Chapter 20
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 020
Chapter Title: A New Era (2)
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The world was abuzz with excitement over the judgment passed on the great evil known as the Hunter Management Bureau, showering praise on the heroes who had accomplished this feat.
Anticipation for the new era they would usher in had drawn massive media attention to this grand assembly.
However, as is often the case with worldly affairs, appearances rarely match reality.
For the heroes actually sitting in the meeting room, notions like justice or grand causes were little more than afterthoughts.
"Finally, a seat worth savoring."
A venue for rewarding merits.
In other words, a place to divvy up the vested interests once held by the Hunter Management Bureau.
That was the true meaning of this assembly for the attending guild masters.
At the center of the meeting room stood a massive round table.
Somewhere among them sat a middle-aged man with copper-toned skin, lounging crookedly like a black panther.
Park Tae-woon, owner of Black Moon Guild.
The third S-Rank hunter in Korea.
Even clad in an expensive branded suit and a wristwatch worth hundreds of billions, his innate presence shone through undimmed. He grinned slyly, sneering at the man across from him.
"How'd our esteemed elder manage to drag his heavy ass all the way from Busan? Should've taken it easy. What is this, elder abuse?"
His target was Ha Gwon-seung of Heavenly Fire Guild.
The elderly man in flowing white robes had succeeded inaugural Director Cheon Jun-ho as the second S-Rank, and was currently the longest-serving S-Rank hunter active.
"You traveled far yourself. To a backwater with no decent entertainment, by the looks of it."
"Gwangju's just fine. Guess us provincial folk from Seoul think that's all there is to the world."
"Hard to believe, isn't it? That a man of your lacking dignity has fun spots to crawl into all across the country. Quite the tragedy."
The sharp exchange between the two froze the room's atmosphere.
Of course, even among these major guilds, before Athena rose to match their standing, Korea's hunter guilds had been divided between Heavenly Fire and Black Moon.
With those two growling at each other, no one else could easily lighten the mood, grand assembly or not.
Then, a woman stepped in to mediate.
"Enough, both of you. We're not here to fight."
Her skin was fair, her hair jet-black—a striking contrast that drew the eye first. Her slender build and long limbs gave a refreshingly cool impression.
The woman tapping away at her smartphone with emotionless, almost vacant eyes was Jin Ha-seo.
Chair of Athena Guild, one of the big three, and publicly hailed as Korea's youngest S-Rank awakener and the face of the next generation.
But her intervention didn't land much impact.
Trouble brewed from elsewhere.
"Talking like she's the star of the show."
Baek Geun-ho of Marang Guild.
Tae-woon snorted at the jab.
Ha-seo's brow furrowed ever so slightly.
What followed was a voice laced with clear irritation, yet ringing pure and bright.
"Better than someone who only knows how to raise their voice."
"Yeah, paperwork rejected."
"Yes, deficit guild."
"Yup, Goddess of Gates~"
"Yes, thug mutt sir."
No one in the room was unaware that Geun-ho, usually cordial to others, turned aggressively sharp only toward Ha-seo.
Why they snarled whenever their faces met? Explaining would dredge up their ugly history in the hunter community—keyboard warrior battles under nicknames like 'Lone Wolf Baek Geun-ho' and 'Gangbuk's Strongest,' culminating in mutual lawsuits. Best left buried here.
Whatever the case, the mood grew even more tense.
The guild masters from other regions desperately hoped someone would break the ice.
It was then.
『Please don't fight in the meeting room!』
A pop echoed from the teddy bear on the podium.
Unlike its comical appearance, this monster was said to match an S-Rank hunter single-handedly.
Jeong-woo had apparently brought it along as a safety measure to moderate the atmosphere before the meeting.
The bear flipped the placard it held, revealing the message on the back to them.
Geun-ho scratched his head vigorously.
Impressively, even amid the frenzy, he scratched along the grain of his oiled-back hair without messing it up.
"Tch, can't ignore a request from Jeong-woo ham."
"You're at least seven years older than Hunter Jeong-woo."
"Older than me? Ham it is."
"Then I'm your big sis too. To you."
"Paperwork rejected, and now you're sulking."
"I wasn't done talking..."
Another round of bickering.
But the tension eased quickly.
"Enough."
It was Ha Gwon-seung, the eldest, mediating.
A pointed remark on the situation.
"This is a negotiation table. Unless your petty intent is to provoke emotions in your opponents, stop there."
As he said, this guild assembly was created to carve up the fallen Hunter Management Bureau's interests.
And beyond just slicing the pie, at its root...
"A new Hunter Management Bureau could even emerge."
It was a venue to check the Anomalous Disaster Response Agency and Jeong-woo at the center of it all.
Today, they had to avoid offending each other as much as possible.
With the initiative on territorial division still tilted toward the other side, the guilds were allied at this primary stage.
Geun-ho, uncomfortable with such political maneuvering, pouted, but he didn't push back hard.
His words rang true, after all.
The mood stiffened again, and Black Moon's Park Tae-woon spoke up.
"I don't want much. Just secure Gangseo for my turf. Elder should be content with Seocho-gu, right? Ha-seo takes Gangbuk as usual. And if we stretch a bit further..."
His sly smile led into a topic that drew nods from the guild masters.
"Third Gate management rights. That thing the Bureau swung around arbitrarily by planting their lackeys. Isn't snatching that our common goal?"
It wasn't an exaggeration to say it was the guilds' top priority.
With the biggest stakes in gates and hunters on the line, that's why they'd rushed here.
Ultimately, one issue remained.
"How much will Korea's strongest, Mr. Jeong-woo, concede? How hard do we push? That's what we need to figure out here..."
The initiative inevitably lay with the Anomalous Disaster Response Agency, backed by greater cause.
They couldn't shove raw power in its face.
Jeong-woo's performances so far had already proven who the undisputed top hunter would be.
The format would be Jeong-woo proposing, and the guilds negotiating down to agreement.
"Let's do this right. Don't let infighting cost us our bowls."
It was then.
"He's coming."
Click.
Click.
In the silence, the sound of heels echoed like tolling bells.
It grew nearer.
Tension etched across the guild masters' faces.
Then, with a slide of the door, he appeared.
Tall stature, gentle features with smiling eyes and a friendly face that easily won favor.
Yet, to those present, he was an astute operator, masterful at shaping political landscapes.
He spoke.
"Sorry I'm late. Wanted to arrive ten minutes early, but ended up right on time."
"Oh! Jeong-woo ham! Long time no see!!!"
"Good to see you, Geun-ho. Oh, Segi loved that shark doll. Thank you."
"Haha! No biggie!"
With light ice-breaking chatter, he moved to the podium.
The teddy bear, which had stood blankly until then, stepped aside.
Jeong-woo tapped the mic and spoke.
"Then, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Hunter Jeong-woo of the Anomalous Disaster Response Agency, overseeing the current emergency disaster response. My thanks to all the guild masters who traveled far to be here..."
His smile deepened.
"And with that, the grand assembly begins now."
Thus began the meeting that would shape the future of Korea's hunter world.
To the guild masters, Jeong-woo appeared as a shrewd operator masterfully dominating the room without a flicker of hesitation.
But inside, under their gaze, his true feelings differed slightly.
'Gotta look unflappable.'
With goals set, he had to steel himself.
Feigning composure, but before regression, Jeong-woo had been merely a C-Rank exploration team leader in a minor guild.
Now, by chance, he'd reached a position summoning Korea's hunter pinnacle together.
He refused to be the petty type whose neck stiffened at sudden elevation, yet considerable tension welled up regardless.
Still, no time for fumbling now.
About to take the first step, he couldn't afford mistakes here.
For Segi.
For himself, to live a better future with Segi.
Jeong-woo calmed his nerves and opened his mouth.
"First, thank you for your cooperation in counter-terrorism and investigations. Things have been chaotic; I couldn't express my gratitude sooner."
At that moment, Black Moon's Park Tae-woon grinned and cut in.
"We didn't come here for charity work, so no worries. Shall we get to the main point?"
A barbed remark.
Regarding how to split the Hunter Management Bureau's interests, it demanded mutually satisfying compensation.
He was right.
No such thing as free labor.
The world called hunters heroes, but now it was a business packaging that heroic image as merchandise.
They were here to deal.
Reminded of that, Jeong-woo replied.
"Yes, to the main topic. The Anomalous Disaster Response Agency has taken over the various operations and management systems previously run by the Hunter Management Bureau."
"Decision-making rights, you mean?"
"Yes, various minor things, but the core boils down to two. Mana-related business approvals. And Third Gate management guild selections."
The atmosphere sharpened.
They could feel skin-deep how badly these men craved it.
The next instant, Heavenly Fire's Ha Gwon-seung spoke up.
"I don't ask for much. Just autonomous business rights in Seocho-gu, where Heavenly Fire's main branch is."
Park Tae-woon piled on.
"Gangseo-gu for me. Unlike some others, we followed gate management rules even under the Bureau's reign, didn't we? Fair demand, I'd say."
Several guild masters nodded in agreement.
The mood seemed to be shifting their way.
But consider this.
Was handing it over straightforwardly truly beneficial?
Would letting them become the new vested interests yield a better future?
'No.'
Jeong-woo knew it. Director Jin Ho-jong knew it too.
It was the lesser evil, not the best path.
Jeong-woo stated.
"Denied."
The air crackled and froze.
Delivered with a casual smile, as if stating the obvious, the guild masters' faces blanked in disbelief.
Then came the clincher from Jeong-woo's lips.
"Why would I? Who knows what you'd do with it."
"Mr. Jeong-woo, what do you..."
"Splitting business rights amicably? That's no pretty picture."
The mood turned ugly, Park Tae-woon veining his forehead, eyes gleaming as he spat.
"...Making enemies of us? This a 'kill the dog after the hunt' move?"
"Of course not. We'll maintain good relations with you all moving forward. That's why we're here."
"Doesn't sound like it."
Fair enough, it could come across that way.
After all, vested interests.
These men gathered for spoils.
How would they take "no reward"?
No deep thought needed to see it wouldn't end well.
So, something to give them.
Something beneficial to the Anomalous Disaster Response Agency and Jeong-woo too.
A vision for that was needed.
And conveniently, Jeong-woo had one.
'You earned it.'
Fundamentally, they'd reached the goal of the Bureau's downfall, but the process diverged from his pre-regression history.
Originally near-solo by the Agency, now a joint front with guilds.
Butterfly effect: now forced to share those interests with them.
How to balance it for stable power dynamics?
The conclusion from endless deliberation with Ho-jong.
Jeong-woo asked.
"Satisfied with that?"
"What?"
"This fingernail-sized Seoul. Divvying up gates properly within it. That's all you want?"
Tae-woon's brow furrowed.
The others wiped prior expressions, faces alight with curiosity.
"Talking like you can offer something grand, Hunter Jeong-woo."
Ha Gwon-seung's question deepened Jeong-woo's smile.
Of course he was confident.
The perfect reward for these greedy lot already lay on this peninsula.
"Build up expectations and deliver nothing? That'd be no fun..."
"North Korean land."
The room iced over in an instant.
"Reclaimed fallen North Korea. Divided up after recovery—wouldn't that satisfy you all?"
The big three guilds reacted first, staring at Jeong-woo in wide-eyed shock.
Then Park Tae-woon asked.
"For real?"
"Yes."
Jeong-woo understood their shock.
It was inevitable.
"We will challenge the heroes' feats."
The eroded zone of North Korea.
The place that swallowed inaugural Director Cheon Jun-ho, an indelible scar of despair on this nation.