I was Mistaken for a Noble Hunter Chapter 16 - Leap (3)

The place Team Leader Lee Jigwang mentioned was a cafe near Myeongdong.

 

‘Why did he call me all the way to Myeongdong?’

 

The Ohseong Guild headquarters was in Gangnam, and Kang Ian’s house was in Seongnam.

 

There was no reason to meet in Myeongdong, but Team Leader Lee Jigwang insisted.

 

Since he had nothing else to do, Kang Ian readily agreed.

 

And so, he arrived at Star Cafe.

 

“Over here!”

 

As soon as Kang Ian entered, someone raised their hand and called out to him.

 

It was Team Leader Lee Jigwang.

 

As he approached, he saw another man sitting next to him.

 

A man who appeared to be in his mid-30s.

 

He sported a rather unique long hairstyle, tied back neatly, which surprisingly suited him well.

 

“Haha. Hunter Kang Ian. It’s been a while…No, we saw each other the day before yesterday, so it hasn’t been that long. Either way, I was really looking forward to seeing you again.”

 

“Oh, same here.”

 

Team Leader Lee Jigwang smiled at Kang Ian with an excessively bright smile.

 

Kang Ian reciprocated the greeting.

 

After all, he had received favorable help from Team Leader Lee Jigwang several times.

 

Of course, he was happy to see him.

 

“But who is this…?”

 

“I was just about to introduce you. He’s a close acquaintance of mine and runs a company.”

 

When Kang Ian glanced at the man, Team Leader Lee Jigwang answered.

 

As if waiting for this moment, the long-haired man took out a business card from his pocket and offered it, saying,

 

“Nice to meet you. I’m Shim Junseok, and I run the Happiness Office.”

 

Kang Ian briefly examined the business card he received.

 

[Happiness Office]

 

– CEO: Shim Joon-seok

 

‘Office?’

 

Team Leader Lee Jigwang pointed to the chairs.

 

“Let’s not stand around like this. Have a seat, CEO Shim.”

 

Judging by the empty cups on the table, it seemed like the two had been waiting for quite some time.

 

After ordering fresh coffee, they began their conversation.

 

“Did the Black Gate raid go well?”

 

“Yes. I understand why Red Rose Guild is a Tier 1 guild. They finished it cleanly without a single casualty.”

 

“Team Leader Choi is quite skilled.”

 

Team Leader Lee Jigwang couldn’t hide his regret as he said so.

 

After all, they had lost the priority rights for the gate by a narrow margin.

 

“Sigh. If we had recruited Hunter Kang Ian earlier, we could have entered the Black Gate together. How many Core Stones did you get after clearing it?”

 

“One Core Stone, but I think there were three Skill Stones.”

 

“Three??”

 

Team Leader Lee Jigwang asked in surprise. 

 

Even CEO Shim Junseok looked just as surprised.

 

“What kind of amazing results are those…”

 

In Black Gates, hunters were guaranteed to obtain ‘Skill Stones’ which grant them random skills.

 

Usually, hunters obtained just one. If lucky, they got two.

 

Rarely, some got three or more.

 

Since each one was worth a fortune and essential for hunters, Team Leader Lee Jigwang felt even more regretful.

 

“Sigh…”

 

“Hyungnim, cheer up. Another good opportunity will come along.”

 

Shim Junseok consoled Team Leader Lee Jigwang, who couldn’t help but sigh.

 

“Well, yes. And Hunter Kang Ian, as you may have guessed, CEO Shim Junseok here really wanted to meet you.”

 

The baton of conversation naturally passed to Shim Junseok.

 

Shim Junseok quickly spoke up.

 

“Ahem. Actually, I asked Jigwang hyung here to arrange this meeting. He told me about a truly exceptional talent.”

 

Saying so, Shim Junseok stared intently at Kang Ian.

 

From the moment Kang Ian had walked into the café, he hadn’t taken his eyes off him.

 

‘An F-rank hunter who recently awakened. Yet, he’s talented enough to make hyungnim approach him first.’

 

He didn’t know the details of Kang Ian’s skills yet, or how much potential for growth he had.

 

However, Lee Jigwang’s endorsement alone made him someone worth meeting.

 

“I heard that Hunter Kang Ian doesn’t belong to a guild yet. So, I wanted to tell you about our office.”

 

“Really?”

 

As Kang Ian tilted his head, Shim Junseok continued.

 

“Are you familiar with the concept of an office?”

 

“Um, no. I don’t think I’ve heard of them.”

 

“Actually, the concept of an office isn’t that well-known, so it’s understandable that you wouldn’t know. Simply put, it’s a place that receives requests from various organizations and carries out the work.”

 

“Various organizations?”

 

“Yes. Guilds obtain gate entry permits from the government to enter gates and cooperate with dispatch requests, right? Offices handle a wider range of tasks. From government work to guild subcontracting, and even requests from private companies or individuals.”

 

“I see.”

 

Kang Ian nodded.

 

His eyes, which had been neutral at first, now gleamed with interest.

 

CEO Shim Junseok’s words were quite tempting.

 

‘This is really good.’

 

What was the reason he hadn’t immediately rejected the Hunter Association’s offer?

 

It was because government work wasn’t just about raiding gates; there were various other tasks.

 

He could diversify his sources of ‘Evil Soul’ and ‘Nobility’ through those.

 

But if he joined an office, wouldn’t he get the benefits of both guilds and the association?

 

“And more importantly, hunters belonging to an office have freedom.”

 

“Freedom…”

 

“Yes. You can work whenever you want, as much as you want. There isn’t the same level of obligation as in a guild. Actually, this is why many people choose to become freelancers.”

 

Of course, there were also many drawbacks.

 

No, in fact, the cons outweighed the pros.

 

Being a freelancer meant no regular salary.

 

Unless you were a proven hunter, no one would entrust requests to just anyone while paying a high price.

 

Therefore, most hunters who became freelancers were those who had made a name for themselves in large guilds.

 

“But if Hunter Kang Ian joins our office, you won’t have to worry about that. I have quite a wide network in the industry. There’s no such thing as not having enough work. If anything, there’s too much, haha.”

 

CEO Shim Junseok spoke confidently.

 

However, there was one thing he didn’t mention.

 

‘If you fail to meet expectations, the requests will gradually dry up and eventually disappear.’

 

In the end, all the office could do was provide requests and minimal management.

 

“So, would you be interested in joining our office?”

 

“Hmm…”

 

Kang Ian fell into thought. It wasn’t an easy decision.

 

If he was purely after money, a top-tier guild would be the best choice.

 

They could offer him a hefty salary.

 

On the other hand, becoming part of an office meant being a semi-freelancer.

 

He could earn as much as he worked, and enjoy freedom if he wanted.

 

What he gained would be directly proportional to his skills.

 

And Kang Ian was certain of one thing.

 

‘Even if I don’t know now, my skills will definitely be the best later.’

 

He didn’t take long pondering on it.

 

He opened his mouth.

 

“Could I try a mission first? I want to experience what it’s like.”

 

“Not a problem at all.”

 

CEO Shim Juseok smiled brightly.

 

“I set the meeting place at Seoul Station in anticipation of you saying that. We have a request from the police that our office received. Let’s do that together.”

 

Catching a villain requested by the police.

 

Upon hearing the details, Kang Ian’s first question came to mind.

 

‘A villain… Not a monster, huh. but if I catch a human villain, how much ‘Nobility’ will they give me?’

 

* * *

 

A building in Gangnam, Seoul.

 

This was the headquarters of Red Rose Guild, one of Korea’s top Hunter guilds.

 

A conversation was taking place on the 26th floor.

 

Choi Seobin, the leader of Team 2, was speaking passionately.

 

“Director, we absolutely must bring that hunter in.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

She spoke earnestly to a man in his 50s sitting behind a desk.

 

The dignified-looking man was Director Kim Panseok.

 

He listened intently to Choi Seobin’s words.

 

The topic was about recruiting a Hunter named Kang Ian.

 

Normally, such matters were decided by the HR department, but the recruitment offer they had approved wasn’t satisfactory.

 

A mere(?) 500 million won.

 

She felt it was a grossly insufficient amount to secure a major asset like Kang Ian.

 

That was why Team Leader Choi Seobin had come directly to the director.

 

“Team Leader Choi. No, Seobin. That Hunter awakened just over a week ago, right? He’s still F-rank.”

 

“That’s what his records say. But Director, you know my eye for talent. He’s a big catch. Not just any big catch—a once-in-a-lifetime find.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

Director Kim Panseok fell into thought.

 

Normally, he would have rejected her outright.

 

However, he had known Team Leader Choi Seobin since she was a rookie.

 

Back when the director was a team leader himself, he had trained her as a new hunter.

 

He knew she never spoke falsely.

 

‘If Seobin is this adamant about it…’

 

Director Kim Panseok, lost in thought, finally spoke.

 

“Alright. I’ll double it to 1 billion won using my discretion. 1 billion won signing bonus, 1 billion won annual salary. I’ll increase the options a bit too.”

 

“I’m still not satisfied with that.”

 

Team Leader Choi Seobin clicked her tongue.

 

The Kang Ian she experienced in the Black Gate didn’t seem like an F-rank Hunter at all.

 

Just based on his abilities, he was capable of entering at least E to D-rank dungeons, and his future potential was immeasurable.

 

Moreover, the more important thing was his mentality.

 

No matter how skilled someone was, without a strong mentality, they would falter, leading directly to death in actual combat.

 

‘His mentality is innate. As if heaven itself destined him to be a hunter.’

 

In her eyes, Kang Ian was a sleeping dragon about to soar into the sky.

 

And since he was currently without a contract, she felt as if he was a diamond scattered on the ground!

 

However, Director Kim Panseok was firm.

 

“What’s not to be satisfied with! Does this kind of contract make sense for an F-rank rookie? If others hear about this, they’ll say our guild is throwing money away.”

 

“Those words will disappear later. Hunter Kang Ian will soon be making waves, you’ll see.”

 

Although she said that, Team Leader Choi Seobin realized this was the limit.

 

A guild wasn’t a charity.

 

Investments needed cold logic and data—not just gut feelings.

 

Since the data Kang Ian could currently show was extremely limited, Director Kim Panseok had already stretched the limit quite a bit.

 

She sighed and bowed.

 

“Still, I appreciate it, Director.”

 

“If you appreciate it, then do me a favor. The police just requested backup. A villain escaped into the slums, and they need us to take care of it.”

 

“Ugh… I just returned from clearing the Black Gate not long ago.”

 

“…”

 

Director Kim Panseok simply stared at her without saying a word.

 

It was silent pressure.

 

It meant, ‘I accepted your request, so you have to pay the price.’

 

“Sigh… Fine. I’ll just go.”

 

“Thanks, Team Leader Choi. I have no one else to rely on these days. It would be troublesome if I sent some mediocre hunter and they got injured.”

 

Villains were humans. Unlike monsters, they had no patterns.

 

If it was a villain with special abilities, they could seriously injure or even kill someone if things went wrong.

 

And if a hunter died during a government-requested mission, it would be a huge liability for the guild.

 

It was better to send a reliable team leader.

 

“Alright. You have to keep your promise, too, Director. I’m telling you, if I bring him in, it’ll be a jackpot for our guild.”

 

“Alright, alright. I’ll report to the Guild Leader right away. I’ll probably get chewed out, but I’ll handle it. The location is near Myeongdong, so take a taxi. I’ll give you the corporate card.”

 

“No need. It’s not that expensive.”

 

Team Leader Choi Seobin coolly departed.