GM Ch87

The next morning. The first thing Yoon Soohyuk did upon arriving at the office was to send a message to the group chat with the S-class hunters.

[Yoon June: Changing collaboration terms]

[Yoon June: Open to collaboration if the items are good]

[Yoon June: Welcoming accessories that increase legendary rates ( ⁎ ᵕᴗᵕ ⁎ )]

Soohyuk inserted an emoji at the end and smiled. Since Minjun had reawakened as an S-class, just taking defensive items would be a loss. Except for a very few, items were consumables with durability. To celebrate becoming an S-class, he needed to receive gifts from the strong and wealthy senior hunters.

As Soohyuk dropped this bombshell, the group chat buzzed with activity.

[Choi Winter: What’s this?]

[Choi Winter: Why change it?]

[Lee Lucky: I’m fine with it]

[Gwak Legion: I’m fine too]

[Gwak Legion: As long as the items are good, right?]

[Gwak Legion: No backing out later, okay?]

[Yoon June: I won’t accept anything less than legendary]

[Choi Winter: Do you think legendary items are everywhere?]

[Choi Winter: How much is the rate increase? 20 is unreasonable]

[Yoon June: Starting from double digits]

[Lee Lucky: Is this first-come, first-served for collaboration?]

[Lee Lucky: I can give it today]

Soohyuk pondered for a moment after seeing Lee Hana’s message. If he delayed any longer, the S-class hunters would find out about Minjun’s reawakening through their informants in the National Security Agency. That wasn’t ideal. He needed to show them with their own eyes that their youngest had become an S-class.

With two S-class hunters, the June Guild would become the top guild in Korea. Other S-class hunters might not just be envious but might roll on the ground in jealousy.

Imagining that scene made the corners of his lips curl up. If Minjun saw it, he’d probably say it was the smile of a villain dreaming of world domination, but Soohyuk himself didn’t realize it.

“Dramatic is best.”

Rather than meeting them one by one, it was best to reveal it when they were all gathered together. Recently, the S-class hunters had been meeting frequently. If the government found out, they might give them a hard time, but they could just say they’d be careful and move on.

[Yoon June: Everyone coming to the auction tomorrow?]

[Yoon June: How about meeting then?]

[Yoon June: I’ll bring our youngest along]

Having thrown out the best bait, Soohyuk laughed like a well-fed lion.

***

However, six hours later, Soohyuk realized the truth that things don’t always go as planned.

He was watching Minjun practice skills in the dungeon today, just like yesterday. For a rookie hunter who reawakened less than two months after registering as a hunter, skill practice was essential. Unlike yesterday, today they were in a B-class dungeon with golems as the main monsters, allowing them to properly assess the power of the skills.

They were taking a break after defeating a group of mud golems and rock golems.

“Oh, I forgot to mention yesterday. I can’t go to the auction tomorrow.”

“Huh, why? Is something up?”

Soohyuk, who was drinking water, turned to look at Minjun. The Hunter Market Auction was held over two days. Minjun had already made plans with Park Hanyoung for the second day, so Soohyuk had planned to go with Minjun on the first day of the auction.

Minjun swallowed a piece of jerky and replied nonchalantly.

“I reawakened, remember?”

The regular auction was packed with hunters. Instead of greetings, it was common for hunters to use their detection skills to check each other’s information. If his information, known as a C-class, was suddenly filled with ■ symbols, it would undoubtedly raise unnecessary suspicion.

Minjun explained that since the contract wasn’t finalized and he hadn’t reported his rank adjustment to the National Security Agency, he planned to avoid going out as much as possible.

Soohyuk hadn’t expected Minjun to refuse to go to the auction, and he was momentarily flustered. But he quickly found a solution.

“It’s fine. You can use a perception-blocking item. I have an extra one. I kept it as a spare, but you can use it at the auction instead of a mask. I’ll give it to you cheap, even on a 36-month installment plan. How about it?”

“Uh…”

Faced with an irresistible offer, Minjun hesitated. Perception-blocking items hadn’t been mass-produced as magical tools yet, so they could only be obtained in dungeons. The drop rate for these items, which were only available as boss raid rewards, was abysmal. Officially, there were fewer than ten in Korea.

For Minjun, who had adopted a mysterious persona, it was an essential item. Perhaps that’s why he couldn’t immediately refuse.

Soohyuk dangled another bait.

“The auction hall is heavily guarded, so let’s just wander around the flea market. There are so many people that no one pays attention to who’s next to them. Let’s go, okay? The food there is great too. Only selected vendors can set up shop at the Hunter Market. Eating Kimchi King Dumplings and Cola there is the best. Did you know they also sell Butter Corn? They sprinkle a secret powder on it that you can’t find anywhere else.”

“I’ll go.”

Perhaps because the burden of entering the auction hall was lifted, Minjun quickly agreed. Watching Minjun’s eyes sparkle, Soohyuk slightly regretted not tempting him with food the night before.

“Didn’t I tell you not to be swayed by food?”

“Then should I not go?”

“You should go. Oh, and while we’re there, let’s meet and greet the other S-class hunters. It’s rare for S-class hunters to gather in one place. The government doesn’t like it much. As you saw before, we get along reasonably well. We’ve already introduced ourselves, so just have a cup of tea and get a feel for the atmosphere. How about it?”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

Minjun nodded while putting another piece of jerky in his mouth.

“I’ve arranged to receive items as part of the collaboration terms. The more items, the better.”

“Uh… Won’t that ruin relationships? You could just collaborate without any conditions.”

“…That’s not how it works. Save the charity work for later. I’ll handle this one, so don’t worry. Let me know if you need anything. Got it?”

“Understood.”

Soohyuk didn’t realize that Minjun was half resigned. He was just thinking about putting some shiny, good items in Minjun’s hands. Soohyuk, having completed all preparations, waited for tomorrow.

***

Since the Great Catastrophe, cracks appeared in the sky, and monsters emerging from massive gates became a reality rather than a fantasy.

Magic stones became humanity’s new source of energy, and hunters who fought against monsters were hailed as heroes. At some point, the magical tools created by hunters began to make life more convenient.

It didn’t take long for the initially reluctant hunter business to become a pillar of the economy. As time passed and the number of hunters increased, the market for items and magical tools also expanded. Transactions involving items, dungeon by-products, and magical tools were conducted in various ways.

As items became valuable, some countries actively regulated their distribution and trade, while others left the market entirely unregulated.

In Korea, transactions between individuals and companies were permitted. However, the most active trading typically occurred at government-approved Hunter Markets.

The auctions held at the Hunter Market were showcases for rare items and magical tools. The most lucrative aspect of the hunter business was the magic stones, which served as energy sources. However, what hunters were most interested in were high-grade weapons, armor, accessories, and magical tools.

It was only natural for hunters to prefer high-grade items. The more powerful the item, the more advantageous it was in battling monsters, thus increasing survival rates.

Items that everyone wanted but were in short supply were highly sought after and commanded high prices at auctions. It was only natural for hunters to gather at the biannual Hunter Market regular auction.

“Wow, there are so many people.”

Minjun murmured as he looked at the plaza in front of the Hunter Market building, filled with people. Hunters in guild uniforms were a given. There were also ordinary civilians and several broadcast cameras.

People without awakened abilities couldn’t directly use items from dungeons or magical tools created by hunters. Nevertheless, due to a flood of public complaints, the Hunter Market regular auction had been open to the public for three years, allowing them to bid on items.

Most of the time, conglomerates or businesses won bids to recruit high-grade hunters. It was rare for an ordinary person to win a bid on a high-grade item and resell it for profit, as hunters seeking those items might pay them a visit in the middle of the night.

To minimize congestion, the Hunter Market limited the number of people who could enter the auction and accepted reservations in advance.

However, many people visited because of the flea market held in the eastern plaza of the Hunter Market. Magical tools like furniture or camping gear for use in dungeons were sold at up to 50% off the Hunter Market price.

It was a scene Minjun hadn’t seen before he went to the other world.

“So this is why they call it a festival.”

He had seen it on the news a few times, but experiencing it firsthand felt completely different. The place where the flea market was held was truly like a festival.

Minjun looked around for the clock tower where he was supposed to meet Soohyuk. Just then, he received a call from Soohyuk.

“Yes, this is Kim Minjun.”

“Where are you?”

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