Chapter 14
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 014
Chapter Title: Trickle-Down Effect
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“Huff! Ack...!”
“Over here! You got here incredibly fast.”
Haegyeom cheerfully waved toward someone charging up the hill to the rundown neighborhood at breakneck speed.
“Hoo. Haah... I sprinted here full throttle from the Management Bureau. Haa... Haegyeom-ssi, so this is...”
“Robbers and attempted murderers.”
“...Oh no.”
Her identity was Yeowon Han.
Team Leader of the High-Rank Hunter Management Division at the Awakening Management Bureau.
'She said it's fine to think of her as my personal manager.'
She was a sort of “manager” who had agreed to handle every last bit of paperwork and hassle for his hunter activities.
After quickly catching her breath, Yeowon asked,
“No injuries, right?”
“Nope.”
“Good. How'd you get mixed up with scum like this?”
“Well... it's a long explanation.”
As Haegyeom started to open his mouth slowly, the collectors—faces planted to the ground—suddenly piped up.
“W-We didn't do anything wrong!”
“R-Right! We were just following proper collection procedures...!”
Haegyeom roughly shut them down.
“Shut your traps and keep kowtowing.”
“Urk.”
“I'm explaining now. Speak up only if I get something wrong.”
With that, he launched into it.
“So, I've got some debt. These guys are the collectors who shake people down for cash. They showed up today for interest payments too.”
“...Got it.”
Yeowon nodded.
And then.
Spotting their chance, one collector blurted out,
“Yeah! So we didn't do anythi—”
Thwack!
“—Gack!”
“...That was a light tap, punk. Stay quiet. Interject only on mistakes.”
Once they quieted down, Haegyeom picked up again.
“Anyway, I said I'd pay up. Just give me five minutes.”
“I see.”
“But these idiots wouldn't wait. Tried to straight-up steal this bracelet instead.”
“...N-No! Proper collection procedure!”
“I said five minutes and I'd pay. Taking something else? That's robbery.”
“Th-That's...”
“And when it looked like they couldn't, they whipped out knives and yelled for me to die?”
“J-Just for show! No real intent to kill!”
“Eh, that's their story.”
Haegyeom shrugged at Yeowon.
She pondered briefly, then spoke.
“So you just beat the tar out of them?”
“Huh?”
“Normally, that'd be straight-up justifiable homicide.”
“......”
She's hardcore.
The Sword Emperor too—were all Management Bureau folks like this?
“Next time, don't hold back. Mercy can bite you later.”
“...Duly noted.”
“Anyway, we've got the full story. We'll handle it from here. No need for you to worry, Hunter-ssi.”
“Appreciate it.”
Haegyeom gave a quick nod.
Definitely nice post-contract—not sweating the small stuff.
“Wa-Wait...! W-We didn't—”
“...No! Nothing like that happened! That's perjury! The bastard jumped us outta nowhere!”
The collectors made their desperate last stand with a “Prove it!?”
But...
“And?”
“!?”
“?!?!”
Yeowon's authority was heftier than expected.
“Right on time. Over here, Inspector Oh.”
“Team Leader Han? Been a while. These the ones?”
“Yes. Take 'em away, please.”
“On it!”
She handed them straight over to the police who rolled up late.
Minor resistance, but pointless.
Public authority might've weakened, but it was plenty for these clowns.
With the incident wrapped, Yeowon turned to Haegyeom.
“Any plans yet for moving to the official residence? This area's security is pretty rough.”
Basically, move somewhere safer ASAP.
“Tomorrow.”
“Roger. We'll be ready.”
“Cool.”
State-run dorms had to beat this slum, especially with the extra security they'd mentioned.
But.
“Not heading out?”
For some reason, Yeowon lingered.
Business done—why stick around?
“...Hunter-ssi.”
Suddenly, she bowed deeply toward him.
“I'm sorry.”
“Huh? For what?”
“If we'd wired the signing bonus right away, this mess wouldn't have happened.”
“True, but it's not like you messed up...”
“Still sorry. We'll deposit it ASAP.”
It had gotten under her skin, minor as it was.
And then.
“Hunter-ssi. Mind sharing how the debt happened?”
“Debt? Oh, Bbit Capital...”
“Yes. We'd like to help if we can with them.”
Offering to bail him out from the loan sharks.
Haegyeom passed.
“Thanks, but I'm good.”
“...Understood?”
“Yeah. No threats, no surprise interest hikes beyond what we agreed.”
Private loan or not, it'd all been aboveboard—his choice.
Now with the bonus incoming, repayment would be a breeze. No need for favors.
“Got it. Well... personal curiosity. Skip if you want.”
“...?”
“You don't strike me as the type. How'd you rack up that much debt?”
Yeowon's cautious probe.
Haegyeom went quiet a moment.
“No need to—”
“Nah. Nothing epic. Mom's surgery bills.”
“...Ah.”
Once it started flowing, the buried memories surged up.
“Same old story. Rare disease, insane hospital costs. Surgery chance popped up outta nowhere—took the private loan.”
“...I see. And your mother...?”
“...”
Even Haegyeom's calm delivery hitched there.
No helping it.
But.
'Well, might as well finish...'
Maybe he'd wanted to unload on someone for a while.
Thinking that, Haegyeom continued.
“Mom shelled out astronomical surgery fees but didn't want to burden her son. Took her own life.”
“......Pardon?”
Yeowon couldn't believe her ears.
Haegyeom pressed on.
“Loan was already taken. Tried paying it off quick, but principal and interest lingered. Been chipping away ever since.”
“......”
What kinda heartbreaking backstory is this?
Yeowon squeezed her eyes shut against the wave of pity.
'Maybe... this guy's insane power wasn't random.'
Could be fate.
That's what hit her.
And.
'Gotta step it up for him.'
She was already pouring her all into Korea's hope.
From here on, even harder.
She vowed it.
The signing bonus hit his account in no time.
“Fast, as expected.”
Haegyeom wired it straight to Bbit Capital.
The debt that'd hounded him relentlessly? Gone.
And with just a sliver of the bonus.
“......Easiest fix ever.”
Bittersweet relief.
While lost in the moment.
Tap tap.
A sound came.
“Hm?”
From the inventory.
He opened it.
Piya-?
*tilt*
Drong stared up at him, head cocked.
A laugh bubbled up unbidden.
“Yeah. All thanks to you, buddy. Every bit.”
This little guy was the real MVP who'd dragged him this far.
And now, it looked like he was even trying to cheer him up.
Haegyeom reached into Room 101.
Lick.
Drong latched on and started licking his hand.
Didn't feel half bad.
“Nah.”
Felt great.
His mom—his only family—had passed that way.
But now, a new one had joined him.
“In the mood.”
Haegyeom peered into Drong's eyes.
“Drong-ah. Kids Cafe?”
*sparkle!*
Ppeha-!
“Sweet. Let's roll!”
Five mil an hour?
Spend it guilt-free. Guilt-free...!
Meanwhile.
A single official notice dropped to Korea's certified guilds.
Woosung especially—the undisputed top dog.
“'Beginner Protection Period'? The hell?”
“Y'know, that early Cataclysm buff. Stats and loot jacked way up.”
“...Oh, that? Yeah, rings a bell.”
“Guild Leader ever see it?”
“Yep. Total game-breaker.”
“Ooh...”
“You?”
“History books only.”
“......Generation gap hitting hard.”
In three days, Korea-wide “Beginner Protection Period” for one week—exploit it hard.
“Good news, right? Push the gate raid a day, difficulty drops 20%.”
“True.”
“Perfect. That gate was a beast already. ...Why the sourpuss face?”
“Feels off.”
“Huh?”
“You only read about it in books.”
“Yeah.”
“Why d'you think?”
“...No clue.”
“Duh. It was a super-brief early Cataclysm thing. Gone quick.”
“Oh! Never witnessed it live.”
“......Can't believe this guy's my sub-leader. Anyway, smells fishy. Doesn't add up. Fake vibes. But Bureau's got no reason to bluff on this.”
The guild leader scowled.
Couldn't parse the Bureau's angle.
Sub-leader, though?
“Just real, maybe?”
“What? Nah.”
“Why not? Dragon Emperor just pulled SSS+ clear.”
“And?”
“He earned it. First SSS+ ever.”
“......Huh. Fair.”
Guild leader nodded.
Made sense.
Dragon Emperor was flat-out broken, after all.
'...And our recruit pitch bombed hard. Guess he went Bureau. Tsk.'
Sub-leader chimed in.
“So, plan? Delay the gate?”
Guild leader mulled it.
Worth scrapping the schedule for a day?
“...You kidding? Hell yes.”
“Huh?”
“Blast it guild-wide. Raid's delayed.”
“On it!”
“And tell the tower climbers. Wait if they can.”
“Yep!”
And so, bit by bit.
Haegyeom's SSS+ clear reward began trickling down nationwide.