The building purchased by Holy Emperor was a seven-story building located in Sinsa-dong.
The contracts for the existing tenants from the first to the sixth floors were still active, so those levels were left as they were, while only the seventh floor was being used temporarily.
Of course, once the contract periods ended, everyone would be moved out without extensions to make way for a large-scale remodeling project.
While it would take a significant amount of time for all of this to be completed, it was possible because Karl Buckman intended to maintain the Korean branch even after his treatment was finished.
And currently, Seong-jun was treating Karl Buckman’s arm in the temporary Holy Emperor Korean branch office on the seventh floor.
“Phew, that’s it for today.”
As Seong-jun deactivated [God’s Miracle] and withdrew his hand, Karl Buckman smoothed his furrowed brow and looked down at his arm.
“It’s amazing every time I experience it. To think my severed arm is being restored like this. But isn’t there anything that can be done about this pain? I thought I’d get used to it, but I just can’t.”
One might wonder how a Hunter could struggle to endure such pain, but being a Hunter didn’t mean one didn’t feel pain, nor did they feel it less than an ordinary person.
Physical pain was felt equally by Hunters and civilians alike.
“I’m not sure. Perhaps the pain will ease as the skill level rises, but for now, I don’t know. What else can we do? You’ll just have to bear it. Haha.”
Currently, the treatment time only shortened with each level up, but who knew?
Perhaps a pain-relief effect would manifest at higher levels.
“Tsk, that won’t happen until after my treatment is done. Oh! By the way, the Korean Association sent over the certification that allows me to operate in Korea. I’m planning to enter a Dungeon tomorrow. Are you interested? It would be great if we could go together.”
Like most countries, Korea had strict verification procedures for foreign Hunters who wished to operate within its borders.
Once all verification processes were finalized, a formal certificate recognizing their activities in Korea was issued, which remained valid for two years.
Naturally, it had to be renewed after two years, but unless there were special grounds for disqualification, the process was simple.
“Oh! Really? So you’re finally starting your activities in Korea. Which Dungeon did you pick for your first one?”
In Karl Buckman’s case, he had already entered Dungeons with Seong-jun’s group before, and not long ago, they had cleared an A-rank Dungeon on Gangnam-daero.
However, this would be the first time he would operate with only his own team after receiving the formal certification, so it could be considered his “first” official Dungeon.
“Harpy Valley, a wind-attribute B-rank Dungeon. It’s an aerial type, so it’s a bit tricky, and apparently, that’s why almost no parties enter it. Since it’s our first hunt, I don’t plan on rushing. I intend to hunt slowly and at a relaxed pace.”
When Karl mentioned they were going to hunt Harpies, which were B-rank aerial Monsters, Seong-jun looked puzzled.
“Harpies? Out of so many Dungeons, why choose one where aerial Monsters appear? Is there a reason?”
Dungeons where ground-based Monsters appeared made up the majority, so why go through the trouble of hunting pesky aerial Monsters?
Karl answered nonchalantly to Seong-jun’s question.
“I hunted Harpies several times back in the United States. They’re annoying, but they don’t pose a real problem for us. Besides, there was a request from the Korean Association. The Dungeon in question is located in a park in front of an elementary school in Apgujeong, and it seems to be causing a lot of headaches. They asked if I could conquer it if possible, and I agreed.”
Since it wasn’t a large-scale conquest operation involving an entire guild, it would take quite some time to clear the Dungeon.
It would be a conquest at the level of a typical party hunt.
However, given the nature of Korean guilds who tended to avoid aerial Monsters, it was clear that if left alone, the Dungeon would remain there forever.
That was why the Association had made the request.
They didn’t care how long it took; they just wanted someone to start the hunt.
Regardless, Karl Buckman’s team was a powerful party consisting entirely of A-rank Hunters, so their presence alone would be an immense help in the conquest.
“I see. I’ll ask my group first. Since it’s a Dungeon with aerial Monsters, and it’s not Dark Attribute, it’s not something I can decide on my own. I’ll get back to you within the day.”
If the Dungeon’s attribute had been Dark, he would have agreed immediately without hesitation.
But for any other attribute, it was worth considering.
Especially since the Monsters were aerial types, he needed to have a proper discussion with his team.
“Of course you should. We’re starting the hunt around 9:00 AM tomorrow, so let me know by today, even if it’s late.”
“Yes, I’ll be heading out now then.”
As Seong-jun stood up, Karl stood up with him to see him off.
***
Upon returning to the hideout, Seong-jun immediately called the group together.
Once everyone was gathered, Seong-jun told them about Karl’s proposal.
“Harpy Dungeon? Aerial types, huh. Well, is that a problem? It’s not like we’re facing dozens or hundreds at once. We’ll be hunting in small groups anyway. If we pull them down with [Chain of Light], it won’t be much different from facing ground Monsters, right?”
Unlike other parties, Seong-jun’s group had Gwang-taek, who possessed [Chain of Light].
If they were pulled down by the chain, they would be dragged to the ground immediately and rendered unable to move for ten minutes, so there was no worry about them flying back up.
In other words, it was essentially no different from fighting ground Monsters.
“That’s true. If an emergency occurs, I can cast [Chain of Light] as well.”
If other Harpies joined the fray during the hunt, Seong-jun could immediately switch his weapon to a shield and cast [Chain of Light] himself.
He could use the skills of Gwang-taek or Yuseon at least twice a day, after all.
“If Brother Gwang-taek and Brother Seong-jun are okay with it, I’m in. It wouldn’t hurt to experience aerial Monsters now. There’s no law saying aerial Monsters won’t appear in a Dungeon causing a Dungeon Break.”
Since she had never experienced aerial Monsters before, Yuseon also judged that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get some experience.
Furthermore, if the party they were entering with was Karl Buckman’s team—who had experience hunting many Harpies—it would be stable enough.
“Really? What about you, Chang-su?”
When Seong-jun asked for Chang-su’s opinion, he gave the expected answer.
“If Brother Seong-jun is going, I’m always in.”
“Then since there are no objections, I’ll contact Karl. Honestly, I was thinking we should start doing something since our outside activities have been sparse lately. Anyway, the hunt starts at 9:00 AM tomorrow, so let’s gather here by 8:00 AM.”
In the end, Seong-jun’s group decided to enter the Harpy Dungeon with Karl Buckman’s team.
But just then, Sun-hwa spoke up.
“Hey, Seong-jun. When you go into the Harpy Dungeon, could you set aside a few Harpy corpses and Mana Stones for me?”
Sun-hwa asked if she could have some Harpy remains and stones.
“Harpy corpses and Mana Stones?”
“Yeah. There’s something I want to experiment with.”
When she mentioned wanting to experiment with Harpy remains, Seong-jun asked curiously, “Wasn’t it the Drake that you needed for the experiments?”
Since the Monster Sun-hwa had fused with was a Drake, the Monsters and Mana Stones needed for the experiments should have been Drakes as well.
That was why they had separately asked the Association if they could procure Drake corpses and Mana Stones.
It was naturally puzzling that she was suddenly going to experiment with Harpies.
“The Drake is the main focus, of course. But there’s something I want to test using Harpies.”
Although the species were different, there were commonalities in that they were both aerial types.
It seemed she wanted to perform additional experiments regarding that aspect.
“I understand. How many do you need?”
When asked how many corpses and stones she required, Sun-hwa hesitated for a moment.
“Hmm…”
She looked at Seong-jun and said, “Two or three? No, I might need more depending on the situation, so get me about four or five.”
When she asked for four or five, Seong-jun nodded and replied, “Instead of that, I’ll just set aside about ten. That amount won’t significantly affect the final settlement anyway.”
For a typical party, hunting seventy to eighty Monsters in one go was the limit.
However, Seong-jun’s party could hunt several times that amount because they were armed with various buffs.
Although their hunting speed would be slower than usual since Sun-hwa—who could detect the location and size of Monster groups—would be excluded and they would have to hunt without her presence, he still expected they would hunt at least 300 to 400 Monsters.
In that context, setting aside ten wouldn’t be a big deal.
“I’d appreciate that.”
“By the way, what kind of research are you planning with Harpies?”
As Seong-jun asked curiously, Sun-hwa answered casually.
“It’s nothing big, but the Drake’s appearance is literally that of a Monster. Like in Jeju Island, people were terrified when they saw my transformed self. But Harpies have the head and body of a human woman, while only their arms and legs are avian. I don’t know if it’s possible, but I want to study Harpy DNA to see if I can maintain a similar appearance to a Harpy while retaining the Drake’s abilities.”
No matter how obsessed she was with her research to the point of sacrificing her own body, she was still a woman and a human being.
Knowing that her transformed state was that of a hideous beast, could she truly be indifferent to it?
Thus, she wanted to research Harpies—fellow aerial Monsters—to see if she could adopt a more human appearance when transformed, just like they did.
“That makes sense. If you can have a human appearance for at least your face and body like a Harpy, it would be less jarring. You’d also feel much less resistance to transforming, Sister Sun-hwa. I hope the experiment is successful. Anyway, I’ve got it.”
There wasn’t anything Seong-jun could do to help in that regard anyway.
All Seong-jun could do was provide the equipment and materials needed for the experiment and use appropriate healing skills on her when she requested them.
However, he personally hoped the experiment would succeed.
If it did, she would at least have no hesitation in unleashing the Monster’s power.
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
After finishing the conversation with his companions, Seong-jun immediately contacted Karl Buckman and told him they had decided to enter the Dungeon together.
***
A little past 8:00 AM.
Seong-jun’s group arrived at the Harpy Dungeon much earlier than the appointed time.
“Ugh, we arrived much earlier than I thought.”
They had agreed to meet at the hideout by 8:00 AM and then head out, but when Seong-jun went to the hideout around 7:30 AM just in case, everyone was already there.
Chang-su had arrived first, followed by Gwang-taek and Yuseon, and finally Seong-jun, who was the latest.
It felt awkward to just wait around at the hideout, so they had left early and arrived a little after 8:00 AM.
“Sigh. I guess all of us haven’t been able to shake off our habits from when we were mercenaries. Anyway, what should we do? It’s boring just waiting around here. Should we go in first? If anything, we can start hunting slowly.”
At Yuseon’s words, Seong-jun nodded in agreement.
“That sounds good. Besides, if we’re going to set aside the materials Sister Sun-hwa asked for, it’s better to put them in the Subspace. Let’s go in first and secure the corpses and Mana Stones for her.”
He felt awkward opening the Subspace in front of Karl Buckman and his team, so he decided to take advantage of their early arrival to get the materials for Sun-hwa and store them in the Subspace beforehand.
“Shouldn’t we contact Karl then?”
“Wait a moment.”
Telling them to wait, Seong-jun took out his cell phone and called Karl.
—Oh!
Seong-jun.
Where are you?
Don’t tell me you’ve already left?
“I’ve already arrived at the Dungeon. You haven’t left yet, right?”
When Seong-jun said they had already arrived at the Dungeon, Karl spoke in a surprised voice.
—You’ve already arrived?
We said we’d meet at 9:00 AM.
We haven’t even left yet.
What should we do?
I think you’ll have to wait a bit.
Since it was what he had expected, Seong-jun spoke casually.
“Then we’ll head inside first. We’ll be hunting near the entrance, so take your time.”
When he said they’d go in first and start hunting, Karl told him to go ahead.
—Ah!
Is that so?
Okay.
Go ahead and start hunting then.
We’ll get there as fast as we can.
After finishing the call, Seong-jun looked at his group and said, “He said they’ll come as fast as they can, so let’s go in first and start hunting.”
After saying that, he approached the Association employee guarding the portal entrance.
Recognizing Seong-jun and his group, the employee’s face lit up with delight.
“Oh! It’s Healer Kim Seong-jun and his companions.”
“Haha, yes. Hold on a second. I’ll show you our registration cards right away.”
As Seong-jun was about to take his registration card out of his wallet, the employee stopped him.
“Oh, there’s no need for that. There’s no reason to verify the identities of Healer Kim Seong-jun and his companions. You can just head inside.”
In truth, how many people in Korea didn’t know who Seong-jun was?
Especially for someone working in this field, it was impossible not to know him.
When the employee said they could just go in, Seong-jun put his wallet back and gave a light greeting.
“Is that so? Then, keep up the good work.”
“Yes! I hope you have a safe and enjoyable hunt!”
Leaving behind the employee who bowed and greeted them loudly, Seong-jun’s group entered the Dungeon Portal.
***
As it approached 9:00 AM, Karl Buckman’s team arrived in front of the Dungeon Portal.
“Phew, even though we hurried, it’s already 9:00 AM. Let’s head in.”
Karl led his teammates quickly toward the portal.
An Association employee stepped forward to stop them.
“Hello. If you wish to enter the Dungeon, please present your Hunter registration cards.”
At those words, Karl Buckman presented his S-rank Hunter registration card issued by the U.S.
Association, along with the activity approval certificate issued by the Korean Association.
“Here is my Hunter registration card, and this is the certificate issued by the Korean Association.”
The employee, seeing the S written on the Hunter registration card and verifying the Association’s certificate, jumped in surprise and scrambled out of the way.
“Oh! It’s Mr. Karl Buckman and his team! I heard you would be coming to conquer the Dungeon soon! Please, enter!”
Since Karl had specifically asked if he could conquer this Dungeon, the portal management staff had already been notified.
They had been told that Karl Buckman and his team would be coming to conquer the Dungeon soon.
As the employee moved aside, Karl headed toward the portal.
“Let’s go!”
His teammates followed behind him.
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
As Karl Buckman’s teammates all entered the Dungeon, the lone employee left behind wore a fascinated expression.
“Is today some kind of special day? I saw Healer Kim Seong-jun, who is called a Saint, and now I’ve seen the S-rank Karl Buckman from the U.S. I’ll have to brag to my friends when I’m done. Ah! I should have gotten an autograph if I knew this would happen.”
The Association employee was amazed at having seen Karl Buckman following the man known as the Saint, Seong-jun.
Seeing celebrities he had only seen in the media in person was a very rare occurrence.
As he was about to return to his seat, feeling quite regretful about not getting an autograph, another group immediately approached the portal.
“Hmm? Hello! Are you planning to enter the Dungeon? If so, you must present your Hunter registration cards.”
When the employee asked for their cards, one man from the group stepped forward and asked, “Did Karl Buckman and his companions just enter?”
The employee nodded.
“Yes, they just entered.”
“Ah! Then were there any other parties that entered before them?”
When the man asked again, the employee gave a puzzled look and replied, “There was one other team. But why do you ask? If you’re entering the Dungeon, please present your Hunter registration card. If not, please step back.”
As the employee requested the card once more, the man approached him with a smile.
“A Hunter registration card? Of course, I should give it to you. One moment.”
He reached into his clothes as if searching for it, and then—
*Slash!*
In the blink of an eye, he slit the employee’s throat with a dagger.
“Gack!”
Caught in a sudden situation, the employee frantically clutched his neck with his hands and stared at the man with eyes full of disbelief.
Unable to even scream, the employee choked and stumbled before slowly collapsing.
*Thump!*
Leaving the fallen Association employee behind, the man looked at one of his companions and spoke.
“To think there’s only one team other than Karl Buckman’s. If things go as planned, this should be a smooth success. Jennifer, you finish this as quickly as possible and come out. We’ll be controlling the entrance so no new teams can enter.”
A woman with a hood pulled down stepped forward and said, “Don’t worry, Rufus. You just keep a good watch on the entrance until I come out.”
After saying that, Jennifer entered the Dungeon.
*Whoosh!*
Once she entered, the man called Rufus looked at the group that appeared to be his subordinates and said, “Clean this up and change your clothes as quickly as possible. From now on, until Jennifer finishes her mission and comes out, we will strictly control the entrance so that no new teams enter the Dungeon.”
At Rufus’s command, the subordinates moved swiftly.
“Yes, sir!”
They dragged the dead Association employee to the side, stripped him of his clothes, and one of the subordinates quickly changed into them.
Then, acting as if he were an Association employee, he began to control the portal.
They set up “No Entry” signs they had prepared in advance in front of the portal, blocking any further entry of Hunters.
Once the situation was quickly sorted, the man called Rufus stared at the Dungeon Portal.
“Karl Buckman. It’s a pity since we had a connection once. You were being treated by that man called the Saint, so you might have regained your former power soon. Well, it can’t be helped. Your fate ends here.”
Judging by the blonde hair and blue eyes partially visible through his hood, he appeared to be Western.
And from the way he spoke, it seemed he was someone acquainted with Karl Buckman.
Muttering regretfully to himself while staring at the Dungeon Portal, Rufus soon turned away.