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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: The Thirteenth Member
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The presence of a single S-rank Awakened could change the landscape of the world.
To say nothing of an L-rank, who was even higher.
“We already have one S-rank hunter who’s active overseas. But he’s an exception. It’s not like he’s left Korea for good, and he promised to prioritize any emergencies here.”
“What if I do the same?”
“Your situation is different. There are several S-ranks, but there's only one of you. While we can't dare to interfere with you moving around freely, your affiliation must remain with Korea.”
“Oh? And if I refuse and storm out, could you even stop me?”
Kang Sejun’s eyes glinted dangerously. Kang Hanseo and Do Junyeong’s faces stiffened, while Yoo Su-eun furrowed her brow in annoyance.
However, Song Hanna and Ju-eun showed no change in expression despite the subtle threat.
“We probably couldn't. Well, if all of us ganged up on you, we might be able to grab onto your pant leg, but that would be quite a loss of face.”
Despite her words, Song Hanna cackled with amusement.
“Besides, it's not like you actually plan on leaving, do you?”
This time, it was Kang Sejun’s turn to frown.
“I don't like you. It feels like I'm facing hundreds of cunning serpents. A tiger? A snake would suit you better.”
“You seem to know me very well. How strange. This is the first time I've seen you, so where could you have seen me?”
“Who knows? Maybe we met in a dream.”
Song Hanna stroked her chin. Her narrowed eyes held a flicker of contemplation, but she quickly brushed it aside.
Well, there were plenty of ways to find out.
“Are you going to join a guild? Or start one?”
“I'll be working solo. I'm not interested in clearing dungeons. However, if you request my assistance for a clear or collaboration, I might consider it.”
The two guild leaders wore strange expressions at his unexpected words.
Every guild focused on clearing dungeons. The items and magic stones that came from them were the most lucrative business in this day and age. And yet this ultimate powerhouse claimed to have no interest in it.
Ju-eun, who had been thinking quietly, suddenly stiffened as a thought occurred to him.
“Don't tell me you're thinking of the Labyrinth Dungeons?”
Labyrinth Dungeons.
At the mere mention of the terrifying words, everyone's face froze, except for Song Hanna's.
There are four types of dungeons in total.
The most common are general dungeons, followed by dungeon breaks where monsters can escape the gate, rift dungeons where an entire space becomes a dungeon, and finally, the still-mysterious Labyrinth Dungeons.
Unlike other dungeons that spawn randomly all over, there is only one Labyrinth Dungeon in the entire world.
A place so terrible its danger level couldn't be quantified, the only dungeon known as a living hell on earth.
Was Kang Sejun aiming for that place?
“Why a place like that…?”
“Because if we fail to clear the Labyrinth Dungeon, the entire world is finished. Literally, everything ends.”
Clear rage surfaced on Kang Sejun's face. He was so angry that a red haze shimmered from his clenched fist.
They couldn't understand why. The Labyrinth Dungeon was certainly that dangerous, but why was Kang Sejun so furious?
As if he had truly experienced the end of the world before.
“That's odd. As far as I know, only one Korean has ever participated in a Labyrinth Dungeon clear, and it wasn't you. Yet you speak as if you've been there.”
At Song Hanna's sharp question, the corner of Kang Sejun's eye twitched for a moment.
“You have been there, haven't you? Secretly, at that.”
“Is that a place one can just enter secretly?”
“Then why are you reacting like that? Like someone who's experienced it.”
“Let's just say it's the influence of my contracted Constellation and my skills.”
Having said that much, Kang Sejun pressed his lips shut, clearly unwilling to say more.
“Our dear L-rank has so many secrets.”
Even when Yoo Su-eun openly sneered, he didn't even twitch an eyebrow.
“…Huh?”
Just then, Kang Hanseo, who had looked like he was being strangled the entire time as if burdened by the situation, let out a cry. Ju-eun looked at him quizzically.
“What is it?”
“Uh, well. I think there's something wrong with my eyes. What is it? Was I poisoned by the harpoon snake?”
“Poisoned my foot. I already checked, and you're perfectly fine.”
Yoo Su-eun, the healer responsible for the party's safety, stated flatly that it was impossible. Kang Hanseo’s face grew even more bewildered.
“Then what in the world is this?”
“Why? What is it?”
“Uh, there are eleven of us S-ranks in total, right?”
“That's right.”
“Mr. Kang Sejun is an L-rank, but I got a notification that he accessed the S-rank exclusive community, probably because he's a higher rank than us?”
“And?”
“Since Mr. Kang Sejun joined, there should be twelve members, but it says the total number of members is thirteen….”
Silence fell over the Association President's office. The stunned individuals hurriedly opened the community. And everyone saw it clearly.
【‘Kang Sejun’ has entered.】
【Korean S-Rank Exclusive Community (Total Members: 13)】
13.
The ominous number was written right there.
A chill filled the room, as if they had just witnessed a ghost story.
“…Since when?”
Yoo Su-eun muttered blankly. Despite being a community lurker along with Kang Hanseo and Eun In-jae, the Noeul Guild Master, she hadn't noticed the increase in members at all!
“There was no notification either, was there? Did anyone see anything?”
“I-I didn't see anything either!”
It wasn't just Kang Hanseo. Ju-eun and Do Junyeong also shook their heads.
Then who in the world was this unknown thirteenth person?
“Has there ever been a time when a new member joined without a notification?”
“Never.”
Kang Hanseo hugged his arms tightly, trembling as if he'd seen a ghost.
“What is this, really? It can't be a system error! Th-th-then is it a gh-ghost?! Can ghosts access the system? H-hacking! A ghost hacked it!”
“Talk sense, Hanseo.”
Song Hanna looked at Kang Hanseo with pity. What am I going to do with this cowardly S-rank?
“For a member to be added when there have been no recent S-rank evaluation results, it must be a case where their S-rank status was confirmed without an assessment.”
“It seems they've contracted with a remarkable star.”
Unlike the trembling Kang Hanseo, Song Hanna and Ju-eun conversed calmly.
There are two ways a rank is determined: one is by having one's magical power measured by a device after awakening, and the other is by having the rank confirmed through a contract with a Constellation.
Those two fell into the latter category. The Constellations protecting them were all gods powerful enough to grant an Awakened an S-rank just by forming a contract.
“I'm very curious about who it could be. It would have been nice if they had officially registered with the Association.”
Ju-eun muttered in disappointment. They had a new, powerful colleague, yet they didn't even know who it was. As people who had to work together until they died, it was a little disheartening.
“Being unregistered is illegal, but it's a tricky thing to enforce when it comes to an S-rank. I am curious about this new face, though. What to do.”
Hanna, who was stroking her chin in thought, looked at Kang Sejun sitting across from her.
His expressionless face seemed to show no particular interest in the situation, or perhaps he was relaxed because he knew something.
Strange. He looked to be in his twenties, but it was hard to read him.
Hanna thought that a very interesting fellow had shown up and casually threw a question at him.
“You're the nation's very first L-rank. Don't you have any guesses?”
“Well. I don't know everything, but I can make one guess. There's a high probability that person is the one who killed the 2nd-grade boss magical beast.”
Ah, realization dawned on their faces as they recalled something they had forgotten due to Kang Sejun's sudden appearance.
“Right, I was curious about that, too. You said someone else took down the boss mob that had evolved into a magical beast, right? And you guys were stuck in the dungeon, so you didn't see it.”
“As soon as I heard the message that a break was about to occur, I tried to get out. But a snake as strong as the boss was blocking the entrance, so it took some time.”
Ju-eun's expression darkened. Several people had been injured by the boss during the delay. If he had been more careful, this wouldn't have happened. It was his mistake as the party leader.
“By the time we finally got out, the situation was already over. This is the corpse of the boss magical beast.”
Song Hanna's eyebrow twitched as she looked at the photo. The head of the giant snake, large enough to chew up a car, was completely blown off.
“What taste. Why is their handiwork so crude?”
Tsk, tsk. Couldn't they have handled it more cleanly?
Kang Hanseo’s eyes widened at Song Hanna's lament. She, of all people, loved to crush everything with her psychokinesis. There wasn't a single person in the room who didn't know that.
“Mr. Kang Sejun, what did you see?”
“A woman. But she was wearing a gas mask, so I couldn't see her face. Judging by her weapon, her specialty seems to be sniping.”
“A sniper, huh. A rare specialty. It might be surprisingly easy to find her. Anything else?”
“As you guessed, there's a high probability she's contracted with a very powerful Constellation. The Jacket of Regeneration and that weapon of hers didn't look ordinary. It would have been difficult to obtain them without a Constellation's backing.”
“Sounds like someone born with a diamond spoon in their mouth.”
Song Hanna grumbled enviously, earning her sharp glares from Yoo Su-eun and Kang Hanseo. The person who had contracted with the strongest Constellation in the country was Song Hanna herself.
“If anyone finds the person suspected of being the new S-rank, report it immediately. If they're skilled enough to take down a 2nd-grade boss magical beast in one go, we must keep them in Korea. They might even be stronger than me.”
“The domestic rankings are about to be overturned.”
“I've already stepped down from first place. Mr. New Number One, I'll be in your care.”
*Aigoo*, it was too heavy a burden for these old shoulders to carry all this time. Hanna feigned exhaustion, rubbing her shoulders.
Even though she was the oldest among the current domestic S-ranks, she was still in her prime, so no one believed her.
* * *
After the conversation ended, the S-ranks affiliated with guilds took their leave. Do Junyeong was scheduled to handle the briefing on the 2nd-grade dungeon clear and the appearance of the L-rank Awakened.
For that reason, Kang Sejun headed to the Section Chief’s office with Do Junyeong. As he sat down, his gaze briefly flickered to Yoon Seora outside.
“Do you know your subordinate employees well?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Seeing the faint frown on his face, Kang Sejun shrugged as if it were a meaningless question.
“It seems most of the employees here don't know their Section Chief is an S-rank. I was just wondering if the reverse could also be true.”
“Are you saying there's someone here hiding their rank, like me?”
Do Junyeong's face grew serious, as if telling him to speak up if that were the case.
