Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: So Mean
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So Mean
You all know about Nova's official announcement that they secured new forces equivalent to three A-rank Hunters.
Why say "equivalent to three" instead of just "three"? There was some talk about whether they actually recruited an S-rank Hunter, but that's obviously nonsense.
An S-rank Hunter would be tough to handle even with ten A-rankers.
And now, the Gangbuk Gate has confirmed Nova's new Hunter recruitment.
This was an open-type gate that appeared in the Mapo district.
(Photo of a congested road and a crowd of people)
I was on the 6th floor of the building right next to it. I saw the gate open in real-time and started recording immediately.
As expected, the Nova Guild arrived before Union to handle the situation, but something appeared much faster than either guild's main strike teams.]
"Could this be...?"
The picture in the post appeared to be a screenshot from the video. Something pure white was descending at a speed so fast the camera couldn't capture it properly.
Only a faint afterimage remained, its shape impossible to discern.
[You can't tell from just the picture, right? Watch the video.]
As cars screeched to a halt and people scrambled to escape, something plummeted from the sky and slammed into the ground in an instant.
Even though the video was shot from the 6th floor, a loud *thud* was clearly audible. It seemed to be a Daiso store, and the loud noise startled so many people that you could see them rushing to the windows in the video.
[I watched until the end, and it looked like a bird-type familiar. ㅇㅇ
The most surprising thing is that it arrived exactly 3 minutes after the gate opened.
Maybe it was a trial period or something, because it just saved a few people and then left.
It rescued one kid who looked like an elementary schooler, went deep into the gate's origin point, returned some object, and then disappeared.
The familiar's intelligence seems to be top-tier, and its speed and combat power are excellent.
But the biggest thing is that the Hunter controlling the familiar wasn't on the scene.
You all know how crucial response time is for reducing casualties, right? A Summoner who can cover a range of at least several hundred meters to several kilometers + two or more familiars with outstanding combat power.
If that's the case, their announcement about securing forces equivalent to three A-rank Hunters doesn't sound so strange anymore. ㅇㅇ Saying they just brought in one A-ranker would sound a bit weak, wouldn't it?
If you disagree, you're wrong. I'm right.]
"Hmm..."
Reading it, I almost found myself convinced, but since I'm the person in question, I know it's not true. But more importantly...
"Who are you calling an elementary schooler?!"
I shot up from my chair and ran to the bathroom to check the mirror.
"Ah, um."
Okay, I'll admit it.
But anyway, I'm not some new secret weapon hidden by the Nova Guild. A Summoner? I'm not even sure if that's my class, but if I had to pick the closest thing, it would be similar...
Above all, Suri is my golem.
"Suri! Come look at this!"
ㅡKee-it?
Suri, who had been watching Minium and Mecha-Doggo play on the mattress with a look of disdain, waddled over at my call.
"Ugh, ughh..!! Here! Look!"
As I struggled to lift the incredibly heavy Suri onto the chair, my arms instantly began to tremble. After somehow managing to place her on the chair, Suri started to gaze intently at the computer screen.
"See here? That's you!"
ㅡKee-it...
After staring for a few seconds, Suri hopped off the chair as if uninterested. Can she not read...? No, I guess it's normal for familiars not to be able to read.
But Mecha-Doggo can tell me my account balance and give a thumbs-up. That's a thing.
The comment section was buzzing too.
So the S-rank theory was just hype after all.
Please be a pretty high school girl.
Where the hell does Nova keep finding these Hunters?
Of course, the place was full of weirdos... but one comment in particular caught my eye.
I bet the Hunter was nearby. It's impossible for a Summoner to fight without their familiars in sight.
A comment left by someone claiming to be an active Summoner. Is controlling familiars really that difficult? I don't think I even gave Suri any specific commands.
It's true that familiars prioritize protecting their master, but I've never heard of a case where one just pops out of nowhere, without a command, from a place where the master isn't even visible.
Which means...
"Suri, how did you know I was in danger?"
ㅡKee-it.
Suri, who was sprawled on the floor, briefly lifted her head to look at me before flopping back down without a word. Was she tired from using her strength, or did she just not feel like talking to me?
"Hmm."
In any case, I'm starting to realize that my golems are incredibly intelligent. The only commands I've ever given them were things like "come here," "go away," "show me the balance," and "give me directions."
But Suri made her own judgment and fought...
"Ugh, I don't know. I'm getting hungry."
I should eat first.
ㅡTiring.
"Ooh."
Just as I was letting the microwaved hot bar cool down because it was too hot, a message notification sounded from Mecha-Doggo.
"Mecha-Doggo? Who is it?"
ㅡBeep-beep!
Small letters appeared on the monitor screen.
"Han Do-hee? What's up?"
It was a private message via Huntweet DM. A message from Han Do-hee.
- Han Do-hee: Eve.
- Han Do-hee: Didn't you make this?
- Han Do-hee: (Link)
- Eve: Oh, this.
- Eve: Yeah, that's Suri.
- Han Do-hee: What's Suri?
- Eve: I named the eagle golem.
- Han Do-hee: lol
- Han Do-hee: Sounds like a kid.
- Han Do-hee: Ah.
- Han Do-hee: You are a kid.
- Eve: I'm not a kid;
It seemed Han Do-hee had also seen the post on the front page. She sent me the link to the article that included the video of Suri fighting monsters, and she seemed surprised by Suri's abilities.
- Han Do-hee: She's pretty strong.
- Han Do-hee: Wanna go to a gate together?
- Eve: A gate;? I'm a total noob?
- Han Do-hee: It's fine, we'll go somewhere easy.
- Eve: Just the two of us?
- Han Do-hee: Three of us. Me and a friend.
- Eve: That's awkward;;
"Hmm... a gate, you say."
A gate sounds good. For Mecha-Doggo to grow our money through stocks, it needs seed money first. Actually, it seems to be doing fine without it... but it would be nice if I earned some money too.
More importantly, life as a Hunter was like a dream to me. I could go to the Awakening Gallery and flex like crazy on all the guys who hadn't even awakened yet.
That's not the main goal, but it's a sort of bucket list item...
- Eve: Where do you live?
- Han Do-hee: Around Seocho.
- Eve: That's not too far.
Looks like Han Do-hee lived around here too. From what I knew, she was a solo Hunter. Did she say she entered gates with a few acquaintances?
"Should I give it a try...?"
What would I need to enter a gate?
First, combat power. This is an essential element that needs no explanation. Equipment and consumables are also necessary, and having a well-rounded party is a plus.
That part seems to be covered since Han Do-hee is bringing a friend. But I don't really have any equipment needed for Hunter activities.
"Should I check a trading site...?"
The most representative site for selling Hunter equipment in Korea is 'Hunter Item Thanks'. Famous Hunter-turned-streamers who do internet broadcasts kept advertising it.
"Whoa... what is this...?"
But the prices for everything were no joke. There was a ton of equipment so expensive it would take ten Mecha-Doggos at once to afford. F-rank equipment was around 400,000 to 600,000 won, and decent-looking C-rank equipment started at a minimum of 3 million won.
The one-edged sword Han Do-hee gave me was probably around that price.
"But I don't use weapons, do I...?"
The main expense for Summoner-class Hunters isn't weapon or equipment maintenance, but food for their familiars. Monster corpses are a bit cheaper, while those that require magic stones are much more expensive.
But Suri, Mecha-Doggo, and Minium didn't seem to eat anything. What's up with that?
"Suri, are you hungry?"
ㅡKee-it.
Suri shook her head while lying down. She didn't seem hungry, and Mecha-Doggo and Minium had similar reactions. Which means...
"I... don't have anything to bring?"
- Eve: When are we going??
- Han Do-hee: How about tomorrow at 4 PM sharp?
- Han Do-hee: Let's just do a light run for about an hour.
- Han Do-hee: We'll go here.
- Han Do-hee: (Link)
- Eve: Hmm.
I checked the link and it gave information about the gate. It seemed to be an entry-type gate with small goblins. The environment was a normal forest or plain, with no particularly dangerous aspects.
It was so easy that even non-Awakened people could enter and exit under the protection of Hunters.
- Eve: Okay okay.
- Han Do-hee: Should I pick you up if you don't have a car?
- Han Do-hee: You're a total kid after all lol.
- Eve: --..
- Eve: Okay ㅠ
- Han Do-hee: OK lol.
"Hoo... a gate...! I'm so excited!"
Checking the address Han Do-hee sent, it was a low-difficulty gate open to private Awakened individuals. It wasn't owned by any guild, but by the Korea Hunter Management Association, so there was no entrance fee.
I'm a little nervous since it's my first time meeting Han Do-hee... but it'll be much less awkward going with someone I already know. Besides, Han Do-hee already has a rough idea of what I look like, right...?
"Suri! Let's go to work tomorrow!"
ㅡKee-it?
"We're going to hunt monsters! Got it?!"
Since Suri can fight, I'll be able to earn a ton of money as a Hunter. And... with that money, I can buy more rare metals to make more golems? And later, I can fuse them with Suri to strengthen her?
"Ooh... oooooh...!!"
I'll become a super-duper powerful Hunter, living a life where just showing up in the gallery gets me praised by all the Awakening bros. Suri looked at me with an indifferent expression.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
At my question, Suri tilted her head and pointed a wing toward a piece of furniture set against one wall. It was an old wardrobe that I never had a reason to open.
A wardrobe.
"Clothes, cloooothes!! I don't have any clothes!!"
That's right. Now that I thought about it, I don't have any clothes to wear out. The gate entry is tomorrow at 4 PM, and considering the travel time, I don't have much time left.
"Wh-what do I do, Suri?! Mecha-Doggo?! I don't have any clothes?!"
ㅡBeep-beep?
Even if I ordered some suitable clothes for delivery, they would obviously be too late. The only sure way is to go to a store...
"Aaaah..! I-I need clothes...!"
I just got back from going out, and I ran like my life depended on it. The running itself was deadly, and I actually almost died when the gate opened.
"Haa... what should I do...?"
Suri approached me as I was racking my brain in distress.
"Suri...? Are you going to buy clothes for me...?"
Suri didn't make a sound, but extended one wing and pointed in a direction.
Toward the front door.
"Stop whining and go buy them yourself...?"
ㅡNod, nod.
"Sob... so mean...."