‘What was that man’s problem?’
When he suddenly demanded that I hand over Ogre’s Giant Hammer, I thought some lunatic had approached me.
Yet that lunatic turned out to be an A-rank Hunter…….
What surprised me even more, however, was the level of an A-rank Hunter.
‘Someone like that is A-rank…….’
The A-rank Hunters I had seen on the front lines long ago had felt far more extraordinary.
It had almost felt as though saviors had descended upon us.
By comparison, the A-rank Hunter I had just encountered was utterly unimpressive.
His frivolous demeanor aside, even when he released his Magic Power, I barely felt anything.
Had the standard of A-rank Hunters fallen these days, or had I simply become stronger……?
‘Putting that aside…….’
Why had an A-rank Hunter suddenly approached me and demanded Ogre’s Giant Hammer?
Someone of A-rank surely would not suddenly covet an awkward piece of equipment like Ogre’s Giant Hammer.
More importantly, if the hammer itself had truly been his objective, he should at least have known its equipment requirement.
Yet the A-rank Hunter had clearly known nothing about it.
He had not even seemed to know what Ogre’s Giant Hammer was.
‘Did that woman send him?’
The woman at the rental shop who had asked whether I could let her have Ogre’s Giant Hammer just this once.
It could hardly have been a coincidence that A-rank Hunter Kim Han-gil had demanded the hammer almost immediately after I rejected her request.
‘No… if she had sent him, he would have known about Ogre’s Giant Hammer. She probably did not send him directly. Did Kim Han-gil act on his own?’
Only then did I begin to understand what had happened.
A man trying to win a woman’s favor, and a woman who treated him coldly.
“Tsk, tsk.”
For some reason, I almost began to feel sorry for Kim Han-gil.
In a way, I even felt a slight sense of kinship with him.
A long time ago, I had been the same.
Deceived by something called love, I gave everything I had, only to be betrayed in the end.
‘I was a fool.’
Of course, that did not mean I genuinely sympathized with Kim Han-gil.
Whatever the reason, he had approached me with malicious intent, and he probably did not think very highly of me even now.
‘He is not going to let this end here.’
An A-rank Hunter held an exceptionally privileged position in South Korea.
In some ways, they could practically be regarded as nobility or even royalty.
I had offended the pride of someone like that.
If only for the sake of his ego, Kim Han-gil would surely make another move somehow.
‘I have gotten myself involved in something troublesome.’
I had never imagined that simply renting Ogre’s Giant Hammer would drag me into a situation like this.
Strictly speaking, Ogre’s Giant Hammer did not even belong to me, so giving it up would not have been a serious problem.
It did not seem as though losing it would significantly hinder my attempts to clear higher floors, either.
More importantly, Ogre’s Giant Hammer was merely equipment with excellent value for its cost.
It was not a top-class weapon in and of itself.
There was no real reason for me to cling to it.
But…….
Now that things had turned out this way, I was irritated enough that I no longer felt like yielding it willingly.
Perhaps it was sheer stubbornness.
‘Hmm.’
I changed direction.
There was somewhere I suddenly needed to go.
Originally, I had three main things scheduled for today.
First, I would stop by the Guro Branch rental shop and renew Ogre’s Giant Hammer along with my other equipment.
Second, I would visit the Sinchon Branch Market and sell the monster materials and Magic Crystals I had accumulated.
Third, after returning home, I would challenge Floor 14.
However, after the minor confrontation earlier, I felt the need to adjust my plans slightly.
Having suddenly become entangled in something strange, I realized that I needed to establish my position to some extent.
After the appearance of Towers and Hunters, the world had ceased to be governed solely by its old laws and systems.
It had become a world ruled by strength.
To put it plainly, a Hunter with enough power and influence could even kill someone and still escape without consequences.
What had happened to me earlier could be viewed in that same context.
He had believed I was weak.
Therefore, he had thought I was someone he could treat however he pleased.
‘I might as well take the Rank Promotion Exam today.’
I had not originally planned to visit the Awakened Management Agency today, but I decided to strike while the iron was hot and take the Rank Promotion Exam.
I had already been thinking that I would need to do it soon.
Now that my concerns about my family had diminished and there were fewer things holding me back, there was no reason to postpone it any longer.
‘Let us go.’
I set off.
***
The atmosphere in the Hunter community had been unusual lately.
Strongest, who had been climbing the Tower while achieving SSS-rank records day after day from Floor 6 through Floor 13, had suddenly gone completely silent.
For the first few days, no one thought much of it.
No matter how powerful a Hunter might be, Hunters were still human, and humans needed rest.
-After going straight to Floor 13, it is about time he rested.
-He could probably clear the next floor if he wanted to, but perhaps he is trying to set another SSS-rank record. In that case, he needs to manage his condition carefully.
-Agreed.
One day passed.
Then two.
Then three.
By the fifth day since Strongest had disappeared, public opinion began to grow uneasy.
-Strongest still has not challenged Floor 14?
-What is going on?
-Did something happen to him?
-Did he die on Floor 14?
-Surely not. He has been achieving SSS-rank.
-Poisonous monsters start appearing from Floor 14, though, so it is not impossible.
An SSS-rank record.
It was an unprecedented achievement anywhere in the world, and public expectations were correspondingly enormous.
Yet the person who had achieved such records had gone an entire week without any news?
Considering that Jeff, who had previously set S-rank records, had climbed almost continuously until Floor 35, it was only natural that people were beginning to feel anxious.
-But someone who cleared Floor 13 with SSS-rank probably would not suddenly get stuck on Floor 14.
-Could he have suffered the same fate as the Flame King?
-It is possible.
-Again???
-I have not heard that name in a long time...
-Then are we actually in serious trouble?
No matter how dazzling Strongest’s talent might be, strictly speaking, he was still only a Challenger who had reached Floor 13.
What if some conspiracy similar to the old Flame King incident had occurred?
More than ten months had already passed since the highest cleared floor of the Seoul Tower had last been advanced.
Although the population had declined somewhat after the appearance of the Towers, Seoul was still the capital and home to roughly one-fifth of South Korea’s population.
With no news that Flying Sword, the previous highest-floor Challenger, had managed another clear, public anxiety naturally continued to rise.
The clearest evidence of that anxiety could be seen in housing prices.
Ever since the Towers appeared, housing prices in both Seoul and Busan had steadily declined.
-Seoul apartment prices are collapsing.
-Ah, mighty Tower... so this is how you bring Seoul housing prices under control.
-How can you people joke about this?
-Spoken like someone trapped with an overpriced apartment.
If there were two places especially sensitive to risk, they were the stock market and the housing market, where enormous amounts of money were constantly moving.
Once the numbers themselves began to fluctuate, public anxiety intensified even further, and the media quickly followed.
-SSS-rank record holder Strongest has not attempted a new floor in a week.
-Seoul apartment prices continue their daily decline.
-[Column] Where Has He Gone?
-KOSPI and KOSDAQ continue to fall amid Tower-related risk.
-SSS-rank record holder failed on Floor 14? Awakened Management Agency says nothing has been confirmed.
-We are now truly facing a crisis. Measures must be prepared for the Seoul Tower…….
-How much would it cost to hire mercenaries from another country?
The existence of Strongest, the SSS-rank record holder, was no longer a secret.
Before anyone realized it, he had begun to become South Korea’s newest hope.
The Awakened Management Agency was also in a state of emergency.
Complaints and telephone calls poured in practically every day, to the point that the Agency’s work was nearly paralyzed.
“I am sorry, but there is nothing we can tell you regarding Strongest.”
“No, as I said, we do not know anything either.”
The entire Agency was in turmoil.
“Did you find him?”
At the director’s question, Deputy Director Park Gi-yong nodded.
“We confirmed that he visited the rental shop and renewed Ogre’s Giant Hammer. It seems he either spent the past several days resting or repeatedly clearing Floor 13.”
“Y-yes, of course! I knew it. Ha ha!”
The director forced out a hearty laugh as though he had never been worried, but Park Gi-yong knew perfectly well how anxious the man had been throughout the past week.
Of course, Park Gi-yong himself had been no different.
“Would it not be better to establish some sort of agreement with him soon? I do not think we can keep being thrown into turmoil like this.”
“I was already thinking of using Ogre’s Giant Hammer to establish a connection by offering him a permanent rental arrangement. It would not be an official Hunter contract, so I doubt he would feel too burdened by it.”
“That is a good idea. Proceed immediately.”
“Yes. I was already planning to visit Hunter Choi Kang Hyuk’s home again today.”
Ogre’s Giant Hammer had already been an awkward asset from the government’s perspective, so using it in this way would be far more worthwhile.
Above all, if Choi Kang Hyuk continued using Ogre’s Giant Hammer and sold the Tower materials he obtained through the Government Official Market, then considering the profits that would generate, the government had nothing to lose.
Just then—
KNOCK KNOCK-
Someone hurriedly arrived at the director’s office.
“What is it?”
“There is something urgent I need to report.”
“Go ahead.”
“Hunter Choi Kang Hyuk is here.”
“What?”
The director and Park Gi-yong exchanged glances.
“Director, I think I should go personally.”
“Yes! Of course! Go! Hurry!”
Park Gi-yong quickly left the director’s office with the employee who had come to find him.
“Why did he come?”
“He requested a Rank Promotion Exam.”
“Ah… I suppose it is about time.”
Choi Kang Hyuk was currently classified as F-rank.
Yet he had already cleared through Floor 13, which effectively proved that he was at least a D+-rank Hunter.
Higher ranks came with numerous benefits, including reduced fees at rental shops and markets.
If a Hunter possessed the ability to advance in rank, there was no reason not to do so.
“What rank did he apply for?”
“D-rank.”
“Hmm. If he chose D-rank, it seems he intends to advance one step at a time. Understood.”
“Do you intend to meet him personally?”
“No. That can wait until later. There is no benefit in drawing unnecessary attention toward Hunter Choi Kang Hyuk, is there?”
By now, other guilds were probably beginning to close in on Strongest’s identity as well.
Even so, it was better to conceal him for as long as possible.
Choi Kang Hyuk himself also seemed to prefer that.
“For now, let us go and see.”
Just what kind of abilities did Choi Kang Hyuk possess that had allowed him to achieve SSS-rank?
It was finally time to find out.