Chapter 23: Light Bringer (2)
Statistically, the probability of an EX-rank hunter appearing is almost one in several billion.
This means it's not at all surprising that there hasn't been a single one in our country so far.
Now is the era of hunters.
Hunters are directly tied to national prestige.
In fact, they're the most closely related indicator of military power.
Although we prided ourselves on being a hunter powerhouse, the truth is that we felt intimidated because we didn't have a single top-ranked hunter.
The fact that China and Japan, which share borders with us, each have a top-ranked hunter, also played a role.
That's why the entire nation rejoiced at the appearance of Silver Knight.
‘He became the target of envy for other countries.’
There's a reason why the government is managing Silver Knight.
One’s joy is another's misery.
This is especially true in international relations.
If an EX-rank hunter appears, other countries will try to steal them away or kill them by any means necessary.
In fact, many S-rank and SS-rank hunters have either emigrated for an enormous price or died under mysterious circumstances.
[That's why it's best to keep the Master's existence a secret.]
Hyun Suho unconsciously touched the hard mask.
It might make him stand out more, but since there are all sorts of weird hunters, they'll probably just overlook it.
"Who has come from other countries?"
"I heard Oni, a high-ranker from the Emperor's Guild, has come from Japan."
"The Emperor's Guild, where the top-ranked hunter Shuten-Doji is?"
"Yes. From China, we have Jeyukcheon, and from the UK, Guardian Angel."
"That's quite impressive."
Three high-rankers from overseas had been deployed. Many ordinary rankers had also entered Korea.
Of course, Korea's three prideful high-rankers had arrived as well.
While it was very reassuring to know that so many famous hunters from overseas had come to protect our country, it also caused some concern.
"It seems the difficulty level of this dungeon break is quite high."
"Well... this is something only Suho-ssi should know.
[T/N: The suffix "-ssi" (씨) in Korean is a common and polite honorific used to address someone, typically by their first or full name.]
Jin Seo-yeon had a secretive look on her face, as if she was about to reveal something confidential.
"I have no one else to tell, anyway."
"Although the media reported it as an undiscovered dungeon, there's talk that several expeditions have already entered."
"What? Does that mean they knew about it and left it until it came to this?"
"It seems the difficulty was too high, and they either failed or gave up. The government spread lies in the media to avoid blame."
This is what's known as "adult circumstances."
In other words, the government deliberately let the dungeon break until it happened to cover up their incompetence.
"Was it so difficult that even our country's high-rankers couldn't clear it?"
"I heard it had bad compatibility... They say physical attacks don't work on the enemies."
"Hmm..."
"I don't know the details yet either. I tried to find out as much as possible, but the information isn't very accurate."
"Understood."
I didn't know what kind of formidable foes would appear, but with this level of force gathered, it didn't seem like there was anything to worry about.
Following Jin Seo-yeon to the base, I saw Fireballer, Hong Chang-shik, as well.
He greeted me warmly, patting me on the shoulder.
"Welcome, Suho-gun. It's been a while."
[T/N: the "-gun" (êµ°) suffix after a name is a Korean honorific. It's often used to address young men or boys in a polite and respectful manner, similar to "Mr." in English, but more casual.]
"Hello. It's been a while, Fireballer-nim."
[T/N: The suffix -nim is similar to "Mr./Ms." or "Sir/Ma'am" in English]
"Take good care of the young lady today. You understand why we're paying such a high price to hire you, right?"
"It's because of Jin Sa-geol, right?"
No matter how powerful I was as an EX-rank, I was still only level 3.
The reason why they were paying me a daily rate of 300 million won was because I was immune to Jin Sa-geol's control skills.
Even though this dungeon break was enough to turn the country upside down, I wasn't too worried.
The scariest thing is always people.
With the Jinryong Group's succession battle underway, I had to be prepared for any situation.
Under normal circumstances, Fireballer's abilities would be more than enough, but this time, it's different.
In a dungeon break where anything could happen, who knows what might happen during the chaos.
"Take good care of the young lady... Seo-yeon."
"I will."
According to the Hunter Association's predictions, there were still about five hours left before the full-scale dungeon break occurred.
There was plenty of time to prepare, but since there might be an error in the estimated time, everyone was getting ready in advance.
Both the hunters and the government troops were busy moving around.
Nova was even eavesdropping on the government's communications and reporting everything.
[Battery! Move that battery to the side! The angle isn't right!]
[Sniper units, all ready.]
Hmm!
They were incompetent at first, but it seems they've put some effort into the follow-up measures.
Just in case, I stayed close to Jin Seo-yeon.
This was my role, after all.
Seeing me hovering near Jin Seo-yeon for the first time, the guild members glanced at me as if something was off.
However, since Jin Seo-yeon and Hong Chang-shik, who usually guarded her like a protector, didn't say anything, they just let it go.
Among the group, I saw quite a few people who had performed dimensional quests with me last time.
In other words, those were the ones I saved.
‘I'm glad I wore the mask.’
Although people might not remember the faces of porters, I made quite an impression last time with all my efforts.
While I was waiting for the dungeon to collapse, a strange guy showed up.
"Excuse me."
A stranger, who looked to be in his mid-20s, suddenly approached Jin
Seo-yeon and spoke to her. He had a peculiar appearance, with only his bangs dyed white.
He wasn't short, standing around 180 cm, and while he was generally handsome, there was something sleazy about him.
[A man's jealousy is unbecoming, Master.]
‘It’s not jealousy; I’m just stating what I observe.’
[I acknowledge that. If I had to rate appearances, I'd say you score slightly higher, Master.]
‘Is that a compliment from you?’
[If you're grateful, how about gifting me a Dragon Heart…]
Just as Nova started to babble nonsense, the man stood right in front of Jin Seo-yeon with a smile.
Normally, Hong Chang-shik would have blocked anyone who hovered near Jin Seo-yeon, but for now, he simply observed.
The hunters gathered here were the top talents from across the nation.
Establishing connections with such people was also part of Jin Seo-yeon’s responsibilities.
But the man said something absurd as soon as they met.
"Wow! You're even more beautiful up close than from afar. I never expected to meet such a stunning beauty in a place like this."
What the heck? Who is this guy?
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who felt this way.
Jin Seo-yeon, Hong Chang-shik, and everyone else watching had expressions of disbelief.
Surprisingly, Jin Seo-yeon remained unfazed by his words and asked,
"Who are you?"
Jin Seo-yeon was not only an incredibly beautiful woman but also the heir to the Jinryong Group.
With her stunning looks, great figure, and powerful background, she had always been the object of admiration and had received countless proposals.
To the point where it was tiresome and annoying.
Because of these experiences, she was able to handle such absurd situations with composure.
Despite Jin Seo-yeon’s obvious wariness, the man continued to smile as if oblivious or perhaps overly confident.
"Haha! Nice to meet you. I'm this person."
What he handed over was unexpectedly a business card.
It wasn’t common for hunters to carry business cards, unlike office workers.
But this wasn’t just any business card; it was a flashy silver one that looked almost like a credit card.
‘Is this a credit card?’
Jin Seo-yeon, who had received the card in confusion, looked at the man with a surprised expression.
"Silver Knight… Eun Hwi-gwang?"
"Haha! Yes, that's me, Silver Knight."
The first officially recognized EX-class hunter in Korea.
A mysterious man who had been kept hidden under the government's supervision until now.
And here he was, appearing before us in the most unexpected circumstances.
"I've heard you're an S-class hunter from a prestigious family. I also heard you were beautiful, but I didn't realize you were this stunning. Haha!"
So he didn’t come by chance; he came with a purpose.
But seriously, to say such embarrassing things right to her face…
Does he think this is flirting?
Of course, putting aside the method, this guy was none other than the famous Silver Knight, known throughout the country.
His fame alone might make him attractive to young women.
But Jin Seo-yeon was different.
"I'm not interested in hearing evaluations of my appearance from someone I've just met. If you have business with me, get to the point."
Jin Seo-yeon's blunt words caused Eun Hwi-gwang's sleazy smile to falter for a moment.
He looked as if he was thinking, "This isn't how it's supposed to go…"
‘Is this guy for real? Was that really supposed to be flirting?’
It must have worked with other women before, but now, seeing Jin Seo-yeon’s cold response, he was left stuttering.
As Eun Hwi-gwang hesitated, Jin Seo-yeon sighed and said,
"If you have nothing else to say, I'll be going…"
This wasn’t a social gathering but a situation just hours before a dungeon break.
Jin Seo-yeon felt that even talking to this guy was a waste of time and turned to leave.
At that moment, as if he couldn’t let her go, Eun Hwi-gwang reached out.
"Wait, let me just…"
He reached for Jin Seo-yeon’s shoulder.
Before his hand could touch her, someone grabbed his wrist mid-air.
Snap!
That someone was Hyun Suho.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Eun Hwi-gwang, looking at his seized wrist, said irritably,
"Who are you? Let go of me."
This was a completely different tone from when he was talking to Jin Seo-yeon.
He was acting like an obnoxious customer.
When he tried to pull his hand away roughly, Hyun Suho casually let go.
As a result, Eun Hwi-gwang, unable to control his momentum, stumbled backward.
"Whoa!"
Blushing, perhaps from embarrassment, his face turned red.
"You…!"
After glaring at Hyun Suho, he spat out these words,
"I'm Eun Hwi-gwang! Silver Knight! The only EX-class in this country!"
Everyone had a similar expression in response to Eun Hwi-gwang’s petulant words.
"......"
I heard the government had managed him carefully, but they’ve turned him into a complete fool.
How coddled must he have been for him to end up like this?
According to Nova, one’s rank reflects their potential. But no matter how great one’s potential is, it doesn't guarantee good character.
Just as he was about to cause more trouble…
"There he is!"
A group of people rushed in and grabbed Eun Hwi-gwang.
"Where on earth have you been? I told you not to wander around!"
"It’s not like that…"
"Enough! Get moving!"
The people who had seized Eun Hwi-gwang turned their heads, only to freeze when they saw Jin Seo-yeon.
They let out a big sigh and said,
"That condition flared up again! Get him out of here!"
And just like that, Eun Hwi-gwang was dragged away by the group.
Once they had all left, only a woman with red horn-rimmed glasses remained, bowing her head repeatedly as she spoke.
"I'm sorry! This was our fault."
Hyun Suho, trying to calm her down, said,
"No, it's okay. But… is that really Eun Hwi-gwang?"
"…Yes."
She looked as though her secret had been exposed.
Everyone stared at her with looks filled with various meanings, and she waved her hands in denial.
"We didn’t turn him into that! He’s always been like that! He was a playboy even before he received his class!"
The woman shouted in frustration, as if she’d been blamed by too many people before.
How many people must have cursed them for her to react like this?
Finally, Jin Seo-yeon, unable to watch any longer, intervened.
"It’s fine. Nothing happened."
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
The woman continued to apologize profusely before leaving.
As they watched her disappear, someone muttered,
"Is our country… going to be okay?"
"……"
Everyone responded with silence.
* * *
RUMBLE!!
The dungeon break occurred almost exactly when expected.
Centered around a specific point, the terrain began to transform as if paint were spreading.
SIZZLE, SIZZLE, SIZZLE!!
The beautiful landscapes of Korea vanished, replaced by a pitch-black land of death.
This was terrain erosion.
As if being overwritten, the dungeon’s landscape was being summoned into reality.
If the dungeon break wasn’t stopped quickly, the terrain could change permanently.
"They're coming!"
Everyone waited anxiously for the enemies to appear.
And soon, they could identify the approaching monsters.
"Skeletons… Undead?"
What appeared on the now-blackened ground was a horde of undead, swarming like a cloud.
If it were just skeletons, it wouldn’t be a major issue. No matter how many there were, they were relatively easy to defeat.
The problem was that numerous monsters were also appearing in the sky.
"Bone Wyverns? And even a Bone Dragon?"
The Bone Wyverns were estimated to be around level 5 to 6, and the Bone Dragon was a staggering level 7 to 8.
Fortunately, there was only one Bone Dragon, but the number of Wyverns was countless.
The real issue was that they couldn’t be sure the Bone Dragon was the boss here.
There was a high chance something even stronger was lurking.
The situation was far more critical than anticipated.
It was no wonder the government had abandoned the idea of clearing it.
You could hear the sound of dry throats gulping nervously all around.
But Nova, in typical fashion, made a bizarre comment.
[Excellent. This is an opportunity for you, Master.]
"What are you talking about now?"
[I have a very good plan.]
