'A newly formed guild?'
'How are there this many of them......'
'Two million won round-trip to go all the way down to Wanju in North Jeolla......'
Even with taxi fares up, it was a distance worth about five or six hundred thousand won round-trip.
But factoring in the cut owed to the company, the take was bound to shrink.
The two million won GH Guild paid, on the other hand, was pure income.
And since it was paid in cash, it wouldn't even register as taxable income.
On top of that, they'd said they'd cover motel, meals, and fuel too.
"We're off!"
The drivers slowly pulled the buses out of the underground lot.
"Wanju in North Jeolla is...... a danger zone, classified so because of demihuman and monster attacks, isn't it? I was pretty sure it's a controlled area......"
At the driver's question, Kang-hyeok, seated up front, nodded.
"I've already contacted the Hunter Association. We want to do our small part in reclaiming national territory, including training our guild members......"
Kang-hyeok answered the driver's questions right away with the excuses he'd prepared in advance.
After about two hours on the road, they reached North Jeolla.
Wrecked vehicles and traffic lights began to appear along the streets.
A short while later, the buses entered the controlled zone.
"You're S1-rank Hunter Park Kang-hyeok, correct?"
"Yes, that's right."
A man in military uniform checked Kang-hyeok's Hunter license.
"Yes, confirmed. I wish you fortune in battle."
"Thank you, take care."
Past the controlled zone, the driver looked ahead with a tense face.
"They say it's about fifteen minutes to the destination."
Kang-hyeok nodded once.
And indeed, after about fifteen minutes, they arrived at a bridge called Gosancheon Bridge.
"In five days...... around 1 p.m. on January 12th, I'll call you, so come meet us then."
"Yes, understood. Well then, fortune in battle......"
Once the Homunculi had unloaded their packs, the drivers boarded their vehicles and withdrew toward Sejong City.
Meanwhile, Kang-hyeok crossed Gosancheon Bridge with his eighty-odd Homunculi and walked slowly toward the Wanju County Office.
Leaving the highway and nearing the town center, the cries of monsters reached them.
"Sound the sirens."
"Yes, understood."
Arbon and the Homunculi drew out their loudspeakers and sounded the sirens.
WEEEEEOOOO!
At the massive siren blast, the monsters' cries grew louder still.
"Master, the monsters are gathering."
"Th-The numbers......"
Even the Homunculi were staggered as a truly enormous swarm of monsters began to converge.
Looking at them, Kang-hyeok let out a small murmur of appreciation.
"There are A-rank and B-rank monsters mixed in, too?"
From D-rank Goblin Warriors to Orcs, Black Wolves, and Ogres.
A variety of monsters was gathering from all directions.
Among the goblins and orcs were shamans and generals.
And among the Black Wolves, a C-rank monster, a Red Wolf, could be spotted.
"E-Everyone, raise your weapons!"
At Arbon's shout, the Homunculi leveled their blades.
They'd learned the fundamentals of the Black Moon Sword Art from Kang-hyeok and now possessed over five hundred mana each, but as they were now, even handling a D-rank Goblin Warrior was a strain.
They couldn't yet wield sword energy, and their physiques were unchanged.
When the monsters had closed to within a few hundred meters, Kang-hyeok narrowed his eyes and unleashed a burst of mana.
Thoom—!
-Kiek......!?
-Chik......!
As the monsters began collapsing to the ground, Arbon and the others charged in all at once.
"Aaaaah!"
Slash—!
"Die!"
Squelch! Splurt!
As for the A- and B-rank monsters, they fell to Kang-hyeok's slashes, limbs severed.
-Kyaaaagh—!
Kang-hyeok kept unleashing bursts of mana, pinning the monsters' movements.
Thanks to that, the Homunculi leveled up rapidly and soon became able to wield sword energy.
Pouring AP into stamina, they went on hunting monsters for a long stretch.
The eighty-odd Homunculi cut down some seven hundred monsters over a single hour.
"Hah...... hah...... hah......"
To kill higher-rank monsters, sword energy was essential.
An ordinary blade couldn't pierce the tough hides of Orc Generals and Ogres.
So the Homunculi cut down low-rank monsters to master sword energy first, then took on the higher-rank ones.
Kang-hyeok handed all the A-rank monsters over to Arbon.
"Th-Thank you!"
In no time, Arbon reached the level of a lowest-grade Sword Master.
The problem was mana.
As he was now, he couldn't sustain a lowest-grade Sword Master's sword energy for long.
"Mana...... well, that'll sort itself out as he keeps taking Inner Cores. As for the others......"
Most had reached the level of mid- to high-grade Expert.
"Keep moving!"
Alternating rest and combat, the Homunculi cut down some two thousand monsters over five hours.
As a result, most became swordsmen of high-grade Expert or above, their strength surging all at once.
Arbon let out a small, dry laugh.
'To gain this much power in just a few hours......'
It was all thanks to the Creator's grace.
Offering silent prayers to the Creator, they decided to spend the night at a nearby villa.
With the residents all evacuated, the villa stood empty.
They handled meals with instant food and used the existing facilities for the restroom.
"I'll prepare your bedding."
Vice Master Arbon personally entered Kang-hyeok's bedroom, stripped the old blankets, and took fresh, laundered ones from the wardrobe.
"Good work. Go and rest."
"Yes, understood. Rest well."
"I will."
Arbon bowed his head and left the bedroom.
While Kang-hyeok slept, the Homunculi took turns standing watch.
A day passed, and the next day too they sounded their sirens and cut down countless monsters.
-Uwoooooooor—!
"A legion of Minotaurs......!"
At the same moment as Arbon's voice, Kang-hyeok unfurled jet-black dragon wings and hurled himself forward.
Fwip!
Splurrrrch—!
Dozens of Minotaurs lost their limbs and fell in mere seconds.
-......?!
Arbon started in alarm and hurriedly led the Homunculi charging at the Minotaurs.
"Use sword energy!"
Shing!
The Homunculi wielded sword energy and drove their blades into the Minotaurs' necks.
Squelch!
"Attack!"
"Drive it in deeper!"
Arbon, for his part, cut down a Minotaur General and became a low-grade Sword Master swordsman in a single leap.
In his past life, beings of mid-grade Sword Master or above were called Sword Saints.
In this life, they were called S2-rank Hunters.
Reach the level of a lowest- to low-grade Sword Master, and you could be issued an S3-rank Hunter license, like Lee Seong-ho.
Of course, without ID, the Homunculi couldn't even take the certification exam.
That said, even an illegal resident with abilities at B-rank or above could be granted naturalization through a simple test.
"If they're to stand in for me...... naturalization would be best."
As he raised his Homunculi, Kang-hyeok began mapping out GH Guild's future.
-Chiiik! Chik!
"Hm?"
Was there an orc tribe nearby?
The cries of orcs rang out, and soon hundreds of orcs appeared up ahead.
Behind them, Orc Shamans and a host of Orc Generals glinted with crimson light in their eyes.
Why was a mere Orc Shaman — no better than a 5th Circle Dark Mage — posturing like some grand mastermind?
Kang-hyeok let out a small, dry laugh and spread his wings.
Fwoosh!
Then he shot into the sky and, in a single stroke, sheared off the limbs of the Orc Generals and Shamans.
Slash-slash-slash-slash!
-Kwoo......?
The shamans, unable to react to what had unfolded in an instant, stood there dumbstruck.
"Attack!"
At Arbon's shout, the Homunculi swarmed toward the orcs all at once.
Slash—! Splurrrch!
By now they were starting to look every bit like veteran Hunters.
They were handling the basic Black Moon Sword Art fairly well, too.
Arbon leapt over the Orc Warriors and closed straight in on Kang-hyeok.
Fwip!
"Finish them."
"Yes, understood."
Arbon's blade turned on the Orc Generals and Shamans.
Splurrrch—!
Crimson blood scattered.
While Arbon collected the experience, Kang-hyeok unleashed a burst of mana to pin the Orc Warriors.
Thanks to that, the Homunculi took the orcs' lives with ease.
Over several days of the same routine, GH Guild succeeded in cutting down some ten thousand monsters.
"It might be a bit difficult to carry all the Mana Stones we've recovered."
"Call the driver and ask if he can arrange a freight truck for us."
"Yes, understood."
Arbon took out his smartphone and called the bus driver.
[A freight truck...... you say?]
"Yes, I was wondering if there's a freight truck that could go as far as Dongjak-gu...... could you look into it for us?"
[How large of a truck......]
"Two 3.5-ton freight trucks, if you would. We'll pay around a million won......"
[A million won or so, and you'll find them in Sejong City too. I'll ask around right now.]
"We'd appreciate it."
With the bus driver's help, they managed to rent two 3.5-ton freight trucks.
The trucks would be sent straight to the Association.
Kang-hyeok called the customer center at the Hunter Association's Seoul headquarters.
[This is Kim Min-hui, counselor at the Hunter Association Seoul headquarters. How may I help you?]
"This is S1-rank Hunter Park Kang-hyeok."
[......Excuse me?]
"I came down to Jeolla, hunted monsters, and recovered a large quantity of Mana Stones. I'd like to send the Mana Stones by freight truck...... I'm calling to ask whether you can purchase them."
[M-May I ask...... roughly how many Mana Stones there are?]
"Over nine thousand C- to D-rank Mana Stones, I'd estimate. Plus several hundred A- to B-rank Mana Stones as well."
[Ah...... o-one moment, please.]
Music played on the other end of the line.
A short while later, a higher-ranking female staffer took the call.
[Yes, this is Yu So-hui, head of the Mana Stone Management Department at the Korea Hunter Association's Seoul headquarters. I hear you're calling about a Mana Stone sale. You said over nine thousand C- to D-rank stones and several hundred A- to B-rank stones......]
"Yes, that's right. I'll send two freight trucks to the Seoul headquarters......"
[Ah...... no! We have freight trucks of our own, so there's no need for you to hire any personally. Could I get your location, Hunter Park Kang-hyeok? We'll dispatch trucks from the nearest city right away.]
"A villa near the Wanju County Office."
[Did you...... hunt the monsters by yourself?]
"I had the help of Hunters I have a past connection with."
[I see. I'll send you a contact number, so please send us the detailed address there, and we'll dispatch the trucks immediately. Payment for the Mana Stones will be deposited to your account afterward.]
"Yes, understood. Thank you."
[Not at all. It's we who should be thanking you.]