Chapter 3: First Request
After grabbing my license, I brought up the Status Window and muttered.
“Then first, let’s asure my combat power.”
I need to figure out what level of request I can take right now.
At tis like this, objective self-assessnt is important.
Just because I got a skill—when I don’t even know if it’s trash or gold—I can’t go throwing myself into danger.
I skimd the information window and touched my earlobe.
[You can hire Monsters by paying Gold.]
Anyway, there’s only one I can hire with the Gold I have right now.
[Would you like to hire a Goblin Slave for 50 Gold?]
Ha, a Goblin Slave.
How long has it been since I last hired one of these?
Back when I was a newbie, I didn’t know any better and poured items into this thing.
Of course, after learning it had terrible cost efficiency and was one of the worst Monsters for benefiting from equipnt, it beca nothing more than a at shield.
On top of that, there was even a nasty bug where the equipped gear would disappear at so point.
“Still, it’s the only thing I can hire, so I’ve got no choice.”
I pressed my earlobe.
[You have hired a Goblin Slave for 50 Gold!]
At the sa ti, new information appeared on one side of the Status Window.
[Summonable Monsters: Goblin Slave 1/1]
“Yeah, just like I thought.”
So far, it was no different from the MonMonMak ga.
Then let’s see how a pixel Goblin from the ga manifests in reality.
I pressed my earlobe again.
[Summoning Goblin Slave!]
Bwoooong!
Then, a bizarre sight unfolded before my eyes.
In the middle of my cramped studio apartnt, space itself twisted—and a fist-sized crack appeared.
And then—
Plop.
“?”
As if spitting out gum, the crack dropped sothing small with a plop before vanishing instantly.
I narrowed my eyes at the marble rolling across the floor.
What is that?
But the mont I bent down to pick up the rolling sphere—
Boom!
A loud popping sound struck my ears, like a huge balloon bursting.
At the sa ti, thick white smoke suddenly billowed out, filling the tiny room.
But after a brief mont of surprise, I calmly waved my hand to clear the gray smoke.
Through the haze, I spotted a blurry figure standing on my bed.
One glance was enough.
I imdiately grasped the situation and muttered.
“This is a bit dangerous.”
A sphere drops, and a Monster is summoned from inside it along with smoke?
This is basically Pokémon.
Was MonMonMak this kind of ga?
“Kiruk.”
And sothing responded to my muttering.
Well… not exactly speech—more like a cry.
With a calm expression, I looked at the creature staring at from the bed.
Short green fur densely covering its body, long ears and nose, and a sly gaze—short and stocky.
“Definitely a typical…”
There was no doubt.
A Goblin Slave.
Its appearance was identical to the Goblins commonly seen in Gates.
“…Goblin.”
But then—
“What are you holding in your hand right now?”
The item it was holding looked strange.
***
30 years ago, after the Great Upheaval, when Gates and Monsters began appearing—
And Awakened individuals with supernatural abilities began working as Hunters, raising concerns about their managent—
Amid a barrage of reporters’ questions, the head of the Awakened Managent Headquarters at the ti answered:
Ending with a stylish smile and a nod.
That press conference, broadcast live nationwide, is still rembered as a clip.
Anyway, that director—who had nothing but a handso face—completed his full term.
Thanks to him, Korea’s Hunter managent system beca a symbol of sloppy administration.
Even now, reorganized as the Hunter Association Managent Headquarters, it still has many loopholes.
“Your license is E Rank… and you’ve got quite a few records of being hired as a porter or day laborer… but your activity as a Hunter so far—0 tis across both Dungeons and Gates. None at all?”
“Yes. Is that a problem?”
At the Hunter Association Managent Headquarters in Jongno, Seoul—
The female employee entering my information into the system shook her head.
“No, since you have a license, it’s fine. But you can only accept E Rank requests.”
As long as you have a license, it’s okay.
Of course, requests above C Rank are managed more strictly, but E Rank treatnt was basically “whatever happens, happens.”
In short:
‘If you don’t want to die, don’t be an E Rank Hunter.’
The employee in front of clearly had that attitude.
“Would you like to look up available requests?”
“Yes.”
“Are you solo?”
“Sol—”
For a mont, I almost reacted emotionally, but realized she ant whether I operate alone as a Hunter, and nodded.
“Yes. As you can see, this is my first ti working after getting my license.”
The employee tapped the keyboard indifferently.
“There are about 30 E Rank requests available. Would you like to check the list?”
“Sure.”
The mont I answered, my smartphone buzzed.
A new window appeared, showing a map along with a list of requests.
I stroked my chin for a while, reviewing Gate locations and detailed information.
Only when irritation began to show on the employee’s face did I speak.
“I’ll take this request.”
A Gate that appeared in a mountain village in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province.
A request to hunt Goblins roaming nearby.
The employee frowned at the screen.
“…This one? Are you sure?”
I nodded, and she hesitated before continuing.
“This isn’t really a request an E Rank Hunter would take solo…”
Of course, one thing was left unsaid:
It was a completely reasonable statent.
Even though Goblins are low-tier Monsters, they move in groups—so if they appear in numbers, even a D Rank Hunter would struggle alone.
Although the reported number was small, lowering its rank, it clearly had variables.
That’s exactly why it interested .
“You don’t need to worry.”
“…If you abandon the request, the fee will still be deducted, and if there is damage to civilian areas, you’ll be responsible for compensation.”
I shrugged.
Eventually, she typed on the keyboard.
“I’ll register the request now. A 10% commission will be deducted. For E Rank requests, handling Monster byproducts is entirely up to the Hunter—we don’t take a cut. Also, the Hunter Association Managent Headquarters is not responsible for any accidents during the request. If you agree, please place your fingerprint on the device.”
She said “not responsible for any accidents” far too casually.
As expected, this Hunter world is cold-blooded from top to bottom.
Realizing I had stepped into a jungle of beasts, I placed my finger on the scanner.
“You said you’re going alone, right?”
After everything was done, she asked.
“Yes.”
“You didn’t sign up for Hunter life insurance. Would you like to enroll in a temporary one provided by the headquarters?”
“?”
Offering insurance here?
At that mont, I understood everything from the look in her eyes.
She thinks I might die fighting Goblins.
Fair enough.
Based on my registered stats, I’m barely capable of handling even one Goblin.
“No, I don’t need it.”
I smiled and declined.
Did she think I didn’t know they take 50% of the request fee as insurance?
***
Even if it’s an E Rank request, it’s still life on the line.
No matter how insignificant it seems, it’s still a chance to beco a hero.
“Oh my, Hunter-nim!”
Hongcheon, Gangwon Province.
To the village chief, I must have looked like a hero.
“Thank you so much! To co all the way to such a humble place! How can we ever repay this kindness…!”
The chief bowed deeply.
His bald head reflected the sunlight brightly.
“It’s nothing. I’m getting paid for this, after all.”
“Still, the fact that you ca is what matters! The request was so insignificant that even after a week since reporting it, there was no response!”
The villagers seed to have been on edge the entire week.
Well, no Hunter would co all the way out here just to hunt Goblins that don’t even pay well.
An E Rank request only pays about 200,000 to 300,000 won at most.
And most importantly, if an E Rank request is left unattended for over 10 days, Hunters from the Association handle it directly.
aning even idealistic Hunters ignore it.
“Looks like those Goblins caused quite a bit of trouble.”
“Oh, don’t even ntion it, Hunter-nim. Ever since Mr. Park spotted those nasty creatures, no one dares go near the mountains.”
At the chief’s words, a man in his 40s nodded.
Then he cautiously asked :
“Hunter-nim, if it’s not rude, may I ask which Guild you belong to?”
“A Guild?”
“Yes… you’re not from the Pungbaek Guild, are you?”
“?”
It’s a fair question.
Most Hunters—unlike nobodies like —belong to a Guild.
But hearing “Pungbaek” was unexpected.
Pungbaek is one of Korea’s top 3 Guilds.
An elite group with imnse influence.
‘Starting from S Rank Choi Kang-woo, to Yoon Su-hyeok, Yoon Su-a… most top Hunters belong there.’
Most high-ranking mbers are A Rank or higher, and even backed by Divine Thrones.
Among them, Yoon Su-a was a Hunter I’d supported for a long ti.
“Actually, Hunters from Pungbaek visited the village 3 days ago.”
“Really?”
“Yes, at first we thought they ca for our request—but that wasn’t the case. They didn’t say much, stayed one night, and went into the forest.”
I stroked my chin.
No way Pungbaek Hunters ca all this way just for weak Monsters.
‘Then there must be at least a B Rank request nearby.’
I hadn’t heard that when I accepted this job.
Still, I needed to consider all possibilities.
“Did they head toward the Goblin Gate?”
“No, they went west. The Goblins are north.”
That’s a relief.
Unless it’s sothing like a Monster Wave or a giant creature, different Gate Monsters don’t overlap territories.
“Then please guide .”
I organized my thoughts.
There’s no benefit worrying about other Hunters.
It’s ti to do my job.
“But Hunter-nim… are you sure you’ll be okay? I don’t know much about Monsters, but I’ve heard Goblins aren’t as easy as they seem…”
The chief still sounded worried.
“Don’t worry. I’ll wipe out the Goblins myself.”
With a confident smile, I nodded.
“I promise.”
“!”
In the eyes of the chief and Mr. Park—
Trust began to shine.
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