7

THE TENTH S-RANK HUNTER

Ten minutes earlier, outside the Hunter’s Association, panicked at his inability to get an earlier rank evaluation slot, Minsung dropped a bombshell.

“I, Minsung Lee, will retire from acting and serve you as a hunter regardless of the evaluation result!”

This was a Hail Mary pass to try to get the press conference (that had fizzled out on the heels of President Go’s appearance) going again. It was an effective gambit.

“What?”

“Minsung is going to retire?”

“No matter what his rank is?”

The press conference was back on track.

Ka-shak, ka-shak, ka-shak!

Countless cameras were trained on Minsung as excited reporters hit him with a barrage of questions.

“Minsung, over here!”

“Are you saying you’ll turn your back on your standing as Asia’s superstar even if you’re a low-level hunter?”

“Can you give up all you’ve worked for as an actor?”

Awesome!

Minsung was thrilled that everyone was paying attention to him again. “Even if I get a low rank, I will battle magic beasts to repay all the love you’ve given me up to now!”

Of course, that was a big fat lie. He was contracted for exactly two years. He was going to help the Reapers promote their guild for two years while being paid a handsome annual salary. Additionally, this was the best way to make certain small controversies went away, like his father pulling strings to get him out of the mandatory Korean military service.

Sacrificing his superstar status to protect people’s lives! Talk about a golden opportunity to become immune from criticism.

Minsung continued the press conference, excited that everything was going his way. “Guild Master Taegyu Lim, the president of the Reapers Guild, shares my conviction that…”

As the reporters hung on his every word…

Riiing, riiing, riiing!

A cell phone rang. The reporters around the ringing device shot dirty looks at its owner, who quickly turned it off and bowed profusely in apology. The press conference had been interrupted but, thankfully, hadn’t been brought to a halt. Minsung pretended not to have heard anything and pressed on.

Then another person’s phone rang.

“Oh, come on.”

“Whose cell is that?”

“Silence your phone during a press conference. It’s common sense!”

“Please turn it off already.”

Minsung smiled and took the opportunity to look good in front of the press. “That’s okay. Maybe we should all take a call before continuing?”

“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

Everyone laughed at his quick wit. Who could have foreseen that this was only just the beginning?

Vrrrr, vrrrr.

Vrr, vrr, vrr.

Phones started going off everywhere.

“What?”

“What, me too?”

The reporters who’d hastily turned off their phones earlier realized something strange was going on and checked their messages.

“An alert from the association?”

“Why didn’t anyone say so before?!”

The reporters scrambled to check the association’s website. The new S-rank hunter’s picture and name had been posted as if it had been scheduled in advance. Today was the day Jinwoo’s evaluation was to be announced.

Wait, didn’t they say no one could use the evaluation room this morning?

It wasn’t for Minsung, then?

The association cleared Building B for that S-rank hunter?

The face of a certain man popped into the reporters’ minds in that instance.

Could it be?

It had to be the guy who’d followed President Go inside the association! That man was the only one who’d used the evaluation room today. Would they be able to get a picture of him if they followed him in now?

“H-hello…?”

The reporters had eyes like starving beasts as they ignored Minsung and stampeded toward the building. Jinchul gave a signal, and the Surveillance Team hunters spread their arms to form a barricade.

“Let us in!”

“We heard there’s a new S rank! Why weren’t we informed in advance?”

“Please get out of our way!”

The civilian reporters aggressively tried in vain to get past the Surveillance Team hunters.

“Wh-what?” Left out in the cold, Minsung dashed to his manager, who’d been checking his phone. He held it up for Minsung to see.

“S rank?” Minsung was dazed. “An S rank had to emerge today of all days?”

He’d wanted to capture everyone’s attention by becoming an A-rank hunter, but this S rank had come out of nowhere and ruined everything. He shook his head.

No, that can’t be right.

An S-rank hunter wasn’t like a snack from a vending machine that popped out easily once coins were entered.

Did the reporters perhaps know something about this? Minsung spotted one still on his phone as he brought up the rear of the throng. It was same the newspaper reporter who’d asked for Minsung’s opinion about a headline earlier.

“Excuse me, Reporter Lim!”

Lim only gave Minsung a passing glance despite the urgency in Minsung’s voice. “Oh, Minsung. I’ll get back to you later.”

“What? Reporter Lim. Reporter Lim!” Minsung could hear the reporter’s conversation as he drew farther and farther away.

“……That’s right. The headline for tomorrow should be, ‘The Tearful E Rank Becomes Joyful S Rank.’”

Minsung’s eyes darted around hopelessly. He was all alone. He fell to a heap on the ground.

“What…the hell is this?” As he feebly muttered to himself, the door of the association swung open to reveal the tenth S-rank hunter of Korea.

Ka-shak, ka-shak, ka-shak, ka-shak, ka-shak, ka-shak!

Jinwoo’s eyes widened in surprise.

What the hell is going on?

Jinwoo’s full-portrait shot was caught on camera…as well as the vexed look and wry smile on Yoonho’s and Jongin’s faces, respectively.

It was lunchtime for the excavation team as they wrapped up the morning’s work. They were sitting together and eating lunch. Although mining was their main duty, they were rather carefree, as they didn’t have to worry about cave-ins or collapses.

Some hunters lay down for a rest after inhaling their lunch, while others chatted on their phones, and some enjoyed sharing a drink over snacks.

“Huh?” One of the hunters on their cell phone sat straight up in shock. “Isn’t this Sung?”

This got Seonggu’s attention.

“Oh, it is.”

“Sung is on the news?”

Seonggu wasn’t hearing things. “I knew it.” Seonggu’s face was red from the three glasses he’d drunk with his lunch. He ran to where his colleagues were gathered. His mouth wouldn’t stop moving. “I knew it from the moment that bastard glared at me! Let me see what horrible thing he’s done!”

Maybe he’d said that a little too loudly.

“Sung did what?”

“Did Sung commit a crime?”

The excavation hunters nearby, including the foreman, all rushed over.

Jinwoo’s face filled the cell-phone screen, and the scrolling caption beneath it read…

“…Jinwoo Sung, the tenth S-rank hunter after Dongsoo Hwang and Haein Cha, has just…”

“What?!” Seonggu’s eyes twitched as soon as he saw Jinwoo’s picture.

Outside the chairman’s office at Yoojin Construction, Jinho stood at the door and exhaled. “Hwoo.”

Click.

He cautiously opened the door to find his father inside. Chairman Yoo didn’t bother looking up from the document he was reading. “Come in.” He signed the papers as he spoke.

Jinho stood right next to his father, who briefly checked that it was his son.

Father hasn’t changed.

In the past, Jinho would’ve been intimidated by his father’s attitude and run away, but things were different now.

“I have something I’d like to say to you.”

“Is this about Hunter Sung?”

“Yes.”

Chairman Yoo finally looked up. “Good. How did—?”

At that moment, the chairman’s phone vibrated.

Vrr, vrr, vrr.

“Hold on.” He raised his hand to stop Jinho. Chairman Yoo’s eyes grew bigger as he read the message.

Something can actually take the old man by surprise?

Jinho cocked his head.

“……You need to see this.”

“Excuse me?”

Instead of replying, his father hastily grabbed a remote to turn on the huge TV mounted on the wall.

Breaking news came on the screen.

“Yes, it’s just been confirmed. The hunter who has received an S rank today is a reawakened being who used to be an E-rank hunter working under the association. His name is Jinwoo Sung.”

The reporter’s excited voice matched the energy of the people on the screen.

Jinho nearly jumped out of his own skin when he heard Jinwoo’s name being mentioned.

Whoa!

Then the image on the screen changed. A person Jinho knew very well was staring coolly ahead. It was the boss.

He’s definitely miffed right now.

Since they had been working together for some time now, Jinho could sense how his boss was feeling at that moment despite his blank expression.

But never mind that. The boss was an S rank? Jinho had known how awesome Jinwoo was, but this exceeded all his expectations. At the same time…

Did he train in dungeons every day despite having all this power?

Jinho was overwhelmed with respect for Jinwoo. Having worked alongside him, Jinho felt his heart fill with pride each time the reporter uttered Jinwoo’s name.

Blip.

Jinho pouted when the boss’s face disappeared as the TV was turned off.

“Continue.” His father meant for him to continue what he’d come here to say.

“I’m sorry, Father. I couldn’t change the boss’s mind.”

Chairman Yoo stiffened. “……I see. What was Hunter Sung’s reason for rejecting our offer?”

“The thing is……” Jinho hesitated, then peeked at his father. “He told me he was going to form his own guild and offered me the vice presidential position…”

He paused, thinking his father would ignore him or get angry, but instead, his father looked stunned. Then finally…

Heh.

Yoo silently laughed. Chairman Yoo, well-known for his poker face, had shown emotion in front of his son.

Why’s he laughing?

Jinho didn’t dare ask, so he just averted his eyes.

Yoo finally stopped laughing and asked, “Do you know why I want to form Yoojin Guild?”

“Isn’t it because…there’s good money to be made?”

“No,” Chairman Yoo said firmly. “I already have plenty of money to burn. Do you think I’d work on something that would cause trouble with large guilds just to make money?”

So it wasn’t about the profit?

Jinho blinked. “Then…why?”

Chairman Yoo quietly set down his pen. “To protect us.”

The grave look on his father’s face made Jinho swallow hard.

“The power of hunters continues to grow. It’s not unheard of for one of them to wield as much power as an entire country’s military force.”

Yoo was referring to the world’s strongest hunters, the aptly named national-rank hunters.

“I’ve heard hunters already rule like kings in some small countries. How long do you think law and order can protect us from that scenario?”

His voice sounded somber, but Jinho suddenly realized that he felt happy listening to his father. Why was that?

Oh……

He’d said “us,” which included Jinho. He was giddy he’d caught this glimpse of his father’s love for him.

Chairman Yoo continued with his explanation. “I want to gather reliable hunters to form a guild. I want hunters I can trust and rely on, not ones interested in money or connections.” He had a little smile on his face again. “It looks like you already found someone like that.”

“Yes.” Jinho responded right away.

It was hard to tell what exactly his father was saying, but that at least was something about which Jinho could be certain.

Yoo nodded. “All right.”

“Huh?”

“You passed.”

Passed what? Jinho, who’d been listening with his head down this whole time, looked up.

“I leave Yoojin Guild to you.”

“Sorry?”

“Grow Yoojin Guild. Recruit strong hunters you can trust and rely on. They will be more valuable to you than any kind of fortune.” Chairman Yoo spoke with a voice filled with confidence. Jinho’s ecstasy matched his father’s confidence. This may have been the first time Jinho had been validated by his father ever since birth.

“Thank you, Father!” Jinho smiled widely and gave his father a ninety-degree bow.

Yoo regarded his son proudly but didn’t expect to hear what came out of Jinho’s mouth next.

“However, I don’t think I can do that.”

“What?” Chairman Yoo’s eyebrow twitched.

Yoojin Construction’s financial power could buoy Yoojin Guild once it was established. They were already in talks with a few S-rank hunters. Yoojin Guild was primed to become one of the most prominent guilds in Korea. Jinho had to know all this.

Isn’t that why he wanted to be the guild master?

So why would he decline the opportunity his father had just presented him? Had he grown scared? The chairman suppressed his disappointment and anger enough to ask…

“…For what reason?”

Jinho raised his head and cheerfully replied to his father without a moment’s hesitation. “I’m going to join the boss’s guild.”

Jinwoo was surrounded by reporters and didn’t know what to do.

What are these people doing in front of me instead of taking pictures of Minsung Lee?

He looked over his shoulder to see if Minsung was perhaps standing behind him but saw only Yoonho and Jongin.

Just then, his thigh began to vibrate.

Vrr, vrr.

He fished out his phone from his pocket.

Why is Jinah calling me at this time of day?

His sister’s urgent voice came over the receiver as soon as he pressed Talk.

“Jinwoo! You’re on TV!”

Of course he was—just look at how many cameras there were. Every station was probably broadcasting the same thing. Jinwoo had been worried that Jinah was calling because something had come up at school, so he was relieved that wasn’t the case.

“So…what’s up?”

“What’s up? What do you mean, ‘what’s up’? You’re reawakened? And an S rank!”

Jinah must’ve gotten quite a shock, but he wasn’t exactly in a position to explain everything to her at his leisure.

“I’m a little busy, so…I’ll talk to you at home.”

“Wait, Jinwoo—”

He hung up on his sister despite how desperately she pleaded with him.

Beep.

He then discovered how he’d gotten into this mess.

……I’ve got a message.

The Hunter’s Association sent out notifications through an app. Typically, they sent alerts about A- or S-rank dungeons or dungeon breaks, but this wasn’t a typical day.

Huh.

Jinwoo read the message and quickly pulled up the association website. Sure enough…

The ink on his S-rank license hadn’t even dried yet, but the list of highest-ranked hunters had already been updated.

It was written the same way it was on his hunter’s license.

……Why can’t they be this quick about everything they do?

Jinwoo stuffed his cell into his pocket and looked up again.

“Mr. Sung! Are you the same Jinwoo Sung who used to work under the association as an E rank?”

“You’re one of the rare few reawakened beings! How do you feel about this?”

The reporters did everything they could to keep Jinwoo’s voice or face on camera a little while longer. Unfortunately, Jinwoo wasn’t happy about this frenzy of attention.

I should get out of here.

He didn’t think they’d listen if he politely asked them to let him by. He raised an eyebrow. Should he just summon his shadow soldiers to clear the way for him?

“Over here, Hunter Sung! Look this way, please!”

“Hunter Sung, the entire nation is watching, so please give them a smile!”

As the camera lenses got closer, Jinwoo seriously debated for a brief moment about summoning Tank or Fang.

Behind him, Jongin noted that Jinwoo was stuck because of the throng of reporters. He approached President Baek.

“It looks like my new hunter is having a hard time thanks to all this attention.”

“Who says Hunter Sung is your new hunter?”

“It’s a joke. Can’t you take a joke?”

They locked eyes in a staring contest again. Jongin was the first to eventually back down.

He sighed and continued. “Anyway, keeping Hunter Sung here any longer is just giving other guilds a shot at him.”

President Baek agreed. Taegyu Lim, the guild master of the Reapers Guild, was already here because of Minsung, and the other two large guilds would soon be frantically trying to get in touch with Jinwoo.

Baek glanced at the reporters. “So what’re you suggesting…?”

“I’m suggesting we escort Hunter Sung home before the other sharks smell the blood in the water. We can also use the time to talk to him.”

Jongin was suggesting they team up to keep other rivals away from Jinwoo. Regardless of how powerful Jinwoo may be, he’d need to join a guild to tackle high-rank dungeons, so if they played their cards right, an S-rank hunter would be joining either White Tiger or the Hunters today.

Jongin, as the leader of the Hunters, was confident in his guild.

“Fine.” It wasn’t a bad proposal for Yoonho, either. White Tiger wasn’t as big as the Hunters, but they had plenty of potential for growth. Not to mention…

Our Manager An and Jinwoo have known each other for quite some time.

He was certain his guild had a better relationship with Jinwoo.

Having reached a cease-fire, they eyed each other warily as they headed toward Jinwoo.

President Baek was quick to call out to him. “Hunter Sung.”

Jinwoo turned back to look at him. “Yes?”

Jongin was a little frustrated that Yoonho had taken the lead, but in the interest of cooperation, he didn’t interrupt.

President Baek pasted on his most winsome smile. “Having trouble with all these reporters? Please come with us, and we’ll escort you home. We’re experts in dealing with this sort of thing.”

His words were a little exaggerated, but they weren’t empty by any means. Not only had the two guild masters experienced the same thing as S ranks, but running large guilds had also taught them how to handle the attention.

Jongin joined in. “Yes, come with us, please. We have something we’d like to discuss with you on the way.”

Jinwoo declined their kind offer with a polite smile. “That’s okay.” He pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his head. “I have somewhere else to be.”

“Pardon? How do you expect to get out of here with all these repor—” Jongin didn’t get to finish his sentence.

Hup!

Jinwoo swiftly turned to go and launched himself several meters over the reporters’ heads, landing safely outside the swarm.

“What the—?”

Before the flustered reporters could react, Jinwoo disappeared into the crowd of people on the street.

Jongin was at a loss for words. Even an S rank like himself had barely had time to react, so it was a lost cause for the reporters, all of whom were average civilians.

Jongin laughed in spite of himself.

He was just registered as an S rank, and he’s already playing Superman!

For Jinwoo to hold that kind of physical prowess as a mage hunter… As a fellow mage, Jongin had to admit he was a bit jealous. So then what was the reaction of a brawler?

“Just now, he…” Jongin turned to discuss what they’d witnessed with Yoonho but recoiled at what he saw.

“Baek? Your eyes!” In his shock, he forgot to address President Baek by his full title.

“Oh…! S-sorry about that.”

Yoonho covered his eyes with one hand and turned away. After a beat, he reopened them, and his pupils had gone from a beast’s to a regular human’s. He was still rattled, though.

How is that……?

He was trembling. When Jinwoo had focused energy in his legs to jump just now, for a short instant, his hidden magic power was exposed. Normally, it’d be nearly impossible for even high-level hunters to detect, but President Baek instinctively used his ability, Eyes of a Beast, to get a sense of Jinwoo’s power level.

He’s powerful.

He’d already known that Jinwoo was strong. However…

That’s not the issue, though.

Back at the red gate, he’d unintentionally activated Eyes of a Beast during a confrontation with Jinwoo, so Yoonho had a frame of reference for Jinwoo’s power level back then as well. The other man had certainly been strong—so much so that Yoonho hadn’t thought he’d win a fight against Jinwoo without losing an arm or two.

And there it was. Jinwoo was the type of opponent Yoonho couldn’t hope to defeat without some kind of sacrifice. Even so, there seemed to be a difference in the level of magic power that Yoonho had just sensed. Jinwoo’s current level was incomparable to what he’d felt in the past.

Jinwoo had somehow gotten stronger—much stronger than before, but his reawakening had to have occurred some time ago. So how had his powers increased?

An impossible theory popped into his mind.

Is he…able to increase his power level?

Maybe instead of a second reawakening, he’d somehow trained……

He was interrupted just as he was about to reach a conclusion.

“Hey, President Baek, are you okay? You don’t look good…,” Jongin said out of concern.

Yoonho rubbed his face with both hands and shook his head vigorously. “I suddenly felt a little dizzy. I’m fine now.”

“You’re still young… You have to take care of yourself.” As Jongin blathered on, Yoonho’s eyes were fixed in the direction Jinwoo had gone.

He’s already far beyond a normal S rank. But if he can increase his power even more…

Yoonho shuddered at the thought.

“Taxi!” Jinwoo successfully eluded the reporters and caught a cab on a quiet street.

He clutched his S-rank hunter’s license, delighted to finally have it in hand. Leveling up and raiding dungeons was great and all, but the most important thing now was curing his mother.

The elixir of life…

He wasn’t sure if it could actually heal her.

But even if there’s a one-in-a-thousand, or even a one-in-ten-thousand chance……

He wanted to clear the Demon’s Castle and gather all the ingredients as soon as possible. In order to do that, Jinwoo needed an artifact that could protect him from the heat inside.

He told the driver his destination. “The Hunter’s Auction House of Korea, please.”

The taxi driver glanced at Jinwoo through the rearview mirror and smiled. “Going there to sell something good? I hear they deal in items worth at least several million won.”

Jinwoo gave a tight-lipped smile.

Gulp.

His silence made the driver nervous. His passenger was going to the auction house, so he had to be a hunter, and one had to be extra careful when dealing with those. Many hunters were as eccentric as they were powerful, and they weren’t people who should be crossed.

This young man doesn’t look like trouble, but better safe than sorry.

The driver read Jinwoo’s mood and shut his mouth, so it was quiet inside the taxi. Jinwoo used the time to check the Web. Social media, the blogosphere, and every single news site was abuzz about the new S-rank hunter. Until this morning, Minsung Lee had been the most widely searched topic on the Internet, but now his name wasn’t even in the top ten.

Tsk.

Jinwoo clicked his tongue.

I wasn’t expecting this much attention…

He knew people would be interested in him, but he didn’t think it’d cause this much of an uproar. Thinking about it, though, there had only been exactly ten of them to ever appear in Korea. With one dead and one overseas, there were just eight other S ranks in the entire country, so how could he not be trending?

But why had the media been so quiet in Haein’s case?

He thought he’d maybe catch a break, since Haein, the ninth S-rank hunter, hadn’t received that much media attention. He did some digging and found she’d requested the association keep her information classified after she’d been confirmed as an S rank.

If I’d done the same, the media or guilds wouldn’t have found out about me.

Why hadn’t President Go told Jinwoo about this convenient option?

Ah, that’s right. Jinwoo remembered the question President Go had posed while the two walked to the evaluation room together.

“Do you have a guild in mind?”

“No, not yet.”

Had this been why he’d asked? President Go might not have mentioned it so guilds could access him.

Well, then.

Jinwoo sent in an online application to have his information classified and then called the auction house.

Click.

“This is the Hunter’s Auction House of Korea.”

“I’d like to get an artifact appraised. I’m already on my way, if that’s okay?”

“Of course, sir. What kind of artifact would you like appraised?”

“It’s a sphere that amplifies the effect of magic.”

“Ah, a magic sphere with an amplification effect… It sounds like you’ve already had it appraised elsewhere if you’re aware of what it can do?”

“Yes, but they weren’t a credible source, so I would like an auction house appraisal.”

“Ha-ha. You’ve made the right choice. We are known to be the best in the business.”

The conversation paused for a moment as the person on the other end took down some notes.

“How much was the amplification effect based on the last appraisal?”

“A hundred percent.”

“Pardon?”

“The sphere amplifies magic by a hundred percent.”

“……”

There was another pause.

“I’m sorry, sir, but are you a hunter?”

“Yes.”

“We require your personal information for the official appraisal process. May I have your rank and name please?”

The ends of Jinwoo’s lips curled up.

I knew it.

If he’d tried to sell this item as an E-rank hunter, would the Hunter’s Auction House have even bothered hearing him out? It was precisely for this reason that Jinwoo had gone through with a reevaluation.

He answered coolly, “S rank. Jinwoo Sung.”

Jinwoo arrived at the auction house. The building wasn’t very tall, but it was somewhat wide and more reminiscent of a museum or an art gallery than a commercial building. The parking lot was huge and looked like it could accommodate events with over a hundred guests, maybe even a thousand. It was obvious that the Hunter’s Auction House made a ton of money from commissions.

As Jinwoo got out of the taxi and headed toward the doors, a formally dressed man ran out to greet him.

“Are you Hunter Jinwoo Sung?”

“Yes, I am.”

The man was astonished after looking up at Jinwoo’s face.

Then he remembered where he was and greeted Jinwoo with an upbeat voice. “We spoke on the phone. I’m Junggi Kim of the appraisal team. Please follow me.”

Jinwoo gave a short nod.

A myriad of thoughts ran through Junggi’s mind as he walked Jinwoo to the appraisal room.

I can’t believe the new S-rank hunter who vanished in front of all those reporters is actually walking behind me.

He’d initially thought Jinwoo’s call was a prank. First, the item’s effect was implausible. Second, he was claiming to be the S-rank hunter who’d just been announced today.

I almost cussed out an S-rank hunter……

His blood had run cold when the Hunter’s Association confirmed Jinwoo’s phone number. He was extremely relieved he’d gone by the book and hadn’t been rude.

“…Hunter Jinwoo Sung was newly registered as an S rank, having gone up from an E rank through a reawakening. He jumped five ranks and has been registered as a mage class…”

TVs scattered throughout the auction house were still broadcasting Jinwoo’s face. Bothered by this, Jinwoo pulled his hood down farther. Despite not being the actual person featured, Junggi couldn’t help but puff out his chest in pride.

Should I ask him to take a selfie with me?

He shook his head. If he wasn’t at work, he would’ve asked for a picture or an autograph. However, it would be rude to bother a customer on important business with such a request. He had to keep it professional.

Oh, we’re here already?

They’d arrived at the appraisal room while Junggi had been lost in thought. He looked somewhat disappointed. “Right this way.”

In the huge room, the appraisal team manager and the head appraiser, who’d given up their lunch hours to be here, anxiously awaited Jinwoo. The manager’s eyes widened when he saw the S-rank hunter.

It really is the man from the news, isn’t it?

The head appraiser struggled to tamp down his nerves.

So the magic amplification sphere is really……?

No, he couldn’t be sure. Just because the person was real didn’t mean the item was, too. The head appraiser repeated this mantra to himself in an attempt to calm his nerves.

Even the world’s leading craftspeople pouring all they had into making the most powerful magic amplification artifact with top-grade materials would only be able to produce one with a 50 percent amplification. That particular project would also take years to gather all the resources, not to mention the countless number of people involved.

Mage hunters across the planet would line up to buy such an artifact, so the lack of said item wasn’t due to lower demand, either. Even in Korea, Jongin Choi, the mage hunter also known as the Ultimate Hunter, was said to be searching for a magic amplification sphere that provided a buff of over 50 percent. And along came a brand-new S-rank hunter with a magic sphere that could amplify magic by 100 percent?

Ridiculous……

The whole thing was incredible enough to warrant throwing Jinwoo out onto the street if not for his rank. But they couldn’t turn away an S-rank hunter. Even if this ended up being a big hoax, he’d be an important client for years to come.

We have nothing to lose here.

The head appraiser spoke to Jinwoo, half-suspicious and half-expectant. “Could you…please show me the item?”

Junggi and the manager also stared restlessly at Jinwoo.

“Sure.” Jinwoo called up the Sphere of Avarice from his inventory while pretending to take it out of his pocket.

“So this is…” The head appraiser adjusted his glasses.

It was a beautiful bloodred sphere, one that compelled people to admire it. Junggi and the manager let out quiet sighs of appreciation.

“Hmm…” The head appraiser tilted his head while fidgeting with his glasses. “This isn’t made from an essence or a mana stone, is it?”

“That’s right.”

The head appraiser nodded.

I knew it.

He’d been working in this profession for seven years now. He’d inspected many artifacts in his day, but this was his first time seeing a red sphere. Spheres were typically a clear blue in color, and they turned blacker as the quality went up. But a red one?

The head appraiser was still unsure as he took the sphere. As he held it in his hands, though…

Wh-what’s this?

A chill ran up his spine as he felt a mysterious force radiating from the sphere.

It can’t be……

He was astonished as he inspected the item. The head appraiser was a B-rank mage. He knew intuitively exactly what kind of item it was. His entire body broke out into a cold sweat.

Oh my God!

The power emanating from the sphere unnerved him, and his eyes shot up to see Jinwoo calmly watching him.

If only he were a low-rank hunter……

He was overcome by a feeling he had never felt before. People had brought in countless items in the past, but this was the first time he’d ever wanted to knock out the client and rob him. But this customer was an S rank.

……?

Jinwoo stared silently at the head appraiser, who barely suppressed his desire under Jinwoo’s gaze.

Rob an S rank?

Jinwoo was so powerful, the head appraiser could barely stand to entertain the idea, let alone try it.

Jinwoo cocked his head and studied the appraiser.

What’s wrong with him?

Was he feeling ill, perhaps? The appraiser wiped the sweat from his forehead before speaking to the manager.

“Please turn on the camera.”

“Oh! Yes, of course.”

Turning on the camera was a sign that what the appraiser held in his hand was the real deal. Both the manager and Junggi couldn’t wait to see the results.

“Rolling.” The manager turned the camera toward the appraiser, who stood in front of a circular mana meter. He placed the sphere on the meter.

Beeeeeep.

A number came up. The appraiser held the sphere in his hand and measured it again. The number doubled instantly.

Beeeeeep.

Junggi’s face paled as he read the number. “Incredible……”

The manager quickly leaned in to check the result.

One hundred percent? This magic sphere actually amplifies magic power by 100 percent?

On average, the auction house received a 5 percent commission per artifact handled. If an artifact was worth 100 billion won, they would earn a tidy 5 billion. However, despite his many years of experience, the manager couldn’t even begin to estimate how much the red magic sphere was worth.

We’re gonna be rich! Rich, I say!

Had they been alone, he would’ve screamed for joy and hugged his employees. What would their cut be if this deal went through? He found his excitement made it difficult to breathe.

Junggi’s reaction wasn’t much different. He ecstatically pumped his fist.

Yes!

If everything went well, his promotion was in the bag.

“I… I’m going to test the sphere now.” The appraiser could barely get the words out in a shaky voice.

The two men from the appraisal team took a step back. Jinwoo did the same.

The camera kept rolling. Video evidence was much more effective than numbers on a piece of paper to convince potential buyers.

The appraiser looked right at the camera. “Let’s begin.”

A flurry of snow about the size of a truck tire swirled around the appraiser’s right hand.

“I will now touch the magic sphere while continuing to use magic.”

As soon as his left hand made contact with the Sphere of Avarice…

Hwoooooo!

The dancing snowflakes turned into a blizzard that shook the entire room.

“Whoa!” Had the alarmed appraiser not ceased his magic when he did, the whole room would’ve been encased in ice.

“Please turn off the camera.”

“Right.”

The team manager ran to turn off the camera, nodding as he went. The appraisal process for the item was complete.

Whew.

Jinwoo had been anxious when the snowstorm exploded from the appraiser’s hand, but he could relax now. Jinwoo wasn’t the only one, either—everyone exhaled deeply to calm their nerves. For a moment, the room fell silent.

Jinwoo broke the silence. “So how much is the sphere worth?”

Would he be able to afford the artifacts he needed? While he was excited about buying new items, more than anything, he was genuinely curious about what he could get for the sphere.

The appraiser looked incredulously at the Sphere of Avarice.

“How… How could I put a price on such an item…?”

His eyes turned to Jinwoo.

Gulp.

He swallowed nervously. Where had Jinwoo found an artifact like this? This had nothing to do with the appraisal, but he couldn’t help himself. “Where did you get this?”

Jinwoo turned to Junggi instead of the appraiser. “Do I need to answer that for this deal to go through?”

Junggi shrugged and awkwardly avoided Jinwoo’s eyes.

The appraiser shook his head. “No, you don’t. I was just…taken aback. But everyone will be curious when they find out this kind of magic sphere exists.”

Naturally, the other two men looked like they were dying to know as well.

Well, I guess it doesn’t matter, does it?

There was no reason not to answer. It wasn’t something he’d acquired unfairly or an item other people could get their hands on even if he told the truth.

Jinwoo slowly opened his mouth. The others waited with bated breath to hear what he had to say.

Jinwoo smiled as he said, “I picked it up in a dungeon.”

President Baek strode into his office while calling to his secretary. “I’d like to be alone, please. No visitors.”

He also went so far as to lock the door before turning on his computer and starting a search for information using the clearance level he held as an S-rank hunter and a guild master.

Is it even possible?

He couldn’t stop thinking about Jinwoo. A hunter who could upgrade his abilities didn’t sound plausible, yet what other explanation was there to explain the discrepancy he’d noticed in Jinwoo’s power?

President Baek’s fingers moved quickly. He pulled up information from the website for the world’s top-ranked hunters, but it proved to be a waste of time.

Nothing……

There had never been a hunter who could increase their abilities on their own. Hunters could increase their power only through paranormal phenomena such as an awakening or a reawakening. That was why some people considered hunters to be those chosen by the heavens.

Numerous browser windows were opened and closed. Countless words moved endlessly across the screen. Three hours later, tired from all his research, President Baek leaned back in his chair.

Am I being too paranoid?

Maybe he was. Perhaps the shock at how strong Jinwoo was had addled his brain.

“Ha-ha.” What was he doing at this crucial moment? He should’ve been texting Jinwoo instead of wasting time like this. What if that sly President Choi had presented Jinwoo with a contract already?

Yoonho laughed in spite of himself and began closing all the browser windows one by one until only one remained.

Wait……

Just for fun, he typed hunter upgrade ability into a search engine. Nothing came up, of course. Not that he really expected anything. He just happened to still be in research mode.

I just realized…I haven’t eaten lunch today.

President Baek rubbed his stomach and licked his lips as he realized how hungry he was. He was about to close the search engine when something caught his eye.

……?

There was a post on the fifth page of results that linked to a website. He would’ve ignored it if the link didn’t lead to the hunter-exclusive forums. Yoonho moved the cursor over.

It was an anonymous post, but for some reason, Yoonho felt his breathing quicken as he read.

If anyone could see me now, they’d think I was crazy.

Still, he had nothing to lose by looking into it. He picked up the phone.

“Yes, Mr. President.”

Manager Sangmin An from the second administration team answered the phone.

“There is something I’d like you to look into, Manager An.”

Yoonho wanted to know what Jinwoo had been up to the day that anonymous post had gone up.

“Understood. I’ll look into it.”

With that, Sangmin hung up the phone. He was an extremely capable employee. He’d get an answer for President Baek using any means necessary, no matter how long it took.

The answer came much sooner than expected.

Already?

President Baek answered his ringing phone.

“There were official records, so it didn’t take long.”

“Really?” President Baek was very pleased. Now that he thought about it, he’d heard the second administration team had already collected as much information about Hunter Jinwoo Sung as they could under Manager An’s orders. Hence the quick reply.

“Yes. On that day, Hunter Sung was… Oh, looks like it was around that time. There was that double dungeon incident from several months ago, no?”

“Right.”

“Hunter Sung was a survivor of that double dungeon affair. I believe he was hospitalized and comatose during his stay.”

“Oh…I see.” President Baek was disappointed. A person in a coma couldn’t post on the Internet.

Increasing abilities… Guess that’s not possible.

He couldn’t even laugh. He just felt tired. He thought about going home and taking a nap.

“Huh? Wait. He was unconscious for a while…”

Sangmin sounded like he was invested in Jinwoo’s story.

“…and then Hunter Sung woke up on the day you mentioned earlier.”

Hearing this, President Baek shot up straight.

He woke up on that day?

“Oh, to be exact, it says he came to the day before.”

Although Sangmin quickly corrected himself, a difference of one day wasn’t significant in Yoonho’s opinion. The important thing was whether it had been possible for Jinwoo to have written that post.

“……I see. That’s enough for now. Good work.” President Baek hung up the phone and opened a report he had saved in his files. It was the report about Jinwoo from the second administration team’s investigation.

Click, click.

He was most interested in Jinwoo’s current activities. Until relatively recently, Jinwoo hadn’t been particularly special. He had lived as a typical E-rank hunter who’d gotten more injuries than money.

But…

The double dungeon incident.

President Baek had also been at the scene on that day. The association had asked the nearest large guild, the White Tiger Guild, for their help. President Baek had gladly gone with his elite strike squad.

Wee-ooh! Wee-ooh!

He had seen an unconscious man being carted away by an ambulance.

I didn’t know that was Jinwoo……

What exactly had happened in that dungeon? Whatever had gone down in there, Jinwoo had completely changed after that day. The man who used to quietly take on jobs from the association joined a freelance strike squad and cleared multiple C-rank dungeons in a single day. Something had changed inside him for sure.

Baek was fully convinced.

It wasn’t an ordinary reawakening.

Manager An had proposed a theory that Yoojin Construction had gotten Jinwoo reevaluated when he had reawakened.

No, that’s not possible.

If so, there was no way to explain how Jinwoo’s power had increased even after the reawakening finished.

What if a hunter who can increase his power actually exists?

Moreover, what if that growth occurred so quickly that he’d gone from an E rank to an S rank in several months?

“……”

A moan spilled out from Yoonho’s mouth. He got chills just thinking about it. Of course, there was no evidence that whoever had written that post and Jinwoo were one and the same. But imagine how much stronger Jinwoo could become if he actually could upgrade his abilities like the post suggested.

How foolish I was…

President Baek now understood why Jinwoo wasn’t interested in joining any guild.

If I were him……

Would Yoonho have wanted to join someone else’s guild if he could grow his power exponentially? He shook his head.

I would rather make my own guild.

It didn’t matter whether the current number one or two guilds wanted Jinwoo when whichever he went with would end up being the best.

It looks like President Choi and I were dreaming in vain.

He couldn’t stop laughing at the thought of Jongin going to great pains to locate Jinwoo even now. But…

If my theory is true, this is no laughing matter.

Jinwoo would be the one to rock the world of Korean hunters. He’d be the center of international attention. It was time to rethink the way he was approaching Jinwoo.

But first…

I have to meet with him and get some confirmation.

Yoonho nodded. The more he thought about it, the more he was certain his priority should be to speak to Jinwoo. But…

…How should I ask him to meet with me?

Yoonho ran his hand through his hair. “……”

He had a migraine thinking about how best to get the attention of a man who’d left him hanging so many times before.

The appraiser was astonished. “Did you say you picked it up from a dungeon?”

Jinwoo nodded. Technically, he’d picked it up after defeating Vulcan in the Demon’s Castle dungeon.

You can pick up that kind of thing in a dungeon?

It’s true that no craftsman can make something like this…

Neither the appraiser who asked the question nor the two other auction house employees who’d heard the answer looked like they believed it. However, there was nothing to do but trust their client. Either way, where Jinwoo got this red magic sphere wasn’t important.

What’s important is what Hunter Sung plans to do with it.

The manager stepped forward. “Well, this is the real deal.” He gazed at the sphere in Jinwoo’s hand. “Would you like us to auction it? We’ll do our level best to get the top price.”

What should he do? Jinwoo had one question before he could decide what to do with the Sphere of Avarice. “Can I buy any flame-resistant artifacts here?”

The team manager and Junggi looked at each other, then awkwardly back at Jinwoo.

Jinwoo was puzzled. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, not at all.”

“Then are they difficult to get?”

“Actually…” The manager smiled. “Just the opposite. That type of gear is extremely easy to acquire.”

“Then why couldn’t I find anything online?”

“Weapons or protective gear with applied attributes are quite expensive, so they’re not normally sold online. But they’re still easy to acquire, since fire magic is the most common type of attack magic.”

Now that he thought about it, most of the mage hunters Jinwoo had come across thus far had used light or fire. He’d heard that S-rank hunter Jongin’s specialty was fire magic. Even Jinwoo’s shadow mages used it, including Fang, who could breathe fire. It was clear this type of magic was extremely common.

I’m glad fire-resistant things are easy to get.

He’d flinched when they mentioned that fireproof artifacts were expensive, but since his mother’s cure depended on this, he was willing to pay whatever the price if that meant he could get his hands on them faster.

If it came down to it, he could sell the Sphere of Avarice.

“Could you look into that for me?”

“Of course. I’ll get right on that.” The manager turned to leave but then stopped to talk to his employee. “Junggi, why don’t you give Hunter Sung a tour instead of making him wait here?”

“With pleasure.” Junggi led the way. “Please follow me.”

Junggi and Jinwoo went into the VIP-only exhibition room filled with the auction house’s most expensive items that hadn’t been bought yet or were due to be put up for auction soon. Weapons, protective gear, rune stones, and more were displayed in transparent glass cases.

Jinwoo stopped in front of a display with a sword inside.

Junggi approached him. “Do you see anything you like?”

“No, that’s not it.” Jinwoo knocked on the glass case. “Is this thin glass enough to protect it? I can’t see any other security measures.”

Junggi assured him. “It may be thin, but it’s magically enhanced tempered glass crafted by the best glassmakers. It can withstand the full-force punch of an A-rank brawler with no issue.”

“An A-rank brawler, really?”

Junggi grinned at Jinwoo’s doubtful expression. “If you don’t believe me, would you care to give it a go? If the box breaks, we’ll give you the item inside for free.”

“Hmm……” Was this tempered glass really that strong?

I can sense its magic power, but…

With his curiosity piqued, Jinwoo focused energy in his right arm.

Hwoooo.

The muscles in his shoulder and arm bulged, and the air around him seemed to settle.

“H-hold on!” Junggi hastily stopped Jinwoo. “That was just an example. I didn’t mean for you to actually smash it.”

“Oh, I see.”

“If it broke, elite hunters from the Hunters Guild would rush over here. We have a security contract with them.”

“Ah…”

It’d been hard to tell whether Junggi had been joking or not. Jinwoo powered down.

When the energy around Jinwoo subsided, Junggi sighed in relief.

Isn’t he supposed to be a mage hunter?

How was a mage hunter’s energy so imposing…? Junggi hadn’t actually been kidding when he’d told Jinwoo to strike the glass. Though Jinwoo was technically an S rank, he was also a mage hunter, so Junggi had thought it would be fine. However, Junggi had gotten an ominous feeling when Jinwoo focused his energy.

Luckily, Jinwoo had agreed to back down.

Which is good, because Hunter Sung could’ve gotten hurt if something had gone wrong.

Junggi convinced himself of that as he showed Jinwoo some more artifacts.

Jinwoo glanced around the room. “Could I take a closer look at any of these? Preferably daggers.”

Not really being the type to rely on weapons, Jinwoo hadn’t paid much attention to them until now, but seeing these weapons on display had piqued his interest.

Junggi’s face lit up. This was why the auction house gave hunters the tour. Hunters were sellers, but they were also valuable customers.

“Of course.” He used the walkie-talkie around his neck to call for the person in charge of weaponry. The employee appeared in a flash, as if worried Jinwoo might change his mind in the meantime.

“Is this the gentleman?” He indicated Jinwoo with his gaze, and Junggi nodded. “Ah yes, nice to meet you. I’m in charge of weaponry. Please come with me.” He led Jinwoo out of the VIP exhibition room.

Junggi let out a sigh once they were gone.

Hunter Sung has a certain knack for surprising people.

Junggi wandered aimlessly around the room to calm his nerves and found himself in front of the sword in which Jinwoo had shown an interest. They’d been standing pretty close to the display, so Junggi was checking the glass for any fingerprints to clean off when he noticed something.

“Huh?” There at the top of the case. “What?”

In one corner was a tiny, hard-to-see crack.

“When did this happen?” He took out his handkerchief and rubbed at it, but it wouldn’t go away. It was definitely a crack and not some dirt.

“Oh boy.” Junggi frowned. Had Hunter Sung spotted this, it might’ve cost them the trust of a potentially big client. Good thing the crack was in a corner and hard to see.

Tsk, tsk.

Junggi clicked his tongue and called the maintenance team before leaving the VIP exhibition room.

Jinwoo picked up the dagger he was being shown. To be honest, it was awful.

Knight Killer has a B-rank acquisition difficulty, but it’s better than this.

Its attack power wasn’t even half that of Knight Killer. He returned the sword with a dissatisfied look on his face. “How much is this?”

“It’s thirty million won.”

Jinwoo was startled. That piece of junk cost how much? “Could you repeat that?”

“Thirty million won, Hunter Sung.”

“Hold on.” Jinwoo turned around and pretended to look for something inside his jacket as he produced Knight Killer in his hand. “How much would this be worth?”

The employee’s eyes bulged. “Is this yours, Hunter Sung? Wow, the intricate work of a master craftsman is apparent in it!”

No, this was just an item from the system shop…

The employee hesitated a little bit, then smiled. “It’s hard to give you an exact appraisal, since I’m not a professional, but…this looks like it’s worth at least one hundred million won.”

Jinwoo was stunned.

I bought this from the shop for around 3 million gold.

It had cost 2.8 million gold to be exact.

After seeing the expression on Jinwoo’s face, the employee scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Was it something I said? I’m not an expert at appraisal, so I may have misspoken.”

“No, it’s nothing.” Jinwoo was flabbergasted at how ridiculously expensive everything was. Then again, the first weapon Jinwoo had owned had been Kim Sangshik’s steel sword with its ten attack power, which he’d heard was worth 3 million won. And there was Jinho’s armor, which had apparently cost over 100 million won, though he hadn’t gotten much use out of it. He supposed it shouldn’t be surprising that high-level items from the shop could be sold at very high prices.

I just hadn’t been paying attention.

After all, he hadn’t been too interested in making money while leveling up.

Wait……

He had tons of gold saved in his inventory. What if he bought items with gold and sold them at the auction house at a premium? The gears in his mind started to turn.

Then I wouldn’t necessarily need to sell the Sphere of Avarice, would I?

As soon as he thought this…

Whoo-hoo!

Was he imagining things? Jinwoo thought he heard the shadow mages cheering from the shadow beneath his feet.