IRTPTA 09

Episode 9

“Wow, that’s harsh… After I’ve been trying to charm you for hours, your first real reply is ‘Hwang Tae-San’? Isn’t that a bit much?”

“I just suddenly remembered something I had forgotten. Anyway, could you stop making that ridiculous face?”

Dawn shrugged as if to say, What can you do? but then frowned when she realized he was only pretending to be hurt.

“Honestly, you don’t care whether I join Glory Guild or not, do you? In fact… don’t you actually hope I don’t?”

“Why would you think that?”

“Because if I joined Glory, I’d steal all your popularity. That would be a problem for you.”

“…”

“Right now, you’re not even thinking about recruiting me seriously. You’re just wondering how to announce the birth of a new S-rank Hunter in a way that puts all the attention on you.”

If she joined the guild, it would be great for Glory. But for Kim I-Han himself, it might cause a backlash.

His top priority had always been his own popularity and media presence—probably even more than the guild’s reputation or success.

So what he was really thinking was: How can I use her appearance to make myself stand out more?

He was calculating what kind of recruitment offer would make the public go “Wow!”—not whether she would actually accept it.

And Dawn had seen right through him.

“So stop saying things like ‘temptation’ or ‘benefits’ when you don’t mean them. Just be honest about what you really want. Isn’t that how real deals start—by putting your demands on the table?”

“Hm…”

Kim I-Han smiled faintly, but his eyes didn’t match the expression.

“It’s been a while since someone read me this well…”

It was hard to tell if he was impressed or annoyed.

Dawn didn’t care either way.

She knew he was the type to value results over emotions—always calculating what would bring him the most gain.

“Still not going to tell me your title?” he asked, leaning casually against a display case.

“I’ll have it measured and registered at the Association next week. You can find out then.”

“Come on, we met like this—it feels like fate. Can’t you give me at least a hint? What if I leak it to the media first?”

“You wouldn’t gain anything from that.”

Dawn smirked.

She couldn’t help it. After facing him almost every day for years in her past life as part of the Association’s attack squad, she had developed a thick skin.

“If you did leak it, you’d only make people more curious about me—and then you’d need even more information to keep their attention. Like… say, an explanation of my title. Am I wrong?”

“…You’ve got me there. If I found out, would you at least start looking at me nicely?”

Kim I-Han smiled slyly, narrowing his eyes like a fox.

---

!! Alert !!

Abnormal status detected.
But thanks to the passive skill <Blessing of the Heavens (S)>, you are unaffected.

---

Another notification.
He had tried using his skill on her again. Dawn chuckled and turned her head away, ignoring him.

She continued browsing the weapons.

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<Item: White Flame Whip-Spear (A)>

A spear crafted by a master blacksmith who poured excessive passion and white flames into his work. When swung, a beautiful white fire blooms.

• Passive – White Flame: Increases the power of fire-based skills by 33%.

• Skill – Flame Distortion: 16% chance to reflect fire-type attacks.

• Skill – Fire Whip: Transforms the spear into a whip made of fire. Successful whip strikes leave the debuff <Unquenchable Brand>.

Unquenchable Brand: A cursed burn that never stops causing pain.

---

It was an impressive weapon—enough to make her mouth water.

Especially since it would pair well with her own <Ignite> skill.

But…

“How much is this? A hundred… thousand… oh. Two hundred and seventeen billion won?!”

Her hand instinctively pulled back.

She had been happy about earning forty billion in three hours earlier, but now it felt like nothing.

“Guess I forgot how insanely expensive Hunter gear was… after living so long without civilization.”

And this was just a spear—an unpopular weapon—so it was “only” around two hundred billion.
Swords often went for over three hundred billion.

“Pass. Let’s find something cheaper…”

As she shifted her attention to more affordable items, Kim I-Han spoke up again.

“Do you like that spear?”

He pointed to the one she had just been admiring.

“If you sign with us, we could gift you something like that.”

It was a tempting offer—but Dawn wasn’t fooled.

“Swallowing an S-rank Hunter and offering just one A-rank item as payment? I didn’t expect Glory Guild’s leader to be so stingy.”

She said it teasingly, then looked away. Kim I-Han let out a small “ah” sound, but he didn’t seem offended.

He was just testing different ways to persuade her.

Then another weapon caught her eye—a strange blend of red and black.

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<Item: Spear of Separation Anxiety (B)>

Because the blacksmith frequently left it alone during its creation, the spear developed a yearning for affection. It now clings to its owner with an intense attachment and homing instinct.

• Bound Item: Ownership cannot be transferred.

• Current Owner: –

• Passive – Evolve: Increases user’s skill power by 1% every ten minutes of battle. Resets after combat ends.

• Passive – Attachment Skill: Forms an attachment to one of the user’s skills, with a chance to activate it again without consuming mana. Attachment is random but can be reset once every five days.

• Skill – Return: Responds to the owner’s call—anywhere in a dungeon, or up to 30 km outside.

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“Twenty-one billion? Why is it so cheap?”

Calling twenty-one billion “cheap” was absurd—but compared to the usual forty to fifty billion for a B-rank spear, it really was.