Chapter 102
Chapter 102
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: The Grand Dharma Protector's Promise
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Shuv sidled up beside Shin Yu-hyun, flashing a tender smile as she began kneading his shoulders.
A sweet fragrance wafted through the air, accompanied by a delightful softness caressing his neck and shoulders.
"What do you plan to do about the man who just left?"
"Just like I said before. If I can bring him to my side, it'll benefit me in all sorts of ways."
"Will he follow Master?"
"I'll make him follow."
Shin Yu-hyun replied to Shuv's question with a pleased smile.
He already knew what Shin Cheol-min wanted.
By exploiting that, he could win the man's favor and pull him into his camp.
"I'm going to climb to the top of the clan."
Shuv gave a knowing smile at Shin Yu-hyun's declaration.
"You'll have everything Master desires."
Shuv had already grasped everything about the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan.
And on the day all the Seven Arcs gathered, she was confident she could make their master, Shin Yu-hyun, the clan leader.
After all, they possessed that much power.
The next morning.
Shin Yu-hyun stepped out of Black Tortoise Hall.
There was someone he needed to meet.
'I need to temper the Black Tortoise Sword Division.'
Within a few days, Personnel Director Lee Yeon-hwa would arrive with selection rights, having picked out twenty promising disciples.
At that point, he'd need instructors to train those twenty new disciples alongside the Black Tortoise Sword Division members.
He already had two in mind.
'Choi Hyun-seong would be perfect as an instructor.'
Shin Yu-hyun had already instructed Lee Yeon-hwa to scout Choi Hyun-seong, who was currently training disciples.
Choi Hyun-seong would handle the division's 3-star members well.
'And I can use him as part of Black Tortoise Hall's forces too.'
Choi Hyun-seong was someone with the potential to grow up to 6-star.
The more powerful superhumans he had, the better.
And that wasn't all. Shin Yu-hyun had in mind an important figure who could comprehensively train not just Choi Hyun-seong and the 4-star members, but all the 3-star ones as well.
'It's time to settle old scores from the past.'
Shin Yu-hyun's lips curled up.
Soon after, he found the person he was looking for in the Clan Leader's Hall.
"Yu-hyun, what brings you here?"
It was none other than his uncle, Shin Sung-hyun.
Shin Yu-hyun encountered him in the reception room of the Clan Leader's Hall.
"I've come to settle that bet from before."
Shin Yu-hyun smiled at Shin Sung-hyun as he spoke.
After opening his chakra, Shin Yu-hyun had taken on a clan designated request.
At that time, just like with Shin Cheol-jin, he'd made a bet with Shin Sung-hyun.
He'd asked the man to become his sponsor if he truly soloed a 2-star boss.
Shin Sung-hyun had said there'd be no reason not to if he succeeded.
And Shin Yu-hyun had smashed the 2-star boss single-handedly.
He'd won the bet.
But Shin Sung-hyun had only quietly helped from the shadows, without publicly declaring himself sponsor or providing major assistance.
Shin Yu-hyun had stayed silent about it too.
'Getting stronger came first. I needed to build up Black Tortoise Hall to a certain point anyway.'
When he'd completed the clan designated request, Shin Yu-hyun hadn't been ready yet.
He'd only just become a 2-star superhuman, without the clan's recognition and still ignored within Black Tortoise Hall itself.
But things were different now.
He'd grown into a mid-4-star superhuman, and he'd built up achievements and reputation within the clan.
"So, you're asking me to be your sponsor now?"
"Yes. It'd be great for me if you would."
Shin Yu-hyun nodded.
"Hm."
Shin Sung-hyun appeared lost in thought.
He'd been considering giving Shin Yu-hyun some backing soon anyway.
'Is it time?'
While Clan Leader Shin Sung-il was away on a raid conquest, many things had happened in the clan.
As acting clan leader at the time, Shin Sung-hyun hadn't been able to openly support Shin Yu-hyun.
He'd had to remain neutral.
But now that Shin Sung-il was back, it was fine to declare himself Shin Yu-hyun's sponsor.
"But not yet. You're still lacking."
"As I thought."
Shin Yu-hyun gave a wry smile.
He understood Shin Sung-hyun's point.
Shin Yu-hyun's forces were still too small for the man to publicly declare sponsorship.
He only had the roughly thirty Black Tortoise Sword Division members.
"If your following grows larger, I'll back you. But you're still five years too early."
"I'm not sure it'll take that long."
Shin Yu-hyun grinned.
Building his own faction within the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan wasn't easy, for sure. He needed talented personnel and a lot of funds.
But.
"I've already completed an exclusive contract with Red Tower. It's a five-year term, but I'll make it fully my own force soon enough. And I've gained the rights to select clan disciples too."
"What?"
Shin Sung-hyun's expression showed slight surprise at Shin Yu-hyun's words.
He hadn't known about any of that.
If it was true, then Shin Yu-hyun could expand Black Tortoise Hall's forces faster than he'd thought. Red Tower's mages alone were considerable firepower.
"I plan to recruit talented people soon."
"But that would require a lot of money..."
"No worries there. I've made some cash from the magic cores and byproducts of the magic beasts I've hunted so far. And I've already secured a 3-star permanent dungeon from Father."
"What? You've arranged to take over a 3-star permanent dungeon?"
Shin Sung-hyun looked shocked.
If that was true, funds wouldn't be an issue for a while.
A permanent dungeon was like a gold mine.
He could harvest magic cores and byproducts from magic beasts every day.
"Plus, I know Nam Yeon-ah from Namdu Group, so I can get loans if needed."
On top of that, Shin Yu-hyun had the solid backing of Namdu Group's heiress, Nam Yeon-ah.
If he asked her for help, she'd gladly provide it.
"You had it all planned out."
"Of course."
Shin Yu-hyun smiled.
To build his own faction in the clan, he'd laid plans bit by bit, and now he was putting them into action.
"I'll form my own faction within the clan soon. That's why I have a request for you, Uncle."
"A request? Are you finally asking me to be your sponsor?"
"I'd love that, but this is something else."
"Not asking me to be your sponsor?"
"Yes. Please train Black Tortoise Hall's members."
"What? You want me to be a training instructor?"
"Yes."
Shin Yu-hyun nodded firmly at the astonished Shin Sung-hyun.
Suddenly, Shin Sung-hyun burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! So you're asking the Grand Dharma Protector—that's me—to be your instructor instead of sponsor?"
"Yes."
"Hahahaha!"
Shin Sung-hyun roared with laughter for a good while at Shin Yu-hyun's unwavering nod.
To think he'd use him as a training instructor!
"Fine. If that's it, I'll help as much as you want."
"Thank you."
Shin Yu-hyun bowed his head with a satisfied smile.
His uncle, Shin Sung-hyun—the clan's second-in-command and Grand Dharma Protector.
He wasn't there due to blood ties as Shin Sung-il's brother, but purely through his own prowess.
No one knew the clan better than him.
Including its training methods and martial arts.
"You'll join the training too, of course?"
"I-if I have time."
Shin Yu-hyun gave a wry smile at Shin Sung-hyun's hearty grin and casual probe.
And so, Shin Sung-hyun accepted Shin Yu-hyun's request.
He'd train Black Tortoise Hall's swordsmen whenever he had time.
A few days later.
In Black Tortoise Hall's office, Shin Yu-hyun tapped his fingers on the desk as he organized his next tasks.
'Things are finally starting to move along.'
Since meeting Yi Chae-hwa and contracting with Red Tower, the plans Shin Yu-hyun had laid out were progressing steadily.
Especially over the past few days—Personnel Director Lee Yeon-hwa and Finance Director Kim Jae-hyun hadn't stopped smiling.
For Finance Director Kim Jae-hyun, it meant finally receiving one of the clan's managed 3-star permanent dungeons.
The Lair of the Fallen Gravit—a 3-star dungeon where a rift had torn open at the entrance of a five-story building on the city outskirts.
The entire five-story structure had dungeonized, making it fairly large-scale.
That meant plenty of magic beasts—and thus, abundant magic cores and byproducts.
Kim Jae-hyun was thrilled.
He could make a fortune.
'Gravits are a bit tricky to handle, though.'
Gravits were 3-star upper-grade humanoid magic beasts standing 150 cm tall.
Green skin and solid muscles.
With sharply slitted eyes, pointed ears, protruding fangs, and clad in iron armor.
For 3-star superhumans, they were tough opponents.
Plus, they had green fur.
'Not impossible, though.'
On the contrary, it could be a great chance for the 3-star Black Tortoise Sword Division members to gain real combat experience.
And Personnel Director Lee Yeon-hwa had selected twenty promising 3-star disciples from those training in the clan.
Choi Hyun-seong, whom they'd sent a love call to, had thought it over for a day before joining the next day.
For Lee Yeon-hwa, in charge of personnel, it was joyous news.
She'd recruited twenty 3-star superhumans and one 4-star.
'Who would've thought Lee Jung-hoon's crew applied to Black Tortoise Hall.'
Shin Yu-hyun chuckled.
The 2-star trainees who'd conquered the clan designated request—the Fallen Goblin Forest—with him.
They'd grown to 3-star, following Lee Jung-hoon.
When Lee Yeon-hwa went to select disciples, they'd shown fervent intent to join Black Tortoise Hall.
It had made the selection process easier.
'I should drop by to see their faces later. And meet Instructor Choi Hyun-seong too.'
Shin Yu-hyun had been busy the past few days himself.
As hall leader, there were many approvals to handle to get Black Tortoise Hall moving in earnest, and he'd been preparing contacts with mid- and small-sized guilds still in their rough states to expand his forces.
'There are small guilds that make a name for themselves in a few years.'
Not known yet, but ones that would start showing their strength soon.
Among them was a small elite guild.
Gold Arrow.
Nicknamed the Golden Arrows.
A tiny archer guild of only twelve members, but all elites.
In his previous life, Gold Arrow had even pushed a Getia to the brink of death.
If they'd landed the finishing blow, they could've taken down one Getia.
But another Getia appeared to help, and they failed.
Judging the Getia subjugation a failure, Gold Arrow's members either fled or took their own lives on the spot.
Better than being captured by Getia, where they'd suffer worse than death.
'Good thing I brought it up.'
Shin Yu-hyun smirked.
At this point in time, Gold Arrow was still virtually unknown.
So he'd instructed Ishia to make contact with their guild leader.
And he'd secured a meeting.
This afternoon, at a cafe in downtown Seoul.
'Time to head out.'