Chapter 207 Anomaly (1)
Translated by: Ddomigan
‘Did those two just rush through the dungeon without taking a break or something?’
When it comes to S-rank dungeons, the breadth of its interior is always daunting. The dungeon which Yoohyun and Peace entered had just three floors, but the floors would get progressively wider as they advanced higher, and by the last floor, the area would be so wide that even if they cut through the length of it in a straight line, it would have taken at least a day to reach the end.
But, to somehow break through all that in just four days? However Yoojin looked at it, it was clear that Yoohyun and Peace had overdone it. ‘What in the world got them so urgent?’ A sigh escaped from Yoojin’s mouth. Honestly, those two just shouldn’t be sent in a dungeon by themselves ever again. If there were other members in their team, the new members might be able to drop some hints to get those two to hold back at least.
Kim Sunghan was accompanying Yoojin to where Yoohyun and Peace were waiting. Yoojin glanced at the man sitting next to him. Kim Sunghan seemed to be in better shape than he was back when they met right after the regression, maybe it was because some time had passed since he became an S-class. He was already an A-class defense-type hunter before, so it didn’t seem like there was a great difference in his physique, but he must have at least gotten a little taller.
“Is there something you want to say?”
Kim Sunghan asked Yoojin. His tone was gentle. Even after the effects of the keyword faded away, Song Taewon’s attitude had changed a lot compared to the attitude he had before and right after the regression, but the change was perhaps because of the things Yoojin had been up to all this while. First, he helped Song Taewon promote into an S-class, he is also in a cooperative relationship with Haeyeon, and most of all, he has a close brotherly relationship with the guild leader, Yoohyun. It was only natural for Kim Sunghan to view Yoojin more favorably than he did before the regression.
But on the contrary, Yoojin have came to feel somewhat uneasy about Kim Sunghan. Maybe it was because of the requests he made to obtain information on people he had lost before the regression, because ever since then, the memories Yoojin had suppressed kept trying to reemerge. Compared to how it was before, Yoojin seemed to have become more uncomfortable with both Suk Simyeong and Kim Sunghan.
“You must’ve changed in many ways after becoming an S-class, right?” Yoojin asked.
He briefly thought that it’d be nice if Kim Sunghan could undergo further drastic improvements. But by then, he would have to at least be an SS-class. And as if embarrassed to brag about himself, Kim Sunghan clenched and unclenched his fists.
Yoojin had been caught by those hands a few times before. Back when he didn’t have the fear resistance, the presence of an A-class Hunter was enough to intimidate him. In most cases before the regression, Yoojin would get overwhelmed into submission by sheer force, but there were also times when violence was involved. But even after being beaten and terrified repeatedly, he was still able to fight back. Yoojin was pretty good at enduring.
“I probably did. But the people around me have changed as well.” Kim Sunghan replied.
Except, the beatings haven't happened, and Kim Sunghan was someone that could be trusted. He helped Yoohyun out a lot, and he was a person that’s willing to lend a hand.
“I received a lot of calls from here and there, particularly after the recent disappearance of the MKC guild leader. The calls were about the position of—”
“You turned them down, right?” Yoojin interjected.
He couldn’t bear the possibility of losing someone and the words escaped his mouth. Those scattered thoughts he had before dispersed as if they were being driven out of his mind. Why was it that people coveted Kim Sunghan so? It was the same for Yerim. Yoojin can't give them away. He won't. Kim Sunghan simply smiled and nodded his head.
“I’ve heard things like, ‘Although you’re an S-class hunter, you’re not young like Hunter Park Yerim, so how much longer do you intend to stay under someone else’s control,’ and a bunch of other noises I couldn't tell from persuasion and argument. Either way, I turned them all down.”
“What needless meddling, seriously. But I do think Sunghan-ssi is someone deserving of the guild leader position, of course... ... Uh, I heard you were in discussions about the position of vice guild leader?”
The Haeyeon Guild has yet to have a vice guild leader. There was only the guild leader. Since Yoohyun was still too young, the guild’s internal structure might become divided if there was a vice guild leader, and there was also the possibility of people assuming that the vice guild leader was the actual leader, so the choice of a sole guild leader was intentional.
Now that Yoohyun is 20 years old and Kim Sunghan got promoted to an S class, Suk Simyeong told Kim Sunghan that he will soon be promoted to the position of vice guild leader.
"Yes. As the guild’s internal composition will change drastically, the promotion will also be proceeded slowly.”
“Can’t it be done a little faster? Kim Sunghan-ssi has been a member of Haeyeon since its early days, and has supported Yoohyun all this while, so there won’t be people who would object to the decision. I think you suit the position better than anyone else.”
If Yoojin could have it his way, he’d promptly solidify the position and have it retained. Before the regression, Kim Sunghan remained by Yoohyun’s side until the end. However, his prospects now and before have become different. Kim Sunghan has since become an S-class hunter, and even if he remained loyal, his heart could have still wavered a little. The people who want to sway him will continue to appear.
Yoojin couldn't lose any of the few people that were trustworthy.
“If by chance, you are in need of my help or want anything from me, feel free to let me know. I will do whatever I can to thank you for helping my brother.”
“But I’m already indebted to Director Han.”
“Even so...”
The effect of the keyword was gone, so Yoojin had to hold on to him with something else. Kim Sunghan gazed down upon Yoojin with a heartfelt smile.
“Director Han really cares about the guild leader.”
“He is my little brother, after all. I practically raised him, and he’s also still young.”
If the world was at peace, Yoojin wouldn't have been as protective nor worried as he was now. 'Why did you miss your meal,’ ‘Don't drink too much,’ 'A college student shouldn’t be too late to class,’ ‘Aren't you short of pocket money?’ Yoojin wished he could say things like that to Yoohyun.
However, the reality is that he is on his way to meet his brother who entered a monster-infested dungeon. A damned dungeon!! Why can’t they just come a hundred years later.
‘Maybe I should urge Yoohyun and team leader Suk to hurry and put Kim Sunghan in the position of vice guild leader.’ As Yoojin thought about that, he checked his phone. Among the messages that piled-up, he read just one.
[I don’t have any favorite beasts in particular.]
That was Song Taewon’s reply. Yoojin wanted to ask for some more details, but the conversation was cut short when Song Taewon went in a dungeon. It was an A-rank dungeon that urgently needed to be conquered after MKC’s failure to properly manage it. The dungeon wasn’t even S-ranked.
Most of the S-rank dungeons belonging to the Association were ideal low-level conquests, hence they can be managed by the Association’s A-class team, but as a result, if an urgent conquest comes up when the hunter teams are not available, it will be passed on to Song Taewon. It seemed as if he’s only in charge of dealing with the aftermath.
“I think the Awakeners Management Office needs to be developed a little more, but it’s obvious that it’s being impeded by the National Assembly.”
The Hunter Association, which was relatively easy to interfere with, was being supported whereas the Awakeners Management Office, which was big-budgeted and hard to meddle with, was put on the back burner. Preventing a dungeon break was the same as defending the country, so the Awakeners Management Office belongs to the Ministry of Public Administration and Security. Yoojin wondered if just a small portion of the national defense budget could be detached and given to him. The budget was roughly 40 trillion won, so if they would just allocate 1 trillion won for the Awakeners Management Office, the country’s national S-class team could be reorganized.
Such a shame for Song Taewon-ssi. It's almost like acquiring an aircraft carrier, but then leaving it empty. Sure, Song Taewon alone had enough firepower, but even so... In any case, if they were going to run it, they should at least run it properly.
‘Also, could it be possible for Song Taewon to refuse to accept the beast mount just because he didn’t have the funds to manage it?’
Since Song Taewon went into an A-rank dungeon, even if he raided it with haste, he’ll still get out around today or tomorrow. Yoojin wondered if he should send him the dolls of Peace and Chirpie first thing after they are completed. He might unexpectedly like it.
The dungeon that Yoohyun and Peace had entered was outside of Seoul. Even though the site was near, Yoojin still had to drive quite a while. And upon arriving in front of the dungeon building, he saw several Association members and reporters waiting there.
“The Association aside, it seems news had travelled fast to the reporters for once.”
“These people are just waiting ahead of time. The previous S-rank dungeon that the guild leader raided set a new record for the fastest clear time, and since the situation this time around was about the same, they probably waited in anticipation.”
‘I see.’ Indeed, it would be absurdly quick of the reporters to have already reached here when this place wasn’t even in Seoul, and they had only just received the news. When Yoojin got out of the car, the cameras turned towards him.
“Is it fine if I go in alone?” Yoojin asked.
Kim Sunghan nodded at his words. There seems to be no issues between Yoohyun and Peace, and the item, Grace, was with them too. It's taken a while for Yoojin to get to this place, and from the looks of the quiet interior of the building, the two must be waiting.
Yoojin went into the dungeon building by himself. And as he opened the gate to the innermost gate room, the two figures inside caught his eye. Both Yoohyun and the juvenile-sized Peace looked at Yoojin at the same time.
“Hyung.”
His younger brother approached him with a bright smile. The hems of Yoohyun’s clothes were stained with bloody spots, but there didn’t appear to be visible wounds on his body.
“I missed you.”
“Did you get hurt? You probably didn't even sleep, right?"
“I wasn’t really sleepy, so I didn’t sleep.”
Although Yoojin expected that to be the case, he was still in disbelief. He had advised Yoohyun to not overdo it, but apparently, the latter didn't listen. Regardless, Yoojin hugged back at his younger brother whose embrace was reminiscent of the hugs he gave when he was younger. Yoojin tries to make up for the things he couldn't do in the last three years, but somehow it only seems to have made Yoohyun get more and more childish.
“Don’t forget to put away the Thunderbird Robe before leaving. We can’t let it be seen yet, several reporters are on standby, after all.”
“Alright.”
“By the way, why is Peace acting that way?”
Peace was still standing in front of the dungeon gate in its juvenile form and just staring at them blankly. That behavior was unusual. While Yoojin worried that something might have happened, Yoohyun broke the hug and stepped aside.
“I’ve set up an order.”
“What?”
“Peace lost.”
Yoojin wondered what Yoohyun could be talking about. But when Yoohyun had stepped back, only then did Peace start moving. After shrinking itself to a smaller size, Peace ran towards Yoojin, its rapid footsteps making a ‘Do Do Do’ sound along the way.
- Kkiaaang.
Peace howled lengthily and heartrendingly as it jumped into Yoojin’s embrace. Peace rubbed its whole body against Yoojin and wagged its tail.
- Kkiang, kkioooong.
“Yoohyun, you... didn’t do something like picking on Peace, right?”
“Nope, not at all.”
Those words sounded a little fishy. Right as Yoojin sent a suspicious glance to inspect the honesty of that statement, his younger brother nuzzled himself against him. Anyhow, both of them should take a bath. Even Peace was stained with monster blood all over its body. Just look at all the hardened fur.
“Hyung, what about you, anything happened?”
“Nothing’s happened on my end. In fact, I should be the one asking you, why did you come out so soon? I told you not to overdo it.”
At Yoojin’s questioning, Yoohyun went silent. He then glanced at the surveillance camera on one side of the gate room. Everything is being recorded as they speak, but as a precautionary measure, the footage is normally stored for several days before being deleted completely so that nobody can view it.
A small flame emerged from Yoohyun's fingertips, and then...
Crush.
The arrow-like sparks fired blew up the camera. And, immediately after that, Yoojin’s phone rang. It was a call from Kim Sunghan.
[An internal camera failure notification came in. Is everything alright?]
“Yes, it’s nothing, probably just an error.”
After Yoojin hung up the phone, he turned to his younger brother. Yoohyun proceeded to open his mouth and speak.
“I felt a strange gaze in the dungeon.”
“A gaze?”
“It was definitely not from a monster. It felt like someone outside the dungeon was watching me. So, there’s really nothing that happened to you, right, hyung?"
Yoohyun said that he came out of the dungeon sooner than intended since he was worried. A gaze...
“Why don’t we go right in and ask about it?”
Since Yoojin was already right in front of the gate when he decided to move closer, Yoohyun caught him.
“No, not now.”
“Hmm? Why not?”
“…I don't have a good feeling about it, hyung. Although I felt the gaze, there was nothing I could do about it. Even if it’s just to visit the dungeon that was made for you, we will still be led to a normal dungeon after leaving that space. So, let’s just wait for Park Yerim to come back before we check it out.”
Yoohyun sullenly expressed that he was uneasy about probing the matter with just him and Peace. Did that episode with Choi Sukwon still hold an influence over him? It was heartbreaking to witness Yoohyun’s lack of confidence. Yoojin nodded his head in agreement, not because he didn’t believe Yoohyun could do it, but because Yoohyun was in a fatigued state.
“Since Yerim should also be back soon, I thought she’d finish her raid earlier than you will.”
Blue was also with her, so they’ll probably be back by tomorrow at the latest.
“...Surely, nothing strange happened to Yerim too, right?” Yoojin said.
But at that instance, he felt a sudden wave of worry. It was fortunate that Yoohyun only felt a gaze, but what if Yerim encountered a greater trouble than that?
“She’s in a dungeon with lakes and rivers, so it'll be fine.”
Yoohyun said as if to assure Yoojin. ‘But there really shouldn't be anything going on...’ Yoojin thought. He had an urge to go into the dungeon and demand all the answers from the volleyball, but he ultimately held back. That place wasn’t just anywhere, it was an S-rank dungeon. He couldn't possibly take the exhausted kids inside.
‘…Come to think of it, Sung Hyunjae is also in a dungeon.’
Will everything be okay for the first people that goes into a dungeon? Yoojin wondered. But since Sung Hyunjae was a man that would come back alive and well no matter what happens, Yoojin’s concern towards him was almost neeext to nothinggg. But they are still partners, so maybeee he did give a quarter of a shred of care.
...Sung Hyunjae will be fine. He was someone Yoojin couldn’t ever imagine being seriously injured.
As soon as Yoojin left the building with the kids so that they could speedily wash up and get some rest, people from the Association and reporters approached them. Rather than an exchange in close proximity, those people just kept their distance along a radius and pitched their questions. While there were other questions, most of them were about whether the S-rank dungeon was really successfully cleared in just four days. And then...
“Is it true that Hunter Park Yerim from the Haeyeon Guild is scheduled to have a friendly match with a Japanese Hunter?”
The topic that has been burning hot these days cropped up in one of the reporter’s queries. Korea VS Japan, ‘Hunter Showdown.’ When it came to clashes between Korea and Japan, anything and everything becomes a hot topic, however, the topic ‘Hunter Showdown’ blew up wholly because it was about a fight between S-class hunters.
The rumors that spread not long after the A-class ranking match ended fueled the expectations of people even more. The Haeyeon Guild and the Hunter Association had kept silent about the rumors, citing that nothing has been confirmed yet. And hence, a variety of comments spawned. ‘If they aren’t denying it, then it must mean it’s really happening!’ ‘Hunter Park Yerim must be going to Japan right after the dungeon clearing!’ ‘The truth is that it’s not Park Yerim who will fight, but Han Yoohyun instead!’ ‘There was also a word about it being Sung Hyunjae!’ It was a mess both online and offline.
“Details will be announced after Hunter Park Yerim’s dungeon clear.”
As soon as an appropriate answer was presented, the other reporters chimed in on the subject as well. ‘Is Park Yerim Hunter really going to step forward? Isn’t she too young?’ One reporter asked. And then, there was another that asked whether Yoohyun had any intention of personally coming forward as the record holder for the fastest S-rank dungeon clear.
‘What was that about Yerim? Don't underestimate her.’ Yoojin thought to himself.
“Please step back.”
“An announcement regarding the recent record for the fastest clear will be made at Haeyeon.”
After that statement, Kim Sunghan and members of the Haeyeon Guild began obstructing the reporters. In the meantime, Yoojin took the chance to grab Peace and get into the car with Yoohyun.
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