I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 52

52.

“Geon-hoo.”

“Oh? Sis, you’re here? Just a sec, let me finish this game.”

“Geon-hoo, you’re not just playing games, are you? You need to study in between. You can’t fall too far behind if you want to go back to school.”

Seo-ah nagged without realizing it, but at the same time, she was relieved to see him looking brighter.

Park Geon-hoo grumbled and put the game console he was holding in his locker.

“How can I study here? I get sleepy all the time.”

“That’s why you should at least study when you’re awake…”

“Ugh, nagging as soon as you get here.”

Seo-ah chuckled helplessly and sat next to him. Then, she took out an apple and a knife and started peeling it.

“Sorry I can’t come often. Is it tough here?”

“All I do here is eat, sleep, eat, sleep, and occasionally get my blood drawn and tested. By the way, why are you so busy these days?”

“Well…”

“What kind of part-time job are you doing? Honestly, it costs a fortune. It’s hard to cover it all with a regular part-time job…”

“I told you not to worry about money.”

Seo-ah said firmly, but this time, Geon-hoo didn’t back down.

“Sis, tell me honestly. How are you making money?”

“Just, this and that…”

“What this and that? You’re not doing anything weird, are you?”

Under his persistent gaze, Seo-ah let out a short sigh.

“Okay, I’ll tell you.”

She couldn’t keep it a secret forever anyway.

“I started working as a Hunter.”

“Hunter…? Sis, really? Wait, Mom and Dad told you never to go near a gate.”

Geon-hoo said, looking very surprised. Seo-ah living as a Hunter was shocking news to this family.

“Calm down. It’s not like that.”

“Sis, if even you die, then I…”

“I told you it’s not like that. How can a measly E-rank Hunter go on raids? I only have one skill, which is healing.”

“Then?”

“I’m doing something an E-rank Healer can do. I just wait outside and heal people.”

Seeing Geon-hoo so agitated, she didn’t think she could tell him everything. So, she ended up lying.

“…Really? You’re not going into gates?”

“Yeah, thankfully, I got a job with a big guild, so the pay is pretty good. It’s not that hard either.”

“I see. Well, Dong-shik hyung [older brother/male friend] is a Hunter, but he said he doesn’t go on raids either.”

“Yeah, I’m like that too.”

Seo-ah felt a little guilty as she answered, seeing Geon-hoo visibly relieved.

“Still, you’ll get paid less than Hunters who go on raids. Is that enough to cover everything?”

“Yeah, I told you. I’m working for a big guild, so it’s pretty good. So, don’t worry about money. And don’t worry about me.”

“…Okay. Sis, but just in case. Remember what Mom and Dad said. Never go into a gate.”

“Yeah…”

Seo-ah intended to do so. But regardless of her will, Seo-ah got caught up in a sudden gate, and from then on, her fate changed completely.

Even if it wasn’t for Geon-hoo’s hospital bills, Seo-ah had to keep going into gates to complete her missions.

In the brief silence, the TV that had been on suddenly became louder.

“Now, we’ll show you footage of the A-rank gate that occurred recently, provided by the Royal Guild.”

At the words ‘Royal Guild,’ Seo-ah’s gaze naturally turned to the TV.

“Yes, the A-rank gate that the Royal Guild recently cleared was a place called the Parasitic Desert. As the name suggests, it was a desert area mainly inhabited by parasitic monsters.”

The TV showed the scenery of the desert that Seo-ah had seen recently, along with the anchor’s commentary.

The broadcasting station was showing parts of what the Royal Guild had filmed and the Hunter Association had provided.

Having actually experienced it, she realized how extremely limited the gate footage that the broadcasting station had shown so far was.

They said that there were places where they couldn’t even film at all, let alone film a part of it like this.

The faces of her teammates were occasionally visible on the screen, but Seo-ah’s face was not.

They didn’t even bother to film it in the first place. And the battle scenes weren’t shown either. It was too gruesome, and it was also a matter of security.

Glancing at Geon-hoo, she saw that he was also focused on the TV screen. Seo-ah picked up a piece of apple with a toothpick and handed it to him, starting a conversation.

“You’re going to make a hole in the TV.”

“Sis, look, it’s called the Parasitic Desert. What do the monsters that come out of there look like? If it’s an A-rank gate, the monsters must be super strong, right?”

“Well, maybe…”

Having been there herself, Seo-ah awkwardly avoided his gaze and answered.

The reporter and the announcer continued the report in a talk show format.

“Then, Reporter Song, what kinds of monsters are there in the Parasitic Desert?”

“Yes, according to the data submitted by the Royal Guild to the Association, there were plant parasites called Trithelix and lizard-like creatures called Lizardra.”

“So, they’re creatures that mainly inhabit the desert that have been turned into monsters.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then I’m curious about the boss monster. Was there any information about that?”

At the announcer’s question, the reporter glanced at the data and read it out.

“The boss was said to be a parasite called the [Needle Gold Worm King]. As befitting an A-rank gate boss, it was intelligent and had established a certain amount of power.”

“Looking up Needle Gold Worm separately, it’s a type of nematode [a roundworm]. The name is difficult, but you can just think of it as a parasite that lives in organs.”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s hard to imagine, but it must have been quite a difficult battle since it became an intelligent monster.”

“Now, let’s call Professor Koo Young-joon, a monsterology doctor from Korea University, to discuss the details.”

The discussion was conducted at a level that the general public could understand, and then a doctor who was said to be a monster expert came out and continued the follow-up explanation.

As the professional explanation came out, Geon-hoo yawned, stretching as if he was getting bored.

“Are you tired? If you’re tired, sleep some more.”

“No, if I sleep during the day, I can’t sleep at night. I’m scared if I can’t sleep at night.”

“Scared…? You’re a big guy. Then should I stay tonight?”

Seo-ah looked at Geon-hoo with a playful but worried look. Then Geon-hoo shook his hand with a disgusted expression, like a younger brother.

“Whoa, no way. Absolutely not.”

“Absolutely…”

As Seo-ah muttered, Professor Koo Young-joon’s screen suddenly stopped, and the screen of the studio with the announcer and reporter came out.

“This is breaking news. A reporter from the Samguk Newspaper who was at the Bukhansan Gate site the day before yesterday discovered a photo of a mysterious woman while checking his digital camera. First, let’s check the photo.”

Then, two similar photos were displayed on the screen. The moment Seo-ah saw it, she gasped.

“Pay attention to the back between Hunter Seo Ah-hyun and Hunter Seol Jin-ah.”

“Oh, I can definitely see someone.”

“Yes, the face is not visible, but judging from the height and body shape, it is a woman. But the amazing thing is that the woman has completely disappeared in the next photo.”

“Could it be a Hunter Association official or a guild employee?”

The announcer asked a question that anyone would have, and the reporter answered.

“That location is right in front of the gate. And according to the reporter, it was taken immediately after the hunters came out of the gate after clearing it.”

“Are you saying that no one could be in that location except for the hunters who came out from inside?”

“Yes, that’s right. According to the official announcement by the Royal Guild and the Association, there are a total of five people: Baek Eun-hee, Go Geon-hoo, Seol Jin-ah, Seo Ah-hyun, and Yang Tae-woo. I checked them all one by one, but it’s none of them.”

‘I used the transparent cloak as soon as I came out, but it seems like someone took a picture in that short moment. I should have put it on inside the gate; not thinking about it was the problem.’

Sweat formed on Seo-ah’s hand on her thigh. While Seo-ah couldn’t take her eyes off the TV, Geon-hoo called her in a bored voice.

“Sis.”

“Oh, uh, yeah? What?”

“I’m sleepy, I think I should sleep.”

“Ah, yeah. Good idea. I’ll turn off the TV.”

Seo-ah turned off the TV, pretending to be nonchalant. Fortunately, Geon-hoo didn’t seem to be interested in the ‘mysterious woman’.

Seo-ah covered Geon-hoo with a blanket as he lay in bed. As she looked at him for a moment, Geon-hoo quickly fell asleep.

“Sleep well, I’ll come again.”

Seo-ah left a small greeting and left the hospital room.

‘What should I do? A picture was taken.’

It’s almost covered, and only the back is shown, so they won’t recognize it’s Seo-ah. But still…

‘I hope Eun-hee unnie [older sister/female friend] doesn’t get into trouble.’

As she was walking down the hallway thinking that, her cell phone vibrated. Looking at the screen, it was an unexpected person. Seo-ah was surprised and hurriedly answered the phone.

“Yes, Association President?”

– Ah, Hunter Park Seo-ah. This is Cha Tae-woon.

“Yes, what’s going on?”

– I need you to come to the Association for a while. For your information, Hunter Baek Eun-hee has also been summoned.

“Oh, that… Is it because of the news from earlier?”

– Yes, you saw it. That’s right. I think we need to discuss a few things about it.

“Ah, I understand. But I’m at the hospital right now. I’ll go after I’m done with my business.”

– Yes, thank you for your cooperation.

The phone call ended, and Seo-ah stared at the cell phone screen with a dazed expression.