"Hey, isn't that Mr. Koo? Did you get the text too?"
"Team Leader Kim? Nice to see you here again."
Seeing the familiar face, Koo scratched his head and said hello.
"What's going on, anyway? The president of the association has called all of us low-rank hunters together."
At that, Koo Dae-sung realized that the Hunters gathered here were all D-rank… or at most C-rank Hunters.
He wondered if they were trying to recruit new employees, but the Association's salaries are not high to say the least. If you're trying to make ends meet, it's not a very attractive prospect.
Of course, if you're a member of the Association, they tend to give you decent weapons and supplies.....
He wondered how long they had to wait until they saw a group of Association employees in the distance, approaching them.
"Oh… it's Ms. Han Ha-ri."
"Han Ha-ri, the Flame Swordsman?"
"I heard she broke the record for the highest price in last year's draft."
The young woman's braided red hair was impressive, and her admiring gaze made Koo Dae-sung inwardly envy Ha-ri.
How could he not be jealous that someone twelve years younger than him was being honored with such a brilliant talent?
Soon, however, another celebrity that Ha-ri couldn't compare to appeared.
"His Majesty Leon Dragonia Lionheart!"
Leon is politely escorted to the podium by the Association's staff.
"Heh...."
When Dae-Sung saw Leon on the news about the closing of the Cheongju Gate, he was stunned.
Leon Dragonia Lionheart was a survivor and the king of a kingdom destroyed by demons.
He knew the blond man he met at the test was out of the ordinary but he had no idea Leon was a survivor.
'That's why he was so strong....'
Survivors are special people. They were great men and women who had survived the destruction of their world, heroes with special powers, unlike ordinary people like him.
Now that he's cleared the Cheongju Gate, he'll continue to rise.
It's already being said that Leon should be promoted to S-class Hunter even though he's been a D-grade for 10 years....
Koo Dae-sung was honestly envious of him, envious of his strength, envious of the fame he was going to get.
Anyone would be like that and he wanted to be like that too.... But the reality is harsh. He couldn't be like him so there's no reason to think about it.
"Gather round, you have been summoned for a reason."
The Hunters stirred at Leon's words. It was Leon, not the President, who summoned them?
And if so, what is the relationship between the President and Leon?
Did the survivor named Leon decide to join the Hunter's Association?
With speculation flying and the local broadcast showing no signs of slowing down, Ha-ri shouted into the microphone.
"Silence, His Majesty speaks!"
Awkwardly, the Hunters stopped talking at her words and only when they all looked at him did Leon speak.
"I will recruit soldiers to join the Ten Thousand Gods Guild. Only those who are worthy, those who have proven themselves and those who have endured the training will be allowed the honor of entering the gates of this king."
""?????""
The Hunters were dumbfounded by Leon's words.
But aside from that, the idea of being the next S-class Hunter and joining the guild of a survivor was very appealing.
In the top 10 guilds in Korea with S-class hunters, the lowest cut is B-class. Even if they don't make it, they're at the upper end of Class C, where Class B growth is likely.
It was common for hunters who were class C or D hunters to have to work in small and medium-sized guilds or as porters because they weren't good enough.
To them, the invitation to join an S-ranked Hunter's guild was too tempting.
"Hey, is it okay for anyone who wants to join?"
"Enlistment. Anyway…not just anyone can join. You'll have to pass a test."
At Leon's words, the Hunters were tempted to just do a little test, but they didn't see it as a big deal.
As a bunch of D-list hunters like themselves they didn't think they would make the cut. And then there were those who saw it as a great opportunity and were passionate about it.
"No, I'll do it! Unconditionally!"
Like Koo Dae-sung, there were those who wanted honor and growth to enter Leon's gates.
"Then let's get right to it! We'll proceed with the practical test. The test is… clearing the Three Regions Gate, which was bid on by His Majesty's Ten Thousand Gods Guild!"
"The Three Regions Gate?"
It was a familiar neighborhood for him since Koo Dae-Sung had gone to high school nearby.
The Hunters immediately used their phones to search for gates in the Three Regions Gate.
"Uh… it's a yellow grade."
"What?"
"How are we supposed to clear it?"
Gates are categorized into black, red, orange, yellow, green, and blue.
The gate at Seoul Station, which is used as a test for D-rank Hunters, is rated blue.
Given that most of the Hunters here are Class C or D, their toughest targets are yellow, where they act as porters.
"This is ridiculous! You want us to clear the yellow level by ourselves? You're asking us to die!"
"What kind of test is this?"
The room echoed as more than 100 people shouted.
"If you don't want to continue you're welcome to leave."
"Ha! You don't really think I'm not going to leave when you ask me to leave."
"What a waste of time!"
One by one, the hunters leave.
Koo Dae-Sung glanced at Ha-ri and Leon, hoping to stop them, but they showed no sign of stopping them.
More than half the hunters were gone, and less than fifty remained when Leon stood up.
"'You there, the one who looks like he got hit by a bomb."
"Yeah, yeah!"
The afro-haired Hunter stammered back.
"Why did you stay?"
"Well, it's just…I thought it might all have a deeper meaning...."
"I see. You there. Why did you stay?"
"I, I… I just stayed."
Even with that answer, Leon nodded and turned his attention to Koo Dae-Sung.
"Why did you stay?"
Koo Dae-sung replied in a voice that was both embarrassed and excited that Leon was speaking to him from such a great height.
"I didn't think you would let us die, so I stayed!"
"Hmm. You're determined, that's good."
Leon tapped him on the shoulder and it was strangely not unpleasant. On the contrary, it was encouraging.
"This king said he's here to recruit soldiers."
It was a difference in words, but a big difference.
"The virtue of a soldier is obedience so do not question your knight's orders. Trust in the honor of the knight, trust in the strength of the knight; that is all that is required of you."
In short, he'd pick the one who listened.
"We're going! Get your supplies and be ready."
The fifty or so Hunters quickly donned their gear and headed for the Three Regions Gate.
* * * *
"Hmmm… a little heavy."
Koo Dae-sung agreed with Kim's small complaint.
He and the other applicants to join the Then Thousand Gods Guild were all heavily armed.
With the exception of the ranged dealers, the melee fighters all wore a common set of equipment: shields and armor.
"I'm a dealer...."
Instead of his usual longsword, Koo Dae-sung picked up a shield and a one-handed sword. This would make it difficult for him to use his usual sword techniques.
"Still, your equipment is good. Isn't it all rare? It must have cost 10 million won."
The hunter's equipment that Leon had purchased at his own expense from the Daelong Group's Daelong Iron and Steel were high-end items that even D-class hunters couldn't afford.
Weapons and armor are inherently consumable, so it's not easy for a low-rank Hunter like Koo Dae-sung to spend a lot of money on equipment.
But with Leon paying for all of their equipment, they were able to equip themselves with luxuries they never thought possible.
"Really…he's not going to just let us die."
"He said it was a test."
Apparently, this otherworldly king may have a strange personality, but he's not stingy.
"But he's actually a bit skimpy with his clothes."
"I know."
Leon is dressed in casual clothes and aside from a rather ragged-looking leather jumper, he wears no armor.
"Mr. Han Ha-ri."
"Yeah, what's up? Hunter Koo Dae-sung?"
Han Ha-ri also wore armor.
"Leon ──"
Ha-ri interrupted Dae-Sung.
"Shhh! You can't call His Majesty's name without permission, he'll be angry!"
"Ah… is that so, then why doesn't His Majesty… wear armor?"
"Because His Majesty's skin is harder than armor."
"????"
* * * *
What the Hunters saw when they entered the Three Regions Gate was a field reminiscent of the vast European meadows.
In this day and age, such a vast expanse of nature is breathtaking to behold.
"At least we won't have to fight while inhaling smoke."
Not all gates are this pleasant, especially the cave dungeon gates, which are often filled with heat from the aftermath of battle.
'The quest is....'
Koo Dae-Sung wasn't distracted by the natural surroundings and went straight to the quest.
[You are mercenaries from the outside. In this great steppe where tribal wars are raging, choose one of the two tribal alliances and lead them to victory]
"Hmm… an NPC-assisted quest."
Just like the Cheongju Gate or the Hunan Plains Gate, the gate will naturally close after clearing the quest.
"Mr. Koo, it's a faction quest, right?"
"Yes. It seems that you have to take the side of one of the two warring tribal confederations and lead them to victory."
It was the same thing no matter which side they picked.
"The question is, which side is easier to support?"
In these optional quests, the reward depends on the choice you make. The problem is how to figure that out but the moment of truth came quickly.
"Hey, everybody, look over there! I think it's a monster!"
The Hunters' gazes snapped up at the shout, where a group of hulking figures were walking toward them.
Fangs jutting out. Massively muscled, huge axes. Green-skinned. They were....
"Oh, orcs?!"
"Orcs!"
Orcs, humanoids that are almost as common as goblins in fantasy-type gates.
"Seriously, you can't be talking about a tribal war...."
"A war of orcs!?"
Dozens of orcs approached and an orc who rode up to them on a large boar spoke in a booming voice.
"Who are you? This is the territory of our Warhammer Tribe, and you have invaded our territory!"
Koo Dae-Sung hurriedly approached Ha-ri and Leon to ask about their course of action.
"Uhm… Your Majesty, for now, why don't we follow the quest?"
"...As you wish."
Leon narrowed his brow, but left the judgment to Ha-ri. She looked at the quest window and took it as her line for the quest.
"We're mercenaries! We're here to help the tribe in exchange for rewards."
"Mercenaries?"
The orcs tilt their heads at Ha-ri's words, then nod in agreement.
"These must be the outsiders the chieftain was talking about, follow me!"
Thanks to the quest scenario, the orcs accepted the Hunters with ease, and they entered a camp set up by dozens of orcs.
"Welcome, mercenaries. I am Karta Karak, chieftain of the Warhammer Tribe."
"Call me Han Ha-ri."
Han Ha-ri awkwardly greeted the leader, as she naturally became the spokesperson when Leon didn't step forward.
"Hmm, I heard you'd have some useful mercenaries, but you're not as useful as I thought."
"Haha...."
"We are currently in the midst of a great battle to determine the Great Chieftain of the Grasslands. The tribes are sending their warriors to fight, and whoever wins will be closer to becoming the Great Chieftain."
'Such a quest.'
Koo Dae-Sung flipped through the guidebooks he'd kept in his head, having read countless examples of how to attack the gate.
Orcs are a warlike race that loves to fight and decides everything by war.
While they were generally hostile to all other races, they tended to respect warriors and value honorable combat.
In short, it's easy to win their favor if you fight well.
'The rewards for quests involving orcs are mainly weapons, but if you're lucky, you might get an elemental weapon or the ability to communicate with spirits from a shaman.'
Elementalists are a rare breed among Hunters and once you master the skill, you're guaranteed to reach at least a B-rank, so it's known among Hunters as the lotto of Orc quests.
The Heart of an Orc Warrior is a powerful magical ingredient that can be used as a permanent body enhancer. It was also called the lotto of lower-level Hunters.
But that's not all as every single Orc is at least a Rank C monster. They are powerful monsters, averaging about B-rank.
On top of that, they almost always move as a unit, and the rewards are not worth the trouble.
As a result, orc gates are terrible, with many players reselling their gates after they've won the auction.
'Still, there are dozens of tribes fighting, so we might get lucky and get one or two.'
While Koo Dae-Sung expressed his vague expectations, Karta Karak blew out a thick breath and clenched his fists.
"Support our Warhammer tribe. Greater wars! More honorable deaths! He who wins shall have it all!"
"Hmph."
That was it. The cynical sneer on his face was unmistakable.
"Who are you?"
"Uh, not me!"
A Hunter waved his hand in the air, stunned by the momentum of Karta Karak but just then, Leon stepped forward.
"I'm afraid I'm not going to have any of this."
"Your Majesty?"
Ha-ri was taken aback by Leon's sudden move, but she didn't dare stop him.
"You're…a strong warrior, and with a warrior like you helping us, the showdown will be our honorable victory──"
"Honor? You're a brute, with no idea what you're talking about!"
"Insulting me──!"
It was that moment. Leon's sword flashed out of thin air, and in the blink of an eye, it sliced through Karta Karak's neck.
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
"No, what!"
The orcs, and even the Hunters, stiffened in horror. Leon, however, points his holy sword and declares with a mischievous expression.
"You will die, not as honorable warriors, but as worms waiting for the ground, for that is the eternal justice!"
Leon Dragonia Lionheart is a super orc racist and the Legendary Orc Butcher who buried 8,769,653 orcs.