Dark Fantasy Genius Demon Hunter

Client

Gaon gathered the byproducts of the Lightning Mole and returned to the outskirts.

“This is the byproduct of the Lightning Mole. It’s completely clean, not a scratch on it.”

Ren nodded after carefully inspecting the mole’s front paw, or more precisely, the claws.

“With this condition, we might be able to get some extra payment. Of course, the success fee will be paid as expected.”

Gaon nodded silently.

“Alright, then wait at the inn. After meeting the client, I’ll come find you.”

“I’ll wait.”

With that, Gaon left Ren’s shop and headed to the inn.

Less than a day later, Ren arrived at the inn.

Entering Gaon’s room, Ren sat down and placed a pouch of money on the table.

“Here. The byproduct was in great condition, so just as I expected, we got some extra payment.”

“Looks like it.”

Without even opening the pouch, Gaon nodded.

“You’re not going to open it?”

“I trust your work.”

“Heh.”

Ren gave a faint smile and then spoke.

“You must have made a good impression. The client who paid the reward asked if they could hire you again for the same task.”

“For the same task, you mean the Lightning Mole?”

“Yep.”

“Hm.”

Ren glanced at Gaon and continued.

“If you don’t want to, there’s no need to push for it. You’re always hunting alone, so you probably need some rest. You can take your usual break after finishing the job—”

“No, I’ll take it.”

“-Wait, you’ll take the job? A request?”

“Yeah.”

“Surprising. I thought you’d just stay in your room eating six meals a day as usual.”

“If you put it that way, I’d sound like a pig that just eats and wastes away.”

Well, you are a pig. A muscle pig.

Ren had to swallow the words that almost slipped out of his mouth.

“Anyway, it’s an opportunity to make connections in the city. You can’t let it slip by.”

“…Did I ever mention anything about the client?”

“No.”

“…Anyway, you really have no sense of awareness.”

Ren clicked his tongue and nodded, reluctantly accepting it.

He figured there was no point in denying it since it would be hard to fool Gaon.

“You’re right. The request came from within the city. But as I’ve told you, I can’t give you any specifics about the client… You remember that, right?”

“Of course. I never expected any details, so no need to worry.”

Gaon wasn’t particularly interested in the parts Ren didn’t mention either. He understood it was more beneficial that way.

“…Anyway, since you’ve decided to take the job, I’ll let the client know.”

“We’ll meet again next time.”

Gaon waved his hand as Ren stood up and left.

Gaon’s second hunt was easier than the first.

Thanks to the experience from the first hunt, where he had learned the Lightning Mole’s behavior patterns.

The key was to make enough vibrations for the Lightning Mole to detect.

In that sense, the Throwing Monkey was the most suitable monster for the task.

Whenever it threw rocks to break the ground or pierced its flesh to make stones fly, vibrations constantly occurred.

Gaon recalled that he had to engage in close combat because he only had two throwing spears during the first hunt.

Based on that, he prepared more spears this time, allowing him to hunt the Lightning Mole from a distance.

As a result, he saved the one-time-use electric resistance item, the Calling Leaf, from being consumed.

Gaon quickly completed the second assigned task.

Ren’s eyes grew wide at Gaon’s speed.

With some exaggeration, it had taken only the time to travel back and forth through the contaminated area, so Ren’s reaction wasn’t that surprising.

Additionally, the mapping of the monster’s territory had worked out well.

In any case, Ren seemed pleased with Gaon’s efficiency, and the quests continued.

A few times, the target was the Lightning Mole again.

Since he already had a solution, those hunts were quickly completed.

Then, the request shifted to other monsters.

But that wasn’t difficult either.

Like with the other monsters, he only faced a few initial obstacles.

“The next request is a bit special.”

Ren looked at Gaon, waiting for him to respond.

A sense of nostalgia lingered in the air.

It reminded him of the first time Gaon had come to him.

The ragged, dirty appearance of the man who had struggled even to drag the corpse of a Shark-Tooth Wolf, drenched in sweat, was far from the Gaon who now hunted 3rd-grade monsters with ease.

How far will I go?

Suddenly, that question surfaced in Gaon’s mind.

But he didn’t show it.

He decided to leave it as something to look forward to in the future.

“Ren?”

“Oh, sorry. Where did we leave off?”

“Nothing.”

Gaon’s words, spoken after he briefly blurted something and then fell into deep thought, made Ren awkwardly wrinkle his nose.

“The Shadow Dwarf. That’s the target for this request.”

“Shadow Dwarf?”

Gaon asked in return after hearing Ren’s words.

“Yeah.”

“That sounds a bit tough.”

Gaon’s expression hardened as he responded.

The Shadow Dwarf.

A being without a physical form.

It couldn’t be captured with simple attacks alone.

Because of that characteristic, it was ranked between 3rd and 4th grade monsters.

Much like the Tentacle Spider, which had the ability to form groups and was placed between 2nd and 3rd grade monsters.

Anyway, the Shadow Dwarf could only be harmed with extraordinary abilities.

So, for Gaon, who had poured all his potential into his physical talents, it was only natural that he would have reservations.

‘There are methods, though.’

“Don’t worry. I told you, right? This request is special.”

Ren seemed to know what Gaon was worried about and waved his finger with a confident grin.

“This request isn’t about ‘hunting’; it’s about ‘guiding and escorting.’”

“Guiding and escorting?”

“Yeah. You just have to help the clients meet the Shadow Dwarves. They’ll take care of capturing it themselves.”

“And the monsters we run into along the way, I’ll handle them. So, the ‘escort’ part is included in the request?”

“Exactly.”

“…I see now.”

After a brief conversation, Gaon paused for a moment and then nodded.

“Hmm? What is it?”

“I was wondering if all the previous location-based requests were for this purpose.”

“…Huh?”

“They were tests, weren’t they? To see if I had the skills, how familiar I was with the contaminated zones, whether I could be trusted, and so on. Everything. They were checking if I met their standards.”

“…”

Ren was momentarily taken aback by Gaon’s insight but then chuckled, realizing there was no reason to be surprised anymore.

Most people were easily fooled by Gaon’s muscular build, assuming he was just a reckless brute. But Ren knew well how sharp his mind was.

‘Well, even though I’m still surprised sometimes.’

Ren nodded, trying to shake off the thoughts that came to his mind.

“Yeah. You’re right. It was a test. Now you get it, don’t you? You know how the people in the city see those of us from the outskirts.”

“Yeah, I get it.”

“They’re asking you to guide them because…”

“It’s because I know the contaminated zones better. Just like you said, it’s for ‘guiding.’”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

Seeing Gaon respond quickly, Ren hesitated for a moment before holding back his next words.

Gaon had an inkling of what Ren had intended to say, but he didn’t press the issue either.

‘Just like always.’

Through actions,

And through skills.

That was all that was needed to prove it.

Early Morning.

Gaon headed toward Ren’s shop.

That was where he was supposed to meet the clients.

The agreed time was at dawn.

Even though Gaon arrived fairly early, the clients were already there in front of the shop.

“Gaon?”

“That’s me.”

“Gaji.”

The three individuals—a goblin, an orc, and a human—stood before Gaon. The orc, the largest of them, was a woman.

They immediately asked Gaon his name and started walking ahead.

They looked like the clients Ren had described, but Gaon couldn’t just follow them without confirming anything.

Instead of trailing behind them, Gaon stood still and asked.

“Are you the ones who placed the location-based request through Ren?”

“Yeah.”

The goblin answered without even turning around, sounding somewhat bothered.

“Which one of you is Jaal?”

Standing tall.

The goblin leading the way suddenly stopped.

Then, with a heavily furrowed brow, he turned back.

“Hey, why do you keep asking the same question over and over? Didn’t Ren pass the message on to you?”

“It’s not that…”

“Then stop talking and lead the way.”

The goblin motioned with his chin, over his shoulder.

His eyebrows twitched slightly.

It was clear that he wasn’t going to tolerate any further words or actions.

‘So it’s Jaal.’

Gaon nodded inwardly.

The arrogant goblin.

He was exactly as Ren had described him.

Unlike the previous request, where secrecy about the client had to be maintained, this mission didn’t require that.

There was no need for secrecy in a mission where he had to meet the client face to face.

Thanks to that, Gaon could gather detailed information about the client’s personality.

“I understand.”

Although Gaon could have frowned at the goblin’s forceful attitude, he silently followed his orders.

“Those without skills shouldn’t be so suspicious. Tch! Anyway, I shouldn’t have to deal with the people from the outskirts.”

The faint voice of the young Jaal could be heard, but it wasn’t intended to be considerate of Gaon. It was close enough for Gaon to clearly hear.

Considering Gaon’s finely honed senses, it was impossible not to hear.

“That’s already a done deal, isn’t it?”

“…”

“You agreed to hire a monster hunter familiar with the terrain. I don’t know why you’re bringing this up now.”

“…”

“Ren is one of the most trustworthy intermediaries. Are you doubting his credibility?”

“That’s not what I meant, Reina.”

“Then what’s the problem? Even if you don’t like the guy, you can’t just back out. You know what I mean, don’t you?”

Jaal, silenced by the words of the female orc, Reina, became as quiet as a mouse.

Gaon quickly realized she was referring to the previous location-based requests he had completed.

‘She doesn’t realize I know.’

But what caught Gaon’s attention wasn’t that part.

‘A monster hunter familiar with the terrain… so it was Ren after all.’

Gaon nodded lightly.

The clients’ requests had never been directed toward him from the start; they were always meant for a monster hunter familiar with the terrain.

Ren, knowing about the map Gaon had been working on privately, had passed the request to Gaon, not anyone else.

“…Tch. Fine. I get it, now let’s go.”

Jaal, apparently unable to withstand the intense gaze, quickly turned his head and shifted the subject.

“Let’s go.”

The female orc, Reina, moved ahead without saying a word.

‘Reina. So she really is Jaal’s nemesis.’

Gaon nodded inwardly, just as the human approached Jaal and whispered to him.

“Hang in there, Jaal.”

“…What?”

“Come on, you know what I mean.”

Sigh. “You don’t get it, Aber. Reina always does this to me.”

“…”

The male human patted Jaal on the shoulder, gently trying to console him.

‘Aber. He’s the one who keeps the balance between Jaal and Reina, who always clash.’

“Hmm.”

In fact, it didn’t seem like just a feeling that Jaal was being singled out.

Only a few words.

With that kind of first impression, it was clear that Jaal was the one causing trouble.

Suddenly, Gaon had this thought:

Would they really be able to show proper teamwork if they kept clashing like this?

But soon he concluded that he was probably just worrying unnecessarily.

‘Well, they must be able to work together like this, or they wouldn’t be operating as a team.’

After all, Gaon’s task was just to guide them.

Eventually, he would see how things played out.

Jaal’s personality seemed even sharper than expected, but that was fine.

Gaon’s social skills as a Korean were still intact, and pleasing his superiors wasn’t a difficult task.