Revenge 3

Lee Sehyuk gave me a look of utter bewilderment at my words.

"Have you completely lost your mind? We've confirmed there's no one inside the factory or anywhere nearby—what the hell makes you talk like that? I don't know why you came here, but this place makes a fine grave for you. Get him!"

Lee Sehyuk must have wanted to finish me off quickly and leave before any rescue force could arrive, because he immediately issued the attack order. The masked hunters who had come with him drew their weapons and charged straight at me.

And at the same time, notifications popped up.

It had been a while since these notifications last appeared, but their effects were as potent as ever. The ones charging at me suddenly staggered, their strength drained away in an instant.

Still, these guys attacking me now were stronger than those Stis Guild members, so they recovered their footing faster than that bunch. Of course, it didn't really matter either way.

Unlike before, I didn't wait around. I rushed forward, circled behind the leader, and swung my mana blade at the back of his head. Or rather, correction—I swung the hilt.

Thwack.

• It was meant to knock him out, but he just crumpled to the floor without passing out. So I struck the back of his head again.

Thwack.

But he still didn't go down.

Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.

Only after three more hits did he finally collapse, blood trickling from the back of his head. I yelped in surprise and pulled out a potion, sprinkling it over the wound.

"Damn. Doesn't that usually knock someone out? Well, at least subduing them works."

I'd come here today with a clear purpose in mind. I had zero intention of committing indiscriminate murder like last time. Sure, I was prepared to see some blood if necessary—especially with Lee Sehyuk, depending on the situation.

But one thing was certain: I had no plans for a mindless slaughter like with the Justice Guild. Back then, the sudden ambush and their near-fatal attacks had left me too rattled to think straight. I hadn't even considered subduing them.

Revenge against those trying to kill me, combined with the mental immunity state, had triggered a kind of berserk mode. Thankfully, the mental immunity spared me any trauma from that first kill, but the memory of ending a living being's life with my own hands stuck sharp as ever.

The feel of a fellow hunter dying under my hands. The sensation of life slipping away. And on top of that, not guilt, but the joy of gaining stats. Recalling it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠made me feel less than human.

Maybe that's why I'd always felt burdened stepping up personally. I worried that if I took the front lines again, I'd relive that—grinning as I casually killed people without a care. So I'd avoided it unless absolutely necessary, in the worst-case scenarios.

That reluctance built up, twisting into an odd outlet: playing puppet master from the shadows. Everything I orchestrated while hiding my identity turned more extreme than my true nature. The more one path was blocked, the harder I'd push the opposite way.

As time passed and my worries grew, this incident sparked a shift in thinking. It came from Hespera and the Brain Emperor's advice. Their words gave me plenty to reflect on. Revealing myself didn't mean reliving the past—it could prevent it beforehand.

This time proved it. My weird obsession with hiding my identity made me look like easy prey, handing them an opening. If I'd shown my full leatherworking prowess, trash like Lee Sehyuk wouldn't have dared scheme.

But by limiting myself, I'd given them an excuse. No denying that. So today marked my decision to step forward. I'd keep potions under wraps for a bit since things had blown up too big, but any new skills from here on? No more hiding.

With that resolve, I couldn't just hand Lee Sehyuk over to Lee Musin. It wouldn't change anything from before. I had to handle it myself.

My biggest ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠worry in all this was whether I could subdue Kao-state hunters without killing them. I feared turning berserk again and slaughtering everyone. But recalling the Justice Guild fight, I figured as long as I stayed calm—not euphoric—I could manage it.

And here I was, succeeding. Though nearly killing the first one by accident was unexpected.

But as the surprises kept piling up, I started feeling flustered.

Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.

"Come on, just pass out already."

Movies and reality were worlds apart. No matter how hard I smashed the backs of their heads, the masked hunters refused to go down. Like the first guy, they'd take five or six hits before bleeding out and collapsing.

To keep from killing them, I had to douse them in potions. Watching this, someone let out a desperate yell, and I apologized without thinking.

"Just kill us already, you psycho!"

"Sorry, first time, so it's not going smooth."

In the end, after pounding their heads relentlessly, I managed to knock them all out.

Now, the only ones left standing properly in the abandoned factory were Lee Sehyuk and me. He glared at me with a twisted face, and I greeted him casually, same tone as before.

"Waited long? This is tougher than I thought."

Seeing me like that, Lee Sehyuk ground his teeth and spat in a voice thick with rage.

"I don't know what trick you're pulling, but don't think it'll work on me. I only used these guys to avoid the hassle of dirtying my own hands—not because I'm weak. Lightning Spear!"

With those words, he launched a sudden ambush. But once again, a notification for Lee Sehyuk ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠appeared, rendering his attack harmless.

Lee Sehyuk's Lightning Spear hit me square, but dealt zero damage. Stunned, he fired off more spells, but not even a scratch.

"Wh-what? How is this possible? What the hell did you do...!"

As every attack fizzled harmlessly, Lee Sehyuk muttered half-mad. If I'd dodged or blocked with defensive magic, fine—but I'd taken every hit nonchalantly. And come out unscathed. How could he not freak out?

"Yeah, a trick. One you can't escape. So take it like a man."

I unleashed all the pent-up rage in my chest, beating Lee Sehyuk senseless. For a moment, I wondered if even a rainy day dust-up could match this.

After a solid thrashing, he finally passed out. I used a scroll on the unconscious Lee Sehyuk.

This scroll came from Lee Musin, looted from a dungeon treasure chest. The magic inside was Language of Truth, forcing the target to speak only truth. Perfect for interrogations—and ideal for my needs right now.

After using the scroll, I woke him up. Regaining consciousness, Lee Sehyuk stared blankly, half out of his mind. I asked him,

"Suppose I let you live. Could you swear never to dream of revenge?"

A spark lit in his dazed eyes, and he replied.

"Of course not. You think I'm crazy? Leaving scum like you alone? I'll rip you to shreds one day."

Shocked at his own words, he hurriedly shouted,

"I'm lying to get out of this! I won't let you off. Never...!"

I'd expected as much. That Lee Sehyuk wouldn't change. That sparing him meant he'd plot revenge someday. Still, I'd tested with a sliver of hope—and he proved me right.

No need to hear more. I swung my mana blade, severing his neck.

Lee Sehyuk dropped 74 Mana upon death. Nearly three times what a Justice Guild member gave. But unlike before, it wasn't pure joy. Maybe my mindset had changed, or the situation was different—my mouth felt bitter and heavy.

With everything sorted, I contacted Lee Musin. Soon after, Hunter Management Bureau agents arrived at the factory to clean up.

Lee Sehyuk's matter was settled. All that remained was the real finale.

* * *

"Hello. I'm Kim Suho of Support Guild. I'm here to express my regret for worrying so many citizens with this incident and to state my position."

The last task was the press conference. I planned to reveal part of the truth there.

"First, yes, I received threats, and yes, I sought advice from Hespera. But to clear up misunderstandings: I never intended to leave Korea. And it wasn't pressure from a specific guild—it was an individual misusing guild power."

I paused, scanning the room. Reporters stared intently, urging me on with their eyes.

"And now, it's all resolved. The culprit has paid the price, and everything's wrapped up. Many wondered about the guild name, but since it was one person's bad choice, unrelated to the guild, I won't disclose it. Finally, thanks to Hespera for the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠advice and supporting Paragon Academy, and to the Hunter Management Bureau for their cooperation."

Through the conference, I sent a warning and olive branch to the Five Great Guilds, Cheonmang included. With Lee Musin now at Cheonmang, word had spread that the Bureau was specially protecting me. That alone would deter easy schemes.

I reminded them, plus revealed my tight ties with Hespera, who could mobilize Paragon Academy. In our guild's current lack of firepower, per Hespera and Brain Emperor's advice, I laid all my cards on the table.

That was the warning. The reconciliation? Not naming Cheonmang, treating it as Lee Sehyuk's solo act.

I'd agonized over that part. Sure, it was his doing alone. But would Cheonmang intervene after I killed him? If they retaliated, dragging them in now would've been smart.

But if not, no need to make enemies preemptively. Competition, fine—but war? Unnecessary. That was my call, backed by the guild, leading to this conference.

My statement sparked tons of follow-up buzz, but that was it. The main player declared it over, and Cheonmang stayed quiet. The other Four Great Guilds, not directly involved, had no reason to react.

Thus, the incident closed. Support Guild and I returned to daily life.

To be continued in the next chapter...

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