Chapter 20: Guild?
A/N: Bonus Chapter, at the 800 power stones there another onee, thank you so much for the support
The hunter who had attacked him apologized over and over again. He swore he had seen a monster, not another hunter.
The problem came when he explained why.
"...Do I really look like a monster?" Takuya asked.
Technically, he was a Digital Monster.
But a monster like the ones from solo leveling?, he was sure not?
He wasn’t even that monstrous. Heck, even some dungeon monsters had hesitated before attacking him, much like what had happened with Jinwoo. However, Takuya was sure they hadn’t hesitated because they thought he was one of them. They simply hadn’t known how to classify him.
So, honestly, it wasn’t that strange for a human to make the same mistake.
Still...
Come on, I was only Agnimon. Not MetalGreymon.
If people already mistook him for a monster now...
What was going to happen once I reached Vritramon?
"...What a pain," Takuya muttered.
"I already told you it’s fine," he added. "The lighting was bad, the flames were flickering, and I probably wasn’t standing in the best position."
To be honest, the hunter’s endless apologies were becoming a little awkward. It wasn’t as if they had nearly killed each other, so Takuya couldn’t understand why the man kept apologizing so profusely.
Fortunately, the cavalry soon arrived.
A black sedan pulled up, and Woo Jinchul stepped out with his usual serious expression. Walking straight toward the two hunters, he spoke immediately.
"Hunter Takuya, Hunter Son Kihoon, it’s a pleasure to see you both. I’m aware the gate has already closed. Hunter Son, thank you for your assistance. And Hunter Takuya, thank you for reporting the situation so promptly."
"Actually, when I arrived, the raid was already over," Son Kihoon replied.
Woo Jinchul raised an eyebrow.
Since the gate had already collapsed, there was no way to officially determine its rank. Judging from the corpses of the monsters and Takuya’s own rank, he had assumed it had been, at most, a B-rank gate. An A-rank dungeon should have been beyond Takuya’s current abilities.
"It was a B-rank dungeon," Takuya explained. "The boss was a Kobold. an A rank monster, In terms of raw strength, it was around my level, but its abilities were much more limited."
Woo Jinchul nodded.
"Thank you for stepping in. You saved many lives today, Hunter Takuya."
"...Sadly, not enough."
Takuya’s gaze drifted toward the ruined building.
"There were a lot of bodies inside."
Woo Jinchul followed his gaze before speaking in a calm voice.
"There are always casualties. Unfortunately, we can’t detect every gate before it breaks. That’s the reality of this job."
"I see."
At that moment, one of the women who had arrived alongside Son Kihoon ended a phone call. She was petite, almost delicate in appearance, with a neat bob cut, yet somehow she carried an undeniable presence. Despite her small frame, she projected the confidence of someone used to handling important matters.
She walked over to Takuya.
"Excuse me, Takuya."
"I’ve been checking the official records, and they still list you as a C-Rank Hunter. However, most of the monsters found dead inside the gate were C-Rank as well."
She paused, looking at him curiously.
"Defeating that many monsters alone should have been extremely difficult, if not impossible... especially considering how little time passed before we arrived."
Takuya glanced at Junchil, silently asking whether he was allowed to reveal the truth.
To be honest, he wasn’t sure.
His second awakening had happened, but he didn’t know if he was supposed to keep it confidential until the Association officially updated his rank.
Junchil simply gave him a small nod.
That was enough.
"Actually..."
"I’m an A-Rank now."
"I went through a second awakening."
The woman’s eyes widened slightly.
She immediately turned toward Junchil for confirmation.
He nodded once again.
Without another word, she politely excused herself and stepped aside, already pulling out her phone to make another call.
Takuya watched her for a second before shrugging.
Then he looked back at Junchil.
"Thank you for your words."
His expression softened.
"It’s sad..."
"But there’s nothing else we can do."
He let out a quiet sigh.
There was no way to bring the victims back.
This wasn’t Dragon Ball.
Junchil simply nodded in understanding.
"Well..."
"If that’s everything, I’ll get going."
"Or is there anything else I need to do?" Takuya asked.
"Don’t worry."
"The Hunter Association will take care of the rest."
Junchil crossed his arms.
"Thanks to you—and to how quickly everything was reported—we won’t have much work left."
"We’ll simply issue an official notice asking civilians and businesses to register any buildings or storage areas they don’t regularly use. It’ll help us avoid overlooking hidden gates in the future."
"I see."
"Thank you."
Takuya gave a small bow.
"Good night."
As he walked away, he looked around the city one last time.
Only then did his stomach loudly grumble.
"...I’m starving."
Now that he thought about it, he had just cleared an entire dungeon.
Not only that...
He had collected an absurd amount of loot that he could sell later.
So...
I can probably afford to eat a lot tonight.
His uncle wasn’t home.
Jinwoo and Jinah had probably already finished dinner.
"So..."
"I guess I’ll be eating alone."
A few minutes later, he stepped into a ramen restaurant.
Ironically, it was another Japanese-themed place.
Even so, like most restaurants in Korea, the recipes had been adapted to fit Korean tastes.
The funny thing was...
It wasn’t even authentic Japanese food that he missed anymore.
It was the strange Americanized Japanese food he used to eat back home.
Even the burgers here had been adjusted to suit local palates.
"Well..."
"Food is food."
After placing an order, he finally sat down.
The steaming bowl of ramen arrived only moments later.
He had barely started eating when something began vibrating beside him.
It wasn’t exactly his cellphone.
It was his D-Scan.
Among its many functions, it also worked perfectly as a smartphone.
The number was unfamiliar.
Normally that wouldn’t mean much.
However, one advantage of the Digivice was that it wasn’t merely technology.
It was a completely digital lifeform.
Instead of showing only a number, it displayed the caller’s photograph.
Takuya blinked.
"...I’ve seen him before."
He frowned, trying to remember.
"Choi Jong-In..."
"Who was that again?"
"The name sounds familiar..."
An important person?
Someone from the Association?
Whatever.
He was hungry.
He declined the call and continued eating.
Not even ten seconds later...
The D-Scan rang again.
The same person.
Takuya frowned.
"Who is it?"
This time he answered, sounding slightly annoyed.
The reason was simple.
Who calls someone at nine o’clock at night?
"Good evening, Mr. Kanbara."
The man’s voice was calm and polite.
"I’m Choi Jong-In, Guild Master of the Hunters Guild."
"I apologize for contacting you so late."
"However, I couldn’t wait until tomorrow."
"If I did, I’d probably end up competing with every other guild trying to make the first move."
Only then did it click.
Right...
Choi Jong-In.
An S-Rank Hunter.
Of course.
A newly awakened A-Rank wasn’t someone any major guild would ignore.
He wasn’t important enough to make an S-Rank personally rush over the way Sung Jinwoo had experienced in the original timeline...
But he was certainly valuable enough to receive a direct phone call from one.
"Oh!"
"Sorry."
"I didn’t recognize the number, so I hung up the first time."
Takuya scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"What can I help you with, sir?"
"Actually, there is."
Choi Jong-In’s voice remained calm and professional.
"You’re a newly awakened A-Rank Hunter, so I’d like to make you an offer on behalf of our guild."
He paused for a moment.
"Would you be interested in hearing it?"
"An offer?"
Takuya replied while chewing on a piece of grilled meat. At some point, he had switched from ramen to a Korean barbecue restaurant. After everything that had happened today, one meal simply hadn’t been enough.
"Sure."
"I’m listening."
"Very well."
"I’ll be direct."
"I’d like you to join the Hunters Guild."
"Our guild can offer you an excellent salary."
"Not only that, but you’ll receive a signing bonus the moment you join."
"After every raid, you’ll also receive additional bonuses based on your performance."
"We’ll provide equipment as well, along with any other resources you might need."
He spoke confidently, as if listing benefits he had repeated countless times before.
"Of course..."
"If the proposal sounds interesting, I’d prefer to discuss the remaining details in person."
Takuya swallowed another bite before answering.
"In that case..."
"I actually have something of a counteroffer."
He leaned back slightly in his chair.
"But I’d rather discuss it face to face too."
"Would today be possible?"
"Or is it too late?"
"I have classes tomorrow."
There was a brief silence on the other end.
"...Classes?"
The Guild Master’s surprised voice came through the phone.
"Yeah."
"I’m still attending school."
"General education is still important, even if I plan to become a full-time Hunter."
Takuya answered naturally, as though there were nothing unusual about it.
"I see..."
Choi Jong-In chuckled softly.
"Right."
"That shouldn’t be a problem."
He glanced around his office.
"I’m still at the guild headquarters."
"Can you come over?"
"Sure."
"I’ll be there in... about five minutes."
"I’ll be waiting."
The call ended.
Takuya finished the last few bites of his meal, paid the bill, and walked outside.
The moment he reached the street, he glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention.
Then he jumped.
His body landed effortlessly on the rooftop of a nearby building.
From there, he continued leaping from roof to roof with practiced ease.
What he had estimated would take five minutes...
Actually took barely two.
In almost no time, he reached the district where the Hunters Guild headquarters stood.
He landed quietly inside a nearby alley before casually walking toward the entrance as though he had arrived normally.
The guild building towered over the surrounding streets.
Modern.
Even before stepping inside, Takuya could already sense an enormous amount of magical energy radiating from somewhere high above.
That’s definitely him.
An S-Rank’s mana wasn’t something that could easily be hidden.
He entered the lobby and headed toward the reception desk.
Just as he was about to introduce himself, the receptionist’s phone rang.
She answered immediately.
"I understand."
After hanging up, she looked directly at him.
"Mr. Kanbara?"
Takuya nodded.
"Yes."
"This way, please."
She stood up with a professional smile and guided him across the spacious lobby toward a private elevator.
Unlike the public ones, this elevator didn’t stop at any intermediate floor.
It went straight to the top.
Floor thirty-five.
The doors opened with a soft chime.
Waiting beyond them was an entire executive floor.
The office was spacious, pristine, and furnished with understated luxury. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city, while tasteful decorations gave the room an atmosphere of quiet authority rather than excess.
At the far end stood the Guild Master himself.
A man with vivid red hair, matching red-framed glasses, and an immaculate white suit. Draped behind him was a crimson cape that contrasted sharply with the bright office.
The moment Takuya entered, Choi Jong-In looked up from his desk and greeted him with a polite smile.