Park Soobin, who was kind to everyone but especially so to Yoon Seo, smiling more often when he was with him, seemed more interested in Yoon Seo than the chatter happening elsewhere.
"I've never been inside a dungeon."
"Really? Usually, people go at least once to see if it suits their abilities."
"It's obvious even without trying. I'm a coward."
"Yoon Seo, your skills are in the protection category, right? That's technically combat-oriented. What a waste. Do you have any offensive skills at all?"
"None. What about you, Soobin?"
"I also only have healing and defensive skills. I'm purely a healer."
"If you're a healer, there must be plenty of places asking for you. Why are you here, struggling with us?"
At Yoon Seo's comment, Park Soobin chuckled softly.
"That depends on the healer. C-grade healers aren't that popular."
With a laugh, Park Soobin poured a drink into Yoon Seo's glass. Yoon Seo, in turn, filled Park Soobin's glass and activated a skill.
[The
A translucent window visible only to Yoon Seo appeared before him.
[Encyclopedia of People: Park Soobin, 30 years old, Male
Grade: A
(Currently disguised as C-grade with the item 'Masquerade')
Trait: Healer
(Protected by the God of Light)
(Protected by the God of Love)
Skills:
Special Skills:
*Additional statuses can only be viewed in dungeons.]
It was the same status window he had seen when Park Soobin was recruited last year. The 'Masquerade' was an A-grade item that allowed the user to alter one category of their system profile, such as grade, traits, or skills, at will. However, it didn't work against Yoon Seo's
The first time he saw it, he had a hard time keeping a straight face. A-grade hunters were a rarity, with only about a thousand in the world. Yet, one of those high-ranking hunters had disguised himself as a C-grade and joined a minor guild with almost no presence. When Yoon Seo discreetly probed the guild master, even he believed Park Soobin was a C-grade.
'Someone I know introduced him to me. He awakened five years ago as a C-grade healer. We needed a healer anyway, and he seemed like a good person, so I brought him in right away.'
When Yoon Seo traced the introduction back through various connections, it led him to dead ends. The chain of introductions was too long and fragmented to investigate further.
'A person with blessings from two gods and even an S-grade skill, it's uncommon.'
The fact that someone like that had disguised himself as a C-grade to join this minor guild could only mean he had a hidden agenda.
But why? What reason would an A-grade hunter have to infiltrate such a lackluster place? At first, Yoon Seo thought it might be curiosity. However, if it were mere curiosity, he wouldn't have stayed here for an entire year, wasting his time. No matter how much Yoon Seo racked his brain, he couldn't guess the reason.
"Yoon Seo, what are you thinking so deeply about?"
Park Soobin lightly tapped Yoon Seo's shoulder. Yoon Seo answered smoothly.
"I wasn't thinking about anything. By the way, thank you for your efforts yesterday. I'm glad you returned safely."
The dungeon cleared by the strategy team yesterday was a B-grade navy-colored explosion-type dungeon that had appeared deep in the mountains of Chungbuk.
Dungeons are categorized by type, grade, and color.
First, there are two dungeon types: the explosion type and the flood type. The former refers to a type where, once the dungeon's timer runs out, the dungeon and the surrounding area explode. The latter refers to a type where monsters inside the dungeon overflow outward, much like a collapsed dam.
Next, the grade indicates the level of the boss monster appearing in the dungeon, ranging from F-grade to S-grade.
Lastly, the color refers to the portal's color when the dungeon appears. There are five levels: Red, Orange, Yellow, Navy, and Green. This criterion represents the danger level of the dungeon's terrain.
For example, if the portal color is green, even an A-grade dungeon is considered safe as long as the boss is dealt with. Such dungeons are easy to gather byproducts like herbs, ores, or monster hides, so they're often called "herbal dungeons."
Conversely, even an F-grade dungeon with a bright red portal might mean the boss monster is just a large rat, but the terrain could be a lava field or a sulfuric zone. Hence, people often refer to red-tier dungeons as "spicy dungeons."
The recently cleared explosion-type B-grade Navy dungeon was tackled by three guilds, including The Guild of Leaves, in a joint raid. Clearing it took an entire day. Considering that most members of these minor guilds are C-grade hunters (except for one who is secretly A-grade), this was a decent result. Park Soobin likely helped in subtle ways.
"It's been a year for me too now. It's thanks to good teamwork."
"They're all good people, aren't they?"
"Yes, since awakening, I've been to various places, but this is the first time I've been somewhere with only kind people."
Park Soobin smiled faintly. Yoon Seo seized the moment to use his skill.
[The
[Confidence: 80 : Neutral: 10 : Doubt: 10]
'80% confidence?'
Yoon Seo was slightly surprised. Even if Park Soobin possessed a skill-defense item, it wouldn't work against
"You're here because you like the people, Yoon Seo?"
"Not the people, more like the money. It's rare to find a small guild that offers this kind of salary."
At Yoon Seo's indifferent reply, Park Soobin squinted his eyes with a smile.
"Yoon Seo, now that I think about it, you're pretty sly. The least money-driven person I've ever met just lied without a single change in expression."
"I like money. I'm a golden-rule enthusiast."
"Then if someone offers a higher salary, would you leave?"
"I'd actively consider it. Wouldn't you?"
"I'm more of a people person than a money person."
As the conversation lingered on him, an uneasy Yoon Seo turned the topic back to Park Soobin. With a charming smile, Soobin answered right away. Yoon Seo examined the man's brown irises for any trace of conspiracy but found nothing.
"Let's just drink."
Yoon Seo clinked his glass against Soobin's and downed it in one go. Emptying the glass cleanly, he promptly poured another drink. Since this was a barbecue place specifically for awakened individuals, the alcohol served was also tailored for them. Hunters up to B-grade could get pleasantly tipsy. When the glass was about one-third full, Soobin took the soju bottle away.
"Aren't you drinking too much?"
"This is just the start. What's with the weak attitude?"
"Take it easy today. The guild master said they had an important announcement."
"Don't worry. I won't get drunk before the guild master arrives."
Yoon Seo grabbed the bottle of alcohol and finished filling his glass. Park Soobin raised an eyebrow in slight exasperation, but just then, Goh Heewon began speaking to Park Soobin. It was a question about the monsters appearing in the dungeon. With others also eagerly watching, Park Soobin had no choice but to answer their questions.
Yoon Seo glanced at the kind-hearted A-rank hunter.
Could he really have joined this place just to work with good people?
In any case, Yoon Seo had no intention of interfering as long as this guy didn't cause harm to the Guild of Leaves.
***
"The Guild Master's here!"
"Finally?"
"This guy sure knows how to be on time."
By the time they had replaced the grills on the tables three times, the Guild Master, Ki Sanghyuk, arrived. Contrary to his usual appearance, Ki Sanghyuk had dressed up in a sharp suit, but as soon as he entered the room and saw the empty bottles stacked in the corner, his face soured.
"Why the hell did you all drink so much?"
"It's been a while since we had alcohol for awakeners, so it tasted good. Don't worry, no one's drunk."
"You guys are killing me. With all of you being awakeners, there are only twelve people here, but every time we have a gathering, we burn through hundreds."
"Ugh, seriously. You're going to nag us after showing up late?"
Goh Heewon glared at him. Ki Sanghyuk shook his head. Sitting at the central seat Goh Heewon had prepared, the Guild Master first addressed the dungeon raid team, expressing his gratitude.
"You returned after clearing it yesterday, right? Good job, everyone. Did you get your injuries properly treated?"
"Yes, Soobin handled the healing perfectly."
"Thanks to you all, our guild can afford to hold gatherings in such expensive places. I'm always grateful. Let's give a round of applause to our dungeon raid team."
The guild members eagerly clapped and cheered, while the dungeon raid team members blushed with embarrassment but looked proud.
Of course, the Guild Master's words were far from the truth.
In most guilds, dungeon-related ventures accounted for 70–80% of revenue, with the rest coming from trap installations and similar services. In contrast, the Guild of Leaves had its dungeon raid and public aid teams contributing almost equally at a 5.5:4.5 ratio. This was largely because the guild's shield trap installation services were cheaper and significantly more reliable than competitors, a reputation spread by word of mouth. The low failure rate was entirely thanks to Yoon Seo's contributions.
However, in gatherings involving all guild members, the Guild Master always praised and highlighted the achievements of the dungeon raid team. Given that they risked their lives in dungeons, it was only fair to give them extra recognition. In other small guilds, such preferential treatment might lead to jealousy and discord, but the Guild of Leaves was uniquely composed of kind-hearted individuals, so no one criticized it.
"So why are you dressed like that today, Guild Master? Did you meet your daughter's boyfriend?"
"No way. If the Guild Master were meeting his daughter's boyfriend, he wouldn't dress like this. He'd show up in his hunter gear, weapons strapped to his waist, and smash the meeting table while threatening, 'If you make my princess shed a single tear, your back will end up like this table.'"
"Unfortunately, today I met someone even more important than my daughter's boyfriend."
"Someone more important than Songhee's boyfriend?"
Everyone's eyes widened in shock. Ki Sanghyuk loosened his tie.
"I did say I had an important announcement today, didn't I?"
"Yes, that's why we're all here. Even Yoon Seo, for once."
"Alright. Let me explain. I met with someone crucial regarding this announcement."
"Really?"
Goh Heewon, burning with curiosity, urged him to speak quickly. Ki Sanghyuk scanned the room, meeting the curious eyes of everyone present. His gaze briefly passed over Park Soobin, who was smiling as usual, before landing on Yoon Seo, whose expression remained as indifferent as ever. Clearing his throat, Ki Sanghyuk began.
"A few days ago… the Seokyoung Guild approached us."
"..."
"They proposed a merger with our guild. And just now, I placed my seal of approval on the merger contract."