Semifinal (1)

"Feeling more like yourself now?"

"Ahem... forgive me for the unsightly display."

After raging on for ages, she had finally calmed down enough to take her seat. I handed her an iced americano, and the sight of her draining it in one long pull was a masterpiece in itself.

So the old bat doesn't drink instant coffee mix, but brand coffee goes down like water.

"Then I'll be lending you this Mimic for research purposes."

"Yes! Understood!"

Either way, the ones I'd be feeding to Shin Min-woo were already prepared in advance. At first, I'd considered mass-producing and selling S-rank skill books, but I'd quickly talked myself out of it.

Flooding the market with S-rank skills would do no one any good.

Even Shin Min-woo could barely handle a handful of S-rank skills as it was. The higher a skill's grade, the more its stat requirements grew exponentially. Mass-produce them, and the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠top-tier hunters would simply monopolize them all — which could only deepen the conflicts brewing between hunters.

That would be doubly true inside the Babylon Gate, where the competitive system was set to take center stage. To keep things from overheating to the point where humans started slaughtering each other, I planned to release the out-of-spec power of S-rank skills slowly, a little at a time. Carefully. Above all, making sure none of it ever fell into the wrong hands.

"Then I believe it's my turn to state my request."

I opened my subspace and pulled out a lump of grotesque, mangled flesh. It belonged to the monster — the Worshipper — I'd killed at City Hall Station.

"Ugh! What is that? Monster loan-sharking?"

"Do you remember the anomalous creature incident at City Hall Station recently?"

"Oh, that? Of course. A monster appearing outside a gate is rare enough in Korea."

"This is that monster's heart and flesh."

I got straight to the point.

"I need you to identify what this monster actually is."

"Identify it? You mean it's an unclassified new species?"

"No. According to my theory..."

I paused for a beat, then drew a quiet breath.

"That monster was once a human being. A mutated one."

"Wh... what?!"

"Let me put it this way. I want to borrow your power, Ms. Ji Yeon-ha, so that I can tear out by the roots the people who turn humans into monsters."

"......"

For a long moment she said nothing, only rolling her eyes in thought before her eyebrows finally twitched. She seemed to be running her own calculations behind them.

"...Fine. Honestly, I have plenty of reasons to doubt your story, but I suppose the junior doesn't have the right to ask questions, does he?"

"Regrettably, no."

"Then I'll do as you ask."

She heaved a long sigh and tucked the lump of flesh into her own subspace.

"How long will it take?"

"To be honest, it might take a while. There simply isn't much of the corpse to work with."

That was fair enough. Before my regression, the Magic Tower had monopolized the entire corpse. All I'd managed to smuggle out this time were a few key parts.

"But it's not impossible. I am a genius, after all!"

"Ah. Of course."

Insufferable as ever — but that was precisely why I'd come to her. When it came to raw skill, she was good enough to make a living anywhere in the world.

"Now, on to a different matter."

I cleared my throat and shifted the atmosphere. Everything up to this point had been Lee Tae-hyun the hunter. From here on out, I was Lee Tae-hyun, eldest grandson of the Cheonseong Group.

That's right. Cheonseong.

A business that would become Ji Yeon-ha's rock-solid research funding — and an exclusive technology that would stand as another mighty pillar of the group.

"Would you happen to be interested in magic crafting?"

In the not-so-distant future, it would be discovered through a gate.

The counterpart to smithing skills that could forge only polearms.

A special skill that allowed the creation of magical equipment — Magic Crafting.

My deal with Ji Yeon-ha had wrapped up successfully. We'd drafted a proper contract, too, so I'd fastened the shackles on nice and tight.

A contract with the Tower Master herself.

Anyone else who heard about it would probably faint dead away. That was how much prestige and standing she commanded in this country.

That matter's settled, then.

What remained was winning the Guild War outright. The upcoming round of sixteen gave me no real cause for concern. The world kept saying the Saintess's skills might be the variable that changed everything, but...

"That woman's going to run. I'd bet my life on it."

If the Veronica I knew was anything to go by, she would bolt, no question.

Right on cue. Three days before the round of sixteen, the articles ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠came flooding out: Veronica had terminated her contract early due to health complications and been urgently evacuated back to her home country.

"The Saintess is in critical condition? Hyung, are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine."

She'd watched our match footage a few times, realized she had no chance, and fled. That was all it amounted to. Whether back then or now, the woman simply couldn't survive a losing bet.

I was hoping to meet her at least once while she was still in Korea.

Looked like I'd have to push that down the schedule a bit. Better to do it after Shinseong Guild had properly established itself, anyway.

I'll lock her up and squeeze her dry then.

And so the round of sixteen against Guardian Guild proceeded without the Saintess.

We absolutely demolished them. They were a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠guild that wouldn't have made it past the preliminaries if not for Veronica.

The quarterfinals that followed brought no special variables either.

"Today's the day I strip you down to your last coin!"

The guild boldly throwing down the gauntlet was Woolim. It was led by Hunter So Young-hoon, the man who'd once savaged me with his public criticism.

The result, naturally—

Those two wrapped up the quarterfinals without me ever needing to step onto the field.

Not long after the quarterfinals ended, the semifinal bracket went public.

"Now that's a bracket."

So we really would meet the Sword Sect in the finals. In that case, I intended to stomp them into the ground as thoroughly as I could. Every last shred of their pride.

For that, first things first — the semifinal.

Our opponents were the Hunter Academy — the very place I'd gone to recruit Shin Min-woo. And the lineup, incredibly, was:

Park Sung-chan, Ah Seo-ah, Yoo Ji-an.

Those guys again.

"Tch."

Of all the draws, we'd landed the most annoying one. In terms of pure skill, there wasn't one of them my team couldn't beat.

But in a team match, things get considerably murkier.

Ah Seo-ah specialized in high-output, wide-area magic — a mage built for chaotic melees rather than one-on-one duels in the first place.

"And Yoo Ji-an is a full-fledged summoner. In a guild match with a capped roster, she's got firepower that could make a high-ranker jealous."

The one who worried me most this match was Yoo Ji-an. Our side was, admittedly, a touch vulnerable to area attacks. My Flame Soul could cover for it somewhat, but whether it could handle that entire army of summons was anyone's guess.

Then again...

Park Sung-chan. The man had somehow managed to conquer that nightmare and climb back to his feet. Part of me wanted to admire the sheer force of his will —

"I wonder how he'll come at us this time."

— but I didn't believe for a second that he'd reformed after what happened. If he had, he would have come to Shin Min-woo and Shin Yeon-hee and properly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠apologized. Since he hadn't, there was only one reason he'd enter the Guild War at all.

A rematch.

A grudge match, without a doubt. And if that was the game he wanted to play, then surely the proper courtesy was to accept the challenge.

Come at me, Sung-chan.

This time, I'd twist that neck of yours so thoroughly you'd never puff your chest again.

"Yaaawn."

Seven in the morning. I finished my light preparations and headed for the training hall. My body was whining to sleep just a little longer, but mastering these primal urges was precisely what mattered most.

I slung my spear shaft around my neck and pushed open the training hall entrance.

"Huh?"

"Oh my, good morning!"

Greeting me at the door was none other than Shin Yeon-hee.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the rehabilitation center?"

"I was. Ah — thank you again, truly."

Still in her wheelchair, she bowed her upper body toward me with impeccable courtesy.

"Thanks to you, my mornings have become something to look forward to again. My archery is slowly coming back, too... All of it is thanks to you, Guild Master."

That wasn't even her real strength back then?

Thinking about it again, it really did feel like I'd recruited her practically for free.

"I hear you're facing the Hunter Academy in the semifinal."

A bitter smile crossed Shin Yeon-hee's face.

"The moment he heard, Min-woo brought me straight here."

"I see."

I glanced over, and there was Shin Min-woo, drenched in sweat since the early hours, deep in training.

"Haah!"

KWA-DEUDEUK!

FWOOSH!

He could already run three or more skills in parallel. His fame from my past life hadn't faded one bit — even wielding multiple skills at once, his flow never snagged or fell out of sequence.

Not the type I'd ever want facing me as an enemy.

Watching Shin Min-woo grow by the day, Shin Yeon-hee wore a tender expression.

"I think he wanted to put my mind at ease. To show me he won't lose to the likes of Park Sung-chan ever again."

But her worry hadn't entirely lifted — a lingering unease still pooled at the corners of her eyes. The look of family watching over family.

I smiled faintly to myself and spoke.

"Trust Min-woo. He might look like that, but he's got a vicious streak."

"Vicious? Min-woo?"

"He may seem that naive, but he ranks in my top three for sheer ruthlessness among everyone I've ever met."

"Oh, come now."

Shin Yeon-hee had never seen it — just how far Shin Min-woo had driven himself for the sake of avenging his sister.

"He's already beaten the man once. Add all the growth since then, and the odds of him losing are slimmer than ever."

"Th... that's true."

Shin Yeon-hee's face darkened a shade.

"Actually, one of the reasons I came here today was to see you, Guild Master."

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Why me, all of a sudden?"

She stole a glance toward Shin Min-woo. Thankfully, he hadn't noticed my arrival yet and was still buried in his training. Only then did she speak.

"There's something strange about Park Sung-chan."

"...Strange how?"

"Park Sung-chan was admitted to the hospital you arranged for him, Guild Master."

"What?! Don't tell me someone tried to hurt him—"

"N... no! Nothing like that! It's just... rumors started circulating inside the hospital."

A trace of hesitation clung to her next words.

"Ever since he woke from his coma, they say he's been acting like a completely different person."

"A different person?"

"He mutters to himself out of nowhere, or screams like something terrified him half to death — and then suddenly he's calm again, giggling away."

Okay, that is genuinely terrifying.

"Isn't he just plain insane by now?"

Shouldn't he be headed to a psychiatric hospital instead of a hunter's ward? I was just starting to savor a warm little glow of satisfaction at the thought of that lunatic getting his due when—

"I thought so too. But then there were these eyewitness accounts."

I heard something I could not afford to dismiss.

The most shocking of Park Sung-chan's bizarre episodes since waking.

It was this.

"They say light poured out of his eyes and his mouth. Just like that man you fought in the round of 32!"

He was slipping beyond the boundaries of what could still be called human.