Chapter 186
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 186
Although the general public didn’t usually hear about every single dungeon raid, this latest run had everyone talking, likely due to the sheer number and high rank of the Hunters involved.
"I heard a rainforest-type dungeon was cleared recently."
"Rainforest-type? What rank?"
"A-Rank."
"It’s been a while since anything B-Rank or higher was cleared."
"A lot of guilds participated. I guess the Sun Cult will get the entry rights, right?"
Every time a decent dungeon was cleared, the citizens' quality of life improved, thanks to the abundance of resources harvested from within. Naturally, expectations were high now that an A-Rank dungeon had been conquered.
"Since it’s a rainforest type, I wonder if we’ll get some new flora."
"Hmm… I hope it’s some kind of crop. Like fruit."
"What’s the point? The guilds will just monopolize it all anyway."
"Well, it’ll trickle down to the public eventually."
Clearing a dungeon meant occupying a new dimension. The citizens were thrilled at the prospect of enjoying unknown benefits, and this public excitement was exactly why guilds worked so hard to clear dungeons.
It wasn’t just about the resources; it was a prime opportunity to win the praise and support of the public.
Thus, this successful raid was a massive cause for celebration for the Sun Cult.
"We were so anxious after that incident at the initiation ceremony…"
"We can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The public sentiment isn’t bad."
"We still need to verify further, but the resources we can obtain from this dungeon are of excellent quality as well."
"We can’t very well sell poison under the name of the Sun, so if we want to refine it into medicine… hmm, should we ask the Association for help?"
"Even though it was a villa dungeon, its scale is quite substantial, so it will be easy for us to pay them back."
"In times like this, the Association Research Institute is certainly reliable."
The priests of the Sun Cult happily debated how to utilize their newly acquired resources. The Cult had managed to save face. They had even been prepared for a long-term siege, so this swift success was a welcome surprise.
"To think we would clear it in such pristine condition."
"Priest Kang Seo-dam played a major role."
"I heard he also built a good rapport with Hunter Seo Gio?"
Listening to the elder priests, Kang Seo-dam spoke up.
"…It is not that deep of a friendship."
"There is no need for such modesty, brother. Your contribution was immense."
"It was only possible because the other Hunters helped."
"Even so, that does not diminish what you have accomplished."
The priests' interests extended beyond just clearing the dungeon.
"Is it true that, ahem…"
"…there are rumors that Hunter Seo Gio has the vessel of a saint?"
"I heard he serves the sun of another dimension?"
Kang Seo-dam barely resisted the urge to squeeze his eyes shut.
Here it comes.
He was well aware of the subtle rumors that had been circulating for the past few days—claims that Hunter Seo Gio was actually a saint, or perhaps Bisabeol’s secret child. The Collector had likely pulled some strings.
They probably wanted to package him as a human by blowing the rumors out of proportion before things got out of hand and became impossible to manage.
Since the world had never seen a divinity so adept at mimicking and taking human form, people simply couldn’t fathom the truth. However, after this raid, anyone with half a brain knew something was off.
So, to protect Gio, it was a clever and swift move.
It was just that Kang Seo-dam was the one suffering the exhaustion.
"…I do not know if he is truly a saint, but it is true that he serves the sun of another dimension. He mentioned that much himself."
"Even if it is the sun of another dimension, to be gifted a herb that can practically bring the dead back to life is an extraordinary blessing. With that level of favoritism, surely he must be part of a god’s family?"
Despite Kang Seo-dam’s efforts to keep his answers as vague as possible, the priests eagerly chattered among themselves, much to his exhaustion.
"Simply calling it a blessing is an understatement."
"Indeed. How could a Hunter who hasn’t even awakened as a priest receive such profound love?"
"The very fact that he obtained that herb and turned it into medicine speaks volumes about Hunter Seo Gio’s vessel."
"If he were just an ordinary human loved by a god, he wouldn’t have been able to achieve all that."
"No matter how you look at it, it sounds like he is capable of direct communion with divinity…"
As the priests whispered in hushed tones, Kang Seo-dam’s face grew pale with exasperation.
"..."
For some reason, his eyes locked onto an elder priest who was quietly smiling at him. He was a highly experienced priest, rumored to be the next Bishop.
"Priest Kang Seo-dam."
"…Yes."
"Would you mind coming to my room later so we can have a chat?"
"I will do so."
Answering obediently, Kang Seo-dam thought to himself:
Scum of the religious world.
Just imagining how much he would have to disclose made him feel exhausted already.
* * *
No matter how brainless the Haeryeong Guild was rumored to be—and it was a well-established fact—there was always at least someone doing the bare minimum to keep the guild running.
"Na-rae."
"Who’s that…?"
"Right, Sa Na-rae."
"Yeah, why’d you call?"
"Have you lost your mind writing this report?"
Usually, the ones doing that work were the team leaders, squad leaders, managers, and the guild master. The Squad Leader, who was in charge of Team Leader Hunter Sa Na-rae, held out a pathetic excuse of a report and asked:
"If you have a complaint, say it to my face. Don’t take it out on a precious report."
"I even drew pretty flowers on it, and all I get is a scolding… I’m so hurt I might cry."
"I know our guild is practically built on insubordination, but you’re the first bastard to rebel through a report."
"Is it really the first time? Hand on your heart, Squad Leader, do you honestly think I’m the first?"
"To be honest, no, you’re not."
And it wasn’t the first time Sa Na-rae had submitted a report like this, either.
"Dammit."
Rip.
Tearing the report in half, the Squad Leader asked, "Do you have any intention of rewriting this properly?"
"Asking me that after you’ve already ripped it up is honestly terrifying."
"Saying that with a completely blank face won’t work on me."
"Ah, to think my masterpiece of a report would be treated like this…"
"So when are you turning in a new one? Just tell me that. Are we going to write it together?"
"I love you guys, but wouldn’t that be a bit too gross?"
"Then write a normal report before I start clinging to you like a creep."
A report that literally just said "Went well" could hardly be called a report.
"If you’re going to rebel, do it with your fists."
"You don’t usually nag me like this. Why today of all days?"
"I highly doubt you don’t know why."
The Squad Leader said, "You saw Hunter Seo Gio this time, didn’t you?"
Hunter Seo Gio had been a hot topic lately.
Skills related to souls were rare. There were barely any opportunities to learn them, and even if one did, they were incredibly difficult to use. Necromancers, a type of mage, were the most prominent example, but Gio’s abilities were of an entirely different nature.
"A Tamer, a Healer, and now rumors say he’s a saint."
"Mmhmm…"
"I also heard he ran wild like a wild boar in the dungeon."
"I’d say he was closer to a demon than a wild boar…"
"What are you talking about? Anyway, write down every single detail like that."
The Squad Leader clicked her tongue.
"You were the one who practically begged to join this raid because you were so interested in him. Did your interest dry up after seeing what a pampered young master he is? What’s the deal?"
"No, he didn’t really seem like a pampered young master."
"Well… I heard similar things from the others who participated. Since the Collector took such good care of him, they thought he’d be some delicate young master who’d never gotten his hands dirty, but apparently, he was surprisingly decent."
With that, the Squad Leader sat on the sofa opposite Sa Na-rae. Sa Na-rae, who was lounging in his usual spot, grinned.
"Wow, are you going to play with me? Not going to nag me about the report?"
"Rather than waiting for you to write it, it’s faster if I just listen to you and write it myself."
"And that is exactly why I don’t try to become a Squad Leader."
"You shouldn’t even dream of it, you bastard. A sloth like you trying to climb the ranks?"
The Squad Leader clicked her pen open.
"Alright, spill the beans."
"What do you want to hear?"
"First off, Hunter Seo Gio’s personality?"
"He made delicious food…"
"Sounds like a good person."
Nodding, the Squad Leader asked, "What did he make?"
"Cream stew on the first day."
"Is that even possible in a dungeon?"
"Apparently so. He even brought a pot the size of his own torso."
"He doesn’t look the type, but he’s quite something."
"And he gave us snacks, too. Like dried fruit…"
"Must have been nice."
"For some reason, it digested really well."
"I know how to eat, too, you know."
"I ate it all."
"I figured."
Clearly, Sa Na-rae was not the most considerate person.
"If he cooks himself, he probably doesn’t have a massive ego. I heard he’s quite diligent, too. Did he ever get angry or show any irritation?"
Sa Na-rae shook his head.
"Nope."
"Then there’s a high chance he’s not right in the head."
If someone didn’t get irritated even once in that sweltering heat, they couldn’t possibly be human.
"There are rumors he’s a saint. Is he really that type?"
"It did feel a bit like that…?"
"What are his main skills?"
"Cooking…"
"Besides cooking."
"Hmm, Taming, I guess?"
"Of course a Tamer would do taming, you idiot. Why are you answering in questions when you literally saw him in person?"
"How am I supposed to know someone else’s skill window…?"
"Fair point."
The Squad Leader groaned.
"He has two contracted beasts in total?"
"If you’ve already researched everything, can I just go to sleep?"
"Do you think you can? Keep your eyes open and answer. What are the characteristics of his contracted beasts?"
"One is a waterbird, and the other is a cat."
"Their abilities?"
"Uh… I don’t know."
"What do you know?"
"Nothing."
"Oh, wear it like a badge of honor, you lunatic."
The Squad Leader decided to probe deeper.
"What did the waterbird do in the dungeon?"
"It flew around diligently, bringing back information. It drank water, absorbed heat…"
"And what did the cat do?"
"It meowed and summoned the dead."
"No matter how many times I hear it, that sounds absolutely insane."
Scribbling the information onto the document, the Squad Leader said:
"Alright, back to the man himself. We covered his personality and taming skills. Now, explain what kind of bullshit 'a healer who can DPS and tank' is supposed to mean."
"It means he’s a healer who can deal damage and tank."
"Are you deaf? I told you to explain."
"I was just correcting you because you dismissed a literal fact as bullshit…"
Dumbfounded, the Squad Leader asked:
"Then what is this guy? Did the Collector finally succeed in human experimentation? Is Hunter Seo Gio some kind of legendary southpaw fireballer dragged straight out of hell? Is there anything he can’t do?"
"Probably…?"
"Like what?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"Because you, you bastard, were the one who went with him!"
"Why are you getting so mad?"
"Goddammit, how did I end up with a subordinate like you?"
"Hey, at least I didn’t beat up a reporter."
"And you’re bragging about that? Is this really the time to bring up other people, Sa Na-rae?"
After a brief scolding, the Squad Leader let out a deep sigh.
"I want to run dungeons too."
"Then run them."
"I can’t because of bastards like you."
"Poor thing. Want me to massage your shoulders, Squad Leader?"
"Piss off."
Tidying up the paperwork, the Squad Leader spoke.
"I’m planning to report this privately because the rumor is just too ridiculous, but what’s this nonsense about Hunter Seo Gio being Guild Master Bisabeol’s blood relative? Do you know anything about that?"
"His colors change sometimes. Red hair and yellow eyes."
"Oh, for fuck’s sake. Well, hair dye is incredibly advanced these days. But if he really is of that bloodline, it would explain why a Hunter of his caliber suddenly popped out of nowhere without any prior record."
It was common for famous Hunters to hide their family’s personal details.
"Still, this is a bit extreme…"
It meant they had hidden a talent of that caliber until he was twenty-nine. Keeping a kid locked away like that would explain why he wasn’t entirely sane.
"Well, since it’s the Collector’s doing, I guess it makes sense."
"It makes sense to you?"
"What choice do I have? That’s just how things are playing out."
"True…"
"Nothing else to share? Any peculiarities?"
"Hmm…"
Sa Na-rae waved his hand dismissively.
"Doesn’t seem like it."
"Bullshit. If you think of anything, report it later, even if it’s late."
"Got it."
"..."
The Squad Leader asked a beat later, "…Why did you pick a fight with Hunter Seo Gio in the first place?"
"Because he looked interesting."
"And yet, you two looked pretty close by the time you came out. Knowing your personality, that’s weird."
"The Hunter has a really great personality."
His eyes curved into crescent moons as he smiled.
"Isn’t that a relief?"
* * *
Meanwhile, the employees who had accompanied Gio on the raid shared their testimonies.
"He seemed more human than I expected."
It was a generous evaluation for a mere 'creation', but the other employees understood.
"Well, considering no one’s screaming about seeing a monster, that seems to be the case."
"The snacks he handed out were delicious, too."
"His behavior is identical to the Black Cloak’s, yet he somehow managed not to get caught as the same entity."
"Isn’t that why those rumors were spread? Our side pulled some strings, right?"
"I literally sobbed when I heard the rumor about him being the Guild Master’s son."
"Why would you cry over that?"
More than they had anticipated, 'Mr. Seo Gio' blended in seamlessly as a human.
"Though he did show himself to be excessively competent…"
"Still, that’s relatively mild."
"At least it was within a manageable scope."
This served as a solid indicator.
"He seems to get along fine even without his curator in charge."
It proved that 'Mr. Seo Gio' could naturally integrate himself among unfamiliar humans.
"It’s not like we can control him anyway, so this is for the best."
"Getting confirmation like this really puts my mind at ease."
Although they had spent a considerable amount of time with 'Mr. Seo Gio', no major incidents had occurred. Even though he was essentially a walking ghost story, they felt a certain sense of stability.
And Yoo Seong-un, who had finally escaped overtime and successfully secured a vacation, declared:
"Let’s go on a trip."
"Pardon?"
"Oh."
And just like that, a trip to the sea was decided.