Chapter 173
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 173
It was the day of the official departure ceremony.
“When are they coming out?”
“I think they said they’re departing at ten.”
“I only see staff so far.”
The aftermath of the Great Catastrophe still lingered in Gangwon-do. Near Hwanseongul in Samcheok, an area that had only barely been rendered habitable, a crowd had gathered beyond the barricades marking the danger zone.
Even in such a remote region, it was common for reporters and onlookers to swarm whenever a famous guild set out on a raid. Among those holding cameras, some were journalists, but others had traveled all this way out of pure devotion to a specific hunter.
“……”
Choi Ra-on, once known as the “Faceplant Girl,” was one of them.
…The Collector still hasn’t come out yet?…
As she waited anxiously, a woman who recognized her struck up a conversation.
“Oh! Unni!”
“Gasp…!”
“Oh my gosh, it’s been forever!”
“Ah, you scared me.”
Choi Ra-on clutched her pounding heart. Perhaps because she had left the safety of Seoul all by herself to come to the notorious Gangwon-do, her body was incredibly tense.
Fortunately, the person who spoke to her was a fellow fan, one she used to travel the country with to take high-quality photos of hunters. The woman, also holding a camera, grinned as she looked Choi Ra-on up and down.
“After that hunter got dragged off by the Black Cloak, you deleted your account and vanished. Found a new ‘guiding light’ for your life? Seeing you here, I take it it’s another hunter?”
“Uh, yeah… a hunter. But seriously, why are you here? What happened with the guy you were stanning?”
Fans like Choi Ra-on, who tended to switch favorites, weren’t always welcome in fan clubs. But this woman had a similar disposition, which was how they’d become close.
Their bond had originally formed back in the K-pop idol scene. In other words, they had bonded over fangirling. Remembering that the woman had been stanning a male idol the last time they met, Ra-on was puzzled, but…
“……”
“…Ah, sorry…”
“…No, it’s fine…”
What other reason could there be for someone who used to stan regular idols to be here with a camera?
Your fandom blew up too, huh.
Since she hadn’t heard any news about a group disbanding, her friend’s ultimate bias had likely been caught in some scandal, leaving her heartbroken. Ra-on was the same—highly sensitive to any flaws in her favorites.
Not that there are any flawless celebrities in this day and age, but…
Usually, the kind of flaw that turned them off was a character controversy backed by definitive evidence: videos of them abusing their managers, audio files of them badmouthing others, things of that nature.
Even though most celebrities had such “flaws,” Choi Ra-on found it hard to keep stanning someone once she saw their ugly side. She could only overlook it if there was a good reason—or if their face was so perfect that no reason was needed…
She was aware she was being a bit dramatic.
Still… I don’t know how other people endure seeing things like that.
Out of basic human decency, she didn’t ask, “What on earth did that bastard do?” She was curious, but there were things you should and shouldn’t say. There was no need to rub salt in someone else’s wound.
“…Ahem.”
“Ahem.”
The two tacitly agreed not to pry.
“So, who did you come to see?”
“Ah…”
“It’s fine. I started a new fan account too.”
“It’s not that.”
The woman replied with an embarrassed look.
“Hunter Sa Na-rae…”
“Huh?”
“My precious boy, whom I’m too embarrassed to show off anywhere. He’s a crazy bastard who causes trouble every single day with that face of his, so he hasn’t even gotten famous because they’re always busy covering up his scandals.”
“Uh…?”
“Sigh, fuck. Just let him cross the line. Just once. I swear I won’t let him get away with it.”
“Whoa…”
Since Choi Ra-on didn’t know the hunter named Sa Na-rae, the woman’s reaction puzzled her, but she got the gist. Apparently, there was a hunter who loved causing trouble while barely toeing the line.
Just then, the woman asked.
“Who did you fall for to come all the way here, Unni? Did you take a half-day off?”
“No, I took a full day of annual leave.”
“Wow, you must have fallen hard. Who is it? Which guild? Since you don’t know our Na-rae, it’s probably not Haeryeong. Eunwol? Or the Sun Cult?”
“The Collector.”
“The Collector…?”
Glancing once beyond the barricade where only staff were clearing the path, and then toward the distant hotel where the hunters were likely staying, the woman asked quietly.
“By any chance… Hunter Seo Gio?”
“Yeah, you know him?”
“Of course. His name has been blowing up lately.”
“I actually met him last time.”
“…Ah!”
The woman’s face filled with surprise.
“The Faceplant Girl!”
“Thank you for not shouting it out loud.”
“No, seriously, oh my god. No wonder your silhouette looked familiar.”
“Hunter Seo Gio even saved me in a dungeon.”
“Wow… you really hit the fan jackpot.”
It was a “jackpot” won in a near-death situation, but for people in this era, risking one’s life was just part of the daily grind. Since she hadn’t suffered any permanent injury and had only been threatened, being saved by the very person she stanned was definitely an enviable experience.
The woman’s face crumpled in envy.
“I’m so jealous. My fan account is in a pitiful state, never knowing when it might blow up again.”
“Is he really that unstable?”
“He’s… kind of a crazy bastard… in every possible direction…”
“How did you even fall for someone like that?”
“I was in denial for over two years.”
“Wasn’t that when you were stanning another idol?”
“Exactly, fuck. It’s so annoying.”
The woman looked genuinely aggrieved.
“Before I knew it, I was drooling over his photos.”
“Well, that’s usually how getting blindsided by a bias goes.”
While some, like Choi Ra-on, were struck through the heart in a straightforward fall, others, like this woman, would deny it up and down—No way, no way, it’s not like that—all while their fingers were busy saving photos.
“…Oh, looks like they’re coming.”
“Huh? You can see them? Where are they coming from?”
“The staff are clearing the way.”
“Ah, you’re right.”
During official raids, the Association often sent personnel to facilitate the process. These people were commonly referred to as “staff” or “attendants.” By observing the movements of these staff members, who were thoroughly accustomed to handling raid departures, one could predict what would happen next.
“Seeing how they cleared an open space, they must be teleporting. I guess if you have a way to teleport, there’s no need to walk all the way here.”
“It’s not exactly a short distance from the hotel where the raid team was staying. Plus, looking as clean as possible before entering the dungeon makes for a better public appearance…”
The woman nodded as she vigorously wiped her camera lens.
“See you later then, Unni. Let’s grab lunch together afterward.”
“Sure. There’s a kalguksu place right in front. They sell mandu too…”
“Ah, mandu sounds great. That place knows what’s up. It’ll be filling.”
The two gave each other a thumbs-up and went their separate ways. When a massive crowd of reporters, onlookers, and individual fans gathered like this, fans had to move quickly to secure their own spots.
The first to arrive were the priests of the Sun Cult.
“It’s the Sun Cult!”
“Priests, please give us just one interview!”
“What are your thoughts on the last failed raid?”
“Priest An Seo-hee, please look over here!”
“Priest!!”
Sure enough, the surroundings were already buzzing with noise.
Wow, will I actually be able to get some good shots and go home…?
Although Choi Ra-on was a veteran fansite master with a long and rugged career, stanning hunters at this level was still unfamiliar to her. Seo Gio was the first hunter for whom she had gone so far as to use her annual leave to photograph a departure ceremony.
Fortunately, the hunters seemed to be arriving group by group in an orderly fashion, as no other guilds followed immediately after the Sun Cult. Choi Ra-on decided to relax for a moment and observe the situation.
“……”
Choi Ra-on was slightly impressed.
As expected of priests, they have such a divine aura.
Even amidst such clamor, they maintained a calm, pristine atmosphere without any agitation. Their spotless white robes seemed to be reinforced, designed for mobility rather than just ceremony, keeping the fabric from fluttering.
Then, she made eye contact with a green-eyed priest. When she awkwardly bowed her head, he gave her a small nod in return. As she watched the priests pass by in a daze, the procession of the Eunwol Guild entered next.
“Senior, it’s Eunwol.”
“I heard they have so many healers over there…”
“I heard the raid field this time is completely covered in poison. Maybe that’s why?”
“True. In cases like that, healers are much more cost-effective than potions. It’s not the kind of pain that just goes away quickly.”
“Hunters really live tough lives…”
“But they make a ton of money in return. It’s an equivalent exchange. You could call it the price of their lives.”
Hearing the reporters’ conversation, Choi Ra-on shifted her gaze back to the Eunwol Guild.
They feel somewhat similar to the priests who just passed by.
Although Choi Ra-on was an ordinary civilian who couldn’t sense a trace of energy, she could still recognize the distinct aura of believers. Wearing outfits similar to the Sun Cult priests but slightly lighter, they followed behind the Sun Cult, draped in pure white robes.
I can barely see their faces…
Choi Ra-on blinked at how they were bundled up even more tightly than the Sun Cult priests.
Is that white robe the Eunwol uniform? This is the first time I’ve seen faces covered to that extent at a departure ceremony.
A departure ceremony exposed to the media was fundamentally aimed at promoting the guild. In a world where image was everything, guilds usually showed off as flashy an appearance as possible, but Eunwol, with its priest-like atmosphere, felt incredibly ascetic.
Come to think of it, did they say Eunwol is the guild that supplies personnel to the Sun Cult and the Moon Cult? I should have researched it in more detail before coming.
The temple servants were people who attended to the priests while keeping their presence as faint as possible, as if practicing a vow of silence. Since it was a guild full of such people, that kind of atmosphere made sense.
“Ah, it’s Daecheong this time.”
“I did hear Daecheong was joining.”
“Are you not going to take photos of Daecheong?”
“Nothing interesting will probably come from that side.”
“Come on, still…”
“Daecheong is just too plain.”
“Then I’ll take them.”
The hunters of the guild called Daecheong were all dressed in blue uniforms. It was a different look from Eunwol, whose signature feature seemed to be their white cloaks, but the public’s attention toward them wasn’t very high.
Daecheong sounds familiar, but is it not a very well-known guild?
Perhaps it was just her imagination, but the camera flashes seemed to go off less frequently than before.
Since the name is so familiar, they must have collaborated at least once with a guild of someone I used to stan… Strange, I can’t remember at all.
Around then, members of another guild appeared.
“That’s Haeryeong.”
“Wow, they’re as free-spirited as ever.”
“They hate being restricted, so their outfits are, well…”
“Does Haeryeong not have a uniform?”
“Of course they do. They have a black uniform, they just choose not to wear it.”
“Doesn’t their guild master say anything to them?”
“Unless it’s about combat, those bastards don’t hesitate to ignore their superiors. It’s a gathering of all kinds of troublemakers.”
“Seriously terrifying…”
“The reporter assault incident last time happened over there. They’re practically wild beasts.”
Following the reporters’ conversation, Choi Ra-on heard a familiar voice.
“—Hunter Sa Na-rae! Please look over here just once! Na-rae, please…!!”
It was the woman who had just wished her luck and gone her own way.
A man reacted to her voice. Among the hunters who were sauntering around like a pack of beasts, he was the only one walking with exceptional neatness. Intrigued, she followed him with her eyes, and his face was remarkably striking.
…He looks like a knight commander straight out of a romance fantasy novel. Her taste in handsome faces is as consistent as ever…
His straight, long blonde hair, reaching almost to his tailbone, was vividly colored. Though his expressionless face showed no emotion, it wasn’t intimidating either. Combined with his demeanor, he exuded an air of wealth; despite his neat appearance, he was quite a dazzling individual.
Perhaps noticing his fan’s desperation, the man turned his head toward the sound.
“Hmm?”
Upon spotting his fan, a bright smile spread across his pale, languid face.
Did a spark of life momentarily flash in those pitch-black eyes? It was such a brilliant smile that Choi Ra-on, who had been mindlessly watching her friend’s favorite, flinched for a second.
“Noona! We meet again?”
“Na-rae-yaaa…! You’re so handsome, our Sa Na-rae!!”
“Wow, I’m touched. You have to take pretty pictures of me, okay?”
“Leave it to me!!”
Hunter Sa Na-rae, the man who had walked right up to the barricade to put on a show for his fan, waved his hand gently before returning to his group. As if this happened often, his fellow hunters looked fed up but accustomed to it.
The chatter of the reporters drifted over.
“Hunter Sa Na-rae’s fan service is as good as ever.”
“If I had a fan who chased me all the way to Samcheok in Gangwon-do on a weekday morning, I’d give them great service too.”
“Even without that, I heard he easily gets caught up by fans who adore him…”
“It could be image management, affection deprivation, or maybe he just finds their squealing reactions amusing. Who knows what the reason is for that punk’s diligent fan service?”
“Anyway, I guess hunters these days have to be good at that kind of stuff too. It’s a really tough job.”
“You’re barely out of your youth, what do you mean ‘hunters these days’? Just focus your lens properly.”
Listening to their conversation, Choi Ra-on thought to herself.
So he’s usually like that.
A pale, languid, dark-aura guy acting so cute—he was indeed exactly the type her friend would adore.
But, how should I put it? He had a slightly dangerous vibe…
Although his behavior was as neat as a knight’s and he smiled easily, those pitch-black eyes, resembling a dead fish’s, were somewhat chilling. Even his smiling face, with eyes that curved into thin crescents due to his fox-like features, was a bit creepy.
He didn’t say or do anything out of line, but he didn’t exactly seem sane…
“……”
It was a very rude thought to have about a hunter she was meeting for the first time.
I should worry about myself instead of judging someone else’s looks…
Just then.
“…Oh, oh! Oh! It’s the Collector…!!”
Choi Ra-on brightened up and raised her camera. Its familiar texture and weight snapped her back to reality.
“Excuse me, coming through! Sorry!”
“Ah, what the…”
“I’m really sorry! Please let me through for just a second…!! Just once, please!!”
Although some people looked annoyed, many understood her urgency and nodded, letting her pass. Their gazes were filled with the deep understanding of: Ah, that’s her ultimate bias. Choi Ra-on almost burst into tears at this warm display of humanity.
Having barely made it to the very front of the barricade, she settled into her camera posture in earnest and gasped in awe.
“Whoa…!”
Perhaps because it was the guild of her ultimate favorite, their procession seemed far more magnificent than any of the previous ones.
At the very front of the Collector’s hunters, who wore distinct uniforms harmonizing black and white, stood a platinum-blonde hunter. He was the one who had become the new light of her life, the one who had drawn her to this rugged corner of Gangwon-do and kept her waiting with a pounding heart.
Crazy. The Collector’s uniform is insane…!
She had always seen him wearing a black cloak, but perhaps out of respect for the guild’s image, Hunter Seo Gio was wearing a black-and-white cloak. Even the custom suit of the Collector visible underneath suited him perfectly.
Wow, seriously… Did he just clock out of the Louvre?
He truly looked like a masterpiece that needed to be designated and preserved as a cultural heritage site.
“…H-Hunter Seo Gio!! Hunter Seo Gio…!!”
As she raised her voice, trying to sound confident, Hunter Seo Gio reacted.
“Ah.”
“!”
“Ms. Choi Ra-on?”
“Gasp…!”
Just like Hunter Sa Na-rae had done earlier, Hunter Seo Gio walked up to the barricade and looked at Choi Ra-on. With her ultimate favorite standing right in front of her, she could feel her heart pounding wildly. Choi Ra-on covered her mouth.
“U-U-Um… I…”
“Did you come to see me? I am grateful.”
“P-Photo… just one…”
“As you wish.”
“Thank you…!”
By the time she snapped out of it, Hunter Seo Gio was waving his hand as he walked away.
“……”
“……”
The woman, who had slipped back to Choi Ra-on’s side before she knew it, asked.
“Did you hit the jackpot?”
“…I did…”
“Me too.”
“I could tell…”
“This is why we stan.”
“I’m so glad I took annual leave.”
It was still morning, but it had already been a rewarding day.
* * *
“……”
A pink-haired woman stared at Seo Gio.
“……”
“Young-won? What is it?”
“It’s nothing, just…”
The woman’s name was Jeong Young-won.
“I was admiring him for a moment.”
She was an acquaintance of Yoo Seong-un and a Gardener belonging to Eunwol.