Chapter 22
A lamb skewer restaurant near Konkuk University Station.
Hwang Ji-young, dressed head-to-toe in leather, sat across from two men.
“What brings the esteemed Baeksan Tracking Team here?”
They were the same Baeksan trackers who had tried to kill Hyuk-min.
“You know why we’re here.”
“Ah~ you’re talking about getting beaten to a pulp by some random guy with no guild?”
Thump!
The blonde man slammed his fist on the table hard enough to nearly break it.
“Are you mocking us right now?!”
His eyes, flooded with rage, practically radiated murderous intent.
“Am I not allowed to?”
“What…?”
They weren’t ordinary hunters—they were elite trackers from Baeksan, Korea’s number-one guild. A unit that didn’t budge unless the guild master himself ordered it.
But even with all that intimidation, Hwang Ji-young didn’t flinch. Her smile only grew colder, as if offended by their presence.
Still, Baeksan wasn’t number one for nothing.
The bearded man, quicker to assess the situation, immediately apologized on behalf of the blonde.
“Sorry about that.”
“Hyung!”
“Quiet.”
He flicked his eyes around.
The blonde finally followed his gaze.
And froze.
Everyone—literally everyone—had stopped moving.
Men, women, young adults, seniors.
The restaurant owner, the part-timers, office workers passing by on the street, housewives, students walking past, even homeless people sitting near the corner.
Dozens of eyes glared at him like they wanted to kill him.
“Wh-what… what is this…”
“Aside from your top-tier degree and that rare tracking Skill of yours, shouldn’t you at least know where you are?”
Instead of the trembling blonde, the bearded man answered grimly.
“This is why I’m teamed up with him.”
“Must be exhausting babysitting a kid.”
The bearded man didn’t deny it.
Hwang Ji-young leaned closer, her voice quiet and cold.
“Baeksan is exemplary. But why do you think we are still number one in information and contract work?”
The blonde couldn’t even lift his head.
Only after she smirked and waved lightly did the frozen atmosphere melt, and the people resumed what they were doing, as if nothing had happened.
“This is my turf. Even if Baeksan’s guild master walked in here, he wouldn’t lay a finger on me. But can you say the same for yourselves?”
The Ice Queen.
The master of Black Label.
The two Baeksan trackers had just witnessed the power behind her title.
“As I said, I apologize.”
“From now on, I’ll speak only with him. And you…”
She raised a single finger to her lips.
The blonde instantly shut up like his life depended on it.
She turned to the bearded man.
“What do you want?”
“The man who defeated us. We want information on him.”
“Just information?”
“No… and we want to hire you.”
She exhaled softly.
“I told you not to touch him. Is that still the plan?”
Her attitude made it clear she’d seen everything that happened.
The bearded man swallowed.
“It doesn’t matter. Once that man is dealt with, handling the girl will be easy. We’ll take her ourselves.”
“Ah, you misunderstood.”
The bearded man stared.
Hwang Ji-young leaned back in her chair.
“I mean he’s someone we can’t accept contracts on.”
His brows twitched.
“We can’t take contracts on him… So he wasn’t just some nobody.”
“You could say that. We don’t form friendly ties lightly.”
“We can pay whatever you want. Even if you’re friendly, you’ve handled targets before.”
“Not this one. He doesn’t qualify. If it’s just information, I can give what I’m allowed to share.”
She stood up.
An office worker passing by opened the door for her at a signal.
The two trackers had no choice but to leave with nothing.
After they left, Hwang Ji-young sat back down.
“This will be reported to Baeksan.”
Right Wing stepped out of the kitchen.
The middle-aged woman sat across from her.
“We’ll probably have to justify his value later. The question is whether that man’s potential outweighs Baeksan’s.”
“You’re evaluating future value?”
Right Wing nodded.
“He’s far too lacking to be compared to Baeksan.”
“Then why—don’t tell me it’s because of the guild master’s daughter he mentioned—”
“That’s part of it. But besides that…”
Hwang Ji-young laughed.
“Bang Hyuk-min. Aren’t you curious what road that man will walk?”
Right Wing remembered her first meeting with him. She too had felt he was no ordinary man.
“He walked out of our turf untouched after we tested him. And now? In less than a week, he crushed a Baeksan Tracking Team and forced them to come crawling to us.”
“Ah…”
“Is that something a normal person can do? No. Not even someone exceptional. Not alone.”
Right Wing let out a short breath of realization.
“A curious man indeed.”
“So I’ll watch him. I want to see what he aims for, and how big the storms he causes along the way will be. Who knows? Maybe he’ll become something greater than Baeksan’s value. Worst-case scenario…”
“In the worst case?”
“We cut him off early and reconcile with Baeksan—with upgraded terms, of course.”
Right Wing accepted it.
“I’ll follow your orders.”
“Good. First, gather every detail on that girl Baeksan wanted. That alone will tell us why Baeksan moved their busy Tracking Team, and why Bang Hyuk-min is willing to clash with them.”
“Understood.”
A faint, dangerous smile rose on Hwang Ji-young’s lips.
“There must be something about that girl. Something only Bang Hyuk-min sees.”
= = =
A week passed since the Baeksan incident.
Thankfully, the threats worked.
Baeksan’s Tracking Team hadn’t appeared again.
Because of that, Hyuk-min and Hyun-jung climbed the Tower all week without interference.
The result?
Massive spec upgrades.
== Status Window ==
[Name]: Bang Hyuk-min
[Level]: 42
[Class]: Immortal Warrior
Strength – 100 + 22
Agility – 107 + 26
Intelligence – 80 + 25
Stamina – 85 + 14
Mana – 55 + 20
== Status Window ==
[Name]: Choi Hyun-jung
[Level]: 23
[Class]: One Preparing a Legend with a Gun
Strength – 55
Agility – 65
Intelligence – 62
Stamina – 40
Mana – 47
The stat boost from her second job advancement made Hyun-jung’s numbers absurdly high.
But the bigger monster was the Party System.
Sharing Stats and Skills.
Thanks to that, Hyuk-min’s own stats were now monstrous.
A Level 42 man with triple-digit stats across the board.
‘Party is so broken.’
If there was one regret—
[Gun Mastery] LV 9
Her growth in Gun Mastery had slowed. The new cap made progress harder.
‘Don’t be greedy.’
He was satisfied. The path ahead was even wider now.
“Uncle! I’ve finished organizing everything!”
Hyun-jung ran up.
In just a week, the former Water Rat girl looked nothing like her old self.
Fed well, rested well, trained well—she now had the frame of a healthy fifteen-year-old. Her stats only boosted the effect.
“Not bad.”
He ruffled her hair.
She brightened.
“Only the boss left now?”
“Yes, Uncle!”
They stood before the final boss room.
“What floor was this?”
“Floor 31!”
He laughed.
“Feels like yesterday you caught up to the Dungeon I was doing, and now we’re already here.”
“If we beat Floor 30 yesterday in one try, we’d be on Floor 32 now. A shame.”
“Don’t be greedy. Most hunters never even get this far.”
“Of course~ I have Uncle.”
“Oh? You joke now?”
“S-sorry!”
“Just kidding.”
He smiled.
She smiled back, shy but proud.
He placed his hand on the boss room door.
She placed hers beside his.
“Exactly one week since your new job.”
“Yes!”
“Shall we wrap up the week with a bang?”
“Yes!”
The boss room opened.
Fifteen Giant Orcs.
Huge, brutal, but no longer frightening.
“Hyun-jung.”
“Yes.”
She raised her pistol.
He drew the Immortal Demon Sword.
“Let’s retire that gun after this.”
“Huh?”
Click.
He sprinted forward, and she matched his speed.
“What do you mean?!”
“I’ll buy you a better one!”
Blue Mana flared along his sword.
Arms, legs, necks—Giant Orcs collapsed in sprays of blue blood.
Hyun-jung froze for a second—
Ziiiing! Bang!
Her Mana Bullet pierced the skull of an orc aiming at Hyuk-min’s back.
“You have to keep that promise!!”
Blue blood splashed across his back.
He laughed and charged deeper in.
Under his breath, so she couldn’t hear:
“It’s too small for Sogoe to hold, isn’t it?”