I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 84

84.

Yoo Ji-an also didn’t jump into the sea this time; he was on the boat. The reporters couldn’t reach the island.

“Come here, Park Seo-ah.”

“Yes!”

Seo-ah approached when Yoo Ji-an called her.

All the members participating in the raid gathered, and Yoo Ji-an led the strategy meeting.

“I’ll say this once, so listen carefully. First, as soon as we enter, Hae-in hyung [older brother/male friend] will cast the Water Barrier. Don’t delay.”

“As soon as we enter? Uh, okay.”

When Yoo Ji-an pointed at Kang Hae-in, Kang Hae-in reluctantly agreed. Kang Hae-in was an A-class mage, specializing in water magic.

“If hyung is late, we’ll all burn to death.”

“Hae-in hyung! Keep that in mind!”

Kim Soo-hyuk made a fuss and shook Kang Hae-in’s arm at the mention of burning to death.

“Ah, I got it.”

“And Park Seo-ah.”

“Yes?”

Seo-ah didn’t expect to be called next and answered with a slightly surprised tone.

“Before entering, give Hae-in hyung full buffs. He’ll probably be short on power. Afterward, give him buffs whenever you have time.”

“Yes, yes!”

At those words, Kang Hae-in asked in an uneasy voice.

“…Is it that bad? Are we falling into the middle of a volcano or something?”

“Similar.”

“Ugh… this won’t be enough.”

Kang Hae-in suddenly looked at the air and muttered. He seemed to be buying something more from the Hunter Shop [an in-game store for hunters].

“Song Jin-ho, protect Park Seo-ah above all else. You must not let her die. If an emergency occurs, you take her out of here within six hours.”

“…Is there even going to be an emergency? Hyung is here.”

At Song Jin-ho’s question, Yoo Ji-an stared silently at Song Jin-ho. Song Jin-ho flinched and answered obediently.

“Okay.”

Song Jin-ho glanced at the top of Park Seo-ah’s head while answering, but Park Seo-ah was only focused on Yoo Ji-an.

“After Hae-in hyung suppresses it to some extent with water, we need to cover it with soil. Of course, Yoon Ah-jung will have to do it.”

Yoon Ah-jung was a tanker [a character specialized in defense] and an earth mage at the same time.

“Hmm, spray water and then cover it with soil? It’s really like putting out a fire. Okay, leave it to me.”

“Hyung, what about me?”

Kim Soo-hyuk asked excitedly, but Yoo Ji-an didn’t give him any special instructions.

“Tch…”

“I’ll tell you the rest of the plan after we safely arrive at the gate.”

“It seems like just getting in is going to be really difficult.”

“But how does hyung know so much all the time? It’s like you’ve been there before.”

“Yeah, really, what is it? How do you know everything?”

Kim Soo-hyuk and Yoon Ah-jung grabbed Yoo Ji-an and questioned him. In fact, it was a question they had already asked several times. Each time, Yoo Ji-an’s answer was always the same.

“Because this is my fourth life.”

“Ah, he’s not going to tell us after all.”

“What kind of skill is it? Maybe he sees what will happen the next day in his dreams the day before?”

They didn’t listen to Yoo Ji-an at all and each let their imaginations run wild.

Yoo Ji-an also didn’t particularly respond to their words.

“Sun Guild members! Please prepare! It looks like the gate will open soon.”

When an association employee shouted with a measuring device, the members slowly moved to the front of the gate.

Seo-ah looked at the weapons they took out with curious eyes.

“Wow, cool.”

Kim Soo-hyuk, who was a ranged dealer [a character specialized in long-range attacks], had a long rifle as his weapon.

“Right? It’s a weapon called ‘Midnight.’ It’s usually used for sniping, but you can also spray it if necessary.”

When Kim Soo-hyuk pressed a button, the barrel clicked and turned into a machine gun.

“What’s the grade of this?”

“Special A-grade.”

“Did a maker make it?”

“No, this was made by a Dutchman named Joep, and this person is also an S-class craftsman. I got it for a huge sum of money.”

“Ah.”

While the two youngest were talking, the swirling vortex that had been spreading out gradually became smaller.

Seo-ah and Kim Soo-hyuk also shut their mouths and watched the scene.

“We’re going in soon, get ready.”

Yoo Ji-an’s instructions were given, and Seo-ah immediately cast [Fighting] and [Love Yourself] on Kang Hae-in. As she cast, [Silent Night] was also activated.

“Oh, so this is what it’s like.”

Kang Hae-in, who received Seo-ah’s buff, looked back at Seo-ah with a surprised look and muttered. He had a lot to say, but he didn’t have time to say more.

“Kang Hae-in, go in first. Then me and Park Seo-ah right after, and then the rest in order. Stick together so you don’t fall apart.”

Then, the A-class hunters except for Kang Hae-in, who was going in first, grabbed each other’s hands.

Seo-ah was more nervous now than when she went to the Royal Guild without knowing anything.

At that time, Yoo Ji-an grabbed Seo-ah’s wrist tightly and pulled her close to him.

“It’s okay, I’ll be holding you.”

That alone made her feel relieved.

He was the strongest hunter in the country, none other than Yoo Ji-an. If he was with her, she would be okay somehow.

Not only Seo-ah, but also the A-class hunters who were going with her were looking at Yoo Ji-an with the same eyes as Seo-ah.

“Hoo, let’s go!”

Kang Hae-in held a short staff that looked like a baton in his hand and jumped into the vortex.

Soon, Yoo Ji-an and Park Seo-ah stepped into the gate at the same time.

Rumble—

A thunderous sound that was so loud it made her ears ring seemed to be heard, and in an instant, the surroundings became dark.

‘This is different from last time.’

It wasn’t just her imagination. This gate was different from the Royal Guild’s A-class gate, starting with the sound.

The invisible vision spun around and around, and the force pressing from all directions made her feel like her whole body was about to be crushed.

‘I feel like I’m going to die!’

Seo-ah closed her eyes and struggled with the pain, when a firm arm wrapped tightly around Seo-ah’s shoulder.

She could tell it was Yoo Ji-an without looking.

“Haa.”

That alone weakened the pressure crushing her body much more. Thanks to that, she felt like she could breathe, but her heart was still pounding.

After enduring in Yoo Ji-an’s arms for a while, she gradually felt a more stable gravitational force.

“We’ve arrived.”

Yoo Ji-an said calmly, but Seo-ah couldn’t come to her senses at all.

The sight in her visible vision was literally hell itself. Moreover, they were still falling from the sky.

They were sucked straight into what looked like a huge volcanic crater.

Whirr-!/Flame-!

Huge flames surged in the air as if to engulf her body.

“Ah!”

When Seo-ah screamed in horror, Yoo Ji-an blocked the flames with his arm. Then the flames retreated to some extent as if they had a will.

“Hae-in hyung!”

At the same time as Yoo Ji-an shouted, a drop of water flew from somewhere and wrapped around them.

However, the water barrier only prevented them from burning to death and did not block all of the suffocating heat.

Even though the armor had a temperature control function, it seemed useless in the middle of a fire pit.

“Ah, over there.”

Seo-ah scanned the crater wall with her eyes, trying to find Yoo Ji-an.

His figure was barely visible due to his rapid movements, but it was easy to know his location because all the flames around him were chasing him.

Thanks to Yoo Ji-an being their bait, the area around Seo-ah and Kang Hae-in became a little less crowded.

“Are the flames monsters?”

“That’s right, they are B-grade monsters called [Salamanders], which are low-level fire spirits. Ah, that guy, he’s just walking around without a barrier. Yoo Ji-an!”

As if he couldn’t hear Kang Hae-in’s voice, Yoo Ji-an ran through the flames as if flying with his bare body.

At the same time, he occasionally wielded Ruin Blade to directly eliminate large flames.

After that, the other members arrived one after another.

“Ugh! It’s ho, hot!”

“Aren’t we going to be boiled alive if water is added here?”

“Park Seo-ah Hunter-nim [term of respect]! Are you okay?”

Song Jin-ho approached Seo-ah closely and added a recovery skill first.

“Yes, I’m still okay!”

She wasn’t particularly injured, but just stepping into this space was definitely draining her life force. The lowered gauge was filled at once with Song Jin-ho’s skill.

“Is Ji-an hyung running around alone like that right now?”

“Thanks to him, quite a few big guys have been caught. Ji-an-ah [familiar/friendly way to call Ji-an]! Come back! Everyone has arrived!”

Kang Hae-in shouted loudly at Kim Soo-hyuk’s words, who was sticking out his tongue.

This time, Yoo Ji-an heard Kang Hae-in’s voice properly, turned his direction, and joined the members at once.

At the same time, numerous flames that had been following Yoo Ji-an surrounded the hunters.

He had caught quite a few captain-class salamanders, but there were still many small individuals left. They were small in size, but there were many of them.

“Hyung, now’s the time.”

At Yoo Ji-an’s short call, Kang Hae-in nodded.

“Okay. Everyone stick close together.”

Kang Hae-in raised his short staff high.