Chapter 31
The comfortable living room of the new apartment Chaeho had moved his parents into.
Lee Chaeho sat deep in the sofa when the smartphone in his hand suddenly began vibrating loudly.
The number displayed on the screen belonged to the scouting team of a major guild.
Chaeho let out a small sigh before answering the call.
“Yes, this is Lee Chaeho.”
—Ah, Hunter Lee Chaeho! This is the scouting team leader from the Cheongpa Guild. We contacted you before. Have you had a chance to look over the contract we sent you?
“Yes. I carefully read through the conditions you mentioned. A 500 million won exclusive signing bonus and an 80–20 split of the byproduct profits. They’re certainly good terms.”
—Right? There isn’t another guild besides our Cheongpa Guild that would offer this kind of treatment to a newly awakened C-rank Hunter. We’ll even assign you a dedicated support team and provide high-grade equipment rentals. You could come in tomorrow and sign the contract.
The voice coming from the phone was overflowing with confidence.
However, Chaeho’s expression remained as calm as a still lake.
“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t intend to join any particular guild for the time being. I’ll have to decline. I’m sorry.”
—What? Hunter Lee, this isn’t a field where you can handle everything alone just because you received a high evaluation among C-ranks. How long do you think you can survive playing solo? You won’t get an offer like this twice!
“Yes. I know. Take care.”
Chaeho answered in a dry voice and ended the call without hesitation.
The moment he hung up, a stream of other message notifications that had been waiting immediately poured in.
This had become his daily life ever since the training ground sparring match a few days ago.
The results of the match held in the advanced training room had quickly spread through word of mouth among Hunters.
The rumor that he had seen through the attacks of a highly experienced upper-tier C-rank Hunter and subdued him without making a single unnecessary movement had created a bigger stir than expected.
On top of that, his special performance rating had been officially recorded at the Association’s settlement office.
As a result, famous guilds were now competing with one another to send him recruitment offers.
But Chaeho wasn’t tempted in the slightest.
It’s not like I’m desperate for anything.
He lightly tapped the soft armrest of the sofa.
A home with an elevator so his parents wouldn’t have to strain their legs climbing stairs.
An expensive bed that wouldn’t put pressure on their backs.
A comfortable environment where his family could rest without worrying about anything.
He had already created all of that with his own hands.
There was more than enough spare money sitting in his bank account.
There was no reason for him to submit to someone else’s orders and force himself through unreasonable schedules.
Fully controlling his own abilities.
Only taking risks that he knew he could handle.
That was the safest path Chaeho envisioned for himself as a Hunter.
Chaeho placed his smartphone face-down on the table and picked up his tablet PC.
If he had no intention of joining a guild, then he would have to find short-term requests as an independent Hunter.
He logged into the Association’s official application to search for raids suited to upper-tier C-rank difficulty.
“Huh?”
Chaeho’s finger stopped as he scanned the main screen.
Instead of the normal recruitment board, there was a red notification blinking inside his private message inbox.
Someone had specifically selected Chaeho and sent him a designated request through the Association system.
[Recipient: Hunter Lee Chaeho. Designated recruitment request for a frontline attacker.]
The sender was Seo Taegyeong, a C-rank party leader.
His class was Shield Warrior.
Chaeho narrowed his eyes slightly and opened the attached document.
Their destination was a C-rank dungeon located on the outskirts of Seoul known as the Red Iron Mine.
Recently, the mana concentration inside the dungeon had changed rapidly, causing the monsters to become much more active and increasing the overall difficulty.
—The Red Iron Mine’s narrow tunnels make it difficult for large groups to establish proper formations. I will act as the Shield Warrior and personally hold back the monsters charging from the front. Considering Hunter Lee Chaeho’s recent combat rating and breakthrough ability in confined spaces, I believe you are the frontline attacker our party needs most, which is why I am contacting you.—
It was written politely and clearly.
The party currently consisted of three people.
Seo Taegyeong himself, Mage Yoon Jia, and Healer Kim Dohyeon.
If Chaeho joined them, they would have a well-balanced four-person party.
However, what caught Chaeho’s attention was the amount written under the compensation section.
With both the designated recruitment bonus and the danger allowance added, the payment was more than double what a normal C-rank raid would offer.
Anyone would find such exceptional conditions tempting.
But Chaeho didn’t immediately press the Accept button just because of the money.
If they’re offering this much money, it means the chances of something going wrong are equally high, and the role they’re asking me to perform must be difficult.
Chaeho split the screen and opened the Association database search window.
Red Iron Mine: Accident Records and Ecology for the Last Three Months.
As he typed, reports and images showing recent monster appearances began filling the screen.
The biggest problem was the terrain itself.
The narrow tunnels were surrounded on all sides by rough, solid rock.
There was nowhere near enough space to perform evasive maneuvers or swing a weapon widely.
On top of that, most of the monsters appearing there were armored arthropods, such as Red Armored Beetles and Ironclad Spiders.
Hard shells, high defense, and narrow terrain on top of that.
It wasn’t an environment where they could simply fire magic from the rear or overwhelm everything with brute-force firepower.
Whenever a monster charged straight through the narrow passage, someone at the front absolutely had to stop it.
And in that brief moment, the frontline attacker had to accurately strike its weak point and finish it off.
That was why Seo Taegyeong had specifically chosen Chaeho.
Chaeho checked the mine’s average width and height, then carefully studied anatomical diagrams marking the locations of the main monsters’ joints.
If the frontline defense breaks, where’s the escape route?
He reconstructed the dungeon map three-dimensionally inside his mind.
The intersection connecting Area One and Area Two.
The sections with low ceilings and a risk of collapse.
The number of alternate routes that would allow them to retreat without being isolated if a large swarm of monsters rushed them at once.
He listed every worst-case scenario in which he might get injured and ran simulations in his head.
The lack of room to dodge makes it troublesome... but it isn’t beyond what I can handle.
The current daily limit of his [Time Slow] was fifteen seconds.
During his intense training in the advanced training room, the skill he had carved into his body through blood and sweat was micro-control.
Activating and cancelling the ability in intervals of 0.1 to 0.2 seconds.
No matter how thick a Red Armored Beetle’s shell was, there were still gaps where its joints connected and softer areas beneath its neck.
Even if a mass of iron came charging toward him through a narrow tunnel at sixty kilometers per hour, Chaeho was now perfectly capable of slowing time for a fraction of a second, reading the shift in its center of gravity, and precisely pushing the tip of his sword into one of those openings.
This wasn’t blind confidence.
It was a conclusion based on thorough calculation.
Even if a deadly situation occurred, he was confident that he could control it and escape with his own strength.
It’s worth trying.
Without hesitation, Chaeho pressed the blinking Accept button at the bottom of the screen.
A light notification sound rang out as a pop-up appeared, confirming that the request had been accepted.
This wasn’t a reckless gamble where he was putting his life on the line.
It was a choice he had made only after personally analyzing and verifying the risks.
A few days later.
Management Area Four, located on the outskirts of Seoul.
Beyond the safety control line, the massive gate leading to the Red Iron Mine stood open, its ominous crimson light flickering like flames.
Association control personnel were stationed all around it, thoroughly preventing civilians from approaching.
Chaeho stepped out of his car and slung his equipment bag over one shoulder.
Three Hunters were already gathered in the dusty clearing in front of the gate, waiting for him.
“Are you Hunter Lee Chaeho?”
The first person to approach him was a sturdy-looking man.
He wore thick plate armor and carried a massive shield on his back, large enough to cover the entire upper body of an adult man.
Anyone could tell at a glance that he was a dependable Shield Warrior.
“Yes. I’m Lee Chaeho. I accepted the designated request.”
“Good to meet you. I’m the party leader, Seo Taegyeong. It couldn’t have been an easy request to accept, so thank you for agreeing to join us.”
Seo Taegyeong extended his thick, rough hand for a handshake.
Chaeho lightly shook it and nodded.
Behind Seo Taegyeong, a woman holding a short staff and a neatly robed man carefully approached.
“These two are Hunter Yoon Jia, who will handle rear-line magical support, and Hunter Kim Dohyeon, who will handle healing.”
“Hello. I’m Yoon Jia.”
“I’m Kim Dohyeon. I look forward to working with you.”
There was unmistakable tension on both of their faces.
The Red Iron Mine had suffered frequent accidents recently.
Even C-rank Hunters would have difficulty remaining completely relaxed when facing the oppressive atmosphere of its narrow, dark tunnels.
“I look forward to working with both of you as well.”
Chaeho calmly returned their greetings.
Seo Taegyeong carefully looked over Chaeho’s lightweight combat clothes and the sword firmly secured at his waist.
“I’ve heard quite a few rumors about you, Hunter Lee. They say your dynamic vision and breakthrough ability in confined spaces are exceptional. There wasn’t any footage available, so I couldn’t confirm it personally, but based on your Association rating and the rumors from the training ground, I decided you were exactly the person our party needed.”
“You’re giving me too much credit. I just get rid of whatever enemy is standing in front of me.”
“That’s more than enough. The key to this mine raid is how quickly and reliably you can finish the monsters from the frontline after I stop their charge.”
Seo Taegyeong took a tablet from his waist and brought up a map of the interior.
“You’ve probably already investigated this yourself, but the tunnels are narrower than you might expect. I’ll take the lead and block the passage with my shield. Jia will suppress the monsters from the rear with mana projectiles. Chaeho, when their movements stop or they’re knocked back, I’d like you to use that opening to attack their sides and joints.”
“I’ll maintain enough distance behind your shield so our movements don’t interfere with each other. If there isn’t enough space for me to swing my sword or dodge, I’ll give a short signal toward the rear.”
“Good. It’s reassuring to work with someone who understands party coordination.”
Seo Taegyeong nodded in satisfaction.
From his days working as a porter, Chaeho had witnessed the rise and fall of countless parties and gone through more than enough dangerous situations.
He had learned through experience that the most important thing in party combat wasn’t acting like a hero.
It was understanding how to efficiently use the defensive line maintained by the frontline Shield Warrior.
“Dohyeon, stay at the very back and regularly check everyone’s condition. Conserve your mana and distribute healing carefully. We’ll deal with minor wounds using potions, so focus your healing magic only on emergencies.”
“Yes, understood. I’ll make sure to conserve my mana.”
Kim Dohyeon swallowed nervously as he answered.
Chaeho placed his bag on the ground and silently began putting on his protective equipment.
He moved his wrists and ankles to make sure none of the joint guards restricted his range of motion.
Then he checked that the spare potions were secured somewhere he could easily reach.
He firmly tightened the strap of his scabbard and repeatedly checked that the sword could be drawn smoothly.
There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in his movements.
Yoon Jia watched him and quietly expressed her admiration.
“You look incredibly used to checking your equipment.”
“It’s just a habit that’s been drilled into me. Once you’re inside a dungeon, you can’t blame your equipment if something goes wrong. It’s better to check everything beforehand.”
Chaeho replied calmly as he retied his shoelaces one last time.
Everything was ready.
Seo Taegyeong lifted his enormous shield and looked around at the rest of the party.
“If everyone’s finished checking their equipment, let’s head in. Our plan today is to break through to Area Two and check how much strength we have left. If possible, we’ll aim for the boss at the deepest section.”
He paused for a moment.
“But if things look dangerous, we retreat immediately. We won’t force anything. We only attack when we’re certain we have a proper opening.”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
Chaeho also quietly nodded.
The gate of the Red Iron Mine stood before them, its crimson mana pulsing like a beating heart.
With Seo Taegyeong at the front, the party members slowly stepped into the swirling gate one after another.
Chaeho lightly gripped the handle of his sword and silently followed behind them.
As he entered the narrow, chilling darkness, the curtain rose on another real battle.
