“Oh… how fascinating.”
After dealing with the boss Monster and exiting, the dungeon entrance slowly began to collapse. It was a sight I hadn't been able to see before, since I had only ever collected rare herbs and left the Poison Dungeon. As I let out a gasp of admiration, Park Hyo-sang shook his head, muttering, ‘Good grief….’
He seemed to find it absurd that I was amazed by such a sight after beating down a boss Monster like that.
“Well then. Let’s begin.”
After clearing a dungeon, there is always one word that follows.
‘Settlement’.
Since we operated as a team, the Cores and rare materials we acquired would be distributed according to the number of people.
“There were 72 small-type cores, right? I believe so.”
At my words, Kim Chu-ho flinched. He probably didn’t expect me to remember something like that. To be honest, I wasn’t the one who remembered.
I just read the data sent by the V1. When I took the initiative, they nodded with reluctant expressions.
“If we divide by five, there are two left over. How about the Knights take one each? The two Espers, is that alright with you?”
“Yes. We barely did anything, so…”
“Oh… thank you.”
The faces of the veterans, who had been licking their lips, instantly brightened. But their faces soon crumpled like used tissues.
“You have to pay a protection fee, so you should take a little extra.”
“…….”
They transferred the money obediently, without any particular resistance. Because of the demonic fighting prowess I had shown in the dungeon, they couldn’t even think of trying anything. It was worth fighting so fiercely on purpose.
“Contact me next time if there’s a good dungeon.”
At my farewell, the two Hunters shuddered and hurriedly left. So from now on, you should think about earning money legitimately. Don’t try to swindle beginners.
Even if I concede a hundred times that this training is a necessary evil, what’s with charging one million won for a dungeon that barely yields two hundred thousand won per person?
“Give me your account numbers.”
After the veterans left, I transferred one million won to each of the two Espers. Honestly, I had no intention of being this generous. I’m not that much of a nice guy.
But after continuously seeing the rotten side of Hunters, starting from the qualification test, I wanted to purify my own heart, even if it was this way.
“Thank you so much. I don’t know how I can ever repay this favor…”
“I’m not doing this for your sakes. It’s for me.”
“Pardon…?”
“Our business is done, so let’s go our separate ways. I hope you become good Hunters.”
I gave a perfunctory farewell and turned away.
“Uh, excuse me, one moment.”
“?”
“Here, this is my father’s business card.”
Not giving me his own number, but his father’s business card?
Why?
The business card read [Umbrella Industry / Representative Do I-su]. Oh, so this guy was from a rich family.
“We’re actually siblings. I’m Do Yu-chan. My younger sibling is Do Yu-seong.”
Come to think of it, I never even asked for their names while we were going to and from the dungeon. Feeling awkward, I obediently took the business card.
“Later, if you ever need my father’s help, please be sure to say so. Please!”
And with that, the Esper siblings, who were a couple of years older than me, bowed deeply and left. It’s obvious they don’t have the skills to join a Guild, but they might be the type who don’t need a Guild’s protection anyway. By the way, the company name ‘Umbrella Industry’ sounds familiar.
Where have I heard it before?
Lately, there have been some changes in my status. ….
Ah.
So that’s how I was able to exchange telepathic messages with Daebeom. He wasn’t a Poison-type, but it seems he was able to communicate with me because poison had been rapidly injected into him at the lab. I wonder if Daebeom escaped the Hunter Association safely?
He’s a guy I’d like to see again someday. Anyway, even for a 1-star dungeon, the Ether level is quite pathetic. Even after absorbing all the Cores I got from the dungeon, the increase was minimal.
In terms of monetary value, it was an amount worth hundreds of thousands of won. What’s more, the Cores I brought back today even included one from the Boss Nutria. Forgetting the other mobs, it’s an unspoken rule that the one who contributed most to killing the boss Monster gets its Core.
Even though I took more than the other Hunters who entered the dungeon today, my BA only increased by a two-digit number. Could it be that I can only absorb Black Cores?
I see.
In a way, I felt it was a relief. If I couldn’t absorb Cores from normal Monsters, my growth might be limited. In fact, just being able to store normal Cores in my body without any kind of filtering device is incredible luck.
Other Hunters pay enormous fees to absorb Cores, and even then, more than half the energy is lost. Simply put, it’s expensive and the efficiency is crap. But since I can absorb Cores instantly, anywhere and anytime, this alone means I can grow several times faster than others.
‘If, by some chance, I could get my hands on that…’
As I thought about Cores, an object naturally came to mind. The dazzling golden sphere I saw when they tested my Awakened Value. The Gold Core.
I can’t even imagine how much Ether is contained in that thing. I felt an incredible energy from it, so much that the Black Core I got from the Poison Dungeon felt insignificant. Since I’ve only been collecting rare herbs, I haven’t seen a boss-rank Black Core yet.
But one thing is certain: even if I cut open the belly of a Venomous Centipede, it wouldn’t surpass the Gold Core.
‘I want it…’
The Gold Core. If I absorbed that thing, the Ether in my body would rise explosively. Should I steal it?
Should I contact Bi-soo and try something with Stealth… -Kkuwang!!
“You scared me.”
I guess this is why people can’t live with a guilty conscience. To think I flinched at little Ppori’s cry. Anyway, why is this guy suddenly on guard?
Ding-dong.
That question was answered soon enough. The doorbell rang at my house, where I never get visitors.
“Sis, did you order a package?”
“No, I didn’t…?”
I should be careful. I slightly raised the Ether in my body and opened the door.
“Who is it?”
“Hello, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon.”
“Ah…”
The man in his 40s who had come to my house was a familiar face. His bangs were combed to one side, and he wore intelligent-looking rimless glasses. He was the Supervisor who had been in charge of the first Hunter qualification test.
“So you remember. I am Pyo Hyeok-gyu, from the Hunter Association.”
I remember.
He was the Association employee who put the Gold Core into the Awakened Value machine back then. The test is over, so why has he come to my house?
“I have something urgent to discuss with you, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon, which is why I’ve come unannounced. I know it’s rude, but I hope you’ll understand.”
Supervisor Pyo Hyeok-gyu bowed his head slightly and asked politely. He looks like he’s at least twenty years older than me. Maybe because he’s a public official, he seems to value formality.
“No, it’s fine. I was just resting… Please wait a moment.”
I threw on a tracksuit top and went outside with Supervisor Pyo Hyeok-gyu.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
We ordered coffee at a nearby cafe and sat side by side. His expression was calm, but Pyo Hyeok-gyu would occasionally glance around sharply. It seemed like he was wary of something, but I decided to pretend not to notice as I sipped my coffee.
“It’s late, but congratulations. You’re the first Hunter to receive an S-rank in the qualification test in 10 years, so I hear the Association has very high expectations for you.”
“Thank you.”
“I noticed you haven’t joined a Guild yet…”
“That’s right. I’m not thinking about it yet.”
“Pardon my asking, but may I inquire as to the reason?”
Is that what he came here to ask? Well, I can understand why the Association would be curious. If an S-rank Hunter isn’t active, it’s practically a national loss.
But I don’t really have a reason to join a Guild. No, to be precise, it’s better if I don’t join one. The only reason I became a Hunter was to legally enter dungeons.
It’s not as bad as the Glory Guild, but I’m not fond of the Association either.
“I’m not sure which Guild would be a good fit for me… And if possible, I’d like to work alone.”
“Alone?”
Pyo Hyeok-gyu blinked and asked again. For an S-ranker, clearing a low-rank dungeon alone is no big deal. But that’s usually the case for Knights or Espers, not healers.
There are very few healers in the world with killing abilities.
“Yes. For now, I plan to work alone to gain some experience.”
“I see…”
Pyo Hyeok-gyu, who had been stirring the ice in his cup with a straw, suddenly said something unexpected.
“In that case, what about Poison Dungeons?”
I almost spat out the coffee I was drinking. I was already planning to run Poison Dungeons as soon as my probationary period was over. Even though I’m an S-ranker, I was wondering if the Association would let me enter them alone.
But for the Association to be the one to bring up Poison Dungeons… Supervisor Pyo Hyeok-gyu. What kind of person is he?
“Poison Dungeons?”
“Ah. Of course, I’m not forcing you. It’s just something we were hoping for…”
“Please tell me in more detail.”
“Hmm… This is unofficial information, but…”
Pyo Hyeok-gyu straightened his posture and continued in a low voice.
“Recently, a Code Yellow alert was issued in North America. It was due to the appearance of a Monster.”
‘Code Yellow’ is a major incident, one of the top three emergency alerts on Earth.
“Monsters appearing is nothing new, so for it to be that serious, something special must have happened.”
“Yes. That’s because the Monster emerged from a dungeon.”
“What???”
For a moment, I doubted my ears. Normally, Monsters only appear suddenly when a Gate opens. But dungeons aren’t like that.
People clear them by killing the boss Monster just because having a dungeon around is unsettling, not because Monsters will come out if left alone. If that were the case, the Association would have made dealing with Poison Dungeons their top priority. But the information Pyo Hyeok-gyu just shared shook the very foundations of what I knew.
“The dungeon itself was low-difficulty, so the local Guild subjugated it immediately, but I’m sure you understand the heavy implications of this incident.”
It goes without saying. My face grew as grim as Pyo Hyeok-gyu’s expression. What if, by some chance, all the Monsters from the dungeons in our country came out at once?
The population of the Republic of Korea would be halved that day.
“Currently, only two such cases have been reported worldwide. The ‘World Hunter Protection Organization (WHPO)’ is keeping this incident quiet for now. If it were to be publicly known, it would cause widespread panic.”
“I don’t think keeping it quiet will solve anything. If there have been two cases…”
“That’s right.”
Pyo Hyeok-gyu gave a bitter smile and readily admitted it.
‘Something can happen just once. But if it happens twice, it will definitely happen a third time.’
It was a saying that had been repeated countless times among Hunters ever since they first encountered Monsters. How many times had we prayed for something to be a coincidence, for it never to happen again? But historically, an incident that has occurred twice has never stopped there.
“We have been carefully observing your abilities and actions, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon, since the qualification test. The most surprising part was the indicator of your Healing Ability; not only external injuries, but even the toxic substances inside the body were completely detoxified.”
“Yes. I didn’t know the test would be that harsh.”
I replied in a rather cynical tone. To think they brought me a beat-up Daebeom and even injected him with Monster Poison. It was practically on the level of praying for my failure.
It’s not that I don’t know who instigated it, but since Pyo Hyeok-gyu is also from the Association, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything nice. But Pyo Hyeok-gyu’s response was a masterpiece.
“Someone dug their own grave. Serves them right.”
“?”
Pyo Hyeok-gyu answered with a simple smile, but his eyes seemed to hold countless thoughts. At his level of Supervisor, he must know who ordered it, yet he’s badmouthing them with me. He’s a complex character in many ways.
“With your Healing Ability, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon, I believe you are capable of freely navigating low-rank Poison Dungeons. Just as Maria did.”
“…I’ll probably be fine.”
Having already dug up a Silver Eternal Flower in a 5-star (★★★★★) dungeon, what’s a low-rank Poison dungeon to me? It feels harder to keep acting like I don’t know what’s going on.
“There are no Guilds willing to take responsibility for Poison Dungeons. If Monsters were to emerge from them, it could become a second Gaebang District incident.”
My eyebrow twitched slightly at the mention of Gaebang District, but Pyo Hyeok-gyu continued calmly.
“If you had joined a Guild, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon, I wouldn’t have made this proposal. But since you said you’ll be acting independently for the time being, I wanted to ask this of you.”
So that was the real reason he came to see me. For my part, I have no reason to refuse Poison Dungeons. Far from refusing, if it means a free pass to enter Poison Dungeons, I’d welcome it with open arms.
“For free?”
Despite that, I laid out a condition.
Why?
Because ‘normally,’ there’s nothing for Hunters to gain by going into a Poison Dungeon. The Black Cores extracted from the bodies of Poison-type Monsters are just useless trash that can’t be used for weapons or energy. Of course, in my case, it’s an incredible opportunity, but from their perspective, it would be suspicious if I accepted the proposal so readily.
“This isn’t something the Hunter Association is officially proceeding with… Instead, I’ve brought something that might be of help to you, Hunter.”
Hah.
Don’t tell me he’s trying to fob me off with some kind of souvenir? That’s just how public officials operate. I glanced apathetically at the box Pyo Hyeok-gyu took out.
But that box. Where have I seen it before?
Click.
And then, I almost fell over backward when I saw what was inside the box. The very thing I’d been dreaming of had appeared right before my eyes!
“A G… Gold Core????”