Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Seoul's Underpants Runner
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The next day.
The battle in Shin Gangnam sparked by the Golden Demon Knight hadn't resulted in massive civilian casualties or deaths.
Only five Golden Demon Knights had clashed with the Seoul Guild, with virtually no civilian harm, leading to around 700 injuries in total.
But the damage from this fight left wounds as deep as any war.
"Seoul Guild can't even call itself one of the Big Three anymore. What a disgrace."
"I hear all the kids who wanted to join Seoul Guild are scrambling to switch to Blue Dragon or Olympus."
"Yeah, no kidding."
The ripple effects were felt most acutely here in the Heaven Class classroom at Academia.
Students aiming for Seoul Guild had cut ties upon hearing of yesterday's defeat, paying penalties to jump ship elsewhere. Those with family connections to the guild were suddenly treated like criminals, heads bowed in shame within a single day.
"Anyone know what happened to the student council president?"
"Nah. He vanished. Honestly, I'd dip too. Heh."
"That idiot In-woo aside, all the pure-blood Shin Gangnam kids got wrecked, right? They couldn't touch the Heaven Class folks, but everyone below got smashed flat. Hehehe."
"Karma's a bitch. Those smug bastards ran their mouths, so they had to pay up. Even the instructors and teachers are in chaos right now..."
In just one day, the pecking order was shifting dramatically.
But Seoul Guild faced an even bigger blow...
Something was wrong with Guild Master Park Soon-won, whom they'd barely rescued.
Plunged into despair after the defeat, he'd fallen asleep—only to wake feeling heavy, drained of strength throughout his body.
He opened his status window, and there it was: a shocking message.
"What... what the hell is this?"
[You fled the battlefield and sullied your 'chivalry.' Until you sincerely apologize to the 'Golden Demon Knight' who honorably faced you in combat, you will not be treated as a 'knight.']
[Price of Dishonor - As you are no longer a 'knight,' all 'knight' skills are sealed. Temporary class name 'Seoul's Underpants Runner' applied.]
"No way! What is this crap? These shitty stats? My skills... my skills!"
[Class: Seoul's Underpants Runner]
[Stats]
Str: 105 Dex: 85 Vit: 120 Mag: 75
[Held Skills]
(Heroic) Honor of the Guardian Knight (Sealed)
(Heroic) Symbol of Courage (Sealed)
(Rare) Crest of Great Magic - Increases resistance to all magic.
(Legendary) Oath of Seoul's Protection (Sealed)
(Heroic) Knight's Mount (A+) (Sealed)
(Rare) Phantom Swordsmanship (Sealed)
And so on...
Every skill he checked was the same.
All knight-related skills sealed, a handful left—but his stats had plummeted to C-rank Hunter level. He was no longer S-rank.
"Damn it! Damn iiiit! Golden Demon Knight, was this that bastard's doing? What the hell do I do now?"
The shock was devastating, like losing everything. Park Soon-won glared at the status window, veins bulging in his eyes.
The unsealing condition? Track down the Golden Demon Knight and apologize.
Fail that, and he'd live out his days as a C-rank with that humiliating class name.
"Haa~ How do I even find that guy to apologize? Damn it!"
For an S-rank Hunter like him, C-rank was unacceptable.
He needed to revert ASAP—which meant finding the Golden Demon Knight.
His head throbbed at the thought when an unfamiliar voice came from beside him.
"No need for that."
"Huh? Gah! Kyung-hoon, you little punk, since when?!"
"I've been here a while. Guild Master—no, Mr. Seoul's Underpants Runner. Sigh~ We went through the trouble of saving you, and this is how you end up? Stats tanked too."
"That Golden Demon Knight did this. Some chivalry penalty sealed most of my skills..."
"Downgraded to C-rank Hunter, huh. Got it. So, what's the fix? Call a curse remover? Need a sacrifice? Magic stone? Cash? Let's lift it quick and get back to work. Shit’s hitting the fan."
In an era with Constellations, curses and penalties were everyday stuff—no big shock.
But this wasn't something a quick fix could handle, leaving Park Soon-won awkward.
"No way it's unliftable?"
"Not unliftable, just... can't say. Heh heh. Anyway, what's first on the agenda? You're swamped, right? Spill."
Park Soon-won sweated coldly, steering the topic fast.
Apologizing wasn't just mumbling "sorry"—the damn Golden Demon Knight had to accept it. Practically impossible.
Finding him was one thing; rejection meant permanent sealing.
'No one knows yet. Better keep it that way.'
Sure, C-rank with dungeon experience wasn't useless—but after years as S-rank, demotion was unthinkable.
"Handle this first, then. Guild Master resignation papers. Can't tout a C-rank, so let's knock this out."
"...R-right. Injury recovery and training in seclusion?"
"That'll do."
Losing an S-rank was a massive hit to the guild.
Fudging the reason was standard to hide it.
They were already mocked by the Big Three elite, but to avoid scorn from lesser guilds, this was mandatory.
He finished the resignation docs, handed them to Oh Kyung-hoon, and asked for the next.
But Oh Kyung-hoon pocketed them and hesitated.
"Come on, keep 'em coming. Aren't we slammed?"
"Nope. All done. Go rest up."
"W-wait, what?!"
"About your status window, Guild Master? I can see it fine with my buffs. Not just me—everyone I buffed in that party knows too. Even the part about apologizing to the Golden Demon Knight."
Park Soon-won's face drained of color at Oh Kyung-hoon's words.
Resignation smoothly handed off—no more use for him. The next step was obvious.
Apologizing to lift the seal? Near impossible. No future for Guild Master Park Soon-won.
"But we can't let on we've lost an S-rank yet, so officially, you're in 'closed-door training.'"
"...And unofficially?"
"You already embarrassed us losing to that Golden Demon Knight... We'll just 'hide' you so you don't get caught wandering."
"Hey, hold up! Can't you just launder my identity? Class name's changed, so tweak the Association records... Wait! Hold on!"
No debate. Oh Kyung-hoon approached the former Guild Master silently.
Even as a support S-rank, overpowering a dropped C-rank Park Soon-won was effortless.
He subdued and knocked him out in seconds, then called staff to freeze him in a coffin and stash him in the guild basement's rare item vault.
"Would be easier to bury him, but if that 'Golden Demon Knight' dies, the seal might lift. So, cryo it is. Kinda jealous, honestly."
Seoul Guild was already gutted from yesterday's loss—fatal wound, blood pouring.
Without fast first aid, no survival.
Sponsor families were whispering of Shin Gangnam's collapse, so Oh Kyung-hoon had to stem it somehow.
Envious of Park Soon-won sleeping soundly in ice, he sighed and headed to his office.
***
Same time.
Yoo Seong-won had slept soundly in a cheap Seoul motel.
Unsure what might go down at the dorm, he figured watching from outside was safer.
"Tons of texts from A-young and Mom. Hmm~ Kinda weird having people worry."
Messenger and SMS piled high. He scratched his head.
He'd suggested laying low to gauge how the Association, government, and guilds handled the Shin Gangnam fallout.
Returning early might burden them.
"For now~ Better stay quiet, maybe head to the provinces?"
He had an alibi from Chairman Bae's place, but suspicion has no end.
Seeking max safety, he pondered leaving Seoul.
Plus, Seoul Guild's fall from the Big Three meant reordering Seoul's power—and he wanted no part in Shin Gangnam chaos.
"Diving into a C-rank dungeon planless in this mess? Recipe for more chaos."
At level 45, max for D-rank, Yoo Seong-won needed C-rank next.
But prime C-ranks—high profit vs. difficulty—were auctioned fiercely.
Decent magic stones baseline; luck out with wyvern or drake, snag scales too. Blood for high-end potions. Worth buying at auction.
'Might draw heat stepping in recklessly?'
Conversely, swooping on sinking Seoul Guild tempted—but his average Joe instincts shied from risk.
"Anyway, going dark is baseline... but gotta do something."
Lazing hidden felt off, so he pondered in the motel.
Something needed, something for him... His mind drifted from motel to dorm to "his own house."
'My house. My house, my house... Yeah! Why didn't I think of this?'
The common man's dream! Hope! Homeownership! Excitement surged.
My nest! My haven! My bed! My sanctuary!
'Yeah. Mountains and national parks in provinces are dirt cheap now due to poor management. I can afford it. Nah! Got manpower(?), why not build? Perfect! Outfit with facilities, no civilization gap! Transport? Pfft, easy!'
Realizing this wasn't just fantasy but doable, his eyes sparkled as plans formed.