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CHAPTER 10
The One-Rank Scent Technician Who Became Seongsu’s Uncle
: A Life-Threatening Situation
The next day, 2 PM.
A time when anyone would have already finished lunch.
In my workshop…
Even the tiger living here had finished eating, but the real problem was just beginning.
“Gyaaahhh! Boss!!!”
I activated Child’s Cry and watched what was happening inside the workshop through my mental projection.
In the mental image, two beings were running across the wooden floor.
- Waaang!
- Uwaaaah!!
The first was Argo, who had become my familiar.
The second was my mischievous niece, Yurang.
Yurang was playing ball to help digestion.
Of course, the “ball” here was Argo.
Argo had changed slightly in size from before.
Originally, he was large enough to be held with both hands, but now he had shrunk to the size of a music box.
With his adjustable size, Argo was desperately running away from Yurang.
Meanwhile, Yurang happily chased after him with her soft little feet bouncing around.
The two looked like they came straight out of Tom and Jerry.
“Surprisingly, they get along well.”
Unlike I expected, Yurang really liked Argo, whose golden and red colors blended strangely well together.
I thought she would be wary of a strange monster entering the house, but instead she was playing with him.
Argo, following my orders, had been keeping her company while I was away.
Even if he had become a toy.
“Just endure it a little. I’ll come back once the deal is done.”
“Please, hurry up!!!”
As Yurang chewed on him like a teething toy, Argo eventually gave up and cried in resignation.
I thought I’d give him a bonus later and quickly cut off the telepathic link.
I had changed out of the “Divine Physician’s Workwear” into a clean black suit.
Two people who had come for the building transaction were looking at me.
“Are you sure 1.5 billion won is enough?”
“I’m the type who keeps my word once I say it. Besides, I was only watching from afar because of the bad rumors… so it’s better for someone who actually needs it to use it.”
The speaker was the building owner, a rich-born man.
Until yesterday he wore only a blue tracksuit, but today he was dressed properly.
Not as formal as my suit and shoes, but at least he wore slacks and a dress shirt.
However…
“He’s going to collapse if he doesn’t lose weight soon.”
A strong greasy smell came from inside his body.
Still, thanks to his offer, I was able to save a little over 3 billion won.
“I don’t know how much it’ll cost to raise Yurang, so I need to save wherever I can.”
My priorities were:
- Raise Yurang properly
- Gather reliable allies
- Establish a guild
Even founding a guild costs a lot of money, so this discount was welcome.
There were no signs of fraud from either the owner or the broker during the contract process.
Everything was clean, so I signed the documents.
“With this, the deal is complete, Mr. Kim Dong-hyuk.”
“As expected, deals with Hunters are clean. Mr. Jang Dori.”
Weirdly, we hadn’t even known each other’s names until just before signing.
We stood up holding our contracts, and Kim Dong-hyuk extended his hand first.
“Shall we shake hands?”
It seemed like a gesture meaning the deal was successfully completed.
I shook his hand with equal strength.
Then it happened.
“Ugh…”
Kim Dong-hyuk suddenly staggered.
He tried to hold his head but collapsed before he could.
At over 180 cm tall, if he hit the ground wrong, he could die from a concussion.
I quickly moved behind him, supporting his back and head, lowering him gently to the ground.
The broker widened her eyes, checking whether he was conscious.
I looked down at his condition.
[Condition: Fainting due to arrhythmia]
The cause was obvious.
Overeating high-calorie food without exercise.
According to the documents, Kim Dong-hyuk was 34—ten years older than me.
In your 20s, diet alone can keep you healthy, but your 30s are different.
He clearly lived a life without exercise.
It wouldn’t be strange for him to collapse anytime.
But if he died here, it would be a problem for me.
“If he dies, I’ll be the main suspect. I’ll end up going to the police station repeatedly for questioning…”
I needed to avoid drawing attention to Yurang at all costs.
Swoosh—
Even in a suit, I was wearing the “Divine Physician’s Workwear.”
Its pockets were spatial storage, so I quickly pulled out two small perfume bottles.
“Step aside, I’ll check him!”
“Ah… yes.”
I lifted Kim Dong-hyuk’s upper body slightly and placed one open perfume bottle near each nostril.
[You have inhaled ‘Warm Sunshine’.]
[Body waste is slowly being broken down.]
[You have inhaled ‘New Year Sunrise’.]
[Stamina is gradually recovering.]
The first perfume was perfect for the situation.
I had originally thought about selling it for medical use.
But certification was too complicated.
Still, I didn’t mind.
These were early prototypes.
They were made with cheap materials on the first day I got the profession, so using them a few times wasn’t a problem.
In fact, testing them like this was beneficial.
‘I’ve always been healthy, so I never noticed their effects.’
But for an ordinary person like him, the effect was strong.
So strong that his body began emitting a bright blue light.
Piiiiing!!!
“…Wait, don’t tell me—?”
A Hunter awakening.
Normally, awakening changes the body significantly.
I had heard of cases where people went bald or turned purple.
My own hair and eye color had changed too.
And Kim Dong-hyuk’s transformation was just as dramatic.
“Woah…”
Even I, who had seen many things, was slightly surprised.
He slowly regained consciousness.
“What… happened to me?”
“First, take a look at your face.”
“…What?”
I handed him a small mirror.
“My face!!!?”
He had become so slim that he looked like a different person.
A perfect example of “the best plastic surgery is becoming a Hunter.”
His face had become surprisingly handsome.
Fat had turned into muscle, giving him a solid build.
His oversized clothes were about to fall off.
He sat back down and listened to what happened.
—
After hearing the story, his reaction was explosive.
“I’ve done awakening trials so many times… and I only awaken now?!”
His face was handsome, but his voice was still rough.
He had done ten trials, each costing 4 million won.
Awakening trials worked by exposing the body to mana.
From using Hunter-made items to even fighting monsters.
Monster subjugation had the highest efficiency.
Some guilds made fortunes through this method.
But despite all that expensive training, he had never awakened.
In a way, he simply had no talent.
And yet, he awakened after meeting me.
The only explanation—
He was compatible with my perfume.
Like evolving a Pokémon with the right elemental stone.
Kim Dong-hyuk suddenly grabbed my hands.
“Thank you! Not only did you save my life, you also awakened me as a Hunter! I’ll serve you as my benefactor for life!!!”
And then my skill activated again.
[Job-exclusive skill: “Gratitude and Trust” activated.]
I checked the numbers.
[Name: Kim Dong-hyuk]
[Trust toward you: 360]
[Affection toward you: 100]
His trust level was higher than Yurang’s.
“So above 300 means they see you like family?”
When I first saved Yurang, her trust was 250.
Same situation, different numbers.
‘So if they don’t properly recognize the favor, the value drops?’
I studied the system while looking at him.
“Dori-nim!!!”
He treated me like someone above him.
“Mmm. I heard your father runs a company?”
“Yes!”
“What business, and last year’s revenue…”
“Ah… that…”
He wasn’t hesitating because he didn’t want to answer.
It was because someone else shouldn’t hear it.
The broker understood and stayed silent.
“Hmm.”
His father seemed quite capable.
For now, I had no time for business—but later, it might be useful.
“If there’s a chance later, I’d like to talk to your father.”
“Anytime! I’ll arrange it!!!”
“Good. Focus on training your Hunter abilities for now.”
“Understood!”
After exchanging contacts, I left the café and headed to another shop.
—
Jang Dori pushed open a small bell-hanging door.
Ding-a-ling!
It was a cake shop specializing in custom cakes for events.
“Welco— Ah?!”
The owner recognized him immediately and came out from behind the counter.
“You’re here for the cake you reserved, right?”
“Yes.”
Using Superhuman Sense of Smell, he had chosen the best bakery in the area.
The owner brought out an ice cream cake.
“As requested, it’s made with ingredients safe for dogs and cats.”
“Thank you.”
The cake resembled Yurang’s face.
A white half-dome cake with two small ears—clearly modeled after a white tiger.
He had prepared it to share his joy.
He had never experienced so many happy things in his life.
He became a landlord, and even gained Argo as a companion.
He wanted to celebrate.
He took the cake and left immediately.
—
‘Let’s see.’
He searched for a place to open a portal.
At that moment, Argo’s voice echoed in his mind.
“Boss! Where are you?!”
He replied casually.
‘I’m about to open a portal. Too many people around.’
But Argo’s voice turned urgent.
‘Yurang’s condition is strange! Hurry!!!’
“!!!?”
Realizing something was wrong, he immediately created a portal and rushed in.
“What’s going on?!”
He saw Yurang collapsed and Argo panicking.
He checked the surroundings with his sense.
-No injuries
-No intruders
Relief washed over him.
“Malnutrition.”
“Yeah, malnutrition.”
Both he and Argo came to the same conclusion.
He was stunned.
He had spent over 10 million won on meat alone.
He had even researched nutritional supplements for tigers.
Yet—malnutrition?
At that moment, a voice interrupted.
[“Earth Lord” says your efforts were not bad.]
A thick book appeared in front of him.
“Everything About Tiger Monsters”
Author: Earth Lord
It was a parenting book.
He quickly flipped to the “diet” section.
[Young tiger monsters suffering from malnutrition must be fed monster meat.]
[The meat must be prepared by a parent or a professional Hunter.]
He found the answer.
“Argo! Show me your item list!”
Argo complied.
He selected what he needed instantly and began transferring items into his spatial storage.
“This, this, and this…”
Then Argo pulled out a final item.
“This is the last one.”
“Thanks!!!”
It was a black ring.
Name: Halo of the Fallen Angel
Rank: S
A ring that grants wings enabling supersonic flight when worn.
He placed it on his head.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Massive wings spread out from his back.
But something about him felt different.
Dark green glowing eyes.
Black suit blending with pitch-black wings.
A cold, ruthless aura.
He looked like a fallen angel.
But inside, he only thought of Yurang.
For him, she was no longer just a quest objective—she was family.
He abandoned everything.
“I’m going to find someone who can cook. Stay here!”
“Are you sure?!”
He assigned Argo a task.
“You still have the life-energy transfer skill, right?”
“Ah… I do.”
It was the only way to stabilize Yurang.
But it would drain Argo’s life force for up to 4 hours.
He checked the clock.
3 PM.
“Before dinner, I’ll be back no matter what.”
He set Yurang’s dinner in advance.
And after gently stroking her head, he soared into the sky above Seoul.
