The Weight of Silence
The silence was suffocating.
It had been a long time since Kang Seungho felt this kind of pressure weighing down on his shoulders.
The executives of the Red Circle guild looked at their guild master, who sat at the head of the table. The icy chill in his eyes made it clear—he was truly furious.
Just as the silence threatened to choke the breath from their lungs, Kang Seungho finally spoke.
"Yes, Master."
"I'm sorry."
Jang Junyeong lowered his head as he answered. Even he was bewildered by the situation.
He had received a report that Baek Yeojin had gone to assist with a task she was already handling. Since it wasn't particularly difficult for anyone involved, he hadn't paid it much attention.
"It doesn't appear so. There were no separate movements from SW."
…….
Once again, silence fell over the room.
They wanted to check the nearby CCTV footage, but there was nothing worth checking. The location had been extremely remote, and the body had vanished without a trace.
"Understood."
"That matter is proceeding smoothly. At the latest, funds should begin circulating again by early next month."
"Understood."
Kang Seungho shifted his gaze.
Lately, minor incidents had been occurring in other areas as well. For a company standing on the verge of its most critical moment, these continuous accidents were extremely unwelcome.
"Yes, understood!"
Everyone in the room answered in unison.
The Dungeon Break.
After that project, the entire landscape of the hunter world would change forever.
Ding!
Level up.
"Oh, it went up!"
Sohee couldn't hide the overwhelming emotion on her face as she shouted.
The troll pack had just died, allowing her to finally reach the long-awaited level 50.
At Sohee's cry, Dojin spoke.
"Good work. Did you get any new skills?"
"J-just a moment. There's... so much information popping up..."
She had probably received a flood of messages. There would also be the unique skill granted at level 50.
Dojin waited in silence.
Soon after, Sohee spoke again.
"I received bonus stats too... and I got a unique skill."
"How many bonus stats?"
"Ten."
Since she had the SR trait, she received bonus stats at level 50. That made sense.
Though coming from someone who had received fifty bonus stats as a level 50 perk, it wasn't exactly something he could criticize.
"Put all of them into Strength. And what is the unique skill?"
"War Cry."
It was a tank skill that drew aggro. From now on, she wouldn't have to laboriously slam her shield into the ground anymore.
Dojin nodded.
"Now that you're level 50, there are quite a few pieces of equipment you can swap out. From here on, you'll run dungeons with the Firebird Guild hunters to keep your combat senses sharp."
"Huh? What about you, sir?"
"I have things I need to do."
Dojin's current level was 62. Thanks to Sohee following along better than expected, he had been able to raise her level quickly.
But even so...
This still isn't enough.
The Yongin Dungeon Break in March was one of the highest-grade dungeons—the Drake's Nest.
The boss monster, the Drake, was an irregular creature exceeding level 300.
The moment the Dungeon Break occurred, the sleeping Drake would awaken.
I have to prevent that at all costs.
If they could clear the dungeon without waking the creature, they could prevent that terrible tragedy.
And to do that...
I need to stop the bastards who are intentionally causing Dungeon Breaks.
Everything he had done so far was preparation for that goal.
To become even a little stronger...
"It's dangerous, but I'll have to push myself a bit."
Dojin's steps began to quicken.
"This is incredible."
Hansu couldn't hide his astonishment as he looked around the item research laboratory at SW Technology.
It wasn't just a single item research lab; it was subdivided into various specialized departments.
Even those specialized sections were packed with an enormous amount of equipment and technological prowess.
Just the facilities for crafting items alone were several times better than the corporation that had exploited him before.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Lee Yunhwan, deputy manager of the close-combat weapons division."
"I'm Kwak Hansu."
"Today is your first day, right? I'll be in charge of you for the time being. Feel free to ask me anything you don't understand."
"Yes, please take care of me."
First day on the job.
Hansu had specifically requested the close-combat weapons division. While he was capable of handling armor or other weapon types, he wanted to work in a department where he could be most useful.
Hansu followed Yunhwan and listened to explanations about the close-combat weapons division—what facilities they had, how they collaborated with other departments, and so on.
"Lately, the project our division is most focused on is the development of new materials."
"New materials?"
"Yes. If you look here, you'll see a metal called SW Chrome. It's a material that contains the very essence of SW Technology."
It possessed strength comparable to adamantium, yet its cost was only ten percent of the latter. Thanks to this unrivaled technological edge, weapons from SW Technology were beloved by hunters around the world.
"We're trying to combine it with the magic conductivity of mithril. Both adamantium and SW Chrome have excellent durability, but their magic conductivity is rather poor."
Yunhwan turned to look at the SW Chrome currently undergoing experiments. The sight of it fracturing during the bonding process left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"If we successfully create the new alloy we're researching, it will cause an absolute upheaval in this market."
A metal that combined mithril's magic conductivity with exceptional strength.
It was quite literally the ideal material every hunter dreamed of.
At Yunhwan's words, Hansu nodded.
"I hope it gets completed soon."
"Well, it's not something you need to worry about, but it's good to know about the major projects the department is focused on. By the way, I heard you were a blacksmith before. Have you ever made weapons for hunters?"
"Ah... yes. I've made a few lower-grade weapons."
Hansu had not revealed detailed information about himself. There was no need to draw attention right from the start.
Yunhwan nodded.
"Oh... then you must be quite skilled. Still, for the time being, you'll start by helping with basic foundational tasks. Nothing too difficult, so you'll get the hang of it quickly. If you have any questions, just ask anytime."
"Yes, thank you."
"Then follow me. I'll show you around."
At Yunhwan's words, Hansu nodded. But then...
…….
Hansu stared intently at the shattered new alloy metal. He had a feeling that if he could identify the cause of the breakage, he might be able to solve it.
"Hansu?"
"Ah, I'm sorry."
Hansu hurriedly followed after Yunhwan.
But at that moment.
"Oh? Chief Secretary."
"Nice to meet you, Deputy Manager Lee Yunhwan."
Yunhwan's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden appearance of Gyeongtaek.
What could the chairman's personal secretary possibly be doing here?
But Gyeongtaek's gaze immediately shifted to Hansu beside him.
"May I borrow Kwak Hansu for a moment? I've already spoken with the division head."
"Huh? Ah, yes. Of course, that's fine."
Yunhwan took a step back.
Gyeongtaek looked at Hansu and said, "Kwak Hansu, please come with me for a moment."
"...Yes."
What could this be about all of a sudden?
Hansu tilted his head in confusion as he followed Gyeongtaek upstairs.
"Huh?"
Dojin was waiting for him in the lounge.
Dojin approached Hansu with a small smile.
"How is the company treating you?"
"It's only my first day, so I'm not entirely sure yet, but it seems wonderful."
It seemed his move-in with his wife had delayed his start date as they adjusted to their new life.
Dojin looked at Hansu and said, "There's something I'd like to ask of you. Would it be possible?"
"If it's something I can do, anything at all."
After all, Dojin was the one who had given him the chance to live a new life.
If there was any way to repay that kindness, he was willing to do whatever it took.
Dojin spoke.
"Could you make me a weapon using this item?"
"...What is this?"
"You've worked hard."
"I think this is far too much of an investment."
"You think so?"
At Gyeongtaek's words, Gu Jinmo let out a hearty chuckle.
Even for him, this hadn't been an easy decision.
"I truly never expected Arkal's Fang to come up."
Eight years ago, the catastrophe and terror that had wiped out half of Texas.
The Mad Dragon Arkal.
The colossal dragon, whose body stretched over a hundred meters, had become a symbol of America's disaster, but on the other hand, it had also contributed tremendously to the advancement of the American hunter industry.
The countless spoils obtained from hunting Arkal had been crafted into all sorts of weapons, armor, and even elixirs.
Of course, even now those spoils were traded in small quantities, but they were incredibly difficult to obtain and carried astronomical prices.
And what Dojin had requested was precisely one of Arkal's fangs.
Even a fragment would be fine. As long as it's larger than a finger.
That was probably the first time Dojin's eyes had shown any wavering.
Even he had thought the request was excessive.
"Hehe, but you never imagined I'd hand over a whole piece instead of a mere fragment, did you?"
"...What are you trying to do?"
What Gu Jinmo had given Dojin could not be dismissed as a mere 'fragment.'
It was a fang the size of a human arm.
While it wasn't a canine tooth, the number of people in the world who possessed an intact Arkal fang could be counted on one hand.
As chairman of SW Technology, he had gone to great lengths to acquire what could only be described as a historic trophy in the hunter world—only to hand it over without hesitation.
Yet Gu Jinmo spoke firmly.
"Chief Secretary. Do you know how I felt when I first saw Junseo in the hospital?"
"......"
"If I could save that child by giving up my own life, I was prepared to do so without the slightest hesitation."
Just thinking about his grandson lying in a hospital bed, unaware that it was a curse, made his chest feel tight.
And Dojin was the benefactor who had saved that very grandson.
"How could a single dinosaur tooth possibly be more precious than my own life?"
"...You are right, sir."
There was no justification to stop Gu Jinmo.
At Gyeongtaek's response, Gu Jinmo let out a small chuckle.
"Besides... I have a feeling that if it's him, he'll put it to truly good use."
Gu Jinmo smiled faintly as he looked at the photograph of his grandson on the desk.
But at that moment.
Riiiiiiing!
The direct line to the chairman's office began to ring.
A call that almost never came.
When Gu Jinmo looked at Gyeongtaek, the secretary answered immediately.
"You've reached the chairman's office. This is Chief Secretary Kim Gyeongtaek."
The voice coming from the other end of the receiver.
"...Chairman."
"Hm?"
As Gyeongtaek continued speaking, Gu Jinmo's expression grew increasingly grave.