"D-Don't look!"
He wrapped his body with his four hands as if to cover himself.
"Don't anyone look at me!"
Gidan gripped his sword and slowly approached.
One of Malikian's hands grabbed 'Viart's Void' and swung it.
"Don't loooook!"
But with a nonchalant wave of Gidan's hand, it was deflected, and the black sword flew far away.
Malikian stared blankly at 'Viart's Void' before turning his gaze to Gidan.
Gidan looked straight at his stupid face.
Inside that black hood, which had seemed utterly insurmountable, was such a worthless man.
"……."
The anger and hatred that had clung to him since that day at the swimming pool like the smell of chlorine that wouldn't fade.
Bottom of the ninth, two outs.
The runner on third who could do nothing but steal.
The desperate home steal.
The baseball that had invaded his dreams every day.
The past year rewound like a fast-forwarded tape.
Now, a year later, standing at bat once more.
'Viart's Aspiration' pierced through Malikian's chest.
"Malikian."
Gidan tilted his head and asked with a detached air.
"Does it still smell like chlorine?"
"……."
Malikian didn't answer.
But Gidan already knew the answer.
[Skill 'Lion's Breath' activates.]
[Skill 'Violet Bloodstream' activates.]
Soon, mana erupted from the tip of the sword.
*
Ding-
[Achievement: Unlocked!]
-The Twelve Forms of Viart Swordsmanship are passed down.
Crack!
Gidan cast aside the sword with its shattered blade. The remains fell onto the collapsed Malikian.
'Damn, this is tough…….'
Ding-
Level up!
Perhaps due to the sudden mana depletion, Gru had fallen into a deep sleep, her back against the ship's railing.
Without knowing what she had accomplished or what she had done for Gidan, she simply snored softly like an angel.
Gidan staggered over and sat down, leaning his back against Gru's side. The boy pulled the child into his arms as if she were a priceless, irreplaceable gift.
'I need to take Gru and go home.'
His vision flickered from continuous blood loss. The blurry figure of a familiar man appeared before him.
'Ah…… I'm gonna get an earful.'
It was a strange feeling, like being a naughty kid about to face his father's nagging.
Ding-
[Dramatically overcoming danger far beyond your level!]
[Achievement unlocked.]
[Title: Walk-off Home Run]
A laugh escaped him.
Laying the back of his hand over his blurred eyes, Gidan's mouth curved into a gentle arc.
Ding-
[Calculating contribution rate…….]
[Gidan enters Ranking 3rd place.]
[newdeolmandeungommk.1 enters Ranking 1,000th place.]
The man stood before Gidan and Gru, who sat side by side asleep.
Jurim let out a deep sigh.
Chapter 7 Gnosis
[Title: OMG Gidan! I believed in you~!]
Is it real that our Dan is ranked 3rd?
[Title: What surprises me every time I open my eyes in the morning.]
That I'm a member of 'Hyeonak,' which has Rank 1 and Rank 3.
The wind brushing my bangs as I commute to Hyeonak Research Institute.
Hyeonak's fame carried along with the wind.
S o p r o u d !
[Title: I showed my Hyeonak business card to the part-timer at the convenience store I always go to today]
I always bought 2,000 won kimbap, but today I deliberately picked up a 5,000 won lunchbox.
I have to maintain dignity as a member of Hyeonak.
Opening my wallet to pay, my Hyeonak business card accidentally fell out… and her mouth dropped open.
"Do you happen to work at that Hyeonak with Rank 1 and Rank 3?"
"I'm sorry, but I must politely decline giving out my number."
Ha, it was hard rejecting countless handshake requests from the convenience store customers.
[Comments]
-Did you get an electric shock debuff?
Hey, porter!
[Title: I heard one more person went]
Does anyone know who? Kinda curious.. It's probably Hyeonak? Ongilma?
[Comments]
-Would they? Then their ranking points would have gone up together.
-If someone went with him, wouldn't they have revealed it by now?
-It's probably Gru
Right right, everyone knows it's Gru if it's Hyeonak
WTF it was Gru~!! LMAOOOO
What does Gru even do there LMAOOO
Our little one is strength itself just by existing..
Are you looking down on our kid? If she cheers from the side, soloing S-rank monsters is totally possible
For our daughter, I might even be able to take down S-rank monsters
If Japan dreams it, Korea achieves it..
Bite me, jerk
[Title: Hyeonak bros, who is Gru?]
Is she a new hunter at Hyeonak? Is it true that she and Gidan caught it together?
[Comments]
-It's a joke, Gru is 4 years old
-She is technically a new hunter though LOLLLL
-Hyeonak's mascot
-Hyeonak's three great treasures: the guild master who's rancid oil gone bad, S-rank cafeteria food, and Gru...
Why is Gru the only one called by name LOL
This
[Title: I got a kiss on the cheek from Gru, what happens to me now?]
It happened in my imagination though
[Comments]
-Guild Master, it's this bastard
Gidan, it's this bastard
Came rushing out, you bastard
Bro's pulling aggro LOL
Don't do this to a 4-year-old ㅡㅡ
*
The fact that Gidan had hunted an S-rank monster alone caused enormous waves. Not just in the media and communities, but within the company as well.
"Team leader, how did Gidan catch it alone? Did he re-awaken or something?"
"I guess a crazy bastard is always a crazy bastard."
"Is this our strategy team dinner?"
"Gidan belongs to Team 1, why would we be having a dinner?"
"Ah, we're the same Hyeonak though. Let's do it! Company dinner!"
In contrast to the festive atmosphere.......
"We were wrong......."
"We'we shorry......."
The two minor perpetrators were kneeling with their heads bowed inside the guild master's office.
Jurim, sitting on the edge of the desk with his arms crossed, tilted his head crookedly.
His languid face was no different from usual, but today his eyes blazed as if they might shoot lasers.
'Shiver, shiver.'
It was Jurim who broke the suffocating silence.
"Gidan, you'll report to the PR team for the time being."
"Huh?"
Gidan's already pale face grew even paler. Lately, the PR team had been absolutely seething.
While S-ranks of other large guilds did TV appearances, YouTube, commercials, and even luxury brand ambassadorships.
Hyeonak had two S-ranks who were even good-looking, yet one just slept all day saying it was annoying, and the other declared they wouldn't go anywhere except school and dungeons, infuriating them.
Not only that.
Recently, the so-called guild master had gone out for an interview and even caused a broadcasting accident, so the PR team must have been burning inside.
Unable to show it outwardly, word had it that when the two passed by the PR team office, they would mutter curses under their breath.
In such a situation, Gidan returning in triumph after catching Malikian alone (though not entirely alone) being assigned to the PR team was no different than throwing meat to starving hyenas.
'They're going to work me to the bone beyond imagination.......'
Gidan pitifully grabbed the hem of Jurim's pants.
"Hyung......."
"What. If you have something to say, try saying it."
"No, but that's a bit....... Isn't it too much......? Dan is having a hard time these days."
Gidan made a flower cup with his hands and blinked.
Gru opened her mouth w—wide.
'Dan oppa is having a weally hawd time.'
In fact, his face did look paler than before.
Jurim smirked, raising one corner of his mouth crookedly, and snorted.
"Do more. If it's cute, I'll reconsider."
Gidan froze, startled.
He said this because he knew Gidan all too well—if given an opening, he would only hold back even more.
Jurim waved his hand as if he had expected exactly that.
"If you can't, then go to the PR team."
"Hyung, just hit me instead!"
Gidan began to beg as if vomiting blood.
As the situation seemed to grow worse, Gru, who had been rolling her eyes and trembling, followed Gidan's lead.
"G, Guild Masther. H, hit G-Gru......! H-hit— Hup!"
Before she could even finish asking to be hit, Gidan covered Gru's mouth with his hand, and Jurim glared at Gidan with terrifying eyes.
"Watch your mouth in front of a kid."