Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Grand Assembly Preparations
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The next day, Iron Fortress.
After about seventeen days of vacation, Yoo Seongwon and his group finally returned to Iron Fortress.
The first thing they did upon arrival was purchase the land around the Goblin Empire Dungeon area.
The dungeon entrance portal still existed, so they bought up the entire surrounding mountain to prevent anyone else from wandering in, planning to erect a wire fence as well.
"I'll provide mana stones, so sell them to raise funds. The land price should be cheap anyway since the dungeon hasn't been fully cleared yet."
"Just deliver the materials, and we'll start on the wire fence construction right away. It’ll also serve as adaptation training for the Heavenly Sword Army soldiers (goblins) to Korean terrain."
"Saves on construction costs and kills two birds with one stone. Oh, we need to register them as summons in the association's database. They can enter the sanctuary too, right?"
"Yes. The moment we registered them as our soldiers, they met the conditions to enter the sanctuary. We're even building new barracks inside. There's a water source too. Your Majesty can summon them anytime."
Of course, since they were replacements for the existing Heavenly Sword Army soldiers, summoning them did consume mana. But being able to call forth a thousand goblin soldiers at a far lower cost than high-difficulty spatial transfer magic or elite Heavenly Sword Army troops was a massive advancement.
The fact that they even had internal barracks and facilities inside was downright impressive.
"Hmm, I want to go in and check it out myself, but I can't. Man, it's my own sanctuary—why can't I enter it?"
"It's because you're a knight who hasn't taken the 'oath.'"
"Ah, that damn oath again! Maybe I should just make up some random vow!"
"It's the fate of a 'knight,' so that's not allowed, Your Majesty."
Putting aside the oath discussion, the Goblin Empire matter was roughly settled by prepaying mana stones to the goblin soldiers.
Now came the awkward agenda item: the grand assembly.
"Grand assembly. Like I said before, it's basically like a roll call for hunter guilds to gather everyone. Most guilds only need a representative, but all B-rank hunters and above must attend—no exceptions, even for Academia students."
"Oh yeah, I vaguely remember preparing for that once. But it wasn't frequent, so the details are fuzzy."
"Of course not—it's not something they do often. Only when the entire Korean hunter society is shaken up or in chaos, like now."
It was essential for distinguishing those living on the border between scavengers and hunters.
Sure, some attended only to slip into scavenger territory afterward, but gathering everyone to assert the association's authority and restore order among Korean hunters and guilds was the pressing issue at hand.
"Doing that won't really change anything, though... Anyway, since it's mandatory, we just need to bring everyone except Yoo-cheong and Jinseok, right?"
"That's right. I'm going too, so don't think about sneaking off anywhere."
"These kinds of gatherings are the worst for me—I don't wanna go. Hope a massive dungeon doesn't pop up out of nowhere. Or maybe that pastor causes another ruckus..."
"Is that something you should even say?"
Baek Ga-yeon snapped at him for casually voicing such a horrifying thought, but Yoo Seongwon didn't pay it much mind.
His real focus was pulling a list of other B-rank dungeons to raid with Noona So-mi and A-young. But Baek Ga-yeon approached and handed him a booklet.
"Here."
"What's this?"
"First grand assembly, right? Not everyone gathers in the same place just because all hunters are called. As you know, S-rank and above meet in a special room. It's the grand assembly guide. You should at least memorize the layout and schedule."
"Feels like prepping for war."
"If you call a skirmish a war, then yeah. You'll basically be the star of this grand assembly. The media, tons of hunters—they'll all be watching you. It's practically a stage set for you."
Not exactly a welcome stage, but Yoo Seongwon scratched his head in resignation, flipping through the booklet to prepare for tomorrow's event.
With full B-rank and above attendance required, that meant Shin So-mi and even Shin A-young had to go, so he decided to ask them about it.
"Noona So-mi, you've been to one of these, right? How was it?"
"The worst event ever. Oh, and heads up—foreigners show up too, so be extra careful. Neighboring countries' hunter industries pay close attention."
"Ah, I really don't wanna go..."
"You have to, even if you hate it. There's merit in gathering intel, and establishing hierarchy there makes things easier later. Look at how the Big Three guilds handled it."
As he listened, Yoo Seongwon kept staring at the booklet.
No matter how he looked at it, this grand assembly wouldn't pass without incident. Deciding to prepare as best he could, he resolved to summon the knights from the sanctuary.
***
The next day.
Seoul, Hyperion Tower.
This hotel, smack in the middle of downtown Seoul, was a 150-story supertall building funded by the Olympus Guild. It boasted luxury accommodations and leisure facilities, plus the guild's sky island docked overhead for easy resupply.
As expected from the world's top guild, it was massive, packed with amenities for every taste, and ironclad secure—making it a venue for all sorts of events beyond just grand assemblies.
But none shone brighter than this one, with hunters from across the nation mustered.
Trailers and vehicles from countless guilds flooded in, alongside riders on wolves, horses, and other beasts here and there.
Though their individual strengths varied, they were all hunters blessed and chosen by constellations, fighting in this world under their ambitions, goals, and stellar guidance.
Of course, scavengers were mixed in too.
"Hey, keep your eyes on the sky. No telling when the 'Golden Dragon Knight' will show."
"But will he really ride a dragon? Last time he came in a trailer just fine..."
"Grand assembly's special, so who knows. Anyway, get good shots. Something big's bound to drop today... Ah! Cross Pain Guild. Snap it quick. They look grim—must've taken heavy losses defending the barrier."
And while it was a hunter gathering, guests abounded beyond them.
Media crews had already set up cameras at the Hyperion Tower entrance, filming arriving guilds for articles.
Their reports doubled as gossip and official attendance records submitted to the association later.
"Senior, it's extra packed today, huh?"
"Yeah, more than the usuals showed up... Look over there and there. Gyeongsang governor, Jeolla governor, tons of execs too. They don't normally come."
"Oh, really? Must be because of that incident spawning runaway hunters?"
"Yep. One of the two southern S-ranks bailed... One guild got wiped out completely. Kicking that pastor out won't fix it. Damage is severe. At this rate, our small country's gonna shrink even more."
The longstanding balance between capital and regional safety finally crumbled in this war with Choi Choong-seon's defection.
Facing the Slaughter King constellation's onslaught, the northern defenses got heavy support while the south's pillar—one of two holding balance—vanished.
The government viewed it gravely, attempting contact with Hunter Choi Choong-seon nonstop before the assembly, to no avail.
"Tsk tsk tsk, should've paid attention sooner—instead of scrambling now..."
"Hunter Jeon Ji-ah was pissed too, blasting it on the news... But nothing came of it."
"Same as COVID—skimping on the frontline workers leads to this mess. Tsk tsk."
"What happens next?"
"After roll call, probably a big meeting. One thing's sure... We can't keep coasting like this."
Just looking at S-ranks: Choi's exit tipped the scales, Jeon Ji-ah showed ominous signs, and Seoul's two—Oh Kyung-hoon and Park Soon-won—had vanished without a trace. Drastic measures were needed.
Of course, the government and association folks knew it too, just as this senior reporter predicted.
"Speaking of, time's ticking—when's the Golden Dragon Knight showing? Holding out till the end like the star, huh?"
"Looks like he's planning to be late on purpose."
"Wonder what secrets he's hiding to stay so shrouded. Tsk, no clue on his constellation, goals, or direction..."
He'd attended just one association meeting ever—the Golden Dragon Knight Yoo Seongwon's existence was veiled in mystery.
Digging into his Academia staff days yielded only faint impressions of a quiet, diligent worker.
Beyond that? He'd been at a now-defunct association shelter, long gone without records.
"This reeks of a scoop... Tsk."
"Nothing there means the only play is an interview."
"Interview him and you might lose your life? Hey! Over there! Blue Dragon Guild! Snap it—SS-rank promotion's probably coming up... Get more shots."
"Got it. Guess it's starting soon... So when does Yoo Seongwon show? Think he'll skip?"
"Not impossible. After those Shin-Gangnam bigwigs botched that 1-trillion deal. Taking 500 billion and locking the accounts like a belt—pathetic."
Tensions lingered from Yoo Seongwon's Shin-Gangnam incident; he might well boycott.
Even legally, toggling accounts on and off like that would piss off any normal person.
"If he doesn't show, we'll write it up accordingly..."
"Senior, over there—an old-model trailer! That one!"
"He's here! He's here! He's here! Chase it!"
Speak of the devil—an old, rugged trailer rumbled toward them from afar.
Reporters, officials with business for Yoo Seongwon, association staff rushing to greet him—they all swarmed the trailer.
Hyperion Tower staff radioed frantically, converging like it was an emergency.
Then, at the now-deserted entrance, a taxi pulled up and someone stepped out.
"8,500 won."
"Wow, barely any traffic on the way... Now it's jammed. Here you go."
The one emerging from the taxi was none other than Yoo Seongwon.
He smirked at the stampede of people charging like a herd of grazing animals—exactly as expected.
Loathing interviews and tedious talks, he'd gotten off early en route and slipped in quietly by cab.
Dressed in a suit, sporting sunglasses, hair styled up with wax—he was unrecognizable unless you knew him well.
"...Haa~ Dodged one hassle. Now for the real deal? Hoo..."
Not even entering a dungeon, yet tension gripped him.
He'd helped with major hunter and guild events as an Academia staffer, so it hadn't fazed him then. But as the main act now? Nerves hit hard.
Praying the roll call passed smoothly, Yoo Seongwon steeled himself and entered Hyperion Tower.