Sooyeon wasn’t someone who could easily fit into Sunhyung’s party.
Even though she was labeled as a support-type with Enchantment Magic attributes (C), Lv. 3, she was a powerhouse.
“When was the last time I entered a Level 3 gate…”
Usually, Sooyeon, who went around Level 4 gates, had entered a Level 3 gate back when she was only Level 2.
It was a memory she had to dig up year by year.
As an Enchantment Magic attribute holder, she was treated as nobility in spirit gates, she had visited the ‘Distorted Forest of the Lowest-level Spirits’ for a few times long ago.
How on earth did Sooyeon end up between Jeonghyun and Sunhyung’s party?
“Miss Sooyeon, you know we’re going hunting with Han Sangsoo’s party tomorrow, right?”
“Oh, yes, team leader. It’s the spirit forest, right?”
“Go there and help with the hunt.”
“What?”
“Help with the hunt.”
That was it.
Of course, he mentioned to keep an eye on one of them and maybe do some business if there’s a chance, but he didn’t explain the details.
Dealing so decisively with deploying high-level personnel to a Level 3 gate was already something.
Even sending pleading looks to Seo Jinwook on the side didn’t make much of a difference, just like with Junwon.
“Miss Sooyeon, it would be great if you could hunt together with Jeonghyun. Go there and also pass on my regards.”
That was it.
So, now, Sooyeon wasn’t exactly thrilled to be in a gate she didn’t want to be in.
At the promised meeting place, there was an archer, a tanker, and a healer, as expected. And a man holding a highly praised mace.
“Is this person Han Jeonghyun? He’s an unregistered Level 3, right? What’s so special about him?”
Junwon, like Jinwook, had seen many hunters, no matter what anyone said. Knowing there wasn’t much to expect from an unregistered person was also something learned from experience.
“Anyways, even if the team leader and chief highly recommend it, Sooyeon’s mood isn’t going to be great coming to an unwanted gate.”
While approaching Jeonghyun, Sooyeon quickly scanned him from top to bottom.
The leather armor, she might know where it’s from, but the quality was quite good. Moreover, the dagger at his waist and the long mace on his back were of Marium.
For an unregistered person in a Level 3 gate, it could be considered almost top-notch equipment.
Of course, judging a hunter solely by the price of the equipment on their body is as foolish as it gets. With money, you could dress an F-grade like an S-grade.
Anyway, since there were recommendations from Junwon and Jinwook, Sooyeon casually greeted them for now.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Han Jeonghyun.”
“I’ve heard a lot of praise from the chief. Have a good hunt today.”
“I hope you do well too.”
Jeonghyun, receiving Sooyeon’s greeting, was also observing her. It was a hunt with two C-grade Level 3 hunters in a row.
Considering the awe-inspiring presence of Jinwook, there was some expectation for something to be different.
Of course, as a magic enchantment type, she wouldn’t directly participate in the battle, but still, there might be something unique.
‘But seriously, having two C-grade Level 3s in the same team, how did they manage that?’
According to what he heard, Junwon, the team leader, was a B-grade Level 5 powerhouse.
Even though it was one of the top guilds, wasn’t it a bit much to not have the appropriate talent pool?
While Sooyeon and Jeonghyun were scrutinizing each other, Sangsoo, who had no idea, cheerfully spoke, ruining the atmosphere.
“Since we’re going into the spirit forest with Jeonghyun hyungnim, Team Leader Cha Junwon immediately supported Miss Sooyeon for us. Let’s all give them a round of applause!”
Although Junwon did send support in a nonchalant way, it was a benefit that couldn’t be repaid with such showy greetings.
Sending an overpowered hunter to go hunting with ordinary guild members, and not just any guild members, was an unimaginable thing.
And so, the somewhat uncomfortable duo and the pleasantly surprised trio began to head into the gate.
—
“Wow, this place is really fascinating.”
“Is it your first time in a spirit gate?”
“Yes. I’ve never been to such a nice place for anyone else.”
“Hmm…”
The conversation between Jeonga, Sooyeon and Sunhyung’s awkward throat clearing continued. Even if it wasn’t the two of them, others who were new to this path were also not holding back in enjoying the gate sightseeing.
Jeonghyun had also heard about the spirit world, but it was his first time actually seeing it.
“Are all the other spirit gates like this too?”
“Well, I’ve only been to the Level 4 Spirit Lake dungeon, but it’s similar.”
As Sooyeon nodded, Jeonghyun looked around with amazement.
Even though he had heard about the spirit world, it was completely different from an ordinary forest.
Well, if you consider flickering flames and lightning shooting up from the ground to the sky like trees, it could be called a forest.
What was strange was that even these spirit attributes were different from ordinary natural phenomena.
For example, the fire was not hot at all, and touching lightning didn’t electrocute you.
The water wasn’t like natural water, more like a slime in that form.
According to Sooyeon, the laws of physics in the spirit world couldn’t be explained with those of the real world.
‘But still, I can see why everyone praises the spirit world.’
Jeonghyun’s honest impression was that it was strange, but there was a beauty coming from those things.
A peculiar energy he had read about in books was scattered all around.
However, on the other hand, it could also be called a fatal poison hidden in that beauty.
“It’s great to enjoy the view, but don’t let your guard down. We don’t know when and where spirits might pop up.”
Neglecting the warning, it was an opportune place to get injured just as Sooyeon had cautioned. The peculiar landscapes of the spirit world all matched the attributes of the spirits that appeared here.
The phenomenon occurred because of the presence of spirits. It meant that what seemed like a mere phenomenon could turn into spirits attacking hunters at any moment.
Only then did the party members begin to tense up, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Sooyeon, who had observed such scenes on HunterNet, found early experiences with enchanting landscapes to be somewhat trivial, and her party members had seen quite a few such posts as well.
Watching their reactions, Sooyeon added a few words, “As I mentioned during the briefing, at the lowest level, only fire, water, lightning, and wind attributes appear. The damage is moderate, so our goal is to hunt steadily without making mistakes.”
“Understood!”
Seeing the enthusiastic response from the party members, Sooyeon chuckled.
As she wandered around the spirit world under Sooyeon’s command, she couldn’t help but notice the surroundings as if she were a kindergarten teacher. Meanwhile, quietly observing, Jeonghyun seemed to have a similar appearance, leading to more amusement.
“He claimed to have an experienced skillset, but he seems like a real beginner hunter.”
Jeonghyun’s calm and composed actions at the gate were simply a result of facing familiar monsters in the workplace.
Spirits here were not typical monsters seen in the workplace, and the spirit world’s landscapes were extraordinary. Even for beginners, this place was no different.
‘Selling those as interior products would be a jackpot.’
Even amidst earnestly considering ways to make money, the thought process was a bit special.
Their exploration of the spirit world under Sooyeon’s command was short-lived. Suddenly, flames near Sunhyung intensified, and from within, a fiery projectile shot out.
Swish—
It wasn’t screaming like other monsters, but the sound of burning alone was threatening enough.
Taking advantage of Sunhyung’s momentary confusion, the fire spirit shot a fiery attack.
“Sunhyung, enchantment incoming!”
Even before the quickly approaching fire projectile touched Sunhyung’s shield, a bluish energy enveloped him.
It was a water attribute enchantment triggered by Sooyeon just in time.
Even with the addition of a counter attribute, the attack from the low-level fire spirit was still manageable. To Sunhyung, it felt like a warm heating pad.
“Jeonghyun, Jeonga!”
At the same time, Sooyeon bestowed a water attribute magic on Jeonghyun and Jeonga, who were ready to launch daggers and arrows.
‘She’s really fast.’
Jeonghyun had taken out his dagger quite some time ago, but even considering that, Sooyeon’s actions were impressive. The second enchantment on Jeonga coincided almost simultaneously with her attack preparations.
Meanwhile, the fire spirit, realizing its attack was futile, began to fly around in frustration.
There’s a saying that there are many hunters who collapse from exhaustion even if none die in the spirit forest. It’s because hitting the fast-moving core of the spirit is no easy task, especially with its unpredictable movements.
‘I can’t hit that either.’
Even Jeonghyun, whose dagger skills were buffed by various combinations of attributes, estimated a success rate of only about 30% for hitting the dagger. Even with Sangsoo’s lightning magic landing a direct hit, the spirit’s movements noticeably slowed down.
And that was enough.
‘This should be doable!’
Swish—Splat—
It was sufficient for Jeonghyun.
Daggers and arrows flew simultaneously.
“Ah, I missed!”
Sooyeon nodded slightly, as if to say, “Well, that’s how it goes.”
Even though it had slowed down, the speed of the spirit was challenging to match. As expected, Jeonga’s arrows missed the spirit’s movements by a considerable margin.
‘Even with the compliments from the team leader, it won’t be easy to hit that.’
Well, it was excessive to think otherwise in the first place.
At least five attempts would be needed to finish the hunt.
However,
‘Huh?’
Thud—
Jeonghyun’s dagger smashed about half of the core, and with that, the spirit disappeared.
The party members cheered.
“Whew! Brother’s dagger skills are truly outstanding!”
“Well, what if someone who specializes in agility like you has a higher success rate than an archer like me?”
“It seems like you’re throwing better than before?”
Although it was an attack success that seemed more like a trick, to the party members who had already witnessed Jeonghyun’s dagger skills, it was just slightly more impressive than usual.
On the other hand, watching their reactions, Sooyeon’s mouth was wide open.
‘What, what was that?’
Is that an unregistered player?
Only a month since awakening?
It sounded unbelievable.
Exactly which unregistered player could accurately hit the core of a flying spirit with a dagger? Moreover, he had managed to destroy the core in a single strike.
It not only surpassed accuracy but also exceeded Sooyeon’s expectations in terms of destructive power.
Could it be that the team leader and supervisor were secretly filming her without her knowing?
Such absurd thoughts began to cross Sooyeon’s mind.
Whether Jeonghyun was aware of Sooyeon’s shock or not, he was smiling brightly as he retrieved his dagger.
[You have acquired 1 coin.]
From the very beginning, there was a sense of triumph as the coin soared.
“Sending it all at once feels a bit risky, but hey, the coin’s out, so it’s all good.”
If Sooyeon had overheard, she might have retorted with something like, “What kind of arrogant talk is that?” and perhaps even delivered a metaphorical slap to the back of the head.
“Oh, the spirit stone fell.”
But whether or not such a remark was made, when everyone realized that even the spirit stone had landed next to the dagger, Jeonghyun’s smile deepened.
“Oh, really?”
“They say it’s worth over a million won, jackpot!”
Since the spirit stone was a novelty for everyone, they gathered around Jeonghyun, admiring and discussing the fiery spirit stone in his hand.
Of course, Sooyeon, from the sidelines, was looking at them as if they were absurd.
“Well, setting that aside, do they just believe without any doubt that the rest of it is an unregistered individual?”
