The Choice Was Already Made
When I opened the office door and stepped inside, President Lee Tae-shik recognized me first.
“Hunter Byun Jihoon, you’re here. You look well. Did you pull off another big job?”
“I did, but I got caught in a monster break and my car ended up totaled.”
“Ah… that’s a shame. A mana-stone-powered dungeon vehicle must have been quite expensive.”
“Yeah. Still, the haul this time was good enough to ease the sting.”
“Hahaha. Just how good was it? Let’s head to the same cold storage we used last time.”
I followed Lee Tae-shik to the cold storage and opened my dimensional storage bag with a meaningful smile. When I pulled out the troll corpses first and laid them on the floor, his expression subtly hardened. Then came the griffin, and finally the drake.
“…This is. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen flying-type monster corpses. A griffin and a drake, no less. You brought some truly valuable specimens this time. The troll corpses are in excellent condition, too—more than ten of them. As expected, your abilities far exceed my expectations, Hunter.”
“Hahaha. I got lucky this time. Some of it was just lying around. The monster break happened to head in the opposite direction from where I was, so I had plenty of time to search the Chuncheon break zone. Thanks to that, I picked up quite a few good things. Here are the mana stones, otherworld gold coins, and items.”
“That’s far too much to call mere luck. The condition of the corpses is excellent as well. Last time you used a dimensional pouch, and now it’s a dimensional bag… You really do have an excessive amount of good fortune, Hunter.”
Lee Tae-shik gave me a meaningful look for a moment before turning his attention to the corpses, items, and mana stones, examining each one carefully. After tapping away at his calculator for a while, he spoke again.
“Hmm… With this volume and these grades, I’d say everything together should come to around two billion won. How does that sound?”
“Two billion?”
I watched his fingers on the calculator for a moment, then nodded.
“Sounds good. As expected, your calculations are always clean, President.”
“Hahaha. That’s why clients like you keep coming back to me.”
“It’s because you always give fair prices. It’s a shame there’s nothing worth putting up for auction this time, but would it be possible to sell the dimensional pouch through auction as well?”
“A dimensional pouch… Would you be willing to sell it to me for one billion won? We do have some history together, after all. Hahaha.”
“Hmm… If that’s what you want, I’ll do it.”
“Oh, thank you. However, preparing everything in cash like last time will take a little while, given the amount involved.”
“How long?”
“About a week. That should be enough time to settle everything and have the exact amount ready for you.”
“Then I’ll come back in a week.”
After leaving Seongwon Industries, my next stop was the Hunter Department Store.
“Welcome. How may I help you?”
“Do you have thirty B-class mana-stone bombs and about two hundred B-class daggers in stock?”
“Yes, Hunter. We certainly do.”
“I’ll take all of them, then.”
“Have any new high-grade armor sets come in recently? Top tier, please.”
“Our current top-tier model is a combat suit using wyvern leather with an integrated mana-stone circuit.”
“The set—suit, boots, and gloves—costs approximately one billion won.”
“Can I get one right now?”
“Yes. We happen to have one in stock.”
“Would you like to see it?”
“Please.”
Following the staff member, I was shown a sleek black combat suit displayed in one corner of the store.
“The exterior is made of wyvern leather for enhanced defense, while the interior contains an embedded mana circuit. When struck, it deploys a defensive shield to deflect attacks. Each section contains an A-class mana stone that automatically recharges mana over time. It’s designed for continuous use.”
“It’s a popular model among A-class and higher hunters right now. This is the only one left in stock.”
“I’ll take it.”
“Including the armor, along with the mana-stone bombs and daggers, I’ll purchase everything.”
“Thank you, Hunter.”
“This way, please.”
As we moved toward the register, other staff members were quickly sorting the items I had ordered.
“How would you like to pay, Hunter? Card or cash?”
“Cash.”
“Ah, and there’s no need to wrap everything too meticulously. Just sort them neatly, please.”
“Understood.”
“Please wait a moment.”
I opened the mouth of the old dimensional storage bag I was carrying. Bundles of cash came out from inside and landed on the table one after another. As stacks of fifty-thousand-won bills piled up into a mountain of 1.2 billion won in an instant, the noise in the store abruptly ceased. The clerk who had been sneering at my shabby clothes moments earlier now had eyes trembling like they were having a seizure. After sweeping the items into the dimensional storage bag and turning around, the clerk bowed at a perfect ninety degrees and, with a pale face, offered me a business card.
“Please feel free to contact us anytime if you need anything else.”
Though his attitude had suddenly become much friendlier as he handed over the card, I merely nodded lightly and left the store.
After exiting, I headed straight to the vehicle dealership. One Blue Dragon SUV and one Black Tortoise motorcycle. This time, the decision didn’t take long either.
“The SUV will take about a month, and the motorcycle will be ready in two weeks.”
“Understood.”
Payment was cash again. The staff member double-checked the amount and paused for a moment.
“…Confirmed.”
After receiving the contract and leaving the dealership, I let out a quiet sigh inwardly. This time, please let them last a while.
On the way home, my phone vibrated. The screen was filled with an emergency Hunter mobilization disaster alert.
[This is the Hunter Association. Effective immediately, an emergency warning has been issued for all break zones. All hunters are requested to gather at their nearest Hunter Association branch. Your cooperation is appreciated.]
“…What’s this now?”
It was ambiguous whether this was a mandatory summons or a voluntary request for cooperation. Typical Hunter Association wording—deliberately vague about intent. I needed to assess the situation first.
The moment I got home, I turned on the TV. Breaking news tickers scrolled endlessly across the screen.
“This is breaking news.”
“Starting this morning, monster break phenomena have been confirmed in multiple break zones nationwide, excluding the Chuncheon and Cheongpyeong areas.”
The anchor’s voice was calm, but the content being delivered was anything but.
“A total of seven regions have been confirmed so far. Hunter guilds and the Association are coordinating defenses in each area—”
Seven locations. This wasn’t a spontaneous accident. While watching the news, one person’s face naturally came to mind. I picked up my phone and made a call.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Mira. It’s me.”
“Jihoon? What’s going on?”
Through the receiver came the sound of people moving about and urgent voices overlapping.
“Is this about the disaster alert?”
“Yeah. You got it too, right?”
“I did. It goes out to everyone registered as a hunter.”
“So… is this mandatory?”
“No. It’s not mandatory. However, if you go to the Association, there’s a possibility you could be deployed to other regions depending on the situation. Everyone’s pretty frantic right now.”
“I see.”
“And… to be honest.”
Her voice lowered slightly.
“They probably don’t have the bandwidth to worry about C-class hunters individually. You won’t face any major penalties if you don’t go.”
At those words, I found myself momentarily unable to respond.
“What about you and Investigation Team 3?”
“We’re assigned to the Cheongpyeong break zone. The Dark Guild cleaned it out last time, so it’s relatively stable now.”
“Really?… That’s a relief.”
“Jihoon.”
“Yeah?”
“I… would rather you just stayed home right now.”
Those words lingered strangely in my chest.
“Honestly… I don’t feel like heading out right now either.”
“Good… Then that’s settled. I’m a bit busy at the moment. I’ll call you again later.”
“Okay. Take care.”
Once the call ended, my thoughts naturally deepened. Monster breaks. Simultaneous nationwide occurrences. This could clearly be an opportunity for me as well. A chance to test my current strength to the fullest. But at the same time, I was wary of people’s attention. I couldn’t move alone, yet I also couldn’t openly reveal my power.
Just then, the news screen changed again.
“Currently, two locations in the Chungcheong region and two in the Jeolla region are being defended by the White Tiger Guild, in coordination with the Geumgang Alliance, the Haetae Guild, and the Association.”
“Two locations in the Gyeongsang region are being held by the Vermilion Bird Guild and the Gaya Alliance.”
Then the anchor’s expression subtly hardened.
“The problem is the Jeju region. The Tamna Guild and the Navy are currently working together on defense, but the situation is not favorable. Damage has already spread significantly—”
The ticker changed.
[Hunter Association decides to support Jeju region]
[Blue Dragon Guild support confirmed, Black Tortoise Guild dispatches support team]
“Efforts are underway to contain the monster spread centered around Seogwipo and Jeju City, and the Hunter Association has designated the Jeju region as the highest priority support area.”
I stared at the screen for a moment before slowly looking away. I didn’t have to go. That was true. But this was no longer a simple matter of choice.
Leaning back on the sofa, I closed my eyes for a moment. My thoughts naturally sank inward. This wasn’t an event I could avoid—it might be something I would eventually have to face head-on. When I opened my eyes a short while later, my mind was strangely calm. Hesitation remained, but there was no longer any reason to delay. I stood up and picked up my phone again. I dialed the number listed at the bottom of the Hunter Association emergency alert.
After several rings, a calm female voice answered.
“Hunter Association Situation Room.”
“I received the emergency mobilization alert and am calling in.”
“Yes, may I have your name?”
“Hunter Byun Jihoon. I’m a freelance hunter with no guild affiliation.”
Keyboard sounds followed for a moment.
“Yes, confirmed. We are currently accepting volunteer support. Do you have a preferred region?”
“I’d like to volunteer for the Jeju region.”
For a moment, the situation room went quiet.
“…Jeju, you said?”
“Yes.”
“Jeju is currently a very high-risk area. Even as a volunteer hunter, you could be deployed immediately depending on the situation on the ground.”
“I understand.”
After a brief silence, the tone of her voice shifted slightly.
“I’ll check the rank criteria again. Hunter Byun Jihoon, registered as C-class… I would suggest reconsidering your support region—”
“Are C-class hunters not allowed to volunteer?”
“No, that’s not the case… However, due to the current high risk level, we’ve been prioritizing B-class and above.”
“Hunter Byun Jihoon, I must emphasize again that Jeju is not a place a C-class hunter can survive. It would be suicide.”
The operator’s voice carried an unmistakable mix of dismissal and irritation. Though she framed it as an explanation, her attitude made it clear there was nothing more to discuss. I took a deliberate breath, then replied coldly.
“Has a new regulation been issued stating that C-class hunters don’t even have the freedom to volunteer? I’ll take responsibility for the risk. Please register me as a volunteer. Or connect me to a team leader who can make that decision.”
At my icy tone, the operator drew a sharp breath, and no further words followed. Only after a moment did the sound of keyboard typing resume on the other end.
“…I’ll confirm.”
A short while later, her voice returned, noticeably more cautious than before.
“The Jeju region currently has priority deployment for S-class guild support. Volunteer hunters are likely to be assigned to rear support or gap-filling positions.”
“That’s fine.”
“You must strictly follow command and control, and independent action may be restricted.”
“Understood. That’s fine.”
This time, the keyboard sounds lasted a little longer. There were no unnecessary explanations or additional attempts at persuasion.
“Volunteer registration complete. The assembly point is the Seoul Central Hunter Association headquarters. Departure time is 3 PM today. Transportation and equipment are to be prepared individually.”
“Understood.”
After ending the call, I looked down at my phone. I felt calmer than expected. Once the decision was made, my mind felt clearer rather than hesitant. I immediately opened my dimensional storage bag. Inside were the equipment, mana-stone bombs, and daggers I had prepared. The preparations had already been finished.
The timing felt oddly coincidental, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on it. After a moment’s thought, I summoned the spirits.
“Arin. Elly.”
Space rippled slightly, and the two spirits appeared side by side.
“What’s going on, Jihoon?”
“Jihoon? Why’d you call us so suddenly?”
“The situation’s a bit urgent right now.”
I briefly summarized the circumstances.
“Monster breaks have erupted nationwide. The inland regions seem to be holding on somehow, but the problem is Jeju. That’s why I’m planning to head there. Can you two help me out?”
Arin stared at me with an incredulous expression.
“Jihoon! Why are you even asking something so obvious? Were you planning to go alone and leave us behind?”
Elly nodded as well.
“Of course we’ll help. What kind of question is that?”
“No… I’ve just been running around so much lately. I figured you two might need time to settle in after reaching higher ranks.”
“Hey, Byun Jihoon.”
Arin crossed her arms and snorted.
“Stop talking nonsense and just lead the way. It’s Jeju Island, right? Hohoho, I’ve only ever seen it on TV. I’ve always wanted to go. Perfect timing.”
Elly’s eyes sparkled as well.
“You said it’s an island? It should be rich in water energy. Sounds like a good environment for me.”
I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
“Thanks, you two. As expected, I’m counting on you.”
“Hohoho, you’re realizing that now?”
“Exactly, exactly.”
“Then I’ll call you again once we arrive in Jeju. Until then, recover your energy and get ready.”
“Got it! Elly, let’s go!”
“Yeah, Arin.”
After the spirits returned, I was finally able to take a slow, deep breath. Talking with Arin and Elly had left a strange lightness in my chest. I wasn’t alone. Just knowing the spirits were with me gave me an indescribable sense of strength.
I took out the newly purchased wyvern-leather combat suit and put it on. The deep black sheen was overlaid with intricate mana circuits that glowed faintly, and the fit was noticeably different—befitting its one-billion-won price tag. After packing the mana-stone bombs, daggers, and emergency rations into the dimensional storage bag just in case, I left the house and headed for the Hunter Association.
From now on, Jeju would no longer be just a story on the news. It was now a battlefield I would be stepping into myself.