Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Three Guilds
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Rumble—.
"Fuck, what's going on!"
"What's the situation! If anyone knows, say something!"
The Suppression Corps members poured out of their barracks.
Some were in their underwear, others barely dressed.
They were all in disarray, having just been jolted from their sleep.
Then, someone shouted.
"Look... look over there!"
The Suppression Corps members followed the man's pointing finger, their gazes converging in one direction like a wave.
There, they saw the dungeon break pit that the awakened had started calling the 'Sinkhole'.
Grrrr—.
The ground shook as flying monsters poured out of the Sinkhole.
The Suppression Corps members in the barracks couldn't see clearly, but the observation drones flying overhead captured the scene perfectly.
The Sinkhole was collapsing and widening, and from within, a massive horde of monsters was endlessly climbing up its walls.
Wheeeeen—!
A giant speaker installed in the center of the Suppression Corps barracks began to blare loudly.
The alert, sent instantly from the first observation unit, reached the Chilgok Unit barracks, issuing an assembly order.
- All members of the Chilgok Unit, assemble immediately. I repeat. All members of the Chilgok Unit, assemble in front of the captain's barracks without exception.
The voice of Unit Commander Song Hoon echoed through the air.
The members of the Chilgok Unit hastily threw on their clothes, grabbed their weapons, and began to gather.
"What's going on?"
Ji-yoon, who had come out of her barracks, grabbed the hurriedly departing Kang Eun-taek and asked.
"I don't know either. We have to assemble first!"
Kang Eun-taek hurried toward the captain's barracks.
Son Jeong-gyu, Kim Jun-seo, and Jang Pil-ho followed close behind.
Just then, Lee Ji-woong approached from the opposite direction.
She stopped him—he had been on night duty—and asked.
"Ji-woong, what's happening?"
"Ah! I'm not sure of the details, but it looks like something is coming out of the Sinkhole. Not just that, but a huge army of monsters is pouring out... Anyway, I have to go get changed!"
With that, Lee Ji-woong headed back toward the 3rd squad's barracks.
Ji-yoon returned to the Guardian Guild's barracks and spoke to the guild members who were now awake.
"It looks like monsters are coming out of the Sinkhole! We have to go now!"
Ji-yoon said in an urgent voice, preparing to leave.
Following her lead, the Bak-ha-gong Trio also began to don their armor, getting ready for the raid.
However, Young-jin, who remained seated, stopped Ji-yoon.
"Ji-yoon, we're going to wait."
"What? Vice Master Young-jin, the entire Chilgok Unit is gathering! We have to go help!"
"No. We're the Guardian Guild, not the Chilgok Unit, right?"
"But... but still..."
"That's right, Ji-yoon. The Guardian Guild Master is on the phone right now. We'll have our orders soon."
Eun-hee, who had also been waiting, guided Ji-yoon to a seat.
In the end, Ji-yoon and the Bak-ha-gong Trio had no choice but to stop their preparations.
"Ji-yoon, I've been meaning to say this, but moving with the Chilgok Unit isn't a good idea for us."
Young-jin looked at Ji-yoon with a serious expression.
Ji-yoon, her face darkening, looked back at Young-jin and nodded.
"I know. For you and Eun-hee, these battles are far too easy..."
Ji-yoon knew that Young-jin and Eun-hee couldn't use their full strength.
The Chilgok Unit wasn't fighting monsters strong enough for them to go all out.
They were just wasting their stamina hunting low-level monsters on the periphery.
"I know what you're feeling, Ji-yoon, but I think we need to do what we do best."
Until now, they had been fighting monsters alongside the Chilgok Unit.
Thanks to them, the Chilgok Unit had managed to maintain its strength without any major injuries.
But Young-jin believed it was time for them to do what they were meant to do.
Why else were dungeons given ranks?
It was so that hunters with the appropriate skill level could enter them.
Guardian had the C-rank Jeong Hoon-hyeon and the B-rank Shim Young-jin.
And the A-rank hunter, Jeong Eun-hee.
Even if Eun-hee couldn't fully utilize her A-rank abilities because of her trauma, she was far too skilled to be hunting goblins and orcs with the Chilgok Unit.
Click—.
"A request came in from the Association for the Guardian Guild."
Jeong Hoon-hyeon, having finished his call, said to the guild members.
His expression was grim.
"Actually, it's a request for the coalition with Manseong, rather than just for us. It seems Manseong is on their way here now."
"Does that mean my uncle...?"
"No, it looks like the Manseong Guild Master, who just returned to the country, is coming himself. Your uncle is staying in Seoul, Vice Master Young-jin."
"Ah..."
Young-jin pursed his lips.
Jeong Hoon-hyeon turned his gaze to Eun-hee and said.
"They want us at the assembly point within thirty minutes, so we have plenty of time. But... you've been with us until now, so what are your plans, Assistant Manager?"
"..."
Eun-hee thought deeply.
Should she return to the Association, or should she stay here with them?
"Eun-hee, maybe you should go back? It'll be safer there than with us... Besides, the Association President is also..."
Ji-yoon looked at her with a worried expression.
Eun-hee met her gaze and recalled the past five days.
She still flinched and tensed up at the sight of blood.
But seeing Ji-yoon's steady back helped calm her heart, and thanks to that, she had been able to hunt monsters again.
She wondered if she could accept herself if she returned to the Association and went back to her old life.
Eun-hee finally took out her smartphone and checked her messages.
[Eun-hee, do whatever you want. Mom will always support you, no matter what.]
[Jeong Eun-hee! Aren't you coming back right now? Are you really planning to resign!]
Messages from her mother and Jeong In-gon.
Having made her decision, Eun-hee sent a message she had already drafted.
[Dad, I'm sorry. I'm quitting the Association.]
Then, she smiled brightly and said to Ji-yoon and the other guild members.
"I told you, didn't I? I'm not with the Association anymore. I want to stay with all of you... Would you be willing to have me in the Guardian Guild?"
"Eun-hee!"
Ji-yoon clasped Eun-hee's hands.
Jeong Hoon-hyeon grinned.
"Then from now on, Assistant Manager, we'll consider you a member of the Guardian Guild. Now, let's go!"
***
A location about 500 meters from the Sinkhole.
A large-scale force of Suppression Corps members could be seen fighting fiercely against the monsters.
"Dammit! We should be rescuing the Guild Master right now, what are we doing just standing here?"
"The director told us to wait."
"Brother, I can't wait any longer. Seo-jun, let's go."
Jin Hong-seok, a B-rank hunter from the Great Tiger Guild, tried to leave, pulling the arm of the sensational rookie, Im Seo-jun, who was an A-rank despite being new.
But Jo Seong-gang, a hunter from the Taebaek Guild, blocked their path.
"Hey! What's your problem? Are you crazy? Does your Great Tiger Guild have no sense of hierarchy?"
Jo Seong-gang said, glaring.
In response, Jin Hong-seok knocked Jo Seong-gang's arm away and tried to press forward, prompting the incredulous Jo Seong-gang to grab him by the collar.
"Ha, this bastard must be nuts."
"What, you bastard? Aren't you from Taebaek the ones with no respect? Your Guild Master is in that Sinkhole too, and you're the crazy ones for just standing around."
"You son of a bitch...!"
Jin Hong-seok and Jo Seong-gang grabbed each other by the collar.
This drew the attention of all the other gathered guild members.
The standoff between the two, which looked like it could erupt into a full-blown fight at any moment, ended surprisingly quickly.
"Both of you, stop."
Park Gang-ju, the Guild Master of Dawn, appeared, his body covered in bandages.
His injuries were severe, but his voice carried an undeniable authority.
"We'll have our orders soon. Do you two not realize who is here right now? The Association President, the President of the country, and the Chief of Staff of the Suppression Corps are all here. Shut up and wait quietly."
As Park Gang-ju reprimanded them, Jin Hong-seok and Jo Seong-gang returned to their respective places.
There was no one here stronger than Park Gang-ju, so they had no choice.
"I know how everyone feels, but please just wait a little longer."
Song Jeong-eun, who was standing next to Park Gang-ju, also addressed the assembled hunters.
Song Jeong-eun was also covered in wounds, but she was in better shape compared to Park Gang-ju.
Just then, Jeong Hoon-hyeon of the Guardian Guild arrived.
"Director, the Guardian Guild has arrived."
Following Jeong Hoon-hyeon, the Guardian Guild members took their place among the other guilds.
That's when Song Jeong-eun's eyes fell on Eun-hee.
Step, step—.
"Eun-hee, why are you here?"
Song Jeong-eun couldn't hide her surprise at seeing Eun-hee standing with the Guardian Guild.
As one of the Association President's closest aides, Song Jeong-eun knew exactly who Eun-hee was and what she was like.
Of course, she also knew that Eun-hee was afraid of fighting monsters. There was no way Jeong In-gon would have let her come here, so seeing her among the hunters was puzzling.
"I'm sorry. I was going to tell you after this was all over... I've decided to quit the Association and join the Guardian Guild."
"Is that so? Hmmm. I'm always on your side, Eun-hee, so I'll support whatever choice you make, but..."
Song Jeong-eun wore a troubled expression.
However, Eun-hee forced a smile to ease Song Jeong-eun's burden and said.
"I know. My father is here too. It was all over the news, wasn't it?"
"You knew... Anyway, he'll be out soon. The guilds will be moving in an organized fashion under the Association's lead."
After saying that, Song Jeong-eun left.
A radio call had come in, announcing the end of the meeting.
A moment later, Jeong In-gon appeared with a heavy expression and stepped onto the platform.
"Everyone. The Republic of Korea is currently facing a great threat."
Jeong In-gon swallowed hard and continued.
"According to the Guild Master of Dawn and the Association Director who are here with us, the tremors from this morning were caused by a Grade 1 monster. Accordingly, we have confirmed this monster to be Grade 1 or higher—in other words, a Named Monster—and we will be conducting a large-scale subjugation."
Murmur, murmur—.
"However, my primary objective is to rescue three S-rank and one A-rank awakened."
The hunters' murmuring grew louder.
Gwak Ji-hyeok and Kim Se-hoon were already famous S-rank hunters, known to all.
But Jeong In-gon had said three, making everyone wonder who the other S-rank was.
On top of that, the fact that three S-ranks were struggling against a Named Monster caused a growing unrest among the hunters.
"Therefore, I will now name the three guilds that will go first to rescue the three S-rank hunters. First, the Great Tiger Guild."
Clank—.
The members of the Great Tiger Guild drew their respective weapons.
Led by Jin Hong-seok, they prepared to charge into battle at a moment's notice.
"Next, the Taebaek Guild!"
Woooooah—!
The hunters of Taebaek roared, boosting their morale.
Their thunderous voices sent shivers down the spines of the other guilds.
"And finally, the Guardian Guild."
When the Guardian Guild was called, the majority of the hunters looked around with bewildered expressions.
No matter how famous and fast-growing Guardian was, it had only been a matter of two or three months.
It was only natural that they didn't recognize the Guardian Guild.
Soon, Young-jin's shout echoed through the chaotic venue, and the hunters finally began to realize where Guardian was.
"We, the Guardian Guild, are going to rescue Lee Do-jae!"
Murmur, murmur—.
"Lee Do-jae? The one from the dual dungeon?"
"He's been quiet for a while. Did he really become an S-rank?"
"The Association President announced it himself, so it must be true."
That's right.
Guardian was the guild Do-jae belonged to.
Even if they didn't know the name Guardian, many hunters remembered the name Lee Do-jae.
Tap, tap—.
"Now, everyone. I, along with the hunters of our Association, will also go out and fight. Let us all fight to aid the Suppression Corps!"