Chapter 32
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: S-Rank Hunter Seong Ji-yoon
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S-Rank Hunter Seong Ji-yoon instinctively sensed that her plan had gone completely off the rails.
‘To think even a child would get dragged into this.’
Through various information networks, she had learned that the artisan who crafted the ‘Golden Mana Rocket’ and Seol Yu-hee’s weapon lived in this area.
She even knew that he favored drake hearts as crafting materials and was buying them up in bulk.
So she had laid out the bait. She predicted that if she posted an offer to sell a drake heart directly, he would surely show himself. Once she made contact, she planned to leverage her status as an S-Rank Hunter, offering her resources to commission new gear from him.
But the bait she dangled led to the worst possible outcome.
She hadn’t even located the target artisan. Instead, she ended up trading with some random kid and got swept into a dungeon alongside her.
‘At least she’s incredibly cute, though...’
She gazed down at the little girl before her, Yi Da-yoon. She had pretty horns, wings, and a plump tail like some variant-type Awakener, but aside from that, her speech and behavior were those of a perfectly ordinary child.
No clue how a kid like her had ended up running errands with something so valuable.
‘Still, it’s a relief. She’s handling this way calmer than I expected.’
Suddenly dropping into a dungeon would make most adults freak out or panic, but the girl merely looked a bit flustered as she followed Seong Ji-yoon’s instructions.
‘First priority: escape safely.’
To prepare for combat, she drew her weapon from her sub-space. She frowned as she checked its condition.
Her main weapon, the A+-grade spear ‘Forbidden Holy Spear’, was showing critically low durability. It was all because her schedule hadn’t aligned with the one overseas artisan capable of repairing a weapon with the ‘Holy’ property.
It had already been months since the repair got postponed. She wouldn’t fail to clear a B-grade dungeon, but if the boss monster was a tough type, she might have to brace for total gear destruction.
She steeled her resolve. And she prayed the spear wouldn’t shatter while she protected this child.
“Miss Yi Da-yoon.”
Yi Da-yoon looked up at her call.
“Stick right behind me and don’t fall back. If I tell you to hide, get behind the nearest tree and stay put.”
“Yes.”
Yi Da-yoon nodded obediently.
In truth, he was even calmer than Seong Ji-yoon. Sure, tumbling into a dungeon out of nowhere was disorienting, but when your companion was Korea’s strongest Hunter, Seong Ji-yoon, things were different.
It felt like bumping into a pickpocket right in front of a cop with a gun drawn. Startling, yeah, but nothing to lose sleep over.
‘Just follow quietly, and she’ll sort it out.’
Besides, Yi Da-yoon had his aces up his sleeve. A dragon’s body was tougher than anyone could imagine. Worst case, he could tough it out and escape somehow.
They walked for quite some time like that.
“Hold up.”
Seong Ji-yoon halted and pulled Yi Da-yoon behind her.
“What’s wrong?”
“...Stay right here.”
She closed her eyes and focused her senses.
Dense mana wafted in from afar. A boss monster, infused with the mana of the earth, radiating its presence.
“Boss monster...”
Seong Ji-yoon muttered under her breath. Fortunately, she sensed no presences from any other monsters.
This place seemed to be a straight-shot dungeon—one that led directly from the entrance to the boss room, the so-called ‘boss rush’ type.
No needless skirmishes was a blessing, but it also meant the boss would be proportionally stronger.
Seong Ji-yoon eyed her white spear, crisscrossed with cracks.
‘...Please hold together.’
She gripped Yi Da-yoon’s shoulder and said,
“Miss Yi Da-yoon. Hide behind that biggest tree over there. No matter what happens, don’t come out until I say it’s safe. And no making noise.”
“Yes.”
Yi Da-yoon gave a short nod and toddled off behind the tree. He curled up tight, wrapping his wings and tail around himself like a golden armadillo.
‘...So cute.’
Leaving Yi Da-yoon behind, Seong Ji-yoon pressed onward. Far ahead, a shadow emerged.
Groooaaar...
The ground rumbled as a colossal golem materialized—twisted trees and black vines tangled into one: the ‘Fallen Guardian of the Forest’.
A high-rank monster even for a B-grade dungeon. Seong Ji-yoon readjusted her grip on her spear and dropped into a low stance.
“Hoo...”
With a brief exhale, her body shot forward like a streak of light. Before the guardian could react, her spear tip flew toward its arm.
Boom!
Her spear clashed against the massive tree limb, unleashing a thunderous impact. Seong Ji-yoon flowed with the shock, creating distance to ready her next strike.
Yi Da-yoon, peeking from behind the tree with his sharp eyesight, gaped.
‘Whoa... it’s like a movie.’
A human body pitted against a monstrous tree-beast tens of times larger. With fluid, dazzling movements, she pierced the guardian’s body over and over.
Yet the guardian instantly regenerated, drawing in nearby trees and vines.
Boom! Boom!
With each assault, the guardian’s speed slowed bit by bit, its size shrinking.
Once it had dwindled to the size of a large bear, Seong Ji-yoon took aim.
That instant,
‘Huh?’
Yi Da-yoon, spectating the fight, spotted something off. The surface of Seong Ji-yoon’s spear was covered in spiderweb-fine cracks.
‘That spear’s about to shatter.’
And then—she thrust.
Boom! Crac—
Amid the fierce explosion rang another sound. The uneasy crack of something solid splitting.
Yi Da-yoon watched the smoke-shrouded forest anxiously.
‘She’ll be okay, right? She’s number one in Korea, after all...’
Even without armor or buffs, she wouldn’t struggle in a B-grade dungeon.
The smoke cleared on the wind, revealing a figure striding out unscathed—splattered in sap, hair disheveled, straight out of an anime scene.
But as she drew near, Yi Da-yoon’s gaze shifted from her heroic form to something else.
What she cradled in her arms.
It was the wreckage of her shattered spear. The bisected shaft, the dulled blade missing teeth and robbed of its glow, and countless fragments. Seong Ji-yoon clutched the scrap heap like a treasure.
Too broken for item recognition—couldn’t even go in her inventory anymore.
Seong Ji-yoon stopped in front of Yi Da-yoon’s hiding tree.
“It’s safe now. It’s all over.”
Yi Da-yoon cautiously poked his head out. Seong Ji-yoon ruffled his hair gently.
‘Hmm... feels kinda weird.’
Not exactly a kid anymore, getting his head patted felt awkward for sure. But it also warmed him right up, all fuzzy inside.
In that mellow haze, Yi Da-yoon barely managed to point at the fragments in her arms.
“Yes. But that spear...”
Yi Da-yoon pointed at the spear chunks cradled against her. Seong Ji-yoon gave a wry smile.
“It fulfilled its role. Thanks to it, I could protect you. That’s what matters.”
The moment I saw her expression, something squirmed deep inside me.
‘That face... I know it.’
It was the exact look from when my favorite toy robot’s arm snapped off as a kid. Or when the game CD I saved up for got scratched and wouldn’t run. Like she’d lost the whole world.
The face she’d make if my Yongyong plushie got torn.
And that spear had shattered protecting me.
‘Now I owe her one.’
I’m a worldly guy. Debts gotta be paid to settle the score—especially life debts.
“Alright, the dungeon exit should be open now. Let’s head this way.”
The Divine Spear started walking, still clutching her broken spear. I dashed up and grabbed her hem.
“Wait! Can I see that spear for a sec?”
“Pardon? I can show you, but... why?”
“Maybe... I can fix it.”
My words made her eyes widen for a split second before softening into a gentle smile. She figured it was just a kid’s attempt at comfort.
“That’s sweet of you to offer. But it’s too far gone to repair.”
“No, really! I can do it! Just promise me one thing, and I’ll fix it for sure!”
“...Alright. What’s the promise?”
“Keep it secret that I fixed it!”
She hesitated a moment, then held out the spear fragments to me.
“Okay, I promise. Like this?”
Grasping at straws, or maybe just humoring a child’s whim.
[Material: Fragments of ‘Forbidden Holy Spear’]
[Current Craftable Items: Sword, Necklace, Shield, Axe, Portable Structure +1]
Just in case, I checked—and Seong Ji-yoon’s spear registered properly as crafting material.
And if it qualified as material, I could recreate it no problem.
I spent one point to add spear to the craftable item list.
I quickly rummaged through my bag and pulled out my emergency ziplock—containing five scales.
Not many left, but skimping on materials for the Hunter who saved my life? Bad manners.
I piled all five scales atop the spear heap in Seong Ji-yoon’s hands.
“......?”
A question mark floated over her face, but no need to explain the situation.
‘Results will speak for themselves.’
Using Seong Ji-yoon’s arm as my workbench, the forging commenced.
Squeeze—