Chapter 12

“…Is it morning already?”

Ugh, my body feels so stiff. As expected, once I make money, the first thing I should do is get a proper place to live.

“…You slept well.”

Looking at you like this, you really are pretty.

Your snow-white hair gives off a mysterious vibe.

It makes me feel like I’ve truly stepped into a novel.

I tidied up the bedding and stretched my body.

I stretched, twisted my body around, and bent my back.

After finishing some simple stretches, I quietly left the room.

I thought I’d take a morning walk around the swamp area.

Before leaving, I should probably say something.

“Mina…”

“…Mmm…”

“I’m going out for a quick walk.”

“…Okay…”

Alright, let’s go.

I opened the door and stepped out.

———————

The swamp area in the morning was busier than I expected.

I couldn’t tell if it was because this was the most populated area nearby or if it was just because it was morning.

“Anyone want to explore the western zone together?”

“Get your weapons checked before heading out!”

“Grab a quick breakfast before you go!”

Merchants bustling with morning business. Hunters weaving through the crowd.

This world isn’t exactly a full-on hunter genre, but anyone who calls themselves a hunter must have watched some hunter shows.

The atmosphere feels exactly like the early stages of a hunter story.

The only difference is that instead of gates opening, humans have created monsters to play the role.

Still, this is better.

If gates opened, all sorts of crazy things would come pouring out, causing chaos.

If gates opened in this world, it wouldn’t just be a gate story—it’d be full-on post-apocalypse.

In that sense, I’m thankful this isn’t a gate story… or not.

I sighed and veered off the path to the gray forest, heading back toward the city.

Then, a different scene unfolded before me.

Men leaning against walls, glaring.

People walking with pickaxes and shovels.

A general store sitting by the door, waiting for customers.

Buildings with a gloomy atmosphere.

Luckily, no one picked a fight, but the stares were piercing.

Were they watching me, or just wary of outsiders?

But since outsiders come and go here often, it’s probably because I entered with a member of the Crocodile Bird.

As I walked, pondering the meaning of those stares, someone approached me.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

“Ah, Secu—no.”

“Just call me Baldy! No need to be so formal. Or call me Myeongho.”

“Alright… but what are you doing here?”

“I’m on my way back home after some rest. But you shouldn’t come this way.”

“Is something going on?”

“I heard some news. Lately, there’s been tension between the Vipers and the Fishermen. People are worried another war might break out.”

“War… huh.”

Just like in the original story. The Vipers and the Fishermen are sworn enemies.

Though in the original, they were wiped out by the Quaker in an instant, leaving no trace.

“Well, for people like us, the best thing is to stay away and wait for things to calm down.”

“I see.”

Well, I wasn’t planning on making a big fuss anyway. I’ll just focus on making money.

“Hey, Myeongho, do you know where I can get a map of the gray forest?”

“A map, huh… You can get one from the map sellers, but the quality isn’t great. The really good maps are only available within organizations. And even then, you need a certain rank to get one, so you might as well give up.”

“Hmm…”

So getting a high-quality map is nearly impossible.

“That’s why rookie hunters buy rough maps and fill in the details themselves.

It’s cheaper that way. Most of them die before they can finish, so scraps of maps end up scattered around the gray forest… But sometimes, there are skilled ones who carry around good maps.

Oh, don’t think about stealing them.

There’s no guarantee you’d win, and they usually mark them in a way only they can understand. Even if you steal it, it’s useless if you don’t know how to read it. It’s all risk, no reward.”

“I wasn’t planning on it.”

“Well, someone like the Security Chief wouldn’t do that. A guy like him is hard to find even here!”

A guy like the Security Chief, huh.

Honestly, I only won last time by using every trick in the book. If another enemy like that shows up, it’d be really dangerous.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Alright, I’ve got things to do, so I’ll see you later.”

After parting ways with him, I turned back toward the hotel.

————-

“Uncle… where did you go?”

“I was checking out the swamp area. Since we’ll be staying here for a while, I thought I should get familiar with the surroundings.”

“…Next time, I want to go too.”

“Sure.”

At my response, Mina silently stared at me for a moment before lowering her eyes and resuming her meal.

I also picked up my spoon again.

The breakfast menu was simple—rice, fried eggs, and kimchi.

It’s a bit modest for a hotel meal, but here, even this much is something to be grateful for.

Raising chickens is tough, and eggs aren’t that plentiful. I quickly finished my meal and got up.

“I’m going to talk to the owner for a bit, so keep eating.”

“…Come back soon.”

My eyes feel a bit itchy.

Did something get in them? I rubbed my eyes and turned around.

He was in the lobby when I came back this morning, so he’ll probably be there again.

There are staff, but he’s always the one at the counter.

As expected, he was at the counter in the lobby, looking tired.

Running a hotel must be exhausting.

“Chulsoo.”

“Ah, ahem… What can I do for you?”

“Where do I go to get the license needed to become a hunter?”

“If you go out and turn left, there’s a passage to the gray forest. It’s on the left side there.”

“Do I need to pay anything to get it?”

“No, you don’t. But you’ll have to pass a simple test.”

Just like in the original.

That’s a relief.

If some new condition popped up, it’d have been a headache.

“I can go right away, then.”

“Don’t you need a weapon?”

“I don’t have one, so I’ll just have to rely on my abilities.”

I shrugged and turned around.

Alright, let’s go.

I went back to the dining area, picked up Mina, and headed outside.

“Don’t get lost, follow me closely.”

“I’m not a child.”

“…You sure look like one.”

“I’m not.”

“Then can I let go of your hand?”

“…No.”

Still a kid, huh.

I led Mina through the path where hunters frequently passed. Occasionally, people’s gazes lingered on us, but I didn’t mind.

No one here would want to cause trouble.

And if they did… I’d just roll them away like that old ball over there.

“Uncle, loosen up your face.”

“…”

I returned my expression to normal. Then, I heard sighs from various directions.

Where do they think they’ll find someone as harmless and simple as me?

This is all the Quaker’s fault.

Damn Quaker.

Cursing the Quaker, I entered the building and was greeted by a scene that oddly resembled a town office.

Wait, is this actually a town office?

The structure definitely gives off that vibe.

A line of people, loud shouts echoing through the office, and men in thick clothing casually chatting while resting their weapons.

“Lately, in the west…”

“Any decent rookies lately? The ones I’ve met recently can’t even last a week.”

“You think it’s common to find someone who lasts long? This place is full of greenhorns who think it’s a land of instant riches.”

I listened to their conversation as I joined the line for hunter registration.

The line moved faster than I expected.

Are they just processing the ones who are going to die anyway?

“Welcome. What brings you here today?”

“I’d like to register as a hunter.”

“Ah. Then take this.”

The office worker handed me what looked like an application form in a businesslike tone.

“Fill this out and head over to the examination hall.”

I took the form, picked up a pen from the corner, and started writing.

They still have pens in this era.

Well, Seoul’s civilization is still maintained beyond the 21st century, so even if they’re expensive, they’re not unusable.

I held the pen for the first time in a while and slowly read through the form.

Name.

What should I write for my name?

Quaker?

That’s a bit much.

I don’t even know the Quaker’s real name.

“Uncle, aren’t you going to write your name?”

“I’m actually debating what name to use.”

“Is there really anything to debate?”

Mina tilted her head.

It was a natural reaction.

Who in the world debates their own name?

After some thought, I wrote down three characters: Park Yi-sak.

I also roughly filled in the birthdate.

If it’s 2069 now, I’ll just say I’m around 22.

I diligently scribbled down the fabricated details.

“So your name is Park Yi-sak. That’s an unusual name.”

I’m sure most people would think that.

In a world where only cults remain, few would know the meaning behind the name Isaac.

I forced a smile and put down the pen.