Chapter 8: Hunter Community(5)
Yuri and I crossed the street as the pedestrian signal turned green, hurrying toward the girl we assumed was LoaderGirl. The people staring at her shifted their attention to us—specifically to Yuri—recreating the spectacle from earlier.
I’m still not used to this.
“Hello?”
“Uh… what?!”
The blonde girl flinched at Yuri’s approach, her large bag swaying wildly on her back.
“Why’s the Ice Empress here…?!”
“I’m just escorting this one, so don’t mind me.”
Yuri smoothly pointed at me, but the blonde girl grew even more flustered.
“So… what do you two want with me…?”
“Are you LoaderGirl?”
“Huh? Then you’re…”
I raised my hand like taking an oath, revealing my identity.
“I’m StarHater.”
LoaderGirl trembled, clearly thrown off by me arriving with a celebrity. When she froze, I shot Yuri a glance.
“You can go now. She’s too nervous to talk with you here.”
“Guess I have no choice. Call me when you clear the gate.”
“Got it.”
Yuri waved casually and headed back the way we came. But even after she left, LoaderGirl didn’t budge. Approaching her, she suddenly snapped to attention.
“StarHater, you know the Ice Empress?!”
“Uh…?”
“And you’re this pretty… wait, hold on! This isn’t the time. If the Ice Empress personally escorted you, are you some Frost Guild prodigy? Or maybe her secret daughter…”
Her wild ramblings made it crystal clear why she had no friends. I lightly tapped her head, and tears welled up in her eyes.
“We don’t have time for this. The gate meeting’s soon.”
“Gah, when did it get so late?!”
Because you were spouting nonsense and throwing a fit, that’s why.
Checking her watch, LoaderGirl grabbed my hand and sprinted toward the meeting spot.
“W-Wait…”
“Just trust me! I’ll get us there in no time!”
Her monstrous strength dragged me along at full speed. This girl’s beyond saving.
*
Pulled around by Hong Suyeon’s brute force, we barely made it to the meeting spot. Unlike me, drained before even entering the gate, Hong Suyeon showed no signs of fatigue.
As expected of a seasoned porter—her stamina’s no joke.
“StarHater, if you’re this worn out, can you even carry stuff today?”
This is your fault!
Brushing off dust from my clothes, dirtied by the rough trip, I scanned the area. A few hunter-like figures stood before a massive gate.
Among them, a man who seemed to be the leader approached us with a friendly vibe.
“Hey? You’re LoaderGirl, right?”
A slim-looking guy with a sword at his waist—likely the main dealer. The others included a bulky tanker, a female healer, and two mages.
The party’s balance leaned heavily toward damage, which might burden the tanker, but his aura suggested he could handle it.
“This your friend you mentioned?”
“Yeah, that’s her.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Min Kyuhyun, the raid leader. Looking forward to working with you.”
His sly smile and outstretched hand felt a bit shady, but I shouldn’t judge by appearances alone.
Min Kyuhyun shook hands with me and Hong Suyeon, guiding us to the other party members.
The two male mages seemed welcoming, but the female healer crossed her arms, looking uncomfortable.
Something felt off, but the leader would handle it, right?
The hefty tanker just stared blankly at the sky. Soon, the party gathered, and the leader began the briefing.
“Alright, time’s up, so let’s do introductions and briefing before heading in.”
Min Kyuhyun pointed out each member, giving detailed intros.
“First, our sub-dealers, the mages. From the right, Park Dongha and Choi Gunwoo. Both C-rank, but their firepower’s above that, so trust them.”
Mages with strong firepower—good, we won’t get swarmed and die.
Next was the female healer who’d glared at us earlier.
“Kim Minji, D-rank healer, but she can handle up to serious injuries. Side note, she’s a bit naggy when healing.”
His humor sparked laughter across the party—except from Kim Minji, the butt of the joke.
“And our sturdy tanker, Kim Mandeok! A solid B-rank tank.”
“Nice… to meet you…”
I had high hopes for a B-rank tanker after his first impression, but Kim Mandeok seemed like a total airhead. A tanker like that could lead to a wipe.
After his greeting, the leader added a few words.
“He’s a bit shy, so he’s probably extra nervous with so many lovely ladies here today.”
His smooth flattery hinted at an unspoken request to do our porter jobs well, given half the party’s eyes were on us.
“Lastly, our two new ladies. It’s their first day, so I don’t know their names. Mind introducing yourselves?”
“I’m Hong Suyeon, D-rank. Nice to meet you!”
“…Kim Suhyun, F-rank.”
Unlike Hong Suyeon’s deep bow, I just nodded with my hands in my hoodie pockets—obviously inviting comparison.
But what can I do? I’m exhausted from this early morning.
After the lively introductions, the gate briefing began.
“The gate we’re clearing today is a D-rank large. Our party’s average rank is way above the gate’s, so relax and take it easy.”
Relax? This is practically a bus carry. Porters are like pets in a game, picking up scraps from the hunters’ kills.
While I was lost in thought, Hong Suyeon seemed thrilled by the situation.
“StarHater, if we clear this gate, the pay’s gonna be huge! Plus, if we get quality mana stones or gear drops…”
I smacked my lips watching her drool over her fantasies. Is Hong Suyeon the biggest victim of Korea’s hunter community?
As the briefing wrapped up, the party checked their gear and spare mana. Hong Suyeon stuffed potions and return stones into her bag for the raid.
“StarHater, didn’t you bring a porter bag?”
“Do we have to bring our own supplies?”
“Of course! How else do you raid…”
Why didn’t you tell me to bring a bag then? No wonder she was lugging all that stuff before we got here.
I could use a subspace like my star treasury, but that’d expose my power. A mage strong enough for subspace wouldn’t be a porter.
“No choice then. We’ll say we’re sharing the load. Use this to assist the hunters.”
She rummaged through her bag and handed me a weird gauntlet shaped like a human arm.
“What’s this…?”
“A beast mana stimulator. Turn it on at mid-range, and it messes with the mana stones in beasts, making them easier for hunters to fight.”
“Isn’t this expensive…?”
“Nah, only porters use it, and it’s not rare, so it’s cheap.”
Earth’s got some wild stuff now. Makes sense—AI draws high-quality art online these days.
Soon, cars might fly.
“Hey, we’re about to head out. Porters, you ready?”
“Yes! We’re all set.”
With Min Kyuhyun’s encouragement, the party started entering the gate. A D-rank large gate didn’t seem too tough, but everyone looked slightly tense.
Meanwhile, Hong Suyeon, giggling beside me, gave me a weird look.
“I thought you were all stoic and scary, but you’ve got a cute side too, Suhyun.”
“…?”
“Don’t be nervous. Your senior here will guide you.”
‘Look at this D-rank who barely got a job acting all high and mighty.’
Unaware of her own absurdity, Hong Suyeon used her monstrous strength to drag me toward the gate.
“W-Wait…”
“Come on, let’s go. We’ll get scolded if we’re late.”
She cut me off with a laugh.
No, my arm hurts, you lunatic.