Chapter 8

[Wasn’t today’s schedule already over?]

“I’d like that too, but I still have something left to do.”

[What?]

“It’s partly to lay the foundation for all my plans.”

[Oh?]

“And partly to get back at the people who screwed me over.”

[I like the sound of that.]

Worried that someone might discover she had come here, Seong-ha carefully put on a mask and hat before getting out of her car. She took only the things she needed from her bag, which she had stored in her Inventory, and carried them with her.

After leaving the parking lot, Seong-ha stared at the building with the enormous sign.

‘Korea Hunter Association.’

She glared at the seven-story building, its silver surface gleaming sharply under the sunlight, then strode toward it.

A couple of reporters who were always on the lookout for the emergence of new Hunters were standing near the Association’s entrance, but they failed to recognize Seong-ha with her face completely covered.

I never thought I’d come here of my own accord ever again.

This was the place where her life had reached a turning point.

Of course, not in a positive sense.

It was the place that had pushed her already rock-bottom life even further down, into the basement beneath the bottom.

This was where Ha Seong-ha had been recognized as an S-rank Hunter.

And it was also where Ha Seong-ha had been officially recognized as a powerless S-rank.

[So? How are you going to screw them over?]

“…You’re distracting me. Just stay quiet.”

Worried that someone might hear her talking to herself, Seong-ha lowered her voice as much as possible and entered the Association.

The Korea Hunter Association, which was managed by the government, was always crowded with people, fitting for the role it played.

Every Hunter in Korea had to register not only themselves here, but also every weapon they used.

The Association also evaluated the ranks of newly awakened Hunters and handled the sales and auctions of various ownerless items and weapons, so Hunters were constantly coming and going.

In other words, among all the people gathered here, there was hardly anyone who didn’t know Ha Seong-ha’s face.

Seong-ha didn’t even spare her surroundings a glance as she walked toward the reception desk.

“Welcome. How may I help you?”

“I’d like to establish a guild.”

“Yes, one moment, please. Could you fill out this form?”

[A guild? You’re going to make a guild?]

Ignoring Quasar, Seong-ha accepted the paperwork and pen.

These days, the number of powerful Hunters a guild possessed served as a measure of its influence, so Hunters couldn’t belong to multiple guilds simultaneously.

Now that Zodiac had conveniently thrown her out on its own, Seong-ha wanted to establish a guild exclusively for herself.

Let’s see… Guild name, founder’s personal information, purpose of establishment, and…

She methodically filled out every item that came into view before stopping when she encountered an unexpected section.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“There’s a section here for guild members. Do I really have to fill this out?”

“Ah, that?”

At the very end of the paperwork for establishing a guild were no fewer than five spaces for the personal information of guild members.

For the first time, Seong-ha regretted the twenty-five years she had spent living without a network of Hunter acquaintances.

Because of her poor reputation, there were very few Hunters who had become close to Ha Seong-ha.

Even the Hunters who had tried to approach her first had often done so because of the backing of Zodiac.

That was why Seong-ha had been wary of anyone trying to get close to her.

“You don’t have to fill that section out right now. You simply need to recruit five guild members within one month of establishing the guild and submit their personal information.”

“Is that so?”

“Actually, this section didn’t exist in the past. But lower-ranked Hunters started establishing ghost guilds and abusing them, so this was added last year. If you fail to reach five members within one month of establishing the guild, the guild will be automatically dissolved.”

Despite the employee’s kind explanation, Seong-ha’s expression darkened.

She was wondering how she was supposed to recruit five reliable Hunters.

There was no option of not creating a guild.

Without a guild of her own, Ha Seong-ha’s range of activity would become extremely limited, and in the worst-case scenario, she could end up being pushed around by other powerful Hunters.

After all, she was now a High-Rank Weapon Creator Hunter.

The moment she belonged to someone else’s guild, it was obvious they would grind her down until the day she died under the pretext of a high salary and incentives.

At least there’s one good thing. I don’t have to fill it out right now.

Seong-ha neatly filled in every section except the guild-member section, carefully checked the paperwork one last time, and submitted it.

The employee who received her paperwork casually skimmed through it, but the moment his eyes reached the founder’s personal information, they widened.

Then he glanced at Seong-ha standing in front of him again.

[Looks like they’ve finally figured out who you are.]

“It doesn’t matter. From now on, the more rumors spread, the better.”

Seong-ha whispered softly behind her mask as she calmly watched the employee input her information into the computer while repeatedly glancing at her.

The employee flinched under her indifferent gaze and began typing rapidly on the keyboard.

“All done. The only thing left is the guild establishment fee of five million won. Would you like to pay in installments?”

Five months’ worth of her living expenses had vanished just to establish a single guild.

It was emergency money she had secretly saved over the past several years without Ha Seong-woon’s knowledge.

Now, Seong-ha had barely enough money left to make it through this month.

But that was fine.

Without hesitation, Seong-ha handed over the bag she was carrying.

“No.”

Because expensive A-rank weapons were stored in her Inventory.

“I’ll pay in full.”

“Yes. Cash received. Please wait a moment.”

Rattle-rattle-rattle.

The machine counting the cash spun frantically.

The rapidly increasing number finally reached five million before the machine stopped.

After the payment was settled, Seong-ha received the paperwork back, stamped with a seal so firmly that it made a thunk.

“Congratulations on establishing your guild. I’m also giving you a pamphlet from the Association regarding guilds, so you may want to look it over for reference.”

“Thank you.”

It felt strange.

Zodiac, the old shackle that had bound her, was no longer there.

With nothing more than a single sheet of paperwork, she had created both a home and a runway for herself.

Yes.

A runway.

Now all she had to do was use this guild as a foundation and fly far away.

Very far.

To somewhere no one else could ever reach her.

[The guild’s name is Blackhole?]

“Yeah.”

[Is there a reason?]

At Quasar’s question, Seong-ha quietly looked down at the paperwork and slowly raised the corners of her lips beneath her mask.

“I’ll swallow up every star there is.”

[That’s cool.]

“I’ll devour them all. I’ll make sure no one ever treats me carelessly again.”

[Yeah. You can do that. You’re someone who deserves to.]

Seong-ha raised her gaze and looked at the window filled with warm words.

She knew that the bastard who spoke such kind words wasn’t actually a good person.

Even so, seeing those gentle words floating before her eyes made her chest feel strangely ticklish.

“That’s obvious.”

This was only the beginning.

Seong-ha still had a long and difficult road ahead of her, having only just laid the first stones of the staircase.

She had safely completed the first step.

Now it was time to move on to the next.

“Excuse me, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

After all, if she’d spent money…

“Where is the exchange here?”

She needed to make money.

Wasn’t that obvious?

Perhaps because the Association was nearing closing time, the number of reporters loitering in front of the building had noticeably decreased.

Seong-ha adjusted her hat and mask once more, stopped looking out the window, and started walking.

Her destination was the Association Exchange, where weapons and items usable inside dungeons could be bought and sold.

“Welcome. How may I help you?”

Perhaps because it was almost time to leave work, the employee who greeted her didn’t look particularly cheerful.

Still, with the last remnants of his customer-service spirit, he greeted Seong-ha.

[Look at that expression.]

[He’s cursing you with his eyes.]

Seong-ha casually ignored the employee’s gaze as he looked her up and down.

Her appearance was closer to shabby than modest.

It wasn’t as though she’d never received looks like that before.

She was already used to them.

After truly dying and coming back to life, there wasn’t much left in the world that could frighten Seong-ha.

She gave him a perfunctory nod and tilted her head slightly.

“I came to sell some weapons.”

“Hunter, I’d recommend using a guild-operated exchange rather than here for ordinary weapons…”

“They’re A-rank weapons.”

“What?”

“They’re all A-rank weapons. Six in total.”

The moment she finished speaking, Seong-ha was immediately escorted to the VIP room inside the Association Exchange.

[Nice facilities.]

[This is more fitting for you. Don’t you think?]

“Be quiet.”

“Pardon?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Perhaps he had heard her responding to Quasar, because the employee immediately changed his expression and smiled brightly.

At the Hunter Association Exchange, valuable or difficult-to-sell items were traded, so it was common for sellers to conceal their identities.

That was why Seong-ha had chosen the Association Exchange rather than a guild exchange.

The employee quickly lost interest in the identity of Seong-ha, who had gone so far as to wear both a mask and a hat, and exaggeratedly bowed while his eyes gleamed with anticipation.

“Then, may I take a look at the items?”

“Of course. Inventory.”

When Seong-ha quietly called up her Inventory, the window appeared.

She began taking out the A-rank weapons stored inside, one by one.

Six A-rank special harpoons—the weapons she had used to kill the boss—soon filled the table.

The employee’s eyes widened, and his mouth fell open at the sight of the A-rank weapons appearing one after another from thin air.

Sitting comfortably on the soft sofa with her legs crossed, Seong-ha casually emptied the weapons onto the table before tilting her chin.

“They’re all A-rank. You can appraise them if you’d like.”

“Yes, yes! Of course! Just a moment.”

Since every one of them had been strengthened into an A-rank weapon after consuming her blood, Seong-ha’s attitude was brimming with confidence.

The employee used his Appraisal skill on the harpoons, and a familiar window appeared.

[Special Harpoon (A-rank)

Attribute: Lightning

Creator: Ha Seong-ha

Durability: 100/100

Lightning Discharge Activation Condition: Clap ]

The employee began appraising the weapons with gloved hands, touching them as delicately as though they were glass sculptures, as if this were the first time he’d ever seen so many A-rank weapons at once.

Seong-ha’s Appraisal skill was S-rank, so naturally, it was a higher rank than the Appraisal skill possessed by the Association Exchange employee.

But Seong-ha didn’t volunteer to reveal the rank of her skill.

There was no need.

Even without her revealing her skill, the employee could recognize the value of the harpoons.

So Seong-ha simply watched him in silence.

After finishing the appraisal of every weapon, the employee’s hands began trembling slightly.

“…They’re all definitely A-rank weapons. If you don’t mind me asking… may I ask where you obtained these weapons?”

A-rank weapons were rare.

Extremely rare.

When a dungeon was cleared, various components and items could be obtained as rewards, but since the rewards were determined randomly, good items didn’t always appear.

The chances of obtaining weapons and equipment in particular were extremely low.

Every Hunter wanted to possess more weapons of higher rank, but supply was always insufficient to meet the overwhelming demand.

And I’ve just shown up with a pile of A-rank weapons in a world like that.

Even if they were unconventional weapons like harpoons, this many A-rank weapons were extraordinary.

Even if someone counted every A-rank weapon in Korea, the total wouldn’t be particularly high.

Dungeons capable of producing A-rank weapons were all managed by the Association, so those weapons could never have come from a dungeon.

There was only one way there could be this many weapons in front of them.

Someone had to have made them.

“I made all of them.”

“What?!”

Standing before the Association employees whose mouths had dropped open at this utterly unexpected revelation, Seong-ha removed her mask and hat.

As Association employees, there was no way they wouldn’t recognize the face of Ha Seong-ha, who was infamous among Hunters for all the wrong reasons.

“Nice to meet you.”

Seong-ha gave a small smile as she watched their eyes widen with shock and astonishment right before her.

“My name is Ha Seong-ha, Guild Master of Blackhole Guild and a High-Rank Weapon Creator Hunter.”