Chapter 169: Maintenance Time (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 169: Maintenance Time (2)
Even though we’ve reached B-rank, Black Unicorn can’t just jump straight into B-rank dungeons.
Well... if we were forced to, we could, but I don’t want to take that kind of risk unnecessarily.
From the start, Black Unicorn has maintained a party size one person smaller than the average C-rank party. Contrary to the public's expectation that we’d recruit another member as the dungeon levels rose, we stuck with five members all the way through C-10 and officially hit B-rank.
From B-rank onwards, many dungeons have a minimum requirement of eight people, so some parties even exceed ten members when including reserve players.
How many did Park Sung-jun’s party from Break Line have? Twelve? Anyway, it was a hell of a lot.
Well, enough about people I’ll never see again.
Now that we’re B-rank, we’ll have to deal with Villains and resolve Errors, so the more members, the better. That said, I have no intention of expanding the team to ten people.
What are we, an A-rank or S-rank party? Bloating the numbers for no reason only ruins teamwork and kills the focus during training.
We managed to climb to B-rank with just five people, but the public and the media are predicting that this time, Black Unicorn will finally look for new party members.
They’re usually wrong about everything, but they hit the nail on the head this time.
Even before Black Unicorn cleared C-10, Han Ju-hee had already started the groundwork, scouting for B-rank Heroes. She intentionally leaked information and discreetly reached out to the Heroes who had reached B-rank—specifically the ones we’d inquired about back when we recruited Anna.
Ju-hee is quite crafty; she calls them up under the guise of a simple "how are you" check-in. She doesn't say a single word about recruitment, leaving them hanging in suspense before hanging up.
Come to think of it, Black Unicorn was originally supposed to have a full six-person roster. Anna was easy to bring in because her clan had abandoned her, but the other Heroes fell through because their clans tried to overcharge us or pulled some other nonsense.
Serves them right. Those Heroes who ignored our inquiries back then are probably kicking themselves in regret right about now.
We were famous then, but Black Unicorn is on a whole different level now. We’re doing so well that even Japan is keeping a wary eye on us.
We’ve been conquering dungeons like we’re on a dojo-crushing tour, smashing every record in sight. Anna, who was once written off as "beyond recovery," has made a miraculous comeback and is thriving. We’ve even wiped out criminal organizations—the list of achievements is so long it’d make my jaw ache to recite them all.
It wasn't just me who was famous; Black Unicorn itself was gaining global recognition.
Lee Na-eun and Yoon A-young getting perfect scores on their promotion exams also made the news. It’s rare for even the most brilliant prospects to get a perfect score, yet Black Unicorn produced two at once for the first time in ages. Because of that, both of them were annoyed by the flood of interview requests after the results came out.
With Black Unicorn drawing this much attention, the Heroes we contacted before are likely salivating for a call, and other B-rank Heroes are no different. Since the Heroes themselves want in so badly, their clans can’t pull any low-life stunts like inflating the signing bonus.
It’s like I’m at a buffet; I can just pick and choose the Heroes I like.
Well—it’s not like we’re a massive clan from the US with top-tier prospects, so it’s a bit of a budget buffet, but still.
With the range of choices widening, Ju-hee is busy gathering information from all over the world to find the specific Heroes I want.
"The list is currently narrowed down to eight Heroes."
When I dropped by her office for the first time in a while, Han Ju-hee handed me a stack of documents. The long desk in front of her was buried under paperwork.
In this digital age, why does she love physical documents so much?
I smiled as I looked at the papers piled on the desk.
"Are these the ones you filtered out?"
"No, those are the profiles of Heroes that came in via fax. They’re people who applied voluntarily."
"...This many?"
"Yes, that many."
I stared blankly, dumbfounded, and Ju-hee replied with a small chuckle.
"Actually, it just looks like a lot because they overlap with the ones sent via email. We’d see them even if they just emailed, but I suppose they’re anxious, so they keep sending them via mail and fax as well."
"It must be a hassle to work through. Just ignore stuff like this."
"No, I have to check every single one. You never know where a hidden gem might be."
That’s a total workaholic mindset.
I’m grateful for Ju-hee’s dedication to helping Black Unicorn, but she looks so overworked it makes me feel bad. As I watched her with a worried expression, Ju-hee noticed and offered a smile.
"I’m not doing this alone, so it’s fine."
Um... are you talking about Baek Bo-min over there, who’s muttering 'save me' under her breath, and the other staff members whose eyes are glazed over as they look back and forth between documents and screens?
I wonder where 'competent workaholic boss' ranks on the list of most hated superiors.
"Take your time and look through them slowly. We won't be doing any Hero activities for a while anyway, since we have weapon adjustments and other external matters piled up."
"Understood. I’ll make sure to recruit the Hero you want within the timeframe."
No, I’m telling you to take a break.
"I said take it easy. There’s no rush. And I’m not that picky. As long as they meet the criteria, it’s fine."
"Haha... It’s just that the 'criteria' you mentioned, Yeon-woo, are surprisingly hard to find..."
"..."
I wonder where 'incompetent and oblivious boss' ranks on that list.
I just blinked as I watched Ju-hee give an awkward laugh. I decided to just shut up and leave the recruitment to her.
After picking out a few promising Heroes from the list Ju-hee had narrowed down, I headed to the Clan Leader’s office.
"It has been a while. Have you been well?"
Michelle, who was sitting on the guest sofa, smiled when she saw me. She’s still wearing a hanbok; I guess she really took a liking to it.
Aside from the unusual choice of clothing, Michelle still gave off the impression of a kind, elderly Black grandmother from next door. I bowed politely and sat across from her.
Sitting next to Lee Ru-da, who had been talking with her, felt strangely good.
"Are you making good use of Astra?"
"Yes, I’m using it very well. I’ve completely adapted to it now, so I can utilize it to its full potential."
"I saw the combat footage Ru-da sent me. I am satisfied to see you using it so excellently."
Since there’s no data on Heroes using guns, we’ve been sending some dungeon conquest videos to Michelle and the Association, with Lee Ru-da’s consent.
The Hero-exclusive guns made by Poltsmith are becoming a trend, and many clans are starting to test gunslingers or show interest in Supporters. If we had sold the Black Unicorn videos, we’d be sitting on a mountain of cash by now—that’s how popular they are.
Thanks to this, the Korean Hero Association is reportedly walking around with their chests puffed out, acting all high and mighty just because they’re the ones sharing the footage.
Those bastards. They should at least throw a kickback my way.
I spent some time having a pleasant conversation with Michelle. I was grateful that she treated me with such familiarity, almost like a grandmother meeting her grandson after a long time.
"But aren't you going to upgrade? I’ve found that guns are quite charming tools."
"I’ve only just gotten used to this one, so I thought an upgrade might be premature."
As a master who only crafts weaponry for S-rank Heroes, her prices are astronomical. I’m terrified of how much an upgrade fee would be. Astra was fine because Lee Ru-da bought it for me, but I’d have to cover any additional costs myself.
Michelle laughed brightly and spoke in a happy voice.
"It’s quite silly, but in my old age, I’ve belatedly discovered the charm of guns, and my hands have been itching to work."
"Silly? Not at all. You are still young, ma'am."
"I appreciate the sentiment, Ru-da."
Lee Ru-da is always so polite to those she respects.
But could you please stop looking at me like you’re telling me to hurry up and upgrade? That’s a forced sale.
"So, I couldn't help myself and ended up making this."
Eh?
Michelle took a large aluminum case from the woman standing behind her and placed it on the table.
Wait, I haven't even ordered anything yet. You can't just make something on your own! That is silly!
Without even noticing my internal panic, Michelle opened the case with a radiant smile and pulled out a gun.
"I saw a shotgun in an action movie, and it looked quite marvelous."
That’s a shotgun?
And could you please not load it while smiling so terrifyingly?
Seeing a kind-looking Black grandmother in a hanbok loading a vicious-looking shotgun was a surreal experience. There probably weren't any bullets, but the heavy clack-clack of the action echoed in my ears.
It was a heavy shotgun with the stock and barrel aligned at the same height, giving it an overall rectangular, solid feel. Is it a bullpup? And a slide-action pump?
Did this lady get way too into the 'shotgun hype' from watching movies?
Loading with a clack, firing a bang, and then reloading looks cool, but as long as you can control the recoil, an automatic is obviously much better. The difference in the level of intimidation between a rapid rat-tat-tat and a clack-bang is night and day.
As I looked on with an incredulous expression, Michelle continued to pull the trigger with a dreamy, girl-like smile.
"It’s not a pump-action. I’ve watched your videos so many times; did you think I wouldn't know that?"
Don't read my mind so easily; it’s embarrassing.
As I gave an awkward laugh at Michelle’s words, Lee Ru-da shot me a glare as if telling me not to be rude. It’s the misleading design that’s the problem, not me.
"Then what was that loading motion?"
"Try it out for yourself and see."
So it is a forced sale?
"It is a gift. This is merely a prototype for data collection, so do not feel burdened."
"Thank you so much!"
I knew I could count on you, ma'am!
As I bowed so low I almost hit the floor, Michelle giggled.
"Is he not a truly entertaining child?"
"I don't know about entertaining, but life is never boring when he's around."
"That is exactly what makes it entertaining. Ru-da, you are always so dishonest with yourself."
Even Lee Ru-da, the strongest in Korea, couldn't win against Michelle and was treated like a child. Her face filled with discontent as she fell silent. She looked so cute that I stole a glance, but our eyes met, and I immediately looked away.
"Ah, one more thing. I am sending one of my disciples to Korea. You can leave the adjustment and repair of your firearms to that child."
"You didn't have to go that far just for me..."
"No, no. That child is also very interested in guns. In fact, they might have more creative ideas than an old woman with a stiff mind like me. They are looking forward to the trip to Korea, so please treat them well when they arrive."
"I will personally look after Michelle-nim's disciple," Ru-da added.
"Oh, there’s no need to coddle them. They are a weaponry creator as well; they should earn their keep with their own talent."
Michelle stopped Ru-da with words filled with life's wisdom.
After returning to casual conversation for a bit, Michelle departed. I bowed deeply to her in gratitude.
Please take an interest in SMGs next time, Grandma Michelle. You can test them on me as much as you want.
Lee Ru-da, who had escorted her to the car, let out a smirk when she saw me fiddling with the shotgun.
"You have the face of a child who just received a Christmas present."
"I’m just curious about what functions it has."
I wanted to head to the shooting range immediately to test it out, but I had no choice but to stay since Ru-da told me to wait. She went back to her desk and sat down, and I scurried over to sit in front of her.
Ru-da pulled a thick envelope from her drawer and placed it before me.
"The preparations for the B-rank party aren't even finished yet, but both the Association and the Government are itching to put you to work."
The heavy envelope was clearly full of requests.
"Is it a lot?"
"It’s an excessive amount for a B-rank Hero. Look through them and decide for yourself."
"Let me know if there are any organizations or individuals that Square Garden needs to stay on the good side of."
"Ha. Ha. Ha. Square Garden is not a clan so weak that it needs you to worry about it. Just focus on your own growth. I will support you to the best of my ability."
She says she’s giving me freedom, but at this point, it feels more like neglect. I’ve lived a life of being pushed around here and there, so I’m not quite used to this.
"And this is a new contract. Since you’ve reached B-rank, I’ll be renewing the contracts for everyone in Black Unicorn. Tell your party members to prepare for the signing."
Nice. Renewing the contracts right away—she really knows exactly what we want.
People say Heroes make a lot of money, but the real money starts at B-rank. D-ranks make enough to get by, but it’s not 'a lot.' C-ranks earn salaries comparable to major corporations, and with bonuses from dungeon clears, they can live quite comfortably.
However, 'living comfortably' is different from being able to buy supercars on a whim, own yachts, and throw money around.
The time a Hero truly starts raking it in is B-rank.
There’s a saying that for B-ranks, the salary is 'whatever you negotiate.' Depending on your current performance, the contract can be worlds apart. Like professional athletes, the scale of the contract and the treatment you receive vary based on skill.
Since Black Unicorn was the undisputed top prospect party in Korea, I was already looking forward to the terms.
The others are going to love this when I tell them.