Chapter 8

With the dawn of the Great Hunter Era came the advent of ‘Guilds.’

Like the adventurer guilds in fantasy tales, they’re organizations formed by Awakened individuals for their own benefit.

Starting as small guilds with under ten members, some have grown to rival major corporations in stature.

Among these is the ‘Wings’ Guild.

Despite having fewer than ten members, they’re tightly-knit internally.

This is because Master Moon Da-young founded it after fleeing from exploitation by a large guild.

Half the members are those who escaped with her.

While combat-types undergo separate tests, production-types are graded differently.

Among them is B-rank Production Hunter Moon Da-young.

Since production hunters are so few, she enjoys significant benefits guaranteed by the state.

Of course, those perks come with obligations.

“When are you going to make me a new sword, Master?”

“Not until you grind more dungeons.”

“I’m exhausted just from doing it once a day!”

“Efforrrt! You went three times just last week, didn’t you?”

“That was… unusual…”

Han-gyeol slumped on the desk early in the morning, sighing heavily.

Da-young glanced at him and smirked.

He may act lazy now, but he’ll be back to work soon enough—it’s his routine.

What a diligent and kind young man.

“I’ll do two rounds today. Got to pay off my debts quick.”

“Hehe, good job.”

“By the way, how’s that guy doing?”

“Who? Ji-han?”

“Who else?”

Han-gyeol straightened up and stretched, ready to head out after their chat.

Da-young hesitated before replying.

“He’s working hard, but I’m a bit worried.”

“The same old problem?”

“Hmm, he listens but only for a moment.”

“One of these days he’s gonna get into serious trouble…”

“Sigh…”

Seo Ji-han, one of the founding members of Wings Guild who left the big guild with Da-young. Younger than Han-gyeol but a senior as an Awakened.

Currently the guild’s only C-rank Combat Hunter, aiming for B-rank.

The guild fully supports him since he knows he’s their ace—sometimes too much so.

“Han-gyeol, you need to reach C-rank soon too.”

“Yeah… working on it…”

At Da-young’s words, Han-gyeol let out a big breath.

He’d quickly reached D-rank through Academy training, but C-rank felt like hitting a wall sometimes.

Just then…

The office phone rang. Han-gyeol excused himself and left, while Da-young picked up the phone with a flick of her hand.

“Yes, this is Wings Guild.”

“…Hello. Han-gyeol introduced me. My name is Jeong Si-hyun.”

“Ah! I’ve heard about you, nice to meet you. What brings you calling?”

“I’d like to visit and discuss a few things.”

“Sure! When do you plan to come by?”

Si-hyun and Da-young set a date.

After hanging up…

Da-young rested her chin on her desk, deep in thought.

That voice… sounded like marbles rolling on a silver tray.

I haven’t even seen her face yet, but now I understand why Han-gyeol was so excited.

* * *

After setting the appointment with Wings Guild…

Si-hyun chose the nearest dungeon along the way and started clearing it.

Having quickly cleared two E-rank dungeons alone…

She headed straight to a famous jjampong restaurant she’d researched online.

Since it wasn’t peak dining time yet, the restaurant was pretty empty.

“Welcome! Are you here alone?”

“Yes.”

“This way please.”

The female staff looked concerned and asked,

“This might be too spicy for foreigners. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“…Yes, I’ll give it a try.”

“Hehe, your Korean is great! Fighting!”

Before she knew it, she had the staff cheering her on.

…So to others, I’m either a foreigner or an honorary Korean, huh? Feels kinda strange.

Lost in thought, she snapped back as the food arrived.

“Alright… let’s do this. I can do it, Jeong Si-hyun!”

With that determination…

Slurp!

She took a nervous bite of the noodles…

And immediately…

“Cough, cough…”

Already feeling the burn, but there’s no giving up now.

Another bite… another…

“Guh… guh…”

It’s tough, her expression crumpling as she gulped down water.

Ever since eating spicy chicken on her first day, something seemed off.

Things got worse as she ate various foods with Si-yoon later.

And now, it’s confirmed.

I’m seriously spice-sensitive.

There was hardly any spicy food in the other world, and since I returned to Earth with a pure Otherworld body…

Her tongue felt like it was on fire, tears welling up without her noticing.

Just like when Westerners struggle with Korean food.

The gap between mind and body feels so apparent.

Cognitive dissonance… gah.

Two-thirds of the jjampong remained.

Continuing like this would be impossible. Really impossible.

But leaving leftovers feels wasteful…

My pride be damned. Let me recover my tongue, strengthen it, and finish eating.

People need to know how to compromise.

…

After finishing her meal, she stood up, glaring at the bowl with a look of injustice.

In the end, I left one-third behind.

Because I’m too full…

Back in the day, I used to eat plenty of rice cakes too…

Since returning to Korea and gaining freedom along with spare time…

I’ve been feeling all sorts of changes anew.

…There’s nothing I can do about it.

I’ll just have to adapt gradually.

Now, time to clear one more dungeon before heading to Wings Guild.

“Here, have this! It’ll help calm the spiciness.”

“Ahh, thank you.”

The staff is so kind.

Next time I attempt this, I’ll bring Si-yoon.

I haven’t given up yet!

* * *

When Si-hyun finished her self-assigned quota and visited Wings Guild…

The first thing she heard upon entering the office was:

“Wow, holy crap. Even prettier than I imagined?”

“…Hello.”

“Come on, take a seat.”

“Thank you.”

Da-young greeted Si-hyun with bright smiles.

They say beautiful things taste good too.

Confronting such surreal beauty, it feels like the contents must be just as lovely.

Even as a woman, Da-young found herself mesmerized by the stunning looks.

Thinking about this gorgeous figure being a melee hunter…

Strange imaginings arose.

Though confident in her own looks, Da-young felt a fresh impact from the contrasting physique.

With a sly smile, Da-young smoothly changed the topic.

“You said you’re here for a trade! Can I see the item?”

“Here it is.”

Si-hyun pulled out a fist-sized mana stone from her magic bracelet.

Using motions similar to manipulating status windows…

Having carefully observed other hunters during previous party setups, she made it possible.

“Ah, so this is what Han-gyeol was talking about. May I examine it briefly?”

“Sure.”

Upon Si-hyun’s approval, Da-young quickly took the mana stone. The status window assisted in showing the mana stone’s ‘basic’ information: its name, rank, quality, etc.

“Wow, this should be worth at least 2 million won. Did you check at the exchange?”

“…2 million?”

“Yes! Though the rank is low, the quality is high. What you do with it depends on the crafter’s skill. If you don’t want to haggle, I’ll buy it for 2 million.”

“…”

Si-hyun closed her mouth, lost in thought.

She had checked prices at the mana stone exchange when swapping miscellaneous stones before.

The exchange offered 1.5 million won.

While they naturally take a larger cut for convenience, she didn’t expect such a difference in price here.

“Let’s see… the exchange offered… hmm, around 1.5 million, right?”

“…Yes, very accurate.”

“Hehe, it’s my profession. With Han-gyeol’s recommendation, I gave an honest offer.”

Guild member’s recommendation…

Maybe they inflated the price slightly to gain favor.

Or perhaps it’s a tax issue.

This explanation feels more reasonable.

Having sorted her thoughts, Si-hyun slowly spoke.

“I heard you’re a crafting hunter…”

“Yes! That’s right. B-rank.”

“In that case, could I see some items first?”

“Of course.”

Da-young led Si-hyun to the warehouse.

Despite the building’s size, it wasn’t particularly spacious but held various items.

Looking around, Si-hyun realized an important fact.

Every single item radiated mana, clearly crafted using mana stones.

However, she couldn’t determine their functions by sight alone.

Being a non-awakened person meant no status window.

No way to tell their abilities.

To find out, she’d need to inspect each item closely.

How could I forget?

“…Hmm.”

“Is there a problem?”

Si-hyun paused, deep in thought.

There’s no need to hide being a returnee.

But revealing that she’s not awakened makes her hesitate slightly.

Being different tends to attract undue attention.

Though it’ll come out eventually, not now.

Let’s play it vague.

“Too many items. Do you have anything related to safety?”

“Armor perhaps?”

“No, not that. Something portable. I want to give it as a gift to my younger sibling who’s a civilian.”

“…Wow.”

Upon hearing this, Da-young’s eyes widened.

An E-rank hunter trading a 2-million-won mana stone…

Naturally, everyone assumed she’d be looking for equipment for herself.

Yet she’s seeking something for a civilian family member’s safety?

Could she really be as kind-hearted as she looks?

Da-young decided to test her further.

“What value are you looking for?”

“The maximum. Even over 2 million won is fine.”

Instant reply.

At this moment, Da-young’s evaluation of Si-hyun skyrocketed.

Such people are rare in today’s world.

Especially hunters, who usually invest everything in becoming stronger themselves.

Prioritizing family above all else…

Resonates with our Wings Guild motto.

I like this person.

With a serious expression, Da-young spoke.

“Ms. Si-hyun.”

“Yes?”

“Would you like to collaborate with me on making something?”

“…?”

Confused by the meaning, Si-hyun tilted her head.

‘Cute… No, focus.’

Da-young quickly corrected her wandering thoughts.

“Portable jewelry requires small sizes and high-quality mana stones and materials.”

“I see.”

“There’s probably nothing here that’ll satisfy you. How about we team up and make something together?”

The word “collaboration” caught Si-hyun’s attention.

Not a bad suggestion itself.

Considering it’s from a B-rank hunter, accepting seems right.

But accumulated distrust makes easy agreement difficult.

“Ah, of course! This is a trade. I’ll charge fees and keep leftover byproducts. Ms. Si-hyun will provide labor in exchange for high-quality goods.”

Da-young stared seriously at Si-hyun.

If she were an ordinary E-rank hunter, she wouldn’t have made such a proposal.

On analysis, this deal favors her losses over gains.

But Han-gyeol emphasized repeatedly.

Don’t judge this beautiful woman’s combat power by appearance alone.

Even as D-rank, she’s unmatched, and personally, likely comparable to C-rank.

Trusting her guildmate’s judgment…

Da-young decided to boldly invest her time and resources.

“…Yes, it’s a trade.”

Looking at Da-young’s expression, Si-hyun sensed her sincerity.

Perhaps it’s worth trusting once.

Even if issues arise during collaboration, I’m confident I can handle them.

A strong relationship could benefit me more.

“Please take care of me.”

“Good choice!”

They shook hands.

* * *

“Wh-what is this?”

Da-young stared ahead with a dumbfounded expression.

As a B-rank crafting hunter, she also holds D-rank combat skills.

Thus, she could bring Si-hyun into a D-rank dungeon.

They agreed to flee immediately if danger arose before entering.

“Shall we go?”

“Eh, eeh… Yes!”

The threat wasn’t for humans but monsters.

Monsters shattered to pieces wherever Si-hyun stepped.

How could this be an E-rank hunter?

Da-young’s evaluation of Si-hyun…

No longer mere vertical ascent, it broke through the ceiling and limits.

Unmeasurable.

This girl, too good.

* * *

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