Chapter 152: Nothing Comes from Nothing
It was a Wednesday.
Korean Hunter Association Main Building.
“Ms. Seonwoo-yeon, have you ever bought a house?”
The black-haired hunter widened her eyes at my question.
After all, just moments ago, we were only discussing the rigid changes in the Association’s regulations for this year.
“A house? If you’re talking about a transaction, then I haven’t done that yet.”
“Aha.”
“But why the sudden talk about houses…?”
“I’m considering moving lately.”
Recently, I had been thinking about relocating to a new residence.
Until now, I had completely lost the memories of my physical body and couldn’t carelessly move, but now that I recalled most of the information related to Kim Gi-ryeo, I no longer needed to cling to that studio apartment.
“I mostly regained impressive memories after meeting Lee Hwa-young, so of course, I still have some gaps in common sense.”
Like the room being small or the wallpaper being worn out.
Honestly, those details weren’t uncomfortable for me, given that I’ve lived in worse conditions.
But security. Yes. The security issue was something I couldn’t tolerate anymore.
That old building had no proper security guard, which meant disaster could strike at any moment.
“I’ll just change my residence once the barrier I’ve set up runs out.”
So before finding a new nest, I sought advice from one of the planet’s natives.
“I’m not asking for much, just a place with decent security and a bathtub. What kind of house should I buy with those conditions?”
However, upon hearing my request, Seonwoo-yeon looked shocked.
“Right now… there’s no bathtub in the house?”
I had no idea why she reacted that way.
When I rummaged through Kim Gi-ryeo’s brain, I discovered this body had never lived in a house with a bathtub.
I chose not to respond to Seonwoo-yeon’s question.
“I’m always thinking this, but there’s really no need to look out of place.”
I naturally shifted the conversation back to the original topic.
“By the way, has the printing been done?”
“Oh, yes. Here you go.”
Ziiiing.
Seonwoo-yeon handed me the freshly printed A4 paper from the copier.
I skimmed through the documents and gave a slight nod. Now that I got this, our business was done.
“Thank you. I’ll see you next time.”
“Yes, Hunter-nim. Please take care.”
As I stepped outside, the gazes of passing Awakened people were directed at me.
But I ignored them and focused solely on the contents of the documents as I walked down the corridor.
———————
● Gymnasium Facility Rules
Article 1. The purpose of this rule is to establish necessary matters for user registration and facility use in the Awakened-exclusive gym.
Article 2. User registration shall follow the “Gate Management Act” (hereinafter referred to as “the Act”) according to the hunter’s rank…
———————=
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.
.
Where do hunters usually hone their skills?
Previously, I would blindly think of F-Class Gates, but that wasn’t the only option.
No matter how easy a gate seemed, it was still someone’s workplace. In other words, a money-making spot.
Low-rank hunters were so numerous that they often competed between guilds just to enter a single gate. And if someone from the higher ranks lay waste to hunting grounds unnecessarily, it was bound to cause resentment.
Ahem.
That’s just how the food chain works. Even the lowest creatures in a somewhat petty ecosystem shouldn’t be trampled on carelessly.
So, in some major cities with a clear rate nearing 100% for low-rank gates, specialized gyms were fundamentally established.
Spaces dedicated to Hunter-only settings for duels and skill training among Awakened.
Speaking of which, I’ve heard they lend out equipment like swords or spears that are commonly found in gates, making it quite convenient for modern folks who aren’t used to cold weapons.
…But I’ve digressed for too long here.
To get to the point, until now, I had no interest in such gym systems.
Anyway, the magic that an F-Class hunter deals with is so minuscule that it doesn’t require large spaces for practice.
And even if I had to test magic in a real situation, it only happened sporadically every few months.
Unless I were to sweep through beginner hunting grounds daily, doing the occasional F-Class wouldn’t make anyone bat an eye.
However, in just a few hours, a reason to visit that gym out of the blue popped up.
Hoo.
I pressed my fingers against my nose, recalling the event from the day before.
After the summoner’s attack accompanied by Demirich.
I had convinced myself of a certain fact.
[Hydra] and [Surprise Box!].
With such shallow tactics, I doubted my future safety could be fully guaranteed.
Hence, I made a new plan not too long ago.
I’ve confirmed the kind of power epic-level items possess through Hydra, so…
Hmm.
Why not take the plunge and start collecting epic-class items?
Not a bad idea.
Yeah. Definitely not a bad thought at all.
Hydra was a pretty formidable item on Earth. If I piled up similarly ranked magic tools, even F-Class wouldn’t be laughed at.
Even if my base was weak, if I set up my gear well, I could pull off a semblance of sorcery.
So lately, I’ve had my eyes set on “some epic-class item,” and to purchase it, I’d need several hundred million…
Wait a second.
At this moment, someone might question my plans. After all, I had been fixing Earth’s items with knowledge I gained before I reincarnated.
[Reflection Mirror]
[Effect: For attacks below A-Class, reverses the direction of magic.]
I had of course boosted the ghostly performance of a cheap 1 million won mirror found at a flea market.
I even managed to knock Jeong Ha-seong out with sleep-inducing incense that supposedly only worked on B-Class.
However, this act was essentially a cheap trick I had been doing for a while.
If you force a tool’s performance up, its lifespan drastically diminishes right from that day.
It’s a kind of overclocking, so that’s only natural.
The Hydra in my hand could also be modified, expertly sharpening it to the S-Class if I wanted to, but with one swing, it had a chance of breaking.
There’s a saying that cheap things break easily for a reason.
There’s a limit to utilizing lower-rank items as my main gear.
So, what?
In the end, if I want to ensure stable self-preservation, I have no choice but to invest in somewhat expensive equipment.
“Damn.”
Now, here comes the crux of the matter.
I had grown tired of waiting for the Dragon’s Lung and decided to delve into securing new means of protection.
And it turned out the magic tool I had my eyes on was a whopping 3.7 billion!
So, I needed to earn approximately 3.48 billion more in the future.
While the basic dividend generated from the Kagoshima raid might lessen this sum, sadly, Japan is notorious for its slow processing of governmental affairs, so I’m yet to receive my hunting rewards.
Originally, acquiring rewards for a hunt here was notoriously complicated for foreigners.
Complex tax processing, basic checks to prevent potential financial crimes, valuation of the dungeon’s by-products, hiring dismantlers, starting the job, negotiating with guilds, auctions…
Japan upholds all these procedures in an analog way, adding to the delays that arise.
The only prey I’ve taken down at the start to prove my capabilities was a lone black dragon. The contribution towards the boss was so minimal that the payout for Japan wouldn’t be significantly high anyway.
So I’ll put that settlement aside for now, and focus on filling my coffers through other means.
The balance in my bank account is basically tied up. So I have essentially no extra funds.
Ultimately, it all comes down to money, money, money.
Yet again, that damned money entangles the issue.
Thinking about it, I heard there’s a new term on this planet: “money owl.”
Someone crazed by money…
To be honest, if one isn’t obsessed with money, aren’t they merely a madman?
“Why does the Association have to devise such pesky regulations?”
I momentarily fell into thought before returning to the discussion at hand.
Earning money for epic-class gear!
Originally, I had planned to gradually achieve this goal using Hydra’s poison, but…
After giving it a bit of thought, I realized there were minor issues with my plan to hunt personally.
Whenever I enter a dungeon, I always bring a bodyguard due to some contract…but…
Wait, looking at the situation, they all seem like they want to break the Knight’s Pact. Let’s cooperate. I’ll help you kill Kim Gi-ryeo, so let me go!
As you can see, my trust towards Kang Chang-ho was obliterated due to the incident at the previous Kagoshima Gate.
That guy literally switched sides the moment the S-Class in Japan launched their offense.
Going out with someone who can betray in three seconds isn’t appealing.
Moreover, with the current equipment I possess, the monsters I can safely tackle are at best C-Class level. It wouldn’t be easy to make big bucks with that.
I need windfall money, yet my body is in a terribly fragile state.
No choice.
At times like this, the most efficient way is to leech off other hunters.
Of course, excluding Ahn Yoon-seung.
He had already milked me dry under the pretense of skill training, leaving no bait for me to catch him with again.
What a pity.
Unless it’s to request a collaboration for a national disaster like the Sirens, using Yoon-seung wasn’t possible.
So now, it was time to utilize my reserved fort.
Using a big player who could dramatically inflate my wealth.
Haa.
I took a deep breath and entered a certain building.
“Excuse me. I had contacted you beforehand…”
“Oh, Hunter Kim Gi-ryeo! Welcome. We’ve been waiting for you.”
Arriving at a certain unknown guild in Seoul.
An employee in a beige cardigan greeted me with a warm smile as they guided me into the reception area.
Two single-seater sofas facing each other. A small tea table.
Compared to massive guilds like the Korean Magic Tower, this place seemed incredibly modest, but this kind of decor also has its own cozy charm, so I found it fairly nice.
Humm.
Now, I just had to wait for the guild representative to arrive…
Two hours later.
I was sipping on the barley green tea the employees provided.
Suddenly, a loud sound echoed out from the end of the corridor.
Then, after a short wait, the closed door in front of me burst open.
“Ah…!”
Someone hurried inside, catching their breath.
Perfectly combed hair parted in a neat 5:5 manner, almost gray due to excessive whitening.
Not a single scar marred his visible face, which proved his strength, and he wore a coat woven from monster scales over his shoulders.
“Hunter Kim Gi-ryeo?”
I glanced up at the young man who entered the room.
“…Hello. What brings you here? No, more importantly, I’m sorry for making you wait.”
Indeed. He was Jeong Ha-seong.
I never expected I would be willingly stepping into the Garion Guild.
*
S-Class Hunter of South Korea.
Jeong Ha-seong was currently feeling flustered.
Early in the morning, he had received information from the guild’s secretary office stating that Hunter Kim Gi-ryeo wanted to meet him.
That hunter wants to see me?
However, he had received this notice just as the gate was on the brink of collapse.
“I’m sorry for making you wait.”
Ha-seong prioritized the work over entertaining guests.
Of course, since dungeons are so variable, it’s difficult to predict how long it’ll take to clear them, he had told Kim Gi-ryeo that they could reschedule afterward…
“No problem.”
The other party had refused. He said he would wait at the office regardless of when the conquest ended.
Thanks to that, Ha-seong was now able to have this meeting without wasting precious time, but at this point, anxiety was slowly creeping in.
Why’s he suddenly visiting?
Thinking about it, this was the first time the hunter had contacted him first.
Could it be that I made another mistake…?
Kim Gi-ryeo often scolded him at every encounter, so now, he found himself unconsciously shrinking at the thought of having no reason to be in trouble.
“Ha-seong.”
But the sentence that followed was a far cry from what he had expected.
“You… by the way, you said you wanted to work with me a while ago. Around last winter.”
“Yes. That was me.”
“Has that feeling changed since then?”
“What?”
“That’s what I wanted to discuss now.”
Tap.
Gi-ryeo placed the green tea cup he was holding on the table and got straight to the point.
“Given that you’re busy, I’ll be direct. In fact, it’s not entirely impossible for us to form a team.”
Perhaps, a mouth-watering proposition.
“So today, I came to hear your intentions.”
“Excuse me?”
“Anyway, let’s start with this. Jeong Ha-seong, do you still wish to work with me?”
For that cold hunter to suddenly ask about teaming up.
Ha-seong briefly thought.
Was there a monster in the recent dungeon that cast hallucinations?
