However, there were significant problems that made it hard for hunters to step in proactively.
"Of all places, it has to be the south."
All of Korea's top-tier hunters were tied up near the Demilitarized Zone, desperately holding back the erosion zones there. Naturally, taking on a request from far down in the southern part of the peninsula was difficult.
And recently, it seemed that the Tsushima erosion source had been upgraded to Rank 2. Unless you were a hunter already operating near the DMZ, dealing with the monsters that emerged from a Rank 2 erosion source required a large group.
"And the pay's garbage."
Despite being a request involving a Rank 2 erosion source, the reward was a measly 55 million won—and that amount had to be split among all participating hunters.
There was no way the hunters stationed at the DMZ would show any interest in a job like this.
"But it's a Rank 2 erosion source. And if I take the whole reward myself, it's not just '55 million'—it's a full 55 million."
On top of that, successfully completing this request would earn me a pretty impressive heroic story and an enormous amount of fame.
It hadn't even been long since I'd single-handedly crushed a Rank 3 erosion source, and now I'd be clearing a request tied to a Rank 2.
"So then… just how strong are the monsters that come out of a Rank 2 erosion zone?"
As I scrolled through photos of Rank 2 erosion monsters taken by other hunters on my smartphone, I clicked my tongue.
"Damn. At this level, going in alone would be pretty rough."
If I could successfully enter the Rank 2 erosion zone by myself, I could manage it.
The Tsushima erosion source had only just been upgraded to Rank 2. While it was definitely stronger than a Rank 3 source, it was still on the weaker side compared to other Rank 2s.
Inside an erosion source, there was no need to restrain Paradox Hellfire. I could simply turn the interior into a superheated inferno.
The problem was that until I actually entered the erosion zone, I had to keep the output of Paradox Hellfire under control. If I did that, I'd die on the way to Tsushima's Rank 2 erosion source.
"If I could just get one more person… someone usable."
That was all I needed. With just one more person, I could make it to the erosion zone. And once inside, even if it took several days, I'd eventually deal with it.
"Damn it. Is there really no option besides going with that lunatic?"
There was only one person who came to mind. Han Sang-ah—the one I'd worked with on Gyodong Island. Her abilities far exceeded the bare minimum I needed.
In the end, after some deliberation, I proposed that Han Sang-ah accompany me on the Tsushima request and sent her the details.
— No problem.
A reply came back just a few minutes later.
— It'll be just the two of us. You know that, right?
— That was already in the message I sent. I don't mind.
Since this was something that needed to be handled as quickly as possible, I set the meeting time and place, then immediately accepted the Tsushima request.
About ten minutes later, Han Sang-ah contacted me to say she'd accepted the request as well. With a partner secured, I scratched my head roughly.
"Scrap dealers."
I'd need them. They were the ones who recovered and sold the valuable materials that dropped from the monsters I hunted.
"If I'm going to hand my wallet over to someone anyway…"
I needed people I could rely on. Since it was a relationship bound by money from the start, I didn't want or need trust—just reliability.
"I've gotten a lot of offers…"
I might be a rookie, but I was a hunter who'd been on broadcast. Not because I was handsome or anything like that, but because my results were absurdly good for someone who'd just started.
Plenty of scrap dealers wanted to work with me.
So the question was—who should I choose?
"The biggest one."
It was like choosing a car. Would you drive a German Mercedes, or a North Korean Pyeonghwa Motors car?
A small-scale but skilled and trustworthy scrap dealer? Maybe that exists for restaurants, but not in this line of work. No—maybe they could be skilled, but trustworthy? That was another matter.
Being small meant having less to lose. And when you have little to lose, pulling a quick cash grab and disappearing isn't hard at all.
"Sure, they could be good people."
The problem was that I'd lived long enough, and been through enough, to know better. Even if there really were good people out there, I wasn't about to rely on that and make snap judgments. Unless they were throwing money at me or doing me a huge favor, anyway.
That would be a transaction.
As I skimmed through the messages on my smartphone, I picked one of the scrap dealers.
"Yeah… going with the number one might not be the best move."
Blue Wrench Scrap, the industry leader, sat firmly in first place by an overwhelming margin. Second and third, on the other hand, were neck and neck. In that case, approaching the company in third place would probably get me better treatment.
"Daebak Scrap, huh."
The company name sounded like something you'd find in any random neighborhood, but in the industry, they ranked third.
— This is Yoo Chan-seok. I'm contacting you after reviewing the message you sent. Would it be possible to talk on the phone?
Not long after I sent my message, a reply came back.
— Please wait just a moment. I'll contact you again shortly.
A little later, a message came in—this time from a different number.
— Hello, Hunter. This is Choi Seung-gi, CEO of Daebak Scrap. First of all, thank you very much for contacting Daebak Scrap.
The message that followed was extremely long. In short, it could be summarized as: Please, just meet with us once. We'll treat you well!
— Would it be possible to meet right away? I'm in a bit of a hurry.
— Of course. Where should I come to?
When I sent him the address, he replied that he'd be there within forty minutes. He sounded very anxious, which was good for me.
About thirty minutes later, I got a message saying he'd arrived nearby.
He was waiting at a nearby branch of Odu-mak, a café franchise reserved for hunters.
"Nice to meet you."
"Oh my, it's an honor to finally meet you, Hunter Yoo Chan-seok."
When I arrived in front of the café, a man wearing sunglasses and a thick gold necklace spotted me and approached to greet me. His pomaded bangs were especially striking.
Was this guy a gangster or a company CEO?
"Why are you waiting outside instead of going in?"
"Well, I'm not a hunter, you see."
"Ah."
The Odu-mak café allowed entry for hunters plus up to three companions. And since this Choi Seung-gi guy standing in front of me wasn't a hunter, he obviously couldn't go in.
"I haven't bought a membership either."
That cost money too. I'd been putting it off since I didn't think I'd need it anytime soon—but it turned out that day came faster than expected. At my words, Choi Seung-gi grinned.
"Well, that works out perfectly. To commemorate meeting you today, Hunter Yoo, I'll gift you a one-month membership."
"Wait, then I'd feel bad about that."
At my response, Choi Seung-gi made an ehe-it! sound and waved his hands dismissively.
"Oh come on, why say something so distant like that? It's fine. I'm not the type to expect something in return for things like this."
After that, he went inside the café and looked over the membership options before speaking.
"Uh, yeah—let's go with the premium. One month."
The clerk nodded and said,
"To use the membership, hunter verification is required, sir."
"I won't be using it. This gentleman here will."
Without a word, I held out my smartphone. The clerk checked it and said,
"Yes, Hunter Yoo Chan-seok, identity verifie—"
Mid-sentence, the clerk suddenly froze and stared at me.
"H-Hunter Yoo Chan-seok?"
That was my name, so why the reaction? When I looked back at him in confusion, the clerk quickly regained composure and continued.
"Ah—yes. It's an honor to serve you. Premium membership for one month—I'll process the payment right away."
"Please charge it to this card."
Choi Seung-gi handed over his card, and the clerk immediately completed the transaction.
"One month of premium membership—1.55 million won."
That was absurdly expensive. A café membership for 1.55 million won?
"Premium members may freely use all Odu-mak services, including showers, laptop rentals, and café menu delivery. However, the main branch is excluded."
"Why is the main branch excluded?"
At my question, Choi Seung-gi, standing beside me, burst into laughter.
"The menu there is in a league of its own."
"That's a first."
"The main branch is run directly by Odu-mak's owner, Sa Seung-hee. There are way too many hunters obsessed with the food there. The prime example is the Sam-sam Pie."
At the main branch, there's a pumpkin pie flavored with cinnamon and maple syrup. Apparently, hunters line up just to buy it—until one guy tried to cut in line and got beaten up by the thirty-three hunters who were waiting.
After that incident, the pumpkin pie earned the nickname Sam-sam Pie.
"Do they put drugs in it or something?"
At my comment, Choi Seung-gi shook his head.
"I had a chance to try a slice a few years back. It was good enough that even hunters on the 'Hope List' would wait in line without complaining."
Rankers lining up just to eat a slice of pie? That was impressive. And since non-hunters weren't allowed to use Odu-mak at all, ordinary people apparently only knew that something like it existed.
"I see. But we didn't come here today to talk about pie, did we?"
At my words, Choi Seung-gi nodded immediately and took a seat. After ordering simple drinks, I spoke.
"First off, out of all the scrap dealers I messaged, you're the only one I contacted directly."
"I'm honored."
Despite his flashy outfit, Choi Seung-gi straightened up stiffly as he spoke.
"Then, would it be alright if I explained a bit about our scrap yard?"
"That's actually what I wanted to ask."
Choi Seung-gi cleared his throat, took a sip of his drink, and continued.
"I have roughly fifty thousand people working under me."
That alone was massive, though I'd heard that the industry leader, Blue Wrench Scrap, had nearly seven times that number.
"We sometimes butt heads with other yards over territory."
"The more you collect, the more money it turns into."
Unless all the hunters on a specific request happened to contract with the same scrap yard, multiple scrap dealers inevitably fought over the site after a mission was completed.
"That's why my guys undergo regular military-style training, and we make sure they're properly equipped when they head out."
An assault rifle with 120 rounds, a pistol with 30 rounds, two grenades, a CIRAS body armor vest with Level III ballistic plates, and more… As I listened, I asked:
"That can't be cheap."
"It's more than covered by the money we squeeze out. And to make up for any shortfalls, we also run our own processing division."
"Processing division?"
At my question, he pulled something out to show me and grinned.
"We tinker with the stuff we strip off those monster corpses and turn it into something usable."
I could feel an ironclad resolve not to waste even a corpse.
"And the equipment made that way?"
"We sell it through the hunter-exclusive app, or sell it to other hunters—charging the hunter who provided the materials a processing fee plus a little extra."
While we were talking, Choi Seung-gi kept glancing out the window.
"Is something outside?"
At my question, he smiled.
"If I recall correctly, on Gyodong Island, Hunter Kim Min-jae handled the scrap dealer calls."
"Oh, right."
Now that I thought about it, I'd completely forgotten.
"I contacted the scrap yard contracted with Hunter Kim Min-jae and had your share separated out, Hunter Yoo."
"…Why?"
At my question, he answered simply.
"I wanted to offer a bit of help."
"Help, huh."
"Oh—perfect timing. They've arrived."