The Market Bubble
The food arrived, and Lee Shin and Na Ye-ri enjoyed their meal to the gentle strains of classical music.
“Does it suit your taste?”
“It’s absolutely wonderful. I’m very satisfied. I never mentioned anywhere that I’m vegan, so how did you know to go to all this trouble?”
She smiled with genuine pleasure as she cut into her vegan mushroom eggs benedict and asparagus.
“The mushroom eggs benedict is the real star. It’s easily in my top five dishes of all time. I might have to come back often just for this.”
“People tend to assume vegans only eat vegetables, but that’s a prejudice. Just as all humans are different, the ways we uphold our convictions can differ too, can’t they?”
“Hehe. How elegant your words are. I do like elegant people.”
“Hahaha, approaching everything with sincerity is my motto.”
With her stunning looks, fans called her the real-life elf. Her specialty was plant manipulation used for bizarrely transformative archery. That was how she’d earned the nickname Wooden Elf.
The mere fact that she had received a nickname was proof the market already valued her as S-class.
“To be honest, I was surprised when you asked to meet. We don’t have any connection at all.”
“Do people need some special connection to meet? I’ve been a fan of yours for a while, Na Ye-ri. I really wanted to see you in person. That’s why I even brought a fountain pen and autograph paper.”
“Oh my? It’s real. I’m so incredibly honored that you’re a fan.”
“The honor is all mine.”
The conversation flowed as pleasantly as the soft classical music in the background.
What was surprising, however, was that it stayed pleasant the entire time.
For example:
“By the way, Ye-ri. There’s something I’ve been wanting to say for a while. May I?”
“What is it?”
“Your smile is so beautiful. I got goosebumps.”
“Ehh~? Pfft!”
“Since your smile is so pretty, what’s your MBTI?”
“Wait, MBTI out of nowhere? Are you always this random?”
“It’s better than asking about your ideal type, isn’t it?”
“Pffft!”
As a conversation between a man and a woman, there was nothing strange about it. But the two people sitting here were an S-class hunter who had just entered free agency and the representative of Mir Guild, the one who had been engraving legends into league history.
The fact that their discussion revolved around dating preferences, favorite shows, and how entertaining the romance program Heart Beat was lately was already unusual. That they continued with purely casual conversation until the very end was beyond unusual—it was downright fascinating.
After their final goodbyes, Na Ye-ri turned to leave but finally couldn’t hold back.
“It’s strange. You never once brought up recruitment. When you said you wanted to see me, I naturally assumed this was about signing me. I’m almost a little disappointed.”
“I told you from the beginning that I was a fan. How could a man go back on his word? Oh right, silly me. Here’s the autograph paper! Please sign it for me.”
“You really are unique until the very end.”
After signing, Na Ye-ri flashed a bright smile, turned, and left. Lee Shin neatly slipped the autograph into a document envelope and rang the bell.
The door opened and Chae Dong-ha entered, pulling a cart.
“You worked hard.”
“I thought I was going to die from all that virtue.”
On the cart was a bubbling pot of doenjang jjigae, a full seven-dish Korean spread, and most importantly—meat.
On the heated stone plate sizzled thick beef short ribs.
Lee Shin didn’t even bother speaking first. He simply grabbed a huge pile of meat and stuffed it into his mouth.
“You’ll get indigestion. Eat slowly.”
“Ah, I thought I was going to die. I can’t survive as a vegan. This body of mine needs meat.”
“See? If you hadn’t stubbornly insisted on the vegan course like I told you not to, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“How could I be so rude?”
Once his stomach had settled a bit, Lee Shin asked.
“What about Cho-a noona?”
“The secretary is perfect as always. She’ll finish up quickly and join us. But I’m curious—did you really just talk about random daily life without making any offer at all?”
“Have you ever seen me go back on my word?”
This meeting had never been about recruiting Na Ye-ri in the first place.
It was literally just to meet her. More precisely, it was to create the situation where Lee Shin had ‘made contact’ with her.
Right on cue, Yoon Cho-a finished her task and entered. She gave a small bow, then pulled several photographs from her pocket.
The photos, taken like paparazzi shots with a slightly blurry quality, clearly captured Na Ye-ri leaving the restaurant.
“Good work, noona. Sit down. We’ll talk while we eat.”
Chae Dong-ha on his right, Yoon Cho-a on his left.
Lee Shin suddenly smiled brightly at the sense of stability that washed over him.
“Why are you smiling?”
“The composition is just right. Doesn’t this feel like we’re the Three Heroes of the Peach Garden?”
“Don’t tell me you mean the Romance of the Three Kingdoms?”
“Yeah. I’ll be Liu Bei, and hyung can be Guan Yu. How about it?”
“...So that means the secretary is Zhang Fei.”
“......”
“......”
“......”
“...Would you rather be Guan Yu?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Secretary.”
After some light chatter and finishing their meal, they moved on to the main topic over tea.
“Where should I start?”
“I think I understood up to the part where you said you’d use your accumulated achievements to screw everyone over. And that because of the reputation you’ve built as the genius representative, other guilds would react sensitively to your every move.”
“You got it all. Then we can skip straight to practical matters. Let’s start with this meeting itself.”
Chae Dong-ha had said they needed aggro on Lee Shin to create the ‘Mir Guild versus the rest of the league’ structure.
So Lee Shin had thought about it.
What was the strongest way to gather all the malice buried deep in his gut and make the opponents eat shit in this situation? After thinking it through...
He found it. His own brand of petty revenge.
“Creating chaos in the market.”
Right now, Lee Shin was Midas. Everything he touched turned to gold.
But this Midas touch was just gold plating. The inside remained unchanged.
“How will my fan clubs react when they see the hunters I’ve contacted? ‘It’s Lee Shin’s pick! We have to get them no matter what!’ They’ll compete, and competition will drive the prices up.”
“But like I said, this touch is just plating. Making their market value expensive doesn’t mean their actual ability improves. For example, Na Ye-ri, the one I met today—she’s not as good a hunter as you think, hyung.”
A nickname was an honorable title given only to the outstanding.
There was no denying that Na Ye-ri was a decent hunter and a versatile long-range dealer, but...
Was she really nickname-worthy? Well...
From the perspective of a veteran like Lee Shin?
Na Ye-ri was a common A-class hunter used in all sorts of situations. Meanwhile, Yoon Cho-a also had the same potential of 189 yet was rated much higher.
Why? Because while she carried the penalty of ‘Gate Penalty,’ she also possessed the clear advantage of ‘Advantage Outside the Gate.’
That was the difference.
Na Ye-ri had no particular weaknesses, but she also lacked any standout strengths. She was a plain hunter. So why the nickname? Simple.
“That evaluation includes ‘star power’ beyond combat ability. The market acknowledged her looks and image, and presto—an S-class hunter was born.”
“An idol hunter?”
“If we’re being a bit extreme, yes.”
Idol hunter.
Just as the name suggested, these were hunters who also engaged in entertainment activities like idols.
“Let’s assume something. Na Ye-ri, who has an inflated market value compared to her actual ability, happens to meet Lee Shin!”
“...She’d get the Lee Shin Premium attached.”
“And if these photos are secretly leaked as an even more amazing coincidence?”
“Everyone will assume you want Na Ye-ri and... rush in.”
“And if they rush in?”
“Competition begins.”
“And if competition begins?”
“Prices go up...”
“And if they buy Na Ye-ri at sky-high prices!”
“They go completely bankrupt... Wow...”
“Heh heh, Dong-ha-kun, this is like my ultimate technique. A super ultimate move containing the brilliant two-year career of Lee Shin, the man who wrote legends! Do you have the confidence not to fall for it?”
“You’re a demon... This is demonic.”
At Chae Dong-ha’s appalled look, Lee Shin struck his classic shadowy mastermind pose and let out a sinister chuckle.
“They were already looking pathetic. The little brats keep screaming ‘win now, win now’ without any fear, not realizing how terrifying those words are.”
Win now.
To sacrifice everything for immediate victory.
It sounded like a resolute declaration, but in reality, it was an incredibly dangerous statement.
“Because a win-now victory is one bought by mortgaging the future. Gambling the future without fear? As an adult, I have to scold them properly and raise the difficulty of their lives!”
Lee Shin said.
“Hyung, get the next hunter ready.”
And Chae Dong-ha thought to himself.
“Trash.”
“Hyung...?”
“Just thinking out loud.”
『 When assets are excessively supplied to the market, or when specific demand is excessively anticipated, or when human greed overheats beyond what is necessary, we call this a “bubble.” 』
— From a certain economist’s lecture
‘Lee Shin has finally made his move!!’
‘Lee Shin’s first target is the Wooden Elf, Na Ye-ri!’
As soon as photos of Lee Shin with the Wooden Elf Na Ye-ri spread through the guild community, the guilds—who had been waiting desperately for his starting signal—rushed in like madmen.
“Is this Na Ye-ri’s phone? This is Myeong from Dynasty Guild...”
“We’ll offer the absolute highest. No matter what, the highest. Best incentives, best annual salary!”
“Na Ye-ri!!”
“Na Ye-riiii!!”
Having become the blue chip of the guild community in an instant, Na Ye-ri’s phone rang nonstop for twenty-four hours. She was on the verge of needing a new one.
“When we met, I vaguely expected something like this, but I didn’t think it would be this bad... Lee Shin, you’re a much bigger man than I thought.”
With a single photo, Lee Shin had seized control of the market.
Next came the shaking.
Shake them so hard they couldn’t regain their senses.
‘Senior, I heard Lee Shin contacted the “Fist King.”’
‘Hey, I overheard that Lee Shin met with the Sword Ghost in Apgujeong yesterday...’
‘Director Choi, I obtained a photo and Lee Shin looks amazing in it. Interested?’
Fist King, Sword Ghost, Magic Vector, White Viper, Butcher’s Horse, and so on...
Anyone with reason should have grown suspicious at this point. In fact, a few did feel doubt in their hearts.
‘Isn’t the timing too perfect?’
‘How exactly did all this information and these photos get leaked?’
But every time they tried to regain their senses,
Lee Shin personally smashed their heads in.
“What? Lee Shin’s contacting prospects?!”
“As expected of the prospect killer! This bastard had a plan!”
“It’s real!!”
The second Park Su-bin and the second Yu Ri-ra are right there. How could they not go for it!
Let’s gooooo!!
The more hunters Lee Shin made contact with, the more insanely overheated the market became, and the hunters’ prices skyrocketed.
The guilds had no choice but to open their wallets despite the fierce competition. The fact that these were Lee Shin’s picks, the possibility that they could be the next Park Su-bin or Yu Ri-ra, made them lose all reason.
And so, after a storm-like period of time passed.
The flames that seemed like they would never die down were extinguished.
The moment only white ash remained,
Lee Shin spoke to them.
They had been had!
But by the time they realized it, it was far too late.
The guilds’ finances were already melting away.