Chapter 18
Junhyeok dodged and countered whenever there was an opening, skillfully managing aggro with well-timed taunts to prevent it from bouncing elsewhere.
'Hmm, with this level of control, adding two ranged dealers shouldn't cause any aggro issues.'
The damage output on Trudeker increased significantly as two new ranged DPS joined the fight. Thanks to his bracelet's ability to boost taunt efficiency, there was no risk of losing aggro despite the additional damage dealers. However, the two new DPS dramatically accelerated the rate at which Trudeker's shields were being depleted.
After about three more hours, the hunt concluded without incident.
Kreeee...
Trudeker's massive body began tilting slowly before collapsing to the ground with a thunderous THUD!
Current time: 4:47 PM.
They had hunted non-stop for nearly eight hours straight. The DPS had long since exhausted their Force reserves and were physically and mentally drained.
Pssshhh...
The fallen Trudeker's body dissolved into light, leaving behind materials and a green Awakening Stone—though disappointingly, no crystal or skill card dropped.
"Whoa! An Awakening Stone! It's really an Awakening Stone! Hahaha!"
The green Awakening Stone, usable by support classes, was worth about 100 million won. Combined with the other materials plus the crystal and skill card from the Mantis earlier, today's hunt could be considered a resounding success.
As Cheolmin excitedly held the Awakening Stone, Sangjin addressed the group: "Everyone's exhausted and out of Force, so let's wrap up here." He then turned to the survivors of Seungnam's party. "And you—we'll be taking all materials and drops from the Mantis. Any objections?"
They looked flustered. "Huh? But..." "Wait, we helped hunt too..."
Seeing their reluctance, Sangjin's expression darkened. "Do you not understand your situation? While failing a hunt is one thing, leading prey into another party's hunting grounds? You nearly got us all killed!"
When the Mantis had appeared, Sangjin had truly believed he would die. The overwhelming despair had nearly blinded him. Even as he desperately charged at it as a last resort, his mind had been filled with thoughts of impending death.
Had Junhyeok not stepped up and quickly drawn Trudeker's aggro, they would have almost certainly wiped. Remembering this made Sangjin's blood boil again.
"But... we didn't tell him to do that! The trapper acted on his own! We're victims too!" protested their ranged DPS.
Sangjin growled lowly: "His own initiative? Maybe. But what were you doing while watching him endanger another party? Did you try to stop him? Or were you just relieved you survived at their expense?"
The group fell silent. They hadn't tried to stop their trapper from leading the Mantis toward Sangjin's party—or more accurately, they chose not to intervene despite knowing what would happen.
"Even in lawless zones like this, there are unspoken rules. You broke them. If I post about this on Force Life... do you think you'll ever find another hunting party here? Even if you're guilded, expect guild sanctions too."
The hunters in this area—especially tank leaders—maintained a shared community for coordinated hunts and followed implicit rules about not endangering others. Violators would be blacklisted immediately.
The color drained from their faces at Sangjin's threat. "W-we'll give up our share!" "Yes! Of course we will! Haha... sorry about this whole mess..."
Even their healer unexpectedly surrendered their claims without argument: "I never cared about the loot anyway. Once we failed the hunt, that Mantis wasn't ours anymore."
Only then did Sangjin relax slightly. "Good. Consider this matter closed—forget it ever happened. Oh, and help us retrieve your dead comrades' bodies first."
After they hurried off to comply, Sangjin approached Junhyeok suspiciously: "Hey, Choi Junhyeok. What exactly are you? You really just awakened yesterday? How does a rookie tank like that?"
Junhyeok shrugged at Sangjin's question. Meeting Sangjin's probing gaze—the kind reserved for examining rare curios—Junhyeok replied nonchalantly: "Right? I surprised myself too. Guess the desperate situation triggered some... superhuman reflexes? Hahaha."
Watching Junhyeok's playful evasion, Sangjin narrowed his eyes. "You don't actually expect me to believe that, do you?"
Junhyeok scratched his head. "Hard to swallow, huh?"
"Would you believe it if you were me?"
Truthfully, even Junhyeok wouldn't have bought his own excuse. A freshly awakened rookie tank outperforming a veteran preparing for his second awakening? Attributing it to "supernatural reflexes" was laughable.
Sigh. Should've fumbled a bit more? Too late now. No choice but to play dumb.
"Haha, I know it sounds absurd, but that's the only explanation I've got. It just... worked when I tried."
Sangjin stared at him, incredulous. "Just... worked?"
"Yep. Worked like magic."
"Tch. Congrats on being a prodigy, then. First time I've seen a tank who 'just makes it work.' You win."
Seeing Sangjin drop the subject, Junhyeok changed the topic: "Anyway, first real battle's left me kinda drained. Haha, think I need to rest..."
Sangjin noticed the deflection but let it slide. "Right. Get some rest. And... thanks. Without you today, we'd all be dead."
Turning to the party, Sangjin added: "One more thing. Junhyeok hasn't completed his Awakened registration yet. If word gets out he participated in a hunt, it'll cause trouble for all of us. Keep this quiet. Understood?"
Though circumstances had forced their hand, an unregistered Awakened joining a hunt could lead to penalties for the entire party.
"Pfft, relax! We're not stupid enough to blab!" "Haha, we'll take this to our graves!"
No one objected—survival mattered more than trivial complaints.
"Good. Junhyeok gets a tank's share of the loot. Any objections?"
Tanks and healers received the highest loot splits, meaning smaller portions for others. Yet no one protested.
"Obviously! We owe him our lives!" "Complainers answer to me—no heals for you!"
Hours ago, they'd stood at death's door. Now, mere survival outweighed any greed.
"Then it's settled. I'll handle Seungnam's remains. The rest of you, prep for extraction."
As Sangjin turned away, the party began dismantling their camp.
"Move out, people!"
And so Sangjin's party withdrew, concluding their tumultuous hunt.
