Chapter 179
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 179
Before their official departure, they took some time to regroup.
“Still, we should get some sleep before we go.”
“The sudden recovery has made a lot of the Hunters drop their guard.”
“If we move out like this, someone’s bound to get seriously hurt.”
“Yes, it would be better to get some proper rest.”
At that, the Hunters began settling down in their respective spots.
“These damn weeds never seem to thin out, no matter how much we cut them.”
“Can someone light a fire here? Any fire-attribute Hunters?”
Watching them, a Hunter from the Daecheong Guild expressed his regret.
“The house we found would’ve been much more comfortable to rest in.”
“It’d be too difficult to move all the way there in this state.”
“I know. I just mentioned it because it feels like a waste.”
“It really was a good place to make a home.”
“Especially in a dungeon like this, crawling with poisonous plants.”
Even as the Hunters cleared a space to rest, the sun rose and set several times. They looked utterly sick of the environment.
“I’m tired to death.”
“Even when I sleep, it doesn’t feel like I’ve actually slept…”
As if a vast rainforest choked with humid heat and poisonous plants wasn’t enough, the sunrises and sunsets were completely erratic. These were truly the worst possible conditions for the Hunters to get any rest.
Even so, having barely managed to secure a resting area, they began looking for healers.
“Heal, please.”
“I got cut by a poisonous weed.”
“Holy crap, my arm is rotting! Healer!”
It was harder not to get hurt while clearing a space to rest in a dungeon overgrown with poisonous plants. This raid had taken that into account, securing an above-average number of healers, and they were now reaping the benefits.
Among them, Gio was frequently approached.
“Priest!”
“I am not a priest.”
“Ah, right… Uh, Tamer?”
“That is correct. Are you injured?”
“Yes, I got pricked by a thorn on my hand…”
“It’s already changing color.”
With a gentle stroke, Gio dissolved the pitch-black veins of poison creeping through the Hunter’s flesh and blood. The process was so natural and clean that both the treated Hunter and those watching nearby gasped in admiration.
“Wow… How on earth do you purify it so quickly?”
“I figured it would be better to treat it as fast as possible, since it must be painful.”
“Still, this shouldn’t be something so easily done…”
They assumed Hunter Seo Gio possessed a high-rank healing skill. Asking for details about someone’s skill window was rude, so they couldn’t pry, but they treated it as an established fact.
“Was the medicine you gave us earlier also made with a skill?”
“I have no such skill.”
“Oh, then did you just make it yourself?”
“I didn’t think a skill was necessary to make medicine.”
“That’s amazing. Usually, people rely on skills for that.”
“The natural power of the ingredients did most of the work. I was just lucky.”
“You truly seem to serve a very merciful god.”
“Yes, He is indeed a very gentle being.”
From what they could gather, Hunter Seo Gio was treated almost like a saint by his god. It made sense that such a person would receive medicinal ingredients brimming with the power of the sun.
At this, one of the Priests of the Sun asked Kang Seo-dam.
“Even if it’s the sun of another dimension, it’s still of the same lineage. Do you think he holds any ill feelings toward our order?”
“Don’t sour a good relationship with your greed. He is strictly the son of another god.”
“But it’s not like this has never happened before. Many gods have already become one family with our Sun. If we persuade him…”
“And what exactly do you plan to do by persuading him? I know what you’re aiming for with that greed, but learn some humility.”
Kang Seo-dam shuddered, a wave of irritation making the back of his neck itch.
At least the older, experienced elder priests knew how to hide their greed and feign humility. The younger priests, however, were often steeped in an arrogance born from the sheer influence of the Sun Cult.
‘Dealing with someone who is openly stupid is easier than dealing with the Moon Cult, whose members are downright insidious, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying. This young brat probably has no idea who he’s talking about right now…'
The Sun Cult was the most prominent religious order in Seoul, the world’s most sought-after city, and vied for the top spot among all religious factions. Its priests were usually trained from childhood, officially recognized at the young age of fourteen, and began active duty at seventeen.
Drenched in the pride of being the best, the Priests of the Sun often displayed this kind of arrogance—the assumption that the other party would naturally consider such an invitation an honor.
“Is Hunter Seo Gio’s fame that enticing to you? Does his ability seem that useful? I suppose since our order still lacks a Saint to rival the Moon Cult’s, it’s only natural to covet someone with his qualities. But to size up the child of an unknown divinity as if you’re picking out merchandise at a market… that’s truly remarkable.”
“N-No, I just…”
“Cast aside your arrogance. Does Hunter Seo Gio look like he’s lacking anything? He is satisfied with his life and is growing under the embrace of the divinity he serves. We should be deeply honored if he saw us as an enticing prize and made an offer first. What is this greed you’re displaying?”
After pouring out his words in a rush, Kang Seo-dam wiped his face and let out a sigh.
“I’m already deeply worried…”
This greed wouldn’t be limited to just this young priest. For now, the information was trapped inside the dungeon, but once the raid was over, this news would surely reach the order.
‘Then the elders will throw another massive fit.’
As they aged, their masks only grew more refined, but their pride in the Sun Cult only swelled. The senior priests would approach Hunter Seo Gio in a much more sophisticated and experienced manner than this young fool.
‘Vermin.’
It couldn’t get any more frustrating.
“…”
“I-I was wrong.”
“…Reflect on your actions.”
Unfortunately, the timing was terrible.
‘…The Deep Sea Mermaids clearly said they lost their teacher to the Sun Cult of their own dimension.’
Kang Seo-dam had visited the Deep Sea Kingdom alongside Hunter Seo Gio. As such, he knew the story of that dungeon very well. And that situation was not much different from Earth’s current state.
‘If the mermaids fly into a rage again, what on earth are we supposed to do?’
In the religious world, the most respected and popular humans were those with extraordinary vessels capable of harboring divinity. Among the Sun Cult’s novices were Cha Yi-sol and Iruda, and in the Moon Cult, there was their Saintess.
The Sun Cult and the Moon Cult shared a relationship of coexistence and competition, but the Sun Cult lacked a Saint, which the Moon Cult possessed. To make matters worse, the Sun Cult had taken a massive hit during last year’s Dungeon Break, and the aftermath still had them in disarray…
“…”
As Kang Seo-dam stood alone, suppressing a sigh, Gio approached him.
“Is something the matter?”
“…My apologies. No, I am sorry.”
It was a considerable distance, but there was no way the conversation hadn’t reached Hunter Seo Gio’s ears. Kang Seo-dam offered his apology with an anxious heart. Fortunately, Hunter Seo Gio did not get angry.
“I understand.”
“Thank you for your vast mercy.”
“I like the sun.”
“…Yes, I know.”
“It would be nice if we could be friends.”
“…”
Kang Seo-dam nodded with a heavy expression.
“I will… make sure to be careful.”
He had absolutely no intention of provoking the mermaids, whose wrath had not yet fully subsided.
“I will try to manage things so that no issues arise. My standing within the order is not insignificant, so my brothers will listen to me to some extent.”
“You don’t have to overthink it.”
“I am simply ashamed to have shown you such shallow and greedy behavior. I will watch my conduct to ensure no problems occur. I am grateful for the mercy you’ve shown.”
“…”
At that, Gio thought:
‘Do I speak in a strange way?’
He had merely suggested they be friends, but the man had overcomplicated things. When Gio told him not to worry, he had just spewed even more complicated nonsense. No matter how he looked at it, Kang Seo-dam seemed to be the type of person who made his own life difficult.
‘…Well, if he’s going to worry on my behalf, I suppose I should be grateful.’
It was entertaining, so it didn’t matter.
“I will return to my team now.”
“Yes, go safely. I’ll see you later.”
“May peace be with you as well, brother.”
It seemed Gio rather loved his own simple, worry-free mind.
* * *
And yet, no one else viewed Hunter Seo Gio in that light.
“…”
Especially not Hunter Sa Na-rae.
“Leader? What’s wrong?”
“Haha.”
“What? Why are you laughing?”
“Just reflecting on my life.”
“Whoa, you do that? Awesome.”
“Is it?”
To Sa Na-rae, his team member seemed far more amazing.
“Take care of yourself.”
“That really doesn’t suit you.”
“Hahaha.”
Sa Na-rae waved his hand and naturally slipped away. He returned to where his team members were resting and sat down, looking at the people gathered in a circle around the campfire.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Sa Na-rae, Jeong Young-won, and Garasani exchanged glances.
Lacing his fingers together, Sa Na-rae asked, “Is this really okay?”
“What are you referring to?” Garasani asked nonchalantly, his expression cold.
Sa Na-rae flashed his characteristic smirk. “I’m saying, isn’t this a bit too shameless?”
“It would greatly aid my understanding if you could provide the exact subject and object.”
“Right here? Everyone will hear. Are you trying to get me killed?”
Despite appearances, Sa Na-rae was someone who valued his own life. If others heard that, they would call it bullshit, but it was true. He merely enjoyed fighting in a hazy state close to death; he was a wild colt who always left himself an escape route before running wild.
Well, he had come here fully prepared to accept the risks. That was why he hadn’t backed out, even when he heard Hunter Seo Gio was participating. In that sense, the current situation wasn’t terribly bad, but…
“Haha.”
Sa Na-rae laughed once more.
‘This is crazy.’
Around that time, Seo Gio, having received greetings from all the Hunters, approached and asked, “Is everyone starting to feel hungry?”
“Hunter Seo Gio, you’re a witch.”
“I won’t eat you, despite how I look, so please rest assured.”
“I wonder if I really can rest assured…”
They say if you can’t avoid it, you might as well enjoy it.
“What are you giving us?”
“Do you like dried fruit?”
“Oh, I love it.”
Sa Na-rae obediently accepted and ate the round, dried fruit. Smoother than a raisin and deep yellow in color, it boasted an exquisite, clean sweetness.
“How is it?”
“This is really delicious.”
Is he really planning to fatten me up and eat me?
It felt slightly unfair that even a simple snack like this was so delicious.
“…”
Sa Na-rae was a Hunter who utilized his body exceptionally well. His vision was like that of a soaring hawk, his sense of smell was as keen as a tiger’s, and his ability to detect danger was as sharp as a herbivore’s.
There were things someone like Sa Na-rae simply could not fail to notice.
Like a body scent that changed up to three times within a single body.
“…Give me one more.”
“How wonderful it is to see you eat so well.”
“Don’t pour them on me like this, though.”
“If they overflow, the ants in the dungeon will eat them.”
“I wonder if there are even ants here.”
“Then the monsters will eat them.”
“Oh, monsters…”
The pitch and rhythm of the voice reaching his ears. Those smiles and actions, which seemed almost frozen in place, forced him to guess at something even if he didn’t want to.
“I wonder just how merciful you are, Hunter Seo Gio?”
“If you keep a sucker like me by your side, your table will be luxurious for the day.”
“Uh… I suppose so. Probably.”
For now, he decided to just laugh it off.
After all, Hunter Seo Gio seemed like the type who rarely got angry.
* * *
“Meow.”
A cat cried in the darkness.
“Meow.”
Continuously, until an answer was given.
“Meow.”
Dana waited.
There was a soul here that needed to go home.
“…”
“Meow.”
“…”
Sa Na-rae covered his ears.