152. Nothing Cannot Be Accomplished

One Wednesday. The main building of the Korean Hunter Association.

“Have you ever bought a house, Seonwoo Yeon-ssi?”

The black-haired hunter’s eyes widened at my words. Until just now, we had only been talking about stiff matters, like whether the association’s regulations would be revised this year.

“House? If you’re asking about buying or selling, I haven’t done that yet.”

“Aha.”

“But why are you suddenly talking about houses...?”

"But why are you suddenly talking about houses...?"

"I've been thinking about moving recently."

Recently, I had been considering moving to a new place. Up until now, I had been reluctant to change homes due to the fact that I had lost all memories of my physical self. However, now that I had recalled most of the information related to Kim Giryeo, there was no longer a need to cling to that one-room apartment.

'Most of what I regained after meeting Lee Hwayoung were mostly memorable experiences, so of course, there are still some gaps in my common sense.'

The room being small or the wallpaper being worn out... Honestly, having lived in even harsher conditions, I wasn't really bothered by these things.

But security... yeah, I couldn't stand that issue anymore. That old building didn't even have a proper security guard, so every day, some sort of trouble would unfold.

'Once the barrier I set expires, I'll move to a new place.'

Therefore, I asked for advice from the native people of the planet before finding a new home.

"I don't ask for much, just a place with decent security and maybe a bathtub. What kind of house should I buy with the

Therefore, I asked for advice from the native people of the planet before finding a new home.

“I don’t ask for much, just a place with decent security and maybe a bathtub. What kind of house should I buy with these conditions?”

However, Seonwoo Yeon immediately asked back with a shocked expression upon hearing my words.

“Right now… you don’t have a bathtub… in your house?”

I don’t understand why she’s reacting like that. If I were to dig through Kim Giryeo’s brain, this body has never lived in a house with a bathtub even once.

I didn’t respond to Seonwoo Yeon’s question.

‘I always think about this, but there’s no need to deliberately act like an alien.’

I simply changed the subject naturally. It meant that I had returned to the original topic of conversation.

“By the way, is the printing finished?”

“Oh, yes. Here it is.”

Seonwoo Yeon handed me the A4 sheet that had just come out of the copier. I skimmed through the document and gave a brief nod. With this in hand, my business was finished.

“Thank you. Then I'll see you next time.”

“Yes, Hunter-nim. Please take care on your way.”

As I stepped outside, the gazes of passing awakened individuals turned towards me. However, I ignored them and focused solely on the contents of the document as I walked down the corridor.

Gymnasium Facility Rules

Article 1: The purpose of these rules is to regulate matters related to user registration and the use of facilities for the A

Article 1: The purpose of these rules is to regulate matters related to user registration and the use of facilities for the Awakener-exclusive gym.

Article 2: User registration shall be carried out in accordance with the 「Gate Management Act」 (hereinafter referred to as “the Act”), based on the hunter’s rank...

Where do hunters usually hone their skills? In the past, I would have thought of places like F-grade gates, but in reality, that’s not always the best option. Even if the gate is easy, it’s still someone’s workplace. In other words, it’s a place where money is made. Low-ranking hunters are numerous, and there’s often competition among guilds just to enter a gate. If higher-ranking hunters occupy hunting grounds unnecessarily, there’s sure to be complaints.

“Ahem.”

That’s how the food chain works. Even the lowest creatures in an insignificant ecosystem shouldn’t be trampled on carelessly. That’s why some major cities with a 100% clearance rate for lower-level gates operated [Special Gyms] as a rule. These are spaces dedicated to hunters for combat training and skill development among awakened individuals.

That's how the food chain works. Even the lowest creatures in an insignificant ecosystem shouldn't be trampled on carelessly. That's why some major cities with a 100% clearance rate for lower-level gates operated [Special Gyms] as a rule. These are spaces dedicated to hunters for combat training and skill development among awakened individuals.

Now that I think about it, they also easily rent out equipment like swords or spears, which are commonly found in gates. This is really a perfect support for modern people who are not familiar with cold weapons, isn't it?

...I've gone on for quite a while with this introduction, but to get to the point, I've never been interested in the gym system until now. After all, the magic used by F-rank hunters is just a tiny bit of power, so there's no need for much space for practice. Even if I did need to test my magic in actual combat, such situations are rare and usually happen only once every few months.

"Maybe if I were clearing beginner hunting grounds every day, it would be different. But occasionally brushing past F-rank monsters? Who would even care?"

However, within just a few hours, a reason to visit the gym—something I had never cared about—suddenly arose.

"Whoo."

I pressed the bridge of my nose with my fingers, recalling the incident from the day before.

After the summoner's attack, accompanied by a monster, one fact had become undeniably clear to me.

[Hydra] and [Surprise Box!]. It seemed unlikely that such flimsy means alone could guarantee my safety moving forwa

After the summoner's attack, accompanied by a monster, one fact had become undeniably clear to me.

[Hydra] and [Surprise Box!]. It seemed unlikely that such flimsy means alone could guarantee my safety moving forward. So I made a new plan a while ago.

Through Hydra, I had confirmed the extent of the power that Earth's epic-grade entities possessed...

'Hmm.'

So, I began to think—why not take this opportunity to start seriously collecting epic-grade items?

'It's not bad.'

Right. It certainly wasn't a bad idea. The Hydra was a fairly formidable item, at least on Earth. If I were to equip myself with magic tools of the same grade, even an F-rank could possess a level of strength that couldn't easily be ignored. Even if my body was weak, with the right equipment, I could at least function as a pseudo-sorcerer. So recently, I've set my sights on a certain epic-grade item, and to buy it, I now need several billion won in cash...

Wait a moment. Someone might be wondering at this point. After all, I've occasionally repaired Earth's items using the knowledge I acquired prior to reincarnation.

[Reflector]

[Effect: Reverse the direction of magic for attacks up to A-rank]

knowledge I acquired prior to reincarnation.

[Reflector]

[Effect: Reverses the direction of magic for attacks up to A-rank.]

Of course, I had also upgraded a 1 million-won mirror lying around at a street vendor to a ridiculous level of performance. I even used a B-grade sleep fragrance to put Jung Haseong to sleep.

However, this act I had been doing for a while was actually just a cheap trick. Forcibly boosting the performance would drastically shorten the magic tool's lifespan from that day onward.

'It's a kind of overclocking, so it's only natural.'

The Hydra I'm holding right now could be modified to be sharp enough to cut through an S-rank with just a thought, but if I did that, there's a chance the blade would shatter after one swing. The saying 'you get what you pay for' exists for a reason.

'There are limits to using low-grade items as your main equipment.'

So what? In the end, if I want stable self-preservation, there's no choice but to get somewhat expensive equipment.

“Damn it.”

Now, this is where the main point comes from. I grew tired of waiting for the dragon’s lung, so I decided to acquire a new means of protecting myself. And the magic tool I had my eye on was priced at a whopping 3.7 billion! As a result, I had to earn about 3.48 billion more.

If I included the basic dividend from the Kagoshima raid, this amount might shrink a bit. However, unfortunately, Japan’s government offices are a bit slow with their processing, so I still haven’t received the hunting rewards. From the start, the process of paying hunting rewards to foreigners there has been incredibly difficult.

The complex tax processing, preliminary investigations to guard against potential financial crimes, the valuation of dungeon byproducts, hiring dismantlers, starting the work, negotiations with guilds, and auctions—all of these procedures are handled in an analog manner in Japan, so there are additional delays here.

The only things I contributed to were a single regular Black Dragon I killed early on to prove my abilities, and the boss entities. Since my contribution to the raid was low, the payout for Japan’s side wasn’t going to be set high anyway.

Therefore, I had to forget about the settlement for now and focus on filling my wealth through other means.

‘The balance in my bank account is mostly tied up in the lungs, so I practically have no spare funds.’

In the end, it’s all about money, money, money. Once again, it’s that damn problem tied to money.

'The balance in my bank account is mostly tied up in the lungs, so I practically have no spare funds.'

In the end, it’s all about money, money, money. Once again, it’s that damn problem tied to money.

Come to think of it, there’s a slang term on this planet called ‘money-crazed.’ A person obsessed with money... Honestly, if you’re not obsessed with money, wouldn’t that make you the crazy one?

"Why did the association make the regulations so troublesome?"

I briefly got lost in thought before quickly returning to the main point.

Earning money for an Epic-grade item! Originally, I had planned to achieve this goal step by step by using Hydra’s venom. However, after thinking it over for a moment, I realized there was a slight issue with the plan to hunt directly.

Whenever I entered the dungeon, I would always bring along a bodyguard as per a certain contract, but...

– Wait, looking at the situation, it seems like you're all trying to break the knight's oath. Let's cooperate. I'll help you kill Kim Giryeo, so let me go.

As you can see, the trust in Kang Changho was shattered once again after the incident at the Kagoshima Gate. As soon as the S-rank hunters from Japan launched their attack, that person immediately switched sides without hesitation.

'Traveling with someone who takes only 3 seconds to betray you is a bit much.'

Besides, the monsters that can be safely caught with the current equipment are at best C-class. It's hard to make a lot of money with this anyway. I need to make a fortune overnight, but my body is extremely fragile.

'I can't help it.'

In times like this, nothing is more efficient than leeching off other hunters. Of course, excluding Ahn Yoonseung. I've already drained him dry under the pretense of skill training, so there's no bait left to catch him with.

'It's a shame.'

Unless it's a national-scale situation like the Siren, it's impossible to use Yoonseung. So now, it's time to use my reserved trump card. I'll use a big shot who will dramatically increase my wealth.

"Haa."

I took a deep breath and entered a building.

“Excuse me. I had contacted you in advance...”

“Ah, Hunter Kim Giryeo! Welcome. We have been waiting for you.”

Finally, I arrived at a certain guild in Seoul. An employee wearing a beige cardigan greeted me with a friendly smile and guided me to the reception room. There were two single sofas facing each other, with a small tea table in between. Compared to large guilds like the Korean Magic Tower, it was quite simple, but even this kind of interior has a certain coziness to it, so I thought it was alright.

“Hmm.”

Now all I have to do is wait for the guild leader to arrive...

Two hours later. I was drinking the barley green tea that the staff gave me. Then suddenly, a loud noise rang out from the end of the hallway. After waiting for a moment, the door in front of me suddenly burst open.

“Ah...!”

Someone quickly entered, catching their breath.

Ah...!

Someone quickly entered, catching their breath.

With a naturally neat 5:5 part in his hair, his hair had so many gray strands that it almost appeared gray. His face, clearly showing no scars, testified to his strength. Moreover, he wore a coat woven from monster scales over his shoulders—he was a young awakened one.

Hunter Kim Giryeo?

I glanced up at the young man who had entered the room.

…Hello. What brings you all the way here…? No, more importantly, I apologize for making you wait.

That’s right. He is Jung Haseong. I never thought I would come to a place called Garion Guild on my own.

***

The S-rank Hunter of Korea, Jung Haseong, was currently in a state of shock. Early in the morning, he had received information from the guild's secretary office that Hunter Kim Giryeo wanted to meet him.

'That Hunter wants to see me?'

However, the moment he received the call was right before the gate was about to collapse.

"I'm sorry for making you wait."

Jung Haseong ultimately prioritized his work over entertaining the guests. Of course, dungeons have many variables, so it was hard to predict exactly how long it would take to clear. He had told Kim Giryeo that they could reschedule later, but...

"It's okay."

The other party rejected this. He replied that it didn't matter when the dungeon clearing would end, and that he would wait at the company.

Thanks to that, Jung Haseong was able to have this meeting without wasting even a small amount of time, but at this point, his mind was starting to feel uneasy.

'Why did he suddenly visit?'

Now that he thinks about it, this is the first time that Hunter has contacted him first.

'Could it be that I've made another mistake...?'

Whenever Kim Giryeo looked at him, he would usually scold him for something, so now, even without any particular reason, he subconsciously shrank back.

"Haseong-ah."

However, the words that followed were quite different from what he had expected.

"You... come to think of it, you said you wanted to work with me on a team before. Around last winter, wasn't it?"

"Yes. I did."

"Have you changed your mind yet?"

"Yes?"

“Have you changed your mind yet?”

“Yes?”

“That’s exactly what I’m about to talk about.”

Tak.

Giryeo put down the cup of green tea he had been holding onto the table and got straight to the point.

“Let me get straight to the point since you’re probably busy. Actually, it’s not entirely impossible for us to team up.”

Maybe, the main point is that it’s really tempting.

“That’s why I came today to hear your thoughts.”

“Yes?”

“Anyway, first, answer this. Jung Haseong, do you still want to work with me?”

That cold-hearted hunter suddenly asking for his opinion about forming a team?

Haseong wondered for a moment. Was there perhaps a monster in the dungeon he had just cleared that cast illusions?

Hi, from now on, I will update this novel 3 chapters/week. Thank you for all your support so far:)