The Gardener in a Hunter World - Chapter 9

Cold Dungeon (2)
Fortunately, Park SeongHo, Lee Jumi, and Seo HyeJin knew each other.

Of course, that doesn’t mean they’re friendly.

No one is close to HyeJin.

Except for one.

So, even when the hunters met HyeJin, they went by unnoticed.

SeongHo and Jumi were gentle, but they weren’t kind to those who were rumored to be ignoring people,

HyeJin feels lonely again and goes out coldly… When things get messed up like this, there’s no way to fix them.

But there are still people who don’t care about that kind of atmosphere.

“Hello.”

Silence fell for a moment.

The party of the Happy Hunters guild wondered why Yoo Ji-Ha pretended to know Seo HyeJin.

“I didn’t expect to see you here.”

The strange thing is that HyeJin reacted.

SeonYoung was not interested, but SeongHo and Jumi were greatly surprised.

Seo HyeJin, the ice princess, greeted them.

Yoo Ji-Ha smiled softly, not paying attention to their reaction.

“I am lucky. I know some good people, so I got a chance.”

“I hear that word lucky quite often.”

“Because it’s true.”

“Is that so… By the way, no matter how much I saw for the effect of the potion, I couldn’t believe that I had come this far.”

“Why does it sound like HyeJin came through a lot of hardship?”

“I think it took at least three or four hours.”

“Didn’t we arrive early? I think it was less than 30 minutes.”

Jumi sighed and checked her watch.

SeongHo looked at it together and nodded.

“Exactly 28 minutes have passed. HyeJin, did it really take that long? We just came.”

“It’s strange… Have you received a quest? Now its updated to kill hordes of Frost Trolls.”

“No.”

Jumi felt saddened for HyeJin’s short answers.

How heartbroken would you be for your personality change like this?

Before SeungHyuk’s disappearance, HyeJin wasn’t this cold.

Even though she had difficulties in interpersonal relationships, but somehow she was still able to talk to people…

At the same time, it was strange for Yoo Ji-Ha have a conversation with HyeJin.

What kind of relationship did they have? Between the store owner and the 12th ranked hunter.

Then SeongHo stepped in.

“As I just said, we have been given a quest. I don’t know why HyeJin wasn’t given the quest, but I must deal with it anyway. We must stop the catastrophe.”

The catastrophe of the dungeon means that all monsters run out to the outside world.

Although the monster’s stats burst, it would not mean much because soldiers and hunters were camped outside.

However, in that case, those who received the quest will be recorded on the Hunternet, their points will be greatly reduced, and their ranking will drop.

So, the hunters spent a lot of time trying to complete the quest.

“Let me join.”

HyeJin said, and SeongHo and Joumi tilted their heads to see if they heard it wrong.

“Uh… Are you going with us? Are we doing it?”

“You don’t want me to?”

“No, it’s not that I hate it, but since you didn’t receive the quest, the points won’t go up if it breaks, right?”

“‘It doesn’t matter.”

“Oppa, we don’t have time, we have to go quickly.”

“We don’t know where the location is… It is true that we must hurry.”

“Huh, okay. Let’s go.”

At the urging of the two women, SeongHo lowered his shield and took the lead.

As the three of them walked around Yoo Ji-Ha, HyeJin had no choice but to follow behind him.

But it’s really strange.

‘Something strange happens when you meet this person.’

It was the first time she had discovered such a huge tree root in a polar dungeon.

Above all, she never imagined that the surroundings would be this warm.

In addition to the effect of the potion, it started to get hotter by wearing winter clothes.

Maybe other people felt it too, so she opened the zipper up to her neck.

It’s really unfortunate.

 

The Frost Troll is a variant and enhanced version of a regular troll.

It is 1.5 times larger in size and has superior stats including stamina.

The troublesome thing is that the troll’s characteristic, wound regeneration, is incredibly strong.

What further annoys Hunters is that it knows how to use an ambush with its size.

The story of a rookie hunter who lost his life when he was attacked by a Frost Troll while wandering in a snowstorm unique to the polar dungeon is often heard.

Fortunately, the party receiving the quest was a veteran.

Besides, there is also Seo HyeJin, who marks 12th place, so there is no big problem… Everyone thought so.

“There are a lot of them. Its ten.”

Heading northwest, the group went through a snow storm and found a hollow valley terrain.

The Frost Troll’s Ice Nest was right there.

At first, they hid to understand their movements, and it turned out that there were ten.

“If you drink all the potions and walk towards them, it will work out somehow. It would have been better if there was a Flame Hunter, but there is nothing we can do about it.”

SeonYoung opened the book and muttered.

Trolls are weak against fire-based skills, but Frost Trolls are even more so.

Because they melts completely, guilds with flame magicians have great strength in polar dungeons.

The problem is that resources and materials are scarce, so their strengths are meaningless.

“I’ll take the lead.”

“Are you sure? No matter how strong you are-”

HyeJin took the lead without saying a word.

Looking at her hands on her belt, she seems to be drinking a potion right before the battle. The group got ready and followed her.

Except for one.

“Yoo Ji-Ha, you have to hide here quietly, okay?”

“Yes.”

Jumi covered Yoo Ji-Ha’s hand with hers and emphasized it again and again.

It would be the end if he, who was only a normal person, went out.

“It will be fine because I know myself well. You can go.”

“Okay.”

SeongHo and SeonYeong followed HyeJin along the ridge of the valley.

Down there, they could see the entrance to the nest the Frost trolls had built.

Luckily, they don’t seem to have found them.

SeongHo took a potion from his belt and poured it into his mouth.

“Ugh. Everytime I drink it, I’m sick of it. HyeJin, we will come first, so all you have to do is support us.”

HyeJin, who was walking before, stopped, and nodded.

At this point in time, it’s time to stop talking.

“Jumi help me not to fall down like you used to, and SeonYoung breaks out a few Frost Trolls to attack, you know? Like you’ve been doing so far.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll beat them with this book.”

SeonYoung looked at the book and smiled.

Those who knew about the paper magician laughed.

Will the trolls get hurt by those thick old books?

SeongHo looked at the trolls and said one last time.

“A wide range of skills is good, but it is important to reduce the number of them. It’s sufficient to do them one by one.”

“Let’s go from the left.”

“Well… Okay.”

HyeJin and SeonYoung matched their words.

If the attacks of the two dealers are disorganized, they will be pushed by the regenerative power of the trolls.

Of course, HyeJin has a destructive power that surpasses that regenerating power, but it is better to match up.

“Let’s go, because I want to get rid of them quickly and rest in a warm place.”

SeongHo pulled out his wooden shield and sword at the end of Jumi’s words.

When skills such as battle cry and beast power were applied to the stone skin, the surrounding ether shook violently.

“Waaaaaaaaa!”

He became a bear and began to gallop down the valley.

The trolls quickly found him and started yelling at him.

A fight between ten monsters over 3m tall and a 195cm human.

No matter who looked at it, the human side was at disadvantage.

However, the person who supported SeongHo was Lee Jumi, a specialized healer.

Following her gestures, a soft ether enveloped SeongHo’s whole body.

The troll’s claws were torn like a piece of paper, and the armor was broken and damaged, but it healed quickly.

bang! bang! Kook!

The trolls got excited and smashed SeongHo’s shield.

There were those who can’t keep up, but they noticed it in advance with the sense of a seasoned knight, and retreated back to form the ranks again.

At that moment, Seo HyeJin, who flew with a sword, spread the ether.

The intangible sword was concentrated on one point and separated the body of a troll.

SeonYoung concentrating on the cliff with her open book.

Pararack.

The pages of the book were torn apart, hovering around her at high speed, and then flew away. She is a paper magician.

Paper is easier to handle than limbs.

Hundreds of sheets of paper wrapped around the two trolls and threw them away.

They collapsed without even knowing a thing, and their necks were separated by the intangible sword.

“Three guys!”

The trolls who lost their comrades shone red eyes and fiercely smashed SeongHo’s shield.

They kept getting annoyed, but they couldn’t do anything.

As long as there are two solid dealers, the tank can only serve as a sandbag.

While the party was killing the trolls, Yoo Ji-Ha was hiding and watching their activities.

‘The battle of the hunters is also great,’

They are superhumans.

The wooden shield that SeongHo casually slaps contains the power of smashing concrete walls.

The ether that flies away with Jumi’s gentle touch heals any wounds on the spot.

The difference from Yoo Ji-Ha where he have to hide because he don’t have any combat skills can be seen.

But he didn’t regret it.

‘I’ll have something else to do.’

Do what you can and don’t be overly greedy.

As he was thinking, something popped right in front of him.

“Whaat!”

Yoo Ji-Ha fell backwards in surprise, and the Frost Troll suddenly leapt out, growling with its red eyes glowing.

One of them was in an ambush.

SeonYeong, who was nearby, hurriedly pulled out another book, but it was already too late.

The troll slammed the ground with its long arms and rushed into Yoo Ji-Ha.

“Ah!”

His body is stiff, and he can’t move.

Yoo Ji-Ha, which became a prey from a bystander, had to stand still and watch the troll’s attack.

“Yoo Ji-Ha!”

SeonYoung clenched her teeth and threw papers his away, but it was quite a distance.

In her eyes, the troll’s long arms seemed to slash Yoo Ji-Ha.

Before the scream could end, something broke the ice and rose.

Dark tongs cut the Frost Troll’s waist and hid again in the ice.

It happened so quickly, Yoo Ji-Ha or SeonYoung couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Huh… What, what was that?”

“Yoo Ji-Ha are you okay?”

“I’m okay, I’m okay… But noona, did you see what just popped up? What kind of tongs did it look like?”

“Yeah, I saw it too. It looked like a monster… Oh no, it was a quick one! You say, are there more monsters here?”

“I’ll run away on my own, so please help me them, noona!”

“Yeah! Take care of yourself!”

But there were no trolls left to attack.

SeongHo, Jumi, and HyeJin were looking at the trolls who had its waists cut off with a shock look.

“What happened! “

“I don’t know! Suddenly, something popped out!”

“It was a forceps! Like a stag beetle! It’s like that!”

To summarize, the monster-like guys that popped out suddenly killed the trolls and disappeared.

Is that possible?

Why didn’t it attack humans?

Various questions popped up in the group’s minds, but it wasn’t the most important thing.

There is no reason to delay here since the quest window shows completion.

SeongHo called Yoo Ji-Ha and told him to eat the essence left by the troll.

“But I didn’t do anything.”

“I’m here to support you, come on, don’t worry.”

“Ji-ha, eat it quickly. You said you wanted to try the essence. I wonder how you will feel?”

“Is this your first time eating it? Maybe you will feel good.”

Essence is the source of life that comes out when you defeat a monsters.

Because its probability to come out is low, there were some who fought while distributing it.

Upgrades such as stats, various resistances, and skills are made with essence, so if you are a hunter, you must do your best and try to secure it.

The golden mass was floating in front of Yoo Ji-Ha.

“Okay, then I’ll just eat one.”

“You can eat two. We’re going to give them to you anyway except for HyeJin anyway. But the ether stone is ours okay? We also have to live.”

How grateful Yoo Ji-ha to these people.

Yoo Ji-Ha looked at HyeJin.

As she nodded, without further hesitation, he brought his body into contact with the golden mass.

‘Ah… That’s how it felt.’

It felt like walking into a warm blanket in winter.

Like a cloth absorbs water, the essence is absorbed into the body and the essence item in the status window is updated.

 

[Class: Worker

1st stat: HP: 80 Vitality: 70 Ether: – Essence: 2

Secondary stat: Endurance: 7 Strength: 8 Agility: 8 Talent: 9 Spirit: 9

Resistance: Physical: 5 Elements: Cold/32 Poison: – Abnormal Status –

Characteristic: – XXX Blessing WI

Skills: Plant-friendly LVI, Animal-friendly LVI, Alchemy LV2]

 

‘Oh.’

Of course, obtaining an essence did not change anything.

For now, he is satisfied with this.

Yoo Ji-Ha escaped the polar dungeon with the party.

As they exited, the gate surface shook violently, signaling the end of the dungeon.

The hunters who were inside came out in bewilderment.

 

“So, in the end, what was it?”

“How do I know that? I’ve only seen this ambiguous battle report.”

Cha HwaYeon threw the papers on the desk.

The place where she was located was the office of Kim HyungOk, who is be said to be the most credible hunter force in Korea.

He was a man in his early thirties, and he had an appearance that anyone would like.

He is tall, has a sleek muscular body, and a neat suit that looks great.

“Hmm… To clear the polar dungeon out of nowhere… Even trolls are understandable, but suddenly they’re tongs monsters. Was there a monster with tongs in the polar dungeon?”

“If you have to think of monsters with tongs are Kroxis, devil ants, and KangOh. Is it a new monster?”

“Why don’t we raise the rating a little bit? To destruction grade.”

“Are you kidding me right now? There’s no way those monsters will appear in Category 3 dungeons.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. That’s true. It wasn’t supposed to come out.”

Their eyes were directed at the wall at the same time.

There was a picture of the monsters that popped out when the first dungeon was opened.

Also known as destruction-grade monsters.

A disaster that should not come out again.

Humanity had to make great sacrifices to kill them.

And now, 10 years later, the sea has been lost and we barely manage to defend the land and sky.

The damage suffered in the war against them is that great.

HwaYeon turned her gaze away from the picture and looked at HyungSeok.

“And that huge tree root… It’s a bit unreasonable to say that Yoo Ji-ha is simply lucky.”

“It’s the first time I’ve heard that name. But I think it will be important.”

“He’s a person who makes potions by picking strange fruits. Isn’t your information a bit slow?”

HwaYeon smiled, but her face hardened when she saw the fruit HyungSeok was taking out of the safe.

This is a solar apple that has not been secured yet.

“Are you talking about this?”

“Mischievous snake.”

“I think it would be better to express it as a quick-footed person. Anyway, I heard the story of the potion. But this fruit we got had no particular effect.”

“Wait a minute, then.”

“You either have special abilities, or you lied.”

“He didn’t seem like a liar.”

HyungSeok whistled at her words.

“Already have a crush? He seems to be a young man with great charm.”

“Don’t be silly. I have no hobbies playing with children. Anyway, you’re sure it doesn’t work for that fruit, right?”

“I have no reason to lie to the guild leader.”

For once it is because the two are allies.

Then, what really happened?

Does he really have any special ability?

‘It doesn’t make sense, if I had that kind of ability, I should have made a lot of money…’

In the light of HwaYeon’s common sense, it was nonsense for Yoo Ji-ha to stick with that shabby general store.

What is it?

While she was in trouble, HyungSeok put the fruit in and said.

“If you can’t figure it out, ask around. I’ve have already sent someone.”

“You aren’t trying to threaten him, are you?”

“What do you see me as? I understand that I has a bad image as a chaebol, but Cha Guild leader should know better that I am not that kind of guy.”

“I don’t know. You’re such a sneaky person, so I don’t know what you’re plotting.”

“Hey, even though this is an alliance, but you have a strong hatred. Well, for the time being, I will not approach and just watch.”

Is that true?

When HwaYeon looked at him as if he was unreliable, he smiled and spread his arms.

“I love talented people. If that young man is a talented person who fits my plan, I must pay him millions of dollars to attract him. If they have the right talent, I can give them the right position.”

“It’s not my problem, so take care of yourself.”

She turned and left the office.

In the end, the important questions were not resolved, but HwaYeon had a lot of problems, so it was quickly forgotten.

After HyungSeok confirmed that she had left, he took out a file folder from the safe.

It was a document that recorded the monsters of extinction level or higher that mankind faced. His eyes flipped through the page.

Theradrone.

This is the name of a myth class monster.

“Surely, it’s not.”