“Whew…!! It’s bustling with people again today.”
Ga Han-chan, the vice representative of ‘Bishop,’ the second-ranked Guild in South Korea based in Busan, whistled.
“I heard all sorts of riffraff applied when they announced they were increasing the number of Hunters. Tsk.”
Beside him, a bald man clicked his tongue, his brow furrowed. From his martial arts uniform-style attire to his sturdy build and strong features. The two men resembled each other so much that one could tell they were twins at a glance.
The only difference was that Ga Yeol-chan had a thick beard, while Ga Han-chan had a full head of hair. A few passersby glanced at them and snickered. Their facial features were identical, but the hair on their faces was the exact opposite.
“Hyung. Still, isn't this a good thing for us? We're so short-handed lately, I feel like my bones are wearing away.”
Ga Han-chan grinned, showing his teeth. Looking at the applicants swarming everywhere, he felt like he was looking at a gold mine. Unpolished gems who could help the Bishop Guild realize its ambitions.
However, Ga Yeol-chan still looked distinctly displeased.
“The ones with potential usually stand out even before becoming Hunters. I don't see any.”
“Hehe. For example, someone like Cheon Hae-seon?”
“Yes. It's not just because he used a Gold Core during the first exam; the energy flowing from him was extraordinary. We should have definitively captured his heart back then…!!”
‘S’-rank Healer Cheon Hae-seon.
Of course, even back then, Ga Yeol-chan, the representative of the Bishop Guild, had actively tried to recruit him. He was prepared to offer better conditions than whatever the Glory Guild proposed. But Cheon Hae-seon rejected his offer for a truly absurd reason.
“Isn't it still dumbfounding to think about? Refusing to join the Bishop Guild because it's too far from his home.”
Ga Han-chan let out a dry laugh and scratched his chin. I could at least understand if he said the money wasn't enough or he wasn't satisfied with the treatment.
What?
It's hard to commute because it's too far?
“You could say that's half right and half wrong.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“If it was simply because his house was far, he would have joined some guild near Seoul by now. He must have another reason besides the location.”
So, if we can figure out that reason, recruiting Cheon Hae-seon isn't just a dream. Because he's still 'unaffiliated'.
“No way, you haven't given up on recruiting Cheon Hae-seon yet?”
“Why? Can't I?”
Ga Han-chan shook his head as if in disbelief.
“Hyung-nim. Wake up. We couldn't even recruit Cheon Hae-seon when he was just a healer; do you really think it's possible now that he's a Multi Ability Hunter?”
“Why are you always so negative? You never know until you try, you punk.”
Although he retorted sharply, Ga Yeol-chan also knew. That to recruit the current Cheon Hae-seon, it wouldn't be enough even if they uprooted the Bishop Guild's foundations. He subdued Kang Hyeon, who was called the best Hunter of his time, and not long ago, he even took down the 7-star Monster, the Kraken, 'by himself'.
They were both S-rank Hunters, but could he have done it alone? He couldn't be sure. Cheon Hae-seon's value had soared to an unreachable realm.
A few days before today's qualification test. A video was uploaded to the Association's official YouTube channel, stating that it would replace Cheon Hae-seon's Multi Ability Test. His formidable psychic power incinerated the Kraken's tentacles in a single blow.
As soon as the video was uploaded, the controversy over special treatment for Cheon Hae-seon died down in an instant, and all voices of criticism turned into praise. └Wow, he turned that Kraken into grilled octopus. That was insane. └Isn't that a monster that requires an elite guild unit to be dispatched?
He took it down by himself? └Am I the only one who thinks those roasted tentacles look delicious? └Give it a rest.
Seeing how they're burned black, I don't think you'd live to see old age if you ate them. └Why is the video so short ㅡㅡ Does 3 seconds make any sense? └I don't care how much I have to pay, just show us the rest of the footage!! └After seeing this, I get why the Association exempted him from the test.
He might accidentally blow up the entire measuring device. └Wait, when was the Hunter Ranking Match again? Now that it's come to this, Cheon Hae-seon has to participate!! └Right.
It's pointless for healers to participate in the ranking matches, but Cheon Hae-seon has Esper abilities now, doesn't he? └He defeated Kang Hyeon, who beat up Gu Geon-yi like a dog on a hot day. Doesn't that basically make Cheon Hae-seon number one? └Still, you never know until they fight. There are a lot of formidable hunters besides Gu Geon-yi.
As he was recalling the comments on the channel, someone approached Ga Yeol-chan and gave him a hug.
“Representative Ga! It's been a while!”
“Oh... Representative Kim.”
Kim Seung-hwan of the Blue Sword Guild. The man who had struggled to deal with a herd of Taurus not long ago. True to his cheerful and sociable personality, Kim Seung-hwan acted friendly even with Ga Yeol-chan, with whom he wasn't particularly close.
“You've been busy lately, haven't you?”
“Well, it's the same everywhere. I heard the Blue Sword Guild is also very short-handed these days.”
“Sigh. We're dying as it is. It might be different if we were swimming in Hunters like the Bishop Guild, but we're stuck working in three shifts.”
“Swimming in them... what are you talking about? If we had that many, would I have come all the way here myself?”
The atmosphere seemed fine on the surface, but there was a strange current flowing between the two representatives. The development and glory of their guilds. To achieve that, they had to recruit more high-quality Hunters than their rival standing before them.
Was it because of that invisible sense of competition? Kim Seung-hwan spoke playfully, provoking Ga Yeol-chan.
“Oh, right. I happened to meet with Hunter Cheon Hae-seon not long ago.”
“With Cheon Hae-seon?”
For a moment, a spark flashed in Ga Yeol-chan's eyes. Seeing this, Kim Seung-hwan smirked inwardly.
‘He's more simple-minded than I thought.’
This moment starkly revealed what Ga Yeol-chan was secretly thinking about Cheon Hae-seon.
“Yes. We talked about the future of the guild. There might be some good news soon.”
“……!!”
Anyone who knew the real situation would have thrown stones at Kim Seung-hwan, calling him a 'lying bastard'. The place where Cheon Hae-seon and Kim Seung-hwan had met. It was inside a helicopter on the way to Seoul.
What Cheon Hae-seon had wanted was not Kim Seung-hwan, but simply a mode of transport, and Kim Seung-hwan had just happened to hop on that helicopter. He hadn't even mentioned anything like the Blue Sword Guild's vision while they were inside. However, for Ga Yeol-chan, who had no way of knowing this, it was utterly confusing.
‘Was Cheon Hae-seon that close with Blue Sword? That punk... As if there's a huge difference between Busan and Suwon.’
Kim Seung-hwan actually knew. That the possibility of Cheon Hae-seon joining the Blue Sword Guild was close to zero. Nevertheless, the reason he was lying like this was to unsettle Ga Yeol-chan.
To spot promising prospects, one needs an excellent eye and a high level of concentration. Psychological warfare to handle new Hunters is also essential. In that sense, the ‘Bishop’ Guild might not have a big harvest today.
‘Well, to be honest, aside from that, I just wanted to show off my connection...’
Being a guild representative didn't make him any different. They were Hunters too. Cheon Hae-seon's recent actions were the stuff of every Hunter's dreams.
A Multi Ability Hunter who single-handedly stood against the arrogant Association and casually chewed up 7-star Monsters. Regardless of recruitment, just having a connection with him was enough to make one's shoulders straighten with pride. But then, “It seems that fellow can't resist talking about himself either.”
“?”
The vice representative of the Bishop Guild, Ga Han-chan, gave a meaningful smile. When Ga Yeol-chan and Kim Seung-hwan turned their heads, they saw a pair, a man and a woman, walking toward them under a huge spotlight. One was Cheon Hae-seon.
The other one was...
“Huh...”
Ga Yeol-chan let out an involuntary sigh. Gorgeous features that went perfectly with her red hair. The stretchy outfit, clinging slightly to her body, highlighted her sleek lines.
The owner of a fatal beauty that made one's eyes widen. Bi-soo was walking side-by-side with Cheon Hae-seon.
“Why are you waving?”
“Kyahah. With so many cameras on us, I have to at least strike a pose.”
“You're acting like you're already a Hunter.”
I retorted bluntly, but I actually knew. When we first appeared at the entrance, all the cameras were on me, but as time passed, more and more people started filming Bi-soo. Was it just because she appeared with me?
No, the camera angles were exploring her much more overtly than that.
“Becoming a Hunter is a sure thing anyway, so what does it matter?”
“Who was it that almost failed the written exam? Ms. Lee Bok-soon.”
“I told you not to call me that!”
Bi-soo shrieked sharply, looking as if she was about to faint. So much so that she didn't even notice the cameras she had been so conscious of.
“Keukkeuk. Keukkeukkeuk. Ah, my apologies. You changed your name, didn't you.”
“If you call me that one more time, I'll really kill you.”
“Yes. Let's go, Bok... Ms. Bi-soo.”
Lee Bi-soo.
She had changed her name right after leaving the black market. It didn't matter much when she lived under an alias in the black market, but now that she had to live in the real world, she needed a name befitting a high school girl.
“Hah... Anyway, that man has been useless since birth.”
Bi-soo, briefly thinking of her father, ground her teeth with a crackle, and I asked with a silly grin.
“But after going through all the trouble to leave the black market, why did you choose the name Bi-soo again? Even though it was a place you wanted to escape from so badly.”
“I thought about it too, but other names just didn't feel right.”
“Bok-soon rolls right off the...”
“Do you really want to die?”
Behind Bi-soo's gentle smile, a frosty chill surged. If I take this one step further, I'll be in real trouble. It's a shame, but it looks like I'll have to stop teasing her here.
I put my hands together in apology, and she let out a short sigh.
“When you think about it, I was basically reborn in the black market. That vicious fathe... that Yaksha bastard even fixed my scar perfectly. It feels like he gave me the disease and then the cure, though.”
“Right. Personally, I like it because it's a familiar name. No chance of getting it mixed up.”
“Says the guy who was just happily teasing me by calling me Bok-soon?”
Just as Bi-soo gave me a sidelong glance and nudged my arm with her shoulder, a deep voice was heard.
“Well, well, look who it is.”
As soon as I entered the waiting area for established Hunters, Ga Yeol-chan appeared as if he'd been waiting and grabbed my hand.
“Hunter Cheon Hae-seon. It's been a while.”
“Representative Ga. Have you been well?”
“Well? I'm dying from being so short-staffed. That's why I'm asking, once the exam is over today...”
Just then, a cheerful voice from the side quickly cut him off.
“Hahahaha. Hunter Cheon Hae-seon. We meet again.”
“Ah, Representative Kim Seung-hwan.”
I bowed my head slightly, hiding a smirk. ‘He's really emphasizing the word 'again'.' It seems these people are itching to act friendly with me.
“By the way...”
Just like the camera angles before, Ga Yeol-chan, who had been sulking after being preempted, turned his gaze to my side.
“And who is this beautiful lady?”
“Ugh.”
A wave of nausea washed over me. A revolting feeling I hadn't even felt in a Poison Dungeon invaded my mind.
What? Lady?
As I covered my mouth with one hand, Bi-soo shot me a terrifying glare. Then, as if nothing had happened, she smiled brightly and exchanged greetings.
“Hello. I'm Lee Bi-soo, and I'm here to take the Hunter Qualification Test.”
“Oh. So you're a Hunter applicant. You are breathtakingly beautiful.”
“Hehe. Thank you.”
Tsk, I smacked my lips and looked around, and it seemed everyone had the same thought as Ga Yeol-chan. Well, it made sense. Even when she had a scar near her mouth, her charm had the power to draw the gazes of those around her.
If I had known people would be this interested, I might not have needed to accompany her. At least she wouldn't have to worry about getting lost. -All applicants, please proceed to the designated location by nine o'clock... Bi-soo and the guild representatives' pleasant chat was brief.
An announcement signaling the official start of the exam came on.
“You go on alone from here. You just have to go down the stairs.”
“Don't be like that, walk with me a little? I'm scared to go alone.”
“Scared, my ass...”
“Hahahaha. Don't be like that, why don't you escort her? We're used to it, but isn't this Ms. Bi-soo's first time?”
Representative Ga Yeol-chan laughed playfully. His face looked as if he knew all about our relationship. Mister, it's not like that, you know?
“Sigh. At this rate, I'll end up taking the test for her too.”
I shook my head and walked with her to the entrance of the stairs. Thankfully, there were no reporters inside, but the burning gazes of the surrounding applicants gleamed more intensely than camera lenses. Please stop staring.
Her face is going to wear out.
Twinge.
“Ugh...”
Just then.
I scowled at a peculiar smell.
“What's wrong?”
Bi-soo tilted her head, and I looked around, pushing my concentration to its absolute limit.
‘It's gone...?’
Was I mistaken for a moment? The smell that had tickled the tip of my nose vanished without a trace.
“No... I must have been mistaken.”
“How anticlimactic. I'm off now.”
“Yeah. Don't cause any trouble.”
Bi-soo smiled brightly and went down the stairs.
“Yeah... It's not just anywhere, it's inside the Hunter Association. There's no way that smell would be here.”
I smirked and turned away. The smell I had momentarily mistaken. It was the distinct, fishy stench of a Poison-type Monster.