Chapter 133
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: Origin Strike
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Same time.
In the topmost floor of the Association headquarters, the high-ranking executives had gathered around a massive table.
Every one of them was a heavyweight who could barely be budged from their seat.
Beyond the enormous glass windows stretched the sprawling grounds of the Association.
"In the end, just two, huh?"
One of the executives seated on the outer side glanced down at the documents that had just come up for approval.
Hovering before him were the profiles of the two new counselor candidates Yoo Seon-woo was set to evaluate today.
"I see a familiar face."
One executive looked across the table at a man with a satisfied expression.
"Practically a shoo-in already."
The man nodded in agreement.
"We picked the best ones, so we won't have to hang our hopes on a single counselor anymore. They'd make fine faces for the organization too."
"Our current counselor's got that great mask vibe going, but he's too passive, all work and no show... Hard to push him forward."
"Still, things worked out pretty well, didn't they?"
Someone else chimed in.
"Landing two S-rank hunters at once... That's unprecedented in Association history."
The mood in the conference room lightened instantly.
"Hahaha! You're right!"
"No kidding, it's one for the books."
"Gotta hand it to Team Leader Kim for all the hard work—or should I say, soon-to-be Scouting Division Head? The report makes it sound like you went the whole three visits courtesy."
"Haha..."
Kim Team Leader... and soon-to-be Scouting Division Head.
But the praise wasn't landing on the man it was meant for.
It was going to the current Scouting Team Leader, Park Team Leader.
He'd been awkwardly shoved into this high-level meeting out of nowhere. Sweating bullets, he had no idea what was going on.
"Turning down a spot like this to go straight out and convince those S-rank hunters..."
The executives' compliments were aimed at Kim Team Leader.
Park was just the subordinate sacrificed to his boss's showmanship.
"......"
Park Team Leader recalled past events.
The massive recent news.
His scouting team had undeniably brought in those two S-rank hunters.
But then, out of nowhere, Kim Team Leader from the Main Line—who'd earned merits handling the Chain Hell incident—had descended on them.
He'd declared himself the interim division head and taken over all scouting operations.
In truth, Park's team hadn't done a thing to recruit the S-rank hunters.
They'd walked in on their own.
And the contract process? A total disaster.
They'd been dragged around by Hunter Seol Yu-wol constantly, and most clauses were ones they could read but didn't fully grasp.
Contract-wise, they'd gotten royally screwed.
Stove league deadline, one minute to go.
When the counteroffer hit—riddled with vague clauses scribbled in red pen—he had no choice but to stamp it.
Way too much to check in sixty seconds.
Letting S-rank hunters slip away would've meant stripping down to his underwear, career-wise. No options there.
So the legal team was only now combing through for any nasty catches.
Park hadn't even expected credit for it.
It was all thanks to Counselor Yoo Seon-woo.
Internally, they'd discussed this bizarre phenomenon a lot, but concluded it was just " inexplicable human affinity," and left it at that.
So Park's sole strategy was this:
'Do whatever the hunters want.'
'Don't... upset them.'
Because the one person who could rein in these untouchables was Counselor Yoo Seon-woo.
That's when he'd reported the compiled data to the incoming division head.
"Team Leader, one thing I can say for sure is that the hunters are here for Counselor Yoo Seon-woo's protection..."
Kim Team Leader smoothly cut him off with a smile.
"Haha, Park Team Leader, come on, does that make any sense?"
"...Pardon?"
"What, two women—S-rank hunters at that—joining the Association for one counselor?"
"......"
"What counselor casts Incubus or Succubus charm? No way."
Park had thought the same at first. But the data pointed clearly otherwise.
That's when he tried to convince him.
"But that's—"
Kim dismissed Park's analysis outright.
"It's all excuses."
"Just a ploy for the S-rank hunters to seize Association interests."
Using high-value asset Counselor Yoo Seon-woo as a shield.
A sophisticated power play where equally valuable S-rank hunters teamed up to carve out their faction inside the Association.
"Convenient, right? Two S-rank hunters showing up out of the blue... All planned."
"........."
"I'll handle the report."
So Park's report got snatched and filed away in a drawer.
"Trust me, Park Team Leader."
...Right there in the middle of the conference room, Park relived that day.
'This isn't about trust.'
That's the conclusion he reached.
These old fogeys sitting here...
They were seriously misunderstanding something big.
He wiped his pouring sweat and clamped his mouth shut.
And on top of that.
With Kim filing the report, all contract responsibility fell on him.
Legal's clause review halted right then.
"......Sorry it turned out this way."
Hope you handle it well.
After resolving the Chain Hell.
Riding high on upper management's favor.
Sniffing out the opportunity perfectly.
He'd joined as Scouting Division Head...
And claimed credit for both S-rank hunters.
On paper, anyway.
In reality, he'd done zilch... but the reports made it all his doing.
This would be the last step.
If he could snag operational control over the tethered S-rank hunters...
His future wouldn't end at division head.
They'd hired more counselors.
Originally planned for ten, but two would do.
Especially since one was upper management's acquaintance. Perfect.
So with high hopes, he'd pushed this forward.
Just wrap up the final negotiation.
But.
That vain hope shattered the moment he reviewed the contract.
Article 19, Clause 15: In the event of any act intended to harm the counselor, immediately origin-strike the perpetrator.
"......"
Article 25, Clause 19: Any attempt to separate the counselor from protective personnel shall be deemed an act of harm.
Seol Yu-wol read the clauses slowly, deliberately.
Kim Team Leader felt his vision go white as they sank in.
Individually, no issue. Combined...
Absurd.
"W-wait a second, Hunter... That's an overreach..."
"Do you know what origin strike means?"
Seol Yu-wol pressed on undeterred.
"You're the one trying to separate them, so... the root target is the Association."
She turned to gaze at the main building outside the window.
It looked awfully small today.
"Think I can't?"
"No! No, that's not—"
Kim, drenched in cold sweat, barely calmed her and continued.
But it wasn't over.
"Separate? Answer again."
The contract brimmed with unsolvable clauses.
Things were getting dire.
[Article 26, Clause 1: Threat Identification and Response]
[The protector (Seol Yu-wol) has the right to perform close protection on the protectee (Yoo Seon-woo) based solely on their independent judgment upon detecting a threat (per Article 14), bypassing the command structure of the Association (Party A).]
What did this mean?
Practically, Hunter Seol Yu-wol was Association staff... but really Yoo Seon-woo's secretary.
If rain threatened a cold for Yoo Seon-woo, rain was the harm.
She could independently stick right to him for close protection.
She just hadn't yet.
"Answer."
No more hiding.
Contracts couldn't control this from the start.
"Oh, and."
-Scritch...
Seol Yu-wol underlined another.
[Article 28 (Information Control and Psychological Stability Protection)]
[1. All performance evaluations of the protector (Seol Yu-wol) under this contract are limited to internal Association (Party A) documents.]
[2. Any direct reporting or discussion with the protectee (Yoo Seon-woo) regarding the protector's duties, style, personality, or contract details shall be deemed an act harming the protectee's psychological stability and attempting to sever trust with the protector.]
"Don't go to Counselor Yoo Seon-woo for consultations or adjustments."
In other words, no tattling to the soft-hearted counselor after getting slapped.
Just keep taking it.
"Violating Article 28 especially... I'll strike without warning."
No reply.
Backing all this was the Azure Heaven Alliance.
The Azure Heaven Alliance had recently evolved into the mega-force Shin Jung-won.
Like aftershocks after a quake: Seol Yu-wol strikes, Shin Jung-won follows.
An Association without S-rank hunters couldn't withstand origin strikes from either.
And this was all in the contract Kim himself had signed off on.
He hadn't signed, but responsibility was his.
Claim the glory, bear the burden.
Seol Yu-wol would act purely legally.
'No way she'd actually do it?'
With his last shred of reason, Kim eyed Seol Yu-wol's empty gaze.
-Shing...
The sword came out.
"......"
"Answer."
Non-negotiable.
Her eyes said it all.
This woman would do it, no question.
His neck felt like it was on the block.
"S-sorry. L-let's... just pretend it never happened."
In the end, Kim bowed his head and fled the negotiation room like a coward.