Chapter 10

Welcome, Yun Sol (2)

“So you're saying this entire building, fifteen floors above ground and three basement levels, belongs to Revenant... Wow. That's impressive.”

Yun Sol exclaimed in admiration as she read the directory posted inside the elevator.

“Didn't you see the directory when you took the elevator up?”

“Ah... I was so nervous on my way up that I couldn't pay attention to anything.”

We were currently descending in the elevator after leaving the guild master's office on the top floor.

-U-uh, you want me to join your guild? Really? No, I mean, I'm a freelancer right now. But...

After receiving my proposal, Yun Sol had spent nearly thirty seconds agonizing over it...

-I'm not saying I'm going to refuse. But could you at least show me what kind of guild it is first...?

That was what she'd finally managed to say.

“Actually, this building is considerably smaller than the guild headquarters I originally had in mind.”

“Uh, really?”

“It's rather small compared to the headquarters of major guilds like Taehyeon. I'm planning to move somewhere larger later.”

“Wow. Using a building like this as a temporary headquarters. That's chaebol money for you...”

Yun Sol had relaxed considerably by now, enough that we could converse naturally. Although she was still speaking politely.

“For now, floors seven through fifteen are intended for individual offices and conference rooms for our affiliated hunters, including my own office, so they're still empty.”

Ding.

The elevator stopped on the sixth floor.

“So let's start with the floors where the facilities are already complete.”

We stepped out together on the sixth floor.

“This floor houses the Research and Analysis Department. It collects and analyzes statistical data such as hunters' raid footage, stats, equipment, and skill performance, then provides the affiliated hunters with the consulting services they need.”

“Oooh...”

Yun Sol marveled at the enormous screens, computers, and various books packed into every room beyond the glass partitions.

“Ah, Guild Master.”

At that moment, an employee in a suit passing through the corridor recognized me and bowed.

“Team Leader Lee. You're working hard.”

“Haha. I'm just doing my job during working hours. By the way, who's the person beside you...?”

“She's a hunter who's here to tour Revenant.”

“Hello. I'm Yun Sol.”

“Oooh! Our first hunter, finally...! It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Lee Jeonghyeok, team leader of Revenant's Research and Analysis Team.”

“Ah, no. I haven't signed a contract yet.”

However, Team Leader Lee had already assumed Yun Sol had joined Revenant and launched into a lengthy speech about how excellent Revenant's research facilities were, how extensive its collection of data was, and how generously I'd invested in the equipment.

“—You've made a truly excellent choice, Ms. Yun Sol!”

After talking at length, he waved goodbye and disappeared down the other end of the corridor like the wind.

“Wow. He's quite an... impressive person.”

“He's a very passionate man. I spent a considerable sum recruiting him. And while Team Leader Lee exaggerated a few things, it's true that I put a great deal of effort into R&D when establishing Revenant. He ended up giving you the explanation I was going to provide.”

“I see...”

“Shall we head down to the next floor, then?”

We continued taking the elevator down one floor at a time as I showed Yun Sol around Revenant's facilities.

We toured various areas together, including the equipment storage room and conference rooms intended for press conferences and other events.

“Wow! The company cafeteria looks like some trendy restaurant that's popular on Instagram!”

“A trendy Instagram restaurant... Yes, I suppose you could describe it that way. We did put a lot of effort into the interior design.”

Of all the facilities, the one that drew the biggest reaction from Yun Sol was Revenant's cafeteria, which occupied the entire second floor.

“If I sign with Revenant, does that mean I can eat here every day?”

“Yes. All meal expenses are covered.”

“Woooow!...Oh my gosh, and you can choose between Korean, Western, Japanese... They have all kinds of food?”

It was a little disheartening that she reacted more enthusiastically to the cafeteria than to the state-of-the-art facilities that had cost tens of billions of won to build.

After finishing our tour of the second floor, we passed through the first-floor lobby and headed underground.

Our final destination was the third basement level.

“I'm sorry I can't show you the first and second basement levels, since they're still under construction. But I guarantee that you'll probably like this next facility more than anything you've seen so far.”

“Really? Something even more amazing than the cafeteria...”

So the cafeteria really was her favorite. Haha. This girl.

Well, she'd change her mind once she saw the next facility.

“Now, allow me to introduce it.”

The elevator doors opened, revealing the third basement level.

“This is Revenant's training center.”

“...”

Yun Sol stepped out of the elevator in a daze, utterly captivated by the sight before her.

Located on the lowest basement level was a massive training facility covering approximately 1,650 square meters.

To withstand hunters' training, the entire floor had been designed to be even sturdier than an air-raid shelter.

I had personally designed everything inside, from the arrangement of the facilities and equipment to the interior decor, specifically for hunters. It could be called my masterpiece, into which I'd poured my heart and soul.

“We have a virtual combat simulation room and cages for practical sparring. These facilities can hold their own against those of any major guild... But the part you'll probably like most, Ms. Yun Sol, is...”

I led our little group past the various simulation devices and enormous rings until we reached our destination.

“—This gym designed for hunters.”

The easiest way to imagine it would be an enormous, state-of-the-art fitness center.

Various machines designed to train different parts of the body stood neatly lined up like cars in a parking lot.

But the weight units were different.

Designed for hunters with physical abilities surpassing those of ordinary humans, the machines started at a minimum of one hundred kilograms.

And they weren't cheap machines installed merely to fill the space and make up the numbers.

“These...”

Yun Sol, who had been staring blankly at the equipment, approached a nearby chest press machine.

“...This is from Rahregen, isn't it? German-made. One of the top manufacturers of training machines for hunters.”

“That's right. We paid quite a bit to bring these machines in.”

“...”

With an almost entranced look in her eyes, Yun Sol gently stroked the machine, as though afraid she might damage it.

When she finally turned her gaze back toward me, her eyes were sparkling brilliantly.

“—Can I try this out?”

“Pardon?”

“Wow! No way. This is seriously incredible! I can't believe I'm seeing a real Rahregen machine! The Rahregen machines I've only ever seen in training vlogs by famous hunters...”

Before I could stop her, Yun Sol quickly sat down, inserted the weight pin, and began adjusting her posture.

“Huff. Huff. I wonder what it feels like to lift weights on a Rahregen...? And I'd be the first one to use it? Wow. Seriously. How could I resist?”

Her eyes were no longer merely sparkling. They were practically blazing with madness.

“Um, Ms. Yun Sol. Of course I'd love to let you use it, but...”

I looked at her bandaged left shoulder.

“...I can't allow it while you're in that condition.”

“Ah.”

Only then did Yun Sol belatedly look down at her shoulder, despairing as though the world had come to an end.

“I can't?”

“No.”

“Really...?”

Just look at those eyes. She looked like a puppy separated from its owner.

With no other choice, Yun Sol got up from the machine.

Instead, apparently determined to enjoy looking around to her heart's content, she spent nearly an hour and a half admiring every single machine, along with all the equipment in the free-weight area. Only after she finally looked satisfied did she board the elevator back to the guild master's office.

“So, what did you think of Revenant after looking around?”

“Are you really going to recruit someone as unworthy as me into a place this amazing...?”

“Pfft!”

“Excuse me?”

“Ah, I'm sorry. Anyway, I'm glad you liked it.”

“Yes. It goes without saying that it's better than the national training center I've been using, but even though it's a little smaller, it doesn't fall behind the facilities of the top three guilds at all. Especially the exercise facilities. Wow. This place is definitely number one.”

She continued speaking excitedly before adding,

“...Ah, not that I've actually visited those places myself. I'm just comparing them based on what I've seen on YouTube and places like that...”

She sounded a little embarrassed as she added that last part.

“Of course. This is a guild established under the Baekmyeong Group name, after all.”

“...Honestly, it's such a much better guild than I expected that it almost doesn't feel real. And the employees are working hard, too. It's a genuinely well-run guild...”

For reference, we'd already made considerable progress in hiring employees other than hunters.

Naturally, employees from various departments, including Team Leader Lee, whom we'd met earlier, were already working at their respective posts, and Yun Sol had seen them for herself.

“It seems you really like Revenant.”

“Yes!”

Okay. It looked like I'd almost won her over.

Time to seal the deal.

“Everything you've seen here at Revenant is waiting for you, Ms. Yun Sol.”

“!”

“If you become the first hunter affiliated with our guild, that is. Besides... You still need to try out those machines you couldn't use earlier, don't you?”

“!!”

“Ms. Seohyeon.”

I once again held out the document I'd received from Seohyeon in front of Yun Sol.

“Of course, I fully understand that this is an important decision that will affect your entire career as a hunter. So I won't pressure you to decide right now. Go home and think it over carefully.”

“...”

“I'll give you a copy of the contract as well, so you're welcome to have a lawyer review it. I'm confident the terms are among the best in the industry....?”

However, something about Yun Sol's expression was strange.

She didn't look particularly happy, as though something was bothering her.

How strange. Had there been something she'd seen today that she didn't like...?

“Ms. Yun Sol?”

“Ah, I'm sorry. I was just thinking.”

I'd thought my plan was perfect, but it seemed an unexpected variable had appeared.

“Um... Honestly, I'm really happy that you've made me this offer, you know? The idea that I could join a guild with top-of-the-line facilities like these and someone as capable as you serving as guild master...”

“I see. Then why are you hesitating?”

“Yes. It's such a perfect offer that that's actually what bothers me.”

“...!”

“Especially for an unaffiliated hunter like me, who's nothing special. Ah, there are people who call themselves my fans just because of my looks and repost my photos and secretly filmed videos on social media without permission... But strictly speaking, I'm just a B-rank hunter.”

...I see. I think I understand what she's thinking.

“Besides, you saw what happened to me during the last raid, didn't you? I recklessly tried to help someone else, only to end up becoming a burden to the team instead. Meanwhile, look at Yunha. Even in that situation, she followed your instructions brilliantly and saved the team.”

Was the offer so tempting that it had actually made her suspicious?

And her self-confidence had probably taken a hit after the last raid, too.

“I know it's not very appropriate to keep pestering the person who saved my life like this... But please, just tell me one last thing.”

She slowly raised her head and met my eyes.

“—Why do you want to recruit me? What kind of potential did you see in me?”