The Struggles of the #1 Rank - Chapter 10

Jae-rim, who had been asleep on the sofa, opened his eyes. When he checked the time, it was already past ten in the morning.

 

He couldn’t remember the last time he had slept this long without having a nightmare.

 

As Jae-rim sat up, he saw Joo-ah sitting directly across from him. She was looking at the flowerpot on the table.

 

“You’re awake?”

 

Joo-ah glanced at Jae-rim as she spoke. He stared at her silently, then pressed his fingers against his eyes a few times before standing up. He seemed ready to leave the training room without another word.

 

“I know we’re only temporary teammates, but don’t you think it’s a little rude to ignore someone who greets you?”

 

Joo-ah straightened her back and looked at Jae-rim. He showed no particular reaction.

 

However, Joo-ah didn’t seem bothered at all. She smiled brightly and continued.

 

“Look at this. I succeeded with Restoration magic.”

 

She lifted the flowerpot in her hands, bringing it closer to Jae-rim’s line of sight.

 

His eyes shifted toward the pot.

 

Just as Joo-ah had said, the plant that had nearly died was now blooming with beautiful, pale pink flowers. It looked as lively as a flower that had just blossomed.

 

Jae-rim quietly examined the flowerpot before speaking in a composed voice.

 

“Well done.”

 

His response was so formal that Joo-ah puffed out her lips in a pout.

 

“I’m not happy at all. I was hoping for something more impressive.”

 

Jae-rim frowned slightly at her words.

 

“Then what kind of response do you want?”

 

His unexpectedly innocent question made Joo-ah’s lips curve into a gentle smile.

 

“It’s better when someone acknowledges the effort you put in rather than just praising the result. I trained really hard in my own way.”

 

“…Is that so?”

 

Jae-rim’s expression stiffened slightly as he quietly looked at the flowerpot in her hands. Then he spoke again.

 

“You’ve worked hard, Hunter Seo Joo-ah.”

 

This was unexpected. He had always treated her as if she didn’t exist, but this time, he had made an effort to give her a proper answer.

 

Joo-ah gladly accepted his praise.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Jae-rim quietly watched her smile before turning around. But Joo-ah stopped him once more.

 

“Can I ask you something?”

 

Jae-rim turned his head and looked at her.

 

Joo-ah lowered her gaze to the flowerpot on the table.

 

“You said something to Hunter Yoo Chan-hee before. You said you didn’t want any more teammates.”

 

She gently brushed a flower petal with her fingers before raising her head and meeting Jae-rim’s eyes.

 

“Why don’t you want them? If the person who joined the team had been an A-rank or S-rank Hunter instead of me… would you still feel the same way?”

 

She was simply curious about what Jae-rim thought.

 

Was he rejecting her just because of her rank? Or was there another reason?

 

His answer came more readily than she had expected.

 

“My position wouldn’t change even if another Hunter joined.”

 

“So it’s not because I’m an E-rank that you dislike me?”

 

Joo-ah smiled brightly, seemingly pleased with his answer.

 

“That’s a relief.”

 

Jae-rim looked confused.

 

“What’s a relief?”

 

Joo-ah shrugged as if it were nothing important.

 

“Even if I leave this team later, it doesn’t mean we’ll never see each other again. We’ll still be at the training center, after all.”

 

“…”

 

“I just wanted to ask so we could part ways without any misunderstandings.”

 

She rested her chin on her hand, looking bored as she added,

 

“Of course, I have no idea when my team will finally be properly reassigned.”

 

Jae-rim stared at Joo-ah for a moment.

 

Even though she had been assigned to a higher-ranked group, she showed no attachment to staying. She simply looked annoyed by the inconvenience of being placed on the wrong team.

 

“Are you going to keep sleeping here? Or are you going to train?”

 

Joo-ah looked at him as if wondering why he still hadn’t left. She acted as though she hadn’t been the one to stop him just moments ago.

 

Jae-rim was left speechless as he stared at her. Joo-ah looked back at him as if asking what was wrong.

 

He shook his head and turned toward the exit.

 

“Goodbye.”

 

Joo-ah’s voice came from behind him.

 

As Jae-rim turned the doorknob, he paused and slightly turned his head.

 

“It would be better for Hunter Seo Joo-ah to focus on practicing Restoration magic rather than trying to fight the monsters in the special-class room. They’re beyond your capabilities.”

 

“Wow, are you giving me advice?”

 

Joo-ah’s face brightened with delight. This was the first time Jae-rim had offered her advice about training.

 

“Understood. I’ll focus on practicing Restoration magic.”

 

Jae-rim silently looked at her before leaving the special-class room.

 

Joo-ah stood up and brought over another flowerpot. The plant was in better condition than the one she had just saved, but its flower had already bloomed and withered.

 

She tried Restoration magic on each plant in turn and succeeded without much difficulty.

 

Before long, four flowerpots filled with beautiful, fully bloomed flowers sat on the table.

 

【Anonymous Constellation sponsors a ‘Celebration Cake’ coupon, saying that their big sister has finally cleared Restoration magic.】

 

Joo-ah jumped to her feet.

 

“I should go to the shop.”

 

After muttering under her breath, she immediately left the special-class room and took the elevator downstairs. She exited the training center and headed to a shop near the First Tower.

 

From the outside, it looked no different from an ordinary store, but ordinary people weren’t allowed inside. It was a shop exclusively for Hunters.

 

Joo-ah walked up to the counter and tapped the item box displayed in her system window.

 

【Item List】

 

【D-rank Monster Magic Stone, B-rank Monster Magic Stone, ‘Celebration Cake’ Coupon】

 

Joo-ah immediately selected each item one by one and pressed 【Sell】.

 

Every time an item disappeared, a coin-like chime rang out, and the points displayed in the upper-right corner increased.

 

【Points: 71,100 (+69,000)】

 

Joo-ah’s face brightened as she checked her points.

 

“I have enough to buy a mid-grade longsword.”

 

The sword currently in Joo-ah’s inventory was a low-grade weapon.

 

At the academy, Hunters were required to purchase their basic equipment from the shop before entering the training center. This ensured they would be prepared if they were sent into actual combat immediately.

 

Beginner Hunters started with no points, so they usually earned them by fighting F-rank monsters that had escaped from the Towers.

 

Of course, talented Hunters could defeat higher-ranked monsters and purchase better equipment, but Joo-ah wasn’t one of them.

 

Every item in her inventory was low-grade.

 

If Joo-ah’s rank increased, her inventory would be enhanced, raising the levels of the items inside as well. However, replacing her equipment directly through the shop using points was much faster.

 

【You have selected a Mid-Grade Longsword.】

 

【Would you like to purchase it for 70,000 points?】

 

【Yes/No】

 

Joo-ah quickly tapped the option marked 【Yes】.

 

【Mid-Grade Longsword purchased.】

 

【Stored in your inventory.】

 

【Remaining Points: 1,100 (-70,000)】

 

After checking the longsword in her inventory, Joo-ah left the shop with a light step.

 

As she passed the First Tower on her way back to the training center, she felt the ground tremble faintly. She stopped walking and turned her head with a puzzled expression.

 

Her gaze settled on the entrance of the First Tower.

 

In an instant, a monster burst out from the darkness that shrouded the entrance.

 

“It’s a monster!!!”

 

People nearby began fleeing in panic.

 

Emergency alerts announcing a Gate occurrence sounded on their phones, and the summoned Hunters quickly entered the Tower.

 

Joo-ah helped guide the people around her to safety.

 

“Hunter! Please help me!”

 

Just then, a middle-aged man shouted desperately toward her.

 

“A monster took my child! Please, you have to save them!”

 

The man pointed somewhere as he spoke. Joo-ah hesitated for a moment. If the monster was stronger than she was, there was no way she could help.

 

However, the other Hunters nearby were also busy fighting monsters, leaving no one available to help the man.

 

In the end, Joo-ah decided to rescue the child herself. If it was a monster from the First Tower, she might have a chance against it.

 

She entered a secluded alley and searched for the child, but she couldn’t find even a single strand of hair.

 

“…Where’s the child?”

 

She turned around.

 

The middle-aged man muttered in a low voice as he rushed toward Joo-ah.

 

“I ate them!!!”

 

The man’s appearance grotesquely melted away, and in an instant, he transformed into a monster.

 

Joo-ah recoiled in horror and pulled a longsword from her inventory to block its attack. The monster made a bizarre expression, then began imitating people’s faces. They seemed to be the final expressions of those who had been brutally killed by the monster.

 

Joo-ah forcefully pushed the monster back with her longsword and retreated.

 

“How did you know I just bought a new weapon? You’re even giving me a chance to test it out.”

 

Joo-ah lightly glanced at the sword in her hand as she spoke.

 

The monster was D-rank. It was an intelligent monster that lured people into deserted places and attacked them when they were off guard.

 

The monster opened its mouth and let out a deafening roar.

 

Joo-ah covered her ears. It felt as though her eardrums were about to burst.

 

Meanwhile, the monster rushed toward her.

 

Joo-ah barely dodged the attack and swung her sword. A powerful gust of wind struck the monster.

 

While it staggered, she tried to at

tack its weak spot, but her strike missed.

 

Joo-ah paused to catch her breath. Suddenly, an eerie silence fell over the area. Goosebumps rose along her arms.

 

When she turned her head, she saw a swarm of other monsters rushing toward her.