After Sangsoo, who told the whole story about Jeonghyun, left.
Junwon sat alone in the office, lost in thought.
Level 3 for an unregistered?
It could be safely assumed that it was an F-rank, of course.
In today’s world, who would hide their rank and operate unless they had a good reason?
“Even though my proficiency level seems to have risen a bit faster than usual, it’s possible.”
It rose much faster than usual, but it was still understandable.
Taking down two D-rank villains alone would indeed be a proficiency-level issue.
But the problem is,
“If he’s F-rank, how on earth did he manage to defeat two D-ranks?”
It was more fundamental.
It couldn’t be explained by ordinary luck.
Even if one could take advantage of a lapse in judgment to harm one, how did he manage the other?
Moreover, in the case of a duo, Junwon knew them well, making it even more astonishing.
To think they suddenly died not long ago, and this was the backstory.
Just that was enough for something beyond the rank to be hidden from Hunter Han Junwon by Hunter Han Jeonghyun.
Junwon, who had never seen Jeonghyun in person, finally let out a sigh.
“Ah! Well, the Association probably already knows anyway.”
Even though he was in charge of low-ranking scouts, Junwon had a position in the Jungjin Guild.
His personal strength was also an impressive B-rank level 5.
So, it wasn’t surprising that Junwon knew the most suitable contact for this situation.
“Let me see…”
As Junwon rummaged through his phone contacts, his eyes finally stopped.
– (Association) Investigation Department 3, Cha Yerin
The Investigation Department 3 at the Association, in charge of investigating villains within the gates.
Junwon had Yerin’s number since she began to stand out at the Association.
It had been quite a while since he got her number, but Junwon had never contacted her.
“There’s no harm in trying.”
Yerin was undoubtedly a famous figure in the Hunter community.
As soon as her A-rank abilities were known, guilds from across the country and even abroad guild sent love calls.
However, she ultimately chose the Association, making her fame even more intense.
Junwon didn’t reveal his ambitions, but he didn’t think she made a wise judgment.
Ignoring even the persistent clandestine requests, she confidently stabbed into the internal audit and investigative agencies.
As a result, even if everyone had desires, they couldn’t touch her.
“Sigh, I don’t really want to contact this person unless it’s necessary.”
Junwon felt the same way about Yerin.
Although they were similar in age and had several chances to chat due to their high ranks and awakening times overlapping, Junwon couldn’t guess what was on her mind.
Coincidentally, their last names were the same.
“Ahaha, Hunter Yerin’s surname is also Cha?”
“Yes, what about it?”
To get this kind of reaction from a high ranker hunter like them was unexpected.
It wasn’t as if Junwon was genuinely glad to see Yerin, and it was common knowledge that such conversations were meant to build camaraderie.
Interestingly, the nickname circulating among the hunters who knew her well was “Pretty Fox.”
But now wasn’t the time for that.
If Jeonghyun, hidden in the mud of being unregistered, was indeed a gem, it needed to be excavated without hesitation.
Drrrring-
Although he made the call reluctantly, Yerin didn’t answer immediately.
For Junwon, who was rarely ignored, this was a unique experience.
And just as he was about to hang up, a voice came from the other side.
“Hello, this is Investigation Department 3 Chief Cha Yerin.”
“Ah, Director Cha. This is Junwon, Jungjin’s Junwon.”
“Yes, go on.”
It was still a reaction that didn’t give away anything.
If she had been rude or blunt, it would have been easier to feel offended, but her voice was gentle, and her manners were perfect, making it impossible for the other party to be dissatisfied.
But Junwon wasn’t retreating this time either.
“I was wondering if you know a Hunter named Han Jeonghyun?”
There was no need to beat around the bush with Yerin.
It would only tire him out if he went around in circles.
Sure enough, an immediate response came back.
“Ah, Hunter Han Jeonghyun? I don’t know.”
“You don’t seem like you don’t know.”
“I don’t.”
“He caught a duo if you go, don’t you think it’s neglecting your duty not to know?”
“No, it’s not. I’ll hang up now.”
It was truly an endlessly shameless attitude.
If she really didn’t know, she would have asked a question like, ‘Who is that?’
It was clear that Cha Yerin, at her level, wouldn’t make such a mistake unintentionally. But having said, ‘Ah, Hunter Han Jeonghyun?’ and then claiming not to know was nothing more than something to divert the attention.
But Junwon didn’t back down either.
With a sly smile, he threw in a word.
“Director Cha, if you don’t know, feel free to recruit him though Jungjin. I can get him for you.”
“…Do whatever you want. I’m really hanging up now.”
The call was then disconnected.
On the surface, the conversation seemed to be fruitless for Junwon, but it was different in reality.
‘At least Cha Yerin acknowledged him.’
Not knowing Jeonghyun wasn’t the only thing bothering him; the fact that she hesitated a bit at the mention of recruiting him to Jungjin Guild was also suspicious.
Junwon pressed one of the buttons on the desk.
And soon, a man entered the office.
“You called, sir.”
“Yes, Manager Seo Jinwook. I have a favor to ask.”
“Just tell me.”
It was Seo Jinwook, who worked directly under Junwon.
Although he was a subordinate of Junwon, he was a C rank, lv. 3 hunter.
Despite being under Junwon’s command, his actual hunter experience was much longer than Junwon’s, considering that he poured his passion into internal affairs since joining Jeongjin.
His sturdy scout gun often made him the person Junwon consulted with most of the time, and if Junwon called him, it was safe to say that a certain decision had been made already in Junwon’s mind.
“Han Jeonghyun, unregistered. Estimated level 3. I need you to look into this person. Send me the details in a file.”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
As Jinwook left, Junwon sank deep into his chair.
“An unregistered hunter…”
Even Junwon, who had awakened five years ago, was a seasoned hunter, but the era of the so-called ‘Romance of the Unregistered’ was much older than that.
It was the time when the founders of prominent guilds were active in the field.
Perhaps Jeonghyun’s experiences represented a ‘Romance of the Unregistered’ that could no longer be found in the current era.
If he could discover such a hunter, wouldn’t there be a way for him to climb higher than just being stuck in Human Resources Team 2?
Something flashed in Junwon’s mind for a moment.
Jungjin’s top and undoubtedly one of the pillars of Korean hunters, a veteran among veterans.
“The guild leader who daydreams and romanticizes, even with all that power…”
A deep smile appeared on Junwon’s lips.
***
10,153,000 won (around 7,836 USD)
“Ah, having money is truly the best!”
Jeonghyun rolled on the bed while looking at the deposit record on the bank app.
The profit from this Rock Spider hunt exceeded 10 million won.
After pondering for a while, Jeonghyun stretched out and murmured.
“Ha… if only I had dismantled them, I could have earned more.”
Everytime he closed his eyes, he would see all the Rock Spider he could’ve dismantled but was just left behind.
Originally, he would have meticulously dismantled each one, but there was no time for that this time.
He had to dodge the approaching Rock Spiders and quickly get out after defeating the boss.
But he couldn’t blame it all on the boss.
Most of the profit he gained this time was the reward for hunting the mutated boss.
And Jeonghyun, who knew better than anyone that these were just empty words, still had unresolved complaints.
“Well, earning this much is not bad. It’s almost 10 million won in just one day.”
5 Million won (around 3,850 USD) for the first hunt, 10 Million won (around 7,700 USD) for defeating the villain, and another 10 Million won this time.
He had experienced a considerable improvement in earnings even in the few hunts before.
Before, he could barely make ends meet after paying off his debts for the day.
But Jeonghyun still felt some sort of dissatisfaction.
“It’s okay as long as it’s like this. I hope I can hunt properly next time!”
For others, Jeonghyun’s experiences might seem like a series of misfortunes, but he couldn’t deny that he had been quite fortunate despite that.
The only relatively normal hunt was the ‘Gathering of the Withered Souls’ when he first met the balanced party.
Of course, those who sympathized with Jeonghyun’s hardships might throw stones at him if they knew he had an EX-rank attribute.
“Well, it’s not bad to earn this much. It’s 10 million won in a day after all.”
Jeonghyun’s phone, which was in his hand, suddenly rang.
It was not a text but a call.
‘Who could be calling me?’
With a puzzled expression, he looked at the screen, and to his surprise, it was Han Sangsoo, a somewhat unexpected person.
After coming out of the Rock Spider gate, they had exchanged numbers just before parting ways, and he had saved it thinking it might be useful someday, but he never expected a call.
When he answered, a bright voice came through.
“Oh, Hyung-nim! How have you been?” (Hyung-nim is a respectful way to say to your boss/someone stronger than you/someone you look up to)
“Could you stop calling me ‘hyung-nim’… Just calling me Jeonghyun is okay.”
Han Sangsoo, who called him ‘hyung-nim’ to express his psychological gratitude for saving his life, continued to address him respectfully.
Although he expressed that it felt burdensome due to being the same age, it seemed futile when faced with Han Sangsoo’s determination.
“Hyung-nim, don’t you have any thoughts about joining Jeongjin?”
“What?”
He had contacted him quite unexpectedly.
Jungjin?
It seemed that after coming out of the gate, he had called the guild and shared his story.
‘Can’t really blame him for that, but…’
Unable to refute him with his own experiences, Jeonghyun did not blame Sangsoo for his mistake.
Nevertheless, the spreading of his story was not a pleasant thing.
Especially when it came to Junwon, who, despite being a veteran hunter, might find Jeonghyun’s deeds in a newbie party somewhat suspicious.
‘Anyway, joining a guild might not be bad.’
Jeonghyun pondered for a moment.
Although he had thought about it during the Rock Spider hunt, he couldn’t hunt alone for the rest of his life.
However, it wasn’t as if he had received proposals from mediocre guilds, and it was Junwon who had made the offer.
There were a few places in Korea that could be considered on a similar level, but nothing was certain.
But eventually, Jeonghyun nodded his head.
“Thank you for the offer, but I don’t have much interest at the moment.”
“What? But… Wait a moment! Someone wants to talk to you. Is that okay?”
“What? Who… Well, for now.”
And the call abruptly ends.
It’s been that way since he answered the first call, and being suddenly cut off made him utterly bewildered.
Probably someone from the Jungjin Guild, considering the context.
Sure, the scouting offer seemed like a good opportunity, but not right now.
It’s not that there’s no harm in increasing his value, and if he could wait more before accepting the offer his worth would surely skyrocket.
As he tries to settle his mind in a situation where he has no choice but to savor the taste of compromise, Jeonghyun’s phone rings again.
“Yes, this is Han Jeonghyun.”
“Hello, Hunter. I’m Seo Jinwook, head of the Human Resources 2 Team at the Jungjin Guild.”
