Chapter 181: It’s Mine (1)
[The winner of the 1st Korean A-Rank Hunter Ranking Tournament has just been decided!]
The subtitles filled the screen in bold letters. The winner was Lee Hyoyeon, who wielded a massive two-meter-long two-handed sword, a claymore. As the Guild Master of Woods Guild, her skill in using the claymore for both offense and defense was exceptional.
She was originally a swordsman, yet she handled a weapon that was vastly different in form and technique as if it were an extension of her own body. With possible swordsmanship-related skills, her precise yet overwhelming power made one think that, had she been part of a large guild, she would likely have led an S-Rank lower-dungeon team.
And that very Lee Hyoyeon…
[I have defeated the outstanding A-Rank Hunters from major guilds and those known as A-Rank teams conquering S-Rank dungeons, claiming the championship with confidence.]
In her winner’s interview, she expressed dissatisfaction with the reality where large guilds, led by S-Rank Hunters, monopolized S-Rank dungeons.
[I believe that guilds composed solely of A-Rank Hunters should be able to manage S-Rank dungeons as long as they have the ability. We’ve already proven our skills before the entire nation.]
Standing beside her, Park Bora, the Guild Master of Water Surge Guild who came in third place, agreed with her words. She added that the two guilds would join forces to challenge the management rights of S-Rank dungeons.
‘Even before my regression, A-Rank guilds started taking over the management rights for S-Rank dungeons about two years from now.’
It was because the increasing number of S-Rank dungeons had become too much for the large guilds to handle alone. Of course, even before then, there had been attempts by mid-sized guilds like those two to manage S-Rank dungeons. However, they lacked justification.
S-Rank dungeons were seen as the domain of S-Rank Hunters. Even though there were A-Rank teams that successfully conquered lower-tier S-Rank dungeons, people were uneasy about a guild made up entirely of A-Rank Hunters managing S-Rank dungeons.
But the ranking tournament had provided them an opportunity to showcase their abilities with certainty.
“What do you think about it?”
Seok Gimyeong, who was helping me organize the preliminary team list for Yerim, asked the question.
With only the finals, semifinals, and the third-place match remaining, the other matches had all concluded yesterday. So today, instead of going to the arena, I stayed at Haeyeon Guild to wrap things up with Seok Gimyeong. Yerim was attending the arena for safety reasons, of course. Liette and Kang Soyeong had also gone there for volunteer work.
“I think it’s a good attempt. Dungeons will keep increasing, and their difficulty will continue to rise. It’s much better to nurture mid-sized guilds in advance than to scramble for a solution when it becomes unmanageable.”
The same goes for small guilds. People dismiss them as insignificant lower-rank Hunters, but without them, middle and high-rank Hunters would have to clear lower-rank dungeons. And lower-rank dungeons couldn’t just be left unattended.
So at the very least, we should prevent lower-rank Hunters from senselessly falling victim. Basic training at the guild level, mass production of low-cost standard equipment, and enacting safety laws for lower-rank Hunters’ protection are all necessary steps.
‘Of course, that’s not my job.’
That’s the Hunter Association’s responsibility. Before my regression, they only cared for middle and high-rank Hunters and ignored everything else, but maybe things will change now. All I have to do is poke them a little to make them work properly, and if they struggle, I can help out discreetly. Anything beyond that is overwork.
The preliminary team list included detailed notes on the combat traits and strengths and weaknesses I observed during yesterday’s matches.
“Don’t tell Yerim that I wrote this. It’s only for reference, and she has to choose for herself. If she knows I wrote it, she’ll just follow my recommendations.”
Though she’s relying on our help for now, Yerim will soon develop a keener eye for her future team members than we ever could. No matter what, practical experience is the best teacher. It’s better to instill the habit of making her own decisions regarding raid teams from the start.
Especially since Yerim, being an S-Rank, is still young, there’s a chance that older team members might try to push her around. While listening to others is important, knowing when not to listen is equally necessary. Especially as a team leader and an S-Rank Hunter, trusting her own instincts inside a dungeon will serve her better.
Take advice, but let the final conclusion be your own.
“Once the team is formed, it’d be best to start by clearing a few A-Rank dungeons to get used to working together.”
“Yes. S-Rank dungeon equipment is often borrowed while affiliated with a guild like MKC, so new equipment will need to be prepared. During that time, they’ll have to clear A-Rank dungeons.”
“There aren’t many cold-resistance items available domestically… I suppose we’ll have to check overseas auction houses.”
Since there haven’t been any Hunters with high-grade ice skills until now, most of the related items were exchanged or sold overseas. It’s better than letting them gather dust.
Now that I think about it, Moon Hyunah is supposed to return soon. I just heard yesterday that she successfully won the bid for a top-tier monster cub.
I need to hurry up and start making stamina potions or something. Blue hasn’t even fully grown yet, and the number of kids just keeps increasing. Evelyn and the relevant Sesung personnel are currently in Japan. It seems like the negotiations are taking longer than expected.
It’s understandable, considering that transferring dungeon rights overseas at this stage is rare and met with significant resistance.
“Aren’t you going to wear the watch? It doesn’t necessarily have to be used only in dungeons.”
“Huh? The watch?”
When I looked at him, confused, Seok Gimyeong also tilted his head and replied with some puzzlement.
“Have you not received it yet? The Guild Leader ordered a watch as a gift for you, and it’s been quite some time since it arrived.”
“Oh…”
It must be from when I had Liette destroy the New Association building. Back then, after seeing the watch that Seong Hyunjae had sent over, Yuhyun had said he’d ordered one for himself. It really took a long time.
“When exactly was that order placed?”
“Well…”
“No, no, never mind. I’m sure he’ll give it to me soon.”
No matter how I think about it, it seems like it was ordered after that day. I should just pretend not to know. But why hasn’t he given it to me yet? Did he suddenly get embarrassed about it? It might also be because I’ve been so busy recently. It doesn’t feel right to give someone a gift in the middle of chaos.
Now that things will be calm for a while, I’m sure he’ll give it to me soon. I’ll keep pretending not to know for now.
At the airport, the private jet belonging to the Breaker Guild had arrived. I was curious about the identity of the monster, still concealed for security reasons, and also wanted to strengthen my relationship with Moon Hyunah before the keyword effect faded, so I headed to the airport to greet her.
The monster was scheduled to go through quarantine at the airfield and then be immediately transported by car. When Noah and I arrived at the airfield, I saw Moon Hyunah standing near the cargo hold of the plane. It seemed the monster had not been unloaded yet.
“Hey there! Long time no see. You look like you’ve lost some weight.”
Moon Hyunah waved enthusiastically in my direction.
“I’ve been busy lately.”
“I heard about the ranking tournament. I wanted to be there, but I had too many things holding me back. If I’d known, I would’ve come after Seong Hyunjae’s birthday.”
“I didn’t even get an invitation to that guy’s birthday.”
At the mention of invitations, Noah awkwardly looked guilty for no reason. He had received an invitation. I was the only one who didn’t.
“Um, I’m sorry, Yujin.”
“Why are you apologizing, Noah? It’s Seong Hyunjae who should be apologizing.”
“I haven’t received mine yet either.”
At that moment, a car sped toward us. A person got out, approached Moon Hyunah, and bowed politely before handing her something. An invitation. That damned invitation I’d seen others flaunt multiple times but never got in my hands.
“You look like you’re about to set fire to the Sesung Guild.”
Moon Hyunah waved the invitation teasingly. What fire?
“I wouldn’t waste even a single matchstick. Not going is easier and better. Besides, they even put up advertisements on buses for his birthday. It’s ridiculous.”
“Oh, that was done by the Guild Leader’s fans.”
“…What?”
“You know how fans usually do birthday advertisements for celebrities? They did the same for his birthday. It must’ve happened for your brother’s birthday too, no? It did for me.”
…Now that I think about it, I barely went out around Yuhyun’s birthday. I avoided the Christmas atmosphere, so the furthest I went was to the convenience store nearby.
Anyway, so it was the fans who did that? I thought it was something Sesung orchestrated, and I was ready to chalk it up to his typical shamelessness. Unexpectedly, though, it wasn’t him. He’s popular. It makes sense, though. Regular people wouldn’t have many opportunities to see him up close, so they’d only know him as someone ridiculously good-looking and competent.
“Still, why didn’t he invite you? Was it because it’s dangerous?”
“Dangerous?”
“For you. Domestic S-Rank Hunters already know what they need to, so it’d be fine, but it’s different for those overseas.”
“But aren’t they guests who are close to the Sesung Guild Leader? They don’t seem like the type to cause trouble.”
“That’s not always the case. Originally, it was meant to be a networking event. In the early days, both domestically and overseas, it was hard to gather everyone together without an excuse because of the delicate politics involved. Plus, that guy has a wide network, so people from all over attend. I think there’ll be even more this time, given all the recent domestic issues.”
Moon Hyunah laughed, saying it was a good opportunity to assess the situation while pretending to be indifferent. Certainly, there had been many events recently that overseas Hunters would find intriguing.
The first would be the breeding of monster mounts and Myungwoo’s weapon crafting. There would also be considerable interest in the ranking tournament. The overhaul of the Korean Hunter Association would be something major guild leaders would pay attention to, and the increase in the number of S-Rank Hunters and their deaths would also attract attention.
It would definitely be worth it for them to visit Korea under the pretense of attending Seong Hyunjae’s birthday party. Most importantly, the people Seong Hyunjae invited would be those at the center of these events… But why the hell was I excluded?
‘I even went out of my way to prepare a birthday gift.’
Damn bastard. I took the time to carefully pick out a gift in the midst of my busy schedule, and he didn’t even invite me. Should I really just go and set something on fire? This is getting annoying.
“Oh, it looks like the inspection is done. It’s coming down now.”
Just then, the monster was unloaded from the plane’s cargo hold. Judging by its size, it wasn’t a small beast. As we approached, I could see a baby monster curled up on a soft bedding.
“A deer?”
It looked like one. A fawn with a completely white body, black hooves, nose, and eyes. Beneath its long and dense eyelashes, its large eyes blinked gently. It yawned, its tiny mouth opening as if it were still sleepy. Though its size was bigger than most calves, its appearance was undeniably cute.
“They said it’s a Snowfield Reindeer. Doesn’t it look like a deer to you? As an adult, it’s supposed to look like something between a deer and a reindeer.”
If it’s from a snowfield, I wonder if it has cold resistance. I used my Promising Talent skill on the baby deer.
Continuation of the previous chapter. Do not add the title. Please maintain the format, this means not dividing the text by adding —.
[Grade 2 Branch Antler Species ? Snowfield Reindeer (Juvenile)
Current Stat Grade: C
Potential Growth Stat Grade: A~S
Optimized Initial Skills:
Sliding Charge (S) — Acquired upon growth
Horn Spear (S) — Acquired upon growth
Cold Resistance (A) — Acquired
Enhanced Gallop (B) — Acquired upon growth
※ Grows under the protection of the herd leader.]
As expected, it had Cold Resistance. However, based on its initial skill traits, it didn’t seem like a good fit for Yerim. A charging close-combat attack style was much more suited to Moon Hyunah’s taste.
“I’ll be counting on you, big bro.”
She smiled with her eyes, saying to hurry. Judging by its size and skills, that deer was bound to be as energetic as Blue, if not more. Looks like I’ll have to start making stamina potions soon.
Even on the day before Seong Hyunjae’s birthday, there was still no sign of an invitation with my name on it. Not even a word of contact. The only news about him came through Kang Soyeong, who stopped by to see Comet.
“Lately, the Guild Leader hasn’t seemed to be in a good mood. It wasn’t like this last year, but apparently, he’s been unusually cold, to the point where the birthday party organizers feel like they’re walking on thin ice.”
She passed on the information nonchalantly. Why would he be in a bad mood when it’s his birthday party?
“You look great! Very dashing.”
Myungwoo had just gotten himself a new suit. His old clothes didn’t fit him anymore, and frankly, they looked cheap. Even someone with no eye for fashion could tell that they screamed, “I was bought as cheaply as possible.”
But now, he could spend as much money as he wanted. The only downside was that, due to time constraints, it couldn’t be custom-made. Still, his improved physique made the ready-made suit fit well. As expected, having a good body was just as important as having good clothes.
“You should get a few more suits while you’re at it. So far, you’ve only bought work clothes and casual wear.”
“My stats keep going up, so I probably won’t be able to wear this for long, anyway.”
Myungwoo adjusted his tie, commenting that it was too expensive to treat as a disposable item.
“It’s not like it’ll be a financial burden for you now.”
“Still, it feels wasteful. I can spend easily on materials and equipment, but when it comes to buying stuff for myself, I still can’t help but check the price tags.”
“Ah, same here.”
We both chuckled, saying people don’t change so easily. Even though I wasn’t spending my own money, I still hesitated to buy personal items. Not that there was much I wanted to buy in the first place.
“There’ll be a lot of overseas S-Ranks attending, so make sure to make a strong impression. There’s no need to feel intimidated—just go confidently.”
Though Myungwoo seemed more comfortable around high-ranking Hunters now, you never know. Stat-wise, he didn’t lose out to Noah, Yuhyun, or Yerim at all. Perhaps it was because he was the contractor of Ismuar. That spirit was likely at least S-Rank.
“I’m not really feeling it since you’re not going.”
“Well, who knows? Maybe the invitation will show up tonight. Not that I want to go anymore, even if it does.”
I wasn’t expecting much, but there was no news that night either. Nor the next morning.
However, what bothered me more than the lack of an invitation was…
‘…Why hasn’t he given me the watch yet?’
It was the watch Yuhyun had prepared. My brother still showed no sign of pulling out the watch. He’d been free the last few days. There had been several occasions when it was just the two of us together.
I’d even gone out to eat with just him, despite knowing I’d have to endure Yerim’s grumbling about it. I’d laid out the opportunity for him multiple times, yet my little brother didn’t say a word.
‘Could it not be for me after all?’
But Seok Gimyeong had clearly said it was my gift.
“I’m off!”
Yerim left first.
“What’s wrong, hyung?”
Yuhyun, standing by the door, tilted his head as he looked down at me. Had I been staring at him too intensely?
“Oh, um… do you have anyone you’re particularly close to? Like someone you’d personally prepare a gift for… Not that it’s unusual, but maybe someone a bit more special?”
“There’s no one I’d prepare something for myself. Normally, the secretarial office or Team Leader Seok handles those things.”
“Ah, I see.”
Should I just ask him outright? But saying, ‘Hey, what about that watch you said you’d give me?’ feels too pushy, like I’m begging for the gift.
“Is something going on?”
“No, nothing. Have a good day.”
After sending my brother off, I let out a deep sigh. I couldn’t shake the gloomy mood. This wasn’t working. Maybe I should just throw the gift I prepared for Seong Hyunjae at him and be done with it. Whether or not I set something on fire could wait until after I saw his face.
–TL Notes–
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