Chapter 72
I knew exactly who he was talking about.
But Jeong Hamin played dumb.
"Seo Boseok the Hunter? He'd probably tell you even if you grabbed a random kid off the street."
"Haha. Well, now."
Ethan Gosling swept back his disheveled silver hair.
"Two ∅∅-grade gates have appeared consecutively in Korea."
"What a coincidence. That's exactly why I want to get out of Korea."
"A mysterious hunter who's cleared those two gates and the Chaos Gates at the highest rank."
Jeong Hamin swallowed silently.
"No... but Firstman Guild is very interested in that Seo Hunter."
A glint flashed in Ethan Gosling's eyes.
"I'm not asking for much. If you know him, Hunter Jeong, just arrange a meeting with me."
"So you want me to set it up."
"It'll be quite the grand meeting."
"Suppose, just suppose, I do know this 'Seo Hunter.' And I drag him right in front of you. What if he turns down your offer?"
"I'll make an offer he can't refuse."
"And if he still refuses? You'll repeat the same mistake?"
"Hunter Jeong."
Ethan Gosling set down his glass.
"We didn't make any mistakes. It was the Korean guilds' blunder."
Whoa, blood rushing to my head? Feels like my low blood pressure's cured.
"In the unlikely event that happens."
Ethan Gosling added.
"We can't rule out that possibility entirely."
"I see."
Jeong Hamin shot to his feet.
He skipped the pleasantries and headed for the door.
Ethan Gosling looked baffled.
Jeong Hamin gripped the doorknob and spoke.
"I refuse."
"Haha. I must have worded that poorly."
Ethan Gosling let out a chilling laugh.
"Did you think you had the right to refuse, Hunter Jeong?"
"Oh, really? Then pretend I didn't hear it and let it slide. 'Let it slide' is English, right? You get it?"
"...?"
"Lately I've been thinking— even billions are worthless if you're dead."
An A-rank spat it at an S-rank.
"Ethan, crossing you might just get me killed eventually, but pissing off that hunter? Instant death."
Ethan Gosling's lips twitched.
"And Ethan."
Jeong Hamin pressed the advantage.
"Mapo Bridge collapsed."
You bastard.
An uncomfortable tension hung in the hallway as the door opened.
The three managers turned their heads in unison.
Jeong Hamin emerged first.
"Let's go."
"Yes, sir."
The manager puffed up a bit and stuck close.
Just before leaving, Jeong Hamin shot a glare at Ethan Gosling's two managers.
Then he departed without mercy.
"Uh, Hunter Jeong."
In the elevator.
The manager spoke up in the confined space.
"The vibe in there was off..."
"You gonna report it upstairs if you know?"
"No way. Everyone knows I'm on your line, Hunter Jeong."
"Don't be so chatty."
Jeong Hamin snorted.
"You remember those two managers' faces?"
"After staring them down for 30 minutes, I could spot 'em anywhere in Gwanghwamun."
"Mark those two starting tomorrow."
The manager lived off scraps like that.
He didn't ask why.
Instead, he smartly countered.
"Not Ethan Gosling?"
"An S-rank hunter won't stick around Korea forever."
Jeong Hamin dug in his ear with his pinky.
"Those two managers? They're scouts. He'll probably leave them behind to scour Seoul for whoever he's after."
"Got it."
The two exited the elevator.
A black sedan idled with its engine hot.
Jeong Hamin tossed the sword sheath from his back onto his lap the moment he sat.
"Keep watching me? Bullshit."
Can't even recognize my main weapon.
Jeong Hamin favored his crossbow.
Yet Ethan Gosling hadn't batted an eye at an archer carrying a sword sheath.
From the start, Jeong Hamin himself wasn't even on Ethan's radar.
The moment he realized that, Jeong Hamin figured Ethan's rambling was all lies.
Shing.
Jeong Hamin drew the blade an inch.
A decorative red gem embedded midway blinked. A hidden recording device.
If I give this to Seo Wonseok the Hunter...
I'll score some points, right?
A smirk crept across the man's lips on the blade.
A sleazy grin to match.
Today's schedule was packed.
Sungsu's Hunter Shop.
Yeouido Association HQ.
I planned to hit them in order to settle up from the Geomdan Gate.
But first.
One stop I gotta make.
I pulled my turtleneck (Hemo) up to my chin and climbed the stairs.
Out of the subway exit, Namdaemun stood stalwart as always.
A bit further on.
Someone waited at the entrance to my first destination. Just an eyepatch giving away his identity.
Namgung Hyuni, doppelganger of Namgung Hyunil and manager of Bukgeukhae Corp's Seoul branch.
He spotted me and his shoulders twitched. Hunters always flinched on sight lately.
Handy, really. They listened even when I was curt.
I said,
"Let's head in."
"...Sure."
I pushed through the revolving door.
Time to make some money.
We were at the Hunter Bank.
Time to collect insurance.
The amount was... something.
Didn't matter.
The deputy manager would explain nicely.
Wonder what face the guy who bleeds hunters dry will make.
I was dying to see.
Across from us.
The deputy manager of the Hunter Bank Namdaemun branch was sweating bullets.
The papers in his hands were soaked at the edges.
Those'll rip at this rate.
Couldn't have that.
Vital proof documents.
Namgung Hyuni, sitting beside me, pointed it out.
"That's the gate contribution report. Rip it and we're all in trouble."
Same words, but terrifying from Namgung Hyuni's mouth.
Fitting for a villain's doppelganger.
Plus, he'd fetched those papers himself yesterday.
I couldn't reveal my name yet. Face too recognizable—trouble dealing with Gwang-san Corp or other guilds.
For now, I was the 'faceless hunter.' Had to tread carefully.
Scouts are on the hunt lately...
Chaos Gates were fine with the Surprise Texture Mask.
But offices were riskier.
So Namgung Hyuni visited the Hunter Association HQ to get the Geomdan Gate papers.
Post-op and contributions were Association turf.
After thorough checks, they issued certified docs.
Rankings of contributors with precise figures.
Didn't know the method. Association secret.
I glanced at Namgung Hyuni.
Surprisingly, no extras—just the papers.
Not for me.
His wallet was on the line too.
His honesty was refreshing, in a way.
"H-Haha, haha. S-Sorry."
The deputy manager shook as he set down the papers.
His voice trembled.
"...Y-Yes, confirmed... No signs of tampering..."
"Sounds like you're implying we faked them?"
Namgung Hyuni growled.
The deputy manager jumped.
"N-No way...!"
Excuses tumbled out.
"J-Just... to pay without issues, procedures must be thorough..."
Gonna pass out.
I asked calmly.
"How much is my insurance payout?"
Down to business.
Remember this?
Our recent Hunter Bank contract with Namgung Hyuni.
Roughly like this.
1. The insured (Hunter) must achieve 1st contribution in gate subjugation without sustaining any injuries and complete the clear.
2. If the insured suffers serious injury during gate subjugation, it will be deemed insurance abuse, and the bank will hold claims against them instead.
1. Deputy manager guarantees 800% refund of premiums paid.
2. Refund multiplier increases with each perfect clear; first achievement refunds at 2x original premium.
Pure poison clauses.
Hyung would flick my head if he saw.
But when he raised his fist, I'd show the fine print.
High risk, high return. Yutnori all-or-nothing.
"Th-That is."
The deputy manager rolled his eyes.
I fixed him with a stare.
"8 times the principal of 12,342,579 Credits..."
"98,740,632 Credits."
I finished for him.
He was dragging it out.
Wild, even saying it.
One Geomdan Gate run, and my wealth octupled.
Me, taking taxis from hyung but busing home.
Chest swelling.
Namgung Hyuni too, probably.
He asked the deputy.
"And for Bukgeukhae Corp Seoul Branch Manager..."
The deputy's face turned ashen naming the number.
Namgung Hyuni grinned, teeth bared. Same terms as me.
8x his premium too.
Mine's barely 100 million since base was small.
Bukgeukhae was crumbling, but still major guild. Base sum worlds apart.
Amount? Imagine it.
Beyond my small-folk dreams.
From his grin, enough to forget Gangnam building rights for years.
My guess: Buy the next building cash too.