A Hunter-only store.
It was an area accessible exclusively to Awakened registered with the Hunter Association.
From the outside, it looked like an ordinary department store, but the atmosphere changed the moment one stepped inside.
Mana scanners for identity verification operated around the clock at the entrance.
Security personnel were stationed throughout the building as a precaution against potential theft.
Since the store dealt in expensive and rare goods, its security was exceptionally strict.
The products sold inside consisted of weapons, protective gear, support items, and other equipment intended exclusively for Hunters.
“These are ridiculously expensive.”
Siul muttered as he looked over the equipment displayed on the shelves.
He was standing before a premium display reserved exclusively for S-Rank equipment.
“1.1 billion won for a single shield…? Are they insane?!”
The thought that S-Rank Hunters bought equipment like this without batting an eye was enough to give him a harsh reality check.
'Meanwhile, I had my head smashed apart dozens of times by golems just to earn 50 million won….'
Siul tried calculating how many more times his head would have to explode before he could afford one of those items, then gave up somewhere around ten thousand.
'Just you wait. Someday, I am going to level up all the way to S-Rank and buy those weapons.'
With that vow, Siul moved on to another section.
'Even if I cannot afford equipment costing hundreds of millions, I still need something good. I am not going to be stingy today.'
The raid in Rock Canyon had taught Siul something.
Immortality alone was not enough to defeat powerful enemies efficiently.
The strategy of repeatedly attacking until the enemy's stamina was exhausted worked, but it left Siul mentally drained as well.
'At this rate, my body will be perfectly fine while my mind breaks first.'
That was why Siul had steeled himself and came to the store today.
He planned to reinvest all the profits from his previous raid into equipment.
'I need a weapon that can raise my attack power significantly. My defense—no, my survivability—is already beyond human, so I need offensive equipment to balance it out.'
Siul passed the potion section and stopped in front of the weapon displays.
Longswords, spears, axes, and countless other weapons filled the shelves.
Then, in one corner, something caught his eye.
『 Tracker's Blade 』 ― A-Rank
When thrown, it tracks and strikes the designated target. After attacking, it automatically returns to its owner.
“Oh.”
Siul's eyebrows rose with interest.
It was a small, sleek dagger.
Both its appearance and its function were more than enough to capture his attention.
'So I can throw it from a distance, have it return afterward, and even make it home in on a target like a guided missile?'
It was an extremely useful ability.
It also seemed to suit his current fighting style perfectly.
A weapon capable of slipping into an enemy's vital points while Siul endured their attacks head-on was undoubtedly something he wanted.
'How much is it?'
Siul's eyes moved to the price tag.
『 80,000,000 won 』
'80 million won? That is cheap for an A-Rank weapon. Do A-Rank items not usually cost more than 100 million?'
Finding it strange, Siul looked around and realized that this section sold used products at discounted prices.
'Even better.'
Coincidentally, the budget Siul had set for himself today was exactly 80 million won.
It was the combined sum of the 50 million won he had received from selling the Giant Golem's Red Mana Stone and the remaining 30 million won from the reward for eliminating the Wyvern Goblin.
'Is this not practically divine intervention telling me it belongs to me?'
Smiling, Siul reached out to pick up the dagger.
TAP.
At that moment, someone grabbed his wrist.
“…?”
Siul turned around and found an unfamiliar woman staring intently at his face.
She wore a semi-formal suit without the jacket.
The buttons on both cuffs of her dress shirt had been undone, and the sleeves were rolled up.
She was a composed-looking woman with long black hair cascading down her back.
A question mark immediately appeared in Siul's mind.
'What is this?'
A complete stranger had suddenly grabbed his wrist.
'Is this some new kind of pickup attempt? Her expression is far too frightening for that….'
Siul could not even begin to imagine the truth.
That she was an S-Rank Special Hunter belonging to the government.
That she was Baek Ga-hyeon, regarded as one of the core combat assets even among Special Hunters.
“Who are….”
Siul had only gotten that far when Baek Ga-hyeon released a burst of Mana at a speed he could not even perceive.
【The Trait ‘Memory Theft’ activates.】
A notification window visible only to Baek Ga-hyeon appeared above the point where their bare skin touched.
That was because the activation condition for her Trait required ‘direct physical contact through bare skin.’
'It is troublesome that even a single layer of clothing prevents activation, but that is precisely why the ability is so delicate.'
Baek Ga-hyeon let out a faintly mocking smile, confident in her ability.
As its name suggested, her Trait allowed her to steal another person's memories.
It was not memory searching.
It was the power to take memories away from another person and permanently erase those memories from the original owner.
It was the ultimate ability for uncovering the secrets of an enemy nation or organization while simultaneously depriving them of that same information.
That was why Baek Ga-hyeon was regarded as one of the core assets among the Special Hunters.
'I am sorry, but you are going to lose your memories of the past two weeks.'
Baek Ga-hyeon stared into Siul's unsuspecting eyes and gave a sardonic smile.
Kang Ho-cheol, who was watching from nearby, raised the corner of his mouth as well.
'Got him.'
Kang Ho-cheol knew Baek Ga-hyeon's ability well.
If she wanted to, she could erase as much as an entire year's worth of memories from someone caught by her Trait.
'Now we can finally find out whether that mysterious rift really was a Black Gate.'
Kang Ho-cheol was certain of it.
……But then.
“Hm?”
Something was wrong.
From where he stood, Baek Ga-hyeon's expression looked… deeply confused.
Her eyes wavered, and her bewilderment was obvious.
In truth, something completely unexpected had happened to her.
【This ability cannot be used on the target.】
“…?!”
It was a notification she had never seen in her life.
Baek Ga-hyeon looked down at her hand.
She checked whether she had somehow failed to satisfy the Trait's activation condition of direct skin-to-skin contact.
But her sleeves were still rolled tightly above her wrists, and there was nothing that should have interfered.
'…Was I short on Mana?'
Baek Ga-hyeon immediately poured in more Mana.
【The target cannot be accessed by ‘Memory Theft.’】
“……!!”
Baek Ga-hyeon's thoughts froze for an instant.
“Excuse me.”
While she stood there stunned, Siul spoke first.
“Do you need something from me?”
Only then did Baek Ga-hyeon return to her senses.
She was standing there gripping the wrist of a strange man.
Hurriedly releasing him, Baek Ga-hyeon spoke.
“I apologize. I liked this dagger and acted rudely.”
Siul glanced at the dagger before nodding.
“You can take a look. I am still deciding whether to buy it myself.”
“No. I am sorry.”
With her face burning hot, Baek Ga-hyeon fled the area almost as though she were running away.
To Siul, it merely looked as though she was embarrassed after getting carried away over an item.
The truth was entirely different.
'My ability did not work?'
Her pride had been wounded.
For the first time since becoming a Special Hunter, Baek Ga-hyeon had failed to use Memory Theft.
And her opponent was merely a D-Rank Hunter according to official records.
'Why…?!'
It was bewildering to her, but anyone who knew the circumstances would have found it perfectly natural.
Could an S-Rank Hunter casually extract information connected to the SSS-Rank Judgment Dragon?
She was a hundred years too early to attempt such a thing.
* * *
The rest area outside the store.
Baek Ga-hyeon sat on a bench, staring down at her palm.
It was the very hand that had been gripping Siul's wrist earlier.
While Baek Ga-hyeon sat lost in thought, Kang Ho-cheol stood beside the bench and continuously watched the store entrance.
“When I realized your Trait had been blocked, I almost captured that man immediately.”
Kang Ho-cheol shrugged.
“But if I had done that inside the store, it would have caused an uproar. Their security is almost as strict as the government's, so I could not act recklessly.”
Kang Ho-cheol continued speaking without taking his eyes off the entrance.
Then the automatic doors opened, and the person they had been waiting for stepped outside.
It was Siul.
He carried a paper shopping bag containing a large weapon case in one hand, with a smile on his face.
Kang Ho-cheol's gaze followed him.
“Should we take him back to headquarters? Knocking him unconscious and abducting him would be easy.”
“I will say it again. That man is not a criminal. Please refrain from treating a civilian like that.”
Kang Ho-cheol glanced sideways at Baek Ga-hyeon.
“He could still be dangerous. Especially considering even you failed your mission.”
Baek Ga-hyeon's shoulders twitched, but she quickly dispelled her irritation with a smile.
“I cannot complain if you tease me. It is true that I failed.”
“I am not teasing you. I am saying it because I am concerned that he might be dangerous.”
“I did not get the impression that he was dangerous. So please stop directing your killing intent at him.”
At Baek Ga-hyeon's words, the faint killing intent leaking from Kang Ho-cheol's body subsided.
“Then what are you planning to do? Even if we send him an official summons ordering him to report to the government, do you really think he will cooperate willingly?”
Baek Ga-hyeon shook her head. She did not think so either.
“If he were willing to cooperate, he would have reported that rift long ago. For now, let us observe him for a few more days. He is definitely someone we need to investigate.”
Baek Ga-hyeon watched Siul cross the street as she brushed her hair back.
“I thought this would just be tedious busywork, but perhaps this mission might become interesting after all.”
* * *
『 You have entered the B-Rank Dungeon ‘Red Fang Hill.’ 』
〈B-Rank Gate ― Jongno Sector 14〉
Dungeon Name: Red Fang Hill
Monsters Appearing: Orcs
Estimated Clear Time: Approximately 6 hours
“Stay focused! Monsters begin appearing right from the entrance in this Dungeon!”
Following Min Hyung-sik's instructions, Siul and the party entered the Dungeon.
'Another B-Rank Dungeon after only three days.'
Siul was impressed by how quickly Min Hyung-sik's team could secure Gates.
According to what he had heard, Min Hyung-sik's team had such an excellent reputation in the industry that several major Guilds regularly offered them contract work.
'That is perfect for me. The sooner I accumulate Level-Up Points, the better.'
Maintaining his relationship with this team had turned out even better than he had expected.
“Ugh! Mr. Siul, cover your nose…!”
Park Do-hyun warned him while pressing his sleeve over his nose.
A thick stench of blood hung in the air.
“They said this Dungeon was inhabited by Orcs obsessed with fighting. I suppose they were not exaggerating.”
Gently rising mounds of red soil, broken spears and shields embedded throughout the landscape, and human corpses piled haphazardly together revealed just how savage the Orcs were.
“I included information about Orcs in the Dungeon manual I sent yesterday. Did you happen to read it?”
When Park Do-hyun asked, Siul nodded.
“It said Orcs have muscular physiques, high stamina and attack power, and are a race specialized in fighting as a group.”
“That is right. Battles can drag on, so make sure to conserve your stamina.”
Siul had nothing to fear from prolonged battles, but that did not mean he liked them.
'I do not want to spend hours getting blown apart.'
“They are coming! Ten in front!”
The instant Min Hyung-sik shouted, Orcs appeared from beyond the hill.
“GRAAAARGH!!”
A group of Orcs charged toward them, swinging crude axes and maces.
The party members formed up to meet them.
“We need to engage aggressively! Otherwise, this is going to become a long fight!”
Min Hyung-sik shouted from the front as he thrust out his shield.
Siul, positioned as a Supporter, opened his Inventory without delay.
'Let us test it.'
『 Tracker's Blade 』 ― A-Rank
When thrown, it tracks and strikes the designated target. After attacking, it automatically returns to its owner.
Siul targeted an Orc roaring as it charged from the very back of the group.
He infused the Tracker's Blade with Mana and threw it.
WHOOSH—!
The blade did not fly in a straight line.
Its trajectory shifted in midair, changing direction as fluidly as a living snake as it homed in on its target.
“Huh?”
The party members' eyes widened at the sight.
SHNK!!
The Tracker's Blade plunged precisely beneath the Orc's neck, between its collarbone and rib cage.
“Ghhk…!”
The Orc pitched forward before it even had time to scream.
The Tracker's Blade did not stop there.
Still embedded in the Orc, it vibrated, completely destroyed its heart, and then slowly floated back into the air.
Then it returned to Siul's hand.
“Wow….”
Every member of the team stared in amazement.
'The blade even homes in on its target. That is insane.'
'A weapon like that has to be A-Rank or higher, right…?'
'What Rank is Mr. Siul actually…?'
Aside from Min Hyung-sik, none of them knew about the mistaken belief that Siul was a Special Hunter, but after accompanying him twice, they had at least realized that he was extraordinarily powerful.
And so Min Hyung-sik and the party members—
“Change formation! Center it around Mr. Siul!”
“……?”
—Decided to trust Siul once again.
STEP. STEP. STEP. STEP.
Min Hyung-sik's team formed up around Siul like the petals of a flower.
They positioned themselves so that no enemy could reach Siul, while leaving openings through which Siul could charge out whenever he wished.
“…When did you practice a formation like this?”
Siul asked with a blank expression.
Park Do-hyun grinned and answered on behalf of the team.
“Right after our last raid!!”
“…….”