The next morning, Jinseok's house.
He was reading on the living room sofa when he looked ahead.
"...."
At that moment, in the living room, his precious partners, Slime and Dragon Hatchling, were rolling around on the floor and playing.
Goldie and Kkamangi are now good siblings.
"Duet."
"Kyu!"
On the surface, they were just cute monster children, reminiscent of a pair of friendly pet dogs and cats.
Jinseok watches and without realizing it, a fatherly smile flickers across his face.
"Hehe, these cute guys are getting along so well now that they're practically angels!"
Jinseok admires it, then rests his chin on his hand and begins to think.
"By the way, since I'm a professional hunter now, I need to practice the new skills Goldie and Kkamang have learned from time to time. That way, they can earn more money through their work as hunters!"
Jinseok is quick to come up with ideas.
21st-century South Korea is an age of specifications. Isn't that why students and workers alike are obsessed with self-improvement, studying day after day and acquiring certifications to enhance their credentials?
The same was true for Jinseok, who recently became a professional hunter.
Jinseok must diligently study and hone his skills, both his own and his precious partner Goldie's, in addition to his Monster Breeder skills, in order to demonstrate his own competitiveness in his main job as a professional hunter and stand out from others.
...as much as the university textbook he is reading now, Introduction to Business Administration.
Jinseok mutters after reading Introduction to Business Administration.
"Rather than worrying about useless stocks and cryptocurrencies, I feel like it'd be much more beneficial to focus on my business studies, which I took a break from. They'll definitely come in handy someday!"
For your information, Jinseok had deposited all of his earnings into a bank savings account immediately after Goldie's previous runaway incident.
And instead of worrying about useless virtual currency, I should be spending my free time with my precious children, Goldie and Kkamangi, and working on my personal self-development!
...Of course, from the perspective of an investment expert, investing in virtual currency and stocks could be the foundation for success, but for Jinseok, an ordinary person with no relevant knowledge, it was a gamble in itself with difficult to predict success, so it was probably the right decision.
Jinseok mutters with a cheerful look in his eyes.
"To succeed as a hunter and become a building owner in Gangnam, I'll have to work hard in my spare time, like researching the technology of our cute little Goldie. Well then, let's check the information window first!"
Jinseok checks his information window.
[Jinseok Choi, Korean male, 23 years old, Overall Level B-Class Hunter, Special Skill: Monster Breeder (Beginner), Taming Level 1, Parenting Level 1, Linked with his child Goldie]
[Goldie: Level 11 (55%), Special Skills: Protection LV4, Absorption LV5, Proliferation LV1, Transmission LV1, Dissolution LV1, Fusion LV1] Unlocked Skills ??? (*Locked skills require specific conditions.)]
[Kkamangi: Level 1 (50%), Special Skills: Dragon Claw LV1, Dragon Breath LV1]
After checking the information window, he quickly came up with an idea.
The updated information included the addition of two new Goldie skills along with the addition of a new member of the party, Kkamangi, but there were some ambiguous points.
Jinseok frowns and begins to think hard.
"Ahem, Kkamang is the hatchling of the fearsome Black Drake, so if we raise him well, he'll be as good as our Goldie... The problem is, Kkamang isn't just my child. After all, Mito and Juyong were in the dungeon party too. There's no need to ruin our current friendly relationship by coveting Kkamang's ownership for no reason!"
Jinseok rests his chin on his hand and thinks about it.
For him, Mito and Juyong of the Dainty Guild were precious colleagues and partners.
And above all, colleagues had to be careful about how they distributed profits to each other.
Isn't it common for close family and friends to drift apart over a few dollars?
Moreover, his colleagues were specialists even among professional hunters. Following them, Jinseok, who was poised to one day strike it rich by consuming items worth billions of won, like constellations, held the unity of his colleagues as a top priority.
That's why, no matter how good the black magician's power was for Jinseok, his colleagues' opinions were important first.
Jinseok scratches his cheek and mutters.
...after chewing over my inner desires.
"There's no need to be greedy for short-term profits. After all, there are super lottery-level items like constellations in Monster Dungeons, right? If you get just one constellation with good companions, you'll be retired in no time. Hehe! By the way... Should we practice the new skill Goldie learned this time?"
Jinseok wiggles his fingers in the air for a moment and checks the skill information.
[Absorption LV5: Active Skill: Slime's basic skill allows it to absorb a specific target. The absorbed target can be digested and converted into experience points, or released. *With each level increase, the target's range and effects are significantly enhanced.]
[Fusion: Active Skill: A mid-level slime skill that allows you to merge with a specific target under specific conditions. * There are currently no targets in the area that meet the specific conditions.]
[Dissolution: Active Skill: Slime's intermediate skill that melts a specific target with a special liquid generated inside the slime's mouth.]
After checking the information window, he quickly came up with an idea.
The newly learned absorption LV5 and fusion skills had no specific information, so I couldn't know the conditions.
For example, under what conditions can fusion skills be used? And what about absorption skills, whose range and effects are enhanced with each level?
Moreover, the easily verifiable melting skill was a terrifying detail to Jinseok, who had previously suffered trauma from the giant slime incident.
Jinseok groans, his forehead pressed against his chest, feeling very curious.
"Damn, I'm just saying that the description window information seems insufficient and it breaks my heart. How am I supposed to verify the newly learned skills... Hey, my smartphone's vibrating?"
That was when.
Jinseok suddenly checks his smartphone.
Then, on the smartphone screen where the text message was sent, there was a call from an unexpected place.
Jinseok blinks his eyes at the unexpected content and mutters.
"Huh, I suddenly got an emergency text message from the Hunter Association... saying I need to get a license?"
It was a license notice sent by the Hunter Association to Jinseok, who had recently become a professional hunter.
Mr. Choi Jin-seok, the Hunters Association of Korea has recently confirmed your awakening as a B-rank Hunter. As per Ministry of Public Administration and Security regulations, all domestic hunters of B-rank or higher must register and be licensed by the Hunters Association. Therefore, we ask that you visit the Association headquarters at your earliest convenience.
Jinseok opens his eyes wide.
"Oh, a pro hunter license..."
For him, a young man from a poor family, the issuance of a hunter's license in South Korea was something he had never imagined.
If you think about it, in Korea, even driver's licenses are regularly renewed, so there was no way there wouldn't be a pro hunter license.
...What can I do, even if it's annoying? If I want to make a living as a medical sales professional, I have no choice but to register!
Jinseok sighs and prepares to go out.
"Haa, I'll take the bull's horns in one fell swoop... Today, I have to visit the association headquarters in Gangnam to get my hunter's license. Then!"
He immediately places his precious child on his right shoulder.
None other than the golden little bastard who is the lucky child.
Jinseok shouts with a cheerful look in his eyes.
"Goldie, let's go out with daddy!"
Goldie responds immediately to Jinseok's call and lets out a refreshing cry of joy.
"Duet, duet!"
Now, it must have been the strongest father-son relationship.
Jinseok and his party immediately set out on an exciting trip.
***
That day, in broad daylight, Jinseok and his party arrived at the Hunter Association headquarters in Gangnam.
At the front desk on the first floor of the association, a cute, short-haired girl in familiar civilian clothes welcomes Jinseok and his party.
Joohee greets with a cold smile.
Adding a bit of a chilly feeling.
"Haha, Jinseok oppa... Long time no see?"
Jinseok greets with an awkward smile, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Hello, Joohee...?"
He is a quick thinker at heart.
Joo-hee, an employee at the Hunter Association's information desk, had previously met Jin-seok while treating Joo-yong on a medical business trip.
Moreover, she was now Joo-yong's older sister, one year younger than him and their sworn brother.
Because of that, Jinseok and her had recently become close friends and were keeping in touch through things like Kkattok and the like, so they were on good terms.
...There can't be friendship between a man and a woman, but they are probably close acquaintances of the same age.
however.
How could Joohee show such cold feelings when she sees Jinseok himself?
If anything, since he is two years older than her, he should try to alleviate her feelings of resentment.
Jinseok asks the question cautiously with an awkward smile.
"Ahem, Joohee?"
"... Yes, Jinseok oppa."
"I wonder if I've made a mistake. If you, kind Joohee, could be so forgiving, I'd be grateful."
"oh...."
Joohee blinks her double eyelids repeatedly, as if her mood is finally starting to lighten at Jinseok's question.
She speaks with a sharp look in her eyes and a grumbling tone.
"Huh, Jinseok oppa..."
"Yes, Joohee."
"You've forgotten the promise you made to me, haven't you? I promised to buy you a meal so you could contact me at a convenient time!"
"Oh, that's right...."
Jinseok scratches his cheek with embarrassment.
She said she would buy him a meal, but he didn't contact her, so she must have been upset because she is such a kind person.
Only then did Joohee feel better, as she winked her right eye and spoke in a soft voice.
"Hehe, then Jinseok oppa, let's go eat together after the Hunter License training test today. I'll give you half a day off!"
Jinseok suddenly asks a question out of curiosity.
"Ms. Joohee, thank you for everything... but anyway, this is the Hunter License sparring test?"
I wonder if they even have to take a sparring test to issue a pro hunter license?
...like the 1:1 sparring I had with Nam Hoon while on medical sales duty the other day.
Joohee, like a special-class civil servant who is good at getting things done right away, kindly explains things to me.
"Yes, Jinseok oppa, according to Hunter Association regulations, you must participate in a simple sparring test!"
"What if it's a sparring test?"
"Hehe, even if it's called a sparring test, it's nothing special! It's just a simple test to see if the tester has the qualities of a B-rank hunter, regardless of whether they win or lose the match. According to the rules, the opponent who acts as the tester is an A-rank hunter from one of the top 4 guilds in Korea. For example, the Daintgil Guild, which my younger brother Juyong belongs to!"
Jinseok chews on it with a curious expression.
"Aha, I see."
In the Korean Pro Hunter world, it was said that the top four guilds, including the Dainty Guild, which includes Jinseok's colleagues Mito and Juyong, monopolized the Korean hunter world.
and.
The term referring to these top four guilds is none other than the Four Emperors Guild. As the name suggests, it refers to the four emperors.
By the way, just how much influence do the professional hunters in that guild have that they were given the grand nickname of the Four Emperors?
Jinseok blinks his eyes repeatedly to think it over.
'As Joohee, a current employee of the association, explained, the Four Emperors Guild seems to be a group of incredibly skilled professional hunters... As a way of networking within the same industry, I should also get to know at least one person in the Dainty Guild.'
Whether in the hunter world or in Korean society, managing your connections is important.
Jinseok immediately urges.
"Ms. Joohee, I'd like to ask you to do that sparring test."
"Yes, Jinseok oppa!"
Jinseok and his party head straight to the stadium.
The stadium that was entered right after.
At that moment, a proud young lady with impressive wavy brown hair and casual clothes was waiting on the opposing side of the stadium to act as a test tube.
"...."
Is she perhaps Jinseok's peer?
Jinseok greets people politely to maintain his network.
"hello!"
"...."
"I'm Choi Jin-seok, and I'll be taking the test today for a Class B license. Please take good care of me!"
Jinseok slightly lowers his head and naturally confirms the person in front of him.
She had impressive, narrow eyes like a snake's, and she responded with a blank expression, not paying any attention to Jinseok's greeting.
"...."
... It would be quite awkward if you greeted a woman of your age when you first met her and she didn't say hello in return.
It was around this time that Jinseok was waiting with an awkward smile.
It was right after that.
Instead of greeting, the brown-haired girl raises her lips in a mischievous manner and mutters softly.
He was talking behind my back with a rather arrogant expression, no... he was openly criticizing me in front of me.
"Heh, how can a worthless B-rank hunter like that act friendly?"