Chapter 6: Ah! Hello There! (2)
Lee Ji-Yeon bowed and bid farewell to her temporary companions. "Good work, everyone."
After parting ways, she looked around with a faint smile. She did not head home directly after finishing her Gate activities.
Lee Ji-Yeon was born and raised in the countryside. She moved to Seoul to attend university, but shortly after moving, she awakened her abilities and started her career as a Hunter.
Was she dissatisfied with her life? No, she wasn't. As a Hunter, she could earn a lot of money, which made her supportive family happy. However, she did have one regret—traveling.
After moving to Seoul, she had dreamed of earning money through part-time jobs and traveling around the country with the comfort of just her backpack. Of course, this dream had slipped out of her reach after she had Awakened.
"Well, I guess this is also a form of travel," Lee Ji-Yeon said to herself.
Since it was her first visit to Jirisan National Park, she wandered around sightseeing. The park was quiet due to its restricted access. One might have found it boring, but not her. Lee Ji-Yeon had also dreamed of traveling solo to different places. She took photos with her smartphone as she walked around the park.
People used their abilities for more than just Gate activities, applying them to technology, science, and art as well.
Lee Ji-Yeon took photos of artworks made from soil by the roadside and examined resting places that were created for wild animals though the use of abilities. She wandered around the national park oblivious to the time that was passing, then suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"Hm?"
She glanced around her surroundings, sensing something unusual. Her mana grew warm and flowed out of her body on its own, flying northward as if pointing in a specific direction, then scattering. She strayed off the path, following its direction, pushing through the tall grass that seemed perfectly tended to by landscapers.
She soon found herself in an open field.
"A Gate..."
Much to her surprise, the Gate emitted a very familiar feeling.
"What's going on?"
After standing still and staring blankly at the Gate for a moment, Lee Ji-Yeon examined it with the Appraisal System. Upon realizing it wasn't a challenging Gate, she immediately took out her smartphone.
It was mandatory to immediately report any newly discovered Gate to the Association.
However, Lee Ji-Yeon hesitated to do so. "Hmmm."
What would happen if she reported the Gate? If the difficulty level of the Gate exceeded 41-60, then she would not be able to enter it.
But the energy emanating from the Gate felt far too familiar for her to give up on exploring the Gate. If she stayed near the entrance, the danger she would face should be low.
In that case, would it be okay to take a small peek for confirmation? To satiate her curiosity?
She would have reported it immediately if it had been any other Gate.
"Okay, I'm just checking. Just checking." Lee Ji-Yeon rationalized as she retrieved her smartphone and walked toward the Gate.
Flash!
The moment she stepped into the Gate, a bright light engulfed her. As the fragrant scent of flowers greeted her, Lee Ji-Yeon opened her eyes.
"Wo-woaah."
The first thing that caught her eye was a beautiful red flower that appeared harmless. She then noticed the white marble walls surrounding the garden. And finally, she saw the inhabitants of this Gate.
"Another species?" Lee Ji-Yeon said in surprise.
She was looking at a small and cute girl, wearing a crown reminiscent of a beautiful red flower.
"Oh my, oh my. So that's what you meant," said the girl with the butterfly wings and crown looking in a specific direction.
Lee Ji-Yeon also slowly turned her head to follow her gaze.
"What?" she cried in disbelief.
She saw a young man standing in the distance. His hair was neatly parted on the side. He wore a black suit, a sophisticated monocle, and on his forearm was draped a handkerchief.
"Why have you placed a handkerchief that way?"
"Huh? Aren't you supposed to put a handkerchief on your arm?" the young man asked.
"I don't think so. Maybe an arm towel?"
"Oh, my mistake."
Why wasn't he taking off that handkerchief after acknowledging his mistake?
Finally, Lee Ji-Yeon tilted her head curiously and asked, "And you are...?"
Kim Ki-Rok smiled softly. "Ah, hello there."
"Huh?"
"I'm part of a new guild."
"A new guild?"
"Oh? Come to think of it, we haven't decided on a guild name yet."
What? Who was this person? Lee Ji-Yeon blinked speechlessly out of sheer astonishment.
At that moment, the girl in a crown, Queen of the Elementals, made a suggestion. "How about Roll Cake?"
"Roll Cake?" the young man said.
"Chocolate? Whipped cream? Macaron?" the Queen of Elementals continued.
"Hmm, Macaron..."
Why was she so fixated on sweets?
Lee Ji-Yeon couldn't do much other than blink her eyes at this unusual exchange. But seeing Kim Ki-Rok taking an interest in "macarons," she felt compelled to dissuade him.
"Uh, isn't it a bit odd for a guild to be named Macaron...?" she suggested tentatively.
"Ah. It is strange, isn't it?"
"Mhm."
"Hmm, then..." Kim Ki-Rok stroked his chin in contemplation. He turned to the Queen of the Elementals and asked, "What was your favorite snack?"
"Chocolate."
"Chocolate. Oh, I see."
It looked like this time, Kim Ki-Rok was considering "Chocolate" as the next contender.
He sighed and continued stroking his chin, asking Lee Ji-Yeon, "How about Chocolate?"
"It's strange."
"Ah... How annoying." Kim Ki-Rok clicked his tongue as if he were irritated. "Then, we'll go with DG Guild," he said after giving it some thought.
"Hm."
It was the best one yet. The name was neat and clean, much better than Macaron Guild or Chocolate Guild.
Without thinking, Lee Ji-Yeon asked, "What does it mean?"
"Delightful Goodies."
"What?" she uttered in disbelief.
"Delightful Goodies[1]. That's why it's the DG Guild."
That's how DG Guild, later known as Dragon Guild, was born.
***
At a small resting place in the center of the garden.
"Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Kim Ki-Rok, Guildmaster of DG Guild. Nice to meet you."
"I am Lee Ji-Yeon."
"You must be very curious why I am not participating in the Gate destruction process and why we are sitting here exchanging greetings this leisurely."
Well, I'm not all that curious, Lee Ji-Yeon thought.
All she wanted to do was run away from this place immediately. She stayed seated only because she was distracted by the cute Elementals.
Not bothering about Lee Ji-Yeon's lack of response, Kim Ki-Rok continued, "It's simply to understand each other's abilities by exchanging information so we can help the cute and lovely mascot of the DG Guild, the Queen of the Elementals."
"Oh my. Am I the mascot of the DG Guild?" The Queen of the Elementals said, surprised.
"Haha! Well, you probably won't have any mascot duties like hosting meet and greets."
"Hahaha."
"Hahaha!"
The Queen of Elementals and Kim Ki-Rok looked at each other and laughed gleefully. But soon, the merry atmosphere shifted as the Queen of Elementals turned to look at Lee Ji-Yeon with a gentle smile while Kim Ki-Rok looked at her with a serious expression. Unable to withstand the sudden long silence and the accompanying frustration, Lee Ji-Yeon took a deep breath and raised her hand slightly.
"Yes, Miss Ji-Yeon," Kim Ki-Rok said.
"We must face the monsters of this Gate. Their levels are between 41 to 60. Will just the two of us be enough to handle it?"
"Good question. Can the two of us destroy the Gate by ourselves? Although it would normally be impossible, you have the talent to become an Elementalist."
"An Elementalist?" Lee Ji-Yeon echoed him thoughtfully.
"Yes, so..." Kim Ki-Rok trailed off as he moved.
Why is he getting up? Lee Ji-Yeon was confused.
Clap, clap.
At Kim Ki-Rok's gesture, Elementals flew in from all directions.
"Those of the lesser and intermediate rank, please step back," he ordered.
"Boooo!"
"This is discrimination!"
"Dirty humans who only remember the top grades!"
"You're worse than the crumbs left from the chocolate cookies we just ate!"
Some Elementals unhappily jeered at Kim Ki-Rok.
"I was going to give you the remaining cake before we closed the Gate. But now, no more cake for you."
Upon Kim Ki-Rok's warning, the Elementals went back to observe Lee Ji-Yeon again.
"You possess such exceptional talent! I will give up!"
"No! I can't make a contract with you!"
"Cake! Cake! C! A! K! E!"
With such remarks, the Elementals laughed and flew away, landing on Kim Ki-Rok's head and shoulders.
"Hmm, only three of you left."
There was a boy Elemental, girl Elemental, and a beautiful woman Elemental.
"Now, let's introduce ourselves—" Kim Ki-Rok said.
"W-wait a minute!" Lee Ji-Yeon interrupted him.
Kim Ki-Rok and the Elementals, who had been about to introduce themselves, looked at Lee Ji-Yeon with surprise.
"What's wrong?"
"Every-everything is going by too fast..."
"Ah, you need time to think."
"Y-yes, yes." Lee Ji-Yeon sounded flustered.
"Hmm. I see. Understood. Then, Elementals!" Kim Ki-Rok shouted.
All the Elementals—the ones on his head and shoulders and those on the table—looked at Kim Ki-Rok with sparkling eyes.
"It's snack time!"
"Yaaaaay!"
***
The Queen of the Elementals was sitting cross-legged, sipping iced chocolate from a soju glass. She glanced at Lee Ji-Yeon sneakily. "It was as you had mentioned, Mr. Ki-Rok."
"Amazing talent, isn't it?"
"Yes. She has talent that even Greater Elementals are interested in."
Still wearing his monocle and the black suit, Kim Ki-Rok poured more iced chocolate into the soju glass. "By that, you mean..." He lowered his voice. "Even you?"
"I can't make contracts. I have to protect the garden."
"That's a shame."
"Haha." The Queen of the Elementals chuckled softly and drank the iced chocolate in the soju glass.
"Kkkh!" She exclaimed in satisfaction.
Kim Ki-Rok refilled the soju glass with iced chocolate.
"But Mr. Ki-Rok," the Queen of Elementals said.
"Yes."
"Why do you have to go 'kkhh' every time you drink?"
"Isn't it fun?"[2]
Was it really, though?
The Queen of the Elementals chuckled and shrugged, then drank the iced chocolate in the soju glass again. Kim Ki-Rok served sweet desserts[3]to the Elementals, and they ate them eagerly. Watching this peaceful scene absentmindedly, Lee Ji-Yeon snapped back to reality. She suddenly realized a suspicious point and put on her investigative hat.
"Hunter Kim Ki-Rok."
"Yes, Lee Ji-Yeon."
"Earlier you mentioned that I have talent as an Elementalist, right?"
"Yes."
"How do you know that?"
"I have two abilities."
"You've awakened two abilities?"
"No. I received one as a Gate reward."
"Oh? So is your knowledge related to that ability?"
"Yes. The ability I awakened is called Discernment. If used on a Gate, this ability allows me to discover hidden rewards and clear conditions, and if used on a person, it allows me to identify their potential. Oh, by the way, I can't use it to check stats. I can only check one's potential and the abilities one has awakened, but I don't have access to the details of these abilities through Discernment."
His original ability was Record. In his past Attempts, Discernment had appeared later in the year as a reward for clearing a Gate, and should follow the same course for this Attempt as well.
"The ability I received as a Gate reward is called Mirror. It allows me to copy the abilities of others."
"Discernment..." Lee Ji-Yeon said thoughtfully.
The ability called Mirror was fascinating, but Lee Ji-Yeon was more interested in this Discernment.
"It is the ability to see what talents others possess. So, of course I knew that you possessed the talent to become an Elementalist."
Lee Ji-Yeon finally understood.
"Then, are you curious about why I was waiting for you here? How did I know you'd be here?" Kim Ki-Rok probed.
Lee Ji-Yeon nodded.
This Gate had a clear reward. However, the Hunter who entered the Gate first did not antagonize the Hunter who entered after him. It was as if he had been waiting for her to come in.
"I was convinced that the person who would find this Gate, The Invaded Garden of Flames, would be destined to become an Elementalist of Fire. Simply put, I wasn't waiting for you, Ji-Yeon, but for someone with the potential to become the Elementalist of Fire."
In that case, there was another problem.
Kim Ki-Rok continued, "Then leaves us with another question. Will becoming Elementalists by contracting with Elementals be enough for a two-man party to go through the Gate destruction process successfully?"
Lee Ji-Yeon nodded.
"Elementals are a species that manipulates the power of nature found in nature, but they cannot use the power of nature for themselves right now. When they draw upon natural energy to use the power, they invariably also draw upon the corrupted energy that has seeped into natural energy."
This was also why the Queen of the Elementals protected the Garden at all times; even when it was invaded, she opted to protect it instead of retreating or fighting. If she tried to tap into natural energy to use its power, she would also absorb the corrupt energy that had seeped into nature's energy.
"But that changes the moment a contract is made. Instead of drawing in natural energy to use its power, Elementals can draw upon a contractor's mana and convert that into natural energy to use its power."
"So you mean they can bypass the corrupted energy with a contract?" Lee Ji-Yeon asked.
"That's right."
"Um, but..."
"Yes, Miss Ji-Yeon."
"Um, I'm not a member of the DG Guild. Is it okay for you to explain these things in such detail?"
"Haha!" Kim Ki-Rok burst into laughter, flashing a smile. "You're not joining?"
"Joining a guild is an important matter."
"You didn't say that last time," Kim Ki-Rok commented.
"What?"
"Oh, I guess I didn't approach it so strangely back then."
In his previous Attempts, Kim Ki-Rok had approached her after gaining enough fame.
With a serious expression, Kim Ki-Rok offered the terms of joining his newly formed guild. "Work will be five days a week. There will be additional rewards for destroying Gates. You get thirty days of annual leave, which can be combined with weekends. How does that sound?"
"Um, is that good?" Lee Ji-Yeon asked tentatively.
She was just a college freshman who had recently moved to Seoul and had just become a Hunter for only three months. As such, Lee Ji-Yeon had not fully experienced the rough waves of society.
Realizing that, Kim Ki-Rok nodded.
"Oh, I see. You're still a freshman in college. We also plan to provide desserts when Elementals are summoned. But as you mentioned, joining a guild is a critical decision. How about we share our stories again once we've destroyed the Gate?"
And so, Kim Ki-Rok smoothly pushed the decision back.
1. The original word for sweet things is 단거, which is pronounced "Dan Ger." ☜
2. The "kkhh" is a sound that Koreans often make when drinking, exclaiming to show that the drink is hitting the spot. ☜
3. In Korean cuisine, desserts are categorized as sweet-sweet desserts and not-so-sweet desserts. Interestingly, the best compliment from parents and elders is, "Oh, this isn't too sweet." ☜
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