Chapter 23: Her Proposal (1)
I had anticipated that all eyes would be on me as I exited the dungeon.
During the way out, Jo Gwang-su and the members of the Indomitable Guild must have reported my movements in detail.
It was, after all, the Garden of Mind.
Countless hunters who had underestimated a B-rank dungeon had lost their lives, and even S-rank hunter Yun Su-hyeok and the Pungbaek Guild couldn’t touch the Deep Layer and had given up.
It was strange that the attention wasn’t on me.
‘But this isn’t the scene I expected.’
The problem was that the reality before me differed from my expectations.
I had imagined only a few media personnel lined up.
I had planned to casually respond to them and then leave, merely mentioning the Pungbaek Guild in passing.
‘…But these aren’t media personnel; it’s crawling with hunters.’
There wasn’t a single broadcast company official, nor anyone resembling a reporter.
‘If my eyes aren’t deceiving me, the leaders of the three major guilds seem to be here as well?’
I fixed my gaze on a man with a sports-style haircut reminiscent of a bear, standing among the hunters.
It was Ma Dong-pal, one of the S-rank hunters and the guild leader of Aegis.
“Oh!”
Ma Dong-pal grinned broadly and gave a thumbs-up as our eyes met.
Suddenly?
“…….”
He awkwardly averted his gaze to look elsewhere.
Not far from Ma Dong-pal, beside Yun Su-hyeok and Yun Su-a, stood a tiger-faced man with neatly slicked-back hair.
It was Choi Kang-woo, the leader of the Pungbaek Guild.
Unlike Ma Dong-pal, who charged in without hesitation when something caught his interest, he was famous for handling matters with extreme caution.
His presence here was rather unexpected.
‘Ma Dong-pal’s personality could explain him, and perhaps Choi Kang-woo came because Yun Su-hyeok persuaded him. But…’
I could somehow understand Choi Kang-woo.
The real issue was…
“You really cleared it alone and came back?”
A captivating woman, with a face like a mix of fox and snake, had approached me and was smiling.
‘The leader of the Sanarae Guild came herself.’
Despite being one of the three major guilds, Sanarae rarely appeared officially.
Yet here she was, looking straight at me.
“Th-That already…! Step back! Does that fox have no sense of propriety!”
I heard Ma Dong-pal’s shout from afar.
Finally, Sanarae took a few steps back from the distance she had shadowed me from.
Yet she kept her eyes on me and spoke with a smile.
“Is propriety really the issue? I just wanted to see the rumored super rookie up close.”
“Quiet! And you think you can subtly flirt with him!”
“Flirt? Anyway, our Aegis Guild leader, I have to give him credit for being daring. Why not filter your words a bit?”
“What are you talking about?! Who’s being daring! I’ve been restraining myself from running over and shaking his hand!”
Sanarae and Ma Dong-pal exchanged words heatedly.
Of course, I kept my mind active amidst their bickering.
“Um, Hunter Kim Han-ul…?”
Suddenly, a short middle-aged man approached me.
He was clearly not a hunter.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Jeong-su, Dungeon Management Division of the Hunter Association Management Headquarters.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Yes. First…”
Kim Jeong-su wiped the sweat from his forehead while staring at the air.
It was where the Garden of Mind had been floating moments ago.
“Congratulations on clearing the dungeon. This result was completely unexpected. Would you like to skip a medical check? The medical staff is ready, though.”
“Yes, as you can see, I’m fine. But could you explain what happened?”
Kim Jeong-su smiled awkwardly while glancing at Sanarae and Ma Dong-pal still arguing.
“Actually, shortly after Hunter Kim Han-ul entered the dungeon, the Garden of Mind pattern shifted to Red.”
“Ah.”
Red Pattern.
Now I understood why hunters, not the media, were lined up.
“You expected the dungeon to go berserk?”
“Yes. As you know, even a B-rank dungeon going berserk has dangers comparable to an A-rank or, in worst cases, an S-rank gate. Hence, requests were sent for guild-level mobilization.”
That explained the gathering of elite guild hunters.
The Red Pattern was likely caused by the Garden of Mind changing its structure at the Lord’s request.
Yet one thing puzzled me.
‘Even the leaders of the three major guilds came?’
As if reading my thoughts, Kim Jeong-su wiped his sweat again and spoke.
“I didn’t expect to meet all three guild leaders here. Since it wasn’t a command but a request, I thought only affiliated hunters would cooperate. I did expect to see Choi Kang-woo due to his sense of responsibility, but…”
The other two must have been unexpected.
And if even a high-ranking official like Kim Jeong-su was surprised, the conclusion was clear.
Ma Dong-pal and Sanarae didn’t come because of the dungeon going berserk.
‘They came to see me.’
What Sanarae had just said to Ma Dong-pal—wanting to see the rumored super rookie up close—was no lie.
‘Interesting.’
Just a few days ago, Pyo Myeong-won and Han So-won approached me.
But now, the guild leaders were already engaged in a higher-level power play.
Kim Jeong-su wiped his sweat, looking embarrassed.
“Could you perhaps say a word? I can’t keep waiting for their bickering…”
“Ah, yes. Everyone, my apologies. I made you come for nothing.”
I spoke loudly.
All eyes turned to me instantly.
‘Still, it feels overwhelming. To meet the three guild leaders I’ve always respected in person… If I had known, I would have cleared the Deep Layer and come out sooner.’
“Wait, wait. I’ve been wondering…”
Suddenly, Ma Dong-pal’s eyes widened, and he shouted.
He pointed at the gem I had been holding all along.
“Could that be… a Bloodstream Stone?”
A bright red gem reminiscent of a heart, handed to me by Odolf.
Most hunters here didn’t know what it was.
They knew it existed but rarely saw it firsthand.
“…!”
But at least S-rank hunters like Yun Su-hyeok and Yun Su-a knew.
“Yes, it seems so. I haven’t confirmed it fully yet.”
A monster of disaster-class S-rank or equivalent.
The stone embedded in their hearts contained immense energy.
That was the Bloodstream Stone.
Kim Jeong-su, staring at the gem in awe, asked,
“The Bloodstream Stone…? The one that can be crafted into an A-rank or higher item?”
“I’m not certain, but I’d think so.”
“It’s fascinating. Normally, one wouldn’t see a Bloodstream Stone…”
It was natural that most hunters didn’t recognize it.
Once acquired, it was entrusted to master item crafters in the guild, who would craft it into an item.
Even I wouldn’t have known if Odolf hadn’t prepared it with the Magic Stone.
“So, you killed an S-rank monster in the Deep Layer?”
“Alone? Did you really clear the Deep Layer?”
“Insane! How could a B-rank hunter kill a disaster-class monster alone?!”
A wave of murmurs surged among the hunters.
Disbelief shifted into astonishment and admiration.
I leisurely observed them, especially the three guild leaders.
Beyond astonishment, their eyes reflected one common emotion: will.
A will to claim it as their own.
The situation was unfolding as I desired.
***
My assumptions were wrong.
Choi Kang-woo had to admit it.
Kim Han-ul was far more capable than he had judged.
He wasn’t a rookie who lucked into promotion by exploiting guild mistakes.
‘There were other rookies competing among the three guilds before.’
Yet among those few, Han-ul was unparalleled.
Even his attitude toward them was different.
By the time a rookie drew attention from the three major guilds, hunters generally fell into two types:
Flustered and bewildered, or arrogantly overconfident.
The former broke under excessive expectation.
The latter destroyed themselves by overestimating their abilities.
‘But Kim Han-ul…’
Was different.
He didn’t bow.
Yet he didn’t look down on them with disdain either.
‘E-rank Gate quest to kill an Ogre, S-rank on energy measurement, unprecedented triple promotion.’
Up to this point, Choi Kang-woo had doubts.
Luck alone could make it possible, he thought.
But…
‘Clearing the Garden of Mind alone while saving other hunters, breaking into the Deep Layer, and bringing back a Bloodstream Stone—a gem rare even for high-ranking hunters…’
A story straight out of a novel.
Yet Han-ul had proven his ability.
And this time, he vanished without further action.
“Is he telling us to think hard? He’s fiery again after a long while.”
“Indeed, interesting and audacious.”
Choi Kang-woo glanced at the other two guild leaders muttering beside him.
Yes.
Ultimately, this side had to take action again.
“By the way, a hit landed, Pungbaek Guild Leader. When did you make that move? Honestly, you’re the slyest among us.”
Indeed, Pungbaek was already a step ahead compared to the others.
“Exactly. Even when we asked for info on the Garden of Mind, he adamantly refused!”
Before leaving, Han-ul had publicly thanked Yun Su-hyeok for a little help in clearing the Garden of Mind.
“Don’t be so calculating! I might really get upset!”
Ma Dong-pal crossed his arms with bear-like thick arms, fuming.
“Why is everyone so sensitive? This happens all the time here.”
Yun Su-hyeok cleared his throat.
Choi Kang-woo silently observed him.
Normally, he would have publicly scolded him for rash behavior.
But this time, he acted differently.
“I agree with the Vice Guild Master’s opinion.”
“Oh-ho.”
“Hm.”
The impact was significant.
“Haha, a full declaration of war. Alright, we’ll clash at full strength too. Let’s go, everyone.”
Ma Dong-pal laughed heartily and disappeared with the Aegis Guild members.
Sanarae also wore a subtle smile.
“This time, I can’t just give up either. Let’s both do our best, healthily.”
With a faint laugh, she vanished as if sinking into the ground.
After Sanarae disappeared, Yun Su-hyeok clenched his fist and shouted,
“Hahaha! Kang-woo hyung! How is it! This is exactly what only the strongest Vice Guild Master could do!”
“We’re a step ahead for now. But we’ll be caught up soon.”
“Eh? Caught up soon? What do you mean, Kang-woo hyung? I agonized over whether to release that info…”
Yun Su-hyeok asked resentfully.
Choi Kang-woo quietly nodded.
Meanwhile, Yun Su-a muttered,
“It’s because of the Bloodstream Stone.”
She was right.
At least in that regard, Pungbaek and Aegis had no way to follow Sanarae.
‘Kim Han-ul must have shown the Bloodstream Stone intentionally. Then we have to retreat for now.’
Only a few days ago, Choi Kang-woo had been dismissive of Kim Han-ul, but now a shadow of regret spread across his face.
***
“Ah, nothing beats home.”
A one-room apartment, roughly 5 pyeong.
A suffocating space for some, but the coziest place for me.
“I need a few days to rest. And now I can deactivate invisibility, Sage.”
I lay down on the bed.
The Beholder Sage, floating invisibly, slowly appeared.
Curious eyes scanned the surroundings.
I petted him and turned my attention to my smartphone screen.
Unrealistic numbers stared back at me.
[1,630,000,000 Won has been deposited into Kim Han-ul’s account.]
1.63 billion.
A reward for clearing the Garden of Mind, deposited by the Association Headquarters.
A month ago, my bank account held mere tens of thousands, now enough to buy a house.
And I hadn’t even processed the byproducts gathered from the Lizardman.
Moreover…
“That also needs handling.”
On the desk lay the Bloodstream Stone.
Worth several times more than the dungeon reward.
Even if given billions in cash, it would be hard to acquire.
The best option was to entrust it to a master item crafter.
“Finding such masters isn’t easy, though.”
There were some crafters who made items from byproducts.
But handling top-tier byproducts like the Bloodstream Stone was rare.
Naturally, neither I nor low-ranking hunters would know the information.
But there was no need to worry.
Information like this would reach me naturally.
That was why I displayed the Bloodstream Stone.
Vvvvvrrr!
At that moment, my phone rang.
A number I had never seen before.
I answered, and a gentle voice flowed into my ears.
“Hello, Guild Leader Sanarae.”
Sanarae’s low laugh reached me.
I had anticipated it.
If any of the three major guild leaders were to approach today, it would definitely be her.
“Not exactly waiting, but no reason to be flustered. We’ve met before.”
“Rumor says if the Guild Leader wants to know something, she can. So I figured as much.”
“Could you tell me who?”
Sanarae’s voice came softly.