A Mysterious New Hire
“This man……?”“Newly recruited member.”“He looks surprised. “He looks surprised.” He can’t hide the bewildered expression on his face as he gazes at the sudden arrival of Dojin. It wasn’t because he suddenly wanted to bring in one more person to the guild. Firebird Guild was currently enjoying the highest stock price, making it difficult for anyone to join, but with Dojin’s recommendation, even a few would be possible. However, the reason Kyungho was surprised was… “……Did something happen?”“The man next to Dojin’s face. “The man next to Dojin’s face. His face was already a deathly white, as if he had been beaten to a pulp. Especially his left cheek, swollen to half the size of his face. “Especially his left cheek, swollen to half the size of his face. “The reason why Dojin said, “Something like that happened.” “A… yeah. Well, joining is possible. I accept the conditions too.” “I accept the conditions too.” Kyungho glanced back at the contract. “Dungeon detective…… a new position I’ve never heard of before.” “It’s not even that. I’d like to have a meeting about that part. It’s an important matter that will come up in the future.” “I’ll call a meeting with the executives.” Kyungho was also helping Dojin as a member of Firebird Guild. Dojin headed to the apartment with Kyungho, whose face was dead white. Dojin’s apartment. Dojin opened the door and said to Kyungho, “This is the house provided by the company. Use it comfortably.” “H-hey… ugh!” Kyungho, who had been unable to hide his joy at the surprise, grabbed his cheek and grimaced. His speech was also hard to understand because it was so swollen, and the throbbing sensation didn’t subside. Kyungho said again, “My house…? “My house…?” “Yeah. While you’re affiliated with the company, it will be provided continuously, so use it comfortably.” “Hey, but…… I have a question I want to ask.” “What?”“With the manners installed from the beginning, unlike before, it was primitive, but everyone was equal in front of the fist. Kyungho asked Dojin, “Dungeon detective… what kind of work is that? I’ve never done that kind of work before.” Of course. It was still an official position that hadn’t been formalized in the hunter world. In the several Red Gates that would come out in the future, it was revealed that there were other hidden spaces inside. And the special materials obtained from those hidden spaces. ‘There must be things that can be made with those.’ Items obtained from hidden spaces had special abilities and had to be monopolized. ‘We have to prepare to fight them too.’ They were huge guys whose roots we couldn’t figure out easily, but we were approaching their identities bit by bit. But Dojin soon put those thoughts aside and looked at Kyungho. He had to answer the question. “Good. Then, let’s do this.” “Yes?”“Dojin went inside the house and placed four cups upside down on the table. And he touched each cup one by one. “I poured a very weak mana into one of these four cups.” Honestly, it was too small, so even Dojin had a hard time detecting it. Dojin said to Kyungho, “Guess which cup has that mana. Hmm…… reward is…….” After thinking for a moment, Dojin said, “If you guess right, you won’t enter the dungeon for two days.” “R-really?!“ Kyungho was shocked. Right after signing the contract, he had hunted in the dungeon for a week. With Dojin’s help, he didn’t die, but there were cases where he had come close to death more than a few times. Thanks to that, his level rose quickly, but it wasn’t something a human could do. But two days off?! Kyungho’s words made Dojin nod. “I keep my promise. But…… only if you guess right.” Dojin’s eyes made Kyungho swallow his saliva. Soon, Kyungho walked up to the table. “……Umm.” His forehead was furrowed. Kyungho, who still had no first talent and couldn’t even handle mana properly. But he was told to find the cup with mana. Kyungho sighed and reached out to the cup. “Don’t touch it with your hand.”“Okay.” Kyungho focused with all his strength. He wasn’t going to see the mana just by staring, but he had to do something. But…… “I don’t know.”“It’s impossible to know no matter how I look. What is it that you feel? But…… “I’m going to die for sure if I enter the dungeon now.” Kyungho risked his life. Had he ever concentrated like this while alive? At that moment, something happened. “……I’ll go with this.” Kyungho carefully pointed to one cup and said to Dojin. Honestly, he didn’t feel any mana. But for some reason, the feeling was that one cup was somehow different. Dojin flipped the cup. “Ah……!” There was nothing. Kyungho let out a sigh and tightly closed his eyes. Damn, this bastard……! All kinds of curses tried to burst out of his lips to the outside world. He had to go into the shitty dungeon again. But…… “Correct answer.” “Wh… huh?”“There was clearly nothing?” “Mana is originally invisible to the eyes. And I didn’t blow it in enough to see it either.” Dojin’s mana was also a very small amount that was hard to feel. And Dojin immediately looked at Kyungho and said, “This is your ability.” “What ability……?”“The ability to find what others can’t find.”“What?”“This keeps talking nonsense?”“It was just luck, but it’s an ability?”“But Dojin didn’t care about Kyungho’s reaction. “Rest. I’ll pick you up in two days as promised.”“With only those words, he left. Clank! When the door closed, silence swept through the entire house. There, Kyungho stood blankly. Swish. Like instinct, he went to the bed inside the room and threw his body on it. “……Ah.” It was nice to be able to lie comfortably on this cozy bed. It was still unrealistic, but. “Good.” He could feel that his life was changing. * * * “Abnormal mana reaction?”“Yes. I found it while entering several Red Gates this time.” Executives of Firebird Guild gathered. Including Guild Master Lee Hyejin, hunters from the newly formed main attack team. Including Kyungho and Scout Team’s Park Seonggwang. They listened to Dojin’s words. “It’s just a guess, but…… there might be a new space inside the Red Gate that we don’t know about.” Of course, not all Red Gates were like that. But there were hidden spaces in quite a few Red Gates, and among them…… “We must never miss them.” Of course, it was guys that would come out a few years later, but the dungeon had such a strong impact that I remembered it clearly. “So, in my opinion, I think it’s necessary to nurture hunters with the ability to detect mana.” “Hmm…… do we need to prepare before confirming what that is?”“The hunters of the main attack team, Gang Min, gave his opinion. “It costs a lot of money to raise those people. Instead, wouldn’t it be better to increase facilities or welfare in other places?”“Where exactly?”“Well…… equipment for the attack team or after hunting…… incentives……?”“Gang Min’s words, Hyejin, who was next to him, frowned slightly. Hunters belonging to the attack team just listened silently, as if there was some selfishness. At that moment, Kyungho stood up from his seat. “Currently, the treatment of the attack team that conquers dungeons in Firebird Guild is the best in the industry. Not only after conquering, but also equipment repair. Isn’t there any lack?”“No, just…… wouldn’t it be better if there was more…… it was just that kind of word.”“Kyungho’s words, Gang Min’s voice became smaller. Firebird Guild, which had merged into SW Technology and received truly abundant support. Requesting more than that was practically shameless. And at that moment. “That’s aside, but how do you plan to nurture the awakened of new abilities?”“Hyejin lightly changed the topic. Then, the others nodded and looked at Dojin. A hunter specializing in finding hidden spaces inside dungeons. It was hard to even guess how to nurture them. But…… “There are a few conditions, but first, you need awakened who are good at sensing mana reactions. And…….”“If you select awakened who chose the card that belongs to the compass and nurture them, it will have good effects.”“Compass?”“Compass…… do you have any?”“It was a new word. But although it was a minority, there was a card with a compass drawn on it. In Kyungho’s case, he had chosen a card with a large compass tattoo on the back of a man holding a staff. Later, Hwang Gyeongil, who became famous as a hidden dungeon detective in interviews, said such things. He felt something different from the card instinctively. It was Kyungho, who had had a special sense of mana from the beginning, that picked the card that could maximize his ability. So that was the reason why he, who drew a normal card, could compete with other outstanding hunters. The meeting continued a little bit based on Dojin’s words. The atmosphere was positive, and Kyungho, who spoke on behalf of SW Technology, looked favorably on it too. “Then, let’s proceed with a little more supplementation on dungeon detection…… the meeting ends here.”“Hyejin’s words ended the meeting. Soon, when the people stood up from their seats. “Hunter Ha Dojin.”“Yes?”“Hyejin approached Dojin. Seeing her appearance as if she had something to say, Dojin waited for the people to leave. And when everyone left, Hyejin said, “Can you help with dungeon conquest? There’s a slightly difficult dungeon this time, and it’s a bit difficult to do it with the current Firebird Guild attack team.”“What dungeon?”“The Hideout of Cruel Shadows…… a dungeon with Shadow Killers.” Shadow Killers. In addition to the fact that these guys, level 150 monsters, had strong attack power, they had one special ability. They just hid in the shadows and only revealed themselves at the moment of attack. They were guys with no trouble if you just fought openly, but the ability to suddenly appear and disappear back into the shadows made it difficult to deal with. Because of that, assassin hunters with fast movement were necessary. “There are no assassin hunters with outstanding skills yet to enter the main attack team. And since there are few people who can enter the dungeon…….”“Understood. Of course I’ll help.”“It’s not like he’s resting right now.”“Dojin gladly accepted. Of course, he would have accepted even if it wasn’t. Hyejin smiled. “Then, including Hunter Ha Dojin, I’ll get ready.”“Yes.”“But at that moment.”“Wait a minute.”“Dojin called Hyejin. If it was a Shadow Killer…… ‘Why didn’t I think of that.’ At that moment, Dojin’s eyes sparkled. Because a fun thought came to mind. “Put Han Sohee Hunter on the list too.”“Han Sohee Hunter? Her level is a bit low……?”“It’s fine. Please.”“There’s not enough people who can enter the dungeon, but if you put Han Sohee, who is not level 100.”“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but…….”“……Understood.”“Hyejin nodded. Then, a faint smile spread on Dojin’s lips.