The SSS-Class Hunter’s Garden Log - Chapter 48

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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 48

 

Taegyeom and Hana both froze at the same time.

 

The two stood close together, narrowing their eyes as they looked toward where the sound came from.

 

Then they could see someone climbing up from below the hill.

 

Taegyeom, who had been tilting his head in confusion, widened his eyes as the approaching figure’s silhouette became clearer.

 

“Isn’t that Ganghyeon? And next to him looks like the Crimson Moon Guild Master?”

 

Taegyeom’s wary expression immediately brightened as soon as he confirmed the identity of the person who appeared over the hill.

 

“Oh, Seo Ganghyeon!”

 

He stretched out his arm in delight and waved it vigorously.

 

“So that’s why you weren’t checking your messages – you came in directly?”

 

It was a carefree greeting, as if welcoming a friend who had arrived a little late to a planned meeting.

 

Watching such a Taegyeom, Ganghyeon and Han Tae-ho, who wore expressions as if they had seen something they shouldn’t have, simultaneously lowered their gazes.

 

What entered their sight was pork belly cooking deliciously in the center of the Gate.

 

“What the hell, are they grilling meat right now? In the middle of an S-rank Gate? No wonder it smelled delicious!”

 

“…”

 

Both Ganghyeon and Han Tae-ho looked as if they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

 

Meanwhile, Taegyeom and Hana had been eating and enjoying themselves so well that their faces were practically glowing.

 

“We have plenty of meat. Would you like some?”

 

Hana even offered them some appetizing lettuce wraps.

 

* * *

 

“So you’re saying hyung awakened to S-rank and handled the contaminated monsters alone?”

 

“Yeah. That’s what I’m telling you.”

 

Taegyeom chewed his meat while nodding his head earnestly.

 

“Right, Hana also took down one monster. It must have been a weak monster. Lucky break.”

 

“Lucky break?”

 

Ganghyeon gracefully narrowed his long eyes.

 

He was smiling, but it was a smile that sent chills down one’s spine.

 

“I sent him in with you to keep him safe from dangerous situations, and you call it a lucky break?”

 

“Ahem. I’m sorry, hyung.”

 

Taegyeom sheepishly apologized and plopped down right next to Ganghyeon.

 

When Ganghyeon, displeased by the overly intimate contact, pulled his body back, Taegyeom followed and whispered in his ear.

 

“It’s all thanks to Hana’s item. After eating a newly combined item, my rank increased.”

 

Ganghyeon’s eyes narrowed slightly.

 

“…Rank increase?”

 

Taegyeom nodded emphatically once more.

 

Ganghyeon said nothing for a moment.

 

But his thoughts raced quickly.

 

‘This is somewhat dangerous.’

 

If it were just increased recovery or defense, there wouldn’t be a problem.

 

But.

 

An item that could raise a Hunter’s rank?

 

Until now, Hunter ranks had been considered absolute and fixed, with rank advancement being nothing short of miraculous. To shatter such common knowledge?

 

This was a different matter entirely.

 

The moment this fact leaked out, Yun Hana might become not just a simple F-rank Hunter, but a ‘resource’ itself.

 

Especially if the Vice-Chairman found out, he would obviously try to exploit Yun Hana in some way.

 

Ganghyeon looked at Hana, who was blinking her round eyes, and pressed his forehead.

 

Left alone, she clearly wouldn’t be able to respond properly.

 

‘I’ll have to keep her by my side for the time being.’

 

Just when he thought he was finally escaping his insomnia.

 

If something happened to Yun Hana now, wouldn’t the contract he had newly written for his naps become completely useless?

 

So for Ganghyeon’s own convenience, Yun Hana’s safety had to be guaranteed.

 

At least it was fortunate that he had temporarily brought her into Haechi Guild.

 

“Oh, right. This.”

 

Just then, Hana suddenly held out lettuce contaminated with a runaway item.

 

“This thing stuck to it – can you figure out what it is?”

 

Ganghyeon’s gaze sharpened.

 

Even without any explanation, Ganghyeon recognized what it was, and a red energy flickered in his right eye.

 

【SYSTEM】

 

【Activating skill ‘Haechi’s Eye (SS-rank)’.】

 

【This is an item affected by owner ‘Han Tae-ho’s’ skill ‘Transformation (A+ rank)’.】

 

Ganghyeon’s head slowly turned toward Han Tae-ho.

 

Han Tae-ho was bound to a rock by Taegyeom’s telekinesis.

 

He had become much more docile after the earlier incident where Taegyeom, unable to control his overflowing power, had nearly flattened him like a pancake.

 

Unaware that his shallow scheme had been completely exposed, Han Tae-ho was struggling to move his limbs.

 

Then he sniffed at the meat smell carried by the wind.

 

Han Tae-ho’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down instinctively.

 

‘Protein…’

 

Crimson Moon Guild Master, Han Tae-ho.

 

He was a man obsessed with exercise.

 

These bulging muscles hadn’t just appeared naturally.

 

Dawn cardio, morning weights, afternoon supplementary exercises. And five protein intakes per day.

 

This body was the crystallization created by a perfect routine.

 

But today he hadn’t been able to exercise, nor had he drunk his protein shake.

 

Moreover, he was now tied to a rock, only able to smell the meat.

 

If muscle loss occurred because of this—

 

Han Tae-ho’s face turned pale as if he had witnessed the end of the world.

 

‘My triceps… my lats…’

 

Ganghyeon approached such a Han Tae-ho.

 

“Were you planning to make the monsters go berserk to kill Yun Taegyeom?”

 

A red energy flickered in Ganghyeon’s right eye.

 

Haechi’s Eye.

 

Han Tae-ho recognized this and clicked his tongue briefly.

 

“I didn’t know Crimson Moon was distributing runaway items.”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

Though he knew it was pointless pretense, Han Tae-ho feigned ignorance.

 

However, Ganghyeon, who had activated his Haechi’s Eye skill, frowned as if he had detected Han Tae-ho’s lie.

 

“Stop playing petty tricks and speak properly. Did the Vice-Chairman order this?”

 

Han Tae-ho’s eyes wavered for a moment, but he soon silently shook his head.

 

Hana, who had been listening quietly, roughly grasped the situation.

 

Looking at Han Tae-ho’s stubbornly closed mouth, it seemed like continuing to just ask questions wouldn’t produce the desired answers.

 

So that burly-looking man was the culprit.

 

Hunter Lee Haechan, and now these golems too – it seemed he had deliberately caused runaways with malicious intent.

 

And the Vice-Chairman appeared to be involved as well.

 

‘Complicated.’

 

Really, why couldn’t they all just get along peacefully instead of being so diligently evil?

 

Hana, who had been shaking her head, noticed that Han Tae-ho’s gaze kept sneaking toward the meat.

 

“…?”

 

Hana picked up a piece of pork belly with her tongs.

 

Then Han Tae-ho’s eyes immediately followed.

 

When she moved it to the left, his pupils rolled along again.

 

Aha?

 

Hana slightly raised the corners of her mouth.

 

And she began making a large wrap.

 

Ah, of course, excluding the mushrooms.

 

Just in case Han Tae-ho’s rank went up from eating the mushroom lettuce wrap, that wouldn’t be good.

 

As she approached Han Tae-ho with the completed wrap, Seo Ganghyeon’s arm suddenly shot out to block Hana’s path.

 

“What are you trying to do.”

 

“Seo Ganghyeon, could you lower your head for a moment?”

 

Kang Hyeon unexpectedly complied straightforwardly with Hana’s request and lowered his head.

 

Still, there was quite a height difference, so Hana had to stand on her tiptoes.

 

“We need to get that person to talk, right? Just pressuring him relentlessly won’t get us the answers we want.”

 

“So?”

 

“Let me try to coax him.”

 

Kang Hyeon’s eyes narrowed.

 

“And whatever happened, the Gate rank went up thanks to that person. Thanks to that, Hunter Yun Taegyeom awakened too. So let me try talking to him properly first.”

 

Kang Hyeon looked displeased but eventually lowered his arm.

 

And he stood firmly behind Hana, as if warning Han Tae-ho that he wouldn’t let any funny business slide.

 

Unbothered by the menacing aura Kang Hyeon was emitting, Hana offered the wrap to Han Tae-ho.

 

“You’ve been staring at it this whole time, so please eat it.”

 

“I won’t eat it.”

 

“I put four pieces of meat in it though?”

 

“I said I won’t eat it!”

 

Han Tae-ho, whose nostrils had been flaring at the smell of meat, turned his head away sharply and clamped his mouth shut.

 

However, Han Tae-ho’s mind was already in turmoil.

 

Now that even the illegal distribution of rampage items had been discovered, keeping his mouth shut would only result in him taking all the blame.

 

He wondered if he should endure such humiliation just to maintain loyalty to the Vice-Chairman.

 

The Vice-Chairman had been openly neglecting him lately.

 

All this time, he’d dumped all the troublesome and dirty work on me without giving proper compensation.

 

When things went well, not a peep of acknowledgment, but the moment something went slightly wrong, wouldn’t he tear into me until he was satisfied?

 

He’d even started treating me, who had shown loyalty all this time, like I was invisible and poured all his investment into new guilds.

 

Being that kind of person, if problems arose, it was obvious he’d cut me off without hesitation.

 

‘Damn it, so this is all I get for playing the loyal dog all this time.’

 

Han Tae-ho squeezed his eyes shut.

 

He shouldn’t have joined hands with the Vice-Chairman.

 

What did guild rankings even matter?

 

Should I just tell them everything? It’s too unfair to die alone.

 

As if adding fuel to Han Tae-ho’s feelings, Hana’s words struck decisively into his ears.

 

“If you starve, you’ll lose muscle mass.”

 

“What?”

 

At those words, Han Tae-ho’s eyes snapped wide open and he bit into the wrap.

 

Gasp.

 

Han Tae-ho’s pupils shook like there was an earthquake as he realized the absurd thing his subconscious had made him do.

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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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