NOVPUB
Chapter 119
Yoon-Hee was crouched on the floor, inspecting the contents of her suit-case.
Inside was the D-rank suit made of Rapid Rabbit hide, a standard issue from the Academy. There was also a blade, a basic Hunter weapon that scaled in power with the user’s mana. Along with it were a mana gun, mana smoke, stamina potions, speed potions, and other combat support artifacts.
Yoon-He let out a deep breath.
It was time for another Fissure training at the Academy the next day. Once a month, the Hunter Academy collaborated with the Hunter’s Bureau to secure exclusive access to a B-rank Fissure for practical training, during which the first-year Class B students would participate in a two-hour hunting session.
Though it was technically training, the sessions were graded, so the students made thorough preparations to earn the highest scores they could.
The site for this training session was the Troll’s Valley, a B-rank Fissure located near the National Cemetery in Seoul, about thirty minutes from the Academy.
[Skill—Binding Chains]
Grade: A
Skill Effect: Summons chains to bind the target. The strength of the chains increases in proportion to the user’s mana (Minimum mana requirement: 10).
Until recently, Yoon-Hee was a “half-complete Hunter”—a term commonly used for Hunters who relied solely on physical enhancement without any skills. However, a month ago, thanks to an A-grade skill book that Do-Jun had given her, she dropped her “half-complete” label and became a full-fledged Hunter.
“Alright. All set,” Yoon-Hee said to herself with a smile and closed the suitcase.
As she stood up to leave the bedroom, she locked eyes with Do-Jun, who was lying on his side on the bed, propping his face with one hand and watching her blankly.
“F-father?” she said, startled.
“You’re sure you’ve packed everything?”
Yoon-Hee’s face instantly flushed. The thought that he might have overheard her talking to herself had her thoroughly embarrassed.
“H-how long have you been here...?” she asked him.
She could have sworn she had seen him watching TV in the living room. When had he moved to the bed?
“About five minutes. I wondered what you were up to, staying in the room this long.”
“Um... please forget about the little monologue just now.”
“As you wish. You’re going to the Fissure training tomorrow?”
“Yes. We’re heading to the Troll’s Valley. You know, near the National Cemetery.”
Do-Jun got up from the bed, patted Yoon-Hee on the head, and said, “Be careful.”
With that, he left the room.
***
The next morning, Do-Jun went to work earlier than usual.
It had already been two weeks since he finished his internship at the Hunter’s Bureau and returned to Seoul City Hall. Time had flown by.
He poured a packet of instant coffee into a paper cup, added hot water, and stirred it with a spoon. Returning to his desk, he started browsing the main headlines on a portal site.
It was still early, with no one else in yet, so he began his morning leisurely in the quiet.
“Behemoth Returns from the Core... When’s the Next Dive?”
Last night, it seemed that Behemoth had wrapped up their hunt on the first floor of the Core and returned to Earth for a break.
Do-Jun occasionally watched their streams to check on their progress, and so far, they seemed to be proceeding smoothly without major issues.
“Early morning, huh, Do-Jun?” Cheol-Soo said as he entered, humming a tune.
Do-Jun stood up slightly to greet his chief.
Ye-Ji passed the promotion exam and became an A-rank Hunter, which put Cheol-Soo in a good mood. Now, Seoul City Hall had four A-rank Hunters under contract: the three members of the Mejai Guild and Ye-Ji.
This was unprecedented since the establishment of the Fissure Management Division. No other local government even had one B-rank Hunter, let alone an A-ranker; yet, Seoul City had four.
Cheol-Soo said, “I know this might sound wrong, but...”
“Yes?”
“It feels strange, you know? Ever since you returned to work from your accident, only good things have been happening for our division. You’re like our lucky charm.”
In a monotonous voice, Do-Jun replied, “You’re embarrassing me.”
“Though sometimes you seem like you’ve lost your soul. Like an emotionless robot.”
“Oh, sorry about that...”
“No need to apologize. I mean it in a good way; women tend to like men with that cool, aloof vibe.”
The conversation ended, and Do-Jun found himself staring at his expressionless reflection in the monitor screen.
“An emotionless robot, huh...” he mumbled.
***
Meanwhile, the first-year Class B students arrived at the National Cemetery on the Academy’s chartered bus.
The bus stopped at the gate, and one by one, the students stepped out from the front door.
Hye-Jung groaned as she stretched briefly after getting off the bus. Then, she turned to look at the field across from the gate, where, right at the center, the entrance to a long, towering Fissure stretched up toward the sky.
This was the gateway into the Troll’s Valley, an open, B-rank Great Fissure.
As the students saw the entrance of the dazzling, radiant Fissure, they swallowed nervously, their mouths dry.
“Nervous?” their instructor, Seo Seong-Rok, said as he watched the frozen students.
For most of them, this would be their first experience with a Great Fissure. After all, unlike standard Fissures below C-rank, a B-rank Great Fissure had the possibility of a Distortion occurring. If that were to happen, they wouldn’t be able to exit until the boss monster was defeated.
Thus, the one who was most on edge was none other than their instructor, Seong-Rok, a former A-rank Hunter.
“A little tension helps with focus. Don’t let your guard down for even a moment,” he warned the students, who nodded.
“Is there anyone who feels they can’t enter the Great Fissure?” he asked to confirm.
Everyone glanced at each other. They were all equally scared. However, backing out here would impact their grades.
During their entire three-year journey at the Academy, each student's performance at every stage influenced the value they would command at graduation, which is why few students were willing to raise their hands.
After a brief silence, five students finally raised their hands as if they’d made up their minds. But no one criticized them.
In fact, Seong-Rok praised them. “It takes courage to know when to step back. You made a good choice. Stay at the entrance, and for the rest of you, I’m giving you ten minutes to prepare before we head in.”
Yoon-Hee opened her suit-case, pulled out a palm-sized orb, and pressed it to her chest. The orb burst open, and a suit unfolded, covering her entire body except for her face. As the suit tightened around her, she felt the weight of the impending battle settle in.
Her entire body was tense; her palms were sweaty.
She strapped a belt around her waist that resembled a cartridge belt. In the grooves of the belt, she attached her combat support artifacts using hooks, then secured her blade and mana gun in the sheath and holster on her thighs, completing her preparations.
Just then, someone patted Yoon-Hee’s shoulder. She turned to see that it was her friend.
“Hey Hye-Jung, are you all set?” Yoon-Hee asked.
“Yeah, this isn’t my first rodeo.”
Hye-Jung smiled, but although she appeared relaxed, her slender frame trembled ever so slightly. It was the fear of entering a Great Fissure. One mistake, one wrong decision, and even a trivial error could lead to death.
“We got this. All of us,” Yoon-Hee said, trying to comfort her.
Hye-Jung wasn’t the only one who was afraid; all of her classmates likely felt the same way.
“Everyone, line up,” Seong-Rok called out.
***
Jagged rocks and dense trees surrounded them, with clear stream water flowing through. They gazed at the endless horizon. They had entered the Troll’s Valley, a B-rank Great Fissure.
Seong-Rok stepped out of the shallow stream, reviewing the mapping data posted on the official website of the Hunter’s Bureau once more. The complete map was neatly marked, but he had no intention of going more than three hundred meters beyond the entrance.
“The most important thing is your safety. Don’t overdo it, and if anything seems dangerous, retreat immediately. Remember to hunt only within the designated area I mentioned earlier,” he reminded the students.
The students checked the emergency cams embedded in their necklaces, which the Hunter’s Bureau provided for training within Great Fissures. In case of an emergency, activating them would immediately send footage to the Hunter’s Bureau control room, triggering a rescue response.
Yoon-Hee gripped her blade tightly and unsheathed it from her side. The blade was crafted from reinforced material extracted from mana stones. Although her primary weapon was the mana gun, the tough skin and remarkable regeneration of trolls made it difficult to subdue them with the gun alone, making it unsuitable for use here.
When she activated Infusion, her mana coursed through her body and down her fingertips, enveloping the blade. While it wasn’t as stable as that of A-rank Hunters, she could maintain it as long as she focused her mind.
Soon, the students began their hunt.
***
“Rooooar!”
A hulking monster with green skin, standing over three meters tall, let out a bellowing roar.
Jin-Soo, who had been waiting on a tree branch, leaped down in a swift motion, driving the blade he held deep into the monster’s neck. With a sound akin to an explosive going off, blood trickled down the troll’s neck, and smoke wafted out.
The troll gritted its teeth in pain and swung its fist toward Jin-Soo.
Or at least, it tried to.
A blue chain appeared out of the troll’s blind spot, binding its fist in place. The troll flexed its arm, trying to snap the chains, causing veins to bulge and pulse on its fist. But as if to taunt the troll, the chains only tightened further.
It was Yoon-Hee’s brand-new A-grade skill, Binding Chains.
Hye-Jung was surprised but quickly realized there was no time to admire it and sprinted toward the troll’s chest. Mana flowed from her blade like threads, converging at its tip and piercing through the troll’s thick skin, striking a vital spot.
The troll fell backward.
Although the troll was likely killed instantly from being struck in its fatal spot, Jin-Soo stabbed his blade once more to be sure.
“We make a pretty good team, don’t we?” Jin-Soo said with a grin. “When we graduate, should we start our own guild? I’ll be the guild master, Yoon-Hee can be the vice-guild master, and you, Hye-Jung, can be a member.”
Hye-Jung held up her middle finger in response and said, “Up yours.”
“Why?” Jin-Soo asked with a smirk.
“Because I’m going to join the Icarus Guild.”
At that, Jin-Soo scoffed and said, “Hah! Why would Icarus want you? Are you kidding?”
“At least you’re realistic. You’re thinking of forming your own guild because you know none of them would take you, right?”
“Oh, you wanna fight?”
Seeing them clash again, Yoon-Hee sighed and muttered, “They’re always fighting.”
“Yoon-Hee, is there any guild you want to join?” Hye-Jung asked.
Yoon-Hee shook her head as no particular guild came to mind.
Jin-Soo chimed in, “The place we all want to go to the most is...”
He trailed off, but they all knew without him having to say it. This was every Hunter’s hero, idol, and dream—the place where the Emperor, the King, and the Queen, the three stars, gathered.
“Behemoth.”
