Chapter 228: Breaking the Record (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 228: Breaking the Record (4)
Kim Seong-tae, Head of the General Affairs Department at the Korean Hunter Association.
If someone were to ask him how he’d been feeling lately, he would answer without a moment’s hesitation:
Like he was full without even having to eat.
Knock, knock!
“Come in.”
The moment he gave his permission, a General Affairs employee opened the door and entered.
“Sir, the raid on the ‘Ruins Swept by a Dragon’ just concluded.”
The Ruins Swept by a Dragon.
It was a dungeon set in a city that, as its name suggested, had been laid to ruin by a dragon. It was considered one of the higher-tier B-rank dungeons.
The monsters inside were drakes, a lesser form of dragon, and even lesser drakes, a further degraded version. They were notoriously difficult to deal with, as they could fly for short periods and their bodies were covered in hard scales. For that reason, it was a popular spot for seasoned veterans who had cut their teeth in the industry.
“The raid was a success, I presume… How long did it take?”
“From entry to the boss takedown, it took 4 hours and 18 minutes.”
Kim Seong-tae’s eyes widened slightly at the news.
“If I recall correctly, the previous record for the Ruins was in the six-hour range… Am I wrong?”
“You’re correct, sir. The exact time was 6 hours and 8 minutes.”
“And he shaved off an hour and fifty minutes from that…”
Kim Seong-tae lowered his head and waved a hand at the employee who had delivered the good news.
It was a clear dismissal.
The employee, looking bewildered, gave a slight bow and left the office.
A moment later.
“Pwahahahaha!”
A loud burst of laughter erupted from the department head’s office.
The owner of the laughter was, of course, Kim Seong-tae.
How could he not laugh?
“One hour and fifty minutes…? I have no idea what’s going on.”
The ‘Ruins Swept by a Dragon’ was a dungeon frequented by veterans.
In other words, it was a place that took Hunters who had spent years in the industry over six hours to clear.
“And a twenty-one-year-old rookie Hunter does it in 4 hours and 18 minutes…”
The existence known as Kim Do-jin was a brilliantly shining golden rope.
He was a powerful card that could pull Kim Seong-tae up from his current stagnant position—a position he had reached quickly, only to find himself unable to climb any higher.
“That’s what I thought until now…”
But now, he was starting to feel afraid.
It was human nature to feel a sliver of fear, no matter how joyous the occasion, when faced with a series of events that defied common sense.
That was how Kim Seong-tae felt now.
He was afraid of Do-jin’s growth rate—the way he sprinted 50 meters ahead while others took a single step.
And that fear gave birth to an ominous speculation.
‘Perhaps… I’m the one who is Kim Do-jin’s card.’
A single card and the person holding it.
He had firmly believed that the former was Kim Do-jin and the latter was himself, but that belief was now shaken to its core.
It was an unpleasant feeling.
The fact that he, who had always been the one holding and choosing the cards, had suddenly become just one of many cards in another’s hand.
But that feeling was fleeting.
“…Well, I guess it doesn’t matter.”
He decided not to dwell on it.
Unpleasant feelings aside, it was an undeniable fact that his once-fixed position had begun to shift dramatically because of Kim Do-jin.
The tide was coming in.
No, it wasn’t just coming in—it was a flood threatening to overflow.
If he didn’t start rowing now, he’d be submerged and sink.
He immediately started calling the reporters he was close with, whose numbers were saved on his phone.
“Reporter Park, I’ve got something really good for you… How would you like an exclusive?”
Reporters were like the gluttonous Agwi, who would cause a ruckus, claiming they were hungry even right after a meal.
Not a single one of them would refuse an interesting story that guaranteed both page views and buzz.
*
Morning and afternoon.
I was on my way home after finishing two dungeon raids.
Sitting in the passenger seat, I scrolled through the headlines of today’s articles on my smartphone.
【B-Rank Rookie Hunter Kim Do-jin Clears Fifteen Dungeons in Ten Days!】
【Kim Do-jin Shattering Every B-Rank Dungeon Record. A Challenge to His Seniors?】
【A Raging Storm in the Hunter World: Kim Do-jin.】
It wasn’t just the articles that were making a fuss.
The streamers commonly known as ‘Huntubers,’ who reported on news related to the Hunter industry, were using me as material to milk for views.
【TMI about Kim Do-jin】
【Kim Do-jin: 12 Facts We Didn’t Know】
【The New Face of the Hunter World: Why is Kim Do-jin So Hot Right Now?】
The titles made it seem like they knew every little detail about me.
Just reading the headlines was enough to make even me curious about myself.
Yoon Ji-an, who had insisted on driving me home despite me telling her it was fine, glanced over at me from the driver’s seat.
“…Aren’t you overdoing it these days?”
That was the question I’d been hearing most from her lately.
Well… it wasn’t unreasonable for her to be worried.
After all, I had cleared a whopping fifteen dungeons in ten days, setting a new record for every single one.
Even a Hunter desperate for money wouldn’t maintain such a forced march.
“I’m fine. I’m not hurt anywhere, just a little tired.”
“If you say so, that’s a relief, but…”
Yoon Ji-an’s voice trailed off as she turned her gaze back to the road.
Dungeon raiding consumes an enormous amount of physical and mental energy.
You have to keep your body in a constant state of tension and your mind sharp as a blade in a space where danger lurks around every corner, where anything could happen at any moment.
But that was for ordinary Hunters.
The dungeons I had cleared so far were all places I had raided more than a dozen times in the past.
I knew what to watch out for and what kind of monsters would appear, so there was no need to be overly tense.
Besides, this body’s recovery rate was monstrous, so I didn’t get tired easily.
Of course, the record-breaking pace of fifteen dungeons in ten days was a bit taxing even for this body, and I had accumulated some mental fatigue. But even that would vanish completely after a good night’s sleep.
“Um… there’s something I’m curious about.”
After focusing on driving for a while, she cautiously spoke up.
She’d been fidgeting with her lips for a while, and I’d wondered what she wanted to say. It seemed she had finally worked up the courage to ask.
“Is there a special reason you’re pushing yourself so hard…?”
Hmm, a reason.
It wouldn’t be right to say, Because I want to experience more diverse situations after our threesome…
“So that you won’t be able to leave me, Ji-an?”
That was probably a slightly more refined version of my raw desire.
In truth, even that might just be a personal, selfish wish.
When the fact that multiple women were in love with one man became known, I wanted them to be gossiped about as little as possible.
Furthermore, even if they were gossiped about, I wanted to reach a level where people would see me and think, ‘Well, for a guy like that, I can kind of see why they’d all like him.’ That was my selfish desire.
“Leave you…?”
Her face flushed red.
Blue veins faintly surfaced on the back of the hand gripping the steering wheel.
“I—I’ll never leave, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
That right there was one of the reasons I liked Yoon Ji-an.
The way she got all tense and expressed her feelings, her voice trembling, was just so cute and lovable.
Anyway.
I’d just heard something very good.
“Do you really mean that?”
“…Of course.”
“You’re saying you won’t leave me, no matter what happens?”
“Uh… yes, that’s right.”
“Then I’m relieved. I was worried you might leave me one day.”
At that, she tilted her head and asked me.
“Why would you think that…? Have I been that untrustworthy?”
“Hey, of course not.”
I reached out to her as she spoke in a slightly disappointed tone and gently stroked her thigh.
“Hh…”
Her sensitive body tensed up at the light touch.
“You have to keep that promise, okay?”
“I… understand.”
I smiled quietly as I heard her strained reply, which came out with a sensual breath.
I truly hope she never tries to leave my side.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
“Thanks for driving me home.”
“Not at all. It’s my job.”
Such a commendable woman.
I felt like she was becoming more and more attuned to her role as my aide as time went on.
At this rate, she might just become the perfect secretary.
“Get home safe.”
“Yes. But, um… next time, I’d like to meet for… personal reasons too.”
I could tell just by looking at her flushed face.
She was quite starved.
If I had my way, I’d take her into my house right now and fuck her as much as she wanted, but…
“Alright. I’ll be sure to call you soon.”
I had no idea what would happen if the two women living downstairs caught us.
In fact, one of them was already glaring this way with a terrifying look.
“…I’ll be waiting, then.”
Her expression brightened as she replied, then turned the car around and drove out of the alley.
After the car had completely vanished from sight, I turned and headed home.
As I leisurely made my way up to the rooftop where my room was…
“What are you doing here?”
Shin Yu-jeong, sitting on the edge of a wide wooden platform and chugging a beer, greeted me.
“…Why are you so late?”
Her usual healthy, confident expression was gone, replaced by one of utter melancholy and worry.