Chapter 14
In the office of Management Department Team 2, Sang-kyu had been thinking about Johan all day long.
Today alone, he had missed the call from his team members six times.
‘I never thought there would come a day when I would think about that person.’
Johan’s mana, which he emitted that day, was something Sang-kyu couldn’t forget.
Sang-kyu had to exert all his efforts to avoid showing any signs.
He couldn’t let anyone see that he was overwhelmed.
He couldn’t admit that he felt fear from a newly promoted E-rank Hunter, especially someone he most despised—a Tracer.
‘His search abilities are impressive, but that’s something that can be remotely directed. There’s no reason to give him special privileges.’
Johan was the type of person that Sang-kyu absolutely could not understand.
To someone who believed Hunters should be evaluated by their rank and power, Johan was the worst possible individual.
An F-rank with only emotional abilities, the worst possible conditions for an Awakened.
In short, hopeless.
‘What on earth has happened during the years?’
Yet, Johan, who had appeared after several years, frightened even Sang-kyu, who was aiming for A-rank.
The mana he displayed that day was denser than any other.
A dangerous thought of wanting to step into the path of death extended to the tip of his bones.
It was a more primal type of aura than mere fear.
“Something must have happened.”
For the first time, Sang-kyu felt curiosity about Johan.
He wanted to know what Johan had gone through during his absence.
‘If he truly qualifies as a Hunter, how should I position myself?’
He was confused. Even someone seasoned like him had never experienced such a situation.
“Perhaps I really should consider postponing the permit cancellation.”
He shook his head. Nothing could be gained from being so obsessed.
If Alex’s words were true, Johan would visit the Management Department again soon.
He could confirm everything then. It was not too late to sort out all his thoughts at that time.
“Ah, I really want to go home. I’m going crazy. What am I doing on the third day of this?”
In the partition in front, Manager Kim stretched and yawned. The boredom was evident not only on him but on everyone.
“Does a week of emergency standby make sense? I feel like I’m about to explode.”
“What can we do? They say it’s an emergency response period for the time being. And why did ten portals suddenly go haywire?”
“But we’re still getting a 7 million won bonus and two days off. I’m going to play Call of War 3 for those two days.”
The members of Team 2, to which Kim belonged, complained. Due to the unprecedented portal surge, everyone was on standby duty.
Here’s the translation of the text with explanations:
—
Sang-kyu, who couldn’t be an exception, had stored the extra underwear his wife brought him in his locker.
“Did you hear? It’s said that a single Hunter handled all the portals that went wild in Yeonhui-dong.”
“One person? Dozens of monsters? Wasn’t an A-rank Hunter sent there?”
“They say it was an E-rank Hunter.”
“E-rank? Are you sure it wasn’t B-rank?”
“They said no casualties were reported. According to Team 1, a support member from that damn guild screwed up, and the person who handled it got both the performance rewards for two people.”
“Wow, the God-Damn Guild doesn’t disappoint.”
“So, who was it?”
“It’s said to be Shin Yo-han. The Tracer who was once so renowned.”
Suddenly—
“What? Who did you say?”
“Huh? Team Leader?”
Sang-kyu jumped up. He reacted involuntarily when he heard Johan’s name from an unexpected source.
“Shin Yo-han stopped the chaos all by himself?”
“Yes. They said it was a portal with Urk, and he managed to kill all the monsters without any casualties.”
“Not Kim Yo-han, not Park Yo-han, not Lim Yo-hwan, but the real Shin Yo-han?”
“Team Leader, are you joking?”
“It’s unbelievable. How could an E-rank Hunter stop a D-rank, especially a chaotic situation?”
“Well, he was already famous, right? Maybe he was just waiting for the right time to shine?”
“It would be a miracle if that happened. Could there have been a cataclysm that split the sky in two?”
“Team Leader, are you telling all your five-year-old jokes today? It’s funny.”
The team members laughed and clapped at Sang-kyu’s nonsense, but he couldn’t afford to take it lightly. He wasn’t joking.
‘Could it be?’
Sang-kyu recalled Alex’s words.
– If the Tracer you despised has finally spread his wings, and if he meets the qualifications to receive the permit…
“Such a thing has never happened before. Miracles don’t exist in reality.”
His head was spinning. If Shin Yo-han was indeed growing stronger…
‘This isn’t just a personal issue. Everything will change in the future.’
The return of the former top-ranked Hunter would stir the calm waters like a whirlwind.
It might even reveal parts that were rotting and stagnant.
“I need to prepare for this. So that there are no fish swept up in the whirlwind.”
Johan slurped his ramen and checked the money in his account. His eyes, counting the zeros, were shining brighter than a supernova.
“One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million, ten million… seventy million… what the…”
Seventy million won was a huge amount.
This was the combined total of the money earned from stopping the chaos and selling thirty magic stones.
If he had sold the Urk corpses as well, he might have made even more money, but those corpses were all waiting in his coffin.
“I’ve earned a year’s worth of savings. Is this what the true Hunter’s life is like?”
As a treat for himself, he indulged in the luxury of adding beef brisket to his ramen. Tomorrow, instead of curry powder, he planned to eat high-quality curry with German frankfurters.
“Anyway, I should be careful not to get involved with the Shibshin Guild for a while.”
Two days ago, Yo-han had handed over the drunken Hunter from the Reaper Guild to the Management Bureau.
“No, I didn’t receive proper contact! I couldn’t hear about the support because it was too noisy!”
Despite his claims of being unable to hear, Yo-han and Alex already had the recorded statement.
When the drunken Hunter heard his own voice on the recording, he lowered his head in silence, and the Management Bureau suspended his Hunter license.
A five-year suspension was more than enough time for a Hunter to leave the industry.
“You bastard, just wait. How dare you mess with me? There are plenty of things to do even without being a Hunter.”
The drunken Hunter didn’t forget to leave a threatening message for Yo-han.
Even in front of the investigation department staff, he didn’t hesitate to make threats.
Of course, it wasn’t scary at all, but the problem was that he wasn’t just an individual.
“It’s the first time getting involved with Shibshin.”
Although Yo-han had once been involved with them in the past, it was when their influence was very weak.
Moreover, Im Kang-in and his allies responded strongly, so Yo-han didn’t even have a chance to intervene.
– Please, don’t get involved with Shibshin. It’s exhausting for three generations. They come to your house, hijack dungeons, interfere with reservations— it’s absolutely terrifying. I’m currently taking anxiety medication because of Shibshin.
That was the general sentiment of those who had been involved with the Reaper Guild.
They had built their power by tormenting countless people with overwhelming numbers.
They were truly the guild that fit the term “faction” better than anyone.
Skillfully avoiding legal restrictions, they had become a top guild in South Korea, opposing the Justice Guild which claimed to uphold righteousness.
“Of course, Shibshin won’t personally get involved. The guild wouldn’t act just for the revenge of a mere C-rank Hunter.”
Clearly, this Hunter wasn’t that important. It’s unlikely the guild would move just for revenge.
But there was a high possibility they would harass him in other ways. Spending around ten million won to hire a messenger was nothing to them.
“It’s a warning. Messing with Reapers means you’ll definitely suffer.”
Rumors said that Reaper Guild trained suspended Hunters as fixers.
Although they denied it as a rumor, it was a well-known fact.
“Come at me if you want. We’ll inevitably cross paths someday.”
Yo-han wasn’t afraid. The range for illegal actions was limited, and he was confident in his preparation.
He had endured in the harsh world of Awakened Ones longer than anyone else.
“Let’s start with the requests. The best preparation is growth.”
There’s much to do. The top priority is increasing his stats through the entry process.
“To become a D-rank, the total stats must be 120 or more.”
Yo-han’s current total stats were 100, so he needed to increase them by at least 20 for the update.
He needed to go through the entry process five more times to meet the qualifications.
“Let’s see. What requests have been posted today?”
Yohan opened the Trace app to check today’s requests. There were pages and pages of requests.
“Really a lot, isn’t it?”
There was always an overwhelming number of requests for retrieving the bodies of hunters who died daily.
It felt like it would be great if there were fewer of them.
[Body Retrieval]
– Difficulty: D
– Reward: 10 million + Crystal Stones
– Description: 6 casualties occurred in the E-grade dungeon, The Tomb of the Absolute. Only one D-grade hunter survived.
“Six deaths in an E-grade dungeon? Even with a D-grade hunter in the party?”
Yohan zoomed in on the screen, finding this request unusual.
Even though deaths were common, having six people die in an E-grade dungeon was rare. Especially with a D-grade hunter in the party, which should have been manageable.
“Was the D-grade hunter a support-type, not a combat type?”
He accepted the request. It was the most alluring request among those available.
“It’s a chance to enter the dungeon with six people at once. And the reward is the highest.”
Completing this request would immediately promote him to D-grade.
Knowing it was a rare opportunity, Yohan immediately headed to the Dobong district, where the dungeon was located, as soon as he received the application confirmation.
There were more people than expected around the dungeon’s perimeter.
“Oh, here!”
A portal staff waved at Yohan happily. As he approached, he saw Alex waving enthusiastically.
“Why is someone like you, the team leader, always coming to the field?”
“Our team is very horizontal~ That means I sometimes volunteer to come out here when I want.”
Alex, being shameless, waved his hand. It seemed like the latter reason was more significant, but it wasn’t something Yohan needed to concern himself with.
“Why are there so many people here?”
“Applicants have gathered. Requests that offer 10 million are rare, right? Everyone is waiting here just in case there’s a cancellation.”
“Wow. It’s a bit overwhelming.”
Looking closely, Yohan saw that all the gathered people were tracers. They were all working in teams.
‘There are some familiar faces. Looks like they’re really interested.’
“Do you know how long we’ve been waiting for you? We thought you would definitely take this job, so we declined many other requests.”
“Did others apply before me?”
“Of course. Requests like these close within 10 seconds. If you apply late, you’ll never get the chance. Originally.”
“It would be a big problem if others knew.”
Alex’s favor had become more pronounced since the last gym incident. Now it was very explicit.
Or was it always this explicit?
“Consider it a reward for perfectly handling the recent surge. It’s a give-and-take.”
It wasn’t a bad deal. Having the title of team leader was a solid insurance.
“Just a moment.”
Winking, Alex looked around and then guided Yohan to a quiet spot behind the dungeon.
Yohan narrowed his eyes, trying to discern Alex’s intentions.
“Since you’re bringing me here, it seems the give-and-take isn’t over yet.”
“Indeed, you’re quite perceptive.”
There’s no such thing as a free favor. Yohan was sure it wasn’t a purely altruistic gesture, and Alex readily acknowledged it, starting the conversation.
“This time, it’s not a favor based on your potential. It’s a favor that requires the abilities of the tracer Shin Yohan. A veteran who has never failed.”
Alex, lowering his voice, spoke in a confidential manner.
“Six deaths in an E-grade dungeon is highly unusual. Therefore, the Management Bureau will be investigating this incident.”
Alex handed over a body cam, which was the latest model supporting up to 8K resolution.
“It’s ultra-wide-angle, so it can capture everything in front of you no matter where you attach it.”
“Sounds good. I assume I won’t be held responsible if it breaks?”
“Haha, of course. It has a memory card chip with a small amount of mithril, so it should be fine even if dropped in lava.”
“Oh, is this a waste?”
“Recently, the number of deaths, which used to be around 100 per day, has nearly doubled. The Investigation Department is on high alert. They haven’t been home for a week.”
“A surge in deaths following a surge in incidents. Is something happening?”
“No one can be sure. The important thing is that this situation might be a precursor to something bigger. That’s why I’m asking for your help.”
Yohan attached the body cam to his belt. Its good fixation meant it wouldn’t be a problem even if he ran.
“Have you considered joining the Investigation Department? With your tracking ability, you could become a team leader in no time.”
“Well, I’ll think about it in the future.”
Alex grinned and showed Yohan his phone, which displayed a bank account balance with eight zeros.
“Is this a trick?”
“It’s the 1st team’s budget. I’ll add an extra 10 million won. And the payment for the crystal stones will be doubled.”
“The reward for risking your life alone seems a bit low.”
“That’s why I specially increased the compensation with the team leader’s authority. Adding 500 million to the 1,000 million, making a total of 1,500 million.”
*gulp*
“Please include any clues in the body cam about why six people died. Even trivial details would be helpful. Actually, I hope they’re trivial.”
It was an offer Yohan couldn’t refuse. 25 million won for a single request.
“Why not just ask the surviving D-grade hunter what happened?”
“He has disappeared. We can’t reach him. As a result, we have to use our resources to find out why.”
Investigating and exploring was always part of Yohan’s job, so it wasn’t difficult for him. “There must be other trackers available. Why did you wait for me?”
It was a fundamental question. Tracers who work in teams each have their roles.
Cleaners, trackers, searchers, meerkats, transporters, and protectors—these roles widen their field of vision.
Among them, trackers or searchers can cover more ground than Yohan, who works alone.
“Well, you’re the best tracer I know. Even Kang In mentions you.”
“It’s quite embarrassing to be seen.”
“Moreover, Yohan, you’ve been through this dungeon before, haven’t you? More than anyone else. I prefer experienced personnel.”
“Excellent choice.”
“Having the best tracer with a heavy mouth on uncertain matters, do you really need to hire six people?”
“That was the point, wasn’t it?”
The fewer words spoken, the heavier they become. Knowing this truth, Alex’s intentions became clear.
“I’ll handle it quickly and quietly.”
Alex smiled and bowed his head with satisfaction at Yohan’s crisp response.
“Then I leave it to you, hope of humanity.”
