Korea_Hunter.sorted()
"Nngh…."
Seoya stretched languidly as she pushed herself up from the bed. Her body felt stiff and sore after finally getting some real movement yesterday.
"Slept well."
She really had—no dreams, no waking up to noises in the middle of the night. A deep, solid sleep. Ever since arriving on Earth, her body had been hypersensitive to every little sound around her, so nights like this were rare. Guess she just needed to work out a bit for sleep to come easy.
"Should we reach out about this?"
"Let's open it first and decide."
The living room felt oddly cluttered for some reason. Seoya turned her head side to side, loosening her neck, as she stepped out of her room.
"Morning."
"Did my baby sleep well?"
"Good morning~."
Baek Yena and Ji Sein, who had been crouched by the shoe cabinet whispering about something, lit up when they saw Seoya.
Lee Gayeon, dragged off to press conferences and meetings since last night, was nowhere in sight.
Seoya yawned as she shuffled into the living room, then froze upon spotting something.
"…What's all this?"
Boxes were piled up like a mountain in front of the shoe cabinet. Not like the occasional packages that came to the house—these had neat, professional packaging, like they'd been delivered straight from a high-end store….
"Gifts for you."
"Huh?"
…Those?
Seoya blinked.
"Where from?"
"BlackPen Guild."
"BlackPen Guild…."
"One of the five major guilds. Pyeon Sihu at ranking 13 is the guild master, and ranking 10 Kwon Yooseok is a member."
"What are the five major guilds?"
"Neverending and WithYou for starters. Then SnowPine, Asteroid, and BlackPen."
Seoya peered closely at the gifts, then noticed something off. She hadn't revealed her identity, so no one should know where she lived. So why were these delivered here?
"How'd they know I live here?"
"They probably figured sending gifts to Neverending Guild folks was the way to reach you, and since we execs live together…."
"Hmm~ Or maybe the info leaked somehow~?"
Ji Sein picked up Baek Yena's words in her usual bright tone, adding more details.
"BlackPen's famous for being elite and info-savvy. Wouldn't be surprised if they dug it up."
"Maybe we should open them and think it over."
Seoya plopped down by the shoe cabinet and started unpacking the gifts one by one with her sisters.
"…They really went all out to impress. Dumped all their cash here, huh?"
Baek Yena's expression grew increasingly peculiar as they opened more. Ji Sein's looked even stranger.
"All expensive stuff?"
"Expensive, sure, but every hunter's loaded, so price isn't the issue."
To Seoya, nothing seemed all that special. Cute designer bags that looked pricey, accessories sparkling with bright gemstones, a few light makeup items, and some dolls that unmistakably resembled faces made of jewels. They were adorable enough, but Seoya had zero interest in that sort of thing, so they didn't really move her.
To Seoya.
I'd love to meet you. Waiting for your call^^
BlackPen Guild, Ranking 10 Hunter Kwon Yooseok
A small note was tucked into one of the blue flower bouquets that came with the gifts, but it didn't feel all that sincere.
"Should I meet him?"
Seoya asked her sisters in a bored tone. Sounded like a hassle.
"Might be good? But Gayeon-unni will handle it, so no worries, princess."
"…Yeah, baby, don't stress over it."
"Any reason I should?"
If it was truly meaningless, Baek Yena and Ji Sein would've just shrugged it off casually. That's how they'd been so far, at least. But their faces were weird.
Seoya stared into their eyes.
Finally, Ji Sein leaned in and whispered something to her.
"…Ah."
Seoya nodded, convinced. Made sense—there was a reason to meet, like Ji Sein said.
But first, she should look into BlackPen Guild….
"Unni, mind if I use the internet real quick?"
"What? No way!"
Ji Sein shot up from her seat.
"The internet's a warzone! It's where brainless trolls spew malice without a shred of class! Can't let you see that dangerous crap!"
"Internet's a dungeon or something?"
"Hey, Ji Sein, just 'cause you wage keyboard wars online doesn't mean Seoya has to. Chill."
Seoya shrugged and booted up her laptop. Anyway, BlackPen info took priority.
She typed "five major guilds" into the search bar and hit enter.
5. Republic of Korea Guild List
5-1. Republic of Korea's Five Major Guilds
Commonly referred to as the 'five major guilds' in Korea, all share the trait of having at least one top-10 ranked hunter. The criteria are fuzzy, so some argue for including Ili Guild and SpringRain to make it seven. (See those guild pages for why they're seen as lacking.)
Everyone agrees WithYou and Neverending form a two-top system, but the other three lack the systems or achievements to match. SnowPine, Asteroid, and BlackPen benefit from the 'five major' label. (Maybe their scheme?)
For detailed achievements and member lists, check individual guild pages.
Guild Master: Na Seonghyeon (Ranking 2)
"Now even guild jobs need specs."
Founded with backing from Na Corporation, sparking corporate guild rushes. Richest and most organized of the five majors. Rumor has it they check TOEIC scores for hires(!). Famous for top salaries. (But HunterPlanet reviews are lowest, and overtime's notorious.)
Word is Na Corp had heated debates over guild master candidates: Go Heejae, Na Seonghyeon (pre-name change Na Manhyeon), Kim Iri, Lee Jiseon. The chuuni who lost it over corporate pay changed his name to Na Seonghyeon to push himself(!). (Revealed as fact in Into the Dungeon episode 39.)
Guild Master: Lee Gayeon (Ranking 27)
"Started as national heroes, but…."
Only major guild without a top-20 master, yet holds two-top status with WithYou. Boasts top ranks like 4th Baek Yena and 7th Ji Sein. Vice master Park Haejun (33rd)—they picked based on personality, not raw power.
Lacks WithYou's capital but has national heroes like Baek Yena and Lee Gayeon.
Guild Master: Gwak Mansu (Ranking 5)
"Group for those who prefer kitchen knives over skills."
Started as a Busan middle-aged band meetup, evolved into local hunter hub. Dominates Gyeongsang hunters. Most are LotX fans—raids get fiercer on loss days. (When's it ever peaceful?)
Guild Master: So Eunsu (Ranking 9)
"Hunter or YouTuber—which is the real job?"
Formed around siblings So Eunsu (8th? Wait, 9th) and So Euneung (wait, So Euneung?). Sister So Euneung awakened, prompting guild creation. Largest of majors. Mostly teens/20s, but ages 10s-40s. Most active on YouTube/SNS, popular with youth. Image-conscious, good personalities, polls civilians.
Guild Master: Pyeon Sihu (Ranking 13)
"Top suspect in illegal hunter activity debates."
Smallest roster. Home to ranking 10 Kwon Yooseok, but he's young, so master/vice are others. Most secretive info guild—scouts only, no apps/interviews. Member list obscure. 'BlackPen holds all info.' Ties to national intel rumored. (Dismissed as rumor till Into the Dungeon eps 31,43,87,88 confirmed parts(!). They get info somehow.)
After reading it all, Seoya recalled Ji Sein's whisper from earlier.
The target audience for these gifts is way too narrow. Bags, necklaces, makeup, dolls little girls would like. Classic 'teen girl' stuff.
'They know who I am.'
Her age was public from the government announcement, but knowing she's a girl too? That's another level. And that blue bouquet—suspiciously like her hair and eyes.
They definitely knew who 'ranking 0 Seoya' was.
'Info leaked.'
Yeah, she needed to meet BlackPen after all.