Monday, the start of another week, arrived after the weekend passed.
As usual, Seong-jun’s party finished their dungeon hunt without any trouble and headed to a restaurant for dinner.
“Wow! If we keep earning like this every day, we’ll be rich in no time!”
Since they made over 80 million today, both Gwang-taek and Yu-seon received a settlement of nearly 30 million.
Of course, Seong-jun’s share far exceeded 30 million.
Earning this much every day meant they could pull in hundreds of millions every month.
Perhaps that was why Gwang-taek was enjoying every single day.
Watching him, Yu-seon spoke playfully.
“Ah! I smell a pauper nearby. How can you talk about being rich when you don’t even have 10 billion in your bank account?”
“Urgh! Yu-seon, you’re stabbing your older brother in the heart.”
“What? Was it just a dagger? That did less damage than I expected. I thought I’d at least pierce your chest with a longsword. I’ll have to try harder next time.”
Seong-jun and his group were sharing a casual conversation over dinner and drinks.
Then.
“Hyung.”
Seong-jun suddenly called out to Gwang-taek with a serious expression.
“Huh? What is it?”
“You mentioned before that you know someone who runs a private investigation agency, right?”
At Seong-jun’s unexpected question, Gwang-taek looked puzzled.
“An investigation agency? Yeah, I do. An old high school classmate of mine. We were pretty close. We still meet up for drinks every now and then. But why are you asking about an investigation agency all of a sudden?”
Why would he be looking for such a place out of the blue?
As Gwang-taek asked in confusion, Seong-jun looked at him and spoke.
“I want to find someone.”
“A person? Who?”
When asked who he was looking for, Seong-jun hesitated for a moment before speaking as if he had made up his mind.
“You know my uncle, right?”
Since they had spent quite a bit of time together, they knew the basics of each other’s family histories.
They were well aware that Seong-jun had lost his parents early and was raised by his aunt and uncle.
“Ah! The uncle you said was like a father to you?”
“Yes. It seems my uncle was scammed. And by a friend he thought he could trust, no less.”
As soon as Seong-jun finished speaking, Gwang-taek and Yu-seon jumped in surprise.
“What? A scam? And by a close friend?”
“Is that true? Wow! The world is a scary place. How could someone scam their own friend? What kind of scam was it?”
In response to the question about what happened, Seong-jun explained based on what he knew.
“It seems his friend claimed to be desperate for money, so my uncle even took out a loan to lend it to him. But then the guy just vanished. On top of that, the fried chicken shop he opened with all his retirement savings is struggling because a competitor moved in across the street. He’s in a really tough spot right now.”
After listening to Seong-jun’s explanation, Gwang-taek spoke with a serious face.
“So you’re trying to find that friend who ran off? Hmm, well, finding him is one thing, but couldn’t you just help him out with money for now?”
Seong-jun had over 10 billion won sitting in his bank account.
Therefore, paying off his uncle’s loan would be trivial.
“Sigh, I want to do that too. And I will find an opportunity to help him. But I can’t do it right now. Knowing my uncle’s personality, he’ll try to solve his own problems with his own hands no matter what. More importantly, I found out about this by chance, so my uncle doesn’t even know that I know. And if possible, I’d like to keep it that way.”
Gwang-taek, roughly understanding what Seong-jun was trying to say, nodded.
“So you want to resolve it without him knowing? And to do that, you have to catch that ‘friend’ who ran off with the money first?”
“Exactly. The problem is that I have zero information about this friend. As I said, since my uncle doesn’t know I’m aware of this, it’s awkward for me to ask him directly. The only information I can provide is about my uncle. Do you think they can find him with just that? Of course, I don’t care how much it costs.”
Extremely flimsy information. Could they really find the target with just that?
At Seong-jun’s words, Gwang-taek gave a smirk.
“Hehe, Seong-jun. It seems you don’t know much about that world yet, but everything is about money. If you have the cash, those guys can find someone with nothing but a single photograph. I’ll talk to my friend first, and if he says it’s possible, I’ll set up a meeting.”
Though he spoke casually, Gwang-taek’s face was full of confidence.
He had personally seen people tracked down with far worse and thinner information than this.
“Okay, then I’ll leave it to you. Anyway, the mood got a bit heavy because of me. Let’s have a drink.”
Seong-jun slowly raised his glass to lighten the stiff atmosphere.
At that moment.
Ring, ring, ring!
Seong-jun’s phone rang.
“Hmm? Who is it? Ah! It’s the leader of the party that was being attacked by villains in the dungeon last time. Is the reward payment finished? Let me take this call for a moment.”
Since he had saved the contact name when they exchanged numbers, he recognized him immediately.
“Hello.”
As Seong-jun answered, Jang Seok-ho’s voice came through the phone.
– Haha, hello.
You remember me, right?
“Yes, aren’t you the one I fought the villains with in the dungeon?”
– Yes, that’s right.
I’m calling because the reward payment has been processed.
If it’s alright with you, I’d like to meet in person to hand it over.
Would that be okay?
Seong-jun, who had planned to just send his account number via text or chat, looked surprised when the man asked to meet in person.
“In person? There’s no need to go through all that trouble. Wouldn’t it be better if I just text you my account number and you send it there?”
When he suggested just sending the account number to avoid the hassle of meeting, Jang Seok-ho spoke urgently.
– Oh, no.
I feel like I haven’t properly expressed my gratitude for the help last time, and didn’t I say I would give you a separate personal reward as well?
If you tell me a convenient date and time, I’ll match your schedule.
What else could he do when the man insisted like that?
“Sigh, I understand. Then how about tomorrow after our hunt, around 7:00 PM? For your information, I’ll be coming with the teammates you saw back then.”
He decided it was better to get it over with quickly if they were going to meet anyway.
It wouldn’t take much time since they would just exchange a few words and confirm the reward deposit.
– Yes, I understand.
I’ll see you tomorrow at 7:00 PM then.
With that, the call ended.
After hanging up, Seong-jun looked at Gwang-taek and Yu-seon.
“You heard that, right? The reward for handing over those villains is out. They want to meet tomorrow, so if you don’t have other plans, let’s go together.”
At Seong-jun’s words, Gwang-taek and Yu-seon replied with smiles.
“Of course. Since money is involved, I’d go anywhere.”
“I’m in too. I don’t have any other plans anyway.”
Once Gwang-taek and Yu-seon agreed, Seong-jun raised his glass again.
“Alright, then it’s settled. Let’s drink.”
Seong-jun’s group continued their conversation while exchanging drinks.
***
In the Guild Master’s office of the Glory Way Guild.
Guild Master Yu Se-hyeon was reviewing a document handed to him by the head of the intelligence team.
“Hmm, so you’re saying he’s an F-rank Buffer?”
The document he was looking at was none other than the file on Seong-jun.
“Yes. Until recently, he worked as a fixed mercenary for a party under the Taeseong Guild, but it seems there was some unfair treatment. Eventually, they couldn’t take it anymore, exposed everything that happened to them, and quit. However, what happened after that is strange. All three of them are F-rank, but after leaving their fixed mercenary positions, those three formed a team and started clearing F-rank dungeons.”
At the intelligence chief’s words, Yu Se-hyeon showed an interested expression.
“Oh? Just the three of them cleared a place that’s tough even for a full F-rank party? That means there’s a high probability they had already re-awakened by then.”
The intelligence chief nodded as if he thought the same.
“Most likely. Anyway, it seems they upgraded their dungeon rank recently after one of the members, the melee dealer Bak Gwang-taek, re-awakened as a B-rank Tanker. Of course, on the surface, it looks like Bak Gwang-taek is carrying them, but according to Team Leader Jang Seok-ho, the actual leader of the team appears to be the buffer, Kim Seong-jun. However…”
As the intelligence chief trailed off, Yu Se-hyeon asked curiously.
“Why? Is there something else?”
At Yu Se-hyeon’s question, the intelligence chief hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously.
“This is strictly my speculation, but regarding the B-rank ruin discovered recently… it’s possible that Kim Seong-jun’s party were the ones who found it.”
At those words, Yu Se-hyeon asked with renewed interest.
“The ones who found the B-rank ruin were Kim Seong-jun’s party? What makes you think that?”
“The artifacts found in that ruin are a Paladin’s sword and shield. And the class name of Bak Gwang-taek, who re-awakened as a B-rank Tanker, is Paladin. Furthermore, the timing of Bak Gwang-taek’s re-awakening test was the very next day after the ruin was discovered. Inferring from these points, I believe there is a very high probability that Kim Seong-jun’s party discovered the ruin and obtained a B-rank Tanker Awakening Stone from it.”
Seeing that the intelligence chief’s words certainly made sense, Yu Se-hyeon nodded.
“Listening to you, it does seem very plausible. But a B-rank Tanker Awakening Stone would fetch at least 70 billion won, or even over 100 billion if things went well. Did Bak Gwang-taek have the funds to pay out his team’s shares?”
Assuming Bak Gwang-taek used the Awakening Stone himself, at least tens of billions in distribution money should have gone to his teammates, Seong-jun and Yu-seon.
Did Bak Gwang-taek really have such funds?
“Based on our investigation, Bak Gwang-taek did not have that kind of capacity. Given that, if they really were the ones who found the ruin, it’s safe to assume they are either working for free until the distribution debt is paid off, or the other two gave up their shares.”
Bak Gwang-taek was so far from having tens of billions that his current financial situation was poor enough that he still lived in a semi-basement apartment.
That meant he was either providing free labor until the debt was paid, or the others had forfeited their shares, but the latter also seemed nonsensical.
Who would give up tens of billions of won?
“It would take decades to pay back tens of billions unless they discover another ruin. It’s more believable to think the other two gave up their shares… If that’s the case, it means their bond is deeper and stronger than imagined.”
If they were willing to give up tens of billions of won for a teammate and let him have the Awakening Stone, just how deep and strong was their bond?
“If that’s the case, it will be difficult to scout just one of them. In fact, three of the top ten domestic guilds, including us, have made recruitment offers to Bak Gwang-taek, but he rejected all of them to stay with his current party.”
Bak Gwang-taek, who rejected recruitment offers from top-tier guilds, and teammates who gave up tens of billions in distribution money.
If all of this was true, it had to be considered practically impossible to recruit only one of them.
It meant their bond was absolute.
“When did Team Leader Jang Seok-ho say he was meeting Kim Seong-jun?”
“He said they agreed to meet tomorrow at 7:00 PM. But are you really planning to go out there yourself?”
When asked if he was truly going personally, Yu Se-hyeon smiled.
“Of course. I can’t just stand by when there might be an ‘Irregular’ involved. Besides, if things go well, we might even be able to recruit a B-rank Tanker. Speaking of which, tell the finance chief to prepare plenty of ‘ammunition.'”
If it was impossible to take just one, he could just take all three.
Regardless of how the third member was, he was looking at a B-rank Tanker and a healer who might be an Irregular.
Though the recruitment cost would be substantial, Yu Se-hyeon judged that if Seong-jun was indeed an Irregular, it would be a cost well worth bearing.
***
That evening.
After finishing his meal and returning home, Seong-jun took a shower and lay down in bed early.
“Anyway, it’s about time I moved. I have plenty of money, so there’s no need to stick to this cramped studio apartment.”
Previously, as he drifted around as an F-rank mercenary, he couldn’t even dream of moving.
But things were different now.
He had over 10 billion won in his bank account, and money was steadily piling up through hunting.
There was no longer any reason to linger in a cramped studio.
“Even if it’s not an expensive, luxury house, I should look for a place suitable for living alone.”
Since he would be living by himself, he didn’t need a massive, expensive mansion, but he wanted a place with two or three rooms and a decent-sized living room.
A home where he could enjoy the small pleasures: sitting on the sofa after work with a can of beer while watching TV, surfing the internet or playing a game in a computer room, and then lying down in a wide bed in the master bedroom when it was time to sleep.
As he lay in bed imagining his new home.
[The Goddess of Light, Hemaias, has recognized the essence of Saintess Ermia Jaylyn.]
[The successor who inherited Ermia Jaylyn’s essence is invited to her temple. Do you wish to accept the invitation? Yes/No]
A sudden notification rang out.
“Huh? What is this now? An invitation from the Goddess of Light, Hemaias?”
It was such an unexpected situation that Seong-jun was momentarily flustered.
However, he soon regained his composure and quickly assessed the situation.
‘Ermia Jaylyn was said to be a saintess who served the Goddess of Light, Hemaias. If that’s the case, the Goddess wouldn’t harm me since I obtained her essence. There’s no reason to refuse the invitation.’
Regardless, the source of Seong-jun’s power was Ermia Jaylyn’s essence, and the foundation of that essence came from the Goddess of Light, Hemaias.
In other words, strictly speaking, Seong-jun was also under the influence of Hemaias.
Since she wouldn’t harm him, Seong-jun immediately accepted the invitation.
“I accept the invitation.”
As soon as he accepted, a golden portal formed in front of him.
Vrommmmmm!
“Whoa! A portal?”
Simultaneously, his body slowly floated up and was sucked into the portal.
Flash!
The place he entered through the portal was a large stone chamber.
It wasn’t dark due to torches installed throughout the walls, but it wasn’t exactly bright either since no natural light entered.
However, rows of giant stone statues lined the perimeter, and a goddess statue stood at the center, allowing him to guess that this was a temple.
“Kh. Is this the temple of the Goddess of Light, Hemaias?”
Just then, the eyes of the goddess statue began to glow with light.
Oooooooooh!
Then, a clear and holy voice echoed in Seong-jun’s ears.
– Child who has inherited the will of the child who followed me.
Come to me.
The voice told him to come toward the goddess statue, but Seong-jun didn’t go immediately.
Instead, he first cast Deep Analysis.
‘Deep Analysis!’
He wondered if he could learn something through Deep Analysis, just as he had done with Ermia Jaylyn’s remains.
However.
[Deep Analysis has failed.]
The notification he received was that the analysis had failed.
‘Deep Analysis failed? Is it because the target is not analyzable? Or is it because the target’s status is too high to analyze? Tsk, either way, it means I have to face this head-on.’
Now that Deep Analysis had failed, the only thing left was Seong-jun’s own judgment.
And for now, Seong-jun intended to do as the voice said.
Thump, thump.
Seong-jun slowly walked forward and soon arrived in front of the goddess statue.
“Are you the Goddess of Light, Hemaias?”
At Seong-jun’s question, the clear and holy voice spoke once more.
– Yes.
I am the Goddess of Light, Hemaias.
I am also the source of the power you possess.
The eyes of the giant goddess statue, glowing with a soft light, looked down as if gazing into Seong-jun.
The situation should have felt eerie, but Seong-jun instead felt his heart grow calm and peaceful.
It was likely due to the essence of Ermia Jaylyn within him.