The Weight of Shadows
Gyu Taek stepped into the chairman's office at SW Technology and addressed Gu Jinmo. “These are the materials you asked Hunter Ha Dojin to investigate.”
“What do you think?”
“...Honestly, they seem far too reckless. No, rather dangerous.”
The path that Dojin walked was one of heavy, tense weight.
It carried the same eerie familiarity as the days when Chairman Gu Jinmo had sought the black hands hidden behind the hunter world.
“The reason Chairman had withdrawn from them back then was simple. Their conflicts brought no benefit to the company.”
“Hoo hoo, that eases my mind. But the real reason was never that, was it?”
A bitter memory fleeting across Gu Jinmo's eyes as he looked at Gyu Taek.
“Without the power to confront them, I simply gave up first.”
One step further and the company I must protect like my own life would have been in danger.
The closer I approached their truth, the greater the fear grew.
Swish.
Gu Jinmo rose from his seat and walked to the window, gazing out.
It was a time when he was no longer young, yet his prime.
Gu Jinmo had uncovered the powers gripping Korean society.
Not just within the country, but among the world's tycoons, the political establishment, and even those holding sway in the hunter world.
He had intended to reach out globally, uprooting their ambitions for dominance.
But...
“At that time... even with the power I possessed, I couldn't fully uncover them.”
And the dagger placed beside his pillow upon waking meant only one thing.
‘Confidence that I could kill him anytime.’
Because of this, Gu Jinmo had stopped digging deeper.
He lacked the courage to go further.
“Hoo...”
From that moment on, he threw himself into work like a madman.
A struggle to forget his weakness and his submission to it.
Yet...
“I never imagined someone would walk the same path.”
“Honestly, it gave me chills when you asked me to investigate it.”
“Hoo hoo, I felt the same way back then.”
Young Gu Jinmo had already given up on it, yet a young man named Ha Dojin was carrying it forward.
So...
“You must throw your full strength behind him.”
“Are you sure?”
“Hoo hoo, twenty years have passed since then. The situation has changed a great deal.”
Moreover, he was no longer the age to fear such threats.
He was a man who feared nothing of death.
What was there to fear?
“Tell Hunter Ha Dojin that I am ready at any moment.”
“...Understood.”
Gyu Taek left with a somewhat uneasy expression.
Whenever he drank, Gu Jinmo had spoken of those old days, so Gyu Taek knew exactly what he had endured.
The man everyone thought was the strongest had been broken.
It was no ordinary matter.
But since Gu Jinmo had decided, Gyu Taek could never undo it.
He could only do his utmost to support him.
Eventually Gyu Taek stepped outside and contacted Dojin.
* * *
Bang!
“Gah!”
Clenching his lips until they bled, Dojin stood firm.
The hand gripping the shield trembled faintly, and his legs, planted on the ground, shook violently.
‘This...’
Is this Dojin's true power?
He had heard the stories of the fight against the Red Circle Guild.
But...
‘Not merely skilled in combat...’
He had seen Dojin fight before.
Yet this...
‘The very base stats are absurdly high...!’
Even at level 80 he was a tank.
Especially against an assassin-type hunter's strikes, he had confidently believed he could block at least mid-to-high 100s.
“No more to show?”
“Not yet! It's not over!”
From beside him, Sohee's voice rang out as she swung her mace.
Buung!
No sensation of catching a blow this time either.
Yet...
“Prisoner's Veil!”
A massive veil suddenly formed around Sohee, spanning ten meters in all directions.
A skill that sealed enemies within a wide range.
One of Sohee's own, it left any first-contact opponent utterly helpless.
The problem was...
“This way, I can't move either. What good is it?”
“I'm sorry, but I have no ability to defeat you, uncle. But I clearly said it. Ten minutes is all I need to win.”
“...”
More than five minutes had already passed.
Only three or four more minutes.
That was all it would take for Sohee to claim victory.
“With my mana, I can hold out for at least five minutes easily. This match... is mine.”
Sohee declared with absolute confidence.
A skill designed for monsters far above her level.
No matter how strong Dojin was, there was no way to break free from it.
‘If I just hold on, I win...!’
Sohee believed victory was hers.
But then.
Kwaduk!
“...?!”
With a sound like something shattering, Dojin moved his right arm.
“The plan was good. Honestly, I didn't expect that either.”
“How...?”
“Can you move?”
Dojin's eyes flashed sharply.
Sohee's strategy had been effective.
“Just tear it apart with raw power.”
Of course, it wasn't simply about having a high strength stat.
He needed delicate control to push back the opponent's abilities using mana.
And Dojin had done exactly that.
Paaang!
With a sound like something shattering, Sohee's body shook violently.
And in that instant, as Dojin pushed off the ground and charged toward her...
“H, kuhuuuuoook!”
Stilling.
Dojin froze mid-swing of Arkal's Wrath toward Sohee and stared at her.
Covering her face with both arms, she looked exactly like a young girl.
Pssik.
Lightly.
Dojin slowly lowered the dagger in his hand and gently stroked her head.
“Well done. Your victory.”
“...What? What do you mean?”
Sohee asked with wide eyes.
Dojin casually revealed the Arkal's Wrath in his hand and spoke.
“I said I would fight with my fists, but that was harder than I thought.”
No.
If he had gone all-out with killing intent, the matter would have been settled long ago.
But upon seeing the Arkal's Wrath in Dojin's grip, Sohee said,
“T-that's right?! Eheheem! I won, right?”
“Yes. Your victory.”
“Haha, my skills have grown so much! I really worked hard.”
Sohee could no longer hide her proud expression.
Receiving acknowledgment from Dojin was an indescribably thrilling feeling.
Dojin lightly patted Sohee's shoulder and turned.
Now he needed to assemble the team.
‘Right now, level doesn't matter. I'll just raise it later.’
What mattered was finding those with exceptional talent.
‘In a little while, those dungeons will appear.’
Perhaps around two years from now.
In his past life, Dojin had only encountered them as quests.
Golden dungeons that unleashed items powerful enough to shake the hunter world.
However...
‘The difficulty is extreme compared to the rewards. Those with mediocre skills couldn't even clear them.’
To face them in the future, he would need to monopolize every single one of those golden dungeons.
“Get ready. We leave soon.”
“Yes.”
Following Dojin's words, Sohee nodded.
Tonight.
Was the launch ceremony for the newly organized Firebird Guild.
During this time, many events had occurred regarding the Red Circle, but now everything was finally settled.
“Please take care. I will offer my best wishes for the new Firebird Guild's start.”
Hyeok said to Dojin and Sohee.
Soon after, outside.
“The vehicle is ready.”
Gyu Taek had arranged the car outside the company.
Dojin shook his head.
“It's not far. Today, I will go. Sohee will come with me.”
“Understood. Then I'll see you at the launch ceremony later.”
“Yes.”
They had newly begun and transformed the entire building—previously just a small one—into offices.
The staff had increased, and the business partners were now countless compared to before.
It had been the busiest time, yet they couldn't skip the launch ceremony.
* * *
“Many people have gathered. Standing here... is an honor, and I am truly grateful.”
As the launch ceremony began, Master Hyejin started her speech.
The content was ordinary, but its meaning was profound.
Hadn't the Firebird Guild become far stronger and larger than before?
“I stand here to thank Chairman Gu Jinmo of SW Technology, the solid pillar supporting the Firebird Guild, once again. I will cherish and serve under him from now on.”
Clap clap clap clap clap clap!
Thunderous applause echoed throughout the hall.
Gu Jinmo, seated at the front, burst into a hearty laugh and ascended the stage.
Swish.
He lightly surveyed the people in the hall.
Though nearing seventy years old, the spirit radiating from his eyes was no less than that of an A-Class hunter.
All held their breath in silence, focused on Gu Jinmo's words.
“Respected members of the Firebird Guild.”
His first quiet words settled the hall in a comfortable yet solemn atmosphere.
“Today, it is an honor to be here together at this meaningful occasion.”
Starting with conventional words, he added gratitude that the Firebird Guild could pursue its goals alongside him.
“I wish the Firebird Guild infinite development and your boundless growth and glory to accompany it.”
Clap clap clap clap clap clap!
The applause filled the hall.
Eventually Gu Jinmo descended from the stage, and Hyejin returned to address the crowd.
“Once again, I thank Chairman Gu Jinmo. And...”
Swish.
Hyejin looked at one person among the gathered.
An encounter as coincidental as fate.
Because of him, the Firebird Guild had grown this far.
So many words wanted to be said, yet...
Nod.
Dojin nodded to Hyejin.
Hyejin offered a small smile at the corner of her mouth.
‘...I must hold back now.’
He would have no desire to stand out here.
Hyejin spoke last to the guild members about their words and future resolve.
And...
“With this, I declare the new beginning of the Firebird Guild!”
“Uaaaaaaaah!”
“Firebird Guild, fighting!”
“Please take care of us in the future!”
Cataclysmic applause.
And the people's cheers.
With everyone's blessing, the newly reorganized Firebird Guild sent its declaration to the world.
And as Dojin returned home.
“...”
He gazed silently at the city outside the floor-to-ceiling window.
Everything had gone smoothly until now.
‘But there is no guarantee it will continue.’
Kang Seungho was dead, so they would have some countermeasures prepared.
Rather than stirring things up immediately...
‘We must prepare with absolute certainty.’
He had once thought that removing Kang Seungho alone would suffice.
‘Even Kang Seungho was just a pawn on the long board.’
The forces he learned about were even more surprising.
Far larger in scale and deeply rooted in the entire world.
With sloppy preparation, facing them would be impossible.
But...
“Wait. I will uproot every single one.”
As if making a vow to himself, Dojin muttered the final words.
And one year had passed.