Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Suspicious Party Members
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Things seemed to be going better than expected.
Bae Yun-ho and Lee Jeong-jun didn't show it outwardly, but they sensed it instinctively.
"So that's why an S-Rank suddenly showed up."
When they first received orders from the guild, Yun-ho and Jeong-jun had been filled with worry.
A-Rank level 4.
It was a rank and level that wouldn't be ignored anywhere.
Especially in a level 4 gate, it was realistically hard to even encounter someone of that caliber once.
But their opponent was S-Rank.
When they first awakened and got scouted by the Great Fortune Guild, they never imagined something like this would happen.
Of course, they had heard the stories.
"You won't be officially operating as part of Great Fortune Guild."
"Pardon?"
"Later, you'll be in charge of operations to persuade and recruit S-Ranks inside gates."
At first, they wondered what that meant.
They had seen sensational posts online claiming nations were desperate to secure S-Ranks, but they never thought it would become reality.
They joined despite it being a Chinese-affiliated guild with far better treatment than elsewhere, but once they learned the truth, they couldn't back out.
At first, due to threats to their lives and blackmail.
Later, because of the otherworldly rewards, support, and promises for the future.
"How well do you think you'll live in this tiny country like Korea? Solve just this one thing, and you can head to China to be treated like heroes."
Over a year of sweet temptation had eroded their sense of identity as Koreans, replaced by a stronger belonging to the Great Fortune Guild.
And now, their first mission was to bring the S-Rank Choi Ji-hee to China.
When they heard she was hunting in a public party due to some circumstances, they were puzzled, but seeing her in person made it clear.
"She's an S-Rank in name only."
What good was being S-Rank?
She trembled and fired one shot before melting down completely.
Of course, that one shot's destructive power was beyond imagination, but if aimed well, it didn't seem impossible to dodge.
They weren't sure if dragging this half-baked S-Rank would net them the promised rewards, but that wasn't their concern.
Yun-ho and Jeong-jun's eyes met briefly.
The S-Rank herself was nothing special.
The other party members were the same.
She wasn't even combat-oriented—a C-Rank healer with some D-Rank magic enchantment nonsense.
The only concern was the party leader.
The guild had warned them to watch out for one dispatched member from the Association.
In this situation, the party leader was obviously the dispatch.
"Impossible to gauge his strength."
He looked exactly like a D-Rank hunter.
His trait was Throwing Skill.
He hadn't shown it in action yet, but barely dodging low-grade spirit attacks suggested he was no match for them.
Objectively, that's how it seemed.
But was it really true?
They themselves were A-Ranks hiding their power, weren't they?
Moreover, that inexplicable pressure when their eyes met before entering the gate lingered in their minds.
After that, their attention shifted from the mission target Choi Ji-hee to Han Jeong-hyeon.
Swoosh—
Jeong-jun moved his hand in an angle hidden from the other hunters.
Yun-ho rolled only his eyes to read the hand signal.
Watch a bit longer.
He didn't send a confirmation signal.
Jeong-jun would notice his gaze anyway, and any overt signal could draw attention.
'Yeah, we can strike when they're more worn out.'
Yun-ho agreed.
In the hunter world, it was a mantra worth repeating endlessly.
Carelessness means death.
Yun-ho and Jeong-jun had it etched firmly in their hearts.
The party leader was at best another A-Rank level 4 like them.
With the guild's secret backup, failure seemed unlikely.
Still, Han Jeong-hyeon was a variable, so they planned to wait patiently for the perfect moment.
But there was one fact they hadn't noticed.
Even then, Jeong-hyeon was subtly keeping tabs on the two.
***
The hunt itself went smoothly.
Spirits conveniently swarmed every short distance, offering up their spirit stones.
Command magic was still way over capacity, but it was gradually following Jeong-hyeon's guidance.
Plus, as they hunted, one of Jeong-hyeon's worries resolved itself.
"Oh, lucky."
Ji-hee had caught a mid-grade lightning spirit and a low-grade fire spirit this time.
Jeong-hyeon whistled as he picked up the mid-grade spirit stone from where her magic had swept through.
Fortunately, her monstrous magic didn't vaporize the spirit stones.
If it had, he'd have smashed every spirit himself, growth be damned.
And as the number of spirits appearing at once increased, Jeong-hyeon finally started using his Throwing Skill sparingly.
Thanks to that, he'd collected three coins total.
'Not like I came to farm coins anyway.'
This hunt's main goal was reconnaissance before seriously training Ji-hee.
This was plenty profitable.
Of course, not using his main weapon Black was annoying, and requesting Usik's magic enchantment every dagger throw was a hassle.
As Jeong-hyeon finished off their side's spirits, Usik smiled and said,
"Nice skills. Catching spirits like that isn't easy."
"Gotta hustle to keep up with my little sis."
Jeong-hyeon deliberately hit with his dagger only one in three throws.
That alone warranted praise by normal standards.
Usik laughed out loud at Jeong-hyeon's reply, then refocused.
It was the final stretch, but Yun-ho and Jeong-jun were still fighting.
While gathering spirit stones, Jeong-hyeon observed their movements.
And he was certain.
'Something's definitely off.'
He was a pro at hiding his own strength, so he knew.
Those weren't moves a mere C or D-Rank could pull off.
Of course, they occasionally missed killing blows or took hits to sell the act.
But while others might buy it, to Jeong-hyeon, it looked amateurish.
Acting required sincerity, enough to fool one's own soul.
Once he caught on, their half-hearted performance bored him; he clicked his tongue inwardly.
Anyway, the two were at least B-Rank.
The question was how and why they joined his party.
'Just villains? Nah, too suspicious for that.'
The most obvious was simple criminals.
But that seemed too coincidental.
Villains applying to a spirit gate right when Hunter Net was down, fighting through insane competition?
Crazy people existed, but ones this dedicated?
Moreover, their behavior differed from villains Jeong-hyeon had met.
Villains usually buttered up party members to lower guards.
But these two just sat in the corner quietly hunting, ignoring others' stares.
So the scales tipped elsewhere.
'They somehow know... and are targeting Ji-hee.'
If not ordinary villains, they were after the party's anomaly: S-Rank Choi Ji-hee.
Even if masks let them alter faces, non-magic trait users faking ranks implied organized backing.
They slipped Association checks, so either outside their intel net or an inside traitor.
No way B-Rank+ powerhouses hid ranks just to hunt quietly.
Pretending ignorance, Jeong-hyeon stood, deliberately dropping a dagger.
"Alright, seems we've all caught our breath. Time to move?"
Yun-ho and Jeong-jun, who had been watching him covertly, flinched simultaneously.
They clearly noticed the dropped dagger.
But even as everyone prepared to leave, no one picked it up or acknowledged it.
'Fine, let's see what happens.'
That cemented Jeong-hyeon's suspicions.
***
Spirit gates had unique scenery.
Dazzling flames and lightning dazzled the eyes everywhere, sudden earth mounds disrupted paths.
And while distracted by spectacles, stealthy wind blades sliced in.
Unlike typical battles full of booms and dust, spirit realm fights looked like surreal art from afar.
Of course, hunters rolling in the chaos knew better.
Beauty aside, survival meant throwing your body in.
'Right!'
Jeong-hyeon nimbly rolled aside.
A basketball-sized water droplet hit where he stood, then swirled viciously.
Water spirit attacks could collapse your stance with the damage alone if caught.
"Usik, wind attribute!"
"Got it!"
Jeong-hyeon signaled with a dagger already drawn; wind energy soon infused it.
Wind was perfect to pierce water spirit bodies and shatter cores.
Twelve spirits surrounded the party.
A solid number—no need for precision here.
Jeong-hyeon hurled his dagger at the farthest water spirit.
Purruk—
It pierced the core; the spirit bubbled apart and vanished.
[You acquired 1 coin.]
'Yes!'
Even at early 30% odds, a coin dropped.
Pleased with the bonus, Jeong-hyeon scanned around.
Annoyed by the human weaving through them, spirits densely packed his surroundings.
"Okay, perfect formation."
Confirming the setup he envisioned, he turned to Ji-hee.
"Fire!"
Ji-hee, who initially struggled with spells, now moved well.
Her interval was still about 10 seconds.
Useless in tight fights, but with Jeong-hyeon drawing aggro, it worked.
She said spirits not being "alive" helped her hesitate less.
Her magic still rampaged, though.
Roooaaar—
Jeong-hyeon dodged hastily amid the roar, thinking,
'Looks like control slips at the end.'
Mana handling was stable until activation.
But at the trigger, she shook hard, losing control—magic exploded out.
Other issues existed, but that was the big one.
Performance was solid, though.
Overwhelming blaze unlike any fire magic he'd seen.
No spirit survived it.
'Whew, specs are real.'
"Seriously, siblings sync so well, huh?"
Seung-yeon's cheer.
To her, Jeong-hyeon and Ji-hee were a dream team.
Jeong-hyeon turned her fatal flaw into a strength via insane physicals.
Her all-sweeping blasts cathartically cleared everything.
Downside: supporting her so she didn't collapse post-cast.
Jeong-hyeon reached for his bosom to aid the front.
Then startled, raising his voice unwittingly.
"Huh?"
He frantically looked around, recovered spent daggers, and replied while patting his pockets.
"Seems I lost a dagger."