Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: The Agent's Proposal
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"You're here?"
I greeted Mr. Yang, who was busily giving instructions to the staff and soldiers.
"Oh~ You're up? Ji-seok, ever since you started tagging along, the work just doesn't stop. Haha."
At first, when we were pushing hard by clearing a ton of gates, he looked exhausted. But lately, with fewer gates, his complexion had improved. Even so, he seemed to be making way more money than before—his face was blooming with smiles.
"President, could you separate just the wings first and send them to my house?"
"Sure thing. I'll prioritize sending out whatever gets sorted today."
I bowed in greeting, then went to report to the section chief of the Awakener Management Bureau.
* * *
"Whoa... Hypnosis, you say?"
The section chief furrowed his brow as he listened to my report.
"I'm not sure if it was pheromones, wing dust, or both. Suddenly, my mind went foggy, and before I knew it, I was following the queen's commands without realizing it. If it had been full brainwashing, I probably would've attacked allies without recognizing them. The werewolves teaming up with the fairies to attack was likely due to the queen's ability too."
"That's a newly discovered power. We'll need to investigate the corpse. Mind if we purchase the queen's body?"
"Just give me the wings. You can have the rest. Discuss the sale with Hwagok Collection Services."
After that, Mr. Yang and Section Chief Baek Young-shin engaged in some heated haggling for a while. That's why I don't handle it myself. I need to secure my share, but getting into money fights with the bureau isn't good for future dealings.
I'd given Hwagok Collection Services proxy rights and a cut of the sales, so they negotiated like it was their own business.
I left the two to haggle and helped with setting up the forward base. I cleared trees and rocks to make way for vehicles.
Since human hands hadn't touched the area in ages, the trees were enormous. I hugged one, applied strength, and my fingers dug into the bark. Then I yanked it upward, roots and all.
In raw strength alone, I match an A-Rank Hunter. Uprooting trees is a breeze.
"Ooooh~!!"
Heavy machinery was at work, but the tight spaces made it slow. I yanked trees out like weeds and tossed them into the forest, earning applause from the soldiers.
Thanks to my help, our line built the defensive perimeter ahead of schedule.
Afterward, we left a minimal number of hunters at the site, and the rest of us, including me, joined other units to push north. It shaved a lot of time off the overall schedule.
"You've worked hard. I heard you helped out the soldiers a ton too. Thank you."
The battalion commander shook my hand.
"No problem at all."
My rank went up again during this subjugation—I was now a C-Rank Hunter. It had been a very profitable operation all around.
"Hope we cross paths in the next subjugation op."
"I'll join depending on the situation."
Gates are more efficient, so unless it's something like this where I can score items, I don't plan to do subjugations often.
* * *
"How's the crafting going?"
Back home, I asked Jae-in, who was working in the workshop.
"No satisfactory products yet."
Jae-in turned to me, dark circles under her eyes.
"...What's with that complexion? I told you to work only eight hours a day."
Her dirty clothes and pallor suggested she wasn't resting properly.
"Once I got into it, it became fun and motivating. I couldn't stop."
She had that researcher trait—once hooked, she wouldn't let go.
"Take it easy. No rush. Work eight hours a day and rest the rest."
"That's... not working out...."
I wanted the item ASAP, but I worried about her health.
"Drink this when you get tired."
I put potions in the fridge. Even low-grade ones cost hundreds of thousands of won each.
"Yes. Thank you. I practiced with the fairy wings you sent, but they haven't reached the specs you wanted yet."
Fairy wings can be used for flight or camouflage via enchantment. But they let attacks pass through, so they're usually not for defensive gear.
What I requested was, first, in the form of clothing while maximizing attack penetration—no defensive function at all. That suited me better anyway. My body was tougher than most armor, and I got stronger from taking hits.
Second, high elasticity. I'd be using giantification more, and the scale would grow, so it was essential.
Finally, levitation enchantment. My muscle and bone density had increased, and storing energy daily was adding weight. If I ate big, I hit around 200 kilograms. The heavier I got, the more energy I burned and the slower I moved.
Levitation like fairies used would enable even more efficient combat.
"Attack penetration is around 80%. Elasticity covers up to 50% volume increase from now. Levitation magic... sorry, not yet."
"Didn't expect it so soon. I'll take this one for now. Take it easy."
What Jae-in made was a black suit layered from thin, long strips of fairy wing material, about five centimeters wide. It clung elastically with a great fit.
"I'll test it out quick."
I tried giantification too. My 180 cm height stretched to 250 cm. The giantification ratio kept improving.
As my body grew, the suit expanded without tearing or straining—it just naturally redistributed to match my size.
"Nice."
I moved around, telling Jae-in.
"It'll take way less damage than my current clothes. And you're sure zero defense is okay?"
"No issue. It's exactly what I wanted."
"Then I'll keep going. Once I'm confident, I'll work on the queen's wings."
"Please do."
* * *
"What?"
Im Sung-jun sat behind an office desk so grand it bordered on excessive, doubting his ears as he listened to the report.
"So... someone paid up?"
"Yes. Seems like a fellow hunter. Prepaid the elixir cost."
Im Sung-jun's secretary, Tak Dong-yeon, kept her eyes down as she continued.
"We confirmed the priority party contract through our plant in the Awakening Bureau. It's not... particularly favorable to that hunter. If anything, it's overwhelmingly in Bae Na-young's favor."
"I see... Got it... So what did you do?"
"Pardon?"
"Me!"
Im Sung-jun stood and hurled the desk nameplate at Tak Dong-yeon. She flinched in shock, crouching and shielding her head with her arms, but the heavy plate hit her arm and knocked her down.
"That bitch! What the hell's she doing?! I told you to manage her!"
Im Sung-jun spasmed, grabbing and throwing desk items.
"I'm sorry."
Tak Dong-yeon stood, straightened up, and apologized.
"What's so great about that damn bitch that she rejects my contract? For some other hunter? And accepts his?"
Tak Dong-yeon stayed silent, but inwardly clicked her tongue at the brutality of the contract Im had offered Bae Na-young. It was basically slavery.
"So, is that hunter some high-rank bigshot?"
Im Sung-jun, tantrum over, plopped into his chair and asked Tak Dong-yeon.
"No. Newbie who awakened recently. Awakening skill was low-grade too."
"And yet? He had elixir money?"
"His growth is terrifying. Climbed from F-Rank to C-Rank in just three months."
"Three months? Possible?"
"Insane record. Subjugations, gates—nonstop."
"Fine. Whatever. Just a hunter. Go snag that contract transfer."
"Pardon?"
"Fuck. Don't make me repeat. Flip that contract our way. Not as good as direct, but if we hold the debt, she can't dodge anymore."
"I reviewed it. No provision for transfer like that."
"You think I pay you billions a year to hear what's impossible?! Talk to legal, bribe someone, threaten—figure it out!"
Im Sung-jun started throwing things again.
"Understood."
Dirty or petty as it was, Tak Dong-yeon—who drew that eight-figure salary—bit her lip and bowed her head.
* * *
"Time for some gates after a while?"
I'd rested a day after the subjugation. Plenty recovered. Back to gates.
I'd let Na-young spend time with her mom now that treatment was done. Time to cut loose solo today.
Ding-dong.
I was browsing the hunter app to book a gate when the doorbell rang.
"Who is it?"
No one should be coming here.
"Hello. You're Hunter Lee Ji-seok, right?"
A man in his early thirties in a suit stood at the door.
"Yes. And you are?"
"I'm Tak Dong-yeon from Hunter Management Agency."
"Ah, okay."
"Could we talk for a moment?"
"No need for management."
Some random salesman showing up unannounced soured my mood. As I moved to close the door, Tak grabbed it.
"No, it's not about signing you. It's regarding Bae Na-young."
"Na-young?"
Hearing her name, I let go of the door.
"May I come in?"
"Sure, come on in."
Suspicious, but knowing Na-young's name bugged me.
"So, what's your relation to Na-young?"
I asked as we sat on the living room sofa.
"Ah, our agency was trying to scout Na-young, but we heard she contracted with you, Hunter Lee Ji-seok."
Tak Dong-yeon said, sitting on the sofa.
"Did Na-young tell you?"
"Ah... No."
"Weird. I didn't tell anyone, and if Na-young didn't either, where'd you hear it?"
"Haha, that's what agencies do—find that stuff out."
Tak Dong-yeon sweated bullets.
Obvious lie. Heart rate, cold sweat, body heat, micro-movements—and crucially, my intuition. In my past life, it took tons of practice, but now with past memories and upgraded sensitive senses skill, I could spot lies right away.
Not mind-reading, but I could usually tell when someone lied. And this guy had been lying from the start.
"So?"
I kept talking to draw out details.
"Transfer that contract to us. We'll pay 20% more than what you gave Na-young."
He placed a thin contract on the table.
The elixir had cost billions, so transferring would net me hundreds of millions profit.
I stared hard at Tak Dong-yeon.