Chapter 19
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Reason to Live (3)
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I did some quick math in my head.
One dollar is a little over a thousand won.
Eighty thousand dollars would be roughly one hundred million won.
Since he said it was a little over eight million dollars, that’s roughly over ten billion won.
After finishing the calculation, I was so dumbfounded I could only stare with my mouth agape.
Ten billion won.
For that sword?
─ A-Are you crazy?
─ You're the crazy one. Who are you calling crazy?
─ N-No! What are you talking about, ten billion for a sword like that!
Dumbfounded, I raised my voice.
Choi Soo-hyun had shown me the list of items in his personal vault and promised to give me any weapon I wanted.
I had simply picked a sword that looked decent; I had no idea what it was worth.
He gave it to me without a word, so I assumed it was something he could part with easily.
W-Who just casually gives away a ten-billion-won weapon! He usually makes such a big deal out of everything!
If he had at least flaunted its value in front of me, I never would have given the sword to Yoo Ji-han without a second thought.
‘Wow, I can't exactly ask for it back now.’
It wasn't that I had nothing to say for myself.
The sword I received from Choi Soo-hyun wasn't bad, but in my judgment, it wasn't worth ten billion won.
There were two errors in this line of thinking.
First, I was completely clueless about the market price of items. Second, my standards were exceptionally high to begin with.
I heard Choi Soo-hyun's deep sigh over the phone.
─ So, how did you lose it?
─ It's a long story. Anyway, I can't get it back.
Not only did I not know how to take back a gifted item, but asking for it back would just look strange.
─ Just go and die, you bastard.
I did my best to calm down Choi Soo-hyun, who sounded genuinely furious over the phone.
Fed up with me, Choi Soo-hyun cut to the chase.
─ We'll talk about the sword later. If you don't get your act together, I won't let you off the hook.
After that, Choi Soo-hyun didn't bring up the 8.5-million-dollar sword I claimed to have lost.
It wasn't that Choi Soo-hyun was cool enough to let it slide.
‘Prove your worth.’
It was a kind of test.
It meant that what Choi Soo-hyun had said that day was still in effect.
Otherwise, he wouldn't act like this after agreeing to join my side.
‘He doesn't seem like the type to backstab me.’
Thinking of it as a relationship where we were building trust, I didn't feel too bad.
─ So, what happened with the guild?
─ They said they'll take you. You'll get a call. Just please, don't cause any trouble.
─ I'm not some kid you need to worry about. What trouble? I won't cause any unless they throw the first punch.
─ Ugh, let's not even talk about it. Anyway, they said they'll contact you sometime next week. I told them to treat you as well as possible.
─ Thank you.
─ Alright, I'm hanging up. I'll call you later.
After hanging up, I gently stirred my ramen with my chopsticks.
“The noodles are all soggy.”
I should have finished eating before I took the call.
* * *
Gangnam, Teheran-ro.
The Gangnam I remembered was a bustling district filled with countless civil service academies, plastic surgery clinics, corporate headquarters, offices, and bars tucked away in the backstreets.
The Gangnam I arrived in was similar to the one in my memory, yet different somehow.
Instead of academies and clinics, it was now dominated by pawnshops and law offices of all sizes. The buildings that once housed corporate headquarters had become the headquarters for major guilds.
After searching for the Aria Guild headquarters on my phone, I looked up at a tall building in the heart of Gangnam.
‘I remember this building belonging to a certain corporation.’
To think that a building that was the headquarters for a company famous for its bookstores was now a Hunter guild's headquarters in this world.
Seeing things like this often made me realize just how different this world was.
I entered the lobby and gave my name to a staff member inside.
“May I see your ID?”
“Ah, yes.”
After handing over my newly issued Hunter ID, I was allowed to go up to the 10th floor.
The inside of the building was ordinary. At a glance, you could mistake it for a typical company.
The only difference was the presence of Hunters in unique attire or carrying weapons walking around inside.
The larger the guild, the more non-Awakened staff they had handling administrative tasks.
The competition for an office job at a major guild was just as fierce as for one at a large corporation.
‘Impressive in so many ways.’
Squeezing past the crowd of people in the elevator, I barely managed to get off on the 10th floor.
“You're here for the guild admission consultation, right? If you go into the room inside, someone will be with you shortly.”
“Thank you.”
After receiving directions from the desk, I entered a small meeting room inside.
Snacks and drinks were laid out on the white table.
The door opened just as I unwrapped a piece of chocolate and put it in my mouth.
An ordinary-looking man in a suit came in, holding some documents.
“Mr. Kang Han-gyeol?”
“Yes.”
“I'm Kim Ji-hoon, from the Aria Guild's contract department.”
Kim Ji-hoon pulled up a chair and sat down in front of me.
He slid a tablet displaying the contract file toward me and began to explain the guild admission process.
The Aria Guild was a guild that didn't serve any particular god.
Unlike other guilds, they valued only skill, a condition that had allowed the guild to grow at a rapid pace.
That wasn't to say it didn't have its drawbacks.
‘The fact that it's a union of three guilds. And its lack of cohesion.’
Accepting Hunters who served various gods meant, conversely, that the potential for conflict was high.
Perhaps because of that, for being the No. 4 guild in South Korea, the Aria Guild had relatively little public influence.
Skimming through the contract, I didn't see any major issues.
“You just need to sign in the indicated areas.”
I obediently took the pen and diligently signed in the boxes.
Just before the final signature, I suddenly stopped, pen in hand.
“I have a question.”
I pushed the tablet with the contract away and twirled the pen between my fingers.
Kim Ji-hoon gave me a strange look.
A moment later, Kim Ji-hoon replied.
“Is there a problem?”
“It's nothing major. I lost my weapon due to personal circumstances. I was wondering if you provide any support for weapons or items.”
“For D-rank Hunters, we do provide basic support. Of course, as stated in the contract, all items and goods provided by the guild are on a loan basis, and you will be billed for them after completing dungeons.”
He spoke fluently, just as you'd expect from someone in the contract department.
Looking back, Choi Soo-hyun's vault was truly something else.
To think I just grabbed a random sword and it turned out to be worth 8.5 million dollars.
‘Stingy bastard, couldn't even lend me one more sword.’
When I belatedly explained my situation and asked if he could lend me something else, I was cursed out with every swear word in existence.
Unfortunately, I couldn't ask for anything more.
I don't know how many times I've kicked my blankets in regret after finding out the sword I casually gave to Yoo Ji-han was worth ten billion won.
I'd basically ended up investing ten billion won in Yoo Ji-han out of nowhere.
‘He'd better not be dead after entering the Tower.’
Right now, I had my own problems to deal with.
“What's available besides basic support?”
“Well, I was told that you are a D-rank Hunter, Mr. Kang. We do occasionally provide guild-level support for high-rank Hunters, but otherwise, individuals must purchase their own items. We can connect you with a guild dealer if you wish.”
Listening to Kim Ji-hoon's explanation, I carefully scanned the fine print of the contract again.
Two parts caught my eye.
Signing bonus: 10,000,000 won.
Profit share: 50/50 split between the guild and the Hunter.
That was about it.
I popped open a can of coffee on the table and took a sip.
Kim Ji-hoon, who had expected me to sign quickly, was flustered by my stalling.
Not my problem.
‘The requirements to join the Aria Guild aren't that high.’
Even without Choi Soo-hyun's introduction, I could have joined without much difficulty if I'd set my mind to it.
The fact that he went through the trouble of an introduction meant he intended to keep me where he could see me.
I didn't really blame Choi Soo-hyun. As I'd said before, we both needed plenty of time to vet each other.
Even if it meant using some underhanded methods.
In any case, I was someone who came in with a recommendation from the leader.
If I couldn't get a weapon from Choi Soo-hyun, I'd just have to get one from here.
“How much does a decent weapon usually cost?”
“When you say 'decent,' what price range are you referring to? Hunters' weapons can have wildly different prices, and they're often worth whatever someone is willing to pay.”
“Yeah, that's true. What's the upper limit on my signing bonus? And isn't a 50/50 split a bit harsh?”
“Well, our standard offer is ten million won and a 50/50 split. And you are a D-rank Hunter.”
“Did you happen to not hear?”
“Hear what?”
“That I'm best friends with the leader here.”
“When you say leader... which one are you referring to?”
Ah, right. There are three leaders here.
Seeing the cautious Kim Ji-hoon, I cleared my throat and spoke.
“Park Si-woo.”
“You're an acquaintance of Leader Park? I wasn't informed of that...”
Kim Ji-hoon took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Seeing his genuine surprise, it was clear he hadn't received any special instructions from Park Si-woo.
He was probably just told to sign some ordinary Hunter, so handle it as usual.
Since it had come to this, I figured I might as well make a strong impression.
I set the empty coffee can down on the desk and grinned.
“Why do you think that is?”
“Y-Yes, indeed. Why would that be?”
This guy.
Don't ask me, go find out why.
As I remained silent, just smiling, Kim Ji-hoon belatedly shot to his feet.
“I'll just make a quick call and be right back.”
There we go.
That's more like it.
After Kim Ji-hoon left, I started unwrapping the remaining snacks one by one and popping them into my mouth.
By the time I'd finished all the provided snacks, Kim Ji-hoon returned from his call.
“My apologies. I'll draw up a new contract right away. I didn't realize you were an acquaintance of Leader Park... He said to accommodate you as much as possible.”
“Just be reasonable.”
“Reasonable?”
“Let's go with a signing bonus of one billion won and a 70/30 split. That's more than fair, don't you think?”