Chapter 43
Chapter 5: Bonus Time (1)
Click-click—tap-tap-tap-
In a spacious room, a child sat in front of a computer, wearing a kindergarten uniform and playing a game.
A name tag pinned to the child’s chest glimmered as he focused intently.
Kang Cheolman.
He is now an SS-rank Hunter representing South Korea, but 20 years ago, he was just an ordinary child.
No, to be exact, he was an ordinary and lonely child.
Kang Cheolman’s parents both worked, and as high-ranking officials involved in a national project, they were often away from home, spending more nights outside than at home.
As an only child, Kang Cheolman spent his time alone at home playing games from a young age.
He had no interest in studying, and his friends were busy attending boring academies, leaving no time to hang out.
Games were the only plaything that alleviated his loneliness.
Among all games, Kang Cheolman especially liked RPGs. Although it was a virtual space, the appeal was that as soon as he logged in, he could compete with countless people and grow.
And most of all, he liked the idea of saving people in danger and becoming a hero.
Even though it wasn’t real, just a story made up by the game company, Kang Cheolman felt a thrill from becoming a hero who saved the weak and was praised as a champion.
Time passed, and one day, as he reached adulthood.
Gwaaaaah!!
Kyahhh!!
The world changed dramatically.
Dungeons and monsters, much like in games, suddenly appeared in the once peaceful world.
Awakened individuals emerged, and Kang Cheolman was among them.
He immediately started raiding and made a name for himself as a Hunter.
He found it more fun than scary.
It was as if the game had come to life.
This is how Kang Cheolman became an SS-rank Hunter, conquering countless dungeons and saving the world.
Wow, it’s Kang Cheolman!
Thank you! You saved our lives!
Kyahh! Please sign, Hunter Kang Cheolman!
Every time he went out, he was showered with countless accolades.
Hah, it’s nothing.
Kang Cheolman waved his hand with a smile at the people’s warm reception.
It felt just like being the main character in the RPG games he used to play. And the ending unfolded similarly.
Mr. Kang Cheolman, could you take a picture with me?
Amidst the crowd, a beautiful woman approached Kang Cheolman.
‘Yes, the ending has to be like this.’
Kang Cheolman nodded and took a selfie with the beautiful woman. After exchanging contact information, he invited her to his penthouse, where they exchanged passionate glances.
You’re really amazing, Mr. Kang Cheolman.
You are even more beautiful.
Their lips drew closer and closer.
It was like a scene from the ending of a game.
But just as he was about to kiss the beautiful woman.
“Guild Leader…?”
A deep voice suddenly intruded, and the woman’s face transformed into that of a man with stubble.
And Kang Cheolman—
“Ugh! What, what the hell!!”
—woke up in a fright from the dream.
“Guild Leader? Are you conscious? Ugh!!”
Thud-! Thump-!
The man who had leaned in close to Kang Cheolman’s face was sent flying into the ceiling before crashing to the floor.
“Wha-what the heck…?”
In a bewildered situation.
Kang Cheolman, who had pushed the man away, quickly looked around.
The room was small, with a wide view, luxurious wallpaper, and only an IV drip attached to the back of his hand.
Kang Cheolman had woken up in a hospital room.
Just moments ago, various scenes flashed before his eyes as he was about to spend a passionate time
with the woman of his dreams, but now he found himself lying in bed.
Moreover, the person he had sent flying to the ceiling was someone he knew.
“Huh? Secretary Nam?”
Nam Hee-gun, Chief Secretary of the Ah-sin Guild.
Nam Hee-gun, who had served as Kang Cheolman’s chief secretary since the guild’s founding, was
sprawled on the floor, groaning in pain.
The person Kang Cheolman had pushed away while dreaming was none other than Nam Hee-gun.
“Ouch, what kind of dream were you having to push me away so violently?”
“Well, it’s… just one of those dreams. Sorry, Secretary Nam.”
Kang Cheolman couldn’t bring himself to talk about the dream he had just had.
Fortunately, Nam Hee-gun didn’t press further.
“No problem. I’m just glad you seem to be okay. I was a bit worried since you’ve been lying down for so
long.”
“For long? How long have I been out?”
“Ten hours. The last time you passed out in combat was five years ago, after fighting the SS-rank dungeon boss Erev. Considering you took down so many Luminous Hunters by yourself, it’s understandable.”
“Luminous Hunters… Oh, right.”
Though still dazed from the dream, Kang Cheolman quickly grasped the situation.
The ambush by the Luminous Hunters outside the unsolved dungeon, the test subjects in the abandoned factory complex, and even Hong Jin-sung, who had turned into a monster.
The memories he had momentarily forgotten returned rapidly.
Kang Cheolman asked Nam Hee-gun.
“What happened to Hunter Han Sangwoo?”
The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was Han Sangwoo’s face.
A wave of unease swept over him, fearing something might have happened while he was unconscious, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
“Hunter Han Sangwoo is in another hospital room. He didn’t sustain any major injuries, so after treating
some minor cuts, he’s giving a statement to Hunter Chung’s Lee Eun-ha. From what I heard briefly, reinforcements from our Ah-sin Guild and the Hunter Bureau arrived right after you passed out.”
“Is that so? That’s a relief. But were there any other hunters besides me and Han Sangwoo?”
“Other hunters? I’m not sure about that.”
“Perhaps the Hunter Bureau’s support team arrived first… Secretary Nam, could you hand me my tablet?
You brought it with you, right?”
“Yes, I brought it since there are many approvals to be done. Here it is, Guild Leader.”
Kang Cheolman took the tablet that Nam Hee-gun handed over.
But then.
Instead of opening an e-document app, Kang Cheolman logged into HIRE. Nam Hee-gun, who was watching from the bedside, couldn’t help but speak up in a tone of disbelief.
“…You just woke up after being unconscious, and the first thing you do is log into a game.”
From Nam Hee-gun’s perspective, it was absurd to see Kang Cheolman logging into a game as the first thing he did after being unconscious for ten hours. But from Kang Cheolman’s point of view, this was perfectly natural.
‘What’s this? They look almost identical?’
Kang Cheolman logged into HIRE to check, recalling how the hunters who had saved his life and defeated
the monster Hong Jin-sung had skills strikingly similar to those of the characters in HIRE.
And to his surprise?
Not only were the skills similar, but even their appearances were alike.
What could this be?
It felt as though the game characters had come to life in the real world.
Kang Cheolman had his suspicions, but he couldn’t delve into them right away.
Knock-knock-knock—
“This is Lee Eun-ha from the Hunter Bureau. May I come in?”
As Kang Cheolman was comparing the memories and characters on his tablet, there was a knock on the door, and Lee Eun-ha, the Hunter Bureau’s poster child, came in.
Kang Cheolman gave a slight nod, and Nam Hee-gun responded.
“Yes, please come in.”
“Oh? You’re awake, Guild Leader Kang Cheolman? How are you feeling?”
Lee Eun-ha, wearing the Hunter Bureau’s uniform, entered the room with wide eyes.
She was surprised to see Kang Cheolman’s clear eyes and voice and his relatively good condition,
considering that he was unconscious and exhausted just a short time ago.
Kang Cheolman replied to Lee Eun-ha’s question.
“Yes, I’m fine. What about Hunter Han Sangwoo? I heard he was giving a statement.”
“Hunter Han Sangwoo has been discharged and went home. He wasn’t seriously injured, so he said he wanted to go home. He told me most of what happened in the abandoned factory. He said Guild Leader
Kang Cheolman handled most of it, so there wasn’t much left for him to do.”
“He said I took care of everything…?”
“Yes, he said he was trapped and when he finally made it out, everything was already resolved. After
hearing that, I thought once again how amazing you are as one of Korea’s top SS-rank Hunters.”
“My Guild Leader is indeed quite remarkable.”
“….”
Lee Eun-ha and Nam Hee-gun both gave a thumbs-up as they praised Kang Cheolman, but the man himself couldn’t bring himself to smile.
It was true that he had dealt with the Luminous Hunters, but it wasn’t him who had taken down the monster Hong Jin-sung, which had given him the most trouble.
Moreover.
“Here’s the statement from Hunter Han Sangwoo. Is there anything different from your recollection?”
The statement handed over by Lee Eun-ha contained no mention of the hunters who had defeated the monster Hong Jin-sung.
‘Are they deliberately not mentioning it, or were they not aware of those hunters?’
Though curious, Kang Cheolman decided to read through the entire statement carefully.
There were no errors in the statement.
The only thing missing was the hunters who had defeated Hong Jin-sung.
In other words, it seemed as though those hunters had never been there.
But how?
Kang Cheolman was still engrossed in his thoughts as Lee Eun-ha handed him a tablet.
“This is a statement from the Hunter Bureau. Please read it carefully and sign if there’s nothing wrong.”
The document handed over by Lee Eun-ha was a typical statement for the Hunter Bureau.
Since it was a statement of investigation results, it was important for Kang Cheolman to review it carefully.
“…Understood. I’ll read it thoroughly.”
After receiving the tablet, Kang Cheolman began reading the document.
Nam Hee-gun and Lee Eun-ha watched quietly as he focused.
The document was short and not complicated.
There were no special remarks, and it only contained a detailed account of what had happened in the
abandoned factory.
After reading it, Kang Cheolman placed his thumb on the tablet, indicating his agreement with the statement.
There were no objections to the contents.
“Thank you. This will be submitted to the Hunter Bureau, and they’ll be in touch if anything comes up.”
Lee Eun-ha took back the tablet and nodded, expressing her gratitude.
Just as the conversation seemed to be wrapping up, she hesitated and finally brought up another topic.
“By the way, Guild Leader Kang Cheolman… I’m not sure if this is the right time to ask, but… have you
ever heard of ‘NPC Hunters’?”
“‘NPC Hunters’? What’s that?”
Lee Eun-ha leaned in closer to explain.
“It’s a new term circulating among the Hunters these days. It’s said that they’re the ones who defeated
SS-rank dungeons that even S-rank and A-rank hunters couldn’t handle.”
“…That’s interesting. But where did that information come from?”
Kang Cheolman listened intently to Lee Eun-ha’s explanation.
It sounded somewhat similar to the hunters he had encountered in the abandoned factory.
And then—
‘As expected….’
A faint smile tugged at Kang Cheolman’s lips as he listened to Lee Eun-ha.
Even in reality, there seemed to be a connection to the characters from HIRE.
And the term ‘NPC Hunters’ was something Kang Cheolman hadn’t heard of before.
It was an intriguing coincidence, and Kang Cheolman couldn’t help but wonder.
‘What if those hunters really are connected to the game?’
But for now, it was just a thought.
There was no concrete evidence, and Kang Cheolman had just woken up after being unconscious for ten hours.
He needed more information before jumping to conclusions.
For the time being, he decided to keep his thoughts to himself.
“Thank you for the information, Hunter Lee Eun-ha. I’ll look into it.”
Kang Cheolman replied politely, and Lee Eun-ha smiled, satisfied with his response.
“Well then, I’ll be off. If you need anything, please feel free to contact me.”
With that, Lee Eun-ha left the room.
As the door closed behind her, Kang Cheolman leaned back on the bed, lost in thought.
‘NPC Hunters, huh….’
Kang Cheolman couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was about to unfold.
Something far beyond his expectations.
But for now, all he could do was wait and see how it all played out.
And in the meantime—
‘Let’s see… what’s the next dungeon to raid?’
Kang Cheolman’s fingers tapped away on the tablet screen, logging back into HIRE.
The game continued, and the world was full of dungeons to conquer.
And Kang Cheolman, as always, was ready for the challenge.
But little did he know, the game was about to take a very unexpected turn.
