Chapter 338: The Seven Deadly Sins (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 338: The Seven Deadly Sins (5)
Just before leaving the guild hideout.
He stood before the full-length mirror on one side of the guild leader's office, examining his completely changed appearance.
In place of the suit he wore to work every day were silver-gray pieces of armor.
The image of a successful entrepreneur he projected in a suit was gone without a trace.
All that remained in the mirror was a battle-hardened veteran who had overcome countless brushes with death.
He trembled at the dignity and charisma that photos and videos could never fully capture.
“To think, this is me…!”
Everything he saw in the mirror was his.
The armor, said to have been crafted by ten master artisans—all famous enough to be known by name alone—who had put their heads together.
The sword, obtained from the S-rank dungeon ‘Nest of the Infant Dragon,’ considered the worst in South Korean history.
The artifacts, armed with various stat boosts and useful functions.
And the dignified warrior’s body, draped in all of it.
“Heh, heheh…”
It was finally sinking in.
The fact that he had become the S-rank Hunter, Son Si-woo.
He had been utterly devastated when he learned that his marriage to Han Ju-hee, which looked like a storybook romance on the surface, was just for show, and that his body was slowly breaking down due to a damaged mana circuit. But not anymore.
Hadn’t he found a way to heal his body and a reliable ally to help him?
There were still many suspicious parts, but it didn't matter.
If he could recover his broken body and hold Han Ju-hee in his arms, what did some shady cult matter?
As he stood before the mirror, deeply engrossed in self-admiration…
Knock, knock, knock!
“Guild Leader, it’s time to depart.”
The voice of his female secretary came from outside.
At that, Son Si-woo hid the excitement plain on his face and strode out of the office with a stylish gait.
“Let’s go.”
Soon, he took the elevator down to the lobby and saw them.
Click!
Click, click, click!
Dozens of reporters were endlessly pressing the shutters of their cannon-like cameras.
“Kyaaaaak! It’s Hunter Son Si-woo!”
“Oh, my god…! He’s so handsome!”
“Son Si-woo! Son Si-woo! Son Si-woo!”
Fans, chanting his name in a frenzy, packed the area around the building.
He froze for a moment, feeling such intense gazes on him for the first time in his life.
With a leisurely pace, he crossed the lobby, exited the building, and waved to the reporters and fans.
A short Q&A session followed.
“Hunter Son Si-woo! How do you feel about returning after a year and a half, following your sabbatical?”
“Haha, well, it’s been a while since I’ve been in a real fight, so I’m a little nervous.”
“We heard that the past year and a half was time spent secretly treating a hidden injury. Is that true?”
“Not at all.”
“The party members joining you on this conquest are all new faces. Did you select them yourself?”
“Yes, I personally selected them through a rigorous testing process.”
With each question, the intensity began to rise.
Just as a question that would be difficult to answer rashly was about to leave a reporter’s lips…
Staff members who had been observing from behind stepped in front of him.
“We’re sorry, reporters! We have to get going now!”
The reporters stepped back with disappointed expressions.
They were the type to struggle to get even one more piece of information, but they couldn't do that right now.
Their subject was the nation’s Hunter, Son Si-woo.
In fact, the only reason he had answered a few questions at all was because it was him.
If they had blocked the path of any other S-rank Hunter and asked such questions, they would have received a fiery scolding instead of an answer.
Knowing this, they obediently backed away.
“Oppa! I love youuuu!”
“Please look over here just once!”
“Please, just one handshake!”
After responding to the persistently following fans with a smile, Son Si-woo got into the car.
He let out a soft breath and clicked his tongue.
“Wow… this wasn’t an easy job either.”
He had thought the attention celebrities received was all good, but he was wrong.
He didn't know how far to go in answering the flood of questions, and the fans' demands were endless.
On top of that, a single unpleasant word or expression could tarnish his image, so he had to be extremely careful, which was mentally draining.
He even felt a sense of respect for the real Son Si-woo, who had lived under this kind of attention for decades.
But that was all.
It was burdensome, tiring, and a little annoying, but he still liked it.
The attention directed at him for the first time in his life made even the accompanying hassles feel pleasant.
But that, too, was brief.
“We’ve arrived.”
Getting out of the car, he faced the rift and swallowed nervously, his expression tense.
The dungeon he was set to conquer today was the ‘Forest of Giants.’
A forest where everything that existed within was scaled to giants who stood a staggering 7 to 8 meters tall.
It was a dungeon too strong to be A-rank, yet slightly lacking for an S-rank, effectively classifying it as A+.
There was only one reason this body was beloved by the entire nation.
Because he was a guardian.
Because he protected the Republic of Korea by conquering hellish dungeons that others wouldn't even dare to enter.
In other words, the moment he could no longer fulfill that role, everything would be over.
‘I won’t let that happen.’
The moment he joined hands with the Invidia Cult, he had made a decision.
He would live his life enjoying everything the world had to offer.
Wealth, fame, power—all of it.
‘I will never lose to that bastard.’
Kim Do-jin.
He would never suffer the humiliation of being pushed aside by the body he had discarded.
To ensure that, he had to show everyone.
That he, Son Si-woo, was still going strong.
That the one who still protected this nation was none other than himself.
With heavy steps, he approached the rift and muttered to the four paladins who had arrived earlier.
“I assume all preparations for the conquest are complete.”
“Of course.”
“Hoho, naturally.”
“Don’t you worry about a thing, Brother!”
“……”
Seeing the four paladins display their confidence, each in their own way, put his mind at ease.
He issued a command to the limbs that would protect him until he could become a whole person again.
“Let’s move out.”
As if they had been waiting, the four reached out to the rift and entered the dungeon.
Left alone, he let out a small sigh, then reached out his hand without hesitation.
*
The internet was plastered with one person’s name.
【National Hunter Son Si-woo Gears Up for His Return!】
【Son Si-woo, Tackling a Dungeon for the First Time in a Year and a Half, “It’s been a while, so I’m nervous.”】
【Quasi S-rank Dungeon ‘Forest of Giants’ Conquered! Son Si-woo Lives Up to His Name.】
【Son Si-woo Takes on a Dungeon with New Party Members. The Start of a Generational Shift in the Guild?】
【Villain Crime Rate Plummets 30% Immediately Upon His Return! Is This the ‘Son Si-woo Effect’?】
As if on cue, every newspaper was running stories about Son Si-woo.
I clicked on one of the articles. A picture of Son Si-woo—no, not me—waving at reporters after finishing the dungeon conquest.
“Look at him putting on a show.”
Seeing that picture just made me laugh.
“They say the bear does all the tricks while the trainer collects the money.”
This photo seemed like a perfect example of that proverb.
The guy was probably too busy hiding behind the four people in the photo during the entire conquest to be making such a fuss.
Two faces in the photo, taken with Son Si-woo at the center, caught my eye.
A scrawny, emaciated man and a beautiful woman with a strange charm, a mix of purity and sensuality.
“It’s obviously this guy.”
That skinny bastard with dark circles reaching down to his chin had to be him.
The one who threw a knife at my back.
And that woman must be the female paladin who was hitting on Son Si-woo.
“Oh… she’s quite a looker.”
A beauty of a level rarely seen.
“Lucky bastard.”
After doing a good deed by giving his body to a middle-aged man struggling through life, it seems he’s finally getting his reward.
Thanks to him, I’m living a fun life too, so he deserves to enjoy himself a little.
Anyway.
“I wonder how long that act will last.”
There’s no such thing as a perfect secret in this world.
Especially for a celebrity like Son Si-woo, who receives everyone’s attention.
The farce put on by the four paladins and the fake Son Si-woo is nothing more than a temporary measure.
That’s why I’m curious.
“What do they really want?”
What is the ultimate goal of those who are buying time by putting on such an act?
What’s certain is that they joined hands because both sides have something to gain from each other.
And what’s even more certain is…
“Haa… this situation isn’t looking good.”
My current situation isn't exactly optimistic.
If my hypothesis is correct, there’s a high probability that a key figure within the cult that worships the suspicious goddess Invidia is also one of the ‘Ones with Aptitude.’
And the same goes for that bastard who calls himself the boss of ‘Zodiac,’ whom I’ve already clashed with once.
“Why are all my enemies such big shots?”
The enemies I might have to face in the future have all established their own factions.
In contrast, all I have is this one body and a team of four rookies.
“Ah, right. One more was added.”
I forgot.
Another person was added a few days ago.
Jung Si-a, who is currently the most trustworthy and an immediate asset to our strength.
The girl, who had gritted her teeth and scowled upon hearing the guild name ‘Peace of Mind Society,’ accepted the offer on the condition that she could establish the guild under a name she liked.
“…Is the Peace of Mind Society really that bad?”
It’s intuitive, it’s cool.
I think it’s pretty good.
“…Should I ask someone else?”
Strictly speaking, it’s a 1-to-1 split between my opinion and Jung Si-a’s.
If I ask someone else, I’ll know for sure.
I closed the article with Son Si-woo’s face plastered all over it and made a call.
The call connected as soon as the dial tone began.
What the.
Why was that so fast?
—Wow… what’s the special occasion? Is Do-jin actually calling his noona first?
Hearing the voice on the other end, Ju-yeon’s, I hesitated for a moment.
Was this pure joy, or was she being sarcastic about me rarely contacting her?
Of course, the answer was obvious.
“Ahem… I’ll call more often from now on.”
—Really? You have to keep that promise, okay? If you don’t… you’ll be punished, you know?
I just recited the answer she wanted to hear.
—Anyway, what’s up? I doubt you called just because you wanted to hear my voice.
She’s a sharp one.
She got straight to the point.
“Well… there’s something I wanted to ask you, noona.”
—What is it?
What I need most right now are people.
Capable, trustworthy people who can stand with me against the enemies who will block my path.
That’s the reason.
The reason I called Ju-yeon.
“Um… if I were to create a guild, would you consider joining?”
Ju-yeon is the most capable and trustworthy person I know.
If I need to gather strength to face the guys who have already built up their forces… she is the number one talent I must recruit.
I felt like I would kick myself if I let her go without even trying to ask, so I threw the question out there despite the embarrassment, and got a strange reply.
—You know, this noona’s price is veeeery high…?
Right.
That’s exactly why I was embarrassed to even bring it up.
Ju-yeon is currently one of the most expensive Hunters on the market.
If she were to negotiate with a large, wealthy guild from China or the US, her signing bonus alone would easily exceed 100 billion won.
And here I was, asking someone like that, “Wanna join?” without any specific conditions.
Is there a hole I can crawl into and die?
I just want to smash my head into something.
“Um… just forget what I just said.”
—Huh? So suddenly?
So I decided to just pretend it never happened.
Even I had to admit, that was way too reckless.
It would be better to ask later, after the guild has grown at least a little.
…Assuming Ju-yeon is still a free agent by then, of course.
—What’s this… Do-jin, are you running away because you heard my price is high?
“No, well… it’s true that your price is high, noona.”
—That may be true, but… I’m sure you can afford it, Do-jin.
“……?”
What is she talking about?
Maybe later, but how could I possibly afford her price right now?
As I was puzzling over it, her words continued from over the phone.
—You can just give me yourself instead of a signing bonus.
“No, even so, that’s a bit…”
I really need to give her a stern talking-to.
How dare she try to seduce me using something like joining a guild as bait!
—If you do that, this noona is ready to sign a lifetime contract…♥
…But the temptation was far too great to scold her for it.