I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 13

13.

Team 1 was already intimately familiar with the characteristics of that field.

They knew the direction from which the boss would emerge, and they deceived the others by knowing in advance that it was a D-grade gate, not an E-grade. This foreknowledge gave them a significant advantage.

Yoo Ji-an tried to ignore Kim Dae-hoon and walk past, but Kim Dae-hoon threatened to expel Yoo Ji-an from the party and abandon Park Seo-ah and Kang Soo-jung. His words were a clear attempt at manipulation.

In that instant, Yoo Ji-an silenced them permanently. If he were kicked out of the party, finding Seo-ah again would become incredibly difficult. He acted decisively to protect her.

“They can’t expel me if they’re dead.”

“Still, you’re being too nice, listening to their nonsense. I would have just gotten rid of them because they were blocking my way. They looked suspicious from the start. Who knows what they might have done to our Seo-ah in the meantime?”

“And yet, you were slower than me.”

“You probably didn’t go far!”

Baek Eun-hee huffed, feigning upset, then turned to Seo-ah with a composed demeanor.

“That gate was actually D-grade. Seo-ah, you absolutely must check the certificates before going on raids with people you meet for the first time. Beginners often don’t know that, and unscrupulous individuals take advantage of that loophole.”

Then, Baek Eun-hee very gently stroked Seo-ah’s hair, as if handling delicate glass. Her touch was careful and protective.

It seemed Baek Eun-hee worried that Seo-ah might be hurt in this harsh world; she was concerned about Seo-ah’s well-being, like a mother hen watching over her chick.

In reality, it wasn’t that big of a shock for Seo-ah, who had grown up without parents, but she didn’t dislike Baek Eun-hee’s concern, so she remained still, accepting the gesture.

“Hmm, I see.”

Kang Soo-jung, however, clenched her fist, her resentment palpable. The initial excitement of seeing an S-class hunter had quickly dissipated, replaced by anger.

“I knew it! They said I didn’t need to show my hunter certificate! They were deliberately hiding something.”

It was odd, but understandable. Few places readily accepted young E-class hunters without question.

“That’s right, Kim Dae-hoon was actually a C-class hunter. The rest were D-class. That’s how they were able to get assigned a D-class gate.”

“Why would they do that? It sounds like they were recruiting people with the intention of harming someone from the start.”

Seo-ah frowned slightly, and Baek Eun-hee shrugged.

“Well, it must have been for the money. They need to fill a quota of people to get approval for the raid. I’ve heard that kind of thing happens often in low-level raids recruited by individuals. I’ve only heard about it, but it’s the first time I’ve actually seen it. It can never happen in high-level gates.”

She added that the reward money for clearing a D-class gate was 50 million won [approximately $40,000 USD]. Unlike gate byproducts or items, the reward is unconditionally divided among the surviving team members.

“You and Baek Eun-hee would have been sacrifices from the beginning.”

“Yoo Ji-an’s electric magic was stronger than they expected, so they changed their plan. There’s no way there would be loyalty between two teams who had just met, so they tried to persuade them, intending to eliminate them if they couldn’t be swayed.”

“That…”

After listening to the explanation, Seo-ah quietly grew angry and gripped the blanket tightly.

“Seo-ah.”

Baek Eun-hee reached out to cover her hand when suddenly her phone rang. She frowned at the screen.

“Just a moment.”

Baek Eun-hee stepped outside, and Yoo Ji-an, who had been leaning against the wall, moved closer to Seo-ah’s bed.

His gaze flickered towards Kang Soo-jung. That alone was enough for the quick-witted Kang Soo-jung to clear her throat and quietly excuse herself.

“The world of hunters is no different from that of beasts. The logic of survival of the fittest is absolute. The relationship between monsters and hunters is like that, but the relationship between hunters and hunters is often the same.”

And the person who spoke those words was at the very pinnacle of the hunter’s world.

Park Seo-ah stared at Yoo Ji-an and sighed.

“Yes, I’m just an E-class hunter. The weakest in that world.”

Yoo Ji-an propped himself up on the bed with both arms and tilted his head. The two faced each other at an angle.

“Of course, I will protect you.”

Yoo Ji-an’s eyes shone strangely as he spoke. Seo-ah seemed accustomed to his contradictory nature and faced him calmly.

“Am I that important to you?”

“Important, huh…”

Yoo Ji-an straightened up and looked into the air, as if lost in thought. He paused for a moment before speaking.

“Yes, you are important in many ways.”

‘In many ways’ sounded significant, but she didn’t press him. Seo-ah had something more pressing on her mind.

“Then, would you grant me one request?”

“Tell me.”

“I want to raise my stats a little before participating in the raid in earnest. Is it possible to receive training at the Taeyang Guild?”

Seo-ah desperately felt the importance of stats in this raid. Of course, she didn’t expect to become a powerhouse just by raising them a little. She simply wanted to improve her basic capabilities.

‘But at least I shouldn’t have trouble walking.’

Kang Soo-jung seemed fine, but her legs ached after only a few hours of walking. She wanted to raise her stats to at least the level of an average E-class hunter.

Self-study was out of the question, and the Hunter Association’s 9.99 million won [approximately $8,000 USD] package was too expensive. So, she asked Yoo Ji-an for help, but then wondered if she was being presumptuous.

‘Is it too much to ask for it for free? Should I offer him some money? How much should I offer?’

While Seo-ah was internally calculating, Yoo Ji-an remained silent for a moment before speaking.

“There is a training program, but it will be difficult for you.”

“Ah…”

The Taeyang Guild naturally had a hunter training program. However, since the guild membership requirement was at least C-class from the start, the program was tailored to that level. It was designed for more advanced hunters.

Yoo Ji-an, who was watching the crestfallen Seo-ah, said,

“Come to the guild office tomorrow.”

“Ah, I’m not joining the guild!”

“I know.”

Yoo Ji-an replied nonchalantly to Seo-ah’s urgent denial.

“Please don’t tell Hunter Baek Eun-hee yet. Even if you do…”

It wasn’t that she disliked Baek Eun-hee at all.

In fact, she liked her quite a bit, even though they hadn’t spent much time together. Even if Baek Eun-hee’s kindness stemmed from ulterior motives, it was difficult to dislike someone who treated her so well.

However, that very kindness and overprotective nature seemed to be an obstacle to her training.

Judging from Baek Eun-hee’s constant worry that she would break if handled too roughly, it didn’t seem likely that she would push her hard enough to improve.

In that respect, Yoo Ji-an was much more indifferent, so she chose him.

‘He sometimes looks at me with scary eyes, but he also has a kind side in his own way.’

Still, shouldn’t they clarify their expectations? She suspected she would be seeing him often in the future.

Seo-ah gathered her courage and spoke.

“Do you hate me?”

“Why do you think so? I just told you. You are a very important person to me.”

“That’s true, but your eyes sometimes…”

It was difficult to describe precisely, but when she was with him, she sometimes got goosebumps, and his eyes were unsettling. The feeling was too distinct to ignore.

“Ah, you mean the murderous intent. I’m sorry, I’ll be more careful.”

“Mur, murderous intent…?”

Seo-ah instinctively covered her neck and recoiled. Why would Yoo Ji-an harbor murderous intent towards her?

However, Yoo Ji-an’s gaze was calm for the moment. He suddenly made an unexpected suggestion.

“For the sake of mutual trust, if you tell me your secret, I’ll tell you one of mine.”

“What do you mean by secret?”

“Open your status window. There might be something that has changed.”

Seo-ah obediently opened the status window as instructed. It should only be visible to her. He had mentioned knowing something about it last time. Had he said he had some skill related to it?

“Can you see this?”

“No, the status window can only be seen by the individual. However, as I said before, in my case, I can discern the other person’s general information with the ‘Observation’ skill.”

“So, what does it say about me?”

“E-class healer, no title, 3 active skills, no passive skills. You have more active skills than before.”

Yoo Ji-an answered readily, relaying what he saw.

Park Seo-ah made an ‘O’ shape with her mouth and looked at her status window.

“It’s real.”

“[ STATE ]

[Park Seo-ah (21 years old)

Position: Healer (E-class), Supporter (!) (S-class/Locked)

Title: None

Life 10/10 Mana 12/12

Stats: Strength 2 (2↑) Magic Power 3 (3↑) Agility 1 (1↑)

Defense 2 (2↑) Stamina 4 (1↑) Mental Strength 10 (-)

Active Skill (!): Recovery (LV.1->2), Breakthrough (LV.1), Fighting (LV.1)

……]”

“The stats have increased a little. And the skills…”

The skill she had seen in her dream had actually been added. It was incredible.

It was the only tangible benefit she had gained from this reckless raid.

Seo-ah first examined the skill called ‘Breakthrough’. The system had chosen it randomly, but she hoped it would be useful.

“[Breakthrough: Increases stats by ignoring the upper limit for each hunter grade. The increased stats are permanently maintained. (However, there are conditions for use: Unbeatable enemy, the opponent’s strong will)]”

“Oh…”

Seo-ah, after reading the description, exclaimed softly. The conditions for use were strict, but it was quite a powerful skill if applied correctly. Especially for someone other than herself.

‘Anyone can see that this is a supporter’s skill.’

Yoo Ji-an, who had been listening quietly to Park Seo-ah, warned in a blunt tone.

“Don’t tell other hunters about this.”

“I won’t.”

After reading the description, it was clear that this was a skill that hunters seeking power would covet. Furthermore, Seo-ah didn’t yet have the ability to defend herself, so caution was necessary.

“What’s the other skill?”

“The original recovery and… But, aren’t you going to tell me your secret, Hunter Yoo Ji-an? I revealed one of mine.”

It felt acceptable to tell him about [Fighting], but it felt unfair to only reveal her secret.

Seo-ah looked up at him with innocent eyes. Yoo Ji-an met Seo-ah’s gaze and spoke in a slightly softer voice.

“In the future, you might end up killing me.”

“……?”