Chapter 69
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: What Lurks Beneath the Lamplight (2)
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On the way to the arena in the limousine.
The back seat was so spacious that I kept shifting my position. In front of me, Jeong Sowon held something out.
"Please wear this before you exit the vehicle."
It was a black mask that covered the nose and eyes, the kind one might wear at a masquerade ball.
I think I saw something like this in a musical once.
The Phantom of the Opera, was it?
In any case, wearing this seemed like it would only make me look more suspicious.
As if reading my thoughts, Jeong Sowon spoke.
"Please do not worry. No one will find it suspicious that you are wearing a mask. You only need to confirm your identity before the operator. There are quite a few who wish to conceal their identities afterward."
Right, it wasn't exactly a respectable pastime, so that made sense.
I took the mask Jeong Sowon offered.
Instantly, the Sage, who was clinging to my side in a state of invisibility, began to analyze it.
It wasn't just a mask; it was an item.
[Adhering Mask - B-Rank]
[An item obtainable at an extremely low probability from the A-Rank dungeon, the Witch's Haven.]
[Once worn, the mask can only be removed by the wearer's will. It possesses resistance to detection and analysis magic. The item loses its efficacy if destroyed.]
"If you wear that, it will be difficult for most detection magic to identify you, Hunter Kim Hanul. It is a gift from Ms. Sanarae, so please make good use of it."
"Thank you."
As expected of the gear-focused Sanarae Guild. I was receiving a B-rank item right from the start.
Now I could wear this when I went to see Ju Jisan, instead of a face mask and sunglasses.
"So, what role am I supposed to play?"
I asked, tucking the mask away.
The fact that she had brought a limousine confirmed that I wasn't meant to act like an ordinary Hunter.
In fact, I had a vague idea of what my role would be.
"Mr. Kim Hanul, you will be playing the role of a sponsor for the Sanarae Guild."
Just as I expected, Jeong Sowon uttered those words softly.
"A sponsor, I see."
"Yes. Your name is Kim Woohyun, age 28. The setting is that you are a third-generation heir of a major corporation based overseas. It has just been a year since you began sponsoring our guild, and your personal assets exceed 100 billion won."
Hmm, a typical setup.
However, the details that followed were a bit more shocking.
"That's the basic outline. For the rest, you can flesh it out as you see fit, Hunter Kim Hanul. Now, for the important part about your usual conduct and personality. First off, you're a delinquent."
"...A delinquent."
"Yes. A typical third-generation chaebol delinquent who gets drunk and throws blank checks on the street, constantly causes trouble yet covers it up with money, and believes money can solve anything."
"..."
[...(ꐦ°꒫°)]
The Sage, attached to my side, bounced in agitation.
It was protesting that its master could never play such a ridiculous role.
But I understood.
Only a hopeless delinquent would come to a place like this monster arena for entertainment.
"This time, as Kim Woohyun, you've caused a major incident in England and have been sent back to Korea under orders to lie low. But you haven't learned your lesson and have sought out more stimulating thrills, learning about the monster arena through our guild. We, unable to handle Mr. Kim Woohyun's vile behavior, are reluctantly guiding you to the arena."
"Hmm."
Jeong Sowon spoke with the same expressionless face.
But hearing her talk about vile behavior and whatnot while looking like that made me feel a little pricked.
"He sounds like a real son of a bitch."
So I said that, as if to play along.
"Yes. You, Mr. Kim Hanul, must now become the third-generation chaebol Kim Woohyun and act the part of a delinquent with the foulest personality and the most hopeless character. Will you be alright with that?"
Jeong Sowon asked, staring at me blankly.
Hmm, a delinquent who acts high and mighty, trusting only in his money.
"Of course."
I nodded with a faint smile.
For the past seven years, I had rolled around at the very bottom, seeing all sorts of human characters.
All I had to do was use the most trash-like people among them as my inspiration.
Easy. As they say, even a dog at a village school can recite a poem after three years.
"Yes, the Guild Master said that you would do well, Hunter Kim Hanul."
Jeong Sowon nodded.
She could have smiled at least once, but she remained as expressionless as a machine.
"We will be arriving shortly."
"...Already?"
This time, I was a little surprised.
Not even thirty minutes had passed.
I had naturally assumed it would be hidden somewhere on the dreary outskirts of the city.
But what Jeong Sowon said was unexpected.
"The monster arena is located in the heart of downtown Seoul."
As the limousine smoothly decelerated, a towering building came into view across the eight-lane road.
The JS Millennium Hotel, situated in the middle of Gangnam.
It was a five-star hotel belonging to the JS Group, one of the country's leading conglomerates.
"Don't tell me the arena is in there?"
"That is correct."
This was a place where S-rank Hunters from other countries, high-ranking guild officials, and various dignitaries stayed.
The suite on the top floor cost 20 million won per night.
It was literally one of the top hotels in Korea, and it housed an illegal fighting arena?
"It's always darkest beneath the lamp."
The 90-story building brightly lit up the night sky.
Enough to hide all the filth it held within.
Jeong Sowon's casual follow-up remark was even more bitter.
"That's how things are in this world."
The limousine glided through the hotel's main entrance.
As I stepped out of the car wearing the mask, a hotelier who had been waiting approached.
"It is an honor to meet you. The operator is waiting. I will guide you immediately."
Jeong Sowon and I followed his lead toward the back of the hotel.
Behind the surface parking lot.
An open space where my vision seemed strangely distorted, as if a special item had been installed.
There was a staircase leading underground, and after a short descent, an elevator that went to the 'Banquet Hall' lobby.
"This is the lobby."
The secret lobby, located deep beneath the hotel, was no different from the one on the first floor.
The marble floor gleamed, and in the center stood a fountain with a statue of a roaring lion.
A magnificent, massive chandelier hung from the lobby ceiling, casting a soft glow.
"This is the banquet hall, and the private rooms are this way. The rooms are always available, so please inform any of the lobby staff when you require a rest."
The guide continued his explanation as we crossed the spacious lobby.
I just nodded vaguely.
I wouldn't be using any of those facilities anyway.
"This is what's available on the upper level. Do you have any other questions?"
The man, having finished his explanation, asked me in front of a luxurious elevator.
For a moment, I was about to say, 'That's fine, thank you,' but I caught myself.
I felt Jeong Sowon's gaze and remembered my role.
"No, so shut up and just guide me."
"Ah..."
"There's only one reason to come here, isn't there? Do I need any other useless explanations?"
My apologies, Mr. Guide.
You're probably not a saint yourself, working in a place like this, but still, this feels a bit off.
"I apologize. I was being unnecessarily talkative."
But the man, despite the verbal abuse, just smiled and nodded.
This probably didn't even count as abuse to him.
"Then, after you meet the operator, I will guide you directly to the banquet hall."
The elevator went down again.
There were no floor numbers displayed, only three buttons in total.
The guide pressed the bottom one.
*Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.*
As the elevator moved smoothly, a loud noise suddenly grew closer.
I soon realized it originated from a powerful beat.
But as we passed the second basement floor and descended to the third, the sound faded again.
*Swoosh.*
And the elevator doors opened.
The first thing that came into view was a floor covered in antique velvet.
The red velvet carpet in front of the elevator stretched far into the distance, all the way to a large desk.
Looking around, I noticed something.
'An aquarium?'
From the corridor to the office where the desk and antique furniture were located, all the walls were made of transparent glass.
Beyond the glass, various aquatic creatures swam about.
Behind the desk, the glass curved in a 180-degree arc, making it seem as if the office was situated underwater.
Viewed from above, the structure of the third floor resembled a keyhole.
"This way."
We passed through the corridor and walked into the open office.
Someone was sitting at the desk, busy with paperwork.
"I have brought the sponsor from the Sanarae Guild."
With those words, the guide quietly stepped back.
"Ah, welcome."
The operator looked up.
In that moment.
'Huh?'
I couldn't hide my shock.
If I hadn't been wearing the mask, my astonished face would have been in plain view.
"I've heard about you from the Sanarae Guild Master. I was told you are a major sponsor of Sanarae."
Slender monolid eyes and an overall handsome face.
A gentle voice and slicked-back hair.
It wasn't a matter of having heard about him; I knew him very well.
He was already a famous figure in public.
"A pleasure to meet you. I am Yu Wolha."
Yu Wolha, the vice guild master of Samwol, the guild with the most influence after the big three.
And also.
A contemporary who completed Hunter's Den with me seven years ago.
So, it's Samwol.
And this guy is the arena's operator.
'Right, considering his personality back at Hunter's Den, this makes sense.'
My surprise wasn't because he was 'not the type to do this.'
It was simply because I never expected to reunite with him here, in this way.
Yu Wolha was a hypocrite.
On the surface, he always tried to build a good image, and indeed, everyone saw him in a positive light.
But behind the scenes, where no one was looking, he was a villain who engaged in dirty deeds.
'He tried to crush me at Hunter's Den, too.'
After I consistently took first place in the theory exams, he revealed his true colors.
He dug into my family background and spread it among the trainees like poison—that I was from a dirt-poor village with a single mother—to ostracize me.
It was a cunning yet childish method.
'Yeah, that's the kind of guy he was.'
Despite that, Yu Wolha had soared after completing Hunter's Den.
His father was the guild master of Samwol and the chairman of the Samwol Group.
Being an A-rank Hunter with handsome looks and a polite way of speaking earned him quite a lot of fans.
Seven years ago, Yu Wolha and I were on completely different paths.
"Sponsor-nim?"
Yu Wolha tilted his head, his hand still extended.
Right, so this is the kind of thing that guy is doing here.
It suits him perfectly.
"Kim Woohyun."
I said, a smile on my lips as I took his hand.
"Yes, Mr. Kim Woohyun. Please, make yourself at home and enjoy your time here."
I stared at him silently from behind the mask.
It would be a lie to say I held no grudge.
But back then, I tried to understand, at least a little.
He was still young. A kid whose head wasn't screwed on right yet, so he could act that way.
"I'm sure you'll be more than satisfied. As you may know, there's nothing more entertaining than watching the underlings fight like dogs, is there?"
But I was wrong. Seven years have passed, but you haven't changed.
On the other hand, many things have changed for me.
Behind me, who once had nothing, now stand the three major guilds. Beyond them are three Divine Seats, and with me, a vast army and a single Monarch.
"I look forward to working with you, Mr. Kim Woohyun."
Back then, I was crushed because I lacked power, but this time...
"I look forward to it as well, Mr. Yu Wolha."
Beneath the mask, the corners of my mouth curled into a smirk as I nodded.