The next day, at the Hunter Intelligence Agency.
Director Kim Kang-hoon was receiving reports on the latest news.
“What? The Burang Party’s warehouse was robbed?”
“Yes. That is what we heard from the Association.”
Kim Kang-hoon found it difficult to understand.
The Burang Party had been causing trouble with Eraser until recently.
It was not a small organization that could be compared to Eraser alone.
The “Meteor Lord” who had recently captured Eraser was currently suspected of belonging to the Burang Party.
And yet, the warehouse of such an organization had been robbed.
By whom, exactly?
“To be precise, a civilian report came in to the Association last night.”
“What? A civilian? Are you sure that is accurate?”
“Yes. They reported that they had discovered a Villain funding warehouse…….”
“How would a civilian find that?”
“An agent we planted in the Association sent over the materials, so let us look at them together.”
The contents of the report he received were simple.
『Civilian A filed a report with the Association’s Ansan Branch.
Armed Hunters were dispatched to the reported address.
Part of an illegal facility was found destroyed, and key Burang Party figure “Ji Seong-tae” and his group were arrested.
Civilian A’s statement: “While being exploited through fraudulent employment by Villain A, I discovered the scene.”』
It was exactly as the Hunter Intelligence Agency staff member had reported.
However, in the scene photos he checked next, Kim Kang-hoon felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
『Scene Photo 1.
Steel containers, their original number unknown, torn into several fragments and scattered everywhere.』
『Scene Photo 2.
A massive pit dug deep into the center.』
『Scene Photo 3.
Countless Magic Stones spilled all over the place.』
The sight of sturdy containers torn apart helplessly and the pit dug into the ground.
At this scene, Kim Kang-hoon recalled the site from several days ago, when Eraser had been captured.
The difference was that the pit in the current photos was much larger…….
“What is this? Is this not a trace of Meteor Lord’s skill?”
In fact, until just recently, the Hunter Intelligence Agency had thought there was a high probability that Meteor Lord was a Hunter raised by the Burang Party.
After all, it was the Villain organization that had clashed most fiercely with Eraser, and Meteor Lord had helped subdue that Eraser.
But now he had struck the Burang Party’s warehouse.
Kim Kang-hoon rummaged through his complicated thoughts and recalculated.
What if Meteor Lord had grown even stronger?
He had recently taken first place in an E-Rank Dungeon as well, so that made sense.
‘And immediately afterward, he cuts off the organization’s funding line?’
Or had he belonged to a completely different force from the beginning?
There had never been a case that caused friction with so many Villains before…….
‘Perhaps he is expanding his own territory.’
They would have to wait for the interrogation results of Civilian A to get an answer, but in the current situation, there were two conclusions Kim Kang-hoon could reach.
Either Meteor Lord had staged a rebellion in order to conquer the Burang Party,
or he was creating an entirely independent path from the start.
***
Seonghyeon woke up to the sound of the TV coming from outside.
When he came to his senses and went out to the living room, the incident from last night was being reported on TV.
[Last night, the Association in Ansan subdued and arrested Mr. Ji Seong-tae, a key executive of the Villain organization “Burang Party,” and organization member Mr. Gong Yeong-beom.]
On one side of the screen, Gong Yeong-beom’s face was revealed.
The pleasant impression he had once given was nowhere to be seen, and it was surprising to see him looking unpleasant with his face twisted in a hard expression.
Along with him, the news also revealed the face of a person named Ji Seong-tae.
Together with an explanation that he was a key executive of a Villain organization…….
‘Huh? What is this? I have never seen that person before. Who is he?’
[According to the investigation, Mr. Ji Seong-tae was a business operations executive of the Burang Party and was found to have ordered organization members to commit fraud, extortion, threats, illegal transactions, and other crimes.]
Soon, the news explained that the person had been the higher-up who gave orders to Gong Yeong-beom.
At the unexpected additional result, Seonghyeon felt a surge of satisfaction.
[Meanwhile, at the scene where the Association was dispatched, it can currently be confirmed that many areas were destroyed by the impact of an enormous skill. Some have expressed the opinion that the Association may have used excessive force in its suppression.]
In line with the report that followed, the news alternated between photos of the destroyed scene at the abandoned lot.
Seeing that, Seonghyeon flinched.
After all, he was the one who had fired the Plunder bombardment last night.
‘No, but they were suppressing criminals. A little excessive force can happen. What is the problem?’
However, the reason he flinched was not because he had used his skill several times.
It was because he thought of people who might have a headache now that the Association had taken the blame.
For example, people like Min Ji-ho and Jo Myeong-su…….
[In response, the Association stated, “The scene already looked the same when we arrived, and we estimate that there was a clash with an unidentified Hunter. Rather, we are grateful to the Hunter who carried out the suppression without any loss of life.”]
Fortunately, the Association also had a positive position regarding the skill that had subdued the Villains.
Since the incident had been resolved well in the way Seonghyeon had intended, his heart felt at ease.
Thinking he might browse social media, he turned on his phone, and reactions from people who had seen the same incident were noisy.
[The Villains’ criminal funds all got robbed by Meteor Lord, right? Hahahahahaha.]
‘Huh? What is this? How do they know it was me?’
The first post he checked was quite flustering.
The Association had said the Hunter’s identity was unknown, but the post was clearly referring to Seonghyeon’s epithet.
-Agreed. I kind of think so too. +31 -15
└ Another mindless Meteor fan here. Haha. +3 -11
-Why would Meteor Lord catch Villains just because he was bored? Enough pointless worship. Haha. +23 -62
-I do not think this warehouse being robbed is simply a good thing. It could mean another Villain has appeared. +2 -0
└ Who cares? +0 -1
-Does it not kind of feel like the Association caused an accident and is trying to cover it up? +2 -0
└ They said it was not them. +3 -0
└ You trust the Association? +2 -1
└ They have become much more normal lately, though. +5 -1
Feeling flustered, he checked even the comments, and it seemed to be merely one author’s guess.
Aside from that guess, people were fighting wildly with various opinions of their own.
As he continued searching through social media while feeling relieved that he had not been exposed, one interesting post caught his eye.
[If a Villain warehouse was robbed, would there not have been more than just Magic Stones there? Like valuable items…….]
‘Ah, right. Items.’
Seeing that post reminded him of the Plunder skill he had used the previous day.
Since a large number of items had entered all at once,
he had not properly checked what they were…….
Seonghyeon immediately checked his Inventory.
【Inventory】
Low-Grade Magic Stones 145,167
Dire Wolf Claws 43
Soul Fragments 7
Honed Goblin Dagger 1
Mo Enchantress’s Cloak 1
Giant Bull Hide 4
Skill Enhancement Voucher 1
Item Enhancement Voucher: Recognition Interference 5
‘Whoa, damn, what is this? I could buy a house.’
The Magic Stones, which had numbered around eighty thousand only shortly before, had become one hundred forty thousand.
In money, that was around 1.4 billion won.
Even if not in Seoul, it was easily enough to buy one of the most expensive apartments in his neighborhood.
Well, he had no intention of buying one immediately.
‘The Skill Enhancement Voucher is something I received every time I took first place…… But an Item Enhancement Voucher? What is this?’
Aside from the Magic Stones, a Skill Enhancement Voucher and Item Enhancement Vouchers had newly been added to his Inventory.
He could guess where an Item Enhancement Voucher would be used.
But unlike Skill Enhancement, it had a fixed trait.
[“Item Enhancement Voucher: Recognition Interference” grants the Recognition Interference trait to an item.
|Recognition Interference - Allows the wearer’s existence to be perceived, but prevents their appearance from being clearly recognized.
※ The more worn parts there are, the higher the Recognition Interference rate becomes.]
‘This is…… extremely useful.’
In some places, he was being called “Meteor Lord,” but he had no desire to draw attention by causing a stir.
The Item Enhancement Voucher was the best item he had obtained so far.
Seonghyeon brought the voucher to the hoodie he had recently been wearing like combat clothing.
[Would you like to use “Item Enhancement Voucher: Recognition Interference” enhancement?]
■ Applicable Target: Cotton Upper Garment
‘For now, go.’
For an instant, light shone from the Item Enhancement Voucher, then the light seeped into the hoodie.
Gray Hoodie +1
-Recognition Interference 10%
Seonghyeon put on the hoodie and stood in front of the mirror.
However, he did not feel any particular difference in the reflection.
‘Good grief. I have no idea what is supposed to happen to perception.’
It had definitely been enhanced, but perhaps because it was his own appearance, he could not properly tell the effect.
Since he had no reason to go out now, he decided to enhance other clothes next time.
For lack of anything else to do, Seonghyeon took out the Skill Enhancement Voucher.
After all, when it came to feeling growth, Meteor was the surest.
[Would you like to use “Skill Enhancement Voucher”?]
■ Applicable Target: Skill Meteor
When he confirmed its use this time as well, the voucher scattered while giving off light.
[The skill level has increased.]
[Meteor (EX), please select a Level 6 trait.]
Spirit Form
Increased Fall Speed
Increased Size
Then a new list of Meteor traits appeared.
‘Spirit Form……? Then does that mean it will stop being physical damage?’
He was familiar with Meteor’s fall speed and size, so the trait that first caught his eye was “Spirit Form.”
Based on his expectations, the current Meteor skill could be considered the highest level among physical-type skills.
After all, it had cleared dungeons without ever being blocked.
However, since it seemed to be a skill that could only perform physical attacks, enemies with strong resistance could be a major weakness.
If it was the Spirit Form trait, then it could be seen as an option that completely eliminated that weakness.
After going through that thought process, Seonghyeon finished choosing the trait.
『Meteor (EX)』
Level: 6 (1▲)
Details: ……
Skill Mechanism:
……
Material – Iron Meteorite
Diameter – 20 cm
Speed – 10 km/s
Traits – Precision, Long-Range Sniping, Plunder.
Spirit Form (New!): Meteor becomes spiritualized. All physical damage is converted into magical damage for the attack.
Reading the trait description, he felt that the Meteor skill had become even more reliable.
And he felt an itch to check its performance.
‘Since I enhanced the skill, I cannot just sit still.’
The moment he had that thought, Seonghyeon immediately entered a dungeon.
[E-Rank random dungeon transfer in progress…….]
[Transfer to E-0666/Ghost Mansion complete.]
【E-0666/Ghost Mansion】
『Primary Monsters: Banshees, Skeletons』
『Boss: Giant Vengeful Spirit』
『Main Mission: Subjugate Mid-Bosses (Ghost Siblings) (0/3), Subjugate Boss (Giant Vengeful Spirit) (0/1)』
『Progress Requirement: Subjugate Undead-Type Monsters (0/100)』
『Time Limit: 10:00:00:00』
A massive mansion filled with a gloomy fog.
Its atmosphere was similar to the F-Rank Witch’s Hut.
However, the chilling atmosphere of this dungeon could not be compared to before.
‘Banshees…… ghosts…… a vengeful spirit.’
Whatever dungeon it had been, he had intended to test Spirit Form.
But strangely enough, the targets this time were perfectly suitable.