Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Practice is Over
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―Hunter Management Bureau Conquers A-Rank Emergency Gate.
―Hunter Management Bureau Clears B-Rank Gates in Succession.
―A Changed Hunter Management Bureau. 8 High-Rank Gates Cleared in One Week!
―Government Agency Outperforms Guilds. The Hunter Management Bureau Finally Finds Its Footing!
―Hunter Management Bureau's 100-Day Record: 36 B-Rank Gates, 9 A-Rank Gates Cleared!
The Hunter Management Bureau's exploits were always headline news.
At first, people saw the results as surprising, but as the conquests continued, they began to cheer for the Bureau's progress.
While the already favorable public opinion played a large part, there was another reason for the nation's enthusiasm.
―Citizens Feel a Sense of Security from the Hunter Management Bureau's Activities.
It was the psychological difference between a government agency run by the state and guilds motivated by private interests.
The public felt a greater sense of stability from the actions of a public institution.
Naturally, the media tried to produce more news about the Bureau, and in doing so, one person naturally came into the spotlight.
―Min Ha-na Changes the Hunter Management Bureau.
The first spotlight fell on Min Ha-na. It was a natural reaction, as the timing coincided with the Bureau's transformation.
Besides, being a government agency, the Hunter Management Bureau didn't have a dedicated PR team like the guilds.
With no particular refutation, articles poured out as if it were an established fact. The atmosphere was reaching its peak.
“Hoo.”
The taxi carrying Min Ha-na stopped in front of her apartment building.
‘I don’t even have the strength to drive.’
A long-awaited vacation.
She had truly earned a precious five-day break.
Media reports and popularity didn't matter to her in the slightest.
‘I just want to sleep without a single thought.’
It had already been over three months since she’d been conquering gates while practically on an IV drip. There were a day or two when no gates opened, and those were designated as official training days.
‘That crazy bastard. How can a person change so much?’
It was practical, combat-style training where Wang-sik played the role of the boss monster, and the rest had to defeat him.
‘It’s not fair. How could we not win even once?’
It was infuriating.
Despite her exhausted body, she had tried different strategies with her teammates to win, yet they had never once succeeded.
She wasn't sure if she had gotten stronger, but the training had left deep scars.
And then came the five-day vacation.
She got out of the taxi without a thought, but someone rushed toward her like a predator.
A reporter.
She knew there had been many articles about her lately, but she hadn't expected this.
Usually, once a car entered the parking garage, the security was so tight that no one could get to her. And yet, a dozen reporters were camped out.
The reporters, who had been waiting as if grasping at straws, were not about to let Min Ha-na go.
“You’ve been a hot topic for your gate conquests lately…”
The first reporter to speak trailed off. The other reporters did the same.
It was because they saw the anguish and fury etched on Min Ha-na's face.
“Y-You are Min Ha-na, right?”
It was Min Ha-na who was more flustered.
“Do I not look like myself? I know I’ve lost some weight, but…”
Once Min Ha-na confirmed her identity, the reporters mustered their courage and asked questions. As she walked toward the entrance with the security guard, she answered only one question.
“How do you feel about having transformed the Hunter Management Bureau?”
“I wasn’t the one who did it.”
“Then who was it?”
“A devil.”
The reporters froze at the murderous look in her eyes. Fortunately, their ears were still working, and they heard her next words.
“There’s a devil in the Hunter Management Bureau.”
It was only natural that those words would adorn the front page of every news portal.
But it wasn't just her words that became a topic of discussion.
―A Weary Goddess.
A photo of Min Ha-na during the interview became another hot topic.
Her eyes were sunken, her skin was rough, and her gaze was lifeless.
She only found out about this after sleeping for a full 15 hours.
Then she saw the nickname she had been given.
―Flame Zombie.
“Bae Wang-sik! You son of a bitch! I’m going to kill you!”
Her scream filled the room.
Guseong Gate Exchange.
Director Jo Jeong-man was waiting for someone at the entrance of the exchange.
Because the director was there, the deputy director and other employees were also straightening their clothes, preparing to line up in formation, but Jo Jeong-man waved them off.
“Don’t you know the Chairwoman dislikes this sort of thing? Send all the employees back to their posts. You’re the only one who needs to stay.”
“Is that really alright, sir?”
“Yes, do it at once.”
At the director's firm command, the deputy director sent the employees back to their positions.
A short while later, a luxury sedan arrived, and a beautiful middle-aged woman stepped out.
“Welcome, Chairwoman.”
It was Han Young-im, the Chairwoman of the Guseong Group.
She accepted the greeting with her characteristic smile, then surveyed the entrance to the exchange and nodded.
“Have they arrived?”
“They have not arrived yet.”
“Good.”
Not long after Han Young-im entered the building, another car arrived.
“Thanks to you, I get to come to a place like this.”
“Of course. It’s all thanks to me.”
It was Wang-sik and Kang Il-seop.
“Welcome.”
The person who greeted them this time was also Director Jo Jeong-man.
“You really didn’t have to go this far.”
“The Chairwoman is waiting for you.”
Wang-sik, who had been walking toward the entrance, stopped in his tracks.
“My business was just a transaction, though?”
He wasn't in a good mood.
It wasn't that he disliked meeting Han Young-im, but he didn't want to meet her so suddenly like this.
“Please don't misunderstand. The Chairwoman will personally hear out and handle this transaction. There is no other purpose.”
“Does this happen often?”
“This is the first time. However, in case there was a request beyond my authority, I asked for her presence to consolidate the handling process.”
“Why did you think that?”
“Because you said you would be coming with the Bureau Director. I presumed you would be entrusting us with the items acquired from your gate conquests. I also heard that among them are items beyond my authority.”
“I see. It seems I misunderstood. My apologies.”
“It was my mistake for not informing you in advance.”
Guided by Jo Jeong-man, they moved to a specially prepared VIP reception room.
Unlike the VIP lounge, this separate room was a place for VIPs who wanted to conduct their business quietly.
The room, reminiscent of medieval Europe, was furnished with sofas and adorned with understated paintings.
The room had an overall comfortable feel, and Han Young-im was already seated.
“It’s been a while.”
After a brief exchange of greetings, initiated by Han Young-im, they sat facing each other.
“I’ve been following the Hunter Management Bureau’s activities with great interest.”
Han Young-im led the atmosphere with a pleasant smile and cheerful topics.
After chatting about mutually agreeable subjects for about ten minutes, they finally got to the point.
“So, what can we do for you?”
Her face was still smiling, but she exuded the flawless air of a corporate magnate.
“We want to sell the items we obtained from gate conquests and use the proceeds to buy other items.”
“Selling items is nothing special, but what kind of items are you looking to purchase?”
This time, Kang Il-seop answered.
“Wouldn't that depend on how much you're willing to pay for our goods?”
“Then I suppose we should see the list of items for sale first.”
Although he had a document with the list, Kang Il-seop first took an item out of his inventory.
Five enormous fangs.
It was an item already known to the public from their first conquest. But there was a problem.
“Are you selling this?”
Sanatos's Fang was a weapon imbued with a powerful toxin, valued at A-plus rank, but its true value lay elsewhere.
It was a material that could be used to create S-rank equipment.
For that reason, countless parties had expressed interest in purchasing it. The Guseong Gate Exchange, which had a trade agreement with the Hunter Management Bureau, had already received over two thousand inquiries.
The problem was that, on the surface, it belonged to the government.
“This is unexpected. I thought this was not for sale.”
As Han Young-im pointed out, the item was so valuable that there had been much debate about its disposal.
“We can sell one of these.”
Kang Il-seop put four of the fangs back into his inventory, leaving one, and then calmly sipped his tea.
Han Young-im didn't rush either, joining him in drinking tea.
Wang-sik belatedly realized that the two were engaged in a battle of wits.
‘He’s not good at politics, but he’s good at this kind of thing.’
Finding it interesting, Wang-sik decided to just watch.
‘Well, he must have dealt with guild leaders constantly.’
Fortunately, the silence did not last long, and the negotiation began in earnest.
After a negotiation that lasted a full hour, both sides got what they wanted.
Han Young-im got Sanatos's Fang.
The Hunter Management Bureau got a special auction and a discount on commission fees.
“We will acquire the items you mentioned as quickly as possible.”
“How many days will it take?”
“At the latest, I will have them delivered to the Hunter Management Bureau within three days.”
Han Young-im showed her confidence.
She was saying she could bring dozens of items scattered across the globe in just three days.
He had his doubts, but because it was Han Young-im, he decided to trust her.
A strange scene unfolded.
The Gate Conquest Team Leader, having passed through the main gate of the Hunter Management Bureau, unknowingly stopped in front of the building.
Ten minutes before assembly.
He should have gone straight in, but he couldn't. Ten agents were standing in front of the building.
“What’s going on?”
The agents greeted the team leader upon his arrival, but all of them had grim expressions.
“I’m thinking of resigning.”
“It feels like I’m being dragged into the devil’s castle.”
“I really don’t want to go in.”
Over the past 100 days, they had certainly grown. Their skills had improved, their teamwork had gotten better, and their minds had become stronger. But now that their much-needed break was over and it was time to return, the training they had endured now loomed as a source of terror.
“I realized something while I was resting. This is what it means to be human. It’s so blissful.”
Everyone nodded at those words. The team leader also found himself agreeing.
“I feel the same way. My daughter said ‘Do your best’ as I was leaving, and for some reason, I started to tear up.”
Everyone reacted with surprise to the team leader's words.
It was the first time he had ever expressed his emotions like this.
“I really didn’t want to come… but what can you do? You still have to show up. To protect my daughter, I need to be strong. On my way here, I was torn. Should I quit or endure? And seeing you all makes my thoughts clear. If I miss this opportunity, I will definitely regret it.”
The team leader was the first to enter the building.
There was no special persuasion, but the other agents followed. They felt similarly. But they couldn't help the feeling of their shoulders slumping.
“Not a single one of you ran away. I praise you for that.”
That tone of voice—he really wanted to punch him.
He used to be such a kind and friendly young man. That’s why all the Bureau employees had liked him.
Regardless, Wang-sik spoke without a change in expression.
“There are less than three months left. That means this is the only chance you have.”
A time for growth.
Hell.
Both were true, so the agents couldn't argue. In just three months, three agents had seen their ranks increase.
It was common knowledge that even talented hunters needed to invest at least three years to raise their rank, yet they had done it in a mere three months.
To put it another way, the suffering that talented hunters would experience over three years had been compressed into three months.
So, of course, it was hell.
“Since we don’t have much time left, we’ll start the real training today. Practice ended yesterday.”
Everything up until now…
Was practice?
The agents cursed their decision to enter the building. And for some reason, they felt a pang of resentment toward their team leader. So they glanced back at him, only to see that the usually stoic man’s face had turned pale blue.
Just then, the conference room door opened, and Kang Il-seop walked in.
“You all look so dependable. These days, I live for the joy of seeing you guys.”
The agents glared fiercely at Kang Il-seop.
“Hey, don’t be like that.”
Kang Il-seop smiled slyly and stood before the large desk in the center of the room, placing some documents on it.
“Do you have any idea how many guys I had to go toe-to-toe with to get these for you? Now, come up one by one and sign.”
The team leader was the first to step forward and receive a document. But as he checked it, his eyes widened as if they would burst.
“This is…”
While the team leader stood there, too shocked to even sign, Kang Il-seop handed out items like Santa Claus.
“The Holy Body of Will, Gigant's Necklace, and Guardian of the Holy War. These are separate from the prize money you’ll be receiving; they’re items provided by the Hunter Management Bureau.”
They were the items purchased through the Guseong Exchange.
The items had been selected based on their training, aptitude, and talents, so there was no way they wouldn't be pleased.
Moreover, they were all items of a rank that everyone coveted.
“Agent Bae Wang-sik put his heart and soul into finding these.”
The agents’ gazes, which had been filled with curses, softened.
A soft-hearted healer even shed tears, feeling guilty for her earlier emotions.
Wang-sik looked at the agents and said.
“How much help do you think those will be? In a crisis, will they protect you for even a full minute? Well… I suppose that one minute could be the difference between life and death. In any case, something like this won't turn hell into heaven.”
Before the agents could even properly inspect their new items, Wang-sik turned to leave the conference room, adding over his shoulder.
“You got paid, so let’s get to work. Every single one of those is bought with the blood, sweat, and tears of the taxpayers.”