Chapter 8
Over Ten Minutes of Withstanding Yong Tae-soo’s Attacks
Only after enduring more than ten minutes of attacks from Yong Tae-soo was I finally able to have a proper “conversation.”
“─At that time, a female mercenary covered in tattoos suddenly killed all the party members.”
Right now, I’m talking with Ma Gwang-jin, head of the Personnel Department, in his office on the seventh floor.
The topic is about what happened today in the dungeon.
It was something I was supposed to report to Yong Tae-soo, but thanks to how things turned out, I got to report it to Ma Gwang-jin instead.
‘Just as planned.’
“So, you’re saying that mercenary was the Red Hunter.”
“Yes.”
“Hmmm. This is my fault. I apologize.”
Ma Gwang-jin stood up and bowed his head to me.
Considering that just a day ago I couldn’t even raise my voice against unfair treatment, this felt like a whole new experience.
[What? Eugene, weren’t you getting bad treatment here? How did things turn out like this?]
‘Because I’ve regained my abilities. Thanks to you, Fril.’
The abilities I regained are truly mine, but it was also thanks to Fril giving me the “One Punch” skill.
[What! Thanks to that, I’m having a lot of fun watching! Hehe.]
Luckily, Fril was satisfied with the outside world.
I didn’t do anything special, but she managed well on her own sightseeing.
That was fortunate since I urgently had to solve my own problems.
[By the way, Eugene, is this world all about ability supremacy?]
‘…I can’t really say it’s not.’
The attitude Lee Se-han had toward me and the attitude Ma Gwang-jin showed were worlds apart.
Fril probably mentioned ability supremacy because of that.
Back then, I was officially a porter, but now I’m recognized as a 3-star hunter.
“So, you’re saying that after all the 8th team hunters were killed by the Red Hunter, you awakened?”
“That’s right.”
“I see. Got it.”
I altered the story slightly.
There was no need to share my backstory of being an awakened person forced to live as an unawakened.
“By the way, awakening straight to 3 stars… you’re really talented. I envy you.”
The negotiation was going smoothly.
No, it was so smooth I thought my butt might get sore from sitting too long.
“I can’t believe such talent existed in our Gwangcheol faction. I’m sorry we didn’t recognize you earlier.”
“Well, I was a porter…”
“To be honest, we’ve been watching you for some time. Among porters, you really stood out.”
“……”
The urge to say “When exactly?” almost came out but I held it back.
Ma Gwang-jin went all out to flatter me.
He used respectful speech he normally never uses, and showered me with praise for even the smallest things.
“By the way, what about that black…”
“This is an item I got in the dungeon after awakening.”
“Hm… Since it wasn’t in the 8th team hunters’ equipment list, that must be right.”
“Thank you for believing me.”
“No, no, haha.”
I was also easily recognized as the owner of the Eternal Frost Sword.
Normally, it would have been a complicated ordeal, questioning whether I really obtained it, the item’s grade, and so on.
‘It must be important to keep me pleased.’
Honestly, even knowing I shouldn’t, I couldn’t help feeling good.
[Wow. Eugene, you’re such an amazing person?]
Fril also expressed admiration.
Being recognized didn’t feel bad.
Still.
‘Calm down.’
I tried to control my emotions as much as possible.
I needed to stay cool.
If I fell for this flattery, my life would get messed up.
“In that sense, I’d like to propose a new contract.”
“Please, go ahead.”
After a preamble full of flattery, the main topic finally appeared.
“This is a 3-star hunter contract.”
Ma Gwang-jin handed me a stack of contracts.
“You shouldn’t be treated like a porter anymore, but as a proper hunter.”
He smiled brightly and stared at me.
That was probably the main point.
All the flattery was groundwork for this.
The Gwangcheol faction desperately needed 3-star hunters right now.
The negotiation atmosphere had been perfect so far.
Peaceful, laughing, and seemingly ready to treat me very well.
“I’ll take a look at the contract.”
“Oh, come on. Why go that far? Trust me and just sign it. I promise to treat you well!”
“Really?”
“I am Ma Gwang-jin, the man of trust. I promise you the best treatment, Hunter Kim Eugene.”
He patted his chest and bragged confidently.
‘Is it because I’m young? He’s really underestimating me.’
Well.
If I was a rookie hunter newly awakened with no social experience, I might have fallen for it.
After all the sweet talk, the contract was finally offered.
What’s wrong with signing it? I might have signed it carelessly.
‘But I’ve had a rough life.’
The past ten years weren’t easy for me.
There were many hardships, but among them…
‘I didn’t expect so many adults would try to take advantage of kids.’
There were truly many people trying to deceive me.
That’s the kind of life I’ve lived.
There was no way I’d fall for such sweet talk.
“I’ll read it once anyway.”
“…Don’t you trust me?”
Ma Gwang-jin showed a slightly displeased expression.
That was gaslighting to make me feel guilty.
‘I don’t trust you.’
But I didn’t show it outwardly.
“I’ll skim it.”
“…Well, if you insist.”
So I skimmed through the contract.
[Ugh! My head hurts!]
Fril, who was looking at the contract with me, screamed.
‘They really twisted the wording.’
That was my feeling too.
They twisted simple words.
There were expressions that could be interpreted in multiple ways all over.
Still, one thing was clear.
[So this is a good thing, right?]
‘No.’
[…No?]
‘Fril, don’t ever make contracts anywhere.’
[Ugh. Bad memories are coming back…]
This contract was an unfair slave contract.
Not only were the contract fee and basic pay insufficient, but there were poisonous clauses hidden throughout.
Clauses like refunding the contract fee if they didn’t like you, unconditional contract extensions, and so forth.
‘Did they really think I’d sign this?’
They totally saw me as a pushover.
“The contract terms are a bit disappointing.”
“Is… that so?”
Ma Gwang-jin’s eyes wavered.
“Yes. The amount and some of these conditions are…”
I pointed out several places.
“Hmm… those are standard terms applied to all Gwangcheol faction contracts, so they’re difficult to change. Also, Team Leader Yong Tae-soo says you’re not a normal 3-star hunter.”
Ma Gwang-jin, who had been flattering me moments ago, now started subtly putting me down.
‘So basically, for someone like you, you should be grateful for this contract.’
Honestly, I felt displeased.
Who wouldn’t feel bad when seeing someone trying to scam them?
Well, whatever.
I got everything I needed.
“Fine.”
“Then shall we proceed with the contract…”
I stood up and said,
“I won’t.”
“What!?”
Ma Gwang-jin looked up at me, surprised.
He probably didn’t expect me to end the meeting so quickly.
But for me, it was natural.
[You didn’t intend to sign from the start!?]
‘Bingo.’
I never intended to sign a hunter contract with this trash place from the beginning.
[Trash! They played with you!]
“Sorry, but that side is just garbage.”
【…?】
Back when I was exploited as a laborer, the ones who mainly harassed me were the Hunters from Team 8, who were my direct superiors.
“But that doesn’t mean only they’re trash.”
Besides them, there was the quartermaster, Lee Se-han, who always made me do extra work because of the mana suppressant, and even other team Hunters I passed by on the street would constantly pick fights with me.
The whole place was like that from the start.
Laborers were treated like less than human.
And…
“Ma Gwang-jin. That bastard knew about this but still ignored it.”
No, he even subtly encouraged it.
Strict merit-based treatment.
So the attitude was that laborers without ability deserved that kind of treatment.
The grudges I’d built up over the past few years weren’t something that would just fade away.
Of course, now I was in a position to be treated better.
“But if it’s going to be like this, no way.”
Seeing his attitude trying to cheat and swindle me, I completely closed my heart.
“Ah, no. Why are you suddenly like this…?”
But Ma Gwang-jin, seeming still reluctant, tried to hold me back.
“Are you asking because you don’t know?”
“With conditions like this, it’s more than fine, I tell you.”
“No.”
I smiled once again and declined.
Then Ma Gwang-jin finally seemed to realize something.
“…So you never had any intention of signing the contract from the start.”
His tone returned to informal again.
Yeah.
That’s the Ma Gwang-jin I knew.
“You’re slower on the uptake than I thought.”
The ‘negotiation’ I intended wasn’t about getting better treatment as a Hunter or anything like that.
I just wanted my rightful claims to be recognized smoothly.
“I trust you’ll handle at least half of the deceased’s items properly.”
“You, you…!”
What I meant by ‘my rights’ was the legitimate ownership of the Eternal Frost Sword I obtained with my own strength and the items of dead Hunters I painstakingly collected in the dungeon.
They were legally my possessions from the start, but if these guys tried to interfere, I’d be helpless and annoyed.
So I used Ma Gwang-jin’s desire to make a contract with me to smoothly claim those rights.
“Oh, and by the way, I’ve recorded everything, so it’d be better if you don’t change your story.”
I waved my old-featured phone with recording enabled.
At least with this, I was guaranteed my rights through proper procedures.
Of course, actually getting those items would take a bit more headache.
Still…
“Initial capital secured smoothly.”
Things were going pretty well.
Then—
“This laborer bastard getting pampered like this…!”
Ma Gwang-jin got pissed.
“How dare you toy with a person? You want to die?”
But he was only a 1-star Hunter.
A Hunter who hadn’t even trained after awakening.
He couldn’t overpower me physically.
“As the HR team leader, I’ll… discipline Team 8 laborer Kim Yoo-jin—”
But all he could do was say that, and even that was impossible.
“I quit.”
“What!?”
“I’m resigning.”
“You can’t just quit like that—”
“Laborers are contract workers, so it’s easy.”
“Profit…!”
Ma Gwang-jin’s face flushed like it was about to explode.
‘Who asked you to take me as a contract worker?’
Laborers for Gwangcheolpa were not full-time employees.
I thought it was bad at first because there was no job security, but it actually made quitting easier.
A blessing in disguise.
With this, Ma Gwang-jin was legally blocked from messing with me.
“If you have nothing more to say, I’m going.”
Grinding teeth sounds came from behind, but I ignored them.
Having resigned, I had no business here anymore.
‘Better take my items right away, huh?’
The relationship with Gwangcheolpa was already beyond repair.
It was wiser to take my stuff now.
I didn’t want to come back later anyway.
As I opened the door to leave—
“…!”
Something suddenly charged at my face, and instinctively I raised my arm.
BANG—!
A powerful impact hit my arm.
I was thrown back inside the room.
“Ugh… what the hell?”
I barely raised my arm to block, but the force made it ache.
【That muscle-head from before!】
It was Yong Tae-soo who appeared.
“Team Leader Yong!”
“HR team leader.”
Yong Tae-soo ignored Ma Gwang-jin, who called him cheerfully.
His gaze was fixed solely on me.
“I heard roughly what happened outside. So, it’s fine to kill this bastard, right?”
“W-well…”
Ma Gwang-jin hesitated to answer.
Yeah. Even in this messed-up world with corrupt authority, killing someone outside a dungeon wasn’t something to say lightly—
“No. But I’m going to kill him anyway, so clean it up.”
“…!”
“…!”
But Yong Tae-soo didn’t care about these adult politics.
I involuntarily locked eyes with Ma Gwang-jin.
He looked shocked too.
But he didn’t try to intervene.
Guess he thought it wasn’t necessary.
‘Damn it. Hmph.’
Suppressing my irritation, I stared at the advancing Yong Tae-soo.
He slowly closed in with a huge axe in hand.
This was a completely different attitude from before, when he didn’t use weapons.
“Do your best. If what you showed earlier was all you’ve got, you’re going to die.”
There was a strangely joyful smile on his lips.
It looked like a fight was inevitable.
“…Hah, fuck.”
So it’s come to this.
The most troublesome scenario I expected.
Still, I didn’t have to lose.
I stared Yong Tae-soo right in the eyes and spat out—
“Fuck off.”
“Ha ha ha ha! Then let’s see if you really have the skill to back that up!”
With a grin, the giant axe swung horizontally toward me.
Whoooosh──!
