Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Securing the Potion Master
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Nayeo-ju, pull yourself together.
Once you snap out of it, even a camping trip turns into recruiting a potion master.
Let's see... what's Im Cheong-su's weakness?
"You come here a lot, don't you?"
"……."
Bingo, right on the money.
Im Cheong-su's back flinched as he slung what looked like a basket woven from plants over his shoulder.
That really is an eco-bag.
"You know you're not supposed to do that, right?"
"……I know-yu."
Civilians were strictly forbidden by law from entering gates.
It was a rule born from early incidents where clueless thrill-seekers went in like it was an abandoned building adventure and ended up dying in droves.
But for Im Cheong-su, living deep in these remote mountains, there was something even closer than the law.
"If your grandma and grandpa found out, they'd worry sick."
"Don't tell Gran'ma and Gran'pa."
Finally, the kid's stubborn, prickly attitude softened a bit.
"I don't come to the map that often-yu. No, even if I wanna come more, I can't."
"Why not?"
"……You'll see when you go in-yu."
With that, Im Cheong-su plunged into the gate first.
"Hey, Im Cheong-su!"
I shouted his name in surprise.
But there was no way my voice would carry into the gate's completely separate dimension.
I rushed to follow him through the gate, startled—but someone beat me to it.
Kang Han, his face set in a hard line.
……Im Cheong-su, you're in deep trouble now.
The moment Kang Han entered the gate, he grabbed Im Cheong-su by the scruff of the neck.
"Eek!"
"Running off without a care."
Oh, I'd never seen Kang Han this mad before.
He was usually stoic and quiet, but never scary.
Especially with the twins—he was strict but a silent protector showering them with affection.
The reason Kang Han was this furious wasn't just because a kid like Im Cheong-su was sneaking in and out of a gate without permission.
As an A-rank hunter myself, I could tell the second we stepped in.
"There are…… monsters?"
Lee Yu-chan whispered in shock beside me.
This place was a D-rank dungeon cleared of all monsters years ago.
After that, they'd kept it intact without destroying the nucleus for mining purposes.
Yet beyond the grass near the gate entrance, monsters were blatantly wandering around.
"They started poppin' up one by one a few months ago-shu."
Im Cheong-su whispered back, his voice hushed too.
"And you've been coming here alone?"
Kang Han's voice dropped even lower.
"Whoa."
Look at that flashy status window.
S, S, S feast.
'Im Cheong-su had already awakened at this young age.'
Potion Master Im Cheong-su appeared out of nowhere mid-story in Sejong Chronicle.
He debuted as the right-hand man to Maestro Guild Master Jeong Je-hwa, producing "herbal decoctions" on a whole other level from market potions.
Especially the ones Im Cheong-su made... well, not drugs—potions.
Anyway, among those potions, the kind that minimized rampage aftereffects were priceless—you couldn't buy them even with money.
And the emphasis is on "couldn't buy even with money."
"Heh heh heh."
Too bad I couldn't laugh out loud while hiding.
And what's that "Dungeon Produce Compendium" skill?
Definitely something like my info window skill.
No more wasting money on appraisers when I already know everything, no more pretending not to know while dropping hints for guildmates who can't see info windows.
"Heh heh heh heh."
It was like a golden goose waddling right up to me.
I wanted to grab that swishing tail every time his butt wiggled, but no.
From the look of him, Im Cheong-su was squirrel-like.
A cute squirrel that'd scamper up a tree with a rustle if you approached cooing with an acorn, going "chit chit chit."
"Miss sis, you hurt somewhere-yu?"
Im Cheong-su looked at me pitifully and asked Kang Han.
Kang Han released his hoodie and replied.
"……In a way."
You little punk!
Don't mislead my goose!
I quickly plastered on a normal expression and spoke.
"Im Cheong-su."
"Yeah."
"We'll wipe out all those monsters for you. In return, can you help us out?"
"You can really take 'em all-shu?"
As Im Cheong-su said, it was a small dungeon, and the info window confirmed all monsters D-rank or below.
"For real."
"For true-ru?"
"Have you only lived getting scammed? We're the Justice Guild."
"……Fine then-yu."
Yes!
Now it was time for us to shake our tails to lure in the golden goose.
Im Cheong-su blinked both eyes.
He couldn't believe the scene unfolding before him.
The short-haired sis, who didn't look ordinary at all, was swinging something that looked like a thug's knife like it was her own limb.
"Lee Yu-chan, between the eyes!"
"I got it without you saying!"
Pssht—thunk!
The flashy bro nailed every shot, bursting weak points on boar-like monsters.
"Everyone, fall back."
Then, at the incredibly handsome mage bro's command, they all halted their attacks at once.
Whoosh—bam!
A house-sized iceberg pinnacle flew out, one-shotting a red-eyed deer.
"N-No way."
Cheong-su was afraid of monsters.
After his parents, who had gone to Seoul for business, got caught in the 5th dungeon break and never came back, he deliberately avoided even looking at gates or monsters.
It wasn't hard.
He had no phone, TV reception was spotty in these mountains, and Grandma and Grandpa never put on news his grandson hated when he was around.
Then last summer, he stumbled on this dungeon purely by accident.
He knew the country managed a gate here, so he'd avoided the area entirely.
But that day, some impulse drew him in through the black fissure out of curiosity.
He'd trembled in fear of dungeons his whole life, but inside the gate was just another forest.
After that, this place became Cheong-su's rest spot, his private space.
While poking around every corner alone, he picked up a shiny, fist-sized stone washed clean by the river.
It was the egg from which his familiar Maeng-i hatched.
But a few months ago, entering his hideout as usual, a deer twice the size of a fence wall stood there rigidly.
When those dark red eyes and drooling fangs like a beast's were right in his face, Cheong-su fainted.
What about Grandma and Grandpa if I die like this?
But ridiculously, he woke up unharmed.
The weird deer still prowled around, but acted like he was invisible.
He fled without looking back and swore never to enter a dungeon again.
But when Grandma's chronic arthritis worsened, he had to sneak in occasionally.
Because he remembered one page from the virtual compendium that flashed before him when he bolted out.
He realized he'd awakened as a hunter or something.
And one of his abilities protected him from monster attacks.
But to Cheong-su, monsters were still objects of terror.
Yet...
Zzzap!
Boom!
Cheong-su's round eyes couldn't leave Kang Han, silently firing lightning.
The sharp-fanged, huge red bird that haunted his nightmares for days oxidized into black ash without a scream at his gesture.
The "Justice Guild" was like the heroes from Grandma and Grandpa's old tales to Cheong-su.
Appearing whenever the country was in crisis, striking bad monsters with lightning to save people.
And now those tale heroes were alive and moving before his eyes.
Lightning flashed wherever Kang Han looked, and monsters fell without fail.
Watching another boar turn to black ash, Cheong-su mumbled unconsciously.
"……So cool."
And a tiny voice in his heart whispered.
Maybe I could become a cool hero like that someday?
"Heh heh."
Good, it's working.
Before Kang Han led everyone into a full raid, I'd given them a heads-up.
D-rank, so easy, but make it a bit showy.
Kang Han had given me that "what scheme is she up to now?" look, of course.
But once it started, he went all out.
"……So cool."
I overheard Im Cheong-su mumbling, unable to tear his eyes from Kang Han.
Hooked.
Everything was going according to plan.
Kids this age are weak to heroes, after all.
"Good work, everyone."
The raid ended in the blink of an eye, naturally.
For the rapidly strengthening Justice Guild, now with solid experience, this was nothing.
"Anyone need healing?"
"For this? Nah."
Jang Su-ho said something helpful for once.
Im Cheong-su's sullen demeanor vanished, replaced by an innocent kid-like face as he asked.
"Is the Justice Guild... the strongest-yu?"
"Hmm."
A massive impulse to say yes battled my tiny speck of conscience.
And surprisingly, conscience won.
"There are guilds stronger than us."
No point in such a lie—no gain.
One guild ranking search and it'd be exposed.
It'd just erode trust in us.
"Is that so-yu……."
Im Cheong-su's reaction wasn't bad either.
No sign of disappointment in us.
He just looked around the now-peaceful dungeon.
Those big eyes even showed signs of deep thought.
"Cheong-su."
But no time to let him think.
Real contracts are signed with an "eh?" before you know it.
"We've done our part."
Im Cheong-su snapped back to reality with an "Ah!" and said exactly what I was waiting for.
"So what do I gotta help with now-yu?"