FRSBS 07

Chapter 7

[F-Rank Hunter License]

[Name: Jeong Juhyeok]

“It’s finally here.”

At last—the F-rank hunter license had arrived.

It was a small plastic card, similar in feel to an ID card, but holding it in his hands felt strangely emotional.

“Guess I’ll head out right away.”

Just as planned, the moment it arrived, he looked up the nearest gate online and headed out.

[…Don’t get hurt, okay? Promise me.]

He left home under his mother’s worried gaze.

The gate wasn’t far.

There were about fifty F-rank gates scattered throughout the capital region.

After about a thirty-minute bus ride, the area was reclassified as a military zone.

Public transportation wasn’t allowed within two kilometers of a gate, so he got off at a suitable stop and began to walk.

After ten minutes, he arrived at the entrance.

Only a few people in military uniforms stood guard ahead.

“Good thing I chose this one.”

He had deliberately picked a low-reward, high-difficulty gate—the least popular one in the region.

If he wanted to collect mana stones, a higher-reward gate would have been better.
But crowded places meant attention, and that was the last thing he wanted.

He chose the safest method—staying invisible.

“Please wait a moment.”

As he approached the entrance, a soldier stepped forward.

It was quiet and nearly empty—no tension in the air.

“To pass through, I’ll need to see either your hunter license or a gate access permit.”

“Here it is.”

He took out the brand-new hunter license he’d just received that morning.

The soldier glanced at the card, then at Juhyeok, before speaking again with mild curiosity.

“Judging by the issue date, you must’ve graduated from the academy this year?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The soldier nodded slightly, then looked around and lowered his voice.

“You’re not with a party?”

“Not yet.”

“You’re aware that entering a gate alone is prohibited, right?”

“Yes. I was planning to find a party at the entrance.”

The soldier’s tone softened a little, maybe because Juhyeok sounded well-prepared despite being a rookie. He handed the card back with a faint smile.

“Not many people around today. You might have trouble finding one.”

“Is it really that empty?”

“Well, even if there are people, new hunters usually have a hard time joining a group.”

Inside a gate, a single wrong move could mean death.

Who would willingly take an inexperienced rookie into their team?

And Juhyeok wasn’t just inexperienced—he was an unproven F-rank hunter.

To any party, he was a walking liability.

“Well… I guess that’s why you came all the way out to an unpopular gate.”

“That’s right.”

It wasn’t just to avoid people’s eyes.

At popular gates, there were already plenty of experienced hunters looking for parties.

Who would pick him over them?

But here, at a dead zone like this—

“Parties must have four members minimum, so maybe they’ll let me tag along as the extra.”

Calling himself an “extra” hurt his pride, but it was the truth.

A gate rookie with no experience and F-rank skills—no one would see him as more than that.

“You’re in luck,” the soldier added. “A group of three just went in ahead of you.”

That was the best news he’d heard all day.

Feeling sympathetic, the soldier pointed in the direction they’d gone.

“They looked like veterans. Try talking to them—you might get lucky.”

“Thank you.”

“Good luck.”

Following the soldier’s directions, he headed toward the area where the group was waiting.

Sure enough, three people who looked like hunters were gathered at a table, chatting as they waited.

“Let’s go.”

There weren’t many people around, and it was still early.

At an unpopular gate like this, finding another group would be difficult.

If they were veterans, maybe they’d let an extra tag along.

With that small hope, he approached.

As he got closer, the hunter sitting in the middle—a woman with short brown hair and a bow on her back—met his eyes.

She stood up at once.

“He’s here.”

“Really?”

At her words, the other two turned toward him.

Their sudden attention made him stop in his tracks.

Something felt wrong.

His instincts—never once mistaken—sent a chill through him.

“Hello. You’re Hunter Jeong Juhyeok, right?”

…Of course.

“…Who are you?”

To be called by name by a complete stranger—it wasn’t confusion he felt first, but suspicion.

Maybe that was what being bonded with an artifact did to you: made you wary of everyone.

Sensing his guard, the woman gave an awkward smile and took out a business card.

“I’m Ahn Yena, scout for the Mir Guild.”

“I see.”

He accepted the card. It bore the Mir Guild’s emblem and her title clearly.

Mir wasn’t one of the massive guilds, but it was solidly mid-tier—a well-known organization.

There was no reason for someone from Mir to be recruiting at a forgotten F-rank gate.

The moment he realized that, his face almost twisted, but he held steady, forcing calm.

“I’m surprised the Mir Guild knows my name.”

“Come on, Hunter Jeong is a hot topic these days.”

Her smile was bright, practiced, almost dazzling.

She looked like the type who made friends easily in school and probably received a dozen confessions a year.

“An under-200-ranked student taking on the vice top in the final tournament and winning in such an overwhelming way! I was there, you know—I couldn’t believe my eyes!”

“Is that so.”

“Lucky me, running into you today. What a coincidence.”

“Coincidence,” huh.

She said it so smoothly—without even blinking.

A lie so transparent it was almost impressive.

Still, she chatted away as if nothing were odd.

“I was going to reach out through your instructor, but I heard you weren’t planning to join a guild yet. Is that true?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Why? Waiting for an offer from a major guild?”

“No. Even if one came, I wouldn’t join.”

“…Hmm.”

Her brows furrowed slightly at his immediate, unwavering response.

No hesitation. No interest at all.

That was rare.

Most graduates chased guild contracts as soon as they got their licenses—it was the logical next step.

But Juhyeok wasn’t like most.

He had cut guilds out of his life entirely.

After a brief silence, Yena spoke again.

“…Are you here to clear the Stump Gate too?”

“Yes. As you probably know, this is the only one an inexperienced F-rank like me can realistically enter.”

“Haha~ you’ve got that right.”

The way she emphasized “as you probably know” told him everything—she’d been tracking him.

He didn’t know how, but she’d found out which gate he was heading to among dozens.

He didn’t like it one bit.

To make that clear, he let just a trace of irritation show.

“True, it’s not easy for a rookie like you to find a party unless you go to a place like this. Smart move, really.”

Yena didn’t flinch.

Whether it was her nature or her training as a scout, she wore a perfect poker face.

“By the way,” she added casually, “have you found a party yet?”

He could tell she already knew the answer, but she asked anyway.

“No. I just got here.”

“Really?”

Her lips curved upward again.

There it was—that hint of real satisfaction behind the polite smile.

She turned to the two hunters beside her.

“Perfect timing. We’re short one member—why don’t you join us?”

“Three people…”

Juhyeok glanced at her teammates.

“That makes two up front, a bow user, and a support mage—textbook four-person formation.”

And with Mir Guild’s name behind them, they were probably experienced.

“I didn’t want to get involved with guild people, but…”

There wasn’t time to look for another party, and the odds of finding one here were slim.

For an F-rank rookie, this was a golden opportunity.

Still, it bothered him.

“If I go with them, they’ll only stick to me harder afterward.”

They had tracked him down the day his license arrived and even waited for him at the gate.

If he accepted, they’d definitely keep hovering in the future.

For someone who wanted to stay away from guilds, that was troublesome.

As he weighed the decision, Yena struck again—right at the perfect moment.

“We’ll let you have all the loot from the gate.”

All the loot.

Mana stones, weapons, monster materials—everything.

Even at an F-rank gate, that could be a lot of money for a rookie.

And for Juhyeok, who needed mana stones, it was an offer he could hardly ignore.

He met her smiling eyes and spoke in a low voice.

“…That’s a very generous offer. Generous enough to make me suspicious.”

“Don’t overthink it. Let’s just call it goodwill toward a promising young hunter.”

Goodwill, she said.

But guilds were organizations built on money and results.

They didn’t act without reason.

“This way, maybe you’ll think better of our guild in the future, right?”

An investment, then.

“…This much should be fine.”

They weren’t signing a contract—just teaming up for one run.

A bit of “investment” from their side wouldn’t hurt him.

“The markings on my arm are completely covered anyway. There’s no way they’ll notice.”

He mentally went through every risk one by one.

Everything seemed under control.

Finally, he reached his decision and extended his hand.

“I’ll gladly accept your goodwill.”