Chapter 9: Hunter Market Second-hand Trade >

Milamunt handed down the pickaxe as an inheritance and, as a bonus, left a question mark about proficiency.

The immediate task at hand was to get used to handling the pickaxe Picon.

It was speculated that the range would increase as proficiency went up, but that was just a guess.

To find out, there was no choice but to raise proficiency and use the pickaxe as a weapon.

Whirr. Thud!

Obihwan, who had entered the dungeon, swung the pickaxe recklessly to get used to it.

It wasn’t stylish, but the concentrated force at the tip and the impact felt incredibly refreshing.

‘Still, who made this pickaxe?’

The handle was a branch imbued with the breath of a spirit.

The pickaxe blade was mithril, lighter than iron. The materials were impressive, but the person who made it was even more remarkable.

‘Thinking about it only increases my curiosity.’

Putting it aside, he practiced throwing the pickaxe this time.

To hit a distant target, it seemed that intuition was most important.

The timing and force of releasing the handle, and the angle. There was no choice but to repeat it until it became second nature.

How many monsters were there? What was the scale of the dungeon? And what would happen after defeating the boss? In this situation where he knew nothing, Obihwan’s actions had to be cautious.

Whirr! Clang!

After repeated practice, he looked at his wristwatch; it was already 7 a.m. It was time for his siblings to wake up.

Obihwan opened the dimensional door and returned to the villa rooftop.

*

Naru Corporation, 8th Floor, Sales Department Chief’s Office.

“Team Leader Kim, Team Leader Kim. Why didn’t you just stop at a reasonable point? Even I thought you went too far.”

In just one day, Team Leader Kim’s face had become unrecognizably gaunt. His cheeks still jiggled, but his dark circles extended down to his mouth.

“Since it’s spilled milk. What are you going to do from now on? The chairman said to bring him back by any means necessary.”

“By what means… He’s already left the company.”

Thud!

Chief Pyo Changgi slammed the table and glared at Team Leader Kim.

“Would someone who’s left the company entertain clients until the night before? And all night long?”

“No… That kid was lying to the chairman…”

“Shit, the GPS shows everything. He went to the Olympic Park gate to do business, and even to a high-end sushi place for dinner. Where did he get the money? Just because he awakened, does that mean he suddenly has money? Idiot.”

“That’s what I mean… It’s really…”

“Really? Team Leader Kim. No, Kim Yeongok!”

“Yes…”

Team Leader Kim answered while staring blankly at Obihwan’s GPS trail.

“When did you start wetting your pants? I barely managed to stop the chairman from firing you.”

“That’s appreciated… But I really feel wronged.”

“I know, but what are you going to do? The chairman ordered it. No excuses, bring Obihwan back. If not, go and kneel before him.”

“Sigh…”

“Don’t sigh, you brat. If Obihwan joins a competitor’s sales team, the chairman will call you personally that day, got it?”

“…Understood.”

As Team Leader Kim tried to get up with his heavy body to leave the meeting room, Pyo Changgi continued.

“He’s E-class right after awakening. We’ll see, but do you know the chairman is secretly building a guild? He might not need a salesperson.”

Team Leader Kim’s face hardened even more. The chairman was now more concerned with filling the ranks of the guild with hunters, not a newly awakened salesperson.

“Since the chairman wants regular updates, keep your GPS on. If there’s a sauna nearby, you’re dead. Got it, Team Leader Kim?”

“Yes…”

‘This is really fucking ridiculous.’

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became at being pushed into this situation despite working hard for the company’s goals.

*

In the chairman’s office on the 12th floor of the same building.

The large window of the spacious office, befitting a boss’s room, provided a clear view of the surroundings. Of course, the buildings blocking the view made it difficult to enjoy the cityscape.

The chairman of Naru Corporation looked at the buildings obstructing the view and spoke.

“How does it feel to look down from a high place?”

“Maybe it feels like you own the world, some say.”

“Right. The guys on the rooftops of surrounding buildings probably feel the same. They look down on Naru Corporation.”

“Surely not. We’re still recognized in the industry….”

“Third place, third place. The building in front is a domestic top 5 pharmaceutical company. The one next to it is a top 6 construction company. The most frustrating thing is that the tallest building in this area is owned by the third-ranked guild in the country.”

The man, Sahohoon, closed his mouth.

“When will you catch up? Most CEOs of major companies hire A-class hunters, and you’re the best for the job.”

Though it seemed like a dismissive comment about the B-class hunter Sahohoon, his expression didn’t waver.

“To climb higher, you have to fight fiercely, but the gap with the top two has widened due to legal and regulatory issues.”

‘Legal and regulatory issues? You? Well, if we compare who’s dirtier, you might feel wronged.’

Sahohoon suppressed a sneer. The chairman he had known was far from clean.

But as an employee, it was necessary to provide appropriate responses.

“We’ll catch up soon. The plans are progressing smoothly.”

At that moment, the intercom announced that Chief Pyo Changgi was visiting. Due to the chairman’s order to report regularly, he quickly finished the report on Team Leader Kim and Obihwan.

After the sweating Pyo Changgi left, Sahohoon spoke.

“Is it really necessary to bring back someone who left on their own?”

“If a fish in the aquarium jumps out, you naturally look for it. You check the report for me.”

“Understood.”

The chairman didn’t particularly favor Obihwan. It was just the regret of losing a fish in the aquarium. That’s all.

Sahohoon opened the file left by Chief Pyo Changgi.

The report recorded Obihwan’s movements.

Tracking a former employee is illegal, but Naru Corporation didn’t care about such things.

*

Obihwan realized he was being tracked by GPS two days after his resignation.

“Thanks. I wouldn’t have known if it weren’t for you.”

– No problem. I had to tell you.

“Are you doing well? Sorry, that was a stupid question.”

– After you left, Team Leader Kim’s hysteria is off the charts. It’s even worse.

“At a time like this, it would be interesting if you awakened too.”

– Please, if that happened, I’d be happy. I’d quit and slap my resignation on Team Leader Kim’s face.

“Yeah, it’s not that easy. It’s hard to be cruel. Anyway, let’s have a drink soon.”

– Sure. Don’t forget me!

As soon as he hung up, Obihwan deleted all Naru Corporation-related apps and turned off his GPS.

‘The more I think about it, the more disgusting it feels.’

Things he tolerated as a salesperson now seemed absurd when he looked back.

They said to only do it during business hours, but eventually, he had to keep his location tracking on even on weekends. It was a company that trampled on personal freedom, and he had worked there for five years.

Reflecting on his activities from the Gangneung business trip to now, it didn’t seem like he could learn much.

At least it was fortunate to find out today.

‘I need to properly repay my junior.’

The cooldown time for reusing the dimensional door was 6 hours.

Obihwan used the day and night to enter and exit the dungeon.

During the day, he used his home, and at night, he used the rooftop.

However, he had to be careful on the rooftop because people sometimes came up.

The dimensional door, invisible to others, would be problematic if he suddenly appeared in the air and was seen.

*

After a week of training in the dungeon.

Unlike usual, Obihwan’s body was laden with rebar as he entered the dungeon.

Five large mousetraps ordered online.

He was now familiar with the pickaxe. Today, he planned to hunt monsters.

Starting from where he found the black iron, he moved forward with heightened alertness. After a while,

“Grrr!”

He encountered three hopgoblins. As Obihwan stepped back, they let out a roar and chased after him.

While retreating, he set up the mousetraps, and one of them got caught.

“Keek!”

The mousetrap’s sharp blades pierced the ankle as soon as it was stepped on. However, it was only designed to catch mice and couldn’t deal a fatal blow to a hopgoblin. It only momentarily immobilized it.

Initially, Obihwan had aimed for such a small opening. When the hopgoblins that stepped on the mousetraps screamed and wailed, Obihwan’s pickaxe cut through the air.

Thud!

Thanks to the practice, the pickaxe blade pierced the chest of a hopgoblin, and it fell.

The synchronization and summoning worked in tandem, allowing him to dispatch the remaining two in the same manner.

Picon proficiency 3, synchronization 0.15% increased.

Collecting three mana stones, Obihwan moved forward without hesitation. The mineral detection feature of the pickaxe Picon, which he had hoped for, remained silent.

‘If minerals were that easy to find, I’d be rich.’

He was satisfied with just the three mana stones.

After advancing about 100 meters,

Whoosh.

A bonfire in the cave? Moreover, when he saw the monsters around it, Obihwan was startled.

“Keeaaak!”

A dozen goblins and three hopgoblins. One of the hopgoblins gestured, and they charged at Obihwan like a pack of dogs.

‘Damn!’

Five mousetraps wouldn’t be enough.

‘Focus on the hopgoblins first.’

Though abrupt, Obihwan retreated persistently, throwing the pickaxe and repeating the synchronization and summoning.

Most of them were killed, leaving only four goblins standing.

‘To gain practical experience. This time, it’s close combat!’

He charged with the pickaxe in hand.

With each downward strike, a crack sound was heard as the sharp blade pierced the flesh.

“Gweeek!”

With the last goblin, the situation was resolved.

He collected 20 mana stones.

However, the aftertaste was not pleasant.

He had identified a problem during the fight.

The time it took to pull the pickaxe out of a monster’s body.

Or the gap in time for synchronization and summoning.

Ultimately, it was difficult to perform continuous attacks in close combat.

Without combo attacks, the pickaxe Picon was not suitable for fighting multiple enemies. Using another weapon would affect proficiency.

‘This is a dilemma.’

There was another issue.

The small cuts on his arms and legs. It happened because he raided without equipment.

It was absurd that he bought mousetraps but not protective gear.

‘There are things to save on. What did I think I was doing without investing?’

The lesson from the raid was the necessity of equipment and weapons.

For today, that was enough. Obihwan’s body, emerging from the air on the rooftop, was covered in monster and his own blood.

After showering, Obihwan opened an old, worn-out laptop to buy essential equipment for raids.

The search term was ‘Hunter Market’.

The largest equipment trading site in South Korea.

A hunter’s license code was required to join.

Ordinary people couldn’t access it.

The equipment offered by companies and individuals was abundant.

As Obihwan browsed, he marveled at the items and sighed at the prices.

‘I need to buy armor…’

For cost-effectiveness, he should buy second-hand.

While browsing, his eyes were drawn to a set of equipment someone had posted.

There were also gloves and shoes. The photos showed A-class quality, looking quite good.

Was the seller disposing of her husband’s items after a divorce? The ID seemed female, but the items were male.

Obihwan had a rough idea of the market prices for the equipment.

If he bought the same items new, the price would double. They weren’t crafted by a master but mass-produced, so there shouldn’t be much difference in performance between new and used.

The trading location wasn’t far. When he clicked the ‘Chat to Trade’ button, a warning message appeared.

– Pickaxe Warrior: Are they still for sale?

After about a minute, a reply came.

– Goddess Descent: Yes.

– Pickaxe Warrior: Can you lower the price? I just awakened, so I don’t have much money…

– Goddess Descent: 2.4 million.

– Pickaxe Warrior: Can you deduct the travel expenses? I live far away. 2.3 million.

Silence.

– Goddess Descent: 2.35 million. 50,000 won for travel expenses is a lot.

– Pickaxe Warrior: Understood. Is it possible in 30 minutes?

– Goddess Descent: You said you live far away.

– Pickaxe Warrior: I’m leaving with exactly 2.35 million.

Leaving home, Obihwan boarded a bus with an empty backpack.

The direct trading location was the Han River park in Jamsil.

It was a weekday afternoon, but there were many people.

Families on outings with children, couples on dates, and hunter guilds running in formation.

The sight of hunters running at incredible speeds along the riverbank was a common scene in the Han River.

‘Am I doing the right thing…’

Guilds have their own methods. They systematically train hunters with physical and weapon handling techniques.

In contrast, Obihwan insisted on self-study.

Would the freedom he gained be offset by ignorance and lack of knowledge? The information from random YouTube videos had its limits.

While Obihwan was lost in thought,

A woman approached the bench.

But it was a familiar face. Jo Eun-woo, the guild master of Ohjang Guild, whom he met at the Olympic Park gate incident.

“Um… Are you Goddess Descent…?”

Upon seeing Obihwan, she turned around in surprise. She was carrying a bundle of equipment.

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