The Messenger
“Thirty percent of the Magic Ingot supply volume? That much is more than we can handle alone…”
“We’ll speak to the other companies ourselves. Whatever they can’t sell, we’ll absorb.”
“Haha, well, if that’s the case, of course we’ll do it. Leave it to us! We’ll make sure the kickbacks are generous.”
A vile smile was spreading across the faces of the secretary and Guild Leader Cho Taehyung when—
Click—
The door opened and a man stepped inside.
“Father, for a moment…”
“What is it? Ah, while you’re here, say hello. Secretary, this is my son. He serves as our Planning Director.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Secretary Chen.”
After shaking the secretary’s hand and bowing politely, Guild Leader Cho Taehyung asked,
“So, what’s the matter?”
“It’s about Im Yunchan.”
“That whistleblower bastard?”
“Yes. Apparently he’s joined another guild.”
“Someone actually took him in? Did he crawl into some no-name provincial outfit?”
“Well… it’s the Veteran Guild. He seems to have interviewed. From the atmosphere, it looks like he passed.”
The Veteran Guild?!
At the mention of that name, even the secretary’s expression stiffened. It had once been one of the top ten guilds heavily influenced by China. But ever since Guild Leader Park Isaac had suddenly become a vegetable? The atmosphere had flipped completely. Reports had been pouring in lately that they were openly defying Chinese orders.
“Who is this Im Yunchan?”
“He used to be with us, then blew the whistle and left. A thorn in our side.”
“So he knows everything about the connections and deals between us Chinese and the Hwangryun Guild?”
“Yes, that’s… a bit of a problem. Still, we’re keeping a firm handle on him.”
The secretary’s expression was thoroughly displeased. At any other time it wouldn’t have mattered. But these days the Dungeon Management Bureau was taking a hard line, and the overall climate was unfavorable.
“Don’t worry. We’ll take care of him before he ever sets foot in the Veteran Guild.”
“Hmm. Then I’ll leave this Im Yunchan fellow to you. Now, about those Magic Ingots…”
Cho Taehyung shot his son Cho Seung-hyun a look that clearly meant handle the Im Yunchan problem yourself. Cho Seung-hyun nodded and left the room.
On the way home, Im Yunchan stopped by a butcher shop. The black plastic bag hung heavy in his hand—he had bought a full load of premium Korean beef.
He sent the text to the children and quickened his steps home. The sound of his feet climbing the worn villa stairs was almost cheerful. When he opened the front door, his wife and elderly mother were there to greet him.
“What on earth is all this?”
His wife stared at the bag with wide eyes. Im Yunchan only smiled, then set the meat out on the table with a flourish.
“We’ve got something to celebrate today. Mother, come out here too.”
“What in the world happened?”
“Don’t tell me the interview results already…”
“Yep! I’ll tell you the details once the kids get home.”
Im Yunchan clasped hands with his wife and mother. Something hot rose from deep in his chest. He had said he would wait for the children, but the mere fact that he had landed a job at a top-ten guild was enough to leave all three of them choking back tears.
“You’ve suffered so much all this time. Truly.”
“Aigoo, yes. You’ve worked hard!”
“No—you and Mother are the ones who suffered. For this worthless husband and son…”
Their eyes were still red when the front door opened a short while later. Minwoo and Seoyun came in together, having apparently run into each other on the way.
“Whoa, meat! Dad, what’s the occasion?”
Minwoo tossed his bag aside as he asked. Still a little sullen in that teenage way, but his eyes were shining.
“All right, everyone sit down.”
They gathered around the table. Every gaze fixed on him. Im Yunchan swallowed dryly and opened his mouth.
“Dad starts work tomorrow.”
Silence fell. A beat later his wife’s eyes flew wide as the words sank in.
“Really?”
“Yeah! I’m going in as Legal Team Leader at the Veteran Guild.”
“For real? Veteran? That’s a top-ten guild!”
“Whoa, that’s insane. Dad, you’re amazing.”
Seoyun’s eyes sparkled too. A top-ten guild. Resentment had turned into awe. Their grandmother stroked her son’s hand, eyes glistening.
“You’ve worked so hard, Yunchan. Truly hard.”
“Dad, does that mean we can live like before again?”
At Minwoo’s excited question, Im Yunchan smiled warmly.
Ding-dong—
Right then, at the most decisive moment, the doorbell rang out of nowhere. His wife checked the intercom.
“Who is it?”
“It’s the building manager. I stopped by briefly about the residents’ meeting notice.”
His wife tilted her head.
“Huh? The residents’ meeting was already a week ago…”
She muttered, yet still unlocked the door. The voice had definitely been the manager’s.
Click—
The moment the door opened, she caught a glimpse of the manager’s face frozen stiff—then a thick hand shoved the man aside and forced the door inward.
“Ah!”
His wife was shoved back. Men in suits stormed into the living room without even removing their shoes. Their dress shoes stomped across the floorboards.
“Well, well. Beef, huh?”
A mocking voice came from the rear as the last man entered.
“You?!”
Im Yunchan recognized him at once. Dokgo Jun, a division head at the Hwangryun Guild—right-hand man to the royal family of Cho Taehyung and Cho Seung-hyun, and once known throughout the industry as a rabid dog of an A-rank Hunter.
“Hey there, Team Leader Im. Nice atmosphere you’ve got.”
The moment he stepped inside he began examining the family photos hanging on the living-room wall. A nasty smile spread across his face. He flicked each photo with a finger—tap, tap—until they fell and shattered on the floor.
“Barging into someone’s home is trespassing! Get out right now!”
Im Yunchan shouted. Dokgo Jun only snorted, dragged a chair over as if he owned the place, and sat. He looked down at the plate of meat on the table—still raw, not even grilled—then picked up a piece with his gloved hand and chewed it like gum.
“Damn, top-grade hanwoo, isn’t it? I can always tell. Thought your money had dried up, but look at you eating well.”
He spat the half-chewed meat onto the floor. The children, terrified, hid behind their mother, trembling.
“You applied to Veteran, I hear?”
“Wherever I apply is my business. It’s none of Hwangryun’s concern anymore.”
“Aww, don’t be like that. You’re hurting my feelings.”
Dokgo Jun jabbed a finger into Im Yunchan’s chest. It wasn’t even that hard—yet the finger carried an A-rank Hunter’s mana, and Yunchan felt a bruise-deep pain bloom across his sternum.
“Don’t play stupid games. We warned you.”
“Get out. My family is here. If you keep this up I won’t hold back.”
“Family? Ah, right. Family was always your weak spot.”
Dokgo Jun’s gaze swung toward the children instead. He suddenly bent down and gave little Seoyun’s cheek a playful tap.
“Dokgo Jun, stop it!”
“I just thought she was cute. We used to share the same pot of rice at the same guild—can’t a former coworker dote on a colleague’s daughter a little?”
“P-please don’t…”
Seoyun trembled and burst into tears.
“Listen carefully, Im Yunchan. You show up at Veteran tomorrow and you’ll understand—don’t take Hwangryun lightly.”
“Dokgo Jun, you’ve crossed the line.”
“You’re the one who crossed it. Push any further and you all really die.”
Dokgo Jun spat a wad of phlegm into the middle of the living room. Then he seized Im Yunchan by the collar, crumpled it in his fist, and hurled him aside.
“Guh!”
“Think it over carefully by tomorrow morning. If you go to Veteran, it won’t just be you who dies. Got it?”
“Then how am I supposed to live?”
“Go dig ditches or figure something out yourself. Hmm? Answer me!”
As if to prove the threat was no empty bluff, Dokgo Jun flooded the living room with his mana.
“Hhk… uhhh…”
Little Seoyun gasped for breath.
“S-stop it!”
“Hmm? What was that? I can’t quite hear you.”
“Please stop! Can’t you see the child can’t breathe?!”
“Making one-sided demands isn’t very nice. I believe I just made a request of my own, and I still haven’t heard an answer.”
“……”
“Tsk-tsk! Still hesitating? You’re a cold one. Don’t you feel sorry for your daughter?”
Dokgo Jun approached Seoyun again, sneering with open delight.
“Daddy’s so heartless, isn’t he? Right?”
“Don’t! Please!”
Thud! Im Yunchan lunged, only to be kicked down by Dokgo Jun. Their grandmother, body shaking, grabbed Dokgo Jun’s arm.
“Please don’t do this… my son and my grandchildren…”
“Where does this old hag think she is?!”
Dokgo Jun swung his arm. The old woman was flung back and slammed into the wall.
“Ugh!”
“Mother!”
His wife screamed and threw her arms around the grandmother. Eldest son Minwoo rose on trembling legs and planted himself in front of Dokgo Jun.
“My, how brave. Courage is fine, but you should also learn that it comes with responsibility, right?”
His raised hand was about to come down on Minwoo when—
Ssshk—
Something seeped out of Im Yunchan’s shadow. The aura it carried froze Dokgo Jun’s hand in midair.
“What the hell?!”
“Master’s instincts were right after all, yong!”
It was Hatchery. The girl he had seen at the interview had suddenly appeared—out of his own shadow?! Im Yunchan was still reeling when, at some point,
“Why so surprised? I told you I take good care of my subordinates. You didn’t already forget, did you?”
Hanul was standing right beside him.
“Wh-when did you—?! And who the hell are you?!”
“I thought that pathetic tracking magic felt off. So the flies really did come buzzing.”
“I said who are you?!”
Dokgo Jun tried to draw up his mana, but his right arm would not move an inch. Instead a sickening crunch of wrist bones shattering echoed through the living room.
“How dare you raise your voice at Master! So rude, yong!”
“Aaaagh! Attack them! Now!”
Dokgo Jun’s underlings charged at Hatchery and Hanul—only for their bodies to lock up the instant they moved.
“Master, I stopped the trash for now, yong. How should I deal with them? Tear off their arms and legs? Or their heads, yong?”
“In a little while. First decide which of these guys we’ll send as a messenger.”
Tear off their arms and legs? Their heads? The way she spoke was exactly like a child playing with insects. Yet the madness glittering in the girl’s eyes was no joke or bluff.
“What the hell are you people?! And messenger—ghhhk!”
Hatchery stepped back. Hanul moved forward and gave Dokgo Jun a casual tap; the man crumpled instantly. Crunch— Hanul pressed the sole of his foot down on Dokgo Jun’s head.
“Urgh! Do you even know who we are?! We came from the Hwangryun Guild!”
Hanul put more weight on his foot. Crunch— Dokgo Jun’s face was ground into the floorboards. Hanul smiled faintly as he spoke.
“And do you know who I am?”