Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Interlocking Gears (2)
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“Is that possible?”
At Kim Gunja's words, Kang Inhyeok let out a hollow laugh.
Kang Inhyeok wasn't the type to talk much.
He was even less the sort to nitpick over consequences.
“Just die, you bastard.”
Whoooong—
Kang Inhyeok's hand, wrapped in blood-red aura, swung toward Kim Gunja's head.
The event staff in the conference room—everyone except the director—gasped in shock.
There had been whispers of rumors, nothing good, but they hadn't realized Kang Inhyeok was this unhinged.
Just as a clash between S-rank Hunters seemed inevitable...
“That's enough.”
A deep, resonant voice echoed through the conference room.
Kang Inhyeok's hand, which had seemed unstoppable, came to an abrupt halt.
It stopped just half a hand's breadth from Kim Gunja's face.
“You've arrived.”
The director rose from his seat and bowed his head.
It was the arrival of White Flame, Baek Jincheon.
Step. Step.
As Baek Jincheon moved forward, everyone in the conference room stood and bowed their heads.
They let out quiet sighs of relief inwardly.
Phew, thank goodness.
Yeah. If it's Baek Jincheon...
He wouldn't dare act out in front of him.
In that atmosphere, Baek Jincheon approached Kang Inhyeok at a leisurely pace.
“I like your fiery spirit.”
His relaxed hand patted Kang Inhyeok's shoulder.
“But you need to know the time and place, don't you think?”
There was no mana in his voice.
No threat, either.
Yet beads of sweat formed on Kang Inhyeok's twisted face.
He looked like a puppy tucking its tail before a tiger.
The sight left everyone stunned once more.
My God... even if he is a Single Number...
Kang Inhyeok, world rank 98, looking that tense?
Worth his reputation, huh.
But isn't the reaction a bit over the top?
They had expected no more outbursts, but this exceeded that.
As the room buzzed with shock and confusion...
Unlike the others, Kim Gunja knew why Kang Inhyeok was reacting this way.
Probably activated his Fire Seal.
The moment Baek Jincheon touched Kang Inhyeok's shoulder, a faint pulse of mana had emanated from his hand.
Too subtle for anyone without Demon Eye like Sin Yeji or an S-rank Awakener to notice.
Not just for killing, but for torture too, huh.
Of course. Single Numbers were superhumans who honed their unique traits to the extreme.
If they could kill, dialing it back to inflict pain was child's play.
And how excruciating that pain was showed on Kang Inhyeok's face.
“...My apologies. I got too worked up. I apologize to everyone else as well.”
The arrogant Kang Inhyeok bowed to the entire room.
He instinctively knew that's what Baek Jincheon wanted.
Even psychopaths had some capacity for pain, it seemed.
Fake or not, showing that attitude proved it.
“......”
Kang Inhyeok glared at Kim Gunja once more before meekly returning to his seat.
His killing intent unchanged.
Baek Jincheon said nothing about that.
Instead, he turned his intrigued gaze to Kim Gunja.
It was the first time he'd seen him bare his teeth without backing down.
Kim Gunja bowed his head under that gaze.
“...Sorry for the disturbance. I should have held back, being the adult here.”
A few in the room bit their lips to stifle laughs.
His tone was humble, but the content was anything but.
Calling himself the adult.
Wasn't that calling Kang Inhyeok a kid?
A faint smile curved Baek Jincheon's lips.
Joking around...
Jokes came from composure.
Meaning he hadn't been swayed by emotion—his response to Kang Inhyeok's provocation had been calculated.
The room's atmosphere showed it.
Negative looks toward Kang Inhyeok, favorable toward Kim Gunja.
Baek Jincheon's smile deepened.
“Impressive. I like it.”
Those unfamiliar with Baek Jincheon's way of speaking tilted their heads.
He'd skipped the process and jumped to his impression.
Only the director understood.
And he fully agreed.
That sly fox Kim Gunja...
Kim Gunja's offhand remark had produced clear results.
Kang Inhyeok fuming like a child versus Kim Gunja flipping the mood with a quip.
They were on different levels from the start.
But...
Would it affect the duel? Still uncertain.
With Baek Jincheon taking the head seat, the meeting resumed.
Most agenda items were handled swiftly, and it ended.
As Baek Jincheon stood, he said to Kim Gunja,
“Stick around a bit.”
“Yes.”
Baek Jincheon exited first, and as Kim Gunja followed...
Kang Inhyeok spoke up.
“Look forward to it. I'll make you crawl like a dog in front of everyone.”
Kim Gunja paused briefly, glanced at him, smirked, and kept walking.
No need to bark back at a rabid dog on a leash.
Especially when he'd already claimed its kill.
Hero Guild's top floor.
The secretary brought simple refreshments and left.
“Come in.”
“Thank you.”
After savoring his tea, Baek Jincheon cut straight to it.
“Kang Inhyeok. What's next?”
A loaded question.
The kind to make anyone's heart sink.
But Kim Gunja, veteran of countless deaths, didn't flinch.
“Sorry, I don't follow.”
Baek Jincheon clicked his tongue, a bit frustrated.
“Your next goal.”
Now he got it.
“Haven't... decided specifically yet.”
He'd already planned some things.
He'd visit the Vatican for his friends, and check the place on Jeju his father had left, as mentioned in Monk Jeonghye's letter.
No need to tell Baek Jincheon, though.
“No next goal? You seemed awfully driven for that.”
Baek Jincheon was probing.
Was all that really just to face Kang Inhyeok?
“Just giving my all in everything. Don't want any regrets.”
Baek Jincheon stared at Kim Gunja.
Kim Gunja met his gaze.
After a moment's thought, a small smile formed on Baek Jincheon's lips.
“The more I see, the more you remind me of my younger self. Thoughts, actions, all of it.”
What horrifying words.
Easily the worst thing he'd heard this year... no, in his life. Top of the worst five, no contest.
Of course,
“An honor.”
He didn't show it.
Baek Jincheon rose and walked to the window.
Gazing at the city below, he asked,
“Confident?”
Confident he'd beat Kang Inhyeok?
Kim Gunja answered simply.
“Wouldn't have started if I wasn't.”
Baek Jincheon burst out laughing.
—I request you arrange a duel with him.
Right, the kid who'd come to him on sheer confidence back when he was C-rank.
And he'd kept his promise to get here.
“Deal. Win this match, and I'll treat you like the best.”
Baek Jincheon's brand of encouragement.
Basically, give it your all against Kang Inhyeok.
But Kim Gunja was already planning that.
And that all-out effort included the Hero Guild and Baek Jincheon.
“Thank you.”
Baek Jincheon said no more.
Dismissal.
“I'll head out then.”
Baek Jincheon nodded, still gazing out the window.
As Kim Gunja exited, the secretary chief greeted him with a bright smile.
“You're in favor, huh.”
“Haha, you think? Not sure myself.”
“Oh, come on with the humility. Excluding the director and the top five team leaders, you've visited here more than anyone. That's huge. I'm just jealous.”
Kim Gunja smiled awkwardly.
He knew why the secretary chief was being so friendly.
Building connections.
At that level, cozying up to those near power was smart.
Social life was like that.
“I'll get the elevator for you.”
“Thanks.”
Kim Gunja didn't refuse.
He stepped into the elevator the secretary chief personally escorted him to.
And no one noticed.
The shadow at Kim Gunja's feet had silently vanished.
Late afternoon.
The director emerged from the guild master's office.
“Prepare a car to Association HQ.”
“Yes, sir.”
The secretary chief picked up the intercom.
Just as Baek Jincheon appeared to leave with him...
“......”
Baek Jincheon's steps toward the elevator halted.
“...Something's bothering me.”
That was all.
Whoosh—!
A decorative plant in the hallway turned to ash in an instant.
The secretary chief swallowed hard, voice trembling.
“S-sorry. Next time, something more to your liking.”
He assumed it was the plant Baek Jincheon disliked.
The director asked,
“Something not to your taste?”
Baek Jincheon stared at the ashes, then shook his head slightly.
“Just my imagination. Let's go.”
“Yes, this way.”
Baek Jincheon and the director left.
As the secretary chief, looking a decade older, oversaw cleanup with staff, someone else nearby was equally startled.
Kim Gunja, hiding his presence next to the planter.
That was close.
When Baek Jincheon stopped and looked his way, he'd nearly panicked.
Thinking his legendary artifact [Blessing of Stealth] was busted.
But it seemed fine.
Just as I thought.
Single Numbers were amazing, but could they match Ma Ilcheon's senses?
Kim Gunja doubted it.
That's why even the alchemist Maneub, one of the Eleven Alchemists, used artifacts so boldly.
Before the elevator, he'd summoned Stein and hid it in the plant's shadow.
Pretended to leave the guild, activated [Blessing of Stealth], and Shadow Changed to lurk perfectly.
Right in front of Baek Jincheon's secretary office.
He needed internal files not in the guild archives.
The original black box footage of Kang Inhyeok assaulting him and his friends.
—It was drowsiness while driving.
Choi Jinseung had shown faked accident photos.
Meaning originals might exist.
Cars had been parked nearby.
And he was certain.
—Nothing more foolish than blindly trusting people.
Would Baek Jincheon, who trusted no one, delete Kang Inhyeok's Achilles' heel footage?
No way.
It was probably stored somewhere.
Where?
Obvious.
His own room.
Baek Jincheon trusted no one but himself most.
Such people saw their room as impregnable.
Security activates automatically 30 minutes after he leaves.
Kim Gunja had ambushed that window.
Previously impossible without knowing Baek Jincheon's schedule—mana wouldn't last.
But with Kaiser’s Heart, I can hold stealth half a day easy.
He confirmed the staff tidying up, then pulled a small item from his pocket.
A USB with Geum Jinung's hacking program that cloned entire drives.
Stein.
The resummoned Stein slipped into the guild master's office undetected.
Sin Yeji's training room.
Kim Gunja was on the phone with Geum Jinung.
—...Shocking. So many victims...
As expected, the footage existed.
Not just Kim Gunja and friends—tons of videos archived.
Humans being visual creatures, this evidence would provoke explosive, immediate reactions like nothing else.
“Good. And as discussed, edit the videos by...”
—Yes. Mosaic on everyone except you and Kang Inhyeok.
He'd requested that.
His face going public was enough.
No need for friends in the spotlight.
“Thanks, handle it.”
After a few more details, he hung up and stretched lightly.
“Sorry, call ran long. Ready to resume?”
“......Could've been longer...”
Yeji propped up from the floor, groaning.
She couldn't keep up with his monstrous stamina.
“Rest if you're beat. I'll train solo meanwhile...”
“Nah, you're just saying that. You'd train alone anyway if I left.”
She groaned but knew she was his only sparring partner who could handle his full power.
“Thanks.”
“Know it, then... right?”
“Yeah. I'll step it up.”
“Hehe, up we go!”
Yeji grinned and stood.
The intense training resumed.
For the next two weeks, Kim Gunja honed his body through relentless training and hunting to peak condition.
And the awaited Christmas Eve dawned.