[ Ruler of Water (1) ]
“Yerim, even if water is your advantage, you’re not going in alone. Other people will definitely have underwater mobility items, too.”
Since no one knew what kind of environment they’d encounter in their first raid dungeon, high-ranking hunters typically equipped themselves with such items.
“And besides, I-”
“You even more so. No way!”
Yerim cut me off firmly.
“It’s a dungeon made by that zombie. What if something cute like earlier pops up again? Then, you’ll be totally won over, won’t you, Mister?”
“No, I mean, maybe I was… a bit too… but, you know, it was kind of sudden, and I was caught off guard…”
Out of nowhere, a vague memory from the past sprang to life in full detail. If it happened again, I’d handle it way more calmly…
“Ten baby Peace dragons. Furry, round, playing tail tag on a sunny, green field.”
Ugh.
“All huddled together with Chirp perched on one of their heads. Chirp chirping and flapping its wings all cute and dance-y.”
“Wait, hold on a second.”
Just the thought of it made me smile uncontrollably. If it appeared right before me, I’d probably lose it. I shouldn’t, but it’s too cute. Peace may still be small now, but back then he was even tinier—rounder, flipping onto his back, wagging his little tail. With Chirp dancing… damn it. This is too powerful. My heart hurts again.
“Yerim, that’s just unfair.”
“With a tiny guild leader holding Peace in his arms, like he’s so big he needs both hands. And with Chirp on his head, too.”
“I’ll tie my hands up if that’ll stop me from running out.”
“And what if it asks you to sign an unfair contract? Or orders you to attack your allies?”
“That’d be way too obvious. It’d go from cute to downright creepy.”
Suddenly, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over me. If it openly tried to exploit their appearance, it’d probably piss me off. No, it would definitely make me mad. Just thinking about it felt disgusting.
Watching me closely, Yerim shrugged.
“You’re surprisingly firm about this.”
“It’s not surprising at all. Of course I hate stuff like that. Anyway, you’re absolutely not going alone. Hmm, Yuhyun, underwater’s not ideal for you, right?”
“There’s not much difference in close-range combat.”
Still, his power would be reduced. He’d lose his advantage in ranged attacks, and while he did have sword skills, both his speed and strength would inevitably suffer underwater.
Whatever kind of dungeon awaited, it was clear there would be a lot of water—since even now, the lake was slowly expanding. A hunter skilled in underwater combat would be essential. Kim Seonghan was more defensive, Liette’s poison would be neutralized, Noah would be weakened, and Moon Hyunah wasn’t suited for underwater either…
“What about our guild leader?”
Kang Soyeong suggested.
“We’ll be moving along his chain anyway, so it shouldn’t be an issue underwater. And if it’s pure water, being a nonconductor might actually help him focus. Shall I give him a call?”
Despite the skills he had, he would be useful, though he was a bit annoying. Did he even have a weakness? Why’s he so perfect at everything? I bet even his insides are nonconductive. Not that it matters—he’d probably just breeze through it anyway.
“Yes, please go ahead.”
After a brief call from Soyeong—
Tat-tat-tat—
A helicopter appeared in the sky. After circling the lake once, as if surveying it, the helicopter doors opened, and a man in a three-piece suit—like he’d been invited to some fancy banquet—jumped down. Despite the considerable height, Seong Hyunjae landed as lightly as stepping down a stair, sweeping back his wind-tousled hair. So infuriating.
“Looks like you enjoyed the lake tour. So much so that you’re inviting me to explore this brand-new lake. I must say, I’m proud as your guide.”
“I rated it half a star out of five. Seems you haven’t checked yet.”
“Oh dear. I’ll have to set up another tour to restore my honor. How about the sea next?”
“Ah, I just remembered I’m allergic to seawater.”
“Oh? I wasn’t aware of that.”
“It just developed, actually.”
And there’d be plenty more allergies popping up in the future. Hyunjae offered a sealed plastic bag filled with extra clothes and towels, which we’d asked Soyeong to bring. Dungeon items or clothes made from monster parts were convenient, but I had no intention of adding to my tab with this guy. Ordinary clothes, at least, I could ditch without a care.
“Running these errands myself, and I get such a stingy rating?”
“Didn’t expect you to bring them yourself. Fine, one and a half stars.”
I figured he’d have someone else handle it. His excessive, unsolicited generosity is less of a favor and more of a curse. After I quickly explained the situation, he glanced between Yerim and Yuhyun.
“The little miss, sure, but you’re going too, young master?”
Yuhyun’s eyebrows shot up at his remark.
“Is that a problem?”
“A soaking wet young master… not a bad appetizer. I’ve often wondered how well you’d ignite under such circumstances.”
“I’ve hunted plenty of electric eels in swamps before, so don’t worry about it.”
Quit provoking the kid just because you’re twice his age, you grown child.
“Do try to act like an adult, won’t you?”
“Unfortunately, my free trial period has ended.”
“Shouldn’t it last at least a week? That’s awfully short. How much is the paid version-”
“What’s that, hyung?”
Yuhyun cut me off, sounding annoyed. I don’t know, I just felt the need to say it. Yerim looked at me and Hyunjae with the same expression Yuhyun had.
“You’re surprisingly close with the Sesung Guild leader, Mister.”
“We’re not close.”
“We’re close.”
“Let’s not pretend.”
“I’ll add an extra week to your free trial.”
“Fine. Consider us close for the next week.”
As soon as I said it, I felt like I’d been scammed. He really turned it into a paid version, after all. Not that I could take it back, since letting this guy mess with the kids was out of the question. Feeling somewhat unsettled, I walked over to Chief Song Taewon.
“Chief, I think you’re better off staying here.”
“Yes. Since this is similar to a dungeon break, there’s no telling when monsters might appear. An S-class hunter should remain on standby.”
“If it looks like you’re short on manpower, reach out to Hunter Liette. Tell her it’s a request from me, and she’ll help at least once. Noah would also be helpful. Just tell him I asked. However, please avoid putting the two together. If you do call for Noah, you could consider Hunter Kim Seonghan or… maybe Moon Hyunah? Would you like me to share Noah’s contact?”
“That won’t be necessary. I remember the contact information of all S-class hunters currently in the country.”
Of course, always the reliable public servant. Good to know.
“You’re really going to join them, Han Yujin?”
I smiled awkwardly at the concern in his question.
“There’s an adult here who doesn’t act his age, so I can’t just let them go alone. And I do have other reasons.”
“Take care. And… thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. It’s just the right thing to do.”
A faint smile broke through Chief Song’s typically stiff expression. It must be a relief given the usual shortage of personnel. After wishing him well, I headed to the water’s edge.
“Don’t go straight through the gate.”
Even with three S-class hunters gathered here, entering a suspiciously unknown dungeon with no information at all was risky. While the Filial Duty Addicts couldn’t physically enter our world, they had managed to send SS-class monsters.
Plus, the never-ending influx of water was another problem that needed addressing.
“Just trust me, Mister!”
Yerim grabbed my arm confidently and led me into the water. Underwater movement items varied in grade and effect—some granted complete freedom, making it even easier to move than outside, while lower-grade ones simply allowed you to breathe.
Yerim’s earrings were top-notch, allowing her to glide forward with me in tow at impressive speed. Her flight skill also helped. Since the lake wasn’t very big yet, it didn’t take long before we spotted the gate. A gentle current was flowing from the other side.
“You’re both slowww.”
Show-off. Well, she had earned it. Yuhyun and Seong Hyunjae arrived soon after. Once I confirmed everyone was ready, I approached the gate and knocked three times. The gate’s appearance didn’t change, but the current ceased.
It worked.
“Let’s go in. It’ll be cold in there.”
“Cold?”
If it was like last time, it would be. Just in case, I had Yuhyun and Seong Hyunjae go in first, then entered with Yerim. As soon as we stepped through, an icy wind seemed to freeze us solid.
“Ugh, even with cold resistance items, they’re hardly helping.”
“Without them, our wet clothes would have frozen stiff by now. But look—it’s all snowy instead of water. Did it melt?”
I would have explained, but first, I needed to get changed. Good thing I prepared. As I set up the tent, Yuhyun brought out the fire lizard to warm us up. Much better. Now, time to get dressed for the cold—
CRASH!
“I said, behave! A volleyball isn’t an enemy!”
A ‘thump’ and a ‘thud’ followed as the tent took a hit.
“Newbie, hold on!”
Jeez. After changing into dry clothes and putting on a thick coat I’d prepared for such a scenario, I stepped out of the tent. Would it have killed them to pick a warmer setting?
Outside, Yerim and Hyunjae were watching the volleyball creature with curious expressions. One looked like they wanted to kick it, while the other seemed to want to dissect it.
[Honey, honey, honey! I know that person!]
Newbie bounced around Hyunjae, who kept a close eye on the creature. Careful, it’s sparky.
[This time, he let go of me quickly! Well, he knew about that Lizard, after all!]
“Anyway, can you connect me with Droplet?”
[Yes, sir!]
The volleyball bounced toward me. Before I could even ask Yuhyun to explain, all sound from outside was silenced. A mature voice replaced it.
[Hello, Honey.]
For a moment, the image of the Mermaid Queen shimmered in my mind—the deep blue waves that seemed to hold her presence. I took a small breath before speaking.
“Do you know that his successor is here?”
[Of course.]
“They said they’d be making a wager, and left some sort of weird dungeon gate as a ‘gift’ before disappearing.”
[They aren’t typically hostile, but when something catches their interest, they can be dangerous.]
…The zombie had shown interest in Yuhyun. That’s a concern.
“Do you know anything about the dungeon they left behind? Water keeps pouring out of it.”
[I can think of one possibility. However, it may be somewhat tricky for Honey to handle.]
“Then help us.”
[You know I can’t do that.]
Yeah, right. You’ve got plenty you could give. Fork something over.
“Although you helped with that Lizard, I was the one who actually took it down. And yet, aside from the magic stone, I gained nothing. Surely, there’s overdue compensation.”
[That was an off-record event, and didn’t you gain his skill?]
“I merely combined abilities I already possessed. If you call that a reward, I’d say that’s barely fair, let alone generous. I’m not asking for much.”
I looked over at Yerim, who was curiously poking at the barrier around us with the tip of her spear.
“A skill of yours that could solve this situation, please.”
[…My skill?]
“Yes, O Mermaid Queen of Changlang. Be it ice or water, either would suffice.”
A silence settled. So Yerim’s earrings did indeed belong to Droplet. After a pause, she spoke.
[The earrings that child wears are mine from when I was young.]
“Then, take this opportunity to help her.”
Even though she’s an S-class hunter, Yerim is still young and relatively vulnerable. And she’s not one to stay quietly protected. I had no choice. I need to ensure she can defend herself in future battles.
[Honey, that’s quite a demanding request. But… I can’t exactly refuse.]
“Thank-”
[This is a transaction. Don’t thank me.]
The words were firm and cold. Guilt? If that left some to spare, maybe I could take advantage of it later. I didn’t bother asking why she felt guilty; she wouldn’t answer.
[I can’t give her the skill in its entirety. It’ll be limited to a single use. However, if it’s properly received, it should prove immensely useful. You know this, Honey.]
“I assume it’s one of those ‘learn through experience’ deals?”
[It won’t be easy. It all depends on her talent and effort.]
“How about ten uses?”
I didn’t doubt Yerim, but one time felt too little. But Droplet declined, saying even one use was generous.
[Even partial mastery will be more than enough.]
A gemstone appeared in front of me, strikingly similar to the blue jewel on Droplet’s earring. I reached out, and a description window appeared.
[Ruler of Water ? Mythic Grade
The power that allows the Mermaid Queen of Changlang to govern the world’s waters.
Limited to one use]
Judging by its grade, even one use could hardly be considered insufficient. It hit home just how distant a transcendent being truly was.
–TL Notes–
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