Chapter Title: Why Would Any Sane Guy Become a Hunter?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Why would any sane guy become a hunter?
Took the elevator and got off around the middle.
46th floor, Admin Office.
This was the department handling commissions and all sorts of paperwork for the Hunter Association.
It was also where hunters picked up their dungeon entry passes.
Maybe that's why.
"...Huh?"
"Huh?"
"A guy?"
I'd come deliberately early in the morning when hardly anyone would be around.
Even so, I could feel every pair of eyes in that sparsely populated admin office slowly turning toward me.
I'm covered head to toe in this suit, so how the hell do these women know I'm a man?
'These hunter bitches are straight-up ogling me...'
The Hunter Association's admin office was open to existing hunters as well as civilians.
In other words, the women here were drooling over a regular guy they were supposed to protect.
They were the very embodiments of lust.
'Hides my face nicely, but maybe because it's a 10-point skill, it's got some flaws.'
Let's wrap this up quick and get out.
With that in mind, I headed straight to the deserted reception desk to apply for my hunter license.
Sitting there was a civil servant who looked like she was thinking, 'Ugh, I hate dealing with complaints~'
Well, it was around 6 a.m., after all.
Given the Hunter Association's 24-hour operation, it was a tiring shift.
Still, I had to get it done.
"Excuse me..."
"Hah, yes?"
Her voice dripped with irritation—you could tell just by looking.
The civil servant who'd had her head buried in the desk perked up sluggishly, clearly annoyed, at my question.
She immediately frowned at my outfit.
"Wh-what?! What is this..."
"It's a suit..."
"No, even if dungeons are dangerous, isn't this a bit much? And your getup looks like you stepped out of a sci-fi flick."
Hunters' outfits varied wildly.
Depending on their class concept, you had everything from medieval knight armor to cheongsams, barbarian gear, and dresses.
Processed from 'magic stones' only available in dungeons, these outfits let them garb themselves as heroes protecting humanity from monsters.
But even I had to admit my current look was over the top.
Like a 30th-century soldier time-slipped to medieval Europe?
Plus, in this world, it was like some game mechanic where 'exposure = defense' applied—hunters' outfits were usually pretty revealing.
So showing up in hunter society dressed like this, it was no wonder I stood out.
"You really nailed the concept..."
"Haha, thanks..."
"You aiming to get character-ized or something? Well, hunters who hit mid-tier C-rank get some fame anyway, so in that sense, it's a solid getup."
The civil servant started sizing me up more like an aspiring actor than a hunter.
But then.
"...Huh?"
That was when it happened.
She'd been rifling through files inside the desk like it was a chore, but suddenly froze like a broken wind-up doll.
Something sent a chill down my spine.
My back prickled.
Her gaze was still fixed on me, and I could see her pupils starting to tremble as realization dawned.
And that's when I knew for sure.
I was screwed.
"A, a man?!"
*** ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Where had that world-weary 9th-grade civil servant gone?
She was dead.
And now, before my eyes, was a Hunter Association admin staffer more fired up about her job than ever: Yoo Hana.
"Just wait a sec! I'll process it as fast as I can!"
"Uh, okay..."
No, I'm covered head to toe in this suit—how do they all know my gender?
Though they obviously didn't know my face or identity.
What a bizarre skill.
'And my nape's been prickling nonstop since earlier.'
All the hunters here were women who'd clocked in earlier than me.
They'd probably finished their admin business by now and were due to head down to the underground dungeons for their real work: dungeon raids.
But the elevator hadn't dinged even once lately.
A few people had come up, but not a single one had gone back down.
And above all, their blatant stares were straight-up 'eye-raping' me.
Tongues clicking here and there, heavy breathing like predators eyeing prey.
For me, this place was already a dungeon.
I couldn't let my guard down for a second.
Meanwhile.
"Here! Just sign this paper and you're good!"
"Ah, sure..."
Who the hell are you?
Is this really the same woman who'd seemed bored with everything just moments ago?
The moment Yoo Hana realized I was a man, she'd introduced herself and thrust a document at me, subtly thrusting out her chest in the process.
I took the 'Hunter Contract' and immediately scanned the contents.
'Phew, looks like just basic personal info.'
If they'd asked for resident registration or full address, my elaborate disguise would've been pointless.
But as expected, the hunter contract wasn't that detailed.
Many hunters wanted to keep their personal info secret for that mysterious vibe, after all.
The Association had agonized over it and made the form simple as a result.
Just spots for name and basic details.
Even so, to be safe, I fudged my birthday and used a fake name.
"Let's see... Birthday's September 8th... and the name's..."
"..."
"Kim Hyunjun, right?"
"Yes, that's me..."
Tap tap. Click clack.
This was the tensest moment of my life.
I worried for a second that skimping on info might get me booted from the Association outright.
But luckily.
"All set—registration complete."
The hunter registration wrapped up surprisingly fast.
"Here, Hyunjun. Your hunter license."
Yoo Hana flashed a grin at my dazed expression, grabbed my hand, lifted it, and gently placed the license on top.
Squish squish.
Bonus: kneading my hand every which way during that brief moment.
"Uh... Is that really it?"
"Yep! All done."
I was finally a hunter—the one I'd longed for.
I was happy about that, at least.
But separately, I felt a bit deflated that I'd skipped even the exam, unlike what I knew.
Just one form?
I recalled reading that to become a hunter, you had to go to the simulation room in the Association to prove your abilities.
Show superhuman feats beyond a regular person, and you'd get officially registered.
So what was I?
"No test for abilities or anything?"
I asked, wondering if there was a mix-up.
She explained patiently to my question:
"Oh, turns out that ability check is only for 'female hunters.'"
Men were all the same whether good or bad at it.
Association policy was to hand out E-rank licenses on the spot—no verification needed, Yoo Hana explained kindly.
"But... what if a regular guy sneaks in and gets a license?"
Isn't security too lax?
I phrased it carefully.
But.
"Sure, that's possible."
"Then why no check?"
"Well... there've been no cases like that so far?"
My question was utterly incomprehensible to these reverse-world women.
They never imagined an ordinary man would go mad enough to risk death for a hunter license.
That stereotype was deeply ingrained.
And honestly, looking at the wimpy guys in this world, it kinda made sense.
'Yeah, the types who freak out over a dragonfly flying into the classroom.'
Sentimental crybabies at heart—hard to imagine them diving into a dungeon for cash, especially surrounded by women fighting monsters.
Thus, I found myself admiring the Association's sharp insight.
"Ah, I see—that's why."
"Yep, exactly."
Anyway, business done.
I exchanged brief goodbyes with Yoo Hana, stood up, and finally headed for the dungeon I'd waited my whole life for.
First stop: floor 1, of course.
For the next month or so, I'd hunt there to gauge my strength.
But then.
"Anomaly detected in the portal!"
What the—
"Nngh...! Sir! Hold on tight!"
—is going on?
Crossing the portal, the peaceful green plains of dungeon floor 1 weren't what greeted me.
Instead, a dark, elongated cave filled my vision.
And there, I locked eyes with it.
A monster at least 4 meters tall, green-skinned, with disgustingly massive breasts as its standout feature.
Orc Wife.
This reverse-world beast that only got horny for men—not women—spotted me and.
"U, uwaaaaaah!"
"Wh-what the fuuuuck?!"
went absolutely feral, drool flying everywhere as it charged.