Thirty minutes by car from Gaebang District. After exiting the highway and entering Bihyeon District, a small neighborhood of single-family homes appeared.
“Woah…”
My sister, sitting in the passenger seat, kept letting out gasps of admiration. Each time she did, I had to suppress the urge to puff out my chest with pride. Beautiful buildings, looking as if they were drawn in a picture, swept past us.
And a moment later. A long, monotone house came into view.
Screech.
“We’re here.”
“H-Here?”
She was so surprised that she stuttered. I had brought her here once before, but that was before the building was constructed. So, it was understandable that she didn't recognize it.
A stylish single-family home with white exterior walls and protruding black accents. This was the house where my sister and I would live from now on.
Click.
Unlike her usual calm demeanor, my sister quickly opened the door and rushed outside.
“Wow!”
Watching her scurry around the house, looking here and there, filled me with immense satisfaction. Yes, that’s right. It was worth all the back-breaking work I put into clearing those Poison Dungeons.
A happy smile never left my sister’s lips as she ran around. After living in a cramped rental complex, moving to a detached house must feel incredible. Even I felt this good; she must be feeling like she could fly.
For a while, I stayed in the driver’s seat, watching my sister and our new home together. Her dazzling smile and the newly built house fit together like a perfect painting. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this kind of happiness in my life.
I surrendered myself to that sweet feeling and closed my eyes.
“Well now. Cheon Hae-seon. You’ve made it big, haven’t you?”
I had to immediately snap my eyes open. Drunk on happiness, I had forgotten about the uninvited guest in the back seat.
“I bet you feel drunk even without drinking. You like it that much?”
“Yeah. I do.”
“When will I ever get to live in a place like this? I’m so jealous.”
Bi-soo rested her chin in her hands and pouted.
“Human greed truly knows no bounds.”
“What?”
“Wasn’t it just a while ago that you were whining about wanting freedom, and now a studio apartment isn’t good enough for you?”
“Hmph. If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t know, but how can I not be jealous after seeing a house like this?”
Bi-soo’s grumbling didn't seem like a simple joke. Her eyes, looking at the house and my sister, were filled with envy. Perhaps I felt a little bad for Bi-soo, who lived alone in a studio apartment without any family.
Words of comfort, unusual for me, came out.
“Ahem. Once you get your Hunter license, it’ll be only a matter of time before you’re rolling in money. Just wait a little.”
“Really? Hehe. Then should I move in next to your house?”
“No. You’ll actually fail. Completely and utterly.”
As Bi-soo raised her middle finger, Iron Arm couldn’t hold back his laughter and burst out.
“Hahaha. Let’s not stay in here, we should get out too.”
Square stones were laid out in a line on the neat lawn. Bi-soo hopped across them like she was crossing a stone bridge over a stream.
Hmm.
If it weren’t for her boisterous personality, that would have been a rather picturesque scene.
“Wow! It’s really big!”
“Hohoho. Right?”
My sister and Bi-soo, having entered the house, exclaimed as they looked around the living room, kitchen, and the other rooms. My new home, built with every last penny I had. I was broke again, but I could earn the money back quickly.
Compared to the hardship my sister endured her whole life taking care of my illness, this was nothing. I softly spoke to Iron Arm, who was sitting next to me on the sofa.
“My sister used to get bruises on her hands and legs sometimes.”
“Hmm?”
“The house was small, so she’d bump into things moving around. When she was cooking, when she was cleaning, when she was getting my clothes for me… she’d bump into things often, no matter where she was.”
“Haha. Is that so.”
“I found things like that particularly upsetting. My sister, who should have been shining her brightest, getting bruises all over because of me…”
Even after yelping ‘ouch,’ she would turn back with a smile as if nothing had happened. Only when I pretended to be asleep would she grimace and rub the spot. The image of her wringing out a wet towel with her bruised wrist is still vivid in my mind.
“I’m sure Song-hwa isn’t this happy just because of the house.”
“Pardon?”
“Your thoughtfulness, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon, must have been conveyed to your sister. Just by looking at the interior, she can probably tell which parts you paid special attention to.”
“…You think so?”
Iron Arm patted my shoulder with a good-natured smile. And soon, my sister’s voice came from the second floor.
“Ouch!”
“Huh! Hae-seon. Your sister was jumping around and hit her head!”
“…”
Iron Arm and I looked at each other at the same time, our gazes meeting awkwardly.
“I guess… it wasn’t because the house was small that she got hurt so often.”
“Ahem. Hmph.”
After a brief cough, Iron Arm’s expression suddenly turned serious.
“Hunter Cheon Hae-seon. Since we’re on the topic, I’d like to add that you seem to be getting involved in dangerous situations quite often lately.”
“Hmm… I suppose so.”
I nodded readily. The matter with Tenebra was unavoidable, but meeting Yoo Ji-won and defeating the Kraken were things I didn’t necessarily have to get involved in. In the last two months alone, there had been three major incidents.
In other words, I had thrown myself into life-threatening situations three times.
“You also need to know when to take a step back and protect yourself. What Song-hwa truly wants isn’t an expensive house like this, but for you, Cheon Hae-seon, to be healthy and well.”
“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Of course, I know you’re well aware of this, Hunter… but you sometimes show a side that is a bit too aggressive.”
Iron Arm smiled sheepishly and finished the rest of his beer can. It wasn’t just about recent events; seeing me overcome a near-death experience while fighting the Giant Treasure must have worried him quite a bit. Iron Arm was right.
To be with my family and the people around me for a long, long time, I needed to take care of my own safety above all else.
Just then.
Thump, thump, thump, Bi-soo came down the stairs, took out an artificial flower from a vase, and knelt down.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m proposing to you.”
“W-What?”
“Cheon Hae-seon. Let’s live together. I really like this house!”
At her terrible nonsense, I squeezed my eyes shut, and Iron Arm once again burst into loud laughter. So much for living a long, long life.
Thanks to absorbing the Kraken's Core, my Black Ether level had risen by a thousand points. An increase in Ether was similar to the development of muscles or stamina. Sometimes I could feel the change myself, but other times, I wouldn’t realize it until I actually used my strength.
I wonder if the Crimson Venom Snake will be a little taller the next time I summon it. While I was having such silly thoughts, the person I was scheduled to meet showed up.
“You’re here early.”
“I’ve been driving myself around lately.”
I shrugged, and Pyo Hyeok-gyu sat down with a playful expression. But that was only for a moment. He let out a light sigh.
“It’s been a war every day since the press conference. The media is at the Association’s throat day in and day out, and the process of selecting the next Vice Chairman has been very noisy.”
Pyo Hyeok-gyu said, ‘The public’s anger is immense, especially because the target was none other than Hunter Cheon Hae-seon.’ My, oh my. I don’t know whether to be happy or sad.
“I’ve unintentionally caused some confusion.”
“Not at all. What are you saying? It’s a relief that this self-purification is happening now; if it had been any later, the rotten parts would have festered and burst.”
Seeing Pyo Hyeok-gyu’s serious expression, it seemed he had some attachment to the Hunter Association, regardless of his true identity.
“What about the matter I mentioned?”
“Yes. First, we’ve requested a formal investigation from the World Hunter Protection Organization (WHPO) regarding the appearance of the Kraken. The code has been set to ‘Green’.”
Code Green.
It was one level lower than Code Yellow, which was issued when a Monster escaped a dungeon, but it was still the fourth highest alert level defined by the international organization.
“I shouldn’t even joke around carelessly anymore.”
“You’re right.”
We exchanged bitter smiles. A joke I had made about Monsters popping out from under the ground, born from the recent string of strange events, had actually come true.
“What about the Glory Guild?”
Was it because I had wiped the smile from my face? Or did he sense my feelings toward the Glory Guild? Pyo Hyeok-gyu’s face became cautious.
“It doesn’t seem like there will be any particular disciplinary action. The Glory Guild demanded a corrected report, but they said they had no choice but to remain silent due to Vice Chairman Yoo In-won’s exertion of influence.”
“That’s exactly what I expected.”
A scoff escaped me. The Glory Guild, the largest armed group in the country, was crushed by power and cowering like a wimp? Anyone with a little knowledge of the situation would laugh and say, ‘That’s a laugh.’
“Well, that being said, it’s not like there’s no impact. The new expansion zones requested for next year have been completely nullified, and it’s highly likely that their existing allocated zones will also be partially reduced.”
“Hmm.”
Only then did my hardened expression soften a little. For a Guild, its jurisdiction was its power and authority. While I would have preferred for them to go completely bankrupt, the future blueprint the Glory Guild had drawn would be significantly distorted.
It’s a bit of a shame that I can’t see Gu Geon-yi trembling with rage in person.
“The Hunter Qualification Test is coming up soon, what are your plans?”
“Well. It’s not something I can keep turning a blind eye to forever.”
“I understand your hesitation.”
The corner of Supervisor Pyo Hyeok-gyu’s mouth lifted slightly. On the day of the Hunter Qualification Test, another test is held on the side. The so-called ‘Multi Ability’ Test.
It was a test for Hunters who had developed abilities other than their main one to prove them. There would be no problem if I didn’t register, but doing so would be deceiving the Hunter Association. Because the people of the world already knew that Cheon Hae-seon was not just a simple ‘healer’.
The longer I remained registered on the Association’s homepage as only a ‘healer’, the more the Association would become a laughingstock for the public. They would be seen as an organization that couldn’t even properly identify the abilities of its own affiliated Hunters. Therefore, the Association naturally wanted me to take the Multi Ability Test as soon as possible.
Usually, it’s something a Hunter wouldn’t refuse, as it increases their own value.
However.
‘Why should I?’
Why should I do the Association any favors? Besides, I had no intention of joining a guild, so there was no need to increase my own value. Being an ‘S-rank Healer’ was sufficient for places with rank restrictions.
Therefore, the one in a hurry was the Association, not me.
“There are rumors within the Association that you will receive an official contact soon.”
“Why?”
“Ostensibly, it’s an apology for the false announcement… but it seems they want to proceed with the Multi Ability Test.”
“Their reputation seems very important to them.”
“It appears so to them. Oh, and…”
“??”
“The request for you to clear Poison Dungeons… I think we will terminate it as of this moment.”
“Why? That wasn’t a request from the Association.”
In other words, it wasn’t something ‘his side’ needed to feel sorry about.
“The frequency of Poison Dungeons appearing has decreased significantly recently.”
As he said that, Pyo Hyeok-gyu’s eyes subtly gleamed. He seemed to be checking if I had any idea why. I felt a slight pang of guilt but remained composed.
“Really? Hmm.”
The frequency of Poison Dungeons hadn’t decreased. It was just that I had been clearing them as soon as they appeared using equipment from Umbrella Industry. I trusted Pyo Hyeok-gyu to some extent, but I couldn’t reveal everything.
Especially now that even Dr. Jin had joined Umbrella Industry. In any case, the deal in exchange for the Gold Core had come to an amicable end. It was like a shackle I hadn’t known I was wearing had been released.
“I got a text.”
While I was feigning indifference, my phone buzzed. Thinking it was good timing, I looked at the screen, and the corners of my mouth turned up on their own. Seeing my reaction, Pyo Hyeok-gyu tilted his head.
“Who is it from…?”
Well now.
“Speak of the devil.”
The message was from someone who was in a very tight spot right now.
[This is Baek Jeong-dae, the new Vice Chairman of the Hunter Association. Please contact me when you are available to talk.]