Chapter 36
"This isn't a rock. It looks more like a jewel."
Seo Tae-kyung bent down and carefully picked up the red crystal lying on the ground.
It was a fragment of the enormous core that had been grotesquely protruding from the boss's back just moments ago. The mana swirling inside it was so dense that he could feel its heavy warmth even through his thick gloves.
Lee Chae-ho wiped the sticky bodily fluid off his gloves and replied calmly.
"That was where the mutant's mana was concentrated the most. It should be worth quite a lot."
"Quite a lot? I think it's worth far more than that. Even after going through C-rank dungeons, this is my first time seeing a crystal with purity this high."
Yoon Ji-a came closer, her eyes sparkling as she examined the fragment. Kim Do-hyun, who had been catching his rough breath with his hands on his knees, also nodded with admiration.
Following Chae-ho's instructions, the party members began gathering the remaining monster materials.
Chae-ho had handled countless dungeon materials while working as a porter in the past, so his eye for valuable parts was extremely accurate. Among the boss's remains, which had already turned ash-gray, he precisely pointed out the undamaged sections of its shell and the usable joints.
"This leg joint wasn't burned as badly by the fire magic. Let's take the ones over here too."
"Wow, we would've walked right past these if it weren't for you, Chae-ho. I'll pack them right away."
Kim Do-hyun hummed happily as he stuffed the shell pieces into his backpack.
After surviving a desperate crisis where their lives had been on the line, the party members looked more relieved than exhausted.
Once they finished collecting the remaining loot, they left the collapsed mine behind.
Hunter Association-designated appraisal center.
The appraiser wearing thick magnifying glasses put down his tweezers and let out a deep sigh.
Seo Tae-kyung, who had been waiting nervously for the result, carefully spoke.
"Excuse me, is there some kind of problem?"
"A problem? This is an extremely valuable item."
The appraiser carefully placed the red crystal on a soft cloth, his eyes shining.
"This isn't an ordinary mana stone. Its mana conductivity is extremely high, so it's used as a core enhancement material when making top-class weapons and armor. With this size and purity, if you put it up for auction right now, people would practically name their own price."
"It's worth that much?"
"On top of that, these are materials from a mutated Red Iron Carapace King. If we combine the Association's standard payout with the additional reward for defeating a mutant..."
The appraiser rapidly tapped the calculator, then turned the monitor around.
When Seo Tae-kyung and the other party members saw the number on the screen, their mouths fell open.
"T, this is the amount we're actually going to receive?"
Yoon Ji-a rubbed her eyes and leaned closer to the monitor. Kim Do-hyun also cleared his throat and rubbed his face with both hands.
It was an amount far beyond what anyone would normally expect to earn from clearing a single C-rank dungeon.
After the appraisal was completed, the group moved to a private consultation room.
For a while, a strange silence hung between them.
Seo Tae-kyung placed the settlement documents in the center of the table, cleared his throat, and looked at Chae-ho.
"Lee Chae-ho."
"Yes. Go ahead."
"To be completely straightforward, you practically did everything in this raid. Without your leadership, we probably wouldn't have made it out alive when the tunnel collapsed at the beginning."
Seo Tae-kyung quietly pushed the original contract lying on the table to the side.
"That's why I'd like to change how we divide the profits."
"The ratio?"
"Yes. We'll reduce our share and give more to you. Even if you take eighty percent and the rest of us split twenty percent, we wouldn't have anything to complain about. No, that's what we should do."
Yoon Ji-a and Kim Do-hyun nodded firmly, showing that they completely agreed.
However, Chae-ho merely touched the teacup on the table lightly. There was no noticeable change in his expression.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'll decline."
"What? No, Chae-ho. I'm not just saying this to be polite. Think of it as us paying you for saving our lives."
"If you hadn't held him off from the front, Tae-kyung, I wouldn't have been able to circle behind him and create an opening. Ji-a's smoke screen and Do-hyun's healing support also perfectly backed up my timing."
Chae-ho continued in a calm voice.
"If we casually break an agreement because we feel sorry or grateful after one raid, it'll only make things awkward the next time we work together. We should divide it exactly according to the ratio written in the original contract."
"Haah, but our conscience won't let us..."
"If another dungeon comes up with suitable conditions, call me again. That's enough for me."
It was a firm refusal, yet one that placed no burden on the other party.
Facing Chae-ho's unwavering gaze, Seo Tae-kyung eventually let out a small laugh and nodded.
"...All right. I invited you because I trusted the rumors and your Association rating, but I never expected you to lead us this reliably. Lee Chae-ho, you're the most dependable hunter I've ever worked with."
"You're giving me too much credit."
"We'll settle everything exactly as promised and send you your share. And next time, I'll definitely ask you to join us again."
Seo Tae-kyung held out his large hand.
Chae-ho shook it and gave him a faint smile.
After returning home, Chae-ho dropped onto the sofa.
