Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Cursed Castle Party
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Chapter 31
Park Sangjun, Kim Seung-hyeok, Lee Woojun.
And Han Jeong-hyeon along with Seo Jin-uk.
That was the lineup for the party entering the "Cursed Castle."
As they exchanged introductions, it became clear why Park Sangjun was acting as the leader for the newbie hunters.
"D-Rank Level 3 Swordsmanship. Weapon is a longsword."
"Oh, you've leveled up once more since then? Congrats."
And rightly so—he was a Level 3 D-Rank powerhouse.
He must have been making a name for himself outside before getting scouted by Jeongjin.
Kim Seung-hyeok was a bit on the smaller side, which made it hard to imagine at first, but he was a late Level 1 D-Rank tanker.
Lee Woojun was likewise a late Level 1 D-Rank archer.
The unusual thing was that, unlike typical archers, he used an extremely short bow.
This sacrificed some raw firepower as a proper archer but guaranteed quick response times and decent melee capability, making it popular for all-rounders.
However, the most surprising of all was,
"As you all probably know, this is my first time meeting Hunter Jeong-hyeon, so allow me to reintroduce myself. I'm a Level 3 C-Rank combat healer."
That Seo Jin-uk was a full-fledged C-Rank healer—and a combat healer, no less.
To put it simply, he was on the same rank as the ambulance doctor who had instantly healed the wound from that previous villain encounter.
Moreover, these days, it was safe to say the lineage of combat healers had all but died out.
Roles within parties were clearly divided, and there was no need to risk deploying healer resources in combat.
But back in the early days of gate outbreaks, healers had to jump into the fray just to survive.
Regardless of being C-Rank or Level 3, a combat healer was bound to be a veteran with years of experience.
And as a C-Rank, he was at the entry point of true high-rank territory, even if the lowest one.
It made sense why even the cocky Sangjun was showing strict courtesy toward Jin-uk.
Healers were rare enough as it was, and this one outranked him to boot.
'No wonder there was no healer in the party—Assistant Manager Jin-uk is the healer?'
Jeong-hyeon nodded, his gaze newly turning to Jin-uk's weapon, a mace.
His traits were surely healing-focused, but he undoubtedly had real skill with mace combat as well.
If luck was on his side, maybe he could pick up some tips from a C-Rank veteran.
And it was Sangjun's voice that snapped Jeong-hyeon from his thoughts.
"So, what traits does our unregistered hunter over there have? Oh, can't tell us since you're unregistered?"
"Come on, no way, bro. We're going hunting with Jeongjin Guild members and you're still on about that?"
Sangjun stubbornly kept calling Jeong-hyeon an "unregistered" even after learning his name.
And despite D-Rank Level 3 being impressive, Seung-hyeok and Woojun were eagerly chiming in with every word from Sangjun, like there was some huge gain in buttering him up.
"My rank's whatever, but I'm agility-based and pretty good with throwing daggers. Proficiency level is 3."
"Pretty good?"
"Don't pry too much. It's rude, bro."
"Hahaha, is that so?"
'Look at them hyping each other up like a one-man band.'
The target of the mockery didn't care a whit, but they were slurping up their own delusions like it was kimchi soup, leaving Jeong-hyeon dumbfounded.
Normally, a superior should step in at this point, but when he glanced at Jin-uk, the man was just grinning away, who knows what he was thinking.
He hadn't meddled much in the hunt plans or briefing except when introducing himself.
"Then since our unregistered friend here is pretty good with daggers, you can stand rear guard with Woojun. But why the mace?"
Sangjun glanced at the rental shop mace placed next to Jeong-hyeon and asked.
Maces were typically for close-range DPS, occasional tanks, or combat healers like Jin-uk.
He was probably holding back on more snark out of consideration for the combat healer's feelings.
Jeong-hyeon replied with a straight face and a smile, unfazed by the question.
"There's a satisfying crunch when you smash the skull of some bastard you don't like."
"······?"
"I mean horseh—"
"Okay, okay. You're a funny one."
Sangjun cut off Seung-hyeok, who was about to snap.
No need to ask what he meant by "funny"—his eyes said it all.
At that moment, Jin-uk, who had been quietly observing, lightly tapped the table and spoke up.
"Alright, shall we get started then? Everyone good?"
The first to stand following Jin-uk was Jeong-hyeon.
Then Seung-hyeok and Woojun rose, with Sangjun last.
"Leave that bastard's share untouched—we'll wipe 'em all out ourselves. Not that we need to try; it'll happen anyway."
He muttered it lowly, but in a tone that didn't care who heard.
Who the "bastard" referred to was obvious.
But whether it would really play out that way remained to be seen.
***
"Ugh, it really is as creepy as they say."
"D-Rank getting spooked by this much?"
Leading the front line were Seung-hyeok and Sangjun.
Sangjun still looked relaxed, but Seung-hyeok seemed a bit tense.
True to its nickname as an upgraded version of the "Withered Corpse Corridor," the atmosphere inside the "Cursed Castle" was oppressively gloomy.
'Do all gates have their own vibe per level?'
Of course, Jeong-hyeon, who had resistance to such atmospheres, felt nothing.
Right now, Jeong-hyeon was walking alongside Woojun.
Woojun clearly wasn't thrilled about being stuck with the unregistered Jeong-hyeon instead of his favorite Sangjun.
In the end, Jeong-hyeon ended up chatting more with Jin-uk, who was hanging back a bit further for oversight, even though they were both rear guard.
"Not scared at all, huh?"
"My first hunt was in the Withered Corpse Corridor."
"Ah, I know that place well. Used to hunt there a lot myself."
Such nutritionally void small talk.
Jin-uk remained hard to read, but soon enough, even that leisure vanished.
"Front—ghouls! Three of them!"
It was Jeong-hyeon's senses that rang the alarm first.
It was fast enough to startle Woojun, who was ahead.
He too was an archer with sharp archery traits.
Strictly speaking, not agility-focused like Jeong-hyeon, but traits boosted not just the listed functions but all related abilities.
It was a given that a D-Rank archery trait sharpened senses far more than an F-Rank agility one.
'No way he's faking it?'
At first, Woojun refused to accept being outdone by some unregistered nobody and harbored baseless suspicions.
But,
"Kik—kik—keekik—"
Soon, the distinctive chilling ghoul laughter erased any doubt.
"Seung-hyeok, tank up!"
"Got it, bro!"
Sangjun, unfazed, issued orders to Seung-hyeok.
He might badmouth Jeong-hyeon, but he did his job as a hunter.
Calmly patting Seung-hyeok's back to send him forward, then taking position behind—clearly not just some nepotism hire.
Pale shapes rushed from the darkness.
Ghouls were undead, yet unlike typical undead, they were different.
No sluggish movements or rotting flesh.
Gray skin smoothly covering firm muscles.
Eyeless sockets exposing hollow pupils—grotesque enough to instinctively terrify humans.
And that bizarre, laughter-like voice to boot.
'Heard rumors, but they're way uglier and faster.'
No time for standoffs.
Thud—
The ghouls charged on all fours, slamming their full weight into Seung-hyeok.
A toughness trait holder like Sun-hyeong might have buckled.
"Hup!"
But Seung-hyeok owned D-Rank "Sturdy Strength Boost."
A strength-based tank rather than toughness, he didn't crumble.
Ping—
The moment of impact, a short arrow flew, piercing the rightmost ghoul's neck.
The ghoul tumbled from the force.
Before it could rise, follow-up arrows pierced not the neck but the head, pinning it to the floor.
"Keekik······."
Instant death.
The remaining two were Sangjun's.
His Level 3 D-Rank "Somewhat Sharp Swordsmanship" shone fully.
Among the weapon traits Jeong-hyeon had seen, the highest was Jucheol's axe skill.
If that was brute dominance,
Swish—
Sangjun's swordplay unfolded gracefully.
The ghoul clinging to the shield had its neck cleanly severed.
Even with a lean build and firm muscles, slicing the neck in one go wasn't easy.
Such composure to target joints precisely even here.
The last one died without grasping its peril.
In the blink of an eye, Jeongjin's three newbies had cleared the threat.
"How was that?"
Jin-uk subtly asked Jeong-hyeon.
"What can I say—everyone's impressive."
An honest, unfiltered impression.
It was his first time seeing a pure D-Rank fight, and it was solid.
Their egos were a bit inflated, but they'd surely been recognized hunters before Jeongjin.
"Jeongjin's personnel system. Of course, they still need polishing."
Even that didn't satisfy him?
Jeong-hyeon glanced at Jin-uk.
Jin-uk wore the same smile.
Probably not about raw skill.
Meanwhile, Sangjun turned after finishing off any stragglers.
"Assistant Manager Seo, keep going?"
"Yes, if everyone's fine, let's continue."
"You there, unregistered—just sit tight. Pretend you're on vacation."
"Thanks."
Definitely meant to rile him, but Jeong-hyeon grinned back.
Truth be told, he really had no complaints right now.
'Wow, my first time hunting this cushy. Just chill and ten million won hits the bank?'
The party guaranteed a whopping ten million won base pay each.
Equal shares too—experience and proficiency were a shame to miss, but whatever.
Sangjun meant it as a jab, but after grinding the last two hunts, this "vacation" felt like a gift to Jeong-hyeon.
'If only it stays this chill till the end······.'
But a faint bitter taste made him smack his lips.
The mood was smooth, but gates were unpredictable inside.
No dropping guard.
***
The "Cursed Castle"'s interior grew more labyrinthine the deeper they went.
Corridors branched multiply, and hidden rooms popped up unexpectedly.
At first, Sangjun and Seung-hyeok tensely searched the unpredictable layout, but after repeated nothing—not even a ghoul peek—they fully relaxed.
In contrast, Jeong-hyeon kept alert since his senses didn't pierce walls perfectly.
"So next time I save up, I'm upgrading to a higher-end ride."
"For real? I wanna try a nice car too. This domestic compact is embarrassing to drive anywhere."
"Yeah, a D-Rank rolling in that gets no respect."
He'd guessed from the coupe ride earlier, but Sangjun was really into cars.
Chatting like that in a gate was normally taboo.
'No wonder Assistant Manager Seo's letting it slide—must be a reason.'
But since Jin-uk, their overseer, wasn't stopping it, Jeong-hyeon stayed quiet.
And truly, no major crises had hit.
A pack of five ghouls was no sweat for Sangjun, Seung-hyeok, and Woojun's combo.
See, even now, they passed doors on both sides without issue······.
"Huh?"
Jeong-hyeon let out a short sound.
Something was there.
'These pathetic bastards—'
"Ambush!"
Cursing them inwardly for missing a ghoul each in the side rooms and shouting the warning happened simultaneously.
So did the front line scrambling into position and the two ghouls bursting into the corridor.
"Wh-what!"
The difference this time: the cunning ghouls didn't target the defensive front but charged straight for the rear.
Woojun, who had safely shot arrows under protection till now, panicked visibly.
If not so complacent, he might've handled one ghoul, even with some injury.
As a shortbow archer, the dagger at his waist wasn't for show.
But now, with them half-closed in, he couldn't cope.
Jeong-hyeon moved first.