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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: First D-Rank Rift
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Lee Ha-na and Kim Jun-su were gradually getting the hang of gathering materials.
Yeon Sung-hun had figured Kim Jun-su would struggle more than her, but surprisingly, he kept up pretty well.
It wasn't exactly impressive, but at least they weren't missing the obvious stuff anymore.
At this point, Yeon Sung-hun was exploring E-rank rifts alongside the two of them.
Going from five people tackling it to just three had them a bit on edge, but it wasn't as tough as they'd feared.
If anything, their vastly improved physical abilities made the raid smoother than before.
That said...
'Their skills are downright abysmal compared to their physical prowess.'
He could understand it—they'd never had proper training, after all.
'But forget that; they can't even handle basic mana control.'
Watching their mana leak out every time they used a skill nearly made his composure crumble.
Some people squeezed every last drop out of their limited mana, while these two were just letting it pour away.
Tsk. Yeon Sung-hun clicked his tongue out of habit and pondered quietly.
He couldn't just leave them like this.
Potions might carry them for now with the enhanced physical stats, but that wouldn't cut it later on.
His goals were far loftier.
'Should I teach them myself?'
He barely had time to brew potions as it was, and teaching something like swordsmanship—which required consistent long-term practice—was out of the question. Mana control, though? That was different.
'Just set the foundation, and they'll handle the rest on their own.'
Swordsmanship could wait until things stabilized a bit more.
'In the meantime, maybe send them to a dojo or something?'
Most hunters didn't bother, but plenty did train in swordsmanship or similar for personal growth, so dojos were common enough...
'Nah. They'd just pick up bad habits.'
Considering he'd teach them properly later, sending them to some random dojo wasn't ideal.
Real combat was better anyway.
'For now, just basic mana control and make sure they don't develop weird habits.'
With that, Yeon Sung-hun mapped out growth plans for his raid members and kept hitting E-rank rifts with them for the time being.
He wanted to move to D-rank, sure, but solidifying their basics came first.
They had to nail at least rudimentary mana control, right?
Lee Ha-na and Kim Jun-su followed Yeon Sung-hun's standards—which felt leisurely to him but brutally tough to them—surprisingly well.
To him, it wasn't fully satisfying, but passable at least.
By his past life's standards, they were even on the quicker side.
Not because of raw talent, but thanks to being hunters with status windows. Still, the key point was they'd earned a solid passing grade.
Swordsmanship and other technical skills—minus mana control—were still failing grades, though.
"...You think we'll be okay? Just the three of us?"
Staring down the rift ahead, Lee Ha-na asked cautiously.
They'd gained some confidence from his training and past raids, but right now, it had all evaporated.
The rift in front of them was D-rank.
No matter how fast they'd grown or how his potions helped, D-rank was a different beast.
Especially for these two, with their history of disaster in a rift.
They'd mostly recovered, but the trauma lingered.
Seeing their reactions, Yeon Sung-hun paused before speaking.
"No issues at all. Things are way different from before."
"Yeah, sis! We've got hyung's potions! A D-rank rift? Total cakewalk!"
Kim Jun-su was just as scared as her but playing it cool.
Yeon Sung-hun chuckled softly but nodded in agreement.
"I think we can pull it off. You doubting my judgment?"
"...I trust you."
Lee Ha-na replied carefully, her eyes still trembling but better than before. Not fully reassured, but improved.
Yeon Sung-hun offered a potion as always.
She took it quietly and downed it in one go.
"Ugh... This taste never gets easier."
"Working on improving it bit by bit. Missing some ingredients for now, though. Hmm, if we snag new ones in this rift, it should get way better, right?"
"Gotta hustle for that, then."
Lee Ha-na nodded lightly, looking much steadier.
Yeon Sung-hun smiled, satisfied.
"Raid leader hyung! Potion for me too!"
Is that cheeky personality innate?
Yeon Sung-hun had corrected him multiple times, but Kim Jun-su hadn't changed much.
If it caused real problems, sure, but it hadn't yet, so he was about ready to let it slide.
Sometimes that energy even lightened the raid's mood.
"...All set?"
As potion-guzzling Kim Jun-su grimaced like always, Na Seong-sil—who'd been watching quietly—spoke up.
The potions were originally a raid-only secret, but lately, they'd revealed them to him.
Na Seong-sil seemed trustworthy after observing him.
'Hasn't blabbed to anyone so far.'
Keep watching, but if he stayed solid, pulling him fully in could work.
'Gye Cheong-san might be easier to recruit, depending on the situation.'
Actually, Gye Cheong-san had a clear weakness.
'What were the ingredients for that hair growth potion again?'
Yeon Sung-hun rummaged through his memory until Na Seong-sil's voice pulled him back.
"...You've always handled it well, so no need for reminders. Just come back safe, like always."
The three nodded at his calm words.
"...Then we'll begin exploration of Gangwon-do Yangyang-gun 545-017, D-rank rift."
With Na Seong-sil's send-off as usual, the trio stepped into the rift.
This D-rank rift was a massive forest type.
The dense trees made it more jungle than ordinary woods.
Visibility was poor, ranking it tough among D-ranks, but they'd chosen it deliberately.
The prelim data from Na Seong-sil had given him a hunch.
What he was after had to be here.
"Whoa... Creepy vibe."
Kim Jun-su shivered in the dim, humid forest air.
"...Mana's thick too."
More sensitive to mana than him, Lee Ha-na spoke cautiously.
As rumored, D-rank onward felt worlds apart from before.
For Yeon Sung-hun, unlike them, it was familiar.
Just like the otherworld from his past life.
Unlike Earth's thin mana air, this place brimmed with it—like where Faust had lived.
'This density means good materials aplenty.'
Not just new ones, but even familiars would be higher quality here.
Gauging the ambient mana, Yeon Sung-hun addressed his team.
"Scout the area first. Data says entry zone's safe, but better safe than sorry."
Hunter Association intel was for reference only—never fully trust it.
History proved that.
Blind faith in it could spell trouble.
Na Seong-sil's info was reliable, but certainty was folly.
Even his thorough checks had limits.
Prelims were done by other Association hunters anyway.
With that, Yeon Sung-hun and the team began proper exploration.
Rift clear conditions varied, but basics boiled down to slaying all monsters inside.
Once they were gone, the rift vanished soon after.
Some had hidden conditions, but rare in low-rank rifts.
Theirs was standard—no special conditions, just wipe the monsters.
Seemed no tougher than past ones at a glance, but not quite.
Rich mana made the monsters stronger.
"Gray Wolves incoming! Five of 'em! Stay calm and engage!"
"Got it!"
Common in low-rank rifts, but these were far deadlier.
Yeon Sung-hun hurled a thrown potion—not for drinking—from his pouch at the wolves charging with sharp claws and gleaming fangs.
These agile beasts dodged the obvious toss, but he didn't care.
Hitting nearby was fine.
Crash—
The glass vial shattered.
A foul stench exploded outward.
The wolves, having evaded, suddenly yelped "Kyaaang!"
Tolerable to humans, but hell for their keen noses.
And Yeon Sung-hun's potions didn't stop at stink.
They staggered like drunks, inhaling deeply.
"Ha-na and I take two each! Jun-su, down yours quick and back us up!"
"Roger!"
They seized the opening.
Moving smoothly on his command, they dropped the wolves despite the numbers.
Even potion-boosted, handling stronger foes like this was solid.
They piled the bodies for the cleanup crew and took a breather.
"Sorry, raid leader. And sis. I was too slow."
Kim Jun-su apologized quietly.
He'd taken longer than expected on his target, and it cost Lee Ha-na a minor injury.
Instead of comforting him, she glanced at Yeon Sung-hun.
He nodded calmly.
"You're not adapted to this rift's level yet. No big issue now, but focus up."
"Yes, hyung. Sorry."
Yeon Sung-hun patted his bowed shoulder lightly.
"More importantly, Ha-na. Wound okay?"
"Yeah, just a scratch."
She smiled at him eyeing her forearm gash.
Deeper than "scratch," but she downplayed it.
Didn't want Kim Jun-su—who looked mortified—feeling worse.
"Appreciating your team spirit's good, but report wounds accurately. Could affect later raids."
"...Yes, sorry."
"No worries. Take this."
"Healing potion? Doesn't look that bad..."
"Only three of us, so heal even scratches. Potions are plentiful—don't sweat it."
She hesitated but took it from his matter-of-fact tone.
Refusing would've been pointless.
"Thanks."
"No biggie. Standard welfare for valuable members."
Yeon Sung-hun grinned, and she smiled back, relaxed.
True to his potions, the deep cut vanished cleanly.
Amazed as always, she marveled quietly.
This rivaled mid-grade store-bought stuff, yet he handed them out casually.
Did he expect that much from them?
'Gotta step it up.'
As she steeled herself, Yeon Sung-hun approached dejected Kim Jun-su.
No major wounds like hers, but reckless aid left him scratched up.
Tsk. Yeon Sung-hun pulled out a potion.
"Helping teammates is great, but protect yourself first. What if you go down?"
"...Sorry."
He clicked his tongue again at the bow.
"Don't mope. Mistakes happen. Key is not repeating them."
He offered the potion again.
Kim Jun-su took it after a pause.
"...Thanks, raid leader hyung."
"Pick one—raid leader or hyung."
Yeon Sung-hun chuckled, ruffled his hair, and turned.
His gaze fell on the piled Gray Wolf corpses.
'Cleanup gets the mana stones. Nothing for us to harvest here.'
He nodded and checked his recently bought item bag.
'Exploration at 70-80%. Few more fights should do it.'
Potion use was faster than expected, but he'd packed plenty.
Team wasn't perfect but decent.
Mostly satisfied, save one gripe...
'No sign of what I need. Higher-rank rift maybe?'
He'd gathered plenty, but not his top target.
Mana Herb.
Not essential for all potions, but in nearly every recipe Faust used.
Boosted effects hugely. Grew anywhere with mana in his past life—common there, rare on Earth.
D-rank with similar density should've had it, but no dice. He tsked.
"Exploration's not over yet. Keep eyes peeled?"
Muttering low, Yeon Sung-hun rallied his rested team and pressed on.
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