Chapter 3

Hunter Guild 'Revenant,' Guild Master Baek Dohyeon

“I initiated with my ultimate. Push in. No, I said push in! Don't get caught! What are you doing?! Ah, you fucking idiots...”

A beautiful woman with short hair and a healthy, athletic figure that suited her black tank top and dolphin shorts.

Yun Sol, who had been completely absorbed in her game, finally lost her temper, ripped off her headset, and threw it aside.

The moment the word 'Defeat' appeared on her monitor, Yun Sol held down the power button to force her computer to shut down.

“Ah, screw this!”

She threw herself onto her bed.

“What's wrong with matchmaking today? Are there seriously no decent players... I was trying to relieve stress, but all I've done is get even more pissed off.”

B-rank hunter, Yun Sol. Her hobby was playing FPS games, and her main game was Underwatch.

She had started playing to enjoy a rare day off, but after suffering nothing but consecutive losses for two hours, she'd finally reached her breaking point.

“...Might as well order some food.”

Still lying on her bed, she turned on her smartphone and ordered a late dinner through a delivery app.

While waiting for her food, she opened the YouTube app to kill some time.

Looking for entertaining shorts, Yun Sol mindlessly flicked her index finger across the screen.

“Hm? What's this?”

One particular short caught her attention.

[What Happens When Korea's Third-Largest Chaebol Enters the Hunter Industry?! OMG]

As a hunter herself, it was only natural that news about the hunter industry would interest her.

Yun Sol stopped scrolling and began watching the short.

The video itself was no different from the countless mass-produced shorts flooding the platform.

A provocative title, random meme images scraped from somewhere, and ridiculous text-to-speech narration. The usual formula.

Still half dazed, Yun Sol began listening to the narration playing from her phone.

[Hey, did you guys know? A new hunter guild was established a few days ago!]

“Oh. Another new one?”

[Hey! There are already more than a hundred hunter guilds in Korea. What's so surprising about one more?]

[No, just listen! What's important here is who founded this guild.]

“Right. Who on earth established it?”

[Two months ago, the Korean Hunter Association made an announcement that caused quite a stir among industry insiders.]

[The announcement itself was nothing unusual. A new guild called 'Revenant' had been registered. But the crazy part was the company listed as its sponsor!]

“Well, the title said the third-largest chaebol, so...”

'Samhwa? Segang? No, that can't be right. They both already have guilds.'

[And that company was none other than... Baekmyeong Life!]

[Baekmyeong? Baekmyeong Group? That Korean conglomerate famous for Baekmyeong Electronics and Baekmyeong Steel? Wow! That's insane!]

“Baekmyeong?”

Yun Sol frowned.

[That's right. Baekmyeong Group, Korea's third-largest conglomerate. All the other chaebols and major corporations already have their own hunter guilds, but Baekmyeong was the only one that had stayed completely out of the hunter industry.]

[But now Baekmyeong has suddenly entered the hunter industry directly! What's more, they didn't even promote it through the media, so industry insiders only found out on the actual day the guild was established. Naturally, everyone was shocked!]

Suddenly, the image of a certain man flashed through Yun Sol's mind.

-U-aaaaaah!!!

A young man who had fallen to the ground, scrambled away on all fours, and fled disgracefully.

“And Baekmyeong Group is somehow the third-largest conglomerate in Korea, even with an heir like that?”

Ever since that incident, Yun Sol had developed a peculiar resentment toward Baekmyeong Group as a whole.

[And there's another surprising fact! The guild master of the guild established by Baekmyeong Group has become a hot topic!]

'Why should I care about some guild established by Baekmyeong?'

Just as Yun Sol raised her finger to swipe to the next short, someone's face suddenly appeared prominently on her phone screen.

[It was none other than Baek Dohyeon, the second son of Baekmyeong Group's current chairman!]

“Huh?”

Yun Sol stared blankly at her phone for a moment...

“Whaaat!?”

She shot upright in shock.

[What? Baek Dohyeon, as in...]

[That's right! THAT Baek Dohyeon! The notorious troublemaker of the Baekmyeong family, famous for causing all kinds of scandals! He'd been keeping a low profile for a while after that infamous incident where he challenged a hunter to a real-life fight and got humiliated. But now he's made a spectacular comeback as the guild master of 'Revenant'!]

“No way. That bastard?”

The man who had acted like a pathetic loser over an argument in a game, challenging her to a real-life fight and forcing Yun Sol to teach him a lesson herself.

That very same Baek Dohyeon's face was plastered across her phone screen.

[And the interview Baek Dohyeon gave to the media after the guild's establishment was announced was just as crazy!]

[Apparently, it took him only one month! Just one month from deciding to establish the guild to actually founding it!]

[And his goal is none other than...]

The short continued, but Yun Sol was too shocked to hear any more.

______________

“Hmm.”

I looked around my new space.

A spacious room with clean, modern interior decor.

【Guild Master Baek Dohyeon】

For no particular reason, I reached out and stroked the nameplate on the desk.

“So this is my office... Or should I call it the guild master's office?”

What exactly was the proper name for a guild master's workspace? I'd have to settle on something appropriate.

Knock, knock.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

A moment later, the door opened, and a woman dressed in a black suit entered.

Her hair was neatly arranged in a bun, and her narrow eyes were visible behind rectangular glasses.

She had a refined face that perfectly suited the description of an intellectual beauty.

In contrast, her voluptuous figure had a presence that even her black shirt and skirt couldn't conceal.

Yun Seohyeon. She was my personal secretary, who had worked alongside me ever since I entered the business world four years ago.

“These are the documents submitted by applicants for our latest recruitment announcement. I've already screened them myself, so I'd like you to conduct the final review, Executive Direc... Guild Master.”

“You almost called me Executive Director like before, didn't you? Even you make mistakes sometimes, Ms. Seohyeon.”

“...Please forget that.”

My previous title had been executive director of Baekmyeong Life. But starting today, I was the guild master of the hunter guild 'Revenant.'

“Still, it feels pretty nice, you know? Hearing you personally call me Guild Master, Ms. Seohyeon.”

“I'll leave the documents on your desk.”

The way she completely ignored my joke was just like her.

“I'll look through them right away.”

To fulfill my duties as guild master, I sat down at my desk and picked up the documents.

“...”

“...? Is something wrong, Ms. Seohyeon?”

Seohyeon remained standing in front of my desk, looking as though she had something to say.

“I can hardly believe it.”

“Uh... What do you mean?”

“You really did establish a guild. And in just one month.”

“Ah, is that all? I told you I would, didn't I? If I say I'm going to do something, I have to follow through.”

I recalled the conversation we'd had when I first brought up the idea of establishing a guild.

-What about the procedures and paperwork required to establish a hunter guild?

-We can just have someone handle them. I have you, Ms. Seohyeon, and if necessary, we can hire a lawyer specializing in hunter-related matters.

-What about funding?

-I'll use some of my personal slush funds for now. Later, I can just ask my father for financial support.

-...Executive Director, do you even know how the hunter industry operates?

-Didn't you know? I'm actually a huge hunter enthusiast. Towers, Gates... I absolutely love anything related to hunters.

-...

I could still remember the expression on her face toward the end of that conversation, when she'd taken off her glasses and massaged her furrowed brow in disbelief.

At first, she'd dismissed my plan as just another 'foolish whim of a spoiled troublemaker.'

However...

After personally watching me lead the process of establishing the guild, she'd changed her mind.

“To be frank, I was surprised. I had no idea you possessed this level of ability, Guild Master. In particular, your extensive knowledge of the hunter industry was truly unexpected.”

“Right? I'm practically on par with the experts when it comes to the hunter industry.”

“...Although I've watched you closely for years, Guild Master, you've rarely shown any interest in the hunter industry until now.”

For a moment, Seohyeon's sharp gaze seemed to pierce straight through me.

I couldn't blame her for finding it strange.

After all, the twenty-four-year-old me had never cared about hunters in the slightest.

Naturally, it would seem suspicious if someone like that suddenly started making a fuss about establishing a hunter guild.

“...”

Seohyeon suddenly fell silent. Was she still suspicious?

“...I never dreamed you had such an interest without my knowing... But very well. I understand.”

Was I... safe? Anyway, I was relieved that she seemed willing to let it go.

For reference, my knowledge of establishing guilds, designing hunter guild buildings, and everything else had come from my previous life.

I supposed it was thanks to the experience I'd accumulated over several years managing the hunter resistance, which was practically a guild composed entirely of Korea's top-ranked hunters.

“I'll acknowledge that everything has gone smoothly up to the point of establishing the guild. Though I have no idea how you managed to secure the chairman's support...”

“Well, there are ways. You could say they're negotiation skills I picked up while living as the family's spoiled troublemaker.”

“I'm sure they are. In any case, what I want to ask about is what comes next.”

“What comes next?”

“The guild's foundation is complete. It's been officially registered, we have a respectable building for our headquarters, and our funding is more than sufficient. We're also in the final stages of hiring staff.”

“That's right.”

“But there's still something important missing, isn't there?”

As she adjusted her glasses, Seohyeon's sharp eyes became even more distinct behind the lenses.

“Hunters. How do you intend to recruit hunters to join the guild?”

“Aha. So that's what you're worried about.”

“This isn't something you can dismiss so lightly. A hunter guild needs hunters, yet you haven't said a single word to me about where you intend to recruit them.”

“Don't worry. I have everything planned out.”

“Then please explain your plan now.”

“First, we scout famous hunters whose names everyone would recognize. Second, we use those hunters as the face of our guild to attract and nurture other promising talents.”

“...It's an extremely rough plan, but the idea itself is convincing.”

“Right?”

“However, the most crucial part remains unresolved. How exactly do you intend to recruit these famous hunters? Almost every hunter worth mentioning already belongs to an organization. It might be different if you at least had some connections...”

“Then I'll just have to make some connections.”

“Ha...”

And technically speaking, I did have connections.

Connections I'd already made in the future.

Of course, those relationships had been reset for now, but I still possessed the information I'd gained through my interactions with them.

“I've already decided who my first recruitment target will be.”

“Whoever it is, if they're famous enough for their name to be widely recognized... I honestly can't imagine them having any reason to join this guild. But I'll hear you out. Who is it?”

“Cha Yunha.”

“Cha Yunha.”

“...”

“...”

“Wait a moment. Do you mean that Cha Yunha?”

“Yes. That Cha Yunha. The fifth-ranked S-rank hunter.”

“Don't be ridiculous! Why on earth would she abandon her current guild to join us? She's a member of Black Sword, one of the three major guilds in South Korea!”

“No. She'll come.”

Seohyeon flinched at my resolute tone.

“Trust me.”

Right now, she was dealing with a serious problem...

And I was the only person who knew about it and could solve it.

______________

“The raid team is coming out of the Gate!”

An association employee waiting in front of the enormous purple Gate shouted.

Just as he'd announced, the hunters who had completed the Gate raid began emerging one after another.

Since it was a Level 4 Gate on a five-level danger scale, the raid team was an elite group composed entirely of B-rank hunters or higher.

However, even among them, one person stood out far above the rest.

As the hunters emerged, the waiting reporters surged forward, and spotlights flooded the area.

All of them were directed at a single person: a woman with long black hair, dressed in a blue bodysuit, who was the last to emerge from the Gate.

Her figure had flawless curves, while her sharp facial features were the very definition of a cold beauty.

Cha Yunha, the fifth-ranked S-rank hunter, paid the commotion no attention, as though it were an everyday occurrence, and simply pushed her way through the crowd.

-Ms. Yunha, how did today's Gate raid go? Could you share your thoughts with us?

-Regarding the rumors that you're dating Choi Hyeonho, the eighth-ranked S-rank hunter...

She continued walking, ignoring the reporters as if they weren't even there.

Before long, a group of people dressed in black suits approached her.

“Excuse us! Ms. Yunha is coming through! Everyone, please step back! Direct any questions through her guild!”

While the security team dispatched by her guild, Black Sword, pushed back the reporters and cleared a path, a bespectacled man in his forties approached Yunha.

“Good work, Yunha. You're not hurt anywhere, are you?”

“...No, Manager.”

“Good. Let's get going.”

The two of them made their way away from the reporters.

“You did an excellent job today, too. The association employees and reporters watching the raid were all talking about you.”

“...”

“At this rate, you'll probably reclaim the fourth-place ranking again before long.”

“...”

“...What's wrong, Yunha? You don't look well. Did something happen inside the Gate?”

“No. Nothing happened. I'm just a little tired.”

“Ah. Ah, of course! You've been rather busy lately.”

“I'm sorry, but could I stay in the car alone for a while? I'd like to rest somewhere quiet.”

“Uh, sure, sure! Get some rest. I need to talk to the association employees about scheduling your next assignment anyway. Take it easy until then.”

With that, the manager left, and Yunha remained seated alone in the back of the limousine.

After watching the manager walk away through the window, Yunha, now completely alone, let out a quiet sigh.

“...I can't go on like this.”