Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: 9. The Existence of a Single Person (9)
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Kang San and Yeon Gyu-seong.
Their relationship couldn't exactly be called friendly.
From Kang San's perspective, he was simply Yeon Woo-bin's father—the very man responsible for all this mess with his needless trials.
Kang San asked somewhat curtly.
"So, did you pass the test?"
"Yes. We passed it so perfectly there was no room for argument, and I'm just coming from accepting Woo-bin's wishes."
"That's good news for me. A mage of that caliber is a rare talent, after all."
Yeon Woo-bin's final spell.
The berserk rage triggered by the awakening of her magic eyes had proven not just her innate talent, but her boundless potential as well. In truth, Kang San absolutely needed to recruit Yeon Woo-bin. She desperately wanted to team up with him too, but the world valued explosive firepower like hers more than even the finest tankers.
It was only natural.
Blasting enemies away always commanded higher value than simply holding the line.
It was symbiosis.
They needed each other.
For Kang San, who would live on as a tanker, and Yeon Woo-bin, who would thrive as a mage.
They seemed like the perfect puzzle pieces for one another.
Yeon Gyu-seong spoke up.
"I apologize for the test being overly harsh. As a father, when my son insisted on risking his life like that, I wanted to stop him even if it meant wielding the rod strictly. Just a few days ago, I thought his resolve was mere bravado. Since he'd never faced real danger, I figured it was just empty talk—the fake courage of someone flapping their gums about what they'd do. But conducting the test showed me otherwise. Woo-bin is truly staking his life on this, and his talent as a hunter is no joke. That's why I have a request."
"...A request?"
"Please take care of Woo-bin."
He bowed his head.
It was bewildering.
Kang San had already accepted Yeon Woo-bin as a teammate, yet here was someone like Yeon Gyu-seong willingly lowering his head to plead.
"I'm still deeply worried about Woo-bin. I won't oppose her anymore since reality demands I accept it, but she absolutely needs a reliable pillar like you by her side. This isn't just empty words. If there's anything you need for jobs involving Woo-bin, contact me anytime. And if you get injured during a raid or personally, make sure to head straight to the Hunter Emergency Center. We'll provide full VVIP treatment free of charge."
There was no reason to refuse.
VVIP treatment, no less.
Whatever resentment Kang San harbored toward Yeon Gyu-seong melted away in the face of his sincerity and humble bow.
Kang San gave an awkward smile.
"Got it. It's Woo-bin's call in the end, but I won't push her away, at least."
"Thank you!"
The grueling test.
This was the moment it finally drew to a close.
A few days later.
The group gathered again.
Having truly put their backs together and risked their lives, Jeong Chan-woo greeted Kang San warmly right away.
"Kang San, how about we drop the formalities? We're gonna be seeing each other a lot from now on—we can't keep speaking politely forever."
"I agree."
"Yeah, me too."
Everyone chimed in with approval.
As eyes turned to him, Kang San accepted it calmly.
"Sure, let's do that."
"Ooh."
"I'll call you Big Bro Kang San!"
Kang San was the oldest, followed by Jo Han-byeol, Jeong Chan-woo, and Yeon Woo-bin.
With Kang San as their big bro, the group naturally sorted out their hierarchy, and since their ages were close, they quickly started calling each other casually. It wasn't a bad vibe. They'd confirmed no one would irresponsibly abandon a teammate in danger, so the mental walls came down easily.
Kang San spoke.
"Now that we've formed a party, we'll meet up like this from time to time to run raids. Beyond that, I'll register us at a training ground to fine-tune our formations and coordination. We won't handle every schedule together just because we're a fixed party, but having teammates we've synced with is reassuring, right? If anyone's got scheduling conflicts, speak up ahead of time."
"Sounds good."
"I'm always free."
"Then let's hit a D-Rank hunting ground today, nice and simple. We'll split the purchase cost evenly and divvy loot the same way. Okay?"
Jo Han-byeol and Jeong Chan-woo nodded.
Kang San figured since they were together, they might as well head out hunting.
But Yeon Woo-bin hesitated, fumbling for words and drawing his gaze.
"What's up? Something to say?"
"Well, actually..."
Before the meeting.
Yeon Woo-bin had seen her father.
Reporting before heading out was their daily routine, and when she mentioned meeting Kang San, he'd packed a bunch of stuff for her.
"I think you should check this out."
She pulled something out.
It was a stack of documents.
Kang San took them and scanned it, with Jeong Chan-woo and Jo Han-byeol peering over his shoulder.
"Whoa."
"What's this?"
[D-Rank Hunting Ground: Underground Cave]
[E-Rank Hunting Ground: Goblin Camp]
[D-Rank Hunting Ground: Lizardman Swamp]
=Lizardmen are E-Rank monsters, but those inhabiting their swamp nests can be rated up to C-Rank depending on the individual. The swamp's terrain makes them especially tough to tackle... We'll provide all necessary prep materials for the assault. If you feel your raid team's underpowered, we can even hire suitable mercenaries.
Various hunting grounds.
Not just raid permissions, but detailed info on resident monsters and assault strategies. And that wasn't all. Yeon Woo-bin sheepishly handed over a box, and peeking inside drew gasps of admiration.
"Whoa."
Inside the box.
Top-grade potions galore.
Health potions, mana potions, buffs, antidotes, and more.
Yeon Woo-bin scratched the back of her head.
"...Dad said he'd provide hunting ground access and info instead of joining raids from now on. Is that okay? Oh, and he'll supply fresh consumables for every hunt."
Now it clicked.
Teaming with Yeon Woo-bin.
It wasn't just pairing with a stellar mage—it came with the halo of a chaebol.
Kang San nodded vigorously.
"Of course it's okay."
While Kang San dealt with big and small matters.
The world plunged into chaos as always.
A minor link phenomenon hit Wangsimni, and the soldiers duty-bound to stop it mobilized swiftly.
"Kill 'em!"
Bang.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Guns blazed with fierce muzzle flashes.
Orcs emerging from the gate turned into Swiss cheese in seconds, and some soldiers advanced under cover fire into the monster-infested space. The biggest issue with links was urban combat. In open fields, they could just concentrate firepower and wipe them out, but surrounded by concrete buildings, they had to clash head-on while distinguishing monsters from survivors.
Among them.
Was Kim Chun-sik.
Following his senior, Kim Chun-sik spotted an orc lunging out suddenly.
"Enemy ahead!"
Rat-tat-tat.
Quick reaction.
The orc jerked under the hail of bullets, and a senior's aimed shot to the forehead dropped it cold.
Thud!
"Nice one, Chun-sik."
"Piece of cake."
Kim Chun-sik grinned.
Now promoted to private first class, he'd fought in countless skirmishes alongside his senior, whom he called Park Corporal. It was routine. And above all, Kim Chun-sik was a bona fide hunter alum. Compared to pure civilians, his arrow-sponge experience made a blood-and-death world feel natural.
The situation wrapped up quickly.
It was a small-scale link to begin with, and only after confirming total monster extermination could the soldiers catch their breath.
"Whew, intense."
"Good work, Corporal Park."
"Yeah."
Kim Chun-sik handed over his canteen first.
Park Corporal smiled and took it.
At first, the older junior had been a bit much, but his earnest FM spirit had grown on him.
They'd rested a bit when.
An officer approached from afar.
It was the company commander of Kim Chun-sik's 2nd Platoon, who beckoned him upon spotting him.
"Kim Chun-sik."
"Private First Class Kim Chun-sik."
"This person's here to see you."
Then he noticed the group.
A woman with an unfamiliar face.
She handed him her business card first.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kim Min-young, a reporter."
Kim Chun-sik scowled.
"So, you're asking me to help identify who the tanker from the Wangsimni incident was?"
"Exactly. An E-Rank link isn't huge news, but that tanker's skills back then really impressed me. Struggling against lizardmen, yet clearly not high-rank, and pulling all the aggro instantly. Any clues at all?"
Back during the incident.
Kim Min-young had actually tracked down Kim Chun-sik.
Their talk fell through on his way back to base, but she'd finally cornered him via the company commander.
"I heard that during your interview then, you met him but couldn't reveal any identifying details to protect his secret. I get it. No need to broadcast a good deed when the doer wants anonymity. But you seem to think the same as me, so I came. Think about it—someone who truly wants to stay hidden wouldn't interview like that. It's like someone dying to brag, propping themselves up. It matches a reporter's instinct to spread good deeds far and wide."
"No. Doesn't matter how you put it—can't do what can't be done."
"Hmm."
Kim Min-young wore a peculiar expression.
The Wangsimni tanker.
Curiosity sparked, and she'd dug with no leads so far.
She had an unusual tenacity that defied common sense.
It had wasted her time plenty, but that doggedness ultimately made her a star reporter.
Why?
Kim Chun-sik's interview.
It tantalizingly piqued her curiosity.
"I know you won't spill under pressure. How about this, then?"
Slide.
"...What's this?"
She handed something over.
A small document.
Kim Min-young met his eyes with a smile.
"A little gift. If my goodwill touches you, I'd love a little in return."
Kim Min-young left.
Having sent her off, Kim Chun-sik recalled her words and snorted in dismissal.
"No way. Even if, I ain't saying squat. If he wanted fame, he'd have outed himself."
Kang San.
His benefactor.
He'd never even asked to reveal his identity, and Kim Chun-sik had zero intention of stepping forward.
He turned to leave.
Separate from rejecting her offer, he was curious what she'd prepared.
A gift, huh.
No gift would sway his heart.
Pure curiosity.
Opening the envelope revealed Kim Min-young's note.
[You've been looking for this person, right? Better gift than this for Private First Class Kim Chun-sik?]
Slide.
Behind the note.
A single sheet.
A bill.
Someone had shelled out a fortune, documented here.
His heart suddenly pounded.
As his trembling eyes skimmed the massive sum and landed on a name, Kim Chun-sik froze on the spot.
Stock-still.
"...This real?"
He blinked repeatedly.
Breath short, he reread the document.
But the words didn't change.
[Payer: Kang San]
An unexpected name, in an unexpected place.