TRGS 06

Chapter 6

“Does he know everything?”

Cha Jungwoo’s face hardened under Yujin’s gaze.

The Mir Guild had been secretly backing the enhancement factory.
Not only had they turned a blind eye to the abuse occurring inside, but also to minor crimes.

All for the sake of the guild’s profit.

“But if word of this gets out…”

The guild’s reputation would take a hit.

People had been used like disposable parts in that factory. Abuse was routine.

If it became public knowledge that the guild had sponsored such a place, there was no way it would be seen favorably.

“That can’t happen.”

Even the Hunters already affiliated with the guild would begin to wonder,
“Would they use me like that too?”

Naturally, the attrition rate would rise.
Worse, they might stop recruiting quality newcomers altogether.

That’s how reputation worked.
It seemed silly—until it ruined everything.

In the worst case, it could cost the head of the person in charge.

“No. There’s no way someone like him could know the truth.”

At most, it would be mere suspicion.

“Should I just get rid of him now?”

A dangerous glint flashed in Cha Jungwoo’s eyes.

But only for a moment.

“…If I act recklessly, it’ll only make things worse for me. I need to play it safe.”

Cha Jungwoo was just a pawn of the Mir Guild.
From the outside, people might think he held an impressive title.

But in the end, he was nothing more than a disposable piece. A hunting dog.

“…I’m just a tool to be used and thrown away. I need to raise my value somehow.”

To him, every day felt like a noose tightening around his neck.

And now—this unstable element suddenly appeared.

Whether by money or force, he had to be removed.

Money was the easier option.

Yujin asked in a bright tone that didn’t suit his stoic face:

“How much are you willing to pay for these mana stones?”

“….”

“Our Hunter Association—”

Cha Jungwoo stepped forward before Yujin could finish.

“Clearing a dungeon alone… Truly impressive.”

Clap, clap.

He began to applaud slowly and spoke.

“Those mana stones—we’d like to buy them on behalf of the Mir Guild.”

“The Mir Guild? All of a sudden?”

“I was moved. I never imagined you’d clear a dungeon by yourself.”

The shaman goblin’s mana stone—proof of defeating the boss.
It couldn’t be faked.

Cha Jungwoo smiled and asked:

“Did you perhaps clear it with a team?”

“I did it alone.”

Yujin flatly denied any team involvement.

Cha Jungwoo nodded and pulled a business card from his suit jacket.

“I’m Cha Jungwoo, team leader of Team 4 at the Mir Guild.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Since we’re discussing the mana stone trade, I’d also like to talk to you about the guild. Do you have a moment?”

Cha Jungwoo smiled.

“We’d like to recruit you into the Mir Guild.”

“!”

“!”

Even the civil servants widened their eyes in surprise at such a prestigious offer.

Cha Jungwoo smirked inwardly.

“If there’s a threat, just turn it into an ally.”

There was no reason for him to say no.

After all, this was no ordinary guild—it was the Mir Guild, one of Korea’s top five.

“We’ll offer you the best treatment.”

Yujin glanced down at the business card and slowly opened his mouth.

“I—”

***

“Haven’t slept this well in a while.”

The sky was dark.

Yujin stretched his stiff body after a deep rest thanks to an IV injection.

“Modern medicine never disappoints. No wonder everyone says one shot fixes everything.”

Thanks to healers, modern medicine had evolved even further.

“The enhanced pills are effective too.”

He looked at the pill tucked into his pocket—
a muscle pain reliever.

It originally had side effects.

[+1 Enhanced Pill]
Fatigue Recovery +20%
All side effects removed.

The magic enhancement had made it very useful.

“Can’t believe a little pill like this can be enhanced. Damn, this ability is amazing.”

Indeed, having an enhancement-related job was a game-changer.

Removing all side effects with just one enhancement?
Normally, even minor ones lingered.

“Maybe it’s just because the pill is expensive.”

Sure, it cost more—but that wasn’t an issue for Yujin.

“Thank you for everything today, Team Leader.”

Today, it was free for him.

Hunter Association had covered the treatment.

Not Mir Guild—Hunter Association.

Why?
Because Yujin had rejected Mir Guild’s offer.

Team Leader Han Taemin, who had witnessed it all, couldn’t hide his conflicted expression.

“Why would he refuse that?”

Mir Guild’s offer had been golden.
Had Han Taemin not been devoted to public service, he would’ve accepted it without hesitation.

“It was far above his current level.”

Yujin’s current grade? E-rank.

Honestly, if he didn’t have any skills, he’d be closer to F.

Even if he improved, D-rank was likely the ceiling.

Yet Mir Guild had offered him treatment worthy of a B-rank prospect.

“So why…”

Han Taemin looked at Yujin, puzzled.

Could he really be that patriotic?

Yujin shrugged.

“Just so you know—I’m not planning to join the Hunter Association either.”

“…Then?”

“I just haven’t heard an offer that really interests me yet.”

In other words—

Even B-rank treatment wasn’t enough for him.

Which essentially meant he had no intention of joining any organization.

“That’s dangerous.”

Han Taemin gave a sincere warning.

There had been cases like Yujin before.

“Even if it’s not the Association, you’ll need some group to protect you.”
“I understand.”

Yujin nodded but didn’t budge on his stance.

“I just don’t think I’m only worth B-rank.”

Arrogant.

That was the only fitting word.

What kind of Hunter turns down an offer better than their own grade?

Some might call it bold.
Most would call it foolish.

Han Taemin usually belonged to the latter camp.

But—

“…This guy’s different. Doesn’t feel like blind ambition.”

For once, he thought Yujin might really be more than he appeared.

“You’re quite daring.”
“Isn’t that how a man should be?”

Yujin grinned. Han Taemin let out a dry laugh.

In truth, Yujin wasn’t planning to stay solo forever.

He knew being alone had its limits.

He was just looking for a group he could use.

“I heard you’ve been regraded recently.”

Hunter grades weren’t assigned by the system.

It was a human-made ranking system for convenience,
usually based on stats.

“My magic stat is 15. That puts me right at D-grade.”

Typically:

• D-rank = 15+

• C-rank = 35+

• And so on, in increments of 20.
  S-rank had a higher threshold.

Yujin nodded.

“Yes, I have.”

“Please visit the Association sometime this week. Ah, and…”

Han Taemin leaned closer and whispered:

“Be careful of the Mir Guild.”

“…”

“Well then, have a good night.”

He bowed and got into the car waiting for him.

For someone of Yujin’s rank—D on paper, E in practice—Han Taemin had shown exceptional courtesy.

Han Taemin was known for being like that.
He’d later die in an unfortunate accident.

Probably just had a big heart.

“Beware the Mir Guild,”
he had said.

The Mir Guild—one of Korea’s five top guilds.
A cornerstone of post-Awakening Korea.

Naturally, like all things in the light, it had a dark side.

Cha Jungwoo? Definitely one of the darker elements.

“Wait. Why did he even try to recruit me?”

Yujin scratched his chin.

Cha Jungwoo had made an offer.
Just for clearing one low-rank goblin dungeon?

There had to be another reason.

“Ah. It must’ve been the way I looked at him.”

He probably got nervous from Yujin’s gaze.

And understandably so—
That factory was inhumane in every sense.

“Still, I sold them the stones.”

The Mir Guild had paid above market value.

A silent bribe—
Take this and stay quiet.

Yujin had accepted.

There was no reason to pick a fight now.

Eventually, word about the factory would spread anyway.

No need to make enemies yet.

“After all, I’m an Enhancer.”

His body was still weak.

He needed to improve both his skills and physical stats.

“Payment’s due tomorrow…”

Thankfully, internet banking was still functional.

Unlike later, when everything had to be done in annoying cash.

“It’s already past 8 p.m.”

Just in time, Yujin logged into the café site.

All Hunters were required to join:
<Dungeon & Café>

It had posts about finding party members, buying/selling gear, and more.

Yujin scrolled through the feed lazily.

“Found it.”

One post caught his eye:

• Looking for someone to repair an item.

• Posted by: Unknown

• Upvotes: 0 | Downvotes: 0 | Comments: 0

A completely ignored post.

“Still posting consistently, I see.”

The username was hidden, but Yujin knew who it was.

The Sword Demon.

An S-rank Hunter said to be unmatched with a blade in Korea.
No—the world.

“Even Park Seungcheol couldn’t beat him in pure swordsmanship at first.”

But at some point, the Sword Demon disappeared from dungeons and went into seclusion.

Two years later, his body was found in an abandoned S-rank dungeon in the U.S.—
Hephaestus’s Forge.

Clutching a finely-honed, broken sword.

It was later revealed that he had only one goal:

To repair that sword.

But he kept this a complete secret, even while searching for help.

– What do you want repaired?
– Can’t say.
– …Then how am I supposed to fix it?
– Figure it out.
– What type of weapon is it?
– Can’t say. Also, sign a non-disclosure agreement first.
– Is this guy insane?

A total eccentric—revealing nothing.

“Perfect timing.”

By now, he was probably desperate.

No blacksmith or workshop could fix it.

“It wasn’t a durability issue, after all.”

If Yujin could persuade the Sword Demon, he’d gain a powerful ally.

Not just a fighter—
Someone who could teach him the physical techniques he lacked.

“No one’s better with a blade than the Sword Demon.”

In the future, Yujin would benefit greatly from the techniques he left behind.

So he messaged:

– I’ll fix it.

Success meant a new ally.
Failure meant death.

But Yujin never failed.

It was a risk-free deal.