Chapter 3
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: First Request (1)
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After grabbing my license, I pulled up the status window and muttered.
“Alright, let’s start by measuring my combat power.”
I needed to find out what level of request I could handle right now.
Self-assessment is crucial at times like these.
I couldn't just jump into the jaws of death with a single new skill, not knowing if it was any good.
I fiddled with my earlobe as I scanned the information window.
[You can pay Gold to hire monsters.]
With the Gold I had, there was only one monster I could hire anyway.
[Pay 50 Gold to hire a Goblin Slave?]
Hah, a Goblin Slave.
How long has it been since I hired one of these?
Back in my newbie days, I'd foolishly poured items into this guy.
Of course, after learning it was one of the worst monsters in terms of cost-effectiveness and gear scaling, it became nothing more than a meat shield.
On top of that, there was a terrible bug where its equipped gear would just disappear at some point.
“Still, it's the only thing I can hire, so I have no choice.”
I pressed my earlobe gently.
[You have paid 50 Gold and hired a Goblin Slave!]
At the same time, new information was etched into a corner of the status window.
[Summonable Monsters: Goblin Slave 1/1]
“Right, just as I thought.”
So far, it wasn't any different from the game MonMonMak.
In that case, let's see how the pixelated goblin from the game manifests in reality.
I pressed my earlobe once more.
[Summoning Goblin Slave!]
*Whoooosh!*
A bizarre scene unfolded before my eyes.
In the middle of my cramped studio apartment, a fist-sized rift appeared, as if space-time itself was twisting.
And then.
*Plop.*
“?”
The rift spat out something small, like a piece of gum, before vanishing with a *shwick*.
I narrowed my eyes at the marble rolling on the floor.
What the?
But the moment I bent down to pick up the marble rolling across the floor...
*POOF!*
A sound like a large balloon popping struck my ears.
With it, white smoke suddenly billowed out, filling the small studio.
But my surprise was brief. I calmly waved my hand, clearing away the gray smoke.
Through the smoke, I had spotted a blurry figure on top of my bed.
It was obvious at a glance.
I immediately grasped the situation and muttered.
“This is a bit risky, isn't it?”
A marble drops, and a monster is summoned from it with a puff of smoke.
Isn't this just like Pokémon?
MonMonMak, was this what the game was like?
“Kiruk.”
And a voice responded to my muttering.
No, should I call it a voice? It was more like a cry.
With a placid expression, I met the gaze of the creature staring at me from the bed.
A short, stocky monster with dense, green fur, long ears, a long nose, and a vile look in its eyes.
“A textbook...”
It was unmistakably a Goblin Slave.
Its appearance was identical to the real-life goblins that commonly emerged from Gates.
“...goblin.”
But.
“What are you holding right now?”
The item this thing was holding was strange.
* * *
Thirty years ago, the world changed. The Great Cataclysm occurred, and Gates and monsters appeared.
Soon after, ‘Awakened Beings’ who had unlocked supernatural powers began to act as Hunters, and their management became a major issue.
- Endless controversies are arising over the ranking of Awakened Beings, the occupation of various dungeons, and the monopolization of Gate requests by certain guilds. Director Kim Yusik, how do you plan to handle this situation?
Bombarded by reporters' questions, the head of the Awakened Being Management Headquarters at the time gave this answer.
- We will handle it well.
- ?
- Because that is our promise to the people.
To top it off, he nodded with a suave smile and a thoughtful 'hmm'.
That press conference, broadcast live across the nation, is still talked about to this day, surviving as a classic meme.
In any case, this director, whose only asset was his handsome face, served his full term.
Thanks to him, Korea's Hunter management system became a symbol of haphazard administration.
Even now, reorganized as the Hunter Association Management Headquarters, it's riddled with loopholes.
“Your license is E-rank... You have a fair number of records being hired as a porter or day laborer... but your record as an active Hunter, combining dungeons and Gates, is zero. You have none at all?”
“Yes. Will that be a problem?”
At the Hunter Association Management Headquarters in Jongno, Seoul.
The female employee entering information into the system shook her head.
“No, as long as you have a license, it doesn't really matter. Though you can only accept requests limited to E-rank.”
All you need is a license, huh.
This was exactly it.
‘If you don't want to die, don't be a damn E-rank Hunter.’
In fact, the employee in front of me had that same attitude.
“Shall I look up some requests for you, then?”
“Yes.”
“Are you solo?”
“So...”
I bristled for a moment, but then I realized she wasn't asking if I was 'single' but if I was a Hunter who worked alone, and I nodded.
“Yes. As you can see, this is my first time being active since getting my license.”
The employee typed on her keyboard indifferently and said.
“There are about thirty available E-rank requests right now. Would you like to see the list?”
“Sure.”
As soon as I answered, the smartphone in my hand buzzed.
I checked the screen to find a new window had popped up, displaying a map and a list of requests.
I stroked my chin for a while, checking the Gate locations and the detailed information about the requests.
I only spoke up when a hint of annoyance began to creep onto the employee's face.
“I'll take this one.”
A Gate that appeared in the mountains of Hongcheon, Gangwon Province.
The request was to hunt the goblins roaming the area.
The employee looked at the screen and grimaced.
“...This one? Are you sure?”
When I nodded, she paused for a moment before continuing.
“This isn't really a request an E-rank Hunter should accept solo...”
Of course, one thing was left unsaid.
- *This is not a request for an Awakened Being with a measly skill like 'Regeneration Lv.1'.*
It was a perfectly reasonable thought.
Although goblins are the lowest-class monsters, they live in groups, and when they swarm, even a D-rank Hunter would have a hard time alone.
The rank was lowered because a small number of goblins was reported, but it was definitely a request with variables.
That's what made it tempting.
“You don't need to worry.”
“...If you abandon the request, the commission fee will still be deducted, and if any damage is done to private property, you will be responsible for compensation.”
I shrugged.
In the end, the employee tapped on her keyboard and said.
“Then I'll register the request right away. Ten percent of the payment will be deducted as a commission fee. The disposal of monster byproducts for E-rank requests is entirely at the Hunter's discretion, and we don't take a separate cut. Furthermore, the Hunter Association Management Headquarters is not responsible for any accidents that may occur during the request. If you agree to all of this, please place your fingerprint on the machine in front of you.”
Isn't she saying 'not responsible for any accidents' a little too smoothly?
As expected of the Hunter world, even the authorities are cold and merciless.
I pressed my fingerprint to the scanner, keenly aware that I had just stepped into a jungle of beasts.
“You said you were going alone, right?”
the employee asked after all the procedures were complete.
“That's right.”
“You don't have separate Hunter life insurance. Shall I sign you up for the temporary insurance plan run by the headquarters?”
“?”
She's recommending insurance now?
In that instant, I saw the look in the employee's eyes and understood the whole situation.
This woman thinks I could die fighting goblins.
I'll admit it.
Based solely on the information registered to my license, I'm a weakling who would struggle with even a single goblin.
“No, that won't be necessary.”
But I declined with a smile.
As if I didn't know they'd take 50 percent of the request fee for 'insurance'.
* * *
Even if it's an E-rank request, it's still a life-or-death job.
It means that no matter how trivial, there's always a chance to be a hero.
“Oh, Hunter!”
Hongcheon, Gangwon Province.
To the chief of this rural village, I must have looked like a hero.
“Thank you so much. For a great person like you to come all the way to this humble place! I don't know how we can ever repay this kindness...”
The chief bowed deeply.
His bald head gleamed, reflecting the sunlight.
“It's nothing. I'm just doing this for the money.”
“Oh, but your coming here is what's important! Perhaps because the request was so minor, we didn't hear anything for a week after reporting it to the Gate Management Bureau.”
The chief and the other villagers must have been on edge that whole week.
After all, no Hunter would come all the way out to this mountain valley just to hunt some unprofitable goblins.
Besides, the pay for an E-rank request is, at most, around 200,000 to 300,000 won.
And crucially, if an E-rank request is left unattended for more than ten days, Hunters from the Association Headquarters will handle it themselves.
This means it's the kind of job even the noble Hunters who act on conviction turn their noses up at.
“It seems the goblins have been giving you a lot of trouble.”
“Oh, don't even mention it, Hunter. Ever since Mr. Park from our village spotted those wicked things, we haven't been able to go near the mountain.”
The man in his forties standing next to the chief nodded in agreement.
Then, with a cautious expression, he asked me.
“By the way, Hunter, if you don't mind me asking, which guild are you with?”
“A guild, you ask?”
“Yes, are you perhaps from the Pungbaek Guild?”
“?”
It was perfectly understandable to ask about my guild.
Unless you were a bottom-feeder like me, most Hunters belonged to a guild that managed them.
“Why would you think I'm from there?”
But hearing 'Pungbaek' from Mr. Park's lips was a bit unexpected.
Pungbaek was a famous guild, renowned enough to be called a noble Hunter house.
It was also the most influential elite group among Korea's top three guilds.
‘Starting with the S-rank Choi Kangwoo, then Yoon Suhyeok, Yoon Sua... Most of the big-name Hunters belong to the Pungbaek Guild.’
Most of their high-ranking members were A-rank or higher, elites who even received sponsorship from beings known as 'Divine Seats'.
Among them, Yoon Sua was a Hunter I had been cheering for for a long time.
“Ah, it's just that some Hunters from Pungbaek stopped by the village three days ago.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. At first, we thought they were here to handle our request, but that wasn't the case. They didn't say much, just stayed one night and went straight into the forest.”
I stroked my chin.
It made sense. Hunters from Pungbaek wouldn't come all this way just to hunt some trash mobs.
‘Does that mean there's at least a B-rank or higher request somewhere around here?’
I hadn't heard anything about that when I accepted this request.
Still, I needed to consider the possibilities.
“Did they head in the same direction as the Gate where the goblins appeared?”
“No. They went west, and the goblins are to the north.”
Then I could rest a little easier.
Normally, unless it was a very special case, like a monster wave-level disaster or a giant beast, monsters from different Gates didn't have overlapping territories.
“Then please lead the way.”
I cleared my thoughts at that point.
There was nothing to gain from worrying about the movements of Hunters from another world.
It was time to do what I came here for.
“Hunter, are you sure you'll be alright? I don't know much about monsters, but I've heard that goblins are tougher than they look...”
the chief asked, his voice still full of worry.
“Don't worry. I will completely exterminate the goblins with my own hands.”
I nodded with a confident smile and an "Mm."
“I promise you that.”
“!”
The eyes of the chief and Mr. Park, looking at me, were now filled with a light of infinite trust.