Episode 48
Kang Jin-hyeok glanced over the data that Jeong Dae-yoon had handed over.
All the hunters investigating the background are A-class hunters.
Judging by their level being over 200 and their impressive careers and records, it was clear that they were veterans in this field.
Seeing that they were able to remove these people even when they were pressed for time, it was truly worthy of being a guild that was competing for 1st or 2nd place in the country.
“Archers and wizards… … .”
“Each of them is a master of camouflage and disguise magic. Even if you know their faces, you shouldn’t let your guard down.”
“You managed to keep such high-ranking personnel. As expected, even rotten teeth are a good thing.”
Kang Jin-hyeok took only the photos from the data and pushed the rest in front of the incense on the table.
The paper that touched the candle burned quickly and gave off smoke.
“Is there any other information besides this?”
“Of course there is.”
Jeong Dae-yoon rolled up his sleeves and showed the bracelet on his left arm.
The bracelet, which looked like an electronic watch, was an unfamiliar object to Kang Jin-hyeok.
“Have you heard of Monster Counters?”
After hearing Jeong Dae-yoon’s words, Kang Jin-hyeok recalled the time when he had cooperated with Titan in the past.
“I’ve seen something that looks like a pocket watch.”
According to my memory, the counter was a device that recorded scores based on the number and type of monsters hunted.
Kang Jin-hyeok couldn’t understand why Jeong Dae-yoon mentioned such a device at this time.
“Are you planning on promoting a new product? I have no intention of buying anything like that.”
“Even if you don’t want to buy it, you will have to buy it sooner or later.”
“What the… … .”
Kang Jin-hyeok stopped talking as a thought flashed through his mind as if he had been struck by lightning.
What Kang Jin-hyeok thought about was the reason why the monster counter was developed.
“Whether you like it or not, you have to have the thing that was put out to prevent misconduct. In a word, it is called a chain.”
“Yes. It’s currently only available to Tyrant Guild members, but it will soon be available to other Hunters.”
It was a policy put forth by the Association to ensure that something like Alaune’s Welcome would never happen again.
According to Jung Dae-yoon’s explanation, the association intended to clearly record the growth of the hunters by examining the counters once a week.
If the ability value increases significantly, but the number of counters decreases significantly.
They suspect that he used an item similar to Alaune’s Welcome and arrested him at the scene.
It was an effective method for something the association had put forward.
“Why did an association that only looked out for the big guilds come up with such a groundbreaking policy?”
“It seems like they don’t want to be stamped out by the United Nations either.”
“Anyway, they are the kind of people who only do things when they feel the fire under their feet.”
As he had hoped, the association began to lift its laissez-faire stance and get things done, but Kang Jin-hyeok was distraught.
‘Hunting in this dungeon could also be a problem.’
As you hunt monsters in the dungeon, the number of counters will accumulate honestly, and it was obvious that the association would pursue the source of that huge number.
The only time he could rapidly increase his strength was right now, before the Association’s policies reached even ordinary hunters like himself.
And besides the dungeon, Kang Jin-hyeok had another reason to hurry.
“It may be presumptuous of me to interfere, but if you wish to receive the welcome drink, you must hurry.”
Jeong Dae-yoon blurted out another reason that Kang Jin-hyeok had been thinking about.
Since it was an open secret between the two anyway, there was no need to hide it any longer.
“Considering the effects of Hwandan, I would like to take it as late as possible.”
“Because it’s an item that doubles your abilities. I understand that you want to use it after you’ve grown a little.”
But time was not on Kang Jin-hyeok’s side.
The Tyrant Guild is on the hunt for the mastermind, and even the Association is trying to put shackles on the Hunters with new policies.
In this situation, there was only one thing Kang Jin-hyeok could do.
“I enjoyed the tea.”
Kang Jin-hyeok got up from his seat without hesitation.
Then, Jeong Dae-yoon followed him with a surprised expression on his face.
“Where are you going?”
“Where are you going? Let’s go hunting.”
“You must be having a hard time because of the guilds.”
“Is that something that can happen in just one or two days?”
“What I mean is, it’s much worse than usual.”
It was a time when members of large guilds who had been working overseas on commission were returning home one by one.
‘I feel it is unfair that foreign media treats all Korean hunters as criminals, so I am boycotting them.’
Most of the large guilds returned to the country with such excuses, but those were only superficial reasons.
Their real goal was to take power from the disintegrating Tyrant.
It was outrageous for a hunter without a guild to hunt at a time when everyone was fighting over who would be the first to touch the area.
But that only applies to ordinary hunters.
“It has nothing to do with me.”
Kang Jin-hyeok said with a sly smile, then opened the door and went out.
The place he is headed to is the attic of his own house.
It was a dungeon that only he knew about.
* * *
The dwarf looked at the ore in his hand with a complicated expression.
“So this is what you brought?”
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I sent him to find a mine, but he kept making excuses for over 30 minutes.
Instead, what Kang Jin-hyeok handed over, saying that he had brought it, was a single fist-sized ore that was currently in the dwarf’s hand.
The dwarf debated whether to break Kang Jin-hyeok’s pot with this or with the hammer he was holding in his other hand.
“I thought he had died after not hearing from him for several weeks… … .”
Kang Jin-hyeok felt a pang of conscience as he heard the dwarf muttering.
Kang Jin-hyeok had been intentionally avoiding coming here because he was concerned that he had not come to the mine he was told to come to and instead gone somewhere else.
In short, I ran away because I was afraid of getting in trouble.
Even if I think about it, it’s really shameless.
“It seems like pretty good material. What do you think?”
Kang Jin-hyeok tried to change the subject by drawing the dwarf’s attention.
The dwarf, who was looking back and forth between Kang Jin-hyeok and Gwang-seok, sighed and gave up on swinging his hammer at Kang Jin-hyeok’s temple.
“Yeah. Being stupid isn’t a crime.”
“Huh? You think I’m stupid?”
“Yes, Inma. You brought this ore without even knowing what it was?”
The reason the dwarf was upset was not because Kang Jin-hyeok ignored his request.
The reason is that the rare ore he brought was actually a cursed item imbued with countless grudges.
“What do you want me to make with this cursed ore right now? Huh? Maybe a magic sword?”
“A curse? Is that true?”
“Yeah, Emma. Why didn’t you tell me, you little bitch?”
“I didn’t say a single word like that… … .”
The dwarf realized why Lucia had rushed downstairs alone.
“That girl planned for this to happen from the beginning.”
It was common knowledge in their world that dwarves were vulnerable to curses.
Because they have a strong realistic side, they are a small race that can be picked by priests, and in past wars, there was even a time when an entire division was annihilated by a single curse.
“The thing I hate the most after you, the devil, is cursed things, and why did you bring this up?”
The dwarf grumbled with an uncomfortable expression on his face.
“that…….”
Kang Jin-hyeok felt very sorry.
I expected that a pretty good weapon would come out since it was something that was obtained by capturing Alaune.
I never expected dwarves to hate me this much.
“Haa… … . A curse. Now I understand why Lucia said it would be impossible for me to handle with my strength.”
As Kang Jin-hyeok sighed and tried to take the ore back, the dwarf reached out and grabbed his arm.
“Wait a minute. Who said what?”
The dwarf glared at Kang Jin-hyeok with fierce eyes.
“That, that’s why Lucia said that you can’t handle this ore… … .”
“What the heck.”
The dwarf, who had been gritting his teeth and swearing, picked up the ore as if he was fishing it away.
“I guess you expected me to just give up without doing anything… … . That can’t be happening, huh?”
Dwarves normally wouldn’t even bother looking at ores filled with such vengeful spirits.
But when he thought that Lucia was trying to tease him, he felt angry for the first time in a while.
“Hey, Inma. If you want to make something with this, go and run some errands.”
“What do you plan to order?”
“What could it be? Of course, it’s to purify this ore.”
Hearing the dwarf’s words, Kang Jin-hyeok waved his hand as if he was troubled.
“Although my profession is a priest, I don’t have any purification abilities.”
“What are you talking about? I never expected that from you in the first place.”
The number of vengeful spirits embedded in the ore was not enough to count even with all ten fingers.
In order to cleanse the curse of that level of vengeful spirit, a priest of at least the rank of bishop or higher had to be brought in.
It’s an unthinkable thing for a human being who can only beat up people with a baseball bat.
“Then how can I purify it? Is there anyone I can leave it to?”
“There is no one to leave it to, but there is a place to leave it.”
The dwarf, who had given a seemingly obvious answer, threw the ore that Kang Jin-hyeok had given him back at him.
As Kang Jin-hyeok caught the falling ore in a small arc, another object flew in front of him.
“Eww!”
Kang Jin-hyeok responded to the sudden attack by moving his left hand quickly.
When I checked the item I had barely managed to obtain, it was a luxurious key decorated with jewels.
“What is this?”
“What the heck, it’s a key.”
“No, what I want to ask is where the key is.”
The dwarf said, pointing his finger downward.
“There is a place called the Dragon Temple down here. Place the ore on the altar there and come back.”
“The temple? You mean the one on the second floor?”
“No. It’s just a replica of the temple that some wizard made.”
The dwarf concluded by saying that the real temple was located five levels below, in the innermost part.
“You’re saying it’s lower than that cliff?”
“Okay. This time, it would be better to go straight and not take a different route.”
“Haha… … . I have a conscience too. I wouldn’t do the same thing twice.”
Even after hearing Kang Jin-hyeok’s words, the dwarf looked at him with a suspicious look.
Things in this world are only difficult the first time. It can easily happen a second or third time.
The dwarf also thought that Kang Jin-hyeok might be distracted and do something foolish.
The previous request was simply to find a mine, so it didn’t matter, but the task I was given now had a time limit.
“I’m not joking. After three days, there’s no point in trying to remove the curse stuck to the ore.”
“Yes? Why?”
“Why, why? Because the curse is eating away at the power contained in the ore.”
“So, after three days, you will become a normal person… … Is that what you mean?”
“I understand. Then don’t hesitate and just go and come back.”
As the dwarf was about to enter the workshop to do another task, Kang Jin-hyeok quickly called him over.
“Now, wait a minute. Let me ask you one more thing.”
“What is it?”
“If I succeed in purifying it in time, what can I make with this ore?”
Kang Jin-hyeok was hoping that the reward would be worth it, as it was a client who had to succeed despite the tight schedule.
The dwarf noticed Kang Jin-hyeok’s thoughts and smiled faintly.
“At least I can make something more awesome than shooting lightning.”
The ability enchanted with the material of the new monster, Behemoth, was worth billions.
Even something of that caliber would be worth the risk, but the dwarves were open about saying they could make something even better.
In that case, there was no reason for Kang Jin-hyeok to hesitate any longer.
My inventory was still full, ready to raid Tyrant’s branch.
Kang Jin-hyeok decided to leave right away.
