Chapter 54
Chapter 54. Oppa, I’m in a Good Mood Today
The moment her pseudo-spar with Go Yuna concluded, Sia felt an immense sense of relief wash over her.
An irritation that had been nagging at her for quite some time had finally been swept clean.
That cunning woman had persistently lingered around Minjun with shameless flirtation, acting as a constant nuisance, and today Sia had thoroughly succeeded in driving her away.
Unsurprisingly, the second their practice match finished, Go Yuna scampered off in a flustered hurry, stammering an awkward pretext about an unexpected crisis she needed to attend to.
Sia had made sure to exert her Dragon Fear so the warning would be impossible to mistake. Barring a complete loss of sanity, Yuna would never have the audacity to loiter near Minjun ever again.
‘Oppa must have suffered so much because of her.’
In Sia’s eyes, Minjun possessed an overly gentle heart, while Go Yuna’s subtle, slippery advances had likely made it tricky for him to push her away with outright harshness.
Truthfully, Minjun had already steeled his resolve and bluntly turned Go Yuna down just yesterday, though Sia remained blissfully unaware of that fact.
Regardless, even though the unpleasant taste from the dragon assembly still lingered, administering such a well-deserved chastisement to Go Yuna left Sia in far better spirits than she had been the previous day.
She had finally plucked out a persistent briar from her side.
Eager to mark this satisfying little triumph, Sia dialed Minjun’s number.
“Oppa, have you eaten yet?”
[Not yet. I was just getting ready to grab a burger. What about you, Sia?]
“I hadn’t settled on anything, but now that you mention it, a burger sounds wonderful.”
In stark contrast to yesterday’s visibly heavy, muted mood, Sia chatted away with lively, buoyant energy.
Minjun picked up on the shift right away.
[You seem exceptionally cheerful today.]
“Oh, do I?”
[Yeah. To be honest, you looked like you were carrying the weight of the world yesterday. Seeing you so radiant today is a huge relief.]
Confessing that a weight had been lifted off his chest, Minjun gave her a warm, dazzling grin.
Her heart skipped a beat at the sight, and she flushed with an embarrassed smile.
“I-is it really that obvious?”
[You’re surprisingly terrible at hiding your feelings sometimes. Did something wonderful happen?]
Faced with his teasing question, Sia curved her lips and delicately placed her forefinger against her mouth.
“That’s a secret.”
There is an old saying that rumors travel faster than the swiftest wind.
Whenever a piece of news sparks public fascination, it inevitably spreads like wildfire from mouth to mouth, regardless of whether the person at the center wants the attention.
Minjun’s recent rank reassessment was the prime example.
Even submitting an evaluation request less than a month and a half after an earlier test was practically unheard of.
Yet having that single re-evaluation elevate a Hunter’s standing by two whole grades turned the situation into an absolute sensation.
The administrator who processed Minjun’s testing paperwork and the clerk who verified his results both shared the astonishing tale with colleagues and friends.
In just a handful of days, word about Minjun circulated among every crowd imaginable: regular citizens with no ties to the Hunter community, eager journalists and video creators hungry for explosive content, and top-tier guild scouts.
That was precisely how the topic found its way inside the headquarters of Hanbit Guild, a titan ranked among South Korea’s top ten.
“Are you certain this wasn’t sensationalized on the grapevine? Perhaps the authentic report was merely that he climbed a single tier over a few months.”
Jeong Taeseong, an S-rank Hunter and the guild master of Hanbit Guild, scrutinized his vice guild master, Lee Rowoon, who had brought this improbable development to his desk.
“Even climbing one tier that quickly would be astounding, so why bother fabricating the rest? I suspected an exaggeration myself, so I verified the records and inquired directly. There is virtually no room for error; the report is genuine.”
“An ordinary D-rank Hunter vaulting straight to B-rank in roughly forty-five days… how is that remotely conceivable?”
“It defies reason. Yet the documentation proves it actually occurred.”
Having scouted countless gifted awakeners over the years, they believed they had seen every type of talent South Korea had to offer.
Even so, they had never once crossed paths with an individual whose rating leapt two entire tiers in under a month and a half.
There was a clear rationale behind the Hunter Association levying extra administrative fees whenever someone demanded a reassessment within three months of their last one.
A Hunter’s power simply did not surge that rapidly under normal parameters, so the Association had no interest in wasting organizational resources on frivolous, frequent re-examinations.
“Could he have intentionally suppressed his actual capability during the earlier evaluation?”
“That would fit the behavior of a villain. We certainly need to conduct a thorough background check, but according to preliminary feedback, he appears to be an upright Hunter.”
“Hmm.”
The entire matter shattered conventional wisdom, which only fueled Taeseong’s growing fascination.
If Minjun harbored no malicious villainous ties, if there was no sinister foul play behind his astronomical leap and he merely possessed unimaginable dormant potential, then skipping out on scouting him was out of the question.
In fact, securing him was an absolute necessity.
Even if another organization already laid claim to him, Hanbit would gladly pay an exorbitant buyout fee.
Who could say when an anomaly of this magnitude might ever surface again?
If they let this opportunity slip through their fingers, no one could guarantee when such a peerless talent would appear next.
“Does he hold an affiliation with any guild currently?”
“He’s unaligned right now, and records show he never signed with anyone. Still, shouldn’t we proceed with caution and investigate first?”
“Dig up every scrap of information available. Whatever is out there, use every connection and resource we have to uncover it.”
Taeseong knew full well that once the remaining top-ten syndicates caught wind of this anomaly, an aggressive bidding war would ignite without delay.
To a premier guild, individual B-rank combatants were readily available.
His current grade was completely secondary.
A combatant demonstrating this pace of advancement was all but guaranteed to attain S-rank in time.
There was even a very real possibility he could transcend that threshold to achieve SS-rank.
While it might seem like a distant dream, he might one day stand as an SSS-rank pillar representing the nation on the global stage.
Taeseong also recognized that the leaders of every competing mega-guild would reach the exact same conclusion.
Sitting back until mainstream press outlets blared his name across headlines would mean total defeat.
If Hanbit intended to claim him, they needed to act right this second, because rival organizations would mobilize the moment the rumor reached their ears.
“Instruct human resources to assemble an official proposal immediately. Ensure the signing bonus is vast enough that no competitor can outbid us financially.”
“I anticipated that command, so the directive has already been issued.”
It was a matter of executing first and notifying later. Lee Rowoon had likewise deduced that arriving even half a step behind the competition meant total failure, prompting him to brief the scouting department the moment the report crossed his desk.
“Excellent work, as always.”
Having confirmed that the recruitment drive was in motion, Taeseong flipped through dossiers detailing the luxury packages normally extended to the guild’s elite prospects.
Fitting for one of the country’s preeminent ten guilds, every agreement outlined lavish perks and guarantees that mid-tier organizations could never dream of matching.
Yet Taeseong still understood that even these figures fell drastically short for this specific awakened individual.
‘There is no telling just how astronomically his worth will climb.’
While capital was paramount, Taeseong placed an even higher premium on speed.
With growth so volatile and unprecedented, investigative journalists would swarm the second they sniffed out the story.
Elaborate feature specials would saturate the airwaves, elevating public anticipation for this prodigy to fever pitch.
The heavier the media coverage became, the more violently his market valuation would skyrocket.
Taeseong’s assessment proved completely spot-on.
Across the country, nearly all of South Korea’s top ten associations, alongside dozens of prominent secondary guilds, had already set their sights on Minjun.
Journalists who caught scent of the scoop were already drafting articles, frantically scouring their networks for Minjun’s private contact details to lock down exclusive features.
It was undeniably the calm before an impending tempest.
Minjun himself, however, remained utterly oblivious to the storm brewing around him, simply going about his normal, quiet routine.
After wrapping up the screen call with Sia, I could finally breathe easy.
Yesterday, it seemed as if she was forcing herself to put on a brave face just to prevent me from worrying over her.
Today, the bright expression Sia showed me was completely natural and heartfelt.
I couldn’t fathom what had transpired between yesterday and this afternoon to lift her spirits so dramatically, but seeing her genuine smile return was all that mattered to me.
I had been fretting all morning that she might still be trapped under a dark cloud.
Having finished our conversation, I was just about to sink my teeth back into my midday burger when my smartphone abruptly began buzzing.
‘Who could this be?’
The incoming digits were completely unfamiliar.
Typically, I ignored unlisted callers, yet an inexplicable intuition nudged me to pick this one up.
“Hello?”
[Am I speaking with Hunter Yoon Minjun?]
“Yes, this is he.”
They hadn’t addressed me as Mr. Yoon Minjun, but specifically as ‘Hunter Yoon Minjun.’
That single detail immediately separated this call from normal inquiries.
[Greetings. This is journalist Min Yunseo from NBS. Regarding your recent—]
I grasped the situation before the reporter could even utter another syllable.
The outcome of my updated rank evaluation had leaked into the open.
Apart from Sia and Rokan, I hadn’t breathed a word to a soul, but such an extraordinary result was bound to surface eventually.
It had simply broken out slightly earlier than I anticipated.
In the past, I likely would have jumped at the media exposure, scheming how to amplify my fame to negotiate a lucrative contract.
My old self would have weaponized the spotlight to secure an opulent position within an elite guild.
Now, however, my reality was entirely different.
Would binding myself to an organization truly benefit my circumstances?
‘Almost certainly not.’
Besides, plastering my face across television networks and gaining public notoriety offered me very little tangible benefit.
While I weighed those matters internally, the reporter pressed on over the receiver.
[…and so, if your schedule allows, we would be honored to arrange an in-depth interview. Please name any location and time that suits you, and our production crew will gladly accommodate your availability.]
“I apologize. I have no interest in granting interviews.”
I gave a courteous refusal and moved to disconnect the line.
Yet the journalist promptly blurted out another inquiry.
[Could it be that you have already agreed to an exclusive broadcast agreement with a rival network?]
“…Excuse me?”
What kind of conclusion was that?
[Ah, since you declined so swiftly, I naturally wondered if another broadcaster had already locked down an exclusive arrangement with you.]
“I haven’t coordinated an interview with anyone, nor do I ever plan to pursue one down the line. I prefer to lead an unremarkable, peaceful life. I’ll be hanging up now.”
Ending the connection, I redirected my attention to my half-eaten burger.
I assumed I could finally enjoy my meal undisturbed, but that initial call proved to be just the beginning.
Barely a breath passed before the device started vibrating violently once more.
Yet again, an unsaved contact lit up the screen.
Somehow, I already anticipated the nature of this interruption.
“Hello?”
[Good day, am I reaching Hunter Yoon Minjun? My name is Choi Jaewook, and I head the recruitment division at Hanbit Guild.]
The first interruption had stemmed from the press.
This one originated from an awakened organization—and not an ordinary one, but Hanbit Guild, an undisputed member of South Korea’s top ten.
[I am reaching out to convey that, provided you are currently an independent agent, our leadership would be immensely honored to welcome you into Hanbit’s ranks. I must apologize for reaching out so abruptly out of the blue.]
Evidently, they weren’t extending an invitation blindly.
They had clearly caught wind of my two-tier jump from whatever channels they monitored.
However, regardless of the premier compensations or prestige they offered, affiliating with even a top-ranking national syndicate would only hinder my personal progression.
Unlike ordinary awakeners who advanced through traditional training, my strength scaled solely through unsealing the slumbering dragon power resting inside my vessel.
Venturing into normal dungeon incursions or participating in standard guild development regimens would never aid my true objective.
While the prestigious invitation carried a fleeting temptation, I held firm and declined.
“I appreciate the gesture, but I have no intentions of affiliating with any guild at this time.”
[Have you already entertained proposals from another organization? I urge you to at least review our proposed conditions before making a final judgment. If there are any stipulations that displease you, our executive board will move mountains to satisfy your terms.]
Perhaps it was simply my perception, but his tone mirrored the desperate persistence of the reporter who had reached out moments prior.
Both parties sounded ravenous to secure my cooperation by any means necessary.
Having never experienced this caliber of overwhelming pursuit, the sensation felt deeply surreal.
Even so, my answer remained unaltered.
Maintaining the same polite resolve, I reiterated my boundaries.
“Due to personal considerations, I am not seeking guild enrollment right now. I apologize for turning you down.”
[…I understand your position. However, should your circumstances shift in the future, please do not hesitate to contact our office whenever you wish.]
With that conversation concluded, I attempted to finish off the rest of my food and get back on track with my day.
From that second onward, however, my smartphone simply never ceased its ringing.
Every single incoming transmission was either a press query pleading for a segment or an aggressive recruitment scout pitching an association.
Initially, witnessing so many prestigious entities clamoring for my presence felt novel.
Yet as an identical swarm of solicitations battered my phone in endless succession, amusement gave way to complete exhaustion.
I contemplated powering down the device entirely for a day or two, but that carried an obvious drawback.
If Sia tried to reach me and found the connection severed, she would immediately spiral into worry thinking something terrible had happened to me.
Just then, an obvious remedy dawned on me.
Since thoughts of Sia were already occupying my mind, why not just dial her up directly?
As long as I maintained an active call on the line with her, nobody else could break through to pester me.
Drained to the bone by the unrelenting barrage of calls, I dialed Sia’s number, seeking a quiet sanctuary to catch my breath.
Comments for chapter "Chapter 54"
MANGA DISCUSSION
Madara Info
Madara stands as a beacon for those desiring to craft a captivating online comic and manga reading platform on WordPress
For custom work request, please send email to wpstylish(at)gmail(dot)com