Chapter 50
Chaeho's smartphone screen flashed and gave a short vibration.
After checking it, he silently swiped down.
There were already more than a hundred unread messages and emails.
"How annoying."
It had been exactly half a day since the Association officially announced his promotion to B-rank.
In that short amount of time, messages from mid-sized guilds and hunter agencies had flooded in.
There were even several famous guilds in the sender list.
Chaeho leaned back against the sofa and opened one of the attached files.
It was an evaluation sheet sent by a scout from a certain agency.
[Hunter Lee Chaeho Evaluation Report]
Strength and mana output: Lowest range of the B-rank standard.
Combat contribution: Solo kill of a special mutated monster. Survival and evasion rate above 99%.
Overall evaluation: Abnormally high weak-point targeting ability and crisis-management skills. A key asset capable of greatly increasing a party's survival rate.
Looking only at the numbers, his basic stats were unimpressive.
But they were focused on the unbelievable evasion rate and weak-point attacks he had demonstrated in real combat.
His past as a D-rank porter was already irrelevant to them.
The conditions they offered were shocking as well.
A signing bonus of 500 million won.
A guaranteed annual salary in the hundreds of millions.
Free support for top-grade equipment.
Priority assignment to B-rank dungeons.
Back when he had been earning scraps inside narrow mines as a D-rank hunter, that kind of money would have made his eyes spin.
But Chaeho's gaze quickly passed over the flashy numbers and stopped on the small print at the bottom of the proposal.
[Detailed Conditions]
Mandatory assignment to parties of four or more designated by the guild.
Mandatory monthly detailed skill and mana examinations.
Solo dungeon entry prohibited. Individual activity subject to guild control.
Chaeho closed the window without hesitation.
"Nope. Not going."
He had absolutely no intention of selling his freedom in exchange for stable money.
More than anything else, the clause requiring detailed monthly skill and mana examinations bothered him.
His EX-rank skill, [Time Slow], was a weapon that could never be discovered by outsiders.
Once he entered the enormous organization called a guild, every move he made would inevitably be watched.
In the end, there was only one path that suited him.
An independent hunter who hid his abilities thoroughly and worked with trustworthy people on a job-by-job basis.
Chaeho selected every scouting offer he had received and pressed delete.
The moment his inbox became clean, he felt refreshed.
He put on his coat and stood.
The paperwork he needed to handle was mostly finished.
Now it was time to visit his parents.
Chaeho entered the elevator after passing through the entrance of the apartment complex his parents had recently moved into.
The moment he entered the door code and opened the front door, the rich smell of soybean paste stew rushed toward him.
He placed the bag of pork shoulder he had picked up from the butcher shop on the way into the refrigerator.
His parents could grill it tomorrow.
"Oh, you're here?"
His mother, wearing an apron, poked her head out of the kitchen.
His father, who had been watching television from the sofa, pushed up his glasses and greeted him.
"You said you were coming today, but you're earlier than I expected."
"I came over right after finishing the paperwork."
Chaeho took off his shoes and entered the living room.
Then he searched through his coat pocket.
A new card with a shining silver border appeared in his hand.
It was the B-rank license newly issued by the Hunter Association.
He placed it in the middle of the living-room table.
"I got it."
His mother put down the ladle and walked over.
His father also leaned forward to examine the card.
A clear letter B was stamped in the center.
To ordinary people, becoming a B-rank hunter was considered a major social success.
B-rank hunters were treated as well as executives at respectable companies, and some even appeared in the news from time to time.
But his parents' reaction was a little different from what Chaeho had expected.
Instead of joy, worry appeared first on his mother's face.
"Son... did you really become B-rank?"
"Yes. I passed the examination."
"Then doesn't that mean you'll have to go into much scarier places than before? I saw on the news that monsters the size of houses come out of B-rank Gates."
His mother's voice trembled slightly.
She feared the wounds her son might receive far more than she cared about the money he earned.
His father also picked up the card with a serious expression.
"Your mother is right. Do you really have to go into places that dangerous? It's not like our family is starving."
He looked at Chaeho.
"You don't have to keep pushing yourself higher."
Chaeho sat down on the edge of the sofa with a faint smile.
He had expected this reaction.
"Don't worry. I'm number one when it comes to running away."
His mother frowned.
"You always know what to say."
"I'm serious. If something even feels a little dangerous, I'll turn around and leave immediately. I'm not going to risk my life just because someone offers me more money."
Chaeho continued calmly.
"That's how I survived back when I was a porter too."
His mother let out a short sigh.
"That's true. You've always been good at taking care of yourself."
She pointed at him.
"But you still need to be careful. Always. Understand?"
"I'll remember."
Only then did his father remove his glasses and clear his throat.
"Well, a promotion is still a promotion."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Congratulations. You worked hard."
"Thank you."
Chaeho suddenly stood up.
"That's why dinner is on me today."
"Where?"
"I already reserved a restaurant."
"What kind of restaurant?"
"A new beef place nearby. I booked one of the places that serves a proper full table."
His mother's eyes widened.
"Son, that place is expensive. Let's just eat the stew at home."
"I already paid the reservation deposit, so we can't cancel. Go change."
His mother complained that it was a waste of money.
But she couldn't hide the smile spreading across her face.
His father also pretended he had no choice and went to his room to change.
The restaurant was quiet and clean.
Thick slices of red beef cooked on the grill with an appetizing sizzling sound.
When Chaeho had been working as a D-rank porter, reserving a high-end restaurant like this for a family meal had been unimaginable.
Back then, they only bought discounted meat from the supermarket on holidays and grilled it at home.
But things were different now.
Chaeho cut the cooked meat into large pieces with scissors and kept placing them onto his parents' plates.
"Eat plenty. If it's not enough, we'll order more."
"You eat too. Why are you only grilling?"
"I'm eating."
His father emptied a glass of soju and smiled happily.
"This meat is good. It practically melts in your mouth."
"Let's come again sometime. I'll bring you whenever I have time."
Chaeho lowered the heat slightly and picked up his water glass.
