Chapter 51: Fame (2)

Shhk, shhhk.

It feels like both my body and mind are relaxing after working my muscles for the first time in a while.

Usually, when I was training, Kim Taeyang and Kim Inho would be beside me.

But today, both of them have gone out for Dungeon riding.

Instead—

“Hello, Team Leader. Would you like an ion drink?”

A woman in a tank top pushes her hair behind her ear as she offers me a drink.

“Huff, huff. Power, power! I’m power!”

Next to me, a muscular meathead shouts as he crushes out bench presses.

Wow, you’re over there pumping iron with bags of rice on both sides.

“Hello, I’m Gu Bongdal, Team Leader of the newly formed Team 4. Let’s work well togeth—.”

Annoying.

I like attention since I’m a bit of a show-off, but this is too much.

At the very least, people shouldn’t act like this during sacred Training time.

‘I’d rather just train at home.’

To be honest, I came today planning to mess with the twins because training alone is boring.

But with so many people trying to get my attention, this isn’t going to work.

There used to be hardly anyone in the Hanul Guild’s training room, but recently a lot of new Hunters have joined and it’s started feeling crowded.

I finished my Training roughly and left the training room.

I could feel the prickling gazes of the new Hunters on my back, making my scalp itch.

After a shower, I returned to the team office and found Olivier waiting for me.

“Hero. Long time no see, huh?”

“What’s up?”

“That thing you suggested before, it’s been approved.”

Olivier set the approval documents on my desk.

After checking, I saw that the new recruit Hunter hell training schedule had been approved.

“Wow, you look like a villain.”

“What?”

“That smile of yours.”

“You’ve got to be kidding. Honestly, who else is as fresh as me?”

I turned to look at myself in the mirror.

Hmm. Okay, maybe I do look a bit scary.

I can’t seem to control my expression, thinking about tormenting clueless newbies again after a long time.

No, calling it tormenting sounds a bit wrong.

Honestly, I’ve emphasized it before, but—just because you awakened powers, you think you’re a superhuman! No need for Training!

If you think like that, you’ll just end up with your head cracked by a goblin rock.

Training is the foundation. And you always need to train as if it’s the real thing.

It’s all out of my ‘kind’ heart, wanting to help others in the business.

“But are you going to be okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“Training Hunters, running the team, doing Guarder work. And on top of that, you’re raiding too.”

She’s not wrong.

I like Training, but right now I’m busy growing myself and catching villains.

“Well, first things first, I need to make a plan.”

We’ve just brought in a bunch of new Hunters, and Team 4 has been established. The problem is, most of the Hunters want to transfer to Team 3.

In the past, other Team Leaders would have started trying to block me, but after a recent clean sweep, everything is smooth.

The new Team 1 and Team 2 leaders used to be at Hanul, and they seemed alright. Pretty capable, too.

Im Jaejoon, as expected of a former Demon King, runs things well.

The guild is visibly growing.

“But what are you going to do about this?”

Olivier handed me another document.

I took it and saw a familiar Guild Registration Application.

“Minors can’t join guilds, can they?”

“She’s from Raon Academy. It’s like a Hunter training institute, so they can come out for field practice.”

The reason I’m saying this is because the applicant is Karin.

There’s no law saying a minor can’t become an official guild member.

There are already some friends recognized for their talents who’ve joined guilds.

I know Karin’s talent better than anyone.

The Saint, with the power of a priest.

Karin possesses healing power with magic that crosses dimensions, and every nation in that other world coveted her.

“Overprotectiveness isn’t good, you know.”

“Overprotectiveness, my foot.”

Unbelievable. What kind of misunderstanding is Olivier under?

If Karin wants to earn her own living, who am I to stop her?

She’s been saying for a while that she wants to earn money for the sake of the residents on the Floating Island.

“She’s the best Healer Vending Machine there is, of course we should bring her in. Obviously.”

“Yeah, sure, like you don’t mean it.”

“I do! It’s super convenient! Press a button, heal. Press a button, heal. I’ll keep her by my side and work her to the bone.”

“Do as you please.”

Olivier said she’d push the paperwork through and left.

She’s a minor in Korea, but in the other world, she was more adult than most.

I left the office and stepped outside.

No Dungeons to go to, and working out at the guild is a hassle.

So I headed for my old workplace.

Working out alone at home is boring, and there are too many distractions at the guild.

“Hello.”

I opened the door to my first workplace for the first time in a while.

Hmm, something’s off. Why is it so quiet?

Whenever I came to the Training Center, the hot air from people giving their all always welcomed me.

I liked that vibe.

But now, the air is cold.

It’s not just my imagination—there’s no one here, it’s deserted.

What’s going on? Is it a holiday today?

“Oh, Hyunbin. What brings you here?”

“Hey. Why’s there no one here?”

A senior I used to work with gave a bitter smile at my question.

“That’s how it is.”

“What do you mean? Where did all the Trainers go?”

“Well, Director told us not to talk about it, but…”

As my senior awkwardly opened up, I let out a dumbfounded laugh.

“The War God?”

“Yeah, apparently. But who knows. When a big company wants to crush a minor guild, it’s over, you know?”

Apparently, a few new Hunters came in from the War God Guild to train.

War God has its own training center, so it was odd that they sent their Hunters here. But then, surprise.

The new Hunters’ training attitude was awful, and they provoked the Trainers.

Conflicts broke out, and the War God made a complaint and raised hell.

Whether it was because of rumors or War God’s pressure, no more rookie Hunter training came in.

For two months, there was no work at all, and everyone had to go out and look for clients. But the problem didn’t stop there.

“Oh my, Hyunbin. How long has it been?”

“Long time no see.”

“You could’ve called if you were coming.”

Just then, the Director arrived at the center.

Still wearing that tight pink shirt, but unlike before, his once cheerful face was now tired.

“Director, I’m sorry.”

“You heard, huh? But why are you apologizing? It’s got nothing to do with you. Don’t worry about it.”

It’s true I have a complicated history with the War God Guild. I’d like to think it’s just a coincidence, but my senior said he heard something specific.

If you’re mad, go tell Hyunbin, apparently.

“Let’s head in.”

My Director is a really good guy, aside from being bald and gay.

When I first returned to the modern world, with no way to make a living, he gave me a job.

Back then, I had no money even for living expenses, and Karin was watching me to see if we could afford even ramen.

I swallowed my pride and, at thirty years old, asked for an advance.

I’d only been working two days.

But the Director didn’t ask anything and just gave me the money.

Honestly, I was touched.

If it were me, I wouldn’t have given an advance to some underqualified rookie Trainer I barely knew.

But the Director did.

Later, at a company dinner with the help of some alcohol, I asked him why. He said,

“Muscles don’t lie.”

It was dumb, but also kind of cool.

Now that my Director is in trouble, there’s no way I can’t help.

Especially since, in a way, this is partly my fault.

“Love’s always like that. How could they change so suddenly.”

The Director dabs at his eyes with a handkerchief in front of me.

“Still, I’ll get back up. I’ll find a new love.”

“Ah, yes.”

“If only my man had been someone like you, Hyunbin.”

The Director says, flashing a suggestive smile.

Uh, can I punch him?

He really is a good guy, except for being an actual gay.

“Everyone knows Hyunbin from our center. If we close our doors after producing someone like you, it’d be a shame. Don’t worry.”

The Director laughs as he says this.

On top of everything else, he even got scammed by his partner. Thanks to that, the center’s on the verge of closing.

The Trainers are all out looking for clients, but with no results.

There are plenty of Training Centers out there, but no one wants to get on War God’s bad side.

“Director.”

“Yeah, Hyunbin?”

Maybe this is for the best.

“Let’s start a business together.”

“A business?”

It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while.

Hunters just get basic education and then train on the job in real Dungeons.

But I’m against that.

Hunters connected to the System do level up and grow faster with real experience. But throwing them into Dungeons to mine Magic Stones without proper Survival Training or actual Training just creates unnecessary casualties.

Just look at how Winners Guild crashed and burned recently.

Winners was ranked 13th in the industry, now they’ve fallen outside the top 40.

“Let’s try that Hunter Training Aspiration Project you wanted to do.”

“Oh, that? Isn’t that thing brutal, Hyunbin? Didn’t all the 1st batch Hunters run away and quit on day one?”

To be honest, we once tried to do a Hunter business together, the Director and I.

I wanted to try it, and with tens of billions in the account, I wanted to use it for something.

If we were going to do a business, I figured we should do what we’re good at.

But the first batch all quit in less than a day.

“This time, let’s change up the curriculum.”

“Change it?”

“This time, I won’t be the instructor myself. The Trainers will run it, and we’ll buy a Dungeon for practical training.”

“Buy a Dungeon? Do you know how much that costs?”

Both the Director and my senior jumped at the idea.

“The price depends on the Magic Stone reserves, but in competitive bidding, it goes for hundreds of billions. Hyunbin, I know you’re doing well, but that’s out of reach.”

“No way I could buy it with my own money.”

They looked at me as if asking what I planned to do.

I sent a text on my phone.

A reply came right away.

I know the guild is doing well these days and cash is flowing in, right?

Let’s see. I’ll get Im Jaejoon to buy the Dungeon for now.

And I’ll push all the new rookie Hunters from guilds asking for help with training into the Hunter Training Aspiration Project. If they show good results, other guilds are bound to take notice.

Add a little flavor with my own name value.

It’s a new brand, but the promotional effect will be strong. If only I could catch one more earth dragon…

Once the blueprint is set, I’ll leave the actual Training to the Director and my Trainer colleagues—they know very well how to grind people.

“Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll take care of everything.”

I grinned, reassuring the two.

War God. This is probably the handiwork of that HR manager, Kim Shin.

A smile crept across my lips.

Looks like it’s time to step on some toes.

“What are you doing there?”

“Huh? There’s a Dungeon here, so…”

“You don’t know War God Guild already has the rights? Get lost, now.”

War God Guild’s Raid Team Leader, Baek Juhwan, looked at the party from a minor guild with only three members.

Just a handful of people, barely a minor business-level guild. Never even heard of them.

“Uh, we’re allowed on the first floor too, though?”

For starting guilds, the government gives out the right to raid the first floor for free, as a kind of social reinvestment.

“First floor? That’s before we showed up. Get lost.”

“….”

It was frustrating, but the opponent was War God.

If you tick them off, you’ll never make it in this business. Gritting their teeth, the minor guild turned away.

“Everyone check your equipment. We’ll split into two groups and start the raid today.”

Raid Team Leader Baek Juhwan was preparing to lead today’s low-level Dungeon raid.

His own party and a newly recruited rookie party would be joining.

Because their Dungeon raids had been lagging, they’d even gone through the training center.

It was humiliating. He’d spent enough time in the field, it was about time to become an executive.

‘Because of that damned guy.’

Baek Juhwan thought of that annoying guy.

Lower specs and less experience than himself, yet acting arrogant and running wild.

He wished he’d just gotten himself killed somewhere, but instead he’d made it to S-rank and was now the hottest Hunter around.

He was just a porter before.

“We’re the only raid group here today, so let’s sweep up everything. But stay sharp, everyone.”

“Uh, Team Leader.”

Just then, he heard murmurs among the party members.

Baek Juhwan turned his gaze. A man wearing a Power Suit was walking over.

A white Power Suit with a Guarder armband.

There were only two people in the country who wore that outfit.

“Lee Hyunbin?”

“Well, long time no see?”

Why the hell is he here?

Baek Juhwan was caught off guard by Lee Hyunbin’s sudden appearance.

Today’s Dungeon raid was supposed to be War God only. Aside from Hanul, no other guild even got the bid.

“Wow, it’s really Lee Hyunbin.”

“Unbelievable. I saw that video.”

Baek Juhwan wanted to swear at the rookies chattering excitedly, not realizing the situation. He barely held it in and spoke up.

“What’s going on here.”

“What do you mean, we’re here for a Dungeon raid.”