You Will Be Blessed If You Do Good Deeds¿

Chapter 28

However, no matter how much I want to move, the most problematic thing in a capitalist society is money.

Of course, I’ve gained attention as a potential S-rank, but that doesn’t mean I can make a fortune right away.

Because during the 39-month mandatory service, I can’t engage in economic activities.

The only income I have is the slightly above minimum wage salary from the government. It's not a huge amount, but it’s definitely not enough to move Da-jeong to a safe place.

But if there’s no way, I’ll just have to find one.

Two days after the dungeon break in Gwanghwamun was dealt with,

“Welcome.”

Han Jae-young greeted me with open arms.

“Welcome to the HP Guild.”

A massive building in the heart of Gangnam, Seoul.

On the internet, the HP Guild often gets criticized for being a magic guild, especially since Han Jae-young, a magician, is the guild leader.

“How is it? Our guild looks quite impressive on the outside, doesn’t it? We’ve got a large number of people.”

“I didn’t need this kind of showy welcome.”

I responded somewhat curtly.

And rightfully so, because when I arrived at the guild, dozens of employees on the first floor had gathered and were applauding.

If I had been a 19-year-old rookie without any memories of my past life, I probably would have either run off out of embarrassment or become arrogant due to an inflated sense of self. Could he have intended for the latter?

“It’s not showy, it’s a sincere welcome. Just because I’m the guild leader doesn’t mean everyone listens to me. They’re all genuinely excited to meet you, Da-on. With you being a magician, no one can just sit still. Everyone’s probably fidgeting, trying to get a word in.”

Han Jae-young gestured to the sofa for me to sit.

“But why are you wearing your school uniform? I thought you were about to graduate.”

“It’s simple. The uniform I have is the most expensive and neatest outfit I own.”

Even though I could have worn something second-hand, Da-jeong, working extra hours, insisted on buying me a new uniform.@@@@

Also, there was the fact that I wouldn’t be able to wear it much longer once I graduated, especially since Da-jeong had worked hard to buy it, even to the point of bleeding from her nose. I couldn’t just disregard it.

When Han Jae-young heard that, he shrugged.

“Well then, how about we go shopping for clothes after we finish talking? You can use either a personal or company card.”

“If it’s the company card, wouldn’t that be embezzling?”

“Depends on how today’s talk goes. If it’s for guild members' welfare, it wouldn’t be embezzling.”

Han Jae-young smiled broadly.

“An S-rank potential hunter who needs money... you're quite a rare find. I’d love to buy you, no matter the price.”

Well.

There are several ways for a hunter to earn money, but at this point, the fastest way for me to make money is to be part of a guild.

Normally, one would have to apply to join a guild, but in the case of an outstanding hunter, they’re often brought in with an upfront payment because they are a valuable asset to any guild.

Of course, the potential ability and actual ability development are two different things, and contrary to the public belief that the Awakening Test results are a lottery, there are plenty of cases where one can’t fully unlock their abilities. Most people join a guild only after going through 39 months of mandatory service and receiving market evaluations based on their performance and stats.

“But for Da-on, there’s no need for that. I’ve already seen it clearly with my own eyes.”

Han Jae-young turned his laptop monitor toward me.

On the monitor, two videos were playing. One was of a queen ant being slain, and the other was from two days ago, when I dealt with the shadow ghost on the emergency staircase.

“I asked for the second one to be kept private.”

“I only have it. It’s such a legendary scene, I couldn’t bring myself to delete it.”

“...”

I had thought this since our last meeting, but his personality was really annoying.

Honestly, if there were a better way, I wouldn’t have come to Han Jae-young, but...

‘As long as the transaction is clear, I won’t mind.’

The brief encounter was enough for me to get a feel for his true nature. In extreme situations like that, it’s the right time to see someone’s true character.

And for me, someone like Han Jae-young is easier to deal with than someone like Yoo Han-ul. He evaluates others with his own unpredictable standards and knows exactly what he wants. He sticks to a minimum level of decency but handles profit and loss rationally.

With a person like him, at least I wouldn’t be surprised by betrayal. There wouldn’t be any trust, so the word “betrayal” wouldn’t even apply.

His curiosity, unfulfilled, is probably why he’s trying to provoke me.

He’s likely hoping I’ll spill information out of frustration.

But,

‘I’m not that naïve.’

I’m not so easily provoked by such tactics.

I’ll take what I need from him and be done with it.

And what I need from Han Jae-young...

“If it’s an attractive asset, you’ve probably already set a price for it.”

If Yoo Han-ul is known as one of the most ethical hunters in Korea, Han Jae-young is famous for being the wealthiest.

Detailed stats and skills of S-rank hunters are classified, but through repeated dungeon raids, some basic information inevitably leaks.

And the HP Guild, led by Han Jae-young, boasts the highest number of dungeon clearances in Korea.

In other words, they own a large stock of materials and items obtained from dungeons.

In that sense, the HP Guild is probably the most liquid guild in Korea.

This is because, in addition to the raid team, Han Jae-young also has a separate item production team.

Typically, mages with item crafting skills tend to have difficulty working in teams, but the HP Guild’s crafting team has been successfully operating for a long time. Rumor has it that they offer the best treatment in the industry. In any case, this successful operation has brought the HP Guild great wealth.

“Is that so? If you say so...”

I expected him to dig deeper, but surprisingly, Han Jae-young backed off. He’s one of those people who stops just short of crossing a line, making him a bit unsettling.

“Well, whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you want something from me, and I want something from you.”

“We’ve already signed the contract. Are you adding clauses now?”

“It’s not something to add to the contract, just a question out of curiosity.”

Han Jae-young’s jet-black eyes gleamed.

Despite his well-groomed appearance being quite charming, there was something unsettling about the coldness in his gaze, making him look like a reptile.

“I’m curious. How does Da-on use incantation magic?”

Han Jae-young pointed to the video of me displayed on the monitor.

“People who don’t know much about magic or those low-level mages who don’t even know incantation magic wouldn’t understand, but we do.”

Even if you have perfect pitch, you can’t compose music if you don’t know how to read music.

There’s a realm that can’t be reached by sheer talent alone.

It requires acquired knowledge and enlightenment through painful effort.

“I’m curious about how Da-on can perform something that defies explanation, even if you are a genius.”

That question didn’t really surprise me.

I expected to get asked this when I came to meet Han Jae-young.

If he hadn’t been curious, I would have found it suspicious.

“That’s something I can’t teach.”

But that doesn’t mean I’m planning to answer him.

“If I answer easily, I’ll be exposing my secrets, and that would end this contract immediately.”

Han Jae-young had been pushing my buttons this entire time, but the reason he hasn’t crossed the line and is still being friendly is clear.

I’m an enigma that has shattered his common sense.

I’ve met people like him twice now, but his personality is getting tiresome.

The fact that he’s even being friendly now is because he’s curious, and once his curiosity is satisfied, that’ll be the end of it. I’d never trust him.

It was clear that he had no real trust in me. That’s the only thing I’m certain of.

“Ha ha.”

Han Jae-young laughed shortly.

“Feels like I’ve uncovered everything just by trying to get an answer.”

“You’re talking nonsense.”

Han Jae-young didn’t uncover anything about me. In fact, I still don’t know his gender. Even after all this conversation, it’s still unclear.

“Hiding place.”

I tapped the guild name ‘HIDING PLACE’ on the contract.

“That’s a pretty unimaginative guild name.”

“Haha, that’s the first time I’ve heard that.”

Inside his own created hiding place, Han Jae-young’s eyes gleamed like a snake.

It feels like I’ve walked right into a trap, but I’ll bear with it.

For now, the most important thing is Da-jeong’s safety.

As Han Jae-young put away the contract, he spoke again.

“Can I ask one more thing?”

“Only if it’s not another pointless question.”

“Did you fight with Han-ul?”

At that moment, I was taken aback by the question.

“Fight? After the dungeon break, Yoo Han-ul was immediately taken to the hospital.”

“Exactly. I thought, as the first discoverer, Da-on would at least inquire about Han-ul’s condition. It’s classified information that hasn’t been reported to the media.”

“...”

I frowned.

Well, technically, it would be normal for me to ask about Yoo Han-ul’s condition first.

Not asking made it seem suspicious.

In the end, I admitted it openly.

Since we’ll inevitably have to get involved with him, there was no point in hiding it.

“I didn’t fight with him... I just don’t want to get involved.”

“Why? Unlike me, Han-ul isn’t fake. He’s genuinely a good guy. He’s not nice to you because he has ulterior motives.”

“I know.”

That’s why it’s so bothersome.

I glanced at the system window floating in the air.

Quest: Good deeds will be rewarded. Is this quest ongoing?

The system requests ‘Da-on’ to provide support regarding ‘Yoo Han-ul.’

Quest: Will you participate in ‘SAVE THE WORLD’?

Go away. Just go away.