Chapter 38
Shortly after, at the Genesis Guild.
"Welcome. I apologize for making you come all this way."
Kang Ji-eun greeted Jun-hyeok with a bright smile.
Huh! She really is beautiful.
Jun-hyeok inwardly admired Kang Ji-eun's beauty.
Well, with looks like hers, no wonder Lee Dae-su had fallen head over heels and couldn't escape.
"Haha, don't mention it. Of course I'd come."
"Please have a seat here."
As Kang Ji-eun offered him a seat, Jun-hyeok slowly sat down on the sofa.
"Things have been quite noisy because of you lately, Jun-hyeok. They're saying an Irregular has appeared in South Korea."
There were only three Irregulars in the entire world. The possibility of a fourth being born in Korea was enough to make people go wild with excitement.
"Well... It's not confirmed that I'm an Irregular yet. And I don't plan to register immediately anyway. I'd have to go to America, but I'm worried about my siblings, and right now I want to focus on improving my abilities."
"Heh, you tanked five D-grade monsters simultaneously. If that doesn't make you an Irregular, what does? No tanker in the world could do that. Ah! Maybe Jonathan Curtis, the S-rank tanker, could pull it off."
Jonathan Curtis, America's S-rank tanker. He was someone Jun-hyeok knew very well too.
Jonathan Curtis. That guy went berserk trying to catch me.
During Jun-hyeok's villain days, Jonathan had abandoned hunting to chase him everywhere.
Of course, he'd repeatedly failed at the last moment, enduring soul-crushing frustration each time.
"Haha! How could I possibly compare to an S-rank tanker like Jonathan Curtis?"
"That just shows how nearly impossible what you did this time was."
After exchanging pleasantries, Jun-hyeok subtly straightened his posture.
"Thank you for your kind words. But... may I ask why you wanted to see me today?"
Kang Ji-eun leaned forward.
"I heard about your contract with the Association. You decided not to join any guild, right? Does that mean you'll only be doing party hunts from now on?"
"That's the plan for now, but I'm thinking of starting mercenary work soon."
At the mention of mercenary work, Kang Ji-eun's eyes sparkled.
"Mercenary work? What kind specifically..."
"Nothing too structured—just taking requests. Since I’m a tanker, I’ll focus on tanking-related jobs first."
Kang Ji-eun paused thoughtfully.
"By any chance... could you handle C-grade tanking? You managed five D-grade monsters even Dae-su couldn’t handle. It might be possible..."
She’d originally planned to test Lee Dae-su with C-grade tanking during their return from Thailand, but Jun-hyeok’s interference ruined it. At the time, she’d resented him—until seeing his Irregular capabilities on TV.
"C-grade tanking? The gap between D and C is like fighting five soldiers versus a knight. I’m only First Awakened. Even Third Awakeners risk their lives tackling C-grades in teams."
"But Dae-su succeeded as a durability-based tanker!"
"That logic’s flawed." Jun-hyeok sipped his coffee. "I’m evasion-based. One direct hit from a D-grade would’ve killed me. C-grades use unavoidable skills—durability matters there. I can’t survive those."
"So it’s impossible?"
"For now, yes."
Kang Ji-eun sighed, disappointment flashing across her face. Genesis needed stronger tanks for C-grade raids, but pushing further was pointless.
"Then focus on D-grade requests? Our guild might hire you."
"Genesis has enough tankers for D-grades."
"Call it... wanting to witness your skills firsthand."
Jun-hyeok smirked. "No objections. Contact me when ready."
"Incidentally... free for dinner later?"
"Who’d refuse?" He grinned. "But first—interested in a skill card? Kaelan’s Blessing. A buffer’s dream."
He revealed the card—2.5x attack/critical boost, +500 defenses. Market value: 13 billion won.
Kang Ji-eun’s breath hitched. "You have this? My sister Sojung—a natural-awakened buffer—needs it."
A whirlwind named Kang Sojung soon burst in, shattering all "introverted" descriptions.
The deal closed at 13 billion. Jun-hyeok copied the skill during their handshake—far smoother than his planned excuses to meet a buffer.
[Universal Skill] [Active] Kaelan’s Blessing [Lv.1]
Physical/Magic Attack x2.5
Critical Rate x2.5
Physical/Magic Defense +500
Cast Time: 10s | Duration: 10m | Cooldown: 10m | Force Cost: 1000
With Mountain Splitter, my clear speed’ll skyrocket. Pity I lack Third Awakening passives...
He checked his account—20 billion won. Time to buy a proper home.
