“We have $450,000! Do we have another?” the MC yelled.

Sung Joon pressed the bell again.

Ding.

“$500,000!”

This was his last bid. He didn’t plan on investing too much money to marginally increase his synchronization rate.

“We’ll end the auction here! The winning bid is $500,000! Congratulations, customer no.24!”

His competitor hadn’t bid anymore, so the auction ended. After the people seemed to leave their regret behind and left the auction, only Sung Joon and the relevant parties remained.

“Customer no. 24, you can take the item now,” the MC said.

Sung Joon went down the stairs and received the item.

“You’re not a regular member? Would you like to register before you go?” suggested the MC before Sung Joon received the item.

If Hyun Sung’s explanation was correct, he’d have to become a member here in order to raise his membership rank for every successful bid. Then, he’d gain the rights to the VIP auction house.

“Please register me.”

“You just need to write down your ID and a password here. If you do, you’ll receive a membership number. Please remember it, since there’s no way of getting it back.”

The MC passed Sung Joon a tablet and Sung Joon input his ID and his password on it. Maybe it was because the establishment depended on secrecy, but they didn’t ask for any personal information.

When he finished his registration, the MC took out his measuring tool.

“I’ll verify that the item cannot be appraised.”

After he had finished verifying the item, Sung Joon received the item. He cautiously left the building and returned to the parking lot.

“Nothing happened.”

After an auction in the movies, a spiteful competitor would sometimes send assassins after the victor, but thankfully, nothing happened to Sung Joon.

“If the price of the auctioned item goes up, they might send assassins after you,” Rishubalt said.

Sung Joon smiled faintly and nodded his head.

They got into the car and returned home. Sung Joon opened the storage box and took out the key.

“Rishubalt,” Sung Joon called.

Rishubalt’s mana flowed into the key and removed the other world energy. As Rishubalt absorbed the energy from the other world, he reawakened a part of his sleeping memories.

“Your synchronization rate is at 20%.”

“It raised by 1%?” Sung asked, shocked.

But Rishubalt shook his head.

“In actuality, it had a miniscule effect on your synchronization rate. Just a little while ago in the Awakening Dungeon, your synchronization rate lacked just a little to go up from 19% to 20%,” Rishubalt explained.

“I see.”

Sung Joon nodded his head and brought his measuring tool to the key.

-Verifying the existence of a new item.

The measuring tool responded. Sung Joon activated its appraisal feature.

[Anvel’s Master Key]

A-rank.

No effect.

This was the first time he’d seen an item without an effect. But more importantly, he focused on the name ‘Anvel’. He felt like he had heard that name somewhere before, but he couldn’t recall where.

“Have you heard of the name Anvel before? For some reason, I feel like I’m familiar with the name..”

“I also feel that it’s a familiar name, but I cannot recall exactly where.”

Rishubalt hadn’t helped much. Perhaps Rishubalt was also aware of this, as he sifted through his memories to be even a little bit more useful to him.

Eventually, he opened his mouth.

“It seems that they are affiliated with the Empire’s Special Forces. If you wish for more details, it seems that you will have to increase your synchronization rate.”

Although he didn’t have much information on the Empire’s Special Forces, he at least had some information on them mixed into his memories. The Empire’s Special Forces were responsible for carrying out the covert operations of the Empire.

The unit primarily carried out assassinations and infiltrations, so it wasn’t strange that one of them would carry around a master key.

“Will this really be able to open locks?”

Sung Joon suddenly felt curious. Since it was a large key, he doubted that it would fit into any lock. However, Rishubalt had said that it activated through mana and that there was a high possibility that it was a special magic tool.

As a test, Sung Joon locked his bedroom door and raised the master key. The master key obviously didn’t fit the lock, but changed when Sung Joon imbued it with his mana.

“It’s activating!” Rishubalt said.

The master key accepted Sung Joon’s mana and the trickling blue energy entered the lock.

Click.

The bedroom door opened.

“It isn’t an A-rank item for nothing.”

It really was a master key. He had unexpectedly collected a great item, so Sung Joon smiled. Because of it, Sung Joon slept well that night.

He didn’t feel like his $500,000 spent at the auction house had gone to waste.

The next morning, Sung Joon wanted to test the performance of his new A-rank item, the ‘Empire’s Battle Priest Vestments’, so he boldly applied for a solo B-rank dungeon run.

“Shall we proceed like this for your B-rank dungeon solo run appointment?” the clerk asked, to confirm his request.

There was a steep increase in difficulty starting from the B-rank dungeons, so there was a sharp decline in the number of solo play applications.

Since soloing a B-rank dungeon would result in a sharp increase in difficulty, as well as risk, the clerks would usually confirm the applicant’s request a few times, and warn them of the danger.

“There aren’t any B-rank dungeons for solo play immediately available. Could you please wait a little?”

“Please contact me.”

B-rank dungeons also didn’t appear often.

He thought it would take a few days before he would be scheduled an appointment, but the Dungeon Bureau contacted him in only two days.

“You’ve been scheduled for an appointment,” the clerk said amicably, informing him of his scheduled time, as well as the dungeon’s location.

“If you don’t need to make any changes to your schedule, then will tomorrow afternoon at one o’clock be alright? “ the clerk asked.

“Yes. Tomorrow afternoon at one o’clock is fine,” Sung Joon responded delightedly.

After he had finished his conversation with the Dungeon Bureau clerk, Sung Joon walked to a nearby park to get some peace of mind.

As he walked through the park, he felt at peace.

Although Rishubalt had said that Sung Joon’s past self had enjoyed hunting, there weren’t many places in Korea where he could hunt.

“Please give me an Americano.”

Sung Joon bought a coffee from a cafe nearby the park, and sat on a bench. Rishubalt watched Sung Joon pass the time by looking at the clear sky or watching people pass by, and smiled delightedly.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m just happy to see you so relaxed, my lord.”

Rishubalt had stood by and watched Sung Joon clear dungeon after dungeon without much rest and had always wanted Sung Joon to take break.

Nowadays, Sung Joon had gotten better about it, but even so, he rested far less compared to other Hunters.

Sung Joon drank his coffee and spent his time leisurely, but then.. Someone approached him.

“We meet again,” a familiar voice said.

Sung Joon turned his head to his side. It was Yoon Seol Ah. After the regular assault team, ‘Ace’, had been annihilated, she seemed to have mostly recovered from her trauma and her face was bright, like before. Perhaps it was due to the lengthy amount of time that had passed since then.

She wasn’t just any woman; she was one of the successors to the Blue Dragon Group, so she had more willpower than most normal people.

“Ms. Yoon Seol Ah?”

“May I sit next to you?”

Sung Joon nodded his head, so Seol Ah smiled and sat beside him. She was holding a coffee in her right hand.

“Thank you for the evidence of Son Jin Woong’s embezzlement,” Sung Joon began.

Seol Ah was a little surprised, but shortly after straightened her face.

“It seems that you’ve heard that I’m part of the Blue Dragon Group.”

“I just happened to learn about it,” Sung Joon replied, and took a sip of his coffee.

His eyes quickly scanned the surrounding area.

‘They’re watching me.’

He didn’t know why, but he felt their eyes watching him. There weren’t that many of them and it seemed like there were only about two of them.

“I heard that you were promoted to A-rank a little while ago. Congratulations.”

“Let’s get straight to the point. What is it that you want to say?” Sung Joon asked.

Seol Ah smiling softly and replied, “Did you realize that you’re being watched?”

“It seems like there are around two of them.”

“You’re quite sharp.”

Seol Ah affirmed Sung Joon’s statement. The two observers didn’t seem to be Hunters since he couldn’t sense any mana from them.

He couldn’t hear them converse. Seol Ah had casually revealed their surveillance, so it didn’t seem like they had brought any wiretapping equipment.

“Grandpa, I mean the Blue Dragon Group Chairman, wants to make a connection with you no matter what, Mr. Sung Joon.”

“Is that why you’ve come to see me, Ms. Seol Ah?”

“That’s right. After all, I’m the only one who you’re acquainted with, Mr. Sung Joon. .”

Sung Joon had no idea why the Blue Dragon Group wanted to make a connection with him. They either wanted him to be an ally in the future because they thought he was either an S-rank, or because there was a chance that he would reach that level someday.

In particular, Tae Seok (the Chairman) wanted to establish a guild affiliated with the Blue Dragon Group, so Sung Joon was a talented individual that they needed to procure.

He saw Sung Joon as an S-rank Hunter.

“So you want to maintain a cooperative relationship with me, is that what you’re saying?”

“It would be great if it ended there, but it seems grandpa wants to forge an even stronger connection with you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ll leave the interpretation to you, Mr. Sung Joon. You see, I don’t particularly like explaining things.”

Seol Ah shook her head. Sung Joon didn’t show his emotions, but he could guess the meaning of the ‘stronger connection’ that she had mentioned.

“Because of grandpa, I’ll come and see you occasionally. Even if it’s a pain, please hang out with me.”

When he had first met her in the dungeon, she was lively and overflowing with energy, but she seemed pretty listless right now.

“I think I understand.”

Sung Joon nodded his head. Since the Blue Dragon Group would help him, it wouldn’t be difficult to play along with Seol Ah.

“So it’s like a play?*” (*He’s saying he’ll play along. It seems like both Seol Ah and Sung Joon don’t want to be put in this kind of situation.)

“It’s similar. It’s not a losing proposition. Since maintaining a connection with me is effectively maintaining a connection with the Blue Dragon Group.. Grandpa will support you with any means necessary.”

“I don’t like being tied down, though,” Sung Joon said.

Seol Ah giggled and shook her head.

“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that, though. Grandpa won’t act hastily.”

“I see. I’ll trust you,” Sung Joon responded.

Seol Ah stood up from her seat on the bench.

“I’ll come by occasionally. Also, thank you for saving my life.”

Sung Joon nodded. Seol Ah smiled with her eyes and started to walk away.

“It seems like you don’t want to get closer to me.”

He wasn’t in a pleasant mood, but he could understand Seol Ah’s position. She had her own life to live, so she must hate how her grandfather was using her like a chess piece.

“Isn’t the Blue Dragon Group one of the few large corporations in Korea?” Rishubalt asked.

Sung Joon nodded his head and said, “Yeah, if we put it into the terms of the Empire, then they would be a powerful feudal lord*.” (*e.g. Daimyo.)

“In the empire, your position was absolute, my lord; so much so that women of influential families lined up in order to create ties with you. I cannot understand that woman’s attitude.”

Rishubalt couldn’t understand why Seol Ah wanted to keep Sung Joon at a distance. Sung Joon remained a great figure to him.

“It’s because it’s different from my past life.”

An A-rank Hunter with no backing had relatively weak influence. Of course, if he became an S-rank Hunter, he wouldn’t need anyone’s support and would reign over the country regardless.

“My lord..”

Rishubalt bowed his head. Sung Joon saw him bow his head and giggled.

“Let’s go home. If I want to assault the B-rank dungeon tomorrow, I have to sleep early.”

Sung Joon started walking first.

“I’m right behind you.”

Rishubalt followed him.