Obtained End-Game Gear for a Bowl of Ramen - Chapter 27

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 27. The Blackstone Set
“Still haven’t found an EX-rank?”
Jo Yu-cheon, head of the Korean Hunter Management Bureau, dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief. Across the table sat Roger, his feet propped brazenly on the tabletop.
“Mister Jo. Doesn’t it seem Korea simply lacks the capacity to handle an EX-rank?”
“Sixty-three percent of our entire population has undergone testing at the Hunter Management Bureau’s inspection center. Yet no EX-rank has appeared. It’s not a matter of insufficient capability—we believe the EX-rank has simply hidden their identity well.”
“People call that incompetence.”
“Perhaps. But here in Korea, we call that EX-rank competent.”
Roger stared hard at Yu-cheon, then shook his head slowly.
“Mister Jo. We don’t have time for word games. Do I seem like an unreasonable man?”
Crazy bastard. Who the hell do you think you are, issuing ultimatums? Yet Bureau Director Jo Yu-cheon forced a business smile.
“Frankly, the Republic of Korea and the United States have such different cultures and histories that it’s difficult for me to comprehend what you’re saying, Director Roger.”
A vein twitched on Roger’s forehead. Culture and history—as if America’s history wasn’t short, its culture a chaotic mess. There was something pointed in his silence.
“Aah. This, too, is the burden of a great power. Let me explain in simpler terms. Listen carefully. An EX-rank is a wild beast that has escaped our cage.”
The moment he heard that metaphor, Bureau Director Jo Yu-cheon grasped Roger’s true objective.
‘He wants to put a leash on hunters and control them. Is he trying to create a Hunter Management Law under the guise of the EX-rank?’
For a proposal to come from freedom-loving America, it was radical. Perhaps only America could conceive of such a thing.
A Hunter Management Law had been discussed among nations before. But none of them had materialized.
Why? Because hunters held power. Their Trial Tower records surpassed Olympic gold medals, and their confrontations with Gates embodied national heroism itself.
There was an even more primal reason. Hunters were strong. An S-rank hunter alone possessed military-grade combat capacity. At this point, passing laws and talking of control meant nothing—hunters couldn’t be controlled.
‘But if they found an EX-rank hunter, everything changes. First they’d leash the EX-rank, and the leash would be…….’
Yu-cheon glanced at Roger. When their eyes met, Roger grinned arrogantly.
‘Held by Roger, director of the United States Hunter Management Bureau.’
A ruthless schemer. What was more terrifying was that it might actually happen. If an EX-rank hunter wore the leash, how could an S-rank refuse?
If the EX-rank refused—that was a problem too. An uncontrollable EX-rank hunter! A walking nuclear bomb! They’d use that to wage a propaganda campaign and round up hunters like rats.
‘I can’t agree, and I can’t refuse. Korea’s about to get blindsided. I need to slip out of this carefully.’
Yu-cheon rose from his seat, turned his back to Roger, and pressed the water dispenser. Ding—the cheerful sound snapped Bureau Director Jo Yu-cheon to attention.
‘Roger hasn’t asked for anything yet. I don’t need to make a move first.’
He’d nearly stepped on a land mine. Yu-cheon gulped down a glass of cold water and returned.
“Director Roger, let’s get to the heart of the matter. What exactly do you want?”
Roger’s brow furrowed. His tactic of crushing with power and making his opponent squirm hadn’t worked.
‘For a pint-sized nation, this guy has surprising backbone. He’s acting arrogant just because Korea has an EX-rank.’
Roger made his displeasure clear and crossed his legs. His shoe struck out sharply, nearly hitting Bureau Director Jo Yu-cheon’s nose.
“Korean hunters and the Management Bureau will cease all other operations and devote themselves entirely to finding the EX-rank.”
“Doing so would create a serious gap in Gate security.”
“In exchange, I’ll send Ronald to Korea.”
“Excuse me?!”
Ronald. World ranking number one. The strongest hunter alive, and American. A walking nuclear bomb. Ronald’s unique skill is Scorched Earth. Wherever Ronald passes, only ruins remain. Gates, civilization—everything vanishes.
“Ronald……no. That’s unnecessary. If you’d simply provide us with some A-rank hunters…….”
“Are you refusing an act of goodwill by sending the world’s number one ranked hunter?”
Bureau Director Jo Yu-cheon pulled out his handkerchief again and wiped his forehead.
‘Damn it. That’s blackmail.’
Leaving Gates to Ronald and searching for the EX-rank? Every time Ronald closed a Gate, a Korean city large or small would be destroyed.
“Then I must refuse. We’re grateful for America’s goodwill, but doesn’t America also have internal issues?”
Bureau Director Jo Yu-cheon reluctantly played his trump card.
“The Welcomers……I hear they’ve infiltrated quite deeply into American politics.”
“America’s problems are for Americans to solve. And even without Ronald, we can handle that matter ourselves.”
Roger’s eyes held a note of respect, but remained unwavering. Yu-cheon’s attack had struck a nerve, but lacked force.
“Besides, Ronald is already on a plane to Korea. Surely you won’t stop a hunter from closing a Gate without solid grounds?”
Bureau Director Jo Yu-cheon couldn’t counter. A hunter closing a Gate. That was utterly natural.
“Or perhaps, Mister Jo, you also support the Hunter Management Law? You think some hunters should be controlled, don’t you?”
‘How cunningly he ties his words together. I almost answered without thinking.’
Roger studied Yu-cheon for a long while. Expecting some reaction but receiving nothing, he looked disappointed.
“You’re a dull fellow. Here’s my demand: either find the EX-rank, or prove that Korea has the capacity to handle one.”
Before Yu-cheon could respond, Roger glanced at his wristwatch and stood abruptly.
“Ah. I should be going. Mister Jo, think carefully about what I’ve said.”
“Do you have an urgent appointment?”
“Korean politicians and businessmen are lined up to meet me. Since it’s bothersome to meet them individually, I’ve booked a hotel to meet them all at once.”
Roger laughed provocatively and left the conference room. The moment he was gone, Jo Yu-cheon pulled out his smartphone and made a call.
“It’s me. Send Director Oh Seung-woo up.”
Within two minutes, Director Oh Seung-woo entered the conference room. Yu-cheon explained to him everything that had just transpired.
“The Americans are crossing the line this time.”
Oh Seung-woo’s response was measured.
“That’s right. After China, it’s the United States. The bigger problem is Ronald. Once Ronald moves, there’s no legal ground to stop him, and Korea will take catastrophic damage.”
“What would you have me do?”
“Oh Seung-woo. Shadow Ronald and use Counter Skill to stop him.”
Oh Seung-woo shook his head firmly.
“Deliberately obstructing a hunter’s activities could escalate into a national crisis. Especially now, when the entire world is watching closely because of The Welcomers’ rise. Korea could be suspected of being in league with The Welcomers.”
“Then find an EX-rank hunter instead. Oh Seung-woo, I trust you, but can you locate an EX-rank?”
Oh Seung-woo fell silent for a moment, thinking deeply.
“I’ll shadow Ronald. But I don’t quite understand—I never thought the American president would sanction such an aggressive approach.”
“It’s obvious. The EX-rank is so powerful they’re worried Korea might slip out of American control, so they’re making a move to contain it.”
Jo Yu-cheon understood it the way Korea secretly developing nuclear weapons would be viewed—a matter of strategic containment.
“No American official will ever put it that way.”
“They’ll say something like, ‘We must preemptively prevent an unidentified, uncontrollable EX-rank hunter from becoming a Welcomer.’ The real motive is transparent, though. In the end, America’s goal is to secure the EX-rank hunter for themselves.”
Jo Yu-cheon took a cigarette from his inner pocket and placed it between his lips.
“It’s grim. Is there no way to stop this?”
“We can only prove it through Trial Tower rankings and Gate-clearing records.”
“Either way, it’s an unfavorable condition for Korea. Our top-ranked hunter, Shin Geon-woo, has been missing for over a year, and we don’t have any S-rank hunters besides him.”
“All we can do is rely on the EX-rank again. The EX-rank has always worked miracles, hasn’t it?”
Jo Yu-cheon exhaled smoke. Ghostlike wisps curled and dissolved into the air.
* * *
└The world’s number-one hunter Ronald is coming to Korea on a business trip?
Jung Ho tilted his head while waiting for his ramen water to boil, scrolling through Hunter On.
‘Why is Ronald coming to Korea? Has another major Gate opened?’
[Authority Usage: Gate Guide]
[Opening Dimensional Sight!]
Whoosh! The world shrank beneath Jung Ho’s feet like a globe. He spun it around quickly, but he didn’t see any Gate that Ronald, America’s number one, would be targeting.
‘There isn’t one? Strange. Let me see what this is about.’
Jung Ho lowered the heat under his ramen and clicked on the post. His noodles would taste a bit less good than usual because of the interruption, but curiosity was something he couldn’t ignore.
└Someone I know works at the Bureau, and this just came in hot off the press. Ronald’s apparently on a flight to Korea right now.
└Could just be a sightseeing trip.
└No way. Ronald is famous for having no hobbies—there’s no reason he’d suddenly come to Korea for tourism.
└Then why is he coming? To close a Gate?
└That’d be an even bigger problem. Ronald’s unique skill, Scorched Earth, is notorious for massive collateral damage. Imagine using it in a densely populated country like Korea. The whole city would be destroyed.
└??!?! What’s that supposed to mean? Is America invading Korea?
└It’s not an invasion, but something feels off about the timing.
└Breaking news!! The Bureau just announced it!! Posting the link.
Jung Ho glanced at his ramen pot. The noodles were already done, and he couldn’t put this off any longer.
‘I’ll eat the ramen first.’
Slurrrp. Jung Ho wolfed down the entire bowl in a minute, then clicked on the video. It was an official press conference from the Management Bureau.
-…the above concludes America’s requests. Korea will focus on locating the EX-rank hunter, and America’s number-one, Ronald, has agreed to cover the security gap in Gate management.
Jung Ho watched the video and couldn’t find words.
‘I reported myself voluntarily, and you people just didn’t recognize it.’
An EX-rank hunter had submitted to testing and received a C-rank certification, yet now they were trying to find an EX-rank? It was infuriating.
What was even more absurd was America. Could they really send their own number-one to find another country’s EX-rank hunter? Jung Ho logged back into Hunter On.
└Has America finally lost its mind? Or am I the only one who doesn’t understand?
└I’ll explain. America’s been complaining about the Hunter Management Law since way back. It’s like the gun control debate.
└Really? Hunters block Gates, climb the Tower, sell Magic Stones. Why regulate them at all?
└That’s because our hunters are good people. America had a lot of hunters forming criminal organizations. There was always debate about whether to regulate them or not.
└Now Korea’s EX-rank hunter pops up out of nowhere, and The Welcomers appear at the same time. They’re bundling these two things together to push through the Hunter Management Law.
└That’s just thuggery.
└Exactly. Basically they’re saying they want to find the EX-rank hunter and manage him themselves. But what can you do?
└Wait! If even we couldn’t find the EX-rank, how are they going to manage him?
‘Oh! Someone thinking exactly like me!’
Jung Ho felt a surge of kinship seeing the person who’d written the last comment. Speaking with such confidence when they hadn’t even found him—it was rich.
└Anyway, Korea has no excuse to send Ronald back, and no grounds to stop him. If Ronald sees a Gate in the middle of the city and uses Scorched Earth, it’s over.
└That’s complete chaos. Actually, that’s blackmail! How can they not stop him?
└Find the EX-rank, or prove Korea has the capacity to handle an EX-rank.
└Neither’s easy. Korea has no S-rank hunters, plenty of A-ranks, but the mid-tier structure—the backbone between B and C-ranks—is completely broken.
└The hunter hierarchy is deformed, really. With no middle tier, low-rank hunters push themselves too hard and end up dead or injured all the time.
└How are we supposed to save mid-tier hunters?
└It’s tough. The United States and China can at least manufacture standard-issue weapons using population and Magic Stones, but we can’t even manage that.
└EX-rank hunter! It’s time you took off the mask and revealed your true identity!
‘I already did. You just didn’t believe me.’
I went directly to the Hunter Management Bureau’s office. I self-reported that I was EX-rank. I even took the examination.
And still you didn’t believe me. So what more can I possibly do to prove it? Use the original form of Fireball in broad daylight on a street?
‘Then I’d be exactly like Ronald. Forget it. I’ve given you enough chances, and I have something else to attend to now.’
Jung Ho turned off Hunter On and began warming up casually. There was something he’d been wanting to test anyway.
“Earth Manipulation.”
[Skill Active: Earth Manipulation Original]
[You manipulate earth, stone, and mineral.]
[Hero’s Strength, Stage 4 resonates!]
[Divided Mind Technique activates!]
[Skill copied: Earth Manipulation Original]
Crack-crack! Two swords formed of dark, jagged stone erupted from Jung Ho’s palms.
-Blackstone Sword (Rare): A sword forged from black mineral. The blade is uneven and rough, but extraordinarily hard.
Two Rare-grade weapons created by skill. Jung Ho recalled something Dae-young had once told him.
-Conversely, if you narrow the scope to something very small, you can craft stone weapons, armor, and so on. That’s the nature of this skill.
The Earth Manipulation skill Jung Ho had recently acquired was none other than a skill capable of creating items.
Items have the greatest impact on a hunter’s strength. Elixirs are permanent but typically offer modest effects, and skills only reach their full potential through mastery. But items are different. Items reliably boost your stats the moment they’re in your hands, regardless of who wields them, when, or how. The items Jung Ho crafted with his skill were no exception.
“Since I lean more toward mage, a sword is fine for now.”
Clang! Jung Ho set the freshly made sword down and activated his skill again.
[Skill Active: Earth Manipulation Original]
[You manipulate earth, stone, and mineral.]
[Hero’s Strength, Stage 4 resonates!]
[Divided Mind Technique activates!]
[Skill copied: Earth Manipulation Original]
Crack-crack! This time, armor took shape with a grinding sound across his palm.
-Blackstone Armor (Rare): Armor forged from black mineral. Heavy, durable, with resistance to poison and flame.
Poison and flame resistance? Not bad for Rare-grade armor. Jung Ho reached for it, then hesitated.
‘Dammit, it’s heavy!’
Too heavy to wear. What about something else? Accessories, maybe? A necklace, a ring, a brooch?
[Skill Active: Earth Manipulation Original]
[You manipulate earth, stone, and mineral.]
[Hero’s Strength, Stage 4 resonates!]
[Divided Mind Technique activates!]
[Skill copied: Earth Manipulation Original]
Jung Ho pressed his palms together and cast the skill. Crack-crack! A pair of rings emerged between his hands.
-Blackstone Ring (Rare): Rings forged from black mineral. Slightly enhance defense and magical resistance.
“This works? Wait. Does that mean I can make other things too?”
Crack-crack! Crack-crack! Crack-crack!
Jung Ho crafted every kind of item imaginable. Cloth robes worn by mage hunters, full plate armor that looked like a tin can.
Weapons of all kinds materialized: swords, bows, guns, shields, daggers, crossbows, staffs—you name it. Was this because of asbestos, that terrifying carcinogen from the real world? But this was an earth skill, and yet flimsy-looking fabrics formed too?
‘The description says it’s not asbestos. Must be some fantasy ore. This Earth Manipulation skill is way more versatile than I thought.’
Caught up in the joy of creation, Jung Ho glanced down at the floor. Items piled up to ankle height.
“Hmm. These don’t disappear over time? My inventory’s about to burst. Should I just dump them all on the Auction House?”
To be continued ▶
Received an end-game item for a bowl of ramen
Author
Hayan Gotgam
Publishers
Kim Seok-hwan, Choi Se-ra
Published by
Grae Publishing
Contact Email
[email protected]
Publication Date
August 24, 2026
UCI

G720:N+A327-20260423069
※ This e-book is protected under copyright law. Unauthorized reproduction and distribution are prohibited, and violations may result in criminal and civil legal liability.
※ Pentagram eagerly awaits the author’s precious manuscript.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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