Chapter 122
Chapter 122
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Stern but Warm, Gentle but Cold
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In the first-floor lobby, the gathered Guardian Guild members stared intently at Briareus.
No, at Lee Do-jun, who had now become Do-jae's cousin.
"You two look exactly alike. I'd believe you if you said he was your younger brother."
"Is that so... Well, we're cousins..."
Young-jin said, looking at Do-jun with interest.
Not only did he resemble Do-jae enough to pass for a real brother, but their height and build were also similar.
So much so that if they were standing with their backs turned, you couldn't tell who was Do-jae and who was Briareus.
"Honestly... Mr. Lee Do-jun looks more like your brother than your cousin."
"I guess it's because we both take after our mothers' side of the family..."
Eun-hee also commented, surprised by Briareus's appearance.
If it weren't for his distinct reddish-brown hair, it would be difficult to tell them apart from a distance.
"But his vibe is completely different from yours, Do-jae."
"Vibe? How so?"
Ji-yoon said, looking back and forth between Do-jae and Briareus.
Just as she said, everyone seemed to agree; the two of them gave off completely different impressions.
"Hmm, how should I put it? Do-jae, you seem stern but warm? But your cousin feels gentle yet cold. He's handsome and seems relaxed, but for some reason..."
"Was I warm...? Do-jun is a warm guy, too..."
At Ji-yoon's words, Young-jin nodded vigorously.
"Right! Mr. Do-jun is like... being under a winter blanket before the electric pad is turned on. You know that slightly chilly feeling?"
"Pfft. What kind of comparison is that?"
"Chief Young-jin, I know exactly what you mean!"
The guild members agreed with Young-jin.
At that, Eun-hee nudged Young-jin, giving him a look.
"That's rude to say to someone you've just met, Mr. Young-jin."
"I didn't mean it in a bad way..."
Young-jin said, looking sullen.
Do-jae realized the guild members' intuition was surprisingly sharp.
Even with the Polymorph spell that allowed for a perfect transformation into another species, it seemed it couldn't completely conceal the ferocity of the being within.
"Anyway, Do-jun is looking for a guild right now. He was a skilled magic-type hunter in America, and I thought it would be a good idea to scout him for our guild, so I brought him here."
The reason Do-jae brought Briareus.
It was because he couldn't just let this powerful dragon laze around the house doing nothing.
Besides, with his incredible appetite—having devoured not just everything in the fridge but most of the food in the Subspace—the food expenses were no joke. He figured having him clear dungeons and fill that hungry stomach with monsters would be a good idea.
"If the Vice Guild Master vouches for him, what's the problem?"
"That's right. I was just thinking we could use more magic-type hunters in the guild, and we only had one among the new recruits. If you don't mind me asking, what's his rank?"
Jeong Hoon-hyeon and Young-jin looked pleased.
Magic-type hunters are generally judged to be C-rank or higher Awakeners.
So their expectations for Briareus were high.
"Hmm... Those guys said I was S-rank, right? Then I must be around that level..."
"He's B-rank! Haha... Here, you can see Do-jun's hunter license, right?"
Do-jae quickly cut Briareus off and showed them the hunter license he had received from Kim Soo-kyung.
However, Jeong Hoon-hyeon found it strange and asked.
"Didn't you just say something about S-rank?"
"You must have misheard. He's lived abroad for a long time, so he must have gotten confused."
"Hmm... For someone like that, his Korean is too good."
"Haha... He's a very smart kid. It's just that the culture is unfamiliar to him."
"Alright. Since the Guild Master has given his approval, I think we should just welcome Mr. Do-jae and Mr. Do-jun, right?"
Eun-hee stepped forward and started clapping.
Then, one by one, everyone else began to clap, welcoming Briareus.
In truth, Eun-hee, as well as Young-jin and Ji-yoon, had noticed that Do-jae was hiding something, but they knew it wasn't with any ill intent, so they didn't say anything.
Besides, Do-jae was the type to explain everything when the time was right. They figured the time just wasn't right yet and welcomed Briareus.
***
[Character Information]
Name: Shim Young-jin
Level: 60
Classification: Human
Details: 25 years old, Male, 179cm, 78kg, member of the Guild.
Status: Fatigued, Exhausted, Weakened
[Stats]
Strength: 190 / Stamina: 167 / Agility: 151 / Mentality: 80 / Resistance: 96
[Skills]
Passive: Swordsmanship Lv. 6 / Quick Attack Lv. 3 / Body Enhancement Lv. 7 / Stamina Recovery Lv. 4
Active: Power Strike Lv. 8 / Horizontal Slash Lv 4. / Wild Dance Lv. 2 / Counter Lv. 5
"You've gotten reasonably stronger."
Do-jae said, looking down at the collapsed and panting Young-jin.
Having returned to his daily routine after the Busan suppression campaign, Do-jae was once again working on leveling up Young-jin to help him grow.
"I'm dying..."
"This is all for you. Endure it."
"Yeees... I know. I definitely felt it this time. That I've gotten stronger!"
*Smack!*
Do-jae smacked Young-jin on the head.
"Ouch! Why'd you hit me...!"
"Just because. Your face just now was annoying."
"Whaaat. Hyung-niiim... How could you say that..."
Do-jae got up and walked to the refrigerator.
He took out a bottle of water and spoke to Young-jin.
"Do you know what the difference is between you and her?"
Do-jae pointed to a new guild member who was training hard with the fitness equipment.
Specifically, he pointed to a female guild member running diligently on a treadmill.
"I'm a man and So-jin is a woman."
*Smack!*
"Aah! Stop hitting me, the others are watching!"
"Give me a proper answer."
"Um... I have you, and So-jin doesn't have..."
*Swoosh-!*
"W-wait!"
As Do-jae raised his hand again, Young-jin quickly snatched it.
"I know! I've been listening to you grumble about it all the time."
"What is it?"
"That I don't have any useful skills... and So-jin has a good one."
"Correct."
"Wow... That's actually really hurtful, but you don't seem to care at all."
"It's the truth."
Young-jin's face fell.
Just as he said, Do-jae had always been disappointed with Young-jin's skills.
Young-jin's body was getting stronger by the day, but he lacked the skills to use that body effectively.
Moreover, his existing swordsmanship-related skills weren't even at their max level, so he couldn't be called exceptionally skilled with a sword either.
On the other hand, the new guild member Heo So-jin, who was diligently training her stamina, had a very good skill.
[Perfect Aim Lv. Max]
Perfect Aim, a skill that allows her to throw a projectile wherever she wants, anytime, anywhere, regardless of the environment.
If she held a sword, she could stab it precisely into a weak point, and with a bow, she could hit any target she wanted with perfect accuracy.
However, compared to her skill, all of Heo So-jin's stats were far too low.
She was an Awakener barely above F-rank, even worse than the Peppermint Trio.
As a result, with her strength, she was incapable of landing any significant attack on monsters of Grade 8 or higher, whether she stabbed with a sword or shot an arrow.
"She has been training every single day since she joined, trying to get stronger somehow. But what about you? Besides receiving mana infusions from me, you just play around every day."
"Hehehe. Hyung-nim, it's only been a week since the suppression campaign ended... My body and mind were exhausted. Don't you think I need to unwind to grow faster?"
"A week is more than enough rest, isn't it? Does this mean you're going to start working hard from now on?"
"Yep! I'll train hard with the new recruits!"
"Good. Then, within the next month, create a technique of your own."
"What?"
"I'm telling you to create a special skill that only you can use."
"Wait a minute... No... Skills aren't something you can just create because you want to... They're innate... That's impossible."
Young-jin clung to Do-jae, shaking his head fiercely.
But Do-jae didn't budge.
"You have plenty of money and connections. Find something and make it work, just like when you went from D-rank to C-rank."
"Ah... No... Wait a minute. Hyung-nim? Hyung-niiiiim!"
Do-jae left the pleading Young-jin behind and went outside.
If Young-jin was to get stronger faster than he was now, he needed his own special skill.
In truth, Do-jae didn't expect Young-jin to create a skill within a month.
If skills could be created that easily, who would be stuck at F or E-rank?
He had only said it hoping Young-jin would put in even a tenth of the effort that So-jin, who was only E-rank despite her good skill due to low stats, was showing.
And Do-jae hadn't given him the one-month deadline without a plan.
Something he had learned while spending the week with Kang Young-chan and the others after the Busan suppression campaign ended.
He was going to create it for Young-jin within a month.
***
Third-floor lounge.
Do-jae spotted Briareus sitting leisurely and approached him.
"There you are."
"Oh, you're... you're here?"
Briareus quickly hid his hands.
But Do-jae had already seen what he was doing.
"You can't get that off, so just live with it."
"Damn it... You saw?"
Putting his hands down comfortably again, Briareus looked awkward.
The prayer beads he received from Kim Soo-kyung were tied securely around his wrist, refusing to break.
"Take me to Hwacheon."
"Again?"
"Yes. Right now."
Do-jae gestured with his eyes to a new guild member, Ahn Tae-geon, who was standing nearby.
At that, Ahn Tae-geon, who had been kneading Briareus's shoulders, his expression instantly brightened, and he shot out of the room like an arrow.
Ahn Tae-geon, a magic-type hunter, had been entrusted to Briareus, and though Do-jae didn't know what kind of training he was undergoing, he had lost so much weight in just a week that his cheeks had hollowed out.
"It's a pain... Because of you, I can't even use Dragon Words, and you keep trying to order me around with teleportation. I swear. I don't even know who's the dragon and who's the human anymore."
Briareus crossed his legs and avoided his gaze.
Do-jae immediately knew what he wanted.
"Alright... I'll lift the limit, so just charge 300,000 rubies."
"Ooh, deal!"
Briareus shot to his feet.
A satisfied smile spread across his face.
"You bastards. You're all dead. Today was a siege battle anyway, and with 300,000 rubies... Kyahahaha."
Then he turned off the mobile game he was playing and placed a hand on Do-jae's shoulder.
"Then I shall escort you safely!"
*Fwoosh-!*
Briareus chanted the teleportation spell.
And in an instant, Do-jae and Briareus arrived at the secluded house in Hwacheon with the underground laboratory.
"I'll be waiting here, so have a good trip."
Briareus turned his smartphone back on and launched the game.
And Do-jae was about to ring the doorbell to go inside, but...
"Hey, wait! Do you have a spare power bank?"
Briareus held out his hand.
Do-jae took a power bank out of his Subspace and handed it to him.
"Sorry, sorry. Thanks! Well, have a good trip!"
*Click-.*
*Creeak-.*
The door opened, and as Do-jae went inside, Briareus waved at him with a childlike innocence.