Two men sat facing each other on a luxurious sofa. Gu Geon-yi, the Representative of Glory Guild. Yoo In-won, the Vice Chairman of the Hunter Association.
Whenever the two men met, a pleasant atmosphere always surrounded them. Claiming to do noble work for the people of the Republic of Korea, they were busy praising each other. The deep relationship between the Association and Glory Guild was a well-known fact to anyone in the industry.
After all, Yoo In-won, who might visit other guilds once a year if at all, would come to the Glory Guild headquarters almost every month. However, a strange tension had recently begun to be felt between them. As Yoo In-won's son, Yoo Ji-won, began preparing for the Hunter qualification test, a note of discord entered their once warm atmosphere.
Yoo Ji-won had not grown as much as they had hoped. The expectation that he would become at least a B-rank was brutally shattered, and he almost failed to even receive the minimum rank.
It was only because Yoo In-won pulled some strings to get him an E-rank that he passed; otherwise, he could have become the biggest laughingstock in the history of the Hunter Qualification Test. The strange tension between them grew and grew, until it reached an irreversible point. The Glory Guild research lab explosion.
Yoo Ji-won was at the research lab at the time, and now he was missing. Should it be called a blessing in disguise? According to Glory Guild's own investigation, no body fragments matching Yoo Ji-won's DNA were found.
A sliver of hope that he might be alive somewhere. That was the only lifeline Yoo In-won had right now.
“Don't worry too much, Vice Chairman. Hunter Yoo Ji-won is a strong fellow. He must have survived.”
“Please…… I hope so.”
Yoo In-won's voice had become listless, unlike before. His hairstyle was a mess, of course, and his neatly trimmed beard was also unruly. The fine lines that were already there now covered the corners of his eyes in a dense web.
Yoo Ji-won was the only son he had late in life, after he was past forty. For such a son to go missing after the explosion, it would be strange if he were in his right mind. Gu Geon-yi also wore a dark expression, as if he were genuinely sorry.
But the face he was making was nothing more than crocodile tears.
‘Just get it over with and leave. Fuck.’
Normally, Gu Geon-yi wouldn't have cared about the life or death of an E-rank healer. Dozens of Hunters die every day clearing high-difficulty Gates. He would just toss some money their way as consolation, and that would be the end of it; he had no business getting involved, nor any intention to.
It might even be easier if he just remained dead forever. After all, the ‘experiments’ recently conducted on Yoo Ji-won were clearly illegal. He was only searching high and low because of the position Yoo Ji-won's father held.
Gu Geon-yi had his staff searching the area around the lab with a fine-toothed comb, but Yoo Ji-won was not found. Yet no matter how much he was consoled, Yoo In-won showed no signs of leaving. He was expecting something, some more drastic measure.
‘I have no choice... They say crisis is opportunity.’
Looking at the wretched Yoo In-won staring at the ground, Gu Geon-yi decided to change his mind. He was showing weakness now because of his family's fate, but if the Vice Chairman of the Hunter Association held a grudge, no guild would be able to withstand it. He decided to pull out the drastic measure he had thought of.
“Starting today, our guild's Hunters will search the Haebang District area. Including myself.”
“Is… is that really true?”
“Yes. We will mobilize all our Hunters, leaving only a small number of emergency personnel. Of course, this matter is confidential, so I hope the Association will control the media well.”
“Don't worry about that. It will certainly be done.”
When it came to finding his own son, something like the 'Guild operational policy' wouldn't even register in his eyes. For the time being, Yoo In-won would act as Glory Guild's faithful dog.
‘Yoo Ji-won… where in the world are you...’
The research lab explosion had also dealt a considerable blow to Glory Guild. Advanced medical facilities and experts in the scientific field. The things they did to solidify their relationship with the Hunter Association had come back to hit them like a boomerang.
After sending Yoo In-won off, Gu Geon-yi roughly pressed the call button.
“Tell Maria to get ready to go out with me.”
“I told you, this makes me uncomfortable.”
“Hahaha. Don't worry, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon. It's only natural for a Knight to do this sort of thing.”
“No, I'm uncomfortable because of the stares.”
“Hm?”
It was just as he said. Today was Bi-soo's moving day. For someone living alone, she had so much furniture.
A 1-ton truck was filled to the brim with Bi-soo's belongings. Bi-soo had asked not only me but also Iron Arm for help. Apparently, she couldn't trust the flimsy Cheon Hae-seon.
So she acted all cute asking for help, but then went behind my back to recruit Iron Arm? I thought again that she was not a woman to be taken lightly. The sly thing.
“Heave-ho.”
Iron Arm lifted the furniture with both arms and climbed the stairs. The grunt 'heave-ho' was purely out of habit; for him, this was no different from lifting a cup of coffee. I followed behind him, carrying light things like blankets.
Making an older man carry the heavy luggage while I carried the small stuff was the perfect situation to be pointed at and judged by anyone who saw. However, Iron Arm, unaware of these circumstances, insisted on carrying all the heavy things by himself. He said that compared to the grace (?) he had received, this was nothing.
Hmph.
Considering he received the Gold Eternal Flower and the Horn of Taurus, it made sense, but why was Bi-soo getting the reward when I was the one who did all the work?
“I bought some drinks!”
Bi-soo, the star of the move, came with a bag full of energy drinks. We leaned against the wall of the studio apartment building side by side and opened our drinks.
“Wow... you moved all the furniture in the short time I was gone to buy these?”
“Haha. There's a reason low-rank Knights work part-time for moving companies. This much is a piece of cake.”
“If it weren't for you, Clan Leader, this would have taken all day. Thank youuuu.”
Bi-soo's voice took on a nasal, coquettish tone.
“Clan Leader. Don't fall for her sweet talk, and make sure you get your day's pay.”
“Hey! Do you think I'm doing this to get a discount on the moving cost?”
“You might fool the Clan Leader, but you can't fool me. This is exactly how you looked when you were trying to scam me.”
“Ugh, you're so annoying. Pay me for the drink.”
“I don't have cash. Take it out of my pay.”
“Ugh...”
Seeing them bicker without yielding an inch, Iron Arm burst out laughing.
“Hahahaha. You two always look like you get along so well.”
“Does this look like we're getting along?”
“It does to my eyes. By the way, Ms. Bi-soo. What are your plans for the future?”
That was something I was curious about as well. An Esper who had mastered not only the Stealth skill but also 'Buff'. Her abilities weren't public yet, but once her value became known, every guild would rush to recruit her.
Just like when I was classified as an S-rank Healer. The problem was, it wasn't even certain if she would take the Hunter qualification test. Bi-soo, who had been active in the black market, had seemed far from happy.
Now that she had finally gained her freedom, would she really want to fight Monsters again in a place so close to death? Bi-soo's looks were so striking that it felt unnecessary for her to do so. Her red hair, rare in the country, and her captivating features.
Even the scar that had marred her face was now gone without a trace. In fact, while we were moving her things today, more than a few men had approached Bi-soo and asked, ‘Can I help you?’ Though they all hastily left after seeing Iron Arm come down from the studio apartment building.
“Hmm... I thought about it while packing my things at the black market...”
Bi-soo's gaze momentarily scanned my face.
“I'm thinking of going where I can earn a lot of money.”
“Money... are you thinking of becoming a celebrity...?”
“I thought about that too, but there's someone around here who earns way more than most celebrities.”
After saying that, Bi-soo stared intently at me.
“Why are you looking at me?”
“Because you're the one who earns a lot of money.”
“How do you know that?”
“Hehe. Every time you left the black market, I asked the old hag. How much you made off with that day.”
Then she turned her gaze back to Iron Arm.
“People call Hunter Cheon Hae-seon a Noble Hunter, you know? But it's all just to make money for himself.”
“Is... that so?”
“Cheon Hae-seon took billions from the black market, and people have no idea~” “What?”
Iron Arm looked at me with wide, stunned eyes.
What. So.
“So I'm thinking of becoming our dear Cheon Hae-seon's assistant~. Even splitting it fifty-fifty, that's still a lot, isn't it?”
“Fifty-fifty my ass. Even 10% is too generous.”
“Oh. But you're not saying you won't do it together, are you?”
I smiled triumphantly to myself. That fool had no idea how valuable she was. If she provided her 'Buff' that greatly enhanced a Hunter's abilities for only a 10% cut, it would be an incredibly profitable deal.
So much so that if Bi-soo knew the full story, she might report me to the 'Hunter Fair Trade Commission.'
“We'll see how you do.”
“Hmph. So arrogant to the very end.”
“Haha. Ms. Bi-soo. Then you can join our clan after you pass the Hunter qualification test. It would be great if the three of us could work together like before.”
“Should I? Ohoho.”
I had a feeling it would turn out this way, but it seemed Bi-soo would be working with us for the time being. After all, who else did she know? An Esper with the 'Buff' skill and a 'B'-rank Knight with the Horn of Taurus.
And a Poison-type Hunter added to the mix. It felt like the team was starting to take shape. Should I just start a guild at this rate?
“I have no intention of working with a civilian. First, get your Hunter license. It won't be easy, though.”
“Qualification test? I heard it's easy for an Awakened to get one.”
“You have to take a written test, too.”
“Ugh...”
At the mention of a written test, Bi-soo's face crumpled miserably.
“Hahaha. Ms. Bi-soo. I don't think you should be wandering around at night for a while.”
“Why? Because of stalkers?”
At Bi-soo's nonchalant question, Iron Arm gave a bitter smile.
“Not that... A friend of mine, a former colleague, lives around here... and he says people keep going missing.”
“Missing?”
“Yes. Crime exists in every neighborhood, but the rumors have been bad lately, so I think you need to be careful.”
Missing, huh.
For a moment, the Glory Guild research lab explosion flashed through my mind. An incident that happened nearly ten days ago, one that the media wasn't even reporting on properly. Maybe that's why few people remembered it.
But I had a nagging feeling. Did they ever find Yoo Ji-won's body? Since they were so blatantly hiding the incident, there was no way for me to confirm anything.
The thoughtless Bi-soo was happy about getting a cheap studio apartment, but there's always a reason for something being cheap. The gloomy atmosphere blanketing the neighborhood was quite unsettling.
“You worked hard today. Because of Bi-soo, you couldn't even be with your wife...”
“Haha. Don't mention it. She's starting to nag me to go out and meet friends now.”
“Already?”
Even as he said that, Iron Arm looked like he was in a hurry to get home. Leaving Bi-soo's place, we went our separate ways.
Clomp, clomp...
After confirming that Iron Arm was out of sight, I stopped walking. I felt like I wouldn't be at ease until I resolved this nagging feeling. A gloomy energy that covered the entire neighborhood.
The faint scent of blood, rising subtly. It was so faint that one had to consciously focus to even notice it. Before I absorbed the Gold Core, I might not have been able to perceive it.
But there was definitely the smell of blood. In the most secluded corner of the Haenam District administrative area. Over there, where an abandoned building, halted mid-construction due to lien issues, stood alone. -Kigik, kik.
The closer I got to the abandoned building, the more I could hear a bizarre sound. A strange noise that sounded like both laughter and someone chewing on something. As I stepped inside the abandoned building, I began to focus all five of my senses.
Because things that shouldn't be there were scattered on the floor. A torn dress. A bag with a broken strap.
A clump of fallen hair. And even a skeleton, with only a hand remaining.
Crunch.
I heard the sound of something hard being chewed. A white, gleaming finger bone seemed to point the way. There was definitely something beyond.
Something related to the disappearances in Haenam District. As I took a step forward, the blood in my veins turned to ice.
“...!!!!!!!!!!”
Yoo Ji-won.
No, ‘the thing that was once Yoo Ji-won’ was tearing into a corpse with its bare hands. A sigh escaped me at the demonic sight. No matter how much a Hunter went on a Rampage, I had never heard of one eating a person.
“You've given up on being a Hunter, no, you've given up on being human altogether.”
Yoo Ji-won, who had been frantically devouring the corpse, flinched. His eyes were unfocused and empty. With eyes that had sunk deeper than despair, Yoo Ji-won was staring at me.