“A mon… what?”
“Uh… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”
Maria, who had walked over, averted her gaze. It was understandable that she would be surprised, seeing as he had eliminated the horde that Kang Jeong-hyeon had struggled so hard to suppress with a single wave of his hand. Still, calling someone a monster.
Even though I can absorb Cores directly, and not only do I have Healing and psychic power, but my physical defense level is also ‘S’, you know? …Hmm. Maybe I could be considered a monster. I wonder what expressions they would make if they knew the ‘Poison Flame’ I just released was at less than half its full power.
“Well then, shall we start collecting?”
Iron Arm rubbed his palms together, salivating. While not as valuable as the Horn of Taurus they had collected before, each stinger here could fetch hundreds of thousands of won. With well over two hundred stingers, it was more than enough to justify visiting an 8-star dungeon.
While my other companions were putting the stingers in their bags, I scanned the Black Cores scattered around. Just how many are there? It was enough to make me feel full even without eating.
Besides, unlike the stingers, I didn’t have to go through the trouble of picking up the Cores one by one. When I acquired the Core of the Giant Treasure. I had learned the trick while remotely absorbing the Core surrounded by sharp Pranium fragments.
Now, even without touching them, I could naturally draw in any Black Cores nearby.
Float.
“Huh?”
As the Black Cores on the ground all floated into the air at once, a dumbfounded voice came from Bi-soo. Maria, Kang Jeong-hyeon, and Iron Arm also looked around with surprised eyes.
Shhh…
Somewhere between liquid and gas. The Cores, having dissolved into an opaque form, converted into Black Ether and were drawn into my body. Come to me, my children.
Come and make me even healthier.
Swoosh.
The process was simple and straightforward. It was just that the reactions of those around me were not so simple.
“Wha, wha, wha, what are you.”
“Hunter…!!”
“Hae-seon?”
“What is this…!!”
Having finished my work, I gave a slight shrug and started picking up the stingers.
“It’s nothing. If Black Cores are left lying around, their toxic energy can rise, so I just disposed of them in one place.”
“Eh?”
Most of them looked puzzled, but Maria tilted her head the most.
“It’s true that Black Cores are useless items… but this is the first I’ve heard of them being poisonous…”
“Hey, now. I’ve cut my teeth in Poison Dungeons, you know. If I say it is, then it is. Do I look like someone who would lie?”
“…No.” As if accepting it, Maria bent down again and picked up a stinger.
The other companions also started working without giving it much thought, and only Bi-soo still wore a suspicious frown.
“You’ll get wrinkles if you keep frowning like that.”
“Ugh. Can’t have that. No. I’m a man who’ll be on TV soon.”
With a comment befitting an attention seeker, Bi-soo also transferred the collected stingers into his bag.
Good.
If it continues like this, there shouldn’t be any major problems in the future. I had wondered if I should keep it a secret even from my fellow ‘Irregular’ members. But I wanted to reveal that fact as late as possible.
The moment I revealed I was a ‘Poison-type Hunter’, a different light would appear in my companions’ eyes. Even though they didn’t know exactly what a ‘Poison-type Hunter’ did, the perception that they had betrayed Korea was ingrained in everyone. When you think about it, I hadn’t even lied.
The components of Black Cores have not yet been fully identified, so they are dangerous items. And I gathered them all in one place and threw them away. Right into ‘my body’, that is.
Hahaha.
People often say ‘quality over quantity’, but the story changes when the number of cores is overwhelmingly large. After monopolizing all the Black Cores before me, my Ether level had jumped by nearly 500. I had never experienced such growth from killing mobs before.
Moreover, even though I hadn’t engaged in any particular battle, the level of Lion’s Roar had gone up a stage. Considering when Poison Step leveled up, it seemed clear that Lion’s Roar would also be quite useful.
‘I hope this boss Monster is a creature with sensitive ears.’
The stamina I had consumed using ‘Poison Flame’ had also recovered to normal. I felt in better condition than when I had first entered the dungeon.
“Why do you look so healthy? We’re dying from all this labor.”
“Bi-soo. I told you not to frown.”
“Oops!”
Bi-soo used his two fingers to pull at the space between his eyebrows. Somehow, it seems like my ‘Irregular’ members, despite their outstanding abilities, each have a screw loose somewhere. Of course, from my perspective, this is a very welcome thing.
“Hunter Cheon Hae-seon. I think we’ve gathered most of them.”
“Great, Iron Arm Uncle. Let’s slowly head down.”
In the middle of the vividly colored meadow lay a single staircase. It was of a massive size, large enough for a tank, not just people, to enter. Its appearance seemed to confidently say, ‘Come, however many of you there are.’
Without needing an explanation, everyone knew this was the path leading to the boss Monster.
“Aren’t our numbers a bit too small for an entrance like this?”
Bi-soo’s red lips curved into a smile.
“You’ll find out soon enough. That numbers aren’t everything.”
No matter what kind of boss Monster it was, there would be no reason for disappointment. Though there were only five Hunters, this party possessed the strength to match an entire guild. Towards the abyss as dark as the deep sea, the five Hunters slowly took their first steps.
A face as surly as a toad. He was crouched, yet he could not completely hide the ambition he held. A man who was perhaps looking towards a ‘high place’ that even Yoo In-won had not coveted.
‘Baek Jeong-dae…’
Pyo Hyeok-gyu thought of the man’s face as he walked. Within the Hunter Association, Pyo Hyeok-gyu’s reputation was overwhelmingly positive. As a Supervisor for the Hunter Qualification Test, and on the other hand, as the Head of the Internal Audit Team, he had demonstrated impeccable ability.
However, people lamented that Pyo Hyeok-gyu was missing the most important things. One was connections, and the other was politics. Despite being in the rather powerful position of Head of the Internal Audit Team, Pyo Hyeok-gyu had stayed away from all activities related to career advancement.
He declined requests from high-ranking officials to go out to the field, saying he ‘couldn’t play golf’, and he avoided secretly invited dinners, claiming he ‘couldn’t handle alcohol well’. It got to the point where rumors circulated, saying, ‘What the hell is that bastard Pyo Hyeok-gyu good at?’
Although Pyo Hyeok-gyu had pleased his superiors with his swift work, their interest in him cooled due to his lukewarm responses. There were plenty of pawns who would move for them anyway. Yoo In-won had been like that, and now Baek Jeong-dae was like that.
But they did not know. That he was not simply a workaholic with no interest in advancement. That he was, in fact, a part of a much more powerful organization than the Hunter Association.
Step, step.
Supervisor Pyo Hyeok-gyu was now heading to the Vice Chairman’s office. Although there had been a Hunter Qualification Test recently, it was extremely rare for Vice Chairman Baek Jeong-dae to seek out Pyo Hyeok-gyu.
As long as he worked as the Head of the Internal Audit Team, there was no one in the Association who would want to meet with him often.
‘He can’t possibly be happy to see me.’
While walking to the Vice Chairman’s office, Pyo Hyeok-gyu carefully reviewed the work he had done so far. His role as a Supervisor in the recent qualification test was flawless. If there was a fly in the ointment, it would have to be the Esper exam.
The reinforced glass had shattered during the test, but Yeom Jin-ah of Glory Guild had said she would compensate for it all. He wasn’t even there, so it was unlikely he was being called for that reason. Knock, knock, knock.
“Come in.”
Baek Jeong-dae’s voice came from inside. Is this what they call a guilty conscience needing no accuser? Pyo Hyeok-gyu swallowed dryly, wondering if any information related to his true identity had been leaked.
He once again checked his impeccably neat attire and tensed his clean-cut face, the very model of an exemplary student.
“Vice Chairman. You were looking for me.”
“Yes. Have a seat here.”
Baek Jeong-dae curled the ends of his protruding lips. It could have been a smile of simple goodwill, but it somehow felt like he had something up his sleeve. Tea was brought by the secretary, and formal conversations were exchanged while they emptied half of their teacups.
“You’ve worked hard preparing for this Hunter Qualification Test.”
“Thank you. I was only doing my job.”
“They say the number of participants in this year’s Hunter Qualification Test was the highest ever, right? This is all thanks to the efforts of the working-level staff.”
Pyo Hyeok-gyu felt a strange sensation. For a formal greeting, the praise was too excessive. He wasn’t an unreasonable person, but he was certainly not the type to only say nice things to others.
Was it because he was the Head of the Audit Team? To think that, the person in front of him was in a much higher position than the Head of the Audit Team. As Pyo Hyeok-gyu’s words became scarce, Baek Jeong-dae slowly began to get to the main point.
“Supervisor, what are your thoughts on the current guild structure?”
“By structure, you mean…”
“I mean how a few guilds dominate most of the capital region.”
“…!!”
Pyo Hyeok-gyu’s mind spun rapidly. This statement revealed a significant part of his inner thoughts. The current master of Seoul was, without a doubt, Glory Guild.
Most of the prime areas were their territory, and they held numerous special dungeon permits that they rarely gave up.
‘So his policy is different from the former Vice Chairman’s?’
Thinking that, it all added up. Hadn’t he embarrassed Glory Guild during this Hunter Qualification Test as well? In a short time, Pyo Hyeok-gyu organized his thoughts.
It seemed Baek Jeong-dae had no intention of getting along with Glory Guild.
However.
Whatever plan he was hatching, there was a limit to what Pyo Hyeok-gyu could do. He wasn't in the policy or planning department; how could someone who merely oversaw the Association’s internal audits possibly influence the guild structure? Baek Jeong-dae, of all people, couldn’t be unaware of that.
Back to square one. Why on earth did this bastard call me here?
“I have concerns about the monopoly, but I can’t think of a clear solution.”
“Is that so.”
Baek Jeong-dae drained the slightly cooled teacup in an instant.
“I found this year’s Hunter license ceremony very impressive. To be precise, I’m talking about the clash that happened within it.”
“…”
“It was a fresh shock that Hunter Cheon Hae-seon didn’t back down against Representative Gu Geon-yi." "No, the expression ‘didn’t back down’ isn’t appropriate. While Cheon Hae-seon was unharmed, Representative Gu was injured, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was overwhelmed.”
“I saw that scene as well. Moreover, with Maria having left Glory Guild, I hear there’s considerable internal turmoil.”
“That’s it exactly. With Gu Geon-yi’s image tarnished and Maria gone, now is the opportunity to bring down Glory Guild’s might.”
An opportunity.
He had kept it hidden to some extent until now, but Pyo Hyeok-gyu could finally guess Baek Jeong-dae’s true intentions. It is human nature to inadvertently reveal one’s true feelings. It seemed that he, like Pyo Hyeok-gyu, had his own agenda, different from the future of the Association.
But still, he had no way of knowing why he had been called here.
“In this situation, what do you think would happen if Hunter Cheon Hae-seon were to drive the nail in the coffin?”
“By nail in the coffin, you mean…”
“I’m talking about the ranking match.”
“!!!”
The Hunter ranking match. An annual stage of battle where the best elites from each guild compete to establish a hierarchy. It was no exaggeration to say that past ranking matches had been Glory Guild’s world.
Not only Gu Geon-yi, but also the Esper Yeon Ji-seon, and fellow Knight-type Kang Tae-poong, among other renowned Hunters, had decorated the top ranks. The number one rank, in particular, held immense symbolism, greatly influencing the jurisdiction over areas for the next year as well as the recruitment of new Hunters.
“When you held the press conference, it seemed you had a close relationship with Hunter Cheon Hae-seon.”
‘So that was it.’
At last, all his questions were answered. The reason Baek Jeong-dae had called him here. Although the ranking match held significant meaning, participation was voluntary.
Especially for Cheon Hae-seon, who had no interest in guild management, there would be no reason to participate. Even if Baek Jeong-dae spread his arms and said, ‘Come to the ranking match and seize your honor!’, if Cheon Hae-seon picked his ear and said, ‘Why should I?’, there would be nothing more to say.
That’s why Baek Jeong-dae had called Pyo Hyeok-gyu. So that through him, he could win over Cheon Hae-seon.
“His relationship with Glory Guild isn’t exactly great, so wouldn’t it be motivating for Hunter Cheon Hae-seon?”
‘This bastard…’
It was, so to speak, killing with a borrowed knife. Weakening Glory Guild’s power through Cheon Hae-seon. From Baek Jeong-dae’s protruding mouth, a snake-like tongue was dancing.