Payday and Practice Shots
The reason I'd gone to the training ground was simple.
Had I heard bad news about Beta Team and rushed into early training?
Nope.
It was just the place where the most hunters gathered.
There was a break room right next to it, which probably helped.
As I stepped out and did some light stretches, the gossip flowed in naturally.
"Whoa, that new Alpha Team recruit is hardcore... Came back yesterday and hit training right away."
"What happened to Beta Team?"
"From what I heard, everyone died except the team leader. And he's talking retirement?"
Did he feel responsible as leader?
With all his team dead, normal operations would be impossible anyway.
Who'd follow his orders now?
"But didn't Beta's leader use the body modification potion?"
Body modification potion.
Hearing the name hit me like a slap to the back of the head.
It existed in Tower Escape too, but the system couldn't implement it properly due to limitations.
Among the Tower's countless spoils, it was one of the really dangerous ones.
It optimized the user's body for mana, right?
All bodily functions got boosted, but with one massive drawback.
"Don't you die if you don't enter the Tower for three months after taking it? And he's still retiring?"
The optimized body couldn't function without high mana concentrations.
Stay out too long, and your physical abilities slowly declined...
Until you dropped dead.
That three-month mark was the absolute max, too.
Two months in, you'd be bedridden like a terminal patient.
"He'll at least hit the low floors. Like 2 or 3...?"
"Low floors don't have enough mana density for much effect. He'd need at least 4..."
"Eh, he'll figure it out. Might change his mind when he starts wheezing."
"Beta Team ends up like that... Even top-tier teams go down swinging."
"Whatever. Let's get started. No time to worry about others."
Fair enough.
I finished warming up and started endurance training when...
A message from Team Leader Go Ji-ho popped up.
Heading to Beta Team's funeral, huh?
I was just planning to knock out some PT when...
A suited Association staffer showed up.
He waited till I was resting, then pulled out a few documents.
"Hunter Kang Hyun, I have some notices for you... Mind if we talk?"
"What kind of notices?"
We moved to a seminar room.
"First, this is your annual salary. It's the base pay, regardless of performance..."
I could tell he was explaining it in simple terms for me.
The salary was in the billions.
Not 1 or 2 billion, either.
Almost hitting 10 billion.
But I accepted without complaint.
Go Ji-ho had tipped me off at drinks the night before.
This was money to tie me down, keep me from jumping to another country.
Meaning, even abroad, I'd get at least this much.
A-ranks pulled 3-4 billion easy.
But as an EX-rank, I deserved more anyway.
More than I heard. Perks for EX-rank, maybe.
Even forewarned, seeing it real made it hit different.
"You sure it's okay to pay me this much?"
The staffer gave a wry smile and explained.
"The gear we've issued you already tops a billion... Excluding coin-bought weapons and armor plates."
"Huh? How's it that pricey?"
Was Go Ji-ho's scare tactics about expensive gear legit?
"Just the 4AN night vision from last op—base 60 million, plus custom accessories hits a billion..."
That thing was that expensive?
No wonder the view was so crisp.
Optics were insanely pricey.
Turns out the Association invested big in hunters.
Though being on a top-tier team factored in.
"So... salary docs are good to go?"
"Yes. Thank you for signing. We'll support you with anything going forward."
The staffer bowed and slid over new papers.
"And this is payment for the gold from last exploration. You turned in 20,000 total—4,000 is your share. Correct?"
"Yeah, spot on."
Handed 20,000 to the Association, split the remaining 25,000 with the team...
Left me with about 5,000 gold now.
I checked the units with slightly shaky fingers.
Too many zeros.
"Ten... hundred... thousand... million... 10 billion?"
10 billion range.
Made the salary look peanuts.
20 million a month... I could actually spend that.
Was Kim Yu-na secretly frugal?
As that wild thought crossed my mind, the staffer kept chattering.
"Alpha Team's incredible. Other teams rarely bring back 10,000..."
Tower raids had steady fixed costs like consumables...
So the more you earned, the more profit.
50,000 gold minus 5,000 expenses = 45,000 profit.
10,000 minus 5,000 = 5,000 profit.
Like that.
"Note, gold buyback is taxable. And bulk sales get better rates."
"Huh?"
"So please sell through the Association..."
Ah.
Don't sell to other countries—keep it in-house.
I had no plans to hawk gold abroad anyway, as long as prices were fair.
"Deposit to this account okay? Done."
"...For real?"
"Yep. Association name means no bank hassle. Oh, one more bonus."
Why's everyone showering me with cash lately?
Was I getting scammed?
Nah, scammers wouldn't give stuff—they'd ask for it.
"What's that?"
"New product test cooperation fee..."
Oh, that.
The thing Go Ji-ho tested on 5F entry.
"One worked, rest bombed, right?"
"Yes. But you get paid for all."
Obviously.
We risked our necks testing.
Their bad product wasn't our fault.
"We're excited about the success. Nailed the direction—easy to refine now."
Radios or drones in the Tower? Game-changer.
"Fees deposited... Anything else, just say. I'm Alpha Team's dedicated liaison."
"Thanks!"
Now I could snag Haagen-Dazs at the convenience store.
Maybe that was pushing it.
A few days later, Kim Yu-na and I headed to Hwaseong, Gyeonggi first.
Go Ji-ho had booked a hunter-specific training ground for filming.
I grabbed the gifted pistol and messaged on my smartphone.
Hunters could carry combat gear openly.
Live ammo probably issued on-site, though...
No point regulating when shops sold it anyway.
Kim Yu-na drove too?
Never seen that side of her.
Soon I spotted a big bus.
Premium, comfy-looking.
Association logo on the side.
"Wh-what's this?"
"Crew's coming to help film."
"Hello, Hunter!"
Boarding revealed the full Association PR team on-site.
Basically free labor.
As a YouTuber myself, I knew.
Hiring this many cost a fortune.
That's where the 20 mil goes...
Bit low for channel scale, though.
"Ready? Let's roll."
Kim Yu-na sat me in the back.
At the range, we toured new facilities.
Per Go Ji-ho's request, they'd recreated Tower interiors spot-on.
Perfect for CQB or urban combat drills.
"Paths scaled down nicely. Landmarks match Tower Escape data exactly."
"Whoa, check this—even the rust is replicated."
They'd even mocked up 6F underground with massive pipes.
Old facility upgraded.
"Review time? Shoot over there. Set up cameras."
"Hunter Kang Hyun, broadcast makeup?"
A PR staffer asked.
"...Nah. Raw look's better."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Show it as is."
Filming gun demos in Korea.
Viewers wanted guns and Yu-na anyway.
Me too.
"Props ready? Let's go."
"Yep."
"Hey, viewers who survived thanks to us! YuNaFan channel back with Kang Hyun after ages! Made it out alive again!"
Viewers who survived thanks to us.
I'd asked about her signature line once.
She'd smiled wryly: "They forget if I stop."
PR support was flawless.
"Kill that light. Perfect."
"Big drama on 2F this time! Our newbie Hyun gifted a US hunter..."
HTT. Hunter Tactical Technology, right?
The custom gun firm run by that American hunter's family.
Big for a family biz.
"Special reveal. Rare in Korea—smash subscribe, like, comment."
Content: comparison review.
Pitting my old Mark 23 against the new one proper.
I waved to camera, approached the pistol.
"First, H&K Mark 23. Suppressor performance might differ... Testing now."
Pfft, pfft!
Measured decibels with gear for proof.
"Super quiet, right? Built for suppressor from day one. Next: HTT's 2011 Custom! Model's 2011 Nightfall!"
Full promo mode.
Over 10 mil pistol—had to do it justice.
Pfft, pfft!
Suppressor great here too.
9mm subsonic ammo?
Grip feel and smooth action hooked me.
Lighter, right size, bigger mag.
Mk.23 solid, but dated vs. top custom.
Edge in durability maybe?
But holster or subspace pocket kept it safe—no breakdowns.
Post-shoot, I checked video and reactions from Hwaseong hotel room.
PR team edited fast.
Solid reactions.
Prestige content—needed to pop.
Uploaded jointly with Kim Yu-na, FYI.
She'd dropped the formal "ssi" lately.
Getting closer, I guess?
Heading to the restaurant with her, I asked:
"Yu-na, why's Ju-won hunting?"
"Last rite of passage? Ju-won has a ton of mouths to feed."
"Mouths?"
"Married, three kids, supports both parents and two sisters."
"Full-on family man!"
Hunter pay was nuts.
Feeding that many.
Basically shouldering four households.
But as teammate, worry hit first.
"That level, is he leeching off hunter status?"
"Thought so at first, but he enjoys it."
"R-really?"
"Treats him like king at home. Feeds 'em all solid, gets house authority in return?"
Unexpected type.
I flinched.
Power-hungry? Might resent me snagging vice-leader spot.
"...Can I quit vice-leader now?"
"Relax. Ju-won knows who he can't beat."
"C-can't beat? Me?"
"You're amazing—chest out. Even sales talk, Ji-ho doesn't flatter. You're a Tower Escape genius."
Survive Tower first to wield power.
She said, settling at our table.
Real training tomorrow.
I loaded up on food.