Transferred to an SSS-rank Production Class

“The Final Cave…?”

I rubbed my face dry as I tried to make sense of the situation. I surmised that in the process of using Gate of the Dead, the Hell Tree had been uprooted entirely. And in the place where the tree had been, a gate leading to the final cave appeared.

What’s more, it was the first time in the Ninety-Nine Branch Cave that a clear condition had been set.

‘I’ve never heard of a case like this.’

I’d often heard stories of gates appearing after defeating field bosses. But this Hell Tree was a monster that had been defeated once a week since the field’s inception.

For a gate that hadn’t been discovered in 10 years to appear like this—it was utterly incomprehensible.

As the silence between Shin-ju and me lengthened, Cha Taeyang kept glancing at us nervously. She seemed to think she had made a big mistake. Even I, with considerable experience, was taken aback, so how much more bewildered must Cha Taeyang be, having just debuted?

‘Right, now’s not the time to be pondering comprehension or whatnot.’

I approached Cha Taeyang, who was hiding behind Jo Sung-hyun.

“Hunter Cha Taeyang.”

“Yes, unni…”

Cha Taeyang slowly raised her face, scrutinizing my expression. Such a look didn’t suit her. I put on the gentlest expression I could muster to reassure her.

“Although this happened unexpectedly, this gate here is essentially a clue to closing the ‘Gate That Never Closes’. So don’t worry too much.”

“That’s right. To pull off something this interesting, you’re quite something, Taeyang!”

Only after Shin-ju chimed in did Cha Taeyang finally manage a smile. Shin-ju, who had been patting Cha Taeyang’s head while repeatedly saying it’s okay, turned to me and said,

“By the way, this field seems to be of quite a high rank.”

“At least B-rank, but probably A-rank or higher, don’t you think?”

High-level fields of B-rank and above have their entry gates disappear if not entered within a certain time after appearing. If only that were all—but gates that disappear like this reopen in the same place not long after. At an even higher rank.

Within the Ninety-Nine Branch Cave, there are sub-fields ranging from A to E rank. This final cave that just appeared is likely the core of this field. The probability of it being at least A-rank was high.

“Surely it can’t be S-rank? How many S-rank fields are there anyway?”

“Eep! Junior, you shouldn’t say things like that. That’s a typical death flag.”

“What does it matter? It’s not like we’re going in anyway.”

Well, that wasn’t wrong. Since we’re involved with this gate, we’ll probably have to write a report, but that’s about it. We’ve essentially found a lead on the Nowon-gu headache, so we shouldn’t face any disciplinary action.

“Shin-ju, you have Hunter Hong Yun-jae’s contact info, right? Report the situation to him right away.”

“Okay.”

While waiting for Hong Yun-jae’s reply, I sat blankly staring at the gate. What kind of world lies beyond that bizarre scene where reality seems to crumble?

‘The reconnaissance team is going to have a tough time.’

Only about 20 minutes remained until the gate closed. Given the time constraint, a temporary reconnaissance team would be dispatched to assess the clear conditions and internal environment. There are no decent mid-to-large guilds nearby, so they’ll have to hurry to enter within the time limit.

‘Since it’s a gate under the Hell Tree, maybe it’s a hell-themed field?’

As I lazed about with such fortunate thoughts, I suddenly saw Shin-ju clutching her head. Her expression as she looked at her Hunter Watch was quite serious.

Just as I was about to speak up, Shin-ju beat me to it.

“…Gaho-Gaho, I have one piece of good news and one piece of bad news. Which do you want to hear first?”

“Mr. Kim, they say it’s better to take your beating early! Let’s hear the bad news first!”

Figuring we’d hear both anyway, I nodded.

“They’re telling us to go in there.”

“What?”

“We don’t need to clear it, just get some information on the field boss, they say. Sounds easy, right?”

Shin-ju grumbled that Jo Sung-hyun had raised a death flag. When I pressed for details on what exactly was going on, Shin-ju explained in a gloomy tone.

“They say there’s no personnel available nearby who can be dispatched to an A-rank or higher field. If we wait about an hour, someone from Flame could come out, but that would be too late, wouldn’t it?”

“No, but even so…”

With three A-ranks present, it wasn’t such an unreasonable request. Except for the fact that they were foisting a task that wasn’t even our duty onto people who had just finished battling.

“The Ninety-Nine Branch Cave belongs to the training center, doesn’t it? Even on a holiday, shouldn’t there be staff assigned? It’s a permanently open field after all…”

“Taeyang was the last examinee, so everyone except Hong Yun-jae has gone home. Sigh, they’ve slacked off because nothing ever happens.”

Shin-ju’s face darkened as she said they were looking into every possibility, but it didn’t seem like there would be any good news.

“You know those forms we filled out when we entered? I guess they saw our affiliation and figured they could dump this on us. They must think that since we’re from Hwangya, we’ll manage somehow.”

Hwangya Guild members, being an elite few, are generally stronger than hunters of the same rank. Moreover, following the creed of the guild’s founder, Ji-hwa, they often willingly take on tasks that others avoid. This must seem like a godsend to the training center staff in their predicament.

‘But still, how can they just foist work on us like this?’

Shin-ju, who had been kicking at the ground with her toes, muttered,

“I think it might be partly because of me.”

“Surely they wouldn’t…”

“You know how I’m always volunteering for reconnaissance teams. Honestly, I’m fine with reconnaissance. But taking the kids along isn’t right.”

For even Park Shin-ju to react like this, the initial entry must be dangerous. It’s essentially charging in blindly without any information.

“They even threatened to report us for violating the Awakened Person Law if we don’t cooperate. You know, that law about crisis situations or whatever.”

“Hah, they’re trying to cover up their own management failures like this?”

“They’ve already submitted an urgent cooperation request to our guild. They’re only quick when it comes to things like this…”

If an official cooperation request has been sent, we can’t avoid responsibility if an overflow occurs. A mix of bewilderment and irritation made my words come out stiffly without me realizing it.

“…So what’s the good news?”

“Hong Yun-jae is coming to support us. With supplies. He said he’s bringing plenty of high-rank potions.”

A silver lining in this misfortune.

High-rank potions should be enough to recover from the consumption of the previous battle. The fact that they’re distributing such expensive items as supplies shows how desperate the training center must be.

“And…”

“And what?”

I thought she was just dragging out her words as usual, but looking at her expression, it didn’t seem so. Shin-ju, who had been hemming and hawing for a while as if reluctant, finally spoke.

“The higher-ups say you can opt out if you want to, Gaho.”

Apparently, if I opt out, they plan to call in another cadet instead. The moment I heard this, a bitter laugh escaped me. I remembered there was a rank entry field on the form.

“That’s quite a roundabout way of saying they don’t need a C-rank.”

While I understood, I couldn’t help feeling offended. It seemed I wasn’t the only one; Shin-ju’s red eyes flashed fiercely.

“They have the nerve to pick and choose while asking for a favor. Typical. This is why those higher-ups…”

At that moment, Jo Sung-hyun, who had been quiet all this time, abruptly joined the conversation.

“Just stay.”

“Cadet Jo Sung-hyun?”

“I don’t see any reason why Hunter Yun Gaho should leave.”

Embarrassed by his own words, Jo Sung-hyun cleared his throat.

“Ahem, I’ll have you know I’m the top student. But last time, I was just a hindrance.”

“Mr. Kim! You’ve finally learned to reflect on yourself!”

“Hey, you little bell! Don’t butt in! What I’m trying to say is, Hunter Yun Gaho is much better than inexperienced cadets. Besides, you’re not just any C-rank.”

Perhaps due to the gag order, Jo Sung-hyun spoke circuitously about my skills, advocating that I would be helpful even if that weren’t the case.

‘To think Jo Sung-hyun of all people would say such things.’

The last practical must have left quite an impression on him. Feeling grateful yet embarrassed at the recognition, I scratched the back of my head. Apart from the unpleasantness, I know better than anyone the objective level of my abilities.

“And I know for a fact that there’s no one with ranger-type skills in the dormitory right now. For a reconnaissance team, shouldn’t there be at least one proper ranger?”

“Oh, how eloquent! I’ll call you Mr. Kim with the long tongue from now on!”

“Ugh, you little bell…”

Cha Taeyang, who had been nodding so vigorously next to Jo Sung-hyun that I worried her head might fall off, rushed to me.

“Let’s go together, unni. I won’t go unless I’m with you.”

“Hunter Cha Taeyang. I appreciate it, but think about this rationally. It might be safer if I don’t go.”

“No matter what happens, I’ll protect you! I won’t let you get even a scratch!”

Cha Taeyang clenched her fist and declared, having misunderstood something—the safety I mentioned was everyone’s safety. Despite the serious situation, I couldn’t help but laugh at her behavior.

Shin-ju, who had been watching us with fond eyes, hugged Cha Taeyang, who was clinging to me.

“I won’t go without you either, Gaho.”

“Park Shin-ju, why are you like this too?”

“If some worthless person comes instead, they’ll just break the combo we’ve built up. Those stupid higher-ups. We’re not beef to be ranked. It’s much, muuuch better to go with you.”

“I’ll go along with the majority.”

Jo Sung-hyun, standing awkwardly, waved his hand dismissively.

With so much trust placed in me, I’d lose face if I ran away. Honestly, I’m not sure how much help I’ll be in combat… but there must be something I can do.

‘At the very least, I should be able to detect traps.’

“Alright. Let’s go together.”

Cha Taeyang and Shin-ju cheered and hugged me tighter.

When they still hadn’t let go after a while, I reached out and patted Shin-ju’s back.

“Will you let go now?”

“Don’t want to.”

“We need to prepare if we’re going into the field. All my memorized formulas have worn off too.”

The two who had been enveloping me in layers reluctantly removed their arms.

Since everyone had just finished a battle, we decided to take a short time to prepare until Hong Yun-jae arrived.

“Since we don’t have anyone who can use area attacks, we should spread out…”

As I was deciding which formulas to put in my slots, I glanced around at the sound of bustling movement. Cha Taeyang was wandering aimlessly around the clearing.

Apart from her newly acquired gloves and a blue ribbon that seemed to be from Shella, she didn’t have any notable equipment, so she probably had nothing to prepare. I gestured for Cha Taeyang to come over.

“Hunter Cha Taeyang, could you come here and help me for a bit?”