Chapter 446

Outside of work hours, the sudden summons from the guild master—who rarely contacted her at odd times—caught A-rank Choi Jin off guard, making her tilt her head in mild confusion. However, in truth, the reason the person with the highest authority in the company had sent the message had already been decided long ago.

"There's no one else of a similar rank in this guild. That black-haired Earthling keeps running dungeons all by herself."

When there was plenty of work available, it was enough to simply choose the easier C-rank dungeons. But when competition for hunting grounds grew fierce, no matter how skilled a freelancer was, they eventually had no choice but to face monsters appropriate to their rank. Working diligently every day while also being separated from her original team and left on her own meant that Choi Jin was at a higher risk of getting caught up in an occupational hazard.

"..."

Up to C-rank could still be considered a feeding ground within the safety range, after all. But starting from B-rank, a solo Hunter probably wouldn't be able to handle an abnormal mutation.

With that in mind, the leader of a certain guild moved his fingers and typed out a message.

**** [Text Message Inbox] ****

[Hello]

[Yes]

[Please stop by the office briefly before you leave work today]

[Okay]

################

Afterward, he began a serious conversation with the employee who returned after finishing her soil data collection.

"Did you call me?"

"Yes, yes. For now, please sit over there and listen to what I have to say for a moment."

Swish.

The blond guild leader hurriedly pointed to a chair the moment Choi Jin entered the room. Kim Giryeo had no intention of making an office worker stay late during the end-of-workday rush—after all, he himself was the one who wanted to go home the most—so he quickly began his explanation.

"First of all, you remember that I told you the other day to take it easy with your work, right?"

"That's right."

Come to think of it, she had been wondering why she had suddenly been called in.

"But when I checked the records, Hunter Choi Jin worked exactly the same amount of time yesterday as well."

"Yesterday, I was feeling good, so I was able to focus well on the hunt."

Kim Giryeo immediately countered her words.

"Focus, you say."

"Even you, Awakener, must have had days like that sometimes, right?"

"But I'm sorry to say this, but the guild I run has absolutely no interest in clearing dungeons in the first place."

"Hmm?"

Choi Jin's eyes widened reflexively.

The alien's explanation continued as follows. For reference, because funds were limited, it was impossible to purchase every gate an employee entered. However, completely ignoring the dungeons while only extracting the sweet part—the soil inspections—would violate the bare minimum sense of responsibility that a hunting business ought to uphold, so they had no choice but to encourage dungeon clearing as well, Kim Giryeo explained.

Therefore, he repeatedly emphasized that pushing herself to the point of overwork was not beneficial to him at all, since his primary objective was the "data."

"Is that so?"

In a way, it was such a simple matter that it could be summed up in a single sentence......

"What? But it's not like I've ever overworked myself."

Choi Jin rolled her eyes upward for a moment.

"If anything, compared to when I was in the [Faith] Guild, this is heaven."

Choi Jin wanted to say that the work wasn't difficult for her at all. But unable to tolerate even a brief silence, Kim Giryeo spoke first.

"Even Jeong Haseong is taking a leave of absence and getting plenty of rest these days. So why don't you take this opportunity to start paying attention to your work-life balance as well?"

Sssh.

Along with those words, a white document appeared. Guild master Kim Giryeo pulled out a single handwritten-looking sheet of A4 paper and continued speaking.

"Choi Jin-ssi. Starting tomorrow, go to this gate and spend some quiet time there."

"Gate?"

"Since you've always looked a little uneasy wandering around alone every day, and I even wondered whether you'd forgotten how to rest in the first place... this is a personal assignment I'm giving you."

"No matter what, I'm not that bad."

"For the record, since this task is being assigned directly by the company president, you don't have the right to refuse."

First of all, the paper Kim Giryeo handed her contained the following information.

The grade was C. And then, out of nowhere, he introduced a worthless nest whose gate name had even been casually assigned as something like [Ripple-Ripple].

...

...

Starting tomorrow, you must enter only that gate.

A fish with an unusually blue back.

The gate Kim Giryeo introduced was inhabited by monsters with such ridiculous appearances. And no matter how many times she checked, the grade was still nothing more than an ordinary C.

As Choi Jin looked over the document she had received once more, she thought to herself.

"Honestly, I don't see how this C-rank gate is any different from the ones I've been running so far. Why am I suddenly being told to rest here?"

But when the time actually came for her to enter the gate—what on earth?

An astonishing environment unfolded before her eyes.

"Ah!"

For some reason, even before she entered, he had insisted on shoving a [Hydra] into her hands.

Hunter Choi Jin. Take this with you as well.

In fact, Kim Giryeo had already handed his cherished [Hydra] over to a guild member. He barely used it anymore after his second awakening anyway. Above all, that single piece of epic-grade equipment made an astonishing strategy possible.

So, after calculating everything carefully, he handed over the sword without hesitation.

"The monsters in this dungeon supposedly have the peculiar habit of constantly trying to wet their bodies. If that's the case, then all I have to do is leave this weapon submerged in that big lake over there..."

Flutter.

Choi Jin thought this as she reread the documents the guild master had given her.

"Do the monsters automatically die from being poisoned by the toxin emitted by the equipment?"

Who would have thought that a C-rank gate could be cleared so easily with a trick like this?

[Plop!]

Just like that.

Kim Giryeo had thought of everything so that his guild members could carry out their personal activities safely. The unwanted attention directed at the company was one issue, but if an A-rank Hunter he had finally gotten acquainted with ended up in danger, that would be troublesome in its own way as well.

I want to somehow ensure Choi Jin's safety while she works alone.

The alien guild leader had personally experienced life as a weakling. So by sharing the gates he had previously marked during his F- to E-rank days—essentially, places that could be cleared easily—he was able to ensure Choi Jin's safety.

To be honest, it wasn't a solution that could last forever, but at least for the time being, it allowed for quick investigations without shedding a single drop of blood.

But...

"Is that it?"

Following the guild master's instructions, Choi Jin dropped the equipment into the shallow pond and retreated. She moved to a corner of the dungeon where monsters rarely appeared and quietly thought to herself.

"Well, it's nice that I don't have to lift a finger for now... but somehow, this person Kim Giryeo... has been interfering with my activities far too much lately."

From a Hunter's perspective, it wasn't strange at all for her to have such doubts. Companies all over the world often told their employees to 'take it easy,' but the moment actual performance dropped, they would start harassing those same employees anyway.

Yet for some reason, the blond Awakener gave the impression that he was genuinely trying to limit her activity.

"What on earth is the problem?"

An increase in the amount of loot he had to appraise. Or dangerous appraisal requests from the [Kore Magic Tower] guild master at a time when she was only beginning to rise to prominence, and so on.

The alien guild leader was simply in a position where he couldn't help but dislike his employees overworking themselves.

"Hmm."

Kim Giryeo had a perfectly reasonable explanation.

But the mammals didn't know that.

"Perhaps."

After all, the alien had never properly explained his circumstances, so how could a human possibly understand the full truth?

"Do I look like a complete wreck to you, Kim Giryeo-ssi?"

Given the circumstances, there was no other conclusion for her to reach.

Choi Jin naturally arrived at the wrong answer.

"So that's why you keep pressuring me to take it easy with work? Because I still look like I... can't handle everyday life because of that job...?"

Even if it was a misunderstanding completely detached from reality, the person involved still ended up having quite a lot to think about because of it.

"I've never thought I was overdoing it at all. Then again, from an outsider's objective perspective, maybe I look different."

Mumbling.

Even perfectly healthy people begin to doubt themselves if they're repeatedly criticized over the same issue. Choi Jin examined her own condition and fell into deep thought for a while.

However, spending a long time worrying did not necessarily lead to the correct conclusion.

"This is why you shouldn't judge someone by their appearance. The more I deal with Kim Giryeo, the more I realize what a genuinely good person he is. He could have just let me quit the guild instead of going through all this unnecessary trouble, yet he's going out of his way like this to make sure I don't overexert myself."

Before she knew it, the misunderstanding had grown steadily deeper.

In fact, Choi Jin even reinforced that distorted interpretation for a very specific reason.

To be precise, it happened at the exact moment she finished clearing the entire lakeside dungeon and retrieved the iron rod.

Flash.

A rare piece of loot appeared before her.

[Advanced Healing Potion].

"Uhm?"

What incredible luck.

The expensive item she had once begged for while working in the Faith Guild had suddenly appeared when she least expected it.

Choi Jin happily picked it up and, as usual, headed straight for the rental office.

"Excuse me! GM!"

"What kind of new slang is that?"

"It's an abbreviation for guild master, but since you've been working as a freelancer for so long, I suppose this is the first time you've heard it."

It started with a perfectly ordinary greeting.

"Anyway."

And then came the main point.

"Today, I'm not just here to return the rod."

"Yes."

"I came to report that I managed to obtain this from the C-rank gate, despite the low drop rate."

"Is this something to [appraise]? Then, for now, place it here on the desk."

In South Korea's trading system, 99.9% of artifact transfers had to be recorded.

Items from another world were full of dangers, like loaded firearms. In a way, it was a perfectly natural system.

"That's why, if the owner of a hunting business wants to, they can check the list of loot obtained by their guild members at any time. Normally, there's no way to avoid the fees the company takes."

But there was one exception.

Wasn't it surprisingly easy to 'misappropriate' loot when it came to potion-type items?

"But with this, you can just drink it, and that's the end of it."

Normally, companies prevented Hunters from pocketing expensive items by using things like [Knight's Oath], [Fairy's Promise], or by planting spies within hunting teams.

"Hmm."

But no matter how much time passed, Kim Giryeo's guild never took any such precautions.

"These days, some companies are so wary of Hunters pocketing potions that they even take the guild's share in advance."

The thought lasted only a moment.

"I have trauma involving contract-type items. He must have been considerate enough not to impose any anti-theft measures because of that. In that case, I shouldn't be rude enough to deceive someone who considered my feelings first."

Choi Jin transparently disclosed every item she had obtained.

Even if the company deliberately took its share, there was a minimum percentage required to keep the business operating, so dividing the loot with the guild would effectively mean hundreds of millions of won disappearing.

And that wasn't even counting taxes, equipment maintenance costs, and various other expenses...

The luck of obtaining the potion was not going to turn into any significant fortune.

"Ah."

But then what was this supposed to mean?

"I won't include that potion in the loot appraisal. Use it for yourself."

"Yes?"

"You can just look it up online, visit a nearby dermatology clinic, and treat the scar or whatever."

Sshrk.

Kim Giryeo raised his chin and indicated a specific area.

"Unless you didn't care about it at all, you clearly found the scar bothersome enough to keep it covered even in hot weather."

A massive scar left from hunting...

Well, if someone's skin was in that condition, most people would care about it even if they never said so aloud. Perhaps it was because humans were social animals. Concerns about appearance seemed to linger somewhere in the corner of the mind even after a person turned eighty, so it was only natural that Choi Jin felt uncomfortable about the scar.

It was simply that, until now, she had had no way to deal with it because of the slave contract.

"Do you know how much this potion costs?"

"It's really expensive."

But was she really supposed to accept such a valuable potion for free?

Overwhelmed, Choi Jin hurriedly waved her hand, but the guild master's reaction remained unchanged.

"Forget it. Just take it and use it."

Just like when he had given the [Elixir] to Jeong Haseong, the alien willingly handed over treasure to the natives of a certain planet.

However, Kim Giryeo's intentions this time were completely different from when he had distributed that previous item.

"It's certainly inconvenient that Choi Jin is attracting attention, but if that A-rank leaves the guild, that would be a complete disaster!"

Thanks to the fees he received from Choi Jin, he had been able to hire a tax professional who assisted him on a daily basis. He had also managed to secure a non-awakened secretary and was finally beginning to establish a proper company system.

After all, the rent for this enormous building could only be paid reliably because of that dragon Hunter.

What if he treated her carelessly and she decided to leave for another job?

"It's a slightly selfish thought, but I wish that employee would stay a little longer in my guild, which is practically a tiny neighborhood shop..."

At last, the guild's guiding principle had been decided.

The alien's goal was somehow to keep this company running steadily for as long as possible. Once he had arranged things so that it could operate reasonably well on its own, the ideal situation would be to use humans to gather information whenever necessary.

"Earthling, I'll give you this potion, so don't go quitting recklessly. Just keep working exactly like you did today."

Kim Giryeo kindly handed over the bonus. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Choi Jin bowed her head as she accepted it.

The conversation ended on a very warm note.

***

No, let me correct that.

To be precise, the conversation had almost ended well, but Kim Giryeo realized his mistake only a few days later.

"Ah!"

The first thing that escaped him was an inner scream.

"Ahhh, damn it! This monstrous primitive. I never should've accepted this human in the first place!"

And what followed was the alien's regret.

Back to an ordinary weekday afternoon.

The alien trembled as he checked Earth's online news.

[First-generation Awakener Representative 'Choi Jin' Leaves Court Guild and Joins a Truly Collaborative Organization]

[An Unexpected Turn in South Korea's Rankings... Dark Horse Surges to 2nd Place Δ]

[-A-rank Hunter Choi [surname] has recently achieved a rapid rise in the rankings.

Netizens say: In a world where the saying 'even a dog at a village school will recite poetry after three years' exists...

Meanwhile, some suggest that this remarkable achievement may be the result of the influence of the new guild master.]

Everywhere he looked, there were articles praising a certain A-rank Hunter...

None of it showed at all on her human face, so what on earth had been stirring inside Choi Jin behind that indifferent expression?

"Stop working already, you crazy workaholic!"

In fact, a certain A-rank Hunter had been so moved by the alien's generosity that she began working overtime, thinking she should repay the value of the potion she had received.

To be more precise, her loyalty had grown to the point where she was willing to devote herself entirely to the guild.

And as Choi Jin continued to rack up achievements at a frightening pace, countless articles about her began to appear.

'I told her to take it easy nine more times after that, just in case. Did all of that sound like nothing but a dog barking to her?'

It was a difficult situation in many ways.

The A-rank guild member, deeply impressed by the alien's generosity, often spoke of him in such terms.