Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: 13장. 크로스 헌터 (3)
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042
13장. 크로스 헌터 (3)
8.
Cross Hunters.
Those who fought against the followers of the Black Mage.
In other words, they were the top priority targets for elimination by the Black Mage's followers.
It was only natural that Cross Hunters would react with extreme sensitivity to anyone who knew their true identity.
Of course, that didn't mean Cross Hunters indiscriminately eliminated everyone they encountered.
“El Pam, was it?”
“Yes. While challenging the Mystic Gate, I found this letter and ring.”
They were insular, and those within their ranks were tighter-knit than anyone else.
No group boasted stronger unity.
They were the type to sacrifice their lives without hesitation for their comrades, and thus, they were fully prepared to offer more than fair compensation to someone who brought them a comrade's letter.
El Pam's case was no different.
“They said they'd give me a reward befitting this if I delivered it.”
They were ready to provide ample compensation for the letter and Cross Ring he brought.
“……How did you find this place?”
The problem was that El Pam had come straight to the Cross Hunters' secret branch.
“The letter surely didn't specify this location, did it?”
In fact, the letter mentioned a ordinary tavern that the Cross Hunters used as a front for their operations.
By all rights, El Pam and the Cross Hunters should have met there, exchanged the reward for the letter without knowing each other's identities, and parted ways.
That's why El Pam had come here directly.
‘Just taking the money and leaving would be pointless.’
Money wasn't what he wanted.
To that end, El Pam had proceeded step by step.
“First, please read the letter.”
He handed over the letter.
A Cross Hunter picked it up.
The content was ordinary.
Just a letter to family.
But the Cross Hunter knew. The visible text was a cover; the real message was hidden separately.
And to read it required a method known only to Cross Hunters.
“The Kania Merchant Group's true identity is the Black Mage's followers. That's what it says.”
El Pam revealed the hidden message.
In that instant, the atmosphere shifted.
The already tense air grew even more murderous.
He could read their secret code? He knew their secrets to this extent?
‘He has to be eliminated.’
In that moment, every Cross Hunter gathered there became a loaded gun.
Ready to rush at El Pam the instant the trigger was pulled.
Their killing intent was blatant and vicious.
Suffocating for the recipient.
And it was justified.
The fate borne by Cross Hunters was on a different level from that of ordinary adventurers, and their resolve was in another dimension altogether.
Of course, El Pam was the exception.
Such killing intent provided him no stimulation whatsoever.
Above all, this was a golden opportunity for El Pam right now.
‘My original plan was something else entirely.’
El Pam's plan had been to first package himself as someone special in various ways.
After that? To go through several stages until he met a Cross Hunter executive. That was the goal.
It was a long-term objective, but now things had changed.
‘Cheryl is here.’
A Cross Hunter executive was present.
So El Pam didn't hide it.
“I'll discuss the details with the person in charge.”
With those words, El Pam looked at Cheryl.
In that moment, the man who had his gun trained on El Pam spoke.
“Follow me.”
9.
Cheryl.
El Pam hadn't known about her for long.
It was after monsters began pouring out of the Mystic Gate, and some more time had passed.
After he heard that Gerector, the former leader of the Cross Hunters, had died, and Cheryl had become the new leader.
In other words, until then, Cheryl's existence hadn't been widely known even within the Cross Hunters.
It was for security.
The leader could afford to stay hidden, but executives had to move around frequently to manage the organization.
If their identities were exposed, the Black Mage's followers wouldn't just sit idly by.
They'd pull out every means and method to eliminate them.
And the methods employed by the Black Mage's followers would transcend common sense.
That was why El Pam, upon mentioning the person in charge, had looked at Cheryl.
If the fact that she was an executive was revealed in a situation where no one knew?
It would be a headache even if they killed El Pam on the spot.
“Follow me.”
Thus, the moment El Pam said that, Hor, the branch chief of the Cross Hunters' Lis branch, took El Pam and moved.
To his own room.
A room with just a desk, a chair, and nothing else—for the two of them alone.
Clank!
The door's lock made a harsh sound. As if declaring no one would let him out.
It was then.
“Lady Cheryl.”
With those words, a woman appeared in the chair in front of the previously empty desk.
A sharp-featured beauty with golden blonde hair.
The same woman El Pam had looked at moments ago.
“One minute.”
The woman, Cheryl, looked at El Pam and said.
“Convince me for one minute why I shouldn't kill you.”
Chilling words.
El Pam also knew.
‘At this point, Cheryl has six rings.’
Cheryl had more than enough ability to kill him if he failed to convince her in one minute.
‘She wouldn't hesitate.’
She also had the personality to kill him without a second thought.
‘She was like that back then too.’
He already knew from personal experience.
‘Even when we went to hunt the final Hontail, she showed no hesitation.’
He knew exactly what kind of person she was to the end.
Of course, El Pam felt no great worry or tension in this moment.
He wouldn't have come here if he lacked confidence in persuading her.
“There are two things. One is the benefit of not killing me, the other is the risk of killing me.”
El Pam readily stated his prepared reasons.
“Right now, the Kania Merchant Group is hunting me. I've become a target of the Black Mage's followers.”
The first was the benefit.
“So, you can use me as bait to take out the Black Mage's followers.”
That was a pretty good benefit.
Cross Hunters hid their identities, but the Black Mage's followers concealed theirs even more thoroughly.
If their affiliation was exposed, the Cygnus Knights and all forces of the Maple Alliance would mobilize instantly.
And he could serve as bait to draw them out?
But that alone wasn't enough to convince Cheryl.
“We can do that ourselves.”
The Black Mage's followers were hunting Cross Hunters, so Cross Hunters could become bait anytime.
“30 seconds left.”
Now, it was time for the penalty.
“The moment I die, the leader Gerector's location will be transmitted to the Black Mage's followers.”
And the moment El Pam stated that penalty, Cheryl didn't get angry.
Far from it—she scoffed.
She didn't believe him.
How could El Pam, a newbie adventurer who hadn't been at it long, know Gerector's location—something even the Black Mage's followers didn't?
“20 seconds.”
“Shall I tell you the location then?”
“19 seconds.”
“Edelstein.”
“18 seconds.”
“Underground parliament.”
The moment he spoke, Cheryl stopped the countdown.
She knew now.
At this moment, bargaining with El Pam meant bargaining with no one other than Gerector's life.
She couldn't afford the risk of killing El Pam recklessly in such a situation.
“What do you want?”
In the end, there was only one choice left: to do as El Pam wished.
And right there, El Pam said.
“The Kania Merchant Group is after me. And to evade them, I joined the Gapor Merchant Group.”
“The Gapor Merchant Group will use you as bait. They just need evidence that the Kania Merchant Group is trolling. They want to shake them up and bring them down.”
“So I need items. Items to survive against the fish trying to devour me whole.”
Cheryl didn't ponder long at that.
As mentioned earlier, negotiation was essentially impossible here.
There was only one thing needed.
“If we give you items, can we trust you not to betray us?”
Trust.
El Pam answered calmly.
“If I die, the information I hold dies with me. Conversely, if I survive, the Kania Merchant Group will overextend to kill me. The Black Mage's followers will drop dead because of me.”
At those words, Cheryl no longer even considered hesitating.
“What's your job?”
“A mage.”
“Your attribute?”
As El Pam wanted, they just needed to give him items suited to him.
That was it.
Cheryl thought there was no need to attach more meaning to this matter.
“Give me anything.”
“So, tell me your attribute. Fire? Poison?”
“Anything is fine.”
“What do you…….”
“From fire attribute to psychic powers—any item is okay.”
But upon hearing that, Cheryl had to think again.
“All Master. That's my ability.”
10.
Gapor Merchant Group.
“Boss!”
El Pam appeared there late at night.
“You're late?”
“I had some business.”
By the time El Pam arrived, the Gapor Merchant Group had already finished all preparations.
Evis had been waiting up late for El Pam.
“Here’s the down payment.”
20 million mesos—an enormous sum—prepared.
And that wasn't all they had ready.
“And here’s the list of Mystic Gates to conquer.”
The Gapor Merchant Group demanded Mystic Gate conquests.
Nothing strange about it.
The contract specified it: El Pam's party was to periodically conquer Mystic Gates.
Any adventurer would know.
“In this situation, the other side of the Mystic Gate is actually safer.”
When fellow adventurers were the enemy, the world outside the Mystic Gate was far more dangerous.
Mystic Gates had entry restrictions. For an orange-grade Mystic Gate, only those at 3rd Circle or below could enter.
Meaning, beyond that gate, you'd never encounter 4th Circle or higher adventurers.
Of course, it was still dangerous either way, but between conquering an orange-grade Mystic Gate and getting attacked by a 5th Circle adventurer in the real world—which was riskier? No need to think.
“We've secured the safest ones possible. Entry limited to 50 people or fewer, and ones where the adventurers attempting them are low-level.”
Above all, the Gapor Merchant Group had gathered mostly the lowest difficulty ones among those.
At this point, it was considerate enough that El Pam's party should be grateful.
‘Refusal isn't an option.’
In other words, El Pam's party had no choice but to accept the proposal, like it or not.
The problem was that El Pam knew.
‘Even if it's hell.’
Every option on the list presented by the Gapor Merchant Group was inevitably a trap for El Pam's party.
No matter which one they picked, it was hell.
In truth, the answer was simple.
“You paid a hefty sum to contract us, so we can't afford a sloppy Mystic Gate conquest.”
“What do you mean by that?”
They just needed to pick something else.
Of course, picking just any other one casually would be problematic.
“Exactly what I said. If we've received 20 million mesos as a down payment, we have to show abilities worthy of it, right?”
A place with clear merit.
“I'll conquer the Mystic Gate with the 9.99 million meso bounty.”
And in the adventurer's world, "merit" meant exactly that.
“9.99 million mesos? You don't mean the Mystic Gate that the Nautilus put a bounty on, do you?”
“Yes.”
“W-Wait! That place is…….”
“Eagle Eye Rea, one of Captain Kairin of the Nautilus's disciples, failed to conquer it.”
Merit came with equal risk.
“And after that, no one—no one—has dared attempt it even after a year.”
El Pam's next adventure stage was that place.