The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 8

8. Hunter Association (2)

The gift card had a whopping one billion won on it. Wow, I said I needed money, and they just threw a billion at me. Is this even allowed? Don’t I have to pay gift tax? Are S-ranks exempt from gift tax, too?

Still feeling dazed, I took out the card and walked into the shopping mall.

The Hunter Shopping Mall was located on the 3rd to 6th floors of the Hunter Association building. The 3rd and 4th floors sold items for C-rank hunters and below, the 5th floor had B-rank items, and the 6th floor sold A-rank items. S-rank items were only sold through auctions.

Since I had plenty of money, I went straight up to the 6th floor. There were hardly any customers on the 6th floor, and employees in neat attire, standing as straight as mannequins, were lined up at regular intervals.

“Where are the contracts for S-ranks?”

I asked the nearest female employee, and a painted-on, beautiful, and kind smile returned.

“I’ll guide you right away, sir. Would you like to come this way?”

The employee led me to a reception room surrounded by glass walls. Looking around, I saw that there were such reception rooms scattered here and there.

As I sat on the sofa, another female employee offered me a drink.

“Coffee, please.”

“Do you have a preferred bean?”

Just a packet of Maxim [a popular brand of instant coffee in Korea] would be fine… But this didn’t seem like a place that would have instant coffee.

“Oh, orange juice, please.”

Hopefully, they won’t ask about the orange variety. Fortunately, the employee only asked if I wanted ice and immediately squeezed fresh oranges, serving them in an expensive-looking glass.

‘Delicious.’

Probably expensive oranges, right? While I was sipping the juice, a man who looked to be in his late thirties came in and bowed to me at a 90-degree angle.

“I’m Ki Yoon-seo, the manager in charge of the 6th floor of the Hunter Shopping Mall.”

The contract was probably cheap for a 6th-floor item, but the manager came himself. Is this service too much? The manager sat across from me with a sophisticated smile.

“It’s rare for someone to look for a contract for S-ranks, so you’ll have to wait about ten minutes. I’ve already sent an employee down to the warehouse, so please bear with me.”

“Ah, yes. It’s okay.”

I nodded. Come to think of it, there probably weren’t many people who could afford to buy a contract for S-ranks.

Except for one person, all the S-ranks in our country were guild leaders. The fact that I was planning to contract with such an S-rank meant that I was either on a similar level or had a deep connection with them. That’s why the manager came running out barefoot and groveling.

Not long after, an employee came with a luxurious leather box.

“We currently have five types of S-rank contracts in our shopping mall. The most popular is the ability reduction contract.”

The manager took out a contract made of parchment from the box and spread it out on the table, explaining.

“This contract contains the S-rank curse skill of the S-rank hunter, Manuela Schussler, the Clown Doll. If the conditions are violated, all stats will decrease by 20% for one year. It’s a powerful contract that cannot be escaped unless you use an SS-rank curse nullification skill or item. In reality, only the Saintess can undo it. The contract is valid for up to 10 years.”

Wait, so does that mean I won’t suffer any disadvantages even if I break the contract? My curse resistance is L-rank, after all. An S-rank curse wouldn’t even tickle me.

‘I could use this quite usefully.’

I had that thought for a moment, but I quickly erased it. I would never be the subject of a contract, and even if my F-rank stats decreased by 20%, it wouldn’t make much of a difference. I could use an illegal contract that could risk my life, not an association-certified contract where all that happens is a decrease in stats or skills, but I didn’t want to go that far.

“There are also skill rank down and seal contracts. However, since it’s limited to one skill below S-rank, it’s not very effective against opponents with SS-rank skills. Permanent stat reduction contracts are very effective, but the opposing hunter won’t easily accept them.”

Well, even if they intend to keep the contract, it would still be unsettling.

I bought one stat reduction contract for one year and one skill seal contract for one month. In an instant, 50 million won disappeared. Nevertheless, I still had 950 million won left. That brother of mine really doesn’t know the value of money.

I’ll use the money gratefully since I received it.

“Please show me some magic power increasing equipment. Something I can wear regularly, and with essence increase instead of percentage increase.”

The value of equipment is much higher with percentage increase, but it was useless to me. My magic power is only 2. A +5 essence equipment that’s not even C-rank was much better than a +50% equipment that rankers all over the world would fight tooth and nail for.

Soon, luxurious cases wrapped in velvet were placed on the table.

“All of these items come with an appraisal from Park Ji-yeon, an A-rank appraiser affiliated with the Korean Hunter Association.”

The manager said, opening the case lids one by one. You could tell the performance of the equipment as soon as you wore it, but sometimes they were sold with magic or curses. That’s why expensive equipment came with an appraisal.

“This is the Red Rumerus Ring. It’s an A-rank accessory that increases magic power stat by 30.”

Magic power is a difficult stat to increase, so even an increase of 30 made it an A-rank equipment. With this ring, I would never run out of mana, but.

‘It’s disgustingly flashy.’

The size of the red gem embedded in the silver ring was about the size of a quail egg. Moreover, it was surrounded by what looked like diamonds. How am I supposed to wear this around?

“This is the Auris Hall Bracelet. It’s also an A-rank accessory that increases magic power stat by 27.”

Following a bracelet woven with walnut-sized blue beads, a dazzlingly sparkling sapphire necklace and a leather ribbon hair tie were presented to me in turn. Why are they all like this?

“As you know, the gender ratio of high-level hunters is more than twice as high for men, so simple accessories tend to sell out quickly.”

The manager explained, seeing my crumpled expression. Still, this is too much. Besides, both the ring and the bracelet are too embarrassing to wear around, regardless of gender.

“These are the Black Fairy Earrings. They are A-rank accessories that increase magic power stat by 29. This is the last A-rank magic power essence increase equipment we have. All other products are C-rank or below.”

Not even B-rank, but C-rank. I looked at the Black Fairy Earrings, pondering. It was a simple earring with only one small black gem like a grain of rice. I didn’t like the idea of getting my ears pierced, but this was barely noticeable.

“What is the increase for C-rank?”

I asked, just in case.

“It ranges from 5 to 6 essence increase.”

That won’t do. The difference is too big. It has to be at least a total of 10 to be useful.

In the end, I bought the Black Fairy Earrings. The price was 230 million won. It was cheap for an A-rank magic power increase equipment. To think that hundreds of millions of won is considered cheap, the world of high-level hunters is a completely different world. Still, my heart fluttered slightly at the thought of spending more than I had planned.

I didn’t need to pierce my ears; it was automatically worn when I brought it to my earlobe. With this, my magic power stat exceeded 30.

In addition, I also bought gloves that increase stamina and strength, and a belt that increases agility.

[Awakened Han Yoojin

Titles – Dragon Slayer (L), Perfect Caregiver (L)

Level 1

Stamina: 6 (+51) Strength: 4 (+20) Agility: 5 (+16) Mentality: 4 Magic Power: 2 (+29)]

Equipment

Black Fairy Earrings (A), Manticore Leather Gloves (A), Light Cloth Belt (B)

Skills

Mentality Up (E): +5% to the target’s mentality (instant effect, similar and identical skills cannot be stacked), duration 30 minutes

Agility Up (E): +5% to the target’s agility (instant effect, similar and identical skills cannot be stacked), duration 30 minutes]

‘Excluding magic power, the average stat at level 1 is 26.5. That’s C-rank stats.’

It’s an imbalance with a focus on stamina, but to think that it rose three ranks at once, money is indeed good. Of course, the rank will drop sharply as the level increases. That’s why percentage increase equipment is much more popular.

Even though I splurged on two more pieces of equipment, I still had nearly 500 million won left. I thought I could spend it all if I had money, but it’s surprisingly not decreasing. Can’t I use this gift card outside?

I bought a set of 20 low-grade mana potions and a set of vitality potions. And.

‘Let’s buy weapons and armor while I’m at it.’

If I have solid equipment, I can probably clear a low-level F-rank dungeon. My conscience pricked me for spending my brother’s money so recklessly, but my stats need to be good to help my brother’s guild. It’s all necessary. Besides, Haeyeon Guild mainly consists of high-level hunters, so there would be hardly any essence increase equipment that I could use anyway, so I had to buy them anyway.

“Please show me some dungeon equipment focused on essence increase.”

Perhaps because there were so many types, a catalog book was presented instead of the actual items this time. There were various weapons, but there were only a few that I could use.

Before the regression, I mainly used a spear. Buffing from behind and stabbing with a spear was the basic combat. The reason I killed Rauchitas was thanks to Yoohyun receiving his combat skills along with some of my memories.

After much deliberation, I bought a pair of daggers, a short spear, and light armor. Since I couldn’t wear these around normally, I immediately put them all in my inventory. It’s okay to wear armor, but if you’re caught carrying dungeon weapons, you’ll be fined and penalized. If the penalty points accumulate beyond a certain level, your hunter qualification will be suspended, and in case of repeated offenses, it may be revoked.

‘Did I buy everything I need? There’s not much money left… Ah, that.’

There’s something perfect for me.

“Do you have any items that have a poisonous fog or similar effect? Curses are also good.”

Something that spreads poison around or makes you lose your sight. I can completely nullify it, so I should use it in case of an emergency.

At my words, the employee brought a black bead that was doubly protected.

“This is the Black Poison Mist Orb of the S-rank hunter, Run Ruihan, the Poison King. If you do not have an A-rank or higher poison resistance skill or item, you will die within 10 seconds of inhalation and be incapacitated within 5 seconds, depending on your poison resistance rank. The effective radius is 5 meters, and if used outside the dungeon, you will be immediately arrested and may be sentenced to death.”

Poison resistance skills and items are extremely rare even at A-rank, and at this point in time, there were none at all at S-rank. So, even if it’s just A-rank, you’ll be able to send most opponents to hell. Unless there’s a healer nearby.

“Isn’t there anything with a wider effective radius?”

If it’s about 100 meters instead of 5 meters, I could clear even a C-rank dungeon alone with item and skill buffs if there are only close combat monsters. From B-rank onwards, there are monsters that can break through 100 meters in three seconds, so it’s impossible.

“Among the items currently sold, this Black Poison Mist Orb has the widest effective radius compared to its effect. Poison mist becomes thinner as it spreads, so the effective radius is narrow. The farther away you are from the opponent, the longer the death time or the lower the grade of the poison. In the case of the Black Poison Mist Orb, F-rank monsters die within 10 seconds and are incapacitated within 3 seconds up to a maximum of 50 meters.”

50 meters in 3 seconds. I can clear an F-rank dungeon. I’ll be the one who suffers the most, though.

“In the case of random target wide-area curses, most of them have weak effects. Due to the nature of curses, there is a condition, and there is a significant difference from contracts where the target directly signs. There are types that can increase the effect by offering sacrifices, but.”

“That’s okay.”

I’m going to use it in an emergency, so how can I catch sacrifices and offer them?

In the end, I spent all the remaining money to buy three Black Poison Mist Orbs and got up from my seat. I took a step outside the glass door that the employee opened for me, when.

[Han Yoojin, the F-rank hunter who registered as an Awakened today, is being sought by A-rank hunter Kim Sunghan. Please visit or contact the Lost and Found Center as soon as you hear this broadcast.]

A broadcast looking for me was playing.

Damn it. That bastard Kim Sunghan, even if he’s looking for me on the broadcast, why the Lost and Found Center? He could have just told me to come to the main gate. I cursed inwardly and headed to the Lost and Found Center, lest a second broadcast come out.

Kim Sunghan was standing in front of the Lost and Found Center like a gangster who came to collect money. Parents who came to find their children would be scared and go back.

“Where have you been?”

The guy said, frowning. That expression and heavy bass voice clearly showed that he was angry enough to punch me right away. If I didn’t have fear resistance, I would have shouted, ‘Please save me.’

“I went to buy a contract. Didn’t I tell you?”

“You didn’t.”

“I forgot. Sorry.”

Kim Sunghan’s face became even more ferocious at my perfunctory apology. Um, he wouldn’t swing that clenched fist, would he? I’m the brother of the guild leader you serve. Please don’t forget.

“Do you have any other business?”

What should I do? It’s still far from sunset, so should I go to Myeongdong Station and look for Park Yerim? Or should I go home first? Yoohyun said he would move me, but he wouldn’t have already packed my luggage, would he?

“Please go to my house. The address is—”

“There’s nothing there even if you go.”

Really! He’s moving without the homeowner!

“Where did you move all the luggage? Haeyeon Guild employee dormitory?”

“It must have been moved to a spare room in the guild leader’s residence.”

I refuse to live with my slightly crazy brother. I was living independently and well, but to think that I would be grabbed by the back of the neck by my brother, who isn’t even my parent, and dragged in. Yoohyun, let’s be even half as awkward as we were before the regression. Huh? You should at least give me an adjustment period; it’s too sudden after 8 years.

“…Then let’s go back to the guild for now. I need to unpack my luggage.”

As I walked towards the elevator connected to the parking lot to get in the car, people’s gazes pierced my face. Followed by whispers.

“Is that man the F-rank who followed the A-rank?”

“What’s their relationship?”

“Kim Sunghan even looked for him on the broadcast. There must be something going on.”

“Didn’t he say it was the Lost and Found Center earlier? A lost child at that age.”

Don’t laugh there! Did they gather people who like to talk about others instead of Awakened? They’re talking too much! That damn F-rank, F-rank, it was so loud that my ears hurt.

‘Are you guys S-rank?’

My magic power has increased, so I looked around at the people around me. As expected, it was full of F-ranks everywhere I looked. Well, even if you’re just C-rank, the guild will take you right away, so you wouldn’t be leisurely loitering in a place like this.

Any guild with some name accepts guild members from C-rank. From B-rank, you can be properly treated wherever you go, and they’re eager to bring in even one more A-rank.

‘He’s F, she’s F, you’re F… Huh?’

That man who just passed by!

[Awakened – Yoo Myungwoo

Current Stat Rank F

Awakening Possible Stat Rank F

Optimized Initial Skill

Failed to Acquire Owner of the Golden Blacksmith (SS)

Failed to Acquire Sharpening Knives (A)]

‘Owner of the Golden Blacksmith?!’