A S-Class Hunter With Great Agility - Chapter 148
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 148: Year-End Party (6)
Dawn had arrived. And the party was….
“Still not over….”
I had overlooked something. Hunters were beings who wielded weapons and fought monsters day and night without rest. If there were people with the best stamina in the world, it would be these people.
‘Compared to them, what about me? My stamina stat is only 10!’
I couldn’t use Divine Descent Ritual just to enjoy a single party. I had no choice but to endure with my 200-point mental strength.
‘Who was the person who thought it would be fine and didn’t bring the decorative cord because it didn’t match the outfit?’
[Item]
Blood Cord (A+)
— A lifeline that extends through long ages.
Has the effect of increasing fatigue recovery by 150%.
‘It was me, you crazy bastard.’
That item I got from the Academy. Since I always wore it, I didn’t know how precious it was.
“Next time I need to bring it properly….”
“Bring what?”
“Oh, you startled me.”
It was Lee Cheong-ryu. The blue-haired Hunter holding champagne in one hand had approached me.
“My sanity.”
“Hmm. Good choice.”
When I answered carelessly, he nodded nonchalantly. It was subtly annoying.
“But why are you standing here alone? Why aren’t you enjoying yourself more?”
“I have my… circumstances.”
I couldn’t bring myself to say I didn’t have the stamina to enjoy it. Lee Cheong-ryu just tilted his head for a moment before changing the subject.
“How was today? You did well to come, right?”
“…It was decent enough. Though it would have been better if you had given me a heads up before introducing me.”
“Surprises are always the most fun.”
At this point, he was addicted to surprises. I gave up even sighing and shook my head vigorously.
However….
“I’m bothered by the fact that I haven’t finished what I need to do yet.”
“Ah, about that.”
Lee Cheong-ryu stroked his chin.
“How about telling me first? If we want to talk quietly with several people, we’d need Dean Heo Gil’s skill, but as you can see, he looks busy.”
Glancing over to where Heo Gil was, I could see him discussing academy rankings with other Hunters.
“This won’t do. We need a method that’s more aggressive. Beyond just nurturing talent at the Hunter Academy…”
‘He’s enthusiastic.’
These were people who had things to learn from, beyond simply being S-rank and holding the title of Guild Leader. No matter how difficult it was, I didn’t regret coming here.
“Then let’s do that.”
I checked that there were no people around and opened my mouth.
“…When I went to Japan.”
“Yeah. You said something happened there? Is it very serious?”
“I think so, probably. I encountered the perpetrator and even saw his true identity.”
“….”
The Fox Mask.
And the face that appeared when that mask was removed….
‘The Silver-Haired Bishop I first encountered at Azure Dragon’s Busan Branch.’
“This is a story about his identity.”
Lee Cheong-ryu’s expression hardened. He seemed to recognize the seriousness of what I was about to say.
As his usual light smile faded, a cold appearance was revealed.
“He is….”
CRASH—!
And at that moment.
The door to the party hall burst open violently.
“…What?”
I turned around in surprise. Lee Cheong-ryu also turned his attention that way due to the sudden situation.
The person who burst through the door was a man in a black formal suit. The hunters in the party hall began murmuring.
“What, who is that? Making such a commotion all of a sudden…”
“Those clothes, I’ve seen them somewhere. Ugh, I drank too much. Right, so. Isn’t that an Association uniform?”
“Association uniform? I think you’re right. The taegeuk pattern on the chest…”
“Why did he come here?”
The man’s face was pale and haggard—.
‘Blood?’
His white shirt was stained with red blood.
“Huff, huff, gasp…”
The man, presumed to be an Association staff member, was gasping for breath. His pupils were shaking, so he definitely didn’t seem to be in a normal state.
“How did he know to find this place?”
“Finding it wouldn’t be difficult. It’s an unofficial event, not a secret one.”
The hunters exchanged puzzled glances. When the man collapsed to his knees with a thud, Lee Cheong-ryu reacted.
“Wait a moment. I’ll go check.”
As the host moved, the hunters nodded. Lee Cheong-ryu asked me to hold his champagne glass and walked toward the man.
What on earth is going on. I followed behind Lee Cheong-ryu.
“Hey, are you from the Association? What’s going on all of a sudden?”
The S-rank Hunter’s grip caught the man’s shoulder. The person in the Association uniform flinched and looked up at Lee Cheong-ryu.
“It’s okay, so please speak calmly.”
“Gasp, gasp…”
‘Did he run all the way here?’
The man was soaked not only in blood but also in sweat. Rather than coming to harm the party, it seemed like, yes, exactly…
‘Like he’s asking for help.’
I furrowed my brow. He looked quite urgent.
“…Um, Guild Leader.”
A Hunter approached. He seemed to belong to Blue Dragon. The bearded Hunter held out his mobile phone to Lee Cheong-ryu.
“I think you need to see this.”
“What is it?”
Lee Cheong-ryu straightened his knees and stood up while taking the mobile phone.
Boom.
A loud noise came from inside the mobile phone. It was the sound of something exploding and breaking, an explosion sound I had grown familiar with.
‘…The Association Building?’
When I glanced at the screen, I saw a building with its entrance boarded up with wooden planks.
It was definitely the place I had visited for rank measurement… and also to visit the Association President.
Half-destroyed.
The Association looked almost half-destroyed as if it had been bombed.
Kraaaaaaah!
That wasn’t all. What came with the loud noise was the cry of monsters.
Flying pterosaur-type monsters were positioned all over the screen, filling the sky.
Everyone run! Don’t just stand there!
What about the Association? What happened?!
It’s wrong. It’s already over! I’m telling you to run—. Aaaaah!
On top of that, the people filming the video were hastily turning off their cameras and running away.
It was definitely not fake, but something happening in reality right now.
“This is an SNS post that just went up. This isn’t the only one. Similar photos and videos are popping up like mushrooms after rain. It seems like a Dungeon Break has occurred at the Association.”
‘Dungeon Break?’
I hardened my expression. As soon as that word came out, the Party Hall stirred.
“My goodness… It must be real. That’s all anyone’s talking about.”
“What on earth is happening all of a sudden? There weren’t any warning signs.”
The party hall that had been filled with a cheerful atmosphere for a while was now nothing but chaotic.
“A dungeon break? I thought all the high-rank dungeons near the Association had been cleared.”
Lee Cheong-ryu spoke in a suspicious tone. Does he have a dungeon map in his head or something?
‘But if that’s really true, then something is definitely strange.’
A dungeon break was a phenomenon where uncleared dungeons became oversaturated, causing the monsters inside to pour out.
In other words, if they managed it in advance and dispatched hunters on time, serious casualties were rare.
‘A sudden gate…’
It seemed to be a sudden gate that hadn’t been caught by the Association’s radar network.
“The situation must be quite serious. Seeing how not a single disaster alert has gone off despite things getting this bad. Hey, can you speak? What’s the estimated rank?”
Lee Cheong-ryu calmly asked the man who appeared to be an Association staff member.
The man caught his breath and barely managed to open his mouth.
“A, A-rank… and on the higher end of A-rank, it seems. The computer network for calling affiliated guilds is also down, so with just our strength alone, we absolutely can’t… hic… Please help us, I’m begging you…”
After hearing his words, Lee Cheong-ryu moved his lips for a moment before sighing.
“Hah… That’s why I said they should have strengthened their security personnel earlier. Well, if it’s A-rank, strengthening wouldn’t have made much difference anyway.”
It was a rational reaction. After all, the relationship between large guilds and the Hunter Association was never close.
‘It felt like they only cooperated when their interests aligned.’
However, the Association was still the Association. The official institution that served as the backbone of the industry. If they collapsed, it could be said that the entire hunter industry would collapse.
“What chaos to start the new year with… We’ll have to hurry though.”
Lee Cheong-ryu ran his hand through his hair and glanced sideways.
“Before that, what I’m curious about is how you managed to get here in that situation…”
“….”
Lee Cheong-ryu asked while looking down at the man who was still sitting collapsed with no strength in his legs.
‘…He could have just let it slide.’
He always seemed to have gaps, but in reality, he was someone who didn’t allow even an inch of vulnerability.
The staff member seemed to think he shouldn’t panic and answered with sincere eyes.
“…I have a High-Speed Movement skill.”
“Hmm, a skill. How cliché.”
“I-It’s really true! I thought reporting the situation came first, so I used my skill to come straight here…”
Was it really the truth?
Spiritual Sight.
[Status Window]
Name: Lee Jin-hu
Rank: C
[Skills]
High-Speed Movement (B) lv.5
Slash (C) lv.2
Four Pillars / Heavenly Virtue Noble
Just as he said, I could see his High-Speed Movement skill and an incredible Four Pillars reading called Heavenly Virtue Noble.
‘…! It’s the fortune to avoid disasters all by oneself.’
With this level of fortune, he could easily save his life even in natural disasters. I opened my mouth.
“It’s all true.”
Lee Cheong-ryu seemed slightly surprised by my confident tone. It looked like he was about to ask how I could be so certain.
“And even if it were a lie, now isn’t the time to question it. Every moment is urgent.”
Taking the initiative first, Lee Cheong-ryu scratched his cheek and acknowledged it.
“Right, that’s true. Sorry, sorry—. I get suspicious whenever I see the Association.”
Lee Cheong-ryu made his usual smile and shrugged his shoulders.
“Hmm—. Then shall we go after a long time? I don’t want to be called an incompetent S-rank who let the Association collapse from the new year. An A-rank dungeon break is naturally under the jurisdiction of large guilds.”
The young S-rank Hunter nonchalantly extended one hand and created a Gate.
Whooooom—
A bright blue Gate opened its mouth in the center of the party hall. It was probably a door leading to the Association.
“Good. I’ll go first, so everyone….”
Just as Lee Cheong-ryu was saying that and taking a step forward.
Step.
“Never mind, I’ll go.”
One of the Guild Leaders who had been assessing the situation from behind stepped forward.
It was Sister Yu-kyung.
Yu-kyung, with an indifferent expression, tucked her platinum hair behind her ear and spoke once more.
“I said I’ll go.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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