The Solution Is Simple
It had been only a month since the Solo-Walking Demon King’s raids had ceased. The KOSPI was bleeding blue, and the stock forums were talking about jumping off the Han River bridge daily. In these times, when people were even saying the national market was a lost cause, everyone was asking where the Solo-Walking Demon King had gone.
And currently, that Solo-Walking Demon King—who, to the naked eye, had become a "Solo-Walking Middle School Girl"—was just feeling like crying.
***
Park Jungsoo smiled pleasantly. He pulled a business card from his pocket.
"The solution is simple. Why don't you try being a celebrity hunter? We'll forge you a new identity."
The muscles in my face twitched at Park Jungsoo’s words.
"Get lost."
"Tsk, I'm being serious. With a face like that, you'd sell pretty well even if your personality is trash."
"Do you really want to die?"
"Why? Let's use this opportunity to raise some celebrity hunters."
"..."
Hunters who awakened their abilities but were too scared to enter the tower, so they changed their career paths. Hunters who insisted on keeping their hunter license, only to tag along in parties and hinder the raid. Hunters ready to sell everything for a scrap of fame. Hunters who, at the slightest opening, would steal someone else’s raid credit and brag about it as if they did it themselves.
Whether it was their mindset or their actual behavior, to me, someone who had only ever focused on clearing the tower, they were the kind of people who made my blood boil just by existing.
"Do you think I'd do that?"
"Yeah, yeah. The great Kang Hyunwoo wouldn't do such a thing, of course."
"Even if I've become weak, I won't do that."
Park Jungsoo flicked the business card at me.
"You never know, right? How life might turn out. Huh? This is an opportunity for you, too."
"Ah, damn it, seriously!"
"What if you enter the tower and find you've lost your abilities? You might end up as an E-class or even ungraded."
"Get lost! If that happens, I'll do cleanup duty or mining—I'll figure it out myself!"
I stood up, dodging the business card Park Jungsoo had flicked at me.
"I'm leaving! You son of a bitch, go eat well and live well!"
"Hey! Man, so what are you going to do now? Is it really retirement?"
"I don't know! I have to do that for now! Who knows what will happen with this body!"
Inside the tower, your life can be snuffed out in an instant. I had no choice but to lay low for a while and check for new abilities in the tower.
"Hey, Solo-Walking Demon King! Or should I say, Solo-Walking Demon Queen?"
"Get lost! Damn it..."
Park Jungsoo laughed his head off at my feet.
"Kwahahaha! What are you going to do about the bathroom?"
"Shut up!"
Do you have any idea how hard the last few days have been for me? Do you know the disgusting feeling of having to pile up poop in your stomach?
"Hey, can I come over to your place? Oh, you don't have a house, do you? Hey, but aren't you penniless now? You blew all your money on overpriced potions during your last raid."
"..."
"Idiot, who buys high-grade potions from the exchange? That’s the fastest way to go broke. If you buy them at the auction house, they're one-fifth the price."
"Well, they wouldn't sell them, so what was I supposed to do!"
"Idiooooot."
"..."
I’m really going to kill this guy. As I drew my blade, Park Jungsoo cackled.
"So, how are you going to live now?"
"I don't know. I thought you’d give me a solution, but you’re just teasing me. What business is it of yours anyway!"
"Ooh, that sharp tone was nice."
"Just die. Please! Die!"
"Kwahahaha."
He’s really pissed me off, that son of a bitch. As I glared at him with murderous eyes, Park Jungsoo stroked his chin.
"Hey, can't you run just one more raid?"
"I told you, my stats and skills are dead! If I fight in this body, I'll be dead in a minute!"
"Tsk, the Kang Hyunwoo I know isn't the type to retire over something like that... Well, I guess you did want to quit after clearing this tower."
"Yeah."
I had already spent over 20 years in the tower. Thanks to magic engineering or fusion science or whatever, the world had changed rapidly. My level of common sense was no different from a kindergartner’s. Damn it, seriously. Do you know what it’s like to live with the constant worry every time I open a toilet door: 'What if it's different from the toilet I know? If I can't flush it, I'll get cursed at again'? Do you know the experience of being kicked out because I couldn't use a kiosk or an Android interface?
"So, clearing this last floor was like a retirement ceremony."
"Kwahahaha! Either way, isn't it retirement?"
"Ha..."
I thought I’d sell off the final rewards and live a normal life. But to end up penniless in a body like this. I never imagined I’d end up in such a shitty situation.
"Well, whatever your decision may be."
Park Jungsoo bowed his head and said,
"I will express my gratitude on behalf of the Republic of Korea."
"Bullshit."
"It’s true that we got this far easily thanks to you, isn't it?"
"Is that why you sabotaged me and chewed me out to death?"
Assassins would swarm at the slightest moment of carelessness. Sabotaging raids was just the beginning, along with item theft and refusing to sell me potions. I was sick to death of guilds.
"...Tsk. But it's true that everyone is secretly grateful, man."
"Forget it. They're probably just whining because they want the final rewards."
"Ah, the current President was also very curious about your face."
"Damn it. My dad told me never to get involved with politicians and stock traders."
"Tsk, he's wise. But why is his son... no, is it a daughter now?"
"Hey! Get lost! You son of a bitch, I'm leaving!"
"Oh, seriously, think about being a celebrity hunter! Even if you're E-class, I'll take you in!"
"I'd rather die. Do you think I'd do that kind of work?"
Celebrity hunter, my ass. I’ve seen how that world works.
"It's dogshit."
I thought he was smart, but he’s just a fool. I’ve been teased enough. As I kicked the door to the Guild Leader’s office as if to break it, I saw Park Jungsoo’s secretary, Yeon Eun-ah.
"Oh... um... thank you for your hard work? But who might you be?"
"Right. You must have a hard time working for a boss like that."
"Pfft. That tone. Huh? D-don't tell me?"
Just as Eun-ah’s pupils shook, having realized my identity, I took the elevator to the first floor. As soon as I arrived, I saw a familiar face.
"I apologize. I didn't know you were someone with a connection to the Guild Leader."
The fist-king guard from earlier greeted me politely. I waved my hand with an embarrassed expression.
"Forget it. I'm a weird guy... no, girl, so just erase it from your memory."
After finishing that simple verification process, I slipped out of the Central Guild building.
"Wow, that building is huge."
The massive building of the Central Guild located in the bustling center of Gangnam Boulevard.
"Good grief, they have so much money, yet they want me to be a celebrity hunter. So greedy."
Who do they think they are, trying to turn me into a celebrity hunter? Damn it.
As I was walking down the street with a heavy heart, I saw a celebrity hunter on a massive electronic billboard. It was an advertisement for Cha Haneul, the celebrity hunter of the Seoul Guild.
[I will always be by your side.]
Isn't that the bitch who got an A-class rating and ran away? The one who made a huge fuss about dying or not on the 13th floor of the Heaven Tower, then pissed her pants and ran away. She spent all her time in the tower flirting with the Seoul Guild Leader. Protecting people, my ass. She’s the first one who will go broke if the celebrity hunter exposé comes out.
I clicked my tongue and walked down the streets of Gangnam.
Gurgle—
I was hungry. Ah, had I not eaten anything since yesterday? I started to feel dizzy.
"Life... damn it... what do I do now?"
I had kicked the door open and walked out with bravado, but I didn't have a single penny to my name. My prospects for survival were bleak. Do I really have to be a celebrity hunter? Yeah, what’s more important than my life? I have to eat to survive. There must be a reason that smart guy said that.
Even as I tried to turn around, I imagined myself fawning over Park Jungsoo.
'Jungsoo oppa~ Eeing~ You're going to take me with you, right?'
'Haha, well? I'll have to think about it. Shall we see each other in a secluded place?'
"...Ugh."
Wow. I really can't do it. I physiologically can't stand it. I couldn't bring myself to do that, so I shook my head.
"I'll just sell one of the items I have. Then I'll think about it."
With my mind made up, I headed to Korea's largest auction house.
***
"Guild Leader! Just now?"
"Oh, right. That’s the bastard."
"Ah, it's an appearance-change skill. Hmm. It's the first time I've seen that appearance, though."
The Solo-Walking Demon King often used appearance-change skills to hide his identity. It was an S-class skill that completely changed his presence and mana fluctuations—an incredible skill. However, he had always had the appearance of an old man, a middle-aged man, or an uncle. This time, the appearance was a bit radical.
"This appearance is a bit unique. To think he’d take the form of a young girl."
At Yeon Eun-ah’s words, Park Jungsoo chuckled and unfolded his newspaper.
"Put one person on surveillance for him."
"It won't mean much even if I do."
"I know. It's a liaison."
"Hmm..."
At Yeon Eun-ah’s silent contemplation, Park Jungsoo pressed her.
"Why?"
"Is it a death mission? I'm thinking about what class of hunter I should send."
If he was going to die anyway, send the lowest grade. If he was a real liaison, send a high-grade one for proper treatment.
"He's an idiot outside the tower. And right now, he's a total idiot."
"Pardon?"
What did that mean? Well, perhaps the Solo-Walking Demon King’s skills don't work outside the tower? As Yeon Eun-ah’s brain was racing, Park Jungsoo snapped his fingers.
"Ah, you were curious about the Solo-Walking Demon King, right?"
"Yes?"
"You go stick with him. Then you'll find out."
"Hmm..."
Sweat beaded on Yeon Eun-ah’s palms. She wouldn't be able to last more than three moves, would she? At Yeon Eun-ah’s stiff expression, Park Jungsoo chuckled.
"It's okay. I guarantee it."
"That guarantee isn't very trustworthy."
"It's true. You absolutely won't die. I guarantee it."
"Can I trust you?"
"Yeah."
After a moment of hesitation, Yeon Eun-ah frowned and clicked her tongue. This is the problem with humans.
"Tsk, I do have a bit of curiosity."
Yeon Eun-ah tied up her long hair.
"Then I'll write up a business trip report?"
"Sure."
The private life of that hunter, whom the whole world is curious about. Then it would be worth going.
Without anticipating the terrible sight that would unfold before her, Yeon Eun-ah followed the trail of the Solo-Walking Demon King.