LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 105
Chapter 105 S-Rank Promotion Test! 2
Yoon-jung’s morning started early.
At 6 AM, she repeatedly opened and closed her eyes, struggling to gather her half-asleep mind.
After about five minutes, she dragged her heavy body, feeling like a water-soaked cotton blanket, into the shower, and then checked the loan reminder messages and bill lists on her smartwatch.
[The current debt amount for Ms. Park Yoon-jung is 3,121,242,300 KRW.]
“…..It’s increased again.”
After finishing her shower, Yoon-jung hung a black pendant around her neck, which was lying on the table.
“Haa, it’s cold….”
Even though it was spring, the mornings were still quite chilly.
Since she had awakened as a hunter, she wouldn’t catch a cold easily, but the cold itself was still unpleasant, so Yoon-jung had to dress warmly.
It had been four months since Yoon-jung last met her gambling and alcohol-addicted parents.
She thought they were just staying at Kangwon Land, but now they were traveling around the country, seeking out illegal gambling dens, so it was beyond the point where anything could be done.
As a human being, it was only natural for her to resent them, even though they were her biological parents.
Just like when she cursed while talking to Shia when drunk—damn it, damn it.
However, foolishly… idiotically, Yoon-jung couldn’t completely sever ties with them.
It wasn’t just because her parents had borrowed money under her name and entangled her in a complex debt situation; more fundamentally, deep inside, she still pitied and felt sorry for them.
You could call her a pushover, and she wouldn’t be able to deny it.
Her parents were broken as human beings long before they had her, and they were lacking in every possible way.
Her biological parents, who gave birth to her, were far from good parents, so she had to take care of herself, cooking, cleaning, and even feeding herself, since she was only three.
The memories of wandering aimlessly around town, trying to escape her drunken parents’ tantrums, weren’t exactly pleasant.
Sure, life was always tough, but the world she had been reborn into had become even more cruel to the weak.
Fortunately, things got better once she realized she had awakened as a hunter and dropped out of school to walk the path of a hunter, making money more easily than ordinary people.
Had she attended a Hunter Academy, she might have refined her abilities more systematically and earned a higher grade, but with her parents squandering the tuition on gambling, how could she have afforded an academy?
Anyway, Yoon-jung managed to become a hunter by starting from the very bottom, even without attending an academy.
The Sanwoomul Guild had a lot of crappy aspects, but without it, Yoon-jung wouldn’t have even been able to become a hunter.
Of course, even as a hunter, her life didn’t improve much.
She didn’t have overwhelming abilities like the famous Yeonseo in the textbooks, and she couldn’t afford expensive equipment, so she had to join parties, raiding low-level dungeons and scavenging for leftovers to make an income.
Some hunters could afford expensive potions like mana potions that permanently increased abilities, but that was a far-off dream for Yoon-jung.
Still, Yoon-jung pressed on.
She had always done so before, and she was still doing so now.
Keep going.
Don’t stop.
The world is harsh, and it won’t wait for you.
“Alright, guys, here’s the list of dungeons we’ll be touring today~”
“Oh, thanks.”
“You did great.”
Yoon-jung, who had been at the Hunter Association since dawn, accepted all the dungeon requests available near the Seoul metropolitan area for her party.
The various requests or missions distributed by the association to hunters and guilds are sent out via official guild emails or personal smartwatches every day at 9 AM.
However, the problem was that Yoon-jung’s party was a low-level hunter party, ranked from F to C.
There were over 10,000 B-rank hunters in Korea, and the number of low-level hunters ranked below that was overwhelmingly large, almost to the point of saturation.
With so many low-level hunters fighting desperately for their livelihood, if Yoon-jung’s party departed only after receiving the request email, other parties would already have claimed the jobs by the time they arrived.
So, Yoon-jung would deliberately wake up early, check for missions suited to their rank at the association, and return to the guild.
“Man, what would we do without you, Yoon-jung?”
“If you know that, then raise my daily wage.”
“Of course, we’ll do that… once the dungeon tour is over.”
“This young one is diligent and full of energy.”
“At least today, we only need to tour the metropolitan area.”
“The car’s here. Let’s go, guys!”
“Oh, did you get a new car?”
“New car, my foot! It doesn’t even have an autopilot system!”
“Ah, come on, old man. Move over! There’s no room here!”
Fortunately, this time, they only had to tour a few gate dungeons around Seoul and the metropolitan area.
They hunted down hordes of cornflies with no offensive capabilities, gathered herbs and medicinal plants around the acidic lake, and destroyed a few goblin settlements to regulate their population.
What had been difficult at first had now become familiar, and Yoon-jung could wield the standard hunter gear provided by the guild to easily take down goblins.
Thwack! Thwack!
[Screeech!]
[Domhwachaak!]
[Aaagh!]
“Hunt’s over! Don’t bother chasing the ones that ran away!”
“Wow, Yoon-jung’s skills are improving more and more.”
“She used to struggle with a single goblin, and now she could raid a goblin cave all by herself.”
“Even if you say that, it doesn’t mean I’m getting anything extra.”
After the grueling labor of dungeon touring, it was time for the financial settlement.
Fortunately, today, the troublesome guild master had been called away somewhere, so they didn’t have to return to the guild building for a routine report.
Incidentally, as Shia had mentioned, the guild master didn’t remember anything from the last incident, which was a huge relief for Yoon-jung.
“By the way, we finished early today. How about a team dinner?”
“Ah, sir! You’re talking about dinner again when you’re not even going to buy me a drink?”
“Come on, boss. Yoon-jung doesn’t like dinners.”
“It’s not that I hate dinners, it’s just that when I go, I’m the only one not getting a drink!”
“Hey, what do you mean by ‘drink,’ you brat!”
“My birthday is coming up soon!”
Beep beep!
“Yes, I’ve got the call…. Huh? Yes! Got it……..”
“What’s going on?”
“…Hey, the guild master’s calling everyone?”
“What? What’s that jerk up to now?”
The guild master was so unpopular… no, absolutely no one liked the guy, who was the epitome of a tyrant and a jerk. Everyone, including Yoon-jung, scowled.
“It’s… a full gathering.”
“Huh? Doesn’t he usually only call the party leaders? Is he throwing another fit?”
“No. This time, it’s a full guild assembly.”
“What the hell. Why now? Can’t Yoon-jung just go home?”
“Erm… I don’t think that’s possible. Even the civilian staff and bookkeepers are being called in, so it seems like something big is up. If any party is missing a single member, there will be hell to pay.”
“That bastard… What now?”
“We don’t have a choice. We have to go.”
Despite the overflowing dissatisfaction on their faces, the guild master’s summons were absolute.
And if he had called the entire guild this time instead of just the usual gathering of party leaders and officials, there must have been a significant reason behind it.
In the end, Yoon-jung and her party members gathered at the guild building where all the members of the Sanwoomul Guild were assembling.
Sanwoomul Guild wasn’t one of Korea’s top 10 mega-guilds, but it operated as a branch under China’s Mountain Guild, with vast capital flowing in from Mountain Guild to rent or construct large buildings.
The Sanwoomul Guild prided itself on welfare for low-level hunters, though in reality, it ensnared many of them with complex debts and malicious financial schemes. Still, for many hunters with no place to go, it was a shelter where they could find work.
“Was our guild always this big?”
“Usually, it’s just the party leaders that gather.”
“Where’s that bastard of a guild master? He calls us here but doesn’t even show up.”
“But, hey, sir. Who are those people in red clothes?”
At Yoon-jung’s words, the red-clad figures scattered throughout the guild building came into view.
“…Don’t look at them. They’re hunters from Mountain Guild.”
“Are they dangerous?”
“Nothing good comes from catching the attention of those Chinese.”
Yoon-jung agreed with that sentiment.
Hadn’t the guild master made strange and suspicious offers a few times to send her off to China?
There’s no such thing as a free lunch. No gold without a price, so Yoon-jung had consistently refused the guild master’s proposals.
A little while later, a group of red-clad individuals appeared on the high platform where the guild members had gathered, and the Sanwoomul Guild’s guild master finally showed up.
“Is everyone here? Hmm, I’m sure you’re all surprised by the sudden gathering.”
The guild master was normally an arrogant, sadistic figure, but today, he seemed strangely tense and stiff.
What’s up with him? Did he mess up or something?
“Our Sanwoomul Guild is the Korean branch of ‘Mountain Guild,’ the world’s largest guild based in Shanxi, China. Most of you already know about Mountain Guild’s exchange hunter and support hunter system that they run annually. Thanks to this system, some members of Sanwoomul Guild have been incorporated into Mountain Guild each year, receiving massive support and training to hone their awakened abilities.”
Indeed, many hunters in this place aspired to be selected as exchange hunters by Mountain Guild and head off to China.
“I was the same. My abilities were just D-rank at one time, but thanks to the gracious support system of Mountain Guild, I became an A-rank hunter and the master of Sanwoomul Guild.”
On the surface, Mountain Guild’s support system and exchange hunter program seemed very enticing.
Not only did they provide financial support, but there were also opportunities to grow stronger, and rumor had it they even cleared debts in Korea.
“Of course, being selected by Mountain Guild and becoming as strong as me is something for the future. But for those of you scraping by, scavenging for leftovers like beggars or laughing over a few weak goblins you killed, Mountain Guild’s selection process is a massive opportunity. It could completely change your miserable lives.”
“……”
Even though his words were close to outright insults, none of the hunters gathered could say anything in return.
As obnoxious and terrible as the guild master was, he wasn’t wrong.
“And every year, I’ve personally selected hunters from here who met the criteria to join Mountain Guild’s exchange hunter program… but this year, someone from Mountain Guild has come in person.”
At some point, two figures had appeared behind the guild master.
Neither Yoon-jung nor anyone else had noticed when they had arrived.
Were they just incredibly fast, or had they used some kind of teleportation ability like Yeonseo?
No one could tell.
They had simply appeared behind the guild master.
“Let me introduce you. This is Hunter Bai Weishen, a commander in Mountain Guild’s elite Baiyun Battalion.”
“Nice to meet you.”
Hunter Bai Weishen had an enormous frame.
Standing at two meters… no, possibly close to three meters tall, his sheer size made it hard to tell if he was human or some sort of humanoid monster.
He had a beard and a muscular, imposing physique that left a strong impression.
“Wow… If that guy grabs you, you’d be dead in an instant.”
“Isn’t he an S-rank from Mountain Guild?”
“Who knows, but he looks stronger than our guild master.”
“Quiet down.”
Normally, the guild master would have kicked them in the shin for talking back, but today he was unusually quiet.
Once the hunters settled down, the guild master introduced the woman standing on his left, who had her white hair braided up.
“And this is Wang Soyeong, also a commander in Mountain Guild and leader of the Black Plum Blossom Brigade.”
“Nice to meet you, Korean friends~”
Wang Soyeong, speaking fluent Korean, smiled and opened her fan.
[Oh, you don’t speak Korean, do you?]
[Just use a drone.]
[Are you stupid? The drone won’t have the Korean translation patch ready until the day after tomorrow. Didn’t I tell you to do it beforehand? Ugh, muscleheads… I’ll handle this.]
[Fine…]
“Ahem! My colleague, Hunter Bai Weishen, isn’t fluent in Korean, so I’ll speak on his behalf. As the master of Sanwoomul Guild mentioned, we’re from Mountain Guild in Shanxi. We came here because we heard there’s an S-rank promotion test happening in Korea, but we arrived too early, it seems.”
She looked young and pretty, but there was something ominous about her.
It was like the feeling you get from a snake—the perfect description of her.
“So, since the promotion test hasn’t started yet, we decided to visit Sanwoomul Guild to scout for new talent.”
“Talent?”
“Are they doing another selection?”
“They picked some in December last year, and now again…?”
“Oh…”
“Could it be my turn this time?”
“Get real. You don’t stand a chance…”
“Now, please pay attention. The selection criteria aren’t just about strength. Mountain Guild has its own special standards for selecting hunters who are suitable for our support system. Unfortunately, we can’t share those criteria with you, but this is a rare opportunity. If any of you are interested in joining the support hunter program, please give your name and social security number to the red-clad members over there….”
At that moment, Yoon-jung’s eyes met Wang Soyeong’s.
At first, Yoon-jung thought it was a coincidence, but then Wang Soyeong’s eyes widened.
“…Just tell them. I know this sudden gathering may have been inconvenient, so I thank you all for coming. On your way out, please pick up a small gift and meal voucher that we brought from Mountain Guild.”
“Phew, finally over.”
“Are you going to apply?”
“Why not? If I get in, it’s great. If not, nothing lost.”
“Let’s all apply together, then.”
“Well, at least they’re giving us meal vouchers, so that’s something…”
What… was that about?
Yoon-jung had sensed something unsettling from the moment she had locked eyes with Wang Soyeong.
It’s probably nothing.
There’s no way an S-rank hunter from China would be interested in a worthless high schooler like me….
“Hey! You, there!”
“…Yes?”
Suddenly, someone grabbed Yoon-jung’s shoulder, forcing her to turn around.
When she turned, she saw Wang Soyeong, Bai Weishen, and a group of red-clad members accompanying them.
Not only was Yoon-jung surprised by their sudden approach, but so were her party members, who stiffened up.
W-What? I thought they were leaving? Why are they suddenly coming to me…?
[That’s the one.]
[The one? Are you sure? This little girl?]
[I’m certain. The flower reacted.]
They conversed in Chinese amongst themselves for a bit before Wang Soyeong put on her most harmless smile and spoke to Yoon-jung.
“What’s your name?”
“…Park Yoon-jung.”
Although these people had approached her suddenly, they were higher in rank than the Sanwoomul Guild’s master, so there was no need to cause trouble. Yoon-jung obediently answered with her name.
“E-Excuse me, Hunter Wang Soyeong? What is this about? If there’s something you need, please let me know….”
Meanwhile, the guild master hurried over with a flustered expression, bowing as he spoke, startled by Wang Soyeong and Bai Weishen’s sudden actions.
It seemed he hadn’t expected Wang Soyeong to take an interest in Yoon-jung.
However, Wang Soyeong didn’t even acknowledge the guild master. She completely ignored him, her gaze fixed solely on Yoon-jung.
“We’ll be taking you.”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, I must have startled you. Could I have a moment of your time, Miss Yoon-jung?”
●●●●
After that, Yoon-jung followed the two of them to a building near Sanwoomul Guild that looked like a café.
The building seemed to have been temporarily converted into an office. Inside, there were even more people in red clothing than there had been at the guild earlier.
“Please listen to the explanation here for a moment~”
“….Okay.”
Wang Soyeong and Bai Weishen then left, and a few men in suits, probably lawyers or officials, greeted Yoon-jung instead.
They were quite respectful, speaking politely to Yoon-jung.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Liang Huachen, an administrative officer from Mountain Guild’s law firm. You can just call me Officer Liang.”
The other men in suits shot a glance at Yoon-jung, looking bored, but Officer Liang spoke fluently in Korean and addressed her in a polite tone.
“Forgive me, but I’ve looked over your personal information, Miss Yoon-jung. You’re in quite a bit of debt, aren’t you?”
“So what?”
“Loan sharks, third-tier finance… The interest is insane. You’re practically mortgaged for life.”
“She’ll be easy to sway.”
“Hey, don’t say things like that in front of her. My apologies, Miss Yoon-jung.”
“Excuse me.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“I still don’t know why I’m here. If you’re just going to talk about my debt, I’m not going to listen to anything you say.”
“Oh dear, we’ve been rude. I apologize, Miss Yoon-jung. See, I told you we were being rude. Apologize, everyone.”
“Tsk, sorry.”
“My apologies.”
Yoon-jung was already feeling irritated, as the whole situation felt like forced insincere groveling.
“Anyway. We’re here to inform you that you’re an ideal candidate for Mountain Guild’s exchange hunter selection.”
“What?”
Suddenly??
I’ve been at Sanwoomul Guild for over three years now, and all of a sudden, I’m an ideal candidate?
Last year and the year before, the guild master told me I had no talent and should just quietly keep grinding dungeons. So, what is this about?
“It may seem abrupt, but it’s the truth. We can’t tell you what the exact criteria are yet, but if you sign here and agree to become an exchange hunter for Mountain Guild… no, if you agree to transfer entirely to Mountain Guild, we promise you full support.”
“…Why?”
“Because you’re the talent we need.”
“And what exactly is this talent? I’m just a low-ranking hunter who’s not even an adult yet.”
“We can’t give you all the details. But if you sign this, we’ll take care of all your debts immediately. Furthermore, Mountain Guild will provide you with a full curriculum to enhance your abilities, support your growth, and, if you want, we’ll provide you with your own personal weapons and accommodations in Shanxi.”
It was tempting.
Too tempting.
No matter how I looked at it, there didn’t seem to be any downsides.
“I’ll have to refuse.”
“Sorry?”
“Wait, what did you just say?”
“Huh?”
Officer Liang and the other suit-wearers looked completely taken aback by her unexpected response.
“I’m not interested.”
“Hey, we’re just trying to help you…..!”
“…Why, Miss Yoon-jung? Do you find our offer lacking? Isn’t this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a low-level hunter?”
“I know. But I’m not interested.”
I didn’t even know how to describe this feeling.
It was undoubtedly a lavish offer, but for some reason, from the moment I walked into this building, I had felt this unsettling sense of unease.
“Aren’t you going to tell us why? There must be a reason!”
“A reason? I don’t have one. I just don’t want to.”
“Huh…”
“Miss Yoon-jung, we’re trying to make things easier for you. Do you think we enjoy doing this? If you keep being uncooperative, we’ll be forced to…”
“Exactly. Why are you deliberately choosing the harder path when we’re offering an easier one? Mountain Guild will handle all your debts. You can start a completely new life in Shanxi!”
“All it takes is one signature, and everything will be better than it is now…”
Thud!
“What the…?”
Just then, someone forcefully opened the door to the room Yoon-jung was in.
And that someone… wasn’t who anyone, including Yoon-jung, or the Chinese officials had expected.
“Hello.”
“….Shia……Unnie..?”
Why is she here again?!
“You’re not allowed in here! You need to leave right away!”
“Get her out of here!”
Soon, members of Mountain Guild dressed in red came rushing in from the direction Shia had entered.
Naturally, this was Mountain Guild’s property.
Even if Yoon-jung had been invited, Shia was an uninvited intruder.
However, even as the people gathered around, Shia didn’t so much as glance at them.
She simply extended her hand toward Yoon-jung, as if saying, “Take it.”
“…Let’s go eat.”
“………..”
“It’s lonely eating alone.”
“……….”
Well, yeah… It is lonely…
Yoon-jung almost instinctively reached out to take Shia’s hand, looking at her expression that seemed to say, “I need a meal buddy.”
[What’s going on here?]
At that moment, Bai Weishen’s massive figure appeared.
His towering, three-meter-tall body bent as he entered the room, making the already cramped space feel even more crowded.
[Commander Bai Weishen!]
[It’s nothing serious. Just a minor issue. I’ll deal with it right away…]
[A minor issue? This is a bit too chaotic for that……. huh?]
Just then, Bai Weishen’s eyes met Shia’s.
In her golden eyes flickered fury and bloodlust, yet it was controlled, suppressed, and held in check.
‘Oh, now this is interesting.’
As soon as their gazes locked, Bai Weishen looked at Shia, clearly amused.
Her gaze was fierce.
No, it was more than that.
As the commander of Mountain Guild’s elite Baiyun Battalion, Bai Weishen, who had grown through countless battles, felt a tingle run down his spine the moment he met the gaze of this silver-haired woman.
[Hey, translate.]
[Huh? Oh, yes… understood!]
The red-clad members, who had initially tried to eject Shia, hesitated in the strange atmosphere created by Bai Weishen’s presence and moved aside.
‘This feeling… It’s been a while, hasn’t it?’
It was the same chilling sensation he’d felt when confronting an S-rank raid dungeon monster.
When a regular person encounters a tiger, they freeze up due to the low-frequency sounds that paralyze their legs, and hunters experience a similar survival instinct when they face overwhelming monsters or life-threatening situations.
Bai Weishen had rarely experienced this feeling in his life.
Once when he had accidentally encountered the boss of an S-rank raid dungeon during his early B-rank days, and once again when he first met Shanxi’s overlord, Cheon Dana.
And today, Bai Weishen was experiencing that chilling and exhilarating feeling again.
[So, you’re the one they call Shia, huh?]
“…You know me?”
[I’ve seen you in reports. I didn’t expect to meet you here… but yes, you’re Shia, right?]
“…Yeah.”
[They say you’re participating in the S-rank promotion test. Just a quick search reveals that.]
Well, I’ve apparently become a celebrity.
The S-rank promotion test had clearly exceeded the level of being a small event confined to Korea.
“……..”
[You want to take this girl with you?]
At those words, Shia looked up at Bai Weishen.
[How about a fight?]
“…What?”
Shia tilted her head in confusion at the sudden proposal, while the red-clad members who had been interpreting were stunned, looking at Bai Weishen with wide eyes.
[It’s been a long time since I’ve encountered someone like you. I don’t know why, but my heart and muscles are tingling with excitement. You’re strong, right? You’re participating in the S-rank promotion test, so you must be.]
“………”
[You want to take that girl with you? Beat me, and you can take her right away.]
“Alright, fine.”
[Pfft! That’s more like it….!]
Thud!
[Huh?]
BOOM!!!!!!!!!
In that instant, Shia grabbed Bai Weishen by the collar and slammed his massive, muscular body into the ground.
The entire process and the speed at which it occurred were almost instantaneous, so much so that not only the people standing nearby but even Bai Weishen himself, an S-rank hunter from Mountain Guild, couldn’t react.
“…………?”
“…….Huh?”
However, there was no way an S-rank hunter, especially the commander of Mountain Guild’s elite Baiyun Battalion, would be defeated just like that.
Bai Weishen quickly tried to get up, pouring power into his body to lift himself from the ground, but he suddenly felt a warm sensation flowing through his head, which was still pressed against the floor.
What is this?
[Miracle – Burst]
Bam!!!
Within less than a second, Shia, while pinning Bai Weishen to the ground, released a powerful miracle that detonated directly over his head.
The force had been carefully controlled so it wouldn’t kill him.
“…Mmph?!”
“Commander!!!”
“What the heck?!”
“Get him out of there now!”
“Call Hunter Wang Soyeong!”
“Hey, someone grab him!”
“Is he knocked out?!”
Finally, the red-clad members began to panic and scramble around.
In the midst of the chaos, Shia calmly took Yoon-jung’s hand.
“………W-What the hell is going on….”
“Let’s go, Yoon-jung.”
“…Oh my god…..”
And with Shia holding her hand, no one dared to stop them as they left.