WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ The S-Classes That I Raised ◈

Chapter 8: The Hunter Association (2)

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The gift card held a full billion won. Wow, I said I needed money and he just threw a billion at me. Was this even okay? Wouldn't there be gift tax? Were S-ranks exempt from gift tax too?

Still dazed, I pulled out the card and headed farther into the shopping mall.

The Hunter Shopping Mall occupied the third through sixth floors of the Hunter Association building. The third and fourth floors sold C-rank and lower items, the fifth sold B-rank items, and the sixth sold A-rank items. S-rank items and above were only sold at auction.

Since I had plenty of money, I went straight up to the sixth floor. There were hardly any customers, while neatly dressed employees stood at regular intervals with posture as straight as mannequins.

“Where can I find S-rank contract scrolls?”

When I asked the nearest employee, she gave me a perfectly pretty, friendly smile.

“I'll guide you there right away, customer. Please come this way.”

She led me to a reception room enclosed by glass walls. Looking around, I saw similar rooms scattered throughout the floor.

Once I sat on the sofa, another employee offered me a drink.

“Coffee, please.”

“Is there a particular bean you prefer?”

I would've been fine with Maxim... But this didn't look like a place that had instant coffee.

“Uh, orange juice, please.”

She wasn't going to ask what variety of orange I wanted, was she? Fortunately, she only asked whether I wanted ice before squeezing fresh oranges into an expensive-looking glass.

‘This is good.’

They were probably expensive oranges, too. As I sipped the juice, a man who looked to be in his mid-to-late thirties entered and bowed to me at a ninety-degree angle.

“My name is Gi Yunseo, and I am the sixth-floor manager of the Hunter Shopping Mall.”

Contract scrolls were relatively cheap for sixth-floor merchandise, yet the manager had come personally. Wasn't this a bit excessive? Wearing a polished smile, he sat across from me.

“Since people looking for S-rank contract scrolls are rare, you'll need to wait about ten minutes. I've sent an employee to the warehouse, so please excuse the delay.”

“Oh, yes. That's fine.”

I nodded. It made sense. There couldn't be many people who wanted to buy an S-rank contract scroll.

With one exception, every S-rank in Korea was a guildmaster. Planning to make a contract with an S-rank meant I was either on their level or closely connected to them. No wonder the manager had practically rushed out barefoot to fawn over me.

Not long after, an employee brought over a luxurious leather box.

“We currently have five types of S-rank contract scrolls in stock. The most popular are those that reduce stats.”

The manager took a parchment contract scroll from the box and spread it on the table.

“This contains an S-rank curse skill belonging to the S-rank hunter Clown Doll, Manuela Schüssler. Should the terms be violated, all stats will decrease by twenty percent for one year. It is a powerful contract scroll that cannot be escaped without an SS-rank curse-nullification skill or item. In practice, no one but the Saint can remove it. The contract may remain valid for up to ten years.”

Wait, then would I suffer no penalty even if I broke the contract? My curse resistance was L-rank. An S-rank curse wouldn't even tickle me.

‘This could be pretty useful.’

The thought crossed my mind, but I immediately dismissed it. There was no reason for me to become the subject of a contract, and even if my F-rank stats fell by twenty percent, it would hardly matter. If it were an illegal contract that could stake someone's life instead of an Association-certified contract that only reduced stats or skills, I might be able to use it. But I had no intention of going that far.

“We also have contract scrolls that reduce and seal skill ranks. However, they are limited to one S-rank skill or below, so they are not very effective against someone with an SS-rank skill. Contract scrolls that permanently reduce stats are highly effective, but the other hunter is unlikely to accept them easily.”

Even if they intended to keep the contract, it would still make them uncomfortable.

I bought one scroll that reduced stats for a year and one that sealed a skill for a month. Fifty million won vanished in an instant. Even so, I still had 950 million won left. What a younger brother who didn't know the value of money.

It was money he had given me, so I would use it gratefully.

“Please show me equipment that increases Magic Power as well. Something I can wear normally. I want a flat increase, not a percentage increase.”

Equipment with percentage increases was worth much more, but it was useless to me. My Magic Power was only 2. A +5 item, not even C-rank, was far more useful than +50% equipment that top rankers around the world would go mad over.

Soon, expensive cases wrapped in velvet were placed on the table.

“All of these items come with an appraisal certificate from Park Jiyeon, an A-rank appraiser affiliated with the Korean Hunter Association.”

The manager spoke as he opened the cases one by one. Equipment showed its performance as soon as it was worn, but sometimes people sold items disguised by magic or curses. That was why expensive equipment came with appraisal certificates like these.

“This is the Red Lumerus Ring. It is an A-rank accessory that raises your Magic Power stat by 30.”

Magic Power was a difficult stat to raise, so even an increase of just 30 made it A-rank equipment. This ring alone would make it unlikely that I ever ran short on mana.

‘It is gaudy as hell.’

The red gemstone set in the silver ring was the size of a quail egg. It even had a border of diamond-like gems around it. How was I supposed to wear that around?

“This is the Auris Hall Bracelet. It is also an A-rank accessory and raises your Magic Power stat by 27.”

A bracelet strung with walnut-sized blue beads was followed by a dazzling sapphire necklace and a leather ribbon hair tie. Why did they all look like this?

“As you know, there are more than twice as many male high-rank hunters as female ones, so simple accessories tend to sell out quickly.”

Seeing my expression twist, the manager tried to explain. Even so, this was too much. The ring and bracelet looked embarrassing to wear regardless of gender.

“These are the Black Fairy Earrings. They are A-rank accessories that raise your Magic Power stat by 29. This is the last A-rank item in stock that provides a flat Magic Power increase. Everything else left is C-rank or lower.”

Not even B-rank, but C-rank? I looked at the Black Fairy Earrings thoughtfully. They were simple earrings, each with only a tiny black jewel the size of a grain of rice. I didn't like the thought of piercing my ears, but they would barely show.

“How much do the C-rank ones increase it by?”

I asked just in case.

“They provide a flat increase of 5 to 6.”

That wouldn't work. The difference was too large. The total needed to be at least 10 before it was worth using.

In the end, I bought the Black Fairy Earrings. They cost 230 million won. They were cheap for A-rank Magic Power equipment. Calling something that cost hundreds of millions cheap really showed that the world of high-rank hunters was completely different. Still, my heart trembled a little at spending so much on something I hadn't planned to buy.

I didn't need to pierce my ears. The earrings equipped themselves when I held them to my earlobes. My Magic Power had now gone over 30.

I also bought gloves that increased Stamina and Strength, along with a belt that increased Agility.

[Awakened Han Yujin

Titles: Dragon Slayer (L), Perfect Caregiver (L)

Level 1

Stamina: 6 (+51) Strength: 4 (+20) Agility: 5 (+16) Mental Strength: 4 Magic Power: 2 (+29)

Equipment

Black Fairy Earrings (A), Manticore's Leather Gloves (A), Light Cloth Belt (B)

Skills

Mental Strength Up (E): Target's Mental Strength +5% (instant effect, cannot stack with similar or identical skills), duration 30 minutes

Agility Up (E): Target's Agility +5% (instant effect, cannot stack with similar or identical skills), duration 30 minutes]

‘Excluding Magic Power, my average stat at level 1 is 26.5. That makes my stats C-rank.’

The distribution was uneven because it focused on Stamina, but I had jumped three ranks at once. Money really was great. Of course, my rank would drop rapidly as I leveled up. That was why percentage-increase equipment was so much more popular.

I had bought two more pieces of equipment, yet I still had nearly 500 million won left. I thought I would spend freely once I had money, but it was surprisingly difficult to make it disappear. Could this gift card not be used outside the mall?

I bought a set of twenty low-grade mana potions and a set of health potions. Then...

‘While I'm at it, I should buy weapons and armor too.’

With solid equipment, I should be able to clear lower F-rank dungeons. I felt guilty about spending my younger brother's money so freely, but I needed decent stats if I was going to help with his guild's work. It was all necessary. Besides, since Haeyeon Guild mainly had high-rank hunters, it probably didn't have much flat-increase equipment that I could use. I would've had to buy these things eventually anyway.

“Please show me dungeon equipment that focuses on flat increases as well.”

There were so many kinds that, this time, a catalog was opened instead of actual items being brought out. There were all sorts of weapons, but few that I could use.

Before I regressed, I had mainly used a spear. My standard fighting style was simple: buff people from behind, then stab with a spear. I had only managed to kill Raucitas because I received Yoohyun's combat techniques along with part of his memories.

After much consideration, I bought a pair of daggers, a short spear, and light armor. Since I couldn't wear these around normally, I put all of them straight into my inventory. Armor was one thing, but if I was caught carrying dungeon weapons around, I would receive both a fine and penalty points. Accumulate too many penalty points and a hunter license would be suspended. Repeat offenders could even have it revoked.

‘Have I bought enough? There isn't much money left... Oh, right.’

There was something perfect for me.

“Do you have any items with poison mist or similar effects? Curses would be fine too.”

Something that could spray poison around the area or make people lose their sight. I could nullify it completely, so I could use it in an emergency.

At my words, an employee brought over a black orb protected by two layers of sealing.

“This is the Black Poison Mist Orb of Run Ruihan, the S-rank hunter known as the Poison King. Unless you possess an A-rank or higher poison-resistance skill or item, you will die within ten seconds of inhalation, depending on your poison-resistance rank, and be incapacitated within five seconds. Its effective radius is five meters. If used outside a dungeon, you will be immediately detained and may face penalties up to and including execution.”

A-rank poison-resistance skills and items were extremely rare, and at this point there were no S-rank ones at all. So even an A-rank item should be enough to finish off most opponents. Unless a healer was nearby.

“Is there anything with a wider effective range?”

If it was not five meters but around a hundred, I felt like I could clear even C-rank dungeons alone through the power of items and skills, as long as there were only melee monsters. B-ranks and above were full of monsters that could cover a hundred meters in under three seconds, so that would be impossible.

“Among the items currently for sale, this Black Poison Mist Orb has the widest effective radius for its effect. Poison mist becomes thinner as it spreads, so its effective radius tends to be narrow. The farther away the target is, the longer it takes to kill them, or the lower the poison's rank becomes. In the case of the Black Poison Mist Orb, F-rank monsters can still be killed within ten seconds and incapacitated within three seconds at up to fifty meters.”

Three seconds at fifty meters. I could clear F-rank dungeons, at least. There would be exceptions, of course.

“Wide-range curses with random targets usually have weak effects. Due to the nature of curses, there is a significant difference compared with contract scrolls that have conditions and are directly signed by the target. There are types that can be strengthened through sacrifices, however.”

“I'll pass on that.”

This was for emergencies. When would I have time to catch and offer up a sacrifice?

In the end, I used up nearly all my remaining money on three Black Poison Mist Orbs and stood up. Just as I stepped outside through the glass door the employee opened for me...

[Han Yujin, F-rank hunter who registered as an Awakened today. A-rank hunter Kim Seonghan is looking for you. Upon hearing this announcement, please visit or contact the Lost Child Protection Center immediately.]

An announcement searching for me began to play.

Fuck. It was one thing for that bastard Kim Seonghan to search for me over the intercom, but why the Lost Child Protection Center? He could have just told me to come to the main entrance. Cursing under my breath, I hurried toward the Lost Child Protection Center before they made a second announcement.

Kim Seonghan stood in front of it like a thug who had come to collect a debt. Parents looking for their kids were going to get scared and turn around.

“Where have you been?”

He spoke with a furrowed brow. His expression and deep voice made it obvious he was angry enough to punch someone at any moment. Without Fear Resistance, I would've automatically blurted out, Please spare me.

“I went to buy contract scrolls. Didn't I tell you?”

“You didn't.”

“I forgot. Sorry.”

My half-hearted apology made Kim Seonghan's expression grow even more vicious. Um, he wasn't actually going to swing that clenched fist, was he? I was the older brother of the guildmaster he served. Please don't forget that.

“Do you have any other business?”

What should I do? There was still plenty of time before sunset, so should I go to Myeongdong Station and look for Park Yerim? Or should I go home first? Yoohyun said he was moving me, but surely he hadn't already packed everything.

“Please take me home. The address is...”

“There is nothing there if you go.”

Seriously? He had moved me without even asking the owner of the house!

“Where did you move all my things? Haeyeon Guild's employee dormitory?”

“They were likely moved to an empty room at the Guildmaster's residence.”

I would rather not live with my slightly unhinged younger brother. I had been living independently just fine, but now I was being dragged in by the scruff of my neck by my younger brother instead of my parents. Yoohyun, can we at least be half as distant as we were before I regressed? Huh? This is too sudden after eight years. At least give me time to adjust.

“...Then let's go back to the guild first. I need to organize my things.”

As we headed toward the elevator connected to the parking lot, people's stares pricked at my face. Then I heard their whispers.

“Is that the F-rank who came with the A-rank?”

“What is their relationship?”

“Kim Seonghan even searched for him over the intercom. There has to be something going on.”

“Didn't they say the Lost Child Protection Center earlier? He's a lost child at that age?”

Don't laugh! Were they Awakened or people gathered here to gossip? Why did they have so much to say? That damned F-rank this, F-rank that. My ears hurt from hearing it.

‘Are any of you even S-rank?’

Since my Magic Power had increased, I looked over the people around me. As expected, everywhere I looked was full of F-ranks. Of course, anyone C-rank or above would be snapped up by a guild, so they wouldn't be wandering around here with nothing to do.

Guilds with at least some name accepted members starting at C-rank. From B-rank onward, people received proper treatment anywhere they went, and guilds were desperate to recruit even one more A-rank.

‘This one is F-rank, that one is F-rank, you are F-rank... Huh?’

That man who just passed by!

[Awakened: Yu Myeongu

Current stat rank: F

Awakenable stat rank: F

Optimized initial skills

Failed to acquire Master of the Golden Forge (SS)

Failed to acquire Knife Sharpening! (A)]

‘Master of the Golden Forge?!’

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