Chapter 7
[Title: Aren’t E-rank Dungeons Decreasing Lately??]
[OP]
Is it just me?
- OP, it’s just your imagination.
- Damn, all the dungeons near my house got cleared suddenly in just one day yesterday.
- High-rank dungeons seem to be increasing instead.
└ We’re talking about E-rank dungeons. Why are you going off-topic?
[Title: Recommend Me Some Works with a Silver-Haired, Golden-Eyed Girl]
[OP]
I’ve been obsessed with this lately.
- Why are you asking this on the Hunter Gallery, lol? Go somewhere else.
- Why not?
└ It’s been changing lately.
- Have you ever seen a Holy Knight who’s good at magic? (link)
└ Are you bringing in newborns, you pedo?
└ Come on, just give it a read. It’s good.
- Hold on, I’ve been really into this recently too, so I’ll compile a list and post it.
* * *
Section Chief Jang Han-soo of the Hunter Management Bureau stared at his computer screen.
The data related to the apps used by hunters was organized and listed.
With administrative privileges, he accessed the information he needed.
Gates in South Korea, specifically those in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.
There had been a peculiar change recently.
A change that would have been hard to detect without being a government official.
‘The gates clustered in certain areas are being cleared periodically.’
The locations where gates and dungeons appear are random.
No one can predict where they’ll pop up.
It’s just that thanks to the invention of a returnee from the U.S., they can be observed in advance.
Someone is clearing these gates.
As if saying, ‘It’s annoying, so let’s sweep them up all at once.’
Section Chief Jang Han-soo opened the data of a specific hunter.
Jeong Si-hyun, E-rank Hunter, Holy Knight.
Although the information hasn’t been fully disclosed, she’s the second returnee in the world.
The number of dungeons she’s cleared in the past week: One D-rank and 13 E-rank dungeons.
Considering the average number of dungeon entries for hunters, it’s a normal amount.
Just diligently working hard, that’s all.
But.
“Wow, Chief. Who is this hunter?”
“Oh, someone who recently awakened.”
A passing team member’s eyes widened as they looked at the data.
“She cleared four dungeons in one day, rested for two days, and then repeated it?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“That’s really unusual. Isn’t that exhausting? It’d be better to enter just once consistently every day.”
“She must have a unique trait as a Holy Knight.”
“I see. Either way, it’s impressive! Out of 13 E-rank dungeons, she did 12 of them solo.”
The team member, purely admiring Si-hyun’s performance, went on their way.
The chief stared at the monitor again.
Looking at just the statistics, she seemed normal and wouldn’t have caught his attention.
But when you look at the detailed data like this.
It’s as if she’s shouting, ‘I’m just normal! So don’t pay any attention to me!’
Is it just his imagination?
The chief leaned his chin on his hand, deep in thought.
…….
It might be better to give her a call.
The chief got up from his seat and moved to the break room.
In the quiet space, he called Si-hyun.
…No answer.
Is she inside a dungeon?
If so, then she wouldn’t be able to take the call.
…No, that’s not it.
When he checked earlier, there was no such indication.
The chief typed out a text message and sent it to Si-hyun.
Afterward, he grabbed a drink and returned to the break room.
That’s when his phone buzzed.
“Hunter Management Bureau, Jang Han-soo speaking. I see you called me.”
-…You sent me a text message.
A gentle voice flowed from the other end of the phone.
The clear and soft voice quietly tickled his ears.
“Yes, since you’re the first returnee in South Korea, I thought I’d check in with you for a consultation. Are you busy?”
-…Yes, a little.
“I see…”
For a moment, the chief was at a loss for words.
It was obvious to anyone that she meant, ‘I’m not really busy, but I don’t feel like talking.’
Her tone was too calm to say she was actually busy.
“Then I won’t bother you and will keep it short.”
The chief cleared his throat and continued.
“I wanted to recommend entering the Academy, as I mentioned before. If money is an issue, we offer student loans similar to university tuition.”
-…I’m not sure yet.
It seemed she wasn’t interested in enrolling in the Academy.
The chief went ahead with his next suggestion, which he had prepared in advance.
“Then, how about assigning you a mentor?”
-A mentor?
“Yes, I can have one of the hunters affiliated with the Bureau assist you. You’ve already been to a D-rank dungeon. Isn’t the E-rank restriction inconvenient?”
-Hmm… Let me think about it.
It was a small success, but it worked.
The chief secretly let out a sigh of relief.
For now, it was best to leave it at this.
“Alright. I’ll get in touch with you again later.”
-Okay, take care.
The call ended.
Section Chief Jang Han-soo leaned against the wall and held his forehead with one hand.
The suggestion of assigning a mentor from the Bureau meant offering special treatment.
Unless you’re already part of a major guild, no hunter would refuse that offer.
But her response was a lukewarm ‘I’ll think about it.’
In short, a mentor was nothing more than a burden to her.
It seemed she had exceptional abilities but didn’t want to be bothered.
Suddenly, the words ‘Hero’s Party’ flashed through the chief’s mind.
‘……Forcing it wouldn’t be a good idea.’
If I provoke her too much, I might end up losing more than I gain.
Let’s take it slow and steadily build the relationship.
It seems like it’s going to take a long time, though.
“Sigh……”
It’s a long road ahead.
But giving up isn’t an option either.
The frequency of high-ranking dungeons appearing is gradually increasing worldwide.
We need to secure as much talent as possible.
This isn’t the time to let people with skills and abilities go to waste.
* * *
On her way back from the bathroom, Si-yoon glanced at the living room.
Her sister, Si-hyun, was comfortably lying on the sofa, deeply engrossed in her phone.
The smartphone was floating in mid-air, adjusting its position automatically whenever she changed her posture. It was fascinating.
Can Saintesses even do something like that? A question crossed Si-yoon’s mind.
It’s been about a week since her older sister, who used to be her older brother, came back home.
She had said she needed rest, and since then, she’s been living a rather disciplined life.
First, she wakes up a few hours before dawn and prays.
At first, Si-yoon didn’t know.
She just thought her sister was an early riser.
But one day, when she woke up early to go to the bathroom, she found her sister quietly praying in the living room.
It was just past 5 a.m.
Without moving a single muscle, she kept praying until Si-yoon got up and they had breakfast together.
Curious, Si-yoon asked her,
“Why are you still praying? You’re not in the other world anymore. You used to be an atheist, didn’t you?”
“Mm, it’s a habit. And it’s how I draw strength. Maybe God really exists?”
She had come back as a theist.
Except for her devout prayer habits, everything else remained the same as when she was an atheist.
After breakfast, unless it was a day when she went out all day, she would just laze around watching TV or fiddling with her phone.
Occasionally, Si-yoon heard her muttering strange things.
“I want to have a status window too… A new ability!”
Is it related to her hunter work?
Not understanding what she was saying, Si-yoon let it pass.
Recently, she got a bank account set up with her renewed ID, and now Si-hyun started treating her to delivery dinners.
Si-yoon always chose the menu, though.
Si-yoon was about to head back to her room when Si-hyun called out to her.
“Si-yoon.”
“Yes?”
“I think I’m in trouble.”
“Huh?! What’s wrong?”
Surprised by the sudden words, Si-yoon jumped in place.
Seeing such an intense reaction, Si-hyun blinked a few times and made an awkward face.
“Oh, sorry! It was nothing.”
“No, you made me curious with that statement….”
“Um, it’s just that. I think I really like a VTuber.”
“……Huh?”
Si-hyun blushed and said,
“Um, you know how people call it ‘bias’? My favourite character. The way they talk is so calm and really cute.”
“Uh, um…. Can you show me who it is?”
“It’s this one!”
Si-hyun beamed and handed over her phone.
Feeling an instinctive sense of unease, Si-yoon looked at the phone screen.
And then, she lowered her head.
Her face flushed bright red.
She couldn’t lift her head out of embarrassment.
“Do you not like VTubers?”
“No… It’s not that.”
She thought she had successfully redirected her sister’s interest towards novels.
If she had known it would turn out like this, she would have bought her a computer or a laptop instead.
To guide her towards games.
Si-yoon cautiously peeked at her sister through slightly parted fingers.
She seemed bewildered.
It looked like Si-hyun hadn’t realized the VTuber’s true identity.
That was a relief, at least.
“The voice kind of reminds me of how you used to sound as a kid. Sometimes they act a bit cutesy, but that’s also strangely charming.”
“…….”
Acting cutesy… Hearing it directly made her feel a bit…
“But I’m glad you don’t dislike it. Can I watch this on the TV?”
“……Sure.”
So that’s why she brought it up.
Si-yoon slowly nodded.
It seemed her acting skills paid off this time.
Honestly, she wanted to tell her to stop.
But seeing that cheerful expression, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
She’s been through a lot in another world for years.
It’s not like she got caught or anything; it’s just watching videos.
It’s bearable.
Still, she should set some conditions.
“In return, after I’m done with work, let’s watch something else on TV.”
“Huh? Of course. It’s not like I’m the only one using it.”
At Si-yoon’s words, Si-hyun smiled brightly and agreed.
After all, she was in a position where she was imposing on her sister.
She was truly grateful that her sister was understanding of her new tastes.
Moreover, her sister was kindly teaching her things she didn’t know and helping her do what she wanted.
If only the Hero’s Party had shown even 1% of this kindness.
“…I’ll get back to work now.”
“Okay!”
Si-yoon trudged back to her room.
Si-hyun tilted her head as she watched her sister suddenly lose energy.
‘Work must be really tough.’
Do I look like that when I’m heading to a dungeon?
Thinking she should be more mindful, Si-hyun turned her gaze back.
The main screen of a popular video platform was reflected on the TV.
Various recommended videos tempted her.
Among them, Si-hyun’s gaze was naturally drawn to a news segment.
[Hunter Assaults Civilian. Arrested and Sent for Trial.]
Hunter assaulting a civilian.
The incident with the stalker from some time ago crossed her mind.
She hasn’t seen that man again, thanks to thoroughly making him repent.
“……It’s dangerous.”
My pretty and adorable sister might attract someone’s attention again.
What if it’s another hunter?
What if I’m not around when it happens? What if I’m far away?
Her beautiful eyebrows furrowed as she looked towards a business card on the corner of the table.
The one given to her by the friendly person number one.
The guild run by a craftsman-type hunter.
Maybe I should pay them a visit while clearing some dungeons.
—
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