Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Sea Guild Meeting
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A skyscraper pierced the sky.
Jeong-hyeon stood in front of it.
"Oh, so this is the Sea Guild?"
Its pure white exterior should have shown signs of dirt and grime, but it was spotless without a single blemish.
The building itself was more than enough to serve as the Sea Guild's symbol.
Jeong-hyeon had come to the Sea Guild for a pre-meeting with the party members he would be entering the 'Dragon's Tomb' with.
Parties tackling Mission Gates together usually met up a few times beforehand for practice runs before heading in.
- I'm sorry, but the other hunters couldn't make it due to personal reasons. This will be the first and last pre-meeting.
That was what Suyeong had told Jeong-hyeon when notifying him of the meeting schedule.
She had called it personal reasons, but it was probably just a polite way of putting it.
In reality, it was closer to a boycott.
From what Suyeong had said, the other members had partied together so much that they were practically a fixed team and didn't need extra practice.
They just didn't want to practice with an unwanted outsider.
'Well, they're the type who can rent out facilities and practice without me anyway.'
With that thought, Jeong-hyeon entered the appointed conference room.
Four hunters were already gathered inside.
Their gazes briefly turned to him.
The largest man among them spoke first.
"You're Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon?"
"Yes. Nice to meet you all."
Jeong-hyeon lightly returned the gruff greeting from the hunter addressing him.
'Tanker Cha Jin, right? I expected this, but the reception is pretty hostile.'
Even if the Sea Guild had a good public image, there were limits.
A random stone rolling in to take a spot in a gold mine?
Honestly, the fact that they weren't outright cursing him already made them decent people.
Tanker Cha Jin.
Healer Park Hee-jun.
Ranged DPS Lee Ha-yul.
As Jeong-hyeon scanned the faces around the table, his eyes locked onto one person.
'I didn't expect to party with her.'
Shin Jin-ah sat there with a blank expression.
The younger sister of Sea Guild Master Shin Sea.
She was the one who had surprised Jeong-hyeon the most when Suyeong sent him the party member info beforehand.
No matter what anyone said, she held a top spot among Korea's young hunters.
She was one of the few famous hunters whose name came up when you mentioned the Sea Guild.
Meanwhile, Jin-ah, who had made eye contact with Jeong-hyeon, spoke up.
"Take a seat if you're here."
"Ah, yes."
Jeong-hyeon immediately pulled out an empty chair and sat down.
Jin-ah's eyebrows twitched slightly as she watched.
He was supposed to be agility-based, but even just sitting in a chair felt off for an unregistered hunter. It carried an unnatural grace.
'What was that. Shin Jin-ah.'
Of course, it was just a fleeting thought.
She quickly dismissed it—what could she judge from someone merely sitting in a chair?
"Alright, then. Let's start the meeting, even if it's brief."
Leading the conversation wasn't Cha Jin or Shin Jin-ah, but Healer Park Hee-jun.
He seemed to be the party leader.
'He's got the most experience, after all.'
Everyone here was B-Rank.
Though Shin Jin-ah had the highest level at 5, Park Hee-jun was the veteran in terms of career.
The meeting was straightforward.
They shared their traits and combat methods, then simulated teamwork adjustments.
For the existing Sea Guild hunters, it was even more abbreviated since they had it memorized in their bodies.
In the end, most of the discussion centered on Jeong-hyeon.
Even the quiet archer Lee Ha-yul joined in actively this time.
"......Throwing with a mace?"
"Yes. I'm best with throwing weapons, but I handle maces plenty well too."
"......And if you're good?"
"I can take down about four Orcs from a squad. Haven't tried more than that."
Of course, her "active" participation barely amounted to stringing together a few words.
'It feels like a damn job interview.'
And it really did.
The hunters peppered him with questions from all sides, while Jeong-hyeon answered promptly.
Their expressions soured as they heard him out.
They didn't say it outright, but they couldn't believe it.
Four Orcs from a squad?
'No way he took them down without party help.'
No matter how skilled an unregistered hunter was, soloing four Orcs didn't make sense.
Especially for someone who had awakened less than three months ago?
They had hunted Orc squads until they were sick of them, so it was even harder to buy.
"Alright. That's enough on that. Next up: loot distribution."
Hee-jun, who had been lost in thought, changed the subject.
The most sensitive topic among hunters: distribution.
Instead of bringing it up himself, Hee-jun glanced at Jin-ah.
The meaning was clear to anyone.
"Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon. We've thought long and hard about what the sales team told us."
Jin-ah broached the topic cautiously.
'As expected, sticking to the proposal won't fly.'
But Jeong-hyeon had already anticipated adjustments to the distribution.
He nodded calmly.
"We did hear from the sales team, so we won't complain about the standard split. To be honest, it might sound arrogant, but we're not the type to begrudge you that much."
"Thank you."
Monster bounties would be split evenly, as fixed.
That left only one thing.
"But we'll need to negotiate on artifacts. You're last in line, but we'd appreciate it if you yielded them to us as much as possible."
"Understood."
The immediate agreement, without hesitation.
Not just Jin-ah, but the other hunters looked surprised that it went so smoothly.
But Jeong-hyeon knew better than anyone.
There was no point in stubbornly insisting here.
'My last spot probably wouldn't get a turn anyway. Better to keep things smooth.'
Looking back on his past hunts, most had been joining established parties.
Sure, he'd shone brighter than anyone, but whether his teammates acknowledged it was another matter.
Through that, Jeong-hyeon had learned firsthand how exhausting it was to hunt while being ignored.
"Thank you for understanding. In return, I'll take responsibility for your safety, Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon. You probably won't even need to fight much."
Jin-ah offered a faint smile as she spoke.
Safety guarantee was a nice way of putting it—it basically meant they wouldn't complain even if he was below their level and useless in combat.
But Jeong-hyeon had no intention of meekly playing baggage.
Hunting effortlessly was nice, but humans only felt satisfaction when pulling their weight.
Jeong-hyeon smiled as he replied.
"I'm grateful you think so highly of me. But I don't plan on just riding the bus. How about this?"
"What?"
"If everyone here agrees I pulled my weight enough for a clear, my artifact pick revives."
"Hey, hold on—"
Cha Jin, who had been reacting poorly ever since things veered from his expectations, slammed his hand on the table and cut in.
He had thought Jeong-hyeon knew his place by yielding picks so easily.
But now he wanted his turn back if he contributed enough?
Last pick or not, it was practically a challenge to the Sea Guild party.
In short, a bet on whose assessment was right.
But before Cha Jin could raise his voice, Jin-ah cut him off.
"You're serious?"
"Of course."
Cha Jin glanced at Jin-ah, whose expression wasn't great.
She saw Jeong-hyeon's proposal as a provocation too.
A parachute from HR who barely qualified for a spot in the Mission Gate was now challenging the core members?
But Jeong-hyeon showed no signs of backing down.
Jin-ah's mind tangled briefly.
'What gives him the confidence to push this far......'
Come to think of it, he'd given off a strange vibe since entering the room.
These weren't the absolute top class in Korea, but they were elite for level 5 gates.
Yet he faced their scrutiny without a hint of tension, stating his piece confidently. Wasn't that odd?
Was it the real deal, or just pathetic bravado?
Jin-ah grinned fiercely.
"Fine. Let's do it."
"Jin-ah!"
"But if you say that, you'll take responsibility if you don't pull your weight."
Her tone was her usual calm murmur, but the weight behind it was heavy.
Jeong-hyeon nodded with a similar smile.
"Understood."
A brief silence.
In the conference room, only Jin-ah and Jeong-hyeon's gazes clashed like a test of wills.
Then, Jin-ah stood first.
"If you're that confident, no need for practice. Prepare well."
"J-Jin-ah!"
She left those words and exited the room, the others hurrying after.
Only Ha-yul lingered, staring at Jeong-hyeon.
"......You're something."
She left just that and departed.
Click.
Left alone, Jeong-hyeon sank deep into his chair as if his strength had drained.
"Whew. I went and did it."
He hadn't planned to push this far.
He was ready to yield artifacts, chalking it up to excessive luck.
'But telling me to just bus it while they take the artifacts? That's crossing the line.'
Daenonggo Jeong-hyeon's pride had been pricked, so he fired back.
In hindsight, it wasn't even necessary.
He had shrugged off far worse insults before with a smile.
"Why did I do that?"
Jeong-hyeon pondered deeply.
For some reason, Jin-ah's face as she spoke to him lingered in his mind.
Would he have reacted so sensitively if it came from someone else?
'Probably not.'
Was it because Jin-ah was special somehow?
'Thinking about it, her skills seem a perfect match for mine.'
B-Rank, level 5.
She felt not just up to par, but perhaps even a notch above—instinctively.
Just like how he had sensed everyone he'd hunted with before was below his level.
He could brush off insults from inferiors with a laugh.
After all, they'd only look worse the more they did it.
But mockery from someone on his level—or slightly superior—he couldn't tolerate.
Realizing the root of his sensitivity, Jeong-hyeon sighed.
"I can't stand this stuff, huh......"
***
Meanwhile, Ha-yul, walking the hallway with Jin-ah, asked.
"......Why?"
"Hm?"
Why act so out of character and prickly?
Jin-ah always handled things coolly.
Even if Jeong-hyeon had thrown a near-provocation, it was odd for Jin-ah—not Cha Jin—to clap back directly.
Jin-ah, whose thoughts were still a mess like Jeong-hyeon's, gave a faint smile.
"Yeah. I don't know. Just felt like I couldn't lose to him. Weird guy."
"......Seems so."