F-Class Destiny Hunter

Chapter 47

"Regardless of what you all say, I have no intention of joining your group."

Dokgo Jun was disappointed, while Shin Sooah looked concerned. She turned to Seo Gangrim and asked, "So, are you planning to go alone?"

"Yes."

"Facing the people of Zone One alone won't be easy."

"I'll think about that when I get there."

Shin Sooah looked at Seo Gangrim with a somewhat worried expression. To venture out alone, carrying the burden of everything - was that his plan? Although she wanted to continue persuading him, Seo Gangrim didn't seem inclined to change his mind, so she finally relented.

"Alright. But if anything happens, please make sure to let us know."

As Shin Sooah stepped back, Seo Gangrim gave a fleeting look at Dokgo Jun. Shin Sooah stopped urging further, but Dokgo Jun might still insist on accompanying him. Thankfully, Dokgo Jun also gave up.

"In that case, there's nothing to be done. I guess I'll stay with Shin Sooah then."

At that, Shin Sooah's eyebrows twitched slightly. "What about my opinion?"

"Staying alone might lead to me being attacked by demons or Zone One people. I might die alone. Take me with you, Shin Sooah-ssi."

Although she knew that Dokgo Jun's skills were more than enough to prevent such a situation, she let out a short sigh and nodded.

"Alright, I will take you with me."

"Oh, and one more thing."

Looking at Yohan, Seo Gangrim spoke, "It would be better if Father Yohan stays at Shin Sooah's camp."

"Me? Only me?"

"Yes. It would be safer on that side."

"But leaving Brother Seo Gangrim alone..."

Hesitating, Father Yohan looked at Seo Gangrim, who nodded as if to say it's alright.

"It's okay. The creatures here aren't as powerful as I expected, so even without healing abilities, I should be fine."

"Well, still..."

"In fact, with Father around, I won't be able to concentrate on fighting."

After hearing that, Father Yohan reluctantly got up from his seat.

After taking Father Yohan, Shin Sooah gave Seo Gangrim a light nod of acknowledgment.

"Then, see you tomorrow, Seo Gangrim-ssi."

"See you tomorrow, Seo Gangrim."

The three left the campsite, looking forward to tomorrow. The surroundings, which had been bustling just a moment ago, fell silent in an instant. Only the gods remained by Seo Gangrim's side.

【Oh, are you letting Father Yohan go?】

【So, you won't be eating poisoned meat anymore?】

【It was fun, why not do more?】

【Or are you planning to stop now?】

"I've attracted too much attention, any more than this is dangerous."

If the people from Zone Two were observant enough to notice his cooking, there was a high chance that news would also spread to the members of Zone One. Fighting alone was one thing, but going with Father Yohan and then leaving him alone might lead to serious problems.

His 'Poison Resistance' had now reached the level of 'Insect First-class.' At this point, it should be more than enough. After tidying up the surroundings, Seo Gangrim headed deeper into the forest, towards the orchard. The sweet and fragrant aroma of the fruits became stronger as he got closer. Upon reaching the orchard's entrance, the fragrance intensified even more. Once again, the fruits, nourished with blood and flesh, were temptingly hanging.

【Are you trying to conquer the orchard this time?】

【Planning to clear it with a lower difficulty?】

【Ah, what are you making of our Seo Gangrim?】

Seo Gangrim had no intention of accomplishing this stage at the lowest difficulty level. After all, he had received a proposal from Gong Joo. The offer was, "If you become the first person to conquer the stage at the highest difficulty level, I will give you additional rewards." With that message came a gift.

'It was quite a useful item. The additional rewards were good as well.'

Since he had originally planned to clear this stage at the highest difficulty level, Seo Gangrim had readily accepted. As Seo Gangrim unsheathed his sword and entered the orchard, it didn't take long for the area to become noisy.

【Oh oh oh, monkeys are coming!】

【They seem more agitated today.】

The monkeys, spotting an intruder, came running, clearly enraged. They were yelling as they charged towards Seo Gangrim.

*Ookiiik!*

Without hesitation, Seo Gangrim swung his sword. His sword swiftly sliced through the air, and a monkey's head fell to the ground like a dropped fruit.

'I never thought I'd see such an easy kill.

In his previous life, how much trouble did these monsters cause him? As he collected spirit pearls from the monkeys' bodies, the egg wriggled within his pouch.

*Ddakddak!*

Smelling the scent of food nearby, the egg's appetite seemed to awaken. Seo Gangrim plucked a few peaches and held them out to the egg's mouth. The egg eagerly devoured the food as if it were famished.

【Oh goo oh goo, it eats well.】

【So, your bet is settled, right? What did you guys wager?】

【I bet on the Azure Dragon.】

【I bet on the Vermilion Bird.】

【Oh oh oh, rise, Vermilion Bird~】

After feeding the egg a bit, Seo Gangrim started to move deeper into the orchard. The orchard was much larger than it appeared from the outside. It was almost as if most of the island was composed of orchards. As he entered further, the fragrance of the fruit became even stronger, accompanied by threatening sounds.

*Geureugeureuk...*

Seo Gangrim hid behind a tree and scanned his surroundings. Something about the size of a human was walking around with pincers in its hands.

【Oh, Sung Sung is here~!】

【It looks much stronger than before.】

【Seo Gangrim, be careful not to hurt your tongue!】

The creature's name was Sung Sung. It had a similar appearance to the monkeys at the entrance, but it was much larger. Perhaps the difference between a monkey and a gorilla in size. It was a Human Second-class being. Checking its profile, Seo Gangrim saw that its strength and agility were quite high. However, this wasn't a big problem for him.

【Strength has grown to Level 25!】

【Stamina has grown Level 18!】

【Agility has grown Level 25!】

【Sensibility has grown Level 26!】

【Magic power has grown Level 18!】

He invested his accumulated points to raise his stats. As Sung Sung wandered around the orchard, dragging its pincers, it entered Seo Gangrim's range. At that moment, Seo Gangrim pounced on Sung Sung like a beast.

*Uggwaaak!*

In an instant, a blade was driven into the back of Sung Sung's neck, and blood began to overflow. Normally, it would have been a fatal blow, but the Sung Sung swiftly twisted its body, narrowly avoiding a vital area. As if trying to staunch the bleeding, it leaned its neck toward the blade, turning to face Seo Gangrim. But Seo Gangrim was no longer there.

*Pook!*

In an instant, Seo Gangrim, who had approached from the side, plunged his sword into Sung Sung's heart. The creature, pierced in a vital spot, eventually knelt down on the ground.

【Whoa, Sung Sung died with a single hit?】

【Hey, Seo Gangrim got much stronger, huh?】

【With this level of strength, he should be able to conquer the orchard soon, right?】

While the gods were chattering, Seo Gangrim didn't relax. He collected spirit pearls from the corpse and surveyed his surroundings.

'Why is there only one?'

Usually, the monkeys patrolled the orchard in pairs or groups of three. It was extremely rare for a monkey to patrol alone.

'Are they lurking somewhere? I need to hurry.'

Remaining vigilant, Seo Gangrim quickly headed deeper into the orchard. As he went further inside, he saw different kinds of fruit trees. If peaches were tinged with green, these fruits were tinged with blue. He plucked a fruit, and a message appeared.

[Obtained item 'Thousand Fragrance Fruit'.]

[Completed the 'Tongue Removal' stage at Intermediate Difficulty.]

【Oh oh oh, Seo Gangrim reached intermediate level!】

【Didn't Dokgo Jun and Shin Sooah also reach intermediate level?】

【I really want to possess Seo Gangrim's powers...】

【But isn't that Thousand Fragrance Fruit? Does it have a better aroma?】

True to its name, the Thousand Fragrance Fruit emitted a much richer scent compared to the Hundred Fragrance Fruit. Although he received the message that he had completed the intermediate difficulty, Seo Gangrim showed no signs of happiness. After all, he didn't originally intend to accomplish this stage at this level only. Seo Gangrim took a bite of the Thousand Fragrance Fruit.

[Consumed 'Thousand Fragrance Fruit'.]

[Magic power has slightly increased.]

[Toxin resistance has slightly increased.]

【Seo Gangrim just eats anything he sees.】

【Why is he eating the fruit himself?】

【But it increases magic power and toxin resistance?】

【Exactly. That's why the Fate Protection Bureau chose this place.】

As the gods said, by consuming the fruits of this place and engaging in battles, he could slowly conquer this place. Seo Gangrim ate several Thousand Fragrance Fruits until he sensed a presence nearby.

'Finally here.'

Without hesitation, Seo Gangrim turned to look behind him. There stood not monkeys but humans. People he didn't recognize were surrounding him.

"Umm, so... You are Seo Gangrim from Zone Two, right?"

Rather than answering, Seo Gangrim observed them with a keen eye. Among them was the person who had attacked his tent last time. Back then, they had run away in a panic, but now they were confidently facing Seo Gangrim.

"How did you know my name?"

"That's not important."

Even during their conversation, Seo Gangrim continued to observe them. One of them was carrying the corpse of a Sung Sung. The fact that there was only one monkey had bothered him, and it seemed these people had taken care of the others.

"I have something to discuss. Would you mind coming with us? We don't want to exert force, so it would be nice if you'd come along willingly."

【Huh! Seo Gangrim is stronger! Do you think he'll just obediently follow you like that?】

"Understood."

【What?】

Seo Gangrim accepted their proposal without resistance. The other party were somewhat surprised, much like the gods were. The man then responded with a smug smile, and said, "Good. Then follow us."

They left the orchard while surrounding Seo Gangrim. The camp where the residents of the other zone stayed was located deep within the forest. They seemed to have stayed here for quite some time; Seo Gangrim could feel the signs of life in the camp.

'There seem to be about twice as many people as our zone.'

As Seo Gangrim entered the camp, a few people sent curious glances his way. There was no sense of alertness. They knew their strength well, giving them a sense of ease. Since they had easily captured Sung Sung, they seemed to be quite skilled themselves.

"Come in."

The person who brought Seo Gangrim gestured and spoke as they entered a fairly spacious tent. As the curtain was drawn back and they entered, the scent of smoke wafted over. Inside, a person smoking a cigarette looked at Seo Gangrim.

"Ah, you're here."

He half-tapped the cigarette to extinguish it before letting it fall to the ground, then stood up while nudging it with his foot. He had a rough and imposing appearance.

"You're Seo Gangrim, right?"

"Who are you?"

"Hong Daehoon, from Zone One. Nice to meet you."

Even after being greeted, Seo Gangrim's expression remained unchanged. He looked at Hong Daehoon and asked, "What's the matter?"

Hong Daehoon seemed slightly miffed by Seo Gangrim's lack of reaction.

While clenching his teeth, he replied, "Are you short on words? Can't you assess the situation?"

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