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?”

    “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.