Chapter 43: Investment in a Monster

Breaking news filled the headlines of almost every South Korean media outlet.

From defense cost discounts and zero tariffs to most-favored-nation status, Korea gained in various fields including science, technology, and economy.

-Does this make sense? No matter how much the US is the world’s police, giving away this much is like being a sucker…

-Right. It’s not massive, but it’s all beneficial for our country.

-Isn’t this all because the current president did a great job? Just praise the president.

-Put those biased opinions aside.

-Don’t you know diplomacy? Giving and receiving is the basis. Giving away everything like this is impossible unless they’ve all gone crazy. Then, follow-up articles appeared. Only then did the public understand.

-Ah… they received this after healing a Ranker. A Hunter, especially one called a Ranker, was one of a nation’s most precious assets. Even if a country suffered small losses in various fields, having a dying Ranker return alive and healthy was far more beneficial.

-What? Then it wasn’t the president’s rule; it was that Hunter who did well.

-Reading the article, the Hunter found the cure himself and went to the US to treat him. The politicians did nothing?

-Maybe they just spoon-fed the result?

-They did a good job spoon-feeding it, though. Arguing here would be amateurish. The politicians and bureaucrats acknowledged this as Lee Tae-sung’s achievement, expressing gratitude for raising the national prestige as a citizen and helping the country prosper. They slipped in mentions of their own hard work, merely riding his coattails. Naturally, public reaction was positive. In the end, didn’t everything work out well?

-A new large guild is going to appear in Korea soon!!

-A one-man guild that’s friendly with a guild containing a US Ranker?

-The large guilds better be nervous. Their big brother is coming soon!

—

Armor made of Basilisk and Troll leather.

Lee Tae-sung immediately wore it under his clothes.

It was soft, thin, and light, causing no discomfort.

‘This is why everyone pays big money for luxury items.’

He thought the leather armor bought from the Score Shop was decent, but there was a huge difference when compared to this.

Next was the automatic potion belt.

It could hold two potions, and he could use them automatically just by thinking about it.

It was incredibly useful. Who has time to pop a cap and chug a potion during battle?

Then there were various doping potions and pills.

“Um… I have other things to give you, but I’m not sure if they’ll be useful to Hunter Lee Tae-sung,” Elvia said, bringing out more equipment.

There were various weapons, but nothing Tae-sung could use.

No longsword compared to Magma’s Fang, and he didn’t use the other types.

However, he took a few throwing daggers that looked better than his current ones.

Hans grumbled from the side.

“Elvia. You aren’t planning to strip the guild to its foundations, are you?”

“I’ll give him everything if he wants. He saved Ryan.”

“…Ugh. Your workshop is also guild property.”

“So? Do you not want to give them, Hans?”

“…No. That’s not it.”

Hans avoided her gaze.

As the guild leader, he had to be calculating.

The cost of equipment and potions given to Lee Tae-sung already far exceeded the price they were supposed to pay for the cure!

That armor and potion belt were Elvia’s masterpieces.

As a creator, she didn’t care, but managing the budget was Hans’s job.

He couldn’t help but flinch every time she made a generous gesture.

Ryan, watching with a satisfied smile, spoke up.

“I heard you founded a one-man guild?”

“Yes. Aren’t you going to do the same, Ryan?”

“It’s too much trouble, so I just joined my friend Hans’s guild.”

Ryan was a top-tier Hunter called a Ranker in the US.

He was more than qualified to create a guild, but not all Rankers did.

Some found it bothersome, while some talented Hunters simply wanted to learn from the Ranker who moved ahead.

“True. But Hunter Lee Tae-sung has nothing to learn. Reaching this level by your tenth mission… I wonder what will happen later.”

“Is he really that good?”

Hans asked.

He was an excellent guild leader and entrepreneur, but not a powerful Hunter.

He relied on innate management skills to grow the guild.

He knew Tae-sung was outstanding, but not exactly how much.

“He’s incredible. If ten copies of me from that time attacked him, I doubt we could win.”

An aura faintly emanated from Lee Tae-sung.

Since Ryan was much stronger and an experienced senior, he could read it slightly, and it was frightening.

Elvia nodded beside him.

“Right. He seems to sparkle even more than when I first saw you.”

“I knew it.”

Perhaps because she was a production-class Hunter, Elvia had an unusually sharp intuition.

She had noticed Ryan’s talent even before falling in love with him.

In her eyes, Lee Tae-sung’s talent looked brilliant.

‘It’s much bigger and grander than Ryan’s.’

How great would this Hunter become once he grew?

Could he reach the absolute top among US Rankers?

That was a world beyond worlds.

“With such talent and the desire to grow a guild… simply put, you have ambition,” Hans said.

‘Ambition, huh?’

Lee Tae-sung nodded inwardly.

He hadn’t realized it, but he must have had hidden ambition.

He wanted to grow the guild and raise his prestige.

He understood why wealthy people did social activities like volunteering or donating.

It didn’t help him much personally, but it raised his honor!

“I think I’ve given you everything I can. Is there anything else you need?”

“No. This is more than enough.”

Tae-sung shook his head. He really didn’t need more.

And looking at Hans’s near-tears expression made him feel bad about asking for more.

“Even if I saved Ryan, aren’t you giving me too much?”

“What are you talking about? That’s not all.”

“?”

As Lee Tae-sung tilted his head, Ryan continued.

“Hunter Lee Tae-sung, you will surely become a Ranker like me later. Then I’ll have things to ask your help with, and maybe you’ll even save my life.”

“Your life? Are you telling me to join your party for a mission?”

“No. This is a secret I can’t tell you right now. You’ll find out naturally later.”

Ryan smiled bitterly as if he couldn’t speak freely. He clapped his hands.

“Well then, shall we go? Is there anything else you need? Anything you want?”

Anything he wanted…

Mission-related items were sufficient for now.

Current missions were very easy.

Spec-ups were for later; he didn’t really need them right now.

Then what else did he need?

“…The private jet I took to get here was quite comfortable,” Lee Tae-sung muttered unconsciously.

To be precise, being able to use a capsule in the sky was a whole new world.

“Ah. You wanted a plane? Well, many superstars have a romance with their own planes.”

Ryan’s mouth formed an “O” and he poked Hans’s side.

Hans flinched and avoided his gaze.

Ryan frowned.

“Hans.”

“No. Do you know how much that costs?”

“Your business calculation is weak. Between the friendship built with Hunter Lee Tae-sung and the value of a private jet, which do you think is more expensive?”

“……!”

Hans didn’t answer.

Tae-sung waved his hands.

“Oh, I’m not asking for something like that.”

How much would a private jet cost?

It would probably be over several tens of billions of won.

How could he just ask for it?

He had a conscience.

It just came out because he was asked if there was anything he wanted.

Really.

However, since Lee Tae-sung spoke that way, the three of them felt like he was drawing a line.

Eventually, Hans made a decision.

“Even as the leader, I can’t just give away guild assets. I’ll get fired. Instead, I’ll provide an indefinite lease. Please be satisfied with that.”

“Oh…”

“Tsk tsk. Hans, you’re so narrow-minded. I’ll have to gift him a nice plane later.”

“???”

Ryan laughed, and Elvia chuckled softly, while Lee Tae-sung felt bewildered.

***

On the way back to Korea in the private jet.

He didn’t have much greed for such a plane.

Tae-sung was never someone with a big interest in cars either.

He just thought they looked cool or expensive.

But there was one thing he liked about this jet.

‘It’s amazing to see it again. Having a connector here.’

As soon as they took off and reached a stable altitude, Lee Tae-sung lay in the capsule and logged into Dream World.

His vision shifted, and he entered the world.

He saw lush trees.

He was currently at the entrance of Chimgum Mountain.

The plane had landed just as he arrived here and was about to look for Baek Woon-ho.

‘I should meet Baek Woon-ho first.’

He planned to check the progress after joining him and then look for the Fire Emperor’s hideout.

He immediately activated **[Hidden Detect]** and began climbing the mountain.

His golden eyes began reading the traces in the forest.

However, finding Baek Woon-ho was not easy.

Detect reads all sorts of traces matching the level, but they weren’t all Baek Woon-ho’s.

It wasn’t a professional tracking skill, so it had its limits.

He wandered around, picking likely paths, but failed to find Baek Woon-ho.

Eventually, after wandering for a long time, the sun was about to set.

He debated whether to search at night or go down and come back.

That was when he saw someone wandering in the distance, dressed like a beggar with a mesh bag.

Based on the appearance, he looked like a medicinal herb gatherer or a Simmani.

“Excuse me. May I ask you something?”

Tae-sung approached cautiously.

Ordinary users wouldn’t show such politeness to a Simmani NPC, but Lee Tae-sung was different.

Who knows?

A Simmani NPC might have dug up a thousand-year-old ginseng and could be an opportunity!

That was why he approached the dusty Simmani with a smile, showing no signs of disgust.

The Simmani, who was chewing something, turned around, and Tae-sung nearly fainted.

“You’re finally here.”

“!!?”

It was Baek Woon-ho. Surprised, Lee Tae-sung asked, “What—what are you doing?”

“What do you think? Looking for ginseng.”

“What?”

“Have one yourself.”

Baek Woon-ho tossed something that looked like a bellflower.

Tae-sung caught it unconsciously.

“That’s a thirty-year-old fleeceflower.” “!”