The next morning, Kei was assigned his first import duty. Mrs. Kim gave him a piece of paper with the address, then carefully instructed:
"Don’t let people trick you into buying overpriced items. Our store mainly sells to low-level hunters, E and F rank items are the easiest to sell."
"I understand, please rest assured."
Kei folded the piece of paper, put it in his pocket, and set off.
The address Mrs. Kim gave was located in a giant market. This place was so large that it took Kei nearly half an hour to find the item dealer that supported Thunder hunters.
In front of the store, there were many hunters coming in and out. Some people wore shiny metal equipment, others just plain clothes, but all had the same hurried look. They walked and talked about Dungeons, items, and new gates appearing in the city.
Kei pushed the door open and entered the store.
A tall man immediately walked over. His reddish-brown hair stood up like a flame, his muscular arms were exposed under a thick leather shirt, and on his finger was a ring encrusted with red stones.
"Are you the importer of Mrs. Kim’s store?"
"Yes. I came to import goods."
"I am Thunder, the owner of this shop, and also an A-rank blacksmith."
Thunder laughed loudly, reaching out and patting Kei’s shoulder hard. If they were normal people, perhaps that tap would be enough to make them stagger, but Kei only tilted his body slightly and stood steady.
Seeing that, Thunder raised his eyebrows, then his expression quickly returned to a warm expression.
"Let’s go. I’ll show you around."
Thunder Shop sells all kinds of items. There are space rings, healing potions, energy recovery potions, amulets and even accessories that can increase the wearer’s stats, and there’s even a separate area with various weapons.
Kei picked up a rank D space ring, carefully observing the energy patterns circulating on the surface of the ring.
"How many objects can this ring hold?"
"About one hundred cubic meters. The price is a bit high, but D-rank hunters like this one very much."
Thunder smiled complacently.
"What about F rank?"
"It can only hold one cubic meter. Are you asking to import goods? I can reduce the price if you take a large quantity. How about getting a few more C-rank items? Selling those items to hunters with money will be much more profitable."
Thunder’s seductive words continuously rang in Kei’s ears.
Kei put the ring down and smiled.
"With the number of low-level Dungeons appearing in Dong-San City, E and F rank products are the most convenient choice. Low-level hunters are much more numerous than high-level hunters. Even though high-level products are very profitable, if they cannot be sold, our store will go bankrupt."
In this city of Dong-San, where could there be so many high-ranked hunters? Furthermore, the shops that sold high-ranked items were all big shops with great support, the old lady’s shop would not be able to compare with them.
Thunder looked at Kei silently for a few seconds, then he burst out laughing.
"I originally intended to persuade you to buy more goods, but I didn’t expect you to understand business so well."
"Mrs. Kim taught me a lot."
That’s a true statement. However, in addition to trading knowledge, Kei is also silently observing each item.
The healing pills do not use elemental magic. They are created from medicinal herbs that have absorbed energy in the Dungeon, then compressed using a special technique. Space rings are also not like alchemy in the old world. It does not open up a completely independent space, but is linked to a shallow layer of space that overlaps the real world.
The principle was different from what Kei had learned during his time studying magic, but the results were extremely interesting. If he could research more closely, maybe he could find a way to restore his magic power.
Just as Kei was deep in thought, the atmosphere in front of the store suddenly vibrated. An invisible ripple spread out, causing the boards hanging on the wall to gently collide with each other.
Thunder immediately turned his head and muttered.
"Someone opened the teleportation gate?"
Right in front of the main door, the space is torn into a straight line. Pale blue light poured out from inside, then a strange door slowly appeared in mid-air.
The door opened, and a group of hunters walked out from there.
Kei immediately dodged aside. He didn’t want to become the center of attention, and he didn’t want others to discover that he was from another world.
"I can see the goods myself."
After talking to Thunder, Kei took a few steps back.
Thunder is the complete opposite. He smiled brightly and quickly stepped forward to welcome the group of people who had just appeared.
The leader was a beautiful girl with long silver hair and eyes as blue as a deep lake. Her cloak moved slightly even though there was no wind in the store. The aura around him made the hunters standing nearby unconsciously fall silent.
"Long time no see, Thunder."
"Moon So Yeon, I didn’t expect you to personally come here today, and bring so many people along."
Kei was standing far away, but still clearly heard the conversation between Thunder and the other girl.
Moon So Yeon.
That name immediately caught his attention. According to Mrs. Kim, SS rank hunters are people at the top of this world. Moon So Yeon is listed as one of the strongest SS rank female hunters in Korea.
"We want to import a large number of S rank items."
Moon So Yeon gets straight to the point.
"Healing potions, energy recovery potions, space rings and stat-boosting accessories. If there are SS rank items, even better."
Kei silently took a breath.
A group of people can buy large quantities of S rank items, even asking for SS rank items. They definitely belong to the strongest hunter class in this world.
He shouldn’t get too involved with them, not knowing how much trouble would surround him if any traces from the old world were discovered, Kei quietly took another step back.
At that moment, a low voice rang out right behind him.
"Why are you standing here dumbfounded?"
Kei was startled.
He turned around, but his back touched the shelf behind him. Before his eyes was a man with a face so beautiful that it looked like it was carved from precious stones.
Slightly messy black hair, cold platinum eyes, sharp facial features but covered with fatigue. The dark circles under his eyes made him look like he hadn’t rested in days.
Kei looked at the man in front of him, suddenly feeling an incomprehensible danger in his heart.
He just stood there, but the air around him seemed a little heavier.
Kei didn’t know if it was the pressure from the opponent’s ability or just his illusion. He only knew that this person was absolutely not an ordinary hunter.
"Sorry, I was just looking at the goods for my shop. Am I already bothering high-level hunters like you?"
Kei tried to keep calm.
The man looked at him from head to toe. There was no malice in those eyes, but the observation was so direct that Kei felt like he was being placed on a scale.
"Who are you?"
"Kim Kei. I came to restock on behalf of the owner of the store where I work."
"It’s..."
The man repeated the name, his voice low as if trying to memorize it.
In the distance, Moon So Yeon suddenly spoke:
"President Kang Ian, what are you doing there?"
Kei paused.
Kang Ian, he is the leader of the Crying Ghost Guild, an SSS rank hunter, who possesses the ability to control gravity, and is also one of the strongest hunters in Korea.
Kang Ian was still looking at Kei, his face was dull and lifeless, but somehow attentive and brooding.
"Nothing."
He replied, but didn’t turn his head towards Moon So Yeon.
"I just found someone interesting."
Kei was stunned.
At that moment, he suddenly felt the weight of his body increase very slightly. Just for a moment, but enough to make his heart beat faster.
Kang Ian squinted his eyes slightly.
"Kim Kei, right?"
"Yes."
"Are you awake yet?"
That simple question made Kei suddenly clench his fingers.
He had awakened as an F rank craftsman. But in his stats there was another profession that absolutely could not be known to anyone.
Kei smiled faintly, bowed his head and replied:
"I’m just an ordinary F rank Craftsman, and just awoke a few days ago at the hunter awakening center."
Kang Ian looked at him for a few more seconds.
Then he said slowly:
"Really?"
Just two words, but Kei had the feeling that this man didn’t completely believe what he said.
On the other side of the store, Moon So Yeon was also looking towards the two of them. Thunder stopped talking, his eyes glanced at Kei and Kang Ian respectively.
The space in the store suddenly became quiet.
Kei felt an invisible pressure covering his body. Not so strong that he couldn’t breathe, but enough to remind him that in front of him was a completely different existence.
Kang Ian is a person who can control gravity at will, a powerful SSS rank hunter standing at the pinnacle of this world, an existence that even at Kei’s strongest can threaten him.
An extremely dangerous man has set his sights on Kei.
Kang Ian took a half step forward, bending down to look at the rank D space ring in Kei’s hand.
"Do you like these items?"
"You could say so."
The corner of the man’s mouth raised and he asked:
"Why? Because after awakening to become a rank F Craftsman?"
Kei was silent for a moment.
Because this is the only thing that can help him find his magic again. He wants to understand this world before he completely becomes a normal person. If he cannot use magic, he will have no way to protect Mrs. Kim when real danger comes.
But Kei couldn’t say those things.
"Because I find them very interesting."
He replied.
Kang Ian looked straight into Kei’s eyes. Those platinum eyes were still dull, but in the depths of their eyes there seemed to be a very thin ray of alertness.
"Interesting?"
"Yes."
Kei smiled, placing the ring back on the shelf.
"Maybe in the future I will make an even more interesting item myself."
As soon as he finished speaking, Kei himself realized he had said too much. Thunder in the distance turned his head in surprise, Moon So Yeon raised her eyebrows slightly, because the tone of this young man who had just awakened as an F rank Craftsman was too confident.
Only Kang Ian still kept a calm expression.
He looked at Kei for a long time, then said softly:
"Then I will wait and see the works of Craftsman rank F Kim Kei."
The space door behind the group of hunters had not yet closed. Pale blue light shone on Kang Ian’s tired face, making him look like someone who had just emerged from a passionate, dreamy sleep.
Kei squeezed his hand gently.
He originally just wanted to import a few low-end goods and then return home. Unexpectedly, his first trip would make him meet hunters who stood on top of the world.
And most terrifying of all, one of them seemed to have begun to pay attention to him.