Chapter 5

### Chapter 5: The Hunter Who Sees the Future

5

If he upgraded other skills to Special Grade, he would gain high stats and passive skills.

However, since the values were not visible, he couldn't determine when to upgrade them to Special Grade.

After much contemplation, Song Jin-woo decided to first max out the Special Grade Butchering skill.

Since Butchering was the most important skill for his porter life, it made more sense to invest in it rather than in other life skills that might not level up anytime soon.

Song Jin-woo's hands began to move faster, elated by the unexpected gain.

* * *

You have obtained a Special Grade Beak.

You have obtained a Special Grade Orc Skin.

...

Thanks to his exceptional skills, even at level 1, the probability of disassembling items to Special Grade was not low.

Considering that even precise butchering at a low level couldn't result in Special Grade disassembly, it could be inferred that he was disassembling most of the corpses accurately.

As a result, he earned about 1.2 times more money than usual that day.

* * *

A week passed since that incident. Song Jin-woo was getting anxious because the Han Young Guild hadn't called him for a while, but finally, the phone rang.

"Yes, yes, I understand. I'll be there that day."

With his monthly expenses, being a porter had become a necessary part of his life.

It was a dangerous job, but if porters were in danger, it meant that hunters were also in danger.

Fortunately, the Han Young Guild members were skilled, and their plans were thorough, so there had been no dangerous encounters so far.

The expedition to the Central Continent was scheduled for three days later. He needed to prepare calmly until then.

"Hmm, maybe I'll watch some news."

With a sense of relief after receiving the call from the Han Young Guild, Song Jin-woo turned on the TV and switched to the news channel.

Coincidentally, the news was reporting that a European guild had successfully completed a top-tier quest.

The hunters who succeeded in the quest were all interviewed with proud expressions, and one person stood out among them.

The person in the center, receiving all the spotlight, was someone Song Jin-woo knew well.

"Thompson Isle."

The man with a rugged beard and golden hair was a world-renowned hunter and one of Song Jin-woo's favorites.

Born in Iceland, a small island nation, he was a national hero in his own country because he was the avatar of Thor, the god of thunder from Norse mythology.

Avatars, proxies, or incarnations are people who receive power from god-level NPCs in the Dimensional World.

In exchange for fulfilling their requests, they can receive special powers from god-level beings.

Naturally, such individuals are known to be much more powerful than ordinary hunters.

Thompson Isle became famous when he defeated a level 1,000 monster in the UK with a lightning bolt, which was broadcast live worldwide.

Song Jin-woo also became a fan after watching that video.

Since then, Thompson Isle has achieved success in various places, including the Central Continent, and has donated the money he earned to help those in need, becoming a hero to many.

Song Jin-woo was so engrossed in watching his interview that he almost missed his part-time job.

* * *

Finally, the day he was to join the Han Young Guild arrived.

Upon arriving at the destination, Song Jin-woo easily noticed that this expedition was different from usual.

There were over 100 Han Young Guild members, and several team leaders were also present.

Noticing the unusual atmosphere, he carefully looked around and soon understood the reason.

A woman with a regal demeanor, surrounded by people in black suits, caught his eye.

'Han Soo-jung.'

She was the fifth daughter of the Han Young Corporation chairman, and she was participating in this expedition.

In fact, it wasn't unusual for children from wealthy families to venture into the Central Continent. In this changed world, level is the most important specification.

Especially in a company like Han Young, where the struggle for succession is intense, the level of the successor is crucial.

Among them, Han Soo-jung, despite being the fifth child, was known for her exceptional intelligence from a young age.

She was already 22 years old, two years younger than Song Jin-woo, but her level was already over 500.

Having received support from the Han Young Guild since childhood, it was a natural result.

After Song Jin-woo arrived, people continued to move busily. With a figure like Han Soo-jung, even the slightest mistake was unacceptable.

Surrounded by bodyguards, Han Soo-jung closed her eyes and meditated, as if it were a familiar routine.

'From what I've heard, her sword skills are also top-notch...'

Despite her delicate appearance, she had received extensive training and was already a powerful swordsman in reality. She could take down several strong men in one go.

As time passed, a person from the Han Young Guild came out and gathered the porters, including Song Jin-woo.

Given the large size of the group, there were 12 porters, four times the usual number.

"Since the fifth miss is participating this time, there must be no mistakes. Understand?"

The porters nodded with tense expressions. Even a minor mistake could end their careers.

"If we complete this mission successfully, we'll pay you twice what we usually do. So stay focused."

The promise of double pay brightened the porters' faces. With Han Young Corporation's involvement, the risk would be minimal, and the double pay made it a win-win situation.

Song Jin-woo's expression was particularly bright. With his tight budget, 4 million won could buy delicious meat for his younger sister, Song Hana.

After hearing a few more instructions, the expedition finally began.

Everyone lined up and entered the portal leading to the Central Continent.

* * *

Whirring...

The familiar dizziness subsided, and Song Jin-woo arrived at the exact spot where he had left the Central Continent before.

When passing through the portal to the Central Continent, one automatically returns to the last place they exited.

"Let's get started."

Following the team leader and guild members who had previously left the Central Continent, they moved towards a nearby village.

They would use the continent's internal portal to reach their true destination.

Naturally, there were unwelcome faces there.

"Hey, Song. You're participating too?"

Choi Kang-hyun, who had previously bullied him, was part of the group. He struck Song Jin-woo's shoulder hard with a despicable look.

"Joining an expedition with the miss, Song, you must be quite recognized, huh?"

Song Jin-woo didn't know, but to participate in an expedition with a figure like Han Soo-jung, one had to be proven.

His consistent hard work had earned him this opportunity.

"Hey, our Song, you're going to be rich. If you find a potion, you might even get rid of your disability, right?"

His leg, which modern medicine couldn't cure, might be healed with the right potion.

However, such potions were rare, and a potion with an inscription would cost at least several billion.

Naturally, Song Jin-woo couldn't even imagine it, and even if such a potion were found on this expedition, it wouldn't be his.

'If I try to hide it, I'll probably get beaten to death.'

The image of a porter who tried to steal a Griffin feather and got a severe beating was still fresh in his mind.

Just for stealing materials, he got beaten so badly; if he tried to hide a valuable potion, he might really die.

What Song Jin-woo wanted was not to heal his body but to pay for his sister's education. Healing his body was out of the question.

Finally, the group entered the continent's internal portal in the village.

The internal portal could transport them to any location within the same continent where a portal was installed.

It was convenient and useful, but it cost 1 gold to use.

At the current exchange rate of 1 gold to 200,000 won, it required a significant investment of 200,000 won to use the portal once.

Of course, it was a small amount for hunters traveling to the Central Continent.

Upon entering the portal, the guild members lined up.

At the front was Han Soo-jung, equipped with the latest technology from the Science Continent. She was a human from the Science Continent.

"Let's get started."

Following Han Soo-jung's command, over 100 Han Young Guild members set off.

They left the village and headed in the direction guided by the scout. They had a clear destination, not just random hunting.

Even though the monsters in the Central Continent were high-level, the experience points gained from hunting alone were not very high.

To gain a large amount of experience, completing quests was crucial. Therefore, when a guild member obtained a quest, they often shared it with others to complete it.

This was likely the case now. A Han Young Guild member must have obtained a specific quest while active in the Central Continent.

The guild leadership analyzed the quest and used it for this important expedition.

Of course, the guild member who discovered the quest would receive a corresponding reward.

"Enemies appearing at 12 o'clock!"

Naturally, monsters attacked them on the way to their destination.

The monsters in the Central Continent were all over level 500, but they were quickly dealt with by the skilled hunters on this expedition.

Under normal circumstances, they would have selected and butchered the fallen monsters, but this time, they simply passed by.

The corpses, which could fetch a good price in the market, made Song Jin-woo's mouth water. However, they didn't seem to find them very appealing.

The porters' job was to collect and pack the items dropped by the fallen monsters.

'At least it's easy for me.'

Even if he picked them up, he wouldn't get any of the rewards. It was just extra weight, so this expedition was much easier.

'Certainly less tiring.'

With the increased strength and stamina from the Meat Grinder emblem, his steps were much lighter.

In fact, Song Jin-woo had lower stats than most porters, so carrying the bundles was often a struggle.

But he gritted his teeth and kept going, fearing he might be excluded from the next hunt if he showed any weakness.

With the increased stats from the emblem, he could move more comfortably than ever.

'Choi Kang-hyun is being quite overt.'

Initially, he thought Choi Kang-hyun would bully him and other weak porters as usual.

However, unexpectedly, he didn't cause any trouble this time. It wasn't because the expedition was important, but because he had a different target.

"Here's some cool water. You must be thirsty, have a drink."

Choi Kang-hyun was trying his best to impress Han Soo-jung, making exaggerated gestures and trying to win her favor.

Song Jin-woo, who had never seen him act so fake, was trying to score points with her using cheesy lines.

Objectively, Choi Kang-hyun was tall and handsome, but it seemed to have no effect on Han Soo-jung.

"I can't enjoy convenience while everyone else is working hard. Please give it to Team Leader Choi."

"Ah, I understand."

With a cold response from Han Soo-jung, Choi Kang-hyun had to leave with a twisted smile.

'Could he be... targeting Han Soo-jung?'