-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Georg's Nest
-----------------------------------------------------------------
* * *
[Casting ‘Flight (S)’.]
[‘Flight (S)’ proficiency has increased. (15/100)]
Even as she flew toward the cedar tree, Ha-ra felt a wave of embarrassment. Seriously, who would have thought he'd wrap his own tie around her foot!
Until that moment, Ha-ra had completely forgotten she was wearing Pororo socks.
To make matters worse, when Se-heon had wrapped the tie around her foot, there was a hole in the big toe.
“Is my fortune for this year cursed with humiliation...?”
I need to get my fortune told as soon as I get home. Not a free one, but a proper paid one for ten thousand won!
Though just getting home was a challenge in itself. Ha-ra tightened her grip on the light stick in her hand. Quest or not, she was now the owner of an S-rank skill. Her salary would probably go up when she got back.
‘S-ranks are on a different pay scale!’
Forgetting her embarrassment, Ha-ra felt a flicker of joy. It wasn't a final S-rank designation, but with an S-rank skill, maybe she'd at least get an A-rank salary? Her civil service grade would change too.
Then…
‘I could move out!’
Ha-ra was ecstatic. She had been living with her parents for the past ten years. While the fact that her family lived in Mapo District and her parents were strict were contributing factors, the biggest reason was the meager salary of an E-rank, or Grade 9, civil servant.
The Hunter's Agency was a special organization, so there were no promotions based on years of service, only changes in pay grade. There were incentives for each branch office, but since that was split among all the civil servants nationwide, it didn't count for much.
‘Gasp, maybe I can even pay off my fine?’
She suddenly remembered the eight-million-won fine for a magic stone. And the letter of apology she had to write for breaking an A-rank magic stone.
She remembered how badly she'd been scolded that day, summoned by the tiger-like chief of the Mapo branch. He had berated her until she was in tears.
With that thought, Ha-ra gripped her light stick tightly again.
‘I will return. No matter what, I will return.’
Ha-ra took a deep breath and channeled her power into the light stick. A beam of light shot out in a straight line.
[Mana is decreasing.]
Before, it was about two meters long, but now it was much longer. Maybe 2.5 meters? That was more than enough to fend off the bird-like monsters swarming around her.
“Kieeeek!”
“Kiik!”
They were mostly D- and E-rank. Occasionally, there were larger C-rank bird monsters, but when Ha-ra swung her light stick, they were sliced in two as easily as radishes. At first, even Ha-ra couldn't believe her eyes.
‘So this is what an S-rank is like…’
It was simple. As an E-rank, the beam from her light stick had been incredibly weak. Have you ever tried burning paper with a magnifying glass in elementary school science class? Her skill was just like that. Barely enough to scorch the paper.
But now, it was as if she were holding a laser scroll saw. The killing power was immense. And the most incredible part was that it was virtually weightless.
When Ha-ra swung the light stick at a monster before her, whatever the beam touched was sliced cleanly away. Even the trees.
Creeeak…
A nearby tree began to topple over, accidentally sliced by the light stick she had hastily swung to deal with an attacking bat.
Caw, caw. Monsters that had been hiding in the dark forest took flight, attacking each other. It was chaos.
The moon rises even in a dungeon. If it weren't for the moons, Ha-ra wouldn't have dared to approach the cedar tree. Relying on the brilliant light of the two moons, she flew cautiously through the forest.
Surprisingly, the area around the largest cedar tree in the dungeon was devoid of other monsters. Ha-ra soon figured out why.
‘Bird droppings…’
The boss monster in the cedar tree was an avian type, and the smell from the sheer amount of droppings it had left at the base of the tree was indescribable.
The grass below was decaying from the droppings, and there was a mountain of bones from other monsters. It seemed to prey on the other creatures in the dungeon.
[You have entered the territory of Field Boss ‘Georg (B)’.]
[Georg is currently absent.]
[Georg's Territory Special Effect: Intimidation (Ranged) has been activated.]
The moment she smelled it, her body stiffened as if an electric current had shot through her. At the same time, a flood of system messages appeared. It was an effect that occurred upon entering a field boss's territory.
Animals mark their territory. When weaker creatures see these marks, they become frightened without even realizing it. Humans are no exception.
[Analyzing user ‘Kang Ha-ra’s’ stats…]
[User ‘Kang Ha-ra’ overcomes Georg's Intimidation (Ranged) with grit.]
[Strength surges.]
It was thanks to the Multiply skill.
[User: Kang Ha-ra (Trait: Idol Fan)]
Stamina: 49(7)
Agility: 9(3)
Strength: 16(4)
Dexterity: 4(2)
Mana: 81(9)
Luck: 1(1)
Status: ‘Multiply’ active (24:11)
Ha-ra's original stamina was 7. But when the skill was activated, her stats were squared. It was astounding.
Furthermore, her mana was now 81. An incredible number. It was hard to believe this was an A-rank skill. The only downside was the 30-minute time limit.
‘But grit?’
Ha-ra wondered which stat had allowed her to overcome the intimidation. Strength? Her stamina had risen noticeably, but it could have been strength. In any case, it was a relief that she had overcome it.
‘I'll have to look into all of this when I get out of the dungeon and have some free time.’
Like most E-ranks, Ha-ra wasn't a combat type. That's why she had never paid much attention to her stats or skills. She was ignorant of the effects gained from stat bonuses.
What came to mind now were the regulars at the Mapo branch's training room. The combat-type Hunters' hangout.
‘I'm sure I can find out something if I go there.’
Hiding in the tree's shadow, Ha-ra silently ascended the cedar. She had expected a field boss of this level to have some mid-bosses in the tree, but surprisingly, there was nothing until she reached the nest.
It seemed the boss monster had either taken all its minions with it when it flew off, or it was just a lone-wolf type.
‘Let's see.’
The nest was enormous. That was to be expected, given the cedar tree's trunk was so thick it would take five of her to wrap their arms around it.
Ha-ra climbed up right below the nest. It was incredibly filthy, a matted mess of old feathers, down, twigs, and droppings. And it smelled.
Just then, as Ha-ra pinched her nose, she heard a sound.
“M-mooommy…”
It was a human voice. Ha-ra's ears perked up. It was a good thing her nose was for smelling; if it had been her ears, she'd have been in big trouble.
“Is that you, Seo-yeon?”
The voice, which had been crying just a moment ago, flinched.
“Who's there?”
It was definitely the girl named Seo-yeon. Overjoyed, Ha-ra quickly climbed up into the nest.
The nest, with a little exaggeration, was three times the size of Ha-ra's room, and it contained at least eight eggs, each as big as Ha-ra herself. And from between them, a small girl in a familiar school uniform crawled out.
It was the same uniform that Su-gyeong and Hui-yeon wore.
“You're Seo-yeon, right?”
“Uh, uh…”
The girl's eyes widened like saucers, and tears quickly welled up.
Ha-ra quickly held out her hand. Unsure of what to say, she hesitated before blurting out the line she used during public support duties.
“I'm… Kang Ha-ra from the Seoul Metropolitan Natural Disaster Response Policy Agency, Special Practical Safety Division, Mapo Branch, Magic Stone Management Department…?”
[The Constellation ‘Cupid’ keels over with laughter. Do you think a kid will understand that?]
But the girl seemed to understand anyway. The tears that had been welling up in her eyes began to fall in fat drops.
“A-are, are you here to rescue me?”
Rescue me? As the child spoke, her lips trembled, and her voice shook uncontrollably.
But her face was so full of relief that Ha-ra almost teared up herself. She smiled and held out her hand.
“Yes!”
The child moved, crying. Ha-ra quickly went to her and took her hand.
With her hair a mess and her face smudged with dirt, the child fell into Ha-ra's arms. And immediately burst into tears.
“Waaah, sob, waaaaaah…”
It was easy to imagine how scared she must have been. Ha-ra gently patted the child's back.
“It carried me here, so I crawled under the eggs, to hide, and, uh, I almost died… Am I, sniff, am I safe?”
Even while crying, the child spoke in a breathless rush.
What would have happened if I hadn't come? Ha-ra breathed an inward sigh of relief, glad she had decided to check the nest.
“Su-gyeong and Hui-yeon told me about you. That's why I came.”
“S-Su-gyeong?”
The child, still in Ha-ra's arms, looked up with a surprised expression. Ha-ra nodded and whispered.
“Yes. But we haven't beaten the field boss yet. We need to leave quickly.”
“Oh…”
The child looked like she wanted to say something, but a flock of small crows was already causing a commotion above the nest. They seemed to have noticed the intruders.
Ha-ra held the child and floated up. But just then, something caught her eye, and she hesitated.
“Unni?”
[Dungeon's Mana Core]
Rank: B
Quests: Normal(1) Hidden(0) Side(0)
[View Quest Information? Y/N]
It was the mana core. Not the magic stone inside the field boss, but the core of the entire dungeon. Among the eight eggs, one shone with a unique, iridescent light.
Ha-ra was momentarily conflicted.
‘If I break that now, won't the dungeon collapse?’
It seemed worth a try. The mana core was B-rank, and she was currently receiving a stat boost from Multiply.
Besides, she had gained a bit of confidence on her way to the nest. Hadn't she seen countless monsters sliced in half by a single sweep of her beam?
‘Should I try it?’
But at that moment, the system window displayed a new message.
[The direction of the wind is changing.]
The direction of the wind? Ha-ra tilted her head in confusion.
[Georg senses something is amiss.]
Ha-ra sucked in a breath.
