Do We Need to Be Careful About Reality?
At those words, both Ji Yu-chan and Hana Rin turned their full attention to Han Mu-yeol. While I felt a quiet warmth inside to see them listening so earnestly—something I rarely encountered from the older generation who would dismiss such words as mere advice—Han Mu-yeol continued to stare at us with the same unchanging, expressionless face.
“We have to be careful in reality.”
Han Mu-yeol himself had seen plenty over the years.
I’ve watched people who left for foreign countries only to be used like tools and then thrown away.
Most notably, not long ago, no one had even attempted kidnappings in other nations.
A few strong members of the association managed to stop it, but there were still far too many kidnapping attempts reported.
And our party still lacked the power to protect ourselves.
“It’s even more so here in reality. In the Black Gates, we only have to face opponents of the same rank, so the gap isn’t as huge. But if they tried to kidnap you in the real world, could you even fight back?”
“……”
“……”
“……”
None of us, including Do-hyun, answered.
If a spy at the level of Han Mu-yeol or Hwang Ha-na approached us right now and tried to kidnap us, could we even stop it? Or at least resist while calling for backup?
It would be hopeless.
Seeing us all listen intently, Han Mu-yeol looked each of us in the eyes one by one—starting with Do-hyun and the other two—and spoke.
“Grow stronger. Gain the power to protect yourselves. Until then, don’t let your excitement show. We don’t know who might be watching.”
All three of us nodded at the same time.
Han Mu-yeol gave a satisfied nod upon seeing how well we young ones understood.
And finally, he addressed us one last time.
“And don’t blindly trust the association either.”
“Yes, of course. President, I won’t blindly trust it either.”
“Hahaha!!!”
Even as I said that, Han Mu-yeol smiled happily while watching my eyes burn with respect.
What an arrogant guy.
Han Mu-yeol stood up after laughing, used his transformation magic to hide his presence, glanced at Hana Rin and Do-hyun who were maintaining their disguises, and then at Ji Yu-chan held together by their magic. He turned and said he was doing well.
Before leaving, Han Mu-yeol added, “Just like this.”
As he left, he checked the records he had compiled about us on the way here.
It was unbelievable.
When we handed back the points on the stone slab, Ji Yu-chan and Hana Rin had only paid ten percent, yet it came to over ten thousand points. Do-hyun had not only paid ten percent this time but also exchanged some points, resulting in nearly one hundred thousand.
I couldn’t understand how in the E-rank zone we could earn that much, but I figured Hana Rin would explain it all when she read her neatly organized report. I looked up.
Only the dull ceiling of the association was visible, but while remembering, I recalled the chaos of fifteen years ago and gave a small, bitter smile.
‘They really are monsters.’
Curious, I read on. It turned out they had cleared dungeons, wiped out elf and dwarf parties, and sold the dwarves’ weapons to association staff. I had no choice but to laugh bitterly.
Retirement must have been postponed, but with events this entertaining, a little delay was probably fine.
With that thought, Han Mu-yeol returned to the president’s office.
Meanwhile, as Han Mu-yeol left, Do-hyun’s party members also began to rise one by one.
Just as they were preparing to head home, a voice called out, “Wait.”
It was Do-hyun.
“Huh? What are you all doing tomorrow?”
“Pardon?”
“Eh?”
Instead of their usual clean separation after a mission, the two blinked in surprise at Do-hyun’s question.
Do-hyun grinned at them. “How about going shopping tomorrow?”
Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan tilted their heads at his playful expression.
“Shopping?”
“What kind of shopping?”
***
Hunters usually bought items with the stone slab.
But items dropped from dungeons or slain monsters were far more valuable than those sold on the slab.
So, unless it was an emergency, most purchases were made through personal trades.
Naturally, trades were also active in the Black Gates, but they were even more lively here in reality.
To the point where high-end stores even like the Hunter Department Store existed. It showed just how deeply the Black Gates and hunters had intertwined with daily life.
A man was waiting ahead, presumably heading to the Hunter Department Store.
He looked completely ordinary—ordinary enough that his face would be forgotten in passing. Anyone sensitive to mana would realize this was Do-hyun, who had altered his appearance with magic.
‘I came out too early?’
There was nothing to do, so I left early, but I arrived thirty minutes before the scheduled time.
I should head to the nearby café to wait. I headed toward the café inside the Hunter Department Store and ordered a drink, then found a seat.
I spotted many couples sitting separately among the crowd.
『Hana Rin』『Ji Yu-chan』
“……?”
Why are those two sitting separately?
I watched them with that thought in mind.
Especially Ji Yu-chan, wearing the recognition-suppression item borrowed from the association, had a hazy appearance, and Hana Rin, of course, used her transformation magic.
‘Did they not recognize each other and sit separately?’
I was thinking that when a sudden question came to mind: why did they arrive so much earlier? I tilted my head.
Then I sent a message to the two who were sitting dumbly apart.
[lol lol lol] Watch behind you.
The phone alarm rang with a chime. Both of them turned around at the same time. Do-hyun briefly removed his disguise so they could recognize him, then used the transformation magic again to make his appearance hazy.
At the same moment, Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan turned and locked eyes. They stared at each other with utterly bewildered expressions, as if filming a sitcom.
Watching them, I grinned and headed toward the table where Hana Rin was. Ji Yu-chan also walked over to her table.
Then I asked with my signature silly grin. “Hey, why did both of you come so early and not send a message?”
“……U-um, we were just waiting.”
“……Me too.”
Hana Rin’s ears turned slightly red, while Ji Yu-chan looked away embarrassed.
I watched them with a strange gaze and said, “You two never went shopping with friends before, right?”
“……”
“……”
Both remained silent, clearly hit right in the heart.
Honestly, both Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan had heavenly looks that could rival any celebrity, but growing up popular made it hard for them to get close to anyone.
So they had no close friends.
They had never even gone shopping together like this.
I looked at them and shook my head while sighing. “Sigh… friends who are only popular for their looks.”
“Ahem.”
“It’s nice to be popular, huh?”
Ji Yu-chan cleared his throat awkwardly, while Hana Rin pouted and replied instead.
I wanted to tease them more, but since it would make them truly sulk, I changed the subject just as my vibration alarm rang.
“Oh, I’ll be back in a moment.”
“……”
“……”
As I left, Ji Yu-chan and Hana Rin waited in silence. Suddenly, they both had the same thought.
‘……What if Do-hyun isn’t here? We can’t do anything?’
‘Wait, if it’s not Do-hyun oppa, can the party even form?’
Both realized how vital Do-hyun’s role was at that moment.
If they couldn’t keep up with him and got eliminated, they would form another party. The image of Ji Yu-chan and Hana Rin joining another party made them break out in goosebumps.
Ji Yu-chan wasn’t incapable of speaking, but he couldn’t match Do-hyun’s skill. Hana Rin knew that anything she said would be bad luck, so she deliberately stayed quiet.
The moment they both realized how precious Do-hyun was, they watched his back with almost desperate eyes.
Seeing their uneasy gazes, I said, “Ah, okay. I’ll stop teasing now.”
“……Ahem.”
“……Hmph.”
It wasn’t exactly that, but it was still nice to stop teasing them.
I didn’t bother to correct the misunderstanding.
Anyway, as our party gathered in the first-floor café of the Hunter Department Store, no one had anything special to say. Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan stayed quiet, but I asked, “So what items are you two buying?”
I had called them because we were all here to buy items, so I asked.
Hana Rin spoke first. “I want to buy a magic staff.”
“You already have one, don’t you?”
“But there aren’t any good ones from the dwarves, so I’m looking around to see if there’s something better.”
“I see.”
My nod made Hana Rin’s answer register with Ji Yu-chan. He hesitated briefly before speaking. “I don’t need anything to buy, but I’d like to get a book that looks useful.”
“Oh? But we already have the spellbook. Shouldn’t we practice that first?”
Ji Yu-chan could learn it since it wasn’t magic, but he shook his head. “Spellbooks are good too, but we need manuals for sword training now, so manuals come first. I’ll probably keep using the dwarf-made swords for a while.”
“Hmm. I see.”
After hearing Ji Yu-chan’s answer, I nodded.
Both of them had items they wanted to buy, so I grinned.
I really brought the right people.
There was no one better at item selection than me with Analysis. So I called them to prevent any weird purchases while they were alone. Thankfully, I was right.
It was a great deal to pick items for them and buy something decent for myself.
I nodded while thinking that, but Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan asked me curiously instead. “What about you, oppa?”
“What are you buying?”
I smiled and nodded at their question.
I had a very clear reason for buying with the two of them.
“I’m here to do business.”
“……?”
“……No way?”
The two of them were shocked upon hearing my words and recalling the dwarf weapons, but they later realized I had sold all the dwarf items.
There was nothing left to sell, though.
Looking at me puzzled, I said to them, “Just watch.”
Watching me smile confidently, they felt a strange unease, though they didn’t know what it was.
At the same time.
‘He’s probably earning money again.’
‘He’s definitely making a lot.’
Both of us had the same thought.