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Chapter 48
The Enemy of My Enemy is My Ally
Kugugugugu─
Flop.
Flap.
Team Leader Shin Chaeri and Yoon Jiho collapsed onto the snow of the snowy mountain.
Rumbling─
Immediately, the cave collapsed.
It was a close call; if they had been a little slower, they might have been buried under the rubble—an incredibly narrow escape.
“Hah… hah…”
“Ugh…”
The two of them were panting, expressing their exhaustion with their whole bodies.
The sudden cave collapse had forced them to traverse a long distance in a frantic rush.
Meanwhile…
“Hyung… phew… are you not tired?”
“Hah… phew… yeah, you’re right.”
“My basic stamina is pretty good.”
I was relatively fine.
Even though I had carried a backpack filled with various loot.
“Wow…”
“Whoa…”
It felt worthwhile to have kept up with training.
“Ah! Aaah!”
At that moment, Team Leader Shin Chaeri suddenly screamed.
“What’s wrong?”
“The skill! That could have been worth millions!”
“Oh.”
It was because of the skill 「Mana Loan」.
The skill core had dropped, but she had realized she hadn’t grabbed it in the rush to escape the cave.
‘…But I already took it.’
Of course, the skill wasn’t buried under the collapsed cave.
It was in my stomach.
I had hastily picked it up to fight Paladin 88.
I hadn’t even thought of hiding it.
Since it was unavoidable, I had planned to apologize later and offer appropriate compensation.
But now, looking back, it seemed like a perfect crime.
【Ah! Yujin’s theft went undetected!】
‘Frill, you just need to keep your mouth shut.’
【Heh!】
Come to think of it, I had also taken the ice shard.
A skill and an ice shard.
It felt like I had shamelessly taken everything, but oh well.
‘Sweet deal?’
If it doesn’t get caught, that’s all that matters, right?
Feeling at ease that I had managed it without incident.
“Um, Hunter Kim Yujin.”
“Huh?”
Team Leader Shin Chaeri spoke just at the right moment.
‘Could she have noticed?’
“Could you possibly help me with something?”
Fortunately, she hadn’t noticed.
I breathed a silent sigh of relief and responded.
“If it’s help, what exactly are you referring to?”
“As you know, our New Cherry Guild recently lost nine 5-star Hunters.”
She began with a bitter expression.
“That’s basically half of the guild’s combat power gone in one blow. Considering our already difficult situation, it wouldn’t be surprising if we went bankrupt.”
Her tone was rather businesslike.
She didn’t seem to be grieving the loss of her comrades.
‘Does she just not care, or…’
Is she holding it back?
‘Probably the latter.’
It was an unavoidable situation, and necessary, but perhaps it felt worse because I was the one who killed them.
That’s what I thought.
“To rebuild the New Cherry Guild, we need your help.”
Team Leader Shin Chaeri looked me straight in the eye as she pleaded.
Her gaze was full of urgency and trust.
However…
‘She overestimates me as a great Hunter.’
Misunderstandings are useful when kept at a proper distance.
If you get too close, the truth will inevitably come out.
“I don’t think I can provide that much help.”
So I refused.
But…
“I understand.”
“…?”
“I also can’t offer a reward fitting for your abilities.”
The situation started to take a strange turn.
“Just help as a 5-star Hunter. That’s all we need. Even recruiting one 5-star Hunter is a significant contribution.”
“……”
I reconsidered.
‘Could this be an opportunity?’
The New Cherry Guild’s desperate recruitment offer was worth evaluating coldly.
The guild had lost nine 5-star Hunters in this incident.
Roughly half of their strength.
They couldn’t maintain their 107th rank among Seoul’s Hunter Guilds, but they were still a reasonably sized guild.
‘And the guild leader is on my side.’
Team Leader Shin Chaeri—or rather, the guild leader.
She was impressive.
Not just her abilities as a Hunter and leader, but her calm judgment and how she treated people.
Most importantly…
‘An ally who shares my hostility toward the Gaia Cult.’
She had lost guild members to the Gaia Cult’s beasts and had survived 「Judgment」, proving her enmity toward the cult.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all.
By that logic, Shin Chaeri, the guild leader, was clearly my ally.
This was the part I liked most.
‘I can’t take revenge alone anyway.’
No matter how strong I became, there were limits to what I could do alone.
Unless I had enough power to destroy a whole nation by myself, I needed allies.
But after what happened today, I felt wary of joining any group.
‘They could use 「Judgment」 to turn the guild’s leadership into fanatics.’
I wouldn’t even know if someone had become a fanatic.
Of course, it might be obvious, but they could also blend in naturally, like Lim Gaho did.
‘Who knows how many times this has happened before.’
Even if a guild outwardly seemed friendly, many groups might already have been secretly controlled.
They could look normal on the surface but be Gaia’s puppets inside.
‘Damn Gaia bastards. Revenge is going to be tough.’
The closer I got to their true nature, the more troublesome they seemed.
But still…
‘I won’t give up.’
I would see this through.
The possibility was not zero.
With the abilities I had, I could eventually reach the fruits of revenge.
For now, I decided to use the New Cherry Guild to my advantage.
“Alright.”
“Really!? Thank you!”
Shin Chaeri bowed deeply.
‘Seems like she has huge expectations of me… oh well.’
I only needed to give as much as I could—just enough to make it a win-win.
I wasn’t someone who lived up to others’ expectations just because they had them.
‘Still, it’s better to be clear about it.’
“I should mention beforehand, I want a freelance contract, not a full-time position.”
“…That’s unfortunate, but fine. We’ll accept that.”
I made it clear I wouldn’t be tied to the New Cherry Guild for long.
More specifically…
‘Not employment, but more like a management contract.’
I made sure the guild knew I was in control.
Shin Chaeri accepted my condition gracefully.
“Good.”
“Then we can discuss the details later.”
“Yes.”
The discussion was settled for now.
Additionally, Yoon Jiho also agreed to a contract with New Cherry Guild.
“Hyung, you’re joining New Cherry Guild?”
“For the time being?”
“Then I want in too!”
…And that was that.
He immediately followed when I joined.
“Welcome, Hunter Yoon Jiho!”
Even with half their strength lost, the New Cherry Guild had no reason not to take in a Hunter capable of 4-star combat power.
Yoon Jiho smiled brightly at me.
“We’re a family now.”
“…You know I can leave anytime, right?”
“I know. But you’ll be here for a while, right?”
“Right.”
“And…”
His bright expression suddenly darkened.
“Whatever we saw today… if it’s not in this room, we can’t tell anyone.”
He was right.
We had witnessed the Gaia Cult’s true nature together and survived.
We shared a secret no one else could know.
‘I guess I’ve formed a bond that will help with my revenge.’
The enemy of my enemy.
Today, they became that to me.
‘Not bad.’
“Then I look forward to working with both of you.”
“Me too!”
Shin Chaeri and Yoon Jiho smiled and exchanged greetings.
‘…Facing the cult won’t be easy.’
I joined in with a smile for now.
“Let’s do our best.”
Later, Shin Chaeri sighed deeply.
In the dungeon raid, which had been a major guild investment, they had lost nine 5-star Hunters.
All thanks to the so-called ‘world protectors,’ the Gaia Cult.
‘As expected, the Gaia Cult are just a bunch of cultists.’
Her parents were devotees of Gaia.
They had always urged Shin Chaeri to believe in Gaia, which only fueled her rebellion.
If it weren’t for years of resistance, she might have succumbed to the Paladin’s skill and become a fanatic.
‘Headache…’
So much work remained.
She needed a plan to save her parents from the cult, compensate the deceased Hunters, and rebuild the nearly bankrupt guild.
‘…At least there’s a silver lining.’
They had successfully recruited a talented individual.
Kim Yujin—the “porter” turned Hunter.
Initially, just a competent worker, but actually a 4-star Hunter, then actually a 5-star Hunter.
She could use ice magic, summon golems, and had even killed a Paladin estimated to be at least 7-star.
‘Truly incredible.’
Her abilities couldn’t be measured simply as a 5-star Hunter.
She was a remarkable ally.
‘Though she doesn’t seem like she plans to stay with our guild long-term.’
But if she consistently showed goodwill…
‘No, let’s not get our hopes up.’
Trying too hard would show.
What mattered was sincerity.
‘Even if it’s just fulfilling the conditions of a 5-star Hunter, I need to do my best.’
Shin Chaeri vowed this to herself.
Yujin had unknowingly gained a valuable ally.
The next day.
I boarded a bus heading somewhere.
“Seoul really has good infrastructure.”
Compared to the provinces, Seoul was relatively free from monster threats, convenient, and peaceful.
‘In the provinces, you wouldn’t get public transportation this cheap.’
Then, suddenly, Frill clapped her hands and shouted.
【I’ve got a great idea!】
“What is it?”
【About what the Gaia Cult did… let’s make it public!】
“…How?”
【Yujin, you always have your recording on.】
“The machines inside the dungeon don’t work.”
【What!?】
I rolled my eyes.
If it had been possible, I would have done it myself.
‘Even if there was evidence, publicizing it would be impossible.’
Evidence alone is powerless against the powerful.
Frill pouted as her all-night plan turned out to be useless, and I got off the bus.
【Come with me!】
We arrived at…
“Royal Guard.”
The Royal Guard Guild, where I had come to get the “Mujin Sword.”
“What brings you here?”
A uniformed man approached me as I lingered at the entrance.
“I’m here to see Team Leader Joo Eunsul.”
“Huh? Team Leader Joo?”
“Here she comes.”
“Hunter!”
Behind the man, Joo Eunsul walked toward me steadily.
“Long time no see.”
“It’s only been a few days.”
“True.”
“Shall we go in?”
“Yes.”
I followed Joo Eunsul inside the Royal Guard Guild.
It was time to make the “Mujin Sword” mine.
Guild members of Royal Guard.
The man I had seen with Yujin at the building entrance stood there dazed.
‘Team Leader Joo… with a man?’
Joo Eunsul.
She was the guild’s team leader and the daughter of 8-star Hunter Joo Changik.
She was also a celebrity admired by all, and half the male Hunters in the guild had a crush on her.
‘Oh my!’
The man also secretly admired her.
Not that he could hope to pursue her, but learning she had a boyfriend would have shocked him.
“What’s with you? Why are you acting like that?”
“…Team Leader Joo seems to be dating.”
“What?”
“She brought a man to the guild.”
“Eh, it’s probably work-related. Why would she bring her boyfriend?”
“No, she looked really happy! I’ve never seen her express herself like that!”
“…Isn’t it weird for you to notice that? You’re not her boyfriend.”
His colleague remained rational, but he didn’t.
Word spread through the guild instantly.
