Gangwondo Wonju.
“It is my first time here… So this place has a hunting ground or something?” I excitedly run around while I flash my camera with adequate professionalism. I will only need short clips to introduce Gangwondo Wonju, but it will not hurt to take more pictures and videos than what I will need.
Who knows? I might find use in them. Moreover, I come prepared. I have extra memory cards, a power bank, and even my own laptop that I recently bought which I can use for editing our videos.
“Is it really necessary for you to come?” Hajin doubtfully asks me about my intentions.
I casually explain to him. “Dude, this is your first feature video. Your concept as the luckiest man alive is selling well, but we will need a different and fresher concept soon. People can easily get tired if they keep seeing the same things again and again!”
It is for your SP, man. Stop complaining. Sigh…
“Fine, fine…” Hajin finally gives up on abandoning me. “Just… don’t make troubles…”
Why? Do I look like a troublemaker to you? I love telling him that to his face, but I know it will do me better if I just remain quiet. We stroll around Wonju and I notice that there are quite a lot of foreigners.
Wonju is a global city according to the novel’s settings. Its buildings are limited in height due to monsters, but sturdy modern structures fill the city.
Foreigners of every skin color walk around with weapons and their agents busily tapping on tablets. Agents calculate the prices of the day’s haul, while the foreigners make spontaneous conversation with their clumsy Korean. It is an unusual scene.
I notice Hajin smirking, I catch his smirk on the camera. Maybe I can use this to highlight his handsome side when smirking.
In this world, Korea is a national superpower that holds weight over the world. Its influence is far-reaching, and it is evident how the Korean language has become one of the preeminent languages around the world together with English.
I idly observe the conversation between foreigners and agents. Just by observing as a bystander, I am able to learn a lot.
I realize Korea’s ascension as a powerhouse is due to this— their monopoly over fantasy resources. I cannot imagine their profits with the taxes alone they earn from foreigners who are trying to earn a living from the Towers, Dungeons, and Hunting Grounds across Korea.
There is a reason why Korea produces the most number of heroes. It is because they have the most number of monster resources from Dungeons, Towers, and the like. Of course, it is not just because of that. For example, China and America have a fearsome amount of dungeons.
The credit for Korea’s success all goes down to the founding heroes who lead Korea in successfully adapting to the Change. The Heroes since Outcall and the following transition are what helped Korea to become the powerhouse it is today.
We walk through the streets of the world Hajin created. For Hajin, this must be a novel experience. For me, it feels like a visit to a theme park. The city is full of interesting things: blacksmiths, potion shops, bars, etc. Shops that look like they belong in the Middle Ages operate in modern buildings. It feels like a game world.
As a global city, Wonju is not simply a place for foreign hunters, but also a famous tourist spot with all of the novelty that litters the place.
Suddenly, the crowd gets denser as we find ourselves nearing the field entrance.
“E-Excuse me?”
A tall, average man with slouched shoulders and circular glasses strikes up a conversation when we are about to enter the hunting field. Judging from his little tics, his formal suit, and the way he is waiting for a client just by the hunting field’s entrance, he might be a rookie agent trying to find his first client.
It seems that Hajin doesn’t know him just by referring to his appearance alone, but I do.
Knowing the manhwa helps a lot. It is because I am familiar with the impression the man before me is carrying. The physical characteristics don’t stray far from what I know either. I warmly greet him.
“Hello, I am Hyon Hyung… Kim Hajin’s Image Manager… Here is my business card…” I perfunctorily hand him my card while I make an impression of my own. There is no need to act. I can just be natural in anything I do since I am a crazy person.
Being crazy is good camouflage to justify even my most unreasonable actions. That doesn't mean I am always crazy though.
Hajin just nods at my initiative seemingly satisfied with my work. Nice. It looks like Hajin is finally seeing me as his manager. Not bad. “So, may I know who are you?” Uuuh... Come to think of it... It sounds crazy that I am giving a business card to someone Hajin doesn't even know. Ugh... I am a crazy bastard, alright.
I cannot help it! I just want to flash my business card!
The nameless agent finally introduces himself. “Ah, yes. Here is my business card.”
It reads [SH Agency Head Manager, Park Soohyuk].
There is immediately a reaction from Hajin as he finally realizes the identity of the person in front of him.
Park Soohyuk is the most famous agent in the novel because SH Agency will later become Korea’s greatest agency. He will also become Kim Suho’s future agent according to ‘Returnee Hero’. In ‘The Novel’s Extra’ though, he will become Hajin’s agent.
“Haha, you might not have heard of me. I started this work not too long ago.” Park Soohyuk awkwardly scratches the back of his head, expressing how new he is to this job.
“SH Agency, I don’t think I’ve heard of it before.” Hajin offhandedly comments, and honestly addresses the agency. I remain quiet letting the scenario play as it is intended to.
“It feels like a trustworthy name.”
“Ha, haha, thank you.”
“Ah, by the way…”
They exchange a few dialogues, while Hajin suddenly starts staring at empty air. I assume he must be using his laptop for its more complicated functions. I hear Hajin audibly sighing with relief.
“My main weapon is a gun. Is that okay?” Hajin tests the water to see if Park Soohyuk is amenable to having him as his client.
Soohyuk seems receptive to the idea, explaining just how much in a bind he is. “I don’t see why that would be a problem. Gun or sword, mercenary or hunter, it doesn’t matter to me! New customers are always welcome!”
Park Soohyuk stretches his hand out with a bright smile. Hajin accepts the gesture and shakes hands with his new agent.
***
Hajin loads 8 bullets into his gun. Each pinnacle-grade magic bullet costs about 150,000 won. Since each low-rank monster goes for 300-400,000 won, he cannot spend more than 1 bullet per monster considering the agent fee he will also have to pay.
With that in mind, he walks into the field.
Park Soohyuk follows. It seemed he is desperate considering agents without vehicles usually wait outside the field. Meanwhile, Hyon Hyung is doing his thing— he expertly sets up a tripod and his classy camera at a suitable angle. The way his hands move is quite adroit and has a certain rhythm to it.
Hajin recalls that Hyon’s method of weaponry is dual-wielding a pair of daggers.
“Ah, there’s one there.” Hajin aims his gun in a steady firing position.
They finally encounter a monster after about 30 minutes of wandering. It is a low-rank, grade 9 monster called an iron hog with a large body and protruding teeth. The iron in its name is not because it is made of iron, but because its skin is tougher than iron.
“I think we should ignore—.” Park Soohyuk offers honest advice, but someone cuts him off.
“Shuush, quiet!”
***
~Bang!
The bullet tears through the iron hog’s tough skin and pierces its brain. It helplessly collapses before it can even notice anything. Park Soohyuk cannot even make a fuss as the spectacle leaves him speechless.
I manage to catch the act itself, including the crispy gunshot that makes me feel thrilled with excitement. This is just dope. With my camera enchanted with a few effects, I should be able to slow-mo the video clip while maintaining its high definition.
“How is that?” Hajin asks.
“Perfect,” I briefly reply, while I replay the video on my camera, trying to see if there are any blemishes.
After a few inspections, I decided that I can use this as the major spicing of Hajin’s video feature.
I reprimand Park Soohyuk harshly. “Man, when someone is shooting something. Make sure to be quiet. If you want to say something, alert Hajin first in a whisper! What will you do if your voice is caught in the camera? It has an audio enchantment so it might have caught your voice. If that happens, what will you do? Will you reimburse us?”
Hajin defends Soohyuk. “Don’t bully him, Hyon… Stop being a bastard, I’ll shoot you instead. Mr. Park Soohyuk, I apologize for my friend, he is a crazy bastard…”
“Uuuhmmm…”
I hate to be the manipulative bastard, but it seems that being a natural bad guy helps in most unexpected ways. Won’t Park Soohyuk will have a better impression of Hajin then?
Bah~! What use is there in social engineering something like this? Park Soohyuk is a naturally good guy. I hate myself sometimes for being an ass. But hey, I am at least trying not to be an ass.
“Hey, Hyon… make sure you capture all of it! This will be a blast!” Hajin unloads his magazine and inserts a different kind of bullet on its clip, perhaps a flashier bullet.
I smile at him. “Challenge accepted! Fire away!”
Gangwondo Wonju.
“It is my first time here… So this place has a hunting ground or something?” I excitedly run around while I flash my camera with adequate professionalism. I will only need short clips to introduce Gangwondo Wonju, but it will not hurt to take more pictures and videos than what I will need.
Who knows? I might find use in them. Moreover, I come prepared. I have extra memory cards, a power bank, and even my own laptop that I recently bought which I can use for editing our videos.
“Is it really necessary for you to come?” Hajin doubtfully asks me about my intentions.
I casually explain to him. “Dude, this is your first feature video. Your concept as the luckiest man alive is selling well, but we will need a different and fresher concept soon. People can easily get tired if they keep seeing the same things again and again!”
It is for your SP, man. Stop complaining. Sigh…
“Fine, fine…” Hajin finally gives up on abandoning me. “Just… don’t make troubles…”
Why? Do I look like a troublemaker to you? I love telling him that to his face, but I know it will do me better if I just remain quiet. We stroll around Wonju and I notice that there are quite a lot of foreigners.
Wonju is a global city according to the novel’s settings. Its buildings are limited in height due to monsters, but sturdy modern structures fill the city.
Foreigners of every skin color walk around with weapons and their agents busily tapping on tablets. Agents calculate the prices of the day’s haul, while the foreigners make spontaneous conversation with their clumsy Korean. It is an unusual scene.
I notice Hajin smirking, I catch his smirk on the camera. Maybe I can use this to highlight his handsome side when smirking.
In this world, Korea is a national superpower that holds weight over the world. Its influence is far-reaching, and it is evident how the Korean language has become one of the preeminent languages around the world together with English.
I idly observe the conversation between foreigners and agents. Just by observing as a bystander, I am able to learn a lot.
I realize Korea’s ascension as a powerhouse is due to this— their monopoly over fantasy resources. I cannot imagine their profits with the taxes alone they earn from foreigners who are trying to earn a living from the Towers, Dungeons, and Hunting Grounds across Korea.
There is a reason why Korea produces the most number of heroes. It is because they have the most number of monster resources from Dungeons, Towers, and the like. Of course, it is not just because of that. For example, China and America have a fearsome amount of dungeons.
The credit for Korea’s success all goes down to the founding heroes who lead Korea in successfully adapting to the Change. The Heroes since Outcall and the following transition are what helped Korea to become the powerhouse it is today.
We walk through the streets of the world Hajin created. For Hajin, this must be a novel experience. For me, it feels like a visit to a theme park. The city is full of interesting things: blacksmiths, potion shops, bars, etc. Shops that look like they belong in the Middle Ages operate in modern buildings. It feels like a game world.
As a global city, Wonju is not simply a place for foreign hunters, but also a famous tourist spot with all of the novelty that litters the place.
Suddenly, the crowd gets denser as we find ourselves nearing the field entrance.
“E-Excuse me?”
A tall, average man with slouched shoulders and circular glasses strikes up a conversation when we are about to enter the hunting field. Judging from his little tics, his formal suit, and the way he is waiting for a client just by the hunting field’s entrance, he might be a rookie agent trying to find his first client.
It seems that Hajin doesn’t know him just by referring to his appearance alone, but I do.
Knowing the manhwa helps a lot. It is because I am familiar with the impression the man before me is carrying. The physical characteristics don’t stray far from what I know either. I warmly greet him.
“Hello, I am Hyon Hyung… Kim Hajin’s Image Manager… Here is my business card…” I perfunctorily hand him my card while I make an impression of my own. There is no need to act. I can just be natural in anything I do since I am a crazy person.
Being crazy is good camouflage to justify even my most unreasonable actions. That doesn't mean I am always crazy though.
Hajin just nods at my initiative seemingly satisfied with my work. Nice. It looks like Hajin is finally seeing me as his manager. Not bad. “So, may I know who are you?” Uuuh... Come to think of it... It sounds crazy that I am giving a business card to someone Hajin doesn't even know. Ugh... I am a crazy bastard, alright.
I cannot help it! I just want to flash my business card!
The nameless agent finally introduces himself. “Ah, yes. Here is my business card.”
It reads [SH Agency Head Manager, Park Soohyuk].
There is immediately a reaction from Hajin as he finally realizes the identity of the person in front of him.
Park Soohyuk is the most famous agent in the novel because SH Agency will later become Korea’s greatest agency. He will also become Kim Suho’s future agent according to ‘Returnee Hero’. In ‘The Novel’s Extra’ though, he will become Hajin’s agent.
“Haha, you might not have heard of me. I started this work not too long ago.” Park Soohyuk awkwardly scratches the back of his head, expressing how new he is to this job.
“SH Agency, I don’t think I’ve heard of it before.” Hajin offhandedly comments, and honestly addresses the agency. I remain quiet letting the scenario play as it is intended to.
“It feels like a trustworthy name.”
“Ha, haha, thank you.”
“Ah, by the way…”
They exchange a few dialogues, while Hajin suddenly starts staring at empty air. I assume he must be using his laptop for its more complicated functions. I hear Hajin audibly sighing with relief.
“My main weapon is a gun. Is that okay?” Hajin tests the water to see if Park Soohyuk is amenable to having him as his client.
Soohyuk seems receptive to the idea, explaining just how much in a bind he is. “I don’t see why that would be a problem. Gun or sword, mercenary or hunter, it doesn’t matter to me! New customers are always welcome!”
Park Soohyuk stretches his hand out with a bright smile. Hajin accepts the gesture and shakes hands with his new agent.
***
Hajin loads 8 bullets into his gun. Each pinnacle-grade magic bullet costs about 150,000 won. Since each low-rank monster goes for 300-400,000 won, he cannot spend more than 1 bullet per monster considering the agent fee he will also have to pay.
With that in mind, he walks into the field.
Park Soohyuk follows. It seemed he is desperate considering agents without vehicles usually wait outside the field. Meanwhile, Hyon Hyung is doing his thing— he expertly sets up a tripod and his classy camera at a suitable angle. The way his hands move is quite adroit and has a certain rhythm to it.
Hajin recalls that Hyon’s method of weaponry is dual-wielding a pair of daggers.
“Ah, there’s one there.” Hajin aims his gun in a steady firing position.
They finally encounter a monster after about 30 minutes of wandering. It is a low-rank, grade 9 monster called an iron hog with a large body and protruding teeth. The iron in its name is not because it is made of iron, but because its skin is tougher than iron.
“I think we should ignore—.” Park Soohyuk offers honest advice, but someone cuts him off.
“Shuush, quiet!”
***
~Bang!
The bullet tears through the iron hog’s tough skin and pierces its brain. It helplessly collapses before it can even notice anything. Park Soohyuk cannot even make a fuss as the spectacle leaves him speechless.
I manage to catch the act itself, including the crispy gunshot that makes me feel thrilled with excitement. This is just dope. With my camera enchanted with a few effects, I should be able to slow-mo the video clip while maintaining its high definition.
“How is that?” Hajin asks.
“Perfect,” I briefly reply, while I replay the video on my camera, trying to see if there are any blemishes.
After a few inspections, I decided that I can use this as the major spicing of Hajin’s video feature.
I reprimand Park Soohyuk harshly. “Man, when someone is shooting something. Make sure to be quiet. If you want to say something, alert Hajin first in a whisper! What will you do if your voice is caught in the camera? It has an audio enchantment so it might have caught your voice. If that happens, what will you do? Will you reimburse us?”
Hajin defends Soohyuk. “Don’t bully him, Hyon… Stop being a bastard, I’ll shoot you instead. Mr. Park Soohyuk, I apologize for my friend, he is a crazy bastard…”
“Uuuhmmm…”
I hate to be the manipulative bastard, but it seems that being a natural bad guy helps in most unexpected ways. Won’t Park Soohyuk will have a better impression of Hajin then?
Bah~! What use is there in social engineering something like this? Park Soohyuk is a naturally good guy. I hate myself sometimes for being an ass. But hey, I am at least trying not to be an ass.
“Hey, Hyon… make sure you capture all of it! This will be a blast!” Hajin unloads his magazine and inserts a different kind of bullet on its clip, perhaps a flashier bullet.
I smile at him. “Challenge accepted! Fire away!”
