kJvzpiG5

1Chapter 75:
2Back when he found himself standing on a crossroad, Jin-Woo chose the 'Blessed random box' instead of the 'Cursed random box'.
3
4And the result of that decision was the key to the Demon's Castle.
5
6Thanks to that, he gained entry to this instant dungeon and earned a lot. His level had risen up greatly, he acquired lots of items, and as for Gold... Well, it was overflowing to such an extent that he was beginning to think he should start spending some very soon.
7
8'Even if I was given a chance to do-over, I'd have chosen the same.'
9
10However....
11
12However, just because he chose to take this path, that didn't mean he was not curious about the potential result of choosing a different path.
13
14The 'Blessed random box', supposed to give him what he wanted, and the 'Cursed random box' that was supposed to give him what he needed.
15
16Just what could be inside the latter?
17
18'I did get what I wanted from the Blessed random box, that's for sure.'
19
20And so, the perfect chance to satisfy that curiosity once and for all had landed in his lap.
21
22'…..'
23
24His heart began beating a little bit faster than before; Jin-Woo quietly waited for the System's answer. He thought that its reply was slower than usual.
25
26Tti-ring!
27
28His anxiety turned out to be groundless, though, because the System did reply pretty soon afterwards.
29
30[You have chosen 'Item: Cursed random box'.]
31
32[The chosen item is now available.]
33
34Shururu....
35
36A small box slowly materialised in front of his feet.
37
38'Yes!!'
39
40His heart beating much quicker now, Jin-Woo hurriedly picked the box up. However, he was suddenly overcome with this feeling that the weight of this box was rather familiar to him.
41
42Could it be?
43
44He quickly ripped the lid open and confirmed what was inside, only for his eyes to grow very large.
45
46".....Isn't this...?!"
47
48Upon exiting the Demon's Castle, Jin-Woo headed home right away.
49
50He just wanted to take a shower and clean himself.
51
52While he was stuck inside the dungeon, he didn't even get to wash his face once. He could buy all the water he needed from the Store, sure, but there was no space or time to wash inside the dungeon.
53
54'I mean, there are monsters everywhere in that place, so just where would I find the leeway to take a shower....?'
55
56Pshuoooosh.....
57
58Arriving home, he immediately entrusted himself to the cascading warm water. Only then did the fact that he left the dungeon feel like reality.
59
60'Yup, being home is the best.'
61
62Changing to a new set of clothes, Jin-Woo left the towel on his wet hair and settled down on the edge of his bed. It was now time to get some things organised.
63
64First of all, he summoned his Stat window.
65
66'Status.'
67
68Tti-ring.
69
70A long, long wall of text that managed to almost disorient him popped up in front of his view. Jin-Woo's gaze stopped at the Status column.
71
72[Stat points available to distribute: 20]
73
74The additional Stat points he earned as the quest completion reward were still waiting for him. And of course, he put them all in Intelligence.
75
76Tti-ring.
77
78[Stats]
79
80Strength: 178
81
82Endurance: 137
83
84Agility: 147
85
86Intelligence: 149
87
88Perception: 119
89
90Finally, Intelligence had exceeded other Stats.
91
92It was still some ways off Strength, but when considering the fact that he didn't even pay attention to the Intelligence Stat until recently, this growth could only be called lightning fast.
93
94Strength, Endurance, Agility, Intelligence, and Perception. A good balance between them had been established now.
95
96'Not one of these Stats are useless to me.'
97
98As it so happened, he had gone through stages of seriously investing in each of his Stats. And now, he knew full well the effects and advantages each Stat brought to the table.
99
100'Hold on....'
101
102Now that things had come to this, how about him raising all of his Stats equally from now on, instead of focusing only on one?
103
104An All-Stat Player.
105
106Suddenly, the desire to become one gripped him tightly.
107
108What a happy dilemma to have this was, something only possible because it felt like not one of his Stats was lagging behind others now.
109
110'Once Intelligence rises past Strength, I should start slowly raising the others, too.'
111
112Making up his mind, Jin-Woo shifted his gaze to the Skill window next.
113
114That's where he discovered the third reward.
115
116[Reward 3: Unknown reward]
117
118He thought that the first reward 'the item he wanted' and the second reward 'bonus Stat points' were more than enough, so he didn't pay all that much attention to the third reward.
119
120Maybe, he was just mildly curious? Was that about it?
121
122But well, he already got the reward, so no need to be shy now, was there?
123
124[Reward 3 has been made available.]
125
126Along with that message, a scroll similar in size to the 'entry permit' appeared in his hands.
127
128'What's this?'
129
130Jin-Woo's eyes opened wider at this unexpected type of reward, and he unfurled the scroll right away.
131
132[Recipe: Divine Water of Life]
133
134You can learn the crafting methods of 'Divine Water of Life'.
135
136Jin-Woo's eyes widened even further.
137
138'I can craft an item... with this?'
139
140And here he was, thinking that only those who had Awakened as mage-types could craft weapons containing magical energy... Now that he thought about it, though, he was also a mage-type, wasn't he?
141
142'Still, to think, there was a way to craft something with just a recipe like this....'
143
144Jin-Woo heart began palpitating. But, a question formed in his head at the same time. Just what could he make here, anyway?
145
146'What is this Divine Water of Life?'
147
148Jin-Woo read the information on this 'Divine Water of Life' written inside the recipe.
149
150[Item: Divine Water of Life]
151
152Rarity: S
153
154Type: Consumable
155
156A mysterious liquid medicine that cures any and all illnesses through the powerful magic contained within. The effect will only manifest after one whole bottle has been consumed.
157
158'Cures.... any and all illnesses?'
159
160The moment he read that information, he thought about his mother, still confined to the hospital.
161
162He had already confirmed through Yu Jin-Ho multiple times that effects of various potions still worked on other people. If he could truly make this 'Divine Water of Life', then it meant that he'd be able to save his mother.
163
164His hands holding the scroll trembled from excitement.
165
166The ingredients were also on the simpler side, so to speak.
167
168'Fragment of the World Tree.'
169
170He earned that after killing Vulcan on the 50th floor.
171
172'Spring Water from the Forest of Echoes.'
173
174He got that after killing Metus the necromancer on the 75th floor.
175
176And finally....
177
178'…..Purified Blood of the Demon King.'
179
180This item hadn't shown up, yet.
181
182However, thinking back to the two ingredients that had come out so far, he could easily guess where he might find some of this 'Purified Blood of the Demon King' from.
183
184The upper floors.
185
186'I'm sure it's with the final boss of the Demon's Castle, probably on the top floor.'
187
188In other words, simply by clearing the Demon's Castle dungeon, the ingredients to craft the 'Divine Water of Life' would fall into his lap one by one.
189
190It happened, then.
191
192"....Ah."
193
194A gasp of epiphany leaked out of his mouth, completely unbeknownst to him. That's how surprised Jin-Woo was.
195
196Could it be that... the item he wanted as per description on the Blessed random box said – could that be this Divine Water of Life?
197
198'Mom....'
199
200Thinking about the possibility that he'd get to see his mother again all healthy, his eyes began welling up with emotions.
201
202Then, a new message popped up.
203
204Tti-ring.
205
206[You can learn Crafting Skill via 'Recipe: Divine Water of Life'.]
207
208[Will you learn this Crafting Skill?]
209
210The mechanical beep brought him back to his senses, fast.
211
212In order to craft this Divine Water of Life, he needed to clear the Demon's Castle first. Meaning, he had quickly get himself prepared and return to that place. He had no time to waste on sentimentality like this.
213
214"....I'm learning it."
215
216[You have acquired Crafting Skill for 'Item: Divine Water of Life'.]
217
218'I'm not dreaming, right?'
219
220As if to imply that his memories were functioning fine, a new column called [Crafting Skill] appeared on the Skills window.
221
222[Crafting Skill]
223
224Consumable: Divine Water of Life (2/3)
225
226The numbers behind the name probably indicated the two ingredients he already possessed – the 'Fragment of the World Tree', and the 'Spring Water from the Forest of Echoes'.
227
228'Ah, right. Next up....'
229
230Jin-Woo summoned his Inventory and retrieved an item stored right next to the spring water. It was a necklace, seemingly carved out from skulls of various small creatures.
231
232[Item: Demon Sovereign's Necklace]
233
234Rarity: S
235
236Type: Accessory
237
238Agility +20, Intelligence +20
239
240When worn together with 'Demon Sovereign's Earrings' and 'Demon Sovereign's Ring', set bonus effects will be unlocked.
241
242Set effect 1: (locked)
243
244Set effect 2: (locked)
245
246The 'Spring Water from the Forest of Echoes' wasn't the only loot he got from killing the Guide of the Departed Souls, Metus. Indeed, this rather vile-looking necklace also came out, too.
247
248'Why are the designs of all the necklaces I found so crappy....?'
249
250Jin-Woo frowned deeply while recalling the appearance of the dog collar he was currently wearing. He slowly brought the 'Demon Sovereign's Necklace' closer to his neck.
251
252Tti-ring.
253
254[Will you replace 'Gatekeeper's Necklace' with 'Demon Sovereign's Necklace'?]
255
256Both necklaces boasted rather similar additional effects. Both raised two of his Stats by 20 points each. However, the demon sovereign's also had the set effect to consider, as well.
257
258'Replace.'
259
260Shururuk...
261
262[You have equipped 'Item: Demon Sovereign's Necklace'.]
263
264The skull necklace disappeared from his hands, only to be replaced by a dog collar.
265
266He quickly shoved that dog collar inside his Inventory, and checked the newly unlocked set effect of the 'demon sovereign's accessory set'.
267
268[Item: Demon Sovereign's Necklace]
269
270Set effect 1: All Stats +5
271
272Set effect 2: (locked)
273
274'All of my Stats rose up by 5 points.'
275
276He only managed to unlock one set effect, yet he received a boost similar to levelling up five times. And then, he still had one more unknown effect to go, the one he'd receive after gathering all the accessories.
277
278'The Demon Sovereign's Ring....'
279
280When considering the possibility that the last unlocked set effect from all three accessories being in one place should be even greater than the individual parts on their own, this really was already an amazing performance.
281
282However, acquiring accessories rated at S was only a part of the harvest he enjoyed after entering the Demon's Castle. The real profit was his level jumping up so high.
283
284Jin-Woo stared at his level that had climbed up to 77 and smiled in content.
285
286'I levelled up 16 times inside a week.'
287
288Such a levelling up speed was unthinkable when entering rank C dungeons. He had definitely extracted suitable compensation for going through hell (?) for seven days.
289
290He still had some unfinished matters there, but well, this week's conquest of the Demon's Castle should be called a roaring success, regardless of what.
291
292'Just that....'
293
294Except for one – there was one thing he couldn't really figure out yet.
295
296Jin-Woo let the light from the lamp fall on the object that came out of the cursed random box.
297
298'Just what the hell is this thing?'
299
300It was a pitch-black key that seemed to absorb all light. No information popped up in his view, either.
301
302'This is the first time seeing an item with absolutely no information....'
303
304The keys to instant dungeons could be seen as pretty common, since he got them from random boxes every now and then. But this guy here, he had never seen anything quite like it.
305
306'Where am I supposed to use this?'
307
308Perhaps because it came out of a box named Cursed random this-and-that, he couldn't help but think that there was this ominous aura circling around the key.
309
310He acquired this key through so much hard work, so he couldn't even throw it away.
311
312'Well, I'm sure I'll get to use it sooner or later.'
313
314The Cursed random box was supposed to give him something that he needed, after all.
315
316Jin-Woo stored the mystery key back inside his Inventory and got up from the bed.
317
318He needed to purchase a few artefacts if he wanted to completely conquer the Demon's Castle.
319
320'And, I've got something to sell, too.'
321
322However, there was a problem. And that was – things would become quite complicated if a rank E Hunter wanted to buy and sell high-ranked artefacts.
323
324Who wouldn't suspect something was off when a low-ranked Hunter – no, someone right at the bottom – tried to sell an item that even the top Hunters found hard to acquire?
325
326It was the same story if he wanted to buy something.
327
328As long as the title of rank E followed him around, there would always be questions regarding the sources of his income.
329
330'And, it'll be hard to answer when someone asks me about what I'm planning to do with expensive artefacts, too.'
331
332Several troublesome situations would unfold at this rate.
333
334"Which means, I should...."
335
336Time to stop pretending to be a rank E, then.
337
338Time... to get the rank reassignment test.
339
340It was now time to get the rank that matched his current set of abilities.
341
342Jin-Woo's expression became serious.
343
344'With my current level, surely I won't get jerked around by someone else.'
345
346That was his original aim, to begin with.
347
348In order to avoid situations where he was being under the thumb of someone stronger, he continued to act as a rank E, while taking on all the inconvenience that came along with it.
349
350However, what about now?
351
352He didn't even falter slightly when Baek Yun-Ho, the Guild Master of the White Tiger, stood in front of him. Hell, he was pretty confident of not cowering no matter who stood in front of him now, be that Baek Yun-Ho or anyone else.
353
354He saw no reason to hide his powers anymore.
355
356Thump, thump, thump....
357
358When he made up his mind to finally get rid of that irksome rank E tag for good, his heart began beating faster and faster.
359
360'….But, before that....'
361
362There was something he had to confirm first.
363
364Jin-Woo switched on his Hunter-only smartphone. It was his first time powering the device on in a week, so naturally, there were quite a lot of missed calls and messages waiting for him.
365
366The majority of those numbers he failed to recognise. It was an unfortunate thing for those callers, but well, he didn't have the time to manually check each and every one out.
367
368'If they are in a hurry, I'm sure they'll contact me again.'
369
370Thinking coolly like that, Jin-Woo scrolled down the list of contacts and eventually located the number he wanted. He dialled this number.
371
372[Lalala~♩♪]
373
374The bright, energetic pop song didn't even get to play for a second longer, before the other side hurriedly answered the call.
375
376"Hyung-nim!!"
377….Maybe, Jin-Woo stayed inside the dungeon for far too long?
378
379Because he was surprised by how nice it felt to hear the kid's voice again. A smile spread on Jin-Woo's lips as he spoke.
380
381"Did the talk with your father go well?"
382
383"Yes, hyung-nim! It went very well!"
384'Oho?'
385
386Now that was a good piece of news to hear.
387
388Jin-Woo made this call to confirm, because he couldn't go ahead and do the rank reassignment test if Yu Jin-Ho hadn't made a deal with his father yet.
389
390However, if the matters of that side were taken care of, then there really was nothing holding him back at this point.
391
392He guessed the good news just from hearing the kid's excited tone of voice, but now that he got the confirmation from the horse's mouth, Jin-Woo was feeling really happy as well.
393
394"Hyung-nim! Actually, I wanted to come and speak to y...."
395Click.
396
397'….What was that?'
398
399The phone call abruptly came to an end, and when he checked, the battery in his phone was flat.
400
401'Oh, right..... Even before entering the Demon's Castle, it didn't have much charge left, didn't it?'
402
403Well, at least he got to confirm what he wanted to confirm, so that was a relief.
404
405Jin-Woo fixed his clothes and prepared to leave.
406
407The main building of the Hunter's Association wasn't too far from here. He should be able to go through the reassignment test pretty quickly.
408
409"Oh, hang on a second...."
410
411Jin-Woo was just about to leave the apartment, but he hurriedly came back inside. He had forgotten all about his little sister.
412
413Since she might get worried if her oppa left home again without saying anything, he scribbled a simple memo and placed it on the dining table. Well, he only came back home after a whole week of absence, after all.
414
415I came home, but need to go out again. Sorry.
416With a satisfied smile on his face, Jin-Woo turned around to leave.
417
418It really had been a while since Jin-Woo last came to the Awakened rank evaluation application kiosk.
419
420'Has it been four years already?'
421
422Or, maybe it was close to five now?
423
424Jin-Woo's expression was full of reminiscence as he stood in front of the employee manning the reception kiosk.
425
426The employee didn't even bother to look at him and spoke.
427
428"Please jot down your identification and contact details, and give them to me."
429
430Jin-Woo still remembered most of the process so he had prepared them before coming here. He readily presented both his identification and the contact details.
431
432'Mm?'
433
434The employee's head tilted this way and that after taking one look at Jin-Woo's choice of identification.
435
436"Isn't this a Hunter licence?"
437
438"It is."
439
440Employee formed a confused expression.
441
442"If you are unhappy with your assigned rank, you should head over to another depar...."
443
444"No, it's not that. I wish to take the reassignment test."
445
446"Ehhh?"
447
448The employee continued to alternate his gaze between the Hunter licence and Jin-Woo's face, before raising a trembling finger in the air.
449
450"P-please, wait for me here."
451
452The employee then quickly ran over to a middle-aged man with a scowl on his face sitting somewhere behind him.
453
454"Manager? A Hunter-nim wishes to take a reassignment test."
455
456"A reassignment test? What's that person's rank?"
457
458"It's an E."
459
460The manager craned his neck out and took a look at the waiting Jin-Woo's face over by the reception desk. He then reverted back to his previous posture.
461
462"There are guys like that every now and then. Hunters who are not satisfied by the reality of their situation, and swim inside daydreams, before coming back here hoping against hope."
463
464"So, is that guy also....?"
465
466The manager nodded his head.
467
468"Reawakened, my foot.... Others are busy raking in the dough as Hunters, getting famous and all that, but well, he drew the short straw and he ended up as a nobody. So, he's just trying to escape from reality."
469
470"Aha."
471
472"Dealing with guys like that will only tire you out. So, just tell him that he'll be paying the fee for the test and send him on his way to the measurement room."
473
474"Roger that."
475
476The employee no longer looked like he was suffering from abdominal pain, and returned to his seat.
477
478Meanwhile, the manager alternated his gaze between the employee and Jin-Woo, clicked his tongue, before shifting his attention back to the computer monitor in front of him.
479
480However....
481
482The fingers of the manager stopped typing on the keyboard.
483
484The name written on the Hunter licence... why did it feel like he had heard of that name before from somewhere?
485
486'Where was it?'
487
488Once the young Hunter left for the building with the measurement room in it, the manager sneaked in closer to the employee and asked him.
489
490"That rank E Hunter just now, what was his name again?"
491
492"It's Seong Jin-Woo. Do you know who he is?"
493
494"No, it's not that. But...."
495
496But, he just couldn't get over this feeling that he had heard of that name before, for sure. The manager did his absolute best to jog his memories, and then, his eyes widened as something did enter his mind.
497
498'….Ahh!!'
499
500'That man' asked for a favour, didn't he?
501
502'That man' asked the manager to give him a call if a Hunter named Seong Jin-Woo ever showed up here. Why couldn't he remember that sooner?
503
504The manager sought out a deserted corner and hurriedly pulled out his phone.
505
506Ring.... ring....
507
508"Hello, it's Baek Yun-Ho speaking."
509"Ah, hello there, Chairman Baek. I'm calling you because of the Hunter you spoke about the last time, the man named Seong Jin-Woo. He really came here today. But, how did you know that he might appear here?"
510
511"Did you just say that Mister Seong Jin-Woo came there?"
512"Yes. He was here just now, applying to get a reassignment test."
513
514"....."
515The conversation came to an abrupt halt and an awkward silence pervaded the line. However, only a short while later, an urgent voice came out from the phone's speaker.
516
517"Even if it's only for a short while, can you somehow delay the measurement process? I'm on my way over there right now."
518The manager began tilting his head.
519
520Did he just mishear that?
521
522The Master of the one-and-only White Tiger Guild was speaking with an anxious voice?
523
524'Well, I'll be.'
525
526Besides all that, though – the evaluation process was out of his hands, already. The manager could only sheepishly reply while scratching the side of his head.
527
528"That man must've entered the measurement building by now."
529
530< Chapter 75 > Fin.
531
532Chapter 76: 
533'Wait a minute. This, just what on earth is....'
534
535What happened just now?
536
537Manager Jeong Ki-Soo ended the call with Baek Yun-Ho and tilted his head.
538
539It was already a pretty surprising thing that a rank E Hunter stepped forward to get re-evaluated, yet the Master of the White Tiger Guild wanted to find out about the result of that test right away as well.
540
541'Maybe, there is something going on for real here...'
542
543It wasn't just anyone but that Baek Yun-Ho. And he was being quite serious, so Jeong Ki-Soo couldn't help but wonder if something big was about to happen.
544
545But soon, he shook his head dismissively.
546
547'Eii.... There's no way.'
548
549The phenomenon of 'Re-Awakening' was a very rare occurrence.
550
551How many months had it been?
552
553There was this incident a few months ago when the whole Association had been in an uproar over a potential candidate who had gone through a Re-Awakening. Of course, it was all a big fat nothing.
554
555That just served to illustrate how rare the real thing was, and plenty of so-called 'Re-Awakening' all turned out to be nothing more than just simple misunderstandings.
556
557'I mean, it's not just one or two kids who come here mistakenly believing that they had gone through a Re-Awakening, only to walk out of here after paying the cost for the test out of their pocket....'
558
559Perhaps the White Tiger Guild was seriously mistaken about something here. Still, considering Jeong Ki-Soo's 'relationship' with that Guild, he just couldn't refuse outright to humour the Guild Master Baek Yun-Ho's request.
560
561"Hey, listen. I have to go somewhere for a little while."
562
563"Pardon me? Where are you going, Manager Jeong?"
564
565"I just remembered this little thing I gotta take care of in the Block B."
566
567The term 'Block B' was a sort of code word used by the Association employees to refer to the building where the magic power evaluation took place.
568
569"Okay, I understand."
570
571"If something happens, call me right away."
572
573"Yes, Manager."
574
575Even though Jeong Ki-Soo was thinking 'Re-Awakening, my ass', he nevertheless headed towards Block B while picturing the face of Baek Yun-Ho, who should've left the Guild offices by now.
576
577Jin-Woo parked his butt on the very last spot available of the waiting room's bench. Currently, there were three people waiting for their turn here.
578
579All of them looked quite tense, nervous.
580
581Jin-Woo could sympathise with what these people were going through inwardly at this moment.
582
583'Well, the directions of their lives would be decided with the results of today's evaluation, after all.'
584
585The first time Jin-Woo came here, he was thinking about the exact same things as these people.
586
587….What if I was a rank A, no, even a rank B – or, could it be, I'm a rank S?
588
589Swimming in a happy daydream, only to be shocked to the core after receiving the evaluation of rank E.
590
591Thinking back to that day four years ago, Jin-Woo couldn't help but smirk slightly.
592
593'What is he smiling about?'
594
595'How can you even think about smiling here?'
596
597Others waiting around sent him weird looks, but Jin-Woo didn't pay them any mind.
598
599'Was he born with a steely heart or something?'
600
601'Maybe, he's not feeling nervous at all.'
602
603Seeing Jin-Woo's undaunted attitude, others became a bit sheepish and tilted their heads this way and that, before shifting their gazes away.
604
605'Nothing much has changed since then.'
606
607Jin-Woo also remembered something similar happening back then.
608
609Back then, he started paying attention to the person sitting next to him for no reason, and he also became curious about what other people's evaluation was going to be like.
610
611Jin-Woo continued to smile while slowly studying the interior of the waiting area. Just like the people waiting inside, the building didn't change much, either.
612
613The Hunter Association itself was established less than ten years ago, so perhaps unsurprisingly, the building was still clean and neat as if it opened its doors only yesterday.
614
615The interior layout was pretty much the same as back then, too.
616
617If there was one thing different, then it'd be....
618
619'Those people over there.'
620
621When Jin-Woo quietly stared at a contingent of men and women decked out in clean-cut business suits across from where he was, an ahjussi sitting next to him opened his mouth. (TL: ahjussi = 'uncle', or older man)
622
623"They are all from various Guilds, apparently."
624
625"Various Guilds, is it?"
626
627"Yes. Well, Hunters don't usually seek out smaller Guilds, so they resorted to sending people over here and set up camp, just so they can sweet-talk Awakened like us after we're done with the evaluation."
628
629Indeed, there was a certain chilly, unfriendly and competitive air circulating among those folks.
630
631'And, the way they are looking in this direction is pretty predatory, too.'
632
633Well, there was a reason for that, of course.
634
635"I'm telling you this because it might help you, but you see, it's better not to sign up with Guilds like theirs."
636
637"Why not?"
638
639"From what I hear, smaller Guilds take on lots of dangerous raids, and their Hunter fatality rate is far higher than average, too."
640
641Jin-Woo nodded his head in agreement.
642
643At the end of the day, the circumstances of smaller Guilds would always remain a bit ambiguous.
644
645Unlike privately-organised freelancer-led raid parties, clearing low ranked dungeons wouldn't satisfy them financially, but then again, the skills of the Hunters signed up with them wasn't quite good enough to clear higher ranked dungeons.
646
647So, 'accidents' happened frequently during their raids.
648
649'Which means, recruiting new Hunters becomes doubly important for them.'
650
651And so, they arrived at a point where they had to follow the potential newbies right into the Association building and prey on them.
652
653"Ah, right."
654
655Ahjussi dabbed the sweat drops away from his wide-open forehead with a handkerchief, and cautiously extended his had towards Jin-Woo.
656
657"Well, it's fate that we meet like this, so how about we introduce each other? My name is Yun Jeong-Hoon."
658
659"I'm Seong Jin-Woo."
660
661Their introduction was kept to a minimum, and they quietly waited for their turns.
662
663"Next, please."
664
665Since the location for the evaluation itself was wide open, one could easily read the expressions on those who finished the test, as well as the employees performing the said test.
666
667And the expression of the guy who had taken his test just now didn't look so good.
668
669'I guess, it's either a D or an E....'
670
671Those folks from the smaller Guilds must've thought about the same thing as Jin-Woo, because they showed no interest whatsoever even when an Awakened walked right past them.
672
673Wasn't that too honest a reaction from them?
674
675Jin-Woo even began wondering if there was another, more discreet way to find out one's evaluation result or not.
676
677"Next up, please."
678
679Yet another result came out.
680
681This one also must not have been so good. The steps of the Awakened walking out of the building seemed heavy. But, that was par for the course, really.
682
683'Well, if high-ranked Hunters appeared frequently, they wouldn't be paid big bucks, anyway.'
684
685For regular citizens, even being a rank C would be a huge jackpot.
686
687One could still earn a fair bit of money by entering freelancer raid parties, or if one's luck was good, then entering large Guilds was a viable option, too.
688
689Indeed, there were four rank Cs among the White Tiger Guild's new recruits, weren't there?
690
691If one successfully managed to enter a large Guild, then it was pretty much guaranteed that you'd earn an annual salary similar to what doctors or lawyers made.
692
693Ahjussi next to Jin-Woo spoke again.
694
695"I heard that you'd get a ton of money upfront when signing with a large Guild."
696
697Ahjussi's hand, still holding the handkerchief, trembled softly.
698
699"Actually, I... I owe some money, you see. Because of that, I had to separate from my little girl and must live alone for the time being. Maybe it's because of that, but I... I'm feeling really nervous."
700
701Ahjussi mumbled to himself, before flinching grandly and bowed his head to Jin-Woo in a hurry.
702
703"Aigoo.... Saying something unnecessary to a stranger I've just met.... I'm a bit of disgrace, isn't it? I end up talking a lot when I'm nervous, you see."
704
705"No, it's fine."
706
707Jin-Woo smiled gently and lowered his head, as well.
708
709Ahjussi continued to take deep breaths, as if to reinforce the notion that his earlier declaration of feeling nervous wasn't an exaggeration.
710
711Meanwhile, another Awakened walked out, and....
712
713"Next up, please come this way."
714
715...And, it was the turn of ahjussi.
716
717However, ahjussi cautiously shook Jin-Woo's sleeve, his face full of cold sweat. Could he be feeling ill somewhere, thought Jin-Woo.
718
719"Are you feeling okay?"
720
721Jin-Woo asked, his voice sounding worried.
722
723Ahjussi shook his head.
724
725"No, no. It's not that, but.... Uhm, do you mind going ahead first? I'm, I'm too tense right now, you see....."
726
727Ahjussi looked really desperate.
728
729Was there a reason to refuse when someone wished to give up his spot in the queue? Jin-Woo quickly accepted the proposal.
730
731Anyone would be feeling nervous if these few minutes determined the rest of their lives.
732
733Jin-Woo stood up instead of ahjussi and walked over to the Association employee.
734
735The employee spoke in a business-like manner.
736
737"What is your name?"
738
739"It's Seong Jin-Woo."
740
741"Mister Seong Jin-Woo.... Right. Please place your hand on the black-coloured panel over there and wait for a little while."
742
743Following the instruction, Jin-Woo walked over to the measuring device and placed his hand on the black panel.
744
745'….Uh? This guy's already been evaluated as an Awakened ranked E?'
746
747The employee took a look at the documentation and glanced at Jin-Woo with a mystified expression. Just why were almost all the Hunters coming here to retake tests all rank E?
748
749The employee's expression changed to that of apathy, as he activated the measuring device.
750
751SFX for a button being pressed
752
753Bzzzz.....
754
755The magic energy measuring device buzzed noisily, and a short while later, it stopped its operation. The results appeared on the display monitor.
756
757'Huh? What's going on here?'
758
759The employee tilted his head this way and that, before speaking to Jin-Woo, as the latter was about to take his hand off the panel.
760
761"Hold up, please."
762
763"Yes?"
764
765"I'd like to run the test one more time."
766
767"Okay."
768
769Jin-Woo placed his hand back on the panel.
770
771SFX for a button being pressed
772
773'HUH?'
774
775But, something like this never happened before?
776
777The expression of the employee gradually hardened. Why was the measuring device malfunctioning all of a sudden?
778
779The employee asked for Jin-Woo's cooperation once more.
780
781"I'm truly sorry. But, one more time, please."
782
783"....."
784
785Even before he was asked to take the test again, Jin-Woo had already decided to wait and thus didn't bother to lift his hand away from the panel.
786
787SFX for a button being pressed, repeated
788
789'W-why is the device behaving like this?!'
790
791Cold sweat drops formed on the employee's forehead.
792
793Murmur, murmur....
794
795People observing from the waiting room gradually grew aware of the fact that something weird was going down right now.
796
797'What's going on? Did something happen?'
798
799'How many times did he activate the measuring device just now?'
800
801'Kinda looks like there's a problem here, doesn't it?'
802
803When everyone's gazes focused on him, the employee became completely soaked in cold sweat.
804
805SFX for a button being pressed
806
807'Argh, c'mon now!! What do you want from me?'
808
809Just as the employee was becoming a nervous wreck....
810
811"What now? Where is Chang-Sik? Why are you alone here?"
812
813The employee quickly looked behind him. And he found Manager Jeong Ki-Soo from the rank evaluation application department standing there.
814
815"Manager Jeong!!"
816
817Relief formed on the employee's face after an unexpected reinforcement made his entrance.
818
819"The senior officer went to the bathroom just now."
820
821"That fool, how dare he vacate his position in the middle of office hou....?"
822
823Jeong Ki-Soo couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence.
824
825'….Huh, I'm the same, isn't it?'
826
827Hmm, hmm.
828
829Whatever the case may have been, he did arrive at the perfect time. The poor newbie employee was sweating out buckets while the senior was nowhere to be seen. Perfect, indeed.
830
831Time for a veteran to step forward, then.
832
833"Okay, so what's going on?"
834
835Jeong Ki-Soo displayed a bit of interest and took a step forward.
836
837"The measuring device is acting a little weird."
838
839"The device is what now?"
840
841"Please, take a look. This error message keeps popping up."
842
843Once the employee took a step back, Jeong Ki-Soo stood in his stead in front of the monitor that displayed the result of Jin-Woo's measurement.
844
845And right away, Jeong Ki-Soo's expression froze up.
846
847".....How long have you been working here?"
848
849"It's been around six months, sir. Did I press the wrong button?"
850
851"Nope. Just call Chang-Sik and tell him to get over here right now."
852
853"Excuse me?"
854
855"I'm saying, his toilet break or whatever isn't important anymore, so tell him to get his ass over here right away!"
856
857Jeong Ki-Soo raised his voice.
858
859The employee flinched and asked.
860
861"W-what's the matter, Manager?"
862
863"This isn't an error message, but it's saying 'impossible to measure'! Don't you understand what that means?"
864
865"Ehhhh?! But, that wasn't an error message?"
866
867Why was every single newbie employee such a dumbass?
868
869Jeong Ki-Soo's gaze left the employee and landed on the person taking the evaluation test.
870
871'How can such a thing....'
872
873Seong Jin-Woo.
874
875The Master of the White Tiger Guild wanted to know about this man's reassignment evaluation results.
876
877Jeong Ki-Soo's gaze remained locked on Seong Jin-Woo as he opened his mouth to speak to the newbie employee.
878
879"You idiot. This message means that this device can't measure that person's magic power."
880
881"Excuse me? B-b-but, but, doesn't that mean....?"
882
883Did this newbie say it had been around six months since he started working here?
884
885Forget about six months, something like this had not happened in the past two years, so of course, it wasn't surprising at all to see a newbie employee being completely oblivious.
886
887Jeong Ki-Soo's voice trembled as he replied.
888
889"Right.... He's a rank S."
890
891Rank 'S' – 'Special'.
892
893This rank had been in wide use so people mistook it for an actual official rank, but in reality, this rank simply existed to group those Awakened who couldn't be measured by any device.
894
895"That's why, call Chang-Sik right away. Hurry."
896
897"I'll call him immediately!"
898
899A short while later, Kim Chang-Sik ran over in a fluster after receiving the call. His breathing was heavy and fast, and he was even trying to fix his falling pants.
900
901"Pant, pant! Okay, let me see."
902
903After confirming the monitor, Kim Chang-Sik's complexion paled immediately. And then, when he looked at Jin-Woo, Kim Chang-Sik's eyes quaked powerfully.
904
905'This man is the tenth in South Korea....'
906
907Kim Chang-Sik quickly walked over to Jin-Woo.
908
909It was only at this point that Jin-Woo withdrew his hand away from the black penal.
910
911"Excuse me.... Mister Seong Jin-Woo, with the current device....."
912
913Kim Chang-Sik immediately remembered that Jin-Woo was already a Hunter, so he changed the way he addressed the youth.
914
915"No, wait. Allow me to start over. It's impossible to measure your magical energy output with this device, Seong Jin-Woo Hunter-nim. We need to ask for permission from the higher-ups if we want to use the precision measuring device, so would you mind if you come and visit us again in three days' time?"
916
917Kim Chang-Sik followed protocol and spoke the official line. He couldn't even remember properly the last time he said those words. Jin-Woo was an experienced Hunter himself too, and he immediately figured out what those words meant.
918
919'Fine.'
920
921Postponing the evaluation.
922
923Or, in other words, once the test result of 'impossible to measure' also pops up in the precision device three days later, then he'd definitely be ranked as an 'S'.
924
925'This is for the better.'
926
927If he was judged to be a rank A now, then he'd have to raise his Stats again and come back here again.
928
929However, being a Re-Awakened was already an incredibly rare thing, so what would happen if he were to say that he Awakened once more on top of that?
930
931People would see his 'Re-Awakening' as luck, but if something like that were to happen again, he'd no doubt receive gazes of suspicion. He definitely wanted to avoid getting mired in annoying complications and waste his valuable time.
932
933'Whew....'
934
935Jin-Woo sighed in relief inwardly after seeing this rather fortunate turn of events. And then, when he turned around to leave....
936
937"....Huh?"
938
939Everyone present inside the building was looking at him weirdly.
940
941"Aigoo, I know that you're an extremely busy man, so it'd be fine even if you didn't come personally to visit me, you know?"
942
943"Eii~. Even then, you're the one and only Chief Park of the Hunter Association, so how could I dare to use a mere phone to speak to you? It's only correct and proper that I come to see you personally."
944
945Choi Jong-In smiled with his eyes and buttered up to the other guy, 40-something Chief Park, causing the latter to let out a gentle chuckle.
946
947Just who was this man in front of Park?
948
949He was none other than man leading South Korea's top Guild, 'Hunters'.
950
951Also known as the 'Ultimate Weapon', Choi Jong-In. Just one word from him, and the country's most powerful raid team would mobilise like a slick, well-oiled machine.
952
953A man like that was fawning over you, so how could anyone feel bad about that?
954
955Choi Jong-In pulled out a cigarette and asked.
956
957"Will it be fine if I light one up?"
958
959"Oh. Please, go ahead."
960
961"What about you, Chief Park?"
962
963"I'm fine, thank you."
964
965Choi Jong-In, relaxedly sucking in the cigarette, exuded the air of a man who had achieved everything there was to achieve pretty early on in his life.
966
967'Is this that elusive thing called charisma?'
968
969As the Chief Park stared at him as if he was bewitched, Choi Jong-In threw out a question.
970
971"By the way, it sounds like Block B is a bit noisier than usual today."
972
973"Block B, you say?"
974
975Chief Park looked out the window and at Block B.
976
977Truth be told, Chief Park couldn't hear anything at all.
978
979However, Choi Jong-In was a rank S Hunter. His five senses should never be compared to that of a regular person's. If Choi Jong-In said it was getting rowdier down there, then something must've happened for real.
980
981An honourable guest had come to visit, so what a shameful blunder this was. Chief Park frowned slightly and spoke up.
982
983"Let me go and find out what's happening."
984
985"No, wait."
986
987Choi Jong-In discarded the cigarette and killed it with his foot.
988
989"I'm also getting curious, so...."
990
991Choi Jong-In raised his head, and a mysterious flash of light could be seen in his eyes for a moment. And an equally mysterious smile formed on his lips.
992
993"Why don't we go together?"
994
995< Chapter 76 > Fin.
996
997Chapter 77: 
998The entirety of the Block B had become deathly silent.
999
1000'J-just now, definitely, impossible to measure....'
1001
1002'D-does that mean, that guy's a rank S?'
1003
1004'I've only ever heard of it, but seeing an impossible to measure rank with my own eyes is....'
1005
1006Gulp.
1007
1008The recruitment agents dispatched by various smaller Guilds were busy swallowing dry saliva as they stared at Jin-Woo turning in their direction.
1009
1010However, none of them tried to talk to him.
1011
1012"....."
1013
1014"....."
1015
1016If he was a rank C, then they would've started a war of nerves trying to sign him up to their respective Guilds. They would have formed the proverbial queue just for a chance to talk to him.
1017
1018What about a rank B, then?
1019
1020They would pounce on him like crazy while throwing around quite attractive-sounding offers, such as 'guaranteed spot as a high-ranking officer in the Guild', or 'shares in the Guild', etc., etc.
1021
1022Onlookers would probably see it as an all-out war or something.
1023
1024Well, it was not such a weird thing when considering the value of a Hunter ranked B, or the fact that they would receive a fat bonus by luring a high-ranked Awakened like that to their Guilds.
1025
1026There were enough rank Bs who fell for the sweet-talk, after all; they would rather prefer to be the head of a snake, instead of the tail of a dragon.
1027
1028However, the story changed when it came to a rank A. A rank A would be showered with a crap ton of special privileges by entering large Guilds, never mind small-to-medium Guilds.
1029
1030Being selected as a member of the main raid team was a given, and since the main raid team only targetted high-ranked dungeons, the financial reward would be quite enormous as well.
1031
1032Was that all?
1033
1034If the offers of the Guilds weren't to your liking, you could just establish your own Guild and become its Master.
1035
1036You could just make a small or a medium Guild by yourself, so was there a real reason to sign with one?
1037
1038Indeed, rank As were that kind of existence.
1039
1040However....
1041
1042This man, who got his magic energy measured just now, was supposedly a rank S.
1043
1044Not an 'A', but an 'S'.
1045
1046It might be an easy thing to say, but the truth was, that single letter was only used to denote the very best Awakened in the country, with only nine of them existing in South Korea.
1047
1048'With that man included, it'll be ten, isn't it?'
1049
1050'The tenth rank S Hunter.....'
1051
1052This youth was not someone these headhunters from the various small Guilds could even attempt to talk to.
1053
1054Gulp....
1055
1056Nope, all they could do now was to silently swallow their saliva. He was literally a pie in the sky to them.
1057
1058But, it was then.
1059
1060'Wait a minute.....'
1061
1062'This, couldn't this be my opportunity?'
1063
1064A handful of quick-witted scouts suddenly had this remarkable idea: How about acting as a middleman, guide this new rank S Awakened to a large Guild, and get paid handsomely for their efforts?
1065
1066The contract signing fee for a rank S would easily exceed tens of billions of Won, at the least. Just one percent of that fee as their commission would prove to be a good enough incentive to quit their current Guilds.
1067
1068And, if one got lucky and got on the good books of that youth to become his personal agent, then hell, you'd be set for life.
1069
1070Didn't a personal agent of some rank S Hunter get a Porsche as a birthday present or something?!
1071
1072'….Should I try it?'
1073
1074'My silver tongue won't lose to anyone, anywhere, so, like....'
1075
1076'Should I just man up and jump in?'
1077
1078Within a blink of time, all sorts of thoughts entered and exited the minds of the scouts. The ridicule of the failure would only last for a short while, but the sweetness of success would last forever.
1079
1080Just as the scouts sneakily glanced at their peers and began inching forward....
1081
1082Someone suddenly pointed towards the entrance of the Block B.
1083
1084"Huh? Isn't that....?"
1085
1086Was it because everyone was so tense already?
1087
1088No one could tell who did it first – everyone seemingly shifted their gazes over in the direction the first man to open his mouth pointed at. The eyes of the scouts widened immediately.
1089
1090"Heok!"
1091
1092A man wearing a stylish business suit was entering Block B. There wasn't a single person present who didn't know that man's name.
1093
1094"Choi.... Choi Jong-In?!"
1095
1096"Why, why is the leader of the 'Hunters' here?"
1097
1098Sure enough....
1099
1100Choi Jong-In felt the gazes of the crowd and lightly tidied up his suit, before walking straight towards Jin-Woo.
1101
1102'But, isn't this too fast for him to get here after receiving an alert?'
1103
1104'No, wait a minute. Did he already sign up with the Hunters?'
1105
1106'Did the Hunters know about him? Well, the top Guild sure operates on another level, no?'
1107
1108'Yup, as expected....'
1109
1110Scouts present all readily accepted the inevitable conclusion to come.
1111
1112Perhaps, it was a relief that none of them stepped forward and tried to chat up the youth. How embarrassing would it have been, when one of them started yapping on and ended up running into Choi Jong-In, instead?
1113
1114Only now did they realise the direction this situation had taken.
1115
1116'Well, with Choi Jong-In's entrance, the picture is complete.'
1117
1118'Hiya~. This is so cool.'
1119
1120'To think that the leader of the Hunters Guild has personally stepped up.... Indeed, treatments for S ranks are totally different from the rest, no?'
1121
1122Although the scouts did feel a bit rueful, they nevertheless witnessed this scene of the leader of the South Korea's top Guild meeting with the Awakened blessed with the highest rank there was, with warm expressions on their faces.
1123
1124On the other hand....
1125
1126Jin-Woo was breathing a sigh of relief at the grand entrance of Choi Jong-In.
1127
1128'What a relief.'
1129
1130He was pondering what to do next after being stared at by so many pairs of eyes. But what a wonderful timing it was, that man walking in and dividing the attention.
1131
1132Jin-Woo inwardly thanked Choi Jong-In for providing some unexpected help, and simply walked past the latter. And Choi jong-In's eyes widened in surprise.
1133
1134'Huh? This can't be right.'
1135
1136Choi Jong-In hurriedly called out to Jin-Woo.
1137
1138"Excuse me, can you stop for a second?"
1139
1140Jin-Woo stopped walking away and turned around to look.
1141
1142".....?"
1143
1144Choi Jong-In's eyes gleamed brightly as he stared into Jin-Woo's face.
1145
1146'This man's the tenth....'
1147
1148Choi Jong-In beat around the bush with Chief Park about checking out the situation together or some such, but the truth was, he already had sensed what was happening before coming here.
1149
1150'I mean, they've been yapping on so loudly about impossible to measure this and device error that, so how can I not hear them?'
1151
1152Thanks to that, though, he was given a huge opportunity here.
1153
1154This guy was a rank S. A rank S!!
1155
1156By signing this man, the Hunters Guild would then boast the services of three S ranks, and be able to brush shoulders with the best Guilds in the world, never mind those found in South Korea.
1157
1158How could he not salivate over that prospect?
1159
1160'There's no need to borrow a measuring device, either.'
1161
1162Just a short meeting of their gazes and he immediately sensed the depths of the youth's strength. Without a doubt, this guy was the highest-grade Hunter there was. Hell, Choi Jong-In saw absolutely no reason to wait for three, four days at all.
1163
1164"Hmm, hmm."
1165
1166Choi Jong-In cleared his throat and formed his trademark smile.
1167
1168"I'm Choi Jong-In, the leader of the Hunters Guild."
1169
1170Of course, Jin-Woo knew that already. Well, that man's face could be seen frequently enough whenever a TV was turned on, after all.
1171
1172Jin-Woo wondered briefly why such a famous man was trying to talk to him after coming all the way to the Association, but well, he didn't have the leeway to ask for the clarification.
1173
1174Jin-Woo sneaked a glance at the clock mounted on one of the walls.
1175
1176'It's already ten to six....'
1177
1178If he thought about the time he needed to go 'there', then he was cutting it pretty close.
1179
1180When Jin-Woo formed an expression that implied 'Okay, you're done with your introduction, so hurry up with what you want to say', Choi Jong-In became a bit flustered as he continued on.
1181
1182"Ah, well, actually.... I'm aware that you just had your Awakened rank evaluation."
1183
1184"Yes."
1185
1186"By any chance, have you thought of a Guild to join?"
1187
1188"No."
1189
1190A bright smile formed on Choi Jong-In's face when he heard that reply.
1191
1192'Yup, it's done.'
1193
1194One of the top three Guilds in the world – 'Hunters'.
1195
1196What a sweet title that was. From today onwards, it'd not be a simple daydream anymore.
1197
1198'You're mine.'
1199
1200Choi Jong-In's chest puffed up from happiness, and spoke the line that might be recorded in the annals of history.
1201
1202"I'd like to speak to you regarding that issue, so can you spare a minute to talk, please?"
1203
1204"Sorry, but don't have the time."
1205
1206Jin-Woo quickly voiced his refusal and hurriedly left the Block B building.
1207
1208"......"
1209
1210It happened so fast that Choi Jong-In didn't even have the chance to think about stopping the youth from leaving. Meanwhile, the Association employees and the scouts from other Guilds belatedly realised what had transpired and began freaking out.
1211
1212"What the hell??"
1213
1214"Wait, did Choi Jong-In get kicked to the curve?!"
1215
1216"No matter who sees it, he was ignored!"
1217
1218Mutter, mutter.....
1219
1220The waiting room became very noisy all of a sudden. Choi Jong-In did his best to maintain his calm and looked to his side.
1221
1222"Chief Park?"
1223
1224"Yes?"
1225
1226Chief Park replied with an awkward look on his face.
1227
1228"Did I make a mistake during my introduction?"
1229
1230"W-well, I..... I wonder. I'm not sure."
1231
1232Obviously, Chief Park heard everything as he was standing to the side. Still, this wasn't the right time to say that out loud, no?
1233
1234When Chief Park shut his mouth, Choi Jong-In sheepishly scratched the side of his head.
1235
1236'Was I too careless with my approach....?'
1237
1238Still, there was no reason to feel disappointed here. Without a doubt, he was one step ahead of other Guilds.
1239
1240'I'm the only one who knows about the appearance of the new rank S.'
1241
1242The re-measurement was scheduled for three days later. There was still some time left until the official announcement.
1243
1244'Before that, though, I gotta find another opportunity to talk to him, no matter what....'
1245
1246Wasn't there a good way?
1247
1248While Choi Jong-In began pondering his options, he spotted someone else hurriedly running towards the building.
1249
1250'…..Wait, isn't he...?
1251
1252Now that was definitely a familiar face.
1253
1254When that man pushed open the glass door and entered, Choi Jong-In spoke up with a surprised expression on his face.
1255
1256"Chairman Baek? What are you.....?"
1257
1258Baek Yun-Ho's eyes also widened after recognising Choi Jong-In.
1259
1260"Master Choi?"
1261
1262Choi Jong-In quickly deciphered Baek Yun-Ho's expression.
1263
1264'It's like, he knows he's been busted....'
1265
1266It was not very likely that he came running after an informant rang him up just now. No, the time of his arrival didn't make sense if that was the case.
1267
1268'I mean, the distance between the White Tiger Guild offices and the Hunter Association is great, so....'
1269
1270That's right – Baek Yun-Ho knew from the get-go.
1271
1272….He had prior knowledge regarding what would happen here.
1273
1274'Meaning, he knows about the existence of that man already?'
1275
1276But, that couldn't be. If so, he'd never let that man go through the reassignment test in this fashion.
1277
1278'If it were me, I'd make him sign the contract first and then let him take the test.'
1279
1280It was here that the scattered puzzle pieces in Choi Jong-In's head began falling into their respective places.
1281
1282'…..No way. Could it be?'
1283
1284The White Tiger Guild. The incident during their training. The Red Gate. The mystery helper. And then, the newly-appeared rank S Awakened.
1285
1286The White Tiger must've received help from someone they don't want others to know about.
1287A newbie who hasn't gone through the rank assignment test? Or, maybe a convict whose identity can't be revealed?
1288Now everything made sense.
1289
1290…..Found him.
1291
1292'So, it was that man, huh.'
1293
1294Baek Yun-Ho was completely out of breath. He must've ran really hard and fast to get here. Most likely, he had not left that man to his own devices. No, the Master of the White Tiger Guild actually couldn't stop the youth even if he wanted to.
1295
1296Choi Jong-In stared at Baek Yun-Ho and formed a knowing smile.
1297
1298'You let him slip through your fingers.'
1299
1300Because, he wasn't the same as Baek Yun-Ho.....
1301
1302'Thanks for the opportunity.'
1303
1304Choi Jong-In didn't say anything else and relaxedly walked past Baek Yun-Ho.
1305
1306Meanwhile, Baek Yun-Ho took a look around. He couldn't spot Jin-Woo anywhere.
1307
1308'Am I too late?'
1309
1310Baek Yun-Ho could only look on at the distancing back of Choi Jong-In and softly sigh.
1311
1312"Fuu-woo...."
1313
1314Who knew that the Master of Hunters Guild would be at the Hunters Association?
1315
1316Baek Yun-Ho scratched the back of his head and muttered to himself.
1317
1318"Things just got complicated...."
1319
1320The visiting hours of the Seoul's Ilshin hospital ended at eight in the evening.
1321
1322"Are you the guardian of the patient Park Kyoung-Hye?"
1323
1324"That's correct."
1325
1326"You can go and see her. Are you aware of the visiting hours cut-off time?"
1327
1328"Yes, I'm aware."
1329
1330Finishing his chat by the nursing station, Jin-Woo quickly walked to the patient ward his mother was in. Thanks to his hurried steps, he arrived there not too long afterwards.
1331
1332Clang...
1333
1334Jin-Woo opened the door and entered the ward, and quietly sat down on the chair next to the bed his mother was lying in. She seemed to be in a deep slumber.
1335
1336'With her like this, it's like she'd wake up at any moment now....'
1337
1338A slumber that no one could wake up from; it was a new type of illness that appeared with the advent of the Gates.
1339
1340'I heard from someone that this hospital alone has over ten patients suffering the same illness....'
1341
1342Jin-Woo gently held his mother's hand.
1343
1344"Mom...."
1345
1346Thankfully, the life support machines using the magic crystals as fuel managed to stop mom and her hand from wasting away, even though she had been in a coma for many years now.
1347
1348However, magic crystals were expensive. The magic crystals to fuel the life-support machines for a month cost over five million Won.
1349
1350A youth in his early twenties would never have been able to afford such a fee, if it weren't for him working for the Hunters Association and was qualified to receive their medical aid scheme.
1351
1352Because he'd been working his ass off until now, he was able to hold his mom's hand like this. However, everything would change soon.
1353
1354He would no longer simply be satisfied with her still breathing like this, and actually be able to cure her outright.
1355
1356The Divine Water of Life – the cure-all the System had gifted him with.
1357
1358Whether it'd work or not was something to worry about later. Right now, crafting it was his first priority.
1359
1360"I'll save you."
1361
1362Mom did her best to stabilise the family when his father went missing, even though she never enjoyed robust health. Not too long from now, he'd get to see her up on her two feet again.
1363
1364'Please, just wait a little while longer.'
1365
1366How long did he sit there by her side?
1367
1368Jin-Woo finally pushed himself up after a lengthy vigil.
1369
1370Ending his definitely-not short visit, Jin-Woo wordlessly walked out of the ward and carefully closed the door behind him. And when he turned around to leave, he got to spot a familiar face standing in the corridor.
1371
1372"On that day... it was you who killed the monsters in the dual dungeon, wasn't it?"
1373
1374A low and think, manly voice.
1375
1376Sharp, scary eyebrows.
1377
1378He was none other than Woo Jin-Cheol from the Monitoring Division.
1379
1380Jin-Woo didn't reply. There was no reason to, nor did he particularly feel like it, either. Instead, there was something else he wanted to ask.
1381
1382"How did you find out that I was here?"
1383
1384"I tried to guess the places you might head off to. I called the hospital and they informed me of your presence here."
1385
1386The Association was paying for mom's hospital fees, after all.
1387
1388'Well, that's going to change soon.'
1389
1390It was possible that Woo Jin-Cheol checked the hospital first, before anywhere else. Should he chalk that up to the swift nature befitting the Monitoring Division?
1391
1392Jin-Woo let a smirk form on his face.
1393
1394"Did you seek me out just to ask me about that day's events?"
1395
1396"No, I did not."
1397
1398"Well, then. How can I help you?"
1399
1400"There is someone who'd like to speak to you. Would you mind accompanying me for a little while?"
1401
1402The infamous Monitoring Division of the Hunters Association.
1403
1404The main role the Monitoring Division performed was to watch and manage those high-risk Hunters, as well to punish those who broke the law. From a Hunter's perspective, they weren't really a welcoming presence.
1405
1406Of course, Jin-Woo's gaze wasn't too friendly, either.
1407
1408"Is that an order?"
1409
1410"No."
1411
1412Woo Jin-Cheol took his sunglasses off. He then deeply bowed his head, his voice sounding much more serious than before.
1413
1414"I'd like to ask you for this favour."
1415
1416"....."
1417
1418Jin-Woo didn't expect Woo Jin-Cheol, with his fearsome countenance and all, to assume that kind of attitude.
1419
1420Jin-Woo pondered a little, before deciding to find out who wanted to meet him first.
1421
1422"Who wants to talk to me?"
1423
1424Woo Jin-Cheol raised his head only then.
1425
1426"It's the President of the Hunters Association, Goh Gun-Hui."
1427
1428Woo Jin-Cheol then pointed towards the corner behind him and spoke.
1429
1430"The Association President is currently here."
1431
1432< Chapter 77 > Fin.
1433
1434Chapter 78: 
1435The office of the President of the Hunters Association.
1436
1437The facial expression of the doctor examining Goh Gun-Hui wasn't so good. He removed the stethoscope from Goh Gun-Hui's chest.
1438
1439"....President."
1440
1441"No need to say it. I can already tell from the look on your face."
1442
1443Goh Gun-Hui chuckled gently as he buttoned up his shirt.
1444
1445The doctor couldn't bring himself to say anything.
1446
1447'President Goh Gun-Hui.... What with the state of your health, you walking around like this is a miracle in itself already.....'
1448
1449Even then, the President of the Association did not show any signs of slowing down. He actually didn't even have the time to stop by at the hospital, and had his personal doctor come to see him at the office, instead!
1450
1451"Actually...."
1452
1453President Goh Gun-Hui slid his arm in the sleeve of the jacket and spoke.
1454
1455"Back when the Healers began appearing here and there, and healing magic was discovered, I thought that for sure I'd be able to regain my youth, and that I would be saying bye bye to this terribly inconvenient old and decrepit body of mine."
1456
1457Goh Gun-Hui then chuckled again.
1458
1459"However, the truth didn't work out that way."
1460
1461"There was no improvement from the treatment, sir?"
1462
1463"It seems that this thing called 'age' is beyond the capability of the high-ranking Hunters and their magic."
1464
1465If the Healer-type Hunters could heal any and all types of sickness with magic, then without a doubt, every single hospital in the land would've closed up, and doctors would've ended up on the street, begging for food.
1466
1467But fortunately, or perhaps, unfortunately, such an event didn't occur.
1468
1469Only speeding up the regeneration.
1470
1471The healing magic was limited only to healing the external injuries.
1472
1473Although magic could miraculously cause the amputated arm to grow back, it could not lower the temperature of a child sick with the flu.
1474
1475'Well, thanks to that, I managed to not end up as unemployed, though.....'
1476
1477The doctor stared at the President of Association getting ready to leave the office.
1478
1479'If only I could borrow magical power as great as the President's and cure him in full....'
1480
1481However, both the healing magic and the modern medicine couldn't do much at this stage. All this doctor could do was to offer his advice.
1482
1483"You need to maintain calm no matter what, sir. Also, you need to take a regular break, even if it's for a little while."
1484
1485"I wish I could do that, as well."
1486
1487Unfortunately, if he did take a break, then just what would happen to the Hunters Association? Goh Gun-Hui used his gentle laughter as a replacement for his words.
1488
1489'An Association without Goh Gun-Hui, is it?'
1490
1491The large Guilds were spending huge sums of money to grow ever larger even at this very moment. Their might already equalled that of some nations' military forces.
1492
1493The only reason why the Association could still flex its muscle among these Guilds was because of the presence of Goh Gun-Hui as its President, not because the government was backing the Association.
1494
1495The moment the Association lost its true trump card, the Hunters would become rein-less wild horses and run amok.
1496
1497'Not just yet.... Yes, not just yet.'
1498
1499Indeed, he couldn't retire just yet.
1500
1501The Association was the only rope that could rein them in.
1502
1503With no viable alternative in place, how could he even think about leaving the scene?
1504
1505'In order to show how robust and healthy the Association is, I must stay.'
1506
1507The rank S above all the other S ranks.
1508
1509Indeed, the name of Goh Gun-Hui was a must-have.
1510
1511So, until that time, he must....
1512
1513"M-mm!"
1514
1515A pained moan leaked out of Goh Gun-Hui. He grabbed his chest and the tidy shirt crumpled under his grip.
1516
1517"President, take this...."
1518
1519The doctor brought along a pill of painkiller and a glass of water.
1520
1521"Thank you."
1522
1523He could just barely regain his bearings after ingesting the painkiller.
1524
1525It was then.
1526
1527'Mm?'
1528
1529His phone issued a ring.
1530
1531But, he ordered no one to disturb him when his doctor was here.
1532
1533Goh Gun-Hui frowned slightly and picked the phone up.
1534
1535"I'm with my doctor at the moment."
1536
1537It was at this point that the urgent voice of his male PA came from the phone's speaker.
1538
1539"Apologies, President. But this news is too urgent, sir."
1540"Did the Japanese call again?"
1541
1542"They did, but this isn't because of that, sir."
1543Goh Gun-Hui's brows quivered slightly.
1544
1545'A bigger problem than the ants of the Jeju island?'
1546
1547Just what could it be?
1548
1549"Tell me what's going on."
1550
1551Before the patience of Goh Gun-Hui had the chance to run out, the PA replied in the nick of time.
1552
1553"I just received a call from the Evaluation Division, sir."
1554"From the Evaluation Division? Why?"
1555
1556The role of the Evaluation Division was to assign ranks to various Gates as well as to newly Awakened. Such a department wouldn't be a likely candidate to cause much trouble.
1557
1558'Or, could it be....?'
1559
1560Did they make another blunder with assigning a Gate's rank?
1561
1562Thinking back to the debt he had to owe the White Tiger Guild not too long ago, Goh Gun-Hui's expression crumpled a little. But his unhappiness lasted only for a short while.
1563
1564The news conveyed by the PA easily exceeded the scope of 'problem' Goh Gun-Hui had been expecting.
1565
1566"Just now, the Evaluation Division had.... an Awakened who couldn't be measured appeared, sir."
1567"The President of the Hunters Association, Goh Gun-Hui??"
1568
1569Did I hear that right?
1570
1571Jin-Woo doubted his own hearing just then.
1572
1573A man often referred to as the most powerful Hunter in South Korea wanted to talk to him and chased him all the way to this hospital??
1574
1575'That must be some kind of joke....'
1576
1577Just as Jin-Woo stood there not wholly convinced, Woo Jin-Cheol pointed behind him, further driving the point home.
1578
1579"Yes, the Association President is here."
1580
1581Woo Jin-Cheol looked a bit anxious as he waited for Jin-Woo's reply.
1582
1583The current atmosphere definitely didn't come off as suitable for throwing around dumb jokes at all.
1584
1585'…..He must be telling the truth.'
1586
1587Why was someone like Goh Gun-Hui looking for him? A powerful curiosity suddenly invaded Jin-Woo's mind. The only thing he could think of was the result of the rank reassignment test he took.....
1588
1589'Is it to lure me into signing with the Association?'
1590
1591However, the Association was a non-profit organisation. Its President wouldn't necessarily show up with the top agent from the Monitoring Division in tow just to headhunt a lone Hunter.
1592
1593Besides, Jin-Woo hadn't even finished with his evaluation yet.
1594
1595The more he thought about it, the more curious he became regarding the President's reasons.
1596
1597"Okay, I will."
1598
1599Jin-Woo finally agreed.
1600
1601Woo Jin-Cheol formed such a bright expression that the anxiety of a second ago seemed like a lie long forgotten.
1602
1603"Thank you very much!!"
1604
1605His voice sounded incredibly earnest just then.
1606
1607'This ahjussi with that stonewall of a face can also form such expressions, huh.'
1608
1609Jin-Woo was inwardly surprised as he followed after Woo Jin-Cheol.
1610
1611When they walked past the corner, he could see an old man sitting in one of the waiting room's chairs.
1612
1613'So, that must be....'
1614
1615Jin-Woo swallowed his saliva.
1616
1617The heaven above heaven.
1618
1619The S rank Hunter Goh Gun-Hui, also known as the sky above the sky.
1620
1621After discovering Jin-Woo, Goh Gun-Hui stood up from the seat.
1622
1623"You must be Seong Jin-Woo Hunter-nim."
1624
1625He might be over 80 years old, but his physique was still quite amazing. Indeed, his size reminded one of either a retired pro wrestler or a traditional grappler.
1626
1627However, he didn't emit any of the overbearing aura one might expect from someone like that.
1628
1629'That's surprising.'
1630
1631Judged from his appearance or his station, Jin-Woo expected him to be a bit of douche, a stuck-up of sorts, yet the entourage accompanying that man carried scarier expressions instead.
1632
1633"Yes, I'm Seong Jin-Woo."
1634
1635Jin-Woo replied.
1636
1637Goh Gun-Hui extended his hand for a shake with a bright face.
1638
1639"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'm Goh Gun-Hui."
1640
1641The two men shared a short handshake. Goh Gun-Hui pointed towards the chairs in the waiting area, already rearranged in a way that those sitting there would look at each other.
1642
1643"Why don't we have a chat after taking seats?"
1644
1645"Thank you."
1646
1647Jin-Woo sat down first, and Goh Gun-Hui too parked himself on the opposite chair.
1648
1649Jin-Woo inadvertently caught the glimpse of a golden badge pinned to Goh Gun-Hui's jacket. This man currently served as a member of the National Assembly, and at the same time, as the President of the Association as well.
1650
1651'And a rank S Awakened on top of that, too.'
1652
1653Goh Gun-Hui wasn't someone anyone could meet just because they wanted to. One couldn't even count the number of people who wanted to speak to this man, be that the giants of the financial and political world as well as bigshots from other countries.
1654
1655That was why Jin-Woo was getting even more curious now. Why was someone like Goh Gun-Hui seeking him out so urgently?
1656
1657And, now that he thought about it....
1658
1659'After Choi Jong-In, it's the turn of Goh Gun-Hui, isn't it?'
1660
1661Just in one day, he ran into two men who could proudly boast the title of the 'best' in a row.
1662
1663….Even though he wasn't officially confirmed as a rank S yet.
1664
1665Goh Gun-Hui began speaking.
1666
1667"I'd like to congratulate you on becoming the newest rank S Hunter."
1668
1669Jin-Woo tilted his head.
1670
1671"But, the result of the reassignment test hasn't come out yet."
1672
1673Goh Gun-Hui shook his head immediately.
1674
1675"Actually, the test itself does not have much of a meaning."
1676
1677"Excuse me?"
1678
1679While Jin-Woo formed a confused expression, Goh Gun-Hui was forming a gentle smile.
1680
1681"The truth is, the so-called precision measuring device is used to draw a finer line on the level of one's powers. It's not designed to sense something that already has exceeded the scope of other device's measuring capability."
1682
1683"Then, how come...."
1684
1685"Do you wish to ask me why we created another process called re-evaluation?"
1686
1687Indeed, he did want to ask that. If the end results were going to be the same, then why go through yet another cumbersome process?
1688
1689Goh Gun-Hui answered in rather a straightforward manner.
1690
1691"It's because we were looking for a grace period."
1692
1693'A grace period...?'
1694
1695Even before Jin-Woo could ask what he meant by that, Goh Gun-Hui spoke up first, looking somewhat embarrassed.
1696
1697"It's to create an opportunity where we can meet and speak to someone like you, Seong Jin-Woo Hunter-nim."
1698
1699"....Ah."
1700
1701Listening to the Association President, Jin-Woo finally figured it out.
1702
1703"As you may well know, there aren't that many excellent Hunters in the Association, like Division Chief Woo Jin-Cheol here, compared to our size."
1704
1705That was because of large Guilds.
1706
1707"And that's because of the large Guilds."
1708
1709But, of course.
1710
1711Jin-Woo nodded his head.
1712
1713"Signing up with a large Guild guarantees you fat salaries and fame, so who would want to come and work for the Association?"
1714
1715The salaries for the Association's Hunters weren't small by any means. But then again, when compared to what one could potentially be earning by working for large Guilds, the salary was pitifully pathetic.
1716
1717It was the same story regarding fame, too.
1718
1719"There are some people who can recite the names of every member of a large Guild's main raid teams. But, you will have a very hard time trying to find someone who knows the name of our Division Chief Woo Jin-Cheol."
1720
1721Hearing the term 'members of the main raid team', Jin-Woo recalled the rank A Hunter Kim Cheol.
1722
1723His Perception Stat allowed him to grasp another's capability. From Jin-Woo's perspective, Woo Jin-Cheol was definitely a level higher than Kim Cheol.
1724
1725'They both might be rank As, but the gap in their skills are pretty obvious.'
1726
1727Jin-Woo took a deeper look at Woo Jin-Cheol.
1728
1729Perhaps finding the praise of the Association President and the gaze of Jin-Woo burdensome, Woo Jin-Cheol lowered his head, looking a little flushed.
1730
1731'But, then....'
1732
1733If Kim Cheol had made his debut as a Hunter without meeting that 'accident', then he'd have made a lot more money and become much more famous than Woo Jin-Cheol.
1734
1735That was the difference between a Hunter working for the Association and someone signed to a large Guild.
1736
1737"And so, we came up with a plan in case a truly exceptional Awakened decides to visit the Association."
1738
1739So, that would be the re-evaluation test, then?
1740
1741'Well, sure.....'
1742
1743If the result of the evaluation was publicly made available and was spread everywhere, would the Association have the chance to make an approach like this? It certainly made sense.
1744
1745"I won't beat around the bush and get to the point."
1746
1747Before anyone had noticed it, that warm smile was no longer visible on the face of the Association's President.
1748
1749"We're not a corporation, so we can't promise you lots of money. However...."
1750
1751Goh Gun-Hui touched his chest area, before extending his fist that was gripping onto something.
1752
1753"However, we can help you in a different way."
1754
1755"I don't quite understand.....?"
1756
1757"What I'm saying here is that we can help guide you, Seong Jin-Woo Hunter-nim, down a very different direction."
1758
1759His clenched fist slowly unfurled. On Goh Gun-Hui's palm, a golden badge gleamed brightly.
1760
1761'Political power..... Is it?'
1762
1763Even after that, Jin-Woo maintained a suspicious expression.
1764
1765"I still don't quite understand."
1766
1767"Pardon?"
1768
1769"Is there a reason for you to go this far for me?"
1770
1771That was a valid question. A certain glint flickered in Goh Gun-Hui's eyes as he continued to gaze at Jin-Woo.
1772
1773'To think, this young man can still calmly ask what's on his mind, without being scared by my background, nor influenced by potential benefit right in front of his eyes....'
1774
1775….Was I in a too much of a rush?
1776
1777Didn't someone once say this?
1778
1779'Patience decreases with age.'
1780
1781That concept certainly wasn't wrong.
1782
1783Goh Gun-Hui suppressed his smile and continued on.
1784
1785"You know about the five Guilds, yes?"
1786
1787How could anyone not know of them? Jin-Woo silently nodded his head.
1788
1789"Currently, you'll find that in South Korea, the heads of five large dragons are locked in a delicate balance."
1790
1791Around the capital, the Hunters, the White Tiger, and the Reapers.
1792
1793And in the countryside, the Shining Star and the Knight Order.
1794
1795"If you decide to enter one of the five Guilds, doesn't matter which one, the delicate balance will shatter and everything will change."
1796
1797Even now, the status and authority of large Guilds were soaring into high heavens. However, what if one of them managed to sign up another rank S Hunter, and used that as the springboard to soar even higher?
1798
1799Would they listen to the Association anymore?
1800
1801The Association's sole role was to remain as the centre of the balance among the Hunters by using power.
1802
1803"It is simply far too inadequate to control and tie down Hunters with laws and regulations and the threat of prosecution."
1804
1805Jin-Woo too thought like that before. Monsters found in dungeons weren't the only 'monsters' out there. Hunters were also, in a way, 'monsters'.
1806
1807If one were to look only at the 'strength' aspect, then Hunters were far more dangerous 'monsters' than regular monsters found in dungeons.
1808
1809"That is why the Association exists."
1810
1811Goh Gun-Hui's expression became far more grave.
1812
1813"And the Association needs your help, Seong Jin-Woo Hunter-nim."
1814
1815….The help from someone like you, who possessed great power.
1816
1817Gou Gun-Hui's gaze became sharper.
1818
1819'Sure, I'll have to keep an eye on him and find out what he's like, but....'
1820
1821But, as long as Seong Jin-Woo gave his OK here, the Association would support him to the utmost fullest.
1822
1823A rank S was certainly worthy of such an investment, after all.
1824
1825'This should be enough of an explanation.'
1826
1827That was why....
1828
1829For the first time in a long, long while, Goh Gun-Hui was feeling nervous and expectant at the same time, as he asked the next question in a soft but firm voice.
1830
1831"What will you choose, Hunter-nim?"
1832
1833< Chapter 78 > Fin.
1834
1835Chapter 79: 
1836That wasn't a bad suggestion.
1837
1838If Goh Gun-Hui were to lend his support, then even the most average guy would be on the fast track to success.
1839
1840The National Assembly, the government, the Hunters Association, and even the mass media, too – it'd be very hard to find a sector that Goh Gun-Hui's reach did not extend to.
1841
1842Not only that, if the person receiving that support just so happened to a rank S Hunter?
1843
1844'I can't even imagine how far a person like that would climb up.'
1845
1846All of a sudden, Jin-Woo pictured himself sitting right next to the member of National Assembly Goh Gun-Hui while kitted out in a super-dope designer business suit.
1847
1848His heart palpitated ever so slightly.
1849
1850'Such an opportunity wouldn't come knocking every day, right?'
1851
1852Even if one wanted to walk down on this 'different path' Goh Gun-Hui had suggested, not everyone was qualified to step on this road, after all.
1853
1854However....
1855
1856There was one important thing missing from that scenario.
1857
1858'If I sign up with the Association, I won't be able to increase my level.'
1859
1860The higher ranked Hunters working for the Association never participated in raids at all. Their main role was to deal with other Hunters, not to hunt down and kill monsters.
1861
1862And, even if he managed to get permission and participate in raids organised by the Association....
1863
1864'Dungeons the Association deals with are rank Ds and Es, those that the Guilds aren't interested in.'
1865
1866Could he continue on by hunting down low-level mobs that didn't even give him any experience points? No, of course not.
1867
1868Jin-Woo strongly baulked at the idea.
1869
1870'I wish to become even stronger.'
1871
1872To a higher place.....
1873
1874He wanted to climb up as high as he could.
1875
1876Unless it was impossible, or there was no certainty, why should he give up on something he was fully capable of achieving?
1877
1878What a nonsensical notion that was.
1879
1880'As long as I keep levelling up, I will get stronger and stronger.'
1881
1882Thump.
1883
1884Thump.
1885
1886Imagining that caused his heart to thump way harder and faster than imagining himself being next to the Association President Goh Gun-Hui.
1887
1888Goh Gun-Hui too sensed the change in Jin-Woo.
1889
1890'His breathing has suddenly picked up. Did he finally make up his mind?'
1891
1892He could only hope that the decision was a good one.
1893
1894'No, it simply has to be a good one.'
1895
1896….If he thought about his remaining time.
1897
1898His own anticipation no less than that of Jin-Woo's, Goh Gun-Hui waited for the answer. Each passing second felt like a minute.
1899
1900Jin-Woo eventually opened his mouth.
1901
1902"I'm sorry."
1903
1904Goh Gun-Hui's expression hardened immediately.
1905
1906'I thought I saw determination fill up his face just now.... Was I mistaken?'
1907
1908He couldn't hide the disappointment in his face.
1909
1910'In the end, the ambition of the man named Seong Jin-Woo was only about this much....'
1911
1912Goh Gun-Hui wasn't lying about lending support for the 'other path'. Actually, he was thinking of something even greater.
1913
1914'A new rank S to appear in two years....'
1915
1916Goh Gun-Hui was thinking of keeping this youth close and teaching him the ropes, and if the kid showed promise, groom him to become the next successor.
1917
1918Because, a powerful figure was needed to support the Association when he was gone. Meaning, Goh Gun-Hui was planning to hand over everything he had.
1919
1920However, for the result to be like this....
1921
1922'How laughable I am.'
1923
1924Goh Gun-Hui took away the golden badge and asked in a dejected voice.
1925
1926"Is it.... because of money?"
1927
1928Jin-Woo replied right away.
1929
1930"No, it is not."
1931
1932Goh Gun-Hui snorted inwardly.
1933
1934'They all sound righteous, of course.'
1935
1936However, they were all the same inside. In the end, it was all about the money. And, the accompanying fame would be like icing on cake.
1937
1938'Then again....'
1939
1940Chasing after material wealth was an innate instinct found in all human beings, so Goh Gun-Hui didn't have any thoughts of faulting the youth for that.
1941
1942Only that, he found it utterly laughable that people couldn't be honest with themselves.
1943
1944"In that case, why did you say no?"
1945
1946Goh Gun-Hui asked, even though he already knew the answer. He just wanted to see the youth's response.
1947
1948However.....
1949
1950"I want to fight."
1951
1952Jin-Woo's unhesitating reply smacked the back of Goh Gun-Hui's head.
1953
1954'What did he say??'
1955
1956It definitely felt like he got sucker-punched just now.
1957
1958"That.... Did you mean that you want to fight against the monsters?"
1959
1960"That's correct."
1961
1962Jin-Woo didn't bother with unnecessary explanations and spoke frankly.
1963
1964"I want to enter Gates and hunt down monsters. I believe the place I belong is inside dungeons."
1965
1966'How can this be?'
1967
1968Goh Gun-Hui's eyes widened.
1969
1970A man like him standing on top of many others knew whether someone was telling the truth or lying through their teeth simply from the light emitting from their eyes.
1971
1972The position he occupied could only be reached by possessing such a skill, after all. That was why Goh Gun-Hui knew it.
1973
1974'Those eyes.... He's being dead serious.'
1975
1976Goh Gun-Hui's own eyes staring at Jin-Woo did a 180.
1977
1978'How long has it been since I felt this?'
1979
1980By the time Goh Gun-Hui had 'Awakened', his body was already too old. That was why, instead of fighting against monsters, he looked for other things he could do, instead.
1981
1982By using the money he got from selling his company, he established the Korean Hunters Association, gathered Hunters, and with his fame serving as the foundation, he marched straight into the National Assembly, and even had a hand in creating laws that governed Hunters.
1983
1984However, there was this lingering regret in his heart that would never go away, even though he worked tirelessly all this time.
1985
1986'If only I was younger by 20, no, 10 years, I'd been.... With these young people, I.....!'
1987
1988Thump, thump, thump....
1989
1990Goh Gun-Hui pressed his hand on his chest. His heart that threatened to quit at any time was pounding quickly, rather noticeably, now.
1991
1992'My heart can still make a noise like this?'
1993
1994The rhythmic beating of the heart felt good.
1995
1996On the other hand, Jin-Woo was tilting his head.
1997
1998'Isn't this strange?'
1999
2000He refused the suggestion of Goh Gun-Hui, fully preparing himself to be at odds with the Association in the process, yet the President seemed to be happy about something, instead.
2001
2002'Well, it doesn't matter one way or the other....'
2003
2004He had said what he wanted to, so Jin-Woo got up from his seat.
2005
2006"My younger sister is watching the house alone, so I should get going now."
2007
2008"Thank you for your time."
2009
2010Goh Gun-Hui got up along with Jin-Woo and pulled something out from his inner pocket.
2011
2012"And, please take this."
2013
2014It was a business card.
2015
2016'…..?'
2017
2018"If you require my assistance, don't hesitate and give me a call."
2019
2020Goh Gun-Hui was smiling brightly.
2021
2022What Jin-Woo said was right. Powerful Hunters belonged in dungeons.
2023
2024Although he had failed in recruiting Jin-Woo, as the President of the Association, or perhaps as a fellow Hunter, Goh Gun-Hui wished to help Jin-Woo out however he could.
2025
2026If he were to be more honest, then....
2027
2028'This young man, I like him.'
2029
2030That was why he needed to offer advice, as well. Nagging would only come from someone holding interest towards you, after all.
2031
2032"It's impossible to enter high-ranked dungeons by yourself. Please, give it a careful consideration when choosing a Guild to join."
2033
2034'Your choice would change the status quo by a great deal.'
2035
2036After hearing Goh Gun-Hui's earnest advice, Jin-Woo briefly formed a mysterious smile.
2037
2038"Thank you."
2039
2040Jin-Woo pocketed the business card in his wallet, lightly bowed towards Goh Gun-Hui and Woo Jin-Cheol, and left the waiting area.
2041
2042"Fuu...."
2043
2044While letting out a sigh, Goh Gun-Hui plopped down on the chair.
2045
2046"Are you alright, sir?"
2047
2048Woo Jin-Cheol guessed that Goh Gun-Hui wasn't feeling good, and quickly approached his boss. However, Goh Gun-Hui smiled and waved his hand away.
2049
2050"No, I'm fine."
2051
2052Actually, he was beyond fine.
2053
2054What an enjoyable meeting this had been, a first in such a long while.
2055
2056Goh Gun-Hui sat there smiling for a long time, before turning to his PA and handed out an order.
2057
2058"Clear the schedule for the rest of the day."
2059
2060"But, sir. The meeting with the Ministers...."
2061
2062"Cancel them all."
2063
2064Goh Gun-Hui chuckled to himself.
2065
2066"I do not wish to waste this good feeling on those small-minded idiots."
2067
2068He wished to retain this lingering feel-good attitude for today, at least.
2069
2070Suddenly, Goh Gun-Hui shifted his gaze over to Woo Jin-Cheol. Seeing that rarely-seen smile on the President's face, even Woo Jin-Cheol began feeling a bit hyped up, as well.
2071
2072"Is there something you need, sir?"
2073
2074"No, well. It's nothing serious but, my man....."
2075
2076Goh Gun-Hui took his time as he scratched below his chin.
2077
2078"How about having a drink with me today?"
2079
2080At this quite unexpected suggestion, Woo Jin-Cheol could only form an awkward smile.
2081
2082"I'm not very good with holding my liquor, sir.... Will that be fine with you?"
2083
2084"Uh-huh. I didn't take you for a person like that."
2085
2086Goh Gun-Hui playfully clicked his tongue.
2087
2088"Haven't you heard of the old saying about the cup size of a man's drink determining the extent of the world he can make his own?"
2089
2090"My apologies, sir."
2091
2092Woo Jin-Cheol's face reddened in embarrassment and scratched the back of his head.
2093
2094"I was just kidding with you. I'm feeling rather good right now, and jokes just seem to come out on their own."
2095
2096Also, the one he wanted to share drinks with was someone else.
2097
2098Goh Gun-Hui's gaze shifted towards the end of the corridor that Jin-Woo had disappeared to.
2099
2100'Hunter Seong Jin-Woo....'
2101
2102How well would he be able to hold his liquor?
2103
2104Thinking that he'd like to find out someday, a thin smile formed on Goh Gun-Hui's lips.
2105
2106Screech....
2107
2108Clunk.
2109
2110Jin-Woo stepped down from the bus that came to a noisy stop.
2111
2112'Well, I did escape from there with my sister as an excuse, but....'
2113
2114When he took a look at his watch, it was still too early for her to be home. Jin-Woo slowly walked towards his home.
2115
2116Tick, tick.
2117
2118Hearing an unfamiliar noise, he turned his head to look, and spotted a street lamp that was definitely malfunctioning.
2119
2120'Now that I think about it....'
2121
2122He realised that the street was far too dark.
2123
2124What with this district being so derelict, to begin with, just from walking a bit away from the main street one would find themselves in a dark and isolated location like this one.
2125
2126It was at this point that a certain news item entered his mind.
2127
2128'The case of serial murders that have been happening around here lately.'
2129
2130Weren't the victims supposedly all women?
2131
2132His little sister frequented this road, as well. Not only that, late at night, too.
2133
2134'Since her school's nearby, we can't just move house willy-nilly, either.'
2135
2136He began to get worried now.
2137
2138Apprehending the criminal wouldn't be difficult at all as long as the murdering bastard had been found, but he couldn't really stand around here every night because of his worries.
2139
2140Wasn't there a better way?
2141
2142He stood there thinking with his arms crossed, before a smile crept up on Jin-Woo's lips.
2143
2144'Well, all I have to do is leave someone else here as a lookout, right?'
2145
2146Didn't he possess the perfect candidates for that task?
2147
2148"Come out."
2149
2150At Jin-Woo's call, shadow soldiers popped up.
2151
2152'Five should be enough.'
2153
2154These guys had levelled up quite nicely during their conquest of the Demon's Castle. Just looking at them gave him lots of confidence.
2155
2156"From today onwards, you guys will serve as this district's watchmen. Start your patrol."
2157
2158As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers melted into the shadow-like state. And then, they began moving while weaving in and out of the shades found between various buildings.
2159
2160'That's right. Move around like that avoid being spotted by other people.'
2161
2162Holy wowsers, what wonderful little kids they were turning out to be!
2163
2164Unless that serial murderer was a high-ranked Hunter, he'd never be able to win against a shadow soldier. And even if that murdering bastard did somehow win against his soldiers, Jin-Woo would know right away.
2165
2166He was an S rank Hunter, after all.
2167
2168'No, hang on. Since I don't have my revised licence yet, should I say that I'm an S rank Awakened, instead?'
2169
2170Well, what did it matter anyway?
2171
2172A suburb being protected by a rank S, didn't matter whether he was a Hunter or an Awakened.
2173
2174If the truth of a free security system being deployed in this area for 24 hours became known, wouldn't the land price jump up overnight?
2175
2176A smirk leaked out of his mouth.
2177
2178'Very good.'
2179
2180With this, he felt more relaxed.
2181
2182Jin-Woo scanned his surroundings once more and turned around to leave while looking much more satisfied than before.
2183
2184"I came running because you said you'd buy me a meal, but it's just some measly pork belly??"
2185
2186"Huh?! Are you looking down on the mighty pork belly now??"
2187
2188"......."
2189
2190"This place is where my great memory of me and my hyung-nim was created, you know!!"
2191
2192Yu Jin-Ho and his deeply-reddened face put the empty shot glass of alcohol down on the table and snorted out in drunkenness.
2193
2194"Okay, so why did you bring me to this place of such a 'wonderful' memory?"
2195
2196Yu Soo-Hyun formed a flabbergasted expression.
2197
2198She was getting ready to sleep, but then, Yu Jin-Ho called her out of the blue.
2199
2200"Noona, please console me. Please."
2201"....Why 'noona' all of a sudden?"
2202"Noooooonaaaa~~."
2203She found his tearful whimpering rather desperate and pitiful, so she hurriedly came out to meet him, but to think, the place he brought her to was a diner....
2204
2205It was only obvious for Yu Soo-Hyun to be less than impressed by her current situation, when considering the fact that she grew up as a refined lady of a chaebol's family, and also from the fact that she was working as a top model nowadays.
2206
2207Glance, glance....
2208
2209Because she was in a hurry, she threw on whatever and even wore a baseball cap on top of that too, yet the glances from the surrounding men were still flying towards her non-stop.
2210
2211"What's going on? Will you just speak up?"
2212
2213Yu Soo-Hyun asked while pouring more soju in Yu Jin-Ho's empty shot glass.
2214
2215"Look, look at this. This is the phone number of my dear hyung-nim. Right?"
2216
2217Still sounding tearful, Yu Jin-Ho pushed forward his smartphone. On the screen, one could see the lengthy list of calls.
2218
2219One successful call, and four failed attempts.
2220
2221Even then, the first one that got through was apparently cut short in the middle, too.
2222
2223"Wait. Did you call me out here because you couldn't reach someone you know on the phone?!"
2224
2225Nod, nod.
2226
2227Yu Jin-Ho's head bobbed up and down.
2228
2229"Ha-ah..."
2230
2231Yu Soo-Hyun could hardly believe this crap. She snatched Yu Jin-Ho's phone away.
2232
2233"Gimme that."
2234
2235She quickly tapped on the 'Call' icon.
2236
2237Ringgg....
2238
2239The ringtone got cut off a short while later. When that happened, Yu Soo-Hyun began glaring at him.
2240
2241"Hey, you dumbass."
2242
2243"Eh?"
2244
2245Yu Jin-Ho raised his head from the table.
2246
2247"The ringtone cuts out after 15 seconds. That guy's not avoiding answering you, it's just that his phone's been switched off. And if the call got cut out in the middle, his battery must've run out."
2248
2249"...Really?"
2250
2251"If you don't believe me, call again."
2252
2253Ringgg....
2254
2255Just as she said, the signal got cut off after 15 seconds.
2256
2257"Hey, it's for real?!"
2258
2259Yu Jin-Ho's expression brightened instantly.
2260
2261"It's sorted now, right? I'm going home."
2262
2263Yu Soo-Hyun was about to leave without a shred of hesitation, but Yu Jin-Ho hurriedly latched onto her sleeve.
2264
2265"Noooona~. Please hang around until I finish this bottle, at least!"
2266
2267"Am I a noona only on occasions like this one, ah?"
2268
2269And this fool usually called her 'You' this and 'Hey you' that all the time, too!
2270
2271In the end, though, Yu Soo-Hyun settled back down on the chair.
2272
2273"Huh? Noona, you also want a drink?"
2274
2275"You wanted me to wait until you finish the bottle, right? It's going to take a long time before you solo that bottle and I can't wait around until you manage that."
2276
2277"As expected, there can only be one noona!"
2278
2279"Stop it, please?"
2280
2281Even though she replied like that, they began emptying the shot glasses in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.
2282
2283"By the way, just who is this 'hyung-nim' guy?"
2284
2285"You'll find out soon enough."
2286
2287After signing up with the Yujin Guild, that is.
2288
2289Yu Jin-Ho was about to say those words out loud, but then, his eyes widened slightly after seeing the footage being shown on the TV mounted high up on the diner's wall.
2290
2291"Uh? Isn't that guy....?"
2292
2293Yu Soo-Hyun also turned her gaze towards the TV.
2294
2295The screen showed a news broadcast, and it carried the news regarding a top celebrity named Rhee Min-Seong, who had gone through the Awakening process recently.
2296
2297Standing in front of the huge throngs of reporters, Rhee Min-Seong spoke as if he was abashed by the attention.
2298
2299"Well, my filming schedule hasn't been cleared yet..... Will only know after my evaluation result comes out....."
2300The ticker tape on the bottom of the screen said that Rhee Min-Seong was planning to stop by the Hunters Association soon and take his rank assignment test.
2301
2302"Wowsers. As expected of the star of the Korean Wave, Rhee Min-Seong! Look at the number of reporters there. Aren't those guys from the Chinese media?"
2303
2304Yu Jin-Ho sighed in admiration.
2305
2306However, Yu Soo-Hyun simply frowned.
2307
2308"How can that guy lie so boldly in front of so many people?!"
2309
2310"Eh?"
2311
2312"Everyone who's in the know all know it already. That's all just a show. He already has been ranked A, you know? He's just playing it up for the cameras because he wants to be the talk of the town!"
2313
2314"He's putting on an act? But, that symbol of modesty Rhee Min-Seong is?!"
2315
2316Yu Soo-Hyun clicked her tongue in annoyance.
2317
2318Tsk, tsk.
2319
2320'How come no one has got any clue?'
2321
2322This kinda felt like she was badmouthing someone behind his back, but within the circle of those who knew Rhee Min-Seong personally, that man's reputation was the absolute worst.
2323
2324The difference in his personality between when the cameras were around and when they were not was, as the kids liked to say nowadays, the 4th dimensional wall that no one could cross. (TL: It's a Korean slang.)
2325
2326That was the type of person Yu Soo-Hyun detested the most.
2327
2328If he was just two-faced, then she might have overlooked his faults, but then again, that bastard was notorious for his flirtatious ways, too.
2329
2330Not too long ago, he called her up totally out of the blue and started his shtick while saying something about being a Hunter like her. She had to go through a wringer trying to end that call.
2331
2332'What an unpleasant bastard....'
2333
2334Even before he had Awakened, he was infamous for his incredible arrogance, but now that he was about to become a rank A Hunter, how bad would it get now?
2335
2336Not only that, it looked like that the occasion of him being labelled as a rank A would be broadcast live nationwide, too.
2337
2338'He's really good at using his head for stuff like this, isn't he?'
2339
2340Yu Soo-Hyun shook her head and slammed back the remaining soju in her shot glass.
2341
2342< Chapter 79 . Fin.
2343
2344Chapter 80: 
2345"Will you take responsibility if I get fired?"
2346"Excuse me? What are you even talking about?"
2347
2348"You see, regarding the events of yesterday, the Association President issued a gag order. He even said that, if the identity of the Awakened in question gets leaked out, he will use whatever means necessary to find out who was responsible and harshly punish them."
2349"President Goh Gun-Hui said that? But, he has never done anything like that before, so why now?"
2350
2351"You think I know what's inside the Association President's head?"
2352"...."
2353
2354"If that is all, I'm hanging up."
2355".....I'll call you again at a later date."
2356
2357Click.
2358
2359And that's how the phone call ended.
2360
2361The expression of Im Tae-Gyu, the Master of the Reapers Guild, wasn't good at all.
2362
2363'What on earth is happening here....?'
2364
2365When the leader of this large Guild heard the news that, after two long years, a super-powerful rookie had appeared, he immediately called his contact in the Association.
2366
2367However, he didn't expect to hear this type of answer at all.
2368
2369Taking responsibility after getting fired?
2370
2371Who would be stupid enough to hire an ex-Association employee that got personally fired by none other than the Association President Goh Gun-Hui himself?
2372
2373There was no guarantee the recruitment of the mystery rookie would be successful just because his identity was discovered, too.
2374
2375'Finding out the guilty ones by any means necessary and punishing them, is it....'
2376
2377Coming from Goh Gun-Hui's mouth, that sounded plausible.
2378
2379'But then, why is the geezer doing something he has never done before? Maybe, he's finally gone senile?'
2380
2381What had gotten into him?
2382
2383To forbid everyone from leaking the identity of the mystery Awakened like this….
2384
2385This was unprecedented.
2386
2387Thanks to that, the Guild Master of the Reapers had no choice but to suck on his thumb and wait for the official announcement.
2388
2389That wasn't the only thing he felt wronged about, though.
2390
2391'Then, how did Choi Jong-In and Baek Yun-Ho find out and go there yesterday?'
2392
2393Was it the difference in their spy networks?
2394
2395Was this the sign of the Reapers influence waning even further?
2396
2397If that powerful rookie appearing yesterday signed up with either the Hunters or the White Tiger, the already-widening gap between them and the Reapers would become impossible to bridge.
2398
2399That was the current situation, yet that inexplicable gag order was blocking the Reaper's path.
2400
2401'Could that geezer have a grudge with me from a past life or something??'
2402
2403When Baek Yun-Ho decided to quit the Reapers Guild and created his own, the White Tiger Guild, it was precisely that geezer who helped facilitate the whole process and made sure everything went smoothly. The ensuing aftermath forced the Reapers off the position of the top Guild in the country.
2404
2405Both the Hunters and the White Tiger were already so far ahead, yet the Reapers Guild was circling around in the exact same spot.
2406
2407'I mean, isn't that enough by now? Can't you help out the Reapers at least once?!'
2408
2409Suddenly, he began to resent Goh Gun-Hui.
2410
2411Even then, he still found himself left with no tangible way forward.
2412
2413Im Tae-Gyu could only anxiously stomp on the ground, feeling rather aggrieved over this development.
2414
2415'I finished the Daily Quest.'
2416
2417Feeling light-hearted, Jin-Woo began searching the internet.
2418
2419There were two more days to the reassignment test. He decided to gather more information on the artefact trade during this time period, so he switched on his computer.
2420
2421'Heok?!'
2422
2423As he browsed through the available information on the auctioned goods, Jin-Woo's eyes grew wider and wider.
2424
2425'….The minimum starts in the hundreds of millions, huh.'
2426
2427Was that all? Items that looked okay to his eyes commanded an average of several dozen billion.
2428
2429'Then again....'
2430
2431To Hunters, good equipment was like their lifeline.
2432
2433There was no need to even mention the obvious fact that using better, more expensive equipment made you safer.
2434
2435Most Hunters made quite a bit of coin, and when given the chance to buy tools that would allow them to hunt faster and safer, was there a reason for them to hold back with their money?
2436
2437Jin-Woo could understand it. Indeed, he could, but that didn't change the fact that he was taken greatly by surprise.
2438
2439Seeing the pricing of various artefacts, he was getting more nervous by the minute.
2440
2441'This... I don't think it'll be enough with what I have in the bank....'
2442
2443He didn't find a defensive artefact designed to defend against flame-type damage, but it looked increasingly likely that the amount he had would not be enough to buy high-grade defensive equipment at all.
2444
2445'And I thought that I had enough money now....'
2446
2447That opinion was from the perspective of a normal person. As a Hunter, it fell far, far too short.
2448
2449He had around 1.7 billion Won saved up in the bank. If he were to purchase artefacts he wanted, he definitely had to sell the 'Bead of Avarice'.
2450
2451Now that he was the seller, Jin-Woo's expression rapidly changed.
2452
2453'Needing a lot of money to buy an artefact means that I can sell my own artefact at a sky-high price.'
2454
2455Click.
2456
2457He moved the mouse and continued to search, until the list of the magical tools currently on sale appeared on the monitor.
2458
2459'….....'
2460
2461No matter how hard he searched, he could not find a single artefact that doubled the magic damage. The best ones he found had the enhancement of around 20~30 percent. And those artefacts boasted scarcely-believable asking prices.
2462
2463'Man, these prices for the magic tools are no laughing matter, aren't they?'
2464
2465When he thought about it, though, the boost of 20% was not small at all. Only the upper tier, no, the very best Hunters out there, would be able to afford such an expensive artefact.
2466
2467However, with their already-excellent strengths being enhanced by 20%? The difference would be quite incredible to behold. The high-ranked Hunters knew this point as well, so no wonder they were prepared to shell out big bucks for them.
2468
2469Actually, he could frequently spot the goods being on sale only a moment ago suddenly sporting a 'Sold' tag.
2470
2471The '20%' artefacts were selling out fast like this, so....
2472
2473'So, just how much should I sell this guy for?'
2474
2475Gulp.
2476
2477Jin-Woo swallowed his saliva.
2478
2479Not too long ago, he didn't even dare to dream about touching an artefact. Not too surprisingly, he couldn't even begin to imagine how much money others were willing to pay for his artefact at the moment.
2480
2481'That's why there's the thing called auction, right?'
2482
2483He prayed that, when he put the Bead of Avarice up for auction, a suitable bid would be called out in the end.
2484
2485With a satisfied smile on his face, Jin-Woo exited the auction information page.
2486
2487According to his research, there was two obvious way to sell an artefact.
2488
2489One, selling it via the official route. Or, sell it in the black market.
2490
2491However, he had no way of approaching this elusive black market at all. Well, there was a limit to the information one could find on the internet, after all.
2492
2493'I mean, if you can access it via a couple of mouse clicks, it shouldn't even be called the black market anymore.'
2494
2495Besides, the Bead of Avarice didn't have any disreputable background anyway, so there was no need to go through the black market in the first place. The best available option was to let the artefact specialists handle the bead and sell it via auction.
2496
2497Sure, there was the issue of taxes and commission fee, but this was still the best and quickest method that wouldn't produce any unnecessary baggage in the long run.
2498
2499'So, the only remaining issue would be with me providing the information on where I've found this thing....'
2500
2501A rank E Hunter showing up with a crazy artefact that shouldn't even exist in the first place.
2502
2503Would anyone quietly accept that?
2504
2505The Korean Hunter Auction House was a huge corporation that oversaw all transactions between Hunters. They would surely try to confirm and investigate every single suspicious detail they find.
2506
2507'That is why I need my new licence.'
2508
2509The new Hunter licence with 'rank S' nicely printed on it – he took the reassignment test solely for that licence.
2510
2511And the result was a resounding success.
2512
2513If he went by what the Association President Goh Gun-Hui had said, he'd be able to get his hands on that licence in two days' time without an issue.
2514
2515He did worry slightly there for a sec, thinking that he had complicated the matters by refusing to sign up with the Association, but...
2516
2517'What a relief it is since the Association President doesn't look like that type of person.'
2518
2519Even until they said their goodbyes, that deep smile never left the President's mouth.
2520
2521When one spent a long time always minding other people's moods, one would become a master at reading the flow. Jin-Woo was one such example.
2522
2523He spent four years as a rank E and always had to mind other Hunters. That was why he could more or less figure out what was what by simply looking at other people's expressions.
2524
2525Goh Gun-Hui's expression was definitely not faked. At least, that's how Jin-Woo saw it. So, he shouldn't worry about anything and quietly wait for the reassignment test in two days' time.
2526
2527'However.... what I am supposed to do in the meantime?'
2528
2529Jin-Woo leaned against the back of the chair.
2530
2531Two days. It was a bit too short to do anything substantial, and maybe a bit too long to do nothing but lounge around at home.
2532
2533'Should I just take a look anyway?'
2534
2535Feeling half-interested, Jin-Woo moved the mouse cursor to the recruitment noticeboard in the Hunter forums.
2536
2537Click.
2538
2539One click later, and countless recruitment notices filled up his monitor. He quickly noticed a flood of requests from various freelancer raid teams searching for temps nearby this area.
2540
2541'…....'
2542
2543The reason for this was simple. When he and Yu Jin-Ho monopolised every rank C Gate nearby for a little while, many raid teams temporarily lost their livelihood.
2544
2545Perhaps as a rebound, the raid teams that had been sitting idle during that time suddenly went into an energetic overdrive in the last few days.
2546
2547Jin-Woo smiled wryly and changed the page.
2548
2549'Well, I won't level up anymore in rank C dungeons, anyway.'
2550
2551It took him one full day to level up once in the very last rank C dungeon he entered. No, never mind one day, he actually needed nearly two days for that single level up. And his current level was higher than that time by 15.
2552
2553If there was a gauge for the experience points, then the needle wouldn't even budge.
2554
2555'Rank C Gates have no meaning to me anymore....'
2556
2557Unfortunately, he couldn't find a single recruitment offer for raiding higher ranked dungeons. Freelancer raid teams trying to clear high ranked dungeons was akin to them killing themselves. And the large Guilds wouldn't really recruit temporary members like this, either.
2558
2559Still, one would never know.
2560
2561'Should I change the search parameters?'
2562
2563Jin-Woo changed the search condition and had it display only the results with 'high-ranked dungeons'.
2564
2565Click.
2566
2567Even though he was hoping, he wasn't expecting much at all.
2568
2569However...
2570
2571'…..Huh?'
2572
2573Something did pop up.
2574
2575"You're a rank E?"
2576
2577"Yes."
2578
2579"You've never done anything like this before?"
2580
2581"No, never."
2582
2583"Well, uh... your speciality is?"
2584
2585"I'm a close-quarter combat type."
2586
2587'Well, at least that's a relief.'
2588
2589The foreman wearing a hard hat swept his gaze up and down over Jin-Woo.
2590
2591'For a rank E, he's got a pretty impressive physique, doesn't he? His eyes look okay, too.'
2592
2593Jin-Woo patiently waited for the answer from the foreman.
2594
2595The foreman returned Jin-Woo's Hunter licence and smiled jovially.
2596
2597"Hahaha. There are quite a few people similar to you here, Mister Jin-Woo. Don't be too nervous and let's get along well."
2598
2599The foreman ahjussi was over forty years old, yet he was overflowing with energy. As an added bonus, he even sported a cool moustache, too.
2600
2601"You can wait here until everyone shows up, Then, you can go inside. And don't forget your equipment, too."
2602
2603"My equipment....?"
2604
2605"You can pick up any one of those lying on the ground over there."
2606
2607".....Okay, got it."
2608
2609Jin-Woo nodded his head while looking at the pile of pickaxes on the ground.
2610
2611It was at this point that another ahjussi with a towel draped behind his neck hurriedly approached the two men.
2612
2613"Mister Bae! Our team is also hurting for manpower, so how can you take people away willy-nilly like that??"
2614
2615"Aigoo~. That many people's fine for the retrieval team. Hey, will you take responsibility when a problem occurs during the operation and we miss the Gate closing down?"
2616
2617"Even then!"
2618
2619The moustached ahjussi spun the towel ahjussi around and grinned at Jin-Woo.
2620
2621"Mister Seong? Why don't you take five over there? This fella and me, we gonna have a bit of chat."
2622
2623"Hey, why don't we just hash it out right over here? Where are you planning to take me now?"
2624
2625"C'mon, my man. Come with me for a sec."
2626
2627The two ahjussis disappeared to somewhere while arguing with each other.
2628
2629'The other ahjussi is from the retrieval team, huh....'
2630
2631The sizes of high-ranked dungeons were so great that a single raid team couldn't do everything in one go. That was why the labour was divided.
2632
2633The raid team that cleared the dungeons, the mining team that mined minerals from the dungeon's interior, and finally, the retrieval team tasked with collecting the remains of the fallen monsters.
2634
2635Both the mining and the retrieval team entered the dungeon once all the monsters inside except the boss were eliminated.
2636
2637Jin-Woo applied to the mining team.
2638
2639'….Wait, is this all the so-called equipment there is?'
2640
2641With a somewhat unconvinced expression, Jin-Woo picked up one of the pickaxes. Even though it was faint, he could sense the flow of magical energy in it.
2642
2643'Huh. It's got magic energy inside.'
2644
2645Modern technology that utilised electricity didn't work inside dungeons. Because of that, the old fashioned tools like this pickaxe were used instead, with magic energy enhancing their performance.
2646
2647'…..'
2648
2649Once he held the pickaxe tightly, he felt certain. It was not for nothing that Hunters in the mining team were roundly berated by others as dungeon miners.
2650
2651Jin-Woo shifted his gaze over to the Gate. A giant hole was silently floating in the air. A Gate with a humongous size that no rank C Gates could even hope to compare filled up Jin-Woo's vision.
2652
2653'So, that's the rank A Gate....'
2654
2655That guy was his sole reason for showing up here today.
2656
2657'I want to see high-rank dungeons with my own eyes.'
2658
2659Even though all the monsters inside – except the boss, of course – were dead, he still wanted to confirm the interior layout of the rank A dungeon with his own two eyes.
2660
2661'Well, I'll be entering one sooner or later.'
2662
2663Knowledge was indeed power. However, there would always be a limit to learning from books and internet articles. Didn't the newbies of the White Tiger Guild meet with a huge misfortune simply because they had overlooked that crucial fact?
2664
2665'If I wasn't there, none of them would have survived.'
2666
2667Knowing something, and personally experiencing it, were two different things. When the opportunity arose, Jin-Woo readily applied to enter the mining team in order to get used to rank A dungeons.
2668
2669He did feel a slight pang of regret when holding that deeply-uncool pickaxe, but when staring at that massive, fearsome Gate, such misgivings flew out of his mind.
2670
2671'Looks like I've made the right choice.'
2672
2673He still had some time left to kill until the reassignment test, so what a good opportunity this was.
2674
2675The 'chat' must've gone well, because the moustached ahjussi – no, the foreman Bae Yun-Sek, ran to where Jin-Woo was with a smile on his face.
2676
2677"Let's go inside. They say they are ready."
2678
2679While gripping the pickaxe, Jin-Woo smiled and nodded his head.
2680
2681< Chapter 80 > Fin.
2682
2683Chapter 81: 
2684Knock, knock.
2685
2686"Here are the requested files, sir."
2687
2688"Come in."
2689
2690Woo Jin-Cheol entered the Association President's office.
2691
2692As if he had been waiting a while, Goh Gun-Hui welcomed him as his expression brightened considerably. As soon as opening the file Woo Jin-Cheol handed over, a familiar youth's face could be seen.
2693
2694It was none other than Seong Jin-Woo.
2695
2696The Jin-Woo in the identity photo looked immature and the atmosphere exuded seemed quite different compared to now, but it wasn't enough to make it impossible to recognise him.
2697
2698"H-mm..."
2699
2700Reading the youth's prior records, Goh Gun-Hui gradually became serious.
2701
2702'Four years of Hunter activity as a rank E? Not only that, the lowest grade there is?'
2703
2704This was no different than him trying to kill himself.
2705
2706Even if the Gates under the Association's jurisdiction were of lower grades compared to what large Guilds or freelancers were in charge of, they should still be breathlessly difficult for a rank E!
2707
2708And as expected....
2709
2710Jin-Woo had spent as much time in the hospital as he was active as a Hunter.
2711
2712"Even with all these frequent injuries, he still managed to tough it out."
2713
2714"Apparently, he couldn't quit the Association because of his mother's hospital fees."
2715
2716"....A rare type of youth in this age, indeed."
2717
2718An unreadable light flickered in Goh Gun-Hui's eyes.
2719
2720'In place of his missing father, he has been looking after his sick mother and a younger sister who is still a student, all by himself....'
2721
2722After learning that Seong Jin-Woo was a Re-Awakened, Goh Gun-Hui decided to take a peek at the youth's files half out of interest, but he sure didn't expect this.
2723
2724Goh Gun-Hui found the youth even more likeable after reading more about the kid.
2725
2726'It'll be just too much of a waste to hand him over to large Guilds.'
2727
2728The longer he took a look at the information, the greater Goh Gun-Hui's regret grew for failing to recruit the youth to the Association's folds.
2729
2730"Tsk."
2731
2732He smacked his lips a little and flipped the page, and eventually, arrived at the last one. Feeling satisfied now, Goh Gun-Hui closed the file folder.
2733
2734"Thank you. This was informative."
2735
2736"Thank you, sir."
2737
2738Woo Jin-Cheol took the files being handed back to him and turned around to leave, only to stop and open his mouth, apparently in some difficulty.
2739
2740"Excuse me... President, sir."
2741
2742"Mm?"
2743
2744Goh Gun-Hui raised his head.
2745
2746The look of hesitation could clearly be seen on Woo Jin-Cheol's face.
2747
2748'….Why would Chief Woo make that kind of face, when normally, he looks hard enough to chew on rocks for breakfast?'
2749
2750Was there a difficult matter to discuss?
2751
2752Goh Gun-Hui's curiosity had been stoked for good now.
2753
2754"What's the matter?"
2755
2756Woo Jin-Cheol hesitated for a while before he finally replied.
2757
2758"There is something you should know, sir..... The truth is, I received word not too long ago that Hunter Seong Jin-Woo has entered a raid team earlier today."
2759
2760"Already? Okay, so whose team are we talking about here?"
2761
2762"It's the raid team from the Hunters Guild."
2763
2764"Hmm... Hunters, is it?"
2765
2766Seong Jin-Woo had chosen the Hunters. Not only that, in one day, too.
2767
2768Goh Gun-Hui's expression hardened.
2769
2770'Could he have been just all talk, and he got tempted by the massive contract signing fee of the Hunters...?'
2771
2772If so, what a disappointing turn of events this was. Well, he was feeling genuinely moved for the first time in a long, long while after meeting a Hunter worthy of that job title.
2773
2774However, when thinking back to the attitude the youth carried from yesterday's meeting, as well as the information Goh Gun-Hui had read just now, Seong Jin-Woo definitely did not look like someone who'd change his mind with a flip of his hand.
2775
2776There must be some other reason.
2777
2778Such as...
2779
2780"For sure, if he wished to combat truly powerful monsters, then the Hunters Guild should suit him the best."
2781
2782Goh Gun-Hui was ready to accept this explanation. Too bad, because Woo Jin-Cheol quickly tackled him off that thought process.
2783
2784"It doesn't sound like that's the case, sir."
2785
2786"Have you heard of something?"
2787
2788"It has been confirmed that he.... Hunter Seong Jin-Woo didn't join with the main raid team, but actually with the mining team, instead. Sir."
2789
2790Goh Gun-Hui shot up from his chair.
2791
2792"What did you say? A rank S Hunter applied to become a miner??"
2793
2794His voice accurately conveyed his disbelief.
2795
2796In all honesty, Woo Jin-Cheol reacted the same back then. That was why he confirmed it several times to make sure, but the result didn't change no matter what.
2797
2798'That's why I hesitated about telling him about this matter....'
2799
2800Just what was Seong Jin-Woo thinking?
2801
2802Cold sweat trickled down Woo Jin-Cheol's face as he spoke.
2803
2804"Yes, sir. He has indeed done so."
2805
2806Goh Gun-Hui plopped down on the chair and began chuckling in helplessness.
2807
2808"What a hard to understand young man he is."
2809
2810After putting on the distributed hard hat and the miner's overall, Jin-Woo followed after the foreman Bae Yun-Seok. He found a fairly large group of Hunters wearing hard hats like him near the Gate itself. Around twenty or so?
2811
2812Their gazes focused on Foreman Bae. And the moustached man introduced Jin-Woo to everyone.
2813
2814"This here is Mister Seong, and he'll be working with us from today onwards."
2815
2816"Hello."
2817
2818Jin-Woo lightly bowed his head and tried to read the overall atmosphere of the mining team.
2819
2820"....."
2821
2822Their reactions were indifferent. But, that was understandable.
2823
2824'Of course....'
2825
2826On one hand, he was a temp who may or may not show up tomorrow. And on the other side, they were Hunters who had signed formal contracts with the Guild to become full-time members of the mining team.
2827
2828From their perspective, there was no reason to get particularly friendly with Jin-Woo.
2829
2830"Gee whiz.... These guys. He's a colleague who's going to work together with you, you know."
2831
2832Foreman Bae smiled awkwardly and pointed at a guy with pretty scary facial features standing far back.
2833
2834"Mister Seong, please stick with Mister Mok over there, and if you're curious about something, learn from him. Mister Mok might be a silent type, but he's the most experienced out of everyone here."
2835
2836"...Understood."
2837
2838Jin-Woo didn't say anything else and stood next to this Mister Mok. When their gazes briefly met, Mister Mok spoke in a voice small enough to miss it.
2839
2840"It's Mok Jin-Su."
2841
2842"I'm Seong Jin-Woo."
2843
2844The introduction ended with that. Before long, Mok Jin-Su's gaze had shifted to the foreman.
2845
2846'….What a friendly guy.'
2847
2848Jin-Woo also shifted his gaze.
2849
2850The foreman was conversing with a regular person who must've been the Guild employee in a location a bit of a distance away, looking rather serious. When Jin-Woo concentrated a little harder, he could hear the contents of that conversation.
2851
2852"...The raid team hasn't come out yet? Didn't you say they were finished already? How many minutes ago was that?"
2853
2854"They said that they are almost finished for real, this time. Please be patient for a little while longer until all the monsters inside are taken care of. This is all for the safety of you and your team, you know."
2855
2856"I've heard the exact same thing three times already."
2857
2858"Eii~. Mister Foreman, you know as much as I do how complicated it'll become when we don't do a thorough job, and a hidden monster pops out during the mining operation."
2859
2860When the male employee who was young enough to be his son smiled and went on a charm offensive, Foreman Bae could no longer stay angry anymore. The moustached man turned around with a smirk on his lips.
2861
2862"Okay, okay. I got it."
2863
2864"Oh? Mister Foreman, you're not angry anymore?"
2865
2866"I said I got it. So get going already."
2867
2868"Yes, sir. As soon as the raid team exits from the Gate, I'll definitely run over to you right away without a moment's hesitation. Oh, by the way. You still remember that we're all having a drink after today's operation, yes?"
2869
2870"Aigoo. I know. I know! So get going, young man."
2871
2872Fortunately, the conversation came to an end without any potential problems developing. That employee's responses were quite excellent, indeed.
2873
2874'Most folks would think that, once you start working for a large Guild, you become more arrogant than before no matter where you are, but....'
2875
2876The truth was, most of the Guild's administrative staff were regular people, while those operating out in the field were mostly Hunters – those who had Awakened.
2877
2878There were many things requiring the touch of an Awakened, but there would always be a finite number of them.
2879
2880In other words, it was impossible to hire and fire Awakened at will as if they were parts of a factory machine that could easily be replaced. That was why all Guild employees did their best to mind the Hunters and their moods.
2881
2882From others' perspective, they might seem like they had made it in life, but the employees of large Guilds all had to go through trials and tribulations that only they knew.
2883
2884It was then.
2885
2886'…..Mm?'
2887
2888Jin-Woo was focusing on the conversation between the foreman and the employee, but out of the blue, he could also hear the whisperings coming from his side.
2889
2890"Did you hear that? The newbie joining us today is supposed to be a rank E."
2891
2892'Are they talking about me again?'
2893
2894Sometimes, Jin-Woo couldn't help but resent his excellent sense of hearing.
2895
2896'Still, doesn't mean I'm gonna cover up my ears or anything....'
2897
2898While he bitterly smiled to himself, other Hunters were cautiously whispering to each other.
2899
2900"What? A rank E?"
2901
2902"A rank E has been selected?"
2903
2904"That's right."
2905
2906Jin-Woo could sense the sharp glares boring down on the back of his head.
2907
2908"What the heck. What is the foreman thinking of, hiring a rank E and all?"
2909
2910"Does a rank E even have enough strength, I wonder?"
2911
2912"Yeah, I wonder about that, too."
2913
2914"Huh, can we even finish today's operation on time?"
2915
2916Worried voices could be heard coming from here and there.
2917
2918Still, they kept their voices low, perhaps in consideration of the new guy. Too bad, such actions were meaningless in front of Jin-Woo, though.
2919
2920Jin-Woo could only keep his chuckles down.
2921
2922'There was another reason for their reactions not being so welcoming, huh.'
2923
2924As expected – a rank E would receive cold shoulders no matter where they went. He was already well used to this, so it didn't faze him anymore.
2925
2926'Well, it's not like I'll be seeing them for long, anyway."
2927
2928But then, something else happened.
2929
2930Noisy, noisy....
2931
2932Suddenly, the front of the Gate became rather noisy.
2933
2934"The raid team has come out."
2935
2936"Looks like they are finally finished."
2937
2938The tired expressions of the Hunters in the mining team, restless from all that waiting, brightened one by one. Foreman Bae had been observing the situation until then, and he gestured at his team.
2939
2940"Okay, okay. Everyone, let's get going."
2941
2942Hunters in the mining team checked their equipment and slowly shuffled towards their destination. Jin-Woo blended in and went along with them.
2943
2944"Thank you for your hard work."
2945
2946"Thank you."
2947
2948"You all worked hard, everyone!"
2949
2950The Hunters Guild employees stood in front of the Gate and welcomed the raid team members as they made their exit one by one.
2951
2952The term raid team as used in the field seemed to refer to the members belonging to the Guild's main assault force.
2953
2954'So, these people are.... the country's best assault force.'
2955
2956Studying the faces of each and every upper rank – no, the very highest ranked – Hunters walking by, Jin-Woo's eyes sharpened considerably.
2957
2958He spotted a familiar face among them.
2959
2960'….Choi Jong-In.'
2961
2962The leader of the Hunters Guild, and a rank S mage-type Hunter.
2963
2964Jin-Woo pulled the hard hat lower to hide his face, figuring that things might get complicated if Choi Jong-In recognised him here. Thankfully, there were many Hunters wearing a similar get-up as him nearby. So, Jin-Woo was able to blend in just fine.
2965
2966And so, as he stood amidst the miners and silently studied the members of the country's very best assault force, Jin-Woo began thinking that...
2967
2968'…..Are they really the true elites of the Hunters Guild?'
2969
2970He was feeling quite incredulous inwardly.
2971
2972Quite contrary to his initial expectations, it was hard to find a single Hunter with a really powerful aura.
2973
2974As befitting of the nickname 'Ultimate Weapon', Jin-Woo could sense an enormous amount of magical energy from Choi Jong-In, but besides that guy, not one was worthy of mention.
2975
2976'Could they be the weak ones, instead?'
2977
2978But, that simply made no sense.
2979
2980Jin-Woo softly shook his head.
2981
2982These were the members of the no.1 raid team selected from the cream of the crop found in the country's top Guild.
2983
2984'I mean, the Guild Master himself has participated in the raid, so there's just no way that some nobodies would be chosen as team members.'
2985
2986The word most ill-suited to describe these people would be 'Weak'. Then, there could be only one conclusion.
2987
2988'No, it's me who has gotten stronger.'
2989
2990A thin smile crept up on Jin-Woo's lips. Strength was relative, wasn't it?
2991
2992The efforts of the last couple of months definitely did not betray his expectations. His Stats had increased by so much that he could think of the raid team that managed to conquer a rank A dungeon as weaklings.
2993
2994By using the difference between himself and them, he could sense his own strength.
2995
2996Thump, thump, thump....
2997
2998His heart began beating faster from this realisation.
2999
3000But, then....
3001
3002No one told him to do so, and there was no sound attracting him, yet Jin-Woo's head instinctively swivelled back towards the Gate. And then, he gasped out in surprise.
3003
3004'How can this be....?'
3005
3006There was a woman with a short hairstyle relaxedly walking out from the Gate.
3007
3008The very first things that caught his attention on her makeup-less face were a pair of large and clear eyes. Next up, her clean and pale skin, as well as her smoothly flowing neckline, also managed to attract his gaze.
3009
3010If there were 100 men, 99 of them would unhesitatingly praise her looks and call it beautiful. However, besides all that, what attracted Jin-Woo's attention the most was not her looks but what was inside her.
3011
3012The power that was hidden inside her.
3013
3014From that expressionless woman, an incredible amount of magic energy was leaking out non-stop.
3015
3016'At a bare minimum, she's on the same level as Choi Jong-In.'
3017
3018Or maybe, even more than that.
3019
3020She possessed an aura that easily overwhelmed her surroundings.
3021
3022By the time his shock wore off and cold reasoning succeeded in driving his emotions out of his head, Jin-Woo recalled this woman's name.
3023
3024'She must be....'
3025
3026The only female rank S, Cha Hae-In.
3027
3028The top-ranked Hunter who formed, along with Choi Jong-In, one of the core pillars of the Hunters Guild.
3029
3030'I can't think of anyone else.'
3031
3032Just how many women possessing such an aura existed in South Korea?
3033
3034Compared to her 'rarity' though, Cha Hae-In's face wasn't all that well known. It was because she didn't enjoy being exposed to the cameras. And that was also why Jin-Woo saw Cha Hae-In's face for the first time today as well.
3035
3036'Wait, her face doesn't even look weird like in some rumours, so how come she hates being in front of a camera?'
3037
3038Indeed, pretty much all ladies in their early twenties loved taking photos. Sure, all those happened to be selfies, but still.
3039
3040Perhaps his stare was too direct, Cha Hae-in's own gaze began shifting in Jin-Woo's direction.
3041
3042'Stealth... shouldn't be necessary here, right?'
3043
3044Jin-Woo easily hid his presence. Cha Hae-In continued to scan the area Jin-Woo used to stand before tilting her head slightly.
3045
3046'What was that? I thought I felt a really strong presence just now.'
3047
3048Was she mistaken?
3049
3050Initially, she thought that the Association President Goh Gun-Hui had stopped by at the operations area. However, that powerful presence disappeared completely as if it was a lie.
3051
3052'Well, someone as busy as the Association President wouldn't come unannounced, now would he?'
3053
3054Too bad for her, the cost of her misunderstanding was rather great.
3055
3056Because she was searching after the hint of that strong presence, she had to focus her senses, and that meant the heavy odour several times worse than normal assaulted her nose.
3057
3058"Euk."
3059
3060As usual, Cha Hae-In pulled out a handkerchief to cover her nose, and while tottering around somewhat uneasily, escaped from the cordon of Hunters.
3061
3062'Her perception is better than I thought.'
3063
3064Jin-Woo let out a sigh of relief while watching Cha Hae-In's distancing back. With her exit, all the raid team members had come out of the Gate.
3065
3066Having been waiting with bated breath for this moment, the foreman of the mining team Bae Yun-Seok turned around to face his boys. He clapped his hands loudly and spoke up with a bright voice.
3067
3068"Well, it's our turn now, so let's all do our best!"
3069
3070The unique nature of the job meant that the retrieval team would have to enter first, followed by the mining team.
3071
3072Jin-Woo stood in front of the Gate.
3073
3074'…....'
3075
3076As he stood there while silently admiring the splendour of the rank A Gate, something he hadn't experienced before, Bae Yun-Seok approached him.
3077
3078"Mister Seong, what are you doing? We should go inside."
3079
3080"Alright."
3081
3082Jin-Woo replied briefly and stepped through the Gate, just like other Hunters did before him.
3083
3084And then, a familiar message popped up before his eyes.
3085
3086[You have entered a dungeon.]
3087
3088< Chapter 81 > Fin.
3089
3090Chapter 82: 
3091'There's a breeze inside this dungeon?'
3092
3093Jin-Woo raised his head.
3094
3095As soon as stepping inside, he sensed an ominous wind blowing in from the deepest part of the cave-like dungeon.
3096
3097Suddenly, he felt a chill run down his back. And at the same time, Jin-Woo realised the identity of this mysterious wind.
3098
3099'It's no normal wind, is it?'
3100
3101No, this was a ripple caused by the magic energy. The powerful magic energy emitted by the boss of this rank A dungeon was physically touching Jin-Woo's body.
3102
3103Considering that the rank S dungeons were incredibly hard to find, even in the entire world, the owner of this magic energy could very well be the highest levelled monster Jin-Woo could realistically meet.
3104
3105'The boss of a rank A dungeon....'
3106
3107He was tempted to confirm the creature with his own two eyes now. And, if there was a chance....
3108
3109Even though Jin-Woo was shuddering from the bone-chilling aura that managed to make his hair stand on end, he couldn't stop smiling at the same time.
3110
3111Was this the instinct of a hunter?
3112
3113Wasn't the act of pointing a gun at a powerful predator the most instinctive act there could be for a real hunter?
3114
3115It was then.
3116
3117Tap.
3118
3119A guy coming inside the dungeon bumped into Jin-Woo's shoulder.
3120
3121"Eiii, come on, man. Walk faster."
3122
3123A man named Lee Seong-Gu frowned deeply, the words flying out of his mouth sounding sullen.
3124
3125The interior of the rank A dungeon was huge. There was plenty of space to go around the person in front. However, Lee Seong-Gu found this newbie who stood there unmoving not to his liking at all.
3126
3127So, he figured he'd embarrass the kid or something by bumping into his back, but.....
3128
3129'What the fuck is up with this guy? He's like a damn concrete pillar!'
3130
3131When he ran into the newbie's back, it was him who got bounced away instead. So, quite obviously, his irritation had shot up to the heavens.
3132
3133'Why is a rank E this tough?'
3134
3135Still, this kid was a measly E. And he was a rank C.
3136
3137Although his skills lagged behind compared to other rank C Hunters, and therefore he had to work as a miner, but regardless of all that, it wouldn't do for him to lose out to a rank E like this.
3138
3139However, the newbie didn't even show a single hint of a response.
3140
3141Lee Seong-Gu's eyes narrowed to a slit.
3142
3143'Oh? Would you look at this fool?'
3144
3145Now that his ire had reached a boiling point, Lee Seong-Gu angrily glared at the newbie and raised his voice higher.
3146
3147"Look here, man. Aren't you supposed to apologise if you run into someone?"
3148
3149Jin-Woo finally turned around, then.
3150
3151Lee Seong-Gu flinched and took a step back.
3152
3153'Heok!!'
3154
3155It was if a dangerous light was emanating from Jin-Woo's eyes just then. While being pressurised by an aura that robbed away his breaths, Lee Seong-Gu began panicking greatly. It was here that Jin-Woo finally opened his mouth.
3156
3157"Sorry."
3158
3159"N-no. I....."
3160
3161Lee Seong-Gu stuttered before managing to squeeze his voice out.
3162
3163"Well, uh, mistakes... happen."
3164
3165His voice sounding unexpectedly meek now, Lee Seong-Gu lowered his reddened face and hurriedly walked past Jin-Woo.
3166
3167"Fuu-woo...."
3168
3169Only after distancing himself far away from the newbie did Lee Seong-Gu find some leeway to pat his pounding chest.
3170
3171'What the hell was up with those eyes, man? And why was he smiling so creepily like that?!'
3172
3173Their gazes met for only a brief second, yet Lee Seong-Gu's entire body froze up and he couldn't even speak properly. Him managing to not avert his eyes right away was his desperate attempt to hold on to his pride.
3174
3175'…..Is he really a rank E?'
3176
3177When he bumped into him, and that murderous glare – just what the heck was going on here?
3178
3179'Eiii, who cares anymore?'
3180
3181Lee Seong-Gu shook his head hard in order to get rid of the distracting thoughts and hurried his steps.
3182
3183"...Damn it."
3184
3185Jin-Woo scratched the side of his head as he looked on at Lee Seong-Gu quickly rushing past him.
3186
3187'Because my nerves were in a heightened state due to the boss, I....'
3188
3189He ended up frightening that guy, instead.
3190
3191This was only because he lacked enough practice. Yup, more practice was needed. Jin-Woo inwardly reflected on how overly sensitive his response was and chased after the rest of the mining team.
3192
3193He caught up with them pretty quickly. Jin-Woo stuck to the rear of the advancing miners and matched their walking pace.
3194
3195'Well, none of these guys would be able to catch up with me if I walk in my usual speed....'
3196
3197So, he had to match theirs.
3198
3199However....
3200
3201The deeper they went in, the greater the ripples of the magic energy from the boss became.
3202
3203'My Perception Stat has risen up by a lot, hasn't it.'
3204
3205To be able to clearly sense the boss monster hidden in the deepest chamber of the dungeon like this....
3206
3207Because of that, he was getting excited for no particular reason.
3208
3209'Would I even be able to concentrate on my job at this rate?'
3210
3211As if to try answering his rhetorical question, he could hear the loud, manly roars coming from his front.
3212
3213"Orya! Orya!!"
3214
3215The retrieval team that had entered one step earlier than the mining team was already in the middle of their operation. And that would be to drag a corpse of a huge monster outside using the ropes tightly tied around it.
3216
3217"One, two! One, two!"
3218
3219"Eut-chaaa!"
3220
3221The physical strength of the close-quarter combat-type Hunters was excellent, to begin with, so they didn't require help from specialised tools to smoothly carry out their work.
3222
3223Jin-Woo imprinted every step of a high-rank dungeon's conquest into his brain.
3224
3225'First of all, the raid team enters before everyone else and eliminates all the monsters found inside, with the exception of the boss.'
3226
3227Afterwards, the retrieval team entered to drag out the monster remains, and finally, the mining team entered to extract various minerals embedded in the dungeon's walls.
3228
3229In order to maximise profit, none of these steps could be omitted.
3230
3231Both the Mana stones and magic crystals were a given, but the high-ranked monster's body could be utilised in various ways as well, and thus was worth a lot of money.
3232
3233'Bones, hides, flesh, etc.... Not one part of a high-ranked monster is useless.'
3234
3235And that was one of the differences between monsters found in low-ranked dungeons and those from the high-ranked ones.
3236
3237After sweeping away every single thing worth money from a dungeon....
3238
3239'They kill the boss and close the Gate.'
3240
3241Only after going through all four stages of this process could one declare that the high-ranked dungeon was perfectly conquered. At least, that would be from the Guild's perspective.
3242
3243However....
3244
3245'Wouldn't my soldiers be enough to carry out these simple labours?'
3246
3247While walking past the sweating Hunters of the retrieval team, Jin-Woo suddenly came up with that idea.
3248
3249For sure, after all their level-ups, the shadow soldiers were much stronger than the members of the retrieval team, who were all Hunters ranked below rank C, to begin with.
3250
3251Dividing his troops into three, and by making one group hunt, another one retrieve, while the remaining group took care of mining, then.....
3252
3253'Then, I might really be able to perfectly conquer a high-rank dungeon all by myself.'
3254
3255A satisfied smile formed on Jin-Woo's face.
3256
3257The reason for him being here was to explore. And now, he was beginning to think that it was a good idea to come here, after all.
3258
3259"Mister Seong? Did something good happen?"
3260
3261The foreman asked him from the side.
3262
3263Seeing that the rank E with no experience of being inside a high-ranked dungeon broke out in a grin like that, he couldn't help but get curious.
3264
3265"Well, I was just surprised by the sizes of the monsters that are bigger than I thought, that's all."
3266
3267Perhaps finding Jin-Woo's vague answer satisfying, the foreman replied jovially while trying to dig through his memory.
3268
3269"Oh, is that so? Well, even I couldn't keep my mouth shut the first time I entered one, too."
3270
3271Now that they were talking like this, Jin-Woo decided to ask a couple more questions.
3272
3273"I heard that all the regular monsters have been killed off, but the boss is still alive, isn't it?"
3274
3275"That's right. Well, if the boss dies, the Gate will close down, after all."
3276
3277His answer implied that, until the retrieval and mining operations were completed, the boss could not be hunted down.
3278
3279"What if the boss comes out of the boss room?"
3280
3281"Well, such a case is almost non-existent, but.... In that case, everyone remaining inside would be dead meat."
3282
3283Now that would be an obvious result.
3284
3285The raid team exiting from the dungeon would take an extended break until the boss raid. And quite obviously, the Hunters in the mining team or the extraction team didn't possess enough power to fight against a boss of a rank A dungeon.
3286
3287However, the commonly-accepted belief was that, before the dungeon break occurs, the boss would almost always remain inside the boss room. Perhaps that was why there was no trace of fear on the foreman's expression.
3288
3289"But, such a horrifying monster is not too far from us. You aren't even remotely scared?"
3290
3291"Not at all."
3292
3293The Foreman Bae sounded confident.
3294
3295"In the last three years I worked for the Hunters Guild, not once was there an incident similar to that. So, you can rest easy, Mister Seong."
3296
3297Jin-Woo stared at the grinning foreman Bae lightly tapping him on the shoulder, and couldn't help but find it rather envious.
3298
3299'Ignorance is a blessing, isn't it?'
3300
3301The ripples of magic energy coming from the boss were powerful enough to shake his body even when standing still.
3302
3303It looked like only Jin-Woo could pick up on the boss's aura in this place.
3304
3305"Ohh, so it starts from here!"
3306
3307The Foreman Bae discovered Mana stones on the cave walls and smiled brightly.
3308
3309The experienced miners began occupying their natural spots in front of the stones even though no one directed them to do so. They put down their gear and hefted the pickaxes up.
3310
3311Jin-Woo too stood towards the end of the cavern wall filled with Mana stones.
3312
3313'So, am I suppose to just strike down?'
3314
3315He grew worried that, were he to use his real strength and strike down, both the Mana stones and the pickaxe might shatter into tiny little pieces.
3316
3317'What should I do?'
3318
3319Jin-Woo stood there hesitating, unable to start his job. But, he was able to take in the sight of Mok Jin-Su, the supposed veteran of the mining team as referred to by the Foreman Bae.
3320
3321Swish! Crack! Swish-! Crack!!
3322
3323Mok Jin-Su rhythmically mined the stones. Whenever he struck the walls, Mana stones noisily tumbled down to the ground.
3324
3325'Wow....'
3326
3327Now that was some skill worthy of the 'veteran' label. He was mining the stones twice as quickly as compared to the speed of his colleagues.
3328
3329Jin-Woo's eyes gleamed brightly.
3330
3331As the time slowed down in his perception, Jin-Woo observed and learned Mok Jin-Su's postures and breathing patterns, as well as the movements of muscles.
3332
3333And soon, Mok Jin-Su's economical but effective movements were being replayed countless times in Jin-Woo's head.
3334
3335'I think I get it now.'
3336
3337Indeed, he thought he understood it, more or less. Jin-Woo lifted his pickaxe up. It was as if he was the mirror image of Mok Jin-Su.
3338
3339Swish! Crack! Swish-! Crack!!
3340
3341Even if their movements were similar, Jin-Woo's strength was on a completely another level from Mok Jin-Su's. Whenever Jin-Woo struck the cave walls, larger, more intact Mana stones tumbled down in droves.
3342
3343Swish!!! Craaack! Swish---! Crack!!
3344
3345A rather refreshing noise came from the end of the wall. The Hunters of the mining team realised one by one that something didn't feel right.
3346
3347"Uhm... Oii."
3348
3349"What's up?"
3350
3351"Look over there."
3352
3353"Heok?!"
3354
3355"What the hell is up with him?"
3356
3357The Hunters stopped what they were doing and dazedly stared at Jin-Woo. Even Mok Jin-Su's tireless hands came to a stop, too.
3358
3359'…....'
3360
3361Everyone was rendered speechless.
3362
3363The supposedly mining-virgin rank E Hunter was currently making easy mincemeat out of the Mana stone wall with practised movements!
3364
3365"What are you doing, guys?! You came here to do a job, so why are you all standing around like that?"
3366
3367The Foreman Bae had been jotting down the scale of the Mana stone deposit on a ledger until then. But when he discovered that every member of the mining team had downed tools for some reason, he got shocked out of his mind and quickly ran to where they were.
3368
3369"Foreman? Will you take a look over there?"
3370
3371"What now?"
3372
3373The Foreman Bae craned his neck to look. And then, his eyes grew super large.
3374
3375"Heot?!"
3376
3377Even the foreman displayed the same reaction as everyone else. He couldn't rip his eyes away from Jin-Woo and his speed, which was around three times faster than other miners.
3378
3379"Foreman, didn't you say that it's the newbie's first time today?"
3380
3381"....That I did."
3382
3383Lee Seong-Gu, who had been wondering about Jin-Woo's identity earlier, butted in suddenly.
3384
3385"Is he really a rank E?"
3386
3387"I confirmed it with his licence, obviously! You think I'll let a complete stranger into my team without confirming his Hunter licence first?"
3388
3389"Well, then. How do you explain that?"
3390
3391"...."
3392
3393Wordlessly observing Jin-Woo, the Foreman Bae nervously swallowed his saliva as excitement dyed his expression.
3394
3395"Without a doubt..... Mister Seong is the heaven-sent miner."
3396
3397Indeed, there was a reason why those rugged, tough-looking chest muscles caught the foreman's attention back when they were having a short job interview.
3398
3399'Yup, I really am good at finding the right people.'
3400
3401A thick smile spread on the Foreman Bae's face.
3402
3403...
3404
3405Beep, beep, beep!
3406
3407An alarm went off from Foreman Bae's wristwatch. He raised his wrist to confirm the time.
3408
3409'Aigoo~. It's already.....'
3410
3411It was lunch hour already.
3412
3413"Everyone, let's take a break and have lunch."
3414
3415"Yes!!"
3416
3417Everyone dropped their tools and dusted their hands.
3418
3419While the miners were walking towards the exit in pairs and groups, Jin-Woo showed no hint of moving from the spot. Foreman Bae got closer and asked him.
3420
3421"Mister Seong? Aren't you going, too?"
3422
3423"I'm not feeling all that hungry at the moment."
3424
3425"Even then, you should eat something if you plan to continue working in the afternoon."
3426
3427"Nah, I'm fine. I did eat my breakfast a bit later than usual, anyway."
3428
3429"Really? ….Well, nothing I can do about that, then."
3430
3431Bae was planning to talk about the future together with this young man during the lunch break, but that didn't mean he should forcibly drag the kid away, no?
3432
3433Foreman Bae ruefully turned around towards the Gate's exit.
3434
3435It was at this point that the corners of Jin-Woo's lips arched up. Watching the distancing backs of the miners, he formed a deep smile.
3436
3437'I can't miss such a wonderful opportunity, right?'
3438
3439Finally, he was left all alone. Both the mining team and the retrieval team had left the dungeon. For about one hour, he was free to do whatever he wanted.
3440
3441Meaning, this was the best chance for him to seek out the boss hiding in the deepest part of the dungeon.
3442
3443Jin-Woo put the pickaxe down, and slowly shifted his gaze to the direction of the boss room. He could still sense the thick aura of the monster.
3444
3445'I'll just go and take a quick look.'
3446
3447He wasn't thinking of doing anything at all. No, he just wanted to see what the boss looked like.
3448
3449Thump, thump, thump...
3450
3451Just from imagining him seeing the boss, his heart was pounding faster.
3452
3453Jin-Woo forcibly controlled his wildly-beating heart and walked forward. He moved deeper into the cave, following after the aura of the boss.
3454
3455And so, just how long did he have to walk?
3456
3457A long stroll later, he finally arrived at the entrance of a huge chamber. It was the boss room. The cavern itself was already pretty huge, but the boss room was even bigger.
3458
3459Was every high ranking dungeon as huge as this one? Just as he began wondering like that....
3460
3461He discovered the boss and automatically accepted that this dungeon simply had to be this big.
3462
3463'If a monster like that gets outside....'
3464
3465His eyes spotted the lone humanoid monster standing still at the far end of the boss room. Jin-Woo's eyes began gleaming brightly like a young kid who got his hands on a toy he wanted so much as a gift.
3466
3467'A giant-type monster.'
3468
3469He heard a few things about this type of monster before, but this would be his first time looking at one. Because a giant-type monster's corpse was so huge, it was practically impossible to retrieve it in time, so most people would hardly ever get to see one outside of dungeon breaks.
3470
3471Such a creature was right over there, and that was causing his heart to palpitate faster and faster.
3472
3473'That thing's really strong.'
3474
3475The hair on his body was standing up. But, for some reason, he didn't think for once that hunting that thing down was impossible for him.
3476
3477'The current me can.....'
3478
3479He'd be more than enough. The moment he thought like this, he reflexively swallowed his saliva.
3480
3481Gulp.
3482
3483Just how much experience points would he earn by hunting that guy down? By working his ass off inside the Demon's Castle, he levelled up 15 times in a week. But, if he could kill one boss and raise his level by 2, 3 times....
3484
3485'No, I shouldn't be doing this.'
3486
3487Even though he was telling himself he shouldn't, both the 'Baruka's Dagger' and the 'Knight Killer' were summoned into his hands already. More importantly, his expression wasn't of someone stuck in a dilemma, wondering whether he should do something or not.
3488
3489Should I just go ahead and do this thing?
3490
3491A soft but excited grin formed on his lips.
3492
3493However....
3494
3495While Jin-Woo stood there deliberating with a smile on his face, a certain woman's incredibly sharp voice flew at him from his behind.
3496
3497"What do you think you're doing?"
3498
3499< Chapter 82 > Fin.
3500
3501Chapter 83: 
3502Right then, Jin-Woo felt his heart crash down to the pit of his stomach.
3503
3504'When did she....?'
3505
3506He was paying too much attention to the boss and failed to notice that someone had come closer.
3507
3508'I'm busted....'
3509
3510Jin-Woo could only smack his lips in regret.
3511
3512Tsk.
3513
3514However, with an eyewitness around, it was no longer possible to stare avariciously at the boss.
3515
3516The Hunters Guild had purchased the raid permit for his particular dungeon, so naturally, the boss of this place was also a part of their investment.
3517
3518And, if the boss was killed off, the Gate would close down. The potential losses the Hunters Guild might incur would be a lot, then.
3519
3520'I nearly messed up.'
3521
3522He got blinded by the desire to level up and nearly put his hands on someone else's property. Jin-Woo regained his bearings and spat out a sigh of relief; meanwhile, the owner of the voice had walked closer.
3523
3524"I asked you what you were doing."
3525
3526Jin-Woo formed an embarrassed smile and turned around to face her.
3527
3528"I got lost and ended up here."
3529
3530"You got lost?!"
3531
3532She sounded flabbergasted. Only then did Jin-Woo confirm who the owner of the voice was.
3533
3534'Huh? Isn't she....?'
3535
3536He saw that face just before entering the dungeon, didn't he?
3537
3538It was none other than the rank S Hunter Cha Hae-In. As Cha Hae-In slowly closed the distance, she carefully scanned both of Jin-Woo's hands.
3539
3540'I definitely saw him holding weapons just now, though?'
3541
3542Was she mistaken?
3543
3544Whatever the case might have been, they had disappeared without a trace.
3545
3546Cha Hae-In's gaze scanned the entirety of Jin-Woo, up and down.
3547
3548'A hard hat and a worker's overall..... Is he from our mining team?'
3549
3550She honestly believed him about getting lost here. She didn't know how he got this far, but well, the boss room was a very dangerous place to hang around.
3551
3552Discovering the 'reason' was secondary. For now, Cha Hae-In figured that the priority should be on helping this man to leave this place.
3553
3554"That chamber is where the boss is."
3555
3556Cha Hae-In covered her nose with her handkerchief as usual and stood before Jin-Woo.
3557
3558"Please exit from the dungeon as soon as possible. If you manage to attract its aggro, people inside this dungeon could all die."
3559
3560"Ah. I'm sorry."
3561
3562It seemed that his acting worked. Jin-Woo formed a satisfied expression and walked past Cha Hae-In. It was then.
3563
3564'….Uh?'
3565
3566Cha Hae-In's head snapped towards Jin-Woo.
3567
3568Something impossible just happened.
3569
3570Cha Hae-In's eyes opened wide and even before she realised it, she was calling out to him.
3571
3572"Excuse me. Wait!"
3573
3574"Yes?"
3575
3576"Can you take a look at me for a sec?"
3577
3578What's gotten into her?
3579
3580And they said that thieves knew what they did wrong; Jin-Woo was not looking forward to Cha Hae-In coming in close to him. Too bad, she was already standing right in front of his nose.
3581
3582"What.... what's the matter?"
3583
3584He asked with a troubled look on his face, but she didn't answer and simply proceeded to lightly breathe in the air near him. She had already put away the handkerchief covering her nose.
3585
3586'What's going on here?'
3587
3588Jin-Woo failed to understand why she was doing this.
3589
3590'Wait, why is she suddenly smelling me?'
3591
3592Jin-Woo began panicking inwardly. However, the state of confusion Cha Hae-In was going through at the moment was several times greater than his.
3593
3594'There is no.... stink coming from him.'
3595
3596This would be her first time meeting another Hunter that didn't stink.
3597
3598Cha Hae-In's surprised eyes stared at Jin-Woo. And a question mark floated above Jin-Woo's head as his reply.
3599
3600"Is there some kind of a problem?"
3601
3602"You... Are you a Hunter for real?"
3603
3604Was there a need for words here? Jin-Woo pushed forward the Hunter licence hanging on his neck. Cha Hae-In took the licence and her gaze quickly alternated between Jin-Woo's face and the ID photo.
3605
3606'Rank E.... Seong Jin-Woo....'
3607
3608Was this because his rank was too low?
3609
3610She could not pick up any type of smell coming from this man named Jin-Woo. No, wait. Actually, a pleasant odour was gently wafting out of him, instead.
3611
3612Jin-Woo sneakily extracted his licence out of Cha Hae-In's hand.
3613
3614"Can I go now?"
3615
3616"Uhm, well, I...."
3617
3618Cha Hae-In did call out to Jin-Woo, but then, realised that she had nothing else to say nor had a reason to keep him here.
3619
3620".....It's nothing. Please be careful on your way out. This dungeon is rather large, you see."
3621
3622"Ah, of course."
3623
3624Jin-Woo lightly nodded his head and turned towards the location of the mining operation. His back soon disappeared around the corner of the cavern.
3625
3626However, Cha Hae-In's lingering gaze didn't shift away from the path Jin-Woo had walked down on.
3627
3628'He smelled really nice.'
3629
3630Hunters of the mining team were returning to the mining operations area one by one after finishing their lunch.
3631
3632Foreman Bae was walking with a toothpick stuck in between his teeth. Once he saw Jin-Woo appearing from the deeper parts of the dungeon, though, he flinched greatly in shock.
3633
3634"Uh? Huh?? Mister Seong, why are you coming from there??"
3635
3636"Oh, that...."
3637
3638Jin-Woo sneakily shifted his gaze over in the direction of the boss.
3639
3640'….I can't tell him about me stopping by the boss to see what it looks like out of curiosity, right?'
3641
3642Jin-Woo's gaze returned to Foreman Bae.
3643
3644"I got lost while searching for the bathroom, actually."
3645
3646"Aigoo! You need to be more careful, young man. Interiors of these dungeons all look the same, so if you get lost inside, it won't be easy finding your way around! But still, how did you find your way back to here?"
3647
3648"Oh, I ran into Cha Hae-In Hunter-nim on my way back, so...."
3649
3650"Ahh, Cha Hunter-nim, was it? She's probably gone to stand guard by the boss room just in case the boss decides to take a stroll. That lady also worries a lot, maybe as much as you, Mister Seong."
3651
3652Foreman Bae guffawed vigorously. It seemed that Jin-Woo being worried about the boss not too long ago had left a deep impression in his mind.
3653
3654Jin-Woo could only smile wryly.
3655
3656'The foreman can laugh like this only because he has no idea how terrifying the boss actually is.'
3657
3658This was the difference between the Hunters doing these sorts of jobs, and the Hunters working in the assault team.
3659
3660Cha Hae-In understood very well how dangerous and scary an existence the monsters could be, so she was just being meticulous in those areas that no one else was paying much attention to.
3661
3662'I didn't know there was such a side to her, what with that expressionless face of hers and all.'
3663
3664If the boss decided to come out of the boss room, the assault team wouldn't be the ones in danger. No, it would be the workers doing their job, as the raid team would be taking a break outside the dungeon.
3665
3666And she was sacrificing the allure of sweet rest to stand guard in front of the boss room, just for the sake of total strangers.
3667
3668'…..She's an amazing woman.'
3669
3670That was Jin-Woo's honest impression of Cha Hae-In. It was at this point that he suddenly recalled her odd habit.
3671
3672'Why was she covering her nose with a handkerchief?'
3673
3674Thinking back, she never let go of the handkerchief not even once, except for their meeting a few moments ago.
3675
3676"Foreman?"
3677
3678"Yeah?"
3679
3680Foreman Bae remained very friendly whenever Jin-Woo asked him a question, even though it'd be quite reasonable for him to get a bit annoyed by now.
3681
3682'Right, the responses were pretty good back when I was doing my job, wasn't it?'
3683
3684Indeed, one should strive to do their best in their jobs.
3685
3686Thanks to his efforts, Jin-Woo could ask about this and that without holding back now. Heck, it was Foreman Bae who urged Jin-Woo to speak, instead.
3687
3688"Mister Seong? You called for me, so how come you ain't saying a thing?"
3689
3690"Oh, well, it's nothing important, but.... By any chance, do you know why Cha Hae-In Hunter-nim walks around with a handkerchief?"
3691
3692"Oh, that? Well, it's cuz Hunter Cha is a bit peculiar, you see."
3693
3694"A bit peculiar?"
3695
3696What did he mean by that?
3697
3698Jin-Woo didn't have to ask, because Foreman Bae helpfully explained himself first.
3699
3700"Hunter Cha can supposedly smell a kind of body odour coming from other Hunters. And I hear she finds them pretty horrible."
3701
3702"She can smell other Hunters?!"
3703
3704"I heard something or other about her special constitutions and stuff."
3705
3706Her special constitutions, he said.
3707
3708Jin-Woo also possessed something similar to that – his excellent sense of hearing.
3709
3710Even from his early years, his hearing could be considered better than average, but once he Awakened, it developed even further.
3711
3712'Probably, Cha Hae-In's sense of smell also got enhanced like mine.'
3713
3714So, he could more or less understand where she was coming from.
3715
3716"Well, wouldn't you agree that she is peculiar?"
3717
3718Perhaps he enjoyed the sight of Jin-Woo focusing on his words more than he should, because Foreman Bae continued on with his explanations without any prompt from the youth.
3719
3720"I heard that she finds it really hard to breathe near other Hunters because of the stink."
3721
3722"..."
3723
3724Was that why?
3725
3726'….Asking me if I was a Hunter.'
3727
3728Was it because, unlike other Hunters, he didn't smell at all?
3729
3730Back in the Red Gate, the leader of the White Phantoms said something similar.
3731
3732Every one of us can hear a certain voice repeating itself in our heads. It tells us to kill humans. However, I can't hear that voice when I'm looking at you.
3733Wasn't this a bit similar in context with what that creature told him? He didn't have the Hunter-specific stink, and they couldn't hear the voice telling them to kill him.
3734
3735'Because, I'm a Player.....'
3736
3737A unique existence who had received the advantages of the System.
3738
3739Just what was this 'Player'?
3740
3741The question of his own identity rose up in Jin-Woo's head, but he shook his head eventually.
3742
3743'This isn't a problem I can figure out now, anyway.'
3744
3745Jin-Woo emptied his mind. Problems that couldn't be solved by thinking too hard would only tire him out if he continued to dwell on it.
3746
3747Crack! Kwack!
3748
3749It was then, he heard his colleagues getting back to work. So, Jin-Woo also lifted the pickaxe.
3750
3751'The rank A boss... I wish I could hunt it down.'
3752
3753What would he have done if Cha Hae-In didn't show up in time?
3754
3755He couldn't help but wonder.
3756
3757Thanks to Jin-Woo's brilliant efforts, the mining team was able to finish their operation well before the dinner time. According to the foreman, they had finished two hours faster than planned.
3758
3759With that, the looks the fellow miners were giving him had gone through substantial changes.
3760
3761"Nice work, Mister Seong!"
3762
3763"You were really good, you know?"
3764
3765"After seeing all those Mana stones tumbling down, I thought we somehow got ourselves on an excavator or something."
3766
3767Hunters surrounding Jin-Woo began praising him one by one. The cold, indifferent eyes before entering the Gate were nowhere to be seen now.
3768
3769Jin-Woo was also feeling rather pleased with himself. This experience of being a dungeon miner proved to be surprisingly educational, and he also got to achieve the purpose of coming to this rank A dungeon as well.
3770
3771"Well, let's get out of here, everyone!"
3772
3773"Roger that!"
3774
3775"Let's go!"
3776
3777At Foreman Bae's order, the miners all began moving at the same time.
3778
3779"One, two!"
3780
3781"Yu-cha!"
3782
3783They left behind the retrieval team still suffering through their operation and, after changing out of their overalls, the miners re-gathered in one spot.
3784
3785Unlike the other miners, who were all full-time employees of the Guild, Jin-Woo's daily wage was handed to him immediately.
3786
3787"Here. This is your share, Mister Seong."
3788
3789"Ah, thank you."
3790
3791While handing over the envelope containing the day's wage, Foreman Bae sneakily threw in a question as well.
3792
3793"We're planning to go and enjoy a drink together, so how about it? Would you like to join us?"
3794
3795He sounded light and cheery, but his eyes were gleaming in a serious light.
3796
3797'Looks like he has something important to say to me, but....'
3798
3799Jin-Woo could sense the man's desperation, even. Unfortunately, Jin-Woo declined the invite as tactfully as possible.
3800
3801"I'm sorry."
3802
3803"Mm.... Is that so."
3804
3805Foreman Bae scratched his chin.
3806
3807'Well, this is a story best told after knocking back a few cold ones, but...'
3808
3809He hurriedly changed his tactic.
3810
3811"I've met quite a few people while doing this job for many years now."
3812
3813"Okay."
3814
3815"But, it's my first time meeting someone like you. You have a natural-born talent to become a miner."
3816
3817It seemed that Foreman Bae really liked Jin-Woo here.
3818
3819'Haha.... Well, this is....'
3820
3821All Jin-Woo could do here was to chuckle awkwardly, unable to neither agree or refute that notion. Deciding that the young man's smile was a good omen, Foreman Bae confidently moved on to the main topic at hand.
3822
3823"I'd normally not say something like this, but.... Don't you want to come and work for me full-time? I will definitely not treat you poorly, you see."
3824
3825This young man named Seong Jin-Woo.
3826
3827Even though today was his first day as a miner, he managed to outperform the veterans by three, four times the amount.
3828
3829If he couldn't hold on to such outstanding talent, wouldn't he be a failure of a foreman?
3830
3831He was even thinking of discussing the matter with the person in charge and have Jin-Woo's wages paid separately from others. That was how badly he wanted to reel in this young man.
3832
3833Too bad, Jin-Woo remained resolute.
3834
3835"Thank you for your kind words, but.... Actually, I'm getting ready for something else at the moment."
3836
3837Just a few words from Jin-Woo, and Foreman Bae's face was forming a dejected expression of a man who had lost his country.
3838
3839"....R-really?"
3840
3841Jin-Woo chuckled to himself.
3842
3843'What an interesting guy.'
3844
3845To display his raw emotions so openly like this. More than likely, Foreman Bae must've thought that he had discovered an unpolished rough within the E rank.
3846
3847Foreman Bae pondered something for a bit, before cautiously asking the youth.
3848
3849"What about tomorrow, then? Can you come to work tomorrow as well?"
3850
3851"Tomorrow? Hmm....."
3852
3853Actually, he didn't have anything else planned for tomorrow. The re-evaluation was scheduled for the day after, too.
3854
3855Still, was there a reason for him to take another mining job now? He already got to learn the process of the dungeon conquest, and he even got to witness the rank A boss, too.
3856
3857However....
3858
3859'Wait a minute.'
3860
3861Just as he was opening his mouth to voice his refusal, a new question quickly entered Jin-Woo's mind.
3862
3863"Does that mean Hunters Guild will go on another raid tomorrow?"
3864
3865"That's right. And that one's also a rank A."
3866
3867"But, is that even possible? They finished the raid today."
3868
3869Normally, a raid team would take about a week off after finishing up a raid.
3870
3871'And this raid only started from yesterday afternoon.'
3872
3873Which meant the elites of the Hunters Guild were raiding this dungeon for two days in a row – yesterday and today.
3874
3875And by the time they kill the boss after the retrieval operations finally end, it'd be the early dawn. Naturally, Jin-Woo couldn't understand how there would be another raid tomorrow.
3876
3877When Jin-Woo displayed a hint of interest, Foreman Bae also got more enthusiastic.
3878
3879"You see, assault team B will be stepping forward tomorrow, not team A."
3880
3881Assault team B?
3882
3883Could it be that they were thinking of clearing a rank A dungeon with a backup team?
3884
3885"And this is precisely the power of the Hunters Guild, you see. I mean, we are probably the only Guild in entire South Korea who can conquer rank A dungeons with two different teams."
3886
3887Foreman Bae sounded quite proud, then.
3888
3889"Does Hunters raid dungeons like this all the time?"
3890
3891"No, no. Now normally, we wouldn't have to split up the teams like that. But it looks like the schedule got overlapped this time."
3892
3893Because two rank A Gates appeared around the same time in the district the Hunters Guild operated in, Chairman Choi Jong-In had to sweat a lot in order to get the permits for both of them, apparently.
3894
3895'Ah. So, the reason for running into Chairman Choi in the Association yesterday was this....'
3896
3897Someone as busy as Choi Jong-In wouldn't just randomly show up in the Association for no reason whatsoever.
3898
3899Jin-Woo nodded his head.
3900
3901"Okay, so does that mean it'll be your first time trying to raid the dungeon with the B team?"
3902
3903"That's right. However, the B team of the Hunters isn't your regular backup team, okay? They are even better than the A team of some of the other large Guilds, I'll have you know."
3904
3905"Still, it should be far more dangerous than today, yes?"
3906
3907Foreman Bae became speechless, then.
3908
3909Because, that would be quite obvious.
3910
3911In today's raid, two rank S Hunters participated. On the other hand, only the rank As and below would try to raid the dungeon tomorrow.
3912
3913Sure, he heard that the size of tomorrow's Gate was smaller than the one today, but still, losing two rank S Hunters was a big blow, indeed.
3914
3915After all, Mister Seong was worried about the boss monster, even when the assault team featuring two rank S Hunters were nearby.
3916
3917'Doesn't mean I can lie to the kid, now is it?'
3918
3919Foreman Bae was thinking of changing the youth's mind tomorrow while working beside him, but realising that he had failed, he expressed some regret.
3920
3921"Yes, it'll get more dangerous, for sure. If something goes wrong, then the raid itself might fail, too."
3922
3923It was here that the light in Jin-Woo's eyes changed.
3924
3925< Chapter 83 > Fin.
3926
3927Chapter 84: 
3928Jin-Woo didn't ponder for long before speaking up.
3929
3930"I see."
3931
3932"If that's what you think, then there's not much I can do."
3933
3934"Where should I show up tomorrow?"
3935
3936"....Eh?"
3937
3938After hearing this unexpected reply, Foreman Bae's eyes went extra round in shock.
3939
3940'Wait, I haven't made a mistake just now with what I said, right?'
3941
3942Didn't he definitely say that tomorrow was going to be more dangerous than today?
3943
3944Mister Seong's expression wasn't so good after hearing Bae's story, so the older man was just about ready to forget about the matter completely. However, what was the meaning of this?
3945
3946Thanks to this youth, it looked like Bae wouldn't have to worry about finding another miner for tomorrow.
3947
3948'Is that all??'
3949
3950Mister Seong could easily do the work of four or five people all by himself. And that was on his first day, too.
3951
3952The boy's work speed that even managed to impress the 'ace' of the mining team, Mok Jin-Su, was indeed pretty shocking the first time Bae witnessed it.
3953
3954From Jin-Woo's declaration that he'd come tomorrow, Foreman Bae felt like he had gained a powerful, trustworthy ally and he was filled up with lots of confidence.
3955
3956"Mister Seong, you made the right choice!"
3957
3958Foreman Bae's moustache quivered as he formed a blindingly brilliant smile. And then, to make sure that Jin-Woo's mind wouldn't change overnight, he even came up with an unprecedented offer, too.
3959
3960"I'll have a good chat with the person in charge, and make sure that you get double the normal daily wages tomorrow."
3961
3962"Will that be okay?"
3963
3964"Of course. You think I won't be able to do that much for you, Mister Seong?"
3965
3966Foreman Bae confidently pounded on his chest.
3967
3968"Mister Seong, don't you worry about a thing and just come to work tomorrow."
3969
3970Quite obviously, who would sweat over paying twice as much in daily wages to a guy capable of doing the work of 4-5 people?
3971
3972If Bae was the Chairman, never mind double, he'd triple – no, maybe even more with an eye towards the future.
3973
3974'Didn't expect myself to rue the day that I'm not the Chairman of the Hunters....'
3975
3976Foreman Bae could only swallow back his laughter.
3977
3978Jin-Woo asked him a question, then.
3979
3980"Ahh, right. I promised to meet someone tomorrow evening, so will I be able to make that in time?"
3981
3982Earlier this morning, Yu Jin-Ho gave him a call.
3983
3984"Hyung-nim, can I come and speak to you?"
3985For some reason, he sounded worn out.
3986
3987'That kid was on the top of the world yesterday, saying that everything had worked out alright, yet today.....'
3988
3989Jin-Woo was taken by surprise, but unfortunately, the call came only after he had already applied to become a miner. He had no choice but to delay the meeting until tomorrow evening.
3990
3991Foreman Bae chuckled out loudly.
3992
3993"From what I hear, tomorrow's dungeon should be much smaller in scale then today's one. So, we should be finished well before 6 o'clock."
3994
3995Weren't they able to finish today's work around five PM today? They should be even faster tomorrow, not the other way around.
3996
3997Jin-Woo nodded his head. That would be fine for him, too.
3998
3999"In that case, I'll see you tomorrow."
4000
4001"Alright. Take care."
4002
4003Watching Jin-Woo turn around and walk away, a satisfied grin formed on Foreman Bae's lips.
4004
4005'If I did marry, I'd probably have a son around his age by now.'
4006
4007Why did that boy's back look so wide and trustworthy? How wonderful would it be if the world was filled with newbies as excellent as Mister Seong?
4008
4009A thick smile refused to leave Foreman Bae's lips.
4010
4011However, he wasn't the only one smiling.
4012
4013While walking towards the bus stop, an imperceptible smile was floating on Jin-Woo's lips, too.
4014
4015'Well, it's not like I'm wishing for the raid team to make a blunder tomorrow, but....'
4016
4017But, if something were to happen, then his existence would prove to be a huge help either to the raid team or to the mining team.
4018
4019It wasn't as if he had a change of heart, either.
4020
4021Perhaps ironically, the success rate for clearing rank A Gates was actually greater than those of the lower ranks.
4022
4023'For one, the Association doesn't hand over the permit to any ol' Guilds, and....'
4024
4025And, once the Guild was given the opportunity, they would commit all of their resources and try to conquer the dungeon, too.
4026
4027However....
4028
4029'The Hunters Guild isn't committing their everything in tomorrow's dungeon raid.'
4030
4031To think, they'd have the balls to split a single assault team into two and prey on two separate rank A Gates at the same time. That was some confidence befitting the holder of the top spot in their profession.
4032
4033But, it was undeniable that the accompanying risk was incredibly high, too.
4034
4035'Regardless of what happens, I won't lose out either way.'
4036
4037If they managed to complete the raid safely, that'd be the best for everyone involved. On the other hand, if an accident did occur, he'd assist the Hunters Guild, but in return, he would get to monopolise the high-ranked monsters by himself.
4038
4039'Very good.'
4040
4041A deeper smile formed on Jin-Woo's face as he climbed into the bus.
4042
4043Late at night.
4044
4045Cha Hae-In was tossing and turning in her bed.
4046
4047'Why is he different from others?'
4048
4049Occupied by various thoughts regarding the man she met back in the boss room, she couldn't fall asleep at all.
4050
4051After Awakening her abilities roughly two years ago, she ran into many, many Hunters but there had never been an exception. Whenever she approached Hunters, or to be more specific, the Awakened, a deeply unpleasant stink assaulted her nose.
4052
4053At first, she thought she was sick, so she went to see various doctors. However, she made no progress in that regard.
4054
4055One of the doctors she went to see cautiously told her of his hypothesis.
4056
4057Could it be possible that you, Cha Hunter-nim, can sense other's magic energy through your olfactory senses?
4058That guess certainly held some merit; the stink would get worse the higher the rank of a Hunter was. And sure enough, the lower the rank, the more tolerable the stink was, too. Of course, regular people didn't emit any stink whatsoever.
4059
4060However.....
4061
4062'….This is the first time meeting someone with a pleasant smell.'
4063
4064Recalling the events of earlier, her heart began beating a bit faster.
4065
4066She became quite curious who that man could be, so as soon as the raid ended, she connected to the Association's website and searched for his details.
4067
4068Rank E.
4069
4070Seong Jin-Woo.
4071
4072The information on the man, as seen on the Hunter licence, could be seen on the screen.
4073
4074'There are no contact details....'
4075
4076But then again, what would she even do after finding out about his contact info?
4077
4078Realising that there was nothing more she could glean from the Association's website, she then ended up calling the phone number of Joh Myoung-Ki, the manager of the recruitment department. She didn't even mean to do that, though.
4079
4080"What's going on? Cha Hunter-nim, did something happen at this late hour?"
4081It was already well past one AM by the time she called him.
4082
4083He wouldn't have answered the phone if it wasn't from South Korea's sole female rank S Hunter, who also happened to be the Vice Chairman of the Hunters Guild.
4084
4085She couldn't help but think that she made a mistake after hearing the still-sleepy voice of Joh Myoung-Ki, but that lasted only for a short while.
4086
4087Cha Hae-In opened her mouth with some difficulty.
4088
4089"Can you find some information on a Hunter named Seong Jin-Woo?"
4090
4091"I beg your pardon? Wait, are you talking about the rank E Hunter currently working for the Association?"
4092Cha Hae-In was taken in by a huge surprise.
4093
4094Joh Myoung-Ki was none other than the man in charge of recruiting in South Korea's best Guild. So, why did a man like that remember the name of a rank E Hunter?
4095
4096"Do you know who he is?"
4097
4098"Ah, the thing is.... Actually, Chairman Choi has requested me yesterday to do the same thing as you have, you see. He asked me to uncover more information on that person."
4099"Chairman did that?"
4100
4101"Yes, miss."
4102"Do you know what's going on?"
4103
4104"Well, even I don't....."
4105"...So, what did you find out?"
4106
4107A voice that was thick with a helpless sigh came out of the phone's speaker.
4108
4109"I did my best to uncover more, but the Association has placed a lockdown on his information. It's my first time encountering a situation like this, them blocking the flow of all information on a regular Hunter. He's not even a top-ranked Hunter, either...."
4110"Ah....."
4111
4112"But, why are you looking for him, Cha Hunter-nim? Is there something I should assist you with?"
4113"No, it's fine. I'm sorry for calling you so late. Good night."
4114
4115Click.
4116
4117….Those were the contents of the phone call she made three hours ago.
4118
4119She worked up her courage to find out more about a guy, only for more questions to bubble up in her mind.
4120
4121A mystery Hunter whose identity was being sought after by the leader of the Hunters Guild, while the Association was doing their best to hide it.
4122
4123'There's definitely something going on here.'
4124
4125No, wait. There simply had to be something....
4126
4127She earnestly prayed for it.
4128
4129He could very well be the person to unravel the mysterious and special constitution that continued to torment her ever since she turned 21 – two years ago, when she had Awakened her powers.
4130
4131'That man, can I meet him again?'
4132
4133Could it be that she'd never get to see him again?
4134
4135She was beset with worry all of a sudden.
4136
4137Thankfully, Cha Hae-In recalled Seong Jin-Woo's hard hat. She remembered that the hard hat and the overall he was wearing both spotted the emblem of the Hunters Guild.
4138
4139'I remember now. He was in the mining team, wasn't he?'
4140
4141Unlike her, who was the part of the raid team A, the mining team would be working later today as well.
4142
4143If Seong Jin-Woo hadn't left the mining team, then there was a chance that she could meet him again.
4144
4145'Let's go and take a look.'
4146
4147Since she was the Vice Chairman of the Guild, it'd not be a strange thing for her to stop by at the raid location.
4148
4149'Right, I'll just show up there as if nothing's wrong, and see whether that man came to work or not.'
4150
4151….But, why? As soon as she thought about the possibility of seeing that suspicious Hunter again, she felt much more relaxed.
4152
4153'If I want to do that, I gotta get some sleep first.'
4154
4155For the sake of today's schedule, Cha Hae-In forced her unwilling eyes to close.
4156
4157Even before the morning sun rose up.
4158
4159Jin-Woo left for the meeting area first thing in the morning. It was different from yesterday, when he had some leeway, as he only joined the crew during the middle of the raid.
4160
4161'Maybe, I shouldn't have worried.'
4162
4163He was worried about whether he was too early or not, but...
4164
4165Well, many Hunters had gathered before the Gate already by the time he got there.
4166
4167"Uh? Uhh?? Hey, Mister Seong!! Seong!"
4168
4169Foreman Bae Yun-Seok greeted him first.
4170
4171"Hey, it's Mister Seong."
4172
4173"Heyyy, man. Mister Seong!"
4174
4175Other Hunters began greeting him with a slight nod, and some even raised their hands as high as their chest to greet Jin-Woo, which was quite different from yesterday.
4176
4177The work each of the miners did was important, so they'd wholeheartedly welcome a colleague with great skills any time. From the expressions of the Hunters of the mining team, their delight could clearly be seen.
4178
4179'This is a bit... awkward.'
4180
4181Jin-Woo had been subjected to poor treatment ever since becoming a rank E Hunter, so when he received such a warm welcome, he couldn't help be dazed somewhat.
4182
4183Still, he didn't feel bad about their honest reactions.
4184
4185"...."
4186
4187Jin-Woo wordlessly lowered his head as his greeting.
4188
4189"One, two, threeee...."
4190
4191Foreman Bae counted the number of miners present today and jotted it down on the memo.
4192
4193"Eighteen, Nineteen.... Well, it's almost everyone."
4194
4195This should be more than enough. Well, it was fine for one or two to miss out on a day like today.
4196
4197'Because, we have two aces in our midst now.'
4198
4199Foreman Bae's gaze met those of Mok Jin-Su and Seong Jin-Woo. Bae grinned like a fool, causing Mok Jin-Su to hurriedly avert his gaze, while Seong Jin-Woo was tilting his head in confusion.
4200
4201It was then.
4202
4203"Excuse me, Foreman Bae."
4204
4205"Argh?! You surprised me!"
4206
4207Foreman Bae flinched and shuddered grandly from the voice suddenly coming from his side.
4208
4209Moving around without revealing one's presence was clear evidence of one's excellent skills.
4210
4211And as expected....
4212
4213The one Foreman Bae's resentful gaze was directed to was the leader of today's raid team, Sohn Ki-Hoon.
4214
4215"Aigoo.... My heart nearly stopped from fright just now, Sohn Hunter-nim."
4216
4217"My apologies. It's a bad habit I picked up from working in the dungeons for too long."
4218
4219Sohn Ki-Hoon grinned sheepishly.
4220
4221It was then, the foreman of the retrieval team suddenly revealed himself from behind Sohn Ki-Hoon.
4222
4223"An old man not acting his age..."
4224
4225"What the? Even you? Why would you two be here where the mining team is?"
4226
4227"What do you mean, why? We are here because we've got business with you, obviously."
4228
4229Foreman Bae stared at Sohn Ki-Hoon with a puzzled expression.
4230
4231Meanwhile, Sohn Ki-Hoon was scanning the Hunters of the mining team as he opened his mouth.
4232
4233"The thing is, our team's porter decided to not show up today. Looks like I'll have to borrow someone from the mining team."
4234
4235"Ehhh?"
4236
4237Foreman Bae's eyes went round in surprise.
4238
4239"But, why from my team? When you got the retrieval team with lots of strong people who can carry luggage better than us....?"
4240
4241As if he was waiting for that reply, the foreman of the retrieval team flew off his handle.
4242
4243"My boys had to work overtime for three more hours just to finish our operation. They even missed dinner, too! But now, you want to use them as a porter, too?"
4244
4245The reason why the retrieval team had to put in overtime while missing supper – because the mining team had finished their operation far too early. (TL note at the end)
4246
4247'Well, it's true that we finished our operation which should've normally ended around seven in the evening, by around five o'clock all thanks to Mister Seong....'
4248
4249When the foreman of the retrieval team glared daggers with veins popping up in his neck, Foreman Bae forgot what he wanted to say.
4250
4251Perhaps he thought that this would be enough of an explanation, Sohn Ki-Hoon then addressed the miners.
4252
4253"Is there anyone among you who wish to accompany the raid team? Once the raid is over, we will furnish you the additional hazard pay immediately."
4254
4255"....."
4256
4257Soh Ki-Hoon's pleading eyes darted from here to there, but no one stepped forward. Either they looked down on the ground, or stared at the heavens, deliberately avoiding meeting his gaze.
4258
4259That would be obvious, really.
4260
4261'I ain't gonna risk my neck for a couple more bucks.'
4262
4263'Won't do it, even if you beat me up....'
4264
4265The highest ranked Hunter among the mining team was only a rank C. Most of them were rank Ds. Heck, they even had a rank E among them, too.
4266
4267However, the place Sohn Ki-Hoon wanted to take them to was a rank A dungeon, seen as perhaps the most dangerous of the lot, realistically speaking.
4268
4269The miners would still hesitate greatly even if the dungeon in question was rated B, yet it was an A!
4270
4271Even a gentle graze would kill these Hunters in there. No, just stepping on the wrong spot would result in one's death.
4272
4273That dungeon was not a place where low ranked Hunters could survive.
4274
4275Sure, porters only had to lug around the raid team's gear, but still.... Compared to the job of mining, it was still far too dangerous.
4276
4277"Is there... no one?"
4278
4279Sohn Ki-Hoon's expression became more and more crestfallen.
4280
4281Who knew how much more time and effort he needed to waste in order to find another porter? Probably the whole morning, or even till the afternoon; or, if he was really unlucky, then the entire day might go down the drain.
4282
4283'This is going to be big trouble....'
4284
4285It was at this point when his eyes met with a certain young Hunter's.
4286
4287'...Uh?'
4288
4289Unlike other Hunters, this guy was staring right back at him. It was, of course, Jin-Woo.
4290
4291'Hmm.....'
4292
4293While Sohn Ki-Hoon was staring at him, Jin-Woo too was slowly scanning that man's appearance.
4294
4295'Isn't he a bit sharp for a tanker?'
4296
4297Common sense dictated that the leaders of raid teams were 'tankers' most of the time.
4298
4299Compared to other tankers, though, Sohn Ki-Hoon was a bit on the lankier side. He was also quite tall, so, rather than a Hunter, he looked more like a basketball player more than anything else.
4300
4301'…....'
4302
4303Jin-Woo finally stopped looking at Sohn Ki-Hoon and his eyes drifted away.
4304
4305"....Fuu-ha...."
4306
4307Only then did Sohn Ki-Hoon spit out his deeply-held breaths.
4308
4309What just happened?
4310
4311Just now, his entire body had frozen up so much that he even forgot to breathe. He couldn't understand why.
4312
4313'Am I getting too tense, since this will be my first raid as a leader and all?'
4314
4315Up until now, he had participated in raids as an auxiliary tanker. That was why today's opportunity was doubly important to him. And he definitely could not afford to commit a blunder today.
4316
4317Sohn Ki-Hoon was bent over and panting laboriously in order to recover, before raising himself back up again.
4318
4319Murmur, murmur....
4320
4321Probably because of his rather embarrassing conduct, the surroundings had gotten noisier. However, he soon realised that the cause for the disturbance was not him.
4322
4323Sohn Ki-Hoon's gaze shifted back to the mining team's Hunters, only to spot a hand raised up to the sky.
4324
4325Finally, someone was applying for the job. Someone he had been waiting so desperately for.
4326
4327Sohn Ki-Hoon's expression brightened considerably.
4328
4329When Jin-Woo took a step forward, he became the centre of the attention.
4330
4331"I'll do it."
4332
4333< Chapter 84 > Fin.
4334
4335(TL: Well, I'm not sure what the mining team does has any bearing on what happens to the retrieval team, but okay. I'm just TL-ing according to what's in the raw, so don't question me.....) (ED: The only reason I can think of is it being a matter of workplace pride/appearance. Like, the mining team finished early, so the raid team was only waiting on the retrieval team, hence the overtime/meal skipping. Just my own guess, though.)