The Tyrant's Sudden Arrival
The power of Park Minho was steadily building with every repeated enlightenment.
From another location, the sound of sobbing leaked out.
Mir Guild Headquarters.
The towering building was the symbol of the hunter myth—the tower that had once achieved legendary status.
More precisely, it was a myth that had once been.
"Mir Guild! Return our son!"
"Extortion by murder in the guild! That's absurd!"
"Yeongcheonwoo! Explain yourself!"
Dozens of people wearing headbands shouted slogans.
They were victims who had lost family and relatives during the island invasion incident.
Everywhere hung banners and posters honoring the victims.
At the top of the headquarters building, Yeongcheonwoo turned his gaze away from the view below.
*What kind of hypocrite who claims to live his daily life thanks to the contributions of hunters would commit murder?*
His stomach boiled with rage.
Was killing a hunter really that big a deal?
During the Great Cataclysm, it had been everyday life.
Extortion by murder?
He couldn't understand why they were protesting only to him.
Right now, Mir Guild was shaking at its foundations.
Even right after meeting the president at the Blue House.
Yeongcheonwoo had believed he could handle the current situation.
What had been Mir Guild's greatest asset?
Privileges brought in by the government?
Countless businesses?
No.
It was the hunters themselves.
Even Yeongcheonwoo himself was the second-strongest hunter after Jeong Seungil.
The elite hunters belonging to the guild numbered only in the hundreds.
If all of them went on strike, it would deliver a massive blow to domestic politics.
The supply of new energy like maseok would be disrupted.
Risky-grade gate management would create problems, and security would become unstable.
*The weaklings who lived worry-free thanks to Mir Guild, this is your chance to wake up.*
The sanctions and criticisms directed at the guild would not last long.
When the government's economic and daily life were affected, the government would reluctantly reach out for reconciliation.
That was what he had thought.
"I'm sorry. Guildmaster."
"I've troubled you for a long time."
Why?
Why was he resigning from Mir, the guild he boasted was the best in the country?
White envelopes piled up day by day.
Inside each was a resignation letter.
"What kind of trash are you exactly? You said you'd leave Mir believing in the lie!"
"If you mention Mir Guild, you'll get eggs in your face."
"I don't believe that part, but my parents are worried about you."
"You're a little shit!"
Bang!
He shoved the hunter who had brought the resignation away.
"You think you can afford the penalty clause?"
"..."
He even tried to blackmail him with money.
It was useless.
According to the contract, the number of hunters who paid double the contract fee and resigned made up about a third of the entire guild membership.
"Guildmaster. There's something I need to report."
"What now?"
"Some of the resigned hunters have started working at Phoenix, Hwarang, or Chilseong."
"You bastards!"
Kwaaang!
The fury of Yeongcheonwoo pierced the sky.
The reason Mir's hunters could resign and leave while paying massive penalties was because of the funding rushes from guilds like Mir.
*Cursed domestic top five.*
Yeongcheonwoo's rage turned even toward the guilds he had once stood shoulder to shoulder with.
The domestic top five were both rivals and partners in competition.
The government, constantly cutting into hunters' rights and privileges.
And the Rift Bureau, which had joined in to talk about serving the nation and become the government's lapdog.
In this situation, the five largest guilds in the country had joined forces to resist the government's violence.
It was the starting point of the so-called "domestic top five."
*Stabbing me in the back?*
Wait and see what happens with this incident.
I swear I will kill every last one of them, Yeongcheonwoo vowed.
"Guildmaster."
"What is it now!"
"From the police. They want me to cooperate in the investigation as a witness..."
Crrrr.
The groan of a wounded beast escaped.
"You little shits dare demand that I, Yeongcheonwoo, the guildmaster of Mir Guild, appear or disappear?"
"The public pressure is immense. Perhaps you should bow your head once."
"You think I'm paying a huge salary to hear bullshit like that?"
"I'm sorry."
"Tell them I won't attend."
[System: Yeongcheonwoo Guildmaster, investigation initiated for the murder extortion case.]
[System: All Mir Guild executives banned from leaving the country!]
[System: Unscrupulous investigation? Joint special task force between the ruling and opposition parties...]
The protests grew even fiercer.
Mir Guild hunters, unable to bear the finger-pointing, reduced their activities or transferred to other guilds.
The "empty space" Yeongcheonwoo had feared was quickly filled.
Among them were.
[Successfully cleared Deep Sea City.]
[Grade: SSS]
[Successfully cleared Ashen Sky.]
[Grade: SSS]
The outstanding achievements of Minho, who had casually closed A-rank gates that even large guilds could not easily conquer.
"Park Minho. And the Rift Bureau."
A month after the true nature of the island invasion incident was revealed.
Mir Guild, which had once been called the domestic top five, was staggering without that name.
Yeongcheonwoo gathered his executives and growled.
"No countermeasures?"
"The rate of guild member departures is accelerating."
"ML Group has announced they will no longer receive deliveries."
"Isn't it the best way to end all suspicions by having the guildmaster take the lead personally?"
Even the executives were the same.
Cowardly bastards.
They couldn't think of a way to break through the current situation.
They were only busy shifting responsibility onto Yeongcheonwoo.
"Everyone, get out!"
The executives left the conference room in a hurry under Yeongcheon's fury.
* * *
Even after holding daily countermeasures meetings, nothing improved.
Yeongcheonwoo sent the executives away and returned to his penthouse.
Tsk.
He hadn't expected the view reflected in the glass window to be so unpleasant.
He turned his gaze sharply and put a cigarette in his mouth.
Chik, chik.
"Cursed."
At times like this, the cigarette didn't light easily.
When his face twisted with disgust.
"I can light it for you?"
A voice from another person came from the penthouse.
A man in a suit approached slowly.
"I don't recall inviting anyone."
Sssssss!
The fluttering clothes.
Mana materialized so clearly it was visible, covering the entire penthouse.
This area was Yeongcheong's territory.
He could reach anywhere in a tenth of a second.
He could turn an intruder's body into mush.
"You want to commit murder in addition to murder extortion?"
"You didn't think we had human rights? Tang."
"Don't be like that. Call me by name."
"Do hunting dogs even have names?"
"Long Qing."
"Yeah. Long Qing. Nice to meet you, and good riddance."
[Aura Blade]
[Big Bang Impact]
Blue energy manifested over his fist.
Aura had evolved into materialization—Aura Blade.
The aura layered on Yeongcheong's fist-shaped aura crushed Long Qing.
Dust scattered everywhere with the impact, blocking the view.
*It had real bite.*
It had gone in properly.
No need to waste words.
The arrogant Chinese hunting dog was dead.
Only an Aura Blade of the same level could handle an Aura Blade.
It was common sense in the hunter industry.
Despite launching a fist condensed with immense power, the penthouse windows remained intact.
It was proof that the energy in the fist had been delivered completely and without waste to the target.
Yeongcheong's strength had been proven.
S-rank peak.
The credentials of a person said to be closer to SS-rank than anyone else were swift and precise.
"Whoa. If you had been a little later, you would have died."
A bright, lively voice.
Yeongcheonwoo suspected both of his ears.
"You. You bastard."
"What if I casually unfold an Aura Blade? You'd be dead if it wasn't me."
"How did you survive?"
"Aura Blade is not your exclusive property, is it?"
The energy gathered on Long Qing's two arms.
Although faint.
It was clearly an Aura Blade.
The destructive authority symbolizing an S-rank warrior hunter!
"Your arms are broken. Want me to process the compensation?"
"...You bastard."
Among the hunting dogs of the Superhuman Bureau, there was an S-rank hunter?
Yeongcheonwoo's guard went up.
"Have you prepared to talk now?"
"You are a dog from the Superhuman Bureau."
"Long Qing."
"You little shit. Bark once."
"If someone saw us, they would think you were the perpetrator and I was the victim."
Long Qing grumbled for a long time before revealing his true purpose.
"Come to China."
"You want me to become your dog?"
"It's better to be a fat dog than to be tossed out like trash in Korea."
Long Qing turned Yeongcheong's words back on him.
Even though killing intent boiled in his neck, he remained calm.
"You want me to abandon Mir Guild?"
"Or are you abandoning it because all the guild members have left?"
"You little shit."
"Don't get attached to the guild. Isn't the important thing you?"
Yeongcheonwoo's silence.
Yes.
For Mir Guild to exist, he himself would have to stay intact.
"The Korean government seems to have no intention of leaving you alone, does it?"
"I can't be punished by law."
"Because there are only ten S-rank hunters in Korea?"
"There is no one to replace me."
"What about Park Minho?"
"Comparing me to that brat?"
"At least it seems the Korean government thinks that."
Yeongcheonwoo could not deny it.
The reason Mir Guild could be overreached was because of himself, an S-rank hunter.
But.
The government was attacking Mir Guild?
It was proof that there was a hunter to replace him.
"If you have anything to say, read this."
Long Qing tossed a paper larger than a business card.
Yeongcheonwoo waved his hand lightly, sending the flying paper flying.
The paper with the twisted trajectory headed straight for the trash, but Long Qing's expression showed no major change.
"See you later."
Long Qing headed toward the elevator.
Doubt hovered over Yeongcheong's eyes.
"Go comfortably."
Long Qing waved his hand, and the moment the elevator door opened, he slipped inside.
Ding!
Alone once more, Yeongcheonwoo.
His gaze remained fixed on the trash can where the paper from just moments ago had gone in.
* * *
Megus declared himself the supervisor of the Death Blacksmith.
【I want to research command structures more.】
"Do as you wish."
It was perfect timing.
To activate the Death Blacksmith, one soul from another world had to reside there.
Once placed in the forge, it could not be removed for a week.
He usually kept Roan as a standby member.
When it was likely to be tough, he left the Death Blacksmith empty.
Now that Megus was there, Roan could be operated as permanent power.
[System: The function of the Cursed Gravestone has improved.]
[System: The soul stone exchange fee has been reduced from 47:1.]
[System: The function of the Evil Pit has improved.]
[System: The number of storable corpses has increased from 40 to 48.]
"What did you do?"
【I only adjusted the mana circuits.】
Megus improved the mana flow of the command structure and raised its performance.
【There is still room for further adjustment.】
Oh.
Ooooo!
【Don't get too excited. Improving the flow won't make the performance skyrocket that much.】
"Even this is impressive."
【If I enter the realm of analysis and reconstruction, upgrades will also be possible.】
Good.
Work harder.
He had to try the improved [Cursed Gravestone] function once.
Tatatat.
After placing the broken soul stones he had scooped up from the hunter market onto the gravestone.
[Combine the broken soul stones.]
He used the new function of the Cursed Gravestone.
Uwoong!
White energy rose in smoke from the broken soul stones.
Then they gathered in the air and merged into one lump.
[System: Soul stone has been produced.]
A soul stone created without a soul.
"Hehehe!"
Soul stones are supposed to be cursed?
How could he endure this!