I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 196

196.

As they left the mine, Baek Eun-hee glanced at Song Jin-ah.

“You’re being surprisingly attentive?”

“Oh, well… Hunter Park Seo-ah said she needed it.”

“That’s true, but you weren’t usually this devoted to Seo-ah.”

Song Jin-ah had said she was interested in Seo-ah, but she hadn’t really tried to appeal to her or approach her first.

“That’s right.”

Song Jin-ah readily admitted. Baek Eun-hee’s eyes narrowed as she looked at her. Song Jin-ah avoided Baek Eun-hee’s gaze and looked away.

Meanwhile, Choi Eun-gyeol and Yoo Ji-an came outside.

“Hyung [older brother or respected male figure] isn’t being as attentive as I thought?”

Choi Eun-gyeol pouted and asked, looking puzzled.

Although no one had said anything, everyone could tell from Yoo Ji-an and Park Seo-ah’s earlier behavior that they were quite close and affectionate.

“It’s about quality over quantity.”

“Of course, you insufferable…”

Choi Eun-gyeol, who had been grumbling, quickly shut his mouth when Yoo Ji-an turned around. Yoo Ji-an wasn’t particularly threatening, but he just did.

“How’s Seo-ah’s team doing? Are they getting there okay?”

Yoo Ji-an turned on the map again to show them.

“They’re getting closer to the city.”

Yoo Ji-an watched the blinking dot, lost in thought. That location was the same place where Yoo Ji-an had fallen in his previous life.

Then there was a high probability that she would receive the same mission he had received.

‘Should I have told her all the strategies from the beginning?’

He regretted it for a moment, but Yoo Ji-an soon shook his head. He decided it would be better for him to quickly finish this *gong略* [strategy guide or walkthrough] himself.

If he told her, Seo-ah would actively step forward. Her usual values and *gong略* [strategy guide or walkthrough] direction would be the same.

Considering her usual tendencies, it wasn’t the right direction for that team, so it would be a problem even if the conclusion was that Seo-ah was right.

Jackson would pay more attention to her. And he would question how Seo-ah knew the *gong略* [strategy guide or walkthrough].

Seo-ah would never talk about Yoo Ji-an’s regression.

‘It would be better if she were the type to just say it easily.’

Yoo Ji-an didn’t intend to reveal his regression to anyone other than Seo-ah first, but he thought he could tell them if Seo-ah was in a difficult situation.

Anyway, as long as he was there, he could clear the gate somehow. But Jackson’s obsession was dangerous. Moreover, he couldn’t just kill him carelessly.

‘I hope it doesn’t progress too quickly.’

The radios weren’t connected yet. The distance between each team must still be considerable.

Still, Seo-ah’s team’s mission was long compared to the merit of falling nearby, so there would be plenty of time to join them.

“Where to now?”

“We’re going to the village down there.”

On the opposite side of the cliff they had climbed was a small village. A village in the middle of this forest.

“It looks like a place that will give us a mission.”

Song Jin-ah came to his side and looked down.

“As I said before, don’t interpret the wording literally. If you do, the final boss difficulty will increase.”

“Yeah, yeah. I got it. I won’t lift a finger until our leader gives the order.”

Baek Eun-hee waved her hand and replied to Yoo Ji-an’s warning.

“But it’s not just about us doing well, is it?”

Yoo Ji-an didn’t particularly answer Choi Eun-gyeol’s question. It was true, but there was nothing he could do right now.

“Let’s go down.”

It was a cliff with hardly any footing, but the S-class hunters fearlessly threw themselves off.

First, they landed a little away from the village to assess the situation.

At that moment, they heard something rushing towards them from the side.

The hunters were about to raise their weapons, but they were even more surprised and fell on their butts when they saw the hunters. They looked similar to humans, but their ears were pointed. And they were quite beautiful.

“Elves?”

“They’re still young.”

The three young elves who had been running hesitated, wary of the hunters.

Choi Eun-gyeol looked down at them and muttered.

“Are they monsters?”

“Everything inside the gate is a monster. But well, they don’t seem like they’re going to attack. And no mission is popping up.”

Yoo Ji-an stared at them for a moment before stepping aside.

“Go on.”

Whether they understood or not, the elves jumped up and ran off through the opened path.

“What if those were the mission targets?”

While Baek Eun-hee was muttering, they walked towards the village again. But smoke was billowing from the direction the elves had run.

“Fire?”

Without a word, they ran towards the fire. When they got there, they saw several people heavily armed with all sorts of weapons setting fire to the forest.

As soon as they saw Yoo Ji-an and the others, they aimed their crossbows, then tilted their heads.

“They’re not elves?”

“We’re people!”

Choi Eun-gyeol waved his hands wildly and shouted. Only then did the people lower their weapons and approach. One of the men, who appeared to be the leader, stepped forward.

“I was confused because your outfits are unique. Where are you from?”

Of course, the suspicious looks hadn’t completely disappeared. The three hunters stared at Choi Eun-gyeol. It meant that since he had started talking, he was responsible.

“Why me…”

Choi Eun-gyeol grumbled and stepped forward. He scratched his head with an innocent face.

“We came from quite far away. We got lost because the forest is rough, haha. But why are you setting fire to this place?”

“We’re going to farm here.”

“Ah, you’re slash-and-burn farmers.”

Choi Eun-gyeol glanced at Yoo Ji-an, who stepped forward.

“Do you live in that village?”

“Yes? Ah, yes… we do, but… are you… knights?”

While flustered by the very natural honorifics, he examined the strangers more closely. The shape was different from the combat uniforms he knew, but he assumed so because they were wearing combat uniforms and carrying weapons.

“…….”

The man interpreted the silence as affirmation.

“Oh, that’s perfect. Please, please listen to our request. We’ll reward you handsomely.”

[Accept the mission ‘The Slash-and-Burn Farmers’ Request’?]

Baek Eun-hee, who saw the status window, stood leaning with her arms crossed and tilted her head. Then she muttered to herself.

“I thought the people we meet in a place like this can’t be NPCs [Non-Player Characters, a common term in gaming]… but it’s too obvious.”

“Yes? What are you talking about?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. So what’s the request? The elves were running away earlier, is it related?”

“Yes, yes! Those elves are a real nuisance!”

“Why elves?”

Even in the meantime, the flames were engulfing the forest and spreading wider and wider.

“They come back even if we chase them away, and they come back even if we burn their houses, they’re very persistent.”

“Why are you chasing them away?”

“Well, we need to farm here, and we can’t farm if those guys settle down. Also, if elves settle down, all sorts of beasts and monsters gather and ruin the crops.”

“…Hmm.”

Baek Eun-hee didn’t seem convinced. Song Jin-ah, who had been stepping back as if it were someone else’s business, said.

“Are the elves aggressive?”

“They’re usually okay, but they rush at us like crazy every time we set a fire like this. It used to be really scary, but these days, well. The number of individuals has decreased a lot, so it’s a bit manageable.”

“Seriously, it’s weirder if they don’t get angry when you set fire to their home.”

Choi Eun-gyeol’s voice, who was listening, was slightly annoyed. As he talked, he understood the elves’ position better.

Yoo Ji-an raised his arm and stopped them from talking.

“So what’s the request?”

“Please get rid of all the elves in this area. Then I’ll give you this.”

The man took out a small identification tag with a string from his chest and showed it.

“If you have this, you can freely enter and exit any city.”

“I don’t really need…”

Choi Eun-gyeol was about to answer, but Baek Eun-hee pulled him back from behind. And Yoo Ji-an readily accepted.

“Okay, I accept.”

[Mission 1: ‘The Slash-and-Burn Farmers’ Request’]

[Eliminate all the elves living near the slash-and-burn farmers’ village.]

“Thank you! Come to the village when you’re all done.”

Leaving only that request, the slash-and-burn farmers returned to the village. The fire had burned a very wide area and had subsided before they knew it.

“Honestly, what did the elves do wrong? It looks like the elves lived here first.”

“Have you only done a raid for a day or two? Don’t empathize, Choi Eun-gyeol.”

Choi Eun-gyeol sighed and replied to Yoo Ji-an’s warning.

“I know, I’m just saying.”

“Those elves we missed were the mission.”

“Yeah, but we don’t necessarily have to kill them. No, we shouldn’t kill them.”

No one particularly argued with Yoo Ji-an’s definitive words.

These experienced hunters didn’t particularly feel guilty about killing elves, even if it was inside the gate.

But even if it was inside the gate, they weren’t the type to enjoy unnecessary killing, so if there was another way, they preferred to take that route.

“Then what do we do?”

“We need to meet them first, so let’s move to the elves’ base.”

As soon as the decision was made, they turned their bodies without delay in the direction the young elves had run away.