chapter 131
Seoul is packed with people, and there is no quiet place, but even if you leave Seoul and go to Gyeonggi-do, there were many places where not a single car passed.
The B-class dungeon that Ham Seo-rin had bid on was also located in a corner of Deokyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do.
And the day after meeting Jeong Da-on, 8 PM.
Ham Seo-rin and her guild members were waiting for Jeong Da-on, smoking cigarettes in front of the dungeon that they had borrowed money to bid on.
“Did Jeong Da-on really say he was coming?”
“I said so!”
Ham Seo-rin confidently answered the guild member’s question.
However, the guild members still looked suspicious.
“After talking yesterday, he said he would buy me food, but he left right away because he had plans. Wasn’t that just a passing remark?”
“No. He even texted me at 6:30 that he finished work and that it would take some time for him to come. He’s a total angel.”
“Angels, what, just suckers. If my younger brother did that, I’d hit him on the back.”
“We’re fine. Even a B-class hunter would have to pay more than 10 million won per hour.”
And that’s not all. You have to pay separately for items and byproducts obtained in dungeons.
And even if you hire them, they don’t do all the raids by themselves.
It’s miscellaneous work, and most raids are done by yourself, and all a B-class hunter does is assist.
But hiring them once costs thousands, and if the raid is unlucky enough, it costs hundreds of millions, so small guilds can’t afford to hire them.
“I can’t even imagine how much an S-class hunter would cost if they were officially hired. Didn’t you really ask for anything?”
So it’s no wonder that the guild members don’t believe Ham Seo-rin’s words.
“No. I just coaxed them with words. I did cry and kneel a bit, though.”
“Hey, Ham Seo-rin’s special came out.”
“That kid is really light on his knees. Doesn’t his pride hurt?”
“I’m in debt for hundreds of millions right now, but do you think he cares about his pride? My coins are also in the doldrums.”
“That’s why I said let’s go to the beauty salon together.”
“No, I bit more than stocks.”
Now that summer is approaching, the humidity was like a curtain even at night, making my skin uncomfortable, but thinking about Jeong Da-on made me feel refreshed.
“When I see you in person, your impression is really really good. It feels like if you cry and beg for help, he’ll definitely help you?”
“What are you talking about having a good impression? I watched the graduation video too, and his eyes were so upturned that he looked really shameless.”
“Hey, that’s against a school bully. I saw the video that came up a while ago, and he just laughed.”
“Well, if you really had shamelessness, would you have said you’d help us no matter how much Ham Seo-rin cried and complained? That too for free.”
It was at that moment when Ham Seo-rin and the guild members were giggling.
Boooooooooo!
A huge exhaust sound was heard.
A sleek sports car was speeding away from the road.
“… … Oh, is that the car?”
“Wow, shit. I’m so jealous.”
One of the guild members let out an annoyed sound.
“You said you were an S-class hunter, but how long has it been since you awakened and you’re already driving a car like that? Do you really think a talentless person should live in sorrow?”
“That’s right, we were working hard in the military at that age. He was doing his social service, getting a free ride, and driving a sports car after work on time… … .”
“Why is life so unfair? It sucks.”
“Okay, be quiet.”
Ham Seo-rin knew how they felt, but she needed to appease the guild members.
If Jung Da-on is upset and starts to make a fuss about going back after hearing the guild members’ words before entering the dungeon, it will be a complete waste of effort.
“Anyway, since you’re a fool who came to help us today, don’t show it on the outside.”
“Okay, I got it.”
The car stopped right away.
Ham Seo-rin tried to pretend to know while smiling, but stopped.
Jung Da-on, who I thought would naturally get out of the driver’s seat, got out of the passenger seat.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than .net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
“Excuse me, Hunter Jung Da-on. Did you bring someone else with you?”
“Yes, there’s something I can’t do alone. I need someone to help me.”
“No, Hunter Jung Da-on alone would be enough… … .”
“He’s a skilled hunter, so he’ll be helpful.”
“Uh… … That’s… … .”
Ham Seo-rin mumbled and trailed off.
Her mind instantly became complicated.
‘Lady, you didn’t come here to ask what I was doing, did you? That would be a headache… … .’
In fact, if there were proper adults around, they would have stopped Jung Da-on.
It’s ridiculous to help him conquer dungeons for free without a proper contract or roster registration.
However, Ham Seo-rin thought it would be okay since Jung Da-on’s family background didn’t really have any adults to give him advice.
That’s why it was completely unexpected that someone would come along like this.
Ham Seo-rin furrowed her eyebrows and made the most pitiful expression possible.
“We’re really in financial trouble, so it’s nice that you came, but we can’t pay you… … .”
“Oh, don’t worry. I already explained the situation.”
But this time, Jung Da-on smiled gently and solved her worries.
“I won’t take any money.”
“Go, thank you!”
Can someone be this foolish, no, an angel?
‘You said it was helpful, so it must be at least B-class?’
Ham Seo-rin’s eyes sparkled.
‘If he’s this much of a pushover, how many more times can I really ask him to do the strategy… …!’
While Ham Seo-rin was dreaming, a man got out of the driver’s seat following Jeong Da-on.
Thump!
The sports car door slammed shut.
He was wearing a mask on his face, had piercings on his ears, and strangely, the tips of his hair were gray.
In an instant, the most famous man with gray hair in Korea came to mind, but it wasn’t Yoo Han-ul.
Originally, Yoo Han-ul was famous for his tall stature, but the man who got out of the driver’s seat looked sickly despite his height.
On top of that, just looking at his eyes above the mask, he was a completely different person.
The gloomy look in his eyes made me feel bad.
“Who is he?”
“Oh, he has a cold and can’t speak. Just leave him alone.”
“But I need to know the name… … .”
“I’m not going to register for the official strategy roster anyway.”
It was clearly a friendly voice, but there was something sharp about the tone in which Jeong Da-on cut off the question.
Ham Seo-rin stopped, having picked up the coldness from her soft and friendly voice that seemed to listen to anything.
“Yes, that’s true, but… … .”
“Are the people standing behind you guild members?”
“Oh, yes.”
“May I say hello?”
However, that faint sense of discomfort disappeared under Jeong Da-on’s smile.
Ham Seo-rin looked back at the guild members standing awkwardly behind her.
“What are you doing? Say hello quickly. The S-class hunter who will be helping us today is Jeong Da-on Hunter.”
“… … Oh, hello.”
“Please take care of me today, yes. I’ve seen all the S-class hunters, so I’m lucky.”
“The car is really nice. Can I give you a ride later?”
Jung Da-on smiled gently as the guild members greeted each other.
“Indeed. They all seem to be similar to Ms. Ham Seo-rin.”
“Ahaha, we haven’t known each other for quite some time.”
“You all agree to the deal, right?”
“A deal? Oh, yes. Of course… … If you help me this time, we’ll all repay Hunter Jung Da-on later when things go well. Right, guys?”
The guild members nodded enthusiastically.
“Of course. I’ll really treat you later!”
“What can a low-ranking hunter do to an S-rank hunter… … Anyway, thank you.”
“Please take care of me.”
“… … Yes.”
Jung Da-on smiled at that reaction and turned to the man wearing the mask.
“You can do it, right?”
The man nodded.
Ham Seo-rin suddenly looked at the man’s hand, thinking that he looked older than her but was speaking informally.
‘… … Tremor?’
The man’s hand was shaking uncontrollably.
***
As soon as they entered the dungeon, a green forest greeted them.
The fresh air with the scent of the forest filled their lungs.
The B-class dungeon that Ham Seo-rin had bid on was in a forest surrounded by dense trees.
“Be careful. There is a colony of butterfly teeth nearby, so pheromones are spreading in the air.”
And the main monster of this dungeon was the famous ‘butterfly teeth’, a carnivorous plant.
The name was given because the leaves of the plant, as well as the flower buds at the end of the stem, were beautiful colors like butterfly wings.
Of course, if you were to be captivated by its beauty and approach it, the flower would open its mouth wide and swallow you in one go.
Inside the flower were horrible teeth that looked like hell.
That’s why it’s called Butterfly Tooth.
One of the guild members looked at the ground.
“Are these the leaves that Butterfly Tooth dropped? They seem to be thicker than last time.”
Butterfly Tooth periodically drops old leaves and grows new ones, so you could guess how much it had grown by looking at the leaves nearby.
“That’s right… … There’s no trace of the last attack attempt.”
Last time, Ham Seo-rin and other guild members tried to attack this colony by setting it on fire.
However, no matter how much magic they poured in, the firepower was insufficient, so Butterfly Tooth didn’t burn up.
In the end, after trying everything, they were finally able to escape the dungeon.
However, the fact that there was no trace of the fire at that time meant that Butterfly Tooth had grown significantly.
“Last time.”
Jeong Da-on asked.
“Didn’t you ask me for help because you thought you couldn’t attack it? “It seems different from what I heard.”
“Oh, that’s why… … .”
Ham Seo-rin flinched for a moment at the sharp remark, but her shoulders drooped.
“Last time, during the raid, I hired another hunter and barely escaped with a clear judgement, but I got hurt so badly that I spent all the money I earned. After that, the compensation, the guild members’ hospital bills… … It was a mess.”
If you do this all to make money, isn’t it the same as failing if you don’t make any money?
On the contrary, the debt has increased, so it’s true that all the real guild members will die if this continues.
Lies..
No!
He just didn’t say a few facts or exaggerated them a bit.
“… … That’s right.”
Jung Da-on’s subtle reaction was a bit annoying, but Ham Seo-rin didn’t really care.
‘What are you going to do if you think it’s strange now? You’ve already entered the dungeon.’
No matter how good Jung Da-on is, once you enter the dungeon, you have to clear it to get out, so he has no choice but to cooperate in the strategy.
“It’s over there.”
And after walking a little, a colony of butterfly teeth appeared.
In the forest where sunlight shined through the leaves, a beautiful flower garden with sparkling leaves spread out.
However, those who knew the truth could not help but take a step back.
“W-It really grew big.”
“Is that a flower?”
Butterfly teeth were originally plants that grew to the height of a person, but now they had grown to be over 5 meters tall at first glance.
Even the roots and stems that had grown to the ground were so thick.
It looked more like a giant tree than a flower or plant.
Jeong Da-on frowned faintly.
“If it grew that much, it must have been supplied with nutrients. If that’s the case, then it ate… … .”
“Yes, but don’t be afraid!”
Ham Seo-rin shouted cheerfully.
“Butterfly Tooth is a B-class monster, but it moves slowly. As long as you avoid the flowers, which are the core of the monster, it’s fine.”
A huge flower bud hung charmingly at the end of a tall stem.
It didn’t look like it was in full bloom yet, but it would bend its stem and open its mouth the moment it detected prey.
“But it’s a plant species, so it moves slowly. Even if it detects prey, it takes more than 5 minutes to move, so aim for that and use fire-type attack magic.”
This is the standard for attacking butterfly teeth.
First, the inspectors attack the lower stem.
When the butterfly teeth detect an attack, they bend the flower buds to eat the enemy, and the wizard attacks the part of the leaf where the teeth are hidden.
In that case, the butterfly teeth move their bodies again to protect the key mouth part, so they can't defend against enemies who cut the stem.
After all, since they are plants, they have no intelligence and move slowly.
However.
"While we are collecting the stems, Jeong Da-on Hunter, please cast a buff spell on us. The stems of plants are strong, so it takes a long time to cut them off."
Although it may seem easy to conquer at first glance, the reason why the butterfly teeth are a B-class monster is because they are completely immune to attacks.
Even if low-level hunters swing their swords or shoot fire a hundred or a thousand times, it is difficult to damage even a single stem.
Even if they receive a buff spell, they can only slightly damage the stem.
"And last time, it didn't move even with 2-circle magic. Please use a higher circle magic!"
“I see.”
“Then, please take care of me!”
Ham Seo-rin said and ran forward.
The other guild members holding swords also ran after Ham Seo-rin.
Ham Seo-rin’s heart was already filled with anticipation.
‘If I do well, I’ll pay off my debt today and still have some left over!’
The stem of the butterfly tooth was very useful for making items for dungeon raids.
Since it was so strong, it could be twisted into ropes, and the threads from the stem could be pulled out to weave cloth.
That’s not all?
The powder that the butterfly tooth scattered nearby to lure people could also be used as an ingredient for potions.
If you could catch it properly, it would be a windfall.
It wasn’t for nothing that I went into debt to bid on this dungeon.
Since it had grown incredibly strong since the last raid, its quality was guaranteed.
And since there was no contract, he could monopolize this dungeon byproduct without having to share it with Jeong Da-on!
Ham Seo-rin cheered inwardly and raised her longsword.
“… … You heard that?”
Jeong Da-on stared at her back for a while and then turned around.
“You know what you have to do, right?”
The man wearing a mask who met Jeong Da-on’s eyes flinched and shook his shoulders.
He looked pitiful despite his size.
“James Chen.”
The man with gloomy eyes nodded as he took off his mask.
The piercing on his ear, no, the translation item, translated the man’s voice into a machine voice.
“… … I understand, Master.”