Excuse me, Manager Woo.
What is it?
If you could take a look at this...
It's about the raid on the C-Rank dungeon where six hunters were killed in action.
The only survivors were a D and E-Rank.
They probably fled the dungeon. Happens all the time.
That's just it. Not only did they not flee, they defeated the boss before exiting.
The D-Rank hunter, Yoo Jinho, seems to have had very expensive equipment,
which could probably explain—
I'm not seeing the issue. You should be able to find out the details easily enough.
Well, the other thing is that the other hunter
was the survivor from the recent double dungeon incident... Sung Jinwoo.
Sung Jinwoo?
Not only that, but one of the six deceased was Hwang Dongsuk.
The infamous Hwang Dongsoo's older brother...
I can see why you brought this to me.
I'm home.
Welcome back.
Whoa, you brought gifts?!
Fried chicken! Did you have a good day or something?
I'm not sure about that just yet.
But I'll be able to cover Mom's hospital bills and our expenses for a while.
And you're normally such a cheapskate.
Come to think of it,
how did that thing the other day go?
The raid, I mean. You got a big payday, right?
But you weren't hurt too badly,
so I was wondering if your party was really strong.
Well... yeah.
Must've been easy to beat the bad guys, then.
It really was easy. Putting aside the gap in strength...
When the time came, I didn't hesitate at all.
If anything, I resented them for thinking they had a chance against me.
The old me would've definitely looked for a way to escape.
Has leveling up made me more bold?
But those weren't magic beasts. They were human beings.
Jinwoo?
Everything okay? You feeling all right?
I thought I might've forgotten to get the change, but I was wrong.
And you scared me for that?
It doesn't matter right now.
My priorities are getting stronger for my family and staying alive.
If I get put in the same situation, I'll do it again.
What's this? "Harmful substance"?
Detoxing?
I'm done eating.
What, already? I'm gonna eat the rest, then.
Just don't complain if you put on weight again.
I'm not getting drunk at all.
A special ability from the system must be breaking the alcohol down.
Is it some kind of status effect?
A blessing? Health and longevity...
Disables toxic and abnormal conditions, and improves regeneration...
That must be it. My reward for the double dungeon.
So much happened that I never checked it.
That explains why my missing limbs came back.
There's so much I still don't know...
Jinwoo, you've got a call from someone named Yoo Jinho.
I'll be right there.
You're drinking too much! That stuff's poison, you know.
I'll be fine.
Don't expect me to take care of you when I'm a doctor!
Sorry to call you out of the blue like this.
I didn't think we'd meet again.
I'm glad, though! I owe you my life, boss.
Well, giving me your share of the essence stones helped me out, too.
Plus, you haven't told anyone about what happened.
W-Well, you only did that because they tried to kill us, right?
It was self-defense.
So, what did you want?
Boss, I'm thinking of putting together a strike team—
No.
Huh? I-If you could at least hear me out...
I don't have time to spend humoring some trust fund kid.
Just twenty—
no, just nineteen raids!
Nineteen raids? Are you trying to become a guild master?
Just hear me out! Please!
Go on.
Right!
As you've guessed, I'm trying to become licensed as a guild master.
In order to do that, I need at least twenty raids' worth of experience.
The other day was my first.
I've done all the studying I need to inherit my family's company,
so I'm confident the written test won't pose a problem.
But... in terms of practical experience...
You're the second son of the Yoojin Construction owner, right?
I want to be a guild master for the sake of our company.
My father's actually trying to put together a guild, you see.
Yoojin Construction wants a guild?
Right.
As dangerous as dungeons are, the treasures within them justify the risk.
Essence stones and mana crystals are only the tip of the iceberg.
The carcasses of higher-ranked magic beasts have a variety of uses—
it's no exaggeration to say that everything inside a dungeon has monetary value.
If the idea is to have hunters in your employ clear dungeons
so that the company benefits...
That'd be a pretty effective business model.
You hit the nail on the head.
My father wants an S-Rank hunter to be the guild master,
and my brother as second-in-command.
He intends to run the guild like a business.
An S-Rank? But there are only seven of them in the country.
Right.
Plus, the only one not already affiliated with a guild, Min Byung-gyu, has retired.
Does he mean to poach one from another guild?
That's a bad idea.
You'd be making an enemy of whoever you end up poaching from.
My brother hasn't awakened, so he can't be guild master...
Which is why you want to get enough experience to get the job...
and show up your brother?
Boss, you're going to need help if you want to keep doing raids
while hiding your power, right?!
And my father would be more convinced if I succeeded alongside an E-Rank hunter
instead of with someone highly ranked, too!
Boss is as strong as a B-Rank— no, even stronger.
Picking the wrong person for this would be dangerous, but if it's him—
Here.
It's the building we'd planned to use as the guild's headquarters.
The current market value is thirty billion.
That's what I'm offering you in exchange for nineteen successful raids.
Nineteen C-Rank raids in exchange for thirty billion...
There was a time when I would've jumped on an offer like that.
But now that I'm the sole person who can level up, it changes things.
If I keep growing, one day I'll reach S-Rank—
no, I could even aim higher.
Considering that, thirty billion would be chump change.
Especially given the risk involved in working with someone else
when I'm still not sure how leveling up might affect me.
I'm sorry.
Wait a sec!
If you work with me on this... I'll take your secret to the grave!
I want details on the two survivors. Get me their info, quickly.
Pardon me.
I have the documents, Mr. Hwang.
My big brother was murdered.
Do you have evidence that—
You got the intel?
Right here, sir.
Laura. What happens if I kill someone abroad?
Are you being serious?
If it's a country with an extradition treaty for hunter crimes,
you'd face trial there.
But if that's not the case, you'd be sent home for prosecution.
And in that case...
You may be able to negotiate for a reduced sentence.
We're switching up my schedule.
Sudden changes will disrupt guild business, sir.
How long am I booked out?
For the immediate future.
Then it can wait. But pencil it in for after.
Very good, sir. I'll add it to the schedule.
Yoo Jinho, D-Rank hunter, and Sung Jinwoo, E-Rank...
I'll just have to hope you survive until I've got time for you.
Never saw you exercise much before.
Well, doing nothing but studying can't be healthy, right?
You sure it's not all the chicken?
Hey, if we had thirty billion, what would you wanna do?
Where's this coming from?
Hypothetically speaking.
Well, I'd put some aside for Mom's hospital bills, and for college tuition.
Then what?
Save it, I guess? I dunno! It doesn't seem realistic.
I agree.
Don't try and keep up with me, okay?
Hey! Jinwoo!
E-Rank or not, I guess he's still a hunter.
Yes—
Wait, no.
Eleven kilometers?
I wonder why it's still counting after I hit the goal.
I see. I should test how high it goes.
Jinwoo... I finally... caught up to you...
I'm gonna run a bit more.
It cuts off at double the goal. Better check the others...
The daily quest became a secret quest?
Yes.
A choice of random loot boxes?
Well, I'll wanna do the blessed random loot box first.
Another key?
The Demon's Castle... Acquisition difficulty S?!
It can cure all illnesses with powerful magic...
The Elixir or Life!
If this Elixir of Life can really cure any illness,
then there's only one choice.
If the acquisition difficulty matches the level of the dungeon...
This will lead to an S-Rank dungeon.
And if that's the case, there's going to be something on the level of Jeju Island,
where those S-Rank hunters failed, waiting for me.
Do I even have a chance against threats of that level?
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't afraid.
But if it gets too dangerous,
I can use the teleportation stone I saved from the instance dungeon.
If I give up, then it's over.
I have to get stronger, level up more, and take it all back.
I am not going to die here!
Hardly any damage!
And that's with the bonus effects from my title!
No good!
A warning?
I lost a third of my life in an instant!
Its abilities are gonna be doubled?!
Too fast—
I'm below half already!
I've got no choice. Total recovery!
That worked!
I keep getting warnings.
It's definitely trying to alert me about the danger so I don't die.
Because I'm the Player...
The more I think about it, this can't be a normal re-awakening!
If I could outlast its Rage status for three minutes...
No. I can't. It's too dangerous!
I have to use—
How am I supposed to survive this?!
A few more hits and I'm done for.
There has to be a way...
The store? I'd forgotten about it!
Three hundred a piece?
I'll take three.
One potion only heals for a hundred...
That won't be enough.
Poison...?
You're drinking too much! That stuff's poison, you know.
I'll be fine.
I have to try it.
Okay.
I can still...
move!
The effect of its skill has worn off!
I got an item?
Another key?
Is this for the gate that Cerberus was protecting?
What now...?
A formula... for the Elixir of Life?
This helped me gauge how strong I am.
If I go into that castle right now, I'll definitely die. But...
I'll be back soon.
Count on it!