Before heading to the rental shop, I stopped by the hospital where my father was staying.
I was not exactly the most devoted son in the world, but if my father was sick, the least I could do was visit him from time to time and show my face.
‘I probably will not be able to visit often for a while, either.’
I entered the hospital and headed toward my father’s room.
The moment I did, I sensed several discreet gazes around me.
‘They are watching me.’
More importantly, I could sense Magic Power from every person watching me.
In other words, they were Hunters.
When they first saw me approaching the hospital room, they regarded me warily. Once they confirmed my face, however, they withdrew their gazes.
It was almost as though they already knew who I was.
‘Interesting.’
I deliberately pretended not to notice them and entered the room.
Inside, my mother was watching a drama on her smartphone.
“Oh, Hyuk. You are here?”
“How is Father?”
“The doctor says he seems to be getting better.”
“Really? That is good. Nothing unusual has happened recently, has it? No suspicious people hanging around or anything like that……?”
“Something unusual? Hmm, come to think of it, was it the Awakened Management Agency? Someone from there stopped by for a little while. He gave me his business card and said to contact him if we ever needed help.”
“The Agency? Could I see that business card for a moment?”
“Of course. Here it is. Is this because of you?”
“Probably.”
I discreetly checked the contact information on the card and confirmed that the man really was a Hunter affiliated with the Awakened Management Agency.
At the very least, he had not been an impostor.
After spending about an hour in the room talking with my mother about various things, I rose from my seat.
“Then I should get going.”
“You could at least eat something before you leave…….”
“I am fine. I have a lot to do.”
“All right. Go on, then.”
After leaving the hospital room, I glanced toward the people whose gazes I had sensed earlier.
‘Is this what Deputy Director Park Gi-yong was talking about?’
They were probably Hunters affiliated with the Awakened Management Agency.
They were secretly guarding my family.
Of course, depending on how one chose to look at it, one could also interpret it as the Agency keeping my family as hostages.
But I decided not to view it so negatively.
‘Did he keep his word?’
No, strictly speaking, Deputy Director Park Gi-yong and I had never made any such promise.
I had merely hinted at my concerns regarding my family’s safety, and Deputy Director Park Gi-yong had not ignored them.
‘Hmm…….’
Perhaps it would not be so bad to trust the Awakened Management Agency a little.
Yes.
Just a little.
***
Seo-yoon had barely slept during the past week.
The pressure of having to take responsibility for her family’s guild, combined with thoughts of the scoundrel who had suddenly appeared and promptly rented Ogre’s Giant Hammer, simply would not leave her mind.
Just what kind of person was he?
He obviously belonged to some major guild, did he not?
‘…No. Why would someone from a major guild be interested in an awkward piece of equipment like Ogre’s Giant Hammer? That makes no sense. Of course not.’
After spending every day wondering who the renter could possibly be, Seo-yoon had gradually begun imagining him as some sort of monster.
‘He must look incredibly terrifying. His Strength has to be over 50, so his arms are probably thicker than my waist, right?’
An Awakened’s Stats were influenced by the floors they had cleared, their Traits, and their equipment rather than by physical training, but that fact was not particularly important to Seo-yoon.
What mattered was the identity of the monster in her imagination.
‘…He is not going to rent it again, is he?’
Perhaps it was because of her anxiety.
Seo-yoon left home early in the morning.
As she had done for the past several days, she headed straight for the rental shop.
Government Official Rental Shops did not accept reservations.
They had once operated a reservation system, but after numerous problems arose, the policy had been changed to walk-in rentals only.
“Welcome, Hunter. Is there any particular equipment you are looking for?”
“Ah, yes. Has Ogre’s Giant Hammer been returned yet?”
“It has not yet been returned, Hunter.”
“The return date is today, right?”
“I am sorry, but I cannot disclose that information.”
“Then I will wait. That is allowed, right?”
“Yes. I will show you to the lounge.”
“No. I will wait here.”
Seo-yoon planted herself in front of the display case where Ogre’s Giant Hammer had once rested, almost as though she were standing guard over it.
If she went to the lounge for so much as a cup of coffee, someone might beat her to Ogre’s Giant Hammer again.
Every time the door to the rental shop opened and another Hunter came or went, Seo-yoon flinched.
‘When is he coming?!’
Surely he was not planning to keep it beyond today?
It had already been a week.
He had to return it today, did he not?
As she waited, Seo-yoon repeatedly swung between hope and despair while watching everyone who passed by.
Naturally, that meant she also encountered people she already knew.
Including someone she would rather not have encountered.
“What are you doing here?”
‘Ugh.’
A-rank Hunter Kim Han-gil.
He had repeatedly pestered her to meet him, and his habit of flaunting his status as an A-rank Hunter made him someone she did not particularly like.
She had no idea what a member of a major guild was doing at a government rental shop, but Seo-yoon greeted him awkwardly.
“Ah, yes. Hello.”
“Are you here to rent equipment?”
“Yes.”
“What are you doing today?”
“I already have plans.”
“Then perhaps we could have a cup of coffee in the lounge over there…….”
“I am allergic to caffeine.”
“They have decaffeinated coffee.”
“I do not like coffee.”
“Ah…….”
Looking embarrassed, Kim Han-gil glanced around the rental shop and then left without renting a single piece of equipment.
Seo-yoon had no idea why he had even come.
“Oh, are you Hunter Seo-yoon?”
“Hello…….”
“What are you doing here?”
“I have some business here.”
“I see.”
She encountered several more familiar faces afterward, but Seo-yoon merely exchanged brief greetings with them.
Staying in one place for so long seemed to do nothing but invite annoyances.
How long had she been waiting?
“Ah, you are here to return equipment? May I see your Hunter identification, please?”
“Here.”
“It is classified as special equipment. Please do not take it out here. Could you come with me to the display case?”
“Yes.”
Someone approached the special display case with an employee.
He looked far more ordinary than she had imagined.
In fact, he might even have been rather handsome.
But that was not important.
‘He is here!’
Considering the conversation she had just heard and the fact that he was being led toward this particular display case, there was no doubt.
He was the person who had rented Ogre’s Giant Hammer.
“Ah, one moment.”
“Yes. What can I do for you, Hunter?”
Something was strange.
Just before reaching the special display case, the man did not take Ogre’s Giant Hammer out of his Inventory.
Instead, he spoke with the employee for a moment before presenting a pass.
Seo-yoon felt an ominous premonition.
No.
Surely not.
There was no way.
“You would like to renew the rental? Understood.”
The employee’s words fell like a death sentence.
Seo-yoon felt her heart plummet.
As the renter finished renewing the equipment and turned away, panic seized her.
“W-wait!”
For the first time in her life, Seo-yoon called out to a complete stranger and stopped him.
“What is it?”
“Um… a-are you renewing the rental for Ogre’s Giant Hammer?”
“I am. Is there a problem?”
His voice was so cold that Seo-yoon felt a chill in her chest, but she forced herself to gather her courage.
“Um… I am sorry, but could you let me have it just this once? You have no idea how much trouble I have gone through just trying to rent it once…….”
Trying to look as pitiful as possible, Seo-yoon put on an expression like a hamster caught in the rain.
It was not something she was particularly proud of, but throughout her life, Seo-yoon had never met a man who refused one of her requests.
Yes.
“Sorry, but I do not think I can do that. I need it as well.”
Except this time.
“Then, if you will excuse me.”
“W-wait!”
Despite Seo-yoon calling after him, Choi Kang Hyuk turned away without paying her the slightest attention.
Seo-yoon stared blankly at his retreating figure.
By the time she finally came back to her senses, Choi Kang Hyuk had already left the rental shop.
“Uh…….”
What?
What just happened?
Seo-yoon remained dazed for quite some time.
***
There was a woman who had caught his interest.
Not only did she possess beauty striking enough to draw anyone’s gaze, she was also exceptionally capable, having risen to the level of a B+-rank Hunter.
Most of all, he greatly admired the sense of responsibility she displayed in everything she did.
B+-rank Hunter Seo-yoon.
She was the woman Kim Han-gil was interested in.
He had tried to recruit her into his guild several times, but unfortunately, the guild she belonged to was run by her family.
No matter how attractive money might be, it was difficult to overcome ties of blood.
That was why he had deliberately investigated the places she frequently visited and arranged to encounter her as often as possible.
Kim Han-gil was confident in himself as an A-rank Hunter.
As long as he could maintain some connection with her, he believed it would not take long to win Seo-yoon over.
Yet things did not go as expected.
Seo-yoon seemed to have little interest in Kim Han-gil and coldly rejected his advances every time.
Then, recently, Kim Han-gil learned that Seo-yoon had developed a great interest in the Government Official Hunter Equipment Rental Shop, Guro Branch.
He deliberately went there and encountered her.
She rejected him yet again, but Kim Han-gil did not particularly care.
The bold won the beauty.
Continuing to pester her and making himself look pathetic would gain him nothing, so Kim Han-gil withdrew without protest.
What interested him more was the reason Seo-yoon was standing there waiting endlessly in the first place.
Just what was Seo-yoon waiting for?
Kim Han-gil pretended to leave and decided to secretly watch for a while.
Then he saw Seo-yoon hurriedly approach some man and speak to him, only to be brushed aside.
Kim Han-gil’s mood immediately soured.
‘Who is that bastard?’
Judging from the situation, there seemed to be a piece of equipment Seo-yoon needed, and that man had rented it before she could.
Seo-yoon had asked him to give it up, only to be coldly refused.
“Hmm.”
He did not like what he had seen, but Kim Han-gil realized that an opportunity had presented itself.
He had no idea what equipment the man had rented, but if he persuaded him to hand it over and then brought it to Seo-yoon, would that not earn him some goodwill?
And if the man refused, Kim Han-gil could simply resort to force.
What could some low-rank Hunter who relied on a Government Official Rental Shop possibly do about it?
‘That should work.’
Kim Han-gil moved immediately.
If he lost track of the man from earlier, finding him again would become troublesome.
After following him, Kim Han-gil caught up with the man in the underground parking garage.
“Hey.”
Kim Han-gil called out, but the man continued walking as though he had not heard him.
Kim Han-gil felt anger rise at the sheer insolence.
However, he could hardly kill someone in a place covered with surveillance cameras, so he desperately suppressed it.
“Hey! You there!”
Only after Kim Han-gil called several times did the man finally turn around.
His unexpectedly tall stature and handsome appearance made Kim Han-gil’s shoulders tense for a moment.
But even if the man looked impressive, appearances alone meant nothing.
What mattered in a man was ability, and Kim Han-gil was an exceptionally capable individual—an A-rank Hunter.
Kim Han-gil had always been confident.
“What is it?”
“I saw you renting some equipment back there. Hand it over to me.”
“It is equipment I rented, so I do not believe I am permitted to transfer it to someone else.”
“Just tell them you lost it. I will pay for it.”
Equipment from a Government Official Rental Shop could not possibly cost more than a few hundred million won.
To Kim Han-gil, paying that much was hardly burdensome.
He could simply think of it as buying an expensive handbag for his future girlfriend.
“That would be difficult. I need this equipment as well.”
“You really do not understand what I am telling you.”
Kim Han-gil allowed his anger to show as he gradually released his Magic Power.
RUMBLE……!
For an A-rank Hunter to release Magic Power in the middle of a city could itself become a serious incident.
However, Kim Han-gil projected the pressure precisely toward the man alone so that it would not become a problem.
Such precise control was possible because Kim Han-gil possessed the Magic Power Control Trait.
“You are a Hunter too, so you should have some idea now, correct? Let us settle this without making things unpleasant.”
An ordinary Hunter would have collapsed the moment they felt Kim Han-gil’s Magic Power.
The man seemed to possess a fair amount of nerve, however, as he appeared to be desperately pretending that nothing was wrong.
Still, after experiencing this much, he surely understood the difference in their strength.
A faint smile appeared on Kim Han-gil’s face.
“There is one thing I would like to ask.”
“You want to know how much I will pay you? Do not worry about that. I will cover the equipment cost and add a little extra. Then it will not matter if your rental-shop credit drops a little, right?”
“No. Not that.”
“Then what?”
“What rank is a Hunter at about your level?”
The moment the man’s gaze settled on Kim Han-gil, an inexplicable chill ran through him.
‘What was that?’
Kim Han-gil quickly pretended that nothing had happened and answered confidently.
“Can you not tell just by looking? I am A-rank.”
“A-rank……. I see.”
Perhaps the chill Kim Han-gil had felt a moment earlier had merely been his imagination.
After hearing that he was A-rank, the man seemed slightly taken aback.
‘Of course.’
How long could a nobody like him keep his head held high in front of an A-rank Hunter?
“If you are finished asking questions, hurry up and hand it over. I am a busy man too.”
“You will definitely pay the cost?”
“Ha. Have you spent your entire life being cheated? Here, take my business card. If I run away, contact my guild. All right?”
Only after Kim Han-gil took out his business card and offered it to him did the man nod and open his Inventory.
“It is heavy, so be careful.”
“Ha. Did you not hear me? I may not look it, but I am an A-rank Hun—”
THUD!
Kim Han-gil could not finish his sentence after taking the hammer the man withdrew from his Inventory.
The instant the hammer entered his hands, he failed to withstand its weight and crashed straight into the parking-garage floor.
‘W-what is this weight?!’
Kim Han-gil strained with all his might, desperately trying to lift the hammer somehow.
It did not move an inch.
Kim Han-gil was an A-rank Hunter.
He had climbed all the way to Floor 41.
Even without any Traits or equipment that increased Strength, his Strength Stat was an astounding 41.
Then what was this?
He could not lift it even with 41 Strength?
That was impossible.
“Ngh…! Nngh……!”
Naturally, to place equipment inside an Inventory, one first had to be capable of physically lifting it.
Kim Han-gil could not even lift the hammer.
Obviously, that meant he could not put it into his Inventory either.
“I told you it was heavy.”
The man casually lifted the hammer, retrieved it, and placed it back into his Inventory.
The same hammer that Kim Han-gil, an A-rank Hunter, had been unable to lift at all.
“That settles our business, correct?”
As Kim Han-gil remained frozen in shock and failed to answer, the man added one more thing.
“Ah. You can pay for the damaged floor yourself. I was not the one who broke it.”
With those words, the man turned away without another thought.
Kim Han-gil remained dazed, staring in the direction the man had disappeared.
Only after the man was completely gone did Kim Han-gil finally realize that he had been made a fool of.
“You… you son of a bitch……!”
Kim Han-gil’s face flushed so violently with rage that it looked ready to burst.