Chapter 23
The villain organization known as “Hydra”—its purpose, size, and composition were all mysteries.
In her previous life, the Association had conducted an investigation into them.
But Saebyeok felt the limits of relying on the Association’s methods.
It wasn’t just the lack of manpower or funding. The greatest problem was that the Association, as an official organization, operated in the open and was bound by endless legal and diplomatic restrictions.
Even to conduct a simple search, they had to go through the tedious process of applying for warrants. And when leads pointed abroad, they had to send official cooperation requests to the local Hunter Associations and wait for approval, wasting precious time.
And even then, the investigation was never fully free due to considerations of diplomacy, society, and law.
In the end, Saebyeok of her previous life had managed to uncover just one more Hydra head before the investigation had to be abandoned.
“Please track down the remaining heads and recover all their records. If, in the process, you can uncover Pandora’s identity, that would be even better.”
The Black Dragon Guild, which operated more from the shadows than in the light, could carry out an investigation far more swiftly and deeply than the Association.
“All I know is that the cult leader we caught yesterday was the ninth and last of Hydra’s nine heads.”
Now that Saebyeok had returned from the future, she had to think not only of <Destruction>, but also of the massive villains that would plunge the world into chaos.
But she didn’t even have enough time to pour into the <Scenario>. She couldn’t afford to waste time chasing down minor issues across the country and abroad.
So she intended to entrust that role to the Black Dragon Guild and Hwang Taesan.
“And this is just my hunch, but the one who was giving the cult leader orders and receiving reports from him seems to be in China.”
Saebyeok gestured toward the pile of weapons taken from Scavenger Guild members stacked beside the old craftsman.
“The trade between the cult leader and the Scavenger Guild worked like this: the leader supplied weapons and potions, and Scavenger brought him sacrificial offerings in exchange. Most of those weapons turned out to be Chinese-made.”
In her past life, she’d had to chase down the villain’s past activities and even request cooperation from China to discover this fact.
She was glad she could skip all of that this time, saving precious investigative time. That meant they’d be able to uncover even more clues.
“Is the reason you’re entrusting this to the Black Dragon Guild because I’m half Chinese?”
Hwang Taesan snapped his notebook shut, frowning.
But Saebyeok quickly shook her head.
“No, that’s really just a coincidence.”
Worried she might have hurt his pride, she held up both palms and waved them quickly, insisting on her innocence.
And in truth, it really hadn’t been intentional.
“The Dangun Guild won’t move for anything that doesn’t make money. The East Sea Guild doesn’t care about anything outside the Yeongnam region. And as for the Glory Guild… well, I don’t think I need to explain.”
She laid out her reasoning.
“The Association’s procedures and regulations would only drag the investigation out. By then, the villains would already have run. That’s the same reason I attacked their hideout myself last night.”
Hearing her reasoning—that it was the best way to minimize victims—Hwang Taesan quietly nodded in agreement.
“In fact, it might have been a stroke of luck that the one I’m entrusting this to is you, Hunter Hwang Taesan. You speak Chinese, after all, right?”
“…I do.”
“And frankly, the Black Dragon Detective Agency has the highest success rate in the business.”
“…That’s true.”
Despite being called a detective agency, it was closer to a mercenary guild.
The Black Dragon Guild didn’t just take small requests like finding missing people or doing corporate background checks. If the job’s intent or nature appealed to them, they would often accept large and complicated commissions too.
And those “appealing” jobs usually meant protecting civilians or hunting villains.
“I’ll hand over those weapons as both investigation materials and payment for the request.”
That was why, even though Hwang Taesan seemed lukewarm on the surface, Saebyeok knew his heart was burning with interest.
She was confident he would accept the commission, and so she pressed the matter.
“They’re all cheap stuff, but if you break them down you’ll find some usable materials. You could use them for rookie training too.”
They were all low-grade, but selling the whole lot would easily fetch over a billion won.
More than enough to cover the request.
Saebyeok rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper—the receipt from an iced Americano she’d bought on the way here.
Taking the pencil stuck in her hair, she wrote her phone number on the back of the receipt and handed it to Hwang Taesan.
“I’d appreciate it if you could give me weekly updates on the investigation. And if you need anything more, don’t hesitate to call.”
Then she turned to the old craftsman and patted his shoulder.
“Gramps, how long will that take?”
“With one kilogram of adamantium, I’ll be lucky to make even one.”
The old man had already finished analyzing the key with all his skills and was preparing to replicate it.
“That’s enough.”
What mattered now wasn’t the number, but whether replication was even possible and what changes would occur.
“If we get more, you can make more then. For now, just one as fast as possible.”
“Come back tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? That soon? I hope you’re not sacrificing quality just to be quick.”
“Hah! Kid, do you even know who you’re talking to?”
The old man put on his work goggles and thumped his chest with a hammer.
“I am Korea’s first blacksmith, and its only A-rank artisan! You dare talk to me about quality?”
Fwoosh! Clang! Kaang!
Flames burst from his mouth, instantly heating the adamantium.
As he hammered away, Saebyeok chuckled and straightened her back.
“I was planning to register with the Association tomorrow anyway. I’ll stop by before that.”
“I’ll bring it myself.”
At that moment, Hwang Taesan cut in.
“You will, Hunter Hwang Taesan?”
“I’d rather not imagine how much that slippery guy will yap if I don’t show my face when a new S-rank hunter of Korea is born.”
He gave his newspaper a little shake, clearly referring to Hunter Kim I-han, who was already acting like he had exclusive rights over Han Saebyeok in front of the media.
“I’m also curious about that item’s performance. And…”
His eyes swept over the pile of weapons.
“I’ll have them properly appraised and pay their true value tomorrow.”
“But I said they’re for the commission fee.”
“Covering the Seoul Station Break on our behalf was already payment enough.”
He handed back the iron pipe she’d used, slung across his back until now.
“And I want to thank you for minimizing the casualties.”
“…Oh.”
Saebyeok hadn’t expected gratitude at all. She awkwardly accepted the pipe.
But the moment her fingers closed around it, she burst into laughter.
<Item: Club of Gratitude (D)>
Once just a lump of scrap metal by the roadside, this pipe has been redefined as a righteous club that saved hundreds thanks to a hunter. Reborn through the help of another hunter wishing to express gratitude, it now holds passion and wit.
Passive – “Discreet Camouflage”: Worried that its shabby appearance might cause it to be ignored, the weapon adapts its shape so as not to inconvenience its user, always following them wherever they go.
Skill – “Bold Chivalry”: Born from saving those in danger, it cannot tolerate injustice. It resonates with ambient mana to draw enemy aggro.
“What is this! Don’t tell me you modified it?”
There was no way a pipe lying around could suddenly become a weapon. That kind of thing might happen inside a dungeon, but not in the real world.
Which meant—this was Hwang Taesan’s doing.
“It’s not even some ‘rod of love.’ What is this supposed to be, hahaha!”
As she laughed, Hwang Taesan’s gaze fixed deeply on her.
Without anyone noticing, his sharp eyes softened, and the corners of his mouth curved ever so slightly.
“I only asked for its latent potential to be drawn out, and this is what came of it.”
“You didn’t ask Gramps to modify it, did you? He must have cursed you out, asking what the hell you were making him build.”
“…He did.”
Both of their gazes shifted to the old craftsman.
But the old man, unconcerned with the past, was wholly absorbed in replicating the key, paying them no attention.
That only made the scene funnier, and Saebyeok’s laughter grew louder.
And with it, the corners of Hwang Taesan’s mouth lifted even more—though he himself didn’t notice.
“I didn’t go hunting expecting to be rewarded, but… thank you anyway.”
As she accepted it, the pipe—or rather, the Club of Gratitude—let out a hum.
Recognizing its new owner, it vibrated and began changing its shape.
As if trying on different forms to find the right one, it shifted from a baseball bat to a belt, then into a backpack, then a bangle, and finally transformed into a silver hairpin, nestling beside the pencil in her hair.
“Well, I guess I’ll never have to worry about being without a weapon again.”
Ironically, that tied neatly into the weakness she’d confessed to him just a moment ago.
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow at the Association—”
Just as she was about to take her leave, her phone buzzed in her pocket.
“Huh? Why’s he calling at this hour… Ah, excuse me. I’ll get going. See you tomorrow.”
Seeing her brother’s name on the screen, Saebyeok gave Hwang Taesan a quick bow and turned away.
“Hello—”
—“Hey! Are you out of your mind?!”
The moment she answered, Han Saejin’s furious voice exploded through the line.
“Why are you swearing at me out of nowhere—”
—“It’s one thing to cause trouble, but how could you bring back a child?!”
