Transferred to an SSS-rank Production Class

“Huh? Why isn’t it here?”

I was confident in my ability to find my way. It should definitely be here.

Despite arriving at the location Choi Kwon-young had indicated, there was no coastal cave to be found. Instead, a sheer cliff awaited me.

Atop the cliff, which narrowed into a triangular shape towards the end, the wind blew so strongly it made me sway. Below, the seawater, so dark blue it appeared almost black, churned violently.

‘He said he discovered it by chance.’

If so, it’s likely to be in a spot visible at first glance. Clinging to a thread of hope, I scanned the surroundings. But there was no sign of anything resembling a cave.

“Surely not…”

Suddenly, a hunter’s intuition with a high accuracy rate began to sound alarm bells.

As I searched every nook and cranny without spotting the cave, it became increasingly difficult to ignore my gut feeling.

“How does one accidentally discover a cave attached to a cliff?”

I carefully stepped towards the edge of the cliff, extending both arms to maintain balance. A sudden gust of wind nearly made me lose my footing, frightening me into slowing my pace even further.

I couldn’t imagine how Choi Kwon-young, with his much larger frame, had managed to pass through here. Perhaps being S-rank meant he could casually stroll with his arms folded, knowing he’d be fine even if he fell.

As I neared the edge, small pieces of rock crumbled and fell with each step. More than the height, it was the sound of wind hitting the cliff that induced fear.

I lowered my posture and looked down the cliff with my hand on the ground.

“Can’t see it from this angle.”

It was becoming increasingly daunting.

The cliff jutted out towards the end, obscuring the view below.

At this rate, I’d have to go down and check for myself. The thought of descending for such a slim possibility made me dizzy already.

I considered asking the other party members for help, but no one was as suitable as me with my Ranger-class skills.

The two who had moved via portal were out of the question.

Yun Su-ho, whose skills were as stubbornly straightforward as his personality, lacked any notable movement abilities. And from what I’d seen before, Cha Taeyang’s movement skill wasn’t suitable for this kind of vertical descent either.

“Looks like it has to be me after all.”

Sighing at the inescapable reality, I activated Master of the Hunt.

A mana-crafted bracelet appeared on my wrist, connected to a chain with a hook that embedded itself at the edge of the precipice.

‘To think I’d be using this here.’

I suppose I should be grateful to have even this much.

It was a skill typically used for climbing high walls or trees.

Here I was, about to free-fall trusting a thin chain, having never even tried bungee jumping.

I must be crazy.

“If you have time to grumble, just move, Yun Gaho.”

There’s no risk of falling before my mana depletes, and this line made of mana won’t break either.

I tried to comfort myself with positive thoughts, but a sigh escaped instead of a normal exhale. Just in case, I also activated ‘Cat’s Step’ to increase my agility.

[Your nimble movements are just like those of a predator!]

The cheeky system message was particularly annoying today. I waved my hand to dismiss the system window, then peeked down once more.

“Well, here goes nothing.”

After taking a deep breath, I threw myself off the cliff.

I couldn’t even scream. The chain reached its full length and pulled taut, and the harsh sea breeze caused my suspended body to sway back and forth. I couldn’t bring myself to open my eyes until the swinging subsided.

“I, I couldn’t do this twice.”

I forced myself to look away from the dark, churning sea that seemed ready to swallow me whole.

Slowly, I adjusted my mana to lengthen the chain.

How long had I been descending, switching wrists occasionally?

Just as the once-distant sea was drawing noticeably closer, I spotted the coastal cave Choi Kwon-young had mentioned. Honestly, I had started to think I’d come up empty-handed when I couldn’t find it even halfway down, but it really was there.

“This is killing me, seriously. I’d rather be in combat.”

As soon as I reached the cave, I slumped against the wall.

‘What kind of activities lead to accidentally finding a place like this? Was he floating around on the sea or something?’

While massaging my stiff limbs, I entertained silly thoughts like ‘Choi Kwon-young’s Bizarre Hobbies’. Though it probably hadn’t taken that long in reality, I already felt drained.

“Still, I’ve got a job to do.”

I forced my trembling limbs to move through sheer willpower.

Although it was daytime, the cave’s structure didn’t allow much light in, and it grew darker the further I went. I took out the flashlight I had prepared for such occasions from my windbreaker pocket. It wasn’t very large, but it was enough to illuminate the surroundings.

◆◇◆◇◆

“When is this going to end?”

Even considering the slow pace from thoroughly searching every corner, I had come quite far, yet there wasn’t a single scale to be found, let alone a blade of grass.

I turned around to check where I had come from, but apart from my immediate surroundings, all I could see was pitch-black darkness in every direction.

I wished there were at least bats; the complete absence of anything in the cave made it even scarier. It felt like something terrifying might be waiting at the end.

“I should have asked the Guild Master for more details.”

When he said ‘coastal cave’, I had imagined a small cave by the seaside. I came with a light heart, but now I was suffering due to not getting a proper explanation. However, having come this far, I couldn’t turn back empty-handed.

I pressed on, relying on the small light.

After walking a bit further, I encountered the first steep downward slope in the otherwise flat cave. Fearing I might fall, I held onto the wall and descended slowly. The width, which had barely allowed me to spread my arms, gradually widened.

After about five more minutes of walking, I saw a faint light in the distance.

“Is there something there?”

After being surrounded by darkness throughout the cave, the appearance of something brought both relief and wariness. There hadn’t been any mention of danger, but that was by Choi Kwon-young’s standards. Who knew how it might be for a C-rank like me.

“It never hurts to be cautious.”

Prepared to draw my equipment at any moment, I headed towards the source of the light.

“Wow… What do you mean ‘nothing special’? Talk about being emotionally stunted.”

As the cave gradually brightened, my view suddenly opened up, revealing a vast cavern below my feet. In the center of the cavern, which was as large as a decent-sized plaza, was a wide lake.

Beneath the crystal-clear water, unidentifiable stone structures lay submerged.

Fist-sized magic stones embedded along the cavern walls emitted a soft blue light. The sight of the lake’s surface rippling with that blue light was truly spectacular.

“Oh, wait a minute.”

Something glinted, reflecting the light from the magic stones.

Using the same technique as on the cliff, I descended the wall and landed in the cavern. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I hurried to the lakeshore. I bent down to examine the ground.

They were scale fragments, so shattered they were barely visible at first glance.

[Faded Scale (F)

: A mermaid’s scale. It lost its past brilliance of five colors in exchange for a wish.]

“As I thought… it’s the same thing.”

It was identical to what Choi Kwon-young had shown us.

I found a few more scale fragments while circling the lakeshore.

“Why are mermaid scales in a place like this?”

As I pondered this question while circling the cavern, a sudden scent caught my attention. I dipped my little finger in the lake water and tasted it.

It was unmistakably seawater.

“It wasn’t just a lake! It’s connected to the sea.”

It seemed the real clue was likely underwater. If I could go in and take a look, I might learn more.

However, while the lake was so clear it appeared transparent, it was too deep to properly investigate without special equipment.

I’d heard that Choi Kwon-young, a dealer specialized in water attributes, could move freely underwater. If only I had such a skill…

“Unfortunately, I don’t have anything like that!”

Feeling disappointed, I activated Explorer’s Eye. Who knows, there might be some function I’m unaware of? A magic circle resembling something between a scope and a monocle appeared before my eyes.

“Hmm, maybe that was pointless.”

Well, if there had been anything, Choi Kwon-young would have mentioned it.

Just as I was about to cancel the skill, having found nothing unusual, I spotted what appeared to be a faint mana circuit.

A mana circuit in a place like this?

“Judging by the mana still flowing, it seems to be operational.”

A mana circuit carved into the center of the stone pillars arranged in a circle in the middle of the lake. Though I couldn’t tell its function, it was worth investigating.

“The problem is how to get down there.”

With my poor lung capacity, I’d run out of breath before even reaching the destination.

Unlike some hunters who excel in water-attribute fields, I had never engaged in naval combat. Naturally, I didn’t have any auxiliary items for such situations either…

“Ah, if it’s that…”

I took out a bundle of Umanta petals I had obtained after clearing the 19th floor.

Umanta petals, a material item widely used in intermediate and higher-rank armor. When processed in a special way, they can add an effect that creates a protective barrier for the user when applied to weapons.

I chewed and swallowed a handful of ivory-colored petals, and shortly after, a transparent sphere like a soap bubble enveloped me.

[The special effect of the item ‘Umanta Petal’ has been activated.

– Duration: 00:04:59]

“Even with all of them, it’s only about 20 minutes. I’ll need to hurry.”

I put the remaining Umanta petals back in my inventory and entered the water.

I could feel the cold water, but thanks to the Umanta petals’ protective effect, I could breathe as comfortably as on land.

I’m not sure how it works, but it saved my life.

I swam towards the mana circuit with my amateur swimming skills.

When I reached the bottom of the lake, I couldn’t hide my astonishment.

“What on earth happened here?”

Piles of unidentifiable shell fragments mixed with gray scales, large enough to form small hills. Are all of these really mermaid scales? No wonder Choi Kwon-young found it suspicious.

“It’s hard to believe that this many mermaids lived nearby without anyone knowing. Anyone would find this suspicious.”

From the shore, I had thought it was just sand. But to think there were so many…

Where did all those mermaids go? Why are Shella’s NPCs hiding information about mermaids? What does “in exchange for a wish” mean? Above all, what is this place for?

The multitude of questions made me dizzy.