Chapter 4 - The Knight Is Here (3)

It was an undeniable fact.

The dungeon was a place where lives were exchanged. That was no different for monsters or hunters.

Saying that forming a team with trustworthy individuals was a prerequisite wasn't an exaggeration. The increasing importance of personal history was due to this characteristic.

On days when Shin Gillim added a touch of malice to his evaluations, it was clear that one's history as a scavenger would come to a complete end.

Preferring those who faithfully fulfilled contracts over those who indiscriminately terminated them was the norm everywhere.

Feeling the return of control, Shin Gillim crossed his legs and fidgeted.

"Anyway, if you're going to retreat after hearing these words, just back off. Well, I guess that's the extent of your capabilities."

Logic or rationale wasn't crucial in this situation. What mattered was overwhelming power. While society dictated justice above all else, the underlying foundation was, ironically, violence and force.

Han Taemin's lips curved slightly at the thought of this amusing contradiction.

Shin Gillim didn't miss this change. He strode forward confidently and stood in front of them.

"Hey, Han Taemin, what's with the smirk? Do my words amuse you?"

Even though it was clearly an intimidating tone, those in the room couldn't tear their eyes away.

"Captain, why are you doing this? You shouldn't pick on someone who's just minding their own business."

As the atmosphere turned tense in an instant, Cha Seokdae intervened between them.

Despite his lower rank, Shin Gillim was still a legitimate hunter. Even if he was joking around, an ordinary person couldn't withstand his blow.

"Enough, okay? Don't you think the captain wouldn't want rumors spreading before the expedition? You won't even get good reviews within the guild, will you?"

Woo Minjun subtly injected a dose of reality. In response, Shin Gillim, who had stepped back as if released from a spell, gritted his teeth.

"Do well. I'm watching."

As if to remind them, he tapped his temple and left. Once the suffocating pressure faded away, everyone let out a sigh of relief.

Cha Seokdae was no exception.

"Taemin, don't worry about it. The captain has always been like this. Just think of it as bad luck."

He added a comment just in case Taemin was feeling disheartened. But contrary to his concern—

"If I had really stepped forward, I wouldn't have stayed quiet either."

Han Taemin's response was remarkably calm. There was no fluctuation in his tone, so no emotion was conveyed.

"Well, I like your confidence."

He never really thought Han Taemin could win. Still, he appreciated his attitude of giving it a shot against the hunter.

"Even without you, I would've figured it out on my own. So, please don't worry too much."

"Okay, got it. But it would be nice if it ended without any confrontation, right?"

Cha Seokdae patted Han Taemin's shoulder as if to say he'd keep an eye on the clueless guy, then gestured towards him.

"Let's go. We're all just trying to make a living, aren't we?"

***

Outside, they entered a nearby restaurant. After choosing a suitable spot to sit, they heard a voice from one corner.

*"Don't be surprised. Today's guest is someone special we've invited to 'Aim, Hunter!' Let's give her a warm welcome. We have the Vice-Master of the Vain Guild, Hunter Yoo Sora, joining us."*

As the host spoke, a woman appeared on the screen. With long black hair cascading down, she stared ahead expressionlessly. Even without emphasis, her figure stood out.

Han Taemin quietly shook his head.

In both reality and the media, hunters dominated the spotlight. All day long, it was all about them. Of course, he wasn't oblivious to the sentiment.

Just watching the usual programs made him sigh, but today felt different.

The woman on the screen was worth the time, even if only for a moment.

*"As you all know, when Yoo Sora awakened as a hunter for the first time, she possessed a whopping four abilities. This is an exceptional record. It's because of this talent that she became the top hunter in Korea."*

It was a well-known story, but the host continued the introduction with a touch of exaggeration.

It was widely accepted that a hunter's rank increased with the number of abilities they possessed. Four abilities meant starting at the C-rank.

Of course, there were exceptional cases, but nobody could deny that abilities had an absolute impact, both tactically and in terms of firepower.

The figure reflected on the screen was no exception.

Yoo Sora, ranked first in Korea, SS-rank. Her unique title was "Punisher of Thunder."

With just the abilities derived from lightning, numbering eight in total, she was an absolute leader without any domestic rivals.

But perhaps because of her young age, she seemed more like an idol than a top-ranked figure. Despite her cute face, her explosive, dynamite-like body stirred the hearts of her fans, or so the consensus went.

It wasn't surprising that a hunter was selling their face rather than material cubes.

In that aspect, they were both shrewd.

Han Taemin didn't dislike it. It was just unfamiliar—the fact that one could earn money just by showing their face like this.

In his previous life, there was nothing that could be called culture. Whenever he came to his senses, he was always in the midst of battle. It was more accurate to say he never had time to think about such things.

Cha Seokdae, who had finished ordering, widened his eyes as if surprised.

"What's up? Are you also mesmerized since you're a guy? Well, Yoo Sora does have that kind of appeal."

"That's not it."

A reflexive, blunt response came out. The outward appearance of a person wasn't an important factor to Han Taemin. He hadn't even considered her from that perspective. What caught his attention was Yoo Sora's abilities as a hunter.

"I was just curious if even high-ranking hunters like her still undergo training."

"Come to think of it, you always bring up hunters."

Cha Seokdae murmured as he took a sip of water.

It wasn't surprising anymore, having heard it so often. It was regrettable that his cherished younger brother was a training maniac, but it was better than someone like Woo Minjun, who didn't make any effort and left everything to fate.

"I'm just curious about what I'm curious about. What do you think, hyung?"

"Well, considering the position she's in, wouldn't some effort be necessary to maintain it? We may not know exactly how it's done, though."

It was an honest opinion.

Even swans might look graceful above the surface, but below it, they paddle fiercely to survive. That was common knowledge.

Han Taemin somewhat agreed.

*"...Well then, shall we all take a look at Yoo Sora's exploits?"*

Not long after, supplementary footage began to play.

As lightning struck and storms raged, the surroundings distorted. The sudden calamity caught the monsters off guard, leaving them unable to escape.

The creatures with large wings ascended to the sky, while those with thick claws attempted to retreat underground, but it was in vain. There was no safe zone amidst the chain of lightning bolts streaking across the sky.

It was awe-inspiring not only to ordinary people but also to hunters.

There wouldn't be any other video explaining in such detail why Yoo Sora was ranked first.

But to Han Taemin, Yoo Sora seemed like a spoiled rich kid. She appeared eager to wield her abilities to the fullest extent possible without any cunning or agony behind her actions.

In terms of wielding innate power, she was no different from a monster.

To possess such magical power only to generate electricity seemed like a waste. Wouldn't it be more beneficial to have a power plant nearby, which serves the public interest?

"Why the long face? Is it because of what happened this afternoon?"

Cha Seokdae subtly asked, perhaps aware that it was a sensitive topic.

Of course, that wasn't the reason, but it would be ridiculous to express disappointment that a hunter representing Korea was using her power in such a manner.

Knowing that even empty words were hard to come by, Han Taemin said nothing and simply shook his head.

Perhaps his response was lackluster. Cha Seokdae gave an unexpected reply that diverged significantly from Han Taemin's expectations.

"About this upcoming expedition, if you want to opt out, you can. I'll handle it with the captain, so don't worry too much. You might face some disadvantages during re-contracting, but you don't plan to stay here anyway, right? Since I know a good guild, let's leave together when you decide to go."

"It's okay."

Someone like Shin Gillim didn't intimidate him in the slightest.

He was simply tired of the attitude that confidently asserted they wouldn't die despite creating many misfortunes. If it were his previous life, Shin Gillim would have become a corpse the next day, one way or another. With a sense of regret, Han Taemin suppressed his appetite and asked.

"Rather than that, aren't you opting out?"

"I'm in a situation where every penny counts. You have to earn a lot while you're still young."

It wasn't something a person who had just turned twenty-six should say, but Han Taemin didn't mind. Even if they were close, intruding into personal matters was against etiquette.

But where did all the money Cha Seokdae had earned go? It seemed like he didn't indulge in luxury or overspend. While Han Taemin continued his trivial pondering, Cha Seokdae's worries also persisted.

"More importantly, I'm worried about you. If you get caught by the captain again, it won't end well. You got in trouble yesterday too, didn't you?"

"Well, that person was eager to devour me."

"Do you think you can afford to speak so leisurely?"

To Cha Seokdae, Han Taemin was an enigmatic presence.

Even if a rift connecting to a dungeon opened right now and monsters flooded the streets, he would be the one sipping tea and searching for a place to catch his breath. His leisurely attitude was fully evident even in the dungeon.

While being in the most fierce scenes, Han Taemin showed himself as detached from the secular world. It seemed like he was saying, "I'm different from you all."

Shin Gillim, who found pleasure in crushing others, might have been angrier than necessary because of that attitude.