"Um... what does this mean?"
Even though they were low-level hunters, the others didn't miss this chance to learn—or rather, to pick up some knowledge they could show off with later.
"Is it really that strange for jackals to appear in an A-rank dungeon?"
Dungeon jackals weren't all that rare. Though they were C-rank magical beasts, you could run into them in D-rank dungeons too; they usually moved in packs through forested areas.
Cha Hae-in hadn't planned on keeping things to herself anyway.
Hearing the question and noticing Castorice's equally curious gaze, she went into a bit more detail.
"If it were a mid-tier dungeon—B-rank or C-rank—then jackals showing up wouldn't be strange. Magical beasts often appear in dungeons of the same rank or one rank higher."
"In those kinds of dungeons, there aren't any powerful enemies that could wipe them out without cost, nor would there be a shortage of prey. But... a difference of two ranks changes everything."
Listening to Cha Hae-in's explanation, everyone began to understand.
A one-rank gap could be made up for with numbers and ferocity, but a two-rank gap was beyond making up.
"And then these collars..."
Cha Hae-in pointed at the crude, yet clearly collar-like leather straps around the jackals' necks. Her expression grew more puzzled.
"These aren't something mindless magical beasts could create. What sets humans apart from other animals is our ability to make and use tools."
"Cha—Cha Hunter, are you saying... there are people inside this gate?"
The low-rank hunters looked both shocked and unnerved.
"Probably not people... but magical beasts with human-like intelligence..."
Cha Hae-in's expression turned increasingly grave.
"Isn't that normal, though? Ice Elves have that kind of intelligence too, don't they?"
Her words actually made the hunters relax a little.
"..."
Cha Hae-in fell silent for a moment, then patiently explained, "Ice Elves are B-rank magical beasts. The main reason they're called Ice Elves is that, on top of being troublesome B-ranks, they also possess considerable intelligence and tactical ability. But if you swapped their strength to A-rank, the situation would be completely different."
"Oh..."
Only then did the hunters remember this was an A-rank dungeon.
From S to E, there were six ranks in total. Every two ranks marked a watershed.
E to D were considered low-rank hunters and low-rank beasts; C to B were mid-rank; and while A to S were both considered high-rank, the difference in power between them was like heaven and earth.
An A-rank dungeon would naturally be filled with A-rank monsters and one S-rank boss. That alone wouldn't be a big deal, but if they also possessed intelligence... that changed everything.
"Sorry, Castorice. It looks like we won't be able to continue with this dungeon."
Cha Hae-in looked at Castorice with an apologetic expression.
"I need to report this to the guild and bring in an elite team. I'll make it up to you with another A-rank gate later."
"Make it up to me?"
Castorice tilted her head, confused.
She understood Cha Hae-in's intentions, but Cha Hae-in's earlier excuse had been wanting to buy a divine artifact.
"Ah... that... wait! You already knew what I meant, didn't you, Castorice?"
Cha Hae-in, who had been a bit embarrassed about her inner thoughts being exposed, suddenly remembered—with Castorice's emotional intelligence, there was no way she hadn't picked up on the slip-up.
Realizing she'd actually been the one being looked after, Cha Hae-in nearly pouted.
"Sorry, it just seemed like Cha-sunbae didn't want it to be obvious..."
Castorice, now caught, wasn't flustered, just smiled helplessly.
"Never mind. Anyway, let's head back for now."
Cha Hae-in sighed and led the way back the way they'd come.
"Um... so we're really not continuing?"
The other hunters had been quite thrilled getting a close-up view of the friendship between the two beauties, but hearing the exploration was canceled left them feeling down.
"I can't guarantee I can protect you all without my gear on."
Cha Hae-in explained, "After all, if the beasts have intelligence on the level of Ice Elves, then their leader is bound to be even smarter."
After she finished, she noticed the others still looked disappointed, even if they pretended otherwise. Then it hit her—what was really bothering them.
"Since I'm the one unilaterally calling off the commission, the fee won't be refunded."
"Vice Guild Master Cha is the best!" x6.
They changed their tune that fast?
Castorice didn't really mind. Money wasn't important to her anyway; recognition was. And for an S-ranker, clearing an A-rank dungeon was the least meaningful way to earn recognition—since everyone already knew you could do it.
What she truly looked forward to were S-rank gates. But... those were incredibly rare. As far as she knew, Korea's only S-rank gate had appeared on Jeju Island a few years back.
From what she'd seen online, quite a few S-rank hunters had gone at the time, but they'd not only returned empty-handed—they'd also lost a number of mid- and high-rank hunters.
One S-rank hunter had even died. And now, the gate there had fully opened, turning the place into a paradise for insects.
Cha Hae-in had mentioned this before and told her that Choi Jong-in had always wanted to retake Jeju Island.
With two "youngest S-rankers" appearing in recent years strengthening their ranks, Choi Jong-in's determination to reclaim Jeju had only grown.
Setting aside Cha Hae-in—the overall strongest S-ranker—Castorice herself was known as the "Shade's Handmaiden," the phantom strongest S-ranker.
Though she had no publicly recognized combat feats, based on the hunters she'd teamed with and her nearly conceptual divine abilities, people could always find reasons to call her the strongest S-rank.
With these two new S-rankers added, no wonder Choi Jong-in was getting restless.
According to Cha Hae-in, once Choi Jong-in's application was approved, he'd pay a hefty fee to hire her to join the mission.
Castorice knew this was purely a recruitment tactic.
Even if he didn't pay, as a hunter registered with the association, she'd be obligated to follow their orders. And going to Jeju would be decided by the Hunter Association—meaning if they needed the manpower, she'd have to go even without a single penny.
Unless she gave up her license.
Of course, that was basically impossible. If she lost her license, other countries would immediately try to recruit her.
So even if her license could be revoked, they probably wouldn't—but it would undoubtedly tank her reputation.
Whether for recognition, upholding order, or her own personal choice, Castorice wouldn't refuse the association's dispatch.
Choi Jong-in might not know the details, but he definitely knew she'd be dispatched anyway.
In that case, offering extra pay made his intentions to recruit her blatantly obvious. And it probably wasn't just him—other guilds had likely been keeping an eye on her for a while.
Castorice found herself feeling a little grateful to him at that moment. If not for Hunters... she'd probably be facing invitations and harassment from several guilds by now.
'Was it you safeguarding my daily life with Cha-sunbae all along?'
'Guild Master Choi, how gentle—and what a workhorse—you are right now.'
Lost in thought, the group had already reached the gate, but...
"It's... turned red?"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.