The Return Of The Greatest Strengthener

Chapter 06

‘Does he… know everything?’

Cha Jungwoo’s face hardened under Yujin’s gaze.

The Mir Guild had been secretly supporting the enhancement factory.

They turned a blind eye to abuse and minor crimes happening inside.

All for the guild’s profit.

‘But if that truth gets out…’

The guild’s reputation would take a huge hit.

People would know they treated workers like disposable parts.

The abuse happened regularly.

If it became public that the guild supported such a place, the backlash would be harsh.

‘That can’t happen.’

Even the guild’s own hunters might begin to fear:

“Will they use me like that too someday?”

That fear could cause people to quit.

And new recruits might avoid joining altogether.

Reputation was tricky.

It might seem silly, but it carried real weight.

If things went really wrong, someone high up could even lose their job.

‘No. There’s no way that guy knows all of it.’

Even if he suspected something, it couldn’t be solid proof.

‘Should I just… get rid of him now?’

Danger flashed in Cha Jungwoo’s eyes for a second.

But it disappeared just as fast.

‘No… doing something rash would only put me in a worse position. Better play it safe.’

Cha Jungwoo was nothing more than a pawn — a disposable tool of the guild.

People may think he had a fancy title, but in the end, he could be thrown away at any time.

‘…I need to raise my value somehow. That’s the only way I survive.’

Every day felt like walking a tightrope to him.

And this kid in front of him? He was a risk.

A loose end.

Whether by money or force, he had to be dealt with.

And money was the easier option.

Yujin, with his cold expression but oddly cheerful voice, asked:

“So, how much will you pay for the magic stones?”

“…”

The Hunter Association member tried to answer, but—

Cha Jungwoo stepped forward.

“You cleared a dungeon alone? That’s really impressive.”

Clap. Clap.

He slowly clapped his hands and smiled.

“Those magic stones—our Mir Guild will buy them.”

“…Mir Guild? All of a sudden?”

“I was moved, honestly. I didn’t expect you to clear a dungeon solo.”

The shaman goblin’s magic stone — that was proof he had taken down the dungeon boss.

There was no way he could’ve faked that.

Smiling with his eyes, Cha Jungwoo asked:

“Did you clear it alone, or with a team?”

“I was alone.”

Yujin shut down the doubt immediately.

Cha Jungwoo nodded and pulled a business card from his suit.

“I’m Cha Jungwoo, Team Leader of Team 4, Mir Guild.”

“Ah, okay.”

“Since we’re already discussing the trade, I’d also like to talk to you about joining the guild. Do you have some time?”

Cha Jungwoo gave him a polite, gentle smile.

“We want to recruit you into our guild.”

“!”

“!”

A recruitment offer from Mir Guild?!

Even the government workers nearby looked shocked.

Cha Jungwoo smiled slyly to himself.

‘If someone’s a threat, just turn them into an ally.’

There was no way Yujin would say no.

It wasn’t just any guild—it was Mir Guild, one of the top five in all of Korea.

“We’ll give you the best possible treatment.”

Yujin looked down at the business card for a moment, then slowly spoke.

“I…”

***

‘Wow, that was a good nap.’

The sky was already getting dark.

Yujin stretched his body after waking up, feeling a little stiff.

He had just received a medical injection.

‘Modern medicine is amazing. No wonder people say just get a shot when you’re sick.’

Thanks to healers—Hunters with healing abilities—modern medicine had evolved even more.

‘And those enhanced pills… they really work.’

Yujin glanced at the pill he had tucked in his pocket.
It was a muscle pain reliever.

Normally it had side effects, but—

[Enhanced Pill +1]
Fatigue recovery +20%
All side effects removed

With a bit of magic power, the pill became much more effective.

‘Can’t believe something so small can be enhanced. Damn, this ability is amazing.’

His new class was turning out to be way more useful than he expected.

One enhancement (+1) and even the side effects disappeared—Usually, some small side effects still remain.

‘Guess it helps that the pill was expensive too.’

It was pricey, sure.

But for Yujin, that wasn’t a big problem.

“Thank you for everything today, Team Leader.”

After all, he didn’t pay a single win.

Yujin politely thanked Han Taemin, who had a somewhat awkward expression.

The treatment cost had been covered by the Hunter Association, not Mir Guild.

“…No, thank you for giving us your time.”

Why did the Association pay instead of the guild?

Because Yujin had refused Mir Guild’s offer.

Team Leader Han Taemin had watched the whole thing and couldn’t hide his surprise.

‘Why would he refuse?’

The offer from Mir Guild had been really tempting.

If he didn’t have such a strong sense of duty or belief in his government job, even he would’ve accepted.

‘The offer was way above his current level.’

A quick check showed Yujin was an E-rank Hunter.

Without skills, he’d probably be classified as F-rank—super weak.

Even if he got stronger, D-rank would be his limit.

But the offer Mir Guild gave him?

It was something they’d only give to a B-rank Hunter candidate—a big deal.

‘So why…?’

Han Taemin stared at Yujin with mixed feelings.

Could it be that he’s patriotic, too?

Yujin shrugged.

“Just to be clear, I don’t plan on joining the Hunter Association either.”

“…Then what are you planning?”

“I just haven’t seen any offers that interest me yet.”

In other words, even the support level of a B-rank prospect wasn’t enough to impress him.

Basically, he was saying he didn’t want to join any group.

“It’s dangerous to be on your own.”

Han Taemin gave him a serious warning.

There have been Hunters like Yujin before.

“Even if it’s not the Hunter Association, you’ll need a group to protect you.”

“I’m keeping that in mind.”

Yujin nodded but didn’t change his mind.

“I just don’t think I’m only worth a B-rank offer.”

‘Arrogant.’

Yes, that word fits perfectly.

What kind of Hunter turns down a deal better than their own rank?

Some might call it bold, but most would call it foolish.

Normally, Han Taemin would’ve agreed with the second group.

But…

‘Strange. He doesn’t seem like someone who’s just overly confident.’

This time, Han Taemin felt different.

Maybe… this Hunter could become more than just B-rank.

“You’re quite bold.”

“Well, if you’re born a man, shouldn’t you be at least this bold?”

Yujin gave a big smile.

Han Taemin chuckled.

In truth, Yujin didn’t plan to work alone forever.

He knew he needed a group—working solo had limits.

He was just waiting for the right group to use.

“I heard your rank changed recently?”

Hunter ranks weren’t decided by a system.

It was just something created to help people understand Hunter’s power.

Usually, the rank was based on stats.

‘My magic stat is 15. That puts me in D-rank.’

The basic ranking system was:

D-rank: 15+

C-rank: 35+

Each rank increased by about 20 points

S-rank had a higher jump

Yujin nodded.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Please visit the Hunter Association within the week. Oh, and…”

Han Taemin lowered his voice so only Yujin could hear:

“Be careful of Mir Guild.”

“….”

“Have a good night.”

Han Taemin got into the car that had come to pick him up and left, giving a small bow.

He had shown great respect—more than expected—for someone like Yujin, who was only D-rank… actually, more like E-rank in reality.

Han Taemin was known for being that kind of person.

Sadly, he would later pass away in an unfortunate accident.

Maybe he just had a habit of caring too much.

–Be careful of Mir Guild.

That’s why he left those parting words.

Mir Guild—one of the top 5 guilds in Korea.

A key player in this era of Hunters.

But just like all powerful groups, they had a dark side too.

And Cha Jungwoo? Definitely not one of the good guys.

‘Hmm… now that I think about it, why did he make me an offer anyway?’

Yujin scratched his chin.

Cha Jungwoo had offered to recruit him,
But all Yujin did was clear a low-level Hobgoblin dungeon.

That didn’t seem like enough reason.

‘He must’ve had another reason.’

Ah—maybe that was it.

Yujin had stared at him a bit too long.

‘I was just looking, but he probably got nervous.’

He must’ve thought Yujin noticed something.

That factory… it was inhuman in many ways.
In this day and age, how could they exploit people like that?

‘Well, I still sold the mana stones anyway.’

Mir Guild had bought them at a higher-than-average price.
They weren’t just being generous—it was basically a bribe to keep Yujin quiet.

And Yujin accepted.

No reason to cause trouble right now, especially since news about that factory would get out eventually.

No need to make more enemies yet.

‘In the end, I’m an Enhancer.’

His body was still weak.
He needed to improve his skills and stats.

‘The money’s supposed to come in tomorrow—’

Good thing Internet banking still works.
Back then, dealing with cash had been such a pain.

‘Whoa, it’s already past 8 PM.

Since it was the right time, Yujin logged into an online forum for the first time in a while.

It was a must-join site for all Hunters: !

There, people posted all kinds of things—
Party recruitment, equipment for sale, dungeon strategies, and more.

Yujin casually scrolled through the posts.

‘There it is.’

One post stood out to him:

– Looking for someone to repair an item.
– Posted by: Unknown
– Likes: 0 | Dislikes: 0
– Comments: 0

It was a completely ignored post—no reactions, no replies.

‘Still posting regularly, I see.’

Although the poster’s name was hidden, Yujin knew exactly who it was.

The Sword Demon.

An S-rank Hunter, known as the strongest swordsman in Korea—maybe even the world.

‘Even Park Seungcheol couldn’t beat him with a sword in the early days.’

He was unmatched with a blade.

But then, he suddenly disappeared—stopped raiding dungeons and went into hiding.

‘The truth came out two years later.’

He was found dead in an abandoned S-rank dungeon in the U.S.,

called Hephaestus’s Forge—a very dangerous dungeon.

He died holding a strangely sharp and broken sword.

Later, people discovered the real reason he went there:

‘To repair his sword.’

But he kept that secret completely hidden.

Even when asking online for help fixing it.

– What kind of item is it?
– I can’t say.
– …How can we fix it if we don’t know what it is?
– Figure it out.
– At least tell us the type of item?
– I won’t say. Also, before we begin, you need to sign a silent agreement.
– Is this guy insane?

A total weirdo who revealed nothing.

“This is the perfect time.”

He was probably getting desperate now.

No blacksmith or repair expert could fix that broken sword.

‘Because the problem wasn’t durability.’

If Yujin could convince the Sword Demon,
He wouldn’t just gain a powerful ally.

The Sword Demon might even teach Yujin sword skills— something Yujin really needed.

‘No one’s better with a sword than him.’

In fact, Yujin had made good use of the “legacy” the Sword Demon left behind in the future.

Without hesitating, Yujin sent him a message:

– I’ll fix it for you.

If he succeeded—he’d gain a strong ally.
If he failed—he’d probably die.

But Yujin never failed.

So, there was nothing to lose.