Chapter 21 …
“Hidden-Power Public Servant Possesses Too Well”Wow.
Selling my life for two hundred million won is shockingly easy.
That’s what I was thinking as I looked at Chief Gil showing me the items.
“These are offensive types, and these are defensive. Use whatever you want.”
I stared at the items—torn, soaked, and smeared with something sticky that might’ve been blood—and grabbed a few that seemed usable.
Seeing that, Chief Gil slumped into the waiting room sofa and lit a cigarette.
“The one next to that is better, though. Just use that one.”
“This is fine.”
“Ha… I was really planning to quit this business, but how can I say no when Miss Lee asks?”
This damn thug.
Chief Gil was a cursed sort of benefactor. Back when I was studying for the Hunter civil service exam and had no money, he always found day jobs for me.
Thanks to that, I made decent money…
but also nearly lost an arm in an illegal dungeon raid because of some urgent debt.
‘I swear, if quitting this business because of Miss Lee ruins everything I’ve been setting up, she’s taking responsibility! Do you know how badly things almost got messed up because of her?!’
He’d yelled like that taking me, injured, to a healer’s hospital.
Back then, I only worried whether I’d get paid.
Now, thinking about it gives me chills.
Because later, I found out what “business” he planned to start after clearing that illegal dungeon using us.
He was planning exactly this:
Throwing low-ranked hunters into fights against monsters inside an illegal arena.
Like ancient Rome—throwing gladiators into a pit with lions and watching for entertainment.
They build a ring, set up reinforced cages, put a monster and a hunter in 1:1—
‘Record it and let VIPs watch.’
Normally, if an A-rank Hunter fights a solo A-rank monster, their win rate is about 80%.
But here?
They drag in a low-ranked hunter and toss in a monster one rank higher—sometimes two ranks higher.
And the result?
‘Obvious, isn’t it?’
Most of them die.
But this insane business makes money.
Because in this world, there are plenty of rich bastards who get pleasure out of hurting others while spending money.
And…
‘One of them is Choi Min-cheol.’
I recalled the original novel.
Choi Woo-jin’s cousin—
an even worse scumbag than Woo-jin.
Black-haired foreigner.
Kevin Choi.
I remembered everything about that criminal.
“So, your brother’s really sick? That money’ll save him?”
“They said the surgery success rate is higher if he goes to the U.S.…”
“Aigoo, poor thing. Miss Lee, your brother’s the only family you’ve got.”
Chief Gil stubbed out his cigarette on the desk and stood up, patting my shoulder.
“Technically, you can stop the match mid-way if you want. But the penalty fee is triple.”
…These bastards.
I cursed them in my mind and kept a calm face on the outside.
Right now I’m supposed to be someone with a sick brother… desperate… hopeless…
‘I’m sorry, Lee Yookyum.’
“Just dodge well and hold out, Miss Lee. I believe in you. You survived that other dungeon too, remember?”
Ha. You mean the illegal raid where everyone almost died?
I almost lost control of my expression when the door opened.
Someone called for Chief Gil.
As he left, he threw one last blessing-or-curse at me.
“If something happens to you, I’ll make sure your brother gets to go to college. Don’t worry.”
…Was I supposed to say thank you?
I bowed awkwardly—and then an all-too-familiar face walked into the waiting room.
“Oh, you’re here? Right, I forgot to tell you. Today’s match is a two-to-one. You two will fight together. You know each other, right?”
The man walked in hesitantly, saw my face—
—and froze.
“You… why are you here?”
Ji Won-gil.
An E-rank hunter I’d met during an illegal raid. Same age as me—
‘DUCK!’
…and I saved his life back then.
“Why is he here?”
Won-gil turned pale and asked Chief Gil.
“Why else? To make money. Today’s special—two attackers. Hope you both take home your pay. Good luck.”
Chief Gil grinned and left.
Won-gil marched toward me, furious.
“Get out.”
“I literally just came in.”
“Do you even know what kind of ‘job’ this is?! Didn’t you say you got hired?!”
…Right.
This guy knew about that.
“Well… I did. But I got fired.”
“What? You only just started training!”
True.
What sounds believable in such a short time?
“I needed money urgently.”
So I picked something simple among all the crimes I’d learned about at the Bureau.
“Embezzlement.”
His jaw dropped.
“You? You cared more about people than money—you were the one trying to save all of us—and you embezzled company funds? I thought you were a civil servant—”
I cut him off before he said something dangerous.
“What about you? You came because your dad caused trouble again?”
Originally, Won-gil was a normal college student.
Well—“normal” for Korea.
Smart, like my brother Yookyum—brilliant type.
Even without being a hunter, he could’ve passed the national civil exam easily.
He was studying for the administrative exam, and from what I saw, he would’ve passed soon.
‘The problem was his dad kept causing financial disasters.’
So he ran raids to clean up his father’s messes.
“My dad… passed away.”
“……!”
I didn’t know what to say.
Won-gil gave a hollow laugh and sat on the sofa.
“Congratulations, I guess. I passed the exam. Civil Administration Bureau. General Administration. Grade 4.”
What the hell.
That’s higher rank than me.
I’m jealous as hell.
Wait…
“Then why are you here…?”
Isn’t this a death match no one usually walks out of?
“My dad left debts with guarantors before he died. My mom inherited them. I really wanted to cut ties with my family but…”
A tragic story, again.
“Every time life gets bearable, someone tells me to die again. I’m tired. I just want it over with this time.”
His eyes were empty.
Resigned.
Maybe he thought death was the only escape left.
“I’m sorry. You saved my life, and now I’ll just lose it. You should go. I’ll hold out thirty minutes and deal with the penalty myself…”
As he spoke grimly, I hesitated—and opened my mouth.
“Um… actually…”
“…?”
“I don’t think we’re going to die.”
Probably a mean thing to say to someone ready to accept death—
“But I actually passed the Hunter Crimes Division exam. I’m undercover right now.”
I smiled stupidly.
“Can you help me out a bit?”
If you don’t want to die.
