'What the...?'

Chae Soo-hyun’s eyes widened as she looked at the paper she had just been handed. Her face quickly turned red.

'They really expect me to do this…?'

[Exterminate 500 Screaming Bats]
[Exterminate 300 Dancing Boars]
[Exterminate 200 Dark Spirits]
[Exterminate 400 Rock Golems]
…

The list went on and on, seemingly never-ending.

'How am I supposed to do this?'

Of course, if she were still S-rank, she knew it wouldn’t be a big deal. But the problem was that the missions had been assigned individually.

'I’m… E-rank now. How am I supposed to handle this? Are they kidding me?'

Chae Soo-hyun frowned, her face twisting in such a way that anyone looking at her would find her expression strange.

'He must have known after retrieving my points that I’m E-rank, right? Or does he not know? Could it be?'

She alternated between staring at Baek Ji-hoon and the paper in her hand, unable to believe that he would have done this on purpose.

'Uh… maybe… maybe Ji-hoon oppa doesn’t know that I’ve become E-rank? I don’t think I’ve ever properly talked about that with him…'

Her expression brightened slightly.

'Maybe he doesn’t know, or… maybe he thinks I can still handle it? Maybe he’s giving me a chance to stand out among the other S-rank hunters?'

She was lost in her own fantasy, fervently spinning a hopeful narrative in her mind. She had no clue that she was the last person Baek Ji-hoon would think to favor in such a competitive situation.

'Hmm. Should I talk to oppa about this?'

Chae Soo-hyun adjusted her expression. She figured she should subtly signal Baek Ji-hoon about her current situation.

'He probably doesn’t know much about me now.'

She began walking toward Baek Ji-hoon with deliberate steps.

 

"Um… Hunter Baek Ji-hoon..."

Chae Soo-hyun rolled her eyes slightly as she cautiously approached me.

‘Heh. She must’ve sensed things are going downhill.’

Her expression showed she’d realized she was in big trouble.

“I… I have something to say…”

She got very close, almost pressing against me, and whispered in a voice that no one else could hear.

“Oppa… After you retrieved my points, I’ve been reduced to E-rank…”

She looked at me with a desperate expression, clearly hoping for something from me.

In the past, I might’ve been foolish enough to say, ‘Of course, oppa will take care of everything for you. You just go and rest, my sweet Soo-hyun.’ But now, things were different.

‘And so what?’

That was exactly the expression I wore.

“I. Know.”

I coldly looked down at her, speaking each word slowly and deliberately for emphasis.

"Huh…? You… you know?"

Her eyes darted around rapidly, clearly struggling to process the fact that I knew. She seemed utterly flustered.

"Th-then, how am I supposed to…"

"You have to do it well, right? You’re an S-rank hunter, aren’t you?"

And with that, I turned away as if I had more important things to do.

"Alright, everyone, I’ll give you all about two hours. In that time, please demonstrate your skills. Based on how well you perform, we’ll plan and strategize for the next steps."

I clapped my hands, drawing everyone’s attention as I made the announcement.

"Yes!!"

The response came quickly and enthusiastically.

Meanwhile, Chae Soo-hyun stood there, completely dumbfounded.

 

'Wait… he knows? He knows? Then how am I supposed to do this? The others might be fine since they’re all S-rank, but I’m E-rank! The monsters on this list are at least B-rank! And there are a ton of A-rank ones, too! Not only is the time too short, but I can’t even get close to handling this. Is this a joke?'

Internally, Chae Soo-hyun was fuming. It was an utterly impossible situation for an E-rank hunter like her, and she knew it.

'What is this…?'

She glanced around at the other S-rank hunters. They were all bustling about, ready to dive into their tasks.

They moved efficiently in response to Baek Ji-hoon’s words, almost as if they were competing with one another.

She was the only one left standing there, frozen in place.

'Hah… two hours? I can’t even start!'

She trembled as she held the paper in her hands.

"Uh… Hyung-seok?"

She had no choice but to approach Park Hyung-seok, the one who had handed her the paper. He was the only person here she had some familiarity with.

She couldn’t bear to ask Baek Ji-hoon again; she felt like she’d get scolded if she tried.

"What is it?"

Park Hyung-seok responded curtly.

"This… um… is there any way I don’t have to do this?"

Hyung-seok chuckled quietly at her words, wearing a knowing expression.

"Why? Didn’t you accept the invitation to come here, Chae Soo-hyun Hunter? You said you’d do it, and now that you’re here, why are you trying to back out?"

"Well… that was before I knew this is what I’d have to do…"

Chae Soo-hyun had come here expecting some praise or recognition in front of the other S-rank hunters. But the reality was completely different from what she had imagined.

'How am I supposed to handle something like this when I can’t even do it?!'

She looked at Park Hyung-seok with a desperate expression.

"Aren’t you going to do it? After you already agreed to? And look, everyone else has already gone off to do their tasks. Isn’t this an easy quest? I’m not a hunter, but I know a lot about the hunter world. This kind of quest should be a piece of cake for an S-rank hunter, right? And you’ve been ranked number one before, haven’t you? Don’t be dramatic."

Park Hyung-seok, fully aware of the situation, smirked as he spoke, teasing her.

"I… I…"

Chae Soo-hyun was even more flustered now. The one person she had thought she could rely on was now distancing himself from her.

'Hah… what’s with him? This guy used to be all over me, trying to sleep with me at every chance he got.'

She felt an intense wave of humiliation.

"Hyung-seok… I’m not feeling well today…"

"Why don’t you tell the other S-rank hunters, then? I’m just a secretary, you know. Heh."

Hyung-seok gestured toward the other hunters.

"How can I say that to them…? Why would I say that to them…?"

Her voice grew weaker, and she looked at him with a pitiful expression.

"Obviously, you need to explain yourself to the other S-rank hunters. This is a joint tactical operation for all 11 of us. It’s meant to prepare us for future S-rank dungeons."

"What???"

Chae Soo-hyun was even more shocked now.

'They’re planning to go into an S-rank dungeon?'

Even A-rank dungeons were way beyond her capabilities at this point. She struggled even in C-rank dungeons, so an S-rank dungeon was completely out of the question.

If she were dragged into an S-rank dungeon now, she would definitely be killed. S-rank dungeons had far more random monster attacks, and for someone who wasn’t truly S-rank, the outcome would be devastating.

'What is this? Is this part of some bigger plan? Maybe he’s putting me in danger on purpose, so that Ji-hoon oppa can come save me and we can reconcile?'

Chae Soo-hyun was now completely lost in her delusions again, believing that Baek Ji-hoon’s actions were all part of some secret plan to mend their relationship.

"Okay… I’ll talk to the other S-rank hunters."

"Good luck with that~ Heh."

Park Hyung-seok laughed quietly, clearly finding the whole situation amusing.

 

"If I do well today, Ji-hoon will notice, right?"

"Of course, no doubt~ It seems like he set this up just so we’d show how capable we are. I bet we’re still closer to Ji-hoon compared to the six hunters who joined later. I think this is our chance."

Lee Soo-ah and Yoo Ha-na glanced over at Baek Ji-hoon, who was standing with Cha I-seul.

"Ugh…"

Lee Soo-ah was regretting the opportunity she had missed, her disappointment showing on her face.

'Hah… Ji-hoon… I was so stupid… I was too full of myself…'

"Um… excuse me…"

They heard the voice of Chae Soo-hyun approaching.

"What do you want? This is our area. Go back to your spot."

Lee Soo-ah and Yoo Ha-na snapped, becoming instantly defensive. Since monster respawns were crucial for completing their tasks, they were very sensitive about others encroaching on their territory.

"It’s not that… I was just hoping to ask for some understanding because… I don’t think I’ll be able to participate today."

"Huh? Why?"

Lee Soo-ah and Yoo Ha-na stared at her, confused by her sudden withdrawal after coming all this way.

"Isn’t today’s quest pretty easy? Weren’t you ranked number one at one point, Chae Soo-hyun Hunter?"

Lee Soo-ah brought up the fact that Chae Soo-hyun had once held the number one rank. It was a sensitive topic for her, so she couldn’t resist taking a jab.

"Well… it’s just that… it’s my… um… it’s that time of the month…"

"Oh… but still, isn’t today’s task doable? It’s not that difficult, is it?"

The two S-rank hunters exchanged glances, still not understanding her reasoning.

"It’s just… I have it really bad…"

Chae Soo-hyun rolled her eyes dramatically as she clutched her stomach, putting on a performance to try and escape the situation.

"Oh…"

While they didn’t fully understand, they didn’t see any reason to stop her, either. In fact, Lee Soo-ah and Yoo Ha-na seemed somewhat relieved.

'Nice. One less competitor.'

They quickly exchanged knowing looks.