A S-Class Hunter With Great Agility - Chapter 114

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

 

Chapter 114: Unpredictable (5)

 

To think such a day would come for me too. The party leader of a raid party mainly active in the Seoul area swallowed tears inwardly.

 

‘Ah, those painful days of the past…!’

 

Who would have known that a rare unaffiliated A-rank Hunter would apply to a recruitment post made in desperation due to missing personnel, grasping at straws.

Even a famous person in society who supposedly destroyed the Academy! It was truly a blessing that fell from heaven.

 

‘I’ll raise the conditions generously too!’

 

Even a one-month short-term membership would be fine. The money earned by a skilled high-rank Hunter was beyond imagination.

Just one month of membership would be enough to easily afford a foreign car.

 

‘With that money, I can prepare plenty of safety equipment too.’

 

No more having to watch comrades treat wounds with cheap potions.

 

‘What were the large guilds doing, not recruiting someone like this?’

 

How could he know that they couldn’t recruit him, not that they didn’t want to.

 

“Um, sorry, just a moment.”

“Yes! Please take your time!”

 

It was perfectly fine. Maybe the timing was just a bit off!

His evaluation of the other party from today’s strategy was top-tier personality, top-tier skills, simply the greatest luck given to him.

 

‘Though his behavior is sometimes like an elderly person.’

 

Anyway, this time we too could finally become an A-rank holding party…

 

“Hello. Ah— Yes, Association President.”

 

…or so it should have been.

 

‘Association President?’

 

Huh? Didn’t he just say Association President? The party leader momentarily doubted his ears.

 

“Ah… I see. Hmm, yes.”

 

Who wouldn’t know that name.

Though the Association’s reputation was getting worse by the day, the name sitting on the old throne was still talked about.

 

‘The person he’s talking to right now is that Yeo Jung-eun…?’

 

S-rank Prophet Hunter.

 

Even removing all the various titles attached to her, those words alone made her an unreachable opponent for ordinary Hunters.

Moreover, since all Gates were ultimately managed by the Association. Even the Association that was constantly crushed by large guilds was still an existence that small and medium parties had to grovel before.

 

‘This is unbelievable!’

 

The B-rank Tanker’s poorly oiled armor creaked.

 

He had thought wrong. As expected, this wasn’t a tree we could climb.

“Right now? Right now I have a prior engagement…”

 

The A-rank Hunter with a somewhat cool impression glanced back.

 

Startled.

 

The party leader immediately raised both arms to make an X sign.

 

No! What prior engagement, right now! It’s a call from the Association President…!

 

That’s what it meant.

 

Then the Hunter’s brow furrowed slightly. He seemed somewhat displeased. What? Why?

 

“Ha… Yes, no. It’ll work out. I should go, yes.”

 

* * *

 

“What should we do. Something came up so I need to go.”

“Oh, of course you should go. We can have the meal next time! Next time will work.”

 

‘They could hold me back a little…’

 

I didn’t hide my bitter feelings. It was good that a perfectly suitable excuse had just come up.

 

‘Of course, I would have just had the meal and rejected the recruitment offer anyway…’

 

At least I could avoid having to face the Prophet Hunter directly.

I don’t know what reason she called for this time. I want to interact remotely as much as possible.

 

‘I still get angry just seeing the Prophet Hunter.’

 

After finishing the call, I put my mobile phone into my sleeve.

 

“Understood. I’ll head out first. I’ll be waiting for the settlement. Enjoy your meal.”

“Yes! I’ll exchange the currency and transfer it right away!”

“…Are you alright?”

 

Um, water is falling from your eyes…

 

“Oh, it’s nothing at all. Please feel free to go!”

 

Your party members also have their fists in their mouths.

 

‘Is it really okay to just leave like this?’

 

I glanced back and spoke to the party leader in a low voice.

 

“Well, contact me next time. I’ll help you out at least once more….”

“…! Are you really serious?”

 

His face quickly brightened as he bowed his head.

 

“Thank you. Take care!”

 

What a genuinely simple person…. Yeah, that’s right.

 

* * *

 

I arrived in front of the Association building. The building that clearly looked like a government office was quite familiar.

 

“It’s been a while here too.”

 

So many things had happened. I looked around the Association front plaza where the battle with the Orcs had once taken place as I walked.

 

‘I wonder if they fixed the door.’

 

Sure enough.

 

The sight of broken glass doors patched up with wooden planks came into view….

 

“Is this a corner store?”

 

The traces of the Orc’s destruction remained intact. I clicked my tongue in bewilderment.

 

Creak—

 

“Still crowded with people.”

 

However, the Association was still the institution that managed all Awakened in Korea.

The waiting area that looked like a bank service window was filled with Awakened as always.

 

“Uh…. Isn’t that guy over there?”

“Who?”

“Ah. You know! That Hunter. The one who caused a stir for destroying the Academy for a while.”

“Good memory. I think that’s him?”

 

As I squeezed my way in, several people turned to look.

They still recognize me. I was newly reminded of how small the Hunter world really is.

 

“Why did he come to the Association? I heard he even rejected offers from major guilds.”

“Really? Why?”

“How would I know. Anyway, I’m jealous. I wish I’d get even one offer.”

 

In normal cases, the awakening grade appears on the status window. Awakened who already knew their grades sat there with faces showing no particular expectations.

However, I could see the strange excitement and nervousness of heading toward a new society.

 

“I have an appointment with the Association President.”

“Ah, yes! I heard about it. You can go right up.”

 

‘This reminds me of when I first came here.’

 

I caught the elevator while recalling a few months ago when I dodged flying balls while running on a treadmill and had a big fight with Jung Su-hyuk.

 

* * *

 

Click.

 

I opened the thick wooden door of the Association President’s office.

Inside was an ordinary office that was neither spacious nor cramped.

 

“Oh my, welcome.”

 

Yeo Jung-eun, sitting on the small sofa in the center, gestured to me.

 

“Yes. It’s been a while.”

“Indeed. Hae-dam must be very busy.”

 

The elderly woman covered her mouth and laughed. But it seemed hollow inside. It was her characteristic mysterious smile.

 

“What have you been up to? It seems like you spent quite a long time in the dungeon I handed over.”

 

I sat down on the sofa and chose my answer. She must be talking about the Elf Dungeon.

 

“Yes, I did. I got caught by some Crazy Mage.”

 

It wasn’t a topic I wanted to reminisce about. Yeo Jung-eun smiled that mysterious smile again and nodded.

 

“I’m glad you conquered it safely. By the way, I’m sorry. I haven’t been able to give you any new information besides that dungeon, have I?”

“…You have been quiet.”

 

I had made a contract with the Association President to regularly receive dungeons. She was an important business partner for me.

But the only gate she’d handed over so far was just one….

 

‘Well, I made 2.7 billion from that, so it doesn’t matter.’

 

Still, a contract is a contract. Yeo Jung-eun drooped her eyebrows and offered a bland apology.

 

“I called you today because there’s good news. It’ll be quite helpful information.”

“What is it?”

 

I asked back indifferently.

 

“Before that… um, would you like something to drink today? It seems like this conversation might take a while.”

 

Yeo Jung-eun briefly stood up from her seat at my question. If it’s going to be long…

 

“Do you have any tea?”

“Of course. How about green tea? Some good tea leaves just came in from Japan. Tea ceremony is my hobby.”

 

Yeo Jung-eun headed toward one corner of the Association President’s office. After rattling around for quite a while, she soon returned carrying a tea tray.

It contained white tea sets and a teapot arranged neatly. It was quite an elegant hobby.

 

“The Association door still hasn’t been fixed.”

 

I took a sip of green tea and started some trivial conversation.

 

“Hah…, that thing. It’s really driving me crazy. As you know, Awakened Ones go in and out of there every day. So scheduling isn’t easy. There’s no budget either… I wanted to fix it even with my own money.”

 

As if she had a lot pent up, Yeo Jung-eun let out a deep sigh.

 

“Maybe if it just completely collapsed, we could rebuild it… The ceiling leaks water here and there anyway.”

“Really? That’s serious.”

 

It seemed like there really wasn’t much support. Even our home’s ceiling doesn’t leak water.

 

“Anyway, I didn’t call you here to complain about my troubles…”

 

Yeo Jung-eun set down her tea cup.

 

“Mm, it’s just about time for the news.”

 

Then she turned on the small television in the Association President’s office.

 

‘Why the television…’

 

Soon the news anchor’s voice began flowing through the airwaves.

 

[— The incident currently unfolding in Japan has been making headlines day after day.]

 

The content was shocking. I furrowed my brow and focused on the news anchor’s voice.

 

[Starting with the death of Japan’s A-rank Hunter Kato Ichiro two weeks ago, seven deaths have already occurred.]

 

“….”

 

[Since all victims were actively working professional Hunters, waves of great shock are flowing throughout Japan.]

 

Seven Hunters had died in Japan. Up to this point, it wasn’t particularly unusual news.

Hunters die every day. In an industry where the sense of life had already become twisted, seven people were just lives that could disappear by the minute.

 

But…

 

[Also, yesterday around 4 PM, Minamoto Yukie, one of Japan’s S-rank Hunters, was also found dead at her home.]

 

An S-rank Hunter died at her home.

 

[Japanese authorities are putting all their manpower into identifying the suspect in this case.]

 

Suspect.

 

This meant that whoever led them to their deaths was a ‘human,’ not a monster.

 

“As you can see. It’s quite chaotic.”

 

Yeo Jung-eun took a sip of green tea. Then she turned off the television as if her business was done.

 

“…Oh my, you didn’t know? You must not use the internet much. That’s all anyone’s talking about these days. It’s been making headlines as the Japanese Hunter serial murder case.”

“I’ve been suddenly busy lately.”

 

I hadn’t even watched the news I habitually turned on for the past few days. I pressed my brow firmly.

 

‘This is quite shocking.’

 

Even though it was another country’s affair. Thinking that serial murders were happening targeting Hunters didn’t feel good.

 

‘An S-rank Hunter even died.’

 

It was unbelievable. I moistened my throat with green tea and spoke again.

 

“What about the suspect?”

“They’re searching hard for them. At first, everyone speculated it was the Yakuza’s doing… I believed that too.”

 

Yeo Jung-eun turned on her mobile phone and held it out to me.

 

“Until I saw this.”

 

Inside was an internet post. In very blurry quality, there was a photo of some figure.

 

Below were comments from Japanese people. I pressed translate.

 

 

The figure in the photo was wearing a mask. It was a type I knew.

White skin with red eyes, pointed ears.

 

“Kitsune mask…”

 

As I unconsciously muttered, a penalty appeared. Ignoring the warning I’d become half-accustomed to, I stroked my chin and pondered.

 

‘The suspect in Japan’s murder case is wearing this mask. How ironic.’

 

“This is an animal that’s considered sacred even in the Japanese occult world, believed to protect Japan. A fox.”

“Really? I didn’t know that much.”

 

Yeo Jung-eun took back her mobile phone with an interested expression.

 

“But that person is really a suspect. No, they’re almost certainly confirmed as the perpetrator.”

“Just from posts like this?”

“Of course, the Japanese government apparently treated it as just internet rumors at first. But pushed by public opinion, they hastily investigated and found out, oh? It’s real.”

 

Yeo Jung-eun snapped her fingers.

 

“Time, location, even the mask ornament found at the scene… Everything matches.”

“Then…”

 

I paused for a moment before speaking. The fact that the Association President was suddenly telling me all this.

 

“I think I can roughly guess why you called me here.”

“You catch on quick as always.”

 

Yeo Jung-eun smiled mysteriously.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————