Chapter 90

EP.90 Stained Rock Pile (2)

It has been a month since I joined the "Judgment of Fire."

At first, I was at a loss, not even knowing what offices were in the clan tower, but now I have established myself as a proper clan member.

"Good morning, senior."

"Ah, good morning. You're the intern, right? The new one in Hunting Team 5."

"Yes, that's right."

The number of people I greet every day has gradually increased.

I started to remember the faces of not only the members of Hunting Team 5 but also the entire hunting department, and I made sure to greet them whenever we met.

The image within the clan is something you build yourself.

Thanks to this, the clan members who greet me now at least remember me.

After about a month, my face seemed to be somewhat etched in their minds.

"Hmm—Intern?"

"Yes, Holder Lee Soo-mi."

"Could you write a report in the proper format based on the content I just organized? Just like the one you submitted last time."

"Sure. Should I send the email to the administrative team as soon as I finish writing it?"

"Hmm—Now you know without me saying, huh?"

Among the tasks of the hunting team, there were also internal paperwork tasks to handle.

At first, I felt it was unnecessarily complicated, wondering why the holders had to write reports in front of computers, but...

Now, I feel like I'm getting the hang of these tasks.

The complex tasks within the clan are gradually becoming familiar to me.

'Indeed, it's helpful.'

Being an intern clan member.

This is ultimately a preparatory process to become a full clan member.

Even though it's a short period, I am still a member of the "Judgment of Fire."

By handling my responsibilities as a clan member to the best of my ability, I can understand the world of holders and the clan more deeply.

Not just as an academy student, but as a rune holder.

It felt like I was stepping into the real world of rune holders.

'Well, there are also many practical benefits.'

It's not just about mental growth.

If that were the case, I wouldn't have even considered joining the clan.

[You have won the duel! With the mysterious power of a rune hunter, you can replicate one of the opponent's runes. Please choose the rune to replicate.]

[You have chosen Mana Amplification. As it is a Level 11 normal rune, its level will drop to Level 6.]

[You have obtained a new rune.]

[You gain 3 mana points due to the rune's properties.]

"I lost, I lost. Warriors are indeed hard to beat."

A B-rank mage holder of Hunting Team 5.

Kim Sung-chul raised the white flag.

This was the result of a duel that was finally arranged after numerous requests.

Thanks to this, I was able to obtain a new rune.

[Mana Amplification], one of the core common runes for mages.

And it was a pretty good Level 6 rune.

[Mana Amplification] is a rune that can generally amplify the power of a holder's mana-based techniques.

For example, when casting [Flickering Flames], the destructive power becomes much more intense with [Mana Amplification].

While it does consume more of my mana, it also increases the capacity of the container.

Moreover, this applies not only when using mana runes but also when infusing weapons with mana.

In other words, it means that the efficiency of warrior-related mana skills like [Wave Sword] and [Rushing Water Blade] is also good.

While Kim Sung-chul, a standard B-rank, had many other runes, I chose the one that could be used most universally.

The rewards didn't end there.

['Sweat of the Seeker' rune's special effect has been satisfied. 100 hours of training have been completed, and a new count has started.]

[You have gained 1 sanctity point through the special effect.]

Intense duels also count as training time.

['Sweat of the Seeker'] has an effect that grants a random ability point after completing 100 hours of training.

A steady 1 ability point gained through consistent training.

This accumulates and gradually becomes a significant level.

'Gaining sanctity points isn't bad either.'

The ability points gained through this effect are random.

Initially, I only prayed for strength and speed, but now that my abilities are growing more balanced, any ability point would be beneficial.

Especially since I recently obtained the [Combat Healing] rune and the epic item [Sword of Repentance], the influence of sanctity points on my combat has increased.

Now, the performance of sanctity points cannot be ignored.

"Good job, senior."

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and greeted Kim Sung-chul, who was standing opposite me.

A duel between the warrior and mage classes.

He accepted a duel that was disadvantageous to him.

I felt both gratitude and respect.

Kim Sung-chul shrugged and asked.

"Jae-hyun, are you really a C-rank? When we fought, it felt almost like a B-rank."

A month is a short yet long time.

During this period, I have become quite close to my teammates, and Kim Sung-chul speaks to me informally.

Now, only Lee Soo-mi uses formal language with me.

"My abilities have improved a lot, but B-rank isn't just about ability points. It's not that simple."

"True, that's right."

The promotion of holders is overseen by the Korean Holder Association.

The criteria for C-rank are clearly defined.

Achieving 30 points in the main ability and passing the association's ability evaluation.

And the evaluation of hunting achievements as a rune holder.

If these criteria are met, one can be promoted to a C-rank holder.

I also became a C-rank this way.

'B-rank and above have different evaluation criteria.'

While there is a standard of 50 points in the main ability, from B-rank onwards, more focus is placed on rune levels and achievements.

As the level increases, it becomes harder to raise ability points, and in combat, the effectiveness of runes often outweighs ability points.

Therefore, simply having 50 points in the main ability does not guarantee promotion to B-rank.

"Recently, they say you're going around challenging seniors."

Kim Sung-chul asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

After the 'Forest Covered in Snakes' mission ended and the team had some free time, I politely requested duels with clan members whenever I had the chance.

Mainly targeting members of Hunting Team 5, especially B-rank holders.

It wasn't just about winning duels to obtain runes. I wanted to improve my senses by competing with senior holders who had graduated from the academy.

Not just battles against monstrosities, but also battles against holders.

I needed to prepare for this and develop my combat sense.

'Soon, I might have to fight villains.'

I wanted to keep as much distance as possible from that psycho group, but now I can't avoid a confrontation.

I have become involved with people like Kang Joo-yeon and Park Jin-woo, entering the mainstream, and through this process, I might have caught the attention of <Villain>.

After all, I was the one who stopped the assault on the safety zone.

To prepare for this clash, I needed to have more frequent duels with holders.

"Ah, not exactly 'challenging'..."

"Haha. Just kidding, just kidding. Ambition is always good. Have you fought with the team leader?"

"Yes, I got thoroughly beaten."

Actually, today was the first time I won a duel.

During the duels, I couldn't beat even B-rank Choi Dong-wook, let alone A-rank Kwon Oh-jun.

Both were veteran holders with a lot of experience in the clan, and they had no areas where they didn't surpass me in ability points and rune levels.

I tried several times but never won.

Kim Sung-chul also won through the class advantage, rune diversity, and the variables I created in the battle. Normally, there was an insurmountable gap in experience between us.

'Other clan members... won't fight with me.'

Lee Soo-mi, being a sanctity class, couldn't form a duel, and Kang Joo-yeon refused to duel for some reason.

-I can't.

Whenever I tried to duel, she couldn't cast magic.

...Maybe she's afraid I'll get hurt.

No matter how many times I said it was okay, it didn't work.

Lately, we've become closer, and I temporarily forgot, but Kang Joo-yeon's stubbornness is something even Moon Ga-eun can't change.

So, I had to postpone the duel with her for later.

"Haha. When you fight the team leader, everyone ends up like that."

"Have you ever fought with the team leader, Holder Kim Sung-chul?"

"Of course. The team leader is A-rank now, but a year ago, he was also B-rank. I'm a bit competitive, even for a mage."

"You seem different from what you appear."

"I hear that a lot."

We exchanged trivial conversations while packing up our things.

It was already past the time to leave.

We had to leave before the clan tower closed.

In the middle of this, Kim Sung-chul turned his head and asked.

"Ah, if you're free tomorrow, how about a drink? I haven't bought one for our intern yet."

I replied with a troubled expression.

"Ah... I'm afraid I won't be able to tomorrow."

"You have plans?"

"Yes, it's a bit important..."

Tomorrow is the last Saturday of July.

The day I agreed to go on a field hunt in Seoraksan with Kim Chae-eun two weeks ago.

Of course, that's just the formal reason, and during the process, we plan to find and tackle the 'Stained Rock Pile' dungeon.

* * *

The next day.

I looked at Kim Chae-eun, scratching my head.

"...What did you pack so much for?"

After using the warp gate to come to Gangwon-do.

Kim Chae-eun, who came with me to the entrance of the Seoraksan field.

She was walking while carrying a large hiking backpack.

'Why did she bring this when she has a magic bag?'

That was a minor question.

Kim Chae-eun's hiking backpack contained all sorts of things.

From various cooking utensils like a burner, pot, and frying pan, to vegetables that would be hard to count, meats of all kinds from land, sea, and air, and various seasonings and sauces...

All kinds of ingredients occupied the bag.

...Is this preparation for hunting or cooking?

But in the absurd situation, Kim Chae-eun smiled and answered.

"There's a safety zone in the Seoraksan field. I thought it would be really delicious to cook ramen there."

Safety zone.

One of the shelters often found in large fields like Seoraksan.

Generally, fields are the habitats of monstrosities that have been pushed out of the boundary, but the safety zone is a new magical boundary created within the field.

Naturally, no monstrosities enter there, and it serves as a resting place for holders who are tired from hunting.

It's a device to reduce the risks in fields with high-level and numerous monstrosities.

'You're going to cook ramen there?'

It seems like we're here for a hike, not a hunt.

Moreover, there's another absurd thing.

These ingredients aren't for ramen.

"Teacher. This isn't ramen, but barbecue ingredients, right?"

"I'm going to eat meat ramen! Since I'm making it, you just have to eat it, Jae-hyun."

"Ah, no. I'll do it. I'll make it. Actually, I also wanted to eat meat ramen. Haha."

I quickly stopped Kim Chae-eun.

I almost got into trouble by picking a fight.

After the 'pancake and makgeolli' incident, I learned a lot.

Whatever Kim Chae-eun wants to eat, I have to make it for her.

...Only then can my stomach be safe.

"Um... Okay! Since Jae-hyun's cooking is much better."

Kim Chae-eun said that and then...

Put the large hiking backpack into a small magic bag.

I couldn't help but laugh.

'...Was it just for show?'

Anyway, after overcoming this crisis.

We were finally able to enter the entrance of the Seoraksan field.

The third field outside the boundary, following Bukhansan and Inwangsang.