A Shift in Perspective
It was a remarkably simple shift in perspective.
Instead of targeting the monster,
why not just detonate the arrow?
It didn't even need to be a special, high-performance item exclusive to the Tower.
The arrow's role wasn't to deal damage;
it was merely a marker.
"What do you think?"
"..."
I handed the bow to Baek Harim.
My suggestion must have sounded quite convincing, because the look on his face wasn't bad at all.
No, in fact, he looked strangely relieved.
It was as if he had finally found the clue to a homework assignment he had been struggling with for years.
"I'll give it a try."
Baek Harim looked at me, his eyes filled with determination.
"I'll back you up, so don't worry and give it everything you've got."
"...Thank you."
He gave a polite bow, slung his quiver over his shoulder, and gripped the bow.
"Whew..."
Perhaps because it had been so long since he last held a bow, a flicker of emotion—whether nervousness or anticipation—passed over his face.
"Well then..."
Slide. Baek Harim aimed his arrow at a skeleton in the distance.
Creak! The bowstring was pulled taut.
He was the definition of composure. The national athlete Baek Harim might have become a plain middle-aged man in his forties, but...
Thwip! His arrow flew without fear, tearing through the air.
Boom! The arrowhead exploded the instant it hit. The skeleton's head was cleanly blown away.
...!
It was shattered to pieces. No, nothing was left of it at all.
Thud! The headless skeleton collapsed to the ground.
That was it. Baek Harim's arrow had accurately struck the skeleton's head, and his explosion magic had detonated precisely on that target.
Creak! Without giving me a moment to marvel, Baek Harim drew his bowstring again.
"Whew..."
A deep breath. Once again, an arrow shot forward. Sharp and swift!
Thwip! Another direct hit.
Boom! And then, the explosion!
Thud!
Baek Harim didn't stop.
Thwip!Boom!Thud!
Thwip!Boom!Thud!
Thwip!Boom!Thud!
Skulls vanished without a trace, while a pile of headless skeleton bodies began to stack up.
"They're blocking my line of sight."
Thwip! Baek Harim fired an arrow toward the pile of bones.
Boom! Boom! Boom! With a deafening roar, the bones disintegrated into dust and blew away.
Clap, clap, clap! I couldn't help but burst into applause.
Incredible. This was absolutely incredible.
I had only suggested it on a whim, but to think it was the perfect answer!
An A+ grade solution!
"Haha..."
Baek Harim scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Seeing him smile, it seemed his tension had finally melted away.
"Your skills are as sharp as ever!"
His skill was comparable to his prime ten years ago.
No, maybe it was even better now.
After all, targets in competitions didn't move, but monsters never stood still.
Thwip!Boom!Thwip!Boom! Boom!
Baek Harim fired arrow after arrow without pause, and not a single one missed. Every single shot hit its mark.
Only when his quiver was completely empty did Baek Harim finally catch his breath.
If he hadn't run out of arrows, he looked ready to sweep the entire 30th floor by himself.
"I'll take care of the rest."
"Huff..."
"Just take a break."
Leaving Baek Harim behind, I drew my sword. Slash! In the blink of an eye, I swept through the remaining skeleton army. Slice!
"...You are truly amazing," Baek Harim murmured in awe.
"Oh, come on. I'm just swinging a sword." I laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of my head.
He stared at me for a moment, then suddenly bowed at a ninety-degree angle.
"Thank you."
"Whoa, please don't do this."
"If it weren't for you, Hunter-nim..."
"Ah, stand up, please!" I quickly grabbed his arms and pulled him up.
When he raised his head,
"..."
his eyes were glistening with tears. Wait, really? Was it that big of a deal?
"To be honest... I was thinking of retiring."
"Pardon?"
What was he talking about now?
"I've felt a lot of skepticism while working as a Hunter..."
Ah. His guild had been a black company, and he had mentioned having interpersonal issues.
"So, I was planning to just work moderately at the Association for one year and then quit."
"...Really?"
A Hunter capable of clearing the 30s floors wasn't lacking in talent. Why would he think that? Had it really been that hard on him?
"...Yes."
Perhaps it was even harder for him because he had been an athlete who always had to aim for the top.
"The feeling of losing my target..."
"..."
"...I just couldn't bear it."
"Still..."
"I heard people call me useless so many times."
"..."
"Because I would miss at the crucial moment."
I recalled his stray explosion magic. The sound of detonations echoing uselessly in the empty air.
"When you miss, you lose a lot of things," Baek Harim said, his voice laced with bitterness.
"The target, the arrow..."
"..."
"...Time, and people..."
Wiping his eyes, Baek Harim looked at me with a smile.
"But now, I feel like I can see the target again."
He gripped my hand tightly.
"It's all thanks to you, Hunter-nim."
Honestly, I hadn't done anything grand. Tell him to shoot an arrow? Anyone could have given that advice.
However, I understood. Until now... there had been no one by his side who actually paid attention to him and offered advice. No one had been there to point out what could be realized after watching him for just a single day.
"It's only natural."
"Natural..."
"You're a member of our team now, Hunter Baek." I spoke as calmly as possible. I didn't want to look boastful or smug in front of someone who was genuinely grateful.
"I don't even know how to repay this debt..."
"Repay? There's no debt to speak of."
"Still..."
I squeezed his hand back.
"In that case, can I ask you for a favor?"
"Anything."
"...Can I call you Hyung?"
Baek Harim's eyes widened in complete surprise.
"Hyung...?"
"Yes."
"Really? Just that...?"
"I told you, didn't I? I was a fan."
"I thought you were just saying that to be polite."
"I don't make empty promises."
I grinned, and Baek Harim nodded in a daze. *Yes!*
"Please treat me comfortably like a younger brother too."
"Alright..."
"And speak casually to me!"
"Yes... No, uh, okay."
It might be awkward now, but we'd get used to it over time. Since we were going to be teammates, it was definitely better to be comfortable with each other.
"Now, let's open the chests and head back."
Gold chests materialized in front of Baek Harim and me.
"...It's my first time getting a gold one," Baek Harim said, his voice sounding slightly emotional.
I replied casually.
"You'll be seeing them a lot from now on."
"Wow..."
"Gold is the baseline for our team."
Click. "What did you get?"
"Oh, this..."
◈ Effect: Binds a single enemy for up to 5 seconds.
Oh, not bad. It would be useful for dealing with tricky opponents.
Click. I opened my gold chest as well.
◈ Effect: Replicates and reuses a stored attack.
Something quite useful had appeared. An item that could replicate an attack and allow it to be used again. Its efficiency would vary greatly depending on how it was utilized.
"Shall we head out now?"
After returning, I had a casual drink with Baek Harim. We had stir-fried garlic chicken gizzards with soju.
"Amazing, isn't it?"
"...The cooking is truly incredible."
Of course, the food was prepared by Do Sangjin.
Perhaps thanks to the delicious food and alcohol, the usually taciturn Baek Harim slowly began to open up.
He talked about what his life as a Hunter had been like after his athletic career ended.
And then...
"Hyung, what exactly happened at the GR Guild?"
"Sigh..." Baek Harim let out a deep sigh at my question.
"I joined the GR Guild through a friend's recommendation."
"A friend?"
"I don't know if you'd know him. He was a fellow athlete."
"Who?"
"Han Myeongjin."
Han Myeongjin? That name sounded familiar... Wait!
—He, he told me to give this to you...!
GR Guild — Team Leader Han Myeongjin
The name on the business card that Kim Jesik had handed over was indeed Han Myeongjin.
"...Do you know him?"
"Yes. Actually, I received something like an unofficial scouting offer not too long ago..."
"An unofficial scouting offer?"
"Well, it wasn't anything grand, just receiving a business card."
Baek Harim's expression darkened instantly.
"That bastard Myeongjin..."
What on earth had happened to make a former archer, whose most critical skill was maintaining composure, wear such a face?
"You're not planning on joining GR, are you?" Baek Harim asked anxiously.
"Not at all. I have no intention of leaving the Association for the time being."
"That's a relief, but..." Baek Harim refilled his soju glass.
"...Your mind might change once you hear the amount GR offers."
Even before the appearance of the Babel Tower, the GR Group was one of South Korea's top conglomerates. After the Tower appeared, they quickly jumped into the Tower by-products business and rapidly rose to become the number one business group. Thanks to sweeping up Hunters with their massive wealth, the GR Guild had secured the second spot in the country.
Recently, however, their rank had plummeted to ninth as the Hunters they had swept up in the beginning left in droves after their contracts expired. With various corruption scandals and contract fraud issues coming to light, public opinion of them was deteriorating.
It seemed they were searching for new Hunters to overcome this situation, and I had caught their radar.
"Money doesn't matter to me."
I wasn't bluffing; I meant it. I could make as much money as I wanted now. It was just that I had become far more interested in conquering the Babel Tower itself than in wealth.
"...If so, that's good," Baek Harim said, letting out a hollow laugh before downing his drink.
"If only I had known how to look at the bigger picture like you..." Regret dripped from his voice.
"Back then, I thought my future would be completely uncertain if my career as an athlete ended like that."
"..."
"So, listening to Myeongjin, who had already joined the GR Guild, I also..."
So that was how it went. The chaos and anxiety when the Babel Tower first appeared were beyond imagination. Baek Harim's decision to become a Hunter was an understandable choice.
"Don't worry, Hyung," I said, refilling his empty glass.
"There's no way I'll ever jump ship to GR."
"Haha..."
"Unless, of course, I end up buying GR."
At my words, Baek Harim's eyes widened once more. *Heh.* Was that statement a bit too cool?
"Hmph..." I smirked, rubbing the bottom of my nose.
"So, should I get some revenge for you, Hyung?"
At that, Baek Harim burst into hearty laughter. "Hahaha!"
"Taepyeong, I think you're the most entertaining person I've ever met."
Wait, what?! I wasn't joking. Did it really sound that absurd?
"Hyung, I'm serious...!"
"Man, you're really drunk."
"No, really!"
"Let's stop drinking for tonight." Baek Harim stood up with a chuckle.
Hey, this was hurting my pride!
"I'm telling you, I can really do it!"
Why didn't he believe me?