episode_0021

“Huh…Huh…Huh…“

“Huu…hu… haa…“

“… Hmm… Sigh…“

“Huh…sigh…sigh…“

I guess I walked for about 2 hours from the entrance.

The group members were all climbing the mountain, out of breath.

It was cold in February, and there was heavy snow the day before.

Due to the strong snowstorm, not only is it difficult to see in front of you,

The slope of the mountain was quite high, so I was out of breath and my feet kept sinking into the deep snow.

“Wow~ The scenery here is really pretty~! Let’s come again later~!“

But only one of them is on a deadly hike.

Only Han Seo-jin was leisurely holding a hiking stick and a thermos bottle.

I was leisurely climbing the mountain path as if I was out in the village.

‘What is that person… What is it that makes his steps so light…?’

A very relaxed expression.

Moreover, he was armed with luxurious padding and all kinds of equipment, as if he had prepared for this weather in advance.

Although the ears and tip of the nose looked a little red.

He was climbing the mountain with a very happy expression, as if he had gone on some kind of trip.

“Kids, cheer up a little more~! The climb will be normal in just 2 hours!“

“That’s… easy…!“

Natsuki answered him out of breath.

It was fortunate that he put her luggage in subspace from the beginning of the hike.

If she had been carrying the luggage on her back, her stamina would have been completely depleted.

“As expected, I can’t take it lightly… Master… I wonder how amazing his physical strength is…“

“Hehe. This is the result of training.“

He smiled very proudly and raised his thumb,

Because he had prepared the skills [Leap D] and [Agility D] in advance.

Compared to other students, I was just climbing the mountain with unusually light footwork.

After climbing the mountain for a while, I reached the halfway point.

When a wide open space hidden by pine trees appeared,

He raised his hand and suggested a short break.

“Roughly, let’s rest here for a while and then go up this road.“

“Uh… But isn’t this a hiking trail?“

“It’s okay, it’s okay. I went there last time, and it’s much more convenient because it’s a shortcut.“

The place he pointed to was not a normal hiking course,

It was a hill that looked dangerous enough that you could fall if you were not careful.

Then Oh Min-ah looked at him disapprovingly.

“Huh, don’t be funny. Someone like you… hehe… knows some kind of shortcut…“

Then he smiled and put his hand on the flame katana and started creating flames.

“Is it true? If you don’t believe me, you can just go the existing route. If you go first and wait for us, you’ll be a pig. “

“Minah… I don’t know if I can trust what he says… but looking at his spirit… Wow… Wow… I don’t know if I can trust him… “

“Damn… Tsk… Yeah, I can’t help it. Just in case, just be late by even 1 minute. I know not to leave alone.“

“Yay yay, you say so.“

After warming up a bit, Han Seo-jin quietly sat down next to the girl.

She was shaking so hard that she only held on to the strap of her bag.

He had his head down and was wiping his nose with his sleeve.

“Sniff…cough…”

“Hey, would you like to drink something warm?“

He held the warm thermos to her cheek.

The girl looked embarrassed by the warmth she felt for a moment.

“Ah… no, it’s okay. Thank you…“

“Ah, don’t be too reserved. Take a sip. You’ll gain some strength.“

Even though I repeatedly declined his invitation about five times.

He clings persistently and offers me a drink.

Without any choice, the girl slowly drank the drink that Han Seo-jin handed her.

Then, in an instant, heat began to spread throughout my body.

Parts of my body, which had been frostbitten until now, were covered in thin, porous clothes.

One by one, I started to feel warm.

“How about it? Are you okay?“

“Yes… ok… thank you.“

[Cold Resistance Elixir] manufactured in Han Joo-hee’s laboratory yesterday.

I wanted to check out the skills of the woman who was said to be an elite researcher at Shinpoong Pharmaceutical.

Even though Han Seo-jin urgently sent a manufacturing request via text message.

It was a special-quality elixir that was not easily available in the market.

And Natsuki and Han Seo-jin, who drank this, were almost immune to the cold compared to other people.

‘As expected… there are no side effects, and the effect is immediate… If this is the case, I can trust it in the future.’

Han Seo-jin carefully closed the lid of the thermos.

I carefully greeted the girl sitting next to me.

“Now that I think about it, I haven’t heard your name until now. I’m Seojin Han. What about you?“

“… This is Arang. Seo Arang.“

‘With Seo-ah?’

At that moment, Han Seo-jin tilted his head and looked at her closely.

When I looked closely, I saw a tail that was not yet hidden.

Small animal-like ears hidden by hair.

Although she was tightly hidden by magical power, her identity could be vaguely known through [extra senses].

The character who was called the light and hope of non-paying users.

[2★ Berserker, White Tiger Seo A-rang]

‘What… why are you out here…?’

In terms of the game, that character should have been with me from the tutorial.

We only met after entering the academy.

She even looked completely different from when I ran into her before returning.

The simple appearance of a young girl now was completely different from the berserker-like appearance that swept the battlefield.

At that moment, Han Seo-jin felt as if she had found a treasure buried in the snow.

However, the clothes are so thin that I feel pity for them.

Just like the day I saw Yoo Ji-hye.

Let’s look at her very pitiful appearance.

For no reason, I started to feel awkward and the desire to help rose up like a chimney.

“I probably won’t be able to last long because it’s cold like this.“

He took out several heat packs, gloves, and a thick red padding from subspace and handed them to her.

“This…this…“

“Okay, once you do this, things will be okay.“

“Ha… But I can’t get something like this…“

“Hey, what are you going to do if you keep doing this and fall to the ground like a frostbite? You know that it’s more of a nuisance to us, right?“

Arang looked at him like that with restless eyes.

Maybe it was because he knew that no matter how many times I rejected him, he stuck to me persistently.

Reluctantly and cautiously, the girl put on the clothes Han Seo-jin gave her.

It can’t be compared to the worn-out clothes she was wearing.

The thick and fluffy duck down padding wrapped her warmly.

“Hey, why don’t we stop chatting there. Let’s move quickly, quickly.“

Healer, who was looking at the conversation with Arang in pity, clicked his tongue and stood up.

I raised my staff as if to hurry towards the mountain path.

“…thank you. I will use it cleanly and return it to you.“

“Okay, I’m doing well to not catch a cold.“

So after we took a moment to catch our breath

I walked through the snowstorm again along the hidden path toward the summit.

[congratulations! The relationship rank with Seo Arang has increased!]

—-

I think I walked like that for about 30 minutes.

Shashashak—

Rustle… rustle…

I heard the sound of something hiding in the bushes next to the mountain path.

The snowballs piled on the tree branches shook and fell little by little onto the road.

It seemed like a monster was hiding in front of me.

Han Seo-jin raised his hand and spoke to his teammates.

“Stop. There is a monster ahead. One big one, one small one… about three.“

“…? What are you talking about. I can’t feel any sign.“

“Can’t you feel it? It’s hiding on the right here.“

“Yes, you guy! Is it possible for a dealer to criticize the healer’s words!“

Han Seo-jin laughed and said, as if it was absurd.

“What nonsense. Healer has detection skills. Just follow my words in silence. If you don’t want to make a big deal out of it.“

“What you said, Master, is right. I can feel their presence little by little.“

“Keuung…“

Although Oh Min-ah and her porter were reluctant, they moved behind them.

Natsuki was very nervous and took out the Medan Compound Bow from behind her back.

However, Han Seo-jin just took out a shotgun from subspace and

I walked towards the bushes without any preparation.

“Master..! It’s dangerous if you approach like that…!“

bang–! Bang bang bang—!

In an instant, a gunshot was heard and a barrage of lead bullets burrowed into the bushes.

Kkeeek—!

After that, a monster’s scream was heard.

He went deeper into the bushes without any response.

Afterwards, another gunshot began to be heard.

Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta—!

Kaaah—!

And when he reappears.

The heads of monsters were hanging in both of his hands.

Three [E]-class snow goblins, and one [D]-class black bear.

Han Seo-jin suddenly threw the head in front of the healer.

He smiled with an expression as if nothing had happened.

“Foot, it’s scary. At best, it’s a level 1-2 monster. Why are you sitting so nervous? “

‘What…what is this person…?! That… he just caught it by himself?’

Oh Min-ah looked at the body, blinking in disbelief.

Then, I looked at Han Seo-jin, hiding my hands that were shaking out of fear.

He put the shotgun and automatic pistol into subspace.

After wiping away the blood on his clothes and the snow, he gave an order to the porter next to the healer.

“What are you doing, don’t put it in your bag? You know you don’t get points if you don’t take this, right?“

“Ah…yes…yes!“

He hurriedly put the heads of the monsters in his bag.

I put it on my back, holding back the stomach that felt like I was going to vomit.

The awakening effect he has [Porter]

Thanks to this, I was able to easily lift a much larger amount of luggage than ordinary people.

In the end, it wasn’t much of a help since I had less physical strength than the other girls.

It was equally useless in battle.

The reason he entered this school was because his mother donated a lot of money to the school.

He donated enough money to remodel the academy’s library.

‘Anyway, whatever it is, an awakened person is an awakened person.’

Han Seo-jin glanced at his bag.

He touched the black gloves he was wearing.

Even though [Subspace Armory] is just a skill attached to an item,

An ability that far surpasses the skills of other awakened people.

I realized once again how powerful the [S]-class items are,

He thought it was a really good idea to pick this item for the New Year’s party.

“Okay, then let’s move again. Be careful because there is a cliff ahead.“

He walked ahead with his katana raised.

‘That guy… I’m not going to take it easy either… If I don’t tell them to prepare well…’

Oh Min-ah carefully tapped her phone and sent a message.

To those who were preparing a plan to attack him in the future.

Be prepared to deal with the author more thoroughly than you had planned in advance.

Tiring-!

She quietly followed him towards the top, hiding her pleasant smile.

——-

Around the time I was walking like that.

A sign appeared on the street.

※■■■※

I saw the words written on it.

The text on the passage to the right was blurred and hard to see clearly.

“Hmm…“

Seojin Han stood in front of the sign and crossed her arms.

Then they spoke to their team members.

“What should I do? If I go straight to the left, I’ll soon reach the top. If I turn right, I don’t know what’s there.“

“Isn’t it obvious? I have to go to the top. I knew there was something on the right.“

“But… if it goes down like this, it’s going to be a disaster. Of course, if you arrive first, you get bonus points. You couldn’t even catch a few monsters.“

“Then what should we do? It’s so cold that I’m dying, so let’s wander around in the snow some more to catch monsters?“

Oh Min-ah was already exhausted, so she hit him hard.

But he just shrugged as if he didn’t really care about her.

Then I tapped the sign pointing to the right.

“Me and Natsuki are going this way. I have a feeling that there will be a trophy if you go here.“

“What…? Don’t be ridiculous. What if two dealers leave the party? “

“Dealer? The dealer is here.“

Seojin Han gently grabbed Arang’s shoulder and pulled her towards him.

Then the girl seemed very embarrassed and struggled, but it was no use.

“Well, even if we say that we are healers, our power is already overwhelming so we are not taking any damage. If this continues, aren’t we more useless than the male porter there?“

“You… don’t say things like that because your mouth is open… I knew something would happen after I went down…“

“Ma… That’s right! I dare to vomit at Minah’s words…“

Han Seo-jin plucked his ear with his index finger,

When their grumbling ended, they continued talking again.

“Uh, did you say everything? anyway. When we go down, the group members will evaluate each other. We will also check the horsepower consumption. If you guys go back to that way now, it’s no different from free riding, right?“

That was correct.

There were three grading criteria mentioned by the instructors.

According to what she heard from her seniors, there was another hidden grading standard.

To check whether the student actively participated in the placement test

In addition to total horsepower consumption, evaluation records among team members.

If the attack targeting Han Seo-jin failed, she would also be in trouble.

At least the male student next to him who was acting as a porter was already consuming a little bit of his magic power.

‘Ugh… this damn bastard… said let’s see…!’

Literally, free riding itself.

Even though she was revered as an Amman nobleman,

The reason I didn’t use the healing skill even once during the placement test was

It was such a shameless thing that other students would whisper to her.

“Tsk… I can’t help it. So what are we going to do? Are you saying you two are going to fool around like that?“

“Hmm, that’s absurd. You three bring the flag from the top. In the meantime, Natsuki and I plan to search this place. If you’re lucky enough to get a trophy, isn’t it a pretty bad choice?“

“Keuung…“

If Oh Min-ah had been her usual personality, she would have somehow caught the pod and refuted it.

It’s as if the author has been calculating this thoroughly since the first time we met.

He used to speak neatly and clearly.

That’s why she was even more angry because she wanted to step on that arrogant nose.

“Hmph, I understand. But you have to take responsibility for making such a bold statement. Otherwise, you two will get the lowest score in the team evaluation.“

“Yes, yes, whatever. Take care of it. Let’s go Natsuki, go get the trophy.“

“Yes, Master.“

They took long strides toward the unknown path on the right.

Now there were only other beggars, including her.

Even Seo A-rang, who was ignored for being admitted through equal opportunity admissions, is the only dealer at this party.

Oh Min-ah sighed and looked at the little girl.

“What, are you smiling? Are you that easy on me? If you don’t do it right, you’ll hit rock bottom. Do you understand?“

“Ugh…Ugh…Sorry…“

“Mi…Minah, calm down… Ehehe… Let’s head to the top first! ah! There are other teams going ahead, so if we head together, we will be safe from monsters!“

Minah looked at the students passing in front of her with a frown on their faces.

At that moment, I couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile.

A group of followers who have already come under their control.

As soon as they found themselves, they lowered their heads and

Because he was waiting for them to come to him.

‘They joined sooner than I thought… no… I’ll just grab the flag first… and beat them up completely when they relax.’

She looked at Arang with cold eyes.

A girl with a soft heart who never expresses her opinions.

It seemed like she could roast and boil someone with just one word.

“I said… You’d better think carefully about whose side you’ll be on in the future.“

“…“

“Uh huh…! Minah said this. I can’t wait to say thank you!!“

“…thank you….“

Followers always followed the irreplaceable healer.

In my heart, I wanted to put those two excellent dealers under my wing, but

I could already tell by looking at their confident expressions.

If you don’t step on them,

They will be like bugs that crawl on you without even knowing what they are doing.

So they left for the top of the mountain.

Han Seo-jin and Natsuki, with a secret plan to put those two arrogant dealers in trouble…

——-

“Oh, I really don’t like it… I can’t really squeeze it…“

I clicked my tongue and walked down the mountain path.

Then Natsuki stood next to me like a traitor, wagging her tail.

“If only Master gave an order… such scum-like servants could be sent away immediately.“

“Phew… No, not yet. It’s too early.“

That day, thanks to Natsuki, I managed to come back alive and immediately reported them to the police.

No matter how powerful Oh Min-ah and her followers were,

In the end, the police and school investigated the incident in detail.

‘But the problem was that the backlash was so strong that the charges were ultimately acquitted.’

Oh Min-ah has been a member of the healer family for generations. And her followers

Because they were all girls who spread their influence here and there.

Without particularly critical circumstantial evidence, Yuyabuya was dismissed as not guilty.

On the other hand, Natsuki and I were unfairly given the lowest score.

I was placed in the worst class in the academy, but I couldn’t even appeal.

In accordance with the Academy’s guidelines of ‘rules follow rules’.

‘Literally guilty by wireless, not guilty by genetics. It’s a place that has been thoroughly researched.’

But now the situation has completely reversed.

As I have all the family connections and the trust of the chairman,

I came here thinking of a way to get rid of her and all of her followers at once.

[Academy Expulsion Policy]

There were many procedures, but let’s briefly skip the headache-inducing parts.

With just one hit of this, I could have turned that bitch’s life around in one fell swoop.

Not only that, but it could also make future life as a hunter impossible.

Literally facing social death.

“Anyway… it can be resolved as long as the evidence is clear.“

“I don’t know, but… I will trust and follow Master.“

“Yes, good. That’s the attitude. That’s great, my student.“

I patted her head and headed to the place where the cave was.

Then, a huge pine tree that looked unusual at first glance appeared,

Beneath it, a code written in an ancient language was engraved on a stone slab.

“Hmm… what does it mean…?”

“Right from here…”

Just as she was about to decipher the code herself, I turned around and

In its place was a solid iron door locked with a magical lock.

“Wait a minute, let me pick the lock…”

“The correct answer is 173.”

Before she even took the lockpick out of her belt

I told him the password I had barely cracked after racking my brain for hours.

Then, the magic power of the lock disappeared and the locked door opened.

“Uh… you already know everything?”

“Okay then. I have a pretty good memory.”

After opening the iron door, let’s walk for a while into the dark cave.

At the end of the cave, blue magical energy was flowing very slightly along the wall,

If it weren’t for the [Extra-Sense] skill, it was so well hidden that it would have been difficult to even notice that this place existed.

I carefully raised the flame katana and struck the wall with force.

Kagagak—!

As the fire burned and the wall split, a secret space hidden within it appeared.

A cold and deep cave in the snowy mountains with a chilly vibe.

With the growling, threatening sound of a monster inside.

Eerie flashing yellow eyes began to stare at me and Natsuki.

“Now… Then, let’s test the weapon for a moment.“

I took out two staffs from subspace.

One black skull staff.

And even a white staff member received as a gift from the chairman.

As if I were a dual swordsman, I held a staff in each hand.

He smiled brightly at the giant monsters roaring viciously in front of him.

“I’m sorry, but I need to be your punching bag for a moment.“

thud…!

Let me hit the floor with my staff.

At that moment, the portal opened and a Skeleton Knight appeared.

“honorary name.“

“Oh, nice to meet you. Just wait a moment…!“

I then held up my white staff and

He swung gently towards the Skeleton Knight and Natsuki.

“I don’t know how strong it will become, but… First of all, the skill is Grade A… [Buff]!“

Hua Ahhh —!

Like the light that emitted from inside the duffel bag when you played the gacha lottery.

In an instant, Natsuki’s black bow and the Skeleton Knight’s weapon,

And even the armor began to glow very brightly at the same time.

As if all the items had been strengthened to grade [A] or higher.

It was emitting a very beautiful light as if it had reached another level.

“What the hell is this…!“

“Overwhelming power… The master gave it to me…“

I chuckled and crossed my arms while holding the staff.

Then he shouted with all his might in a very lively voice.

“Now! Go out and fight! And cut it all up!“

“honorary name.“

“Yes… I understand…!“

bang—!

The Skeleton Knight, who had already shown off extremely powerful destructive power,

With a powerful blow that seems to destroy anything

In an instant, the monster’s front legs were completely destroyed.

Wake up… Wake up…!

“Calmly… accurately…“

And then Natsuki pulled the bow string and fired.

Shhh—!

Quagwagwang!!!

With a sharp sound cutting through the air

Several arrows flew in an instant, hitting the heads of other monsters accurately.

Penetration, or even more destructive power.

With such tremendous penetrating power that it could be described as exploding.

In an instant, the monsters became unrecognizable, as if they had been turned into minced meat.

“I got rid of it. Master.“

“I followed the master’s orders…“

“Ha…haha… Oh my god…”

I was so dumbfounded that I burst out laughing.

With the staff inserted into subspace, I examined the corpses of the monsters.

Natsuki and I went through all sorts of hardships that day.

I even managed to catch them with healing and buffs from that arrogant healer.

[B] Class Monster Polaris Hunter

It was a crazy monster with destructive power that could literally tear a person in half.

Just one shot from Skeleton Knight and Natsuki. They had turned into cold corpses.

‘Crazy… what’s so… strong…?’

I smiled helplessly and said, “Let’s clean up the corpses of the monsters for a moment.”

Inside was a beautiful golden trophy.

“Oh… As expected, I left it here just as it was.“

I walked out of the cave holding the trophy.

Then, Oh Min-ah and her followers slowly descending from the top came into view.

‘Then… I wonder if there will soon be talk of camping out…’

If the sights we saw that day were to be followed, we would soon camp nearby.

While creating a friendly atmosphere with students from other groups…

Taking advantage of the moment when we were caught off guard, Natsuki and I were planning a secret attack at the same time.

After I sent the Skeleton Knight back to where it came from.

In the sub-space, I hung the newly purchased triple pole on my waist,

He took out a black riot shield.

“Master… is that…?“

“Ah… this? I bought it new.“

“But according to what Master said, they are the ones seeking your life…?“

I smiled and looked at Natsuki.

“Don’t worry, I plan on beating you up so much that you want me to kill you.“

I quickly unfolded the triple pole using a snap of my wrist.

Sigh–!

With a very cheerful sound and a heavy feeling.

I am ready to face the bad memories of the past.

“Then… why don’t you walk into their mouths…“

I held the golden trophy together with Natsuki.

He smiled kindly at them and walked out.

With an innocent expression, pretending not to know anything.