Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Han Ye-rim (7)
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It looked like Lee Ji-ah's little solo act earlier had sparked some discussion among the raid team. The members were huddled together in one corner, talking quietly.
The mood didn't seem good at all.
I worried that timid Ji-ah might catch some flak for it, so I kept glancing over. That's when the scout cleared his throat awkwardly beside me.
"Something you want to say?"
"Huh? Oh, no."
"......"
The scout let out a deliberate cough.
"Actually—"
There it was. His face had been screaming curiosity from the start.
"I've felt this since I visited your place before, but you two seem really close."
"Yeah, well. She's the hunter, I'm her manager."
"Manager, huh?"
The scout scratched the back of his head furiously before adding,
"Company policy bans office romances, though......"
What the hell was this guy saying? Ji-ah was already sensitive about her reputation.
I shot him a sharp glare, and he chuckled.
"Just kidding. Anyway, I heard ahead of time, but Lee Ji-ah really lacks teamwork."
Abandoning her post mid-battle was undeniably her mistake. Lucky the dungeon was low-rank, or it could've turned into a disaster.
My impression of her had dropped a notch.
Right on cue, Lee Ji-ah finished talking with the raid team and walked over.
"Hyun-woo, I wrapped up with the raid members. They were pretty shocked, right?"
"No, I'm more sorry to them. It was my fault, so I should apologize first......"
As our chat ended, I looked toward the raid team out of guilt—only to see them all with grim faces, like they were at a funeral.
No one got hurt, right?
Suddenly, Lee Ji-ah shoved her face right up to mine, grinning mischievously and blocking my view over and over.
"Ji-ah, hold on. Let me go apologize real quick."
Wrong or not, as the newbie, it was better for me to bow my head.
But Lee Ji-ah, planted squarely in my path, showed no sign of moving.
"Ji-ah?"
"The leader just chewed them out big time. They're all down in the dumps right now. Best to leave them be."
Ah, that explained their deflated looks.
"What about you?"
"Huh?"
"Didn't they scold you for ditching your post?"
Lee Ji-ah smiled with her eyes.
"Are you worrying about me right now?"
Honestly, she seemed like a kid left by the riverside. I worried she'd hole up in her room again after one harsh word.
"Of course. You up and left out of nowhere. What do you think the raid team will say? Yoo-jung's around, so stick to your post next time."
Lee Ji-ah, who had been giggling slyly, headed back to her spot.
Why did this feel so unsettling?
The raid team set off again. The atmosphere was worlds apart from before.
At first, they'd seemed half-hearted, hearts elsewhere. Now, everyone's eyes burned with focus.
Especially the guide who'd messed up—his enthusiasm was overflowing.
He was practically sniffing the ground, desperately hunting for traps.
You could see his resolve not to miss a single detail.
One pep talk, and they were fired up.
Kieeeek!
Monsters appeared again.
The scout snapped photos with a click and said,
"Looks like the clear's wrapping up."
"How can you tell?"
"See that monster with bat wings on its eyeball over there?"
I followed his pointing finger. Sure enough, a monster matching the description was flapping through the sky.
"That's a deep-layer monster. They call it Evil Eye."
"That's a B-rank monster? Looks ridiculously weak."
B-rank might sound laughable at first glance, but it was the level of hunters even mid-tier guilds relied on as mains.
Not the absolute best, but first-rate without question.
How did a flying eyeball fit in a B-grade dungeon? I had to ask.
"Does it shoot beams from its eye or something?"
The scout burst out laughing.
I was serious.
"Nah, it's a curse-type monster."
What kind of curse?
"It confuses hunters. The body itself isn't much, but when it teams up with other monsters...... it gets tricky."
"Confuses how?"
"Keeps shaking your focus during fights. Stirs up emotions to force mistakes."
Guy knows his stuff, being in the biz.
I crossed my arms and stared at the Evil Eye.
The creepy eyeball was spinning 360 degrees.
"......Ah."
A horrifying possibility flashed through my mind.
Sweat trickled from my forehead, dripping down my chin to the floor.
Evil Eye agitates hunters' emotions. Peace of Mind's range shrinks the more targets it covers.
I quickly spotted Lee Ji-ah in the raid team.
She was standing stock-still, dazed.
"Weird, huh."
The scout scratched his head, puzzled.
"Why's this spot fine? Should be in range normally."
Why? Peace of Mind, obviously.
Lee Ji-ah clawed at her hair and collapsed to the ground.
"Wh-what? Wh-what?! Huh?!"
The flustered scout gawked, making weird noises.
He grabbed my shoulder, pointing at her frantically.
"H-Hyun-woo! Lee Ji-ah Hunter! Something's wrong with Lee Ji-ah Hunter!"
Screams erupted from the raid team. Her panic threw their formation into chaos.
I wanted to yell to take out the Evil Eye first, but with battle raging, no one would hear.
As I hesitated, Han Yoo-jung's voice reached me.
"Yeah."
"How?"
The shadow on the ground crawled up my body. I barely stifled a scream.
"Wait, is this you controlling my body... Gah!"
I bit my tongue.
My right leg kicked off the ground, launching me skyward. My body shot forward like a bullet. The distant speck that was the Evil Eye rapidly grew larger.
Gurgle!
The Evil Eye's pupil dilated in panic. Before it could react, my hand struck first.
Psssh!
A long spray of blood erupted as the Evil Eye crashed to the ground. My body kept moving, lunging at the next target.
Honestly, I couldn't even see how I was killing the Evil Eyes.
One down, and another popped up right in front of me.
Is this okay?
"Hey, this won't have backlash like shaving years off my life or something, right?"
Han Yoo-jung whispered with a hint of amusement.
Kwachik!
The last Evil Eye fell, and the situation stabilized. The raid team handled the rest on their own. I rushed to Lee Ji-ah, who was trembling in the middle of the battlefield.
"Ji-ah!"
At my call, she slowly lifted her head. Her eyes looked at me in confusion.
"Hyun-woo......"
The initiation test ended, and Pung-hwa Guild called. The result was as expected.
My mouth felt parched.
Lee Ji-ah had shown fatal flaws.
First, lack of teamwork.
When I was in danger, she ditched the raid team without a second thought.
The scout hadn't reacted too harshly to that. But her follow-up blunder hit hard: losing all will to fight to the Evil Eye's confusion.
The guild had sniffed out her goldfish-level mentality.
A hunter who vanishes mid-battle and panics into quitting? Even if powerful, she wasn't viable as a core member.
The scout hung up.
No outlet for my frustration, I sighed heavily.
"Whew."
"......"
Lee Ji-ah, huddled in the corner peeking at me, flinched and stiffened.
She'd been like that since we got back from the dungeon.
Despite my objections, she'd pushed to return as a hunter full of vigor—only for her mistake to tank it. She looked guilty.
"Plenty of guilds haven't called yet, so don't worry too much. Pung-hwa's not the only game in town."
I pulled out a business card and encouraged her brightly.
"Remember how they swarmed like dogs after the hearing? Tons of options left."
She wasn't some ranker who clawed her way up. Guilds lining up for Lee Ji-ah? More than a few.
Buoyed by my pep talk, she peeked at me and smiled faintly.
"......Right?"
Lee Ji-ah scooted over on her knees. She eyed the business card in my hand, her eyes sparkling.
"Seolwol Guild?"
Seolwol was another mid-tier guild.
We'd passed since their terms were a step below Pung-hwa's corporate backing, but as a solid backup, it wasn't bad.
I dialed. After a few rings, a man's voice answered.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kim Hyun-woo, Lee Ji-ah Hunter's manager."
His voice sounded off.
Bad vibes. I spoke up anyway.
"About Lee Ji-ah Hunter joining—wanted to discuss contract terms......"
The scout cut in.
Click! Line dead.
"......"
I frantically grabbed another card and called.
"Hello?"
"Lee Ji-ah Hunter's manager—"
Click! Dead.
"Hyun-woo......"
"W-wait. Still got plenty of cards."
Another call.
"Lee Ji-ah Hunter—"
"Hello? Lee Ji-ah Hunter's manager—"
"Seungsu Trading Guild, right? Lee Ji-ah Hunter—"
Click! Dead.
My initial bad feeling had come true.
We're screwed.
That was all I could think.
Lee Ji-ah's moves were every guild's business. Word of her Pung-hwa test would've spread fast.
But she didn't join. Specifically, she flunked the test. They'd all wonder why.
And now, her flaws were leaking out through the grapevine.
I rubbed my face with both hands. My mind raced.
What now? Should I just run a guild myself?
The thought crossed my mind, but I shook my head. A rookie manager starting a guild from scratch? Laughable.
Lee Ji-ah was moping, lost in thought, when—
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang. Our eyes met.
"Expecting anyone?"
"No. You?"
"This isn't my place."
Han Yoo-jung tossed in a quip as she passed by.
"Guild folks?"
Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
Irritated button-mashing.
We bolted to the door together.
Fling! One woman stood there, looking sullen. A familiar face. Never imagined seeing her here—I greeted her in a daze.
"Ye-rim?"
"Hey, Hyun-woo."
"Hey! No contact, and now this? I was worried!"
Our awkward parting had cut off comms, leaving me anxious. Seeing her face intact brought relief, joy, and a touch of resentment. Han Ye-rim popped her bubblegum with a snap and asked,
"Heard the news. Looking for a guild?"
"Uh? Yeah."
"Truth is, I've been thinking of starting one."
She paused, then continued.
"......What do you think? In?"