You Will Be Blessed If You Do Good Deeds¿ - Chapter 28

However, no matter how much I want to move, the most problematic thing in a capitalist society is money.
Of course, Iâve gained attention as a potential S-rank, but that doesnât mean I can make a fortune right away.

Because during the 39-month mandatory service, I canât engage in economic activities.
The only income I have is the slightly above minimum wage salary from the government. It's not a huge amount, but itâs definitely not enough to move Da-jeong to a safe place.
But if thereâs no way, Iâll just have to find one.

Two days after the dungeon break in Gwanghwamun was dealt with,
âWelcome.â
Han Jae-young greeted me with open arms.

âWelcome to the HP Guild.â
A massive building in the heart of Gangnam, Seoul.
On the internet, the HP Guild often gets criticized for being a magic guild, especially since Han Jae-young, a magician, is the guild leader.

âHow is it? Our guild looks quite impressive on the outside, doesnât it? Weâve got a large number of people.â
âI didnât need this kind of showy welcome.â
I responded somewhat curtly.

And rightfully so, because when I arrived at the guild, dozens of employees on the first floor had gathered and were applauding.
If I had been a 19-year-old rookie without any memories of my past life, I probably would have either run off out of embarrassment or become arrogant due to an inflated sense of self. Could he have intended for the latter?
âItâs not showy, itâs a sincere welcome. Just because Iâm the guild leader doesnât mean everyone listens to me. Theyâre all genuinely excited to meet you, Da-on. With you being a magician, no one can just sit still. Everyoneâs probably fidgeting, trying to get a word in.â

Han Jae-young gestured to the sofa for me to sit.
âBut why are you wearing your school uniform? I thought you were about to graduate.â
âItâs simple. The uniform I have is the most expensive and neatest outfit I own.â

Even though I could have worn something second-hand, Da-jeong, working extra hours, insisted on buying me a new uniform.
Also, there was the fact that I wouldnât be able to wear it much longer once I graduated, especially since Da-jeong had worked hard to buy it, even to the point of bleeding from her nose. I couldnât just disregard it.
When Han Jae-young heard that, he shrugged.
âWell then, how about we go shopping for clothes after we finish talking? You can use either a personal or company card.â

âIf itâs the company card, wouldnât that be embezzling?â
âDepends on how todayâs talk goes. If itâs for guild members' welfare, it wouldnât be embezzling.â
Han Jae-young smiled broadly.

âAn S-rank potential hunter who needs money... you're quite a rare find. Iâd love to buy you, no matter the price.â
Well.
There are several ways for a hunter to earn money, but at this point, the fastest way for me to make money is to be part of a guild.

Normally, one would have to apply to join a guild, but in the case of an outstanding hunter, theyâre often brought in with an upfront payment because they are a valuable asset to any guild.
Of course, the potential ability and actual ability development are two different things, and contrary to the public belief that the Awakening Test results are a lottery, there are plenty of cases where one canât fully unlock their abilities. Most people join a guild only after going through 39 months of mandatory service and receiving market evaluations based on their performance and stats.
âBut for Da-on, thereâs no need for that. Iâve already seen it clearly with my own eyes.â

Han Jae-young turned his laptop monitor toward me.
On the monitor, two videos were playing. One was of a queen ant being slain, and the other was from two days ago, when I dealt with the shadow ghost on the emergency staircase.
âI asked for the second one to be kept private.â

âI only have it. Itâs such a legendary scene, I couldnât bring myself to delete it.â
ââ¦â
I had thought this since our last meeting, but his personality was really annoying.

Honestly, if there were a better way, I wouldnât have come to Han Jae-young, butâ¦
âAs long as the transaction is clear, I wonât mind.â
The brief encounter was enough for me to get a feel for his true nature. In extreme situations like that, itâs the right time to see someoneâs true character.

And for me, someone like Han Jae-young is easier to deal with than someone like Yoo Han-ul. He evaluates others with his own unpredictable standards and knows exactly what he wants. He sticks to a minimum level of decency but handles profit and loss rationally.
With a person like him, at least I wouldnât be surprised by betrayal. There wouldnât be any trust, so the word âbetrayalâ wouldnât even apply.
His curiosity, unfulfilled, is probably why heâs trying to provoke me.

Heâs likely hoping Iâll spill information out of frustration.
But,
âIâm not that naïve.â

Iâm not so easily provoked by such tactics.
Iâll take what I need from him and be done with it.
And what I need from Han Jae-young...

âIf itâs an attractive asset, youâve probably already set a price for it.â
If Yoo Han-ul is known as one of the most ethical hunters in Korea, Han Jae-young is famous for being the wealthiest.
Detailed stats and skills of S-rank hunters are classified, but through repeated dungeon raids, some basic information inevitably leaks.

And the HP Guild, led by Han Jae-young, boasts the highest number of dungeon clearances in Korea.
In other words, they own a large stock of materials and items obtained from dungeons.
In that sense, the HP Guild is probably the most liquid guild in Korea.

This is because, in addition to the raid team, Han Jae-young also has a separate item production team.
Typically, mages with item crafting skills tend to have difficulty working in teams, but the HP Guildâs crafting team has been successfully operating for a long time. Rumor has it that they offer the best treatment in the industry. In any case, this successful operation has brought the HP Guild great wealth.
Han Jae-young smiled broadly.

âIâm really curious how much youâre asking for, but Iâm not planning to negotiate. How much do you want? Just to give you an idea, rookie S-rank hunters are offered a base salary of 1.5 billion KRW per year, with the guild taking 30% of the profits from dungeon loot. Thatâs the standard contract.â
I was a little surprised by that.
1.5 billion KRW. Da-jeong would probably faint if she heard that. For an ordinary office worker like me, it was an astronomical figure.

âI knew hunters made a lot of money, but... is it really like this?â
If you think about it, the base salary of 1.5 billion KRW is less than what an S-rank hunter might personally earn, which is why such an offer is being made, but the number still feels completely unfamiliar.
âOf course, I wonât offer you that much. How about double that? 3 billion KRW.â

The way he said it made the amount sound like a childâs play, rather than a legitimate sum.
âOf course, youâll officially join the guild after completing your 39 months of mandatory service, but since you need the money, Iâll advance half of the base salary up front.â
I skimmed through the contract that Han Jae-young handed me and nodded.

âNot bad.â
Honestly, even for a regular S-rank hunter, this would be an enticing offer.
There are a few other clauses, but the key points were clear. Join the guild, but official activities begin only after the mandatory service ends. The minimum activity period is 3 years, and thereâs a required number of successful dungeon clears. If you donât meet the minimum, youâll have to repay the upfront money.

Well, the details didnât matter much. The important part was that, even though my official activity would start after mandatory service, I would receive the contract money in advance.
3 billion KRW would help with my urgent needs.
I looked over the contract and said,

âI thought there would be a clause about paying a penalty if I break the contract.â
âNormally, that would be a problem for most hunters, but for you, Da-on, it wouldnât be an issue. Once your mandatory service is over, any guild would queue up to take you, even if they had to pay the penalty. It wouldnât make sense to put in a clause that would just upset you. And, youâre not leaving anyway.â
âYouâre very confident.â

âHaha, Iâm confident. Once you join, youâll find it incredibly convenient. We have more money than any other guild.â
Han Jae-young winked.
âMages are expensive.â

Thatâs true. So far, Iâve used basic magic or even forbidden magic, paying with mana or the cost of my soul. But as the level of magic increases, the materials become more expensive, and mages always have to keep an eye on their finances.
I stopped reading the contract and looked up.
âYou really have a lot of money. So I want to add one more condition.â

Han Jae-young raised an eyebrow.
âOh, I was wondering when the main point would come up. Is this where we get to the real business?â
âYeah.â

Honestly, I donât care much about money.
Da-jeong is already earning enough to support herself if she doesnât need to rely on me, and the money I need for my magic I can figure out myself.
What matters most is something else.

âIâm being blunt. I want a safe place to live and security. I want the security not for me, but for my family.â
Iâve already been targeted by enemies twice in such a short time. Until now, theyâve aimed at my life, but itâs clear they will target my family from now on.
If the enemy is exactly who the system showed me, itâll only get worse.

Han Jae-youngâs eyes gleamed with interest.
âIâve heard youâre close to your family, but this confirms it.â
I had suspected Han Jae-young had already investigated my family situation, but it was unpleasant to see him flaunt it like that.

âOnce the immediate fire is put out, weâll see what happens.â
Right now, Iâm just a low-level 20 mage, but later, Iâll definitely get him back for this.
âProviding a place to live is no big deal. You can choose the area, and if you want, I can even arrange a lease under the guildâs name. As for security... what level do you want?â

âJust enough for daily life. If itâs too dangerous, I donât mind a little inconvenience.â
â...Did you discuss this with your family?â
ââ¦â

âItâs strange that youâre not answering, but Iâll leave it at that. Iâm not one to interfere. Should I add that to the contract?â
âYeah.â
Han Jae-young tapped a few times on his tablet and handed it to me. After confirming that the clause had been added, I signed it.

Da-on.
It was the first time Iâd signed anything in this world.
ââ¦Itâs not as fun as I thought.â

I muttered under my breath, and when I looked up, Han Jae-young was staring at me with a strange expression.
âFun?â
âAlthough we only met two days ago, everything feels different now. Back then, you seemed like a rookie hunter who had just awakened, but now you seem like a veteran I can rely on. I thought the contract would take longer to finalizeâ¦â

âSorry I didnât meet your expectations.â
I interrupted Han Jae-youngâs words.
âIâm not here to satisfy your curiosity. Go find your entertainment elsewhere. If youâre unhappy, we can cancel the contract.â

âOh, really? I was just wondering⦠Are you being chased by someone?â
His question hit the mark.

Is he really an S-rank hunter? Heâs quick to pick up on things.

Itâs true that Iâm being chased, but I canât reveal that, so I casually responded.
ââ¦In just one week, Iâve gotten involved in two dungeon breaks. Isnât it stranger to not be on guard?â
âIs that so? If you say soâ¦â

I expected him to dig deeper, but surprisingly, Han Jae-young backed off. Heâs one of those people who stops just short of crossing a line, making him a bit unsettling.
âWell, whatever the reason, it doesnât matter. Whatâs important is that you want something from me, and I want something from you.â
âWeâve already signed the contract. Are you adding clauses now?â

âItâs not something to add to the contract, just a question out of curiosity.â
Han Jae-youngâs jet-black eyes gleamed.
Despite his well-groomed appearance being quite charming, there was something unsettling about the coldness in his gaze, making him look like a reptile.

âIâm curious. How does Da-on use incantation magic?â
Han Jae-young pointed to the video of me displayed on the monitor.
âPeople who donât know much about magic or those low-level mages who donât even know incantation magic wouldnât understand, but we do.â

Even if you have perfect pitch, you canât compose music if you donât know how to read music.
Thereâs a realm that canât be reached by sheer talent alone.
It requires acquired knowledge and enlightenment through painful effort.

âIâm curious about how Da-on can perform something that defies explanation, even if you are a genius.â
That question didnât really surprise me.
I expected to get asked this when I came to meet Han Jae-young.

If he hadnât been curious, I would have found it suspicious.
âThatâs something I canât teach.â
But that doesnât mean Iâm planning to answer him.

âIf I answer easily, Iâll be exposing my secrets, and that would end this contract immediately.â
Han Jae-young had been pushing my buttons this entire time, but the reason he hasnât crossed the line and is still being friendly is clear.
Iâm an enigma that has shattered his common sense.

Iâve met people like him twice now, but his personality is getting tiresome.
The fact that heâs even being friendly now is because heâs curious, and once his curiosity is satisfied, thatâll be the end of it. Iâd never trust him.
It was clear that he had no real trust in me. Thatâs the only thing Iâm certain of.

âHa ha.â
Han Jae-young laughed shortly.
âFeels like Iâve uncovered everything just by trying to get an answer.â

âYouâre talking nonsense.â
Han Jae-young didnât uncover anything about me. In fact, I still donât know his gender. Even after all this conversation, itâs still unclear.
âHiding place.â

I tapped the guild name âHIDING PLACEâ on the contract.
âThatâs a pretty unimaginative guild name.â
âHaha, thatâs the first time Iâve heard that.â

Inside his own created hiding place, Han Jae-youngâs eyes gleamed like a snake.
It feels like Iâve walked right into a trap, but Iâll bear with it.
For now, the most important thing is Da-jeongâs safety.

As Han Jae-young put away the contract, he spoke again.
âCan I ask one more thing?â
âOnly if itâs not another pointless question.â

âDid you fight with Han-ul?â
At that moment, I was taken aback by the question.
âFight? After the dungeon break, Yoo Han-ul was immediately taken to the hospital.â

âExactly. I thought, as the first discoverer, Da-on would at least inquire about Han-ulâs condition. Itâs classified information that hasnât been reported to the media.â
ââ¦â
I frowned.

Well, technically, it would be normal for me to ask about Yoo Han-ulâs condition first.
Not asking made it seem suspicious.
In the end, I admitted it openly.

Since weâll inevitably have to get involved with him, there was no point in hiding it.
âI didnât fight with him... I just donât want to get involved.â
âWhy? Unlike me, Han-ul isnât fake. Heâs genuinely a good guy. Heâs not nice to you because he has ulterior motives.â

âI know.â
Thatâs why itâs so bothersome.
I glanced at the system window floating in the air.

Quest: Good deeds will be rewarded. Is this quest ongoing?
The system requests âDa-onâ to provide support regarding âYoo Han-ul.â
Quest: Will you participate in âSAVE THE WORLDâ?

 
Go away. Just go away.