Tadan Orcs were formidable.
Though their swords and axes had chipped edges here and there, their strength in wielding them was unmatched.
Clang- Clang-
The sound of blades striking against Hajoon’s shield echoed painfully in the ears.
However, the hunters facing such orcs were a step ahead.
“To be honest, I didn’t expect them to be this strong.”
Hajoon, the tank, and Sua were skilled hunters, capable enough to handle their share even at the Level 4 gate.
Being D-rank level 4 hunters wasn’t just a number casually achieved.
Moreover, even though they were in-house employees, the association didn’t neglect their hunting duties.
It was a principle set by Park Taehwi, the legendary chairman of the Korean Hunter Association who was an S-rank hunter himself.
Once you’re a hunter, fulfill your duties as one.
There was a reason why the association ranked first in reliability among national institutions every year.
But what surprised Jeonghyun more than them was none other than Yunghoon, with his spear mastery.
“Who would’ve thought that quiet guy would change like that?”
Sure, he had overwhelming spear skills at B-rank level, but who could have expected such a drastic change after seeing blood?
Especially his ferocious battle cries, indistinguishable between monster and hunter, were beyond comprehension.
“Heh, that guy’s something else. Quite something.”
But evaluating Jongwoo who said so was like plummeting into an abyss of uncertainty.
Jeonghyun’s gaze towards Jongwoo turned even more contemptuous after witnessing his magic.
“How on earth did he climb up to the position of supervisor with this level of skill?”
Sure, supervisors and managers didn’t necessarily need to be proficient in magic, but still, wasn’t this a bit too much?
“Alright, shall I demonstrate my skills?”
Honestly, there was a glimmer of hope when Jongwoo said so and started stretching his shoulders.
After all, he was C-rank level 3.
Even though he was a parachute, maybe his abilities were good enough that no one could touch him?
When it came to C-rank hunters that Jeonghyun had seen so far, there were Seo Jinwook and Park Sooyeon.
Jinwook had the ability to enchant Jeonghyun’s eyes, and Sooyeon was an excellent supporter who could impress him.
“Here we go! Mana Bolt!”
However, Jongwoo’s magic was trash to the point where the term ‘useless’ fit perfectly.
Mana Bolt was actually a useful magic up to D-rank level.
With the mana sensitivity at C-rank level which allowed for more versatile magic, one wouldn’t primarily use Mana Bolt like that.
There were magic spells like Mana Strike or Mana Bash that had increased destructive power, for example.
Yet, despite that, one would think that casting Mana Bolt with such quality would still be remarkable.
“Hyaah!”
Despite the grandiose shouting, the bolts flying were merely about twenty at most.
Considering that Villain Heesoo, a D-rank level 2, could release more than ten Mana Bolts, it was a clear indication of how pathetic Jongwoo’s level was.
Moreover, the damage was negligible.
The orcs hit by Jongwoo’s Mana Bolts seemed to feel refreshed rather than hurt, as if they had received a massage.
“Nice magic, Manager!”
“Indeed, C-rank level 3!”
“Hahaha, it’s a pity he doesn’t have more duties!”
Despite Jongwoo’s obvious shortcomings, employees still praised him as a manager, which was beyond Jeonghyun’s tolerance.
‘Is this… what they call corporate life?’
Feeling even more sorry for him every time he saw all sorts of complaints about superiors on HunterNet, he resolved to leave at least one comforting comment from now on.
“Kyaaoooh!”
So, if it weren’t for Yunghoon’s unexpected performance, Jeonghyun worried whether the hunt itself would be possible.
Since Yunghoon was handling it, Jeonghyun felt relieved to some extent.
With his memory skill, it would have been much easier if he supported, but he couldn’t do that.
Moreover, there was one more thing that made him even more anxious.
[30%]
[27.4%]
[37.1%]
The probabilities hovering above the orcs’ heads.
It was the effect of the coin probability display function unlocked after reaching level 3 in the specialty store.
‘Why… why can’t I take advantage of the probabilities right in front of me?’
To be absolutely honest, the probabilities weren’t that enticing.
But averaging all the orcs are averaging around 33% probability.
In other words, if all three were captured, one of them would likely drop a coin, right?
Especially the orc with a probability in the 37% range looked particularly tempting.
Then, Jongwoo casted another spell.
It was difficult to deal with such sporadic attacks with minimal damage.
“Manager, nice!”
“Alright, I think I should take another break then. I’m almost out of mana, so you can handle it yourself, right?”
Nevertheless, Jongwoo, breathing heavily, with his cheeks puffing out, seemed determined to continue.
Watching him quietly, Jeonghyun finally made up his mind.
‘I should be able to handle this much, right?’
Honestly, what did it matter if he decided to hunt?
After seeing Jongwoo’s skills, he was even more confident.
Confident that he wouldn’t lose even if they came to blows.
Of course, there was still the line he couldn’t cross, especially since he came with Cha Yerin’s introduction, but once he made up his mind, there was no turning back.
Jongwoo’s bag was thrown on the ground, and Jeonghyun, activating his stealth skill, faded into the background.
Stealth didn’t make him disappear like nothingness.
Rather than erasing perception and making it difficult to identify, it’s more like disrupting the senses and making detection less easy.
For instance, even if it’s in plain sight, it had the effect of preventing recognition of its presence unless specifically attended to.
And the covert action seemed to have been well received, at least by Jongwoo.
“Huh? Where did he go?”
It’s difficult for a C-rank covert operation to go unnoticed by someone like Jongwoo.
No matter how magical it may be, there’s still a gap in ranks, isn’t there?
“Tsk, how pathetic.”
That’s because they disregarded personal training too much.
From the start, it was doomed to fail if a C-rank attempted to use mana bolts and complain about cooldowns.
No matter how tough the rank may be, it’s ultimately the individual’s effort that backs it up.
And such a person feels inferior to Cha Yerin?
Passing goblins laughed as they went by.
Leaving Jongwoo behind, Jeonghyun began to attack.
The place he aimed for was right around to the rear of the orc battlefield.
Passing by the orcs made him a bit nervous, but fortunately, it seemed like they were too engrossed in the melee to notice Jeonghyun’s movements.
If it were a considerably weaker monster, he could have approached from behind and stabbed with a dagger or swung a mace, but that seemed unlikely, and too risky.
Having found a suitable position behind the orcs, Jeonghyun drew his dagger.
“Of course, the target is 37%!”
Since he had checked the probability in advance, there was no need to choose a target for the attack.
The orc with a 37% chance was currently vigorously attacking Hanjoon’s shield with an axe.
Taking a slight breath, Jeonghyun launched his dagger straight at it.
Swish-
Perhaps it was due to the covert action being applied.
The dagger, which was already flying stealthily, seemed to become even quieter.
And so, the dagger flew and easily pierced through the orc’s back.
“Kwee-”
If it’s the back of the head where the brain is located, there’s no need to calculate the critical hit rate.
The orc’s roar seemed to momentarily turn into a sigh of defeat as its body collapsed.
[You have obtained 1 coin.]
“Yes!”
Successfully obtaining a coin despite the 37% chance felt even more rewarding in this situation where probability was unknown.
“Huh?”
Meanwhile, Hanjoon, who was facing off with his opponent, was taken aback.
The tense situation shifted dramatically in his favor.
Hanjoon immediately joined forces with Yunghoon and soon, the orc’s thick neck was pierced by a spear.
With three hunters attacking, the last remaining orc couldn’t hold on for long.
It ended somewhat anticlimactically, reminiscent of the medieval battles.
While it would be appropriate for a normal party to commend Jeonghyun’s contribution, the atmosphere didn’t seem quite right.
Because everyone noticed the dagger stuck in one of the orc’s heads.
All eyes turned to Jeonghyun, who was calmly looking back at them.
“Why are you there?”
“Well, it just happened…”
“Why are you there? You bastard!”
Was his well-phrased comment being ignored what fueled his anger?
Or was it simply because he had placed importance on the unregistered individual?
‘Probably both.’
Even though Dan Jongwoo started to rampage, Jeonghyun continued to look at him calmly.
After all, it was a fact that he had obtained the coin and objectively, Jeonghyun had made a greater contribution than Jongwoo.
“I, I killed them all with magic, and some unregistered guy made the finishing blow?”
Regardless, simply scratching Jongwoo’s ego was satisfying enough.
Jeonghyun apologized with a bright smile.
“Oh, sorry. Actually, I just bought this dagger this time. My hands were itching too much…”
“You bastard, you dare to laugh? Say one more word. You don’t want to be a hunter in Korea?”
Threats poured out like water.
Although he may not have known, it seemed he hadn’t tried it one or two times before.
Other hunters, including Hanjoon, looked at him as if he had caused trouble for no reason.
It seemed difficult to receive their support in the future.
“Well, I didn’t plan on receiving it anyway.”
Jeonghyun confirmed that covert actions and techniques were effective even against the formidable orcs.
That was enough to achieve the objective of this operation.
Jeonghyun picked up Jongwoo’s bag from the ground, brushing off the dust with satisfaction.
“Now, I’ll really! I’ll just hold this bag and do nothing else.”
“Hah, you’re completely useless… If Cha Yerin recommended you, then it makes sense. Let’s go out and see.”
After that, Dan Jongwoo continued to pour out words that were hard to listen to.
While others seemed fed up just listening, Jeonghyun continued to smile as if nothing happened.
He had decided not to do anything from now on.
It doesn’t just mean mere combat.
Jeonghyun was determined to act like an ordinary laborer.
His gaze filled with anger turned towards Dan Jongwoo’s back as he walked ahead.
“If this party goes wrong, it’s all your fault, Dan Jongwoo.”
In the Gate, everyone below ranks and levels is equal.
Survival rates increase as individuals make efforts.
In other words, relying arrogantly on one’s position outside the Gate is not worth living.
Although he might have survived well until now, it was all luck.
If there were a slight push, his true colors would be revealed.
Originally, Jeonghyun planned to do his best to block the variables.
But what power did an ordinary laborer have?
He just had to take care of his own life diligently.
***
Since then, the hunting had continued, albeit slowly.
Even though there was no serious crisis, compared to the hunts Jeonghyun had experienced so far, it was an infinitely slower pace.
With the high-rank mage responsible for the main force of their dollars being in such a shape, what could they do?
Furthermore, they skipped reconnaissance due to laziness.
In a situation where the porter Jeonghyun clearly knew of the orcs’ approach but remained silent, it was a perilous act.
It was like the pinnacle of safety complacency.
“Shit!”
Only Yunghoon’s madness seemed to stand out amidst it all.
“Gosh, what are the odds, like 39% or something…”
As the orcs died one by one at such a sluggish pace, Jeonghyun couldn’t help but swallow tears as he looked at those odds.
He had to think that just as the fox wouldn’t drop the grapes, those orcs wouldn’t drop the coins either.
And after a few more battles and rests,
“Huh?”
Something caught Jeonghyun’s senses.
And he realized what it was and smiled with a sense of relief.
This much, he could try once.
In an instant, Jeonghyun formulated a series of plans in his mind and spoke gently to Jongwoo.
“Manager, I’ve never seen anyone handle mana as well as you do.”
The people who heard Jeonghyun’s words were shocked by the blatant lie, as if they had all heard a siren at once.
But Jongwoo burst into laughter quite willingly.
“Hahaha! You know how to butter people up. As long as you don’t talk back, you’re a good guy.”
Jeonghyun nodded incessantly and added subtly,
“So what I’m saying is. When we see the next orc, let’s take the initiative! Can you show us once?”
“Taking the initiative! That’s a great idea. Alright! Let’s take a 5-minute break and start again! If we see orc snouts next time, I’ll cast the spell first, so everyone step back.”
As expected, a reaction that didn’t deviate from expectations at all.
‘Let’s see if it goes as you wish.’
Jeonghyun’s eyes sparkled.
