Chapter 230. A Crow-it's Life Isn't So Bad Either

A few days had passed. It was a drizzly morning.

After resolving the dungeon break in Jeju Island, Haseong returned to Seoul on the first morning flight. Similarly, Esther, who had also wrapped up the guild branch issue, was soaking in the bathtub when they both simultaneously came across this news report.

["No Need to Worry Anymore." Golem Incident Comes to an End]

Before they even realized it, news came that the disaster in the capital had already been resolved.

"Hmm? Golem?"

Well, the area near the Han River does often get overrun by certain monsters during the summer. Back in the day, it was the fire cats causing chaos—this time, all of things, it had to be golems.

Esther enjoyed a full-body bath in the bubble water and stared at the TV on the bathroom wall. But the next thing she heard from the announcer was shocking.

«And in handling this incident, the Hunter team from Neo Sisters played an especially significant role. It has been revealed that Regular Team 3 alone cleared a staggering 58% of all the gates.

58%.

58%?

The difficulty was A-rank, with Golems inhabiting the dungeon, and they had to handle all the gates within a week to prevent them from collapsing... and yet, 58%?!

"Oh."

The sweet scent of the British bath salts blended into the steam of the bathroom. Esther calmly relaxed, unwinding from the fatigue accumulated from work, as she turned up the volume of the news with interest.

"How on earth did they manage that?"

This is a situation where you really can't help but make that sound.

***

Thump, thump.

"..."

Thud.

At a gate along the Han River, an exhausted-looking hunter emerges from the exit. This person is an A-rank hunter belonging to Neo Sisters and is well-known for wielding a crossbow weapon. Additionally, she is the leader of a five-person team.

"Mom..."

But why, at an age well past the point of independence, was this person suddenly seeking out the older generation? It was related to the 58% figure that would later be reported in the news.

That's right. After the distribution agreement within Neo Sisters' regular team 3, they finally cleared the last [Hand of the Giant] after a grueling four-day marathon.

[Hand of the Giant]. An A-rank dungeon set against the backdrop of a rough temple. The monsters that appear are simply the regular soldier 'Sand Golem' and the boss 'Pheres,' making it a monster nest. For reference, the Sand Golems there are not made of sand, but their outer shell is brightly colored; they are formidable enemies with unimaginable durability.

But she had just defeated them all and returned.

How? It was all thanks to a certain shaved-head student on a break.

"Mom... Mom, your daughter... I made a lot of money this time..."

Thump, thump.

The crossbowman nervously fumbled with the family photo in her wallet.

It was still hard to believe. The Sand Golems appearing here were completely different from the Golem sentries of Golden Fragrance. In other words, they were an unknown enemy, one that hadn't been taught to Yoonseung through emergency stop techniques. The goal of the training was supposed to be independence, right? In that sense, one alien could be said to have done a surprisingly good job fulfilling the role of a teacher.

– Yoonseung-ah, look carefully.

– Yes.

– This is the golem's joint. From here to here, it rotates and moves.

– Yes.

– However, unlike humans, this joint forms a perfect arc when it bends.

– Ah!

– When you're up against a golem with round joints like this, watch the angle of its arms carefully and slip inside its arm instead.

– Inside its reach...

– Don't be afraid.

Someday, Ahn Yoonseung had absorbed all the knowledge about golems that Giryeo had once casually explained in passing. Moreover, he had gained even more assets from the last [Golden Fragrance].

It wasn't only wizards whose battles were heavily influenced by momentum. In a world where a mammal, 174 cm tall and weighing 66 kg, could be frightened and flee from an insect that was merely 1.3 cm in size and weighed only 0.3 g, fear undeniably had a significant impact on the success or failure of actions.

That might be why Ahn Yoonseung completely dominated this battle. Thanks to a certain scene Kim Giryeo had shown him, he had shaken off the twisted fear that once gripped him. What had initially seemed like an incomprehensible monster from another dimension gradually began to reveal clumsiness and countless openings. That was how the golem appeared now to Ahn Yoonseung.

Boom!

The heavy weight, as sudden and harsh as the biting cold wind, too.

Boom!

As long as he stayed alert, he could easily avoid it. Whenever Hunter Kim Giryeo went on a hunt, the Golems would turn into clunky scrap metal, struggling like robot vacuum cleaners stuck on a high threshold. And considering that Ahn Yoonseung had witnessed such scenes firsthand, there was no way he still carried the trauma of facing golems.

– It's provoke a big attack, so when it starts swinging its arm, focus fire on the joint area in 10 seconds!

The members of Neo Sisters were in awe of the defensive-type hunter's performance. The once gentle young man had transformed into someone razor-sharp the moment he stepped into the dungeon. Even when facing a giant over five times his own size, he showed no trace of hesitation or fear—only unwavering strength.

– Yoonseung-Sunbae. Aren't you even scared of golems?

The attack of a Sand Golem was powerful enough to crush the innards of an A-rank Awakened individual if they were hit wrong. That's why most defensive hunters would at least flinch when blocking a golem's attack. When his junior asked if he wasn't scared of the golem, Yoonseung had answered like this.

– Hyung-nim told me not to be scared. So, I just decided not to be scared, just like he said.

Maybe this is how religion first began.

Ahn Yoonseung. That 23-year-old young man had come to embody a true kind of faith.

He carefully analyzed the best qualities of his mentor and made them his own through earnest effort. And with the skills he built that way, he ultimately helped bring the flood of high-difficulty gates in Seoul to a successful halt.

"Wow~ Who would've thought even the final boss would drop a core!"

"How much is all this?"

"Oh my, selling this much would be a lot of work. Hey."

"Don't worry. The manager told me that the guild has already received numerous calls to make trade reservations."

"Oh!"

"True~ If you're offering to sell Infinite Power Cores in bulk, it's actually the buyers who would be willing to pay extra for them."

Bustling and noisy.

After waiting for a while, the remaining team members rushed out through the open exit. Each of them wore a bright, refreshed smile, a clear testament to the victory of the grueling battles that had taken place over the past few days.

"At this rate, everyone could easily afford new equipment and still have plenty left over!"

"Yoonseung-ssi, Jagyeong-ssi. At this point, you can't seriously be thinking of turning down your share of the payout, right?"

"Yes, yes."

"Haha, yes~"

Now that the job was all wrapped up, it would made sense to just head home, wash up, and crash. As Yoonseung wiped the sweat from his brow, a sudden thought crossed his mind.

First, he had solved the trivial (A-rank golem dungeon) problem in advance so that he wouldn't burden Hunter Kim Giryeo unnecessarily... However, the truth was that the fact he was able to defeat the golem himself was, in essence, all thanks to that Hunter. If it hadn't been for the careful guidance of an S-rank awakener, he wouldn't have even thought about getting involved in this situation.

"Ah!"

With the intention of expressing his sincere gratitude, Yoonseung made up his mind to wholeheartedly reveal to the world the good deeds of the hunter who had helped him come this far.

"Ah! I finally found it. So this is where the exit opened up."

"Huh?"

"Hello! I'm from Han Jeheon TV, the creator who contacted you earlier. It's about the interview—would you have a moment to spare?"

The problem was that these acts of kindness weren't in the form the other person had hoped for.

***