Chapter 2, Troll.
Chapter 2, Troll.
Lunch time.
I'm standing in line at the cafeteria inside the government office building to grab a meal.
You can get a full meal here for just 3,500 won.
Self-service style, no less.
Today's menu is pork cutlet.
Of course, it's the kind where the batter is thicker than the meat—pork cutlet in name only.
Even so, I gotta be grateful I can chow down on this quality for 3,500 won.
No reason to head out and blow cash on an expensive lunch.
Given my situation where I gotta pinch every penny, I eat here almost every day.
The line's longer than I expected, so I pulled out my phone from my pocket.
As always, I hopped into the Hunter Gallery.
Watching these damn hunters fuck up today is my one and only joy in life.
Right as I logged in, one post in the featured section caught my eye.
[Hunter License Renewal—What Happens If You Don't?]
What a fucking stupid question.
I clicked my tongue and tapped the post.
[Title: Hunter License Renewal—What Happens If You Don't?]
This shit's annoying as fuck.
Why do they make you renew your license every goddamn year?
ㄴNo renewal = jail time.
ㄴㄴ(Poster) For real?
ㄴㄴㄴNo way, you dumb bitch.
ㄴㄴㄴㄴYou just talking out your ass? Lol
ㄴ(Gallery Admin) Renew the license or get fucked by the cops.
ㄴㄴ(Poster) Please spare me.
ㄴF-rank, right? F-ranks don't need to renew lol
ㄴㄴ(Poster) Nah, I'm C-rank?
ㄴㄴㄴBullshitting.
ㄴㄴㄴNo time to renew. Go mine some ore instead.
ㄴㄴㄴD-rank? Just don't renew. Hunters are oversaturated anyway.
ㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Poster) Fuck off
ㄴYou retard, just renew it. 50,000 won too much for you?
ㄴㄴ(Poster) It's not the money, it's a pain in the ass to go.
ㄴㄴㄴGotta do physical and aptitude tests again?
ㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Poster) Idk, never been.
I smirked reading the attached comments.
Decided to drop a proper answer.
My trolling blooms from common sense, truth, and precise regulations—trolling that makes everyone laugh.
ㄴ(Gugeup-i) Hunter licenses are issued to actively operating hunters. Per Hunter Law Article 12, Paragraph 3, the system requires periodic checks on hunters' physical and mental states to prevent inactive people from abusing others' licenses.
I posted it just like a real civil servant would—super stiff and dry tone.
Not long after, the poster replied.
ㄴㄴ(Poster) For real?
ㄴㄴ(Gugeup-i) Yes. Hunter-nim.
ㄴㄴㄴ(Poster) But are you actually a civil servant?
ㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Gugeup-i) No comment.
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴWanna no-con it?
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴThis guy's living up to his nick lololol
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Gugeup-i) Fail to upload a reflection statement within 30 minutes, and I'll report you for communication obscenity.
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴCops would laugh that off if you tried suing for communication obscenity.
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴBut dude, 'no comment' needs a space, right?
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Gugeup-i) Thanks for the correction.
ㄴSo what happens if you don't renew, you dumbfucks?
ㄴㄴ(Gugeup-i) Per Hunter Law Article 44 (Penalties), Paragraph 1, Item 2: Continuing hunter activities without renewal can result in up to 1 year in prison or a fine up to 10 million won.
ㄴㄴㄴ(Poster) Wait, fucking really jail time?
ㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Gugeup-i) Precisely, if caught 'active' without renewal.
ㄴㄴㄴㄴYou're definitely a civil servant...
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Poster) Thanks... Heading there tomorrow...
I smirked at the weird comments popping up.
It was my turn at the serving line, so I was about to pocket my phone.
Then someone tapped my shoulder.
"Gyeong-ho oppa."
It was Im Ji-hye, during my 9th-grade hired the same time as me.
Two years younger than me, but she's bubbly and sociable—gets along great with the seniors.
Of course, she calls me 'oppa' and follows me around nicely.
"Were you watching something funny? You were laughing by yourself."
"Oh, just browsing some office worker community."
I brushed it off like that.
Even if she's a colleague, I can't exactly say a Hunter Management Bureau civil servant is trolling hunters on the Hunter Gallery, right?
"Psh, what's fun about office worker communities? You were laughing alone. Those are boring."
"Yeah?"
We see eye to eye on that.
More importantly, turns out Ji-hye's checked out office worker communities too.
The serving line was getting close.
Today's main: pork cutlet.
"Today's pork cutlet—the batter looks extra thick."
"Yeah. Well, beggars can't be choosers."
"Hehe. Pork cutlet~"
We loaded up on pork cutlet.
Plenty there, so no need to hold back.
Cheap perk of budget cutlets.
Grabbed sides and soup too, then snagged a quiet corner table.
"How's the Civil Complaints Department these days, oppa? Heard someone yelling this morning."
"Same old. Today, a D-rank Hunter wanted to register his tamed goblin as a pet..."
"Huh? A goblin? Ew... it'd stink."
Ji-hye wrinkled her nose like she meant it.
Goblins showing up isn't rare for Civil Complaints, so it's no big deal.
"Told him it's not in regs, so he yelled for 30 minutes then left. Daily routine."
"Routine... Our department's got a headache too."
"Yeah? What happened?"
"You hear about the anonymous leak from General Affairs?"
"What happened?"
"No way, oppa, you didn't know? Internal net's blowing up."
Ji-hye whispered, lowering her voice.
"The Grade 6 Clerk embezzled money meant for the office cleaning contractor. Huge scandal."
"For real? A Grade 6? Ballsy."
"Got too greedy. Tried swallowing it solo, so he got caught."
FYI, Ji-hye's in General Affairs.
So she's straight-up dissing her boss.
'I'm scrimping on 3,500-won meals, and some guy's embezzling my taxes.'
Felt bitter.
My taxes are in there too, probably.
"So oppa, don't get involved. You know audits only nab grunts like us? Get caught wrong, it's a hassle."
Ji-hye warned me to lay low with a strict audit looming.
Thanked her.
"Thanks for the heads-up, Ji-hye. Scored some intel."
"Psh, no biggie. ...But!"
She blushed a bit.
"Then buy me a drink tonight."
"Easy. I'll get it later."
Nodded.
Might as well use the meal savings for booze.
Ji-hye beamed and said let's grab drinks after work.
*
Right before clocking out.
Finished my work, glanced around.
5:50 PM.
Ten minutes to quitting time.
Office full of mouse clicks instead of keyboards—everyone peeking around, surfing the net probably.
Team lead's out on field work.
Could just bail on time.
'But first, gotta do my salary Lupin heist, right?'
Not just any heist—it's my sacred ritual to announce my presence.
Logged into the gallery and made a post.
[Title: Announcement from Hunter Management Bureau Civil Complaints Department.]
This is the Hunter Management Bureau Civil Complaints Department.
Civil complaints services end today.
Hunters-nim with urgent business, please use the office duty room or 119.
Thank you.
ㄴThis fucker gonna keep up the act forever?
ㄴㄴAt this point, gotta be a real civil servant?
ㄴㄴㄴWhy would a Hunter Management Bureau civil servant be on the gallery, retard?
ㄴㄴㄴㄴThat's what I'm saying lololol
ㄴㄴㄴㄴGay... Even bureau civils eat, shit, and gallery...
ㄴㄴㄴㄴJensen Huang eats chicken and chimaek too—why wouldn't civils gallery?
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴThis retard lost his mind—why would Jensen Huang eat chicken, fuckwit?
ㄴ(Gugeup-i came, Gallery Con)
ㄴGood work today
ㄴTough day? Eaten yet?
ㄴGugeup-i, what's your salary?
ㄴㄴ(Gugeup-i) 2.3 million after tax.
ㄴㄴThat's my monthly pay
ㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Gugeup-i)Bullshitㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴ
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴThis guy's pissed lol
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴAh, now I can't tell if it's an act lol
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Gugeup-i)I work for the fulfillment of serving the nation. Not chasing money like you hunters-nim.
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴHoly shit that line lolololol
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴGot him good lololol fulfillment my ass lololol
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Gugeup-i)Don't mock. Someone's gotta do it.
ㄴGugeup-i, clock out then turn off Civil Complaints lights. Wasting tax money.
ㄴㄴ(Gugeup-i)Just clocked out. Last one in department handles lights.
ㄴBro, D-rank wanting C-rank promotion—what docs do I need?
ㄴㄴ(Gugeup-i)Refer to 'Promotion Guide' board on Hunter Management Bureau homepage.
The comments got under my skin, like he said.
'No, with performance bonuses and allowances, it's 2.8 million...'
Of course, top hunters rake in 20-30 mil a month easy.
Smiled satisfied as likes piled on my "fulfillment" comment.
Lost track of time gallerying—suddenly 6 PM sharp.
Grabbed my bag without regret.
Tidied up once more, looked around, approached Kim Hye-seong, the 7th-grade assistant clerk.
Same department senior.
"Assistant Clerk-nim, heading out first..."
"..."
Dunno why he's still there, but he looked off.
Legs jittering, fidgety as hell.
Frowning at monitor, dry-washing his face over and over.
Got closer—he eyed me warily.
"Uh... Gyeong-ho-ssi. What?"
Jumped like he got caught with something shady.
From a step back, said I'd head out first.
"Ah, I'll head out first."
"Uh, yeah. Good work. Go on."
Kim Hye-seong told me good work and go—then glued back to his monitor before I even left.
Glanced: Looked like... stock charts?
'Something's weird. That fucker... connected to what Ji-hye mentioned?'
Nah, no way.
General Affairs issue—why would Civil Complaints be involved?
'Probably... got rekt on stocks.'
Shook it off and headed out.
Outside, Ji-hye was waiting.
"Haa..."
She sighed.
Looked over—familiar guy next to her.
He spotted me, came over, threw an arm around my shoulder.
"Yo! Lee Gyeong-ho! Why you two eating good without me? Let me in!"
Choi Gang-hyeok, my colleague a year older.
C-rank aptitude but ditched hunter life for civil servant—weird dude.
Still, fun guy.
Would be popular if he shut up.
"How'd you know..."
"Ji-hye looked all happy clocking out. Pestered her, she spilled—you're drinking."
Ji-hye elbowed Gang-hyeok's side.
Eyes saying read the room.
"Fine, come along. Gang-hyeok hyung's paying, right."
"What? Dutch pay..."
"Hyung wants to dutch with dongsaengs?"
"No, but... Ah, fine! My treat!"
Scored a free meal ticket.
Ji-hye and my goal: bleed the whale dry.
"Gang-hyeok oppa, where you wanna drink?"
"Chimaek, duh. Wasn't that your plan?"
"Well... chimaek's the only option."
"They got jokbal too. Fried, though."
Menu's set.
Just follow.
Then my pocket blew up with alerts.
'What the?'
Checked phone.
Gallery comments.
My flailing "fulfillment" reply to the salary jab was popping off.