That night, Shia finished organizing the broadcast and assigned the AI drone camera to automatically upload it before heading to the cafe in front of her house.
“Can I get 30 chocolate lattes and 20 iced teas, please?”
“…What?”
“Oh, and do you have any cake?”
“..Ah, yes, yes. We have Maldives cheesecake and dungeon cocoa chocolate cake.”
“I’ll take 5 of each.”
“5 pieces each?”
“No, whole cakes, 5 of each.”
“………..”
Has there ever been such an outrageous order since opening?
The part-timer at the counter looked dazed as they scanned the order form up and down.
“Um, customer? The 30 chocolate lattes, 20 iced teas, and 5 whole cheesecake and chocolate cakes, that’s right? You didn’t make a mistake, did you?”
“Yep.”
“Is it for takeout?”
“No, I’m going to eat here.”
“…….”
Wow, swear…
The part-timer gazed at Shia with awe, surpassing shock.
She must have a group with her… right? No, she should. It has to be the case…
“Ah?! Oh my! You’re here again, customer!”
“Oh my, hello, boss!”
At that moment, the cafe owner, who had been in the kitchen, dashed out with a bright face, as if they were meeting a long-lost elementary school friend.
Even if a parent came, they wouldn’t come out this fast.
“Oh dear, you should have said you were coming! Let’s see… you’re ordering a lot today too. You don’t have any companions, do you?”
“Yep!”
“Yeah…?”
No companions…?
All alone? Eating all this alone?!
“I’ve kept the seat you always sit at upstairs empty, just in case you had a guest!”
“Oh, really? Thank you.”
“No, thank you! Just sit tight and I’ll serve you.”
“……”
The cafe owner smiled cheerfully.
The part-timer looked like they were about to cry.
And Shia, radiating her usual bright and saintly aura, placed her order and sat down.
“…….”
“Hello?”
Not even a minute after sitting, a black-haired office lady wearing glasses appeared in front of Shia.
She must have been waiting for Shia to arrive from somewhere.
Yeonju folded her glasses neatly and tucked them into her pocket, extending her hand to Shia.
“I am Yeon Family’s official administrator, Yeonju. It’s nice to meet you, Isia.”
“As you already know, I am Mangja Seongnyeo Isia.”
Shia shook Yeonju’s hand lightly.
Yeonju looked just like her face on the smart watch video call.
However, in person, she looked much younger than expected.
Though she heard she was 45, if someone stretched the truth a bit, they could easily believe she was in her late twenties.
“I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I ordered what I usually have.”
“That’s fine…”
“I can’t just eat alone. Please have a few drinks when they arrive as a courtesy.”
“Thank you. By the way, I know that you’re over 80 on your resident registration, so you can speak comfortably. Since you’re older than me and I’ve been instructed to treat you like Yeonhwa or Yeonseo, please feel free to speak as you wish.”
“Okay. Then I won’t hold back.”
Nodding at Shia’s words, Yeonju quickly unfolded her smart watch.
It wasn’t the everyday type that Shia had, but rather a version made for information transfer and administrative work.
“I’ve gathered as much information as possible on Park Yoonjeong, but this is my limit.”
The hologram from Yeonju’s smart watch showed details about the young hunter Park Yoonjeong, whom Shia had encountered in the Jungle Dungeon.
As Yeonju passed a hologram document to Shia, she read the contents slowly.
“Not much here…”
“Yes, not much. To summarize, Park Yoonjeong is 19 years old based on this year, 2088. She hasn’t even had her birthday yet, so she’s still a minor. She was diagnosed as an Awakened One at the hospital when she was 8… but she seems to never have attended Hunter Academy. Since dropping out of Wolsung High School a year ago, there are no records of her being enrolled in any educational institution.”
“Uh, excuse me… the iced teas and chocolate lattes… are out…?!”
“Oh, thank you.”
Meanwhile, a nervous part-timer brought a cart full of iced teas to Shia, who deftly extended her tentacles to retrieve the iced teas and lattes.
As several tentacles neatly gathered multiple iced teas and lattes within moments, both the part-timer and Yeonju seemed momentarily speechless at the sight.
“I’ll get the cake for you shortly…”
“Okay, please take your time~”
As the part-timer scurried away, Shia pondered over the holographic information Yeonju had provided.
“…So there’s no record at all? But she looks like a hunter, doesn’t she? Is that even possible?”
“Minors cannot legally become hunters. In the early days of the Great Rift, humanity was on the verge of extinction, so it couldn’t be helped, but now Hunter Academy exists for a reason. If things go wrong, it could lead to violations of child rights, so as society rebuilt, hunter and minor-related laws were among the first things to be addressed.”
…By the way, if she’s an Awakened One, but couldn’t attend the Hunter Academy and dropped out of regular high school…
“It sounds like her family’s in serious trouble.”
“It’s not just serious trouble. Park Yoonjeong’s parents have treatment records for alcohol and gambling addiction… and judging by the fact that government support has been cut off, they seem unwilling to address their addictions. Their credit ratings are incredibly low, and there are records of borrowing from third-party financing or loans. Of course, their debts don’t show any signs of resolution and are ongoing.”
“So you’re saying Yoonjeong…?”
“She might have found a hunter party or guild that accepted her by chance as a minor, and she’s likely working hard to earn money to replace her debt-ridden parents.”
Hearing this, Shia felt her head start to heated up.
“And… regarding the blood relation you requested between Yoonjeong and Isia…”
“………”
And following Yeonju’s words, Shia bit her lip.
Her previously heated head felt like it was cooling down again.
Chomp, chomp… gulp
As if trying to cool her heated head, with every sip of iced tea Shia took, one cup was emptied.
“…Phew, thanks.”
“Not at all. It seems like you might need some time alone. I’ll excuse myself first.”
“…..Alright.”
“Feel free to reach out whenever you need anything.”
○○○○○○
“I want to treat my guild members like family.”
Bang!
Grrr…!
“But… for that, we need to help each other, right?”
Thud!
“Why aren’t you helping me? Why!”
Smack! Smack!
Gah, ah…!
“Hey, wake up. Aren’t you waking up?”
The dull thuds that sounded unbelievable coming from a human’s body made the guild members flinch and pull their shoulders in unison.
“Phew, did I say something wrong? Hey, Byeong-ryul, answer me. Did I say something wrong?”
“No…”
“That’s right, isn’t it?”
“Yes, uh, ugh…?!”
Lifting him up with one hand while choking him, the man known as Byeong-ryul flailed, gasping for breath.
“But am I the only one working hard for the guild? Why is no one helping me?”
“………”
However, even with those words, the hunters gathered in the office remained silent.
Everyone here knew that keeping quiet and hoping the time would pass quickly was the best option rather than answering back.
Among them was Park Yoonjeong, a minor hunter active in the field.
The other hunters trembled with their shoulders hunched as if facing a training camp instructor, their faces frozen with fear and concern.
“How many times has this been? Where do you think the money for feeding those pathetic C and D grade losers is coming from? Do you think money just springs out of the ground? With performance hitting rock bottom every quarter, don’t you think you need to get your act together?”
Whack! Gah!
What might feel like a light kick to his shins was actually enough for a B-grade hunter to kill an ordinary person with a mere slap.
Fortunately, the C-grade hunters who were being beaten by their guild leader were not suffering fatal injuries from such slaps, but the humiliation and pain were unavoidable.
“Hey, Kim Seok-won.”
“Yes.”
“This is how many times for you now? It’s been over 4 years since you became a C grade hunter, right? I even gave you the leader position of the party in the third tier, but your party has already failed to meet the quotas more than 10 times this month alone.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Phew… Seok-won, you know I like you like a younger brother, right?”
“Yes.”
Thud!
“But why do you keep making me dislike you?!”
“…..Cough..”
Amidst that, Yoonjeong could only sigh internally.
SDVIMVFoanVzY1YwSVhjamMzUkt1YlNQM0x2SFdsOWFowZVVwbkg2NFViSHRMRFhYU2NSbTV6OGUvaDBNYw
Sigh, today’s really a mess. When is this going to end…
It was a daily occurrence.
Not just once or twice either. Quite frequent.
The Sanwool Guild, to which Yoonjeong belonged, was often referred to as a “trash guild.”
It was a place where hunters who were forced into difficult situations, whether due to harsh life circumstances, limits to their abilities, urgent monetary needs, or debts, gathered together.
With harsh quotas, outrageous fees, and daily beatings masked as discipline, no matter how unreasonable the violence, hunters dragged to this point couldn’t express a shred of dissatisfaction.
On the surface, the Sanwool Guild presented itself as a ‘humanitarian’ guild that clears the debts of hunters in debt and lends money to those in need of emergency operations or living expenses.
It even received guild awards from the Hunter Association for being benevolent and generous.
When promoting themselves, they would brag about being a “family-like guild” that “shares joys and sorrows.”
Of course, that wasn’t a complete lie.
The Sanwool Guild indeed lends money to hunters in need.
‘But once you borrow even once… I can’t really say much.’
However, the moment one borrows money from the Sanwool Guild, that person effectively hands over their life to the guild.
The guild leader’s face, which had previously appeared friendly and warm, would unmask itself as a spoiled and ill-natured face as soon as they held someone’s leash.
The structure supporting this guild was one built on massive debts and a more tightly regimented command system than the military, drenched in violence, debt, and gaslighting, grinding people down for capital.
Naturally, with debts owed to the guild, hunters couldn’t escape. Most had signed unreasonable documents the moment they joined the guild.
“Hey kids, do you think money just falls from the sky? Right?”
“””Yes…”””
“Whoa, your answers are weak!”
“””Yes!”””
The guild leader’s unreasonable quotas had already been distributed, and while using beatings as a form of discipline, the shins of the guild members showed no signs of recovery.
Of course, using violence to raise fear and loyalty to the guild was quite effective.
Even if they were beaten, the guild members had no choices like escape or resistance.
The guild leader was an A-grade hunter.
If it were just that, they could have filed a lawsuit against the guild leader through the Hunter Association, but the Sanwool Guild wasn’t a Korean guild—it was linked to a massive guild on the Chinese side, acting more like a subcontractor.
The actual owner was a foreign national, and the Korean branch operated as nothing more than a simple branch office, meaning any complaints to the Hunter Association were unlikely to bear fruit. In fact, a guild member who could no longer withstand the absurdity and violence had once filed a lawsuit with the association, but whether it was due to bribery from the Sanwool Guild or the Chinese side, the harsh beatings suffered had faded quietly without ever becoming an event.
Naturally, the whistleblower paid dearly for their actions, and since then, the number of guild members who dared entertain such thoughts had diminished significantly.
“Sigh, you pathetic fools. Aren’t you ashamed to be older than me and getting dismissed like this? Don’t you feel humiliated living your life just repaying debts here?”
“Yes…”
“I’m sorry.”
“The party from last year got support all at once and went to China. Shouldn’t you guys be doing well, too? You all want to earn money, right? Let’s do better!”
Finally, as the guild leader was about to conclude his speech, Yoonjeong raised her head.
She had grown so accustomed to this routine that she was almost tired of it now.
“Alright, if you understand, get out.”
“Yes, let’s go.”
“I’m sorry, Master.”
“Thank you for your hard work!”
“Oh, Yoonjeong. You stay back.”
“……”
The other hunters, leaving the guild leader’s office, glanced worriedly at Yoonjeong.
“Hey, Guild Master… I need to discuss the revenue distribution with Yoonjeong, so…”
The concern on their faces suggested worry about what this young one could face from the tyrannical guild master.
“Come to think of it, Yoonjeong, didn’t you say you needed to get home early?”
“That’s right. I’m busy too, so let’s leave it for today…”
“Hey, you think I’m kidding? Want to risk another assembly? Or should we celebrate the next dawn together?”
“…….”
“If you understand, get lost.”
Sigh, you jerk…
You bastard…
That bitch…
Of course, since the guild master of the Sanwool Guild was a more arrogant and despicable person than the other hunters thought, the other hunters’ pleas proved meaningless.
While concern and pity were directed at Yoonjeong, she shrugged off the adults as if she were fine. Ultimately, the other hunters hesitated but had to close the door and leave the office.
“…..”
“…..”
Rustle, rustle
Standing quietly before Yoonjeong, the guild master scribbled on a few documents.
In the suffocating silence of the office, Yoonjeong sneakily glanced at the ticking clock, then slowly closed her eyes.
It was dreadfully hard to endure this atmosphere.
“Let’s go. I’ll give you a ride.”
“…Okay.”
It goes without saying, refusal was not an option.
So Park Yoonjeong had no choice but to take the elevator directly connected to the guild master’s office and the parking lot with him.
In the suffocating silence, Yoonjeong wanted nothing more than to escape right then, but in terms of force and social standing, the guild master was her absolute superior.
“Things hard for you?”
“No, Uncle… I mean, the party members help me adequately.”
“I’ve helped you a lot too, right?”
“Of course, if it weren’t for the Guild Master, I’d still be stuck here.”
“Yeah, yeah. Sigh, if only the others understood their place just like you… right?”
“Uh, yes.”
Giving a half-hearted reply, Yoonjeong just wished for the moment to end quickly.
With the guild’s finances being tight, they barely managed to pay salaries to the members. For someone who’d been a hunter for ten years, the wages remained stagnant, whereas the guild master drove a flashy vehicle.
‘…What a load of crap. That piece of junk must be worth at least 500 million… what a financial crisis they’re in…’
“Well, get in.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Seems like he wanted to show off his wealth; the guild master glanced at Yoonjeong with excitement.
Ah, he’s so transparent it’s almost funny…
Of course, Yoonjeong maintained an expression of admiration, pretending to be impressed by the guild leader as she got into the car.
Once Yoonjeong was inside, the guild master began driving somewhere.
“……..”
“…….”
Ahem, well… Yoonjeong, think you ever… about that exchange hunter I mentioned?”
“…The exchange hunter thing?”
The exchange hunter was similar to how universities send students abroad as exchange students.
Korean guilds would establish sisterhoods with foreign guilds, sending hunters or money in exchange for hiring workers.
In truth, what they called a hunter exchange event was a system that was more like hiring mercenaries for cash.
“That’s right. They checked our profile from the mainland in China and said they’d like you to come.”
“…….”
Honestly, it was hard not to find it tempting.
To accept the offer would mean making large sums of money in a short amount of time; for someone like Yoonjeong, who was short on cash, it was indeed an enticing proposal.
Even though it was payment-based hiring, there was much to learn from the experience.
How the operations of foreign guilds work, what know-how hunters possess, and perhaps there would be training with proper instructors.
“That’s alright.”
But it felt too fishy.
What exactly did the Chinese guild see in her that they wanted to contact her?
“Hey, Yoonjeong. I’m saying this for your sake. You need money, right?”
“….”
Yoonjeong was a minor hunter who couldn’t attend the Hunter Academy due to her troubles and parents who weren’t even parental figures.
If she had graduated from Hunter Academy as an Awakened One, she would have secured a relatively stable lifestyle, but Yoonjeong’s family was deeply in debt, meaning tuition was a dream. Her modest savings and every dime she had was spent by her alcoholic and gambling addict parents.
So currently, Park Yoonjeong was continuing her hunter life while having dropped out of high school altogether.
“Things are fine. The money you lent to my family is already…”
“You need to pay off your parents’ debts too, and you need to earn living expenses by yourself. You know that current income won’t even scratch the surface, right?”
“……..”
“And over there, support comes pouring out. They said you’d have personal instructors as well. For someone who couldn’t attend the Hunter Academy, this would be an immense opportunity!”
Yoonjeong, who had recently seen increased income from her hunter activities, felt as if she was pouring water into a bottomless pit due to her chaotic family situation.
Eek!
At that moment, the car suddenly stopped, and Yoonjeong looked around.
There weren’t many people nearby…
‘Ah, crap… this is bad.’
…No wonder they were going somewhere completely different from usual.
“Yoonjeong. You know, even if other guild members are a nuisance, you’re different, right?”
“………..”
“I genuinely care about you. You know that, right? You’re young, but so capable and sharp. Your skin’s so fair, and you’re way better than those other kids…”
What a load of trash, like a dog in heat.
Slowly pulling away from the approaching guild master, Yoonjeong looked around.
But they were in a secluded location, and the car doors were locked.
The guild master was not only an A-grade hunter but also possessed a social position that made it impossible for Yoonjeong to escape his grasp completely.
Under normal circumstances, other hunters would have made some sort of opening for her in situations like this, but today it looked like the guild master meant business.
“…….”
“Yoonjeong. I…”
Bang!
At that moment, something thudded loudly against the car roof.
Seemingly worried about scratching his new driverless vehicle, the guild master turned his head to the window with irritation.
“What the…?”
Creak!
“….!?”
“This is a uh… gag!?!”
At that moment, the window next to where the guild master was sitting shattered to pieces, and something black and wriggling from outside grabbed him and started dragging him away.
Needless to say, Yoonjeong had no idea what was happening.
She couldn’t even react as she watched the guild master’s limbs bend unnaturally due to the tremendous force and speed. Loud, horrific thuds echoed from the car roof as she only blinked in bewilderment.
“You…! What are you…?!”
Snap!
“Gah….”
Choke!
“St…stop….”
Thud! Whack!
“……”
Thump Thump Creak!
Crack!
Gah!
Boom!
Crash!
Crunch!
“…wh-what…?”
Before she knew it, the guild master’s voice was silenced.
Something was violently crashing and breaking, with otherworldly sounds of tearing or noises that shouldn’t be heard echoing in the air.
—
[Miracle – Great Healing]
—
[Curse – Forgetting]
—
“………..”
What in the world is happening…
…Was a monster escaping from a dungeon?
Earlier, it didn’t seem like whatever snatched the guild master had human hands…
Time passed after that point, but for Yoonjeong, it felt like an eternity.
In reality, not even a minute passed.
At first, it felt like something had crawled onto the roof, but soon it was as if the weight and presence had vanished.
Knock knock knock
Um… who is it?
“Hello!”
“Ahhh! What the hell!?”
Suddenly, a sound came from the window on Yoonjeong’s side, and when she turned her head, her heart nearly dropped.
“…I-Isia… w-what are you doing here…?”
“Hehe!”
…What on earth is she doing here?
