511 lines
12 KiB
Markdown
511 lines
12 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: "Chapter 5: Demon Hunter (2)"
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slug: "ch-5"
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novel: "The Player Hides His Past"
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number: 1
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views: 2850000
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likes: 198000
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wordCount: 3600
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createdAt: "2020-01-17"
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---
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Episode 5. Demon Hunter (2)
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So, its a freelancer.
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I came home from work and the sun hadnt set.
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Its a chance for photosynthesis that I didnt have as a salaryman.
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Part of me wanted to jump straight into bed with the sun.
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Thud.
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I gathered up my clothes and hung them on a hanger.
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As if that wasnt enough, I went straight to the bathroom.
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I turned on the shower.
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Shoot!
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Damn aristocratic discipline and rules!
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Im even more annoyed that Im slowly getting used to this tiring routine.
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Still, lets look on the bright side.
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It was definitely a good thing that cleaning didnt feel like a chore.𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶
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Its dusty.
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Although it still felt odd to be cleaning in a mask, even in my own home.
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By the time I was done, the sun was setting.
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Yeah, no photosynthesis on my arm.
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I immediately got to work on dinner.
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Gone were the days of meal delivery and quick fixes.
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Fresh ingredients arrived in an early morning delivery.
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Skilfully chopped and prepared.
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How did an aristocrat get so good at cleaning and cooking?
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Because, if you ask me, Grandfell was a fallen aristocrat.
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Not bad.
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This, too, is a set-up for learning to make a living.
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Unsurprisingly, Grandfells high-minded pride was not dampened by getting water on his hands.
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To me, its a character trait thats both annoying and appreciated.
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Its better for you to make it anyway, he says.
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In reality, Im seeing the benefits of living in moderation.
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My back pain has disappeared, thanks to my steadfastness.
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Chronic fatigue, insomnia, and other ailments that come with the territory have also disappeared.
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Of course, its not all good.
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When I looked in the mirror, my hair glowed in the fluorescent light.
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Youd think I had grey hair.
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Silver hair has been in the Claudie family for generations.
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The setting was bleaching my hair to a silver colour.
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The only good thing is that the silver hair looks pretty good with my current appearance.
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Tsk-tsk.
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I brewed green tea and we had tea time.
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I cant believe these green teas cost 50 won each. Really.
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I thought, but I didnt mind a bit.
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I had learnt to enjoy tea and relax over the past few days.
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Perhaps its the effect of Grand Prixs high self-esteem.
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Yeah, its better than the habit of sitting in front of the computer as soon as Ive eaten whatever it is.
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It gave me more time to think.
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So maybe.
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I was able to arrive at a pretty plausible possibility.
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Black history affects me in real life.
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One by one, each time I recognised the settings of the Grand Prix, they became real.
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Could it be, then, that Grampels talent, hailed as the greatest genius in the history of the Claudie family, was also unrealised?
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Grampels talents were not limited to one thing.
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A brilliant mind is one thing.
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His magical talent was such that he could imitate most magic just by looking at it. And then there was his physical potential.
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There was a good reason why Grampel was chosen as the heir to the family at the tender age of seven.
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The more I think about it, the more it seems like a second-grade idea.
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I mean, youve just knocked off everything good and cool, havent you?
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Deeply embarrassing.
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I muttered.
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Ashamed of my black history.
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Im ashamed of my overwhelming praise.
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Only time will tell.
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That would require some testing.
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Convenient times.
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I accessed Netflix on my smartphone.
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I searched for videos of players.
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Sure enough, there are more of them.
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Channels of players with millions of subscribers popped up.
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-Rift Cheats 1 7 Griffins Nest
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-What skills do Flame Wizards use?
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A Day in the Life of a Non-Tactical Class Alchemist Vlog
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Each one of them had a huge number of views.
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It was understandable.
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The average person cant even see the Rift, let alone access it.
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Its only natural that players in the rift would be interested in hunting monsters.
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Of course, if the rift collapses, well be able to see it in real life.
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That would be a disaster, not a spectacle.
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I chose a suitable video.
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?
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I was about to play when a text popped up.
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I checked the number and it was Nam Chul-min.
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We hadnt actually exchanged numbers, but I had contacted him after seeing the job posting.
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He must have had my number.
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Whats with the long text?
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To summarise the long text, he said he wanted to meet up.
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Right away, or tomorrow if that doesnt work.
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I dont know what its for, but its troubling.
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This is a task that requires concentration.
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Im sorry.
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This could change my players life.
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I reply briefly, then play the video.
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A video of a boss raid, with skills and magic flying around.
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For a long time.
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After watching it for a while, I spoke up.
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Good enough.
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*sigh
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A high-end restaurant in Cheongdam-dong.
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Nam Chul-min and Nam Tae-min.
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The brothers were waiting for their appointment.
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Im still half skeptical.
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You trust me half-heartedly, ugly brother? Thank you.
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Bro, do you keep saying that?
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Nam Chul-min burst out laughing at Nam Tae-mins outburst.
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Why didnt I know then?
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Tae-min is proud of his brother.
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Everyones talent is different, I was just playing ignorantly, and you just didnt have enough time to play. Youre more knowledgeable about Arcana than I am, I promise.
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He realised that he was being genuinely appreciated.
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How could he feel inferior to his brother?
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Nam Cheolmin was genuinely ashamed of his foolishness.
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Just kidding, just kidding.
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But Im not going to lie to you. Im going to do it right, analyst.
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That said, can I record that?
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Sure.
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Haha, do you really believe this?
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Nam Chul-min decided to quit the player.
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He was going to accept Nams offer and become an analyst for the guild.
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The experience of having his body taken over by an imp was, of course, the reason for his decision.
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I knew I wasnt good enough, more than that.
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The man who saved her from despair.
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This was the only way he could repay the favour.
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He didnt just defeat the imp.
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He hadnt just defeated an imp.
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He had saved himself.
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Nam Chul-min wanted to repay him.
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At this point, Im curious. My brother cant be wrong about you and. You hunted real imps, right? Overwhelmingly?
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Nam nodded at Tae-mins question.
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Actually, I wouldnt even call it overwhelming, because you didnt seem the least bit nervous while fighting that imp, let alone out of shape.
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Well, if you say so, I suppose, but I dont understand?
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Nam Tae-min scratched the back of his head in frustration.
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Why would a player like that enter a jerp rift?
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The reason was simple.
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At the time, Nam and Ho-yeol were only level 55.
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But Nam Tae-min and Nam Cheol-min couldnt help but notice.
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Nam Tae-min frowned and continued.
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Besides, that battle is frankly questionable. To resist under such conditions means that his mental strength stat is huge. You said he fought with a dagger, not magic.
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Thats right.
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They say there are thousands of classes in the Arcana, but I have no idea.
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Sigh.
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Nam shook his head.
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But frustration and possibility were two different things.
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So you definitely want to recruit him and find out, right?
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After all, wasnt he a player his brother recognised?
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Nam Tae-min was able to become the 11th ranked player thanks to the help of Den Nam Chul-min.
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From analysing boss patterns.
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The direction of the guilds operations.
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Even the recruitment of new players.
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He knew that without his brothers help, he wouldnt be where he is today.
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Well, Im grateful.
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Moreover, he helped his brother.
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Therefore, Nam Tae-min wrote a signing contract to express his gratitude.
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Looking over the contract again, Nam Tae-min clicked his tongue.
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I dont want our new recruits, or even our executives, to see this.
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What, theyll go crazy?
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Of course not. Its a losing proposition for us.
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But an offer he couldnt refuse.
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Tae-min was confident.
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So he relaxed and waited for a reply.
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Ziying
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You got back to me quickly. What did he say?
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His phone vibrated.
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Nam Tae-min calmly sipped his orange juice.
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Says youre having trouble?
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?!
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Gulp.
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The juice dripped from Nam Tae-mins mouth.
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What, what, what?! Let me see!!!
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I couldnt believe it, so I checked the text myself.
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-I cant believe it.
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It was only four letters.
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It was a reply to a long text.
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But who was Nam Tae-min?
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He caught the hint in that short text.
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doesnt mean no, it means difficult.
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His eyes narrowed.
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So, another guild offered you first?
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Players are plentiful, but valuable players are rare.
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That was why guilds were so keen on recruiting rookies.
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And in South Korea, it was even harder to recruit promising players.
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The Wizards Tower rose in Seoul.
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Thanks to it, all of the biggest guilds in the world were based in Seoul.
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Nam Tae-mins narrowed eyes were directed at his competitors.
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Bastards, no matter what, Seoul is our home.
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Gaon, the top guild in South Korea.
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But when you go out into the world, you can barely count them among your five fingers.
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Nam Tae-min was well aware of that reality.
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Thats why he couldnt afford to lose even one player.
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Hyung, tell me something specific.
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What?
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What he looks like. I think Im going to have to run and fetch him myself.
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What does he look like.
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At the words, Nam recalled the man from his memory.
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T-shirt, slacks, and as if that wasnt enough, shoes.
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My first impression was that he had all these things.
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Although he wore the right items inside the crack.
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It was definitely not the right outfit for a crack.
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And he kept his shoes on the whole way.
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But in the crack, he didnt look the least bit dishevelled.
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He tangled with the gnolls and engaged in hand-to-hand combat.
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In a trap and surrounded.
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Even when faced with imps.
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Nothing changed in him.
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Through it all.
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It was as if he was looking down from on high.
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but its hard to put it into words.
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Nam Tae-min asked him as he struggled.
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Did you see some kind of fantasy animal? Why, you cant even explain it?
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A fantasy animal?
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At the sound of it, an idea popped into my head.
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Yes!
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Id never seen one because they didnt exist in modern-day Korea, but. I couldnt think of a better word to describe the mans appearance.
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He looked like an aristocrat, and a very noble one at that.
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Eh?
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*sigh
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Good enough.
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It was about possibilities.
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As I stared at the video, a dizzying array of thoughts ran through my head.
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It wasnt cool, envy, or any other primal emotion.
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I was seeing magic and analysing it.
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!
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The concept of magic popped into my head.
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Its a ridiculous concept.
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At its core, it was a skill, not magic.
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But I could see it.
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I was convinced that I could manifest that magic if I had enough magic power to back it up!
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Naturally, it wasnt Lee Ho-yeols talent.
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He hasnt made up his mind yet.
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The Claudy family, the greatest genius in history.
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Grampels talent was obvious.
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Of course, it was still too early to tell.
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But the potential is there, and its worth the investment.
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And the possibilities were many.
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Magic, swordsmanship, archery.
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Grampels talents were not confined to one place.
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Zhang Haida, the Lee Ho-yeol of the past.
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Well, if youre going to set it up, you might as well smash everything thats cool and good.
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Youd be embarrassed anyway, wouldnt you?
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Lets be proud in the face of black history.
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I knew it was possible, but there was no rush.
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Swordsmanship, Archery, and Magic.
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There was no point in deciding on a career path right away.
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It was the vague nature of the Demon Hunter class.
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But ambiguity isnt always a disadvantage.
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Yeah, you can be ambiguous when everything is a plus, right?
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Even if thats not the case, its best to keep all possibilities open for now.
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Well.
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Time to invest some of the stat points Ive been saving up.
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[Points on hand: 12].
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I checked the status window.
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