Chapter 10 - Just... (3)

The reason was unknown. This incident caused an uproar within the Association. A rule that had remained unbroken for over twenty years had been shattered. Due to the significance of the matter, the Association launched a large-scale reassessment of dungeon rankings.

"Do you have any guesses about this incident? Feel free to tell us exactly what you experienced. Hearing from the sole survivor is crucial."

He couldn't help but have some suspicions.

Han Taemin recalled Gollas and Raymara. Gollas, who had sprayed poison beyond expectations, and Raymara, whose mental attack was powerful enough to shatter protective amulets. Both of them far exceeded the capabilities of the assault team.

Of course, a higher-ranked guild would have had no trouble, but the issue was that the guild present was Will, a guild struggling to rise from the lower ranks.

After listening to Han Taemin's explanation, Yuhan nodded. "It seems the anomaly started with the assault team you joined. Shin Gillim, that man has no luck. His once-in-a-lifetime gamble has failed once again."

"What do you mean by 'failed again'?"

"Didn't you find it strange, Taemin? That Shin Gillim chose Raymara's Labyrinth?"

In hindsight, it wasn't a wise decision. At the time, they went along with it because Shin Gillim was adamant.

Seeing Han Taemin gesturing for him to continue, Yuhan obliged. "Shin Gillim made that decision to pay off his debts. The reason he pushed the assault team so hard was the same."

"A hunter in debt?"

For a hunter to be in such debt, it had to be at least in the billions. It was certainly not a normal situation. As if reading Han Taemin's thoughts, Yuhan smiled bitterly.

"He seems to have been involved in illegal gambling. A substantial amount at that."

"So he was addicted to gambling?"

"Bluntly put, yes. He even took jobs to commit assaults. Anyway, thanks to him, we've been busy cleaning up unnecessary messes."

Yuhan shrugged, adding that the troubles had doubled. Shin Gillim's crimes were so clear-cut that even the Countermeasures Division had to get involved.

"Now that we've finished taking your statement, I'll take my leave. My contact information is on the card I gave you, so feel free to reach out if you remember anything else." Bowing his head, Yuhan exited.

"Take care of yourself." Yuhan maintained his politeness from beginning to end. Alone in the hospital room, Han Taemin sighed. With Yuhan gone, it was time to check his status window.

"Ability list." 

▼ Executioner

Power: E-

Description: Executing heretics.

Ability: The karma accumulated by heretics becomes your strength.

The description was the same as before. The power was E-, just one step above the lowest rank, F. It was essentially bottom-tier.

"Why this, of all things?"

Hunter roles were generally divided into five categories: Tanker, Melee Dealer, Ranged Dealer, Mage, and Healer. The role was determined by the abilities acquired upon awakening. Of course, any role could be suitable at first. Even abilities like Han Taemin's, which were hard to classify, emerged. In lower dungeons, stat boosts were more critical than the power of abilities.

"No unique title?"

As levels increased and limits were surpassed, more abilities appeared, and the status window automatically updated with a unique title. This title symbolized the hunter's role. High-class hunters were often categorized by these unique titles.

For instance, South Korea's top hunter, Yoo Sora, was known as the Punisher of Thunder. True to her title, she was the primary artillery and foremost mage representing the Vain Guild.

Curious, Han Taemin accessed HunterNet to search for Executioner. Nothing came up.

"Is it rare?"

The description of Executioner was extremely vague. The karma accumulated by heretics becomes your strength. Did it mean it would become experience points? Or an ability?

Defining the scope of 'heretic' was also a problem. Hunter? Villain? The entire human race?

Given the word 'karma', it likely referred to villains, but calling a villain a heretic seemed odd. It probably had a more specific meaning. The most likely candidates were those who abused their hunter powers, like Shin Gillim.

Having thought this far, Han Taemin scratched his head. Instead of speculating, he needed a sample. However, he couldn't just start attacking random hunters. The dilemma stretched on. It seemed he needed to approach the matter more cautiously.

* * *

Since his injuries were only superficial cuts on his side and forearm, Han Taemin was quickly discharged from the hospital. Once outside, he took a deep breath of fresh air.

The contract with the Will Guild ended inconclusively. They likely had no capacity to deal with scavengers due to the bomb Shin Gillim had dropped.

"Well, they're all the same."

A guild willing to harbor someone like Shin Gillim was rotten to the core. There was no need to see them again, so Han Taemin hurried towards Han Jewelry.

"Old man, I'm here."

"You're making quite the ruckus, aren't you?" Kim Ildong clicked his tongue and nodded.

"So, you got discharged today?"

"You know about that too?"

"Did you think I wouldn't know? Even though I spend my days lazing around here, I'm not deaf."

It was normal for a broker to be sensitive to information. Upon learning that Raymara's Labyrinth had been upgraded to a B-rank dungeon, it was inevitable that the Will Guild's fate would also be known.

"How high a grade of Material Cubes do you deal with, old man?"

Kim Ildong frowned, puzzled by the unfamiliar question. Up until now, Han Taemin had only brought D-rank Material Cubes to him. If he was talking about higher grades, it meant he had something significant. Having quickly done the mental calculations, Kim Ildong mapped out a route in his mind.

"I think I can handle up to A-rank, maybe B-rank. Don't tell me you've got one?"

"Yes, I acquired it by chance."

"I've told you repeatedly, if you get caught, losing your head wouldn't be surprising. Excessive greed is always dangerous."

"I can't give details, but I acquired it legitimately."

Having captured it himself, there was no room for dispute. Reading Han Taemin's confident expression, Kim Ildong motioned for him to come inside.

"Alright, let's see what you've got. Show it to me."

It was a tacit agreement. Worried Kim Ildong might change his mind, Han Taemin quickly pulled the Material Cube from his bag and handed it over.

"Judging by its pristine shape, it looks like it's at least C-rank. You're lucky to have gotten something like this."

Kim Ildong placed the Material Cube on the measurement device. As the strange beeping intermittently sounded, Han Taemin spoke.

"In that case, how about a 30 percent commission?"

"You thief! Reducing the commission that much? Are you trying to send an old man like me to an early grave?"

"I think it's worth it. And I'm a regular customer, aren't I?"

"Idiot! In the hunter world, a regular customer isn't someone who sells a lot, but someone who sells big."

"From now on, that's how it'll be."

With a casual remark, the beeping stopped. The results appeared on the screen.

3345M/K.

Estimated Grade—

"...B-rank."

Gulp. Kim Ildong, involuntarily swallowing, felt a shiver run down his spine. The significance of that grade was immense. It was the point where terms like top guild, top hunter, and top dungeon started to be applied seriously. Grades below this were practically meaningless.

Transacting the Material Cube as if possessed, Kim Ildong only regained his composure after seeing Han Taemin's retreating figure.

"Have you become a hunter?"

He knew Han Taemin had nearly died in Raymara's Labyrinth. It wouldn't be surprising if he knew where the Material Cube came from.

But Han Taemin wasn't ready to reveal the truth yet. The ability called Executioner weighed on his mind. He had gained it after killing Shin Gillim. The ambiguous term 'heretic' and everything about it felt as alien as he did.

"You know. I'm just... a scavenger."

Leaving Han Jewelry, that was all Han Taemin could say.

"Disrespectful brat."

Kim Ildong, sensing Han Taemin's thoughts, didn't push further. As he watched Han Taemin disappear into the crowd, he quietly murmured, "If you're too outstanding, you'll stand out whether you like it or not."