Chapter 13

Chapter 13

At the very moment Dojae called the delivery service.

Choi Woo-seok’s shop was filled with singing.

“I’m tired now, damn it. I’m tired of waiting, damn it.”

Choi Woo-seok hummed to himself as he inspected the shop again today.

Lately, he finds joy in each passing day.

“Heh, business is booming these days, so there’s no time for dust to settle.”

When he first jumped into this business, there were times when he spent more time swatting flies than trading goods.

But with his unique charm, his neighborhood uncle vibe, and by running his business flexibly based on trust and honesty, he managed to firmly root himself in this world.

Especially lately, with the volume of transactions increasing dramatically, a smile is permanently plastered on his face.

□ Cream’s Tears

□ Troll’s Blood

□ Black Wolf Fang

□ Lace’s Cloth

…….

“Check, check, check…. Ugh, how much is all this?”

Choi Woo-seok was completely absorbed in checking quantities while carrying around a bundle of papers.

His shop doubled as a warehouse, so it was by no means small.

Shelves reaching up to the ceiling, large refrigerators nearing thirty units, and seven enormous tanks filled with unidentifiable substances were all on display.

As a result, it wasn’t just cluttered; the aisles kept shrinking.

It was so bad that even a new employee, who had only been working for a few days, nearly got lost.

His shop, which handles both wholesale and retail, can be considered a warehouse-style store.

[News Roundup 14. Starting with the highlights.]

Beep beep.

Toot-toot-toot-toot-.

Back in the leisurely days, the 24-hour news channel was always on.

Unlike back then, I don’t have time to stare at the TV now, but my ears are still tuned in to the news I leave on out of habit.

[First news item. The massive dungeon break that occurred in Japan on the 13th has resulted in over 4,300 casualties so far, and as the tally continues, additional casualties are expected. This dungeon break recorded explosive power large enough to rank 12th in history…….]

“Oh dear, this isn’t exactly something to be happy about.”

Choi Woo-seok stopped humming his song.

When dungeons increase, trade volume rises accordingly.

While this benefits those involved in relay trading or commerce, hunters are dying by the day, and countless civilians are being sacrificed.

Ding-dong-ding-dong.

A clear-toned doorbell rang.

Choi Woo-seok opened the door and waved cheerfully upon seeing the face of the person entering.

“Oh, Dojae! Long time no see!”

***

Clatter-!

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep.

“Alright! Alright! Got it!”

Clunk-.

“Whoa…. What is all this?”

“Just help me out for now.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just a sec.”

Choi Woo-seok hurried off somewhere.

A moment later, a forklift pulled up behind the truck.

Then, he immediately climbed onto the truck with Dojae and began unloading the cargo.

“Is all this loot what you loaded onto the truck? Hey, wait a minute. I need to get a few more pallets.”

Choi Woo-seok, who had already filled one pallet and was now unloading the high stack, quickly maneuvered the forklift to fetch a new pallet.

Due to the nature of the loot, each item varied wildly in size and weight, making it impossible to stack them neatly.

Not even half, let alone a quarter, could be unloaded from a single pallet.

“Still, you managed to pack them neatly by type. That should make sorting easy.”

Only after filling the fifth pallet did the unloading finally end.

Do-jae paid the driver the remaining balance and only then stretched his back.

“You worked hard.”

“Hard work? What hard work? I’m used to this sort of thing. Want a cup of coffee? I have iced too.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Heh heh, I just bought a new one this time.”

Do-jae looked at Choi Woo-seok with wide eyes.

His surprise soon turned into a sly grin.

“Huh.”

“What’s with that look?”

“Mr. Choi, the penny-pincher, buying such an expensive appliance? You’ve made it, huh?”

“What the hell? It’s funny hearing that from someone who’s even more of a cheapskate than me?”

“Hahaha, just kidding.”

“Hey, and that thing isn’t as expensive as you’d think! Plus, I got it with a card discount and interest-free installments.”

“I know, so let’s go get a cup of coffee.”

Dojae placed both hands on Choi Woosuk’s shoulders and nudged him toward the office.

Choi Woo-seok is just an ordinary guy.

He has no chance against Dojae’s strength.

***

Tap-

Thud-thud-

Splash-

Plop- Plop-

“Here.”

“Boss, was that iced coffee actually instant coffee?”

Do-jae stared at the coffee in the paper cup.

It was coffee at the golden ratio, perfectly balanced with four ice cubes floating in half a cup of hot coffee.

“I told you. I bought a new one.”

Choi Woo-seok looked triumphantly at the ice water dispenser.

Its sleek design and size were quite substantial.

Choi Woo-seok said it wasn’t expensive, but it was a product he would never have considered in the past.

“I thought you got another coffee machine.”

“Seems like you don’t know much, but that thing costs more than most personal coffee machines.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, man. And this instant coffee mix is the best. So sweet, it’s amazing. Coffee is gold, pure gold!”

“Right… You’re right.”

Choi Woo-seok downed his iced coffee in one gulp.

Then he wore a satisfied expression.

Slurp- Slurp-

“But you look good too, you know?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Your skin looks better, and you seem to have gained a little weight.”

“Really?”

Do-jae hadn’t noticed, but Choi Woo-seok’s words were true.

Ever since the golem’s heart appeared, Dojae’s body had improved dramatically.

Not only had his skin improved, it now had a healthy glow, his muscles had become firm and defined, and his frame had grown slightly larger.

Choi Woo-seok had mistaken this for weight gain.

Regardless, he looked far healthier than during the days when he often skipped meals or survived on instant noodles.

“But where did you get all that stuff?”

“Where did I get them? I earned them all myself.”

“Seriously?”

Choi Woo-seok looked at him suspiciously.

Do Jae also noticed what Choi Woo-seok was thinking.

“Boss, you know I’m not that kind of person, right?”

“I know, I know. Just checking.”

Do-jae was the one who always brought in random odds and ends that barely made any money.

Yet Choi Woo-seok admired Do Jae for diligently saving money and even taking care of his younger sibling.

But when he hadn’t shown his face for a month or two, causing concern, and then suddenly appeared with items of considerable value, how could he not be suspicious?

“Actually, boss…”

Do-jae paused before speaking.

Choi Woo-seok was someone he could trust.

He thought it was okay to tell him about the abilities he had gained and his situation.

But.

“Enough.”

“Huh? What?”

“Don’t tell me unless it’s something you earned through bad deeds.”

“Why? I thought it was okay to tell you.”

“Exactly. It seems like something big has changed for you. That’s the kind of thing you tell someone who loves you. What if you tell me for no reason and later I stab you in the back?”

“Oh, come on, is that really like you, boss?”

“You never know what people will do. I want to stay a good person to you.”

Do-jae pressed his lips tightly together.

Choi Woo-seok was a good person.

If he found out Dojae’s secret, he couldn’t help but think badly of him in some way.

Secrets are things you want to reveal.

He didn’t want to ruin his relationship with Dojae, the solid young man he’d watched over for so long.

And to speak of his more mercenary thoughts, that conversation just earned him major points with Dojae, and with today’s trading volume, it meant significant profit for himself too.

In other words, suppressing his curiosity would yield better results, both professionally and personally.

“Understood.”

“Yeah, like a hunter who’s been around the block a few times would trust people so easily.”

“You know it’s entirely your fault, right? Oh, and I think I can bring my brother over soon.”

“Wow, that’s welcome news after so long. Bring him here sometime.”

“Yes, understood. I’ll be heading out now. Please take care of the deposit.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure you’re well taken care of.”

Dojae rose from his seat.

You can’t keep a busy person waiting forever.

Unlike when he came in, he tries to exit through the front gate.

Thump-thump.

The golem’s heart surged.

Sensing something, Dojae began looking around.

“Why, are you looking for something?”

Dojae looked around, turning his head this way and that.

Soon, he fixes his gaze on one spot and asks.

“Boss, where did that come from?”

On one side of the shelf that reached all the way to the ceiling.

A single half-bead, hidden in a spot barely visible behind other items.

Do-jae slowly approached and took the bead in his hand.

***

Where do you think the power that moves South Korea today resides?

The presidential office?

The National Assembly?

Or the Supreme Court?

All wrong.

On the surface, it might seem like the President, lawmakers, and prosecutors wield immense power, but the real power lies elsewhere.

It’s the Hunter Association.

By now, it’s such a well-known fact that even a stray dog passing by could answer if asked.

In an era of humans and monsters, hunters inevitably become the center of power.

And the core organization of those hunters is the Hunter Association.

The direction the Association moves in is essentially the direction the Republic of Korea moves.

How can an interest group run the country?

Why not just create an agency?

Establishing a single administrative body to manage and oversee the hunters would have been sufficient.

But the world is never that simple.

Organizations to counterbalance the Hunters Association sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

Political parties composed solely of non-awakened individuals and related civilian organizations were also established.

But naturally, no large organization emerged capable of challenging the Hunter Bureau or the Hunter Association.

Such groups were too weak from the start, and any hint of growth was swiftly crushed.

In a world where might and magic became the only logic, who dared defy the Hunter Bureau and the Hunter Association?

However, if there were any group capable of opposing the Association,

It would undoubtedly be the Extermination Corps.

The Extermination Corps Headquarters under the Ministry of Defense.

In this day and age, where the war against monsters never ceases, the military has transformed into the Extermination Corps.

With firearms no longer wielding the same power as before, the military is being filled with hunters under the pretext of national security.

In particular, the old conscription system has been abandoned, and recruitment has been significantly reduced by enlisting only E-rank and higher hunters.

Hearing only this much, one might wonder who would want to join the Extermination Corps.

If the goal is the same—hunting monsters—why join a guild? Who would want to be a bureaucrat?

That’s why the Extermination Corps chose extermination over dungeon raiding.

Small-scale dungeon breaks occurring nationwide and disaster-level dungeon breaks already unfolding across the world.

The Extermination Corps focused on subduing dungeon breaks and reclaiming human territory.

This became a stepping stone to expand the Extermination Army’s influence.

They achieved economic growth by selling monster loot and reclaiming lost land for leasing ventures. They also instilled in the populace the significance of defending the nation from monsters, creating a strong justification for their support.

And now.

Our protagonist is none other than preparing to take the subjugation army entrance exam to join their ranks.