Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Tomboy Childhood Friend and [Meeting of the Six Great Guilds]
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Golden particles enveloped us.
The limousine raced through a pristine white landscape, piercing a world of nothingness, and reality snapped back like a taut rubber band.
The scenery that unfolded afterward was an everyday yet breathtaking city. It shattered my expectations clean in half.
'This is inside the Golden Tower?'
The wheels didn't stop. Even after the [Transfer], it kept going as if we'd known from the start that there were roads inside the tower.
'Fuck, compared to that other place, this is a whole different world.'
I couldn't believe my eyes.
-The world was surrounded by ocean on all sides, with a massive island forming an entire nation.
-Countless roads stretched through the air like Shinto torii gates or rice straw ropes, tangled and suspended in endless patterns.
-Even racing at such heights, the cloud-hung roadways didn't sway an inch.
-At the end of the sky road we were on lay the tower's base, leading into the city proper.
-High-rises lined up around the central tower.
-A city had formed around the tower. The biggest buildings clustered there, tapering in height toward the outskirts.
-The entire island resembled a single mountain sculpted into a city.
...This was gold.
Wasn't this already a city-state?
I'd heard the Silver Tower was impressive too, but this place felt like another world entirely.
'No end in sight. Even up close, you could see the Brass Tower's edge, but from afar, this one doesn't even register.'
The decorative elements on the outskirts were ornate, symbolizing the tower lord's authority.
As we passed the suspended roads into the city, people enjoying the sea like in Hawaii stood in stark contrast to hunters decked out in flashy gear.
The vibes were worlds apart.
In more ways than one.
"Welcome to the Golden Tower. We sincerely welcome you to the gathering place of humanity's pinnacle."
I barely managed to settle my stomach, which felt like it was brewing mugwort tea.
*
We arrived at the top floor of a skyscraper right next to the Golden Tower, one that seemed built to rival it.
The building was so tall it made me subtly dizzy. With my nerves sharpened by aura, the discomfort stood out even more.
"We've been waiting. Lady Seong-yeon."
"Everyone's inside?"
"Yes."
"Oh no, am I too late?"
"No, you're exactly one minute early."
Ignoring me completely, she chatted amiably with the bald man in a black suit guarding the top-floor entrance.
He scanned me over his sunglasses. An appraising gaze.
"So he's the one Lady Seong-yeon has been raving about?"
"That's right. My secret weapon I brought along. He might just be the master key to solving all this."
"Everyone's looking forward to it. Not just me—all the guild masters."
......?
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
"Hey! Song Seong-yeon!"
"Sorry! I bragged a little~!"
She flashed a cute, impish grin.
What bullshit had this girl been spreading around!?
"Wh-what the heck, you brat! What makes you think there's anything about me worth bragging about!?"
"There is, there is~! Hee, I'll tell you once we're inside, okay? Come on, let's go. They're all waiting!"
"No causing a scene here. It'll reflect badly on Lady Seong-yeon."
What's with all the secrecy? Why are you both ganging up on me like this? I threw a little tantrum but eventually tired myself out and meekly entered the conference room.
That was the moment.
"───!!"
Guh!
My body felt heavy.
If I let my strength slip even a little, I'd topple forward, so I forcibly bolstered myself with aura to hold out.
What the hell is this?
I looked up, wondering, and countless eyes pierced my fragile heart.
'Fuck! Is this a trap!?'
All sorts of thoughts raced through my mind.
A major guild summit—maybe an enemy raid?
Thinking it might be a rival guild targeting Seong-yeon, I wrapped myself more aggressively in aura...
Clap clap!
"What are you all doing? I told you he's my friend."
『『『『………….』』』』
The pressure lifted with Seong-yeon's applause.
My body felt light again.
More than that—pressure?
"Sorry. No. 2 was talking nonsense, so I sharpened my edge without thinking."
"Haha, but you held up! So you're not a total wimp~! What a relief~!"
"You guys are so hot-blooded. Cut the shonen manga greetings already. This auntie can't handle that vibe."
"Tell me about it. What if you scare off the talent No. 3 brought? Then what?"
"And you... shot out aura too...?"
The oddly misshapen combined conference table.
The great figures seated there tossed in their comments one by one.
I knew who they were.
As a hunter, how could I not?
'I've really ended up somewhere I shouldn't be...'
Put it this way: say I'm a lowly factory worker at some company.
I'm just a disposable cog.
And now that cog is sitting in the same room as the conglomerate heirs who oversee the entire corporate group.
"…………."
"...Ah, fuck. I finally calmed Chang-gi down from his freakout, and you guys ruined it. How are you gonna take responsibility?"
"Sorry. Didn't think it'd shock you that much."
"Anyone would be shocked! I was at first too!"
"But you say that like the Saint wasn't totally unfazed from the start...?"
They were chattering away. The idols and celebrities of the hunter world, gossiping about me.
I wanted to chime in like usual but had no idea what to say, so they stood first, reflecting on their mistake.
"Let's break the ice with introductions. First up, I'm the Copper Witch, real name Iian. Korean, like you. Calling me by my full name feels too weird, so just Iian is fine."
Platinum-dyed hair that suited her pale beauty perfectly.
She looked young overall, and the star tattoo under her cheek added a playful touch.
Her witchy outfit with bare shoulders... calling it this might sound tacky, but it was like [surprise cosplay prepped in secret for her boyfriend].
'I know her. She's the vice guild master of No. 1 guild Maan.'
Famous, obviously.
Her own rank was 6th, top tier.
Our ages were close too, right?
That's why I remembered so clearly...
"Hunter grade SS-rank. Current ranking: 1st. And right now, I'm the guild master of Maan."
She tore up everything I knew and spat out new info.
...1st?
"Hold on. Last I checked, you were ranked 6th?"
"Oh, you know my old rank? Wow, that makes me so happy."
"Anyone hunting in this country would know your face."
"Really? But, you know, us Koreans—we tend to only remember No. 1. 6th is such an awkward spot; surprisingly few people know it."
She chuckled and continued.
"So remember this: current No. 1 is me. Even if it's unwanted, don't forget."
"………."
Current, she said.
A bad feeling washed over me.
As if mocking my tension, another stood for her intro.
"Hahaha! I'm the Sword Princess, Natalia Ambrosio Fernandez! Call me Natalia!"
-She was a carnivore.
-Unlike our cute herbivore milk cow, this one was a predator.
Lion-like wild long brown hair and feline eyes. The moment our gazes met, I took in her whole form.
The brown-skinned female warrior perked up tiger ears. Her mouth grinned ferociously, like a she-tiger spotting prey. Her jeans hung low on her hips, zipper undone to flash black thong straps.
No bra under that crop top either? Another exhibitionist?
"Right! I'm currently vice guild master of Bronze Shield! My rank shot up too! Current hunter ranking: 2nd. Memorize it!"
"2nd?"
I knew her.
Natalia.
The world-famous criminal who tackled towers across countries on whims.
Far as I knew, she was 7th.
"Hold on..."
Something felt off; I glanced sideways.
Seong-yeon, still not seated, grinned like a fox.
"You too?"
"Guess I'll reintroduce myself then. Song Seong-yeon here. Epithet: Saint. Guild master leading Chomok Guild and current No. 3 in the top hunter ranks."
3rd.
One of this country's elite.
Wait, fuck what?
"There are 8 rankers in this room total. 1st through 8th—Ceres included, excluding you."
"???"
Ceres was 12th.
Inside the top 8? Just like that?
"Sorry for the deception. I'm Ceres, currently holding 7th."
"Fuck?"
My heart pounded.
I sorted the info I'd just heard to grasp the situation.
Copper Witch: 6th → 1st
Sword Princess: 7th → 2nd
Saint: 9th → 3rd
Butler: 12th → 7th
So... that's how it was?
All at once, as a group—their ranks jumped?
Impossible.
"We'll explain now, so take a seat."
"Now you tell me?"
"What else? The secret we've been hiding. Why we called you here. Everything."
They sat me in the center; Seong-yeon and Ceres took seats away from my sides.
All eyes converged.
『『『『………….』』』』
Strengths 1 through 8 watched me.
The stars of the hunter world shone faintly on worthless me.
'I'm screwed. I miss the milk cow. Wanna bury myself in her milky tits, chew and bawl.'
In the suffocating air that felt like it could stop my breath any second, the Copper Witch stood.
She was the representative, the chair, the strongest.
"Sorry again. Even if you're Seong-yeon's friend, dragging you into this burdensome meeting out of nowhere."
Yet she was human.
Her apology and gentle smile for my sake finally let me breathe.
"You sensed it, right? We're the powerhouses and reps of this Golden Tower. This gathering is for coordination too. Normally we'd share info on security, consultations, expeditions, towers... but ultimately, we're uniting under the goal of [saving our precious ones]."
Save them? Together?
...Pooling our strength?
Unexpected.
Not something rival hunters—or guild leaders—should say.
"Together? Who?"
"...Who?"
My words were the trigger.
Every ranker shot to their feet again.
They surrendered to burning passion, spilling their hearts without restraint.
"My mother, who was Maan Guild's former master and my precious one."
-No. 1 Copper Witch.
"Likewise, my mentor, Bronze Shield's former master."
-No. 2 international criminal Sword Princess.
"The precious person suffering because of the tower, and the friend from across the sea who trusted me and joined Chomok."
-Seong-yeon, holding 3rd.
"The future of Mechanic Guild and my precious child who supported my harsh life."
-No. 4, the red-haired ginger who hadn't introduced herself yet.
"The wonderful friends I enjoyed cartographer work with, and to reclaim the life the tower stole from me~♪"
-No. 5, the smiling beauty with the big backpack.
"For the master of OP Guild, the benefactor who took me in..."
-No. 6, the haggard beauty in black mourning garb.
All but 7th and 8th swore it.
Before my clueless self, boldly, fiercely, with absolute conviction no one could refuse.
『『『『I'll conquer that rotten tower and save our precious ones.』』』』
A viscous oath bound them.
Passion boiled within.
Swept up in their unfeigned sincerity, the tension crushing me evaporated like smoke.
Before I knew it, I was listening intently to their story.