Chapter 134

While Giryeo was tracking the Rakshasa Temple, what had Ahn Yoonseung been doing?

Just as one might expect, Yoonseung had spent the past winter immersed in hunting. After all, a Hunter’s duty was to eliminate the monsters that threatened ordinary citizens.

“Is everyone here?”

Shattered limbs. Betrayal by his own teammates.

In the early days of his career, A-rank Awakened Ahn Yoonseung had suffered a devastating failure. But time had passed, and at last, he had successfully returned to his former profession.

“Then, before we enter the gate, let’s conduct one final equipment check and briefing!”

Recently, however, a strange rumor had begun circulating within the Neo Sisters Guild.

The rookie Hunter, once barely more than a fledgling, had returned after several months away—and somehow, he seemed like an entirely different person...

“Uh-oh, you don’t have enough recovery potions. I’ll lend you one of mine. Make sure you take this too.”

“Y-yes!”

At first glance, Ahn Yoonseung looked like nothing more than a friendly college student. So why had rumors begun spreading that he had changed?

The newest member of the Neo Sisters conquest team pondered the question as she fidgeted with the medicine bottle in her hand.

Woong, woong—.

Before her, a passageway glowed ominously, emitting a low, unpleasant hum.

“The gate we’ll be entering today is an A-rank dungeon known as [The Deepest Place].”

Four A-rank Hunters and one B-rank healer.

In the past, a team like this would have expected to clear the dungeon in no time. But things were different now. Since the Great Cataclysm, unfamiliar dungeon structures had begun appearing throughout the world.

“As you all know, this dungeon is divided into three floors.”

Unlike the early dungeons, which could usually be cleared within half a day, this new type required Hunters to camp and sleep inside.

Naturally, entering such a hunting ground placed a considerable burden on them. Anyone would hesitate at the thought of spending two full days in a place where a monster might leap out at any moment.

“Shall we head in?”

“Yes.”

“Alright! Hunter Ahn Yoonseung will take the lead. Everyone behind him, stay alert as soon as we enter.”

Why did such troublesome dungeons even have to exist?

The newest member of the Neo Sisters Guild grumbled inwardly as she tightened her grip on her weapon.

‘Ugh.’

The interior of [The Deepest Place] was a bleak, cavernous expanse. Dark and damp, it felt like the inside of a whale’s belly.

Experiencing such an alien world for the first time, the new guild member shuddered.

“Those of you with detection skills, keep track of the monsters’ location at all times.”

“Three are approaching.”

Despite standing at the head of the formation, Yoonseung advanced through the dungeon with perfect composure.

This was a high-difficulty monster den where even an A-rank Hunter would never dare guarantee anyone’s safety. And yet, he did not appear nervous in the slightest...

Clatter, clatter, clatter.

“Ah!”

At that moment, a sound like porcelain bowls striking one another rang out from up ahead.

‘A monster!’

A Skeleton Hound.

The four-legged creature, little more than a tangled mass of bones, charged like a rabid dog the instant it spotted a human.

‘Waaaagh!’

“B-Bind! Bind!”

She attempted to activate the support skill she had learned and restrain the creature. But the Skeleton Hound darted sideways, swiftly evading the threads of light.

‘Ugh, these things are too fast...!’

The more she panicked, the more her vision blurred—and the worse her aim became.

Bang!

The Skeleton Hound that had been hurtling toward her suddenly crashed to the ground.

It had slammed headfirst into a translucent blue barrier and toppled over. That meant there was a Hunter nearby with a barrier skill, or something similar...

“Calm down, rookie. Take a deep breath, focus on the enemy, and try using your skill again.”

Srrrk!

A metal mace smashed through the monster’s ribs.

Beyond the sound of splintering bone, Yoonseung continued giving instructions in a calm voice. He had timed the deployment of his protective barrier to intercept the hound’s charge, then immediately gathered his magic and began finishing off the fallen monsters one by one.

“U-understood, Senior!”

Had [Shield of Protection] always been a skill that could be deployed at such short intervals?

Although astonished by Yoonseung’s proficiency, she steadily corrected her technique according to his instructions.

“Bind!”

A beam of light shot through the air and ensnared the monster. At the same moment, another member of the team unleashed a completed attack skill.

Boom, boom, boom!

The monster’s remains scattered into the air, leaving behind only a magic stone.

“D-did we get it?”

“Well done! Let’s keep up this pace!”

The praise felt good.

More importantly, her first successful attack gave the new Hunter a surge of confidence.

“Yes! I’ll do my best!”

The Neo Sisters’ newest recruit tried to calm the adrenaline coursing through her body and continued the assault.

Of course, as a novice, she made plenty of mistakes and occasionally found herself in danger, but...

“Ack!”

Bang!

Each time the formation threatened to collapse, Ahn Yoonseung restored it.

At this point, she could not help wondering whether he was truly the same A-rank as the rest of them.

His ability to maintain the perfect distance between himself and his teammates was remarkable. Whenever a monster attempted a ranged attack, he deployed a defensive skill in precisely the right place.

‘D-does he have eyes in the back of his head?’

Before long, the team reached the final tunnel of the first floor.

The new guild member could only stare in awe as Yoonseung faced a Skeleton Wizard while simultaneously deploying skills to protect the teammates behind him.

Skills like [Shield of Protection] were said to consume enormous amounts of magic if their width was misjudged by even the slightest margin. Yet Yoonseung did not waste a single drop of power.

Every movement was exact, as though measured with a ruler.

Just how much practice did a Hunter need to achieve such mastery?

“I think that’s the first floor cleared.”

Ssssk.

After confirming that every monster on the first floor had been eliminated, Yoonseung glanced at his analog watch and made a suggestion.

“Then shall we have lunch before heading down to the second floor?”

The team unanimously agreed to fill their stomachs there in the cave...

***

“Senior, may I ask you something?”

Bubble, bubble.

Yoonseung had been boiling water in an aluminum cup. Hearing himself addressed, he raised his head.

“Of course. And you can speak casually with me. We’re both A-rank, after all.”

“Oh, I... Well...”

Ahn Yoonseung greeted the rookie with a warm smile, but having joined the guild only seven days earlier, she still seemed unable to relax around the others.

“It’s nothing strange. It’s just that you’re so good at fighting...”

Her voice trailed off.

After gathering her courage, the new Hunter tried again.

“Senior Yoonseung, how are you so good at using your skills? No matter how much I practice, I can’t activate mine quickly enough... Do you know any effective training methods?”

How to master one’s skills.

Faced with the question, Ahn Yoonseung adopted a thoughtful expression and offered his advice with complete seriousness.

“From what I’ve learned, the only answer is frequent practice. Even if you have to force yourself, you should activate the skill at low intensity a hundred times a day while using recovery potions—”

“A hundred times?!”

The new Hunter’s shocked cry echoed throughout the cave.

Startled by the sound that had escaped her reflexively, she drew in a sharp breath. When she spoke again, her voice came out thin and faint.

“W-who taught you that method? The guild doesn’t provide any specialised skill training, does it?”

“Ah.”

“You understand your own skills better than anyone else, after all... The guild only explained everything to me in very general terms.”

But once the identity of Yoonseung’s teacher became the topic of conversation, their voices rose once again.

“You’re asking who taught me? Well, hmm... You might recognise the name. Hunter Kim Giryeo... Um, cough, cough.”

“Gasp! You mean S-rank Hunter Kim Giryeo?”

Unless someone lived on a remote island completely cut off from civilisation, it would have been difficult not to know that name.

The new guild member was stunned to learn that Yoonseung had a connection to one of the country’s highest-ranking Awakened. Yoonseung added a brief explanation.

“He’s the one who helped me through my rehabilitation.”

Had it not been for that S-rank Hunter, Yoonseung probably would not have been here now.

Even if he had somehow managed to survive, he had lost so much confidence at the time that it was uncertain whether he would ever have returned to hunting in one piece.

“Wow, an S-rank Hunter helped with your rehabilitation... How did you meet someone like that? Did you know him from school? Or did you meet through work?”

They could not exactly watch television dramas inside a dungeon. Getting to know the new recruit over lunch did not seem like a bad way to pass the time.

“It’s a long story. Why don’t you sit down first?”

Thud.

Ahn Yoonseung pulled a conveniently heated meal from the water and continued.

“And try one of these meatballs.”

“Oh, are you giving one to me?”

“I heated five of them so I could share with the team.”

So that was why Yoonseung had brought such a large backpack.

Not only were his hunting skills exceptional, but he was flawless when it came to supporting his teammates as well.

Just what kind of A-rank Hunter was this...?

.

.

.

“I first met Giryeo Hyung in a cave much like this one.”

Yoonseung began explaining the story to his junior.

He described how disastrously his team had fallen apart that day—and how overwhelmingly powerful Giryeo had appeared.

“When he pinned the golem beneath his foot and tore out its heart, just watching him up close was enough to send chills down your spine!”

Of course, Yoonseung’s account was heavily influenced by his personal perspective...

“Did you know? When Hyung-nim raids a gate, he doesn’t even use skills. He has no interest in convenient powers like Awakening.”

“Then how does he kill monsters?”

“He usually relies on his intelligence. For example, he might lure the boss into a trap or use the terrain to defeat it.”

There were, admittedly, certain discrepancies between his account and what had actually happened...

“And I heard that even Kang Changho acknowledged him.”

“Kang Changho? The S-rank Kang Changho?”

“He said he wasn’t sure he could keep up with Hyung-nim’s pace, so he stepped aside.”

Such was the nature of rumours.

No matter how thoroughly their memories had been distorted by personal beliefs and perceptions, witnesses often convinced themselves that what they remembered was the absolute truth.