Sponsor Lee Yun
Seong Ye-han and Lee Yun's negotiations went remarkably smoothly. Lee Yun was prepared to accept most of whatever he demanded, and Seong Ye-han had no intention of lording over her without limits—so if it hadn't been smooth, that would have been the real surprise. The only snag for Lee Yun was the woman at his side, shooting her intense glares.
Even indoors, she hid her face behind goggles, her hair dyed blond—or perhaps a wig—utterly unlike her usual look. But Lee Yun knew exactly who she was. Shin Ye-hwa. Former S-rank hunter. Currently A-rank. And probably restored to her full S-rank power by now.
Did I do something unforgivable to her? Lee Yun racked her brain, but nothing came to mind. She'd glimpsed Shin Ye-hwa's face a few times before, but Shin Ye-hwa likely didn't even remember her. Back then, Shin Ye-hwa had been that kind of person—one who barely acknowledged anyone who wasn't an awakener... and not just any awakener, but an S-rank like herself.
Of course, she seemed much reformed now. How the hell did she regain her power? Honestly, the man before her eyes, Seong Ye-han, was intriguing enough. But to Lee Yun, Shin Ye-hwa's recovery was even more fascinating—she wanted to investigate it right then and there. Yet with the woman's reaction like this, it was too soon.
Swallowing her regret, Lee Yun perked up her ears, ignoring the cat-like hissing from Shin Ye-hwa for now, and resolved to wrap up her conversation with Seong Ye-han.
Swish— As she naturally uncrossed her legs from the left and switched to the right, focusing on him, Shin Ye-hwa's aura sharpened even more for some reason. A textbook reaction of a woman on guard, jealous of another female clinging to her male.
"?"
Lee Yun noticed Shin Ye-hwa again and subtly twisted her body.
Swish— The thin shirt she wore parted gently at the chest from her movement and the ample volume beneath, revealing a glimpse of pale, ripe fruit. Shin Ye-hwa's devouring gaze hit her once more.
Seong Ye-han himself only wavered in his eyes for a moment before regaining his composure, and even Na Yu-ri—whose position as an outlaw was precarious—seemed utterly indifferent. Yet this woman showed such a fierce reaction.
Aha? A lightbulb flashed in her mind. This is fun...
Realizing why Shin Ye-hwa was wary of her, Lee Yun smiled inwardly. She must have fallen hard for the man. Moreover, the old Shin Ye-hwa she knew would have stood up without a care for bystanders and slapped her across the face for flirting with her man. The fact that she was holding back like this... it seemed Seong Ye-han truly held all the power in their relationship.
Which meant if she played her cards right with him, Shin Ye-hwa would come as a bonus. Of course, provoking her endlessly wasn't smart, so Lee Yun halted the teasing there. She had no desire to get chummy with Shin Ye-hwa anyway.
Ahaha! An S-rank two-for-one. Could it get any better? Lee Yun hid her deepening smile and continued her talk with Seong Ye-han.
Foxy bitch... Shin Ye-hwa just couldn't warm up to the Lee Yun in front of her. In fact, she thought what Seong Ye-han was doing right now was pointless. Before meeting her, he'd been a mere E-rank—the absolute bottom of the hunter world—so he clearly didn't yet grasp the true value of his power.
If she teamed up with him, they wouldn't need this woman's sponsorship or whatever. The moment Seong Ye-han was officially recognized as S-rank, people would line up endlessly, begging to meet him with stacks of cash in hand. This mansion? They could just barge in and demand it, and no one could complain.
That was the status an S-rank hunter commanded. And with her by his side... was there anyone in all of Korea who could stop them? Not even Hunter Association President Jeong Beom-ho. Of course, that old man didn't care about possible or impossible—if they crossed the line, he'd enforce justice even if it killed him. But theoretically speaking.
In Shin Ye-hwa's eyes, this Lee Yun was a con artist trying to dupe an innocent man and snag a treasure of immense value for pennies. The only reasons she stayed quiet were to save face for Seong Ye-han, who was leading the talk, her trust in whatever plan he had... and the simple fact that she could ignore any agreements or contracts and flip the table anytime if things soured.
Plus, Lee Yun was swallowing every one of Seong Ye-han's proposals without hesitation, giving her no opening to butt in... She'd been ready to pounce at the first sign of waffling, but luck was on her side.
Now, the one thing Shin Ye-hwa needed to focus on was guarding against the so-called honey trap. As long as Seong Ye-han didn't get so bewitched by this woman that he gave away his liver and lights, they'd always hold the upper hand.
Shin Ye-hwa scooted her hips closer, pressing her body tight against Seong Ye-han. Lee Yun's subtle flashes of skin to seduce him were pure vulgar, slutty bitch in heat. Fortunately, he seemed to be holding strong against her ploys, but someone once said it: men ultimately thought and acted on instinct.
I'll have to work for it. The best way to control a man's instincts was to satisfy those desires in time. And conveniently, she had two attractive females right here—plenty of winning odds.
Leaning back into the soft, plush bed, Seong Ye-han reflected on his negotiations with Lee Yun. Contrary to Shin Ye-hwa's thoughts, he had a solid grasp of his own value. He was simply making a deal at an appropriate level, considering his current standing from her perspective.
Lee Yun struck him as a pretty decent person, and maintaining good relations with good people was valuable in itself. Treatment could always be renegotiated later, based on his evolving situation. Better to start smooth and build long-term goodwill than overreach early and cause friction, right?
Thus, the agreed terms were as follows.
First, lodging: they'd keep using this mansion as-is. He'd been shocked when she offered her own home, but she explained it was a prepared safehouse—better with them here, in fact. A place like this as a "safehouse"? Money had its limits, he thought, but a rich sponsor was nothing but a plus, so he let it slide.
Second, hunter gear: full A-rank armor and weapons, at minimum. For weapons, he didn't care about anything else—just the sturdiest, most durable ones available. During the recent hunt, his overwhelming strength had made normal weapons feel clogged and frustrating, like fighting with wooden chopsticks. It stung that the C-rank gear he'd scrimped for with Shin Ye-hwa had become dead weight after one hunt, but at their prior level, there was no helping it. Entirely his fault for not understanding his power sooner—who else to blame?
Shin Ye-hwa had unexpectedly resisted the gear swap, but since they desperately needed usable equipment, he promised to buy back their old sets once money flowed in, soothing her that way. Hunter gear was consumable anyway, but the ones they'd bought each other clearly held sentimental value for her.
Third, guild founding. Honestly, Seong Ye-han didn't think he had the chops to run an organization. A small team, maybe—but a full guild? Too many headaches. He wasn't the type to care much about others anyway. He was still officially E-rank, and Shin Ye-hwa A-rank. He had no idea what Lee Yun saw in him to suggest this, but it was bewildering. She offered to cover all costs and take only a fair share of equity, insisting he start a guild if he wanted free hunter activity later—but they tabled it for now.
Her clean acceptance suggested it was just a probe anyway.
"Hmm..."
Overall, things had gone far smoother and faster than expected. She'd accepted everything he proposed with enthusiasm, even asking if he needed more. Even accounting for him indirectly fulfilling her A-rank condition by capturing Na Yu-ri, it felt like she had some hidden agenda.
But she'd broached sponsorship right after he claimed Shin Ye-hwa and his stat inheritance was incomplete. She clearly believed in something solid, though he couldn't guess what. Pondering it endlessly just gave him a headache.
The most plausible? She was a hidden awakener herself. He didn't know her special ability, but the world was vast—abilities to discern others' powers wouldn't be rare.
Whether Lee Yun was awakened or not didn't matter much to him. Everyone had secrets or unspoken baggage. If it harmed him, he'd deal with it—but for now, she was hugely favorable, no need to stir trouble.
Finishing his thoughts, he closed his eyes. Just two nights of outdoor camping, yet the warm indoors and soft, clean bedding held immense magic. He drifted off to sleep in no time.