Chapter 11: A Miraculous Clearance and Mounting Tensions

The boss monster, startled by Seon Tae-woong’s sudden appearance, began to thrash wildly.

However, his overwhelming firepower incinerated the enemy before it could retaliate, effectively neutralizing the threat.

Seon Tae-woong’s gaze swept over the quickly subdued foe, the inferno his skills had wrought, and Shin Ji-ho, who stood barely upright.

Blood stained Shin Ji-ho’s clothes in various places, and his face was pallid, yet mana continued to shimmer around him.

This pulsating mana flowed towards Seon Tae-woong whenever his own reserves dwindled, replenishing them.

Seon Tae-woong found himself unable to tear his eyes away from the unbelievable sight.

Shin Ji-ho.

Shin Ji-ho, a mere B-rank, had performed a miracle. Just moments ago, he had been on the verge of death…

‘No, he’s not incompetent anymore.’

Empowered by Shin Ji-ho’s mana, Seon Tae-woong felt invincible, capable of challenging even an S-rank hunter.

If he could enhance others to this extent, Shin Ji-ho was no longer an incompetent B-rank hunter.

How fervently had the media clamored before Shin Ji-ho, the world’s first Awakened, received his rank assessment?

Countless expectations had been heaped upon Shin Ji-ho. The moment those hopes shattered, the public turned on him with even greater ferocity.

But now, if they emerged from the dungeon, everything would change.

Of course, they first had to defeat that boss monster and escape the dungeon.

‘We can do this.’

Unlike before, when death was a matter of time, now, killing was merely a matter of time.

All thanks to the B-rank hunter everyone had so readily dismissed.

Seon Tae-woong gazed at the boss monster that, moments ago, had sought to kill him. The being that had felt as colossal as a mountain now seemed utterly insignificant.

With all his might, Seon Tae-woong unleashed an explosive burst of flames.

****

Near Bangbae Station, from which all ordinary citizens had been evacuated, reporters swarmed.

When a dungeon appeared and an emergency evacuation order was issued, civilian reporters were barred. Thus, every reporter in the vicinity, even F-ranks, was an Awakened.

Naturally, even they could not approach the Gate too closely.

Only two individuals stood directly by the Gate, awaiting its outcome: Joo Yi-won, the Guild Master of Cheongram Guild, and Yoo Kyung-woo, its Vice Guild Master.

Should the harvesting-type dungeon reopen due to the death of an entrant, these two, being the closest, would immediately enter.

Yoo Kyung-woo stood beside Joo Yi-won, maintaining a solemn expression. Yet, his composed demeanor was merely a facade.

In truth, he was screaming internally.

‘Jihye, why did you leave this lunatic solely to me?!’

Yoo Kyung-woo desperately cried out in his mind to Shin Ji-hye, his fellow Vice Guild Master of Cheongram and his divorced ex-wife.

He knew well that Shin Ji-hye, the object of his resentment, was likely tearing her hair out by now. However, standing beside Cheongram’s intimidating Guild Master, anyone would feel compelled to find someone to blame.

Suppressed mana, visible to the eye, pulsed around Joo Yi-won, casting a dark, deep-blue glow reminiscent of the abyss.

Each time it shadowed Joo Yi-won’s face, Yoo Kyung-woo was reminded of the terrifying ghosts from horror movies he had seen.

No, a ghost would be preferable. Ghosts couldn’t commit massacres or acts of terrorism.

Of course, Joo Yi-won’s achievements over the past three years were nothing short of magnificent.

Joo Yi-won, the first to conquer a dungeon.

When everyone feared the unknown beyond the Gate, Joo Yi-won plunged into a dungeon alone. Contrary to expectations of his demise, he conquered it single-handedly and discovered its strategy.

In those early, chaotic days when Awakened still struggled to properly utilize their abilities, Joo Yi-won traveled the world, conquering countless dungeons.

He remained a hero in numerous countries.

He resolved problems that arose from neglected dungeons and, rather than monopolizing dungeon-related information or items, he generously shared them.

It was no exaggeration to say that most of the current dungeon guidelines were established by Joo Yi-won and the Cheongram Guild. His efforts were instrumental in preserving urban civilization from destruction during the initial dungeon crisis.

Joo Yi-won’s actions were miraculous. People called him a hero.

Yet, people were deceived by his outwardly normal appearance, unaware of his true nature.

The Joo Yi-won Yoo Kyung-woo had observed for years was the polar opposite of the ‘benevolent Cheongram Guild Master’ everyone perceived.

Joo Yi-won would be more suited to staging a coup, establishing a dictatorial state under his rule, and grinding hunters into submission.

Hedetested being ordered around, loved giving orders, and reveled in having everything under his control.

Yoo Kyung-woo couldn’t fathom what could have twisted a seemingly well-loved and well-raised man into such a personality, but viewed solely as an individual, Joo Yi-won was far from heroic.

That Joo Yi-won had become a hunter who generously helped others and diligently cleared dungeons, and had meekly accepted the role of Cheongram’s Guild Master, was all because of Shin Ji-ho.

The recipient of this affection, however, merely dismissed it as a ‘silly prank,’ saying, ‘He’s always like that.’

From Yoo Kyung-woo’s perspective, Joo Yi-won’s reluctance to approach Shin Ji-ho seriously stemmed from Joo Yi-won himself knowing he was a lunatic, and thus exercising restraint.

In essence, Shin Ji-ho was the leash that tamed the beast—no, the monster—that was Joo Yi-won.

Should anything happen to Shin Ji-ho, Joo Yi-won might well transform from humanity’s savior and hero into the world’s greatest catastrophe.

‘Ji-ho, please, just come out in one piece.’

Yoo Kyung-woo earnestly, desperately prayed for the safety of Shin Ji-ho—his former brother-in-law, his cherished junior, and the leash that gently tamed the world’s most formidable disaster.

Regrettably, the chances of Shin Ji-ho emerging safely were slim. In fact, they were virtually nonexistent.

This dungeon, assessed by an empathic hunter, was S-rank. It would require at least two S-rank hunters to clear it.

Seon Tae-woong, trapped with Shin Ji-ho, was undoubtedly a competent A-rank hunter, but he fell short of S-rank. If the dungeon had merely been A-rank, there might have been hope.

As it stood, two corpses emerging from this dungeon was merely a matter of time.

Considering the dire circumstances, Joo Yi-won was surprisingly composed. It wouldn’t have been strange for him to be raging by now.

–Ji-ho won’t die.–

Yoo Kyung-woo flinched, startled by the voice beside him. Joo Yi-won was glaring at him with a face that looked ready to devour someone.

–Th-that’s right. I hope he comes out safely.–

–It’s not ‘I hope he comes out safely,’ it’s ‘he won’t die yet.’–

–…–

–He might get a little hurt, but he’ll come out safely.–

–Uh, right.–

Yoo Kyung-woo replied awkwardly, turning his head away.

Occasionally, Joo Yi-won would make utterly baseless statements with surprising confidence.

This happened when he plunged into the first dungeon raid everyone had warned against, and when he dismissed calls to abandon cities and evacuate, boldly asserting that rifts could be predicted.

In every other crisis, Joo Yi-won had acted as if he possessed precognition, and his words invariably proved true.

Given Joo Yi-won’s foresight, the Cheongram Guild followed their Guild Master’s words implicitly. There was rarely any loss in heeding his advice.

This time, however, Yoo Kyung-woo couldn’t take Joo Yi-won’s words at face value.

In reality, despite his confident assertions, Joo Yi-won’s palms had been bleeding and regenerating repeatedly from gripping his fists too tightly moments ago.

He truly wished Shin Ji-ho would emerge safely, just as Joo Yi-won claimed, but…

Joo Yi-won, who had been silent, moved his fingertips. Yoo Kyung-woo prepared to draw his weapon, ready to stop the madman beside him if he began to rampage.

However, Joo Yi-won hadn’t moved to rampage.

The dungeon that had swallowed the two men was reopening.

If someone had died inside, the dungeon would reopen in the same manner, drawing in humans to trap them. Its entrance should have suddenly expanded and gaped open, just as it had when it first appeared.

Instead, the entrance and exit, a straight tear in the air, steadily and stably widened.

Watching the entrance expand from a point to a line, then from a line to a plane, the surrounding hunters cried out in jubilation.

–The dungeon is opening normally!–

Normal opening.

Yoo Kyung-woo’s astonished eyes widened until they could expand no further.

It was a result hard to believe even after seeing it with his own eyes.

Had A-rank Seon Tae-woong and B-rank Shin Ji-ho truly cleared the boss monster inside?

A sense of relief and a fresh wave of worry surged simultaneously. Even if they had defeated the boss monster, it was unlikely the two of them were unscathed.

From the fully expanded gate, a single figure limped out.

Seon Tae-woong was carrying the slumped, unconscious Shin Ji-ho on his back.

Unlike Seon Tae-woong, who appeared largely unharmed, Shin Ji-ho’s clothes were completely torn on his back, and his complexion was pale, as if he had vomited blood again.

Yet, undeniably, both Seon Tae-woong and Shin Ji-ho were alive. As a hunter, Yoo Kyung-woo could clearly sense their living presence.

–Ji-ho!–

The moment Yoo Kyung-woo let out a scream of relief and joy, Joo Yi-won frowned in apparent displeasure.

Joo Yi-won strode forward, snatched Shin Ji-ho from Seon Tae-woong, and cradled him in his own arms.

With half-lidded eyes, Seon Tae-woong briefly resisted. Yet, it seemed to be an unconscious reaction, as he simply stared blankly into the air before collapsing.

Ignoring the fallen Tae-woong, Yi-won carefully embraced Ji-ho, making sure not to touch his wounds. With hands uncharacteristically trembling, Yi-won gently touched Ji-ho before lowering his head.

Yi-won’s and Ji-ho’s foreheads carefully met. Only when Ji-ho’s faint breath tickled Yi-won’s lips did Yi-won let out a sigh of relief.

–Ji-ho…–

His voice trembled with a fragility unbecoming of an SS-rank hunter.

Yoo Kyung-woo, who had been staring blankly at the sudden, unexpected development, finally snapped back to reality.

Another thirty seconds, and they looked poised to kiss, given their angle and proximity.

–H-healer, quickly!–

Yoo Kyung-woo hastily called for a healer, in more ways than one, and the healers, who had been waiting at a distance, anticipating a negative outcome, rushed over in a flurry.

Camera flashes exploded noisily at the unbelievable turn of events. White light illuminated the sunset-tinged surroundings as brightly as midday.

It was a monumental event.

An A-rank hunter and a B-rank hunter, just the two of them, had conquered an S-rank dungeon.

Hunter Space

Title: Seon Tae-woong is seriously amazing

Shouldn’t his rank be re-evaluated? How did just two of them clear an S-rank dungeon?

Comments

– Seriously, and it wasn’t just any B-rank, it was Shin Ji-ho LOL

– Practically, he didn’t clear it alone; you could say he cleared it with a handicap LOL. Shin Ji-ho clearly got trashed, so Seon Tae-woong must have had a hard time protecting him.

– Is our country going to have six SS-ranks now?

➥ The national pride is insane

Hunter Space

Title: Shin Ji-ho really gets involved everywhere

A nuisance here, a nuisance there.

Comments

– Why is this a nuisance? I’m asking because I don’t know, he just got caught up in it while on patrol, didn’t he?

➥ Did you come from Shin Ji-ho’s fan cafe? ‘Is this a nuisance?’ LOL. Of course it’s a nuisance for a B-rank to take up a spot in an S-rank dungeon raid.

➥➥ He didn’t take up a spot on purpose, he got caught in an accident… I don’t understand why people just criticize him no matter what.

➥➥➥ If you want to stan Shin Ji-ho, go to B-Buddies or something.

➥ It’s a nuisance that Shin Ji-ho was assigned patrol duty in the first place.

➥➥ So you just want to criticize him… I get it. This is why Hunter Space’s free board gets a bad rap.

➥➥➥ You’re on Hunter Space’s free board too, so why are you complaining?

Hunter Space

Title: Let’s check out Seon Tae-woong while we’re at it

(https://www.metube.com/watch?v=FK3103sd0xxx)

His fire-element attack power is insane.

Comments

– He just wipes out B-ranks in one go.

– He’s definitely strong… but this doesn’t seem like S-rank dungeon clearing level? How on earth did they clear it and get out?

➥ He might have grown since then.

➥➥ This video is only half a year old; if he grew that much in such a short time, I’d want to ask for his secret.

➥➥➥ He could have grown, why are you nitpicking?

➥➥➥➥ I’m also an A-rank hunter, and I’ve done S-rank dungeon raids, so I’m curious. If someone told me to take down an S-rank dungeon boss, I’d just comfortably commit suicide. I wouldn’t be able to clear it anyway.

Hunter Space

Title: Actually, isn’t the dungeon not S-rank?

Isn’t the S-rank thing just Cheongram’s media play?

Comments

– Stop with the conspiracy theories, it’s tiresome.

– Just 100 million won so I can buy chicken.

➥ ?

➥➥ You have tons of money, LOL. Since you’re rich, you’re not afraid of lawsuits and just spread these rumors~

➥➥➥ Can’t I even make a guess?

➥➥➥➥ Yes, all guesses can be sued~ Don’t you know that dungeon-related rumors are strictly regulated by dungeon law? If you spread such rumors, you’ll be targeted by the Hunter Association LOL. Are you even a hunter? Did you buy your ID?

[Deleted post.]

Confirm

‘Nooj’ is getting so much hate… I’m disgusted.

What did ‘Nooj’ do wrong? All he did was work hard and get caught up in it ㅠㅠ I really hate that bear bastard, I wish he’d die.

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What did Seon Tae-woong do wrong to deserve this crap?

Go get a job instead of stanning that damn Shin Ji-ho.

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These damn bastards are really persistent LOL. Just get lost.