NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 92. Wearing a New Ring (2)
Having close ties with S-Class Hunters and being called “Brother” by A-Class… At this point, I’m too stunned to be amazed anymore.
‘W-what kind of connections does he have?’
Ahem!
While the association president focused on their greetings, he awkwardly coughed a few times and quickly slipped away.
*
A few hours later.
‘Oh.’
Sparkle.
I held the ring in my hand and caught the sunlight.
A thin band engraved with a constellation I had never seen before.
Is this the new equipment I’m going to use going forward?
‘Earth’s magic of bestowal!’
I finally retrieved the ring I had entrusted.
Gu Seo-hyeong just brought it back, saying the enchantment was complete.
‘It’s hard to tell how much stronger it is just by looking at it.’
I rolled the ring around in my hand.
‘Hmm.’
By the way, it’s quite odd.
When I received the ring earlier, I had casually suggested an alternative to Gu Seo-hyeong…
– Instead of an enchantment, how about cash?
– What do you say? Wouldn’t that be more beneficial for you?
For some reason, she had been extremely displeased by my suggestion of repaying a favor with cash.
So much so that she couldn’t hide her expression and frowned immediately when I asked for money.
‘Was that an impolite thing to say by Earth standards?’
In a very hesitant tone, Gu Seo-hyeong had said,
If you truly wish for it, I could prepare the money, but wouldn’t it be better to repay the favor with a free enchantment…?
So I just said fine.
Honestly, it felt a bit awkward to make demands while receiving a favor.
‘Anyway, if it’s free, that’s all that matters!’
I resolved to think positively.
“Brother!”
Now that I got my ring back, I needed to focus on today’s agenda.
“Please take a look at this! What do you think?”
“Oh.”
“I stabilized the skill as you mentioned!”
Ever since the last Red Gate expedition, I had been training that A-Class every Thursday.
“Yeah, you’re doing well.”
But it was really a bit disappointing.
My lessons were nearing their conclusion, and [Stone Skin], the buff skill, was Ahn Yoon-seung’s last magic…
‘There’s no excuse to coax out any more.’
I had reached my limits as a teacher.
The next level of training was too dangerous for primitive sorcerers to handle.
‘Ugh.’
I should be celebrating his significant growth, yet why am I feeling so complicated?
I don’t believe that Earthling would actually do that, but…
What if he stops contacting me because he thinks there’s nothing left to learn from me?
No, no. Don’t think bad thoughts.
‘Yoon Seung is a nice Earthling, so he won’t be that cruel.’
I squeezed my eyes shut and let out a deep sigh.
Wake up! Every morning rising♩♪~
Then suddenly, a clear melody drifted from Yoon-seung’s embrace.
It was a phone ringtone.
“Uh? Why is the manager calling at this hour?”
“Is it guild news?”
“Yes. I’ll take it for a moment.”
Ahn Yoon-seung started the call.
Of course, with Kim Gi-ryeo’s hearing, he couldn’t eavesdrop on their conversation.
“Huh.”
But judging by that reaction, it doesn’t seem to be good news.
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
“W-well…”
A moment later.
After finishing the call, Ahn Yoon-seung said with a trembling voice.
As I expected, something urgent had occurred at his company.
“I-it’s a mutation!”
Today was the day the Neo Sisters’ C-Class Hunter team was to tackle the gate.
However, during this process, a problem arose.
The dungeon’s difficulty fluctuated, resulting in the C-Class gate being swapped for a B-Class one.
“One managed to escape somehow, but the others are still inside the gate…”
I heard that this time, even the structure of the place had changed drastically.
As a result, some guild members found themselves isolated in a maze-like interior of the gate.
‘Oh dear.’
If this continues, the C-Class Hunters of the guild could die en masse.
Thus, the Neo Sisters took extraordinary measures.
They quickly assembled a rescue team, calling in spare A-Class members.
“Yoon Seung-ah, should I call a taxi?”
“P-please!”
Ahn Yoon-seung hurriedly prepared to leave.
But hang on, why am I so calm in this tense situation?
It’s obvious, but someone like me, an F-Class, wouldn’t be of any help in this matter.
To put it bluntly, even a rock rolling on the sidewalk would be more useful than a flimsy guy like Kim Gi-ryeo in this situation.
“Alright. Have a safe trip~”
I had no intention of interfering with their business.
.
.
.
Of course, this harsh world wouldn’t run according to my wishes…
“Whew.”
About 40 minutes later.
I sighed deeply as I arrived at a gate.
Just a few minutes ago, I received a call from Ahn Yoon-seung.
“G-Gi-ryeo hyung!”
“That’s the person they mentioned…?”
“This way! This way!”
I approached where the Neo Sisters’ guild members had gathered and said a word.
“Just to let you know, I’m really only using my appraisal skill.”
At this point, their purpose for summoning me was pretty clear.
– Brother! Please help us!
Apparently, this mutated gate required an appraiser to strategize properly.
– …Does Neo Sisters really have no decent appraisers?
– N-no! If we’re just talking about appraisal skills, everyone is indeed impressive. But the issue is their awakening levels…
– What do you mean awakening levels?
– They’re all D-Class or below. They refused to enter the B-Class gate.
There was a bit of back-and-forth, but ultimately, I accepted their request.
That A-Class Hunter will definitely repay any debts he incurs.
‘Sigh.’
Well, I was worried for a moment that I wouldn’t have a chance to use my skills, but things turned out alright.
I figured I could use this incident to generate a large benefit in the future. If I didn’t have such ulterior motives, I wouldn’t have come this far.
“Hmm.”
Now, the main point begins.
“The rescue team, is this everyone?”
“Yes! Brother!”
“Have you received clearance from the association?”
“They said it’s fine to proceed first and report later in situations like this!”
If an analysis-type Awakened person enters the gate, usually their role would be pretty straightforward.
‘Spotting traps.’
An appraiser can get a general idea of how traps function, even if seeing them for the first time, right?
And as expected, there were a lot of mechanisms inside this gate.
From traps to switches controlling the dungeon’s progression.
It was truly a situation where you couldn’t proceed an inch without an appraiser.
“Yoon Seung-ah.”
I understand why Ahn Yoon-seung was anxious to find me, but let’s make one thing clear.
“You remember I’m F-Class, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
“But if even a single monster comes my way… what do you think will happen?”
I held back the rest of that sentence, but I hoped the meaning came across clearly enough.
‘Just know I’ll clean up after.’
Ahn Yoon-seung nodded with a tense face.
Plus, having two A-Class in the rescue team, there was no need for too much worry.
“Oh, of course. We’ll be on high alert while taking the esteemed appraiser with us.”
I cast a sidelong glance at another A-Class who spoke.
Two A-Classes and one F-Class.
Even if it’s a hastily assembled team, the balance is really off.
“Okay, then you can go in.”
“Let’s go!”
A moment later.
We stepped into the gate following the orders of the team leader.
Oh, and just for reference, since we had to enter a Blue Gate this time, I informed Kang Chang-ho separately.
Unfortunately, the Neo side rejected me from joining, but they let me through easily when I mentioned I’d be with two A-Classes.
Of course, given I had the Pyromancer Necklace as a new conversation piece, they had to let it slide.
*
Clunk, clunk, click…
Thud!
“I’ve disarmed it.”
“Oooh!”
Thus began the gate expedition.
I analyzed the dungeon’s external mana and quickly opened the path.
On top of that, the monsters appearing in between were swiftly dealt with by the A-Class Hunters, so you can guess the outcome.
“A!”
“What’s wrong?”
“There are three Awakened behind the wall.”
“That matches the number of missing people!”
After rapid progress, we found the isolated guild members.
“Wait, there should be some mechanism to open the wall around here…”
Then we needed to rescue them quickly.
I didn’t hesitate to tamper with the set mechanism.
To be precise, I touched the beast markings drawn on the cave floor in order.
‘Dog, lion, and the last is a sheep?’
Originally, it seems like a puzzle where you need to stomp on four symbols in various combinations, but if it were me, there’s no challenge at all.
Crash!
I knocked down the wall as if it were a natural occurrence.
But the sight revealed on the other side was…
‘Huh?’
A bit eerie.
“What’s all this…?”
Ugh.
As soon as the A-Class saw the newly revealed space, they leaped forward.
For good reason, as company colleagues were currently perishing in real-time.
“Ahhhh! Help me!”
Urk, cough cough.
“Hey! Get back! I’m going to smash this thing!”
Guild members floundered in a square barrier filled with water.
Why are there so many traps here when it isn’t even an EX-Class dungeon?
‘Hmm.’
Fortunately, it didn’t escalate into a major issue.
The female A-Class Hunter who came in with us had monster-level attack power.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Splatter!
Once she decided to unleash a storm of arrows, the barrier holding them captive lost its shape in no time.
She destroyed the trap entirely.
“Senior! Up! Up! Up!”
“Watch above!”
But unexpectedly, instead of a heartwarming reunion, the people who escaped from the underwater prison all pointed to the ceiling…
‘Above?’
I absentmindedly looked up.
Pitter, patter.
If I had known something dreadful was up there, I would have preferred not to see it.
Eeeek!
Something horrifying was clinging to the high ceiling.
It was mismatched enough that it couldn’t be called a centipede but too lumpy to be identified as a snake.
“Th-that thing. We got caught in that trap while being chased by it!”
That thing is a monster.
Moreover, it’s presumed to be a boss-level threat…!
Seeing this, the A-Class quickly took their stances without waiting for a cue from anyone.
“Yoon Seung-ah!”
“Yes!”
Ahn Yoon-seung marked the enemy while another A-Class launched bolts from a crossbow in a perfect arrangement.
Then while they fight, we should focus on what we need to do too.
“Let’s back up a bit.”
“Ah, yes!”
“But who are you…?”
I led the stranded members to a safe spot.
For those like us, it’s best to curl up in a corner and stay out of the way.
Crash!
Soon, the skill of an A-Class burst forth.
From her crossbow, pure white bolts streaked through the air, leaving a silver trail.
Moreover, each bolt was infused with magic power comparable to mid-level spells, so explosions were inevitable.
Boom!
As soon as the arrowhead made contact, chunks of the repulsive monster blew apart.
‘Strong!’
But the real trouble began now.
This monster, with about eight segments left of its body, displayed a horrifying pattern upon entering a near-death state.
“Ugh!”
“What is that!”
Thud!
Suddenly, its entire body trembled violently before all the segments detached from itself.
And the eight pieces of its body turned into mouths and began scuttling away in all directions to survive!
“Crazy! Don’t come near!”
“Ahhh!”
Of course, with Ahn Yoon-seung, a defensive A-Class Hunter, it would sort itself out, but…
‘Yoon Seung-ah, I trust you.’
But when faced with the monster charging at us, trust didn’t matter all that much, and my body moved instinctively.
‘I trust you, but I should run!’
Dash!
I took off running with the panicking C-Class Hunters.
Fleeing in sheer terror from the advancing monstrosity.
But at that moment.
Something we forgot momentarily became clear to the C-Class Hunters and me.
Click.
This gate was strangely full of traps.
“Huh?”
I couldn’t believe what had just happened.
Right after, the leading C-Class Hunter stepped on a device on the floor and tumbled over completely.
“Wait!”
Ugh!
Cough!
As the front-runner fell flat, those behind couldn’t maintain their speed and fell one after another.
I ended up tumbling to the very front of the line, which was definitely the worst position to be in.
Ah!
Especially since the activated trap dropped whatever was above us.
Just my luck.
I just now realized I hadn’t brought the Twin Guardian Angel with me.
Ahhh! Damn it!
It looks like I left it in yesterday’s jeans while doing laundry…
Whoosh!
With those fleeting thoughts, a rain of azure blades came crashing down from above.
I clenched my eyes shut.
Tick!
Oh. It was a short but good life. At least I’ve retired, and I’ve eaten a lot of delicious food over the years…
Tick!
The only regret is not enjoying Earth a little more…
Tick, Thud, Drip.
Wait, why is this dull sound coming through while the blades pierce my body?
‘Huh?’
As I opened my eyes, the scene before me made me gasp.
“…!”
Because all those blades lay sprawled across the ground, having failed to pierce an F-Class body.