Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: An Old Friend and a New Path
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◈ Chapter 13
At the same time Do-jae was calling for a delivery truck.
The sound of singing filled Choi Woo-seok’s shop.
“Oh, I’m so weary, lil’ honeybee, weary from the waitin’, lil’ honeybee.”
Humming as always, Choi Woo-seok inspected his store.
Lately, every day had been a joy.
“Heh, business is so good these days, there’s no time for dust to settle.”
When he first started in this line of work, there were times he spent more time swatting flies than trading goods.
But with his unique charm, an air like a neighborhood uncle, and a business run with flexibility built on trust and honesty, he had managed to plant his roots firmly in this world.
Especially recently, with the volume of trades increasing exponentially, a smile was constantly plastered on his face.
□ Tears of Crima
□ Troll’s Blood
□ Black Wolf Fang
□ Wraith’s Cloth
…….
“Check, check, check… Heh, how much is all this worth?”
Choi Woo-seok was busy checking inventory, a bundle of papers in hand.
His shop, which doubled as a warehouse, was by no means small.
Shelves reached the ceiling, nearly thirty large refrigerators stood in rows, and there were even seven massive tanks filled with unidentifiable things.
As a result, it was not only complex but the aisles were also steadily shrinking.
It had even gotten to the point where a new employee, who had only been working for a few days, nearly got lost.
His shop, which handled both wholesale and retail, could be considered a warehouse store.
[News Comprehensive 14. We begin with a summary of the latest headlines.]
*Beep-.*
*Beep-beep-beep-.*
In his more leisurely days, he always had the 24-hour news channel on.
Unlike back then, he now had no time to watch TV, but his ears were still open to the news playing out of habit.
[Our first story. The massive dungeon break in Japan on the 13th has resulted in over 4,300 casualties so far, and with the count still ongoing, more are expected. This dungeon break was powerful enough to be recorded as the 12th largest in history…….]
“Aigoo, I guess this isn’t something to be purely happy about.”
Choi Woo-seok stopped his humming.
When dungeons increased, so did the volume of trade.
It was good for people like him who were in brokerage or trade, but hunters were dying every day, and countless civilians were being sacrificed.
*Ting-a-ling-.*
The clear chime of the doorbell rang.
Seeing the face of the person entering, Choi Woo-seok waved his hand in a happy greeting.
“Oh, Do-jae, you’re here! It’s been a while!”
***
*Shwiiish-!*
*Beep-beep-beep- Beep-beep-beep-beep-.*
“Alright! Alright! Stop!”
*Clank-.*
“Whoa… what is all this?”
“First, could you give me a hand, sir?”
“Right, right. Just a sec.”
Choi Woo-seok hurried off somewhere.
A moment later, a forklift pulled up behind the truck.
He then immediately climbed onto the truck with Do-jae and started unloading the cargo.
“Is all this stuff you brought in a packed truck loot? Hey, hey, hold on. I need to get a few more pallets.”
Having already filled one pallet so high it was overflowing, Choi Woo-seok quickly maneuvered the forklift to bring over new ones.
Given the nature of loot, with its varying sizes and weights, it couldn’t be stacked neatly.
One pallet couldn’t even hold a quarter of it, let alone half.
“Still, you’ve sorted it by type pretty well. Should be easy to classify.”
The unloading finally finished after the fifth pallet was fully stacked.
Do-jae paid the driver the remaining balance and then stretched his back.
“Thanks for your hard work.”
“What hard work? I’m used to this. Want a cup of coffee? I can make it iced, too.”
“Oh? Really?”
“Heh heh, I bought a new machine recently.”
Do-jae looked at Choi Woo-seok with surprised eyes.
The surprise soon turned into a sly grin.
“Hoh.”
“What’s with that face?”
“Mr. Choi, the skinflint, buying such an expensive appliance. You’ve really made it.”
“What, you punk? That’s funny coming from a guy who’s even more of a skinflint than me.”
“Hahaha, I’m just kidding.”
“Hey, and that thing isn’t as expensive as you think! Plus, I got it with a card discount and interest-free installments.”
“I know, so let’s go have that cup of coffee.”
Do-jae placed both hands on Choi Woo-seok’s shoulders and pushed him toward the office.
Choi Woo-seok was an ordinary human.
He was no match for Do-jae’s strength.
***
*Tap-*
*Shake-shake-*
*Pour-*
*Plop- Plop-*
“Here.”
“Sir, by iced coffee, you meant instant coffee mix?”
Do-jae stared at the coffee in the paper cup.
It was a golden ratio of coffee, with a half-full cup of hot coffee and four ice cubes floating in it to achieve the perfect concentration.
“I told you. I bought a new one.”
Choi Woo-seok gestured proudly toward the ice and water dispenser.
It had a sleek design and was quite large.
Although Choi Woo-seok said it wasn't much, it was an appliance he wouldn't have even dreamed of in the past.
“I thought you’d bought a whole coffee machine.”
“You clearly don’t know, but that thing is more expensive than most personal coffee machines.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, you punk. Besides, this instant mix is the best for me. It’s sweet, how great is that? When it comes to coffee, Gold is the best, Gold!”
“You’re… you’re right.”
Choi Woo-seok downed his iced coffee in one go.
Then he made a satisfied face.
*Crunch- Crunch-*
“But you’re looking good too.”
“Pardon? In what way?”
“Your skin’s better, and you seem to have put on some weight.”
“You think so?”
Do-jae hadn’t noticed, but what Choi Woo-seok said was true.
Since acquiring the Heart of the Golem, Do-jae’s body had improved dramatically.
Not only had his skin improved, but it even had a healthy glow, and as his muscles firmed up, his frame had gotten slightly bigger.
Choi Woo-seok had just mistaken it for gaining weight.
Whatever the case, he looked much healthier than in the days when he survived on ramen or skipped meals altogether.
“So, where did you get all that stuff?”
“Where else? I got it all myself.”
“Really?”
Choi Woo-seok looked at him with suspicious eyes.
Do-jae realized what he was thinking.
“Sir, you know I’m not that kind of person, right?”
“I know, I know. Just in case.”
Do-jae had always been the one to sell miscellaneous items that didn’t fetch much.
Choi Woo-seok had thought it admirable that he still managed to save up money and take care of his younger sibling.
But after not seeing him for a month or two, he’d been worried, and now he suddenly shows up with things of considerable value. How could he not be suspicious?
“Actually, sir…”
Do-jae began to speak, hesitating.
Choi Woo-seok was a trustworthy person.
He felt he was someone he could tell about the abilities he had gained and his situation.
But.
“Don’t.”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
“If you didn’t get it through bad means, don’t tell me.”
“Why? I thought it would be okay to tell you.”
“Exactly. It seems like you’ve gone through some big change, but that kind of thing is something you should only tell people who love you. What if you tell me, and I end up backstabbing you later?”
“Come on, you’re not that kind of person, sir.”
“You never know with people. I want to continue being a good person to you.”
Do-jae pressed his lips together.
Choi Woo-seok was a good person.
If he learned Do-jae’s secret, he would inevitably have some kind of unfavorable thoughts.
Because a secret is something one wants to reveal.
He didn’t want his relationship with Do-jae, a sincere young man he had watched over for a long time, to sour.
And to speak of his more worldly thoughts, he had likely scored major points with Do-jae through this conversation, and if today’s trade volume was any indication, it was a huge profit for him as well.
In other words, holding back his curiosity would lead to better outcomes, both professionally and personally.
“I understand.”
“Right. A guy who’s been in the hunter game for a while shouldn't be trusting people so easily.”
“You know this is all your fault, right? Oh, by the way, I think I’ll be able to bring my sister over soon.”
“Wow, that’s some welcome news for a change. Bring her by sometime.”
“Yes, I will. Well, I should get going. Please take care of the payment.”
“Don’t you worry. I’ll give you a generous price.”
Do-jae stood up from his seat.
He couldn't keep a busy man for long.
Unlike when he came in, he was about to leave through the front entrance when…
*Thump-.*
The Heart of the Golem stirred.
Sensing something, Do-jae started to look around.
“What’s wrong? Looking for something?”
Do-jae turned his head this way and that, scanning the area.
Soon, his gaze fixed on one spot as he spoke.
“Sir, where did you get that?”
On a shelf that reached the ceiling.
A half-sphere, hidden and barely visible behind other items.
Do-jae slowly approached and took the sphere in his hand.
***
Where do you think the power that moves the Republic of Korea lies today?
The President’s Office?
The National Assembly?
Or the Supreme Court?
All wrong.
On the surface, it may seem that the President, members of the National Assembly, and prosecutors wield immense power, but the real power lies elsewhere.
The Hunter Association.
By now, this fact is so obvious that even a stray dog on the street could tell you.
In an age of humans and monsters, hunters naturally became the center of power.
And the organization that forms the backbone of these hunters is the Hunter Association.
The direction the Association moves is, in essence, the direction the Republic of Korea follows.
How can an interest group move a nation, you ask?
Couldn't they just create an agency?
Establish an administrative body to manage and take responsibility for hunters, and that would be that.
But the world is not so simple.
Organizations to check the Hunter Association sprang up one after another.
Political parties composed solely of non-awakened individuals and related private organizations were also established.
But, as expected, no organization was large enough to challenge the Hunter Administration and the Hunter Association.
From the start, such groups had a very weak foundation, and if they showed any sign of growth, their stems would be snapped before they knew it.
To dare defy the Hunter Administration and the Hunter Association in a world where strength and magic had become logic.
However, if there was one, and only one, organization that could stand against the Association.
It would probably be the Suppression Corps.
The Suppression Corps Headquarters, under the Ministry of National Defense.
In this day and age where the war with monsters is ceaseless, the military has transformed into the form of the Suppression Corps.
Now that firearms like guns no longer have the same efficacy as before, the military is being filled with hunters under the public pretext of national security.
Notably, the old system of conscription was abandoned, and the force was significantly downsized by recruiting hunters of E-rank or higher.
Hearing just this, one might wonder who would want to join the Suppression Corps.
If the goal of hunting monsters is the same, why not join a guild? Who would want to become a public servant?
So, the Suppression Corps chose suppression over dungeon clearing.
Small-scale dungeon breaks occurring across the country, and the disaster-level dungeon breaks that had already happened around the world.
The Suppression Corps made it their primary objective to suppress the areas where dungeon breaks occurred and reclaim human territory.
And this became the stepping stone for expanding the Suppression Corps’ influence.
They achieved economic growth through the loot gained from monsters and by reclaiming lost land for lease, and they also created a strong justification for public support by instilling in the people the idea that they were protecting the nation from monsters.
And now.
Our Do-jae, of all things, is about to take the entrance exam to join the Suppression Corps.