Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Lizardmen Onslaught
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In South Korea, the monster hunt by the major guild 'Titan'—one of the top five—had wrapped up smoothly.
Since it was a hunt meant to train new recruits, only three veteran hunters were present out of the fifteen, including Vice Guild Master An Do-yoon.
Thanks to their rigorous interviews and screening process for recruits, there hadn't been any issues.
"Subjugation complete."
After a newbie confirmed the death of the last remaining monster and reported in, An Do-yoon packed away his gear.
"Alright, let's withdraw."
"W-Wait a moment!"
One guild member who sensed something amiss shouted urgently and pointed at what he had spotted.
All eyes followed his finger to a massive purple vortex.
"Damn it!"
No one had expected monster reinforcements at this point.
Was it because they had hunted so many of those tight-knit Lizardmen?
The Lizardmen appeared before the hunters in a far more organized formation than usual, as if they had been waiting for this very day.
"They don't show up when we call, but of course now..."
The other guild members had left to hunt a large monster.
The only ones available to block these monsters now were the people on site.
The newbies froze in terror at the sight of monsters numbering more than three times their previous count.
"W-What do we do?"
"Quick, request backup from the other hunters!"
Under normal circumstances, this would have been a chance to rake in money, but not now.
There were only three veteran hunters, and most were total rookies who had never seen more than three battles.
It was an absurdly insufficient force to handle such a large horde.
But An Do-yoon had no intention of heeding the newbies' pleas for help.
"What if we hastily gather people and a murderer slips in among them!"
"This isn't the time to worry about that!"
The serial killer targeting hunters from major guilds.
His existence was certainly a thorn in their side, but it didn't make sense to avoid calling for backup out of fear.
At this rate, they'd be wiped out by the monsters before the killer even got to them.
"Don't panic, fight! If you keep your heads, we can hold them off!"
He had used the guild's influence to block other hunters from coming, so backing out now could tarnish Titan's reputation.
As Titan's vice guild master, An Do-yoon could never allow that.
Even knowing they were outmatched, the other guild members gripped their weapons reluctantly, knowing defying guild rules could mean expulsion.
* * *
Kang Jin-hyuk, who had signed a contract with Lee Jun-cheol, visited the association for the first time in a while.
Having surpassed level 50 and completed his class change, he wanted to update his hunter rank.
[Kang Jin-hyuk]
Level: 51
Race: Human
Class: Cleric
Strength: C
Agility: C
Mana: C
Vitality: C
Checking his stats, all his abilities had just reached C-rank.
This should allow him to advance from D-rank to C-rank hunter without issue.
Kang Jin-hyuk drew a number ticket and headed to the reception desk, where the attendant greeted him with a smile.
"Welcome. What can I help you with?"
"I'm here to renew my hunter rank."
"Then please fill out these forms."
The forms the attendant handed over requested personal information and ability stats.
It was the same format he had filled out when he first became a hunter, so Kang Jin-hyuk completed it effortlessly.
"Here you go."
"Thank you. We need to verify the information, so please wait a moment."
Falsifying ability stats was a serious crime punishable by imprisonment, so a thorough check was required.
While waiting for the examiner, Kang Jin-hyuk sat in a chair.
After about five minutes, a burly man with brown skin approached him.
"Hello, Mr. Kang Jin-hyuk. I'm Heo Jin-woo, in charge of your promotion exam. Nice to meet you."
"Ah, nice to meet you too."
Kang Jin-hyuk lightly shook the hand Heo Jin-woo offered.
After the handshake, Heo Jin-woo pointed toward the interior of the building and led the way.
"This way, please."
Kang Jin-hyuk followed him into a room about 10 pyeong in size.
It was filled with various measurement devices, including sandbags.
Heo Jin-woo picked up a potted plant from among them.
In the pot balanced on his palm was a single flower that looked like it would wither any moment.
"First, let's confirm you're a Cleric."
"You want me to use Heal on this flower?"
"Yes, exactly."
As instructed, Kang Jin-hyuk extended his hand and cast Heal. Vitality began to return to the wilted flower.
As the brownish tint faded and its original color returned, Heo Jin-woo marked a pass on the paperwork.
"We've confirmed you're a Cleric, so your certificate will be ready today. Did you bring a photo?"
"Here."
Kang Jin-hyuk handed over the prepared ID photo.
"Now, let's measure your other stats. Please stand in front of the sandbag."
Since Kang Jin-hyuk had only written the truth on the forms, the subsequent tests proceeded smoothly.
Having passed every category, he left the room and waited for the procedures to finish.
"Mr. Kang Jin-hyuk!"
"Yes."
The attendant handed him the Cleric certificate and C-rank hunter license as he approached the reception desk.
As Kang Jin-hyuk took them, the attendant smiled again and offered congratulations.
"Congratulations on your promotion."
"Thank you."
He had thought he'd have to wait years for a C-rank hunter license, but now it was in his hands.
Kang Jin-hyuk wondered if he was dreaming.
It was ridiculous to feel this way over just reaching C-rank, but the grueling hunter life made it inevitable.
"Let's ride this momentum all the way to B-rank."
Anyone else hearing that would scoff and tell him to dream on.
But Kang Jin-hyuk had his ace up his sleeve, giving him full confidence.
He planned to head straight home and then to the dungeon.
With money no longer a worry, he wanted to focus on leveling up for the time being.
However, as he was leaving the association, a hunter burst in, halting his steps.
The hunter who had dashed in leaned against Kang Jin-hyuk near the entrance, gasping for breath.
His clothes were torn, and his body covered in wounds—he had clearly just come from an intense battle.
"Huff... huff...! Is there a Cleric here with free hands?!"
Even struggling to breathe, the hunter shouted desperately.
Seeing the urgency, Kang Jin-hyuk felt sympathy and raised his hand.
"I'm a Cleric... but is a C-rank hunter okay?"
"Of course! Please come with me right now!"
Clerics were so rare that many didn't care about their rank.
This hunter was one of them; he didn't bat an eye at hearing C-rank.
The hunter grabbed Kang Jin-hyuk's hand and immediately crushed a Return Stone.
"Whoa."
The sudden teleport landed them in a deserted area on the city's outskirts.
There, countless Lizardmen swarmed, clashing against struggling hunters.
Witnessing the bloody battle, Kang Jin-hyuk frowned.
Not because the situation was worse than expected.
He recognized them as Titan guild members from their black coats and emblem.
'Of all people, these guys.'
Watching their sloppy fight with displeasure, it didn't look like something a famed guild would do.
Dealers flailing without target priority, tanks failing to hold aggro properly.
An Do-yoon was commanding desperately, but their inexperience showed—they couldn't maintain formation and moved like a ragtag mob.
Kang Jin-hyuk could guess how it had come to this.
"Looks like they stepped on a landmine during newbie training."
He inwardly chuckled at the irony.
The hunter who brought him, oblivious to his thoughts, spoke urgently.
"Just heal from the back! We'll handle the fighting! We'll make sure to compensate you after, so don't worry!"
Rattling it off like a rap, the hunter charged back into battle.
Kang Jin-hyuk didn't like who he was helping, but since they offered pay, he quietly followed orders.
Hate the person, not the money.
Moving to the rear lines, he spotted a few other Clerics who had been similarly roped in.
Those whose eyes met exchanged awkward greetings.
"Ah, hello."
They clearly had no idea what they'd been dragged into.
Kang Jin-hyuk nodded slightly, joined them, and began casting Heal nonstop.
But there were far too many Lizardmen for the number of hunters.
Even constant Heals couldn't keep up with how fast their health was dropping.
"This is... like pouring water into a leaky jar."
"I was thinking the same."
The Clerics grew anxious as time passed.
Even with five Clerics supporting recovery, the battle wasn't in their favor—a serious problem.
Frustrated by the stagnant situation, Kang Jin-hyuk sighed.
"They should just swallow their pride and call another guild for backup instead of being stubborn."
"Haha..."
The other Clerics agreed but, being sheltered types unused to speaking up, stayed silent.
'At this rate, they might get wiped out.'
An Do-yoon, directing the fight, surely sensed what Kang Jin-hyuk did.
His battle-hardened mentality wavered like a reed in the wind amid the ongoing disadvantage.
If only the newbies followed orders promptly, it might ease his mind.
But seeing them panic and confuse left from right fueled his rage.
"Damn it all!"
An Do-yoon swung his massive greatsword—larger than himself—trying to break the Lizardmen's lines.
But the Lizardmen raised shields in a group, blocking his blade, thwarting his efforts.
Even An Do-yoon's formidable sword lost its edge against their human wave tactics.
"You damn vermin, acting tough just because there are so many!"
Finally snapping, An Do-yoon chugged all the buff potions he had stored in his inventory.
Then he broke from the lines and charged the Lizardmen with ferocious momentum.
One veteran hunter watching shook his head and slapped his forehead with a sigh.
"That mad bastard's at it again...!"
An Do-yoon's bravery was admirable for a warrior, but he was the commander now.
What kind of leader abandons his men for a reckless charge?
Moreover, charging without assessing the field, he missed the Lizardmen's scouts targeting the rear.
A few Lizardmen with chameleon-like stealth effects quietly approached the Clerics while An Do-yoon rampaged.
The only one who noticed was Kang Jin-hyuk—with his baseball bat.