Chapter 06
“You’ve arrived on the 27th floor. The doors are opening. May you have another pleasant time with Hanttae Guild today.”
All the way up in the elevator, I practiced various introductions in my head.
Hello, I’m Yeom Yea-ah.
Greetings. My name is Yeom Yea-ah, newly joined in Hanttae Guild.
Hunter! Yeom Yea-ah here!
…Forget it. Better not say anything at all.
The elevator doors parted with a hiss, and I stepped out into the corridor. Other than the lobby, the floors were only marked by room numbers, clearly arranged in a way that kept their real purpose concealed.
Room 2701
I stopped in front of a velvet-textured door and took a deep breath.
This wasn’t the kind of time where I needed to dominate a rowdy late-night customer at a convenience store, nor the kind where I had to flaunt myself in a job interview.
I had already proven I was useful, and the guild had acknowledged me as a member of Hanttae. An asset worthy of being treated with respect.
After mentally steadying myself, I knocked firmly on the door. The surface was so soft that I wasn’t sure if the sound carried inside.
“….”
Still, I had knocked. That was enough.
I pushed the door open with my shoulder and stepped inside.
The hall beyond was enormous—far larger than anything I would’ve expected behind a row of closed doors. A man stood with his back to me, gazing out the window.
It looked like the office of some high-ranking executive.
Only after the door clicked shut behind me did the man finally turn around.
“Ah, hel—hello. I’m Yeom Yea-ah, the new recruit…”
My voice trailed off awkwardly. The man’s face seemed… oddly familiar.
There was only one person I might recognize among the Hanttae guild members: the one who had personally scouted me yesterday, scythe in hand. My eyes drifted to the nameplate on his desk.
[Jung Hwan]
“Guildmaster Jung Hwan.”
“Ah, so you are…”
It really was him. Which meant the guildmaster himself had come yesterday to meet me in person.
He strode toward me in long, purposeful steps, stopping right in front of me. But his gaze wasn’t on my face—it was fixed on the paper bag in my hands.
“Matnam’s Republic?”
“…Pardon?”
“There.”
He pointed at the large paper bag I carried, stamped with the logo of a local jokbal shop. I flushed, embarrassed, and quickly held it out with both hands.
He accepted it without a word, and his eyes flicked back to me.
“It’s the coat you lent me yesterday! I wanted to have it dry-cleaned, but they said it couldn’t be because it was equipment. Sorry if there’s still any dust on it!”
“…Did you happen to look inside?”
“What? No, I didn’t. But don’t worry, I kept the jewel safe.”
“Jewel?”
He tilted his head, then reached into the bag. Pulling out the item the cleaner had given me, he held it up.
“Does this look like a jewel to you?”
“…Uh, isn’t it cubic zirconia?”
“It’s a real gem.”
He gave me a strange look before carrying the paper bag away.
I stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do until he gestured toward a machine that looked straight out of a sci-fi movie.
“This scanner can read another person’s stats. Please stand there. I need a baseline of your current state.”
“Yes, sir!”
Having something to do was a relief. I hurried to the machine and stood in place.
A violet light swept over my body like an X-ray. Then, a status screen appeared in the air.
Unlike my personal status window, this one was visible to everyone.
Yeom Yea-ah (??)
Class: Healing Cantor
Status (Baldr’s New Gift Applied)
Strength: C+
Agility: D+
Magic: B+
?? : Currently Unmeasurable
Creative Skill: F
Singing: F-
Guildmaster Jung Hwan stood before the window, reading each line carefully. His eyes lingered on my “Singing” stat, as though it made no sense. Finally, he spoke in a voice squeezed through hesitation.
“Just from the class, it’s clear you’re healing type. I experienced it myself yesterday, but a double-check is necessary.”
“Ah, yes. Of course.”
“Sometimes other guilds disguise themselves as healers to infiltrate Hanttae. That’s why I personally verify healing classes.”
…So yesterday wasn’t because I was special, after all.
Right. Why would I be that valuable? My briefly lifted self-esteem sank right back down.
He noticed the flicker of emotion across my face, then rolled his eyes slightly, as if weighing something.
“…Of course, healers are precious assets. We’re always willing to pay enormous sums for a good one. You are valuable, Yeom Yea-ah.”
“Th-thank you… sir.”
“One issue, however, is that your skill proficiency is still too low. As you are now, treating others will be difficult.”
It felt like he had given me medicine after first handing me the disease.
Still, his words meant my abilities were at least recognized, and I wouldn’t be sent home crying on my very first day.
Confidence dented, but relief gained—so, call it even.
“For now, you’ll work as my exclusive healer. Once your proficiency improves, we’ll form a team for you. Does that sound acceptable? I’ll make sure your pay matches team-level standards.”
Today’s meeting, he explained, was mainly for formal registration and contract signing.
“This is an official Baldr-certified Hunter contract. Violating it holds both parties jointly responsible. Since it bears my name, your Hunter qualification is automatically certified as well.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. If the employer violates terms or causes you harm, their entire stat set is permanently reduced proportionally to the offense.”
“…That’s… reassuring.”
I pored over the document for nearly an hour, flipping pages, searching unfamiliar words, even scouring law sites on my phone. The guildmaster simply waited, unhurried.
At last, I signed, exchanged my teleportation card for a permanent one, and breathed a sigh of relief.
But then, he produced another contract.
“This one states you’ll serve as my exclusive healer until your skill-related stats reach at least C.”
“…You mean my Singing and Creative Skill.”
“Exactly. Only then can you properly care for Hanttae’s hunters.”
I grimaced. With both those stats sitting at F, it was daunting. Still, I picked up the pen.
“Wait.”
“Yes?”
“Shouldn’t you be negotiating terms right now? Or at least double-checking whether I’m trying to scam you? This is something you should treat with more caution than the general contract.”
“…Ah.”
So he meant I should’ve suspected him of being a conman?
Instead, he assumed that role himself—explaining industry standards, showing me charts of fair compensation, and thoroughly detailing every condition, before finally sliding the pen back across the desk.
It almost made me wonder if this was some elaborate viral marketing ploy to showcase Hanttae’s integrity.
Once we both signed, the contract shattered into glowing violet fragments.
[Contract certified under Baldr. All terms shall henceforth remain under strict judgment.]
“Did the contract window appear before you?”
“Yes!”
“Good. My name is Jung Hwan-jae.”
“…Sorry?”
“Best you know the name of the man you’ll be working with.”
But his severe expression made it clear I wasn’t to spread that around. Then, casually, he shifted the topic.
“For about a month, you’ll be working directly with me to raise your skill proficiency. What were you doing before joining?”
As his question reached me, I stole another glance at his face.
