The Mountain King Returns
Han Jeong-do’s gaze was locked on a single point.
His bloodshot eyes were stretched wide as if they might tear apart, and blood trickled from fingernails digging into his palms.
‘That’s……?’
The Association President’s call had come at dawn yesterday. That was when Han Jeong-do had thrown off his lover’s touch and flown straight back to Korea upon hearing the words “Level 8 Gate.”
‘That’s……?’
In that phone call, Han Jeong-do had felt the pull of fate. He had always possessed sharp instincts. That “pull” had changed his life more than once.
It had been the same when he headed to the drinking party where Ma Jang-dong and Kim Jong-phil were. It had been the same when he met his wife at a party.
At every crossroads of fate, Han Jeong-do had followed the guidance of that pull, and it had brought him here—to this place, as the victor who held the greatest guild in Korea in the palm of his hand.
That pull had spoken.
What you have always desired is right there.
So he had shouted about the greater good to the guild representatives arguing over distribution rights, and he had coaxed and persuaded the rankers he had dragged along. All so they could reach this Level 8 Gate as quickly as possible.
“Then what the hell is that……?”
The Level 8 Gate he had so desperately wanted had vanished before his eyes, and the miracle the pull had promised had manifested in the worst possible form—from the very man he envied most.
Kim Jong-phil.
He stood upon a stage that defied the laws of the world.
Every light in the world was shining on him.
A golden veil, fluttering golden leaves, the great blessing of gold.
Beneath it all stood an old man—no, a man who had become middle-aged—his eyes closed.
He spoke no lines. He made no gestures.
Yet simply by standing there with his eyes shut, every ranker gathered here had been reduced to a supporting role.
While turning even those competing for the title of Korea’s strongest—nay, the world’s strongest—into mere extras, he alone shone.
Yes.
Kim Jong-phil.
He was the protagonist.
Grind.
Han Jeong-do’s pristine white teeth turned red as he ground them together.
That was the youth he had desired far more desperately. He had worked several times harder than that man, poured far more into it. He had invested hundreds of billions of won every year, and he had been doing so for decades.
Yet Kim Jong-phil had taken it away in the time it took to catch his breath.
Before he knew it, Han Jeong-do’s trembling hand rested on the hilt of his sword. He wanted nothing more than to cut that damned spectacle in half right now. If not for the watching eyes, he would have already torn it to pieces a hundred times over.
But then—
As if reading his mind, a man stepped between him and the Mountain King.
It was Lee Shin. Lee Shin smiled brightly with his striking good looks and issued a warning.
Don’t cross the line, old man.
“……”
“……”
Han Jeong-do was speechless. A human who could kill him with a single finger without even drawing a sword was now daring to glare at him so arrogantly.
But what was even more absurd was that the “pull” that had always guided him to victory was now focused on that insolent brat.
If Lee Shin had known, he probably would have laughed and said, “Super Intuition really is reliable, huh.”
Of course, the standoff between Lee Shin and Han Jeong-do did not last long.
The protagonist of this stage was someone else, and that protagonist soon opened his eyes.
“……”
Forties? Mid-thirties?
A sharply defined jaw and striking features. A man whose bold, handsome middle-aged appearance seemed to embody the very word “charisma.”
It was Kim Jong-phil, the Mountain King, in his prime.
He overwhelmed his surroundings with nothing but his presence. Everyone lost their words and trembled.
“Whoa…… insanely handsome.”
“……”
“……”
“Eek. Sorry.”
Kim Jong-phil, now awake, searched for Lee Shin and embraced him. He paid no attention whatsoever to the representatives of the major guilds or the rankers watching.
Perhaps stung by that display of complete indifference, Han Jeong-do stepped forward.
“……An explanation is in order. What exactly is going on here?”
His tone was flat, but anyone could tell it was a challenge.
“Yesterday, the Bureau informed us about the Level 8 Gate. The government sent an official notice to the Association. And we rushed here from the spring camp at the nation’s call.”
All of this had happened in less than a day.
What did that mean? The Level 8 Gate had existed for less than twenty-four hours.
“A Level 8 Gate that would normally require at least thirty A-rank hunters pounding on it for three months. The chain reaction made the case even worse. That is why the rankers here have given up their precious time.”
Yet when they had hurried to prepare and arrive—
Instead of the Level 8 Gate that had supposedly been so catastrophic the nation was on the verge of declaring a state of emergency, there were only these unrelated people?
“It is fortunate that the disaster has disappeared, but the representatives, the rankers who have made the long journey, and the guild members over there all deserve an explanation. Why were you inside, and how was a Level 8 Gate cleared in a single day?”
Yes. Han Jeong-do was clearly being unreasonable.
What reason did a raid party need to clear a gate? Especially an unauthorized one.
Everyone present—the representatives, the rankers, all of them—knew it was nonsense, yet no one stopped him.
They were curious too. How had a Level 8 Gate been cleared in less than a day?
However—
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting?”
At the youthful voice, everyone turned. There stood Baek Yeon-woo on crutches, looking at them all with pity.
“Hey, Sunfish.”
“Uh, uh. Y-Yeon-woo.”
“Do you understand what he’s saying? He wants us to explain how we cleared the gate?”
“Uh, uh. I don’t get it either.”
“I’ve only been awakened for a few months, yet even I know this. Why would someone so important pretend not to?”
“Right…… It is unreasonable……”
Park Su-bin shrank under the sharp gazes as he tried to stop Baek Yeon-woo, but someone else stepped forward from the other side.
“Hey, brats. Know when to butt in and when to shut up. Is this the place for the likes of you to act up?”
It was Park Gwang-seob, the Sword Master, ranked third.
He had already been irritated at being dragged here in the middle of his vacation, and now these brats were causing trouble, souring his mood even further.
But then—
“Why shouldn’t we act up? They are proper hunters too. If anything, it seems like you’re the one who doesn’t belong here, Gwang-seob.”
Kim Yu-shin, the Hwarang, stepped in front of the two youths.
At the appearance of his unpleasant former colleague, Sword Master Park Gwang-seob ground his teeth.
“We cleared the gate. We used a very special method. But do we need to teach it to you? Have you ever taught anyone your secret techniques, Gwang-seob?”
“Kim Yu-shin……”
“Judging by how difficult it was to gather everyone here, I can roughly guess the situation. I understand why you’re curious. However, shouldn’t you maintain some dignity as rankers? How about we talk separately later?”
Even though the gentlemanly Kim Yu-shin had gracefully offered an exit—
“That won’t do, Yu-shin.”
“Manwang senior.”
“We need an explanation.”
Han Jeong-do emphasized “we.”
It was a statement filled with the intent to frame the situation as a conflict between groups rather than individuals.
But—
One must remember.
“Jeong-do.”
“……!”
He was nothing more than a supporting character.
Today’s protagonist was this man—Kim Jong-phil, the Mountain King.
“Stop it. It’s pathetic.”
“!!”
“And all of you.”
With a single word, Kim Jong-phil silenced the raging Han Jeong-do, then swept his intense gaze across the surroundings and spoke.
“Quite the performance.”
Chill!
At the scolding tone, everyone averted their eyes.
The Mountain King’s nickname from his prime. The Mad Tiger.
When he had been carving out his legend, most of them had been nothing more than promising prospects or geniuses. He was a senior they had not even dared to look at.
Thus, under the Mountain King’s prime-era charisma, they all bowed their heads in futility.
The situation was over.
As Kim Jong-phil and the Mir raid party passed, the gathered crowd split to either side.
At that moment, a voice reached Han Jeong-do’s ears.
“Oh, Grandpa. You got wrinkles.”
“Ri-ra, you can’t attack old people.”
“Isn’t it respecting the elderly?”
“Kek.”
“You kids. Can’t you be quiet?”
Kim Jong-phil grabbed Yu Ri-ra and Lee Shin by the backs of their heads and dragged them away.
In that instant, blood trickled from the corner of Han Jeong-do’s mouth.
Watching the raid party and the Mountain King disappear into the distance, everyone thought the same thing.
The legend had returned.
The League Draws Near
Guilds Confirm Return for Stove League. Full Preparations Complete
Who Will Be the Eye of This Season’s Storm?
“Everyone, high hello!!”
“Huh? Representative!”
“Welcome back, Representative.”
“Good work, Representative!!”
The day after their return.
When Lee Shin flung open the doors of the guild headquarters and stepped inside, greetings flew at him from every direction. The front desk staff who knew he had followed the raid to the gate even clapped as they welcomed him.
In response, Lee Shin closed his eyes and spread his arms wide.
“Hah! Good, praise me more. More. A lot more.”
Praise. Attention. That was the fuel that moved him…….
The apron-wearing representative was nice, but a representative truly shone when inside the guild. An apron was sexy, but he was a man who suited a suit best!
The best in society! Long live the Representative!
Lee Shin savored the praise with his entire body, then returned to being the representative.
“It’s time to check the homework. Tell the HR team leader and the PR team leader to come in right away.”
Simply by Lee Shin’s return, the guild began to buzz with energy.
That was the power this man possessed. He made people feel good with his smile, and his very presence breathed vitality into the place.
Soon, a knock sounded and the two team leaders entered. Lee Shin, who had been checking the piled-up documents, called them closer.
“None of you have time to waste, so let’s get straight to the point. Starting with HR.”
The HR team leader immediately presented the documents he had prepared.
“The headhunting project conducted in collaboration with Ido Group was completed last week. All key personnel have been absorbed, and the handover is complete. They are currently carrying out their duties.”
“Oh, already? That’s much faster than expected. Any complaints?”
“Surprisingly, none.”
“Heh……??”
While everyone outside was focused on the raid party, the far more important matter was the front-line staff.
The Mir Guild, which had been slated for massive personnel expansion upon promotion. However, while ordinary employees could be hired that way, core managers could not.
For the representative, it was a problem as troublesome as the raid party itself.
But Lee Shin had solved it in one stroke.
The headhunting project.
He had poached key personnel from the guild that had housed “Ido’s children.”
“I don’t get it. No matter what, they’re moving to Busan. I remember that was the sticking point before I went to North Korea. Because of their kids’ education and housing.”
“Well…… The Chairman resolved it.”
“……The Chairman, meaning my grandfather?”
“Yes. The Ido Scholarship Foundation has decided to build a school in Yeongdo. They also promised to create residential areas nearby. Construction is currently underway.”
“!!”
“I couldn’t believe it either. He said he hadn’t spent much money on recruitment, then told us not to waste time being stingy…… Whew……”
A private school integrating elementary, middle, and high school. A large complex with ocean views.
Haha, Lee Shin scratched his head as he laughed for a while.
“Grandpa must be having fun.”
He had sung about wanting a guild, and now he was practically dancing. Well, even in the original story, he had been genuinely passionate about the guild, to the point of contacting overseas rankers.
That was enough for the HR team.
They moved on immediately.
“PR team, how are the broadcasting rights negotiations going?”
“That is……”
“I’ll explain that.”
“Ah, the Vice-Leader was supposed to handle it. Look at me. Let’s get started.”
When Chae Dong-ha nodded, the PR team leader stepped back.
“Currently, MBS is strongly pushing for a renewal.”
“That was the case before too.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but it’s not the same level of ‘strong’ you know, Representative. MBS is betting everything right now.”
As Chae Dong-ha said, MBS’s affection for the Mir Guild was beyond imagination.
They had picked the League 4 guild that everyone avoided and shared in the legend together. From their perspective, Mir Guild was already family.
Yet those despicable rival networks had banded together to steal their family away. Even going so far as to shamelessly bring in foreign powers.
Of course that would make them furious. So they were going all in.
To keep their honey pot from being taken away.
“No, that’s what we talked about before. What’s different now?”
“This is just the surface. In reality…… it’s the Hwarang.”
“Ah…… Yu-shin hyung. Right. We have Yu-shin hyung.”
The model citizen. The exemplary hunter. The number one most likable ranker.
So Kim Yu-shin had joined Mir Guild?
“The PR team leader played a big role here too. They promoted it as the past Mountain King, the present Hwarang, and the future monster. And it worked perfectly.”
“Ooh~ PR team leaaader~”
“Hehe…… Our raid party has a really good image, after all.”
The promised likability line connecting Mountain King, Hwarang, and monster.
Lee Shin couldn’t help but applaud.
Ahem. At that moment, Chae Dong-ha cleared his throat and took back control of the conversation.
“Anyway, it wasn’t this intense at first. But after the Representative disappeared from view, the networks got desperate. They were worried you might be making a deal with another station.”
“Hahaha, so it turned out that way again.”
“And then another network joined in. Well, I’m not sure if it even counts as a network.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“……It’s a proposal from Nflix. They offered five times the market price.”
“Hahahahahaha.”
“That’s when the war started.”
They could no longer stand to watch. KBC and NBS had even brought in a foreign network.
Those guys have market potential. Ask and go five times, Nflix.
In this situation, MBS, which had been saying “We’re all in this together,” was bound to look relatively shabby.
And when MBS seemed to have no hope left, Chae Dong-ha made them an offer.
“If a dinosaur has entered the fray, then they should reach out to a dinosaur too.”
“……A dinosaur?”
“Nutube.”
“!!”
“MBS and Nutube TV formed a consortium. The amount they proposed under the condition of simultaneous broadcasting is as follows.”
When Lee Shin saw the figure on the document Chae Dong-ha presented, even he—who had no sense for money—widened his eyes in shock.
“One, ten, hundred, thousand, trillion…… Is this right?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“It’s a three-year contract. It will air as a paid service on Nutube TV, and MBS has agreed to give up a significant portion of their rerun revenue.”
Sign here and that money is ours.
At Chae Dong-ha’s words, Lee Shin stood up and began his victory dance.
Yup! Woop! Heet!
“I knew I could count on you, Dong-ha hyung!!”
Lee Shin hugged Chae Dong-ha and patted his back enthusiastically. Chae Dong-ha’s chin lifted noticeably, as if he knew he had done something impressive.
“Wow…… Dong-ha hyung’s been oozing confidence since earlier. So that’s why.”
“Ahem. Everyone helped.”
“Kekeke. Lower that chin while you’re saying that.”
When it came to praise, it was Lee Shin; when it came to Lee Shin, it was praise.
After showering Chae Dong-ha with praise, Lee Shin asked something he had been curious about.
“Then let me ask one thing. Hyung, is this related to that too?”
The paper Lee Shin held out was a newspaper.
It was an article about them competing as candidates for the opening match.
“Why are we even in the running for the opening match? That’s supposed to be for last season’s champions, right?”
“Ah……”
Chae Dong-ha scratched his chin and laughed. The team leaders also bowed their heads, laughing as if something was funny.
When Lee Shin asked them to share the joke, the three answered as if they had planned it.
“The fans did it.”
“The Yongbung did it.”
“The Yongbung era did it.”
What the hell is a Yongbung?