Chapter 29. The Goose That Lays Golden Eggs (3)
Ahn Yoon-seung thought.
He had never felt a sense of awe in his life.
During his school years, he had no mentors to look up to, as is common for sensitive teenagers.
He had never truly admired the achievements of sports stars praised on TV.
He just thought, there are such talented people in the world.
How nice. He had simply felt a light emotion like that, so by the time he became a college student, he had never been a fan of anyone.
So today was the day Ahn Yoon-seung finally understood the meaning of this word.
‘This is insane…’
Awe.
Meeting an overwhelming figure mixes simple respect with a faint sense of fear.
He was still in shock minutes later.
And rightly so, Kim Gi-ryeo had deduced the hidden use of his skill from just seeing it “once.”
“—Yoon-seung-ah, that skill must guard not just the front but all around.”
How could a non-defensive Hunter handle the technique better than its owner?
Moreover, the teaching was as natural as breathing…
Kim Gi-ryeo explained using the skill’s method as if it were basic common sense, sending a shiver through Ahn Yoon-seung.
What kind of ability must that Hunter possess to give such advice?
‘I’ve never even heard of a skill to find problems with skills!’
The only assumption he could make was that Kim Gi-ryeo was born with exceptional appraisal skills, but…
Ahn Yoon-seung furrowed his brow and shook his head.
No, Kim Gi-ryeo wasn’t an analytical Awakened…!
If he closed his eyes, he could still vividly see someone calmly extracting the heart of an A-Class Golem.
He was a Hunter with undeniable combat abilities.
‘The appraisal skill must have been acquired through a commercial item!’
Kim Gi-ryeo’s appraisal function couldn’t be that exceptional.
Even if he bought an expensive top-grade skill stone, the application of the skill would ultimately be the same.
Thus, all this was possible due to the opponent’s keen eyes, experience, and knowledge.
‘He truly isn’t an ordinary person.’
After finishing his calculations, Yoon-seung found himself clenching his fist involuntarily.
The sensation he felt at this moment was an undeniable sense of awe.
But…
“Ahn Yoon-seung, how is it? Are you starting to get the hang of it now?”
Amidst this awe, a different emotion quietly rose within him, causing Ahn Yoon-seung to harden his expression.
“Ah, hyung. The thing is…”
How embarrassing.
Could there be a more mortifying situation?
“I’m trying to get the hang of it, but it seems… I’m still not getting it right.”
Come to think of it, he had momentarily forgotten because Kim Gi-ryeo often showed a down-to-earth demeanor.
Kim Gi-ryeo was originally an Awakened of inestimable skill.
That’s saying the sky’s the limit.
Furthermore, Seonwoo-yeon had mentioned that there was a possibility that the incident yesterday occurred because he was kidnapped to intentionally wipe out a crime organization.
‘Phew.’
Yet here he was, a fool who couldn’t even use a single skill properly.
How pathetic must he look to someone as capable as Kim Gi-ryeo?
“I’m sorry! I know you’re taking precious time to teach me. I’ll make sure to perfect this as soon as possible, hyung!”
But after a moment, Ahn Yoon-seung realized his way of thinking was narrow-minded.
“Yoon-seung-ah, please don’t rush.”
“Huh?”
The man with three-hundred-eye suddenly glanced away and said.
“If today doesn’t work out, we can continue next time. There’s no need to rush when you’re not returning to Hunter activities right away.”
“But…”
“I’ll check again tomorrow. And the day after, and many more times.”
His dry voice.
Eyes devoid of any emotion.
“There’s plenty of time for me since I’m F-rank.”
Kim Gi-ryeo’s attitude was no different than usual.
So, Ahn Yoon-seung understood. He respected him just as he usually did.
“Gi-ryeo hyung…”
Ahn Yoon-seung was momentarily left speechless from rising gratitude.
He was freely sharing his know-how for a Hunter who had lost confidence.
And he even lied so the other party wouldn’t feel burdened by his goodwill.
He’d felt it since their first meeting, but Kim Gi-ryeo was truly a rare person of great character.
“Is there something you want from me? Something you need?”
Suddenly, Ahn Yoon-seung felt a desire to repay the kindness. So, he fumbled and said.
“M-me? What could I possibly want from you? No, no, nothing like that.”
But he knew this kind of response would come.
‘He’s a selfless person.’
How absurd must the question have sounded for him to stutter?
Kim Gi-ryeo wouldn’t be the type swayed by a few coins, like countless people in modern society.
Such a ascetic demeanor was indeed a worthy trait to emulate.
However, it became quite a significant obstacle when trying to repay kindness.
“Whew.”
When he first awakened as A-Class, he thought he could achieve anything.
Now, he couldn’t even express his gratitude properly.
‘It cannot be helped. For the time being, I should diligently undergo hyung’s training and gain strength. And someday, I will surely be of help.’
With that resolve, Ahn Yoon-seung steadied his breath.
By the time he lifted his head again, there was no wavering in his gaze.
“I understand! Then, as you said, hyung, I won’t overexert myself and call it a day here.”
As a side note.
This event triggered a skyrocketing evaluation of Gi-ryeo in Ahn Yoon-seung’s heart.
In other words, the moment when the brakes of a runaway train broke down was just about now.
*
Why, why, why did they suddenly ask me that?
If I had something I wanted?
Did they catch on to my plan?
“M-me? What would I want from you? N-no, nothing like that.”
I trembled as I desperately denied Ahn Yoon-seung’s questioning.
Bad thoughts kept racing through my mind.
‘A mere F-Class like me might feel like a bug to Yoon-seung! If he finds out I used him to make money…’
Chills ran down my spine.
If this continues, I might sweat so much I’d dehydrate.
“Ah right. Yoon-seung-ah, aren’t you hungry? Let’s hurry up and defeat the boss and close the gate.”
I hurriedly pushed Yoon-seung, who said he was fine, to wrap up the schedule.
Just as I suspected, the A-Class Hunter showed no interest in the D-Class debris on the ground until he exited the gate, so the crime went unnoticed.
‘Did he seriously not even sift through one magic stone until the end?’
Perhaps the remains of the D-Class monster felt to Ahn Yoon-seung like a ten-won coin on the sidewalk.
‘With this much, I might be able to pick up something by going up to C or B Class, right?’
Yahoo!
I smiled an internal smile as I imagined how much I would get if I sold today’s loot.
In my daydreams, I had already become a great wealthy person, buying a palace and hiring around a hundred servants.
“Eh?”
However, while I was planning the future like that,
Ahn Yoon-seung, who stepped outside the gate, suddenly halted upon seeing someone standing at the exit.
“That person is….”
“Hello, Ahn Yoon-seung Hunter. You’re quite late to come out, aren’t you? Just entering a mere D-Class.”
A high-pitched voice.
Holding a thick file binder. Dressed in a neatly buttoned suit.
At first glance, they seemed like an ordinary Hunter Association employee, but it was undeniably that person I met yesterday.
The long black hair cascading down to her waist was certainly a hard-to-forget feature.
“Oh, Ms. Seonwoo-yeon, hello?”
A B-Class Awakened.
Seonwoo-yeon greeted us.
“Mr. Gi-ryeo, you have an excellent sense of greeting in such a situation?”
But she didn’t seem too pleased…
‘What could be the matter?’
I wondered if it was because I had texted her while caught in the early morning wind, leaving lingering feelings, but the actual issue was a lot more serious.
“I came today to relay something to Yoon-seung, but I certainly didn’t expect to see an illegal gate entrance right in front of me.”
“…!”
“Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter, you’re F-Class, aren’t you? Why are you coming out of here?”
Entering a gate that doesn’t match your rank was clearly a taboo.
“Ah, well, hyung…”
“I entered as a transporter. Yoon-seung is working as my porter.”
I tried to frantically explain, but it didn’t seem to make a difference.
“Are you really calling that an explanation? How much could you possibly be carrying in that bag of yours to claim you’re just transporting?”
Seonwoo-yeon frowned as if to say stop making excuses.
“Ahn Yoon-seung Hunter, you too. If you keep participating in illegal entries like this, it’ll be problematic.”
“Um…”
“I’ll let this one slide, but in the future, never allow an F-Class Hunter into a High-Ranking Gate.”
Wait a minute. This situation was getting twisted.
I immediately countered her words.
“Hold on, Ms. Seonwoo-yeon. Illegal entry? I didn’t break any laws.”
“Excuse me?”
“I mean, according to the association’s regulations…”
But Seonwoo-yeon, as if she had anticipated this argument, hardened her expression and nodded.
“There are no restrictions on entry for transporters. But this was done so they could do their work comfortably, not for people like you to exploit the loophole.”
Somehow, as our conversation went on, it seemed like Seonwoo-yeon was looking at me with increasing disdain.
It had to be my imagination.
“Don’t you know that the attitude of ignoring rank restrictions raises more suspicion…?”
“Huh?”
“Ordinary F-Class Hunters, for the sake of their own lives, would strictly follow the regulations.”
Seonwoo-yeon cast a resentful glance at the frozen Ahn Yoon-seung, then threw a warning.
“You might think, ‘It’s my life, what do you care?’ but the important thing is the record.”
“….”
“In case of an incident inside the gate, the perpetrator’s personal information should not be manipulated…”
By the time her cold voice pierced my ears, I had no more room for excuses. I was cornered.
“Please, I beg you to cooperate with the association.”
That Awakened’s rank was B.
Though Ahn Yoon-seung had been treating me comfortably, the fact was that even B-Rank Hunters could tear apart lions living freely in the Savanna with their bare hands, so raising their ire was not in anyone’s interest.
“Yes, understood.”
Gulp. I obediently lowered my tail.
“Gi-ryeo hyung has done nothing wrong! I was the one who asked him for help….”
“Ahn Yoon-seung Hunter, please follow me for a moment. I have something to communicate regarding changes in Dungeon Break response areas.”
Poor guy.
Despite being an A-Class Hunter, Ahn Yoon-seung couldn’t utter a word and was dragged away by Seonwoo-yeon.
I waved my hand to him as I fell into contemplation.
Oh no, I think I need to revise my money-making plans.
‘It can’t be helped.’
But it’s alright.
I already have options thought out.
