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Thus, among humans, those who could use Aura were exceedingly rare.

Lucia was able to learn Aura simply because she was a half-elf, which granted her time several times greater than that of a human.

On the other hand, Kang Jin-hyuk was an ordinary human.

Even if he had talent, he would likely only be able to wield Aura freely after his mind had gone blank.

Despite a strong desire to learn, the limitations of the human body meant he couldn’t turn back time.

Still, Lucia proposed this because she had her own motives.

‘She said she would teach me how to use it, but she never promised I would be able to use it.’

Of course, her intention was to teach the method sincerely.

Whether he could blossom that talent or not was solely up to him.

“Goooh…”

As Lucia thought this, the boss monster, which she had believed was restrained, suddenly moved.

It was an unexpected ambush that caught them off guard, but Kang Jin-hyuk’s reaction was quicker than the golem’s attack.

“Holy Shield!”

Thanks to the baseball bat, Kang Jin-hyuk was able to respond one step ahead.

The defensive skill he developed from defeating the mini-boss absorbed the attack perfectly and remained unbroken.

The golem, unable to withstand the rebound, crumbled down into pieces.

Seeing that, Kang Jin-hyuk rushed in and struck the exposed core of the golem with his bat.

A sound that indicated something was breaking echoed around, but the core didn’t shatter completely.

Kang Jin-hyuk had expected this and swung the bat without hesitation.

After delivering two or three more strikes before the golem could respond, the core, which had proudly boasted of its durability, finally shattered into countless pieces.

“Guhhhhh…”

Letting out a final, scream-like groan, the golem stopped its movements altogether.

[You have leveled up.]

Thanks to the tremendous experience points granted by the boss monster, Kang Jin-hyuk was flooded with repeated messages filling his vision.

Having only just become a C-rank hunter, his level had already soared to an impressive 85.

At this rate, acquiring the qualification to become a B-rank hunter within this month didn’t seem like a dream.

Eagerly, Kang Jin-hyuk rummaged through the remains of the boss to see if any items had dropped.

Unfortunately, he found no dropped items.

“Wait, did you just use a skill… are you a cleric?”

With a sudden question from Lucia, Kang Jin-hyuk expressed confusion.

“What? You didn’t know?”

“Seeing you holding the bat, I thought you were a warrior. Who would think of a human slaying golems as a cleric.”

Lucia’s words held some merit.

It was his first time using cleric-like skills in front of her, which could easily lead to misunderstanding.

“A cleric, huh… that’s unexpected.”

“Unexpected?”

“Not so much unexpected as a bit different from what I envisioned.”

Kang Jin-hyuk couldn’t understand the meaning behind Lucia’s words.

“What do you mean by ‘different’? Do clerics have some downsides?”

“Quite the opposite.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you’re a cleric, you can easily learn to use Aura just by mastering the technique.”

Kang Jin-hyuk was left in confusion.

How could a profession with no combat-oriented skills help him utilize Aura?

Noticing the blank expression on Kang Jin-hyuk’s face, Lucia realized he understood nothing.

“Have you never heard of ‘Holy Aura’?”

“Of course not.”

“… You didn’t have to brag about it.”

With a quiet sigh, Lucia continued her explanation.

“The shield you just summoned; that’s also a type of Aura.”

“Is that really Aura?”

“To be exact, while they are different, the method of usage and effects are quite similar.”

The distinction was that Aura was created using mana drawn from within the body, while what clerics utilized was created using divine power.

“So, could I use it immediately?”

“Right now, that’s impossible, but… if you practice well, you should be able to imitate it within a week.”

For clerics, there was no need to accumulate Aura; they only needed to master the techniques.

Despite that being no easy feat, Lucia was confident she could tackle that problem given her capabilities.

However, just because she believed it was possible didn’t mean she was willing to do it for free.

Someone had once told her—never do things you excel at for free.

Lucia learned that lesson through her long life as an adventurer.

“By the way, you remember there are conditions for the lessons, right?”

“Conditions? Ah…!”

Kang Jin-hyuk recalled what Lucia had mentioned.

He never thought he would have the opportunity to learn such a valuable skill for just a chocolate bar.

Life truly was unpredictable.

* * *

Seo Sang-ho left the headquarters of the association with a dissatisfied expression.

Even the generally easygoing Seo Sang-ho couldn’t help but feel upset upon receiving such one-sided notice.

His secretary carefully acted while keeping an eye on Seo Sang-ho’s mood.

“Shall we gather the guild executives right away?”

“That would be best.”

Seo Sang-ho nodded and suddenly let out a deep sigh as if the ground had fallen beneath him.

“Is it really plausible to deal with this solely as our guild?”

“The timing doesn’t seem too favorable.”

Typically, monster appearances occurred randomly, but there was one exception.

That was the phenomenon of abnormal transmissions observed about once a month.

Powerful monsters would appear within a week of witnessing abnormal transmissions, forcing the government and the association to wrack their brains each time.

It just had to happen when other large guilds were overseas taking on quests.

At present, the only forces capable of dealing with this phenomenon in the country were S-rank hunter Seo Sang-ho and his guild members.

“I believe we should seek cooperation from other guilds.”

“I also think the same. But will other guilds be willing to cooperate…?”

The tyrannical actions of Ahn Do-yoon made public opinion regarding Titan extraordinarily negative.

Seo Sang-ho was well aware of the worry his secretary expressed.

“If only we had stopped that fool before he made such a mess.”

Due to observing the executives’ moods, things had gotten worse than anticipated.

He never imagined that the disaster Ahn Do-yoon had created would grow this much.

Though it was Ahn Do-yoon who made the mistakes, Seo Sang-ho, as the guild leader, had to take responsibility.

“Ugh… if possible, I’d like to kick him out immediately.”

If he could, he wanted to pour out all his anger and kick him to the curb.

But at this moment, every single member was crucial to the guild.

“It isn’t a good time to give up on an A-rank hunter.”

“I know that.”

Though he acknowledged it rationally, it was hard to swallow emotionally.

To soothe Seo Sang-ho’s anxieties, the secretary spoke encouragingly.

“While we might not have many people, we still have some capable ones.”

“That is true. Even if he’s been beaten by a cleric.”

Hearing Seo Sang-ho’s remark, the secretary suddenly thought of something.

“By the way, were you able to successfully negotiate with the hunter who defeated Ahn Do-yoon?”

“Not yet.”

“You’ve been putting it off for quite a while, considering your interest in him.”

“I just want to ensure I act cautiously.”

Seo Sang-ho was eyeing Kang Jin-hyuk, someone who had an unfavorable view of Titan.

If they were aggressive in their approach, it would likely backfire and have adverse effects.

“Should we investigate to provide a better offer?”

“There’s no need. It wouldn’t matter what we found—he’s not that kind of person.”

Kang Jin-hyuk was someone who had ascended the ranks from a D-rank hunter, suddenly gaining attention.

There wasn’t a shred of indication regarding what type of person he was.

That mysterious aspect intrigued Seo Sang-ho even more.

“It was like discovering a gem that no one noticed before.”

“Anyway, I’ll handle it on my end, so take care of watching the executives for now.”

While Seo Sang-ho was proactively pursuing Kang Jin-hyuk, the executives of Titan regarded him with suspicion.

Given that they knew he might be plotting something at any moment, they required watchful surveillance.

“We’ve already deployed ample personnel to monitor the executives.”

“Really? How’s it looking?”

“They seem to be contemplating how they can strike it rich without getting caught by the guild leader.”

“Hahaha, they’re the same as ever.”

Seo Sang-ho chuckled knowingly.

It had been the executive members who helped Titan grow into a large guild in the first place.

There was no way they’d simmer down just because one person had been kicked out.

“If Ahn Do-yoon tries to take revenge on Kang Jin-hyuk, let me know personally. Other than that, leave him be.”

“It seems you hold some sort of affection for that hunter. Why is that? He’s just a C-rank cleric.”

“Who knows… I can’t explain it in detail, but I sense something special.”

A reply that didn’t make much sense to anyone who wasn’t privy to it.

However, the secretary didn’t scoff or look strangely at him.

Having worked beside Seo Sang-ho for a substantial period, she had witnessed just how sharp his intuition could be.

The reason Seo Sang-ho could maintain his position as the guild leader while battling against various plots was due to his keen judgment and perception.

“Still, we need to focus on the requests from the association right now.”

“I know that. It’s a priority.”

Resolving the immediate issues was, of course, paramount.

If it weren’t for seeing Kang Jin-hyuk emerge from a nearby bakery, Seo Sang-ho might have put off his interest for a while longer.

Yet faced with the hunter right in front of him, he couldn’t let it pass him by.

“I must speak to him.”

With a meaningful smile, Seo Sang-ho said to the secretary, “I need to convey some things to the executives, so please relay the messages regarding the association’s requests.”

“Understood.”

Once the secretary departed, Seo Sang-ho approached Kang Jin-hyuk.

Realizing he was walking toward him, Kang Jin-hyuk appeared surprised.

“What brings you here?”

“That’s what I want to ask. What’s with all those goodies?”

Seo Sang-ho’s gaze fell upon the large bag that Kang Jin-hyuk was carrying.

Clearly too much for late-night snacks, it raised questions.

“I don’t really know what I’m doing.”

Kang Jin-hyuk expressed a bitter smile, suggesting it wasn’t something he had willingly chosen.

Seo Sang-ho’s curiosity piqued, but he had a more immediate matter to discuss.

“Have you thought about my offer?”

“If you’re referring to joining the guild, I already told you I don’t plan on joining any guild for the time being.”

Kang Jin-hyuk’s response was absolutely firm, leaving no room for doubt.

While it was incredibly gracious of an S-rank hunter to extend such an offer, he had no desire to join Titan or any other large guild for that matter.

He would rather align himself with individuals who sought to monopolize all monsters than with them.

“I believe I offered sufficient conditions, so I’m puzzled about your refusal.”

The you’re duty-bound to comply with my request thought remained unsaid.

Kang Jin-hyuk required a legitimate reason to say no to an S-rank’s face.

“First of all, that psychopath hasn’t been caught yet. I really don’t want to get ambushed while out at night.”

“… Are you truly denying for that reason?”

Kang Jin-hyuk nodded calmly.

“By now, haven’t we had 12 victims this month? There’s no one willing to join a guild during such a treacherous time.”

Seo Sang-ho couldn’t argue against that point.

With hunters dying every three days, the association and guild had yet to come up with credible countermeasures.

‘If someone is targeted, it might very well be an A-rank hunter.’

Even with such impossible fantasies, he understood the weight of having left the psychopath unattended.

After a short sigh, Seo Sang-ho spoke.

“Then, how about coming as a mercenary?”

“As a mercenary?”

“Yes, I promise sufficient compensation.”

There was no significant reason to turn down the idea of simply hunting together without engaging in any more complex relationships.

If it were Titan, failing to accomplish a hunt wasn’t likely, and the monsters they faced would likely boast considerable rewards as well.

Nonetheless, there remained some unresolved suspicions.

“Considering there are plenty of talents in Titan, would it make sense for me to go as a mercenary?”

Kang Jin-hyuk’s the official title he held wasn’t truly relevant.

He was recognized as a C-rank hunter at most.

His only point of pride was that he was a cleric.

It felt hard to believe that the guild leader would personally invite someone who seemed so trivial.

“Haha, calling an A-rank hunter a mere cleric is rather excessive, isn’t it?”

“Out of rage, I unleashed much more than intended.”

“Even so, that was a flashy display of strength.”

Seo Sang-ho couldn’t shake the feeling that Kang Jin-hyuk was hiding something.

Nevertheless, with Kang Jin-hyuk adamantly opposing probing deeper, it was inappropriate for Seo Sang-ho to pry.

He decided to take a step back and accept the situation.

“Even if you think it was a coincidence, a cleric capable of combat is rare. Please consider it and reach out to me when you have the time.”

Ultimately, there was no urgent need to recruit additional clerics.

Yet, Seo Sang-ho recommended the hunter to gradually grow accustomed to working with guild members.

“… I’ll think it over.”

Upon hearing Kang Jin-hyuk’s slightly positive response, Seo Sang-ho felt immense satisfaction within himself.