C-Rank Gate Appearance!

"I, I'm so sorry. The traffic was terrible." Kim Jeonghyeon bowed his head deeply.

"It's fine. I just got here myself. But why is that old man here?"

As Cheon Yooshin’s gaze shifted toward Chairman Baek Giseong, the old man let out a hearty laugh.

"I was just passing by and decided to drop in. Purely by chance."

Chance, my foot.

Chairman Baek Giseong, who had already settled into a seat, signaled to the secretary following behind him. The secretary placed a bag on the table. It was a backpack.

"What is this? Surely you didn't come all this way just to give me a designer bag."

Baek Giseong chuckled heartily. "It’s a bag made from the hide of the Minotaur you hunted."

From that Minotaur’s hide?

Yooshin picked up the bag. He had been curious about how it would turn out. As soon as he touched it, the texture felt both soft and incredibly sturdy. Wait, how is this possible? On top of that, it was as light as a feather. The surface was etched with intricate, microscopic patterns—so subtle you’d barely notice them.

"It contains subspace capabilities. It’s the only product of its kind among everything we’ve made."

Oh? Subspace, huh... Not bad. My sister would absolutely love this. It was worth buying regardless of the price.

"Try twisting it. The durability is exceptional," Baek Giseong said with confidence.

"Is that so? I won't be held responsible if it tears, you know."

At that moment, Yooshin began to pull on the bag's handle. Unexpectedly, the leather had enough elasticity that it didn't tear easily. But I feel like I could rip it if I put in a little more effort? Should I give it a bit more force?

Riiiip.

At the sound of something tearing, Baek Giseong’s face turned frantic.

"W-wait! Stop. Stop right there!"

"Hehehe, why? You said it was fine if it tore."

"Good heavens, man! What are you supposed to do if it actually tears?!"

"You were the one who told me to do it?"

Yooshin tossed the bag onto the table.

"It’s yours," Baek Giseong said, sliding the bag toward Yooshin.

"Why? Why give this to me?"

"It’s a bribe."

Who gives a bribe so brazenly? Isn't the golden rule of bribery to quietly exchange a money bag in a place where no one is watching? Or maybe load a box of apples into a trunk? Or perhaps transfer it to a Swiss bank account...

Baek Giseong’s expression turned serious.

"You’re a hunter, aren't you?"

"Is there anyone who doesn't know I'm a hunter?"

"Let’s talk business from here on out. I need magic stones. And I also need the byproducts that come out of the gates."

Oh?

"How about signing an exclusive contract with me—or rather, with our Ohsung Group? I’ll offer a better price than anyone else."

Cheon Yooshin smirked.

"Who do you take for a fool? An exclusive contract? You want me to dedicate my youth to fattening up the Ohsung Group for the rest of my life? It sounds nice as an 'exclusive contract,' but in reality, it's a slave contract, isn't it?"

Baek Giseong’s eyes deepened. Then, he let out a laugh.

"It doesn't work on you. Other hunters usually cave when I ask them personally."

"I’m not those other hunters."

"I see. Understood. It would be rude to keep taking up your time."

Baek Giseong pulled a business card from his inner pocket and handed it to Cheon Yooshin.

"Whoa. Is this real?"

Cheon Yooshin’s eyes widened as he looked at the card in his hand. It was made of solid gold. Price aside, it was just fascinating. To think he’d receive something he only ever saw on TV.

"Of course it’s pure gold. Who do you think I am? I am Baek Giseong, the head of the wealthiest corporation in Korea."

"But why give this to me?"

"Contact me anytime. If you ever have a request, that is."

"Really?"

"Really. But, I do have a request in return."

"Don't tell me you're going to talk about that exclusive contract again..."

"No."

"Then what is it?"

"Would you ever consider joining the Ohsung Guild? I’ll pay you double what Kang Minho receives."

Kang Minho was the star of the Daehyun Guild, under the Daehyun Group—the second-largest conglomerate in the country. It was already common knowledge that Kang Minho was paid 10 billion won every month. He was offering Yooshin double that amount.

However.

"No thanks."

He already had plenty of money. Enough for his family of three to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. And he was going to earn even more in the future. He wasn't a fool who would sign a slave contract for a mere 20 billion won.

"Everything I came here for today has failed. I understand. I won't take up any more of your time. Do whatever you want with that bag—burn it, eat it, sell it."

"Thank you."

Yooshin bowed his head and immediately shoved the bag into his inventory.

"...Don't people usually refuse at least once?"

"Why would I refuse when you're giving it to me for free? It’s only polite to accept what an elder gives you, isn't it?"

"I, is that so..." Chairman Baek Giseong looked bewildered.

"Well, anyway, contact me whenever you have a request. Whether it's business or joining the guild."

Baek Giseong realized that Cheon Yooshin was not a person who could be easily controlled. And that he shouldn't aim for control, but rather a cooperative relationship.

I’ll have to find a way to approach him gradually.

Many things happen in life that cannot be solved by force alone. And Chairman Baek Giseong had plenty of other tools at his disposal—money, power, and connections. So, there’s no need to act rashly.

Having finished assessing Cheon Yooshin, Chairman Baek Giseong made a cool exit.

Now, only the two of them remained.

"We can finally talk properly. It’s only human nature to repay a favor once received. So! Tell me what you want. I’ll grant you anything."

Kim Jeonghyeon hesitated for a moment. The person in front of him was an incredible hunter—someone who didn't lose out to Chairman Baek Giseong, someone even the Chairman would yield to. What could he possibly ask of such a hunter?

After deep thought, Kim Jeonghyeon opened his mouth with resolve.

"Could you sell 5% of the magic stones you acquire to our company?"

Kim Jeonghyeon had a long-held dream: to build a car fueled by magic stones. The energy density of a magic stone was in a different dimension compared to existing fossil fuels. Furthermore, there was no need to charge it. Simply replacing the magic stone would allow for rapid refueling. It would literally bring a revolutionary change to the automotive industry.

The problem was that while he could learn automotive manufacturing technology through business partnerships, the technology to utilize magic stones as fuel had to be developed from scratch. While other materials like steel were easy to obtain, the massive amount of magic stones required for research and development was not something that could be easily acquired.

That was why Kim Jeonghyeon was daring to make this request. He was asking to buy 5% of the magic stones Cheon Yooshin would acquire.

Cheon Yooshin was puzzled by the request, but after hearing the explanation, he nodded.

"So, you're saying you want to make cars that run on magic stones instead of oil or electricity?"

"Yes, exactly. Hunter. We’ve reached the stage where we can convert magic stones into electricity to power cars, but..."

"I know that much."

The world was currently pouring resources into developing magic stones for various fuel uses. Cars were no exception. However, the current reality was that they weren't using the magic stones directly as fuel, but rather converting them into electrical energy first. There was inevitably energy loss during that conversion process.

Kim Jeonghyeon was talking about making it possible to install the magic stone directly into the car as fuel without any conversion. To do that, he needed to buy the magic stones required for development from Yooshin.

It was a logical idea. And...

Not bad, actually.

Yooshin didn't know the first thing about business, but he thought it had enough potential. After organizing his thoughts, Yooshin spoke.

"I'll give you 10%."

"R-really?"

Kim Jeonghyeon’s eyes went wide. 10%? Cheon Yooshin was the hottest hunter in Korea right now. The profits such a hunter earned were beyond imagination. Naturally, the magic stones he acquired would be astronomical in quantity. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠That was why he had only proposed 5%. But 10%!

In truth, for Cheon Yooshin, the percentage didn't matter. It wasn't like he was giving them away for free; he was selling them, so there was no reason to be stingy.

However.

The reason Cheon Yooshin decided to double the proposed percentage was simple.

"Instead, there is a condition."

"A condition? I am prepared to accept anything." Kim Jeonghyeon showed his resolve to accept whatever was asked.

"Give me some company shares. 10% sounds good. In exchange, I'll provide the magic stones for free."

"...Company shares? And 10% at that?"

Kim Jeonghyeon’s expression stiffened instantly. He had thought the request would be something like raising the purchase price of the magic stones. But company shares? Shares were not something to be sold off easily, no matter the circumstances. Shares held meaning beyond mere numbers; they represented ownership and decision-making power. Moreover, 10% was by no means a small amount. It was enough to potentially make someone a major shareholder in one go.

Cheon Yooshin was certainly an attractive partner. Not only could he provide a stable supply of magic stones, but they would be free. But in exchange, he had to share important company equity? It was a burdensome counter-proposal. There was even a possibility that after developing the technology, the company could be taken over entirely.

That was when Yooshin spoke.

"Don't worry. I have no intention of interfering with management. Even if you offered me the CEO position, I’d refuse. I hate positions ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that give me a headache."

In reality, Cheon Yooshin had a practical calculation hidden in his mind. It wasn't just because he was interested in a car fueled by magic stones. The idea of using magic stone energy directly without conversion—if that were actually developed, this company would rake in money. They might even become the number one conglomerate in the world overnight. So, he requested the shares to get a foot in the door early. Money was always better in larger quantities.

"My proposal doesn't seem that unreasonable. If you don't like it, I'll accept your 5% proposal. Of course, that would be for a price."

But he didn't necessarily have to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠get involved.

"W-wait a minute."

Kim Jeonghyeon was already captivated by the offer of 10%, and free of charge at that. Naturally, the 5% paid-purchase proposal he had made suddenly felt disappointing.

"I... I think I need to discuss this with my father, the President. May I contact you again once a decision is made?"

"I'll wait. I've got nothing but time." Cheon Yooshin smirked.

He had cast the bait; whether the fish bit or not was entirely up to the other side.

***

Kang Minho’s gaze was fixed on the monitor. The top news stories were articles comparing the hunter Cheon Yooshin to himself.

Most of the articles tried to maintain a neutral tone, but they were subtly focused on Cheon Yooshin. Kang Minho’s eyes turned red with rage.

"You fucking bastards!!!"

CRASH!

Unable to contain his anger, Kang Minho’s fist shattered the monitor. Glass shards flew everywhere, but Kang Minho’s skin simply deflected them.

"These crazy tabloid hacks! What?! A relic of the past? What are these non-awakened bastards babbling about!!"

CRUNCH!

He slammed his fist into the desk where the keyboard sat, and the solid hardwood splintered instantly.

"How dare you compare an A-rank hunter to E-rank trash? How dare you?!!"

Magic power swirled around him. As a result, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠objects in the room fell to the floor.

That was when his phone chimed. He pulled it out from the pile of broken desk debris. It was a disaster alert.

Kang Minho’s gaze shifted. The expression distorted by anger slowly transformed into a cold smile. At the same time, the magic power swirling around him gradually settled.

"I’ll show the world. Why I am A-rank, and just how different the quality of my power is from E-rank trash like you."