Chapter 15
Today, the Rogue Guild was bustling as always.
From adventurers recruiting parties to raid Dungeons to those trying to match with party members assigned by the guild for quest completion, the guild hall buzzed like a crowded marketplace.
It was a familiar scene—almost nostalgic, like an old labor market.
Hyuk-min stepped inside, thinking it was just another ordinary day, when he heard:
“Ugh, that Water Rat is back again.”
Twitch.
The moment the term “Water Rat” reached his ears, Hyuk-min froze.
“Seriously, does he come every day? Didn’t he strike out yesterday?”
“Strike out yesterday? He strikes out every day. Who would hire a Water Rat? Especially a bottom-of-the-barrel Water Rat. People who’ve tried hiring him say he’s the worst of the Water Rats—completely useless.”
Two men were heading toward a child wandering through the noisy crowd.
Dirty clothes, a thin frame—the child walked around asking people for work.
Kids like that were called Water Rats.
-Damn it. I thought Water Rats disappeared for a while, but another one showed up.
-Just get lost!
-I almost used him since he looked bigger than the other Water Rats, but nope. No strength at all.
-My day was already crap, and now he’s clinging to me. Get out of here!
Memories from his past life—memories this life had never experienced—rose to the surface as Hyuk-min watched the Water Rat.
Shared misfortune, perhaps.
But he had no intention of helping.
His time was far too precious to waste on something like this.
The notebook in his hand proved that.
He was about to pass through the crowd and ask the information staff about Dungeon info when—
“Excuse me.”
“Mister.”
A clear voice called out as someone grabbed his finger.
His gaze dropped.
The Water Rat from earlier stood before him.
A girl.
The moment their eyes met, Hyuk-min felt something strange—a tug of familiarity so strong it made him frown.
He didn’t know her. He was sure of it.
But he felt like he did.
A contradiction—seeing someone for the first time while feeling like they were already part of his memory.
“I’m a hard worker. I’ll do anything. Please… please hire me.”
She looked about thirteen.
He glanced around.
People were looking at them with annoyance and disdain.
Some shook their heads.
‘So those men were telling the truth.’
The people who had once hired her were likely among them—those who had given her small tasks only to find she lacked the strength to do even those.
They lost money. They lost time.
No wonder they looked at her that way.
“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing you can help me with. Try someone else.”
“Please. Please, I’m begging you. I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday. Please….”
Her teary eyes didn’t look like she was lying.
Hunger was a permanent mark on all Water Rats.
Hyuk-min had lived the same way in his previous life.
‘They said she struck out all day yesterday.’
He turned away—but memories of starvation, humiliation, and desperation rose up, refusing to let him ignore her.
He pulled out a 10,000-won bill and handed it to her.
This was it.
The most he could offer.
“Ah… ah….”
Tears burst from the girl’s eyes as she stared at the bill.
He patted her shoulder while she bowed repeatedly.
“People aren’t in a good mood today. Go home for now, okay?”
“Yes… I will.”
“Make sure you go home. If you wander around today, something bad might happen.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Reading moods and avoiding danger—that was how Water Rats survived each day.
That’s how she avoided starvation and beatings.
“I’m a hard worker. Please hire me. Mister? I can carry things. Hey, you…?”
Even knowing people were in a terrible mood, even knowing she could break a bone today, she was forced to beg for work.
It was the Water Rat’s reality.
“Sigh.”
Hyuk-min pitied her, but he had his own goals.
He turned away decisively and approached the information desk.
“I’m looking for a Dungeon…”
He was about to push the girl out of his mind when a memory from his past life surged back.
-Wow, it’s Sogoe!
-Sogoe? The youngest executive of The Unrivaled Guild? That little monster?
-Yeah. First Korean to become an executive. Jeonsin himself recognized her.
-I’m so jealous….
“Excuse me, Rogue?”
The staff’s question pulled him back.
“Sogoe…!?”
The Water Rat’s face flashed through his mind.
Hyuk-min’s eyes shot wide open.
‘I knew I’d never seen her before. So why did she feel familiar!?’
He spun around.
There she was—still bowing, still begging for work.
And suddenly, he realized.
That girl… was Sogoe.
= = =
The world’s number one—past or present—never changed.
The greatest Hunter in existence: Jeonsin.
The world’s number one guild: The Unrivaled.
A guild so dominant that the news of an 18-year-old girl becoming one of their executives had shocked the entire globe.
Recognized by Jeonsin himself.
She had shaken the world twice.
That underage executive was standing right in front of him—
Sogoe.
“Hey, kid.”
“Yes?”
Her eyes trembled.
“Want to work with me?”
He knelt to meet her gaze.
Tears welled up once more.
“R-really…?”
Such a small child, yet destined to become a legend.
He was certain.
This was her.
“I… I…”
She hesitated.
He understood why.
He extended his hand.
“I know what you’re scared of. Those people earlier—they felt off, didn’t they?”
“…!”
Her eyes widened.
“You can trust me. I know how you feel. I’m also from Water Rat stock.”
Her eyes widened even more.
She stared straight at him.
“As a fellow Water Rat, I’ll help you. Trust me. You have to trust me so I can help you.”
Her gaze dropped to his hand.
She hesitated.
Then—
Gulp.
She made up her mind.
She placed both hands on his.
= = =
He asked the Rogue Guild about nearby Dungeons.
A Class C Dungeon was close, so he brought Sogoe along.
They stood before the dark stairs descending underground—typical Dungeon architecture.
Sogoe looked anxious.
“What should I do?”
“Hmm? I should ask you that. What can you do?”
“I… I….”
Sogoe was known as the absolute lowest Water Rat.
Thirteen years old, too weak for Dungeon raids, too small to carry resources.
She could do nothing.
He asked gently,
“Have you ever raided a Dungeon before?”
“Yes! I have!”
“You don’t have to lie.”
Her face stiffened.
“I-it’s not a lie… I really…”
“If you could even pretend to be useful, they would’ve dragged you inside. Even if you got caught once you were in, they couldn’t throw you out. You’d get scolded or beaten, but you’d at least eat that day.”
Her widening eyes told him she’d been exposed.
“I told you—I’m a Water Rat too. I know everything you’ve been through. Why would you be any different?”
He remembered the same lies, the same fear, the same beatings.
“Don’t lie to me. Lie to others if you have to, but not to me. I already heard you’re the lowest Water Rat, and I still brought you here. I told you: trust me so I can help you.”
“…Yes…”
“I’ll ask again. What can you do?”
“Nothing….”
She looked down, ashamed.
But Hyuk-min saw something different.
He saw the 18-year-old Sogoe from his past life.
He couldn’t help but smile.
‘You don’t know it yet, but you’re exceptional. The entire world will know.’
The Tower raid competition came to mind.
-As expected! Sogoe’s assist is brilliant!
-Ah! What is this!? Sogoe’s kill count is insane! 132 enemies alone!
-The Familla Guild can’t find her! Her stealth is ghostlike!
-Sogoe snipes the vice-guild leader! The Familla Guild collapses!
-Ah~ They still can’t locate her! She’s a ghost!
A child wielding a gun bigger than her body, breaking world records.
A little monster.
Sogoe.
He forced himself to stay calm, even though his heart raced.
“Then let’s find out together. I’ll help you discover it.”
“R-really…?”
He already knew.
But he pretended he didn’t.
“From the moment you took my hand, you became my comrade.”
“Co-comrade?”
“Yes. Comrade.”
He held out his hand again.
“Shall we explore the Dungeon?”
Sogoe grabbed his hand, nodding with excitement.
“Yes!”
They stepped into the Dungeon together.
Hyuk-min opened his Inventory and barely hid his grin.
‘Is this what hitting the jackpot feels like?’
He had looted a demon NPC earlier and kept the items, thinking he might need them someday.
Today was that day.
The most important item was right there.
[Devilla’s Pistol.]
Today, he would transform this small Water Rat.
From the lowest of the low…
to the ranker who would carve her name into legend.
Sogoe..