Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Can't Afford a Single Day's Delay
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Delaying by even a day could mean more people dying.
Tyrant might have lost its Knupples after the bar raid, so they could be rushing to pull back.
That was why Kang Jin-hyuk believed they had to raid Tyrant's branch—where they were making Alraune's return pills—before the day was out.
Fortunately, Titan agreed.
Not long after, a car pulled up in front of his house to pick up Kang Jin-hyuk.
Having gotten the heads-up in advance, Kang Jin-hyuk grabbed his inventory items and got in the car with Lucia.
The Titan hunter driving immediately voiced his suspicion.
"Who's this?"
The driver's eyes were fixed on Lucia.
She had her face covered with a mask to avoid any hassle, which made her look suspicious at first glance.
Given that this involved Alraune's return pills and the Tyrant Guild, it was only natural to suspect any outsiders for secrecy reasons.
Kang Jin-hyuk replied in as casual a tone as possible to ease the man's doubts.
"A friend who's been digging into this case with me. No need to worry."
"Then at least show her face."
"She has scars on her face, so she covers up. Showing it would be..."
Kang Jin-hyuk and Lucia exchanged pitiful looks, putting on a show. The driver clicked his tongue and turned away.
"You're the tipster, so I'll trust you won't stab us in the back."
The driver's words were exactly what Kang Jin-hyuk wanted to throw right back at him.
But he didn't feel like starting a pissing contest with arguments already. He swallowed it down.
With the talk over, the driver sped out of the city.
Lucia, fascinated by her first car ride, tugged at Kang Jin-hyuk's sleeve with sparkling eyes.
When he turned, she whispered softly.
"This horseless carriage is so fast. Is it powered by a skill?"
"No, it runs on fuel."
"Fuel? Like lard?"
Kang Jin-hyuk shook his head to say no, then struggled with how to explain.
If he dove into petroleum, he'd worry whether this half-elf even knew about dinosaurs and fossils.
He might end up tracing back to the birth of the Earth.
Deciding it was better to brush it off, he did.
"Not that kind of fuel—something else. I don't know the details."
"Tsk tsk. You don't even know about this amazing carriage? Study up before you live."
Kang Jin-hyuk bristled at Lucia's words.
Sure, he'd avoided studying since high school.
And yeah, that meant no fancy college either.
Still, it stung.
He couldn't vent to Lucia anyway, since they barely communicated.
To satisfy his curiosity, he turned to the driver.
"By the way, you sure bought my story quick."
"You mean the human trafficking?"
"Yeah. Most people would dismiss it as rumor, but here you are, backing me up."
"I'm just following the guild master's orders."
Truth be told, the driver wanted nothing to do with Kang Jin-hyuk personally.
Ruining the guild's reputation and hospitalizing an A-rank hunter wasn't something he'd overlook easily.
He was keeping quiet only because he knew Titan had started the beef.
"But that's not the only reason, is it?"
As Kang Jin-hyuk pressed, the driver's eyebrow twitched.
"Why do you think that?"
"I heard the ones joining this op volunteered."
If they truly distrusted his info, no one would've stepped up.
Kang Jin-hyuk was convinced there was more to it.
Caught out, the driver shrugged in surrender.
"Honestly... I've long thought Tyrant was the type to traffic people."
Where there's smoke, there's fire.
Tyrant had always toed the line, walking a tightrope. Nothing they did would surprise anyone.
Rumors even swirled that the serial killer targeting big-guild hunters lately was one of theirs.
"I've hated those bastards for a while. Felt like giving them a smackdown."
"You mean legally beating them up."
"Exactly."
A guild that relied on brute size naturally pissed off other factions.
From Titan's view, they'd wanted to do it sooner.
"Exposing their trafficking site big-time means they can't complain even if we thrash them."
The driver grinned, assuming Tyrant would get one-sidedly wrecked.
But Kang Jin-hyuk saw it differently.
What would cornered thugs who rushed in without thinking do?
'No brainer—they'd go to full war.'
He still kept that possibility in mind from before.
"What if Tyrant comes for revenge?"
"We fight. What choice?"
"Confident you'll win?"
"Honestly, our current forces might struggle. But we've got something to rely on."
The driver's cocky attitude piqued Kang Jin-hyuk's interest.
"Like what?"
He asked just in case, and the driver smirked.
"One exec's in contact with an S-rank hunter."
"For real? Who?"
"Can't say that much. This is already a big scoop."
Even allies had limits—Kang Jin-hyuk was an outsider who might jump guilds.
No reason to spill Titan's beans.
Kang Jin-hyuk smacked his lips in regret.
An extra S-rank recruit?
Journalists would flip.
Titan might join the Altros-Tyrant turf war head-on, sparking a three-way battle in hunter world.
'Seo Sang-ho hasn't told his guild about Alraune, huh.'
The driver spilled the S-rank contact but skipped Alraune, confirming it.
'Why hide it from his own guild?'
He'd heard from Seo Sang-ho that the Association classified Alraune as top secret.
But that didn't justify hiding it from guildmates.
They were about to raid the very farm growing Alraune.
Hiding it wouldn't last—the truth would out soon. Kang Jin-hyuk couldn't figure it.
Still, no need to spill what Seo hadn't. They had their reasons; no point meddling.
"We're here."
Lost in thought, Kang Jin-hyuk realized they'd arrived.
Dirt roads without asphalt, thick with trees.
To avoid detection, they'd picked a forest spot away from Tyrant's branch.
Before getting out, the driver warned him.
"Lots of folks here don't like you. Best stay quiet."
"Got it."
Kang Jin-hyuk knew Titan wasn't rolling out the welcome mat.
He didn't care anyway.
He wouldn't team with a big guild like Titan if not for Seo Sang-ho.
"..."
Stepping out, hostile glares indeed swept over him, as predicted.
Some scowled openly, others glared like enemies.
No welcome vibe.
Lucia, following behind, snorted at the mood.
"What'd you do to make folks hate you like this?"
"Me? I just hit back after they swung first."
One Titan hunter, overhearing, got especially pissed.
An A-rank buddy of An Do-yoon, famous for swinging a 2-meter giant axe: Baek Jin-woong.
"You saying it's all our fault?"
Baek Jin-woong approached, knuckles cracking threateningly—watch your words.
Kang Jin-hyuk didn't flinch.
"Usually, the one who starts shit is in the wrong."
"What'd you say?!"
Baek Jin-woong hated this C-rank holding his head high.
Time to remind him of ranks, he thought, clenching his fist hard.
But someone blocked him first.
A familiar face to Kang Jin-hyuk raised a hand to stop Baek Jin-woong.
"No fighting among allies on this op."
"Yes... Sorry."
The beastly Baek Jin-woong meekly backed off like a lamb.
Even an A-rank couldn't mouth off to Titan exec Han Young-seok.
Han Young-seok flashed a polite smile and offered a handshake.
"Han Young-seok, leading this op. We met at the last raid—ring a bell?"
"I remember... but you look different now."
"Hahaha. I was protecting guild interests last time and overstepped."
Han Young-seok was the Titan exec who'd led opposition to handing new monster materials to Kang Jin-hyuk.
The guy who'd treated him like vermin with insults and commands now acted all polite. Hard to adjust.
"Was hoping to apologize anyway—glad for the chance."
He even bowed his head for past sins.
Who knew how sincere.
Maybe a play to hide schemes.
But rejecting meant sitting on thorns all op.
Kang Jin-hyuk sighed inwardly but spoke.
"No need to apologize. I'd have done the same in your shoes."
"Thanks for saying so."
Kang Jin-hyuk shook the offered hand with an awkward smile.
"Mind if I ask what you did with the new monster materials?"
"Why ask that suddenly?"
"Just curious personally. If it's a hassle, no need."
Kang Jin-hyuk sighed inside at the response.
'As expected.'
If acting, do it right.
Asking about materials right away was too obvious.
Any faint hope of sincerity shattered.
Spotting the ploy, Kang Jin-hyuk snapped curtly.
"I used them."
"What? Used them how?"
"Figured they could reinforce weapons, so I used them on this bat."
Pulling his baseball bat from inventory, Han Young-seok stared blankly like his soul fled.
Then his face flushed red as he shrieked.
"You used that precious stuff to reinforce this shitty bat!?"
He ranted wildly, forgetting his own agenda—is he insane?