Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Crushing the Elites
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Click! Click!
"Please open the door!"
"I want to meet Yong-un! Hey, over here!"
"You used a skill on a civilian! Open this door before I sue!"
The shutter clicks and the reporters' voices kept coming from outside the closed entrance.
Yong-un shook his head with a sigh and picked up his teacup filled with steaming herbal tea.
"They're more persistent than zombies."
He downed the hot tea in one gulp, set the cup down, and turned to the guild leader.
Then he asked,
"You saw this coming, didn't you?"
"Yes, we did. We knew people like them were beyond our power to handle anyway, so we figured you'd take care of it, Yong-un."
"What a hassle."
The guild leader gave a small smile.
Just then, a staff member who had been on the phone approached the guild leader and handed over a sheet of paper.
"Just as you said, Guild Leader. All the gates are sealed, but a few places have sent us subjugation orders specifically."
"These?"
He examined the subjugation order in his hand closely.
"But..."
However, the staff member's expression darkened a bit.
"We've confirmed those orders are for gates classified as tricky clears, like the Bukhansan Gate."
"Ah, don't worry. Once we handle this one, all the restrictions will start lifting one by one."
"Yes, sir..."
The guild leader smiled and handed the order to Yong-un.
"One more favor, please."
"Not a problem."
Yong-un rose casually from the sofa, but Myung-un blocked his way.
"Bro?"
Myung-un hadn't been around before, but things were different today.
The others wouldn't care what happened to Yong-un, but Myung-un did.
Yong-un smiled at his worried expression and placed a hand on Myung-un's shoulder.
"Don't worry. I'm stronger than you think."
"Still..."
"Wait here just thirty minutes—no, fifteen."
As Yong-un moved to step forward, the guild leader hurriedly reached out.
"You don't need to bring back any heads this time."
"Got it."
"And I have something to discuss. Could we talk briefly?"
"Sure."
Yong-un nodded and followed the guild leader into his office.
Three minutes later.
The guild leader emerged alone, and a guild member asked,
"Where's Yong-un?"
"He left."
"Huh? The door didn't even open."
"He just vanished suddenly."
And with that, Yong-un disappeared from the office.
He arrived at the gate as the guild leader had instructed.
The paths were complicated; he wasn't entirely sure of the location.
But unlike the Bukhansan Gate, it was clear upon arrival that this was the place.
"Here we are."
"Is that the guy?"
Two guards who looked like agency staff and five other hunters were waiting to greet Yong-un at the gate.
Of course, what confirmed it for him were those five hunters.
"A true master strategist indeed."
As he approached them with a smile, one of the five hunters—not a guard—stepped forward to block his path.
"What the hell? Master strategist? You talking about hot dogs or something?"
Yong-un let out another chuckle at the guy's belligerent tone.
Then he looked past him at the strongest-looking one in the back and asked,
"Where are you from?"
The guy in front hurriedly tried to block his view and raised his voice.
"Hey, who are you talking to?"
"Your panic confirms it."
"You bastard."
Fuming, the guy clenched his fist without warning.
"I have nothing to say to underlings."
Thud!
That was the last thing the guy remembered.
A small sound like air bursting echoed, followed by a gust of wind.
The guy dropped to his knees with a thud, slamming his head into the ground.
Bam!
"W-What the...?"
With his line of sight cleared, the guy in the back became even more visible.
"Your martial arts won't even sense it. And unlike those Wudang fools, I won't tell you to keep training. You just can't cut it."
Yong-un lightly stomped his foot.
Just one step.
But in the blink of an eye, his figure was right in front of the leader.
"Seemed decent enough, but you couldn't even sense me."
"...?!"
The startled leader hurriedly gathered his qi and swung a fist at Yong-un.
Whoosh.
At that moment, Yong-un's hand whipped out like a snake and gripped the incoming fist.
Thump!
"...?!"
The leader's jaw dropped in shock beyond mere surprise as his punch was caught so effortlessly.
"It's called the Iron Claw Grip."
"Hrk!"
Bam!
"Gah!"
Another burst of impact ripped a dying groan from the leader's mouth.
His legs buckled to the ground, his vision spinning as if he might pass out.
In the brief moment he regained his senses, a faint popping sound lingered in his ears.
"Ugh..."
As the leader raised his head with a groan, he witnessed the unbelievable.
'N-No way.'
How could this happen?
In that short time, all the guild elites were sprawled on the ground.
Everyone except the gate guards.
Swish.
Yong-un leaned in close to the stunned leader, who had lost the power of speech.
The leader flinched back defensively.
"Don't worry. No one's dead."
Only then did the leader hear the faint breathing of his men.
'Ah...'
He'd held back his power even in a fight against elites?
And done it in mere seconds?
It was like an adult toying with children.
'This is supposed to be top-tier A-Rank?'
The leader shuddered and shook his head.
He clenched his fist and bit his lip.
'No... that's not top-tier A-Rank.'
That's...
S-Rank.
The leader looked up, trembling slightly.
Yong-un met his gaze, standing tall as he looked down.
"Where are you from?"
「The major guilds releasing gates like this isn't a light matter.」
「What do you think? 」
「They're testing you. High chance of unwelcome guests at the gate.」
「Just take them out? 」
「Yes, but now that everyone knows your power, they'll be fully prepared. If it's too much, pull back no matter what.」
A master strategist lived up to the name.
They called him a tactician, but Yong-un thought they were the true masters who bent battlefields to their will.
And his instincts were always spot on.
"As expected."
「They're waiting with elites strong enough to make you consider retreat. The big guilds covet high-rank hunters.」
He watched the leader rousing his fallen men one by one.
'These are Sareung Guild's 1st Elite Squad. That's all I can tell you.'
Just as the guild leader said.
Not lightweight scouts for talk, but a major guild's elites.
He'd seen Sareung Guild that morning too.
One of the guilds under the massive conglomerates.
Dispatching elites meant things were proceeding as the guild leader predicted.
「I mentioned retreat because at least two A-Rank hunters like you will be waiting.」
"Thanks for letting our team withdraw. As promised, we can share our ranks. Me and this guy are both A-Rank. Well then..."
The man called the 1st Elite Squad leader hurriedly led his entire team out of the area.
"Impressive. Heh heh."
The guild leader's insight into the situation was spot on.
Two A-Rank hunters and an elite squad deployed.
Yong-un chuckled amusedly, arms crossed, and headed toward the gate.
"Th-The subjugation order..."
"Here."
The guards took the order from Yong-un with trembling hands.
Without checking it, they bowed deeply and cleared the path.
"You can enter."
"Thanks."
Of course, after witnessing everything firsthand, how could they block his way?
Yong-un glanced at the bowing guards and strode into the gate through the open path.
An hour later.
As if information had been shared, dozens of people rushed toward the gate Yong-un had entered.
But they were far too late.
"What the hell? What happened?"
Instead of the massive gate, they were greeted only by empty air and guards cleaning up around it.
The dozens who arrived one after another checked each other's faces and scowled.
"I don't know which bastard leaked the info, but I'll kill him if I find out."
"Your Sareung Guild probably did it. You're in charge here."
"Hey, Hwarang Guild, ease up. Thanks to that, we got good intel and gathered like this, right?"
"Shut it, Iron Army. Before I kill you all."
The conversation among the dozens was far from friendly.
Sareung, Hwarang, Iron Army Guilds.
Three of Korea's four proud mega-guilds had assembled.
The startled guards stopped what they were doing and slunk away to hide.
Then a hot-tempered-looking Sareung Guild member approached the guards and demanded,
"Guards, when was the gate cleared?"
"About 50 minutes... ago."
"Bullshit."
The Sareung member scowled and pressed the guard.
"He entered an hour ago, and you're saying he cleared it in 10 minutes and vanished? Lie properly! Speak straight!"
As the Sareung member barked, the guard looked wronged and on the verge of tears.
"It's true. He was insanely strong. Beat your Sareung elites and cleared the gate in a 10-minute run... We saw it and couldn't believe it."
The Sareung member's face crumpled as he glanced at the others from rival guilds.
The elites getting crushed was no longer a secret.
That was exactly why the other guilds' casting directors had gathered here.
But hearing it straight from the guard's mouth made his irritation spike.
"Man, hearing it from the guards makes it real. A total monster showed up."
The Iron Army Guild's casting director smiled eagerly.
Hwarang Guild's casting director crossed his arms with a grin too.
"This is gonna be fierce."
"Then I'm out first~ Good luck, Hwarang and Sa.reung. Heh heh heh."
Realizing Yong-un wasn't here, Iron Army Guild left first.
"Take care, Sareung. Your guild leader was pissed. Good luck. Heh."
Hwarang Guild had no reason to stay either and quickly withdrew.
"Damn it."
Iron Army and Hwarang had both pulled out.
He knew exactly what they'd do next.
Crunch.
"Whoever sold the info, I'll kill them. Definitely... kill them."
The Sareung Guild casting director stomped the ground hard.
Boom.
A loud noise rang out, leaving a clear footprint etched into the earth.
"Eek!"
The startled guards covered their mouths and backed away.
The Sareung casting director whipped his head toward them and slyly pressed a finger to his lips.
"Talk, and you're dead."
Then he switched to his thumb and mimed slitting his throat.
The guards, well aware of Sareung Guild's reputation, nodded frantically.
"Can't let the others snag him. Boys, let's go."
"Yes, boss!"
With that, Sareung Guild swiftly departed like the others.
Once everyone was gone, the remaining guards exchanged glances, sweating bullets.
"W-What the hell is going on...?"
"No idea. Just shut up and stay quiet. Feels like we got caught in something bad."
They looked around the now-silent surroundings.
It was as quiet as ruins after a typhoon.
The guards hurriedly finished cleaning up and fled the scene as fast as they could.