The broker, having finished his call, let out a sigh of relief.
Once he confirmed no one else was around, his demeanor relaxed considerably.
Hanging up the phone, the broker’s gaze swept over me once more.
His eyes gleamed with undisguised avarice.
“So, kid. Did you bring the magic stones?”
“Right here, can’t you see?”
I pulled the pouch of magic stones from my bag and shook it.
The broker reached out a hand to take the pouch.
“Mister, have you been in business for only a day or two?”
I snatched the pouch back, pulling it away.
“Bring out the scale. Don’t even dream of trying to shortchange me on the weight.”
To prevent him from getting too close, I settled on the opposite side of the sofa.
A large table stood between us.
This ensured a minimum safe distance.
It was the most basic of precautions.
“Hahaha, you’re quite an amusing young lady.”
The broker let out a snicker, as if my audacious attitude was utterly absurd.
His gaze remained fixed on me.
His eyes were like those of a wild dog with its prey in sight.
I could feel the tension inside the officetel (TL Note: A Korean term for a studio apartment that also serves as an office) building steadily growing heavier.
“What are you waiting for? Go on, check it. See if it’s really 1.2 kilograms.”
“Alright, alright. I’ll do as you say.”
The broker sighed, then produced a scale.
Only then did I hand over the pouch of magic stones.
Inside that pouch of magic stones was one of my fingers.
I had prepared this even before coming here.
I began running a mental simulation, preparing for a potential ambush.
‘If anything seems even slightly off, I’ll detonate the pouch first…’
A pouch filled with magic stones would serve the same purpose as a fragmentation grenade.
Of course, I would have to control my power to avoid killing anyone.
I had already practiced this the day before.
‘Anyone coming through the door can be dealt with using the Sand Swamp spell.’
It wasn’t that I wasn’t worried.
Fighting and defeating these pathetic thugs wouldn’t be a big deal in itself.
However, the aftermath of causing such a commotion was a headache in the making.
After all, I wanted to keep my identity as a mage hidden for as long as possible.
If a fight broke out, I would inevitably reveal myself as a mage.
‘Oh, whatever. They’re just thugs. What are they going to do? It’s not like they can report me to the police…’
I tried my best to suppress my anxiety.
Since my savings were almost depleted, this was something I had to do, sooner or later.
After all, one couldn’t live by eating magic stones.
Five years had passed since the Tower first appeared.
South Korea’s social infrastructure was largely in ruins.
This deterioration was particularly evident in law enforcement and public security.
With numerous retirements and deaths in the line of duty, few police officers remained.
The remaining officers no longer wished to involve themselves in crimes linked to Hunters.
This phenomenon worsened in rural areas, to the point where, in some regions, the police actually covered for powerful Hunters.
However, it was highly unlikely that such pathetic thugs would have connections within the police force.
It was obvious that if these thugs sought help from the police, they would simply be ignored.
Under these circumstances, I could probably cause a ruckus to a certain extent without major repercussions.
‘Honestly, public security before the Tower was just too good.’
Given that Korea had maintained the world’s best public security before the Tower, the current security vacuum felt all the more pronounced.
In reality, this was probably how most countries typically operated.
Having never traveled abroad, I had no idea what the actual state of overseas security was like.
But everyone in the gallery said so, so it must be true.
“It really is 1 kilogram of magic stones…. Where did you get these?”
The broker’s words snapped me out of my prolonged reverie.
The broker still regarded me with a suspicious gaze.
‘Seriously, he’s planning to stab me in the back and take everything anyway, so why is he playing these games?’
“I told you already. I’m a Hunter. I went into the Tower myself and mined them.”
“…How many floors did you ascend?”
“The fourth floor.”
“Mhm, right, right. The fourth floor. So you can mine 1 kilogram of magic stones on the fourth floor, can you?”
His face clearly showed he didn’t believe a word of it.
Now that I thought about it, it was only natural.
After all, I had mined twice as many magic stones as others typically would.
Normally, one wouldn’t be able to mine over 1 kilogram of magic stones on the fourth floor.
“I really am a Hunter!”
“Oh really? What’s your class?”
“…I can’t say. It’s a special class.”
“Mhm, I see. A special class, you say.”
“I’m serious!”
Having no other retort, I shrieked.
The broker, now ignoring the pouch of magic stones, leisurely sipped a cup of coffee.
‘This guy must be loaded. Most coffee production regions were destroyed by the portals that appeared after the Tower fell.’
In a world like this, coffee was an immense luxury, as were cigarettes.
Watching him calmly drink his coffee, I found myself swallowing hard.
‘It’s been so long since I last had any…’
Perhaps he noticed my expression?
The broker let out a small laugh and posed a question.
“Do you happen to not have a mother?”
“…?”
“Or a father?”
‘Is this some kind of surprise insult about my parents?’
While it was all factual, that only made it more unbearable.
This was a novel experience: getting utterly thrashed in a real-life verbal battle.
My head throbbed.
Since I had always been confident in verbal sparring, the shock was even greater.
‘Fine, I’ll just blast off one of his arms right now.’
This wasn’t a decision made in anger; it was a thoroughly rational one.
Just as I steeled myself for action,
the broker suddenly propped his chin on both hands and adopted a serious expression.
“I also have a daughter your age at home.”
“….”
“Her mother died in the Great Catastrophe five years ago, and I’ve been raising her alone.
I started as a Hunter to provide for my daughter. But I quickly realized my limits. I felt that if I continued, I might die.
So I quit being a Hunter and chose a safer line of work.”
‘Why the sudden melodrama…’
Despite my bewildered expression, the broker began to freely recount his story, unprompted.
“Looking at you, it seems my choice was the right one.”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought, ‘If I had died too, wouldn’t my daughter have ended up like you?’”
“…What do you mean by ‘like me’?”
‘What does ‘like me’ even mean?’
A strange unpleasantness settled over me.
“And it’s useless to try and hide it.”
“Hide what?”
“You’re missing a hand, aren’t you? Even tucked into your pouch like that, it’s noticeable. Now that I look closely, you only have four fingers on your right hand too.”
“….”
‘That was just because I used Sand Swamp a moment ago.’
‘I can reattach it.’
Watching the man in front of me weave his own wild theories, I broke out in a cold sweat.
“At first, I thought you might have been caught by some bad guys and forced into begging, but what I just found out suggests otherwise.”
‘He found out?’
‘Could that phone call earlier have been about me?’
‘And the sigh of relief wasn’t because I had no companions.’
‘Was that greedy glint in his eyes just his naturally unpleasant expression?’
‘And all of this was genuinely out of concern for me…?’
No, that couldn’t be right.
There was no way such a kind person existed in this world. There simply couldn’t be.
“Whether you stole them or actually entered the Tower, I don’t know…. But you should stop doing such dangerous things. I’ll give you some money if that’s what you need.”
“…Stop with the nonsense. Just give me the money. It’s 1.2 kg of magic stones, so you owe me 20 million won.”
“Do you have a bank account?”
“Of course. I’m an adult.”
“Alright, then tell me your account number. I’ll deposit it right away.”
True to his word, the broker coolly made the transfer right then and there.
“Did it go through? How much was deposited?”
“Yes…. It really is 20 million won. Wait, what’s this extra 5,678 won?”
“Just to confirm it was really your account, not some beggar’s.”
“That’s a bit creepy.”
“Anyway, take care on your way home. Don’t wander around late at night. It’s a dangerous world these days.”
“Hmph, if you’re so worried, why don’t you just escort me all the way home?”
“Oh, should I?”
Seeing that he actually seemed inclined to do so, I quickly dissuaded the broker.
I left the officetel (TL Note: A Korean term for a studio apartment that also serves as an office) building with a bewildered expression.
In the process, I broke into a cold sweat trying to discreetly retrieve my hand and fingers while keeping an eye on the broker.
‘If he found out, it would be like being resurrected at my own funeral.’
“There are people like that in the world…?”
I felt somehow betrayed by the world.
It felt as though I had become the bad person, having constantly suspected the broker and been poised to strike him down the moment an opening appeared.
Even after returning home, I remained seated in a daze for a long time.
Then, my phone vibrated once more.
This time, it was a notification from my banking app.
[Nara Bank: 30,000,000 won deposited. Sender: SSalDaPam]
“What is this? A new type of scam?”
That nickname was clearly the broker’s Telegram ID.
I immediately sent a Telegram message.
[I think you made a mistake with the deposit? An extra 30 million won just came in.]
[Consider it pocket money from your uncle ^^~~*]
“Seriously, is this how he talks?”
The person who had been so curt and rude in his replies before meeting me was now speaking like this, and it was beyond unsettling; it was almost repulsive.
“He gave me 50 million won, so I’ll just endure it….”
Indeed. With an extra 30 million won of unexpected money, what couldn’t I endure?
Even nagging during holidays could be tolerated after receiving a hefty sum of New Year’s cash.
Biting my lip, I sent a thank-you message.
“Hah, my mental state has taken quite a hit today….”
Perhaps going out to meet people had been a mistake after all.
I couldn’t fathom what had possessed me to be so brave.
To erase the broker from my mind as quickly as possible, I turned on my computer and accessed the Hunter Gallery.
However, as I scrolled through the gallery posts, I couldn’t help but pause at a particular title.
[Title: Damn it… I, uh, pooped again…]
[✪ Title: Chit-Chat) In this harsh world…. My heart feels a little heavy…]
[Title: Successful Hunter-bro… Tonight’s dinner…]
Amidst the trash posts, a shining blue star symbol, signifying a ‘best post’ (TL Note: ‘Gaenyeomgeul’ refers to a well-received or noteworthy post on an online forum.), caught my eye.
But what truly grabbed me was the peculiar scent emanating from the title.
“This, surely…?”
Hoping against hope, I clicked on the post.
[✪ Title: Chit-Chat) In this harsh world…. My heart feels a little heavy today….^^]
[Everyone worked hard today~,,,,
This world is really tough and difficult these days, isn’t it? I’m enduring each day thinking of my daughter waiting at home…. Haha….;;
I had a transaction today and met a certain friend,,,, and when I opened the door, a completely young lady was standing there,,,,]
“Is he insane?”
There was no need to read any further.
This was written by the broker.
My hands trembling, I continued to read the post.
