Near the Hanul Guild, a so-called Guild Town had taken shape.
“Winners Guild, apologize!
Investigate and clarify the cause of the incident!”
Today, once again, a middle-aged woman held a small picket sign alone in protest.
I had been part of Hanul Guild for over a month now, and I’d seen this scene countless times.
“My son said he was going on his first mission with Winners Guild after awakening to be filial—but he never came back!”
A woman, with no tears left to shed, shouted at the main entrance of Winners Guild’s office building.
She fought against the biting cold wind.
In the past, passersby would glance at the picket signs, but now, they barely drew any attention.
Hunters were supposed to make a fortune and fight monsters to protect people—that was the romantic ideal.
Where there is light, there is also darkness.
For elementary school kids, the number one dream was to become a Hunter—a Hero.
But behind that dream lay a bleak reality.
It had been 11 years since Gates appeared.
At first, Awakened Hunters formed Guilds to survive.
They developed a systematic system to cultivate Hunters and to fight.
The ideal of eradicating monsters slowly faded and transformed into a business.
Everyone wanted to become a Hunter, knowing that entering Dungeons, hunting monsters, and mining Magic Stones could bring a fortune.
But no place had a truly systematic system.
In my opinion, the training period should be at least half a year, starting with basic combat training and survival exercises.
Hunter mortality stood at 30%.
Especially Winners Guild, visible ahead, was notorious.
The shorter the training period, the less money the Guild spent, and the sooner Hunters could enter Dungeons, generating income from Magic Stones.
Mass-produced Hunters—that was the apt description.
I soon arrived at Hanul Guild. Entering the Guild lobby, I felt the gazes of others.
“Hey, that’s the leader of Team 3.”
“I heard he soloed a Mid-Rank Dungeon boss? Even the Veterans couldn’t do that.”
“Wasn’t Team 3 completely disbanded?”
“You didn’t know? The Team 3 leader soloed it.”
“What? He’s an Awakened Carrier?”
“Actually, I heard he’s more of a dealer type than a carrier.”
Whispers from office workers sitting at the first-floor café floated around.
To be exact, I had dual awakening as both a Carrier and a Hero. But it was still confidential.
“Jinjun, level 14. Hero Synchronization 3.8%.”
Thanks to hunting Dungeons diligently lately, my Carrier level had reached 14.
Since I was a Carrier, my Inventory Techniques had increased.
Freshness Maintenance, Sterilization Invincibility, Surface Invincibility, Cleansing Invincibility—like a washing machine’s skills, they were mostly useless.
Honestly, I thought maybe there’d be some use for them, but there really wasn’t.
My cleanliness level kept rising day by day.
By contrast, my synchronization as a Hero barely moved.
It had only gone up by 0.3%. And that was a small increase just yesterday—after almost no progress for a month.
“I guess I have to raise my Salvation Score after all.”
A Hero, by definition, is a savior.
To remain a true Hero, what must one do?
Simply put, you must prove your strength and intellect, and possess something others can admire.
That means saving someone or showing valor to others, which raises your score.
“It’s time to awaken the Hero’s power in earnest.”
Rather than raising my Carrier level, I decided to focus on the Hero power—the strength I used in another world—so I could inherit it faster.
I had sent the items I got yesterday from the Dungeon to appraisal.
It didn’t take long to get the total market value—it was roughly 150 million pure currency.
The Insect Summon Skill was worth only about 5 million, but the Healing Boost Skill was an astonishing 145 million.
I decided to keep Rachios’ Shield for myself.
It was normally an item for tanks, but when facing multiple enemies, setting up one shield dramatically increased survival rate.
I especially liked the options: damage reduction +5% and HP +10.
I then went straight up to the president’s office on the eighth floor. One of the reasons I was looking for Im Jaejoon today was Kim Taeyang.
After finishing the Dungeon yesterday, I had a drink with the former captain of Hwarang Guild.
There was a reason Jeon Jang wasn’t around the day I came to join Hwarang Guild.
Hwarang Guild was different now, too.
Like Hanul Guild, the head of Hwa Guild had changed, and a generation shift was underway.
Factional fights arose, and the former captain was pushed out.
Now, he had been demoted from management to field work.
They say even three people in love form factions—there’s truth in that.
Anyway, Kim Taeyang was currently under disciplinary action, and I heard his position in the Guild was very weak.
Honestly, I was the only one who could control Kim Taeyang; it would be hard for anyone else to make him obedient.
So, from now on, I planned to bring Kim Taeyang into my team.
As I reached the eighth floor, someone was just coming out of the president’s office.
Wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a mask, I couldn’t see her face, but I oddly felt I knew who it was.
“Hello.”
“Hello.”
It was Seohyeonji, the Fourth S-rank Hunter Awakened. Why was she here?
If I had said such things to her, she would’ve been proud enough to go to another Guild.
“I decided to sign a contract with Hanul.”
“Oh, I see. You’ll be joining Team 3?”
“Team 3?”
Before I could say more, she lifted her hat and lowered her mask.
She said she would join Team 3—my team.
“Why?”
“N8?”
“Why not? I’m the only one on the team right now. Well, technically, there’s Assistant Manager Kim Kimon who’s just holding out and not leaving.”
“As a former famous trainer and an S-rank Hunter, aren’t you happy?”
“Of course I am.”
That was true. But she wasn’t some girl.
If you saw Seohyeonji’s slender figure, you might call her pretty. But when entering a Dungeon, monsters don’t say, “Oh, you’re so pretty,” and hold back their attacks.
Whether pretty or ugly, they attack first. Especially for non-ranged types like Seohyeonji, she was the first to get targeted.
On top of that, she was said to be juggling an entertainment career and Hunter activities.
That was a disaster waiting to happen.
She wanted to gain the Hunter title just to attract the audience’s attention, which I definitely didn’t like.
“You’ll have to eat a lot and train even harder. Still, will you join our team?”
“I eat well.”
“Eat well? No way. The real glutton is the rice thief at my house.”
Seohyeonji looked like she kept her thin frame by eating tiny bits, like picking at her food with toothpicks at night.
“Here, take this.”
“What is it?”
“My signed CD.”
I didn’t need that. I’d refused before.
What good was a celebrity autograph? It wouldn’t build muscle.
“No thanks.”
“Why? My songs are really good.”
I glanced down at the CD Seohyeonji was offering.
Pogeol.
Ah, I remembered. I recalled a four-member girl group from a music show Katrinne used to watch frequently—they sang “Protect My Boyfriend.”
Uniquely, they had a Hunter concept. So, Seohyeonji must have been a former idol.
“We’ll be on the same team, so you should at least know about me.”
It wasn’t wrong, but it felt oddly different.
“Make sure to listen!”
Annoying, but I agreed. I said I’d listen, though I didn’t say when. At least before this life ends.
After meeting Seohyeonji, I entered the president’s office where Im Jaejoon greeted me.
“We decided to sign Seohyeonji, and she’s going to Team 3.”
“Can’t we send someone else?”
Im Jaejoon smiled wryly at my words.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to take charge? Training her will be tough. Singing and dancing isn’t easy.”
“You’re good at that. You even turned the princess from the Attaché into a proper Sword Master.”
I didn’t want to think about that time—it was like living day by day eating nothing but bitter sweet potatoes.
Compared to the princess, Seohyeonji was a fantastic talent, stamped S-rank from the start.
Having her around would make bidding for Dungeon missions easier, like having a certification.
An S-rank Hunter makes bidding easier and enhances the Guild’s prestige.
Especially if she was a popular celebrity S-rank.
With Seohyeonji’s recruitment, we’d start tackling prize Dungeons. And you’d be at the forefront.
We’d probably earn a lot. Growth would accelerate.
I understood what Im Jaejoon meant. But I had to give something in return, so I could set conditions.
“Give me a plain field or reinforcement.”
“Teammates? Anyone catching your eye?”
I mentioned Kim Taeyang and Kim Inho.
Kim Taeyang’s position was weak, so I could probably pull him out. Kim Inho was uncertain, but I had a feeling he wanted to come to me.
I’d inform the Instance Dungeon team in advance. If anything else was needed, I’d say so—the expectations for the new Team 3 were high.
Speaking of which, I should deal with Kim Kimon.
“Kim Kiun.”
When I brought up Kim Kimon, Im Jaejoon rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
He smiled slyly and asked me,
“Wouldn’t it be better to just leave him alone?”
“Why?”
“He just took over the Guild. If things get noisy, management will be at a disadvantage.”
Even the Demon King had someone he had to watch out for now.
A power struggle with a half-brother. Given his status as an illegitimate child, his growth was impressive.
“Didn’t we talk about this before?”
“Yeah, I know about Kim Kimon’s crimes.”
Im Jaejoon already had a report on Kim Kimon on the table.
Kim Kimon was connected to a Slave Trading Organization.
“Scary?”
“The cons outweigh the pros. It’s better to quietly put him in an office position and slowly phase him out.”
Ambushes targeting novice Hunters entering Dungeons—also called cutting tails.
Because electronic devices like CCTV don’t work in Dungeons due to the demon’s aura, crimes inside are hard to punish, which some villains exploit.
They use their comrades as bait to hunt monsters or embezzle loot during hunts—such heinous acts were frequent.
That’s why Guilds became important. At least Hunters certified by a Guild could be held socially and morally responsible.
“True, from a businessman’s perspective.”
If things went wrong, the Guild could be held accountable for Kim Kimon’s crimes. Actually, someone in the Guild might already know about them.
Someone who took bribes.
“If you plan to do the same as those other bastards, just forget it.”
Still, the Demon King was known as the strongest lord in another world.
Was he really scared to protect his own flesh and blood?
If you want to kill others, you must be ready to die yourself.
“What’s the gain?”
The Demon King retorted,
“Since when did the Demon King start counting profits? Lost his fire and his pride too?”
There was a piece of trash like that.
I could easily eliminate him. But I left him alone? It didn’t suit me.
“I was just asking.”
The Demon King suddenly smirked and said,
“Do as you please. I’ll take care of the cleanup.”
If you were going to do it anyway, why pretend to resist?
If you’d told me not to because there might be backlash, I was ready to give you a quick knock on the head. You’re lucky.
I finished talking with Im Jaejoon and went straight down to the office.
Now that I had someone to handle the annoying cleanup, I planned to cause some trouble.
I prepared bait—made it look delicious, and set the groundwork.
Preparation didn’t take long, so I wasn’t late for muscle training.
What should I work on today? Legs or biceps?
As I happily imagined this, I bumped into an unpleasant person.
“Team Leader.”
Kim Kimon, wearing a calm expression, brightened when he saw me.
“I heard you soloed a Mid-Rank Dungeon boss. Impressive.”
“Oh, yes.”
“Also, I heard the Fourth S-rank Hunter is coming to us…”
“Our team?”
His despicable words left me dumbfounded. He answered nonchalantly as if it was obvious.
“Isn’t she on Team 3? Haha.”
The same Team 3.
“Everyone’s jealous and begging me for info. I need to know something first.”
“It’s not finalized yet.”
“Is that so.”
Kim Kiun was standing before me, grinning. I wished he’d leave if he had nothing else to say.
“Oh, but Mr. Moon Jeongil from management urgently requested something. I printed out the related email.”
Just as Kim Kimon said, a printed sheet lay on my desk. The gist was that Team 2 was supposed to clear a Gate, but due to other commitments, they urgently asked Kim Kimon to handle it.
“You know it’s impossible for me alone, right? It should be handled by the team.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“The task came to me. I’m currently off, but the rewards will all go to the team leader. I’ll just provide support.”
Surprised by his words, I looked at Kim Kimon. He smiled genuinely and continued.
“Consider it my apology.”
The words of an old basketball coach made me smile involuntarily.
“Oh, that’s good.”
Kim Kimon had tossed the bait sooner than I expected.
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