Nova Team office.
The gate raid order hadn’t come down yet, so the team members and I were chatting away.
The topics varied, but most of them were about me.
“Seo Juwon, why on earth are your skeletons so strong?”
“Juwon, my older brother is a necromancer too, and he was shocked when I told him about you. He was like, ‘Necromancers can be that strong?’”
“Juwon-ah, what level are you exactly? How are you already at blue skeletons?”
“Juwon oppa, why is bone explosion so powerful? I really thought a nuke dropped.”
“Puhahaha, right? It felt just like a nuke hit. The siren was almost pitiful.”
The Nova team members chattered around me.
They were praising my performance in the harpy and siren gate the other day.
Haha, it’s embarrassing, but it feels good.
Receiving such praise from my teammates, I scratched my head sheepishly.
Getting commended by my seniors was truly something to be proud of.
I had never received such lavish acclaim from anyone in my life.
Click.
That was when it happened.
The office door opened, and Team Leader Cha Jihye walked in.
We had already greeted each other, so I was about to continue talking with the team.
“Seo Juwon Hunter.”
But Cha Jihye didn’t go to her desk and instead called my name.
The team members fell silent, and I turned to her and replied.
“Yes, Team Leader.”
“What’s this? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Huh? Tell you what?”
I said, genuinely confused.
“About receiving the Courageous Citizen Award. Why didn’t you mention it to me?”
……
“Ah, you heard?”
“Yeah. I just came back from the Silver attack squad leader’s office and heard. My god. You handled that ten-vehicle pile-up, rescued people in the process, and even got the Courageous Citizen Award for it. Why didn’t you say anything? After doing something so amazing.”
At Cha Jihye’s smile, the team members looked shocked too.
They asked if that was really true.
I nodded and confirmed it.
I really had rescued people, and that’s why I received the award.
Cha Jihye said.
“Anyway, good work, Seo Juwon Hunter. That was impressive.”
“Thank you, Team Leader. It was nothing much.”
“No, it was. The Silver attack squad leader was thrilled about it. Anyway, Seo Juwon Hunter, head to the Silver attack squad leader’s office right now. The squad leader is calling for you.”
“M-Me?”
“Yes. From the vibe, it seems like they’re going to give you some kind of reward. So hurry over.”
Cha Jihye smiled.
I was dazed at her words, but the team members were buzzing with excitement.
“Ooo! Seo Juwon! Congrats, you lucky bastard!”
“Wow, look at this guy? Already having a private meeting with the Silver squad leader?”
“Kyaa, doing good deeds pays off. Awesome. Congrats, Seo Juwon!”
“Juwon oppa, congratulations! What reward do you think the Silver squad leader will give? Ah, I’m so curious!”
“Seo Juwon, what are you waiting for? Go on already. You gonna keep the Silver squad leader waiting?”
The team members grinned and said.
They were thrilled about my good fortune.
Teams really are teams.
“Thank you, seniors. I’ll be right back.”
I greeted the team members and Cha Jihye before leaving the office.
The team cheered me on until I was out the door.
Leaving them behind, I headed to the Silver attack squad leader’s office.
I wonder what reward they’ll give.
For someone as high-ranking as the Silver squad leader to summon me personally.
And it seemed like a reward was coming.
Caught up in this unexpected stroke of luck, I walked in a daze.
In front of the Silver attack squad leader’s office.
After going through some procedures with the secretary, I finally met the Silver squad leader.
“Ah, hello. I’m Seo Juwon.”
“Oh, Hunter Seo Juwon. You’re here. Nice to meet you.”
The seasoned Silver squad leader rose from his chair, approached me, and offered a handshake.
We clasped our thick hands and shook.
The Silver squad leader said.
“I heard from Gangnam Fire Station. You handled that ten-vehicle pile-up.”
“Ah, I didn’t handle it. I just provided a little help.”
“Haha, a little? You’re quite humble. Anyway, I reported this to the executive meeting. The guild master was very pleased.”
“Th-The guild master?”
I asked in surprise.
The guild master of Myth Guild.
That meant Korea’s number one ranked hunter, Shin Daeho, had heard about it.
“Yes, the guild master was really delighted to hear of your exploits.”
“I-I see.”
“Yeah. Your name has come up in executive meetings before, but this time he was especially satisfied.”
What?
My name had come up often in executive meetings?
It was hard to believe.
“Anyway, the guild master praised you for this and ordered a reward.”
“A reward?”
“Yes. I’ll give it to you now, so follow me. You’ll like it a lot.”
The Silver squad leader said that and told me to follow him.
Still dazed, I followed after him.
***
I took the elevator down to the basement with the Silver squad leader.
Of course, it wasn’t my first time going underground.
There was a training hall down there, and I’d gone for training occasionally.
But the elevator kept descending even deeper.
To a floor regular guild members couldn’t access.
In other words, it kept going down to levels only accessible with attack squad leaders’ access cards.
Only after reaching the lowest floor did the Silver squad leader step out.
Where is this?
I walked the tidy corridor, looking around.
What was this place, located in the deep underground?
It felt like a secret space.
As I surveyed it, the Silver squad leader said.
“Ah, you wouldn’t know about this place. This is the secret vault.”
“The secret vault?”
“Yes. Where we keep all the items Myth Guild prides itself on.”
“Like a treasure room?”
“Haha, treasure room. Yes, exactly. It’s packed with rare items.”
The Silver squad leader laughed.
Whoa…
A treasure room.
Myth Guild had a place like this underground?
With my heart pounding, I followed behind the Silver squad leader.
After passing through nearly ten layers of strict security systems, I arrived in front of massive doors.
Huge doors made of silvery metal, like a bank vault.
Standing there, the Silver squad leader said.
“This is the secret vault I mentioned. The items are divided by grade.”
“I see.”
“You know how item grades are divided, right?”
“Ah, yes. I do.”
Item grades are divided into six tiers.
Normal.
Rare.
Unique.
Epic.
Legendary.
Sacred.
Naturally, Normal is the lowest, and Sacred is the highest.
Of course, even Normal grade isn’t cheap.
Infused with mana, even the lowest Normal starts at several million won.
The highest Sacred grade is estimated in the hundreds of billions, but since there are no items on the market, pricing is impossible.
“Yes. Myth Guild’s secret vault starts from Unique grade. Far left is Unique, and far right is Sacred grade items.”
“Se-Seriously? There’s even Sacred grade?”
“Haha, yes. Not many, but we do have some Sacred grade. Why, jealous?”
“Any hunter would be envious…”
“Of course. I feel the same. But Sacred grade is so rare that even I can’t access it. Only the guild master can.”
“I see. Ah, I heard the guild master’s weapon is Sacred grade—is that true?”
“Correct. The guild master’s holy sword is Sacred grade. He’s the only one in Korea with a Sacred grade weapon.”
I see.
The rumors were true.
The only Sacred grade. It really is a treasure.
I thought about the rarity of Sacred grade items and how impressive Shin Daeho was for possessing one.
“Anyway, explanation’s over. Time to give you your reward. The grade of the item I’m giving you today is Epic.”
“E-Epic grade? Not Unique?”
“Haha, yes. I thought Unique would be appropriate. But the guild master ordered an Epic grade item for you.”
“Really…?”
“Yes. He seems to think your Courageous Citizen Award greatly elevated Myth Guild’s honor.”
I nodded in a daze.
Whoa…
Unique would have been grateful enough, but an Epic grade item?
Thank you, Guild Master.
I offered deep gratitude to Guild Master Shin Daeho, whom I’d never even met.
Epic grade item.
Those start at tens of billions of won at minimum.
In other words, one good deed had netted me the equivalent of multiple consecutive lottery jackpots.
“Anyway, let’s go in. Both you and I are busy.”
The Silver squad leader said that and tapped his access card on the security system of one door.
The door that seemed to hold Epic grade items.
As he did, the door slowly opened with a mystical sound.
ZIIIIING.
The heavy circular door opened slowly.
And the moment it did, I was stunned.
“Th-This is what…!!”
The reason I was so shocked was simple.
Neatly aligned display shelves.
They were filled to the brim with items radiating golden light.
“Come in.”
“Ah, yes.”
I followed the leading Silver squad leader into the vault.
“Wow…”
Inside, there were even more shelves, and naturally, far more items.
Upper armor, lower armor, greaves, shoes, helmets, swords, staves, cloaks, throwing stars.
Items for every body part imaginable.
All of them Epic grade…
What was even more astonishing was that all these countless items were emanating a golden glow.
Meaning every single one in this place was an Epic grade item.
Epic items worth tens of billions per piece.
“Haha, eyes spinning?”
“Yes. Embarrassingly, yes. So many rare Epic items… I can’t help but be amazed.”
“That’s the power of Myth Guild. Other major guilds don’t even have 5% of this.”
Indeed.
As expected of Myth Guild.
Korea’s number one guild lived up to its name.
“Now, choose. I’ll let you pick one item you want.”
The Silver squad leader said with a smile, and I took in the vast space.
Golden glows everywhere I looked.
Jackpot…
One of the treasures in this room was mine.