Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Association President Park Sang-cheol (1)
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I woke up at 2 a.m.
A miracle morning, if there ever was one.
As soon as I got up, I turned on the computer out of habit.
[Breaking News] AI-Generated Kas Images Flooding In
The pinned announcement was right there as soon as I entered the gallery.
"Fuck, what the hell is this?"
The video generation AI that had been released a few days ago.
Insane performance that could create any image you wanted from just a single photo.
There had been some hype for a few days, and now it had finally crossed into forbidden territory.
Even the world of shitty trolling has its own code of honor.
Even I wouldn't stoop to spreading that kind of crap.
"Mask, you crazy bastard. What the hell did you make?"
I clicked my tongue and closed the gallery.
Having a pin like that up would just backfire.
Everyone has a troll inside them.
Even normal people, when they see something like that, will awaken the troll within.
'Huh? That looks fun. Maybe I should post one too?'
If just ten people thought that way, the gallery would be reduced to rubble.
Plus, in an environment where everyone turns into trolls, even I can't troll anymore.
For a thief to have fun, there needs to be a certain level of law and order.
In a lawless zone where no one knows what's yours or mine, thieving loses all meaning.
"I still have some time before I can enter the tower...."
I'd woken up too early, so the 24 hours hadn't passed yet.
With nothing to do, I wandered around various sites.
"Maybe I'll check the wiki."
Unable to beat the boredom, I finally opened the Sea Wiki after a long time.
It's the one site that still has real-time trends, so I check it out from time to time.
"Huh? Why is this old guy number one on trends?"
[Real-Time Search Terms]
[1: Jeong Man-ho]
[2: Daejeon]
[3: A-rank Hunter]
(...)
But even clicking on the article didn't explain why it was trending.
Fortunately, there's now a dedicated community site that summarizes why things trend.
A site with strict moderation, so no worries about the current AI hate images plaguing everywhere.
Sure enough, there was already a post about Jeong Man-ho.
[Hunter] Jeong Man-ho
[Daejeon's owner Jeong Man-ho clears floor 34, making waves.]
[Hunter tab: comments prohibited except for edit requests]
" Pfft?!"
I nearly spat out the water I was drinking.
This was making national news now?
***
The next morning.
Jeong Man-ho was watching the news in his living room.
His own face plastered across the TV screen.
And the caption: Floor 34 Cleared.
The remote in Jeong Man-ho's hand dropped to the floor.
"Wh-what the hell!"
Floor 34 cleared? By me?
He hadn't gone anywhere near the tower for over a month.
Why would he climb it now that a new tower owner had appeared?
Since the new owner wanted to hide their identity, the world still thought Daejeon's tower master was Jeong Man-ho.
That's why he was collaborating frequently with One Star Management.
But he hadn't expected this level of attention.
"What do I do now?"
Receiving the world's focus for something he hadn't even done.
A wave of fear hit him for a moment.
What happens if this gets exposed to the world?
It was right then.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
His phone started going off like crazy.
Startled by the alarm sounds, he checked the senders.
Unknown numbers, guild members, other guild leaders, even relatives he hadn't heard from in years.
Messages pouring in from all sides.
[Bro! Saw the news! You're the best in Korea!]
[Guild Leader Jeong Man-ho, congratulations! Let me treat you to a meal sometime!]
[Man-ho, saw you on TV and had to call! How've you been?]
[This is MAK Broadcasting. We'd like to request an exclusive interview!]
A flood of congratulations, praise, and flattery via calls and messages.
As Jeong Man-ho sat frozen in fear, unable to do anything, a change slowly came over his face.
His shoulders shrugged up without him realizing.
"Ahem! You know, this doesn't seem so bad after all?"
He was just starting to clear his mind and enjoy the situation.
When a call came in from his vice guild leader.
"Guild Leader! What the hell is going on.... We haven't even entered the tower!"
A voice full of bewilderment.
He felt a pang of guilt for a second, but quickly cleared his throat and pretended nothing was wrong.
"Hey now, good is good, so why nitpick?"
"But Guild Leader...."
"Just shut up and stay quiet. I'll handle it. And make sure the other guild members keep their mouths shut!"
Jeong Man-ho hung up unilaterally.
He sank deep into the sofa.
The corners of his mouth turned up involuntarily.
Process aside, he was now Korea's most spotlighted A-rank hunter.
Maintaining this position without even climbing the tower.
How great was that?
***
Meanwhile, in the Incheon Hunter Association President's office.
Association President Park Sang-cheol glared at his monitor with an unpleasant expression.
On the screen was the Daejeon Tower conquest status data.
[Daejeon Tower: Floor 34 (Princess Jeong Man-ho)]
Just a few days ago, it had been stuck at floor 27.
An absurd speed.
And what the hell was this name?
"Princess? Fuck, who the hell are they mocking?"
Park Sang-cheol was leading the hunter general strike.
Without hunters, the towers would eventually collapse.
Without hunters, they couldn't stop the monsters pushing from the border.
Without hunters, this country couldn't exist!
So, shouldn't the hunters be the ones leading this country?
And among them, he, as association president, should be the emperor....
Of course, reaching that point overnight in a democratic nation was impossible.
It had to be done step by step, like crossing stepping stones.
The first step was the strike.
To imprint the importance of hunters and extract concessions from the government bit by bit.
But Jeong Man-ho was shaking up the board by climbing the tower at an overwhelming pace.
"Whatever with S-rank Kim Su-ho or that tower-and-monster-obsessed Jeong Tae-yeon. But this insignificant punk climbing up too?"
Park Sang-cheol's brow furrowed deeply.
His prestige was plummeting.
And that wasn't the only problem.
On one side of the monitor, the personal rankings.
At this rate, Jeong Man-ho surpassing him was only a matter of time.
A situation threatening not just his political standing, but his pride as an A-rank hunter.
Park Sang-cheol picked up the receiver.
"Connect me to Jeong Man-ho."
A moment later, Jeong Man-ho's tense voice came through the receiver.
"H-hello? Association President?"
"Guild Leader Jeong Man-ho, you're overflowing with motivation these days, aren't you?"
"Pardon? Ah, haha. Thank you for the kind words!"
"Good. Very good.... But if you keep this up, won't the other hunters' morale drop?"
"Pardon?"
Park Sang-cheol spoke in a cold, intimidating voice.
"Everyone's taking it easy, but you're the only one charging ahead like that? We're in this as a team.... We need to match our pace, don't you think?"
"...."
"What do you think? Hmm?"
Jeong Man-ho couldn't respond.
He could hear him swallowing hard over the receiver.
He seemed to understand what he was getting at.
But words alone probably wouldn't make it feel real.
How seriously he viewed this incident.
"Get your people ready. I'm going to Daejeon."
Park Sang-cheol hung up unilaterally and gave some orders to his subordinate.
***
"Fuck...."
Jeong Man-ho's hand trembled after hanging up.
The elation from moments ago crashed down.
Jeong Man-ho wanted to explain everything right then.
"But this side is scary as hell too, what do I do?"
He thought of his next-door neighbor.
A person of unknown identity.
Clearly a hunter with power beyond common sense.
Jeong Man-ho couldn't even think of defying that person's mood.
"This is like being a shrimp caught between whales...."
Jeong Man-ho let out heavy sighs.
No solution in sight.
Then, one face popped into his mind.
The only channel connected to the true owner of the Daejeon Tower.
One Star Management's vice president.
He fumbled for his phone and dialed a familiar number.
***
Late night. A shabby street food tent.
Jeong Man-ho sat side by side with the broker, tilting soju glasses.
At first, their relationship was purely business.
They'd had no choice but to communicate frequently.
Negotiations and collaborations over Daejeon and the tower's ownership while hiding identities.
But strangely, the two got along well.
Maybe because they both crawled up from the bottom.
Or shared sympathy for being tossed around by greater powers.
Before long, they were close enough to drink informally.
"So, Vice President...."
Jeong Man-ho, already through a bottle of soju, began his lament with a flushed face.
"I'm dying here. The association president is pressuring me from one side, and from the other... I have no idea what those people are thinking...."
Jeong Man-ho downed his soju glass in one go and slammed it down.
"I just want to live normally. Quietly hold my position, pay my guild members' salaries...."
The broker silently refilled his glass.
His head started throbbing.
He knew better than anyone that the root of all this commotion was his president, Kim Han-byeol.
"Understood, Guild Leader."
The broker spoke heavily.
"For now, I'll talk to the president properly. I'll make sure you're not harmed in any way."
That was the best he could do.
Jeong Man-ho grabbed the broker's hand gratefully.
"Really? You're the only one I can count on, Vice President!"
"Honestly, no guarantees it'll work...."
"But still! Just passing it on is more than enough!"
They shared a few more drinks and stood up.
"Take care going home."
Jeong Man-ho's steps looked much lighter, some weight off his mind.
It was the moment they turned into a dark alley.
Shing-.
A heavy metallic sound rang out from the darkness.
At the same time, three or four shadows leaped out, lunging at the two men.
A surprise attack that ordinary people wouldn't even react to.
Boom!
A barrier exploded from Jeong Man-ho's body.
Simultaneously, a force field unfolded from the broker's waist.
The one-time defense kit that Kim Han-byeol had given him before heading home.
Steel pipes and baseball bats clashed against the barriers, sparking.
"What the...!"
Jeong Man-ho immediately assumed a stance.
But the attackers vanished into the darkness without hesitation.
It all happened in an instant.
Silence fell over the alley.
***
"So, neither of you is hurt?"
"No. Thanks to the gear the president gave us."
His voice was as calm as ever, not like someone who'd just been attacked.
"President. This wasn't aimed at me. It was a warning to Jeong Man-ho."
"A warning?"
"Yes. To stop climbing the tower...."
The broker sighed and continued.
"You never know when the sparks will fly again like this. Avoid going out for a while and take care. I'll get you some powerful protection items...."
"It's fine, really."
As I listened, I clenched my fist.
Irritation boiled up to the top of my head.
"That was definitely the association president, right?"
At my cold voice, the broker fell silent for a moment.
"...Circumstantially, that's the most likely. But hard evidence...."
"I don't need evidence. Even if there was, would it stick? I hear the police don't interfere in hunter matters."
"Right. Especially for A-rank hunters."
"That bastard doing this means he's prepared to get hit back, right?"
"Pardon? No, wait! You're not thinking something weird, are you?"
So flustered he dropped the formal speech he always used.
But this time, I had no intention of listening.
I needed to teach them what they shouldn't touch.
"Don't worry. I'm not a kid."
I said that and hung up.