Chapter 161
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 161
It was midnight, a time when most of the city’s residents were fast asleep. In the hallway of a Seoul apartment building, a strange scene was unfolding.
“Is this really the right way to do this?”
Ju-hyeon questioned the meeting setup, a sight rarely seen in modern society. Two folding chairs had been placed in the apartment hallway, facing a portrait that hung on the opposite wall.
“What’s wrong with it?” Yoo Seong-un asked. “We even have a table. It’s quite nice. Our guild had it custom-made, you know.”
“The semi-circular table is a nice touch,” Ju-hyeon admitted. “It feels as if Mr. Gio is right here with us.”
“It’s not ‘as if’ he’s here—he is here, isn’t he?”
“Well, he hasn’t physically stepped out of the frame.” Ju-hyeon smiled wryly. “Since it’s a framed portrait, it feels like we’re talking to a funeral portrait, which is a little unsettling.”
To that, the portrait himself replied.
“In a sense, I am indeed a funeral photo.”
Yoo Seong-un countered, “No, Gio is a portrait, not a photo.”
“On that point, Mr. Yoo Seong-un’s opinion is correct.”
“Of course,” Yoo Seong-un mused, “‘Gio’s Portrait’ might not be a portrait in the usual sense, but a different kind of chosang—like the one used when holding a funeral.”
“That is a witty guess,” the portrait remarked.
“We’re discussing your very identity,” Ju-hyeon said. “Do you have nothing to add?”
“I would like to say that I respect all diversity.”
What kind of conversation is this? Ju-hyeon thought to himself. It was the sort of high-level discussion that forced a polite, corporate smile onto his face.
“Is there really no risk of our conversation leaking?” he asked.
“I told you before, Ju-hyeon.” Yoo Seong-un wore a reliable, reassuring smile. “This is an expensive apartment.”
“Right.”
“It’s an apartment that would break the back of anyone but the wealthiest hunters.”
“I’m sure it is.”
“If information leaked from a place that charges this much, its reputation would be in ashes by now.”
“I suppose so.” Ju-hyeon, despite his ready agreement, pointed to the CCTV camera in the hallway. “I assume that has been taken care of, too?”
“You’re quite suspicious for someone who agrees so easily.” Yoo Seong-un nodded. “That was cleanly taken care of a long time ago, so you don’t have to worry.”
“I’m actually more worried about how you ‘cleanly took care of it.’”
“There are many grim rumors about the Collector, but as you know, most of them are just tall tales born from our exploits, aren’t they?”
“Yes, and that’s exactly what worries me.”
“The Collector does not shed innocent blood. It wasn’t the kind of ‘taking care of’ that harms the building managers, so you can truly put your mind at ease.” He added, “We simply reached a financial agreement.”
“Of the many scenarios popping into my head, which one should I bring up first to ensure this conversation goes smoothly?”
“You don’t need to bring up any of them.” Yoo Seong-un cut off Ju-hyeon’s worries before they could take root. “Isn’t it far better to be paid handsomely to keep your mouth shut than to be silenced for free? I can assure you there was no coercion involved.”
“A world where everything is solved with money still leaves a bitter taste.”
“I can’t help but agree. But no one in the world hates money, and in the end, isn’t the important thing not to cross the line? We resolved it within a mutually acceptable boundary.”
“I wasn’t trying to nitpick the Collector’s methods…”
“And besides, you might wonder if money alone can keep them quiet, but we used a Soul Contract for that. Unless they want to pay various heavy prices, their silence is guaranteed.”
Ju-hyeon winced internally. Could you please stop calling it ‘silencing’ like you’re some illegal guild? The phrasing made an ordinary person feel very uneasy.
“I was a bit flustered by this bizarre meeting, but if a Soul Contract is in place, I can trust it.”
“What exactly is a Soul Contract?” the portrait asked.
“Ah, that is…” Ju-hyeon took a moment to organize his thoughts. The concept was such common sense to him that he struggled to find the right way to explain it. “…It’s literally a contract that targets the soul. A variety of methods are used these days, but the common thread is that they all utilize the Awakened’s System.”
“The Awakened’s System.”
“Because the System is a higher-dimensional existence, its contracts aren’t like human agreements that can be easily broken or lose their meaning over time. Unless specific clauses are added, it’s impossible to change the contract’s details midway.”
“Are the building managers here Awakened?”
“Some are, and some are not. However, a Soul Contract can be formed as long as there is at least one Awakened involved in the ritual. They can even act as an administrator rather than a direct party to the contract.”
Yoo Seong-un added to Ju-hyeon’s explanation, “The manager I contracted with was an Awakened.”
“That is a sufficient explanation,” the portrait said with a nod. “Shall we begin the meeting now?”
“Let’s.”
As Yoo Seong-un also nodded, Ju-hyeon spoke.
“Fortunately, during the recent summoning incident, the hunter industry’s attention was directed primarily toward Miss Dana. This seems to be largely thanks to your previous cover as a Tamer. The narrative that you had significant help from a monster, rather than it being your own ability, is the one the public finds most convincing.”
If Gio had performed such a feat alone, without Dana, it couldn’t have been brushed off as a mere ‘surprising commotion.’ Summoning a complete soul with a single gesture was an act beyond the realm of human capability—even if soul-related skills weren’t entirely unheard of.
However, the number of Tamers was extremely small, and among them, none had ever successfully tamed an Anti-Cat. Since the Anti-Cat, an unknown monster, was now said to possess such an incredible soul-related ability, people had somehow managed to accept it.
“In reality, I believe Mr. Gio’s help was significant, but the public doesn’t need to know those details.”
After all, if ‘Gio’s Portrait’ hadn’t allowed it, the kitten-sized Anti-Cat could never have grown so large, nor would it have possessed the power to summon souls. Taming a normal Anti-Cat wouldn’t allow just anyone to replicate Hunter Seo Gio’s feats, but to allow Gio to blend in with humanity without raising suspicion, it was best to let this narrative stand.
“Perhaps because of that…” Ju-hyeon continued with his characteristic smile, “the incident has drawn particular interest from religious circles. The Sun Cult and the Moon Cult, especially, have shown a reaction.”
“I have visited the Sun Cult before.”
“You must have seen it briefly during the initiation ceremony. However, that was just their main prayer space, which is open to anyone, even outsiders. Your impression will be quite different if you go deeper inside.”
Ju-hyeon pulled out a sheet of paper. “Speaking of which,” he said, addressing the portrait, “a request for collaboration has arrived from the Sun Cult.”
“Do they wish to verify my abilities?”
“It might sound unpleasant, but yes, that is the case.”
Yoo Seong-un, who was watching their conversation, inwardly admired Ju-hyeon’s composure.
He has some serious nerve to answer so casually.
It wasn’t as if Ju-hyeon knew nothing about ‘Gio’s Portrait.’ With the help of Yoo Seong-un and other Collector Guild members, he had learned a great deal about the entity. As a former researcher at the Association, he was also well aware of the danger and the sheer scale of its existence.
And yet, he reacts like that.
Most people would find it difficult to say, “Yes, that is the case,” to a colossal, mysterious being who might take offense at mere mortals daring to test its power.
He’s bold in a very strange way…
While Yoo Seong-un was lost in these thoughts, the conversation continued.
“As of now, people know nothing about Hunter Seo Gio,” Ju-hyeon said.
“I believe I have provided as many clues as possible regarding my information.”
“Thanks to the small miracle you performed for the Gita Orphanage, your name is becoming more recognized.”
“It was not to the extent of being called a miracle.”
“Right, it was a performance, not a miracle. Thanks to that performance and your collaboration with Curator Yoo Seong-un, you are gaining recognition at an unusually fast pace.” Ju-hyeon paused. “But that doesn’t mean people’s questions about Hunter Seo Gio have been resolved.”
“It means their questions have only multiplied.”
“Exactly. What is this hunter’s specialty? What role does he play? Where has he been all this time? There are more than enough reasons for people to be curious.”
Ju-hyeon presented the document from the Sun Cult. “In that sense, this contact from the Sun Cult could be a great help.”
It was a formal request for a visit.
“This is a common way for organizations to size up a famous hunter. If it were a typical guild, they would have just sent an email or a business card.”
“Right,” Yoo Seong-un chimed in. “You could call it a request for friendship. Rookie hunters who seem approachable get a lot of these. They’re testing the waters.”
The approach varied by guild.
“The method also changes depending on whether the hunter belongs to a guild or is a freelancer,” Ju-hyeon explained. “Even for a freelancer, if they have a manager, the contact will go there first.” He nodded. “It was the same in my case. Directly contacting a hunter you’ve never met is rude. So, to maintain formality, they usually send various requests and expressions of intent to the hunter’s manager or guild.”
He then added for Gio’s benefit, “Ah, ‘rookie hunter’ is slang for hunters who haven’t been active for long.”
“Was it slang?”
“Usually, it refers to hunters with short careers, but sometimes it’s used to disparage an opponent’s skills. Naturally, using it that way is also extremely rude.”
“That is a sufficient explanation.”
“Please feel free to ask me about any words or actions you don’t understand in the future.” Sliding the document toward Gio, Ju-hyeon continued, “To put it simply, this request is a casual greeting, a way of saying, ‘Let’s get acquainted.’ But for a religious order of the Sun Cult’s scale to reach out so directly is unprecedented.”
Those who needed to know would already know.
“I will prepare as you wish.”
“The Sun Cult,” Gio said, addressing Yoo Seong-un. “Isn’t that where Priest Kang Seo-dam and the student Cha Yi-sol are?”
“That’s right. This request was also delivered through Priest Kang Seo-dam.”
“It seems he did not contact me personally.”
“Priest Kang Seo-dam isn’t the type to ask for personal favors.”
“I sensed that when I saw him before.” The portrait made its decision. “I will visit soon.”
“The order?” Ju-hyeon asked.
“Priest Kang Seo-dam.”
Ju-hyeon nodded. “I will prepare accordingly.”
So the cult itself isn’t worthy of his attention? he thought. It would be strange if Gio held any warm feelings toward the Sun Cult in the first place. Still, given his peculiar personality, he didn’t seem to bear them any ill will, either—just a lack of particular interest. Just a bit of curiosity. Since Gio mentioned having visited once before, he wasn’t completely indifferent. From Ju-hyeon’s perspective, it was the easiest reaction to handle.
“Besides this, several other requests and contacts have come in. They aren’t of high importance, and most are from the media, so I’ve just organized them into a brief list. Shall I go over them?”
“I do not wish to handle two events at once.”
“Ah, I understand. Of course, handling two things at once would be difficult for Hunter Seo Gio. I will make arrangements so you can focus solely on one task.”
Both Ju-hyeon and Yoo Seong-un had the same thought.
Is this one of Mr. Gio’s rules?
There must be a restriction on his activities.
One was a Gardener, the other a former Association researcher. Neither of them simply concluded, Ah, Gio must be an introvert who doesn’t have the energy for multiple social events. This wasn’t just a conclusion based on their careers; any stranger could see that Seo Gio gave off anything but the impression of an introvert who would wilt the moment he left his home.
Lowering his status to remain outside the frame for extended periods must be draining, Yoo Seong-un surmised, a gentle smile on his face.
“Then when would be a good date?”
“I will follow whatever you recommend.”
“Excellent. Ju-hyeon will look into it.”
And with that, the first hallway meeting concluded in a cordial atmosphere.
* * *
Elsewhere, however, someone was feeling neither cordial nor finished with their work.
“Haaah…”
Kang Seo-dam, Priest of the Sun, was stuck with the grunt work again.
This damn religious world, he thought.
It was a world where the younger and lower-ranked you were, the more you were treated like a slave. He thought about how he would have quit long ago if not for the merciful Sun, and centered himself.
It was time to face the divinity.