I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 83

83.

After handing out the Ice Balls, Yoo Ji-an went back outside.

As soon as he left, Kim Su-hyeok murmured,

“How does that guy always know in advance and prepare like that every time?”

“He prepares every time?”

Seo-ah asked, sounding amazed, and Yoon Ah-jeong answered instead of Kim Su-hyeok.

“It’s not just typical preparation, he prepares as if he’s been inside the gate before. Like last time with the poison snakes, he gave us the antidote in advance…”

“Well, it’s not just once or twice, so I just accept it now. I guess he has a skill to look inside the gate, in my opinion.”

“No, no. He’s a prophet.”

“He said he’s a regressor? But he’s probably just saying anything.”

“Let’s just ask him again later.”

They each offered their own guesses, but none were very insightful.

“Anyway, if that guy gave us Icing Balls, it’s definitely for a reason. There will be a very useful time to use them.”

Seo-ah listened attentively to Yoon Ah-jeong and nodded.

The hunters prepared other items that seemed useful in advance. Song Jin-ho, being a healer, seemed to be ordering more complicated things.

Seo-ah didn’t have as much gold as they did, and she didn’t know exactly what she needed, so she just prepared basic potions in advance.

“By the way, how old are you, Hunter Park Seo-ah?”

“Ah, I’m twenty-one years old.”

“Wow, really? You’re the same age as me! I thought you were a high school student when I first saw you.”

Kim Su-hyeok was happy to find out they were the same age. Starting with this, they ended up revealing their ages.

Kang Hae-in was the oldest at twenty-six, followed by Yoo Ji-an, who wasn’t here, at twenty-five.

Song Jin-ho and Yoon Ah-jeong both introduced themselves as twenty-three.

“Nice to meet you, friend. We’re the same age, how about we drop the formalities?”

Kim Su-hyeok first offered a handshake, and Seo-ah readily took his hand.

“Okay, Kim Su-hyeok.”

“Oh, you’re jumping right in.”

While they were having small talk, Han Seok-hyun came to pick them up.

“Okay, everyone, let’s move to the island.”

“Yes! I was getting bored.”

At Han Seok-hyun’s instruction, everyone got up.

As everyone went ahead, Seo-ah carefully approached Han Seok-hyun.

“Um, Guild Leader. Please take care of the hospital.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll keep an eye on your brother. The Royal Guild is also doing the same.”

“Yes, thank you.”

She had already talked to Geon-woo this morning, but she was a little anxious because she didn’t know how long she would be away.

According to the last update, he had developed resistance to the chemotherapy he had been receiving, and the cancer cells were no longer decreasing or increasing.

‘Once this raid is over…’

She could settle all the hospitalization and treatment costs and even prepare for the surgery. The problem was that finding a matching liver was more important than money.

“Ah, Hunter Park Seo-ah, you’ll go separately.”

“Yes?”

“It would be difficult to expose you to the media yet.”

“Ah, right. They must have gathered by now.”

“Yes, association employees are all here, and all the media companies are waiting in the lobby.”

“Then how do I get out? I have to go to the first floor anyway.”

As she said that, looking around, the window opened with a thud, and Yoo Ji-an jumped in as if nothing was wrong.

“Let’s go, Park Seo-ah.”

“Wh, where to…”

“Where else, we have to go to the raid.”

“I’m going, but… are you telling me to go out there?”

Seo-ah looked at Han Seok-hyun as if asking if this was right, and Han Seok-hyun gently pushed Seo-ah towards Yoo Ji-an.

“This is the fastest and safest way. Even if the world collapses, that guy will survive.”

“…Uh, still.”

Yoo Ji-an walked right up to Park Seo-ah, turned his back, and lowered his stance.

“Um…”

“Hurry up and get on my back. No time.”

Yoo Ji-an’s tone was simply blunt. Seeing Han Seok-hyun even taking out a transparent cloak, Seo-ah realized they were serious.

Seo-ah eventually got on Yoo Ji-an’s back.

The broad and firm back was as stable as it looked.

As Yoo Ji-an stood up with Seo-ah on his back, Han Seok-hyun carefully covered Seo-ah’s body with the transparent cloak.

“Don’t forget to wear it when you come out. We shouldn’t have a Royal Guild-like incident.”

“…….”

Yoo Ji-an didn’t bother to answer and went to the window.

“Ah, Ji-an, you have to come back after dropping her off. Come back in here and go down to the first floor. As if nothing happened.”

At Han Seok-hyun’s last words, Yoo Ji-an turned back and nodded slightly before putting his foot on the window sill.

“Let’s go, it’ll be a bit fast.”

Seo-ah unconsciously tightened her arms around Yoo Ji-an’s neck. She somehow felt Yoo Ji-an smirk even though she was on his back.

“…Ah! Gasp.”

She tried to scream as she felt her body drop suddenly, but barely managed to hold it back. She was making an effort to move like this with the transparent cloak on, so if she screamed, everyone would hear her.

After that, the scenery changed frantically.

In the fleeting view, a pine forest, a sandy beach, and the surging seawater under her feet flashed by in an instant.

When she finally came to her senses, she had already arrived on the island. Yoo Ji-an put Seo-ah down on the ground.

“…Wow. Ugh.”

It was hard to come to her senses right away because her head was spinning.

Wasn’t this almost teleportation? She couldn’t understand how a person could run on the sea with their feet.

As she staggered and took off the transparent cloak, Baek Eun-hee, who had arrived in advance, came over to check on Seo-ah’s condition.

“Seo-ah, are you okay? Yoo Ji-an, how can you run at that speed with an E-rank [lowest rank for hunters] on your back? She’s getting motion sickness.”

“I came slower than usual. Are you okay? Park Seo-ah.”

“U…ugh. I’m okay, I can handle it.”

She was supposed to be a hunter, but she got motion sickness while being carried. Her reputation was ruined.

“Okay, then wait here for now.”

Yoo Ji-an was in a position where he had to show his face to the media as a key figure ahead of the A-rank gate raid.

After he left, Seo-ah went to the large whirlpool following Baek Eun-hee’s guidance.

There, association employees were already out. Among them were familiar faces, Oh Hyun-soo and even Cha Tae-woon.

“Hunter Park Seo-ah, it’s been a while.”

“Ah, hello, Association President.”

“I was very surprised last time. I apologize for underestimating Hunter Park Seo-ah.”

“…No, it’s okay. I didn’t tell you properly. But you came all the way here.”

As Seo-ah smiled awkwardly, Baek Eun-hee interjected.

“I know, does the Association President’s position have a lot of free time? If you have so much free time, why don’t you sit in the Association President’s office and knit?”

Thinking of Cha Tae-woon, a bear-like figure, knitting, Seo-ah almost laughed, but barely managed to hold it back due to the atmosphere.

“How can I not come to an A-rank gate raid?”

“You know you never came to the Bukhansan Gate, right?”

“At that time, I had personal schedules… Anyway, Hunter Park Seo-ah.”

Cha Tae-woon stopped making increasingly poor excuses and recalled his original purpose.

“Yes, Association President.”

“This A-rank gate’s magic power is not stable. The magic power is coming out from a minimum of 7,000 to a maximum of 9,000.”

“What does that mean? Last time, only the number 9,000 came out.”

“It means something inside is not right. The boss is erratic or something…”

Baek Eun-hee answered Seo-ah’s question instead. Cha Tae-woon nodded in agreement.

In fact, even if they told Seo-ah that, there wasn’t much Seo-ah, who was E-rank and had little raid experience, could do. Still, she was grateful that they told her everything, so Seo-ah listened carefully.

“Thank you, I’ll be as careful as possible.”

Seo-ah glanced at the whirlpool.

The swirling blue whirlpool writhed as if it would swallow everything. Just looking at it filled her with a fear that she would be sucked in.

Seo-ah took her eyes off the gate and recalled the purpose of this raid.

Anyway, she had to complete the mission this time too.

The remaining time given to her was 62 days.

It seemed like plenty of time, but if she missed this opportunity, the time would fly by.

She somehow managed to get praise last time, but she didn’t know if that would be possible this time.

Baek Eun-hee also whispered to Seo-ah with a worried face. She had previously revealed the mission details to Baek Eun-hee.

“If you went with me, I would have showered you with praise, but I don’t know if that taciturn guy will do it. Or the other guys… But don’t overdo it. Even if it doesn’t work out this time, I’ll help you somehow.”

Seo-ah smiled at her reliable words.

“Thank you, Sister.”

“I wish I could go with you.”

“It would be very reassuring if you went with me.”

“Should I? Should I just say I’m going as your escort?”

She said it like a joke, but they both knew it wouldn’t be easy.

Baek Eun-hee is the leader of the Royal Guild. It would be difficult to leave her position for so long when it wasn’t even a Royal Guild raid.

Moreover, there was no way the Sun Guild would allow it.

After waiting a little longer, the Sun Guild hunters arrived by boat.