Chapter 18
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: The Reason to Live (2)
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“Is that even a question? Of course I can't.”
[You're pretty shameless.]
Ji-han, with his hands in his pockets, gave a slight shrug.
I hadn't really asked with any expectations, so I didn't pay it much mind.
'There's no way a high school student in South Korea can kill monsters with a sword.'
The fact that Choi Soo-hyun strangely came to mind at this moment was just a feeling.
If it were Choi Soo-hyun, the youngest Awakened One, it wouldn't seem strange to see him killing monsters in a dungeon while wearing his school uniform.
'Anyway, that's because that world is the weird one.'
Normally, a reaction like Yoo Ji-han's was the correct one.
[So, do you serve a god?]
“Serve a god? Ah, is that what those guys were talking about?”
Yoo Ji-han muttered that he had overheard people talking about it.
Judging by the uncertain tone in his voice, he didn't seem to know the details.
I can see Yoo Ji-han's contribution points and give him items as gifts.
Seeing that he had contribution points, it might be possible to bring Yoo Ji-han under my wing.
'Will this be okay?'
Even in this distortion of time and space, I wasn't sure if something like this was even possible.
'Ah, hell, I don't know.'
It's better than leaving him to die miserably here.
Besides, even if I accepted him as a follower, there was no guarantee Yoo Ji-han would be able to survive for long.
It would just increase the probability of it.
“Hey, what are you trying to do?”
[Hold on. I'm thinking.]
Whatever happens, happens. Surely, nothing major will come of accepting just one Yoo Ji-han.
[You are inviting 'Yoo Ji-han' to become a follower.]
As soon as I pressed the confirm button, a status window appeared in front of Yoo Ji-han.
I could see Yoo Ji-han's status window as well.
[The god Soter wishes for you to become a follower. Upon acceptance, you will become a follower of the god Soter.]
“This is…”
[I'm not forcing you.]
I made that part clear.
Whether Yoo Ji-han became a follower or not, I had no reason to be disappointed, nor did I have any need to drag him along against his will.
'This is purely me being nosy.'
I was just paying forward what I had once received from someone else.
Contrary to my expectation that it would take him some time to decide, Yoo Ji-han's decision was much faster.
[Yoo Ji-han becomes your follower.]
[Congratulations! Your first follower has been born!]
I immediately checked Yoo Ji-han's status window.
[Yoo Ji-han (Soter)]
Rank: Guardian
Strength: A- (11%)
Stamina: B- (30%)
Mana: C+ (70%)
Healing Power: B (5%)
Contribution Points: 720
Skills
Talent [Blessing of the God Soter]
I had expected it, but the status window was certainly clean overall.
[You can appoint a Guardian. 0/1]
[Do you wish to appoint Yoo Ji-han as a Guardian? The appointment will be complete the moment the other party accepts.]
I just pressed the yes button without a second thought. It seemed a notification went to his side as well.
[Yoo Ji-han has become your Guardian.]
While I was mulling things over, Yoo Ji-han spoke to me.
“I accepted, but didn't you say something about a sword? Say something. I'm going crazy not knowing where you are.”
[You really don't regret this?]
“What? Becoming your subordinate? It seems like all the other guys serve a god anyway. I was feeling a bit shafted being the only one without one. I don't know about other gods, but you seem pretty human for a god, so I think this is better.”
Man, I don't know if I should be happy about that or not.
I opened Yoo Ji-han's status window.
[Special Gift]
! You can gift an item you brought with you.
However, gifting an item will consume contribution points equivalent to its value.
- Giftable Target: Yoo Ji-han
- Giftable Item: Sword (620)
'Ah, that's more than I thought.'
But since I had decided to give him the gift, I had no intention of canceling.
'I have plenty of swords anyway.'
Before entering the Tower of Trials, I had stopped by Choi Soo-hyun's personal vault.
I judged that losing one wouldn't be a big problem and gifted the sword to Yoo Ji-han.
[Consuming 620 Contribution Points to gift a sword to 'Yoo Ji-han'.]
The sword in my hand vanished and was transferred to Yoo Ji-han's inventory.
Yoo Ji-han, having received the gift, took the sword out of his inventory.
“What's this now?”
[Well, let's just call it your first gift for becoming a follower.]
It was used, so it was a bit much to call it a gift, and since it consumed his own contribution points, it was ambiguous whether it even qualified as one.
Still, I decided to take a little credit for it.
A sword appeared in Yoo Ji-han's hand.
“It's pretty sharp.”
Yoo Ji-han hesitated after lightly touching the blade.
[If you want to give up…]
“That damned 'give up'. Don't act all considerate now when you were the one who told me not to give up.”
Yoo Ji-han said firmly, as if he knew the intention behind my words.
Ji-han had already experienced the difference in power in the lobby.
The reason the guys who entered the lobby with Ji-han were killed by the Central Guild members?
The reason those who were kicked out died without clearing the first floor?
Because they lacked strength, because they weren't prepared to kill monsters. That's all there was to it.
[Just because you can't see me doesn't mean you can get by with half-assing it.]
“I said I get it.”
Ji-han gripped the sword tightly.
***
Korea Hunter Association, Jongno Head Office.
Occupying two spacious desks, Choi Soo-hyun was working with earphones in.
A snippet of a currently popular idol song leaked from his wireless earphones.
On one side of his desk was a half-drunk can of beer and beef jerky, while the dual monitor on the other side brazenly displayed a webtoon, completely unrelated to work.
You wouldn't think twice if someone said it was his desk at home, not at the office.
Even if it was the Association, an office was an office.
Who on earth listens to music, reads webtoons, and drinks alcohol while working at the office? It was, by all common sense, an impossible situation.
However, no one reprimanded him or thought ill of his attitude.
They all acted as if it were perfectly normal.
They wouldn't have batted an eye even if Choi Soo-hyun wore a headset and played online games on voice chat.
For a Hunter of Choi Soo-hyun's caliber, just showing up to work and sitting at his desk was impressive enough.
A man in his early twenties approached Choi Soo-hyun's side.
“Chief, Chief.”
“Hm? What is it?”
The man who had come to Choi Soo-hyun's desk pointed at the other monitor.
“Could you please check your email?”
“Just a sec.”
Quickly finishing the chapter he was reading, Choi Soo-hyun turned and checked the email sent by his team member.
“Another dungeon break in Sindorim? Didn't something happen around there last week too?”
“That was in Yeongdeungpo. With the recent fake dungeon issue, the higher-ups told us to avoid anything problematic. We've decided to move the dungeon training from Boramae Park to Maebongsan. We just need your approval, Chief.”
“Right, right.”
Choi Soo-hyun picked up the tablet pen connected to his PC, signed the corner of the document on the screen, and sent the email.
“Thank you.”
After the team member returned to his seat, Choi Soo-hyun turned away from the monitor with the webtoon to the one with another program open.
'Number of dungeon breaks in the last 3 months. Aria Guild. Aria. Aria. What? Why do they have so many?'
A messenger notification pinged on Choi Soo-hyun's computer.
“Who's contacting… Ah.”
After seeing the relatively short reply, Choi Soo-hyun picked up his phone and went into an empty conference room.
─ Hey, buddy. Did the dungeon expedition end safely?
─ What do you want?
─ Just calling to see how you're doing. We're not so distant that we can't even make a call like this, are we?
─ The point.
─ So cold.
─ Beat around the bush and I'm hanging up.
Another employee who was about to use the conference room saw Choi Soo-hyun and flinched in surprise.
When Choi Soo-hyun waved his hand dismissively, the employee had no choice but to move to a different conference room.
Park Si-woo, the head of the Aria Guild.
He was one of the three co-leaders and a high school classmate of Choi Soo-hyun.
─ It's nothing big, but there's a Hunter who doesn't have a place to go. Can you take him in?
─ That's unusual.
─ It's because he's a guy I've taken a liking to.
─ If you like him, I can be sure that Hunter isn't in his right mind either. What's the catch?
Choi Soo-hyun scratched his cheek at Park Si-woo's words coming from over the phone.
The Aria Guild wasn't one with a specific main god. It was a guild with Hunters serving various gods, so as long as you weren't unaffiliated, getting in was relatively easy.
He didn't know who this Hunter was that Choi Soo-hyun wanted to introduce, but there was usually no need for such a roundabout process.
But for the great Choi Soo-hyun to bow his head and ask him, Park Si-woo, the guild leader, for a favor?
He could only assume there was some other ulterior motive regarding the Hunter being brought in.
─ I'm not going to ask you to look out for him or anything. It's obvious you're not the type to grant favors just because I ask. Just let me know what he does after he joins the guild.
─ You're asking me, the guild leader, to spy on a Hunter you recommended? You know this isn't like you, right?
─ Your guild has been having a lot of accidents in dungeons lately. I took a quick look earlier, and it's not just one or two. You know we're on edge because of the fake dungeon incident, right?
─ A trainee dying in a dungeon is strictly a matter of your poor management, isn't it? I don't see why you're poking your nose into a perfectly fine guild.
─ Put it on my tab. It's not like I'm new to this. Keeping a debt with me will come in handy.
─ Send me the kid's profile.
─ Okay.
Choi Soo-hyun hung up and returned to his desk.
He leaned back in his chair, finished the rest of his beer, and chewed on the beef jerky.
Choi Soo-hyun sent a message to Han-gyeol.
「Your guild is confirmed.」
「Oh. Thanks.」
He was about to reply on his computer, suggesting they grab dinner, when a message from Han-gyeol popped up on his large monitor.
「By the way」
「I lost the weapon」
Choi Soo-hyun's hands, which had been typing, hovered over the keyboard for a few seconds.
He held up a hand to stop a team member who was approaching with another approval request, then sent a reply to Han-gyeol.
「Hey」
「Do you have any idea how much that thing costs?」
“Ah, my blood pressure.”
A sudden, intense killing intent descended, and the office atmosphere grew frigid.
Choi Soo-hyun's hands trembled as he typed on the keyboard.
***
I helped Ji-han as much as I could before leaving the Tower of Trials.
I was waiting for my ramen to cook at home when I muttered to myself while looking at the reply from Choi Soo-hyun.
“Geez, he's overreacting about something that costs eight million won.”
It was my fault for losing the sword less than two days after getting it, and it's not like eight million won just grows on trees.
I had expected some nagging, but I hadn't anticipated he'd be this angry. I stared at my phone for a while, unsure how to reply.
When I didn't reply, a call came from Choi Soo-hyun.
The moment I pressed the call button, Choi Soo-hyun's agitated voice exploded from the receiver.
─ Hey. Hey! Kang Han-gyeol! Are you kidding me? A-Are you crazy?
─ I said I'm sorry for losing it. And I said I'd pay back the eight million won. Is there really a need to get this angry?
─ Dollars.
─ What?
─ 8.5 million dollars. Not won.
Hmm. How much was 8.5 million dollars in won again?