Chapter 15

In the split second when Han Biyeol and I were staring at each other in shock.

"Little bro!"

"Uncle!"

And then even Choi Kangshik hyung showed up.

Thank God. There's at least one familiar face here without any baggage from those other two!

Hyung hasn't arrived yet, huh.

Traffic jams were just daily life in Seoul.

I turned to Choi.

"Uncle, did you get your hunter card?"

"Nah! I signed up as a porter instead. They told me to run at least five Abyss Gates before I could even think about the Hunter Academy."

"They're looking for genuine rookies with real experience."

"You rascal! Hahaha! Still, it's good to see you again like this! Fate's got a way of tying us together!"

Since I was only warmly greeting Choi, Jeong Hamin started peeking over curiously.

"Hey, Seo Hunter."

I shifted my attention to him.

"I owe you big time from yesterday."

"Aw, no need for that. Anyway..."

Jeong Hamin narrowed his sly eyes and whispered in my ear.

"Which gate are you planning to hit, Seo Hunter?"

"Well..."

I smiled meaningfully.

Glancing at Jeong Hamin, I replied.

"Probably the one with that hunter over there. Teaming up with him seems like the best shot at success, right?"

"...!!!"

He jumped in shock.

His chair toppled over backward.

Damn it, I don't want to go with you either.

Man, screw this.

If it weren't for the Eternal Blessing.

Cough, cough!

"Senior?!"

Han Biyeol suddenly hacked up a storm.

Jeong Hamin pretended to worry.

"You okay? Not feeling well?"

"...Shut it. Leave me alone."

"I wanna tell you to take sick leave, but yeah, can't exactly do that."

Jeong Hamin scratched his eyebrow, looking troubled.

"We synced our schedules to come here together."

"...I see."

I swallowed hard.

Chewing the inside of my cheek to hold it together.

"Can't you shut up?!"

"Ah! Sorry, senior. Loyalty, loyalty!"

Under Han Biyeol's sharp glare, Jeong Hamin clutched his neck.

As the biting reprimand hammered into Jeong Hamin's flesh without mercy...

"Hey, little bro."

Choi quietly pulled me aside.

"...From what I can see, those R&Y Guild kids all seem a bit off in the head. Whatever their deal is, maybe keep your distance if you can."

"We're not close."

"Hmm, really?"

"Just between you and me, uncle—I'm Seo Boseok Hunter's little brother."

"Ah, that explains it!"

He looked relieved, like some long-stuck lump had finally gone down.

I added,

"You know my hyung's a freelance hunter, right?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I'm planning to go freelance like him."

"Huh?"

"Details later... over some soju."

Choi nodded vigorously.

"Got it, got it. Take care of us today, Seo Hunter!"

"...That title still doesn't sit right."

The booth tent flap kept rustling amid our chit-chat. Other hunters were filing into the waiting area one after another. By eye, there were over thirty already.

Capital area, huh. Pretty crowded.

A good number of them bowed respectfully to Han Biyeol and Jeong Hamin. A glimpse into the R&Y Guild's prestige.

The waiting area had a subdued vibe overall. Everyone ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠eyed each other warily. In Abyss Gates, even lowlifes turned bandit without hesitation.

And there's probably a bandit hiding in this crowd.

I knew the identity of one, at least. My gaze shifted to him.

"Hey. You proud of getting demoted?"

"No, sir!"

"Ugh, seriously. Already pissed from getting chewed out by the guild master, and now this shit."

"May I withdraw now?"

"Scram!"

After getting reamed by Han Biyeol, Jeong Hamin tried sidling up to me again. In that instant.

The tent flap rustled, and my head spun. Anemia kicking in.

What that symptom implied.

"Whoa! It's Seo Hunter!"

"Seo Hunter? You mean that Seo Boseok?!"

The waiting area erupted in excited buzz from the hunters.

Even the veterans got fired up at Seo Boseok Hunter's arrival.

Hyung was instantly surrounded. Spotting me in the chaos, he gave a quick hand wave.

Too hard to approach, so a gesture hello.

I waved back.

Then glanced at one corner from the side.

"... "

Han Biyeol flinched, then poked at the rough floor in a blind spot, grinding away.

Jeong Hamin, predictably, pivoted straight toward Seo Boseok Hunter.

"Senior! Good to see you again!"

"Who?"

"Haha! Just kidding! We met at the Association lobby the other day!"

"Sorry. Don't remember."

"...Haha, no worries. I'll work harder to leave a strong impression on Korea's top hunter!"

Bootlicking wasn't for just anyone.

Crowd's getting thick. Tension's easing a bit.

Maybe because the anger from Han Biyeol had just passed—my chest was cooling fast.

Stability didn't last.

"Time to head out!"

A staffer from the Association led us outside the waiting area. Rank assessment must be done.

Team Leader Yuneobyeon stepped up front, about to announce the twin gates' ranks.

If my memory's right...

Yuneobyeon cleared his throat and declared,

"The gates ahead have both been measured at C- grade."

My memory held true.

That rank had a survival rate over 70%.

Plus, with this lineup, failing would be harder than succeeding.

Hyung approached and patted my shoulder.

"Should be fine to split up at that rank, right?"

"Wasn't planning on bussing anyway."

"Haha. Then let's split. If I snag good loot, I'll hook you up."

"Won't say no."

As hyung said, splitting was better. Sticking with him thickened the red thread, worsening my anemia. Like lugging a sandbag.

With Han Biyeol, no major mobility issues. Just a slight thirst?

Don't overtense on your debut gate.

This twin gate was a treasure trove, after all.

The so-called COEX Gate.

Beyond those jade ovals waited D-grade mana beasts: kobolds. Common as dirt.

But here's why I chose this for my debut.

One of those two gates spawned a Golden Kobold.

A mana stone piñata on legs.

A sort of easter egg—killing it auto-credits the stones to the slayer.

I'd memorized its spawn spot.

Walking Credits. Perfect.

"Hunters, please line up at your chosen gate!"

"Obviously wherever Seo Boseok Hunter goes!"

"Idiot! Then all the contribution goes to him. Better off with the scrubs!"

"Yeah, true."

...?

Why're they looking at me while saying that.

Sheesh.

I ignored reality as best I could.

First things first: dilemma.

The problem is...

I didn't know which of the two gates.

50/50 gamble.

What to do.

No!

Time to leverage my rotten luck.

"I want the right one."

Dead serious. With every fiber of my being, I'd go ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠there.

"...Huh."

You guys too?

Han Biyeol and Jeong Hamin lined up opposite hyung.

Makes sense. Demoted for mission failure—no way they'd risk it again.

Actually reassuring.

I casually fell in behind the R&Y hunters.

"Ugh, tense."

Even Uncle Choi.

"Just follow me."

"My little bro? Of course! We've been through life and death together!"

At uncle's words, hyung perked up his ears from afar.

"...Little bro?"

He spun away with a grumpy glare, clearly displeased.

Soon, entry began in order.

Hunters in two lines stretched legs toward the jade gates.

My turn.

As I stepped forward, a squishy resistance sucked me in.

"...!"

I opened my eyes.

The gate's interior was...

"Uh, huh?"

"Wh-what is this."

A modern building.

Precisely, the inside of the COEX building.

Unmistakable.

Even in the pitch black with lights out, the crystal chandelier-like fixtures from the ceiling glowed faintly.

"The... west hall?"

"That's the one! Star and Moon Library or something?"

"Whoa, atmospheric? But first time for a gate like this, right? Feels like we walked into COEX itself."

The air flowed warm.

Hunters loosened up.

....

I alone tensed up.

This wasn't right.

Something's wrong.

I'd read it in tiny font, but.

No interview from the hunter who cleared my desired Abyss Gate mentioned this.

I wouldn't boast perfect memorization down to the letter.

But if "library" was in there.

Wouldn't that iconic spot stick?

In the total darkness, I scanned the area.

Uncle's gone.

Vanished without a trace.

He'd been stuck so close his breath hit my back?

Hyung too.

Those two had disappeared.

Flash!

Light flipped without warning.

Hunters clutched stinging eyes in the sudden brightness.

I strained my eyes toward the voice's source.

Vast library.

In the center, under a random Christmas tree.

A figure with golden-glowing skin stood casually.

"Golden Kobold?"

A mocking sneer curled its pointed lips, ears torn to points.

It suddenly unleashed a torrent of words.

An axe-wielding hunter lit up and shouted.

"That's it! Golden Kobold! The one that drops mana stones everywhere when you kill it!"

"Whoa?! For real!?"

...No.

It looked similar at a glance.

Easy to fool by appearance.

It's different.

Kobolds had dim wits. Basic communication for pack life. That's why D-grade.

It spoke coherently.

Beyond well—reciting poetry.

Tailored suit, flashy gold accessories to boot.

...That profile.

It decorated a page in my mind.

Golden Goblin.

To overlook this...

Monster-grade hunters—three of them—piled into the COEX Gate, ones who'd never come otherwise.

Abyss Gates whimsically tweak on rare occasions like this.

Like arbitrarily upping the difficulty.

A rare anomaly with few precedents.

For my cursed luck, it was routine...

No.

Ah, ah.

Breath shortening.

Lungs tearing.

"Whoa, putting on a whole atmosphere for an easter egg, huh?"

"Heh, fun. This is why we hunt."

I wanted to join their glee.

Can't even fathom it.

This status window...

Visible only to me.