At this exact moment, Min-jun was deeply thankful he had spent so much time studying psychology.
When he looked at the irrational, chaotic actions of the people around him, he didn't feel confused or emotionally overwhelmed. Instead, he instantly broke down their psychological motivations. He completely understood exactly why Choi Jong-In was showering him with millions of dollars in corporate assets—it was purely aimed at driving the Guild's stock price to the moon.
But what about Cha Hae-In?
Frankly, Min-jun knew exactly what was happening there, too, even though he really didn't want to admit it. In the simplest psychological terms: he had accidentally become her sanctuary.
In the original timeline, Hae-In had fallen in love with Sung Jin-woo—despite barely spending any actual time with him—because of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
According to Maslow, a human being literally cannot focus on higher-level emotions—like love, belonging, or self-actualization—if their absolute basic physiological and safety needs are not being met.
Because of her brutal sensory mutation, Cha Hae-In's basic physiological need for a comfortable, breathable environment was constantly under violent attack. Every time she breathed around other Hunters, her brain screamed that she was in a rotting slaughterhouse. This biological trauma forced her into extreme social isolation.
Jin-woo's pure scent had cleared that foundational barrier. Because her brain wasn't panicking about the smell around him, her psychological defenses finally lowered. For the first time in years, she had the mental bandwidth to actually look at a man and evaluate him as a human being, rather than a sensory threat.
The scent was simply the key that unlocked the door. It made her lower her guard and view him as a "safe haven." Once she was resting inside that haven, his quiet actions, immense strength, and gentle kindness eventually laid the foundation for genuine love.
Except... Min-jun had just accidentally hijacked that entire psychological sequence.
By simply practicing basic mana compression, he had unknowingly stolen the protagonist's love interest.
But as he stood inside the heavily fortified VIP armory of the Hunters Guild headquarters, Min-jun decided to push that looming romantic crisis out of his mind. Right now, Choi Jong-In was delivering on his corporate promises, giving Min-jun absolutely everything he needed to become a flawless, first-rate S-Rank Archer.
"As I promised you in the lobby, I have prepared several welcoming gifts for you," Jong-In announced proudly, his chest puffed out slightly. "And the first gift is this!"
Jong-In stepped back, allowing his chief armorer to input a biometric code into a heavy titanium safe. The thick vault door hissed open, revealing a velvet-lined case.
"This is...?" Min-jun raised an eyebrow.
"The Logic Arc," Jong-In said, his voice dropping into a reverent, salesman-like whisper.
The fact that it was kept in the Guild's highest-security vault proved its immense value. It didn't look anything like a traditional wooden longbow. It was a sleek, aggressively modern, floating construct forged from pristine white-gold and glowing blue mana crystals.
It had absolutely no bowstring.
"It possesses a built-in mana conversion engine," Jong-In explained. "You don't have to strain your arms pulling back a heavy physical string. You simply look at your target, raise the frame, and channel a fraction of your mana. The bow instantly generates a pure, hyper-compressed energy arrow."
"...." Min-jun was genuinely impressed.
"Moreover," Jong-In grinned, "the internal crystal matrix automatically calculates wind resistance, humidity, and drop-off gravity. All you literally have to do is point and shoot. The perfect weapon for a busy university student who doesn't have time for target practice, right? Go ahead. Pick it up."
"Alright."
If Min-jun had the protagonist's "System," which granted access to an unlimited, magical inventory of sacred weapons, he wouldn't have been surprised. But since he was playing without cheat codes, he knew exactly how absurdly expensive and precious this specific artifact was.
He reached out and wrapped his hand around the white-gold grip.
It was completely weightless.
He physically couldn't feel any mass in his hand. As he marveled at the sleek design, the glowing crystals hummed, and the entire massive bow suddenly shrank, wrapping itself tightly around his index finger to form a stylish, unassuming white-gold ring.
"Ultimate convenience, right?" Jong-In chuckled. "You can deploy it in a fraction of a second, and when you're walking around campus, no one will even know you're heavily armed."
"This is incredible. Thank you, Guild Master."
"Please, we're just getting started! You can't be satisfied yet, because the next gift is right here!"
Jong-In gestured grandly to a mannequin standing in the corner of the armory.
"The Void-Weave Suit!"
Choi Jong-In notoriously hated bulky, clunky plate armor. He always fought in a sharply tailored suit, and naturally, he expected his elite executive members to look just as relentlessly professional.
The item on the mannequin looked exactly like a high-end, custom-tailored university blazer in a deep, rich navy blue.
"It is entirely woven from the silk of an Arachne Queen—an S-Rank Dungeon Boss," Jong-In explained proudly. "It is softer than Egyptian cotton, but significantly harder than military-grade Kevlar. It can literally stop a direct bite from a Fire Drake. Better yet, the silk possesses a self-cleaning enchantment that actively repels dirt, monster blood, and sweat. In other words, you never have to take it to the dry cleaners."
Jong-In paused, his smile widening. "Oh, and it provides a passive stat boost: +20% Intelligence. It will literally help you study faster when you wear it to your psychology classes."
"...." Min-jun just stared at the blazer. He had hit the corporate jackpot.
"Ah, right! There's one last piece!"
"...There's more?"
Min-jun used his Manager to quickly run a cost analysis on the gifts. The total market value of the ring and the blazer alone was easily enough to buy a small island nation. He had to admit, Jong-In was aggressively generous.
"Of course there's more! This is arguably the most vital piece of equipment for a tactical backline fighter. I present: The Analyst's Spectacles. A high B-Rank detection artifact."
Jong-In handed Min-jun a sleek, black case containing a pair of incredibly stylish, rimless glasses.
"...What exactly is the function?" Min-jun asked, examining the frames. Aside from making him look like a highly intelligent, wealthy scholar, they didn't appear to radiate any obvious magical energy.
"I'm glad you asked!" Jong-In pushed his own glasses up his nose, clearly feeding his ego by explaining his expensive toys.
"First, the lenses project a real-time Heads-Up Display (HUD) directly into your retinas. It automatically measures ambient mana levels, estimates enemy health pools, and constantly updates a 3D topographical map of the dungeon. Second, the enchanted glass acts as a psychological filter. It completely blocks out the passive 'mental pollution'—the unnatural aura of fear and horror—projected by Boss Monsters, keeping your heart rate perfectly calm."
Jong-In paused dramatically. "And lastly... when you push the frame up the bridge of your nose with your middle finger, the lenses briefly flash completely white."
"...The first two functions are incredible," Min-jun deadpanned. "But what is the tactical purpose of the last one?"
"It makes you look infinitely cooler," Jong-In said with absolute, dead-serious sincerity. "You know? Like a genius anime protagonist who just figured out the villain's master plan."
"..." Min-jun and Cha Hae-In both stared at the Guild Master in total silence.
"Anyway," Jong-In coughed awkwardly into his fist. "Why don't you head into the fitting room and try the suit on?"
"Sure," Min-jun agreed, taking the blazer and heading toward the private dressing room.
The absolute second the heavy door clicked shut, sealing Min-jun inside, Cha Hae-In violently flinched.
The suffocating, putrid, rotting smell of a slaughterhouse instantly slammed back into her face. She quickly pulled her scented handkerchief out of her pocket, pressing it tightly against her nose with a deep, frustrated frown.
Without Min-jun acting as a human air purifier, her world was instantly plunged back into a sensory nightmare. She desperately wanted to follow him into the dressing room just so she could breathe, but considering they had officially met exactly two hours ago, that would likely result in a restraining order.
She shot a dark glare at Choi Jong-In. As an S-Rank, the Guild Master's mana leaked terribly, making him smell like a burning pile of garbage. Fortunately, since Jong-In was technically one of the "weakest" S-Ranks in terms of raw physical presence, his stench was somewhat tolerable compared to monsters like Baek Yoon-Ho.
"..." Jong-In noticed the glare, but he completely ignored it. He didn't care if his Vice Master thought he smelled bad; he only cared about profit margins.
"So, Vice Master," Jong-In asked casually, leaning against the wall. "What is your honest assessment of Min-jun-nim?"
"Min-jun?" Hae-In blinked, startled by the direct question. She lowered her handkerchief slightly, her eyes glazing over as she thought about him. "He... he makes me feel incredibly safe. It's so comforting and relaxing just standing next to him."
She spoke without thinking, entirely honest.
"I see. That's fantastic news," Jong-In nodded, a highly calculated, terrifyingly bright smile spreading across his face. "I am currently purchasing a massive luxury penthouse in Gwanak-gu for him as a signing bonus. It just so happens to be in the exact same building as your apartment. Since you are neighbors, would you mind taking personal responsibility for him? Teaching him the ropes, guiding his Hunter career, spending lots of quality time together...?"
"...." Hae-In froze.
"What do you think of this proposal, Vice Master?" Jong-In pushed his glasses up, the lenses glinting mischievously.
"A-Ah! Yes! Of course! I will do my absolute best to help him!" Hae-In agreed instantly, her face turning a violent shade of red.
"Excellent," Jong-In grinned. "When he walks out, I will inform him that his penthouse is currently—"
The dressing room door clicked open.
"The suit fits perfectly," Min-jun announced as he stepped out, adjusting his cuffs. "It has an automatic tailoring enchantment that seamlessly shapes it to my exact—"
Min-jun stopped talking.
Jong-In and Hae-In were both staring at him in an absolute daze.
The deep navy Void-Weave blazer fit his broad shoulders flawlessly. Combined with the rimless, intelligent-looking Analyst's Spectacles resting on his face and the subtle, biological optimizations the Manager was constantly running to clear his skin and perfect his posture, the young man looked utterly devastating.
He wasn't just handsome; he radiated a cold, highly educated, untouchable elegance.
Jong-In's brain immediately started running the corporate math.
If I put Min-jun's flawless, genius-scholar face on a billboard right next to Hae-In's beautiful, stoic idol face... the resulting media explosion will literally shatter the Korean stock exchange.
His determination to bind these two together was instantly forged in iron.
"That's excellent," Jong-In smiled smoothly, recovering his composure. "And speaking of perfect fits... I have purchased a luxury penthouse for you in Gwanak-gu. However, the interior is currently undergoing a massive security renovation. Since it won't be ready for a few weeks, and we need to keep you safe from corporate spies... would you mind staying at the Vice Master's apartment in the meantime?"
"Eh?!"
Cha Hae-In gasped loudly, whipping her head around to stare at Jong-In in absolute shock. Her entire face looked like it was going to spontaneously combust.
Yet, deep down inside her panicked brain, her mutated senses were screaming in absolute joy at the prospect of having a 24/7 supply of clean air.
Min-jun, however, just stared at the Guild Master completely blankly.
"I appreciate the offer, Guild Master," Min-jun said calmly, adjusting his new glasses. "But no. I'll just sleep at my old apartment."
"..." Jong-In blinked.
"..." Hae-In froze.
"Eh?" both S-Ranks said in unison.