Chapter 3: First Request
After grabbing my license, I brought up the Status Window and muttered.
“Then first, let’s measure my combat power.”
I need to figure out what level of request I can take right now.
At times like this, objective self-assessment is important.
Just because I got a skill—when I don’t even know if it’s trash or gold—I can’t go throwing myself into danger.
I skimmed the information window and touched my earlobe.
[You can hire Monsters by paying Gold.]
Anyway, there’s only one I can hire with the Gold I have right now.
[Would you like to hire a Goblin Slave for 50 Gold?]
Ha, a Goblin Slave.
How long has it been since I last hired one of these?
Back when I was a newbie, I didn’t know any better and poured items into this thing.
Of course, after learning it had terrible cost efficiency and was one of the worst Monsters for benefiting from equipment, it became nothing more than a meat shield.
On top of that, there was even a nasty bug where the equipped gear would disappear at some point.
“Still, it’s the only thing I can hire, so I’ve got no choice.”
I pressed my earlobe.
[You have hired a Goblin Slave for 50 Gold!]
At the same time, new information appeared on one side of the Status Window.
[Summonable Monsters: Goblin Slave 1/1]
“Yeah, just like I thought.”
So far, it was no different from the MonMonMak game.
Then let’s see how a pixel Goblin from the game manifests in reality.
I pressed my earlobe again.
[Summoning Goblin Slave!]
Bwoooong!
Then, a bizarre sight unfolded before my eyes.
In the middle of my cramped studio apartment, space itself twisted—and a fist-sized crack appeared.
And then—
Plop.
“?”
As if spitting out gum, the crack dropped something small with a plop before vanishing instantly.
I narrowed my eyes at the marble rolling across the floor.
What is that?
But the moment I bent down to pick up the rolling sphere—
Boom!
A loud popping sound struck my ears, like a huge balloon bursting.
At the same time, thick white smoke suddenly billowed out, filling the tiny room.
But after a brief moment of surprise, I calmly waved my hand to clear the gray smoke.
Through the haze, I spotted a blurry figure standing on my bed.
One glance was enough.
I immediately grasped the situation and muttered.
“This is a bit dangerous.”
A sphere drops, and a Monster is summoned from inside it along with smoke?
This is basically Pokémon.
Was MonMonMak this kind of game?
“Kiruk.”
And something responded to my muttering.
Well… not exactly speech—more like a cry.
With a calm expression, I looked at the creature staring at me from the bed.
Short green fur densely covering its body, long ears and nose, and a sly gaze—short and stocky.
“Definitely a typical…”
There was no doubt.
A Goblin Slave.
Its appearance was identical to the Goblins commonly seen in Gates.
“…Goblin.”
But then—
“What are you holding in your hand right now?”
The item it was holding looked strange.
***
30 years ago, after the Great Upheaval, when Gates and Monsters began appearing—
And Awakened individuals with supernatural abilities began working as Hunters, raising concerns about their management—
Amid a barrage of reporters’ questions, the head of the Awakened Management Headquarters at the time answered:
Ending with a stylish smile and a nod.
That press conference, broadcast live nationwide, is still remembered as a meme clip.
Anyway, that director—who had nothing but a handsome face—completed his full term.
Thanks to him, Korea’s Hunter management system became a symbol of sloppy administration.
Even now, reorganized as the Hunter Association Management Headquarters, it still has many loopholes.
“Your license is E Rank… and you’ve got quite a few records of being hired as a porter or day laborer… but your activity as a Hunter so far—0 times across both Dungeons and Gates. None at all?”
“Yes. Is that a problem?”
At the Hunter Association Management Headquarters in Jongno, Seoul—
The female employee entering my information into the system shook her head.
“No, since you have a license, it’s fine. But you can only accept E Rank requests.”
As long as you have a license, it’s okay.
Of course, requests above C Rank are managed more strictly, but E Rank treatment was basically “whatever happens, happens.”
In short:
‘If you don’t want to die, don’t be an E Rank Hunter.’
The employee in front of me clearly had that attitude.
“Would you like me to look up available requests?”
“Yes.”
“Are you solo?”
“Sol—”
For a moment, I almost reacted emotionally, but realized she meant whether I operate alone as a Hunter, and nodded.
“Yes. As you can see, this is my first time working after getting my license.”
The employee tapped the keyboard indifferently.
“There are about 30 E Rank requests available. Would you like to check the list?”
“Sure.”
The moment I answered, my smartphone buzzed.
A new window appeared, showing a map along with a list of requests.
I stroked my chin for a while, reviewing Gate locations and detailed information.
Only when irritation began to show on the employee’s face did I speak.
“I’ll take this request.”
A Gate that appeared in a mountain village in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province.
A request to hunt Goblins roaming nearby.
The employee frowned at the screen.
“…This one? Are you sure?”
I nodded, and she hesitated before continuing.
“This isn’t really a request an E Rank Hunter would take solo…”
Of course, one thing was left unsaid:
It was a completely reasonable statement.
Even though Goblins are low-tier Monsters, they move in groups—so if they appear in numbers, even a D Rank Hunter would struggle alone.
Although the reported number was small, lowering its rank, it clearly had variables.
That’s exactly why it interested me.
“You don’t need to worry.”
“…If you abandon the request, the fee will still be deducted, and if there is damage to civilian areas, you’ll be responsible for compensation.”
I shrugged.
Eventually, she typed on the keyboard.
“I’ll register the request now. A 10% commission will be deducted. For E Rank requests, handling Monster byproducts is entirely up to the Hunter—we don’t take a cut. Also, the Hunter Association Management Headquarters is not responsible for any accidents during the request. If you agree, please place your fingerprint on the device.”
She said “not responsible for any accidents” far too casually.
As expected, this Hunter world is cold-blooded from top to bottom.
Realizing I had stepped into a jungle of beasts, I placed my finger on the scanner.
“You said you’re going alone, right?”
After everything was done, she asked.
“Yes.”
“You didn’t sign up for Hunter life insurance. Would you like to enroll in a temporary one provided by the headquarters?”
“?”
Offering insurance here?
At that moment, I understood everything from the look in her eyes.
She thinks I might die fighting Goblins.
Fair enough.
Based on my registered stats, I’m barely capable of handling even one Goblin.
“No, I don’t need it.”
I smiled and declined.
Did she think I didn’t know they take 50% of the request fee as insurance?
***
Even if it’s an E Rank request, it’s still life on the line.
No matter how insignificant it seems, it’s still a chance to become a hero.
“Oh my, Hunter-nim!”
Hongcheon, Gangwon Province.
To the village chief, I must have looked like a hero.
“Thank you so much! To come all the way to such a humble place! How can we ever repay this kindness…!”
The chief bowed deeply.
His bald head reflected the sunlight brightly.
“It’s nothing. I’m getting paid for this, after all.”
“Still, the fact that you came is what matters! The request was so insignificant that even after a week since reporting it, there was no response!”
The villagers seemed to have been on edge the entire week.
Well, no Hunter would come all the way out here just to hunt Goblins that don’t even pay well.
An E Rank request only pays about 200,000 to 300,000 won at most.
And most importantly, if an E Rank request is left unattended for over 10 days, Hunters from the Association handle it directly.
Meaning even idealistic Hunters ignore it.
“Looks like those Goblins caused quite a bit of trouble.”
“Oh, don’t even mention it, Hunter-nim. Ever since Mr. Park spotted those nasty creatures, no one dares go near the mountains.”
At the chief’s words, a man in his 40s nodded.
Then he cautiously asked me:
“Hunter-nim, if it’s not rude, may I ask which Guild you belong to?”
“A Guild?”
“Yes… you’re not from the Pungbaek Guild, are you?”
“?”
It’s a fair question.
Most Hunters—unlike nobodies like me—belong to a Guild.
But hearing “Pungbaek” was unexpected.
Pungbaek is one of Korea’s top 3 Guilds.
An elite group with immense influence.
‘Starting from S Rank Choi Kang-woo, to Yoon Su-hyeok, Yoon Su-a… most top Hunters belong there.’
Most high-ranking members are A Rank or higher, and even backed by Divine Thrones.
Among them, Yoon Su-a was a Hunter I’d supported for a long time.
“Actually, Hunters from Pungbaek visited the village 3 days ago.”
“Really?”
“Yes, at first we thought they came for our request—but that wasn’t the case. They didn’t say much, stayed one night, and went into the forest.”
I stroked my chin.
No way Pungbaek Hunters came all this way just for weak Monsters.
‘Then there must be at least a B Rank request nearby.’
I hadn’t heard that when I accepted this job.
Still, I needed to consider all possibilities.
“Did they head toward the Goblin Gate?”
“No, they went west. The Goblins are north.”
That’s a relief.
Unless it’s something like a Monster Wave or a giant creature, different Gate Monsters don’t overlap territories.
“Then please guide me.”
I organized my thoughts.
There’s no benefit worrying about other Hunters.
It’s time to do my job.
“But Hunter-nim… are you sure you’ll be okay? I don’t know much about Monsters, but I’ve heard Goblins aren’t as easy as they seem…”
The chief still sounded worried.
“Don’t worry. I’ll wipe out the Goblins myself.”
With a confident smile, I nodded.
“I promise.”
“!”
In the eyes of the chief and Mr. Park—
Trust began to shine.