In front of the Red Gate, Baek Yoon-Ho's expression was grim. An Sang-Min had given him a brief rundown on Sung Jin-Woo, but the unease hadn't diminished one bit.
"So it's all just speculation, isn't it?" "That's right."
An Sang-Min admitted it freely. The truth was, nothing about Sung Jin-Woo had been proven yet.
*'If the boss had seen Hunter Sung Jin-Woo in person, he would've understood.'*
Sung Jin-Woo was definitely different in some way. An Sang-Min himself was frustrated that he couldn't put that into words. Baek Yoon-Ho's gaze drifted briefly toward the Gate.
"So in the end, the only one we can trust is Kim Cheol…"
Just then.
"Kim Cheol won't be a problem."
Another person had inserted himself into the group of Baek Yoon-Ho, An Sang-Min, and Hyun Ki-Cheol. All three heads turned toward him simultaneously. Ju Sung-Chan, head of the First Management Division. He looked at the three of them and spoke with confidence.
"I've had Hunter Kim Cheol undergo intensive training so he'd be prepared for any situation."
Normally, the training of new Hunters was the Second Management Division's responsibility, but any awakener of A-rank or above was handled directly by the First Management Division. Talent destined for an elite strike squad was different from the starting line. Ju Sung-Chan's strong confidence eased Baek Yoon-Ho's expression slightly.
"How did Hunter Kim Cheol perform?" "Excellently. His combat power alone doesn't lag behind any of the current elite strike squad members of the Baekho Guild, not at all." "Is that so?"
Baek Yoon-Ho finally managed a smile. Kim Cheol was A-rank. Among upper-tier Hunters, he was talent that couldn't be let go. If he, the leader of this strike squad, could lead the B-rank Hunters well enough to clear the Dungeon! There would still be some C-rank Hunters to account for, but from the Baekho Guild's perspective, the survival of the upper-tier Hunters was the top priority.
*'Fortunately, they say Hunter Kim Cheol's abilities are exceptional…'*
The dying ember of hope was reignled. Having reassured the president, Ju Sung-Chan cast a sidelong glance at An Sang-Min.
"I just heard something about an E-rank Hunter who's showing signs of re-awakening? That's what you were talking about, wasn't it…"
Ju Sung-Chan sneered dismissively.
"Something as baseless as that is no match for our Hunter Kim Cheol."
An Sang-Min's expression hardened. A blatant dismissal. But he didn't raise his voice or flush red over it.
*'We'll see whose call is right once the results come in…'*
All four of them looked up at the Red Gate where the Hunters were trapped, as if by unspoken agreement. Woooow— The Red Gate's crimson glow looked even more ominous than usual today.
***
"You're not really E-rank, are you?"
A woman's brazen question. Jin-Woo spoke.
"In that case, let me ask one too." "Go ahead."
Jin-Woo's gaze shifted toward Kim Cheol and the Hunters gathered around him. Before departure, they were drawing up plans.
"How can you rookies be this calm?" "The first thing they taught us was 'anything can happen inside a Dungeon.'"
Anything can happen inside a Dungeon. No one here knew those words better than Jin-Woo.
"We all received training. Especially that Kim Cheol over there — he went through special training. He's slated to join the Baekho elite strike squad."
Because they'd been trained, they weren't afraid of Dungeons. Jin-Woo was exasperated. And he realized these people were no different from Han Song-Yi whatsoever. They spouted off about being trained and all that, but what good was any of that? They knew nothing about the terror of Dungeons and were simply full of themselves.
*'Knowing something and experiencing it are two entirely different things.'*
The moment even a sliver of their confidence in knowing Dungeons cracked, it would all come crashing down like a burst dam flooding through a hole. Building it up was hard, but it only took an instant for it to collapse. For some reason, he could already see the future of Kim Cheol's team. No matter how good they looked on the outside, they were still greenhorns through and through.
"You still haven't answered." "Huh?"
Jin-Woo's gaze shifted back to the strange woman.
"My question. The answer."
Whether he was E-rank or not. She was more tenacious than he'd expected.
"Why should I tell you that?"
A brusque answer came out, but the woman — Park Hee-Jin — clenched her fist inside and rejoiced. Having met plenty of people in her time, Park Hee-Jin knew what that reaction meant. It was confidence.
*'I knew it — I was right!'*
There was yet another reason for her certainty. While training with the Baekho Guild, she had watched upper-tier Hunters move quite a bit. But just a moment ago, Jin-Woo's hands. She'd never seen movements that fast — like the hand that caught the arrow — anywhere before.
*'My eyes could barely even register what happened.'*
And this was coming from someone who was a former athlete, had awakened as a combat-type, and prided herself on her dynamic visual acuity. Park Hee-Jin's eyes sparkled.
*'This man is at least A-rank.'*
No — perhaps even higher. To draw out the answer she wanted, Park Hee-Jin asked again.
"Just tell me, won't you?" "Nothing doing."
Small talk ended there. Jin-Woo turned his head. He had no desire to be tossed around by pointless back-and-forth, and above all, Kim Cheol was approaching. Kim Cheol's and Jin-Woo's gazes met.
"We're taking the road."
Kim Cheol's voice was so deep and rough that regardless of his actual intentions, it sounded threatening.
He wasn't simply there to report their route. Kim Cheol's eyes were asking what you all planned to do. With the hidden meaning of don't follow us.
'…'
Jin-Woo glanced around and then looked back at Kim Cheol.
"We're taking the forest." "…Good luck."
The ones who really needed luck were you, but Jin-Woo held his tongue.
"You too."
Jin-Woo's team headed toward the forest. The moment Kim Cheol confirmed their figures vanishing into the underbrush, he burst out laughing.
"Idiots." "Excuse me?" "Look over there."
Kim Cheol unfolded his crossed arms and pointed at the trees in the forest. It wasn't just one or two spots. Everywhere his finger pointed, there were marks that looked like they'd been gouged by enormous beasts.
"Th-that…!" "Bears." "Ice bears!"
Among beast-type magic beasts, bears were especially dangerous! Those were territorial markers. The Hunters on Kim Cheol's team clicked their tongues upon seeing it.
"Tsk tsk." "They should've just stayed here and waited quietly." "Because of one E-rank who insisted on leading the way, innocent people are about to die." "Did an E-rank even receive proper training?"
Kim Cheol shot a mocking laugh toward the forest.
*'As expected. Someone E-rank and all…'*
…Wait. Suddenly, Kim Cheol's smile vanished.
*'That team is mostly C-ranks, and there was even a B-rank among them…'*
Then why had he been thinking of Jin-Woo as their leader? The odd feeling had only just struck him — until then, it hadn't felt out of place at all. Kim Cheol shook his head.
*'…Whatever.'*
He was going to die soon anyway. Worrying about weaklings who wouldn't last long was less urgent than thinking about their own business. Those who were going to die couldn't be helped, but those who were going to live had better start living, hadn't they? Kim Cheol turned toward the road and straightened his neck.
"Move out."
***
Jin-Woo took the lead. But they hadn't gone far before Park Hee-Jin stepped in front of him.
"What is it?" "Are you crazy?"
Jin-Woo crossed his arms without hiding his displeasure. His next words had better be chosen carefully — that was the warning. Whether Jin-Woo's intent got across or not, Park Hee-Jin lowered her voice.
"Sorry. But I have to say this."
Park Hee-Jin's fingertip pointed at a nearby tree.
"See that?"
Massive claw marks left on the tree.
"That one too! And that one too!"
It was hard to find a single undamaged tree — every one in the surrounding area had its bark severely shredded.
"The whole place is plastered with bear territorial markers! This entire forest is a habitat for bear magic beasts!"
Dogs and monkeys were weaker than tigers and lions. Magic beasts were no different. Beast-type magic beasts shaped like dogs or monkeys were far less troublesome than those shaped like tigers or lions. And bears? Bears — polar bears in particular — were counted among the most powerful carnivores. Jin-Woo's team had just set foot in a place where magic beasts based on such fearsome creatures lived. Park Hee-Jin had every right to be upset.
"We need to go back right now! Before the magic beasts swarm us!"
Tsk. Jin-Woo clicked his tongue.
*'What's going on?'*
Park Hee-Jin had expected one of three reactions from Jin-Woo: anger, surprise, or meek acceptance. But her prediction was off. She was clearly the one delivering the wake-up call for a hasty decision, yet it was Jin-Woo who looked at her with pity.
*'Why — why is he looking at me like that?'*
Park Hee-Jin's face flushed crimson with shame.
"Wh-what?"
Her voice rose again. Jin-Woo let out a long sigh and spoke.
"It's hard to find a tree without territorial marks, which means there's more than one or two Ice Bears in this area." "Th-then we need to go back quickly…" "That's exactly why we're moving through the forest." "What?"
Park Hee-Jin's eyes went wide.
*'Even after explaining it like that, she doesn't get it.'*
Left with no choice, Jin-Woo got to the point.
"While we're in the forest, we only need to worry about the Ice Bears." "Ah!"
Only then did Park Hee-Jin grasp what Jin-Woo was saying. The fact that Ice Bears were numerous meant there were no magic beasts capable of hunting them. It meant there was no need to fear the appearance of stronger magic beasts.
*'How did I not think of that…'*
Park Hee-Jin was mortified at having raised her voice in front of Jin-Woo. Her face red all the way to the nape of her neck, she couldn't lift her lowered face. Jin-Woo clicked his tongue internally. The reason Dungeons were scary was because you never knew what would pop out. If you didn't know the enemy, you couldn't respond. But here, the enemy was completely out in the open.
*'Magic beasts shaped like bears.'*
He didn't know how strong Ice Bears were, but they were definitely weaker than those two elves from earlier. Those things had been wearing clothes made of bear hide. That was why he'd chosen the forest. He planned to Level Up while keeping an eye on Kim Cheol's team and the white monsters, waiting for an opportunity. It was the safest approach.
'…?'
Suddenly, Jin-Woo gave her a puzzled look.
"Why is your face so red?"
Park Hee-Jin's face was beet red. She still couldn't lift her head and answered in a voice no louder than a mosquito.
"I-it's cold." "Hah—"
Jin-Woo heaved a deep sigh, brought up the Store, scrolled through the purchase list, and picked out a thick fur coat and winter boots. Ding.
[Item: Warm Fur Coat] Acquisition difficulty: None Type: Miscellaneous Extremely warm to wear. -Price: 10 gold
[Item: Warm Gloves] Acquisition difficulty: None Type: Miscellaneous Extremely warm to wear. -Price: 10 gold
*'Fur coat and boots at 10 gold each.'*
Unlike items with options, common goods without options didn't cost much. No — compared to the gold he had on hand, they were dirt cheap.
[Gold on hand: 431,930 gold]
*'Still, buying junk with actual gold…'*
Jin-Woo proceeded with the purchase. He couldn't give them to some and not others, so he spent 100 gold and bought five sets in total. Shhh— Five outfits and five pairs of boots materialized at his feet. Naturally, the four others — excluding Jin-Woo — gaped in astonishment.
"Gasp!" "Wh-what is this? Spatial magic?"
Park Hee-Jin was so startled she finally raised her head. Whether anyone else was surprised or not, Jin-Woo spoke calmly.
"Pick one each and put them on."
He said that and reached for the nearest fur coat, but Han Song-Yi suddenly grabbed his sleeve.
'…?'
Meeting Jin-Woo's gaze, Han Song-Yi spoke with difficulty.
"Um, mister — what was that earlier? Catching that arrow out of nowhere, and now pulling out clothes with some weird magic…"
A crease formed between Jin-Woo's brows. If he let this go, questions would keep pouring in, and before long it would become a headache.
*'Fine. Let me set this straight once and for all while I can.'*
Jin-Woo spoke firmly.
"You came with me, so I'll protect you. But."
Jin-Woo's voice dropped.
"Don't ask me anything."
He looked up and surveyed Park Hee-Jin along with the other Hunters.
"The same goes for all of you. Don't ask me anything. Don't demand anything."
Then he continued.
"If you don't like it, you're free to leave. I won't stop you."
The two male Hunters who had followed Park Hee-Jin — a B-rank Hunter — rather than Jin-Woo looked back and forth between the fur coats they'd been about to put on and Jin-Woo, then vigorously shook their heads.