Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Dangerous Invitation (3)
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Whirr, whirr. As the teleport gates crossed paths in a circle, Min Gi-uk spoke to Cha Su-ho.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come along?"
"This should be enough."
Cha Su-ho held up the bag in his hand. Min Gi-uk let out a short breath and pushed his glasses up with his hand.
"Understood. Contact me anytime if you need anything. And if something comes up, just give me a call then too."
Cha Su-ho nodded and headed into the teleport. He gave a slight bow to Min Gi-uk, who was politely greeting him.
Whirr.
The teleport door closed. Hearing the mechanical announcement that it was heading to Branch 2, Cha Su-ho spoke toward Jin Seong-hyeok.
'What's the vibe like in Branch 2?'
'Hm.'
Jin Seong-hyeok paused as if thinking, then continued.
'Not oppressive.'
'...Not oppressive?'
'Yeah. Unlike Branch 5 or Center 1, there's this invisible something. And their director's suffocating presence doesn't help.'
'You mean... the one I puked on...?'
Jin Seong-hyeok chuckled, recalling how Cha Su-ho had vomited on Miriam's head.
'That's the one. She's from a long line of British nobility, I hear. She's very used to ordering people around.'
'Talking about nobility like that feels so outdated. So, she acts oppressively because she's nobility?'
'Nah.'
Jin Seong-hyeok continued in a serious tone.
'The hunters and helpers there train their physical fitness like some special forces unit.'
'...Physical training?'
'Yeah. All of them.'
Usually, it was up to each individual. For helpers, of course, and even mental-type hunters, their Clean skills or mental abilities came first over stamina. Even physical-type hunters who should train their bodies left it optional. Center 1 and Branch 5 let physical-type hunters train at their own discretion.
But Branch 2 made everyone do physical training?
'Hunters, fine... but why helpers?'
'Simple. Training helps you survive in the field. The problem is they go way too hard.'
It was easy to imagine how grueling special forces-level training would be, no explanation needed.
'And their instructors are all from Russian and British special forces, apparently.'
Russia and Britain. Even in civilian stories, he'd heard of them. Places known for the harshest training.
If hunters vanished, those nations' special forces would have to fight the monsters, and they were among the ones most likely to survive. Suddenly, a chill ran down Cha Su-ho's spine.
'No way... do I have to join the training too?'
'I didn't. You... probably not.'
Jin Seong-hyeok said it teasingly with a laugh.
'But you should give it a shot.'
'Me...?'
'Yeah. If you want to get to the Last Zone, try anything, right?'
He knew it was provocation, but Cha Su-ho had no other choice. As Jin Seong-hyeok said, to reach the Last Zone, he needed to get stronger—whatever it took.
'Special forces, huh... Fine, I'll try it.'
'Cocky.'
'What... harder than hunting Last Zone monsters?'
Right then, the whirring teleport came to a stop. Cha Su-ho fixed his gaze straight ahead as the doors slowly opened.
And through the widening gap, the massive crowd made him flinch.
"Cha Su-ho Hunter!"
Miriam, dressed in eye-searingly vivid pink, raised her hand toward Cha Su-ho. And the crowd behind her was obvious without explanation.
The freely dressed ones were Branch 2 hunters and helpers, the white coats behind them examiners. The black-clad people at the very back were staff.
The entire Branch 2 personnel had come out to greet Cha Su-ho.
His surprise was brief as Miriam beamed and walked toward him. Terrified of catching another whiff of that overpowering perfume and puking again, Cha Su-ho instinctively stepped back.
Sure enough. The perfume stench was overwhelming. Every movement assaulted his nose with its potency.
The silver lining was that his stomach was empty right now. Meaning nothing to spew on Miriam's head.
'Can't overeat in Branch 2.'
'Worried you'll puke again?'
Jin Seong-hyeok asked with a laugh, and Cha Su-ho replied.
'Yeah.'
Oblivious to Cha Su-ho's thoughts, Miriam smiled and opened her mouth.
"I'm so grateful you accepted my invitation despite being so busy, Cha Su-ho Hunter."
"No, no. You kindly invited me even after my rudeness last time. I'm the one who's thankful."
"Oh, you remembered? I was so shocked back then... It might leave a trauma, but oh well. Should I feel honored it was you, Cha Su-ho Hunter?"
Jin Seong-hyeok clicked his tongue at Miriam's sly demeanor.
'Looks like that fox has three or four snakes coiled inside.'
'She just knows how to handle people after all those years.'
'Same difference. I thought I wouldn't have to see that revolting face anymore.'
Cha Su-ho asked curiously toward Jin Seong-hyeok, who was gritting his teeth.
'Bro, did Branch 2's director give you a lot of grief?'
'If it was just grief, I'd count myself lucky.'
Jin Seong-hyeok had a special reason for despising Miriam. When he was alive, she had clung to him incessantly. And among the directors who pulled every trick to keep him in their branch, she was the worst.
'Last time, she even slipped an aphrodisiac into my food...'
'A-Aphrodisiac?!'
An aphrodisiac? Wasn't that a drug stimulating the central nervous system to heighten sexual desire?
'Why an aphrodisiac...?!'
'Why? She probably thought if I got a woman pregnant or something, I'd stay.'
Cha Su-ho's mouth fell open. Come to think of it, when he'd first said he was going to Branch 2, Jin Seong-hyeok had mentioned women and told him to brace himself. He'd thought it was just Jin Seong-hyeok's playboy joking.
'No way... that was why you told me to brace myself...'
'She's already working on you.'
At Jin Seong-hyeok's words, Cha Su-ho snapped to attention and looked ahead. Stunningly beautiful women stood beside Miriam.
"Oh? Turns out some of our branch's hunters and helpers are fans of you, Cha Su-ho Hunter."
At Miriam's glance, the women beside her greeted Cha Su-ho.
"Nice to meet you, Cha Su-ho Hunter. I'm Alina, a Branch 2 hunter."
Alina smiled flirtatiously, and
"You look even cooler up close. Ah, I'm Rene, a Branch 2 helper. Looking forward to working with you."
Rene shyly blushed as she spoke.
They were all smooth talkers, but seeing the bashfully smiling women disarmed Cha Su-ho instantly.
"Ah... thank you."
Jin Seong-hyeok continued incredulously as Cha Su-ho grinned goofily, mirroring the women.
'Hey. Didn't you hear a word I said?'
'...No! Gotta respond when someone's talking.'
'This is why solos are... tsk.'
'I-I'm not a solo!'
'Not a solo?'
Jin Seong-hyeok continued wickedly.
'Tough luck. Even digging through your memories, no girlfriend in sight.'
Damn it. Learning skills for the Last Zone wasn't priority. Blocking Jin Seong-hyeok from reading his memories was.
'Stop reading people's memories whenever you feel like it.'
'What can I do? It's right there. I just thought, and your memories popped up.'
'Ha.'
Cha Su-ho sighed, and Jin Seong-hyeok spoke in a calmer voice than before.
'Be careful. With everything. Miriam's vicious.'
'Don't worry. I won't eat any aphrodisiacs like you did.'
'Yeah, right.'
Ending the conversation with Jin Seong-hyeok, Cha Su-ho looked at Miriam. If these women ahead were devices to tie him here, as Jin Seong-hyeok said, no need to play along.
"First, I'd like to unpack. Could you show me to my room?"
Miriam bit her lip as Cha Su-ho casually brushed off the beauties. Her discomfort at things not going her way was clear.
"Of course, Cha Su-ho Hunter."
Miriam crooked her finger, lips pursed.
"Yes, Director."
She spoke curtly to the rushing examiner.
"Guide him to his room."
Then, as if nothing happened, she smiled brightly at Cha Su-ho.
"Rest up in your room. Tea time soon—I'll invite you."
Tea time? Zero interest, zero desire to join. But he couldn't refuse outright. He didn't know Branch 2 well yet. Jin Seong-hyeok's words weren't enough. He needed to see and feel it himself. Besides, for info, he could endure tedious tea time.
"Got it."
Hearing his reply, Miriam stepped aside slightly to let him pass. The examiner bowed to Cha Su-ho.
"I'm Kakt, Chief Examiner of Branch 2. I'll show you to your room."
"Hello. Nice to meet you."
The examiner led, Cha Su-ho followed. As he moved, countless gazes trailed him.
And someone watched from the third-floor stairs used for teleport repairs.
"SSS-grade? That guy?"
Killian tilted his head.
"He looks too young. Around my age, isn't he?"
Asians were famous for looking young, but the distant Asian man really seemed Killian's peer or younger.
Naturally drawn to the SSS-grade Cha Su-ho. To Killian, just out of his teens, an SSS-grade hunter was like a hero. Especially since he'd idolized Jin Seong-hyeok like a god since childhood. When he heard Jin Seong-hyeok died, even Killian had gone days without eating, sunk in depression.
"Really SSS-grade?"
Muttering disbelievingly again, Killian quickly scanned Cha Su-ho following the examiner.
Unlike expectations of a matching aura, Cha Su-ho's boyish vibe was weirdly off-putting. Killian's sharp eyes relaxed lazily.
Pulling his hood up, Killian whooshed down from the third floor to the first using wind magic. Glancing up, he stared at Cha Su-ho's back. Still just ordinary. Nothing special for an SSS-grade.
Sure, he looked plain, but he must hide something special. Killian smirked.
"Let's see if you've got what it takes to be called SSS-grade."