Sang-woong’s voice was laced with familiarity and trust.
“Oh, look who it is! Sang-woong! What brings you here at this hour?”
Administration Manager Lee Do-hyeon, who had a jovial impression, walked out from the back and welcomed Sang-woong with a wide smile as if he were about to pull him into a bear hug.
“Brother, it’s nothing else, but I have a favor I really need to ask of you today.”
“A favor? If it’s a favor from you, I’d even pluck a star from the sky. What is it? Sit down and tell me first.”
Lee Do-hyeon answered heartily and cheerfully, as if he were truly willing to grant any favor.
“Brother, I have something private to tell you. This is Ho Shin-woo, a younger brother I care for very much. Shin-woo, this is Administration Manager Lee Do-hyeon. Hurry up and say hello.”
“H-Hello, Manager! My name is Ho Shin-woo.”
Ho Shin-woo bowed his waist almost reflexively at a 90-degree angle in a deep greeting. His heart was pounding as if it were about to explode.
He was almost losing his mind at the thought that this person right in front of him might be the only hope to save his mother from this hellish disease.
To him, the Administration Manager was like a lifeline dropped from heaven.
“Haha, I see. Nice to meet you, Mr. Shin-woo. You look very spirited and healthy.”
Lee Do-hyeon laughed heartily and gave Ho Shin-woo’s shoulder a light pat.
“Brother, I’ll get straight to the point. Actually, Shin-woo’s mother is currently in a very critical state due to Dungeon Disease. I’d like to get her hospitalized here somehow… Is there any way, Brother?”
Sang-woong’s voice was serious and earnest.
“Dungeon Disease? Oh… that’s truly unfortunate. Hospitalization… don’t worry. Since you’re the one asking so earnestly, I’ll have to find a spot somehow. I’ll check right away, so just wait a moment.”
Lee Do-hyeon immediately picked up the receiver and called somewhere to check the status of the hospital beds. After hanging up, he spoke to Sang-woong.
“It’s not certain yet, but a spot will probably open up.”
At Lee Do-hyeon’s words, a faint light of relief crossed Sang-woong’s face.
“Thank you, Brother!”
Ho Shin-woo held his breath as he listened to the conversation between the two. Although it seemed as if his mother’s hospitalization had been decided in just a few words, Ho Shin-woo couldn’t simply be happy.
He was in a desperate situation, already burdened with an unpayable amount of debt due to the hunter gear fraud.
Even though he desperately wanted it, there was no way he could afford the sky-high treatment costs of this place. His face darkened again.
Whether he accurately read Ho Shin-woo’s complicated state of mind or not, Sang-woong looked at Lee Do-hyeon with a meaningful look and said, “Brother, by any chance… is there something like a special support program at the hospital for seriously ill patients who are in severe financial difficulty? I was wondering if you could include Shin-woo’s mother in that.”
Sang-woong avoided Ho Shin-woo’s gaze and winked at Lee Do-hyeon. This was a signal that he would secretly cover all the medical expenses himself.
Lee Do-hyeon, catching the signal perfectly, awkwardly slapped his knee and said to Ho Shin-woo, “Ah, that! It just so happens that one spot was vacant! It worked out perfectly! Mr. Shin-woo, don’t worry about things like hospital bills at all, and bring your mother here comfortably as early as tomorrow. I’ll take care of all the procedures!”
“R-Really? Manager! Is that… is that really okay?”
Hot tears flowed uncontrollably from Ho Shin-woo’s eyes. He grabbed Lee Do-hyeon’s hand and expressed his gratitude as if he were wailing.
He bowed his head so low it almost touched the floor and didn’t look up for a long time.
“Brother, I really don’t know how to thank you for paying such close attention when you’re so busy. We’ll be going now. Please stop by the restaurant this evening. I’ve managed to get some very good liquor this time.”
Sang-woong intended to treat Lee Do-hyeon, who had quickly played along with his act, to some special Elf Liquor. Thanks to the man’s quick wits, the reason for Ho Shin-woo to head down the path of a villain had now practically disappeared.
“Haha, don’t mention it. Get home safely, both of you. Mr. Shin-woo, don’t worry too much, get some rest, and bring your mother tomorrow.”
“Yes, Manager! Thank you… so, so much… I will never forget this kindness for the rest of my life…”
Ho Shin-woo’s voice choked up, and he couldn’t continue. Entering the hell called the Sebo Guild and trying to endure that terrible time had all been solely for his one and only mother.
The joy and emotion he felt now were beyond words. He felt as if he had been pulled from the abyss of life.
***
As soon as they left the hospital, Ho Shin-woo suddenly blocked Sang-woong’s path and lunged into his arms. Then, like a young child, he buried his face in Sang-woong’s chest and burst into the tears he had been holding back.
“Waaaaah… Brother… sob… thank you… truly thank you… for giving me such a massive opportunity… This great kindness… even after I die… sob… I will never, ever forget it… waaaaaah…”
Without a word, Sang-woong firmly patted Ho Shin-woo’s slender back for a long time. His own eyes were becoming moist as he felt Ho Shin-woo’s heart.
The last place Sang-woong took Ho Shin-woo was in front of the magnificent headquarters of the Taeseong Guild—the trading guild for his potions and a place every Hunter envied.
Having started this salvation, Sang-woong wanted to change Ho Shin-woo’s fate completely from the roots up. He wanted to ensure that darkness would never cast its shadow over the boy’s life again.
“B-Brother… where is… this…?”
Overwhelmed by the majesty of the giant building they reached after driving for a few hours, Ho Shin-woo asked while catching his breath.
“Don’t you see that sign? Read it.”
Sang-woong nodded as he patted his shoulder. Ho Shin-woo’s gaze followed Sang-woong’s fingertip and slowly moved upward.
Above the entrance of the ultra-modern building that seemed to pierce the sky, a golden sign that read “Taeseong Guild” hung with an overwhelming aura, in perfect harmony with the majesty of the entire building. Each letter was imbued with power, overwhelming the gaze of anyone who saw it.
“T-Taeseong Guild…? One of the top ten guilds in the Republic of Korea… Why in the world are we at the Taeseong Guild…?”
Although Ho Shin-woo knew very little about the Hunter world since he had only recently awakened, he had heard of Taeseong Guild’s reputation so much that his ears were practically calloused.
It was truly a presence like a star in the sky that he wouldn’t even dare look up at. He couldn’t believe he was standing in such a place.
“Look, I have a very close friend here. Didn’t you say you wanted to try being a Hunter properly anyway? Since you’re starting, you should start in a place like this instead of a den of thugs like that Sebo Guild earlier, right? People will recognize you, it looks cool, and you’ll be treated well. Don’t you think?”
Sang-woong smiled slyly as he tapped Ho Shin-woo’s shoulder. His tone was light, but his eyes were filled with sincerity.
“T-That’s obviously true, Brother… But in such a massive guild… there’s no way they’d accept a fledgling F-Rank Hunter like me who just awakened and has no abilities…”
Ho Shin-woo’s self-deprecating words contained the cold reality. It was common for not only top-tier large guilds like Taeseong but even decent mid-tier guilds to ruthlessly reject anyone who wasn’t at least a D-Rank Hunter with immediate combat potential starting from the document screening.
This was because if someone they had carefully nurtured hit the limit of their talent at some point and could no longer grow, the time and resources the guild had invested would directly result in a loss.
As a result, the cold reality was that most guilds carefully selected only Hunters whose skills had already been proven to some extent and who had clear growth potential.
Ho Shin-woo accurately knew his own realistic value.
“Shin-woo, have some confidence! From what I see, you’re not just any Hunter; you’re someone born with a talent that will make you truly great. I guarantee it. From the guild’s perspective, it would be a huge ‘thank you’ if a top-tier prospect like you joined. Now, square your shoulders and let’s go in with confidence!”
Sang-woong pushed confidence into Ho Shin-woo by striking his slumped shoulders hard, and he strode into the Taeseong Guild headquarters building without a moment’s hesitation.
His footsteps were filled with unwavering conviction.
When they entered the building’s lobby, the person waiting for Sang-woong was surprisingly Kyung Yoon-seul.
On the way there, Sang-woong had called her in advance and briefly informed her that he was coming to Taeseong Guild because he had business. Kyung Yoon-seul had replied as always that he was welcome and hung up.
However, he never expected her to come out to the lobby of Taeseong Guild herself to greet him.
“Oh my, Sang-woong! This is the first time you’ve personally visited our Taeseong Guild headquarters, so it’s only proper that I greet you myself on behalf of the Guild Master. Come this way. I’ll lead you to the Guild Master’s office.”
With an elegant and soft smile, Kyung Yoon-seul personally led Sang-woong and the stunned Ho Shin-woo to the Guild Master’s office located at the highest point of the building.
Ho Shin-woo was once again overwhelmed by her kindness and sophistication.
Ho Shin-woo was now at the point where he was about to lose his grip on reason. Just a few hours ago, at the bottom of his life, he was about to sign a contract in the hell known as Sebo Guild.
But at a specialty hospital, he met an administration manager and his lifelong wish—his mother’s hospitalization and the problem of medical expenses—was resolved like a lie.
On top of that, he was now being directly led to the private office of the Guild Master of Taeseong Guild, one of the top guilds in the Republic of Korea.
To him, an F-Rank Hunter who had just awakened, he was at a loss as to whether this was a dream or reality. His legs were trembling, and his heart felt like it was surging up to his throat.
Kyung Yoon-seul personally opened the heavy, luxurious solid wood door of the Guild Master’s office. Sang-woong gave her a light nod as a sign of thanks and confidently stepped into the room.
Ho Shin-woo followed behind Sang-woong mechanically.
“Oh, Sang-woong! Welcome!”
Inside the spacious and luxurious office, Kyung Taeyoung, the Guild Master of Taeseong Guild, was sitting on a high-end leather sofa with a giant window behind him.
He stood up abruptly and greeted Sang-woong with a bright face. His expression was filled with benevolence along with sincere joy and respect.
“I’ve been wanting to invite you to the guild formally for a meal, so I’m actually more grateful that you’ve come like this.”
“Not at all, Guild Master. On the contrary, I feel apologetic for visiting so suddenly. I don’t know if I’m intruding on your busy schedule.”
Sang-woong also bowed his head and greeted him with sincere etiquette.
His gaze naturally turned toward Ho Shin-woo, who was still frozen at the doorway, not knowing what to do. Sang-woong smiled inwardly at the sight of him, looking as though he still hadn’t woken up from a dream.