You Will Be Blessed If You Do Good Deeds¿

A small office covered with a banner reading "Welcome to those in need of quick cash."

Even though it was daytime, the office was so dark that the lights had to be turned on. The air was heavy with the smell of cigarettes. A man's irritated voice echoed within.

"Dammit, how was I supposed to know how to deal with this? It was just bad luck!"

"Does this look like something that’s just gonna end like this? Damn it, you little bastard!"

Thud!

"Ugh!"

The man who had been hit by a thick palm with a loud smack tumbled to the ground.

If Won Deok-cheol or Lee Yun-ho had seen this, they would have been shocked.

The man who had just been knocked down was none other than the so-called "owner" of Bitnaerim, someone both of them had known for years and respected as if he were a god.

And here he was, getting kicked around by a middle-aged man in a fancy shirt with a small, weak build.

"So, I told you not to just let anyone open a dungeon, didn’t I? How are you going to take responsibility for this, huh?"

"Dammit, seriously! Stop hitting me!"

The so-called "owner" of Bitnaerim, or rather, the man pretending to be the owner using a homeless person’s identity, stood up angrily after being kicked several times.

"Manager Han, isn’t this a bit too much? This is just a matter of going to prison for a bit. It’ll be me going, not you, right?"

"Whether you get screwed or not is none of my business! But if our office gets raided by the cops because of you, are you going to take responsibility when our cash flow gets blocked?"

Bad luck.

The man called Manager Han looked around the office.

The six or so large thugs who had been sitting in front of computers all turned their heads away, sensing the tension.

On the computer screens were internet gambling sites.

This office wasn’t just a work space; it was also a loan shark’s office.

The company managing Bitnaerim was merely a front. This place was the real operation.

"Seriously, there’s not a useful person here. Damn!"

"Right, Manager Han, it’s not about dealing with a little pawn here."

Another middle-aged man, who had been casually sitting on the sofa with his feet up, spoke to Manager Han, even though people were getting beaten in front of him.

"I’m just trying to help, and now I’m getting dragged into this. How are you going to take responsibility for this?"

"Ah, Manager Ki."

Manager Han quickly bent over.

Ki Chang-hyun.

His real name was Ki Jeong-hyun, a high-ranking official at the Central Administrative Office.

He was an invaluable connection for the loan shark, Manager Han.

Thanks to the information Ki Chang-hyun had provided, Bitnaerim, a company with no substance, had succeeded in winning the dungeon bid.

Getting someone to do something for you required a considerable amount of money, but Ki Chang-hyun was reliable. If you paid him, he would always carry out your request.

But for him to be here since the morning, behaving like this, meant the situation was serious.

Today alone, Manager Han had bent over dozens of times. His back was sore.

"I’m truly sorry. We promised to take care of everything, but—"

"So why the hell did you bring in an S-rank Hunter and cause this mess? And of all people, Han Jae-young, that poisonous snake?"

"Poisonous snake?"

"Yeah, a cunning bastard who you can’t tell what he’s thinking. Damn it. I’m about to retire soon, but I might have to quit before then."

"Don’t worry, Manager Ki. I’ll make sure that bastard takes the blame."

"Ugh!"

Manager Han said this and kicked the man pretending to be the owner once more.

It was for show, but when sucking up to the higher-ups, performances like these were important.

However, this time, it didn’t seem to be working.

Ki Chang-hyun clicked his tongue.

"Do you really think you can handle everything with such a fake boss? I heard a lot of bodies were found in the dungeon. I honestly don’t know about that."

"Of course, Manager Ki doesn’t know anything! We just failed to manage it properly. It’s all our fault."

"But you can’t just brush this off. You know how tough the world is these days, right? Even with old college friends, there’s no mercy."

From the way he was talking, it was clear what he wanted.

‘Damn it, bastard.’

Manager Han clicked his tongue internally.

It wasn’t surprising that with an S-rank Hunter like Han Jae-young involved, things weren’t going to be easily brushed aside like usual. But by the way Ki Chang-hyun was laying the groundwork, it seemed that only a substantial amount of money would help resolve things.

‘How much does he want?’

The meaning of Ki Chang-hyun’s words was obvious.

He needed a bribe to smooth over the situation.

"Public servants’ salaries are transparent, you know. Acting all clean. What, are you Han Yun-ul or something? Anyway, try to come up with about 500 million won, in cash."

"Manager Ki! Do you want the money today?"

"Stop with the whining. 500 million is not that much. You’ve been making money, haven’t you?"

"Well... Hehe."

It was a surprisingly low amount considering how much was at stake.

In fact, cash flow had been good recently.

Manager Han nervously rubbed his hands together with a forced smile.

"Well, then... Manager Ki, I’ll have it ready by lunchtime today, so about this matter, how about...?"

Ding!

It was at that moment.

The office door opened.

Thinking it might be the police, Manager Han turned around in surprise, only to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw who it was.

A young woman wearing a hospital gown and a light coat entered the room.

Manager Ki, who had been in a good mood, popped a piece of gum and waved his hand.@@novelbin@@

"Ah, looks like we have a guest. Go ahead and take care of business, I’ll wait here."

"Ah, yes. This way, please, guest."

With mobile loans becoming common, it was rare for someone to visit in person, so Manager Han carefully studied the woman in front of him.

‘Is she here for a medical loan? But that doesn’t seem to add up.’

If a person needed money for hospital bills, they would usually have to take the loan out in a family member’s name.

Because if the patient dies, they won’t be able to pay the debt.

"How did you know to come here?"

The woman coughed several times, glancing around the office.

"Is this Bitnaerim?"

"Eh? Oh, where did you hear that unlucky name from? Oh, I guess you saw it online? Do you play baccarat, miss?"

If she knew the name Bitnaerim, it wouldn’t be that strange.

They would often send texts to customers who had lost money on illegal gambling sites, offering them loans through Bitnaerim.

But right now, the name "Bitnaerim" had become unlucky, especially since it was under police investigation.

"We don’t use that name anymore. But then again, does the name really matter? What matters is how much you need."

Manager Han grinned and rubbed his fingers together, not even considering how unpleasant it must look to others.

"Hehe. Please, take a seat. I’m Manager Han."

Although it wasn’t his real name, that wasn’t really important.

"So, how much do you need?"

"I don’t have the best credit. I’m unemployed."

"Oh, that’s fine! Don’t worry. The banks might care, but we don’t. Is it for hospital bills?"

"Yes. About 3 million won..."

"Ah, a small amount. It’s fine, though, hospital bills."

Manager Han looked the woman over again, who was still in her hospital gown.

"It would be good if you had a co-signer. A family member or a friend?"

"Why? Do you think I might die and not be able to pay back?"

"Wow, such a fiery young lady. Well, we’re not doing anything shady here."

"Do you need my ID?"

"Copies of the ID would be great."

Normally, when gamblers came in with debts, they’d bring their family’s ID. That was a common tactic for these kinds of deals.

However, from how the woman spoke, it seemed like she didn’t have anyone like that.

"If you don’t have a co-signer, I’m afraid we can’t lend you money. Do you have one?"

"...Actually, I’m a Hunter."

At those words, Manager Han’s eyes widened in surprise.

"A Hunter? But why come here for a loan?"

The act of being surprised was just that—an act.

When it came to gambling, Hunters or not, once a person got hooked, they would keep going.

And in fact, the illegal gambling site’s algorithm was designed to target pages that Hunters often searched, so it wasn’t surprising that a Hunter would come here.

"I’m just temporarily out of cash because I can’t find work. I got injured while clearing a dungeon..."

"Ah, well, that makes sense. You’ll pay it off quickly, I’m sure."

"And I heard you also offer work, or at least referrals."

"Oh, our reputation is spreading, huh?"

Manager Han grinned to himself.

Another one was caught, he thought to himself.

‘Hunters really do make money.’

"Well, it’s actually a good business. The potions sold through legitimate channels are really expensive, right? If we supply the ingredients, all you need to do is process them. A Hunter can do that, no problem. The pay will come in immediately."

The woman furrowed her brows.

"Isn’t that illegal?"

"Illegal? Actually, selling potions at that ridiculous price is the real illegal thing, don’t you think? If potions were cheaper, you wouldn’t be in that hospital gown."

The potions that magicians sold were ridiculously expensive, so it was only natural for businesses like this to spring up.

Manager Han truly believed that.

While the quality might differ a bit, there were plenty of people who urgently needed medicine.

It wasn’t the business that was wrong, it was the law.

"...It sounds too good to be true."

"Then let’s start with the contract..."

"But I’m not really good at making potions. Do you have any other work?"

This wasn’t an uncommon response. Some Hunters were wary because of the illegal nature of the work.

But there were still ways to make money.

Manager Han smiled, seeing the woman, who seemed to have no family, and no money for hospital bills.

"Don’t be shy, young lady. Well, if not that, we do have a part-time job where you can go to a designated dungeon and collect materials. That’s totally legal. Just a commission job, really."

That was a lie.

In reality, there were no materials to collect and no real job to be done.

The plan was to bait low-rank Hunters with fake jobs, then send them into dungeons where they would be rewarded with ‘compensation’ for sending people into Bitnaerim’s accounts.

The woman’s expression seemed intrigued.

"Really? Where is it?"

"Well, actually, there was one nearby, but that dungeon’s unavailable right now..."

"Was it the one used as a trash disposal site?"

"Huh? How did you know?"

"Ah, I see."

The woman’s previously faint voice became sharp and clear.

"I think this confession should be enough, Da-on."

"Indeed."

Snap!

The lights went out.

"What, what’s going on?"

"Dammit, the monitor’s gone out!"

"I can’t believe this, I was just about to land a big fish!"

"Manager Han! What the hell is going on?"

The lights went out, and the monitor completely shut off.

The workers, who had been working, and Ki Chang-hyun, who had been lounging on the sofa, all stood up in shock.

Manager Han, flustered, looked around in confusion.

"Wait, did someone flip the breaker? Why..."

Click.

Amid the chaos, a metallic sound faintly reached their ears.

"What are you..."

"Indeed."

The young woman in the hospital gown had locked the office door.

The atmosphere had definitely taken a strange turn.

Manager Han cautiously grabbed the tool he had left on the desk.

It was a knife, its blade sharp and ready for use.

Even low-rank Hunters could get into physical fights, so it was always good to be prepared.

"What’s going on..."

"Illegal gambling, illegal potion distribution, and even commission fraud. I’ve been listening closely."

"What...?"

"Y-yeah, yeah, yeah!"

Ki Chang-hyun screamed angrily at Manager Han.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"No, I was just signing a contract..."

At that moment, Manager Han realized.

‘Why did I blurt out everything?’

Thinking about it, it had all been strange from the start.

No matter how much of a loan shark he was, he wouldn’t have been this careless with a complete stranger, revealing all his business like that.

Especially with Bitnaerim’s corruption under investigation.

He had ended up spilling everything as if hypnotized.

Why?

"Magic... this is hypnosis magic!"

In an instant, Manager Han, who had spilled all the secrets, screamed with his face turning bright red.

"This is illegal, you know? It’s not valid as testimony!"

He had heard that some magicians used hypnosis magic to make others reveal their secrets.

But such testimony, without consent, was not admissible in court.

"I’m legally protected!"

"Illegal."

But the woman who had locked the door smiled subtly.

In the dark, with the lights off and her sickly appearance, she gave off a strangely ominous vibe.

"I didn’t think you’d care about that."

"Where did you come from, and why is this investigation so sloppy?"

Realizing the situation, Ki Chang-hyun also shouted in a panicked voice.

"I won’t let this illegal investigation slide. Where are you from? Give me your name!"

"Choi Mi-yeon."

The woman answered with a smile.

"As for my affiliation, if I must specify, I’m an accomplice of the demon."

"What?"

Both Manager Han and Ki Chang-hyun froze momentarily. Choi Mi-yeon’s smile deepened.

"I despise villains who can’t be punished by human law."

"What are you saying?"

"Fortunately, I know a demon who can deal with those villains."

At her absurd response, neither Manager Han nor anyone else in the office noticed.

They had no idea that, while Choi Mi-yeon had been talking, a massive magic circle had been drawn on the office floor.

Whoosh!

The magic swirled fiercely, and the magic circle opened its mouth like a monster.

Choi Mi-yeon spread her arms wide as if welcoming it.

"Come, now."