Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Teynen Guild (2)
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Kim Min-chan nodded once as he listened to the executives raising their objections.
"Right, National Power-level Hunters are regarded as beings on par with nuclear weapons, and they exert a massive influence on national power. They say that thanks to this Park Kang-hyuk, South Korea's national strength has surpassed Japan's."
South Korea's national power rating had exceeded that of its rival nation, Japan.
In Korea, which didn't possess nuclear weapons, a nuclear-level force had suddenly emerged.
Japan had no choice but to view South Korea with caution.
China, which also boasted a National Power-level Hunter, was keeping a close eye on the Korean Peninsula.
"In the end, all we need is someone to replace Park Kang-hyuk. If I kill him, I'll gain a massive amount of skill experience points. In other words, I could become a National Power-level Hunter within a few years."
"Ah...!"
"Our chance to take him out is now. Once I become a National Power-level Hunter, I'll crush Goguryeo and Hwarang guilds, and elevate Teynen Guild to the number one spot in South Korea. I'll help you all grow too. Will you join me?"
Kim Min-chan gazed at the executives with a sly smile.
"We'll join you!"
Starting with Lee Sung-ho's resounding response,
"I'll join too!"
"Me as well...!"
A number of S-rank Hunters decided to go along with Kim Min-chan's plan.
Even the S-rank Hunters who had raised objections had no choice but to follow the tide.
Their target was a National Power-level Hunter.
Even if he had only just reawakened, he was still someone to be wary of.
'Still, with this many people...'
'Even Park Kang-hyuk couldn't fend them off.'
Lee Sung-ho's eyes flashed as he clenched his fist.
'I'll rip you limb from limb and kill you.'
While Teynen Guild was devising their strategy, Park Kang-hyuk distributed weapons, armor, inner cores, and more to his newly summoned homunculi.
The existing guild members taught the new recruits the Black Moon Sword Technique.
"Raise your arm properly!"
"Swing the sword correctly!"
As the new guild members trained in the Black Moon Sword Technique, Park Kang-hyuk checked the payment that had hit his bank account and let out a hollow chuckle.
"1.7 billion..."
The proceeds from the magic stones he'd obtained this time.
Park Kang-hyuk transferred five million won each to the accounts of his existing guild members.
They needed to buy necessities too, after all.
He planned to leave the remaining cash alone for now.
Some savings were in order.
To buy a proper office building.
He also needed an officetel building to serve as dorms.
Before heading home, Park Kang-hyuk stopped by his parents' store.
"You're home early today?"
"Just had a short meeting and called it a day."
"I heard you started a guild. Getting along with everyone?"
"Of course. Once I set up a proper office, I'll invite you over."
"Alright, but don't push yourself too hard."
"Take this."
"What'd you bring this time? Don't buy stuff like this—save your money..."
His mother fell silent for a moment.
"I already bought the house. Got a car too. After this expedition, I made over fifty million won."
Of course, the net profit was in the billions.
"I'm planning to run a Dungeon Gate this month. Should make even more there. Oh, and I deposited some pocket money..."
"Pocket money? The money you gave last time was more than enough to pay off all our debts!"
"It's just for show. I put a little in both your accounts."
He'd deposited two million won into each of his parents' accounts.
"Well, I'll be off then."
Park Kang-hyuk walked to an apartment complex 2-3 km away from the one where his parents lived.
It was only a few hundred meters from their store.
The apartment he lived in was around 1,000 square feet, with four bedrooms.
"...Should I get married?"
He was no longer human.
As a Dragon Demon, he could live for up to 10,000 years or more.
Living alone might get boring.
For a fleeting moment, memories of his wives from his past life flashed through his mind.
Two of them had been homunculi.
Unlike in various novels and comics, the homunculi Park Kang-hyuk summoned could bear children.
In his past life, countless homunculi had formed families and lived happily.
"..."
Compared to the Heavenly Demon God Palace where he'd resided in his past life, this apartment felt utterly shabby.
Yet for some reason, this 1,000-square-foot space felt incredibly vast.
Park Kang-hyuk ordered food on his smartphone, then sat on the living room sofa and watched a drama.
Time flew by as he ate delivery food and binge-watched.
"Time for bed."
Midnight struck, and Park Kang-hyuk headed to his bedroom to sleep.
The next morning, he woke at 8 a.m., lounged until 10, then casually headed to GH Guild's first headquarters.
His work there amounted to managing the guild members' conditions.
After that, he killed time alone in his office—checking SNS, playing games on the computer, and so on.
Two days passed like that.
The two additional buses he'd ordered arrived.
The new guild members hurried down to the underground parking lot.
"Got the megaphones?"
"Yes, all five."
"Double-check your gear, and confirm potion stocks too."
"Got it."
Arbon directed the guild members to perform checks.
At 9 a.m. sharp, the bus drivers arrived.
"Everyone, board the buses!"
The six drivers pulled out of the underground parking lot.
Their destination was an A-rank Dungeon Gate in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The six buses headed there in a line.
At that moment, the bus driver glanced at Park Kang-hyuk.
"Are you... by any chance Park Kang-hyuk, the S1-rank Hunter?"
GH Guild was already national news.
Reporters lurked around the headquarters, desperate for a shot of Park Kang-hyuk's face.
Of course, they'd never succeeded.
He'd been moving as discreetly as possible.
"Yes, that's me."
"Ah...! It's... such an honor to meet a former National Power-level Hunter. Could I maybe get a photo...?"
"Sorry, photos are out of the question."
The driver looked a bit disappointed.
"Fame comes with its burdens, huh. Hunters these days get treated like celebrities, so you see them on variety shows and ads..."
Park Kang-hyuk just nodded a few times to the driver's chatter.
He didn't bring up anything special.
Upon arrival, the GH Guild members poured out of the buses.
"Come pick us up the day after tomorrow."
"Understood. Safe travels."
Park Kang-hyuk looked at his guild members.
"Let's move out!"
The guild members calmly shouldered their backpacks one by one.
No porters needed.
The new recruits had packed all the camping gear, essentials, food, and more.
Magic stones would be carried in backpacks too, along with byproducts.
As Park Kang-hyuk's group entered the gate, the bus drivers promptly left the management office.
An hour later, Teynen Guild's S-rank Hunters arrived at the office.
"Go on in. All CCTVs are shut down. The association will send a repair guy in an hour. He'll stall for time, so... you need to be out in no more than three hours, worst case."
"Got it."
S1-rank Hunter Kim Min-chan and his 22 accompanying S-rank Hunters approached the gate in unison.
"Weapons checked?"
The hunters nodded at Kim Min-chan's question.
"Let's go."
Kim Min-chan's group stepped through the gate.
The management office staffer broke out in cold sweat.
He could guess Teynen Guild's intent.
They were after GH Guild... no, Park Kang-hyuk.
Why target Park Kang-hyuk, of all people?
He didn't know the reason, but to cover his tracks, the staffer prepared for any contingencies.
Weeeeeeen-!
The dungeon GH Guild had reserved was a vast plain dotted with forests.
Kim Min-chan narrowed his eyes at the massive siren blaring the moment he entered the gate.
What the hell was that noise?
"Ma... Master!"
Turning at his guild members' calls, Kim Min-chan looked toward the sound's source.
"What the...?"
Countless magic beasts were gathering in the middle of the plain.
A roundup hunt?
Mixed in among them were numerous A- to B-rank magic beasts.
"Those crazy bastards..."
Lee Sung-ho muttered a curse at the bizarre sight.
Then,
Boom-!
A colossal surge of mana crushed the magic beasts.
GH Guild members scattered in all directions, slaying beasts and leveling up.
Watching them, Kim Min-chan confirmed it.
'Those otherworlders have the same status system as us Earthlings!'
The issue was the training method.
It was rare for a guild master to personally train members.
Let alone pinning down that many beasts with raw mana... even including A- to B-rank ones. No S1-rank Hunter could pull that off.
"Slaughter the beasts, then launch the attack immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
They were only a few kilometers from GH Guild.
But even shouting wouldn't carry over.
The deafening siren and beasts' roars drowned out their voices.
Dozens of minutes passed, and the beasts' numbers visibly dwindled.
"Now!"
At Kim Min-chan's shout, Lee Sung-ho gripped his staff, eyes bulging.
'I'll kill you for sure!'
As they closed in on GH Guild, they unleashed attacks on Kim Min-chan's signal.
"Haaah!"
A golden slash flew from Kim Min-chan's greatsword.
At the same time, a barrage of multicolored spells arced into the sky toward GH Guild.
No National Power-level Hunter could easily block this onslaught.
"Die!"
With Lee Sung-ho's roar, a massive slash hurtled back at them from the front.
Boooom-!
"Argh!"
"What the...!"
Kim Min-chan's group urgently crouched at the massive explosion before them.
"Scatter! Scatter and resume the attack!"
"Yes, sir!"
As the hunters dispersed on Kim Min-chan's order,
Bang!
A pitch-black slash cleaved through the blast.
'A black... slash?'
The mana pouring from it was immense.
Chillingly so.
Kim Min-chan stopped thinking and frantically swung his greatsword.
"B... Block it!"
Swoooosh-!
He swung repeatedly, firing multiple slashes.
But they couldn't destroy the black slash.
"This... fucking shit!"
Too late to dodge—Kim Min-chan and the surrounding S-rank Hunters were swallowed by the black slash.
Boooom-!
Lee Sung-ho, flung by the blast's shockwave, gritted his teeth and flattened himself on the ground.
"Ugh...!"
He slowly raised his head.
"What...?"
Teynen Guild's master, Kim Min-chan, was gone.
The S2-rank Hunters who'd guarded him were missing too.
Where'd they go?
Charge at Park Kang-hyuk?
Or... retreated?
As Lee Sung-ho rose to his knees, he spotted red bloodstains around him.
"This... this is...?"
Not from magic beasts.
They'd been at a safe distance.
No way blood splattered this far.
Which meant...
"They all... got wiped out?"
Kim Min-chan, one of South Korea's top Hunters?
Lee Sung-ho trembled.
If they hadn't scattered, he might have died too.