Seo Jun-Ho used the Teleport Gate at the Magic Tower to get to a town in the west.

‘They said it would take three months by horse to get there.’ 

He couldn’t spend that much time just moving from one place to another.

‘I always took it for granted. Teleporting is expensive.’ 

Even teleporting to somewhere nearby was at least a few thousand dollars.

However, Seo Jun-Ho wasn’t very worried even after he spent nearly all his money.

‘The Player Association pays me well.’ 

His salary was actually comparable to what a major Guild would pay their Players. He was paid according to the exchange rate on the 2nd floor, and he also received money every month.

The only problem was that there were still more than two weeks left until his payday.

‘I need some money to spend before then. But 150 gold is the equivalent of about 1.5 billion won.’ 

He suddenly stopped walking in the middle of the road. “I can see it.”

The town was surrounded by a wooden fence that wasn’t very tall. Beyond it was a pair of twin mountains. The tall peaks were in the shape of a beast’s maw seemingly facing each other. At sunset, the sun would nestle precisely between the two peaks.

“What a pleasing sight. It really does seem to be swallowing the sun,” the Frost Queen said, admiring the view.

“Yeah…”

This town was near his Quest target—a wicked monster who had eaten 120 people so far.

“Let’s go.”

Once he entered the town, the first place Seo Jun-Ho headed to was the Adventurer’s Guild.

“Hmm, the Adventurer Guild must differ in size depending on the location,” the Frost Queen muttered as they entered. The building was small, and there weren’t many employees. There were only about ten Players and Adventurers in here at the moment.

“Well, it shouldn’t affect how the Adventurer Guild functions.”

Seo Jun-Ho walked over to the Quest bulletin board. Out of the dozens of posters, his eyes were drawn to a single one.

[Kill Mutant Troll]

Grade: B-

Description: Kill the mutant troll that has been terrorizing West Sun.

Reward: 150 gold, 600 fame.

‘A mutant troll… The monster was a troll?’ 

Trolls were known for their superior stamina recovery rate. Their blood was also often used to make potions.

Rrrip! 

As Seo Jun-Ho ripped off the paper, everyone in the Guild stared at him.

“They are watching you with both interest and jealousy. You are quite a famous figure now, considering that you are recognized even in such a remote town,” the Frost Queen observed. The Adventurers only glanced at him for a moment out of innocent curiosity, while the Players seemed uncomfortable and annoyed.

“That’s Seo Jun-Ho, isn’t he? Specter’s proxy…”

“Yeah. I heard he’s pretty good.”

“Tsk, he doesn’t understand business ethics.”

“We’ve been here a few days longer than he has…”

Seo Jun-Ho laughed, not bothering to say anything else. This wasn’t Disneyland. When you arrived had nothing to do with the Quests you took.

“I am always exasperated by the jealousy of the unskilled…”

“Ignore them.” Seo Jun-Ho left the Guild and rummaged around in his Inventory. “I wanted to spend at least one night in an inn…”

“Do you have money?” the Frost Queen asked quietly.

“I have 1 silver and 22 copper,” he said as he pulled out the remainder of his money. It was the equivalent of about 120 thousand won. It was more than enough to spend a night at an inn in a small town like this. “I can’t sleep on the streets, you know.”

Considering that the inn was in a small town in the countryside, he didn’t expect much. But it was more than enough to shield him from night’s coldness.

“Let’s do some research.” Seo Jun-Ho turned on the dim magic lamp as the sun started to set. He opened up the Community forums.

‘Let’s look at the oldest articles first.’ 

He looked up the mutant troll and West Sun.

He usually didn’t go through the trouble of doing this, but this monster was especially ferocious.

‘It has killed 120 people so far. It’s not a normal monster.’ 

Professional Players would do research before hunting a dangerous monster.

[10 gold bounty! An expensive monster appears!]

[40 Players and 34 Adventurers massacred in a single day by a monster in West Sun.]

[Governor of West Sun raises monster bounty to 50 gold.]

[Who will be the one to kill the monster? Players gather at West Sun once more.]

…

[Governor of West Sun raises monster bounty to 150 gold. “Please kill it.”]

[Mercenary Guild ‘Blue’ leaves for West Sun to clear a Quest.]

The articles were ordered by date. Seo Jun-Ho combed through each one, scoping for information.

‘Based on the remnants of battle, the mutant troll is about 4 meters tall. It’s bigger than a normal troll.’

‘Considering how long the campaigns go on for, the troll must have an amazing recovery rate.’

‘It has already killed 120 people… It must be an expert in fighting humans by now.’ 

As a highly experienced Player, Seo Jun-Ho was able to deduce important information just by looking through the articles and pictures where the battle happened.

“That’s it for the monster.” Next, he looked into the governor.

‘It’s unprecedented for a noble to raise the bounty this much just to protect the citizens.’ 

That was what the bald Ply had told him… But based on what he saw, the governor had a remarkable reputation among the town’s citizens.

“People of all ages adore him? He’s just like me.”

“...I do not wish to acknowledge that, but this governor must be a great man.”

West Sun had been a tiny, remote village that didn’t even have a town chief. However, after the new governor was appointed 10 years ago, the town quickly developed.

‘It has lower taxes than neighboring towns, it has good amenities, and most of all, it has great public security.’ 

Thanks to that, there hadn’t been any serious violent crimes in the last 10 years. And as rumors of West Sun spread, the population even started to increase.

“I kind of understand why he put out such a big bounty now.” Seo Jun-Ho nodded in understanding. If the mutant troll was disposed of, then the town would start to grow even more. It might even become a city and receive a Teleport Gate from the Magic Tower. This mutant troll must be a massive headache to the governor even now.

‘I’ll get rid of it for you…’ 

Apparently, the mutant troll would only come out when the sun started to set.

When the town swallowed the sun…

***

The next morning, Seo Jun-Ho received an unexpected visitor.

“...The governor?”

“Yes. He heard that you accepted the mutant troll Quest and has invited you to dine with him for breakfast.”

The governor of the West Sun had sent a servant over to him to invite him for breakfast.

“There’s no reason to refuse. You may even be able to find more information about the monster,” the Frost Queen commented. Seo Jun-Ho agreed with her and followed the servant.

The governor’s estate was unexpectedly big and tidy for a countryside nobleman.

‘I thought he’d be a simpler man based on what I’ve read…’ 

In the end, nobles were still nobles.

The courtyard beyond the gate was huge, but it was filled with animals.

“...There sure are a lot of animals. A big variety of them, too,” Seo Jun-Ho observed.

“The governor loves animals very much. He is very soft-hearted,” the servant said.

Seo Jun-Ho stared at the different animals as he was escorted to the dining room. It was filled with birdhouses, fish bowls, hamster cages, and the like.

“Welcome. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The governor was a delicate-looking man who had a pair of round glasses perched on his nose. “I am the governor of West Sun, Favo.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Seo Jun-Ho, a Player.”

“Please, take your seat.”

Favo appeared to be vegetarian. His plate was piled with vegetables. However, Seo Jun-Ho was presented with a well-grilled steak.

“I dislike meat, but you must eat something hearty before you depart for your hunt,” he explained.

“That’s very considerate of you. Thank you.”

Favo spoke as they started to eat, “I looked into you a little bit. You’re a great man.”

“I still have a long way to go.”

“Hahaha, you’re very modest. The legend of Specter and the 5 Heroes is very famous here.” His eyes were kind as he looked upon Seo Jun-Ho. “If a man like him has chosen you as his proxy, that means that he saw potential in you.”

“Perhaps…”

As they ate, a variety of cats and dogs approached and started to feed.

“You must really like animals,” Seo Jun-Ho commented.

“Yes. They are the only thing that brings me such joy.” Favo smiled brightly at the mention of animals. When he held out his hands, the dogs walked over and started licking it, tails wagging. “I like animals because they are simple and honest. If I give them love, they return it.”

“You’re also quite famous for being a governor that loves his citizens.”

“But, of course, they also return the love that I give.” Humans were ultimately animals, after all.

Seo Jun-Ho wiped his mouth with a napkin as he finished his meal. “Would you be able to tell me anything about the mutant troll?”

“Hm… I’m not sure.” Favo stroked his chin. “To be honest, I’ve only seen the mutant troll on a single occasion, from very far away.”

“How was it?”

“...I was scared. I had never encountered a monster with such a powerful aura.”

“So that’s why you put a 10 gold bounty on its head.”

“Looking back, I shouldn’t have done so.” Favo’s face was full of regret. “I should have placed a bigger bounty from the very beginning. If only I had done that, 120 talented Players and Adventurers wouldn’t have been needlessly sacrificed…”

“It’s not your fault.” It was their fault for not judging their skills objectively.

Favo stood up and escorted Seo Jun-Ho to the entrance. “I don’t mean to pressure you, but I hope you succeed.”

“I’ll do my best.”

He left the estate and walked for a long time before he looked back on the meal he just had with Favo. “What do you think?” he asked the Frost Queen.

“There wasn’t anything particularly strange. I could tell that he truly loves animals as well as his people,” the Frost Queen said. Seo Jun-Ho felt the same way.

“Ply, that rascal. He kept saying that no perfect governor loves their citizens.” If he didn’t suspect others so much, maybe Ply wouldn’t have gone bald.

Seo Jun-Ho returned to the inn and relaxed as he ate tea and cake. And two hours before the sun started to set, he left the valley, heading toward the Twin Mountains.

At the entrance, several Players watched him…

“The target has just left the valley.”

They had but a single order…

- Hold him down. No matter what, our Guild will be the ones to kill the mutant troll.

“Yes, Captain.”

Four men followed Seo Jun-Ho with their shining eyes.