Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Kim Jin-ah (1)
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“Oseong Workshop?”
I asked.
“Is Oseong Workshop run by that Oseong Group or something?”
“Yes. That’s right. It’s not on the level of Baekdon, but it’s pretty famous in the domestic workshop industry. You don’t know it?”
“Ah, yeah. I’m not really interested in this industry.”
“Ahem, I see.”
Ryu Jin-ho’s expression twisted slightly.
He probably thought it was some kind of power play.
I really didn’t know, though...
‘Or maybe not.’
No matter how hot it’s been lately, for a mere small-scale workshop.
Maybe he didn’t like that I didn’t grovel just because I heard the name of a massive corporation like Oseong.
Whatever.
I asked.
“But what was it? Something about building occupancy?”
I had a rough guess.
Oseong Group was where Shin Jong-o, the guy who bared his teeth at me, came from.
Since I’d cleanly ignored the invitation he sent, this must be their next move.
‘Doesn’t matter.’
No matter how they came at me.
This was a fight I couldn’t lose.
No matter how mighty their capital was, they couldn’t ignore superiority in skill.
If their weapon was instant coffee mix, mine was T.O.P.
“......”
After a brief silence.
Ryu Jin-ho got to the point.
“Since last week, our Oseong Workshop has bought up this entire sector. As the landlord now, there’s something you need to know.”
“What is it?”
Let’s hear it first.
“It’s simple. Under the new contract, either raise the rent by more than ten times, or get out. Choose one. You know Go-to-Mall Workshop isn’t covered by the Rental Protection Act, right?”
“Is that so?”
I don’t know much about the law.
But I knew that since Hunters appeared, a lot of it had been revised.
Anyway, to sum it up.
In crude terms, ‘This store is mine now, so get lost.’
Even though the interior was just finished not long ago?
It was the classic tyrannical landlord crap you only see in dramas.
“Oh, and no hammering late at night. It disturbs the neighboring stores, right? You’ve got that much common sense, I assume?”
This was bullshit too.
Most Go-to-Mall Workshops actually ran 24 hours anyway.
Ryu Jin-ho, having spat it out, wore a triumphant expression.
Completely oblivious to.
The way Gi So-yul’s face had frozen solid right beside him.
She immediately lowered the hood she’d been hiding under.
“Ryu Jin-ho, was it?”
She stared straight at him and said.
“But anyway? Who the hell are you... Eek?”
Ryu Jin-ho sucked in a sharp breath upon seeing her face.
He’d recognized Gi So-yul.
“Ah, Dark Sovereign?”
“What’s Oseong Workshop doing here?”
“Ahem, ahem. Ah, Dark Sovereign was here. I should’ve recognized you sooner. My mistake.”
Ryu Jin-ho regained his composure faster than expected.
Well, since he’d come from Oseong Workshop fully prepared.
He might’ve guessed at the relationship between Gi So-yul and me to some extent.
“Oseong is one of the top ten groups in the country... I didn’t know they were pulling such petty stunts.”
“Petty? No, no. This is just... an internal company matter.”
Ryu Jin-ho tried to look relaxed.
Honestly, that alone was impressive.
A regular guy spouting whatever he wanted in front of the Dark Sovereign?
Ryu Jin-ho went even further.
“No matter who you are, Dark Sovereign, you wouldn’t want to make an enemy of Oseong Group, right?”
Even if Gi So-yul was a Ranker, Oseong Group surely had multiple Rankers too.
He was basically asking if she’d really sour relations between Parang and Oseong over one guy.
“Hmm.”
But Gi So-yul’s expression didn’t change.
Which made her even scarier.
“I’d like to ask the opposite. Is Oseong Group so desperate to pick a fight with our Parang?”
“N-No, that’s not it. Did we ever directly mess with Parang? This is just a minor dispute between a landlord and a tenant.”
“Wars usually start from minor disputes, don’t they?”
Gi So-yul drew her dagger.
The one I’d gifted her.
And the aura emanating from that dagger was unmistakable killing intent.
“G-Gulp?”
Finally, Ryu Jin-ho freaked out.
“W-What are you doing? Are you really thinking of going to war with Oseong Group? Do you think Parang’s funds can actually beat Oseong?”
“No, why would I need to go that far?”
Gi So-yul looked down at him with utter pity.
“Just cut your throat right now, then assassinate Oseong Group’s top brass. Honestly, I’ve been itching to do it for a while. Perfect timing.”
“What?”
Ryu Jin-ho gaped in disbelief.
“A-Are you threatening me right now? If you do something like that, even you...!”
“You think I’d leave evidence?”
“Y-You crazy...”
Only then did it seem to dawn on Ryu Jin-ho that something was very wrong.
His face drained of color, legs trembling as he backed away.
‘Tsk.’
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
When did the world start running on power logic?
Standing tall in front of a Ranker?
If it were me, I’d have groveled flat first.
“Dark Sovereign.”
I called out to Gi So-yul, who’d been watching.
“Yes?”
The killing intent that had dominated the space vanished in an instant.
Incredible emotional control.
“This is my problem, so I’ll handle it. It’s enough if you help when someone I can’t handle shows up.”
If I just fend off trials sent my way with someone else’s help, like the old man said, I’d become a flower in a greenhouse.
I didn’t want that anymore.
Anyone who challenged me directly, I wanted to crush with my own hands.
Even more brutally and viciously.
That was the creed of the future Ranker I’d become.
“It’s not just about you, Dong-hoon. Hasn’t Shin Jong-o been to your place recently and caused a scene?”
“......Huh? You knew?”
“I guessed from the report today. It’s not the first time, actually. Back then, I didn’t care since they were nobodies. Didn’t think he’d go after you too.”
“Hmm, so that happened.”
I’d wondered why a chaebol targeted me.
Who’d have thought there was this backstory.
‘Well, yeah.’
Did Gi So-yul have the looks that no man would chase?
The problem was that low-grade bugs were swarming her.
“......Oseong Group will be tough for you to handle, Dong-hoon. A top ten domestic company means they have pull worldwide too.”
I knew that well.
Our country was already the world’s second-strongest Hunter power.
So a top ten company from here would be formidable.
‘But.’
Honestly, it was laughable.
Maybe because I’d faced something like the Giant Dragon?
Compared to an ‘Unmeasurable’-grade Dungeon, it was cold porridge.
Still, though.
It wasn’t to the point of refusing her help.
Step, step.
I nodded and approached Ryu Jin-ho, whose face was as white as a sheet.
“Ryu Jin-ho?”
“W-What?”
“Go tell your boss.”
“Huh?”
“Just say I’ll vacate the place. I don’t want a store that’s tainted by your lot anyway.”
If he thought hitting me with an eviction would hurt, he was mistaken.
I planned to move to a better place once I saved enough money anyway.
“And the gift you sent last time? I received it very well, so I’ll return it soon.”
Wait for it, Shin Jong-o.
My counterattack starts now.
“......”
Even after my words, Ryu Jin-ho kept his mouth shut tight.
There wasn’t a trace of his earlier smugness on his face.
“If you get it, then get lost.”
“Ah, yes.”
I watched his retreating back as he scurried away.
Oseong Group’s secretarial team?
What a nobody.
* * *
“What?”
Bam!
Shin Jong-o slammed his desk.
“Gi So-yul went that far?”
“Y-Yes, Director. Her eyes weren’t sane. She said she’d assassinate us all if we touched him...”
“Fuck. What the hell is Joo Dong-hoon to make Gi So-yul go that far? Some secret lover? The great Gi So-yul?”
“He says he’ll vacate the place. But he didn’t look too bothered.”
“His head’s gotten big from the recent buzz. Plus, with Dark Sovereign backing him.”
Shin Jong-o furrowed his brow.
Originally, it had started from his affection for Gi So-yul.
Petty jealousy, stubborn refusal to tolerate some no-name guy who seemed beneath him.
Chaebol elitism, you could say.
But.
Now it wasn’t so simple.
His pride had taken a hit.
“That dog. Thinks the world’s his just because one Ranker likes him.”
Fine.
Sending the employee was just a jab before the real fight anyway.
Clench!
Shin Jong-o gripped his fist.
“So he casually said he received the gift well?”
“Y-Yes! That’s exactly what he said.”
“Heh, the punk’s got pride in front of a girl.”
“R-Right. He had this cocky, annoying vibe.”
“Good. Let’s show him how big the world is.”
“How?”
“We’ll make a way right now.”
A clueless rookie like that?
There were endless ways to crush him.
* * *
[Account Details]
[Account Holder: Joo Dong-hoon]
[Hunter Premium Account E-Grade]
[Total: 385,402,100 won]
Before I knew it, I’d saved nearly 380 million won.
Big if you call it big, small if you call it small.
But without a doubt.
It was the largest sum I’d ever touched in my life.
‘But it’s nowhere near enough to start a business.’
What I needed was purely a store.
With Demir’s Hammer, I didn’t need a workshop per se.
Materials were plenty in my bag, so no production costs either.
Just some trained clerks?
“Haha, master. Do we really need to hire someone?”
Demir, hearing my worries, laughed heartily.
“My summoning isn’t for show, you know!”
“Oh?”
“The others might be different, but my minions aren’t exactly combat types anyway!”
“Right?”
Each bone had the ‘Skeleton Summon’ (Lv.Max) skill.
If I summoned ten per one and stationed them as clerks?
Since we’d already hit the news once with the unique workshop, it’d draw attention too.
Well, aside from that.
“The problem is the money.”
“Hmm, how about selling that pile of minerals?”
“No way. Those materials are my assets. I’d need to buy more, not sell.”
“True, better to make weapons and sell those for profit.”
“Yeah.”
I rubbed my chin in thought.
“Honestly, best is to borrow from the bank.”
“Bank?”
“Yeah, a place where you can borrow money. Wanna go check it out?”
* * *
Hunter Bank Gangnam Branch.
Loan Team Manager Kim Jin-ah was an exceptionally capable employee.
The reason a late-20s Harvard Economics top graduate chose to join Seoul’s Hunter Bank was simple.
‘To see more Hunters.’
She’d turned down scouting offers from countless companies and guilds.
‘No one caught my eye.’
The capable ones lacked ambition, the ambitious lacked humanity.
Sure, a few decent ones, but that was it.
She was seeking someone worthy of devoting her all to.
‘But.’
Reality was bitter.
High-rank Hunters did come, but most customers at this branch were low-rankers bundled up in inferiority complexes.
“Sorry, but per current regulations, loans for F-rank Hunters are difficult.”
“E-rank Hunter! For E-rank, up to 20 million won! Ah, too little? Sorry, it’s the rules. What? You’ll pay it back once you rank up? Sir, sorry, we can’t help with that.”
“Sir. Sorry. Please understand.”
Watching her subordinates handle consultations at the counters, she felt so bad for them.
The job required constant politeness, so the stress piled up.
Kim Jin-ah, taking a short break, stretched and sat back down.
With so many customers, she had to consult quickly.
“Welcome, sir.”
As she greeted with her usual bright smile.
Tap-
Along with an E-rank ID, a man asked.
“Hello. How much can I borrow max here?”
“Yes?”
Kim Jin-ah looked up.
‘What?’
The ID clearly said E-rank.
Yet he had the confidence of someone asking how much they could offer him.
She read the name on the ID.
‘Joo Dong-hoon?’
A familiar name she’d seen recently.