Chapter 59

< Pretending to Forget (2) >

‘It was the Skill Triple A, wasn’t it.’

Although it was a pity to waste it, I hadn’t even considered using the optimal awakening skill that could only be used once a month. I didn’t even want to apply the keyword. But now that it can be used three times a month...

‘A-grade special skills aren’t common, after all.’

Maybe I should at least try to build some rapport.

-Hi there. Yes, it’s the new recruit, indeed^^

No sooner had I sent the message than a reply came back.

-Oh, you replied! Thank you so much! I really, really enjoyed your broadcast! Peace is so cute, and Bbiyaki is truly, absolutely lovable!!!

-Oh, thank you.

-My real dream is to join the Hyeon Guild after awakening! I want to be a doormat for Peace!!!

I’m leaving Hyeon soon. What kind of doormat?

‘What should I reply?’

I can’t just say, “Sure, work hard,” when he says he wants to be a doormat.

-Awakening isn’t easy, you know^^

For now. Once the awakening center opens, everyone will start claiming they want to be hunters, and chaos will ensue. It was a mess back then.

-You’re right! I’ve tried everything, but it didn’t work! So I asked an awakening broker!!

What?

-Oh, I wasn’t supposed to say that! It’s a secret:)

I just lie here spitting, but what an idiot.

‘He must have had an accident in a dungeon.’

No wonder he said he didn’t recognize my face. He must have suffered a severe injury that prevented him from being active, or even died. One of the two.

What should I do with this guy?

-Awakening brokers are scams.

-Scams?

-Yes. So don’t meet with any brokers.

There was a brief pause in the real-time chat.

-I’m already there....

Damn. What kind of brokers are they? Most of them will just take the money and run, but a few are really nasty and might even kill you. Once you buy an exclusive entry pass and enter the dungeon, they can dispose of the body without leaving any evidence.

Of course, if they do it a few times, they’ll eventually get caught, but for now, dragging ordinary people into dungeons isn’t considered murder. It’s just an unfortunate accident.

Even if caught, the worst they’ll get is a suspension of their hunter’s license. Brokers are usually low-level hunters, so it’s not a big deal for them.

-Where are you? Who is the broker?

-It’s a D-grade dungeon near the Yeouido Wonhyo Bridge. I don’t know the name, but there are C-grade and D-grade hunters mixed in. The leader is a C-grade hunter.

Damn. If it’s a team with a C-grade hunter, they’ll have a lot to lose if the broker’s activities are exposed, so they’ll be thorough in covering it up. He won’t be able to get out easily.

-Should I just say no?

-No, wait a moment. When are you going in?

-Not everyone has arrived yet. The team leader said he’ll be about 30 minutes late.

30 minutes. It’s close from here. Should I contact the Hyeon Guild to send someone? Or...

‘Should I just go and get him myself?’

There’s no need to make a big deal out of it. Just use the Thorn Trap skill lightly, share the Hidden Picture skill to hide, and get out.

-Inside the building?

-In the van outside.

Of course, the leader must have won the auction. You need a password and a hunter’s license chip to enter, so it’s not possible right now.

-He said it’s for fan management, so I’m turning off my phone now.

-Listen carefully and stay put.

It’s not a difficult task. I might as well take care of this debt. You can’t come out secretly for safety reasons, but if I say I came here because I was worried about you, it should be easy to get you out. Since you want to be a hunter so badly, I’ll use you as a front.

It was easy to get out since it was a busy time. As I approached the D-grade dungeon building near the Yeouido Wonhyo Bridge, a suspicious-looking van was parked on the side of the road. The body and windows were both black.

‘The leader hasn’t arrived yet, I guess.’

The dungeon building was in a back alley. I’ll use the Thorn Trap to pull Park Hayul out as I pass through that alley.

‘Or should I save him just before they enter the dungeon?’

It would be better to create a more dramatic situation. It would be fine even if I save him right after they enter. The dungeon gate stays open for an hour, and you can use attack skills freely inside. The earring’s shield skill can also be applied to others, so Park Hayul won’t get hurt.

The best moment would be right after they reveal their true intentions. Park Hayul will still be skeptical of my words.

I’ll decide based on the situation.

‘I should also test how far the Hidden skill works.’

Maybe I’ll try it on Yoo Hyun. I need to tell him about the hidden title. How should I explain how I got it? Because my younger brother tried to hide me? There’s no other F-grade hunter with stats like mine, protected by S and A-grade hunters, except for the Holy Lady.

-Creak

Just then, a car pulled up and stopped on the side of the road. Finally, they’re here.

I straightened up from leaning against the wall. The car door opened, and a large man stepped out.

Seeing his face, I couldn’t help but laugh silently.

‘...Wow, this is something.’

Life is full of surprises. Meeting someone I killed is quite a thrill. I’d like to go up and greet him, smiling.

Hello, we met four years ago, or one year from now. You left me half-dead, and I stabbed you in the neck. What a memorable experience, don’t you think?

The faces getting out of the van were all familiar. The second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth people I killed. Park Hayul must have died before them.

‘I didn’t think about it, rather, I didn’t think about it at all.’

Of course, they would still be alive. The dead. The ones I killed.

The initial survival rate for F-grade hunters is low. In the first year, without experience or proper equipment, half of them run away, and half of the remaining half die or suffer irreversible injuries.

In short, even those who enter the dungeon with determination are often carried out. When I became a hunter, the awakening center had just opened, and there were many problems, creating a chaotic situation.

‘Yoo Hyun must have been fed up with it.’

At that time, it would have been difficult for him to take care of me. The public opinion was bad, and there were too many eyes watching, making it hard to secretly take care of me.

Looking back, I think there might have been some kind of operation against me. The reaction was too strong to be just a few journalists’ work. It was a sensational story, easy to exploit, and as an F-grade, I was convenient to use. It could also tarnish the Hyeon Guild’s reputation.

Whether it was the government, the association, or competing guilds, it would have been foolish not to use it.

Anyway, it was a chaotic situation, but I didn’t die. Without a proper team, I survived the first year, passed the second, and eventually settled down.

The final reward. A skill that transfers the skills and stats of the target for one hour at double efficiency when the target dies.

The keyword for the ‘Fosterer’ title was easy to apply. Just buy coffee, chat a bit, smile, and say “Hang in there” a few times. If I moved around diligently, I could apply the keyword to a couple of people by the time we entered the dungeon.

“Let’s go in quickly. Our client should keep their face covered.”

Park Hayul pulled his hood down as instructed. He was also wearing sunglasses.

...I swear, I didn’t apply the keyword to get the final reward skill. Except when I killed those guys. A 10% minor growth buff is better than nothing, so I applied it. Among them, there were people I wanted to continue working with.

Most of them died. I survived.

The buff skill and the spearman. A position that dies later. When I was in danger, the final reward was applied, and thanks to that, I survived.

And, so, what... It happened, but now it’s as if it never did.

The fact that I killed those guys and that they tortured me never happened.

I quietly followed them. C to D-grade. They didn’t notice me at all, even when I was right next to them. Not even when we entered the building or stood in front of the dungeon gate.

“Are you ready?”

“Check your equipment.”

The preparation was thorough, probably because it was an upper D-grade dungeon. Upper D-grade dungeons are smaller than lower C-grade dungeons but can yield up to 50% more income, making them efficient in terms of labor. The exploration time is half, and they are safer. For a big win, you’d go for C-grade, but for steady income, D-grade is the way to go.

The dungeon I entered with them was also an upper D-grade. I was lured in by the promise of a D-grade dungeon. Despite already falling for an unexplained favor, I made the foolish mistake of trusting them again. They were so eager to recruit me.

“This is the dungeon!”

As soon as we passed the gate, Park Hayul exclaimed excitedly. Oh dear.

Thud!

“Ouch!”

A hunter kicked Park Hayul’s shin. He warned in a low voice.

“Just because you’re a celebrity doesn’t mean you can advertise to monsters. Don’t draw their attention and shut up.”

“...Yes.”

Park Hayul really lacks a sense of danger. It’s common for non-awakened people, but not being able to awaken means he’s a peaceful modern person who hasn’t experienced a dungeon break. It’s natural for him to find it hard to feel the reality of dungeons and monsters.

That’s why many new hunters died in the early days after the awakening center opened. The decrease in the quality of new hunter training due to the surge in the number of awakened people also contributed.

“Let’s go in at 3 o’clock. Mark the entrance.”

The team leader said. This dungeon has a rocky environment with several branching valleys. It’s not as complex as a maze, but marking the path helps avoid unnecessary detours.

I stuck close behind the subdued Park Hayul and slowly followed them.

-Swish!

Crack!

A monster that looks like a mix of a snake and a caterpillar jumps out from the cliff.

Thud!

The shield deflects the monster’s sudden attack,

Crack!

And the spearman behind the shield pierces the monster’s head with the spear tip. Blood splatters in the air, and the long body, twitching like a caught fish, soon goes limp. Then another, and another. The hunting continues like a repetitive task.

At the front is the C-grade leader, with a shield and a spear on either side, a C-grade defensive hunter at the back, and a support and porter at the end.

A well-balanced team of seven.

‘They’ll probably keep hunting for the next hour.’

They won’t reveal their true colors until the gate deactivates.

The C-grade hunter team, Go San. When I met them, they had 2.5 years of experience, and now they are a well-established mid-level team with 1.5 years of experience. With two C-grade hunters, they could form a guild, but they remain a team specializing in D-grade dungeons and have gained a reputation.

They also had a good image because no one knew about their side business.

“The spirit stones are coming out well today.”

The support and porter shakes an item with a spirit stone detection function. Park Hayul’s eyes also dart around as the snake-caterpillar’s belly splits open. For a non-awakened person, he’s holding up pretty well.

The Go San team targeted non-awakened people and low-level hunters who seemed to have money. They maintained a good image and only lured in wealthy or exploitable targets.

Park Hayul is a rising celebrity. A quick look at his SNS showed that despite being a newcomer, he was already famous and had a significant role in a movie. If they could capture him, he would be a steady source of income.

They might have killed him by mistake or for some other reason, but originally, they planned to keep him alive and use him.

Using the C-grade leader’s skill to brainwash him.

[Awakened ? Kim Yongjin

Current Stat Grade: C

Awakening Potential Stat Grade: C

Optimized Initial Skill

Smash (C) acquired

Puppet’s String (D) acquired

Kick (D) failed to acquire]

Puppet’s String. A D-grade special skill. What did he do before awakening to have a brainwashing skill as an optimized initial skill?

Psychic skills are generally less effective at their grade. At the D-grade, they barely work on F-grades. That is, if the F-grade is in a normal state.

So they lured F-grades and non-awakened people into dungeons to put them in an abnormal state. Once the Puppet skill is applied, they can exploit them without worry.

The Go San team didn’t just avoid forming a guild and only tackled safe D-grade dungeons. Why risk their lives for a living when they can easily make money? They only need to maintain a good image.

The long valley ended, and a wide open space appeared. It’s not the end, but probably the midpoint. It’s been about an hour.

“Let’s rest here.”

The leader, Kim Yongjin, said. The defensive hunters and shields immediately checked the surroundings. They were a good team, well-coordinated.

“Your name is Park Hayul, right?”

Kim Yongjin approached the crouching Park Hayul, taking off his spiked gloves. Park Hayul nodded.

“...Yes.”

“You’re really handsome. How can someone look like that? When your movie opens, you’ll get a lot of CF offers.”

“I don’t know if it will be a hit. And I want to be a hunter-”

“Anyway, you’re a lucky one!”

Thud!

Kim Yongjin’s fist hit Park Hayul’s face. It was a light punch, but Park Hayul’s frail body couldn’t withstand it and swayed like a reed.

“With a face like that, you should be grateful and work hard to sell it!”

“Hey, boss, don’t touch his face.”

“Don’t worry. A potion will heal it without a trace.”

Park Hayul froze with a stunned expression, blood trickling from one nostril. Even with that look and the nosebleed, he’s still handsome.

“Um, um, um, excuse me...”

“How long do you think this guy will last?”

“30 minutes for a million won.”

“Celebrities are surprisingly tough. I’ll go for an hour. Five million.”

Back then, the shortest bet was five hours. Those memories I had forgotten are now flooding back.

“Wait, um...”

Park Hayul took a few steps back. The others laughed, watching him. The gate is already closed. Even if it were open, a non-awakened person couldn’t safely reach the gate alone. They probably waited for the gate to close, not to prevent him from escaping but in case someone came to rescue him. He’s a somewhat famous person, after all.

“Should we start by breaking one of his legs?”

“We can’t interfere with the actor’s activities. Go easy, easy. Just enough to be fixed with a potion.”

How did it end up like this despite the gentle atmosphere?

“S, save... Ouch!”

A D-grade hunter kicked Park Hayul’s stomach. As he staggered and fell backward,

Chin

Someone caught him.

“What, what?!”

The hunter who kicked Park Hayul quickly stepped back. The other hunters immediately got into a combat stance.

“What is it?”

I didn’t wear a hat, took off the sunglasses, and smiled, canceling the Wall Lizard skill. Park Hayul’s eyes widened.

“W, wh-!”

“Stay here and wait quietly. If possible, close your eyes.”

It might be a bit too intense for a non-awakened person to see.

< Pretending to Forget (2) > End

ⓒ Geunseo