My Secret Is Exposed. I Make a Proposal.

Kang Yul's dream was to become a Hunter.

It was a dream he'd held ever since the days when the teachers at the orphanage used to beat him.

He thought that if he was going to live a hopeless life without parents, family, or friends, then he had to at least risk his worthless life to live like a person.

That's why, even when working part-time, he sought out high-paying jobs related to supernatural phenomena whenever possible.

He rented a studio apartment near an area where an erosion phenomenon had occurred.

He thought that if he lived near a place where supernatural phenomena occurred, he might naturally awaken as a Hunter.

Of course, to the people around him, he was nothing more than a 'crazy young man' who seemed desperate to die.

Anyway, Kang Yul's desire to become a Hunter had been sincere.

Even now that he was a Hunter, his desire to live as one hadn't changed… or so it should have.

'I want to finish this quickly and get back to mining… Oh, should I pick up some nutritious soil for the Worm on the way home?'

He wasn't sure whether it was because he now had some breathing room, or because he had a pet bug living with him—even if it wasn't human.

But compared to his former days as a 'crazy young man,' Kang Yul had lost a considerable amount of his edge.

Put positively, he'd achieved his dream at a young age and become a self-made success.

Put negatively, he was satisfied with the mere fact that he'd become a Hunter, had settled for what he had, and let his guard down.

But.

Today, even Kang Yul had no choice but to sweat nervously over a major incident.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Team Leader Myo, the representative Hunter for Nowon-gu. I'll be escorting you on this operation, Hunter Kang Yul."

"Ah, i-it's a pleasure to meet you too, Team Leader Myo. Um, I have a question…"

"Go ahead."

"Will it just be the two of us, without any other Hunters…?"

"That's right. Is there a problem?"

"…No, there isn't."

But despite his answer,

Kang Yul's mind had already begun to overload the moment he greeted the woman who'd introduced herself as Team Leader Myo.

That was only natural.

'Why would a Hunter this impressive come for me…?'

Why was she the representative?

In most cases, the representative was the most capable and most senior Hunter in the district.

And such seasoned Hunters often had something powerful of their own.

So the Hunter named Team Leader Myo, who was silently watching Kang Yul with bright yellow eyes, was one of those people.

'Why would a Hunter this impressive go out of her way to come for me…?'

The more Kang Yul thought about it, the less sense the situation made. Still, there was no such thing as a reasonless event, so

he desperately tried to figure out why the representative Hunter herself had come to escort him.

Then, suddenly,

'Ah, could it be that?'

A plausible explanation came to mind, and Kang Yul quietly checked his smartphone.

[HT Bank] 3,000,000 won deposited (Depositor: Favor Merchant)

'There can't be any other reason.'

Kang Yul was certain.

The Nowon-gu representative had come to see him in person because of a supernatural by-product transaction that had come through for a rookie Hunter with no record of entering a Gate.

#####

Having figured out what was going on, Kang Yul rode in Team Leader Myo's car and wondered

how on earth he was going to get out of this situation.

How could a rookie Hunter with no Gate entry record have obtained a supernatural by-product of unknown origin?

And how could he come up with a plausible explanation for it?

Kang Yul half-listened to the briefing while focusing on his thoughts.

"I'll give you a brief rundown while we travel. Suraksan Gate. Its official name is the 'Erosion Quarantine Zone - Suraksan Mountain.' A colony of supernatural life-form spores has taken root inside. It was initially classified as a C-rated threat, but the Association's ongoing management has reduced its current danger rating to E."

Should he say he'd helped explore an unregistered Gate…?

…No, that wouldn't work.

They'd definitely interrogate him and demand to know where that illegal Gate was.

Telling a clumsy lie and making himself more suspicious was the worst option.

"It's a supernatural life-form that forms large colonies of mushrooms resembling eyeballs and continuously releases spores. If you're exposed to the spores, mushrooms will germinate and multiply inside your body, so you must wear the mask issued by the Association until the mission is over."

Besides, they'd already confirmed his transactions with the Favor Merchant.

Maybe the Association had even learned what Gate by-products he'd sold through his transactions with the Favor Merchant.

He figured the Hunter Association couldn't possibly be unaware of a supernatural being that had lived among humans for years.

"If you begin to feel mentally hazy or experience a strong, inexplicable sense of happiness and calm after entering the erosion zone, report it immediately."

Fortunately, the things he'd sold so far weren't all that problematic.

At most, they were soil and coal rich in mana.

Since even a newly awakened Hunter could easily collect such by-products, they probably wouldn't find them particularly suspicious.

Still, judging by the strange, watchful glances she'd been giving him, she seemed to be debating whether to subdue and interrogate him or wait for him to turn himself in…

"We've arrived at the quarantine zone. From here, we'll walk to the Gate entrance. If you have any questions or don't wish to enter, please tell me now."

…After considering it for a moment, Kang Yul finally made up his mind.

The lesser evil was better than the worst one. So if he couldn't hide the truth, he'd have to put on an act.

He had no choice but to pretend he was an 'unregistered Hunter' secretly operating in the shadows.

In truth, he had no other options.

Whether he got beaten until he talked or turned himself in, he'd have to summon the Gate and show them its location to explain where it was.

If he did that, they'd fold him neatly in half and ship him off to an Association research lab.

With a note saying, 'A fresh test subject has arrived.'

'I have to avoid that at all costs…!'

So he'd face this head-on.

He was already prepared to reveal one of the cards he'd been hiding—one of his skills—if that was what it took to avoid suspicion.

The Hunter Association was always short on manpower.

He figured that if he could prove his competence, they'd casually overlook his history of operating in the shadows.

Having reached that conclusion, Kang Yul turned to Team Leader Myo, walking beside him, and spoke.

"There's something I'm curious about."

"What is it?"

Kang Yul brought up something he'd picked up during the briefing.

"I heard that the Association's ongoing management has reduced the Spore Colony's danger rating to E. Is there a reason you haven't dealt with the source of the erosion itself?"

It was a somewhat provocative remark.

From Team Leader Myo's perspective, it probably sounded like this:

'You're damn incompetent. What have you been doing all this time?'

And, in fact,

"…"

Team Leader Myo stopped walking and began staring at Kang Yul with her bright yellow eyes.

It was as if she were trying to figure out why he had said that.

'…She isn't going to attack me all of a sudden, is she?'

Kang Yul was trembling inside, worrying that she'd beat him up and drag him straight to the Hunter Association.

After staring at him silently for a long while, Team Leader Myo blinked a few times and answered his question.

"Because we haven't been able to find the source of the erosion. The Suraksan Spore Colony's 'Proliferation' ability is the only thing that's weakened. Its 'Confusion' ability, which erodes the surrounding ecosystem and transforms it into a dreamlike forest, is still as strong as ever. That's why the Association is looking for a Hunter who can explore the area without being affected by the confusion."

"So even you can't do it, Team Leader Myo."

"That's right. As the Suraksan Spore Colony adapted to this environment, its 'Proliferation' ability weakened and its 'Confusion' ability grew stronger, making it an unusual specimen. That's why we can suppress the extent of the erosion, but not eradicate it."

Once she'd finished answering, Team Leader Myo silently looked at Kang Yul.

Her gaze seemed to ask whether that answer was enough, while also trying to work out what he was really after.

And Kang Yul didn't avert his gaze.

He had to play the part of a capable Hunter who operated in the shadows.

He figured he couldn't act like a coward and look away just because he was scared.

But.

'She's scary…! She's beautiful, but she's scary…!'

Not every person could act and think exactly as they intended.

Naturally, Kang Yul wasn't that kind of perfect person.

In the end, with a soft heart entirely at odds with his actions, Kang Yul lamented the situation he was in.

That was only natural. Unless she was blind, anyone could see that Team Leader Myo was beautiful.

Just look at her now.

Her sharp nose and cherry-like lips, her slender figure—and a voluptuous body that was the complete opposite.

And even cat ears and a tail, which seemed to have grown under the influence of her skill and stirred a man's lewd imagination.

Team Leader Myo was the true alpha female of this era, someone who would have had no trouble making a living even if she hadn't been a Hunter.

'That just makes her even scarier…!'

And that fact only made Kang Yul more afraid.

The thought of an ordinary man like him being alone with a woman who looked like she belonged near the top of the world's beauty rankings was already overwhelming.

And how could he not be scared when she was staring right through him with those catlike, bright yellow eyes?

So, wanting to end this awkward standoff even one second sooner, Kang Yul opened his mouth.

"I'll find the source of the erosion for you. In return, I hope you'll keep what happened between us a secret."

Kang Yul was confident.

With the new skill he'd acquired, 'Gate Compendium,' he thought he could find the source of the erosion.

So he made his proposal: he'd find the source if she covered up his illegal transactions.

'Surely she won't turn me down…?'

It might have looked like he'd made the offer on a whim, but he'd thought it through.

The Hunter Association had to manage this erosion by even bringing in rookie Hunters.

They surely wanted to get rid of it somehow, and they'd actually said they were looking for a Hunter.

So even if it was only the word of an unknown Hunter, there was a good chance they'd take the deal.

Especially with a representative Hunter who'd seen it all accompanying him, they'd be able to handle any unexpected situation. They'd at least be willing to try.

And just as if to prove it,

"…"

Her expression barely changed, but Kang Yul saw it.

Team Leader Myo's eyes widened ever so slightly, then her pupils narrowed like a cat's.

Of course, it only lasted a moment before her eyes returned to normal, but it was a promising reaction.

He didn't know whether it was good or bad, but at least she'd reacted.

"…"

After that, Team Leader Myo stared at Kang Yul for a long time.

Without a word. Without blinking once. She just kept staring right at him.

One minute passed.

'Mm, she must have a lot to think about.'

Five minutes.

'Tsk… She's thinking about this a lot. Was my proposal not to her liking…?'

When ten minutes had passed,

'Ah… I think I've screwed this up… Should I just open a Gate and call the Worm in to wreck the place…?'

Desperate to avoid becoming a 'test subject' at all costs,

Kang Yul was frantically trying to figure out a way out of the situation, even considering a tactical nuke—the Worm—if things went badly.

"I'll accept your proposal, Hunter Kang Yul. I'll also transfer command authority for this operation to you. If there's anything you need my help with, request my cooperation at any time."

Team Leader Myo made her decision and gave her approval.

From this moment on, Kang Yul had the authority to command the district's representative Hunter.