Chapter 15
[Regular Raid Team: Ace.]
Ye-seul had given it to him. Ace was one of the more famous regular raid teams in Korea. As a temporary member, he could probably follow them on one dungeon raid. Of course, he had no intention of officially joining any team yet.
-Hello?
He called without hesitation. A moment later, a woman’s voice flowed from the smartphone. Thankfully, it didn’t sound like she was inside a dungeon.
“Ms. Choi Ye-seul?”
-Could this be Kang Hyun-jun?
She named Hyun-jun immediately, without a moment’s thought. That alone was enough to tell him she had been waiting for his call.
Was I really this much of a catch?
Waiting for a call from a regular raid team? It felt good, as if his worth as a hunter had finally been recognized.
“Yes. This is Kang Hyun-jun.”
-Ah! Nice to meet you! I’ve been waiting to hear from you.
“Do you happen to have any dungeon raid scheduled within the week? My C-rank dungeon matching has been pushed back.”
-We do have one schedule. It’s a B-rank elite dungeon. Will that be all right?
Ye-seul did not turn him down. That was because her older brother and team leader, Han-seok Choi, an A-rank mage-class hunter, had already received a report on Hyun-jun from her and had taken an interest in him.
“That’s fine.”
A B-rank elite dungeon was on the harder side, but as long as he had the protection of 990,000 past lives, there was nothing to fear. His voice came out full of confidence.
-Good. Let’s meet first. Where are you now?
“At the headquarters building of the Dungeon Management Bureau.”
-I’ll come get you now. Could you wait thirty minutes?
“I’ll have a coffee at a nearby cafe.”
-I’ll be there soon.
The call ended. As promised, he waited at a nearby cafe with an Americano. About twenty minutes later, an expensive-looking foreign car came to a stop right in front of the cafe. For some reason, Hyun-jun had a feeling Ye-seul would be the one inside it.
Just as I thought.
Ye-seul was getting out from the driver’s seat. A C-rank support hunter driving a foreign car that looked that expensive? The income of a regular raid team was apparently better than he’d expected.
Still, I’ve heard enough to get the rough picture.
Hyun-jun chuckled and shook his head. The door opened, and Ye-seul walked inside. Her eyes, sharp behind her glasses, swept quickly across the cafe. She found him almost immediately and came over with a bright smile, taking the seat across from him.
“Nice to meet you, Kang Hyun-jun. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Yes. Have you been well?”
Ye-seul reached out first with a friendly handshake, and Hyun-jun accepted with a smile of his own. With a team like Ace, which carried considerable influence in Korea, staying on good terms with an executive like Choi Ye-seul could bring plenty of benefits.
“You said you wanted to join our regular raid team?”
What? This woman. Where did she think she was putting the chain on him?
“No. I said that if you had a dungeon raid scheduled within the week, I’d like to join that.”
Let’s speak clearly.
“Ah, sorry. I think I mistook you for someone else.”
“It happens.”
Hyun-jun did not lose his smile. She had probably been trying to quietly pull him in as a full-time member, but sorry. He had no intention of getting caught that easily.
“We were actually looking for people anyway, since we had an unexpected vacancy this time. I’ll speak to my brother separately, but there shouldn’t be any issue with you joining.”
Han-seok was Ye-seul’s older brother.
“That’s a relief.”
“Still, if you’re going to be a temporary member, you’ll need to sign a contract. Please take a look.”
Hyun-jun took the contract she handed him and read it slowly. It mostly dealt with how the settlement money would be divided, and there were no problematic clauses.
“I’ll sign it.”
“That was fast.”
“These things are better when they’re quick.”
The signature was done.
“Good. When do we leave?”
“Tomorrow.”
Earlier than expected.
*
The time came. Hyun-jun slipped his sword and shield into his spatial pocket and threw on his worn black leather coat. He did not need to worry about getting to the meeting place. Ye-seul had said she would pick him up. It might have seemed strange for her to be this accommodating, but he had a pretty good idea why.
They recognized my value.
In the era of dungeon raids, top hunters were power. Even if they were not formally kept under one’s control, merely staying close as an associate could exert tremendous influence. It was not for nothing that the powerful wanted elite hunters by their side.
After leaving the one-room apartment and waiting about ten minutes, the foreign car he had seen the day before stopped in front of Hyun-jun.
“Good morning. Nice weather, isn’t it?”
Ye-seul got out of the car and spoke first.
“You came earlier than I expected.”
“I’ve gotten into the habit of being early.”
Ye-seul smiled and opened the passenger door. Once Hyun-jun got in, the car set off. It took about an hour to reach the meeting point. He was neither bored, because Ye-seul kept talking to him, nor uncomfortable, thanks to how considerate she was being in every way.
“We’re here.”
A Dungeon Management Bureau employee holding a clipboard was standing there, and next to him were four hunters. Three of them looked like combat types, armed with simple armor and melee weapons, but one was wearing a green robe and carrying a staff.
Han-seok Choi, Ace’s team leader, an A-rank mage-class hunter.
He had already done his research. Since Ace was such a well-known raid team, most of the information about them was out in the open. In hunter communities, Han-seok was regarded as a genius who started at D-rank and reached A-rank in just one year.
“Kang Hyun-jun? Ye-seul told me quite a lot about you. I’m Han-seok Choi, team leader of Ace.”
Han-seok came over first. Judging by his expression, Ye-seul must have said plenty of good things. It was never a bad thing to earn high praise from the team leader of Ace. Hyun-jun gave a quiet laugh inside.
“Yes. Nice to meet you. I’m Kang Hyun-jun. C-rank hunter.”
“Come this way. I’ll show you the basic formation our raid team uses.”
For thirty minutes, he was trained in formation and team tactics.
Ye-seul’s escort...
With Han-seok, an A-rank hunter, standing nearby, this was arguably the safest position available. The rest of the team was not first-string material, but they had clearly brought capable elites, so this whole arrangement seemed designed to showcase the strengths of Ace as a regular raid team. Of course, the person they were trying to impress was...
Me.
It was obvious that the rumor circulating inside the Dungeon Management Bureau had reached Han-seok’s ears. Otherwise, there would be no explanation for Ace’s aggressive courtship.
“I’m Jin-seok Lee.”
“I’m Kang Hyun-jun.”
After the brief briefing, they were given about five minutes for introductions. It did not go on long. Hyun-jun had no intention of staying with them indefinitely, and the other team members, aside from Han-seok and Ye-seul, did not seem particularly interested in him. There was some annoyance in their eyes, but Hyun-jun did not care much.
“Mr. Kang Hyun-jun. Could you come over here for a moment?”
While they were straightening the formation, Ye-seul called him over. Curious, he walked toward her. She took a sword from the trunk of the car and handed it to him.
“This is...?”
It was a sword that looked luxurious at a glance. When Hyun-jun gave her a look asking for an explanation, she opened her mouth with a bright smile.
“I’m lending it to you. The sword you’re using now will snap in no time in a B-rank elite dungeon.”
“I won’t refuse.”
He appreciated the thoughtfulness.
“I’m opening the dungeon gate.”
Han-seok’s voice rang out. The tightly shut iron gate opened, and the party entered the dungeon.
“Mana reaction confirmed! Get ready for combat!”
The moment they stepped inside, a fierce welcome began. Han-seok cast his magic with the warning, and Jin-seok Lee, the tank at the front, raised his shield.
Elemental type...?
Four bright flames were burning clearly in the darkness. Judging by the abundant mana radiating from them, they were definitely an elemental-class monster.
“I’m moving. Wind Cutter.”
An advanced spell, Wind Cutter. Wind blades sliced through the air and flew forward. One flame went out in a single blow.
-Kwoooor!
Realizing they had been attacked, the monsters rushed in. Their forms gradually came into focus. There was no need for the drone lights to shine any farther.
Fire Spirit Guardians...
They were B-rank elemental monsters. Because their whole bodies were burning, they were the sort of monsters combat hunters found especially troublesome.
“Wind Cutter.”
A wind blade tore one Fire Spirit Guardian to pieces. Two remained.
“Uooooo!”
Crash!
The Fire Spirit Guardian struck by Jin-seok’s shield lost its footing. In that opening, another hunter lunged in and plunged a dagger into its core. With its core destroyed, the Fire Spirit Guardian collapsed in on itself. The last one also fell beneath another hunter’s sword.
The sight of them dispatching B-rank monsters in an instant was enough to prove that Ace’s reputation was no empty boast.
“What do you think?”
It was as if they were saying, You can do this too if you join Ace. Hyun-jun spoke with a faint smile.
“You’re impressive. I didn’t expect this level.”
“Every hunter who has ever raided with us, not one of them omitted, has said they wanted to join.”
Confidence oozed from Han-seok’s voice.
Sorry, but I’m still not interested.
Unless there was an overwhelming advantage, he had no intention of joining a regular raid team right now. The only reason he was taking part in today’s raid was necessity.
“If you ever decide you want to work with us, Mr. Kang Hyun-jun, just let us know anytime.”
“Yes. I certainly will.”
Hyun-jun nodded with a smile.
Did they think I didn’t know what a second awakening is worth?
If that were not the case, they would have offered better conditions. Right now, Han-seok was trying to bring in a highly likely second awakening candidate on the cheap. He could understand the man’s position, but that did not mean he planned to play along.
I decide my own price.
He gave a cold laugh inwardly.
“We’ll continue.”
Han-seok said that, and the party pressed on with the raid. The deeper they went into the dungeon, the more monsters appeared.
“Boss room.”
A massive iron door stood before them. Just as Han-seok had said, it was clearly the boss room. All the way here, Hyun-jun had not swung his blade even once. He had only watched the others fight from the rear.
“Enjoying the easy ride?”
While Han-seok and Ye-seul were checking the boss room entrance, someone came over and asked. The sarcasm was obvious. Hyun-jun’s gaze turned toward him. To be honest, he did not even remember the name.
“Yes. It has been a very comfortable trip.”
He decided to be shameless about it. He was confident he could put on a thick face when necessary.
“Open the door!”
At Jin-seok’s shout, the boss room entrance swung open.
The sinister laughter of Hashashin warns you of an ambush. A hidden blade is aiming for your heart.
It was time to raise his price.