Chapter 45
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: That's Too Much
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Kwon Tae-ho silently gazed down at the contents of the bag Seo I-hyun had flung open.
Potions emitting a brilliant glow. Even standing still, their dense waves of mana tickled his skin. They were on an entirely different level from anything on the market. As an A-rank hunter, he recognized their value at a glance.
"……."
Seo I-hyun's question echoed in his ears once more.
'Do you still... despise them?'
Despise.
Yes. He still hated the awakened who relied solely on their power and lorded over the law.
"...With items like these."
Kwon Tae-ho slowly opened his mouth. His voice was parched.
"You could definitely take on White Tiger's elites. No, more than that."
He picked up one potion and held it up to the light. He could feel its immense power. But it still wasn't enough.
"So? If I drink this and storm White Tiger HQ, what then?"
Kwon Tae-ho stared straight at Seo I-hyun. A faint wariness flickered in his once-dead eyes.
"Do I become your private soldier? If you're just moving into the spot White Tiger leaves behind...?"
"No."
Seo I-hyun's firm voice cut Kwon Tae-ho off.
"The owner doesn't want you simply to bring down White Tiger. He sees awakened running wild like that as a thorn in his side. Just like you do."
Kwon Tae-ho's eyebrow twitched.
"Establishing a new organization to replace the corrupt Hunter Association. That's our ultimate goal."
"What...?"
"A true public authority to check and manage awakened so they can't lord over the law."
It was hard to believe, but there wasn't a shred of doubt in Seo I-hyun's eyes.
"It was impossible until now. White Tiger was too massive, and we needed their power. But the situation has completely changed."
"……."
"Rabbitfoot's potions have utterly eliminated White Tiger's necessity, haven't they? Citizens no longer have any reason to rely on them. Gates can now be handled stably without them."
His tone was filled with conviction, as if he'd seen the future.
"White Tiger's atrocities have been exposed to the world, and public opinion has completely flipped. The government and other major guilds have more than enough justification to act. No one will defend White Tiger anymore."
He paused, gauging Kwon Tae-ho's reaction, then added the clincher.
"We also have the means to reliably suppress awakened. Even S-rank ones."
Kwon Tae-ho's eyes widened. A means to suppress even S-rank awakened. If that was true...
"Once White Tiger is subdued, public sentiment will demand that nothing like this ever happens again. We'll use that chaos to push for the new organization's establishment."
"……."
"And... we'll make it possible for Team Leader Kwon Tae-ho and the ACD agents to finish what you couldn't before. This time, no one will stop you."
Kwon Tae-ho, who had been silent, slowly met Seo I-hyun's gaze.
"Ha."
The look in his eyes was different now. A small spark began to reignite.
"Gathering the scattered ones... it'll take some time."
A faint smile spread across Seo I-hyun's lips.
"We'll spare no support needed."
White Night Guild headquarters, top floor conference room.
A heavy silence weighed down the room.
An emergency meeting called by Choi Ki-cheol. The heavyweights who moved South Korea were gathered in one place.
At one end of the table sat White Night Guild Leader Choi Ki-cheol and his right-hand man, the mage Yoon Hyun. Opposite them were two more S-rank hunters.
Black Hound Guild Leader Kim Hye-seong. And the head of the Korean Magic Tower, Lee Seol.
Four out of the six S-ranks in South Korea. Their expressions were all complicated.
Kim Hye-seong was the first to break the silence. He spoke cautiously.
"Guild Leader Choi. I understand it's because of White Tiger. The justification is solid, and the gains from removing them are clear. But..."
Lee Seol chimed in.
"Shouldn't we think realistically? Cheon Hyeok-jin, Hwang Min-hyuk, and White Tiger's hunters. Going to full war against them... We'd win, but our losses would be massive too."
She looked around at the other three, including Choi Ki-cheol.
"You all know as S-ranks. When they go all out in a desperate struggle, anything can happen."
They agreed on eliminating White Tiger. But handling S-ranks was another level. A fight where lives were on the line. One misstep, and they could lose everything.
Then, Choi Ki-cheol, who had been smiling leisurely, spoke.
"No need to worry."
He placed a small sealed container in the center of the table. It was specially treated to prevent mana leakage.
"……?"
All eyes focused on the container.
Inside was a pitch-black, ominous liquid. It swirled slowly, as if alive.
"This is..."
The moment she saw it, Lee Seol's face hardened. She instantly recognized what it was—or rather, what it could do.
"Exactly as you're thinking. A poison that temporarily collapses the target's mana circuits, rendering them powerless. Even an S-rank can't draw mana once this enters their body. They'll collapse without proper resistance."
The means to reliably suppress S-ranks.
The moment even a tiny wound lets it in, it's over. The enemy would have to constantly guard against it, making the fight overwhelmingly favorable.
Kim Hye-seong swallowed dryly. His eyes sharpened.
"Is it reliable?"
Instead of answering, Choi Ki-cheol nodded to Yoon Hyun beside him. Yoon Hyun extended his hand, creating a small mana orb above the container. Intricately woven mana circuits glowed blue.
Choi Ki-cheol carefully dripped a single drop of the disruptor onto it.
Pzzt—!
The instant the black liquid touched it, the mana orb began collapsing rapidly. Like ink spreading, the dark energy coursed through the circuits.
Soon, the mana orb lost its form and vanished completely.
"……."
It was overwhelming performance.
Choi Ki-cheol leaned back leisurely, arms crossed, and looked around at them.
"What do you say?"
There was no more hesitation.
The government comprehensive situation room was buzzing with activity.
The massive screen covering the wall displayed real-time gate clearance status nationwide. Numbers stuck in red were rapidly decreasing.
"National gate clearance rate is gradually recovering to pre-incident levels."
"Rabbitfoot Company's buff potion supply has been decisive. On-site hunters' combat efficiency has skyrocketed."
The claim that the country would collapse without White Tiger no longer held water.
Another screen showed citizens gathered in the plaza protesting.
[“Disband the murderer group White Tiger Guild immediately!”]
[“Government, stop hesitating!”]
Overwhelming public opinion pressured the government.
And finally, the decisive move was made.
The S-rank alliance led by White Night Guild formally requested government approval for a forcible suppression operation against White Tiger Guild.
Four S-ranks participating.
The government had no justification or reason to hold out any longer.
Ding.
Breaking news alerts went out across all media outlets.
[Breaking News] Government finally approves forcible suppression of White Tiger Guild... “Illegal acts will be severely punished.”
[News Bulletin] Largest-ever force deployment planned, including 4 S-rank hunters.
Now, all preparations were complete.
I was huddled in a corner of the workshop, staring intently at the large monitor.
"This feels tense somehow. Jjuin-nim."
"...Yeah."
The screen streamed Yuna's bodycam footage live.
The massive White Tiger Guild headquarters building filled the view. The skyscraper piercing the sky looked like a fortress in itself.
Yuna's gaze swept the plaza.
Hundreds of hunters surrounded the building. Elites from each guild. And even the ACD agents in black combat gear that Representative Seo I-hyun had mentioned.
Everyone was tense. The audio channel carried only harsh breathing—no other sounds.
The taut tension seemed to transmit through the screen, making me swallow dryly without realizing it.
Then, four shadows stepped forward from the front of the forces.
Uncle Choi Ki-cheol from White Night and Grandpa Yoon Hyun. And the other two S-rank hunters.
South Korea's strongest forces. Four S-ranks gathered in one place.
Just standing there crushed the air. The screen even seemed to flicker faintly.
Overwhelming pressure. So that's what S-ranks are like. Four together was no joke.
"……."
And then.
All eyes focused on one spot.
In front of the tightly shut entrance. The man sitting alone on the steps slowly rose.
White Tiger's S-rank. Hwang Min-hyuk.
Yuna's bodycam zoomed in on him. He slowly looked around at the S-ranks surrounding him, taking a deep breath with a serious expression unlike before.
Then, he drew the spear from his back.
Thud.
The spear tip struck the marble floor. A sharp metallic ring echoed through the speakers.
- "Ah, damn... Four of you is a bit too much."
Those were the first words.