Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Audacious
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Palms slick with sweat from the tension.
Raised my head and looked up at the building.
A high-rise right in the heart of Seoul.
The same place Kim Beomsu and Han Sehee had called me to before.
...
Today, I was here to meet the owner of this building.
"Mr. Han Yujin, you're confirmed. Please head to the top floor."
Following the staff member's guidance, I stepped into the elevator.
Pressed the button for the very top and waited.
Ding!
Before long, it arrived at the top floor.
Stepped forward to the door and took a deep breath.
Knocked, and a woman's voice came from beyond.
Opened the door and entered a room where a single woman sat on an elegant sofa.
She soon brought the teacup in her hand to her lips.
A woman whose sharp eyes somehow gave off an alluring impression.
S-rank Hunter and Magic Tower's Guild Master.
The Witch, Juharang.
Clink. Juharang set her cup down.
"I've been waiting. Please, have a seat."
An empty cup sat on the sofa opposite where she gestured.
It looked expensive at a glance.
She wasn't just paying lip service about waiting for me.
Felt my breath catch as I sat on the sofa, and Juharang lifted the teapot to fill my cup.
A red liquid giving off a complex, warm aroma.
"It's a tea I enjoyed drinking when I was in England. I hope it suits your taste."
"...Thank you."
Steadied my trembling hand and took a sip, but
honestly, I couldn't savor the taste in that moment.
This whole scene was nothing like what I'd expected.
I'd imagined a high-handed conversation.
Her speaking down to me, wrapping up business, and kicking me out in an authoritative atmosphere.
Never dreamed an S-rank would wait for me personally and serve high-end tea.
As I set my cup down, she spoke first.
"I suppose I should start with an apology. I heard you nearly lost your life because of us. As the leader of this organization, I apologize for the unfortunate incident."
I immediately stopped Juharang as she started to bow her head.
An S-rank Hunter bowing to an E-rank—no, a D-rank like me?
It was too much; I felt like I'd keel over from the pressure.
Besides, what happened was practically a natural disaster.
Elite monsters rarely have fixed spawn points.
Until you actively raid them, there's no way to predict if or where they'll appear.
Kim Beomsu and Han Sehee not noticing beforehand wasn't a mistake.
Of course, they had breached the safety clause in the contract, so they weren't blameless... but it wasn't something for the Magic Tower Master herself to bow over.
"And thanks to you, our mage made it back alive. Separate from the compensation they promised you two, I felt we needed to offer something more."
Snap! She flicked her fingers, and something materialized in midair, dropping in front of me.
A pouch made of leather.
Not a relic, and at first glance, just an ordinary bag.
But I picked it up with trembling hands.
"What would be fitting gratitude... While pondering that, I heard you have some knowledge of alchemy."
Items crafted in workshops using monster corpses.
These creations had properties utterly unlike ordinary goods.
This was... a space expansion pouch.
"I had it custom-made a while back, but I don't use it anymore. Capacity's a bit over 30L. It's been durability-treated, so it'd survive rolling through fire."
Even in money terms, it'd fetch hundreds of millions easily—but its value went beyond that.
The monster hide used as material was so rare, money alone couldn't buy it.
Could she really give something like this away just for thanks?
Juharang smiled faintly at my gaze.
"As I said, it's merely a gesture of thanks. No strings attached, so don't worry."
I wasn't naive enough to take that at face value.
If apology and compensation were all, we'd be done here.
But from her demeanor, it didn't feel like the conversation was ending.
Clink. After a sip of tea, she spoke in a calm tone.
"Are you interested in joining the Magic Tower?"
"Cough, hack!"
Mid-sip, I choked.
Once the coughing subsided, I finally managed words.
"I haven't awakened to mana emission, though..."
"Do you think everyone in the Magic Tower is a mage? Most are, but plenty aren't."
The Magic Tower had hunters for gate raids too, and as Juharang said, talented people had value regardless of abilities.
Her voice carried a more subdued emotion now.
I could guess what kind of person she was.
Someone who thought and acted on reason, not emotion.
Bowing to me and giving an extravagant gift—it had all been leading to this.
"I hear you're working as a counselor at the Association? The Magic Tower can offer far better terms. Not just money—growth in ability too. We'll support you all the way to B-rank."
My jaw dropped on its own.
Boosting support.
Taking low-rank hunters into high-rank gates to help them grow.
Not available to just anyone.
Limited to promising healers or useful support types.
And my ability wasn't much help in combat.
They stood to gain nothing from raising me.
Joining the Magic Tower alone, and they'd cover all those losses.
"You need time to think, I suppose. Take your time."
What potential did she see in me for Juharang to make this offer?
I didn't know her intentions, but one thing was clear.
'This chance won't come twice.'
Swallowed hard without realizing.
Hesitated, pondered, and finally spoke.
Juharang's eyes sparkled.
*
Sunset had come, darkness slowly settling in.
Dragged my heavy steps back home.
My head had been a mess since leaving the Magic Tower.
Was my choice the right one?
At the time, it felt like there was no need to hesitate, but...
Now that I'd done it, a nagging doubt lingered.
My response to Juharang's offer.
'I'm sorry, but... I must decline.'
She seemed disappointed, as if it was unexpected, but it was my answer from the start.
Juharang didn't know, but I'd already signed a secret contract with the Association.
It included a clause barring joining other guilds.
So for the one-year term, I couldn't affiliate anywhere.
That was just the surface reason, though.
Even without the contract, I'd probably have said the same.
Beyond no other options, there was a reason I'd chosen the Association over a guild.
The Association and hunters were fundamentally equals.
Hunters weren't Association employees; they were partners pursuing the same goals.
So you could refuse unreasonable missions and enjoyed freedom from control.
Guilds were different.
Joining meant clear subordination—I'd be at their mercy.
Even if they ordered something I didn't want, I'd have to obey.
No matter how much they paid, that wasn't the relationship I wanted.
...Or so I'd thought.
Now that I'd refused, regrets lingered anyway.
"Haa..."
Maybe I should've just gritted my teeth and accepted.
After all this hardship, I'm barely D-rank—when the hell will I hit B-rank...
As I wallowed, my eyes fell on the new bag.
The space expansion pouch Juharang gave as thanks.
She didn't pettily take it back after I refused the offer.
Thinking about it, it wasn't such a depressing outcome.
Recalled the early days after possession.
Bank account empty, couldn't even cover rent for that dump.
Lonely days dragging on with no connections.
Not anymore.
Here I was, living in a nice place.
Someone came worrying when I was hurt.
And now a D-rank, with this precious item to boot.
I... was making progress, bit by bit.
*
The weekend flew by.
Nothing much to do, and I'd long escaped desperate straits requiring hustle.
Just replaced my busted phone and lounged at home.
Then Monday.
Headed to the Association, but my destination wasn't the counseling center.
Kang Jiwon was waiting and soon guided me somewhere.
Probably about that emergency room mission.
But she passed the room where we'd talked last mission and kept going.
Noise faded, silence took over.
We arrived at a space for staff only—no outsiders allowed.
Sat quietly across the table from her, and Kang Jiwon slid a single sheet of paper over.
"The mission you'll be taking on this time, Mr. Han Yujin, is 'Infiltration'."