Chapter 54
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Hayang is a God and the Strategy Guide is Invincible
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Yesterday's Gate strategy guide post on the Hunter Gallery.
Chae Seung-hyun had pored over it thoroughly for a full day.
And today, he set out to explore another gate.
'Eh, how useful could it really be, anyway.'
Sure, it had been an intriguing read.
But this world wasn't some game.
Chae Seung-hyun didn't expect it to have such rigid, predictable patterns or structures.
Still, it was like grasping at straws.
For someone whose life had been stuck below D-Rank for two whole years, unable even to set foot in one...
He wanted to make use of anything that might offer even a shred of help.
'Is this why people fall for multi-level marketing schemes or cults?'
Even such doubts crossed his mind—he was that desperate right now.
"Recruiting for a Rift Gate! Party leader has a Rare-grade item!"
"Anyone for an Omen Gate? Even F-Rank hunters welcome!"
"Healer needed for Contamination Gate raid! Any support class will do!"
The small park on the outskirts of Seoul, now a de facto gathering spot for hunters,
was packed with people as always when he arrived.
Chae Seung-hyun headed toward a man recruiting for a Rift Gate party.
He had a sturdy build and a reliable vibe. Probably a bit older than himself.
"Have you filled your party already?"
"Nah, still short a few. You applying?"
"Yes."
"What's your class?"
"Support type, for starters. I can handle a bow decently."
He could see the man's expression turn a little odd at his words,
so Chae Seung-hyun swallowed a bitter smile inwardly.
This was the usual routine whenever he applied to a party.
They'd start off polite, exchanging normal greetings.
But once he couldn't specify his class properly and they just saw the bow in his hands, their faces would change.
'Sigh, what can you do? Blame my lousy Unique Skill for my situation.'
Even so, Chae Seung-hyun didn't hold it against them.
He just figured it was his own shortcomings.
And he had good reason for that—being unable to disclose your class directly
usually fell into one of two categories.
First: Those who hadn't acquired a Unique Skill during awakening.
The so-called trash awakeners, or "trash awakes" for short.
Second: Those who had a Unique Skill, but it was so minor
or useless in combat that they just carried a weapon around reluctantly, like eating mustard with tears in their eyes.
Either way, they weren't welcome from a party leader's perspective.
"Hmm... Alright, sure. Let's go together. I'll carry us."
"Thank you."
The man introduced himself as Park Ju-ho and offered a handshake,
which Chae Seung-hyun gratefully accepted.
Anyone could tell it meant, 'You probably won't help much, so I'll carry.'
But by Chae Seung-hyun's standards, this was pretty mild.
Usually, you had to beg persistently for them to accept you,
or they'd let you join only if you agreed upfront to take just one mana stone from the loot split.
"Hi! I'm Jo Min-ah. Nice to meet you!"
"I'm Song Yun-seul, Min-ah's friend. Looking forward to partying with you."
After that, two female hunters joined, completing the party.
Jo Min-ah was a standard mage type.
Song Yun-seul called herself a summoner.
"But this leaves us with only one frontline. Ju-ho, you're gonna have a tough time."
"Oh, it's fine! My summon can tank up front reliably."
"Yeah, Yun-seul's summon hits kinda weak, but it's super tough."
"Hey, is that a compliment?!"
"Of course it is!"
They settled on Park Ju-ho and Song Yun-seul's summon leading the front,
with the other three providing cover from behind.
With that decided, the four stepped into the gate.
Shwaaaaa—
No sooner had they done so than the sound of pouring water echoed from somewhere.
Looking around, they saw a long mountain path stretching ahead, leading to a massive waterfall cascading down a sheer cliff beyond.
"Ugh, mountains. I'm terrible at hiking."
"Same."
The women grumbled, puffing out their cheeks,
and Park Ju-ho thumped his chest reassuringly.
"Ladies, just let me know if you get tired. We'll take breaks as needed."
"Ooh, Ju-ho! Such chivalry toward women."
"Seriously. You look reliable from the start."
"Haha, any real man would do at least this much."
As the women laid on the sweet talk, Chae Seung-hyun let out a hearty laugh.
Chae Seung-hyun just gave a wry smile from a distance and followed behind.
"Summon!"
- Grrr...!
Song Yun-seul's bear summon burst forth,
drawing low exclamations from the men this time.
It looked sturdier than most hunters.
'This place feels just like the one in the strategy guide.'
Meanwhile, Chae Seung-hyun, bow in hand, trailed the three while constantly scanning around.
The gate's interior matched the guide he'd memorized last night remarkably well.
Gates had all sorts of themes, so some similarities weren't odd.
But this was too spot-on.
The huge waterfall plunging off the cliff,
the sky not blue but a faint yellowish hue,
- Kraaak!
"Ugh, that noise has been annoying since earlier."
"Right? Not even a crow caw—what the heck is it?"
"Monster cry, maybe? Kinda sounds like it."
and above all, the periodic, eerie beast cries of unknown origin.
Everything matched.
'Wait, then...'
That realization sent a chill sweat trickling down Chae Seung-hyun's spine.
The path had been a smooth hiking trail just moments ago, like it was artificially made.
Now, it was inexplicably carpeted with fallen leaves.
Leaves on a mountain path weren't unusual.
But this matched the guide too—and it was a crucial, dangerous detail.
"Hold up! Everyone, stop!"
"Huh?"
"What's up all of a sudden?"
"Come on, you're not tired out before the ladies, are you?"
Chae Seung-hyun halted the group, and they all turned with puzzled looks.
Song Yun-seul even joked, but he stood firm.
"Yun-seul, sorry, but could you send your summon ahead alone?"
"Sure, I can, but... why?"
"There might be camouflaged monsters on the ground."
"The ground?"
Just leaves everywhere—what monsters?
Song Yun-seul tilted her head, and the others stared at him like he'd lost it.
"Please, just trust me once. If nothing happens after a bit, we can switch back to the original formation..."
"Hmmm. Alright, if you're that insistent."
But Chae Seung-hyun pleaded so earnestly
that party leader Park Ju-ho nodded on behalf of the group.
With only Song Yun-seul's summon up front, they silently resumed climbing.
- Kyaaak!
- Kuruk!
"Whoa?!"
"M-monster! Where?!"
Suddenly, a massive snake erupted from underfoot, lunging at the summon.
The four hurriedly shifted to combat stance, readying attacks,
"Min-ah! Ice attribute, wide-area attack, please! Ju-ho, don't engage—fall back! There might be another one hiding!"
"Got it!"
"Another one? Damn...!"
when Chae Seung-hyun issued orders again.
This time, no one questioned him.
It had all played out exactly as he'd said.
"Frozen!"
Kwajik—!
Jo Min-ah's spell detonated,
freezing the ground where the summon stood,
and the ice crept up the snake's body.
It couldn't freeze the whole thing,
but as a cold-blooded reptile, the sudden chill slowed it drastically.
Pew— pew—!
"Where you slithering, snake brat!"
Chae Seung-hyun's arrows struck in the gap,
and Park Ju-ho's sword cleaved its body.
That was the moment.
- Shiiik!
"One more from the right! Watch out!"
As if sensing its ally's peril,
another snake leaped from the opposite side.
But having hidden on the ground,
it had already taken some of Jo Min-ah's magic,
making its movements sluggish and slow.
- Kuoo!
Song Yun-seul's summon caught the motion, snatching it with a massive paw.
With a thud, the snake slammed into the ground and bounced.
"Eat this!"
"Ju-ho, duck!"
Simultaneously, Jo Min-ah's lightning and Chae Seung-hyun's arrow hit home,
and both snakes flopped dead at once.
"Wooow! We won!"
"Whew, that was close."
"Tell me about it. But hey..."
The fight ended in a flash,
and all eyes turned to Chae Seung-hyun.
He could tell their gazes had shifted dramatically from before.
"Seung-hyun, what exactly are you?"
Park Ju-ho's question carried real respect, but Chae Seung-hyun just shrugged helplessly.
"Uuuugh..."
Thud.
I was half-slumped over the low dining table in the living room,
staring at the comments on yesterday's strategy guide post.
Ugh, still nothing but nasty comments.
Over a hundred replies already,
and it made me feel like I'd done something awful.
"Master, are you alright? You've looked pale since yesterday."
Han Yuseol, back from loading the laundry into the washer, peered at me,
then came over and patted my back with a wry smile.
"We worked so hard on it together for once, but no one believes us..."
"Hehe, quite the blow to your spirits, huh."
"Yeah... I didn't even expect it to be super helpful, but I never thought they'd outright dismiss it."
Just one person believing it would've been nice.
We really put effort into it.
Han Yuseol suffered a ton because of me too.
Hing.
"The day will come when it's recognized. Besides, even Titan Guild alone gave it rave reviews. People just aren't ready to accept it yet."
"You think so...?"
"Of course. I stake the name of Sword Empress Han Yuseol on it."
Uuugh, if even Han Yuseol says so,
I can wait a bit longer, right?
Well, it's only been a day anyway.
Eh, whatever—drown my sorrows!
Time for the cheat code!
"Bartender! The usual for me! Uh, rocks? Right!"
"Rocks...? Ah, do you mean on the rocks?"
"Uh... probably. But what's that?"
I'd seen it online a lot and thought it sounded cool.
"Simply put, it's booze over ice. But it's too early for you to drink, so chocolate milk on the rocks it is."
"Yay!"
Ooh, sounds cool.
Chocolate milk on the rocks!
Next time I'm out and get a chocolate latte, I'll order it "chocolate latte on the rocks"!
The barista will totally think, 'This girl's no newbie.'
I was just about to pop the straw into the chocolate milk on the rocks Han Yuseol brought,
when—
A guestbook entry has been written.
"...Huh?"
"Master, what's wrong?"
"Some notification I've never seen before."
I tilted my head at the sudden phone alert.
Clicking it logged me into the expert hunter account I'd made recently, not my newbie hunter one.
(For reference, alerts for both accounts work inside or outside gates anytime.
Posts can only be made from the newbie account outside gates,
and expert hunter inside.)
Anyway, first time hearing about a guestbook, so I checked it out.
[Guestbook]
Memorized the strategy guide all day yesterday and hit a gate today—thanks to you, I had the time of my life for the first time ever. It was exactly as described. Truly grateful. May fortune smile on you. I'll repay this debt someday.
There it was: a message from someone with a new username.
The exact kind I'd been waiting for.
"Y-Yuseol! Look at this...!"
Stunned, I alternated between the phone screen and Han Yuseol,
stammering excitedly.
She watched me fondly,
stroking my head as if to say "See?"
"What do you think? I was right, wasn't I?"
"Hehe... Yes!"
Thanks to that, the chocolate milk on the rocks meant to drown my sorrows
became a toast to celebrate my joy instead.