Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: The Guild Master's Test
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“Our A-Rank Gate team would be happy to have you along. Once you pass the test.”
Jeong Min-gi the Hunter curled up the corner of his mouth.
“A test?”
“I’ve seen and heard about Hunter Lee Ji-seok’s skills before, so I trust you. But I need to confirm it properly, or I’ll get an earful later.”
From the look in his eyes, it didn’t seem like he wanted to check my skills as guild master. It felt more like personal curiosity.
“Very well.”
I could accept this much since I was the one asking for a favor. Plus, it was a good chance to gauge the gap between me and a true S-Rank Hunter—not some low-tier S-Rank like Axehead or Cheon Pay.
“Then let’s head down!”
The walls and ceiling inside the training ground building that Jeong Min-gi Hunter led me to were covered seamlessly with matte gray metal panels.
“This… isn’t it the new reinforced material developed recently? The one made by combining modern tech with A-Rank materials?”
“That’s right. It can easily withstand A-Rank attacks.”
“To install something this expensive over the entire training ground… As expected of the Rose Guild.”
I thought I’d made a killing with Regen, but seeing them pour this much money into a single building made it incomparable. No wonder they were the top guild.
“If Hunters slack on training, their lives are at risk, so this is necessary spending. And I got it cheap. The sales rep swore it wouldn’t break, so I tested it, and it cracked in one hit.”
Jeong Min-gi Hunter laughed heartily.
It reminded me of that car company that tested bulletproof glass by throwing steel balls at the window and shattering it. Sales rep confidence is important, but overdoing it leads to mishaps like this.
“That’s… a good method.”
I should try that next time.
“No weapons, right?”
“Yes.”
“Come on in.”
Jeong Min-gi, dressed in slacks and a white dress shirt, drew his sword.
“No armor?”
“It’s just light sparring. No need for armor.”
“Light sparring, you say?”
Even though he called it light, the sharpness in his gaze was intense. Could this really be the same laid-back guy from moments ago?
“Then, please teach me a lesson.”
I armored only up to my elbows and leaned my body forward. The distance to Jeong Min-gi Hunter was thirty meters. As I tilted forward like I might topple over, I kicked off the ground in an instant.
The moment my feet left the floor, Jeong Min-gi Hunter’s sword swung horizontally. A crescent-shaped aura shot out, like the one that had sliced the troll last time. Unlike before, I could barely make it out now. Proof that I’d grown in the meantime.
But seeing it clearly also meant I could tell how powerful it was. A casual sword swing launching an aura at that speed and force—it really drove home that not all S-Ranks are equal.
I abruptly changed course to dodge and advanced another step.
Five razor-sharp crescent auras came flying like veils.
The five auras blocked every path except one spot in my trajectory. I had to either retreat fully or take the obvious opening. It felt like Jeong Min-gi Hunter had deliberately left that gap, showing his cheeky side. Rushing into it would mean getting hit.
I channeled aura into the armor on my arms and smashed through Jeong Min-gi Hunter’s auras before advancing another step. One more, and I’d be in striking range.
Jeong Min-gi Hunter’s eyes widened slightly.
But as if that was nothing, he calmly swung his sword. An aura several times larger and stronger than before came flying.
I raised both arms in guard, and the attack crashed down. The armor held without breaking, but my body couldn’t, and I was flung backward.
“I expected you to dodge the Crescent Moon, but I didn’t think you’d shatter it.”
So the aura shaped like a crescent moon was called Crescent Moon.
“You went easy on me anyway.”
“True enough. Can’t go all out.”
Jeong Min-gi Hunter hadn’t even moved from his spot.
A spark of competitive fire ignited in me. I armored my entire body.
“Oh? Haven’t seen that before.”
Then I burned life force to boost my physical abilities. My body heated up and felt lighter with at least a twenty percent increase.
And I charged.
Crescent Moons came flying one after another. Maybe because I was dodging and blocking well, they grew faster and stronger with each one.
I zigzagged to evade, shattering the unavoidable ones.
Finally, closing the distance, I swung a hook toward his side.
Jeong Min-gi Hunter struck my right hand with his sword hilt, pushing it away. Then he wrapped aura around his hand to lightly block my follow-up left punch. It was effortlessly smooth. He was clearly going easy on me.
This guy wasn’t just skilled with the sword. His overall technique was a level—no, two levels—above mine. S-Ranks didn’t have sub-ranks anymore, but if I had to classify Jeong Min-gi Hunter, he’d be SSS-Rank.
Then a kick came flying. It was called a kick, but getting hit would mean getting sliced, not just bruised.
I bent backward to dodge and followed with a backflip to create distance.
“Fun. Not many among my juniors can match you. Where did a rookie like you pop up from?”
“Does this end the test?”
“Nah, this won’t cut it. Shall we ramp it up a bit?”
Truth be told, I wanted to see Jeong Min-gi Hunter’s full power too.
“You’ve seen Crescent Moon. Now for the next one: Sun Flash. Note that the ‘sun’ in Sun Flash is the sun character 日, not the number one 一.”
Jeong Min-gi Hunter gripped his sword hilt with both hands, pulling it up over his shoulder until the blade was horizontal to the ground.
A bad premonition hit me hard, and I urgently threw my body sideways.
A single beam of light-like thrust shot out. Similar to the skill that red goblin from Shinbukhan used, but this flew as fast as sunlight glinting.
Sun Flash grazed my leg, cracking the armor. Just a graze did this—if it hit dead-on, it might pierce through.
With aura reinforcement, it probably wouldn’t be unstoppable, but dodging that speed would require constant full-body coverage. Even with improved efficiency, maintaining it long-term was tough.
Targeting my leg on purpose for the first strike was Jeong Min-gi Hunter’s consideration. Imagining it aimed at my heart or head sent chills down my spine.
“Oh, dodged again? Here comes more~”
I focused on Jeong Min-gi Hunter’s movements. Before I could even see the thrusting motion, another light beam flew.
Then I realized why he’d bothered specifying that Sun Flash’s ‘sun’ was 日, not 一. True to its name meaning sunlight, attacks poured endlessly like the midday sun. Thanks to that, forget closing distance—I was busy rolling around the training ground.
Since I dodged everything, any consideration vanished. He openly targeted vitals now. I couldn’t think of closing in, just sprinting around to evade, but running forever defeated the purpose of sparring.
Dodging and countering wasn’t my style anyway.
I circled him evasively, then abruptly switched direction and charged straight at Jeong Min-gi Hunter.
Sun Flash incoming, aimed right at me. I pulled my aura-clad arm up to guard my head and chest.
Sun Flash pierced the arm armor but didn’t go through.
Jeong Min-gi’s eyes showed genuine surprise this time. I thrust my fist forward.
Jeong Min-gi Hunter lightly leaped back to evade and counterattacked. Thanks to my approach, he couldn’t use Sun Flash, but his swordsmanship was plenty deadly. I ignored minor cuts and pressed the assault. They regenerated the moment they happened anyway.
Jeong Min-gi Hunter kept me in his range while staying out of mine, launching attacks.
As expected of a true S-Rank. Polished skills and power incomparable to Helen or Axehead.
“Whew… I’ve learned a valuable lesson.”
“Huh? What? Done already?”
“No matter what, it feels like I can’t reach you.”
If I sprayed blood or ignored major damage to push, it might land something. A prolonged fight might not be unwinnable either, but I didn’t want to reveal all my cards. Jeong Min-gi Hunter hadn’t gone all out either.
Sparring with him gave me a sense of where I needed to aim. Even though I’d seen powerhouses in my past life, viewing them as a B-Rank Hunter then was worlds apart from experiencing it now as an A-Rank.
“No need to push it. You pass. Feel free to join my kids for the A-Rank Gate.”
“Thank you.”
“But seriously, no interest in joining the guild?”
Persistent to the end.
“Guild master, coffee…”
Lee Dong-bin the Hunter entered the training ground with iced coffees. Come to think of it, I’d sent him on a coffee run and ditched without a word.
“Ah, Dong-bin, thanks. Oh, and we’re hitting an A-Rank Gate in a few days? This guy’s coming along with you.”
“Huh? Hunter Lee Ji-seok isn’t in our guild, though?”
“It’s fine. I vouch for his skills.”
Lee Dong-bin Hunter looked displeased but didn’t voice any complaints to Jeong Min-gi Hunter.
“By the way… how did this happen?”
Lee Dong-bin Hunter pointed at the wall.
When Jeong Min-gi Hunter and I turned, the wall was pocked with holes and cracks everywhere.
“Whoops…”
Jeong Min-gi Hunter rubbed his forehead. None of it was my doing.
* * *
A party assembled before the Gate: five A-Rank Hunters including me and Sang-heon, plus six B- and C-Rank Hunters.
“I’m Lee Ji-seok. Thank you for accepting my sudden request.”
As the intrusion specialist who’d rolled in, I greeted the party leader, Shim Hee-ho Hunter first. He was one of the juniors Jeong Min-gi Hunter had mentioned a few times—a founding member of the early Rose Guild.
Shim Hee-ho Hunter stood over two meters tall with a sturdy build. He reminded me of CEO Yoo. Worlds apart in skill, of course.
“Hello! I’m Yang Sang-heon! C-Rank! I use a sword! Please take care of me!”
Sang-heon bellowed his greeting. He’d come to support me. I didn’t really need it, but guild rules required another person, so I refused and brought Sang-heon, who I was comfortable with. Even as a C-Rank, he wouldn’t embarrass me anywhere after my training. And raiding an A-Rank Gate would be great experience for him.
“Ha ha ha, welcome. Sang-heon, your enthusiasm is refreshing!”
Shim Hee-ho Hunter thumped Sang-heon’s shoulder, distorting his face in pain, but Sang-heon held his stance and forced a smile.
Sang-heon was overly tense. He’d been like this since we arrived. When I asked why, he said joining the Rose Guild was his dream. Not just him—every Hunter in Korea dreamed of it. As the top guild, their treatment was the best.
“Anyway, I’ve briefed everyone ahead, but let me introduce our A-Rank Hunters. This is A-Rank Healer Jeong Ji-eun. She also acts as our buffer—a guild treasure.”
Shim Hee-ho Hunter introduced the party members.
“Hello.”
Jeong Ji-eun Hunter greeted curtly, almost reluctantly. She was petite, just over 150 cm, but with a strikingly glamorous figure. Early to mid-twenties, maybe? Hard to tell with female Hunters—they all looked young.
“This is Yoon Dong-ha Hunter. Fire magic specialist.”
Yoon Dong-ha Hunter nodded in greeting. The Hunter who’d helicoptered in during the Shinbukhan Gate Break and unleashed flames. He had narrow eyes and a ponytail, looked thirties. Seemed indifferent to my presence.
“And our youngest, Lee Dong-bin Hunter. He just hit A-Rank, so today’s his first time in the main Hunter position.”
“T-Team leader, do you have to mention that?”
Lee Dong-bin glanced at me as he spoke.