Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: The Secretary from Headquarters
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"And this is...?"
"Ah, let me introduce her. Starting today, she's been assigned from headquarters to serve as your secretary in the Black Tortoise Hall."
"I'm Isia."
At Personnel Director Lee Yeon-hwa's introduction, the woman stepped forward and bowed her head.
"Pleased to meet you."
Shin Yu-hyun returned the greeting with a light nod.
So it is Isia.
A beauty in her mid-twenties dispatched from headquarters to be his secretary.
He knew all about her.
After all, he had met her in his previous life.
"Did Father send you?"
"Yes, the Clan Leader ordered it personally."
Isia nodded in affirmation.
"I see."
Shin Yu-hyun nodded as well, his expression showing he understood.
There was no refusing an order from his father, the leader of the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan.
And the fact that his father had assigned her as his secretary meant...
She's here to keep an eye on me.
Her true affiliation was the Black Shadow Unit, the Clan Leader's direct intelligence organization.
Moreover, her skills were on par with the executives of the Black Tortoise Hall.
I never imagined I'd see her here like this.
A pang of sorrow tugged at Shin Yu-hyun's heart.
He knew what tragic end she had met in his previous life.
Before his regression, the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan had been wiped out by one of the Getia members, the Thorn Duke, Amon Dusias.
But a few had managed to escape.
Isia had been one of them.
Later, when she joined Shin Yu-hyun's group, she was filled with regret.
Regret for abandoning her clanmates and comrades to flee.
She blamed herself for surviving.
Then, when the group was pursued by the God of the Hunt, Barbatos, Isia stayed behind alone.
To buy them time to escape.
Thanks to her, Shin Yu-hyun's group got away safely.
And a few months later...
When they returned after receiving intelligence that the Getia had left the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan, what Shin Yu-hyun saw was a horrific scene.
Countless clan members had been brutally murdered and impaled on spikes.
Isia was among the victims.
Her limbs severed, her torso pierced through by a spike, frozen in an agonized expression in death.
Grind.
Recalling that gruesome sight, Shin Yu-hyun clenched his teeth without realizing it.
I'll stop it no matter what.
I'll make sure nothing like that happens again.
And...
If possible, I'd like to make her one of my own.
Shin Yu-hyun gazed at Isia for a moment.
She was someone with a strong sense of responsibility, willing to sacrifice herself, which made her trustworthy.
Even though she was currently planted by his father—the Clan Leader—to watch him, he intended to build a good relationship with her.
Because he planned to win her over someday.
And she wasn't the only one.
Among the current clan members, another he wanted to recruit was Choi Hyun-seong.
He, too, was a man who valued honor and loyalty, with an impeccable character.
"How's the situation with the Arachne incident?"
Sin Yu-hyun directed his question at Choi Jung-hoon.
"Yes. The cleanup at the Arachne nest has gone smoothly. The injured Black Tortoise Sword Division members are recovering well. Even Choi Seung-hyun, who was hurt the worst, should be back in a few days."
"That's a relief."
It seemed nothing major had happened while he was in secluded training.
"Anything else?"
"Yes. Aside from the Arachne incident, there haven't been any issues. Except..."
Choi Jung-hoon trailed off.
Shin Yu-hyun looked at him.
"What happened?"
"I'll handle that."
At that moment, Isia spoke up, looking at Shin Yu-hyun.
"We received a call from a Nam Yeon-ah of the Namdu Group."
"Nam Yeon-ah?"
Shin Yu-hyun's face showed surprise for a moment.
He hadn't expected her to reach out.
"Yes. Three days ago, she said she wanted to invite you to the Namdu Group's auction party."
"The Namdu Group's auction party?"
Shin Yu-hyun turned to Isia in astonishment.
The Namdu Group's auction party.
Hosted twice a year by the Namdu Group, attendance was strictly by invitation only.
And naturally, it wasn't open to just anyone.
Prominent superhumans from famous martial clans in Korea, along with renowned hunters, received invites.
Because rare unique equipment often appeared at the auctions hosted by the Namdu Group.
A party that any superhuman would kill to be invited to...
He never dreamed Nam Yeon-ah would invite him there.
"I've already received the invitation. Shall I confirm your attendance?"
"Of course. We have to go."
Shin Yu-hyun nodded at Isia's question.
The Namdu Group's auction party?
He had to attend, no question.
Rare and hard-to-obtain items would be up for bid.
New artifacts developed by the Namdu Group might appear, or high-grade gear retrieved from dungeons.
They might even have magic beast corpses for research materials.
Shin Yu-hyun's eyes gleamed.
If a usable 3-star boss corpse showed up, it could serve as material for crafting an undead Deathwatch.
Plus, there might be other items he needed.
But there was one problem.
"Finance Manager Kim Jae-hyun."
Shin Yu-hyun flashed a brilliantly bright smile at Kim Jae-hyun, the Black Tortoise Hall's finance manager.
"Y-yes?"
At his call, Kim Jae-hyun responded in a slightly trembling voice, looking anxious.
"Do we have any money?"
Right on cue.
Kim Jae-hyun broke into a cold sweat at Shin Yu-hyun's unsurprising question.
The items at the Namdu Group's auction party were all exorbitantly priced.
Even the cheapest started at tens of millions of won, going up to billions.
The issue was that the Black Tortoise Hall's finances were stretched thin.
However...
"For that, you'd be better off asking Secretary Isia."
Kim Jae-hyun immediately passed the hot potato to the newly appointed secretary.
Isia, who had maintained a professional demeanor until now, gave Shin Yu-hyun a puzzled look.
The Namdu Group had sent something unbelievable.
He'd heard the rumors that the guy who couldn't even open his energy core and was ignored in the clan had saved the Namdu Group's young lady.
Looks like the rumors were true.
"Money shouldn't be an issue. A black card came with the invitation."
"A black card?"
Shin Yu-hyun whipped around to her in shock at her calm statement.
A black card issued by the Namdu Group, no less.
He knew exactly what that was.
An ultra-rare card with a 2.5 million won annual fee, not given to just anyone who could pay.
"I don't know the exact amount, but it's probably a substantial sum."
"Where are the invitation and card?"
"In the safe."
Kim Jae-hyun wiped his sweat as he answered Shin Yu-hyun's question.
The invitation and black card from Nam Yeon-ah were Shin Yu-hyun's personal items.
The clan had simply kept them secure without opening or inspecting them.
Especially cautious because of the black card—issuing one meant it likely held at least tens of billions.
"Got it. When's the party?"
"Tomorrow."
"Perfect timing."
Shin Yu-hyun gave a wry smile.
If his seclusion had lasted even a day longer, he'd have missed it.
"Shall we prepare for the party?"
"Yes."
Shin Yu-hyun nodded at Isia's words.
That evening.
In his room, Shin Yu-hyun examined the invitation and black card from Nam Yeon-ah.
This is really out of left field...
A smile crept onto his face unbidden.
He'd thought maintaining a good relationship with her would be beneficial.
That's why he'd saved her in the unconfirmed dungeon gate exploration.
But he hadn't expected help this soon.
The black card from Nam Yeon-ah held a staggering 10 billion won, after taxes.
She wants to see me, huh...
The invitation noted that 10 billion won had been loaded onto the black card (taxes deducted), and Nam Yeon-ah's grandfather—Namdu Group Chairman Nam Hyun-cheol—expressed a desire to meet Shin Yu-hyun.
To Chairman Nam Hyun-cheol, Nam Yeon-ah must be a cherished granddaughter. Since Shin Yu-hyun had saved her life, the chairman seemed well-disposed toward him.
Getting close to the Namdu Group wouldn't hurt.
The Namdu Group researched and developed not just artifacts, but also dungeons and magic beasts.
Especially regarding dungeons and magic beasts, they held secrets even Shin Yu-hyun didn't know.
Why dungeon rifts formed, the identity of the repulsive red moon inside dungeons.
The true nature of magic beasts was the same.
The Getia seem to know something...
In his previous life, the Getia didn't seem to know much about dungeons, but they acted like they knew something about magic beasts.
But he couldn't extract any information from them.
Just surviving their pursuit had been all he could manage.
But if the Namdu Group continued their research, they might uncover something.
This could be a chance for joint research on the crystal device.
The Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan was currently studying the crystal device he'd retrieved.
But honestly, their research capabilities paled compared to the Namdu Group's.
The Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan was fundamentally a martial force pursuing strength.
They had a research department for dungeons and magic beasts, but they couldn't match the Namdu Group's funding and tech.
I'll see when I meet Chairman Nam Hyun-cheol.
Whether the Namdu Group could be trusted or not.
"Looking forward to tomorrow's auction."
Shin Yu-hyun smirked, lips curling up.
The next morning.
Ready for the auction party, Shin Yu-hyun stepped out of the Black Tortoise Hall.
A few hours left until the Namdu Group's auction began.
As he reached the main gate, familiar faces awaited: Choi Jung-hoon, Lee Yeon-hwa, and Kim Jae-hyun.
"All set?"
"Yes."
Shin Yu-hyun nodded at Choi Jung-hoon's response. He wore a black suit, unarmed.
The venue ahead was the Namdu Group's auction hall, secured like a fortress.
-You two ready?
-Yep!
-Kyuu!
Dia's and Ka-mang-i's cute voices echoed in his mind in response to his mental transmission.
He couldn't leave just Dia and Ka-mang-i at the hall, so he'd brought them along.
And in preparation for any contingencies, he'd stocked weapons, gear, and skeleton soldiers via Dia and Ka-mang-i.
Moreover, Dia and Ka-mang-i, hidden in the shadows, shared consciousness with him.
Meaning he could borrow Dia's skills.
Is Dia one of the Seven Arcs too?
Shin Yu-hyun smiled inwardly. Beyond buffs and debuffs, Dia had one incredibly useful skill.
It was none other than...