chapter 23
[Title: Since Gidan Came Up, I Have a Question]
[Original Post]
Hey, guild bros, can someone clarify something for me?
I work in the admin department, so I might not know much, but...
Why is Gidan so obsessed with beating Guild Master On?
He’s not even a year into his Awakening yet, so he’s still got room to grow.
He’s a god-tier character with wide-area coverage, an attribute-free dealer, and barely gets affected by dungeon environments.
His combat sense is literally divine-tier.
If he keeps improving at this rate, it’s only a matter of time before he surpasses On Jurim, so why is he already scrambling to climb the ranks?
[Comments]
“Surpass who? Do you think a living legend is just some random guy?”
“There isn’t a single hunter who doesn’t obsess over rankings.”
“I don’t, though. ㅇㅅㅇ”
“You’re Shin Nayun, aren’t you?”
“Nayun-ah, let’s grab a meal just once, please... Why aren’t you replying to my messages...”
“It’s that thing, you know, that thing.”
“What thing? Just say it already.”
“How do you not know? That!”
“WTF.”
“Maybe he’s still a hot-blooded kid.”
“Now this is the good stuff.”
“Oh, so that’s why Gidan always solos? He doesn’t want to split the contribution points?”
“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen him party with anyone, not even Team 1.”
“Is it because of the contribution points, or is he getting excluded from teams?”
“Team 1 is super tight-knit, don’t spread rumors.”
“Team 1’s leader is a really kind person... Let’s not say reckless stuff like that.”
****
“Guild Master-nim!”
“Yeah?”
Giggling, Hanguru pulled something from his pocket and held it up.
“Ta-da!”
Jurim squinted at it.
“That’s the tenth time you’ve shown it to me today.”
It had already been a week since Hanguru had cleared his dungeon.
But the moment his Hunter License arrived at home this morning, he was so high on the thrill of officially becoming a hunter that he just couldn’t get over it.
At kindergarten, he “accidentally” dropped his license about fifteen times, just so he could pick it up and show it off to his friends.
“Manager-nim, wanna see this?”
“Sir! Look at this!”
“I’m the team leader, kid.”
He proudly flashed it to every Hyeonak employee he ran into.
Jurim, who had stepped out for a smoke, learned about it the hard way when every single person he passed repeated the same thing:
“Congrats, Guild Master-nim! Your daughter awakened!”
“Congratulations on the Awakening, sir!”
They’d all chuckle and walk past, leaving Jurim standing there, utterly confused.
‘……?’
Why does everyone in the world know about this?
Baffled, he quickly put out his cigarette and fanned away the smell.
Then, he grabbed Hanguru, who had just finished showing off his license to a janitor, and dragged him back inside.
“Uhihihi.”
“You might as well stick it to your forehead.”
Hanguru twirled around happily, completely unfazed by Jurim’s sarcasm, still clutching his precious license.
‘I loooove this!’
Hanguru peeked up over the desk, his eyes shining.
“Guild Master-nim! When’s our next dungeon run? Tomorrow? The day after?”
Now that he had his license, he needed to do hunter stuff.
‘I wanna make new toys from dungeon loot!’
Just thinking about selling tons of items and giving his Guild Master an allowance filled him with joy.
‘Guild Master-nim, here’s some pocket money. Don’t skimp on stuff—buy some plushies. Your room’s way too empty.’
Now that would be some real filial piety.
But Jurim simply waved him off, completely disinterested.
“Later.”
“When’s later~?”
“When you’re this much taller.”
Jurim waved his hand above his head.
Unacceptable!
“That’s like, 100 meters!”
“You thought I was 100 meters tall this whole time?”
“Oh! 101 meters?”
Jurim sighed.
“If you don’t even know how many centimeters are in a meter, you’re not going anywhere.”
“But... but I have to go! I’m a guild member!”
“So?”
“I need to rack up achievements and make tribute payments to the guild!”
“Where the hell are you learning this stuff?”
“I’m not telling~.”
Ever since moving in with Jurim, Hanguru’s access to that huge fancy TV had been severely limited.
Apparently, watching questionable programs all day wasn’t “suitable for children.”
Now, he was only allowed a measly one and a half hours a day.
If he admitted he picked this up from TV, he’d definitely get even less time.
‘Hmph. Like I’d ever tell him.’
Pouting, Hanguru clamped his lips shut.
Jurim, looking completely unfazed, simply responded:
“Kids get an exception.”
Then, he stretched out his hand in front of Hanguru.
“Hand.”
“Haand~.”
As soon as Hanguru held out his hand, Jurim grabbed his wrist and fastened a watch around it.
Hanguru immediately turned his wrist this way and that, closely inspecting it.
‘A watch?’
Jurim took Hanguru’s kids' phone, saying he’d sync it with the device.
‘Oh! A smart watch!’
But unlike the smartwatches his friends wore, this one was thick and had a mature design. It was surprisingly light, but the material felt closer to metal than plastic.
Since an S-rank hunter gave it to him, it was probably different from regular watches.
‘Then maybe… just maybe…?’
“Guild Mastew-nim, can I use this for a Miracle Change?”
His little heart pounded with excitement.
“Miracle Change?”
Jurim immediately recalled the anime Hanguru had been obsessively watching.
That transformation sequence—‘Miracle Change’ or whatever—was clearly the highlight. Hanguru had been glued to the screen, sweating with anticipation during that scene.
The protagonist had lifted something like a wristwatch back then…
“Ahh…”
Interlocking his fingers, Jurim—uncharacteristically—spoke in a gentle tone.
“Try it.”
“Wooooow…!”
Hanguru hopped off the desk and took a few steps back before dramatically raising his arm.
Here we go! Miracle Change!
“Dumbass.”
Jurim bit his lip hard.
“Hanguru, come here.”
“Huh?”
With a confused expression, Hanguru scurried over to his side.
“Say it again.”
“Dumbass.”
“Slowly. Trans-for-ma-tion.”
“Trans-for-ma-tion.”
“Good.”
Now properly trained, Hanguru dashed back and attempted his transformation once more.
“Tran! Sformation!”
…Why wasn’t it working? Was this not how it went?
But Hanguru, age four, had consumed an absurd amount of anime.
Drawing from his vast experience, he switched up his poses.
“Transforrrrrrm! Trans! Formation!”
Jurim turned away, covering his mouth.
“…?”
His shoulders trembled slightly, and a very obvious snicker slipped out.
That laughter. That attitude…
‘It was a lie!’
He tricked him! Eyes welling up, Hanguru smacked Jurim’s leg in frustration.
“Liar! Liar!”
“You’ll hurt yourself.”
Jurim, worried that Hanguru might bruise his little hands from hitting him, effortlessly picked him up and plopped him onto the desk.
Hanguru pouted, lowering his head.
Jurim let out a soft chuckle before playfully pinching his little beak-like lips.
“You mad?”
Hanguru nodded.
“What’ll make you feel better?”
Hanguru’s round coral-colored eyes darted around, as if gauging the situation. Then, in a tiny voice, he whispered:
“…Dungeon.”
“Not that.”
Rejected instantly.
Hanguru’s eyebrows twitched up in distress as he clenched his soft little fists.
“But if I just laze around like a grasshopper… I might get kicked out of Hyeonak.”
“That won’t happen. Go play. A kindergarten kid’s job is to play well and sleep well.”
Jurim dismissed it like it was nothing, but Hanguru was desperate now.
“But… but if I become useless, I might have to go back to the orphanage…”
What?
Jurim’s expression hardened instantly.
“Why do you think that?”
“…Dunno.”
Hanguru mumbled, lips sticking out in a sulky pout.
“Hanguru.”
Jurim called his name in a firm tone, but the child just hunched his shoulders, fidgeting with his hands and feet.
“Look at me. Why do you think that?”
Hanguru rolled his coral-colored eyes.
‘I don’t wanna say it…’
He was scared.
Scared that if he told Jurim he was a kid that had been unwanted by his previous families, Jurim might react in a way he couldn’t handle.
Maybe he’d think Hanguru was flawed.
Maybe he’d decide that sending him back to the orphanage wasn’t such a bad idea after all.