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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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Chapter 26: Grant Mercy, Let Me Join His Side at Once! (5)
There was no better way to describe the road than to say it was in utter chaos.
It looked like it had been hastily patched up, but the bumpy terrain made it clear that it was impossible to fully restore the ground that had already been torn apart.
"It’s not just one point, it's nearly the entire map..."
When Choi Siyoung muttered with a dumbfounded expression, Hyunsik silently stepped forward.
Then he reached down to the solidified ground.
"This... isn’t this a core?"
As he asked with clear bewilderment on his face, the others nodded in agreement.
"Now that you mention it, the detector isn’t picking up any monsters."
They had been wondering whether the detector was broken since it hadn't shown any response for a while, but now their expressions suggested they were starting to understand, it meant there really were no monsters.
“-The large amount of spirit power that leaked just now…”
Mulhoe looked at Yeonwoo with a surprised expression, as if seeking confirmation.
But Yeonwoo didn’t answer.
Instead, after quietly surveying the surroundings, Yeonwoo casually opened his mouth.
"Does this kind of thing happen?"
"No... this is a first for me. We could say someone came and killed everything, but the fact that the core is still here..."
"How do we even explain this..."
Choi Siyoung trailed off, clearly at a loss for words.
It was fortunate they had obtained the core without a fight, but without battling monsters, they couldn’t improve their specs.
For current Hunters, their strength gradually built up through combat experience and defeating monsters, allowing them to ascend to the next level.
"For now, let’s grab the core and scout the area a bit more."
Seeing Hyunsik speak with a troubled expression, as if apologetic, Yeonwoo felt a slight twinge of guilt.
‘‘The ground’s slightly warped, did it become a swamp variant? Everything's buried underground.’’
“-I didn’t know that was even possible.”
‘‘It is. But it’s not something you can do with just average spirit power. Now do you understand why so much spirit energy was drained just now?’’
As Yeonwoo smiled wryly and sent the thought, she returned a conflicted gaze.
“-Looking at the position of the core... did it all get buried at once?”
‘‘Seems like it.’’
‘‘I had a hunch ever since a massive amount of spirit power was drawn, but it looks like Areum’s limits are a bit different from the spirits I’m used to.’’
As expected, likely due to Areum’s actions, there wasn’t a single monster visible in the field.
"Hah... it really seems like someone snuck in behind our backs and swept the place clean. I can’t make sense of it. If the dungeon wasn’t even cleared, why leave the core behind?"
"Exactly."
This kind of action was clearly illegal.
It wasn’t efficient, and if you got caught, it could severely impact your standing, so few people dared to do such things.
"Plus, if the monsters were cleared after two were killed, it means it wasn’t an F or E-rank Hunter. Or was it a natural disaster?"
"I’ve never heard of a natural disaster happening inside a field."
"This is unsettling. Honestly, I don’t want to stay any longer. Let’s just grab the core and disband."
With the core of the area’s final boss, the field-type mist's last guardian already fallen, there was no reason to continue hunting.
Unlike other cores, the boss monster’s core had a uniform color despite being the same size.
Whereas regular cores came in various colors, the guardian's core was almost always white.
So, confusing a boss core with a regular one was virtually impossible.
Since the field had been absurdly cleared, Hyunsik had no choice but to retrieve the core and disband the party.
If reported, the Guardians, Hunters affiliated with the state might get involved.
But even if they caught someone, it was hard to argue they had caused tangible damage, since the core had simply been left there on the ground.
Of course, even if there was an investigation, Yeonwoo already knew how to get out of it.
‘‘I just found out that the organization’s name has now been unified as Guardians.’’
During Yeonwoo’s first encounter with the mutant fox, someone had revealed their presence from a distance, only to get instantly wiped out by Yeonwoo.
That person’s core now rested peacefully inside Yeonwoo’s inventory.
A discrepancy of one or two monsters was common, so they would never know a monster had been lurking behind them.
Yeonwoo got the money.
They got to keep their lives.
Sure, defeating a monster wasn’t the only way to win, but the more monsters there were, the greater the risk.
That much was undeniable.
It was a win-win strategy.
"I’ll handle the request for distribution. We have 12 cores, so the usual amount should come through just fine."
Normally, core distribution was done through the Hunter Code system, and everything was verified and reported on the spot, so there wasn’t much concern about getting short changed.
"The hunt ended early due to unforeseen circumstances, but we still got paid, so let’s think of it positively. Anyway, great work out there. Siyoung, Sunhee."
"Thank you for your hard work."
"You too, Hyunwoo. Let’s team up again next time."
As Yeonwoo watched his party members smile brightly, bid farewell, and scatter, he narrowed his eyes in thought before turning away.
His impression of the first hunt?
Honestly, uneventful.
No, not just uneventful, he never expected Areum to monopolize the entire field by herself.
The original plan had been to avoid monster attention and quietly collect spirit stones.
They could have fought if needed, but making noise could attract unwanted attention, which was why he gave those instructions.
Yet, everything had been wrapped up before the party could even notice.
Even if Yeonwoo’s spirit power was strong, Areum’s strength was on a completely different level from a typical newly contracted low-grade spirit.
He had suspected something ever since she ran into a wall and broke it while claiming soap had gotten into her eyes in the bath, but still, this was beyond expectations.
"Areum."
As soon as he sensed her presence vanish, he summoned her.
A small hole formed in the ground like a tiny sand pit, and Areum poked her head out.
She appeared immediately, almost like she’d been waiting.
It was quite adorable.
"The spirit stones?"
Yeonwoo brushed the dirt off her hair as he asked.
Her hair was dry and rough from the dirt, but as long as she was properly cleaned, she really did look like a cute little girl.
At Yeonwoo’s gentle smile, she grinned back and pulled a stone out from her bulging pocket.
"Heeere~"
As if she were begging to be praised, she beamed brightly.
Yeonwoo opened his inventory and handed her a lollipop.
A spirit that liked candy, he had never heard of such a thing, but if she liked it, it wasn’t a big deal to give her one or two.
"Good job. This is your reward."
His hunch had been right.
Even a small spirit stone was easier to find in the mist.
He had vaguely assumed that it would be the case since it was a space formed from concentrated power and now, it was confirmed.
"Hehe, but it’s just one."
Wriggling her body in delight, she giggled with satisfaction.
Meanwhile, the materialized Mulhoe murmured with a pitying expression.
“-It still seems like a small quantity. It doesn’t feel the same as that previous spirit stone.”
"This one’s the lowest grade. Not even worth comparing. Also, Areum."
As Yeonwoo grinned and called her, she looked up at him with wide eyes.
"What is it?"
"You’ve got spirit stone dust on your lips."
Gasp!
Areum’s eyes widened at his words.
She flailed around, shouting in a panic.
"T-that can’t be! I’m sure I didn’t eat either of them..."
Halfway through her sentence, her expression turned into one of dismay, realizing something was off.
“-You’re good at leading questions.”
"Well, I didn’t get old for nothing... though, that barely even counts as a leading question."
Chuckling, Yeonwoo held out his hand.
She grumbled and pulled out a small spirit stone from her other pocket.
It radiated a strong scent that attracted spirits.
While not permanent, this stone was often used to temporarily boost a spirit’s power or rapidly build rapport.
To Areum, it was an irresistible delicacy with the finest aroma.
She trembled slightly, clearly reluctant to part with it.
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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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