A S-Class Hunter With Great Agility - Chapter 162
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 162: Siren (1)
Actually, something had been strange from the moment I arrived.
‘Two Association staff members?’
In the previous dungeons, even when they said they’d come, it was usually just one person, and even then they’d just do a simple identity check and disappear quickly.
But why today…
| What’s going on? |
“Right. Let’s go check it out first.”
I approached them.
“Hello, thank you for your hard work. I’m the one who made a reservation for conquest here today. I’m planning to enter in about 30 minutes… Is there some problem?”
“Ah. Oh, you’re here!”
The staff member was startled when he spotted me. It was enough to surprise even me.
‘Why does this feel so unsettling.’
They rolled their eyes at each other while gauging my reaction.
“Well, you see. There is a problem… Senior, what should we do? I haven’t even finished memorizing the manual yet. Don’t you know anything about this?”
“I don’t know either. I’d have to have experienced something like this before… I’m going crazy too. What are we supposed to do about this.”
I furrowed my brow.
“It seems like a problem has occurred.”
The staff member who appeared to be the senior decided it was too hard to hide any longer and began telling the truth.
“The thing is, Hunter. It’s nothing else, but the dungeon has been double-booked. There’s one dungeon… but currently two reservation holders. It seems like there was some kind of mistake.”
“Excuse me?”
“We’re sorry. The dungeon that was definitely won through auction should have been excluded so it couldn’t be purchased anymore, but the person in charge must have forgotten and it was openly uploaded to the existing gate reservation site. By the time we noticed, the purchase had already been completed…”
What is this supposed to mean? So someone else bought the dungeon I purchased?
‘But I never sold it?’
I opened my mouth with a bewildered expression. What kind of daylight robbery situation is this.
“What exactly do you mean by that? The dungeon is double-booked. How do you handle work…”
No, maybe it’s natural. Right now the Association itself is in a completely half-destroyed state. It might be too much to expect proper work handling.
Honestly, when a company building has collapsed, how many office workers could do their jobs properly. It’s probably a situation where they don’t even know if their salaries are coming through properly.
I was left speechless and pressed my forehead.
“We’re really sorry! We tried to resolve it quickly, but the other reservation holder happens to be from a major guild… If you want to cancel the bid, we’ll process it immediately and proceed with a refund!”
The other staff member bowed his head in apology.
Well, in a situation where gate prices are skyrocketing without knowing limits, if they purchased through the regular reservation route, it would most likely be a major guild.
‘But so what about that.’
“What? I won the bid first, but you’re talking about a refund for me. The refund should go to those reservation holders, not me.”
“Th-that’s true, but…”
“I already paid the legitimate price. This is troubling. I need to have a conversation with those reservation holders.”
Usually when it comes to major guilds, people tuck their tails and run away first, but that’s not in my dictionary.
I bought it first, so what refund!
‘If I can’t enter this dungeon now, where am I supposed to find the next dungeon. I won’t give it up even if I die. Eden? Blue Dragon? Red Dog? Who is it?’
The Association staff member who saw my determined face panicked but soon came to his senses.
He seemed to realize what the proper procedure was.
“Of, of course that comes first. Yes…! I made a mistake. I’m sorry. The other reservation holders are probably all over there.”
I stepped forward without hesitation, even prepared to contact the higher-ups I knew—naturally the guild leaders—if necessary.
Step.
In front of the gate, several people were gathered together.
‘Are they… hunters?’
Their attire was unusual. About five of them were all wearing white coats. You know, the kind used as lab coats.
Each wore glasses and was checking tablet PCs while having conversations, but they didn’t look like hunters either.
‘But they’re carrying weapons too.’
Long swords, bows, axes, and other weapons slung over their shoulders created a strange harmony with the pure white lab coats.
“Are you the reservation holders here?”
I spoke to the person who appeared to be the leader among them. A lukewarm response came back.
“…? Yes, that’s right.”
“Did you hear the explanation? From the Association staff members.”
I revealed that this gate was one I had already won at auction a few days ago, and that I had purchased it for three times the market price.
But due to an error on the Association’s part, they had made a duplicate reservation, so a refund procedure needed to be followed.
“Ahh…”
Still, major guilds are reasonable to talk to. I thought this would be sufficient explanation and waited for the other party’s response.
“An auction… I heard news that the Association recently introduced such a method, but well. I can’t acknowledge it.”
What did you say?
A male Hunter with disheveled hair tied back tightly and wearing glasses adjusted his latex gloves. He appeared to be in his early thirties.
“We are Hunters from the Butterfly Guild, ranked 3rd among domestic guilds.”
Oh, suddenly introducing themselves.
‘So it was the Butterfly Guild. I didn’t even ask about the ranking. 3rd place… I know that you’ll soon be pushed down to 4th.’
Having seen the guild rankings disclosed in advance at the year-end party, I knew they would soon be overtaken by Red Dog.
Perhaps they hadn’t attended the party, as the opponent who was unaware of this fact continued speaking.
“Naturally, we paid the proper price and completed our reservation through legitimate channels, so the rights to this B-rank dungeon belong to us.”
“…Of course you did. But I’m trying to tell you that I originally held those rights first. Don’t you see this certificate of rights?”
I pulled out a document from my silk sleeve. It was the dungeon rights certificate the Association had given me.
“We have one of those too.”
The opponent also produced a document. Surprisingly, except for the rights holder’s name, the contents were completely identical.
‘Normally, the Association would cancel their rights and handle compensation or whatever else – that would be the proper procedure… Damn.’
I pressed my temples. The Association building wasn’t going to magically restore itself, was it?
‘Let’s stop with the unrealistic talk…’
I sighed and drooped my eyebrows. At this point, there was only one method.
“Excuse me, I’m sorry but… If you’re ranked as high as 3rd place, that means you have plenty of money and power, right? You could just make another reservation at a place like this. You know what the industry situation is like right now, so if you keep acting like this, it’s really troublesome for solo operators like me.”
Evoking sympathy. I tried my best to act pitiful.
“Please show some consideration for fellow people making a living in the same field. If you look at the date written on the rights certificate, I was first anyway.”
‘This is the survival skill of someone who was fine even after being three months behind on rent to their landlord.’
But unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be very effective.
“We’re the ones in a difficult position. This dungeon has a very high probability of Siren appearances. Do you know how many materials we need to collect here today? We can’t consider every individual Hunter’s circumstances.”
“…Collection? Not conquest?”
“…The Butterfly Guild is also an institution that conducts research on domestic dungeons and monsters. Didn’t you know?”
How would I know that?
No wonder they were all wearing lab coats. Like Red Dog catching criminals or the Academy teaching students, it seemed the Butterfly Guild also served as a research institution.
“To think someone would be so ignorant of industry affairs… Now I understand why you’re acting like this.”
…Who’s ignorant of industry affairs? These rich guys seemed oblivious to how serious dungeon prices had become.
Right, whether dungeon prices quadruple or quintuple, it wouldn’t matter to you.
‘But people like me take a serious hit. I don’t even know when the Association will hold the next auction…’
It really felt like talking to a wall. What kind of guy is this?
Spiritual Sight.
[Status Window]
Name: Jegal Hyeon
Grade: A
[Stats]
Health: 121 Strength: 131 Agility: 123
Mental Power | 45 Mana | 118
[Skills]
Hakwuseon (A) lv.2
Strategist (A) lv.3
Four Pillars / Ganhakil (*A benevolent deity excellent in learning and skills)
So it’s Mr. Jegal.
“I wonder if your ancestor knows you’re acting like this…”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s nothing.”
In any case, the opponent also showed no signs of backing down.
‘What on earth should I do?’
Should I contact Yeon Na-yeon through my sister? The only solution I could think of was using connections.
| They won’t listen to reason. What an unscrupulous fellow. |
“Exactly.”
Then Jegal Hyeon, who had been silent all along, spoke up.
“…If you feel so wronged. Then you’ll have no choice but to drive us out directly.”
Drive them out?
“It’s a kind of wager. I’ll make you a proposal inside the dungeon. With the ownership of this dungeon at stake.”
“…”
“Everyone should have a fair opportunity, after all.”
However, before I could grasp the situation, Jegal Hyeon’s colleagues began moving into the dungeon.
Each one grabbed their weapons and crossed through the gate, loaded down with strange research equipment.
“It seems time is up. We can’t delay any longer either. Whether you accept or not, that’s up to your choice.”
Jegal Hyeon nodded lightly and turned his back on me.
Before I could even try to stop them, they all disappeared beyond the gate.
“…Haha.”
I let out a bitter laugh.
“Fine then.”
Today, the field worker is going to crush those researchers once and for all.
Crack.
* * *
Whoooooosh—
A waterfall was cascading down.
‘What an incredible sight.’
I followed Butterfly’s guild members straight into the dungeon. What I encountered afterward was a violently pouring waterfall.
‘It looks like something that would be listed among the world’s top 100 must-see destinations before you die, or something like that.’
But my admiration ended there. I needed to monopolize this scenery for myself.
“…You really did follow us. Inside a dungeon, no one would know what happens, so aren’t you scared being alone?”
Jegal Hyeon spotted me and asked. I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders.
“Are you planning to harm me? Just to take this one dungeon?”
“…”
“I know your boss lady somewhat… She didn’t seem like the type of person who would keep people like that under her.”
That was certainly true. Yeon Na-yeon was only frustrated about being pushed to 4th place, but she wasn’t someone who would use wrong methods to reclaim her ranking.
She must have carefully selected her guild members too. She seemed to have quite a meticulous personality.
“How do you know our guild leader?”
“Never mind that. Just tell me about this proposal of yours. Or everyone can leave here right now. To me, you’re all trespassers.”
Of course, it was unfortunate that the carefully selected guild members were all trespassers.
“Go ahead.”
Of course, I could roughly guess. What other method would there be for a hunter to drive out another hunter?
Shing.
I drew my Spirit General Sword. Ready to have a sparring match with Jegal Hyeon, who was also an A-rank Hunter, if necessary.
“…”
Jegal Hyeon stared intently at my blade.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————