Cyborg-tl
“What? You knew...?”
Up until now, whenever she’d brought this up with Yoo Ha-na and Jin-hyuk, they’d dismissed it as nonsense. But Park Hyung-seok accepted it as if it were obvious.
‘What the...? Is he such a hunter fanatic that he knows everything?’
Among all the people she knew, Hyung-seok ranked third in hunter knowledge, right behind the guild leader and Deputy Director Cha. Although his personality and actions were peculiar, his expertise was undeniable, and she figured he probably knew about this as well.
“Uh... right?”
“What’s up with that...?”
Lee Soo-ah eyed him suspiciously.
“How do you know? Does Ji-hoon know too? Wait. So Ji-hoon’s okay with Chae Soo-hyun not actually being S-rank?”
Lee Soo-ah shot the questions with a sharp, piercing tone.
‘Ah, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything...’
Seeing her reaction, Hyung-seok immediately regretted speaking up. Her sensitivity made him realize he might have been better off staying silent.
“Well... there are some circumstances...”
“Circumstances? Seriously?!”
Lee Soo-ah flared up, her voice biting.
“Hyung-seok, I didn’t peg you for someone who’d defend Chae Soo-hyun.”
“No, absolutely not!” he protested, leaping up and waving his hands frantically.
“It’s a misunderstanding. Really.”
“Oh, so someone’s been pretending to be an S-rank hunter, and you’ve all just been letting it slide? Isn’t that conspiracy?”
She seemed more irritated than satisfied, despite her suspicions being confirmed. Her anger overshadowed any sense of relief.
“No, it’s not a conspiracy! I’m just... trying to send her to hell...”
“What?”
Lee Soo-ah’s expression softened a bit.
‘Sending her to hell...?’
That was music to her ears.
“What is it? Really? But first, let me ask: Is Chae Soo-hyun actually an A-rank hunter?”
“No.”
“Uh... B-rank, then?”
She asked cautiously.
“Nope.”
“C-rank?”
“Nope.”
“... D-rank?”
Her face grew stranger as she tilted her head.
“Nope.”
“Wait, E-rank? Seriously?”
“Yes.”
It was almost like a game of Twenty Questions. She’d assumed Soo-hyun had inflated her rank by one or two levels since that occasionally happened.
‘E-rank? E-rank?! That’s rock bottom! That’s practically a beginner!’
The situation made no sense. To think that someone hailed as her equal, someone who’d appeared on TV shows and made headlines, was actually an E-rank—it was shocking.
‘So this plan to send her to hell...’
Her mind worked quickly.
‘Are they planning to expose her for being E-rank when everyone thinks she’s S-rank?’
It was getting interesting.
“What’s going on here, exactly?”
“Sorry, I can’t say any more. Apologies!”
He quickly made to leave.
“Wait, wait! Hyung-seok, where are you going?!”
Lee Soo-ah chased after him.
“Even if you lock me up and torture me, I can’t say a word more. Just remember that much for now.”
“Seriously? Even if I torture you?”
She spoke with a strangely serious tone. Hyung-seok swallowed hard, looking like he was debating it for a moment.
“Yes! Absolutely not.”
Sigh...
He really wasn’t going to talk.
“Come on, can’t you just give me a little hint? I won’t tell anyone, I promise. Just between us. Please?”
She started pleading.
“No. Sorry!”
Hyung-seok took off in a hurry.
‘Tsk...’
Lee Soo-ah clicked her tongue.
‘Well, at least I confirmed she’s not S-rank. E-rank? Seriously? She’s been milking that and appearing on TV?’
[There’s a rumor that Lee Soo-ah reclaimed her spot, but isn’t it Chae Soo-hyun’s time now?]
Online sentiment seemed to side with the idea that Lee Soo-ah’s time was over, and Chae Soo-hyun, as the new face, would continue to thrive.
‘They’re too much. It’s fine. Once the truth about her E-rank status gets out, her popularity will plummet immediately.’
It was the most satisfying news she’d heard recently.
‘But with Hyung-seok’s reaction... it’s clear...’
She began to piece things together.
‘Hyung-seok can’t be doing this alone. He said something about sending her to hell... He’s not powerful enough to pull that off solo.’
Baek Ji-hoon crossed her mind.
‘No way. Could Ji-hoon be involved?’
Her mind started racing.
‘Wait, was she sent to that dungeon on purpose?’
She slapped her knee, as if having a realization.
‘So, it was to pressure Chae Soo-hyun. But she caught on and evaded it. And I just let her wriggle around like a fish, didn’t I?’
She knocked her head lightly with her hand, feeling a bit frustrated.
‘It could’ve all been exposed right then. It’s okay. I’ll make sure to push next time.’
She had a growing sense that things were happening beyond her awareness.
She didn’t know the full picture yet, but she felt the urge to contribute.
‘Chae Soo-hyun. You think you can just roll in here and replace me? Hmph.’
Then, another thought crossed her mind.
‘Wait, did they bring her into the Blue Guild on purpose?’
It seemed plausible. It felt like they’d deliberately pulled her in just to watch her fall.
‘Ah. That explains it. Ji-hoon’s been rather indifferent about her. Wait, could it be... an ex-girlfriend situation...?’
Her mind spun even faster.
‘What? Really? Were they dating? That would explain why Chae Soo-hyun kept glaring at Cha I-seul like that.’
Everything started falling into place in her mind.
‘Oh... so that’s it... Alright, Lee Soo-ah. Let’s do this! Let’s get rid of Chae Soo-hyun!!!’
She was grinning from ear to ear.
“Hyung...”
“What?”
Park Hyung-seok closed the office door and let out a rough breath.
“Chased by a bear?”
He looked like he’d just narrowly escaped something terrifying.
“Hunter Lee Soo-ah... I think she found out. That Hunter Chae Soo-hyun isn’t S-rank.”
“Wait, what? Hunter Lee Soo-ah? I didn’t think she had that kind of smarts.”
It wasn’t easy to believe right away. Chae Soo-hyun had done an impressive job pretending to be S-rank, going on TV and doing interviews, even having her rank confirmed alongside Baekho Guild’s Jin-hyuk.
‘How did she find out?’
It felt a bit intimidating.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. As long as Chae Soo-hyun falls, it’ll be fine.”
I decided to speed up my plan. Now that Lee Soo-ah knew, things might get messy.
I’d lift Chae Soo-hyun to the peak before sending her crashing down. That would end everything.
And I had a feeling Lee Soo-ah might be useful.
‘If she finds out that Chae Soo-hyun is E-rank, she’ll be furious... and that could play into my hands.’
The fact that she figured it out on her own was impressive.
“Hyung-seok, make sure the broadcast is prepared smoothly. We’ll promote her heavily and then let her crash.”
“Yes, absolutely.”
Knock, knock, knock.
“Yes~?”
Chae Soo-hyun answered in a voice that sounded slightly upbeat.
Park Hyung-seok entered.
“I’m here for your consent on the upcoming dungeon raid broadcast filming.”
He smiled slyly, one corner of his mouth curling up.
“Wait, broadcast filming?”
“Yes. We’re planning to film S-rank hunters taking on an A-rank dungeon. Everyone else has signed off, so it’s just you left, Hunter Chae Soo-hyun~”
Hyung-seok moved quickly.
“Everyone else already signed?”
“Yes~ Take a look here~”
He slid the paper toward her.
‘Ugh... what is this?’
Chae Soo-hyun bit her lip. She could tell something strange had happened while she was away doing interviews.
“So, the concept is...”
“Of course, it’s about S-rank hunters tackling A-rank beasts.”
“I... I think I’m going to feel sick.”
She already looked worried.
“Don’t worry~ We’ll film it when you’re feeling well, Hunter Chae Soo-hyun.”
His eyes sparkled.