Chapter 81
“What do you mean by that?!” Secretary Yoon Yeonghwan of Red Circle's Master Kang Seungho could not hide his panic as he received the sudden report. The employee who reported to him spoke in a rush. “Where is Master right now? Master must be here!” “What is this…… How could Firebird Guild, without losing their minds, attack at this very hour? Isn't the Association imposing any restrictions?” “This is an act of rebellion.” They were currently facing problems, but Red Circle was Korea's leading hunter guild. Allowing such an open raid into Seoul streets at midnight in a lawful nation was unthinkable. But…… “No response from the Hunter Association.” “People?” “We sent them, but they claim no one is willing to meet.” “……” Yoon Yeonghwan's expression hardened. They were deliberately avoiding this situation. Then…… “The Hunter Police will be no different.” “……Yes, they are avoiding it, claiming the incident has not even occurred yet.” “The board is already prepared.” The situation was clear. Firebird Guild. Their perfect plan against the previous damage was now set. Since SW Technology had acquired them, such a move was impossible to prevent. Yoon Yeonghwan frowned. “Stupid fools. For this plan to succeed, they must be stronger than us.” The main attacking hunters of Firebird Guild were all dead. Although they had suffered heavy losses, it was not enough to fall to Firebird Guild. Yoon Yeonghwan said, “Issue an immediate emergency call to all hunters and gather here. Hold until sunrise, and we will report to the Association officially.” “Ah, understood!” Master Kang Seungho had temporarily left for important business. But even without the master…… “Daring to declare war on Firebird Guild……” Had they openly declared a full-scale battle? Yoon Yeonghwan bit his lip tightly. “Yes, let's see which side disappears.” Today…… close the doors of Firebird Guild forever. Yoon Yeonghwan's eyes flashed sharply. * * * “Ahh……” Even though it was June, the night air carried warmth. It was weather suitable for wearing a short-sleeved shirt. But the atmosphere was unnaturally cool compared to the surroundings. Thud. Ha Dojin, standing near the Red Circle building, raised his head. The office of Kang Seungho was on the top floor, twelfth. ‘Right there……’ Seungho was absent. But it did not matter. If the entire building was razed, the bastard would eventually appear. Now, the entirety of what Seungho possessed, his last resort, was this Red Circle guild. If it disappeared, nothing would remain for him. “You should hurry, Kang Seungho.” Dojin murmured softly and walked toward the first-floor lobby of Red Circle guild. Many Red Circle hunters were already gathered there. “If you run, I will spare you, but if you insist on fighting for this rotten group……” “I will kill all of you.” Dojin pulled out Arkal's Wrath from his waist. * * * A high-end Japanese restaurant with luxurious interior. At the center, a woman in kimono carefully poured alcohol from a bottle into a cup alongside the neatly arranged dishes. Slurp. In the silence, only the sound of alcohol flowing from the bottle filling the cup. Moon Byeonggi. He picked up the cup full of alcohol, smiled leisurely, and said, “The liquor has quite a nice aroma. Have one.” “Do you think you can cut our ties like this?” His smile was faint, but his eyes were not smiling at all. When his gaze met Seungho's, Byeonggi flinched for a moment. But…… “Hehe, everything has an end if there is a beginning. This matter will be a good experience for you as well.” Gulping down the cup, he swallowed the liquor. Ordinary people would have frozen just from watching, yet he was not a mere political nine-step fool. Byeonggi said, “We caused too much trouble this time. Even though hunter affairs are handled without exception, didn't we go too far?” “Didn’t you ask the elder to handle the affairs we went too far?” “Hah! To handle them? What are you talking about!” Byeonggi's voice rose. Seungho’s lips curled slightly in response. Looking at Seungho's sly smile, Byeonggi said, “You should also think about this event. Who knows, the situation might improve and become a good connection again. Hehe.” He stuck out his tongue, placed a piece of meat in his mouth, and chewed it with relish. Seeing this, Seungho's expression turned icy. But at that moment. Uuuuung. A vibration came from the phone in his pocket. Seungho's eyebrows twitched. He had instructed that only emergencies would receive calls. Yet Byeonggi seemed to know something. “Go quickly. It seems like an urgent matter.” Laughing lowly, he drank more alcohol. The liquor today tasted unusually sweet. And upon checking the phone, Seungho immediately told Byeonggi with a hardened face, “As you said, there seems to be an urgent matter I must attend to.” “No escort for you, hehe.” “No need to be modest. I should be the one to see you off.” “……?” Byeonggi looked at Seungho with puzzled eyes. Seungho said, “As the elder said, I will think about it alone. Please go now. I have been taking care of your belly's oil for a while, so you should not feel wronged.” “What?” Byeonggi's face twisted. But Seungho looked at the cup in Byeonggi's hand and continued, “This is liquor that has sprouted in the Imcho dungeon. The aroma is excellent. However……” Uuuuung. Seungho infused mana, filling the entire room. At that instant. “Ugh!” Byeonggi suddenly clutched his chest. Seungho continued to the twisted-faced Byeonggi, “When mixed with mana, it is known to produce deadly poison.” “You, you, you……” “Handle the rest yourself.” “Understood, Master.” The woman who had poured the liquor for Byeonggi bowed politely to Seungho. Byeonggi tried to shout in outrage, but his body trembled and he collapsed onto the table. Thud! One obstacle was removed. Originally, other elders would also have needed to be dealt with. But…… “……A declaration of war.” Entering head-on? Crazy bastard. Seungho stood up and headed toward the waiting car. Yes…… a perfectly perfect night to finish everything. Soon, the car carrying Seungho sped toward Red Circle guild. * * * The Red Circle hunters gathered in the lobby. They looked at Dojin walking alone with dumbfounded expressions. “What? Alone?” “He came to declare war alone?” “Eh……? Is that Dojin hunter who entered the Red Gate before?” Some hunters recognized him. They knew he had the skill to clear the Red Gate, but…… “Still, this is too much of a blow.” “How much did they underestimate us……” Their pride was injured. Although it was a guild in decline, Red Circle was undeniably Korea's top hunter guild. Declaring war against members of such a place and coming alone? It was an insult even for them. Clang! The Red Circle hunters drew their weapons and glared at Dojin with fierce eyes. This emergency call at night was already infuriating. “You brought this upon yourselves. Don't complain!” The accumulated resentment seemed about to explode. Pa-bat! “AAAAA!” Thud! Thud! Thud! Including several burly hunters, they rushed toward Dojin with weapons raised. Even if they killed this one, there would be other Firebird Guild hunters. They only wanted to end it quickly and go home to sleep. But…… Swish. Dojin lightly shook his body as he saw the charging hunters. With a strange gait, his body seemed to become hazy. “Acceleration, Night Walker.” Snap! Dojin disappeared from sight. “Where?!” “He vanished!” It felt like instant teleportation. But at that instant. Squish! Crack! “GROAAAAA!” “Yuseong-ah!” It happened in an instant. A man appeared from behind them, shattering the tanker's two legs. Thud! Yuseong trembled and collapsed to the ground. It was not a simple wound; the tendons were severed in that short time. A healer-type hunter rushed to apply healing magic, but just as he began, Pak! With a dull sound, Dojin struck the back of the healer's head from behind. It was a position where even a wrong hit could kill. The force was precisely adjusted; the healer did not scream and fell unconscious to the floor. Two people fell in an instant. The hunters facing this impossible situation could not hide their shock. Of course, the fellow Firebird Guild hunters were no different. “……What did I just see?” “Did we really see it correctly just now?” “Eh, it felt like we saw something impossible.” “What level is Dojin hunter again?” Everyone was stunned. It was not a speed they could not follow with their eyes. From a distance, Dojin's movements were perfectly visible. But these were all hunters who fought on the front lines. Everyone knew what such movement felt like when it happened right before their eyes. “It must have looked like he vanished.” “The movements had no unnecessary actions. He perfectly dove into the enemy's blind spot.” Moreover, that peculiar step. From a close perspective, the hunters must have seen his body waving like a reed. And…… “The finishing blow was also perfect……” The armor seams around the tanker's body. The precise attack that pierced the weak points to neutralize was pure art. Even high-grade hunters would normally be ordinary people. How could he perform such high-level attacks? “Could Dojin hunter have been…… some North Korean agent or assassin before awakening……?” “Like those flashing movements in the movies?” “Yes.” “It would be better if that were the case. Then we could understand somehow.” In fact, among the famous assassin hunters, many were former mercenaries or agents. And the Red Circle hunters. “……All concentrate.” “If it is revealed that we were pierced by one person, we are truly finished.” Unstoppable decline was evident. Who that guy was and what abilities he had…… did not matter. Right now. “No matter what, we must block him until Master arrives.” Somehow, we must protect this place from that monster. All the Red Circle hunters who had underestimated him raised their weapons and formed a formation. A good momentum. Dojin nodded in response. “If you choose that path…… I will respect it.” However…… “The responsibility is entirely yours.” An assassin hunter with insane combat power walked straight toward them. ---