Chapter 23
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Her Proposal (1)
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I had expected people’s eyes to be on me when I came out of the dungeon.
Jo Gwangsu and the Indomitable guild members who had left midway through would have surely reported my activities in detail.
This was the Garden of the Abyss, after all.
A dungeon where countless hunters, underestimating its B-rank, had met their end. A dungeon that even S-rank Hunter Yoon Suhyeok and the Pungbaek Guild had given up on, unable to even touch its deepest levels.
It would have been strange if it didn't attract attention.
‘But this isn’t the scene I was expecting.’
The problem was that the scene unfolding before me was different from what I had imagined.
I had anticipated a long line of media personnel.
My plan was to give them a suitable response, mention the Pungbaek Guild briefly, and then make my exit.
‘…But instead of the media, it’s swarming with hunters.’
There wasn't a single person from a broadcasting station, not even anyone who looked remotely like a reporter.
‘If my eyes aren’t deceiving me, I think I see the masters of the three great guilds too?’
My gaze fell on a man with a buzz cut, reminiscent of a bear, standing among the hunters.
He was Ma Dongpal, one of the S-rank Hunters and the guild master of Aegis.
“Oh!”
When our eyes met, Ma Dongpal grinned and gave me a thumbs-up.
So suddenly?
“…”
I awkwardly averted my gaze and looked elsewhere.
Not far from Ma Dongpal.
Next to Yoon Suhyeok and Yoon Sua stood a man with a tiger-like face and neatly slicked-back hair.
The guild master of the Pungbaek Guild, Choi Kangwoo.
Unlike Ma Dongpal, who would charge headfirst into anything that piqued his interest, he was a man famous for his cautious approach to everything.
His presence here was quite unexpected.
‘Ma Dongpal, I can understand because of his personality. Choi Kangwoo might have come because he couldn't refuse Yoon Suhyeok's nagging. But…’
I could somehow understand up to Choi Kangwoo.
The problem was.
“You really cleared it all by yourself and came back, didn’t you?”
The captivating woman who had approached me in an instant, now smiling right in front of my nose.
Her face was like a fifty-fifty mix of a fox and a snake.
‘For the guild master of Sanarae to come in person.’
Sanarae was a figure who rarely made public appearances, despite leading one of the three great guilds.
And yet, there she was, looking at me from right in front.
“H-How did she get there so fast…! Back off! Does that fox have no business ethics!”
Ma Dongpal’s shout came from a distance.
Only then did Sanarae, who had approached like a shadow, take a few steps back.
Still smiling with her eyes fixed on me, she said.
“Is it really something to bring up business ethics for? I just wanted to get a closer look at the rumored super rookie.”
“Quiet, you! You think I don’t know you’re trying to subtly seduce him!”
“Seduce him? My, our Aegis guild master is certainly known for his rashness. How about trying to filter your words a bit?”
“What did you just say?! Who’s being rash! I’m holding myself back from running over there and shaking that kid’s hand right now!”
A war of words erupted between Sanarae and Ma Dongpal.
Of course, I was busy turning the gears in my head.
“Um, Mr. Kim Hanul… Hunter?”
Suddenly, a middle-aged man with a haggard face approached me.
He clearly wasn't a hunter.
“A pleasure to meet you. I am Kim Jeongsu, from the Dungeon Management Division of the Hunter Association’s Administration Headquarters.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Yes. Well, first of all…”
Kim Jeongsu wiped the sweat from his forehead and stared into the empty space.
It was the spot where the Garden of the Abyss had been floating just moments ago.
“Congratulations on clearing the dungeon. This is a completely unexpected result. Do you not require a medical check-up? We have a medical team on standby.”
“Yes, as you can see, I’m perfectly fine. More importantly, could you give me a rough idea of what’s going on?”
Kim Jeongsu gave an ambiguous smile as he glanced at Sanarae and Ma Dongpal, who were still bickering.
“Actually, not long after you entered the dungeon, Hunter Kim Hanul, the pattern of the Garden of the Abyss changed to red.”
“Aha.”
A red pattern.
I immediately understood why this place was packed with hunters instead of the media.
“You thought a dungeon break was going to happen.”
“That’s correct. As you know, Hunter, a B-rank dungeon break carries a risk comparable to an A-rank, or in the worst case, an S-rank gate. Therefore, a summons request was issued to the guilds.”
So that’s why hunters from all the prominent guilds had gathered.
The red pattern was probably because the structure of the Garden of the Abyss had been changed at the request of the Lord’s Castle.
But there was still something I didn’t understand.
‘Even so, is it enough for all three great guild masters to show up?’
As if reading my thoughts, Kim Jeongsu wiped his sweat again and spoke.
“I never expected to see all three great guild masters here myself. It was a request, not an order, so I thought only some of their affiliated hunters would cooperate. I did think I might see Hunter Choi Kangwoo, given his strong sense of responsibility, but…”
The other two must have been a surprise.
And if even a high-ranking official like Kim Jeongsu hadn't anticipated it, the conclusion was simple.
Ma Dongpal and Sanarae hadn’t come here because of a dungeon break.
‘They came to see me.’
What Sanarae had just said to Ma Dongpal.
That she wanted to see the rumored super rookie up close.
It was by no means a lie.
‘Interesting.’
It had only been a few days since Pyo Myeongwon and Han Sowon approached me.
But already, the guild masters, a level above them, were engaged in a war of nerves.
Kim Jeongsu wiped the sweat from his brow and gave a troubled smile.
“Um, if you don’t mind, could you say a word? I can’t just wait for their squabble to end…”
“Ah, yes. Everyone, first of all, my apologies. It seems I’ve made you distinguished individuals come all this way for nothing.”
I shouted in a loud voice.
In an instant, all eyes were on me.
“Still, I feel overwhelmed. To have the chance to see the three great guild masters, whom I’ve always deeply respected, right before my eyes. If I had known, I would have cleared the deep levels and come out sooner.”
“Wait, hold on. This has been bothering me for a while…”
Suddenly, Ma Dongpal spoke up, his eyes wide with surprise.
He pointed to the jewel I had been holding in my hand and shouted.
“Is that, could that be a Bloodstone?”
The crimson jewel, reminiscent of a heart, that Odolph had given me.
Most of the hunters gathered here didn't know what it was.
They only knew of its existence, but it was rare to ever see one in person.
“...!”
But at least Yoon Suhyeok and Yoon Sua, among others.
The high-ranking hunters of A-rank and above knew.
“Well, it seems to be. I haven’t had a proper look at it yet, though.”
Disaster-class monsters of S-rank or higher, or monsters of equivalent power.
Embedded in their hearts is a stone containing immense magical power.
That was the Bloodstone.
Kim Jeongsu, who had been staring at the jewel as if mesmerized, asked.
“A Bloodstone… You don’t mean the stone that can be crafted into an A-rank or higher item?”
“I’m not certain, but I believe that’s likely the case.”
“How fascinating. It’s so rare to ever see a Bloodstone…”
It was only natural that most hunters wouldn't recognize it.
As soon as a Bloodstone is acquired, it is entrusted by high-ranking guild hunters to the best item-crafting artisans, and in their hands, it is fashioned into an item.
If Odolph hadn't packed it away with the magic stones, I would have never known about it either.
“So you mean you took down an S-rank monster in the deep levels?”
“A-Alone? You really cleared the deep levels?”
“Crazy, is that even possible? How can a B-rank hunter take down a disaster-class monster alone?!”
A wave of murmurs swept through the hunters.
The feeling of disbelief transformed into astonishment and admiration.
I calmly observed them.
And among them, the three guild masters.
In their eyes, besides those emotions, a common sentiment could be seen.
It was determination.
The will to make me their own, no matter what.
The situation was flowing exactly as I wanted.
* * *
He had been wrong.
Choi Kangwoo readily admitted it.
Kim Hanul was a far more exceptional individual than he had judged.
At the very least, he wasn't some rookie who had gotten lucky with a promotion by exploiting a guild's mistake.
‘There have been a few rookies before that the three guilds competed over.’
But even among that handful of rookies, Hanul was in a league of his own.
To begin with, his attitude towards them was different.
The moment they receive the attention of the three great guilds, most hunters fall into one of two categories.
They either become flustered and indecisive, or they act with arrogance and conceit.
The former break under the excessive expectations.
The latter self-destruct by overestimating their own abilities.
‘But Kim Hanul is.’
Different.
—I have a lot on my plate right now as well. However, I would very much like to meet with you all separately soon. All three of you.
That was what he had said in response to the approaches from himself, Sanarae, and Ma Dongpal.
He didn't grovel.
Nor did he look down on them with haughty eyes.
‘Killing an ogre in an E-rank gate request, receiving an S-rank in his mana measurement, and then an unprecedented triple promotion.’
Up to that point, Choi Kangwoo had held his doubts.
He thought it wasn't impossible if one was lucky enough.
That’s what he had thought.
But.
‘To single-handedly ensure the survival of other hunters in the Garden of the Abyss, then proceed to conquer the deep levels himself. And for a spoil of war, he brought back a Bloodstone, something even most high-ranking hunters rarely get to see.’
It was a story fit for a novel.
But Hanul had proven his abilities for all to see.
And this time too, he had vanished without any particular action.
“Is he telling us to rack our brains and think about it? It’s been a while since I’ve felt this fired up.”
“I know, right? It’s fun. He’s bold.”
Choi Kangwoo looked at the other two guild masters muttering beside him.
That’s right.
In the end, it was their side that had to make a move this time as well.
“Anyway, you really got one over on us, Guild Master Pungbaek. When did you set things up like that? You’re actually the slyest one among us.”
Of course, Pungbaek was indeed one step ahead of the other guilds.
“That’s what I’m saying. We kept asking you to release some information on the Garden of the Abyss, and what? You stubbornly refused!”
Before leaving.
Hanul had expressed his gratitude to Yoon Suhyeok in front of everyone.
He said he had received a little help from Yoon Suhyeok for the Garden of the Abyss conquest.
“You can’t be so calculating! If you keep this up, I might actually get mad!”
Ma Dongpal huffed and crossed his thick, bear-like arms.
“Come now, why is everyone being so sensitive? This sort of thing happens all the time in this business.”
Yoon Suhyeok cleared his throat.
Choi Kangwoo watched him in silence.
Normally, this would be the time to publicly reprimand him for his rash actions.
But this time, he acted a little differently.
“I agree with the vice-master’s opinion.”
“Oho.”
“Hmm.”
The impact was significant.
“Haha, that’s a complete declaration of war. Fine, we’ll give it our all too. Let’s go, everyone.”
Ma Dongpal laughed heartily, turned around, and disappeared with his Aegis guild members.
Sanarae also had a faint smile on her lips.
“I don’t think I can just give up this time either. Let’s all do our best, in a healthy way.”
*Swoosh.*
With a soft laugh, her figure vanished as if sinking into the ground.
As soon as Sanarae was gone, Yoon Suhyeok clenched his fists and shouted.
“Hahaha, Kangwoo-hyung! How about that! This is something only the greatest vice-master in history could pull off!”
“We’ve taken one step ahead, for now. Though we’ll be caught up to immediately.”
“Huh? What do you mean we’ll be caught up to immediately, Kangwoo-hyung? I agonized so much over whether to release that information or not…”
Yoon Suhyeok asked back with an aggrieved expression.
But Choi Kangwoo simply nodded his head silently.
Instead, Yoon Sua muttered.
“It’s because of the Bloodstone.”
She was right.
At least in ‘that area’.
There was no way Pungbaek or Aegis could keep up with Sanarae.
‘Hunter Kim Hanul probably showed the Bloodstone with that in mind. In that case, we’ll have to back down for now.’
A deep shadow of regret fell over the face of Choi Kangwoo, who had dismissed Kim Hanul just a few days ago.
* * *
“Ah, home sweet home is the best.”
A one-room apartment, barely five pyeong.
To some, it might be a suffocatingly small space, but to me, it was the coziest place of all.
“I should rest for a few days. And you can drop the invisibility now, Sage.”
I said, flopping onto the bed.
The invisible, floating Beholder, Sage, shimmered into view.
The Beholder looked around with curious eyes.
I stroked the creature and turned my gaze to my smartphone screen.
An unrealistic number was displayed on the screen.
[1,630,000,000 KRW has been deposited into Kim Hanul’s account.]
1.6 billion won.
It was the reward money from the Association headquarters for clearing the Garden of the Abyss.
In an account that had held a few hundred thousand won at most a month ago, there was now enough money to comfortably buy a house.
And I hadn't even processed the byproducts I'd harvested from the lizardmen yet.
On top of that.
“I need to deal with that too.”
The Bloodstone resting on my desk.
That thing was worth several times more than the dungeon reward money.
It was an item that would be hard to obtain even with billions in cash.
The best method was to entrust it to an artisan who could craft it into an item.
“Though finding such artisans won't be easy.”
There were quite a few artisans who crafted items from monster byproducts.
But those who handled top-tier byproducts like the ‘Bloodstone’ were extremely few.
Naturally, an ordinary person or a low-rank hunter like me would have no way of knowing that information.
But there was no need to worry.
Information about that would come rolling in on its own.
That was part of the reason I had shown the Bloodstone.
*Vvvv-vvvv!*
And right on cue, my smartphone vibrated.
It was an unknown number.
—Hello. Is this Hunter Kim Hanul?
When I answered the phone, a gentle voice flowed into my ear.
“Hello, Guild Master Sanarae.”
—You answered so naturally. As if you were waiting.
Sanarae asked with a soft laugh.
I had expected it.
If anyone from the three great guilds were to approach me today, I was certain it would be her.
“I wasn't exactly waiting, but there's no reason to be surprised. We did see each other earlier.”
—Did we exchange numbers?
“According to the rumors, you have the ability to find out anything you wish to know, Guild Master. So I just assumed.”
—Ahaha, that's true. The reason I called is that I wanted to introduce someone to you, Hanul.
“May I ask who?”
—An artisan.
Sanarae’s voice came through, low and soft.
—An artisan who can process the Bloodstone you possess more perfectly than anyone else in this world.