The Earthkeeper Kobolds' mine had indeed been a goldmine. The mining team collected a remarkable amount of magic stones, valued in the billions. But that wasn’t all—there hadn’t been a single injury, not even a minor one, making it a perfect raid.

“President, this is incredible!” 

Kim Yi-gang, the office manager, barely contained his excitement as he reported to Bae Dong-hyuk.

Bae Dong-hyuk, who had anticipated great results, couldn’t hide his joy.

“Yes, Hunter Ahn has given us quite a gift.”

Though Suho’s special recruitment meant a shortened contract period, this kind of result was more than enough for Nexus. The reward wasn’t just the financial gain from the mined magic stones; it was also about solving a strategic issue. 

The Earthkeeper Kobolds’ mine gate had been a problem for Nexus, as they had struggled to determine how to clear it. The gate, left untouched for too long, risked becoming a high-risk "sealed gate" and could be seized by the government.

‘But thanks to Hunter Ahn’s success in clearing the gate, we’ve made profits and preserved the guild’s reputation.’

The damage to their image from failing to clear a gate and having it seized by the government would’ve been incalculable. Suho had resolved that problem, and for that, Bae Dong-hyuk was deeply grateful. Upon receiving the full report the next day, he immediately summoned Suho.

“Yes, President,” Suho replied, meeting Bae Dong-hyuk in his executive office on the top floor of Nexus headquarters. Bae Dong-hyuk had arranged a private meeting.

As Suho entered, Bae Dong-hyuk greeted him with a smile.

“Hunter Ahn, I just wanted to thank you once again.”

“No need. I didn’t even complete my contract period. This much was the least I could do.”

“Haha, nothing is a given. Many people would simply take what they could get for themselves. There aren’t many like you who value integrity and loyalty.”

“I appreciate the kind words.”

“On that note…” Bae Dong-hyuk took a few papers and handed them to Suho.

“What is this?”

“This is an initial valuation of the mining team’s collected materials.”

Suho took the papers and reviewed them. The amount listed was a staggering 7.2 billion won.

Bae Dong-hyuk continued, “The quality of the magic stones was much higher than expected, and their size increased their value even more. After secondary processing through our guild’s workshop, the net profit could easily exceed 10 billion.”

Indeed, even after deducting all expenses, the profit was estimated to be over 10 billion won. Suho could hardly keep a straight face, especially since the minerals he had personally gathered using Bulgasal far outstripped this amount.

‘Even just the raw ore I collected is worth more than 10 billion.’

Satisfied, Suho reflected on why he had used his Dominion Orb on Bulgasal. Financial security was essential for his plans; until the association underwent reform, his income as a public servant would be modest. Even with reforms, his earnings would be limited compared to other hunters.

‘My own needs are minimal, but I’ll need far more funds to realize my future plans.’

For Suho, Bulgasal’s mining activities were like finding an oasis in the desert.

Bae Dong-hyuk continued, “I’ve given this a lot of thought and decided to give 10% of this gate’s profit to your team, Hunter Ahn.”

“What?”

“No matter the reason for your assistance, it feels wrong not to share such substantial profits.”

Suho quickly declined, “No, thank you, President. Really, I insist.”

“It’s no trouble. Please accept it, Hunter Ahn. It’s the least I can do.”

Suho genuinely wanted to refuse, considering the amount of minerals he had already taken. But Bae Dong-hyuk was equally sincere, offering out of genuine gratitude rather than as a calculated move to curry favor with Suho.

After a bit of back-and-forth, Suho suggested a compromise.

“How about this instead?”

“Oh? What do you propose?”

“I have a favor I was considering asking. Since you insist on a bonus, perhaps you could help me with this instead.”

“Of course. Just name it.”

“You haven’t even heard it yet.”

“You’re Hunter Ahn! Whatever you ask, I trust it’s a reasonable request.”

“Haha, well…” Suho smiled. Bae Dong-hyuk’s straightforward personality was why he had chosen Nexus.

“Actually, this issue is what I wanted to discuss. As you know, I’m soon to be appointed through a special recruitment to the Great Hunter Association,” Suho began.

“Yes, and?”

“I’d like to set up a covert task force within Nexus to operate under my direction.”

“A covert task force?”

“Yes, it would be my personal team. Since I’ll soon be a civil servant, managing an independent strike team will be difficult. That’s why I’d like to place my team within Nexus, where they could receive guild support and resources.”

“You’ll need a cover, then. But your idea makes sense—civil servants can’t usually take on additional roles.”

Suho elaborated, “Yes, exactly. I want my team to operate under Nexus, albeit discreetly. It would benefit both of us. Although it’s my personal team, as Nexus guild members, they’ll also take on guild assignments. They’re all trained by me, and I plan to support them regularly.”

Understanding Suho’s intentions, Bae Dong-hyuk chuckled. Suho hadn’t said it outright, but his implication was clear—he intended to continue hunting activities discreetly even after joining the Great Hunter Association.

“I understand. We’ll treat your team with the same care as we treat you. Were those friends from the gate raid your team?”

“Yes, they were.”

“And what about Hunter Kang Dae-han?”

Suho paused, then shook his head. Kang Dae-han, although temporarily recruited, was still untested in terms of loyalty and alignment with his goals.

‘It’s better to keep him as a mercenary for now. He’ll develop faster if he gains experience outside my team.’

Suho replied, “I’ll leave out Kang Dae-han for now.”

“Understood.”

“Also, since my team will be taking on missions equivalent to their rank, can we arrange at least A-rank benefits for them?”

“A-rank benefits?” Bae Dong-hyuk pondered.

Suho’s team had only recently completed the mine raid. There were no other concrete accomplishments yet. After a brief moment of thought, Bae Dong-hyuk proposed, “How about this? While some level of documentation is legally required, once all team members reach Level 100, I’ll grant them A-rank benefits. Until then, they’ll be provisionally B-ranked, but they can continue to use the training rooms.”

Suho smiled in agreement. Bae Dong-hyuk had cleverly addressed his intentions. Suho nodded.

“Yes, that’s perfect. I’ll ensure everyone meets the minimum level requirement and obtains certification.”

“Thank you for understanding. Then, the 10% bonus we mentioned will be allocated to your team.”

“Thank you. And if you could also see that Hunter Kang Dae-han receives a little extra separately…”

“Haha, leave that to me.”

“Thank you. I look forward to working with you.”

Their handshake marked the beginning of a solid, ongoing relationship with Nexus.

Reflecting on it, Suho thought, ‘If I weren’t a regressor, I could never have made such a proposal.’

He believed in reaching out first to build trust, but betrayal in his past life had taught him caution. Bae Dong-hyuk, however, had proven his character, allowing Suho to pursue this connection.

After their meeting, Suho headed to the Academy training room. There, his team, minus Kang Dae-han, was training through the Infinity simulation. He logged them out remotely, and the first to emerge was Seo Gi-won, who greeted him warmly.

“Boss, you’re here?”

“Yes, how’s the training going?”

“Good! Everyone’s made noticeable progress since the field experience.”

Gu Yeon-hwa and the rest of Banshee’s team nodded in agreement.

Suho took a seat and addressed them.

“I’m here to share an important announcement.”

“An announcement?”

“From today on, you’re all registered with Nexus.”

“…!”

Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Since some of you left stable jobs to train here, I arranged for you all to join the guild and receive regular salaries. You’re now officially assigned to my personal team with a provisional B-rank status. Once you reach Level 100, you’ll be promoted to A-rank, and your pay will increase accordingly.”

The team members nodded eagerly, as some of them had even left school to join him.

Suho turned on his laptop and said, “From now on, your sole focus is leveling up. Target level is 100. Seo Gi-won, would you mind helping out?”

“Yes, but… does that include me too?”

“Of course, you’re part of the team. Set up the hunting zones.”

“Uh…” Seo Gi-won took the laptop with a reluctant expression, while the rest of the team looked on with puzzled faces.