The Second Senior Brother
Kim Jun floated into the air.
His fingertips just barely brushed the ceiling of the guild house.
He landed softly and looked up at the ceiling.
The height from floor to ceiling was roughly eight meters. He could only nail the desired height and direction about three or four times out of ten attempts, but ever since testing it at the Yeon Ga, the success rate of Mukhonbo Tan had been climbing rapidly.
If I keep training Tan, I can push the success rate up to around 70%. All I need is time.
Kim Jun felt good.
He hadn't expected to master Mukhonbo Tan this quickly. It was thanks to the experience fighting Yeon Yuks and Yeon Osu at the Yeon Ga.
Real combat was just as effective for growth as training.
His mind had already moved on to the next step.
Mukhonbo Po.
If he could properly execute Po, one of the movement principles in Mukhonbo, he could walk freely on walls as if they were the floor. And once he built up power and familiarity, he could even hang from the ceiling like a bat.
It involved using internal energy like a kind of compressor.
He didn't fully understand the principle yet. But he'd learn it from Go Cheolmin soon enough.
A sound came from the entrance.
He'd hoped it was the master, but it was just the Daily Raiders newspaper thumping into the parking lot.
As he stepped out to grab it, the front-page headline caught his eye.
It was an article about Choi Min-su, the pillar of Cheonhondan.
Kim Jun skimmed it. He already knew the gist. It had all started with him. Choi Min-su had given him a heads-up, but he couldn't help worrying.
Re-election...
The article said Choi Min-su's position would be decided by the vote. If he lost his spot, it would be entirely because he'd taken Kim Jun on as a client at that press conference.
The voting date hadn't been set yet.
But the re-election vote itself was a done deal. They were just coordinating schedules to gather raiders from across the country.
Kim Jun set the newspaper down on the bench and started running laps around the large track inside the guild house.
He remembered Choi Min-su's serious words.
It had been right after their big fight, as they were leaving the Yeon Ga.
"This whole thing didn't start just for you. So whatever happens from here on out, don't think it's your fault. These are affairs of the world that you wouldn't see if it was just about you."
Was the re-election vote part of that war too?
Probably.
Kim Jun was grateful Choi Min-su had tipped him off beforehand. Without that, he'd have stewed alone, maybe even gone looking for him out of guilt.
Knowing that advice let him focus calmly on his training.
He ran until his body was drenched in sweat when a familiar exhaust note rumbled in.
He let out a hollow chuckle.
Muhyun's here.
Was he going to nag about the "priest" thing again today and get under his skin? Heh heh. Kim Jun snickered inwardly as he glanced toward the entrance.
Huh?
Choi Muhyun wasn't alone.
A much bigger man followed him in.
Kim Jun slowed to a stop in front of Choi Muhyun and eyed the guy glaring at him from behind. There was clear hostility there.
"Say hi. This is Second Senior Brother."
Choi Muhyun said.
"Senior brother my ass. Where's the simulator?"
Noh In-tae pushed between Choi Muhyun and Kim Jun, scanning the guild house.
"Who's this?"
Kim Jun whispered, stepping up beside Choi Muhyun.
"Second Senior Brother. Dad's second client. I told you about him."
"The one in Africa?"
"Yeah. Guess the press conference news shocked him into catching a flight home. Landed today, ran into him at the house. So anyway, to fix this, the priest needs to step up."
"Sigh, the priest crap again?"
"Kekekeke. What, you my peer now? Anyway, he's always been straightforward. Show him what you've got. Once he sees your skills, he'll accept you. Hot-tempered, sure, but he's got a big heart."
Choi Muhyun led Kim Jun to the locker room to change into suits. Noh In-tae, already suited up, shot Kim Jun a fierce glare before heading out first.
"Big heart, huh?"
Kim Jun said.
"I said hot-tempered too."
Choi Muhyun shrugged.
Kim Jun climbed into the simulator. Come to think of it, this was his first time using it since the last dungeon raid.
A dim, cramped space.
Kim Jun bent his knees and touched the ground, the dirt.
There were pebbles mixed in, all uniform in size. Proof he was inside the simulator.
Choi Muhyun had brought Second Senior Brother Noh In-tae here this early for one clear reason: Earn recognition through skill.
"Kim Jun, beat him. You can do it."
Choi Muhyun's voice boomed like thunder.
Suddenly, the surroundings lit up.
Noh In-tae was standing about five meters away, geared up properly in walker and leather like entering a dungeon.
He approached.
"Not bad running. Decent reflexes too. I'll give you that."
He'd seen the video Daily Raiders released.
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me. Wasn't saying it to make you grateful. That was just luck. Today, I'll test your limits. Dodge my attacks for one minute, and I'll acknowledge you as priest."
"Got it."
Noh In-tae backed off to about twenty meters and shouted.
"Begin!"
For ten seconds, Noh In-tae just stared at Kim Jun.
Kim Jun stared back, ready to move at any moment.
Then Noh In-tae dipped his knees slightly, lowered his center of gravity, and thrust both arms forward.
The moment ochre energy burst from his palms, Kim Jun thought of Blue Lightning's team leader Do Jin-yong. It was a posture very similar to Do Jin-yong's signature earth magic, Ban Tomwol.
Before it could touch him, Kim Jun dodged sideways.
Boom!
If his judgment had been 0.1 seconds slower, he'd have been buried in a massive crater fifteen meters wide and three meters deep. So much for priest status.
Kim Jun barely escaped Ban Tomwol's range and circled wide behind Noh In-tae.
"Not bad instincts either."
Noh In-tae's lips curled up.
"Thirty seconds left."
Choi Muhyun called.
Noh In-tae glanced up, then cupped his hands in front of his chest.
A dark brown orb formed between his palms. He tossed it upward, and it split into dozens of seeds that scattered everywhere.
The seeds flew straight at Kim Jun.
He dodged immediately, but escaping the wide hail of seeds was impossible.
The moment they hit the ground, they burrowed in and sprouted roots in vine form. The roots intertwined underground into a massive net that surged upward before Kim Jun could react fully.
The ochre net, made to catch just him, was enormous.
"Can't dodge this one."
Noh In-tae smirked in victory—then doubted his eyes.
Kim Jun stomped, shattering the hard ochre soil. Even more shocking, his body rocketed upward like a missile, escaping the net's range entirely.
His landing was unstable, forcing him to roll forward three times before scrambling up to face Noh In-tae.
Noh In-tae didn't attack again.
He glared at Kim Jun, then logged out.
"You come out too."
Choi Muhyun's voice echoed loudly.
Kim Jun stood before Noh In-tae, who was chugging a beer on the bench. Choi Muhyun was beside him.
"Even in a simulator, no carrier jumps like that. You learned footwork?"
"Yes."
Kim Jun answered.
"What kind?"
"Mukhonbo."
"That's a martial art from the Five Elements Gong."
Noh In-tae's eyes widened.
"That's what I heard too."
"No way Cheolmin-hyung taught you?"
"Yes."
"Without passing the awakening test?"
"Yes."
"Cheolmin-hyung's lost it. Then again, he's always had his quirky obsessions. Knew a day like this would come."
He crumpled his empty can one-handed into a tiny ball.
Then a thick palm smacked the back of Noh In-tae's head.
"Who's lost it?"
Noh In-tae jumped up irritably and turned—his fierce glare turning sheepish.
Go Cheolmin stood behind him.
"Cheolmin-hyung!"
Noh In-tae spread his arms wide toward Go Cheolmin.
"Gross. Why're you here? Heard you were in Africa. You didn't fly back just for the press conference, did you?"
"Of course not. Oh, right. Mom's birthday."
Noh In-tae bullshitted.
"Her birthday's in February."
"...Heh heh, you know all our mom's birthdays. That's why I love you, hyung. Oh, right! Haven't greeted the teacher yet. I'll go say hi..."
Noh In-tae started slinking toward the exit.
"Freeze."
Go Cheolmin dragged the giant Noh In-tae up to the master room.
Left behind, Kim Jun and Choi Muhyun exchanged looks. Neither had imagined Noh In-tae and Go Cheolmin were that close.
"Think First Senior Brother will fly in too?"
Kim Jun asked.
"Even if Big Bro comes, he won't go wild like Second Bro. Might even like you. He loves weird stuff. That's why he's off in the Amazon."
"Weird stuff?"
"You're weird, aren't you? Didn't know? Anyway, throat's dry. Priest, grab me a cold drink."
Choi Muhyun said.
Kim Jun shot his friend a side-eye, then burst out laughing as he headed to the fridge.
Cheonroehoe Guild Master Song Si-heon stepped out of the taxi clutching a thick envelope. He glared up at the Dungeon Association building and strode through the main gate.
A few people passed him pretending not to know him, even though they did.
Guys who used to grovel before me.
Suppressing his boiling rage, Song Si-heon arrived at the Guild Management Division's Disciplinary Committee office.
He stood before the bespectacled female clerk.
"What can I do for you?"
Businesslike tone.
Song Si-heon nearly exploded at the thought of even a lowly clerk looking down on him. He barely held it in and set the envelope on her desk.
"I request disciplinary action against Uramata Guild."
After spitting out those words, he caught the clerk's changed expression and finally left for the hallway. Even she knew about Uramata Guild from all the recent news.
Outside, Song Si-heon lit a cigarette.
That gorilla bastard. If he'd handed over the guild and taken the instructor offer back then, none of this would've happened.
He tossed the half-smoked cig into the road without extinguishing it and pulled out his phone.
He hit the speed dial, and the other side picked up immediately, as if waiting.
―Did you file it?
"Just filed it and coming out now."
―Good work.
"The promise...?"
Song Si-heon's mouth went dry; he licked his lips hastily.
Screwing over Go Cheolmin was satisfying, but he had zero interest in doing it without personal gain.
―Of course. The 1 billion won loan is approved immediately. Once the committee decides, another 1 billion will hit the master's account.
"Understood."
Song Si-heon hung up, his mouth tasting bitter.
The caller was a Dungeon Association employee. If Cheonroehoe wasn't on the brink of closing, he'd never have accepted the offer.
Now that it was started, he had to see it through clean.
Song Si-heon raised a hand to hail a taxi.