“I’ll wait outside.”

Yerim slid back as if the indoor atmosphere disgusted her, flung open the door, and rushed out. Honestly, I wanted to back away too. The table was piled high with books and file stacks. I saw over a hundred tabs stuck between the thick volumes. And those weren’t the only books like that.

If only the table were full—but around it were more files, books, and paperwork. Don’t people do everything on computers these days? Paper is more readable at a glance, though. I bet that laptop is crammed with data.

“Um… hello. There’s a lot here.”

“We’ve collected as many cases as possible, especially from the U.S.,” said Team Lead Kim Ha-yeon.

“It’s been only four years since dungeons appeared, so there isn’t much material.”

Ah, so “not much.” The U.S. cases are probably mostly digital—and in English. Yuhyun, help me. Myung-woo, rookie, please make me a translation item.

“Director Han Yujin wanted to block anything that might look unfavorable, so we paid special attention,” the Hunter Association’s lawyer said with a smile.

“Image management of Korean Hunters is one of the Association’s primary duties.”

They say the right thing. And they even threw out scapegoats back in the day. I didn’t think highly of that lawyer before my rewind, but I smiled back—he might be one of the reshuffled team.

“Even if the contract’s basics are in place, at the real negotiation you should invite each guildmaster. Paper and reality always differ.”

The Sesung lawyer spoke. Sesung’s help was vital in gathering U.S. data, in addition to the Association’s.

“In particular, our guildmaster is as skilled as any lawyer.”

I’d guessed as much.

“Sesung’s legal team is familiar, too.”

He smiled serenely. Seong Hyunjae handled much overseas business; he’d done the legwork. Very reliable. Must get paid well.

“You agreed on unauthorized video broadcast, but you only mentioned portrait rights, correct?”

“Yes. Uh—publicity rights.”

“The value of the world’s sole Vice-Master of a Riding Beast Nursery is immense. Not to mention other S-rank Hunters.”

“So we demanded clearly.”

“But compensation for mental and physical harm from the broadcast remains. We must calculate that separately.”

“If you don’t mind, may we include that?”

I nodded. Use everything.

“Especially, showing evidence that Director Han Yujin obtained the invitation is a serious issue.”

“It essentially lured an S-rank Hunter to target an F-rank, an ordinary person.”

Even without a confidentiality clause, the intent could be deemed deliberate, as easily anticipated.

“Broadly, it could be seen as violating the promise of participant safety.”

“Did they specify time and place for safety guarantee?”

“…What? No—they just said ‘party.’ Date and location aren’t set yet. Before attendance.”

“Director Han Yujin suffered harm from Chatterbox’s party video—a kind of advertisement—filmed targeting party participants. If the scope wasn’t specified, Chatterbox must guarantee Director Han Yujin’s safety and can be asked to cover costs to ensure it.”

I see. But the safety guarantee’s narrow scope likely prevents a breach claim from mere video broadcast. However, if someone attacked me for the invitation, Chatterbox must compensate.

“Saying ‘no lasting physical {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} aftereffects’ is fine, but ‘preserving mental integrity’ is vague. Better expand that clause.”

They analyzed each word of the safety guarantee. If Chatterbox were here, he’d be fed up. He’d send his own lawyer, too. A fight with a Transcendent starting in the courtroom.

After a long time, Kim Ha-yeon switched off the recorder. The Sesung lawyer handed me a USB drive.

“I’ll send the main materials and related books to Dodam.”

“Do… I have to read all this?”

“If possible. Files exist digitally, but paper holds focus better than a monitor.”

“Rest well the day before negotiation.”

Kim Ha-yeon smiled.

“You’d be surprised how much it’s a test of stamina.”

“Right. Eat easily digestible breakfast, too.”

…Not about my head? Well, study takes energy, too. I was tired already. We went outside; Yerim, who’d fetched a chair, watched me sleepily.

“I couldn’t hear the details thanks to the soundproofing, but it sounded like a school lecture.”

“Let’s go home and nap. My head’s pounding. Do you have plans tonight?”

“No. Compared to guildmasters, I’m free. I feel sorry for Yuhyun. He missed breakfast again and left early.”

He’d barely returned from Japan before—I didn’t know how long I’d be away this time. Fortunately, Hunter guilds have systems for the guildmaster’s frequent absences on dungeon runs. A normal company would’ve been a headache.

“At least Kim Seong-han is there. His team’s complete.”

We needed to hand over dungeons likely to overlap party dates to Kim Seong-han’s team. For S-rank dungeons, Yuhyun had to personally convey strategy and guidance. Even teammates had never faced some S-rank monsters, since Yuhyun often cleared them alone first.

There were other tasks, too. Anyway, everyone was inevitably busy. My poor little brother—just twenty years old.

“Yerim hinted she might dump dungeon runs entirely. Then she’d spend more time with hyung.”

“To be honest, neither you nor Yuhyun should still be dungeon-running at your ages. If the world grows safer, you should go to school, not dungeons.”

If it can be passed on, adults should take over.

I used stealth to scale the wall again, dropping into the nursery flowerbed and releasing stealth. A wide track for young monsters circled the round nursery building. The kids ran; I tried to keep up by bike. Hard to catch them—even harder now. Especially the unicorns that were gone.

“Want to race me?”

Yerim bounced on the track. A few hops created distance in an instant.

“I couldn’t catch you before you awakened.”

“Then you didn’t even know I was following.”

“You were so fast.”

“I’ve heard people ask if I don’t plan to exercise. My uncle must have said no, of course.”

“If you want to do something, start now. You never know the future.”

If the world grew safe and dungeons vanished, Hunters would too. Yerim spun toward me, smiling.

“Don’t worry—I’ll do what I want. I have money to live on for life.”

“…You paid off your debts?”

“No. But Myung-woo oppa said if he won’t need to use my weapon, he’ll refund the crafting costs. To me only.”

Thanks, Myung-woo. With that money, I wouldn’t worry even if I suddenly became unawakened. Money really matters. I’ve earned beyond what I spent in Japan; food and lodging aren’t a worry—

“Hyung!”

Suddenly Yerim teleported to me, and clang—a sharp metal ring filled my ears. The impact of weapon clashing knocked me back. Reflexively I used Sensei skill on Yerim—and saw a masked assailant with only his eyes visible. He blocked her spear with a long staff, forced it aside, and kicked. Yerim dodged, and his hand clamped on my throat.

“Hey, you!”

“Yerim—wait!”

Chilling mist dripped off her, and she halted.

“You want the invitation?”

“Yeah. It’s useless to you anyway.”

Fury flared in Yerim’s eyes.

“I can catch you!”

“Sure—but wait a moment.”

If Yerim attacked, my involvement would be exposed. I could kill this guy to silence him—but there were other reasons, too.

“There are several S-ranks here. You’re bold.”

“There’s only one kid here. He hasn’t noticed yet. If you make too much noise, he’ll escape with her.”

He didn’t want a big scene—just the invitation, he said. He seemed confident—maybe he also had flight and teleport skills like Yerim. He must’ve watched from afar and seized an opening.

“My invitation is single-use—and special.”

I removed Chatterbox’s seal from my mana. He frowned.

“What you felt just now. As I said at the press conference, I obtained it uniquely. You must’ve heard rumors from the Japan meeting.”

Even if I insist no transfer is possible, he won’t believe it. That’s why I didn’t mention it at the conference—would sound like an excuse.

“Therefore, even if someone else takes it, I might not accept.”

“Even if they’re F-rank?”

“Connections don’t care about rank. But I can ask Chatterbox for an extra invitation on your behalf.”

“Fine, then—”

“First, put it down.”

He glanced at Yerim and told her to step back. Though unhappy, she obeyed—and he released me. My throat probably bruised. It should be bruised.

“How much will you pay?”

“…What?”

“Let’s settle this with money. If I kidnap and blackmail to contact Chatterbox, do you think it’ll be easy? It’ll be a nightmare.”

He froze. Yerim ground her teeth, vowing to chase him down. He’d probably assumed that threatening would make S-ranks hand over the invitation—and then he’d vanish with his masked face.

“How much…”

“Start by giving me your items as a down payment. What do you have? Lay them out here. Ah, if I try to pick them up, you can stop me faster. Don’t cower in front of an F-rank.”

He urged, saying even S-rank junk items aren’t losses. If an SS-rank weapon is among the rewards, maybe S-rank weapons will be participation prizes.

“People line up to buy the invitation. Since you came this far, I’ll give you a special chance.”

Though I felt uneasy, I watched him pillage my inventory—and pulled out a contract and began drafting.

“Upon receipt of down payment, request an extra invitation from Chatterbox. If he fails, refund the down payment. Is that sufficient?”

“Fail?”

“Just in case. If so, double the compensation.”

“Hyung, can’t you just fight?”

Yerim complained. “Wait a moment,” I said. Then something red fell onto his mask—a weightless fire salamander silently alighted, then

Whoosh!

It flared its flames and blocked his vision. At that moment Yuhyun kicked him while grabbing me away.

“Han Yuhyun, he’s mine!”

Yerim charged him; Yuhyun shielded me.

“What is that?”

“Uh, guest? Yuhyun, take a pic of my throat with your phone—photo and video.”

“…My throat?”

“There’s a mark, right? The longer it lasts, the better. And when I fell earlier, my palm got scratched. Check for other wounds. This is all money.”

Though puzzled, Yuhyun took his phone. Meanwhile Yerim pressed the assailant back. Though he seemed experienced, Yerim’s freezing blasts and swirling water jets closed the gap in skill.

Even if he tried to strike her,

Splash!

A water shield blocked him—water’s tension and buoyancy both slowed and froze him, so however skilled his martial arts, he couldn’t land a hit.

Finally the assailant was flung skyward. In this open space, escaping by teleport would’ve been easy—but then a golden silhouette appeared overhead: Noah. A golden dragon circled and struck him squarely with its tail.

Boom!

The assailant slammed down and crashed onto the floor. The ground cracked again; I’d bill Chatterbox for this repair too.

“Nice one, Noah oppa! Where do you think you’re going!”

Yerim summoned a huge ice block, moved above him, and dropped it with gravity’s force as a hammer: KRAK! More cracks spread across the broken floor. That must’ve hurt.

“I’ve reported this to the Director, too!”

Noah shouted. He must’ve informed Yuhyun as well.

“Send the footage to the legal team.”

Whoever he is, he’s surely a foreign Hunter—and I’ll thank him for the attack. An S-rank, an F-rank—if a foreign Hunter tried to steal a Korean Hunter’s invitation, Koreans would side with me.

I quickly gathered the dropped items. Thanks for everything, Mr. Assailant. A few more like him wouldn’t hurt.

The appearance of an S-rank Hunter aiming for the invitation caused another uproar. As expected, most supported me this time. Some still asked why an F-rank had the invitation—but not many.

And two days later, Chatterbox’s agents flew in from the U.S. It truly was a dreadful day.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep