Creak, creak, creak. A toddler’s tricycle wheeled its way out of the dungeon’s oppressive darkness. An oversized, garishly ugly teddy bear sat perched on the seat, pedaling with a jerky, enthusiastic rhythm. It was a ‘Scrappy Bunny’, one of the cheap, popular toys that had recently become a trend among children. The misshapen creature turned its head with an audible squeak, its plastic eyes gleaming in the gloom above a pair of permanently droopy eyebrows. A moment later, a distorted mechanical voice echoed from within its stitched-up chest. Shit. I’m not about to die and start hallucinating, am I? Park Jihan, sprawled helplessly on the cold dungeon floor, managed to roll his eyes toward the bizarre sight. He knew exactly what this thing was. It had been ten years since the world changed, since the System and the first Awakened appeared. The number of hunters had exploded since then, and the world was now teeming with eccentric, gimmick-obsessed individuals. And this was one of the most eccentric of them all. Some were mages who insisted on fighting in close combat, others were outright trolls. But a few managed to turn their strange gimmicks into a respectable niche. The owner of this teddy bear was one of them. Among hunters, he was known only as "Doll Maker." The nickname was a nod to the movie villain Gaksi Mask, who used a puppet to deliver his messages. Doll Maker operated similarly, sending this ugly teddy bear into dungeons to sell his handcrafted items directly to his clientele. His methods were bizarre, but his reputation was solid. The items were surprisingly high-quality, and their effectiveness was as insane as their creator’s business model. Noticing Park Jihan’s lack of response, Doll Maker tilted the teddy bear’s head. “Is this funny to you? Huh?!” the mechanical voice rasped. “Go to hell,” Park Jihan cursed, his voice a ragged whisper. He didn’t have the strength to move. The truth was, he was in a very real crisis. He’d thought he could clear this D-rank dungeon alone. That had been his first mistake. The boss monster itself had been easy enough, but its poison was another matter entirely. With its dying breath, the beast had sprayed a fast-acting neurotoxin into his wound. He’d cleared the dungeon, but now he was paralyzed, left with nothing to do but wait for a Hunter Management Division recovery team. And then this thing showed up. Ignoring the circumstances, the bear seemed to confirm Park Jihan was still alive before launching into its usual sales pitch. When the mechanical spiel finished, the teddy bear’s soft paw unzipped a seam on its own belly. It rummaged around inside its cotton stuffing, finally pulling out two small, colorful syrup bottles, the kind a child might drink. “......!” An Instant Antidote. A potion that could only be crafted by a B-rank hunter or higher. The rumors were true. The man’s skill was as legendary as his madness. How is this even possible? For a hunter moments from death, paralyzed by a potent toxin, this was nothing short of a miracle. There was no way he wasn’t buying one. “How much…?” Park Jihan asked, clenching his teeth against a wave of pain. Doll Maker’s reply was immediate. Park Jihan’s face twisted in a pained grimace. “What’s the difference?” The teddy bear simply tilted its head again, as if to say, How could you not know? The sight of its drooping, pathetic eyebrows only fueled Park Jihan’s anger. For a moment, he stewed in the absolute failure his life felt like right now. No, wait. It’s still cheaper than the alternative. If he waited for the Hunter Management Division, the emergency service fees and the potion cost would be far more than this. “Give me your account number!” Garlic Pay was the official currency of the Garlic Market, an anonymous online marketplace for secondhand goods. Its untraceable, tax-free nature made it a favorite for underground transactions and other criminal activities. “If I report you for tax evasion—” The tricycle began to creak as the bear turned it around, ready to leave. “Fine! Alright! I’ll take the bitter one!” Park Jihan yelled in desperation. The bear stopped and produced a contract. Using the last of his strength, Park Jihan leaned forward, took the pen in his teeth, spat the cap onto the floor, and scrawled out a barely legible signature. After receiving the signed paper, Doll Maker stuffed it back into its belly pouch. With the deal concluded, the toddler’s tricycle turned and began to pedal back toward the dungeon exit. Creak, creak, creak. Hunter Hub Anonymous Forum [Title: Doll Maker’s Latest Updates.jpg] <Photo of a syrup bottle resting on a palm> Business is booming. Bought the Bitter-Spit flavor. [Comments] > How much? [Review Section] - HunterSihyeonMom: Our guild members love it~~~^^ Thumbs up! Five stars for you~~~ As SihyeonMom tapped the “like” button on her Garlic Market review, a notification popped up on another screen. [50 OP credited!] “Not bad. That’s adding up nicely.” Han Sol smiled with satisfaction as he checked his Garlic Pay balance. Just then— “Sol, what did your teacher say about using your phone during class?” The teacher of the Squirrel Class looked down at Han Sol with a gentle, chiding expression. “I did it already…” Sol quickly shoved the kids’ phone into his small character-themed bag. He would send out the Stamina Jelly reward later. “Alright, everyone, eyes on me. Let’s sing it again~ From the top~” The classroom filled with the sound of children singing in unison. Sol sat up straight in his little chair and joined in. It was his favorite song—the Sparkling Carrot Song. 🎵 "I wanna be ketchup~ I wanna dance around~ Sparkling Carrot~" 🎵 No matter how many people speculated about Doll Maker’s identity, no one ever came close to the truth. There was a very simple reason for that. The mad genius, the master craftsman hunter known as Doll Maker… …was a four-year-old kindergarten student. Han Sol, age 4, of Byeolbit Kindergarten’s Squirrel Class, was an S-rank crafter.

Chapter 1: Salvation on three wheels