Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Securing Loyalty
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"What would you like us to do?"
Choi Jung-hoon gazed at Shin Yu-hyun with serious eyes.
"Anything that would make me believe I can trust you all."
Shin Yu-hyun deliberately avoided giving specifics.
'They should figure out something this basic on their own.'
Shin Yu-hyun knew full well.
That his demands were vague.
But these weren't just anyone—they were the core executives of Black Tortoise Hall.
If they couldn't handle even this much, the future looked bleak.
And he had shared the key point.
As long as whatever they did earned his trust, it was fine.
'All they need to do is show me the bare minimum sincerity to prove I can rely on them.'
"Understood. Then our path forward is clear."
Choi Jung-hoon smiled faintly.
It was a smile that somehow carried a sense of relief.
"Thank you for being straightforward with us."
"We won't disappoint you again."
Lee Yeon-hwa and Kim Jae-hyun mirrored Choi Jung-hoon's expression as they bowed their heads.
'Hm.'
That caught Shin Yu-hyun a little off guard inwardly. He'd half-expected them to bristle at his words.
"From now on, we'll support you with everything we've got, Hall Leader."
Finally, Choi Jung-hoon bowed his head as he spoke.
It seemed they'd truly resolved to follow him.
Whether their commitment was genuine would reveal itself in time.
"And Vermilion Bird Hall sent over the wager prize."
Choi Jung-hoon then handed Shin Yu-hyun a small jewel box.
"It's finally here."
Shin Yu-hyun's eyes gleamed.
There was only one thing Vermilion Bird Hall would send as a wager prize.
The Heaven-Splitting Divine Pill.
This inner pill that boosted mana had finally come into his hands.
"It was a shame you didn't get to see the Vermilion Bird Hall guys who delivered it, Hall Leader. It felt so damn good."
Kim Jae-hyun couldn't help but grin.
Among the Guardian Sword Halls, Vermilion Bird Hall had always looked down on Black Tortoise Hall.
They'd snatched the most dungeons under Black Tortoise Hall's management.
As the one handling finances, Kim Jae-hyun frowned at anything involving Vermilion Bird Hall.
The Guardian Sword Halls' main revenue came from dungeon byproducts, after all.
"I can still picture those Vermilion Bird Hall bastards' faces."
Lee Yeon-hwa covered her mouth with her hand, laughing beside Kim Jae-hyun.
She despised Vermilion Bird Hall with a passion that made her tremble.
They'd poached disciples meant for Black Tortoise Hall with all sorts of excuses.
But that morning, those Vermilion Bird Hall guys had shown up at Black Tortoise Hall looking like they'd lost their souls.
Especially when handing over the Heaven-Splitting Divine Pill—it felt like a blocked chest suddenly cleared, sending shivers of satisfaction down her spine.
Lee Myung-hoon, one of Vermilion Bird Hall's executives who usually mocked Black Tortoise Hall, had gritted his teeth and handed it over with a look of utter regret.
That must have been the moment.
When Lee Yeon-hwa and Kim Jae-hyun solidified their decision to follow Shin Yu-hyun.
"This is just the beginning."
Shin Yu-hyun smiled at them.
He would reclaim everything the other sword halls had taken.
And rebuild Black Tortoise Hall into a major power within the clan.
All to exact revenge on Getia.
"We'll be busy from here on out."
Rebuilding and advancing Black Tortoise Hall meant a mountain of tasks.
Starting with talent—he planned to recruit not just clan disciples but outsiders too.
Businessmen to expand Black Tortoise Hall's finances, magic engineers for weapons and gear R&D, and more.
There were promising unknowns outside the clan who would shine in the future.
"I'm counting on you all."
Shin Yu-hyun looked at the people before him. They had at least two jobs ahead.
One: earning his trust.
Two: handling their departments as Black Tortoise Hall ramped up.
He needed their help to rebuild and grow it.
"Yes, sir. Leave it to us."
Choi Jung-hoon placed his fist over his heart and bowed at the waist.
Lee Yeon-hwa and Kim Jae-hyun followed, fists to hearts, kneeling on one knee.
It was the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan's formal salute.
Watching them, Shin Yu-hyun let a faint smile tug at his lips.
This salute carried meaning.
A pledge of loyalty.
With their talk concluded, Choi Jung-hoon and the others withdrew from the underground training hall.
They'd shown their intent to follow and pledge loyalty to Shin Yu-hyun, but issues remained.
'Not everyone in Black Tortoise Hall follows me.'
The hall was smaller than before, but still home to dozens of superhumans.
Not all acknowledged Shin Yu-hyun yet.
Some still viewed him unfavorably.
'But that's only a matter of time.'
The core executives running Black Tortoise Hall had declared for him.
Once they saw him rack up achievements and reclaim what the other Guardian Sword Halls took, they'd have no choice but to follow.
'Focus on what I need to do now.'
Shin Yu-hyun's top priority was investigating the unconfirmed dungeon gate.
Completing it successfully would boost his reputation in the clan.
'But first...'
Shin Yu-hyun gazed at the Heaven-Splitting Divine Pill in his hand.
Absorbing it would make him stronger.
He sat cross-legged in the center of the underground training hall.
Then he began circulating chakra mana along his body's meridians.
Chakra Cultivation Method: Upanishad.
A training art born from merging the Immortal King's mana cultivation with the Heaven-Splitting Heart Method.
At its core, it resembled the Heaven-Splitting Heart Method.
Like it, it circulated chakra mana through the Conception and Governor Vessels in the Lesser Heavenly Circuit.
Shin Yu-hyun currently had two chakras unlocked.
Opening the first, Muladhara Chakra, had granted far more and purer mana than his initial energy awakening.
The second chakra had yielded a substantial amount too.
And now...
Gulp.
After a light session of meditative breathing, Shin Yu-hyun swallowed the Heaven-Splitting Divine Pill.
'Mm.'
The moment it went down, vast mana erupted within him.
Shin Yu-hyun immediately activated Chakra Cultivation Method: Upanishad to tame the surging mana. He began circulating it through his Conception and Governor Vessels.
The Lesser Heavenly Circuit had begun.
"Hoo."
Shin Yu-hyun repeated deep inhalations and slow exhalations.
The Heaven-Splitting Divine Pill's mana rampaged like a wild horse inside him.
But he had two unlocked chakras and Upanishad now. Plus mana control techniques learned from Maria in his past life.
The wild mana quickly tamed, turning into docile energy he absorbed bit by bit.
As time passed, hot steam rose faintly from Shin Yu-hyun's body.
How much time had gone by?
Suddenly, Shin Yu-hyun opened his eyes.
At that instant.
"Hoo."
Letting out a long breath, Shin Yu-hyun rose to his feet.
Despite the long cross-legged session, his body felt lighter than ever.
Above all, his mana reserves had grown substantially.
"Not bad."
A smile played on Shin Yu-hyun's lips.
Absorbing the Heaven-Splitting Divine Pill had propelled him from 3-Star Low to Intermediate in one go.
Just one more Chakra point, and he'd hit Upper.
'Dominance needs one more point too.'
At 3-Star with Dominance at 41, he could summon the Dark Saintess, mediator of the Seven Arcs' Moon Measure Star.
With her, he could uncover many truths.
About the Dimensional War, Time Crisis, and the ties between the Immortal King, magic beasts, and Getia.
"All that's left is investigating the unconfirmed dungeon gate."
Two days had passed since absorbing the Heaven-Splitting Divine Pill.
When Shin Yu-hyun opened his eyes, he'd been shocked to learn half a day had elapsed.
It had felt like thirty minutes at most.
Meanwhile, Jeong Tae-seong and his crew who ambushed him had been expelled from the clan.
According to Acting Hall Leader Choi Jung-hoon, they'd been given some payout too.
Severance to keep them quiet, no doubt.
His second brother, Shin Cheol-jin, had entered secluded training.
House arrest in truth, but publicly announced as seclusion to save face.
Shin Cheol-jin was too prideful for anything less.
'Uncle didn't go easy either.'
Shin Sung-hyun had said he'd consider becoming his sponsor if he soloed a 2-Star boss.
Yesterday, Shin Sung-hyun visited Black Tortoise Hall.
He promised sponsorship if Shin Yu-hyun completed this investigation mission successfully.
Soloing the 2-Star boss had left him on the fence.
But nailing this mission sealed the deal.
'I'll make this mission a success no matter what.'
One more reason to succeed: pulling in Uncle Shin Sung-hyun would greatly aid building his influence in the clan.
'Gangnam hasn't changed a bit.'
Shin Yu-hyun looked out the window.
He was in a Gangnam cafe, sipping a Java Chip Frappuccino. The Hunter Association's Korean branch was here.
Their 15-story building stood in Gangnam.
The Hunter Association building and Seoul's streets looked just like before.
Crowds bustled by, skyscrapers towered everywhere.
'Frappuccino tastes the same too.'
Shin Yu-hyun took a sip. The bittersweet, sweet flavor spread in his mouth, calming his mind.
'Thought I'd never taste this again.'
In the world ruined by Getia, coffee and frappes were luxuries.
He'd figured he'd never have them again.
Who knew he'd savor one like this once more.
And that wasn't all.
Unlike the rubble of Seoul in his past life under Getia, these streets brimmed with life.
'This time, I'll protect it.'
After enjoying the sweet Java Chip Frappuccino and a moment of peace, Shin Yu-hyun stood.
At the Hunter Association branch, Shin Yu-hyun got his D-Rank Hunter license right away.
He was a young master of the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan, one of Korea's four great martial families.
Plus, the clan had already informed the Association he was a 3-Star superhuman.
Clan Leader Shin Sung-il had gauged his rank during the disciplinary hearing.
So he got the license with minimal wait and was escorted to the 11th-floor waiting room.
The other hunters for the unconfirmed dungeon gate investigation were already there.
'This the investigation team?'
Shin Yu-hyun scanned the room.
It was a conference room with a large central table.
Eight hunters sat around it, two Association staff at the front podium.
His gaze swept over them, landing last on two 4-Star Intermediate hunters.
One was the investigation team's sole survivor.
And.
'The Joker's here too.'
A villain who massacred countless hunters.