Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: 14. Instructor from F-Rank Origins (3)
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Back then, Lee Soo-chan was different from now.
He wasn't C-Rank yet, just E-Rank, and instead of a well-formed party, he was stuck with a ragtag bunch of strangers he'd just met.
"Aaagh!"
Lee Soo-chan's scream echoed through the air.
In the middle of the fight, he'd been hit by a goblin's poison needle.
The problem was there were still plenty of enemies left to deal with.
As Lee Soo-chan collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably, his vision caught a goblin charging at him with murderous intent.
Kieeeek!
'Am I going to die like this?'
His mind grew hazy.
The others were in no position to look after him.
Even as paralysis kept his eyes from closing, Lee Soo-chan saw it clearly.
Bang!
Kang San.
He stepped in to block the goblin.
The F-Rank arrow sponge they'd hired just to fill the slot—someone no one had any expectations for—was now tangled up with the goblin. It was a pathetic fight. When the goblin's teeth sank into his forearm, Kang San gritted his teeth and smashed his weapon down on the creature's head. Thud, thud—the crude impacts sent chills down the spine.
In the end, he took the goblin down.
Staggering over, Kang San fed something to Lee Soo-chan.
'An antidote?'
It was unmistakable.
The liquid sliding down his throat brought a loosening sensation to his rigid body.
"......How did you even......?"
It was a loaded question.
How had he known it was paralysis poison out of all the goblin's myriad toxins? And how had he prepared the exact antidote for it? Lee Soo-chan's flickering eyes fixed on Kang San. Tending to him calmly, Kang San replied.
"The bluish tint on your skin is from the paralysis effect of the goblins' 'blue petals.' I'm the thorough type when it comes to preparation, so I happened to have the antidote for it on hand. Oh, and just so you know, you'll need to reimburse me for this separately. I'm not getting paid enough to cover the cost of an antidote myself."
"......If I didn't settle up with you, wouldn't you be taking a loss?"
Kang San's daily rate.
The price of the antidote.
There wasn't much difference.
Normally, he wouldn't have said it out loud, but the words slipped from Lee Soo-chan's mouth unbidden.
Kang San's demeanor was so intriguing—he just had to ask.
Kang San looked at Lee Soo-chan and smiled.
"Even so. You have to survive first if I'm going to make it out alive too."
Lee Soo-chan spoke up.
"He was a really unique guy. Most F-Rank arrow sponges have given up on being hunters and just scrape by day to day. But Kang San was different. No matter what variable popped up, he was perfectly prepared for it. While everyone else was fixated on the enemies right in front of them, he understood the core principle: protect the mage. Honestly, it was just a matter of who died first. If I'd gone down, that party would have been in real danger."
That was why.
The idea that Kang San could cling to a single 'Light Magic' spell and turn it into a win—it just might be possible for him.
"You know what, though? After things wrapped up that day, we had some time to talk privately. I sincerely advised him to quit this line of work. I'd checked his profile when hiring him as an arrow sponge, and I knew he was rock bottom—F-Rank for years without a single promotion. Maybe it was gratitude for saving my life. This world's brutal; even talented people can die anywhere, anytime. I told him not to waste his effort on something pointless. What could he possibly achieve going forward? No matter how hard he struggled, nothing would change, so he might as well enlist in the military, handle firearms, and build a better future that way."
He gave a bitter smile.
Back then, he'd thought it was sound advice.
Someone had to say it, and even if he didn't have the right as the one whose life was saved, he needed to muster the courage.
Harsh reality.
F-Rankers like Kang San died like moths to a flame, after all.
"But looking at him now, I think I made a huge mistake. The guy I thought had no future is a D-Rank hunter just three years later. Not only did he pass the test faster than me, he's even teaching me—someone backed by Heavenly Firmament and still climbing. Isn't it ridiculous? I got rated E-Rank through late-blooming awakening and thought I was growing steeply, even joining Project B Team as a promising prospect. And now our positions are reversed with some ex-F-Rank arrow sponge."
"......"
"Team leader. No, hyung. You get it too, right? After hearing all this. This can't be a coincidence."
Min Young-gi's eyes wavered.
Just a fleeting connection.
Even in the fragments of memory, if Kang San was the type to mention variables, then his thought process—deriving results from a single Light Magic—had to be genuine. He'd nailed the small details, leading to that overwhelming 40-minute result.
Because he'd experienced the past.
Lee Soo-chan accepted reality.
To Min Young-gi, who still couldn't wrap his head around the absurdity, Lee Soo-chan said earnestly.
"So, drop the pride already. Even if he's an ex-F-Rank arrow sponge or just a D-Rank one step below us, that doesn't change the fact that his 40-minute result is something we can't catch up to."
Min Young-gi returned to his seat.
His expression suggested he'd sorted out his thoughts. As soon as he faced Kang San, he bowed his head.
"......I'm sorry. If my judgment had been right, I should have backed it up with logical reasoning. But I instinctively thought the instructor was absolutely wrong. From now on, I'll focus on grasping the true meaning of your teachings, not reacting emotionally."
"It's fine."
Kang San brushed it off.
It was the reaction he'd expected, so he countered with a question.
"So, do you agree that using Light Magic was wrong?"
"Yes. In a time-limited situation, we shouldn't assign mages overly demanding roles to protect them or handle variables. I agree that the mage injured in the fall suffered more severe damage than the others because they were juggling Light Magic and various support spells while rushing due to the time constraint."
"Exactly. That doesn't mean the decision to use Light was inherently wrong. Magic can be used in many ways, and mages handling support on both offense and defense can be highly efficient. But as this failure shows, we need a more cautious approach that accounts for mages' physical weaknesses."
"Understood."
The debate was settled.
They moved on with the video.
Kang San pointed out minor details.
Party formations, shifts between offense and defense.
Those were understandable, but the fall incident sparked disagreement once more.
Min Young-gi said.
"Honestly, I'm not sure about this one. A fall is a sudden disaster. Your party had the mage react a step faster with Gravity, but by that logic, we can't cover every variable. Whether the ground collapses, something falls from above, or an unexpected monster shows up. Isn't it impossible to respond perfectly to everything? This response feels almost prophetic."
"I agree we can't cover every variable. But there are ones we must anticipate."
Everyone leaned in.
This wasn't about denying each other—it was pure discussion.
"Whether raiding or testing, we have information we can check. This test was in a narrow cave environment, where stalactites falling from the ceiling or the ground collapsing are terrain-based risks we can predict. The same goes for fighting spiders. When D-Rank Black Spiders appear, we should expect similar Green Spiders and allocate mana accordingly. Plus, with the time attack adding pressure on the mages, thorough preparation is even more crucial. That's the kind of prep I mean. My party had experienced something like this before, so we used Gravity and Jump for that prophetic-level response. But even with immediately observable info, minimal preparation is necessary. Above all, the deadliest mistake was overcommitting three people to the front in such tight quarters. Two could cover it fine, but they clogged the space excessively, forcing the mages to rely on one support mage and exposing themselves dangerously."
"So, adjusting the formation is key?"
"That seems like a solid call. If the sub-tanker positioned for variables, they could have protected the falling mages. Of course, it wouldn't prevent the fall entirely. But cushioning potential monsters below or pulling the mages up would have been much easier."
It turned into real dialogue.
When Kang San highlighted an issue, Min Young-gi shared his view.
Kang San explained why it was a problem, and after thorough discussion, Min Young-gi accepted it.
Preconceptions vanished.
About Kang San's abilities.
About Kang San himself, as he was.
It wasn't just Lee Soo-chan's story—Kang San's logic always had solid backing.
The 55-minute test.
Over an hour had passed, but the heated discussion showed no signs of ending.
The whole scene.
Jung Hye-mi watched with a peculiar glint in her eyes.
What had seemed headed for disaster had shifted to an ideal direction through their earnest exchange.
'Kang San, who the hell are you?'
F-Rank origins.
A humble start.
Yet in recent months, he'd shown explosive growth, reaching D-Rank and excelling in real combat. Hearing his logical breakdown made it click. The 40-minute C-Rank test wasn't luck—Kang San always analyzed situations logically and prepared for variables.
The little details.
Those shaved-off 1-2 seconds accumulated, creating a 15-minute gap with Project B Team.
She liked it.
Her blood ran hot.
As a manager, she desperately wanted to recruit him.
'Even if we can't. Proposing the instructor role to him was a brilliant move.'
Look at this.
Project B Team.
They were absorbing Kang San's experience.
Just their growth made the connection with him worth investing in.
Of course.
She'd cling to this bond somehow.
Jung Hye-mi pondered how to sway Kang San's heart before the 6-month contract ended.
The first lecture session ended.
Min Young-gi bowed first.
"......Thank you for your hard work. And sorry about earlier."
"No need. I know it's not easy to accept. My rank is lower, and I don't have a standout track record. Still, thanks for hearing me out to the end."
"I'm the one grateful for your understanding. And please take care of us next time too."
Two hours of lecturing.
Short in real terms, but Min Young-gi and Project B Team took it to heart.
The small details.
The difference was clear.
Kang San hadn't just lucked into handling variables—he'd built the margin through those details.
Lee Soo-chan approached.
He didn't bring up the old days specifically.
Partly embarrassed about the advice he'd given back then. Kang San smiled at the approaching Lee Soo-chan.
"Long time no see?"
"......You remember me?"
"Of course. I don't forget my old comrades easily."
Beyond memory.
Kang San recalled the final moments with Lee Soo-chan, who had left such a deep impression.
Chapter 69