Chapter 93
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Outlet
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Jang Tae-won stepped out of the restaurant, and the attendants lined up along the wall followed him one by one.
Among them was Jeong-hyeon, sporting a cast on his nose.
He had been trailing the chairman from a spot relatively farther back than the other attendants.
Chairman Jang's gaze flicked briefly toward Jeong-hyeon before indifferently shifting back to the front.
Jeong-hyeon's face grew even darker.
'Well, even a half-baked A-rank has no business losing to a perennial B-rank hunter.'
Moreover, he had said he didn't even know how he'd been beaten...
Jang wasn't particularly disappointed in Jeong-hyeon.
He hadn't expected much from him to begin with.
The guy was still a ways off from true A-rank. It couldn't be helped.
On the contrary, by throwing his body into the fray, he'd uncovered that something was indeed afoot—more than Jang had bargained for.
'There is something. More on Kim Su-hyeon's side than Camellia.'
He fiddled with the spherical memory drive tucked in his pocket as he mulled it over.
No matter what Lee Jeong-woo's intentions were, Jang wouldn't let himself be used so easily.
"Chairman?"
At that moment, his secretary hurried up and called out to him.
"What is it."
"A message from the master of Camellia Guild."
The secretary's tone carried clear surprise.
"Hmm..."
A smile crept across Chairman Jang's lips.
An unexpected variable had cropped up, but a plan to twist this situation to his advantage was already taking shape.
"What? Here too?"
Ga-eun's voice pitched up, but the hunter managing the gate gave a curt, bureaucratic reply.
"Sorry, but it's an order from above."
"No, this isn't even a nationally managed gate. And look, regular awakeners are going in over there. Doesn't it seem weird that a temporary hunter can't?"
"There's nothing I can do about what you've told me."
"...Hah, got it."
Ga-eun finally yielded to the stonewalling attitude.
If they'd at least explained the reason properly, it wouldn't have felt so suffocating.
"Sorry, everyone. Gate exploration content will have to wait until I finish the full training. I had no idea I'd be blocked from a place even minors and regular awakeners can enter."
She had been hitting snags with her recent streams.
The content she was pushing lately involved touring various gates from her perspective—a high-rank awakener turned total rookie hunter.
Not dangerous spots, but ones with pretty scenery or unique monsters and environments as prime destinations.
Of course, "not dangerous" was relative; non-awakeners could suffer mana poisoning from prolonged exposure without protective gear, making it tough for civilians to waltz in.
Even non-civilians had distance restrictions and the like.
Above all, with Ga-eun pulling invincible cheat vibes like a side character gone rogue, there was zero tension—and viewers were eating it up.
Like a munchkin healing vacation or something.
That is, until hunter licenses suddenly got reclassified like driver's licenses, and temporary holders' gate access got clamped down.
"I figured guild-managed spots would be okay, but nope, same deal."
Ah
That's the spot overseas awakener academies visit for field trips lol
So ridiculous
What the hell are the rules anyway!!
Does Korea fear EnTube's growth?
What?????
Feels kinda off
Why so uptight ffs
Who's going in there anyway
Without training it's risky I guess..
Aw come on what's the point
It does have some use
You agreeing? Fraud?
;;;
"Okay, everyone, calm down. Let's just chalk this up to a failed attempt. I'll finish training over break and pick this content back up then."
Ga-eun on the phone screen forced a bright tone, but irritation creased her brow unmistakably.
"Ga-eun's streams aren't doing so hot, huh."
Da-hye, at the wheel, responded to Su-hyeon's murmur.
"It's weird. The license switch makes some sense, but this feels so out of nowhere."
"Right?"
Corpse cleanup crews without proper hunter gear and obvious tourists were waved right through, yet Ga-eun alone got blocked. It didn't add up.
"Chan-seong, you said it switched to a license, but no issues?"
Su-hyeon asked, and Chan-seong replied from his uncomfortably twisted posture in the back.
"If you've got over a year of experience, they swap it out no problem. Haven't tested gates yet—I'm in training."
"Ah."
For reference, Chan-seong had recently joined Mystic Guild.
The second-half public recruitment wasn't for a bit, but Mystic had scouted him directly.
He figured no other guild would top their offer, so he accepted.
"Oh, looks like that's it?"
-Arriving at destination shortly.
Da-hye spoke just as the navigation chimed in.
Today's destination: a hunter outlet on the city outskirts.
To celebrate Ga-eun officially becoming a hunter, they were getting her gear that actually fit—Su-hyeon's idea.
Whoo.
They parked in the quiet lot and headed inside.
"But seriously, what should we get her...?"
"A weapon seems best, right?"
The first thing Ga-eun had shown up swinging was a survival knife from Coupang (about 200,000 won).
Fun fact: apparently, hunter weapons and bladed carry permits were separate things.
Ga-eun had dodged a bullet—her knife's blade length barely squeaked under the limit.
Hunter blades and guns fell under the Awakener Safety Management Act, so no permit needed, but civilian knives didn't count as hunter gear.
"Can't just grab any old weapon. It's gotta last, so it needs to fit her grip and all."
"Anything'd beat what Ga-eun bought."
"Ahem, true, but... Maybe a decent case instead?"
"Ooh! But that depends on weapon length too."
The two amateurs turned to the group's sole veteran.
"What's your take, Chan-seong? You've been a hunter a while."
"Beginners usually go for emergency kits. ...Not sure if Ga-eun needs one."
"Yeah, fair."
Ga-eun's recent showings were straight out of a human tank playbook.
Goblins chuck rocks at her noggin? Rocks shatter. Kick an orc's shin? Extra joint appears on that log of a leg.
Arm snagged by tentacles? She yanks the monster out tendril and all, unfazed.
Maybe doable against weaker mobs, but viewers loved the cathartic beatdowns—great feedback.
Weeeeng—
Passing a pristine plaza into the entrance, a staffer approached.
"Welcome! This is Seoul Premium Hunter Outlet. Per safety management laws, a guide accompanies each group. Feel free to ask about products or anything you need explained."
"Hi. Buying a gift for a friend who just became a hunter."
"Any specific gear in mind?"
"No, could you recommend? Vanguard position, physical enhancement type..."
Da-hye, ever the lawyer, laid it out crisply.
So reliable.
The staffer nodded at her rundown.
"I'll show you main weapons first."
They were led to a store packed with mass-produced blades.
"Whoa..."
Photos of famous B-rank hunters modeling the gear caught the eye.
Maybe Ga-eun's pic would hang here someday.
"Mass-produced, but sorted by build, size, purpose, ability. Custom's ideal later, but these are low-commitment for finding your style over a few months."
"Hmm..."
Listening, Su-hyeon peered at a nearby jungle machete-lookalike.
-8,600,000 won
"Heek...!"
'Low-commitment...?'
Gulp.
"Hunters make bank, huh...?"
Poking the nearby Chan-seong got a vague reply.
"Eh, varies by person? No clue compared to my situation."
Right—slave contract left him buried in debt. No wonder.
The staffer, overhearing, stifled a chuckle.
"Ahem. Mass-produced from reputable brands, so yeah. Plenty of vets—I'm talking long-time C-ranks and up—use 'em forever if nothing happens."
"Weapons on the pricey side?"
Da-hye chimed in.
"Pretty much. Life-or-death for vanguards, after all. If that's too much, we've got plenty under a million. Want a tour?"
"No, we'll browse here. Gotta pick something nice for a gift."
"Sure thing."
As Da-hye and Chan-seong seriously eyed weapons, Su-hyeon started wandering.
Flashy blades lined the walls.
"Oh?"
One item snagged Su-hyeon's eye.
'Glorian Longsword?'
A greatsword eerily like her game character's.
Glancing around, Su-hyeon sidled up stealthily.
Confirming no eyes on her, she tentatively gripped the hilt.
The cold, solid handle pressed into her soft palm.
"Heavy... ah."
Shring—clang.
Way heavier than expected.
Two-handed grunting barely kept it upright; she propped the tip on the floor, inverted.
Game char swung it one-handed easy.
Bummer.
"Wow..."
Su-hyeon's eyes sparkled, tracing the blade up and down.
Holding a bigger-than-her sword upside-down felt downright regal.
Then, someone gently pried it from her grasp.
"Huh?"
Looking up, the staffer stated firmly.
"How about our young friend sticks to looking?"
"...Hmph."
Su-hyeon pouted like a kid robbed of her toy.