"Wow, damn. This is no joke."

I was amazed as I created the S-rank equipment. Maybe because I had been developing my abilities for a day, more ideas came to me as I combined the real materials. I was surprised how perfectly everything fit together as I had imagined.

'This is what it means to be S-rank?'

There were no S-rank Artisans in Korea. The only one had left for another country. S-rank Artisan hunters each had their own personal brand. Each artisan had their own specialized field, and hunters who wanted their equipment and weapons or those with those classes would put down a deposit and wait in line to receive them. As far as I knew, the incentives were enormous. There was nothing good for Artisans in terms of making a lot of things. They could make a cartel among themselves and raise prices through a monopoly, and no one would say anything. In conclusion, it seemed like the best way to earn the most money, the easiest way, was to be an Artisan, especially an S-rank Artisan.

'And there are Designers.'

Artisans and Designers usually work together. The Designer designs and drafts, then hands it over to the Artisan, who completes the piece. It was a case-by-case basis as to who was more famous, the Designer or the Artisan, and who created higher value. Usually, people who get along well work together as one brand.

'If one person did it...'

There was a reason why the Designer and Artisan classes were separate. They had different areas of expertise. Designers create equipment and weapons that didn't exist before, using creative ideas. Usually, when equipment and weapons with cutting-edge output and technology are released, it's more thanks to the Designer than the Artisan. As far as I knew, even if a Designer created a revolutionary design, the Artisan couldn't reflect it 100% when actually making it. Was it considered high-level if 50% was reflected?

But what if one hunter was both a Designer and an Artisan? It was clear that they could apply their own designs to the actual product 100%. And if they both had S-rank abilities...

'I'm more amazing than I thought!'

I had been a bit disappointed when I heard my assets from Kim Cheolmin. Honestly, I vaguely thought it would be about ten times that amount, but maybe I wasn't being treated as well as I should have been considering my abilities.

'I had a lot of offers.'

Why wouldn't other academies have offered me a job? I got endless offers from academies in Korea and abroad. There were many scouts who came to see me in person. Their offers were often ten times the salary I received at Alpha, and some even offered me a blank check and told me to name my price.

'That damn loyalty.'

But I didn't leave Alpha Academy. I didn't want to leave the students I was teaching. They were growing well, and if I left them irresponsibly, their growth might stop. Also, considering the level of other professors, there was a high chance that their abilities would actually regress.

'And the price I paid was betrayal...'

It was a good thing, actually. If I had accepted the foreign blank check and gone there, I wouldn't have thought about quitting being a professor, and I wouldn't have known that there was another possibility to my abilities. As a result, the time I spent at Alpha Academy wasn't just a waste of time. No one, including Park Seokcheol, dared to challenge my authority, and thanks to that, I could fully do the research and experiments I wanted. It's more effective to teach real students than to read ten books. At least that was the case for me.

I chuckled and continued making S-rank equipment. I was enjoying myself so much that I lost track of time. When I straightened my back to stretch, I realized that someone was watching me.

Kim Somi. She was standing behind me, looking down at what I was doing.

She had showered and changed clothes, she was wearing a boxy tee and loose shorts. Her makeup was also removed. It was the first time I had seen her like this, since she always meticulously put herself together.

"You look prettier without makeup?"

"Wh, what?!!"

Kim Somi was greatly flustered, as if she hadn't expected to hear those words.

"You look five years younger. Your face is so innocent when you take your makeup off, why do you wear such heavy makeup? So that guys can't get close to you."

"Who said I wanted guys to get close to me?"

"Sigh... You're clearly a romance-loser. You haven't even dated once since you became S-rank, have you?"

"Who said I wanted to date?!"

Kim Somi turned around, feeling offended.

"I'm going to cook! Should I make something for you, Hyunho?"

"Can you cook?"

"Probably better than you?"

"I can't deny that."

Honestly, I was hungry, so it was a welcome suggestion.

"So, what are you making anyway? Just a hobby because you're bored?"

"Well, you could say that."

"Are you seriously making equipment? DIY?"

"Good eye."

"Why do you need equipment like that, Hyunho?"

"You ask too many questions."

"Humph!"

Kim Somi went to the kitchen. The kitchen facilities were also well-equipped, but I hadn't really thought about using them. Even though it was going to go into my mouth, it was just too much of a hassle to cook.

For hunters, cooking is also a type of skill. There were hunters who specialized in it. The Cook class. It was a profession that made stamina food for hunters, not ordinary food. It was also a class that could make a living without entering dungeons, just like the Artisan and Designer.

I was also interested in the Cook class and had a lot of recipes memorized, but making those kinds of dishes was different from making ordinary food. I didn't want to show the scene of me butchering a monster's meat at home, if possible.

• Kim Somi's current affinity for you is 30.
• You can increase her affinity to 60 by registering her as a tutoring target.
• If her affinity reaches 80 or higher, she will develop an 'obsession' with you.
• She will never betray you and will be emotionally dependent on you.

"Huh?"

I unconsciously let out a voice, and Kim Somi turned her head, asking "Why?"

"Nothing, it's nothing."

'Obsession' huh. I hadn't even imagined that.

'Emotionally dependent... means...'

She becomes a slave? I went into the kitchen and looked at Kim Somi, who was taking ingredients out of her inventory, with new eyes.

"Oh!"

I was amazed by the food Kim Somi had prepared.

"You're pretty good?"

"Pretty good? That's all you can say? This is the first time a man has eaten the food I cooked."

"It's an honor."

The table Kim Somi had set was pretty decent, that's true. It was a typical Korean table spread. It was amazing, considering how quickly she prepared it. It was also the moment my preconceived notion changed, that she had only lived a life of being pampered. It's not always what you see. Kim Somi was surprisingly down-to-earth.

"Why did you really come here?"

"What's wrong with it? It's quiet, the scenery is nice, it's perfect for a solo healing session."

"Don't lie. I thought so at first too, but when I actually met Hyunho, I realized it wasn't true. You're up to something, aren't you?"

"Up to something... what do you think I'm up to, Somi?"

"Revenge... is it revenge?"

"Let's eat."

"Really! It's revenge, isn't it? But how? How are you going to take on those people when you can't even handle one assassin on your own?"

"Those people? You know something, don't you."

"No, I don't know much. But I know what kind of situation Hyunho is in. It's dirty, let's say? But I'm not new to these things. I don't want to make excuses, but I was in a situation where I couldn't help."

"I didn't ask for help. But let's be honest. You came to the academy to relax and earn a lot of money for nothing, right? You're not even experienced in this field. It's just a figurehead."

"If I hadn't been injured, I wouldn't have taken this kind of job. You seem to be under a big misunderstanding, Hyunho. The hunter world is like this. You called me a figurehead, but so what? My face is expensive. The media coverage increased significantly after I came to Alpha. The negative image created by those articles about Hyunho was greatly offset by my arrival. It's not all about teaching. I think I've earned my money's worth."

I was speechless because she was so brazen. It wasn't like Kim Somi was wrong. I don't know much about her. At least I knew that she wasn't in cahoots with Park Seokcheol and the others who had harmed me. If I had any doubts about that, I wouldn't have told her that I could heal her injury.

"Yeah, yeah~ I understand~ "

"Hyunho, you're such a unlucky person, you know?"

"I guess you can say that?"

"Whatever. We're a mutual aid society. You can't handle assassins on your own. Even though I'm not healthy, I can handle those bastards.

"Honestly, I've lost faith in people. You don't have to believe me, I can do it alone. Go home after you're done eating."

I had eaten enough anyway, and I was getting annoyed, so I got up with my empty bowl.

"Aw~ Are you sulking?"

"It's okay. Just go back."

"Oh, alright. You're capable enough to handle assassins on your own, Hyunho. You can handle revenge on your own too. I'm just clinging to you because I want to heal my body. Are we good now?"

"Hmm..."

I put my empty bowl in the sink and turned around.

"Let's renew the contract."

"What?"

"I'll heal you, so do more favors for me. I mean, help me with my revenge."

"That's not the same! I have no grudge against those people. They're actually the ones I'll have to confront if I go back to active duty. Why should I do that?"

"I'm someone who can both heal and ruin Somi's body. You can't escape from me anyway."

"Ha! What the..."

Kim Somi blinked. She probably thought that if I healed her, that would be the end of it.

"Okay, I won't push you too hard. But think about it. I've raised S-ranks with my own hands. You have more potential for growth, Somi. It means that your injury isn't the problem, you can become even stronger than before."

"Become stronger..."

Kim Somi trembled, holding her chopsticks.

"...is that right?"

"Did you get that injury in a dungeon?"

Kim Somi didn't answer. She was a veteran, it was unlikely that she would make a mistake in an S-rank dungeon. It seemed like it wasn't a monster but a human that had injured her. I wasn't sure, but judging from her reaction, I seemed to be right.

"If you help me with my revenge, I'll help you with yours too. How about it?"

"Hmm..."

Kim Somi looked like she was in a trance, then she scoffed.

"How can I believe you? Do you think I'm an idiot? You might have gaslighted those innocent students, but I'm not a kid."

I pulled the kitchen knife from the shelf next to the sink.

"...What is it?"

Kim Somi frowned. It wasn't threatening to her that I was holding a knife. It wasn't my intention in the first place.

After a while, the blade of the knife in my hand started glowing. It was so bright that it lit up the kitchen, which had been slightly dark.

"I can do things like this too. You don't even know 1/100 about me, Somi."

Kim Somi stared blankly at me and the knife. Then she burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! You're trying to convince me with that? Kids fall for that, you know? Hahaha! You're cute. Anyway, don't try to trick me with those childish tricks. It's easy to fool someone who's desperate, but I'm not that weak."

Right after she said that, her expression hardened.

"What's wrong?"

When I asked, she put her index finger to her lips. She was listening intently, so I also focused on what was happening outside, following her.

'They're already here.'

They were sending so many assassins in one day. I realized that Park Seokcheol was serious about killing me.

"Stay here. Put on your gear and go outside, I'll take care of it."

Kim Somi quietly got up. But I didn't follow her instructions.

"Here they are~! You idiots!!"

When I shouted loudly, Kim Somi turned her head in surprise.

I closed my eyes and focused for a moment, then threw the knife. The knife flew out the open window. At almost the same time, I heard a man's death rattle.