Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: 11. Step Up (1)
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Heavenly Firmament's manager.
Shin Jeong-geun thought to himself.
'No way... Is he doing this on purpose because he hates me?'
He managed Jeong Chan-woo, and not long ago, he'd been through hell because of some ridiculous connection-pulling request that made no sense.
And yet, how much time had passed since then? Jeong Chan-woo was excitedly chattering about yet another headache-inducing scheme.
"So, you're saying your party—all E-rank except for one D-rank mage—is going to challenge a C-rank ant den?"
"Exactly! A revenge match. If we succeed in this raid, we're all going to aim for group promotion together."
"Haa... Please."
He squeezed his eyes shut tight.
Did spoiled rich kids even realize?
Shin Jeong-geun wouldn't feel a shred of emotional sorrow if Jeong Chan-woo went out and got himself killed. The real problem was the underlings like him who would bear the full brunt of the responsibility. That's why he had to talk him out of it. If Jeong Chan-woo got hurt or died during the ant den raid, Shin Jeong-geun would lose his precious job.
Shin Jeong-geun said,
"This is truly irrational and reckless. You know this well. To have even a slim chance at clearing a C-rank, you need at least a party made up entirely of D-ranks, or one that includes a C-rank. How exactly do you plan to succeed with that kind of lineup? Have you forgotten the last incident? You barely survived that time—if things had gone just a little wrong, you'd have died."
"I know. I do."
"You know, and you're still doing this? I'm begging you sincerely. This won't work. And from now on, keep your distance from that Kang San guy. Heavenly Firmament has prepared a perfect training program for your growth—why waste time hanging around with people like that?"
He'd crossed the line.
He wouldn't usually speak so harshly, but he couldn't help it with how dangerous this felt for Jeong Chan-woo.
Jeong Chan-woo's expression hardened slightly.
"I get what you're worried about. But don't judge someone you barely know like that. Brother Kang San doesn't deserve that kind of evaluation. It feels like you're saying this because my dad's a high-ranking exec at Heavenly Firmament. If something happens to me on this raid, I'll write up a notarized affidavit taking full responsibility—no passing the blame."
He shot up from his seat.
Shin Jeong-geun understood.
He knew his overprotectiveness stemmed from his father, but Jeong Chan-woo believed people in management shouldn't act this way. The failed recruitment last time was the same—Kang San was objectively not someone to dismiss lightly. Jeong Chan-woo wasn't blindly clinging out of ignorance; he'd judged for himself that his connection with Kang San was worth it.
In the seat Jeong Chan-woo had vacated.
Shin Jeong-geun let out a deep sigh.
Not knowing the depth of Jeong Chan-woo's resolve, it just seemed like baseless bravado to him.
'If this goes south, I'll be the only one left holding the bag...'
There was no other way.
After agonizing for a long while, Shin Jeong-geun made a phone call.
Click.
He hung up the phone.
A man who appeared to be in his late fifties clicked his tongue with a displeased expression.
"Tch. That foolish boy."
His name was Jeong Man-seop.
Jeong Chan-woo's father and a high-ranking executive at Heavenly Firmament, he was irritated by Shin Jeong-geun's report.
"Something wrong?"
"Your little brother. Seems like Chan-woo's up to some nonsense again."
The woman sitting across from him.
Jeong Man-seop's second child.
He had three children, and excluding the youngest, Jeong Chan-woo, both the eldest son and second handled administrative work at the agency, poised to inherit their father's role. Both were sharp and quick-witted, widely regarded within Heavenly Firmament as talents who could secure executive positions thanks to their father's influence.
Jeong Man-seop said,
"Who the hell does he take after? No one in our family line has ever thrown a tantrum about becoming a hunter, but Chan-woo's been like this since he was a kid. Stubborn as a mule—once he sets his mind to something, he won't let it go until he does it."
Sigh.
He was the sore spot.
Unlike his eldest and second, who handled things responsibly on their own, Jeong Chan-woo had stubbornly insisted on becoming a hunter since childhood. If he'd been born with innate talent, Jeong Man-seop might not have opposed it. But he had no such gift, and even his acquired awakening only yielded E-rank. Having encountered countless talents, Jeong Man-seop knew better than anyone how tough it was to succeed as a hunter starting from E-rank.
But what could he do?
His youngest—the apple of his eye, doted on by his wife—insisted on living as a hunter no matter what.
So he'd spared no support.
Worried he'd meet a gruesome end somewhere, Heavenly Firmament provided a flawless training program to aid his growth. They vetted raid parties for quality and explored ways to boost his abilities. If only he'd listen, there'd be less worry—but the report from his manager this time made his head spin.
His second child,
Jeong Hye-mi, said,
"Dad, want me to talk to him?"
"No need. If he won't listen to his father, why would he listen to his sister? Actually, it's for the best. He's at that hot-blooded age, thinking the world revolves around him—but he needs to crash into reality's walls to stop being so stubborn."
He was worried, of course.
But if real danger struck, the artifact he'd recently gifted should save Jeong Chan-woo's life at least once. He'd shelled out a fortune for it after the last ant den fiasco.
"Whew."
He sighed.
Life was smooth sailing, yet his kids made him feel a decade older.
Jeong Man-seop wasn't the only parent freaking out over his kid.
Yeon Gyu-seong's secretary, acting on orders, raised her voice before the party about to enter the raid.
"As the director has emphasized countless times, the top priority—first, second, and third—is safety. You must return without a scratch."
This raid.
Finding a hunting ground hadn't been hard.
They'd bought raid rights fairly at Kang San's insistence, but Yeon Gyu-seong had pulled strings for the selection. After thorough checks on price and safety, he'd sent a thick strategy guide for the ant den days ago. Apparently not enough, as the secretary had shown up right before the raid.
"This is a premium potion set. Use them regularly to manage stamina, and in a dire emergency, take this top-grade potion. As you know, each one costs 100 million, but remember—safety is priceless. And this is an antidote. I've heard some ants use poison—a paralyzing type, so this should handle it. Then there's..."
The explanation dragged on.
The group listened patiently.
They knew it was kindness, no matter how tedious.
But once it wrapped up, Kang San spoke.
"We're truly grateful for everything. But if you're planning ongoing support, from next time, we'll only accept consumables like potions."
"Any special reason?"
"Relying on help for everything erodes self-reliance. Even picking a hunting ground—you need to judge its dangers, the monsters inside, and the best strategy yourself. If you can't, disaster is inevitable someday. You can't survive forever on Daddy's shadow in a chain of choices."
"...I understand if that's the reason."
The secretary nodded.
She was a hunter too.
She knew experience mattered, so she'd report it as-is to Yeon Gyu-seong.
Kang San's statement.
Within the party, the matter was settled.
Indeed, back when Kang San wandered as an F-rank arrow sponge, despite lacking talent, he'd honed his skills through endless experience. Now, with this new opportunity, he believed it would spark explosive synergy. Without that experience, he'd have died in the first trial.
That's why he sought experience.
No matter how much he shone, spoon-feeding wouldn't raise the party's quality.
The secretary withdrew.
Preparations were complete.
Yeon Woo-bin, Jo Han-byeol, Jeong Chan-woo.
Kang San turned to the group and said,
"Let's go in."
The starting point was different from last time.
They entered straight into a tunnel.
It was fairly spacious, but the holes riddling the walls ahead revived nightmares.
"Get ready."
"Got it."
Everyone formed up.
Judging all set, Kang San pulled something out, placed it at the ant den entrance, and lit it.
Whoosh.
Hiss...
Acrid smoke billowed up.
A type of irritant.
The smoke contained properties ants hated, so Kang San planned to provoke them with it. Unlike golden honey. Honey lured worker ants seeking to harvest it, but this irritant targeted soldier ants.
It was deliberate.
To handle the queen ant, they'd need to wipe them out eventually—so first, thin the soldier ants.
Rumble.
Thud thud thud.
"Incoming."
The walls shook.
And soon.
D-rank soldier ants poured from holes all around.
Screeech!
Shield of Trials
★★★ Skill
Whoosh—
The opener was Kang San.
Kang San drew aggro, and a soldier ant charging like lightning swung its massive foreleg.
Crack!
In that instant.
A chuckle escaped him.
Just recently, facing one had been overwhelming, but now its attack felt manageable. Stats had skyrocketed. That Kang San and this one were worlds apart. While Kang San tanked upfront, Yeon Woo-bin calmly prepped her spell and unleashed mana.
"Fire Wave."
Whoosh.
Roooar.
Flames spread everywhere.
Sealing the confined space with fire delivered devastating blows to the flame-weak ants.
And at the same time.
Focused Fire
Precision shots / Single-target elimination
Whish.
Thud!
Jo Han-byeol's arrow struck true.
While Yeon Woo-bin blocked tunnels and aimed splash damage at crowds, Jo Han-byeol's job was precise one-shots. Not just any targets either. Excluding those clashing directly with Kang San, ants poking out and circling back got their heads pierced by wind-cutting arrows.
The start went smoothly.
But the ant den's infamy wasn't earned lightly.
No matter how easily they felled dozens, failing against hundreds was what made it deadly.
Screech.
Screeech!
They kept coming.
Ant corpses piled up, yet more surged in, baring savage fangs. Naturally, Kang San couldn't cover everywhere. With holes everywhere spewing ants, he had to cede some ground to Jeong Chan-woo.
It was dangerous.
Jeong Chan-woo was E-rank.
Soldier ants were D-rank.
Even one or two would overwhelm him.
Slash.
Stab!
He drove his sword into a soldier ant's head.
Hearing the voice of his attack power rising via Blood Demon Art, Kang San glanced at Jeong Chan-woo's status.
'How's Chan-woo holding?'
This raid.
Jeong Chan-woo's role was crucial.
If he crumbled, Kang San would admit this party couldn't clear the ant den and retreat.
But.
"Woo-bin! We can hold a bit longer—stay calm and cast your spells!"
Right in front of Yeon Woo-bin.
Jeong Chan-woo was fulfilling his role perfectly.
From training with Kang San.
Jeong Chan-woo had reached a turning point of change in his own way.