"W-what is this?"
The paper read:
I, Uhyon, voluntarily join the 'Wrath' guild as a collector. I acknowledge that I am fully conscious and aware that my safety is not guaranteed, yet I agree to work regardless. If I fail to return alive due to monsters, the blame lies solely with me. I express my gratitude to the guild for employing me.
Beneath it was a space for the date and signature.
"I'm sorry, Uhyon, but we have no choice," said Manager Suho."That doesn't mean we're throwing you into danger. This is only for emergencies. We'll give you armor suited for survival. But let me stress: no one is forcing you. You can leave right now, and we won't hold it against you."
Uhyon paused for several seconds, thinking. In front of him, in the middle of the street, a dungeon had appeared. Yellow caution tape blocked the way, preventing cars from passing. Uhyon, Mr. Kim, and Manager Suho were gathered by two large SUV cars parked at the side of the road. Uhyon sat at a foldable table customized for field use.
"Do I really have to risk my life for this money?" Cold sweat ran down his face. He ran through every possible scenario — even the worst. Finally, pushing past his anxiety and fear, he found the strength to ignore it… and signed.
"Welcome to the team, Uhyon," Manager Suho said with a smile. "Now let me explain the details. This is a C-rank gate. We believe goblins are inside."
"But... don't goblins usually appear in E or D-ranked dungeons?" Uhyon asked, puzzled.
"Goblins appearing in a C-rank dungeon suggests other, more dangerous species may be present as well," added Mr. Kim. "Normally, goblins aren't smart. They're often found with insects, not humanoids."
"You mentioned there were things I needed to learn, Manager Suho..." Uhyon said cautiously.
"Right. Let's not waste time before the rest of the team arrives. First, let me ask you a few questions," Suho said, glancing at his clipboard.
"Alright, first question: what parts of a goblin do you collect?"
"Their mana stones, intact or strong bones, and teeth."
"Good. Now, why don't we collect their skin?"
"Because they're low-rank monsters. Their hides are worthless."
"Correct. Now, why do collectors need to be in a guild?"
"To keep hunters from getting distracted during combat and to save time. Without a collector, hunters only have 75 minutes after winning a boss and clearing a dungeon before it closes. That's often not enough to gather all the valuable materials."
"Good. Now why don't we use machines or vehicles inside dungeons to save time? Or why don't we collect everything before defeating the boss?"
"First — mana currents in dungeons interfere with electronics. Some types of mana absorb energy, making machines unusable.Second — dungeon bosses like demons, dragons, or ice beasts often move around. Without a collector, we can't gather anything efficiently in those dungeons."
"Wow. Impressive how much you've learned in school," Suho said approvingly.
Meanwhile, a subtle tension lingered around Mr. Kim. His discomfort over Uhyon's lack of magical ability was almost visible.
"Thanks for the praise," Uhyon replied.
He was genuinely glad that what he'd studied had proven useful.
"Now, something personal — how much weight can you carry consistently, say, for an hour?"
Uhyon gave a rough estimate.
"About 5–9 kg with one hand, if it's something easy to grip. Around 12–16 kg on my back."
"Hmm. That's a bit low for a typical collector, but it'll do."
"Which means," added Mr. Kim, "you might need to make several trips in and out of the dungeon to drop off what you gather."
"Alright, let me show you your gear," said Manager Suho as he opened the SUV's trunk.
Inside was a rugged set of armor — slightly dusty, clearly old, but durable. It had a metallic sheen and was both lighter and stronger than ordinary steel.
"Sorry, Uhyon, but we haven't had many collectors lately. This was just lying in storage. But don't let the look fool you — it's enchanted. The full set gives you a 25% boost in defense, not counting the individual parts' protection."
As Suho lifted the armor, Uhyon spotted other equipment underneath: a strange-looking plier-like tool, a small but sharp knife, a rectangular unknown item, a pair of gloves made from the skin of some unknown creature, and several large bags.
"This tool — an extractor — is for pulling out teeth or breaking bones. The knife is for skinning or at least for defense. Both are infused with mana.""And this odd thing — it's a mana gauge and value calculator. Collectors use it to track profits.""These gloves made from magically mutated leather. They block toxins and infections. Also, when you wear them, they become invisible so you can feel what you're doing more clearly. And well… I don't need to explain the bags."
"Thanks, Manager Suh—"
At that moment, a large personnel carrier pulled up behind the other vans. The door opened slowly, and nine men stepped out. All were armed and armored — hunters.
Uhyon observed them. Two took out large shields — tanks. Three carried staffs — likely mages or healers. Two had bows or crossbows — rangers. And the last two wielded different types of melee weapons — standard hunters.
"We've got six B-rank and four C-rank hunters," Suho explained.
"Plenty for a C-rank dungeon. Including Mr. Kim, Mr. Joon-ho, and…" He continued naming the B-rank hunters.
Uhyon put on his armor. Once everyone was ready, Manager Suho gave the green light to enter the dungeon.
Excitement pulsed through Uhyon, but deep down, he tried to stay grounded, reminding himself — I'm playing with death.
The gate shimmered as they passed through.
It looked like a normal cave, but mana crystals embedded throughout glowed faintly — like a moonlit night. Mr. Kim gestured to one of the mages to light the way. The mage snapped his fingers and summoned a floating orb of fire.
It was quiet — too quiet.
The party moved carefully, navigating branching paths like a labyrinth.They joked it was like an ant colony. Uhyon stayed silent, just observing.
Eventually, they spotted a group of goblins chattering in their guttural language, standing on the path to the right side of the cave. Mr. Kim signaled silently.3... 2... 1...
The hunters rushed in and began the assault. But something was off. Normally, goblins attacked on sight — regardless of who they faced. But, these ones just froze, trembling in place.
"Are they… scared of us?" asked one hunter as he slew several at once.
"Unlikely. We know goblin behavior well. This isn't normal," someone else replied.
Everyone misunderstood it. Everyone... except Uhyon.
The goblins weren't staring at the hunters. They were all fixated on Uhyon. And they were terrified.
Uhyon's blood ran cold. "What's happening to me? Why are they afraid of someone with no magic?" It was as if something invisible — only monsters could see — clung to him.
Once the goblins were wiped out, the team told Uhyon to start collecting.He extracted only the molars — from about 30 of them — because he knew they could be refined into magical ammunition.
While he worked, spiders suddenly appeared.
And again — they trembled in fear. At him. Uhyon's confusion turned to frustration. "Why? Why are they afraid of me?!"
He gathered the loot and carried it outside to unload. Returning, he began extracting venomous fangs from the spiders — unaware of their toxicity.
So focused was he, that he didn't notice the pinkish venom seeping into his skin. The poison had splattered onto his elbow, missing the protection of his gloves.
Mr. Kim spotted him just in time.
"Hey! You idiot! What are you doing?!""Song-ho! Get the anti-toxin — now!"
Mr. Kim rushed over, grabbed Uhyon's wrist, and squeezed near the wound.
Uhyon had been so engrossed in his task, he hadn't noticed the venom.He was growing weaker by the second — on the verge of collapse.
But then…