Hunter Certificate
Cold sweat poured down the back of Go Changsik’s neck.
Standing right in front of him was Hanul.
“So you rejected my niece’s request?”
Go Changsik’s shoulders flinched.
“W-what are you talking about…?”
“Playing dumb? Kang Eunha, Minister of the Dungeon Management Department. She’s my niece.”
The air grew heavy and oppressive.
Gulp—
“Talk back to my niece and you’re dead.”
“I-I’m so sorry! I’ve been so distracted lately… There was a small misunderstanding!”
“Misunderstanding?”
Hanul leaned down until his eyes met those of Go Changsik, who was still sprawled on the floor.
“Don’t make me angry.”
“I-I will never let anything like that happen again.”
“At least you never went after her directly. That’s the only reason I’m stopping here.”
“Th-thank you!”
“This will do for a first greeting.”
Hanul reached out and patted the Association President’s cheek the way one might playfully slap a toy.
Tap— tap—
The measurement officers held their breath.
The dignity of the Association President?
He had never been the sort of man who belonged in that position to begin with— a seat bought with money and flattery.
Even so, whatever scraps of dignity he still possessed now lay trampled underfoot in front of every measurement officer present. His face burned crimson, yet Go Changsik lacked the courage to resist.
Only when Hanul straightened up did Go Changsik finally dare to suck in the breath he had been holding. Relief at still being alive hit him harder than the pain.
“From now on, you will give my niece your full cooperation!”
“Master, if he doesn’t listen next time, just blow his head clean off and stick it back on, yong! That’d be way faster!”
Hatchery spoke in a bright, innocent voice, her expression pure and childlike. Yet the aura rolling off her was anything but ordinary, and Go Changsik felt another jolt of pure terror. He could tell she meant every word— and that she had the power to back it up.
Damn it, who the hell is that little brat? Why are there nothing but monsters around this guy…
“Ah, I almost forgot the important part. What rank did I get?”
“Pardon?”
Go Changsik trembled with his nose still pressed to the floor.
“My rank. We just finished the Hunter rank measurement, didn’t we?”
“Well… from what I heard the equipment was destroyed, so the measurement probably failed…”
Hatchery’s cheek twitched. Go Changsik immediately switched tactics.
“Ah! SSS-rank!”
“SSS-rank exists now?”
Go Changsik nodded so hard his head nearly came off.
“Y-yes, it does! It was established while you were away. Hunter power inflation got so severe that the old S-class system alone couldn’t handle standardization anymore.”
He hurried on with the explanation.
“While you were gone from Earth, the world changed. Hunters above S-class are now classified as national strategic assets, and international rank standardization was implemented at the same time.”
“Oh? Quite a few things have changed.”
“Yes! High ranks above S-class can no longer be decided by a single nation alone.”
“Explain further.”
“Explain it properly, yong!”
Before he knew it, the Association President had turned into a walking guidebook rather than the head of the Hunter Association.
“Korea is a registered nation under the World Hunter Association. By regulation, any rank above S-class requires formal authorization from the World Hunter Association. Data transmission and review take a considerable amount of time.”
Hanul said nothing for a moment. Cold sweat trickled down the back of Go Changsik’s neck again.
“So when does the result come out?”
“Well… the authorization process alone takes at least several weeks. We have to maintain real-time communication with the overseas branch that houses World Association headquarters.”
“Several weeks? You’re telling Master to wait several weeks, yong?”
Hatchery’s brow furrowed. The air inside the room froze solid. Go Changsik’s heart plummeted.
The unexpected lifeline came from Seo Jihun, Office Manager of the Veteran Guild.
“Association President, why not first issue an S-class Hunter Certificate under the Association President’s special domestic authority? That can be processed immediately.”
“Ah! I-is that so?”
“With S-class authority alone he can freely enter every gate in the country and enjoy every benefit. The SSS-rank authorization can be handled as quickly as possible afterward.”
“Shall we do as our Office Manager suggests?”
A way out. Go Changsik nodded frantically.
“O-of course! You lot heard that, right? Process Kang Hanul’s S-class Hunter rank right now!”
“Yes, sir! Understood!”
The staff scrambled into motion. Only then did Go Changsik finally release the breath he had been holding. His mind felt ready to tear apart, but for the moment the sheer relief of still being alive was enough.
“Let’s take a commemorative photo.”
At Hanul’s words Hatchery struck a pose as if she had been waiting for exactly this. She stuck close to his side and made an adorable V-sign with her fingers.
“I’ll take it.”
Seo Jihun stepped forward, pulling out his phone.
“Come on, Office Manager Seo has to be in it too. Vice Guild Leader Baek as well.”
Hanul jerked his chin toward a nearby measurement officer. The man approached hesitantly and accepted Hanul’s phone with trembling hands.
The devastated testing ground. The shattered ceiling. Against that backdrop stood Hanul’s group, looking completely at ease.
“Hey, Association President, get over here.”
“M-me as well?”
“Of course. You’re the Association President of this place, after all. You should be in the picture.”
“I-it would be an honor.”
Go Changsik shuffled over to Hanul’s side, looking utterly cowed— like a rabbit forced to pose for a photo right next to a tiger.
Click—
Looking satisfied, Hanul sent the photo straight to his niece Eunha.
“We’ll wait here until the Hunter Certificate is ready.”
He was still not leaving? He intended to wait until the certificate was issued? Go Changsik’s eyes flew wide and he frantically signaled the staff with his eyes.
“H-hurry! Make the Hunter Certificate right this instant and bring it here!”
The employees sprinted even faster toward the office. Hanul watched the fretting Association President with leisurely calm.
“Hmm. While we wait, shall we talk about the repairs? What do you plan to do?”
“O-of course I’ll submit a budget proposal…! I have absolutely no intention of billing you for any of it!”
As Go Changsik waved his hands desperately, Hanul activated Abyss Spectrum. The Association President’s mind and past records projected themselves with perfect clarity. Hatchery shoved her head in beside him for a look, like a child butting into someone else’s business.
“Wow, Master! This old man has been skimming like crazy, yong! Gold bars here, rebates there!”
“Indeed. He’s been quite thrifty about it.”
At Hanul’s icy tone, Go Changsik’s face turned the color of dirt. He could feel the coordinates of his secret vaults and the contents of his ledgers being peeled open in real time from the depths of his consciousness.
“If you ever skim again, you die. Understood?”
“Khh… Yes… I’ll keep that firmly in mind.”
Hanul pointed at the gaping hole in the ceiling and added,
“And the money you’ve already embezzled— use that for the repairs. Don’t touch Association funds. Empty your personal vaults.”
“…”
Go Changsik gave no answer. Not defiance— he simply looked stunned at the order to liquidate his private fortune.
“Master, he’s not answering, yong? Should I let the Goat Demons give him a little snuggle, yong?”
Hatchery grinned. The smile was pure, but her eyes said she was ready to start the “snuggling” at any second. Only then did Go Changsik’s body begin to twitch and shake.
“I-I understand! I’ll do it!”
He answered in a rush, then added with a miserable expression,
“But even if I somehow manage the equipment, the building is impossible. The outer walls and the ceiling are completely destroyed. Even if I empty every vault I have, it won’t be enough.”
“See? This ajo-ssi really needs a Goat Demon snuggle…”
“N-no! I’ll find a way!”
Hanul waved a hand.
“No need. We’re not thugs. We can make allowances for that much.”
“R-really?”
“Whatever’s short, the Veteran Guild will lend you.”
“Pardon?”
Go Changsik’s eyes went round. He already knew Hanul was not the sort of man who offered kindness for free. Lending money? That meant he intended to act like a loan shark.
“It’s a loan. You’ll have to pay it back.”
“That…”
Hanul simply stared at him. The look said refusal equaled death. The moment he took on the debt, a leash would be around his neck. Yet refusing here would be even more dangerous.
“I understand…”
Go Changsik hung his head. Hatchery grinned again. Hanul rose from his seat.
“I’ll let you know later how you’ll repay it.”
Right on cue, an employee came running.
“Huff, huff… The Hunter Certificate… here it is!”
The S-class emblem was stamped on it with perfect clarity. Hanul gave the certificate a little wave.
“Appreciate it. We’ll meet again.”
Instead of answering, Go Changsik trembled finely. His eyes screamed that he never wanted to meet again. Of course, that would not be up to him.
Veteran Guild headquarters.
They had only just returned from the Association and settled into the Guild Leader’s office. The brand-new S-class Hunter Certificate felt pleasantly crisp between Hanul’s fingers.
Seo Jihun, who had gone straight to his own office upon their return, now reappeared in the Guild Leader’s office together with the Vice Guild Leader and stood before Hanul.
“Acting Guild Leader registration was completed just now. After discussing it with the Vice Guild Leader, we were wondering whether we should proceed with formal Guild Leader registration as well. What are your thoughts?”
“Fine. Go ahead.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll start the process immediately.”
Seo Jihun’s reply was crisp. Baek Hayan’s expression had brightened as well. The atmosphere was completely different from the days of former Guild Leader Park Isak. The guild was being reborn.
No— not just our guild. After what I saw at the Association, this entire country might change.
“Waaah, Master! This card sparkles just like pretty fish scales, yong! I want one too!”
“I’ll make you one later.”
Hanul patted Hatchery’s head, then turned to Seo Jihun.
“Any other schedule for today?”
“Yes! Interviews.”
“Already today?”
Hanul scratched the back of his head, a note of mild annoyance in his voice. Seo Jihun slid a stack of documents onto the desk and added,
“New applicants are still under document review. Today we’re focusing on experienced hunters.”
“While we’re on the subject— you’re following what I told you last time, right? Prioritizing meritorious veterans.”
Meritorious veterans. Those who had been injured or whose prime had passed, now facing forced retirement. Veterans who had devoted themselves to the nation only to be abandoned by the Association. Hanul had ordered that they— or their families— be given first priority in recruitment, provided they still possessed real ability.
“Yes! Of course!”
Beside the answering Seo Jihun, Baek Hayan hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“…Personally, I deeply respect this policy.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“Yes! The reason this country has declined is actually quite clear.”
“Do you feel the same way, Office Manager Seo?”
As if he had been waiting for the question, Seo Jihun answered.
“Over the years many hunters fought for this nation. Every time a gate erupted they risked their lives to stop it. They lost comrades and ground their own bodies down just to hold the line.”
Yeah, I know that well enough. I was one of those hunters back then.
“And yet afterward… the nation treated them with cold indifference. Even the bereaved families were ignored. Compensation was rare; being forgotten was the norm.”
“In the end, talented people left for overseas, and those who remained withered under cynicism. The result is the mess we have now.”
A heavy silence settled after the two finished speaking. Then Baek Hayan suddenly bowed so deeply her forehead nearly touched the floor.
“My own parents were the same. They fought for the country, were injured, and received nothing but cold rejection in return.”
Come to think of it, when I peeked at Vice Guild Leader Baek’s memories with Abyss Spectrum last time, there were fragments like that.
“Acting Guild Leader Kang Hanul— no, Guild Leader— I am truly grateful for this policy.”
“I feel exactly the same!”
The gratitude was genuine. Hanul regarded them quietly for a moment, then let out a short laugh.
“You’re all so sentimental. No need to thank me. It’s not for any grand reason like ‘for the country.’ It’s for my niece.”
He rose smoothly to his feet.
“All right, let’s go do those interviews. Show me to the interview room.”