Solo Awakening as an Ex Rank Munchkin
Chapter 11
The moment he saw him, Na Dan-sik felt like he was looking at a tiger.
The man's gray hair and neat suit gave him an incredibly sharp impression.
“So it's you. A pleasure to meet you. I'm the Association President.”
“It's an honor to meet you, sir.”
As he bowed deeply, Kang Cheol-man laughed heartily.
“No need for formalities. Come and sit.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kang Cheol-man stood up and gestured toward the sofa.
He sat in the seat of honor, and Na Dan-sik and Jin Seon-hui sat side-by-side to his right.
A moment later, a secretary brought in tea.
“Have some.”
“Thank you.”
Kang Cheol-man took a sip of tea and began to speak.
“I've reviewed your records.”
“······.”
“They're quite impressive.”
“You're too kind.”
“It's no exaggeration.”
When Kang Cheol-man held out his hand, Jin Seon-hui took out a tablet, operated it, and showed him the screen.
The screen displayed Na Dan-sik's Gate clear records.
“You've set a new record for the fastest clear time in all of them. On top of that, every gate you entered has been upgraded to Grade 2.”
“That's correct.”
He didn't deny it.
It was the truth, after all.
“You're calmer than I expected.”
“I get that a lot.”
“I like your honesty. So, have you thought about my offer?”
“I said I would think about it.”
“True, it's not an easy decision to make. You must have your own concerns. That's understandable, I get it.”
Kang Cheol-man took another sip of tea.
“But I called you here today for another reason.”
“Sir?”
“Let's have lunch together.”
“…Lunch?”
“Why, does that make you uncomfortable?”
“Not at all. It's an honor.”
“Good. Let's go.”
Na Dan-sik stood up with Kang Cheol-man, and they left.
The place Kang Cheol-man took him was the employee cafeteria on the 9th floor of the building.
Since it was lunchtime, employees were lined up.
When Kang Cheol-man appeared, the employees bowed politely in greeting.
“Enjoy your meal.”
After greeting the employees, he also got his food and sat down.
Eating face-to-face with the Association President in the cafeteria was a novel experience.
The cafeteria food was excellent, too.
Na Dan-sik had the bulgogi set, and Kang Cheol-man had the pork cutlet.
The cafeteria offered a choice between Korean and Western-style food.
Na Dan-sik, who preferred Korean food, chose the bulgogi set.
“Is it to your liking?”
“It's delicious.”
“We take great care to ensure our Association employees have the best benefits. You need to eat well to have the energy to work well. If you sign with us, you'll be able to eat at the cafeteria too.”
“Those are impressive benefits.”
Kang Cheol-man smiled with satisfaction at Na Dan-sik's words.
“Do you live alone?”
“Yes, I do.”
“No family?”
“None. I grew up in an orphanage.”
“I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry.”
As the Association President bowed his head to apologize, all eyes in the vicinity focused on them.
“It's alright, please raise your head. People are staring.”
“I was rude, so I must apologize. That's my principle.”
He's a man of firm principles, Na Dan-sik thought.
Kang Cheol-man gazed at Na Dan-sik intently and said.
“I really like you.”
As Kang Cheol-man said this with a smile, Na Dan-sik had no idea what kind of expression he should make.
“Please consider our offer favorably. We need talented individuals like you.”
Honestly, he didn't quite understand.
“To be honest, I don't quite understand. I'm just a rookie Hunter who's barely started, yet you're showing me so much interest……”
“I believe you're different from other rookie Hunters. Am I wrong?”
Na Dan-sik was speechless.
“One look at your clear records for the Grade 1 Gates you've conquered is enough to tell. You'll continue to set records in the future. Just based on that, won't guilds be lining up for you?”
He wasn’t wrong.
The number of guild recruitment notices looking for Na Dan-sik on Hunter Net was indeed increasing.
“Take your time and give me an answer. I'd prefer it if you worked with us, of course. Thank you for your time.”
“The honor was all mine.”
“We'll see each other again.”
Kang Cheol-man was the first to get up from his seat.
Na Dan-sik followed suit.
When he came out of the cafeteria, Jin Seon-hui was waiting.
“Shall we go?”
“I can go by myself.”
“That wouldn't be proper.”
In the end, he was escorted out by Jin Seon-hui.
She remained polite to the very end.
He shook her hand and they parted ways.
She offered to arrange a car for him, but he declined.
It felt a bit burdensome.
Since he was out, Na Dan-sik stopped by a nearby Magic Stone exchange to sell the stones he'd obtained from the Salamander Gate.
He sold 13 Low-grade Magic Stones and 4 Intermediate Magic Stones, and a total of 13,300,000 won was deposited into his account.
His account balance became 62,800,000 won.
He decided to consult with Jang Heung-sik before selling the Fire Salamander's Core and the Magma Giant's Core.
After finishing his business, Na Dan-sik headed for the subway station.
Once on the subway, Na Dan-sik was lost in thought.
He was a good person… and the atmosphere at the Association was nice, too.
Above all, the faces of the employees eating in the cafeteria were bright.
My old company wasn't like that.
The employees there were always anxiously watching their superiors, and they wouldn't even get up from lunch until their boss suggested leaving first.
It was a very conservative atmosphere.
They didn't provide a lunch allowance either, so you had to buy your own food with your own money.
That's why Na Dan-sik often ate at convenience stores to save money on food.
For value, nothing beats a convenience store lunch box.
***
A week passed.
Na Dan-sik borrowed Yu Il-sik's car.
He had to go pick up the weapon he had commissioned from Jang Heung-sik.
Taking public transportation would have taken too long, so he decided to borrow a car.
He hadn't saved enough money to buy a car yet.
He planned to buy a car first thing when he made enough money.
A vehicle was essential if he was going to continue clearing Gates.
He drove Yu Il-sik's compact car all the way to Paju.
It took two hours to get from Yongin to Paju.
As he parked in front of the warehouse and got out, the warehouse door opened and Ahn Jeong-won came running out.
“Mister, you're here?”
“Jeong-won.”
“Mister, did you buy a car?”
“No, I borrowed a friend's car.”
“No wonder the car is so cute, it doesn't suit you at all.”
“If you're here, what are you doing standing around outside? Get in here.”
Jang Heung-sik's voice boomed from inside the warehouse.
“Jeong-won, let's go in.”
“Mister, what's that in your hand?”
“A gift. I told you I'd bring one.”
“Don't tell me... that's not makgeolli, is it?”
“It is. But don't worry, I bought a low-alcohol one. It's only 6%.”
“Really?”
As Ahn Jeong-won narrowed her eyes at him, Na Dan-sik gave an awkward laugh.
“Let's hurry inside. I can't wait to see the finished weapon.”
He hurried into the warehouse.
When they entered the office, Jang Heung-sik seemed happier to see the makgeolli than Na Dan-sik.
“You kept your promise.”
“You're happier to see the makgeolli than me, aren't you?”
“Of course. Kehehe.”
The makgeolli ended up in Jang Heung-sik's hands.
Jang Heung-sik gestured to Ahn Jeong-won.
“Bring it.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ahn Jeong-won hurried out and returned with a long box, which she placed on the table.
“It's the sword. Open it.”
Na Dan-sik opened the box.
For a moment, he forgot to breathe.
The red patterns engraved on the silver-white blade looked just like human blood vessels.
The gem embedded in the center of the hilt was like a pulsating heart.
A thrill ran through him.
“…Is this really a beginner's sword?”
“You'll know when you check the specs. Take it.”
He took the sword in his hand.
The item status window appeared.
[Blood Edge]
Grade: A (Current) Can grow to S+
Type: Longsword (One-handed)
[Options]
- Self-repair when damaged
- Automatic durability recovery
- Restores within 24 hours even if broken
[Additional Options]
- 10% additional damage on enemy attack
- Ignores defense for 5 minutes
[Growth Conditions]
- Kill 1,000 monsters: A+
- Kill 5,000 monsters: S
- Kill 10,000 monsters: S+
It was such a jackpot that his eyes went wide.
“Is this really for beginners?”
“Of course. That sword is designed to help a beginner grow. I designed it that way.”
“Sir……”
“Take this, too.”
Jang Heung-sik tossed him a palm-sized box.
He opened the box to find a ring inside.
“I told you I make rings, too.”
He took out the ring and put it on his finger.
The item status window appeared.
[Blood Ring]
Grade: B
Option: Attack Power +10%
The ring's option was a jackpot, too.
It was too good for a beginner's accessory.
“If you get more materials, bring them to me. I'll make whatever you want.”
“Of course, I will.”
“I'm only doing this for you. You know I don't do this for just anyone, right?”
“I know.”
“If you get it, then pay the balance.”
Jang Heung-sik was always clear about payment.
Na Dan-sik paid the remaining 50% of the balance.
“You can go now. Call ahead next time you come.”
“I will.”
Just then, Ahn Jeong-won came over and sat down beside him.
“Mister, I helped make 30% of this.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
As Ahn Jeong-won shrugged and said it boastfully, Na Dan-sik couldn't help but praise her.
“Thanks, Jeong-won. You're the best.”
“Hehe.”
“Stop showing off and go organize the materials.”
“I was just about to.”
“You know you're not going home if you don't finish today, right?”
“I'm going, I'm going… Mister, get home safe.”
As Ahn Jeong-won grumbled and stood up, Na Dan-sik stopped her.
“Jeong-won, take this.”
“What's this?”
“I told you I'd bring a cake.”
Looking at the box, he saw it was a Twotang cake.
Ahn Jeong-won looked at Na Dan-sik with a happy expression.
“Mister, I'm so touched! I've been dying to eat this.”
“I'll bring another one next time I come.”
“Mister, you're the best! I'll enjoy it.”
“Okay.”
After saying his goodbyes, Na Dan-sik left the warehouse, loaded the items into the compact car, and departed from Paju.
***
After returning home, Na Dan-sik washed up and cooked dinner for the first time in a while.
The pork he'd kept in the freezer would start to smell and go bad if left for too long.
He made spicy stir-fried pork and ate it with some heated-up instant rice from a major brand.
His gaze fell to the box on the floor.
It was his weapon, which he had spent a hefty 30 million won to have made.
He had also crafted a ring as a bonus.
The weapon and accessory Jang Heung-sik had made were top-notch.
He planned to take that weapon and go to a Gate tomorrow.
Of course, he was thinking positively about the Association's contract offer.
He logged into Hunter Net for the first time in a while.
The grade upgrade was still a hot topic, and the guild notices looking for Na Dan-sik were still up.
“The Titan Guild…?”
A guild ranked in the top 3 in the country had posted a notice looking for Na Dan-sik.
It even specified that the guild master, Cha Min-hyeok, had personally ordered it.
If the Association had Choi Kang-in, the guilds had Cha Min-hyeok.
The two were the Hunters, known as the two great pillars of South Korea.
If Choi Kang-in was the strongest in physical attacks, Cha Min-hyeok was the strongest in magical attacks.
And that man was looking for Na Dan-sik.
“But why?”
He was a rookie Hunter who had only recently Awakened.
For now, he decided to pretend he didn't know.
***
The next morning.
He looked at his phone.
[Taking the car.]
Yu Il-sik had sent a text.
It seemed he had taken the car in the morning.
Yu Il-sik lived in the same neighborhood as Na Dan-sik.
A three-minute walk away.
Na Dan-sik lived a bit further up the hill, and Yu Il-sik lived down below.
He grabbed his gear and left the house.
Today, he planned to take the bus to Seoul.
He had only been sticking to places nearby.
He took the bus and bought a coffee and a sandwich at a café near the subway station.
When he was an office worker, even going to a café was a luxury, but not anymore.
“Assistant Manager Na?”
Just then, someone called out to him.
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