Clearing the mutated S-rank gate. Once again, having overcome another hurdle, I returned to my daily life.

According to Seo Esther, the Guild Leader of the Magic Tower, this recent Seoul abnormal mutation gate, while classified as S-rank, had unusually low risk—so much so that the real noise ended up coming from unexpected quarters.

– Uh... Hello, Hunter Iori. First of all, thank you... for coming all this way.

From what I've heard, it sounds like you're no longer affiliated with Imabari, but you still responded to the request incredibly quickly.

– Of course! It's just a way of repaying what I've received from Hunter Kim Giryeo. Besides, just because my affiliation changed, there's no way I'd forget my promises. Haha. Doing something like that would be shameful for an S-ranker whose face is already well-known. I'm sure you've had many worries since Imabari Guild collapsed, but please don't worry!

– Aah!

– The four S-rankers of Japan will keep our promises no matter what happens. We've already convinced the management bureau as well.

– That...

– But I'm sorry to ask—could you give us a little more time? Japan is also going through some internal turbulence at the moment, and the new Imabari S-rank team, including Ito-kun, is currently inside the Mt. Fuji Gate. So... I was the only one who could move on short notice.

– Yes, well, I understand the situation for now, but...

After a short wait, a message arrived saying that the minor conflict had been resolved without issue.

– Mr. Iori. I'm sorry, but while you were on the plane, we actually managed to clear the S-rank gate domestically here in Korea. So we no longer need outside personnel. It looks like you'll have to return home just like this.

– Huh? Lies...

As Esther, who was fluent in Japanese, explained the situation herself, a Japanese ranker expressed some disappointment but quickly added that it was a relief that the gate was safely closed. She reassured them not to worry about this matter. The dispatch of an S-rank hunter, as mentioned through Montake's words, naturally included an agreement to engage with monsters.

It's said that Iori, with a firm resolve, left a sentence expressing that he wouldn't cowardly count as a dud and returned to Japan. However, he did end up buying a lot of roasted seaweed from a local food company and Korean cosmetics while he was here, but this doesn't seem like information that needs much attention.

“Hmm.”

In this way, the abnormal mutation incident of Neo Sisters' third official team concluded in a way that was close to uneventful. However, a certain alien living in a studio apartment still had a significant matter to ponder. Thud. I put down my phone and began to contemplate.

‘Shall I try seeing things from their perspective?’

First, I was a sorcerer with the magic of killing the strong called [Improvement]. And that one of those so-called ‘powerhouses’ was actually just F-rank—yet possessed a single, exceptionally rare living skill. In that case, honesty, the Archmage from another world would've never guaranteed such a trivial target's freedom. This was a thought I'd harbored since the moment we made our contract.

Especially if it had been me in my prime, I definitely would have. In a situation where a miracle that allows me to steal magic only by killing the target flows through my very blood. Moreover, the sacrifice in actual possession of the skill I desire is a weakling whose body could break at any moment? I couldn't just leave it alone because I was anxious.

Getting hit by a car. Dying in a gas explosion. Or, to use a more refined and recent analogy—an F-rank could die at any moment from a dungeon break.

So, it was understandable that he acknowledged that my skill was ethically problematic and gave me a 10-year grace period for moral reasons, but I couldn't dare to follow the generosity that Kang Changho showed me.

‘Honestly, compared to the Alphaurins, someone like Kang Changho actually seems pretty decent in terms of personality.’

If it were in a time long past, I would have probably done the same as Kang Changho—assuming I didn't have the ability to create my own spells—and captured a target with a rare skill, then attempted negotiations that were far more unreasonable.

‘With high-speed internet, tasty food, and high-spec electronic devices, wouldn't it be possible to raise humans too?’

If you told them they'd be perfectly protected for a full 100 years without a single threat—then maybe, just maybe, one in a million might willingly step onto the testing platform.

Instead of relying on the flimsy method known as [Dragon's Eye], I briefly imagined a mammal observation enclosure plastered with CCTVs and audio recorders. Then I returned to the present.

The contemplation lasted a bit longer, but in the end, the conclusion of all this reflection was that the S-ranker in question seemed to possess a sense of conscience. If Kang Changho is indeed someone who can communicate better than expected, then it would certainly be possible for that process to unfold.

‘Should I try negotiating?’

An additional deal. If that could completely nullify a troublesome entanglement with an overly ambitious individual, the man maybe there would be no need to be shackled by the short span of ten years anymore.

The [Knight's Oath] written inside a high-end restaurant. At the time of signing, I didn't really care because the effects of the oath wouldn't apply to me. But upon reconsideration, depending on how the modern-day waiver of the body was interpreted, I could have attempted to nullify the contract through a loophole.

[I, Kim Giryeo, upon turning 34, transfers all rights to their body to Kang Changho, and Kang Changho agrees not to use the transferred rights for any purpose other than the activation of Improvement.]

If it's written like this in the contract, then...

[Additional oath to be added] Kang Chang-ho will not use Kim Giryeo as a sacrifice for his Improvement.

If I just add a single clause like this, the previous contract will be trashed in an instant.

Furthermore.

‘It seems that Earthling surprisingly thinks it's fine to just give up on the first offering if push comes to shove.’

I sat down and thought about it some more.

‘His attitude during the Kagoshima raid was like that, and judging by the mercy he showed yesterday, it seems to be the same pattern. I guess ever since he got the insurance offering from China, his approach has generally loosened up?’

Then the answer quickly came to me. It seemed that the best way to dissolve the contract related to Improvement would be to have a proper conversation with the person involved.

Breaking the contract. Breaking the contract. Of course, to make this plan a reality, a powerful price must be prepared—one that will make Kang Chang-ho abandon his initial goal and choose this option instead. Money. Power. Furthermore, to entice an outsider to society who has shown no sign of longing for even trivial desires like relationships, recognition, or a sense of belonging, it would be better to simply prepare the gift he originally desired, rather than wasting time with unnecessary attempts.

‘If I can prepare something that could replace this lump of flesh with the potential for growth...’

Now that I think about it, both the [Dragon's Eye] and the fact that he targeted Kim Gi-ryeo's life... That guy, Kang Changho, seems strangely interested in methods that fundamentally enhance his internal mana. For an S-rank, his mana reserve is on the lower end, so could it be that he has a complex about this aspect?

‘Hmm. Personally, it doesn't seem like there's any need for him to worry about that.’

It was around the time when many thoughts were crossing my mind.

–Dingdong, dingdong.

–Knock knock knock.

Suddenly, there was a knock and the sound of a doorbell from the direction of the door. However, even before those sounds fully reached my ears, I had already turned my gaze toward the entrance, half a beat ahead. The primitive sorcerers of this planet were clumsy at hiding their presence, and especially those high-ranking hunters would scatter their sense of existence everywhere unless they had additional assistance, whether they liked it or not.

–Ding dong, ding...

It was when the doorbell rang again. I skipped all the usual questions like “Who is it?” and quickly opened the closed front door.

“Huh?”

“Today isn't a class day, so what brings you here?”

The awakened person standing in the hallway briefly showed a surprised expression. However, he quickly composed himself and continued the conversation calmly.

“Hello, Hunter Kim Giryeo. As I mentioned in the message this morning, I had a personal matter to attend to, so I came to visit briefly. I apologize if this is an inconvenience.”

The visitor's identity was none other than the famous national hero. However, as I turned my gaze, I noticed an unfamiliar sorcerer standing silently next to him.

“Ah! Hello...”

The man, whose face was unfamiliar, awkwardly greeted me. As he had mentioned earlier, the national hero had confirmed my exact address and the possibility of a visit through a text message just a few hours ago. The reason he had brought along a magician who seemed to be at least B-rank and visited here with him was unclear.

“Yes. Hello. Would you like to come in? It's quite hot outside.”

I pushed the doorknob and opened the front door at a wider angle.

Whiling, whiling...

In the distance, the faint sound of cicadas chirping in the summer could be heard.

***

Beep.

The homeowner turned on the air conditioner. As the cool air swept away the muggy atmosphere, Giryeo finally learned the purpose of his guests' visit.

“This is the end of the skill application. I've treated the injuries as much as I could within my capabilities... Surprisingly, the wounds have regenerated quite a bit, so I don't think you'll need to see me again. Your condition is good enough that low-level medicine will be sufficient for a full recovery. I'm glad to hear that.”

Not long ago, an appraiser had stepped on a trap inside a mutated gate called [Six-Legged Corridor], leaving his body riddled with holes. From an outsider's perspective, the wounds he had sustained were clearly not something that could be solved with a just a potion or two. Therefore, worried about the deep cuts that would surely torment him for days, the hero ultimately brought the guild's recovery specialist here to treat him.

‘Well, the magic that was cast is better than the potion in terms of stability.’

There was a good reason why he brought a sorcerer directly instead of gifting potions. Regeneration-related potions typically experience a phase where their effectiveness drops sharply when a certain volume (mL) or more is consumed within a short period. This phenomenon held true even on Alphauri, and it was commonly referred to as the “critical point.” And if a creature continues to take medicine even after reaching this critical point, it will end up in a terrible fate.

‘The pharmacologists on Earth aren't fools. It sees their research on recovery potions has already been completed.’

The healing magic has the advantage of being relatively free from the problem of resistance. Since they require a person to cast them manually, they come with their own drawbacks compared to potions. Moreover, the healing technique here are in a primitive, raw form, so they differ quite a bit from Alphauri's regenerative magic. After organizing his thoughts, Giryeo got up from his seat and served tea.

“Ah, thank you.”

“Wow— Is it green tea? It smells good.”

The usual high-quality tea was served to the guests.

Fidgeting.

It seemed like the national hero had something to say, as he held the teacup and observed the surroundings before finally speaking up. It was a light conversation meant to break the ice before getting to the main topic.

“Hunter Kim Giryeo, actually, aside from this matter, I also have something else to deliver to you later.”

“Deliver?”

“It's called [Carp Elixir]... it's an item that's good for boosting physical strength. It doesn't have a large volume per unit, but every time it drops, there's usually quite a lot of it.”

In fact, what the hero was truly curious about wasn't this topic, but they deliberately refrained from bringing up the obvious question.

Is it really alright? What kind of productivity could there be in muttering such words like a machine The hunter with black hair swallowed those pointless sentences a few times in his mind. Even at this moment, some conversation that took place inside a certain gate comes to his mind.

During the raid of the sudden S-rank gate, Improvement. In order not to trigger that abstractly named time bomb, Kim Giryeo tried to hide the fact that he was injured. Therefore, he told all the hunters present in the dungeon, “Even if you leave this place, do not let anyone know that I got hurt.”

The raiders asked him why he was bothering them when such an act didn't seem to help them recover from serious injuries. Kim Giryeo, after thinking for a moment, a found a good reason and, as if having a sudden realization, spoke up with a somewhat cheerful tone.

– Hmm, copying Jung Haseong?

The unwavering number one hunter, Jung Haseong. That top-tier hunter had been concealing his negative states for a long time, aiming to recover outside society who has had no sign of longing for even trivial desires like relationships, recognition, or a sense of belonging, it was only natural for a person to get minor scratches. However, the hero would spend hundreds of thousands of won on potions, always ensuring that even the smallest crack in his condition was hidden.

‘Jung Haseong did it too, so my behavior isn't strange, right?’

The extraterrestrial from Alphauri shamelessly borrowed the justification behind that excuse, using someone else's effort as his own reasoning. And to the hero himself, this came as quite a shocking realization. Kim Giryeo imitated me.

“That person, too, was just trying to avoid causing chaos in any way he could...”

Ever since gaining power, he had always chosen to do the right thing—so why did hearing that someone was imitating him leave him feeling so unsettled?

Slurp.

Haseong, taking a sip of green tea, struggled to continue his words.

“This studio must be a place you use temporarily for work, and if you don't mind me asking, where is your main residence? I'll send the package there.”

However, as his fellow hunter continued to speak, the pyromancer's gaze began to tremble.

“What are you talking about? This is my only home?”