NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 40. Guild Scout
“I accidentally heard this, so I’m not sure if I should say it freely. Well, it’s not like you shut me up or anything.”
He unloaded all the information he knew without hesitation.
But the problem was that this information was quite distorted.
Because Ahn Yoon-seung wasn’t actually at the scene of the incident…
He only heard unilateral statements from Kim Gi-ryeo during their phone call.
This A-Class Hunter began a bold fabrication based on absolute faith in the involved parties.
“Brother did what he had to do to save Jeong Ha-seong!”
The EX-Class Gate, which Jeong Ha-seong got caught up in, has rules that require one of the matched three to be sacrificed.
So usually, they pass the role of the sacrifice to each other and end up fighting.
“But for you, it was the opposite. Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter tried to stop the opponent from becoming the sacrifice in place of Jeong Ha-seong.”
Yoon-seung continued, his eyes sparkling with admiration for Gi-ryeo.
“I actually overheard their conversation. I saw Gi-ryeo-hyung telling Jeong Ha-seong that he was worried about his health, so he rushed to stop him. He even apologized!”
How could my brother be so noble!
In no time, in Ahn Yoon-seung’s heart, that F-Class Hunter rose to become an untouchable adult.
However, upon hearing this, Seonwoo-yeon’s complexion turned pale.
‘Oh my gosh.’
Whether there was malice or not, what did that matter?
The most important thing was that South Korea’s Ranking No. 1 was fainted at his will.
‘Is he even human?’
Seonwoo-yeon tried to ignore the cold sweat running down her back.
Her goal wasn’t to draw out Kim Gi-ryeo’s abilities.
“Anyway.”
Rustle.
She lightly crumpled the wrapping of the sandwich she had eaten while finishing the conversation.
“I heard the story well. It’s all understandable.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I don’t think we need to treat Gi-ryeo as a potential criminal anymore.”
Of course, this didn’t change the fact that he was someone disguising his rank, but what could a mere association employee do?
Unless it could be proven with sophisticated measuring devices, she couldn’t do anything.
Seonwoo-yeon decided to let go of her unnecessary doubts.
‘I just lacked certainty. He doesn’t seem like someone entirely bad to me.’
A fleeting afterimage passed through her mind.
Kim Gi-ryeo’s figure, carefully collecting the carcass of the wild animal that everyone else shunned and walking away.
At that moment, why did that memory surface?
“Now that I think about it.”
Seonwoo-yeon neatly arranged the plates of her lunch as she spoke.
“In fact, as an employee of the association, it’s not so bad if Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter is hiding his abilities. It’s actually a relief.”
Ahn Yoon-seung raised his eyebrows at those words.
Relief? What part is that?
“Well, if Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter’s true awakening level is revealed, the guilds won’t sit still.”
“Aren’t a lot of scouts approaching him already?”
“No matter how valuable an appraiser is, they can’t compare to elite agents who can close high-level gates.”
Seonwoo-yeon stated this and briefly turned her gaze to the window.
She felt troubled.
“Currently, there are three organizations maintaining a balance in Korea.”
The number of upper agents is small, but they barely control the Awakened, connected to the political world—the Hunter Association.
The Korean Magic Tower guild, centered around the charisma of the S-Class Hunter Esther, attracts high-quality Awakened.
And, rooted in the capital and business prowess of large corporations, the Neo Sisters hold an overwhelming number of guild members.
These three maintain a precarious cooperative relationship without one side gaining superiority.
“It’s thanks to the S-Classes looking out for themselves that the association can maintain some voice in this large guild jumble.”
But…
“What if a hidden third S-Class suddenly appears?”
If Kim Gi-ryeo were to join a specific guild, the situation would change.
The existence of an S-Class could change a country’s power evaluation, and if someone of equal standing belonged to a private enterprise, a group with overwhelming power would emerge.
There was a potential for the industry to get caught up in a power struggle aiming for profits.
“And if that S-Class aligns with another S-Class Hunter’s faction?”
It would be fortunate if Kim Gi-ryeo sided with the association during all of this, but…
“It might be exaggerated to think all the way to an S-Class, but you never know how things will unfold.”
He was someone who still refuses to undergo proper rank assessment; how much help could he really provide?
That enigmatic Hunter possessed enough power to cause a crack in peace.
‘Perhaps the association could lose its leverage if this happens.’
Seonwoo-yeon spoke with conviction.
“So, I’d prefer it if Gi-ryeo kept pretending to be an F-Class and remained unaffiliated.”
“Ah-ha.”
“That is to say, from the association’s standpoint. We need to manage the situation.”
She wanted to avoid situations where S-Classes clustered together.
Ahn Yoon-seung, quietly listening to that, nodded his head with a bright expression.
“If that’s the case, don’t worry. He doesn’t seem to be thinking of joining any guild.”
“Oh really?”
“He seemed indifferent to the Magic Tower’s offer.”
Turning down a contract from a notable large guild? That’s a bit unexpected.
“Well, that’s a relief, but…”
Of course, no guild would desperately try to scout someone who was just an F-Class.
Seonwoo-yeon stood up with a more relieved expression.
Of course, they had no way of knowing.
At this very moment, the situation they feared was already unfolding.
*
A few days earlier.
Korean Magic Tower Headquarters, representative’s office.
“You want me to scout this Hunter?”
During the height of the investigation into the disappearance case.
Kwak Byeong-ki, the team leader in charge of Hunter recruitment and promotion evaluations in the Korean Magic Tower guild, found himself tangled up in an unusual task.
“An F-Class? Am I to speak to him directly?”
If he were a super rookie like an A-Class, it’d be different.
But being asked to bring in a scrap of someone with an awakening level of just 14?
“I know that Hunter belongs to the analysis division. But at this level, he’ll run out of mana after a skill or two!”
The Magic Tower was famous for filtering out the Awakened based on excellence.
As proof, they didn’t have any guild members below C-Class here.
“Director, you know our analysis team’s average rank, right? If it’s a worthless appraiser, we won’t be able to manage the volume—what’s the point…?”
Team leader Kwak slapped the folder he was holding, advising them.
“Plus, what’s with this outrageous contract fee?”
“…….”
“Tell me. This person isn’t just some ordinary appraiser, right? If I’m going to negotiate, I need to know something.”
The woman listening quietly by the window slowly turned her chair.
“Stop yammering.”
The owner of the Magic Tower, Esther, blinked her long eyelashes and spoke flatly.
“Do you know how fierce the Hunter society is? Sometimes, information spilled carelessly can turn into a significant weakness.”
“Excuse me?”
“So among the Awakened, some are reluctant to reveal their abilities.”
“Is this relevant to the current case?”
“Of course. Kim Gi-ryeo might be one of those types.”
Esther had no qualms about speaking informally to the team leader, who appeared significantly older.
“I thought it over, and honestly, you’re better off not knowing the Hunter’s secret.”
“Is that so?”
“Just know he’s not a simple F-Class. If you push further, you might only provoke his resentment.”
Without detailed explanations, it only fueled needless imaginations.
What secret could this Unknown Hunter possess that the guild’s representative would be so concerned?
“I’ve drafted a temporary contract; if it seems like it’ll cost more than that, just request whatever you need.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m even ready to write a blank check.”
That was an outrageous offer.
Kwak Byeong-ki’s eyes widened.
“Are you saying this Hunter is worth that much?”
Value, value.
The S-Class Awakened with curly hair struggled to find words in response to that question.
It was not merely about bringing him in for gains.
“Well, I don’t know. The only thing I can confirm right now is that his background is clean.”
Esther continued, recalling the cold atmosphere that had surrounded the Awakened.
“I’m just going to keep him nearby for a test run.”
The entrance to the Korean Magic Tower has sensors that check whether the visitors possess any items.
It was a measure to prevent the entry of explosives.
So they discovered the day Kim Gi-ryeo came in without anything but a mana absorption potion.
Yet the F-Class had still managed to navigate through the maze he prepared.
Moreover, he shrugged off the S-Class curse easily.
“Honestly, it’s too good to let someone like that slip through others’ hands.”
It’s certainly frightening to know that one’s abilities don’t work on someone, but couldn’t this also be an opportunity?
‘If he can disregard S-Class abnormal states… Whether from skills or awakening levels, he’s definitely not ordinary.’
A chance encounter with a hidden strong person not exposed anywhere.
If they could pull him to their side, even more could become possible.
Even if that Awakened was a typical villain, knowing his true nature beforehand wouldn’t hurt either.
“We shouldn’t just sit here; someone contact Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter right away!”
Esther brightly smiled as she sent off Kwak Byeong-ki, saying she would wait for good news.
Kwak Byeong-ki had no choice but to follow his superior’s orders, albeit with a tilt of his head.
And a few days later.
‘This treatment for an F-Class is excessive; hmm, is he registered under a different rank? It’s definitely an uncomfortable topic to bring up.’
Kwak Byeong-ki managed to arrange a meeting with Kim Gi-ryeo.
After politely inquiring with a sense of reverence.
[I’ll have time after my current work is done this Saturday. See you then.]
Finally, he received a positive response.
“Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter?”
“Hello. Is this…?”
“Yes, yes! I’m Manager Kwak Byeong-ki, the one who contacted you.”
Kim Gi-ryeo, who had arrived early at the coffee shop, shook hands while thinking.
‘Did the Magic Tower folks think the ghosts couldn’t drink coffee?’
Couldn’t they have chosen a better place to meet?
Gi-ryeo was much more than a little displeased but couldn’t let that show.
After all, the head of the Korean Magic Tower was a curse-type magician.
‘Damn, I can’t afford to be rude and create unnecessary grudges.’
Having no real choice but to not evade contact, Kwak Byeong-ki flipped through the prepared documents, thinking.
‘Whether this Hunter has secrets or not, recruitment ultimately comes down to money.’
There were no constraints on the contract amount he was going to propose, so how hard could it be to recruit this Awakener?
In today’s world, if you have money, you can even change someone’s name.
So until that moment, he expected today’s job would end with ease.
“Surely, he must’ve already rejected the scout offer.”
However, after about five minutes had passed.
When Kim Gi-ryeo, with his darkened eyes fixed on him, spoke.
“Are you telling me to ‘come to work’ at your company?”
Kwak Byeong-ki realized something was off.