
"Why'd you bring the body?"
"It's alive?"
"Huh?"
Kim Beomsu looked confused instead.
"Don't we need it to test Han Yujin's ability? So I bound one with restraint magic."
My jaw dropped.
Weird. I only saw Han Sehee's back, but why'd it look like she wore my expression?
"What, did you have another plan? Did I mess up?"
We were the idiots.