Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Departure Ceremony
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Yeohae Guild headquarters.
Even within it, the guild master's office boasted ironclad security.
Only the guild's owner, Jang Sehun, and those he permitted could set foot inside.
And yet, there sat a man with a somewhat burly build in that very place.
"...Hmph."
His face was hidden behind a mask and sunglasses.
But Jang Sehun flashed a satisfied, sinister smile as he regarded him.
"I didn't expect I'd have to put you to use this soon."
"I didn't think I'd be springing into action so quickly myself."
"You've made your presence known properly in the meantime, right?"
"Haha, of course. Just look at how I got selected for the raid team."
Jang Sehun crossed his legs as the man bantered on.
"Keep this in mind. Your existence mustn't be exposed yet. Find out what trump card Choi Geonwoo has prepared, inflict as much damage as possible on them, and get out."
"You're still making tough demands. If the gate raid fails by some fluke, I'll end up dead too, you know?"
It was blatant whining, plain for anyone to see.
But Jang Sehun actually liked the attitude.
There was no way things could go wrong.
Or even if they did, the confidence that he had the power to fix it shone through.
"They're no fools. They'll have at least one or two Dimensional Distortion Devices. If things get dicey, just steal one and bail."
"That could be fun. Especially if Choi Geonwoo bites it in the process."
"Keke, exactly! Nothing could make me happier."
His greatest rival, Choi Geonwoo, dead?
The mere thought sent a thrilling boil through his veins.
"Then off you go. I'll be waiting for good news."
"Yes, sir. You'll pay top dollar if I pull it off successfully, right?"
"Naturally. Kekeke."
Jang Sehun was never one to mistreat the talented.
No matter how vile his nature, he meticulously maintained the blade hidden in his bosom.
The masked man knew this too.
So he rose from his seat without a hint of unease, not even glancing back.
Shiiik-!
In that instant, Jang Sehun's hand moved lightly.
And the man standing before him vanished in a blink.
Like a criminal who had committed an ugly crime and erased the evidence.
Jang Sehun toyed with the cube in his hand, his sneer unwavering to the end.
The day they set out once more for the Layered Gate.
A solemn air filled the hall at Titan Guild headquarters.
Standing at their forefront, surveying the room, was Choi Geonwoo.
The grim resolve on his face made the raid team members and the guildmates who had come to see them off swallow hard.
"As announced beforehand, today we head out to conquer the Layered Gate again. For the sake of our fallen comrades, we must succeed no matter what. Their empty spots will be filled by the two new members joining us today. One is Hunter Kang Jinhyuk, right here with us."
"Please take care of me."
He was a bit smaller in build than Choi Geonwoo.
But compared to most men, he was impressively sturdy, and he bowed his head solidly.
Clap clap clap!
Everyone applauded warmly at the sight.
Kang Jinhyuk might not have a long track record.
But he had risen to A-Rank Hunter in record time and joined Titan Guild as a true powerhouse.
Some in the crowd had even raided gates alongside him before.
Naturally, trust gleamed in their eyes.
"And the other is the mercenary from outside, as I mentioned yesterday."
But the warm atmosphere chilled the moment Choi Geonwoo's words continued.
And rightly so. The two guild members who had tragically died in the previous raid were both A-Rank Hunters.
Top elite members, handpicked from the guild.
Of course, as Korea's undisputed second-ranked guild, Titan had no shortage of talent to replace them.
Kang Jinhyuk was a prime example.
But they had all heard it clearly.
The news from yesterday.
On the eve of such a monumental Layered Gate conquest.
They had hired an F-Rank Hunter as a mercenary.
No wonder some raid members had immediately talked about quitting upon hearing it.
Even non-raid guild members gossiped behind their backs.
The ripple effect was enormous.
Choi Geonwoo had succeeded in persuading them with his unique charisma and the trust built over time.
But being persuaded didn't mean boundless faith.
Choi Geonwoo himself understood this, offering a faint bitter smile as he addressed the crowd.
"I can still see doubt in your eyes. Can't blame you. But I'm neither mad nor desperate. So allow me to introduce the final member and prove it."
Everyone's eyes sparkled at his words.
Could they finally see her?
This F-Rank Hunter who had caught the eye of the great Choi Geonwoo.
Thrust into the heart of the Layered Gate raid.
"Who could it be?"
"He didn't bring the Divine Sword or Sword Empress, did he?"
"Are they F-Rank?"
"No clue at all."
"Who even knows any F-Rank Hunters?"
Choi Geonwoo let their murmurs continue unabated.
No, he even lifted the corner of his mouth as if savoring it, gazing toward the corridor off the hall.
Pat pat...
Soon, what looked like a snowflake began toddling into the guild hall.
White hair, pure white T-shirt.
The description fit perfectly to the onlookers.
Height around 130-something centimeters, maybe.
Age, at face value, 10 or 11?
Slightly tense shoulders and neck, stiff as a board.
Her robotic, creaky steps evoked a baby penguin.
'What is this? The guild master's niece?'
'She's ridiculously cute.'
'So when do we meet the new member?'
No one could quite register the girl as a hunter yet.
They just watched, mesmerized, as she approached Choi Geonwoo.
"Ah, h-hewwo...?!"
'She bit her tongue.'
'Totally bit her tongue.'
'Urgh, so cute.'
The girl opened her mouth to speak, mangled her words, and made a pouty face.
Everyone let out sympathetic sighs.
A few even covered their mouths, overwhelmed by the cuteness.
"Calm down and speak slowly."
"Y-Yes..."
Choi Geonwoo placed a hand on her head.
His calm yet kind tone left everyone dumbfounded.
Was that really Choi Geonwoo?
It was one of Titan Guild's greatest mysteries: 'Does Choi Geonwoo know how to smile?'
But who knew that mystery would shatter so easily.
Faint as it was.
A smile graced Choi Geonwoo's lips right now.
"I-I'm Yang Hayang. I'll be joining the Layered Gate raid today. P-Please take care of me...!"
"...What?"
"...That kid?"
"What is this, a prank cam?"
The already stunned guild members took another merciless blow.
The moment Hayang bowed deeply in greeting.
Murmurs rippled through the group again, despite their efforts to stay silent.
This frail little girl, who couldn't catch so much as an ant, let alone a monster.
A key member of the Layered Gate raid?
"Now that the final member has arrived, let me explain why I chose this child."
Choi Geonwoo's words followed.
And the commotion among them grew louder.
But this time, not from confusion or anxiety.
Something entirely different.
I knew it too.
This was Titan Guild.
An elite among elites.
So when Choi Geonwoo first introduced me.
I had expected the waves of distrustful stares.
But what was this situation now?
"Hayang! You really have a skill like that? Seeing enemy attacks—what's that like?!"
"Yujin said you can spot treasure rooms too?!"
"Can you find enemies even if they're hidden? Any conditions?"
"What does a 30% buff even mean?! Just for one person?"
"U-Um, excuse me..."
Before I knew it, I was surrounded by raid team members.
Bombarded with questions nonstop.
Every gaze was completely different from before.
Earlier, only distrust, confusion, anxiety.
Now, expectation and trust, maybe.
Honestly, it was overwhelming.
I almost preferred their earlier looks.
"Hey, everyone. You'll scare her. And you're all seasoned enough to know prying too deeply into unique skills is rude."
"Yujin...!"
Thankfully, Jeong Yujin stepped in at the perfect moment to mediate.
I swear I saw a halo behind her.
Though her hunter rank was a notch below these folks.
As a longtime guild veteran, they scattered at her word like clockwork.
"Come on, Yujin. You know how long we've been at this."
"Yeah, we don't usually ask. But this is insane."
"Exactly. A 30% buff is ridiculous enough—what's next? I thought the guild master was pulling a prank when I heard."
But their curiosity about me didn't stop.
Even brushing off Yujin's intervention, some approached me again.
"I get it. But it's just as the master said, so no more grilling Hayang."
"Huh? How do you know if it's true or not?"
"Because I went into a gate with her. First discoverer and verifier, you could say."
Ahem.
Jeong Yujin puffed out her chest proudly.
Verifier, fine.
But first discoverer? I'm no artifact.
"What? So everything she said was true?"
"You didn't trust the master?"
"No, it's not that... It's just hard to believe. You really confirmed it?"
"Yes. That's why the master made this bold choice."
"Makes sense."
I felt like the only one out of the loop.
Standing there blankly, I suddenly rummaged through my bulging pocket.
"Then no need to see more. Sorry for being rough earlier, Hayang."
"Ah, n-no. It's fine. Here, this..."
The man who had glared daggers at me before was all soft now.
Park Jaeseong, that was his name.
I offered him a chocolate from my pocket.
He blinked, looking at me as if to ask what it was.
"We're party members heading into the gate together, even if just for a day. I wanted to get a little closer, so... chocolate... it's yummy."
"Oh, for me? Looks delicious. Thanks."
He peeled open the wrapper I timidly handed him right in front of me.
Popped the whole thing in his mouth and gave a silent thumbs-up.
Only then did a relieved smile form on my face.
Heh, tasty, right?
Truth be told, I'd bought three packs to share plenty.
But one pack last night, one this morning.
I'd scarfed down two whole packs alone, so this was all I had left. Secret.
"Hey, Hayang, us too!"
"Me too! I love chocolate!"
"I-I'll share with everyone. One each, okay."
I emptied my pocket of chocolates, piling them in my tiny hands.
Problem was, my hands were so small they nearly overflowed.
"Score! Mine!"
A female hunter snatched one mid-fall and popped it straight into her mouth.
After handing them out, two remained.
Choi Geonwoo had already taken one, so I scanned for anyone else.
Jeong Yujin stood a bit away, smiling warmly.
I toddled right over and held out the two chocolates.
"Yujin, here."
"Huh? For me too? I'm not raiding."
"Still. This chance came thanks to you. I'll do my best."
I clenched my fist, steeling my resolve.
She looked down at me blankly, took one, and smiled.
"You'll do great, Hayang. Eat one yourself for strength. Got it?"
"Yes!"
With that, we both unwrapped ours.
And savored the sweet chocolate melting in our mouths.
The sugary bliss made my brain gooey, but I pulled myself together.
"If everyone's ready, let's move out."
I was soaking in the suddenly cheerful hall atmosphere.
When Choi Geonwoo spoke, his metal-clad foot tapping the ground lightly.
"......?"
In that moment, I felt a strange gaze from somewhere.
Turning, the man I'd introduced myself with earlier averted his eyes.
Kang Jinhyuk, right?
Why was he looking at me?
I wondered briefly, but there was no time to ask.
We had to step into the gate right away.