Hyunseok was honestly surprised.
It looked like Ha Jongwon was struggling quite a bit, and with no telling when the I'UET guild members might arrive, he calculated that if he could just create an opening, Jongwon would be able to escape somehow.
Moving stealthily from behind, Hyunseok grabbed his right wrist with his left hand, then swung with all his strength, striking the orc's waist as if he were hitting a punching machine.
[You have slain a Low-Class Monster: Orc for the first time.]
[An Easy Achievement has been acknowledged.]
[Bonus Stat +1 awarded.]
[You have acquired the Title: Orc Slayer. Strength +1.]
What was absurd was that, with that one attack, the orc's shield shattered instantly, its waist bending at an unnatural angle before its HP bar dropped straight to 0.
What… what kind of situation is this…?
Lee Chaerim, who had been inwardly cursing Hyunseok for his reckless charge, widened her eyes in shock. She didn't even realize her rapier had clattered to the ground. She couldn't trust her own sight and hurriedly asked Kang Burum and Go Beomsu beside her.
"Wh-what… what just happened?"
But Kang Burum and Go Beomsu also had no idea what had just occurred. Even Minseo, Hyunseok's younger sister, couldn't comprehend the situation before her.
Go Beomsu stammered.
"J-just now… It looked like he killed that monster with a single blow…"
"M-my thoughts exactly. Unless all of us saw it wrong at the same time, it's definitely what happened."
Kang Burum and Go Beomsu gulped nervously while Lee Chaerim trembled uncontrollably.
I thought he was just some guy riding on his sister's coattails…
Truthfully, she had looked down on Hyunseok from the start. But she never imagined he would possess such an unbelievable ability. What was even more absurd was that he himself seemed unaware that he had this kind of power.
Ha Jongwon was just as dumbfounded.
"…What the hell are you?"
"Beats me. I didn't expect it either, but… it died in one hit."
"This thing's defense was insane compared to its attack power, wasn't it? That doesn't make sense… Earlier, I saw the kids throwing punches and bouncing right off it. Its recoil was ridiculous."
"I was worried about that too. But luckily, I didn't get hurt."
"That's not what I meant."
The one most shocked, however, was Minseo. He hurried to Hyunseok's side.
"So, Hyunseok oppa… you're…"
"Oppa, were you… a Slayer all along?"
"Well… it's not like I planned for it to come out like this…"
He worked at KEPCO, the national power company. He even earned good extra money through freelance translation work. A stable iron rice bowl plus solid side income, he was living a comfortable and peaceful life. He had no intention of living as a Slayer. That was why he had never revealed it.
"Why did you hide it from me?"
"It's not like I was intentionally hiding it…"
Minseo glared at him, then broke into a bright smile.
"Of course it's you, oppa. There's nothing you can't do. I'm still mad you even kept it a secret from me, though."
At that moment, I'UET guild members came rushing over in a hurry.
Park Sunghyung, the deputy guild leader of I'UET, widened his eyes in shock, his face filled with urgency.
"What's that? Jongwon, let me see it."
"This? I was about to report it to you—"
Without waiting for an explanation, Park Sunghyung snatched the monster stone out of Jongwon's hand.
"…This is a new type of monster stone."
From that day on, starting with Korea, the whole world was thrown into an uproar.
It wasn't just animal-type monsters anymore. Other kinds of monsters began to appear. And those monsters dropped a new kind of monster stone, different from the usual ones. The new stones glowed green, and soon people began calling them Greenstones.
With the advent of Greenstones, the world began to change even more dramatically.
❋ ❋ ❋
New monsters. New forms of monster stones.
The so-called Greenstones were completely different from the existing White Stones.
Greenstones were hailed as a revolutionary next-generation energy source that could transform humanity's future.
Think of it like this: when you try to light a campfire, it's hard to get logs burning at first. But if you pour gasoline, it flares up immediately. Greenstones worked on a similar principle. By inserting one into existing power plant facilities, far less oil (or coal) was needed to produce far more energy. With fewer raw materials consumed, the environmental benefits were also immense.
Soon, most nations began managing Greenstones at the national level. But with that came new problems—
Because attention shifted to Greenstones, oversight of White Stones loosened, and black market sales thrived. A peculiar property made them highly in demand: even a trace amount, when added to existing stimulants, drastically boosted their effect.
Regardless, Greenstones were now considered invaluable resources. Each one was priced at about 100 million won in Korea (after tax), which, given their energy equivalence to massive amounts of oil, wasn't even considered too high. But since only about 10 orcs appeared per day nationwide, supply fell far short of demand.
Some argued the price was far too low, but surprisingly, Slayers accepted it.
After all, only a handful of guilds could safely hunt orcs, and those guilds paid members a base salary of at least 3 million won. If they happened to secure a Greenstone, even after splitting among 10 members, each person could earn an additional 10 million won.
Though many suspected the government was pocketing enormous profits, Slayers themselves still gained enough to remain satisfied.
Online, people argued that Slayers lacked self-awareness as a profession, that the role was too new for them to push back against unfair systems. And indeed, most Slayers preferred joining guilds backed by corporations rather than forming independent groups.
At less than a year since the profession's birth, Slayers lacked both power and organization. There wasn't even a representative body advocating for their rights.
And so Hyunseok, as an outsider, turned to Jongwon with a question.
"Don't you think this is unfair?"
"Not really. I always thought making about 5 million won a month was enough."
"True enough."
If someone expects 100 and receives 80, they feel slighted. But if they expect 50 and receive 80, they're thrilled. It's all about expectations.
"Some Slayers are apparently forming associations to sue the government, though. Japan seems to be creating something like a union already…"
"It won't be solved quickly."
"Still, thanks to the orcs appearing, our value has skyrocketed."
"I know."
Thanks to the orcs, high-rank Slayers were now worth far more. Projections said that by next year, salaries of elite guild Slayers would rise dramatically.
Hyunseok muttered again.
"You Slayers seem too passive. You could be asserting your rights more strongly."
"It's less hassle to just hunt another orc. Someone else will eventually step up. For now, I'm fine with my pay. You made a lot this time too, didn't you?"
Contrary to public belief, it wasn't Jongwon but Hyunseok who had killed the orc— in one hit, no less. As Park Sunghyung himself admitted: "How you managed to take down an orc solo is still a mystery."
Nevertheless, officially, Jongwon was credited. A few days later, he received 100 million won, which he split evenly with the temporary guild members.
That meant Lee Chaerim and the other two Slayers struck gold, each walking away with about 15 million won.
"Don't you feel wronged? You're the one who killed it alone."
"Not really."
Hyunseok wasn't a saint, but he wasn't obsessed with money either. And 15 million won for a single punch? That wasn't something to regret.
If he had struggled and bled for it, maybe he'd feel bitter. But if he could earn that much with ease, there was no need to cling.
Jongwon smirked.
"See? That's how Slayers think. This is fine as it is. With about 10 orcs appearing per day, a guild can at least expect to get three a month. That's already a big deal."
While the two chatted idly about profits, Jongwon got a call from the police station. He frowned.
"Yes, understood. We'll head over right away."
❋ ❋ ❋
The 21st century was already a fast-changing world, even before monsters appeared. Laws and institutions often lagged behind. After the advent of Slayers, that pace only accelerated.
It hadn't even been a year yet. Naturally, laws regarding Slaying were still incomplete. One such law dealt with ownership of items.
In practice, loot distribution was based on guild contracts or verbal agreements. For temporary guilds, leaders would announce terms beforehand, and Slayers who agreed would join. Regular guilds also usually split evenly among members. Big guilds like I'UET had detailed contracts under Hanjin Foundation, with all profits pooled and distributed as performance bonuses.
Unbeknownst to many, however, laws on loot ownership did exist. And because of them, a ridiculous situation now unfolded.
Ha Jongwon shouted angrily.
"I almost died saving those brats, you know that?!"
"But you survived, and secured Korea's first Greenstone, didn't you?"
Jongwon, Chaerim, and the other three Slayers could only laugh bitterly.
By law, the loot priority belonged to whoever first discovered and struck the monster. If that party failed the hunt, however, their ownership was reduced to 20%.
Hyunseok frowned. There was such a law?
It seemed like something bureaucrats cooked up at a desk without ever stepping foot on the field.
As a result, Jongwon's temporary team faced parents of the three middle school Slayers they had rescued, parents now claiming 20% ownership of the Greenstone.
Grinding his teeth, Jongwon roared:
"So you're saying you don't care that I saved your kids' lives, you just want 20% of the Greenstone?"
The middle schoolers shrank in their seats, heads lowered in shame, while their parents stood firm.
"That's what the law says."
Jongwon felt like he was going to explode. Sure, 20% of 100 million won, 20 million, wasn't impossible to part with, especially since it would be split evenly among the five members of his team. Each would only lose about 4 million.
It wasn't the money. It was the sheer unfairness.
"Officer, you heard all this, right? I nearly died saving them! Hey, kids! Come here! Tell them what happened properly!"
As Jongwon's voice rose, the officer quickly intervened.
"Please, calm down! Both of you!"
One of the mothers snapped back at him.
"Why are you yelling at my child?!"
"You think I shouldn't be yelling right now?!"
The poor officer wiped sweat from his brow, stuck between both sides.
"Please, please, let's all calm down."
Even he sympathized with Jongwon, but the law was the law.
Hyunseok placed a hand on Jongwon's shoulder.
"The law's on their side. It's not even that much money. Let's just move on. If I'UET makes too big a scene over 20%, it'll hurt your image. Hanjin Foundation is investing heavily in PR these days, right?"
In the end, Jongwon's team grudgingly agreed. Each gave up 4 million, and the parents left satisfied.
Chaerim surprisingly agreed without protest, perhaps out of relief to end the ordeal.
Jongwon muttered bitterly.
"Don't you feel wronged? I risked my life saving those kids. Caught the orc by sheer luck… dragged them out of the water only for them to demand my basket too! And I don't even get a thank you? What the hell is this?!"
"The law's the law! Do it properly!" one mother screamed.
"Unbelievable! You're lucky I don't just deck you!"
"What? Try it! Hit me if you dare!"
"I refuse to give it up out of principle!"
"I'll sue you! You need to live by the law!"
By now, they were shouting threats of lawsuits, fingers jabbing in each other's faces. Jongwon roared back without backing down.
"Sue me? Go ahead! Do it! You think I'm scared?!"
(End of Chapter 9)
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