Chapter 59

Level Up Alone: Ragnarok Chapter 58

Suhwo was taken aback.

‘Baek Mihwa… the one I met in the Demon Valley?’

After returning from the Demon Valley field, he had searched for a hunter named Baek Mihwa on HunterNet.

Baek Mihwa.

A Class A hunter and the vice-guild leader of the Baekho Guild, she was quite famous in Korea.

One of the reasons Baek Mihwa became famous was her position as the vice-guild leader of the Baekho Guild, which represents Korea, but her birth played a more significant role.

Her father was Baek Yunho, the guild leader of the Baekho Guild.

Who was Baek Yunho?

The guild leader of the Baekho Guild, an S-class hunter representing Korea, and the possessor of the Beast Transformation skill's advanced form, the Demon Beast Transformation skill.

With his extremely powerful rare skill, there were not many hunters in the world who could match him in close combat.

In particular, his 'Demon Beast's Eye' was a very valuable skill used to accurately gauge the strength of opponents or select good subordinates.

Of course, if that was all, he would have been a (relatively) famous S-class hunter.

Baek Yunho received a lot of respect among S-class hunters because he left the Four Deities Guild, where he originally belonged, and created a new guild to pursue his own principles.

After founding the Baekho Guild, Baek Yunho began to take a completely different path from the Four Deities Guild, which was solely focused on making money and expanding its influence.

He gathered all the Beast Transformation skill users in the country and tackled dungeons that did not yield much profit, truly taking the path of a demon beast hunter.

‘Hunters should hunt demons like hunters!’

This approach by Baek Yunho earned him the respect and admiration of many hunters.

His daughter, Baek Mihwa, was a worthy successor to the Baekho Guild, inheriting her father's talent and charisma.

She was not just a golden spoon riding on her father's fame but was proving her own worth and earning the recognition of the Baekho Guild members.

‘…Such a person is looking for me?’

Suhwo felt a bit uneasy.

They had made eye contact when he obtained Rakan's fang in the Demon Valley field.

‘More information comes from smell than you think.’

After several times of channeling the Beast King's power, he realized that using the Beast Transformation skill made his senses incredibly sharp.

Perhaps Baek Mihwa had noticed something from the smell he emitted at that time.

His clothes were drenched in the blood of the Arachne.

‘And then I got that weird nickname, the Beast King Crowni or something.’

Feeling a bit uneasy, Suhwo swallowed hard and continued his conversation with the Baekho Guild staff.

“Why is Ms. Baek Mihwa looking for me?”

* * *

Baekho Guild.

Suhwo was entering the building of the Baekho Guild.

‘I had a feeling…’

In addition to Suhwo, many C-class hunters had gathered at the Baekho Guild.

Most of them were freelance hunters, like Suhwo, who did not belong to any guild.

The reason the Baekho Guild suddenly gathered them was due to the A-class villain, Im Myeongseong, who had recently appeared.

“That deputy of the Four Deities Guild is hunting hunters now?”

“Yeah, he’s completely gone mad.”

“Now that he’s a villain, he should leave Korea immediately. Why is he harming us innocent people?”

Suhwo listened to the hunters' conversation while calmly observing the surroundings.

Despite being a C-class hunter for only two days, he did not know anyone among the many people present.

[A hunter who was once A-class is now hunting hunters. What a useless guy.]

Especially since he was the deputy of the large Four Deities Guild.

“But what’s the reason?”

Now classified as an A-class villain, Im Myeongseong could be detained and never see the light of day again if caught.

However, with the nature of his crimes becoming more severe, he was now a target for immediate execution upon sight, not just detention.

Thus, it was difficult to understand why he would give up on fleeing and engage in such absurd behavior.

At that moment, Berg, who had been looking at the news about Im Myeongseong on Suhwo’s phone, noticed something peculiar.

The image of Im Myeongseong captured by the CCTV during the attack was strange.

[Wings?]

There were wing-like appendages on Im Myeongseong’s back as he moved quickly.

Suhwo looked at Berg.

“Why? Is he a friend of yours?”

[Chirp! How could I be friends with such a trivial person! It’s shameful!]

“But he has wings similar to yours?”

[Those are not ant wings.]

“Then what?”

[Hmm. A bee?]

Berg carefully examined the low-quality CCTV footage of Im Myeongseong.

[It’s not clear, but it seems to be a stinging insect.]

“Bees are cousins to ants, then.”

[Chirp!]

At that moment,

The noise from the hunters suddenly decreased.

‘Hmm?’

Suhwo looked up and saw Baek Mihwa, the vice-guild leader of the Baekho Guild, stepping onto the stage.

“Thank you for responding to our sudden invitation. My name is Baek Mihwa.”

Baek Mihwa skipped the formalities and got straight to the point.

This was because the situation was urgent.

“As you all know from the news, an A-class villain is hunting hunters.”

The gathered hunters looked at each other.

“Especially, the damage to freelance hunters is severe.”

The reason was obvious.

Guild-affiliated hunters usually travel in groups.

At least 10, or even 20 or more.

No matter how strong Im Myeongseong was as an A-class, it would be difficult for him to attack a group of that size.

On the other hand, the freelance hunters, especially the C-class, who operate in smaller numbers, were the easiest targets.

‘B-class and above are often recruited by guilds, and D-class and E-class usually work as miners or porters in groups.’

Thus, the most ambiguous position was the C-class freelancers gathered here.

“So, are you worried about us and offering to take us into the Baekho Guild?”

“Wow, really?”

The hunters murmured with a mix of excitement.

Suhwo, however, frowned slightly.

‘That’s a bit problematic.’

If he joined a guild, people would start to look at him strangely as he leveled up and became stronger.

And most importantly…

[Young Master, I oppose this.]

Berg suddenly appeared in front of Suhwo.

[The son of a great king should not disgrace himself by joining someone else’s guild! It’s shameful!]

“Hey, be quiet.”

[Chirp!]

Suhwo covered Berg’s mouth and forced him back into the shadow.

The murmurs of the C-class hunters subsided as Baek Mihwa continued.

“I apologize for not meeting your expectations, but as you know, our guild only accepts hunters with the Beast Transformation skill.”

“Then why did you call us here?”

A small murmur from someone was caught by Baek Mihwa’s superhuman hearing.

Baek Mihwa smiled wryly.

“Because of this, you are currently exposed to danger. So, we will protect you until Im Myeongseong is caught.”

‘What?’

Suhwo’s expression showed surprise.

Others reacted similarly.

“Wow, you’re going to protect us?”

“Does that mean you’ll also go on hunts with us?”

“Wow, that’s the Baekho Guild for you.”

A reaction that would never have come from another guild.

If this were the Four Deities Guild or another place, such a reaction would not have been so immediate.

However, the Baekho Guild had earned the trust of the hunters through its actions.

Moreover, with the Baekho Guild members who possess the Beast Transformation skill, they could detect Im Myeongseong’s presence with their excellent senses.

“By the way… will you also enter dungeons with us? How will the income be distributed?”

Someone raised their hand and asked. A Baekho Guild member standing next to Baek Mihwa glared at them disapprovingly.

The C-class hunter flinched and quickly bowed.

But Baek Mihwa smiled wryly again, stopped her guild member, and answered the question.

“Of course, the income will be distributed according to market rates. We will not demand any protection fees.”

Oh!

The C-class hunters exclaimed in admiration.

“Wow, that’s amazing. In game terms, this is like offering us a ride in a bus.”

“Hey, it’s not that extreme. We’re C-class, after all. We’re not at the level where we need to follow someone around.”

“Still, it’s great to have a fixed party for a while. Being a freelancer is good, but forming a party is always a headache.”

“Exactly. If you end up with a weird guy, you just suffer and end up in trouble.”

“But does the Baekho Guild have that many members? How can they follow all of us?”

Baek Mihwa immediately responded to the last question.

“You’re right. So, I want you to form parties here that will travel together for a while. Two B-class hunters from our guild will join each party.”

Oh.

It was really amazing.

Two B-class hunters were a significant force.

Even if Im Myeongseong was an A-class villain, a party of C-class hunters with two B-class hunters could handle him.

While victory was not guaranteed, at least they could counterattack or escape.

‘At least we can protect our lives, right?’

‘We’re supposed to form parties from this group?’

As soon as Baek Mihwa finished speaking, the hunters began to look around, their eyes gleaming.

“Hey, Mr. Kim! Let’s team up again?”

“Sure, I trust you!”

Most of them were experienced freelancers who understood the importance of party members.

Even among C-class hunters, skill differences could significantly affect their levels.

Some had good skills.

Some had bad personalities.

Some had skills that did not synergize well with others…

In no time, the hunters formed their own groups.

“Eh…?”

Suhwo was left standing alone as everyone quickly moved around.

Even Suhwo, who had easily handled the powerful attacks of the Ammut and the venomous sand scorpion, was at a loss this time.

“But I’ve never seen this hunter before. Does anyone know him?”

“Yeah, he must be new.”

Suhwo, who had never felt pressure from any enemies, now felt the weight of the gazes on him.

[Young Master… This seems to be the most difficult challenge you’ve faced so far.]