Chapter 20
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Guild Creation (2)
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Choi Si-woo, who had been about to head into the rift, paused.
Thinking it over, there was no need to show off inside the rift.
Si-woo held out his palm and summoned a gust of wind.
Han So-young's eyes widened at the display, on par with a C-rank hunter or a second-rate martial artist.
"Oh my god... C, C-rank?!"
Si-woo's shoulders shrugged nonchalantly.
"I told you."
Life sparked in Han So-young's eyes.
"For real... With this level, we could form a clan?"
A clan was a small group formed by low-level awakeners.
"Well... We'd have to start with a clan."
Si-woo laid out his plan.
"Let's lure that bastard Gal Sang-in out."
"Lure him?"
Killings happened frequently inside rifts. The Hunter Association's hands-off policy had only made it worse.
The Hunter Association didn't care what went on inside rifts.
They were already stretched thin just maintaining order outside.
Han So-young hesitated. It wasn't out of any moral qualms. Ever since monsters started pouring out of rifts, even fairy tales skipped the moral lessons.
On the contrary...
"Isn't the risk too high?"
Si-woo shook his head slightly.
"Think about that guy's personality."
She grimaced. Gal Sang-in's temperament came to mind—nothing good could be said about it, even as empty flattery.
Si-woo explained.
"Suppose we start a guild—or a clan, at least. I'm stronger than him, so no issue there... but what about the new awakeners we recruit? If he keeps interfering at every turn, nothing gets done."
Han So-young nodded after a moment's thought.
"Alright. So how do we do it?"
"First, we need to track his location."
Han So-young pondered.
"Location? Should we hit up an information broker?"
Si-woo pulled out his smartphone after a brief pause.
"Hold on."
Just in case, he dug through Gal Sang-in's SNS.
A photo popped up of some woman he'd snuck a shot of from behind.
[Blacklist Added]
Han So-young, if you accept this baggage bitch, it's war between us, got it?
I'm definitely gonna fuck her. Will leave a review after.
Brother, you're the man. Let's hit a rift together sometime.
Ugh, you crazy bastard.
Who the hell are you? Cough up your real name.
"What the...?"
It was a spectacle. The photo alone made it obvious it was Han So-young.
"Why?"
Han So-young glanced at the post, her brows furrowing.
"That psycho asshole... Haa... I really want to kill him."
Scrolling further revealed his location.
A photo with a foreign luxury car in the background. Another of him stylishly leaning against it, sipping coffee.
The familiar backdrop gave it away.
It was a rift hotspot in Gangwon Province, where minor low-grade rifts popped up frequently—and lately, even more so.
Si-woo's eyes gleamed.
"Found him."
He'd been ready to ask around or hire a broker if needed, but this was lucky.
Si-woo nodded and turned to Han So-young.
"Let's go."
Han So-young didn't hesitate any longer.
Gangwon Province.
Si-woo and Han So-young sat at a table, pulling out their coffee.
Gal Sang-in had already entered a rift. They'd chat about the guild while waiting for him to emerge.
"First, we need a way to ensure secrecy."
"Secrecy?"
"Yeah. My ability's a bit unique. If it gets out, every fly in the ointment will swarm us."
'If word spreads that I empower women through sex, every granny out there will come knocking.'
The mere thought was horrifying.
Pretty ones were fine, but some let themselves go without a care as they aged. And those types? They got scary strong.
"I see... So, a mana contract? Those aren't cheap, right?"
Han So-young rubbed her forehead. A contract backed by mutual mana would guarantee secrecy, but the scrolls cost a pretty penny.
"Isn't that a bit too strict? Feels like no one would join."
"Can't be helped at the start. That's why... we need to find people who are desperate."
"Desperate...?"
She nodded unconsciously. She knew all about desperation—her life had been a pit of despair until Si-woo showed up.
Besides, she still didn't fully grasp Si-woo's ability.
Han So-young asked him.
"So, you're hiding the C-rank thing too?"
"Nah, that's gotta go public. But just announcing it would be a waste—we'll sell it for top dollar."
"Sell it?"
"Who knows?"
As she tilted her head, about to respond, Si-woo cut in.
"He's out."
"Huh?"
Following his gaze, she spotted Gal Sang-in.
He'd just exited the rift and was selling loot with a few others.
Time to bait the hook. Si-woo told her,
"Just follow my lead for now. I'll handle it."
"O-okay."
Gal Sang-in retrieved the gear he'd left with the association staff and stretched.
A D-rank rift netted about 4 million won. Splitting with his four party members after clearing it left him with 1 million.
After consumables, a bit less—but still, 1 million won.
Insane pay for a day's work.
Gal Sang-in eyed the porter beside him with disdain.
The guy was drenched in sweat, hauling all sorts of gear. Even stuff a normal party would ditch, like entrails—they'd brought it all.
For Gal Sang-in's twisted amusement.
"Hey, you stink. Back off. Ugh, that rotten smell."
"...Yes, sorry."
Even inside the rift, the guy had seemed green as hell—a total newbie porter vibe. When told to grab the guts, he'd done it without a peep. Ironclad proof.
'Guys like this need a proper hazing.'
Gal Sang-in smirked.
"And your pay? Call it even with those guts."
The porter's eyes widened slightly.
"Pardon?"
"What? Sell 'em and you'll get 200k. You complaining?"
The porter panicked. To him, those guts were trash. And they were—soused in filth, unsellable.
"Uh...!"
Gal Sang-in lowered his voice menacingly.
"Ha! Hey! How many gigs you pulled?"
"Uh... three."
"Fucking newb. I should charge you for training, got it?"
The porter paled. No previous party had pulled this crap, amplifying his shock.
"S-sorry!"
Gal Sang-in eased up a tad.
"Tch. I'm going easy 'cause I pity you. Take the guts and scram."
The porter forced a smile, voice trembling as he asked,
"Um... Hunter Gal Sang-in, sir... where do I even sell these...?"
Gal Sang-in's face twisted in fury as he bellowed,
"How the hell should I know? Piss off!"
The porter slunk away, dejected.
Gal Sang-in cackled at his retreating back—then his eyes bulged.
"Huh?"
Two people were heading somewhere. One stood out big time.
His target porter chick. Gorgeous for a non-awakened civilian—he'd been working her hard.
But now...
"That crazy bitch...!"
The porter bitch was sneaking off to a rift without him.
'Who the fuck hooked her up?'
Gal Sang-in clenched his jaw, then said,
"Hey, settle up yourselves. I'm out."
His loot-selling buddy looked puzzled. The guy always pounded drinks—what gives?
"Wha? Where to? No booze?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
Gal Sang-in tailed Han So-young with an irritated scowl.
After a while, she stopped at a rift entrance with some guy.
'F-rank rift?'
Pestering the association staff with questions—she screamed newbie.
'Some asshole ignored my warning...!'
Gal Sang-in approached.
The newbie hunter's voice carried over.
"So... if I go in, no one else can, right?"
The staffer replied irritably, phoning it in.
"Yeah, yeah! God, didn't they teach you at the academy?"
"Ah! Sorry, my memory's fuzzy...!"
The newbie scratched his head awkwardly, glancing at the staffer.
"Is there a time limit?"
"Sigh... This one's six hours."
Each rift had its own timer—not a rift rule, but association policy.
To prevent breaks as much as possible.
No telling if the hunters inside lived or died, so limits based on rift size and difficulty.
Once up, next party enters.
Running into others inside meant trouble, so you had to exit first.
'Doesn't even know that? Total noob.'
Gal Sang-in's eyes lit up at the easy mark.
Up close, he recognized the guy.
'It's that porter punk.'
The rude one from before. Figured he vanished for a reason...
"Hey, you awakened or what?"
Si-woo frowned at Gal Sang-in's casual tone.
"What's with the attitude?"
Gal Sang-in's face warped.
"Awakened and suddenly too good for manners? Talking down to your senior?"
"What senior? Who the hell are you?"
Si-woo glared, pulling Han So-young close to his side. His eyes burned with hostility.
Crack.
Gal Sang-in's face flushed with rage.
"Fuck. Watch your mouth, punk. She hates it."
"Nah? So-young, you hate it?"
Seeing the bitch shake her head sent his blood boiling.
The type to glare just for talking to her—and now this!
'Slutty whore!'
Si-woo sneered at Gal Sang-in and turned away. To the visibly annoyed staffer, he said,
"Anyway, we're good to enter?"
The staffer waved them off lazily.
"Yeah, go ahead~."
Si-woo nodded and stepped toward the rift.
Gal Sang-in glared—then his eyes nearly popped as Si-woo smirked and grabbed Han So-young's ass hard.
Pain shot from his fist belatedly. Nails dug into his palm. He shook his head to clear it.
The punk was already inside.
Gritting his teeth, Gal Sang-in turned to the staffer.
"Hey, gimme that guy's info."
"Pardon? No can do."
He glared at the staffer clutching the tablet.
"Fuck, 1 mil—hand it over. What's the big secret? Little digging and it's all out anyway!"
"C'mon, I can't..."
The staffer resisted at first but relented slyly.
Gal Sang-in snatched the pad and scrolled fast.
'Awakening rank... F?'
His frozen scowl eased a bit.
'Crazy bastard. Awakened just a week ago? Body reinforcement? Ha...!'
Unbelievable.
"Hah!"
He'd clocked the punk as rude even as a porter—but this post-awakening?
'Time for some education. And that bitch as a bonus... Heh.'
To the staffer pretending nothing happened,
"Hey, clear out."
"Huh? You aren't going in, right? You'll get busted."
Lowlife bribe-taker yapping on. Asking for more cash.
"Another mil—scram."
"..."
The staffer rolled his eyes, then said,
"Not my business. Absolutely don't go in. Just gotta hit the john."
Yet he lingered—a sight to behold.
"Tch."
Gal Sang-in tossed over a wad from his wallet.
The staffer grinned, counting the mix of checks and cash.
Short of 2 mil, but plenty for stepping aside briefly.
"Gonna use the bathroom, so absolutely! Do not! Enter."
"Ha, annoying—get lost."
"..."
The staffer vanished.
Gal Sang-in scanned around, then grinned satisfied. Empty.
"Heh heh! You're dead meat, you fuck."