After everyone had come out of the dungeon, they saw that Manager Suho was sitting and counting the goblin teeth. It was around 10:30 p.m.
– "The profit turned out pretty good."
– "Yeah, since we had a gatherer with us today, we earned quite well."
– "Right, with today's market prices… about 9 million wom."
Hearing that, Uhyon's eyes nearly popped out.
"W-what? 9 million won in just one and a half to two and a half hours?!"
Uhyon knew that hunters made good money. But for "C" and "B"-rank hunters, this looked like an enormous amount to him.
Of course, when the money was divided equally among everyone, it would turn into a smaller amount. Still, it would be enough for at least three to four days, or even a week or ten days if spent carefully.
– "If we split it among 12 people… hmm… that's about…"
At that moment, Joon-ho leaned closer and quietly asked Uhyon:
– "Hey, you done gathering?"
– "Yeah, filled five jars."
– "Good, hand them to me carefully, slowly. If Suho gets distracted while counting, even by a little noise, he might get mad."
Uhyon slowly handed over the five jars to Joon-ho.
– "Thanks. Give me your account number, I'll send you the money."
– "Xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx. If possible, could you also tell me how much you're sending?"
– "Alright, money's sent. I sent 270,000 won."
Uhyon didn't have his phone with him. Knowing the dungeon could be dangerous, he had left it in Manager Suho's car.
– "Thanks a lot."
– "Don't mention it, you also did something important for me."
Of course, Uhyon was satisfied with what he had done, but deep inside he felt a sense that something was off.
Maybe he thought they should have given him more, since he had risked his life?
"Uhyon, can you come over here?" Manager Suho called.
Uhyon walked over to Manager Suho, who was sitting at a folding table and chair, surrounded by sacks full of mana stones and goblin teeth, typing something on his laptop.
– "Uhyon, we split the pay equally, 750,000 won per person. But since you risked your life today, fought bravely, and didn't stop working, the team decided to give you 850,000 won."
Uhyon felt joy swell up inside him. A smile spread across his face as the words "could it be…" echoed in his heart. It wasn't an enormous sum, but that didn't matter to him.
What mattered was that they had thought he was worth that extra 100,000 won. And seeing no one complain, but instead smiling at him, made him even happier.
Yet… something still felt strange. A small part of him didn't like it. But he tried hard not to let anyone notice.
***
After receiving the transfer, Uhyon picked up his phone, took off his gear, and bid farewell to everyone in the same condition he had arrived. Fortunately, Seoul's subway ran until midnight, so he returned home the same way he came.
Even though it was late, the city wasn't completely empty. Sitting on the subway, Uhyon passed the time by checking his messages.
{Your Account Has Been Credited}Amount: 270,000₩Time: 22:34Sender: K. Joon-ho
And below it:
{Your Account Has Been Credited}Amount: 850,000₩Time: 22:37Sender: S. Suho (Manager of the "Wrath" Guild)
Your balance: 1,172,458.33₩
Seeing more than a million in his account made Uhyon smile unconsciously. Now he could go to the doctor, shop at the market, or buy from stores if he wanted. Still, he knew he wouldn't spend recklessly.
For the first time, though, he hadn't saved a million or more for himself.
– "Next stop: North Seoul Station. Please watch your belongings and stay away from suspicious individuals."
"The same old worn-out announcements…"
Uhyon glanced around. Other carriages were more crowded, but his had fewer people. Seoul's subways usually had eight to ten cars, and passengers could walk between them freely.
– "Caution, doors are closing. Next stop: North Seoul."
Uhyon chuckled. He had whispered the announcement word for word at the exact same speed. Though a few passengers sat nearby, none of them paid attention. That was good for him.
He leaned back against the seat, trying to rest his head.
"Argh."
Suddenly, his head throbbed in pain. He turned around but saw nothing. He tried again, resting his head against the seat, and the pain returned.
Then it struck him — this pain was exactly like the pain he felt when touching the scar on his forehead.
"Is this really the same pain as the scar… or is it just my imagination?"
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't find a reason. Sighing, he regretted that he couldn't rest his head.
***
While he is finally arriving home, he decided to withdraw some cash at the ATM near his workplace.
He tapped his phone — the digital version of his card — on the scanner, and the machine lit up.
[Please enter your PIN.]
Calmly, Uhyon entered the numbers:
2… 5… 7… 9…
Most people used birthdays, phone numbers, or special dates for their codes. But not Uhyon. Each of these four numbers had its own meaning for him.
2 – the very first even number, and the only one that exactly half of all numbers can be divided by. No other number holds such a universal trait.
5 – the most convenient digit for calculations. He had wanted to put 10 instead, but there wasn't room for a zero.
7 – known as the lucky number. Whether proven or not, it still carried a charm that Uhyon couldn't ignore.
9 – the secondary lucky number, mysterious in its own way. Multiplication with it could even be done by hand with little tricks.
[Please select the amount you want to withdraw.]
Uhyon chose 450,000₩. He could use the card for daily expenses, but this cash was meant for the doctor.
The machine whirred and clicked as it counted, then the hatch opened, revealing neat bills. Uhyon took the money and counted it on the spot.
To others, it looked strange — wasn't the ATM already accurate? But Uhyon had his own logic:
"If even humans make mistakes, then how can something created by humans be flawless?"
Still, the amount was correct: 450,000₩. He slid it into his right pocket and pushed open the store door.
Just then he remembered — his work card was still in his pocket. He placed it into the locker by the entrance.
"An entire locker just for one card…"
It made him chuckle, though he didn't like such cheating tricks.
Inside, he greeted his coworkers. Everyone was kind, and no one bothered him with questions at that late hour.
He slowly picked up fruits and some vegetables. Of course, he wasn't a professional cooker, but he knew how to make a few dishes.
"At least there's the internet. I'll learn another recipe of dishes."
Next, he approached the refrigerators to grab some meat. But these weren't ordinary refrigerators.
After the Hunters World War II, scientists had invented new cooling systems powered by mana stones extracted from ice monsters.
The problem was that a single mana stone couldn't efficiently provide both electricity and cooling. So they were used almost entirely for cooling, with only a fraction supplying power.
The advantage was that the fridge only needed a mana stone, a power source, and antifreeze. The capacity increased drastically, and one stone could last five to ten years.
As Uhyon opened the fridge to take two half-kilo packs of beef, he heard the shop's door open. But, he ignored it.
At that time, someone said:
– Hey, Uhyon.
Uhyon looked to the side the voice came from. Then he realized who had entered. His classmate, Hwan. With a faint smirk, Hwan stared straight at him. Then, without rushing, he walked up to Uhyon and said:
– "Step outside. I need a word with you."
Fear trickled into Uhyon's chest. "What does he want? Why me?"
"Maybe I'm about to be the target of one of his rare bullying sessions…"
Hwan casually grabbed an energy drink from another fridge and walked to the counter.
Uhyon's simple shopping trip had already been ruined. His thoughts tangled between what else he needed to buy and what might happen if he went outside.
After paying, Hwan left the store. Uhyon, distracted, headed to the cashier.
– "Something wrong?" his coworker asked as she scanned the items.
– "A… n-no, nothing at all." Uhyon lied.
– "Alright. That'll be 224,800₩."
Uhyon tapped his phone, scanning the card, and the receipt printer whirred to life.
– "Thank you for shopping with us." Even as a coworker, he treated him with professional courtesy.
– "Thanks. Have a good night." Uhyon smiled back and walked to the door.
"Huff… please, let nothing happen. Please, please!"
Opening the door, he stepped outside with two full of middle shopping bags. About ten or twenty meters away, Hwan was sitting on a bench, sipping his energy drink.
Like most teenage boys, he had his feet on the seat and was sitting on the backrest.
Seeing Uhyon approach, Hwan took another sip, then said calmly:
– "withdraw from our school."