Chapter 18
Chapter 18
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Black-Haired Beast (8)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"You really...!"
"What's this? I was wondering why the kids here talk like that, and it turns out they all caught it from you, Chun-bok?"
"I'm Baekryong!"
"Yeah, yeah, Chun-bok."
"Eek!"
The Yongho Guild Leader grabbed Sa-yoon by the nape as he bulldozed through the conversation at his own pace. Sa-yoon flashed a playful grin while watching the man choke and gasp, then took another step inside.
"Cut the crap, Chun-bok. You sound old."
"You're as rude as ever."
"And Chun-bok still doesn't know his place?"
"......"
Why pick a fight he can't win?
Sa-yoon clicked his tongue at the man, who took a hit with every exchange and eventually fell silent on his own. He handed Chang-in, slung over his shoulder, to Geon-ju. With his shoulders now light, Sa-yoon glided toward the table where the Yongho Guild Leader sat, his steps as light as walking on water.
"Truth is, I don't care what kind of mouth you have or how badly you fail to grasp your place, Chun-bok."
"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm Baekryong..."
"But Chun-bok."
Sa-yoon cut him off as if completely excluding the Yongho Guild Leader from the conversation and hopped onto the table. Leaning toward Chun-bok, he met the man's flickering gaze without flinching and flashed a sly smile.
"You can do whatever you want, but at least don't try to climb over us."
"......"
"The merger was settled three years ago, so why send our guys back and talk big?"
Sa-yoon spoke softly as he reached out and caressed the Yongho Guild Leader's cheek. Drip, drop. A chilling cold seeped from his fingertips, faintly frosting the man's skin. Chun-bok's eyes darted wildly left and right.
"If you've taken our support, you should know how to give it back. What are we supposed to do if you can't show results after all that? You wouldn't have the funds to keep going without our help now."
"......"
"And putting up a scarecrow in front of the guild. If you're going to run things like this, just hand it over to me—what's so bad about that...?"
Sa-yoon's eyes narrowed. He patted the cheek lightly before lowering his hand to grab Chun-bok's throat, squeezing until veins bulged on the back of his hand.
"You made me come all the way here myself. Got it?"
"Guh...!"
As Sa-yoon tightened his grip while speaking, Chun-bok let out a groan and clutched at his hand.
Whoosh—.
Flames erupted from his palm. Sa-yoon didn't even blink at the sudden blaze, refusing to release Chun-bok's throat. If anything, he squeezed harder with brute force.
The icy aura from frozen lands clashed against the Yongho Guild Leader's flames. Was it an S-rank skill? The ferocious momentum of the crimson Flame Flower was incredible, but Sa-yoon stood firm even before the threatening inferno.
Yet the growing flames swelled to engulf both men. The guild leader's office, chilly moments ago, heated up in an instant. Even Geon-ju, standing far from the entrance, was sweating like it was pouring rain.
Sa-yoon, taking the full brunt of the blaze, curled his lips. Crackle, crackle. His fingers burned in the flames, but he didn't groan once, focusing solely on throttling Chun-bok. The Yongho Guild Leader bit his lip hard.
This was Flame Flower, after all.
An SS-rank skill he'd earned entering that gate where phoenixes dwelled. The life-risking dungeon had guaranteed rewards upon clear. He'd tested it on Tae-sik amid recent disputes and confirmed its potency against S-rank hunters, so he figured it would work on Sa-yoon too.
And why not?
No matter how impressive Night Rat or Sa-yoon was, he was just a brat not even thirty, and an S-rank like himself. He couldn't grovel at his feet forever. When that thought dominated his mind, the SS-rank skill felt like divine revelation.
Use this to subdue Sa-yoon, escape the funding crisis, and reign supreme.
That's what he'd thought.
"Grah...!"
Chun-bok broke into a cold sweat as the flames, which would char any average hunter on touch, seemed utterly ineffective against Sa-yoon. His face turned beet red from lack of air.
Sa-yoon met his questioning gaze and burst into laughter. It was light and cheerful, mismatched with the savage atmosphere thick with intent to tear each other apart.
Confirming his blackened fingers, Sa-yoon gripped Chun-bok's throat even harder for emphasis. A chilling grin lingered in his ink-blue eyes.
"I wondered why you kept pushing your luck. Looks like you snagged a fun new skill. What, thought this would do it?"
"Kuhk... guh."
"Figured since we're both S-rank, it'd land a hit?"
The system measured hunter ranks up to S as the max. So Sa-yoon and Chun-bok were both S-rank, but Sa-yoon knew equal rank didn't mean equal power.
Did the Yongho Guild Leader not know that simple fact?
He must. But he'd deluded himself into thinking one decent skill made it possible.
Ridiculous.
The flickering flames had now swallowed Sa-yoon's hand entirely, blackening his arm up to the elbow. Geon-ju gasped at the sight, his mouth agape.
"They say a bad head makes for a sore body. Why do you always pick the dumbest moves?"
The Yongho Guild Leader could barely groan now, his limbs twitching limply in Sa-yoon's grasp. His eyes would roll back soon. Sa-yoon stared silently before clicking his tongue.
"Dismiss the skill."
"......"
"Dismiss it."
Squeeze. He warned with another crush on the throat, and only then did the red flames gradually die down. Once Flame Flower fully vanished, Sa-yoon released him and glanced at his right arm, charred to the elbow. Cough, cough. Chun-bok clutched his throat, coughing and gulping air desperately.
"If you can't back up your greed, don't have it."
"Cough, heuk, dea...th."
"Death? Want me to go buy some death for you?"
"......"
"Laugh, you bastard."
He'd tried to lighten the mood, but got no laugh. Sa-yoon lightly slapped the cheek of Chun-bok, who stared back stone-faced even now. Chun-bok let out an exasperated chuckle. Geon-ju, watching from behind, eyed his guild leader with pity.
"You're... going... to kill... me?"
Whether crushed by the burning hand or still struggling to speak, Chun-bok coughed a few times before managing a sentence. Sa-yoon shrugged at his finally fearful eyes.
"Who knows."
"......"
"Your new power looks useful enough. Probably too valuable to kill just yet?"
Sa-yoon said nonchalantly as he summoned his inventory. Hearing his life was spared, Chun-bok exhaled in relief.
Sa-yoon checked the storage, crammed full with items, and pulled out a contract and a potion. Even an S-rank's regen wouldn't easily heal burns from a high-rank skill. Left alone, even he would lose the arm permanently, so he poured the potion on his right arm before tossing the remainder to Geon-ju, who stood blankly holding Chang-in. Geon-ju caught the flying potion bottle.
"Heal your hand with that, pretty boy."
"Ah..."
Geon-ju looked down at his still-bleeding hand from the earlier fight and spilled a bit of potion. Sa-yoon, watching, showed Chun-bok the contract he'd pulled out with it. Jong-sik had prepared it before coming to Yongho.
"Sign this, Chun-bok."
"What is it?"
"What else? Guild merger contract."
To be precise, it was closer to a slave contract. Only two clauses dealt with the actual merger; the other three dictated Chun-bok's future disposition.
In summary:
1. Yongho Guild merges into Night Rat and operates under it.
2. All Yongho assets, regardless of type, transfer to Night Rat, fully repaying Yongho's debts to Night Rat.
3. Former Yongho Guild Leader Park Chun-bok becomes direct subordinate to Night Rat Leader Kwon Sa-yoon.
4. Park Chun-bok's personal assets all transfer to Kwon Sa-yoon.
5. Kwon Sa-yoon may request assistance from Park Chun-bok as needed, which Park Chun-bok cannot refuse.
The contract laid out these terms in formal legalese. Naturally, Chun-bok exploded upon reading it, calling it nonsense.
Sa-yoon watched impassively as he thrashed about, then gripped the contract with both hands as if to tear it.
"Don't like it? Then don't sign this crap and just die."
Geon-ju flinched, recalling similar words. Unlike then, Sa-yoon was dead serious, twisting the contract without hesitation. Rip. The edge of the 80-billion-krwon S-rank contract tore. Chun-bok gaped at Sa-yoon shredding it without a second thought.
"W-Wait!"
"Why? I said just die."
"I'll do it, okay?!"
"For real?"
"I said I will."
"Then add one condition. Clause 6: 'Park Chun-bok must report all matters arising during the reorganization and operation of the former Yongho Guild post-merger to Kwon Sa-yoon, and consents to penalties such as physical harm for false reporting.'"
"......"
"Don't like it?"
Chun-bok's hands shook as he took back the contract at Sa-yoon's question. Under his sharp gaze, he reluctantly grabbed a pen and added the clause. Sa-yoon smiled warmly as his hand trembled even while writing.
"Aigoo, our Chun-bok must be getting on in years. His tremors are getting bad."
"......"
"Store it yourself once done. It's a binding contract anyway—only I can destroy it."
"Urk."
"Don't like it?"
That question was magic; Chun-bok shut up every time. Sa-yoon clapped once the signature was done and hopped off the table. His right arm had fully regenerated. But his burned sleeve hadn't, leaving his right arm bare. Glancing at Chun-bok's pristine outfit, Sa-yoon spoke up.
"Chun-bok."
"What else you wanna take, calling me like that?"
"That robe S-rank?"
"......"
"Fire resistance option?"
"......"
"Hand it over."
"Th..."
"Hand it over, Chun-bok."
Now that they'd share rice bowls, he could gift that much, right?
Sa-yoon spoke with a gentle smile. Chun-bok's mouth worked silently before meeting Sa-yoon's darkening black eyes and reluctantly doffed the robe onto the table.
"Argh, take it all, you mangy mutt."
"I'll wear it well, Chun-bok."
"I should've taken the devil's hand instead of asking that insolent punk for help..."
Whether Chun-bok regretted his past choices in a forlorn tone or not, Sa-yoon, mission accomplished, draped the S-rank robe over himself and exited the guild leader's office. Geon-ju glanced at Sa-yoon instructing Jong-sik via contact to wait at the entrance, then at the vacant former Yongho Guild Leader standing lost in the empty room.
Not pitying the sight, he offered a brief moment of silence and followed Sa-yoon. In one hand—not holding Chang-in—he gripped tight the potion bottle Sa-yoon had given him.