21 Chapter 20 (1/2)

When the Hunters tried to leave all at the same time, Yu Jin-Ho formed a confused expression and quickly asked them.

”Are you telling me and Jin-Woo hyung to remain in the boss room?”

Hwang Dong-Seok smiled with his eyes and replied.

”The b*stard is yet to wake up even though we've been talking loudly for a while now. So, I'm sure nothing's going to happen here. Well, there are some things I wanna speak to my boys, too, so we'll take a short smoke break as well. But, don't worry, it won't take long.”

Jin-Woo listened to Hwang Dong-Seok's rather detailed explanations and smirked inwardly.

'You've finally revealed your true colours, huh. But all of you are leaving at the same time? Aren't you fools taking us way too lightly?'

They were looking down on him because of his low rank, of course.

As Jin-Woo expected him to, Hwang Dong-Seok finally began to move. It was slightly different from the youth's expectation, though.

It had been four years since he became a Hunter. During that time, he had met many Hunters. One of them was an ahjussi named Mister Oh.

He had retired from the life of a freelancer, but still showed up now and then to help out with the Association's work.

”Be careful of geckos.”

Mister Oh used to say that rather often.

When one participated in raids, one would inevitably encounter a dangerous situation.

When such an event happened, some crooked, immoral Hunters would try to sacrifice someone who had been fighting alongside them until then, with some flimsy pretext of them not being in the same team, to begin with, or that the other party was simply weaker than they were.

All just to buy themselves some time for their safe escape.

It was exactly like a gecko cutting off its own tail and running away.

'Cutting its tail off....'

Mister Oh took to calling those types of Hunters 'geckos', and such actions as cutting off one's tail.

The regulation stated that in order to enter a Gate ranked C, the minimum number of participants had to be ten. Yet, Hwang Dong-Seok's team only had eight members.

”I'm sure you already know that it's not easy to hire a Healer if you're running your own assault party. Well, we've been doing things this way until now, so it'll be fine.”

Indeed, he stuck to only eight members, even though his team had entered countless Gates ranked C – so much so that he could say 'this way until now'.

'They obviously have no reason to fill the last two spots.'

They needed a tail that they could cut off at any given moment, after all. There was a reason why they were willing to accept anyone whether it was a Hunter ranked E or a newbie.

And now....

Hwang Dong-Seok had decided to abandon both Seong Jin-Woo and Yu Jin-Ho for a slightly different reason than usual.

'But, it's a good thing for me.'

Jin-Woo had figured out Hwang Dong-Seok's intentions pretty early on, but chose to say nothing. This was what he wanted, actually.

However, unlike Jin-Woo who was full of confidence, Yu Jin-Ho was quite different as he only started his work as a Hunter today.

Yu Jin-Ho spoke with a voice full of worries.

”No, wait a minute. That is just.... Why don't we leave together?”

It was then, Jin-Woo spotted one of the Hunters at the back raise his hand towards his hips. So, he placed his hand on Yu Jin-Ho's shoulder and spoke.

”It'll be fine. We'll guard this place.”

The Hunter's hand heading towards his waist stopped.

”Hyung....?”

Yu Jin-Ho was quite surprised and confused, but Jin-Woo simply kept his mouth shut and lightly shook his head. Sure, the kid was noisy and got on his nerves just a tad, but Jin-Woo wasn't planning to let him die here.

After all, didn't he try to get the fair share for Jin-Woo just now, although that would have ultimately put him in a disadvantageous position?

Hwang Dong-Seok formed a smile as he looked at the two youths.

”Our van isn't parked too far, so it shouldn't take long. Well, then.”

Hwang Dong-Seok and his lackeys quickly escaped from the boss room. And their footsteps rapidly got further and further away.

Yu Jin-Ho turned around and demanded answers from Jin-Woo.

”How could you say those things, hyung? What if that thing wakes up?”

Without a doubt, he was quite scared of that spider.

'Looks like this kid hasn't grasped the situation quite yet.'

Jin-Woo inwardly clicked his tongue. It was too much of a bother to explain everything, too. Instead of an answer, he began loosening his body once more.

***

Around the same time, Hwang Dong-Seok turned around towards the boss room. The Hunters following him also came to a stop. They had arrived at a far-enough spot from the boss room now. At this sort of distance, there was no danger of being overheard.

Hwang Dong-Seok smiled deeply and signalled to Joh Gyu-Hwan next to him with his chin.

”Hey, Gyu-Hwan-ah? Block up the entrance to the boss room.”

”Should I blow it up?”

”That's right. But, don't block it up completely, okay? We gotta go in there a bit later, too.

Lee Cheol-Jin then asked him.

”Hwang hyung, is there a reason to beat around the bush like this? Why don't we just kill them now and get started right away?”

Hwang Dong-Seok's expression crumpled and glared at the other guy. There was no need for him to maintain the fake smile now. At least that was one less thing to worry about.

”M-my bad.”

Lee Cheol-Jin averted his gaze in fear. Hwang Dong-Seok tsk, tsked.

”What if we start fighting there and the spider wakes up? How will you mine those mana stones and carry them out then?”

”I'm sorry.”

Joh Gyu-Hwan butted in.

”Hwang hyung, since we are on that subject.... Wouldn't that thing wake up while we try to mine the mana stones? If so, we might end up losing big, you know.”

That creature was strong enough to prey on those already-scary insect-type monsters. If the team got sneak attacked in the middle of the mining operation, the losses they incur would be enormous.

”That is why....”

Hwang Dong-Seok smirked deeply.

”We're trying to offer those two up as food, aren't we?”

”Ahh.....”

Joh Gyu-Hwan nodded his head as if he had finally understood the plan.

Right now, no one knew just when the spider would wake up. It could be 10 hours from now, maybe one hour, or it could be a minute later. That was why they had to wake the spider up now and feed it.

No matter how dull that monster happened to be, it'd still wake up from the impact strong enough to cause the entrance to cave in.

Hwang Dong-Seok continued on.

”We mine the mana stones when the spider goes back to sleep with a full belly.”

The permit they got from the Association would last for five days. They still had over four and a half days of leeway, in other words.

They would wait and if the spider didn't go back to sleep, they would simply dispose of it and mine as much as they could before the Gate closed shut.

They wouldn't be able to mine everything within the hour, but with Seong Jin-Woo and Yu Jin-Ho no longer in the picture, they should be able to avoid losing out too much.

Wouldn't that be far more preferable than working under the constant fear? Their safety was the number one priority, after all.

'Of course, that's the worst possible scenario....'

If they were lucky, the profit would be divided eight ways, they mine all the mana stones, and even monopolise the spider, too. As an added bonus, those expensive-looking equipment on Yu Jin-Ho's body would become theirs, too!

'That sword and the shield, they have to be worth at least a few hundred million Won.'

They had nothing to lose from this transaction at all.

The corners of Hwang Dong-Seok's lips arched up.

”Block up the entrance, so we can go and take a smoke break. Quick.”

”Yes, hyung.”

Joh Gyu-Hwan replied as a blinding light began to gather on the tip of his fingers.

***

”.....”

Yu Jin-Ho's gaze was fixed on the sleeping spider. Even his breathing was cautious. He then asked, his expression rigid with fear.