Chapter 76: A Simple Business (1)

Buzz! Buzz!

My phone was buzzing with missed calls and message notifications. Among them, one person was still frantically trying to reach me:

“Hello,” I answered with a nonchalant expression.

Ko Youngmin’s voice burst through the line, sounding on the verge of tears.

The Hwiryong Guild Leader’s words spilled out in a rapid torrent, his vehemence so great it felt like spittle might fly from the receiver at any moment.

This call came immediately after I emerged from the dungeon, surrounded by media representatives and Alliance Headquarters officials.

I dumped all the messy cleanup from the dungeon rampage onto Hwiryong.

“All the office phones are down! And the lobby is swarming with media personnel and Alliance Headquarters representatives!”

If I hadn’t used Hwiryong as a shield, I’d probably still be stuck in front of Macheon’s Dimensional Gate.

Of course, in the process of passing the buck to the Guild, I had to reveal my affiliation with Hwiryong. But the resulting attention was negligible—a drop in the ocean compared to the unprecedented scale of the dungeon rampage.

“Alliance Headquarters is demanding my testimony about the outbreak, too! They want me at the Seoul Branch by tomorrow morning! And I didn’t even know Hunter Taejun-nim had gone on an expedition to Macheon…”

“Good luck.”

”…Huh?”

It was as if the man with the ponytail were standing right in front of me. I struck a fighting pose and said, “Hang in there. I believe you can handle this, President.”

“No, that’s not it…”

“Hmm, or perhaps your work management skills are a bit lacking compared to what I expected? If so, that would be rather disappointing.”

“Look, it’s not about my work skills at all!”

“I’m starting to regret this.”

“Huh?”

“Maybe I should have changed the subject by bringing up our President’s ‘deal’ right then and there…”

“Uh, a-ah! Hunter Taejun, Hunter Taejun!”

Clatter!

The sound of a chair tipping over burst through the receiver.

“I-I’ll take full responsibility! You must be exhausted from stopping the dungeon rampage and dealing with the media. Please get some rest!”

“I have a favor to ask. Shouldn’t the company president handle major issues like this?”

“Uh, y-yes, of course. Please, get some rest.”

I could practically see Ko Youngmin’s deathly pale face as he was about to hang up.

“Oh, one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“The monsters we hunted in that rampaging dungeon… some of them haven’t even been reported to International Headquarters yet. The disposal process will be quite complicated, and the analysis fees for processing the byproducts will be substantial.”

After all, the Swarm Lord and Void Spider were monsters that had never before manifested on Earth.

Ko Youngmin was nothing if not quick-witted.

That was all I needed to say.

”…Understood. I’ll cover those expenses out of my own pocket.”

“And the proceeds from disposing of the byproducts?”

“We’ll deposit 100% of the profits into your account.”

I nodded with a satisfied grin.

“That’s why I entrust everything to our Guild Leader.”

”…Thank you…” A tear trickled down her cheek as her voice trailed off.

I hung up the phone with a satisfied smile.

“Alright, that should take care of most of the hassle.”

Of course, the media frenzy hadn’t completely died down. Rather, I’d managed to divert the explosive attention pouring my way toward Hwiryong instead.

Regardless, I remained the center of the storm.

A quick check of my smartphone confirmed it:

News articles about Hunter Lee Taejun were flooding the media, plastered with the now-infamous photo of him emerging from the Dimensional Gate. The internet was abuzz with speculation, and reporters had even staked out his one-room apartment. He had to wear a Human Skin Mask, pretend to be someone else, and shoo them away before sneaking back inside.

“Looks like I need to move soon,” he muttered.

He couldn’t possibly live cooped up in this cramped apartment, suffocated by the mask.

With a deep sigh, I sank into the worn chair.

“Being famous is exhausting.”

Lee Seonah, who had achieved idol-level popularity in less than six months after her Hunter debut, had voiced the same complaint.

My response then had been, “Did your head swell so much it burst?”

But now, I understood exactly what she meant.

Of course, I, Lee Taejun, wasn’t some timid guy who hid from attention. Quite the opposite, in fact.

The problem was that I simply didn’t have the time to fully enjoy the spotlight that was shining on me.

The Synchronization Rate flickered in the corner of my main Status Window.

Thirty days might seem like ample time.

But it wasn’t.

As the Synchronization Rate increased, the incremental gains slowed dramatically.

Even after acquiring the Dragon Spirit Iron Wire and obtaining the ridiculously overpowered skill, Fist Energy Forging Gang, the rate only rose by a mere two percent.

Worse still, the upgrade of Archmage’s Fireball to EX-Class wasn’t even reflected in the rate.

Previously, such achievements would have boosted the rate by at least four to five percent.

Therefore, time was running out.

At least, time to bask in the spotlight and grow complacent.

Remarkable Growth (S)—this ticking time bomb of a skill left no room for complacency.

Still, I couldn’t claim it was entirely unfair.

After all, it had opened new opportunities.

Besides…

A new Synchronization Rate Quest has been activated.

Instead of wielding the whip of life-threatening consequences, they were now dangling carrots one by one.

“Alright, what’s the catch this time?”

“Blood Magic?”

I frowned between my eyebrows.

Of all the skills they could have chosen, why Blood Magic?

Blood Magic, as the name suggested, used the caster’s own blood as its medium.

Moreover, like Undead-type skills, it required unlocking the basic passive skill “Demonic Blood” to use.

Unlike Necromancy, which could only be unlocked upon awakening, Demonic Blood could also be acquired through skill books or items.

Due to the inherent dangers of Blood Magic, skill books and items related to it were internationally restricted.

“This won’t be easy,” I muttered. The obstacles were numerous.

Of course, now that I had a connection with a certified Blood Mage, I would at least give it a try.

“I should approach this with a ‘no harm, no foul’ attitude,” I decided.

I had no intention of limiting my growth by obsessing over this quest. It was merely a bonus.

“Still, I am curious about the reward,” I admitted to myself.

It was true that my interest had been piqued. This was the first time a reward description had explicitly revealed the name of a function.

I shifted my gaze to the chat window near my head.

“Manager Mi?”

[…]

“Manager Mi?”

Silence.

Manager Mi had been silent ever since we returned from the Demonic Peak, probably knocked out from staying up all night.

I’d been expecting her to ask, “Why is Blood Magic so difficult for you, Taegoon-nim?” but she remained quiet.

So, I’d just been muttering to myself this whole time.

Damn it.

I gently raised my fist.

Thud!

I tapped the main Status Window floating before me.

As expected, a single tap on the Status Window proved more effective than a hundred words.

Still half-asleep, Manager Mi stared at me, bewildered.

“I have a question for you,” I said.

“Taegoon-nim? Did you just attack the Status Window?! I told you repeatedly how incredibly sensitive it is and that you should never hit it! But you didn’t listen to a word I said…”

“What exactly is this ‘Communication Horizon’?” I asked, brushing aside her protests.

Despite her evident dissatisfaction, Manager Mi dutifully checked the quest log and answered. “Um, it’s basically a cross-dimensional version of Parsley’s Scribbled Records.”

“A cross-dimensional version?”

“Parsley’s Scribbled Records is the bulletin board within the Parsley Market, right? Only Market users can access it. The Communication Horizon, on the other hand, is a bulletin board accessible to all users with the Current Status Window.”

“Ah, I see.”

So it’s basically an upgraded version of that chaotic bulletin board teeming with pointless posts and attention-seekers. Just a quick glance would probably make my head spin.

The reward was undeniably unappealing.

In fact, considering the quest’s prerequisites, it might be better not to complete it at all.

“Hmm, but there’s something a little strange here,” Manager Mi suddenly interjected, her tone puzzled.

“It mentions the ‘Communication Horizon’ version. As far as I know, the current version is 3.5. Version 1.1 is a very early prototype from before I even joined the company. Why would it be written like that?”

But she quickly followed up with a bashful smiley emoji:

Well, I suppose it’ll update automatically when the feature unlocks.”

(ˊᴗˋ)ノ*

Then, she continued with a meaningful tone.

“More importantly, Taegoon-nim, I discovered something incredible while you were asleep!”

Incredible information?

“Once you see this, Taegoon-nim, you’ll feel terrible for waking me up.”

I tilted my head, feigning indifference. I didn’t think tapping the Status Window was a major offense, and Manager Mi had rarely lived up to her reputation, so my expectations were low. Even if she had stumbled upon something extraordinary…

“Besides mining essence stones, there’s another way to earn Parsley Coins!”

“I’m truly sorry, Manager Mi,” I said solemnly.

“Ugh…”

On the top floor of Hwiryung Headquarters, in the Guild Leader’s office, a man slumped in his chair, groaning like a zombie.

Ko Youngmin, the Guild Leader of Hwiryung.

His appearance was utterly wretched. His already gaunt face was now deathly pale, his eyes unfocused, and his hastily tied ponytail was greasy and matted, with stray hairs sticking out in all directions. He looked more like a homeless man than the leader of a major guild.

And for good reason.

For the past three days, he had endured the most grueling period since taking charge of Hwiryung—days of sheer hell.

“Lee Taejun…”

Naturally, the root of this torment was none other than the new Vice Guild Leader who had recently joined Hwiryung.

“That lunatic! There are things you just don’t dump on others. How could he pawn off the entire dungeon aftermath on me? And then announce his guild membership all at once… Aagh…”

Thanks to all of that, the past three days had been a living hell.

He’d been bombarded by relentless media coverage.

The Alliance Headquarters had summoned him for an investigation into the dungeon’s instability.

He’d even had to fend off scrutiny from rival Guilds, all resentful that he’d poached their promising rookie.

And to top it all off, his wallet was practically empty from covering the disposal costs of the monster byproducts Taejun had left behind in the dungeon.

Knock, knock.

Just then, someone knocked on the door to the President’s office.

“Goddamn it! Who the hell is it?! I told everyone to leave me alone—just one hour of peace!”

He’d even turned off his phone to escape the interruptions, and now someone was banging on his office door?

He jumped up from his seat, ready to unleash his frustration.

Bang! The door burst open.

“It’s me, President.”

Taejun stepped inside.