Chapter 14

Siyoon’s skill was ‘Enhancement’.

It was highly versatile, applicable even to ordinary objects.

There were already precedents like the ‘Special Vitamin’ and ‘Hot Seven’.

“I should give it a try once I get back.”

Glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses.

Enhancing such items might yield interesting results.

If it actually worked, it would be a massive jackpot.

It would effectively extend Siyoon’s hunting hours.

It was well worth the attempt.

Enhancing didn’t cost him any money, after all.

“Let’s head out first.”

Siyoon turned around and headed out of the forest.

* * *

Emerging from the forest, the sun was already setting.

If he had delayed any longer, it would have been dark.

‘Still, I thought she’d be here, but she isn’t.’

Min Seolah.

Siyoon thought of her.

She had a rather persistent streak, so he expected her to come looking for him.

‘Did she cleanly give up after seeing my attitude?’

He had firmly refused without even reading the documents.

Moreover, he had left her office in a hurry.

From Min Seolah’s perspective, it was enough to hurt her pride.

‘I was worried she might keep pushing, but this is actually better.’

Siyoon had no intention of drawing attention from others.

At least not until he had grown stronger.

Until then, he would remain very quiet.

As if he didn’t exist.

His goal was to live so inconspicuously that people would wonder if a person named Lee Siyoon even existed.

Jeobeok.

Siyoon returned to the Association.

‘I’ll only sell a portion of the byproducts. Selling a large amount unnecessarily would draw unwanted attention and backfire.’

Drawing the Association’s attention in this situation would be quite troublesome.

It was better to block any scrutiny before it even began.

“We have received five pairs of Arma Boar tusks. The remaining balance has been transferred to the account registered on your hunter license, so please verify it.”

“Thank you.”

Siyoon turned on his smartphone and checked his account.

[ Deposit – 25,000,000 won ]

[ Total Account Balance: 208,500,253 won ]

Five million won per pair.

Selling five pairs deposited a total of 25 million won.

It was a considerable amount, given that he still had many unsold byproducts.

‘25 million won… nice.’

He was satisfied.

Among F-Rank hunters, none earned as well as Siyoon did.

Usually, they were lucky to catch one or two magic beasts by forming a party.

Krakto and Arma Boars were powerful magic beasts even among F-Rank ones.

But Siyoon hunted alone and kept all the spoils for himself.

It was possible thanks to his Singular-Rank ‘Enhancement’ skill.

Feeling good, Siyoon stepped out of the building.

“Did you finish your hunting well?”

Heumchit.

The moment he stepped out, a familiar voice came from beside him.

Turning his head, sure enough.

He saw a woman in familiar attire.

It was Min Seolah.

“…Why are you here?”

“I’m an agent. It’s my job to visit wherever there’s a talented hunter.”

He hadn’t expected to meet her again today.

It was an unexpected reunion.

* * *

Siyoon looked around.

Min Seolah was famous even among agents.

Being seen together would do him absolutely no good.

“Don’t worry. I used a Magic Tool so that others won’t see us.”

She pointed at her ring.

It seemed to be a Magic Tool imbued with a special function.

This gave him a little peace of mind.

However, that didn’t mean there were no issues.

“I clearly said I wouldn’t work with you.”

Siyoon had clearly expressed his intentions.

Not ambiguously, but definitively.

“If my memory serves me right, what you declined was a contract, Mr. Lee Siyoon.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

Min Seolah spoke.

“If not a contract, would you be interested in a commission?”

“A commission?”

“Yes.”

“That’s quite out of the blue for a sudden proposal.”

Since a contract didn’t work out, she was switching to a commission.

Of course, he had no intention of accepting.

“No thanks.”

“You might change your mind once you hear it.”

He had no idea what kind of amazing commission could make her act like this.

Just as Siyoon was about to firmly refuse once more.

Min Seolah whispered softly.

“Just taking the commission will earn you a new sniper rifle. On top of that, Magic Tools and the commission fee are separate.”

“…!”

Siyoon’s eyes widened.

A sniper rifle, and Magic Tools.

They were all things Siyoon needed.

Moreover, a new sniper rifle was priced at least in the several billions.

“What model is the sniper rifle?”

“It’s the 201 series from RTB Company. It’s the first new model to enter the 200 series among sniper rifles. For your information, it’s a product that hasn’t even been released on the market yet.”

RTB’s 200 series line had a minimum price of 2 billion won.

Furthermore, since the ‘RTB-201’ was a new model, it was expected to be even more expensive, around 3 billion won.

He knew this because he had recently browsed firearms.

People said hunters earned in the hundreds of millions, but that didn’t mean they could easily spend that kind of money.

When firearms alone cost several billion won like this.

They made excuses about Magic Stones being ground up for production, or how magic beast carcasses needed to be carefully processed.

‘Price gouging.’

Siyoon knew well that this exorbitant profit stemmed from the fact that only a few companies could sell such items.

And that they controlled the supply according to demand to drive prices even higher.

In this situation, a new weapon that hadn’t even been supplied to the market yet.

‘I’d expect it to be lighter and much more powerful.’

Was she offering such a reward just for taking the commission?

He wondered if there was a reason to go this far.

He couldn’t figure it out.

“Why are you going this far?”

“Because I know your value. I don’t have pride when it comes to work. It’s about whether you can get it done or not.”

“That doesn’t sound like a flaw.”

“I know. I know being persistent can be off-putting. But I’m an agent.”

“And?”

“An Awakened with a remarkable future. What agency would leave such an Awakened alone? If there is one, they’d either be a fool or soon go out of business.”

“Hmm…”

Since her previous approach didn’t work, she was probably going to be honest now.

‘This is much better than before.’

Being this honest was preferable.

Much better than dealing with a sly opponent whose intentions could change at any moment.

If this was how she was going to play it, he could at least listen once.

Siyoon set off toward the direction Min Seolah pointed.

* * *

Commissions.

Another means of earning money for hunters.

The explanation itself was simple.

One would perform a task posted by a client in exchange for compensation.

Unlike contracts, it was a one-time deal.

That was all.

“You are interested this time, right?”

Unlike her usual self, she looked somewhat anxious.

Did even she, known as an outstanding agent, feel uneasy?

‘She knows she might fail this time.’

She had been so confident before.

She was a quick learner.

‘Setting aside her stubbornness and pride to come here is definitely a plus.’

However, the important thing was the commission itself.

He had come to listen, but he had no intention of letting it slide easily.

If it wasn’t a proper commission, he wouldn’t even glance at it.

He knew very well that he wasn’t the one in a hurry.

“Skip the pleasantries and get to the point.”

“Understood.”

Tok.

Min Seolah opened a case.

She handed Siyoon the neat documents kept inside.

There were five pages in total, neatly organized with pictures and text for easy reading.

“This is the commission request, along with some related information I’m providing personally.”

“You give out things like this too?”

“Of course. It wouldn’t do for you to be inconvenienced while taking on a commission, would it?”

Probably not.

Since she said she had gathered additional information personally.

‘This is quite appreciated.’

A commission, plus information.

From Siyoon’s perspective, it was quite appreciated.

How much information-gathering power could an F-Rank hunter have?

Min Seolah had probably anticipated this and made arrangements in advance.

Siyoon read the documents quickly.

“Hunter hunting… so the goal is to kill the target.”

Hunter hunting.

A refined way of expressing a contract killing.

These types of commissions were dangerous, but the rewards were quite substantial.

“Have you ever heard of a mid-sized company called ‘Haind’?”

“Yes. The pharmaceutical company for hunters, right?”

Haind was a company that manufactured potions used by hunters.

Not a large corporation, just a mid-sized one.

Which made it even stranger.

A mid-sized company putting out a commission to kill a specific hunter.

Could it be a trap?

As Siyoon looked at her with suspicion, Min Seolah smiled faintly.

“As you may know, Haind announced that they would release a new drug this quarter.”

“A new drug… do you mean a combat support potion?”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

Being a pharmaceutical company, Haind also produced various potions.

However, their performance wasn’t as good as they had hoped.

That was because their in-house developed new drugs were lacking.

The ‘drugs’ mentioned here weren’t simple potions.

They were a type of supplement that aided hunters in combat.

Attack power, defense, reflexes, or elemental resistance.

They were useful items that helped hunters deal with magic beasts more easily.

For instance, they could be compared to ‘Special Vitamin’ and ‘Hot Seven’.

“This is…”

Turning to the next page of the document, Siyoon furrowed his brow.

A photo of a devastated research facility.

All sorts of equipment lay shattered and scattered.

It was eerie enough to evoke the image of ruins.

“Haind had worked tirelessly to research a new potion, but the results of that research were stolen.”

“Who are the culprits?”

“They say it was hunters who had been under direct contract with them for a few years.”

One wall had a hole blown through it.

The remaining debris of the facility was shattered on the floor along with glass.

There were scorch marks too, suggesting a fire had been set.

Amidst all this, a question arose in Siyoon’s mind.

“Then wouldn’t it be better to just steal it back? Why does the commission state to eliminate the targets?”

“The samples stolen by the hunters have already been sold on the black market, so realistically, retrieving them is impossible.”

Now it made sense.

The samples were on the black market, impossible to recover.

They intended to take revenge, even if it meant killing the culprits.

“Hmm…”

“For your information, all the hunter targets are D-Rank.”

“Are you giving an F-Rank hunter a commission to hunt D-Rank hunters?”

“Because you have the ability to do so, Mr. Lee Siyoon.”

A voice filled with conviction.

Siyoon pondered.

It was a dangerous commission.

Not just ordinary hunting.

In a way, it was a mission to track down and kill criminals.

‘What should I do?’

To think she would suddenly present a commission like this.

The fact that the reward was so good only made him hesitate more.

“I understand your hesitation.”

When he didn’t answer, Min Seolah took the initiative.

“Since this commission was prepared specifically for you, Mr. Lee Siyoon, I will provide various conveniences.”

“Conveniences?”

“It was stated that the new sniper rifle would be provided in advance. On top of that, I will supply you with defensive gear and various potions without shortage.”

“Hmm…”

“Since this is your first commission, I promise the best support. Absolutely.”

Was it because he had rejected her once before?

She was desperate to recruit Siyoon by any means necessary.

‘This is decent.’

The conditions were good enough to feel her fierce determination.

So good that refusing would make him feel like a fool.

Having made up his mind, Siyoon spoke.

“What about the timeframe?”

“They say the sooner, the better. Originally, the commission was supposed to start in four days, but…”

Min Seolah tapped her tablet.

Multiple screens flashed by; she seemed to be checking information.

“Do you have a preferred time?”

“There’s no need to drag it out, is there?”

Siyoon answered immediately.

Once he made a decision, hesitation was a luxury.

“In two days. Tell them I’ll start at night.”

“Understood.”

“I’d also like to receive the equipment in advance. Is that possible?”

Min Seolah’s lips curved into a smile.

Deep confidence flowed from her smile.

“Of course, if you wish.”

“Then please do.”

“I will send them to your residence tonight.”

With that, the commission was finalized.

It was the moment his first job with Min Seolah began.

* * *

Two days passed in a flash.

On the outskirts, slightly away from a residential area in Gyeonggi-do.

On the rooftop of an abandoned building, Siyoon looked down at his surroundings.

“Hmm… so those guys are over there.”

Siyoon stared across the road at an unfinished, abandoned building.

Construction fences and fluttering cloths flapped haphazardly.

A building with no properly completed windows or internal facilities.

According to Min Seolah’s information, the commission’s targets were there.