Chapter 20: The Defense Operation

The public discourse reignited after the middle schooler, who had distinguished themselves in the one-off Gate that appeared a week prior, finally received their official rank assessment a few days ago. Shin Ji-ho’s name was diligently bandied about, on everyone’s lips. প্রশিক্ষक

The guild’s atmosphere was equally tumultuous. What garnered as much attention as Guild Master Shin Ji-ho’s transformation was the constant stream of numerous items arriving from Cheongram Department Store.

Equipping high-grade items invariably made one stronger.

With the right ‘item power,’ as it was called, one could even contend with a difference of a single rank.

This was easier said than done, of course, as not everyone possessed vast wealth.

Amidst the expectant air, Shin Ji-ho distributed items only to a select few hunters—those whose contract renewals were imminent.

Consequently, discord erupted among the guild members, who had previously been united in their complaints about Shin Ji-ho.

Accusations flew: ‘It’s because of you that I’m out of favor,’ or ‘You were the one who started badmouthing him in the first place.’ It was a futile and exhaustive quarrel, given that they had all been criticizing him together anyway.

Some, sensing the shift, subtly attempted to renegotiate their contract terms. However, Shin Ji-ho turned most of them away.

It wasn’t merely out of malice for having been insulted that he dismissed guild members.

In life-threatening battles, trust among guild members was paramount. He had no use for those who fostered internal strife when they needed to trust each other and fight together in potentially fatal situations.

‘I’ll just keep them until their contracts expire.’

There would be little need for him to go on external missions with the guild members he wouldn’t be renewing contracts with. He needed to coordinate with those who would remain, preparing for the future.

****

As it happened, today was the day a B-grade Gate alarm had been issued.

The appearing dungeon was an open type, with an estimated ten Gates emerging around it.

Once a Gate manifested and a dungeon connected to this world, all dungeons had to be cleared within a set timeframe.

Dungeon clearing was not a one-time event.

Each dungeon had a determined lifespan, ranging from a minimum of one year, with quite a few that had appeared early in the Rift Crisis still persisting.

A long band encircled the edge of the Gate, referred to as the ‘Dungeon Clock.’

When it first appeared, the Dungeon Clock was filled with a specific color of magical energy, which gradually faded over time.

Clearing a dungeon would replenish the Dungeon Clock’s magical energy. It would remain full for a certain period, then slowly diminish again as time passed.

The Dungeon Clearing Team’s crucial mission was to conquer the dungeon before the Dungeon Clock completely depleted.

If they failed to clear the dungeon before the Dungeon Clock fully diminished, the dungeon would go berserk.

When a dungeon went berserk, the monsters and mechanisms within would spill out, altering Earth’s environment to match the original dungeon’s area. In essence, it would become a dead land, uninhabitable for ordinary humans.

This phenomenon was called ‘Erosion.’

As there was no known method to reverse Erosion, preventing dungeons from going berserk remained humanity’s top priority.

Many places around the world had become dead lands in this manner.

Fortunately, South Korea possessed ample capacity to prevent Erosion.

The country boasted a high number of Awakened and Hunters relative to its population, and notably, an unusually large proportion of S-rank Hunters.

Today’s Dungeon Clearing Team was the First Team of the S-rank guild, .

With Seo Min-jeong, one of only four S-rank Hunters in Korea, leading the core of the team, the dungeon clearing itself would undoubtedly be stable.

The B-rank guild, Noname, would participate in the defensive operation.

Unlike closed or harvesting-type dungeons, open-type dungeons had Gates that remained continuously open. This meant monsters would pour out until the dungeon was cleared.

While this offered the clearing team the advantage of receiving additional reinforcements, it was nothing short of a disaster for civilians. To prevent such harm, guilds that didn’t directly enter the dungeon were tasked with guarding the Gate’s perimeter.

Ji-ho was ablaze with fervent determination. Today’s mission presented the perfect stage to thoroughly test his new skills.

An S-rank dungeon clear, an F-rank Hunter’s assistance.

And now, this Gate defense battle.

If things went smoothly today, he could definitively quell the fickle public opinion. Broadcasters would surely dispatch a Hunter film crew to document it, and the footage would serve as undeniable proof.

Ji-ho clenched his gloved fist tightly.

“Are you ready?”

Hearing Im Seung-ju’s voice beside him, Ji-ho snapped his head up.

“Ah, yes.”

“Let’s go.”

Im Seung-ju led the way, his demeanor subtly more submissive than before. As they exited the Guild Master’s office, a fleeting glance he cast at Shin Ji-ho was laden with questions.

It was clear he was curious about the recent string of events but too proud to ask.

‘There’s no reason for me to tell him first.’

While he had distributed items to Im Seung-ju, it wasn’t because he entirely trusted him. Judging by his attitude, Im Seung-ju was precisely the type of person one should cut ties with first.

Today’s four-person team from the Noname Guild participating in the defense operation consisted of Shin Ji-ho, Im Seung-ju, Heo So-ri, and Yang Ho-jin.

In truth, Ji-ho had deliberated longer over including Im Seung-ju than he had for the C-rank Heo So-ri or Yang Ho-jin.

Of course, Im Seung-ju was a valuable asset; as an A-rank combat hunter, he was too good to discard. Besides, his contract still had two years remaining.

‘I should make use of him a bit longer.’

Ji-ho let out a hollow laugh, realizing how absurdly self-satisfied this thought would have sounded just two weeks ago.

Well, aside from his insubordination, keeping him was indeed beneficial. If the guild were to grow, Ji-ho couldn’t possibly be present at every location with his guild members, casting skills for all of them.

‘It’d be a waste to just give him up.’

Although he couldn’t check Im Seung-ju’s status window with his [Comprehension] skill, given Im Seung-ju’s higher rank, considering his ability to grow stronger in combat, it felt wasteful to let him go.

He intended to push him a bit more, then decide whether to dismiss him or keep him, depending on the circumstances.

Fundamentally, Im Seung-ju disregarded Shin Ji-ho because he perceived him as an incompetent Guild Master. Ji-ho wondered if Im Seung-ju’s attitude would change without complaint once his abilities were proven.

Heo So-ri was, of course, a natural inclusion for the team. She had spent the past week holed up in the practice room, helping him test his skills. Moreover, she had consistently offered her assistance, and despite her limited combat prowess, he wanted to promote her as a core member of the guild.

And Yang Ho-jin…

“Oh, ah, hello.”

Ji-ho saw the bewildered new recruit approaching, a look on his face that clearly asked why he was part of a four-person team that included the Guild Master. Ji-ho reopened Yang Ho-jin’s status window and offered a light greeting.

[Status]

Even for a support-type Hunter, Yang Ho-jin’s stats were remarkably high.

Typically, C-rank Hunters’ stats ranged from 50 to the low 100s, but Yang Ho-jin’s were on par with an average B-rank combat Hunter.

He possessed abilities that wouldn’t hinder combat, was a new guild member intended to remain with them anyway, and was also a rare healer.

Though a rookie, he was included because he was a member Ji-ho planned to keep.

“Hello! Am I the last one?”

Heo So-ri, the last to arrive in the guild lobby, greeted them brightly.

Donning the new defensive gear Ji-ho had lent her, Heo So-ri seemed quite pleased. She even smiled brightly at Im Seung-ju, whom she usually found disagreeable.

“Guild Master, Vice Guild Master, Hunter Yang Ho-jin, I look forward to working with all of you today!”

“Yes, let’s do our best today. I’ll provide as much backup as I can, so don’t overexert yourselves.”

Beside Shin Ji-ho, who offered his support, Im Seung-ju merely gave an arrogant nod, while Yang Ho-jin bowed profusely, overly apologetic.

‘If only their attitudes could be mixed and halved, it would be just perfect.’

Entertaining the impossible thought, Ji-ho led the way.

“Alright, let’s depart.”

As Ji-ho exited the guild office, the rich scent of roses wafted into his nostrils.

The rose Joo Yi-won had gifted him ten days prior was still blooming vibrantly. Ji-ho eyed it suspiciously.

“Doesn’t it seem like it’s grown a bit?”

“Right? It grows so well, even without roots!”

Heo So-ri replied with immense pride, finding joy in watering it daily. Ji-ho merely gave a noncommittal nod.

A rose growing plump, large petals without any roots seemed exceedingly suspicious. Yet, it was unlikely to be harmful, given it was a gift from Joo Yi-won.

Ji-ho averted his gaze from the rose and exited the building.

Seoul, being a city abundant with both guilds and Hunters, rarely required them to travel far for support missions.

Today’s destination was a high school located not far from the guild office.

Upon arrival, no civilians were visible, only staff dispatched from the Hunter Association and Awakened individuals.

Due to the B-grade Gate emergence alert, most citizens had evacuated, unlike during the previous F-grade Gate incident.

Hoe So-ri marveled at its immense size, which seemed far too grand for a mere high school.

“This high school is huge.”

“That’s why we’ve deployed two teams just in this vicinity. The other team will be by the main gate.”

“But what happens if a Gate opens at a school? Isn’t an open-type dangerous?”

Even after an open-type dungeon has been cleared once, monsters begin to crawl out if the Dungeon Clock falls below a certain level.

It was impractical for all students to evacuate to air-raid shelters every time monsters emerged. Such constant disruption was problematic, and more importantly, there were significant safety concerns.

“They’ll probably switch to online classes when dangerous days approach.”

“Ah, that’d be nice.”

So-ri said with a laugh. Just as she suggested, if not attending school was an occasional occurrence, most students would likely welcome it.

Ji-ho recalled something from several years ago.