A Public Servant Hunter Who Exploits Skill Combinations – Chapter 11

Translated by: Hanzo

Chapter 11: The Tempter (1)

"Is the hunt over?"

"Yes, one of our staff members is inside, so you don't need to worry. We'll be standing by out here as well."

"Alright. I'll leave it to you."

"By the way..."

Pyo Do-yeop whispered something to Teacher Kim Jung-jun, and their gazes turned toward me.

It seemed they were talking about my high mana levels.

Usually, kids with high mana levels were either someone’s offspring or connected to a guild.

But since someone like me, with no connections, recorded such a high score, it seemed the Cloud Guild got curious about me.

'The rumors must have spread already...'

Pyo Do-yeop approached me and raised his hand as if to pat my head.

When I subtly tilted my head to avoid him, he awkwardly said,

"Haha, you're good-looking."

Pyo Do-yeop...

I’d met him a few times at the field gates.

He was a fairly successful A-rank Hunter.

He was arrogant, but that only reflected his skills.

Pyo Do-yeop gave a warm smile.

"See you around."

***

"Everyone, follow me inside."

We followed the teacher and entered the gate.

For the kids entering a dungeon for the first time, everything inside was fascinating.

"Now, dungeon gates are very different from field gates, everyone."

Field gates are just gates where monsters emerge.

Dungeon gates, on the other hand, involve going inside the gate to hunt monsters.

Even among these, there are different types.

Some gates close automatically after a certain time, while others only close after defeating specific monsters.

Or, they might close after all monsters are defeated.

Teacher Kim pointed to a blue orb floating near the entrance and explained.

"Once the 'mission' inside the dungeon gate is completed, a 'core' like this appears at the entrance."

The gate closes once the core appears and everyone who entered comes out.

Of course, those who die inside the gate are exceptions.

The main difference between field and dungeon gates is that field gates are ownerless, while dungeons are assigned to specific guilds for hunting each year, quarter, or month.

"The dungeon we've just entered is a terrain-type dungeon. Dungeon terrains vary: forests, caves, volcanic zones, plains, coasts, deserts..."

Hunters prefer dungeon gates for a simple reason.

Dungeon gates often contain items used by hunters, either left after a hunter died or simply lost ones.

So, it was natural for everyone to favor dungeon gates.

That didn’t mean field gates didn’t drop items when monsters were defeated.

However, dungeon gates offer a higher probability of items upon mission completion, whereas field gates, without missions, have lower item drop rates.

But I hadn’t been paying attention to the teacher’s explanations for a while.

It wasn’t just because I already knew all this; I couldn’t shake off an uneasy feeling lingering in my mind.

Something definitely happened...

Cloud Guild... Pyo Do-yeop...

Why had their ranking fallen...?

Did they cause some kind of incident...?

An incident?

Ah! I finally remembered.

This gate was a Transforming Gate that shifted directly from a dungeon gate to a field gate.

That too, from a D-rank dungeon gate to a C-rank field gate.

I hadn’t remembered why Teacher Kim Jung-jun stood out to me; it was because he died outside this gate today.

He sacrificed himself to protect the students.

That was why I had never taken a class with Teacher Kim Jung-jun before.

What kind of monster was it back then?

***

Before regression.

Jung Tae-sung was deeply engrossed in a lesson.

Clueless, he couldn’t make sense of what the teacher was saying.

Then, the classroom door opened, and someone rushed in.

"Teacher Jung! Teacher Kim... went to observe a gate with his students, but because of a gate transformation accident..."

"What do you mean!?"

The class erupted into murmurs.

Seeing the teary-eyed teacher, it was clear something terrible had happened.

'Transforming gate...?'

All classes were abruptly canceled.

The school held a modest funeral.

The students in the special class looked extremely downcast.

Some had minor injuries, but none were seriously hurt.

Jung Tae-sung, unaware of anything, quietly bowed his head in respect.

That’s when he overheard the conversation of the kids next to him.

"Did you hear how the teacher died?"

"No? Do you know?"

"I overheard some teachers talking. It’s the Cloud Guild’s fault. If they had just waited at the entrance, the teacher wouldn’t have..."

"Really...?"

"Transforming gates don’t appear often, so who would’ve guessed? But just in case, they should’ve stayed. They must’ve thought their job was done since they’d already cleared the gate."

"So how did the teacher die?"

"After the observation, the students left first, and the teacher came out last. But as soon as he came out, the gate transformed into a field gate, and monsters emerged."

"Oh my god."

"The teacher and a Cloud Guild member at the front tried to block the monsters to protect the kids..."

"What kind of monster was it?"

"The monster? Oh, it was a C-rank... a winged spider, I think."

***

I remembered.

"Ah! The Winged Tiger Spider King!"

Mun Jung-ho, beside me, asked what I was talking about.

"Huh?"

"Oh, nothing."

The Winged Tiger Spider King

A name given by Korean monster researchers.

It was about 1.5 meters tall and over 2 meters long.

Roughly the size of a small car, and was terrifying to look at.

Its body wasn’t covered in fur but in spikes.

Fighting it head-on was extremely difficult.

Its hard shell was like armor, it had eight legs, and it could immobilize you with its web.

Since this wasn’t a magical status effect but a physical restraint, escaping was tough without fire or water.

Fortunately, only one appeared in that field gate.

By now, the explanation about the gate had ended, and I heard the teacher wrapping up.

"Alright, once you’ve looked around, let’s head out. Everyone, go ahead."

***

What should I do?

I couldn’t just let the teacher die right before my eyes.

I deliberately positioned myself behind the teacher.

“Aren’t you going out?”

“I’m heading out. What about you, Teacher?”

“Let’s go out together.”

Pretending to head out first, I let the teacher go ahead and followed closely behind.

Now that everyone had exited, the gate should close as usual.

However, this gate would soon transform into a field gate.

As soon as I stepped out of the gate, I pretended to trip and collapsed onto the ground.

The teacher, looking slightly alarmed, asked, “Tae-sung, are you okay?”

That was when it happened.

A giant spider leaped out from within the gate.

“E-everyone, stay back!”

A member of the Cloud Guild frantically looked around, but neither Pyo Do-yeop nor the other guild members who claimed they would stand by were anywhere in sight.

“Where did the team leader go?”

The scariest thing about a transformation gate is that there’s no warning.

In the case of regular field gates, experienced Awakeners could sense energy fluctuations before cracks form in the air.

But transformation gates changed from within an existing gate, making it undetectable—unless one is exceptionally sensitive.

If Pyo Do-yeop had sensed it, he would have already rushed over.

The enormous shadow of the spider loomed over my body.

Lying on the ground, I drew my sword.

Only one Cloud Guild member was stationed inside, tasked with keeping watch—a hunter incapable of handling the spider.

In the end, they’d assume the teacher would have to fight alone.

“Tae-sung!?”

The teacher’s shout echoed.

From under the spider’s spiked legs, I could see the shocked faces of the students.

From their perspective, it looked like I had been pinned under the spider.

In reality, the spider was standing on its eight legs, and I was lying beneath its belly.

I didn’t waste the opportunity.

With a burst of strength, I thrust my sword into the spider’s underbelly.

Thunk!

“Screeeech!”

The monster’s shriek echoed as its bodily fluids gushed out, drenching me.

The reason I’d pretended to fall and lie down immediately after exiting was simple: the spider’s weakness was in its abdomen.

Its tough, armor-like exoskeleton was nearly impossible to penetrate with average strength, which was why even B-rank hunters struggled against it despite its C-rank classification.

But knowing its weak spot changed everything.

A little force was all it took to tear through it.

Of course, my concealed flame-enhanced slash made it much easier.

Fwoosh!

Gripping the sword tightly, I began to twist it inside the monster’s abdomen.

With each twist, the spider let out grotesque screams, as if in sync with my movements.

Seeing this, the teacher shouted, “Everyone, step back!!”

Worried that the spider might attack the students, he took extra precautions.

At the same time, the teacher and the Cloud Guild member launched their own attacks.

When it’s impossible to target the belly, going for the eyes is the standard strategy.

Both of them knew this and immediately aimed for its eyes.

Blinded by their attacks and incapacitated by my assault, the spider was gradually losing strength.

It would’ve been a deadly fight otherwise, with the spider spitting webs to immobilize its foes and killing both the teacher and the guild member.

But with its fatal wounds, the spider couldn’t move and soon collapsed completely.

Although it seemed easy, it would’ve been a grueling battle without targeting its weak spot.

If I hadn’t struck its abdomen immediately upon its appearance, I couldn’t guarantee the safety of Mr. Kim’s life.

Hurriedly, I sheathed my sword back into my inventory and crawled out slowly.

“Ugh!”

“Tae-sung!!”

The teacher ran over to support me.

While most of the students were too scared to move, a few rushed over to me.

“Tae-sung!?”

“Class rep!”

Wiping my face with my hand, the spider’s bodily fluids dripped to the ground.

Plop, plop.

My gaze shifted to my companions.

They stared at me in shock.

Squinting one eye, I casually asked, “Anyone have a towel?”

***

Pyo Do-yeop arrived much later, apparently alerted by the guild member’s call.

“Ah, Mr. Kim… Are you all right?”

“What is wrong with you people!?”

“…I, I’m sorry.”

“Is this how you do your job? Do you realize how dangerous this situation was?”

Pyo Do-yeop couldn’t say anything in his defense.

“Well, we didn’t expect it to turn into a transforming gate…”

“Who in the world could predict that? That’s why you prepare for the worst! Our students could’ve all died.”

Mr. Kim closed his eyes tightly, overwhelmed by the thought of what could have happened.

“I apologize… It won’t happen again…”

“I’m reporting this to the president and the association.”

This would deal a significant blow to Pyo Do-yeop’s reputation.

What was the Cloud Guild?

It was the prestigious second-ranked guild.

Yet, a small mistake like this could tarnish its reputation.

However, this was about human lives.

Hunter lives may be seen as expendable, but this was clearly negligence.

The hunter industry does not tolerate mistakes.

Because lives are at stake.

Pyo Do-yeop lowered his head, unable to speak.

As he glanced at the fallen spider in the distance, he wondered.

“How was that taken down so cleanly?”

The guild member was D-rank, and the teacher was only C-rank.

No matter how he looked at it, there were no signs of a fierce battle.

Its exterior was untouched and pristine.

Such a clean monster specimen could fetch a good price.

‘And here I am thinking about this in the middle of all this… Ha. What a joke.’

***

“We were lucky.”

“Lucky? You call that lucky?”

“What else would you call it if not luck?”

“So, Mr. Kim, you’re saying… Tae-sung fell while exiting the gate, and the spider emerged right above him.”

“Yes.”

“Startled, Tae-sung drew his sword and swung wildly, and by coincidence, he struck the spider’s weak spot, its belly. Correct?”

“That’s right.”

Teacher Choi Jung-gang was dumbfounded.

“Does that even make sense?”

“Everyone here, including the students and a Cloud Guild member, saw it happen.”

“Still, is it even possible to take down a Winged Tiger Spider King like that?”

“That’s why I said we were lucky.”

“….”

No matter how much he thought about it, Choi Jung-gang couldn’t make sense of it.

‘This wasn’t luck.

How can this be called luck?

Tae-sung is clearly extraordinary.

At that moment, he acted decisively, wielding his sword with remarkable composure.

Moreover, his ability to utilize mana while blocking my skill was impressive… And now, he’s already using mana-infused attacks?

Even if the spider’s belly is its weak spot, piercing it shouldn’t be this easy.

It only seemed lucky because of the situation.

Whether or not he knew it, this kid is undoubtedly a born hunter.’

Choi Jung-gang couldn’t hide the joy on his face as he grew more excited about Tae-sung’s promising future. 

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