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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 19
“Why are my ears suddenly itching?”
I scratched my ear and glanced at the mirror with a satisfied smile.
Wearing Admiral Yi Sunsin’s helmet made me look quite dignified, almost like a real Admiral from the Joseon era.
"Ugh."
My younger sister, Choi Seoyeon, grimace in disgust.
"What’s with that weird helmet? Are you into cosplay now, oppa?"
"Do you even know how much this is worth?"
"How much?"
"Hmm, about twenty billion won?"
If Ahn Wi’s old Hwando sword had been worth five billion, then Admiral Yi Sunsin’s helmet had to be at least four times that.
"Oppa, are you struggling these days?"
She looked genuinely concerned.
I shook my head.
‘No point explaining.’
A high schooler who can’t even read ancient texts wouldn’t understand the value of relics.
"Dad! Oppa’s acting weird!"
"Don’t tease your brother about his hobbies, Seoyeon. Come watch TV instead."
Our father, Choi Dojun, scolded her while lounging on the couch, watching the news.
─Hunter Kim Hayoon has just emerged from Noryang Gate after successfully completing its raid!
─Hunter Kim Hayoon! How was the Noryang Gate expedition?
On TV, Kim Hayoon was surrounded by reporters, giving an interview.
─This wasn’t something I accomplished alone. It was only possible thanks to Commander Ahn Wi’s Hwando.
"Wow~ Not only is she beautiful, but she’s humble too."
"I really like her."
Father and Seoyeon sat cozily on the sofa, showering Kim Hayoon with praise.
Even our ordinary family held a favorable opinion of her; she had captured the admiration of the entire nation.
After all, Kim Hayoon was the hero who had stopped the rampage of Noryang Gate.
Online communities were flooded with posts about her, and the stock price of the Dawn Constellation guild had doubled since the raid.
‘So the Hwando turned out to be more useful than I thought.’
At this rate, selling Ahn Wi’s sword for five billion felt like a huge loss.
Of course, it shone because Kim Hayoon was an exceptional hunter.
No matter how great a relic was, an unskilled user wouldn’t be able to clear a gate.
Unless, of course, it was a legendary relic like the Twin Dragon Swords.
While Kim Hayoon was being hailed as a hero, there was also a hunter who had become a national disgrace.
"Ugh, what kind of idiot does something like that?"
"He’s the worst. Why did they even bring the Chinese in?"
The hunter they were cursing was none other than Dawn Constellation’s Team 2's leader, Lee Taejun.
Lee Taejun had brought Chinese Communist Party hunters as reinforcements, but instead of helping Kim Hayoon, he led them straight into the wrong zone.
That alone would’ve been enough to label him incompetent, but he didn’t stop there he even dragged out a boss-level entity.
An A-rank monster called Burning Black Spirit Skeleton.
The moment Lee Taejun tossed the Black Spirit Skeleton at Kim Hayoon and ran for his life, it was all captured on his body cam and broadcasted nationwide in real-time.
As a result, Dawn Constellation’s guild forums were in complete chaos, filled with demands to expel him.
└ This bastard ran away and even locked down his Stargram comments.
└ How much did he get paid to bring Chinese hunters into Noryang Gate?
└ I work at the Hunter Association, and word is the Chinese were trying to steal Yi Sunsin’s relics.
└ For real? There were Yi Sunsin relics in Noryang?
└ No idea. That’s what the higher-ups are saying.
└ Wow, Lee Taejun really turned out to be a traitor.
A national petition calling for Lee Taejun to be expelled from the Hunter industry had already surfaced.
“A guy who’s an A-rank Hunter still felt the need to sell out his country? What more could he possibly want?”
“I’d rather have an incompetent brother than someone like that.”
And there she goes, dragging me into this.
“Choi Seoyeon, are you looking down on E-rank Hunters?”
“Aww, I meant it in a good way! At least you won’t get into any trouble.”
“She’s right. It’s actually better to be at the bottom. If you’re stuck in an awkward middle rank, you end up messing around in a Gate and getting yourself killed.”
“Exactly, exactly.”
“……”
Well… they weren’t wrong.
Most casualties in gates were among those stuck at mediocre ranks.
Anyway, while Lee Taejun was a disgrace, China had also humiliated itself in this incident.
Wang Wei, the Chinese ambassador, had gained public favor by eating fish cakes at a local market and pretending to be pro-Korea.
But after this mess, he got slammed for his fake performance.
Meanwhile, clips of Chinese hunters fleeing the battlefield went viral on YouTube, turning them into an international laughingstock.
So, while Noryang Gate ended with Kim Hayoon’s brilliant carry, another major event was still dominating the headlines.
‘The Myeongnyang Gate’ challenger.
‘Connector’.
─ If Connector joins the Association, I’d gladly give up my title as a top-rank Hunter.
S-rank Hunter Han Yujin, a well-known Yi Sunsin fanatic, had made a shocking statement, willing to relinquish her position.
─ If Connector comes to Samdocheon, I will grant him the title of Vice Guild Master.
Baek Seorin, the Black Witch and leader of Samdocheon Guild, publicly offered a high-ranking position.
Other major guilds, including Heavenly Martial Sect and Dawn Constellation, weren’t far behind in their offers.
And it wasn’t just Korea. Globally, Connector was drawing massive attention.
─ If he aids in defeating the Fanatic of the Frozen Sea, Russia will welcome Connector as an honored guest.
The Russian President personally extended an invitation.
─ We would like to formally invite Connector to our guild.
Even Rachel Bonaparte, the famous descendant of Napoleon and an S-rank French Hunter, mentioned my username in a press conference.
After all, Myeongnyang Gate wasn’t just a high-difficulty dungeon, it was infamously impossible.
So, naturally, the first person to clear Myeongnyang Gate with an SSS rating would become a worldwide sensation.
The problem?
That Connector was me.
“Wow, look at those offers. That’s insane.”
Choi Seoyeon clicked her tongue as the TV continued to report on the overwhelming interest in Connector.
"Seoyeon, what if someone like that was in our family?"
"They’d be amazing, but… I wouldn’t want them as family."
"Why not?"
“Wouldn’t having a famous relative be a good thing?”
"It’s too dangerous."
As expected of my little sister.
She thought just like me.
‘Fame comes with risk.’
Screw the Fanatic of the Frozen Sea.
I’d rather deal with a D-rank Gate any day.
***
Yi Sunsin’s Helmet: An Ancient Rank Relic.
It was a relic of Ancient rank just one step below Legendary, beyond any measurable value.
Even just wearing it gave me an inexplicable sense of reassurance.
It felt like I could survive a meteor crashing down on me as long as I had this helmet on.
And honestly, wasn’t that all a helmet really needed to do?
But then Yi Sunsin’s helmet slightly increases the attack power of the Twin Dragon Swords.
‘Well, that’s unexpected.’
Was this some kind of Relic Set Bonus?
The moment relics from the same historical figure came together, the power of the Twin Dragon Swords increased.
The helmet’s defensive power also improved.
CLAAANG!
"Krgh?!"
The Hobgoblin that had just smacked my head with a bat was now clutching its own hands in pain.
“Damn, this thing’s solid.”
That said, unlike other relics, Yi Sunsin’s helmet had a major drawback.
The large character Admiral (‘元帥’) was engraved right on the front meaning anyone could recognize it instantly.
[TL/N: I included the character here to show what actually was engraved]
If I wanted to wear it in public, I’d have to modify its appearance somehow.
[You have defeated a Hobgoblin.]
[D-9 Gate successfully cleared.]
[Clear Rank: SSS]
When I stepped out of the Gate, the other Hunters had already gathered, murmuring among themselves.
"Again! Another SSS rank just popped up!"
"Holy crap, you’re right! Who was it this time?"
Clearing every D-rank Gate with an SSS rating was starting to draw attention.
‘Should I start holding back?’
…Nah.
It was just D-rank anyway. Holding back would be harder.
***
After finishing my helmet performance test, I returned to my store, only to find someone standing at the entrance.
‘Who’s this?’
A woman with long hair flowing down to her waist, her slender figure accentuated by her fitted clothing.
“We meet again.”
“Oh… hello.”
It was none other than Kim Hayoon.
“What brings you here?”
“What else? I came to thank you, of course.”
She lifted a set of mana potions, flashing me a bright smile.
‘Damn, she really is beautiful.’
Her smile had an almost hypnotic quality to it.
No wonder she had so many fans.
“Come on in.”
“Pardon my intrusion.”
As she browsed through the store, her gaze casually swept over the items.
“The Myeongnyang Gate raid was incredible.”
“I was surprised too when I watched it on TV.”
“…It wasn’t broadcast on TV, though.”
“…Ah, must’ve confused it with YouTube. I watch that on my TV screen.”
“I see.”
Kim Hayoon chuckled softly.
“By the way, where did you get Ahn Wi’s relic?”
“Just happened to come across it at my previous job. I used to handle relics.”
“You mean Samdocheon, right?”
“Yes.”
“Samdocheon’s a good guild.”
Kim Hayoon tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“But Dawn Constellation has better benefits. If you join, we can ensure your anonymity and even manage everything for you.”
Anonymity.
Now that was tempting.
More than anything, I needed to stay hidden.
“There are anonymous Hunters in our guild who earn up to 1 billion won per month.”
“…A billion?”
“Yes. And for higher-ranked Gates, the pay increases even more.”
She tilted her head slightly before adding,
“If you clear something like Myeongnyang Gate, you’d probably get 10 billion.”
‘T-ten billion…!’
The number alone shook me.
“We don’t force our anonymous Hunters into anything either. They’re given complete freedom.”
As if she was speaking directly to me, Kim Hayoon continued listing off all the enticing benefits.
Then, after handing me the mana potion set as a gift, she left.
“I’ll drop by again.”
Just like that, she was gone.
“Whew… I almost caved.”
As soon as she left, I let out the breath I’d been holding.
Those conditions were way too tempting.
If I had listened any longer, I might’ve accidentally revealed that I was Connector.
And that could not happen.
Even if people found out, I needed to delay it as much as possible.
Trying to calm my nerves, I stood up to grab a glass of water.
Ding!
The door to the store opened again.
‘Did Kim Hayoon come back?’
I looked up but instead of her, a girl I had never seen before stood there.
A young girl with golden-blonde hair, her doll-like features almost too perfect to be real.
“You were the one who called for me?”
Her violet eyes locked onto mine.
And at the same time, a message surfaced in my mind.
— You have encountered a Transcendent from a Failed Timeline.
She was my store’s third guest.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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