Chapter24
“Because that’s life.”
“…….”
“Life is about not knowing what’s even a hundred miles ahead.”
Grou jumped off the desk.
“It’s just a step ahead.”
“That’s true, that’s true.”
Grou shook their head.
“Grou, I’m going to the bathroom, then I want to go home with Sil-jjang.”
Jurim watched the child’s sluggish figure as they walked away.
“Hmm—”
Jurim sighed and tilted their head.
It didn’t seem like they were saying it without reason.
Was it something strange they learned from TV or YouTube, or was there another reason? Jurim couldn’t tell.
“…….”
Flipping through some papers for no reason, Jurim tossed them onto the desk and sank into the chair. Closing their eyes to sleep, they exhaled and opened them again.
Normally, drowsiness would be hitting around this time, but ever since their mana leakage decreased, fatigue had noticeably lessened.
In the end, instead of sleeping, Jurim dug up a contact and called the director of Milal Orphanage.
“Hello, Director. I have something I’d like to ask.”
“Humph!”
Grou, pretending to go to the bathroom, slipped away and turned the other way.
“The guild leader doesn’t know anything.”
The child crossed their arms with a pouty face.
As they stomped along in anger, the secretary sisters greeted them and patted their head.
“Hi, Grou!”
“Grou-grou! Want some chocolate? I bought this from a famous shop.”
Whenever Grou passed through the office, people greeted them like this—taking photos, patting their head, saying how cute they were.
Thanks to all the affection, Grou’s love for Hyun-ak was growing.
“Thank you.”
Grou bowed at the waist and received the chocolate, letting it melt in their mouth.
“Sweet.”
It felt good.
But the anxiety lurking in their chest didn’t easily go away. In fact, the more they enjoyed being at Hyun-ak, the stronger the unease grew.
Becoming stronger, becoming a useful child. That’s how they would secure their place.
That was the only way to relieve their anxiety.
“I’ll get strong enough for the guild leader to recognize me!”
[Achievement: <The Most Important Thing for Growth is an Unyielding Heart!> Accomplished!]
Growth effect increases by 50% for 3 days.
※ Applies to party members as well.
“Wow!”
If it’s this…!
Grou, determined, activated the skill Deep-rooted Attachment. The caregiver slot was still empty.
“I can recruit one! A caregiver!”
As Grou energetically moved their feet in excitement, they suddenly peeked their head up.
Their neck prickled.
“……?”
It seemed they’d been bitten by a mosquito last night.
Click-click-
Gidan, having changed out of his uniform in the locker room, stopped as he came out into the lounge.
The tricycle for toddlers approaching him screeched to a stop.
“S-rank Hunter Gidan, I wish to make a deal.”
From the bear costume, adorable eyebrows went up and down.
Gidan strode forward and snatched off the bear head. The face of a small child was revealed.
“Eee~”
Grou flailed their arms, asking for it again, and Gidan handed the mask back.
Grou put it firmly back on and continued speaking.“I promise a reward that’s hard to refuse. S-rank Hunter Gidan, will you accept my deal?”
“Hmm… Did you make syrup that can boost me to Rank 1, silly Grou?”Grou is not a fool. The fool is the one who expects impossible syrup. Foolish Gidan.
“Oh, not bad.”
Gidan pulled the mask off again.
“Eee~”
Grou squirmed their arms again, whining.
Gidan smiled and repeated the give-and-take.
Trying to grab the mask, Grou’s level-1 stats (Stamina, Strength, Agility) couldn’t keep up with the movements of a top-tier hunter.
Sobbing, Grou squealed with tears in their eyes.
“I hate you, Dani oppa…!”
Click-click-
As Grou tried to ride the tricycle out of the lounge, Gidan grabbed the long handle on the back.
“Wait, wait a minute.”
He pressed the mask down on Grou’s head and turned the tricycle forward.
The bear’s eyebrows expressed Grou’s anger, pointing straight up.
“I did it because you’re cute. Oppa was wrong. Forgive me, okay?”
As he coaxed them, the eyebrows relaxed slightly.
Gidan, suppressing a smirk, clasped his hands as if praying, and a sniffing sound came from inside the mask.“Alright. I’ll let it slide this once.”
“Thank you, Grou-nim.”
Grou shrugged.
Gidan patted their head and perched on the back of the sofa.
“So, what deal do you want to make with me?”
Gidan tossed a baseball to the ceiling repeatedly, catching it each time.
Grou followed the ball with their eyes up and down, and Gidan smiled.“Grou wants to contribute to Hyun-ak by gaining experience in dungeons and crafting various items from dungeon byproducts.”
“What do you need? I’ll get it.”
Nod-nod.“It’s essential for Grou to enter the dungeon personally to gain experience.”
“Hmm. You really have to go yourself?”
Gidan crossed his arms with a reluctant expression.
Not easy. But could he refuse?Grou has a huge buff. If you take Grou as a party member, experience gain increases by 50% for 3 days!
Offering to test it, Grou extended a party invitation.
Gidan, skeptical but curious, accepted and checked the status window.
“Ohhh…”
‘Wow, insane. How does this buff even work?’
50% was almost like running a dungeon one tier higher, making it very tempting for Gidan.However, this deal must remain a secret from the Hyun-ak guild master. Both Grou and Gidan would be severely punished if discovered.
“True. That guy’s terrifying when angry.”
Hearing this, Grou hunched their shoulders slightly.“But! As long as we’re not caught! If we aren’t caught, it’s as if it never happened!”
Grou spoke grandly, like giving a speech, and Gidan smirked.
“That’s true.”“So, what do you say, Gidan? Will you accept the proposal?”
Grou raised an eyebrow and extended their hand.“You’re not a coward afraid of just being scolded by an adult, right?”
Tapping his pride, Gidan bared his teeth in a laugh.
“That’s for me to say.”
Finally, the two shook hands.
“We need to go to a guerrilla dungeon if we don’t want the guild master to find out.”
Gidan, with Grou on his lap, opened the “Knock-knock, where’s the dungeon?” app supported by the Hunter Agency.
Guerrilla dungeon?
“It’s a dungeon anyone can enter.”
Most dungeons are normally conquered through guild or individual bids.
But if the conquest fails or the dungeon is discovered too late, when the dungeon is about to break, its entrance turns red, and the Hunter Agency intervenes.
They post a notice on the app so anyone can enter and defeat the boss.
Hunters call these guerrilla dungeons.
Red-gated dungeons are harder because the boss may have gone berserk, but skipping bids makes them popular for certain teams.Isn’t it dangerous?
“If it were dangerous, it wouldn’t be on the app. The agency immediately contacts a large guild to send a raid team.”Oh, I see.
Opening the Red Gate tab, a map with several regions loaded.
Setting the area to Seoul, Grou’s sharp eyes pinpointed a location.
[Seorung, Seori Region, B-rank.]
[Yeti Appears.]
[3 days until dungeon break]
