Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: E-Rank Gate (1)
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Field training. Just the name alone made my heart pound—it was my first mission as a hunter. I suppressed my racing heart and took a deep breath. Beside me, Ichigaya Ichie was impassively rechecking her gear. I asked her,
"Aren't you nervous, Ichie?"
"Nervous? A little."
Ichigaya Ichie nodded as she spoke. But her expression showed no sign of tension whatsoever, contrary to her words. Right now, we were standing in front of a real E-Rank Gate where the mission was underway—not at the academy. A few people were checking the gate's stability, while D-Rank hunters prepared a short distance away.
She was a woman with distinctive silver hair. For a D-Rank hunter, her appearance was incredibly striking, yet she gazed down at the gate with a complicated expression, a cigarette dangling from her lips. To greet her in advance, Ichie and I walked over.
The hunter scowled the moment she saw us, but forced a smile.
"Hello! I'm Jeong Su-hyeon, the apprentice hunter here today, and this is..."
I trailed off, and Ichigaya Ichie spoke up herself.
"Ichigaya Ichie. Yoroshiku."
"Seong Ha-yeon."
She gave a curt reply and nodded. Then she scanned our gear, approached Ichie, and adjusted the position of her belt and protective equipment. Ichie blinked, watching her actions.
"Huh, what's this?"
A voice came from behind. It was familiar. I whipped my head around in surprise. Senior Yu-jeong was staring at me with an awkward expression. Her lips trembled as she looked at me, then her eyes widened.
"S-Su-hyeon? You're teamed up with her? What a coincidence. Small world."
Seong Ha-yeon heard Senior Yu-jeong's words and smirked slightly. She stubbed out the nearly burned cigarette filter with her bare hand and tossed it away. Smoke rose from where it touched her skin. She said,
"Oh? You two know each other?"
"Yeah, sis. These are the kids I'm mentoring this time."
Seong Ha-yeon and Senior Yu-jeong seemed to know each other very well. They chatted casually. Seong Ha-yeon said,
"Both of them? What a coincidence. Nice to meet you. I'm with the Black Dragon Clan too."
Black Dragon Clan—now I was curious about her nickname. But since I hadn't revealed mine, I couldn't exactly ask. I bowed my head once more in greeting.
"Please take good care of us."
"Sure thing. Yu-jeong, go gear up quick. You two, tighten your equipment more. Cinch it so tight it feels like the blood won't flow—that's how the protective gear works best."
Ichie and I nodded at her words and returned to our spots to recheck our gear. As Ichie tightened the strap on the back of her thigh, she glanced at me and said,
"Help me out."
She pointed to the strap behind her thigh. I carefully tightened the end over her snug pants. As the strap pulled tight, I felt her firm thigh swell slightly. She turned around and did the same for my leg.
Being a hunter was a pretty great job.
Once we finished checking our gear, Senior Yu-jeong and Seong Ha-yeon were already waiting in front of the gate. Seong Ha-yeon exchanged glances with Senior Yu-jeong and whispered something in a low voice; neither looked pleased. Was she scolding her?
"Come on over. Time for the mission briefing."
Seong Ha-yeon gave us a once-over when we returned, nodded, and opened her pad to start the briefing. Before entering the gate proper, the most senior hunter was required to conduct a mission briefing.
"Today's E-Rank Gate mission is to collect the ore inside called 'Eldio' and the hides from E-Rank monsters, Jungle Cats. Grab as much as you can—it pays better. Stuff your bags during the dive. Eldio looks like this. You'll find it wandering the forest; just dig it up when you spot it."
A photo of the Eldio ore appeared on my pad. The crystal-like stone shimmered with a lustrous purple hue. Ichie's eyes sparkled as she stared at it. She tapped the pad and asked Seong Ha-yeon,
"Can I take one?"
"Uh... one, sure?"
With that, she signaled the gate entry. The bystanders cleared out, leaving just the four hunters at the gate. Seong Ha-yeon and Senior Yu-jeong leaped inside first, leaving us behind. I stopped Ichie as she tried to follow.
Ichie tilted her head at me questioningly, and I explained,
"They go in first to scout the situation."
Ichie nodded. Seong Ha-yeon glanced around inside, stomped the ground a few times, then motioned for us. Like responding to a squad leader's call in the military, I grabbed my bag and gear, and Ichie and I plunged into the gate.
Inside the gate, the air felt dank and humid. Ichie shuddered briefly but showed no rejection. We each shouldered a bag, and Seong Ha-yeon said,
"Since it's a mining mission, splitting into pairs to search will be more efficient. Eldio is scattered all over. Jungle Cats are no big deal for me or Yu-jeong to handle. Let's split up and hunt."
Split up? Wasn't sticking together always safer? I'd seen videos where hunters got wiped out in E-Rank Gates from acting alone. But I didn't voice my doubts. Seong Ha-yeon outranked me and had way more experience. Ichie asked,
"Isn't that dangerous?"
"Nah, it's fine. Don't worry."
Seong Ha-yeon dismissed Ichie's concern with a single phrase. Before more questions could arise, she grabbed Ichie's hand, pointed in one direction, and said,
"We'll head that way. If anything happens, we'll fire a red flare—join us immediately, got it?"
"Yes. We'll signal if we're in trouble too."
"Good. See you later. Fire a blue one when your bags are full."
"Got it."
Seong Ha-yeon vanished into the forest shadows with Ichie. That left just me and Senior Yu-jeong. She glanced at me sideways, then turned away and said,
"Shall we go, then?"
"Y-Yeah."
What was this awkward vibe? I'd thought Senior Yu-jeong and I were pretty close, but being alone together felt strangely tense. She seemed to feel it too. We walked through the gate's forest, but it was like strolling an empty park—eerie and quiet.
"That Ichie girl... she's a beauty."
Senior Yu-jeong brought it up out of nowhere as we walked. I could feel her glancing at me. I shook my head and said,
"I think you're a beauty too, Senior Yu-jeong."
"Me? R-Really?"
Senior Yu-jeong asked cautiously. I wasn't sure how to respond. What should I say? Add some flair? Just 'yes' felt lame and insincere. I said,
"I've thought so since we first met. 'Senior Yu-jeong is such a beauty.'"
"Hearing it like that makes me shy. I don't think my face is that pretty, but what about my sister Ha-yeon? She's a beauty too, right? Silver hair, cool personality."
Senior Yu-jeong kept steering the talk to other women instead of herself. I said,
"She seems nice."
"Yeah? You're right. Ha-yeon sis is a good person."
"I think you're a good person too, Senior Yu-jeong. You always help me out, and... personally, I'm really grateful. Even with my weird nickname, you see me without prejudice. Thank you."
Senior Yu-jeong was truly a good person. If hunter subsidies came through, she'd be top of my list for a meal. She gave me an odd look at my words, turned away, and said,
"I'm not that nice, Su-hyeon. I'm actually a pretty bad person."
"But you've been good to me—that's a fact. To me, you're a really good person, and someone I want to stay close with."
At that, Senior Yu-jeong's shoulders trembled slightly. Had I overdone it? I shrank back and said,
"Senior Yu-jeong?"
"Ah, y-yeah. Where were we?"
I started to revisit the topic but closed my mouth. Meanwhile, Senior Yu-jeong pointed to a stone beside a rock and said,
"Oh! Eldio ore over there!"
"You're right. I'll mine it, Senior."
The Eldio ore gleamed iridescently from the rock crevice, just like a collectible in a game. Senior Yu-jeong looked worried and asked,
"You sure you can do it?"
"I've seen videos online a few times. Break the roots and pull it out, right?"
"Yes, exactly. You've studied hard, Su-hyeon."
She smiled as she said it. Seeing her smile gave me a surge of energy. With her encouragement, I started scraping at the ore. It felt like I was a pro scaler removing tartar. The scraping sounds oddly boosted my mood.
How much time passed? It was messy with some debris, but I'd successfully mined ore for the first time in my life. As Senior Yu-jeong took it from me, her fingers brushed mine. A jolt like electricity shot through me. Oblivious, she inspected the ore.
"Hmm, just needs a bit more cleaning. Amazing for a first try."
She placed it in my bag. Her praise made my shoulders rise proudly.
"Grrrrr..."
A growl rumbled from the bushes ahead. Senior Yu-jeong, who had been smiling while zipping my bag, gently pushed me back and said,
"Step back for a sec?"
"I-I can..."
"You don't have much combat experience. Stay back."
Then Senior Yu-jeong bent her knees slightly and took a deep breath. She said,
"In the Black Dragon Clan, they teach trainees a technique called 'Sky-Shattering Fist.' Let me show you a little."