Translator: Min999, Editor: Spade
Proofreader: Sapphire
On the day that Jung Yisun was suffering under Sa Hyeon’s unrelenting training, the Hunters’ Association officially announced the ‘Seven Wonders of the Ancient World’ Raid.
It was revealed that the A-class dungeon that had appeared in the district of Songpa around a fortnight ago was the first dungeon among seven. They also revealed information about the ancient Egyptian tablet found in the boss room of the dungeon Chord had cleared, and the official announcement was delayed due to their attempts at decrypting the ancient phrase in hieroglyphs.
[The next battle will be fought in the skies of Baghdad.]
They had inferred from the interpretation of that phrase mentioning both ‘Baghdad’ and the ‘Skies’, the existence of a linked dungeon related to the Hanging Gardens of the ancient city of Babylon. The real form of the Raid could only be confirmed once the second dungeon was cleared, but for now, they announced that the probability of its theme being ‘The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World’ was pretty high.
It was unprecedented for a linked dungeon to reach up to seven dungeons, making it the first in the world. Therefore, people were understandably panicked following the announcement, but the Hunters’ Association calmly announced the strategy they came up with to clear the dungeons. First of all, only the three largest guilds in Korea would be allowed to enter the S-class dungeons, and the first priority entry right was given to Chord324 of the HN Guild. This was an exclusive right given to Chord for being the first ones to discover the Raid.
However, if Chord who’d entered first failed to clear the dungeon, the right to enter would be passed to the second-ranked guild, Crusade. In the case where Crusade Guild also failed to clear the dungeon, then the next to enter would be the third largest guild, Paradise, and if they also failed, the entry rights would then go to Chord once again, and so on.
Yisun was quite surprised they got the exclusive entry rights. Especially because, for a dungeon of this size, the reward provided by the state is enormous, not to mention the big amount of magic stones and item drops they could obtain. Even for Yisun who didn’t know much about dungeon bidding, it was amazing that one guild was given the priority to exclusive entry rights for the entire Raid.
“These days, Chord and the Seven Wonders Dungeons are all over the news and the internet.”
Yisun was listening to the details from Joohyuk, who happened to be in the elevator with him. These days, Yisun was training under the supervision of Sa Hyeon every day. In the morning, he came to the guild building and watched documentaries on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and in the afternoon, he moved to another place for training. At first it was the factory, but the location would change every time so that he could familiarize himself with the use of his abilities on various unfamiliar buildings.
The training was so hectic that the busy Yisun had no time to surf the Internet. After he’d finished training in the afternoon and ate dinner, he felt extremely drowsy, and as Sa Hyeon had promised, he slept well. And so, just like that, Yisun’s daily routine for the past four days consisted of restoration, studying, and training, so he didn’t know anything about whatever was trending in the news these days. In the first place, he wasn’t the type of person who checked the Internet often.
Yisun caught sight of Sa Hyeon and Shin Jian riding the elevator together. The two of them must have known about this situation, but if they didn’t tell him about it, then there was probably no need to know. Regardless of whatever was happening outside, his only job was to restore the structures inside the dungeon, and so he would only focus on training.
Still, Yisun couldn’t help feeling curious about the story he heard from Ki Joohyuk and asked.
“If we monopolize all the seven dungeons, won’t the other large guilds protest?”
“Of course, They should have already complained and made a fuss by now.”
Ki Joohyuk nodded his head excitedly, saying that Paradise Guild, the third largest in Korea, had publicly criticized the Hunters’ Association for colluding with Chord. Although the Hunter was a fan of Yisun and often talked to him because they were the same age, he still felt strangely bitter whenever he saw him.
“However, we were the first to discover it, and our dungeon clearance rate is the highest… Also, we made a deal with the HX Broadcasting Company to exclusively broadcast this raid. All of Chord’s raid videos will be taken by HX.”
Ki Joohyuk smiled, making a circle with his thumb and index finger. Seeing as the raid has caught the attention of people all around the world, monopolizing the broadcasting rights guaranteed them huge profits. Yisun nodded his head, silently thinking that connections were at work even in here.
“We brought up the broadcasting rights first, and then the Vice Guild leader must have pulled some strings.”
“…The Vice Guild leader did?”
“Yes. After all, if Chord succeeds, HN Guild’s position will be strengthened, but if we fail, he can break Chord’s rising status.”
Ki Joohyuk replied nonchalantly, speaking of the Vice Guild leader with a hint of annoyance in his voice. It seemed like this was not the first time Sa Yoonkang had tried to keep the special elite team in check.
According to Sa Hyeon, Sa Yoonkang firmly believed that he would become the next Guild leader for sure. He may have received some hints from the Guild leader in advance, so from the moment the Guild leader collapsed and he took over all the authority as the Vice Guild leader, he went all out…
As he was thinking about this, the elevator door opened, and Sa Yoonkang appeared.
Yisun had only ever seen the guy through the media, so this was the first time he would meet him in real life. His black hair was neatly brushed back and he wore rimless glasses, and he looked very rigid. Yisun wondered whether his impression was biased because of the story he heard.
Sa Yoonkang narrowed his eyes at the four people in the elevator, or in particular, he was frowning at Sa Hyeon. Hyeon didn’t even spare him a glance as he checked something on his tablet. Eventually, Sa Yoonkang got on the elevator, and Ki Joohyuk greeted him curtly.
“Hello.”
Yisun, who was standing next to Joohyuk, also bowed his head and greeted the Vice Guild Leader along with him. Sa Yoonkang tilted his head slightly as if Yisun’s face looked unfamiliar, then said in a surprised tone, “Ah, you’re The Restorer who just joined Chord.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I’m not sure why Chord needs a Restorer …”
Yisun did not react much to the sarcastic words. Because he himself had been wondering about the same thing, and he was also curious to learn more about the use of his abilities. Although his hidden ability was not widely known externally, everyone in the guild knew about it.
“But, oh well, nice to meet you.”
“Ah, yes…”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Vj Tbbcxjcu fzafcvfv tlr tjcv, jcv Tlrec gfjmtfv bea cfgnberis.
“P tfjgv atja Vj Lsfbc gfoerfv ab erf j Efrabgfg ogbw LR jcv tlgfv rbwfbcf bc tlr bkc… Pa rffwr ilxf atlr xlv lr ralii lc tlr gfyfiilber qtjrf….”
Lbkfnfg, gluta yfobgf tlr tjcv abemtfv Tlrec’r, Vj Lsfbc’r ajyifa yibmxfv atf kjs. Lf weaafgfv klat tlr ujhf rilutais ibkfgfv, “Snfc lo sbe tjnf remt cjggbk wlcvfv atbeutar, rtbeivc’a sbe ja ifjra xffq delfa jcv rqjgf sbegrfio atf fwyjggjrrwfca….? ”
“What?!”
“Ah, you heard me? You lost quite a lot of brain cells because you’re so old, so I thought maybe your hearing might’ve deteriorated too. Thankfully, It doesn’t seem like that’s the case?”
Sa Hyeon raised his eyebrows and smiled. Sa Yoonkang’s expression grew ugly in an instant, but in fact, the person who felt most uncomfortable in this whole situation was Yisun. He gently lowered the tablet that was still blocking in front of him. Sa Hyeon’s smile deepened as he glanced at him.
“You’re sitting in the Vice Guild leader’s position, trusting your head that studied business management, even though your record and performance as a Hunter is so low… How can you be so simple-minded? You’re always telling executives and shareholders that ‘A guild is a place to utilize talents effectively’ but unfortunately, it seems that your own brain doesn’t work effectively. Such a shame…”
“You, you …!”
“I’m worried that the guild stock price will drop because of your careless talks. Can’t you think for three seconds before picking a fight next time? Oh, three seconds may be too short for you… I’ll give you 15 days, which is equal to the price of one share in our guild..”
Sa Yoonkang gritted his teeth at Sa Hyeon’s words that flowed like water. His fists were shaking, and he wanted nothing more than to punch him right away, but the presence of people in the elevator prevented him from acting on his impulse.
Yoonkang glared at Sa Hyeon and spoke in a stern voice.
“Did you think I wouldn’t know about the funny tricks you pulled in the hospital?”
“Hmm, whatever funny tricks are you talking about?”
“Father suddenly had to undergo emergency surgery, and my visit was canceled. Yet I know that you had met him just before. So tell me what kind of trick you pulled…!”
Sa Hyeon suddenly burst out laughing. He looked at Sa Yoonkang as if he was willing to listen to anything funny and said in a calm voice, “If anyone is trying to scheme, wouldn’t it be you? After all, you can only take over the guild completely when the Guild leader dies, so you must be burning with impatience since he is still alive, right?”
Sa Hyeon tapped Sa Yoonkang’s stiffening shoulder.
“After the surgery, his heartbeat has actually become even more stable… So don’t bother me with unnecessary complaints and don’t go around begging for the Guild leader to die, hm?”
Just as the conversation ended, the elevator had reached the 42nd floor.
Yisun felt that the door was taking an eternity to open. He didn’t know why, but Sa Hyeon and Sa Yoonkang’s showdown made him uncomfortable. So Yisun, who couldn’t handle the brewing tension, left first, swiftly followed by Ki Joohyuk and Shin Jian. Sa Hyeon, who was the last to leave, smiled slightly at Yoonkang.
“Oh, and…”
Just before the door closed, Sa Hyeon pressed a button and said something.
“Next time, don’t bother to ride the elevator if I’m in it. I won’t get in if I see you. There’s no need to ruin my mood.”
Without waiting for a response, Sa Hyeon walked away as soon as he finished speaking. Yisun didn’t know why that guy followed him, holding onto his shoulder, but he just went along with it.
* * *
Finally, the day for the second dungeon to appear had arrived.
For the full week leading to that day, Jung Yisun had a hectic schedule. Until now, he had only approached restoring from a very simple perspective, and so he became increasingly tired of Sa Hyeon’s persistently meticulous analysis and experimentation. The moment he’d start feeling like he’d barely adapted, he found himself thrown straight into the advanced application course the next day.
However, despite the mental stress of the process, Jung Yisun couldn’t deny that he had developed a healthier lifestyle. He ate breakfast with Sa Hyeon, went to work at the guild, had a meeting with the Chord members, and after lunch, headed to an abandoned building on the outskirts of Seoul and trained. It was the first time that the remaining four Chord members saw their leader shadowing an Awakener to this extent, so they couldn’t help but marvel at the scene.
Afterwards, and only when Yisun almost collapsed from exhaustion, they ate dinner together, and then went back home and fell into a deep sleep. Yisun was very unfamiliar with this new routine, and he also felt strangely guilty. But he buried the emotions that plagued him every night under a blanket of exhaustion and fell asleep. He reminded himself compulsively that he had to do well in the second dungeon in order to receive his promised “reward” from Sa Hyeon.
During the past week, the person Yisun talked to the most was, of course, Sa Hyeon, and then Ki Joohyuk who would come occasionally to watch Yisun’s training from afar and applaud. Once, while sitting next to the exhausted Yisun who was drinking water, he murmured to himself quietly.
“I was worried, but thankfully, I don’t think you would’ve had time to see it if you’re so busy.”
“What?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
Yisun looked curiously at Joohyuk who evaded his words and avoided his gaze. After blaming himself for speaking carelessly, he spoke.
“It’s just that people these days are worried about raids. In fact, the entire nation seems to have fallen into a panic… At times like that, people tend to react more aggressively and excessively to news, don’t they?”
“Well… I guess that’s true.”
“Everyone praises Hunters, but it’s also quite easy to just blame and criticize them. ‘What are you doing when the dungeon is so close…’ or ‘You still have to eat’… things like that.”
Joohyuk smiled awkwardly while ruffling his short hair. Yisun vaguely understood the reason for his behavior. A few days ago, he had seen a breaking news article revealing that he had been scouted by Chord. However, he couldn’t read it in detail because he had to leave with Sa Hyeon right away, but he could guess the contents. They were probably raising suspicions about the fact that the elite team hired a Restorer instead of a Hunter.
The public didn’t know about Yisun’s hidden ability, and so, it was natural for them to raise questions about what a Restorer, who was supposed to repair damages after the dungeon was cleared, would be doing inside… Even Yisun himself had the same doubts, and even HN’s Vice Guild leader thought the same as well… Moreover, since he suddenly returned after disappearing for over a year, there were bound to be stories, doubts and rumors circulating.
“It’s okay. I don’t really care.”
Yisun answered lightly, thanking Ki Joohyuk, who was blaming himself for talking too much, for his concerns. No matter what others said, Yisun had his own problems to solve.
However, if it were the debts back then, then now it was the death of his friends that weighed on his mind and made him feel empty.
Time flew by, and just like that the day of the second dungeon arrived.
The citizens had already evacuated, and so the area around the dungeon was deserted, save for the broadcasting station cameras lined up everywhere in a desperate effort to capture even the sight of Chord entering the dungeon.
Meanwhile, all the Hunters belonging to Chord324 were waiting in advance in the vicinity of the district office. The signs of a dungeon break had started appearing an hour ago.
The precursors were usually in the form of earthquakes and storms. The ground suddenly shook and the unpredictable wind blew abnormally throughout the space. It blew to the left, then suddenly blew in the opposite direction, and then suddenly swirled like a whirlpool… The energy around was so gloomy that it could be seen even by ordinary people.
As a single crack sounded in the air, the gate appeared in its full glory. Sometimes the space would crumple and fold like paper, and in other cases it shattered like glass. This S-class dungeon seemed to fall into the latter.
Yisun’s eyes were fixed on the cracks in the space in front of the district office. There were dozens or hundreds of silver thin threads spreading through the air as if an iron ball had fallen on glass.
“Restorer Yisun, are you nervous?”
“No. I’m fine.”
“You can be honest, you know, there’s no one to criticize you here.”
A woman about a hand shorter than Yisun approached and started talking to him. Her short hair with rounded ends looked impressive, and her overall impression was that of a gentle lamb. However, she was Han Arin, another S-class Hunter in HN and one of the 5 main members of Chord.
The staff she wore around her waist looked only about 50 centimeters long, but when she actually uses it, the length changes freely. Besides, when used inside the dungeon, it turns into a double bladed spear. As a magic Hunter, she also had an ability to manipulate the ground called ‘Earthquake’, but she prefers to run around and fight directly. She said the reason was because she liked the feeling of hitting something.
Han Arin looked up at Yisun, who was standing still with his zip-up jacket hood on. Although his hands were tucked into his pockets, she could clearly see the slight trembling of his arms.
“Don’t worry. You will see why our Chord is considered the best team in Korea.”
“…….”
“Ah, but of course, let’s watch Restorer Yisun creating miracles first.”
Feeling bad for her nervous younger friend, Han Arin patted him on the back a couple of times. Yisun couldn’t even react to her act of cheering him up and just bit his lip.
It seems that Yisun had overlooked one important thing.
For the past week, he had been single-mindedly focused on studying and training for the restoration plan to work in the dungeon, he had forgotten one fundamental problem; his fear towards dungeon gates. It was most probably the aftermath of the trauma after being swept into the gate of the second great dungeon.
The more he looked at the space where the gate would appear, the dizzier he felt. After all, the clouds looked as grim as they were on that day. There was no sunlight shining through the gloomy clouds obscuring the sky.
All over again, he felt himself being sucked into the black hole of a gate, and all over again, he had lost everything. His ears were ringing loudly and his stomach churned with vicious emotions, he couldn’t even discern whether it was fear or anxiety, and all the cameras surrounding them weren’t helping his spiraling condition. Yisun held his hood tightly and lowered his head, but he could still feel the prying lens and gazes.
As he struggled to breathe, he suddenly felt warmth envelop the back of his hand. Sa Hyeon, who had come to his side before he knew it, called out to him and held his hand. It seems that he had been calling his name for a while now, but he didn’t respond.
“What’s wrong, Yisun-ssi? Is it too overwhelming for you?”
Yisun shook his head resolutely at the question. Although Sa Hyeon’s tone was kind and gentle, there was a boundless chill to those inky eyes staring at him. Yisun had made a contract with this person. He couldn’t give up on the dungeon now, not when he had to send his six friends off.
Just when he managed to straighten up, the gate finally appeared. As the cracks in the air finally started to fall down, the fragmented space revealed a black abyssal gate.
At the same time, the Hunters’ Association staff who was on standby, started measuring the dungeon. The antenna at the end of the square machine swayed in response to the chilly air. All the cameras focused on the staff and Chord together.
“At 3:36 pm, the 2nd Raid dungeon appeared. Dungeon difficulty level S. The time left until it explodes… 40 hours.”
After the short briefing, everyone in Chord, led by Sa Hyeon and Yisun, walked towards the gate. The cool early spring breeze swept across the area and made everyone’s clothes flutter. There was no hesitation in their steps as they entered the S-class dungeon.
The moment they entered the gate, the space around them started distorting. In an instant, the air around them twisted and their bodies were sucked in.
The hazy sky had now turned completely darker, looking like a muddy blanket.
Such is usually the case, only blood red skies existed inside the dungeons. It was gloomy all around, and from time to time some eerie sounds could be heard. Ki Joohyuk, who was standing behind Sa Hyeon, said while holding his magic rod. “Let’s finish this in four hours.”
With a popping sound, dozens of fireballs shot out from the end of his rod and started floating in the air around them, brightening the area.
Yisun looked up at the unfamiliar dark red sky for a moment, then took a slow step forward to check the space that Ki Joohyuk’s magic had revealed. During the process, everyone in the Chord was waiting quietly in the back, as ordered by Sa Hyeon in advance.
Although the other Chord Hunters had heard the details about Yisun’s role in this, they still held doubts on whether it would actually be possible. However, since the leader, Sa Hyeon, and the four core members of Chord were all simply watching Yisun, they could only keep their mouths shut and do the same.
Yisun examined the collapsed space. Most of the structure had been demolished, so it was difficult to recognize its original form, but it was definitely the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Sa Hyeon asked him in a low voice, “Do you think you’ll be able to do it?”
Without confirming or denying, Yisun just took a step forward.
“I will start with the entrance to the first floor, then.”
Yisun’s hand touched the collapsed wall. The shattered pillars of the pathway leading to the entrance were blocking the way, so he was planning to remove them first, and then restore the first floor gradually, while also restoring the stairs leading up to the garden. He recalled the restoration documentary of the Hanging Gardens he had been watching for the past week.
At the same time, the pillars blocking the path rose into the air, followed by all of the debris behind them. A loud rumbling sound echoed as hundreds, or maybe even thousands of rubble floated into the air. Where others couldn’t even guess where they were originally, Yisun’s head quickly drew an image of where each piece of wreckage should go.
Under the flickering flames, Yisun’s clear amber eyes shone brightly.
After the surreal sight where tiny golden dust particles spread among the debris, every single wreckage floating in the air went to find its place. Dozens of bricks flew over the open floor and interlocked like a puzzle.
The floor that was created in an instant stretched forward. Then, it spread out naturally in a natural form and extended into a large staircase. As the stairs piled up one by one, handrails were built on both sides, and pillars were erected on top of them with a thud.
Next, an entrance five times the height of a person began to form. The heads of the Chord Hunters watching the scene subconsciously tilted back as they watched. It seemed as if a large pillar was being erected at first, but then all the debris floating in the air connected naturally creating an arch, and the gaps were quickly filled just like entangling vines.
After such a grand entrance was created, the first floor followed. The hypnotizing sight seemed less like restoration, and more like creation. The wind that turned clockwise for a moment then counterclockwise, was noisy as Yisun slightly narrowed his eyes in focus.
At that time, he, standing at the center of it all, looked like a higher being in control of all the flow of the moment.
The pillars on the first floor were erected, and finally the ceiling rose with a loud sound. Only then, did Yisun finally remove his hand from the wall: his ability casting was over.
At the same time, a strong wind blew in all directions, throwing Yisun’s hood backwards, but he had no time to pay attention to it. He simply blinked as he looked at the Hanging Gardens that appeared in front of him, then slowly turned to look behind him.
“…….”
A faint golden light shone over his pale face. The conjured flames were weakened due to the wind that spread around the area once Yisun finished his restoration, soon flared back up with great momentum. Ki Joohyuk, the culprit, let out a shout of excitement as his mana surged.
“Wow!”
“Ohhhh…!!”
All the Hunters in Chord were applauding as they burst into amazed exclamations. They were Hunters who attacked and destroyed, so the process of restoring the building was so fascinating for them. They all looked at him and exclaimed in admiration, and Yisun blinked slowly, unfamiliar with such enthusiastic cheering.
Yisun’s gaze slowly scanned them, before finally settling on their leader. As soon as caramel eyes met blackberry ones, a soft smile spread across Sa Hyeon’s face.
“Well done.”
It was a miraculous moment for both Sa Hyeon whose plan succeeded, and for the shell-shocked audience watching the broadcast.
However, when Yisun saw Sa Hyeon’s smile, he staggered briefly. Part of it was because he was too nervous, and the other was due to the dizziness that overcame him after such a high-focus task. As Yisun stumbled, Sa Hyeon came forward and caught him.
“Are you okay, Yisun-ssi?”
Yisun barely managed to nod at Sa Hyeon’s question as he held onto the arm that grabbed him. During his week of training, whenever Yisun had staggered, Sa Hyeon would always call his name and check up on his condition.
Now that the first floor had been restored, he couldn’t afford to collapse already. Yisun said he was fine and pushed Sa Hyeon away. His vision was shaky after using his hidden ability for the first time in a while, but he soon came back to his senses. He might become ill for a whole week starting from tomorrow, but today, he will put all his remaining strength into finishing this dungeon.
Currently, around 70% of the first floor of the dungeon has been restored. The road was much more polished than before, to an incomparable extent even. After confirming this, Sa Hyeon sent Yisun to Na Gunwoo in the rear. The Healer raised his thumbs up to Yisun in praise, and whispered quietly to tell him whenever he was having a hard time.
Soon, Sa Hyeon stepped forward and spoke.
“Then, everyone, let’s go in.”
Min: i love sassy Hyeon, also yessss Yisun!!! show them why you’re Korea’s #1 National Treasure!!!
I LOVE BEST GIRL HAN ARIN 😭🙏💕💕💕
Arin Fanclub riiiiseeee ✊
Thanks for the chapter
Thank you for reading ~<3
Great job restorer! Hahahaha! Thanks for the update 🤣❤️🤣❤️🏛️
Thank you for reading ~<3 and yess he did well 😔💕
AGAHJSISKEKJSSJJS BRO THIS IS FREAKING AWESOMEEEE I NEED MORE 🫣🫣🥹🥹🙌
THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE AUTHOR 🫢🫢😜❤️
THANK YOU FOR READING 💕 BUT HRLHPGDF IM JUST A HUMBLE TRANSLATOR 😔
hhhhhhhhh this is SO good i am obsessed. hwaiting yisung… you’re so good!!
Than youuu for reading ~<3
WOOOOH seriously love how the creative flair (which is usually lost in translation) is so vividly portrayed in your translations😭 tysm! eagerly awaiting the next chapter!!
Omg thank you? Your comment made my day 🥺💕🌸
Hyeon’s soft smile at the end really did something to me… he’s so… fhdusbdhsbd crazy but I love him. Yisun you must love him too!!
We’re all whipped for Sa Hyeon huh, Yisuun just give iin and join uss~ also thank you for readiing ~ 🌸💞