Chapter 62: The Wager

My mind clearly thought one thing, yet my chest tightened with tension. An inexplicable nausea churned within me.

Before I knew it, Sagyeol was right in front of me, reaching out a hand. He gripped my arm firmly, then subtly pulled.

As I docilely stepped forward, he pressed his body close and brought his lips to my ear.

“In Grisha, an F-rank is no different from an ordinary person.”

My heart plummeted.

Sagyeol continued, his tone utterly serious.

“It’s dangerous, so don’t leave the house from now on. And wherever you go, you must come with me.”

“……”

His expression was undeniably stern, yet why did it seem as though he were smiling in my eyes? The lingering image of a loan shark, having just seized an opportunity, seemed to superimpose itself over his face.

“I’ll have to select guards right away. No, let’s just go to work together.”

He seemed to decide this was the perfect solution, muttering, ‘Yes, that will work.’ My nausea intensified, and I felt a blush of shame for my suddenly sinking heart.

Lee Hyun-su alone seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation. He stumbled, his face looking even more haggard than when he arrived.

On the drive back, Sagyeol, still animated, passionately explained why I needed to stay close to him.

Lee Hyun-su grew increasingly distressed. He groaned that everything had gone completely awry, earning a sharp glare from Sagyeol.

Hestia Guild Master Bae Gil-su’s grin stretched from ear to ear.

“Hahahaha! An F-rank, you say?!”

The news that the Awakened one, barely found by the Credit Guild, was an F-rank had spread throughout all of Grisha. Bae Gil-su, notoriously stingy, was so delighted that he actually distributed bonuses.

The guild members whispered amongst themselves, wondering what had gotten into him, but they were happy enough to accept the unexpected windfall.

That was certainly the case until Bae Gil-su began recounting the story every single time he opened his mouth for an entire week.

Everyone shared the same thought: ‘Could someone just burn his mouth shut?’ Of course, since such an act was impossible, they all confined the idea to their imaginations.

“Those Credit bastards! They were so thrilled to find an Awakened one, and now look at them!”

Among them, there was one person who genuinely agreed. A forty-something man, his face flushed with excitement, clenched his fists. This was Vice Guild Master Kim Jeong-su.

Ever since Sagyeol had thoroughly crushed him in the past, Kim Jeong-su’s animosity towards both Credit and Sagyeol had remained at its peak.

Encouraged by Kim Jeong-su’s support, Bae Gil-su laughed even louder.

Hahahaha!

Kheheheheh!

The two grating laughs formed an unpleasant harmony. After a prolonged fit of laughter, Bae Gil-su snapped his fingers.

A colossal inferno erupted before them. A flying magical beast, roasted alive by the intense heat, plummeted from the sky.

The burning beast, engulfed in flames, let out a cry of agony and charged.

Standing beside him, Kim Jeong-su manifested a long, thick spear of fire. The spear spun furiously, piercing through the mouth and neck of the turtle-like beast.

Kweeeek!

The beast died with a final shriek. Though relatively easy to defeat due to elemental advantage, it was an A-rank Upper-class monster. Classified as A-32, hunters called it a ‘Tree Turtle’ because, true to its name, its body was composed of massive wood, and its back was covered with a shell of stone, making it a true Turtle Dragon.

“It’s over. Move on.”

The waiting water-element hunters immediately began dousing the area. Most of Hestia’s flood-zone strategies followed this pattern. An overwhelming majority, over 80%, of their affiliated hunters possessed fire attributes.

This was because Bae Gil-su was obsessed with elemental affinity, not academic or regional connections. He favored fire-element hunters like himself and shunned all other attributes.

So, were the remaining 20% of hunters, who endured such deplorable conditions yet remained with Hestia, all fools? Not at all. They each had their own reasons.

Those with criminal records, intermediate hunters who had illegally migrated to Grisha, individuals indebted to Hestia Capital who joined under interest reduction terms, and hunters not falling into any of these categories received more money than they would from other guilds.

Despite all this, Hestia ranked second among Grisha’s guilds. The water-element hunters often considered that perhaps his seemingly unsophisticated and thoughtless management abilities warranted a second look.

“Alright! Today we feast! We’re going for three rounds, so don’t even think about leaving early!”

…Indeed, it was not a place one would stick around without a compelling reason.

Just then, something no bigger than a fingernail leaped from the flames and latched onto Bae Gil-su’s neck. He slapped his own neck with a large hand.

“Ugh, what was that?”

The man, frowning deeply, shook his hand. White ash-like particles drifted away. Kim Jeong-su inquired,

“What was it?”

“I don’t know. Probably some insect from the Demon Realm.”

“Perhaps you should see a doctor when we get back…”

“Forget it. Most poisons don’t affect me anyway.”

His pride in his fire attribute was not just overflowing, it was practically dripping. It was also true. An attribute that burned with intense heat could incinerate most poisons. Kim Jeong-su nodded.

Bae Gil-su scratched the bitten spot with a nonchalant expression.

“Let’s go have our feast. Samgyeopsal sounds good to everyone, right?”

Even if it didn’t, no one would dare say so. The guild members, offering ambiguous smiles, began preparing to withdraw.

As Bae Gil-su was the first to turn away, the back of his neck briefly swelled before subsiding. No one noticed.

Following his rank assessment, Yeowon began his intensive training.

As no attribute manifested during his assessment, he was naturally categorized as a physical enhancement type. For his preferred weapon, he chose an axe. The trainer repeatedly asked if he was sure, as it wasn’t a common weapon among hunters. Yeowon simply nodded.

“It’s the weapon I used in the Demon Realm.”

The muscular man flinched. At that moment, Yeowon didn’t understand what his words implied.

One week into training, a subtle distance had formed between him and the trainer. At first, he thought it was his imagination, but it wasn’t.

Fearing the trainer might be fired without cause if he consulted Sagyeol, Yeowon pondered the situation alone. It seemed his mention of the ‘Demon Realm’ had been a landmine.

Perhaps it was as if, having only known him as an Awakened one in theory, the trainer had now experienced the reality firsthand. He might have begun to see the person before him not as a human, but as a fellow monster, returned from wandering a terrifying world of beasts.

It wouldn’t be strange at all for a hunter, especially one working as a trainer away from the front lines, to carry a trauma or two related to magical beasts.

‘It doesn’t really matter.’

Yeowon had nothing left to learn from him. The trainer had realized this the moment he saw Yeowon wield his axe on the first day, shifting his approach to self-training. Perhaps that had only deepened the sense of disconnect.

Whoosh!

The blunted axe sliced through the air. These were not the movements of a mere F-rank.

The trainer wore an exasperated expression, but Yeowon paid him no mind, focusing intently on his training.

During training, he used a weapon crafted from special materials. While it possessed a substantial weight, its blade was dull and its color an artificial green, which initially caused some dissatisfaction.

Nevertheless, gripping his main weapon once more and moving his body freely brought a welcome release from his pent-up frustration.

Yeowon, increasingly engrossed, hadn’t noticed anyone approach. When he abruptly halted his movements and turned his head, the trainer was gone, replaced by Sagyeol, who stood holding a towel.

“You won’t need a trainer, it seems.”

Yeowon hesitated, then nodded. He trusted that, having witnessed his skill, the trainer wouldn’t be dismissed due to a misunderstanding, at least.

“Then how about a sparring partner?”

As Yeowon looked questioningly, Sagyeol shed his outer garment and rolled up his shirt sleeves.

“You?”

“Why? Do you think I’m weak because I’m a magic-user?”

Yeowon couldn’t answer immediately. Words he had overheard in the cafe, almost in passing, came back to him.

‘Sagyeol tears through magical beasts.’

Yeowon lightly spun his axe, then nodded. Sagyeol let out a small laugh.

Seeing that, a competitive spirit he hadn’t felt in a long time ignited within him. It was true he had grown tired of the senseless wars in the Demon Realm.

However, a spar to test one’s skill was a different matter entirely. Yeowon had started as a weakling and transformed into a powerhouse. He possessed confidence and pride in the strength he had personally cultivated.

“Wait. It’s no fun if we just do it. Let’s make a wager. The loser grants the winner a wish. How about it?”

Sagyeol said, lightly stretching his body.

“However, no elemental abilities. And I’ll wear this too.”

It was an artifact said to be rarer than potions. Moreover, it was a restraint used to shackle criminal hunters.

‘He’ll regret this.’

Despite this thought, Yeowon didn’t bother to stop him. If Sagyeol insisted on taking on such an unnecessary handicap, then so be it.

The man, gripping his axe, nodded, already pondering what his wish would be.

“Fine.”

Sagyeol’s eyes widened. It was the reaction of someone who had made a proposal without expecting it to be accepted. He asked again if Yeowon was serious. Yeowon smiled faintly.

“Do you intend to retract your offer if I back out?”

“……”

Of course not.

The large hand lightly swung the axe. *Whoosh. Whirr.* The blunted axe cut through the air, producing an extraordinary sound. The former Demon Realm Legion Commander issued a warning.

“Don’t die.”

“…Wait a moment.”

Sagyeol muttered, sensing something amiss, but it was already too late.

Approximately five minutes later, Sagyeol, his cheeks and shoulders already bruised purple, gasped for breath and staggered. Yeowon, meanwhile, was perfectly fine.

Although his training uniform was a bit torn and he had a few scratches, considering his opponent’s ragged state, he was virtually unscathed.

The victor, having sheathed his axe, shrugged. The loser, despite a hollow laugh, conceded the outcome.

Even after putting away his weapon, his body still pulsed with heat. The sensation of battle, enjoyed after so long, electrified his nerves. Yeowon repeatedly clenched and unclenched his hand.

Good. Very good. Unable to conceal his exhilaration, he caught his breath, only to hear a groan from right beside him. He flinched and turned his head.

“Are you alright?”

He asked, wondering if he had been too rough, but Sagyeol shook his head.

“I’m perfectly fine.”

Yet, Sagyeol’s cheeks were an undeniable shade of purple-blue, and his legs trembled like those of a newborn fawn. It was true; he had been a bit too rough.

He also couldn’t deny the excitement of a duel after such a long time. Yeowon hesitated, then spoke.

“What were you going to wish for?”

“You won the wager. You should state your wish.”

“It doesn’t hurt to hear it, does it?”

Even as he spoke, an inner unease gnawed at him. Yeowon’s mind raced, conjuring the most sinister wishes Sagyeol could possibly imagine. Had he asked unnecessarily? Just as a faint regret began to surface, Sagyeol spoke.

“I was going to ask you to tell me what you were thinking.”