Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Han Ye-rim (6)
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Two days had passed since the scout left. A call came in from Pung-hwa Guild.
"Manager-nim, that matter we discussed before has been sorted out nicely."
Pung-hwa Guild was a mid-sized outfit.
They wouldn't be tackling high-level dungeons like Hwasin Guild, where Lee Ji-ah had once been based.
It'd be like using a butcher's cleaver to kill a chicken. Right now, there were limits to what Pung-hwa could handle even with Lee Ji-ah on board.
Still, they wanted to sign her because she was an S-rank hunter.
In the end, it was an investment to elevate the guild's status.
"The entry test will take place in the dungeon we had scheduled for conquest anyway. It's B-grade, so think of it as a practice run and come casually. Nice and easy."
We chatted about the contract details a bit more before hanging up.
A B-grade dungeon, huh. Now that two days had passed and things had calmed down a little, cold sweat was trickling down my back.
Wouldn't just brushing against something there kill me?
They said I'd have escorts, but they'd be second-string guild hunters. One gust of backlash, and I'd probably crumple like a wet rag.
I chugged some ice-cold water. The chill going down helped settle my nerves a bit.
Yeah, I used to dream of being a hunter myself. Can't get cold feet over something like this, right? This is me jumping into the field I once aspired to. Half a dream coming true—I should be thrilled!
...So why does my stomach keep churning?
I poured more cold water down my throat to soothe the burning in my gut when upbeat music blared from the living room.
"Ugh, if you're the tank, don't just swing that hammer—pick up a shield...! Come on...!"
Han Yoo-jung was glued to her game controller on the sofa, fuming.
She was so locked in that her upper body was stretched way forward, on the verge of face-planting into the TV.
I couldn't help but ask.
"Did you game all night?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Hold on, Uncle—just a sec. It's ranked."
She brushed me off casually and dove back into mashing the controller.
Dark circles under her eyes, but her gaze was burning fierce.
What was this? This weird mix of exasperation and vague fondness.
Like a dad looking at his kid who's too busy gaming to pick him up from work...
I clicked my tongue briefly and started to walk past, but a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
Come to think of it, Han Yoo-jung's an S-rank.
"...!"
I grabbed a bundle of snacks from the table and plopped down next to her. Glug glug glug, I filled her mug with soda too.
Han Yoo-jung stayed focused on her game.
The screen shook violently.
"Damn it...! Use the revive on me!"
She couldn't hold back her frustration anymore. I jumped right on it.
"Healer's slacking. Why revive the tank there? Save the DPS—you."
"Right?"
"Don't rage—eat this and play. Team games are always like that. When do you ever get normal teammates?"
I tore open a bag and popped snacks into her mouth. She chewed while hammering the controller.
"Whoa, Yoo-jung! Sniper at 3 o'clock!"
"Where? Where?!"
"There!"
Han Yoo-jung took out the sniper.
"Yes!"
Pumping her fists, she sneaked a glance at me and grumbled pointlessly.
"It's no fun when someone spoils it..."
Pretending otherwise, but her lips curved up satisfied. I didn't miss it and praised her right away.
"Spoil? Nah, you're just talented. With skills like that, you'll climb fast."
I carefully held the mug to her pursed lips as she concentrated.
She tilted her head just a bit and gulped it down.
She let out a small sigh.
"I'm capable of way more than this."
Same difference, kinda.
I kept my inner thoughts to myself and continued assisting from the side.
In the end, we won. Even ranked up. Han Yoo-jung looked pleased too.
"Burned 'em..."
She sprawled out on the sofa. Blinking sleepily—fatigue finally hitting.
If she crashed now, all my schmoozing would go to waste.
Figured I'd buttered her up enough. I licked my dry lips and got to the point.
"Yoo-jung."
"Yeah?"
"Hey, you got any cash on you right now?"
She rubbed her sleepy eyes, then scooted back on her butt, inching away warily.
"...I don't have any money."
Her guarded tone drew a dry chuckle from me.
Who does she think I am, some thug? I don't need her dirty cash anyway.
But her saying she had none was music to my ears. Gave me an angle to work with.
Though, didn't she work for the Association President broke as a joke?
"You, the Association..."
I started asking thoughtlessly, then caught myself and clamped my mouth shut.
Han Yoo-jung had been tricked by the Association President into committing murder. She carried heavy guilt from her past.
No need to poke old wounds.
To avoid her puzzled look, I hurriedly steered back to the main topic.
"You know Ji-ah's joining a guild this time, right?"
"Yeah."
"But as you know, if Ji-ah and I split up..."
"Chaos."
She thought it over and nodded.
"So Uncle's going into a dungeon too?"
Quick on the uptake, as expected.
"That's why I want you to come help. Pairing an S-rank hunter with an F-rank awakener felt like a stretch from the start. Ji-ah wanted it, so I went along, but thinking back, maybe I should've pushed harder—"
I kept rambling on. Before I knew it, I was begging her outright.
"Please help me out!"
Han Yoo-jung could hide in shadows. Pung-hwa's second-string escorts? With her, who needs 'em? No comparison.
"It's just a B-grade dungeon, right? I could sweep it solo—why drag me along?"
How can anyone guarantee that in a dungeon? That's why they're unpredictable for hunters. More safety nets, the better.
But that's my problem—not a reason to convince her.
Instead of arguing, I laid out my offer.
"Yoo-jung, you said you have no money, yeah?"
"Huh? Yeah."
"One dungeon run, and I can spot you this much allowance..."
I spread my fingers wide. Her pupils trembled faintly.
"...Ten thousand per finger?"
I shook my head. She tried again.
"A hundred...?"
"..."
"..."
Silence hung heavy. She swallowed dryly.
"...F-Fine, I'll go."
My legs gave out, and I slumped to the floor. Yes! No more fretting over danger. An S-rank awakener solely guarding me in the dungeon.
I breathed a sigh of relief as Han Yoo-jung got up from the sofa.
"Heading to bed?"
"Pulled an all-nighter gaming—beat."
"Sleep well."
She hummed a tune, controller in hand, then called back.
"Uncle."
"Yeah?"
Halfway up the stairs, she peeked back with a grin, spinning in place.
Going to bed, my ass—what's she doing?
"I'd have tagged along even without the cash."
"What?"
"If you get hurt, I'm screwed too. But I'll spend the allowance wisely."
She stuck out her tongue playfully, then melted into shadow and vanished.
The day of the entry test arrived, and I headed into the dungeon with Lee Ji-ah.
"Whoa, it's really Lee Ji-ah."
"No way."
The guild members fawned like they'd spotted a celebrity. Made my shoulders puff up proudly for no reason.
Yeah. Lee Ji-ah might've been internet fodder, but in the hunter world, how many carried her clout?
Put a face to the name, and everyone's like this.
"You're the manager, right? Nice to meet you!"
Halo effect, I guess. Even me, the baggage handler, got a warm welcome.
"..."
I patted the stiff, awkward Lee Ji-ah on the back. She jumped and turned to me.
"Hyun-woo-ssi?"
"Go say hi. These are your future coworkers."
They were fidgeting, dying to chat with her—it was obvious even here.
Shoved by my back, Lee Ji-ah trudged over to the guild members.
They swarmed her like a pack of dogs.
Making sure no one was nearby, I muttered softly.
"Yoo-jung?"
Han Yoo-jung's voice echoed in my head. Telepathy, she called it. Confirming she was nearby melted away the last of my tension.
"Just like we said—only if it's really dangerous... Got it?"
Han Yoo-jung's records weren't in the Association database. The President had wiped them to enable Heavenly Killing Star.
So if she surfaced, excuses would be tough.
She says that, but the longer the tail, the easier to snag.
"Gotcha, kid."
The raid leader banged his shield to grab attention.
"Enough chit-chat. Briefing time."
Two hunters and the scout I'd met before approached me, standing apart from the main group. As we exchanged quick greetings, my nape prickled.
Glancing toward the gaze, Lee Ji-ah was watching me worriedly.
I grinned in disbelief. With two S-ranks here? Worry about what.
"Let's move out."
The raid leader called just then.
The raid party set off.
Lee Ji-ah led the charge, smashing every monster in her path to bits as we advanced.
Honestly, I couldn't even track her afterimages—just followed in a daze.
The other hunters mirrored my stunned faces. The raid leader looked utterly deflated. All his careful positioning? Useless now.
The conquest proceeded smoothly. The scout beside me smirked, fighting a laugh.
"Manager-nim!"
"Yes?"
"Thanks so much for choosing Pung-hwa Guild!"
"No biggie. Quick question?"
"Shoot!"
"First time in a dungeon for me, but is it normal to barrel through without scouts?"
"Truth is, our first-string could handle this one. With Lee Ji-ah? Blitz it."
"I mean, the pathfinder should've..."
Realizing how silly I sounded mid-sentence, I shut up.
Yeah, what do I know with pros everywhere?
Exploration went fine. Lee Ji-ah cleared mobs before others could act.
Then, disaster struck out of nowhere.
Rumble!
A rock wall shifted like a body awakening. The scout gasped.
"Trap Golem!"
Trap Golem. I'd heard of it. A dungeon trap that sleeps, then strikes the rear while frontliners fight.
Sure enough, up ahead, Lee Ji-ah was handling the front monsters.
My escorts surged forward.
I just stood there nonchalant.
If danger hit, Han Yoo-jung would handle it.
But Lee Ji-ah beat her to it.
Boom!
She rocketed over in a flash and punched the golem. It shattered, debris flying everywhere. The massive crag crumbled like sand.
"Where'd Lee Ji-ah go?!"
"Cover her spot! Don't let more in!"
Screams erupted from the raid party. Their front-line anchor had vanished.
Panicked, she rushed to me.
"Hyun-woo-ssi! You okay? Hurt anywhere?"
Lee Ji-ah pawed at my face frantically.
"Argh!"
Another scream from the party. No deaths, hopefully? I reassured her first to send her back quick.
"Ji-ah, Yoo-jung brought you before, remember? Why come?"
"Huh? Yoo-jung?"
In the heat, she'd forgotten—color returned to her pale face.
"Oh!"
"Clear the monsters first. Hurry."
I pushed her shoulders. Hesitant, she finally turned and left. Mobs cleared fast. No casualties—good.
After the ambush, the raid regrouped and reformed.
Really about Lee Ji-ah.
Her power was bully-level, but as an S-rank, they couldn't complain outright. The raid leader hinted indirectly.
"Lee Ji-ah hunter, give a heads-up before leaving position..."
"What was the pathfinder doing?"
Lee Ji-ah cut him off sharply. She glanced back—Kim Hyun-woo chatting with the scout in the corner.
"Uh, y-yes?"
The leader stammered. Sensing the chill, he backpedaled fast.
"W-With Lee Ji-ah speeding things up..."
"Then you should've adjusted pace. Your capability issue, no?"
In battle, raid members hadn't noticed. Leader had no retort, went quiet.
Even Lee Ji-ah hadn't anticipated it. From rookie to billboard hunter in a major guild, her teams had been top-tier Korean hunters.
Basic errors like this? Unthinkable.
"..."
Lee Ji-ah irritably swept back her hair. She scanned the raid members' faces.
Her crushing pressure made them avert eyes, heads down.
Mindful of Kim Hyun-woo behind her, she growled low.
"...Watch it, you lot."
Raid members nodded frantically, sweat pouring.