TRGS 64

Chapter 64

“You are…”

Han Yeyeon couldn’t hide the shock in her eyes as she looked at Yujin.

He was wearing a mask, but she recognized him right away.

It was Yujin—the same man who had taken down the broker with her just yesterday.

‘I thought he was strange.’

She only realized it afterward, but the power he wielded had clearly been enhancement magic.

A skill that only Enhancers could possess.

A profession notorious among the production classes for its abysmal efficiency, miserable cost-effectiveness, and dismal performance.

If someone awakened as an Enhancer, people often joked that they hadn’t become a Hunter at all—they’d just earned a small certificate.

‘But he doesn’t seem like an ordinary Enhancer…’

As an archer, she had sharp instincts and a keen eye. Just by looking at someone, she could usually tell what kind of training they’d been through or what specialty they had.

Her skill, Insight Eye, helped make archers more perfect and safer in combat.

Compared to what was known about Enhancers, his physical stats looked high, and his mana reserves were also huge.

In fact, it was enough to make her wonder if he might actually be a Magic Swordsman instead.

What was even stranger was that Yujin didn’t seem to be making much of an effort to hide it.

Click.

“You recognized me right away.”

Yujin removed his mask and shifted his gaze toward the walkie-talkie.

“See? I told you it was pointless.”

His tone carried a smugness, and from the other side of the radio came the exasperated voice of the Master.

— The mask is one of our basic rules. You may not have needed it until now, but when you’re working with us, it’s best to wear it.

“Well, true. There’s no upside to exposing your identity while evading taxes.”

— Not tax evasion. It’s called saving money by avoiding unnecessary expenses.

“Sure, sure.”

Yujin brushed it off casually.

Han Yeyeon took in the entire scene.

Even in silence, she could tell from the Master’s tone that he was incredulous.

So even he shows that kind of emotion, huh?

Yujin stood and bowed slightly, then extended his hand.

“Anyway, let me properly introduce myself again. Han Yujin.”

“…Ah, yes. Nice to meet you. I’m Han Yeyeon… You can call me casually.”

Han Yeyeon awkwardly shook his hand.

It was a prosthetic hand she shook with, so it felt a little awkward—but not nearly as much as before. That was because Yujin’s enhancement was still active, strengthening her body.

“Then may I call you ‘One-armed Archer’?”

“No.”

Han Yeyeon flatly rejected it.

Yujin scratched the back of his head awkwardly, realizing he’d slipped up.

She had just told him to be casual, and yet here he was, blurting something out like that.

But she couldn’t help it.

One-armed Archer?! Seriously?

“…Sorry. I’m a little sensitive about nicknames.”

“I understand.”

‘One-armed Archer’—a shortened form of “one-armed bowman.”

It wasn’t that she disliked being called one-armed.

Her missing arm was a deficiency, yes, but it wasn’t something that eroded her spirit.

She just hated that nickname.

It was too cringeworthy.

‘I thought it wasn’t bad though…’

— That’s enough introductions. Time to get to work. Haven’t you heard time is money?

“You can consider this a worthwhile investment. I’ve made you plenty of money, haven’t I?”

— You…

The Master’s voice trembled with restrained frustration.

But he didn’t press further. He seemed to recognize there was a peculiar dynamic here.

What kind of vision does this guy have?

Everyone has their secrets.

If you’re skilled enough to negotiate separately from the black market, to secure equal footing in deals rather than just being a freelancer, it means you have a vision.

But Yujin felt… different.

Relaxed?

Almost arrogant, even.

Usually, even with secrets, most people showed caution. Relationships could shift at any moment depending on circumstances.

But Yujin showed none of that hesitation.

And for good reason.

Han Yeyeon—and indeed, no one—knew of the countless secrets Yujin carried.

Even his unique enhancement skills were enough to warrant it, but his knowledge of the future was invaluable in itself.

He didn’t just have one secret—he had many.

And once the Master discovered some of those “secrets,” he would have no choice but to keep working with Yujin.

Though the Master didn’t yet know, instinct told him Yujin was an important man.

— …Fine. Let’s move on. I’ll tell you the current task.

The Master cleared his throat and changed the subject.

Yujin could guess his intention, but let it slide.

Now wasn’t the time to interrogate him.

— The broker coughed up information.

“Hm.”

“Mhm.”

Yujin stroked his chin.

The fact that the Master had said the broker “coughed up information” without specifying what it was already told him enough.

But Yeyeon didn’t seem to notice, staring blankly at the radio.

“So? Isn’t it over?”

— If he had been the snake’s head, yes.

Weariness tinged the Master’s voice.

— But he wasn’t. He was just a subcontractor of a subcontractor.

“A subcontractor of a subcontractor?”

— Yes. The broker himself was being controlled by someone else. Likely a supposed ‘freelancer’… in truth, one of Dokseon’s direct subordinates. Most likely an ethnic Korean-Chinese. No Korean would willingly serve under him, so it’s probably a Chinese national living in Korea.

Yujin nodded.

He didn’t know much about Dokseon, but he did know that Chinese Hunters tended to operate similarly.

In Korea, the ethnic Chinese-Korean community remained. They should have naturalized by now, but many still hung on.

And no doubt Dokseon was exploiting them.

With China’s economic size and the drug money Dokseon was pulling in, it was more than enough to secure lifelong pawns.

— We intend to capture him. His estimated rank is A-class, but without his drugs he reportedly can’t function properly.

“Is that real intel?”

— Of course. Why else would an A-rank Hunter work under Dokseon?

“That’s fair.”

Just the fact that he was stuck lingering in Korea said enough.

A Hunter of that level could’ve gone to China and made a name for himself.

“What’s his name?”

— Jin Yu.

“What a crappy name.”

Jin Yu.

It was a name Yujin had heard before.

‘Wasn’t he the Goblin Hunter?’

An A-class villain who always wore a goblin mask—one who would’ve been taken down much earlier if not for all the conditions tied to him.

So, it’s finally time for villains to start showing up properly, huh?

Well, there were limits to operating only in Korea.

Though the downside is, there’s still plenty for him to exploit here.

There were still many big incidents yet to come.

And Jin Yu wasn’t even a major villain, more of a small fry. He still had a while before he would venture overseas.

While Yujin was calculating this in his head, Han Yeyeon suddenly realized something odd.

“…Wait, is it just the two of us?”

— Yes.

“No backup?”

— None. That costs money.

“So, just the two of us are supposed to hunt him? How?”

— He’s currently in a dungeon. We’ll strike while his back is turned. It’s confirmed to be a dungeon that allows mid-raid intrusion, so don’t worry.

“No, no… Okay. But still—just me and Yujin? What about a front-liner?”

— He’ll handle it himself.

“I am cost-effective, after all.”

Yujin openly admitted he was cheap compared to his ability.

Fine, so his price was low.

But still…

“He’s an Enhancer…”

— That won’t be a problem. You won’t lack anything.

“No, but still—”

— Better to see it for yourself than argue. The two of you will handle this raid together.

The Master’s tone was firm.

In the end, Han Yeyeon reluctantly nodded.

“…Fine. It’s not like we ever had an abundance of support anyway. Got it.”

— Don’t misunderstand. I’m just pursuing efficiency—

“Cheapskate.”

— …

The Master fell silent, apparently at a loss for words.

Han Yeyeon casually turned away.

“Yujin, what’s your rank? I’ll adjust accordingly.”

“D-rank.”

“…What?”

As soon as Yujin revealed he was D-rank, Han Yeyeon opposed the mission outright.

“No way! We’re going after an A-rank! Even if I’m A-rank, how am I supposed to fight alongside a D-rank?!”

— It’s possible. He may not help kill, but he won’t drag you down either.

“He’ll die!”

— He won’t. Do you even know what he can do?

The Master’s weary voice came through the radio.

— He might even be stronger than you.

“What are you—? I’m an A-rank Hunter, you know!”

— I’m not talking about raw combat power. He’s not like the Enhancers we think of. He can support perfectly. His ability to solo dungeons is outstanding. And I suspect there are abilities I haven’t even uncovered yet. Am I wrong?

“….”

Yujin only shrugged.

No answer, but the Master carried on as if he had expected that.

— Our goal is to drag Dokseon out of my business. And while we’re at it, we’ll bleed him dry.

“And what do we get out of it?”

— Your payment. And of course, I’ll waive any commission on the additional spoils.

The Master spoke as though he were being generous.

It was obvious that only Yeyeon and Yujin would take on this job, yet he was so casual about it.

Well, that just meant they really were capable.

Yujin chuckled and nodded.

“Fine. Make sure the payment goes through properly. I’m tight on cash these days thanks to my new venture.”

— I heard you started a guild. Why take that path? If you want to keep working with me, such a move will only be a hindrance.

“Well…”

It was true. With his public identity as Han Yujin, it was a bit of a stretch.

Especially when operating abroad, it would become even more restrictive.

But back when he was still an E-rank Enhancer, he’d had no choice. There was nothing else he could do.

Now, things were different.

“I’ll explain when we get back. Let’s just say I don’t plan to run only one business.”

He intended to maintain regular dealings with the black market.

And he had methods in place to make it work.

“This raid ends, and then I’ll join the Rattlesnake raid. Plenty of guilds must’ve bid for it—it’s a tough one, right? Since it’s being led by Korea, it won’t be easy to get in otherwise.”

— I don’t know what you’re talking about.

The voice on the radio was curt.

Despite clearly knowing, the Master feigned ignorance.

“Well, whatever.”

Yujin rose to his feet.

“Mutual benefit. Let’s both get something out of this. I know I’ve got plenty to gain from you, too.”

— …

“Send the info via KakaoTalk. Yeyeon? Let’s go.”

“Eh? Oh, okay.”

Han Yeyeon stood up.

The radio remained silent.

But somehow, Yujin could sense the Master’s exhaustion.

“Hmm…”

When they arrived at the designated location, Yujin stroked his chin.

Near a mountain lay a ruin—an old, abandoned school.

Now it was so dilapidated that not even thrill-seekers came here anymore. Flyers littered the ground in front of the crumbling building.

[People with production-class jobs, rise up! I will create a nation for you! I will prove you are not incompetent!]

Han Yeyeon glanced at Yujin, then at the flyer, her voice dripping with distaste.

“…A cult?”