WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Ceaseless
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Became the Gate Summoner Hunters Obsess Over ◈
Chapter 12: Formed a Bond. Was Flatly Rejected.
──────
Seoul had a total of twenty-five autonomous districts.
In each district, some of Korea's finest Veteran Hunters served as team leaders, directing field operations as “Representative Hunters.”
The public believed that these twenty-five Veteran Hunters managed Seoul's supernatural phenomena.
But the reality was a little different.
There were twenty-five autonomous districts in Seoul, and twenty-five Veteran Hunters assigned to them.
However, being Representative Hunters did not mean they were all equally capable.
As a result, Seoul's Hunter landscape was effectively divided into five regional blocks.
The central district Hunters, gathered around Jung District.
The northwestern Hunters, gathered around Mapo District.
The southwestern Hunters, gathered around Guro District.
The southeastern Hunters, gathered around Gangnam.
And the northeastern Hunters, gathered around Nowon District.
Five in total.
At the center of each stood Hunters who ranked above Veteran Hunters, commonly called old-timer Hunters, who managed their respective regions.
Team Leader Myo, Nowon District's Representative Hunter, was one such old-timer Hunter.
In emergencies involving supernatural phenomena, she was granted unchecked authority. For that brief time, it would not be an exaggeration to say she stood above every public authority, including the police, military, and the law.
Which was why...
“Isn't Team Leader Myo a little scary...?”
“A little? Hey, you've got guts. I piss myself every time I make eye contact with her, so I wear diapers.”
“Come on, I pissed myself the first few times too. But I did it so often that I got used to it. Oh, I know a good brand of adult diapers. Want me to send you the link?”
“Sure. Share it with me.”
Among northeastern Hunters, “Never make eye contact with Team Leader Myo” had practically been passed down as a proverb.
Whenever they had an operation with her, Hunters even showed up wearing diapers.
That was how frightening she was.
“Hey, have you ever seen Team Leader Myo show emotion on her face?”
“We can barely look her in the eye. How would we see her expression?”
“An expression? I've never even heard her voice.”
“Team Leader Myo rarely speaks unless it's work-related.”
“Do you think Team Leader Myo might not have human emotions at all?”
“That... makes sense!”
Rumors spread among Hunters that Team Leader Myo had forgotten human emotions during her long Hunter career.
Or that she had reached her current position by giving up her human emotions.
But if any of the Hunters who had heard those rumors saw the current situation, they would realize that rumors were only rumors.
After all...
“Hmm... The dirt over here is a little bland. Let's go back.”
The Hunter wearing a name tag that read [Kang Yul] spoke as he sucked dirt from his finger.
Then he retraced his steps and began walking in the exact opposite direction.
“Ah, this dirt is sweeter than before. I think this is the right direction.”
Then, after leaving the walking trail and entering an area thick with brush, he scooped up a handful of dirt and dumped it into his mouth.
Soon afterward, he smiled like a child who had found a sweet dessert and marched forward without hesitation.
“This sweetness feels just like chewing a premium chewy cookie marshmallow. It has to be nearby.”
Team Leader Myo could not understand what that being was saying.
Dirt was naturally dry and gritty when chewed. How could it possibly feel like chewing a premium chewy cookie marshmallow?
“Here. This dirt is the sweetest. It must be somewhere close.”
Before long, however, Team Leader Myo gave up trying to understand.
She had stepped slightly outside the bounds of humanity herself to achieve her goal, but she had no confidence in understanding something that had so openly abandoned being human.
So Team Leader Myo decided to believe only what she could see.
[Skill 'Myo Eye' activates.]
[That action will serve as a masterstroke for you.]
She could not understand it, and it made no sense at all.
But every one of that being's actions became a masterstroke for Team Leader Myo.
Team Leader Myo recalled what had happened so far.
.
.
.
“A Consciousness Individual that spreads spores is hiding somewhere in this forest. We need to find it.”
[Skill 'Myo Eye' activates.]
[That action will serve as a masterstroke for you.]
“I have confirmed that there is an area in this forest concealed by an illusion barrier. I believe the Consciousness Individual is hiding inside it.”
[Skill 'Myo Eye' activates.]
[That action will serve as a masterstroke for you.]
“Hmm... Now that I think about it, the dirt around these mushrooms is strangely sweet... Ah, could it be making the surrounding soil delicious...? If so, I might be able to find it. Just a moment... Munch, munch. Chew, chew. Hmm...! This is the taste...! No, I mean, ahem. Let's go this way.”
[Skill 'Myo Eye' activates.]
[That action will serve as a masterstroke for you.]
.
.
.
“....”
Remembering that series of events only made Team Leader Myo dislike the being before her more.
It behaved unpleasantly, occasionally stared at her chest with lewd eyes, and was a suspicious being with mana denser than she had expected.
...But.
“I found the illusion barrier. It looks like a fairly deep underground cave. No wonder it took so long to find.”
[Skill 'Myo Eye' activates.]
[That action will serve as a masterstroke for you.]
It was competent enough to find the source of an Erosion the Association had failed to locate for over three years in just three hours.
It was also rational enough to propose a contract forbidding the disclosure of its identity in order to blend into human society.
That made it useful.
To achieve Team Leader Myo's goal, this being's competence would be useful.
“Ah... Should I pack some dirt to give...?”
Rustle.
Its imitation of humanity was imperfect, leading to strange behavior like stuffing dirt into its mouth or pockets.
But taking care of that would be Team Leader Myo's role from now on.
“By the way, Team Leader Myo.”
“Please speak.”
“I think I've fulfilled my role by now. May I leave soon? Our contract only required me to find the source of the Erosion.”
“Yes. Hunter Kang Yul has completed the assigned task. The Association will take over from here.”
“Then our secret...?”
“I intend to assign Hunter Kang Yul as a Hunter directly under my command. It will only be on paper, but that alone should keep the Association from bothering you from now on.”
“!”
And so, that day...
‘Finally, I can trade as much as I want without worrying about the Association! And even if it's only on paper, being a Hunter directly under her command... Doesn't that mean I've made a connection...? She noticed me!’
‘Now that I've tied the bell of a direct subordinate Hunter around him, I should find a way to put a collar on him once we return.’
Kang Yul and Team Leader Myo began a relationship that was strangely out of sync.
Neither noticed the dissonance until they exchanged farewells and parted ways.
#####
The day after returning from Suraksan.
───
[Title: ❗❗Breaking News: Suraksan Gate Has Vanished❗❗]
[Anonymous]
(Article about the Nowon District and Dobong District Representative Hunters eliminating the source of the Suraksan Erosion)
Not a lie lol
They found the Erosion source, and the two Representative Hunters who happened to be there took care of it.
Land prices around Suraksan are probably going to skyrocket now, right? lol
───
[Comments]
[Why is this actually real?]
ㄴ[LOL, you too? Me too lol]
ㄴ[What? I thought it was obviously bait?]
ㄴ[The article says it was a special individual with an illusion barrier. How did they even find that?]
ㄴ[I heard a rookie Hunter got high on spores, tore through the mountain, and found it by accident?]
ㄴ[What??? Seriously????]
ㄴ[I'll bring the Association's bodycam footage link. Hold on.]
[Suraksan Exploration Bodycam <Link>]
ㄴ[Holy shit lol, looks like he was seriously out of it lol]
ㄴ[He was shoveling dirt into his mouth and eating mushrooms. What a mess lol]
ㄴ[Doing that with such clear eyes makes him look like a real maniac;;]
ㄴ[What is he saying? There's no sound, so I can't tell.]
ㄴ[He was hallucinating, so he was probably just saying whatever.]
ㄴ[Still, that poor rookie Hunter must've ended up as a corpse.]
ㄴ[? No, that rookie Hunter is alive. An article says he signed a separate contract with the Association over this.]
ㄴ[What? What did you say??]
ㄴ[He survived that?]
ㄴ[Yeah. I don't know the details, but apparently he endured because he has a strong stomach?]
ㄴ[Apparently it has something to do with his Class.]
ㄴ[Fuck lol, does that explain anything?]
ㄴ[What is he, some barbarian warrior who devours supernatural creatures?]
ㄴ[According to an acquaintance who's a Hunter and was at the scene, he's a mage.]
ㄴ[Seriously, that's not funny lol. Stop lying lol.]
ㄴ[So is he just a young man who liked eating dirt?]
ㄴ[Hey, don't leave Mushroom Boy out!]
.
.
.
.
.
Only a day had passed, but the disappearance of the Suraksan Erosion had become a major topic, drawing plenty of attention on the forum.
“A post about me deserves an upvote.”
Wiggle?
﹝Special Characteristics﹞
: It feels deep affection for you?
“Ah, right. I never explained what happened yesterday, did I...?”
Kang Yul recalled the conversation he had with Team Leader Myo before they parted yesterday.
.
.
.
“This matter will be made public through the media. Some information about Hunter Kang Yul will also be released during that process.”
“Is there a reason my information needs to be revealed?”
“It has been three years since Suraksan was Eroded. The public, as well as those higher up, will naturally be interested in how we found it. Reviewing my bodycam footage is a standard procedure.”
“So once the Erosion is dealt with, my actions will be exposed one way or another.”
“That is correct. Therefore, we intend to act first and manipulate the details that will be made public to make them seem as accidental as possible.”
“That does seem like the best option. Hmm... Then what do I need to do?”
“Other than keeping quiet, nothing. I will handle the rest. And this is my number, so please contact me if anything happens.”
“In that case, I'll trust in Team Leader Myo's abilities for the rest.”
.
.
.
If Kang Yul had intended to thrive as an Association Hunter, it would not have been bad to receive all the credit for this matter.
But Kang Yul only wanted a modest(?) life of mining in his own small(?) Gate while hiding his identity.
So it was an ironic situation where he had to reveal his identity in order to conceal it...
‘...Well, judging from the forum comments, Team Leader Myo handled it well.’
Still, explaining all of that to Worm would have been too complicated. Worm probably would not have been interested, either.
So Kang Yul decided to give a brief summary of what had happened yesterday.
“Do you remember the dirt and mushrooms I ate yesterday?”
Wiggle!
﹝Special Characteristics﹞
: It thinks the dirt was fairly edible.
“I briefly visited a mountain full of that dirt and those mushrooms. A friend I made recently asked me to find the bad mushroom that made the mountain like that.”
Wiggle?
﹝Special Characteristics﹞
: It wonders whether you brought back that dirt.
“Ah, that? I tried to sneak some out, but it looked too dangerous, so I gave up. They said there was something really nasty deeper inside.”
Kang Yul opened his status window and checked the Compendium, which had updated when he found the illusion barrier yesterday.
Ding!
───────────
[Gate Compendium] - [Spore Colony Forest]
- A forest transformed into something dreamlike by the mana of the Spore Colony.
- Somewhere in the forest, a 'Consciousness Individual' that spreads Spore Drones is hiding.
- There is an area in the forest hidden by an illusion barrier.
- Inside the illusion barrier, there is a 'Guard Individual' protecting the 'Consciousness Individual.'
※ The Guard Individual is an extremely aggressive dangerous individual.
───────────
“A Guard Individual? Just looking at that, it seems like I'd lose if I fought it.”
Kang Yul was greedy.
He was the kind of greedy person who would charge into a reckless choice others would abandon if there was even the slightest possibility, thinking, ‘This might be doable?’
But the moment Kang Yul saw that Guard Individual, his first thought had been, ‘Ah, this will kill me.’
Kang Yul possessed no combat ability whatsoever. Being told to fight a supernatural life form (physical) was no different from being told to die.
“So I immediately said I was going home and left.”
Wiggle!
﹝Special Characteristics﹞
: It feels deep affection for you!
: It thinks the dirt can simply be eaten up!
“I know. I also thought that summoning Worm might let me manage somehow. But it wasn't a situation where I could summon a Gate.”
Wiggle!
﹝Special Characteristics﹞
: It feels deep affection for you!
“Fine. If something like that happens again, I'll definitely call Worm, so stop being upset.”
Wiggle...!
﹝Special Characteristics﹞
: It feels deep affection for you.
: It wants to eat delicious dirt.
“Sure, let's go. I was planning to mine coal in bulk starting today anyway. Let's stockpile plenty and eat it.”
Wiggle...?
﹝Special Characteristics﹞
: It feels deep affection for you?
“Why am I suddenly mining so much? It's simple.”
Kang Yul looked at the contact details of the first XX chromosome stored in his smartphone.
[Team Leader Myo]: 010 - XXXX - XXXX
“I found a route to mine plenty and sell it in bulk.”
Kang Yul and Team Leader Myo were practically in the same boat now.
Just before they parted yesterday, Kang Yul had indirectly asked about selling magic coal of unknown origin. Team Leader Myo had said she could only answer after seeing its quality.
Wiggle...?
﹝Special Characteristics﹞
: It feels deep affection for you?
“What does that mean? Simply put, Worm, our lives have turned around! We can eat as much delicious dirt as we want, three meals a day!”
Wiggle...!!!
﹝Special Characteristics﹞
: It feels deep affection for you!?!
As though asking if that was really true, Worm stretched out its body and began trembling.
“Yes, yes. It's true, Worm. So... you'll help me mine... right...?”
Wiggle!
﹝Special Characteristics﹞
: It feels deep affection for you!
: It wants to eat delicious dirt!!!
“Good! You're full of energy! Then let's mine as much as we failed to mine yesterday!”
Wiggle!
And so, that day, Kang Yul and Worm continued mining for twelve straight hours.
The following day, over a late lunch, Kang Yul and Team Leader Myo met at a quiet café near the Association building to have the coal's quality appraised.
And the result was...
“I'm sorry. This is not something we can handle.”
“Pardon?”
Kang Yul's proposal to sell magic coal was flatly rejected.
“The quality is too high.”
“What???”
For the absurd reason that its quality was too good.
Footnotes:
“Myo Eye” plays on Team Leader Myo's name and the Korean expression for a clever insight. Its system message calls a helpful action a “masterstroke.”
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