Chapter 205: Gaze (3)
Pa─ang!
A crisp flap of wings sent a mass of air rushing backward. Like a literal golden arrow, the Golden Griffon sliced through the sky in an instant, piercing through the clouds.
“Blue, you’re the best!”
-Kyaaou!
The exhilarating speed and sharp maneuvers were incomparable to any amusement ride. A normal person wouldn’t have been able to withstand it, but Park Yerim was ecstatic, even raising both arms high. The rough wind whipping around her arms felt amazing. So refreshing.
“Blue, if only you had cold resistance, you’d be perfect!”
She could hunt monsters well enough with unfrozen water, but it was a shame she couldn’t use Cold Sigh. Naturally, Pale Rain was also out of the question—one wrong move, and Blue’s feathers could freeze, leading to a crash.
“Even with cold resistance gear, Monster Mounts need at least an S-rank item unless it’s their innate attribute.”
-Kyaw.
“Human gear is rare enough, let alone something for Monster Mounts. Should I try coaxing Myungwoo?”
But resistance gear at the S-rank level was practically SS-rank. Not only was it difficult to craft, but she didn’t yet have the means to pay for it. She had only recently finished repaying her debt for an S-rank weapon.
With a sigh, Park Yerim wrapped her arms around Blue’s neck, slumping forward.
“They said high-ranking Hunters never have to worry about money.”
Gear was just too expensive. Though, it was partly her own fault for refusing to lower her standards. Even among S-rank Hunters, they didn’t start off decked out in S-rank equipment right after awakening. Until they were fully established, they often used A-rank or lower gear, and weapons especially were hard to come by without luck or significant influence.
But Park Yerim, who had obtained an S-rank weapon, cloak, bracelet, and even SS-rank earrings within three months of awakening, couldn’t bring herself to settle for anything less than S-rank now.
“If I want to beat Han Yuhyun, I need to finish gearing up fast. Blue, did you hear? That guild leader bastard got himself an SS-rank coat!”
Han Yujin had proudly shown off an S-rank bracelet he wrangled from a Japanese guild, only for Han Yuhyun to silently pull out his Blue Thunderbird’s Regalia.
Recalling the humiliation of that moment, Park Yerim abruptly straightened up.
“My bracelet is great too, but Han Yuhyuuuun!”
The silver bracelet around her wrist jingled, embedded with a red gemstone—Roditi’s Bracelet. Its stat focus was on magic, and it had an auxiliary skill that boosted magic control, making it extremely useful for Park Yerim, who specialized in wide-area skills.
In contrast, the Thunderbird’s Regalia had a teleportation skill and was more suited for a ranged fighter like her. She knew that logically, but it still pissed her off.
“Blue, let’s clear this dungeon faster than that guild leader bastard and get out of here!”
-Kyak!
“And then, I’ll stick close to Mister and meet him first! If I get another private meal with Mister, then I win!”
Just then, a group of monsters came into view below. A pale blue chill gathered in Park Yerim’s hand, forming a long white spear. The gemstone near the base of the spear gleamed faintly.
Yu Myungwoo had made some modifications to the embedded gemstone, which had originally contained the Mermaid Queen’s Skill. The skill itself was gone, but the gemstone still held a strong affinity for water, aiding in water attribute control.
Water gathered at the tip of the spear as Park Yerim leaped off Blue’s back.
“Stay here!”
-Kyaa.
Spinning lightly in the air, she descended below Blue. By then, the mass of water had expanded even further, spreading wide before pouring down like a torrential downpour.
The monsters momentarily froze in place, caught off guard by the sudden deluge. Then—
Saaaaah—
A chilling mist surged forth.
Normally, the cold would only slow enemy movements, but when they were soaked in water, the effect was even more pronounced. And this was no ordinary water—it was infused with the same magic she wielded.
With a crack, the monsters froze solid in an instant. The weaker ones shattered entirely.
After confirming that no monsters remained, Park Yerim climbed back onto Blue’s back.
“Did we come too far? I don’t see the others.”
She had gotten carried away testing Blue’s flight. Park Yerim pulled out a signal item—a small, twinkling device—and tossed it over the frozen monsters.
In an S-rank team, magic stones and other loot were usually collected by team members other than the S-rank Hunters. Once a team was well-established and large enough, they sometimes had designated personnel for that job. Officially, the difference in rank between the dungeon and the collector couldn’t exceed two levels, but that rule was often ignored.
“…Huh?”
As she relaxed on Blue’s back, waiting for her team, Park Yerim suddenly tilted her head. Something felt off. It was as if the air was trembling slightly.
Blue also stopped circling and began flapping in place.
“This… feels like before…”
Like when the dungeon boss had suddenly changed during her first raid. And when the giant toad had appeared. It was a similar kind of distortion.
Park Yerim shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Dodge!”
Blue’s golden wings spread wide.
Golden Arrow, a flight-assist skill, activated alongside the S-rank skill Ruler of the Wind. Wind swirled around them, reducing air resistance.
The powerful wings tensed and beat down forcefully.
In the next instant, Blue and Park Yerim vanished.
The speed was terrifying, almost akin to teleportation. In an instant, the two had moved far from their original spot. Moments later, the empty space they had left behind twisted and split apart.
[Not here this time either.]
A faint voice echoed.
Park Yerim’s eyes widened. She had heard stories like this before—dungeon ghost stories.
Amidst her confusion, another distortion rippled through the air. This time, it came from all directions—sky, ground, and everywhere in between.
-Krrruk.
-Kiiieeek!
Monsters began appearing.
At a glance, they were far beyond what should be in a mid-tier A-rank dungeon. The particularly massive creature in the sky, resembling a pterosaur, had a size and presence comparable to an S-rank dungeon boss.
“…Wow.”
Park Yerim quickly scanned her surroundings. In the distance, she spotted her approaching teammates. She tapped Blue’s back.
“Blue, can you handle that thing? Just keep its attention—don’t engage directly.”
She pointed at the pterosaur. Blue confidently tilted her beak.
-Kyaa!
“Just buy some time, don’t fight it head-on.”
Did she understand? Who knew? But Blue was an S-rank dungeon boss-tier monster herself. With her flight-oriented skills, she wouldn’t go down easily.
Park Yerim patted Blue’s back once more before heading toward her teammates. As soon as she left, Blue let out a thunderous cry and shot toward the pterosaur like an arrow.
“Stop!”
Using her teleportation skill in rapid succession, Park Yerim appeared before her teammates and shouted.
“There are S-rank dungeon-level monsters up ahead!”
“Describe them.”
Ha Eunha, the most experienced dungeon raider in the team, stepped forward.
Park Yerim quickly described the monsters she had seen.
“Aside from the pterosaur, thankfully, the rest are just standard monsters from lower-tier S-rank dungeons.”
Ha Eunha noted that she recognized some of them and had even faced a few before. She also pointed out key details to watch for. However, she had never heard of the pterosaur-like monster before.
“We might need to check on Blue. Will you be okay?”
“Don’t worry. I may not be much help, but holding my ground won’t be a problem. Besides, we’re a raiding team aiming for S-rank dungeons, aren’t we?”
“Yes, if it’s just regular monsters, you don’t need to worry about us.”
Hearing her teammates’ reassurances, Park Yerim beamed.
“Alright, I’ll be back soon. No—scratch that, I’ll clean this up! But stay alert, girls!”
Park Yerim vanished in an instant, while the remaining team members reorganized their formation.
“Blue, I’m here!”
-Kyak kyak!
Blue flicked her tail sharply while circling the pterosaur. The creature was several times larger, and its scales looked thick, but its flight ability was far inferior to Blue’s. It had already lunged with its massive beak multiple times, stabbing nothing but empty air.
Apparently frustrated, the bony crest on the back of its head was now glowing red, unlike before. As soon as Park Yerim appeared, it took a deep breath and then—
-Kiiieeee!
A deafening screech echoed as scorching winds surged forward. The razor-sharp heat waves rained down like hundreds of arrows, all aimed at them.
Park Yerim swiftly cast Cold Sigh in front of her, while Blue flapped her wings hard, retreating backward.
“Our teammates might get caught in this—let’s finish it quickly! Remember that small lake we passed? Over there! That way!”
At her direction, Blue let out a short cry and took off.
She didn’t use her acceleration skills, ensuring the pterosaur could still keep up. Seeing its attack fail, the monster pursued them relentlessly. Its massive shadow loomed over them, its beak snapping audibly in the wind.
The lake was now within sight.
Following Park Yerim’s command, Blue increased her speed. She flew so low that her talons nearly skimmed the water’s surface.
At that moment, Park Yerim twisted her body and dove into the lake.
Her entry was almost soundless.
Simultaneously, the skill Shadowless Day activated, boosting her magic and ice attributes.
Unaware, the pterosaur swooped low, targeting Blue, who had landed on the far side of the lake.
And then—
SPLASH!
Dozens of water streams erupted from the lake, shooting high into the air. The sheer volume of water was enough to nearly empty the lake itself.
The water pounded against the pterosaur’s body and wings, coiling around its neck and limbs.
Drenched and disoriented, the monster flailed.
Just as it seemed the attack lacked killing power—
A wave of intense cold surged forth.
The water entangling the pterosaur instantly froze, forming solid ice spikes.
The jagged ice shards pierced through the frozen scales, embedding deep into the monster’s flesh.
Soon, the entire creature was encased in ice, entangled in dozens of frozen tendrils.
A strange, towering ice sculpture now stood in the empty lakebed.
“Blue, did you dodge okay?”
-Kyaaou!
From a distance, Blue responded.
Park Yerim took out a mana potion and approached her.
“Hopefully, no other S-rank monsters popped up around here. I was planning to get out quickly, but it looks like we’re stuck here longer than expected.”
She couldn’t afford to let Han Yuhyun leave the dungeon before her.
Grumbling, Park Yerim handed Blue a mana potion before heading back to her teammates.
“Not here this time either.”
Chatterbox muttered.
A small orb in his grasp shattered into dust.
“A mistake, huh? Even inside a dungeon, sneaking a look isn’t easy.”
Had he been noticed?
Chatterbox turned to Ru Ga Pheya.
“Is it really that important?”
“It feels important~”
Pheya grinned widely, swaying her limp tendrils.
“In the end, you couldn’t find it. If that white bird went to such great lengths to keep it hidden, there must be a reason. And that white bird…”
It was a being that had hovered solely around the Fifth Origin. Ru Ga Pheya’s three eyes gleamed with intense curiosity.
“It must be worth sacrificing for. No doubt about it.”
Excited beyond measure, she made a fuss, while Chatterbox, resigned, pulled out another orb.
“The newbie is bound to interfere, so be prepared. There’s even talk that he could become the successor to the System Master.”
“The first one since Thunderbird gave up, huh?”
“Fighting~”
Pheya gave a half-hearted cheer, prompting Chatterbox to sigh.
“They’re requesting the café to be open 24/7.”
Myungwoo said. It was a petition from Seok Hayan’s team.
Well, it made sense—they probably needed coffee late into the night in that area.
We were currently sitting on a small terrace garden located somewhere in the middle floors of the building. It was narrow, but the flower beds were neatly arranged, and the tables and chairs matched well.
Being home felt a little lonely, so aside from handling business at Haeyeon or taking care of the monster hatchlings, I spent most of my time at the building.
“Minui-hyung said he’s bored and wants to work part-time at the café.”
Noah added.
Minui was hyung too, huh? Then why not me—?
“I thought he was enjoying his free time. Oh, by the way, Noah, what happened with Breaker’s guild leader? If it’s a troublesome bet, I can help.”
“No, it’s about my Hunter ranking in Korea.”
Noah shook his head slightly.
“Foreign Hunters have to lead a raid on a dungeon of the rank they wish to be recognized for. But entering an S-rank dungeon makes me hesitant. I’d have to gather a temporary team, and it would take a long time.”
So instead, he had found another way.
“If I get skill verification from three or more S-rank Korean Hunters, including a guild leader, that counts as well. So, I asked Breaker’s guild leader for assistance.”
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t Haeyeon alone be enough? Yuhyun’s a guild leader, plus there’s Yerim and Seonghan—that makes exactly three.”
“They don’t allow multiple confirmations from the same guild. And…”
Noah’s expression turned slightly sulky.
“I don’t really… want to get help from Hunter Han Yuhyun.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“…No reason. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Hmm, what was this about?
Was it because they were similar in age and rank, so there was some kind of rivalry? It was possible. Guys could be like that.
Kind of cute, actually. Usually, these kinds of things led to friendships down the line. Either way, Yuhyun seemed to be on his mind quite a bit.
“So, did you get your rank approved?”
“Yes. I passed the review, and they contacted me to say my Hunter license will be issued soon.”
When I congratulated him, Noah smiled a little sheepishly.
So he was making sure to settle down in Korea, huh? That was great news for me.
“Are you staying over at our place again tonight?”
Myungwoo asked, watching Belare as she skittered around the table, chasing Chirp.
He seemed quite curious about her, given that she was a monster capable of weaponization. He had even asked if he could have her shed skin when she molted.
“Not sure. It does feel a bit lonely without the others. Or should we go to my place today? Noah, you too.”
“Me too?”
“You don’t need a miniaturization skill to come in, you know.”
At my words, Noah firmly shook his head.
“I’m going to find a way to get in properly and receive permission first.”
He had already contacted people in every direction and was working hard to track it down.
If it really didn’t work out, I’d have to help him.
The newbie had mentioned that they could provide a desired skill or item—maybe if I took Noah along, he could obtain a miniaturization skill.
Just as we were finishing our drinks, a message arrived from Haeyeon.
Now what?
–TL Notes–
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