62
Looking around at us, Seo Harin smiled and said, “You’ve met Gae Ye and Haesol before, right?”
“Yes. It’s been a month.”
“Oh, hello!”
Eunga and I greeted each other in turn. The two of us had a formal acquaintance as we had passed through the career counseling of the young protectors who came out as guest lecturers.
Just yesterday, I had been exchanging messages about Red Jasper.
“Roman, it’s been a while since the guild meeting.”
“…Yes, it’s been a long time.”
Whether Seoharin’s appearance was unexpected or not, Eunga and Amelia couldn’t hide their surprised expressions.
It was quite unusual for a Ranker, especially a team leader of a prominent guild, to personally appear as an instructor for field experience.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Eunga spoke first.
“Is Knight Baek-eun going to be our mentor for the field experience?”
“Yes, I happened to be around due to some work nearby and the timing worked out. Is that okay?”
“It’s fine, of course.”
In response to Eunga’s strong affirmation, both I and Amelia nodded.
It was insane to think that the 7th Ranker, the team leader of the young protectors, would personally conduct practical training.
At that moment, an attendant Ranker, who was scrutinizing the head of a bear on Seoharin’s back, burst into awe-filled admiration.
“Oh! Did you capture a Tyrant?”
“A Tyrant?”
I chuckled and looked at the bear’s head attached to Seoharin’s back.
The head of a huge bear that was dizzying just to look at.
It resembled a 4th Rank beast, a Black Bear, but no matter how you looked at it, it seemed abnormally large and fierce.
“It’s a mutated beast. It was causing a lot of trouble in the Cheolwon area recently.”
Amelia spoke in a surprised tone.
“We had to postpone hunting in our guild.”
“You postponed hunting from the Star Seat? Why?”
“Because it’s hard to catch. It’s designated as a 6th Rank by the Association.”
“…And you hunted it alone?”
With astonished eyes, I looked at Seoharin and the bear’s head on his back.
Even a Ranker within the top 500 would have to take risks to hunt a 6th Rank beast alone.
However, there was no trace of any battle on Seoharin, who claimed to have hunted it.
“He’s ranked 357th, but in reality, could he be higher than that?”
The rankings designated by the Ranker Association were not absolute.
Evaluation was solely based on the external display of power, and even among the top Rankers, there were many whose Gifts remained unknown. When political factors were added, the rankings were merely numbers.
In a world already threatened by Mind and Beasts, it was not feasible to ask the top Rankers, who could be considered humanity’s last line of defense, to risk their lives fighting each other.
Of course, the rankings were somewhat based on evidence, but for young Rankers like Seoharin, the rankings were inevitably rigid.
Those aristocrats who had their names on the rankings didn’t think they would come crashing down like concrete.
“Anyway, nice to see you all. It’s refreshing to see you outside the suburbs. Sorry, could you wait a moment?”
After seeking permission, Seoharin placed the bear’s head in a large truck that appeared on the road.
He effortlessly lifted it as if it were a toy and stowed it away.
“…Wow, he’s strong.”
Eunga exclaimed, while Amelia’s mouth hung open. Was that compressed muscle strength they had only heard about?
It was fascinating to see such immense power coming from a slender arm that seemed fragile enough to break at a touch.
“Shall we go right away?”
After disposing of the corpses, Seoharin turned around, wearing an expression of satisfaction as she smiled brightly.
***
Contrary to her bright smile, Seoharin’s “training” was hell.
Leaving behind the bustling city center, Seoharin moved to the training ground through the vast fields.
“Just a little further ahead.”
We had to deal with the spirits and demons appearing from all directions on the prairie as we moved.
“We’re here.”
The training site was nowhere in sight, and we had no idea where we were. All we could see was green.
“Almost there.”
It was already the second time she had said “almost there.”
Fortunately, as spirits and demons appeared, walking became less tiresome. The terrain wasn’t rough, and the distance wasn’t far, so even though I was relatively weaker in stamina, I wasn’t exhausted from moving.
If I felt tired along the way, Hansaeul would occasionally give me a potion to drink, which helped me endure.
Just dealing with spirits as they appeared, moving forward, dealing, moving – an endless cycle.
“Where is the training site?”
“It’s a dungeon. It should be fun once we’re inside.”
“It’s scary just because the team leader said so.”
Seoharin glanced at me conversing with her as if she found it amusing.
“Hey, aren’t you moving?”
“I am moving.”
I raised my hand and pointed ahead.
“Eek!”
An orc, rushing towards Amelia, who was casting a spell, got hit on the forehead with a club, followed by two more clubs piercing his chest and side.
While I stood still, my six clubs were actively slicing through the demons.
“Handling six clubs isn’t as easy as it seems.”
Dealing with six clubs individually is not easy. It requires full concentration. Thanks to my unwavering focus, it was relatively easy for me.
Honestly, since my movements wouldn’t change anything, my stillness was actually helpful.
Even Amelia, due to the fluctuation of magic power when she used spells, attracted aggro from the demons. So just watch me. It’s rather chaotic.
“Ugh.”
Out of inexplicable frustration, Eungaye rushed at the orc.
‘***
“I see it over there.”
After about thirty minutes of walking, a huge cave at the foot of a mountain where people were bustling about came into view.
【Black Dungeon】
▶ Undead
“I already don’t want to go in.”
“······.”
Seeing the types of spirits written above the dungeon entrance, Eungaye and Amelia looked distressed.
As if expecting this reaction, Seoharin chuckled.
“At the academy, we never encountered the undead, right?”
Undead come from graveyards or places like ruins. They were a kind of magic that couldn’t come out of places of learning like the Academy.
“So, I brought three people here to give them a different experience.”
Seo Harin advised not to be too nervous, saying there was nothing difficult about just turning at the entrance.
Knowing her standards were different from those of ordinary people, we didn’t trust her words.
“Team leader, can we talk for a moment?”
From Noble mtl dot com
And before entering the dungeon, I took Seo Harin to a corner separately. There was something to discuss before the end of the training.
About the mine she’s chasing, the Restful Player Norton.
“What’s the matter, Hasol?”
Seo Harin made a puzzled expression when I suddenly called her. I got straight to the point without delay.
“Are you going to continue chasing Norton?”
“······.”
Seo Harin’s expression sank.
“Where did you hear such a story?”
“It was famous. Your story, Team Leader.”
“Haah. Seems like it’s already spread that much.”
Seo Harin forced a bitter smile.
Norton, the Restful Player.
The leader of Team 1, the former guardian of the dawn who killed subordinates, looted treasures, and disappeared.
And Seo Harin, who was a student at the Academy, was directly scouted by the senior who was her mentor and scouted her to the Guardians of the Dawn.
For the past ten years, Seo Harin had been chasing after Norton, who had fallen into corruption through the mine.
And now, Seo Harin had found Norton’s whereabouts. But he was hiding where Seo Harin’s hands couldn’t reach, right on the land of the Eungaye, the main house of the Hae Nam Eungaye.
Naturally, Seo Harin requested cooperation from Eungaye to catch Norton, but she was coldly refused.
Not stepping out from the Guardians of the Dawn, based on uncertain information that Seo Harin would act independently, there was another reason.
“They’re just underestimating me because I’m young.”
Even though she was lower in rank than their lord, Haegeom Eun Seong-ho, and even younger in age, Seo Harin dared to catch a mine on their land, which Eungaye considered a matter of pride.
If there was a mine, we should catch it with our own hands, not borrow the hands of outsiders. And that slight matter of pride ultimately provided a spark that led Eungaye to ruin.
As the magical stones that blessed Eungaye’s land, called “Yongmaek,” were looted by Norton, Eungaye began to walk the path of destruction.
The problem was that if Eungaye’s magical stones fell into the hands of mines, they would grow into Named-grade mines that Norton could not handle.
If that happened, it would be a big headache, so we had to prevent it no matter what.
“Even if I have to die, I will definitely catch Norton with my own hands.”
“All right.”
“Excuse me?”
I chuckled as I read the determination in Seo Harin’s eyes. She’s a good person. You can trust someone like her.
“As long as the determination is firm, I think I can help.”
Seo Harin’s eyes flickered slightly as my story continued.
***
“What did you come to talk about?”
“It’s nothing. Just career counseling.”
When Eungaye responded nonchalantly to the question, Amelia, who had been listening closely, froze in surprise.
“Ca-career counseling?”
Amelia looked at me with a somewhat anxious gaze.
“No way…”
“Yes, it’s true.”
“Sigh, so it ended up like this after all. A solo sponsorship for the Dawn Guardian…”
“Yes, I’ve decided not to accept solo sponsorship for the Dawn Guardian anymore.”
“Yes, solo sponsorship…”
“…”
A brief silence. Amelia’s expression, which was playfully tilting her head with a strange feeling, crumpled.
“Oh, goodness…”
Amelia stared at me with wide eyes.
“Are you going to keep teasing me like this?”
“What?”
“hahahaha, oh dear, my stomach…”
Eungaye grabbed her stomach and burst into laughter.
With a fresh complexion, Amelia stomped her foot and entered the dungeon first.
“Eek!”
Then she screamed and came back out.
Eungaye grabbed her stomach again. Seoharin, who came late, tilted his head, not knowing what was going on.
***
The undead that appeared in the black dungeon were all of the skeleton type.
Monsters with only bones left, be it horses, humans, or others.
For anyone encountering moving skeletons for the first time, it was a terrifying sight.
Thud!
“Yikes! Surprise!”
Eungaye, whose ankle was grabbed by a fallen skeleton, jumped in fright.
“Ha, just because a skeleton collapses doesn’t mean it stops functioning immediately. They move for a certain period, so keep that in mind.”
Crunch!
Seoharin chuckled as he watched Eungaye crush the skeleton that startled her.
“If we’re not going inside, there won’t be any significant skeletons. They are level 2 monsters, so let’s stick to this area for today until you get used to it.”
Ring ring~
At that moment, Seoharin’s smartphone vibrated. After a while, he came back from taking the call, wearing a strange expression.
“Um, what should we do? I have something urgent to attend to right now, so I need to go quickly and handle it. Could you three wait here for a bit?”
“Yes, we’re fine, take your time and come back slowly.”
I nodded with a curious gaze at the shattered skeleton.
“I’ll be back within an hour, so if you move with the dungeon guide, everything should be fine. I’ll hurry back.”
Seoharin finished speaking, then dashed off and disappeared like the wind.
“I, I can’t stay here any longer. Let’s wait outside for now.”
“Sounds good.”
As Eungaye and Amelia moved their feet outside the dungeon in an uneasy atmosphere, it was time.
“Amelia.”
“What’s that?”
Regardless of Amelia’s curt response, I pointed ahead.
“That.”
Clatter, clatter—
A skeletal soldier slowly approaching from the darkness came into view. A hint of color drained from Amelia’s face.
“W-why is that?”
“Can you pause its movement for a moment?”
“Yes, I can, but what are you planning to do?”
“Then, freeze it.”
“?”
Amelia, puzzled yet obedient, followed my instructions to cast a spell.
As the clattering skeleton advanced, it came to a halt as if time had stopped.
Thwack!
Gram’s dagger flew, shattering the ribcage of the creature.
And then.
“···Huh?”
“W-what, what happened? How did you do that?”
Amelia and Eung-aye widened their eyes in surprise.
The creature with its shattered ribcage collapsed in a heap.
“As expected.”
I nodded approvingly as another skeleton appeared.
Within their murky consciousness, faint ashen thoughts circled like satellites.
It was a space of dead energy akin to what I had seen in Kim Do-jun.
Usually, such a space emerged temporarily after a significant shock, fading in a matter of days. However, the undead inherently possessed this trait. Therefore, being able to perceive it meant I was a significant presence to the undead.
“Interesting.”
I smirked as I brought down the next skeleton.
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have discovered an Ethereal Core!]
[The clearer the Visionary’s eyes become as you destroy Ethereal Cores.]
“This is…”
My eyes widened at the unexpected discovery of the hidden Ethereal Core.