Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Dragon's Tomb Proposal
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"Honestly, more than the signing bonus or any other conditions, I think this proposal really shows the capabilities of Sea Guild to Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon."
'What the hell did they bring?'
Suyeong's way of speaking had a knack for piquing curiosity.
Still, someone who was a team leader at Sea Guild wouldn't throw around words like that lightly.
With that thought, the moment Jeong-hyeon glanced at the title on the first page of the file, he couldn't help but be startled.
"Really?"
"Haha, of course!"
- Proposal to Participate in 5-Level Mission Gate 'Dragon's Tomb' -
It was indeed a proposal that showcased Sea Guild's capabilities.
Perhaps to an excessive degree.
A 5-level gate.
And a mission gate at that?
Starting from level 5 and above, special gates known as mission gates existed.
Unlike regular gates that persisted once created, mission gates vanished once the conditions inside were met.
Not only was the difficulty far higher than regular gates, but the inability to reuse prior experience or information made the risks proportionally massive.
However, the rewards matched that.
'Clearing a mission gate guarantees an artifact.'
It was because of the artifacts that appeared upon clearing.
With performance incomparable to manufactured gear and occasional mysterious traits attached, artifacts were so rare you couldn't buy them even if you wanted to.
Naturally, major guilds monopolized mission gates, and the number cleared or held became a measure of a guild's strength.
In other words, mission gates were precious guild assets.
'And they're giving me the right to participate?'
Of course, he'd need to hear the details, but judging by Suyeong's confident expression, even those would be extraordinary.
"Why go this far...?"
Jeong-hyeon muttered in bewilderment.
He'd wondered what kind of offer warranted such confidence, and now it made perfect sense.
"Take a good look through to the end."
The following contents were plenty good—no, outstanding.
To summarize the key points:
Jeong-hyeon had only just started tackling 4-level gates.
So, for entering a 5-level gate, they'd pay him 30 million won as life insurance.
Distributions would be equal.
But what truly caught Jeong-hyeon's eye was the final item.
"No way—you're giving me artifact ownership too?"
This went beyond generous; it was outright insane.
Of course, he was last in the party order.
It meant the artifact would only go to him if none of the other party members needed it—practically saying they wouldn't give it to him.
But even nominally including him in the ownership order was significant.
They could openly say Sea Guild was taking the artifact and he shouldn't dream of it, and it would still be a great deal.
"Honestly, we wanted to give Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon even better terms, but the operations team pushed back hard. We had to compromise."
The rumors of Sea Guild being the goddess guild weren't unfounded.
To bring terms like this and act apologetic?
Perhaps it was all a show of their superiority.
But these conditions were more than enough.
As Jeong-hyeon gaped speechless, Suyeong smiled and continued.
"To reiterate, accepting this doesn't obligate you to anything. It's just to help with your future career decisions. What do you think?"
"Yeah... mind if I think it over and get back to you later?"
"Of course. Here's my business card—call anytime."
"Thank you."
Truthfully, Jeong-hyeon's hesitation stemmed from wondering if there were any hidden poison clauses.
His mind was already over 90% made up.
For a fleeting moment, he even thought joining Sea Guild like this wouldn't be bad at all.
After Suyeong and Hee-yoon left.
"What the hell is this?"
Jeong-hyeon stared back down at the proposal on the table.
It was practically a lottery ticket.
Even without getting the artifact, just having a 5-level mission gate clear on his record was huge.
Jeong-hyeon was already pondering the best way to tell Suyeong he'd join.
***
5-level mission gate, 'Dragon's Tomb'.
The Sea Guild members originally slated to tackle it were voicing their complaints.
"No way—is this for real? Bringing an unregistered hunter into a mission gate? And not even a guild member!"
"Totally agree. We're not safari guides."
Another feature of mission gates was personnel limits.
They'd wondered why only four names were announced for a five-person gate.
Then personnel—not operations—suddenly filled the last spot.
With an outsider. An unregistered one at that.
It was utterly incomprehensible.
"There are circumstances this time. I ask for your understanding. It's already cleared with operations, and in compensation, we've decided to slash the guild's share of loot significantly."
The one bowing to the existing party was none other than personnel team leader Jeong Suyeong.
She was the one who'd first proposed including Han Jeong-hyeon in 'Dragon's Tomb', so it was unavoidable.
"Tch, this is all because some non-hunter's meddling—"
"Enough."
The gruff tank Cha Jin's complaint was cut off by the soft voice of melee DPS Shin Jin-ah, in stark contrast.
Just those two short syllables made Cha Jin glance at her and shut his mouth.
"I get the complaints, but don't cross the line."
"...Fine."
Cha Jin's face flushed red.
The other party members, who'd chimed in, fell silent too.
It starkly showed Shin Jin-ah's standing in the group.
Meanwhile, Suyeong—who hadn't flinched before three furious hunters, despite being a traitless civilian—tensed slightly when Jin-ah spoke up.
And for good reason: Shin Jin-ah was the guild master's sister, the enigmatic Shin Sea.
Beyond her background, she was a formidable B-rank at level 5.
She was also all but guaranteed to reach the elusive level 6, rare for B-ranks.
Jin-ah furrowed her delicate brow and addressed Suyeong.
"The sales team has its plans, but you know how sensitive these decisions are for hunters, right Team Leader?"
"Of course, Hunter Shin Jin-ah. I apologize for the sudden notice."
"You know that's not what I mean."
"..."
Suyeong had no reply.
She couldn't.
What Jin-ah meant:
If the system said five could enter this gate, it had to be cleared by five.
Proper hunters suited to the gate—not randos.
Mission gates weren't public because of artifacts alone.
Hunters risking their lives each hunt needed teams that meshed well and knew each other for minimal safety.
Squeezing in an unregistered whose skills were unknown, let alone if they measured up?
Suyeong knew there were no excuses here.
That's why she hesitated.
"Of course, it's natural for you hunters entering the gate to be unhappy. I can't argue that, but I can explain why personnel—sales team—made this call."
"Explain then?"
Suyeong gauged Jin-ah's eyes.
The other hunters still looked grumpy, but Jin-ah was different.
If there was a good reason, she'd set aside personal feelings and follow guild orders.
That was Jin-ah's character, as Suyeong knew.
And the professionalism expected of guild hunters.
Even if personally unpalatable, guild decisions came first.
Guilds weren't just hunter collectives.
"First, based on measurements outside 'Dragon's Tomb', you four alone ensure ample odds of success."
"Next?"
Mission gates trapped you until all died or killed everything.
Ways to gauge danger from outside: two main ones.
Check level and headcount from touching the gate.
Or have a mana sensitivity hunter estimate total energy inside.
Better than nothing, but not foolproof.
Numbers could flip anytime.
Wipeouts still happened when outer readings mismatched reality.
So Jin-ah pressed for more.
"And Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon isn't just any unregistered—he's the real deal."
"Need more details."
Suyeong nodded.
She was prepared for this.
"First, he's recently shone in multiple 4-level gates, per testimonies from hunters who partied with him."
"4-level gates, as you know—"
B-rank level 4 healer Park Hee-jun interjected.
But Suyeong smoothly nodded and continued.
"Sure, 4-level and 5-level mission gates differ greatly. But check this graph."
She handed out sheets with a graph to each.
X-axis: dates. Y-axis: levels.
"Investigations show Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon entered 4-level gates within three months of awakening."
"What?"
Hunters' eyes widened.
Even the usually cool Jin-ah was surprised.
Proficiency growth varied wildly per hunter.
But no one bypassed the rule: higher ranks meant slower to milestones.
These were mostly B-ranks.
Even they hadn't hit 4-level in three months.
It wasn't level—it was experience and fatigue.
Three months and 4-level? Absurd.
"Plus, he's connected to Hunter Association's Investigation Division 3 Chief Cha Ye-rin and Jeongjin Guild's HR Team 2. Doesn't prove skill, but personnel sees it as solid circumstantial evidence."
And those connections weren't lightweights.
Jeongjin Guild—a Sea Guild rival—and the Association?
If true, "circumstantial" was conservative.
"I get it, Team Leader, but putting him in artifact order too..."
Cha Jin spoke.
But his tone had softened.
Just hanging a token protest; he sensed opposition futile now.
Suyeong, smile restored, replied.
"Nothing but to ask your understanding there. Personnel's call: make him owe us big."
Whether he'd owe them or vice versa, Suyeong didn't voice.
Anyway, shifting them from flat refusal was victory enough.
Jin-ah, who'd been pondering, asked.
"Does the guild master know?"
"Yes. Mission gate matter, so we consulted. She was surprised but approved."
Guild master's approval.
Debate ender.
Jin-ah nodded.
"Fair enough. Should've led with that."
"You know that clashes with her intent. She said get the entering hunters' okay first."
"As expected of the guild master!"
Other hunters brightened, nodding at Suyeong's words.
Shin Sea's position in Sea Guild was ironclad.
Not just system perks, but member support.
Yet Jin-ah, who'd brought her up, looked glum.
Suyeong, knowing why, gave a wry smile.