Episode 85 - Clan (8): Predators and Prey
I heard it from Han So-young. The closer a crack is to bursting, the more likely people are to pull stunts like canceling reservations. So we chose a suitable crack as bait and booked it. A crack with only three days left until dimensional erosion.
Cracks this close to breaking – the guild responsible either posts a bounty on them or handles it themselves. And parties with a low chance of clearing are denied entry. Because if you wait around trusting them, the crack might burst. If someone was going to pull some trick, this kind of crack was perfect. Justified, too.
'The fact that a three-day crack is even left is the real problem.'
If you thought about it, it was proof of incompetence and laziness. It meant they weren't properly managing the cracks in that area. A diligent guild's territory would have almost no cracks with a week or less left.
Crack cluster zone. Just as expected, a problem came up with the reservation. Not canceled — absurdly, additional members were added. A pudgy-faced association employee, looking like a bloated toad, picked his ear arrogantly.
"Haha. Sorry, sorry. My mistake."
"Joint entry? Who gave you permission?"
"Ahem... There's not much clearing time left, so four people are more reliable than two, aren't they? Try to understand my position, huh?"
Since he couldn't be trusted, they wanted to send people with a higher chance of clearing in with us. An absurd stunt. It was obvious he'd been bribed. He was apologizing in words but subtly dropping formality — that grated on me too.
"You're a recently promoted C-rank, and the girl with you is barely D-rank. The two of you taking on a C-rank dungeon? No, that won't do. I can't trust it, it makes me uneasy."
On top of that, he knew their exact ranks and records. Of course, that information would come out with investigation. But I had a gut feeling someone like him, who'd take bribes, wouldn't have diligently looked into it. I prodded a little.
"That's ridiculous. You should have contacted us in advance, at least."
The pudgy face hardened. No reason to use polite language to a guy who was being subtly rude.
"Being a bit short with your words?"
"Why? You can use casual speech, but I can't? So who are the scumbags going in with us?"
The punk's nose twitched. The thing about these types is that if you come on strong, they turn respectful. Sure enough, something was making him nervous, and he suddenly switched to polite speech.
"Hu... Please just wait a moment. They'll be here soon."
"I smell something rotten from here. Maybe I should file a complaint."
The guy's finger twitched.
"It-it's not good for you to fight with an association employee, is it?"
"I don't want the hassle either, so just tell me. You were asked to do this, weren't you?"
The guy looked away and swallowed. The fact that he was hesitating was proof someone had put him up to it. Finally, the pudgy-faced punk whispered quietly.
"The Danseong Guild... *ahem*! No such thing. I'm sorry about this."
"Hmph..."
As expected, it was those Danseong Guild bastards. I didn't need concrete evidence anyway. What mattered more than justification was the fact that I was stronger. I thought about how to punish them.
The name of the Danseong Guild master was Hwang Bo-gwang. A middle-aged man with thick eyebrows. Nothing particularly notable about him. Just an ordinary B-rank hunter. He'd formed a clan with the money he'd saved his whole life, then upgraded it to a guild.
'Maybe I should beat him down publicly.'
To me, who was knocking on the door of Peak, A-rank, he was a pathetically easy opponent. There were plenty of ways to punish a punk who didn't know his place and acted cocky.
'Or maybe I'll go after his wife...'
He had some money, so his wife was probably pretty too. I was slightly tempted, but hesitated because she was probably old.
'Would be perfect if they tried to ambush us in the crack... but unless they're crazy, they won't.'
Ga-yoon's father was an S-rank hunter. If something happened to her, they wouldn't live out the rest of their natural lives. Unless they were crazy bastards who didn't care about consequences, they wouldn't attack.
Two men arrived. With thick eyebrows and similar features, they were clearly father and son. A man who looked to be in his fifties spoke heartily with a confident attitude.
"Haha. Sorry we're late. I am Hwang Bo-gwang, master of the Danseong Guild. Nice to meet you."
"Hu... Not nice at all. Joining suddenly — what am I supposed to do about that?"
The corner of his eye twitched for a moment. But he soon smiled, showing impressive patience.
"We'd be in trouble if dimensional erosion happened, wouldn't we? Please understand our position, we're in charge of this area."
Hwang Bo-gwang said, lifting the corners of his mouth annoyingly.
"Anyway, for a small-to-mid-sized clan, this is probably an everyday occurrence, right? Who knows, it might get even worse in the future."
I didn't know the exact reason or purpose, but one thing was clear — he looked down on me and was hostile. I thought about what he wanted, then gave up. A weakling's plans didn't matter.
If I were an ordinary hunter, I would have bowed my head at this point and asked what he wanted. But I had no reason to.
"Fine. You go in first."
"...What? We should go in together of cou... W-whoa?"
Ignoring the guy who was saying something, I grabbed Ga-yoon's wrist and moved away.
"Ga-yoon. What do you think of those guys?"
"...I don't like the way they look. They're sleazy and annoying."
The thick-browed punk, who had been secretly swallowing saliva while staring at her, glared at me. I felt playful seeing his arrogant eyes.
"Ga-yoon, you have something on your face."
"Huh...? Th-thank you."
I lightly brushed her earlobe. Just as expected, the punk's eyes shot open.
'Hah... Just as I thought.'
I deliberately pressed close, so close my lips touched her ear, and whispered.
"Just a moment."
"Huu... M-Master, that tickles."
Sure enough, sparks flew from the thick-browed punk's eyes. I closed in on Seo Ga-yoon, blocking his view. From his perspective, it would look like she was in my arms. Then I grabbed her wrist.
"Hyaa...? M-Master...?"
"Ga-yoon, you said you wanted special training, right?"
"Yes...? Of course."
"Then I need to know your constitution. Can I check your body a bit?"
"Ah... Sure."
I subtly slipped a thread of Mixed Energy into her wrist. Just enough for a faint warmth to rise.
"How does it feel?"
"Haa... My body feels hot somehow."
"Can you feel yourself getting sensitive?"
"Yes... haa... The air feels hotter than usual."
"Your sensitivity is better than I thought. Ga-yoon, you've got talent."
"R-really? That makes me happy... haa... Why, why do I feel so hot..."
I could feel through her skin that her body temperature had risen slightly.
"This is enough. I'll teach you properly later."
"Ah... I'm looking forward to it."
Ga-yoon's skin flushed a light red. Just enough for anyone watching to misunderstand.
'Not that it's a misunderstanding.'
The thick-browed punk's eyes grew wide enough to split. His fingertips trembling, his mouth hanging open.
'What, that guy too?'
Guild master Hwang Bo-gwang was making the exact same expression as his son. He was glaring at me with jealous eyes.
'Father and son, both crazy.'
I shook my head. The games stopped here. I had something to caution her about.
"He's obviously suspicious. Should we not go in?"
"It's annoying, but... nothing will happen, right?"
Honestly, there was no reason to enter a crack that was clearly going to be a hassle. But it seemed like the perfect educational opportunity for Seo Ga-yoon, who only knew the bright side of the world.
"When we're in the crack, consider those guys enemies."
"What...? But they're fellow hunters..."
I said it just in case, but she was truly an innocent girl. She'd been raised nicely and didn't seem to know how much trash was in the world.
'Which is exactly why I got her.'
Not that I was any better. My reason for forming the clan was more impure than anyone's. I said to her bluntly.
"The inside of a crack is a lawless zone. Never trust anyone who isn't a member of the clan you went in with."
"Uum... Okay."
She answered out of habit, but she tilted her head slightly. She needed to see and feel it firsthand this time.
I approached the father and son, who still hadn't entered the crack and were waiting for us.
"What are you still standing around for? We're going separate ways anyway."
"Haha! This is fate, let's go in together... Huh! Myeong-cheol, what do you think you're doing?"
The father blocked the thick-browed punk, whose face was twisted as if about to explode. A little more provocation and this guy would attack.
"How can we trust you to stick together in the crack? Don't talk bullshit."
"B-bullshit...?"
Hwang Bo-gwang hadn't heard such foul language in a long time since becoming guild master. And this was the first time from such a young punk. Annoyance surged, enough to stiffen the back of his neck, but he barely calmed down after looking at Seo Ga-yoon. He grabbed his trembling son's wrist firmly to bring him to his senses.
"He's right. We can just go in and go our separate ways, can't we?"
"Let's do that."
Si-woo and Seo Ga-yoon entered the crack. Hwang Bo-gwang gritted his teeth. A man and a woman, grown adults, going into a crack pressed tightly together. Even though she was his daughter's age, her appearance stirred his lust. If not for her father, he would have made a move more blatantly — a bit of a shame.
"My son, let's go in."
"Hu... He's a really cocky bastard. I'll have to teach him a lesson inside."
"Ahem! Calm yourself. You absolutely must not touch him directly."
"...I understand."
Despite his answer, the thick-browed punk's expression was full of dissatisfaction. The father, who had already entered the crack ahead, couldn't see it.