Ch. 26 - Chapter 26

Even after living together for a lifetime, family can sometimes be unpredictable.

When I gave her ten million won, my sister had the happiest expression in the world, but when she saw the 750-million-won bag, she was more frightened than pleased.

"Haesun... Where did you get this money?"

My sister trusted me completely, but that doesn't mean she was naive.

Chun Haesun, still a minor and haven’t even been a hunter for that long.

It must have been an amount too unbelievable to believe that a mere rookie like me had earned it.

I handed the bag of money to my sister and explained everything that had happened in detail starting from the incident.

Of course, I had never intended to keep it a secret from her forever.

The reason I kept it a secret for so long was because she was overly concerned.

Having suffered from poisoned symptoms my whole life, it was only natural that she would still be anxious even after a full recovery.

But now, taking care of myself was no longer a problem at all.

After all, I was officially recognized as an S-rank hunter by the government.

"…So that's what happened."

I wondered if this is what it feels like to be a teacher telling fairy tales to little children. The sheer impossibility makes it so hard to believe sometimes even for myself having lived through it.

My sister showed all sorts of reactions as she listened to what I had been through. But she didn’t stop me from telling her. She would sometimes cover her mouth in surprise, other times narrowed her eyes with sorrow, and even sniffled.

“I’m sorry for keeping it a secret. To be honest, I didn’t have the confidence to convince you nor the ability to explain it if I hadn't thought about it for this long.”

“Haesun. You really know your sister well, don’t you? If I had known you were going into those Poison Dungeons, I would have grabbed you by the hair and wouldn’t have let you go. You did well. Very well.”

Her face shifted and she was now glaring at me.

“Don’t glare at me like that. It’s only dangerous for other people, but for me, it’s practically a gold mine. Still, I’m sorry for lying.”

“Hmph. So you understand how you troubled me?”

My sister pouted, but she didn’t seem truly angry.

There was a limit to how much I could prove to be strong.

But since the Hunter Association had officially recognized me, it seemed my sister decided to respect my choice as well.

The golden badge marked with an ‘S’ rank.

My sister was still gently stroking the badge she held in her hand.

“My little brother has become such an outstanding hunter. I still can’t believe it.”

“That’s thanks to you taking good care of me.”

“That’s really great. I'm sure Mom and Dad are smiling proudly at you too.”

Mom and Dad.

I was grateful for the blessing of being born, but since I never even saw their faces, it didn't really resonate with me.

“I don’t really remember Mom and Dad well.”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been like a parent to me all this time. So, I want you to be happy enough for both of our parents’ share too."

"......"

I held out the bag of money placed beside me to my sister.

"Sis, they say any woman attending an engineering school becomes a goddess there."

"What on earth are you talking about all of a sudden?”

"There aren't many female students attending engineering schools, so it seems their popularity explodes quickly. I'm already getting worried."

Seeing my sister tilt her head in confusion, the corners of my mouth curled up.

“From now on, I’ll earn the money. You said you always wanted to go to engineering school, right? I hope you'll quit the factory and go to college instead.”

"Haesun....."

To be blunt, the amount of money she couldn't save even if she scrimped for decades was right in front of her eyes.

That also meant she didn't have to work so hard at the factory anymore, In fact she didn't have to work at all for a few years if she wished it.

“You’ve been through enough, so now Sister, I hope you can finally chase your own dreams.”

“…My brain's gotten rusty. I’m not sure if I can do it.”

That was my sister’s response, spoken hesitantly after a long pause.

***

“Let’s see..…”

The next day.

A package arrived from the Hunter Association.

Its official name was something like a Multi-Information Device, but in reality, it was just a smartphone.

Aside from having hunter-exclusive apps installed, there didn’t seem to be much difference, yet they slapped on every grandiose name imaginable.

If it were my first time encountering a hunter-related device, I might have found it fascinating.

But I had already experienced three items that were on a whole different level than the device I held in my hand.

After experiencing the eye-implant V1, which could read my thoughts and respond, looking at this smartphone just made me want to yawn.

"Do all hunters use this device?"

[It’s not statistically confirmed, but most hunters from top guilds receive the Association’s approval to modify their personal info devices.]

I nodded in agreement at V1’s explanation.

Yeah, if it were me, I wouldn’t be able to use this bulky thing either, way too inconvenient.

Most of the Knight hunters I saw on TV strode across battlefields wearing devices that looked like scouters.

Those scouters probably had all the functions of the hunter apps built into them.

Devices like that are one of the reasons hunters want to join major guilds.

The quality of the modified devices varies greatly depending on the size of the guild.

No wonder there's a joke going around saying, ‘You can trust a hunter who searches for information on a stock device’.

"So now there's another reason not to join a guild."

I have a far superior device implanted in my body compared to the modified ones from major guilds, so I have no regrets.

I tried using the hunter smartphone for a test run, but soon threw it on the bed and gave an order.

"Show me the list of new dungeons in this area."

[List of newly confirmed dungeons this month.

Sorted by: nearest to current location. 

1. Sujin Street, Gangnam District, Seoul…]

Yes.

This was ‘high-tech’.

In my heart, I bowed deeply to Dr. Jin.

"Sujin Street... Changsin Street... Now there's one at Imae Neighborhood too?"

The number of new dungeons was greater than I had expected.

No.

At this rate, you could call it a record-breaking amount.

I had read an article recently about the number of gates and dungeons increasing dramatically, but I didn’t expect it to be this many.

Whether it was a blessing in disguise or not, the grades of the newly generated dungeons weren’t very high.

Good.

Alright, let's get ready to hunt.

“Hey, can you access the Union too?”

[It’s possible, but not recommended.]

“Hmm. I think I get what that means.”

Union.

Simply put, it was like a ‘small gathering’.

It was a gathering of hunters who weren’t affiliated with any guild, formed to team up for dungeon raids.

For a solo hunter to enter a dungeon with a limited number of hunters, the only option was to find companions in the Union.

As much as I’d like to dive into a dungeon alone like I used to and take on the boss monster solo, I couldn't do that for the time being.

Because every hunter, regardless of rank, had to go through a ‘probation period’.

According to Hunter Association regulations, new hunters must clear five dungeons with five or more hunters.

The difficulty level must be 3-star (★★★) or lower.

It was meant to prevent rookies from dying by stumbling cluelessly into their first dungeon, and also to encourage guilds to properly train their new recruits.

In other words, it was a system completely useless to me in my current situation.

[528th Sinso Street. 2-star (★★) Dungeon. Recruiting for a Night Raid. One spot left!]

[Looking for a Healer for a 1-star(★) Dungeon, in Daejeon, Chungam Neighborhood. 'E' rankers are also welcome!!]

[Looking for a new Healer in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province after our last one backed out. Double the reward if you can come tomorrow!!]

It was no different from recruiting a party in a game.

If there was a notable difference, it was that the demand for healers was overwhelmingly higher compared to other types.

Not only was the number of awakened ones applying as the healer type low, but since they’re not of the knight class, they often risk their lives on the battlefield.

A profession that heals others while exposing itself to danger.

That's why healers are given preferential treatment wherever they go.

Looking at it now, choosing to be a Hunter instead of a Knight at the start turned out to be an excellent choice.

"Since it's the first time, I might as well warm up….. let's try this one."

[Welcoming New Hunters! Recruiting for 1-Star (★) Dungeon in Seoul 2nd Noryangjin Street. Looking for Espers and Healers!]

I logged into the Union using my Hunter smartphone and submitted my intention to participate.

I could’ve posted through V1, but just like it said, using this method seemed cleaner than going through the hacking system.

[Participation Request Submitted]

[Location: 1-Star (★) Dungeon in Seoul 2nd Noryangjin Street]

[Name: Chun Haesun]

[New Hunter of This Quarter]

[Type: Healer]

[Association Registered Rank: 'S']

***

"Hello!"

"Hel...lo."

It felt like you could tell a new hunter from a veteran just by their voice.

The two men who greeted cheerfully looked as experienced as their age, while the young man and woman standing next to me had clearly nervous expressions on their youthful faces.

I wondered what my expression looked like.

Honestly, this all felt a bit surreal to me too.

The place I was about to enter now was a ‘normal dungeon’, not a Poison Dungeon, and unlike before, there was no need to go out of our way to spare the boss mob.

I was truly embarking on a formal dungeon raid.

Since I was registered as a healer, I wouldn’t be shedding blood myself.

Both of the veteran men were knight types.

The long-haired muscleman was Park Hyosang.

The tanned man with dyed blond hair was named Kim Chuho.

Park Hyosang recognized me at a glance and grabbed my hand with enthusiasm.

"Oh! Chun Haesun! It's truly an honor to meet you!"

"Chu, Chun Haesun??"

Unlike Park Hyosang and Kim Chuho, it seemed the other two new hunters hadn’t heard anything about me.

The two rookie hunters looked like their eyes were about to pop out.

"Wow, it really is Chun Haesun? I can't believe it…..."

"Um... would it be okay if we take a photo together a while later??"

Their enthusiasm reminded me of the faces I'd seen at the Hunter Examination Center.

Anyway, both rookie hunters were Esper types.

Their eyes brimmed with an intelligent energy, though I couldn't tell whether it was because they were Espers or because they met me.

Like most Espers, their bodies didn’t look particularly strong.

I guess that’s why there was a probationary period for the likes of them.

Both veteran and new hunters alike showered me with attention.

It was a small relief that this was an unpopular dungeon with few passersby.

"Alright. Alright. Everyone. Before we go in, there's something you need to check."

Before entering the dungeon, Park Hyosang looked around at the three of us with a clap of his hands and said,

“The underground dungeon we’re entering is only 1-Star (★), but it’s still quite dangerous. Usually, dungeons like this have Hughes Nutria. If they suddenly bite you from the sewer floor, you could be in trouble.”

"Ugh..."

The female esper groaned briefly, as if her stomach was aching.

This kind of reaction from just hearing a nutria.

If she faced the Venomous Centipede I dealt with before, she’d probably pass out on the spot.

“To ensure everyone’s safety in the dungeon, my friend and I will provide support. The cost is one million won per person.”

“Wh-what?”

“Y-you didn’t mention anything like that before, did you?”

The two new hunters asked in surprise.

Demanding extra fees during a dungeon raid together was surely unexpected.

So they hadn’t gathered hunters to join forces and support each other.

‘No... not for that.’

I slowly nodded to myself in thought.

No wonder something felt off.

Those new hunters definitely needed help, but Park Hyosang and Kim Chuho were D-rank knights.

A 1-star dungeon was something the two of them could easily clear on their own.

This dungeon held no merit, not only for guilds, but also for D-rankers.

The reason those guys had bothered to come to a dungeon with no merit.

They were here to do ‘business’.

If they were in a guild, their fellow guild members would provide them what's commonly called a ‘carry’ service, but the Espers here hadn’t joined a guild yet.

To be exact, their awakening stats were too low, and no guild was willing to take them in.

If they didn’t meet the required number of dungeon clears, they would never be able to shed their probationary status.

And for that very reason, illegal business practices thrived by targeting weaker hunters who have no other choice.

'Good grief…'

They say when you go abroad, the people you need to be most careful of are your own countrymen.

Looks like that's exactly what was happening.

It seemed the Association had intentionally set a party size requirement for training purposes, but these guys were exploiting it to make money.

"Well, you can just go in if you want. We have an S-rank healer, Chun Haesun, here after all. But if you don't sign the training agreement, we won't be protecting you from the nutrias' attacks."

"!!!!"

“You know how vicious the nutrias’ teeth are, right? Even if the wounds heal, scars will remain forever on that delicate skin. If you’re unlucky, you might end up trapped in a cycle of being attacked and healed forever. Ha ha ha.”

"That...!!"

The two rookie hunters exclaimed together.

They were already nervous, as this was their first time in a dungeon, but fear was creeping in, wondering what harm they might face if the Knights weren't there to protect them.

“Let’s be honest. You applied through the Union because no guild would take you in. Nobody talks about it openly, but every other dungeon charges this training fee. We’re actually being contentious by keeping it cheap.”

Their consciences must have completely frozen and died.

The Espers hesitated for quite some time, but in the end, they signed the contract.

How much money could you possibly make by extracting the core from a 1-star dungeon?

The cost was way higher than the profit, like the tail wagging the dog.

"What about Chun Haesun...?"

The blonde-haired tanned-skin man, Kim Chuho approached me, licking his lips.

In their eyes, a healer is a healer, regardless of whether they're an S-ranker or not.

It seemed they viewed anyone without close-combat abilities as nothing more than prey.

They probably intentionally chose an underground dungeon infested with nutrias for that very reason.

'How annoying.'

If I just ignored them and entered the dungeon, this would be over.

But it was incredibly irritating to run into this kind of situation right when I was about to happily start my first dungeon.

Protection.

Since they were demanding money to provide protection.

I opened my mouth to speak to the blonde-haired, tanned-skin Kim Chuho.

"Let's do it that way, then."

"As expected! An excellent choice!”

The faces of the two veterans lit up with delight.

As if saying, ‘Of course, that’s what a healer is,’ they exchanged sly smiles.

“But you know.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s just add one more line to the contract.”

"What do you mean, add?"

I had decided.

Inside that dungeon, I would be the one to protect them.

Of course, by force.

“If you two request my protection, I’ll charge two million won per person.”

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