Obtained End-Game Gear for a Bowl of Ramen - Chapter 36

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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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Episode 36. I’ll Turn Myself In
Hunter Gwon Min-ki smiled awkwardly at the world. He recalled the day he first met his girlfriend’s parents.
‘This is more awkward than that was.’
Across from Min-ki sat Ronald. Ronald took a loud sip of the paper cup coffee Min-ki had brought him and exclaimed in admiration.
“It’s delicious.”
“I’m glad the coffee suits your taste.”
“No, really—it’s delicious. The coffee I got from the vending machine before was thick and bitter and smelled fishy……”
Ronald continued speaking lightly in admiration. Hunter Gwon Min-ki kept breaking into quiet, nervous laughter.
‘The world’s number-one hunter Ronald is joining our guild. And with an EX-rank recommendation, no less!’
It was unbelievable. Gwon Min-ki’s life had always been second place. Second at best, even on good days. Middle-upper tier grades in school. Middle-upper tier Hunter Rank.
And then suddenly America’s number one walks into the guild. With a recommendation from the world’s strongest, the world’s greatest EX-rank hunter, no less?
“Ronald. First, I want to ask you something purely out of curiosity. I apologize if it seems rude, but I really need to know.”
“Ask away. I’m an open-minded person.”
“Why did you choose to join the Baekdam Guild specifically? Even accounting for an EX-rank recommendation, the EX-rank hunter himself is still something of a mystery……”
“EX is a good hunter. And EX said you are a good hunter.”
Ronald set down his empty paper cup and pointed at Gwon Min-ki with his finger.
“That’s……the only reason?”
Hunter Gwon Min-ki couldn’t make sense of it at all. What kind of guarantee was that?
“What other reason do you need?”
“Well……I suppose. Understood. Let me explain the guild now. First, since Baekdam Guild is a production guild, the monthly salary we can offer you will be modest.”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t need a salary. I’ll take what I’ve earned.”
“And moreover……because Baekdam is a production guild, we have almost no items in storage. Item rental services are nearly impossible.”
“It doesn’t matter. I have many items. I can show you Scorched Earth.”
“No! Please don’t. I believe you.”
Min-ki broke out in a cold sweat as he declined. Ronald seemed to like that, and he smiled broadly.
“Just words, yet you trust a person. You really are a good hunter, Mr. Gwon.”
“Anyway. Also, since Baekdam is a production guild, we lack most of the benefits that typical hunter guilds provide. Is that acceptable? Skill training, tower strategy education, gate entry accompany service……”
“It doesn’t matter. EX recommended you, and I like you too.”
“In that case……”
Hunter Gwon Min-ki presented the contract one last time. Ronald, the number-one American and world’s strongest, signed with a flourish in large, elegant letters.
“……Welcome to Baekdam Guild.”
“Mr. Gwon. I look forward to working with you.”
Gwon Min-ki shook hands with Ronald. The world’s most awkward handshake photo set HunterOn ablaze.
* * *
After Ronald’s naturalization as a Korean citizen, South Korean media outlets were in festival mode day after day.
<Ronald Successfully Naturalizes as Korean. What Lies Ahead?>
Following Ronald alone was enough to break major news stories. The fact that Ronald—the world’s number one, the world’s strongest, America’s pride—had become Korean never got old, no matter how many times people read it.
But an even bigger story was Ronald’s future course. Which guild could possibly take in Ronald, who had been the world’s strongest?
<South Korea’s Current Number-One Hunter Guild ‘Moderato’ Attempts Ronald Scout>
<Physical Altercations Between Hunter Guilds Outside Ronald’s Lodging>
<Fierce Competition Over Ronald—Management Authority Says ‘Restrain Yourselves’>
South Korea had no S-rank hunters. After Shin Geon-woo, Korea’s only S-rank and number-one hunter, disappeared suddenly, and before the appearance of EX-rank, the strongest hunter in Korea was merely A-rank.
But now former S-rank number-one Ronald had naturalized in Korea. Whichever guild obtained Ronald would rule South Korea. This belief permeated the hunter community.
But the Ronald acquisition war ended anticlimactically. Ronald declared his intentions in front of countless reporters and hunter guild representatives.
-I will be joining Baekdam Guild, where Hunter Gwon Min-ki belongs.
Gwon Min-ki himself wasn’t even present at that location, nor was anyone from Baekdam Guild. That day, after finishing overtime work, he’d slept in late and gave an interview with hollow eyes.
-Ronald is coming to our guild? Why?
The photo of Hunter Gwon Min-ki turning the tables and asking the reporters a question instead made the front page of the newspapers. Some outlets raised conspiracy theories, linking Ronald and the United States.
-Baekdam Guild is a High Potion production facility! Is America planning to get Ronald involved in Korea’s High Potion production?
Hunters who’d lost out on Ronald quickly jumped on the conspiracy theory. It was just as the Korean Hunter Management Authority’s O Seung-woo was sighing deeply and attempting to control the narrative through the media.
-The EX-rank hunter recommended Baekdam Guild to me.
Ronald dropped a bomb. EX? The truly world’s strongest hunter, who surpassed even Ronald, had recommended Baekdam Guild?
└EX’s opinion is absolute.
└If EX recommended it, honestly we have to accept it.
└EX-rank recommended Baekdam? Why? Moderato is clearly the best among Korean hunter guilds.
└Are you seriously doubting the judgment of the divine EX-rank hunter right now?
└Looking at it rationally, Ronald going to Baekdam is a huge gain. Baekdam Guild got hit with a terrorist attack from the Welcoming Ones before, didn’t it?
└Right. I heard EX saved them back then. Is there some kind of connection between Baekdam and EX?
└No, I mean, if Ronald stays at Baekdam, the guild will be safe going forward. Ronald will protect the High Potion production facility reliably, right?
└Oh right? Now that you mention it, I think it’s okay if Ronald goes to Baekdam.
An EX-rank had recommended him—what could anyone else do about it? The conspiracy theories died down quickly. O Seung-woo, the management authority’s director, even hung up the phone with a satisfied smile.
“Director O! Did you hear the news? Ronald’s supposed to be joining the Baekdam Guild.”
Kim Min-jae, the administrative officer, approached while stirring a paper cup with an instant coffee stick.
“That’s good. Honestly, I’ve been suspicious that Ronald might be a bomb sent by the US management authority—trying to sow discord in Korea’s Hunter community.”
“Come on. That’s not it, Director! The US management authority director, Roger, got kicked out after his corruption was exposed. How could he do something like that?”
Kim Min-jae gulped down his coffee. He could have drunk it quietly, but somehow he always made noise while drinking.
“Phew. Anyway, the US management authority director Roger was a complete mess too. I mean, he took bribes and sold Ronald’s Scorched Earth technique. Really, you’d think he wasn’t American!”
“Even that seems suspicious to me.”
Roger’s corruption was a nuclear-level shock. Powerful figures had used the Immunity Privilege to treat Hunters like tools?
It sent shockwaves not just through Korean society but across the entire world. People demanded that the Immunity Privilege be revoked. They said enacting Hunter management laws was essential.
“More than anything, major figures from Korea’s political and financial circles have fallen in large numbers. Korea is chaotic right now. I can’t shake the suspicion that the Welcoming Ones deliberately orchestrated this from behind the scenes.”
It wasn’t just one or two people implicated in Roger’s corruption who fell from power. On top of that, several companies were effectively halted during the intense investigations.
The Republic of Korea had been shaken badly. Perfect conditions for the Welcoming Ones to attack. Given their track record, there’s no way they’d simply let this pass.
“Officer Kim. The Welcoming Ones Ronald arrested—they’re still alive, right?”
“Yes. They’re detained in the basement facilities of the management authority.”
“I need to go have a look. Something about this doesn’t sit right. Roger’s corruption shouldn’t have been exposed so easily.”
Director O Seung-woo stood up, preparing for a brief interrogation. Kim Min-jae, still chewing on his empty paper cup, spoke to him.
“Well, there’s no law saying Korea is necessarily their next target, is there?”
Director O Seung-woo spun around sharply.
“What do you mean by that, Officer Kim?”
“Director O. The country that suffered the biggest losses from this incident is the United States. They lost their S-rank number one, lost their management authority director, and their S-rank numbers two and three were both injured.”
Kim Min-jae held out his smartphone. It was breaking news from American outlets.
<BREAKING! The Statue of Liberty Nearly Destroyed!!!>
Director O Seung-woo was flabbergasted. Korea’s massive chaos had been nothing but bait to draw attention, and the real target was the United States?
“Were the Welcoming Ones really this dangerous? Something doesn’t add up. I need to go and interrogate them directly——”
Wee-wee-wee-WOOP!!!!
An emergency siren wailed through the management authority. At the same moment, an urgent message arrived on Director O Seung-woo’s phone.
“A siren? Director O. What’s going on? Did someone burn the place down making ramen in the break room again?”
Director O Seung-woo’s face turned pale.
“The Welcoming Ones have escaped.”
* * *
<BREAKING! Ronald Successfully Cleared 13 Gates Solo in One Day!>
<Ronald: I should be criticized instead. I apologize for monopolizing the growth opportunities meant for Korean Hunters.>
<Ronald to Donate Today’s Clearing Rewards at Bargain Prices. Low-Rank Hunters Rejoice>
A smile bloomed across Jeong-ho’s face as he scrolled through the Hunter One articles.
‘Ronald’s settling in well. Thank goodness our people can appreciate courtesy.’
Ronald, America’s number one, had safely become Korean. Surprisingly, the United States had released him without resistance. He’d expected export controls and all sorts of complications.
–Ronald is Ronald wherever he goes. America blesses Ronald’s move to Korea.
They’d even offered blessings. Of course, there was plenty of talk about political gains and this and that. Some analysts said it didn’t matter anyway, since the perception of Ronald = America’s number one was so strong.
One way or another, Ronald was now Korean. Just looking at the Trial Tower climbing records proved it.
–<Trial Tower Clearance Records>
–Floor 64: 14 hours 21 minutes 37 seconds. Ronald (Korea)
–Floor 63: 9 hours 13 minutes 16 seconds. Li Wei (China)
–Floor 62: 11 hours 46 minutes 03 seconds. Ronald (Korea)
–Floor 61: 7 hours 01 minutes 52 seconds. Martin (France)
–Floor 60: 23 hours 58 minutes 51 seconds. Oscar (United Kingdom)
……
–Floor 20: 00 hours 00 minutes 04 seconds. ??? (Korea)
Ronald (Korea). Hunter One was buzzing after seeing the tower records.
└First place in Trial Tower records! Ronald, Korea!
└Thanks to Ronald, our country’s gotten first place in everything. You watching, America and China?
└Why are people talking about Ronald when we have a world-class EX-rank Hunter?
└EX-nim! Please ignore those people talking about Ronald above! I believe in you, EX-rank Hunter! Loyalty, loyalty!
In the end, everything had worked out well. Everything except one thing.
‘I thought I was going to die chasing after those Welcoming Ones back then.’
Jeong-ho opened his status window. Pop!
[Name: Son Jeong-ho]
[Unique Skill: Hero’s Tower Entry]
[Stats] [Level: 23]
–Strength: C –Agility: D
-Constitution : C -Perception : B
-Mana : F -Luck : C
-Hero’s Strength : Stage 4
[Common Skills : Trial Tower Entry, Fire Bolt Original, Distraction Technique Original, Water Shield Original, Shadow Severance Original]
[Trial Tower Blessing : Blessing of Abundance, Blessing of Sharpness, Blessing of Retry, Blessing of Tranquility]
[Hero’s Authority : Hero’s Strength Release, Gate Guide, Resonating Force, Son Jeong-ho’s Presence]
My stats were C, D, C, B. Still pathetic. I couldn’t raise Mana because of Mana Corruption Immunity, but the deficiency in my other attributes was genuinely frustrating.
‘Perception is lacking too. If it were higher, I’d have noticed the Welcoming Ones sooner. My Strength, Agility, Constitution—don’t even get me started. Luck is just luck, after all.’
Jeong-ho closed the status window. To raise my stats, I’d eventually have to climb the Trial Tower. I hadn’t gone up lately because I’d been occupied with the Black Ore Set, Ronald, and various other things.
‘I’ve rested enough. Maybe I should head back to the Tower. Trial Tower Entry….’
Flash!
[Dimensional Vision detects an Anomalous Gate!]
‘…Cancel. What’s this? An Anomalous Gate?’
Jeong-ho stopped short of entering the Trial Tower and instead used the Gate Guide ability.
[Ability Used : Gate Guide]
[Opening Dimensional Vision!]
Flash! The entire world shrank beneath his feet, appearing like a globe. About seven kilometers away, he spotted a strangely formed Gate.
The vista through Dimensional Vision resembled a weather forecast map from the meteorological service. When a Gate opened, only that location showed a different color.
‘But this one is black? That’s odd. I’ve never seen a Gate this color before.’
Other Gates were red, purple, blue—like that. Even Chaos Gates weren’t black, were they?
‘If I’m curious, I should investigate. Just a quick taste, and if it feels wrong, I’ll pull out immediately. Shadow Severance.’
[Skill Used : Shadow Severance Original]
[You detach your shadow from your body and manipulate it like a puppet. All actions inflicted upon the shadow do not affect your main body.]
Jeong-ho’s shadow separated with a soft snap and began to writhe.
“Stay put and guard the house. Got it?”
His shadow nodded. Since I’d left Shadow Severance at home, I could return anytime via Shadow Switcheroo if things went sideways.
Remote entry via Gate Guide. Instant teleport escape via Shadow Switcheroo. Distance meant nothing—every Gate lay within my reach.
“Let’s go. Enter!”
[You enter the Gate remotely through Dimensional Vision!]
Blast! The entire world went pitch black. Like waking in the dead of night without turning on the lights.
‘Darkness? No. My hand is perfectly visible. Rather than darkness… the cosmos?’
As his eyes adjusted, stars of various sizes glimmered all around. Jeong-ho stood somewhere in a universe ablaze with constellations.
There were others here. Two familiar faces rushed toward him from across the void, then froze when they saw him.
“EX? How… how are you here?”
Won-jae tilted his head in bewilderment. Andrei, however, paled and immediately began charging Big Bang.
“Look, you two—Lake Park, Ronald’s Scorched Earth demonstration, all that other stuff. You’re the bad guys, right?”
Won-jae wrapped himself in Iron Wall Defense and struggled desperately.
“If we’re evil, then what of the American President? The countless inequities of this world? The rich oppress the poor, and the poor curse the rich—are they all villains? Gates will make us all equal. We simply wish for a world where injustice vanishes!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Let’s just fight.”
An empty cosmos. Here, Fire Bolt or whatever—spamming skills should be fine. Jeong-ho retrieved Hero’s Command Authority from his inventory as well.
“After we’re done, turn yourselves in.”
* * *
Manager O Seung-woo suited up as quickly as possible and hurried down to the detention facility.
The Welcoming Ones who should have escaped were sitting quietly in their cells. They trembled like young animals experiencing thunder for the first time, muttering the same words over and over.
“We’ll turn ourselves in. We’re surrendering. Please, we’ll tell you everything—just please spare us from EX-rank!”
To be continued ▶
Received a Completion Item with Just a Bowl of Ramen
Author
White Dried Persimmon
Publisher
Kim Seok-hwan, Choi Se-ra
Published by
Grae Publishing
Inquiries
[email protected]
Publication Date
August 24, 2026
UCI
G720:N+A327-20260423069
※ This e-book is protected by copyright law. Unauthorized reproduction and distribution are prohibited, and violations may result in criminal and civil 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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