#315. It's Bigger Than I Thought.
Kang Moo-hyuk reopened Hunter Village once the situation had settled.
Freelance hunters who hadn't met their hunting quotas due to the temporary closure received compensatory days along with consumables like potions at special discount prices.
Fortunately, the freelancers responded positively. Potions were practically their lifeline, especially since they struggled to afford the heavy upfront costs of gear.
Sold at near-wholesale prices, the potions drew crowds—hunters stocking up not just for now, but for later hunts as well.
On top of that, those who had volunteered for subjugation parties during the Seoul crisis got major perks.
A full week of training under Iron Will's instructor squad.
Most freelancers only learned the basics before diving into real hunts, picking up the rest on the fly.
Some mistakenly thought field experience trumped formal training, but that only held for hunters who'd undergone proper regimens.
Freelancers completed the Hunter Association's standard curriculum in their first year post-awakening, but it was far from enough to stake their lives on.
Opportunities like training from a proper guild were like rain in a drought.
"The problem is the next batch of reservations."
Communication Team Manager Oh Jeong-yeon turned her tablet toward Kang Moo-hyuk as she reported.
"Reservations are backed up through May next year, so the entire schedule will inevitably shift."
Kang Moo-hyuk took the tablet and scanned the content. A chaotic list of bookings filled the screen—complex schedules arising from varying party sizes and hunting durations.
Oh Jeong-yeon cautiously proposed a solution.
"Emergencies like this tangle things up. We might need to revise the reservation system going forward."
"How so?"
"Previously, parties could freely adjust their hunting days up to a max of two weeks. If we standardize it—say, one week or ten days per session—it'll make managing Hunter Village much smoother. Staff could have a day or two for maintenance and rest between sessions, and we'd cut labor costs from running 365 days nonstop. Detailed figures are on the next page."
Kang Moo-hyuk swiped to the next page. Graphs neatly summarized the breakdowns for easy comprehension.
Oh Jeong-yeon was confident he'd accept. She'd double-checked everything meticulously.
But his decision was unexpected.
"Solid idea. It would definitely boost operational efficiency."
"Shall I draft the detailed guidelines then?"
"No. Regrettably, I'll have to reject this proposal."
"Pardon? You just said it was a good idea..."
"I'm not running Hunter Village to turn a profit. Guild Master Joo feels the same."
"..."
As a question mark practically floated over Oh Jeong-yeon's head, Kang Moo-hyuk realized he needed to elaborate.
"Your approach would certainly simplify operations. Fewer staff, lower payroll—makes sense. But most of our employees here are North Pocheon locals. Cutting jobs for efficiency contradicts Iron Will's policy of revitalizing the region when we chose this as our base."
"Ah...?"
"Standardizing hunting durations is problematic too. Party size, rank, traits, gear, ampoule kits—sustainability varies wildly. One hunter might handle two full weeks no sweat, while another barely lasts four days. Forcing it leads to accidents. North Pocheon's special zone is just a stepping stone for freelancers to safely climb ranks. That's enough. From now on, prioritize consideration over guild greed in all policies."
Oh Jeong-yeon half-suspected he'd already vetted her plan himself.
'Of course. No way the division chief wouldn't have thought of it first.'
That was why she trusted him absolutely.
From the North Pocheon base plan through the orc horde war and Northeast Defense Battle, the squad saw him as superhuman.
To outsiders, he was just a capable non-hunter chief. Inside the guild, he rivaled Guild Master Joo Se-ah as an absolute sovereign.
Oh Jeong-yeon bowed her head dejectedly.
"I'm sorry. I was short-sighted."
"No need to apologize. You offered a great idea for the guild. Being proactive like you is excellent. We should roll this attitude out guild-wide."
"Pardon? What do you...?"
Oh Jeong-yeon trailed off anxiously, sensing she'd touched a nerve.
"Relax. I'm just having squad members draft hunting plans—including party comp and prep—and submit them."
She didn't catch on right away but knew where this usually happened.
"Isn't that the strategic team's job?"
"They prioritize large raids. Other guilds leave individual hunts to party leaders. But we'll expand it: not just party leaders, but all hunters. Oh—and include civilian staff too."
What followed was even more astonishing.
Approved plans would let the proposer appoint the party leader.
If the proposer was a hunter, they had to join the hunt and get consent from assigned members.
For civilian staff plans, they'd handle everything up to the hunt, then monitor as operators, listening in until completion.
Oh Jeong-yeon asked hesitantly.
"Is that necessary? I know nothing about hunting. Outside strategic team, most civilians don't either."
"Exactly. Guild members not knowing hunts."
"Pardon?"
"I said it before: civilian staff are squad members too. They need to understand guild ops, how hunts work, the intensity of the field. Not demanding perfect plans—strategic team will filter the half-baked ones. I want everyone invested in every guild process. Approved plans get incentives: big bonuses, performance points, even vacation. No penalties for rejections. More submissions earn mileage. Even hunting newbies would research, right?"
Oh Jeong-yeon grasped it: he aimed to energize the whole guild.
'Yeah, the vibe's been sluggish lately.'
Iron Will had succeeded nonstop: rider wolf business, Hunter Village, Makyung push via Sinuiju, raid merits boosting fame among hunters and civilians alike.
Success bred complacency. They stuck to routines, avoiding initiative.
That irked her, prompting her proposal.
'All his achievements, yet others act like their own. Anyone who saw him in the Northeast Defense Battle couldn't slack off.'
Now she was fired up. The guild had direction.
"Chief, if it's okay, can I draft that plan and report back?"
"I was going to ask you. Can't do it myself anyway. Would you?"
"Yes, sir! I won't disappoint."
She blushed at her own volume but stayed motivated.
The Seoul crisis's biggest star? Undeniably Go Eul-ji.
Joo Se-ah one-shot the Bukhansan Gate boss, Thomas wowed with magic—but both classified.
Johanna's heroic stand in Myeongdong went unnoticed; no survivors nearby except her.
Slayer Guild slaying the Guardian and clearing Bukhansan got mentions, but no visible proof lingered.
Go Eul-ji, though? Zipping over the Han River battling wyverns, snagging pixies, aiding rescues—caught on camera.
Smartphone wielders turned citizen journalists, uploading her fights online. Just like LA.
"Ugh, this popularity's out of control. Look at this video title."
Go Eul-ji shoved her phone at No Song-rin's face. He pushed it away irritably.
"One more time and it's the hundredth."
"Only? Gotta hit a thousand."
"Why me? Bug someone else."
"You're the idlest, uncle. Everyone's busy."
"I'm busy too."
"Fine, fine. Just read it once more."
"Sigh— I must've been a traitor in a past life. Meeting you's my karma."
"Karma? Reward! Proof's in the title."
No Song-rin resigned to read once and escape.
"Iron Will's Go Eul-ji in Action. The Beauty Hunter Following Joo Se-ah... Ack! Can't do it. My magic resistance is too low."
"Your eyes are busted. Ignoring the masses? Real democrat?"
"Don't twist democracy to your taste. Insult to humanity. And Guild Master's Magic Killer trait can't block it. Such a curse—you S-rank?"
"Mocking me?"
"S-rank instincts too?"
"Duel!"
"Bring it. Time to bag a fake S-rank."
As they bickered, Kang Moo-hyuk summoned Go Eul-ji.
She halted No Song-rin's judgment and headed to the chief's office.
"You called, Chief?"
She entered cautiously. Her laundry list of guilt made his office intimidating. Anxious over the unknown, she fidgeted.
"Hunter Go Eul-ji."
"Yes?"
"What's this video?"
"V-video? Th-that's... I didn't pose for it, people just..."
Kang Moo-hyuk spun his monitor her way.
It wasn't what she expected.
"Th-this is..."
"Report from the rider wolf breeding pens. You stuffed something in the wolf training chicken coop next door? But these 'eggs' are awfully big."
"Haha, well..."
"Unless my eyes deceive me, wyvern eggs. From that one at Jamsil Bridge? Three of them? No report?"
Go Eul-ji tapped her index fingers together.
"Got curious."
"To hatch wyverns? Sadly, they're too vicious to tame. Past attempts failed. Though those were stolen juveniles, not eggs like these."
"No, not hatching..."
"Then why bring them?"
"To eat."
"Eat... them?"
"They look like ostrich eggs. Heard you can fry those like chicken eggs, so..."
Kang Moo-hyuk blinked in disbelief.
"Edibility aside. Why the chicken coop?"
"Nowhere to hide 'em alone. Thought inside would fool 'em?"
"That size?"
"Yeah... haha. Bigger than I thought."
He chuckled in absurdity.
Ostrich eggs equaled thirty chicken eggs. Wyvern eggs? Twice that.
Hide those in a coop?
"Anyway, since you brought them. We'll try hatching. Form a TF team, test taming feasibility."
"Eek, my snack!"
As she teared up, Kang Moo-hyuk added to the guild training plan:
Food Hygiene Law Training
Food Poisoning Prevention Training
Hunter Investigation Bureau Agent Na Sang-myeon examined the prone corpse.
"No resistance. High-rank hunter, too. S-rank kill?"
He smirked at his own words, then checked the hunter ID from the body.
"Baek Hyeong-gyu. A- rank. Dreamer Guild."
Typical mid-tier guild vet's death.
Na Sang-myeon figured grudge killing or guild rivalry.
Then Baek's phone rang in its evidence bag.
A junior agent brought the bagged phone.
"Phone's ringing. What now?"
"Rookie? Just answer. If family, break the news..."
"Screen says Iron Will Guild Master Joo Se-ah."
"!!"
"How to proceed?"
Na snatched it. Sure enough: Joo Se-ah calling.
His head spun.
"Damn. This is getting complicated."