That evening.
I headed straight to the Hunter Association.
“…Hunter Cha Hasang-nim. We’ve been waiting.”
A neatly dressed association employee handed me a single document.
It was the completion certificate confirming the handover of 100 E-grade magic stones.
“Thank you for your contribution to the association. The quest reward has been deposited into your dedicated account.”
Hunters who complete a request receive a modest reward.
For an E-grade quest, it usually amounted to around 400,000–500,000 won.
An absurdly small sum for risking one’s life.
That’s why hunters have a separate main source of income.
Soon, the employee handed me another document.
A tax form filled with all sorts of complicated terms and numbers.
As I accepted it, the employee began explaining.
“We will purchase the additional magic stones you submitted at current market price. Would you like that amount deposited into your account as well?”
“Yes. Please do.”
The magic stones I turned in: 178 E-grade, 51 D-grade, 29 C-grade, 3 B-grade.
I sold everything except the 100 E-grade stones required for the quest.
The figure written on the document was equivalent to roughly ten years’ salary for a new hire at a decent mid-sized company.
Yet my one complaint was…
“They’re taking 40% in taxes? That’s a bit harsh.”
Thanks to hiring a tax accountant specializing in hunters, it was only this much; otherwise, they would’ve eaten half.
Perhaps overhearing my mutter, the employee made an awkward expression.
“I’m sorry. Recently, government regulations on awakened individuals have become much stricter.”
Well, that makes sense.
Incidents and accidents involving awakened people are increasing day by day.
From illegal vigilante groups to all kinds of awakened criminal organizations running rampant.
Because of that, public opinion is growing that the government needs to strictly control and manage awakened individuals.
Anyway, with the current climate, hunter-related tax laws have become stricter, and massive taxes are now slapped on magic stone transactions.
But.
Well, in my case, it doesn’t really matter even if they take a lot in taxes.
The magic stones I turned in were just a drop in the bucket.
Every single A-grade and B-grade magic stone I mined from the hidden dungeon’s treasure vault was safely stored inside Morgue’s Magical Warehouse.
Pure unearned income.
I can just wait for the tax regulations to loosen and sell them little by little.
At that moment.
“Ahem… ahem…”
The employee cleared his throat and looked at me.
He then handed over another sheet.
A document with printed ID photos of Kim Cheolwoo and the other raid members.
Next to the photos were unfamiliar names I had never heard before.
Every single one was either an illegal immigrant or an unregistered awakened criminal.
“As you may have heard, all the Faith & Righteousness raid members who accompanied Hunter Cha Hasang-nim were criminals using falsified identities. The Hunter Administration Bureau is currently investigating the case.”
I silently nodded.
I had already been questioned by investigators from the Bureau the moment I arrived at the association.
Kim Cheolwoo.
More precisely, the criminal who killed the real Kim Cheolwoo and impersonated him.
Apparently, one of his accomplices could alter appearances.
Afterward, the fake Kim Cheolwoo killed all the original raid members and replaced them with his criminal colleagues.
They had repeated the same method several times before finally getting caught this time.
…No wonder he seemed so used to killing people.
Anyway.
The fact that they were a criminal organization actually helped me.
1. A criminal group that falsified identities cleared the hidden dungeon and fled.
2. The victim, Cha Hasang, barely escaped with only the magic stones.
3. The fleeing criminal group is currently missing.
That was the official conclusion from both the Hunter Association and the Hunter Supervision Bureau.
Thanks to that, I was released after only a simple investigation.
Soon, having received the payment for the magic stones, I left the association.
“Now then, what should I do with this money…?”
The amount earned from selling the surplus magic stones.
Even after getting brutally taxed, it was still a considerable sum.
Maybe I’ll check the auction house and see if any decent artifacts are up.
The moment I thought that, notification messages began popping up like bamboo shoots after rain.
-Ding-dong!
<Warning! The Smiling Woman is slowly beginning to smile! Damage is accumulating in the warehouse!>
<Warning! A small laugh is leaking from the Smiling Woman’s mouth! Damage is accumulating in the warehouse!>
<Warning! The Smiling Woman has opened her mouth and begun laughing loudly! Damage is accumulating in the warehouse!>
<Warning! The Smiling Woman’s laughter is gradually growing louder! Damage is accumulating in the warehouse!>
“Goddamn it, again?”
Inside Morgue’s Magical Warehouse are all sorts of colorful things.
The problem is that some of the stored items require special attention at regular intervals.
The one currently throwing a fit is storage number MRG-9778, commonly known as the “Smiling Woman.”
I pulled out Featherback’s logbook and flipped to the relevant page.
Flip—
<Smiling Woman>
– Storage number: MRG-9778
– Storage tier: Terror
You do not have viewing permission for this page, so major details cannot be confirmed.
As expected, nothing is visible.
Only the name, storage number, and tier. Everything else was blocked and unreadable.
The Smiling Woman is stored in the third layer, the “Terror” layer.
It seems I need access rights to the Terror layer to view the information.
-Ding-dong!
<Morgue’s Magical Warehouse has sent a new request!>
– Stop the fit of MRG-9778 “Smiling Woman.”
▶ The Smiling Woman will only stop laughing if luxury goods are torn apart.
▶ Secure luxury goods to provide to the Smiling Woman.
This is the part that pisses me off the most.
The only way to calm the Smiling Woman is by giving her “luxury goods.”
And it’s not just any luxury goods.
If I toss in cheap fakes or anything that only looks expensive, she instantly detects it and goes berserk.
I once put in a fake Chanel wallet I bought at Dongdaemun market, and she smashed everything. It was chaos.
The cycle for providing luxury goods to the Smiling Woman is roughly every two weeks to a month.
“How the hell did Featherback manage this? Isn’t there some pro tip in the guidebook?”
While flipping through the guidebook, a familiar line suddenly caught my eye.
<When your fame rises, the title of Warehouse Keeper may change.>
It was the same line I saw when I received an F-rank in the hunter qualification exam.
I read it several times, my eyes sparkling.
“This… if I play it right, I can literally pay-to-win and level up my specs?”
An idea flashed in my mind like a light bulb.
Pay to Win.
A plan to become a full-fledged “cash warrior.”
***
That same evening.
Galleryan Luxury Department Store in Apgujeong, Seoul.
A place that could confidently be called the most extravagant spot in South Korea.
Orange chandeliers, marble floors transparent as glass.
Soft classical music and the sweet, fragrant scent of perfume.
Everything added to the luxurious atmosphere befitting the location.
Every person browsing the luxury section was decked head-to-toe in brands worth millions to tens of millions of won.
Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada, Hermès, and so on.
The top-tier women’s luxury brands lined up like rivals.
Among them, from inside the Chanel store came the excited squeals of twenty-year-old college girls.
“What’s going on? It’s seriously so pretty, Yerim-ah.”
“Insane! No wonder she’s a Chanel exclusive model; it’s literally made for Yerim.”
“Look at that Realuda~ the design is insane.”
“When will I ever get to carry a bag like that~”
At the center of the girls stood a woman boasting stunning beauty.
Kim Yerim.
She had come with friends to buy luxury bags.
Shoulder bags, petite evening bags, handheld clutch bags, and more.
Kim Yerim tried on every item in the Chanel store one by one.
Some gave off an elegant vintage vibe, some a refined and modest aura, others a sophisticated feel.
Every single one suited her perfectly.
Then, from behind Kim Yerim came Kim Youngjun’s voice.
“Wow~ everything looks pretty when Yerim holds it. The hanger really matters, huh~”
Kim Youngjun, who had voluntarily tagged along as a bag carrier without being asked.
Of course, there was a reason Kim Yerim had allowed him to come so easily.
“Youngjun sunbae.”
“Hm? What?”
“That dinner you promised to set up with me, you, and Hasang oppa last time. When is that happening?”
“Ah~ that? I want to set it up too, but Hasang seems super busy. He hasn’t answered my calls since yesterday. Probably grinding away at his loading/unloading part-time job. Gotta work hard to pay for that foreign car, right? He suddenly bought a Benz Royce even though he’s not even into showing off? Anyway, Yerim-ah, why am I ‘sunbae’ but Hasang is ‘oppa’? You can call me oppa too~ Hey, Yerim-ah……?”
Kim Youngjun kept talking nonstop.
Ignoring him, Kim Yerim carried the Chanel handbag she was holding to the counter.
The store manager approached with a bright smile.
“Miss Kim Yerim, how was the drawstring bag you purchased last time?”
“It looked really pretty when I coordinated it the way you recommended.”
“I’m glad. How would you like to pay? As always, one lump sum?”
“Yes, one lump sum, please.”
Kim Yerim bought a bag worth well over 5 million won without batting an eye.
It was a gift from her father for taking first place in her freshman class this semester.
One of the college girls watching swallowed dryly and spoke.
“Yerim-ah, you come here often, huh? Even the manager remembers your name…”
“Hm? Ah… the branch manager here is close with my dad, so I visit sometimes.”
The girls who had come with Kim Yerim once again sent envious glances.
“As expected~ Yerim is a golden spoon.”
“Hey, I’m not even a real golden spoon. There are so many truly rich people out there.”
Kim Yerim’s gaze turned toward the Chanel display shelves.
On those shelves were bags far more expensive and higher-grade than the one she had just bought.
Golden-spoon items.
Products for the “real” rich.
…Only someone who can casually buy everything on that display shelf without thinking twice can be considered a true golden spoon.
At that moment.
“Wow, look over there… that’s insane…”
“What the heck, is that guy the youngest son of a chaebol family?”
“He’s buying all of that? How many is he even getting?”
A huge crowd had gathered in front of the Louis Vuitton store across the way, as if watching some spectacle.
…What’s going on?
Kim Yerim slowly walked toward the Louis Vuitton store.
At the same time, her eyes gradually widened.
A familiar man was inside the Louis Vuitton store.
Then, Kim Youngjun’s voice came from behind her.
“Huh? Why the hell is that guy here? Isn’t he supposed to be at his loading job?”
The familiar figure standing in the Louis Vuitton store.
Kim Yerim muttered blankly.
“Hasang… sunbae?”
It was none other than Cha Hasang.
Soon, Cha Hasang pointed at an entire display shelf.
“……From here to there, give me everything.”
Along with one utterly shocking sentence.
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