Wooing Garibaldi (1)
“A familiar…… Can I get one too?”
‘Easy peasy.’
It was the moment when even Garibaldi—who anyone could see exuded gravity and intimidation—wavered.
Jeonghyeon was certain.
If he could bring Garibaldi to his side, he’d have the perfect card to counter the Hunter Association, the biggest obstacle ahead.
Now that he’d locked onto his target, there was no room for hesitation.
He’d seize this chance to win Garibaldi over and mend ties with Ignirn in one go.
Jeonghyeon’s mind kicked into overdrive, circuits buzzing with delight.
“Of course. Shall we head there right now?”
“First, let’s head back.”
“Huh? Why?”
“I need to report to the Hunter Association.”
“……Fine.”
Jeonghyeon’s face filled with regret at Garibaldi’s firm tone.
The perfect setup to recruit him was right there, and of all things, the Hunter Association had to get in the way.
‘The Hunter Association, of all people……!’
He didn’t want friction with them right now if he could avoid it……
But there was no helping it.
‘Since it’s come to this, time to tweak the plan a bit.’
Jeonghyeon snapped his fingers. Mana gathered between his brows, tearing open space as Horakti emerged.
“You really summon me whenever you feel like it. What am I, your cab driver?”
“A beastkin?!”
Garibaldi, who’d relaxed his guard, snatched up his sword at Horakti’s casual entrance—like a knight yanked from dinner—but Jeonghyeon waved him down.
“It’s fine. He’ll send us back to the present world in one go.”
“Th-that’s…… possible? You didn’t climb the Tower to get here?”
“Of course not.”
“Then how……?”
The gate to Afraksas only opened after scaling all fifty floors of the Tower.
It was an ironclad rule no hunter could bend.
But Jeonghyeon wasn’t your average hunter—not even a hunter at all.
He was a ‘hunter porter’ stronger than any hunter……
“Nus told you, didn’t he? I’m the Demon King.”
The Demon King.
Ziiing—!
One step, and the dimension shifted completely. Seoul’s Western District sprawled before them in the present world.
“Hard to believe it’s really possible.”
Garibaldi rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
Someone crossing without the Tower? Unthinkable, even seeing it.
“What the hell are you, really?”
Before Jeonghyeon could answer Garibaldi’s question—
“Kim Jeonghyeon, you bastard!!!”
Hwang Dooman came charging from afar, furious the second he spotted Jeonghyeon.
“You little shit! You said to trust you! What the fuck is this?!”
He grabbed Jeonghyeon by the collar without warning, eyes blazing with rage.
‘Right on cue.’
This was exactly as Jeonghyeon had predicted.
Only then did Garibaldi and the others take in the surroundings.
The Western Branch was half-Afraksas now—no high-rises or modern traces, just ruins.
Buildings had regressed to scattered low wooden structures.
Monsters growled and huffed where people should’ve been.
“You got everyone evacuated, right?”
“Evacuated? Yeah! But what the hell is this? You said you’d make it perfect for training!”
“……Heh heh.”
“Heh heh my ass! You little—!”
Dooman reared back like he’d smack Jeonghyeon, but froze spotting the man behind him.
“No way…… Garibaldi?”
“You know me?”
“……Yeah.”
His fist went slack involuntarily.
Garibaldi of all people.
He’d been hunters’ idol since way back, with insane dungeon clear rates—no guild needed.
And the first to ‘conquer’ Afraksas.
That base camp where Jeonghyeon met him? His outpost.
So of course Dooman recognized him.
“What’s going on here? Never seen a field this huge.”
Fields tempered hunters by controlled mana erosion.
But this? Way too far.
Jeonghyeon got it and released Dooman’s collar.
“Guess it’s humans’ turn now. Can I head back to my kin?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Horakti sealed the dimension and vanished.
“Let’s walk for now. Gotta go farther to reach the Association anyway.”
“……Sure.”
Monsters popped up along the path.
High-grade ones that wouldn’t show in normal fields.
“Jeonghu, Philip. Wanna stretch your legs?”
Jeonghu and Philip channeled mana into their weapons smoothly.
“Of course!”
“Leave it to us!”
His trusty vassals leaped at the monsters. Jeonghyeon grinned at Garibaldi.
“We’ll keep going.”
“Show-off little shit……”
Krraaak!
Kieeeek! Keeek!
Monster death cries filled the air, but Jeonghyeon, Garibaldi, and Dooman’s path stayed peaceful.
“Remember that beastkin who opened the portal? His name’s Horakti.”
“Oh. Yeah.”
“I asked him to summon enemies from beyond Afraksas, step by step, when the time’s right.”
“……What? A dangerous request like that? Why?”
“So hunters can grow.”
Jeonghyeon’s answer was simple.
“Look at Jeonghu and Philip.”
He nodded at the two awakeners mopping up every monster without mercy.
“Think they could grow this much just from fields and dungeons?”
Garibaldi had no retort.
It was obvious.
“Even so, real combat……”
“Fields are real combat. I want hunters surviving longer, fighting more.”
“Couldn’t the Association handle that?”
“In Afraksas.”
Garibaldi halted at Jeonghyeon’s reply.
“How much do you know about Afraksas?”
“A bit more than you.”
Jeonghyeon added carefully,
“A bit more than the Hunter Association, even.”
“You…… don’t trust the Association.”
Garibaldi’s sharp instincts caught Jeonghyeon’s distrust instantly.
“Yeah. I was gonna play it strategic, make you an ally that way. But screw it—straight talk.”
“What?”
“I don’t trust the Association. I’ll act on my own. Opening the field? That’s why.”
“Opening the field? What’re you on about?”
Dooman cut in.
He’d been sweating bullets executing Jeonghyeon’s baffling orders.
“West had tight ties with the Jo family and the Association. They bulked up on our cash. You know that, Garibaldi?”
“……Hitting where it hurts.”
As a Association member—and in his past life, their rep in Afraksas—Garibaldi was deeply linked.
Those ties would’ve held now.
He’d handed over all his Afraksas intel, no doubt.
“I crushed the Jo family and took their spot. You wouldn’t have heard, stuck in Afraksas.”
“The Jo family…… crushed?”
“That fighter there? Jeonghu, Mirtus’s awakener, Jo direct lineage. My ally now.”
“Ah…… Now I see. That martial art…… Storm Dragon Fist, right? Pretty childish name.”
“Kuh!”
Dooman bit back laughter at Garibaldi’s bluntness.
Shouting technique names mid-fight? Even romantic Garibaldi found it cringy.
“Anyway, losing their solid cash cow—and monsters popping up everywhere? Headache for the Association.”
They’d watch West closely, maybe send Kingdom Guild types to ‘purge’ and flex influence.
Dooman’s jaw dropped two feet.
“Kingdom, Royal—guild squads swarming everywhere gave me migraines.”
‘Spot on.’
No deviation from prediction.
“So, you played weak like I said?”
“Had to, you ordered it. Pulled hunters back, let some building damage happen. No casualties. Cost a bit, though.”
“Good enough.”
Jeonghyeon turned back to Garibaldi.
Monsters quieted; safe zone with buildings and people appeared.
“This’ll force an unprecedented strong raid.
Place enemies deliberately, forge survivors stronger.
That’s my plan.”
‘Tch. Bruises the pride.’
Jeonghyeon smirked bitterly inside.
It mirrored what Demon King Malekith did to humans.
But what could he do?
‘I am the Demon King now.’
Jeonghyeon wanted human victory.
Not his alone—humanity’s.
The ultimate fuck-you to Malekith.
Even Association hardliners hating him? Fine.
As long as they survived stronger.
“The Association just skims fees off hunters. They hinder growth.”
They tracked hunts, set mana stone prices, pocketed the spread.
Maybe the greediest outfit around.
To Jeonghyeon, internal enemies.
And perfect bait? The man before him.
“I’ll use dirty tricks for my goals. I’ll bribe you.”
“……?”
“Give you a familiar no one else has. Put you high in the Association.”
“……And what do you get?”
Jeonghyeon met Garibaldi’s wary gaze head-on.
“Full autonomy for the West. I’ll make Seoul West a special autonomous zone. No guilds, no Association—total freedom.”
“Why go that far?”
“To prepare for threats ahead.”
Hunters obsessed with guilds, dungeons, gear, riches? Over half died in Afraksas.
Obviously.
Mindset mismatch.
Safe wins against winnable foes was sport; Afraksas was war.
“Why me? Plenty of strong guys.”
Garibaldi wasn’t that strong yet in Jeonghyeon’s eyes.
But he’d fix that.
“I know you well. For humanity? No one better.”
“When’d you see me to know me so well?”
His serious face held no suspicion—just the commander Jeonghyeon knew.
Seeing it stirred odd fondness. Jeonghyeon played it cool.
“Just…… I’m a fan?”