Chapter 1 - Paying Off the Debt
Kim Sun-woo was an F-rank hunter.
He'd originally planned to land a normal office job right after college graduation, but a gate surge wiped out his family's business, leaving him to shoulder the debt.
His name was on the loans too, so he couldn't renounce the inheritance or file for bankruptcy due to various legal hurdles.
Even after liquidating the business and selling off assets, he was still stuck with at least a billion won in debt.
Facing graduation, Kim Sun-woo didn't have many options.
A few months later, he had to start paying over ten million won in interest alone. Where the hell was that kind of money supposed to come from?
'One place has it.'
High risk, high reward.
It was inevitable that Kim Sun-woo would enter the hunter industry.
'Might as well just die doing it.'
Having lost his family and business in an instant, Kim Sun-woo threw himself into hunting without a second thought.
He had no dreams or future left.
Still, he kept at it to pay off the debt—out of a sense of responsibility to the end.
'The lenders didn't do anything wrong.'
After his parents passed and the family business collapsed, the creditors came swarming.
The despair and resentment etched on their faces hit him hard.
Who could you blame for a gate surge?
His parents, who died unjustly? Or the creditors facing ruin without their money?
Everyone was just a victim.
But Kim Sun-woo, left alone, did his damnedest to make it right.
I've lived cushy enough—time to pay back what I got before I go.
Aside from rent on his tiny one-room, he funneled every won he earned straight to the debt.
If he died midway, that was the end of his role.
Sorry to the creditors, but chalk it up to him atoning with his life.
He even had life insurance to cover some of it.
And so, ten years passed.
The fresh-faced 22-year-old had somehow survived to become a seasoned 32-year-old F-rank hunter.
"...I actually paid it all off?"
The debt was gone.
Kim Sun-woo's driving force had been the debt.
No dating, no partying, no dreams, no goals.
He'd endured the grueling hunter life through sheer mechanical repetition, single-mindedly focused on repayment.
Hell, even his fellow hunters and guildmates acknowledged his dogged persistence.
"You're insane, man. Paying that off solo?"
"So what's next? You're at that age—time to find a nice girl and settle down."
"Yeah, miss the window and you'll end up like us. Nothing sadder than growing old alone."
"Speak for yourself. The only bachelor here is you, Park."
Kim Sun-woo let out a short chuckle at the F-rank hunter uncles' banter.
Years of shared hardship had forged a certain camaraderie among F-ranks.
Treated like crap with lousy pay—who could blame them?
They cheered each other on everywhere you looked.
This guild was at least a step up.
"Anyway, good work. Drinks on me after this job."
"Thanks."
Kim Sun-woo ducked his head sheepishly at Park-ssi Ajussi's shoulder pat and words.
Honestly, he still couldn't believe the debt was cleared.
Things had felt off when the daunting number finally started shrinking.
But to wipe it out completely?
'So from now on, every won I earn is mine?'
His account balance sat at just over three million won.
Two months' living expenses, covering rent, gear repairs, utilities, and food.
Kim Sun-woo always kept a buffer for emergencies before dumping the rest into debt.
It was a pitiful sum for his age, but building from here was what mattered.
"So, what's the plan now? You gonna quit hunting just 'cause the debt's gone?"
"Can't. It's the only thing I've done since I grew up."
He'd stumbled into the industry chasing cash.
Turned out, it suited him.
Especially his knack for crisis detection over straight combat.
He had a sixth sense for when to hit and run, dodging danger multiple times.
'Come to think of it, I've never been seriously hurt as a hunter.'
His teammates had marveled at his "divine luck" more than once.
No special abilities manifested, but it wasn't nothing.
"Alright, this area's cleared. Wrap it up quick and move on, folks."
Back home after the raid, Kim Sun-woo sprawled in his single room, pondering.
"...What now?"
For someone who'd lived thoughtlessly for a decade, it was the toughest question.
Not that he wanted to date or marry like the uncles suggested...
"No one's lining up anyway, and who'd want this life? Just suffering."
Scraping by solo was hard enough—who had room for anyone else?
After some rolling around, he grabbed his phone and searched cautiously.
"Something hunter-friendly would be ideal..."
Martial arts or combat training?
He'd tried before.
Early on, he'd hoped mastering something would boost his rank and clear the debt faster.
But reality's limits crushed him.
"Money and time were the issues."
When he was green, rest was priority.
Messing around with extras risked screwing up raids—not just for him, but the team.
Once proficient, why add more? He was already efficient with work, money, time.
In his packed schedule, it was pure luxury.
But now? Debt gone—he could afford a change.
Payday was soon, and those massive fixed outflows vanished.
Time to retry.
[Magic] [Martial Arts] [Swordsmanship] [Guns] [Archery]...
For hunters, magic or martial arts topped the list.
Abilities were trickier—required conditions or luck for post-awakening manifestation.
Most aimed for magic or martial arts anyway...
"Can I even pull it off at my age?"
Staring at the options, he scratched his head.
Age was the killer in any field, they said.
Younger body and mind learned faster, more efficiently.
Hence his desperate early twenties attempts.
Now in his thirties, showing up late might kill the vibe.
[Worried about your age?]
[Just take the test!]
[You might have talent!]
[★Active Hunters & Aspiring Students Preferred★]
The ad copy sparked hope.
A quick search showed plenty like him trying late.
"...Alright."
Kim Sun-woo nodded and applied online...
"Mm, sorry, but magic doesn't suit you."
The magic tower test ended in rejection.
"No talent?"
"More like mismatched aptitude."
"I'm not chasing greatness—just something to help with hunting. Lots do it..."
"That's just marketing."
The mid-twenties mage eyed him like he was nuts.
"Sure, twenties—you can grind it out. Tech's advanced, potions help. But thirties? Tough..."
"......"
The blade to his gut shut Kim Sun-woo up.
"Hobby class instead? You never know—might discover talent."
"...I'll think it over."
Shuffling out of the consultation room, his face soured.
"'Thirties are tough' my ass..."
He didn't feel thirty.
His twenties were all raids and dungeon scraps.
Mentally still young, yet thirties reality slapped cold.
"Screw it—self-study it is."
Defiance flared.
He dove into online courses.
Prove age didn't matter.
[Magic Theory Basics]
[Introductory Course]
First lecture was free promo.
Kim Sun-woo sat at his desk, notebook open.
[Magic is mathematics.]
[Master math, reach high realms.]
[First, this formula before we begin...]
"...Huh."
The chaotic equations onscreen froze him.
Computer engineering dropout, sure—but basics lingered after ten years.
Even he felt choked; symbols overwhelmed him.
"Ugh."
He quietly closed the tab.
No way to crunch that mid-fight with monsters.
"Magic's out. Martial arts it is—I'm decent with my body."
Switching gears to martial arts.
He preferred wuxia over fantasy anyway.
Slicing skies, crumbling mountains with one sword.
Cool as hell.
He hit up the most open, famous spot: Huashan Sect Dongdaemun Branch.
"Ugh, mages are all the same. We get folks in their forties, fifties! Martial arts isn't desk-jockey math—it's active, healthy. Plenty of hunters like you start to synergize with it."
"Really?"
Vibe was solid here.
A kindly consultant chatted warmly, brimming with optimism.
"Yep. Age matters, though. Life builds up stagnant qi in your body. Clogs the Eight Extraordinary Meridians with waste, blocks inner energy flow. Hunters especially, with all that fieldwork."
"Ah, so then..."
"No worries! We have a special course for that! Check this pamphlet?"
"...?"
Expelling Impurities A Course - 35,000,000 won
Expelling Impurities B Course - 50,000,000 won
Expelling Impurities C Course - 80,000,000 won
"Expelling... impurities?"
"Heard it in wuxia novels? Simply put, we help flush your stagnant qi. Old-school, a master injects inner energy—painful. But modern times! Our patented Huashan capsules do it in months!"
"Uh, er..."
"Promo time—bundle with intro course for 40 million! Government hunter perks: 24-month zero-interest. Breaks down to just over 300k a month. Technically not allowed, but I'll wipe the last 100k. 300k flat! Doable, right?!"
"Er, uh..."
The relentless pitch dazed him into hesitation.
No balance, but installments? Manageable.
Debt outflows dwarfed it.
Snapping back, he set the pamphlet down, voice hoarse.
"Bit steep—need to shop around. Can I call back?"
"Of course! Compare prices—we're the fairest, cleanest around!"