Selling Dwarf-Made Weapons
Hunters registered with the Hunter Association rarely received support from guilds. Many viewed the Association as the sole place for freelancers.
It was simply because competent individuals were abundant. Freelance hunters, after all, could be considered Association members.
Guilds imposed heavy rules and regulations, which suited few. Solo operation brought excessive disadvantages. The Hunter Association was the only organization offering minimal rules and basic respect, which is why freelancers gravitated toward it.
All of this was thanks to Han Mu-yeol, the president of the Korean Hunter Association.
By enacting laws to maximize hunter welfare and increasing Association benefits, he had drastically lowered emigration rates among Korean hunters while reducing incidents of villains in reality.
Han Mu-yeol, the very head of the Association, had achieved remarkable feats, yet among the Association's hunters, some were undeniably of low caliber.
E-grade zones were no exception.
Not villains, but individuals who resented the successful, fueled by jealousy and dissatisfaction.
While not all lacking talent were like this, those blocked by a talent wall were numerous.
Even now, the situation persisted.
“What is the new party name?”
“Doryeon? Dohyun? Something like that?”
“Hah, unbelievable. It says Park In-su recommended them so highly?”
“I heard they are relatives of a high-ranking Association official?”
“Hah! So he really is that influential.”
“Naturally. He must be exaggerating about catching elves too.”
The group in the dormitory common room gossiped casually.
The E-grade Association party, the Gu-yong party.
Led by Gu-yong, these were infamous for lacking talent, forever stuck in E-grade zones.
Many hunters frowned when they saw them relaxing in the common room.
Yet no one dared voice disapproval, so Gu-yong clicked his tongue and kept repeating tales of the Dohyun party.
“But what makes them so great?”
“I heard they cleared a dungeon on day one and caught an elf. Is it true?”
“Does that even make sense?”
“Exactly.”
Several other parties shook their heads in response.
Since two parties had gone out to support, some witnesses existed, but the scene was still pathetic. Gu-yong knew this.
But.
“What can I do about it?”
Gu-yong had tried his best. He had done everything possible.
Yet for three years, he and his party had remained stuck in E-grade zones.
The only thing they could do was come here after hunting to mock rising parties.
At first, it had felt refreshing. Now, it only bred frustration.
And his nerves had grown increasingly sensitive.
At that moment, unfamiliar faces entered the dormitory building.
Gu-yong recognized them as members of the Dohyun party.
“Those are them?”
“Yeah, right.”
“They don’t look like anything special.”
“You’re telling me.”
“They’re lying from the start!”
Still gossiping, Gu-yong frowned and sharpened his gaze on the Dohyun party.
When Dohyun turned his head and their eyes met, Dohyun began walking toward him with defiance in mind.
Since it was precisely Gu-yong he was approaching, Gu-yong was stunned.
His fear multiplied, and countless thoughts raced through his mind.
Is he really coming here because I glared at him?
Other hunters simply avoided Gu-yong because he was dirty, but was Dohyun different?
What was he trying to do?
Gu-yong and his party froze like fools who had eaten honey.
Gu-yong swallowed hard as Dohyun approached.
Dohyun scanned them all with eyes that seemed to pierce through everything, creating the illusion of being cut apart.
Gu-yong’s party froze solid.
At that instant, a vague fear arose that nothing here would ever change their lives.
With defiance, Gu-yong blurted out.
“W-what are you looking at!”
It looked like a beaten puppy yelping in fear, and Gu-yong thought the same.
Just as he was wondering why he was so pathetic.
Dohyun smiled brightly while looking at Gu-yong and said.
“Oh my! It looks like all your weapons are worn out. Do you need any dwarf-made weapons?”
“……Yes?”
Gu-yong answered in a daze, eyes blinking.
Dohyun replied with the same bright smile.
“Haha, fresh-off-the-press dwarf-made weapons! Starting at just 1,000 points!”
It was no different from a street vendor or pyramid scheme pitch.
Yet Gu-yong, hearing it, shot up from his seat in shock.
And not just him. Everyone in Gu-yong’s party jumped up in astonishment.
“O-one thousand points?”
“R-really dwarf-made weapons?”
“Ah, no, where could we even find dwarf-made weapons…?”
“T-this is insane, real?!”
“D-dwarf-made?”
Everyone reacted with wide eyes.
Dohyun smiled and nodded without losing his bright expression.
Then, clapping his hands, Dohyun was followed by Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan, faces flushed red, carrying weapons.
Various weapons filled their hands: longswords, short swords, daggers, shields, spears, even whips and maces.
Gu-yong’s party stared with gaping mouths.
Although it was a fleeting glance, the craftsmanship was exceptional, and every item looked professionally forged steel.
Talentless though they were, the veterans had over five years of experience. They could recognize dwarf-made weapons.
Gu-yong’s party swallowed hard, and Dohyun began speaking with cunning words.
“As you all know, dwarf-made weapons cannot be purchased with points. Dwarf artisans sell their tools to us inferior races at just 1,000 points each!”
“H-how much for the longsword…”
“Ah, customer. The longsword is 5,000 points.”
A bit over market price, but that was exactly how the dwarves operated toward humans.
Ordinary dwarf-made iron longswords cost around 4,000 points, so adding 1,000 was reasonable.
Dohyun waved the longsword before Gu-yong’s eyes.
Gu-yong’s gaze followed it erratically.
Dohyun continued with a sad expression.
“Oh, customer. Your weapons look worn. You are working hard, but no one around recognizes it?”
“Y-yes. That’s right.”
“You keep working hard without anyone noticing, and slowly you grow tired.”
“Yes… you’re right.”
Gu-yong’s expression turned sad, almost convinced.
Gu-yong’s party, unable to see through it, listened intently.
“Does switching weapons help? If you lack talent, what’s the point of even considering tools?”
“Y-yeah.”
“But that’s not true!”
“!!!”
Dohyun raised his tone, capturing everyone’s attention.
Gu-yong’s entire party focused on him.
Dohyun continued.
“Artisans do not blame tools, but that is the artisans’ perspective. We are not artisans, yet we need to borrow the power of tools, right?”
“Ah!”
“So, if we switch tools first and work hard, won’t another path open?”
“Ahh! Give me the longsword!”
“Yes! I want a single bow!”
“Really! I want a spear!”
“I-I will buy too! Just two daggers!”
“I want a shield and a one-handed sword!”
“Yes, customer, here it is.”
Dohyun had sold 30,000 points to Gu-yong’s party alone.
Gu-yong’s party happily bought new weapons and returned to hunting with renewed vigor.
Dohyun waved with a bright smile as they left.
Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan, still flushed, watched Dohyun sell weapons everywhere and had to endure endless mockery.
They simply saw him as a brazen shop host selling goods.
“H-how can he sell like that?”
“I-I don’t know. But he really is selling well…”
“Exactly.”
While saying so, Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan each took one of their own weapons.
As Dohyun sold more items, his popularity at the Korean Hunter Association dormitory building soared to the skies.
To put it mildly, it was almost religious.
“I believe!!”
“Wow, Mr. Dohyun!!”
“G-give it to me too!!”
“I-I want to buy!!”
“Dwarf-made weapons!!”
“Long live Mr. Dohyun!!”
His eloquent sales pitch and the power of dwarf-made weapons were unmatched.
Normally, such commotion would attract intervention, but instead, people begged him to sell faster.
Dohyun was almost worshipped.
His party earned 210,000 points that day and planned to divide it fairly, 70,000 each, but Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan refused.
“A-actually, oppa sold everything. Why divide…?”
“W-we feel we don’t deserve it…”
“Hmm, then you must buy something too. How about 50,000 each?”
Dohyun had refused the points, but since they had sold together, he had 110,000 and Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan each received 50,000.
He had forced the division because, with points, they could invest and grow stronger.
And.
‘I need to bribe them in advance so that later, when something drops in the dungeon, I can take it.’
Dohyun laughed softly and gave them half the bribe.
In the end, Dohyun had acquired 200,000 points.
“Let’s go for promotion!”
Now, only promotion remained.