Chapter 71: The Forest Covered by Snake (5) (1)
In the <Judgment of Fire> Clan, the hunting team consisted of 5 squads. Lee Soo-mi, who was in charge of the B-grade Holders of the Sacred lineage, watched the party’s battle with keen interest. One person, in particular, caught her attention, undoubtedly.
The intern clan member who had joined the party for the first time today – it was Do Jae-hyun.
‘Hmm, this intern is truly an interesting person.’
The more she looked at Do Jae-hyun, the more intriguing he became. He had joined the clan on the recommendation of Kang Juyeon, the clan’s successor, with an unprecedented internship period of two months. Naturally, the clan members of <Judgment of Fire>, who took pride in being the best clan in the country, couldn’t help but pay attention to such news.
Moreover, he had suddenly been thrust into the raid to conquer the ‘Forest Covered by Snake’ which had been announced well in advance. Among the hunting teams, it was Do Jae-hyun who had been hearing the super parachute sound within Squad 5.
‘I’m sure that’s how it was…’
But could he prove himself as a Rune Holder with his innate abilities? After coming to the raid, it was clear.
He possessed an incredible talent that surpassed his peers. He effortlessly wielded three types of weapons: dual swords, a one-handed sword and shield, and a dagger. In addition, he made use of magic attacks. He handled fire-type magic attacks as if they were his second nature and had impressive physical combat skills to match.
His defensive capabilities were also not to be underestimated, making him a reliable tank on the frontlines.
‘I have a feeling he’s constantly growing.’
From the entrance of the Inwangsan Field to the middle of the Forest Covered by Snake, they encountered new monsters and faced numerous challenges throughout the raid. However, each time, Do Jae-hyun showed gradual growth, strengthening the party.
Especially when they encountered the Electrophorus for the fourth time…
He practically handled two of them on his own, so to speak. If someone didn’t know better, they would think, ‘Is he actually a B-grade Holder from Squad 5?’
‘It seems like he has an interesting relationship with Juyeon.’
Do Jae-hyun was Kang Juyeon’s parachute. That wasn’t an inaccurate statement. Ever since Do Jae-hyun joined as an intern, it was easy for anyone to see that Kang Juyeon frequently took care of him.
This sight itself was fascinating to Lee Soo-mi. Kang Juyeon taking care of someone? For a member of <Judgment of Fire>, it was something that no one would easily imagine.
‘Hmm, they’re young.’
Fire support directed at Do Jae-hyun during hunting, fleeting glances exchanged while walking, and especially after battles, the warm glances directed at him under the pretense of healing – even though Lee Soo-mi knew all this about him, she bullied him more only to tease Kang Juyeon.
For Lee Soo-mi, who was already in her sixth year of membership in the clan, Kang Juyeon was still the cute clan girl.
Papa papa-
Kwoong!
Once again, a giant snake-like monster fell.
Monsters like Mega Snake, a B-grade monster, appeared around the middle of the dungeon. Nearby, the Green Anaconda, also B-grade monsters, had been taken down. At a glance, there were about eight of them combined. It was a sign that they were encountering more and more monsters as they neared the end of the dungeon.
“Hmm-“
With keen interest, Lee Soo-mi approached the monsters to collect magic stones. In this raid, there was no dedicated butchering Holder, so collecting the spoils from the monsters was challenging. However, they could still obtain magic stones from the monsters, even if handling the materials was difficult.
“Huh?”
While trying to extract magic stones, Lee Soo-mi noticed something unusual from the corpse of Mega Snake, a B-grade monster. It was the monster Do Jae-hyun had hunted, the one with which he had successfully soloed as his deal-tanking balance had grown beyond a certain level.
“This is…”
The head of Mega Snake, where the magic stone was embedded, had undergone rapid aging, tainted by a strange aura.
‘It seems like some sort of curse or enchantment.’
A mischievous smile played on Lee Soo-mi’s lips. While others might not easily notice these symptoms, as a Sacred lineage Holder, she was much more sensitive and responsive to curses or enchantments.
It was clear that the Mega Snake had been affected by a curse-based skill called ‘Weakening’. And the one who hunted it was, coincidentally, the intern.
Lee Soo-mi’s gaze turned back to Do Jae-hyun. He was cheerfully digging for magic stones.
‘This intern… He’s truly an interesting person.’
Multi-Holders with various talents in the Holder profession were not uncommon, but it was rare for someone to skillfully wield all those talents and rise to the ranks of high-level Holders. When discussing successful Multi-Holders, it wasn’t just <Royal>’s Seong Na-yeon who was mentioned.
As one advanced higher, the growth curve of a Multi-Holder became steeper.
However, right now, a person who aims to rewrite the history of such Multi-Holders has appeared once again. They can wield at least three different martial arts techniques, use fire-type magic attacks, and even seem to utilize runes like those in the shamanic lineage. They are a promising talent with a keen sense, knowing how to use various runes judiciously. This is not just something Lee Soo-mi feels; other party members are likely sensing it too, even if they keep their thoughts to themselves.
‘Juyeon seemed to want to have this interesting person all to herself.’
It wasn’t just a youth romance, as it seemed to be at first. Lee Soo-mi smiled deeply, continuing to gather magic stones.
Lately, her daily life had been monotonous and boring. However, with the arrival of such an intriguing person, clan life seemed to have become more interesting.
***
ippotranslations
***
[‘Underwater Sprint’ rune selected. Since it is a level 9 Rare Rune, it will be registered as level 5.]
[You have obtained a new rune.]
[Due to the rune’s nature, you gain 3 water resistance and 1 speed.]
[Your skill in handling various weapons becomes more spectacular. Proficiency in swords and shields increases rapidly.]
[‘Master of Martial Arts’ rune level has increased.]
[Due to the rune’s nature, you gain 2 strength.]
‘The Forest Covered by Snake’ is truly a dungeon that lays golden eggs. Because the average rank of the monsters B, which is so high, we’re acquiring so much loot.
Steadily, the main rune’s level increased, and new runes were obtained through [Rune Hunter].
‘My Lightning resistance is up to 8 now.’
Sometimes, the Electrophorus that appeared in the river provided supplements to increase Lightning resistance. He steadily raised his Lightning resistance by enduring their electric attacks and finally obtained the [Underwater Sprint] rune he had been aiming for.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺