Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Omen (2)
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“Teacher Lee Jeong-ah mentioned something like that.”
Sitting at the cafe table, I recounted what had happened during class. Ichie didn’t seem to have any particular thoughts on it. She fiddled with her empty soda can like an accordion, bobbing her head along. Yu-jeong sunbae smiled and said,
“Oh, her? Thanks. It’s rare to hear stuff like that.”
Yu-jeong sunbae nodded. We slumped lazily over the table, our bodies heavy with fatigue. My mind was too drained for stray thoughts, yet that one comment from Teacher Lee Jeong-ah kept circling in my head. Yu-jeong sunbae shook her iced Americano glass. The clinking ice drew my attention. She asked me,
“So, how was today?”
She seemed eager to change the subject. I racked my brain for something to say, spinning my head around, when I spotted a familiar face approaching from afar.
“Ha-yeon-ssi?”
Silver hair framed her sharp lips, perpetually curled in worldly dissatisfaction. She wore an oversized, baggy jacket paired with loose pants. Spotting us, she clicked her tongue lightly, then waved with her hands stuffed in her pockets.
“Hey, I’ll buy you guys food. All three of you, come on.”
“Huh?”
Did she and us have some big connection? Bewildered, both Ichie and I widened our eyes and tilted our heads. Yu-jeong sunbae gave an awkward smile, like she knew something, and urged us along.
“Come on, let’s go. No one who offers to buy food is ever bad news.”
“Right.”
Ichie nodded at her words. Seong Ha-yeon drove a mid-sized sedan. Yu-jeong sunbae took shotgun, while we huddled in the back seat. Ichie scooted as close to me as possible, prompting Seong Ha-yeon to chuckle.
“What’re you two doing? Plenty of space—sit apart.”
“It’s hot. Trying to catch the AC breeze.”
“Is that so?”
She shrugged and buckled up. I asked,
“So, what’s the occasion for treating us?”
“Just felt like it. Why? Got a problem?”
She snapped back with an oddly aggressive tone. I sheepishly shook my head and muttered it was nothing. She nodded, as if glad I’d dropped it, then turned to Yu-jeong sunbae.
“What do you wanna eat?”
“Anything you’re craving?”
Yu-jeong sunbae glanced back at us. Seong Ha-yeon added,
“Pick something pricey. Go big.”
Even told to splurge, my soup-soaked brain and Ichie’s chicken-galbi-marinated one couldn’t conjure anything fancy. As we stared blankly at each other, Seong Ha-yeon gripped the gearshift.
“Hey, let’s just hit a barbecue joint. I know a great spot.”
She leaned her head back for our approval. We nodded, and she faced forward, hitting the gas. The academy building receded smoothly beyond the car window.
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Greasy droplets sizzled onto the pitch-black cast-iron griddle. Charcoal embedded in the base glowed fiercely, radiating heat. Tonging thick slabs of fat-marbled, ruby-red meat onto it sent savory aromas wafting as oil spat everywhere. Yu-jeong sunbae added kimchi beside it. The well-fermented cabbage soaked up the pork fat, bubbling away.
The TV blared a variety show. Lee Hyun-woo appeared in an interview clip. Seong Ha-yeon glanced at it, then deliberately looked away.
“Eat up. Lots.”
Somewhere, soju glasses clinked. Ties loosened on lightly dressed folks laughing as they shared drinks. Seong Ha-yeon, who’d driven, eyed the soju bottles wistfully.
Yu-jeong sunbae twirled her soju glass and said,
“Man, it’s been ages since I had barbecue. So good.”
We nodded. Ichie clumsily wrapped a lettuce wrap, took a bite, and her eyes sparkled. Seong Ha-yeon said,
“Eat up. Lots. Order more if you want.”
She pointed at the menu, asking if there was anything else. Her enthusiasm was so intense Yu-jeong sunbae had to rein her in. With a casual wave, she relented, and Seong Ha-yeon smirked, nodding. Twirling her soju glass, she said,
“First time seeing us since the Rookie King Tournament win, right?”
“Yeah.”
I nodded. She fell silent again, lips pursed as she mulled her words, then asked me,
“Year-end training camp’s coming up. You prepping okay?”
“Training camp prep? Haven’t heard anything yet.”
“Same.”
Ichie nodded mid-bite. Seong Ha-yeon glanced at Yu-jeong sunbae. She picked lightly at her rice and said,
“Didn’t mention it yet since it’s still in planning. Didn’t wanna complicate things.”
“Really? There’s a lot to prepare for.”
Ichie tilted her head.
“A lot to prepare?”
“You guys never wondered? Stats get capped by rank, nicknames by the Status Window... so why do they hand out D-rank on academy graduation? Stuff like that.”
“Huh, now that you mention it.”
We’d accepted it so naturally. But yeah, it was weird. D-rank on graduation? Did the Status Window spit out a quest like [Hold your graduation ceremony] or something?
Hunter Seong Ha-yeon said,
“Truth is, hunter ranks cap stat growth. Hit that wall, and a quest pops up. Different missions for each promotion—C to B, whatever—but from apprentice to D, there’s just one universal: [Clear a D-rank Gate].”
“Ahh.”
Suddenly, the training made sense. Ichie nodded too. Hunter Seong Ha-yeon continued,
“So the academy boosts your stats up to D-rank and opens private D-gates. They can control up to C-rank gates. The camp’s the finale: you guys raid a real D-gate solo, no mentors, boss and all.”
“Does that make us D-rank?”
“Depends on your growth. If you’ve maxed apprentice stats, clearing it jumps you to D. Otherwise, it’s just practice before the quest.”
D-rank was closer than we thought. We blinked, buzzing with anticipation, shoulders tensing. Yu-jeong sunbae chuckled.
“Starts at D-rank. Then it’s on you—train your body, clear gates solo. Growth slows to a crawl. No more academy handouts.”
“Some stick at D forever. Higher ranks mean nastier monsters, tougher gates. Honestly, not worth it for most.”
“That bad?”
The highest we’d seen was a C-rank Minotaur. Ichie looked equally puzzled, no high-rank encounters under her belt. What did those look like? Seong Ha-yeon shrugged.
“Not dinner-table talk. Wanna see one? Snagged a screencap from the bestiary—ugliest bastard ever.”
Hunter Seong Ha-yeon pulled out her pad and showed us the screen. We grimaced at the monster. A massive mushroom head puppeteered people like porters, tentacles writhing over their faces. Brain-sucking? Or just puppets?
“Eww.”
I shook my head. She cackled, pocketing the pad. Meat charred slightly on the grill. Ichie flipped it in a panic.
“Overcooked’s no good.”
“Ichie knows her meat.”
Seong Ha-yeon nodded. Yu-jeong sunbae laughed beside her, pulling out her phone. She snuck glances at me, texting. I checked at her cue.
[Now 2. Wanna try it? I’ll swing by your place before the weekend. Got a day off.]
The sudden swell below erased mushroom horrors and D-rank camps from my mind.