Chapter 301: The Promotion Ceremony
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 301: The Promotion Ceremony
After confirming the article announcing my A-rank promotion had been posted, I set down the smartphone in my hand.
Everything had gone according to plan.
I had slowly preached about the dangers of the drug to raise a sense of crisis, and just as it reached its peak, I had an article released about the bust of the sales organization.
Then, just as the buzz from the second piece of news began to die down, came the article about the successful development of the spell formula.
“Building up my reputation is almost too easy.”
The reason for orchestrating all this was, of course, to leave a powerful impression on everyone.
Having already lived as a celebrity once before, I understood the psychology of that world better than anyone.
The more achievements you rack up, the more good deeds you perform, the more forgiving the public’s gaze becomes.
Of course, if I were to make an irreversible mistake, I’d accumulate even greater hatred, but a run-of-the-mill incident or accident would never be enough to bring me down.
Why?
Because their generous affection would spread out beneath my feet, becoming a safety net to catch me if I fell.
“You bastard.”
Shin Yu-jeong, who had been sleeping soundly while hugging my torso, woke up and chided me.
Of course, it wasn't heartfelt, just a hint of jealousy.
“I helped you too, you jerk.”
Shin Yu-jeong had certainly made a significant contribution to the drug bust.
If it hadn’t been for her, I probably wouldn’t have been able to track them down so easily.
Yet, despite that, her name wasn’t mentioned once in the dozens of articles pouring out each day, and she seemed upset about it.
It was something worth being upset about.
But there was a reason I described it as only a hint of jealousy.
“But you got paid for it.”
The reward money paid to her by the Association was a whopping 30 million won.
That should be more than enough for some financial therapy, shouldn't it?
At that, hitting a nerve, she blushed and shot back.
“That’s that, and this is this!”
Ugh.
“So full of greed…”
I grabbed the back of her whining head, pulled her into my chest, and whispered.
“But you have me.”
I thought it was a pretty sweet thing to say, but she glared at me with cold eyes.
“What’s there to brag about when I can’t even have you to myself?”
“Ahem…”
I forgot about that.
No, wait.
Now that it’s come up, I should say what’s on my mind.
On the condition that she’d allow a threesome, she had said she would bring the partner herself.
I’d been holding back as much as possible because asking repeatedly would seem like I was rushing her, but it should be okay to ask at least once by now.
“So, have you found someone to join us?”
“…Not yet.”
Shin Yu-jeong shook her head with a pout.
Then again… how easy could it be for someone who’s lived a normal life to find a partner for a threesome?
Just then, she asked me.
“Who do you want to do it with?”
“Uh… well.”
I mumbled my answer to her sudden question.
If I were to just blurt out someone’s name here, the situation could get even worse, so I thought this was the best I could do, but…
She was persistent.
“Stop holding back and tell me. You said you wanted it so badly. You must have a woman in mind every time you imagine it.”
“Well… I mean… I do, but.”
Wow, this is tricky.
I’ve been going on and on about wanting a threesome, so if I say I don’t have anyone in mind, I’ll look like a hypocrite.
But if I say I do, I’ll look like an asshole… ah.
That’s right. I am an asshole.
I was so conscious of the news articles that I forgot for a moment while pretending to be a good person.
“I won’t get mad, so just get it off your chest. Who knows? You might even get to do it with her.”
“…Really?”
I asked as if I was tempted, but I knew better.
I knew just how absurd and untrue those words were when they came from a woman.
I can’t count the number of times I fell for that in the past and ended up with a fireball in my back for saying this and that.
I’m not falling for it anymore.
“I’m serious. So stop beating around the bush and tell me.”
Since it had come to this, it felt like I had to name at least one person out of courtesy.
Who should I say?
To be honest, the person my heart was screaming for was Jeong-hee… but that was a definite no.
If I chose Im Na-eun… she was also a bit of a concern.
The moment the threesome started, she’d probably pounce on me like a bitch in heat and call me ‘Master,’ which would kill the mood entirely.
The most manageable one was Jo Yun-kyung… but she was Shin Yu-jeong’s friend, so that was a bit risky.
Then, one person suddenly came to mind.
I immediately whispered her name into Shin Yu-jeong’s ear…
Her face crumpled into a scowl as she asked me.
“Are you crazy?”
Nope.
* * *
Unlike an S-rank promotion ceremony, an A-rank one is a modest affair.
There’s an emcee to lead the event, one of the Association’s executives, members of the Hunter’s guild, or scouts from guilds that have their eye on them.
Add a few reporters with friendly ties to the Association to snap a few pictures during the ceremony, and that’s it.
…Or it should have been.
“Move it, move it!”
“A light went out over here! What are you doing, not replacing it?!”
“Bring out all the tables and chairs!”
This A-rank promotion ceremony had turned into an event as grand as one for an S-ranker.
There were several reasons for this. First, the public’s interest in him was incredibly intense.
“Kyaaak! Do-jin oppa!”
“Ajumma, how is our Do-jin your oppa!”
“If a guy’s handsome, he’s an oppa, kid!”
With his dashing face and physique, on top of his unprecedented abilities, his popularity—at least among women—was, for a brief moment, on par with the national Hunter.
Since they couldn’t accommodate all of them at the ceremony, the plan was to appease the fans by broadcasting it live on Nertube as a secondary measure.
And the second reason.
“We’re definitely getting Kim Do-jin this time.”
“Our guild’s mindset this year is to get Kim Do-jin and only Kim Do-jin.”
“We’ll wait two years!”
“Three years!”
He was still a free agent, not affiliated with any organization.
Because of that, the ceremony hall was packed with scouts and executives from every prominent guild in South Korea.
Even international guilds, recognizing his potential, had come to Korea to recruit him.
He hadn’t stopped at being the youngest B-rank Hunter; he had also seized the record for the youngest A-rank Hunter.
What did this mean?
“It might not be a stretch for him to get the triple crown as the youngest S-rank Hunter.”
“I think so too.”
Just as people were saying, it sparked the expectation that he might even devour the record for the youngest S-rank Hunter, setting an immortal grand record that would never change, no matter how many years passed.
It was a lottery ticket that was almost guaranteed to be a winner, and the owner had yet to be decided.
Wouldn’t it be stranger not to drool and rush in?
These people alone were enough to make the hall burst at the seams, but there was still one more reason.
It was the spell formula for the new drug, held in his hands.
“Secure it, no matter what the licensing fee is.”
“If this drug starts to spread, we’re screwed. You know that, right?”
“If you can’t get it, just commit seppuku right there.”
Pharmaceutical companies that had recognized the danger of the red pill, ‘Rage-13,’ had come running in droves.
Research was currently being conducted under the supervision of corporations and the government, but they hadn’t even been able to identify the exact properties of the mana contained in the red pill, let alone the spell formula.
They needed to input his spell formula in advance to prevent the drug’s spread, at least until their own research was complete.
Amidst the massive crowd that had gathered.
The voice of the emcee standing at the microphone on the stage echoed through the giant speakers.
“We will now begin the A-rank promotion ceremony for Hunter Kim Do-jin.”
And finally.
“Will Hunter Kim Do-jin please come up to the stage.”
The one everyone had been waiting for ascended the stage.
* * *
Looking over the faces of those filling the ceremony hall, my jaw dropped on its own.
“Is this an A-rank promotion ceremony or an S-rank one…?”
I had heard from the Association that the ceremony would be held on a grand scale, but I never imagined it would be to this extent.
Moreover, the lineup of people gathered here was all spectacular.
Not to mention the scouts from major domestic guilds.
“Russia, Japan, America… someone from the UK is here too.”
I spotted scouts from major international guilds whom I had met a few times during overseas meetings.
On top of that, there were people whose faces I didn’t recognize but who exuded an extraordinary aura.
Seeing all this, I was finally getting a sense of just how much trouble I’d been stirring up.
“From now on, I’ll have to cast perception-hindering magic whenever I go outside…”
Looks like casually walking around with women like before is out of the question.
As I smacked my lips in disappointment.
“Hunter Kim Do-jin! The ceremony is about to begin!”
“Yes, I’m coming.”
Finally, the promotion ceremony began.
“Will Hunter Kim Do-jin please come up to the stage.”
The moment I heard the emcee’s words, I left the waiting room and stepped onto the stage.
Click! Click!
The sound of shutters came from cameras that looked like cannons, the kind that wouldn’t be out of place if missiles started pouring out of them.
“Kyaaaaak! Oppa!”
Female fans, drawn here, mesmerized by my face.
And those who cast heavy gazes, trying to gauge my abilities.
I waved at them with a light smile and stood on the stage.
The person waiting for me, holding a badge with the letter ‘A’ stylishly engraved on it, was the Association President.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
A slightly balding head, a face that faintly resembled a toad, and a stout build.
The man I had mentioned several times as the cheapest of cheapskates was this very person.
His name was Jeong Il-ho.
When it came to his ability to save on the budget, he was an extreme miser, S-rank, no, SS-rank.
His thick fingers pinned the badge to the jacket of the expensive suit Ju-yeon had bought for me, which I had only managed to find yesterday.
“Hunter Kim Do-jin, we’d like to hear a few words from you.”
Finally, my time came. I took the microphone and faced the numerous people who had come to the ceremony hall.
“I am Kim Do-jin, who as of today, has become an A-rank Hunter.”
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
“Uh… first, I’d like to express my gratitude to the distinguished guests who came to celebrate my promotion.”
At the tables closest to the stage, familiar faces were seated.
My teammates, Jeong-hee, Yoon Ji-an, Kim Eun-bi, Ryujin, and Han Ju-yeon.
And Han Ju-hee.
Honestly, I hadn’t expected her to attend.
I heard she had canceled all her official schedules recently and locked herself in her lab, so I never thought she’d come here.
Is she thinking of going all-in to support me and score some points?
In any case, her attendance was another one of the reasons this hall was bursting at the seams.
“To briefly share my thoughts…”
In my opinion, a speech is no different from a principal’s long-winded lecture.
In other words, short and impactful is best.
And I happened to have something that would deliver a powerful impact.
“I’ve been told that with this, following my record as the youngest B-rank, I have now also seized the record for the youngest A-rank Hunter.”
The youngest A-rank record, following the youngest B-rank.
At this point, even I was starting to get greedy.
“Since it’s come to this, I’ll make sure to cleanly collect the record for the youngest S-rank as well.”
An arrogant challenge, or a declaration of war.
The reporters, who had just been handed a delicious story, grew excited.
And one more thing.
“So, I hope my teammates will quickly follow in my footsteps.”
I shifted some of the focus to my teammates sitting in the very front row.
They needed to start getting exposed to this kind of atmosphere and get used to it.
That seemed sufficient for a speech.
Now, the time had come to detonate the final bomb I had prepared.
“Lastly, I would like to say something about the new drug counter-spell formula that Hunter Han Ju-hee and I jointly developed.”
A story about the spell formula that so many desired.
The moment the news of its development broke, I became a ‘future millionaire’ to the public.
Indeed, the licensing fees that would pour in the moment the spell formula was distributed for a fee would be enormous.
But as I’ve said several times, at this point, money isn’t what’s important.
“After a deep discussion with Hunter Han Ju-hee, we have decided to distribute this spell formula for free.”
The hall instantly erupted into a commotion.
“What… distribute the spell formula for free?”
“What kind of crazy thing is he saying?”
“S-scoops are pouring in.”
“I’m coming from the massive combo of scoops…!”
Amidst this, the only calm people were me and Han Ju-hee.
After lightly meeting her gaze, I continued.
“We hope that there will be no more victims of this new drug, rather than earning money through the spell formula.”
So.
“You can all stop your research now and just take this and use it. That is all.”
After finishing my words, I set down the microphone.
Then, I turned my back on the dumbfounded faces and walked out of the ceremony hall.
The next day.
The entire world began to talk about me.
“…They’re calling you a madman.”
“……”
A madman.