Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: The Man Who Prepares for Misfortune (1)
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During his secluded training, Kang San hadn't checked any outside communications.
When he finally returned home after so long, his phone was naturally flooded with messages, including some from the recent connections he'd made.
[Kim Myung-min: I hope you're doing well.]
A message from two weeks ago.
It seemed like a simple check-in, but he'd unintentionally ignored Kim Myung-min's outreach.
'Guess it wasn't anything from the Rangers.'
If it had been important, he wouldn't have sent just a single text.
Kang San composed a reply to Kim Myung-min. Starting with how he'd been in secluded training and unable to respond, he mirrored the check-in with his own. Kim Myung-min was a connection tied through Azmun. The fact that he was with the Rangers reeked of trials, but maintaining a good relationship with him was necessary.
"But why has this person messaged me so much?"
Unlike Kim Myung-min, who'd sent just one text over the month, there was someone who'd messaged every single day without fail.
Jo Han-byeol.
The team leader of Team 2 during the promotion exam.
After the promotion exam ended, those impressed by Kang San's skills had exchanged contacts, and since Jo Han-byeol wasn't bad himself, Kang San had gladly given out his number. He vaguely recalled Jo Han-byeol saying he'd definitely reach out later, but even so, he hadn't expected this level of persistence.
The messages went like this.
[Kang San, are you busy?]
[It's been a whole week with no reply. ㅠㅠ]
[You didn't block me, did you?]
[ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Can you please pick up?]
They were growing increasingly clingy.
Kang San chuckled as he read them.
He didn't know the purpose, but he couldn't ignore Jo Han-byeol's daily dedication today either.
-I entered the stat training camp and couldn't check my phone for a bit. What's up?
He set his phone down on the desk.
After a refreshing hot shower for the first time in ages, it buzzed again—probably a reply.
Click.
"Hello?"
[Oooooh, you finally picked up!]
"Ah, yes. As I said, I was focused on training and missed your messages."
[I get it. How could you check messages in the stat training camp? Still, thanks for replying now. Anyway, do you remember what I said after the promotion exam? That I'd love to raid with you sometime.]
He remembered.
The issue was that not just Jo Han-byeol, but everyone from that exam had made the same offer. Still, Jo Han-byeol stood out in his memory.
"Yes, I remember."
[What a relief. So, what I'm getting at is, how about raiding together this time? As an E-Rank hunter, I've realized just how outstanding your tanking is. During the promotion exam, with you holding the line so solidly, I could attack freely without worrying about defense. But over the past month in other parties... ugh, I don't even want to think about it. There are so many people who can't even do the basics of tanking. Hell, one guy just bolted when he felt in danger.]
He had classic TMI tendencies.
Jo Han-byeol rambled on, but the point was clear: he wanted to hunt with Kang San.
It wasn't a bad idea.
Jo Han-byeol was solid for an E-Rank.
Given how he'd accurately loosed arrows even in crises, he'd pull his weight in an E-Rank party.
The problem was.
'I have no idea what might happen because of me.'
Kang San was cursed with misfortune.
The kind where even tripping breaks your nose. Venturing into the Backside World meant anything could happen. Before, his bad luck had been manageable, but since accepting Azmun's trials, life-threatening situations had become routine.
That made him hesitate.
Partying with him could drag not just himself, but his teammates into the 'domain of trials' too.
"It could be dangerous partying with me. As you saw in the exam, sudden unexpected variables happen to me a bit too often."
[It's fine. So what if variables pop up? Even when it got that dangerous and the proctor had to step in, you threw yourself to protect the team, right? If I think of you as my tank, I'm willing to face any risk.]
"......"
Good words.
Unwavering trust.
Jo Han-byeol's faith melted away Kang San's doubts.
And right on cue, he needed a stage to test his training results.
'Yeah, I can't keep avoiding raid parties forever. Let's do it. Jo Han-byeol's got solid skills, and I've got the power to protect him. If I can't safeguard my team, I can't overcome the trials anyway.'
The decision was made.
Kang San said.
"Got it. Let's do it."
A few days later.
The team came together quickly.
Jo Han-byeol already had one companion, so they recruited one more to form a four-man raid party.
For the raid zone, Kang San used the selection right he'd earned as a reward. It felt wasteful for an E-Rank zone, but he didn't want to waste time on auctions. Plus, Jo Han-byeol covered a fair price for it, so Kang San happily obliged.
Raid day.
The teammate Kang San had handpicked introduced himself.
"Name's Jeong Chan-woo, 20 years old. E-Rank hunter, sub-tanker position. You might think I'm inexperienced because of my age, but I've cleared 30 raids in the past half-year, so I'm pretty confident I'm top-tier for E-Rank. Trust me and follow my lead, and I'll prove my worth in the field."
Confidence shone through his tone and demeanor.
Kang San had scoured party recruitment sites for the final piece, and Jeong Chan-woo caught his eye.
His age was as young as claimed.
But his record of safely completing multiple raids in short order, plus the attached hunting footage, convinced Kang San he was perfect. The Backside World was unpredictable. E-Rank wasn't a big deal for Kang San now, but he still needed to vet his team carefully.
Next.
After Jo Han-byeol's intro, his companion stepped forward.
His face looked remarkably youthful.
Young enough to pass for a high schooler?
But no one doubted him, because he wore the robe symbolic of a mage.
"......M-my name is Yeon Woo-bin. I'm D-Rank, mage position. Nice to meet you!"
Yeon Woo-bin bowed deeply.
His face flushed slightly.
He seemed shy.
But Kang San reacted with surprise to the info.
"D-Rank?"
"Doesn't fit an E-Rank party, right? Truth is, this guy's light on combat experience. He's D-Rank, but I won't take any extra shares in the split. Just think of it as conveniently using a D-Rank mage in an E-Rank zone."
Jo Han-byeol answered for him.
Kang San eyed them both.
'He does look green on experience.'
Lack of experience.
A major risk factor.
He hesitated briefly, but Jo Han-byeol's endorsement and the D-Rank status resolved it.
'Still, earning D-Rank means he's qualified.'
Destination: E-Rank hunting ground.
If it were D-Rank, he'd have cut Yeon Woo-bin, but one grade down made it feasible.
Preparations complete.
Time to enter the Backside World.
"Let's move out."
At Kang San's word, the group headed to the warp point.
Before warping.
Kang San briefed them on the site.
"Today's target is the Black Ant habitat. As you know, Black Ants are E-Rank monsters the size of small dogs, unlike regular ants. They mainly use tough biting attacks and venom from their tails."
Basic info.
He added precautions for emergencies, but with their current power, it wasn't a tough hunt.
Explanation done, they stepped into the warp point.
Bright light flared.
As the disorienting headache faded, they were in a completely different space.
"......What the hell."
Jeong Chan-woo panicked immediately upon arrival.
Black Ant habitats were typically in forests, but this one differed from known reports.
Thick fog blanketed everything.
Visibility was shot.
"Fog in a Black Ant habitat? No reports mentioned this."
Jeong Chan-woo demanded, accusatory.
Fog was critical.
Impaired vision posed risks regardless of rank, so it's always checked before selecting a site. The problem: Kang San had confirmed it. Scout records showed no fog here.
Which meant.
'Of all times, it shows up now.'
Azmun's trial?
No response from Azmun suggested it was just one of Kang San's routine misfortunes.
He was used to it.
Past raids.
These minor hiccups had always happened.
Azmun's trials had just ramped up the severity; bad luck was his norm.
Kang San spoke calmly.
"Looks like it's different from the scout reports."
"So what now? Raiding in this is asking for trouble."
Jeong Chan-woo was pessimistic.
Jo Han-byeol too.
He backed Kang San, but the fog was a legit hazard.
"My arrows won't land right in this. Scout info rarely errs, but of course it does now. Not your fault, Kang San. Who could've predicted fog? If you wanna scrap it, I'll help find a new zone."
Two choices.
Push on or bail.
Kang San said.
"This isn't unsolvable. Visibility's down, but we can make out shapes within 10 meters. Secure an open area with minimal terrain issues, set signal lines to track monsters, and we're good. Prep ahead, let them come to us—fog won't matter."
"Just sit and wait?"
"No. Lure them to us."
"How?"
Sounded good in theory.
But Jeong Chan-woo couldn't grasp it.
Waiting was safe but slow.
Time's money.
Wouldn't bailing and switching sites be faster?
His doubt was reasonable.
A common-sense guy, but Kang San lived the absurd.
"Just in case, I brought Golden Honey. Black Ants go nuts for it. Smear it on a rock ahead, and they'll come right to us."
"......Golden Honey?"
Jeong Chan-woo's eyes widened.
Golden Honey.
That pricey treat—why carry it?
Reading his look.
Kang San smiled.
"I always prepare for misfortune. What do you think? Solves the luring issue perfectly."
Ridiculous, but undeniable.
Quick thinking, spot-on response.
Jeong Chan-woo thought maybe Kang San was a better leader than he'd figured.