Chapter 237
Chapter 237
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 237
Chapter Title: The Stirred Hive
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Soo-hyuk entered the dorm and unpacked his things before lying down on the bed.
The conversation with Yi Won-jae kept replaying in his head the whole way back. Now that he was in his private space, the killing intent he'd suppressed started to rear its head again.
'He must be sincere this time too.'
His impression of Yi Won-jae was that of a greedy bastard.
He'd climbed all the way to vice-guild master of a massive guild, yet he still craved a higher position. Even after failing once, he was scheming for another shot.
He'd probably betrayed Kyu-seong and begged for his life during that first failure.
But what if he failed this time?
There wouldn't be a third chance.
He was gambling with his life, lost once, and now rolling the dice again on the same bet.
"Mad bastard."
And the price of that first gamble had been Kyu-seong's life.
Lying on his back, he stared up at the ceiling. Suddenly, Kyu-seong's face floated into view above him.
In an instant, the killing intent from moments ago and the shitty mood vanished like a lie.
"Damn idiot, you got taken down by a clown like that?"
Soo-hyuk sneered at Yi Won-jae, who'd mistaken him for Ye-ryeong and fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.
Beaten by a loser like that.
"Is punching really the only thing you know how to do?"
The Kyu-seong hovering in his vision thrashed about.
'Who the hell did I go through all that crap for?'
Soo-hyuk rubbed one ear at the voice echoing like a hallucination.
"That's that. This is this."
With his other hand, he waved away the noisy Kyu-seong.
He made up his mind. Someday, when he died and met the guy, he'd have to tease him about it.
"That'll be a sight."
He chuckled to himself at the thought.
Then it hit him.
Lately, he'd been thinking about those guys way more than usual.
Sleep was out of the question now, so he got up from the bed and headed to the window.
Outside, people were milling about. Ever since arriving here, Soo-hyuk had been scanning the crowds for Ye-ryeong and Si-woo.
Deep in enemy territory, yet strangely, his mind felt at ease—solid, even.
"You guys really need to appreciate this."
Who I'm going through all this hell for.
Soo-hyuk resolved himself.
Looks like he'd have to milk the credit for all it was worth.
A forest a short distance from the Blue House.
"Uwaaaah!"
Crack!
Unable to contain his rage, Adolf swung his fist. An innocent giant tree snapped viciously and toppled backward.
"Don't you get what I said?"
Yi Won-jae's words looped endlessly in his head.
His face across the table. His tone. His glances and that condescending sneer.
"That's an order—from me."
"You dog bastard!"
Boom!
His wild swings felled several more trees. There was no way to vent this fury except through raw violence and strength.
'Why the hell...!'
His reddened eyes flickered with blazing anger.
'Why is Il-su hyung letting that bastard slide?'
Adolf was Kim Il-su's closest confidant. As such, he knew exactly what depravities Yi Won-jae had committed.
He'd already betrayed Kim Il-su once.
The rebellion had failed.
And after the Hwang Kyu-seong incident, Yi Won-jae's influence and standing in Blue Zone had shrunk drastically.
He was little more than a figurehead vice-guild master now.
But even that, Adolf couldn't wrap his head around.
'Why forgive him?'
Treason's only punishment was death—at least by Adolf's reckoning.
Yet Kim Il-su had spared Yi Won-jae. Letting him live was forgiveness enough.
And on top of that, he'd kept his vice-guild master title.
No matter how diminished his power, the position couldn't be ignored.
"The Guardian攻略... must still be ongoing."
He'd sent a message through Kit.
Yi Won-jae's behavior was suspicious. Looked like he was plotting betrayal again. But no reply.
He hadn't expected much.
Tackling the Guardian was a massive undertaking. Not something to wrap up in days.
He got it.
But understanding didn't douse the anger.
"Of all times... this dogshit happens..."
No.
Couldn't call it coincidence.
The Blue Eyes remnants infiltrating, scheming to exploit it—all timed for this moment.
Kim Il-su must have known the risks and pushed ahead with the攻略 anyway.
'Trusting me, right here.'
In other words, it meant he'd earned the guild master's full trust.
Adolf's lips curled into a faint smirk as the thought dawned. Rage boiled, but opportunity flickered too.
If he crushed the Blue Eyes remnants here and chopped off the traitorous vice-guild master's head...
Who'd claim the vacant seat?
With that in mind, Adolf finally reined in his fury.
Soon, someone approached the solitary Adolf.
"You called?"
"Why so late?"
The one Adolf had summoned was Baek Jo-min.
"Sorry. Got lost..."
"Idiot."
He snapped, but it wasn't incomprehensible.
This wasn't inside Blue House. It was the entrance to a restricted forest, quite a ways off.
Finding it wouldn't have been easy.
Glance.
Baek Jo-min's eyes swept the rendezvous spot upon arrival.
Felled trees. Brutal traces everywhere—Baek Jo-min flinched.
"Looks like you're pretty pissed."
"You wanna talk about that now?"
"..."
"Got a job for you."
"Yes, sir."
"Starting tomorrow, pull all surveillance on Jeong Chan-young."
"All of it?"
Just that morning, Adolf had ordered intensified watch.
Now, not even a day later, the complete opposite.
Even an idiot would sense something off.
"Yeah. Instead, we'll monitor someone else."
"Another suspect?"
"Yi Won-jae."
"...Pardon?"
Baek Jo-min's eyes went wide.
"The vice-guild master...?"
"I said it clearly, didn't I?"
Killing intent poured onto the questioning Baek Jo-min.
"Keep your personal opinions and thoughts out of it."
"S-Sorry, sir."
"Just do as you're told. No needless curiosity or doubts."
"Understo..."
Rustle.
The presence hit then.
Tiny—like a mountain critter, maybe a rabbit.
Baek Jo-min and Adolf's gazes snapped there. Adolf frowned.
"Tch."
His tongue-click carried irritation.
That instant.
Snap!
Something bronze hurtled at Adolf's throat.
Crunch.
"Kek!"
Adolf snatched the flying thing mid-air by the scruff. Sharp claws strained but couldn't reach, flailing before his nose.
"Came this far again, huh."
Crack.
The neck in his grip snapped easily. The twitching body went limp.
The intruder from the forest was a demon.
Coppery skin, razor claws, beast-slit eyes.
Above all, the pair of spots on its cheeks—undeniable proof it was a demon.
"One pair of spots—foot soldier, looks like."
"Straggler from the pack?"
"Two more nearby."
Baek Jo-min scanned the surroundings.
"I'll handle them."
Without waiting for a reply, Baek Jo-min vanished.
Adolf dropped the dead demon and crossed his arms, waiting.
About a minute later, Baek Jo-min returned, two demon corpses in hand.
"Just the three?"
"All foot soldiers."
"Weaklings booted from the group, huh. That's all?"
"No others."
"Three, though..."
Even foot soldiers—three of them here, not far from Blue House.
"About time for a cleanup."
Demons and humans clashed periodically. Demons hunted humans; humans hunted demons.
Demon sightings had spiked lately. He'd gotten reports, but facing them head-on like this? First time in ages.
"Lots'll die this time too."
The time was drawing near again.
Demons versus humans.
The moment the two forces would collide.
Dawn broke.
The schedule kicked off early. Right after sunrise, the exam passers exited the city.
"Yawwwn."
"Why start so damn early?"
"Sun's barely up."
Assembly was at dawn—too early to call morning.
Tight schedule aside, it was unusual. Complaints were natural.
Of course, that was for the clueless.
'Fighting demons is advantageous in daylight.'
Blue Zone had battled demons for years. Protecting humanity from them was a megaguild's prime duty.
'Heard no big clashes in a while...'
Soo-hyuk's gaze drifted to Adolf approaching from afar.
'Knows the basics.'
Holding the exam in daylight was standard. Blue Zone didn't want heavy casualties either.
But that wasn't what Soo-hyuk wanted.
'Around five hundred.'
Yesterday's test had passed less than half, but still nearly five hundred.
Five hundred rankers.
A staggering force, overshadowed only by Blue Zone's giant name.
Demons weren't pushovers, though.
Unlike players, demons could traverse tower floors freely.
Higher floors meant stronger demons, higher odds.
"Everyone here, I see."
Step, step.
Adolf strode into the midst of the participants.
"Before we begin, I've got something to show everyone."
"Show us?"
"What?"
As participants murmured, Adolf beckoned somewhere.
Creak, creeeak.
A massive frame rolled in.
A horrific tool for hanging enemy corpses—rare even in war. The mood turned grim instantly.
"Wh-What's that?"
"Why hang people...?"
But only for a moment.
"Not people..."
"Demons!"
The three frames held the demons Adolf had caught last night.
He'd staked them up for all participants to see and dragged them here.
The intent was clear.
No flashier pre-exam show than this.
But the moment Soo-hyuk saw the demon corpses, he let out a hollow laugh.
"Those... crazy bastards."
Basics? Knows basics?
A guy who "knows" parades them on stakes like trophies?
Soo-hyuk massively revised his earlier thoughts.
No. They didn't even grasp the basics. Flaunting this meant they barely understood demons.
Side effect of prolonged peace. No one here seemed to grasp what three lowly demon foot soldiers signified.
'No need for me to poke it.'
The beehive was already stirred.
Now, no one knew what would swarm out.