…So, you're saying he grew again in a month?" "Yes, Section Chief." "So what? You want to scout him? No." "Section Chief!"
The Section Chief sighed, shook his head, and continued.
"First off, there is no change in his mana recovery speed. Second, the Association has no need for a Hunter with a Status Effect Removal skill. Third..." "The important thing is that...!" "Third! The Association cannot afford his salary!" "Don't look at the present, please look at the future!"
The Section Chief sighed and made a dismissive gesture, causing the Chief Officer to drop his head with the expression of someone who had lost their country.
"It's the money, the money! How much do you think we have to pay to bring a Hunter like that in?" "…If you could just speak to the higher-ups..." "I guarantee you, they'll try to shackle him using his debt as leverage. They might even block his applications for Gate entry."
The Chief Officer opened and closed his mouth as if searching for a retort, but ultimately couldn't find one and shut his mouth. The Section Chief patted him on the shoulder and said,
"I knew you were going out every day to watch that Hunter, yet I didn't stop you." "…If you were going to oppose it like this, why didn't you stop me?" "Because I thought you would bring back proof that you couldn't bring this Hunter to the Association, just like you did now."
The Chief Officer couldn't say anything, but the Section Chief nodded as if he understood him.
"Chief Kim." "…Yes." "It won't happen, but... until separate instructions come down from above, just do your original job. Otherwise, you'll just end up writing apology letters for doing useless things." "…Understood." "Get out."
The Chief Officer left the office and stood there with a blank expression for a while, then hung his head and crumpled the documents in his hand.
**
"Then, how much will my rank go up?" "We'll have to wait for the results, but I plan to submit a review for A-Rank." "A-Rank?!" "Yes. Strictly based on the effect of the Status Effect Removal skill you showed today."
Since A-Rank support types aren't granted permission for solo Gate entry, I need to receive a judgment of C-Rank or higher as a combat type. So I urgently appealed that my 'mana amount' had increased.
"As you know, the amount of mana I possess is also quite..." "Yes. Because of that, we plan to raise you to C-Rank on the combat side." "…C-Rank... is it?" "If your mana recovery speed were normal, we would have sent you up as B-Rank."
Even before the Association employee finished speaking, I acted out a sullen expression. He laughed awkwardly, comforted me by saying that thanks to the Status Effect Removal skill, I wouldn't have any trouble making a living, and then disappeared.
'...That is actually true, but I have no intention of making a living with the Status Effect Removal skill.'
Reporting that I obtained the Status Effect Removal skill was strictly for the purpose of raising my Hunter rank to C-Rank or higher so I could enter D-Rank Gates solo.
—Tiriling
[Hunter Han Seo-jun. Your rank upgrade review has been received. We will inform you of the results within 3 days from the reception date. -Hunter Association-]
Checking the received text, I immediately found an E-Rank Gate that I could enter as quickly as possible and submitted an application.
'To become stronger even one day faster, I have to go to the Gates.'
For now, I plan to hide my abilities until I can rent S-Rank skills for a long period. Ideally, it would be better to reveal myself the moment I permanently acquire an S-Rank skill and no longer need to use Origin Power for rentals.
'Until then... I'll act as a Hunter who grows a bit fast but isn't exceptional in combat ability.'
Thinking this, I arrived at the reserved E-Rank Gate, but I felt something missing.
"Hunter? Did you forget to bring something?" "No. I'll enter right away." "Yes... Then, I will record your entry at 14:13." "Yes. Thank you."
It wasn't until I had cleared about half of the monsters in the Gate that I realized what that empty feeling at the entrance was.
'That Chief Officer wasn't there.'
Since he was visible near the Gate every time, I had once intentionally gone near a Gate and applied for entry just to check. Back then, of course, I could only confirm his presence after exiting.
'But this Gate is less than 30 minutes away from the Association?'
I'm stuck on foot, but since he's an Association employee, he can use an official vehicle. The fact that he wasn't there, even though he should have arrived before me...
'Should I take it that the surveillance is over?'
If so, two things could happen from now on. First, that Chief Officer contacts me again to persuade me to join the Association. Second, the surveillance ends completely.
'Which one it is... I'll find out before the rank review results come out.'
Thinking this, I cleared the Gate. Just as I was reporting to the Association employee guarding the Gate and about to look for the next one...
"Mr. Han Seo-jun." "…?" "I'm from the Daemyung Group Secretary's Office. Do you have a moment?" "Excuse me? Where?" "I'm from the Daemyung Group Secretary's Office."
A man dressed in a neat, high-end suit handed me a business card. The card clearly bore the name Daemyung Group, the second-ranked conglomerate in the business world.
"Uh... What business does Daemyung Group have with me...?" "We know what happened at Hankook University Hospital two hours ago." "…And?" "Let's make a contract."
**
I sat in the corner of a cafe, intentionally wearing a blank expression. In front of me lay only a few sheets of paper and an empty coffee cup.
'Since I've done this much, it should be okay to move now.'
What the person from the Daemyung Group Secretary's Office proposed was surprisingly simple. I could do whatever Hunter activities I wanted normally, but when Daemyung Group called, I had to come immediately and use the Status Effect Removal skill.
'And do not use the Status Effect Removal skill without Daemyung Group's permission.'
It stated that a monthly salary of 100 million won would be paid, but I just listened to the explanation with a blank face. Seeing me like that, the Daemyung Group secretary nodded, said he would give me time to think, and left.
'I could just wait 2 or 3 days and refuse... but I need a trigger.'
If I refuse blindly, they'll pressure the Association to hinder me from entering Gates. So I need a reason that is appropriate but acceptable to anyone.
'It's not good to show emotional changes by curing someone again.'
Rather, if I refuse for that reason, they'll act as if they're doing me a favor and attach a condition saying it's okay to do so once every few days. And they might make me report exactly when and on whom I used the skill.
'...Let's rethink this.'
Daemyung Group would have already contracted Hunters with Status Effect Removal skills under conditions similar to what they offered me. Yet, the reason they came specifically to offer me a contract?
'It must be because I didn't just remove the status effect, but returned the body to a normal state.'
Since other Hunters only remove the status effect, a recovery period is inevitably required. It seems they want to contract with me because I'm someone who can shorten that time.
'...I won't refuse the contract, but I'll accept it while proposing my own conditions.'
Ultimately, no matter how I refuse, some form of retaliation is inevitable. So, I just need to accept the contract but modify the conditions to a level that won't offend Daemyung Group.
'The conditions are... unconditional freedom to use the Status Effect Removal skill, and a limit on the number of times they can call me per year.'
Most ordinary diseases could be cured even if they called other Hunters, not me. They probably intend to entrust me only with diseases that negatively impact physical condition, like the child I treated this time.
'In exchange. I'll refuse the monthly salary and raise the cost per treatment.'
If I don't suggest an exact amount, they'll probably think I'm aiming for a 'big score.'
'This is the optimal way to seem financially greedy while avoiding Daemyung Group's animosity.'
Of course, they might want me to remove the limit on the number of times. There is exactly one reason they would want that. There is someone who needs treatment right now, and they likely have a disease with a high risk of recurrence.
'...Then I just have to remove the limit only for treating that specific person.'
Of course, I won't actually leave it unlimited; I'll just rent an A-Rank Status Effect Removal skill for those occasions. Even B-Rank rivals the effect of most S-Rank skills anyway.
'If I use an A-Rank skill, there's a high probability it might even erase the risk of recurrence.'
Even if it does recur, the time until recurrence will be longer. As soon as I reached that conclusion, I wrote down my conditions and sent a text.
'Now... let's see how Daemyung Group reacts.'
Because chatting with the Daemyung Group person took time, it got late, so I had no choice but to head home. But for some reason, the Daemyung Group employee I met earlier was waiting for me.
"You're quite late." "…?" "Please modify the conditions or specify an exception. Then we will contract exactly as Mr. Han Seo-jun desires." "No, suddenly..." "It's simple. Either remove the limit on the number of times, or just set one specific person as an exception."