Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Sea Guild's Proposal
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Chapter 62
The next day.
"8 coins..."
Jeong-hyeon stared at the number of coins he'd earned from this hunt, lost in thought.
Excluding the ones from the hidden achievement, it was just 3 coins.
Pompo slimes were weak, so the drop rate was low to begin with, and he'd had to put on an act for Kwak Chae-jun, which meant he couldn't snag too many.
Chae-jun had generously yielded quite a few last hits, which was how he'd gotten those 3.
"Boring, but should I give it a spin anyway?"
He had 21 coins left until the next level.
Spending 8 would leave him with 13.
That was plenty for some small in-app purchases to have fun with.
Reacting to his intent, the list refreshed right away.
It showed traits that weren't too flashy—nothing to write home about, as they say you can't fill up on the first drink.
Coins remaining: just 6.
That's when Jeong-hyeon's mind started turning.
'I'm aiming for C-Rank anyway. Spending 2 coins would leave me with exactly 4, right? Let's spin once more.'
With that thought, he refreshed the list again.
And as if granting his wish, a trait with a bronze border appeared.
"It showed up... sort of."
[「Useful Mana Sensitivity」(C-Rank, Lv.1), 4 Coins]
But it was only a mildly underwhelming mana sensitivity trait.
Jeong-hyeon had secretly hoped for something decent in the throwing skill line, so he couldn't exactly be thrilled.
'Or even something to upgrade my agility traits would've been nice.'
Still, he didn't agonize over it and decided to buy the mana sensitivity trait.
[You have purchased 「Useful Mana Sensitivity」(C-Rank, Lv.1).]
For his current situation, any C-Rank trait was a boost to his combat power whenever he needed it.
The coins lined up perfectly, he had plenty of warehouse slots anyway, and there was no real reason not to buy it.
Plus, mana sensitivity was useful even without casting spells.
Most people used it to cast attribute-less magic, but at its core, it was about sensing mana.
For Jeong-hyeon, who already excelled at detecting presences with his sharp senses, it was like gaining another set of eyes.
And if he got some leeway later, it could serve as a foundation to pivot toward magic traits anytime.
'Throwing skills are great, but they definitely have their limits.'
Lately, while out hunting, Jeong-hyeon had realized something key: throwing weapons shone in certain situations but fell flat in others.
They were undeniably effective against foes where each individual had real combat power and a human-like body structure.
But what if the enemy overwhelmed with numbers or had no clear weak points?
With daggers already limited in quantity, their weaknesses became all too apparent.
Throwing skills were ultimately for catching enemies off guard in surprise situations—not something to build your entire arsenal around.
Right now, they were his main trait alongside Stealth, but if he could swap them out, he should.
Of course, the ideal was pairing them with versatile traits.
"Sigh... The problem is not knowing when a B-Rank slot expansion ticket will pop up."
The catch was that getting an Equippable Slot Expansion Ticket now required a full B-Rank pull.
Once his ranks were properly filled out, Jeong-hyeon was prepared to drop the throwing skill synergy and switch to magic traits entirely.
Each coin investment brought visible combat gains, but the irony was the lingering regrets that came with them.
Ding-dong—
Just then, a sound shattered his reverie, echoing through his one-room apartment.
The doorbell rarely rang unless it was food delivery or a package.
"Huh? Who could that be?"
No one was expected, which made the visit all the more suspicious.
The intercom screen showed a man in a sharp suit.
'Something about this feels off.'
He'd gone into hiding lately, but not long ago, he'd been hounded by suits just like this.
The vibe was too similar.
"Who is it?"
Still, it might be something else, so Jeong-hyeon hit the talk button.
But...
- Ah, are you Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon? We're here with a proposal—
"I'm not joining any religion."
Click.
He'd been a fool to even listen that far.
Typical cult.
'How the hell did they even find my address? Scary world out there.'
Grumbling, Jeong-hyeon headed back to his bed.
Usually, they just bumped into him around the neighborhood without showing up at his door, but this time, they'd rung the bell right outside.
He debated contacting Ye-rin again when things got noisy outside.
Sounds like the guy who'd rung the bell had companions.
A woman's voice came through, scolding the man.
'Sounds like a woman... Team leader? Cults these days are pretty organized, huh.'
Jeong-hyeon knew better than to get involved, so he tuned it out.
Ding-dong—
But the doorbell rang again, interrupting him.
'Maybe I need to smash their thick skulls for them to leave...'
Persistent bunch.
A quick glance at the intercom showed the visitor had changed.
Probably the owner of that voice he'd heard.
"Ah, no religious solicitations—"
- We're from Sea Guild!
'Huh?'
Jeong-hyeon's head tilted in confusion.
Had he misheard?
Was there a cult called Sea Guild...?
'No way they'd let that slide.'
Who'd dare impersonate Sea Guild for recruitment?
Jeong-hyeon, who had gone quiet for a moment, spoke up.
"Uh, do you have any proof?"
- One second! Here!
She sounded urgent as she fumbled in her pocket and pulled something out.
A Sea Guild HR business card and employee ID.
'The emblem looks legit...'
It matched the guild mark Jeong-hyeon knew well.
He'd never seen their actual cards or IDs, so they could be fakes, but if so, he could just report it to Sea Guild.
"Tch. Come on in."
Even if it was a cult, they'd put in real effort—might as well hear them out.
Jeong-hyeon opened the door.
"Ah, thank you! Geez, Team Leader. Starting with a pitch like that? Of course he'd misunderstand!"
"Uh... sorry."
The man's position seemed higher, but somehow the dynamic felt reversed.
"As you can see, the place is tiny—no real spot to talk. That okay?"
"Oh, sure."
Good thing he kept it tidy despite the hassle.
It wasn't spacious, but it wasn't a total dump anymore—he could defend that much.
The three sat around the small side table by his bed, and the man just kept grinning at Jeong-hyeon.
'Should I call Sea Guild right now to check?'
His hand twitched toward his pocket phone.
Sensing the tension, the woman spoke first.
"Ah, as I showed earlier, I'm Kim Hee-yoon from Sea Guild's HR Sales Team. And this is Team Leader Jeong Suyeong."
"Ah. Okay."
Jeong-hyeon's curt reply bordered on rude, but Hee-yoon knew exactly how they must look and pressed on smoothly.
"We've heard rumors about you through various channels, Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon. We came to invite you to our guild."
"I'm not thinking about joining a guild yet."
Jeong-hyeon cut her off.
He didn't fully trust these self-proclaimed Sea Guild reps yet, and truthfully, he had no desire to affiliate anywhere.
But Hee-yoon didn't back down easily.
"Then, have you already talked with Jeongjin Guild or the Association?"
"Hmm."
Jeong-hyeon furrowed his brow slightly.
They even knew about his ties to Jeongjin and the Association?
They'd tracked his address, so that much was probably easy.
After a pause, he shook his head.
"No, nothing like that."
"Then Sea Guild could be a great option. Not to brag, but we have top-tier infrastructure—not just in Korea, but globally."
"Yeah, Sea Guild goes without saying."
Jeong-hyeon nodded; he had no reason to deny it.
Sea Guild was a major player, right up there with Jeongjin Guild in Korea's rankings.
Guild Master Shin Sea especially elevated their status.
'And she's an S-Rank healer to boot.'
Beyond just being S-Rank, healing traits were incredibly rare, amplifying her fame.
Of course, all Jeong-hyeon knew was from over 10 years ago, before guilds and associations formalized.
Since then, even within the guild, few besides top execs had seen her—strict security for a guild leader.
To play up the healing theme, they'd adopted white wings as their symbol, emphasized charity and character in HR, building a stellar public image.
Their actual prowess backed it up, earning high praise.
But Hee-yoon read Jeong-hyeon's agreement differently.
'He knows Sea Guild's great but doesn't want in? Just testing the waters?'
He was unregistered, but their investigations confirmed he was hiding something.
Sea Guild had taken a big risk betting on this recruitment.
He might be the golden ticket.
Now was the time to reveal the bet amount their sketchy team leader held.
"Team Leader, time to show it."
"Ah, right!"
Jeong Suyeong, who hadn't spoken a word beyond smiling, finally pulled a binder from his briefcase.
"Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon, it's an honor. We're here with a proposal."
"From Sea Guild, to me?"
Jeong-hyeon was genuinely surprised.
Jeongjin made sense—they'd already approached him—but he had zero connection to Sea Guild. A sudden offer?
Any non-recruitment proposal implied serious digging into him.
And proposing without recruitment upfront showed how much attention Sea Guild paid him.
Oblivious to Dan Jong-woo feeding them key intel, Jeong-hyeon was even more stunned.
"Ah! Our ultimate goal is joining us, of course, but someone of your caliber wouldn't sign lightly. Think of this visit as a chance for you to learn more about Sea Guild and build rapport. We'd appreciate that."
Suyeong's speech flowed like water, despite seeming a bit off.
A Sea Guild team leader through and through.
But one puzzle remained.
"I'm just a regular unregistered hunter, though."
Why would Sea Guild seek him out at home?
They did charity, but onboarding unregistered hunters as charity?
Suyeong's eyes lit up at Jeong-hyeon's words.
The pure passion made Jeong-hyeon flinch.
"Surely you know 'a top-quality item stands out'? A needle in a sack will poke through."
"Ah, yeah..."
So rumors had reached Sea Guild, meaning similar guilds knew too.
He'd expected hiding his 4th-level gate runs as an unregistered would get harder, but not this fast.
"So, this proposal...?"
"Hahaha, take a look at this."
Suyeong handed over the binder confidently.
"Honestly, more than signing bonuses or terms, this shows Sea Guild's true capabilities better than anything."