Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Gate Boot Camp
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Jang-mi thrashed around on my shoulder and yelled, but there was no one around the gate except for us and the Awakening Bureau officials to hear her.
"What the hell?! Why aren't you helping me?! Aren't you with the Awakening Bureau?! I'm reporting you!"
"Did you come?"
A familiar face greeted me. It was the Awakening Bureau official Geum Seokho.
"How have you been?"
"Thanks to you. Congratulations on reaching S-Rank. Ever since that F-Rank hunter kept clearing gates non-stop, I knew Lee Ji-seok would make it to S-Rank."
"Thanks."
"But who's this?"
Geum Seokho pointed at Jang-mi.
"You know Jeong Min-gi the hunter? She's his daughter. He asked me to train her."
"What?! You two know each other?! What's your name?! I'm reporting you later! You're done for! No, get ready for prison!"
"Yeah, she could definitely use some training. Head on in."
Geum Seokho plugged his ears at Jang-mi's screaming.
"Good luck."
Passing by Geum Seokho, I entered the gate with Jang-mi, Sang-hun, Ye-seul, and even Na-young—five of us in total.
Once inside the gate, I set Jang-mi down. No one could leave until it was cleared anyway.
"You think this'll make me listen to you?!"
Jang-mi glared at me venomously.
"We're not helping you until we clear this gate. And I've told them not to let anyone in until right before a break. If you don't want to be stuck here for days, you better start moving."
".... For real?"
Sang-hun, who'd been listening from behind, asked.
"What did you think that load on your back was for?"
"Uh...."
Sang-hun looked back at the massive bag on his back.
"You start whenever you want. We'll just make sure you don't die."
"Hmph! Even if I die, I won't do what you say!"
Jang-mi plopped down on the ground.
"Do whatever. Sang-hun, set up camp. Let's rest."
".... Okay."
Sang-hun pulled out a mat from his backpack and spread it out, then took out some coffee.
"It's been a while since we've had it this relaxed. How'd you two get by without us?"
"Just got by somehow. Whatever."
"Sang-hun worked really hard. Filling in for you, Ji-seok."
Sang-hun gave a half-hearted reply, but Ye-seul added on.
"This guy?"
"Yeah. Right after the chairman disappeared, Na-young vanished too, so the ladies were really worried. But Sang-hun went every day to reassure them that everything was fine."
"Ahem.... You don't have to mention that."
Sang-hun's face turned red.
"And he leveled up hard too. Did you know he hit B-Rank?"
"Didn't know. You're already B-Rank?"
"Yeah. I put in the effort."
"Good job. Especially looking after my mom—thanks."
"Aw, no need to say it like that and embarrass me."
"Hey! Are you guys seriously just gonna leave me like this?!"
"How about you, Ye-seul? How've you been?"
"I've been going into gates with Sang-hun and Hyung-bin, and helping out at the regen office too. President Yang was really accommodating, so it was easy."
"Bro, bro, something's off between Ye-seul and Hyung-bin."
"Huh? Those two?"
If they like each other, who am I to say anything? Still, seems a waste for Ye-seul.
"Ah.... It's not like that."
Ye-seul looked flustered for once. Her expression didn't change much, though.
"Hey! Ogre! Ogre coming!"
Jang-mi spotted a single ogre lumbering toward us from afar with heavy thuds.
"You're a D-Rank hunter, right? Handle one on your own."
"Are you insane?! How's a mage supposed to take an ogre alone?! No tank!"
As the ogre drew closer, anxiety crept onto Jang-mi's face.
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Bro, that's normal. You've just been pushing us way too hard."
"But that's why we're all this strong now, right? No one got.... No one died. That's what matters, isn't it?"
I'd almost said no one got hurt, but Sang-hun gave me a look like I was an idiot, so I changed it.
"Eek!"
Jang-mi ran toward us, and I stepped in front, releasing my aura to intimidate it.
"Go to the back. Fight."
"...Got it! I was wrong! Fight together! Together!"
Her head knew I wouldn't harm her, but facing that much aura head-on broke her spirit.
"If you don't want to get hit by the ogre or me first, go fight it. And if you let it get any closer without shooting, it'll be tough for even me to deal with you."
"Mommy!"
Even as the ogre closed in right up to her, Jang-mi just screamed without doing anything.
"Seriously, how does she plan to become a hunter like this...."
I shoved Jang-mi aside.
"Hey! You're seriously leaving me?! You bastard!"
I took the group and put some distance between us and Jang-mi.
"Bro...."
The ogre glanced back and forth at our split group, then charged toward us.
I unleashed my aura laced with killing intent.
The ogre flinched and averted its eyes. Even stripped of reason by the God of Destruction and driven to attack humans, most monsters still tried to avoid certain death. They lost their reason but kept that last shred of instinct.
The ogre turned and headed for the easier target, Jang-mi.
"Damn it.... Fireball!"
Finally giving up on running away, a fireball formed in Jang-mi's hand—one way too big for a D-Rank.
"Huh....?"
Sang-hun's eyes went wide.
"Knew it. No way the daughter of Jeong Min-gi hunter was that weak."
The massive fireball left Jang-mi's hand. It flew with ferocious momentum, but seemed overly affected by distance, shrinking rapidly.
"It's shrinking now, right?"
Sang-hun squinted and asked.
"Yeah, started shrinking the moment it left her hand."
Magic or mana detached from the body is hard to control and loses power over time. But this was extreme.
"Jae-in hyung doesn't do that, right?"
"Nope."
"But how'd she even reach D-Rank?"
"Guess we should help—"
I was about to step in, but saw Jang-mi running away instead.
"She is a mage, right?"
"Yeah, and damn fast."
"High agility?"
Screeching as she fled, she kept widening the gap with the ogre. Plus, her stamina was good—she ran without tiring.
"Gruk.... Hack...."
In the end, the ogre tired out first.
"Die!"
Jang-mi, closing in on the winded ogre, spat fire from her hand again. The fireball shrank right after leaving her, but at just a few meters away, it hit the ogre's head before losing much size. The power was enough to send it tumbling backward.
"Whoa...."
"Hey! You really didn't help?! I'm telling my dad everything!"
She was screaming, so she wasn't that tired.
"Na-young, why's she like that?"
"She's bad at controlling her magic."
"What?! Do you know how to fix it?"
"Sit down. To boost your magic power, you need to understand the principles when you cast. First, feel your mana flow—where it goes, how it circulates to form the spell."
Na-young squatted on the ground and started drawing diagrams in the dirt with a stick to explain.
"...."
Jang-mi's eyes were unfocused, staring at the ground.
"See? When you use a skill, you feel the mana circulating in your body, right?"
Na-young explained passionately for a good while without giving up, but Jang-mi didn't get any of it.
"Hey, get my point?"
I tapped Jang-mi's shoulder. She was still spaced out from Na-young's magic lecture and didn't respond.
"Then keep doing it like before. You'll get stronger with practice."
If your head's no good, your body has to suffer.
"What if I die? You'll take responsibility?!"
Jang-mi snapped back to reality.
"You won't die. You won't."
I ignored her outburst and sat on the mat.
"Sang-hun, go round up some ogres."
".... Okay."
Sang-hun started to say something but just bowed his head and trudged off.
"If you're not back in 10 minutes, you're next for special training."
Sang-hun, who'd been walking slowly, broke into a sprint.
Not even three minutes later, Sang-hun dragged back five ogres.
"Good job."
I approached the ogre pack and punched each one lightly in the solar plexus.
"Kwak...."
I held back so their bodies wouldn't burst, just enough to knock them out gently, but two died anyway. When just one was left, I headed back.
The last ogre tried to flee, so I blocked its path and jerked my chin toward Jang-mi. It froze, unsure, so I threatened it with aura, and it bolted toward Jang-mi like it was escaping.
"Kyak!"
The chase between the ogre and Jang-mi started up again.
She tried running my way, so I shot aura from my finger at her feet.
"Eek! You crazy bastard!"
"Come closer and you get hit."
"Fuck! You asshole!"
Seeing the look in my eyes, Jang-mi knew I meant it. She flipped me off vulgarly and turned around, running until the ogre tired out again.
"That's a hunting method, I guess...."
After she took down three more like that, even Jang-mi with her good stamina was gasping for breath.
"Why not close in, dodge attacks, and cast magic?"
I walked up to Jang-mi, sprawled out on the ground like a starfish, and spoke to her.
Watching for a while, I'd realized she wasn't just fast—her dynamic vision was sharp too. The ogre got close several times, but I didn't need to help. She dodged its attacks nimbly, better than your average D-Rank warrior.
"Huff.... Huff.... No way.... I hate that brute-force crap!"
"Hunter's a brute-force job—what're you talking about."
"I'm support.... Huff.... Huff.... From the rear...."
"Your magic weakens over distance—how're you gonna stay in the back?"
"Uncles tank, I finish.... Levels go up, magic'll improve...."
"Ah, so that's how you hit D-Rank? Uncle bus?"
If you could get strong just riding the bus, who would suffer? That method caps your growth. You need experience fighting stronger foes yourself.
"What do you know.... Talented people like you wouldn't get it."
"I'm talented?"
"Jang-mi, Ji-seok hyung started with an F-Rank skill and suffered big time to get here. His training's several times harder and more painful than yours."
"...."
"You've got way better talent and background. Got connections, uncles to carry you."
"Everyone just looks to Dad—what's good about that."
"You're whining from a full belly. People without backing would curse you out."
"...."
Jang-mi caught her breath in silence.
"Rear support's fine, but you're frontline material no matter how I look. Don't you have acceleration magic too?"
She'd sped up instantly a few times in crises.
"....Yeah."
"Perfect. Hit-and-run style. Like Sang-hun."
"....No! I won't! I'm a mage!"
Even at over twenty, the girl threw a tantrum lying on the ground. You could tell how spoiled Jeong Min-gi had raised her.
"Do what you want. Try it all day like this. Sang-hun, bring the next one."