SWNOVELXO Chapter 121. Siren
Emergency! Emergency!
This is not the time to be staring at the ocean.
We’re about to be in big trouble!
“Gahhhhhh…!”
On an early morning, I was sitting in a train bound for Seoul, my head in my hands, silently screaming.
I had barely arrived in Gampo a few days ago and was already heading back home.
“Why isn’t such an important detail written somewhere noticeable?!”
There was a reason why I decided to go to Seoul.
Because I had just realized the requirements for purchasing the Dragon’s Lung!
“Damn ranking system!”
It turns out that in Korea, to buy a ‘unique class’ imported item, you need to achieve a certain rank as a Hunter.
To be precise, the criteria for applying to import unique equipment only went up to rank 50 overall.
And my current rank upon checking was…
[Kim Gi-ryeo[S] – Rank 10 (New)]
Rank 10.
Some might say I had already met the necessary requirement, but…
The rank shown right now didn’t matter much.
Hunter rankings consider both innate talent and acquired effort.
“I’m lacking in Gate conquest points!”
No matter how high-ranked an Awakened might be, if you take a break without a valid reason, you accrue massive demotion points.
And if you don’t conquer any Dungeons within the three months when the ranking points are tallied, even being ranked 10th could have a huge impact.
I really had no idea how far I would fall…
[모험가 – 814위]
Looking at this guy, it was clear there were no limits on how much he could drop.
“Phew.”
So to summarize.
I needed to maintain my rank to avoid any issues when purchasing the Dragon’s Lung in the future.
To do this, I had to achieve a minimum of 5 A-Class Gate clears without incurring demotion points…
“Damn it!”
To be honest, it was unfair!
If I had known, I would have brought up the ranking when I was pressuring the Association President.
Why did I only discover such a crucial point now?
Why do I have to throw myself into the abyss just to maintain a rank!
“Ughhh…!”
But complaining wouldn’t change anything.
The Association President had already been extorted of 3 billion, and asking for more while pulling such a stunt could lead to dire consequences.
“Crap.”
Negotiation through the Association was rather inefficient.
Thus, the only remaining option was to perform appropriate Hunter activities according to the rules.
Thunk.
I leaned my head against the train window, my expression gloomy.
Even now, the scenery outside was rapidly changing.
.
.
.
How could a weak Awakened like me clear an A-Class Gate?
Well, I had to make the most of my strengths.
Whether it’s my knowledge about Golems.
Or my unique resistance to status ailments.
I had to use everything I can.
“Let’s see.”
While searching for a suitable Gate to employ such techniques, I found one that had been making headlines recently.
[Mermaid’s Cove]
The title sounded quite fairytale-like.
In reality, the problem was that monstrous creatures lived inside it that could cause quite a stir.
“Hmm.”
Mermaid’s Cove was the name of a newly appearing Gate this month.
Here’s where a new feature of the Earth was revealed.
‘Great Cataclysm.’
January here was a special month with numerous new Gates popping up that hadn’t been seen before.
The residents of this planet referred to this phenomenon, much like a significant game update, as the ‘Great Cataclysm’.
Korea was currently suffering from headaches due to this ‘Great Cataclysm’.
[(Seonhan Daily) Nationwide Siren Warning….]
To explain, Mermaid’s Cove was a Gate featuring two types of water monsters.
It had only appeared on the Korean peninsula.
But the problem was that no one had managed to conquer that Gate until now, and that was due to the creature living inside, known as the ‘Siren’.
“Every single day is chaotic it seems.”
Siren.
From what Hunters who had entered the Gate said, these monsters were something like this.
“I suddenly heard my mother’s voice coming from beyond the fog.”
“Well, the ideal type I’ve dreamt of was beckoning me in the dungeon!”
“It was an incredibly pleasant song. Before I knew it, I lost strength in my weapon.”
It was clear there were mind-attack monsters beyond that fog.
Every single person who returned from the Gate testified that they were enchanted by something.
‘The monster sang a song?’
The sound of singing coming from far away.
This was why [Mermaid’s Cove] hadn’t been conquered.
‘If the Siren puts you in a state of incapacitation, the merman that follows up strikes with teamwork. The division of labor is quite effective.’
Usually, when it comes to mental attacks by monsters, they had been rather ineffective, being referred to as the ‘easy-bake pattern.’
The sorcerers on Earth had difficulty snapping out of this powerful status anomaly they were experiencing for the first time.
Furthermore, the Siren’s song had an effect even if you plugged your ears.
[Expensive equipment useless… Hunters in distress against Sirens]
A truly helpless situation.
But the long confusion had come to an end.
Heh.
Well, I could break that Siren’s song.
I guess there’s no helping it. This Great Mage will lend a helping hand, so everyone should be thankful.
So in brief… I was here to maintain my rank while also conquering Mermaid’s Cove.
Of course, I had already called upon a companion to deal with the leftover monsters, the mermen.
*
A few minutes later.
“Yoon Seung-ah!”
I waved my hand toward the person standing in front of the Gate.
A bald man turned to me and said.
“Oops! You arrived early, huh?”
Hold on a minute.
But didn’t I just notice something like white smoke coming from Yoon Seung’s mouth?
“Hmm?”
And what’s that artificial scent around, it’s almost as if…
“Yoon Seung-ah, what’s that thing in your hand?”
“What?”
“Could it be a cigarette?”
I asked, and Yoon Seung awkwardly smiled and showed his palm.
He revealed the item he was trying to hide desperately.
“Hahaha. Ah, um. Well, it’s an electronic cigarette. I thought you’d be late, so I…”
At that moment, my fist launched forward.
Smack!
“……!”
“……”
In that brief moment, the instant I realized it was a cigarette, I swatted the item away.
Even my reflexes were so fast, that the A-Class couldn’t even react properly.
‘D-Didn’t see that coming……!’
Thud.
Just as Ahn Yoon-seung started sweating with tension, the rectangular electronic cigarette made a pitiful noise as it hit the cold ground.
“Huh! Sorry, I didn’t mean to!”
Realizing my sudden action, I hurriedly apologized.
Since I had invaded someone else’s space, I had to pick up the fallen item…
But at that moment.
As I handed Yoon Seung his belongings back with a dazed look in my eyes, I said.
“But if you light that thing in front of me again, I’ll really kill you.”
It was heartfelt sincerity.
The reason I was trapped in an F-Class body, in one way, was all because of that garbage invention.
“Y-Yes, okay!”
Yoon Seung trembled as he accepted his first harsh treatment.
I held onto him and gave a long lecture about quitting smoking before I could finally start the Dungeon talk.
Phew.
Today definitely didn’t start off well.
I really didn’t want to treat a reliable ally who came running at my call like this.
Ahem.
A moment later.
I took a breath and told Yoon Seung.
I genuinely thanked him for coming, even on such short notice.
“If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been worried and wouldn’t have even entered the dungeon. Thanks.”
“No, I should be the one thanking you for calling me! You wouldn’t know how meaningful this is for me, even if it’s temporary…!”
Now, this time, I officially became the Team Leader after becoming an S-Class, but to be honest, it didn’t mean much.
I might be the Team Leader, but I couldn’t really assemble the team as I wished.
“But, are we just going to be the two of us?”
“No, one more will come.”
Then who would be the last member to enter before the Siren conquest?
Speak of the devil!
In a blink, a familiar Awakened appeared from the hallway.
He had a noticeably large build, exotic features, and… those green eyes he got by tearing a dragon apart.
“Hello.”
Right. Today, I would work alongside this S-Class.
“Kang Chang-ho Hunter.”
I already want to go home.
*
Kang Chang-ho is not in a good mood these days.
Of course, anyone would feel bad if someone deceived them.
[(Breaking News) Korea’s 4th S-Class has appeared!]
To be honest, when Kang Chang-ho saw the rumors circulating online, he was still skeptical.
What’s more, during the follow-up call, he adamantly denied being an S-Class himself, so he just let it go.
But who would have thought the contractor he trusted would stab him in the back like this?
“……”
Kang Chang-ho tilted his head as he watched the Association’s announcement flowing from the TV.
The only thought crossing his mind was one.
“What’s this guy up to?”
What in the world is Kim Gi-ryeo doing?
Again back to the present.
Let me say it again, Kang Chang-ho is not in a good mood lately.
He couldn’t understand why that young man with yellow-dyed hair spoke such lies.
If he was an S-Class, surely he shouldn’t need anyone’s protection, so why did he accept such a contract?
‘What’s the intention here?’
At this point, he wanted to crack open the other person’s skull just to see their true thoughts.
But Kang Chang-ho calmly thought to himself.
Still, he had already achieved his goals.
‘Strange. No matter how S-Class he is… He can’t break a Knight’s Pact. Absolutely not. I saw that with my own eyes.’
In the end, Kang Chang-ho decided to simply observe the situation for now. There was no other choice for the time being.
Moreover, it was a fortunate situation.
He had plenty of money, great power, and even more time to spare.
So in this Dungeon Shock era, he really didn’t have any troubles in life.
‘Maybe I should just watch for now.’
He felt a little bored with his dull life and thought to kill some time with this unusual Hunter he hadn’t met in a long while.
Boredom. Just a simple whim to forgive the deceptions he had suffered.
On further thought, his position wasn’t much different from the other party’s.
Kim Gi-ryeo.
The man standing before him was a powerhouse far exceeding existing humanity…
‘This is Korea’s 4th.’
Could it be that he too is unable to handle the overflowing leisure characteristic of S-Class?
Which is why he always does something unpredictable?
Kang Chang-ho closed his eyes, accompanied by brief speculation.
*
Why did a Hunter team gather two S-Class individuals, you ask?
The truth is simple.
When Kim Gi-ryeo reported his entry with Ahn Yoon-seung into the Blue Gate, Kang Chang-ho, struck by curiosity, strongly insisted on accompanying them.
“Damn! Even though I allowed it several times that I didn’t have to come according to the contract, why is he so adamant about following me…”
As a result, the current awkward trio of three was facing each other.
“Ka-Kang Chang-ho si! How have you been lately?”
Gi-ryeo cautiously opened the conversation, but the response that returned was quite chilling.
“Better than you.”
In a brief distraction, the look of disdain on Kang Chang-ho’s face toward the contractor who had found himself in trouble appeared once more.
What followed was sharp sarcasm.
“Anyway, thanks for bringing me along today. Of course, you don’t need help as an ‘S-Class’, but a contract is a contract.”
“….”
“Oh, but am I going to end up being a hindrance? You, Mr. Gi-ryeo Hunter, are the fantastic man who catches ‘S-Class’ monsters on his own.”
At this point, he was almost mockingly laughing.
“Honestly, I’m already worried if I can keep up with your level.”
Kang Chang-ho, perhaps with a lot of built-up frustration, openly emphasized that the opponent was an S-Class powerhouse while lashing out at him again.
“Gah!”
However, at that moment.
Ahn Yoon-seung’s eyes sparkled with excitement at Kang Chang-ho’s words.
“Hyung-nim, you’ve been acknowledged among S-Class individuals like this…!”
An outsider looked at the A-Class Hunter with a blurry expression, with no real response.
He had grown impatient even for the petty corrections at this point.
“Shall we get going soon?”
Gi-ryeo urged them to move quickly to end this painful team situation as soon as possible.
And precisely, they were heading toward Mermaid’s Cove.