3

THE PARAGON OF THE EXCAVATION TEAM

There’s wind blowing inside a dungeon?

Jinwoo lifted his head. He felt an ominous breeze coming from deep within the cave as soon as he set foot inside the gate. Chills ran down his spine, and at the same time, Jinwoo realized what the wind truly was.

It’s not just any old wind.

It was a wave of magic power. The magic power emanating from the A-rank dungeon boss was materializing as waves that Jinwoo could physically feel. Considering how S-rank dungeons were rare on an international level, it was feasible the source of this magic power would be one of the highest-level beasts Jinwoo would ever encounter.

An A-rank dungeon boss……

Jinwoo wanted to see it with his own eyes. And if there was a chance…

Despite the chill in the air that made his hair stand on end, he couldn’t hide his grin. One could call it a hunter’s instinct, but wouldn’t any hunter want to try their hand at taking down a large beast when faced with one?

Suddenly…

Thmp.

Someone passed Jinwoo from behind and bumped his shoulder. “Hey, get a move on.” Seonggu Lee glared at Jinwoo and grumbled.

The interior of an A-rank dungeon was massive. There was plenty of space to avoid people, but Seonggu had been irked with how the temp was standing there with no apparent intention to move. He’d purposefully bumped into Jinwoo in an attempt to embarrass him, but…

What the hell is up with this bastard? He’s like a concrete pillar or something.

When he did, he’d ended up bouncing off Jinwoo, which further annoyed him.

How is a shitty E rank so sturdy?

The temp was a mere E rank while Seonggu was a C. Although he’d been relegated to the excavation team because his skills were lacking compared to other C ranks, he wasn’t about to lose face in front of some E rank. Yet the newbie hadn’t even flinched.

Seonggu’s eyes narrowed.

The balls on this asshole.

As his temper rose, Seonggu gritted his teeth and raised his voice. “Hey, you, shouldn’t you apologize for bumping into me?”

Shf.

Jinwoo turned to face him. Seonggu stumbled back, startled.

Eek!

It felt like lasers were shooting out of Jinwoo’s eyes. As Seonggu found himself suddenly having trouble breathing, Jinwoo opened his mouth. “My apologies.”

“N-no……,” Seonggu stammered in a barely audible voice, “it’s no big deal……sir.”

Seonggu turned beet red as he realized what he’d said and hastily made his way past Jinwoo with his head down.

“Phew!” Seonggu felt more at ease once he’d put some distance between himself and the newbie.

What was with those eyes? And why was he smiling like that?

He’d met Jinwoo’s gaze for only a brief moment, but his body had stiffened, and his voice wouldn’t come out properly. Only the last shred of his pride had kept him from dropping his own gaze.

……Is he really an E rank?

Between the man’s immovable body and terrifying eyes, Seonggu wasn’t sure what to make of things. Well, whatever. He vigorously shook his head as if trying to empty it and scurried away.

“Oh boy.” Jinwoo rubbed the back of his neck as he watched Seonggu take off.

My guard was up because of the boss, so……

He’d unintentionally terrified Seonggu. Practice. Practice would make perfect.

As he self-reflected on being hypersensitive, Jinwoo chased after the rest of the excavation team. He caught up to them in no time and tried to stay with the members at the back of the group.

No one would be able to keep up with me if I walked at my own pace.

Because of that, he adjusted his speed to that of his colleagues.

As they went deeper into the dungeon, the waves of magic power from the dungeon boss grew stronger.

My perception’s definitely pretty high.

Even though the boss’s lair was in the heart of the dungeon, he could easily feel its presence from near the entryway. It was making his heart race.

Will I be able to focus on the excavation work in this condition?

As if in answer to his question, several loud voices rang out. “Heave! Heave!”

The collection team, which had gone inside ahead of the excavation team, was hard at work. They had bound the carcass of an enormous magic beast with rope and were dragging it along.

“One, two!”

“Heave!”

Since brawlers were physically strong, things were moving along smoothly even without the help of tools.

Jinwoo reminded himself of the procedure for tackling high-rank dungeons. First, the strike squad would defeat all the magic beasts except for the boss. Then, the collection team would drag out the carcasses of said magic beasts. Lastly, the excavation team would retrieve all stones found on the cave walls. In order to maximize profits, nothing was left behind. Essence stones and gems found in dungeons were a given, but the remains of high-rank magic beasts were also worth a ton of money.

Bones, hide, flesh—they say there’s a use for every part of a high-rank magic beast.

That was the difference between a magic beast from a low-rank dungeon and one from a high-rank dungeon.

Once the entirety of the dungeon was plundered, one last job remained.

Defeat the boss and close the gate.

These four steps had to be completed in order to claim that a high-rank dungeon was cleared perfectly. At least, that was how guilds looked at it.

However…

If we’re talking about manual labor, wouldn’t my soldiers be enough?

The thought entered Jinwoo’s mind as he walked past some sweaty members of the collection team. In truth, his leveled-up shadow soldiers would be far more efficient than a group of C-rank-and-below hunters. If he divided his soldiers into teams for hunting, collection, and excavating…

I might actually be able to raid a high-rank dungeon on my own.

Jinwoo smiled to himself, feeling pleased. He’d come here on a reconnaissance mission, and he was glad he’d taken the time to do so.

“And why do you look so happy, Sung?” the foreman asked as he approached his new crewman. He was probably curious as to why an E-rank hunter experiencing a high-rank dungeon for the first time was quietly smiling to himself.

“I was surprised that the magic beasts are way bigger than I’d imagined.”

The foreman seemed satisfied with Jinwoo’s vague answer, as he called up his own memories in response. “You think? Remembering it now, my jaw hit the floor my first time.”

Since they were already on the topic, Jinwoo asked him a few questions. “Even if the other magic beasts have been killed, the boss is still alive, right?”

“That’s right, since the gate will close once the boss is eliminated.”

This meant they couldn’t kill the boss until all the collecting and the excavating work was complete.

“What happens if the boss comes out of its lair?”

“That rarely happens, but… In that case, we’d all be dead.”

That much was obvious. The strike squad took a break outside the dungeon before going after the boss, and nobody on the collection or excavation teams was strong enough to face an A-rank dungeon boss. Fortunately, the boss usually remained in its lair until the dungeon break began.

That was why Yoonsuk showed no concern over that possibility.

“Aren’t you scared that such a terrible creature is in the same space as you?”

“Not at all.” Yoonsuk was resolute. “In the three years I’ve worked for the Hunters, there’s never been an incident. Don’t you worry, Sung.”

Yoonsuk patted Jinwoo on the shoulder, and for a brief moment, Jinwoo found himself envious.

They do say ignorance is bliss.

Jinwoo’s body vibrated from the magic power emanating from the boss’s lair even when he was standing still. It looked like he was the only one who could sense the creature’s power.

“Ah, here we go!” the foreman exclaimed happily upon sighting a stash of gems embedded along the cave wall.

The skilled excavation team members positioned themselves in front of the wall without prompting.

Thud, thud.

They dropped their bags and took hold of their pickaxes. Jinwoo also claimed a spot at the patch of gems.

Can I just swing my pickax?

He was worried about breaking both the gems and the pickax if he used brute strength.

What should I do?

He couldn’t bring himself to start and stood in place, hesitant. That was when Jinsu, the expert excavator, caught his eye.

Fwsh! Krak! Fwsh! Krak!

There was a rhythm to the way Jinsu dug out the gems. Every time he struck the wall, a bunch more clinked as they fell to the ground.

Okay, let’s see……

Jinsu was undeniably a veteran at this—his skill was apparent, and he was twice as fast as his colleagues.

Jinwoo’s eyes flashed as he activated his perception stat. As time slowed, he carefully studied Jinsu’s posture, breathing, and movements. Jinwoo played them over and over in his mind.

Got it.

He had the hang of it. He grabbed his pickax. His stance looked like a carbon copy of Jinsu’s.

Fwsh! Krak! Fwsh! Krak!

Although the posture was identical to Jinsu’s, Jinwoo’s strength was incomparable. Each time he struck the wall, magic gems fell to the ground in large chunks.

Fwsh! Krak! Fwsh! Krak!

A clear ringing echoed from the end of the line. The other members of the excavation team started to realize something odd was happening.

“H-hold up.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Look over there.”

“Whoa!”

“How is he…?”

One by one, they stopped working to stare blankly at Jinwoo. Eventually, even the dedicated Jinsu’s hands came to a halt.

……

They were all speechless. The newbie E-rank miner was making short work of the gems!

“Come on, people! You’re here to work, not to stand around and stare off into space!”

Yoonsuk, who’d been busy taking inventory of the gems, rushed over in surprise when he noticed his workers had ceased.

“Sir, take a look at that.”

“At what?” He craned his neck, and his eyes widened at the sight. “Whoa!” He was taken aback when he saw Jinwoo working at about three times the speed of everyone else.

“Sir, didn’t you say this was his first time?”

“……I did.”

Seonggu, puzzled about Jinwoo’s true identity, had to interject. “Is he really an E rank?”

“Of course—I checked his license. Do you think I’d hire someone without verifying his identity first?”

“Then what’s with that?”

“……” Yoonsuk, who had continued to silently watch Jinwoo, swallowed and exclaimed eagerly, “There’s no doubt about it… Sung was born to be a miner!”

No wonder Jinwoo’s impressive pectoral muscles had drawn his attention ever since the interview.

I’ve got an eye for these things.

The foreman grinned from ear to ear.

Beep, beep, beep.

The alarm on Yoonsuk’s watch sounded. He checked the time.

Oh boy, time flies……

It was already lunchtime.

“All right, everyone, let’s go eat.”

“Yessir!”

Everyone put down their tools and dusted off their hands. When Jinwoo showed no signs of leaving while the others wandered off in small groups, Yoonsuk sidled up next to him.

“Aren’t you going, Sung?”

“I’m okay, sir.”

“But how are you gonna work without eating?”

“I’m fine. I had a late breakfast anyway.”

“Really? Well, okay, then.”

Yoonsuk had wanted to have some serious and deep conversations with Jinwoo regarding things like each other’s futures, but it wasn’t like he could forcibly drag him out. He headed toward the gate feeling a bit disgruntled.

At that moment, the corners of Jinwoo’s mouth began to rise. The farther away his team members went, the more his smile grew.

I can’t waste this golden opportunity.

He was finally alone, as both the excavation and collection teams had exited the dungeon. He had about an hour to himself. This was his chance to check out the boss hidden deep within the bowels of the dungeon.

Jinwoo put down the pickax and turned his eyes in the direction of the boss’s lair. He could feel the magic beast’s energy pulsing steadily.

I’ll just sneak a peek at it.

He wasn’t planning on actually doing anything.

Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump.

Jinwoo’s heart started racing at the mere thought of glimpsing the boss. He willed his heart to slow as he started off. He headed farther inside the cave, following the magic beast’s energy.

How far did he go? Eventually, he came upon a cavernous room: the boss’s lair. The cave’s passageways were already enormously wide, but this was somehow bigger. Jinwoo had to wonder if all high-rank dungeons were this spacious. That was when he came upon the boss, and it instantly clicked why the dungeon had no choice but to be built this way.

If that ever got out……

A massive, one-eyed humanoid magic beast stood in silence at the farthest end of the lair. Jinwoo’s eyes twinkled like those of a child who had a toy he’d wished for in his grasp.

A giant-type magic beast.

He’d heard much about them, but this was the first time he’d seen one in the flesh. Due to their size, it was next to impossible to get a giant’s carcass out of the dungeon in time. The average person would never be able to see one unless there was a dungeon break. Simply being in the presence of this boss excited Jinwoo.

It’d be a tough opponent.

It was powerful to the point where the hair on the back of Jinwoo’s neck stood up. Yet the thought that it might be impossible for him to beat the giant never crossed his mind.

The me right now……

He could definitely take it on. At that realization, he swallowed hard.

Gulp.

How many experience points would he get if he brought it down? During his weeklong ordeal in the Demon’s Castle, he’d leveled up fifteen times. But if he could level up two or three times by killing one boss……

No, I shouldn’t do that.

Despite his best intentions, Barca’s Dagger and Knight Killer materialized in his hands. The logic that said he shouldn’t do this was sharply at odds with his instinctual desire to defeat this creature. Even though it would be the wrong thing to do, Jinwoo really wanted to test how strong he’d become. But right then…

A sharp voice came from behind Jinwoo. “What do you think you’re doing there?”

Jinwoo’s heart dropped immediately.

When did she…?

He’d been so focused on the boss that he hadn’t noticed her approach.

I’m busted.

Jinwoo pursed his lips, feeling crestfallen.

Oh well. He couldn’t keep drooling over the boss with a witness there. Since the Hunters had paid for the permit to this raid, the dungeon boss could be considered their property. Besides, if he killed it now, the gate would close, and the guild would suffer a huge loss.

That would be a mess.

He was so intent on leveling up that he’d almost laid hands on someone else’s possessions.

The owner of the voice drew closer, and Jinwoo gave a sigh of relief as he came to his senses. “I asked what you were doing.”

Jinwoo rearranged his expression into a sheepish grin. “I got lost and somehow ended up all the way here.”

“You got lost?” She didn’t sound convinced.

Jinwoo finally got a good look at the other person.

Huh? That’s…?

It was someone he’d spotted right before he’d entered the dungeon—Haein Cha, the female S-rank hunter.

Haein scanned Jinwoo’s hands as she approached him.

I thought I saw him holding weapons of some kind?

But there was nothing there. Was she imagining things? She glanced up and down at him.

A hard hat and uniform… Is he on the excavation team?

It appeared as though he was telling the truth about being lost. Haein didn’t quite understand how it had happened, but that wasn’t important. The boss’s lair was a dangerous place, so she decided that her priority was to send him on his way.

“This is where the boss is.” She covered her nose with her handkerchief as usual as she stopped in front of him. “Please get out of here. If you trigger its aggro, everyone in the dungeon could get killed.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Luckily, his acting seemed convincing enough.

Pleased with himself, Jinwoo walked past Haein. As he did…

Hmm?

Haein whipped around to look at Jinwoo. But that was impossible… Haein’s eyes widened, and before she could stop herself, she called out to Jinwoo.

“Um, excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“Could you face this way for a second?”

What could she possibly want? Feeling uneasy, Jinwoo tried to maintain his distance, like a thief with a guilty conscience facing his accuser. But Haein was right in front of him in no time.

“What…seems to be the problem?” Jinwoo asked, nonplussed, but Haein lightly inhaled without a word of explanation. She had already removed the handkerchief covering her face.

What’s going on?

Jinwoo had no idea.

Why is she smelling me?

Jinwoo may have been bewildered, but Haein was completely thunderstruck.

There’s…no stench.

This was the first time she’d ever encountered a hunter without that foul odor. Haein stared at Jinwoo with startled eyes.

Jinwoo was clearly baffled. “Is there a problem?”

“You… Are you really a hunter?”

Did he need to say it? He retrieved his hunter’s license from around his neck and handed it to her. Haein took it and checked Jinwoo’s face against the picture on his license.

E rank… Jinwoo Sung…

Was it because his rank was too low? There was no odor coming from Jinwoo. Rather, a pleasant scent wafted from him.

Jinwoo gently plucked his license out of Haein’s hand. “May I leave now?”

“I……” Even though Haein had stopped Jinwoo, she realized she didn’t have anything else to say to him or any reason to hold him up. “……No, it’s nothing. Please be careful as you head back. It’s easy to get lost in here.”

“Right, thank you.” Jinwoo nodded and started to head back toward the excavation site.

He was soon out of sight, but Haein couldn’t help but stare after him for a long while.

He smelled nice.

The members of the excavation team who had finished their lunch were slowly trickling back from their break. Yoonsuk, who had been picking at his teeth as he walked, was startled to see Jinwoo returning from the depths of the dungeon.

“Whoa, whoa, why’re you coming from that direction, Sung?”

“Oh, I……” Jinwoo briefly glanced back toward where the boss was.

I can’t say it’s because I wanted to see what an A-rank dungeon boss looked like, right?

Jinwoo’s eyes darted back to the foreman again. “I got lost looking for a restroom.”

“Oh boy, you should be careful! Things all look the same inside here, so it’s hard to find your way back if you get lost. But it looks like you managed it okay?”

“I met Hunter Haein Cha, so…”

“Ah, Hunter Cha? She’s making sure the boss doesn’t come out. She’s the type to worry excessively, like you.” Yoonsuk chortled. Jinwoo’s concern about the boss emerging from its lair seemed to have made a strong impression on him.

Jinwoo forced a laugh.

He can laugh because he has no idea how scary the boss actually is.

That was the difference between hunters assigned to manual labor and those in the strike squads. Haein was preparing for something other people dismissed because she knew very well how dangerous magic beasts could be.

Despite her cold exterior, she’s got another side to her.

If the boss escaped, the ones in immediate danger wouldn’t have been the strike squad but rather those on the excavation and collection teams. She was giving up her precious break time to make sure everyone was safe.

……She’s pretty amazing.

That was Jinwoo’s honest impression of Haein. Her peculiar habit suddenly came to mind.

Why does she cover her nose with a handkerchief?

Come to think of it, during their recent encounter, aside from that last moment, she’d also been diligently covering her nose.

“Sir…”

“Yes?” He could’ve gotten annoyed with Jinwoo by this point, but Yoonsuk responded kindly to his new employee every time he talked to him.

He seemed pleased with the work I did earlier.

Hard work pays off, after all. Because of this, Jinwoo was able to interrogate him as much as he pleased. In fact, Yoonsuk seemed to encourage it.

“Why so silent after calling me over, Sung?”

Jinwoo let out a laugh. “I was just wondering… Do you know why Hunter Cha always carries around a handkerchief?”

“Oh, that? It’s because Hunter Cha is unique.”

“Unique?” What was that supposed to mean?

Yoonsuk continued with his explanation. “Hunter Cha can pick up a scent that only hunters have, but apparently, it reeks.”

“A hunter’s scent?”

“She seems to have a heightened sense of smell.”

A heightened sense of smell. Jinwoo knew something about that—he had exceptionally good hearing. His hearing hadn’t been bad before, but it had gotten even better after he became an awakened being.

I guess Haein’s sense of smell is a similar case.

Jinwoo somewhat understood her situation.

“Isn’t that peculiar?” Yoonsuk kept going on as if he enjoyed how intensely Jinwoo was listening to him. “I’ve heard she has trouble breathing when she’s around other hunters because of that.”

“……”

Was that why…?

She asked me if I was a hunter.

Perhaps he didn’t have the same stench other hunters had? The boss of the Ice Slayers from the red gate had said something similar.

“We hear a constant voice in our heads that tells us to kill humans. But standing before you, I don’t hear that voice.”

Was this the same sort of thing? Unlike other hunters, he had no scent and didn’t trigger a voice ordering his elimination.

It’s because I’m a Player……

He was the one and only person who’d received the system’s benefits. But what was a “Player” exactly? For a fleeting moment, Jinwoo pondered the question of his identity, but he then shook his head to clear it.

It’s not like I’ll be able to come up with an answer anytime soon.

He put the matter out of his mind. It wasn’t something he could solve by poring over it, and letting it occupy his thoughts would only wear him out.

Krak! Krak!

The ringing of pickaxes signaled that his colleagues had resumed their work. Jinwoo also grabbed his pickax.

An A-rank boss… I wanted to try my hand at taking it down, though.

What would’ve happened if Haein hadn’t shown up when she did? What could’ve been…

Thanks to Jinwoo’s brilliant performance, the excavation team finished work before dinnertime. That was two hours earlier than the foreman had predicted. The rest of the mining team regarded Jinwoo in a different light now.

“Good job, Jinwoo!”

“You handled it pretty well.”

“The way those gems fell, I thought you were using an excavator!”

The other hunters surrounded Jinwoo and showered him with praise. Gone were the cool attitudes on display outside the gate.

Jinwoo wasn’t displeased, either. His experience as a miner had been fascinating, and he’d achieved his goal of checking out an A-rank dungeon.

“Let’s head out.”

“Yessir!”

“Let’s go!”

The excavation team moved with precision at Bae’s order.

“One, two.”

“Heave!”

The collection team was still hard at work. The excavation team left them behind in the dungeon and, after changing out of their uniforms, gathered together. Unlike the full-time employees, Jinwoo was paid immediately in cash.

“This is for you, Sung.”

“Thank you.”

Yoonsuk handed him an envelope with the day’s wages. “We’re going out for a team dinner. Would you like to join us?” He sounded casual, but his eyes were serious.

It looks like he wants to talk to me about something……

Jinwoo could feel Yoonsuk’s desperation, but he politely declined. “I’m sorry, sir, I can’t.”

“All right…I see.” Yoonsuk scratched his chin.

It’s best to discuss such matters over a drink, but……

Yoonsuk quickly changed tactics. “I’ve met a lot of people while working this job.”

“Sure.”

“But I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re a natural-born miner.” Yoonsuk seemed to really like Jinwoo.

Ha-ha…… Oh boy.

Jinwoo smiled awkwardly, unable to agree or disagree. The foreman took Jinwoo’s smile as a good sign and went straight to the point.

“I don’t usually ask this, but…would you like to work for me? I’ll be sure to make it worth your while.”

This young man named Jinwoo Sung had done three to four times the work of an experienced miner on his first day. What kind of foreman would Yoonsuk be if he wasn’t able to hold on to this rare talent? He really wanted to hire Jinwoo, even if it meant persuading management to give Jinwoo extra benefits on top of a salary.

But Jinwoo was firm. “I really appreciate it, but…I’m preparing to do some other work.”

Hearing Jinwoo’s rejection, Yoonsuk slumped, looking like a man who’d lost everything. “O-oh……”

Jinwoo tried not to laugh.

He’s a funny man.

Yoonsuk wore his heart on his sleeve. He was likely thinking he’d found a rare gem among the E ranks.

Yoonsuk had an internal debate before cautiously asking, “How about tomorrow, then? Can you come back tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow? Hmm……”

Actually, he was free, since the reevaluation wasn’t until the following day. On the other hand, there was no need for him to work as a miner again. He’d learned all he needed to know about raid protocol, and he’d gotten to check out the A-rank boss.

Oh, wait!

A thought popped into Jinwoo’s mind just as he was about to decline the offer. “Is there another raid tomorrow?”

“Of course. And it’s another A-rank gate.”

“But how? This raid was only completed today.”

It was common for strike squads to take a week off between missions. This raid had begun yesterday afternoon, which meant the elite members of the Hunters Guild would have been raiding for two days in a row: yesterday and today. Once the collection team was done and they finished off the boss, it would already be the dawn of the next morning. Jinwoo didn’t understand how they could handle another mission tomorrow.

Foreman Bae was excited to see Jinwoo showing interest. “Raid party B will be doing the work in place of the A team tomorrow.”

Raid party B? Were they trying to clear an A-rank dungeon with a second-tier squad?

“This is the power of the Hunters Guild. We’re probably the only guild in Korea with the power to attack two A-rank gates at the same time with two separate teams,” Yoonsuk said proudly.

“Are the Hunters’ raids usually like this?”

“No, no. There’s generally no need to separate the teams, but the schedules seemed to have gotten mixed up this time.”

With two A-rank gates appearing simultaneously in the Hunters’ territory, it sounded like President Choi had done some serious hustling to get the permits for both A-rank gates.

Oh, is that why President Choi was at the association yesterday……?

A busy person like Jongin would only be at the association for a good reason.

Jinwoo nodded. “So tomorrow’s raid will be the first one done exclusively by the second raiding party?”

“That’s right. But it’s hard to call the Hunters’ second party second-rate. They’re better than the best squads of most other large guilds.”

“Still, it’ll be more dangerous tomorrow, won’t it?”

Yoonsuk didn’t know how to respond. That much was obvious. Two S ranks had attended today’s raid, but only A ranks and lower would be at the raid tomorrow. Although Yoonsuk had heard that tomorrow’s gate would be smaller than today’s, the absence of the two S ranks was a big deal. After all, Jinwoo had been worried enough about the boss even with the S-rank strike squad close by.

Still, I can’t lie to him.

The foreman had been planning to use the next day to persuade Jinwoo, but he’d have to abandon his idea with a heavy heart. “Of course, it will be much more dangerous. If something goes wrong, the entire raid might fail.”

With that, Jinwoo’s attitude changed. He didn’t have to think too long about it. “Okay, then.”

“If that’s what you feel, I guess there is nothing I can do.”

“Where should I report tomorrow?”

“What?” The unexpected reply made Yoonsuk’s eyes go wide.

I didn’t say the wrong thing, did I?

He was sure he’d told Jinwoo tomorrow would be more dangerous than today. The foreman had been about to give up on Jinwoo because of the doubtful expression on his face, but then this had happened. It looked like he wouldn’t have to find another temp thanks to Jinwoo.

That’s not all.

Jinwoo had completed the work of four or five people on his first day. Having personally witnessed the speed with which Jinwoo accomplished his work, a speed that had astonished the ace of the excavation team, Jinsu Mok…Yoonsuk felt like he’d secured a whole army upon hearing Jinwoo say he would return.

“Sung, you made the right decision!” His mustache wiggled as his face lit up.

To ensure Jinwoo didn’t change his mind overnight, he threw in a bonus incentive. “I’ll talk to my superiors and make a special request to double your pay for tomorrow.”

“Is that okay?”

“Of course. I can definitely make it happen for you!” The foreman thumped his chest. “Don’t worry about a thing and just show up tomorrow.”

It wasn’t any trouble at all. How could Yoonsuk feel bad about paying Jinwoo double the daily rate when he did the work of four or five miners? If he were the president, he would’ve paid Jinwoo triple the rate or more to secure their future relationship.

To think there would be a day when I’d wish I was the president of the Hunters.

Yoonsuk swallowed his laugh.

Jinwoo then asked, “Oh right, I have plans tomorrow night. What time do you think we’ll be done by?”

That morning, he’d received a phone call from Jinho.

“Boss, is it okay if I come over sometime?”

He’d seemed depressed.

Even though he sounded completely fine yesterday……

Jinwoo had been caught off guard by this, but he’d had to push their meeting until tomorrow because of the mining gig.

The foreman laughed heartily. “I’ve heard that tomorrow’s dungeon is smaller than today’s, so we’ll likely be done by six.”

Today’s workday had ended at five. If anything, they’d probably finish earlier than today. Jinwoo nodded. That worked perfectly for him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, sir.”

“All right, take care.” Yoonsuk wore a pleased smile as he watched Jinwoo walk away.

If I were married, I’d have a son about his age.

Even from behind, Jinwoo looked sturdy and reliable. How great would it be if all new hires were like him? Yoonsuk couldn’t stop smiling.

And he wasn’t the only one. As he headed toward the bus stop, Jinwoo wore a slight grin as well.

It’s not like I’m hoping for the strike squad to fail tomorrow, but……

If a problem occurred, he could be a big help to either the strike squad or the excavation team. That’s why he’d changed his mind. Ironically, the success rate of A-rank gates was higher than lower-ranked ones, due to the fact that the association didn’t hand out permits to just any old guild. And the guilds who got the opportunity always gave it everything they had.

The Hunters Guild isn’t going all out on tomorrow’s raid.

They’d divided their strike squad members into two separate teams to attack two different A-rank gates. The confidence of the number one guild in the business was on full display. But it meant things were that much more dangerous as well.

I have nothing to lose no matter how it plays out.

A successful raid would be the best result for everyone involved. On the other hand, if there was a problem, he’d step in to help the Hunters and take the kill for himself.

Excellent.

His smile was still present as he got on the bus.

Later that night, Haein found herself tossing and turning in bed.

Why is he the only one who’s different?

She was having a hard time falling asleep while her thoughts were preoccupied with the man she’d met in the boss’s lair. Ever since she awakened two years ago, there had been no other exception to her condition. The unpleasant smell of hunters—or, to be more precise, awakened beings—constantly assaulted her nose.

Initially, she’d assumed it was a disease and had consulted many different doctors, but none of them helped. And then, during a consultation, one had carefully provided the following suggestion.

“Could it be that you’re detecting people’s mana through your sense of smell, Hunter Cha?”

It was a reasonable theory. The higher the rank, the worse the stench, and the lower the rank, the less it affected her. Of course, there was no smell from ordinary civilians. But…

…He’s the first one who actually smelled nice.

Her heart suddenly skipped a beat as she thought back to today’s events. Haein had been curious about who he was, so she’d looked him up on the association’s website as soon as the raid finished.

E rank. Jinwoo Sung. The site had the same information she’d seen on his license.

There’s no contact number……

What would she do with his number anyway?

Once she realized she wouldn’t get any more useful information from the association’s website, she called Myungki Jo, the director of the Hunters recruitment team, before she could think twice about it.

“Is something wrong? Why are you calling me at this hour?”

It was one o’clock in the morning. If Haein hadn’t been the only female S-rank hunter in Korea and the vice president of the Hunters Guild, Myungki wouldn’t have bothered picking up.

Hearing his voice thick with sleep, Haein momentarily regretted making the call. After a brief second of hesitation, she blurted out, “Can you please find out more about Hunter Jinwoo Sung?”

“Pardon? You mean the E-rank hunter who used to be in the association?”

Haein wasn’t expecting that response. Myungki was the director of the recruitment team for the best guild in Korea. How did a person like him know an E-rank hunter by name?

“Is he an acquaintance of yours?”

“Well, the thing is…President Choi made a similar request yesterday. He asked me for more information about Jinwoo.”

“President Choi did?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know why?”

“No, I wasn’t told……”

“…So what happened?”

A sigh came over the receiver.

“I tried my best to find information on him, but the association has it all sealed up. I’ve never seen them classify information on a hunter who’s not high rank, so I’m not sure what’s going on.”

“Oh……”

“But why do you want to know more about him? Is there something I can help you with?”

“No, it’s fine. Sorry for calling so late.”

Click.

That conversation had been three hours ago. She’d mustered up the courage to make the call out of curiosity and had ended up with more questions than answers. He was an E-rank hunter whose identity was of interest to the president of the Hunters Guild but whose information was being closely guarded by the association.

There’s something going on here.

No, she hoped there was something here. She wished it desperately. He just might be the key to helping her solve the mystery of the unique ability that had been plaguing her for the past two years, ever since she’d become an awakened being at the age of twenty-one.

Will I be able to see him again?

What if she never did? Uneasiness came creeping in. Fortunately, she remembered Jinwoo’s hard hat. She recalled the Hunters Guild’s mark on his hat and uniform.

Right, he’s on the excavation team.

Unlike raiding party A, which she’d been on, the excavation team had more work to do today. If he was still on the team, she might be able to see him again.

Let’s drop by.

As the vice president of the guild, it wouldn’t be strange for Haein to visit a raid site.

I’ll stop in as per usual and take a quick look to see if he’s there.

How strange… She automatically felt more relaxed knowing that she might be able to meet him again.

I need to get some sleep.

Haein forced her eyes shut for the sake of carrying out the plan.

The next morning, Jinwoo left his house at the crack of dawn. Yesterday, he’d joined the team in the middle of the raid, so he hadn’t bothered to rush, but today was different.

Was I worried for nothing?

Jinwoo had been concerned he might’ve been too early, but many hunters were already milling around in front of the gate when he arrived.

“Oh? Sung! Sung!” Foreman Bae was the first to greet Jinwoo.

“Sung is here.”

“Hey, Sung!”

Unlike yesterday, the other hunters greeted Jinwoo with warm gazes and waves. The excavation team needed every hand they could get, so a skilled colleague was always welcome. The other miners looked happy to see Jinwoo again.

This feels…strange.

Since becoming an E rank, Jinwoo had grown accustomed to getting a cold reception, so being welcomed for the first time was bewildering to him. Still, their genuine reactions felt good.

“……” Jinwoo silently nodded in greeting.

“One, two, three.” The foreman wrote the numbers down as he counted out the team members. “Eighteen, nineteen. Nearly everyone is here.”

That was good enough. It was acceptable to have one or two people missing on a day like today.

Especially when you have two aces up your sleeve.

He grinned as he locked eyes with Jinsu and Jinwoo. Jinsu averted his gaze, and Jinwoo just cocked his head. At that moment…

“Um, sir.”

“Oh man, you startled me.”

The sudden voice coming from beside him caused Yoonsuk to flinch. The ability to approach someone undetected was a testament to one’s skills. And no wonder—the voice belonged to none other than Kihoon Son, the leader of today’s strike squad. Yoonsuk looked at him with consternation.

“Sheesh. You scared the daylights out of me, Hunter Son.”

“Sorry about that. Approaching silently has become a habit after getting used to it in dungeons.” Kihoon gave an embarrassed laugh.

The foreman of the collection team unexpectedly popped out from behind Kihoon. “Stop grousing, old man…”

“Huh? You too? What business does the collection team foreman have with me?”

“What do you mean, why am I here? I’m here because I’ve got something to take care of.”

Yoonsuk looked at Kihoon, puzzled.

Kihoon scanned the excavation team members. “Our luggage carrier is a no-show, so I’ll have to borrow someone from the excavation team to help us out.”

“What?” The foreman was incredulous. “If you need someone strong to carry things, you’ve got the collection team, so why us……?”

As if he’d been waiting for that response, the foreman of the collection team flew into a rage. “My men worked three straight hours of overtime without dinner to finish the job yesterday. And now you expect one of them to be the luggage carrier?”

The only reason the collection team had been forced to do so was because the excavation team had wrapped up their work so quickly.

Well, we were scheduled until seven last night, too, but we finished around five thanks to Jinwoo……

Seeing the fire in the other foreman’s eyes and the veins popping out of his neck, Yoonsuk was at a loss for words.

His explanation finished, Kihoon turned to the excavation team. “Is there anyone willing to accompany the strike squad? You’ll receive hazard pay as soon as the raid is over.”

“……”

Kihoon looked around desperately, but no one stepped forward. Everyone either looked down at the ground or up at the sky to avoid making eye contact with him.

It was obvious why.

No need to risk my life for a little money.

I wouldn’t do it even if my own life was at stake……

The highest rank among the excavation team hunters was C rank. Most of them were D rank, and quite a few of them were Es. Yet, Kihoon wanted to take one of them into an A-rank dungeon, which was bound to be extremely dangerous.

They’d be hard-pressed to volunteer for a B-rank dungeon, but an A-rank one? If a magic beast merely touched them, they’d be dead. Heck, it meant instant death if they so much as stepped foot in the wrong place. It wasn’t the kind of dungeon a low-rank hunter could handle. Even though a luggage carrier’s job was simply to haul the strike squad’s gear, compared to excavation, it was too much of a risk.

“No…one…?” Kihoon’s face slowly crumpled. He wasn’t sure how long it was going to take to find a replacement luggage carrier. He might lose half a day, maybe even the whole day if he was unlucky.

This isn’t good.

He then made eye contact with one hunter.

Oh?

Unlike the others, he was looking straight at Kihoon.

That hunter was Jinwoo.

Hmm……

As Kihoon took in Jinwoo, Jinwoo also carefully sized up Kihoon.

He seems pretty shrewd for a tank.

Common sense dictated that tanks be the squad leaders. Kihoon had a slenderer build compared to other tanks. He was also quite tall, so he looked more like a basketball player than a hunter at first glance.

……

Jinwoo’s eyes eventually turned from Kihoon.

“Whew.” Kihoon exhaled the breath he’d been holding in. What was that? Kihoon had tensed up to the point where he’d forgotten to breathe. He wasn’t sure why.

Maybe I’m just nervous because this is my first time as a raid leader?

He usually attended raids as the supporting tank, so today was special for him. He couldn’t screw this up. Kihoon bent over and took some deep breaths, then straightened.

There was a bit of a commotion within the excavation team. He thought people were making a fuss about his condition but soon realized it wasn’t about him. As he looked up, Kihoon’s eyes took in the arm raised toward the sky.

It was the volunteer luggage carrier he’d been waiting for. Kihoon’s expression brightened. Everyone’s eyes locked on Jinwoo as he took a step forward.

“I’ll do it.”