Chapter 30

“Alright, then.”

She doesn’t think deeply. The Guild Master changed the contract terms to a treatment befitting an A+ Rank and presented it, and Cho-i signed it without hesitation. Now, she is undeniably a Guild Member of Paehyeok.

“Well then, Guild Master. I look forward to working with you, and good night!”

“It’s daytime.”

“Can’t I sleep if it’s daytime? Don’t sleep then.”

She said that and pressed the elevator button. She should have just disappeared with a whoosh, but unfortunately, the elevator was on the 1st floor.

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Ding. Cho-i hurriedly rushed into the elevator and forcefully pressed the close button to shut the doors.

“What a strange person.”

Cho-i muttered to herself for no reason, then immediately went down to the 80th floor. There, she found three people drinking something that looked like coffee or tea. Cho-i walked over to Nara Shim, who was holding a cup, and chopped her on the head with the side of her hand. The A+ Rank’s hand chop must have been more severe than expected, as Nara Shim clutched her head and rolled around on the sofa.

“Why did you hit me!”

“Oh, just watching you made me feel wronged. Did you sign the contract?”

“Of course I signed the contract!”

At that, Cho-i Hyeon hit Nara Shim on the head once again.

“Is he crazy?”

“You contributed a lot to my madness.”

Nara Shim’s mouth closed. Cho-i took a sip from the cup Nara Shim had set down. It was coffee. The Entity had added a lot of syrup. Since the Entity wasn’t as bad as she thought, Cho-i took a sip of coffee and then asked,

“How many people passed? There weren’t many applicants for this trial, were there?”

“Was it six people besides you?”

“Geumsin recruited a new S-Rank healer this time. So maybe they all flocked there?”

“Our healer is old enough now, so it makes sense that they might lean that way.”

Dongju Kim snorted.

“Those are the words of idiots who don’t even know what SS-Rank is.”

“I know SS-Rank is great, but is it that special?”

At those words, Dongju Kim, Yeonhan Kim, and even Nara Shim stared at her with wide eyes.

“Why, what is it? No, I know it’s great. But is it really that great…?”

Nara Shim quickly covered her mouth.

“That’s what I mean, you madwoman! How dare you blurt out such nonsense inside Paehyeok? What if someone hears you?!”

I think I know from hearing your voice right now. Cho-i narrowed her eyes and looked at Nara. Yeonhan and Dongju stared blankly into space for a moment, like teachers who had received an unexpected question. Soon, Yeonhan Kim folded his arms and explained.

“S-Rank is amazing, isn’t it?”

“Right?”

“But there are two S-grades.”

“Oh, right!”

“Then it’s amazing.”

“That’s true!”

“What’s true?!”

Dongju Kim, listening to the exchange between Yeonhan Kim and Cho-i Hyeon, suddenly burst out. He ran a hand through his hair. His face was that of someone who wanted to say, ‘What are these idiots?’
But it was also the face of a younger brother holding back for fear of being hit by his older sister. Dongju Kim picked up the cup in front of him, chugged the coffee, and said,

“Their very existence is just a bit uncomfortable, isn’t it?”

At those words, Yeonhan nodded.

“A somewhat awkward feeling. To compare, it’s close to the feeling of an unawakened person being in front of a tiger. But even the Entity is only that much for us S-Ranks, and it must be worse for lower-grade Hunters, didn’t you feel it?”

Cho-i Hyeon briefly recalled the first time she saw him. He was just like a solid, brightly colored fruit. He was handsome too. That was all there was to it.

“I don’t know.”

She was sincere, and Yeonhan said,

“If she does well, there might be someone who gives the Guild Master a pain in the neck?”

“If that happens, I’ll bet my hand on it.”

“Bet your wrist.”

“He’s betting her wrist.”

“What? Why are you betting my wrist?”

When Dongju Kim suddenly bet Cho-i’s wrist, Cho-i protested. He shrugged his shoulders and received a hard slap on the back in return.

“Anyway, you both signed the contract properly, right? Meeting the Guild Master can be considered a type of interview. You both still have to go through the formal interview, but you’ve already passed.”

“This is why connections are so good.”

“It’s good to have good friends.”

“Didn’t you say we weren’t friends earlier?”

“Quiet, quiet. You’ll probably be deployed first if a suitable dungeon appears for a while. You’ll get a call when a team is assigned, so go and rest until then.”

“Understood.”

Nara Shim and Cho-i Hyeon finished their contract in a hurry and left the Paehyeok Guild. The two stood blankly in front of the guild building for a moment. Nara Shim said,

“Hey, how much is your signing bonus?”

“And yours?”

“Mine is 300 million.”

“Oh, mine is exactly ten times that.”

“Damn ranks.”

“If you don’t like it, become an A-Rank yourself.”

“You’re so annoying, I could die.”

“Want me to kill you?”

“Sister, what did I say?”

Nara Shim’s attitude changed quickly, and a smile never left Cho-i’s face. The signing bonus was supposed to arrive today, so maybe it would be good to look for a room. But the two women chose something else. Since the money would be coming in anyway.

“Let’s spend it.”

Without hesitation, the two women immediately headed to Yuhan Department Store. On the first floor, they bought Nara Shim some suitable equipment.

“Hey, twenty million won? Buy it, buy it.”

“Let’s buy it, let’s buy it.”

“Hey, fifteen hundred? Let’s buy it.”

“Let’s buy that, that one.”

“I must be crazy. Twelve hundred? It’s too cheap.”

“Look, look at the car.”

By the time Nara Shim came to her senses, she had already spent half the money in her bank account. She gazed at her full inventory, feeling both fulfilled and somehow empty.

“I feel good, but also somehow empty.”

“Empty? It’s just a bank account and inventory that will be filled again anyway.”

“Right?”

Cho-i nibbled on a jelly, no one knew where she got it from, and said. Nara Shim looked at her.

“Where did you get that?”

“A staff member gave it to me.”

“Why didn’t they give it to me when I was buying?”

“Maybe I was prettier.”

That’s true. Nara Shim gave up quickly. Cho-i looked around and soon found the escalator going up. Cho-i was currently A+ Rank. S-Rank equipment was not the kind that could be found in a department store. But before they could even enter the floor where A+ Rank equipment could be bought, they were stopped by an employee.

“This area is only for VIP customers.”

The employee was kind. Cruelly kind.

“I need equipment, can’t I go in?”

“No, customer.”

“How do I become a VIP customer?”

“If you spend a total of 1.2 billion won or more at this department store, a VIP card will be issued. Please visit the customer service center for more details.”

Nara Shim and Cho-i exchanged glances. 1.2 billion won, impossible. Then Cho-i clapped her hands, as if something had just occurred to her. And so, the person who was called out was,

“Did you call me out again to go shopping?”

“We can’t help it. We need to get equipment.”

Dongju Kim. Dongju Kim, looking dumbfounded, put her hands in her pockets and stared at the two women before sighing and heading upstairs. The two women trotted after her. The employee, after checking the VIP card, greeted them with a bright smile. Even though they were the same people who had been turned away just 30 minutes earlier.

“Welcome. Dongju Kim, customer, and your companions.”

Cho-i was thus able to go in and buy A+ Rank items. Cho-i bought a shield, a sword, armor, and even shoes. Thanks to this, she had to spend all the money she had, but it didn’t matter since the signing bonus was expected to arrive.

“You can find equipment over here.”

At that moment, Dongju Kim was looking at one of the display cases. It was a place that sold accessories.

Accessories gave great stat bonuses, but they were also equipment that hunters often skipped if they weren’t well-off. He looked at one spot and picked out a thin bracelet.

“You’ve chosen well, customer. This is the Bracelet of Life, an A+ Rank item that just arrived yesterday from the Paehyeok Guild. It increases a tank’s recovery rate by 25%.”

“I’ll take it.”

“Thank you for your purchase.”

“Hey.”

Dongju Kim immediately threw the packaged bracelet to Cho-i. Cho-i caught the thrown box with a bewildered expression and tilted her head. Beside her, Nara Shim’s mouth fell open.

“Whoa!”

“It’s not like that.”

“Oh, yes it is. The reasons men buy expensive gifts for women are all the same.”

“It’s really not.”

“You know what’s pretty.”

“Why are you getting so cocky, why you?”

Cho-i poked Nara beside her. Dongju Kim, with a look of disbelief, reached for a cigarette in his pocket but then stopped, remembering he was indoors.

“Your schedule is already set.”

“Already?”

“Yes, the day after tomorrow.”

Cho-i tilted her head.

“It’s fine, but do teammates usually get recruited this quickly?”

“No.”

“Then why was it arranged so suddenly?”

“Well, because there are few teammates.”

“Which dungeon are we entering?”

“An S-Rank dungeon in Daegu.”

“An S-Rank dungeon with few teammates? How many?”

“One.”

“One?”

Dongju Kim looked at Cho-i with a pitiful expression.

“One Guild Master.”

“…”

“…”

“Why?”

“How would I know?”

“Why would someone so busy…”

“This old man is really funny.”

Cho-i hummed as she unwrapped the package and put on the bracelet. She even worried about the Guild Master’s position, wondering how someone who acts purely out of interest could be a Guild Master.

“It’s fine, but…”

“The interview is tomorrow.”

“So it’s not fine?”

An SS-Rank could easily handle an S-Rank dungeon alone. If he was taking her there, his intention was obvious.

‘He must be trying to test me.’

She finished putting on the bracelet and rotated her wrist back and forth. It was quite sparkly and very pretty.

“I’ll use it well. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

A 25% regeneration rate bonus was meaningless for Cho-i, but it was necessary. This item Dongju Kim bought her would serve as an excuse for her abnormal recovery rate.

“I think it will be a great help.”

She wouldn’t be able to fool the Guild Master’s eyes, though. She slowly closed and opened her eyelids.

‘What could he find by testing me that he’s taking me so urgently?’

Cho-i couldn’t understand him.

“Either way, we’re in Paehyeok, right?”

After acquiring all the equipment, the two of them expressed their gratitude to Dongju Kim with mere words and then parted ways.