Chapter 75
“Oh, today’s schedule... briefing.”
I bought an Eternal Pact Contract imbued with the Eternal Blessing from the Hunter Association. It’s proving useful in all sorts of ways.
It’ll come in handy unexpectedly.
Next up, exchange the mana stones Uncle Choi hunted for Credits (Ⓒ). Just a portion for now.
Converting them all at once might raise suspicions.
Exchange what I need bit by bit and use it.
With the Credits I got, I headed to the Holy Water Hunter Store.
“P-Professor K-Kim Yi-hak r-requested these items...”
There were all sorts of things, but some couldn’t be shipped.
Shipping them might draw unnecessary attention.
Best to handle it in person. Plus, the list included medical devices only sold at Hunter Stores.
Thud, thud.
Before entering the Association, I slipped into a quiet alley where few people passed. I attached the Surprise Texture Mask to my face.
Then, using stealth magic, I turned my head toward Sparkle, who’d been tailing us.
Sparkle jolted in shock.
“H-how in the world...! How do you always know everything like that?!”
I can see it all.
No reason to tell you that.
“Put stealth magic on Jangsanbeom too.”
“Hmph!”
“You want a couple’s necklace with Jangsanbeom, huh.”
The next instant—
Jangsanbeom was shrouded in a veil of concealment.
Sparkle grumbled something about watching me and flew off in a huff, puffing its cheeks.
I emerged from the dim back alley.
Leaving the white-collar workers behind, I pressed forward.
With each step, the suited men faded away, replaced by the metallic clangs echoing from everywhere. The sound of armor clashing.
Even after coming here multiple times, it still feels oddly tense.
Probably because in my past life, I got cut at the entrance despite being Awakened.
I flung open the door to the building.
Creak.
The door only opened halfway. The lobby was chaos. Packed tight like bean sprouts, no room to step.
What the hell.
Most were scouts from major guilds. Either they’d reinforced their numbers or scraped together every last one—scouts were everywhere.
They wore earpieces, communicating with someone. Their eyes never rested. Some had bloodshot whites from dry eye syndrome.
The guy right next to me was the same.
I approached him boldly.
“S-Senior.”
“What’re you, kid.”
I glanced at the badge on his lapel and added,
“I’m a junior scout from Gwang-san Corp. Sent as extra manpower from above.”
“Ah, got it.”
Only then did he drip in some artificial tears. I waited for him to finish and spoke up.
“I’m still new, so... what are all these seniors doing here?”
“Huh. You didn’t get the photos?”
“Photos...?”
Subordinate Han Biyeol donates a portion of acquired EXP.
The scout pulled out his phone and tapped the group chat. Dozens of photos were uploaded. Side profiles of a specific person.
“Everyone’s here to find this guy.”
The scout finished his eye drops.
“See that screen over there. The hunter who plastered the SSS Chaos Gate leaderboard.”
I half-listened.
Too busy multitasking to focus on the scout’s story.
Subordinate Han Biyeol donates a portion of acquired EXP.
The more I looked at the photo—
Subordinate Han Biyeol donates a portion of acquired EXP.
“Word’s spread that this hunter topped the Geomdan Gate contributions.”
Grainy quality from the night, pixels busted...
“That’s why they’re gathered. Not just from our country.”
The back of the head—
Subordinate Han Biyeol donates a portion of acquired EXP.
Feels strangely familiar.
Yeah.
“From all over the world.”
The guy in the photo was me.
My fingertips trembled. I scanned the lobby. Sure enough, more foreigners than usual today.
...All these people? Here for me?
In my past life, I got bounced from the 64 Building entrance despite being Awakened.
Now, it was the opposite—I couldn’t stray far from the entrance.
Back then, I was chased off.
...Now...
What’s with this VIP treatment.
No, wait.
Has there ever been a case where the whole world swarms for one hunter?
In my memory, only my brother Seo Boseok.
Even then, not this crowd.
I licked my lips.
I knew I’d become a hot potato.
But still, it made me flinch.
I’m not that strong of a hunter, am I?
Sure, compared to my early E-grade days, my stats dazzled. No precise checkup, but roughly C-grade hunter level.
I felt proud of my remarkable growth.
Most of the EXP...
Subordinate Han Biyeol donates a portion of acquired EXP.
Thanks to a certain diligent villain handing it out.
No guilt over that.
Different issue.
Masses gathered. From all corners of the globe.
But would they scramble like this just to hand a business card to some C-grade hunter?
Can’t let them catch me.
I had no plans to reveal myself anyway—this scene just reaffirmed it.
Zing.
No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than a gaze pricked my cheek. The Gwang-san Corp scout was eyeing me oddly.
Shit.
Big blunder in front of a company senior like the sky itself.
I’d planted a clumsy newbie impression as an excuse, but any more would breed suspicion.
I lit up my eyes just enough not to unnerve him. A glint courtesy of the Surprise Texture Mask.
“I’ll listen intently, senior.”
“Hmmm.”
A curious hum, and he started sizing me up thoroughly. Trying to gauge my identity belatedly, maybe.
No gaps, Wonseok.
“Care for some coffee, by chance?”
“Hm?”
“Just a sec, senior.”
“Uh, sure.”
I vanished like the wind and returned swiftly, carrying hot Americano and iced in my carrier.
I deliberately clicked my tongue and panted. Had to sell the effort.
Ordered a weary face from the Surprise Texture Mask and said,
“Pick first, senior.”
The cliché: Didn’t know your taste, so got both.
“You?”
“I’ll take whatever’s left.”
“Ahem. I’ll go hot then.”
The scout didn’t refuse my generosity. He shivered as the chill thawed. Hoping his wariness toward me melted too.
Luckily, the fake junior’s flattery worked on senior. His expression softened.
Good.
Putting to use the social skills honed flipping burgers at minimum wage for the broadcast station.
Subordinate Han Biyeol donates a portion of acquired EXP.
I shoved the relentlessly popping status window out of my sight.
And asked,
“These scouts are here for that Seo-whatever hunter, right?”
“The foreign ones, yeah.”
The scout replied amiably.
“No one from the US, China, or Japan. Plenty from Europe, though.”
“Ah.”
“Know why?”
“Because of those countries’ S-grade hunters, maybe.”
“Bingo.”
The scout’s gaze turned even more positive.
“Hey, junior—wanna do a quick culture interview?”
“An honor.”
My follow-up explanation went like this.
Those three countries were the pioneers with systematized hunter systems.
In short, leading the hunter world.
But lately, Korea was surging fiercely. The miracle on the Han River nation. Korea’s potential was enough to inject tension into the entrenched trio’s dominance.
No S-grades, sure.
Conversely, threatening three nations with just A-grades earned Korea high international marks.
Largely thanks to the Chaos Gates. Meaning the king and general’s descendants reaped the benefits.
Anyway.
“Dispatching scouts to Korea from guilds overflowing with S-grades could stir internal backlash.”
“You mean the S-grades would revolt? Or quit the guild?”
Test question.
I shook my head.
“They won’t quit.”
“Then?”
“They’ll dig in their heels.”
“Fresh take. Why?”
“If their own guild tries recruiting this unknown-grade Seo-whatever... they’d band together to jack up their own value.”
“But they might still want him bad enough to snag him for those three nations’ guilds.”
“Doubt it.”
For guilds, proven track record mattered more than potential.
Especially big guilds.
Plus.
“The hunters already in those three nations’ top guilds are way overpriced. Hunter society’s not flush enough to handle the inflation right now.”
“Oho!”
The scout let out an exclamation.
“Asked my team the same—nobody nailed it like you, kid.”
“You flatter me.”
“Nah, seriously. You said newbie? Which team?”
Ugh.
“...Not assigned yet. Still in field training.”
Greed filled the Gwang-san scout’s pupils.
“When HR asks your team preference, say Team 5. Got it?!”
Team 5.
Major departments usually had low numbers—org common sense.
Team 5...
Right by the bathrooms.
Already smelled the stink wafting.
I nodded.
“I’ll definitely request Team 5.”
“Yeah, you do that.”
As if.
Anyway.
Something the scout said earlier nagged at me.
“Senior.”
“Drop the stiff talk. Call me Team Leader.”
“Team Leader.”
“What’s up, rookie.”
“Not much—just, you said foreign scouts are after Seo-whatever.”
“Yeah?”
“So Korean scouts aren’t?”
“Hmmm...”
The Gwang-san scout hummed.
Glanced around, then leaned into my ear.
“This is a secret, yeah?”
“Won’t even tell my parents.”
I’m an orphanage kid.