—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
It wasn’t that he hadn’t heard; he just hadn’t paid much attention. Since it was a recent event, it was clearly etched in his memory.
Ironically, Lee Dong-joo, the offender, frowned in confusion.
“What?”
“You said it in the waiting room. I guess you don’t remember.”
Perhaps because Lee Seong-joon had clearly specified the location, Lee Dong-joo’s face began to flush crimson.
“……!”
“No, before that, do you really think you’re in a position to question me?”
Lee Seong-joon’s cold gaze shifted to Lee Dong-joo’s shoulder, where red blood was flowing.
“An archer who can’t draw a bowstring…”
The rookie of Hwan Sung, accustomed to preferential treatment within the guild, had forgotten.
This was inside a raid gate. Moreover, due to some unforeseen circumstances, it was a place where the difficulty had increased more than expected.
It was a cruel world where one had to be ready to discard anything unnecessary to survive. Lee Dong-joo, now injured, could be expelled from the party at any time.
A faint smile played on Lee Seong-joon’s lips.
“If you want to survive and get out of here, you better start thinking about the next course of action.”
Of course, he wasn’t planning to abandon Lee Dong-joo immediately, as it could cause unnecessary trouble after the raid. However, it was effective enough to shut him up.
Lee Dong-joo, his face pale, couldn’t yell like before.
“……”
Thanks to this, the discussion about their next course of action could proceed as Lee Seong-joon intended.
“He’s right. Now’s not the time to point fingers, but to put our heads together and think about the plan moving forward.”
Thanks to Kim Hye-young’s persuasion, the situation seemed to be settling down. However, Song Seung-joon’s gaze was still fixed on Lee Seong-joon.
‘…Intriguing.’
It wasn’t just because of his previous display of skill.
Before the ambush, Lee Seong-joon had sensed the Dark Elves’ subtle presence and prepared for it. Of course, if it had just been sharp senses, he wouldn’t have been this intrigued.
‘I can’t grasp his true strength.’
Judging by the prowess he displayed when hunting the Dark Elves, he was at least A+ rank.
‘Considering his hidden abilities, he’s likely S-rank or higher.’
But it was only speculation. After the battle ended, he had continuously observed Lee Seong-joon, trying to assess his true power, but all he could see was an impenetrable darkness.
Had something like this ever happened before? He could confidently say, never.
When he first met his master, Yoon Min-soo, he felt like he was facing a giant sun, but he could still grasp his master’s power.
Naturally, his curiosity was piqued.
‘I wonder… I look forward to seeing just how strong he is.’
There was no way to confirm Lee Seong-joon’s power right now, but there was no need to be disappointed. In the upcoming battle with the boss monster, he wouldn’t be able to hide his true abilities.
Song Seung-joon smiled faintly and looked away from Lee Seong-joon.
“……”
However, Song Seung-joon wasn’t the only one interested in Lee Seong-joon. Jung Yoon-ho was not only intrigued but also quite wary.
‘…This isn’t something to be taken lightly.’
For now, they seemed to be cooperating, but what would happen if the raid was successful? They would instantly become competitors. Therefore, he needed to make a clear judgment.
‘Lee Seong-joon… is he an unexpected dark horse besides Song Seung-joon?’
Jung Yoon-ho frowned and recalled the previous events. Although the speed was quite fast, he had seen it clearly since he was focused on the Dark Elves.
‘It was definitely a martial art called the Projectile Technique.’
He could be certain, as it was a technique frequently used by martial artists. However, both the speed and power were on a different level from the Projectile Techniques he knew.
But that was it.
‘In the end, it’s still a Projectile Technique.’
Although he was slightly oversensitive due to the consecutive unexpected situations, thinking calmly, the technique Lee Seong-joon used wasn’t that impressive. He was still just a replacement.
A relaxed smile spread across Jung Yoon-ho’s face as he finished his assessment of Lee Seong-joon.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
In front of the raid gate.
Even though all the participating hunters had entered the gate, the number of reporters hadn’t decreased. On the contrary, even more reporters were flocking to the scene.
“Incredible.”
“I heard this batch of rookies was special, but I never thought all the masters of the five major guilds would come.”
It wasn’t just the reporters who were showing a mix of wonder and bewilderment.
Lee Ye-rin, the master of the Phoenix guild, also tilted her head.
“I didn’t expect all of you to come in person.”
Usually, they would deploy emergency personnel who could be immediately mobilized in case of a raid failure, however unlikely. But for the most part, it was limited to dispatching high-ranking hunters within the guild.
However, guarding the gate entrance today were the masters of each guild.
It was an unprecedented event, so Lee Ye-rin’s reaction was understandable. But Ahn Ho-won, the master of the Grim Reaper guild, scoffed and replied,
“You’re asking that knowing full well why, aren’t you? That nasty habit of yours hasn’t changed.”
The rookies carried the future of the five major guilds; the hunters participating in this raid gate were talents recruited and nurtured with considerable effort by each guild.
As guild masters, they couldn’t help but be deeply interested. It would be strange if the guild masters hadn’t shown up.
“It’s not a given.”
Kim Dong-hyun of Hwan Sung, a sneer playing on his lips, glanced at Oh Kyung-hyun, the master of the White Tiger guild.
“Frankly, I thought you wouldn’t attend, so this is unexpected.”
“And you, I thought you’d be busy preparing excuses for the crimes you’re implicated in, yet you’re here. That’s unexpected.”
Kim Dong-hyun’s brow twitched.
“Preparing excuses? It’s all a misunderstanding, so the correct term would be ‘setting things straight.’”
“Hahaha! That silver tongue of yours hasn’t changed. If I get the chance later, I’ll personally pull it out for you.”
The atmosphere was tense enough for a fight to break out at any moment, but fortunately, Lee Ye-rin interrupted their conversation.
“I’m also curious. Since you deployed a mercenary instead of a rookie trained within the guild, I thought you wouldn’t come in person.”
She thought he would naturally avoid the situation, at least to save face. Yet, Oh Kyung-hyun, the guild master, had appeared in person.
“Well, due to some unforeseen circumstances, I ended up using a mercenary, but with the Hwan Sung guild reliably taking last place, what do I have to worry about?”
It was a remark that dredged up past failures. Normally, Kim Dong-hyun would have remained silent and waited for an opportunity to counterattack. But now, he immediately spoke.
“I won’t deny the past results, but today will be different.”
A relaxed smile even spread across Kim Dong-hyun’s lips.
“Hunter Lee Dong-joo is a hunter trained using the data accumulated by our Hwan Sung. Recently, he even underwent intense training tailored to the environment of this raid gate.”
Although individual abilities varied, Lee Dong-joo was currently the best talent Hwan Sung could independently cultivate.
“He’s an excellent hunter, incomparable to a mercenary who hasn’t received proper training.”
Kim Dong-hyun, exuding strong confidence, stared at Oh Kyung-hyun sitting next to him.
“So don’t get your hopes up. You should just pray that Lee Seong-joon, representing the White Tiger guild, comes out of there safe and sound.”
Oh Kyung-hyun’s expression hardened. But he didn’t retort sharply like before. He knew that arguing with Kim Dong-hyun here wouldn’t change anything.
‘In the end, the results will speak for themselves.’
Of course, there was a reason why Oh Kyung-hyun had come to the gate entrance in person.
‘During the contract signing, Lee Seong-joon showed excessive confidence.’
However, he didn’t think it was arrogance at all. It was because of his unwavering gaze and the subtly emanating aura.
‘There’s no way he would act like that without any basis.’
There had to be a valid reason.
‘His combat abilities alone are comparable to most rookies of the five major guilds.’
Although he hadn’t received systematic training, he had proven his abilities by defeating the villains known as the Shadow Brothers.
Of course, as mentioned before, interpersonal combat and monster hunting were different.
‘But considering Hunter Lee Seong-joon’s excessive confidence and the fact that he’s a returnee…’
He could deduce that Lee Seong-joon had likely dealt with numerous monsters in another world.
Although, as he himself had said, he might not take first place, there was a high probability that he would achieve the 3rd place result that he, Oh Kyung-hyun, and the White Tiger guild had originally aimed for.
‘Then there’s no reason for me to avoid this situation.’
It was a golden opportunity to witness that despicable Kim Dong-hyun’s face crumple right before his eyes.
Imagining that satisfying future and smiling faintly, Oh Kyung-hyun ignored Kim Dong-hyun’s provocative remarks, and silence fell over the area.
Of course, the nerve war between the guild masters wasn’t over. Ahn Ho-won’s gaze was moving busily, calculating more than ever.
‘There won’t be any variables.’
Although Lee Seong-joon had emerged as a variable, considering the previous conversation between Hwan Sung and White Tiger, and their reactions, it was highly likely that Lee Seong-joon possessed abilities similar to what they had investigated beforehand.
‘At best, 3rd or 4th place.’
He wouldn’t be able to interfere with the top-tier competition for 1st place. In the end, there was only one competitor.
‘…Nuri.’
Yoon Min-soo, paying no attention to the conversation between the guild masters, maintained a composed demeanor, like a noble crane. He even seemed relaxed, as if he had already secured first place.
‘However, that composure won’t last long.’
Song Seung-joon’s strength was within his calculations. Therefore, he could confidently assert:
‘Our Grim Reaper will take 1st place in this raid gate.’
Song Seung-joon, Yoon Min-soo’s disciple, possessed exceptional skills. However, in the end, he was a knight who had to swing his sword head-on.
In a competition like a raid gate, where accumulating contribution points was key, he couldn’t be pragmatic.
In other words, Jung Yoon-ho, an assassin who could stealthily approach and inflict critical damage with a single blow, could engage in a pragmatic fight, efficiently accumulating contribution points.
‘Even if he can’t inflict a critical hit, it doesn’t matter.’
The dagger Jung Yoon-ho carried was a B-rank artifact, coated with Arachne’s venom. It was a deadly poison capable of instantly killing most B-rank monsters, so as long as he landed a hit, he could obtain a significant amount of contribution points.
‘Even if someone possesses exceptional skills… they can’t surpass Jung Yoon-ho in terms of raid gate contribution points.’
Scoffing inwardly, Ahn Ho-won looked at the entrance of the raid gate with an expectant expression.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
