Unmasked Negotiations
The moment he confirmed the Mystery Mask had vanished from his face, a wave of embarrassment flashed through Sung Taekyung's mind. How the hell was he supposed to wriggle out of this situation?
His original plan had been to come across as just another capable hunter, planting that first impression on her. Male hunters still carried a lot of prejudice among the general public, after all. If things stayed like this, the conversation might derail before he could even bring up the designated request or anything else.
"……."
For now, he locked eyes with her, groped around the floor, and stashed the fallen Mystery Mask into his subspace pocket. Then he quietly waited for her next words.
"Um, excuse me…?"
"Yes."
"Your stare's kinda intense. Could you sit on the opposite side…?"
"……Sure."
Her words were ambiguous—unclear what reaction she was going for—so he moved to the sofa directly across the table from her. Choi Hwayoung slowly rose from her seat, leaning toward the table as she spoke.
"So, you're Kim Sungcheol, C-rank hunter, right?"
"That's right."
"I'm Choi Hwayoung, S-rank hunter. Retired now, though."
"I see."
"This might sound a bit weird, but…."
Completing a high-difficulty B-rank request apparently wasn't enough to shake off prejudices about male hunters. As he pondered how to prove his skills to her, she met his gaze and continued with something completely unexpected.
"Since I'm your senior, mind if I drop the formalities…?"
"Pardon?"
"Y-You're so young and green…. Uh, no, I'm just not used to speaking formally to juniors…. I-Is that okay…?"
He'd braced for doubts about his abilities as a male hunter, but instead, here she was asking permission to speak casually. It threw him off a bit, but….
"Sure, feel free to speak however you're comfortable."
After all, a senior in the industry dropping formalities with him was a sign of familiarity. He accepted her offer without hesitation.
"Thanks."
With that, Choi Hwayoung settled back into the sofa, crossing her legs casually in her loose white robe, and dove into the conversation. Launching straight into shop talk with a male hunter, no hesitation. Was this what they called flexible thinking…?
"Might sound weird coming from me, but…."
"Hm?"
"You okay with this? Doesn't it make you nervous entrusting work to a male hunter…?"
"Eh, well. I don't really think in terms of gender when it comes to ability. There are strong male hunters out there too, right?"
"No, spot on."
"And payment's after I deliver the materials anyway. Even if you don't gather them yourself, as long as the Black Slime fluids come to me, I don't care."
Aha. So she wasn't hung up on whether he was an Awakener or not. She was purely judging based on whether he could deliver the materials. It wasn't full trust in his abilities, which stung a little, but knowing she was willing to proceed despite him being male was a relief. As the saying went, a good start was half the battle. Once he kept the connection alive, trust would follow naturally.
"I called you here about Black Slime materials, so I'll lay out my proposed terms first."
"Okay."
"Purchase quantity same as that request you took last time. But double the price. And regular deliveries at least once a month. Not a bad deal for you. You won't feel shortchanged for the effort of gathering them."
"…Yeah, fair enough."
Even as a floor request, the terms weren't bad. The issues were the small quantities per batch, no other Black Slime requests available so you'd have to dungeon-dive solely for this one, and needing at least two B-rank-or-higher hunters to complete it. That's why it sat unpicked. Black Slime fluids spoiled quickly if not stored right, making bulk buys tricky, so it made sense. Still, her revised terms were genuinely appealing.
"……."
Except… he hadn't come to see her today for the money. That made him hesitate. Ideally, he'd use the request as an excuse to create chances to meet her, building a relationship close enough to earn Awakening Points. Accepting her offer as-is would lock him into a purely transactional client-hunter dynamic.
For someone hoping for something deeper than business, it felt ambiguous.
"…Not a fan of the terms?"
"No, they're good, actually…."
How do I explain this? The price doesn't matter, so how about a date instead? Not interested in Black Slime fluids—any other fluids? Regular deliveries for breast massages? Nothing but sleazy lines popped into his head. No ideas for deepening things with Choi Hwayoung.
Warning. The expressions in question have a high likelihood of arousing the wariness of S-rank Hunter Choi Hwayoung.
I know, Esilla. But what can I do when no better ideas come to mind? Bringing up something non-business with a total stranger was this hard. He'd been lucky so far. With familiar faces like Hyeun or Mina, fine. But bedding Yuri or Sihee within hours of meeting? Pure luck.
Regrettable, but he'd have to accept today. Ongoing material deliveries might open other doors later. That could lead to more meetings. Starting from this tiny foothold was the way.
"Then I'll…."
As he steeled himself to reluctantly agree after deep thought—
"W-Wait a sec…!!!"
"……."
"I-If money doesn't interest you…!! Y-You can take payment in something else…!!"
Seeming to think his hesitation meant rejection, she cut in urgently before he finished. Intrigued by her new proposal, he echoed her.
"Something… else?"
His mind nearly blurted body okay? but he held it back. For now, he listened carefully to what she had to say.
"Y-Yeah, uh, not sure if you know, but! I'm a pharmacist! Got the talent for it!"
"Ah, that's why you're buying materials."
"I run Lakeside Pharmacy, a potion shop…!! Supplying potions regularly to companies and the Association…!!"
"Oh…."
So that's why. He'd half-wondered if she smoked Black Slime fluids or something. That faint acrid smell when he approached earlier had him suspicious, but a soft person like her wouldn't go for something so niche and harsh.
"So, how about taking payment in potions or other meds? Yeah?! Or custom requests if you need! Y-You might have to gather materials yourself sometimes…. Anyway, yeah?!"
Her desperate pitch confirmed the Black Slime materials were crucial to her. Two thoughts crossed his mind: First, confidence that he held the power here, so she'd likely agree to most demands. Second, excitement that this could leap them past mere trade into personal time, closing the distance fast.
As those intertwined, a brilliant idea sparked. Before pitching it, he got Esilla's read.
S-rank Hunter Choi Hwayoung's likelihood of accepting the master's proposal is estimated at approximately 90%.
That sealed it. He met Choi Hwayoung's eyes across the table, feigning intrigue as he repeated her words.
"Lakeside Pharmacy? And you make potions too?"
"Y-Yeah! Interested?"
"Of course. Good potions aren't easy to buy even with money."
Not due to high production costs, but limited pharmacists with the talent. Same payment value? Potions were worth more than cash. He emphasized that to show keen interest.
"Wh-What kind? Wound healing? Monster repellent? Or magic booster? Or other stuff's fine. I can make most things…. Bring materials, and I'll whip 'em up!"
Wound potions, boosters, custom jobs—all appealing. But one idea dominated his mind.
"Potions interest me, but hard to gauge from talk alone."
"R-Really? Tell me what you need—I can source something similar…."
"Why not let me visit Lakeside Pharmacy in person next time?"
"…My shop?"
"Who knows? I might spot something I like there. If there's a potion I want, we trade for that. If not, we use stuff from your shop for the Black Slime materials."
"……."
Once he got into her shop, he could fake coincidences for future meetups. Solid plan, even by his standards.
"S-So… wanna do that?"
He'd successfully buttoned the first step, at least.