Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Cheon Sang-ho's Proposal
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Three days passed, and as the matters concerning the beastkin reached a certain conclusion, Seo Sang-ho suddenly remembered something he had forgotten amid the bustle.
Before he could forget again while working, Seo Sang-ho headed to the guild master's office to find Kang Jin-hyuk.
Spotting Kang Jin-hyuk wrestling with stacks of approval documents at his desk, Seo Sang-ho couldn't help but let a grin slip out.
"What's so funny?"
Stressed from battling paperwork, Kang Jin-hyuk snapped in a curt tone.
"Why are you like this? You can't get that irritated after just three days of work."
"...If you're here to tease me, get out."
Knowing that Seo Sang-ho had handled these duties in his absence, Kang Jin-hyuk swallowed his anger.
"I'm not here to tease. I came because I have something to tell you."
With that, Seo Sang-ho placed a business card on the desk.
Cheon Sang-ho.
Kang Jin-hyuk immediately recognized the name on the card.
"When did you change your family name?"
"Cut the lame jokes and just give him a call."
"Why should I? Can't you see I'm swamped with this guy?"
Kang Jin-hyuk pointed dramatically at the piles of paper strewn across his desk.
It was a massive amount that meant no on-time quits for at least a week.
"When the hell will I ever get through all this damn work?"
"Well, from my experience, things improve once the guild settles into place."
"And when's that?"
"Probably about six months from now."
If they were just Titan's size, it would've been done ages ago.
But Pantheon had swallowed up not only Titan but also Tyrant's territory, and on top of that, Kang Jin-hyuk had created unprecedented situations.
There were more issues demanding his attention than he could count, especially to properly manage the low-rank hunters flocking to the guild's territories.
"Damn it, and they're all confidential, so I can't even hire part-timers... Now I'm regretting this."
"Bringing in C-rank and below hunters?"
"No, creating the guild."
Like Seo Sang-ho, Kang Jin-hyuk preferred acting solo over running an organization.
Being buried under paper mountains as guild master—without even hunting—was driving him insane.
"Why don't you just take over as guild master again?"
"Don't say something horrifying. I'm never taking a leadership role again."
Seo Sang-ho waved his hands vigorously, the trauma from the rebellion incident flashing in his mind.
"Anyway, that guy Cheon Sang-ho says he has something to discuss, so call him before it's too late."
"I don't have anything to say to him."
Kang Jin-hyuk had no desire to contact Cheon Sang-ho.
As the saying goes, no fish live in perfectly clear water.
From Kang Jin-hyuk's perspective, Cheon Sang-ho was exactly that—too pristine.
Even if he was confident his skills didn't fall short, he couldn't match the man's prestige.
"This guy's a lone wolf type too, so why's he calling me?"
"Guess he likes you."
"Don't say something horrifying."
"Why's it horrifying? Teaming up with him gives you a solid backing."
"Still no."
Other hunters might tolerate some banter, but Cheon Sang-ho seemed like he'd be utterly humorless.
Kang Jin-hyuk found rigid people like that the most uncomfortable.
"Well, I'm not forcing you, but if you're turning him down, do it yourself."
"What does Cheon Sang-ho want from me?"
"He wants to hunt monsters together."
"Monsters? That guy can handle anything."
"He said he's heading to the Middle East for a new breed of monster."
Hearing this, Kang Jin-hyuk recalled recent news he'd seen after returning.
Middle Eastern hunters had successfully isolated the new monster, but with their power, all they could do was monitor it to prevent escape.
To eliminate the threat, they were seeking hunters who could definitively eliminate it.
"Aren't there fanatics for new monsters already? Gehenna or whatever."
"Yeah, Gehenna. No one in the world welcomes those guys."
"Why?"
"Why do you think? You never know what insane experiments they'll run on it."
Even if asked to hunt a new monster, no one trusted Gehenna to fulfill the request properly.
Gehenna's goal was solely to satisfy their thirst for knowledge.
Rumor had it they'd even deliberately driven monsters berserk for that purpose.
"All the world's famous S-rank hunters are nuts in one way or another."
"So Cheon Sang-ho's the safest bet, and that's why they approached him."
"Yeah, you get it."
Cheon Sang-ho was meticulous about his image, never causing any incidents to date.
The Middle Eastern association trusted that very point and commissioned him directly.
"Even with a new monster, would that guy ever be in real danger?"
"Probably not, but the world's not always predictable."
Cheon Sang-ho intended to bring Kang Jin-hyuk along as insurance.
Even if something went wrong, traveling with someone of comparable skill would minimize the risks.
"What's the split?"
"50-50."
Kang Jin-hyuk was so dumbfounded by Seo Sang-ho's answer that he dropped the pen he was holding.
"Is that guy an idiot?"
"Maybe he has no greed for money."
"No, even without greed, there's a limit."
Kang Jin-hyuk was amazed the association had approved it.
"50-50."
Mulling over the terms, Kang Jin-hyuk manipulated his computer to pull up the latest ledger.
"How's our budget looking?"
"Lee Jun-cheol's working hard, but as a major guild, our starting capital's still short."
With so few guild members going out on hunts, low income was inevitable.
Staring intently at the ledger, Kang Jin-hyuk soon hardened his resolve.
* * *
After Jeong Dae-yoon stopped using his illusion skill, rumors began circulating that the personnel guarding Pantheon's territories had vanished.
Altron caught wind of the rumor and immediately dispatched guild members for reconnaissance.
"The rumors are true."
The returning scout handed over photos and data to the executive.
After meticulously reviewing each piece, the executive confirmed the report.
"So all those people were illusions."
Tyrant had kept Jeong Dae-yoon's existence hidden, so Altron and other guilds had been slow to catch on.
"Well, after the Titan-Tyrant war shredded so many numbers, it never made sense to have that many on guard."
They'd had suspicions but no hard evidence, so they'd only watched until now.
With this clear proof, the executive figured other guilds would start making moves soon.
"Shouldn't we prepare before it's too late?"
"Prepare for what?"
Feigning ignorance, the executive prompted, and the guild member urgently replied.
"If we drag our feet, other guilds will snatch Pantheon's shares right out from under us."
"Tsk tsk. So naive."
The Altron executive clicked his tongue with a displeased expression.
"Why do you think they dropped the illusions?"
"Uh? Well..."
The guild member racked his brain but couldn't come up with a good reason and stayed silent.
The Altron executive graciously enlightened his subordinate.
"It means they don't need decoys anymore."
"Ah, so they have something solid to rely on."
"Exactly. You're not hopeless."
Well past sixty, the Altron executive chuckled while stroking his beard.
At an age when most hunters retired, he remained active.
His seasoned expertise from years and a skill coveted even by Gehenna allowed him to hold his position despite his age.
"We just watch the hot-headed guilds make the first move."
No need to poke Pantheon and make enemies.
That was the executive's stance—and as the guild's advisor, it reflected Altron's consensus.
"Then I'll keep monitoring the situation."
"Good. Keep up the good work."
The guild member nodded and vanished like the wind.
Left alone, the Altron executive sat and slowly scanned the remaining materials.
His gaze halted on one detail.
"Hmm. Dozens of unidentified personnel?"
One of Lee Jun-cheol's operatives, moving to secure fake IDs, had been tailed by Altron.
By shadowing him, they uncovered that Pantheon was training unidentified individuals underground.
Even Pantheon executives had limited access to the area, so they gleaned no further details.
"Guess that's their ace in the hole."
Roughly 30 to 50 in number.
Gaining that many to ditch the smokescreen meant each was a powerhouse.
Yet the executive hadn't heard of such talents defecting from other factions.
Not domestically, nor abroad.
"Maybe they pulled one at a time from various places without a trace, or..."
Tyrant was a group that shunned no inhuman means.
Pantheon had absorbed them and grown, so continuing their methods wasn't surprising.
"Time for a more thorough investigation."
The executive considered the possibility that Pantheon was using drugs or other illegal methods to cultivate hunters.
If true, Altron could dismantle them without lifting a finger.
Just like Titan toppled Tyrant.
Paint them as villains again and harness public opinion.
"Jo Won-cheol's undeniably shady, but Kang Jin-hyuk... not sure if he's the same breed..."
On paper, Pantheon listed Seo Sang-ho as guild master.
But everyone knew he was a figurehead without real authority.
Altron assumed the true mastermind propping him up was Kang Jin-hyuk.
No one else fit the bill.
"Tricky. Very tricky."
The executive recalled footage obtained through an association insider.
It showed Kang Jin-hyuk toying with both Jo Won-cheol and Kang Jun-tae simultaneously.
Word was he'd even beaten Cheon Sang-ho.
The last thing the Altron executive wanted was to make an enemy of such a monster on mere speculation.
Better to act only with irrefutable proof.