Echoes of Hollow

With the arrival of portals, isolated and uninhabited places like mountains and nature reserves—once a concern due to the increasing extinction of species around the world—became enormous problems. As if the challenges of dealing with dungeons in cities weren’t enough, everyone had to worry about the possibility of dungeon breaks occurring in these remote areas without proper surveillance.

In the end, the government’s solution to ease the burden was to sell these locations to those capable of managing them. Initially, the buyers were restricted to S-rank hunters, but over time, the restriction became more flexible. A-rank hunters could also purchase, and then B-rank hunters, followed by wealthy businesspeople who could maintain control even in dire situations. However, few people actually took up the offer.

Lowering the price didn’t help, and offering benefits proved useless. Was all the work really worth it? That’s the real question, but not when you plan to buy the land for beings who have no trouble dealing with the dungeons that regularly appear around the world.

Looking around, Hye observed the vast area ahead. A single road surrounded by trees leading into the forest, the purity of the air evident, and the sound of birds all around. On an old, rusty iron fence encircling the place, a sign read: CRP.

Taking the lead, Samantha walked alongside Alyia toward the silver car parked in front of the visibly dilapidated gate, covered in rust and dents. She smiled elegantly, without exaggeration or any apparent emotion. Raising a hand, she greeted the man standing by the car politely.

"Ms. Samantha, I was truly happy to receive your call, and I hope your journey here was smooth and pleasant."

Despite trying to maintain his composure, the man couldn’t help himself. His eyes wandered over both women, particularly Samantha. It felt surreal to him that the woman before him was in her forties. Unfortunately for him, his gaze ended on Hye’s face. His body trembled the moment their eyes met, cold sweat running down his back, and he let out a nervous laugh as he quickly pulled his hands away.

"Yes, it was quite pleasant... aside from a few minor inconveniences, like the deforested areas I saw along the way."

"Eh..., I hope you understand, ma’am... those superficial damages occurred during the resolution of dungeons that appeared in the area..."

"Of course, I completely understand."

The man’s uncomfortable smile persisted as he clasped his hands together, his eyes narrowing.

"But I do hope that will be taken into account when discussing the final price."

"Y-yes, of course... obviously, don’t worry..."

"Alright then, shall we? I still have a few other things to take care of today."

"Y-yes, of course, please, come in."

As they passed through the gate, Alyia moved closer to Hye, observing the ongoing negotiation. In her eyes, this was Samantha’s true face—the one, fortunately, she hadn’t had to deal with. A smile while holding a knife in her hands. How close would she need to be to someone before stabbing them?

"If this keeps up, he’ll lose at least twenty percent of this place’s actual value," she murmured.

Hye smiled at her words.

"Fifty."

"Huh? What?"

"He’s going to lose at least fifty percent of the final price."

Following the dirt road, the path split several times, but, of course, the man always chose the most presentable route, one that best justified the price he had in mind.

Portals? Yes, there were a few, but don’t worry, they’re low-rank and pose no significant threat. Monsters? Only creatures comparable to goblins, which is expected. Minimal and controlled destruction given how vast the area is, and apparently quite efficient management.

However, contrary to what the man expected, all his preparations might have worked if he were dealing with normal hunters, even S-rank ones. But not with that woman.

Letting her curiosity get the best of her, a B-rank portal appeared before Alyia's eyes. Creatures equivalent to goblins were indeed irrelevant. But a mere boulder that was actually a C-rank stone giant? Not so much. A D-rank portal was fine. But an A-rank portal? That’s a bit of a problem, isn’t it?

"Alright, I think we’ve seen enough."

Standing before the stones that were once a C-rank creature, now easily destroyed with a single punch, the man trembled, his eyes wide and mouth agape.

"Well, after everything we’ve seen, I think 110 million is more than enough, don’t you?"

"Excuse me...?"

"An A-rank dungeon, mid-rank monsters scattered across the place, and obvious neglect by those supposed to manage the mountain area. Did I miss anything?"

“What? But 110 million… that’s a bit too much… I… I could try to sell it for 200 million, anything less than that is…”

"If it weren’t for the A-rank dungeon, the mid-rank monsters, and the devastated areas across the mountain, we could pay the price you’re asking. But... with the mountain in this condition..."

Placing one hand on her waist and the fingers of the other near her eyes, Samantha let out a deep sigh.

"No, forget it... It’s better to forget about this. Thank you for showing us the place today, Mr. Theodore, but I’m sorry, it doesn’t look like we’ll be closing this deal."

Theodore shook Samantha’s hand in confusion. His eyes didn’t move, so much so that this time he didn’t even notice her smile. His mouth remained paralyzed, and his hands only responded naturally to Samantha’s initiative. That’s the only reason the handshake even happened.

"I still remember the way out, so if you don’t mind, we’ll leave first. Have a good day."

His body trembled, and his throat tightened. Watching Samantha’s back as she walked away, it didn’t feel like a bluff to force him into accepting an absurd offer.

'With the cost of managing B- and A-rank dungeons, it takes 40 million a month just to maintain this place. I was thinking of a number close to 350 million. She works for the Orian Group and could make things difficult for us if she wanted, but still... selling for 110 million is... Damn!'

Grinding his teeth, Theodore ran after Samantha.

"Wait, let’s talk... I can do 150, but less than that is—"

"The negotiation is over, Mr. Theodore. There’s nothing more to discuss."

Her gaze, voice, and expression were so different—so serious—that Theodore immediately realized she wasn’t bluffing. A click of the tongue echoed.

"Fine! Okay... 110 million... let’s do it, alright?"