Chapter 9
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Delivering into the Dungeon
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If that was really true...
This was an enormous scandal that could trigger a seismic shift in the entire hunter world.
"Min Hae-yul."
"Ah, yes!"
"What was that delivery hunter's name again?"
Shin Ha-rang's eyes burned with intensity.
'I absolutely cannot let this talent slip away!'
Shin Ha-rang was a hunter himself, and through countless dungeon raids, he had learned one thing the hard way.
'The ingredients from dungeons taste like absolute garbage!'
The nickname his followers had cheekily given him was "Ice Prince," fitting his cold, urban hunter vibe and specs that made hearts flutter...
'Ughhh...'
Even he, when he first started raiding dungeons, had puked his guts out after tearing into meat from a monster that resembled a bedbug.
The next day, he suffered such severe diarrhea that he ended up hospitalized at a hunter-exclusive clinic for days.
'After that, I only ate just enough to avoid starving to death.'
Shin Ha-rang, with his picky tastes, had his own philosophy about food.
He'd tried virtually every famous restaurant out there, and his hobby was visiting Michelin-starred spots to critique their flavors.
For a man like that to choke down the revolting dungeon slop—how agonizing it must have been.
And now, someone had appeared who defied the dungeon's rules!
'How much would it take to exclusively recruit them into our guild?'
Shin Ha-rang's mind was already painting a picture of the future: enlisting that delivery hunter, paying them a massive salary, and sending them cheerfully(?) into dungeons for raids.
But that fantasy shattered with Min Hae-yul's response.
"Uh, um... Sorry, Guild Master, but I don't know their name."
"...You don't know?"
"I didn't get a chance to ask. We didn't have much free time left, and I was too focused on eating..."
Shin Ha-rang felt like he might faint.
"Then... you must have at least seen their face. What did they look like?"
"That too... Sorry, I didn't see. They prioritized safety—wore a helmet, so I couldn't make out their features. Oh! But from their voice, I could tell they were a woman!"
"..."
Armored in a perfect poker face, Shin Ha-rang showed no sign of disappointment outwardly, but inside, he was screaming at the top of his lungs.
'Why! How could you not even get a name or a face...!'
The gourmet Shin Ha-rang was tormented by the thought that he might never meet that delivery hunter again.
'If another guild snags that precious talent first... they'll try to monopolize them too.'
If that happened, he'd be stuck gnawing on tasteless dungeon meat and roots for the rest of his life.
'I can't let that happen!'
"Min Hae-yul, is there absolutely no way to meet that delivery hunter again?"
Forcing down his churning emotions, he spat out the question. Ah! Min Hae-yul clapped his hands.
"Come to think of it, I heard we can order again!"
"Pardon?"
"I registered as a regular customer, and I definitely marked yes for reviews and repurchase intent! So, if there's a chance, we'll probably meet again."
'Yes!'
Shin Ha-rang inwardly cheered.
"Then, if you meet that delivery hunter again, please contact me right away."
He pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to Min Hae-yul, telling him to pass it along if they met.
"The Guild Master himself?"
"I'm just curious about what kind of person they are."
'Ah, so the Guild Master wants to scout them personally?'
That reasoning made sense to Hae-yul, who nodded.
"Got it. If I meet the delivery hunter again, I'll contact you immediately."
"Don't forget, no matter what. Understand?"
"Huh? Yes..."
Min Hae-yul found Shin Ha-rang's unusual sensitivity on this matter odd, but he soon put it out of his mind.
"Um... more importantly, Guild Master."
"Yes."
"About my contract... what about the penalty I couldn't mention?"
Honestly, it would only be right to lower his contract terms from before.
'But since we've discovered a precious hunter who can bring food into dungeons, I'll let this slide.'
"It's fine. Let's treat it as our little secret."
"...! Thank you!"
"In return."
"Yes?"
"Absolutely, absolutely don't forget. Arrange for me to meet that delivery hunter if you see them again."
"Pardon? Ah... Understood."
Hae-yul backed away, sensing the oddly commanding aura from Shin Ha-rang.
'I won't let you get away, delivery hunter!'
The gourmet Shin Ha-rang—an S-Rank attacker and top-five ranker.
Even with his enviable specs, meals were precious to him.
'I can't just rely on Min Hae-yul.'
Dead serious about flavor, Shin Ha-rang reached out to someone to track down the mysterious delivery hunter.
"I hate contacting this guy, but... circumstances are what they are."
Ring ring ring...
A few seconds after the call tone started, it connected.
[Hello, this is Park Ha-young, Section Chief of Team 1 at the Korean Awakener Management Bureau. How can I assist you?]
Shin Ha-rang had called the Korean Awakener Management Bureau—a government agency handling ID registration and socialization training for newly awakened hunters.
"Hello? Park Ha-young. It's me, Shin Ha-rang."
A husky female voice came through the phone speaker.
[Hello? Shin Ha-rang?]
"Yeah. Park Ha-young. It's me. How've you been?"
Shin Ha-rang and Park Ha-young had been childhood friends.
Having seen each other at their best and worst, they stayed in touch despite different workplaces, bonded by their shared hunter status.
Of course, it was strictly business—only calling when they needed something.
[Cut the small talk. Why are you calling me? Got a favor to ask?]
"Spot on."
Park Ha-young worked at the government-run Korean Awakener Management Bureau.
Being a civil servant was the lowest-paying job for an awakened hunter, but it came with one huge perk: bureau staff could search the hunter directory for any registered hunter whenever they wanted.
The Hunter Directory was an S-Rank item developed by the country's alchemists—a computer holding personal info on every registered hunter nationwide.
Newly awakened hunters had to get their hunter ID from the bureau within a month, just like getting a resident card upon adulthood.
This unique global system let the bureau track registered hunters' locations using the data.
So, Shin Ha-rang's reason for calling Park Ha-young was obvious.
'I've never heard of a "delivery hunter" job before. Probably a rare class, recently awakened.'
A hunter who could deliver cooked food into trash-tasting dungeons? If they'd existed sooner, guilds would've fought wars over them.
'Gotta find them fast.'
[Who are you looking for?]
"A recently awakened hunter. Job: delivery hunter. Rank probably A or S, female. Search limited to those keywords."
[...What? No name, appearance, residence—nothing?]
"Nope. That's why I need your help. That delivery hunter... I really want to scout them for our guild."
[Hmm.]
At Shin Ha-rang's 200% serious tone—zero playfulness—Park Ha-young named her price.
[If I find this delivery hunter, you'll owe me at least an A-Rank mana stone minimum.]
"Isn't that steep?"
[Please. As Wing Guild's master, you can't be stingy over this. I know your guild's loaded—don't play poor.]
"Can a civil servant say that?"
[Isn't this the duty for bureau staff? Taking requests from private guilds and associations, pocketing the fee with taxpayer money.]
Especially Park Ha-young, with her unique skill Eagle's Eye, could read a hunter's info just by looking.
That's why Shin Ha-rang chose her.
"...Fine. Find the delivery hunter, and I'll pay up with an A-Rank mana stone or better, as promised."
[Deal.]
"Call my personal line the second you find them."
[Obviously. You better prep that A-Rank stone.]
Click. The call ended after the business was done.
Shin Ha-rang immediately grabbed his curved sword and composite bow, checking the map for nearby dungeons.
'According to Min Hae-yul, that hunter specializes in deliveries inside dungeons.'
He had no idea how it worked, but that meant taking orders inside a dungeon would be faster than waiting outside.