Porter — someone who collects magic stones and loot from monsters, hauling gear throughout the subjugation. An essential role that can’t be missed when taking down high-rank rifts.

Sometimes people dismiss the whole point of having a porter. Their argument: why throw decent money at someone just to move stuff around? But that’s just ignorance talking.

‘Greenhorn hunters who don’t know the industry’s pulse say crap like that.’

From high-rank rifts onward, the hidden world’s scale balloons dramatically. A C-rank rift might spit out 150 monsters at best, but B-rank and above start at a baseline of 300.

A single magic stone alone weighs 50 to 60 kg. Add in various loot, byproducts, the hunters’ gear, potions — it’s not uncommon for the total to hit 200 to 300 kg or more.

If no one takes on that load, hunters can’t hit 100% efficiency.

For a guild-run subjugation, they might mobilize four or five porters depending on the situation. And veteran porters with years of experience rake in pay that rivals any hunter’s.

‘Still, 3 million won for one job feels like too much. Isn’t the average pay for an A-rank rift usually around 1.3 to 1.5 million?’

A fat paycheck isn’t always something to celebrate — it means there’s something fishy lurking.

‘But Gapyeong Station is right nearby, and 3 million won for a day’s work as a porter… Maybe I should give it a shot?’

Byeonggap clicked the post, figuring he’d read the details. But the body only had a lone phone number. At that point, a thought crept in: ‘Is someone messing around?’

Nothing ventured, nothing lost. Byeonggap dialed the number on the post.

After five or six rings, the other side picked up.

-Hello?

A young woman’s voice.

“Yes, hello. I’m calling about the recruitment post on HunterNet. The A-rank rift near Gapyeong Station…”

-How soon can you get here?

“Excuse me?”

-Can you make it within 30 minutes?

‘What’s with this woman? I haven’t even said yes yet.’

Impatient type, isn’t she. That was Go Byeonggap’s thought.

“Yeah. I can get there in about twenty minutes.”

-I’ll text you the coordinates. Come here.

She sounded ready to hang up. Byeonggap hurried out:

“Ah! Hold on.”

-Yes.

“I’ve got a few things to ask before I come. First, you put the pay as three million won — is that right? And is this a Guild-led subjugation, or a team operation? Do I bring my own supplies? How many participants, and what are their ranks…”

-Three million a day, correct. Just bring yourself. We’ll talk the rest in person.

“…”

-Are you coming? If not, tell me now.

“…I’ll head there for now.”

-Good. Be quick.

She hung up without hesitation. Byeonggap stared at his phone, looking like he could die from sheer bafflement.

“What the hell?”

Three years as a hunter, with porter runs under his belt. He’d never seen anything like this.

Just go and see. If she’s crazy, he’d say no and be done with it.

With that resolve, Byeonggap steered the car toward Gapyeong Station.

Gapyeong Station was quick. The coordinates the woman sent led to a remote mountain hollow about four klicks from the station.

Far from any house, surrounded by nothing but hills and fields. When he pulled into a clearing, he spotted a group of people.

But… something was off.

‘Are they kids?’

Four people total.

One striking woman. The other three looked barely old enough for middle school.

They all turned to look at him in unison.

‘Nah. No way.’

Byeonggap stayed in the car and called the number he’d just spoken to. Outside, the woman pulled a phone from her pocket and brought it to her ear.

It was them.

-You’re in the red Morning, right? Come out.

She said it while crooking her finger.

Wearing a reluctant grimace, Byeonggap stepped out of the car and walked toward her.

“Get ready. We’re going in immediately.”

A woman in her late twenties. Short black hair, cut like a man’s. A cold face. A frigid voice. Maybe it was the otherworldly beauty typical of high-rank awakeners, but she radiated zero humanity.

The moment he faced her, Byeonggap knew. She wasn’t ordinary.

‘This karma density… At least S-rank.’

The dissonance was even stronger than when he’d crossed paths with Lee Sori and Heo Gilnam at that restaurant days ago.

The kids beside her were anything but ordinary either. Each one of them blazed with monstrous karma.

What kind of combination was this?

The woman opened the trunk of what looked like her high-end van. From inside, she pulled magical-engineering weapons worth hundreds of millions per unit and handed them out to the children.

“Did you bring your backpack?”

“I do have one.”

“Use this.”

She handed Go Byeonggap a pack as well, a massive one. The moment he hoisted it onto his shoulders, it writhed of its own accord, molding itself to his body like a living thing. It, too, was an expensive piece of Magitech equipment.

“All you need to do is collect the magic stones. Stay out of the way during combat so you don’t get caught up in it.”

“Hold on. I’m still trying to get a handle on things here—is this really the whole strike team?”

“Yes.”

The woman’s reply was so matter-of-fact it nearly left him speechless. A dozen questions clamored at his lips, but none of them quite made it out.

“So… I’m the only porter?”

“Just collect the magic stones. That’s more than enough for one person.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your rank?”

The woman’s brow furrowed slightly. It was the first hint of humanity he’d seen from her.

“S-rank. Surely you can feel it already.”

She wasn’t wrong. He could feel it, clear as day.

Go Byeonggap stared hard at the woman and the children. South Korea had exactly 450 S-rank Hunters; he knew most of the major faces by sight. But this woman and her kids were completely unfamiliar.

“Then… if it’s not too rude, could I ask your name?”

At his question, the woman let out a short sigh.

“Kim Hana.”

‘Kim Hana? Kim Hana?’

Go Byeonggap turned the name over in his head, tasting it, but no face came to mind.

As he hesitated, Kim Hana spoke.

“The porter who was supposed to join us today had a sudden emergency and couldn’t make it. That’s why I put out the call. There won’t be any danger. You just collect the magic stones, collect your pay, and that’s it. Is that too difficult?”

“No, it’s not about whether it’s difficult or not…”

“If you’re not comfortable, you can leave.”

Her tone was resolute. No, resolute wasn’t quite the word—it was cold. A woman made of ice, through and through.

A whirlwind of thoughts flooded Go Byeonggap’s mind.

Go back? Stay? Go back? Stay?

His deliberation didn’t last long.

“I’m Go Byeonggap. I look forward to working with you today.”

Three million won didn’t fall from the sky every day. Like she said, all he had to do was take the money and that was that.

Both the woman and the children radiated unmistakable S-rank strength. He doubted anything dangerous would happen during the hunt.

“Let’s head out, then. Kids, let’s go.”

“Yes, Master.”

‘Master?’

The children called Kim Hana “Master.” Byeonggap found the title odd, but he didn’t pry.

Before entering the rift, Go Byeonggap drew his longsword. Heading into an A-rank rift with nothing but a backpack was a heavy mental burden, to say the least.

Kim Hana and the children didn’t seem to pay it any mind.

‘An A-rank rift.’

When he stood before the rift, he swallowed without thinking. He’d only ever watched from a distance before—this was his first time stepping inside.

“Enter about a minute after we go in.”

“Understood.”

Kim Hana and the children entered the rift. Go Byeonggap counted sixty seconds in his head, then threw himself into the first A-rank rift of his life.

* * *

‘So this is an A-rank rift.’

Go Byeonggap stared up at the sky, blank-faced. A wave of ominous energy rippled through the gray heavens.

The air was heavy. Just standing still made every hair on his body stand on end.

Kim Hana and the three children were waiting for him.

The moment they confirmed he’d crossed over, they started walking without delay. Go Byeonggap hurried to catch up.

“When combat starts, stay put somewhere far off. I’ll handle any monsters that get close to you, Mr. Byeonggap. Moving unnecessarily could make things more dangerous.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. By the way, what are your names?”

At his question, the children glanced at Kim Hana for permission.

“…Is an introduction necessary?”

“Even if it’s just for a day, we’re working together—wouldn’t it be good to at least know each other’s names?”

Go Byeonggap played it smooth. Truth was, he hadn’t asked because he genuinely cared about their names. He wanted to know if they were figures already cataloged in his mental database.

Kim Hana paused a moment before speaking.

“This child is Jane. And these are Do Eunho and Kang Hancheol.”

Go Byeonggap and the children exchanged light nods. None of the names rang a bell.

They’d been walking for about two or three minutes when Kim Hana, at the front, halted everyone.

“Jane, take point. Eunho, left flank. Hancheol, right flank.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Time limit: one minute. Output limit: fifty percent.”

Kim Hana fiddled with her wristwatch. A mechanical BEEP chirped from it.

“Begin.”

The moment she spoke, an immense surge of karma erupted from the children’s bodies.

It was so dense it was visible to the naked eye. Soon, a bluish karma enveloped them.

That was the very measure that separated lower-rank hunters from higher ones: the Karma Barrier.

A Karma Barrier had tremendous resistance to attacks that didn’t carry karma. To even scratch that barrier, you’d need to empty five magazines into it.

Go Byeonggap instinctively stepped back. With an S-rank awakener unleashing her full power, every cell in his body screamed in alarm.

Right now, they were apex predators, and he was the prey about to be devoured.

“Grrrrr…”

A monster revealed itself, as if sensing the burst of karma.

A Gados. A lizard-shaped monster standing two and a half meters tall at the shoulder.

Spines bristled along its spine; its claws curved like scythes. Beyond the four legs it used to walk, it had two more limbs, reminiscent of a mantis’s.

From the start, they were B-rank. A single one of those things would butcher a dozen C-rank hunters without breaking a sweat. There were easily forty of the monsters.

“Gyaaaaaaah!”

The pack of Gados charged as one. Of course, they were all armored in Karma Barriers.

To be honest, Go Byeonggap could barely even track the Gados’ movements.

Watching a Gados’s body — split into five pieces — rocket into the sky in that situation, he had no idea what he was supposed to think.

“Kueeeeeeeek!”

The Gados died without even putting up a fight. It wasn’t a battle, not really. It was a slaughter.

Kim Hana just stood beside Go Byeonggap, not joining the fight. Only the three children took on every single Gados.

Go Byeonggap forgot to breathe as he watched the carnage. Then a beep sounded beside him. A signal that one minute had passed.

There were still three or four Gados left. Kim Hana’s expression hardened almost imperceptibly.

Jane threw a slashing strike, turning the last Gados into pulp.

“One minute, fourteen seconds.”

Kim Hana’s voice was as cold as ice. The children fidgeted like dogs who’d eaten something bad.

“Everyone, gather. Mr. Byeonggap, please collect the magic stones.”

“…Ah, yes.”

Go Byeonggap calmly began dismantling the bodies.

Meanwhile, the children gathered in front of Kim Hana. Pretending to focus on collecting magic stones, Byeonggap stole glances their way.

From the look of it, they were discussing the battle that just happened.

Kim Hana seemed deeply displeased. She wasn’t raising her voice to scold them, but it was clear she was chewing them out.

Go Byeonggap felt a sense of absurd disbelief.

‘What’s the problem here? They took down forty B-rank monsters in a minute and fourteen seconds — that’s fucking incredible. And they’re still just kids, damn it. …Shit. Is this what it takes to reach the top — being unsatisfied even with this?’

Go Byeonggap thought as he searched through the Gados’s corpse.

‘The road ahead is still goddamn long.’