Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Eye of the Typhoon (1)
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The morning after Zone 79 was cleared.
Korea was once again buzzing with Kim Gunja's name.
— Shin Hee's Reincarnation?! Hunter Kim Gunja Toying with Enemies with His Three-Inch Tongue!
— Birth of a Civil and Martial Prodigy Hunter! Rescuing the Expedition Single-Handedly!
— Lotto Hits Zone 79! The Kim Gunja Effect?!
— 'It's Everyone's Credit.' A Hunter Who Yields Byproducts?! The Icon of Humility Who Cares for His Comrades, Kim Gunja!
— Fixer? Midas' Hand? Kim Gunja! What's His Next Move?!
Even for an expedition, it wouldn't normally draw this much attention.
But the unique circumstances of the clear and the lotto jackpot kept it on everyone's lips.
"He says he made the enemies fulfill the clear condition themselves?"
"Aren't all hunters these days obsessed with money? A lotto hits, and he yields it? What an unusual hunter."
On top of that, Kim Gunja's past deeds were added to the mix.
"Ah, I know this guy. He dove into the Homunculus lab alone and blocked a gate break."
"Wow, at first I thought it was just promotional hype, but this level makes him a real gem, doesn't it?"
That was the scary thing about topicality.
Actions taken while on an upward trajectory connected to past deeds, no matter how trivial, and the public attached meaning to them.
That meaning became an image, the image a symbol, and the symbol developed into a story.
Thus, a character was born.
One with the potential to culminate in the word "hero."
Hero Guild.
Baek Jincheon murmured as he reviewed the report submitted by the headquarters chief.
"Impressive."
It was the highest praise.
The headquarters chief agreed with Baek Jincheon's sentiment.
"The idea of persuading the enemy was brilliant. And yielding the byproducts in front of everyone solidified his good image. Honestly... I didn't expect him to play the role this well."
Hero Maker Project.
No matter how much the Hero Guild pushed, the hunter at the center was inevitably the most crucial.
Kang Inhyeok had outstanding ability and looks, but his external issues required too much handling, hindering public activities.
Thus, despite being S-rank, he hadn't generated the level of buzz Baek Jincheon had planned.
But Kim Gunja, unlike Kang Inhyeok, demonstrated perfect social finesse.
As if he knew exactly what picture the public desired.
Baek Jincheon turned his gaze with a satisfied smile.
"So, you have a request?"
"Yes."
Kim Gunja, standing beside the headquarters chief, replied.
"Speak."
Baek Jincheon's voice was gentler than ever.
The atmosphere was one of granting anything.
"I want to scale up the stage."
Seeing Baek Jincheon's intrigued expression, Kim Gunja continued.
"The showdown with Kang Inhyeok. I want to make it grand on a big stage."
At Kim Gunja's words, the headquarters chief tilted his head.
Was there really a need to go that far?
But Baek Jincheon instantly grasped the intent and smiled even more deeply.
A big stage meant an event visible to many.
Wanting to make it grand there meant one thing.
Trample Kang Inhyeok on that stage and take his place.
In other words,
"Abandon Kang Inhyeok?"
The headquarters chief was shocked at Baek Jincheon's words, his lips curling up.
Only then did he understand Kim Gunja's words.
Kim Gunja was demanding clarity on whether it was him or Kang Inhyeok.
'This crazy bastard! Daring to negotiate in front of...!'
But Baek Jincheon showed no anger.
On the contrary, he looked extremely pleased.
It felt like he was witnessing the true face hidden by this Kim Gunja guy.
A scheming hero.
The guy knew how to seize opportunities—a scheming hero.
"Deals require give and take."
Baek Jincheon rose and slowly approached Kim Gunja.
"Nothing is more foolish than blindly trusting people."
White flames rose from Baek Jincheon's hand.
"I'll implant a fire mark in your body. To discard the card called Kang Inhyeok, I need this safety measure, right?"
That was why Baek Jincheon hadn't pressed Kim Gunja on the suspicious circumstances.
Fire Mark.
One of Baek Jincheon's specialties, developed from his unique trait to the extreme.
Anyone marked would react to Baek Jincheon's mana at any time, melting their organs and brain into flames.
It was the leash Baek Jincheon had placed on Kang Inhyeok.
He'd tried to implant it remotely during the hunter license exam, but failed due to unexpected resistance.
"I'll hold your life in my hands. Accept this, and I'll grant your condition."
"I accept."
The reply came without a hint of hesitation.
Even though it meant entrusting his life to another.
"The more I see, the more I like you."
Unable to wipe the smile from his face, Baek Jincheon nodded toward him.
Kim Gunja unbuttoned his shirt without protest.
Baek Jincheon's glowing white-hot hand pressed onto Kim Gunja's chest.
Sizzle!
The smell of burning flesh filled the room.
Kim Gunja endured the pain without a single groan.
And finally.
Baek Jincheon lifted his hand from Kim Gunja's chest.
Near the heart area, a flame-shaped pattern pulsing with intense heat was etched.
Baek Jincheon smiled in satisfaction.
Now, Kim Gunja could never escape his grasp.
"If you need anything else, tell the headquarters chief anytime."
"Thank you."
Kim Gunja buttoned his shirt back up, bowed, and left.
Then headed to the bathroom.
Things had gone according to plan, but there was something to confirm for sure.
'My guess better be right...'
That was when it happened.
Bzzz—
His phone vibrated.
It was Hong Sua.
— Mr. Kim Gunja. Are you free tomorrow? The guild master wants to meet. About what you said that day...
'Infinite Guild's guild master... Mountain King Hong Gyuhyeon.'
He couldn't forget the intense impression from the speech in front of all the hunters during the multi-gate incident.
Kim Gunja replied to Hong Sua that anytime was fine, then quietly entered an empty stall in the bathroom.
Kim Gunja's figure vanished, then reappeared.
The reappeared Kim Gunja wore a faint smile.
Fire mark?
It was just another impurity etched into the body.
Nothing impressive before the Customizing Room.
'I can remove it anytime.'
With his fire resistance, even if Baek Jincheon activated the mark, Kim Gunja confirmed he could reach the Customizing Room in time to erase it.
'...Baek Jincheon.'
A man who didn't blindly trust people but overly trusted his own abilities.
No matter his immense power, he was ultimately an imperfect human.
Through this gamble, Kim Gunja gained two advantages.
One was lulling Baek Jincheon into false security by pretending the leash was on,
and the other was making them prepare the stage for their own downfall.
'Now, what's left is...'
The completion of the actor to grace the finale of that stage—his own growth.
The field where Kim Gunja, with the Customizing Room, was most confident.
Kim Gunja left the Hero Guild with light steps.
For his next move.
#
Park Chunduk Academy director's office.
Whatever it was, she was so excited.
Sin Yeji, chattering nonstop, radiated the vibrant energy of her age.
But Park Chunduk, in his thirties, was utterly unimpressed.
He just listened silently with a sullen expression.
"Uncle. Since it's a training room, shouldn't we separate the shower and bathroom?"
"Uncle. We sweat a lot after training, so we need a washing machine, right? What about this one? They say the spin cycle is super strong."
"Uncle. Nowadays people buy bottled water instead of purifiers, so a large beverage fridge would be good..."
"Uncle. For the overall color of the training room..."
Had Yeji ever called out to him so desperately, dozens of times like this in the past?
No matter how he thought, it seemed not.
'I made time because she needed advice on building a personal training room, and this is what it turns into...'
The questions were detailed, which was good, but they felt subtly off-target.
As Park Chunduk stared silently at the excitedly rambling Sin Yeji,
"Ah, what? Uncle. Why are you just listening? Give me answers."
"......"
Park Chunduk made a sullen face.
When had he even had time to answer?
Sin Yeji, apparently thirsty from all the talking, picked up a water bottle.
Of course she'd be thirsty, thought Park Chunduk, and asked what he suspected.
"You got a boyfriend?"
Pffft—!
Sin Yeji sprayed the water she was drinking like a fountain.
Straight at Park Chunduk's face.
"Argh! You brat! What the hell!"
"U-Uncle said something weird first! What boyfriend! I just hunt and train all the time!"
Park Chunduk wiped his face with a nearby towel and replied.
"Your questions were weird! Sounds like... anyone would think you're decorating a newlywed room!"
"I-It's for a personal training room, I told you!"
"No, you brat. Normally... whatever. What was I even saying."
Seeing Sin Yeji's face flush red, Park Chunduk waved it off.
Sin Yeji emphasized again it was for a personal training room with an aggrieved look, and Park Chunduk nodded wearily.
"Got it. Got it. So you're building a personal training room, but maybe someone else will use it too, so you want to make it considerate?"
"Exactly!"
"And that someone is Kim Gunja?"
"W-Well? Maybe, maybe not..."
Not a chance.
As mischievous Park Chunduk probed her true feelings,
"What're you doing?"
"Eek!"
"Argh!"
"......?"
Kim Gunja, entering the director's office, tilted his head at Park Chunduk and Sin Yeji's excessive surprise.
"Why so startled? Did you two eat something behind my back?"
"Y-Yeah, you brat."
"N-No?"
The two exchanged glances with different answers, glaring.
Kim Gunja chuckled and sat down.
Park Chunduk cleared his throat and asked.
"So, how'd it go?"
"Good."
"Damn, you've got guts. Meeting that scary guy and your face doesn't change a bit."
"No matter how great, he's still human."
"Huh?"
No point mentioning the fire mark—it would just worry them needlessly—so he skipped it.
Instead, he pulled out an item from his pocket.
Hum—
A small necklace and bracelet.
Park Chunduk nodded nonchalantly, but Sin Yeji's eyes sparkled.
"Uncle, what was that just now? I felt mana waves..."
"Sharp as ever. It's a sub-space artifact."
Kim Gunja said, dusting off his coat collar.
Both their eyes widened.
"S-Sub-space?"
"Whoa, jackpot?"
Sub-space artifacts were extremely rare in modern times.
Even the world's top guild, Pentagram, had only a few like dimensional daggers or the Jar of Da'at.
Kim Gunja handed the necklace to Park Chunduk and the bracelet to Sin Yeji, acting like it was no big deal.
"Gifts. I owe you big time, bro, and I'll be owing Yeji a lot more ahead."
At Kim Gunja's words, Park Chunduk gave Sin Yeji a meaningful look, but she pretended otherwise.
What Kim Gunja gave them were items from Stein's secret stash.
When selecting, he'd picked ones suitable for acquaintances, excluding his own—and it was the right call.
Artifacts brought from Stein's world via sub-space didn't convert to points.
Kim Gunja relayed Stein's explanations.
The necklace maintained the mother's condition at peak, a gift from child-obsessed Stein to his empress.
Park Chunduk grinned widely at that, and Kim Gunja chuckled.
Who said he wasn't a family man.
And for Yeji's bracelet,
"It's called Phantom Thousand Swords."
"A sw...ord?"
Sin Yeji tilted her head.
It was a pretty bracelet reminiscent of snowflakes.
"Wear it and infuse mana. You'll see."
Sin Yeji did as told.
Ping— Shraaak—
The bracelet split into dozens of slender swords, floating into the air.
The swords hovering illusion-like around Yeji were as beautiful as blooming snowflakes.
"Wow!"
"...Holy..."
The two were amazed, and so was Kim Gunja.
Seeing over 20 swords.
When he'd tested it, he'd only gotten 7.
'Yeji said her magic power level rose to 7 when she awakened her Demon Eye last time.'
It suited her better than him for sure.
He already had plenty of artifacts like spear, shield, and accessories.
Seeing the thrilled pair, Kim Gunja smiled happily and made a request.
"Ah, sorry. Could you step out for a bit? I need to test something alone..."
At his serious request, they nodded readily.
"Huh? Oh, sure."
"I'll test this out!"
As the two left, Kim Gunja pulled out a ring.
Probably the Master Ring.
That's what Kim Gunja thought.
It was the only mythic-grade artifact he knew.
The ring form matched too.
— All Master Rings are mere derivatives of the Majesty Ring.
Now was the chance to find out what Austin meant.
After a light breath, Kim Gunja slipped the ring onto his right hand, not the left with the Majesty Ring.
Then, the Majesty Ring glowed.
'......50k?!'
Recalling the Customizing Room's next upgrade cost, one word flashed in Kim Gunja's mind.
Jackpot.
'But...'
He hesitated to convert immediately.
Pentagram's fervent search for it must have a reason.
'Hmm. Should I ask Monjiro about Master Rings first and decide...'
As Kim Gunja pondered briefly,
A desperate woman's voice rang out, then cut off.
No, it felt blocked by something.
'This is... no way...?'
Kim Gunja's gaze shifted left.
The Majesty Ring was emitting an even fiercer glow.
As if furious, like "How dare a lowly thing interfere?"