Chuncheon Break Zone
I saved the number separately and immediately dialed it. After a brief call, I received directions, left the workshop, and drove off. The destination was a formally registered monster carcass processing plant. Located on the outskirts, a short distance from the city center, the facility had separate vehicle lanes and entry procedures, so even first-time visitors were unlikely to get lost.
Following the instructions, I entered the interior and felt the distinctive chill of a workshop. A man was waiting for me inside. He had neatly trimmed short hair and wore work clothes. Not a single speck of dirt on his hands, he carried the natural air of someone who had spent years overseeing this kind of site.
“Hello. I’m Lee Tae-shik, president of Seongwon Industries.”
“Hello. I didn’t expect the president himself to come out.”
“Yes. Everyone’s busy, so I personally handle first-time visitors. Where are the carcasses?”
“Just a moment. They’re stored in my spatial pouch. Where should I unload them?”
“This way, please.”
Passing through a metal door, the air changed noticeably. Inside stood rows of large refrigerated storage units.
“This is the storage warehouse. You can place them here.”
I opened my spatial pouch as instructed. When the first carcass emerged, its heavy mass settled onto the floor. It was the Orc Chieftain. Lee Tae-shik’s gaze paused briefly before moving on to the next carcass as if nothing had happened. The Shaman, then the Troll. As the bodies piled up one by one, his eyes gradually shifted.
“Seeing you use a spatial pouch, you must have quite a bit of room. Are you a high-ranking Hunter?”
“I obtained it by chance. The space isn’t that large either.”
“Still, most people who use equipment like this belong to guilds. Are you operating alone?”
“I have a team, but I handle the carcass disposal myself. Because of the items.”
Even as I answered, I clicked my tongue inwardly. At this rate, the lies were only going to pile up. The processing wasn’t finished yet. After a moment’s hesitation, I pulled out the final carcass from the spatial pouch. The Twin-Head Troll. The moment it landed on the floor, the surrounding air seemed to sink strangely. At the same time, Lee Tae-shik’s expression clearly changed.
“This is… a boss monster, isn’t it?”
“It might have been boss-level. It was collapsed outside the central area of the break zone, already injured. I happened to encounter and deal with it.”
Lee Tae-shik silently examined the carcass. He calmly checked the two heads, the excessively developed muscles, and the remaining traces of mana. After a moment, he nodded.
“Including the troll blood value, I’ll settle the carcasses for thirty million won.”
When the settlement was complete, the envelope in my hand felt substantial. B-rank and higher monsters, especially trolls, were definitely worth a good price. Just before leaving the processing plant, Lee Tae-shik added,
“If you have any decent carcasses next time, please contact me. I also handle equipment and mana stones. Cash on the spot, and I’ll match the price.”
I simply nodded and stepped outside. Only after finishing the carcass disposal did I finally have room to breathe. I got in the car and headed straight for the Magnos Lab dealership. In the center of the showroom sat a Blue Dragon SUV. A mid-size model with organized response devices and mana circuits.
“This is the Blue Dragon SUV. The total including options on the base model is three hundred million won, with a thirty million won deposit. Delivery is expected in about a month.”
The staff member who finished speaking didn’t rush. It was the attitude of someone giving me plenty of time to inspect the vehicle. I slowly circled the car, checking the undercarriage. The body height, cargo space, and placement of protective panels came naturally into view. The reason the Investigation Bureau and large guilds chose this vehicle as their mainstay became clear without needing any explanation.
“I’ll take this one. By the way… if I pay in cash, is there anything extra you could arrange?”
The staff member smiled briefly and shook his head.
“Even with cash payment, discounts are difficult because it’s such a high-value vehicle.”
Then he added,
“Instead, I’ll personally take care of the tinting and exterior coating and finish them neatly for you.”
“Ah, haha… Yes. I’ll leave it to you, then.”
The staff member nodded and pulled out the documents. I picked up the pen and continued signing. There was no hesitation at my fingertips, nor any thought of reversing this choice now. As the staff member organized the papers, he asked carefully,
“Shall I process the deposit via bank transfer?”
“No. I’ll pay in cash right now.”
When I handed over the thirty million won deposit on the spot, the staff member’s face showed a brief flash of surprise before he quickly composed himself.
“Confirmed. I’ll contact you again in about a month regarding the delivery schedule.”
“Understood.”
I took the documents and left the showroom. My equipment was already prepared, and I could earn more funds going forward. Now that transportation was settled, all that remained was how I used my time. From here on, my choices would be proven by results, not words.
I got straight back in the car and turned the wheel. My destination was Director Han Do-hoon’s dojo. The place where memories of building my body, clashing, collapsing, and rising again naturally followed me. The moment I opened the door, the mingled scent of sweat, mats, and old equipment rushed over me. It was a familiar sensation.
I loosened up lightly and entered sparring. The director was still solid, his movements free of excess. However, unlike before, I had no trouble receiving his attacks. My breathing and timing had become noticeably more relaxed. Finally, we stopped, maintaining distance from each other. After a brief silence, I spoke first.
“Director, thank you for everything. I probably won’t be able to come often from now on.”
Director Han Do-hoon looked at me for a moment before nodding.
“You quit being an investigator, I heard. So you’re trying to make it as a free hunter now.”
“Yes. I want to move around without being too tied down.”
With his arms crossed, he calmly brought up practical matters. Gates already claimed by guilds, the dangers of break zones, situations where running was sometimes the answer rather than fighting.
“Yes, I’m aware. Still, I want to try. Thank you for the advice, Director.”
After a short silence, Director Han Do-hoon gestured with his chin toward the center of the mat.
“Let’s do one more round.”
That day’s sparring was anything but light. I moved with everything I could show, drawing out all the strength I possessed. The director never lost his composure to the end, and in the final moment, as if by agreement, we both stepped back at the same time. He stood in silence for a while. Then, without averting his gaze, he spoke in a low voice.
“Take care of your body. In this line of work, that’s everything.”
With those words, he turned and entered the director’s office. That was the end.
When I returned home and closed the door, the tension that had lingered in my shoulders finally eased. After showering, I sat at my desk and called out the names of the two spirits.
“Arin, Elly.”
Space rippled gently, and the two spirits appeared. I briefly summarized the day’s events for them. From organizing items and selling various gems and enhancement materials, to commissioning new protective gear, to settling the carcasses and immediately signing for the vehicle. I even mentioned that all transactions had been completed in cash.
When I finished, Arin reacted first.
“So now you’re driving a new car instead of that junker? Going on drives too?”
“Arin, junker? That was my precious first car. Don’t you think that’s too harsh? It was used and a bit old, sure, but it wasn’t a junker.”
“Hmph. People say that kind of car is a junker.”
“What on earth have you been listening to and watching? No more TV for you.”
“Byun Jihoon, you! Just because you’re losing an argument, you’re going to be that petty? Elly, look at this guy!”
Elly cut in with a sigh-tinged voice.
“Jihoon, that’s not right either. Isn’t that too petty? And don’t tell me you bought a car first? When are you moving houses? You said you’d move us to a bigger place. It’s not like our finances are that comfortable right now.”
Arin nodded and chimed in.
“Exactly. Shouldn’t the house come before the car?”
“Right now, mobility takes priority. I can earn more money later, and I still have to worry about the Investigation Bureau. If I buy a house or move somewhere big right away, it might draw unnecessary suspicion again.”
“So that’s why you handled everything in cash?”
“Yeah. It’s better to live quietly for the time being. I’m going to organize my movement routes and plans from now on. You two can go back to the spirit realm or watch TV at home, whatever’s comfortable. Just no drinking, got it?”
“Tch… Byun Jihoon the cheapskate. Elly, want to watch dramas with me?”
“Sure, Arin.”
I turned on my laptop and scanned through break zone data. I compared occurrence frequency, controlled zones, and free hunter entry conditions one by one. The conclusion was the break zone in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. Geographically close to Uijeongbu, and since it was in the Gangwon region, it wasn’t under the jurisdiction of the northern Gyeonggi branch. The chances of overlapping with Investigation Team 3’s routes were relatively low, and it was a suitable choice for moving without the Investigation Bureau’s eyes on me in a place where no one knew me.
The next morning, I stopped by the mart to pick up a tent and groceries, loading them into the trunk. I also retrieved the Orc Chieftain’s sword I had left for maintenance and gave my equipment one final check. Once preparations were complete, I started the car, and as I left the city center, the scenery began to change rapidly.
Chuncheon Free Hunter Zone. The vehicle checkpoint came into view, and I naturally slowed down. Perhaps because it was near the checkpoint, the surroundings were already noisy. Engine sounds, metal clashing, and people’s voices tangled together without pause. Several old trucks lined the edge of the road, with mana stone carts and equipment boxes busily moving in and out of their cargo beds. Under temporary tents, carcass processing teams and harvesting teams mingled, and scenes of raised voices over payment issues were visible here and there. The free hunter zone of the break area. It was far from orderly control, a space where the smell of people and greed was laid bare.
I parked near the checkpoint and got out, scanning the area once. Entering the tent zone, I saw restaurants, carcass trading posts, mana stone trading posts, and equipment trading tents lined up in rows. Though it looked chaotic at a glance, all the shops here had temporary permits. Transactions were possible, but fees and records were attached without exception. That was probably why everyone glanced around whenever they unloaded their gear, and almost no one openly opened spatial pouches.
I finished equipping my armor, took out the prepared groceries and tent, and packed them into my backpack before shouldering it. In one hand, I held the Orc Chieftain’s sword. I could have stored it in the spatial pouch, but entering the inner area with too light a load might have drawn attention instead. So I deliberately brought ordinary luggage.
While walking past the checkpoint toward the free hunter zone, I stopped at the sound of someone calling me from behind.
“Hey. You there, young friend.”
When I turned my head, a hunter who looked to be in his mid-thirties was approaching. His equipment was mismatched, and its condition didn’t look particularly good. Yet his gaze was strangely persistent.
“Yes? Did you call me?”
“Yeah, yeah. Trying to go in alone?”
His eyes swept over my equipment. From the sword to the armor, down to the gear hanging from my shoulder straps. Not once, but several times, as if retracing.
“It’s dangerous alone.”
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
“Want to go in with us? There happens to be one spot open. Your gear looks good too.”
Though the words were a suggestion, the gaze felt more like calculation. Eyes that lingered briefly, as if appraising the value of goods. He was smiling, but that smile wasn’t welcome at all. I lowered my head in a brief greeting.
“Thank you for the offer, but I’m only planning to check the outskirts today.”
His expression subtly hardened.
“Still, alone—”
“If there’s another chance later, let’s go together then. Today I just want to get a feel for the atmosphere.”
A brief silence passed. He shrugged.
“Well, everyone’s got their own judgment.”
He turned away as if he’d lost interest, but his gaze lingered on my equipment once more. I lightly bowed my head and continued walking inward. That was when it happened.
“Huh? Isn’t that Byun Jihoon?”
I turned my head at the voice coming from behind me.