Chapter 46: The Return Ceremony That Made the Internet Explode

[<Hunter/Anonymous Forum> Korea Hunter Association released new statistics]

Yeah, it’s that yearly thing.

Guild rankings and individual rankings barely change, so nothing interesting there.

But did you know the number of hunters (including trainee hunters) who cleared below the 40th floor of X-Gate this year is record-breaking?

Those who quit early are marked in red, but even without them, it’s still insane…

Why record-breaking?

Because out of the people currently pushing past the 40th floor, seven of them are trainee hunters LOL.

Like—X-Gate is where you go to get your Hunter License. Who the hell risks their life going past the 40th floor just to get a license?

But the funniest thing is that every year you get a few crazy people anyway—
and this year there are seven of them.

For the past 5 years, the average was around 3.

Apparently four of the seven are from the same school.

And according to the latest report, the four are even moving as a single team.

Problem is, we don’t know the situation inside the Gate in detail. Usually we hear from people who return, but now there’s no one left inside who can report anything.

So the Association decided to increase supply shipments and send drones with cameras.

They’re predicting the team might go down as far as the 50th floor. Insane…

If they reach the 50th floor, they’ll basically be guaranteed the Rookie Merit Award this year.

Last time, Jeedo Guild’s leader cleared the 45th floor and got both the Rookie Merit Award and the Outstanding Hunter Award…

Forum Replies

• Why is that special? Plenty of hunters cleared the 50th floor LOL
  └ Basement-dwelling nerd has entered
  └ Basement pseudo-expert has entered
  └ Cope harder
  └ They mean it’s crazy to clear that much on their first attempt. No common sense?

• I knew the names looked familiar—aren’t they the “Gyeonwoo and Jiknyeo” couple?
  └ LOL why did that rumor spread so much
  └ They were desperately searching for each other; it’s modern-day Gyeonwoo & Jiknyeo for real
  └ Holy crap it actually fits

• What the hell happened at that school the last few years? Was it even a famous school?
  └ Nah, just a regional ability-user special high
  └ Seoul schools are more famous—they send most graduates to Jeedo and Helios guilds

• Which guild will they choose? Our guild is preparing to send a love-call too LOL. The fight to recruit the first three who came out is already brutal
  └ You too? Same here LOL. Our guild master directly stepped into recruitment for the first time in a while…

• They’ll get an official return ceremony, right? No one got one this year yet
  └ Yeah, no ceremonies yet
  └ Either do it for everyone or no one…
  └ Why do it? Some C-ranks barely make it past the 10th floor LOL
  └ Bro how does a C-rank go below the 10th floor? At least distribute teams properly. You keep A-ranks grouped together
  └ Wrong. S-ranks go in with A-ranks
  └ That’s because we barely have any S-ranks, idiot

• If they do a return ceremony, I’m going to watch. I’m dying to see what they look like
  └ Their high school graduation pics went around—they’re stupidly handsome. The world is unfair, etc.
  └ Unfair? No, it’s your IQ that’s unfairly low. Wake up.

• Wish I had teammates like them LOL
  └ Honestly X-Gate military service is basically your entry ticket to a good guild. Team-play stealing opportunities is disgusting
  └ Sounds like you suffered because of your trash team LOL
  └ My acquaintance was on their team and said X-Gate isn’t a place most ability-users can endure. They’re getting PTSD treatment now
  └ Then what the hell are these guys? Monsters??

• Wait—three of the seven are girls? Bro the men are losing so hard
  └ LOLOLOL
  └ Why would ability-users have anything to do with gender? What pseudo-science cult do you follow?
  └ Bet you’d tremble if even one of those girls looked at you

• It’s cool and all, but think of the poor bastards who have to go in after them
  └ LOL same
  └ Honestly at this point I hope they just go all the way and clear X-Gate

• Why don’t guild-affiliated hunters clear X-Gate?
  └ No money in it
  └ Hard to supply manpower; profits from normal Gates are much higher
  └ Clearing X-Gate is basically honor work—you risk your life for it. Lots of heroes tried early on, then died, so now no one even attempts it
  └ Couldn’t top-ranking guild masters in our country do it if they teamed up? Government is just incompetent
  └ Nope LOL. Even top US guild leaders would struggle
  └ Even if some country had the manpower to attempt it, hunters equal national power. If they clear X-Gate, the nation collapses simultaneously
  └ True. You could, but you absolutely never would.

• X-Gate is stressing me out. Heard weird signs are showing lately. Those subway cult members keep yelling that the world will end when X-Gate explodes and we need salvation before then. I’m starting to get persuaded, help.

Months passed, and the return date of the three finally arrived. Just as the internet posts predicted, preparations for their return ceremony were in full swing.

To be honest, the ceremony wasn’t that special. The Korea Hunter Association’s chairman came out, handed the new hunters their registration cards, said a few encouraging words, and then a press conference followed.

Most attendees were reporters. The rest were guild representatives hoping to send love-calls.

There were no strict attendance limits, but that was usually how it went. This time was bigger than usual because three extremely high-profile trainee hunters were returning at once.

As long as you completed the service period, you could request a return anytime. Most came back right on time, but the three had stayed inside for an extra week.

“Wow. So many people.”

The flood of people and a sea of black-haired heads made Sung Jiwoo click his tongue. The other two might be excited, but Gu Mina was probably panicking and plotting her escape. Jiwoo silently sent her his condolences while thinking:

“…This might be kind of fun though.”

It wasn’t his problem, after all.

Guild master Park Sujin of Knocker Guild and Gam Jooan headed to the guild waiting section, leaving Jiwoo in the general audience area.

The general area was tiny compared to the entire hall, and the crowd overflowed so much they spilled into the press seats.

Thankfully, Jiwoo had listened to Park Sujin when she insisted they leave early to secure seats. Thanks to that, he’d gotten one of the few front-row chairs.

Otherwise, he’d be suffocating in that human swamp. Just imagining it made him shudder.

In his hand were three chocolate bars. Most people brought flower bouquets, but his hands were light—because the most recent letter he’d received said someone was craving chocolate bars.

He normally didn’t get replies due to their situation inside the Gate, so receiving a letter out of nowhere was shocking. He’d been worried something happened.

[We’re coming out in about 2 weeks. I want chocolate bars, so prepare them and welcome us properly.]

It was obviously written by Lee Hyerin—short and unserious as always. Park Sujin had laughed so loudly when she read it. Jiwoo still found it ridiculous.

“Now entering—the trainee hunters!”

Future full-fledged hunters stepped onto the stage.

WAAAAAAAHHHH!!!

The crowd’s roar was so loud Jiwoo nearly jumped out of his seat. He clamped his hands over his ears, trying to recover from the shock.

The speakers were saying something—probably telling people not to cause chaos—but no one listened.

When the cheers finally died down, Jiwoo lowered his hands—

“…Huh?”

On the podium there should have been one, two, three people…

But only two stood there.

“…Where’s Gu Mina?”

At that moment, one of the chocolate bars slipped right out of his hand.

“Huh—?”

Chocolate Bar Thief Gu Mina immediately tore open the wrapper and took a huge bite. Apparently her craving was serious—despite being famously appetite-less, she devoured the whole bar in three bites.

Jiwoo gaped at her.

“Why… why are you here?!”

“Would you want to be up there?”

“…Well. No. But still—”

She was one of the reasons this many people were here.

“Isn’t this… desertion?”

“I already got my Hunter License.”

Sure enough, she was holding an appointment certificate and registration card. But the ceremony on stage was only just starting.

“What? How’d you get it already?”

“I told the guild master I’d join the guild right away if she smuggled it out for me. So she brought it.”

“…Oh.”

So that was an option.

“Is that allowed…?”

“No idea.”

Gu Mina shrugged and casually dragged over a chair from who-knows-where and sat right in front of Jiwoo.

“Wow, rude.”

After nearly two years apart, there was no emotional reunion. Gu Mina simply raised her middle finger in reply.

“The three trainee hunters are hereby declared returned from service and officially appointed as full hunters. Congratulations.”

The chairman finished his speech and the hall erupted again in thunderous applause. Lee Hyerin and Shin Yoonjae accepted their certificates and bowed to the audience.

Relief and excitement filled their faces.

Hyerin quickly scanned the crowd for Jiwoo. She expected not to find him among the masses but surprisingly spotted him easily.

“…He actually sat in the front. Wait—no, that’s not the front…”

Because Gu Mina, who should’ve been on stage with them, was sitting right in front of him like she belonged there.

The chairman who had given them their certificates looked visibly shaken. His eyes were clearly asking:

“Aren’t there supposed to be three of you? Where’s the last one?”

Hyerin and Yoonjae pretended not to notice and kept straight faces.

“God, they’re such weirdos.”

Hyerin muttered to herself, not sure who she meant. She then lifted her new Hunter Registration Card high into the air and waved it dramatically.

“Should I do that too?”

Yoonjae opened his appointment certificate and smiled for the cameras.

And like that, the chaotic return ceremony somehow pushed its way forward.