50

Both Hunters and skills had their own rankings. An A-rated Hunter could use an A-rated skill significantly well. He could also use S-rated skills, but he wouldn’t be as good as an S-rated Hunter. A B-rated or C-rated Hunter, however, would not be able to use S-rated skills.

That was conventional knowledge, but Yoo-Jeong was an exception. She could use an S-rated skill, mass teleportation, from the beginning.

The first time she used the skill, she had passed out due to overuse of aura. As she moved around and cleared more and more dungeons, she got stronger, but, strangely, her physical ability remained D-rated.

She didn’t understand how that could happen. Other Hunters grew exponentially. She works a lot, but why were her stats not increasing?

Even if it seemed like a game, it was not. Ranks are just numbers. Even if your rank rises, that doesn’t mean that you got better. Hard work and perseverance must be added to become stronger.

As they went through numerous battle experiences, everyone around her grew. However, no matter how hard Yoo-Jeong worked, her stats remained the same.

She could just use her aura more efficiently. The amount of aura that she had exceeded that of A-rated Hunters. In addition, the recovery rate of her aura was much faster than others.

However, the system said that her aura was only forty, the exact number she had two years ago. There was no change at all, as if the system had already given up on her.

Yoo-Jeong didn’t know the reason why. If this had been a game, she would have summoned the game master by now and made a whole bunch of complaints. But this was real life, and there was no such thing as a game master. She had no one to ask.

Yoo-Jeong turned to Ee-Na and So-Eun. “What kind of man is Lee Hwan?”

“A scary person,” Ee-Na answered.

“A good person,” So-Eun replied.

The two had just stated contradictory answers. Yoo-Jeong smiled.

“Then what do you think?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“I… think he is a good person.”

So-Eun smiled, and then she asked a question.

“By the way, why are you in ROKHA?”

“Are you curious?”

“Yes.”

Yoo-Jeong gave a puzzling smile and stroked So-Eun’s hair. So-Eun knew that this was her way of evading the question.

“Are you not going to tell me?”

Yoo-Jeong continued to smile awkwardly.

“Well… I wanted to do something.”

“What?”

So-Eun really was curious about it, so Yoo-Jeong reluctantly moved her head and whispered.

“I have someone to kill.”

***

After visiting the funeral, we all sat in a nearby cafe. Jeong Gi-Hoon, Sophie Winsted, and I ordered three cups of coffee, but no one spoke until our drinks arrived.

I knew that she had something to talk about. That was why Gi-Hoon and I waited for her to speak first, but she remained silent.

“I heard from my brother that you wanted to see me.”

“Um… yes, that’s correct. I wanted to see you.”

“By the way, you speak our language well. Someone might even mistake you for a local.”

She gulped—from nervousness, I suppose. However, she spoke to me clearly.

“This is a translating skill. That’s why I can communicate with you so well.”

She sighed but smiled to loosen her tension. I bet she was ready to talk now.

“Just tell me what you need to say. I know that you want to discuss something with me.”

She nodded and started to speak. “I suppose you are aware of the Hunter authority’s disorganization.”

I shrugged. I thought she was here to talk about irregular gates, but she had come up with a totally different topic.

“The Hunter authority will be dissolved. In fact, it will be eliminated by the Hunter’s Union.”

“Hunter’s Union?”

While I was thinking about it, she spoke to Gi-Hoon.

“Mr. Jung, right?”

“That’s me.”

“I heard that you have a high potential among other S-rated Hunters. How much is your salary?”

The question came out of the blue, and Jeong Gi-Hoon was surprised to hear that.

“Um… Is it alright for me to share that?”

“There would be no problem. There’s no wiretapping here. Besides, we’re just talking about salaries.”

“Converted to your currency, it would be about 2,000 pounds.”

She repeated what Jeong Gi-Hoon said in a murmur and asked again.

“How about the actual profit you get?”

“…About fifty-eight percent of that.”

This time, Sophie turned her head and asked me. “Why do you think that the authority is disorganized?”

“Is this related to the previous conversation?”

“Yes.”

“Then it must be because of money. I suppose they are requiring a high tax on Hunters?”

Sophie nodded. “Exactly. All Hunters must pay thirty percent of their salaries as tax. In fact, that tax is different from the tax we usually pay. That means that awakeners have to pay taxes to both the Hunter authority and the government.”

That was why Mr. Han strongly believed that the authority would be dissolved.

The Hunter authority was using tax money from Hunters to secretly develop a weapon that would kill Hunters! No wonder why.

“Then, can I assume that the Hunter’s Union is planning to do it differently?”

“Yes. As far as we have discussed, we will remove that law.”

I suppose that’s how it is. Sophie continued.

“That was the hottest news around the world, but it just changed yesterday.”

“Is it because of the irregular gate?”

“Yes. It happened simultaneously all around the world. My ability also changed; I assume that you have heard about it.”

“My brother told me that.”

“But you don’t know how it changed.”

I nodded, and she continued.

“I can see the gates’ and the Hunters’ potential power.”

“Potential power?”

“Yes, and I confirmed that those A-rated gates have the potential to become S-rated. The irregular gates are just the beginning, that’s why I came to see you. You are the one who was able to kill both the middle and final boss monster.”

I shrugged and asked, “So, what do you think of me? Handsome, huh?”

“…Yes, you are.”

I appreciated that she was able to catch my humor well. I continued.

“Speaking of potential power, can you see mine as well?”

“I can see it… But I don’t know what it means.”

“Why?”

“It all appears as a question mark.”

A question mark? How fascinating.

“Your current power and potential power appear as question marks. This means that I cannot estimate your full power. In fact, even the system might not be able to judge your power.”

Sophie stood up. What she had been saying was only the appetizer, and this was the main course. She bowed deeply.

“Please come to the UK with me.”

Jeong Gi-Hoon suddenly stood up and raised his voice.

“Do you mean naturalization? What kind of bullshit is…”

I told Gi-Hoon to chill. She hadn’t even explained yet.

“Sit down, Gi-Hoon.”

Gi-Hoon sat back down, but Sophie was still standing, her face facing down in a deep bow.

“I meant you, too.”

After those last words, she sat down. Everything was the same as before. I asked her.

“If what Gi-Hoon said is right, then I won’t accept your offer.”

“Of course. That’s definitely not the case. It would be better for you to do so, but I know you won’t.”

“Then why did you ask us to go with you?”

“There’s an irregular gate in the UK. It’s SS-rated, and I want you to clear it.”

Interesting.

“Are you in a hurry?”

“We have three days until the dungeon break.”

Three days, huh?

Even more interesting.

“I’ll think about it and give you my answer tomorrow.”

That was a satisfactory answer for Sophie. She smiled brightly, brought out a pen from her bag, and wrote something on a piece of paper. It was a phone number.

“When you have your decision, please call me. I’m hoping for a positive answer.”

That was the end of our meeting. It was quite an interesting situation overall.

I shifted my view toward Jeong Gi-Hoon.

“Wow, I didn’t know that you had such a character.”

“What are you saying?”

“You can shout at the president of the UK Hunter authority. You surely are a man, huh?”

“………”

“She was a pretty lady. Did that affect your decision?”

Jeong Gi-Hoon laughed as if he had just heard something absurd. He then asked, “What will you do?”

“Do what?”

“That gate in the UK. Will you go?”

“I’m still thinking about it, but I’m interested in the gate.”

Jeong Gi-Hoon nodded.

“Then what will you do now?”

“Same question again? But I suppose you mean what I’ll do after the authority’s dissolve.”

“Correct. Based on what she had said, the Hunter authority would be dissolving soon. In other words, ROKHA will be abolished as well. We need to prepare fast.”

“Prepare for what?”

“A PMC. I know you’re planning to create one.”

I gave a puzzled smile.

“I suppose I’m easy to read. You got it correct.”

“…May I ask you something serious?”

His face was indeed serious. What question could he have?

“Go on. Ask me anything.”

“You told me that we are inseparable. Are those words still true?”

That was interesting to hear. He was clearly implying that he wanted to follow me.

“I heard that you have worked in Cheon-Myeong for five years already.”

“I have.”

“Isn’t it better for you to stay in Cheon-Myeong? I think Ho really likes you.”

“I’ve already made my decision. I just want to listen to what my heart is saying, and it says that I need to go with you.”

That was really cringy, but it still put a smile on my face.

“Listen carefully.”

“I will.”

“I don’t know much about anything. I didn’t graduate from high school and I lived a rough life. Then I went to another world and lived even more harshly. All I know is how to fight.”

“…….”

“Laws and regulations? I don’t know anything about those. I don’t even know how to make a PMC. If you follow me, you’ll have to do all the work for me. If you can bear that…”

I offered him my outstretched hand. “Then grab my hand and come with me.”

He smiled brightly and immediately grabbed my hand tight.

“It’s an honor to serve you, sir.”

“No need for that. Besides, we still are members of ROKHA. Let’s be responsible and finish the task given to us.”

“Yes, sir. By the way, would you like to bring someone else from ROKHA?”

I expected him to ask that. “I’ll definitely be bringing So-Eun and Ee-Na.”

“I’m not sure if Ee-Na will follow us.”

“She will. And I have one more person in mind.”

“Is it… Yoon Jeong-Soo, the leader of team one?”

I shook my head.

“The woman with the mass teleportation skill. Kim Yoo-Jeong will come as well. We will recruit these three.”

“Oh…”

“I suppose you’re wondering why.”

“As far as I know, she isn’t growing, but…”

“But?”

“If you see something different in her, then I shall trust your judgment.”

I chuckled. Things were looking up.

Now, I would have to check the others next.

I stood up.

“Let’s get to work.”

“Yes, sir.”