Chapter 7: I Was Prepared, But Not for You.
C Warehouse.
There were no A or B warehouses. Titan Guild's equipment storage went by a different naming scheme.
So why was it called C Warehouse?
The naming was simple. It was called C Warehouse because it stored C-grade gear.
A lowly nickname, but to Titan Guild's upper echelons, it was a taboo place.
C-grade usually lumped in failed or worthless items, but Titan's C-grade carried a different meaning.
Disposal difficult.
Items they wanted gone but couldn't discard.
"You know that's our guild's Achilles' heel, right?"
"They're only C-grade because no one's found a use for them. Put them in the right spot, and they could be A-grade."
"Do you have any idea how much capital is tied up in there? We're talking hundreds of billions."
"Precisely 413.4 billion, excluding perishables."
"If that got out, the board would lose their minds. Can't count it as inventory like factory stock, can't dump it cheap either. It's expensive trash. Open it up now, and how do you explain why guild funds are tied up in gear upgrades, scraping by? Where'd all that money go? Why ask for more budget? Auditors could come sniffing. The whole project could tank. That's not what you want either, is it, Team Leader Kang?"
"I know."
"And you still bring up C Warehouse?"
"There's gear in there that can take down a transparent Unknown."
"Gear that can take it down?"
Lee Cheol-jung racked his brain but couldn't recall any such thing.
Honestly, aside from the early days, he'd never paid it much mind. He had no clue what was piled up inside.
The guild's rapid growth left no time for it, and failed projects midway turned it into something he ignored entirely.
The reason they'd even started developing the stuff in there stemmed from Lee Cheol-jung's whim.
Kang Moo-hyuk had pitched a way to lead the industry, and swept up in his eloquence, he'd greenlit the projects without a second thought.
Kang had reeled him in, but the final call was his own—he couldn't blame anyone. That made C Warehouse an even more bitter memory.
It was the one project Kang Moo-hyuk hadn't pulled off.
Lee Cheol-jung's suspicions flared first. "Something like that exists...? No, forget it. Think I'm falling for it again? After pouring water into a sieve on your say-so, that's enough."
"To reach tier guild status, we'll have to clear it out eventually. Better to package it nicely and open now."
"Not aiming for that new paradigm you always yapped about? Overhauling the whole hunting style?"
"If you want, we can proceed now."
"Nah. Screw that up, and the guild's future's shit."
"I agree it's unnecessary overreach. Titan can grow steadily as is—no need for risks. But from another angle, it could be new growth fuel."
"Meaning you can handle C Warehouse? Turn those failures around?"
"Just make the failures not look like failures."
"Ah, damn, falling for it again?"
Lee Cheol-jung sighed deeply, eyes glinting with expectation.
"Use that gear, and you can bring our guys back safe?"
"Can't guarantee it. But test evals post-dev were pretty solid. We trust that and go."
Kang Moo-hyuk calling it "pretty solid" meant high odds of success. He never spoke in absolutes—nothing was certain.
Lee Cheol-jung knew his style and decided quick.
"Do it. Yeah, let's. C Warehouse is the only mess from listening to you. If you can fix it, great for me."
"Not an easy call. Thank you."
"But bring everyone back safe."
"Of course. I won't go in, but they'll handle it."
"And when you open C Warehouse, the moles the shareholders planted will snitch right away. Fix that too."
"My proposal, my problem."
"Fail, and you're done—got it? Head on a pike."
"You've staked your neck too. I'll take the risk."
"Sigh, if you weren't all talk. Tsk! Anyway, sort it and report back."
Guild HQ, basement level 8.
Blueprints showed parking on B7 as the end, but an unlisted space existed on B8.
Scale varied by guild rank, but every guild had such secret spots.
Usually stuffed with banned weapons, smuggled items, covert experiments—guild secrets.
Not for nothing did folks joke the world's end wouldn't come from gates, but guild secret vaults.
That many hidden, dangerous things lurked there.
Kang Moo-hyuk assembled an emergency three-party, 17-hunter team and pulled the gear he wanted from B8's C Warehouse.
The hunters gawked at the secret space in HQ.
They knew of C Warehouse but figured it some remote mountain bunker, not here.
Once they had the gear, Kang briefed them on usage.
Not hard. The gear was more electronic device than hunter kit.
"We carry this in?"
All stuff they'd never seen, let alone used. Made them wonder why bother making it.
Dissatisfaction creased their faces.
Fair enough.
Hunters saw skills and artifacts as privileges. Hunters were special; their gear should match.
Potions or handmade weapons were human-made from gate resources—support items, no big deal.
But this...
"This even allowed in gates?"
"Of course. Made from gate materials, same as anything. Crazy expensive too. Don't smash 'em—bring 'em back intact."
Despite his pleas, they stayed lukewarm. Kang explained again, just in case.
"This is a heat sensor. Invisible foe with body heat? Caught. This is acoustic detection. Movement makes noise, right? Next is motion sensor—same drill. That one's powder-marking grenade, special paint rounds. Unknown shows? Fire from the guns I issued. It'll rainbow- or white-coat a 3-meter radius. High heat too, so trackable by thermal. Easy to spot even in woods."
Gear straight out of movies.
Hunters wondered alike:
Why the hell make this crap?
Using pricey gate resources no less.
Couldn't bring Earth stuff into gates.
Only gear processed from monster corpses or gate resources allowed.
Or artifacts from inside gates or Earth.
Gate-related stuff was never cheap. Proven resources skyrocketed in value.
Yet wasting them on war-game toys? Might've understood actual anti-monster weapons.
Not useless, but shitty cost-performance.
World already had simple, handy skills and magic.
Plus, lugging this junk looked tacky.
Hunters prided on showing skill via weapons and armor. That's why civilians idolized them.
"This looks so lame."
"Looks aren't the point. Foe's an Unknown. Jang Yi-hyeon and Park Min-soo aren't signaling rescue for lack of skill. They need your help. This time, focus on safe return for comrades—and you. Just once, bear with it."
Without the Unknown excuse or save-our-guys plea, convincing would've been hell.
Luckily, no more gripes.
Prepped, the geared rescue team entered Sinlim 17 Gate.
Kang watched the entry flash head-on through sunglasses.
Such resistance tanked it before. Hunters care more about style than hunting—pathetic.
C Warehouse started as "Hunting Equalization Gear R&D Division."
Kang agreed skills and magic were simpler, nimbler.
But skillbooks and magic stones? Big guilds only.
Indie hunters or small guilds filled gaps with bodies.
Skill-less hunters were "tin can hunters."
Kang long pondered using tin cans as real force.
With proper support, they'd handle annual monster migrations or random waves better.
That hope birthed the project—but as non-hunter, he misread hunter psychology.
Chosen-people bullshit: hunters superior to humans, etched deep.
"Still, reopening C Warehouse is a step."
Kang sketched next moves mentally.
Finish this project... and someday, I'll fight properly too.
"It's started. 35-second delay."
At the operator's report, Kang focused on the situation room monitor.
35 seconds... about 3-4 klicks in.
Real-time gate footage had distance lag.
1 second per 100 meters.
Varied by gate, but not by much.
Mana stones guzzled for power—battery pack lasted 10 minutes tops. Drop quality for 15, but too low res hid details.
"End before battery swap."
Swapping mid-raid off-script? Nightmare.
His words echoed 35 seconds later via party leader.
-Been a while since I showed off for you, Team Leader.
Screen shook wildly.
Urgent voice over speakers.
Hunters charged invisible something, slashing air.
Miss. Tank pulled back, reformed lines.
-Fuck, can't see shit!
-Save powder rounds. Few left. Hold till direction's sure.
Shouter twisted, hurled shuriken.
Instant mana infuse—expedition vet move.
-Target where it stuck... Huh? What the—?
Panic clear. Air-stuck shuriken melted fast.
Screen view fuzzy, but Kang knew.
"Dissolution ability..."
Top nightmare for metal-weapon hunters.
-Shit, anti-dissolve potions!
-Which one?
Hunters floundered.
Invisible solvable via motion/acoustic sensors, but dissolution too?
Why elite expedition hunters struggled: this.
Many dissolution monsters, but not equal. Viscosity, composition dictated potion strength.
Wrong strength? Useless.
Plus, potion on gear needed special wash or time before reapply.
Someone might say "different potions per hunter," but invisible foe wrecked that.
Giant monster? Fight gimped DPS?
No time to test mid-crisis.
That hesitation gave elites an opening, invisible monster its chance.
Sensor showed distant foe now yanked a hunter's ankle, dragging.
Hunter airborne, screamed. Ankle smoked acrid. Mana defense held, but not forever.
Slashed at ankle-binder with sword—but blade melted each strike.
-Boss, cut the ankle?
Grim choice, but better than life.
Even "pull back" voiced.
Situation room watched silent.
Operators gulped dry, eyes on Kang.
Say something.
"..."
Kang stared coldly.
His emotionless face amid chaos creeped them out more.
Not giving up, though.
Worked confirmed intel for solution.
Odd. No attack pattern. Can't gauge shape. Sword feel not tough hide—more squishy... Wait. Seen something like this before.
Uncanny insight.
Spotted unseen, never forgot once seen.
Kang's rep. That insight hit.
Grabbed situation room mic.
"Party leader, use Potion 1. Slime. Transparent slime."
Checked screen timer—seconds precise.
35 seconds long.
35 more passed; hunters shifted.
Gate showed 35 seconds prior.
Hunters applied Potion 1, slashed invisible slime.
Pus leaked—position clear. Fired powder grenades, paint rounds.
Transparent monster rainbowed white, revealed.
"Knew it."
Formless, jiggling mass.
Classic slime.
-Bastard visible now.
-You're dead!
Known and seen, no terror.
Slime crumpled fast under attacks.
Dozens seconds later.
-Hunt done. No KIA, some wounded—not critical.
Cheers erupted in situation room at report.
Kang sighed relief.
"Extract units to gate. Med team's ready. Good work."
-That concludes briefing on Sinlim 17 Gate transparent Unknown, codename 'Invisible Slime.' Thank you.
-Now, Q&A with press.
Joo Se-ah watched the TV presser with interest.
The guy from yesterday drew eyes, but undetectable-by-detecting Unknown gripped tighter.
Her kill yesterday buried in a day, but curiosity inevitable.
"How'd they catch invisible? Even AoE magic failed."
Titan announced opposite regular slimes: magic-resistant.
New threat.
Seasoned elites helpless sans intel.
Discoverer guild named it, reported 'emergency' to world org.
Media frenzy, evening presser.
Titan rising star—press swarmed.
Prepped it. No way they gather that fast post-hunt.
Her question voiced by reporter.
-Magic useless, invisible slime—how'd you catch it?
Onscreen Kang calm.
-Gear we'd prepped years shone.
-What gear? New artifact?
-Not artifact. Just support gear for hunters in any situation, even unforeseen.
-Details?
-Many types—press release later. What I can say: our C Project maximizes existing hunter power with new paradigm. Lots classified—sorry can't detail."
Reporters hounded project despite plea.
He joked, deflected slick.
No specifics leaked, but media buzzed expectant.
Titan stock would swing tomorrow.
All eyes on C Project; Joo fixed on Kang.
First non-hunter strategic team leader.
Resume no joke—results spoke.
But non-hunter? Most scoffed.
Even her wide net: handful acknowledged him.
Those handfuls ruled Korea's hunter world.
Non-hunter fighting monsters his way stirred odd feeling in Joo.
"Not hunter material, but he pulled it off as vowed. Impressive enough."
Admired grit, then thought.
"Scout him again? Hard finding people anyway."
Guild restructure stalled her.
Broke from Slayer after decade, big talk: guilds easy to build.
Reality? Sewer.
Grabbed Taeseong Guild under conglomerate, but as master? Hollow shell.
Revive solo? Tough. Needed ace vice master.
Couldn't snag one.
Slayer refused renewal, sabotage followed.
Who'd cross Slayer for her?
One "that Joo bitch" mutter? Done.
No cooperation.
She was world-class to legend tier, but guilds ruled industry.
Couldn't ignore top guild clout.
Plus Taeseong internals against revival.
Dealing with their plants? She'd take red gates over that.
Guild inside-out hell stalled her vision.
Then: snag Kang as vice?
Strategic lead? Vice doable?
Mulled: not impossible.
"Yeah. Vice interviews? Zero apps. Go snag him direct? Even stone heart tempts at vice master? Monster wipe's his life goal anyway."
Nothing to lose.
Cornered really.
Horn in, pull quick—Joo grabbed coat.
Kang parked underground, bone-tired, hit elevator button.
"Heyyy, Team Leader Kang Moo-hyuuuk~"
Drawled voice, booze reek.
Kang glanced aside.
"Drunk. Talk sober."
"Saw your TV. Fuckin' showoff. Think I'd come otherwise?"
Kang sighed. Checked elevator—27 floors.
Late.
"Sigh, figured this day'd come in the biz."
"Took long. After all that swagger."
"Wasn't you I meant."
Instant: gut punch boomed.
"Guh...!"
Vomited blood. Breathless, crumpled—head stomped.
"Me, done in by scum like you? Never dreamed, fucker. Die too!"