"There are conditions, of course, but tell me, how much did your previous weapon cost?" Pulling his spear back the moment Johnathan tried to take it, Kang questioned right away.
"Sir, that spear was a gift, so I do not know its price. But I guess it was no less than a billion coins. While it was made of 10 A-ranked mana stones, some materials were added which most likely increased its price."
"I see, quite expensive for trash that broke right away." Coins were the global currency used for hunter-related items; it was something Kang knew very well. Regardless, coins could be easily changed to normal currency or used right away in some places.
"Nevertheless, I will prepare 10 of those and sell each for two billion. You may contact your superiors before I leave, but let's go back to our deal for now."
"Remember what I told you about establishing a guild? I want it to be globally recognized, and I would like a hunter certificate that is globally recognized as well. You see, I do not mind taking the hunter exam, but I do mind fools. You understand me, don't you?"
"Yes sir, is there anything I can help with?"
"Oh yes, I almost forgot. A phone and a spatial ring, as well as a decent residence and a building big enough for the guild office, all in the capital city, whatever its name is. Can I leave that to you as well?"
"No problem at all, Sir! Regarding the weapons, I can arrange for you to visit the main base among the reinforcements that would return. But unfortunately, I won't be able to accompany you, though I had a solution planned out already."
"You can stay, and I can handle myself. Here, it's all yours." Placing the spear on the table, Kang rested his back against the chair once again.
"Sir… I'd like to remember our savior's name, so if you don't mind, could you tell me your name?"
'Liu Kang would alert these fucking elders, but it could bring them trouble as well if they are associated with me. On the other hand, I prefer a code for the guild leader, like the one Strife used.' Thinking deeply about whether to give his true name or not, Kang weighed the pros and cons of revealing that he was alive.
"Hmm? My name is Shepherd, but do you know why?" Lifting his head up, Kang looked at the ceiling before questioning lightly, seemingly waiting for an answer.
"Never mind, I guess you will know later." Lowering his head, Kang spoke before looking at the door in front of him. Soon enough, the door was shot open as a couple of middle-aged men barged into the room unannounced, followed by a young girl and two older women.
"Looks like we have visitors, why don't you introduce them?" Looking at the unfamiliar faces, Kang activated his detection ability before glancing at Jonathan a moment later. So far, five of the eight standing before Kang were A-ranked, and the rest were B-rank, yet Jonathan introduced all of them as A-rank hunters, which made Kang suspicious about the inaccuracy of their measurement.
"Hmm, is that your relative?" Looking at the red-haired girl rushing toward Johnathan, her actions instantly gave away how close she was to him. Soon, Kang remarked on the similarity in appearances between both and decided to question directly after checking her info through detection.
[Human (A)]
[Description: Frail yet smart species with low potential. They tend to adapt quickly.]
Although the hair color didn't match, her facial features were quite similar. Meanwhile, she was not in military attire like those who were accompanying her. Instead, she was dressed in casual attire consisting of a black shirt and short jeans.
"Yes, she is my niece, Sir. She will be accompanying you in my place. Introduce yourself, Yuna."
"Hello sir, I'm Yuna Steele, an A-rank hunter!" Hearing Jonathan's words, the girl stepped forward toward Kang before bowing in respect. A moment later, Yuna was done, and the rest similarly introduced themselves to her.
"How old are you, Yuna?" Standing up from his chair, Kang made his way to her. As much as he could guess, the girl seemed too young to be involved in military affairs, much less a hunter. In the end, if she was young enough to take under his wing, then he didn't hesitate to do so. Now standing next to her, Kang noticed the fact that she was quite close to him in height, contrary to his thoughts.
"I'm twenty, Sir." Hearing her words, Kang smiled internally, knowing she had long enough to live. In that case, he didn't hesitate to offer her work under him. Although he was quite younger than her, Kang didn't intend to reveal his age.
"Listen, Yuna. Would you like to join the Golden Sun? I guarantee you enough power to rival those so-called S-rank hunters and two A-ranked mana stones as a yearly payment. That's aside from the 5 percent you will get from every raid."
Considering the A-ranked stones cost a hundred million each, Kang decided to offer two as a yearly payment even though he didn't know how much the hunters were paid. Regardless, getting those stones was quite easy for him, and the more hunters he had, the more mana stones he would be able to acquire.
"Of course, that's only in case you follow my orders diligently enough to repay the time investment I put in you. Otherwise, you will just remain an A-ranked hunter, and your contract might be nullified as well."
"Yes, I'm gladly willing to work under you, Sir!" Hearing her answer, Kang patted her on the shoulder before asking her to confirm, as he could easily sense her resolve. It was very clear to him that she was desperately seeking power, even though she was an A-ranked hunter.
"Tell me, what pushes you forward? It seems like you are not satisfied with being an A-ranked hunter, are you?"
"It's quite a sensitive topic, sir. Her father met his demise against the rift's boss despite being an S-ranked hunter, and since then, no one dared go there because that horror's roar could effortlessly render A-ranked hunters useless. In the end, fending off the beasts was quite enough for us to survive."
"My condolences, Yuna. But lift up your head and turn that hatred into strength."
"You will eventually come face to face with your enemy sooner or later. Although I can't guarantee victory, you should believe in me since we are in the same boat." Although Kang couldn't feel anything like sorrow, it didn't hurt him to simply express it through his words.
A little later, the group was ready to head back to the main base alongside Kang.