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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 30
"Did you see the news? Rachel is coming to Korea!"
"I'm really looking forward to it. Who’s she coming to thank?"
"I'm telling you, it's the Connector."
The cafe in Gangnam buzzed with conversation.
Rachel’s visit wasn’t just a media sensation, it had the whole country talking.
Even out in public, people openly shared their excitement.
And, of course, they were all speculating about the identity of the mysterious Korean who had helped her.
‘Sweet… so sweet.’
I sipped my Americano, a smile tugging at my lips.
Americano, which had no reason to be sweet, tasted especially sweet today.
Right now, even an espresso would probably taste sweet.
Sitting in a Gangnam cafe, I quietly drank my coffee, listening to the chatter around me.
Before long, two people approached my table.
"Mr. Choi Seojun, we meet again."
"Yes, good to see you."
The one greeting me was Ha Jinwoo, Team 1’s Leader of the Dawn Constellation.
An A-rank hunter, the same one who had come to buy Ahn Wi’s Hwando.
Beside him stood Kim Hayoon.
Once our coffee arrived, Ha Jinwoo got straight to business.
"I heard you reached out about joining Dawn Constellation"
"That’s correct."
For an organization that could guarantee my anonymity, I had chosen Dawn Constellation.
Government agencies were out of the question.
Not only were they less efficient than guilds, but they’d also be a headache to deal with.
They’d probably draft me for ‘national service’ under the guise of ‘working for the country’.
If politicians had no problem screaming at guild masters, I wouldn’t fare any better.
So, I ruled out government agencies and focused on the top three guilds in Korea.
Dawn Constellation, Samdocheon, Heavenly Martial ect.
Unless I planned to move overseas, I had to form a connection with one of them.
And since I was based in Seoul, Dawn Constellation was the obvious choice.
"I heard Team Leader Kim Hayoon already went over the details with you."
"Yes, that’s right."
Guaranteed anonymity. No forced participation in gate raids. Exclusive purchase of byproducts.
The conditions Hayoon had offered were hard to refuse.
Basically, I could live my life as usual and still enjoy all the benefits.
"Everything you’ve been told is accurate, however there’s an additional offer we’d like to propose, which is why I came in person."
He glanced around the cafe before speaking again.
"From this point on, our discussion is classified. My apologies for this."
Suddenly, a blue aura of mana began radiating from him.
The energy expanded, forming a transparent dome around our table.
Instantly, the bustling noise of the cafe vanished.
It was as if we had stepped into a soundproof study room.
Likely, our voices wouldn’t be heard from the outside either.
Judging by how no one in the cafe seemed to notice us, it might not just be the sound that was blocked.
As if confirming my suspicion, Ha Jinwoo spoke.
"I’ve deployed an isolation barrier. From this moment on, nothing we say or do can be perceived outside."
‘Impressive.’
As expected from the Team 1’s Leader of one of the Big Three guilds his mastery over mana was remarkable.
In other words, if someone of his level had come to negotiate, it meant I was important enough to warrant that kind of effort.
"Mr. Seojun, we'd like to offer you a VIP Hunter contract."
"VIP Hunter?"
"Yes, it's a contract that is only offered to A-rank hunters and above."
Ha Jinwoo then went on to explain the benefits that came with VIP status.
Guaranteed anonymity, the lowest industry commission on gate byproducts, complete exemption from raid participation, housing and vehicle support, and more.
It was a contract that offered significantly more benefits than the standard anonymous hunter agreement.
Of course, Dawn Constellation wouldn't be making this offer without gaining something in return.
After all, the gates A-rank hunters frequented weren’t ordinary ones.
Just the ability to monopolize the byproducts from high-ranking gates was more than enough profit for them.
And the fact that they were offering this deal at all was proof that Ha Jinwoo suspected I was the Connector.
I had only requested an anonymous hunter contract from Kim Hayoon. I had never explicitly said I was the Connector.
And sure enough.
"In truth, we’ve been speculating that you might be the rumored Connector, Mr. Choi Seojun."
Ha Jinwoo said this while watching me carefully, his expression tense.
Kim Hayoon, on the other hand, had a gleam in her eyes and she looked excited.
As I observed their contrasting expressions, I gave a small nod.
"You're right. I am the Connector."
“…Huh. So, it was true.”
"See? I told you!"
Neither of them could hide their excitement.
After all, they had just uncovered the true identity of Korea’s most mysterious hunter.
"When you handed over Ahn Wi’s Hwando, we already had our suspicions."
"I figured as much."
I had noticed Kim Hayoon testing me multiple times before.
"Then… would you be willing to provide proof that you are the Connector?"
‘Proof, huh?’
As I considered what to show them, I reached into my spatial backpack and pulled out an item.
A translucent crystal, as clear as ice, with warm flames flickering inside it.
"That’s…!"
Kim Hayoon gasped in shock.
"Snowflower Stone."
This mana stone, which replenished my own lacking mana, was the clearest proof of my identity.
When I obtained the first-place reward from the Coffin of Trials, I had written ‘Connector’ in the clearer's log.
And the second-place finisher? That was Kim Hayoon.
Ignoring the way her eyes lingered on the Snowflower Stone with thinly veiled longing, Ha Jinwoo cut straight to the point.
"Thank you for confirming. Let’s proceed with the contract."
He handed me the VIP contract as if it were a given.
But I didn’t take it.
"I'll just go with the anonymous contract."
"...What? Why?"
"I think that would be more comfortable for me."
The VIP contract was undeniably tempting.
But it wasn’t as simple as it seemed.
Everything would be provided for me for free, but in return, Dawn Constellation would have insight into my every move.
Even if there was no mandatory raid participation, there was still a clause stating that I would be required to provide assistance in times of crisis.
If I accepted… Dawn Constellation would inevitably learn about Jeanne.
‘That’s not happening.’
I had no intention of dragging Jeanne into this mess.
Even aside from that, I preferred to keep some distance from the guild.
The more debts you owe, the more you get pulled around.
A mutually beneficial relationship where we gave and took in equal measure that was the right amount of distance.
Besides, it wasn’t like I needed anything desperately.
"Hmm, still, you might want to reconsider"
"If it’s not an anonymous hunter contract, I’m leaving."
A hunter who once wouldn’t have even looked at me was now trying to persuade me it was a strange feeling.
But contracts were something that had to be handled rationally.
"…I see. That’s unfortunate, but I understand. In that case, we’ll waive all processing fees for byproducts."
"Much appreciated."
"Haha, no, we should be the ones thanking you."
And just like that, I stepped into Dawn Constellation’s shadow.
***
After finalizing my contract with Dawn Constellation, I sold off my entire stockpile of mana stones.
"No commission fees applied, your total is 40 million won. I’ve transferred the payment immediately."
"Thank you. Also, I’m looking for a house. Could I get some assistance with that?"
"You don’t need to worry about that. Dawn Constellation manages several properties. I’ll send you a list soon."
‘Guilds really are convenient.’
It was satisfying to have things resolved so quickly.
***
After finishing all the backlog of tasks with Dawn Constellation, I returned home.
"Jeanne, did you have any issues while staying here?"
"No, actually, they’ve been so kind to me. Your parents seem like wonderful people."
Well, they were my parents, and they were genuinely good-hearted people.
But there was something odd: Jeanne's clothes had changed.
She was now wearing a light blue dress that looked as if it could float away in the wind.
‘Now that I think about it… yesterday, she was wearing something else too.’
Jeanne had been here for two days, and in that time, I hadn’t seen her wear the same outfit twice.
"Oppa, you’re back?"
The culprit grinned shamelessly as she strolled out into the living room.
"What do you think? Doesn’t Jeanne look great?"
"It suits her… but take it easy, will you?"
"Oh, come on. I am being reasonable."
The one dressing Jeanne up every day was none other than Choi Seoyeon.
She was treating Jeanne like a doll, completely absorbed in changing her outfits.
It was a good thing Jeanne was so easy going if it had been anyone else, she would’ve thrown a punch by now.
Meanwhile, in the living room, my father, Choi Dojun, was watching the news.
─Cardinal Francis arrived in Korea through Incheon Airport at approximately 11 AM this morning.
─His visit is reportedly to search for a ‘saint candidate’.
"Tsk, tsk… Even the Catholic Church is going down the drain."
The news segment could be summed up like this:
[Archbishop Ambrosio of the Yeoksam Archdiocese Discovers Traces of a Possible Saint Candidate…]
[The Vatican Sends Cardinal Francis to Korea for Verification.]
[However, Real Intentions Suspected to Be Recruitment of Korean Awakeners…]
In the past century, over a dozen people had been designated as saint candidates by the Vatican.
But the only one officially recognized as a saint was Mother Teresa.
Since her passing, the church had failed to produce another saint.
As a result, the Vatican had started using saint candidate searches as a method to recruit powerful Awakeners.
They would extend invitations to talented individuals under the pretext of evaluating saint candidates.
This usually coincided with the Holy War, the annual clearing of dark-attribute gates.
But this time, they must have been desperate.
If they were sending a cardinal all the way to Korea, they were practically begging.
I glanced at Jeanne.
She wasn’t even looking at the TV. Clearly, she had no interest.
Neither did I, so I let it go.
[Breaking News: Cardinal Francis Expected to Remain in Korea Until a Saint Candidate Is Found…]
The news ticker kept scrolling, echoing through the living room.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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