Chapter 4: Grade-9 Civil-Service Hunter (2)
Before properly starting his work, Jin-young stopped by the National Awakened Hospital and heard shocking words from the doctor.
“Your condition is extremely serious. You need at least a week of inpatient treatment.”
“Me?”
Jin-young blinked rapidly.
There wasn’t much pain, and he had already administered emergency treatment with a healing potion.
Moreover, he had walked to the hospital on his own two feet—how could it require a full week of hospitalization?
“Yes. Your internal organs have sustained severe damage, so ordinary potions can’t fully resolve it. Even the healing abilities of hunters here at our hospital aren’t sufficient. On top of that, the bone fusion in your legs is slightly misaligned…”
“Damn domestic potion.”
“It’s not simply a matter of the potion. At this level, even dozens of potions wouldn’t achieve complete recovery.”
Jin-young had been mistaken about one thing.
His injuries had been life-threatening.
He had drunk a single healing potion, then wandered around searching for and killing a boss monster before coming to the hospital.
It was possible only because of his mental strength, honed beyond human limits.
But one thing felt strange.
Strong mental fortitude allowed him to endure pain better—it didn’t eliminate the sensation entirely.
Yet right now, Jin-young felt no pain at all.
Aside from a slight queasiness around his heart, like motion sickness, there were no other unusual symptoms.
“I’m amazed you’re maintaining consciousness in that state myself… but that’s how it is.”
“Ah… there’s no way to shorten the time, right?”
“If it were a high-grade healer from Crystal Guild, it wouldn’t even take a day—but as you know, even meeting one is nearly impossible…”
“I understand for now.”
“Then please rest.”
The doctor and nurses filed out, leaving Jin-young alone in the ward.
It was a multi-patient room, but the surrounding beds were all empty, giving it a gloomy atmosphere.
The National Awakened Hospital was good for civil-service hunters because it was affordable, but the medical standards were correspondingly low.
Most guild-affiliated hunters paid extra to go to larger hospitals, so visitors here were rare.
Looking around, Jin-young quietly got out of bed.
At least he wasn’t in intensive care like before—that was a relief.
There were no resident nurses, so he had relative freedom.
He changed into civilian clothes from the cabinet and left the ward.
‘I just need to come back during treatment hours.’
He couldn’t waste an entire week in the hospital.
After leaving the hospital, he took a bus toward Yongsan Station.
Near Yongsan Station, the old electronics district still held its ground.
Many stores had closed, leaving empty shops, but new ones moved in or buildings weren’t demolished.
Few people came to buy electronics anymore, but plenty visited for other reasons.
The back alleys of the electronics district.
Also home to the back doors of shuttered stores.
Opening those back doors revealed shops very much in business.
The items sold, of course, weren’t electronics—they were various monster parts from dungeons.
Common market items were almost nonexistent here.
Most transactions involved goods that, under Awakened Law, couldn’t be sold without permits.
In short, the black market.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve been here too.’
Visiting the black market, Jin-young moved forward while jogging his memory.
There were as many different merchants as there were shops.
Some weren’t merchants at all.
Continuing on, Jin-young stopped in front of the back door of one particular shop.
As a grade-9 civil servant, he had no reason to raid the black market, and even less reason to buy anything here.
That’s why the memory was hazy, but his instincts told him this was the right place.
Opening the back door, a musty smell and damp air hit him first.
The space relied on two small yellow bulbs, creating an overall dim atmosphere.
“We’re closed today.”
A blunt voice followed.
He could see the back of a man sitting at a workbench, intently working on something.
“Craftsman Jeon Yu-hwan?”
“…Who the hell are you?”
At the sound of his name, Jeon Yu-hwan stopped working and turned around.
Late twenties, perhaps.
Gaunt face, sunken eyes, unkempt beard, and a skinny frame.
He looked much older than his age.
“You don’t need to know who I am.”
Jin-young summoned a large dark-red stone from his subspace.
About the size of a human head, covered in bumpy protrusions.
It was the heart of the Sand Wraith.
SWOOSH—
The Sand Wraith’s heart sliced through the air, flying straight toward Jeon Yu-hwan’s head.
***
“……!”
Jeon Yu-hwan’s eyes widened at the stone that suddenly appeared before him.
‘Even with my ability, I couldn’t see any mana flow at all?’
Activating a unique ability or skill inevitably released mana.
Jeon Yu-hwan could not only see that mana flow but also predict paths, ranges, and various other details.
Yet this time, he saw literally nothing.
He had even detected when a grade-3 hunter intentionally concealed their mana before.
Although his hunter grade was only 7, his mana was superior to most grade-5 hunters, and he even possessed a special unique ability.
‘I’ve never met a grade-2 or higher… but if not that, there’s no explanation. And it’s a completely unfamiliar face.’
Grade-2 hunters weren’t common. There were only eight in all of South Korea.
Of course, there could be undisclosed grade-2 hunters in the world.
Looking at the unfamiliar man, Jeon Yu-hwan reached one conclusion.
‘A secret agent from the Intelligence Department?’
Of course, it could be someone from another organization.
Rather than jumping to conclusions, it was better to probe further.
He turned his gaze to the stone that had appeared before him.
The moment he recognized what it was, his interest surged.
“This… is at least a grade-3 monster’s heart?”
“You’ve got a good eye.”
“What monster’s heart is this?”
Jeon Yu-hwan asked cautiously.
“Lots of questions. Did I come to the black market or the National Monster Research Institute by mistake?”
“Ah, my apologies. Seeing something like this just gets my heart racing.”
Jeon Yu-hwan responded improvisingly to the man’s curt reply.
“Have you ever worked on a grade-3 monster’s heart?”
“Not yet. Because of my hunter grade, they don’t often entrust me with high-grade monsters. But the moment I see it, I get a feel for how to work on it.”
Jeon Yu-hwan said with a touch of bravado.
Working on a grade-3 monster’s heart might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so he desperately wanted to seize it.
And it wasn’t a lie that he had a feel for it.
“As expected, thanks to those ‘eyes’ of yours.”
“……!”
At the man’s words, Jeon Yu-hwan was even more shocked than when the heart had flown at him.
And he became certain.
The man’s identity was a secret agent from the Intelligence Department.
The only one who knew about his unique ability was the boss of the organization managing this black market.
He had never imagined the secret had leaked even to the Intelligence Department.
Jeon Yu-hwan broke into a cold sweat and murmured softly.
“Did you come to arrest or eliminate me?”
***
Jin-young didn’t know much about Jeon Yu-hwan.
He had only overheard a few stories from senior civil-service hunters.
Due to poor physical abilities, Jeon Yu-hwan didn’t often conquer dungeons like other hunters.
But he stood out in one field thanks to his exceptional mana manipulation.
So-called mana crystal crafting.
The term for those who delicately refined and processed monster brains and hearts using precise mana control.
Mana crystal crafting wasn’t something anyone could do just because they had a high hunter grade.
Low-grade monster hearts were easy to craft, but higher grades required increasingly advanced techniques.
Crafters capable of working on grade-3 or higher monster hearts were rare even within major guilds.
“The moment I see it, I get a feel for how to work on it.”
Jeon Yu-hwan was the very best among those rare talents.
Right now, he was a criminal working illegally in the black market, but in the future, he would be treated as Crystal Guild’s top artisan.
Thanks to his mana manipulation ability plus his unique skill “Mana Vision.”
It hadn’t been revealed while working in the shadows, but it became public knowledge once he stepped into the light.
Meaning, almost no one knew about it right now.
Jin-young planned to entice him with tempting conditions and bring him to his side.
He would need mana crystal crafting commissions often in the future.
“As expected, thanks to those ‘eyes’ of yours.”
“……!”
Jeon Yu-hwan’s visibly shocked expression caught Jin-young’s eye.
“Did you come to arrest or eliminate me?”
“What’s he suddenly talking about?’
Jin-young found Jeon Yu-hwan’s reaction odd.
“Though I do work in the black market, it wasn’t something I wanted from the start. And I’ve never done anything else bad besides mana crystal crafting.”
He seemed to mistake Jin-young for a police officer here to arrest him.
‘He’s not the type to be scared of mere police. So he thinks I’m an Intelligence agent?’
If the other party was bending on his own, there was no downside for Jin-young.
It would be easier to control him without needing to offer various conditions.
“If that’s what I intended, you would have disappeared long ago. How long do you think we’ve had our eyes on you?”
“…”
Though he tried not to show it, tension stiffened Jeon Yu-hwan’s face.
“So no need to worry about that. I’m just interested in your crafting skills.”
“Then…”
“I want to commission some mana crystal crafting.”
Jeon Yu-hwan’s eyes flashed with madness for a moment.
It wasn’t just his ability that had elevated him to the top position.
His passion and obsession—enough to be called a “workaholic.”
Various elements synergized to guide him to the seat of master artisan.
“Just leave it to me.”
“But as far as I know, you record all commissions in a ledger and report them to your boss.”
“…There are exceptions.”
“Really? Then I suppose one more wouldn’t hurt.”
In Jin-young’s hand, a fist-sized, squishy sphere was summoned.
A jelly-like texture, a form that looked like it would burst if squeezed tightly.
The translucent outer membrane shimmered as red and black lights swirled and sparkled inside.
It flew toward Jeon Yu-hwan just like the heart had.
“This… could it be the brain of the same monster?”
“Can you do it?”
“I’ll be honest—this will be much harder than the heart.”
“So you can’t guarantee success.”
“I do have a conscience, after all.”
Even as he spoke, Jeon Yu-hwan couldn’t easily tear his eyes away from the Sand Wraith’s brain.
“Failure is fine. Just treat it as experience and give it a try.”
“Really?”
“I don’t say things twice.”
Losing the brain in this commission was unavoidable.
High-grade crafters from major guilds were not only hard to meet, but they would also pry into the source of the brain and heart and try to pressure a powerless grade-9.
He had no desire to turn a major guild into a wasteland, so he had ruled them out early.
He certainly couldn’t craft it himself with his pitiful mana.
The only one he could trust was Jeon Yu-hwan, who was certain to rise to greatness soon.
And if this built mutual trust between them, that alone would be enough.
“Then I’ll do my very best. I have prior commissions, so please come back in about two weeks.”
“I’ll bring the payment then.”
Jin-young left Jeon Yu-hwan’s workshop.
Now he just needed to visit other shops and sell off the remaining parts—the Sand Wraith’s eyes, sand pouch, stomach, and other miscellaneous organs.
They were less valuable than the core brain and heart, but demand was still high.
They were needed for potion crafting or artifact creation.
While pondering which shop to visit to avoid getting ripped off—
BZZZ—
His smartwatch vibrated.
At this late hour, there weren’t many people who would call.
He lifted his wrist to check the name, and a flood of emotions surged in his eyes.
[Chae So-young]
His younger sister.
***
Jin-young hurried back to the hospital. The moment he opened the door to his room, he flinched.
The ward had already been quiet and empty, but now it felt downright frigid.
He stared openly at the back of the woman sitting on the folding chair beside his bed.
She must have come straight from a raid—her armor was still stained with blood.
He hesitated for a moment, unsure how to start the conversation.
Then she turned around.
With sharp eyes, she glared at him and spoke.
“Oppa. Are you insane?”
“…”
Only twenty-three years old. A prodigy who had reached grade 5 in just three years after awakening.
A main attacker for SP Guild, one of Korea’s top three guilds.
His younger sister, Chae So-young, who lived a completely different life from him.
Seeing his sister’s face after roughly thirty-two years, a storm of emotions crossed his mind.
Drip—drop.
A single tear rolled down his cheek.
Only after seeing her alive did the reality of regressing thirty-three years truly sink into his entire body.
Meanwhile, Chae So-young’s eyes widened at the sight.
“W-wait… why are you suddenly crying?”
She hadn’t expected her brother to burst into tears over a single curse like “Are you insane?”
They usually traded much harsher words.
“Sorry. And… thank you…”
At Jin-young’s following words, So-young’s expression shifted rapidly.
From confusion to pity, then suspicion, and finally disdain.
As if she had figured it out, she smirked mockingly.
“You’re acting right now because you don’t want to get scolded, aren’t you? You think I’ll fall for that?”
“…”
The touching reunion Jin-young had imagined in his head crumpled slightly.
His sister was still his sister, after all.
Suppressing the almost-broken sentiment, he forced a faint smile.
“I was going to call you after your raid ended. Looks like it finished earlier than I thought.”
“Is that what matters right now? They said you almost died! Why are you wandering around instead of listening to the doctor?”
“As you can see, I’m fine. The hospital said a week of treatment would fix me up.”
“Do you not know what ‘hospitalization’ means? Did you hit your head too?”
“…Hey, Chae So-young.”
Seeing his sister getting bolder by the second, Jin-young began to feel irritated.
But So-young paid no mind and kept going.
“Whatever. I already contacted our guild and booked a better hospital. Pack your things and get ready to transfer.”
“Thanks, little sis.”
His sister was still his sister.
Thanks to So-young, Jin-young never lacked anything despite his paltry civil-service salary.
Of course, living off his sister’s help wasn’t entirely comfortable.
He had once vowed to become stronger than her and repay her tenfold.
But So-young wasn’t satisfied with her current position—she craved even greater power.
Reaching grade 5 in three years wasn’t enough; less than a year later, she rose to grade 4.
At first he was proud, but becoming grade 4 meant she participated in the conquest of Korea’s worst contaminated zone.
If not for that, he wouldn’t have lost her.
But now, that wouldn’t happen.
“Got everything?”
“Yeah. Just need to put this in subspace.”
The moment Jin-young stored his duffel bag in subspace—
WHOOSH!
Suddenly, a pitch-black hand made of demonic energy burst from near his heart and wrapped around his entire body.
“Oppa!”