LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 8
Chapter 8: Hunter Association
The Hunter Association was located in a place lined with towering buildings near Samsung Station.
Si-hyun got off at Samsung Station, enjoying the calmness of the subway during the weekday afternoon.
“Is this the Korea Hunter Association…?”
It was such a large building that it was easy to find even as a first-timer.
The facade exuded a grandeur and sophistication that seemed to reflect the current status of the Hunter Association, towering over the surrounding buildings.
For some reason, Si-hyun thought he should have worn a suit.
Once he passed through the revolving doors and stepped onto the first floor, a surprisingly spacious area greeted him. There were quite a few people.
As Si-hyun looked around, unsure where to go, a woman who appeared to be a staff member approached him first, greeting him with a smile.
“Hello! What can I help you with today?”
“Ah, I’d like to obtain a Hunter license.”
“I see! If you look to the left, can you see window number one? That’s where they handle matters related to Hunter licenses. Just take a number and wait.”
“Got it. Thank you.”
Si-hyun nodded and headed toward the left window.
So, handling new Hunters was indeed a crucial duty.
It was probably why they were assigned to window one.
He drew number 42 and found himself fifth in line.
He wondered why he received such a number on a weekday, especially when Awakened Beings were not exactly common, when he overheard voices arguing at the window.
“Is the machine malfunctioning or what?”
“The Magic Power Meter is functioning perfectly. It’s been checked every morning as per company policy.”
“Seriously? Are you telling me I have no magic?”
“That’s correct. Can you see your Status Window, by the way?”
“I-I can see it! I definitely saw it! Last night, after drinking, I was sprawled on the living room floor and it appeared right in front of me…”
“You must have been mistaken.”
“There’s no way! I really saw it!”
“Yes, yes, if you keep this up, we might have to take compulsory measures. As you know, the Korea Hunter Association is an official state agency.”
Was this type of situation common? The seemingly young employee handled it with surprising skill.
She subtly gestured towards two burly men wearing sunglasses and black suits.
Only then did a middle-aged man, red-faced and still half-drunk, clear his throat awkwardly and back off.
‘Aha, that explains it…’
Si-hyun nodded, as if he understood.
It seemed that there were folks who mistakenly believed themselves to be Awakened Beings, just like that. After all, I had met my fair share of people who thought they were special while working as a correctional officer.
The second person was also a delusional Awakened.
Si-hyun clicked his tongue and turned his attention away from the window, surveying his surroundings.
‘Guilds.’
There were seats designated for people from various guilds on one side. From very famous guilds he had heard of to smaller ones he had never come across, they all seemed to be there.
It appeared that representatives responsible for liaising with the Hunter Association had been dispatched. There were anywhere from one to three representatives per guild.
Suddenly, the area for the guilds became lively.
A person who had just obtained a B-rank Hunter license emerged from the window.
Representatives from each guild greeted the young man in his twenties, who looked bewildered.
“Hello! First of all, congratulations on becoming a new Hunter! Our Cheongseong Guild is part of a major corporation that provides stable support…”
“We take pride in the industry’s highest Gate clearing rate. Your safety is always our top priority…”
“How about the head of a snake instead of a rat? Our guild offers extensive support as a marquee guild…”
‘So that’s how they run their promotions.’
Si-hyun watched the spectacle with envy.
That brand new Hunter, who probably just graduated college, likely had never experienced such treatment before.
Right now, he was probably feeling pretty high and mighty.
If a B-rank Hunter received this treatment, what about an A-rank?
It was clear as day.
He would be treated like royalty.
‘…Su-jin would totally be floating on air after this.’
Agreed.
Si-hyun let out a small snicker.
After a short while, the new Hunter seemed to have made his guild choice, and the other representatives returned to their seats with glum expressions.
From their faces, it seemed that performance bonuses from contracts significantly impacted their income.
The new Hunter must have chosen to go with the guild under the major corporation.
In today’s world, seeking stability was certainly the most sensible choice.
Ding-dong.
The bell rang, and the number 42 flashed at the window.
Si-hyun tidied his clothes and made his way to the window.
“Hello.”
The female employee greeted him with a friendly smile.
“Hi! I would like to obtain a Hunter license.”
“Understood. First, we’ll measure your magic power with the Magic Power Meter. There might be a slight margin of error, so we’ll measure it twice.”
“Do I just sit here?”
“Yes, please make yourself comfortable.”
The employee picked up a gadget that looked like a speed gun and aimed it at Si-hyun. There was probably a Magic Stone inside.
Beep.
As she pressed the red button, a number appeared on the monitor.
-99
“First measurement, 99. Let’s measure again.”
Beep.
-99
“The second measurement is also 99. Ah, I’m really sorry, but you’re just one short of the E-rank Hunter criteria.”
Si-hyun felt a pang of disappointment inside.
He had hoped for a reading of 100, expecting perhaps a 1-point margin of error, but this contraption didn’t seem to tolerate any such errors.
“How can a first measurement not result in a D-class? I mean, isn’t there a significant difference between 99 and 100?”
“I’m really sorry, but regulations are regulations. It may seem minor at first glance, but such differences could very well be a matter of life and death for Hunters. Besides, that 1-point difference is not as trivial as you might think.”
The employee smiled.
“Is that so?”
“Yes, the difference between ranks can be quite substantial. Some Hunters say that the 1-point difference that separates ranks is far more significant than the 100 difference within the same rank. Of course, I can’t give you an exact figure, but I can assure you that it is important.”
Was a significant increase at the E to D transition even a thing?
Since I had never participated in a raid, I couldn’t say for sure.
In my daily life, I had never truly unleashed the power of my Awakening, nor did I have a need to.
“…it can’t be helped. Please issue an E-rank license.”
“Yes, I’ll get that issued for you right away. Please provide one half-sized photo and your identification. Also, fill in your name and contact info on this form and sign where indicated.”
As Si-hyun signed the documents handed to him by the employee, she typed away on the keyboard while watching the monitor.
“Alright, Lee Si-hyun, everything’s confirmed. What’s your occupation?”
“You mean my Awakened occupation?”
“Yes, that’s correct. We need to register your occupation in the database.”
Occupation, huh.
Currently, Si-hyun had two professions displayed in his job window.
Profession: Guard (Main), Executioner (Sub).
Of course, he had no intention of revealing either.
“But, you know…”
“Yes?”
“What should I say if I have two professions? Which one should I mention?”
The employee, who had been focused on the monitor, visibly flinched.
“Excuse me? Did you just say… two professions? Multi-job?”
Even the staff working behind the window turned their heads to glance at him.
However, when he glanced sideways, the guild representatives remained unresponsive.
They must have clearly heard him.
‘Huh, look at that?’
Si-hyun’s eyes glimmered.
It seemed like the guilds were unaware of this information, but it was a state secret that the Hunter Association staff knew.
Could it be that multi-jobs were that rare?
With no access to the status windows of other Awakened beings outside of what’s posted online, Si-hyun assumed there must be other Awakened beings with two professions.
But judging by their reactions, that didn’t seem to be the case.
They looked at him as if he were some rare specimen.
“Haha, that’s not what I meant! I was just curious how to handle it in such a case.”
As Si-hyun said this, the atmosphere immediately shifted to a more understanding tone, as if acknowledging him as an E-rank.
“Well… I suppose. From what I’ve heard, Awakened beings usually have only one profession. That’s been my experience anyway.”
The employee stammered.
“Is that so? I see. Ah, I should mention my profession, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’m a Mercenary.”
Si-hyun spoke out the occupation he had prepared in advance.
It was clear that he couldn’t say anything related to healing or buffing, so he thought a mercenary would be the easiest option among damage dealers.
“Ah, a Mercenary, is it? Got it. Please wait a moment. I will issue your Hunter license shortly.”
Did he wait for about 3 to 4 minutes?
The employee finally handed him the Hunter license.
The Hunter Association… I was impressed by how swiftly they handled their processes.
And surprisingly, they seemed to have things well put together.
How could they manage their staff so that such information wouldn’t leak to the guilds?
“Congratulations on officially becoming a Hunter. Please make sure to register on the Korea Hunter Association website using your license number and complete the mandatory 12-hour online training.”
“Understood. Thank you for your assistance.”
After expressing his gratitude to the employee, Si-hyun turned around.
As for the guild’s response… it was just as he had expected.
The representatives who had been passionately promoting to the new B-rank Hunter suddenly turned cold, treating him as if they didn’t even notice he was there.
‘E-ranks are at the bottom of the guild hierarchy, huh? Hunters are just secondary.’
It was practically a signal to go beg for contracts.
While he debated over whether he should swallow his pride for a quest, fortunately, a representative from one guild approached him.
He was a scruffy-looking man with an unkempt beard and wrinkled clothes that seemed like they had never been ironed. He appeared to be around fifty.
He reached out his hand for a handshake.
“Congratulations. I’m Lim Sang-hyuk from Grace Guild.”
“Thank you. I’m Lee Si-hyun.”
“If you’re interested in joining a guild, would you like to discuss it over there?”
Sang-hyuk pointed to the second floor.
It was a chain café located inside the Hunter Association building.
“Sure, that sounds good.”
Si-hyun readily agreed.
After moving to a café and taking a seat, they ordered Americanos and resumed their conversation.
“So, how do you feel?”
“Excuse me?”
“I just wanted to make sure you weren’t feeling down due to the guilds’ cold reactions.”
“I expected it, so I’m fine.”
Sang-hyuk nodded, understanding, and explained further.
“Medium to large guilds have long filled their spots for E-rank Hunters. After all, they end up just being porters anyway.”
“What exactly does being a porter entail?”
“They hang back until higher-ranked Hunters clear out the monsters, gather the Magic Stones or dropped items from the monsters, and then carry them in a huge bag that has weight-reduction magic until the Gate is cleared.”
“I suppose it would look a bit silly if the top Hunters were picking up items themselves.”
“Yes, while it’s a logical division of labor, those Hunters stuck in porter roles aren’t exactly thrilled about it.”
Si-hyun nodded in agreement.
“By the way… you mentioned Grace Guild, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. And Grace is my daughter’s name.”
“…Is that so? So, are you the guild leader, then?”
“That’s correct. I’m the head of Grace Guild.”
Si-hyun looked slightly surprised.
Given the shabby appearance, he assumed it was a minor guild, but he never expected the guild leader would personally come to the Hunter Association to network.
“Um… so, does Grace Guild operate differently? What about the role of E-rank Hunters?”