Episode 14
In fact, Aura was an ability that only those who were talented in mana could attain by devoting their entire lives to it.
So, it was very rare for humans to use aura.
The reason Lucia was able to learn Aura was because she was a half-elf and had several times as much time as a human.
On the other hand, Kang Jin-hyeok was an ordinary person.
Even if he had talent, it would be after his hair turned white that he would be able to freely manipulate his aura.
Even if you have a strong desire to learn, you cannot turn back time with the human body.
However, Lucia had her own ulterior motives behind making this suggestion.
‘I said I would teach you how to write. I never said I would teach you how to write.’
Of course, I intended to teach you the method itself with all my sincerity.
Whether or not you can turn that into talent is entirely up to you.
“Goooooo.”
At the moment Lucia was thinking that, the boss monster she thought she had caught moved.
It was a sudden surprise attack targeting an unexpected moment, but Kang Jin-hyeok’s movements were faster than the stone statue’s attack.
“Holy Shield!”
Thanks to the baseball bat’s reaction, Kang Jin-hyeok was able to respond one step ahead.
The defensive skill that was leveled up by defeating the mid-boss was able to withstand the statue’s attacks perfectly without breaking.
The statue was so damaged that it could not withstand the recoil and collapsed.
Kang Jin-hyeok saw it and ran over to hit the exposed core of the stone statue with a bat.
There was a sound like something breaking, but the core was not completely broken.
Kang Jin-hyeok anticipated this and swung his bat without hesitation.
The statue was struck two or three more times before it could even resist, and its once sturdy core was unable to withstand the blows and shattered into pieces.
“Ugh… … .”
The statue stopped moving, leaving behind a final, scream-like groan.
[You have leveled up.]
Thanks to the enormous amount of experience points given by the boss monster, Kang Jin-hyeok’s vision was filled with repeating messages.
Having only recently become a C-class Hunter, his level has already reached 85.
At this rate, it wasn’t a dream to become a B-class hunter within this month.
Kang Jin-hyeok searched through the boss’s remains, hoping that some items might have dropped.
But unfortunately, no items were dropped.
“The skill just now… … You were a cleric?”
Kang Jin-hyeok expressed his doubts at the question Lucia suddenly brought up.
“Huh? You didn’t know?”
“I thought you were a warrior because you came out with a bat. Who would think a human who can beat up golems is a cleric?”
Lucia had a point.
It was the first time Kang Jin-hyeok had used a cleric-like skill in front of her, so it was understandable that she would have been mistaken.
“A cleric… … This is unexpected.”
“Is it that surprising?”
“It’s not so much unexpected as it is a bit different from what I expected.”
Kang Jin-hyeok didn’t understand what Lucia was saying.
“What’s the difference? Is there anything bad about being a cleric?”
“It’s the opposite.”
“what?”
“If you’re a cleric, you can easily use auras by just learning the tricks.”
Kang Jin-hyeok was confused.
How can this job, which has no combat skills, be more helpful in using auras?
Lucia looked at Kang Jin-hyeok’s blank expression and realized that he didn’t know anything.
“Have you never heard of ‘Holy Aura’?”
“of course.”
“… … I don’t need to brag about it.”
Lucia sighed softly and continued her explanation.
“The shield you just took out. That’s also a type of aura.”
“Is that what you mean?”
“To be exact, they are different, but the method of use and effect are the same.”
The difference is that Aura is created using mana gathered from within the body.
The only thing that the Cleric used was something made of divine power.
“Then can I use it right away?”
“It’s not possible right now… but if we do it well, we can have it all figured out within a week.”
If you are a cleric, you don’t need to build up auras; you just need to learn how to use them.
Of course, that wasn’t easy, but Lucia was confident that she could solve the problem on her own.
But just because it was possible, it didn’t mean I was willing to do it unconditionally.
Someone left a comment like that.
Don’t give away things you’re good at for free.
Lucia learned that lesson during her long life as an adventurer.
“By the way, do you remember that there is a condition for teaching me?”
“Conditions? Ah… …!”
Kang Jin-hyeok recalled what Lucia had said.
Who would have thought that a single chocolate bar would give me the opportunity to learn such a precious skill?
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Life was really unpredictable.
* * *
Seo Sang-ho was leaving the association headquarters with a bad expression on his face.
Even he, who was known for his good personality, couldn’t help but feel offended when he heard the one-sided notice.
The secretary who followed followed Seo Sang-ho and acted cautiously.
“Shall we call the guild executives together right away?”
“That’s right.”
Seo Sang-ho nodded and then suddenly let out a sigh as if the ground was collapsing.
“Does it make sense to ask our guild to deal with it alone?”
“The timing doesn’t seem too good.”
The appearance of monsters was usually a random phenomenon, but there was one exception.
It was an abnormal radio wave that was discovered about once a month.
In places where abnormal transmissions were observed, powerful monsters appeared within a week, causing the government and the association to have a headache each time.
Unfortunately, this phenomenon occurred in Seoul at a time when other large guilds were accepting requests and leaving for overseas.
Currently, the only force capable of dealing with this phenomenon in the country is S-class hunter Seo Sang-ho and his guild members.
“I think we need to ask for cooperation from other guilds.”
“I think the same. But I wonder if other guilds will cooperate… … .”
Because of Ahn Do-yoon’s tyranny, public opinion of Titan was very negative.
The secretary’s concerns were also something that Seo Sang-ho was well aware of.
“I should have stopped that guy before he got there.”
Because I was mindful of the guild leaders’ reactions, things ended up being more serious than I thought.
Who would have thought that the snowball rolled by that human, Andoyoon, would grow this big?
Although he was the one who made the mistake, Seo Sang-ho had to take responsibility as the guild leader.
“Whew… … I really want to kick him out right now.”
If I could, I would kick him away and swear at him with all my might.
But now, each and every person was precious.
“It’s not a good time to abandon an A-class hunter.”
“I know.”
Even though I knew it intellectually, it was difficult to accept it emotionally.
The secretary spoke comfortingly to appease Seo Sang-ho.
“He’s not a very good person, but his skills are pretty good, right?”
“That’s true. He’s the one who gets beaten up by the cleric, though.”
After hearing Seo Sang-ho’s words, the secretary suddenly had an idea.
“By the way, were you successful in negotiating with the hunter who defeated Andoyoon?”
“No, not yet.”
“You’ve been holding off on something for quite some time, considering how much you’ve been wanting.”
“I’m trying to be careful.”
Seo Sang-ho’s target, Kang Jin-hyeok, had a very negative perception of Titan.
Forcing something on him like that will only have the opposite effect.
“Shall we do some research so we can offer you good terms?”
“There’s no need for that. He’s not the type of person who would find anything even if you investigated him.”
Kang Jin-hyeok was a D-class hunter who had been active for a long time before suddenly rising to prominence.
There were no signs before.
Seo Sang-ho liked Kang Jin-hyeok’s enigmatic side more.
It was as if I had discovered a gem that no one had paid attention to.
“Anyway, I’ll take care of it, so just block the executives’ gaze.”
Unlike Seo Sang-ho, who was actively promoting the recruitment of Kang Jin-hyeok, Titan’s executives viewed him as a thorn in their side.
Special surveillance was necessary because one never knew when or where they would plot something.
“We have already deployed enough personnel to monitor the movements of the executives.”
“Really? How does it look?”
“I was wondering how I could do one more heist without the guild leader finding out.”
“Hahaha, they’re still the same old guys.”
Seo Sang-ho smiled as if he had expected it.
It was the executives who grew Titan into a large guild in place of Seo Sang-ho, who had no interest in running the guild.
There was no way they would become quiet just because Andoyoon was kicked out.
“If you want to retaliate against Kang Jin-hyeok, contact me. Otherwise, leave him alone.”
“You seem to be quite fond of that Hunter. Why is that? Isn’t he at best a C-rank cleric?”
“Well… I can’t say specifically. I just have a feeling.”
It was an answer that would be absurd to someone who didn’t know.
But the secretary didn’t laugh at Seo Sang-ho or look at him strangely.
Because I worked as his secretary for quite some time and got to see how sharp Seo Sang-ho’s intuition was.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Seo Sang-ho was able to firmly maintain his position as guild leader against executives who engaged in all sorts of tricks thanks to his intuition and judgment.
“But right now, it’s time to focus on the association’s requests rather than that hunter.”
“I know even if you don’t say it.”
It was natural that the fire at one’s feet had to be dealt with first.
If only I hadn’t witnessed Kang Jin-hyeok coming out of a nearby bakery.
Seo Sang-ho may have lost interest in him for the time being.
But now that I saw it with my own eyes, I couldn’t just pass it by.
“You can’t be a nobleman.”
With a meaningful smile, Seo Sang-ho spoke to his secretary.
“I have something to do, so I’ll go first and deliver the association’s request to the executives.”
“All right.”
After the secretary left, Seo Sang-ho approached Kang Jin-hyeok.
Kang Jin-hyeok looked quite surprised when he saw him walking towards him.
“What are you doing here?”
“That’s what I want to ask. What are you buying so much of at this hour? And from a bakery?”
Seo Sang-ho’s gaze was directed to the large envelope that Kang Jin-hyeok was holding.
It was too much to eat alone as a snack at night.
“I don’t even know what I’m doing right now.”
Kang Jin-hyeok smiled bitterly, as if he wasn’t doing it out of necessity.
Seo Sang-ho was curious, but there was something else that had to take priority at the moment.
“Have you ever thought about my proposal?”
“If you’re talking about joining a guild, I would have told you that I don’t plan on belonging to any for the time being.”
Kang Jin-hyeok’s answer was so certain that it seemed as if there was no room for reconsideration.
Although I was very grateful that an S-class hunter personally recommended me, I had no desire to join Titan.
This was the case not only for Titan but also for other large guilds.
Kang Jin-hyeok did not want to join hands with those who monopolized monsters without even thinking about other hunters.
“I think I presented sufficient conditions… … I don’t understand why you are rejecting it.”
I just don’t like it. Kang Jin-hyeok, who couldn’t say that short reason in front of an S-class hunter, thought of another excuse.
“That crazy murderer still hasn’t been caught. I don’t want to get stabbed in the back of the head on the street at night.”
“… … Is that really the reason?”
Kang Jin-hyeok nodded with a calm face.
“You’re saying there are already 12 victims this month? No one would want to join the guild at this dire time.”
Seo Sang-ho couldn’t refute that statement.
A hunter is dying every three days, but the association and guild have yet to come up with a plausible solution.
‘One day, I’ll aim to become an A-class hunter and get caught.’
I was essentially abandoning the murderer while harboring such ridiculous delusions.
Even if it was impossible to track them down because no traces were left behind, it would have been irresponsible not to even think about chasing them.
Seo Sang-ho opened his mouth after a short sigh.
“Then how about coming as a mercenary?”
“As a mercenary?”
“Yes, I will compensate you sufficiently.”
If you were simply hunting together without joining a guild, there was no reason to refuse.
If it was a Titan, there was absolutely no way to fail in hunting it, and the monsters you faced were likely to be quite valuable and large.
However, there was one part that was questionable.
“There must be many talented people on Titan, so is there really a need for me to become a mercenary?”
Kang Jin-hyeok’s specs known to the public were at best that of a C-class hunter.
The only thing he had to show off was that he was a cleric.
It was difficult to find a Hunter worthy enough to be brought in as a mercenary by the Titan Guild Master.
“Haha, you are too humble for someone who can even defeat an A-class hunter.”
“What I did in a fit of anger turned out better than I thought.”
“For something like that, you swing it quite confidently.”
“I was so angry that I had to use some strength.”
Seo Sang-ho couldn’t shake the feeling that Kang Jin-hyeok was hiding something.
But since he was acting like that, it was something I couldn’t dig deeper into.
Seo Sang-ho decided to take a step back, holding back his curiosity.
“Even if it was a coincidence, a cleric with combat ability is very rare. Please contact me when you have time.”
In fact, the situation wasn’t so dire that we needed to hire an additional cleric.
Seo Sang-ho had hoped and recommended that Kang Jin-hyeok get used to acting like a guild member.
“… … Let me think about it.”
Seo Sang-ho felt secretly satisfied when Kang Jin-hyeok gave a somewhat positive answer, different from before.