SIZZLE.
Meat hit the grill. Premium Korean beef, thick and red, with marbling spread like white snowflakes through every fiber.
Shape, sound, smell. All mesmerizing.
Only thing bothering me was the price, but…
“Will this be enough? Let’s order more premium cuts.”
Since the rich C-rank hunter’s paying, well.
How long has it been since I had Korean beef.
Murim food is spicy, salty, and bland.
Even then, more days without proper food than with. For 30 days my stomach suffered through jerky, fasting pills, and rice balls.
CHOMP. MUNCH MUNCH.
The good thing about beef is you can eat it right away. Once it looks somewhat cooked, straight to the mouth.
Every bite feels like walking on clouds. This one, that one, all of them—pure heaven.
“Heuuuh.”
Team Leader Choi watched me with his peculiar expression.
“Want more?”
“No. Got to control my eating.”
“You’ve had 25 servings…”
“Twelve each isn’t that much.”
“I’ve only had three.”
“Oh, can we order beef tartare?”
“…Yes.”
“And rice.”
After the whirlwind meal finally ended. At last Team Leader Choi opened his mouth.
“I said I took them both down. The High Priest and the Great Warrior.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Let’s call it a fair trade. I should be thanking you in some ways.”
A fair trade.
True enough. I bought time to think, and he’ll gain fame. Taking down two mid-rank Rare Monsters with five low-rank hunters.
Not losing a single person in the process will be great publicity for the guild too.
If I hadn’t found my power through synchronization?
Well, someone probably would’ve died. Maybe no one would’ve made it out.
“So you were already thinking that way.”
Not just an oddball after all. Pretty sharp, seeing this.
I smiled awkwardly.
“Good for both of us.”
“Good for both. Good for both…” Team Leader Choi muttered before suddenly asking.
“Want to join the guild?”
“PFFT.”
Team Leader Choi blocked the water with the tablecloth and smoothly pulled out a business card.
[Peace Guild. Team Leader 1 Choi Minwoo.]
What the hell. I was really thrown off for a moment.
“A-are you scouting me? Now?”
“That’s right. Always need talent.”
Taking the card, I felt somehow emotional.
Feels like just yesterday I was bowing and scraping through interviews…
Life sure takes you places if you live long enough.
Actually being treated as talent and getting scouted. F-rank Hunter Jin Tae-kyung has grown up.
“Though our guild is new and small, we’re very solid. Well, for example…”
Team Leader Choi elegantly swirled his wine glass. When the hell did he order that?
“Our finances are extremely stable.”
“Ooh, finances!”
“So employee benefits are good too.”
“Ooh, benefits backed by stable finances!”
“Our guild master is B-rank.”
“Ooh, an upper-rank hunter source of stable finances!”
“No worries about restructuring.”
“Ooh, job security!”
Team Leader Choi asked with a wealthy smile.
“Will you join?”
I scratched my head.
“No. That’s a bit…”
“…Pardon?”
“I’ve got circumstances right now. Need some time.”
In my heart, I want to sign the contract, stamp it, fingerprint it, even leave a kiss mark right now.
But what if the system disappears tomorrow?
I’ll be completely screwed.
Going from human resource to human disaster overnight.
“Is it about money?”
Money’s always an issue.
But this is more important.
Can’t make a hasty decision blinded by the stack of cash right in front of me.
“Hard to explain. Regrettably, it’s not something I can decide right now—”
“One hundred million.”
“Million?”
“Just signing bonus. Rest will match minimum C-rank hunter terms.”
That was dangerous. Really dangerous this time.
But I endured with superhuman patience. Haven’t I long since learned life isn’t that simple?
Could end up choking on that money.
“Sorry.”
Team Leader Choi stared at me silently before nodding.
“I’ll await your call.”
One person left, one remained.
Choi Minwoo silently stared at where Jin Tae-kyung had sat before pulling out his phone.
Beep beep click.
-Damn ghost. Was just about to call you.
“How’d that thing I asked about go?”
-Well, since you asked, I looked into it… anything special about this Jin Tae-kyung?
“That’s why I called you. So what’d you find?”
-Pretty common case. Awakened at twenty seven years ago, graduated top of F-rank hunter training…
Jin Tae-kyung’s past seven years flowed through the receiver. At some point, Choi Minwoo’s eyebrow twitched.
“What? Sangdong Station Mutated Gate?”
-Yeah, you know that incident?
How could he not? Choi Minwoo remembered clearly—it was just two years ago.
-He’s the only survivor.
That part surprised me too.
Choi Minwoo took a drink of water. Finding a lead on the F-rank hunter who soloed a mid-rank Rare Monster made him thirsty.
“And?”
-Six months leave. Management Office sent investigators regularly, probably recovered mentally and such. As you know, it was a big deal.
“Then?”
-That’s it. Returned to guild work, busted ass in gates for a year and a half, then got fired. That was three days ago.
“Reason for firing?”
-Officially restructuring but… what kind of tiny guild… Probably fallout from that incident. Keeping an eye on Management Office and let him go. Must’ve been awkward for them.
“That’s all?”
-Far as I can tell. Want me to send the file?
“Send it now. Hanging up.”
-Hey, hey!
Click
Choi Minwoo drummed the table with long fingers.
Jin Tae-kyung. F-rank hunter. Sole survivor of Sangdong Station Mutated Gate.
And…
At least C-rank hunter.
That’s the absolute minimum estimate. That scene of him overwhelming a C-rank Rare Monster alone with overwhelming power and technique flashed before his eyes.
Yet F-rank.
One of two things. Either hiding his power, or recently re-awakened.
Choi Minwoo guessed the latter, but that too defied common sense.
How many hunters retire without ever ranking up once?
Re-awakening from F to C-rank is, without question, extremely rare.
This isn’t some game. Just what are you?
Choi Minwoo shook his head. Feels like being haunted.
Need to look into this more.
As he stood, the owner approached with the bill.
“1,937,000 won.”
Really feels like being haunted.
***
“Fuck, I’m screwed.”
I slumped down. The messy recycling area.
The thing that should be here wasn’t.
Gone, gone. My capsule is gone.
Was anxious since parting with Team Leader Choi.
But who’d take it in less than half a day?
I shouted into the air.
“Which bastard was it!”
And got an answer.
“Me, you little shit.”
Rooftop of the boarding house. Jin-ho was smoking in the same spot as this morning.
With a somehow wistful expression, he blew out smoke and continued.
“For ten years I regretted and swore while crying…”
“Want me to make you really regret and cry?”
“Boring bastard. Don’t know this movie?”
“Stop joking. This is serious.”
“What, strike out today?”
“No.”
I continued in a drained voice.
“Capsule.”
“…Huh?”
“Some bastard took my capsule.”
“Cough, cough cough!”
Jin-ho, who seemed to inhale smoke wrong and coughed like crazy, finally spoke.
“D-didn’t you throw it away because you didn’t need it?”
“I did.”
Until the system came back.
Even I didn’t expect things to change so much in just a few hours.
Should’ve kept it one more day.
Where do I even start looking? I let out a deep sigh.
“Hyung, didn’t see who took it?”
“Uh… well.”
Jin-ho scratched his head.
“If I saw it I saw it, if I didn’t I didn’t.”
What kind of answer is that?
When I glared, he smiled sheepishly.
“It’s not like I’m expecting a reward or anything… absolutely expecting a reward.”
That’s beside the point.
I jumped up and asked.
“You saw? For sure?”
“If we’re being specific, I’d say I saw.”
“Who? Where’d they go!”
“Not that I want a reward, but what’s the expected amount?”
“…100,000 won?”
“Oh my, must be getting old. Memory’s getting fuzzy.”
“For fuck’s sake.”
“Well, have fun in this heat.”
“Reward is 180,000 won.”
The amount seemed to please him as Jin-ho smiled brightly.
“Your capsule. I picked it up.”
“…?” Took exactly 3 seconds to understand.
Have I ever seen such a highway robber.
Absolutely dumbfounding. You backstab people like this?
“But couldn’t find a good place for it. Too cramped for my room.”
“So?”
“Put it back in your room. Did good, right?”
Wonder what’s the most effective way to beat this guy up to spread the word.
I trembled with fist clenched.
“It really is here.”
Seeing the capsule taking up half the studio room like nothing happened, I could only laugh hollowly.
Should I call this lucky?
Of all people, Jin-ho took the capsule.
I opened the capsule lid. Picked up the user manual thrown carelessly on the old seat and opened to the last page.
[Key Features]
-Custom capsule for one person!
Upon user registration, the capsule becomes permanently bound until death.
…Nah, no way.
Must be just coincidence.
But the uneasy feeling wouldn’t go away.
I glared at the capsule, source of all this.
What are you really?
The reason I threw it in recycling this morning was to forget everything.
Life’s hard enough—wanted to think of it as just a nightmare and live my life as before.
But now things are different.
Because I have the system.
System…
Then something occurred to me.
I put my hand on the capsule surface and muttered.
“Item check.”
Ding.
Just as I thought. As my lips curved up.
-Cannot read this item.
“…Can’t read it?”
First time this has happened.
Because it’s not Murim?
Flustered, I checked everything in the room.
From TV to pens, even pillows.
Each time, the system displayed accurate information.
But just one. Only the capsule couldn’t be read.
“Wow, this is crazy.”
Tried the manual too just in case, but same result.
Ding.
-Cannot read this item.
I flopped onto the bed. Staring blankly at the old yellowed ceiling, I thought.
What is happening?
Things I can’t understand right now. But one thing was certain.
I’ve gotten stronger. Incomparably so.
Power permeating every fiber of my body. Internal energy writhing in my dantian.
Through synchronization, I gained power. Power far surpassing an F-rank hunter. Power to take down a C-rank Rare Monster alone.
Want to join the guild?
First scout offer I’ve ever received.
But I refused. Fear outweighed joy at being recognized.
Understandable.
Endured seven years as an F-rank hunter. A crawling caterpillar suddenly given wings called system.
Fear is natural.
But if I can keep using this power, this system?
Just imagining it made my heart pound.
Simultaneously, the past seven years flashed through my mind. The F-rank label branded on me despite insane effort. Others’ contempt, guilt, and the memories from two years ago when I trembled with powerlessness.
“Fuck… can’t take it anymore.”
I jumped up from my seat. Ran straight out of the boarding house and caught a passing taxi.
“Where to?”
The destination was already decided.
“Hunter Association Bucheon Branch please.”
Hunter rank re-evaluation.
Starting with breaking these damned shackles—F-rank hunter—that have tormented me so long.
Let’s do this.
As I clenched my fist, the taxi driver said:
“This is a Seoul taxi[1]“
“Ah.”