Chapter 6
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: First Request (4)
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‘How did this happen?’
Yoon Sua thought, staring at the scene unfolding before her.
Just moments ago, she and the other Pungbaek hunters had been frantically combing through the mountain.
One of the monsters they were supposed to subjugate had escaped during the hunt.
Although it was just an ogre, they couldn't let their guard down.
Because the creature was an ‘Aberrant.’
Aberrants were, quite literally, mutants that displayed behaviors deviating from the standard patterns of monsters.
This ogre was no different.
It was far stronger than the other ogres that had emerged from the gate, and its attack patterns were atypical.
It had even managed to break through the encirclement of three B-rank hunters, albeit new ones.
‘This isn't a creature an ordinary hunter could take down casually.’
It was undoubtedly a very dangerous foe.
Dangerous enough for even an A-rank hunter like her to lose track of it for a moment, no matter how distracted she was.
And yet.
‘What could have done this to it?’
That same ogre was now sprawled out on the ground, its skull utterly crushed.
And standing before it was a man who wasn't even wearing a suit, a man who at a glance looked like a civilian.
Circumstances made it clear that this man was the one who had put the ogre in this state.
And he had done it alone, to a monster that three B-rank hunters had struggled against.
‘Does that mean he’s an A-rank hunter or higher? But…’
Her confusion only deepened.
The hunter world was surprisingly small.
Especially when it came to hunters of a certain caliber.
There was no way Yoon Sua, who had been active in this field for quite some time, wouldn't know a hunter of this level.
Moreover.
‘I’ve never seen him before… so why does he feel somewhat familiar?’
It was strange.
The man before her was clearly a hunter she’d never met.
Yet, looking at his face, she felt a sense of déjà vu.
As if she had crossed paths with him somewhere, a long time ago.
‘No, it must be my imagination.’
She could dismiss that as a trick of her confused mind.
But there was another, more important issue.
[The Great Warlord of the Heavens expresses deep interest in the individual before you.]
The Divine Seat contracted with Yoon Sua.
Her sponsor, a transcendent being, was showing interest in the hunter before her.
‘My Divine Seat has never shown such blatant interest before.’
Yoon Sua’s Divine Seat, the ‘Great Warlord of the Heavens,’ was a taciturn being.
Unlike her brother Yoon Suhyeok’s Divine Seat, hers showed little interest in most human affairs.
[The Great Warlord of the Heavens mutters again that the man before you is an interesting being.]
On top of that, Yoon Sua was a member of the Pungbaek Guild.
Naturally, she had met countless rookies and skilled individuals over the years.
But her Divine Seat had never once shown any interest in them.
That’s what made the man before her all the more special.
Yoon Sua carefully met the eyes of the man staring at her.
‘Is he really that powerful? But his aura doesn’t feel like it…’
The way the man’s eyes looked at her.
She knew that look well.
It was the look of a civilian, filled with wonder and curiosity, as if gazing at someone from another dimension.
There wasn't a trace of the deadly aura that flowed from a hunter.
There were clearly more than a few odd things about him.
“It's a pleasure to meet you. I’m Yoon Sua, from the Pungbaek Guild.”
But Yoon Sua soon approached the man and extended her hand.
It would be rude to continue scrutinizing and being wary of him.
After all, this man was their benefactor who had resolved their critical mistake.
“…”
However, the man simply stared at her outstretched hand in silence.
“Um…”
“Ah, my apologies. I was lost in thought.”
After a brief moment, she spoke awkwardly, and only then did the man take her hand.
“I’m Kim Hanul.”
Kim Hanul.
It was a name she’d never heard before.
It didn't seem like an alias, either.
Though none of her questions had been answered, Yoon Sua smiled and asked.
“Right. Hunter Hanul, were you the one who hunted this ogre?”
“That’s one way to put it.”
‘One way to put it?’
Yoon Sua tilted her head inwardly.
But she quickly pushed the thought aside, bowed her head, and continued.
“Thank you. As you’ve probably guessed, this ogre was one that we failed to subjugate and let escape. We were worried it might cause harm to civilians, but you saved us, Hanul-nim.”
At her words, the three hunters behind her wore sour expressions.
Their faces seemed to ask if this was really a situation that warranted being called ‘saved.’
But she was right.
If the escaped ogre had caused any civilian casualties, not only she and her team but the entire Pungbaek Guild would have faced severe criticism.
A team with one A-rank and three B-rank hunters.
Failing to properly handle a single ogre was definitely a problem.
“Well, I got lucky.”
Hanul seemed to understand this, as he didn't deny her words.
But the hunters behind them grumbled, their displeasure written plainly on their faces.
“Tch, acting all high and mighty after landing the last hit on something we’d already worn down.”
“Hunter Kim Jongun.”
“No, but Jongun is right, isn't he? The last time we checked, this ogre was on the verge of death. Team Leader Sua, you saw it too.”
“That’s right. From the looks of it, this guy doesn’t even seem to be a higher rank than us. He just got lucky, didn’t he?”
The other two hunters chimed in as if on cue.
But then, as if by agreement, the complaining hunters fell silent.
“And so.”
A suffocating pressure suddenly crushed them.
“Who was it that couldn’t even stop that half-dead ogre and let it get away, Hunter Kim Jongun?”
“Uh, th-that’s…”
“I told you to activate the trap if it showed any sign of escaping, but who was it that just stood there dumbfounded, overwhelmed by the ogre’s presence?”
“Th-that’s…”
“And who was it that just watched while I was fighting the other ogres, when you should have reported the situation immediately?”
“…”
Faced with Yoon Sua’s murderous aura, the hunters turned pale and shut their mouths.
The only one watching with an intrigued expression was Hanul.
“Even if this was your first request after joining the guild, the mistake you made this time is unacceptable. As you are aware, this won’t end with just a written apology.”
Yoon Sua spoke with firm resolve.
She had tried to be understanding of their mistake.
But their behavior toward the hunter before them was not something she could let slide.
It was a matter of character, not skill.
It was clear that keeping them in the guild would bring no benefits whatsoever.
“B-but Team Leader! You know how much we worked to get into this guild…!”
Realizing the gravity of the situation, one of the hunters hastily spoke up.
“Hunter Hanul.”
But Yoon Sua ignored him completely and called out to the man before her.
Then she bowed her head deeply once more.
“I apologize on their behalf for their rudeness.”
“Well, there are always a few bad apples that spoil the bunch. I understand.”
Hanul replied with a shrug.
The hunters behind him scowled but could do nothing.
Then, Hanul looked at the ogre’s corpse and spoke.
“Then this ogre is mine, right?”
“Yes. The corpse of this ogre is entirely yours, Hunter Hanul.”
“I see. Let’s see, how should I handle this then.”
At Hanul's murmur, Sua wore a puzzled expression.
“If you don't mind, may I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“Hunter Hanul, are you not affiliated with a guild?”
The reason for her question was simple.
Normally, hunters didn't worry about processing monsters after a hunt.
Guild staff would collect the corpses, sell any items or byproducts, and deposit the profits into their accounts.
There were only two reasons a hunter would worry about disposing of a corpse.
Either the monster wasn't a significant enough kill.
Or they had no one to handle such troublesome tasks for them.
“For now, that's correct.”
Again, an ambiguous answer.
But Yoon Sua’s eyes widened.
A hunter who could crush an Aberrant ogre was operating without a guild?
[The Great Warlord of the Heavens whispers not to miss this opportunity, that they believe in our child.]
And just as her Divine Seat believed, Yoon Sua made the best possible judgment in this situation.
“In that case, would it be alright if we process the ogre’s corpse and send the profits to your account?”
“Hmm… I have no connection to your guild.”
“Please think of it as a small token of our gratitude. Since this happened due to my oversight, our guild will cover the processing costs and the commission on byproduct sales as well.”
Hanul stroked his chin, gazing at the ogre’s corpse.
The only option for a freelance hunter in this situation was to call a private disposal company.
The processing fees alone would be enormous.
“Alright, please do so.”
Yoon Sua let out a sigh of relief internally.
She had been worried he might flatly refuse.
But as expected, the man before her was not one to be taken lightly.
“Do you have a contract?”
“A contract?”
“I think we need a written agreement. I can’t just trust you not to pocket everything. It would be good to have a contract stating you’ll handle the disposal on my behalf.”
“Ah…”
A guild like Pungbaek would never squabble over a single ogre corpse.
But Yoon Sua waved her hand in the air.
[Subspace Inventory]
At the same time, space distorted, and a small rift opened.
Yoon Sua pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from within.
“This is a contract we normally use when outsourcing to private disposal companies, but it should work. It’s a simple sealed contract, but it comes with a mana penalty.”
Kim Hanul glanced over the contract Yoon Sua had thumb-printed and nodded.
“Then I’ll be on my way. I have some other things to take care of.”
With those words, Hanul turned to leave.
Yoon Sua was about to bow and bid him farewell when she suddenly remembered something and quickly called out.
“Hunter Kim Hanul!”
“?”
“If it's not too much trouble, could I have your contact information?”
Even without his number, it wouldn't be difficult for the guild to find it using their resources.
But that would be impolite.
Besides, for various reasons, she felt it wouldn't hurt to have his contact information.
“…”
Hanul stared at the phone Yoon Sua held out with a strange expression.
He then took the phone, typed in his number, and handed it back.
“Thank you, Hunter Hanul. I’ll be in touch soon.”
Sua gave a slight bow and watched Hanul as he leisurely disappeared.
‘He didn’t say a single unnecessary thing.’
Usually, anyone who spoke with her for the first time, whether a hunter or a civilian, would spout all sorts of useless words.
Fawning, so to speak.
It was something she, as the face of the Pungbaek Guild, had to endure.
But Hanul simply said what needed to be said and left.
Even though his initial gaze seemed to hold a hint of admiration.
[The Great Warlord of the Heavens gives a meaningful smile.]
‘It’s not like that, my Divine Seat.’
She had been treated more like a celebrity than a hunter for so long that his attitude was simply more intriguing.
Plus, he was the only person to capture her Divine Seat’s interest since herself.
And to add one more thing, he looked strangely familiar.
[The Great Warlord of the Heavens gives another meaningful smile.]
‘…Why are you being like this today?’
Yoon Sua’s image of her Divine Seat shattered, just a little.
* * *
“Hah, well I’ll be.”
I finally let the words escape as I practically flew down the path toward the village.
A phone was clutched in my hand.
[Thank you so much, Hunter Kim Hanul. This is Yoon Sua from the Pungbaek Guild. Please save my number if you don't mind.]
Not only did I meet my favorite hunter up close and receive her thanks, but we even exchanged numbers.
‘I handled that pretty well.’
I never thought the poker face I’d honed over five years of streaming would shine in a moment like this.
Thanks to that, I managed to avoid making a fool of myself by begging for an autograph or acting like a shy clod who could only stare endlessly at Yoon Sua’s face.
‘Anyway, Yoon Sua really is an angel.’
The images portrayed in the media are often exaggerated.
But with Yoon Sua, it felt like the media couldn’t fully capture who she was.
She was incredibly level-headed, had great leadership, and knew how to be polite.
Not to mention her beauty.
Perhaps those who have more can afford to be more composed.
In any case, thanks to her, the troublesome matter of the ogre’s corpse was taken care of.
‘Now I just have to go back and wait for her call… Ah, but before that.’
The call would come as soon as the corpse was processed anyway.
I shifted my gaze to the information window glowing in the corner of my vision.
[You have an unused free draw ticket!]
Now, it was time to test my luck.