Two people walk down a dark corridor.
There is a silence fitting for a guide and the person being guided.
The man walking in front glances back.
The person covered head to toe in a black robe quietly follows along, not glancing around even though it must be their first time here.
The man’s gaze drops to the robed figure’s chest.
Pinned to the chest is a mushroom-shaped golden brooch.
A golden brooch.
It is an item that proves one is an executive of the terrorist organization Crowd, which operates worldwide.
“Is there something you’re curious about?”
He suddenly asks a question.
The man, who had been glancing back, blushes. He is quite embarrassed to have been caught peeking.
The man says, almost as an excuse,
“Sorry. I never expected a member of that Crowd to come in person to meet our boss.”
“Is that so?”
“I always thought a day like this might come. Our boss is as strong as a monster, after all.”
“Like a monster, you say?”
“Yes. Truly, like a monster…”
He trails off, trembling.
It is not fear engraved in his mind, but fear imprinted in his very body.
Seeing that, Mushroom lifts the corner of his lips in a slight smile.
The man does not notice the smile.
Soon, the man’s guidance comes to an end, blocked by a massive door.
“Boss and the other executives should be waiting inside.”
“Thank you for showing me the way.”
Mushroom bows his head.
The man gives an awkward laugh and leaves the front of the door. As a mere guide, he does not have the qualification to enter.
Left alone, Mushroom reaches out to open the door.
The two doors swing open before his hand can even touch them.
Someone inside has opened them.
Two burly men hold each door, bowing their heads.
Mushroom ignores their greeting and steps inside.
The room is as grand as the massive doors suggest, and as if to match that size, many people wait for Mushroom.
Almost as if preparing for an attack.
“…….”
Mushroom walks forward without hesitation and sits on a sofa that seems prepared just for him.
Across from him, three men and women sit on another sofa.
A man sits in the center, flanked by two women nestled in his arms.
He is Lee Jung-geun, boss of the underworld guild “Canis.”
Lee Jung-geun does not even look at Mushroom, instead alternately savoring the lips of the women at his sides.
Thirty seconds, a minute, five minutes pass.
Then Lee Jung-geun finally withdraws his arms from around the two women.
“Boring.”
“Are you finished? ‘Mad Dog’ Lee Jung-geun.”
Mushroom asks, even adding a smile.
Lee Jung-geun scratches his head and leans forward.
“So, you say you’re from Crowd?”
“Yes.”
“Why have you come to see me? Lately you’ve been playing with those Libra bastards. Is it about that?”
“Ah, no. I came for something else. About Baek Do-un—”
“Alright, I’ll take care of it.”
“What…?”
Mushroom closes his mouth, caught off guard by the man’s ready agreement.
He had calmly watched Lee Jung-geun suck on a woman’s lips for five minutes, yet now he is flustered.
Lee Jung-geun grins as if amused.
“Crowd wants to give me a job? Of course I should accept.”
“Refreshing attitude.”
“But.”
Of course.
Mushroom nods inwardly.
“But, what?”
“But only if you really are from Crowd.”
“Excuse me?”
Having heard the condition, Mushroom reflexively asks again.
The statement makes no sense.
Why add the condition “if you’re really from Crowd” to someone who is truly from Crowd?
Lee Jung-geun, who had leaned forward, now leans back against the sofa.
“I’ve been in this business a long time. I’ve crossed paths with Crowd before.”
“And?”
“They all had the same smell. A very, very dangerous smell.”
“A smell, huh. Just like a ‘dog.'”
That is sarcasm.
It is mocking a man whose nickname is Mad Dog.
Knowing this, the Canis members standing against the wall glare with burning eyes.
They look as if they would attack immediately if their boss gave the word.
Their loyalty calls to mind a pack of obedient hounds.
“Kik, kikikik.”
Lee Jung-geun’s laughter rings through the room.
Only then do the fires in the Canis members’ eyes subside.
“Yeah, I’m a dog.”
“I didn’t expect you to admit it so easily.”
“What’s wrong with being a dog? I like that nickname.”
“…….”
“Anyway, I still doubt you’re really from Crowd.”
“To prove it, I gave you Violet Powder.”
“Made good use of it.”
As he says this, Lee Jung-geun looks back at the women.
Both women beside him are slumped over, drooling.
Their pupils do not move.
They are dead.
“Did I give them too much?”
“You gave that to ordinary people? It’s a drug for the gifted.”
“Gave it, you say?”
He snaps his fingers.
Several men nearby approach and remove the women.
Watching this, he continues,
“If anyone saw, they’d think I forced it on them. They begged me for it.”
Lee Jung-geun grins slyly.
He pulls an empty packet from his pocket.
“I hate to say this after using it all, but this doesn’t prove anything.”
Thud.
The empty packet that once held Violet Powder falls to the floor.
“Violet Powder is easy to get at any underground market, isn’t it?”
“Sigh, alright. Then what would convince you I’m from Crowd?”
“Show me proof. Proof I cannot doubt.”
With that, Lee Jung-geun rises from his seat.
Ash-gray mana begins to gather around him.
So much mana that even his subordinates seem to struggle under the pressure.
Soon, Lee Jung-geun’s body cracks and transforms into a giant dog with three heads.
He now looks like the mythological gatekeeper of hell.
“If you want to run, now is your only chance. I won’t bother chasing you.”
“You’re quite the liar. Since when does a hound not chase its prey?”
The unbelievable claim makes Mushroom laugh.
Mushroom stands up, unable to suppress his laughter.
“A dog is more likely to stop barking than stop chasing.”
“Heh, you’re clever.”
“Some hunting dog you are.”
He steps forward.
At that moment, Lee Jung-geun’s subordinates start collapsing one by one.
Lee Jung-geun looks around in confusion.
He can’t understand why his men are dropping like flies.
“You dare oppose your master, who gave you that power?”
“What?”
“Lee Jung-geun. You who became a ‘servant among servants.’ Obey me.”
“What in the world…”
Lee Jung-geun cannot finish his sentence.
His dazed eyes look as if he is under hypnosis.
“Sit.”
At the command, Lee Jung-geun immediately bends all four legs.
He looks just like a well-trained, giant dog.
Seemingly pleased by this, Mushroom bursts out laughing.
“Just wait, Baek Do-un!”
Is someone talking about me?
Why are my ears so itchy all of a sudden?
I scratch my ear with my pinky and glance at the notification window.
[The total mana obtained from the World Tree’s roots this time is 221,020.]
[90% remains until the first Fruit is achieved.]
I have no idea what this Fruit is supposed to be.
No matter how much I tap, no explanation appears.
Just in case, I tried hunting another Red Manticore through the World Tree’s roots on the way down, but no message popped up.
However, there is one thing that has changed.
A Fruit Storage slot has appeared in my character window.
[Fruit Storage – Over 10%]
Like this.
It is clear that collecting mana raises the Fruit Storage.
But when I hunted the Red Manticore, it didn’t increase.
Does it go up depending on the type of monster?
“Wait, you mean you turned into a monster?”
A woman’s voice rings out.
When I snap back to my senses and look ahead, an Association staffer and Ji Sang-uk are talking.
They’re discussing what happened at the Hallasan Gate.
The Association staffer looks annoyed, probably because it’s long past quitting time but she can’t leave.
“Yes, that’s right. I don’t know why it happened.”
“I really don’t understand why you’re saying this to me.”
I had asked the eleven Hunters I met there to keep it a secret.
They agreed.
Except for one, a sharp-looking Hunter who said, “I think we need to report this to the Association.”
I didn’t intend to hide it from the Association either, so I agreed.
It’s better for the Association to know about this beforehand, so there won’t be confusion later.
When I asked them to keep it secret, I just meant not to spread it recklessly.
That’s why we are at the Association now.
“Hunter Ji Sang-uk. Are you telling me to believe that?”
“It’s the truth!”
“Sigh, I heard about you from Mr. Park.”
“Excuse me?”
“He said you’ve been looking really bad lately and was worried. I think I see what he means. Please, take a break.”
“But…”
Ji Sang-uk falls silent.
He may look completely human now, albeit emaciated, but there’s no evidence he was ever a monster.
With no proof, he can’t convince anyone.
It’s easier to believe he experienced some mental breakdown.
That’s probably why the Association staffer said, “Please, take a break.”
If I had known, I would have brought the other Hunters from the Gate as well.
It would have been easier to convince her if I could transform into something like a Black Manticore.
“Okay, please go home. Be sure to get some rest.”
At this, Ji Sang-uk looks at me.
His drooping eyebrows seem to ask what he should do.
“Hyung-nim…”
Why is he suddenly calling me hyung-nim?
I just shrug my shoulders at him.
I don’t have any brilliant ideas either.
You need evidence to persuade anyone.
Even if I talk about Violet Violence, it would be hard to make her understand.
It’s not proven.
And I’m no expert on potions, so my words have no weight.
So, I’d better focus on preparing for any trouble that might arise.
I hold my smartphone out to the Association staffer.
“……?”
“Hunter Ji Sang-uk turned into a monster and Hunter Baek Do-un turned him back. We clearly informed the Jeju branch of the Hunter Association, Ms. Choi Eun-ah.”
“Why are you recording something like this…”
“We’ve clearly informed you, right?”
“Sigh, yes, yes. I’ve received your report, very clearly.”
She answers with a deep sigh.
Her frowning face is covered with annoyance.
Good.
Now I have an excuse for when someone asks why I didn’t report it earlier.
I switch screens on my phone.
Sprout appears again, still in its baby tree form.
Cute yet dignified.
“Uh, huh? You’re just leaving?”
“Yeah? Not leaving?”
“But…”
“It’s pointless to keep trying to convince someone who won’t believe you. We’ve done what we had to do.”
With that, I leave the Association building.
Ji Sang-uk hesitates for a moment, then follows me out.
He must have realized there’s nothing he can do by himself.
“Hyung-nim, what will you do now?”
……
Where did the guy who used to call me “Baek Do-un, Baek Do-un” go?
As I stare at him, Ji Sang-uk tilts his head and grins.
“How about black pork? Jeju is famous for its black pork.”
“It does sound tasty.”
“Then—”
“I have somewhere I need to go, so I can’t.”
“Really? Oh, are you going to see ‘Lee Si-hyung’?”
Lee Si-hyung.
That’s the name of the SiTopTV producer.
Ji Sang-uk rattles off his name, where he lives, and all his main hangouts.
He’s grateful, since I turned him back from a monster into a human.
Of course,
“I told you I’d handle it, didn’t I?”
He adds that too.
Meaning he’ll take care of it so I won’t be bothered.
Hearing that, I decided to leave it to him.
Right now, I’m heading to the hospital.
“Hospital? Why are you going there?”
“Why do you think? For you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, I need to make sure your body is alright.”
“Ah.”
Of course, there shouldn’t be any issues.
After all, the mana of the World Tree was what turned his monstrous body back to human.
But just in case, I want him to get checked out.
Then my phone vibrates in my hand.
Yoo Jae-yi sent a message.
[Where are you right now? Soo-jung says to come to the workshop immediately.]
To the workshop, huh…
Why do I get the feeling it’s about Violet Violence?
I look at Ji Sang-uk.
“Change of destination.”
“Okay, it doesn’t matter to me. Where are we going?”
“Seoul.”
If she says to come right away, I have to go.