“I just got it too. Let’s do it. I’ll change and come out.”
“Okay.”
That’s why I’ve been furiously doing quests with Chae Dong-hwa Hunter lately. My level had risen two stages in a short period, largely thanks to these quests.
Barbecue parties require a lot of work, but a percentage buff is irresistible.
Soon, smoke billowed across the camping site.
“I have to ask Dong-hwa for help.”
It had been a long time since Bum disappeared. I had tried to find her body if she had drowned in the river, but even that failed.
Myung-hyun decided to ask Dong-hwa for help, even if it meant breaking a promise with Tae-rim. In the current situation, promises didn’t matter.
If Dong-hwa’s skill could determine whether Bum had awakened as a hunter, there was no hope otherwise.
“Where’s Dong-hwa now?”
“He hasn’t returned from the dungeon yet.”
Ga-young, standing beside me, answered.
“Still? It’s been like three months since he went in, hasn’t it?”
“Yes. He usually reports back every quarter, but he’s late this time.”
“How long has it been?”
“About four months.”
“His supplies must be running low by now.”
Dong-hwa wasn’t the type to report regularly, but he did come out of the dungeon at least once a quarter.
This was the first time he stayed in the dungeon for so long.
Even if his supplies ran out, there was food in the dungeon, so he’d survive somehow, but…
“Did something happen?”
The situation with Bum made Myung-hyun lean towards negative thoughts.
The dungeon is dangerous, even without guerrilla gates, especially the Blue Starlight Valley, an S-class dungeon.
If monsters attack in hordes or if he’s ambushed while sleeping outside a shelter, even Dong-hwa can’t be guaranteed safety.
“Should I go look for him?”
“Alone?”
Myung-hyun and Ga-young’s gazes crossed.
“No, of course, I’ll gather a team.”
“Which guild is going on the Blue Starlight Valley expedition this month?”
“Hwarang.”
“Beagle’s guild.”
Hwarang was an emerging new guild. It was no small feat for a recently formed guild to secure an expedition to an S-class dungeon.
The background of Hwarang, the guild, had clear differences from other guilds. Firstly, Hwarang employed a small number of elite, young, and high-grade hunters.
The core members being real friends with the guild leader added to their strong cohesion.
Moreover, Hwarang’s guild leader, Seol Mo-gyeon, was famously known for his exasperating character, earning him the nickname ‘Beagle.’
Rashly assembling a large team from the Recon 7th Team to face them might cause trouble, as it could be perceived as hindering their expedition.
“The timing is bad.”
Myung-hyun fell into deep thought. If it weren’t for Bum’s situation, he wouldn’t have been so concerned about Dong-hwa being a few weeks late.
But staying put only increased his anxiety. He wasn’t sure if he was missing the golden time to save Bum.
“Two people including me should be fine, even if we run into Hwarang. We only need a small team for reconnaissance.”
“Still, the Blue Starlight Valley is…”
Ga-young was no low-ranked hunter either. She was an A-grade combat hunter.
The guerrilla gates of the Blue Starlight Valley were suspected to be more likely to suck in higher-ranked hunters.
Moreover, since Tae-rim’s disappearance, there had been no more disappearances. Internally, it was believed that the guerrilla gates only opened when one or two people were present, so they always allowed reconnaissance in teams of three or more.
To Myung-hyun, Ga-young was as good as family.
Having grown up like sisters with Bum and close to Tae-rim, Myung-hyun was worried about the possibility of Ga-young bringing bad news.
“Uncle, don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“If you allow Chae Dong-hwa to go alone and not me, everyone will gossip about you favoring me.”
Ga-young joked with a playful tone.
“I’m not here for that. How can a hunter be afraid of dungeons?”
“…”
Myung-hyun could no longer stop Ga-young.
“I’ll go with Han Ryeo-un Hunter. It won’t take more than two weeks to reach the center and come back.”
Han Ryeo-un was the lead supporter of the Recon 7th Team. With him, the reconnaissance time could be halved, and safety was guaranteed.
“Be careful then.”
“Yes.”
“Just do reconnaissance and come back if you can’t find anything. You might miss each other.”
“Yes, I understand.”
To start a fire, the base fire is important.
The base fire is the initial source of the fire. Outside, people often use charcoal or cornstalks treated with alcohol.
Among natural fire starters, pine cones are a classic choice.
‘Can’t get pine cones here, though.’
Instead, there was something similar.
In the Blue Starlight Dungeon, there’s a peculiar tree with leaves shaped like whirlwinds, from which ‘Inita’s fruits’ fall.
‘Inita’s fruits’ look like the whirlwind potatoes sold at rest stops, only blue in color.
That’s why hunters all called them ‘whirlwind bells.’
‘Lucky there are many Inita trees in the camping site area. I can use them for a while.’
I had already gathered a bagful, thinking ahead. I had enough fire-starting materials, and now it was time to actually start the ‘fire.’
Chae Dong-hwa Hunter had shown me a method involving carving a groove in a wooden board and then rubbing a stick against it to create fire.
A typical person might not be able to follow even if taught, as it required considerable effort.
However, being hunters, we had better stamina than average people, and soon it became familiar.
After getting the base fire started, I added dry wood. I started with small pieces to prevent the fire from going out.
“Now you’re good at starting fires. Looks like you don’t need my help.”
By the time Chae Dong-hwa Hunter returned after changing, I had finished starting the fire.
The camping site quest always issued a fire-starting quest once a day. I made sure to complete it every time to gain even a little bit of experience.
“Thanks to you. Did you have a quest related to starting the fire?”
“No. Just participating in the barbecue party. What should I do?”
Chae Dong-hwa Hunter approached the foldable wood table he had purchased from the vending machine and asked.
Various vegetables were already prepared on the table.
“Um, Hunter…”
An Indifferent Woman is the One Men Desire the Most
One-line summary: The female lead is actually cold-hearted and extremely rational. She has stage-by-stage relationships and won’t two-time, but there will always be someone who secretly likes her.
This novel has the following triggers, so if you’re sensitive to these, please don’t read:
1. The female lead has had many relationships, but she treated each one seriously and broke up properly.
It’s just that the men unilaterally pestered her incessantly. For the female lead, when she doesn’t like someone anymore, she simply doesn’t like them.
(This applies to her relationships with Male Lead 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well, but she’s loyal in each 1-on-1 relationship!)
2. In this novel, Male Lead 2 and the female lead kiss in a car, and Male Lead 1 sees it and beats up Male Lead 2.
The female lead calls the police and sends both Male Lead 1 and 2 to the police station! Male Lead 1 begs the female lead not to break up with him.
3. Male Lead 1 has a gentle appearance but an obsessive personality.
Male Lead 2 has a delicate and soft appearance, slightly green tea-like (two-faced).
Male Lead 3 is a youthful college student and a smart person who has secretly liked the female lead for a long time.
Male Lead 4 is the female lead’s father’s special assistant, a business elite with deep, hidden thoughts.
4. At the beginning of this novel, the female lead has already broken up with Male Lead 1 (Chapter 4) and gotten back together with Male Lead 2 (ex-boyfriend).
5. Enter with caution if you have triggers!!!
