The Regressed SSS-Rank Supporter Who Turned Dark - Chapter 83

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#Episode 83
Salmokji.
A term combining [rice farming]—selling game items to make a living—and
[Salmokji], a notorious spiritual hotspot from the past.
But it wasn’t something to laugh off entirely.
The fixed Gates known as Salmokji had unusually high hunter mortality rates.
Since the origin, Salmokji, was said to harbor a terrifying spirit that harmed people, Eun-sung thought it was quite an apt expression.
“It sounds like a joke, but you know Salmokji is dangerous, right?”
“Yes.”
Ra Si-hyun nodded.
“I’ve heard that Gates like this have particularly high hunter mortality rates.”
“That’s right, they do.”
“Why? There’s no way there’s actually a ghost or anything like that.”
“Who knows. In a world like this, what’s so special about a ghost?”
“That’s true.”
“It’s just high risk, high reward. Gates that yield more wealth are proportionally more dangerous. That’s all there is to it.”
“Huh?”
“Still, it’s been a while since I’ve heard that term. Salmokji. Heh.”
Eun-sung chuckled.
“Wasn’t this place controlled by the Nine-Tail Crew until recently? That’s what the news said.”
“That’s right.”
“Now that control has been lifted, there are quite a few people here.”
“That’s actually sparse.”
“This is sparse?”
“The analogy is a bit off, but it’s still the early opening phase.”
“…?”
“Everyone knows the Nine-Tail Crew is a subordinate organization of the Incheon Alliance, so they’re being cautious. In a few days, there won’t be room to set foot.”
The Gates called Salmokji were always teeming with crowds.
And that was normal.
The items, monster corpses, runes, artifacts, and etherium that came from Gates were vital resources and currency for humanity—a new industry.
To such an extent that hunters had even emerged who abandoned growth and sought out only Gates famous as Salmokji to mine etherium.
In the world of hunters, they were called [miners] and served as industrial workers harvesting etherium.
“So you came here to mine today?”
“Among other things.”
Eun-sung replied.
“Mining is outside Bucheon Station, but the main objective is inside the station. Most people won’t even venture inside.”
“Why?”
“You’ll see when you get there.”
Just then.
“Hyung!”
Oh Tae-kwon came rushing over from a distance, wearing a colorful mask tilted on his head.
“I apologize for being late, sir.”
Oh Tae-kwon spoke as he removed the mask.
Judging by how thoroughly drenched he was in sweat, it seemed he’d just finished thoroughly beating some tattooed thug on the streets somewhere.
“Kim Doo-hyun is here too. And Ra Si-hyun came as well.”
“Yeah, Tae-kwon.”
“Mm.”
Kim Doo-hyun and Ra Si-hyun responded.
Oh Tae-kwon seemed slightly stung by Ra Si-hyun’s curt reply, but in front of Eun-sung, he pretended not to hear it.
He was well aware that Ra Si-hyun wasn’t particularly warm toward third parties outside of Eun-sung.
“So, are we departing now?”
“No.”
Eun-sung shook his head in response to Kim Doo-hyun’s question.
“We’re still waiting for one more person.”
“Who else was supposed to come?”
“Over there.”
Eun-sung gestured with his chin toward the checkpoint.
“I’m so sorry! I’m late!”
The last person to arrive was none other than Kim Seung-hye.
“Why did you call her?”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, it’s not that.”
Ra Si-hyun spoke in a subdued voice.
“Did you also call Seok-ho and Jung Ho-bin?”
Oh Tae-kwon asked.
“No. I can’t reach Seok-ho, and Jung Ho-bin is on an overseas tour, so he couldn’t make it. He seems to be reconsidering whether to continue his hunter activities.”
“What about Yura…?”
“She asked me not to look for her for a while—she needs time to sort things out.”
“I see.”
“Everyone take thirty minutes to prepare what you need, then gather back here.”
Eun-sung spoke while checking the time.
“Doo-hyun, I need to talk to you.”
“Surely you’re not saying I’m going with you too? Ha ha, haha…”
“Why, are you scared?”
“I’m not a hunter.”
“A dungeon of this level is manageable.”
“But…”
“You never know. You might awaken.”
“A-awaken? Me? But isn’t whether someone awakens or not determined from the beginning?”
“That’s generally true, but from my experience, there are exceptions. Trust me and come along. You won’t regret it.”
“Ah, I understand.”
Kim Doo-hyun’s anxiety was plainly written across his face, but he gritted his teeth and endured it—because it was Eun-sung asking.
‘The kid.’
Eun-sung smiled faintly as he recalled past precedents.
Before tracing back into the past.
There had been a case where a man who had been caught up in nine Gate incidents awakened at the age of forty and became a topic of discussion.
In fact, among those who survived Gate incidents, there were occasional cases of late awakenings.
Of course, no precise algorithm had ever been discovered.
Yet it was an undeniable fact that the more one was continuously exposed to powerful ether and threats, the higher the awakening probability became.
‘Perhaps the ether will bless you.’
There was nothing bad about awakening.
Even if he never lived as a Hunter.
* * *
While the rookies prepared, Eun-sung sat before the coffee truck, lost in thought for a moment.
‘What am I doing, dragging these rookies along? Ha.’
Laughter suddenly escaped him.
Yet conquering a Gate was impossible through strength alone.
No matter how powerful a Hunter was, unless they had two or three bodies, clearing a dungeon solo was not a choice but a necessity.
Besides, from Eun-sung’s perspective, the talents of Oh Tae-kwon and Kim Seung-hye were also worth noting.
That’s why he had called them this time—to provide education and test their potential as a bonus.
They were all promising prospects who had received high evaluations from the Defense Strategy Department, enough to belong to the Special Force Training Center Alpha Team.
“Gasp!”
“What, what is it?”
The Hunters suddenly stirred.
Eun-sung also turned his head, wondering what was happening.
“Isn’t that the Abyss Clan?”
“It’s Ambition!”
The Abyss Clan members and Wi Tae-woong were passing through the checkpoint, approaching the Gate entrance.
“Everyone, stay calm.”
“Don’t worry. The Defense Strategy Department has decided that the Abyss Clan will control the Bucheon Station Gate for the time being.”
It seemed the Defense Strategy Department had signed a contract with the Abyss Clan to prepare for attacks from the remnants of the Incheon Alliance and Nine-Tail Crew.
‘The Defense Strategy Department and the Abyss Clan? Now that’s sleeping with the enemy.’
Eun-sung thought, turning his head slightly away.
The Defense Strategy Department and the Abyss Clan were not on good terms.
However, unlike the Incheon Alliance, they were not openly hostile, so they cooperated out of necessity.
‘Just pass by.’
Eun-sung kept his head down, not wanting to run into Wi Tae-woong and have things become unnecessarily troublesome.
But Eun-sung’s wish was not granted.
Thump, thump!
Wi Tae-woong approached the coffee truck and took a seat beside Eun-sung.
“Oh my, does our junior need some quick cash? What brings you to a place like this?”
“It’s been a while.”
Eun-sung brushed off the question with feigned innocence.
“I’ve been doing well. Thanks to Gu Tae-il kicking the bucket, I’m sitting pretty now. What a fool—squandering such a golden opportunity with that idiotic stunt.”
“Your business seems to be thriving. That’s good to see.”
“What good is it if my eye candy won’t return my calls?”
“Haha….”
“You must’ve been swamped, of course. I understand. A promising young hunter like you wouldn’t have a moment to breathe.”
Wi Tae-woong spoke as if he were getting ahead of me.
“Still, it’s hard not to feel a little hurt, you know? Hehe.”
“It seems fate brings people together. Running into everyone here like this.”
“Fate, you say… Heh.”
Wi Tae-woong laughed.
He’d tried to plant a seed of guilt in Eun-sung, but the slippery bastard had wriggled free again.
“But what brings our accomplished junior here? The Defense Strategy Department must treat you well.”
“Nothing in this world is free.”
“Oh?”
“It’s all debt, and I see no reason to incur more.”
“Kahahaha! Now that’s quality! I like it! You’re truly your father’s son—so shrewd! Hahaha!”
“Haha….”
“Seeing such an admirable junior, I simply can’t help myself. I should treat you to a ride.”
“I’ll have to decline.”
“Decline… you say?”
“I prefer not to live in debt.”
“Even pure goodwill?”
“I don’t believe such a thing exists.”
“Interesting. Now I want to help you even more.”
A certain hunger flickered across Wi Tae-woong’s face.
‘Damn it.’
I wanted to shake him off immediately.
If he were someone I could trade blows with, I’d beat him senseless and be done with it. But he wasn’t that simple.
His hunter rank might fall short of Minister An or Baek Do-hyuk, but in combat technique and tactical prowess, he was second to none.
Honestly, I found Wi Tae-woong far more threatening than Baek Do-hyuk.
“I’ll contact you soon, so let’s call it a day and go our separate ways.”
“I can trust that, right?”
“Of course.”
“There’s a sushi place I like. I should take you there.”
“That would be an honor. Haha….”
Was it just my imagination, or did that sushi place feel like somewhere I’d been a few days ago….
“Well then, our junior has his privacy and pride. This shabby senior will take his leave.”
Wi Tae-woong rose from his seat.
“Right. If my valued junior were to die inside the Gate, that would be a shame. So it should be fine if I tell our staff to actively cooperate if they happen to encounter you, yes?”
“I appreciate that.”
“Then, happy mining. Just don’t think about going into the station itself.”
“Take care.”
Shortly after Wi Tae-woong left.
“An annoying pest has attached itself. Maybe I should perform a ritual. Sigh.”
Eun-sung grumbled with a deep sigh.
* * *
The Bucheon Station Gate was divided into three major sections.
In order: the outer perimeter, the station interior, and the deep zone.
The outermost section, which served as the initial entry point, was blanketed with a faint Fog Maze, making it easy to lose one’s way.
“Fog again?”
Ra Si-hyun frowned the moment she entered the Gate.
Oh Tae-kwon and Kim Seung-hye’s reactions were much the same.
“Ugh.”
“I’m sick of fog.”
They all seemed thoroughly disgusted by that hellish Fog Maze they’d endured on Jebu Island.
Not that anyone would enjoy it, of course.
Thud, thud!
Multiple footsteps echoed through the fog.
“…!”
Everyone tensed up, having been badly burned on Jebu Island.
But what emerged from the fog was not a monster, but people holding selfie sticks.
“Oh! Hey, handsome folks! We’ve got some good-looking people here! Mind if we do a quick interview?”
“Who are you guys? I’m the great streamer of Bucheon!”
“Please, just give us one reaction, folks!”
BJs, streamers, or YouTubers.
Their broadcasting platforms varied widely, as did their genders and ages, but they could all be categorized as internet broadcasters.
“Huh?”
Kim Doo-hyun pointed at someone and flinched backward.
“Isn’t that… BJ Crown Prince?”
“Probably.”
Eun-sung answered with a peculiar smile.
Having no interest in internet broadcasting, I wouldn’t recognize most people even if they were pointed out to me.
“Ugh! Ugghhh!”
Kim Doo-hyun screamed, his face turning pale as if he’d seen a ghost.
“That person is dead! More than ten years ago! Ughh!”
At that moment.
Crack!
The internet broadcasters’ heads bent at grotesque angles.
“U….”
The internet broadcasters opened their mouths in unison, very slowly.
“Are we dead? Are we dead? Are we dead? Are we dead? Are we dead? Are we dead? Are we dead? Are we dead? Are we dead?”

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