The Chief Officer stared at me without changing his expression, so I responded with a sullen look. Since he kept staring for quite a while, I was the one who sighed first and spoke up.
"If you don't want to believe me, don't." "…Yes. Honestly, it's hard to believe. If you could show your status window to others, I'd ask you to show it right now." "And isn't an individual's innate ability private information to begin with?"
When I suddenly turned cynical, I saw the Chief Officer's expression falter. Noticing that, I continued speaking with an expression that went beyond cynical to annoyed.
"Is there any benefit for me to gain by hiding my innate ability in the first place?" "…That is merely your judgment, Mr. Han Seo-jun..." "It's not my judgment! I am a person with a debt to repay to the Association!"
The Chief Officer sighed deeply and spoke with a troubled expression.
"I apologize. I didn't think that far." "No, seriously...!" "I mean it. I simply suspected that you might be a villain or an illegal drug user." "Phew...."
I breathed heavily as if unable to control my agitation. The Chief Officer watched me quietly, seemingly waiting for me to calm down.
"So, what do you want me to do?" "…Can you verify if it's true that your ability has grown?" "What ability specifically?" "That you can adjust resource consumption from 10% to 100%."
I had intended to show that through re-verification anyway, but to avoid the Association's suspicion, I needed to take one more measure.
"Not today. Let's do it tomorrow." "Could you give me a valid reason for postponing it to tomorrow?" "I lack mana." "Ah...."
He glanced at the documents he was holding, then nodded and continued.
"For now, can't you use the skill twice at 10% output?" "…Well, I suppose so, but..." "Then, for today, let's just verify if it's actually possible to use it at 10% output."
Simply put, he wanted to confirm if firing two shots really reduced my mana by 1.8. I had intended to show him anyway, but I scratched my head with a deliberately annoyed expression before accepting.
'Now he'll try to take me to a place where verification is possible immediately.'
The Chief Officer urgently made a call somewhere, then guided me with a very polite attitude. As expected, there was someone there holding the same machine that had measured my "mana amount" earlier.
"You just need to use the skill on that target over there." "More importantly, who is this person?" "You had your mana measured in the interrogation room earlier, didn't you?" "Ah. Come to think of it, that machine from back then...?" "Yes. It is a machine that measures mana amount."
When I reacted as if I had forgotten, the Chief Officer laughed awkwardly and answered. I nodded and raised my hand.
"Magic Missile 10%." —Shuwoong! Pung!
[Measuring....] [Power Synthesis: C-Rank.]
"Is that enough?" "…Could you fire just one more time?"
Clicking my tongue, I used Magic Missile once more. The employee holding the measuring device approached immediately.
"…Current mana is confirmed at 0.7." "Good work. You may go back." "Yes, Chief Officer."
The Chief Officer watched the employee disappear with the measuring device, then scratched his head and spoke.
"Hunter Han Seo-jun." "Is it 'Hunter' now?" "…I apologize."
When I blatantly expressed my dissatisfaction, he bowed his head, looking quite flustered.
"So, what is it?" "Perhaps, to the Association..." "You want me to join? I refuse." "We can waive your debt, Hunter." "Ah, I said forget it."
Honestly, from the Hunter Association's perspective, waiving hundreds of millions in debt is never an easy task.
'But if they can make me enter C-Rank Gates every day and handle only the mid-bosses and bosses?'
If they thought about it that way, they would want to recruit me not just by waiving the remaining debt, but even by adding a signing bonus.
"Are you really not interested?" "If I run E-Rank Gates alone, how much do you think I'll earn in a month?"
The Chief Officer seemed so focused on scouting me that he looked surprised, as if he hadn't calculated that.
"At the very least, it's 60 million a month. 60 million! And you want me to join the Association? Can you match that salary?" "That's... honestly difficult." "I'm someone who can pay off all my debt within two years even if I only take out living expenses and use the rest for repayment!" "…I apologize."
Sighing, the Chief Officer put away the contract he was about to offer me with a stiff face.
"Can I go back now?" "…Yes. It's a shame." "I don't find it a shame at all."
The Chief Officer smacked his lips at my answer, then suddenly told me I didn't need to come to the Association tomorrow.
"No additional verification?" "Knowing that adjustment to 10% is possible is sufficient." "Yes. Then I'll be headin... Ah! That's right! Please renew my Hunter License." "Ah. Renewal... Understood."
The Chief Officer asked me to wait in the lobby. As I walked out, I fell into thought.
'This seems like enough to deceive them, but surveillance might be attached for at least a few days to a few months.'
Since I intentionally showed them weak points, they would think that surveillance might uncover where I lied.
'Though it doesn't matter whether surveillance is attached or not.'
I planned to focus on leveling up my innate ability until I gathered sufficient power anyway. I confirmed that it still rises by 0.2%, and the current experience of my innate ability is 21.2%.
'Starting from E-Rank, entry is only possible by application...'
There are still 30 monsters, and in E-Rank, even the boss can be handled with 10% output. Then, even if I enter twice a day, it won't be strange, and there will be days where I can rest for two days and then enter twice again.
'In conclusion, the number of monsters I can hunt per month has increased.'
This means it's possible to reach Lv.4 faster than the 24 days it took this time. I can check what changes occur in the innate ability then, and decide how much information to reveal to the Association.
"Hunter Han Seo-jun. Please come to Counter 3." "…Ah, yes."
I thought the Chief Officer would bring it out himself, but I didn't expect to be called to the counter.
"You applied for a Hunter License renewal?" "Yes. That's correct." "Then... looking here, you've been renewed from F to D? Congratulations!" "Ah... Is it D?" "Ah, yes! Unfortunately, it says you were judged as D-Rank because your mana amount fell below the standard."
I made a very disappointed face as I took the ID card and left the Hunter Association building. However, once I was a bit further away from the building, I stroked and wiped the ID card as if I were extremely happy. As soon as I arrived home, I intentionally shouted, "Yes!"
—Bang! [Shut up!] "Ugh! I'm sorry!"
I knew the soundproofing wasn't great, so I had intentionally orchestrated this situation.
'Even if someone was watching, they wouldn't suspect much with this.'
Of course, it was unlikely, but I decided to act as if there were hidden cameras in my room for the time being.
'It will be extremely tiring, but let's endure it until I can confirm there are no prying eyes.'
**
"So, you just sent him back?" "Yes, Section Chief." "Hey! Chief Kim! Are you going to handle work like this?!" "I apologize." "No, do you know how short we are on field personnel right now...!"
The man standing in front of the Section Chief, who was reacting hysterically, was the Chief Officer who had been investigating Han Seo-jun just moments ago. He bowed his head expressionlessly, taking the Section Chief's irritation for a while before speaking.
"Section Chief. Hunter Han Seo-jun has no intention of joining the Association." "You should have made it happen somehow! Did you tell him we'd waive his debt?!" "I did. But perhaps due to today's investigation, he seemed extremely displeased."
The Section Chief thumped his chest with a frustrated expression, then sighed and said,
"If we took him to C-Rank Gates every day and had him handle just the mid-bosses and bosses, field fatigue would decrease..." "…That is true, but to bring him in, we would have to guarantee sufficient income in the first place." "Well, how much?" "Waiving the debt goes without saying, and we'd have to pay him at least... 50 million won a month." "50 million? 50 million won?!"
The Section Chief looked appalled, but the Chief Officer nodded as if it were nothing and continued.
"He can run E-Rank Gates alone. And twice a day at that, for a total of 20 times a month." "…Ah. Then it's impossible." "So, about that... Section Chief. May I attach surveillance to him?" "Surveillance? Why suddenly surveillance?"
He showed Han Seo-jun's history of hunting as a mercenary and appealed to his growth potential. Paying a salary of 50 million won to a Hunter who was barely D-Rank seemed wasteful, but...
"Wouldn't the story change if he grows?" "…Even in his current state, he can play a big role in C-Rank, but do you think something more will change if he grows?" "Yes. In my opinion, as his level rises... I suspect it might be possible to increase his output even further." "Hmm...."
The Section Chief pondered with a very serious expression, but soon shook his head vigorously.
"Denied. Rather, when that time comes, he'll just demand a higher salary, claiming he can clear D-Rank Gates alone." "He was just lucky this time. A normal Hunter wouldn't try to challenge a D-Rank Gate alone." "Still, no."
He tried to persuade the Section Chief for a while longer, but eventually, he had no choice but to leave the office with a sullen expression.