“200,000 won excluding the rune… Phew…”
Yeon-hee held my hand, still in stealth mode, exhaling trembling breaths repeatedly.
‘She seems to take holding hands for granted now…’
I stared at her profile, trying to steady my oddly floating heart.
She still wore an expression that seemed unable to believe she earned this much in a day.
‘Considering it’s a life-and-death job, it does pay off after all.’
Of course, not every hunter entering this dungeon made such an income.
Most of the hunters who participated in the boss battle with us likely earned much less than us.
Though that was high compared to ordinary jobs, when you factor in consumables like potions, medical fees, equipment repair costs, and the mental strain of facing monsters directly, it couldn’t be said that D-rank hunters are making a fortune.
“If this keeps up… even if we sell all the runes and stick to a five-day workweek, I think I can earn at least 100 million a month. Wow… in just a few months, we could move to a suburban house. Is this really reality?”
Nodding vigorously—
She eagerly laid out her plans for the future.
A house a bit on the outskirts isn’t too crowded, maybe get another dog to be Wang-wang’s friend, and it should have a large yard even if it’s a bit small, and so on.
Her face was filled with such happiness that it made me feel uneasy.
As I pondered what I could do to keep her in this state of happiness forever, I felt a familiar aura.
The moment I sensed it, that being had already reached within my line of sight.
A monster that covered hundreds of meters in just a few seconds.
‘…Why is it here?’
And just a few steps later, Yeon-hee’s phone rang.
“Ah— it’s Senior Yeon-su!”
“……”
“Hello, sister… Yes, yes. Ah, I’ve been well. How about you? What? The right side?”
When Yeon-hee turned her head to the right—
– Yeon-hee~!
“Whoa… oh, hello…”
Seeing Yeon-su waving her hand high from the opposite side of the street made Yeon-hee bow her head instinctively.
The sight of her awkwardly bowing while holding her phone to her ear was so cute, but the moment Yeon-su showed up, my alertness skyrocketed.
‘Thankfully, Jo Gi-man isn’t here…’
Knowing Yeon-su’s nature, she wouldn’t bring any other strong fighters with her, so my temporarily heightened alertness relaxed considerably.
But that didn’t mean I could completely let my guard down.
Yeon-su.
She pretends not to, but she’s quite money-driven, and extremely generous with handsome men.
Although she has some appearance complexes, she’s pretty bold otherwise.
Strong to the strong, weak to the weak. A hunter with an unusually strong sense of justice.
As I recalled memories of her in my mind, evaluations based on past experiences lined up one after another.
Thinking back objectively, I realized that what I knew about her was very superficial.
So I couldn’t be sure if she was the kind of person I thought she was.
In the worst case, she might unknowingly be controlled by Jo Gi-man. What the embodiment of the Seven-headed Dragon is capable of, I couldn’t accurately fathom.
“It’s been a long time, Yeon-hee.”
“Yeah, yeah. Oh, it’s been a while, Sister.”
‘It’s only been a month, yet she’s acting like she hasn’t seen her in years.’
Yeon-su was wearing dark sunglasses, which seemed to indicate she had begun adjusting her appearance.
I had heard that doctors specializing in surgeries for hunters had exorbitant fees; it wouldn’t even be a cause for concern to Yeon-su.
“No, I was passing by because I had something to do and felt Yeon-hee’s scent so strongly. So I ran over, you know? Hehe.”
“Ah! Is there… some kind of smell coming from me?”
“Oh dear, I misspoke. Not a smell, but a lovely scent. You have a unique fragrance, you know?”
“… Is that so?”
‘A sweet scent does come from her, but what’s the deal here? This can’t be a coincidence. She must’ve come here to meet Yeon-hee.’
“But your friend next to you has grown a lot, hasn’t she? Yeon-hee’s bodyguard has become quite something!”
As expected, being her level, she was able to pick up on my presence effortlessly.
‘…It’s like praising a soldier ant just because it grew up.’
“…… Um, should I reveal myself?”
“Hehe, it’s okay, it’s okay. How about we go into a café or something around here?”
“Sure-”
We moved to the quietest café, and after exchanging pleasantries, we soon got to the point of today’s meeting.
“Since we met, do you want to hear about the guild too?”
“Y-yes, please.”
“Hehe— right now, the guild is planning something fun. Although other guilds have participated in the event before, it’s something really fresh for us.”
“What…?”
“Don’t be surprised. It’s called the Guild Tournament!”
‘Guild Tournament? Didn’t Jo Gi-man say it’d look bad if he participated, and spoke poorly of it…? They’re actually participating? Why?’
“… Huh? The, the Guild Tournament? Um, do I have to do something too?”
“Ahaha! I was thinking about how you’d react, and your face turned out just as I expected. So cute. You’re too cute, our Yeon-hee.”
“Er… um…”
I couldn’t imagine how it would feel to be complimented like that by a barely acquainted older woman.
But it was clear that Yeon-hee was still a bit uneasy around Yeon-su.
“It’s in April. If you think about Yeon-hee joining our guild in April, it’d start about two weeks after she joins. The Guild Tournament is so famous that you probably know just from hearin’ about it, right?”
“Ah, yes. I know it’s a huge event. I’ve caught some broadcasts about it.”
“Exactly. It’s just a light spar between guilds where everyone rushes in, and I’d love it if our Yeon-hee would participate. What do you think?”
‘Hmm… it would pay off, but there are various risks…’
“Me? I, um, I don’t think I can do that… Going in as a representative right after joining the guild… And I’m weak…”
“Don’t worry. This tournament is only for up to C-rank, and there’s no limit to how many can participate. It’s like anyone and everyone can join—cough, cough— so you won’t have any pressure at all about being a representative.”
“Um… still…”
“And look at Yeon-hee’s growth speed. It’s barely been a little over a month since her second awakening, and she’s already D-rank. Faster than me!”
‘You were already that fast without a second awakening, you monster.’
“So just wear this bracelet when you participate.”
“Bracelet…?”
‘… What, already that bracelet? So fast…’
The item Yeon-su handed me was called the Binding Bracelet.
It had a beautiful design etched into a small square plate where the index fingers overlapped within gorgeous curves.
It was a piece of jewelry that occasionally dropped upon clearing an A-rank dungeon boss battle.
Since one needed to clear an A-rank dungeon to obtain it, the acquisition difficulty could be considered high, but it drops probabilistically to anyone who clears it, regardless of contribution, so it could typically appear on the market.
Wearing it allows you to see each other’s location in the dungeon, a useful tool that is aesthetically pleasing and functional as well.
However, if the rank difference is too vast, it won’t operate in both directions. So, Yeon-hee can’t track Yeon-su’s location, but Yeon-su can locate Yeon-hee’s.
That said, Yeon-su didn’t give this item with the intention of surveilling Yeon-hee. After all, the day they’d enter the dungeon together was far off, and it only works within the dungeon.
Rather, the symbolic meaning behind this is likely far more significant.
Usually, a high-ranking guild official would give it to someone they cherish or a protégé, meaning that if anyone messes with the person wearing this bracelet, they are messing with the official too, so don’t treat them carelessly.
It sounds like something out of a martial arts novel, but creating such lines of protection is essential within the guild. Just like how it would be tough for a president to get elected as an independent, a guild leader faces a similar challenge.
The leader of a colossal guild holds more wealth and fame than the CEO of a large corporation.
They charm and amass power.
They also recruit talents that will assist in such activities.
Sometimes, they give the Binding Bracelet to prevent losing such talents to rival competitors.
Then Yeon-su’s purpose becomes clear. She wants to overthrow Jo Gi-man in the White Knight Guild and rise to the top.
She has pinpointed Yeon-hee as a necessary piece for that puzzle. Previously, the presentation of that bracelet came after I joined the guild, but now that timing has been drastically pushed forward.
‘Back then, Yeon-hee was strong, but she was too dark. She probably judged the negatives outweighing the positives. Only after she achieved greater fame and skill did she make me the offer…’
So why rush it this time?
“These days, Yeon-hee is causing quite a stir on the internet. Her looks, skills, and it’s not just one or two major broadcasting channels trying to contact us already, do you know?”
‘So that’s the reason for the urgency. She wants to keep her before she gets too big…’
“Ah… Me? Such… am I going to have to do interviews later?”
As Yeon-hee displayed a clearly awkward expression, Yeon-su looked at her with a surprisingly serious demeanor.
“Hehe, you might have no choice but to do so… Yeon-hee. You’re still young, but you’ve lived as a hunter for over half a year, so let me tell you… the guild is pretty much like… a company. It’s a money-making business. Understand?”
“…… Yes.”
“When you hear how much our guild’s annual revenue is, you’ll probably faint. The reason I’m saying this is that while our hunters live with a noble mission, that only applies when something big like the accident in China happens. Typically, it’s just a job. A job is about making a living.”
‘So you’re saying since it’s a profession, I should put up with the uncomfortable stuff, huh?’
“I hope you understand this clearly since you’ve decided to join the guild. I’ve seen one or two kids who had sparkly eyes, full of high expectations, but ended up disappointed and dropped out.”
‘Hmm… treating her like a child… Yeon-hee is much more mature than you, and it’s quite a pity that you, who think of punching someone the moment things go wrong, are trying to act all adult-like, Yeon-su.’
“Y-yes… I’m not going in with any delusions of greatness either… Don’t worry, I thought I’d repay the debts I’ve received in good time…”
“I just want Yeon-hee to stick around for a long time, yet you’re already thinking about leaving? Ugh… I’m heartbroken…”
“Ah! I-I’m not thinking of leaving right away. Maybe once I experience more, I might like it… and…”
“Ahahaha! Oh, Yeon-hee, you’re too cute, acting all flustered like a rabbit!”
Yeon-su suddenly stood up, approached Yeon-hee, and started to rub her cheeks against hers for quite a while.
“By the way… I want to see Il-wol’s face once.”
In the end, Yeon-su called me out. Given that she already knew my name, I had to assume she knew quite a bit of information already.
“Huh? Ah… yes. Il-wol, you can come out.”
Swish—
As soon as Yeon-hee’s sentence ended, I released my stealth and revealed myself, causing Yeon-su to tilt her head slowly while staring at me.
“Hmm… so this is the Skeleton Soldier I saw a month ago…”
She briefly scanned me from head to toe, then began muttering with a blank expression.
“Strength around 200… Agility and Health both about 150… Well, Health seems a bit lower?… The swordsmanship is barely at a novice level… Plus, stealth… With the unique skill, Bone Bomb, and Fireball as well… a Skeleton Soldier…”
……
While she merely repeated the information she had already gathered and estimated my stats, an overwhelming sense of tension surrounded us, as if we had stepped into the depths of a dark dungeon.
The aura of an S-rank hunter, honed and sharp, was unconsciously exerting its influence over everything connected to her.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
