The Sage's Unshakable Calm
Kim Hwang-je became calmer than he had ever been in his life.
His mind cooled, and his movements carried no trace of awkwardness. He was now a sage who embraced the universe. There was nothing left to fear.
Kim Hwang-je first used World Observation to locate Park Jo-woon, who was sharing wheat porridge with the workers.
“Uncle Jo-woon.”
“Oh, Hwang-je! Can you see it? The steel coming out of the steel mill is excellent. We’ve covered the castle gate completely with reinforced concrete.”
He was right. He had carried out Kim Hwang-je’s requests with absolute thoroughness. A massive concrete bunker, sturdy enough to pass for the Blue House underground shelter, now completely encased the castle gate.
“The self-weight is enormous, but since we’re not lifting it upward, it won’t even flinch under bombardment!”
Self-weight. In other words, the reinforced concrete had been poured so thick that the structure’s own mass was too great to be lifted. While boasting about it, he finally noticed Kim Hwang-je’s expression.
“Wait, why do you look so pale?”
“I’m sorry, Uncle. Please open the cement.”
“What? You told me to seal it because it was important!”
Kim Hwang-je’s words carried an undeniable authority, forcing Park Jo-woon to stop the bulldozer and obey.
“Open it. Instead, build stronger walls and a moat in front. I was wrong. A castle needs a proper gate.”
“Ah, is that so?”
Once he heard the reason, it seemed so obvious that he felt no irritation at having the work redone. Park Jo-woon nodded as he looked at the additional defensive walls being constructed outside the outer rampart. A few tetrapods placed in front would prevent siege engines from approaching.
“Understood. I’ll do it that way.”
Moat, barbican, and secondary wall. These would not compromise the castle’s identity. This would suffice.
“But Hwang-je, your complexion…”
“Don’t worry too much. Just work as fast as you can. I’ll contact you soon. I’ll send you titanium alloy or whatever materials you need, so focus on reinforcing the gate.”
Kim Hwang-je ended the call. He walked calmly to the sink and filled it with water. The beautiful crystalline ripples swayed gently.
Ah, it calls to me. Water, if you know the answer, tell me! What must I do?
Kim Hwang-je plunged his head into the sink and savored the cold water.
***
Kim Hwang-je emerged from the bathroom looking like a drowned rat. Yet even in this state, the dignity value attached to his formal attire lent him an imposing presence as he swept his wet hair back. His forehead was handsome enough that the motion resembled a deliberate, waxed style. Of course, it was all thanks to the dignity-increasing magic woven into his robes.
Jung Da-yeon was not waiting for him. That was a relief. If she saw his face now, she would surely ask what had happened. He could hardly explain to an outsider that something that had once been there was now gone.
“…”
Kim Hwang-je walked steadily toward the opera house. Seo Jun-seo stood waiting in the corridor leading to the hall.
Kim Hwang-je approached him directly.
“Sir, you look pale. Has something happened?”
“Do I look that bad?”
“Did you enter a radiation zone?”
Seo Jun-seo looked ready to pull out a Geiger counter at any moment. Kim Hwang-je shook his head.
“I’m fine.”
“That’s a relief. Sir, there are a few things I should mention before we enter the hall. This way…”
As Kim Hwang-je began to follow, several women approached him.
“Oh my, is that Kim Hwang-je?”
“Kyaa! This is my first time seeing him in person!”
“Would you escort us?”
“Will you take a photo with us?”
Beautiful women of various styles surrounded him like fangirls. Seo Jun-seo was pushed back by the crowd.
“Sir…!”
Seo Jun-seo cried out. This was exactly what he had wanted to warn about. But then he was startled.
“I’m busy.”
Kim Hwang-je frowned slightly. The women shrank back at once.
“Ah… you’re busy…”
“L-let’s talk next time.”
“Ha… haha… selfie button~”
The frightened women scattered. Seo Jun-seo approached cautiously.
“Sir, you’re incredible. How did you know those women were sent by the Hunter Alliance?”
Seo Jun-seo had already recognized their faces from intelligence reports. Kim Hwang-je tilted his head.
The Hunter Alliance? Wasn’t that the association handling national rift-related businesses? Why would they pull something like this?
“I didn’t know.”
“Excuse me? Then that look in your eyes just now…”
It was a chilling indifference, as if he held no interest whatsoever. The women had probably never received such a gaze in their lives. Seo Jun-seo swallowed his words.
Of course. This man is different from ordinary hunters. As a great mage, he possesses exceptional self-control.
Newly awakened hunters were notoriously weak to money, power, and the opposite sex. Someone once said that power does not corrupt—it reveals one’s true nature. When ordinary citizens gained power through awakening, what usually surfaced were petty desires. As chief secretary who had worked in many fields, Seo Jun-seo had seen such scenes countless times. Cleaning up after them was often his responsibility.
No need to worry, then.
Seo Jun-seo nodded. But Kim Hwang-je had simply found the women blocking his path annoying. He was a great sage now. No beauty in the world could obstruct him.
“It’s a common tactic used by the Hunter Alliance and lower guilds. They send women to extract information and, if possible, trap their targets.”
“What a tiresome trick. Does it actually work?”
“Yes. They send men to female hunters and women to male hunters. It’s extremely effective. Especially with someone like you, Sir—they would try anything to get close.”
“What is this, the mafia?”
“Similar. They’ve clumsily copied KGB techniques. Of course, hunters are far easier targets than the KGB’s usual subjects. Ah, here comes one. Look over there.”
Seo Jun-seo pointed at an approaching woman wearing a deeply plunging red dress and a confident expression. Upon recognizing Seo Jun-seo, she clicked her tongue and gave him a playful wink. But the moment her eyes met Kim Hwang-je’s, her face turned deathly pale and she fled.
“That woman is a true professional. She used to work for my former employer. Since she’s also done some hunter work, she must have been intimidated by your presence, Sir.”
Kim Hwang-je was dumbfounded. How much were they willing to spend just to recruit one hunter?
“Will this keep happening? It’ll be difficult to suspect everyone I meet on the street or in cafés.”
“For now, assume any coincidental encounter during this auction is part of an operation.”
“Haha, do I really have to go that far?”
“Of course. Among everyone I’ve seen, you’re the most outstanding in this regard, so there’s no need for concern.”
Outstanding in what regard? Being a sage?
“Ah, right, Seo Jun-seo. Purchase all available titanium materials. As much as possible.”
“Titanium, understood. Shall we go inside?”
They headed toward the grand entrance of the opera house. A staff member was checking invitations at the door. After showing theirs, Kim Hwang-je and Seo Jun-seo stepped inside.
The moment Kim Hwang-je appeared, a profound silence filled the opera house.
“Whew.”
Kim Hwang-je let out a sigh within that silence and ascended to the third floor. At least here, no one would openly rush at him. He sat on the leather sofa prepared for him. Beside it stood a table laden with various drinks and snacks. From this vantage, the entire hall below was clearly visible.
Unlike a typical opera house, each terrace had several chairs arranged around circular tables. It seemed the auction had been combined with a banquet. Was this standard? He wouldn’t know—he had never attended one before.
Kim Hwang-je easily recognized the faces of many celebrities. Every single one of them was glancing upward.
“The place is packed with chaebols and famous hunters.”
People rarely seen in ordinary society were as common as pebbles here. Famous male and female hunters, along with wealthy individuals frequently featured in the media, mingled in the hall below, engaged in various conversations.
“Indeed. The general auction hall outside the opera house is open to anyone, but this place is different. Especially these terraces.”
“Heh, and I’m one of them now.”
“Of course. Miss Jung Da-yeon has been particularly considerate of your preference for privacy.”
He hadn’t intended to keep things secret, but whatever.
Kim Hwang-je scanned the hall again. On several terraces, he noticed people who gave off unpleasant vibes. Their scowling faces and conversations with companions made them look like outright villains. Had they been summoned to the auction only to suffer some indignity?
“There are quite a few people frowning.”
Seo Jun-seo looked down. He identified several faces, then checked a few more on the opposite terrace.
“Those who can’t manage their expressions are small fry. The real threats are the ones who are smiling.”
“Really? Are there many enemies?”
“Conflicts of interest are intense.”
“If you make money, I lose money?”
“Exactly. Since Lost’s expansion, conflicts have erupted over major businesses—cheap supply of hunter weapons, contracts for monster bio-heavy oil power plants, corporate supply of byproducts, and land development for hunting grounds.”
Even to Kim Hwang-je, none of these sounded like small operations. Even a construction site cafeteria had seemed like a dream source of income to him, so he couldn’t begin to imagine the profits involved in such interests. Moreover…
“Oil?”
“Yes. Thanks to the ogre corpse you provided, we secured enough initial stock to win the bid.”
After the monster outbreak, even food had become expensive—let alone oil. How did one obtain it? By squeezing it out of monsters. Instead of Bunker C oil that had to travel across oceans, the use of bio-heavy oil, also called monster oil, had surged dramatically. It was a stopgap measure, but since its kcal/kg reached 77% of Bunker C oil, the government found it reasonably usable. Even before the monster crisis, the government had already used bio-heavy oil for 15% of Jeju Island’s electricity.
Thus, anyone dealing in monster byproducts was essentially an oil company. Even the existing giant petroleum corporations had entered this competition. This too was part of the power struggle, making the monster industry a market where truly enormous interests collided.
Let’s see… Once I collect all three maps, I should start my own oil company…
Kim Hwang-je stroked his chin. Seo Jun-seo continued.
“Because of that, there have been several direct threats against our business sites.”
“Hmm… I’ve experienced that myself.”
Hunters were utterly lawless. They were practically the mafia already.
“But why is Lost operating so aggressively?”
“To make their homeland even a little safer. Looking at Korea… it’s like holding people’s lives hostage to extort money. Miss Jung Da-yeon couldn’t just stand by and watch.”
Whenever Jung Da-yeon was mentioned, his loyalty seemed to boil over. Huh, she really was a good person. Kim Hwang-je nodded contentedly.
“Miss Jung has staked Lost’s very survival on this venture. The fact that we now have a chance is all thanks to you, Sir.”
“Haha…”
“Perhaps they’ve gathered here today to spread malicious rumors in an organized manner. They might act during the break. But don’t worry.”
Seo Jun-seo spoke calmly, yet Kim Hwang-je felt a chill in his stomach.
“If they spread bad rumors during the break… will the sale price of the items drop?”
“It’s possible, but the Lost secretariat can handle most issues.”
Kim Hwang-je picked up a piece of chocolate from the table and put it in his mouth. It was sweet. He thought to himself: If anyone interferes with my asset formation, I’ll make them grow chocolate in the royal castle.
***
In conclusion, it had been needless worry. From the moment Kim Hwang-je entered the opera house, every hunter had trembled under the pressure. Civilians couldn’t feel it. But all the Greater-rank hunters who had faced boss monsters could not ignore this presence.
“This energy… can you feel it?”
“…I can’t believe it. Could it really be one person’s power?”
“It’s the Kim Hwang-je from the rumors.”
They pretended to converse among themselves, but every nerve was focused on Kim Hwang-je on the third floor. Not a single hunter in the first-floor party hall could properly swallow their food.
Showing off his power so openly that we can’t even eat?
Of course, they only thought it inwardly. How had this happened? It was because Kim Hwang-je had left the sleeping Poyu behind when he came here. He had originally planned to bring the dragon along, but the shock had been so great that he hadn’t been able to think straight. Without Poyu’s sweet drool dampening his head, there was no way to conceal the castle’s presence. And hunters sensitive to power could not possibly ignore Kim Hwang-je’s aura.
“It’s tingling…!”
Thanks to this, every hunter on the first floor and all those on the second and third-floor terraces shuddered whenever Kim Hwang-je’s gaze swept downward.
“It’s not a bluff, is it?”
“No. It’s not forced power. It’s the strength that naturally flows with every breath.”
“But it’s strange. Would a powerhouse of that level expose their power so openly?”
“They must have a purpose. They’re probably advertising that they’ll protect this auction themselves.”
“As expected of Lost…”
It wasn’t an illusion—Kim Hwang-je’s epithets had begun to multiply rapidly. Especially terrified were the high-ranking officials of the Hunter Alliance and the Hunter Association. They had gathered on the opposite third-floor terrace that Jung Da-yeon had prepared for them, putting their heads together in urgent discussion. Jung Da-yeon had deliberately placed Kim Hwang-je in the terrace directly facing them. It was a form of display: This man is on my side. But because Poyu had been left behind, that display had become a living threat piercing the Hunter Association members.
For Jung Da-yeon, it was an unexpected stroke of luck. It was as if a nuclear strategic bomber she had merely positioned had casually flown right up to another country’s doorstep.
“He’s frowning…”
“Hmph, so he wants a battle of wills.”
Of course, Kim Hwang-je was lost in thought about his missing precious thing.
“Don’t look at him. If he takes it as a threat, it’ll only cause trouble.”
“They say he drove away the agents we deployed with nothing but a glance. He must be a ruthless man.”
“Damn it, that witch Jung Da-yeon. What kind of monster did she bring? Are they from that side?”
“They must have noticed our auction interference. If anything happens, they’re planning retaliation.”
“Retaliation here? This is Gaya Hotel, where the Gaya Gold Crown resides. It’s the core of Seoul’s southern defense, and—”
“Shut up. Does it matter where we are? One wrong move and we’ll get stabbed and die. With a monster like that, what—”
“What did you say? Watch your tone—”
“Quiet.”
The final man’s voice instantly calmed the room. He was a handsome man with silver hair and golden eyes.
“Master will protect us.”
Many high-ranking officials fell silent under his serene gaze.
“Find your own methods of containment. If a violent clash occurs, we will handle it. Of course, there will be a price…”
He rose from his seat with a smile.
“That should be enough, shouldn’t it? Then I’ll take my leave. I’ll go observe the situation.”
As he walked out of the terrace, the high-ranking officials exchanged glances.
“That annoying Howling puppet…”
“But right now, he’s the only force that can counter what Jung Da-yeon has deployed…”
“Now that we know who’s behind Lost, we need to align ourselves with power of that level as well.”
“Indeed. And stop saying such insulting things—you never know who might be listening. You’re not the only one who’ll die!”
“Insulting? He’s not even human. He probably doesn’t even have—”
But their noisy argument carried beyond the terrace. The silver-haired puppet heard it and curled his lips upward.
“Pathetic fools. Even facing impending ruin, they make such a fuss over something so trivial.”
He stood in the corridor, gazing at Kim Hwang-je’s third-floor terrace.
“But that truly is immense power. An eighth paladin not recorded in any archive? Impossible…”
He clenched his fist.
“Even so, I won’t let them take the book. That relic is far too precious to be held by idiots.”
If necessary, he would seize it by force.
***
At the moment he made that decision, Poyu, who had been purring in sleep within her lair, opened her eyes.
“Danger is coming! Ahjussi! …Huh?”
Poyu looked around, her eyes widening into circles.
“You left me behind and went somewhere!”