Meonji No. 2

When I scooped the shriveled Meonji back into my arms, a voice rang through my head.

"Huh? Did Meonji and I just get closer?"

A status window appeared before my eyes of its own accord.

"Huh?"

The Contract skill that had vanished after I first contracted with Meonji had reappeared.

"Why? Weren't summoners only supposed to be able to contract one summon…?"

Yet the status window in front of me seemed to be saying I could now contract two.

"Is it because I'm S-class…?"

Another guidance voice flowed through my mind, followed by—

I found myself standing in front of the Tower once more.

"Ugh…."

My head throbbed. The fight itself hadn't been hard at all, but just going in and coming out had drained a surprising amount of mental energy.

"I'm so tired…."

Like a limp, deflated Meonji, strength drained from my entire body.

"Gotta convert these into cash and grab a taxi."

Three low-grade Magic Stones in my hand. Enough to take a taxi, buy a few outfits, and still have some left over. I'd come by bus and subway, but I was going home by taxi. This was the life of a successful rich person. Mm-hmm.

Right in front of the Tower stood the Hunter Association—the Seoul Tower Branch of the Hunter Association, the largest in the country. And matching its size, the place was packed with Hunters.

I walked in without much thought. Everyone was busy with their own business. Then someone muttered quietly,

"…Isn't that Han Doa?"

The words spread through the crowd in an instant. Eyes locked onto me. In the blink of an eye, the entire first floor of the Association fell silent.

I said nothing and headed straight for the information desk. More accurately, I couldn't say anything.

After all…

??@!#?#$&%$!

This was the most attention I had ever received in my life, and my brain had turned into complete mush. On top of that, the fatigue from just exiting the Tower was still hanging over me. All I wanted was to get out of here as fast as possible.

"She's gorgeous…."

"But how is a Summoner an S-class?"

"Is she climbing the Tower starting today? How many floors do you think she'll clear this time…?"

"Which guild will she join? Cheongung? Baekya? Or maybe she'll go overseas?"

Whispers began to ripple around me. I barely managed to reach the information desk. The receptionist greeted me with a trembling smile.

"Hello. How may I help you…?"

I moved my lips, and it felt like every single person there was focusing every nerve on the shape of my mouth and the voice that came out of it.

Hwaaah… I'm so nervous I can't even speak…!

Until now, my entire social life had consisted of Shorts, Reels, and online communities from the corner of my room. The Mapo branch had few staff, so the conversation scripts I'd practiced in the mirror had been enough to get by… but there were way too many people here. My already stiff brain froze solid.

"Money."

I'd like to exchange Magic Stones for cash.

What actually came out of my mouth was a single word. Even the soft whispering stopped. The receptionist looked like her brain had short-circuited and failed to react at all. Only when I pulled out the Magic Stones and set them on the counter did she finally relax and smile brightly.

"I'll take care of that for you right over here!"

The atmosphere loosened again. As I followed the staff member toward the VIP room, I could hear the freed-up chatter from behind me.

"Haha… I thought for a second she was here to clean out the entire Association's vault."

"Come on, why would an S-class Hunter bother with robbery?"

What exactly do these people think of me? My mood soured a little, but I decided not to care.

In the VIP room I exchanged the three low-grade Magic Stones for cash. Alone with just one staff member, my brain softened back up and I could talk normally again. The amount I received was overwhelmingly higher than market rate—roughly ten times. The preferential treatment they'd mentioned at the Mapo branch was already in effect.

With this much money, I could start ordering delivery food from now on! Delivery food! Clothes! Taxis! I was getting closer to being rich.

I was about to leave in high spirits when the staff member spoke to me.

"Um… Hunter Han Doa? Do you happen to have a moment right now?"

She asked carefully. I was tired…. But they'd given me so much money, so I might as well hear her out.

"What is it?"

"The Guild Leader of the Cheongung Guild is currently at the Association, and he said he would like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to meet Hunter Han Doa…."

Hmm. Cheongung Guild. One of Korea's four major guilds. The Guild Leader was an A-class Hunter, but the guild had two S-class Hunters. Still, sending a staff member instead of coming himself didn't leave a great impression.

Just then, a Shorts video I'd watched with deep impression yesterday floated into my mind.

Dark Psychology.

The terrifying psychology of refusing to be ignored and dominating other people's minds. Maybe the Guild Leader was already using it on me.

I can't just sit here and take it.

And I was one of only eight S-class Hunters in Korea. My body wasn't the kind that moved that easily. Mm-hmm.

Recalling the contents of the Shorts, I looked at the staff member. I crossed my arms and tilted my chin up slightly, looking down at her as I slowly opened my mouth.

"Do I have to go to him?"

Despair flooded the staff member's eyes. She asked me to wait just a moment, then hurriedly made a call somewhere. An old man's cheerful laughter drifted from the other end of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the receiver. And the staff member seemed to age in real time.

"If you wait just a little longer, the Guild Leader will come here. I'll take my leave now."

With that, she left the room. Ten minutes later, a light knock sounded at the VIP room door. The door opened smoothly, and there stood an old man about my height. He walked into the room naturally. A massive man followed right behind him.

"What a bold little friend! So, you're the eighth S-class Hunter?"

The old man sat down comfortably and spoke to me right away. I almost answered without thinking. After all, the giant man beside him was glaring at me terrifyingly. But thanks to the Shorts that had helped me grow one step further yesterday, I pulled myself together.

When someone tries to intimidate you…!

I, Han Doa, lived however I wanted. I was a ma— a woman! I wasn't about to bow to this kind of pressure.

Korea's eighth—and the world's one hundredth—S-class Hunter, appearing after a long absence. Han Doa.

She was certainly as beautiful and refined as the underlings had been making a fuss about. I greeted her warmly, but she suddenly shot to her feet and crossed her arms. Then she tilted her head slightly to one side and opened her mouth slowly. The voice that came out was as cold as her impression.

"Are you finished?"

But—

This one's the same as the rest.

As the head of Cheongung Guild, which already had two S-class Hunters, A-class Hunter Choi Chunsam was used to this sight. S-class Hunters were all missing a few screws somewhere.

Choi Chunsam turned his head and looked to the side.

"Haa…."

Seeing Cheongung's S-class Hunter Lee Du, who seemed to be trembling at a fine rate of about two hundred times per second under Han Doa's presence, a sigh came out automatically. The guy had a body the size of a mountain, yet his actions and mindset ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were no different from a young girl's. And then he thought of his other S-class, his own granddaughter. The kid spent all ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠day on some gallery or other and never came out of her room.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to be finished with… but if it was a greeting, then yes, I'm done."

So he just answered roughly. Apparently that was an unexpected reaction, because Han Doa stood there blankly for a moment. Then she sat back down. Sensing she might start saying or doing something strange again, Choi Chunsam opened his mouth first.

"You must be tired after coming out of the Tower. Sorry for taking your time. I simply wanted to have a chat."

I'm Choi Chunsam, A-class Hunter and Guild Leader of the Cheongung Guild.

This is an unexpected development…?

After I used Dark Psychology, the giant body beside him started trembling all over. It looked like he was so full of rage he might throw a punch at me any second…! And I couldn't remember the next chapter of Dark Psychology. So I just stood there awkwardly before sitting back down.

"I'm Choi Chunsam, A-class Hunter and Guild Leader of the Cheongung Guild."

The old man finished his introduction and held out his hand for a handshake.

"S-class Summoner… Han Doa…."

Embarrassment washed over me. It felt like I had just put on a little performance for Grandpa. Meonji clung tightly to my body and crawled slowly across me.

So you were embarrassed too….

After deleting Dark Psychology from my mind, I exchanged a few more words with Grandpa Chunsam. He tried to recruit me to the guild… but I still had no interest. I just didn't feel the need right now. Grandpa Chunsam said he'd expected as much, laughed heartily, and left.

The guy next to him never said a single word the whole time.

When I left the VIP room, reporters were swarming around Grandpa Chunsam. The ones who spotted me hesitated about whether to approach, but I had already slipped outside the building in that gap. It was a dim evening. The cool night air tickled my cheeks. And I shouted with pure delight,

"Taxi!"

The experience of riding a taxi home felt like an entirely new world. Until now I had only ever moved by public transport or on foot. I couldn't ride a bike because I couldn't keep my balance, and of course I had no license. So a taxi that was both comfortable and fast was the best!

The driver even kindly made conversation on various topics for someone as socially lacking as me. Rolling around on my bed, I poked and prodded Meonji, making it wriggle. Meonji crawled and squirmed all over my body. Looking at the cute little fluffball, a sudden thought struck me.

Status Window.

Come to think of it, the Contract skill had come back.

Curiosity overpowered my fatigue.

Contract!

I used the skill once more. When I opened my eyes, I was in the same space as before. Soft grass growing on the fluffy ground tickled my ankles. Something soft brushed against my cheek. When I turned my head, I saw something new—an elegant-looking chair that seemed to be made of luxurious fur. The thing that had brushed my cheek fluttered over to the chair, as if inviting me to come sit.

Meonji was still stuck to my stomach, so this one was different from Meonji. I sat in the chair. The moment I did, emotions overflowed into my mind. Joy, excitement, satisfaction, rapture, relief, fulfillment. Every single one of those feelings washed over me. I felt good.

And there was Meonji No. 2, spinning happily around me.

"Want to come with me too?"

Meonji No. 2 pressed against my cheek as if hugging me in delight. And then I was lying on my familiar bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Huh? Nothing changed…?"

Then Meonji No. 1 became fluffy and full again, and the two of them became one.

Huh…?

"Eh? What, did No. 1 and No. 2 just merge?"

At that, they split apart again. They freely split and merged over and over, rising and falling through the air as if having the time of their lives. The summon's name was still just the single word "Meonji."

So nothing actually changed?

The moment I thought that, the skill description automatically floated into view.