Became the Weapon Monopolist of the Gods

“Did you see the news? Rachel is coming to Korea.”

“I’m really looking forward to it. Is she coming to thank someone?”

“That fits, doesn’t it? She’s a Connector.”

The café in Gangnam was buzzing with voices.

The news of Rachel’s visit to Korea not only stirred the media but also the public into excited chatter.

People openly displayed their excitement even outside, eagerly waiting for her arrival.

And everyone was speculating about the unknown Korean who had helped Rachel.

‘Sweet, so sweet.’

I smiled as I savored the flavor of my black Americano. Surprisingly, today it tasted much sweeter than usual, even without added sugar.

I might even be able to enjoy the bitterness of espresso as if it were sweet.

At a café in Gangnam, I quietly sipped at my coffee while tuning in to conversations around me.

Then, two people approached me after a moment.

“Mr. Choi Sejun, it’s nice to see you again.”

“Yes, nice to see you.”

The person who greeted me was Ha Jin-woo, the team leader of Dawn Star Constellation’s Team 1.

An A-rank Hunter who had previously come to buy a Hwandou saber for his training.

Beside him stood Hyun Kim.

Once our coffee order arrived, Ha Jin-woo began the discussion.

“I heard you’ve expressed interest in joining the Dawn Star Constellation.”

“That’s right.”

Out of all the groups available, I believed the Dawn Star Constellation was the one that could best guarantee my anonymity.

Government agencies were far behind guilds in quality and would likely impose tiresome demands.

After all, they often call upon hunters under the guise of “work for the nation,” and lawmakers aren’t shy to shout their agendas, even to the guild masters. Why would I be an exception?

So with government organizations out of the equation, that left the three major guilds of South Korea:

Dawn Star Constellation, Sandouchon, and Cheonmuwon.

If I was going to stay in South Korea, my choices were limited to these three. And out of them, the one centered in Seoul, where I reside, was the Dawn Star Constellation.

“Through Team Leader Hyun Kim, I believe you’ve already received detailed information regarding our offer.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Guaranteed anonymity, no involvement in Gate conquests, buying of byproducts, etc. The conditions Kim Hyun presented were difficult to refuse.

It was essentially saying I could continue living my normal life while still receiving all the benefits.

“In addition to the information you already received, there’s one extra proposal that I wish to make personally.”

Ha Jin-woo glanced around and then continued.

“From this point on, what I say will be confidential. I apologize for any inconvenience.”

Suddenly, a blue aura of mana emanated from Ha Jin-woo. It formed a translucent, hemispherical barrier around our seats.

The café chatter that had been a constant backdrop vanished. It was eerily silent, like stepping into a study room.

And judging by the way no one even glanced at us, it wasn’t just sound that was being dampened.

Ha Jin-woo’s actions confirmed my suspicion.

“I’ve erected an isolation field. What is said or done here cannot be known outside.”

‘Impressive.’

A remarkable display of mana application worthy of a top-tier member of one of the three great guilds.

In other words, it also implied I was important enough for him, such a skilled individual, to personally negotiate with me.

“Mr. Sejun Choi, we would like to propose a VIP Hunter contract to you.”

“VIP Hunter?”

“Yes, a contract only offered to Hunters of A-rank and above.”

He then listed the benefits that came with VIP status: guaranteed anonymity, lowest commission rates within the industry for Gate byproducts, no involvement in Gate operations, provided housing, a car, and more…

It was a far more advantageous agreement than the regular anonymous Hunter contract.

Of course, this was advantageous for Dawn Star Constellation as well. After all, A-grade Hunters ventured into Gates far more advanced than normal ones.

Just being able to monopolize the byproducts from such high-grade Gates made it a profitable offer for Dawn Star Constellation.

And Ha Jin-woo’s decision to make this offer also served as evidence that he suspected me of being a Connector.

I only told Kim Hyun Kim that I wanted to join as an anonymized hunter—not anything about being a Connector.

As expected,

“Actually, we’ve been speculating that you, Mr. Choi Sejun, might be the highly rumored Connector.”

Ha Jin-woo spoke, his expression tense as he awaited my response.

Kim Hyun was watching me with anticipation.

After observing the contrasting expressions of the two, I nodded.

“Yes, I am the Connector.”

“…Ah, it really is you.”

“See? I told you I was right.”

Both of them couldn’t hide their joy.

After all, they had just uncovered the identity of the Connector who had remained unknown in Korea.

“Since the day you brought me that Hwandou, I’ve suspected you might be the Connector.”

“I see.”

I had picked up on her subtle probing several times.

“Then would you be able to provide proof of your status as Connector?”

‘Proof.’

As I contemplated this, I pulled out an aetheric bag and retrieved an item.

A transparent crystal as clear as ice with a flickering flame within.

“That’s…!”

“That’s a Blizzard Stone.”

This mystical stone that supplemented my insufficient mana was the best evidence of my identity as Connector.

After all, receiving the Blizzard Stone as the first-place prize in the Trial of the Tower, where I marked ‘Connector’ in the ‘Conqueror’ field, had solidified that fact. Kim Hyun Kim had been second in that trial.

Despite her wistful eyes on the Blizzard Stone, Ha Jin-woo proceeded to the main point.

“Thank you for the confirmation. Let’s proceed with the contract.”

Ha Jin-woo smoothly slid the VIP contract towards me, but I didn’t take it.

“I’ll go with the anonymous Hunter contract.”

“Eh? Why…”

“I think it’d be more convenient for me this way.”

While the contents of the VIP contract might sound tempting, it wasn’t something I wanted to jump into without serious thought.

It provided everything free of charge, but in exchange, Dawn Star Constellation would be able to monitor my every move.

Furthermore, though there was no explicit obligation to participate in Gate conquests, a condition was attached in case of emergencies—they expected help.

If I were to agree to this contract, Jean would likely become known to Dawn Star Constellation.

‘That’s not an option.’

I had no intention of involving poor Jean unnecessarily.

In fact, even if that weren’t the case, I wanted to keep a certain distance from the guild.

Debts bind a person, and that’s why I preferred a mutually beneficial, yet detached relationship.

I didn’t need anything extravagant.

“Hmm, still… please at least reconsider…”

“I’ll leave if it isn’t an anonymous contract.”

Seeing an individual who would normally have been ignored asking me for a favor brought on a strange feeling, but I stood firm in my refusal.

Contracts are meant to be rational transactions.

“Hmm, regrettably, that’s all we can do. Understood. In that case, let me assure you of one thing—there will be no commission fee for byproducts.”

“Much appreciated.”

“Haha, we should be the ones thanking you.”

This way, I stepped into the shadows of the Dawn Star Constellation.

*

I liquidated all the mana stones I had accumulated thus far as part of my contract with the Dawn Star Constellation.

“There’s no commission. We’ve transferred forty million won to your account.”

“Thank you. Also, I’d like some assistance in purchasing a house.”

“As for housing, you don’t need to worry. We manage several properties under the Dawn Star Constellation. I’ll send you the list once it’s compiled.”

‘It really is handy having a guild behind you.’

To have my concerns resolved so swiftly was refreshing.

After handling all my pending tasks following the contract and returning home,

“Jean, were you comfortable while I was gone?”

“Yes. To the contrary, everyone here was exceptionally kind. Both of them seem like good people.”

Of course, they are our parents and excellent individuals.

However, something about Jean seemed different. Her clothes had changed.

She now wore a sky-blue dress that flowed gracefully with every movement.

‘Now that I think about it, her outfit was different yesterday as well.’

It had been two days since Jean arrived at our home. Every day, her attire had varied.

“Big brother is home?”

A mischievous culprit emerged from the living room, giggling sheepishly.

“What do you think? Does this outfit suit Jean?”

“Yes, but enough is enough.”

“Pfft, of course, it’s enough!”

The reason for Jean’s daily wardrobe changes was none other than Choi Seoyeon.

She was completely engrossed in this newfound hobby of dressing and undressing Jean as if she were a doll.

Fortunately, Jean was accommodating, but had it been someone else, a punch would’ve flown long ago.

In the living room, Father Choe Do-Jun was watching the news.

“─ Cardinal Francis arrived at Incheon Airport at 11 AM this morning.”

“─ He’s reportedly here to scout for potential saint candidates.”

“Tsk tsk, another failure for the Catholic Church. Truly, it’s crumbling.”

Father let out a sigh.

To summarize the news:

“Archbishop Ambrose of the Ilsan Metropolitan Archdiocese is said to have found traces of an ‘awakened saint candidate…’.”

“─ Cardinal Francis of the Vatican has arrived in Korea to confirm this ‘saint candidate.'”

“However, this move is interpreted as a recruitment attempt for Korean awakeners…”

Within the last century, over a dozen individuals had been identified as saint candidates by the Vatican, but only Mother Teresa was officially canonized as a Saint. And since her passing, the Church had failed to produce another saint.

Anyway, for the Vatican’s recruitment drive, they used the pretext of scouting for saint candidates, usually timed with their ‘Holy War’—the Gate conquests featuring shadow attributes.

But this time, it seemed urgent, given that a Cardinal had personally come to Korea for this.

I glanced at Jean out of the corner of my eye.

She was unfazed, not even glancing at the TV screen. I cared just as little and let it slide.

“Cardinal Francis is expected to stay in Korea until the saint candidate is found…”

And so the breaking news echoed on in the living room.

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