I Possess Too Many Characteristics

Chapter 44

“It’s been a while, Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon-nim?”

Yerin’s expression was somehow more sly and sinister than usual today.

To think she could create such an atmosphere with that face.

It made him wonder if that, too, could be a kind of talent.

Jeong-hyeon answered, sweating profusely.

It was an answer aimed at ending the conversation as quickly as possible.

“Yes…… It’s been a while. I need to do some tests, so could you please…… this door……”

Jeong-hyeon tried to close the door somehow, but her foot was already wedged in, unmoving.

“You need to do some tests? I’ll watch too. Between us.”

“What do you mean ‘between us’?”

“Oh my, do we really need to put it into words?”

‘Please, just shut your mouth!’

The two continued their struggle for a while, the door and her foot between them.

Naturally, Jeong-hyeon was the first to give up.

At some point, Jeong-hyeon released the force with which he was pushing the door and obediently stepped outside.

“You said you needed to do tests?”

“I changed my mind. I’m going home.”

“Sly.”

“No, seriously, what’s with this act all of a sudden?”

She used to be annoying, but she never made things difficult for him.

What wind had possessed her today?

But Yerin didn’t even blink, maintaining a subtle smile.

“It seems like you have something on your mind.”

“……No. Nothing like that.”

“Perhaps you’re looking for a place to release your overflowing power?”

“No, do you really have to put it that way? It’ll cause misunderstandings!”

“You’re right, whatever.”

Ugh.

Jeong-hyeon finally shut his mouth.

He needed to deceive someone who could be deceived.

“Just tell me. If it’s something I can help with, I will.”

‘Huh?’

Come to think of it, that’s right.

Couldn’t Yerin help him?

It was so uncomfortable that he would politely refuse if it were a situation where he didn’t necessarily need help, but Jeong-hyeon was in a desperate situation.

However, he needed to make sure things were clear.

“First, I have no intention of joining the Association.”

“Say ‘not yet’.”

“No.”

“So, not ‘yet’.”

A deep sigh.

“Actually, I want to start entering 4-level Gates, but as you know, I’m unregistered. No one will take me.”

“Oh my~”

He shouldn’t have said that.

He really shouldn’t have said that.

What was with that reaction that sent shivers down his spine just from hearing it?

Sure enough, Yerin’s eyes were sparkling as if she had caught a big fish.

“Excuse me. I didn’t realize I was holding up someone so busy without thinking of working harder. Then I’ll be━”

Jeong-hyeon hurriedly tried to escape.

Grab━

But his wrist was already firmly grasped in Yerin’s hand.

On the surface, it was a heart-fluttering scene of a healthy adult male having his wrist gently held by a woman with a smaller head.

The reality was quite different, though.

Yerin nodded with a bright smile.

“If that’s the case, of course you should ask the Hunter Association for help.”

“Um…… Manager Cha, you’re Level 5, right?”

“Yes, unfortunately, I am Level 5. Do you want to enter a Gate with me by any chance?”

“Absolutely not.”

“It’s a bit early for you ‘yet’.”

I will never enter a 5-level Gate.

At least not where Yerin can see me.

While Jeong-hyeon was making a firm resolution in his heart.

Yerin, who had been looking up and pondering for a moment, spoke.

“There’s a party from the Association that’s going to enter a 4-level Gate soon. How about I ask them to squeeze you in?”

It was a surprisingly normal and grateful offer.

Moreover, judging by the way she spoke, it didn’t seem like they were Yerin’s direct subordinates.

Jeong-hyeon, in a very rare occurrence for a conversation with Yerin, nodded with a bright expression.

“If you could do that, I’d be really grateful!”

“Hmm━”

Yerin’s eyes gleamed with interest.

It was suspicious, but Jeong-hyeon wasn’t in a position to be picky.

Since it was with the Association people, he didn’t think there would be any ulterior motives.

“But I’m not very close with them. I think I can squeeze you in somehow, but you’ll have to handle things on your own after that, okay?”

“Of course! I’m known for my social skills!”

“You seem like a total loser with zero dating experience.”

“……”

“Oh my, that was a slip of the tongue.”

Yerin laughed, covering her mouth as if it was a genuine mistake.

To someone who didn’t know her, it might have seemed like the most innocent smile, but Jeong-hyeon couldn’t help but grit his teeth.

‘She did that on purpose…… She did it on purpose!’

Honestly, it was true that he had never been in a relationship, but that was because he had been too busy struggling with life.

If he had the time, there was no reason why he couldn’t have a relationship.

That’s what Jeong-hyeon thought.

“Anyway, I’ll let them know. If you get a call from someone named Dan Jong-woo in the Support Division, make sure to answer. The last four digits are 0000.”

“Yes! Thank you, Manager Cha!”

“You’re welcome.”

Yerin, seemingly going to take care of her business now, headed towards the room she had originally intended to enter.

Jeong-hyeon bowed deeply to express his gratitude.

Even though he had been played, Jeong-hyeon was used to being in a subordinate position. It was like breathing.

‘Just wait until I become A-rank. I’ll show you, huh?’

Of course, the outward subservience and the inner desire for revenge were separate issues.

◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈

The contact from Manager Dan Jong-woo was later than expected.

━010-0000-0000

A few days after meeting Yerin.

Jeong-hyeon received a call on the number she had given him late in the evening.

Fortunately, Jeong-hyeon was studying traits by browsing Hunternet and Hunter Wiki as usual in the evening, so he was able to answer the call immediately.

“Ah, hello. Is this Manager Dan Jong-woo?”

━……Uh, are you Han Jeong-hyeon?

‘What’s this?’

And he got the feeling from the very first word.

This guy was a bigger pain than Park Sang-jun.

But Jeong-hyeon was a pro in this area.

“Yes, Manager-nim! I’m Han Jeong-hyeon.”

━Tsk…… An unregistered Hunter wanting to enter a 4-level Gate.

“I am unregistered, but I can really work hard! I won’t disappoint you.”

━That’s a given, you punk. Manager Cha…… Anyway, she begged me so much that I’m letting you in, but if things go south, I’ll abandon you right away, got it?

‘Is this guy crazy?’

Saying that he would abandon a fellow Hunter in a Gate was, of course, taboo.

Aside from simple ethical considerations, who would hunt with someone like this when the only people you could rely on were the Hunters you entered with?

He didn’t know if Jong-woo was serious, but to say such a thing so lightly……

Moreover, regardless of how powerful Dan Jong-woo was, wasn’t he also implying that he was looking down on Cha Yerin?

‘I’m the one who should be looking down on Manager Cha.’

Jeong-hyeon, who had been constantly bullied by Yerin, found it difficult to tolerate being looked down upon even by such a jerk.

For a moment, a vein popped up on Jeong-hyeon’s forehead, but he managed to suppress his anger.

“Ah…… Of course. I’ll work hard not to be a burden.”

━Yeah. Well, anyway, my subordinate will send you the location and party member information. Memorize it all.

“Understood! Thank you!”

━I like that you’re good at answering, you brat. It would be nice to see you at work instead of in a Gate. There’s no boss like me, you know?

Unless he was completely out of his mind, it would be hard for his subordinates to think that way.

Jeong-hyeon felt sorry for the person Jong-woo called his”subordinate,”but if that’s how things were in the workplace, he had no choice but to endure it.

But after hanging up the phone.

When he found out from the Association Support Division email that the Gate reservation was for the day after tomorrow, even Jeong-hyeon couldn’t hold back his anger.

“Is this guy really crazy?”

He knew Yerin was planning to go hunting soon, but since she hadn’t contacted him for a few days, he thought there was plenty of time. But to contact him the day after tomorrow, late in the evening at that……

At least it was a small comfort that it wasn’t a completely unknown Gate.

‘Tadan Orc’s Destroyed Encampment’.

It was considered a very standard and easy 4-level Gate.

As long as they didn’t provoke the large groups of Orcs, it wasn’t that dangerous for a properly equipped party.

But it was also a place that evoked a slightly different feeling for Jeong-hyeon.

‘I’ve finally made it to the Tadan Orcs.’

For starters, the equipment he was wearing was made from Tadan Orc leather.

In fact, most monsters below this level were only used for very simple materials or industrial products and were not made into equipment.

Moreover, Orcs could be considered the highest level monsters that could be handled in a regular workshop.

Even though it was ‘only’ Level 4 in terms of overall level, it wasn’t perceived that way from an outsider’s perspective.

In other words, it meant that Jeong-hyeon had finally reached that level, albeit with some twists and turns.

‘Well, at least I can get my foot in the door.’

There was a world of difference between having a record of entering a 4-level Gate and not having one.

If he presented that record, they probably wouldn’t block him as relentlessly as before, so it would be easier to go hunting again.

Jeong-hyeon clenched his fists.

◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈

Dan Jong-woo’s party was quite luxurious, more than expected.

One D-rank Level 4 Tanker and one Close-Range Dealer.

One C-rank Level 3 Healer.

Dan Jong-woo was a C-rank Level 3 Mage.

He wasn’t specialized in any particular attribute, but a Mage with the Mana Sensitivity trait.

And Jeong-hyeon’s gaze turned to the remaining member.

A young man with a youthful face was awkwardly fidgeting.

‘Honestly, I didn’t expect to see a B-rank.’

His name was Kim Yeong-hun.

Although he was Level 1, he was a Hunter with the B-rank Spear Skill trait.

It was a highly sought-after trait because it could reliably handle mid-range combat, despite being relatively rare.

He had joined the Association’s Response Team, but due to his lack of experience, he was being moved around to various departments.

He was a high-rank, but his personality seemed timid, so it was questionable whether he could fight well, but the prestige of a B-rank wouldn’t disappear.

And actually, there was a separate problem.

“Hey, Han Jeong-hyeon?”

Not Mr., not -nim, not even Hunter, just Han Jeong-hyeon.

Dan Jong-woo, who looked out of shape for a Hunter with a lot of physical activity, called out to him in a condescending way, so it couldn’t be pleasant.

“Yes?”

“When your superior calls you, you should answer with ‘Did you call, sir?’ not ‘Yes?’. Do I have to teach you even this?”

On top of that, he was a serious old-fashioned boss.

He had guessed it to some extent from their first phone call, but……

‘I never thought such a typical old-fashioned boss would still exist these days.’

Moreover, Jong-woo naturally expected to be treated like a superior, even though Jeong-hyeon wasn’t his subordinate.

“Anyway…… Tsk, you’re coming in, but don’t think you’re actually going to hunt with us, okay?”

“What do you……”

“Ah, just carry our stuff and play in the back! You have no sense, you punk.”

Why would Yerin so readily introduce him to another party?

Perhaps Jeong-hyeon should have been suspicious from the moment she made such an unusually good offer.

“Then the distribution━”

“Distribution, my foot. Does a porter get a share? I’ll give you 1 million won as a daily wage. That should be enough for an unregistered Hunter, right?”

This guy was truly a piece of work.

Even when Jeong-hyeon glanced around, the other employees all quickly averted their gazes as if they didn’t want to get involved in this troublesome matter.

Jeong-hyeon, who had been thinking for a moment, nodded.

There was no way he could back out now that he had come this far.

Even if it was dirty and unfair, he could at least get a record of entering a 4-level Gate.

But if the opportunity arose, he would never let it slide.

“Understood……”

“Alright, then that’s settled. I’m going out for a smoke, so talk amongst yourselves if you have anything to say.”

A Hunter who smokes?

At this point, he was practically a Villain in every sense of the word, except for not committing any crimes.

Only after Jong-woo left did the atmosphere in the party finally loosen up.

Then, the Close-Range Dealer named Lee Su-a spoke to Jeong-hyeon.

“You’ve been through a lot. The Manager is really something else.”

“No…… Well, I’m unregistered. It can’t be helped.”

“What do you mean it can’t be helped? Anyone can see Jong-woo is a━ Ah, I’m sorry. It’s a habit now.”

Jeong-hyeon smiled as if it was okay.

Honestly, it felt refreshing.

It felt like the unspoken hardships of an office worker that couldn’t be relieved by such a title.

Wasn’t the highlight of office life talking behind your boss’s back?

And if that boss was someone like Jong-woo, it went without saying.

Su-a, who had initially been glancing towards the door where Jong-woo had left, now seemed to have warmed up and started talking non-stop.

“Honestly, even for Jong-woo, this is a bit much. You came in through Manager Cha Yerin’s introduction, right? That’s why he’s acting like this.”

“What do you mean?”

And that topic was quite interesting to Jeong-hyeon as well.

It was the C-rank Healer, Jeong Dae-yun, who had been listening quietly, who responded.

“So, how it went was……”

It was a story that even Yeong-hun and Jeong-hyeon, who were outsiders, couldn’t help but be drawn into.

The party finally became one through Jong-woo’s backstabbing.