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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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Chapter 22: Grant Mercy, Let Me Join His Side at Once!
Though his body could easily endure an all-nighter, Yeonwoo went to sleep in order to adapt better.
The next day, after having mulhoe, he headed to V-Mart, which had the field-type mist he had applied for.
Rifts were quite common not only in Korea but all around the world.
As soon as one disappeared, another would be filled in.
Most of them were of the field-type mist, with occasional appearances of dungeon-type or open-type mists in small numbers.
Dungeon-types were divided into regular indoor dungeons and raid-type dungeons.
They were the least common and, as such, had very little information known about them.
Still, Yeonwoo had been to dungeon-type fields several times.
Even when the same monsters appeared, they were significantly stronger than their counter parts in regular fields.
However, the larger core size made it a prime example of high-risk, high-reward scenarios.
In any case, the majority of mists were field-type, and because their levels varied, the sequence of entry didn’t usually cause problems.
Even if it was a bit farther, priority was often given on a first-come-first-serve basis.
It hadn’t been that way in the past, but according to recent information, high-ranking guilds had started taking over fields by force.
Still, that didn’t concern Yeonwoo much.
He stored the suit Sung Jihee had gifted him into his inventory and wore some cheap clothes he bought from the market.
Over that, he draped the Scaled Robe gifted by Artenis.
Black pants and a black t-shirt.
On top, a large, flowing robe.
A dull outfit, but thanks to his looks, it ironically made the fashion look complete.
“-Tsk, looks good enough. That face is cheating. Don’t use cheat codes recklessly.”
“If you’re jealous, just say so.”
“-I’m female-bodied. And this face... don’t you think it’s too pretty even compared to yours, Yeonwoo? Thinking about it, I’m the one with the cheat face.”
“Thanks for the compliment, but hearing it from you pisses me off.”
He never backed down in banter.
Areum wasn’t summoned.
Since she had a different form compared to basic spirits, having her around would be troublesome.
Thankfully, as a spirit of earth, Areum could move underground, so he planned to keep her hidden and give her tasks as needed.
“Um... are you Mr. Park Hyunwoo?”
The name on his fake ID: Park Hyunwoo.
The original owner of that name was a man who had died after getting caught in one too many incidents.
He had gone missing, and with no body recovered or family left behind, his identity wasn’t something that raised issues.
“Yes.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Choi Hyunsik, the front-line tank.
You’re the ranged dealer, right?”
The man who seemed to be the party leader introduced himself calmly and asked for the necessary information to verify Yeonwoo.
“That’s correct.”
“Alright, confirmed. Welcome aboard. Let’s try to clear this without issues. I’ll protect you, so please dish out clean damage.”
Despite being a beginner himself, he was an unusually cheerful guy.
According to the Hunter Association's rules, parties must include essential roles like a front-line tank and a healer, with the remaining members adjusted accordingly.
In a typical 4-person party, the essential roles of front-line tank and healer are joined by two ranged dealers who provide bonus firepower.
Actually, that’s how it almost always goes.
Having more than one healer or tank reduces efficiency.
They’re indispensable, but excess numbers make them less effective.
These two roles were like that.
This party also had four members.
Their combat style was simple.
The tank would use aggro-drawing skills to attract the monsters attention.
While he fought, the ranged dealers would assist by quickly killing the monsters.
One might think more tanks should be deployed since they take on the most risk.
But ranged dealers support with powerful bonus attacks, making up the difference.
In the end, tanks defend, ranged dealers attack, and healers keep everyone from getting seriously hurt.
Ranged dealers strive to end the fight quickly through consistent damage.
Discussions about role ratios had persisted since the Second Hellgate incident, but since all three roles were equally influential, no clear policy had been established.
“Alright, got it.”
“Hmm. By the way, are you going to keep your hood on? I can’t see your face clearly...”
Perhaps conscious of the other two party members gazes, Choi Hyunsik asked cautiously.
Among hunters, as long as one had a code and ID, interfering with each other was taboo.
Still, bringing someone whose face couldn’t be seen clearly into a party seemed to make him uncomfortable.
Yeonwoo wore the same black robe he had on when returning to Earth.
It wasn’t inconvenient, and it had an oddly majestic feel.
“I’m not a suspicious person.”
When Yeonwoo pulled back the hood slightly and revealed his face, the man’s expression cracked.
“Wow... it might be better if you keep that on. But are you sure? Even if it's covered, most people will probably notice.”
“It’s fine.”
This wasn’t a face he had gained upon arriving on Earth.
The aesthetic sense of the Rune Continent wasn’t much different from Earth’s.
As if understanding why Yeonwoo hid his face, the man laughed.
He seemed sharp.
If all the party members were men, it wouldn’t matter, but unfortunately, one was a woman.
And Yeonwoo was stunningly handsome.
Not the delicate kind of beauty, but a firm yet gentle masculinity.
You’d think people were overreacting, but his face surpassed even that of the elf race, the paragons of beauty.
It belonged to a dragon.
Hyunsik thought he had never seen a man suit short hair so perfectly.
In this case, it was better to keep the face hidden rather than draw attention.
“Then I’ll inform the others. I’ve confirmed your face, so no worries.”
“Okay.”
His fake ID also had his face on it, so there wouldn’t be a problem.
Under Hyunsik’s guidance, Yeonwoo casually greeted the other team members.
“Hello, I’m Ahn Sunhee.”
“I’m Choi Siyoung.”
With friendly introductions, he responded with polite distance.
“I’m Park Hyunwoo.”
Though his real name was Park Yeonwoo, the name on the fake ID was Park Hyunwoo.
It was similar enough to make him smirk.
The only person who knew his real name was Sung Jihee, but it was uncertain if they would ever meet again.
As Yeonwoo bowed slightly and introduced himself in his deep voice, the female team members seemed captivated and showed interest in seeing his face.
But since Hyunsik had already addressed it, they didn’t press further.
Besides, a simple illusion spell made it harder to recognize his face unless one came very close.
“But why the hood?”
As if it was strange that no one had asked until now, Choi Siyoung tilted his head and asked.
Before Yeonwoo could respond, Hyunsik interjected.
“He has his reasons. We’ve confirmed his face and ID, so it’s fine, right?”
“Well... I guess so...”
With a slightly dissatisfied expression, Siyoung nodded.
Hyunsik quickly moved things along, leaving no room for suspicion.
“Shall we head in now, since we’re drawing attention?”
He pointed to the nearby red mist with a warm smile, and everyone nodded.
With the tank Hyunsik in the lead, they stepped into the mist one by one.
***
Each hunter had a distinct identity.
Yeonwoo wasn’t the only one with a gloomy concept.
Being avoided a little was better than attracting trouble over his face.
In fact, for his purpose, this had more merit.
There was a reason he insisted on wearing a robe.
In association buildings or official places where identity checks were necessary, showing his face was unavoidable.
But in hunting grounds, as long as your ID was valid, no one cared what you did.
“-Calculating based on hunter or civilian reasoning, you’ll likely be discovered within a month.”
‘‘That much time is fine.’’
The F-rank, bottom-tier field had a narrow terrain.
It was hard to pinpoint the exact location, but with old, clustered buildings and narrow alleys, it didn’t look like a pleasant place to live.
“No ambushers. Siyoung, activate the detector.”
“Okay”
Maybe she had a thing for Hyunsik, given his cheerful and likable appearance.
Choi Siyoung, who had introduced herself earlier, reached between the light gear she wore and pulled out a small device.
With beeping noises, a strange hum began to echo softly.
“That looks like...”
It had an eerie resemblance to the detectors used in that famous alien movie.
Something about it gave him the chills.
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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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