Chapter 19

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 19

Chapter Title: Spy Hunt

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The area around the Layered Gate was already swarming with people.

There were folks who looked like they belonged to Titan Guild.

And plenty of ordinary hunters who'd just come out to gawk.

“Master, stay safe out there!”

“You got this, everyone!”

“Come back without losing a single one!”

Even amid all the cheers and encouragement from the crowd,

Choi Geonwoo's expression didn't flicker in the slightest.

He glanced at us impassively,

adjusted the grip on his sword and shield—his trusted weapons—and issued orders.

“We're entering the gate!”

“Yes, sir!”

With a thunderous roar, he stepped through the gate.

Our raid party followed in single file right behind him.

For the record, even though it was full-on spring outside,

we were all bundled up in thick winter gear or thermal underlayers.

We'd learned from clearing the first layer that the inside was a snowy mountain zone.

The familiar messages popped up as always.

And in an instant, my field of view shifted.

Whiiir—!

A raging blizzard enveloped us,

but oddly enough, I didn't feel cold at all.

All thanks to this coat and boots.

Choi Geonwoo had insisted I wear them, lending me the spares he'd had resized to fit me overnight.

I appreciated the gesture, but that "child size" label on the item description rubbed me the wrong way.

Still, I was a kid right now, so no point complaining.

Just as I started trudging forward silently,

“Hey, hey! Everyone, check your stats! This is insane?!”

“What? What's up?”

“Wha—...?!”

“My stats...”

One of the male raiders started jumping up and down, slapping his teammates on the shoulders.

From there, the commotion spread like wildfire.

“...Hm?”

Even Choi Geonwoo paused for a moment.

He must've checked his own stats like the guy said,

because he furrowed his brow briefly and glanced down at me.

“Holy crap... What the hell? My magic power just shot up out of nowhere?”

“It's not just one stat. They're all boosted. No way this is Hayang's buff, right?”

Ah, so it was my buff causing it.

Come to think of it, Jeong Yujin had looked a bit surprised too.

Guess the effect was better than expected.

“Wait, aren't we all getting the buff right now? Anyone not receiving it?”

Everyone shook their heads.

A female mage raised her hand and scanned the surroundings,

and the group nodded in unison.

Good thing my buff had no headcount limit.

With my experience capped at four-man parties, I'd been a little worried.

‘Should I test it out while I'm at it?’

Now that they mentioned it, I was curious about the exact effect too.

So I discreetly pulled up one party member's status info.

It was Kang Jinhyuk, who'd joined the raid with me for the first time today.

...Huh?

The moment I checked the info, my eyes went wide.

What the hell?

Why was Yeohae Guild listed under his affiliation too?

And in weird red text, no less.

A spy...?

I whipped my head around and subtly gauged Choi Geonwoo's reaction.

Should I say something now?

Or pretend I didn't notice and let it slide?

Both had pros and cons.

But I went with the former.

“Jinhyuk-ssi.”

“Yes, Hayang-ssi.”

Kang Jinhyuk—way older than me but using formal speech since we were raid teammates.

His attitude was polite enough,

but it somehow rubbed me the wrong way.

“Why did you just lie?”

“.........Pardon?”

After a long silence, Kang Jinhyuk blinked at my question.

I could feel eyes turning our way.

“You didn't get my buff. That's why I asked.”

“What are you talking about...”

“It's my skill. I can tell who's affected and who isn't.”

I added a little white lie on purpose here.

I'd suspected him because of the Yeohae Guild in his affiliation,

but I hadn't revealed I could peek at status windows yet.

If he really was a Yeohae Guild spy, better to keep that card hidden.

Kang Jinhyuk's pupils shook violently at my words,

but he quickly regained his composure and spoke firmly.

“Then maybe you saw wrong, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Hayang-ssi, or there's some misunderstanding? I'm definitely buffed. Besides...”

His eyes sharpened.

Like he was gripping a dagger aimed right back at me.

“Even if I weren't buffed, I don't see how that justifies hounding a fellow party member.”

Playing it like that, huh?

But I hadn't spoken up without a plan.

No—this was exactly the reaction I'd hoped for.

“You know, my buff skill automatically applies only to nearby ‘allies.’ It's that kind of passive.”

“Wh-what? I've never heard of a buff like...”

“It's true. Bet none of you here even noticed me using a buff skill, right?”

I scanned the group, seeking agreement,

and the party members nodded awkwardly.

Even Choi Geonwoo, the raid leader, agreed.

“In other words, my skill somehow judged you as an enemy. Ring any bells?”

“How should I know? If anything, I'm the frustrated one here...!”

Stubborn to the end, huh?

Fine. Time for me to play my ace.

“Yeohae Guild.”

“...!”

“That do it for you, Jinhyuk-ssi?”

“I have no idea what...”

I didn't explain how I'd found out.

Or what method I'd used.

No need for lame excuses.

Just one word.

Yeah, that single word was enough to get a rise out of Kang Jinhyuk.

“Yeohae Guild?”

“Why bring up Yeohae Guild all of a sudden?”

“No way Jinhyuk-ssi’s connected to them?”

“What're you saying? He was unaffiliated when he first joined us.”

“Still kinda weird, though. A hunter his level staying solo that long...”

“You saying he was dual-guilded? A spy?”

“If true, it would explain what Hayang's saying...”

The ripple effect didn't stop at Kang Jinhyuk.

It spread to the other party members listening in.

He must've sensed the shift in the air.

“Cut the crap, kid...! No clue why Yeohae Guild's coming up, and I'm buffed anyway, so why the hell am I getting interrogated like this...!”

He'd dropped the polite tone entirely now.

Glared at me openly and raised his voice.

Clueless that he'd walked right into my trap.

“Then care to explain?”

“...What?”

I looked up at the fuming Kang Jinhyuk calmly and spoke.

“What your stats look like with the buff active. No need for all of them—just one, and I'll apologize nicely.”

“Well...”

Kang Jinhyuk licked his lips and glanced around.

Then flashed a smug smile down at me.

He thought he'd found an out.

“Same as everyone else's buff. My strength's 70 base—yours boosts it by 21 to 91.”

Regaining his poise, proof positive.

He switched back to polite speech and answered nonchalantly.

“...Oh?”

Choi Geonwoo, who'd been listening silently, lit up.

Did he think it was fine?

No way.

I snuck a glance at Choi Geonwoo.

Our eyes met.

And in that instant—

Crunch—!

“Gahk?!”

Choi Geonwoo's figure vanished,

then reappeared yanking Kang Jinhyuk by the throat and slamming him into the snow.

Kang Jinhyuk—an A-rank hunter—grabbed his arm and strained,

but it wouldn't budge an inch.

Of course not.

Unlike Kang Jinhyuk, Choi Geonwoo had my buff.

“M-Master... Wh-what the...”

“That's the weird part. My memory says Hayang's buff is 36%, not 30%. That's how it looks to me right now too. Right?”

“Yes, exactly.”

I nodded at Choi Geonwoo's words.

That's right.

The info I'd shared was 30%.

But that was just the pure skill boost.

Unlike before, I now had the legendary item I'd recently acquired: Commander's Seal.

One of its sub-effects amplified ally enhancement skills by 20%.

In other words, 30% plus 20% of that—6% more—for a total of 36%.

That was my buff's current power.

First time entering a gate since getting the item, so I'd been unsure,

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

but I'd tipped off Choi Geonwoo just in case—even small details mattered.

And sure enough,

a quick check confirmed Choi Geonwoo's stats reflected the full 36% buff.

Kang Jinhyuk had just publicly admitted to lying with his own mouth.

“Yours too, right?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Full 36% here.”

“Calculations check out exactly.”

With confirmation from the rest of the party, Choi Geonwoo grinned.

I'd never seen him smile that brightly before—it was startling.

But the real shocker? That grin felt even more murderous than his usual blank stare.

“You flinched hard at ‘Yeohae Guild.’ Looks like Jang Sehun sent his dog after all.”

“Kek...! M-Master... Mis-under...!”

“Call me ‘Master’ when you go crawling back to him. Don't worry—I won't kill you.”

As grotesque crunching sounds started echoing from his throat,

Choi Geonwoo slowly eased his grip and nodded to the mage behind him.

“Jinsol, knock him out and bind him. Can't drag him along, so we'll leave him here and pick him up on the way out.”

“Got it.”

The woman with light purple hair stepped forward, nodded, and raised her staff.

Strange powder sprinkled over Kang Jinhyuk's head,

and his thrashing eyes slowly fluttered shut.

Crack—!

At the same time, woody vines erupted from the ground,

perfectly binding his sleeping arms and legs.

And just like that, our ten-man party turned into a nine-man one before we'd even started.