Growing Stronger (2)
This guy Kim Jian is only 24, right? That's crazy young. Why is his status on par with the guild masters of the Big Four? No, seriously, I'm genuinely curious.
The Big Four guild masters are all SS-ranks and in their thirties or older, so how is this 24-year-old already up there?
And his Awakener rank is only E? Seriously, why? He's the same age as me, but he's incredibly successful, and it's pissing me off so much. ffs ffs ffs
Spells learned today:
Silence of Fire: Extinguishes flames by raising their ignition point.
Haste: Temporarily lightens the body to drastically increase agility.
Smash: Condenses magic power into a physical shockwave.
Charge: Forces rapid, high-speed movement over a fixed distance.
Ignite: A low-power utility fire spell used for basic tasks like lighting fires.
Air Gun: Compresses air to fire an invisible, high-velocity projectile.
Purify: Instantly cleanses dirt, toxins, and impurities from objects or areas.
I've filled my magic quota for today.
"That's why a lot of hunters make Hermes their ultimate destination. One thing's for sure: they pay the most."
We were currently talking on our way to the D-rank gate. The time was drawing near.
"Doesn't Hermes avoid active field duty? If it's safer, office-based, involves less physical labor, and pays more... why would anyone go to other guilds?"
"Well... it's simple. You have to be incredibly smart to get in there. To put it simply, it's like requiring an A-rank hunter to also hold eight elite professional licenses. The base pay is high, but they also get hundreds of millions of won in bonuses for every contract they secure... Below S-rank, Hermes employees make the most money."
Hearing that, it seemed Hermes operated in an entirely different sphere. They weren't even competing with regular guilds. If an SS-rank Awakener appeared, other guilds would scramble to recruit them, but Hermes wouldn't care at all.
What they cared about wasn't which guild signed the SS-rank, but the contract itself.
"So the reason Hermes recruits hunters is for their connections."
"That's part of it. But they also use them for security services. As I mentioned, using hunters for security can be risky because of potential scams, but Hermes is completely safe in that regard. It's a total monopoly. Since they're under the same parent company, they don't pay commissions, so other security firms can't survive. Customers would be terrified to sign a contract without Hermes anyway."
"I see. So people get jobs there for that too."
"It started out as something close to insurance, but now they handle finance and various other hunter-related businesses. That's why it's called a dream corporation—if you can get in, that is. It's just that much harder."
A hunter's life is fundamentally exposed to the threat of death. If you only clear conquered gates, you won't die unless there's a freak accident, but the pay is low. If you tackle new gates, you get massive rewards depending on the rank, but people frequently die in the blink of an eye.
Thus, a place like Hermes, which paid exceptionally well while being relatively safe, was bound to be a dream job. Even if they branched out into broadcasting like other companies, there weren't many restrictions.
"We've arrived."
Before long, we reached the D-rank gate. It was supposed to be harder than an E-rank gate, yet there were even more people here. Just like in video games where Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers have more players than Iron, it was a natural phenomenon.
I put on the gear I had prepared beforehand. I had no desire to get swept up in another media storm with Han Yeseo. It was best to avoid consuming my public image in such a manner.
Ta-da. This way, my face was completely hidden, preventing my identity from getting out as much as possible. On top of that, I cast the Illusion spell so my physical frame wouldn't give me away—except to Han Yeseo.
To any third party, I would appear to be a man.
My plan was to maintain a mysterious image and then make a grand reveal at a crucial moment. But... what if my appearance became a hot topic beforehand due to some unforeseen circumstance?
I would have to revise my strategy. Back at the E-rank gate, my priority had been getting close to Han Yeseo, so I had stayed quiet. But now we were fairly close, weren't we?
So, I covered my face completely.
"Um... Sowol? Are you sure about this? I mean, no matter how scary malicious comments are, isn't this a bit much?"
Han Yeseo's face was a picture of bewilderment at my bizarre appearance. She assumed the only reason I didn't want my face known was because of hate comments. Since there were plenty of people who genuinely hated being famous, it was a reasonable assumption.
But if I were really that cautious, I probably wouldn't have met up with Han Yeseo in the first place. Objectively speaking, it was suspicious. So, I prepared a new excuse. Han Yeseo didn't know anything about the real Baek Sowol anyway.
"I've been stalked before... and if hanging out with you causes a scene... it would be a bit difficult for me."
"Oh... Oh, really?! You went through something like that? Those awful people...!"
No, actually, I hadn't.
Well, even if 'I' hadn't, the original Baek Sowol might have... but either way, it didn't affect me.
Still, not knowing the truth, Han Yeseo wouldn't pry any further. Serious issues like stalking were things people often kept secret even from their spouses.
With that, the two of us headed into the D-rank gate.
"Hey, look over there. Isn't that Han Yeseo?"
"What? Oh, it really is! It's Han Yeseo! Why is she here?"
"Didn't she go to an E-rank gate just to mess around last time and make the news? Isn't it the same thing?"
"Ah, is she still on suspension?"
Most people in the cafe didn't know much about hunters. But this was a gate—a place packed with industry insiders. They recognized Han Yeseo instantly, and all eyes turned to her.
"She really is gorgeous."
"Yeah. But... who's that next to her?"
"Are they just walking together? Ah, wait, no. Han Yeseo is talking to them."
"Their face is completely covered... Who is it? An acquaintance?"
When people looked at Han Yeseo, their gaze naturally drifted to her companion. Especially when that companion was someone completely bundled up, it was bound to pique their curiosity.
Of course, Han Yeseo was the one who had to endure those stares, not me.
"Is it her boyfriend?"
"Must be. Look at how they're completely covered up. And those clothes are totally different from what they usually wear!"
"Definitely a boyfriend. They came on a date, and since the boyfriend is a hunter too, she probably came along to help him out."
People always loved gossip. Even though my face was completely hidden, they still managed to spin a narrative.
Han Yeseo was in the mid-to-high 150s cm—slightly shorter than the average Korean woman. But Baek Sowol was in the low-to-mid 170s cm—similar to the average Korean man. With my magic layered on top, it would be extremely difficult to tell I was female.
Sure, someone's boyfriend could be on the shorter side. You can't control who you fall for, after all. If they saw us in a cafe, assuming I was her boyfriend wouldn't be entirely crazy.
But that didn't mean their deduction was logical. Even if I were her actual boyfriend, why would we come here? And if we wanted to hide, we should have covered Han Yeseo, not me.
"Um... Sowol? People are saying you're my boyfriend..."
"They can say whatever they want. What's the issue?"
It wasn't like she was an idol or a streamer who made a living off parasocial relationships, so who cared?
"But how can they look at you and think you're a guy?"
"Well, I'm completely covered up, so it's possible."
"Still, it's weird. Do they not have eyes?"
The one without eyes was Han Yeseo. To everyone else, my magic made my physical frame and other details look blurry and indistinct. Of course, I had no intention of telling her the truth, so I just brushed it off.
"Just tell them you like girls. That'll kill the boyfriend rumors instantly."
"What on earth are you talking about?!"
What? Why not? Celebrities do business yuri all the time.
Since I was straight, I should technically like girls... wait, since I'm in a female body now, does being straight mean I should like guys?
Come to think of it, why would a wizard care about romance? I'll just marry magic.
"Well, once they hear my voice, they'll realize I'm a girl, and the rumors will die down on their own. What are you worried about?"
"I... I guess so, now that I think about it."
"Don't sweat it. Once some other scandal breaks, they'll all flock over there anyway."
Ah. Was that the wrong way to handle it?
I sounded a bit too indifferent. For someone who supposedly hid their face out of fear of hate comments and stalking, I was far too casual.
I needed to minimize anything that might make Han Yeseo suspicious. Fortunately, she seemed too flustered to notice, and I managed to avoid planting any seeds of doubt.
Thankfully, the moment we stepped inside the gate, the attention vanished. No matter how easy a D-rank gate was, this was still a hunt—a battlefield where a single mistake could cost you your life. The people entering here were barely strong enough to handle D-rank monsters, so they didn't have the luxury of paying attention to anything else.
"Let's move quickly."
After that, we began dealing with the monsters that appeared.
There wasn't much difference between D-rank and E-rank. Of course, Han Yeseo's assistance played a huge part.
Han Yeseo specialized in ice magic. I didn't know her exact skills, but they were incredibly useful for binding targets. She would freeze the monsters, and I would finish them off to collect the mana stones.
"Let's head deeper. You'll be fine with me around. Besides, you'll probably feel more comfortable where there are fewer people."
Following Han Yeseo's lead, we slowly ventured deeper into the gate. I could feel her thoughtful consideration. Even with her around, my mask might slip if things went wrong. Going deeper where it was secluded would ensure my face wouldn't be exposed even in an emergency.
"Let's go."
There was no reason to refuse her kindness. We headed deeper into the gate.
Inside a gate, very few people have the luxury of keeping their eyes on Han Yeseo when they're busy trying to survive. That was true.
Those who came to a cleared D-rank gate were there to grow, and because even D-rank monsters were a struggle for them, they had no attention to spare.
But conversely, it also meant... someone with far greater strength would have plenty of leeway.
Especially if that person's target was Han Yeseo herself.
"Yes, yes. Confirmed. I have also confirmed the target mentioned by the client."
After Han Yeseo and Baek Sowol had walked far ahead, near the midpoint of the D-rank gate, a figure bundled up even tighter than Baek Sowol was watching them.
"So is this really possible? The target is an S-rank."
"It is possible. No matter how S-rank they are, once they are analyzed, they cannot survive against us. This is a hunt, not a fair duel."
"But compatibility of mysteries can be overcome if the difference in raw power is above a certain level. Are you sure you can do it?"
"Of course. I have brought countermeasures for every single one of Han Yeseo's skills. Unless they are an anomaly of SS-rank or higher, this method works on anyone. It's just that skills are rarely disclosed publicly, so it doesn't usually show."
"We must succeed this time. Opportunities to hunt an S-rank are rare. If we miss this chance, her guild will likely keep her under tight lock and key."
"Yes. Trust in Ragnos, and it will be done."
The man, dressed in gear darker than the pitch-black night, spoke with absolute confidence.
"Unless they are a class with countermeasures for every mystery, like a high-ranking wizard, or an S-rank or higher hunter specialized in survival... there is no way they can escape us. I will ensure this operation is a success."
"Very well. For the honor of Ragnos, do not fail."
S-rank hunter Han Yeseo of the Binghwa Guild.
A pitch-black shadow was creeping over her.