Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Exclusive Contract with Golden Arrow
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Shin Yu-hyun arrived at the meeting spot a little earlier than the appointed time.
'It's been a while since I've had one of these.'
Shin Yu-hyun sat down with a chocolate frappe in hand.
He'd been so busy with one thing after another lately that he hadn't had a moment to relax like this.
'Mm. This is the taste.'
The cold, sweet flavor filled his mouth, washing away his fatigue and sharpening his mind.
And then.
Slurp!
Dia was sitting next to Shin Yu-hyun, gulping down her chocolate frappe like it was going out of style.
Ka-mang-i was currently playing by herself inside Shin Yu-hyun's shadow, while Shuv was with his father in the clan’s underground prison, interrogating Orca.
Shin Yu-hyun stroked Dia's head and spoke up.
"Dia, drink slowly. You'll get a headache."
"Yeah."
Slurp. Slurp.
Dia nodded and began sucking on the straw more slowly.
Shin Yu-hyun watched her with a fond smile before shifting his gaze straight ahead.
Isia seemed to be savoring this downtime as well—it had been ages for her too. She gazed out the window, sipping her iced Americano.
Her eyes sparkled, recharged by the caffeine.
Dia liked cafe drinks, and so did Isia. Both of them did.
"Should we open a cafe in Black Tortoise Hall?"
"Pardon? A cafe?"
Isia's eyes went wide as she turned to Shin Yu-hyun at his sudden suggestion.
"It's hard to get stuff like this when we're back at the clan."
Instant coffee or convenience store cup coffee wasn't bad, but every now and then, he craved something like this.
It was just a offhand comment, but upon second thought, actually setting up a cafe didn't sound like a bad idea at all.
"That would be nice."
"Master! Are you gonna open a cafe?"
Isia and Dia's eyes lit up at Shin Yu-hyun's words.
For two girls who went crazy not just for coffee but desserts too, it was more than welcome.
"I'll think about it."
Shin Yu-hyun chuckled softly in response.
Ding-a-ling.
At that moment, the bell at the cafe entrance chimed.
Drawn by the sound, he looked toward the door. A man who appeared to be in his early forties was scanning the interior, his tension plain as day.
"He's here."
This was Kim Sung-hoon, the 4-star C-rank Hunter and guild master of Golden Arrow Guild—the man Shin Yu-hyun aimed to recruit.
* * *
"Nice to meet you."
Kim Sung-hoon bowed his head first in greeting.
"Yes, hello."
As Shin Yu-hyun returned the greeting and offered a handshake, Kim Sung-hoon looked mildly surprised.
He clearly hadn't expected a direct descendant of the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan to extend his hand first.
To a small guild like Golden Arrow, the Four Great Clans were practically untouchable existences up in the clouds.
Even the Hunter Association treaded carefully around them, so small guilds had no choice but to endure whatever bullying came their way.
Even after shaking hands, Kim Sung-hoon still looked dazed.
"You've heard the story, right?"
"Yes. I heard you want an exclusive contract with our guild."
"We'll have to iron out the specifics, but I can promise you better terms than what you have now."
Kim Sung-hoon hesitated at Shin Yu-hyun's smiling assurance before speaking up.
"Before that, I have one question."
"Go ahead."
"Why us? Why a small guild like ours?"
Kim Sung-hoon had agonized over the offer ever since receiving it, but he couldn't fathom why the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan would want an exclusive contract with Golden Arrow.
Isia felt the same.
Black Tortoise Hall could contract with far better guilds now.
So why Golden Arrow?
As both their gazes focused on him, Shin Yu-hyun paused dramatically before answering.
"Because of your future potential."
"Our... future?"
"Yes. I believe Golden Arrow will grow stronger than it is now. And you already have the skills to back that up."
Shin Yu-hyun knew full well how mighty Golden Arrow would become in the distant future.
A guild that had pushed a single Getia member to the brink of death with just twelve people.
That was Golden Arrow Guild.
Their investment value was off the charts.
"I rate Golden Arrow's potential very highly. Take you, Guild Master Kim Sung-hoon—you're right on the verge of breaking through to 5-star, aren't you?"
And that wasn't all.
Excluding the guild master himself, the rest of the Hunters were growing at an astonishing rate.
"H-How did you...?"
Kim Sung-hoon looked stunned at Shin Yu-hyun's casual remark.
Because it was spot on.
He was currently on the cusp of 5-star.
In another month or two, he'd cross that wall.
'And with solid support, 7-star isn't out of reach.'
In his previous life, Kim Sung-hoon never quite reached 7-star and died early fighting the Getia, but Shin Yu-hyun believed he could have made it otherwise.
With proper backing this time, it was definitely possible.
A 7-star master Kim Sung-hoon would be a huge asset against the Getia.
"Our clan has excellent intelligence networks."
Shin Yu-hyun smirked, glancing at Isia.
"...?"
Isia, once part of the Black Shadow Unit specializing in espionage, had tapped her connections to investigate Kim Sung-hoon and Golden Arrow but came up empty.
So how did Shin Yu-hyun know?
She couldn't help but wonder, but she kept a straight face, showing nothing.
"That's why I want to sign with Golden Arrow Guild—with you at the helm, Guild Master Kim Sung-hoon."
"I... see."
Kim Sung-hoon seemed torn despite the warm reception.
The terms were undeniably good, and the partner was a direct descendant of one of Korea's Four Great Clans.
Not a bad deal at all.
But he still hesitated to commit. He hadn't yet judged if Shin Yu-hyun was trustworthy.
And Shin Yu-hyun knew it.
So he added quietly,
"I'm aiming for the Clan Leader position."
"Pardon?"
Kim Sung-hoon snapped his head up at the calm declaration.
Aiming for Clan Leader?
What did that mean?
"That's why I plan to build my own faction. 6-star A-rank Hunter and Red Mage Lee Chae-hwa has already agreed to help, and we've signed an exclusive contract with Crimson Tower."
"...!"
Kim Sung-hoon gasped in shock.
Lee Chae-hwa, the 6-star A-rank Hunter Red Mage.
One of Korea's rare wielders of wide-area explosion magic, she had firepower rivaling entire guilds on her own.
And the flame mages under her Crimson Tower were so elite that top guilds and parties constantly requested their dispatch.
An exclusive contract with them? Hard to believe.
"But that's not enough to claim the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan's leadership. So I plan to keep recruiting promising guilds and Superhumans."
"B-But that would require a massive amount of funding, wouldn't it?"
Kim Sung-hoon pointed out the issue sharply.
Even Golden Arrow, a small guild, needed significant funds to operate.
Recruiting Crimson Tower and more? The money involved was unimaginable.
No matter that he was Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan blood—raising that much capital wasn't easy.
"Don't worry about that. I already own a 3-star permanent dungeon, and I plan to acquire more. Plus, I've hunted plenty of magic beasts so far, so funds aren't an issue. And I'm on good terms with Nam Yeon-ah of Namdu Group—once we scale up, I'll ask her to sponsor us."
"Ah..."
Kim Sung-hoon suddenly remembered.
The Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan's third son had rescued Namdu Group's eldest daughter, Nam Yeon-ah, from an unidentified dungeon gate.
"Come to think of it, you were the one who saved Nam Yeon-ah, weren't you?"
"Yeah. I got lucky. The 4-star Hunters helped out."
"I saw her say you were the reason she survived..."
"I just lent a hand."
Shin Yu-hyun gave a wry smile.
But that seemed to seal it for Kim Sung-hoon.
The man who'd saved Nam Yeon-ah from an unidentified gate? Yeah, that was trustworthy enough.
Still, one big issue remained.
"I appreciate the offer, Shin Yu-hyun... but..."
Kim Sung-hoon trailed off.
He wanted the exclusive contract, but one fact held him back.
"Black Night Wings. You have issues with them, right?"
"H-How...?"
Kim Sung-hoon looked shocked.
"Sorry, but I did some background checks before the contract."
"Ah... Of course."
Kim Sung-hoon nodded.
Investigating a partner beforehand was standard.
Though Shin Yu-hyun already knew all about Black Night Wings from his past life.
"Speak of the devil—they're here."
Shin Yu-hyun grinned, baring his teeth sharply.
Ding-a-ling.
The cafe door opened, and three burly men entered.
The Black Night Wings guild master and his escorts.
A man in his late thirties with a short ponytail, sharp eyes, and a long scar across his face that made him look even fiercer.
That was Cheon Mu-jin, master of Black Night Wings.
"Hello there?"
Cheon Mu-jin approached Shin Yu-hyun's table with a sleazy grin and greeted them.
"Uh, yeah."
Shin Yu-hyun made no effort to hide his disgust. Unwelcome guests.
"Looks like my hyungnim's meeting someone important. Good thing I was watching—could've been trouble."
Cheon Mu-jin dragged over a chair and sat without asking.
Shin Yu-hyun and Isia both twitched their brows at the audacity, and naturally, Kim Sung-hoon's expression soured too.
"Who the hell's your hyungnim?!"
"Come on, hyungnim. After all the debt you owe me? Don't be so stingy."
"What?!"
Kim Sung-hoon glared daggers at Cheon Mu-jin.
But Cheon Mu-jin just smirked. He held the leash here.
"You can't forget you owe me, hyungnim."
"......"
Kim Sung-hoon ground his teeth in silence.
Black Night Wings.
A guild that ran illegal loansharking and gambling scams.
And.
'On my hit list.'
Unlike his thoughts, Shin Yu-hyun smiled at Cheon Mu-jin and spoke.