I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 214

214.

“Okay, bye.”

“Wow, she acknowledged my greeting.”

“Doesn’t she usually acknowledge greetings?”

Seo-ah approached, and Yoo Ji-an visibly panicked.

“What? No, that’s not it.”

Soo-jung giggled, finding it amusing.

“Just kidding! We haven’t run into each other much. We’re on completely different floors.”

Seo-ah also smiled silently, and Soo-jung gently took Seo-ah’s hand.

“Then, I’ll be going now. Thanks for the gift, sis.”

“Okay, take care. Contact me if anything happens.”

Soo-jung waved and disappeared, and Seo-ah looked up at Yoo Ji-an.

“I just deposited the monthly rent. Did you check?”

“You’re a really diligent tenant.”

“Yoo Ji-an Hunter is the negligent landlord then. What landlord forgets to collect rent?”

Yoo Ji-an chuckled softly, then pulled Seo-ah into the elevator.

“Heh, let’s go up. Han Seok-hyun said he called in advance.”

“I wonder what kind of person he is. Do you know him, Yoo Ji-an Hunter?”

“I’ve never met him in this life, but I saw him once in my past life. He had a plain impression. Diligent.”

“If he’s diligent, that’s good enough.”

The elevator doors opened, and they entered Han Seok-hyun’s office. Inside, Han Seok-hyun was sitting with a woman who had her hair neatly tied back.

“Ah, that must be Hunter Park Seo-ah!”

The woman stood up abruptly upon seeing Park Seo-ah. She had an expression as if a fan was seeing their star.

Han Seok-hyun also stood up and introduced her.

“This is Hunter Min Ji-yeon. Her hunter rank is D-class, but she has various useful skills, just like Hunter Park Seo-ah.”

Min Ji-yeon said shyly.

“I’m not helpful in combat, but I’m perfect for handling all sorts of annoying tasks.”

Min Ji-yeon was, broadly speaking, a support-type hunter, with many skills specialized for office work.

Skills like [Data Analysis], [Legal Review], and [Accounting].

Min Ji-yeon wasn’t the only one; large guilds had several such hunters stationed in their offices. Although there were also general office workers, having even a small number of these hunters was much more useful for a hunter guild.

“That’s exactly the kind of ability I need right now. Nice to meet you, Hunter Min Ji-yeon.”

Seo-ah offered a handshake, and Min Ji-yeon’s face flushed slightly as she took her hand.

[Skill ‘Gentle Sunlight’ has been activated.]

She didn’t bother turning off the skill since it was good to get close quickly. Perhaps because Min Ji-yeon had admired Park Seo-ah from the start, [Affinity 1] immediately appeared upon holding hands.

In the presence of Yoo Ji-an, Han Seok-hyun, and Min Ji-yeon, Seo-ah spoke about what she had in mind.

It was about creating a hunter guild alliance. Of course, she had already discussed it with Yoo Ji-an several times and had mentioned it to Han Seok-hyun in advance.

“A hunter guild alliance—I believe you can do it, Hunter Park Seo-ah, because you are a hunter everyone wants.”

“Yes, it’s not really that grand. The Hunter Association is already doing that role. The alliance I’m creating will move more freely than that.”

“I understand. Then, employer, what is my first task?”

Min Ji-yeon looked at Seo-ah with sparkling eyes.

“Um, first, please find an office.”

Min Ji-yeon took out her tablet and prepared to take notes.

“An office—what are the conditions?”

“It has to be in Seoul. I won’t be staying there often; it’s just for the address, so it can be small. Ah, Hunter Min Ji-yeon might be there often, so somewhere easy to commute to. And the budget is…”

Seo-ah wrote down the amount she had in mind on Min Ji-yeon’s tablet.

After clearing the S-class gate, Seo-ah received a considerable amount of money.

Her income alone was now sufficient to run an office and pay Min Ji-yeon’s labor costs. And if the alliance’s operations run smoothly in the future, the income will increase exponentially.

“It won’t be too difficult with this amount. I’ll pick out a few candidate locations and report back.”

With those words, Min Ji-yeon stood up.

This time, Seo-ah was a little surprised.

“Are you leaving right away?”

“Yes, there’s no need to dawdle. The press conference is in a week, right? It would be good to have the appearance ready before then.”

Then, Min Ji-yeon said goodbye and left. Seo-ah watched Min Ji-yeon leave and thanked Han Seok-hyun.

“She seems very capable. Thank you for introducing her.”

“It’s nothing. I received compensation, so I have to do it properly. Actually, if it were Hunter Park Seo-ah, I would have done it even if you just asked.”

“Don’t do that anymore. You’re a customer now.”

With those words, Seo-ah handed Han Seok-hyun a magic stone with [Fighting] infused 99 times. It would be very helpful if used appropriately during raids.

Han Seok-hyun smiled as he received the magic stone.

“Does this mean we are each other’s customers? Still, Hunter Park Seo-ah, you must prioritize the Taeyang Guild.”

When Seo-ah first said she wouldn’t join the Taeyang Guild, Han Seok-hyun openly showed his disappointment.

But when Seo-ah said she was creating a guild alliance, he moved even more actively than Seo-ah to help her.

“Of course, I will. I’m receiving a lot of help, after all.”

In any case, there were many things needed to establish the appearance of a hunter guild alliance.

Han Seok-hyun was in charge of assisting with those underlying matters. He was investing in her, looking much further ahead than Seo-ah thought. Of course, Yoo Ji-an’s influence also played a role.

“A guild alliance… I certainly wouldn’t have readily joined if it weren’t for Hunter Park Seo-ah’s proposal. The same probably goes for other guilds. It’s too hard to refuse Hunter Park Seo-ah’s abilities, as they are too attractive.”

“It gives me some confidence when you say that. I was actually worried that everyone would be uninterested.”

Han Seok-hyun gathered the documents scattered on the table and stood up from the sofa.

“That’s impossible. I’m just grateful that you proposed it first. Anyway, I’ll get going first because I have something to do. Take your time.”

Han Seok-hyun left, and Yoo Ji-an and Park Seo-ah headed to Yoo Ji-an’s original home at the very top of the Taeyang Guild.

Yoo Ji-an also commuted from the R Tower these days, so it had been a while since he had been here.

While Yoo Ji-an was making coffee in the kitchen, Seo-ah stood by the window, gazing silently at the city of Seoul.

“What are you thinking about?”

Yoo Ji-an approached and handed Seo-ah a mug. Seo-ah fiddled with the warm cup, but her gaze remained outside.

“Just wondering how long this peace will last. Can I really do well?”

Then, Yoo Ji-an gently wrapped his arm around Seo-ah’s shoulders.

“You don’t have to do well. Because you’re the only one who can do it anyway.”

Seo-ah turned her head and looked up at Yoo Ji-an.

“How are you so calm, Yoo Ji-an Hunter? You’ve experienced this kind of thing four times. I’m just hearing about it, but I’m so anxious. The world… might end soon.”

Then, Yoo Ji-an gave an ambiguous smile and turned his gaze to where Seo-ah was looking.

“I’m not really calm. In fact, this is the first time I’ve been this anxious.”

“Really?”

“Because I’ve gained something I don’t want to lose in this life.”

Yoo Ji-an’s hand, which was holding Seo-ah, tightened. Seo-ah seemed to understand his feelings, so she patted his hand and sighed deeply.

Seo-ah also had many things she wanted to protect.

That’s why she was trying to create a guild alliance as a countermeasure against the ‘Legend Gate’ that would occur in the future.

She was now really trying what she had been thinking about for a long time with Yoo Ji-an.

“I’ve been thinking about it all along. What happened to the past worlds where Yoo Ji-an Hunter disappeared, and why did I, as an existence, suddenly appear this time?”

Yoo Ji-an said that in his past life, there was no ‘S-class Supporter’ Park Seo-ah. So there must be a reason why she appeared in this life.

Seo-ah’s gaze turned downward again.

Beneath her, countless lives were moving busily as usual. Things that she usually looked at without much emotion felt precious and, on the other hand, heavy when she thought that there might be an end.

Yoo Ji-an had felt these emotions several times. And even then, there would have been no one to empathize with him.

‘No, I’m here with you this time.’

First, Park Seo-ah and Yoo Ji-an’s primary goal was to gather powerful hunters from around the world through the guild alliance and safely prevent the Legend Gate.

The problem was that they couldn’t come up with countermeasures for what would happen after that. But first, they had no choice but to do what they could.

According to Yoo Ji-an’s experience, after finishing the Legend Gate, the consciousness of some hunters would be transferred to a place like a system control room.

Shortly after, they would face the ‘Final Boss,’ but his death came sooner than he could even recognize the existence.

What kind of being could it be?

“Is it a god? The final boss?”

“Well, whether it’s a god or whatever, one thing is certain.”

Yoo Ji-an turned around and placed his mug on the living room table.

“That guy wants us to come find him. So he must have designed all of this, using the system.”

It wasn’t easy to accept, but she thought there might be something Yoo Ji-an was feeling.

Seo-ah also placed her cup next to Yoo Ji-an’s. And she stood behind him and hugged his waist tightly.

“If—and there’s no way that will happen—but if we fail, and Yoo Ji-an Hunter gets another life…”

Yoo Ji-an released Seo-ah’s arms, turned around, and hugged her back.

“Don’t worry, I’ll come find you then.”

Seo-ah couldn’t say anything to him.