The Healing Restaurant of an F-Rank Hunter Who Almost Retired

Chapter 64 of 100

Chapter 64

The door to the Inspection Department office closed behind him.

Only after leaving did Hong Man-gi finally release the breath he had been holding.

His conversation with Cha Mu-jin had felt like walking along the edge of a blade.

He had been practically thrown out without obtaining any useful information.

And yet,

'He's hiding something. Definitely.'

Cha Mu-jin's final expression.

The moment Hong Man-gi asked whether Cha Gang-il had been a discarded piece, something complicated had flashed across his face.

It looked like the expression of a man who knew the truth but could not speak it.

'My instincts are telling me something.'

There was something suspicious behind Cha Gang-il's death.

Something the Association had not announced.

Or perhaps something they could not announce.

"So you didn't learn anything useful, Hunter?"

Late afternoon sunlight entered the Full Moon Restaurant at an angle.

Lee Yu-han asked Hong Man-gi with a worried expression.

"No."

Hong Man-gi shook his head.

"Actually, I learned the most important thing."

"What was that?"

Hong Man-gi answered.

"We can't trust the Association. That means we need to use our own methods."

Lee Yu-han's expression became tense.

Hong Man-gi pointed toward Cha Gang-il's unfinished recipe spread across the table.

"Knocking on the Association's door is a waste of time. First, we complete this recipe. Before entering the Forge of Chaos, we find the two missing ingredients. We're changing the plan."

"But Hunter...."

Lee Yu-han hesitated.

"Those ingredients, the Flame Lizard's Tear and the Little Giant's Breath, have an absurdly low drop rate even in top-tier dungeons. The Association designated them as Level One controlled materials, so there's no way to obtain them through normal routes. Like I mentioned before...."

"Right. It won't be easy."

"That's why getting them seems almost impossible. What are you planning to do?"

Lee Yu-han was right.

It could be an incredibly difficult task.

Perhaps even close to impossible.

Yet Hong Man-gi's expression remained bright.

"If the normal route doesn't work, we'll use an abnormal one."

"What? An abnormal route?"

Hong Man-gi quietly stared at Lee Yu-han.

"Yu-han, tell me everything you know about the Shadow Market."

At the quiet question, Lee Yu-han's face turned pale.

"Th... the Shadow Market? Hunter! That's... that's a place we absolutely shouldn't go! It's the underworld of Hunters, a lawless zone where every kind of illegal thing gets traded! I've only heard rumors from people here and there, but they say once you step inside, you might never come back out alive...."

Fear prevented Lee Yu-han from continuing.

Although he had grown stronger, he was still a low-ranking Hunter.

To him, the Shadow Market itself was terrifying.

"I know. I know it's dangerous."

Hong Man-gi calmly continued.

"But if it's the only place where we can obtain what we need, we don't have much choice."

"But how do we even get there? I've heard almost nobody knows where the entrance is."

Hong Man-gi fell into thought.

Then a certain person appeared in his mind.

A greasy face.

Loud tattoos.

And a man who had bowed deeply while calling Hong Man-gi "Michelin Hunter Hyungnim."

'Seokhyeoi-ham.'

Someone with connections to the underground world might know the way.

"We'll find a method."

Hong Man-gi gave a vague answer and started to stand.

Then Lee Yu-han spoke.

"Hunter."

His tone sounded as though he had made a decision.

"No matter what you decide, I want you to know I'll keep following you."

Hong Man-gi answered only with a small smile.

Late that night.

The information Lee Yu-han somehow managed to gather was surprisingly specific.

One of the locations where the Shadow Market periodically opened was beneath an old tool shopping complex in Guro-dong, a place frequented by dungeon brokers and low-ranking Hunters.

There was also a rumor that entry required a token known as the Rusted Gear.

"Hunter, that place is really dangerous. I've heard that even if you have the token, if someone takes a dislike to you, you could disappear without anyone knowing."

Lee Yu-han still could not hide his anxiety.

But now that they had a concrete lead, Hong Man-gi saw no reason to hesitate.

He rested his chin on his hand.

'A Rusted Gear... Where am I supposed to get something like that?'

Just as the situation seemed hopeless, the same man's face appeared in Hong Man-gi's mind once again.

Loud tattoos.

A sagging belly.

And the way he bent his body ninety degrees whenever he saw Hong Man-gi.

'Seokhyeoi-ham.'

"Good."

Hong Man-gi decided to act immediately while the idea was still fresh.

He posted anonymously on a community used by low-ranking Hunters.

[Looking for the Number One Fist of the Korean Peninsula, Seokhyeoi-ham.]

Responses appeared immediately.

[ID: HunterPrayingToEscapeFRank] Huh? That tattooed pig uncle? I heard he turned over a new leaf and does volunteer work now.

[ID: DungeonGhost] Nope. Not volunteer work. I saw him selling fake luxury goods in Dongdaemun recently, then running when inspectors showed up.

[ID: Anonymous123] Seokhyeoi-ham? Ah, that guy tried shaking down the youngest member of our guild recently, then found out he was B-rank and immediately started calling him Hyungnim. He's probably hanging around some back alley in Yeongdeungpo.

All kinds of sightings and rumors poured in.

"Hmm... this one sounds the most believable."

Hong Man-gi focused on the keyword "Yeongdeungpo back alley."

He immediately headed there.

Even during the day, the back streets behind Yeongdeungpo Station carried a dark and damp atmosphere.

Old entertainment bars.

Illegal gambling rooms.

Pawnshops with unclear businesses.

Hong Man-gi pulled his hood low over his head and walked deeper into the alley in search of Seokhyeoi-ham.

After a while,

he spotted a familiar silhouette in front of an old food cart.

"There."

A belly hanging beneath his belt.

Loud tattoos visible through a gray sleeveless shirt.

Even if Hong Man-gi rubbed his eyes, there was no mistaking him.

It was Seokhyeoi-ham.

He was already drinking soju in broad daylight with several intimidating-looking men while boasting loudly.

"Hey! Back in my prime, you know what I did? I beat the BX-01 dungeon boss to death with my bare fists! They didn't call me the Number One Fist of the Korean Peninsula for nothing!"

"Hyungnim, you're a civilian. How would that even be possible?"

"Hey! That's exactly why I'm the Number One Fist of the Korean Peninsula!"

Hong Man-gi laughed softly and approached.

"Excuse me... you're Seokhyeon Hyungnim, right?"

At Hong Man-gi's low voice, Seokhyeoi-ham turned with a drunken glare.

"Who the hell are you, calling my name so casually...."

At first, he frowned because he did not recognize Hong Man-gi.

Then he saw his face.

His entire body jolted, and he jumped to his feet.

"H... Hyung... Hyungnim! Isn't this Michelin Hunter Hyungnim?! Aigoo! What brings you to such a shabby place?!"

The man who had been boasting about being the Number One Fist of the Korean Peninsula seconds earlier disappeared instantly.

Seokhyeoi-ham bowed ninety degrees and greeted Hong Man-gi with the utmost respect.

The men sitting with him stared between the two in complete confusion.

"What are you all doing?! Our Hyungnim is here! Aren't you going to greet him?!"

At Seokhyeoi-ham's roar, they hurriedly stood and bowed to Hong Man-gi.

"Greetings!"

"It's an honor!"

Hong Man-gi hurriedly waved his hands.

"That's enough. Everyone, please sit comfortably. I only came because I need to speak with Seokhyeoi-ham... no, Seokhyeon Hyungnim for a moment."

Hong Man-gi took Seokhyeoi-ham to a corner table.

The man anxiously watched his expression.

"Hyungnim, did I do something wrong? Or did one of my little brothers do something that damaged your reputation? Just say the word! I'll beat him half to death immediately!"

"No. Nothing like that. Please calm down."

Hong Man-gi smiled bitterly at the man's over-the-top loyalty and got straight to the point.

"Do you know anything about the Shadow Market?"

The smile instantly vanished from Seokhyeoi-ham's face.

His eyes sharpened.

He glanced around cautiously, then lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Hyungnim. That's not a name you should casually say in a place like this. Say the wrong thing, and you can disappear without anyone ever knowing."

"I heard the same thing. I know. That's why I came to you. I need to enter that place."

Seokhyeoi-ham stayed silent for a while.

His expression became complicated.

What appeared in his mind was the warm gukbap he had eaten at the Full Moon Restaurant.

And the memory of Hong Man-gi treating him with respect.

Hong Man-gi had become almost like a benefactor who made him reflect on his chaotic life.

"Understood, Hyungnim."

He slowly continued.

"I'll open the way for you."

Seokhyeoi-ham pulled an old, rusted gear from inside his clothing and handed it to Hong Man-gi.

It was exactly the token Lee Yu-han had mentioned.

"Take this to the back of Warehouse Number Three in the Guro-dong Tool Complex at midnight tonight. Show this to the person guarding the entrance, and they'll let you inside."

Seokhyeoi-ham paused, then looked directly into Hong Man-gi's eyes.

"But Hyungnim, remember this. The moment you walk through that door, I don't know you. Even I can't help you inside. In fact, I can't even acknowledge that I know you. That's the rule there."

His voice contained genuine concern.

"Please be careful."

"Thank you. I won't forget this favor."

Hong Man-gi gave a short bow and started to stand.

Then Seokhyeoi-ham spoke again.

"Once you're inside, find the Crow. You need the Crow. Remember, the Crow."

That night, Hong Man-gi and Lee Yu-han headed to the old tool shopping complex in Guro-dong.

"H... Hunter, are we really in the right place?"

Lee Yu-han whispered nervously.

"Let's wait a little longer. Seokhyeoi-ham isn't the type to lie about something like this."

Hong Man-gi remained surprisingly calm.

"Hunter, aren't you scared at all? This could be a lawless zone outside Association control! I heard that if you mess with the wrong person here, they won't even find your bones!"

Hong Man-gi smiled at him.

"Of course I'm scared. Yu-han, which do you think is more frightening, inside a dungeon or outside one?"

"What? Obviously...."

"I think this place is scarier."

Lee Yu-han's eyes widened at the unexpected answer.

"Monsters inside dungeons are simple. They act according to instinct. People here are different. They might be filled with greed, betrayal, and malice. Maybe that makes them even more unpredictable and dangerous than monsters."

"Then how can you stay so calm?"

"Because I'm used to fear."

Hong Man-gi played with the Rusted Gear Seokhyeoi-ham had given him.

"Back when I was F-rank, I lived in fear every day. Fear of dying. Fear of being looked down on. Fear because I couldn't see any future ahead of me."

He smiled faintly.

"But if you let fear consume you, eventually you can't do anything. So I learned something. You don't need to erase fear. You just need to learn how to keep walking with it."

At that moment,

[Creeeak.]

The sound of an old iron door opening came from the darkness.

Two large men appeared.

As though they had arranged it beforehand, they looked around cautiously and headed toward the back of Warehouse Number Three.

In their hands were Rusted Gears identical to Hong Man-gi's.

"They're moving."

Hong Man-gi stood.

He and Lee Yu-han carefully followed them.

The men stopped in front of a small iron door that looked like an old ventilation entrance.

A mysterious figure stood there like a gatekeeper.

The men showed their Rusted Gears.